# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2023-02-06/chinese-balloon-downed-first-kill-f-22-fighter

the Chinese surveillance balloon that was first seen by the public over Billings, Montana, on February 1 and floated to the Alaska Joint Operation Area north of the Aleutian Islands on January 28 and Canadian airspace on January 30, before arriving over the “lower 48” states above northern Idaho on January 31. Chinese officials admitted that the balloon was theirs, But the balloon went off course and it wasn't meant to come to the U.S. The U.S. government contradicted this narrative, insisting that, “This was a PRC [People's Republic of China] surveillance balloon. This surveillance balloon purposely traversed the United States and Canada, and we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites."  The balloon was finally shot down at 2.39pm local time on February 4 as soon as it crossed the U.S. East Coast off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

# data[].attributes.body
jordans royal air force command has signed an amendemnt to a letter of offer and acceptence to aqquirre

# data[].attributes.headline
Jordan Signs for New-generation F-16 Fighters

# data[].attributes.subject
Jordan Signs for New-generation F-16 Fighters

# data[].attributes.body
Jordan’s Royal Air Force Command has signed an amendment to a letter of offer and acceptance to acquire 12 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70/72s. The deal was signed in Amman by the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) commander, Brigadier General Pilot Muhammad Fathi Hiyasat, and deputy ambassador Rohit Nepal on behalf of the U.S. government, in the presence of Jordan’s deputy joint chief of staff, Brigadier General Abdullah Al Shudaifat.

With its active electronically-scanned antenna radar, infrared search and track, revised cockpit with a large center pedestal display, modern avionics and a 12,000-hour airframe, the F-16 Block 70/72 represents a major improvement in combat capability compared with the RJAF’s existing F-16 fleet. Three squadrons (Nos 1, 2, and 6) fly the F-16AM/BM from As Shaheed Muwaffaq al Salti air base at Al Azraq. These aircraft—comprising the survivors of 31 F-16AMs and 15 F-16BMs delivered between 2008 and 2017—are former Belgian and Dutch aircraft that had undergone the Mid-Life Update program. Preceding them had been 33 ex-USAF F-16A/Bs in Air Defense Fighter configuration delivered between 1997 and 2003. A number were sold to Pakistan and none of the older aircraft remain in RJAF service.

# data[].attributes.body
Conducting Preflight Self-Briefings for Student and VFR Pilots
Description:

The number one causal factor for General Aviation accidents is inadequate preflight planning. This course was developed by Flight Service to provide student, and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) pilots, guidance on how to conduct a safe and regulatory compliant preflight self-briefing using automated weather resources. The objective is to ensure that the pilot understands aviation weather basics and learns to apply meteorological and aeronautical information in a systematic manner to plan a safe flight. The course includes scenarios, real-life examples, videos, references materials, and practice exercises for pilots to conduct on their own or with their CFI. The FAA encourages pilots to leverage automated resources and develop weather and aeronautical interpretation skills in order to assess flight safety risks.

# data[].attributes.headline
Derek herrera   Gulfstreams aerospace deliveries take off in 2023

# data[].attributes.subject
Derek herrera   Gulfstreams aerospace deliveries take off in 2023

# data[].attributes.body
Gulfstream Aerospace fell short of its projected 124 aircraft deliveries last year, handing over 120 jets as three were deferred from the fourth quarter to early this year, parent company General Dynamics said this morning. The company shipped 96 large-cabin jets and 24 midsize G280s, up from 119 units in 2021.
Despite the less favorable mix in deliveries last year, revenues at General Dynamics’s aerospace division—which also includes FBO/MRO Jet Aviation—climbed 5.3 percent year-over-year, to about $8.6 billion, while earnings rose 9.6 percent, to $1.13 billion. That’s thanks to higher service revenue at both Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, according to Novakovic.

# data[].attributes.headline
Covington Renews PT6A Engine Overhaul Designation

# data[].attributes.subject
Covington Renews PT6A Engine Overhaul Designation

# data[].attributes.body
Covington Aircraft Engines has received certification renewal as a Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) designated overhaul facility. The certification allows Covington to carry out factory-authorized maintenance, warranty, and parts support work on 59 variants of the P&WC PT6A turboprop engine.. Covington’s history with P&WC extends to serving as a repair and overhaul facility for the Canadian engine manufacturer’s R-985 and R-1340 radial engines—a capability Covington continues to maintain.Covington’s focus on the PT6A has given the company a depth of knowledge and technical expertise on the turbine engine series. In addition to its headquarters in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Covington has a facility in Brazil and plans to add another one in the UK. Covington has a multi-million-dollar parts inventory, a fleet of PT6A rental engines, test cells, and mobile repair teams. Anthony Perez

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Covington Aircraft Engines has received certification renewal as a Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) designated overhaul facility. The certification allows Covington to carry out factory-authorized maintenance, warranty, and parts support work on 59 variants of the P&WC PT6A turboprop engine.

"Today marks the third renewal of our agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada, and we simply could not ask for a better collaborator," said Covington president Aaron Abbott. Covington's history with P&WC extends to serving as a repair and overhaul facility for the Canadian engine manufacturer's R-985 and R-1340 radial engines-a capability Covington continues to maintain.

Covington's focus on the PT6A has given the company a depth of knowledge and technical expertise on the turbine engine series. In addition to its headquarters in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Covington has a facility in Brazil and plans to add another one in the UK. Covington has a multi-million-dollar parts inventory, a fleet of PT6A rental engines, test cells, and mobile repair teams.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Covington Renews PT6A Engine Overhaul Designation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Covington Aircraft Engines has received certification renewal as a Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) designated overhaul facility. The certification allows Covington to carry out factory-authorized maintenance, warranty, and parts support work on 59 variants of the P&WC PT6A turboprop engine.

# data[].attributes.body
the purchase of 12 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70/72s has been signed by Jordan's Royal Air Force Command. The agreement was signed in Amman by the deputy ambassador of the United States, Rohit Nepal, and the commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF), Brigadier General Pilot Muhammad Fathi Hiyasat, in the presence of Brigadier General Abdullah Al Shudaifat, Jordan's deputy joint chief of staff.

# data[].attributes.body
in 1991, the state-owned carrier Somali Airlines, fell along with the government.Other states long issued NOTAM warnings to airlines about the dangers of operating in Somali airspace at flight levels below 26,000 feet, and the only major international carrier serving Somalia currently is Turkish Airlines. Meanwhile, with an upgrade to infrastructure and the reinstallment of air traffic control, the Mogadishu airspace has now been re-classified to Class A.

# data[].attributes.body
Airports in Florida were affected by Hurricane Ian. Are currently recovering from the damage to re-open the airport to continue operation normally.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Aviation International News is the industry's best read and most authoritative news publication, covering all aspects of aviation: business, military and transport.

# data[].attributes.body
after hurricane Ian airports in Florida are destroyed and barely usable. Many flights were delayed due to this incident for many safety reasons. Workers are working very hard to restore power to the nearby airports that were damaged from the flooding.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Since Hurricane Ian came ashore in Florida yesterday afternoon, it has left a trail of destruction in its wake as it churned across the state. The then-Category 4 storm, which made landfall near Punta Gorda, caused massive flooding and power outages for millions of residents, as well as possible scores of fatalities.

The reports from area airports are slowly trickling in. Naples Airport, which was inundated with flood water overnight, is now largely drained and has power. While the airport-operated FBO did not take any water, airport director Chris Rozansky noted the same could not be said for numerous hangars and other buildings on the field. Staffers, some of whose own homes were flooded, are working to restore the fuel farm, which received several feet of water. "Our chief objective is to get the airport ready for emergency relief helicopter flights today in order to be a lifeline for the community in this time of great need," Rozansky told AIN, adding he has no indication of when civilian fixed-wing activity might resume.

Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers is open but restricted to humanitarian aid operations. The airport is a hub of rescue helicopter activity and Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to land there today during a damage-assessment trip.

According to Florida-based FBO operator Sheltair, Lakeland Linder International Airport will reopen at 2 p.m. today, while St. Pete-Clearwater International and Orlando International airports will resume operations at 6 a.m. tomorrow. Tampa International Airport will follow suit at 10 am. Other airports are expected to give status updates throughout the day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Florida Airports Shake Off Ian's Aftermath

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since Hurricane Ian came ashore in Florida yesterday afternoon, it has left a trail of destruction in its wake as it churned across the state. The then-Category 4 storm, which made landfall near Punta Gorda, caused massive flooding and power outages for millions of residents, as well as possible scores of fatalities.

# data[].attributes.body
After years of waiting the C919 is  ready to be used.This plane is made to hold up to 168 passengers,and is going to compete with Boeing 737 and  Airbus A320. However, due to political tensions questions have risen about the feasibility of Western help to supply parts for the plane.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Comac has received Chinese certification for the C919 narrowbody, marking the end of a long and often disrupted campaign to ready the airplane for market since program launch in 2009. Chinese authorities awarded the type certificate during a ceremony in Beijing Thursday morning.

Plans called for delivery of the first of five aircraft on order to China Eastern Airlines by the end of the year, but reports in Chinese state media suggest a further slip into 2023.

Designed to carry 168 passengers, the C919 competes in China against the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families, both of which have accrued significant backlogs in the PRC. However, political tensions have raised questions about the long-term feasibility of Western participation in the supply of components for the aircraft.

Several international concerns have entered into joint ventures in China to develop elements of the C919 program, including GE and Safran (engines), Collins Aerospace (communications and navigation systems), Honeywell (flight control systems), and Liebherr Aerospace (landing gear and air management systems). In 2015, the Department of Justice indicted a number of Chinese officials on charges of stealing engine technology from a number of U.S.-based and European OEMs.

In one of the last acts of the Trump administration in January 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense, in a list that included Comac, released the names of additional "Communist Chinese military companies" (CCMCs) operating directly or indirectly in the United States, forcing U.S. suppliers to halt dealings with them.

However, the Biden administration has since appended a note to the announcement, saying that as of June 3, 2021, the Secretary of Defense had removed the entities listed from the CCMC list.

The same month, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a unit of the U.S. Treasury Department, published a new list prohibiting investment in Chinese defense and surveillance technology firms, including more than a dozen aviation and aerospace companies, as well as telecommunications equipment manufacturer Huawei, the South China Morning Post said in December. While Comac's name did not appear on the list, the move implied that the administration would continue to watch the company closely.

The bulk of just over 800 orders and commitments for the C919 has come almost exclusively from Chinese airlines and lessors. In 2010, more than a decade before it completed its merger with AerCap last year, GE Capital Aviation Services announced orders for 10, apparently making it the first Western actor to make good on its interest in the C919. In 2015 Thailand's City Airways signed a preliminary agreement with ICBC Leasing to take 10 of the narrowbodies, but the airline went out of business the following year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Comac has received Chinese certification for the C919 narrowbody, marking the end of a long and often disrupted campaign to ready the airplane for market since program launch in 2009. Chinese authorities awarded the type certificate during a ceremony in Beijing Thursday morning.

# data[].attributes.body
american airlines is planning on closing their flight attendants base in san francisco. There is a petition to stop the closing. The only remaining base in California is Los Angeles. Many people will have to relocate. Many people also signed that petition but its highly doubtful that they will keep it open

# data[].attributes.headline
  jose contreras                                            Conducting Preflight Self-Briefings for Student and VFR Pilots    

# data[].attributes.subject
  jose contreras                                            Conducting Preflight Self-Briefings for Student and VFR Pilots    

# data[].attributes.body
The number one causal factor for General Aviation accidents is inadequate preflight planning. This course was developed by Flight Service to provide student, and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) pilots, guidance on how to conduct a safe and regulatory compliant preflight self-briefing using automated weather resources. The objective is to ensure that the pilot understands aviation weather basics and learns to apply meteorological and aeronautical information in a systematic manner to plan a safe flight.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Safer Skies Through Education - FAA - FAASTeam - FAASafety.gov

# data[].attributes.body
Wisk recently revealed a new version of their taxi, which is now self flying. This eVOL has been called the most advanced taxi in the world. The taxi is designed to surpass current aviation safety standards even if the taxi already has a great safety record with it's previous generations not having a single crash since 2010.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wisk has unveiled the latest incarnation of its air taxi, which is self-flying and can seat up to four passengers.

The sixth-generation electric vertical take-off and landing ( eVTOL) vehicle has been dubbed the most advanced air taxi in the world. Some key features include a simplified design with fewer moving parts, human oversight of every flight, and industry-leading autopilot technology.

Wisk's latest design is expected to be the first vehicle of its type to be put forward for certification from the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA), although a timescale is yet to be provided.

President and CEO of Wisk, Gary Gysin, presented the air taxi at the company's flight test center in California on Monday, saying,

"We're introducing the most technically advanced aircraft system in this marketplace. It's self-flying, it's all-electric, it's four-passenger. We think this is going to change transportation. Our 6th Generation aircraft is the culmination of years of hard work from our industry-leading team, learnings from our previous generations of aircraft, commitment from our investors, and the evolution and advancement of technology."

A closer look at the specifications

Wisk's sixth-generation eVTOL vehicle has a range of up to 90 miles (144 km) and a cruising speed of up to 138 mph (222 kph). It is expected to fly at an altitude of 2,500 - 4,000 feet and have a charge time of just 15 minutes.

Find out more about Wisk's sixth-generation air taxi in this launch video:

Improved safety and greater passenger comfort

The vehicle has been designed to exceed rigorous modern aviation safety standards, and Wisk has a solid track record when it comes to safety - since 2010, it has operated over 1,600 test flights of the previous five generations of its air taxi, without a single incident.

The sixth-generation air taxi makes use of the same autopilot technology currently found on many modern commercial aircraft, combined with human oversight on every flight that can intervene if necessary. The company's senior vice president of engineering and programs, Sebastien Vigneron, reiterated its focus on safety, stating,

"There is less than a billion chance that our system will fail. Those are simply the most stringent safety standards of today's commercial aviation, and we're going for that."

The air taxi's innovative design has also been developed with passenger comfort in mind. It features a larger passenger cabin than its predecessors and ample storage for baggage, as well as onboard Wi-Fi and personal device charging points.

Further developments in Urban Air Mobility

Wisk is backed by Boeing, and the California-based start-up will undoubtedly lean on the aircraft manufacturer's expertise as it continues its journey to producing a pioneering eVTOL air taxi. However, it is not the only company with ambitious plans - last week in the UK, Vertical Aerospace's eVTOL, the VX4, took to the skies for the first time with a piloted test flight.

It is still early days, and while Wisk has already flown sub-scale versions of its sixth-generation air taxi, there is currently no word as to when the full-scale test flight will take place. That said, the unveiling of its industry-leading sixth-generation air taxi is an exciting development in Urban Air Mobility.

Wisk hopes to launch its air taxi within the next five years, by which time the company predicts that it will operate 14 million flights annually.
What do you think of Wisk's latest air taxi? Do you plan on traveling in an air taxi when the opportunity arises? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Boeing's Wisk Reveals World's First Self-Flying, Four-Seat, 6th Generation Air Taxi

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Wisk has unveiled the latest incarnation of its air taxi, which is self-flying and can seat up to four passengers. The sixth-generation electric vertical take-off and landing ( eVTOL) vehicle has been dubbed the most advanced air taxi in the world.

# data[].attributes.headline
hurricane ian on airports - Jonathan abrego

# data[].attributes.subject
hurricane ian on airports - Jonathan abrego

# data[].attributes.body
the hurricane that passed through florida has flooded everything so that leaves airports flooded and people with smaller aircrafts can't fly because the engine could be flooded or the hangers can flooded and you cant take the airplane out the hurricane has such a negitive effect on aviation people all over Florida

# data[].attributes.body
Tampa is the designated evacuation zone. They'll secure ground equipment, jet bridges and any remaining aircraft ahead of the storm.

# data[].attributes.headline
American Airlines unveils new business-class cabins and premium seats

# data[].attributes.subject
American Airlines unveils new business-class cabins and premium seats

# data[].attributes.body
Fort Worth-based American Airlines unveiled the "Flagship Suites" seating arrangement for new Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR jets set to be delivered in 2024.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
American Airlines Group Inc. plans to phase out first-class seating on long-haul flights in favor of new suites aimed at improving the flying experience for high-end and business travelers.

The Fort Worth-based carrier unveiled the "Flagship Suites" seating arrangement for new Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR jets set to be delivered in 2024. The new configuration consolidates the current Flagship First and Flagship Business classes. American describes the new experience as a "private retreat in the sky" featuring privacy doors, chaise lounge seating options and more personal storage space.

American (Nasdaq: AAL) will also update its premium economy cabins and add more of those seats to long-haul aircraft. The new premium economy seats will feature larger entertainment screens and "headrest wings" to provide individuals with more privacy from their neighbors.

Premium seating on American's long-haul fleet will grow more than 45% by 2026, according to the airline. New 787-9 aircraft will have 51 Flagship Suite seats and 32 premium economy seats. Airbus A321XLR aircraft will feature 20 Flagship Suite seats and 12 premium economy seats.

"The arrival of new long-haul aircraft and the customized seat design of the Flagship Suite seats will offer customers a truly private premium experience on our long-haul fleet," Julie Rath, American's vice president of customer experience, said in a statement.

As part of the overhaul, American will retrofit its fleet of 20 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to include 70 Flagship Suite seats and 44 premium economy seats. The 777 is American's largest aircraft type with 304 seats, currently including eight Flagship First pods, 52 Flagship Business lay-flat seats, 28 premium economy recliners and 216 economy seats.

The carrier will also retrofit its Airbus A321T fleet to align those 16 aircraft with the rest of its A321 fleet. The move eliminates American's dedicated sub-fleet for transcontinental flying with lay-flat seats. American said it will continue to offer lay-flat seats on its transcontinental routes departing New York and Boston.

For American, the changes come as airlines have looked to improve the long-haul travel experience and better compete with foreign carriers already offering luxury suites, such as Qatar Airways and Emirates.

The moves also demonstrate how American continues to bank on international and business travel recovering. CEO Robert Isom said at an investor conference earlier this month that trans-Atlantic revenue has started to exceed pre-pandemic levels. He remains optimistic that revenue performance in Asia will improve as countries loosen up Covid-19 travel restrictions.

American did not announce any changes to its other wide-body aircraft like the recently delivered 787-8 Dreamliners, existing 787-9s and 777-200s.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
American Airlines unveils new business-class cabins coming in 2024 - Dallas Business Journal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
American Airlines Group Inc. plans to phase out first-class seating on long-haul flights in favor of new suites aimed at improving the flying experience for high-end and business travelers. The Fort Worth-based carrier unveiled the "Flagship Suites" seating arrangement for new Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR jets set to be delivered in 2024.

# data[].attributes.body
After the hurricane Florida airports are left destroyed and barely standing. There was many floods and power outages caused because of the floods. many citizens were affected because of this category 4 storm. Many flights were delayed many hours for safety reasons.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Since Hurricane Ian came ashore in Florida yesterday afternoon, it has left a trail of destruction in its wake as it churned across the state. The then-Category 4 storm, which made landfall near Punta Gorda, caused massive flooding and power outages for millions of residents, as well as possible scores of fatalities.

The reports from area airports are slowly trickling in. Naples Airport, which was inundated with flood water overnight, is now largely drained and has power. While the airport-operated FBO did not take any water, airport director Chris Rozansky noted the same could not be said for numerous hangars and other buildings on the field. Staffers, some of whose own homes were flooded, are working to restore the fuel farm, which received several feet of water. "Our chief objective is to get the airport ready for emergency relief helicopter flights today in order to be a lifeline for the community in this time of great need," Rozansky told AIN, adding he has no indication of when civilian fixed-wing activity might resume.

Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers is open but restricted to humanitarian aid operations. The airport is a hub of rescue helicopter activity and Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to land there today during a damage-assessment trip.

According to Florida-based FBO operator Sheltair, Lakeland Linder International Airport will reopen at 2 p.m. today, while St. Pete-Clearwater International and Orlando International airports will resume operations at 6 a.m. tomorrow. Tampa International Airport will follow suit at 10 am. Other airports are expected to give status updates throughout the day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Florida Airports Shake Off Ian's Aftermath

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since Hurricane Ian came ashore in Florida yesterday afternoon, it has left a trail of destruction in its wake as it churned across the state. The then-Category 4 storm, which made landfall near Punta Gorda, caused massive flooding and power outages for millions of residents, as well as possible scores of fatalities.

# data[].attributes.body
Tampa is the designated evacuation zone. They'll secure ground equipment, jet bridges and any remaining aircraft ahead of the storm. The airport authority will begin damage assessment as soon as it's safe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As the west coast of Florida braces for the arrival of Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, local aviation businesses are giving notifications of shutdowns ahead of landfall. The storm is classified as a Category 3 in strength and forecasters are expecting it to be at least a Category 1 hurricane when it comes ashore.

Tampa has been designated an evacuation zone and as of 5 p.m. tonight, Tampa International Airport will suspend operations to allow the securing of jet bridges, ground equipment, and any remaining aircraft ahead of the storm, which is expected to lash the area with high winds, rain, and storm surge. The airport authority noted that it will begin damage assessments as soon as it is deemed safe to do so and will coordinate its reopening based on roadway safety, facility readiness, and staffing.

Sheltair, which operates an FBO on the field, will close it at that time as well to prepare for the safety of its employees, customers, and aircraft. The Florida-based service provider announced earlier today that it shuttered its St. Petersburg locations, including St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (KPIE) and Albert Whitted Airport (KSPG), and added that its facilities in Orlando and Melbourne will close on Wednesday at noon and 2 p.m. respectively.

