Amadeus to provide Copenhagen Airport with cloud-based technology

Copenhagen Airport has chosen Amadeus as a long-term IT partner. This strategic partnership, in which Amadeus will provide Copenhagen Airports with next-generation cloud-based technology, will provide far reaching benefits including an improved operational performance and customer experience.
The agreement will see nine Amadeus solutions being implemented to replace the current Air Traffic System, transforming operations across a diverse range of areas.
Christian Poulsen, CIO and VP for Assets & Technology at Copenhagen Airports, describes the role IT plays in supporting their strategic objectives, “We have an ambitious vision to become a world-class hub for Northern Europe. Our objective is to grow from 25 to 40 million passengers per year, and as a part of this focus we are optimising our infrastructure to better help our airline partners to serve the increasing number of international routes and operations. We have chosen Amadeus as a strategic partner. Amadeus has the proven experience and leading cloud capabilities to deliver an operational traffic IT solution which will enable us to meet our goals whilst in parallel ensuring we keep our focus on continued innovation.”
John Jarrell, Head of Airport IT at Amadeus, said, “We look forward to helping Copenhagen harness the power of the cloud through this landmark agreement. Airports around the world are considering how new approaches to technology can help increase capacity, efficiency, the passenger experience and open new revenue streams, whilst also delivering more competitive services to their airline customers. With the on-going air traffic capacity constraints that exist in Europe we are seeing a shift in the industry as airport operators such as Copenhagen Airports, a company consistently recognised for its efficiency and emphasis on innovation, take advantage of the benefits of the cloud.”
Amadeus’ Airport IT division was created in 2011 and has seen rapid organic growth as well as the acquisition of UFIS Airport Solutions in 2014 and more recently the acquisition of Air-Transport IT Services in 2015.

Embraer expands its E-Jet family

UTC Aerospace Systems congratulates Embraer on the rollout of the next-generation Embraer E190-E2. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

UTC Aerospace Systems is a major supplier for the E2 jet, providing numerous new systems for the re-engine aircraft. The E190-E2 is one of three new airplanes that comprise the second generation of Embraer’s E-Jet family.
“Embraer has been our valued customer for many years, and we are delighted to join them in commemorating this exciting milestone,” said David Gitlin, President of UTC Aerospace Systems. “We are fully committed to supporting the E2 family of airplanes through entry into service and beyond.”

UTC Aerospace Systems has been chosen by Pratt & Whitney as the exclusive nacelle provider for both engine models for Embraer’s E2-Jet aircraft. The E2-Jets will be equipped with Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ PW1700G and PW1900G engines that include UTC Aerospace Systems engine controls. Designed and manufactured to leverage the latest in composite technology, the nacelle systems will directly contribute to significant reductions in fuel burn, emissions, noise and operating costs.
UTC Aerospace Systems has also been selected by Embraer to be the sole source supplier of wheels and carbon brakes for the E2 aircraft family, the electric system which comprises electric power generation, emergency power generation, primary power distribution and secondary power distribution, as well as fire protection, evacuation systems and air data systems.

Exova expands its aerospace capabilities in Czech Republic

Global testing group Exova has made a series of investments at its laboratory in Plzeň, Czech Republic to extend its range of capabilities for customers within the global aerospace market, and further grow its presence in mainland Europe.

Central to the laboratory’s investment is a new metallurgical department with increased capacity. This includes modifications to the facility and the acquisition of new state of the art equipment such as optical microscopy and precision cutting machinery to meet the growing demand from the aerospace industry.

In addition to the new equipment, the lab has invested in its computer-based operating systems to increase efficiency at each stage of testing, improving both operations and reporting.
As well as a broad scope of mechanical testing, the Plzeň laboratory provides metallurgical assessment, including macro assessment and mapping and a range of micro examinations, along with corrosion resistance testing. Its customers work predominantly in the aerospace sector, but the laboratory conducts testing on forgings and welding, so can work across the automotive, power generation and general engineering sectors as well.

Jiri Fidransky, General Manager of the Plzeň laboratory, said, “These upgrades have streamlined our day-to-day operations and reflect the growth we are seeing in the aerospace sector. Exova’s continued strong growth in the sector is driven by our highly technical and efficient service provision, and through these investments our customers will benefit from improved turnaround times and increased capacity, as well as advances in testing capabilities.”

