January 4, 2021 - No. 02 In This Issue : US airlines’ losses to pass $35 billion for turbulent 2020 – over 40% of the financial toll suffered by the global industry : ProSafeT - SMS, Quality & Audit Management Software : Alphabet’s Wing Aviation Warns Proposed Drone ID Rules Invite Privacy Issues : Clareman’s company to operate first drone school in UAE : Boom Supersonic Rolls Out XB-1 Aircraft with Flight Hardware Components 3D Printed by VELO3D : Emirates launches Premium Economy to London : Kansas City Airport seeks partners for concession programme at new terminal : Federal Aviation Administration Allows Operators To Fly Small Drones Over People : Remote ATC towers: why not everyone is on board : After Covid, plane makers are even more dependent on China : Rolls-Royce to put engine development ‘on ice’ until new jet unveiled : U.S. SDA awards $150 million launch contract to SpaceX US airlines’ losses to pass $35 billion for turbulent 2020 – over 40% of the financial toll suffered by the global industry American airlines’ net losses are likely to be more than $35 billion for 2020, accounting for more than 40 percent of global carriers’ losses, as the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the worst year in the history of aviation. The size of the financial hole experienced by US airlines was calculated by analysts at data firm FactSet, as reported by CNBC on Friday. In a separate December report, FactSet said airlines were the largest contributor to the year-over-year drop in the fourth quarter for the industrials sector, posting a 343 percent and a 66 percent decline in earnings and revenues, respectively. If they were excluded from the sector’s performance, the estimated earnings decline for it would improve to -0.7 percent from -34.4 percent, while the estimated revenue losses would be cut to -2.8 percent from -10.3 percent. Despite some improvements in passenger traffic compared to the standstill seen in spring, the last three months of the year were still far from normal and are unlikely to bring profits to the troubled industry. According to the US Department of Transportation, American carriers had three consecutive quarterly losses this year, after more than six years of quarterly after-tax net profits. In the third quarter alone, the losses hit $11.8 billion, $800 million more than in the previous three months. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) previously projected that the global air transport industry is likely to suffer a whopping annual loss of $84.3 billion as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of the losses were expected to be borne by carriers in North America. “Financially, 2020 will go down as the worst year in the history of aviation,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, in a statement. The agency still expects that mass vaccination will be a key to recovery, although executives warned that it could take years for the business to fully get back to normal. According to the IATA forecast, the losses can decrease more than fivefold in 2021 to $15.8 billion. After the expiration of the first massive US government bailout, which brought $25 billion in support for the carriers, the companies furloughed thousands of people. The recently signed second stimulus bill earmarked additional $15 billion to support the industry, requiring the companies to recall employees furloughed last fall. While airlines have already started the complicated process and are set to recall some 32,000 workers, the improvement in the key sector’s employment could be “temporary,” United executives warned, as travel demand is still far from full recovery. https://www.rt.com/business/511352-us-airlines-losses-2020/ Alphabet’s Wing Aviation Warns Proposed Drone ID Rules Invite Privacy Issues Alphabet Inc.’s drone delivery unit Wing criticized Trump administration rules issued this week mandating broadcast-based remote identification of drones, saying they should be revised to allow for internet-based tracking. On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued rules that will allow small drones to fly over people and at night in the United States and mandate remote identification technology for nearly all drones. The rules eliminate requirements that drones, known formally as unmanned aerial vehicles, be connected to the internet to transmit location data but requires them to broadcast remote ID messages via radio frequency broadcast. “This approach creates barriers to compliance and will have unintended negative privacy impacts for businesses and consumers,” Wing said Thursday in a blog post, adding “an observer tracking a drone can infer sensitive information about specific users, including where they visit, spend time, and live and where customers receive packages from and when.” Wing added that “American communities would not accept this type of surveillance of their deliveries or taxi trips on the road. They should not accept it in the sky.” Wing called on the FAA to expand ways operators can comply with ID requirements. The FAA said Thursday it received and addressed “more than 50,000 public comments on the proposed remote-identification rule, which will further the safe integration of drones into the national airspace system.” The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International said Remote ID will function as “a digital license plate for drones.” Drone manufacturers will have 18 months to begin producing drones with Remote ID, and operators will have an additional year to provide Remote ID. Wing argues internet-based tracking “allows a drone to be identified as it flies over without necessarily sharing that drone’s complete flight path or flight history.” Chinese dronemaker SZ DJI Technology Co. said this week it “has long supported the FAA’s Remote ID initiative because it will enhance drone accountability, safety and security… We are reviewing the final rule to understand how DJI can take steps towards complying with the FAA’s upcoming requirements.” https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2021/01/04/595831.htm Clareman’s company to operate first drone school in UAE Irish Drone experts FlyRyte Drone Academy have confirmed a collaboration with Melaaha Drones to establish the first GCAA Approved Drone Operator school in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Co-founded by Clare man Oisín McGrath and Gearoid O’Briain, FlyRyte Drone Academy is Ireland’s leading unmanned aircraft training centre, providing Aviation Authority approved drone training for national and international agencies. In a significant milestone for the drone industry in the UAE, FlyRyte Drone Academy in collaboration with Melaaha Drones have received approval to complete drone training for operators in the UAE. This is a very significant development as they will become the first drone school to be approved by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to operate in the region. CEO of FlyRyte, Mr. Gearoid O’Briain along with his team in FlyRyte have worked closely with Melaaha drones CEO, Mr Mosabbah Almheria and his team over the last 18 months, in order to secure the final approval from the GCAA. This involved detailed inspections of the facilities in the UAE, operations manuals, training syllabi and interviews with the instructors and head of training. FlyRyte and Melaaha Drones all share a passion for unmanned aircraft technology and education. The training provided will cater for all areas in the UAS (unmanned aerial systems), including certification, licensing, & more for hobbyist, commercial, and state services in the UAE. The training will consist of ground-school lectures, drone systems training and practical drone flight training. The team also liaised with the GCAA to allow self sustained safe and controlled drone operations for the future. Gearoid O’Briain, CEO of FlyRyte Drone Academy said “In Ireland we have worked tirelessly to develop standards for drone education that are recognised internationally, so it was our great pleasure to collaborate with Melaaha Drones & the GCAA in order to provide first class UAS training courses, and to continue to develop the UAS industry into the future, in the UAE”. FlyRyte and Melaaha Drones have built a strong relationship over the last period during which their collaboration has provided the first GCAA approved drone training school in the UAE. FlyRyte and Melaaha Drones have very quickly found themselves at the forefront of this ever progressing and expanding industry. As such, professional consultation has been offered and given to authorities & organisations in relation to the many issues surrounding the regulation of these craft. FlyRyte has had its instructors presenting at a number of high profile conferences, universities and specialist gatherings. The FlyRyte Team: Gearoid O’Briain, CEO, FlyRyte Drone Academy: Gearoid is a Military flight instructor. His background is in fixed wing operations and is a qualified instructor. He is also a co-founder of FlyRyte Drone Academy and is a certified military and civilian RPAS instructor and examiner. Gearoid has a degree in Business & Aviation Management, a diploma in psychology and is pursuing an MBA at Smurfit Business College Oisín McGrath, Head of Training FlyRyte Drone Academy: Oisin is a Military helicopter instructor/examiner. He has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and has a passion for unmanned aircraft technology. He is co-founder & CEO of DroneSAR, head of training for FlyRyte, and is a certified military and civilian unmanned aircraft instructor and examiner. Eugene Mohan, Agency Coordinator: Eugene is a Military flight instructor. His background is in fixed wing operations and Helicopters, and is a qualified instructor. He is the agency coordinator with FlyRyte Drone Academy and is a certified military and civilian RPAS instructor and examiner. Eugene has an Honours Degree in Structural Engineering. http://clareherald.com/2021/01/claremans-company-to-operate-first-drone-school-in-uae-92312/ Boom Supersonic Rolls Out XB-1 Aircraft with Flight Hardware Components 3D Printed by VELO3D VELO3D, an innovator in digital manufacturing, today announced that Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 aircraft includes 21 flight hardware components that were manufactured by VELO3D’s Sapphire 3D metal printer. Unveiled today at Boom’s hangar in Centennial, Colorado, XB-1 marks a turning point in commercial viability for supersonic travel and demonstrates the power of additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, to enable innovation while accelerating product development. Boom's XB-1 will fly with Titanium 3D-printed components, most of which perform critical engine operations. All parts are manufactured on VELO3D's Sapphire system. Image courtesy Boom and VELO3D “Aviation hardware is especially difficult to manufacture with 3D metal printing, due to challenging aerodynamic designs that must be balanced with superior durability and high temperature requirements,” said Benny Buller, CEO and Founder of VELO3D. “VELO3D’s technology allows the production of lightweight, complex designs for mission-critical applications in the toughest operating conditions. Our partnership with Boom is truly an advancement for the metal AM industry, and XB-1 supersonic aircraft is a game-changer for the aviation industry.” Boom Supersonic and VELO3D announced a partnership in 2019 to manufacture complex flight hardware to build XB-1, and ran a series of qualification trials on VELO3D’s Sapphire system. The printed Titanium parts are used for engine hardware, the environmental control system, and structural components. Characteristics of the geometric designs include tall, thin walls with high aspect ratios, which are inherently difficult to manufacture with either traditional processes such as welding and casting, or even most existing 3Dprinting technologies. VELO3D’s unique SupportFree printing process enables unprecedented design freedom and quality control, eliminating manufacturing constraints to innovation in aircraft design. Read more about the collaboration with Boom Supersonic here. "We strongly believe that supersonic is the future of flight and we’re appreciative of VELO3D in helping us to realize this goal with XB-1," states Mike Jagemann, Head of XB-1 Production at Boom Supersonic. XB-1 is the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet. It will be used to demonstrate critical technologies for Overture, Boom’s future commercial airliner, such as advanced carbon-fiber composite construction, computer-optimized high-efficiency aerodynamics, and an efficient supersonic propulsion system. XB-1 is the end-product of years of development effort, including multiple wind tunnel trials, dozens of structural tests, hundreds of simulation iterations, and tens of thousands of work hours. MIS-ASIA is an online content marketing platform that has a large number of visitors worldwide. It is considered to be the leading IT, mechanical, chemical, and nanomaterial information distributor in the Asia-Pacific region. The MIS-ASIA website provides high-quality articles and news on digital information technology, mechanical technology, nanotechnology, biology and science for scientists, engineers and industry experts, machinery suppliers and buyers, chemical suppliers and laboratories. https://www.mis-asia.com/news/Boom-Supersonic-Rolls-Out-XB-1-Aircraft-with-Flight-Hardware-Components-3D-Printed-by-VELO3D-8112.html Emirates launches Premium Economy to London After promising last week to “deploy our newest A380 aircraft on various routes so that our customers can experience our latest offering in all classes” it appears Emirates will be a little less varied in where the new A380 – including the carrier’s first premium economy cabin – will fly. The aircraft is slated to operate on a daily Heathrow turn for now. That’s great news for travelers looking to try out the updated cabins, though getting a premium economy seat will still require a bit of luck. Of the five daily flights between Dubai and London’s Heathrow airport four are operated by an A380. And from Monday the EK 3 and EK 4 service will fly exclusively on the newest aircraft from Monday, according to the airline. Emirates will continue its planned policy of only selling three cabins on board for now: economy, business, and first. The premium economy cabin will be reserved for discretionary upgrades by the carrier, focused on upgrades for “valuable customers” booked in the economy cabin. The Emirates A380 is already one of the most sought-after travel experiences in the skies, and now we’ve made it even better. – Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline Getting enough aircraft fitted so that the carrier can justify selling the product likely depends on retrofits more than new deliveries. Only five more A380s will have the premium economy cabin installed by Airbus prior to delivery. The remaining A380s will only see the seats installed as a retrofit of existing frames. Recaro expects to deliver 250 ship sets of the PL3530 in the years to come but which specific aircraft get the new seats and when remains unclear. Given that the carrier announced the new product 2.5 years ago the wait to have it readily available – and to start selling the seats and recouping the investment – is not necessarily an easy one. The new aircraft also includes updates to the other three cabins on board, though none of those bring as significant a change to the carrier’s offerings as the new premium economy cabin. https://paxex.aero/emirates-premium-economy-london-heathrow/ Kansas City Airport seeks partners for concession programme at new terminal USA. The Kansas City Aviation Department and partners ICF and Phillips West are inviting potential partners to attend Virtual Concessions ‘Meet and Greet’ events for the US$1.5 billion New Terminal at Kansas City International Airport via The Moodie Davitt Report. More details appear on the tender banner on our home page. As reported, the airport is seeking partners to manage its concessions programme and will host the events on 12 and 13 January. When it opens in early 2023, the facility will replace the airport’s ageing terminals, which opened in 1972. The New Terminal will be built in the footprint of the airport’s existing Terminal A, which has been decommissioned. The airport company said that the vision is to have a programme “that is customer-centric, provides a Sense of Place, engages useful technology and integrates a true spirit of Kansas City”. The airport team planned on holding in-person events to bring together major national and multinational airport concessions operators and smaller players to discuss possible partnerships in the new terminal. Amid COVID-19 conditions, the team is working with virtual-reality platform The Echo by Event Farm. Participants can walk around a virtual room and network with other people. They can visit with vendors at their virtual booths and share their company’s brochure or other virtual media. The Virtual Concessions Meet and Greets will be open on 12 January from 8am to 8pm and 13 January from 7am to 5pm. The Aviation Department invites interested companies to register at FlyKCI.com/Concessions. After registering, company representatives will be able to schedule private, 20-minute meetings with companies of their choosing. During the Meet and Greets the Aviation Department will share information about the Request For Proposals and buildout processes. The City of Kansas City Human Relations Department will help with ACFBE or MBE/WBE/DBE applications. The Aviation Department said it is striving to achieve the following goals: opportunities for local participation; no limits on how local operators participate; competition among locations; reasonable prices; regionally inspired; offer the highest levels of customer service; make use of cutting-edge, useful technology; and be unique. At just over one million square feet, the Kansas City International Airport New Terminal, Build KCI, is the largest single infrastructure project in the city’s history. The facility will open with 39 gates and the ability to expand up to 50 gates in the future. The New Terminal will also include a 6,000+ space parking structure, which will be constructed adjacent to the terminal building, a central utility plant, and landside and airside improvements. For more details on the Meet and Greets, visit FlyKCI.com/concessions or contact consultant Alan Gluck at Alan.Gluck@ICF.com. The New Terminal project information is at BuildKCI.com https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/kansas-city-airport-seeks-partners-for-concession-programme-at-new-terminal/ Federal Aviation Administration Allows Operators To Fly Small Drones Over People The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued new guidelines regarding drones. According to the new guidelines, operators will be allowed to fly drones over human beings in the United States. The new rules also allow the flying of drones at night. Experts believe that it is a significant step and would boost commercial deliveries. The long-awaited rules for flying drones are designed to address all security concerns. The rules require remote identification technology for the drones in most cases. This will enable the identification of drones even from the ground. Earlier, drones were allowed to operate over people who were directly participating in the operation under a covered structure. To use the drone outside it, operators had to obtain a waiver from the FAA. The new set of rules are expected to publish in the federal register early next year and will come into effect 60 days after that. Those who are involved in drone manufacturing have the time of around one and a half years to begin the production of drones with Remote ID. Operators will be given additional time of 12 months to provide Remote ID. In some cases, even larger drones can be allowed to operate over people and at night. But the rules around that are much more complicated. The FAA guidelines state that drones must be equipped with anti-collision lights for at-night operations. In some circumstances, rules allow the operation of drones over vehicles too. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said that these rules make the integration of drones into our airspace much easier by addressing all security and safety concerns. “They will get really close to us the day we will see drones delivering our items on a daily basis.” There are several companies that are working to create their own drone fleets to make deliveries easier. There are already 203,000 the FAA certificated remote pilots in the United States and over 1.7 million registered drones. https://media.market.us/federal-aviation-administration-allows-operators-to-fly-small-drones-over-people/4770/ Remote ATC towers: why not everyone is on board While some industry stakeholders support moving air traffic control to a remote location, others are more sceptical of the idea. Here is a look at the potential of remote air traffic control towers and the thorny issues that come with them. Remote air traffic control (ATC) towers are changing the landscape of airport navigation. The concept is simple: to control air traffic as it approaches and leaves the airspace around an airport, from a central location away from the airport. While there is growing interest in the benefits remote ATC offers, such as the latest technologies and enhanced efficiency and safety capabilities, it’s not welcomed by all – at least, not all the time. A controversial plan for the Scottish Highlands UK trade union Prospect has been locked in a bitter dispute with Scotland’s Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), which has proposed a relocation of infrastructure from the Shetland Islands, Dundee, Kirkwall and Stornoway to a facility in the city of Inverness on the mainland. But David Avery, the union’s negotiator says such projects must also make situational and business sense too: “That isn’t our view of what’s happening within HIAL.” “Prospect’s view, in general, is that the system can be appropriate and can be used in