September 10, 2018 - No. 071 In This Issue AVIAÂ Enlists Constant Aviation as New, Preferred MRO Supplier in the U.S Aviation technicians to be in high demand; average wage $23 an hour Flight school involved in 3 copter crashes in past year has no safety violations at JWA, airport say International Aviation College and Avion Group Are Developing the Nakhon Phanom Area by Establishing a Flight Simulator Center CAE Re-opens Cadet Recruitment for the Generation easyJet Pilot Training Program STS Aviation announces new ground equipment services group Fuel, Yuan Movements May Be More Important Than Trade Conflicts for Chinese Aviation Nation to further open aviation to private investments Joramco inks MRO deal with Saudi Arabia's flyadeal THAI Joins Rolls-Royce R&D Project KLM Airlines enters digital territory on the back of TCS' high-flying tech China soars to new heights with XL aircraft recycling hub SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches Canadian comsat AVIAÂ Enlists Constant Aviation as New, Preferred MRO Supplier in the U.S. VIAÂ, the world's first global purchasing organization for business aviation, is pleased to widen its supplier base, with a new agreement with Constant Aviation, one of the most respected and fastest growing MROs in the U.S. AVIAÂ members in the U.S. will benefit from streamlined and negotiated pricing, a national network of facilities, and a commitment to unparalleled service. With maintenance facilities and AOG services spanning the country, Constant Aviation has experience and expertise on a variety of business aircraft types including Bombardier's Global Express and Learjet, Gulfstream GIV/GIVSP, G350/G450, G5/G550, Embraer's Legacy and Phenom family, Beechjet, Nextant and Dassault Falcon 50/900/2000 models. "We are thrilled to partner with AVIAÂ in bringing this program to its members. Much like AVIAÂ, Constant Aviation is committed to delivering value to our customers, and we strive to create a positive experience through quality, innovation, drawing on our extensive business and private jet expertise," commented Jay Rizzo, Constant Aviation's Executive Vice President of Strategic Sales. "Constant Aviation has a solid reputation for excellent service," said Gillian Hayes, AVIAÂ CEO. "We are excited to introduce such a high-quality vendor and service organization to our members. We applaud their devotion to safety and service, as it is vital for us that all of our engaged partners operate safely with the highest standards of quality." Founded in 2005, Constant Aviation is a full-service aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) company with a nationwide network of facilities and resources. The company specializes in airframe maintenance, major repairs, avionics, interior refurbishment, paint, parts distribution, and accessory services in the private and corporate aviation industry. Constant Aviation provides customers with a tailored one-stop shop for all their maintenance needs. Customers experience unparalleled service and a commitment to understanding the importance of aircraft availability, predictability, and minimizing operational costs for aircraft owners/operators. AVIAÂ has brought professionalized procurement to business aviation on a global scale. Streamlining the procurement process for owners and operators, it maximizes collective buyer power. Purchasing by volume, it can obtain best value for key operational spends such as insurance, training, connectivity, fuel, maintenance, parts, aircraft handling, FBOs and more. AVIAÂ recently received the Innovation in Business Aviation accolade at the Sapphire Pegasus European and Middle East Business Aviation Awards during EBACE in Geneva. AVIAÂ and Constant Aviation will be participating at the NBAA Regional Forum in San Jose, CA on September 6. www.aviaa.com www.constantaviation.com https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12428449/aviaa-enlists-constant-aviation-as-new- preferred-mro-supplier-in-the-us Back to Top Aviation technicians to be in high demand; average wage $23 an hour Over the next two decades, 754,000 aircraft technician positions are expected to be open according to Boeing. In the next five years, nearly 30 percent of aviation maintenance technicians in the United States are eligible to retire. Jason Reed, an AMT instructor at Spartan College of Aviation & Technology, says an aviation maintenance technician is and will be a highly sought-after position by airline companies. The FAA curriculum at Spartan College gives students a hands on experience, preparing them for an aviation career outside the classroom. "We cover the whole broad spectrum of how the whole aircraft operates, how to maintain it legally and properly," says Reed of the class. The program is short, but the tuition is high for some. Spartan's course is $41,000. "It's 18 months, and then you can go out into the field and start making great pay," Reed says. The average pay is about $23 an hour, and those