Enova to provide FM services at Sharjah International Airport

Enova has been awarded a new five-year contract to provide technical and specialised facilities management (FM) services at the Sharjah International Airport in the UAE.
The deal, which follows the firm’s previous five-year contract at the airport, covers the provision of services related to mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), flight information display systems (FIDS), security and civil operations.
Enova’s renewed contract will also involve airfield services, including airfield lighting, runway civil maintenance and communications and navigation systems.
The FM provider, formerly known as MAF Dalkia, will continue to build on work conducted over the last five years by introducing a variety of energy performance management components designed to provide cost savings and reduced energy consumption amongst Sharjah International Airport’s facilities.
HE Ali Salim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, added, “Sharjah International Airport enjoys an excellent reputation for its operational efficiency, which came as a result of efficient management of the highest international standards, in addition to the ongoing maintenance works in all its facilities to ensure [a] pleasant travelling experience for all our passengers. Enova is one of the leading companies in this field; it has proven through the years its ability to manage the airport facilities efficiently.
“Our aim is to ensure the highest level of maintenance is made to all the airport’s facilities and infrastructure in order to operate efficiently around the clock. And we are confident that this partnership with Enova will lead to excellent results, which all stakeholders and passengers will benefit from. Also, we will work to maximise the energy savings among the facilities as part of our environment conservation programme,” HE Al Midfa concluded.

Tigerair Australia selects CloudStore

CloudStore by Arconics, the next generation, feature-rich, scalable and cost effective Wireless In-Flight Entertainment (W-IFE) platform, has been selected by Tigerair Australia for the airline’s first short-haul services to Bali commencing March 2016. Flights between Australia and Denpasar are operated by Virgin Australia International, providing a Tigerair Australia service, and are subject to regulatory approvals.
CloudStore will allow Tigerair Australia to offer a mix of free and paid content offerings to their customers on the Boeing 737-800 fleet of aircraft which the airline will use for its international services. Content will be a mix of Hollywood and Australian movies as well as international and local TV programmes, music and real-time destination mapping. Over time, more features will be introduced to the platform.
CloudStore Wireless IFE is driven by the passenger experience, but it also features powerful backend functionality, including rich data analytics in near real-time, to support on-the-go commercial and service decision-making.
CloudStore delivers improvements in the IFE content delivery cycle. Airline staff can publish their own content builds and prepare aircraft media: they no longer have to wait to import media from an integrator, and can update content on the platform without delays.
Arconics CEO, Niall O’Sullivan, said, “We’re delighted that Tigerair Australia is deploying CloudStore W-IFE. We’ve worked hard with some of the world’s smartest airlines to create an IFE platform that’s a generation ahead of competition. Passengers demand the freedom to use their own devices to access entertainment, communications and retail services while they’re flying and CloudStore delivers on the promise of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). CloudStore provides the flexibility, analytics and real-time insight that revenue managers need to drive ancillaries and our faster, simpler content loading removes effort and complexity for engineering and ground operations.”
CloudStore Wireless IFE will be on display at Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Germany, 5-7 April 2016.

JetBlue Airways announces key appointments

JetBlue Airways, New York’s Hometown Airline™, recently announced the appointment of John Culp to the role of Vice President – Inflight Experience and Rachel McCarthy to the role of Vice President – Talent, effective this month.
John Culp, most recently served as JetBlue’s Director – Inflight Field Operations. He steps into the helm of JetBlue’s second-largest work group during a year of significant growth for the airline. JetBlue is set to hire 850 new Inflight Crewmembers in 2016 to support the airline’s ongoing network growth across the Americas.
He first joined JetBlue in 2007, rising through the ranks as Manager – Inflight Business and Resource Management and later Director – Inflight Performance & Quality. An airline industry veteran, he has a combined 25 years of experience in aviation including as a flight attendant for Continental Airlines and in various commercial roles for British Airways and Northwest Airlines. He is a graduate of Purdue University and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
Rachel McCarthy, who most recently served as Vice President – Inflight Experience, has been appointed to the key role of Vice President – Talent. She will oversee all aspects of hiring and talent development across JetBlue – a critical piece of strengthening the company’s culture as the airline expects to cross the 20,000-Crewmember mark in 2016. Last year alone, the airline attracted a record 140,000 job applications.
She joined JetBlue in 2009 and has also served as Director – Product Development and Director – Inflight Field Operations. Prior to JetBlue, she held a variety of commercial leadership positions at Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in the U.S. and U.K. She has over 25 years of airline experience. McCarthy succeeds Bonny Simi, who was named President, JetBlue Technology Ventures.
“I am delighted to see two outstanding JetBlue leaders appointed to these critical roles,” said JetBlue’s President and CEO, Robin Hayes. “Over their careers at JetBlue, John and Rachel have proven to be terrific leaders who understand that our culture is critical to our success.”
“Our inflight crewmembers are the best in the sky and each day they bring the JetBlue brand to life onboard our aircraft and in our communities,” Culp said. “I am thrilled to continue working with our inflight crewmembers in this new role and look forward to working together to continue evolving our award-winning onboard service.”

