Nuremberg, Germany—FAI Aviation Group, Germany’s leading global provider of mission-critical aviation services, offering fixed-wing air ambulance, special missions, charter and aircraft management, as well as full MRO services returns to EBACE in recent weeks in buoyant mood.
Now on its 36th year, the company opened FAI Technik’s new maintenance base at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in February and business has kept solid into 2023 across its business.
FAI’s Berlin facility has been fully booked since it opened the MRO, completing base and line maintenance on around 30 Hawker and Beechcraft series aircraft so far. The facility is attracting clients mostly from Europe and Africa.
FAI is also widening its workforce with the addition of circa 10 team members including engineers, mechanics, bolstering its Berlin headcount to around 40 qualified professionals.
“We’ve enjoyed three highly successful months of FAI Technik’s MRO business in Berlin. The hangar floor has been full since we opened and looks to remain so for at least the next few months. It’s been a great start for us and we look forward to welcoming many more customers in the future,” said FAI Technik’s Managing Director Michael Axtmann.
The Berlin facility complements FAI Technik’s existing centre of competence for base maintenance and modifications of Learjet and Bombardier aircraft at its headquarters at Albrecht Duerer Airport, Nuremberg. With labour production close to 100,000 man-hours, 2022 marked the busiest year for FAI Technik since it was established more than 30 years ago.
Strong Q1 results follow outstanding 2022
Following record sales across the business in 2022 with consolidated group revenues of more than €130m, Q1 results were up by close to 20% across the group compared with 2022. Charter revenues and air ambulance revenues both increased by 16%. These results come as charter sales continue to slow down, both within Europe and transcontinentally, also FAI’s operations face the ongoing challenge of high fuel prices.
A leader in the long-haul air ambulance sector, FAI’s award-winning air ambulance business is a cornerstone of its offering. Since the end of the pandemic, the group has experienced a steady increase in air ambulance work, completing approximately 600 missions over the past 12 months, up 10% compared with the same period last year. Despite a challenging outlook owing to uncertain global economics, FAI remains optimistic for 2023 in this sector.
McLaren Racing partnership success
FAI has successfully partnered with world famous race team, McLaren Racing as their official aviation provider since early 2020. The collaboration with this strong brand has enabled FAI to raise its profile within the Formula 1 community. It has also underlined its reputation as a professional and reliable operator. FAI anticipates continuing its relationship with McLaren into 2024.
“F1 racing has a strong alliance and many synergies with business aviation so I’m pleased to see that Toto Wolff, Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, and F1 executive Susie Wolff will be opening the EBACE show as keynote speakers. Our partnership with McLaren has been hugely positive for us and we look forward to continuing to support them,” stated Siegfried Axtmann, FAI`s Chairman and Founder.
Istanbul, Turkey—Turkish Cargo, Turkey’s national air freight carrier, and Latin America’s leading cargo airline, Avianca Cargo, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to mutually explore opportunities and strengthening their air cargo connections.
The carriers believe by combining their resources and expertise, they will be able to better serve their customers across continents.
The MoU calls for Turkish Cargo and Avianca Cargo to consider potential collaboration initiatives such as freighter capacity agreements. These enhancements aim to provide air cargo customers of both airlines access to greater capacity in a wider and more connected global network.
In addition, Turkish Cargo will be able to offer enhanced access to destinations in South America by leveraging Avianca Cargo’s network in the region, while Avianca Cargo will increase its access to major destinations worldwide through Turkish Cargo’s wide interconnecting network.
Commenting at the signing ceremony held within the scope of IATA World Cargo Symposium in Istanbul, TurhanOzen, Chief Cargo Officer of Turkish Airlines, said; “This MoU represents a significant enhancement in air cargo services between Türkiye and Latin America. For this reason, we chose Avianca Cargo as our strategic partner in the region, because it allows us to advance our firm purpose of improving our global cargo operations. Through this cooperation, in line with our customer-oriented approach, we are reinforcing our intercontinental connections and expanding our cargo services to destinations in South America.”
Gabriel Oliva, CEO of Avianca Cargo, remarked: “This agreement represents the possibility of strengthening bilateral cooperation between both airlines, new commercial opportunities, and a closer operational, technological, and product collaboration. The extensive trajectory and leadership of Avianca Cargo in Latin American markets, added to the worldwide experience of Turkish Cargo and its positioning, will ultimately allow us to achieve the highest levels of product offer, service, and value for the benefit of our customers.”
The two carriers agreed to continue exploring new areas of partnership and further deepen their cooperation in the future.
DUBAI, UAE—Airline pilots connect people with places and help create treasured memories – whether it’s an unforgettable holiday, a rock concert, a friend’s wedding or a mother’s warm hug.