with a lot of experience can make over $30 an hour. That's a lot compared to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Diane Sellers will be graduating in five months from Spartan College and can't wait to get her career off the ground. Like many students, college wasn't for Sellers. "After high school, I went to a traditional college and that didn't work out and then I tried community college and that didn't work, and then my mom saw an ad on TV and I took a tour and knew this is where I want to be," says Sellers. The class before her had an 85 percent placement rate. Sellers says unlike some of her family members, she's not worried about landing a job after college. If you have any interest at all in becoming an aviation maintenance technician, all you need is a high school diploma or a GED. To learn more information about Spartans College of Aviation & Technology, you can join their Aviation Day in Colorado on Sept. 28. The event is for employers, military, K-12 students, and the general public learn more about aviation careers. https://www.spartan.edu/ https://www.wxyz.com/news/national/shortage-of-aviation-maintenance-technicians-average- wage-23-an-hour Back to Top Flight school involved in 3 copter crashes in past year has no safety violations at JWA, airport says One Above Aviation, a flight school involved in three area helicopter crashes in the past year - one of them fatal - has not violated any of John Wayne Airport's airfield safety standards in its five years of operating there, the airport says. The flight school and touring company owned and operated a small Guimbal Cabri G2 helicopter that crashed Monday at John Wayne Airport, injuring the two people onboard. The company also operated a helicopter that crashed into a Newport Beach home in January, killing three people and injuring two others. And in September 2017, a copter the company operated crashed at Long Beach Airport, injuring the student pilot. At the time of those crashes, the flight school was known as Revolution Aviation. John Wayne Airport spokeswoman Deanne Thompson said the airport holds strict airfield safety standards for anyone flying in or out of the airport. However, she said, incidents like Monday's are "out of [the airport's] purview" and that the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have jurisdiction for the investigation. To her knowledge, Thompson said, One Above Aviation has not violated any of the airport's safety standards. "We hold everyone to the same standard on the airfield - we have to operate a safe airfield," Thompson said. The 78-page "Airport Rules and Regulations" handbook lays out the code of conduct for all tenants, subtenants and commercial carriers using John Wayne Airport. The handbook contains requirements for aircraft maintenance, insurance and equipment inspections. If any standard in the handbook is violated, the Orange County Sheriff's Department airport police and airport operations personnel can take disciplinary action, including issuing citations for infractions or misdemeanors and permanently or temporarily suspending airport-issued badges, licenses, permits or operating agreements. Thompson said One Above Aviation is an airport subtenant, operating there under a lease with ACI Jet, an aviation company that provides corporate aircraft management, charter, maintenance and ground services, according to its website. Kyle Cassidy, a manager at ACI Jet, confirmed that One Above Aviation is a tenant of the company but declined further comment. One Above Aviation did not respond to a request for comment. FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the January crash in Newport Beach and the one this week at John Wayne Airport are under investigation by the FAA and NTSB. He declined further comment about the investigations. Before that, in July 2017, Gregor said, the FAA received a complaint about alleged maintenance violations concerning Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters that Revolution Aviation owned or operated. Reviews of the copters that eventually went down in Long Beach and Newport Beach found maintenance issues that did not meet FAA or maintenance manual standards, according to an FAA memo in August 2017. The company substantiated some of the complaints and the FAA counseled two mechanics on proper maintenance practices, Gregor said. Revolution Aviation addressed all the issues the FAA brought to its attention and put policies in place to prevent recurrences, according to Gregor. That echoed a statement in the memo from Jeffrey Rafferty, who at the time was the principal maintenance inspector with the FAA in Long Beach. Generally, Gregor said, the FAA increases its oversight of companies that experience multiple accidents or other serious incidents in a short time. He did not say whether that would happen with One Above. http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-plane-followup-20180907-story.html# Back to Top International Aviation