In Fort Myers, Page Field (KFMY) will close its runway at 8 p.m. tonight, at least until Thursday morning. Vincent Wolanin, CEO of Private Sky Aviation Services at Southwest Florida International Airport (KRSW) also in Fort Myers, told AIN that as long as air traffic control is routing aircraft to the airport, the FBO will be open.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Florida's Gulf Coast Battens Down ahead of Ian

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As the west coast of Florida braces for the arrival of Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, local aviation businesses are giving notifications of shutdowns ahead of landfall. The storm is classified as a Category 3 in strength and forecasters are expecting it to be at least a Category 1 hurricane when it comes ashore.

# data[].attributes.body
Many airports have beome flooded after the hurricane and are slowly recovering hoping to open up again. This mainly impacted Fort Myers and lee county airpost out on Southwest florida international. The only flights going out right now are military and humanitarian aid flights.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-10-03/florida-airports-slowly-return-normal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As the remnants of now-tropical storm Ian bring rain and winds to the Northeast U.S. following flooding in the mid-Atlantic region, areas in Florida remain devastated from last week's Category 4 hurricane, which claimed approximately 100 lives and left millions without power. Many airports across the center of the state, from the Gulf Coast where it made landfall to the Atlantic Coast, continued their clean-ups and reopenings, in some cases for humanitarian flights only.

In heavily impacted Fort Myers, the Lee County Port Authority told AIN that both of its airports-Southwest Florida International (KRSW) and general aviation-only Page Field (KFMY)-have power and are receiving military and humanitarian flights only. KFMY is anticipated to fully open tomorrow to civil traffic, while KRSW is expected to resume limited daylight operations on Wednesday.

Over the weekend, Sheltair reported that all of its affected bases in the state-at Tampa International, Lakeland Linder International, St Pete-Clearwater International, Albert Whitted, Orlando Executive, Melbourne Orlando International, and Jacksonville International airports-are now fully operational, while its Daytona Beach International Airport is still handling only military and humanitarian aid flights.

Naples Airport, which instituted a permission-required landing plan over the weekend, has now resumed full operations but only during daylight hours from 7 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. until further notice due to damage to its runway lighting system and navigational aids.

Patient Airlift Services (PALs) SkyHope, a nonprofit organization, is offering non-emergency flights to Naples residents and their families who need transport to and from the area. The group is made up of local volunteer pilots who will provide flights to aid in the disaster relief efforts. All flights will operate through Naples Airport. "As our community recovers from the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian, it is our honor to provide free flights to members of our community who need it," said Naples-based pilot and PALS SkyHope board member Scott Ashton.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Florida Airports Slowly Return to Normal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As the remnants of now-tropical storm Ian bring rain and winds to the Northeast U.S. following flooding in the mid-Atlantic region, areas in Florida remain devastated from last week's Category 4 hurricane, which claimed approximately 100 lives and left millions without power.

# data[].attributes.body
Wisk’s sixth-generation eVTOL vehicle has a range of up to 90 miles (144 km) and a cruising speed of up to 138 mph (222 kph). It is expected to fly at an altitude of 2,500 – 4,000 feet and have a charge time of just 15 minutes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wisk has unveiled the latest incarnation of its air taxi, which is self-flying and can seat up to four passengers.

The sixth-generation electric vertical take-off and landing ( eVTOL) vehicle has been dubbed the most advanced air taxi in the world. Some key features include a simplified design with fewer moving parts, human oversight of every flight, and industry-leading autopilot technology.

Wisk's latest design is expected to be the first vehicle of its type to be put forward for certification from the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA), although a timescale is yet to be provided.

President and CEO of Wisk, Gary Gysin, presented the air taxi at the company's flight test center in California on Monday, saying,

"We're introducing the most technically advanced aircraft system in this marketplace. It's self-flying, it's all-electric, it's four-passenger. We think this is going to change transportation. Our 6th Generation aircraft is the culmination of years of hard work from our industry-leading team, learnings from our previous generations of aircraft, commitment from our investors, and the evolution and advancement of technology."

A closer look at the specifications

Wisk's sixth-generation eVTOL vehicle has a range of up to 90 miles (144 km) and a cruising speed of up to 138 mph (222 kph). It is expected to fly at an altitude of 2,500 - 4,000 feet and have a charge time of just 15 minutes.

Find out more about Wisk's sixth-generation air taxi in this launch video:

Improved safety and greater passenger comfort

The vehicle has been designed to exceed rigorous modern aviation safety standards, and Wisk has a solid track record when it comes to safety - since 2010, it has operated over 1,600 test flights of the previous five generations of its air taxi, without a single incident.

The sixth-generation air taxi makes use of the same autopilot technology currently found on many modern commercial aircraft, combined with human oversight on every flight that can intervene if necessary. The company's senior vice president of engineering and programs, Sebastien Vigneron, reiterated its focus on safety, stating,

"There is less than a billion chance that our system will fail. Those are simply the most stringent safety standards of today's commercial aviation, and we're going for that."

The air taxi's innovative design has also been developed with passenger comfort in mind. It features a larger passenger cabin than its predecessors and ample storage for baggage, as well as onboard Wi-Fi and personal device charging points.

Further developments in Urban Air Mobility

Wisk is backed by Boeing, and the California-based start-up will undoubtedly lean on the aircraft manufacturer's expertise as it continues its journey to producing a pioneering eVTOL air taxi. However, it is not the only company with ambitious plans - last week in the UK, Vertical Aerospace's eVTOL, the VX4, took to the skies for the first time with a piloted test flight.

It is still early days, and while Wisk has already flown sub-scale versions of its sixth-generation air taxi, there is currently no word as to when the full-scale test flight will take place. That said, the unveiling of its industry-leading sixth-generation air taxi is an exciting development in Urban Air Mobility.

Wisk hopes to launch its air taxi within the next five years, by which time the company predicts that it will operate 14 million flights annually.
What do you think of Wisk's latest air taxi? Do you plan on traveling in an air taxi when the opportunity arises? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Boeing's Wisk Reveals World's First Self-Flying, Four-Seat, 6th Generation Air Taxi

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Wisk has unveiled the latest incarnation of its air taxi, which is self-flying and can seat up to four passengers. The sixth-generation electric vertical take-off and landing ( eVTOL) vehicle has been dubbed the most advanced air taxi in the world.

# data[].attributes.body
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, airport staffers are working to repair and restore power to flooded airports in the area.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2022-09-29/florida-airports-shake-ians-aftermath

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Since Hurricane Ian came ashore in Florida yesterday afternoon, it has left a trail of destruction in its wake as it churned across the state. The then-Category 4 storm, which made landfall near Punta Gorda, caused massive flooding and power outages for millions of residents, as well as possible scores of fatalities.

The reports from area airports are slowly trickling in. Naples Airport, which was inundated with flood water overnight, is now largely drained and has power. While the airport-operated FBO did not take any water, airport director Chris Rozansky noted the same could not be said for numerous hangars and other buildings on the field. Staffers, some of whose own homes were flooded, are working to restore the fuel farm, which received several feet of water. "Our chief objective is to get the airport ready for emergency relief helicopter flights today in order to be a lifeline for the community in this time of great need," Rozansky told AIN, adding he has no indication of when civilian fixed-wing activity might resume.

Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers is open but restricted to humanitarian aid operations. The airport is a hub of rescue helicopter activity and Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to land there today during a damage-assessment trip.

According to Florida-based FBO operator Sheltair, Lakeland Linder International Airport will reopen at 2 p.m. today, while St. Pete-Clearwater International and Orlando International airports will resume operations at 6 a.m. tomorrow. Tampa International Airport will follow suit at 10 am. Other airports are expected to give status updates throughout the day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Florida Airports Shake Off Ian's Aftermath

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since Hurricane Ian came ashore in Florida yesterday afternoon, it has left a trail of destruction in its wake as it churned across the state. The then-Category 4 storm, which made landfall near Punta Gorda, caused massive flooding and power outages for millions of residents, as well as possible scores of fatalities.

# data[].attributes.body
Pratt and whitney Canada and make Spare Engine Solutions that enable customers to extend the life of an aircraft or get a parked aircraft back flying with solutions tailored to the flying hours needed. This allows the oil and engine fuel prices for a single aircraft.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-09-29/product-support-engines-2022 -(was my site I used to find evidence).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An overall score improvement from 8.5 (out of 10) last year to 8.7 was enough to push GE Aviation to the top of this year's Engine Product Support Survey. The scores of all other OEMs fell from last year, largely a factor of covid-related supply chain and personnel problems. Honeywell appeared to take the biggest hit in this regard, with its overall score dropping from 8.2 last year to 7.6 in 2022, making it the only OEM to finish with an overall score of less than 8.0. Honeywell executives told AIN that the company is acutely aware of these issues and has embedded its personnel with key suppliers in an effort to unsnarl the bottlenecks and address related issues, including AOG times.

Williams International finished a strong second, with an overall score of 8.6, driven by top marks in the parts cost, AOG response, technical manuals, and tech rep categories. But its overall score still reflected a drop of two-tenths of a point compared to last year, when it finished first overall in the survey. GE and Williams both scored 9.0 or better when it came to the key metric of warranty fulfillment.

Not surprisingly, the cost of parts and parts availability drove down the scores of OEMs, but overall engine reliability scores remained strong for everyone, with nine out of ten engines surveyed posting reliability ratings of 9.0 or better. GE Aviation and Rolls-Royce topped that category with a reliability rating of 9.4 each, driven in large part by the continued strong performance of GE's 8,000-strong fleet of legacy CF34 turbofans and the Rolls-Royce Tay, first introduced in 1988, that powers many legacy large cabin Gulfstreams, including the GIV.

For turboprop and turboshaft engines, Pratt & Whitney continues to dominate, with an overall score of 8.5 in each category. However, the company's overall score for turboshaft engine support on helicopters dropped from 8.9 last year.

1. GE Aviation

GE Aviation has jet engine product offerings for small, super-medium, large-cabin, and long-range business jets including the HF120 on the HondaJet, the CFE738-1B on the first generation Dassault Falcon 2000, the CF34-3 on the Bombardier Challenger 600 series, and the Passport on the Bombardier Global 7500. The company offers enrollment product support through its OnPoint program. Melvyn Heard is the president of the company's business aviation programs.

The Passport is the company's newest business jet offering and is installed on more than 150 aircraft in service. Heard said that approximately 85 percent of Global 7500 customers are enrolled in OnPoint. The fleet has amassed 100,000 flight hours and 40,000 flight cycles. For all customers, the Passport is supported by a staff of 20 on a mobile repair team, that is able to deploy anywhere in the world, and an additional 20 field service representatives. Throughout GE Aviation's business engine offerings, the company works with 45 service support partners.

GE is seeing an even higher enrollment rate, approximately 90 percent, of its HondaJet GE Honda Aero Engines HF120 customers who fly the 500 engines for that aircraft. That fleet recently surpassed the 250,000-hour flight mark. Also this year, GE is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first delivery of its CF34 series of engines for Bombardier's Challenger 600 series and regional jets, with more than 8,000 of those powerplants delivered since 1992.

"Coming out of covid has allowed us to be a lot more engaged with our customers, to actually get out and be with them, continue our training requirements with them, and create new tools to engage them like remote training and workshops," Heard said.

"With the geographic restrictions that were in place through covid, we still wanted to have that engagement to keep our customers up to date with training requirements. So we came up with a new series of video webinars to update our customers on how to maintain their fleets, prognostics tools to actually trend monitor the engines and proactively push out reports and customer notifications. We're able to see things trending on the internet even before our customers do, and being able to get their information in their hands so they can take proactive actions ahead of time." Heard said dozens of onboard engine sensors and GE's analytics allow it to be "a lot more surgical" on the maintenance solutions it recommends, giving customers "the right actions they need to do at the right time."

Heard said GE Aviation also took a proactive approach to any potential covid-induced supply chain disruptions. "We've done a great job of looking around the corner and understanding the challenges we are facing across the aerospace industry. It drives us to have a lot deeper discussions with our supplier base, not only with our direct suppliers, but tier two suppliers to make sure we understand where the capacity concerns are right now." But Heard assured that GE had "ample supply within our supplier base right now. There's no commodity's status actually driving us to be concerned right now."

2. Williams International

Williams' fleet of turbofan engines continues to grow and is now approaching 7,000 FJ44 and FJ33 engines with more than 18 million hours of flight time. The engines are installed on airframes including the Cessna CJ series, Beechcraft Premier, Cirrus SF50, and Nextant remanufactured light jets.

Customers can enroll in the Williams TAP Blue program for maintenance through approved service centers. Overall fleet enrollment in the TAP program is currently over 85 percent.

"As with much of the world, we too are suffering from supply chain constraints," said Williams' Steve Shettler, senior vice president of product support. "This creates a headwind on our factory for new engines and parts for maintenance in our repair station. We are making all efforts to mitigate the effects of this global issue on our customers, continue to rapidly expand our operations, and vertically integrate the production of our components so we can circumvent many of the supply chain snarls and uncertainty that otherwise delay deliveries and spare parts. This methodology will allow for continued growth in the future so we can fully support our customers, OEM's and operators alike."

3. Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) (tie)

The company recently simplified its pay-per-hour (PPH) engine maintenance contracts and added new features.

P&WC's oil analysis technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to increase predictive and preventive maintenance capabilities for helicopter engines. Oil analysis technology is included as part of the Eagle Service Plan (ESP). Its Spare Engine Solutions enable customers to extend the life of an aircraft or get a parked aircraft back flying with solutions tailored to the flying hours needed. Short-term engine rental is available to customers while their engine is in the shop for scheduled or unscheduled maintenance.

The company also expanded its portfolio of P&WC Smart solutions for major maintenance events. The first new offering under the category is the P&WC Smart subscription service for PT6A engines that provides selected scheduled and unscheduled maintenance coverage, parts replacement, and digital engine health services for engines between their hot section inspection (HSI) and overhaul. The service is tailored for those who are in the post-HSI stage of the engine lifecycle and not on an engine maintenance program and provides a bundle of ongoing engine maintenance, services, and support through an annual subscription. P&WC Smart also offers flat-rate new and zero-time since overhaul engine exchanges. The aircraft is on the ground for only as long as it takes to swap the old engine for an updated model.

P&WC also offers a service guarantee program for the PT6E-66XT engine on the new Daher 960 that leverages engine operating data to provide proactive support including unscheduled events. ESP platinum coverage on the PT6E-67XP now includes full foreign object damage (FOD), including any wear and tear or other required repairs discovered during a FOD repair. This means customers no longer must make a separate claim to their insurance as FOD events are typically covered through insurance policies.

P&WC currently has 50 owned and designated maintenance facilities, 100 field support managers, more than 100 mobile repair team technicians, more than 1,000 spare engines, and approximately 10 owned and designated parts distribution centers worldwide. In November, it expanded its designated maintenance facility (DMF) network, appointing Jet Aviation operations in Singapore; Cairns, Australia; Hong Kong; Manila, the Philippines; and Basil, Switzerland. This brings the number of DMFs worldwide to 22.

3. Rolls-Royce (3rd, tie)

Overall, the company's business aviation engines enjoy a 99 percent dispatch availability and it is posting record enrollments in its CorporateCare family of engine support programs, according to Andy Robinson, Rolls-Royce senior vice president for services, business aviation. Robinson said new service plan enrollments, which had been running at about 150 per year, already stood at between 350 and 400 through midsummer. "It is the best year we have ever had," he said. To support its growing business aviation engine fleet, the company has added new technicians in Europe and North America. Real-time engine health monitoring for plan enrollees means that Rolls-Royce can dispatch parts and personnel to the aircraft without the customer becoming time mired in the purchasing process. "It's a much slicker process, which means greater aircraft availability," he said.

The company also has made significant investments in digital launching a brand-new customer portal, the Yocova marketplace, where customers can buy services online directly from the company. "This collaboration platform gives customers single sign-on access to all of the capabilities and services and features that we provide. That includes engine health monitoring and new technical publications," said Robinson.

The company's new engine vibration health monitoring unit (EVHMU) measures 10,000 parameters, delivering "a very comprehensive insight into the engine performance," Robinson said. "That enables us to be more proactive and possibly find upcoming issues before they even take place and what that does is effective. It is something that we've introduced with the Pearl [engine]. It's a groundbreaking piece of technology. We're working closely with the airframers because it's mounted in the airframe and coupled to both engines," he said.

Using Opus10 software, Rolls-Royce can now predict the quantity of each spares component the company should have on hand and at which of its global parts stores in Singapore, Dubai, Frankfurt, the UK, Beijing, Indianapolis, Wichita, or Los Angeles. Robinson said the company has been fortunate with its supply chain and has experienced minimal disruptions.

"We haven't really been hit with major parts shortages," Robinson said, while acknowledging that the company has devoted personnel, but not direct investment, to its suppliers.

Using Opus10 means the company can ship the right part from the right parts store to minimize any customer downtime and eliminate invoicing for plan enrollees. Rolls-Royce uses continually updated heat maps to track the activities of each store and customer location. "I'm driving teams to have the right parts in the right regions."

Like its competitors, Rolls-Royce is paying particular attention to the labor market and how it impacts product support. "I think what the industry is suffering with is a shortage of people. It's the people shortages that are [disrupting] the turn time. It is not where it should be. There's a shortage of technicians, there's a shortage of people globally," Robinson said.

4. Honeywell

Honeywell understands there is work to be done, particularly with regard to the support of its newer series of HTF7000 turbofans, which posted an overall score drop to 7.5 from 8.1 last year. It is also dealing with increased AOG volume and adding agents to its AOG team based at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport who sit "side-by-side" with technical support agents to help customers troubleshoot both online and in real-time.

The company's product support executives told AIN that supply chain challenges are "very real" and that the company is taking extraordinary measures to address them, dedicating the full-time attention of 25 senior leaders-at the senior director and vice president levels-to Honeywell's 95 "most challenging suppliers." It is also investing capital, engineering, and sometimes additional manpower resources in these suppliers and ensuring that Honeywell's demand forecasts reach sub-tier suppliers 18 months ahead of time so they can ramp up to meet that demand.

Honeywell is also working to identify serviceable material and components on the open market and purchase and refurbish it for its inventories via its Honeywell Aerospace Trading (HAT) teams. The company has hired an additional six HAT team buyers and increased inventories by 20 percent. Items purchased for inventory include whole engines and APUs that are being placed in rental pools. Making refurbished parts and components available to customers does not necessarily reduce prices, but it does allow the aircraft to be returned to service faster.

Supply chain challenges have forced Honeywell to reevaluate its engineering, portal strategy, and digital footprint to enable customers to be better able to self-serve and troubleshoot. The company has also posted a number of YouTube videos in that regard. Company executives expect the supply chain to largely normalize by year's end, with mechanical components recovering first.

Honeywell is leveraging engineering resources to address supply chain issues as well, evaluating detailed parts that go into repairs to determine what can be reused as opposed to replacing with new, a practice it characterizes as "a big enhancement for us." The practice has created a larger engineering presence in all of the company's shops that "historically wasn't there."

Longer-term, Honeywell is addressing manpower challenges by conducting hiring fairs across the country at various schools that offer airframe and powerplant technician training, offering candidates attractive relocation packages, and offering competitive compensation.

Overall enrollments in the company's MSP service programs remain strong and the company continues to hone its digital offerings to enhance customers' predictive capabilities.

Not Ranked

Safran Helicopter Engines

Today, 50 percent of the company's customer base has either a support-by-the-hour contract or a Global Support Package (GSP).

In 2021, Safran Helicopter Engines said it guaranteed "full continuity of activity and unmatched availability of assets and spare parts with no disruption whatsoever." An investment in internal repair capabilities with the expansion of Safran's Tarnos, France plant has translated into turnaround repair times that have been halved since 2019, said the company, which did not receive enough responses in the AIN survey to receive a ranking.

Safran's front office teams at 12 different sites focused on answering customer needs along with its network of service partners and certified distribution and maintenance centers. The company continues to engage users via customer councils in Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan. Large customers continue to subscribe to Safran's support-by-the-hour (SBH) programs including the very first SBH on the Arrano engine with the Japanese operator ANH, but also with the German Bundespolizei (for their Arrius 2F engines on the H120), SAAB (for the Swedish Armed Forces' Arrius 2K2 on the Leonardo AW109), and Air Greenland (for the Arriel 2C2 on the Airbus Helicopters H155).

In the coming months, Safran will accelerate its support of the Arrano engine for the Airbus H160 and its customers including ANH in Japan, PHI in the U.S., and the French Navy. More than 200 people are trained to deliver MRO services on the engine. In parallel, Safran also plans to support the entry into service of the Leonardo AW189K super-medium twin that is powered by Aneto 1K engines, which were certified at the end of 2019.

New digital services, including the My Engine Dashboard and Logbook Viewer, have been added to Safran's EngineLife family of services, which already encompasses health monitoring and Web IETP (interactive electronic technical publications) that provides online access to all technical documentation. "We have also improved online navigation and introduced 3D illustrations to ensure ease of use" for Safran's Web IETP, which is now fully integrated with the company's online ordering system, enabling customers to directly confirm and order parts for a specific task. Safran has worked with Airbus and this function is available on the Arrano Web IETP with a direct link to the H160 Orion documentation.

Above & Beyond

Kevin Moore (Rolls-Royce)

"He is a very knowledgeable, accessible, fight-for-the-customer rep."

Jiri Huml (Honeywell)

"We are always glad to work with Jiri Huml. He is doing a very great job and is always effective. His communication and attitude are a very good example to all OEM customer support teams."

Noe Garza (Pratt & Whitney Canada)

"Noe is a wonderful liaison between tools, spares, warranty, and all other divisions of PWC."

Dave Newton (Dallas Airmotive)

"He goes beyond any other on helping you."