So, on World Pilots’ Day, 26 April 2023, Emirates salutes its highly skilled aviators for their contributions to global travel and the airline’s business, while continuing to recruit First Officers and seasoned Captains.
Fun fact: when Emirates launched its services in 1985, the airline’s pilots then were part of the two wet-leased aircraft from Pakistan International Airlines. Fast forward to today and the airline boasts almost 4,000 pilots from 111 nationalities, of which 400 are proud Emirati nationals. The first Emirati cadet pilot joined in 1986 and retired as Captain after a fruitful career of 20 years.
Many pilots have grown with the airline. Inspiringly, Emirates has 1,380 pilots who have been working at the airline for 10-19 years, 173 who’ve served for between 20-29 years, and 5 who have completed 30 years. Emirates’ two longest serving pilots, with over 34 years of service, joined the airline on the same day in 1989.
As travel demand surges, the airline strengthens its network and prepares to take delivery of its Airbus A350s from mid-2024, Emirates continues to grow its pilot community with upcoming recruitment drives. Since the start of 2022, the airline has welcomed over 900 new pilots on its three recruitment programmes – Direct Entry Captains, Accelerated Command, and First Officers.
Pilot journeys
With Emirates’ continuous investments, its pilots fly one of the world’s youngest and most modern fleet of 266 all wide-body aircraft of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s. The airline’s pilots fly to six continents and 140 diverse destinations – from San Francisco to Auckland – and across all terrains – over glaciers, deserts, forests, canyons, marshes and mountains, even the North Pole.
Emirates has always been at the cutting-edge of pilot training with a facility that currently houses 10 full-flight simulators for A380s and 777s. Emirates invests in robust, evidence-based training programmes in-house with highly experienced instructors in specially designed environments. This ensures pilots find flying the airline’s fleet professionally challenging, fulfilling, interesting, and exciting. Running 24/7, the training team runs every kind of course – from type conversion to command development.
The airline is investing US$135 million in building a new, highly advanced pilot training facility spanning 63,318sq. ft that’s set to open in March 2024. The facility will house 6 more full-flight simulators for its future fleet, including the A350 and Boeing 777-9 aircraft.
Pilots also have access to a range of non-technical training programmes at the Emirates Aviation College and Emirates Aviation University. They enjoy well-defined career paths at Emirates, and can advance to roles in management, training and recruitment.
Emirates’ mainly expatriate pilot community relishes living and working in a safe, secure, multicultural environment with colleagues from over 170 nationalities that is reflective of its hub, Dubai. Pilots receive a competitive tax-free salary, spacious accommodation, education allowance, and excellent dental, medical and life cover. They also enjoy chauffeur-driven transport to and from work, laundry services, 42 days annual leave, annual leave tickets, concessional cargo, discounted travel benefits for friends and family, and much more.
Ramping up pilot recruitment
After a successful pilot recruitment roadshow in Hong Kong and Singapore through March and April, next on its pilot recruitment agenda is an online information session on Wednesday, 10 May 2023 at 1pm, Dubai time.Interested pilots, who would like to learn more about the various flight deck roles, should register at https://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/pilots/.
Alaska Airlines has partnered with Shell Aviation with the aim of expanding the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market beyond a standard fuel supply agreement.
As well as procurement and use of SAF, the companies will work together to define and tackle what it will take to advance SAF technology, development, infrastructure and investment.
The agreement includes commitments to deepen understanding of the technology, infrastructure, carbon accounting systems and public policy support needed to bring SAF to more markets, in greater quantities and at a more sustainable long-term cost.
The companies will put particular focus on enabling supply to the West Coast and alleviating fuelling infrastructure challenges in the Pacific Northwest.
Shell Aviation will also supply up to 10m gallons of neat SAF to Alaska Airlines at their hub in Los Angeles.
Alaska Airlines said it shares an ambition with Shell Aviation to help scale the SAF market by concurrently addressing cost and volume through multiple strategies to grow availability and commercial viability of SAF.
“Alaska Airlines has set our course to net zero by 2040 and sustainable aviation fuels represent the greatest near-term opportunity to make a step-level change on that journey,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, senior vice president for public affairs and sustainability at Alaska.
“That’s why we’ve pioneered SAF technologies for more than a decade. But we can’t scale the market alone. We’re excited to take this next step in the journey with Shell, to leverage their deep knowledge of the energy industry, its infrastructure requirements and supply chain to make lower lifecycle carbon SAF more widely available for the future.”
Jan Toschka, president of Shell Aviation, commented: “We’re excited to expand our strong relationship with Alaska and amplify our efforts to help decarbonize aviation through SAF supply on the West Coast and in the Pacific Northwest.
