Airbus reveals new zero-emission concept aircraft

Airbus has revealed three concepts for the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft which could enter service by 2035. These concepts each represent a different approach to achieving zero-emission flight, exploring various technology pathways and aerodynamic configurations in order to support the Company’s ambition of leading the way in the decarbonisation of the entire aviation industry.

All of these concepts rely on hydrogen as a primary power source – an option which Airbus believes holds exceptional promise as a clean aviation fuel and is likely to be a solution for aerospace and many other industries to meet their climate-neutral targets.

“This is a historic moment for the commercial aviation sector as a whole and we intend to play a leading role in the most important transition this industry has ever seen. The concepts we unveil today offer the world a glimpse of our ambition to drive a bold vision for the future of zero-emission flight,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “I strongly believe that the use of hydrogen – both in synthetic fuels and as a primary power source for commercial aircraft – has the potential to significantly reduce aviation’s climate impact.”

The three concepts – all codenamed “ZEROe” – for a first climate neutral zero-emission commercial aircraft include:

A turbofan design (120-200 passengers) with a range of 2,000+ nautical miles, capable of operating transcontinentally and powered by a modified gas-turbine engine running on hydrogen, rather than jet fuel, through combustion. The liquid hydrogen will be stored and distributed via tanks located behind the rear pressure bulkhead.

A turboprop design (up to 100 passengers) using a turboprop engine instead of a turbofan and also powered by hydrogen combustion in modified gas-turbine engines, which would be capable of traveling more than 1,000 nautical miles, making it a perfect option for short-haul trips.

A “blended-wing body” design (up to 200 passengers) concept in which the wings merge with the main body of the aircraft with a range similar to that of the turbofan concept. The exceptionally wide fuselage opens up multiple options for hydrogen storage and distribution, and for cabin layout.

“These concepts will help us explore and mature the design and layout of the world’s first climate-neutral, zero-emission commercial aircraft, which we aim to put into service by 2035,” said Guillaume Faury. “The transition to hydrogen, as the primary power source for these concept planes, will require decisive action from the entire aviation ecosystem. Together with the support from government and industrial partners we can rise up to this challenge to scale-up renewable energy and hydrogen for the sustainable future of the aviation industry.”

In order to tackle these challenges, airports will require significant hydrogen transport and refueling infrastructure to meet the needs of day-to-day operations. Support from governments will be key to meet these ambitious objectives with increased funding for research & technology, digitalisation, and mechanisms that encourage the use of sustainable fuels and the renewal of aircraft fleets to allow airlines to retire older, less environmentally friendly aircraft earlier.

Note to editors: To evaluate and validate these new concept aircraft and assess whether they could be matured into viable future products, Airbus will be focusing its efforts on a number of technological pathways. Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Jean-Brice Dumont, EVP Engineering and Glenn Llewellyn, VP Head of Zero Emission Aircraft, will reveal Airbus’ technology roadmap for 2020-2025 at 14:00 CEST, 21 September 2020 during a virtual event on Airbus social media channels.

Boeing receives an order for two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF)

Boeing has made this announcement:

Boeing has announced a firm order from an unidentified customer for two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF), as well as agreements to open additional conversion lines in Guangzhou, China, and Singapore to meet strong market demand.

Based on the popular Next-Generation 737, the 737-800BCF offers operators newer technology, lower fuel consumption and higher reliability than other standard-body freighters. Primarily used to carry express cargo on domestic or short-haul routes, the airplane is capable of carrying up to 23.9 tons (52,800 pounds) and flying up to 2,000 nautical miles (3,750 kilometers).

The 737-800BCF now has 134 orders and commitments.

The new 737-800BCF line at Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Limited (GAMECO) is scheduled to open in early 2021, marking the MRO’s second conversion line for the market-leading 737-800BCF. To date, Boeing has delivered 36 737-800BCF to more than 10 operators across four continents.

Boeing will also add a second conversion line for its widebody converted freighter, the 767-300BCF, at ST Engineering’s facility in Singapore. The second line is scheduled to open later this year.

Lauda Europe (Malta) launches operations

Laudamotion (Vienna), as planned, has evolved into Lauda Europe based in Malta.

In July 2020, Ryanair announced Laudamotion GmbH would cease operations at the end of 2020, with the fleet being transferred to Lauda Europe. The new Malta-based Lauda Europe is the second Ryanair group airline based in Malta, alongside Malta Air.

