IAG Cargo invests 1.5 million Euros in perishables facility at Madrid hub

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has recently invested €1.5 million into the expansion of its temperature-controlled perishables facility in Madrid. This forms part of a total €12 million invested in the business’ Spanish hub over the last 6 years.

As the first point of entry into the EU for perishables, IAG Cargo boasts an extensive network of connections from Latin America, with Madrid serving as a vital centre for distribution of produce across the region. This investment will increase the total capacity of the facility by 45% and will home 1,340 square metres of dedicated temperature-controlled space for perishable goods, offering customers the largest cooling chambers at Madrid airport. These chambers bring improved reliability and efficiency to IAG Cargo’s cold chain operations in Europe and are monitored 24/7 to ensure temperature sensitive goods are held in the correct conditions.

This forms part of IAG Cargo’s wider 12 million Euro investment into its Madrid hub over the last 6 years to enhance services for customers

The expansion of the facility will provide more capacity for the transportation of fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish between Latin America and Europe

The new facility features state-of-the-art cooling chambers to maintain the integrity of perishable goods

Fernando Terol Armas, Director of Spanish Hub and Operations at IAG Cargo said: “We are thrilled to announce this latest investment in our Madrid facility, which further demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality service to our customers.

With the expansion of our temperature-controlled space and state-of-the-art cooling chambers, we can now offer even greater capacity for perishable goods, ensuring their integrity is maintained throughout the supply chain. This investment will enable us to continue to serve as a vital link between Latin America and Europe, and we look forward to supporting our customers' growth in this region.”

Ramon Rey, International Director of Eurobanan that houses tropical fruit brand Isla Bonita added, “We are delighted by the additional capacity IAG Cargo has created at their perishables facility in Madrid. This development will allow us to continue delivering premium quality fruits and vegetables to consumers across Spain year-round. With enhanced logistics, IAG Cargo enables us to ensure that freshness is never compromised.”

The expansion of this facility will benefit customers importing fruit and vegetables, including asparagus from Peru and Los Angeles, papayas from Brazil, and mangos from Dominican Republic, as well as meat from Argentina and Uruguay, and fish, such as hake and salmon, from Chile.

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Get ready for another launch from Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab USA, is preparing two back-to-back Electron launches to deploy NASA’s PREFIRE - Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment mission.  The two dedicated missions will each deploy one satellite to a 525km circular orbit from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The first mission – named ‘Ready, Aim, PREFIRE’ – is scheduled to launch no earlier than May 22, 2024. The launch date of the second mission – named ‘PREFIRE And Ice’ – will be scheduled to take place within three weeks of the successful deployment of the first PREFIRE mission. The missions will be Rocket Lab’s 48th and 49th Electron launches overall and its sixth and seventh launches of 2024.

NASA’s PREFIRE mission is a climate change-focused mission that will systematically measure the heat, in the form of infrared and far-infrared wavelengths, lost from Earth’s polar regions for the first time. Extreme storms, flooding, and coastal erosion are examples of weather outcomes that are influenced by climate conditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. Once deployed to their separate orbits, the two PREFIRE satellites will criss-cross over the Arctic and Antarctica measuring thermal infrared radiation – the same type of energy emitted from a heat lamp – that will make climate models more accurate and help predict changes caused by global warming. PREFIRE consists of two 6U CubeSats with a baseline mission length of 10 months.

JETLINER CABINS: Evolution & Innovation by Jennifer Coutts Clay, extensively updated.....

JETLINER CABINS: Evolution & Innovation by Jennifer Coutts Clay, the foremost authority on aircraft interiors and the only resource of its kind, has been extensively updated and newly released by Amazon at the Kindle Store. The interactive E-BOOK, priced at $19.99, features case studies, video clips, and 20 picture galleries with more than 7,000 images and 16 updated chapters. Additionally, there are core insights from more than 50 international specialists and in-depth guest essays.

The E-BOOK covers everything flyers ever wanted to know about creating the cabin experience. ‘We are proud to provide this enhanced Edition of the ultimate resource for aviation professionals, aircraft enthusiasts, interior designers, architects, and people who simply love to travel by air,’ noted Jennifer Coutts Clay who herself has spent years as a professional in the aviation industry.

