F-35 owners and operators will soon benefit from lower ownership costs and increased efficiency and sustainability as Honeywell and Aeronamic sign a licensed service center agreement to create a depot in the Netherlands. The long-term agreement will cover the European market and bring significant benefits to both current and future owners and operators of the F-35. The agreement will substantially reduce the logistical footprint of supporting the regional fleet with a Netherlands-based depot, resulting in lower costs for F-35 operators. “We’re proud to partner with Honeywell and be one of the service providers for F-35 aircraft,” said Reinoud Siezen, vice president, business development and programs, Aeronamic. “Our central location in the Netherlands is favorable for European market operations because we can combine Honeywell’s extensive knowledge and skills with our regional expertise, resulting in a great solution for those who operate and own F-35 aircraft.” “Our agreement with Aeronamic will provide....
Saudi Arabia’s World Defense Show is already planning for the next edition, which is set to take place from 4-8 February 2024. As part of the enhancement initiatives to address the high demand, WDS organizers are reviewing potential expansion plans to include a third exhibition hall offering Participants additional exhibition space, to compliment the two existing main halls. Moreover, WDS is set to grow from a four- day trade event to five days, accommodating opportunities for a broader variety of industry professionals to discover the world of defense. Andrew Pearcey, chief executive officer said: “The incredible feedback we received from the industry, following the success of our first edition, has propelled us to continue growing and enhancing the offering of the show. We strive to serve and satisfy the industry’s needs, so it is crucial that we work alongside all our partners to ensure we continue to evolve all areas....
The first six students from the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) have completed phase IV of the Advanced/Lead-In to Fighter Training program at the International Flight Training School (IFTS), launched a year ago at the 61st Wing of the Italian Air Force base in Lecce-Galatina, Italy. Founded in 2017, the IFTS project is a partnership between the Italian Air Force and Leonardo. This collaboration made it possible to double the current training offering, through the creation of a new hub distributed between the Galatina base, where the Italian Air Force will continue to carry out its basic training activities, and the Decimomannu Air Base, in Sardinia, where a new advanced pilot training campus is being set up. Aimed at pilots destined to fly latest-generation fighter planes, like the Eurofighter or the F-35, the IFTS courses are conducted by military and civilian instructors and are based on the advanced T-346 ITS....
Communications satellite operator SES announced recently it completed the acquisition of DRS Global Enterprise Solutions, a business acquired from Leonardo DRS for $450 million. DRS GES will be part of SES Government Solutions, based in Reston, Virginia. The acquisition was announced in March. Before it was sold to SES, DRS GES was a business unit of defense contractor Leonardo DRS and one of a handful of network integrators that provide managed satcom services to the Defense Department and other government agencies. The Pentagon relies on integrators to stitch together networks from multiple vendors. SES, headquartered in Luxembourg, operates a fleet of more than 70 geosynchronous and medium Earth orbit satellites. The company expects to leverage the DRS customer base to grow its US defense and government business. SES said it plans to serve “multi-orbit satellite communications needs of the US government and supporting missions anywhere on land, at sea or....
Oman Air has launched its Future Leaders Commercial Graduate Program exclusively for Omani graduates. The intensive two-year program is currently accepting applications from university graduates of 2020, 2021 or 2022 and will offer up to 12 selected candidates the opportunity to gain internationally recognized qualifications while being exposed to all commercial functions at Oman Air. Future Leaders, which officially begins in October 2022, is designed for the most talented Omani graduates, and expands on Oman Air's excellence-focused culture. With job rotations that will expose students to six core commercial departments—Strategy & Planning, Revenue Management, Sales, Marketing, Product Development, and Service Delivery—graduates will receive practical experience from inside the airline's diverse commercial department. The program will help students reach their potential as commercial managers and provide them with the skill sets needed to enter the airline sector. Oman Air CEO Abdulaziz Al Raisi said, "We are committed to attracting, guiding and....
A South African flying school has teamed up with two businessmen to help disadvantaged youngsters take the first steps towards a career as pilots. Durban businessman, Phinda Fikeni, and his business partner, Mzwakhe Sithole, have decided to support the city’s Focus Air Flight School by assisting students enrolling for an 18-month pilot training program, without having to fund the course up front. The high costs of learning to fly have traditionally been a major obstacle in many countries for talented youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds. The new scheme aims to fund trainees to get a private pilot’s license (PPL), the first rung on the ladder towards becoming a commercial pilot. “We get a lot of people coming from disadvantaged homes and rural areas,” explained Focus Air Flight School’s founder and CEO, Fathima Khan. “These people are some of the high-fliers in their school; they do exceptionally well and, unfortunately, don’t get....