Lauda Europe (LW) (Malta) launched operations on September 13, 2020 with flights from several Austrian and German airports to Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Ryanair Holdings’ new Maltese subsidiary replaces Lauda (Vienna), which is slated

for closure. Lauda Europe will take over the operation of Airbus A320-200s from Lauda and will exclusively operate the aircraft as a technical wet-lease operator under Ryanair’s “FR” code.

At least five Airbus A320s previously registered in Austria have been changed to Maltese registrations.

Javier Rodriguez reporting from Spain.

Top Copyright Photo: Lauda (Europe) (Malta) Airbus A320-232 9H-LMG (msn 4603) PMI (Javier Rodriguez). Image: 951372.

Blue Air introduces 7 new routes for the winter

Blue Air has made this announcement:

Between December 18, 2020 and January 10, 2021, Blue Air introduces a number of 49 new flights weekly to seven of Romanians’ favorite travel destinations for the winter holidays.

Blue Air anticipates a significant increase in its passengers’ travel appetite during the winter holidays and meets their expectations by introducing seven new international routes from Bucharest.

The seven new destinations – Barcelona, Birmingham, Bologna, Glasgow, Madrid, Rome, and Vienna – will be operated on a temporary basis during the 2020-21 Winter Schedule and will be included in the Blue Air 2021 Summer Schedule.

The new flights operated between December 18, 2020 and January 10, 2021 (except for December 25^th and January 1^st) are:

BUCHAREST – ROME (Fiumicino): 9 flights / week

BUCHAREST – GLASGOW: 7 flights / week

BUCHAREST – MADRID: 5 flights / week

BUCHAREST – BOLOGNA: 7 flights / week

BUCHAREST – VIENNA: 7 flights / week

BUCHAREST – BIRMINGHAM: 7 flights / week

BUCHAREST – BARCELONA: 7 flights / week

Blue Air aircraft photo gallery:

Silverstate Air Fokker 50 is destroyed in Somalia

Silverstone Air (Nairobi-Wilson) Fokker 50 (5Y-MHT) ran off the runway on landing at Mogadishu, Somalia on September 19, 2020.

The aircraft ran off the runway into a concrete barrier and is destroyed. It is damaged beyond economic repair.

Two of the four crew members on board the cargo flight were injured.

JACDEC on Twitter:

Lufthansa is consistently pursuing its tourism strategy: 15 new summer destinations from Frankfurt in 2021

Photo: Historic town of Lindos on Rhodes, Greece (Lufthansa).

Lufthansa has made this announcement:

Lufthansa is consistently expanding its offering of flights to tourist and leisure destinations from Frankfurt. During next year’s summer Season in 202115 new sunny destinations, which are highly attractive for holidaymakers, are now available for booking. The focus is on Greece (Corfu, Chania/Crete, Mykonos, Kos, Kavala/Thrace and Preveza/Peloponnese). Other attractive destinations in the program are in Spain (Jerez de la Frontera, Canary Islands and Tenerife will be continued from winter), Egypt (Hurghada), Cyprus (Paphos), Croatia (Rijeka), Italy (Lamezia Terme), Tunisia (Djerba) and Bulgaria (Varna).

The departure and arrival times of the new destinations are ideal for holidaymakers: Departures from Frankfurt were scheduled for the early morning hours and return flights to the Frankfurt Main metropolis in the evening.

By deploying up to five additional aircraft, the company will in future offer around 70 weekly connections to 29 purely tourist destinations, 15 more than in the same period last year. Lufthansa’s goal is to actively shape the future of tourism. This was a strategic focus even before the coronavirus pandemic. Since the beginning of July 2019, Lufthansa has been offering numerous additional tourist destinations.

The flights are bookable from today, September 16. Booking early has its advantages. This is because summer flights 2021, which are purchased until December 31, 2020, can then be rebooked as often as desired free of charge. Additional costs can arise if, for example, the original booking class is no longer available when rebooking to a different date or destination.