College and Avion Group Are Developing the Nakhon Phanom Area by Establishing a Flight Simulator Center At the Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium (APATS), International Aviation College (IAC) and Avion Group have signed an agreement for the establishment of multiple simulator bays at Project of Flight Simulator Center in Thailand. IAC offers a wide variation of aviation courses, from pilot training to aviation management and aircraft maintenance training in north eastern part of Thailand. IAC is expanding its services. IAC has chosen for Avion because Avion is able to offer the highest quality of full flight simulators with the newest cutting-edge technology incorporated. IAC intends to service at least the neighboring countries, but also a greater part of Asia. IAC Dean, Air Chief Marshal Vorachat Tharechat said Nakhon Phanom University is very excited to work with Avion to further develop the aviation services in the Nakhon Phanom area. International Aviation College - Nakhon Phanom University is a 100% state-owned college in Thailand which was founded in 2007. IAC is the first and only flying unit under university in Thailand. The university offers both pilot training for CPL, aviation management BBA and MBA and aircraft maintenance training diploma in developing to BBA. soon next year. Avion Group serves an international customer base with simulation products and pilot training services. The company activities include cadet programs, professional flight training and the building and operation of flight simulators and simulator centers globally. 'We are excited to work with Avion's market disruptive technology, this will not only benefit the Nakhon Phanom area, but also the neighboring countries. The aviation industry in Asia will be brought to a higher training level.' Said Dean Vorachat Tharechat. Aviongroup.aero https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12428435/international-aviation-college-and-avion- group-are-developing-the-nakhon-phanom-area-by-establishing-a-flight-simulator-center Back to Top CAE Re-opens Cadet Recruitment for the Generation easyJet Pilot Training Program MONTREAL, Sept. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (NYSE: CAE) (TSX: CAE) - CAE and easyJet announced today the re-opening of the Generation easyJet Pilot Training Programme to recruit aspiring pilots over the next six months. Recruitment is open to cadets from all European countries to support easyJet's growing bases in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. While maintaining the option to follow ground school classes in Oxford, UK, CAE will open, for the first time, Generation easyJet ground school classes in its Brussels, Belgium and Madrid, Spain aviation academy locations. Flight training phases will continue to be served from Phoenix (Arizona), USA and Oxford, UK. Selected cadets will follow one of two training routes: either Multi- Crew Pilot License (MPL) or Integrated Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL). Upon completion of training, the next generation of pilots will join operations as easyJet co-pilots. "We are delighted to open our Generation easyJet Pilot Training Programme once again. easyJet values diversity and having a workforce that reflects our customer base, so we look forward to welcoming the next generation of aspiring pilots from across Europe to apply and pursue this rewarding career," said David Morgan, Director of Flight Operations for easyJet. "At easyJet, we pride ourselves in having a team of the highest talent. We offer our pilots a clear career path with the opportunity to develop from First Officer to Captain quicker than at other airlines. This is an exciting time to join easyJet as we continue to grow and develop to maintain our position as Europe's leading airline." "We are proud to play a critical part in easyJet's growth strategy by providing its next generation of pilots," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. "By leveraging our extensive training network in Europe, we are able to offer the Generation easyJet Pilot Training Programme to a much larger pool of candidates across the continent." CAE has been delivering training equipment and services for easyJet pilots since 2004, in addition to developing professional pilots across its training network. In 2010, easyJet selected CAE as its launch partner for its Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL) training programme. To date, CAE has selected, assessed, trained and delivered more than 900 first officers through the easyJet MPL Integrated ATPL and initial type-rating training programmes for the airline. The online application for the Generation easyJet Pilot Training Programme is now open. For more information and to apply, visit www.cae.com/easyjet. About easyJet easyJet is Europe's leading airline offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's primary airports, with great value fares and friendly service. easyJet flies