The new Kindle E-BOOK is the Fourth Edition of JETLINER CABINS: Evolution & Innovation with material that builds on the prestige of the original Hardback Edition first published by Academy Press of John Wiley & Sons Inc. in 2004. A subsequent Paperback Edition (2006) and an E-BOOK app for Apple iPad (2014) followed and led to further updates and enhancements, combined with new Amazon Kindle technology, for this latest user-friendly Edition. Readers have expanded access to the content, now available on a wider range of platforms including Kindle and E-reader devices.

Former CEO of JetBlue Airways joins Airbus

The former CEO of JetBlue Airways is joining Airbus as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Americas, from 3rd June 2024.  Robin Hayes is replacing C. Jeffrey Knittel who is retiring. 

Hayes brings 35 years of global aerospace leadership to Airbus having served in a series of senior executive roles at British Airways over the course of his 19-year tenure, and JetBlue,  where he was CEO for nine years. From 2020 to 2022, Hayes was Chair of the IATA’s Board of Governors, where he championed the association’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Hayes will report to Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.  

“I am delighted to welcome Robin to Airbus,” said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury. “Together with the leadership team we’re looking forward to having Robin and his vast industry experience onboard to further deliver on our strategic objectives for the region across all the Airbus businesses and further grow our North American footprint. I want to thank Jeff for his many contributions to Airbus’ success over the years, and I wish him all the best for a well-deserved retirement.”

As Chairman and CEO, Hayes will lead the commercial aircraft business, and will have responsibility for coordination among the company’s helicopters, space and defense businesses in North America. The region has more than 10,000 Airbus employees across 50 sites. Additionally, Airbus spends $15 billion annually with more than 2,000 U.S. suppliers in over 40 states.

Hayes led JetBlue during a massively turbulent time for the airline industry and was instrumental in trying to force through JetBlue's failed take-over of the U.S. budget airline Spirit.

“After some time off, I am excited and energised to join Airbus and build on the incredible success in the region. I have known Jeff and the Airbus team for well over a decade and I believe they have done a terrific job leading Airbus in the Americas. It is an honour for me to take up this opportunity to be part of the Airbus team,” said Hayes. “Airbus’ commitment to safety and decarbonisation is incredibly important to me personally, and I am both motivated by and committed to contributing to the Airbus purpose to pioneer sustainable aerospace.” 

SAS gets a new Airbus A320neo on long term lease and set to join SkyTeam Alliance

Aviation Capital Group one of the leading global full-service aircraft asset managers, has announced the delivery of one new Airbus A320neo aircraft on long-term lease to the financially constrained Scandinavian Airlines. This jet is powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines and will be used to bolster the carrier's fleet.  ACG advised this is the eleventh aircraft it is scheduled to deliver to the airline as part of a multiple-aircraft sale-leaseback transaction between ACG and SAS, which helps the airline form a more secure financial position.

ACG specializes in commercial aircraft leasing and aviation finance, with approximately 490 owned, managed and committed aircraft as of December 31, 2023, leased to roughly 90 airlines in approximately 45 countries. 

The flag carrier of Scandinavia is all set to join the SkyTeam Alliance on 1 September 2024 after completing a series of negotiations and signing the alliance's adherence agreement. 

This news will mean in future, SAS customers will benefit from seamless products as well as enjoy more travel options to several previously unserved destinations via the alliance member airlines. All EuroBonus members will benefit from earning and burning points, while Gold and Diamond members will enjoy SkyPriority services and lounge access.

The company also deferred interest payments due on 23 and 26 April this year on its perpetual capital securities, as part of the airlines's voluntary Chapter 11 process in the U.S and its reorganization proceeding in Sweden. The airline says the deferral of interest payment is made in accordance with the terms and conditions for the respective capital securities. But have done little to quell rumours that the carrier will not exit Chapter 11 this year or early next year. 

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Joby Aviation expanding its California manufacturing facility....

Joby Aviation has broken ground on an expansion for its pilot production line in Marina, California. The expansion will more than double Joby’s manufacturing footprint at the Marina Municipal Airport and is expected to begin operations next year.

