November 8, 2021 - No. 86 In This Issue : Beijing labels US spying charge against Chinese citizen 'pure fabrication' : An Innovative Reactor Turns Ammonia Into Green Fuel for Aviation and Maritime Transport : Sydney Airport agrees to Sydney Aviation Alliance’s $17.4bn buyout bid : FPT Software eyes ‘green reboot’ for aviation players with Airbus deal : Embraer presents the Energia Family - Four New Aircraft Concepts Using Renewable Energy Propulsion Technologies : easyJet faces investigation over ‘greenwashing’ advert claims : Emirates Flight Training Academy Invites Applicants To Pursue Unique Opportunities in Aviation : Rolls-Royce sets course to net zero after Covid turbulence : New face of air travel : Old planes to be transformed into 100-passenger electric planes by 2026, startup announces : SpaceX to launch a new batch of Starlink Internet satellites on November 8 Beijing labels US spying charge against Chinese citizen 'pure fabrication' The Chinese government on Monday slammed the conviction of a Chinese citizen for stealing trade secrets from U.S. aviation and aerospace companies, according to Reuters. "The allegation is pure fabrication," Wang Wenbin, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters in Beijing. "We demand that the U.S. handle the case according to the law and in a just manner to ensure the rights and interests of the Chinese citizen." A federal jury found Chinese national Xu Yanjun guilty of two counts of conspiring and attempting to commit economic espionage, as well as one count of conspiracy to commit trade secret theft and two counts of attempted theft of trade secrets, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Friday. Xu faces 60 years in prison and fines amounting over $1 million. He was one of 11 Chinese nationals named in 2018 indictments related to a years-long scheme to steal technology from GE Aviation and France's Safran Group, according to Al Jazeera, which noted Xu is the only one who has been arrested. Xu was arrested in Belgium in April 2018 and extradited to the U.S. in October of that year, the news outlet reported. “Xu attempted to steal technology related to GE Aviation’s exclusive composite aircraft engine fan, which no other company in the world has been able to duplicate, to benefit the Chinese state,” the Justice Department said in a statement. Xu faces allegations of creating aliases in order to commit economic espionage dating as far back as 2013, Reuters reported. https://thehill.com/regulation/international/580562-beijing-labels-us-spying-charge-against-chinese-citizen-pure An Innovative Reactor Turns Ammonia Into Green Fuel for Aviation and Maritime Transport The recent COP26 Summit in Glasgow reinforced the world leaders’ commitment to a future net-zero economy. When it comes to aviation and maritime applications, things aren’t moving as fast as they should in the right direction, and these are considered some of the hardest domains to decarbonize. One of the possible solutions in this case is based on the joint potential of ammonia and hydrogen. Aviation and maritime transport are responsible for 5% of the global carbon emissions, and specialists estimate that the percentage will only increase over the next years, if a large-scale solution isn’t implemented soon. Hydrogen is a frequently-used term when it comes to alternatives to fossil fuel, but ammonia is less popular. Reaction Engines, a UK-based company, claims that a balanced mix of these two, using a revolutionary technology, has the potential of becoming the best fuel alternative for aviation and shipping. Green ammonia is easy to store and transport, and, by being partially converted to hydrogen, it can deliver the same performance as fossil fuels, without requiring a new vehicle design. Reaction Engines has developed a heat exchanger technology for its air-breathing rocket engine, which will now also be used for creating a cracking reactor for green ammonia. Cracking, defined as the conversion of chemicals to their component parts, helps transform ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen. The cracker reactor would convert ammonia into an ammonia-hydrogen blend that mimics the performance of jet fuel or fuel for maritime applications. In order to develop this innovative cracking reactor, the UK-based company has recently partnered with IP Group, a clean-tech venture investor, and the Government-funded Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The three partners will establish a decarbonization technology company that will design and produce a lightweight, compact cracking reactor. By combining the heat exchanger technology with STFC’s ammonia catalyst technology, the compact reactor will produce an efficient alternative fuel, described by the project’s representatives as a “profound breakthrough.” The innovative reactor for green ammonia will be useful not just for aviation and maritime applications, but also for power infrastructure, such as “stranded grids,” or off-grid applications. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/an-innovative-reactor-turns-ammonia-into-green-fuel-for-aviation-and-maritime-transport-173637.html Sydney Airport agrees to Sydney Aviation Alliance’s $17.4bn buyout bid Australia-based Sydney Airport Holdings has accepted the $17.4bn (A$23.6bn) takeover offer from the Sydney Aviation Alliance (SAA) consortium. The SAA consortium includes IFM Investors, QSuper and AustralianSuper and Global Infrastructure Partners. According to the agreement, Sydney Airport Security holders will receive $6.47 (A$8.75) in cash per share. In July 2021, the SAA consortium offered a conditional, unsolicited, non-binding and indicative proposal to acquire 100% of stapled securities in Sydney Airport (SYD) at A$8.25 a share but was rejected by the airport. Later in August, Sydney Airport received a revised proposal from the consortium to purchase the stapled securities at $6.25 (A$8.45) apiece. The company also refused this offer, saying that the bid undervalued the asset. The following month, the SAA consortium increased its takeover offer and agreed to pay (A$8.75) per stapled security, which has now been accepted by Sydney Airport Holdings. The latest deal will also see UniSuper transferring its 15.01% stake in Sydney Airport ‘for an equivalent interest in the holding structure of the consortium’. Sydney Airport chairman David Gonski said: “Today’s announcement is the culmination of months of engagement between all parties. “The Sydney Airport Boards believe the outcome reflects appropriate long-term value for the airport, and unanimously recommend the proposal to security holders, subject to customary conditions such as independent expert approval and no superior proposal.” The Sydney airport board has recommended that security holders support the deal if there is no superior offer. The completion of the deal is subject to an independent expert report and approval from 75% of the airport operator’s shareholders, foreign investment review board and competition authorities. https://www.airport-technology.com/news/sydney-airport-sydney-aviation-alliance-bid/ FPT Software eyes ‘green reboot’ for aviation players with Airbus deal Vietnamese IT services provider FPT Software is set to deploy a new set of solutions on Airbus’s open data platform for the aviation industry, Skywise, thanks to a new deal struck between the two companies. The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed during an official visit by Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to France, sees FPT Software provide and deploy a new set of solutions on Airbus’s open data platform for the aviation industry, Skywise. The so-called ‘Skywise App Editor Partnership’ marks an attempt by the FPT Software and the European aircraft maker to introduce innovative solutions to accelerate digital transformation in the aviation industry. The new solutions introduced by FPT Software are expected to help optimise fluid consumption, reduce operational costs, enhance operations across various functions, including logistics, supply chain, crew management, aircraft maintenance, route planning and more. It is hoped that by leveraging its capabilities in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud and more, FPT Software can assist players in the aviation sector to gain competitive edge and prepare for a 'green reboot' after the pandemic. Scheduled to launch later this year and in early 2022, the solutions by FPT Software and Airbus are expected to support more than 140 airlines and 9,500 commercial aircraft worldwide. “We have over 100 high-skilled aviation data engineers and 500 software engineers with experience in several aviation projects,” said Truong Gia Binh, chairman of FPT Software parent company FPT Corporation. “With our scalable IT talent pool, proven expertise, and Airbus’s industry knowledge, we are confident to develop innovative solutions that enable aviation companies to realise their goals. The sky is our only limit. “I believe that the partnership between France and Vietnam’s leading companies can act as a trading bridge, enhance the two countries’ strategic cooperation and encourage collaborations between both sides’ businesses," he added. FPT Software and Airbus began working together in 2017, when the Vietnamese IT player became one of the first trusted IT partners to help Airbus kick-start its Skywise ecosystem in Asia Pacific. In 2019, FPT Software established an office in Toulouse, France, to better collaborate with Airbus in achieving its digital transformation goals. The two companies have since joined forces in various initiatives to support several major aviation players to improve operational performance, ensure data continuity and achieve savings across the value chain. In June 2019, FPT Software signed an agreement with Airbus to become one of the first Skywise certified partners, tasked with driving digital collaboration across the global aviation industry. The company joined four other businesses as launch partners of the program, including Accenture, Capgemini, IBM and Sopra Steria. Just a month later, in July 2019, FPT Software partnered with Airbus to support the set-up of the Skywise Customer Experience Centre at the manufacturer’s new regional hub in Singapore. Terms of the deal saw the Vietnamese technology provider undertake the early development of applications and services for airlines in the region. At the beginning of this year, FPT Software hired former Airbus vice president and Asia Pacific and China head of digital transformation Frank Bignone as its new head of global digital transformation. The appointment came as FPT was working to build out its digital business ecosystem with the launch of its then-new digital transformation consulting subsidiary FPT Digital. https://www.channelasia.tech/article/692870/fpt-software-eyes-green-reboot-for-aviation-players-with-airbus-deal/ Embraer presents the Energia Family - Four New Aircraft Concepts Using Renewable Energy Propulsion Technologies SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, Brazil, Nov. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Embraer (B3: EMBR3, NYSE: ERJ) today announced a family of concept aircraft that it is exploring to help the industry achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The details of the Energia family, the latest in the company's Sustainability in Action initiative, were broadcast live via YouTube from Embraer's manufacturing facility in São José dos Campos. The company has partnered with an international consortium of engineering universities, aeronautical research institutes, and small and medium-sized enterprises to better understand energy harvesting, storage, thermal management and their applications for sustainable aircraft propulsion. The Energia Family is comprised of four concept aircraft of varying sizes that incorporate different propulsion technologies – electric, hydrogen fuel cell, dual fuel gas turbine, and hybrid-electric. Energia Hybrid (E9-HE) Energia Electric (E9-FE) . hybrid-electric propulsion . full electric propulsion . up to 90% CO2 emissions reduction . zero CO2 emissions . 9 seats . 9 seats . rear-mounted engines . aft contra-rotating propellers . technology readiness –2030 . technology readiness – 2035 Energia H2 Fuel Cell (E19-H2FC) Energia H2 Gas Turbine (E50-H2GT) . hydrogen electric propulsion . hydrogen or SAF/JetA turbine propulsion . zero CO2 emissions . up to 100% CO2 emissions reduction . 19 seats . 35 to 50 seats . rear-mounted electric engines . rear-mounted engines . technology readiness – 2035 . technology readiness – 2040 Each aircraft is being evaluated for its technical and subsequent commercial viability. Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer's Sr. VP of Engineering, Technology and Corporate Strategy, explained the rationale for the Energia family. "We see our role as a developer of novel technologies to help the industry achieve its sustainability targets. There's no easy or single solution in getting to net zero. New technologies and their supporting infrastructure will come online over time. We're working right now to refine the first airplane concepts, the ones that can start reducing emissions sooner rather than later. Small aircraft are ideal on which to test and prove new propulsion technologies so that they can be scaled up to larger aircraft. That's why our Energia family is such an important platform." Arjan Meijer, President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, commented on the company´s strategy regarding sustainability "We will see a big transformation in our industry towards a more sustainable aviation. With 50 years experience in developing, certifying and supporting regional aircraft, Embraer is in a unique position to make viable the introduction of new disruptive green technologies." Although the Energia airplanes are still on the drawing board, Embraer has already made advances in reducing emissions from its aircraft. It has tested drop-in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), mixes of sugarcane and camelina plant-derived fuel and fossil fuel, on its family of E-Jets. The company is targeting to have all Embraer aircraft SAF-compatible by 2030. Last August, Embraer flew its Electric Demonstrator, a single-engine EMB-203 Ipanema, 100% powered by electricity. A full electric demonstrator flew this year, a hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator is planned for 2025 and the company's eVTOL, a fully-electric, zero-emissions vertical take off and landing vehicle, is being developed to enter service in 2026. For complete information about Embraer's Sustainability in Action initiative and specifications for each Energia concept aircraft, go to https://www.embraercommercialaviation.com/sustainabilityinaction. Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer About Embraer A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centres, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/embraer-embraer-presents-energia-family-151800517.html easyJet faces investigation over ‘greenwashing’ advert claims Leading UK low-cost airline easyJet (U2/EZY) is facing an investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over so-called greenwashing adverts shown during COP 26. Campaign groups Adfree Cities and Badvertising have claimed the airline is misleading the public over its Destination Zero Emissions campaign which the groups claim use “unfounded promises about future aviation technology to sell flights.”. The groups have now made formal complaints to the ASA who will decide whether the complaints have merit. The easyJet campaign is designed to promote its electric and hydrogen investments which the airline hopes to bring online by 2035 but the campaign groups claim that this would still not be zero-emissions flying therefore the adverts are misleading. In an immediate response, the groups, which are linked to the professional protest group Extinction Rebellion, also called out easyJets ad agency, VCCP by placing fake adverts over the genuine ones on bus stops. Robbie Gillett from Adfree Cities said: “The aviation industry doesn’t have a credible plan to reduce emissions in the near, medium or long term. Companies like easyJet are capitalising on rising climate concern around the COP26 to push more flights. They offer speculative promises of technological improvements in the next decade