Japan’s Kawasaki has seen a project to develop technology for a hydrogenpowered next-generation airliner be selected to receive support under the country’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Green Innovation Fund. The project will focus on three areas – hydrogen aircraft engines, hydrogen fuel tanks and airframes with ground tests planned for 2030.
Rolls-Royce has announced that it has flown its Boeing 747 engine test bed with a Trent 1000 powered 100% by sustainable aviation fuel. The flight from Tucson, Arizona, saw the Trent 1000 powered by SAF from World Energy, while the other three RB211 engines were powered by regular jet fuel. Rolls aims to make all its Trent engines 100% SAF compatible by 2023.
The merger of Russian design bureaus and fighter manufacturers MiG and Sukhoi has been approved by the board of UAC directors. The next step will see the proposals presented to shareholders in January 2022 with the production base brought under a single structure. However, UAC says that the respective aircraft design teams will still be kept separate.
Airbus has begun the final assembly of the first of three A321XLR flight test aircraft in Hamburg. Flight testing is to commence in 2022 with series production and entry into service to follow in 2023.
NATS has announced the biggest ever airspace change in the UK, with the first-ever introduction of Free Route Airspace (FRA) over Scotland and surrounding areas. The area covers some 150,000nm2 of airspace about 25,000ft and will save 12,000t of CO2 a year by allowing direct routing by airlines.
AIR TRANSPORT
Ukraine is to launch a new flag carrier, Ukrainian National Airlines, with operations to begin at the end of 2022. Kiev has signed an MoU with Airbus for a potential order of up to 22 airliners for the new airline, including six A220s, 12 A320 family aircraft and four A330/A350s.
A court in Madras, India, has issued a winding-up order for Indian budget carrier SpiceJet after it failed to make a $24m payment owed to Swiss engineering company SR Technics, following the conclusion of a ten-year MRO partnership. SpiceJet, which has reported seven consecutive quarterly losses, has been granted a reprieve of three weeks to solve the issue and come up with a plan.
On 1 December United Airlines flew the first passenger flight using 100% SAF. The non-revenue flight, used a Boeing 737 MAX 8 which departed Chicago O’Hare Airport for Washington DC’s Reagan Airport with 100% SAF in one CFM LEAP engine and conventional fuel in the other.
On 1 December, Finland’s biggest airport, Helsinki, officially opened its Terminal 2 expansion to passengers. As part of the celebrations, the airport has invited customers to temporarily name the airport after themselves.
American Airlines has said that it will have to reduce some international services in the summer of 2022, due to delivery delays with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. The manufacturer is currently wrestling with quality and production issues on the 787, with deliveries twice being paused in 2021.
DEFENCE
The Brazilian Air Force is reported to be close to attempting a first flight test of its scramjet-powered Prohiper 14-X. The initial flight would be used to demonstrate supersonic combustion and would be followed up by a scramjet-powered hypersonic attempt on the fourth flight test.
On 14 December an RAF Typhoon fighter shot down a hostile drone in Syria using an ASRAAM air-to-air missile during an Operation Shader mission. The destruction of the insurgent drone, which was threatening a coalition base nearby, was the first operational air-to-air engagement by an RAF Typhoon.
Israel has approved the $2.4bn acquisition of Sikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift helicopters for its air and space force. The purchase of 10-15 CH-53Ks will replace the ageing CH-53 Yasur helicopters, currently in service with the IAF.
The Canadian government has removed the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet from its shortlist of contenders to replace its ageing CF-18 ‘classic’ Hornet fleet. This leaves the Lockheed Martin F-35A and Saab Gripen E in the running, with Canada aiming to acquire 88 new fighters with first deliveries from 2025.
The RAF has announced that it will replace the gender-specific term of ‘airmen’ with ‘aviator’, including its non-flying roles, as part of its ongoing drive to equality and inclusivity.
SPACEFLIGHT
With its latest Falcon 9 launch on 2 December, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has broken its own record for the number of rockets launched in a single year. The launch, of 48 more Starlink satellites, as well as two BlackSky satellites, was the 27th for a Falcon 9 rocket, beating the 26 that were launched in 2020.
On 11 December, Blue Origin conducted the third human flight of its New Shepard sub-orbital space tourism rocket. For the first time, the capsule carried six passengers, including Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of the first US astronaut in space, Alan Shepard.
On 26 November the final Russian node for the International Space Station docked autonomously with the ISS. The Prichal module, carried by a Progress spacecraft and launched by a Soyuz 2.1b is a multiple docking node, with six docking ports.
NASA has awarded a total of $400m in funding to three companies to advance development of concepts for commercial space stations, designed to succeed the ISS once that outpost is retired. Under the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations or CLD programme, NASA has awarded $160m to Nanoracks for its Starlab concept, $130m to Blue Origin for its Orbital Reef and $125m to Northrop Grumman.
GENERAL AVIATION
Textron has conducted the first flight of its new Beechcraft Denali single-engine turboprop. The first flight took place on 23 November, from Wichita, Kansas – with the aircraft airborne for almost three hours. The six-passenger Denali is powered by GE’s new Catalyst turboprop engine, with certification planned for 2023.
Daher has announced it has delivered the 300th example of its Kodiak STOL utility turboprop – some 11 years after the multi-mission aircraft was launched. Since then, the fleet has logged over 278,700 flight hours.
Sydney Seaplanes has placed a provisional order for 50 four-passenger eVTOLs from Embraer subsidiary Eve Urban Air Mobility. The aircraft will be used for tourist flights around Sydney Harbour from 2026. In 2020, Sydney Seaplanes announced plans to create a new all-electric flight regional airline from 2022 using converted Cessna Caravans. Ten of the Eve UAM eVTOLS have also been ordered from Queensland-based helicopter operator Nautilus Aviation.
The bidding process to acquire Italian business aviation manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace is to reopen, after an earlier attempt to sell it to a single prospective buyer failed. The company went into extraordinary receivership in 2018.
ON THE MOVE
Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger has been confirmed as the new US Representative to ICAO.
The next SVP and GM of Airplane Programs at Boeing Commercial Aircraft is Elizabeth Lund, replacing Mark Jenks who is retiring.
Pete Allwood has been named as the new VP, Business Development – EMEA at leasing and partout specialists APOC.
MRO Straight Flight has appointed Sean Sarsfield as Aircraft EstimatorCoordinator.
Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur, has joined the Board of Directors of the European Region of the Airports Council International (ACI).