The company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, celebrated the event jointly with the rollout of its second production prototype aircraft. The aircraft is expected to join Joby’s first production prototype aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base later this year. Two additional aircraft are in final assembly.

The expanded facility is designed to support a target production rate of 25 aircraft per year and will also house a range of key operations facilities, including an expanded pilot training and flight simulation centre as well as aircraft maintenance facilities that are designed to support the scaling of Joby’s commercial operations.

JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby said:  “This facility will play a foundational role in our future success and it is a privilege to once again be growing our footprint and our workforce in California. I am grateful to the local community and our many supporters who have advocated on our behalf to reach this point and to Toyota for everything they continue to do to make manufacturing a success at Joby,”

IAG Cargo invests 1.5 million Euros in perishables facility at Madrid hub

Rocket Lab gets ready for back-to-back launches for climate change research mission

Rocket Lab USA, is preparing two back-to-back Electron launches to deploy NASA’s PREFIRE - Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment mission.  The two dedicated missions will each deploy one satellite to a 525km circular orbit from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The first mission – named ‘Ready, Aim, PREFIRE’ – is scheduled to launch no earlier than May 22, 2024. The launch date of the second mission – named ‘PREFIRE And Ice’ – will be scheduled to take place within three weeks of the successful deployment of the first PREFIRE mission. The missions will be Rocket Lab’s 48th and 49th Electron launches overall and its sixth and seventh launches of 2024.

NASA’s PREFIRE mission is a climate change-focused mission that will systematically measure the heat, in the form of infrared and far-infrared wavelengths, lost from Earth’s polar regions for the first time. Extreme storms, flooding, and coastal erosion are examples of weather outcomes that are influenced by climate conditions in the Arctic and Antarctica. Once deployed to their separate orbits, the two PREFIRE satellites will criss-cross over the Arctic and Antarctica measuring thermal infrared radiation – the same type of energy emitted from a heat lamp – that will make climate models more accurate and help predict changes caused by global warming. PREFIRE consists of two 6U CubeSats with a baseline mission length of 10 months.

Royal Navy attack helicopters hunt foes in Norwegian fjord exercise

The Royal Navy’s Wildcat maritime attack helicopters have demonstrated their ability to hunt down and engage enemy forces during a game of cat and mouse in the Norwegian fjords.

Yeovilton-based 815 Naval Air Squadron have been exercising with four of the Royal Navy’s P2000 patrol ships, two Norwegian corvettes and frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen off Bergen, in one of the world’s most challenging environments, for Exercise Tamber Shield.

Alongside the P2000s, the Wildcats were tasked with finding and targeting the Skjold-class corvettes amongst the many inlets and narrow waterways of the fjords.

In one particular scenario, HMS Biter and HMS Exploit, part of the Royal Navy’s Coastal Forces Squadron, headed north from Bergen, while fellow P2000s HMS Trumpeter and HMS Blazer headed south to use their skills and expertise to locate the Norwegian vessels before relaying that information to 815 NAS who were charged with making simulated attacks.

Capable of 60 knots, the Skjolds are fast and agile – using their camouflage to blend into the landscape, which their crew knows like the back of their hand.

However, aircrew from 815 NAS were more than up for the challenge, employing newly developed tactics to fend off the fast attack craft threat. 

Ólafur Þór, Chief of Finance at PLAY resigns

Ólafur Þór Jóhannesson has decided to resign as Chief of Finance of the Icelandic budget carrier, PLAY airlines. Ólafur will remain as CFO at the company until his successor arrives.

"Ólafur has been a great team member at PLAY. He was instrumental during the capital raise in Q1 and now leaves the company in a strong position.  I wish Ólafur all the best in his upcoming ventures,“ says Einar Örn Ólafsson, CEO of PLAY.

"I am truly grateful to have gotten the chance to be a part of this PLAY journey. After a successful capital raise, I feel it is the right time for me to step aside and turn my attention to other ventures. I would like to use this opportunity to wish PLAY and my colleagues all the best and I look forward to see the company take the next steps into a bright future," says Ólafur Þór Jóhannesson.

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The airline recently released its latest figures for the first quarter of 2024. The budget carrier saw revenues increase by 66% between years, from USD 33 million in Q1 in 2023 to USD 54 million in Q1 2024 despite a capacity increase of 63%.