to justify increasing emissions today. National government and the advertising regulator must put an end to this deception.” In contrast to the claims, easyJet has recently tested a system together with Bristol Airport (BRS/EGGD) to use electric-powered ground equipment reducing the carbon emissions from the aircraft turnaround by 97%. The electric ground equipment includes steps, baggage trollies, belt loaders and ground power units to service the aircraft between flights. Johan Lundgren, CEO, easyJet, said: “At easyJet, we want to play our part to lead the decarbonisation of aviation, so we are delighted to see the results of this successful trial which has create a meaningful reduction in operational emissions by embracing the technology available to us today. “The learnings from the Bristol trial will help us shape our sustainability strategy for future operational changes – all of which will help enable easyJet’s transition towards our goal of net zero emissions by 2050. “Alongside carbon offsetting and flying efficiently with a young, modern fleet, reducing the impact of our airport operations alongside our airport partners is an important component of our decarbonisation pathway while we are supporting the development of zero-emission aircraft for the future of flying.” Dave Lees, CEO, Bristol Airport added: “This is an outstanding achievement by all partners involved. The trial has reduced aircraft turnaround emissions by 97%*. This is another demonstration of how working together, including partners and experts in their field, we are able to create a positive reduction in carbon emissions today. “As an airport we are taking our commitments to address climate change seriously and this trial is only one initiative we are delivering on towards achieving a net zero airport operation by 2030. “We will continue to work in partnership with easyJet to enable us to develop joint initiatives and projects to contribute towards decarbonising aviation and the creation of green jobs.” https://ukaviation.news/easyjet-faces-investigating-over-greenwashing-advert-claims/ Emirates Flight Training Academy Invites Applicants To Pursue Unique Opportunities in Aviation The Emirates Flight Training Academy is inviting aspiring candidates seeking a career in aviation to join its cadet training programme. Admissions are now open at the world’s most advanced flight training academy, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply online: https://applications.emiratesflighttrainingacademy.com/ As an exclusive initiative by Emirates for the Emirates Flight Training Academy, graduates will now have the opportunity to apply for a flying career at Emirates. Interested candidates will be required to pass the selection process put in place by the airline. Watch the Emirates Flight Training Academy video about the new initiative. Interested applicants can take advantage of competitive tuition fees for the two years training period, which also cover training materials, accommodation, dining, and uniforms, amongst other expenses. The Emirates Flight Training Academy reviews applications on a continuous basis, and new students are taken in every other month. Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer at Emirates Airline said: "At Emirates, we continuously explore opportunities to support and initiate programmes within the aviation industry. We are pleased to offer this unique opportunity for Emirates Flight Training Academy graduates to pursue their flying career at Emirates. This is an exclusive initiative launched by the airline to provide opportunities for UAE nationals, residents and international students wanting to build their careers as pilots." Captain Abdulla Al Hammadi, Vice President of the Emirates Flight Training Academy said: "The demand for pilots will continue to grow globally and within the region, despite the recent pause that we have seen as a result of the pandemic. At EFTA, we are committed to providing state of the art training programmes using some of the latest aircraft and technologies as well as training methods." Located in Dubai South, the state-of-the-art Emirates Flight Training Academy is spread over 164,000 square metres (the area of 200 football fields), and includes 36 modern classrooms, next-generation simulators, and a fleet of 27 Cirrus SR22 G6 single-engine piston and Embraer Phenom 100EV very light jet aircraft. The Academy also boasts a 1,800 metre dedicated runway with navigation aids and lighting, an independent air traffic control tower, rescue and firefighting service, and a maintenance centre. The Academy uses a four-pronged approach to train its cadets: highly interactive theoretical learning in classrooms using advanced digital content and immersive VR technology, experiential learning through hands-on instruction of modern training aircraft, use of advanced flight simulators, and airline-focused line-oriented flight training. The Academy has also established an innovative approach to training cadets, from learning to fly the single-engine piston Cirrus SR22 G6 aircraft to directly progressing to the Phenom 100EV very light jet (VLJ) aircraft, providing cadets with more experience on jet aircraft. In fact, the last batch of cadets that graduated in December last year clocked in over 6,000 flying hours during their training at the Academy. Cadets at EFTA graduate with a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) on a multi-engine aircraft with Instrument