on more of Europe's most popular routes than any other airline. easyJet carries over 83 million passengers annually, of which more than 13 million are travelling on business. easyJet flies 308 aircraft on more than 1000 routes to 154 airports across 33 countries. More than 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport. easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in eight countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognising their trade unions. The airline supports a number of local charities and also has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised over £10m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012. The airline takes sustainability seriously. easyJet invests in the latest technology, operates efficiently and fills most of its seats which means that an easyJet passenger's carbon footprint is 22% less than a passenger on a traditional airline, flying the same aircraft on the same route. Innovation is in easyJet's DNA - from our launch over 20 years ago when we changed the way people fly to the present day where we lead the industry in digital, web, engineering and operational innovations to make travel easier and more affordable for our passengers. About CAE CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a record of more than 70 years of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defence force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with over 9,000 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defence crewmembers and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. www.cae.com. Follow us on Twitter: CAE_Inc https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12428203/cae-re-opens-cadet-recruitment-for-the- generation-easyjet-pilot-training-program Back to Top STS Aviation announces new ground equipment services group MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Maintenance, repair and overhaul provider STS Aviation Group has launched a new venture called STS GSE Services, dedicated to providing MRO for the aircraft ground support equipment market. The branch will be overseen by Mark Smith, Group President at STS Aviation, and Gabriel Girard, who has been promoted from operations manager for STS Mod Center to director of operations at STS GSE Services. "As president of every company under STS' Maintenance, Engineering and Modification Group, I am always looking for new and exciting ways to create synergies," Smith said. "Take STS Mod Center and STS Line Maintenance, for example. These two companies will now have a go-to company for ground service equipment (GSE) services, and that company will be internally housed under the STS Aviation Group umbrella. "These types of synergies not only save us money, but we're able to pass on those savings to all of our clients requiring GSE services." STS GSE Services will provide support from its base in Melbourne, Fla., and a network of more than 30 line maintenance stations in the United States and Bahamas. "Servicing GSE equipment will be at the center of what we do, there's no doubt about that, but our team will also focus on refurbishing old equipment, selling parts and offering extended warranty services," Girard said. "We will be able to reduce client downtime and save them money, no matter where they are, geographically speaking, or how fast they need the job done." https://www.intelligent-aerospace.com/articles/2018/09/sts-aviation-announces-new-ground- equipment-services-group.html Back to Top Fuel, Yuan Movements May Be More Important Than Trade Conflicts for Chinese Aviation Chinese aviation is now subject not only to increasing fuel prices, denominated in U.S. dollars, but to higher Chinese currency costs, due to the current weakening of the Yuan against the dollar, notes Art Abel, director of consulting at PGA Aviation, which remarkets aircraft into and out of China. Jet fuel prices are now about 34% above their 2017 average, in dollars. Furthermore, the Yuan has lost about 6% of its dollar value since 2017. This depreciation affects many purchases from abroad, not just fuel. "Such impact would likely be even more pronounced for the major Chinese airlines with extensive international networks," Abel notes. Passed through to fares and shipping costs, these cost increases could slow the rapid growth of Chinese traffic. And fuel-price increases also affect aircraft values, especially for aircraft with the least efficient engines and older rather than newer models. In contrast, Abel says the effect of trade conflicts between Washington and Beijing may matter, but "not nearly to the extent that many in the general media and Wall Street seem to think." This view applies especially to Chinese fleet growth. "Commercial airframe and engine markets are not nearly as susceptible to trade wars as other products are," Abel says. This is because trade conflicts are usually temporary, and aircraft order times are lengthy. "Commercial aircraft are typically ordered in