the right circumstances. Particularly where it’s being used to raise standards and safety and bring traffic control to airports which have never had it before,” says Avery. It seems the union isn’t the only critic of the plan; in fact, it has been widely condemned by local communities, authorities and even politicians at a national level. Speaking to local media, Member of the Scottish Parliament for Shetland Beatrice Wishart warned that “despite legitimate concerns, HIAL continues to push on with this project”. The statement raises questions, given that the International Civil Aviation Organization supports the use of remote ATC. In amended guidance earlier this year, it said: “Visual observation shall be achieved through direct out-of-the-window observation, or through indirect observation utilising a visual surveillance system which is specifically approved for the purpose by the appropriate ATS authority.” However, in this case, the issue has more to do with the implications ATC has for those on the ground. Prospect argues that for Shetland and the other facilities earmarked, moving the role to a centre in Inverness would have a devastating impact for local communities. “We don’t see how this generates value for those communities, protects jobs and delivers a better service,” Avery says. Whilst Prospect does have some safety worries about the proposal, it’s main focus is the brain drain of highly trained staff already in post and adding value to communities. Avery warns many of the employees across the sites would not move to Inverness, meaning their wealth of experience would be lost. “The pass rate of NATS training courses is less than 5%. Because it’s not something you get taught in school, it’s not something that is particularly obvious to you,” he says. “What HIAL is proposing is essentially to get rid of all of the staff they currently have and replace them with others… So you’ve potentially got a situation where HIAL will make nearly 50 staff across six airports redundant, and then have to reemploy the same number in Inverness.” Prospect believes the project will be difficult and cost millions, without any long-term cost or operational benefits. “Studies are now showing that actually the cost of running a remote centre versus the cost of local centres is about the same,” Avery says. “It’s not going to change the cost of air traffic… The radar is the same, the staff are the same, so it’s not going to save you any money.” A spokesperson for HIAL refutes the suggestion the move is to save money, arguing that it’s about ensuring quality navigation services for the future. They say: “Without change, we cannot give that guarantee and air services in the future could inevitably be compromised. From the outset we have been clear that the project is not an exercise in cost saving, its primary focus is to act as the foundation stone for sustainable air services.” HIAL says staff and unions, airport managers and senior HIAL representatives have been involved throughout the process, with politicians being kept informed every step of the way too. It accepts there could be local job losses but adds: “HIAL will remain a significant and committed employer in our communities, offering high-quality local employment. We want to offer our ATC staff the best opportunities for career progression within the organisation; therefore, the company must modernise its operations.” Remote ATC arrives in Norway Despite the difficulties in Scotland, remote ATC is already making a splash elsewhere in Europe. In October 2020, Norway’s air navigation services provider and airport operator Avinor cut the ribbon on what is said to be the world’s largest remote ATC centre. “The remote towers system will make our tower services more cost effective, at the same time it will provide better solutions and tools compared with conventional tower services,” says Avinor’s Erik Lødding, vice president of strategy and public affairs. Norway already has Røst and Vardø airports operational with a further 13 coming on stream by 2022, all being managed by the remote centre in the Arctic city of Bodø. The facility will be home to similar staff numbers to that at the proposed site in Inverness, but Lødding sees that as adding value, at least for Norway: “This will enable better knowledge sharing between staff, and make our services more robust with regards to rostering and back-up.” Although Avinor’s commentary around the project seems positive, it has presented similar questions: what about the existing staff? The state-owned company says it has been working to support employees whether they chose to relocate or find work outside of the organisation, Lødding says. He also says that the new technologies will increase safety. “The moving target indicator enables us to detect birds, drones and aircraft in the air, and moving objects on the ground,” he says. Other benefits include night vision capabilities and camera zoom. Whilst it seems an obvious choice, Avery cautions that Norway is simply not the same as Shetland. “If you look at the Norwegian project, which is one of the ones that HIAL seeks to compare itself to, some of these airports in Norway make HIAL’s look like bustling metropolises,” he says. What is the attraction of remote ATC? In Sweden, the Scandinavian Mountains Airport in Dalarna became the first in the world to be constructed without the inclusion of an on-site control tower in 2019. Across the US, remote ATC has become more common too, offering levels of safety at airstrips that otherwise would not have any