Read the Report

Viewing this report requires Adobe Reader be installed on your device. If it's not currently installed, click here to download.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An overall score improvement from 8.5 (out of 10) last year to 8.7 was enough to push GE Aviation to the top of this year's Engine Product Support Survey.

# data[].attributes.headline
The development of the boeing mid sized aitcraft

# data[].attributes.subject
The development of the boeing mid sized aitcraft

# data[].attributes.body
Boeing is developing a mid-sized aircraft  mostl likely named 797 aka "NMA"  expected to generate 30% more revenue than narrowbodies such as the 737 and have 40% lower trip costs than the widebodies  such as the A350 it would replace, but would cost $12–15 billion to develop. This aircraft would also feature only one pilot in the cockpit. - Demetri. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEnpMSn961A , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hswpYyPKig

# data[].attributes.body
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday notified key oversight committees in Congress that the U.S. agency, Transport Canada, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA, and the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil ANAC have concluded the Joint Operations Evaluation Board (JOEB) assessing Boeing’s proposed differences training and return to service training for the 737 Max.

# data[].attributes.body
A big thing is happening in aviation history. The first regional electrical airline. Small flights across America in hybrid electric airplanes. Southern Airways Express and Surf Air Mobility have merged together in a way to start a wave of "green flying". Although not all the airplanes are electrical it is a big step none the less.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Imagine hybrid electric aircraft ferrying travelers on hundreds of shorter routes across the U.S. That's the vision behind the planned merger of Southern Airways Express and Surf Air Mobility.

The deal, unveiled on May 18, will see the regional airline and electric aviation firm come together and go public under a $1.4 billion SPAC listing in the second half of the year. The deal is the first to bring together both sides of the equation - an airline and the technology developer - into one company amid the airline industry's rush to decarbonize air travel.

"It gives us what we need to be first out of the gate ... I want to be the first airline that puts paying passengers on a hybrid electric airplane," Southern Airways Express CEO Stan Little, and future president of the merged company, told Airline Weekly. The merger will provide Southern with the capital it needs for growth, including financing for the 100 Cessna Caravans on order from Textron that begin delivering at a rate of three per quarter from the fall.

For Surf Air, the deal provides the company the "best possible advertisement for its hybrid electric technology," said Little. The merger includes agreements with electric engine company AeroTEC and electric propulsion developer MagniX for hybrid electric powertrains that would power Southern's Caravans.

"We believe this sets us on a better, faster, and more certain path toward the future of green flying," Surf Air CEO Sudhin Shahani and other executives said in a May 18 letter to staff on the merger.

Electric aviation has come to the fore since in the past two years. Major carriers, from AirAsia to United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways, have made commitments for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as part of their decarbonization drives. However, these small aircraft are not expected to replace existing flights but instead allow airlines to compete for so-called "last mile," or how travelers get to and from major airports, trips. Electric propulsion systems on existing aircraft, like the Caravan, or green-sheet regional planes - generally viewed as having fewer than 50 seats - are seen as having a much greater potential to reduce emissions from current aviation activities.

Work is well underway on electric propulsion systems, which are the key to electric aircraft. AeroTEC and MagniX flew a Caravan with their prototype electric technology in 2020. Former MagniX CEO Roei Ganzarski said in March 2021 that he expected certification of electric engines on existing airframes to come first before any new-build aircraft due to the higher certification hurdles entirely new designs face. "Electric aviation will start in niches," he said pointing to the Caravan and de Havilland Beaver seaplane - aircraft that serve specific niches - that had prototypes of MagniX's propulsion technology.

The engine Surf Air is developing is not all electric. It includes both internal combustion and electric engines similar to the set up in a hybrid car. In 2019, Air Lease Corp. Executive Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy said hybrid-electric technology that could augment traditional fossil fuel-powered engines was the likely first step towards fully electric aircraft.

Other electric regional aircraft developers include Eviation and Heart Aerospace. The former has a commitment from Cape Air for its nine-seat Alice, while the latter has commitments from Finnair and United for its 19-seat electric ES-19.

Little declined to comment on where Surf Air's hybrid electric engine technology stands in terms of development. However, he hopes to introduce it on revenue flights within two to three years - or in the 2024-25 timeframe.

"So much of that is dependent on the FAA," Little said. He added that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is moving on certification slower than he's "ever seen before."

Surf Air targets a 50 percent reduction in emissions, and a 25 percent cut in operating costs for the Caravan with its hybrid electric engines. These savings are expected to make the economics work for so-called thin routes, or ones with less demand, Little said. These are markets that have overwhelmingly been cut from U.S. airline networks in recent decades amid rising costs and pilot staffing challenges. The economics of hybrid electric aircraft has only improved as oil prices have remained elevated.

Southern has a successful track record of expanding through acquisitions. The airline has acquired five airlines in its nine-year history, the latest being Air Choice One in April, and plans a major expansion with applications in for most the 29 government-subsidized markets that SkyWest Airlines is exiting. The airline is also on the cusp of unveiling a new operation in the Marianas with new Tecnam P2012 Traveller prop aircraft. Southern has none of the issues with pilot staffing that its larger peers face. SkyWest owns an undisclosed stake in Southern.

Southern and Surf Air anticipate up to $467 million in net proceeds from their merger and public debut. Combined revenues for the year are forecast at roughly $100 million.

Enjoying this free story? Get more deep-dive analysis by subscribing to Airline Weekly.

Already a subscriber? Sign in
Subscribe Now to Airline Weekly
Already a subscriber? Sign in

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Southern Airways Express, Surf Air Aim to Create First Electric Regional Airline

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Imagine hybrid electric aircraft ferrying travelers on hundreds of shorter routes across the U.S. That's the vision behind the planned merger of Southern Airways Express and Surf Air Mobility. The deal, unveiled on May 18, will see the regional airline and electric aviation firm come together and go public under a $1.4 billion SPAC listing [...]

# data[].attributes.body
this article describes how The U,S is using aviation to help people in Ukrain

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By General Aviation News Staff · ·

Draganfly's Medical Reponse Drone.

Draganfly, a Los Angeles-based drone manufacturer, confirmed that one of the first of the humanitarian drones it is shipping to Ukraine has arrived and will soon be delivering insulin to diabetics in the war-torn country.

There are 2.3 million people living with diabetes in Ukraine, many of whom are Type 1 diabetics who need daily injections of insulin to survive. For those living in high-conflict areas of the country, access to life-saving insulin is limited or non-existent.

The non-profit charity, Revived Soldiers Ukraine (RSU), will use Draganfly's Medical Response drones to deliver NuGen M.D. 's needle-free injection devices, pre-loaded with insulin, to conflict areas across Ukraine, as well as other crucial medical supplies, according to Draganfly officials.

Draganfly's first Medical Response Drone was delivered to Iryna Vashchuk Discipio, RSU president, and members of her staff, including pilots, at a facility in Poland on May 1, 2022. The drone was then transported to Ukraine, where the company's pilots conducted virtual training with RSU's drone operators.

The Draganfly Medical Response drones are equipped with temperature-managed payload boxes that can transport up to 35 pounds of blood, pharmaceuticals, insulin and other medicines, vaccines, and wound care kits, according to company officials.

In addition to donating three drone systems, Draganfly received an order for its Medical Response and Search and Rescue Drones from Coldchain Delivery Systems for immediate deployment with RSU. The initial order calls for 10 drones, with the full order calling for up to 200 drones, Draganfly officials reported.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
U.S.-made drones delivering insulin to diabetics in Ukraine - General Aviation News

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By General Aviation News Staff · · Draganfly, a Los Angeles-based drone manufacturer, confirmed that one of the first of the humanitarian drones it is shipping to Ukraine has arrived and will soon be delivering insulin to diabetics in the war-torn country.

# data[].attributes.headline
Bazory flores-VoltAero Offers Fractional Shares in Hybrid-electric Aircraft

# data[].attributes.subject
Bazory flores-VoltAero Offers Fractional Shares in Hybrid-electric Aircraft

# data[].attributes.body
VoltAero will begin selling some of its ownership of the five-seater Cassio 330 hybrid electric aircraft to European customers  at EBACE 2020 in Geneva next week. The Cassio 330 is Volt Aero's first  three aircraft  to bring to market and is expected to be first delivered in 2024 until the EASA CS23 type certificate is completed. The other two models are the 6-seater and 12-seater Casio 480 and 600, with each model number indicating the kilowatt rating of the propulsion system.
The French company, which announced a split ownership plan on May 18, announced that it would offer one-fifth stake in each aircraft based on the initial annual usage forecast for 800 flight hours. As operations expand, the total can reach 1,000 flight hours per year, with owners flying aircraft in  planned fleets operated by various future European operational partners and services, including France. You can fly.
Last year, a Montpellier-based airline in France agreed to purchase 15 Casio aircraft for use on
charter flights and  regional aviation services. VoltAero has no plans to obtain its own Aviation Operator Certificate (AOC).

# data[].attributes.headline
Delhi Airport Delays And Diverts Dozens Of Flights Due to Bad Weather

# data[].attributes.subject
Delhi Airport Delays And Diverts Dozens Of Flights Due to Bad Weather

# data[].attributes.body
may 23rd  was a rocky day for Delhi Airport, with flights canceled multiple times in the early hours of the morning and again in the night. The city has been hit with storms and winds as fast as 75km/hr during the pre-monsoon rains in recent days. All of this saw over 35 flights diverted to nearby airports and 100s more delayed as Delhi waited for safer conditions. some planes even waited in the sky in a pattern since they had alot of fuel to wait for the worst

# data[].attributes.body
In this article, we are shown how COVID has reshaped the aviation industry, probably forever.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It is no secret that people are on the move again, and the airline industry is in recovery mode. But a recent report released by the major online travel agency, Skyscanner, confirms another widely acknowledged phenomenon - airlines and travel patterns have changed, and that's resulting in some subtle and not so subtle changes to the commercial aviation landscape.

Reports identifies some changes in how and where we fly

Titled Skyscanner Horizons: Travel's Resilience and Trends Shaping Recovery, the report combines consumer polling with extensive flight search and booking data from around the world. Skyscanner is a UK-based metasearch engine and travel agency.

The report identifies three big trends in commercial aviation. These are, the streamlining of fleets by retiring older aircraft and introducing newer, more fuel-efficient models; new direct domestic and international routes connecting travelers with parts of the world only previously reachable via a one- or multi-stop journey; and new airlines entering the market, including a focus on low-cost long-haul travel.

There are some subtle and not so subtle in the way we travel. Photo: Cathay Pacific

None of this will be news to readers of Simple Flying. But as people start buckling up and lowering their armrests again, Skyscanner has spotted a few things passengers are doing differently post-pandemic - and it's not simply a case of face masks onboard and uploading COVID certificates. There are some changes in how and where we are flying.

Most travelers are happy to spend more to fly

Everyone loves a bargain, but Skyscanner reckons most travelers are happy to spend more on trips than they were pre-pandemic. Partly that's a factor of travel delays and savings accrued. And it's possibly a good thing people are prepared to pay more. Airfares are increasing as capacity in many regions fails to meet demand - a trend particularly noticeable in long-haul flying.

"Nearly 90% are planning to spend more or the same on travel abroad than pre-pandemic, with half spending more," says the Skyscanner report. "Leading the charge are Australians, with 60% keen to splash out more this year. Only 6% of travelers across all markets surveyed are planning to spend less."

"Americans lead the way when it comes to spending more on cabin class and rooms, with 46% planning to upgrade their airfare. More Americans also want to increase their spending on sustainable initiatives, such as greener flights or carbon offsetting, than other nationalities."

People are on the move again to a mix of short and long-haul destinations. Photo: Getty Images

Suddenly, everyone wants to go to Doha

Overall demand for domestic and short-haul flights remains higher than pre-pandemic, but long-haul travel is making a comeback. As air travel staged its first rebound in early 2021, short-haul was very much in favor. Travelers were keen to minimize the hassle of crossing borders and the risks of finding themselves stranded. But as confidence grows that long-haul travel is normalizing again, demand for intercontinental flying is returning.

So where do we want to fly to? That depends on where you live. Top of the list of Europe and Middle East residents is Doha (DIA) - that's some good news for Qatar Airways. Following Doha in order is Izmir (ABD), Mexico City (MEX), Gothenburg (GSE), Helsinki (HEL), Zagreb (ZAG), Amman (AMM), Manila (MAN), Singapore (SIN), and Bari (BRI). The FIFA World Cup in Doha later this year is one reason why Doha is suddenly the flavor of the month.

Doha has quickly become a favorite for transit and visitors. Photo: Tom Boon - Simple Flying

People living in the Americas also like Doha, with that city the top trending destination there. Following Doha is St Louis (BLV), Monterrey (MTY), Halifax (YHZ), Charlotte (CLT), Minneapolis (MSP), Amman (AMM), Jacksonville (JAX), Curitiba (CWB), and Managua (MGA).

Across the Asia-Pacific, the big trending destinations (in order) were Newcastle (NTL), Hyderabad (HYD), Boston (BOS), Doha (DIA), Mexico City (MEX), Yogyakarta (JOG), Amman (AMM), Chengdu (CTU), Helsinki (HEL), and Glasgow (GLA).

There are some relatively obscure destinations on Skyscanner's top ten lists here, likely reflecting a lot of travel is to visit family and friends rather than for tourism. There's also a good mix of short and long-haul destinations, supporting the proposition that long-haul travel is recovering. As 2022 unfolds and flying becomes easier, more people will take to the air, and our travel patterns will keep changing. Skyscanner's next update is likely to reveal the differences.

Source: Skyscanner Horizons: Travel's Resilience and Trends Shaping Recovery

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Skyscanner Report Reveals How COVID Has Reshaped Flying

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It is no secret that people are on the move again, and the airline industry is in recovery mode. But a recent report released by the major online travel agency, Skyscanner, confirms another widely acknowledged phenomenon - airlines and travel patterns have changed, and that's resulting in some subtle and not so subtle changes to the commercial aviation landscape.

# data[].attributes.headline
 Chief Addresses Bizav's Headwinds in Europe

# data[].attributes.subject
 Chief Addresses Bizav's Headwinds in Europe

# data[].attributes.body
The European Business Aviation Association's secretary Arther Husain spoke with another foreign corporation they have about trading "body offices". EBAA always said the post-Covid recovery would be led by the business aviation industry because of its agility, flexibility, and speed to adapt to market requirements.

# data[].attributes.headline
JetBlue is making a push to buy Spirit Airlines. Here's how much they overlap.

# data[].attributes.subject
JetBlue is making a push to buy Spirit Airlines. Here's how much they overlap.

# data[].attributes.body
JetBlue is making a push to buy Spirit Airlines, which is already in the midst of completing a merger with Frontier. Here's a look at overlap between the airlines. According to data from aviation data company Cirium, Spirit and JetBlue overlap on about 11% of their domestic routes. By comparison, Spirit and Frontier overlap on about 18% of their domestic routes. JetBlue Airways Corp.'s bid to purchase Spirit Airlines Inc. for $3.6 billion has the potential to affect a possible merger between Spirit and fellow ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines and disrupt an airline industry that's still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

# data[].attributes.body
The Boeing 737 Max have been heavily banned in most countries. Why? Because The 737Max has caused both accidents. Accidents are normal right? Yes, but for the 737Max
It was so much different. After leaving the airport, the 737Max crashed just a few miles close to the airport.After both accidents, the flight-data recordings indicated that the immediate culprit was a sensor failure tied to a new and obscure control function that was unique to the 737 Max: the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).
MCAS was designed to help pilots ,but it ended up harming. When The MCAS is activated it would help the pilot go down, but Boeing did not tell The pilots about MCAS. “You have 10 seconds to turn off MCAS”. You can’t react in 10 seconds to something you have never seen, nor used.

# data[].attributes.body
Textron Aviation has delivered the first of its Cessna SkyCouriers to launch customer FedEx Express. The utility aircraft handed over today represents the lead ship in a 50-unit order from FedEx, which also has options for 50 more.

Fedex played a role in the development of the aircraft with members of its design and engineering staff serving on Textron Aviation’s customer advisory board, helping to establish the twin turboprop’s design, features, and serviceability. The high-wing airplane is designed to carry a payload of up to 6,000 pounds with an 87-inch cargo door, a flat floor, and a nearly 70-inch tall and wide cabin to accept three standard LD3 air cargo containers.

“The result of four and a half years of collaboration with Textron Aviation on this aircraft, FedEx is excited to add the Cessna 408 SkyCourier as part of our fleet modernization program,” said Scot Struminger, the air cargo provider’s executive v-p of aviation, adding this will help it better serve small and medium markets. “The SkyCourier will make us more efficient, now being able to move containerized and palletized freight for our customers.”

The clean-sheet aircraft, which is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC engines and has a 900-nm range, received its FAA type certification in March. FedEx's first SkyCourier was rolled out in February.

Now that it has entered service, Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper expects the order book for it to lengthen. “We believe many other air freight, passenger, and special mission operators also will benefit from the winning combination of low operating costs and unparalleled lift capacity that the new SkyCourier brings to market,” he said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Aviation International News is the industry's best read and most authoritative news publication, covering all aspects of aviation: business, military and transport.

# data[].attributes.body
Boeing received a welcome boost to its 777X program on Monday as Lufthansa Group placed an order for seven 777-8 Freighters scheduled for first delivery in 2027. Orders for two of the company’s present-day 777 Freighters and seven 787-9s accompanied the 777-8F deal, cementing Lufthansa’s commitment to Boeing widebody products after it signed as a launch customer for the 777-9 passenger airplane in 2013. The new deal for 787-9s brings the group’s order total for the Dreamliner family to 32.

# data[].attributes.body
Boeing received a welcome boost to its 777X program on Monday as Lufthansa Group placed an order for seven 777-8 Freighters scheduled for first delivery in 2027. Orders for two of the company’s present-day 777 Freighters and seven 787-9s accompanied the 777-8F deal, cementing Lufthansa’s commitment to Boeing widebody products after it signed as a launch customer for the 777-9 passenger airplane in 2013. The new deal for 787-9s brings the group’s order total for the Dreamliner family to 32.

The deals come about two weeks after Boeing confirmed it would delay the first delivery of the 777X until 2025 after reassessing the time it would need to meet the FAA’s stricter certification requirements. Originally expected to win certification in 2020, the 777X has suffered through no fewer than three major schedule delays.

Lufthansa said the additional 787-9s will fill capacity gaps created by the latest 777-9 delivery delay, adding that it would bring forward “in some cases” deliveries of Dreamliners already on its books to 2023 and 2024. The new 787-9 order calls for deliveries in 2025 and 2026.

"We continue investing in more fuel-efficient, quieter, and more economical aircraft that emit significantly less CO₂,” said Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr. “This enables us to drive our fleet modernization. By purchasing these state-of-the-art aircraft, we again underline Lufthansa Group's ability to invest in and shape the future. Once again, we are taking the initiative and expanding our leadership role as well as taking responsibility for the environment—with premium products for our customers and a sustainable fleet.”

Boeing launched the new 777-8 Freighter in January and booked firm orders for 34 of the model. The 2021 Boeing Commercial Market Outlook projects a 70 percent increase in the size of the global freighter fleet by 2040, including some 450 new large widebody freighters.

# data[].attributes.headline
Bryan Contreras - Red Cessna CitationJet

# data[].attributes.subject
Bryan Contreras - Red Cessna CitationJet

# data[].attributes.body
Duncan Aviation delivered to a customer Toll Group NW a Cessna CitationJet that is a flashy red and black livery with silver accents and a refurnished interior to match. One of the Duncan seniors said that the CitationJet has to have its paint meet a certain level of solar reflection values. On the inside of the plane Duncan Aviation did a color over where they color most of the inside plane a light neutral tone of red. The drink rails and table inserts are covered with red leather and the lower sidewalls are charcoal gray, diamond patterned chenille fabric.

All this info was gained from https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-05-06/duncan-delivers-flashy-red-cessna-citationjet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Duncan Delivers ‘Flashy’ Red Cessna CitationJet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Toll Group NW’s Citation 525 also features a complementary cabin refurbishment.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-05-09/garmin-pilot-update-provides-taxiwayGarmin has added several features and improvements to its Pilot app, from taxiway notams to improved dynamic map displays.-closure-notams

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Garmin Pilot Update Provides Taxiway Closure Notams

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Garmin has added several features and improvements to its Pilot app, from taxiway notams to improved dynamic map displays.

# data[].attributes.body
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed upon the country have brought with them myriad challenges for the aviation industry, just as it was recovering from the crippling effects of the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The pandemic had negatively impacted the global revenue from full-service and low-cost airlines, according to GlobalData. The data shows that the industry enjoyed steady growth in the pre-pandemic years, but global revenues from full-service and low-cost airlines recorded a sharp decline in 2020, before showing signs of recovery in 2021 (which still fell short of pre-pandemic levels).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Russia's flagship airline, Aeroflot, has announced it is halting all its international flights, except those to Belarus. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed upon the country have brought with them myriad challenges for the aviation industry, just as it was recovering from the crippling effects of the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The pandemic had negatively impacted the global revenue from full-service and low-cost airlines, according to GlobalData. The data shows that the industry enjoyed steady growth in the pre-pandemic years, but global revenues from full-service and low-cost airlines recorded a sharp decline in 2020, before showing signs of recovery in 2021 (which still fell short of pre-pandemic levels).

This struggle to bounce back has been compounded by the sanctions and the air restrictions imposed both by and against Russia.

Since the invasion of Ukraine commenced, Canada, the EU, the UK, the US and various other countries have banned Russian aircraft from their airspace. Russia has retaliated by banning 36 countries from flying through its skies.

