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LATEST NEWS
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Friday, December 9th, 2022
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The UK, Japan and Italy have announced that the three countries are to co-operate in the production of a new, sixth-generation fighter jet that will replace the current Typhoon aircraft in Europe and Japan’s F-2. “We are announcing the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – an ambitious endeavour to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft by 2035,” British, Japanese and Italian leaders said in a joint statement.
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The announcement purposely avoided mentioning Russia or China by name but made it clear that the new jet is a necessity because “threats and aggression are increasing” against the “rules-based, free and open international order,” adding that “Defending our democracy, economy and security, and protecting regional stability, are ever more important.”
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The news comes hot on the heels of the announcement by Northrop Grumman that it is to build a sixth-generation stealth jet for the US Air Force. The announcement has received the full backing of the US government with whom the three countries are involved with the production of the fifth-generation F-35 programme. This latest development will have no effect on the F-35 programme.
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“The United States supports Japan’s security and defence cooperation with likeminded allies and partners, including with the United Kingdom and Italy – two close partners of both of our countries – on the development of its next fighter aircraft,” the US-Japan statement said. “Future interoperability with the United States, with NATO and with our partners across Europe, the Indo-Pacific and globally – is reflected in the name we have chosen for our program. This concept will be at the centre of its development,” the British government commented in a separate statement.
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Critics have said that strict US export controls on military technology have sometimes limited what customers of planes like the F-35 could do to adapt them to their specific needs. The leaders said the GCAP programme “will support the sovereign capability of all three countries to design, deliver and upgrade cutting-edge combat air capabilities.”
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Avinor AS (Avinor), the state-owned limited company that operates most of the civil airports in Norway, has agreed to build a new airport 900 miles to the south of Bodø, Norway. The deal is based on a partnership between the municipality of Bodø, the Norwegian Armed Forces and Avinor, with completion of the new airport scheduled for completion in 2029. The overall cost of the project has been set at NOK 7.2 billion with Avinbor’s contribution to the project amounting to NOK 2.6 billion.
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“We have always been committed to securing the right allocation of costs in the project, and on ensuring that the correct framework with all necessary clarifications is in place between the parties. Now that enough issues have been clarified, we are satisfied to be able to make this historic decision,” said Abraham Foss, CEO of Avinor. He also made no secret of the fact that the process to reach this decision has been a challenge Avinor. In January, the Board resolved to postpone its decision on the airport for several reasons, including the company’s financial following the pandemic. Avinor’s loss of income because of COVID-19 in the period 2020-2022 has amounted to NOK 16 billion.
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The first contract to be announced will be published in the first week of January and will be for the construction of the runway, taxiways, aircraft stands and other external infrastructure, also referred to as ‘contract E02 airside’. “We are looking forward to getting to work on the project itself and we feel that this decision finally sees us underway.” The current airport at Bodø will remain fully operational up to the day before the new airport is officially opened (£1.00 = NOK 12.19 at time of publication).
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N3 Engine Overhaul Services (N3), the joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and Rolls-Royce for the overhaul and repair of aircraft engines, is now authorised to maintain Boeing 787 Dreamliner engines. The Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) granted N3 the approval to work as a maintenance organisation (Part 145) for large engines of the type of Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN.
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This operating license allows N3 to expand its product portfolio with a fifth engine type. This will help satisfy the growing demand for maintenance services for Rolls-Royce Trent engines and also provides the basis for further expansion projects at the site, located on the outskirts of the Thuringian municipality of Arnstadt, Germany. Going forward, service capacity is to be increased from the current 160 engines per year to at least 250 engines per year in the coming years.
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N3 Managing Director Carsten Behrens (CEO of N3 since April, representing Rolls-Royce) commented: “With the operating license for the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN engine, we are securing our future by expanding and increasing our capacities. As a result, we will be able to react with greater flexibility to future maintenance and repair demand concerning Rolls-Royce Trent engines and, thanks to our efficiency and reliability, we will continue to establish ourselves in the overhaul network of our parent companies.”
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The new engine type in the N3 portfolio also marks the entry into the Boeing world for the company. Until now, N3 has only looked after Trent models used on Airbus aircraft.
