VOL 19, NO. 04 MAY-JUNE 2021

ATM-ATC SouthPAN could NARROWBODIES extend thoughout Smaller planes, upgraded amenities TRAINING Bumps ahead as pilots return

Women In INDUSTRY NEEDS TO 'GIVE IT THE BIG PUSH' WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE FOR CHOOSING COMPLEX?

WHEELS AND BRAKES. IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

TPAEROSPACE.COM

TP_Annonce_Asian Aviation_RGB_July.indd 1 17.05.2021 09.59 CONTENTS

WHAT’S VOL 19, NO. 04 MAY-JUNE 2021

ATM-ATC SouthPAN could NARROWBODIES extend thoughout Asia Smaller planes, upgraded amenities TRAINING Bumps ahead 20 23 28 YOUR as pilots return

FEATURES 25 SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE EXCUSE SET FOR SOUTHPAN Women In Aviation 16 WOMEN IN AVIATION and New Zealand are about to procure INDUSTRY NEEDS TO 'GIVE IT THE BIG PUSH' Asian Aviation Editor Matt Driskill recently sat down a satellite-based augmentation system that will virtually with Marie-Louise Philippe, the newly benefit not just operators in their own countries, On the cover: Marie-Louise Philippe of Airbus installed president of the Singapore chapter of is the new president of Women in Aviation in but could be extended to Asia-Pacific neighbours Singapore. (Photo: Airbus) Women in Aviation International to discuss how to as well. get more women involved in the industry. 4 VIEWPOINT 28 AVIATION CAN DO MORE Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble 20 GETTING BACK IN THE AIR WITH SUSTAINABLE FUELS Among the tens of thousands of jobs lost in the Never let a crisis go to waste is the mantra of FOR past year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, politicians, but it seems like the aviation industry NEWS thousands of those were pilots who found has adopted it in the industry’s calls to improve its themselves grounded as borders closed. With environmental credentials. 6 BUSINESS AVIATION domestic traffic staging a comeback in some NEWS countries, pilot training or re-training is in focus. CHOOSING 7 ROTOR/UAV NEWS 23 NARROWBODY PLANE, 8 MRO NEWS EXPANDED SERVICE CABINS With international borders at risk of sudden closure INTERIORS NEWS 9 and most widebody aircraft parked, stored or COMPLEX? 10 PEOPLE ON THE MOVE retired, the age of the narrowbody has arrived, becoming the platform for to optimise one 12 INDUSTRY NEWS aircraft for both short and long-haul routes.

Contributors Subscriptions: Rose Jeffree Printer: Times Printers Pte Ltd @AsianAviation Australia: Michael Doran, Emma Kelly, [email protected] ISSN 0129-9972 Benn Marks Asian Aviation (AAV) Advertising Offices : Ian Goold & Representation WHEELS AND BRAKES. : Neelam Mathews, Shelley Vishwajeet MICA (P) 198/02/2007 : Keishi Nukina Worldwide: Kay Rolland April 2021, readership 9747 Moscow: Vladimir Karnozov Phone/Mobile: +33 6 09 13 35 10 © ASIAN PRESS GROUP Pte Ltd IT’S THAT SIMPLE. Editor: Matt Driskill : Ralph Jennings [email protected] [email protected] Graphic Design: Elinor McDonald Russia & CIS: Laguk Co. Managing Director/Publisher: [email protected] Yuri Laskin, Sergei Kirshin Marilyn Tangye Butler Phone: + 7 495 912 1346 [email protected] Head Office — Singapore Fax: + 7 495 912 1260 Asian Press Group Pte Ltd [email protected]

TPAEROSPACE.COM Contributor’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or editor and while every precaution has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this publication is accurate and timely, no liability is accepted by the publisher or editor for errors and omissions, however caused. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Asian Press Group Pte Ltd (unless otherwise stated) and cannot be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibilityAsianAviation for loss or damage | June to 2016 uncommissioned 3 photographs, manuscripts or other media.

TP_Annonce_Asian Aviation_RGB_July.indd 1 17.05.2021 09.59 VIEWPOINT

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble

AS WE FIND OURSELVES in the middle of the second year of the age Other organisations have been working hard to restart the flying of COVID-19, the line spoken by Shakespeare’s witches in Macbeth world, but all these efforts will be for naught if people don’t come comes to mind, if you’ll pardon the slight liberty taken with it. Shake- up with one set of standards to cover things like testing protocols speare actually wrote “Double, double” in the play, but given all the accepted by all border agents around the world. The lack of a com- bubbles announced, then cancelled, then re-announced, bub- mon standard will be the one single thing that will kill the aviation ble, bubble seemed more appropriate. There’s also been Herculean industry. And that’s not just my opinion. “Two key components for an amounts of toil undertaken by the aviation industry to restart interna- efficient restart of travel need to be urgently progressed. The first is tional flights, including the work done to develop testing regimes and the development of global standards for digital COVID-19 test and/ the infrastructure required to provide those tests. Unfortunately, we’ve or vaccination certificates. The second is government agreement to also run into trouble with various entities rising up in opposition to accept certificates digitally,” said IATA’s Walsh recently. countries requiring any kind of so-called “vaccine ”, although the world had just such a passport years ago for Yellow Fever that Trouble was developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Walsh’s two points are key here. Standards need to be agreed upon — urgently — and in the 21st century any kind of testing or vaccine Bubble, bubble passport needs to be digital. The problem is many people, organisa- Travel bubbles, in which two locales agree to abide by certain rules tions and countries are coming out against such digital vaccine or in order to allow travellers between the two to testing . And a second problem is that forego quarantine measures, have been open- no one single entity like IATA, ICAO, or WHO is ing and closing in fits and starts since last year. The lack of a common leading the way to developing such standards. and Singapore announced plans to standard will be the one Privacy ‘Nervous Nellies’ also cry foul and say open one at the end of 2020, but were forced to personal data will be at risk. But the only data cancel plans for it when Hong Kong COVID-19 single thing that will kill available in things like IATA’s own Travel Pass cases started to spike. The two powerhouses the aviation industry. or similar apps, is a traveller’s name, passport SUSTAINABILITY of Asian commerce announced in April they number, the kind of test/vaccine one received, would try again starting on 26 May, but it was the clinic/doctor’s name, etc. The apps will not A CLEAR AMBITION cancelled in mid-May as cases rose in Singa- have access to a person’s bank account infor- pore. Australia and New Zealand also started, stopped and have now mation or a traveller’s Spotify favourites. restarted a travel bubble, although it remains in a fragile state of affairs The trouble as well is that for all the hue and cry against a testing Sustainability is at the heart of our business. and in early May was almost closed when three people in Perth test- or vaccine passport, we’ve used them before. When I got my first From the beginning, we have invested in ed positive for COVID-19. And in late May the bubble between New passport (a long time ago) and started travelling internationally, I technologies to make our engines cleaner, quieter Zealand and Victoria was paused after another COVID-19 outbreak. had to get vaccinated against Yellow Fever and other nasty bugs and carry the so-called “Carte Jaune” or “Yellow Card” with me whenever and more efficient. Our clear ambition is to push the Toil I crossed an international border. No one thought twice about it. It limits of innovation, demonstrating uncompromising When it comes to working to restart international travel, no one was a condition of travel and we can do the same thing now. technologies that will help pave the way for an organisation has done more than the International Air Transport But time and tide wait for no man and if the aviation industry is ever more sustainable future. A common mission, Association (IATA), first under the leadership of Alexandre de Juni- not bold and resolute — now — then international aviation at least, extraordinary together. ac and now with Willie Walsh at the helm. The International Civil will end up like Macbeth. Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has also worked hard, but as part of the United Nations (UN) it is often hobbled by the politics that afflict cfmaeroengines.com EDITOR that august organ of international statesmanship. The WHO has also Matt Driskill CFM International is a 50/50 joint company pitched in, but again, as part of the UN, it too is held back by politics. [email protected] between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines

PASSENGER EXEPERIENCE & ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT Navigating the world's airports will The world's airports, large and small, Has the COVID-19 pandemic put a likely be changed for years to come. are leading the way in going green. stop to mega-airport development?