Rating. The total training duration for cadets ranges between 21 months and 24 months. All enrolled cadets stay in modern accommodation and have access to a range of comprehensive sports and leisure facilities. The EFTA facilities are designed to accommodate over 600 cadets at a time. https://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/emirates-flight-training-academy-invites-applicants-pursue-unique-opportunities Rolls-Royce sets course to net zero after Covid turbulence On a bright afternoon in September, a small silver and blue aircraft took off from Boscombe Down, the military airfield near Stonehenge that has been the site of many famous maiden flights. This was no exception — the single-seater was electrically powered and carried the hopes of its developer, Rolls-Royce, eventually to bring a battery-powered aircraft to market. With 6,000 battery cells and three motors delivering more than 500 horsepower, Spirit of Innovation (pictured above) will soon be aiming for an air speed world record for electric aircraft. But it is not just about chasing records; the aircraft is the most eye-catching example of the FTSE 100 company’s focus on developing technology breakthroughs that could transform commercial aviation. The programme has echoes of one of the company’s most-celebrated episodes, when Rolls-Royce developed the Type R engine. It powered airspeed racers in the 1930s and was the precursor to the Merlin engine used in the Spitfire fighter jet during the second world war. Spirit of Innovation is a “mixture of history, inspiring the young, showing that electric flight is real and setting the pathway for a set of products that will make electric flight a reality”, says Paul Stein, Rolls-Royce’s chief technology officer. Like other aerospace companies, the aero-engine group must navigate the world’s transition to net zero. Warren East, Rolls-Royce chief executive, has pledged to make all commercial engines in production able to run on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel by 2023. The company says it will achieve net zero emissions by 2050. There is much at stake. Rolls-Royce is only just emerging from the depths of the coronavirus pandemic. The collapse in long-haul air travel led to a grounding of the large aircraft that use the company’s engines, slashing its revenues. Before the crisis, about half of Rolls-Royce’s then £15.4bn in annual underlying revenues came from its civil aerospace division. Investors, including Causeway Capital Management, are watching closely how the company manages the transition. The pressure to curb emissions has only increased since the crisis and aerospace companies are working on several different technologies. One of the challenges for the industry, according to Nick Cunningham, an analyst at Agency Partners in London, is that, as yet, “nobody knows” how big the coming changes will be. “It’s a bit like cars in the early 1900s or the transition to jets in the 1940s. We’re at a cusp of a shift in technology, but the various alternatives are so radically different that it is difficult to divine a winner,” he says. Rolls-Royce, he adds, is “very good at aerodynamics and combustion, but combustion is the problem, so finding its position in the new world will not be easy”. Company executives argue that despite the damage wrought by the pandemic, the group is well positioned to turn the decarbonisation challenge into a commercial opportunity. Its interests in electric aircraft, sustainable aviation fuels, mini nuclear reactors and power-systems management mean it is more than just a maker of gas turbines that burn fossil fuels, executives say. To achieve its climate targets, the company plans to focus 75 per cent of its research and development spending on lower-carbon and net zero technologies by 2025 — up from about 50 per cent today. It typically spends more than £1bn annually on R&D, although that figure fell in 2020 during the pandemic. Stein says the company invests its budget broadly in “three buckets”: “sustaining engineering”, focused on improving existing products; making products compatible with a net zero world; and new directions that have arisen through net zero. In aviation, the focus is on how to decarbonise the group’s powerful gas turbines. According to Stein, the answer for long-haul aviation is sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). “We won’t be flying battery aeroplanes across the Atlantic. For the next 40 or 50 years, for long-haul aviation, [we are looking at] very efficient gas turbines powered by SAFs,” he says. The company believes that for short-range flights, of between 100 and 300 miles, battery power will allow for the transport of between four and 19 passengers, depending on the configuration of the aircraft. The company has partnered with air taxi company Vertical Aerospace and is working with the Norwegian regional airline Wideroe to develop an all-electric passenger aircraft. Rolls-Royce is working on a range of technologies, including turbo-electric and hydrogen, to address the midsized market segment between long-range and short-range. The lessons that Stein and his engineers are drawing from the process will be applied across the group, including work by Rolls-Royce’s defence business to develop a propulsion system for Britain’s next-generation Tempest fighter jet. To make its bet on SAFs a reality, Rolls-Royce is partnering with other companies, including oil major Shell. Among the challenges are a