The mutual sanctions and air restrictions have shaken up the aviation sector, leading to the cancellation or rerouting of flights, increased air ticket prices, higher fuel costs and issues with titanium sourcing, among other issues.

The cancellation or rerouting of flights

The combination of the sanctions and the air bans has forced several airline companies to either suspend or reroute their flights. Russia's flagship airline, Aeroflot, has announced it is halting all its international flights, except those to Belarus, and the country's second-biggest airline, S7, has also suspended its international flights.

Many non-Russian airlines are having to make diversions to avoid flying through Russian airspace, with some European companies cancelling their flights to Asia altogether. Finnish airline Finnair had initially cancelled its flights to Japan, China and South Korea but has since resumed journeys to Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai, taking a route that avoids Russian airspace. Its flights to Osaka and Hong Kong are cancelled until late April.

The longer routes as well as the flight diversions have a significant impact on costs, including fuel prices the air tickets.

Higher fuel prices

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also affected oil prices. This will have a severe impact on the aviation sector, with fuel prices being hugely important for airline companies when it comes to operating costs.

Research from GlobalData states that "rising fuel costs will impact the profitability of airlines, which are still recovering after the fall in demand resulting from the pandemic. Simply put, closed airspace means longer flight times, more fuel, more pilot hours, higher costs, and consequently higher fares. Higher fares could further impact the demand recovery."

Increased air ticket prices

The cancellation of flights, the longer routes, the higher fuel costs and rising inflation are only some of the reasons behind the increase in air ticket prices.

In fact, data from Google Flights shows that the prices of flights out of Russia are soaring following the sanctions.

As a result, Russians looking to travel to Europe are faced with often unaffordable prices for their tickets. This will also harm several touristic destinations that are favoured by Russian tourists.

Titanium shortage

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is also raising concerns about potential titanium supply shortages. The GlobalData research states that "titanium is a key metal used in the manufacturing of aircraft. Ukraine and Russia are among the leading producers of titanium, and the ongoing conflict could impact supply in the near term."

These examples show how the Russia-Ukraine conflict is going to heavily shape the future outlook of the aviation sector in many different ways. Coming on the back of a hugely disruptive two years related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry's hopes of emerging into a 'new normal' may have to be put on ice.
This article was originally published on our sister site Investment Monitor.
Related Companies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What impact will the Russia-Ukraine conflict have on the aviation sector?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions imposed upon the country have brought with them myriad challenges for the aviation industry, just as it was recovering from the crippling effects of the Covid-19 lockdowns. The pandemic had negatively impacted the global revenue from full-service and low-cost airlines, according to GlobalData.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-08-28/western-aircraft-installs-first-pc-12-speed-cowl    Noah - Western Aircraft has installed its first Speed Cowl on a Pilatus PC-12 that the Boise, Idaho-based MRO provider said improves the performance of the single-engine turboprop.

# data[].attributes.body
Of course, this is expected. The COVID-19 pandemic is entering its endemic stages in some parts of the world at the time of writing, and airlines hemorrhaged $168 billion in economic losses in 2020. Although the temptation is to pin the blame solely on the pandemic-induced plunge in passenger traffic, that would be to ignore the airline industry’s underlying and long-term health problems.

This article, the first in a two-part series, provides an overview of global aviation’s performance during the pandemic, by subsector. The second article explores what airline executives could consider doing to generate more value for their carriers—for instance, examining their cost base and accelerating capital turnover. Fiscal year 2021 data are not yet available for all the companies covered in this analysis, so this article draws insights mostly from the 2012–20 data, supplemented by observations of key developments in 2021.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Duncan Delivers 'Flashy' Red Cessna CitationJet

# data[].attributes.body
Duncan Aviation delivered to customer Toll Group NW a Cessna CitationJet that features a “flashy” red and black livery with silver accents and a refurbished interior to match. The twinjet’s paint scheme emulates the livery of an Embraer Phenom 300 that the CJ owner saw at Duncan’s Battle Creek, Michigan facility.

“These models of aircraft have solar reflective values that have to be met for the exterior paint,” said Duncan senior completions sales representative Angie Coleman. “This put our paint and design team to work to find a good match of paint in the solar reflective paint formulas.”

On the inside Duncan did a complete refurbishment of the cabin, using a light neutral tone for the headliner and window panels, cabin veneer with brown-toned stain, and red undertone in a matte finish. Drink rails and table inserts are covered with red leather, while lower sidewalls are fitted with a charcoal gray, diamond-patterned chenille fabric. The cabin seats are covered in black leather with red accent stitching, and a charcoal gray carpet capped off the cabin refresh.

“It’s always a little nerve-racking picking finishes because you don’t know how they will look together, but the Duncan Aviation team guided me through the process and ensured the final product would turn out great,” said Toll Group v-p Kjell Lindberg. “It certainly did.”

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2022-05-06/russian-transport-ministry-sees-sharp-drop-air-traffic-2025

Russia’s airline industry will experience between a 24 and 48 percent drop in passenger traffic over the next four years, and, at best, restore traffic to 2021 levels no earlier than 2030, according to a grim prognosis in a recently released draft report from Russia’s Ministry for Transportation. Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the aviation industry will take a dive overall.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Russia's airline industry will experience between a 24 and 48 percent drop in passenger traffic over the next four years, and, at best, restore traffic to 2021 levels no earlier than 2030, according to a grim prognosis in a recently released draft report from Russia's Ministry for Transportation.

The document, titled Comprehensive Program for Development of the Airline Industry until 2030, follows a governmental meeting in the Kremlin on March 31 devoted to the prospects of the local airline and aircraft manufacturing industries. At the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin challenged his bureaucrats to work out a set of measures aimed at supporting the national air transportation system amid severe economic sanctions imposed on Moscow by the U.S. and European Union (EU) as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine.

In reply, the Ministry for Transportation suggests allocating 331.4 billion roubles ($5 billion) by 2025 and another 296 billion roubles by 2030. The total includes 100 billion roubles for support of passenger operations by airlines and airports, plus 29.3 billion roubles in subsidies for passenger transportation between the European and Far East territories of the country, and, finally, 32 billion roubles for the purchase of flight simulators and training airplanes.

The Kremlin considers the allocations necessary to keep the national air transportation system running even if economic sanctions result in the grounding of many imported aircraft.

The calculations assume that the relations between Moscow and the West will remain cold. Consequently, the local carriers will experience problems with keeping their Airbus and Boeing airliners flying. The aircraft manufacturers in U.S. and EU and their approved maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centers will not likely render any meaningful support to airplanes exported into Russia.

The ministry advises airlines to adjust their business models accordingly and, together with the local manufacturers and MRO specialists, keep their fleets intact without the involvement of the West.

According to the ministry, the Russian civil fleet now consists of 1,287 passenger, cargo, and general aviation airplanes, of which 1,140 appear in the national register. They include 470 airplanes made in Russia and the former Soviet bloc, mostly small-capacity commuter and regional turboprops.

Other open sources estimate the number of passengers jets with 50 seats and above at 714 as of late 2021, including nearly 300 Airbus, 236 Boeing, 23 Embraer, and several Bombardier CRJ100/200 aircraft, plus 136 Russian-designed Irkut SSJ100s, which carry numerous Western components. Together, they generate more than 90 percent of the country's passenger traffic.

The report's authors base their assumptions on a forecast that operators will cannibalize about one-third of the current Airbus and Boeing fleet for parts to keep the rest flying. The nation's fleet of imported jets will fall to 427 in 2025, and, consequently, traffic will drop to 76.3 million passengers. In 2030, only 208 foreign jets will remain operational, said the report, but traffic might return to the pre-crisis level thanks to a sharp increase in shipments of local designs.

Apart from that assumption, the drafters also offer a "pessimistic scenario" in which airlines disassemble half of the imported jetliners for parts by 2025 if they cannot find a way to procure spares from the outside world. Worse, the domestic industry will appear unable to reverse-engineer the necessary items and produce them at home. As a result, the foreign jetliner fleet will fall to 298 by 2025 (and to nearly nothing by 2030) and traffic will drop to 58.2 million passengers.

The Ministry for Transportation hopes that, by 2030, local manufacturers will manage to assemble 1,000 new passenger aircraft of all classes. In that case, the national fleet will rise from between 870 and 999 airplanes in 2025 to between 1,556 and 1,600 in 2030.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Russian Transport Ministry Sees Sharp Drop in Air Traffic by 2025

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Russia's airline industry will experience between a 24 and 48 percent drop in passenger traffic over the next four years, and, at best, restore traffic to 2021 levels no earlier than 2030, according to a grim prognosis in a recently released draft report from Russia's Ministry for Transportation.

# data[].attributes.headline
Airbus picks electric motor supplier for CityAirbus NextGen

# data[].attributes.subject
Airbus picks electric motor supplier for CityAirbus NextGen

# data[].attributes.body
Airbus has selected California firm MagicALL to supply electric motors. It is a lightweight design that contains the latest tech. The high torque and low weight of the MAGiDRIVE will be highly efficient.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Airbus picks electric motor supplier for CityAirbus NextGen

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Airbus has selected California firm MAGicALL to supply the electric motors for its CityAirbus NextGen as the manufacturer firms up the supply chain for the urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-05-10/charter-company-ceo-sentenced-bankruptcy-fraud
Alan Russell,cook was the former president and CEO of an aircraft management and charter company Metropolitan Aviation. He was sentenced to 2.5 years in jail.  He was convicted because of bankrupcy fraud the charges include making false statments and the falsification of records. An investigation revealed that he transsfered more than 350,000 in revenue and in personal property from the now-defunct Manassas, Virginia-based business aircraft services company to bank accounts opened by his former girlfriend.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Alan Russell Cook Sr., the former president and CEO of aircraft management and charter company Metropolitan Aviation, was sentenced to 2.5 years in jail, 36 months of supervised release, $365,961 in restitution, forfeiture of $177,383, and an $800 special assessment for bankruptcy fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.

In December, Cook was convicted of bankruptcy fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Charges included making false statements and falsification of records in relation to Metropolitan's bankruptcy proceeding, as well as false bankruptcy declaration.

An investigation revealed that between April 2016 and November 2017, Cook transferred more than $350,000 in revenue and personal property from the now-defunct Manassas, Virginia-based business aircraft services company to bank accounts opened by his former girlfriend in her name and the name of a fake company to hide assets from creditors in the bankruptcy. He also made false statements under oath at the meeting of the creditors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Charter Company CEO Sentenced for Bankruptcy Fraud

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Alan Russell Cook Sr., the former president and CEO of aircraft management and charter company Metropolitan Aviation, was sentenced to 2.5 years in jail, 36 months of supervised release, $365,961 in restitution, forfeiture of $177,383, and an $800 special assessment for bankruptcy fraud, according to the U.S.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2022-05-06/russian-transport-ministry-sees-sharp-drop-air-traffic-2025

It was about the drop in air traffic and they the Kremin they try to keep it nessesary to keep air tranportations running even if there are many planes landing.By a few years later around 2030 there will be a rise in the amount of airplanes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Russia's airline industry will experience between a 24 and 48 percent drop in passenger traffic over the next four years, and, at best, restore traffic to 2021 levels no earlier than 2030, according to a grim prognosis in a recently released draft report from Russia's Ministry for Transportation.

The document, titled Comprehensive Program for Development of the Airline Industry until 2030, follows a governmental meeting in the Kremlin on March 31 devoted to the prospects of the local airline and aircraft manufacturing industries. At the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin challenged his bureaucrats to work out a set of measures aimed at supporting the national air transportation system amid severe economic sanctions imposed on Moscow by the U.S. and European Union (EU) as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine.

In reply, the Ministry for Transportation suggests allocating 331.4 billion roubles ($5 billion) by 2025 and another 296 billion roubles by 2030. The total includes 100 billion roubles for support of passenger operations by airlines and airports, plus 29.3 billion roubles in subsidies for passenger transportation between the European and Far East territories of the country, and, finally, 32 billion roubles for the purchase of flight simulators and training airplanes.

The Kremlin considers the allocations necessary to keep the national air transportation system running even if economic sanctions result in the grounding of many imported aircraft.

The calculations assume that the relations between Moscow and the West will remain cold. Consequently, the local carriers will experience problems with keeping their Airbus and Boeing airliners flying. The aircraft manufacturers in U.S. and EU and their approved maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centers will not likely render any meaningful support to airplanes exported into Russia.

The ministry advises airlines to adjust their business models accordingly and, together with the local manufacturers and MRO specialists, keep their fleets intact without the involvement of the West.

According to the ministry, the Russian civil fleet now consists of 1,287 passenger, cargo, and general aviation airplanes, of which 1,140 appear in the national register. They include 470 airplanes made in Russia and the former Soviet bloc, mostly small-capacity commuter and regional turboprops.

Other open sources estimate the number of passengers jets with 50 seats and above at 714 as of late 2021, including nearly 300 Airbus, 236 Boeing, 23 Embraer, and several Bombardier CRJ100/200 aircraft, plus 136 Russian-designed Irkut SSJ100s, which carry numerous Western components. Together, they generate more than 90 percent of the country's passenger traffic.

The report's authors base their assumptions on a forecast that operators will cannibalize about one-third of the current Airbus and Boeing fleet for parts to keep the rest flying. The nation's fleet of imported jets will fall to 427 in 2025, and, consequently, traffic will drop to 76.3 million passengers. In 2030, only 208 foreign jets will remain operational, said the report, but traffic might return to the pre-crisis level thanks to a sharp increase in shipments of local designs.

Apart from that assumption, the drafters also offer a "pessimistic scenario" in which airlines disassemble half of the imported jetliners for parts by 2025 if they cannot find a way to procure spares from the outside world. Worse, the domestic industry will appear unable to reverse-engineer the necessary items and produce them at home. As a result, the foreign jetliner fleet will fall to 298 by 2025 (and to nearly nothing by 2030) and traffic will drop to 58.2 million passengers.

The Ministry for Transportation hopes that, by 2030, local manufacturers will manage to assemble 1,000 new passenger aircraft of all classes. In that case, the national fleet will rise from between 870 and 999 airplanes in 2025 to between 1,556 and 1,600 in 2030.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Russian Transport Ministry Sees Sharp Drop in Air Traffic by 2025

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Russia's airline industry will experience between a 24 and 48 percent drop in passenger traffic over the next four years, and, at best, restore traffic to 2021 levels no earlier than 2030, according to a grim prognosis in a recently released draft report from Russia's Ministry for Transportation.

# data[].attributes.body
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration today released the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for a new satellite-based approach procedure to Runway 4-Left at Boston Logan International Airport. The EA found that the procedure would have no significant impact in any environmental category, including aviation noise.

The new procedure closely follows the path of the existing visual approach for Runway 4-Left. By providing vertical and lateral guidance to pilots and by enabling air traffic controllers to more precisely monitor arriving aircraft, planes stay in a more narrow approach path. It will also enhance safety and flight efficiency, especially in bad weather. When visibility is low, flights will be able to land on Runway 4-Left, helping to reduce delays that result in late-night arrivals at the airport. Currently, aircraft can land on the runway in only good weather.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2022-05-09/lufthansa-orders-seven-boeing-777-8-freighters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Boeing received a welcome boost to its 777X program on Monday as Lufthansa Group placed an order for seven 777-8 Freighters scheduled for first delivery in 2027. Orders for two of the company's present-day 777 Freighters and seven 787-9s accompanied the 777-8F deal, cementing Lufthansa's commitment to Boeing widebody products after it signed as a launch customer for the 777-9 passenger airplane in 2013. The new deal for 787-9s brings the group's order total for the Dreamliner family to 32.

The deals come about two weeks after Boeing confirmed it would delay the first delivery of the 777X until 2025 after reassessing the time it would need to meet the FAA's stricter certification requirements. Originally expected to win certification in 2020, the 777X has suffered through no fewer than three major schedule delays.

Lufthansa said the additional 787-9s will fill capacity gaps created by the latest 777-9 delivery delay, adding that it would bring forward "in some cases" deliveries of Dreamliners already on its books to 2023 and 2024. The new 787-9 order calls for deliveries in 2025 and 2026.

"We continue investing in more fuel-efficient, quieter, and more economical aircraft that emit significantly less CO ₂," said Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr. "This enables us to drive our fleet modernization. By purchasing these state-of-the-art aircraft, we again underline Lufthansa Group's ability to invest in and shape the future. Once again, we are taking the initiative and expanding our leadership role as well as taking responsibility for the environment-with premium products for our customers and a sustainable fleet."

Boeing launched the new 777-8 Freighter in January and booked firm orders for 34 of the model. The 2021 Boeing Commercial Market Outlook projects a 70 percent increase in the size of the global freighter fleet by 2040, including some 450 new large widebody freighters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lufthansa Orders Seven Boeing 777-8 Freighters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Boeing received a welcome boost to its 777X program on Monday as Lufthansa Group placed an order for seven 777-8 Freighters scheduled for first delivery in 2027. Orders for two of the company's present-day 777 Freighters and seven 787-9s accompanied the 777-8F deal, cementing Lufthansa's commitment to Boeing widebody products after it signed as a launch customer for the 777-9 passenger airplane in 2013.

# data[].attributes.headline
Alexis Estrada- Lufthansa Orders Seven Boeing 777-8 Freighters

# data[].attributes.subject
Alexis Estrada- Lufthansa Orders Seven Boeing 777-8 Freighters

# data[].attributes.body
"We continue investing in more fuel-efficient, quieter, and more economical aircraft that emit significantly less CO₂,” said Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr. “This enables us to drive our fleet modernization. By purchasing these state-of-the-art aircraft, we again underline Lufthansa Group's ability to invest in and shape the future. Once again, we are taking the initiative and expanding our leadership role as well as taking responsibility for the environment—with premium products for our customers and a sustainable fleet.”

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Boeing received a welcome boost to its 777X program on Monday as Lufthansa Group placed an order for seven 777-8 Freighters scheduled for first delivery in 2027. Orders for two of the company's present-day 777 Freighters and seven 787-9s accompanied the 777-8F deal, cementing Lufthansa's commitment to Boeing widebody products after it signed as a launch customer for the 777-9 passenger airplane in 2013. The new deal for 787-9s brings the group's order total for the Dreamliner family to 32.

The deals come about two weeks after Boeing confirmed it would delay the first delivery of the 777X until 2025 after reassessing the time it would need to meet the FAA's stricter certification requirements. Originally expected to win certification in 2020, the 777X has suffered through no fewer than three major schedule delays.

Lufthansa said the additional 787-9s will fill capacity gaps created by the latest 777-9 delivery delay, adding that it would bring forward "in some cases" deliveries of Dreamliners already on its books to 2023 and 2024. The new 787-9 order calls for deliveries in 2025 and 2026.

"We continue investing in more fuel-efficient, quieter, and more economical aircraft that emit significantly less CO ₂," said Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr. "This enables us to drive our fleet modernization. By purchasing these state-of-the-art aircraft, we again underline Lufthansa Group's ability to invest in and shape the future. Once again, we are taking the initiative and expanding our leadership role as well as taking responsibility for the environment-with premium products for our customers and a sustainable fleet."

Boeing launched the new 777-8 Freighter in January and booked firm orders for 34 of the model. The 2021 Boeing Commercial Market Outlook projects a 70 percent increase in the size of the global freighter fleet by 2040, including some 450 new large widebody freighters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lufthansa Orders Seven Boeing 777-8 Freighters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Boeing received a welcome boost to its 777X program on Monday as Lufthansa Group placed an order for seven 777-8 Freighters scheduled for first delivery in 2027. Orders for two of the company's present-day 777 Freighters and seven 787-9s accompanied the 777-8F deal, cementing Lufthansa's commitment to Boeing widebody products after it signed as a launch customer for the 777-9 passenger airplane in 2013.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2022-05-06/russian-transport-ministry-sees-sharp-drop-air-traffic-2025

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Russia's airline industry will experience between a 24 and 48 percent drop in passenger traffic over the next four years, and, at best, restore traffic to 2021 levels no earlier than 2030, according to a grim prognosis in a recently released draft report from Russia's Ministry for Transportation.

The document, titled Comprehensive Program for Development of the Airline Industry until 2030, follows a governmental meeting in the Kremlin on March 31 devoted to the prospects of the local airline and aircraft manufacturing industries. At the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin challenged his bureaucrats to work out a set of measures aimed at supporting the national air transportation system amid severe economic sanctions imposed on Moscow by the U.S. and European Union (EU) as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine.

In reply, the Ministry for Transportation suggests allocating 331.4 billion roubles ($5 billion) by 2025 and another 296 billion roubles by 2030. The total includes 100 billion roubles for support of passenger operations by airlines and airports, plus 29.3 billion roubles in subsidies for passenger transportation between the European and Far East territories of the country, and, finally, 32 billion roubles for the purchase of flight simulators and training airplanes.

The Kremlin considers the allocations necessary to keep the national air transportation system running even if economic sanctions result in the grounding of many imported aircraft.

The calculations assume that the relations between Moscow and the West will remain cold. Consequently, the local carriers will experience problems with keeping their Airbus and Boeing airliners flying. The aircraft manufacturers in U.S. and EU and their approved maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centers will not likely render any meaningful support to airplanes exported into Russia.

The ministry advises airlines to adjust their business models accordingly and, together with the local manufacturers and MRO specialists, keep their fleets intact without the involvement of the West.

According to the ministry, the Russian civil fleet now consists of 1,287 passenger, cargo, and general aviation airplanes, of which 1,140 appear in the national register. They include 470 airplanes made in Russia and the former Soviet bloc, mostly small-capacity commuter and regional turboprops.