oversight. “In those circumstances, it is absolutely a way of doing this in a way which is competent, cost effective and raises standards,” Avery clarifies. In Scotland, HIAL believes its transition to remote ATC is critical to its long-term future. it says its overriding priority is to deliver safe and secure air services that serve our local communities. “HIAL requires a solution that will ease the issues of staff recruitment, retention and provide resilience at our airports… to prioritise air navigation service delivery in the future for all the communities we serve.” There is a place for remote ATC, and its foothold in today’s aviation industry is strengthening. But, as Avery has said, just because the technology allows, it does not mean it should happen. At least that’s the view of the union and those it supports. The real crux of the matter is not one of technology or safety, it is about employees and the skills they have. That conundrum is one notoriously difficult to navigate, and that is not going to change any time soon. https://www.airport-technology.com/features/remote-atc-towers/ After Covid, plane makers are even more dependent on China With airlines in the West expecting to take years to recover from Covid-19, aircraft manufacturers depend on the resilience and growth potential of the Chinese market. But China’s own aerospace ambitions and the geopolitical tensions that surround them could make it a turbulent ride. China has recovered from the pandemic to become the world’s largest domestic aviation market. Traffic is 8% higher than a year ago, data by Oliver Wyman’s PlaneStats show. In the U.S. and Europe, it is still down 41% and 68%, respectively. With another 500 million Chinese expected to join the middle classes over the next few years, the country is also the industry’s big growth opportunity. The International Air Transport Association predicts 5% average annual growth in passenger journeys in the Asia-Pacific region between 2019 and 2039. Mature Western markets are expected to expand at a 2.2% rate. Following a mild liberalization of its airline industry in 2004, China has become the second largest source of revenues for the two major plane makers, Boeing and Airbus, which have since opened plants there. It is one of their few bright spots too: In November, Boeing downgraded its 20-year global aircraft demand forecast by 2%, but upgraded China’s by 6.3% to 8,600 planes. Relative to the rest of the world, China is especially important for the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families, which are the backbone of low-cost airlines. It has accounted for a quarter of deliveries for the 737 MAX, which Boeing is scrambling to remarket after a 20-month grounding. China’s true catch-up potential, though, is in long-haul routes, and thus the wide-body jets worst-hit by Covid-19. Traditionally, only the A330 had broad acceptance among the big Chinese state-owned carriers. Current orders, however, are finally skewed toward the nimbler A350 and 787 jets that Airbus and Boeing are focused on. Backlogs underplay how many planes China will end up needing. The country represents 4.4% of Boeing and Airbus’ combined firm orders, which seems far too low. As Barclays analysts point out, this suggests fewer than 20 deliveries of the A320 in 2023, compared with a recent annual average of 120. The alternative, which Western companies fear, is that the narrow-body gap will be filled by the C919, made by Chinese State-owned manufacturer Comac. Ironically, its development would have been difficult without the help of the foreign manufacturers it may now disadvantage. To be sure, the C919 is delayed and unlikely to enter service before late 2021, with limited initial production capacity. Its international adoption is constrained by a shorter range and worse customer service than its peers. But it is key for Beijing’s “Made in China 2025" industrial plan. This shouldn’t be underestimated, especially in the later half of the decade. The Chinese government can sell the plane at very discounted prices, and it owns a big chunk of the customers. The outcome may be determined by geopolitics. A few days ago, the Department of Commerce published a list of Chinese companies with military ties that will be banned from buying a range of U.S. goods and technology. It included some Comac subsidiaries, potentially dealing the C919 a heavy blow. It is unclear whether President-elect Joe Biden will keep such a hard line, but Beijing may retaliate by refusing to unground the MAX. Western aerospace’s dependence on the Chinese market has never been greater. Neither have the risks to its continued dominance. https://www.livemint.com/news/world/after-covid-plane-makers-are-even-more-dependent-on-china-11609579398981.html Rolls-Royce to put engine development ‘on ice’ until new jet unveiled Rolls-Royce will put its UltraFan engine programme “on ice” when testing finishes in 2022, halting further investment until a new aircraft is launched, according to Warren East, chief executive. The UK aero-engine maker will also postpone finding an industrial partner for the next-generation propulsion system until a new aircraft programme is launched, which is likely to be several years away, the chief executive told the Financial Times. “We absolutely intend to . . . complete the phase we are in at the moment, which is to create and fully test our demonstrator,” said Mr East in a recent interview. “But at that point, we will put the thing on ice. I can’t force airframe manufacturers to invent new aeroplanes