Aviation
10 Interesting things you didn’t know about Virgin Airline.
1.In July 2017, Virgin Atlantic announced their intention to form a joint venture with Air France-KLM. Under the agreement, Air France-KLM will acquire a 31 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic currently held by Virgin Group.
The enhanced joint venture would establish a combined partnership with a duration of at least 15 years. In order to support the success of that cooperation:
Air France-KLM will acquire a 31 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic currently held by Virgin Group for £220 million.
Virgin Group will retain a 20 percent stake and Chairmanship.
2. Virgin produced the first film to be shot at 35,000ft on three commercial flights
In 2012, the romantic comedy Departure Date (starring Ben Feldman and Nicky Whelan) was filmed for eight days straight on flights between LA, London, and Sydney. As per the airline’s regulations, the film crew were only allowed two carry-ons each, and couldn’t film when the seat belt light came on. The cast and crew racked up a total of 28,358 miles, and some of the paying commercial passengers were featured as extras. Watch here.
3. Steve Fossett singlehandedly flew around the world in a Virgin plane
The Scaled Composites Model 311 Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer (registered N277SF) is an aircraft designed by Burt Rutan in which Steve Fossett flew a solo nonstop airplane flight around the world in 2 days 19 hours and 1 minute (67 hours 1 minute) from February 28 to March 3, 2005. The flight speed of 590.7 kilometres per hour (367.0 mph) set the world record for the fastest nonstop non-refueled circumnavigation, beating the mark set by the previous Rutan-designed Voyager aircraft at 9 days 3 minutes and an average speed of 116 miles per hour (187 km/h).
The aircraft was owned by the pilot Steve Fossett, sponsored by Richard Branson’s airline, Virgin Atlantic, and built by Burt Rutan’s company, Scaled Composites. The two companies subsequently went on to work together on Virgin Galactic.
4. Delta Air Lines owns 49 percent of Virgin Atlantic
Yep. In June 2013, Delta Air Lines bought a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic from Singapore Airlines for $360 million. It might seem like a strange investment, but it’s well worth it for Delta, which now gets to fly its customers more frequently to London’s Heathrow Airport.
5. Virgin Atlantic. Humble with a Touch of Glamour.
Virgin Atlantic is the brainchild of the mildly eclectic CEO, Sir Richard Branson, but did you know it was never his intention to start an airline? Virgin Atlantic was actually born out of a truly magical love story. Sir Richard Branson was on his way from Puerto Rico to meet a beautiful woman in the British Virgin Islands but was unfortunately left stranded along with other passengers. In a momentary act of valour, Richard Branson hired a plane, wrote on a blackboard “Virgin Air, $39 single flight” and the thought of starting Virgin Atlantic was born.
6. Cats and dogs can earn Velocity Frequent Flyer Points when they travel with Virgin Airlines.
Velocity Frequent Flyer, the award-winning loyalty program of Virgin Australia today launched Australia’s first frequent flyer program for pets.
Breaking new ground in the loyalty space, from today, Velocity members can now earn 300 Points each time their dog or cat flies on Virgin Australia’s expansive domestic network. Silver, Gold and Platinum members will also receive a special Points bonus.
Building on the program’s unique family benefits, today’s announcement makes Velocity the only frequent flyer program in Australia to recognize and reward four legged members of the family.
7. Virgin America was the first airline to make foldable boarding passes.
Boarding passes are stupid. They don’t fit in passports, or pockets, or wallets. And by the time you hand over your dog-eared, crumpled document to a clerk behind the check-in desk, you’re bound to get a disapproving sneer.
Well, everyone’s favorite airline Virgin America is finally offering the simple solution in the form of a sexy, fold-friendly boarding pass. The document includes personal details, flight number, departure and arrival time, gate and terminal, along with the cabin and seat allocation. And it fits right into your back pocket, because that makes sense, and it’s ridiculous no airline has done this before.
8. Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin America, owns his very own island.
Richard Branson had been madly trying to come up with a way to impress a girl he had fallen for, so he rang up the realtor, and expressed his interest. they were still in the early days of Virgin Records, and he by no means had the cash to buy an island. Luckily, the realtor didn’t know this and offered me an all-expenses paid trip to see the Islands that weekend. He agreed to go on one condition – if he could bring a guest.
when the realtor quoted the ‘discounted’ asking price of $6 million, Smitten with the unspoilt paradise, and keen to impress his new love, he offered the highest amount he could afford: $100,000. As you can imagine, the realtor was less than impressed, and left us high and dry to find our own way back home.
