Aviation Daily Roundup: April 21, 2022

April 22, 2022

Cathay Pacific Introduces Asia’s First SAF Corporate Program

Cathay Pacific is launching a corporate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) program, allowing companies to purchase SAF for their employees’ flights and reducing Scope 3 carbon emissions from business travel or cargo transportation. The program will start with eight companies--AIA, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), DHL Global Forwarding, HSBC, Kintetsu World Express (KWE), PwC China, Standard Chartered and Swire Pacific--and will be the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region. Credit: Chen Chuanren

Hong Kong Airport's Third Runway Nears Operation

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) has completed the flight test and validation of its third runway, marking one of the final steps into full operation in 2022. Now designated as runway 07L/25R, the third runway is part of the greater three-runway system (3RS) program that includes the reclamation of 650 hectares of land, and the building of a terminal 2 concourse and related facilities. Credit: Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK)

Daily Memo: A Lesson In Aerospace Manufacturing Cost Escalation

As the tidal wave of first-quarter earnings reports rolls in across aerospace and defense, a few clear themes are emerging beyond the exigencies of the market effects related to either COVID-19 or the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Top of mind for investors and financial analysts also is the potential fallout from rising inflation and its various components. Credit: Sean Broderick / AWST

Staffing Woes, Airbus Transition Constrain Alaska’s Capacity Growth

Staffing challenges and accelerating the exit of its A320 operations have forced Alaska Air Group to cut its full year 2022 capacity guidance. The company now expects its 2022 capacity to be flat to down 3% compared with 2019. At one point, Alaska expected its supply would grow 2% to 6% this year versus pre-pandemic levels, but later revised that forecast to an increase of 1% to 3%. Credit: Rob Finlayson

American Sees No Disruption In JetBlue NEA From A JetBlue-Spirit Merger

American Airlines does not believe its Northeast Alliance (NEA) with JetBlue will be drastically altered if JetBlue succeeds in its pursuit of Spirit Airlines. American and JetBlue launched their alliance in February of 2021 and the two airlines are coordinating schedules at Boston Logan, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia and Newark International. The two airlines are codesharing on more than 180 routes. Credit: Nigel Howarth / Aviation Week

Natilus Selects San Diego To Build Its First Autonomous Cargo Aircraft

Startup Natilus is to locate engineering and manufacturing for its planned family of autonomous cargo aircraft at Brown Field in San Diego. A prototype of the initial 3.8-ton-payload Natilus 3.8T short-haul cargo feeder is being built in an existing hangar at the municipal airport. The hangar will be used for final assembly, structural testing and systems integration. The airport has an 8,000-ft. runway, suitable for testing large cargo aircraft, said Natilus, which added that office space available at Brown Field will be used to supplement its downtown engineering offices. Credit: Natilus

Airbus And Partners Eye 2024 For Titanium-Saving Technology

A project led by the IRT Saint-Exupery research and technology institute in Toulouse is well on track to cutting raw materials needed for 30% of titanium parts on Airbus aircraft. The expected advancement will rely on improved closed-dye forging (a process using tooling that resembles a waffle iron), simplified machining and the introduction of additive manufacturing. The first production application is foreseen in 2024 on A350 parts such as engine pylons. Credit: IRT Saint-Exupery

United Projects Record Q2 As Business, International Demand Strengthens

Confidence in continued ramp-up of business travel and a steady return of long-haul flying has United Airlines forecasting that it will turn a profit this quarter and for the full year, despite headwinds from rising fuel costs and constrained capacity. “We’ve finally reached the inflection point as we transition from pandemic to endemic and demand is stronger than I’ve ever seen in my career,” President Scott Kirby said on the company’s first-quarter (Q1) earnings call April 21. Credit: Sean Broderick / AWST

Vertical Aerospace Cites Post-Brexit eVTOL Certification Progress

Vertical Aerospace expects to certificate its VX4 air taxi concurrently with the UK and Europe, with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) agreeing to validate UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) type certification of the electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Agreement with EASA paves the way for the VX4 to operate in both the UK and Europe “from 2025,” Vertical said. Credit: Vertical Aerospace

Air Arabia, Flydubai Resume Services On More Saudi Arabian Routes

UAE LCC Air Arabia and flydubai have announced the resumption of more direct flights to Saudi Arabia from their bases in Sharjah and Dubai, respectively. Sharjah-based Air Arabia said starting from April 28, its network to Saudi Arabia will grow again with the resumption of 2X-weekly flights to Taif, 2X-weekly to Al Jouf, 5X-weekly to Gassim and once-weekly service to Ha’il. Credit: Airbus

Icelandic LCC PLAY Launches U.S. Flights, Establishes Hub System

Icelandic LCC PLAY Airlines, which began commercial operations in June 2021, launched new transatlantic services on April 20, operating daily from Keflavík International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. With this inaugural flight, PLAY said it plans to commence the next chapter of its history, in which passengers from North America and Europe will be transported over the Atlantic Ocean with Iceland as a hub. Credit: PLAY

Wright To Demo 2-Megawatt Generator For Battlefield Power

As it ground-tests a 2-megawatt electric motor with the intent of converting a 100-seat regional jet to zero-emission propulsion, Wright Electric has received a U.S. Air Force contract to modify the technology into a lightweight, high-power generator as a battlefield recharger for electrified vehicles. The startup has been testing its 2-megawatt powertrain since January, supported by a total of $9 million in funding from NASA, the U.S. Energy Department, Army and Air Force. Credit: Wright Electric

GE Taps BAE Systems For Hybrid Electric Propulsion Team

BAE Systems plans to provide energy-management components, including the battery and cabling, for the megawatt-class hybrid electric propulsion system being developed by GE Aviation under the recently awarded NASA Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project. BAE, which will develop the components at its Endicott, New York, facility, also will provide the controls for the demonstrator’s power-management system. Credit: NASA

Cathay Pacific introduces Asia’s first SAF corporate program, Hong Kong airport's third runway nears operation and more. Take a look at the daily roundup of air transport news.

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