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As part of a significant investment to expand its engineering, digital technology and manufacturing operations in India, Collins Aerospace, a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp., has officially inaugurated its new Global Engineering and Technology Centre (GETC) and Collins India Operations Centre in Bengaluru. The new sites are part of a long-term growth strategy for Raytheon Technologies in India and globally to maximise collaboration and innovation providing cutting edge solutions for customers and provide additional STEM-based opportunities in the country.
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Approximately 3,000 engineers from three other Collins Aerospace locations in Bengaluru, as well as about 600 personnel from other Raytheon Technologies’ group of companies will be moving into the 413,000 ft² GETC at Northgate Tech Park to facilitate collaboration across the company’s businesses, with plans to expand its footprint on the three-acre land next year with new capabilities. Pratt & Whitney’s United Technologies Corporation India Pvt Ltd. (UTCIPL) contract engineering services is also planned to open in early 2023 at the same location.
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“The opening of these new facilities in Bengaluru shows our continued commitment in India, expanding our capabilities and accelerating transformative technologies for a safer, more connected and sustainable world,” said Dr Mauro Atalla, Senior-Vice President, Engineering & Technology for Collins Aerospace. “The GETC India organisation supports Collins’ six strategic business units and is crucial to the continued success of our global businesses.”
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Ryanair Holdings has confirmed that the group has reached an agreement with group CEO, Michael O’Leary to extend his contract from July 2024 to July 2028. Furthermore, the group appointed Anne Nolan (former Chair of the Irish Aviation Authority – IAA) to its Board as a Non-Executive Director (NED) with immediate effect.
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The Board agreed a contract extension which will see O’Leary remain as Group CEO until the end of July 2028 (previously July 2024). Under this extended contract the final vesting date for share options granted in 2019 will be extended to 2028 (from 2024), subject to O'Leary remaining in employment with the group until July 2028 and delivering stretched performance targets (incl. raised PAT targets of up to €2.2 billion and/or a share price of €21) which will considerably reward all shareholders if these ambitious targets are delivered. If these targets are not achieved then these share options will lapse and O'Leary will receive nothing other than his basic salary. An amended Remuneration Policy, reflecting these changes, will be tabled at Ryanair’s 2023 AGM.
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Nolan is a former Chair of the IAA (from 2010 to 2018) and previously served as Chief Executive of the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. She has also served on various Boards incl. the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Irish Medicines Board, the Executive Committee of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and the Board of the Smurfit Graduate School of Business.
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Magnetic MRO, a brand of Magnetic Group, has entered into a partnership with commercial aircraft leasing company Falko to provide long-term storage for five ATR 72 aircraft parked in Tallinn.
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Falko is the servicer of five ATR 72 aircraft in Tallinn, all of which are in long-term storage, i.e. the aircraft are parked for over half a year. According to the client’s schedule and maintenance manuals, Magnetic MRO works with these aircraft on a weekly basis, doing periodic checks according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
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“With the aircraft in long-term storage, Falko is actively working alongside Magnetic MRO to ensure the aircraft are maintained in accordance with the storage programme,” said Kevin Hill, Technical Director at Falko.
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VINCI Airports has finalised the acquisition of Fintech’s 29.99% stake in OMA (Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte) for a total amount of US$1.17 billion, thereby becoming the largest shareholder in the Mexican airport operator. The transaction follows the signature of an agreement with OMA’s former shareholder in July 2022.
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With this stake in a company holding a concession that will mature in 25 years, VINCI Airports is moving into Mexico and, as OMA’s largest shareholder, will contribute to operating 13 airports in a country with high growth potential:
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Monterrey International Airport (the airport handles about half of OMA’s passenger traffic, and the city is Mexico’s industrial capital and second-largest metropolis);
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The airports at Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez, Culiacan and Mazatlan;
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Regional and tourist airports on the Pacific coast and in the centre of the country (Acapulco, San Luis Potosí, Torreon, Zihuatanejo, Durango, Zacatecas, Tampico and Reynosa).
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Passenger traffic at OMA airports has hovered above pre-health-crisis levels since last July. Overall, in the first 11 months of the year – during which the airports handled 21 million passengers and flights to and from 170 destinations –, traffic is at 99% of its 2019 level. VINCI Airports will maintain this momentum to address growing demand for domestic travel in the Americas’ third most populated country and for international travel, especially to and from the United States, by starting up direct flights between Monterrey and Los Angeles, Houston, Detroit and Austin.
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VINCI Airports will also roll out its environmental action plan aimed at net zero emissions throughout its network by 2050.
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