A year later, a charming man named Derek Dunlop arrived at his houseboat in London and explained that nobody else had made an offer on Necker, and that the owner of the Island was desperate to sell. Virgin Records was in a much better position than it had been a year before, so he quickly agreed to a purchase price of $180,000 – the only condition was that he would need to build a resort on the Island within four years.
9. Virgin Australia has been recognised as the most attractive employer in Australia in 2015 at the annual Randstad Award. It also placed in the top 3 for the last five years, including a top spot in 2011.
Amongst fierce competition, Virgin Australia has been named Australia’s Most Attractive Employer at the annual Randstad Award at Doltone House in Sydney.
With half of all Aussies (50%) claiming they would like to work for the aviation giant, Virgin Australia held off strong competition to edge out two-time winner, the ABC, who came in second place and the Department of Immigration & Border Protection who took out the third spot.
10. Virgin Defunct airlines
- V Australia (Rebrand to Virgin Australia with Virgin Blue & Virgin Polynesia)
- Virgin Nigeria (rebrand to Air Nigeria)
- Virgin Express (rebrand to Brussels Airlines)
- Virgin Express France
- Virgin Sun (sold and merged into Air 2000)
- Virgin Atlantic Little Red
- Virgin Samoa
Aerospace
India to procure 97 Tejas jets, 156 Prachand choppers, totalling $26.74 billion deal
98% to be sourced from domestic industries in a major boost to ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence.
Procurement of Light Combat Helicopters & Light Combat Aircraft Mk 1A from HAL gets a nod.
Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles for the surface platform of the Indian Navy accorded approval.
Acquisition of Towed Gun System cleared to replace Indian Field Gun
Proposals totaling Rs 2.23 lakh crore
The Defense Acquisition Council has greenlit capital acquisition proposals totaling Rs 2.23 lakh crore, aimed at bolstering the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces.
This move, with 98% of the funding set to be derived from domestic industries, signifies a significant stride toward promoting self-reliance in defense.
On Thursday (Nov 30), the Indian government sanctioned what is purported to be one of the largest defense contracts in the nation’s history.
The Defence Acquisition Council, led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, gave the green light to procure 97 Tejas light combat aircraft and 156 Prachand helicopters, a move aimed at significantly enhancing the overall combat capabilities of the armed forces. The approved deals amount to approximately Rs 2.23 trillion ($26.74 billion).
As reported by The Economic Times newspaper, the 97 Tejas aircraft alone are valued at around Rs 650 billion ($7 billion), marking this agreement as the most substantial fighter aircraft deal ever undertaken in the country.
This strategic decision underscores the government’s commitment to fortifying the nation’s defense capabilities while concurrently supporting the growth of indigenous defense manufacturing.
Key Points:
- DAC Approval: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh granted approval for Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) totaling Rs 2.23 lakh crore on November 30, 2023.
- Domestic Sourcing: 98% of the approved AoN amount (Rs 2.20 lakh crore) will be sourced from domestic industries, aligning with the goal of achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in the Indian Defence Industry.
- Anti-tank Munitions: AoN granted for procurement of two types of Anti-tank Munitions (ADM Type – 2 and Type-3) capable of neutralizing Tanks, Armoured personnel carriers, and enemy personnel.
- Towed Gun System (TGS): AoN granted to replace the Indian Field Gun (IFG) with a state-of-the-art Towed Gun System (TGS) for the Indian Army’s Artillery forces.
- 155 mm Nubless Projectile: AoN granted for the procurement of 155 mm Nubless projectiles for use in Artillery guns, enhancing lethality and safety.
- Automatic Target Tracker (ATT) and Digital Basaltic Computer (DBC): AoN for procurement and integration of ATT and DBC for T-90 Tanks to maintain a combative edge over adversary platforms.
- Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles (MRAShM): AoN granted for procurement of MRAShM for Indian Navy’s surface platforms as a primary offensive weapon.