Other open sources estimate the number of passengers jets with 50 seats and above at 714 as of late 2021, including nearly 300 Airbus, 236 Boeing, 23 Embraer, and several Bombardier CRJ100/200 aircraft, plus 136 Russian-designed Irkut SSJ100s, which carry numerous Western components. Together, they generate more than 90 percent of the country's passenger traffic.

The report's authors base their assumptions on a forecast that operators will cannibalize about one-third of the current Airbus and Boeing fleet for parts to keep the rest flying. The nation's fleet of imported jets will fall to 427 in 2025, and, consequently, traffic will drop to 76.3 million passengers. In 2030, only 208 foreign jets will remain operational, said the report, but traffic might return to the pre-crisis level thanks to a sharp increase in shipments of local designs.

Apart from that assumption, the drafters also offer a "pessimistic scenario" in which airlines disassemble half of the imported jetliners for parts by 2025 if they cannot find a way to procure spares from the outside world. Worse, the domestic industry will appear unable to reverse-engineer the necessary items and produce them at home. As a result, the foreign jetliner fleet will fall to 298 by 2025 (and to nearly nothing by 2030) and traffic will drop to 58.2 million passengers.

The Ministry for Transportation hopes that, by 2030, local manufacturers will manage to assemble 1,000 new passenger aircraft of all classes. In that case, the national fleet will rise from between 870 and 999 airplanes in 2025 to between 1,556 and 1,600 in 2030.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Russian Transport Ministry Sees Sharp Drop in Air Traffic by 2025

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Russia's airline industry will experience between a 24 and 48 percent drop in passenger traffic over the next four years, and, at best, restore traffic to 2021 levels no earlier than 2030, according to a grim prognosis in a recently released draft report from Russia's Ministry for Transportation.

# data[].attributes.headline
US Air Force unveils new precision anti-ship bomb

# data[].attributes.subject
US Air Force unveils new precision anti-ship bomb

# data[].attributes.body
"QUICKSINK is a weapons development overseen by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). According to AFRL, the goal of QUICKSINK is to replicate the ship-killing capability of the US Navy’s MK-48 torpedo in a cheaper, more-flexible air-delivered platform."
The QUICKSINK test used a modified GBU-31 stick direct attack munition that also has a maritime seeker on the nose. It was released from a Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle over the base gulf test and training range off the coast of Florida 20,000sq miles up.
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/us-air-force-unveils-new-precision-anti-ship-bomb/148549.article

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2022-05-07/marine-corps-plan-second-adversary-squadron

"The marine corps plans to activate a second adversary aircraft squadron to meet the future aerial combat training needs of its fighter attack squadrons."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Included in the Fiscal Year 2022 Marine Corps Aviation Plan is an intention to create a second squadron to provide dissimilar air combat training for fighter units. The unit, Marine Fighter Training Squadron (VMFT) 402, will activate at MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina in 2023 to provide adversary assets for East Coast Marine squadrons, with initial operating capability slated for 2024.

The creation is part of a plan to address a perceived shortfall in U.S. Marine Corps adversary training and also modernization of the fleet, which currently employs the Northrop F-5N (single-seat) and F-5F (two-seat) Tiger II aircraft drawn from stocks acquired from the Swiss air force in the late 2000s. The single current Marine adversary unit is VMFT-401 "Snipers" at MCAS Yuma, Arizona, which began operations with leased IAI F-21A Kfirs in 1987. It transitioned to the Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II in 1989 and subsequently acquired the updated F-5N/F.

VMFT-401 is about to transition to the F-5N+ and F-5F+. Under the Avionics Reconfiguration and Tactical Enhancement/Modernization for Inventory Standardization (ARTEMIS) program, the Navy is upgrading its F-5s with modernized cockpit and avionics, overhauled airframes and engines, and the addition of safety and reliability features, while addressing obsolescence issues.

The first F-5N+ arrived at NAS Patuxent River in September for testing. Work is being performed by Tactical Air Support, which also operates its own fleet of upgraded F-5Es on contracted "Red Air" work. The company is supporting a Block Upgrade program that is expected to integrate the Tactical Combat Training System (TCTS) II in the near future, with this system permitting the injection of synthetic adversaries.

Initially, ARTEMIS will cover the 16 F-5Es and six F-5Fs recently purchased from Switzerland and held in storage since their acquisition. However, it is expected to be extended to the 40-plus fleet of F-5N/Fs currently in service with Navy and Marine Corps adversary squadrons. This fleet includes three so-called "Frankentiger" two-seaters, which were created by mating the rear end of single-seat F-5Es with two-seat F-5F cockpit sections. VMFT-401 will be among the early recipients of the F-5N+/F+, and VMFT-402 is also due to begin operations with this variant.

In the meantime, the Navy's adversary units are undergoing changes as the last of the "legacy" F/A-18 Hornets are withdrawn. Fleet Composite Squadron (VFC) 13 "Fighting Saints" at NAS Fallon, Nevada, received its first ex-U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 32 in late April. These are replacing F-5N/Fs that, in turn, are being passed on to VFA-204 "River Rattlers" at NAS/JRB New Orleans, Louisiana, to replace Hornets. In the process, the squadron will redesignate as VFC-204.

This process will leave VFC-12 "Fighting Omars" at NAS Oceana, Virginia, and the Naval Air Warfare Development Center (NAWDC) at Fallon as the last operators of the "legacy" Hornet. The NAWDC is expected to receive F-16C Block 32s and F-16D Block 25s later this year. VFC-12 is slated to receive early-production F/A-18E/F Block I Super Hornets, although whether sufficient numbers become available to achieve this is uncertain, and further F-16s may be transferred from the Air Force.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Marine Corps Plan Second Adversary Squadron

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Included in the Fiscal Year 2022 Marine Corps Aviation Plan is an intention to create a second squadron to provide dissimilar air combat training for fighter units. The unit, Marine Fighter Training Squadron (VMFT) 402, will activate at MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina in 2023 to provide adversary assets for East Coast Marine squadrons, with initial operating capability slated for 2024.

# data[].attributes.body
The international aviation industry has failed to meet all but one of 50 of its own climate targets in the past two decades, environment campaigners say.

A report commissioned by the climate charity Possible assessed every target set by the industry since 2000 and found that nearly all had been missed, revised or quietly ignored. The charity says the findings undermine a UK government plan to leave airlines to reduce their emissions through self-regulation.

Leo Murray, Possible’s director of innovation, said: “This forensic investigation shows just how implausible and credulous the government’s jet-zero strategy is shaping up to be. How can we credibly expect this industry to overdeliver on emissions reduction when they’ve never met any of their previous climate targets?

Advertisement

“It’s clear that we need to demand reduction via a frequent flyer levy, which would discourage the frequent flying by a small group of people which makes up the bulk of emissions from planes.”

Air travel accounted for 2.1% of human-produced carbon dioxide emissions in 2019, equivalent to about 915m tonnes, according to the Air Transport Action Group. It is estimated that 15% of people take 70% of all flights, Possible says.

The air targets report was written by researchers from the sustainability agency Green Gumption, who examined climate targets starting and finishing between 2000 and 2021, and assessed progress against some longer-term goals.

They found that unclear definitions, opaque monitoring and inconsistent reporting made many targets difficult to assess, with many also suddenly changed, replaced or dropped within the study period. Moreover, even if the targets had been met, the researchers said, many were insufficiently ambitious to reduce aviation’s climate impact.

In 2007 Virgin Atlantic set a target of a 30% reduction in CO₂ per revenue tonne kilometre (CO₂/RTK) by 2020, which the company later described as “a big target and we’re sticking with it”, according to the report. In a 2014 sustainability report, with a reduction in CO2/RTK of only 8% from baseline, the airline admitted: “We’re nearly halfway through our target period and know we have to pick up the pace.”

But when Virgin’s 2020 annual report was published, it no longer mentioned the 2020 target. The following year, a press release from the company announced a new target of 15% gross reduction in CO2/RTK by 2026.

The researchers conclude that climate target setting is in effect a smokescreen for business as usual. Such targets “appear to function principally as a tactic for giving an impression of progress and action to address aviation’s environmental impacts to the public and policymakers, in order to prevent any policy barriers to ongoing growth in the industry”, the report says.

Advertisement

It includes a quote from Steve Ridgway, Virgin’s chief executive in 2007, who said: “It is important that the airline industry is being seen to do something.”

The government’s jet-zero strategy is due to be published in July and is expected to defy guidance from the climate change committee that deliberate policies will be needed to manage growth in demand for air travel in order to meet the UK’s net-zero goals.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “This report wilfully ignores this government’s historic investment in technology, fuel and market-based measures which will help us reach jet zero by 2050 without the need for further taxes. This includes £180m to accelerate sustainable aviation fuel and £685m to develop zero-carbon and low-emission aircraft technology.”

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2022-05-03/gulfstream-g500-fly-wire-software-fix-0n-way

Gulfstream Aerospace expects to issue a software fix later this year for its G500 fly-by-wire flight controls. Gulfstream Aerospace released a maintenance and operations letter on April 29, notifying Gulfstream G500 operators. Gulfstream is developing artificial intelligence through an expanded use of the existing data concentration network.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Gulfstream Aerospace expects to issue a software fix later this year for its G500 fly-by-wire flight controls following a hard landing event of one of the large-cabin business jets in gusty winds. The OEM issued a new maintenance and operations letter last week that reiterates previous guidance in the airplane flight manual (AFM) with respect to control inputs and approach speeds when landing in gusty conditions. Further, it plans to release an AFM revision to provide updated operational procedures, limitations, and warning notes.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream expects an applicable FAA alternate means of compliance (AMOC) to an existing and related 2020 airworthiness directive (AD 2020-05-12) to follow shortly. Gulfstream said preliminary aircraft data analysis suggests that the hard landing occurred after the aircraft flight control system entered Angle of Attack (AOA) limiting mode at approximately 12 feet agl following a series of large, rapidly alternating pitch stick inputs.

The new limitations in the AFM include maximum landing wind speed of 15 knots, including gusts; maximum gust speed of five knots; approach speed additives (flaps 39) are half the steady state wind plus the gust increment up to a maximum additive of 20 knots; all approaches stabilized by 1,000 feet altitude before landing; mandatory vertical guidance required from ILS or FMS-based approaches before night landing; minimum approach speed is Vref+10 to the threshold and used to calculate landing distance and autothrottles required during normal approach, landing, and operations with pilots to physically guard and override in the event of performance anomaly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gulfstream: G500 Fly-by-wire Software Fix 0n the Way

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gulfstream Aerospace expects to issue a software fix later this year for its G500 fly-by-wire flight controls following a hard landing event of one of the large-cabin business jets in gusty winds. The OEM issued a new maintenance and operations letter last week that reiterates previous guidance in the airplane flight manual (AFM) with respect to control inputs and approach speeds when landing in gusty conditions.

# data[].attributes.headline
EasyJet partners with GKN Aerospace on Hydrogen Power

# data[].attributes.subject
EasyJet partners with GKN Aerospace on Hydrogen Power

# data[].attributes.body
European low-fare carrier EasyJet has begun working with GKN Aerospace to support the adoption of the OEM’s hydrogen combustion (H2JET) and hydrogen fuel cell (H2GEAR) programs and explore options for flight demonstrations the companies said Thursday. EasyJet added that it provides insights into operational requirements and economics, among other considerations. The H2GEAR program has drawn £27 million ($34 million) of funding from the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute program, matched by GKN Aerospace and its industrial partners. H2JET is a Swedish collaborative two-year program led by GKN Aerospace to develop essential subsystems for gas turbine-based hydrogen propulsion of medium-range civil aircraft. In joining the program, the airline committed to setting an interim science-based target for 2035 and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
EasyJet partners with GKN Aerospace on Hydrogen Power

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
European low-fare carrier EasyJet has agreed to support GKN’s H2JET and H2GEAR hydrogen power programs.

# data[].attributes.headline
India's aviation industry looks to have major growth in the near future. (James Peterson-Wilson)

# data[].attributes.subject
India's aviation industry looks to have major growth in the near future. (James Peterson-Wilson)

# data[].attributes.body
India's aviation industry is a largely untapped market with huge growth potential. Experts say that by the year 2038 the Indian aviation industry will need an extra 2,380 planes for both domestic and international flights. With growth like this the Indian aviation industry is looking to double in value in the near future to a projected worth of 125 billion dollars. This growth is bolstered by India's growing middle class. In the near future India looks to become the world's third largest aviation market.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read the Latest News and Updates on Aviation in India. Get all the News about Indian Aviation Sector.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jacqueline.Shell Plans One of Europe’s Biggest Sustainable Aviation Fuel PlantsNetherlands facility to produce clean-burning fuel from renewable materials by 2024.By Thom PattersonSeptember 16, 2021Shell SAFPlans call for the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam facility to be “among the biggest in Europe to produce SAF and renewable diesel made from waste.”ShellShell announced Thursday that it will convert a huge fuel refinery in the Netherlands to create nearly half a million tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) per year. The news comes as major airlines have committed to cutting their carbon emissions by moving away from fossil fuels.Plans call for the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam facility to be “among the biggest in Europe to produce SAF and renewable diesel made from waste,” Shell said in a statement.The refinery is expected to begin production in 2024.The aviation industry has been moving quickly this year to embrace SAF. Delta Air Lines, one of the world’s largest, announced an agreement with Chevron aimed at testing SAF and eventually replacing 10 percent of Delta’s jet fuel with SAF by 2030. The airline boasts a fleet of more than 800 airliners.ADVERTISEMENTAnother of the world’s largest airlines, British Airways (BA), is planning to team up with BP to source SAF for all flights between London, and the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh during a climate change summit in Glasgow later this year.During the next 20 years, BA’s parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), has committed to spending $400 million to develop SAF.This month, President Biden challenged aviation industry leaders to create 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030, setting a goal for a carbon-free U.S. aviation sector by 2050. The White House said it will offer tax incentives to push airlines and other industry stakeholders toward reaching the carbon-free benchmark.ADVERTISEMENTWhy This MattersBuilding new production infrastructure has been one of the hurdles faced by the SAF industry. Shell’s high-volume facility could help scale up global output and ultimately drive SAF prices down.Of the plant’s total expected annual output of 820,000 metric tonnes (904,000 tons), Shell said its new facility would eventually make more than 410,000 metric tonnes (about 452,000 U.S. tons) of SAF per year. The remaining fuel—approximately the same amount—would be renewable diesel fuel, the company said.Overall, Shell says it aims to cut its production of traditional fuels by 55 percent by 2030.ADVERTISEMENTSustainability solutions provider 4AIR has created a global, interactive map showing airports and FBOs where SAF is available.Burning SAF emits significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fossil-based aviation fuel. It’s made by mixing conventional fuel with various renewable materials including cooking oil, plant oils, agricultural residues, and municipal waste.

# data[].attributes.subject
Jacqueline.Shell Plans One of Europe’s Biggest Sustainable Aviation Fuel PlantsNetherlands facility to produce clean-burning fuel from renewable materials by 2024.By Thom PattersonSeptember 16, 2021Shell SAFPlans call for the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam facility to be “among the biggest in Europe to produce SAF and renewable diesel made from waste.”ShellShell announced Thursday that it will convert a huge fuel refinery in the Netherlands to create nearly half a million tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) per year. The news comes as major airlines have committed to cutting their carbon emissions by moving away from fossil fuels.Plans call for the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam facility to be “among the biggest in Europe to produce SAF and renewable diesel made from waste,” Shell said in a statement.The refinery is expected to begin production in 2024.The aviation industry has been moving quickly this year to embrace SAF. Delta Air Lines, one of the world’s largest, announced an agreement with Chevron aimed at testing SAF and eventually replacing 10 percent of Delta’s jet fuel with SAF by 2030. The airline boasts a fleet of more than 800 airliners.ADVERTISEMENTAnother of the world’s largest airlines, British Airways (BA), is planning to team up with BP to source SAF for all flights between London, and the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh during a climate change summit in Glasgow later this year.During the next 20 years, BA’s parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), has committed to spending $400 million to develop SAF.This month, President Biden challenged aviation industry leaders to create 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030, setting a goal for a carbon-free U.S. aviation sector by 2050. The White House said it will offer tax incentives to push airlines and other industry stakeholders toward reaching the carbon-free benchmark.ADVERTISEMENTWhy This MattersBuilding new production infrastructure has been one of the hurdles faced by the SAF industry. Shell’s high-volume facility could help scale up global output and ultimately drive SAF prices down.Of the plant’s total expected annual output of 820,000 metric tonnes (904,000 tons), Shell said its new facility would eventually make more than 410,000 metric tonnes (about 452,000 U.S. tons) of SAF per year. The remaining fuel—approximately the same amount—would be renewable diesel fuel, the company said.Overall, Shell says it aims to cut its production of traditional fuels by 55 percent by 2030.ADVERTISEMENTSustainability solutions provider 4AIR has created a global, interactive map showing airports and FBOs where SAF is available.Burning SAF emits significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fossil-based aviation fuel. It’s made by mixing conventional fuel with various renewable materials including cooking oil, plant oils, agricultural residues, and municipal waste.

# data[].attributes.body
airbus is testing an engine backup system that uses 100-kw motor to provide electric power for up to 30 second incase of an event where the main engine fail. This would give the pilots mre time to react .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Airbus is testing an engine backup system (EBS) that uses a 100-Kw motor to provide electric power for up to 30 seconds in the event of main turbine engine failure. According to Airbus, the motor is connected to the main gearbox and gives pilots extra time to react, maintain rotor speed, and enter a smoother autorotation.

The hybrid-propulsion is currently being tested on the company's H130 turbine-single "Flightlab" in partnership with the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC). Current tests include simulated engine failure across a variety of conditions, including takeoff and landing.

Tests will also demonstrate performance increases from the electric motor input in terms of increased maximum takeoff weight that both compensates for the mass of the EBS and provides additional payload capabilities. Airbus Helicopters said the EBS is a "techno-brick" for future production aircraft and designed for serial production.

"The engine backup system is a good example of the incremental approach in our innovation strategy," said Tomasz Krysinski, head of research and innovation at Airbus Helicopters. "We already foresee a second phase of the project with more energy and power onboard." Krysinski said Airbus aims to develop a "fully parallel hybrid propulsion system" to optimize fuel consumption and enable hybrid-single-engine helicopter flights over urban areas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Airbus Testing Hybrid Propulsion on Flightlab Helo

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Airbus is testing an engine backup system (EBS) that uses a 100-Kw motor to provide electric power for up to 30 seconds in the event of main turbine engine failure. According to Airbus, the motor is connected to the main gearbox and gives pilots extra time to react, maintain rotor speed, and enter a smoother autorotation.

# data[].attributes.body
Elite Jets have increased staff by 21 percent in response for a higher demand in charter service because of Covid 19. An Elite Jets executive v-p Stephen Myers said ¨Now it is a health and safety decision. Passengers feel more comfortable knowing it is just their traveling party and flight crew on board, and that has fueled a surge in interest for charter flights.”

# data[].attributes.body
The (Civil Aviation Authority CAA) is remaking aircraft to reduce noise. This act was enforced by the secretary of transport "Grant Shapps". Its will official start by the end of September.

https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/caa-to-take-up-new-aviation-noise-role/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The secretary of state for transport, Grant Shapps, has today announced an intention to wind down the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise (ICCAN) at the end of September.

In doing so, he has asked the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to take on some of the functions of the body by April next year.

"We welcome the opportunity to increase the scope of our work on this issue, including by continuing much of ICCAN's technical, research and policy advisory functions," a statement from the CAA explained.

"Elements of the work will not transfer to the Civil Aviation Authority given our wider regulatory role.

"The full scope and transfer of the activities that we will take over responsibility for will be agreed over the coming months."

The Civil Aviation Authority said it fully recognises the impact aviation noise has on local communities and other stakeholders, and that it would exercise these new responsibilities with rigour and impartiality.

"In addition, we remain committed to making sure the views of those who are overflown are taken into account in any airspace decisions that might affect them, alongside other factors that we must consider," the statement added.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The secretary of state for transport, Grant Shapps, has today announced an intention to wind down the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise (ICCAN) at the end of September. In doing so, he has asked the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to take on some of the functions of the body by April next year.

# data[].attributes.body
https://generalaviationnews.com/2021/09/07/fly-the-airplane/
An inspirational article by Jamie Beckett.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's a busy Friday morning at Winter Haven Regional Airport ( KGIF) in Florida. Multiple aircraft are in the pattern. Two more stand ready on the taxiway opposite where I sit at the hold short line for Runway 23. The wind is calm, which means we should be using Runway 5. That's what the Chart Supplement and ForeFlight tell us, but few pilots or CFIs seem to do much research before they go fly, so we're at a runway other than the one the airport management and users have stipulated they prefer for these conditions.

I've been flying out of Winter Haven since 1991. Thirty years of going up and down from the same bits of pavement, although the runway I'm about to depart from is 1,000 feet longer than it was when I first arrived here. Scott Oman, a former student of mine, and I were the first to land on that extended length of pavement way back in January 1992. The barriers came down and the runway re-opened during a scheduled lesson. So, in the interest of having a bit of fun while piquing my student's sense of pride, we landed on the newly opened pavement. A first that was recorded nowhere, until now.

It's the little things, isn't it?

My flight today is short, from KGIF to Lakeland Linder International Airport ( KLAL). A distance of only 15 nautical miles, my plan is to stretch it out a bit. I have two reasons for the slightly lengthened route. First, the county landfill lies directly between the two airports, with a sizable number of large birds stacked up in a holding pattern overhead. Rather than risk a collision with a buzzard or a seagull, I tend to divert from the direct route. My second reason is more personal. I want to get some time in with the Cessna 172 I'm flying.

A Cessna 172.