significant quantities, despite their high prices, to obtain the best possible discounts from catalog price. The first unit isn't available for delivery until two years after ordering, and the last may not be available until ten years after." Periodic payments for aircraft orders are another reason temporary trade disputes do not heavily influence orders. Finally, Abel stresses the fact that China is the fastest growing aviation market in the world and well on its way to becoming the largest. Taken together, these long-term factors mean aircraft markets in China are not much affected by temporarily shifting trade winds. But Abel admits one issue unique to China could be affected by bilateral trade relationships: the requirement that the government individually approve every foreign-purchased aircraft imported into China. "This approval -- and it's availability on schedule -- can be a concern during periods of heightened bilateral tensions." However, he judges China would not let approvals significantly reduce the steady flow of airplanes demanded by China's booming demand. On maintenance, Abel is confident China will continue to support most of its needs internally, and with a fairly concentrated infrastructure. While there are an increasing number of independent Chinese airlines, the bulk of commercial flying is still done by groups of regional airlines centered on the three major carriers: Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines. "Each major has a very robust and capable central maintenance organization that conducts maintenance for the major and oversees it throughout the rest of the group, in some cases partnered with major western airlines for maintenance." https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/fuel-yuan-movements-may-be-more- important-trade-conflicts-chinese Back to Top Nation to further open aviation to private investments China recently published a list of 28 civil aviation projects open to private investments, which could entail investments worth 110 billion yuan ($16.13 billion). The move is expected to attract considerable interest from private investors, industry insiders said. Private sector participation will likely further boost efficiency in the implementation of aviation projects and quicken growth of the sector, experts said. The 28 projects cover both traditional areas and some emerging segments. Among traditional niches are airport construction, cargo logistics, plane maintenance, and air rescue. The new areas include drone delivery and airborne data communications, according to the list released by the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the National Development and Reform Commission in late August. The move will optimize the investment structure of the civil aviation sector, advance the supply- side structural reform and enable high-quality development of the sector, according to the statement of the CAAC. In traditional areas, the measure will revitalize the market and improve corporate management. In emerging areas, it will accelerate the speed of research and development, the setting of industry standards and the expansion of markets, the statement said. "The investment from the private sector will augment State investment, fuel faster growth of the civil aviation industry and enable technological innovation in the sector," said Lin Zhijie, an aviation industry analyst and columnist at Carnoc, one of China's largest civil aviation websites. Private investors for 11 of the 28 projects have been already finalized, including investments in the airport at E'zhou in Central China's Hubei province. The remaining 17 projects are still open for private sector participation. They include the construction of the new airport in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, in North China, the CAAC said. A second list of civil aviation projects that hope to attract private investments will be released at an appropriate time, after evaluating the progress of the first group of projects, the CAAC said in its statement. Lin said the social-benefit-first principle that guides State investments, and the efficiency-first ethos of the private sector would complement each other to foster growth in the sector. "For private investors, this would also become a new and more stable way of investing," he said. The policy is expected to encourage more investors to participate in or watch the Zhuhai Airshow, the largest of its kind in the country. The event is held every two years in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, in South China. This year, it will run from Nov 6 to 11. A record 770 exhibitors from 43 countries and regions, including more exhibitors from the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, have confirmed their participation. The home-built C919 large passenger jet and the twin-engine regional jet ARJ21 will be on display at the airshow. Besides, domestically made high-end aviation equipment will be on show, according