PLAY’s cash position was USD 17.1 million at the end of Q1. PLAY has since received USD 32 million following a share capital increase and will go into the summer season with a healthy cash position. Uplisting to Nasdaq Iceland Main Market is in process as planned.

PLAY carried 349 thousand passengers in Q1 2024, which is a 64% increase from Q1 2023.

The load factor increased at the same time, from 78.4% in Q1 2023 to 81.8% in Q1 2024.

Q1 was operationally successful with an on-time performance of 87.8%, which is a considerably better performance than with the airline’s main competitor.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) in Q1 were negative USD 20.4 million. EBIT was negatively impacted by inaccurate news coverage of seismic activities in the Reykjanes Peninsula.  

Total revenue per available seat kilometre (TRASK) was 4.2 US cents, same as during Q1 2023.

Cost per available seat kilometre (CASK) was 5.9 US cents in Q1 2024, which is 8% less than in Q1 2023 mainly due to favourable trends in ETS prices impacting fuel expenses positively.

CASK ex-fuel is down 4.2% YoY and was 4.3 US cents.

Yield was USD 151 driven by strong ancillary revenue per passenger of USD 50.

Air cargo growth at East Midlands Airport could lead to more than 12,000 new jobs.......

East Midlands Airport is poised to bolster its pivotal role in powering UK trade, with tens of thousands of jobs and billions in economic value set to be unlocked by growth in its cargo operation.

A new study has shown EMA has a unique combination of strengths that make it perfectly placed to support increased demand for air freight in the years ahead.

These include its central location and close proximity to major road and rail networks, and the fact that 80% of all large-scale warehouse sites are within 125 miles of EMA.

It also specialises in the handling of express air freight - carried in dedicated aircraft, not in the "belly" of passenger planes. It is this fastest-growing type of air cargo that is tipped to account for an ever-increasing share of all goods shipped around the world in the years to come.

And EMA has the capacity to accommodate an increase in cargo flights as the economy grows, while other key airports in the market face constraints.

These factors combine to place EMA in a strong position to build on its status as the UK's most important express air freight hub. A recent example of this growth in action was the move by British cargo airline One Air from Heathrow to East Midlands Airport.

The study - carried out by specialist air travel consultants York Aviation - says that air cargo growth at EMA will support between £687m and £1.8bn in additional GVA and between 2,700 and 12,600 extra jobs by 2030.

Composites make world's largest airship possible

Composites manufacturer Exel Composites is collaborating with French airship manufacturer and operator FLYING WHALES to develop thin wall carbon fibre tubes for a state-of-the-art airship. The airship will deliver up to sixty tons of cargo to remote and difficult-to-reach locations globally. This will also cut emissions compared to land and air transportation. The composites producer will provide R&D support during the airship's rigid structure prototyping phase, developing and manufacturing the estimated 80km of carbon fibre tubing needed to make this concept a reality.

FLYING WHALES is the designer of the LCA60T, a 200 m-long vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) airship that uses helium lifting technology to lift its weight and cargo capacity. The airship will function like an airborne crane, carrying the cargo and transporting it to the customer, reducing the reliance on air and land transport, and unlocking bottlenecks at shipping ports.

The airship could be used to transport trees when transporting lumber, wind turbine blades to utility stations, and, most surprisingly, an entire portable hospital, aiming to bring universal healthcare to some of the world's most remote areas.

"With this airship being one of the largest ever developed, the frame needs to be able to distribute the structure’s entire load," explained Guillaume Klein, business development manager at Exel Composites. "We are working closely with FLYING WHALES to develop a unique tube that meets the technical requirements and specifications needed to make this project viable. Most aerospace standards don’t cover airships yet, instead focusing on planes and helicopters."

New Edmonton to Atlanta service from WestJet

WestJet has launched a new daily flight between Edmonton and Atlanta, to boost its transborder connectivity.

"Our new route to Atlanta, will bolster incredible connectivity for Edmonton, stimulating critical new opportunities for the city's vibrant business sector and visitor economy to grow and thrive," said John Weatherill, WestJet Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer. "With year-round service, we are opening up Edmonton to the world and the world to Edmonton with convenient access to a mega-global hub, which hosts more than 1,000 flights per day to more than 200 international and domestic destinations."