“We need support from the entire ecosystem to build a sustainable future for aviation. This deep level of collaboration will help us put the technologies and supply chain in place to advance the industry.”
“With Shell’s world-class fuel supply chain and deep technical knowledge, we’re aiming to transform West Coast fuel supply,” said Ann Ardizzone, vice president of strategic sourcing and supply chain management at Alaska Airlines. “By leveraging the fuel infrastructure expertise of a major fuel producer, we can advance SAF access in more markets, accelerating the market scale of SAF to reach our environmental goals.”
Delta Cargo has unveiled the largest cooling facility at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to better support cargo that requires specialised temperature-sensitive handling.
This facility will serve as the main cold chain facility for pharmaceutical and healthcare products at the airport, while also enabling perishable cargo shipping of produce and fresh goods.
The cooler boasts expert temperature monitoring, enhanced control and oversight, and specially trained and certified staff to ensure precise handling and integrity of the cold chain.
Each of the facility’s dedicated chambers for pharmaceuticals and perishable goods features distinct temperature zones designed to keep products ranging from vaccines to berries at their specific, required temperature throughout the entire journey.
The cooler also has humidity control capabilities as well as dedicated capacity for seafood, ensuring that customers’ cargo arrives at its destination as fresh as the time it was packed.
“This is just one of the significant investments Delta is making to innovate and expand our service offerings to our Cargo customers,” said Rob Walpole, vice president – Delta Cargo.
“By expanding our cold chain footprint and leveraging our extensive partner and route network at JFK, we are offering an unparalleled set of options for our customers looking to move temperature-sensitive shipments through the Northeast corridor.”
Teresa Rizzuto, JFK general manager, added: “This cargo cooler is the latest of Delta’s significant investments in the transformation at this airport and another example of their partnership in creating a world-class global gateway at JFK that not only features a best-in-class passenger experience, but also state-of-the-art cargo handling that will strengthen our supply chain and boost the region’s economy.”
Delta is JFK’s largest global carrier, operating up to 34 flights to 26 cities across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East – including the top 10 pharma markets – as well as service to key Latin American and Caribbean markets.
AviaAM Leasing has delivered another 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) to Icelandic ACMI leasing and cargo airline Bluebird Nordic.
This is the fourth aircraft in the Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversion programme for sister company and lessee Bluebird, and was originally due to be delivered in January.
AviaAM said in a LinkedIn post: “AviaAM Leasing is pleased to have completed the delivery of a 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter to Bluebird Nordic. This is the fourth aircraft in the Passenger-to-Freighter conversion program.”
The B737-800, bearing serial number 29790, underwent the P2F conversion works provided by Boeing at Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (STAECO) facility in Jinan (TNA), China.
Bluebird Nordic and AviaAM Leasing are a part of Avia Solutions Group and are working together to enable Bluebird to achieve its fleet expansion goals.
AviaAM Leasing is currently undertaking a passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion project, which includes the Boeing 737-800 series and a commitment to convert 25 aircraft of different types over the next four years.
In December, AviaAM Leasing purchased two B737-800 aircraft for P2F conversion. The aircraft, bearing serial numbers 29769 and 28225, are the fifth and sixth B737-800 respectively inducted to cargo conversion.
The two aircraft have already been inducted for P2F conversions at the Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (STAECO) facility in Jinan (TNA), China.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON— Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE: ALK) says it had $2.5 billion in operating revenue for the fourth quarter, resulting in $9.6 billion in operating revenue for the full year 2022, the highest annual total in the company history.
“2022 was a year of significant recovery and accomplishment for Alaska Airlines,” said Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci.
“Despite many challenges during the year, we ran one of the best operations, signed five new labor deals, and executed the majority of our single fleet transition. The results we posted today signal how well our teams are navigating this recovery. I want to thank our employees for their commitment to our success, and for the work they do every day to take great care of our guests. I am confident that we are well positioned to grow, compete and out-perform in 2023,” he noted.
With business doing good following the difficult years during the pandemic, Alaska Air Group said it made $257 million of incentive pay in 2022 earned by employees for meeting or exceeding profitability, safety and emissions targets. The payout is the richest in the 20-year history of the plan, representing nearly six weeks of pay for most employees.
Additionally, it received nearly $1.5 billion in annual cash remuneration under the renewed co-brand credit card arrangement with Bank of America, the highest level in the program’s history.
HONG KONG—As months of social unrest in Hong Kong eased up, Cathay Pacific reported it carried more than 1 million passengers in January, up by 4,077 percent compared to January 2022.
