airBaltic starts the phase out of its Bombardier Q400 fleet

airBaltic hasย announces that on July 20, 2022 it started the redelivery process of its Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft back to their lessor Nordic Aviation Capital.

airBaltic made a decision to introduce an all-Airbus A220 fleet in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in spring 2020. It is expected that all 12 Q400 NextGen aircraft will be returned to the lessor by the end of the year.

The first Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft joined airBaltic back in 2010. Over the years, 12 different Bombardier Q400 NextGen have carried more than 11 million passengers in total and have performed more than 222 thousand flights all across the Europe.

Ethiopian Airlines orders two Dash 8-400 freighters

 

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited and Ethiopian Airlines Group announced today that Ethiopian has signed a proposal for the purchase of two Dash 8-400 Freighter โ€“ Large Cargo Door (F-LCD) conversion kits. The proposal provides an option for an additional two F-LCD conversion kits. The parties are working to finalize a definitive and binding agreement.

WestJet statement regarding Unifor strike authorization vote results

WestJet today issued the following statement regarding the announcement made by Unifor, the certified union representing certain WestJet airport employees at YYC Calgary International Airport and Vancouver International Airport, regarding the results of its strike authorization vote.

In response to Unifor strike authorization, Angela Avery, Executive Vice-President and Chief People, Corporate and Sustainability Officer commented, “This is a common step in the labour negotiation process and was not unexpected. We remain focused on successfully negotiating an agreement that provides value to our airport employees, many of whom have joined WestJet in the last year. In the meantime, we will continue to provide our guests with the friendly and affordable air travel WestJet has always been known for.”

WestJet is committed to competitive compensation that recognize airport employee contributions, while ensuring the airline is positioned to return to profitability, following more than two years of unprecedented financial losses resulting from the pandemic. As the airline rebuilds, the majority of its airports employees have been with the company for less than one year, and the vast majority of more tenured airport employees have received increases through the existing pay step structure, in addition to a Canadian industry leading variable compensation.

As Canadians make their highly anticipated return to travel this summer, the airline is working on precautionary contingency plans, and has identified employees who may be reassigned if required. This preventative measure is in place to ensure critical air service continuity from coast-to-coast and to protect the fragile recovery of Canada’s travel and tourism industry.

WestJet has meticulously planned for summer operations and through proactive efforts to stabilize operations and since the beginning of July leads Canadian operators with a 97.5 per cent completion factor. The airline continues to work closely with the federal government, third-party providers and airport partners to mitigate operational challenges that remain outside of WestJet’s control in this challenging recovery landscape.

Azerbaijan Airlines signs MOU for four more Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners

Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Azerbaijan Airlines today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for four additional fuel-efficient 787-8s at the Farnborough International Airshow. The Azerbaijan flag-carrier currently operates two 787-8s, with today’s announcement the airline intends to grow its Dreamliner fleet to 10 by 2030, enabling it to open new routes across Central Asia.

“Azerbaijan Airlines was the first airline in the Caspian and Central Asia region to operate the 787-8 Dreamliner and we currently have two 787-8s in-service. This MoU is the evidence of joint efforts to scale up the mutually beneficial partnership between Azerbaijan Airlines and Boeing,” said Jahangir Asgarov, president of Azerbaijan Airlines. “Over the years, our 787 airplanes have provided impeccable performance, and the addition of more long-haul airplanes will further expand the geography of Azerbaijan Airlines’ route network.”

Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

 

WestJet’s workers prepare to strike

Unifor issued this statement:

WestJet workers in Calgary and Vancouver have voted overwhelmingly to support the bargaining committee and take strike action if a deal cannot be reached, as early as July 27, 2022, says Unifor.

“The pay scale has not been increased for more than five years, making WestJet’s wages among the lowest in the Canadian aviation industry and no match for soaring inflation. We are looking, not only for a fair deal that’s right for our members, but for WestJet to comprehend how much of a pressure-cooker atmosphere it is for them.”

Unifor Local 531 โ€“ which represents over 700 baggage service agents, customer service agents and guest service leads, among others, in Calgary and Vancouver airports โ€“ voted to strike by 98%.

(CNW Group/Unifor)

The local held strike votes July 15 and 16, 2022 in Vancouver and July 18 and 19, 2022 in Calgary.

Unifor has been bargaining for nine months, since October 2021, and spent several weeks during that time with a number of conciliators in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

Since air travel began picking up in the spring, WestJet workers have endured verbal abuse and, at times, physical threats from travellers whose flights were delayed or cancelled, even though the workers were not responsible for the company’s decisions.

“We are burnt out,” said Sherwin Antonio, member of the Local 531’s Calgary Bargaining Committee.

“This is the perfect storm of massive worker shortages, lost baggage and flight chaos. The people who get the brunt of the anger aren’t the people in the boardroom, but us. We have been telling the company for months, we need more support. And we need it now.”