The new destinations summer 2021 in detail:

Corfu (CFU)	Two weekly flights	Start: April 4th
Chania (CHQ)	Three weekly flights	Start: April 1st
Djerba (DJE)	One weekly flight	Start: April 3rd
Hurghada (HRG)	One weekly flight	Start: April 3rd
Mykonos (JMK)	Two weekly flights	Start: May 4th
Kos (KGS)	Three weekly flights	Start: April 2nd
Kavala (KVA)	Two weekly flights	Start: May 4th
Gran Canaria (LPA)	Two weekly flights	Continuation Winter
Paphos (PFO)	Two weekly flights	Start: March 29th
Preveza (PVK)	Two weekly flights	Start: May 2nd
Rijeka (RJK)	One weekly flight	Start: May 8th
Lamezia Terme (SUF)	Two weekly flights	Start: April 3rd
Tenerife (TFS)	Two weekly flights	Continuation Winter
Varna (VAR)	Two weekly flights	Start: May 1st
Jerez de la Frontera (XRY)	Two weekly flights	Start: March 28th

Cargolux adds Shenzhen to its global network

Cargolux has announced the launch of a new frequency to Shenzhen, China. The weekly frequency is routed Luxembourg-Bangkok-Shenzhen before returning westbound to Luxembourg via Bangkok with an additional stopover in Budapest. Shenzhen (SZX) is Cargolux’s 6^th destination in mainland China, bolstering the company’s position as a leading provider of air cargo services in the region.

The latest addition to Cargolux’s extensive network is an opportunity for the airline to meet growing customer requirements while also exploring additional market opportunities. Shenzhen is China’s 4^th busiest and the world’s 24^th busiest cargo airport. The weekly scheduled all-cargo flight will further strengthen Cargolux’s footprint in the area.

This inaugural flight marks the beginning of a regular service between Luxembourg and Shenzhen but the history between the Chinese airport and Cargolux goes back several decades. In November 1992, Cargolux was the first foreign airline, cargo or passenger, to land at Shenzhen airport.

Cargolux aircraft photo gallery:

Finnair partners with Terveystalo to offer coronavirus testing for travellers

Finnair has made this announcement:

Finnair has started co-operation with private Finnish healthcare service company Terveystalo to offer its customers easy and fast access to coronavirus testing prior to travel. The service will be launched on September 28, 2020.

Some countries require a negative coronavirus test result and a certificate from passengers arriving in the country. The partnership between Finnair and Terveystalo ensures that customers are provided a test certificate required by the destination country conveniently and in a timely manner. Furthermore, Finnair’s customers get access to testing services at a discounted price and with the possibility to buy with Finnair Plus points.

“Safety and enabling smooth travelling are extremely important for us. Unfortunately, travellers face more and more requirements these days. Through our partnership with Terveystalo we want to make travelling easier for our customers to countries that require a coronavirus test certificate,” says Jaakko Schildt, Chief Operations Officer, Finnair.

“As travel restrictions are lifted, it is important to enable travelling with peace of mind. Although interaction through digital channels is a good option for many situations, face-to-face encounters are still needed for both work and leisure. At Terveystalo, we also want to support businesses and offer solutions for work travellers,” says Karita Reijonsaari, Director of Business Development, Corporate Health, Terveystalo.

The PCR test from nose and throat used by Terveystalo meets the international quality standards. This method is the most accepted coronavirus test around the world.

Different countries have varying requirements for coronavirus testing and related documents. Terveystalo specialists discuss these requirements with the customer, and the customer is provided an adequate test and a certificate that fulfils the destination country’s requirements valid at the time. The customer can also choose a test-only option and they will receive the result through the Oma Terveys service immediately after the result is ready. This option serves for example Finnish nationals, who return home from high risk countries and who want to shorten the 14-day quarantine by getting tested after arrival.

Finnair customers are directed to Terveystalo’s digital service through Finnair’s website. Customers can choose their closest Terveystalo clinic for testing from a wide network across Finland. The test and results are scheduled in a way that fulfils the destination requirements. Customers have access to a speedy testing service, and the waiting time for the results is minimised. In the capital area of Finland, the result is ready in 24 hours from testing and elsewhere in Finland in 36 hours on average. Customers receive information on the result with a short message, and the certificate is delivered electronically or in a printed form.

Finnair’s customers receive a 10% discount from Terveystalo’s normal PCR test price. For Finnair Plus Platinum Lumo, Platinum and Gold members the discount is 15%.

Finnair aircraft photo gallery: