How do those internet balloons over Puerto Rico work?

miércoles, 8 de noviembre de 2017

Cell towers usually don't float. These do. It's been over six weeks since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, leaving millions without power or access to reliable communication. The storm clobbered the island's communications infrastructure—after all, cell towers can't produce a signal withou...

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China's future satellite navigation will be millimeter accurate

The Beidou 3 will guide military munitions and drones. China's military is updating its satellite navigation system, launching tech that'll offer super accurate guidance for munitions and drones. On Sept. 29, China launched two Beidou 3 satellites from a Long March 3C rocket from the Xichang Sate...

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Analyst: Airbus could eventually terminate CSeries program



The Bombardier CSeries may go the way of the McDonnell Douglas MD-95, a Wall Street aerospace analyst suggests: that is, the program is likely to remain unprofitable and be shut down. Continue reading https://leehamnews.com/2017/11/07/analyst-airbus-could-eventually-terminate-cseries-program/

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PHOTOS: Boeing Kicks off 777x Production

http://www.airlinereporter.com/2017/11/boeing-kicks-off-777x-production/

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Bombardier sees 'signs of stabilisation' in business jet market



Bombardier recorded a five-unit slide in business jet deliveries during the third quarter, reflecting continued soft demand and a fragile international marketplace. But Bombardier says it is seeing "signs of stabilisation" and is confident it will hit its 2017 delivery target of 135 units as it heads into the "seasonally strongest quarter of the year".
Continue reading: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/bombardier-sees-signs-of-stabilisation-in-business-442914/

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A record 43 Argentine based Tecnam aeroplanes participated in this year’s Mendoza Vuela.




https://youtu.be/Ew_st69wt08





ARGENTINA AIR FESTIVAL ‘MENDOZA VUELA’ 2017 SEES LARGEST GATHERING ON TECNAM AIRCRAFT IN THE AMERICAS




Held at the “Mario Cardama Aerodrome” in Medoza, Tecnam’s Argentina based commercial representative Aerotec Argentina SA played host to the First Annual Convention of Argentina Tecnam Owners.

The festival welcomed over 100,000 guests and Tecnam was especially proud to be able to facilitate over 100 children taking to the air for the first time.

Show highlights included the handing over of three Tecnam aircraft. A P2008, P2006T Twin and an Astore to new owners, bringing the total of Argentina based Tecnam aircraft to 70. All three aircraft were assembled at Aerotec’s state-of-the-art aircraft maintenance support and service facility.

Diego Cardama, Director, Aerotec Argentina SA said “We are extremely grateful for the support given to Mendoza Vuela by both the Argentine Civil Aviation Authority and also the Argentine Air Force, who displayed five of their eight Tecnam P2002JF aeroplanes, currently based 800km from Mendoza at the School of Military Aviation in Cordoba. We very much look forward to staging Aviation Festival again in 2018”

Walter Da Costa, Tecnam’s Global Sales and Marketing Director said “Aerotecs organisation and staging of the Mendoza Vuela was impeccable. It was a special honour to meet with so many of our locally based Tecnam customers and operators. It’s good to see that Tecnam is now firmly established as the aircraft of choice amongst the GA community in Argentina”

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Tecnam selects TKS Ice Protection System for P2012 Traveller



Tecnam today announced it has selected CAV Ice Protection to provide the TKS Ice Protection System and support services for the twin-piston Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft.
CAV Ice Protection thoroughly tested the TKS Ice Protection System in an icing wind tunnel at the latest certification levels for planes flying in known icing conditions. A total of 35 conditions and 83 runs covering all test points were made in one week with successful results.
“Tecnam is pleased to partner with CAV Ice Protection to offer operators a tremendously safe system that handles icing conditions in all parts of the world,” said Paolo Pascale, Tecnam CEO.
TKS Ice Protection Systems provide anti-ice and de-ice capabilities with clean exit performance, protect aft of the leading edge, improve leading edge durability and life, and require low maintenance.
“We are proud to provide Tecnam and their launch customer Cape Air with an effective ice protection system that has been technologically proven since 1942,” said Jerry Jordan, CAV Ice Protection Vice President of Design Engineering.

More information on the P2012 Traveller at http://p2012.tecnam.org

About CAV Ice Protection

CAV Ice Protection is a global aerospace supplier of airborne ice protection systems for civilian, commercial and military aircraft. The company specializes in the design, consulting, certification services and manufacture of aviation ice protection systems. Proprietary technologies include the TKS Ice Protection System and SLD Guard. Headquartered in Consett, England, CAV Ice Protection has operations and manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom and United States. For more information on CAV Ice Protection, visit www.caviceprotection.com

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Embraer releases Third Quarter 2017 results


Embraer releases Third Quarter 2017 results

São Paulo, Brazil, October 27, 2017 - (BM&FBOVESPA: EMBR3, NYSE: ERJ). The Company's operating and financial information is presented, except where otherwise stated, on a consolidated basis in United States dollars (US$) in accordance with IFRS. The financial data presented in this document as of and for the quarters ended September 30, 2016 (3Q16), June 30, 2017 (2Q17) and September 30, 2017 (3Q17), are derived from the unaudited financial statements, except annual financial data and where otherwise stated. To read the full news release, click below.: Download

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Bombardier Reports Third Quarter 2017 Results


  • Game-changing, strategic partnership with Airbus to accelerate commercial momentum for C Series program
  • LOI for up to 61 C Series aircraft, including 31 firm from a European customer
  • Execution of transformation plan continues to deliver margin(1) growth; full year EBIT margin guidance for all business units reaffirmed(2)
  • Consolidated full-year EBIT before special items(2) expected to be at least $630M, the high end of guidance range
  • Engine delivery delays to impact C Series program; with 20-22 deliveries now expected for the year(2)
  • Revenues and free cash flow usage(2)(3) for the full year expected to be approximately $16.3B and $1B, respectively
full report: http://www.bombardier.com/en/media/newsList/details.binc-20171002-bombardier-reports-third-quarter-2017-results.bombardiercom.html

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Italian authority formalises new Superjet certification pact [feedly]

Italian and Russian authorities have signed a bilateral protocol enabling technical co-operation over Sukhoi Superjet 100s to continue.
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/italian-authority-formalises-new-superjet-certificat-442934/

 -- via my feedly newsfeed

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Lockheed Martin to build high-energy airborne laser for fighter planes



PR



  • Lockheed Martin Receives Contract to Develop Compact Airborne High Energy Laser Capabilities
  • Contract funds development of high power laser to be tested on tactical fighter jet



BOTHELL, Wash., Nov. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) $26.3 million for the design, development and production of a high power fiber laser. AFRL plans to test the laser on a tactical fighter jet by 2021. The contract is part of AFRL's Self-protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) program, and is a major step forward in the maturation of protective airborne laser systems.


"Lockheed Martin continues to rapidly advance laser weapon systems and the technologies that make them possible," said Dr. Rob Afzal, senior fellow of laser weapon systems at Lockheed Martin. "We have demonstrated our ability to use directed energy to counter threats from the ground, and look forward to future tests from the air as part of the SHiELD system."

The SHiELD program includes three subsystems:
  • SHiELD Turret Research in Aero Effects (STRAFE), the beam control system, which will direct the laser onto the target
  • Laser Pod Research & Development (LPRD), the pod mounted on the tactical fighter jet, which will power and cool the laser
  • Laser Advancements for Next-generation Compact Environments (LANCE), the high energy laser itself, which can be trained on adversary targets to disable them


LANCE is designed to operate in a compact environment, and as such, the Lockheed Martin team focused on developing a compact, high efficiency laser within challenging size, weight and power constraints.

"Earlier this year, we delivered a 60 kW-class laser to be installed on a U.S. Army ground vehicle. It's a completely new and different challenge to get a laser system into a smaller, airborne test platform. It's exciting to see this technology mature enough to embed in an aircraft," said Afzal. "The development of high power laser systems like SHiELD show laser weapon system technologies are becoming real. The technologies are ready to be produced, tested and deployed on aircraft, ground vehicles and ships."

Lockheed Martin has more than 40 years of experience developing laser weapon systems. The LANCE contract leverages technology building blocks from internal research and development projects, including the ATHENA system and ALADIN laser, as well as contract experience gained from programs such as the U.S. Army's Robust Electric Laser Initiative (RELI) program.

For more information, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/directedenergy.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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Boeing and CASIS Award $500,000 for Microgravity Research through MassChallenge

Grants help fund costs for flight to International Space Station

BOSTON, Nov. 6, 2017 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) have again joined forces to promote the use of the International Space Station (ISS) as an orbiting laboratory capable of producing cutting-edge research across numerous scientific disciplines. The two organizations on Nov. 2 granted a total of $500,000 to three microgravity research companies through startup accelerator MassChallenge™.

The awards to Cellino Biotech, Guardion Technologies, and MakerHealth mark Boeing and CASIS's fourth year of collaboration on the “Technology in Space” prize at MassChallenge Boston.

CASIS is the nonprofit organization responsible for managing and promoting research onboard the ISS U.S. National Laboratory. Boeing is the ISS prime contractor, responsible for designing, building and processing the American modules and the integrated truss system that powers the station, for sustaining engineering, and for processing experiment and systems racks for launch, installation and operation.

The grants will provide seed funding for the three awarded companies and assist with hardware costs for flight to the ISS National Lab. With this latest collaboration, Boeing and CASIS have jointly partnered to fund 11 separate innovative startups through MassChallenge. The second round of these awarded investigations, Biorasis and Launchpad Medical, is scheduled to launch to the ISS National Laboratory in early December.

This year’s winning projects had to incorporate science or technology initiatives that would effectively use and benefit from ISS National Lab capabilities. CASIS will continue to work with additional MassChallenge “Technology in Space” proposers to build on their ideas and potentially transform them into flight-ready projects.

Below are the 2017 recipients of the “Technology in Space” award:

Cellino Biotech Inc.

Investigating Proliferation of NanoLaze Gene-edited induced Pluripotent Stem Cells aboard the ISS

The goal of this proposal is to gene-edit induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) using Cellino Biotech’s platform, NanoLaze™, on Earth and then investigate their proliferation under microgravity on ISS to show enhanced stemness of the cells. This data would unlock the potential to generate the 200 to 500 million stem cells necessary for a cell-based therapy, which is not possible with currently available stem cell technologies on Earth. Cellino will use its proprietary NanoLaze™ platform to deliver a powerful gene-editor, CRISPR/Cas9, to iPSCs. Maximizing stemness in microgravity would enable Cellino and therapeutic partnering companies to supply more patients with universal cells to treat critical genetic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and hemophilia, which are among the estimated 6,000 genetic diseases in existence, of which 95 percent have no approved therapies.

Guardion Technologies

Convection-Free Synthesis of 2D Nanomaterials on the ISS for Improved Radiation Detection

Guardion Technologies is developing miniaturized ionizing radiation detectors, which can be deployed in large numbers to provide real-time monitoring networks for interrogating possible radioactive sources. Such networks will enable early and/or remote detection of possible radiological threats, and serve as a highly effective triage mechanism for emergency responders. At the core of the miniaturizable detection technology is a novel patent-pending process that utilizes quantum properties of certain nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and other atomically thin materials such as monolayers (2D). Guardion hypothesizes that convection-free synthesis of 2D materials in microgravity will result in samples with greater crystallinity, higher electronic mobility, and lower electronic noise, which will enable an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio of these detectors.

MakerHealth

AmpliRx: A Manufacturing Pharmaceutical Lightweight Instrument

MakerHealth has created the AmpliRxTM modular biochemical manufacturing platform that enables distributed, affordable, and scalable production of medications. The MIT-developed innovation includes a first-in-class membrane-to-membrane continuous flow reactor system that can operate without pumps or advanced instrumentation and runs using minimal power by using proprietary modular Ampli blocks that connect to each other to form reaction-to-reaction pathways. Gravity and, subsequently, evaporation play an adverse role to fluid flow and reaction reliability of membrane-based chromatographic flow. While previous work has been done to understand the effects of microgravity on the separation of substances, the AmpliRx platform focuses on fusion-based reactions of substances during organic synthesis and bioprocessing reactions. Experiments in a microgravity environment will inform our understanding of and help to optimize membrane material properties and geometries. Mitigating these adverse forces will be beneficial to increasing the spread rates and reliability, thus decreasing reaction times within our platform.

Final award of any grant money is contingent upon acceptance of legal terms and conditions between recipient, CASIS, and Boeing.

About MassChallenge: MassChallenge is the largest-ever startup accelerator and the first to support high-impact, early-stage entrepreneurs without taking any equity. Its four-month accelerator program offers world-class mentorship, free office space, cash awards, and up to $10 million through in-kind support. MassChallenge alumni have collectively raised over $1.8 billion in outside funding, generated nearly $700 million in revenue, and created over 60,000 jobs. masschallenge.org.

About CASIS: The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) is the non-profit organization selected to manage the ISS National Laboratory with a focus on enabling a new era of space research to improve life on Earth. In this innovative role, CASIS promotes and brokers a diverse range of research in life sciences, physical sciences, remote sensing, technology development, and education.

Since 2011, the ISS National Lab portfolio has included hundreds of novel research projects spanning multiple scientific disciplines, all with the intention of benefitting life on Earth. Working together with NASA, CASIS aims to advance the nation’s leadership in commercial space, pursue groundbreaking science not possible on Earth, and leverage the space station to inspire the next generation. www.iss-casis.org.

About the ISS National Laboratory: In 2005, Congress designated the U.S. portion of the International Space Station as the nation's newest national laboratory to maximize its use for improving life on Earth, promoting collaboration among diverse users, and advancing STEM education. This unique laboratory environment is available for use by other U.S. government agencies and by academic and private institutions, providing access to the permanent microgravity setting, vantage point in low Earth orbit, and varied environments of space.

About Boeing’s Role in Human Space Exploration: Boeing’s work as NASA’s prime contractor for the International Space Station program maintains the station’s role as an orbiting laboratory capable of producing cutting-edge research across numerous scientific disciplines. Boeing will begin flying astronauts to the station next year aboard the CST-100 Starliner, a spacecraft developed by Boeing in partnership with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program that will give America its first human-rated space transportation vehicle since the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011. Boeing also is building the core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System, a rocket powerful enough to lift astronauts and spacecraft to destinations beyond Earth orbit, such as lunar orbit and Mars. For more information on Boeing, visit www.boeing.com. Follow us on Twitter: @Boeing.

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Airbus Completes Sale of Vector Aerospace to StandardAero



StandardAero Aviation Holdings, Inc. (“StandardAero”) and Airbus SE (“Airbus”) today announced that they have finalized the acquisition by StandardAero of Vector Aerospace Holding SAS (“Vector”) from Airbus.

Vector is a global aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul company, providing responsive, quality support for turbine engines, components, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. A truly international company, it generated revenues of over US$700 million in 2016 and employs approximately 2,200 people in 22 locations across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Kenya, South Africa, Australia and Singapore.

The newly combined company, which will maintain the name of StandardAero, has more than 6,000 employees in 42 locations across five continents, with annual revenues of approximately US$3 billion.

“We are excited to join forces with the Vector team in becoming one of the largest MRO companies in the world,” said Russell Ford, CEO of StandardAero. “Our combined organizations are better positioned to provide the industry with more global services, expanded MRO capabilities and operational benefits to deliver faster, higher quality solutions to our combined customers worldwide. We look forward to joining together with the Vector leadership and employees as we begin to integrate our two organizations.”

About StandardAero

StandardAero is a global independent provider of services, including engine and airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul, engine component repair, engineering services, interior completions and paint applications. StandardAero serves a diverse array of customers in business and general aviation, airline, military, helicopter, components and energy markets. The company celebrated its 100th year of industry leadership in 2011. In 2015, StandardAero was purchased by Veritas Capital, a leading private equity firm headquartered in New York City. Veritas invests in companies that provide critical products and services to government and commercial customers worldwide including those operating in aerospace & defense, healthcare, technology, national security, communications, energy and education. More information can be found on the company's web site at www.standardaero.com.

About Airbus

Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2016 it generated revenues of €67 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats and business aviation products. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

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Airbus highlights growing services business at MRO Asia-Pacific in Singapore



Airbus had a significant presence at the MRO Asia-Pacific exhibition last week, with the company and its subsidiary Satair each having a stand and several executives speaking about the future of the maintenance business at a related conference.

The show allowed the company to highlight its growing presence in the increasingly important Asian maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market.


Over the last year Airbus has taken full ownership of Malaysia’s Sepang Aircraft Engineering and expanded its capabilities, and set up the MRO Alliance that includes Taiwan’s China Airlines and China’s GAMECO as members. In March, the company signed a MOU with Thai Airways to evaluate a new MRO facility at U-Tapao international airport near Bangkok, Thailand. In addition Airbus and SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) also incorporated a new joint venture Heavy Maintenance Singapore Services in October 2016.


Airbus also showcased Skywise, its cloud-based digital platform which contains operational and technical data that airlines can access to make predictive and preventive maintenance decisions. Asian carriers such as AirAsia and Peach are among its launch customers.


At the show, Airbus signed agreements with China Airlines and ST Aerospace to deepen their collaboration in the MRO business. Satair, which supplies aircraft parts globally, inked contracts with China Airlines and VietJet on the provision of materials and spares. It also signed a deal with Pratt & Whitney on the distribution of engine components.


Speaking at the show, Bruno James, Head of Customer Services Business Development and Projects, Airbus, said that the company aims to grow its services business by double-digit figures every year, and added that Asia will have a big part to play in that.


“Our ambition for Asia is for the region to showcase innovation in the services business. There is the right industrial set-up, the right open-mindedness and can-do attitude, and the right technical and soft skills in the region. This fosters a more dynamic and open approach towards innovation,” added Bruno.
Airbus forecasts that Asia will account for 36% of the global MRO business by 2036, and this will be worth $660 billion over the next 20 years. This will be driven by a 4.5 percent growth in the MRO business in the region over the same period of time, compared to 3.9% globally.

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Airbus with major presence at Dubai Airshow 2017



At the Dubai Airshow, which runs from 12th to 16th November 2017, Airbus will showcase its wide range of innovative technologies, products and services, from market-leading commercial and military aircraft to helicopters and space systems. The Airshow, which was launched in 1986, represents one of the largest and most important aerospace events in the world.

The Dubai Airshow is an important platform for Airbus to demonstrate its products and services to customers as the organisation looks to continue to grow its footprint in the UAE and the region. It also provides a key opportunity to showcase latest innovations to some of the industry’s most respected experts and thought leaders. Airbus’ continued participation in Dubai Airshow demonstrates its ongoing commitment to making valuable contributions to the advancement of the aerospace and aviation industries in the UAE and the region.

In the static display areas, a plethora of Airbus’ real operational and development aircraft will be available to view, including the A350-900, the cornerstone member of the all-new A350 XWB Family – which will also perform a demo flight. In addition, Airbus will be showcasing its executive jet ACJ 319ceo in partnership with Comlux. Meanwhile Airbus Defence and Space’s exhibits will include the A400M new generation airlifter which recently played a critical role in relief operations following the Caribbean hurricanes; and the highly versatile C295 military transport and mission aircraft, for the first time with a display of weaponry to be qualified on the aircraft.

Airbus will have a presence at the exhibition hall (stand 552), where it will showcase products from its other divisions and services including mock-ups of helicopter products including the H160 and the NH90, the modern and multi-role aircraft designed according to the most stringent NATO standards.