to the organizer. In the stock markets, shares of some aviation-related State-owned enterprises and private companies are worth paying attention to in the run-up to the Zhuhai Airshow, according to forecasts in industry reports. They include shares of China Avionics Systems Co Ltd, China Aerospace Times Electronics Co Ltd, China Spacesat Co Ltd, the nation's key developer of small satellites, in addition to Beijing Aerospace Changfeng Co Ltd, aerospace equipment manufacturer HT-SAAE, State-owned Aisino Corporation, and Guizhou Space Appliance Co. http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201809/10/WS5b960081a31033b4f46552c6.html Back to Top Joramco inks MRO deal with Saudi Arabia's flyadeal Dubai Aerospace Enterprise's (DAE) engineering division, Joramco, has signed a maintenance deal with Saudi Arabia's low cost carrier flyadeal, said a report. Under the agreement, the MRO consultant recently completed maintenance work on one of flyadeal's A320 aircraft, which took place last month for a duration of 20 days, said a report in Aviator. Commenting on this agreement, Jeff Wilkinson, Joramco CEO, said: "We are pleased that flyadeal has selected Joramco to perform these maintenance tasks. This collaboration reaffirms Joramco's strength, expertise and know-how on the A320 and we look forward to providing flyadeal with continued long-term value solutions and superior maintenance services". With more than 50 years of experience, Joramco has built a sound track record as a leading commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility serving a wide range of customers in the Middle East, Europe, South Asia, Africa, Russia and the CIS countries, offering services on several aircraft models from the Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer fleets. Strategically located at a free zone area in Queen Alia International Airport in Amman-Jordan, Joramco's facility includes five hangars that can accommodate up to 15 aircraft. In addition to the Jordan's Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission (JCARC), Joramco is certified by a number of international regulatory authorities including the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).http://www.ttnworldwide.com/Article/282999/Joramco-inks-MRO-deal-with-Saudi-Arabias- flyadeal Back to Top THAI Joins Rolls-Royce R&D Project Sept. 07--Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) and Rolls-Royce have announced a collaboration on an R&D programme for the Trent XWB engine. Surachai Piencharoensak, executive vice-president for technical matters at THAI, said the Trent XWB Development Testing partnership will take place over a two-year period at Don Mueang airport. "This is the first overseas engine research and development testing for Rolls-Royce outside the United Kingdom," Mr Surachai said. "This programme is part of the strategic plan for 2018-19 and is a revenue-generating, collaborative project for THAI, whereby technology and skills gained will further strengthen Thailand's aviation industry." The initial objective is to conduct R&D on the Trent XWB-97 engine, which powers the Airbus A350- 1000 aircraft that was launched in February. To ascertain the engine's limitations in usage, continual simulated engine tests are conducted. These tests, in addition to scheduled checks and maintenance, can help improve product quality. Dominic Horwood, chief customer officer for civil aerospace at Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, said the company entered the Thai market over 50 years ago and the latest partnership marks another milestone. The collaboration will undertake the full chain of aerospace activities in Thailand, including manufacturing; maintenance, repair and operations (MRO); and development testing. "Rolls-Royce invests about US$100 million (3.3 billion baht) a year to support the manufacturing supply chain footprint in Thailand," Mr Horwood said. In 2020, THAI and Rolls-Royce will cooperate on Trent 700 engine maintenance and overhaul, making THAI's facility a certified and authorised engine maintenance centre for Rolls-Royce. Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith hailed the cooperative effort between the two countries, saying Thailand's development as an MRO hub would create revenue for THAI. Last December, THAI and Airbus signed an agreement to assess MRO business opportunities at U- tapao airport in Rayong province. Development of U-tapao is one of several important projects under the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) scheme. The deal between THAI and Airbus defines the framework of mutual cooperation to determine opportunities related to MRO development. The fleets operated by carriers in Asia and the Pacific are forecast to more than double in size over the next 20 years, from 6,100 aircraft to almost 17,000. Airbus estimates that the value of MRO in this region alone will reach $664 billion over the next decade. This year, THAI began maintaining the