4 AsianAviation | May-June 2021

C42669-004-CFM-Wave-AsianAviation-May21-275x235-v1.indd 1 21/05/2021 09:18 SUSTAINABILITY A CLEAR AMBITION

Sustainability is at the heart of our business. From the beginning, we have invested in technologies to make our engines cleaner, quieter and more efficient. Our clear ambition is to push the limits of innovation, demonstrating uncompromising technologies that will help pave the way for an ever more sustainable future. A common mission, extraordinary together.

cfmaeroengines.com

CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines

C42669-004-CFM-Wave-AsianAviation-May21-275x235-v1.indd 1 21/05/2021 09:18 Business Aviation News

CAREFLIGHT UNVEILS NEW Sino Jet Partners with Province GULFSTREAM G150 CareFlight recently unveiled a new Gulf- Airport Group and ’s Shuangliu stream G150 jet, representing a new gener- ation of aeromedical retrieval for Australia government on FBO management and its regional neighbours. The jet was Sino Jet announced it has signed an agreement with Sichuan Province Airport Aviation selected to deliver CareFlight’s inter-hos- Ground Service and Chengdu’s Shuangliu government to provide a streamlined and has- pital aeromedical jet evacuation service sle-free experience to business jet passengers at the FBO (fixed-base operator) located based in Darwin on behalf of the Northern at Chengdu Shuangliu . The companies are eager to build Chengdu Territory government. It is Australia’s first Shuangliu International Airport into the best business aviation hub within the western and dedicated medical jet with the capability to central regions of . The partnership will combine Sino Jet’s business expertise as the transport critically ill patients directly across world’s leading business jet company providing the highest standard of safety and services the continent and from South . The with Sichuan Province Airport Aviation Ground Service’s comprehensive ground handling cutting-edge medical jet’s higher speed and services. The Shuangliu district government’s support will accelerate FBO development at customised interior represent a significant Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. — MATT DRISKILL advance for patient care. From its base in Darwin, the jet will be able to fly to and in 3.7 hours and Adelaide EXECUJET MRO SERVICES APPROVED IN NEW ZEALAND and Perth in 3.2 hours. Internationally, it The Authority (CAA) of New maintenance. Heavier inspections can be can reach Hong Kong in 4.2 hours, Bali in Zealand has approved ExecuJet MRO Ser- performed at one of ExecuJet’s Australian 1.7 hours and Dili in 1 hour. — MATT DRISKILL vices to maintain aircraft in New Zealand, east coast facilities at or a business aviation market that ExecuJet Melbourne Essendon Airport. The CAA of ACTSI COMPLETES sees has growth potential. New Zealand approval has been granted G650ER 6C INSPECTION ExecuJet MRO Services New Zealand to initially cover Dassault Falcon 2000EX has achieved a CAA of New Zealand Part series aircraft, Phenom 100 and Aviation Concepts Technical Services, Inc, a 145 approval covering facilities in Auck- Bombardier Challenger 604, but will be ex- business aviation MRO and parking service land, Wellington and Christchurch. The ap- tended to other aircraft models as customer provider based in Subic Bay, , said it has recently supported a 6C inspec- proval will support line and limited base needs arise. — MATT DRISKILL tion on a Gulfstream G650ER. ACTSI’s METROJET WELCOMES 10TH GULFSTREAM G650ER Technical Team was able to complete the check on time and defect free. Inspections Hong Kong-based Metrojet has welcomed quarantine requirements,” said Denzil White, included 2A/2C, 3C,4C,6C along with re- its 10th Gulfstream G650ER to the fleet. The managing director, Aircraft Management and moval and installation of Main Landing Gear new aircraft marks Metrojet as the Hong- Charter. Metrojet’s Hong Kong Maintenance, Detailed Inspections, CB 259 and ASC 090A Kong operator with the most G650ERs within Repair and Overhaul (MRO) station is a Gulf- Hydraulic Filter Monitoring System Activa- a single fleet. “We are optimistic that the Asia stream Authorised Service Centre which has tion, CB 262 / ASC 083 & 131 Flap Track Rub business jet environment will start to recover the capability to maintain the Gulfstream Strip Mod and Roller Fitting Replacement. later this year, in line with the reduction of series up to 8C inspection. — MATT DRISKILL — MATT DRISKILL

6 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 Rotor/UAV News

AUSTRALIA DRONE TRIAL TO CUT RED TAPE A trial of a streamlined approval process for commercial drone flights near three capital city will start in May 2021. The six-month trial will run at Canberra, Perth and Adelaide aerodromes. It means remote- ly piloted aircraft operator certificate (ReOC) holders will be able to apply through a CA- SA-verified drone safety app for approval to fly in designated areas within three nautical Chip Mong Group buys first Bell 429 miles of the aerodromes. This digital and in automated process will reduce application processing times from weeks to minutes. Bell Textron announced the sale of one Bell 429 helicopter to Cambodia’s Chip Mong Group. The designated areas have been identified It is the first Bell 429 sale in Cambodia. Chip Mong, a leading real estate, hospitality, bever- as safe for drone operations and will not ages, retail and banking conglomerate, intends to use the Bell 429 for corporate transport place normal manned aircraft operations at and chartering purposes. “Our acquisition of the state-of-the-art Bell 429 demonstrates risk. The trial does not include recreational Chip Mong’s confidence in the Bell aircraft to serve our growing businesses. This Bell 429 drone flyers or people who operate in the combined with the other two Bell 505s in our fleet will allow us to serve our customers in excluded category, which includes some the hospitality and real estate industry. It will also substantially contribute to Cambodia’s commercial drones under two kilograms. — economic growth in line with the development efforts and guidance of the Cambodian gov- MATT DRISKILL ernment,” said Neak Oknha Leang Meng, group president for Chip Mong. — MATT DRISKILL

DERAZONA TO BE ASIA’S FIRST H160 OPERATOR FOR OIL AND GAS

pansion plans of the Indonesian operator for With 68 patents, the innovative H160 is the oil and gas, off-shore, utility and commercial world’s most technologically advanced hel- passenger transportation. “This new order icopter designed with passenger’s safety is a timely welcome as our company em- and comfort in mind. The design features an barks on a transformation journey to grow unprecedented suite of pilot aids delivered our business. We are very impressed by through its Helionix avionics which substan- Airbus has secured an H160 or- the performance of the H160, and excited tially reduces crew workload and decreases der from Derazona Helicopters in Indonesia, at the opportunities that this state-of-the- the risk of pilot error. — MATT DRISKILL launching this new rotorcraft in the coun- art helicopter will bring to our operations,” said Ramadi Widyardiono, business devel- try’s oil and gas sector. The multi-mission FIRST FIVE-BLADE AIRBUS H160 will play an important role in the ex- opment manager of Derazona Helicopters. ACH145 HELICOPTER DELIVERED TO NZ AIRBUS TO TEST ADVANCED AUTONOMOUS FEATURES New Zealand VIP and charter operator Ad- ON HELICOPTER FLIGHTLAB vanced Flight, launch customer for the new Airbus is introducing autonomous features tion; fly-by-wire for enhanced auto-pilot; and Airbus ACH145 with five rotor-blades, has to its helicopter Flightlab through a project an advanced human-machine-interface — in taken delivery of its helicopter. code-named Vertex. These technologies aim the form of a touchscreen and head-worn The aircraft is the latest version of the to simplify mission preparation and man- display for inflight monitoring and control. best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicop- agement, reduce helicopter pilot workload, The combination of these technologies will ter and provides a 150kg increase in useful and further increase safety. The autonomous enable a system that can manage navigation load while delivering new levels of comfort technology bricks set to integrate the Flight- and route preparation, automatic take-off and and operational simplicity. Its reduced rotor lab are: vision based sensors and algorithms landing, as well as following a predefined diameter allows operation in more confined for situational awareness and obstacle detec- flight path. — MATT DRISKILL areas. — MATT DRISKILL

AsianAviation | May-June 2021 7 MRO News

AIRBUS AND AIRLINES EXTEND WIDEBODY FHS CONTRACT Airbus and have signed an extension of their Flight Hour Services Components (FHS-C) contract for the car- rier’s A330 and A350 fleets, as an outcome from Malaysia Airlines recently completed restructuring exercise. The multi-year ex- tension covers technical support by Air- bus for the ’s existing widebody fleet of A350s, A330s, as well as A330-200Fs operated by MASKargo. FHS-C provides component services including spare pool access, on-site-stock at the main base as well as components engineering and re- — MATT DRISKILL ATR pairs.

AIRASIA MRO UNIT ATR broadens deal with Technics GETS CAAM APPROVAL in Malaysia AirAsia Group unit, Asia Digital Engineering, has received base maintenance approval Turboprop manufacturer ATR is strengthening its partnership with Skyways Technics’ Ma- from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malay- laysian branch, to further support aftermarket needs in the Asia Pacific region. The synergy sia (CAAM). The approval allows ADE to will offer support and facilitate the management of sensitive structural component repairs perform regular line maintenance and base such as Leading-Edge repairs, Flight Controls and Flaps. This deeper relationship will offer maintenance (hangar or C-checks) for the operators a repair solution at a more attractive price, with greater technical support. AirAsia Group’s airlines. The company said Benjamin Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer and Owner of Skyways Technics A/S comment- it will also support third-party airlines for ed: “We are proud to partner with ATR, whose leadership of the regional aviation market aircraft maintenance repairs and overhaul shows both the quality and importance of their aircraft. With the industry facing its worst (MRO). ADE chief executive officer Mahesh ever crisis, it is now vital to offer airlines innovative and creative solutions to keep their Kumar said the company has made great aircraft and passengers flying. Partnerships such as this one will play an important role in progress since it was launched in Septem- supporting the recovery of operators, who are continuing to supply essential connectivity to ber last year. “We are thrilled to expand our the communities that they serve throughout the Asia Pacific region.” David Brigante, senior services now to support AirAsia Group and vice president of Programmes and Customer Support at ATR remarked: “As a manufacturer other airlines in the region. AirAsia Group we are always looking for opportunities to improve our offer to our airlines and customers. have been sending aircraft to other MRO This partnership allows us to consolidate and improve our GMA offer. Operators can benefit operators for scheduled base maintenance, from the best of both worlds; a specialised repair partner and the manufacturer’s expertise. which will now be able to be serviced locally Skyways Technics’ strong local presence in Asia Pacific also guarantees our operators in in Malaysia delivering significant efficiencies the region the best quality Leading Edge, Flap, and Flight Control repairs, managed in a including reduced maintenance costs,” he timely and cost-effective manner.”— MATT DRISKILL said in a statement. — MATT DRISKILL