The Airbus stand will showcase Space products including a comprehensive portfolio of satellites, including the SES-12- an extremely powerful and flexible telecommunications satellite. Visitors can also learn about Zephyr, a High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) that runs exclusively on solar power and delivers a truly unique capability to provide a wide area persistent presence at low through-life cost as a complement to satellite-based surveillance and communications.

Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the new Airbus A330neo Airspace cabin: The completely overhauled cabin design offers a high-tech experience through and through, from the vibrant mood lighting and customizable ceiling lighting stencils, to futuristic lavatories and much larger overhead bins.

As well as exploring all this latest hardware, visitors to the new “Digital Exhibition” concept area will be able to interactively immerse themselves in the fine details of every facet in Airbus’ group-wide activities – spanning not only Commercial Aircraft, Defence and Space, Helicopters, Services, but also other areas such as future research, the extended innovation ecosystem, electrification, urban air mobility, the Airbus Foundation as well as strengths in our workforce diversity.

By using special VR headsets, guests will also be able to fly-through the International Space Station, experience the innovative H160 helicopter, sit inside the cockpit of an A400M as it takes off from rough terrain, or explore the latest “Airspace” cabin interior innovations. In addition to hosting these immersive VR scenarios, the Exhibition will also feature a unique “HoloLens” zone which projects dynamic 3D holographic models – such as the ‘ExoMars’ Rover traversing a Martian landscape.

During the Airshow, Airbus will also hold a series of briefings on products and services as well as take part in the below panel discussions, which will take place at the Space Pavilion on the 13th and 14th November at Dubai Airshow.

James Hinds, Director of Strategy Development Space Systems / Monday 13th - 10:25-11:15 Panel discussion- Global Mars Exploration
Laurent Jaffard, Vice President, Head of Future Programmes Space Systems, Airbus Defence & Space / Tuesday 14th - 11:20-12:10 Panel discussion- Economies in space and investment in innovation

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Emirates welcomes 100th A380 to its fleet



Celebrates milestone delivery in Hamburg, reaffirms commitment to A380 programme

Emirates chairman highlights positive impact of Emirates’ A380 operations on aerospace manufacturing, aviation industries and consumer experience

Emirates today celebrates the milestone delivery of its 100th Airbus A380 aircraft at a special ceremony with Airbus at the manufacturer’s delivery centre in Hamburg.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates’ Chairman and Chief Executive officiated the ceremony. He was joined at the event by Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline; Tom Enders, Airbus Chief Executive Officer; Dominic Horwood, Rolls-Royce, Director - Customer and Services; His Excellency Ali Al Ahmed, UAE Ambassador to Germany and Frank Horch, Senator for Economy, Transport and Innovation of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

Sheikh Ahmed said: “This is a tremendous moment for Emirates, for Airbus and for our many partners involved in the A380 programme. There is no doubt that the A380 has had a big positive impact on aerospace manufacturing and the broader aviation industry, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and stimulating innovation and new product development in many related areas such as ground handling, catering, airport facilities and cabin products, to name a few.

“Importantly, the A380 also brought the flying experience for our customers to the next level. The aircraft itself is a showpiece of engineering. It is the world’s largest commercial passenger jet but it is quiet and efficient and at Emirates we’ve utilised the onboard real estate to redefine the thinking around inflight products and experience. Our flight crew love to fly it and our customers love to fly in it.

“For Emirates, the A380 has been a success. We’ve been able to utilise it at slot-constrained airports, as well as at regional and ‘secondary’ airports where we have grown passenger demand. Each time we deploy an A380 onto a route, it typically stimulates further traffic and demand as travellers are attracted by our flagship A380 experience. We remain committed to the programme and will work closely with Airbus and our partners to continually enhance our A380 product as we look ahead to receiving our remaining 42 aircraft on order.”