shortage of sustainable fuels and their cost — they are up to five times more expensive than current jet fuel, though executives think it should be possible to drive that down to two times the cost within a decade. Rolls-Royce believes the aviation industry will need 500m tonnes of the fuels annually by 2050. Stein is optimistic that, despite the size of the challenge, the need “will create huge amounts of innovation”, adding that “there is a danger of taking a 2021 optic of where technology can take us”. One of the most exciting areas for the group is its investment in small modular reactors (SMRs), which could, if successful, provide it with an important new revenue stream and cut its exposure to commercial aerospace. Rolls-Royce is leading a consortium, which also includes engineering groups Jacobs and Laing O’Rourke, that hopes to be the first mini-reactor developer to put its design through the UK’s nuclear regulatory assessment. Boris Johnson, UK prime minister, backed SMRs as part of his 10-point plan for a “green industrial revolution” last year. The hope is that they will cut the cost of nuclear power and help the UK meet its target of net zero emissions by 2050. Rolls-Royce, which has been working on SMRs since 2015, expects a sizeable market for its reactors, with 470MW plants costing £2.2bn, dropping to £1.8bn for subsequent units. If successful, they could help power large-scale data centres and provide grid-based energy. The company is also considering using the energy from these small reactors to help make sustainable aviation fuels by the mid-2030s. Its engineers have also teamed up with the UK Space Agency to study how power from micronuclear reactors could be used in space. Not everyone is convinced, however, that mini reactors will become a commercial reality. Critics point that there are few, if any, operating in the world. Environmental campaigners also point to the problem that nuclear energy leaves behind a legacy of waste. Irrespective of the technical challenges involved, there will come a point for Rolls-Royce when the company will have to persuade investors that it can make money from its push into small-scale nuclear and electric flight. It has promised to provide financial details of the potential scale of the businesses alongside its full-year results early next year. This will also give the market a clearer picture of the health of its balance sheet after the pandemic. Some investors also remain to be convinced that Rolls-Royce’s power systems business is core to the group and that it is indeed becoming more of an evenly spread business. But Stein is adamant: “Rolls-Royce is becoming, bit by bit, a more balanced business across land- and sea-based power generation and aviation. We are a power propulsion company.” https://www.ft.com/content/539b47d7-8707-41b9-afb5-8cef66e3eeaf New face of air travel Imagine walking through airport security gates to the departure hall and boarding your flight without ever using your passport or plane ticket. There is no waiting in line at long, snaking queues at checkpoints. Instead, your identity is verified through facial biometrics as you glide through the terminal. Such is poised to be the reality in the post-pandemic world, where automation and biometrics will reshape air travel. Airports, airlines and regulatory authorities are working to redefine the air passenger experience by harnessing touchless and automated solutions that will reduce bottlenecks and ensure traveller safety. As the aviation industry starts to rebuild following the pandemic, SITA has played a key role in supporting governments, airports and airlines in the recovery process by delivering frictionless passenger processing through technology and automation. SITA earlier this year rolled out Health Protect, an industry-wide solution that allows passengers to safely and securely share Covid-19 test results or vaccination history with airlines, airports and governments. The technology can seamlessly integrate with multiple travel pass or health passport schemes, bridging the gap between these schemes and aviation and border processes. By incorporating Advance Passenger Processing, the solution enables authorities to make an informed decision on whether a passenger can travel ahead of check-in, improving the safety of all passengers and avoiding costly return flights. Since last November, the Australian government has used SITA technology to enable travellers to supply digital contact and journey information, and complete an electronic health declaration in advance of travel. Biometric boarding takes off While the deployment of smart solutions like biometric technologies has been well underway at international airports in recent years, its ability to facilitate a more touchless travel experience has fast-tracked its adoption in the pandemic’s wake. According to SITA’s 2020 Air Transport IT Insights report, while airlines and airports have significantly curtailed their spending, touchless technology remains a high investment priority between now and 2023. SITA has seen some of its biggest high-technology rollouts in the past two years, as it helps turn touchless passenger journeys into a reality for airports in Asia-Pacific such as Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) and Sydney Airport. In what it calls its “most extensive biometric deployment to date”, SITA has outfitted BCIA with its Smart Path facial recognition solution to create a fully contactless experience