Aviation Daily Roundup: September 21, 2021

Shell Sets Out SAF Production Ambition

Credit: Royal Dutch Shell

Oil and gas company Shell has set itself a target of producing 2 million metric tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) a year by 2025. 

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Spanish Partners To Convert Caravan To Fuel-Cell Propulsion

Credit: Dante Aeronautical

Spanish airlines Volotea and Air Nostrum, with Spanish/Australian startup Dante Aeronautical, plan to convert the Cessna Grand Caravan to hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion, aiming for first flight early in 2024.

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Aegean Airlines Improves Cash Flow; Reaccelerates A320neo Deliveries

Credit: Aegean Airlines

Aegean Airlines generated positive cash flow in the 2021 second quarter (Q2), which reduced the Greek carrier’s losses despite limited activity. 

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Bamboo Airways Set To Seal $2B GEnx Engine Deal

Credit: Bamboo Airways

Bamboo Airways will finalize a $2 billion General Electric GEnx engine deal during Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phu’s visit to the U.S. this week.

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Vertical Signs EVTOL Tie-Up With Bristow; Avolon Strikes Brazil Deal

Credit: Vertical Aerospace

Hard on the heels of its agreement with Electra to pursue electric short-takeoff aircraft, helicopter operator Bristow Group has announced a partnership with Vertical Aerospace to explore electric vertical-takeoff aircraft.

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The Worst Of The Crisis Is Over, EasyJet CEO Says

Credit: Kurt Hofmann

EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren believes the worst of the COVID-19 crisis for the UK-based LCC has passed, thanks to the increased demand that vaccination programs have ushered in. 

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Airlines See Easing Of U.S. Entry Rules As Major Step In Recovery

Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Airlines on both side of the Atlantic welcomed the likely boost to transatlantic travel that the U.S. government’s decision to ease restrictions on foreign travelers is expected to bring, and IATA urged governments to avoid “blanket” COVID-19 rules going forward. 

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Smartavia Plans Large Moscow Sheremetyevo Flight Program

Credit: Rob Finlayson

Russian carrier Smartavia has signed an agreement to open a base at Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO), vowing to launch “a large-scale program of flights” from the airport.

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Vueling Secures Ceded Air France Slots At Paris Orly

Credit: Joe Pries

Spanish carrier Vueling has been given the green light to take over 18 daily slots at Paris Orly (ORY) that were ceded by Air France to remedy competition concerns following its €4 billion ($4.7 billion) recapitalization by the French state.

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Icelandic LCC PLAY To Lease Six A320neos

Credit: PLAY

Icelandic LCC PLAY is firming up leases on six new aircraft—five Airbus A320neos and one A321NX—which will be delivered between spring 2022 and spring 2023.

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Daily Memo: The C919 Conundrum: Duopoly To Triopoly?

Credit: ITPS Canada

When China created COMAC in 2008 to develop the C919 narrowbody, it spawned questions about whether the project would put an end to the comfortable Airbus-Boeing duopoly in passenger jets. 

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Ryanair Increases Post-Pandemic Passenger Growth Forecast

Credit: Boeing

Ryanair Group is now expecting to carry 225 million passengers across its five airlines by early 2026, an 11% increase on its previous forecast.

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Flight Safety Foundation Assessment Targets Downturn’s Added Risks

Credit: Nigel Howarth / Aviation Week

The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) is leading an effort to quantity safety risks that the downturn’s operational interruptions have introduced into parts of the aviation system so industry can adjust long-term safety programs in response to the new issues. 

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