“We are extremely proud of our long-standing relationship with Emirates – a partnership that has been integral to the A380 programme,” said Tom Enders. “It is a source of immense satisfaction for everyone at Airbus that such a visionary airline has believed in the A380 from the beginning and chosen it as its flagship and the backbone of its operations. And, of course, it is always exciting to hear positive feedback from our customers and passengers about the aircraft, while associating it with Dubai’s success as the world’s most dynamic air transport hub.”

Dominic Horwood said: “We would like to congratulate Emirates on this momentous occasion. We are very proud to be powering their 100th Airbus A380 and look forward to building on our strong relationship in years to come.”

Powered by Rolls-Royce engines, Emirates’ 100th A380 is configured in three cabin classes, with 14 private suites in First class, 76 seats in Business and 426 seats in Economy. It also features the airline’s newly revamped Onboard Lounge. It will be on display at the upcoming Dubai Air Show and will enter service afterwards.

Year of Zayed tribute

Adding to the celebrations, Emirates unveiled a special tribute to the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founding father of the United Arab Emirates, with bespoke livery for its 100th A380.

Sheikh Ahmed said: “2018 is the “Year of Zayed”, marking 100 years since the birth of our country’s founding father and celebrating his legacy. Emirates is proud to launch our tribute to the man who has been instrumental to the UAE’s formation and development, at the milestone delivery of our 100th A380.”

"Just as the A380 has broken new ground in so many regards, Sheikh Zayed was a true pioneer and visionary. Bringing his message of inspiration, daring and determination to the world as we fly the A380 around the globe, is an apt way to celebrate his amazing legacy."

Positive impact aerospace and aviation

The Emirates A380 programme creates and supports manufacturing jobs across the global aircraft manufacturing supply chain. Airbus estimates that Emirates’ A380 orders alone support 41,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs in Europe, including some 14,500 in Germany alone. These are high-skilled jobs and impact a high-value supply chain, creating a significant multiplier effect in the countries where Airbus has aircraft production facilities. The estimated Europe-wide impact of Emirates’ A380 investment amounts to €3.4 billion in GDP in 2013/14. In Germany and France the GDP impact is €1.2 billion for each country.*

In April 2015, Emirates signed an historic €8.7 billion deal with Rolls-Royce for Trent 900 engines and a long-term total care package. The engines will power 50 Airbus A380s which began entering service in 2016. The deal, which is the largest ever for Rolls-Royce and one of the largest ever export orders for a UK-based company, was part of Emirates’ ongoing investment in the UK and Europe.

Setting new standards for flying experience

The introduction of Emirates’ first A380 in 2008 set new standards for customer experience, introducing many industry firsts including the Onboard Lounge, Shower Spas, free wi-fi and advanced inflight entertainment systems in all classes, as well as many other features.

Emirates continually invests to enhance its A380 product, ensuring its customers enjoy the best possible experience. To date over 85 million passengers have flown on the Emirates A380.

The airline has implemented countless improvements on board its A380 fleet since 2008, ranging from subtle updates such as the addition of in-seat USB ports and introduction of electric window blinds, to more major upgrades such as relocating overhead luggage bins to provide a more spacious cabin, installing bigger and better inflight entertainment systems and a newly revamped Onboard Lounge.

Emirates’ A380 operations

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the A380 aircraft, flying this iconic double-decked jet to 48 cities on six continents on scheduled services. Including one-off flights, special commemorative services, test flights and other operational deployments, over 70 airports to date have welcomed the Emirates A380.

The airline receives on average 11 A380 deliveries per year, starting from its first aircraft in August 2008. In its 2016/17 financial year, Emirates received a record 19 new A380 aircraft.

In Dubai, Emirates operates the world’s largest A380 hub with an entire purpose-built concourse dedicated to A380 operations. The US$ 3.3 billion facility was an investment to offer travellers unprecedented convenience and comfort with direct boarding to the A380 aircraft from the First and Business class lounges and amenities including duty free shops, spas, an array of dining options and more.

Emirates has 1,500 flight deck crew and over 23,000 cabin crew specially trained to operate its A380 fleet.

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