SATAIR, SIGNED MULTI-YEAR DEAL FOR A320 FAMILY MATERIALS Satair and China Airlines of Taiwan have subsidiary, TigerAir Taiwan, A320ceo and Airlines and Satair signed in 2017, covering signed a multi-year agreement for Satair’s A320neo fleet, with the first A320neo to the airline’s Airbus fleet of A330-300s and Integrated Material Services (IMS), a com- be delivered by Airbus beginning of April A350-900s. TigerAir Taiwan is China Air- prehensive material solution that will sup- 2021. The contract follows an extension of lines’ first subsidiary to be included in the port China Airlines’ and its wholly-owned the existing IMS agreement between China IMS programme. — MATT DRISKILL

8 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 Interiors News

AIX AND WTCE 2021 TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) and Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) will transition to a virtual event in 2021, taking place 14-16 September. Speak- ing about the announcement, Polly Magraw, event director at Reed Exhibitions, said: “We know how much people want to get back to meeting face-to-face. But the situation around the world remains unpredictable due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing challenges and global restrictions JetBlue takes delivery of A321LR with first on international travel faced by the global aviation sector. We have therefore made the Airspace interior difficult decision to postpone our physical US-based JetBlue Airways has taken delivery of its first of 13 A321LR aircraft featuring events to June 2022.” — MATT DRISKILL Airbus’ new Airspace interior. These new A321LRs support JetBlue’s plan to open its highly anticipated transatlantic services, starting with direct flights to London later this year. In addition to these 13 new A321LRs, the airline also has on order another 57 Airbus aircraft comprising other A321neo variants — which will also feature Airspace cabins. By bringing Airspace to the Single-Aisle Family, JetBlue’s A321 cabins will be the very first to feature Airbus’ new award-winning cabin design-language and passenger-pleasing cabin features -- which are consistent with Airbus’ A330neo and A350 widebody aircraft. — MATT DRISKILL

AIRBUS, TECHNIK PARTNER ON JET MS BECOMES DEALER OF ARCA SYSTEM CARGO IN THE CABIN ALTO AVIATION’S PREMIUM ADDRESSES NEW INDUSTRY CABIN SOLUTIONS Airbus and Lufthansa Technik (LHT) have DEMANDS Jet MS has gained a dealership agreement signed a cooperation agreement to co-de- with ALTO Aviation, a premium cabin in- AIM Altitude is addressing many of the velop temporary “Cargo in the Cabin” solu- flight audio/entertainment system design, industry demands to build back greener tions for A330s. This new Supplemental manufacture, and distribution company. following the global pandemic. ARCA is an Type Certificate (STC) solution will enable efficient galley system that offers enhanced operators to load cargo into the cabins RECARO AIRCRAFT SEATING hygiene while giving back space to airlines of their A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft. SL3710 SEAT MAKES NORTH and increasing sustainability. ARCA rede- Under the agreement LHT owns the STC fines the future of aircraft service with a new and will provide the modification kits for AMERICAN DEBUT boxed meal system. Rather than crew hav- customers, while Airbus’ role as the OEM Recaro Aircraft Seating’s (Recaro) lightweight ing to handle open meal trays packed with includes providing technical data, engineer- SL3710 seat made its debut loose components, ARCA consists simply ing validations and operational calculations. on Frontier Airlines’ (Frontier) A320 aircraft. of a hot meal-pack and an accompanying The procedure consists of first removing the Weighing in at 8 kilograms, the seat is the boxed cold meal-pack, which nest secure- seats and then installing industry standard lightest member in the market. ly together. The majority of the contents “PKC” pallets and nets on the main deck. are safely sealed away in the box. This has This new solution offers a volumetric cargo CASL AND HK EXPRESS significant benefits for hygiene, passenger capacity of around 78 square metres on the SIGN CABIN DEAL confidence and minimising the risk of trans- main deck of an A330-200 with 12 PKC pal- China Aircraft Services Limited (CASL) mitting infection. — MATT DRISKILL let positions and 18 nets. — MATT DRISKILL announced that it has signed a new cabin cleaning contract for the entire fleet of HK Express at Hong Kong International Airport. CASL will provide cabin cleaning service to the airline’s AirbusAsianAviation 320 family | May-June fleet. 2021 9 Aviation People on the Move Experience the Progress.

AAR has appointed Ellen the CEO, Brainch will be responsible for NACO, an airport Lord to its board of directors. Inmarsat’s evolving commercial and consultancy and engineering Lord is a former product strategy. firm, has named Esther Undersecretary of Defense Kromhout as director. for Acquisition and Sustainment for the KLEOS SPACE has Department of Defense. appointed experienced ICHCA has named Richard satellite software and Steele as the new head of AIRBUS has named Chris systems engineer Vincent ICHCA International. He will Drewer as senior vice (Vinny) Furia as technical director, take over the role with effect president Southeast Asia for responsible for development and from 1 July 2021 on the retirement of Airbus Commercial Aircraft. deployment of the Kleos space-based Richard Brough. systems, ground support, analytics and AIR CHARTER SERVICE has data delivery. TOPCAST appointed the experienced announced Ben Dinsdale as the Perwien Meriwani has Steve Chua has company’s global director for been appointed managing joined the humanitarian and government services. director of KLM UK STEVE CHUA TONY LAMERI group as Engineering. managing director, Global MRO. TOPCAST ATR has appointed also announced Tony Lameri has joined Alessandro Luzi as LUFTHANSA the group as managing director, Oceania. managing director of the CONSULTING company’s Eastern Support has named UNIVERSAL AVIONICS (AES) subsidiary, based in Singapore. Christine (UA) has named Don Milum CHRISTINE RONALD Weigner as as director of sales. He is WEIGNER SCHULZ GEODIS has named Yigit head of Market based out of Kansas City, Saricinar as regional air Lufthansa Group and has named Ronald Missouri, and will lead UA’s team of freight director, Asia Pacific Schulz appointed as head of Market Global. regional sales managers in North America. (APAC). He will join GEODIS’ regional management board. LUFTHANSA VALLAIR has TECHNIK AG named IBA, the aviation data and reorganized its Armando Filho advisory company, has global as director of appointed David Jiang as its KAI-STEFAN FRANK corporate ARMANDO MAXIME material ROEPKE BERWEGER FILHO GORSSE general sales manager for sales management. Liebherr-Aerospace in Singapore Greater China. management Filho will be responsible for Vallair’s team. Kai- component support division Liebherr-Aerospace supplies complete integrated system and component solutions for INFORM has named Uschi air management, flight control, landing gears, gears as well as gearboxes and electronics. Stefan Roepke complementing the activities of the Schulte-Sasse as the sole Liebherr-Singapore is Liebherr’s dedicated service centre in APAC and offers maintenance, THOMAS SOEREN has taken over teardown team. Maxime Gorsse has been senior vice president of the BOETTGER STARK repairs and overhaul services, test capabilities and a wide range of customer services to responsibility named as director of investor relations INFORM Aviation division. these systems and components: for EMEA (Europe, and ) and project financing. and Thomas Boettger for the Asia-Pacific INMARSAT Air-Conditioning (ATA 21) Hydraulic Equipment (ATA 29, 52) region. Frank Berweger remains vice Cabin Pressure Control (ATA 21) Landing Gear Accessories (ATA 32) has named president corporate sales for the System Controllers (ATA 21) Bleed (ATA 36) Barry French Americas. The company also said it has Flight Control Actuators (ATA 27) as CMCO. The re-appointed Soeren Stark as chief BARRY FRENCH JAT BRAINCH company also operations officer. named Jat Brainch as CCPO. Reporting to Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS 408 avenue des Etats-Unis 31016 Toulouse Cedex 2, France Tel.: +33 5 61 35 28 28 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 10 E-Mail: [email protected] www.liebherr.com

2017-501_012 AER_AAIS_Asian Aviation_INT_GB.indd 1 27.07.20 10:04 Experience the Progress.

Liebherr-Aerospace in Singapore

Liebherr-Aerospace supplies complete integrated system and component solutions for air management, flight control, landing gears, gears as well as gearboxes and electronics. Liebherr-Singapore is Liebherr’s dedicated service centre in APAC and offers maintenance, repairs and overhaul services, test capabilities and a wide range of customer services to these systems and components:

Air-Conditioning (ATA 21) Hydraulic Equipment (ATA 29, 52) Cabin Pressure Control (ATA 21) Landing Gear Accessories (ATA 32) System Controllers (ATA 21) Bleed (ATA 36) Flight Control Actuators (ATA 27)

Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS 408 avenue des Etats-Unis 31016 Toulouse Cedex 2, France Tel.: +33 5 61 35 28 28 E-Mail: [email protected] www.liebherr.com