Local 531 filed for conciliation with the Canadian government on April 26, 2022, due to the slow pace and lack of process in bargaining.

The union is in a legal strike position beginning July 27, 2022. Prior to taking any strike action, Unifor must serve WestJet with 72 hours’ notice of its intention to strike.

Airbus and CFM International launch a flight test demonstrator for advanced open fan architecture

Airbus and CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines, are collaborating to flight test CFMโ€™s cutting-edge open fan engine architecture.

The Flight Test Demonstrator aims to mature and accelerate the development of advanced propulsion technologies, as part of CFMโ€™s Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engine (RISE) demonstration programme, on board an Airbus A380. The flight test campaign will be performed in the second half of this decade from the Airbus Flight Test facility in Toulouse, France. Ahead of the A380 test flights, CFM will perform engine ground tests, along with flight test validation at GE Aviationโ€™s Flight Test Operations centre in Victorville, CA, USA.

The flight test program will achieve several objectives that could contribute to future engine and aircraft efficiency improvements, including: enhanced understanding of engine/wing integration and aerodynamic performance as well as propulsive system efficiency gains; validating performance benefits, including better fuel efficiency that would provide a 20%* reduction in CO2 emissions compared to todayโ€™s most efficient engines; evaluating acoustic models; and ensuring compatibility with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

This collaboration with CFM highlights the diversity of Airbusโ€™ technology demonstrator portfolio and complements the work being carried out to evaluate concepts and mature technologies for Airbusโ€™ zero-emission ambition. In February 2022, the two companies announced a joint flight test program to validate hydrogen propulsion capability.

Airbus and CFM, along with parent companies GE and Safran, share the ambition of fulfilling the promise they made in signing the Air Transport Action Group goal in October 2021 to achieve aviation industry net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by developing and testing the technology necessary to make zero emissions aircraft a reality within the ambitious timeline defined.

Airbus has a long-standing relationship with CFM and its parent companies, GE Aviation and Safran and, together, the partners have established a great track record of delivering high-performance products that meet the needs of airline customers.

*Using traditional Jet-A; even greater improvements can be realised with SAF.

BBAM orders 9 more Boeing 737-800BCFs

Boeing and BBAM Limited Partnership (BBAM) have announced the lessor is growing its 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) fleet with a firm order for nine more 737-800BCF. The agreement brings BBAMโ€™s 737-800BCF orders to 40 as strong demand for the single-aisle freighter continues.

BBAM will be the first customer to take delivery of a 737-800BCF conversion at a new conversion line set to open next year at KF Aerospace, a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider in Kelowna, British Columbia. Last year, Boeing announced it would open two 737-800BCF conversion lines at KF Aerospace beginning in 2023.

The 737-800BCF is the standard body freighter market leader with more than 250 orders and commitments from 20+ customers to date, and more than 90 deliveries. The freighter carries more payload โ€“ up to 23.9 tonnes (52,800 lbs.) โ€“ and flies farther โ€“ 2,025 nautical miles (3,750 km) compared to 737 Classic freighters.

BBAM holds conversion slots at other Boeing MRO providers, including Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (COOPESA), an Alajuela, Costa Rica-based MRO provider, and Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services (BSAS) in Shanghai, China.

BBAM customers:

Alaska Airlines becomes first U.S. airline to launch electronic bag tag program

Alaska Airlines made this announcement:

Today, weโ€™re announcing that we will become the first U.S. airline to launch an electronic bag tag program later this year.

Electronic bag tags will allow guests to skip the step of printing traditional bag tags at the airport. Travelers will be able to activate the devices from anywhereโ€”their home, office or even carโ€”up to 24-hours before their flight through our mobile app.

โ€œThis technology allows our guests to tag their own bags in just seconds and makes the entire check-in process almost all off-airport,โ€ said Charu Jain, senior vice president of merchandising and innovation at Alaska.โ€

Not only will our electronic bag tags allow our guests to quickly drop-off their luggage after they arrive at the airport, the devices will also give our employees the opportunity to spend more one-on-one time with guests who ask for assistance and reduce lines at our lobbies,โ€ says Jain.

The activation is done by simplyย  touching the phone used for check-in to the electronic bag tag, which has an antenna that powers and reads the information transmitted from the phone. The e-paper bag tagโ€™s screen will then display the guestโ€™s flight information.

Alaskaโ€™s electronic bag tags will display the guestโ€™s flight information.ย 

Our electronic bag tag program is expected to reduce the time spent dropping-off checked luggage by nearly 40%.ย 

In March, we launched a new self-bag drop system at San Jose International Airport, where guests can save up to a little more than four minutes. Our goal is to modernize travel at every major city we fly, from reimagining the lobby to testing innovative technology that streamlines the airport experience.