for passengers at the world’s second busiest airport. The technology allows passengers to enrol once during check-in, and then use their biometric ID across multiple touchpoints, with their face as a boarding pass. BCIA’s deployment included the installation of over 600 biometric checkpoints across the airport, comprising 250 lanes of automatic gates, 80 kiosks, 30 self-bag drop stations to process passengers from international flights, and more. Smart Path has been activated across multiple checkpoints at BCIA including manual check-in, self-service check-in, bag drop, security and boarding. The technology can significantly speed up passenger flows, processing over 400 passengers boarding an aircraft in under 20 minutes. Improved efficiency means shorter queues that help maintain social distancing. The process also minimises physical contact, reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Similarly, Sydney Airport has deployed SITA technology to support its post-Covid recovery. Through a five-year technology deal signed with SITA in March, Sydney Airport will gain 600 common-use touchpoints across its two terminals to enable a smarter passenger experience and operational efficiency for the airport. SITA Flex, one of the technologies being employed at the airport, is a mobile-enabled, common-use platform that facilitates contactless passenger processing through cloud technology. The solution also includes SITA Bag Message, doing away with the need for multiple baggage system interfaces between airlines and airports. The hub-and-spoke solution eliminates the cost of implementing multiple airline interfaces to connect to airport baggage system vendors. SITA provides similar services to five of the largest seven airports in the Australia Pacific region. In July, SITA sealed a partnership with Japanese technology firm NEC Corporation to develop digital identity solutions that enable a walk-through experience at airports, leveraging NEC’s I:Delight identity management platform together with SITA Smart Path and SITA Flex. The partnership will allow passengers to use their biometric digital identity on their mobile phone at every step of their travel journey by simply scanning their face. Although technology investments can add agility to an airport’s operations, the significant costs involved in deployment might stand in the way of greater adoption, especially with the pandemic pushing many airports into the red. In this regard, for airports looking to automate operations, SITA is not looking at “reinventing the wheel” but rather implementing a “hybrid solution” that builds on the current system, SITA president Asia-Pacific, Sumesh Patel, noted during an online media roundtable organised by the company. For instance, SITA Smart Path can be easily integrated with existing airport and airline infrastructure. “So, if (the airport) has a check-in counter, we just augment that with an additional facial camera, so (passengers) can have a walk-through experience. And (the airport) doesn’t need to build or…buy hundreds of new kiosks,” said Patel. He added that even if airports can only automate 50 per cent of their processes, it would still make a difference in terms of improving their operational efficiency and reducing costs in the long run. Airlines joining the fray As touchless technology takes off, airlines like Etihad Airways and AirAsia are also boarding the digital bandwagon. Since September, AirAsia has made self-check-in mandatory for all guests via the AirAsia Super App, an all-in-one app that allows guests to manage their entire travel journey – from flight and hotel bookings, check-in, and health document verification through to boarding and inflight services onboard. The Malaysian airline has also partnered with analytics company GrayMatter to deploy an AI-based technology solution, dubbed Scan2Fly, that allows passengers to upload their relevant health documentation during online self-check-in for real-time verification of their eligibility to fly before heading to the airport. The system has been deployed on routes from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Surabaya and Jakarta. AirAsia has also collaborated with Vision-Box to deploy several enhancements, including automated bag drop services; roving technology for temperature checks; and biometric facial recognition technology FACES (Fast Airport Clearance Experience System). Japan’s airlines are also using facial recognition technology to streamline passenger processing. Since July, Japan’s two major airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airways, have implemented Face Express, a new boarding procedure using facial recognition technology developed by Narita International Airport Corporation and Tokyo International Airport Terminal. Upon registering a photo of their face at the airport’s automatic check-in machine, passengers can proceed with boarding procedures without presenting their boarding ticket or passport. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways is set to become the first global airline to bring the touchless experience to its in-flight entertainment system across its Airbus A350 fleet. The zero-touch technology, introduced in partnership with the Thales AVANT IFE system, will enable passengers to pair their personal electronic devices with their seatback IFE screen by connecting to Wi-Fi and scanning a QR code on the screen. They can then use their devices to choose from more than 4,000 options on offer through the airline’s Oryx One in-flight entertainment system, limiting the frequency of onboard surface contact and providing greater peace of mind during the journey. https://www.ttgasia.com/2021/11/08/new-face-of-air-travel/ Old planes to be transformed into 100-passenger electric planes by 2026, startup announces The aviation industry is responsible for about 2.5% of global emissions, and its climate impact is about 3.5% of all anthropogenic global warming. While some passengers may buy carbon credits for a little peace of mind after a flight, the issue of aviation emissions still stands on a large scale. Enter electric aircraft, which startup company Wright Electric plans to have in the skies by 2026. Wright Electric will convert existing BAe 146 planes, first made by British aerospace company BAE Systems in the 1980s, into electric planes. By reusing existing planes, Wright Electric can speed up certification processes to start flying zero-emissions aircraft sooner. Certifications for new aircraft can take many years. The company will slowly transition each of a BAe 146 plane’s four jets into new, 2 MW motors until the entire plane is converted by 2026. “The level of power and weight demonstrated with our new 2 MW motor will become the baseline for any new electric aircraft and is a key technology in our megawatt system,” said Jeff Engler, CEO of Wright Electric, in a September 2021 press release about the new motors. The electric planes, called Wright Spirit, will comfortably carry 100 passengers in a quiet ride, unlike conventionally noisy planes. The planes will have a range of about 460 miles, according to CleanTechnica, which is about a one-hour flight. This may seem quick, but these short flights are often the norm across Europe or even for business travelers. Replacing frequent, short-haul flights for zero-emissions travel could make a big impact. Wright Electric is focusing on reducing emissions for these short, high-demand flights, particularly Seoul to Jeju, which is the world’s busiest route with 14 million passengers annually, as well as London to Paris, Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo and San Francisco to Los Angeles. “Aviation has committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but Wright Electric is committed to a 100% reduction in all emissions starting in 2026,” Engler said. “Because we built the world’s largest aerospace propulsive powertrain, we can build the world’s largest zero-emissions retrofit directly serving the world’s busiest routes.” Wright Electric’s efforts in getting zero-emissions passenger planes off the ground has been noticed by many. The company has received funding, contracts, and/or collaborations with several governmental departments, organizations, and airlines to bring this technology to life, including NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Air Force, Viva Aerobus and easyJet. Flight testing with one electric propulsor will begin in 2023, followed by testing with two electric propulsors in 2024 and leading to flying the fully electric planes in 2026. Wright Electric is also working on developing a flagship plane that will carry 186 passengers with over 800 miles of range. Their goal is to have this larger plane in service by 2030, the company said in its press release. https://www.nationofchange.org/2021/11/08/old-planes-to-be-transformed-into-100-passenger-electric-planes-by-2026-startup-announces/ SpaceX to launch a new batch of Starlink Internet satellites on November 8 SpaceX will launch a batch of Starlink Internet satellites on November 8 from Florida, USA. The launch will mark the first Starlink satellite to be launched off the East Coast of the US in the past six months. According to SpaceX’s plans, they were supposed to launch 13 Starlink satellites in the first five months of 2021; however, so far the company has been able to launch on a batch of Starlink satellites. On September 1, SpaceX launched the 51st Starlink satellite, and the space agency was scheduled to launch the second batch of Starlink satellites in the middle of November, but that has been postponed indefinitely. A few days ago, a few sources found Falcon 9 rocket booster making its way to the LC-40 launch pad which only indicated that SpaceX will use the Falcon 9 rocket to launch Starlink satellites. This launch of Starlink satellites will be categorized under the first launch of the fourth group of Starlink satellites. In its first phase, the space agency has plans to launch 4400 satellites in total, and this launch will be divided into five groups. According to different orbital altitudes and inclination angles, SpaceX has divided the satellites into different groups. The first group of satellites was launched back in May 2021, and the Starlink satellite V1.5 that was launched in September marked the first launch of the second group of Starlink satellites. The fourth group has a total of 1584 satellites, just like the first group. However, the fourth group of satellites will all be Starlink satellite V1.5 equipped with laser communication technology, unlike the first group. The third group consists of a total of 340 satellites, and the fifth group has 158 satellites in total. The fourth group of satellites will ensure that the Starlink satellites achieve orbital communication so as to reduce the entire network connection. https://www.techgenyz.com/2021/11/08/spacex-launch-starlink-internet-satellite-nov-8/ Curt Lewis