2017-501_012 AER_AAIS_Asian Aviation_INT_GB.indd 1 27.07.20 10:04 Industry News

SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS SIGNS JV WITH EVERGREEN AVIATION TECHNOLOGY Spirit AeroSystems announced a planned expansion of its aftermarket presence in the Asia-Pacific region by signing a joint venture agreement with Evergreen Aviation Technol- ogies (EGAT). The new agreement is expect- ed to complement Spirit’s recent acquisition of Applied Aerodynamics and last year’s ac- quisition of select Bombardier assets, and further strengthen its global maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities. Un- der the joint venture agreement, Spirit and EGAT will form a new company, Spirit Ever- green Aftermarket Solutions (SEAS), and will transfer repair capabilities to SEAS, increas- IATA: Accepting vaccinated passengers should ing manufacturing expertise and services to be best practice to reopen borders meet growing fleet demands in the region. Previously, Spirit entered into a multi-year The International Air Transport Association (IATA) applauded the growing number of agreement with EGAT in September 2020 in countries making data and evidence-driven decisions to open their borders to vaccinated which Spirit provided maintenance services travelers. The latest data collected by IATA, including its Timatic service, shows that more in the Taiwan facility on products the aero- than 20 countries have wholly or partially lifted restrictions for vaccinated travellers. IATA structures company manufactures, including supports unrestricted access to travel for vaccinated travellers. In cases where vaccination the 777 GE90/Trent800 nacelle, 737 CFM56- is not possible, access to quarantine-free travel should be provided through COVID-19 7B thrust reverser, and flight control surfaces testing strategies based on widely available, free-of-charge tests. “A safe opening of borders along with broader nacelle MRO services to international travel is the goal. And scientific evidence and data…should be the basis for on the CF6 powered aircraft and A320. By the decision-making needed to achieve that. There is increasing scientific evidence that enhancing this existing commercial agree- vaccination is not only protecting people but also dramatically reducing the risk of COVID-19 ment with a joint venture agreement, Spirit transmission. This is bringing us closer to a world where vaccination and testing enables and EGAT will continue working to expand the freedom to travel without quarantine…These are the best practice examples for others capabilities to better service customers in the to quickly follow,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general. — MATT DRISKILL region. — MATT DRISKILL

DNATA SIGNS MOU TO CUT FOOD WASTE dnata, a leading global air services pro- makes the insect protein a sustainable and vider, has signed a memorandum of un- efficient alternative to traditional fishmeal. derstanding (MoU) with Blue Aqua Food Compared to traditional protein, insect Tech to boost food security in Singapore. protein is a sustainable solution with low The partnership will see Blue Aqua upcy- land, water, and carbon footprint, offering a cle organic waste from dnata’s catering very high yield. The partnership will supply and ground handling operations into al- Singapore’s farmers with sustainable ac- ternative insect protein for aquafeeds. Blue cess to domestically produced animal feed, Aqua’s innovative bioconversion solution which is traditionally imported. The MoU is processes underutilised nutrients from the starting point to a deeper partnership services provider will also add Blue Aqua the leftovers that can be transformed into between Blue Aqua and dnata, which will to its list of suppliers to purchase locally quality insect proteins for aquacultural use. look into the development and implemen- farmed seafood for its catering operations. The bioconversion is a virtuous circle that tation of a ‘Zero Waste’ master plan. The air — MATT DRISKILL

12 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 THAI AIRASIA PARENT POSTS Q1 NET LOSS AS COVID-19 CONTINUES TO DEPRESS TOURISM

Asia Aviation (AAV), the major shareholder quarter the airline recorded a load factor of the operations and have taken appropri- of Thai AirAsia (TAA), said it posted a net 66 percent. AAV said it planned to raise at ate courses of action, including strict cost loss in the first quarter of 2021 of 1.86 bil- least 6.8 billion baht as part of a restruc- management, cooperation between exec- lion baht (US$59 million) on total revenue turing plan to keep the airline going until utives and employees to voluntarily take of 1.35 billion baht compared to a net loss the COVID-19 situation has recovered. CEO leave without pay and furlough schemes, of 671 million baht in the same period last of Asia Aviation and Thai AirAsia, Santisuk flight management processes and have year (absorbing the COVID-19 impact for Klongchaiya, said the first quarter of 2021 also sought out new business opportuni- the full quarter this year, which was dif- was impacted by a second wave of the ties, leveraging the group’s digital transfor- ferent from last year when the impact hit COVID-19 pandemic and said the airline mation where it makes commercial viable only at the end of the quarter). During the and AAV “have reviewed every aspect of sense”. — MATT DRISKILL

EMBRAER E175 FAMILY PLANES PROVE POPULAR WITH CUSTOMERS

Embraer announced multiple sales recently fly exclusively with Airlines under a and its subsidiary Horizon Air. The E175 air- of its E175 model to Skywest Airlines and Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA). The craft will fly exclusively with Alaska Airlines. Embraer has agreed to the value of the contract, which will be includ- also under a Capacity Purchase Agreement sale of eight new E175 jets to SkyWest, ed in Embraer’s second-quarter backlog, (CPA). The value of the contract, which will which will be operated by Alaska Airlines, is US$399.2 million, based on list prices. be included in Embraer’s second-quarter adding to the 32 SkyWest E175 jets SkyWest Embraer said it also has agreed the sale backlog, is US$449.1 million, based on cur- already flies for Alaska. The E175 aircraft will of nine new E175 jets to Alaska Air Group rent list prices. — MATT DRISKILL

PERMANENT ANTIMICROBIAL COATING 99,99*% PERMANENT SAFETY AT LEAST FOR FEEL 1 YEAR GOOD SURFACES EFFECTIVENESS

bEYoND HorIZonS AsianAviation | May-June 2021 LEARN13 MORE Industry News

QANTAS FORECASTS HUGE DROP IN REVENUE AND SAYS MORE JOBS TO BE CUT Australian flag carrier said it expects to lose at least A$2 billion (US$1.54 billion) this financial year and its total revenue loss will top out at A$16 billion, despite an up- tick in domestic aviation. The losses come as Qantas, and other international airlines, try to navigate the carnage wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry worldwide. The airline also said it expects to cut ‘hundreds’ of cabin crew in addition to the thousands of workers already let go, but added that 16,000 of its former 22,000-strong Aerion Supersonic shuts down workforce were back at work. “Assuming no further lockdowns or significant domestic Aerion Supersonic, the Florida-based supersonic business jet developer, has called it quits travel restrictions, the group expects to be and is shutting down. The would-be maker of quiet supersonic business aircraft said it had underlying EBITDA positive in the range of trouble securing funding in the “current financial environment” and was going through the A$400-450 million for FY21,” the airline said. “appropriate steps”. The company had planned to build what it called the AS2 supersonic “At a statutory level before tax, the group is business jet meant to cruise at speeds over 1,000mph without the sonic booms and cabin still expecting a loss in excess of A$2 billion, noise that plagued aircraft like the Concorde. It was supposed to fly by 2024 and enter service which includes the significant costs associat- by 2026. Aerion had a number of high-profile partners, including Boeing and GE. Aerion ed with previously announced redundancies, didn’t say what would happen to the company’s assets following the shutdown. The company aircraft write downs and non-cash deprecia- had been touting new developments as recently as late April. Avion Pacific was set to be tion charges.” — MATT DRISKILL the launch customer for the AS2 in Asia-Pacific, having placed an order for three aircraft in December 2019. This isn’t the end to private supersonic . Boom Supersonic is still developing its Overture with hopes of passenger flights by 2029. — MATT DRISKILL COMMITTED TO INFLIGHT POSTS S$4.27 BILLION NET LOSS INTERNET

Flag carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) posted a year before and that group revenue fell by Qingdao Airlines announced that it is ful- a net loss of S$4.27 billion (US$3.19 billion) S$12 billion or 76.1 percent year-on-year to ly committed to expand and accelerate the for the financial year ended March 2021 due S$3.816 billion due to the plunge in passen- deployment of high-speed in-flight satellite to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on ger flown revenue across Singapore Airlines, internet on its aircraft fleet. This follows the international aviation. The airline said group SilkAir and Scoot. This was partially offset by successful evaluation of the first commercial passenger traffic (measured in revenue pas- higher cargo flown revenue, which rose by high-speed internet flight trial in China that senger-kilometres) shrank 97.9 percent in S$758 million or 38.8 percent year-on-year was launched by Qingdao Airlines in July the financial year ended 31 March 2021 from to S$2.709 billion. — MATT DRISKILL 2020. — MATT DRISKILL

ST ENGINEERING SIGNS LOI TO LEASE A321 CONVERSIONS TO GLOBALX

Singapore’s ST Engineering announced the provide maintenance services to these air- and non-recourse debt. These aircraft will signing of a Letter of Intent by its Aviation craft for GlobalX over the period of the lease. be converted and maintained at ST Engi- Asset Management unit to lease up to five Subject to the signing of definitive agree- neering’s global facilities, with the first A321 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) ments, ST Engineering will acquire the five aircraft to be converted in April 2022 and aircraft to Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX). Airbus A321 passenger aircraft on its own placed on lease in 4Q2022. The remaining As part of end-to-end Aviation Asset Man- or through its joint venture companies, and four P2F aircraft will be converted and leased agement solutions, ST Engineering will also finance these aircraft through a mix of equity to GlobalX progressively. — MATT DRISKILL

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www.taeaerospace.com AIRBUS Women in aviation AAV Editor Matt Driskill recently sat down virtually with Marie-Louise Philippe, the newly installed president of the Singapore chapter of Women in Aviation International to discuss how to get more women involved in the industry.

16 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 IN CONVERSATION

AAV: First things first, tell us about Women in Aviation International. In only a few weeks we have grown MLP: It’s an international organisation and we have launched our from literally a handful of people into Singapore chapter in March…So we are now around 35 member or- ganisations with endorsements from senior leaders in the Singapore now almost 40 members, and we see aviation aerospace ecosystem. During our launch event, we had very this growth going far beyond these senior representation, not only from the government, but also from the main bodies of the aviation industry. And we are aiming high with numbers by the end of the year. our chapter here in Singapore. Women in Aviation gives women, or anyone who becomes a member, access to 14,000 members world- AAV: If you look at governing bodies like IATA, it’s very much a male wide so it’s a very powerful network that you can link into wherever dominated board there. I think they’ve got maybe one or two women you are in the world. And out of this strong network, we said we that are actually on the board at that level. So it needs to start at want to create a strong network here in Singapore, responding to the top the needs of this environment in Singapore and starting by creating MLP: I think there are great examples today of women in our in- our chapter with the aim to create a very strong network between dustry. So why are these voices not heard enough? Maybe that’s the stakeholders. How do we do that? We need to, of course, build something we can ask ourselves collectively as an industry. I do see up our membership base. In only a few weeks we have grown from that IATA is taking the initiative. Though they have set themselves literally a handful of people into now almost 40 members, and we a 25 to 25 ambition, meaning that by 2025 they want to achieve 25 see this growth going far beyond these numbers by the end of the percent of senior leaders in the industry being female. And that’s year. We also have set ourselves an agenda of recurrent events that going across the airline community. In March this year Malaysia sponsors can benefit from. And at the same time our network is as Airlines has subscribed to that ambition so things are coming along. strong as its commitment to change. And so we will work with the But again, I insist that we need to do it as an ecosystem. We need ecosystem to set ourselves ambitious targets in how do we actually to do it collectively. And this is where our chapter will have a great achieve that change by promoting more women to grow in this ecosystem and at the same time industry STEM activities attract female students and girls into the industry.

AAV: Before you came on the show we talked about education being an important part of getting more women in the industry. It’s been a struggle, I think, to actually highlight the problem. It’s not just a problem for flight attendants or something like that, but it’s on the shop floors at MROs and in the C-suite as well. Is the industry doing enough to get more women involved? MLP: First, I wouldn’t call it a struggle. I would just say that collectively as an industry, we need to give it the big push. We have certainly seen changes in the past decade or so. I have seen within the 18 years of my career many changes. But when you look across the industry, two key indicators always come up fairly quickly. When you look at the pilot community, we’re still less than 10 percent across all countries in the pilot community. When you look at the C-suite, it’s also less than 10 unequivocal precision percent of CEOs that are women, and there is no obvious rea- assured engine performance son for this. So we know that diversity will unleash potential for us. Numerous studies have shown that. As an industry, we just Aero is an independent engine MRO delivering globally recognised fl exible workscopes for CFM56-3C/5B/7B series engines. need to now take it to the next step. Set ourselves ambitions to say, if diversity and inclusiveness as are important, how do we Skilled and experienced technicians combine a fresh Norwegian spirit, with a long and proud international heritage to provide fast actually get there? And this is where I see that the awareness is turnaround, quick slot inductions and a range of highly competitive now raising across the board and that’s the first step to actually and reliable engine services that are multi-release FAA, EASA, CAAC make the change. amongst many others. It’s precisely why operators choose Aero Norway. ◀ Marie-Louis Philippe, president of the Singapore chapter of Women in Aviation International. aeronorway.no

AsianAviation | May-June 2021 17 IN CONVERSATION

▶ Famous female aviators like and led the way for women in the industry but there was a long gap between their ground- breaking work and women working in the field today.

role in how do we get to this collective effort? And what I see is the timing has never been better here in Singapore, because the Singa- pore government has also put it on its own agenda. Women at the core of diversity around society and the gender balance as a core initiative going forward. And we will be very pleased to support that initiative for our industry here in Singapore. I think with this support we will be able to create what has been done in the UK and also is starting in the US, which is building up the charter where we clearly

define with all the stakeholders what are the ambitions and where SHUTTERSTOCK do we move and bring the change.

AAV: You touched on this a little bit ago, but So we need to talk to the new generation and let them I think it’s interesting and probably not in a know that passion for flying doesn’t know gender. good way. If you ask most people about wom- en in aviation, they think of flight attendants pilot’s license. Katherine Chung, who actually, I think was American, and cabin crew. And they always seem to think that the pilots are but China kind of adopted her as the Amelia Earhart of China. And middle-aged white men with grey hair most of the time. It’s changing then a lady named who got her pilot’s license 10 somewhat, we’re seeing that here in Asia. I think a year or two ago, years before Amelia Earhart and Quimby had a quote. She said, “In there was an entire crew on an flight if I’m not mistaken, that my opinion, there’s no reason why the should not open a was entirely made up of women. And we are seeing more women in fruitful occupation for women”. Now, this is back in the early 1900s, the cockpit. I think you mentioned a figure there not too long ago, the 1920s, the 1930s…what happened between that time when you 10 percent or something like that. Are we seeing more women in the had all of these famous women in aviation and then today? captain seat and the ’s seat these days? MLP: Those women were courageous pioneers. And obviously as MLP: Step-by-step. But the pipeline for pilots is long. To become a an industry we need to display again that we are pioneers. This first officer or even a captain, it takes a very long time. And what we is what our industry is about. And, of course in the overall set-up, see is unless you change the perception and you’ll come in and do especially in Singapore, young women have a lot of choice in how something for girls to see that, oh, no, it doesn’t have to be a male to direct their careers. And unless you really give them the visibility pilot. It will not change. So we need to talk to the new generation and that such a career is for them and how exciting it can be, and that let them know that passion for flying doesn’t know gender. And what there is a real chance to have a long-term and very rich and colourful we do here in Singapore is we have a very ambitious goal to have a career. Unless you get that into the mind of young girls, then we Girls in Aviation event in September this year where we will open up won’t change it. So the STEM activities are extremely important. to the young generation and let them know it’s fun. It’s a great career And when you ask me what my personal view is on why have we not and we hope to spark the idea in their mind to say yes, this is for me. changed enough? I think sometimes if you don’t feel the necessity to change, it will not change. I think now we know with the studies AAV: There was an older generation, a long time ago, way before every two years from McKinsey. The latest study came out in 2020 my time and your time as well. There are a lot of famous women in about the importance of diversity and how much diverse industries aviation. Amelia Earhart of course comes to mind first on everybody’s and companies are doing better. And if you compare aviation with list. But then I did a little research and there’s a woman named Bessie the tech industry, I think yes, there should be no reason why an avia- Coleman who was the first African-American to get an international tion industry cannot increase its share for women. And my personal

18 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 IN CONVERSATION

back in second world war definitely, but even today, we are moving into a more and more digital environment, more and more robotised environment. So again, I’m making my link to the tech industry. The tech industry has successfully attracted a lot of women, especially here in Asia, like in Singapore, for example. If we can tap into that potential and bring them and connect them into our industry, there are only gains for us and for these ladies to thrive within this ecosystem.

AAV: Well, you actually stole my thunder with my next point, because today, instead of ‘grease monkeys’ which is an affectionate term I use for mechanics and the like, we really need what I call ‘code monkeys’ or computer programmers because your typical Rolls-Royce engine when it’s in flight, is sending thousands of data points down…you don’t need a grease monkey to figure that out, to go and look at the SHUTTERSTOCK engine. You need to look at the computer screen and say, okay, we’ve got a pressure problem here. You still are going to need someone to change the oil, of course. But I would say 90 percent of the MRO work today is doing data analysis. And as you also pointed out, there’s lots of women in the analytical fields. MLP: Yeah, exactly. And this is where I think our aim especially here being in Asia where we have this great potential for the Singapore chapter of Women in Aviation…I think today there are two major domains that will influence our industry. That’s the translation of data and, of course, sustainability. So we have all interests to attract also mid-career women that are in a more data science field to come in and support our industry.

AAV: Women in Aviation it’s an international phenomenon. Are there regional differences that you see? MLP: For me, first and foremost, its a question of adjusting to the cultural and labour market and the education system. Typically, in Asia there are a lot of engineers that are female. So it’s a great base to attract these engineers into our industry. Typically, in Europe our biggest challenge was always to attract a female in the to do engineering. I think there are best practices in all regions of the world, in different areas and we need to tap into them. And I think, SHUTTERSTOCK again, if we look into what we want to achieve here in Singapore it is really to ensure that the stakeholders analso the universities, view is we have just not stated enough the necessity to move and potentially schools, the regulators, or the government, all pull the to unleash that potential further than we have done so far. strings together to ensure that women have the best environment to grow, thrive through the ranks and lead the sector as well as see AAV: There were famous women in aviation, not just in the cockpit, this as a great career…If you want to change something, my per- but also on the shop floor if you look at history. Talking about World sonal conviction is, unleash the potential and show people where War II specifically, Rosie the Riveter, these women built thousands of the benefits are and the studies all demonstrate there are benefits. planes that helped win the war. Are we seeing more women on the I think we don’t have to hide as women in this industry to show our shop floor at MROs and manufacturers? value. Instead of saying things are not going the right way. I think MLP: Do we see enough? I think there can never be enough. I’m truly we should say it’s there. Just unleash it.  convinced that we can do better. And as I said previously, we need to engage the young generation because it’s highly skilled labour. It’s a Note: This is an edited and condensed version of the Q&A. To see the full professional choice you should take early. And in my view, we will also video, go to: https://asianaviation.com/aav-in-conversation-with-ma- see that these jobs are in transformation. The way we build the aircraft rie-louise-philippe-president-of-women-in-aviation-singapore/

AsianAviation | May-June 2021 19 CAE Getting back in the air

Among the tens of thousands of jobs lost in the past year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of those were pilots who found themselves grounded as borders closed. With domestic traffic staging a comeback in some countries, pilot training or re-training is in focus. Matt Driskill looks at what it takes to get back in the air, safely.

THE INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION (IATA) without flying, they undergo extensive ground school followed by a said in 2020, global air passenger traffic saw the largest year-on-year multiday transition course of simulator flights and a check-ride and decline in aviation history, falling by 65.9 percent compared to 2019. in-flight training. If they haven’t flown for more than 180 days or if Traffic is making a return, especially in countries with large domestic they are moving to a different airplane, they go through initial training. markets like China, , Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Finally, they undergo a check-ride in an actual plane, known as a line Following a year on the ground though, pilots have to hit the books check. Testing is to the initial qualification standards for competency. and the simulators again to sharpen their flying skills that might have Although some pilots have reported feeling rusty in the cockpit, it is been dulled by being grounded for so long. important to remember that these are professional pilots who have John Cox, a retired airline captain who operates the safety con- years of experience flying. They recover their skills quickly,” he said. sulting company, Safety Operating Systems, said recently that “pilots Some airlines are gradually bringing their furloughed pilots back who have been out for more than 90 days return to the simulator for training. If they have gone more than 90 days but less than 180 days ▲ Hong Kong cadets being trained by CAE.

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on board and using things like digital study aids to help them get training products and solutions that will be available to customers refreshed on procedures. Airlines are requiring the pilots to pass later this year and said the pandemic has mainly been a training examinations before they start their training. Other programmes problem because of quarantines. “The pandemic has certainly had focus on communications with , which has been a profound impact on the training industry, not least of which stems identified as a worrisome area by some pilots who have been out from global travel restrictions and the challenges customers face of practice. in simply getting to training locations,” Bohl said. “While this has Part of the problem in getting pilots trained is the simple fact that resulted in a decrease in pilot training volume over the past year, it flight simulators are big, expensive machines that not all flight schools has also led to the acceleration of technology innovations enabling can afford and pilots have to book time on those that are available. the industry to more effectively utilise virtual and remote learning That means, especially in Asia, moving across borders to locations options. Ultimately, these innovations will result in more efficient and like Singapore where Airbus and Boeing have simulators. Getting into effective training across the industry going forward. Singapore at the moment is nearly impossible for anyone who is not “The long-term fundamentals of the indus- a citizen or a permanent resident due to COVID-19 restrictions. “The try and global demand for aviation personnel remain strong,” Bohl only thing I can say on training is that due to the border closure, we’ve added. “As the industry recovers, increased demand for training had difficult times to get trainees to come to Singapore to perform services will follow. We are already seeing positive signs of recovery either type ratings or recurrent training so volumes have gone down,” as vaccines become more widely available. Pilots are being recalled Jean-Pierre Clercin, the head of commercial for Asia-Pacific at regional by customers around the world, domestic traffic in many markets is turboprop plane maker ATR, told Asian Aviation. “I’m not sure if this is regaining a solid growth trajectory and training bookings are improv- system-wide. Countries with an in-country (simulator) facility might ing. Long-term sustained growth will continue as travel restrictions not feel the same pinch. What I can’t really say is if there’s a structural ease and growth in international bookings resumes.” reduction in demand for type rating or initial training considering the Flight schools around the world were also hit by the downturn industry uncertainties.” in aviation due to COVID-19. After almost six months of negative Airlines like Singapore Airlines (SIA) told Asian Aviation “our pilots growth month-to-month positive trends have started showing up, operating the , Boeing 787 and freighter according to data from FlightLogger. Compared to March, the aver- fleets are currently actively flying. As such, they are able to meet all age number of active students grew by 1.2 percent in April. So while regulatory requirements with regards to take-off and landings. For the recovery is slow, things are indeed moving in the right direction. pilots on fleets that are not actively flying, they fulfil their respec- Comparing with how it was before COVID-19 hit the entire world, the tive regulatory requirements in simulators. Aircraft ratings in pilots’ average number of active students in April is just 82 percent of what licenses are now valid up to a year from the date of assessment, as it was in February 2020, meaning there is still a lot of recovery to do opposed to six months previously. before returning to pre-COVID levels, FlightLogger said. “SIA ensures the currency of its pilots through both simulator The slow recovery has also forced some schools to put off ex- training sessions and a greater use of e-learning resources during pansion plans. The Qantas Group Pilot Academy at Toowoomba this time. An Evidence-based Training (EBT) simulator programme Wellcamp Airport said a planned second school for the airline was off was implemented in 2020 to ensure all pilots meet SIA’s required the books for now and the main school has reduced the number of competency levels, regardless of flight hours. All pilots must also un- students there. FTA Australia operates the Toowoomba academy for dergo the required proficiency checks before returning to operation- Qantas and Chief Operating Officer Pierre Steyn said the Wellcamp al flying. The number of hours or the type of training accomplished Airport facility — where 87 students are training — had drastically in simulator training varies between different fleets and depends on restructured to survive. “We’ve continued training, but not to the levels the specific operational requirements of the respective fleets, e.g. that we were supposed to do pre-COVID,” Steyn told ABC News. “You recency training, reactivation training,” SIA said. control the cost to make sure the academy can survive during times Those countries like China with a large domestic aviation market when the student numbers and revenue is down,” he said. are better off. Martin Ding, general manager of ACCEL Flight Sim- Simulator occupancy and demand has been hit hard over the ulation in China, told Asian Aviation “The pandemic did impact the past year as pilots were furloughed, fleets grounded, and deliveries pilot training industry in China. A lot of ACCEL’s customers, operators delayed. Like aircraft, hundreds of simulators have sat idle for much and training centres, developed their own online training methods to of the crisis. A recent census of simulators by FlightGlobal showed address the challenges. Fortunately, thanks to the COVID-19 cases narrowbody simulators account for more than half of all simulators in China being under control, the pilot training market came back and training devices. Widebodies accounted for around 30 per- strongly since (the second half) of 2020.” cent. Airbus A320-family aircraft account for around one-quarter Manufacturers too have been adjusting their tools for pilot train- of installed civil flight simulators and devices. Boeing 737-family ing. Chris Bohl, Commercial Training Market director for Boeing, aircraft, across classic, next-generation and MAX models, make up told Asian Aviation the company has developed several new digital 22 percent. 

22 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 AIRBUS Narrowbody plane, expanded service cabins

With international borders at risk of sudden closure and most widebody aircraft parked, stored or retired, the age of the narrowbody has arrived, becoming the platform for airlines to optimise one aircraft for both short and long-haul routes as Michael Doran explains.

BEFORE COVID-19, forecasting fleet sizes decades ahead was “as the improving range capability and attractive seat-mile efficiency almost a matter of how steep to make the growth line but doing so of the class have made the aircraft the choice of low-cost carriers. now is a fraught exercise. A recent attempt from consultants Oliver This trend is expected to continue as more airlines align fleets to the Wyman with their Global Fleet and MRO Forecast 2021-2031 showed demand realities of COVID-19.” Cooper adds there are around 450 the number of aircraft in service in January 2019 was 27,884, plum- 737MAX aircraft built in 2020 undelivered or not sold and in addition meting to around 13,000 during 2020, and recovering to more than the narrowbody fleet will be expanded by the almost 400 737MAX 23,700 by January this year. Looking ahead it forecasts that the fleet stored since the aircraft’s grounding. will grow to more than 36,500 by 2031, less than their pre-COVID With international travel severely restricted it is the airlines who 2030 projection of more than 39,000. serve strong domestic markets, such as China and Australia, who The report estimates the combined fleets of Asia-Pacific, China and seem to be emerging more quickly from the pandemic groundings. India will grow from 7,903 today to 13,400 in 2031, with Asia-Pacific According to OAG Schedules in April, China was the world’s largest adding 2,489 aircraft, China 2,184 and India 872. A subtle change in domestic market, 20 percent larger than it was in 2019, while the this group is that the narrowbody share will grow from 68 to 72 per- US, previously the world’s largest domestic market, shrank by 27 cent at the expense of the widebody and regional/turboprop markets. percent in the same period. Out of the Top 10 domestic markets only Oliver Wyman vice president and lead author of the report, Tom Cooper, says the narrowbody share of the total fleet is on the rise ▲ In 2019 AirAsia finalised a firm order for 30 A321XLRs from Airbus.

AsianAviation | May-June 2021 23 NARROWBODIES

Indonesia and Japan are smaller now than a year ago with South overnight flight to a resort destination, such as Bali, returning for Korea and growing strongly. OAG also reported that in domestic duties the next day. May nine of the top 20 airlines (by flights) globally are from China Airbus’ vice president for single-aisle marketing, Antonio Da Costa, and all of those nine, except for , are exceeding the said the A321 is a unique aircraft because in one package you can number of flights operated in May 2019. In growth terms over 2019 do short-haul, long-haul with the LR and even longer with the XLR leads the way at 14 percent, followed by Shandong with very low operating costs. “It’s able to do routes that are currently at 12 percent and Shenzhen at 8 percent. not feasible with a single-aisle aircraft but are probably too thin to In Australia the ban on international travel has forced many be done profitably with a widebody aircraft, like Delhi-Manchester travellers to look domestically, helped by government incentives or Brisbane-” he says. “So still reasonable size cities but not and a price war plunging Melbourne-Sydney fares as low as A$30. big enough to the point you could justify having a 330 or 787 flying Competition is fierce with regional airline Rex entering the mainline on a regular basis.” market, coming out of administration and Qantas/ With a range of 8,700 kms and seating for 180-220 in a two-class Jetstar utilising idle aircraft, some brought back from Jetstar’s Asia layout or up to 244 in a one-class layout the XLR fits the needs of operations, to add capacity on popular routes. both LCCs and legacy carriers, operating a mix of domestic and international routes. “The key feature is that the LR and XLR is a single-aisle aircraft that allows opening a world of long-haul routes and still have all the trappings and comfort of a long-haul aircraft,” Da Costa explains. “This aircraft has the widest cross-section of any single-aisle aircraft and we have the capability of installing the same type of features as you would have on a longhaul aircraft.” The prospect of sitting in a narrowbody jet for 10 hours or so may seem daunting to many but already airlines such as JetBlue, Amer- ican Airlines and are configuring multi-class layouts to address that issue. US carrier JetBlue is launching its A321LR on transatlantic flights to London in 2021 with a 138-seat cabin layout, including 24 Mint suites, two of which are the larger Mint Studio. Each Mint Suite has direct aisle access, a privacy door, a lie-flat bed, a 17-inch TV screen while the Mint Studio, located in the front row, has an extra table, guest seat and a 22-inch screen and, according to JetBlue, the largest lie-flat bed of any US carrier. The VantageSOLO seats are from Thompson Aero seating al- though the original concept came from UK design house Factoryde- FACTORYDESIGN sign, with director Peter Tennent explaining the idea was first born ▲ The SOLO seat is being used in herringbone layouts on in 2014 when longer range single-aisle aircraft began to emerge. A narrowbody aircraft. big part of the puzzle was aisle-access in the narrowbody cabin and Factorydesign worked on a number of layouts for this, eventually set- tling on the herringbone pattern to be seen in JetBlue’s Mint Suites. For the OEMs the battlelines are clearly between Airbus’ A320neo “Through other work with Thompson for China Eastern we had family and the Boeing 737 MAX and in the current climate it is the already realised we could create a ‘First Class for Free’ by removing flexibility of the A321LR/XLR that is the ideal fit for airlines reshaping and altering the front row monument to become an integral part of their fleets. At the end of April Airbus reported a backlog of 6,979 the seat,” Tennent said. “This thinking carries over well to the SOLO aircraft while Boeing reported 4980 and for both manufacturers which being an angled product leaves space at the front row which narrowbody aircraft accounted for 80 percent of their unfilled orders. can be used to create an enhanced seat.” Returning to countries with large domestic markets it is the Factorydesign also analysed how often passengers travel overnight range, seat-mile efficiency and flexibility of the A320neo family that and go into full-bed mode compared to the large amount of space makes them so attractive. The Qantas Group has 45 A320neo and a lie-flat seat takes up. “An aircraft might make four transcontinental 64 A321neo aircraft on order and plans to use these on a mixture of flights in a day, only one of which is a night flight,” Tennent said. domestic and international routes. There is certainly a lot to like about the future of narrowbody air- Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans says an option is to fly the A321neo on craft in Asia-Pacific, particularly when used in tandem with domestic a full schedule of domestic flights during the day and then do an and the thinner international routes that are so attractive for LCCs.

24 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE DOCTOR FLYING ROYAL Southern hemisphere set for SouthPAN

Australia and New Zealand are about to procure a satellite-based augmentation system that will benefit not just operators in their own countries, but could be extended to Asia-Pacific neighbours as well. Emma Kelly reports.

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND aim to have their satellite-based system, exploiting the latest developments in technology. It will augmentation system (SBAS) — the Southern Positioning Augmen- offer three different types of services — the standard GPS-L1 SBAS tation Network (SouthPAN) — fully operational with safety-of-life certified for SOL applications such as civil aviation; dual frequency (SOL) services for aviation in 2025. The SBAS will provide service L1 and L5 multi-constellation (DFMC) SBAS open service for use throughout Australia and New Zealand and could even go beyond in non-aviation industries; and open access Precise Point Position- to neighbouring countries in the Asia-Pacific region to deliver safety ing Via SouthPAN (PVS), which will provide high-integrity precise and efficiency benefits. positioning primarily for the construction, maritime, utility and rail In committing to the A$160 million (US$124 million) project, Aus- sectors. Existing SBAS systems around the world, including the US tralia and New Zealand join a growing band of countries around Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and the European Ge- the world benefitting from improved accuracy of Global Navigation ostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS), use the mature Satellite Systems (GNSS), with Europe, India, Japan, Russia and the United States already operating their own SBAS systems, while other ▲ The system will provide safety benefits to medical retrieval regions of the world explore the technology. operators, including Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service which Unlike existing systems, SouthPAN will be a second-generation flies into remote rural and regional aerodromes and landing strips.

AsianAviation | May-June 2021 25 AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

make a go-around or divert, which will result in both fuel and time savings for operators. Using SouthPAN, regional pilots will be able to reduce decision altitude to as low as 250ft, which is comparable to approaches conducted with Instrument Landing Systems. The system will also provide benefits to medical retrieval opera- tors, including Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) which flies into remote rural and regional aerodromes and landing strips, improving the safety of its operations. SouthPAN will deliver a range of benefits to aviation, including reducing the risks associated with controlled flight into terrain; allowing increased operations at regional airports that are not equipped with ILS; improving the ability to land in a greater range of conditions, including low cloud cover and reduced visibility; and contribute to a reduction in delays, diversions and cancellations through improved position, navigation and timing. Geoscience Australia, which is managing the tender process, re-

THALES leased an approach to market in March 2020, with the tender closing at the end of July last year. The partners had hoped to announce a ▲ Thales Australia highlighted its suitability for SouthPAN design and prime contractor for system development at the beginning of this implementation last year when it demonstrated receiving a new Thales year, but that schedule has slipped, as has full implementation — SBAS signal at the Optus Satellite teleport in Western Australia. from 2023 to 2025. Geoscience Australia is tight-lipped on the procurement process, L1 service, but Australia and New Zealand will be the first to use saying only that it is “currently undertaking a procurement process next-generation DFMC SBAS signals. for the prime contractor of the SouthPAN. Work on this programme The project is being managed by Geoscience Australia and Land will commence once this contract is awarded”, declining to comment Informational New Zealand (LINZ) and is part of the Australia New on when this is likely to be. “This will occur after a comprehensive Zealand Science, Research and Innovation Cooperation Agreement. procurement process has been undertaken that delivers maximum “SBAS-based technologies are very complex systems that have value for money by Geoscience Australia and LINZ,” it adds. evolved and continue to evolve through decades of large-scale de- Geoscience Australia says at this stage, initial services are ex- velopment and investment,” says Geoscience Australia, explaining pected within 12 months of contract award, with SOL operations its reasoning for not rushing into SBAS technology. “Australia, in following in 2025. partnership with New Zealand, is building on the advancing maturity The tender calls for SouthPAN services to be provided for a 15-year of SBAS technologies and is delivering the benefits of these to a period across the whole of Australia and New Zealand, with availa- broad range of stakeholders through developing the first SBAS for bility for aviation and maritime users extending into the Pacific as the Southern Hemisphere,” it explains. well. High-integrity positioning data with sub-metre level accuracy is Like other SBAS systems around the world, SouthPAN will be required for aviation and road transport users and decimetre accuracy designed to improve the accuracy of GNSS — the US Global Posi- for users in agriculture, construction, resources and utilities. tioning System and Europe’s Galileo — from 5-10 metres to within The selected prime contractor will be responsible for design, build, 10cm. It is expected to provide economic and safety benefits to a operation and maintenance of the system and, as such, is required to wide variety of industries, including aviation, agriculture, construc- be able to demonstrate a proven track record in SBAS development tion, resources, road transport and utilities. and operations. Operators set to benefit in the aviation industry are regional air- Geoscience Australia declines to comment on companies that lines, as well as helicopter and fixed-wing emergency and rescue responded to the tender, while potential contractors are subject providers. For regional aviation operators, SouthPAN’s high accura- to non-disclosure agreements and not able to discuss the project. cy, integrity and availability will be able to support vertical guidance, Lockheed Martin and Thales are two companies that have consid- improving safety. Australia’s Civil Authority (CASA) erable experience in designing, developing and operating SBAS and says that -aligned instrument flight procedures with contin- have both expressed interest in SouthPAN in the past. uous vertical guidance are 25 times safer than circling approaches, Lockheed Martin, for example, has extensive SBAS experience while approaches with vertical guidance are eight times safer than through the US WAAS, which provides precise navigation for civil approaches with lateral guidance alone. The availability of contin- aviation across the US National Airspace System, providing hori- uous vertical guidance will reduce the chances of a pilot having to zontal and vertical navigation for approach operations for all users

26 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

at all locations, providing safety and efficiency benefits. The transmission received in WA was generated by Thales Alenia Lockheed Martin has previously worked closely with Geoscience Space using the NIGCOMSAT-1R satellite, which normally serves Australia and LINZ as the major industry supplier on a SBAS Test- Africa, with WA being on the edge of its coverage area, according to bed Demonstrator Trial which was conducted in Australia and New Thales Alenia Space vice-president navigation Benoit Broudy. “We Zealand from 2017 to 2019 in order to demonstrate the technology’s are offering two new satellite payloads onboard Optus satellites to benefits ahead of project commitment. provide services across Australia and New Zealand, which could be Fellow contender Thales has SBAS experience through EGNOS, extended into the Pacific Island regions,” he adds. which has been operating since 2011. Thales is also prime contractor The potential benefits and economic case for SouthPAN were on the Korea Augmentation Satellite System (KASS) which is under demonstrated to potential users in the 2017-2019 SBAS Testbed development and scheduled for a system qualification review in late Demonstrator Trial. It included 27 projects in 10 industry sectors 2022 and SOL services for aviation from 2023. It is also working with — aviation, agriculture, construction, consumer, maritime, rail, re- Leonardo on a SBAS testbed in the Africa and Indian Ocean region sources, road, spatial and utilities — in order to assess the economic, in conjunction with the Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa social and environmental benefits of SBAS. and Madagascar (ASECNA). The trial involved Lockheed Martin, GMV of Spain and Inmarsat. Thales Australia highlighted its suitability for the job last year when GNSS signals were monitored by Geoscience Australia; GMV’s it demonstrated receiving a new Thales SBAS signal at the Optus master station collected data, computed corrections and generated Satellite teleport in Western Australia (WA). The technology was augmentation messages which were uplinked by Lockheed Martin developed specifically for operation close to the equator — such as to a SBAS host on an Inmarsat geostationary Earth orbit satellite Australia and New Zealand — which experience difficult ionospheric which then broadcast the augmentation message, corrections and conditions. Thales worked with Melbourne-based GPSat Systems integrity data to end users. and GNSS receiver manufacturer Hexagon/NovAtel for the demon- Aviation demonstrations conducted in the trial involved Airservices stration. NovAtel engineers monitored the broadcast and reported Australia, with SBAS approach procedures conducted in regional sufficient date for SBAS corrections. areas with limited ground infrastructure. 