As we continue to grow, weโ€™re evolving our services and products in the air and in airports to create better experiences for our guests. Weโ€™re using the San Jose airport (SJC) as an incubator for the future of seamless travel, including kiosk-less lobbies, DIY bag drop, biometric boarding and beyond. Learn more.

Alaska Airlines is the first U.S. airline to pioneer this innovative electronic bag tag program here at SJC,โ€ said San Josรฉ Mayor Sam Liccardo. โ€œThis program will modernize the check-in process and provide a more sustainable option for travelers.โ€

Rollout of the electronic bag tag program will happen in several phases. The first phase will initially include 2,500 Alaska Airlinesโ€™ frequent fliers who will begin using the electronic bag tags in late 2022. Mileage Plan members will have the option to purchase the devices early next year.

We are very proud to announce the first American carrier adopting our EBT solutions,โ€ said BAGTAG Managing Director Jasper Quak. โ€œAlaska Airlinesโ€™ relentless efforts to make their passenger journey a true 21st century experience makes us very confident in a successful rollout among their guests.โ€

Spirit Airlines announces a new pilot and flight attendant crew base at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

Spirit Airlines made this announcement:

Three months after announcing the addition of an aircraft maintenance facility and 50 new jobs in Houston, Spirit Airlinesย have announced it’s going even bigger with the addition of a new Pilot and Flight Attendant crew base at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Spirit expects to locate about 150 Pilots and about 300 Flight Attendants in Houston starting this fall, with additional crew, supervisors and support functions to follow.

The two investments aim to support the many exciting new destinations coming soon to Spirit’s route map and support the airline’s growing Fit Fleetยฎ, which is one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the industry. Spirit plans to accept 24 brand new planes in 2022, bringing its fleet total to 197 aircraft, and 33 more new planes are planned for delivery in 2023.

Crew bases are the various airport stations where commercial Pilots and Flight Attendants normally begin and end their duty periods. The new IAH crew base will join Spirit’s existing crew bases in Atlanta (ATL), Atlantic City (ACY), Chicago (ORD), Dallas (DFW), Detroit (DTW), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Las Vegas (LAS), Miami (MIA) and Orlando (MCO).

In addition to these investments, Spirit continues to invest in convenient and affordable travel options for Houstonians. Guests can travel from Houston to 16 domestic and seven international destinations, including daily, nonstop service to Monterrey, Mexico (MTY) scheduled to begin this fall.

Spirit Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

Ascendance Flight Technologies receives purchase intentions for its five-seat VTOL aircraft

Ascendance Flight Technologies, the French start-up specializing in low-carbon aviation, has opened its order book. It has received its first purchase intentions from operators in the US, Asia and Europe for a total of 245 units of Atea, its five-seat hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. These Letters of Intent (LOI) confirm the sector’s interest in the hybrid technology, endurance and versatility of the aircraft. Atea is a low carbon alternative to the helicopter, intended for regional use, and will go into production in 2025.

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Hybrid-electric technology and distributed propulsion: for Ascendance Flight Technologies, these technical choices are the safest and fastest solution to move towards a new, cleaner and more sustainable air mobility. They are the centerpiece to its strategy and the development of its high-performance solutions dedicated to a new generation of aviation: Atea, a multi-use hybrid-electric aircraft and Sterna, its patented modular hybrid propulsion system. With its focus on decentralized aviation or decarbonization of existing aircraft, Ascendance anticipates and develops agile solutions that will impact the future of mobility. Since its founding in 2018, the young company has steadily and rigorously met several key milestones of its ambitious development schedule.

International customers

Both aircraft and engine manufacturer, Ascendance Flight Technologies designs solutions in response to the concrete expectations of the aviation industryโ€™s players and users. This aim is reflected in the design and architecture of Atea, which has convinced demanding customers across three continents. The Letters of Intent registered today reflect the suitability of Ascendance solutions to the operational needs and business model of players with varied profiles: helicopter operator, air carrier, aircraft charterer or cargo specialist. While further negotiations are still underway, Ascendance is pleased to announce that 6 companies have signed LOIs for 245 Atea. Located in Europe, the United States and Asia, they cover several areas of activities :

EVFLY (SINGAPOUR) – FLYSHARE (USA/CALIFORNIA) – HELIFIRST (FRANCE) – JET SYSTEMS HELICOPTรˆRES SERVICES (FRANCE) – PHILJETS GROUP (PHILIPPINES) – YUGO (SINGAPORE).

The company currently has around 50 employees and is expected to double its workforce by 2023. The delivery of its new facilities at the Muret-Lherm airfield, as well as its next full-scale prototype test campaign, are also scheduled for next year. Demonstration flights will be held in Paris during the 2024 Olympics. The production launch of the aircraft is scheduled for 2025.

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