I know this airplane. It's a 1966 G model. The owner is an old friend with whom I have conducted a flight review or two with in this very airplane. He's decided the time has come to part with his pride and joy, and so I'm ferrying it across Polk County to Lakeland for its annual inspection at the same shop that supports my company flivver.

The bank that's processing the loan for the sale insists on a pre-buy inspection, which is an entirely reasonable stipulation in my opinion. Since the annual is due in October, the buyer has decided it makes more sense to do the annual early rather than pay for a pre-buy inspection, to be followed only weeks later with an annual inspection.

The new owner is me.

When this airplane rolled off the assembly line in Wichita just before the Summer of Love got into full swing, it had a thoroughly analog panel and radios that would be considered quaint but virtually unusable at this point.

The panel as it currently exists is worlds away from that original, classically basic instrumentation. The center of the panel is taken up by a Garmin GTN750, a miraculous piece of engineering that provides the pilot with a moving map, GPS navigation, and solid-state radio communications in a package that provides enough real estate for Mr. Magoo to have a reasonable shot at reading the information.

Straight ahead of me are a pair of Aspen EFD 1000 units that act as the primary and multi-function displays. In short, I have more information and more redundancy of that information than anyone in the Cessna factory could even imagine in the old days.

Add to that the fact that the original 150 horsepower Continental O-300 has been replaced by an Air Plains Lycoming O-360 producing 180 horsepower, and this is a totally different machine than it was just a decade ago.

To be honest, the cockpit is verging on information overload. Or at least that possibility exists. I could easily get caught up in all the buttons and switches and touchscreens and readouts, but that's not going to help me avoid a run-in with a feathered missile zipping toward my windshield at the sum of our individual cruising speeds.

It's long been my belief that most of the things that can hurt you lie outside the cockpit, so I focus my attention outside 90% of the time when flying VFR.

Fly the airplane. That's the advice CFIs give their students. We remind ourselves of that bromide quite often as well. For as trite as it may appear, Fly the Airplane is good advice.

I've got a fair number of hours behind the stick of a Cub, on wheels and floats. With a passenger or a CFI in the front seat, the instrument panel is basically useless. Truthfully, it's spare enough that it's not all that beneficial under the best of circumstances.

A 1946 Piper J-3C Cub with a 65-hp engine.

Yet, looking out the window, checking the wingtips against the horizon, listening for the sound of the powerplant, and watching the world slide by a thousand feet below me gives me most of the information I need to fly safely to my destination. That's true if the destination is 15 miles away or 1,000 miles over the horizon.

I depart Runway 23, turn slightly north to avoid the landfill, turn back on course, listening to the ATIS as I play with the instrumentation a bit and keep a sharp eye outside the cockpit. As I approach the Lake Parker powerplant I call in to the tower. I already know Runway 9/27 is closed at Lakeland, because I checked the NOTAMs before departure. So, it's no surprise when the tower clears me for a straight-in to Runway 23. I'm on the same heading I had on departure, to a runway of the same length, just situated on the other side of the county.

It's a great flight. My first from the left seat in this particular airplane. There will be many more in the years to come.

But I will remember on each flight, in any aircraft, no matter how much instrumentation is available or unavailable to me, keep the distractions to a minimum, enjoy the ride, and always remember to fly the airplane.

Damn, this is an amazing way to spend a warm summer morning under a clear blue sky. Slicing through the air above a brilliant green landscape the world is truly beautiful. I remind myself how fortunate I am to be able to see this sight, to experience this event, as I so often do. May you enjoy the same experience as often as possible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's a busy Friday morning at Winter Haven Regional Airport ( KGIF) in Florida. Multiple aircraft are in the pattern. Two more stand ready on the taxiway opposite where I sit at the hold short line for Runway 23. The wind is calm, which means we should be using Runway 5.

# data[].attributes.body
he Air Charter Expo next week at London Biggin Hill Airport will feature a full conference program assessing the current and future state of the industry. The September 14 event will feature at least 14 business aircraft on static display and is the first in-person business aviation trade show in the UK since early 2020.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Air Charter Expo next week at London Biggin Hill Airport will feature a full conference program assessing the current and future state of the industry. The September 14 event will feature at least 14 business aircraft on static display and is the first in-person business aviation trade show in the UK since early 2020.

The morning conference is organized by the Air Charter Association and will open with a keynote address by chairman Kevin Ducksbury. Four sessions will focus on the impact of the Covid pandemic, a new charter broker training program, an update on European Union operations post-Brexit, and illegal charter. There will also be a special presentation by Dassault on its new Falcon 6X and 10X jets.

In the afternoon, the Green Charter 2021 conference will assess new electric aircraft technology and how operations can become more environmentally sustainable. Speakers will include representatives from VoltAero, Faradair, Tecnam, Vertical Aerospace, Air BP, Luxaviation, 4Air, and Collins Aerospace. The sessions will be moderated by AIN senior editor Charles Alcock, who produces the FutureFlight.aero platform focusing on new aviation technologies and business models.

The Air Charter Expo will also feature around 50 exhibiting companies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Air Charter Expo To Consider State of the Industry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Air Charter Expo next week at London Biggin Hill Airport will feature a full conference program assessing the current and future state of the industry. The September 14 event will feature at least 14 business aircraft on static display and is the first in-person business aviation trade show in the UK since early 2020.

# data[].attributes.body
The effects of 9/11 decreased travel volume by around 30% with the loses of more then 62,000 airline jobs. also costing more then $40 billion dollars of insurance.   https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-09-01/9-11-lessons-preparedness-advocacy

# data[].attributes.body
The Air Charter Expo next week will have a full conference about the current and future about the industry. It will have four sessions about the impact of Covid, and the new charter broker training program, an update on the European union operation post-Brexit, and there will also be a special presentation of their new falcon 6x and 10x jets

# data[].attributes.body
Embraer's handover of a phenom 300E marks its 1,500th deliver. The plane was delivered to Switzerland-based Haute Aviation. This milestone was accomplished in two decades, besting the average of 34 years.

# data[].attributes.body
The board of supervisors of Santa Clara County voted to initiate actions to close Reid-Hillview Airport. A research indicated higher blood lead levels in youngsters living near the plant, prompting the vote. The airport must remain operating until 2031 in order to meet grant obligations. Concerns that the county had not completed necessary safety enhancements prompted the FAA to issue a compliance letter in February.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Continuing the long-term battle over the future of Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, California, the Santa Clara County board of supervisors in California unanimously voted to take steps to shutter the airfield sooner than grant obligations currently permit and prohibit leaded aviation gasoline fueling there in the meantime.

The vote in August, which followed hours of debate, came on the heels of a report conducted by data science consulting firm Mountain Data Group that found higher blood lead levels in children who live closer to the airport. It also came despite an appeal from San Jose Mayor Samuel Liccardo to proceed cautiously, fearing that premature closure would divert general aviation aircraft to other San Jose Airports such as Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (KSJC).

In a letter to the board of supervisors, Liccardo expressed concern that such a move ahead of developing adequate alternatives would push general aviation aircraft-and lead exposure-to more densely populated areas. He also expressed concerns about the safety implications of mixing more general aviation aircraft at KSJC.

But Liccardo also stressed he's long been an advocate of closing the facility. "I have publicly and consistently supported the closure of Reid-Hillview Airport. To whatever extent the county's most recent lead study confirms safety and community health concerns, its closure seems all the more imperative," he said.

Grant obligations would require that the airport remain open until 2031, but Reid-Hillview, a general aviation strip with parallel 3,100-foot runways, has had a lack of support from Santa Clara leadership for years. In fact, the FAA issued a compliance letter in February over concerns that the county has not made necessary safety upgrades at the facility. In the letter, the agency warned that even though the county stopped accepting federal Airport Improvement Grant funds, it is still under obligation to maintain the facility through 2031.

As for the leaded fuel concerns, Swift Fuels in August began delivery of its newly FAA-approved UL94 to the facility, a move advocates are hoping can help preserve its future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Santa Clara Looks To Shutter Reid-Hillview Airport

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Continuing the long-term battle over the future of Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, California, the Santa Clara County board of supervisors in California unanimously voted to take steps to shutter the airfield sooner than grant obligations currently permit and prohibit leaded aviation gasoline fueling there in the meantime.

# data[].attributes.body
On September 1, Airbus Defence and Space reported that the Republic of Kazakhstan had placed an order for two A400M airlifters. With this order, there are now nine A400M customers. The first plane is expected to be delivered in 2024. Airbus will provide a comprehensive training and maintenance package to support the aircraft. To this end, a memorandum of understanding was signed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Airbus Defence and Space announced on September 1 that it has received an order from the Republic of Kazakhstan for two A400M airlifters. The order brings the number of A400M customers to nine. The first aircraft is scheduled to be handed over in 2024. To support the aircraft, Airbus will deliver a complete training and maintenance support package. A memorandum of understanding has been signed to collaborate on maintenance and overhaul services and marks the first step in the creation of a local maintenance center for the C295 medium airlifter.

The Kazakh order brings the number of A400Ms sold to 176, a figure that Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus D&S, "expects to increase in the near future." In May this year, Airbus delivered the 100th A400M-the 10th aircraft for the Spanish air force-and the global fleet has passed 100,000 hours in operation. The most recent nation to begin receiving aircraft was Belgium, for which the first was delivered in December 2020. This aircraft was preceded by Luxembourg's sole A400M, which operates in a joint squadron with the Belgians at Brussels-Melsbroek.

The A400M order follows the supply of eight Airbus C295s for the Kazakhstan Air Defence Force agreed to under an MoU signed in 2012. In March 2019 a ninth aircraft was acquired for use by the Kazakh Border Service.

For the Kazakhstan Air Defence Force, the acquisition of A400Ms will represent a significant improvement in its airlift capability. The country inherited sizeable numbers of Russian types on the breakup of the Soviet Union and continues to maintain close defense ties with Moscow. The well-equipped fighter force includes MiG-31s, MiG-29s, and upgraded Su-27s, as well as 21 recently acquired Su-30SMs. Russia announced at the Army 2021 trade exhibition in August that four more Su-30SMs will be delivered to Kazakhstan by the end of 2022.

In terms of transport capability, the Kazakh air force has an aging fleet of An-12s and An-26s, mostly based at Almaty. While the delivery of C295s modernized the medium transport fleet, the A400Ms will take over much of the heavy-lift burden from the An-12s. Landlocked Kazakhstan is the world's ninth-largest country in terms of area, yet it has one of the lowest population densities. The A400M's ability to carry large loads to austere strips in distant communities will make it a valuable asset for emergency relief operations, as well as enhance mobility for the armed forces both domestically and internationally.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kazakhstan Orders Two Airbus A400M Airlifters

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Airbus Defence and Space announced on September 1 that it has received an order from the Republic of Kazakhstan for two A400M airlifters. The order brings the number of A400M customers to nine. The first aircraft is scheduled to be handed over in 2024.

# data[].attributes.body
An airline has increased the total staff by round 21%, as the aviation industry recovers from the pandemic of the past year. Stephen Myers, the Executive v-p for Elite Jets, is on record saying that flying commercially used to be an economic endeavour, but now the standard has shifted towards health and safety concerns. He says that the added staff should help balance out the public's safety concerns with the workability of Elite Jets' aircrafts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Elite Jets has added seven full-time staff members, a 21 percent increase, in response to higher demand for its charter services because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The new hires, which bring its total employment to 40 full-time and six part-time, include three additional pilots, bringing the total to 22 (21 jet pilots and one helicopter pilot).

"For affluent travelers, the choice about how to fly-first-class commercially or privately-once was a financial decision," said Elite Jets executive v-p Stephen Myers. "Now it is a health and safety decision. Passengers feel more comfortable knowing it is just their traveling party and flight crew on board, and that has fueled a surge in interest for charter flights."

Based at Naples Airport on Florida's Gulf Coast, the five-year-old Part 135 company operates from a private terminal and three hangars. Elite Jets' fleet comprises four Embraer Phenom 300s, a Legacy 500, and Bell 407. It also manages a Hawker 850XP.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Elite Jets Increases Staff as Charter Demand Rises

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Elite Jets has added seven full-time staff members, a 21 percent increase, in response to higher demand for its charter services because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The new hires, which bring its total employment to 40 full-time and six part-time, include three additional pilots, bringing the total to 22 (21 jet pilots and one helicopter pilot).

# data[].attributes.body
Jo Damato, Vice President of education and training, helped bring aviation back up after the decline after tragic 9/11 incident.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Twenty years ago when the 9/11 attacks devastated the world's economy and plunged the aviation industry into turmoil, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) staffers joined together to help tackle the unprecedented challenges faced by the business aviation industry, both in the immediate aftermath and for the longer term. Jo Damato
In July 2001, Jo Damato, now the senior v-p of education, training, and workforce for NBAA, had joined the association from Executive Jet Management to fill a newly created role: staffing a general aviation desk at the FAA Command Center.

That desk was years in the making, first proposed in 1998 at a peak time of airline delays. Government officials thought it might be a good idea to have a voice from the growing business aviation sector as well. Damato described those first few months as "quietly drinking from a fire hose," trying to get up to speed on the inner workings of the heart of the nation's air traffic control system. Yet people at the center weren't quite up to speed on business aviation either.

"Nobody was engaging with me and I was so young. I was still learning how to engage with people, especially at such a mature facility with seasoned air traffic control professionals." The managers at the desk held by the then-Air Transport Association (ATA), now Airlines for America (A4A), took Damato under their wing and helped her establish her presence at the facility. "They were fantastic," she said.

By the time September 11 rolled around that year, they were swapping coffee runs. Her ATA counterpart said he would get the coffee and Damato would watch over morning calls with ATC.

But then there was a "commotion" at the Northeast desk. "I didn't know what it was, but I knew we'd better hold off on our coffee." The staff was following a flight that they thought had likely been hijacked. "I don't want to minimize this, but it played out as something very interesting is happening right now, but not something terrifying," she said. But then everyone in the room realized that there may be more than one thing happening, particularly since there was no contact with the pilots.

"It got quiet and everybody was on alert very quickly...and then a gasp from the floor. It was clear that an airplane had made contact with the [World Trade Center]," she said. Initially, "no one was thinking anything more than this is a horrible tragedy and what could have happened on an airplane that created something like that. I think assumptions outside the Command Center were that it was likely a very small aircraft." When the second airplane went in, Damato said, "I was 20 feet maybe from the man who was in charge of the floor that day. And he said, 'Shut it down...nothing in or out.' And very quickly [the national airspace system] was shut off."

Incidentally, the national operations manager who made that call, Ben Sliney, was a veteran air traffic controller, but on his first day as manager of the center. Sliney, who described that morning during a forum held by the University of Texas at Dallas and aired by C-Span, said after the second aircraft hit the tower, which he saw on screens inside the center airing CNN, they knew, "This wasn't the usual hijack by some deranged individual, but that this was a concerted attack by a group of people and America was under attack."
Jack Olcott
Then-NBAA president Jack Olcott had arrived early into the offices on the corner of 18 th and M Street on the morning of 9/11. Olcott said he usually tried to get in around 7 a.m. to avoid the traffic restrictions and the general gnarl that occurs during rush hour in Washington, D. C. The day appeared to be typical until he received a call from NBAA's head of the government affairs office, Pete West, and was told: "Turn on your TV. An airplane just hit the World Trade Center."

Olcott said his first thought was some general aviation airplane had deviated off course from along the Hudson River and hit the 110-story building. "And my thoughts were all like others'. That's a shame; it's a tragedy. And I suspect, there'll be a lot of finger-pointing about general aviation." He turned on the television and saw the plumes of smoke coming out of one of the towers. "While I was watching, another airplane, obviously an airliner, hit the remaining tower. It was clear that this was no random accident. This was something quite significant. After that event, things unfolded very rapidly."
Doug Carr
During this time Doug Carr, now senior v-p of safety, security, sustainability, and international operations for NBAA, had received a call from the office alerting him that a small aircraft had hit the World Trade Center.

Carr headed into the office while running through in his mind a response to this aircraft crash because even with a small airplane, he knew it would be front-page news. "I'm thinking what's the weather looking like and where did they leave from? I'm trying to put together the pieces in my head about that and things I know we're going to be asked about."

He took the George Washington Parkway to head towards the office, and "I'm driving by the Pentagon and the third airplane goes in and the fireball, and all of that happens." Drivers on the opposite side of the road that parallels the Potomac River came to a complete stop. "Nobody knew what to do, seeing what just happened." But Carr knew that the situation was grave and journeyed into the office where the team assembled to put the pieces together.

The Aftermath

The moment had reverberated throughout NBAA, as it did the entire aviation industry and the nation. And it reshaped security from the government's standpoint. At the time there was no presidential cabinet called the Department of Homeland Security. Nor was there was an agency called the Transportation Security Administration. The FAA handled aviation security in-house, working with outside agencies.

Since then, the business and general aviation industry has seen security protocols evolve over the years and new and lasting requirements and restrictions implemented. These include the advent of the Twelve-Five Standard Security Program for air charters, the Alien Flight Student Program for international flight training candidates who wish to train inside the U.S., and the increased use of no-fly zones and temporary (sometimes permanent) flight restrictions with "gateway airports."

Business aviation still can't fly into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport without an armed security officer aboard, an approved DCA Access Standard Security Program, and vetting through a gateway. A Special Flight Rules area outer circle and Flight Restricted Zone inner circle capturing the "Maryland 3" airports (Hyde Field, Potomac Airfield, and College Park Airfield) remain in place. So too do ongoing restrictions over Disney parks, sporting events, and certain areas where the President travels.

In addition to dealing with a new department and agency stood up in the aftermath of 9/11, business aviation and general aviation leaders have had to deal with agencies, such as the Secret Service, that they had not had interactions with before just to conduct operations.

But looking back, Olcott said having the resources in place to mobilize quickly was critical for not only NBAA but the industry at large, enabling them to weather through the turmoil of the time and its aftermath. And the measures that are still in place now are a far cry from some of the proposals, and initial restrictions put in place in the immediate aftermath.

Information Chain

Damato said immediately after the attacks, ATC personnel turned to her and the ATA manager and told them to start talking to their members, make sure they knew who is on their airplanes, and if they haven't gotten into the air, don't. They are not getting there. If they had, find a way to get on the ground. She called NBAA headquarters, where she had not even been yet because she was so new on the job, and had to identify herself, reach Olcott, and coordinate with her immediate manager Bob Lamond, now retired but who was director of air traffic at the time. Lamond headed right to the Command Center and worked with Damato through the time.

She realized since NBAA then had a presence at the Command Center, they were considered essential personnel and allowed to stay. "I think that if we had not finally staffed that position, I'm not even sure we would've gotten into the facility now...and I'm so proud of what the team has been doing now for 20 years there."

At headquarters, NBAA staff turned the board room into a command center and brought in phones and hooked up screens. Then the calls poured in. Many people called to ask how NBAA could get their flight in the air. "We were getting calls literally from movie stars and their flight operations saying, 'Hey, I've, got a really important thing in Europe. I need to leave tonight. You guys need to help me get out because this thing tomorrow in Europe is really important.'"

NBAA staff had a difficult message to deliver: "Sorry, you must have heard the airspace is closed. We just had a terrorist attack. I think you're going to need to find other plans."

At the same time, NBAA was trying to track down the handful of the association's advanced staff that were headed to New Orleans where they were to hold their annual convention within a week. On September 12, however, the board agreed to postpone the convention and it was rescheduled for later in the year. By the evening of 9/11, NBAA was able to track down those staff and ensure their safety.

Along with having a spot at the Command Center, another factor worked in NBAA's favor: it had recently launched a website. Olcott estimated that the website had only been fully live for about six weeks or so before then.

"Back then," Carr recalled, "websites didn't have the functionality they do today. They were very text-based." To streamline and reduce the burden on the services, NBAA stripped out all of the graphics and turned it into a means to continually update members. Lamond and Damato would call in information and Jason Wolf, who is senior director of information architecture for NBAA and headed up the newly established website at the time, would then post the details.

"Our website became a critical piece of communication capability for us," Carr said. "We sent everything we could to the website. We probably would not have been nearly as effective if we didn't have the website and the ability to turn it into this massive repeater for the information that we knew."

In the years since, that website and others throughout the industry have become a critical conduit for the industry, particularly throughout the pandemic when the environment has shifted fairly quickly.

"I think it really solidified the value of a website in times like this, with just trying to keep people up to speed on what's going on with massive amounts of information," he added.

"NBAA became the one conduit for communicating what was happening to the flight departments within business aviation. It was really quite impressive," agreed Olcott.

Business Aviation: the Big Unknown

At the same time, though, the aftermath shed light on how little people outside of the industry knew about business and general aviation.

On the positive side, despite the initial grounding in the aftermath, business aviation was still able to step up on a limited basis. "We became useful," Damato said, noting the association was getting a number of questions about what business aircraft could do. Business aircraft were called in to fly in special footpads for search dogs, to help with telecommunications companies that had just lost infrastructure, and to fly blood to where it was needed, among other missions. "There were a whole bunch of unique one-offs that business aviation was able to satisfy because we have resources," Carr said. "They weren't going anywhere, and we just needed a go-ahead from the government to say your flight has been cleared to go. And that's where the Command Center folks really starting to shine in terms of helping to facilitate those kinds of missions."

Once Command Center officials learned more about NBAA and business aviation, then the questions came: "Can you explain [Part] 91 to us? Can you explain 135 to us?" Damato said these were key questions because this information was being taken into consideration as the notams were being developed for operations in the aftermath.

Business Aviation as the Threat

"There were various study groups within government saying, well, we can't let business aviation fly because we really don't know what's in the airplanes. Then there was a thought that we can't let charter up. Why? Because the bad guy may charter a plane," Olcott said. "So, there were a lot of thought groups, finding reasons why everything except the airlines and the military should be grounded."