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Learn more at: mroeurope.aviationweek.com #MROE | AsianAviation | May-June 2021 27 BOEING Aviation can do more with sustainable fuels

Never let a crisis go to waste is the mantra of politicians, but it seems like the aviation industry has adopted it in the industry’s calls to improve its environmental credentials. AAV editor Matt Driskill is sceptical things will really change because money makes the world go round and aviation is in short supply at the moment due to COVID-19.

FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF the aviation world has been The decidedly unscientific answer is, probably not, when manufac- turned on its head, at least when it comes to international travel. turers like Airbus and Boeing aren’t selling planes like they used to Industry associations estimate airlines and airports will lose, or have and when airports like Changi in Singapore have shut down multiple already lost, hundreds of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of terminals costing millions in lost rent. jobs have been cut, many of which are unlikely to return. But that’s not stopping the public relations people throughout the That raises the question: Will aviation spend what it needs to industry from issuing news releases touting the green credentials spend to really make a difference when it comes to the environment? of their organisations. Most of the work to date has centred on

28 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 ENVIRONMENT

◀ The quickest way for aviation to cut emissions is with the use of electric aircraft capable of flying short distances. Wright Electric has sustainable fuel. the expertise to make it happen, and easyJet has a vested interest in the concept becoming a reality, GlobalData reported. sustainable fuels, fuel efficient aircraft and to some extend a total Gus Gardner, associate travel and tourism analyst at GlobalData, revamp of the industry by switching to hydrogen. But sustainable said: “To combat the flight shaming movement, airlines must take fuels seem to be hogging the limelight. all possible actions to ensure passengers do not choose alternative Hong Kong flag carrier recently said it was commit- transport, especially on short-haul routes. As electric rail travel be- ted to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Cathay Pacific comes more popular — with extensive networks across Europe and Chief Executive Officer Augustus Tang said “the unprecedented Asia — airlines risk passengers jumping to more environmentally pandemic has shaken the world and showed us that ‘business as friendly options. If progress to make the airline industry greener is usual’ is not an option when dealing with an imminent global risk. slow, then the impacts could be far-reaching.” Climate change, potentially a much more disruptive crisis, calls for Airports too are getting into the green game. Phnom Penh’s air- ramped-up efforts. Our net-zero pledge aligns with the requirements port, a member of the VINCI Airports network, has installed Fixed laid out in the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Electrical Ground Power (FEGP) units and Pre-Conditioned Air (IPCC) and the Paris Agreement, and provides the focus we need in (PCA) units to cater to aircraft at parking bays. The new systems, aligning our strategy — from fleet planning and carbon offsetting to fixed under the passengers bridges, allow the aircraft to further investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuel and the development directly get electricity and air conditioning from the airport facilities. of new technologies.” Previously, auxiliary power units (APU) have been the main source Cathay said it planned to meet its goals by investing in sustain- of power for idled . The switch to FEGP and PCA aims at able aviation fuel through its stake in Fulcrum BioEnergy and has substantially reducing the use of APUs, which are noisy jet-fuel mini committed to purchasing 1.1 million tonnes of sustainable fuel over reactors that emit CO2, and other local pollutants, curbing opera- 10 years. The airline group will also use a carbon offset programme tional efficiency on the apron. The commissioning of the new tech- and work to renew its fleet with more fuel efficient planes. nologies demonstrates VINCI Airports’ strong commitment to fight Sustainable fuel maker Neste and (ANA) climate change through its global environmental strategy, AirPact. also announced at the end of 2020 that ANA will become the first airline to use sustainable fuel on flights departing from Japan and also represents Neste’s first SAF supply to an Asian airline. ANA plans SAF-fuelled flights from both Haneda International Airport and Narita International Airport. “ANA takes pride in its leadership role and has been recognised as an industry leader in sustainability, and this agreement with Neste further demonstrates our ability to serve passengers while also reducing our carbon footprint,” said Yutaka Ito, executive vice president at ANA overseeing procurement. “While COVID-19 has forced us to make adjustments, we remain committed to meeting our sustainability goals.” Cathay taking a stake in Fulcrum BioEnergy is an example of the kind of partnerships that will be needed to keep travellers flying, according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company. Reducing plastic usage and adopting environmentally friendly materials is not enough to tackle sustainability issues, GlobalData reported in a con- TEXTRON AVIATION sumer survey. Travellers are increasingly likely to be influenced by how environmentally friendly a product or service is, with GlobalData’s Q1 ▲ It’s not just big airlines using sustainable fuels, but business 2021 Consumer Survey revealing that 76 percent of global respond- aviation is jumping into the game as well. ents are ‘always’, ‘often’, or ‘sometimes’ influenced by this factor, as well as how ethical/socially responsible a product or service is. Hydrogen or bust To acquire the knowledge and skills to tackle the bigger issues, Probably the longest ‘moon-shot’ in aviation is a switch to hydrogen airlines could acquire a stake in a company working in the area of fuel, which would be the ultimate clean energy. The problem with sustainability or form strategic partnerships. In the same way that hydrogen is it will require a complete change in the industry, from acquired an oil refinery in 2012 to gain security over engines to airports and everything in between. And the industry is its fuel supply, airlines should seek to do the same with biofuel com- unlikely to be able to, or want to, spend the money required for such panies. EasyJet partnered with Wright Electric in 2017 to develop an a top to bottom shift.

AsianAviation | May-June 2021 29 AS2021 APDR 235x275.qxp_AS2021 APDR 235x275 13/4/21 3:24 pm Page 1

ENVIRONMENT

That isn’t to say they’re not thinking about it. In France for ex- at Pratt & Whitney, said “commercial aviation has a unique op- ample, a group of companies including Airbus, Groupe ADP, Air portunity when it comes to sustainable flight, and our industry 30 NOVEMBER - 5 DECEMBER France-KLM and Airbus have called for expressions of interest to must use multiple approaches to address the challenge. We will AVALON AIRPORT, GEELONG, AUSTRALIA explore the opportunities generated by hydrogen in Paris airports of course continue to leverage our technical know-how and in- with the aim to decarbonise air transport activities. The partners novation to build future generations of ever-more efficient and share a common ambition: to identify and qualify advances in capable aircraft…One immediate opportunity to radically reduce Australia’s own international industry event, the most comprehensive research and technologies, and then to test the economically vi- our dependence on fossil fuels is to develop a viable and robust able solutions that will meet the needs of hydrogen at an airport, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) infrastructure and marketplace as aviation, aerospace and defence exposition in the Southern Hemisphere. to prepare in the medium term the challenges of its supplies and a bridge technology, as we design and build the future generation uses in a larger scale, particularly with a view to operate a future of commercial aircraft, powered by hyper-efficient engines.” hydrogen-powered aircraft. Hunt said by 2035, 44,000 aircraft are expected to be in service, Jean-Brice Dumont, executive vice president engineering at Air- and the majority of those will still be flying in 2050 and beyond. bus, said: “Airbus is determined to drive a bold vision for the future Airlines cannot re-fleet entirely when the next generation of tech- of sustainable aviation and to lead the transition to zero-emission nology is introduced from 2035. “We need a solution that bridges commercial flight. Hydrogen is one of the most promising technol- the technology gap between now and our sustainable future ogies that will help us meet that objective — but we won’t be able state. We know how to get there; those of us in industry, and our to do it alone. This revolution will also require our regulatory and partners in government, need to get serious about a viable path infrastructure ecosystems to change worldwide. Airports have a key for (sustainable aviation fuel) development, production and distri- role to play in enabling that transition, starting today, and we hope bution. The latest-generation engine technology today can fly on that this open innovation initiative will foster the development of 100 percent SAFs under test conditions, though modifications to creative projects and solutions.” engine components may be required. This is not a pacing event for While hydrogen may be the ultimate clean energy source, the the industry. We need SAFs developed at scale. Today, less than sustainable fuels available today are the ones the industry should 1% of fuel needs are met by their use. Governments can provide focus on. the right mix of incentives and funding to stimulate supply and Geoff Hunt, senior vice president, engineering and technology demand towards an economically competitive level.”  AVALON 2019 Highlights l 38,952 Trade Visitor Attendances SUBSCRIBE TO ASIAN AVIATION: ASIA’S ONLY COMPREHENSIVE INDEPENDENT INDUSTRY PUBLICATION l 698 Participating Companies

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