Aviation Daily Roundup: June 07, 2022

Airbus, Wizz Air To Study Hydrogen Operations

Airbus and LCC Wizz Air have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to study hydrogen-powered aircraft operations. The idea is to identify operational and infrastructure opportunities and challenges, and to better predict the hydrogen ecosystem from the perspectives of society, regulation, energy pricing and infrastructure, according to Wizz Air. Credit: Wizz Air

Cathay Pacific Granted Another Year To Draw Down Government Loan

The Hong Kong government has pushed back the expiry date of a financial safety net it has provided for Cathay Pacific due to the COVID-19 crisis. The government has agreed to extend the drawdown period of Cathay’s HK$7.8 billion ($994 million) loan facility by 12 months to June 8, 2023. This is the second extension for the loan window, after the government granted a previous one-year delay through June 2022. Cathay’s bridge loan facility was first introduced in June 2020 as part of the government’s HK$39 billion recapitalization package. Credit: Rob Finlayson

FAA’s Amended Type Certificate Process Effective, Can Be Improved, Mitre Finds

Limiting the issuance of amended type certificates to a certain timeframe following the initial design’s approval would bring “no clear safety benefit,” while targeting safety-critical areas in newer rules when negotiating a derivative product’s certification basis shows promise, a Mitre study found. The study, requested by the FAA to satisfy Congressional requirements in a 2020 law, analyzed the potential benefits of limiting how long aircraft designs can be modified before a new type certificate (TC) is required, and whether the agency should better document regulatory exemptions granted to derivatives. Credit: Sean Broderick/AWST

Industry Will Move With Regulatory Shifts, Honeywell Exec Says

Manufacturers will adapt to the shifting regulatory landscape and find a workable compromise between emphasizing rapid product development and ensuring designs are safe, Honeywell’s top aerospace executive said. The FAA, prompted in part by new laws passed in 2020, is making fundamental changes to product certification and oversight. The regulator is doing work that was once delegated to companies, and taking a closer look at nearly everything applicants provide that has safety implications. Credit: Mark Nensel

Moody’s Sees Staffing Shortage Limiting U.S. Capacity Into 2023

Staffing shortages will likely constrain U.S. airline capacity well into 2023, a team of Moody’s analysts predicted, but that may not be a bad thing for carriers in need of higher fares to offset their own rising costs. A series of second-quarter schedule cuts were recently announced by a handful of large U.S. carriers, including Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and Southwest, as well as ULCCs like Allegiant Air and Spirit Airlines. Credit: Daniel Slim / AFP / Getty Images

Daily Memo: Getting The Sustainability Message Across

Airlines and aerospace manufacturers are all too aware that meeting the industry’s 2050 net zero target represents a huge long-term challenge, financially, technologically and operationally. But in the meantime, they face another challenge: communication. Credit: Rob Wilkinson / Alamy Stock Photo

Flyht Unveils Edge Launch Customer, Completes ARJ21 Work

Avionics and software-as-a-service specialist Flyht Aerospace marked two milestones in recent days, unveiling a launch customer for its newest avionics platform and announcing initial installations of a different device on China Express Comac ARJ21s as part of supplemental type certification (STC) efforts. Aspiring Bermuda-based start-up Coral Jet is the first announced customer for Flyht’s Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) Edge third-generation avionics platform. Credit: Depositphotos/Chinaimages

Raytheon Technologies' Headquarters Moving To Washington, D.C., Suburb

Raytheon Technologies, the Super Tier 1 aerospace supplier and large defense prime contractor, will move its corporate headquarters this year to Arlington, Virginia, home of the Pentagon and across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The announcement follows other leading aerospace and defense companies, including Boeing’s recent decision to do likewise, and means that most of the largest Western A&D companies will have their corporate headquarters in the Washington area. Credit: Raytheon

Airlines Speak Out Over Flight Delays, Cancellations

Airlines contending with staffing and operational issues as demand has come roaring back this summer are responding strongly to criticism of the industry over the handling of a recent spate of flight delays and cancellations. IATA Director General Willie Walsh told the Paris Air Forum June 7 that it was unfair for governments to blame airlines for the current operational issues, saying that carriers were not in a position to launch recruitment drives over the winter months. Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images

Sweden Backs SAS Proposal To Convert $2B Bailout Into Equity

The Swedish government has granted Scandinavian Airlines’ (SAS) request to convert around SEK20 billion ($2 billion) of debt provided by the state during the pandemic into equity, but Stockholm is refusing to contribute to the airline’s much-needed capital increase. During the COVID-19 crisis, SAS said it incurred “substantial additional debt,” which added to its “highly leveraged” balance sheet. Credit: Joe Pries

France’s CMA CGM Air Cargo Details Fleet Expansion Plans

French newcomer CMA CGM Air Cargo has secured its own air operator’s certificate (AOC) and taken delivery of its first Boeing 777F, with plans to grow its fleet to 12 aircraft by 2026. CMA CGM Air Cargo launched operations in March 2021 as the air freight division of French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM. Credit: Wirestock, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

Long-Haul Routes Drive Philippine Airlines’ Recovery

Strong demand to visit friends and relatives (VFR) is driving the recovery at Philippine Airlines as the restructured carrier continues to rebuild its route network. Speaking at Routes Asia 2022 in Da Nang, Vietnam, the flag-carrier’s VP of network planning Christoph Gärtner said that long-haul markets in particular have held up well, helping to offset restrictions on flying to the likes of China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan, which accounted for a significant chunk of the airline’s network before the pandemic. Credit: Ocean Driven Media

Airbus, Wizz Air to study hydrogen operations, Cathay Pacific granted another year to draw down government loan and more. Take a look at the daily roundup of air transport news.

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