Airbus A380 at U-tapao. New hangar facilities are planned to support the growing airport. https://www.aviationpros.com/news/12428829/thai-joins-rolls-royce-rd-project Back to Top KLM Airlines enters digital territory on the back of TCS' high-flying tech KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has issued boarding passes on WhatsApp to 10% or nearly 3 million of its passengers in the one year since it launched the service, with the underlying technologiesNSE 1.29 % enabled by Tata Consultancy ServicesNSE 0.15 %, top officials of both the firms told ET. The Dutch airline has embraced digital technologies as it improves efficiency, staff productivity and grow business. With a quarter century partnership with TCS, KLM says the Indian company is helping in the frontline engaging with its staff and passengers globally. KLM is TCS's first European customer. "If you were to speak of partnerships, are we moving away from the old model whereby we have our inventory systems, communication and call centres and so on? It is true. We are moving away from that," KLM president Pieter Elbers told ET. "But we are no longer outsourcing. We work more in partnerships and use our business knowledge and models to technological companies like TCS who can make things we can never do." KLM did not disclose its annual IT spending with TCS, but Elbers said it is a "significant supplier in terms of money we spend with TCS. It is asignificant amount. It provides end to end support as KLM." "TCS is working with us on quite a few areas like mobile social media. We have 9,000 cabin crew, 3,000 pilots. We have developed a software to help frontline staff to interact with customers on flight rescheduling and other functions," he said. The deal with KLM is emblematic for TCS in its ongoing effort to capture growing digital services market where capabilities in Big Data analytics and Internet of Things concepts are utilised in helping its customers meet the demands of a changing demographic. "When we moved to social media, we expected the traditional call centres to lessen. To some extent they have come down... but social media has increased customer interaction and engagements. In today's time and age, our customers are expecting more when it comes to follow ups and updates. I would see the IT solutions as an opportunity for better customer interaction and to keep costs down," Elbers said. In the airline industry, TCS sees further opportunity in engaging with airlines on aircraft maintenance, and services at the airport such as scheduling, cargo handling and other focus areas that can be packaged as integrated services. "This industry is getting massively impacted by IoT. It is happening on both engine and aircraft maintenance from an operational costs perspective, and at the cargo front, we can capitalise on the ecosystem collaboration. We can be an integrated service provider than as a standalone point to point solution," said TCS CEO Rajesh Gopinathan. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/klm-airlines- enters-digital-territory-on-the-back-of-tcs-high-flying-tech/articleshow/65748144.cms Back to Top China soars to new heights with XL aircraft recycling hub Aircraft Recycling International has launched the China Aircraft Recycling Remanufacturing Base in Heilongjiang this summer. The doors to 'the first large-scale aircraft recycling facility in Asia' opened on June 8. Operations are said to be in full swing. The 300 000 square meter recycling 'base' has an effective handling capacity of 20 aircraft per year. Its various activities range from purchasing aircraft, to selling, leasing, dismantling, replacing, conversion and maintenance. Clients are airlines, MROs, lessors along with manufacturers and aircraft materials distributors. The 'base' features China's largest bonded warehouse for aircraft parts. Besides, its hangar areas can accommodate three narrowbody aircraft simultaneously or one widebody and one narrowbody aircraft together. 'As there are no comprehensive aircraft recycling and remanufacturing systems in China yet, ageing aircraft are usually dissembled and disposed of by companies in Europe and the Americas, involving high costs and long waiting times,' comments LI Yuze, general manager of China Aircraft Disassembly Centre. He underlines: 'More and more civil aircraft in China are set to retire soon, offering extended market opportunities to the emerging aircraft recycling and remanufacturing industry.' Moreover, the Chinese aviation industry is projected to grow 5.3% during the next 10 years. https://recyclinginternational.com/non-ferrous-metals/china-soars-to-new-heights-with-aircraft- recycling-hub/ Back to Top SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches Canadian comsat Dodging cloudy weather, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket thundered to life and streaked away from Cape Canaveral early Monday morning, lifting a Canadian communications satellite into orbit while the