and if there is no demand for them then there is no demand for the engines.” Rolls-Royce is relying on its UltraFan programme of engine technologies to help it break back into the market for narrow-body aircraft, which it left nearly a decade ago when it pulled out of a joint venture with Pratt & Whitney of the US. The group has spent roughly £500m on developing the UltraFan demonstrator, which uses a geared architecture to improve performance, as well as composite fan blades, and aims to be 25 per cent more efficient than the group’s first Trent engines. Mr East has previously said the company would seek new forms of industrial collaboration to help bring UltraFan technology to the commercial market. Speculation has focused on reviving the partnership with Pratt & Whitney, or a new collaboration with France’s Safran, which makes single-aisle engines through a joint venture with General Electric of the US. However these players have little reason to help Rolls-Royce re-enter the highest-volume segment of the aero-engine market, several analysts suggest. But Rolls-Royce’s search for a collaborator has been made more pressing by the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought international air travel to a virtual standstill. This has sorely damaged the company’s cash flow, which relies heavily on the number of hours its engines fly. In December the company warned that it was burning through cash at a slightly faster rate than expected, just weeks after raising £5bn through a £2bn rights issue and new credit lines. Mr East said the group would take a disciplined approach to investing in the narrow-body segment. “We are not going to invest in the industrial capacity required to create the volumes required for a single-aisle application . . . we don't have the industrial capacity, there's no point us investing in it,” he said. Any serious discussion about industrial collaboration would also depend on the type of aircraft to be launched. It was still too early to strike any deals, Mr East said. “Nobody is going to invent a partnership for a business that isn’t there,” he said. Both Boeing and Airbus — which together dominate the global market for manufacturing aircraft — are reluctant to launch a new aircraft while airlines remain financially stretched because of the global collapse in air travel. If either manufacturer does decide to press ahead with a new aircraft platform, however, it is unlikely to be a twin-aisle, according to many industry experts. Domestic travel, largely served by narrow-body aircraft, is expected to recover more quickly than the long-haul market and demand for the widebody aircraft used on longer international journeys is expected to remain depressed for several years. Rolls-Royce’s Trent product range is focused on larger engines for twin-aisle aircraft. The pandemic is widely perceived to have pushed back plans for any new aircraft programme by several years, with the industry set to record losses of $118bn this year and $38bn in 2021, according to the aviation trade body Iata. “The whole sector has taken a battering from Covid, it is going to be bruised for several years to come and so I’d anticipate a reasonably significant delay before those new aircraft appear,” Mr East said. The longer the delay, the greater the dilemma for Rolls-Royce, according to analysts. The UltraFan demonstrator is focused on improvements to traditional gas turbine technology, while Airbus has said it wants its next jet to be “green” to meet tough new net-zero emissions targets. The group is investing heavily in low-carbon technologies such as hybrid electric and hydrogen and has said it wants to launch a green passenger jet by the mid-2030s. “If Rolls-Royce spends a fortune now to get a geared engine, the question is, will it be superseded by new technology before it can get an adequate return off the investment?” said Nick Cunningham, analyst at Agency Partners. https://www.ft.com/content/6fcf500c-4089-45d5-92c3-5743d96984d9 U.S. SDA awards $150 million launch contract to SpaceX Paris, 4 January 2021. – The U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) has awarded SpaceX a $150 million launch service contract, the agency announced. The Hawthorne, California-based firm has been awarded a $150,450,000 firm-fixed-price contract for launch services from Vandenberg Air Force Base for the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 0 Transport and Tracking Layer space vehicles, SDA said. SpaceX will provide standalone launch services via two launches, with the first launch occurring in September 2022, and the entire constellation on orbit no later than March 31, 2023, SDA said. The work will be performed in Hawthorne, California; Vandenberg, California; and McGregor, Texas. The Space Development Agency in Washington, D.C., orchestrates the development and fielding of the U.S. Department of Defense’s “future threat-driven National Defense Space Architecture”, the agency says. “SDA uses novel approaches to accelerate the military space capabilities necessary to ensure U.S. technological and military advantage in space for national defense.” SDA’s Transport Layer provides “assured, resilient, low-latency military data and communications connectivity worldwide to a full range of warfighter platforms”; SDA’s Tracking Layer provides “global indications, warning, tracking, and targeting of advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missile systems”. https://spacewatch.global/2021/01/u-s-sda-awards-150-million-launch-contract-to-spacex/ Curt Lewis