Boeing's 2022 Pilot and Technician Outlook (PTO) forecasts demand for 2.1 million new aviation personnel over the next 20 years. The long-term forecast shows that 602,000 pilots, 610,000 maintenance technicians and 899,000 cabin crew members will be needed to support the global commercial fleet over the next two decades. The worldwide fleet is expected to nearly double and grow to 47,080 airplanes by 2041, according to Boeing's recently released Commercial Market Outlook. The fastest growing regions are Africa, Southeast Asia and South Asia, with all three regions expected to grow more than four percent over the forecast period. "As the commercial aviation industry recovers from the pandemic and plans for long-term growth, we anticipate a steady and increasing demand for aviation personnel, as well as the ongoing need for highly effective training," said Chris Broom, vice president, Commercial Training Solutions, Boeing Global Services. "Our customer-centric approach and digital expertise includes....
Isotropic Systems is changing its name to All.Space, as the British antenna manufacturer unveils its “fifth-generation smart terminal” to link cellular and satellite networks. All.Space announced plans recently to begin production in late 2022 of the new terminal, which is designed to connect networks “via multiple, simultaneous links,” according to the company based in Reading, England. Last year, the British company announced successful field tests of its flat-panel antenna, after successfully connecting to fleet operator SES’s satellites in geostationary and medium Earth orbit at the same time. Recently, All.Space concluded field tests with US and UK government agencies as well as satellite operators to demonstrate antennas that linked satellites in low-Earth, medium-Earth and geostationary orbits. Eutelsat and OneWeb recently agreed on a plan to merge their businesses to create a global multi-orbit satellite broadband operator. It was the latest sign that satellite communications firms are eager to establish constellations with....
South Africa has launched a new $5.79 million project on behalf of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) dedicated to monitoring space weather globally, and specifically for the entire African region. South Africa, through the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), was selected as an ICAO-designated regional space weather center in 2018. ‘Space weather’ refers to the effect of the Sun on the Earth and is caused by solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), high-speed solar wind, and solar energetic particles. When these components interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, they can cause disruptions to aviation communications. SANSA has been monitoring space weather since 2011, when it launched a space weather center at Hermanus, outside Cape Town. Now a new R90 million ($5.79m) project has been started for the ICAO that will see new state-of-the-art structures dedicated to 24/7 monitoring of space weather for civil aviation globally, and specifically for....
Regional aircraft manufacturer ATR has named Nathalie Tarnaud Laude as its new chief executive from September 2022, its first female CEO. Tarnaud Laude replaces Stefano Bortoli, whose four-year mandate comes to an end on September 17, 2022. “I thank Stefano for his strong leadership in preserving ATR’s market position and financial situation, while at the same time maintaining its highly skilled workforce in the unprecedented times of Covid, and preparing the grounds for the future of ATR,” Tarnaud Laude said in a statement in July 2022. Bortoli will take up a new leadership role at Leonardo, with details to be announced in the coming days, ATR said. Toulouse-based ATR is a joint venture between Airbus and fellow European aerospace group Leonardo. Tarnaud Laude joins from Airbus, where she is currently NHIndustries’ President and Head of the NH90 Program for Airbus Helicopters. “She brings strong strategic and leadership skills, as well....
Honeywell, Aeronamic to create depot in Netherlands for F-35 owners and operators
KSA’s World Defense Show set to take place in February 2024
QEAF completes Phase IV of Advanced/Lead-In to Fighter Training program at IFTS in Italy
SES acquires DRS for $450 million
Oman Air unveils new graduate program exclusively for Omani graduates
SA flying school teams up with 2 businessmen to help disadvantaged youngsters take first step toward pilot career
Demand for 2.1m new aviation personnel expected over the next 20 years (Boeing)
Isotropic Systems unveils 5th- gen smart terminal to link cellular and satellite networks
SANSA to monitor space weather in African region and globally
ATR names its 1st female CEO
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