Intelligence / Analysis / Comment

Radome

COVID-19

AEROSPACE

France to fast-track hydrogen aircraft in €15bn rescue deal ​

Enable H2

The French Government has unveiled a €15bn financial support programme for the aerospace sector, comprised of investment, loan guarantees and subsidies. Designed to protect France’s ‘strategic’ industry, including Airbus and Air France, the investment is also set to accelerate zero-carbon aviation, with plans for a potentially hydrogen-powered successor to the A320 to enter service in the mid-2030s.

GENERAL AVIATION

Drone deliveries take-off during pandemic

To meet the requirement of urgent deliveries of Covid-19 testing kits and PPE to key workers in remote areas, UAVs have been used during the pandemic. In the UK, a trial carried out between Skyports and Thales has seen medical supplies delivered to the Isle of Mull, Scotland, using a Wingcopter UAV and flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). It follows on from another trial using a larger Windracers ULTRA UAV to deliver essential PPE to a hospital on the Isle of Wight. Meanwhile, in the US, Zipline, which has pioneered medical supply drones in Africa, was granted an emergency waiver by the FAA to fly delivery UAVs with Covid-19 supplies BVLOS in North Carolina.

AIR TRANSPORT

BA a ‘national disgrace’, says Parliament

In a report by the UK Parliamentary Transport Committee into the effect of Coronavirus on the aviation sector, MPs have slammed flag carrier British Airways’ plans to cut 12,000 jobs and sack, then rehire 35,000 staff, including pilots, on new terms and conditions. The Committee branded BA a ‘national disgrace’ for its proposals which, it argued, are trying to take advantage of the Covid-19 crisis to restructure itself and cut costs. IAG CEO Willie Walsh defended the proposals, saying that the carrier was “fighting for its survival, in the face of overwhelming and unprecedented challenges.”

Airlines return to flying in Europe

Austrian Airlines

As AEROSPACE goes to press, several airlines in Europe have now resumed services as lockdown restrictions continue to ease – albeit with new Covid-19 procedures in place, including facemasks. On 15 June, Austrian Airlines (above) returned to flight after being grounded for 90 days. The same day saw easyJet fly its first scheduled departure in 11 weeks from London to Glasgow – with the airline operating 300 flights in the first week back. Brussels Airlines also resumed flights on 15 June and reported full aircraft. Domestic air travel in France and Turkey has also returned. Meanwhile, Ryanair aims to restore 40% of its services this month. However, IATA has warned that foward bookings remain 82% lower than this time last year.


SPACEFLIGHT

NASA

SpaceX returns US astronauts to LEO

On 31 May, the first piloted SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station carrying two NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. After a delay due to bad weather, the Crew Dragon, now named ‘Endeavour’, took off from the historic Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 30 May aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission was the first crewed mission to reach low Earth orbit from US soil using a US-built spacecraft since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011 and the first commercially built and operated US spacecraft to carry humans to orbit.

Virgin Orbit’s first launch attempt fails

On 25 May Virgin Orbit launched its LauncherOne rocket from its 747 carrier aircraft ‘Cosmic Girl’ over the Pacific Ocean. However, an anomaly occurred, the NewtonThree engine failed and the mission terminated shortly into the first stage flight. VO reported that: “our goals today were to work through the process of conducting a launch, learn as much as we could, and achieve ignition. We hoped we could have done more, but we accomplished those key objectives today”. Data shows that a malfunction caused the booster engine to extinguish about 9 seconds into the flight and this, in turn, aborted the mission. 

AEROSPACE

All-electric e-Caravan flies in US

MagniX

Electric propulsion specialist MagniX has flown the largest yet all-electric commercial aircraft – a Cessna Caravan in a 30min flight on 28 May. The Cessna C208B Grand Caravan, re-engined with a Magnix Magni500 electric engine, took off from Moses Lake, Washington State, having been converted to electric power by AeroTEC.