The airline said this is a positive sign as it continues to rebuild and restore connectivity at the Hong Kong international aviationhub. Passengers from South Asia, the Middle East and Africa contributed much to increased traffic in Hong Kong, it said. For cargo, the airline saw an increase of over 28% to 95,139 tons carried in January 2023.
“The new year got off to a positivestart in January as Cathay Pacific carried more than one million passengers for the first timesince the start of the pandemic. We carried on average more than 33,000 passengers per day,up from about 26,000 per day in December 2022, and operated 18% more capacity than we didin December. We also continued to add more destinations in January, with our Phuket and Xi’anflights resuming,” said Cathay Pacific Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau.
With quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland resuming, passenger traffic between the areas is also expected to pick-up.
“Leisure travel demand over the Lunar New Year holiday was also strong, particularly from Hong Kong, with Japan, Bangkok and Singapore being the most popular destinations. Unfortunately, despite demand being high for Japan, we had to cancel some of our flights due to restrictions imposed by the Japanese authorities on the number of flights airlines are permitted to operate from Hong Kong,” said Lau.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates—Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Air India announced the carrier has selected Boeing’s family of fuel-efficient airplanes to expand its future fleet with plans to invest in 190 737 MAX, 20 787 Dreamliner and 10 777X airplanes.
The agreement between Boeing and Air India includes options for 50 additional 737 MAXs and 20 787-9s. When finalized, this will be the largest Boeing order in South Asia and a historic milestone in the aerospace company’s nearly 90-year partnership with the carrier. The order will post to Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries website when final.
Air India, the flag carrier of India, formerly owned and operated by its government was fully acquired by Tata Sons via its subsidiary, Talace Private Limited, on 27 January 2022.
Along with a comprehensive set of aviation services, Air India is advancing its fleet strategy tosustainably address South Asia’s rapidly growing market for domestic and international air travel.
“This acquisition of nearly 300, highly advanced Boeing jets is a core element of Vihaan.AI, the comprehensive transformation and growth strategy we are pursuing at Air India,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD, Air India. “These new airplanes will enable us to dramatically expand our network, both domestically and internationally, and will come with a completely new, world-class onboard product enabling passengers to travel in the highest levels of comfort and safety. With this order, we are delighted to take our long relationship with Boeing to a new level.”
“Air India’s selection of Boeing’s family of passenger jets shows their confidence in our products and services in the world’s fastest growing aviation market, and their decision will support engineering and manufacturing jobs at Boeing factories in Washington state, South Carolina and across our supply base,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Air India has also contracted with Boeing Global Services for lifecycle support services, including digital solutions, spare parts and landing gear exchange programs, pilot and maintenance technician training, aircraft modifications and other services.
The 737 MAX will provide flexibility across Air India’s domestic and international network while reducing fuel use and emissions by 20% compared to the airplanes it replaces.
Air India has benefited from the efficiency and flexibility of the 787 Dreamliner family with an existing fleet of 27 787-8s. The larger 787-9 will provide increased capacity, greater range and 25% better fuel efficiency compared to earlier generation jets.
GATWICK, ENGLAND—Specialist air cargo management company, Magma Aviation, says it has transported over 1000kg of flip flops on a pro bono basis for UK-based Non-Profit Sea Sense.
Sea Sense produces plastic-free biodegradable flip flops, of which the sales fund the prevention of plastics from reaching our oceans. They work with grassroots organisations and communities in Sierra Leone, Kenya and Indonesia to reduce plastic pollution whilst also providing a vital income for plastic collectors in developing countries.
Logistics are crucially important for Sea Sense, as the more cost-effective and efficient the process, the more funds and time they can dedicate to plastic collection. Magma Aviation stepped in to donate their time and resources in transporting the flip flops from the point of manufacture in Fuzhou, China to the point of sale in the United Kingdom using multimodal transport solutions.
“We are grateful for Magma Aviation’s efficiency and their eagerness to assist our cause. By donating their time and resources we were able to transport our flip flops across the world quickly, and as a result we have been able to free up funds to employ more plastic collectors in Sierra Leone, providing them with a truly vital income,” said Sea Sense Founder Luke McMillan.
Magma Aviation Operations Manager James Le Poer Trench commented: “We had two priorities with this charter: the first was to ensure the transport was as quick and easy as possible, reducing Sea Sense’s lead time. The second was that Magma Aviation would pay for the transport, end-to-end. Profits from each pair of flip flops enable 500 ocean-bound plastic bottles to be removed from some of the world’s most polluted waterways and coastlines, so we are delighted to have transported over one tonne of flip flops to their point of sale to fund this amazing endeavour.”
Technology has made the world smaller and faster.Real time communication with people from all over the world at different time zones through phones and gadgets
