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General News

TrueNoord leases second Embraer E190 to Cobham Regional Services

By General News, Leasing

TrueNoord has completed the transition of a second Embraer E190 to Cobham Regional Services on a six-year operating lease. The aircraft was integrated into Cobham’s fleet in May and is already operating charter flights from its base in Perth.

Jack Bos, TrueNoord Technical Director, explains how the team dealt with the complexity of moving the E190 from its previous lessee, Mandarin Airlines: “At the time it was not possible to send inspectors to Taiwan without them having to quarantine for two weeks on arrival. We addressed this issue by hiring two experienced local consultants who sent daily reports including many detailed pictures. We had frequent contact with them throughout the transaction.”

Cobham’s Business Development Director, Tim Pirga, comments that Cobham is pleased to have received a second Embraer E190 from TrueNoord – which has now entered service and is supporting natural resources projects in Western Australia.

Cobham Regional Services acts as a critical link in the energy and resources sector, providing fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) services in support of mining, oil and gas projects throughout Australia. The company also provides flexible, bespoke charter flights with a full range of service options to Australia’s city centres and regional destinations.

“The E190 is not only one of the most environmentally friendly jets in the world, it offers substantially better operational uplift performance, particularly in hot weather at regional ports such as in the Pilbara.  It is also able to fly further distances compared to similar size aircraft. This reduces the need for additional fuel uplift in regional and remote locations and cuts CO2 emissions by up to 15 per cent per trip” said Pirga.

August 4, 2022

Hans Airways celebrates the arrival of first Airbus A330

By General News

Hans Airways celebrated the arrival of its first Airbus A330-200 on UK soil. The aircraft touched down from Palma Airport, Mallorca to Birmingham International Airport ahead of formal technical handover and technical acceptance signing with the lessor.

Hans Airways has partnered with maintenance and repair overhaul specialist STS Aviation Services for Re-Registration tasks and Entry into service modifications ahead of its important route-proving flight for the UK Civil Aviation Authority in the coming weeks.  The A330 will fly as newly re-registered G-KJAS.

“Our first widebody Airbus arriving into the UK is a big and significant milestone on Hans Airways’ journey to launch,” said CEO Satnam Saini.  These past 12 months we are very pleased to have added a wealth of competence and experience to our leadership and management team and recruited and trained up a full complement of exceptional pilots and cabin crew who will be ready to fly as soon as the airline’s AOC is awarded.

Once it has its AOC, Hans Airways is planning an initial four times weekly service from Birmingham to Amritsar in North India.

August 4, 2022

AirAsia X adds three new key routes to Australia and New Zealand

By General News

AirAsia X (AAX), the medium to long-haul affiliate airline of AirAsia Aviation Group announces its latest services to Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Perth in Australia as well as Auckland in New Zealand which will all take flight from 1st November 2022.

These three key routes boost the airline’s robust growth plans with 13-routes set to be operating this year, including Sydney, New Delhi, Seoul, Tokyo, Sapporo, Osaka and Honolulu as well as London, Dubai and Istanbul.

AAX will recommence its services to Melbourne (Tullamarine), Perth and Auckland (via Sydney) with three weekly flights from November and will gradually increase the frequency to daily flights by the first quarter of 2023 to meet strong pent up demand.

CEO of AAX Benyamin Ismail said: “We are thrilled to recommence our services to Australia and New Zealand as a core part of our expansion strategy with our famous great value fares for medium to long-haul travel.

“We are also pleased to announce our return to Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) which offers more flexibility and connectivity for our guests travelling to and from the state of Victoria.

“In 2019, we flew over a million guests to both countries, which shows that Australia and New Zealand are important markets for us and we connected the same number of Australians and New Zealanders to Malaysia and across Asean. After a two-year hiatus we are back stronger than ever and proud to renew our commitment to making medium to long-haul air travel affordable once again for everyone in this region as well as across Asean.

“As the world reopens and travel restrictions ease, we are confident these new services will prove popular. Our Premium Flatbeds remain the best low cost seats in the sky, which we know are always in high demand for our Australian and Kiwi guests from down under.

“Importantly with over a dozen routes in our network this year, our valued guests with outstanding credit will be able to use their travel vouchers to book future travel to many exciting destinations with us. We will bring back everyone’s favourite destinations and even more in the near future and look forward to welcoming guests back on board with our great value fares and industry-leading hospitality.”

Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos said the return of AirAsia X to Melbourne Airport underscores the airport’s convenience and competitiveness. He added: “AirAsia X flew out of Melbourne Airport for a decade, and we know our customers will be thrilled to have them back here. With a significant network beyond Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia X provides a one-stop service into much of India and South-East Asia, which is particularly valuable for international students or Victorians looking to visit friends and family overseas. AirAsia X’s decision to return to Melbourne Airport highlights the value travellers and airlines place on convenience as well as price.”