Route	Frequency	Start Date	Departure	Arrival
Edmonton-Atlanta	Daily	April 29	12:45 a.m.	7:06 a.m.
Atlanta-Edmonton	Daily	April 29	9:05 a.m.	11:50 a.m.

More seamless options for trade and tourism with access to Atlanta, Delta's largest hub

The United States represents Alberta's most important bilateral trade partner and the largest inbound tourism market for the province. Through WestJet's longstanding partnership with Delta Air Lines, guests connecting through Atlanta will gain access to a vast network of U.S. destinations on a single purchased ticket with check-in for all flights at the first departure, baggage tagged to their final destination and lounge access for select guests. Additionally, frequent flyers of both airlines will continue to enjoy extensive reciprocal benefits any time they fly with either carrier, including earning and redeeming in their preferred program.

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"WestJet's new non-stop service to Atlanta from Edmonton supports the growth of new business and tourism opportunities between our regions," said Myron Keehn, President & CEO, Edmonton International Airport (YEG). "WestJet continues to be a key partner in achieving our vision of bringing more flights to more places from YEG. Travellers can now discover why Atlanta is one of National Geographic's top destinations in the world in one of the most business-friendly states in the U.S.  We are pleased that this new route gives passengers the opportunity to explore even further the over 200 connecting destinations globally through Atlanta."
"Canada is one of Atlanta's largest international markets for inbound travel, and WestJet's new flight creates an opportunity for incremental traffic to Atlanta," said William Pate, president and CEO, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We look forward to welcoming more Canadian visitors and showcasing everything our city has to offer."

Hamad International Airport releases quarter 1 2024 figures...

Hamad International Airport (DOH) continues to strengthen its position as a global aviation hub, with Q1 2024 marking its busiest quarter yet, surpassing all previous records set in 2023. This quarter saw a remarkable surge in passenger traffic, recording a 27.6% increase, as well as significant growth in aircraft movements by 23.9% and cargo operations by 15.4%.

Hamad International Airport saw a total of 13,171,540 passengers during the first quarter of 2024 – moving 4,533,212 passengers in January, 4,368,710 passengers in February and 4,269,618 passengers in March. Aircraft movements also experienced an increase compared to the previous year, with a total of 69,959 arriving and departing from the airport – 23,996 in January, 22,736 in February and 23,227 in March.

During the first quarter of 2024, Hamad International Airport handled 626,338 tonnes of cargo and moved 10,457,444 bags through its facility, including 7,210,079 transfer baggage, signaling that the airport is seen as a preferred transfer hub for global passengers.

Further enhancing its global connectivity and solidifying its status as a preferred destination for discerning travelers worldwide, the airport has served 188 cargo and passenger destinations and now connects a network of 48 airlines, 44 of which operated in Q1 and an additional 4 airline partners that joined its network since.  

Finnair suspends flights to Tartu for a month over safety issues

The national airline in Finland has confirmed it has suspended its daily flights to Tartu, Estonia, over safety issues until 31 May.  

Finnair says the approach methods currently used at Tartu Airport are based on a GPS signal. GPS interference, which is quite common in the area, affects the usability of this approach method and can therefore prevent the aircraft from approaching and landing. Last week, two Finnair flights had to divert back to Helsinki after GPS interference prevented the approach to Tartu as the pilots were unable to perform visual approach or landings. 

Finnair believes that the month-long suspension of its flights will give it enough time to work out another way to develop approach methods to Tartu Airport. Finnair is the only airline operating international flights to Tartu.  

"We apologize for the inconvenience the suspension causes to our customers. Flight safety is always our top priority, and as the approach to Tartu currently requires a GPS signal, we cannot fly there in the event of GPS interference," says Jari Paajanen, Finnair's Director of Operations. 

GPS interference has increased since 2022, and Finnair pilots have reported interference, especially near Kaliningrad, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean. Typically, GPS interference does not affect flight routes or flight safety, as pilots are well aware of it and aircraft have alternative systems in place that are used when the GPS signal is interfered with. 

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