booster's first stage plunged back to Earth, settling to an on-target touchdown aboard an off-shore droneship. It was the 16th SpaceX launch so far this year, boosting the rocket's landing record to 29 successful recoveries, 18 on droneships and 11 on land at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The mission got off to a spectacular start at 12:45 a.m. EDT (GMT-4) when the rocket's nine Merlin 1D first stage engines ignited and throttled up to full power, quickly pushing the 229-foot-tall booster away from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Mounted in the rocket's nose cone was Telesat Canada's Telstar 18 VANTAGE communications satellite, intended to replace an aging relay station already in orbit to provide video, data and mobile communications across China, Australia and the Pacific Ocean region all the way to Hawaii. Liftoff came one hour and 17 minutes late because of stormy weather across Cape Canaveral but the rocket had a four-hour launch window and conditions eventually improved enought ot permit a safe takeoff. Arcing away to the east, the Falcon 9 put on a dramatic show for area night owls as it knifed through low clouds and arced out over the Atlantic Ocean, rapidly accelerating toward space atop 1.2 million pounds of thrust. Two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, after pushing the rocket out of the thick lower atmosphere, the first stage engines shut down as planned, the stage fell away and the flight continued on the power of a single Merlin engine in the rocket's second stage that quickly faded from view. The Falcon 9's first stage, meanwhile, flipped around and plunged back into the discernible atmosphere, firing up three of its engines to slow down for re-entry. As the rocket plummeted toward Earth, computer-controlled titanium "grid fins" at the top of the stage moved about to maintain the booster's orientation as it headed for the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" stationed several hundred miles east of Cape Canaveral. Nearing its target, the rocket re-started a single engine to slow down for landing, extending four legs and settling to an on-target touchdown on the deck of the droneship, SpaceX confirmed. Landing came about 15 seconds after the Falcon 9's second stage engine completed the first of two planned "burns," putting Telstar 18V into an initial parking orbit. A second burn was executed 26 minutes after launch to complete the job and the Telstar 18 VANTAGE satellite was released to fly on its own about five minutes later. While SpaceX did not provide details, communications satellites are typically placed in highly elliptical "transfer" orbits with high points around 20,000 miles or higher and low points just a few hundred miles up. On board thrusters are then used to circularize the orbit at 22,300 miles above the equator where satellites take 24 hours to complete one orbit and appear stationary in the sky as the Earth turns. That allows the use of fixed ground antennas, greatly simplifying space-based communications. Built by SSL (formerly Space Systems/Loral), Telstar 18 VANTAGE is a joint venture between Telesat Canada and the Hong Kong-based APT Satellite Co. The satellite's exact cost was not revealed, but it is believed to be around $200 million. "We have an embedded base that's on T18 (Telstar 18) today that will migrate over to T18 VANTAGE," Tom Eaton, vice president of Telesat international sales, told Spaceflightnow. "So there's an element of continuity of service at play here by replacing the existing satellite, but T18 VANTAGE, since it's the third of our high-throughput satellites, carries a lot more flexibility, switchability in its coverages, and then has high-throughput capability as well." The relay station tips the scales at more than 15,560 pounds and is equipped with high-speed Ku- band and C-band transponders, providing coverage stretching from India and Pakistan to Hawaii and enabling "direct connectivity from any point in Asia to the Americas," the company said in a release. "Telstar 18V has a broad C-band beam over Asia which is similar to the one on Telstar 18, the satellite it will replace," Dan Goldberg, Telesat president and CEO, said in a July quarterly earnings call. "It also has a mix of regional beams and high throughput spot beams and Ku-band that represents a significant expansion of our Ku-band capacity for Asia. Although Telstar 18V will be owned and operated by Telesat, our longstanding partner APT is providing 57.5 percent of the capital for the satellite program in exchange for use of 57.5 percent of the satellite's capacity." Next up for SpaceX is launch of Argentina's SAOCOM 1A Earth observation satellite on Oct. 7. That flight will take off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and the rocket's first stage will attempt to land back at the launch site, the first landing in California. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-launches-canadian-comsat/ Curt Lewis