Perth Airport Chief Executive Officer Kevin Brown said that the recovery of Western Australia’s aviation sector has been given another boost with the return of AirAsia X. “We’ve been working hard with our airline partners to rebuild international connections and AirAsia X services to Kuala Lumpur provide another link to Malaysia and onwards.”

Auckland Airport General Manager Customer and Aeronautical Commercial Scott Tasker said: “We can’t wait to see AirAsia X touching down again at Auckland Airport in November. The new service will not only provide more choice for trans-Tasman travellers looking for competitive fares on the popular route between Sydney and Auckland but is a great option for those wanting to connect through to AirAsia’s extensive Asian network.

“With the widebody A330 flying the Auckland-Sydney-Kuala Lumpur route, it also adds substantial cargo capacity, which is great news for freight operators and exporters looking for options through to Sydney and beyond into Asia.”

July 18, 2022

L3Harris Airline Academy invests in expansion of Cranfield UK Pilot Training centre

By General News

L3Harris Technologies will unveil new state-of-the-art facility additions to its Cranfield, U.K., Pilot Training Centre in early July, 2022. The facility expansion allows L3Harris to address increasing aviation industry demands for highly trained pilots and offers Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) certifications.

The facility improvements will include new classrooms and three new Diamond DA42 flight simulators to enhance the ultra-realistic learning experience for trainee pilots as well as increasing capacity for safety repetitions via simulator training alongside airborne flight training.

“We are committed to providing the highest quality of training for aspiring pilots and airline partners, which is why we invested in this new facility now,” said Dave Coward, General Manager and Vice President for L3Harris Training Services. “The aviation industry is recovering quickly and the demand for well-trained pilots continues to grow. These investments answer those demands and reinforce that our Cranfield facilities are the pilot training centre of excellence in the U.K.”

The training centre is located at Cranfield University’s airport. L3Harris’ collaboration with the university enables trainee pilots to immerse themselves in campus life with on-site accommodation adjacent to the training, research and development facilities.

Cranfield University is ranked 5th in U.K. for Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering in the 2022 QS World University Rankings, and is the only university in Europe with its own airport and runway.

July 15, 2022

Sky High Aviation sign services agreement with Embraer to support E-Jets fleet

By General News

Embraer announced today that it has signed a services agreement with Sky High Aviation Services Dominicana, S.A., from Dominican Republic, to support the airline’s E190 jets newly acquired. The contract provides access to the Pool Program, which includes component exchanges and repair services for more than 340 reparable parts plus interchangeable parts for Sky High Aviation’s Embraer aircraft.

“This service agreement with Embraer is important to Sky High Aviation’s operational success, offering us immediate access to an inventory of parts, that is efficiently managed and reduces our capex (capital expenditure) requirement for the initial provision of spare parts,” said Juan Chamizo, Owner and President, Sky High Aviation.

Sky High Aviation is the first Caribbean airline to operate the E190. Sky High also operates a fleet of two 50-seater Embraer ERJ 145s flying to ten island destinations in the Caribbean.

“The Pool Program will provide the most efficient and reliable solution for Sky High Aviation’s fleet. To have its two E190 jets covered by our Pool Program shows Sky High Aviation’s trust in Embraer’s products and services. Our main goal is to support the aircraft operation and maintain the readiness of the fleet,” said Danielle Vardaro, Vice-President of Worldwide Customer Support and Aftermarket Sales, Commercial Aviation, Embraer Services & Support

The Embraer Pool Program is designed to allow airlines to minimize their upfront investment in high-value repairable inventories and resources, while taking advantage of Embraer’s technical expertise along with its vast component repair service provider network. The results are significant savings on repair and inventory carrying costs, reduction in required warehousing space, and the virtual elimination of the need for resources required for repair management, while ultimately providing guaranteed performance levels. Currently, the Pool Program supports more than 50 airlines worldwide.

July 15, 2022

JetBlue introduces vital technology to cut airport queues

By General News

JetBlue is partnering with 15below, the market-leading supplier of automated traveller communications, to automate and digitalise the collection of customer data to remove the need to collect paper forms at the airport.  

On 12 January 2021, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA (CDC) ordered all airlines carrying passengers internationally into the US to collect an attestation as proof of being fully vaccinated against, or having recovered from, COVID-19.

Since its introduction, there have been numerous updates to the CDC’s mandate, including the collection of Contact Tracing data, resulting in a five-page pdf document that must be completed and printed by every applicable passenger and validated by airport staff at check-in.

Collecting these paper forms at the airport and having to physically store them for two years for auditing requirements was causing huge delays and significant costs for JetBlue.

15below’s solution has automated the whole operation. The microsite can be accessed via three methods which are fully compliant with the CDC’s order. It is available in multiple languages, automatically updates bookings to verify the attestation has been collected and is stored on a 15below-hosted server allowing quick access to the data, which can be provided to the CDC within 24 hours if requested.

“Seeing the improvement in the airport experience at our international airports has confirmed to us that this was without a doubt the right thing to do for the well-being of our customers and our crewmembers, in addition to our environment by removing the need for paper.” says Carol Clement, JetBlue’s Chief Digital & Technology Officer.