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), in a retrospective it wrote for the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, noted that its efforts to restore general aviation flight had to start immediately after the attacks. "Two days after the FAA grounding, limited airline service was restored, and soon after that, the Bush administration announced that the 'U.S. aviation system has been restored.' But general aviation was still grounded, and, in horror, we realized GA was taking the brunt of the fear the attacks had engendered. Were small airplanes now the terror of the skies?" AOPA had asked in an article written by Julie Summers Walker.

Olcott said the general aviation community coalesced to "fight the good fight" with numerous meetings with then-Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. All the associations got involved-the AOPA, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and National Air Transportation Association, among them. Olcott shared an anecdote where the leaders were all sworn to secrecy of the contents of those meetings, and then-NATA chief Jim Coyne would quip afterward that they just learned everything that was on the news. In seriousness, though, Olcott called Mineta both reasonable and supportive.

"There, there were multiple outreaches up and down the government chain, outreach to Jane Garvey, who was the FAA administrator at the time, outreach actually to Steve Brown, who was the head of air traffic [for FAA] at the time [now NBAA COO]....There was a substantial amount of communication," Carr said.

Damato said this is where she really learned to advocate. She would get questions such as if a company has a call sign then they are similar to a Part 121? Or a fractional has a call sign then they are okay? She differentiated between the various operations, that a fractional was not like a large Part 121 charter and what the difference was with Part 135. One point of emphasis was that on corporate aircraft, all passengers were known.

Carr added: "Some of the initial conversations that Jo was having are really insightful, not necessarily just about the technical aspects of what was being asked, but the fact that there was no frame of reference for what they were asking about. They really didn't know about us. This just highlighted pretty brightly that there wasn't a lot of awareness up and down the chain within the government at the time of what general aviation or business aviation was, what it's capable of doing, how it operates-all the things that lead to the policies that are being developed, associated with how we moved forward."

This factored in as the airspace gradually freed up in chunks, beginning around Class B airspace where large airlines hosted hubs and eventually to Class C, D, and finally small airports "That took us a few weeks to go through," Carr said. General aviation was permitted to fly IFR flights beginning on September 14 and VFR followed gradually beginning on September 19.

Long-term Restrictions

But a number of restrictions lingered, and some are still in place. It wasn't until February of 2002 that a Special Federal Aviation Regulation was issued that permitted limited operations to the so-called "D.C. Three" airports. But strict security protocols remain.

And, business aviation flights were not permitted to fly into DCA until 2005, when the DASSP was established. That took years of negotiations and a number of false hopes. Mary Miller, v-p of government and industry affairs for Signature Aviation, which runs the sole FBO at DCA, told AIN at the time that the company would believe it was making progress. "But then we got a phone call saying, 'you are not opening,'" Miller said.

Finally, the DASSP protocol rolled out with requirements for vetting of the pilots, passengers, baggage, and itineraries-and an approved armed security officer (ASO). NATA's Coyne was aboard that first flight in, a Hawker 1000 operated by New World Jet for Jet Aviation on Oct. 18, 2005. It was the only such flight that year.

DASSP has remained in place but for years there has been a push to alter the ASO requirement to make DCA a more practical option. DCA became a priority issue not only for Signature but for the industry, particularly because of the airport's importance in its location next to the nation's capital.

Security Part of Bizav DNA

Olcott stressed the need to explain that security is part of the DNA of business aviation. "We argued that security was nothing new in business aviation. We argued that the idea of security was integral to business aviation. It was industrial security."

Carr added that the industry was able to ward off initial attempts of potential draconian measures through this advocacy. "The places that people started for discussions about security would have been devastating if that's where they ended," he said. "It really was insightful to go through those discussions because we saw them come up repeatedly."

As an example, he pointed to the Twelve-Five security program that imposed new and built on existing security protocols for charter involving aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more. "That was going to be a program that started at 6,000 pounds-so a pretty small airplane," he said, adding: "We saw the need to engage pretty heavily directly and frequently on how do we keep a very unfortunate incident with scheduled airlines from affecting what we do. That was, and still is, a continuing effort because what we do doesn't always look like what people are used to seeing when it comes to aviation security."

Carr agreed with Olcott that security was a key part of business aviation. "There's none of this randomness or unknown unknowns associated with our missions, and communicating that to folks was a difficult task for us."

A New Agency

This effort had slowed as TSA was stood up. While many moved over from the FAA, there was still a learning curve. That also was more difficult because there were major issues, such as security checks throughout airports for all airports, that TSA had to tackle.

"And the early days of TSA from my recollection," Carr added, "was somewhat of a revolving door. A lot of people came in and out. Everybody we could reach we got in front of to talk about business aviation. We wanted them to know about us. We were very comfortable with FAA, but this was a new agency that was going to have a substantial impact on the success of our future."

Over the years the business and general aviation community has forged a number of good relationships with TSA officials and particularly through the government-industry TSA Aviation Security Advisory Committee, but the advocacy and education process continues.

"Twenty years on, [TSA} has developed the capacity to do really good things that benefit lots of people. They are really good at screening. They are really good at helping airlines succeed. But I think we have an opportunity to leverage what's been learned in business and general aviation," he said.

This becomes particularly important as new modes of transportation emerge, Carr added, pointing to advanced air mobility security. "Who at TSA will play a role in that? I don't know."

These efforts continue beyond the TSA. "We can't do anything with a TFR without the Secret Service," he said, underscoring the need to work closely with such agencies. "I think having a good understanding of their requirements helps us understand why they do certain things."

He pointed to efforts to open up more gateways to Palm Beach International during presidential TFRs while former President Donald Trump visited the areas.

Customs and Border Protection has become another key agency, and Carr praised efforts made to help ease certain processes, such as online reporting. Now, there's a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency within DHS that the industry needs to be aware of as well.
Approaching Security Issues
All of these efforts have shaped the community's approach to security issues. "I think 20 years ago, we have maybe somewhat of a naive approach that people obviously knew who we were, thinking, 'We're an airplane-based industry. Of course, people know who we are and what we do.'" Now, Carr said, "The changes that were required and the work that we do really is how to approach a situation. We must validate what they know before we go much further.

The past 20 years have shown, he added, "that you'll get a lot farther if you go in with an eye towards education and not just starting right out on the ground floor and trying to fix a problem. You'll end up getting to where you need to be a lot more quickly. And hopefully with the outcome that you're hoping."

Another evolution over the past 20 years is the grassroots engagement from the community. "Security has been a pathway towards additional engagement," Carr said, adding that he believes the downturn of 2008 and 2009 further galvanized that approach. "Twenty years ago, NBAA was absolutely comfortable with being the voice, the sole voice, for business aviation on so many of these issues, because there was an avoidance of the public light. Companies just didn't want the public to know they had airplanes. But today I think we've demonstrated the value of being engaged, having your voice counted."

This change has become evident and particularly important throughout the pandemic, Damato added. With the association's business aviation management committee, she said, "There are 20 or 30 flight department leaders saying, 'Oh, try this, or we're going to try that now, or this is how we're doing." This approach has spread throughout the community.

Not only who advocates but how they advocate is changing, Olcott added. "We as a community had focused on justification. Justification to me seemed almost offensive. You advocate for something you believe in, you advocate something that has benefit to society, a benefit to people. Those arguments came in very handy when we were trying to keep general aviation from being grounded after 9/11."

He too stressed the need for continued advocacy. "I think we have to sing the praises of business aviation in a realistic way because I think business aviation has great value."

Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from 9/11 for Olcott was preparedness, even for the unimaginable. "Plan to have resources in place before you need them. Because once you have a challenge, it is too late to develop resources. We could not have developed the Command Center presence unless we had previously looked at the problem."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Twenty years ago when the 9/11 attacks devastated the world's economy and plunged the aviation industry into turmoil, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) staffers joined together to help tackle the unprecedented challenges faced by the business aviation industry, both in the immediate aftermath and for the longer term.

# data[].attributes.body
Western Aircraft has installed its first Speed Cowl on a Pilatus PC-12 that the Boise

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/chinas-y-20u-tanker-spotted-flying-with-fighter/145332.article

# data[].attributes.body
Pandemic Taught Passenger Airlines Lesson About Value of Freight. IATA director general Willie Walsh works to elevate cargo’s role in industry.

Air cargo has been a savior for communities around the world after the COVID outbreak by delivering personal protective equipment, COVID-19 vaccines and other goods at a time when most passenger flights, which carry about 50 percent of global airfreight, were grounded and economies were only partially functioning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pandemic Taught Passenger Airlines Lesson About Value of Freight

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The director general of the International Air Transport Association acknowledges that the organization has not always valued cargo throughout its history but said the pandemic taught airline executives that shipping goods can be profitable with more focused service.

# data[].attributes.body
The inaugural test flight of Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket on Thursday ended abruptly as it exploded over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

In a statement posted to Twitter on Thursday, the company said “an anomaly” occurred about 2 minutes after the unmanned aircraft’s 6:59 p.m. takeoff from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, “resulting in an early end to the mission.”

Link: https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/firefly-rocket-explodes-after-takeoff/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Firefly Rocket Explodes Shortly After Takeoff

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The inaugural flight of Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket on Thursday ended abruptly as it exploded over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

# data[].attributes.body
when 9/11 happened the aviation economy industry fell silent and Jo Damato now vice president helped the economy to have a good supply of the aviation economy. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-09-01/9-11-lessons-preparedness-advocacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Twenty years ago when the 9/11 attacks devastated the world's economy and plunged the aviation industry into turmoil, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) staffers joined together to help tackle the unprecedented challenges faced by the business aviation industry, both in the immediate aftermath and for the longer term. Jo Damato
In July 2001, Jo Damato, now the senior v-p of education, training, and workforce for NBAA, had joined the association from Executive Jet Management to fill a newly created role: staffing a general aviation desk at the FAA Command Center.

That desk was years in the making, first proposed in 1998 at a peak time of airline delays. Government officials thought it might be a good idea to have a voice from the growing business aviation sector as well. Damato described those first few months as "quietly drinking from a fire hose," trying to get up to speed on the inner workings of the heart of the nation's air traffic control system. Yet people at the center weren't quite up to speed on business aviation either.

"Nobody was engaging with me and I was so young. I was still learning how to engage with people, especially at such a mature facility with seasoned air traffic control professionals." The managers at the desk held by the then-Air Transport Association (ATA), now Airlines for America (A4A), took Damato under their wing and helped her establish her presence at the facility. "They were fantastic," she said.

By the time September 11 rolled around that year, they were swapping coffee runs. Her ATA counterpart said he would get the coffee and Damato would watch over morning calls with ATC.

But then there was a "commotion" at the Northeast desk. "I didn't know what it was, but I knew we'd better hold off on our coffee." The staff was following a flight that they thought had likely been hijacked. "I don't want to minimize this, but it played out as something very interesting is happening right now, but not something terrifying," she said. But then everyone in the room realized that there may be more than one thing happening, particularly since there was no contact with the pilots.

"It got quiet and everybody was on alert very quickly...and then a gasp from the floor. It was clear that an airplane had made contact with the [World Trade Center]," she said. Initially, "no one was thinking anything more than this is a horrible tragedy and what could have happened on an airplane that created something like that. I think assumptions outside the Command Center were that it was likely a very small aircraft." When the second airplane went in, Damato said, "I was 20 feet maybe from the man who was in charge of the floor that day. And he said, 'Shut it down...nothing in or out.' And very quickly [the national airspace system] was shut off."

Incidentally, the national operations manager who made that call, Ben Sliney, was a veteran air traffic controller, but on his first day as manager of the center. Sliney, who described that morning during a forum held by the University of Texas at Dallas and aired by C-Span, said after the second aircraft hit the tower, which he saw on screens inside the center airing CNN, they knew, "This wasn't the usual hijack by some deranged individual, but that this was a concerted attack by a group of people and America was under attack."
Jack Olcott
Then-NBAA president Jack Olcott had arrived early into the offices on the corner of 18 th and M Street on the morning of 9/11. Olcott said he usually tried to get in around 7 a.m. to avoid the traffic restrictions and the general gnarl that occurs during rush hour in Washington, D. C. The day appeared to be typical until he received a call from NBAA's head of the government affairs office, Pete West, and was told: "Turn on your TV. An airplane just hit the World Trade Center."

Olcott said his first thought was some general aviation airplane had deviated off course from along the Hudson River and hit the 110-story building. "And my thoughts were all like others'. That's a shame; it's a tragedy. And I suspect, there'll be a lot of finger-pointing about general aviation." He turned on the television and saw the plumes of smoke coming out of one of the towers. "While I was watching, another airplane, obviously an airliner, hit the remaining tower. It was clear that this was no random accident. This was something quite significant. After that event, things unfolded very rapidly."
Doug Carr
During this time Doug Carr, now senior v-p of safety, security, sustainability, and international operations for NBAA, had received a call from the office alerting him that a small aircraft had hit the World Trade Center.

Carr headed into the office while running through in his mind a response to this aircraft crash because even with a small airplane, he knew it would be front-page news. "I'm thinking what's the weather looking like and where did they leave from? I'm trying to put together the pieces in my head about that and things I know we're going to be asked about."

He took the George Washington Parkway to head towards the office, and "I'm driving by the Pentagon and the third airplane goes in and the fireball, and all of that happens." Drivers on the opposite side of the road that parallels the Potomac River came to a complete stop. "Nobody knew what to do, seeing what just happened." But Carr knew that the situation was grave and journeyed into the office where the team assembled to put the pieces together.

The Aftermath

The moment had reverberated throughout NBAA, as it did the entire aviation industry and the nation. And it reshaped security from the government's standpoint. At the time there was no presidential cabinet called the Department of Homeland Security. Nor was there was an agency called the Transportation Security Administration. The FAA handled aviation security in-house, working with outside agencies.

Since then, the business and general aviation industry has seen security protocols evolve over the years and new and lasting requirements and restrictions implemented. These include the advent of the Twelve-Five Standard Security Program for air charters, the Alien Flight Student Program for international flight training candidates who wish to train inside the U.S., and the increased use of no-fly zones and temporary (sometimes permanent) flight restrictions with "gateway airports."

Business aviation still can't fly into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport without an armed security officer aboard, an approved DCA Access Standard Security Program, and vetting through a gateway. A Special Flight Rules area outer circle and Flight Restricted Zone inner circle capturing the "Maryland 3" airports (Hyde Field, Potomac Airfield, and College Park Airfield) remain in place. So too do ongoing restrictions over Disney parks, sporting events, and certain areas where the President travels.

In addition to dealing with a new department and agency stood up in the aftermath of 9/11, business aviation and general aviation leaders have had to deal with agencies, such as the Secret Service, that they had not had interactions with before just to conduct operations.

But looking back, Olcott said having the resources in place to mobilize quickly was critical for not only NBAA but the industry at large, enabling them to weather through the turmoil of the time and its aftermath. And the measures that are still in place now are a far cry from some of the proposals, and initial restrictions put in place in the immediate aftermath.

Information Chain

Damato said immediately after the attacks, ATC personnel turned to her and the ATA manager and told them to start talking to their members, make sure they knew who is on their airplanes, and if they haven't gotten into the air, don't. They are not getting there. If they had, find a way to get on the ground. She called NBAA headquarters, where she had not even been yet because she was so new on the job, and had to identify herself, reach Olcott, and coordinate with her immediate manager Bob Lamond, now retired but who was director of air traffic at the time. Lamond headed right to the Command Center and worked with Damato through the time.

She realized since NBAA then had a presence at the Command Center, they were considered essential personnel and allowed to stay. "I think that if we had not finally staffed that position, I'm not even sure we would've gotten into the facility now...and I'm so proud of what the team has been doing now for 20 years there."

At headquarters, NBAA staff turned the board room into a command center and brought in phones and hooked up screens. Then the calls poured in. Many people called to ask how NBAA could get their flight in the air. "We were getting calls literally from movie stars and their flight operations saying, 'Hey, I've, got a really important thing in Europe. I need to leave tonight. You guys need to help me get out because this thing tomorrow in Europe is really important.'"

NBAA staff had a difficult message to deliver: "Sorry, you must have heard the airspace is closed. We just had a terrorist attack. I think you're going to need to find other plans."

At the same time, NBAA was trying to track down the handful of the association's advanced staff that were headed to New Orleans where they were to hold their annual convention within a week. On September 12, however, the board agreed to postpone the convention and it was rescheduled for later in the year. By the evening of 9/11, NBAA was able to track down those staff and ensure their safety.

Along with having a spot at the Command Center, another factor worked in NBAA's favor: it had recently launched a website. Olcott estimated that the website had only been fully live for about six weeks or so before then.

"Back then," Carr recalled, "websites didn't have the functionality they do today. They were very text-based." To streamline and reduce the burden on the services, NBAA stripped out all of the graphics and turned it into a means to continually update members. Lamond and Damato would call in information and Jason Wolf, who is senior director of information architecture for NBAA and headed up the newly established website at the time, would then post the details.

"Our website became a critical piece of communication capability for us," Carr said. "We sent everything we could to the website. We probably would not have been nearly as effective if we didn't have the website and the ability to turn it into this massive repeater for the information that we knew."

In the years since, that website and others throughout the industry have become a critical conduit for the industry, particularly throughout the pandemic when the environment has shifted fairly quickly.

"I think it really solidified the value of a website in times like this, with just trying to keep people up to speed on what's going on with massive amounts of information," he added.

"NBAA became the one conduit for communicating what was happening to the flight departments within business aviation. It was really quite impressive," agreed Olcott.

Business Aviation: the Big Unknown

At the same time, though, the aftermath shed light on how little people outside of the industry knew about business and general aviation.

On the positive side, despite the initial grounding in the aftermath, business aviation was still able to step up on a limited basis. "We became useful," Damato said, noting the association was getting a number of questions about what business aircraft could do. Business aircraft were called in to fly in special footpads for search dogs, to help with telecommunications companies that had just lost infrastructure, and to fly blood to where it was needed, among other missions. "There were a whole bunch of unique one-offs that business aviation was able to satisfy because we have resources," Carr said. "They weren't going anywhere, and we just needed a go-ahead from the government to say your flight has been cleared to go. And that's where the Command Center folks really starting to shine in terms of helping to facilitate those kinds of missions."

Once Command Center officials learned more about NBAA and business aviation, then the questions came: "Can you explain [Part] 91 to us? Can you explain 135 to us?" Damato said these were key questions because this information was being taken into consideration as the notams were being developed for operations in the aftermath.

Business Aviation as the Threat

"There were various study groups within government saying, well, we can't let business aviation fly because we really don't know what's in the airplanes. Then there was a thought that we can't let charter up. Why? Because the bad guy may charter a plane," Olcott said. "So, there were a lot of thought groups, finding reasons why everything except the airlines and the military should be grounded."

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), in a retrospective it wrote for the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, noted that its efforts to restore general aviation flight had to start immediately after the attacks. "Two days after the FAA grounding, limited airline service was restored, and soon after that, the Bush administration announced that the 'U.S. aviation system has been restored.' But general aviation was still grounded, and, in horror, we realized GA was taking the brunt of the fear the attacks had engendered. Were small airplanes now the terror of the skies?" AOPA had asked in an article written by Julie Summers Walker.

Olcott said the general aviation community coalesced to "fight the good fight" with numerous meetings with then-Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. All the associations got involved-the AOPA, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, and National Air Transportation Association, among them. Olcott shared an anecdote where the leaders were all sworn to secrecy of the contents of those meetings, and then-NATA chief Jim Coyne would quip afterward that they just learned everything that was on the news. In seriousness, though, Olcott called Mineta both reasonable and supportive.

"There, there were multiple outreaches up and down the government chain, outreach to Jane Garvey, who was the FAA administrator at the time, outreach actually to Steve Brown, who was the head of air traffic [for FAA] at the time [now NBAA COO]....There was a substantial amount of communication," Carr said.

Damato said this is where she really learned to advocate. She would get questions such as if a company has a call sign then they are similar to a Part 121? Or a fractional has a call sign then they are okay? She differentiated between the various operations, that a fractional was not like a large Part 121 charter and what the difference was with Part 135. One point of emphasis was that on corporate aircraft, all passengers were known.

Carr added: "Some of the initial conversations that Jo was having are really insightful, not necessarily just about the technical aspects of what was being asked, but the fact that there was no frame of reference for what they were asking about. They really didn't know about us. This just highlighted pretty brightly that there wasn't a lot of awareness up and down the chain within the government at the time of what general aviation or business aviation was, what it's capable of doing, how it operates-all the things that lead to the policies that are being developed, associated with how we moved forward."

This factored in as the airspace gradually freed up in chunks, beginning around Class B airspace where large airlines hosted hubs and eventually to Class C, D, and finally small airports "That took us a few weeks to go through," Carr said. General aviation was permitted to fly IFR flights beginning on September 14 and VFR followed gradually beginning on September 19.

Long-term Restrictions

But a number of restrictions lingered, and some are still in place. It wasn't until February of 2002 that a Special Federal Aviation Regulation was issued that permitted limited operations to the so-called "D.C. Three" airports. But strict security protocols remain.

And, business aviation flights were not permitted to fly into DCA until 2005, when the DASSP was established. That took years of negotiations and a number of false hopes. Mary Miller, v-p of government and industry affairs for Signature Aviation, which runs the sole FBO at DCA, told AIN at the time that the company would believe it was making progress. "But then we got a phone call saying, 'you are not opening,'" Miller said.

Finally, the DASSP protocol rolled out with requirements for vetting of the pilots, passengers, baggage, and itineraries-and an approved armed security officer (ASO). NATA's Coyne was aboard that first flight in, a Hawker 1000 operated by New World Jet for Jet Aviation on Oct. 18, 2005. It was the only such flight that year.