Inmarsat, Altitude Angel team up for pop-up’ satellite-based UTM

Inmarsat

UAV airspace specialist Altitude Angel and satellite operator Inmarsat have announced a partnership to develop a satellite-based ‘pop-up’ UAV traffic management (UTM) system to allow commercial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAV operations almost anywhere on the globe. The system will pair Altitude Angels GuardianUTM platform with Inmarsat L-band communications to allow operators to perform BVLOS drone flights without needing ground infrastructure. The service will be initially targeted at ‘blue light’ and government users, especially those conducting operations in remote areas. 

Beta Technologies eVTOL revealed

Beta Technologies

Start-up Beta Technologies has unveiled its previously unseen eVTOL prototype – codenamed Alia. The air taxi is aimed at flying for 250miles and recharging in an hour. The launch customer for the Alia is United Therapeutics, which plans to use the aircraft to rapidly transport urgent organs for transplants. As well as this and air taxi applications, Beta has also been selected by the US Army as part of its Agility Prime eVTOL project.

DEFENCE

Dambusters fly from HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time

Royal Navy

Lockheed Martin F-35Bs from the RAF’s 617 Sqn have conducted their first operations aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. Four Lightnings embarked aboard the carrier in the North Sea on 9 June. Training missions were also to be conducted with Leonardo Helicopters AW101 Merlin HM2 rotorcraft from the Royal Navy’s 820 Naval Air Squadron. 

USAF human vs AI dogfight test set for 2021 

USAF

The USAF is aiming to conduct a ‘fly-off’ air combat test in July 2021, pitting a human fighter pilot against an AI-flown drone. The live dogfight test follows previous research organised by DARPA to develop AI algorithms that can conduct simulated within-visual range air combat manoeuvring, under the AlphaDogfight Trials.

Russian MiG-29s spotted in Libya

On 26 May, the US Pentagon released imagery confirming rumours that Russian AF aircraft, stripped of national markings, have been deployed to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting on the ground there. MiG29 fighters were routed from Russia via Syria to support the Moscow-backed Wagner Group PMC (private military contractors) fighting on behalf of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

  • Meanwhile, the proxy war in Libya has also seen Turkey, on behalf of the Government of National Accord (GNA), use armed UAVs to neutralise Russian-supplied Sa-22 Pantsir short-range SAM systems, being operated by the LNA. 
AIR TRANSPORT

China Express to buy 100 COMAC airliners

Guizhou-based China Express Airlines has revealed that it is to acquire up to 100 airliners from state-owned COMAC. The acquisition will be split between an undisclosed number of ARJ21 and C919 airliners with first deliveries set for 2020. COMAC has currently delivered 26 ARJ21-700s to Chinese airlines, out of a total backlog of 378.

  • China Eastern Airlines is to launch new airline, Sanya International Airlines, to tap into tourist growth to Hainan island province, dubbed ‘China’s Hawaii’. The venture is in partnership with Juneyao Airlines and Trip.com, China’s largest online travel agency.

Delta retires the last Mad Dogs

Delta Air Lines

US carrier Delta Air Lines flew the last commercial flights of its MD-88 and MD-90 airliners on 2 June after 34 years of service. The final flights saw a MD-88 service from Washington-Dulles and a MD-90 flight from George Bush Airport in Houston land in Delta’s hub in Atlanta Hartfield, Georgia. Delta is the last airline to operate these aircraft after American Airlines retired its last examples in September 2019. 

GENERAL AVIATION

Kinect Air launches ‘Uber’ style air charter

Start-up Kinect Air has launched a new regional on-demand service to allow passengers to book flights via an AI-enabled app as easily as hailing an Uber to connect smaller airports within a 1,000mile radius. The service is set to start in the US, as well as the UK and Europe, with Cirrus SR22s and Pilatus PC-12s. In addition it plans larger Dash 8s to fill the gap left by the collapse of regional airlines, inefficiencies of the ‘hub and spoke’ system and public nervousness around larger airports due to Covid-19. As well as accessing a larger number of under-utilised airports, Kinect Air also aims to disrupt regional air connectivity by introducing hybrid and electric aircraft by 2023.  

​

News in brief