Commenting on the industry-first solution, Nicholas Key, CEO at 15below says: “Since our partnership began in 2008, we’ve loved working with JetBlue because they’re so innovative and put the customer at the heart of everything they do. It’s vital that airlines create operational efficiencies that provide an optimal experience for both customers and staff and this project with JetBlue is the perfect example of how that works in practice.”

Within one week of going live, JetBlue saw 70% of all attestations completed via the microsite alone, significantly easing queues at the airport and offering passengers a vastly improved travel experience. Now, six months later, 100% of attestation and contact tracing data is collected via this online process and automated/online check-in has been restored.

July 15, 2022

easyJet launches new routes for winter 2022

By General News

easyJet has today announced it is adding three new routes to its UK network for winter 2022, with packages from easyJet holidays also available.

Brand new winter services to some of Europe’s favourite city, winter sun and festive destinations including London Gatwick to Porto Santo, Bristol to Rovaniemi in Finland, and Manchester to Fuerteventura. Additionally, as of next winter the airline will once again offer daily flights from Liverpool to Paris, flights six times a week from London Luton to Madrid, and a twice-weekly service from Manchester to Rovaniemi in Finland.

Package holidays are available to book for this winter on all the new and returning routes through easyJet holidays, with a range of holiday types available from adult and family to luxury and undiscovered. All easyJet holidays include flights, accommodation, 23kg of hold luggage and transfers on winter breaks.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager said:

“We’re delighted to be adding new routes and resuming more services across our UK network for this winter, offering our customers more choice to enjoy an even greater range of destinations at fantastic low fares, across our unrivalled European network. “

July 14, 2022

Caravelo receives 3 million euro capital injection

By General News

Caravelo announced today that it has received a 3 million euro capital injection from Banco Sabadell via Sabadell Venture Capital and Inveready Venture Finance. The new funds will be used to support the growth of the company’s travel subscription solutions. 

The news comes at a period of fast growth for Caravelo, who has seen revenue from its subscription solutions double in the first half of the year and is expecting a 4x growth by the end of the year. 

The company’s CEO, Iñaki Uriz, stated that:

“ In the past year, the industry has finally woken up to the power of subscriptions, and we have seen a marked increase in the number of airlines that are working with us to build subscription programs. We are expecting to make new announcements before the end of the year, including the launch of a new type of subscription product by a large carrier in Latin America.”

As the company continues to grow and innovate, data from its clients confirms an increasing adoption of subscriptions by travelers and growing benefits for the airlines. 

Volaris’ v.Pass, for example, recently reported a 95% increase in users YoY as well as revenue that is already 105% above pre-covid levels, figures that are in line with the growth seen by other Caravelo customers. 

Caravelo’s leadership indicated that the new funds will contribute to strengthening the company’s competitive position, lowering the time to market for new programs and developing more advanced features. 

July 14, 2022

CPaT announces new contract with Bamboo Airways

By General News

CPaT Global, the world’s leading provider of distance learning for the airline and aviation industry, today announced they have been awarded a new contract with Bamboo Airways. CPaT will be providing Aircraft System Courses for the Airbus A320, Boeing B787, and Embraer E190 along with our robust library of Aviation Specialty Courses (General Subjects). Additionally, Bamboo Airways will use CPaT’s content-design software platform, CPaT Invent, to enhance and customize their training to their exact needs.

“CPaT is excited about this new partnership with Bamboo Airways as they continue their efforts of expansion to international destinations,” said Capt. Greg Darrow, Vice President of Sales. “With our robust portfolio of courseware and CPaT Invent, we are honored to support Bamboo Airways and build on our expanding client base in Vietnam and the Asia/Pacific region.”

Bamboo Airways is based out of Hanoi, Vietnam.

July 14, 2022

Voyageur Aviation expands portfolio with parts provisioning of ATR aircraft type

By General News

Chorus Aviation Inc. (‘Chorus’) announced that its subsidiary, Voyageur Aviation Corp. (‘Voyageur’), has added ATR 42 and 72 aircraft types to its product offering, further diversifying Chorus’ business and cross-company support capabilities.

“The growth momentum for Voyageur Avparts continues,” said Gary Gilbert, Vice President Avparts, Voyageur. “Expanding our parts sales and provisioning with ATR components was a logical next move for Voyageur, especially given Chorus’ recent acquisition of Falko Regional Aircraft – further bolstering Chorus’ position as a premier full-service provider in regional aviation. We are fortunate to capitalize on our companies’ synergies to further support regional aircraft customers at every stage of an aircraft’s lifecycle.”

Voyageur’s Avparts division specializes in Used Serviceable Material (‘USM’) support for regional aircraft types, including Bombardier/Mitsubishi CRJ, De Havilland Dash 8, and ATR. Core services include parts sale and provisioning, component repair and overhaul management, inventory leasing and consignment programs, and aircraft end-of-life and disassembly.

July 13, 2022