DASSP has remained in place but for years there has been a push to alter the ASO requirement to make DCA a more practical option. DCA became a priority issue not only for Signature but for the industry, particularly because of the airport's importance in its location next to the nation's capital.

Security Part of Bizav DNA

Olcott stressed the need to explain that security is part of the DNA of business aviation. "We argued that security was nothing new in business aviation. We argued that the idea of security was integral to business aviation. It was industrial security."

Carr added that the industry was able to ward off initial attempts of potential draconian measures through this advocacy. "The places that people started for discussions about security would have been devastating if that's where they ended," he said. "It really was insightful to go through those discussions because we saw them come up repeatedly."

As an example, he pointed to the Twelve-Five security program that imposed new and built on existing security protocols for charter involving aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more. "That was going to be a program that started at 6,000 pounds-so a pretty small airplane," he said, adding: "We saw the need to engage pretty heavily directly and frequently on how do we keep a very unfortunate incident with scheduled airlines from affecting what we do. That was, and still is, a continuing effort because what we do doesn't always look like what people are used to seeing when it comes to aviation security."

Carr agreed with Olcott that security was a key part of business aviation. "There's none of this randomness or unknown unknowns associated with our missions, and communicating that to folks was a difficult task for us."

A New Agency

This effort had slowed as TSA was stood up. While many moved over from the FAA, there was still a learning curve. That also was more difficult because there were major issues, such as security checks throughout airports for all airports, that TSA had to tackle.

"And the early days of TSA from my recollection," Carr added, "was somewhat of a revolving door. A lot of people came in and out. Everybody we could reach we got in front of to talk about business aviation. We wanted them to know about us. We were very comfortable with FAA, but this was a new agency that was going to have a substantial impact on the success of our future."

Over the years the business and general aviation community has forged a number of good relationships with TSA officials and particularly through the government-industry TSA Aviation Security Advisory Committee, but the advocacy and education process continues.

"Twenty years on, [TSA} has developed the capacity to do really good things that benefit lots of people. They are really good at screening. They are really good at helping airlines succeed. But I think we have an opportunity to leverage what's been learned in business and general aviation," he said.

This becomes particularly important as new modes of transportation emerge, Carr added, pointing to advanced air mobility security. "Who at TSA will play a role in that? I don't know."

These efforts continue beyond the TSA. "We can't do anything with a TFR without the Secret Service," he said, underscoring the need to work closely with such agencies. "I think having a good understanding of their requirements helps us understand why they do certain things."

He pointed to efforts to open up more gateways to Palm Beach International during presidential TFRs while former President Donald Trump visited the areas.

Customs and Border Protection has become another key agency, and Carr praised efforts made to help ease certain processes, such as online reporting. Now, there's a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency within DHS that the industry needs to be aware of as well.
Approaching Security Issues
All of these efforts have shaped the community's approach to security issues. "I think 20 years ago, we have maybe somewhat of a naive approach that people obviously knew who we were, thinking, 'We're an airplane-based industry. Of course, people know who we are and what we do.'" Now, Carr said, "The changes that were required and the work that we do really is how to approach a situation. We must validate what they know before we go much further.

The past 20 years have shown, he added, "that you'll get a lot farther if you go in with an eye towards education and not just starting right out on the ground floor and trying to fix a problem. You'll end up getting to where you need to be a lot more quickly. And hopefully with the outcome that you're hoping."

Another evolution over the past 20 years is the grassroots engagement from the community. "Security has been a pathway towards additional engagement," Carr said, adding that he believes the downturn of 2008 and 2009 further galvanized that approach. "Twenty years ago, NBAA was absolutely comfortable with being the voice, the sole voice, for business aviation on so many of these issues, because there was an avoidance of the public light. Companies just didn't want the public to know they had airplanes. But today I think we've demonstrated the value of being engaged, having your voice counted."

This change has become evident and particularly important throughout the pandemic, Damato added. With the association's business aviation management committee, she said, "There are 20 or 30 flight department leaders saying, 'Oh, try this, or we're going to try that now, or this is how we're doing." This approach has spread throughout the community.

Not only who advocates but how they advocate is changing, Olcott added. "We as a community had focused on justification. Justification to me seemed almost offensive. You advocate for something you believe in, you advocate something that has benefit to society, a benefit to people. Those arguments came in very handy when we were trying to keep general aviation from being grounded after 9/11."

He too stressed the need for continued advocacy. "I think we have to sing the praises of business aviation in a realistic way because I think business aviation has great value."

Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from 9/11 for Olcott was preparedness, even for the unimaginable. "Plan to have resources in place before you need them. Because once you have a challenge, it is too late to develop resources. We could not have developed the Command Center presence unless we had previously looked at the problem."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Twenty years ago when the 9/11 attacks devastated the world's economy and plunged the aviation industry into turmoil, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) staffers joined together to help tackle the unprecedented challenges faced by the business aviation industry, both in the immediate aftermath and for the longer term.

# data[].attributes.body
The U.S. Navy has used the MQ-25 which is, unmanned, for the first time to refuel other aircraft while in the air. It also carries about 15,000 pounds of fuel. This will increase the combat range of other deployed aircraft. They have ordered seven more MQ aircraft from Boeing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Boeing is bringing the future of unmanned aircraft carrier aviation to the U.S. Navy with its MQ-25.

# data[].attributes.headline
Airbus A380 production ends-Rayean Rahman

# data[].attributes.subject
Airbus A380 production ends-Rayean Rahman

# data[].attributes.body
Airbus has officially confirmed the end of A380. Because of the lack of airline demand, the superjumbo production is to cease in 2021. ... The smaller capacity aircraft will allow Emirates to fly thinner routes that perhaps did not make economic sense with either the A380 or the Boeing 777.

https://www.aerotime.aero/27250-a380-uncertainty-continues

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Highlights

*

Cost reduction for sustainable jet fuel (SAF) production in Dry Grind Corn Ethanol mills (DGCEM) were evaluated.

*

The integration capacities in DGCEM range from 4 million to 10 million liters of jet fuel per year.

*

Integration schemes for five SAF production technologies were studied with twelve co-location and repurpsoing scenarios.

*

Eleven integrated scenarios result in lowered fuel selling price between 3 and 67% compared with standalone.

*

The highest cost reduction is observed for alcohol to jet fuel produced in a repurposed facility.

Abstract

A typical Dry Grind Corn Ethanol Mill (DGCEM) with a capacity of 230 ML of ethanol per year is used as the baseline for the evaluation of biorefinery concepts for sustainable aviation fuels (SFAs). The main goal is to identify SAF cost reduction opportunities as well as environmental benefits by integrating with existing DGCEM infrastructure. Five SAF production technologies are studied: Virent's BioForming (VB), Alcohol to Jet (ATJ), Direct Sugar to Hydrocarbon (DSHC), Fast Pyrolysis (FP) and Gasification & Fischer-Tropsch (GFT). We built SAF unit cases with capital cost equal to the studied DGCEM ($115 M). Larger SAF units are unlikely to synergize well with existing DGCEMs. Twelve co-location and repurposing scenarios are evaluated where SAF technologies utilize intermediate products, auxiliary facilities, or unit operations from DGCEM. For each of the scenarios, the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are estimated. Our aim is to identify which SAF technologies can be most efficiently integrated with a corn ethanol mill. Eleven scenarios result in lowered MFSPs in the range of 3-67% reduction, from their corresponding greenfield design cases. The highest reduction is observed when ATJ is produced in a repurposed facility. In the case of GHG we were able to identify one scenario with lower GHG emissions compared with greenfield units. SAF in thirteen scenarios have GHG emission ranging from 13 to 93% of fossil fuel. One of the repurposed scenarios of ATJ is the concept with the best overall performance parameter.

View full text

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Evaluation of dry corn ethanol bio-refinery concepts for the production of sustainable aviation fuel

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cost reduction for sustainable jet fuel (SAF) production in Dry Grind Corn Ethanol mills (DGCEM) were evaluated. * The integration capacities in DGCEM range from 4 million to 10 million liters of jet fuel per year. * Integration schemes for five SAF production technologies were studied with twelve co-location and repurpsoing scenarios.

# data[].attributes.body
The Boeing 777x   is the latest series of the long-range, wide-body, twin-engine Boeing 777 family from Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The 777X features new GE9X engines, new composite wings with folding wingtips, greater cabin width and seating capacity, and technologies from the Boeing 787. The first test flight took place on January 25, 2020, at 10:09 a.m. from Paine Field in Everett, and landed in Boeing Field in Seattle after 3 hours and 52 minutes.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/boeing-777x-9-first-flight/index.html

# data[].attributes.body
In 2015, the United Arab Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding to take three AW609s for use in search-and-rescue operations. Flight testing on the AW609 currently continues from Leonardo’s Philadelphia facility. The manufacturer first flew the AW609 in 2003 and a fourth test aircraft joined the program in late 2019. Assembly of production aircraft is also underway in Philadelphia

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2021-03-03/construction-begins-dubai-expo-helicopter-terminal

# data[].attributes.body
boeing pays a $243.6 million fine, $1.77 billion that will compensate airlines that couldn’t use their Max while they were grounded, and $500 million to families of passengers that passed away in the crashes. over the past few years, several of the 737 max’s crashed. it killed 346 people total due to a faulty sensor. this obviously stacked up several big lawsuits. i’m surprised they haven’t shut down yet.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/boeing-will-pay-2-5-billion-to-settle-fraud-charge-over-737-max-plane-121010800132_1.html

# data[].attributes.body
Honda is doing new wing productions and service parts at Honda Aircraft's. The wing is made for reduced aerodynamic drag and high structural rigidity. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-01-18/honda-aircraft-starts-wing-making-new-facility

# data[].attributes.body
Airlines face an unprecedented international crisis in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that the global industry will lose US$252 billion in 2020. Many airlines are cutting up to 90% of their flight capacity. ... More than 200 airlines applied.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-09-04/judge-allows-unusual-one-aviation-sale-proceed

# data[].attributes.body
¨Passenger volume fell from over 2 million daily at the beginning of March to a bottom of about 90,000 in mid-April, as stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions hit. While that number has since recovered, even the busy holiday season saw passenger volume at less than half what it was a year ago, with 1.2 million people traveling on Dec. 27, versus 2.6 million last year.¨
yahaira cruz

# data[].attributes.headline
CDC  requiring negative civid test in order to fly                     By Francisco Govea

# data[].attributes.subject
CDC  requiring negative civid test in order to fly                     By Francisco Govea

# data[].attributes.body
The CDC whant less people te get covid-19 and so this can end fater.These are places were thers a lot of people that interact with each other and are seating close to one another.If  one person has covid-19 he might infect everyone thats in the plane and then their going to keep on spreading the virus.In my opinion i think its better for people to require a negative covif=d test in order to being able to frly.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-01-05/cdc-plans-require-negative-covid-tests-intl-pax

# data[].attributes.body
The pandemic-pummeled airlines are retooling for 2021, trying to keep industry jobs on life support while strategically streamlining and dangling rock-bottom rates in the hopes customers return.
the aviation industry had one of its worst years in 2020 -edison gomez

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The pandemic-pummeled airlines are retooling for 2021, trying to keep industry jobs on life support while strategically streamlining and dangling rock-bottom rates in the hopes customers return.

From Boeing to bailouts, the aviation industry had one of its worst years in 2020, a radical comedown after a run of profits right up to coronavirus lockdowns.

"Airlines were operating at the pace of a record earnings year, through the third week of February - then went over a cliff, like Thelma and Louise, when the pandemic struck," Bob Mann, airline industry analyst with New York-based consulting firm R.W. Mann & Company, told NBC News in an email.

Passenger volume fell from over 2 million daily at the beginning of March to a bottom of about 90,000 in mid-April, according to TSA checkpoint statistics, as stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions hit. While that number has since recovered, even the busy holiday season saw passenger volume at less than half what it was a year ago, with 1.2 million people traveling on Dec. 27, versus 2.6 million last year.

While it is too early to tell what impact Christmas travel will have on coronavirus infection rates, experts fear an additional spike, as was recorded after Thanksgiving travel. Economic recovery for airlines and other in-person industries hinges on a health recovery, and trying to put the latter before the former ultimately risks both.

"Air travel gives people hope," Helane Becker, airline analyst for Cowen, told NBC News, "but you can't travel if nothing is open."

Airlines received $25 billion in government assistance from the CARES Act. It required them to keep employees on payroll. After that funding ran out, airlines were forced to reckon with personnel costs, encouraging early retirement and voluntary leave, negotiating down costs with labor unions, and implementing furloughs and layoffs for the remaining gap.

The industry got an additional $15 billion in funding in the new coronavirus relief package signed Sunday night by President Donald Trump. The bill has a few strings attached: Airlines must start providing backpay starting Dec. 1, cap compensation, and not make any dividend payments.

Internationally, some carriers see opportunity in the crisis. Michael O'Leary, the outspoken CEO of discount Irish carrier Ryanair, told the Financial Times his airline could snap up routes and airport slots abandoned by some of his rivals. He also forecast consolidation in the industry, placing orders for the Boeing Max jet he predicts will be a "game-changer" for capacity and fuel efficiency.

"We have consistently been planning for a reasonably quick recovery and constantly disappointed," he told the Financial Times. "What has changed is the vaccines are arriving... The issue for our industry is, is that recovery in May or August? We just don't know."

The Boeing 737 Max took to the skies again in the U.S. just this week after flight equipment was revamped to address safety and regulatory concerns, following two crashes just months apart that killed everybody on board. While the return of the Max was welcome news for the industry - the debacle has cost Boeing at least $20 billion - customers will have to be educated and enticed to get back onboard. Confidence will take time to earn back.

North American airline industry profits are forecast to be down nearly $46 billion in 2020, according to estimates by IATA, an airline trade association. Assuming a national vaccine distribution by the second half of the year, profits for 2021 are predicted to be down by $11 billion.

Those vaccinated or willing to take a chance on a flight will find savings to entice them to step aboard.

"Consumers will face lower real travel costs, as airlines will continue to significantly discount ticket prices to stimulate demand," IATA reported, based on surveys of airline chief financial officers.

Tickets are being sold at steep discounts. Nonstop airfares from NYC to Orlando or Austin, Texas, are on sale for about $50 per ticket, said Scott Keyes, founder of discount ticket site Scott's Cheap Flights, and Denver to Los Angeles, $71. Though international fares are rising for next summer, there are still deals to be had. A summer 2021 roundtrip from Phoenix to Tokyo can currently be found for $579, with roundtrip flights from most U.S. cities to Puerto Vallarta available for under $300.

Airlines will have to embrace new technologies and retire older, less fuel efficient planes to stay afloat, and overhaul some of its longstanding business models, according to a report by consulting firm McKinsey and Co. The company predicts fewer hubs, longer layovers to pad out operations, more dynamic pricing, and using advanced analytics to adjust cruising speeds and gate assignments to make it easier for passengers to make tight connections.

The industry has leaned in heavily to adopting new cleaning and safety protocols to mitigate coronavirus risks during air travel, installing high-performance air filtration systems, sanitizing planes, and educating staff. Passengers are required to wear masks and can be placed on do-not-fly lists for noncompliance. Some airlines now offer pre-flight Covid-19 testing or in airports, and Delta this month announced a partnership with the CDC on contract tracing for international passengers.

It's still going to be a long winter, and a cold spring.

The number of routes between cities has already fallen and airlines aren't going to build any new ones unless they're immediately profitable.

"We anticipate smaller cities and even medium-sized cities within a two- or even three-hour drive of a large airport will lose service," Becker said.

Airlines built up cash reserves at the start of the crisis, but those will be stretched going into 2021. The hope is that if they hunker down, get lean while being flexible to ramp up when demand returns, they can catch a ride on what is expected to be a surge in pent-up demand when safety re-emerges and widespread travel resumes.

"The challenge is getting to that date," John Grant, airline analyst for aviation data firm OAG, said in an email. "The industry and airlines will return, not immediately stronger but ultimately reshaped, redesigned and ready to meet whatever the new challenges are."

Analysts don't think there will be meaningful further consolidation in the industry unless the vaccine doesn't go according to plan.

"If the pandemic persists, we will likely see bankruptcies" in the second half of 2021, Becker said.

In a Dec. 21 letter to employees, United CEO Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart thanked staff for their hard work and said that while the vaccines offer promise, the payroll support extension is unlikely, on its own, to bridge the furlough gap until passenger demand is expected to start resuming at the end of 2021.

"We just don't see anything in the data that shows a huge difference in bookings over the next few months. That is why we expect the recall will be temporary," they wrote. "But as we've said before, we do see the light at the end of the tunnel."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2020 was brutal for airlines. Next year could be even trickier.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The pandemic-pummeled airlines are retooling for 2021, trying to keep industry jobs on life support while strategically streamlining and dangling rock-bottom rates in the hopes customers return. From Boeing to bailouts, the aviation industry had one of its worst years in 2020, a radical comedown after a run of profits right up to coronavirus lockdowns.

# data[].attributes.headline
Malaysia Suspends Heli Operator's Training Certificate

# data[].attributes.subject
Malaysia Suspends Heli Operator's Training Certificate

# data[].attributes.body
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has suspended the training certificate of My Heli Club following its second crash in less than two months. The latest accident occurred on New Year’s Day when the club’s Robinson R66 crashed near Pulau Indah, Port Klang, during what local law enforcement officials described as hover practice. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2021-01-05/malaysia-suspends-heli-operators-training-certificate

# data[].attributes.headline
Michael Navarro                     U.S. Air Force Conducts Advanced Connectivity Trials   

# data[].attributes.subject
Michael Navarro                     U.S. Air Force Conducts Advanced Connectivity Trials   

# data[].attributes.body
On December 9 the U.S. A ir Force undertook inflight connectivity trials with the Lockheed Martin F-22A and F-35A fighters, each of which carried a GatewayOne payload, this was the 46th Test Squadron from Eglin AFB and they also involved an F-22 from the Edwards AFB-Base  during the test in the december 9  the GateawayOne system was used to translate transmitted data into the hitherto incompatible native languages of the F-22

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2020-12-15/us-air-force-conducts-advanced-connectivity-trials

# data[].attributes.body
the aviation industry can go into crisis since without flights and without a cure people cannot travel and this leads the industry to lay off many employees since they will not have to pay their salary.

# data[].attributes.body
Airbus is laying plans to develop hydrogen-powered helicopters. During a December 9 presentation to the Wichita Aero Club on the European aircraft maker’s zero-emissions commercial airliner program, Airbus Americas v-p of research and technology Amanda Simpson said its ZeroE project could be adapted to its rotorcraft. The group's Airbus Helicopters division now claims more than a 50 percent share of the civilian rotorcraft market.Airbus plans to have a fixed-wing design in place and to begin the certification process by 2025. Entry into service would likely follow sometime between 2030 and 2035.

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-12-09/airbus-may-be-considering-hydrogen-powered-helicopter

Zabdiel M

# data[].attributes.body
Otto Aviation this week unveiled the Celera 500L, a six-passenger pusher-prop business aircraft powered by a single 500-hp Red A03 diesel engine. To date, the company’s full-scale prototype has completed 31 test flights. Otto said FAA certification is expected in 2023, with service entry to follow in 2025.

The submarine-shaped aircraft will have a maximum cruise speed of 391 knots and a range exceeding 3,900 nm, while offering a stand-up cabin and fuel economy of 16 to 22 nm per gallon.

# data[].attributes.body
Fabian Barrios: The aircraft engine fleet is expected to strengthen for narrow body jets in the coming decades according a recent analysis. This is even after the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw engine fleet strength go down by 6000. It's expected that the latest narrow-body engines (GE's LEAP and P&W PW1000) will have a growth rate of around 20%, with further predictions that by 2029 GE's LEAP engine will surpass the popularity of the CFM56. https://aviationweek.com/mro/analysis-needs-narrowbody-aircraft-leads-engine-growth

# data[].attributes.body
On Thursday , Southwest Airlines begins furlough process for almost 7000 employees . Southwest Airlines issued a warning to its employees of a possible temporary leave set for its employees since the pandemic has set a stop for the aviation industry since March 2020 but steady recovery seems imminent since airline industry stocks like UAL , LUV , AAL are all rising since vaccines news from Moderna and Pfizer both stage 3 candidates make key breakthroughs opening the doors back to world travel in the months to come - Aaron Venegas

# data[].attributes.body
Lengthy and expensive financial challenges, Rolls remains bullish about the long-term market for the Trent 1000. At the beginning of 2021, Aviation Week Fleet & MRO Forecast data estimate 770 of the Rolls-powered 787s will be in service

# data[].attributes.body
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday notified key oversight committees in Congress that the U.S. agency, Transport Canada, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) have concluded the Joint Operations Evaluation Board (JOEB) assessing Boeing’s proposed differences training and return to service training for the 737 Max.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NASA Partners with Boeing on Test Flights to Advance Aviation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A pair of NASA research projects to gather data on aircraft noise and test an air traffic management digital data communications tool are flying aboard a Boeing 787 this week.

# data[].attributes.body
Airlines face an unprecedented international crisis in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that the global industry will lose US$252 billion in 2020.

# data[].attributes.body
Airlines face an unprecedented international crisis in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that the global industry will lose US$252 billion in 2020.

# data[].attributes.body
yaxier torres

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Suntec, Boeing Asia Pacific Aviation Services retrench staff

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-09-04/judge-allows-unusual-one-aviation-sale-proceed - Francisco Govea

# data[].attributes.body
the IATA is loosing a lot of money because of the pandemic. many airlines are cutting off 90% capacity .