Thilo Schäfer takes over as Leisure Cargo MD

Thilo Schäfer will take the reins as Managing Director of Leisure Cargo, the airline specialist for total cargo management.
He will lead the company together with Dr. Klaus Sieger, who in recent months has pressed ahead with the positive development at Leisure Cargo over 2015.
Thilo Schäfer previously held the position of Vice President Global Handling at Lufthansa Cargo, where most recently he carried overall responsibility for process and quality management, digitisation, lean logistics and innovation management. Schäfer is a 20-year veteran of the aviation industry. A qualified business engineer, he was in charge of developing Time Definite Services, where he also managed sales in Germany. The seasoned logistics expert has acquired international experience working in Asia and Europe.
Stefan Pichler, CEO, airberlin, says, “We have recruited an extremely experienced air cargo manager in Thilo Schäfer. His extensive knowledge of the logistics industry will allow him to play a key role in shaping Leisure Cargo’s ongoing strategic development as a ‘virtual cargo airline’.”
Thilo Schäfer, says, “I am looking forward to my new challenges very much, particularly building and expanding new customer relationships in Germany and abroad. I am convinced that our strong team and global partners will allow the future-oriented and successful development of Leisure Cargo to continue.”

Sergey Emdin steps down as CEO of NCG

Sergey Emdin has left his position as Chief Executive Officer of Northern Capital Gateway LLC (NCG), the managing company of Pulkovo St. Petersburg Airport. By resolution of the Company’s Board of Directors, Sergey Furs, who has held the position of Procurement and Warehousing Director in NCG since 2010, has been appointed as the new CEO.
S. Emdin headed NCG since April 1, 2010. Under his leadership, the first stage of Pulkovo Airport reconstruction and development project was successfully completed on the basis of a public-private partnership. The volume of investment for the first stage was EUR 1.2 billion.
Within the first stage, in 2010-2015, a modern centralized passenger terminal was built with an area of 170,000 sq. m and operational capacity of 18 million passengers per year. A large-scale modernization of the airside and landside infrastructure was carried out, new aprons, a business centre and a hotel were built.
Passenger flow through the Airport doubled from 2010 till 2015, and reached 13.5 million in 2015. The Company’s revenue over this period more than doubled and, according to the preliminary results for 2015, approached 14 billion.
Sergey Emdin will continue his work at a senior management level in VTB Group and will be included in the NCG Board of Directors.

FedEx’s Frank Newman joins TIACA’s Board

Frank Newman, Managing Director, FedEx Services, has been appointed to the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) Board of Directors.
Newman has over 35 years’ experience in the aviation industry, including senior roles with McDonnell Douglas and FedEx.
Based at the FedEx headquarters in Memphis, USA, he currently manages sales activities for the company’s airline and aerospace customer segment.
“TIACA has a vital role to play in bringing together all sectors of the air cargo supply chain and giving them a voice,” said Newman.
“I am looking forward to using this role to help ensure industry keeps abreast of changing demands as well as providing innovative solutions to colleagues around the globe.”
Newman takes over from Sarah Prosser, Managing Director – Legal Counsel at FedEx, who is stepping down after six years on the Board.
Newman will be taking part in a panel at TIACA’s 2016 Air Cargo Forum chaired by fellow Board member Amar More, CEO of Kale Logistics, which will look at e-business challenges.
The panel is part of three days of seminars and workshops at the ACF Air Cargo Vision 2020: An Open Sky to Innovation, in Paris, France.

Airways Aviation appoints Ian Cooper as CEO

Airways Aviation appoints former General Manager and Head of Training, Europe, Ian Cooper, as the new CEO, to spearhead ongoing global expansion.
Cooper played a key role developing the strategic direction of high-quality, airline-specific training, including the recent opening of Airways Aviation’s EASA-accredited fair-weather flying base in Huesca, Spain.
He takes over from former CEO Romy Hawatt, the Founder and Owner of Airways Aviation Group. Hawatt, who remains as Chairman, says, “Ian brings with him more than 15 years’ of experience in the global aviation training industry, including positions as training operations Director, Head of Training, General and Territory Manager. Prior to moving into training, Ian worked as a commercial airline pilot.
“I am delighted to hand the controls of rapidly-expanding Airways Aviation Group to such a capable and highly-respected industry professional. He enters the role following a comprehensive assessment and selection process, with the full confidence and support of the entire Airways team.”
Business outlook is strong as Ian takes the helm, with the recent launch of the Elite Pathways programme – Airways Aviations’ flagship integrated ATPL course – ongoing collaborations with universities, Asia-based cabin crew training and a growing base of Foundation Schools across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.
Cooper says, “We are fully committed to ensuring flexibility for our airline partners in response to an increasingly demanding marketplace and needs of the industry, and have some exciting plans and announcement for the near-future.
“My focus is to continue the growth and success of the business, deliver high-quality, innovative solutions for airlines and continue to be a global leader in aviation education and training.”