- Aircraft Procurement: AoNs granted for Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A for Indian Air Force and Indian Army, along with the upgradation of Su-30 MKI Aircraft from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
- Indigenous Content Mandate: DAC approved a major amendment in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, mandating a minimum of 50% indigenous content in material, components, and software for all procurement cases.
- MSMEs and Start-ups Inclusion: To encourage indigenization, DAC decided to consider registered MSMEs and recognized start-ups for Request for Proposal (RFP) issuance without financial parameter stipulations for procurement cases with AoN cost up to Rs 300 crore. This limit can be relaxed up to Rs 500 crore on a case-to-case basis with DPB approval.
Aerospace
Revolutionizing Air Cargo: Dronamics and Qatar Airways Cargo Pioneer Drone-Airline Partnership
Dronamics, the inaugural cargo drone airline licensed to operate in Europe, and Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s largest international cargo carrier, have announced a groundbreaking interline agreement. This partnership marks the first-ever interline agreement between a global airline and a cargo drone carrier.
The interline agreement facilitates the expansion of delivery networks for both collaborators, significantly broadening their outreach and granting access to regions traditionally challenging for conventional air freight.
Droneports Network of Qatar Airways Cargo.
Through this arrangement, Dronamics can offer cargo services from any of its droneports, initially located in Greece, to the extensive network of Qatar Airways Cargo.
This network includes destinations like Singapore, China (including Hong Kong), and the United States (JFK). Conversely, Qatar Airways Cargo gains access to remote locations served by Dronamics, such as the Greek islands, through the cargo drone network.
The expansion of this network allows Dronamics customers to make seamless bookings for transporting goods from a Dronamics droneport to any destination covered by the joint interline network, and vice versa.
It enables swift and reliable shipments
This development opens up significant potential for the flow of various goods, including pharmaceuticals, food, e-commerce items, mail, parcels, and spare parts. It enables swift and reliable shipments to and from locations that were previously underserved by air freight.
Svilen Rangelov, Co-Founder and CEO of Dronamics, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “We’re very excited to have the world’s largest air cargo carrier as our partner for the first-of-its-kind interline agreement with our category-defining cargo drone airline.”
Rangelov emphasized the opportunity to exponentially expand air cargo accessibility globally, enabling same-day delivery to numerous communities worldwide.
Elisabeth Oudkerk, SVP Cargo Sales & Network Planning at Qatar Airways Cargo, highlighted the airline’s commitment to embracing disruptive technology and supporting ambitious companies like Dronamics.
She noted the significance of being the first international airline to offer this innovative service, marking a milestone in the advancement of autonomous cargo drone transportation.
Dronamics is set to commence commercial operations in Greece early next year, with a focus on establishing a same-day service connecting Athens, the capital city, with the industrial north area of the country, as well as the southern islands.
Airlines
Air India B787 Dreamliner Cabin Experiences Water Leak During midflight
On November 29, an Air India flight en route from Delhi to London Gatwick Airport faced a mid-flight cabin leak originating from an overhead storage unit. The incident involved a water leak within the cabin of an Air India 787 Dreamliner while flying over India.
Despite the unexpected situation, the cabin crew maintained a reassuring demeanor, encouraging passengers to remain calm. There was also a leak of water from the plane’s roof, so the pilot urged the passengers not to panic.
The odd thing is that, based on videos posted online, passengers did not appear to be significantly impacted when the leak was reported by a crew member. The leak may have been caused by a cooling system malfunction, though this is suspected.
A passenger shared the video on X, showing water continuously dripping onto passengers’ seats from overhead bins. A user commented, “It’s possible that some travellers left their fully filled water bottles in their cabin luggage, which could be the cause of this. They advise us to carry water bottles because of this. The company may not be the only one at fault. “Can passengers request a refund in situations like this?” asked another.
Aerospace
Russia Begins Su-75 Checkmate’s Production Process
Russia has initiated the initial stages of manufacturing the Su-75 ‘Checkmate’ stealth fighter aircraft, marking a significant milestone in the development of its single-engine fifth-generation fighter jet.
The project documentation has been officially transmitted to the manufacturing plant, incorporating minor modifications in response to the preferences of potential customers during the preparatory phase.
Several adjustments have been implemented in the project, including an extension of the maiden flight. The delivery of the design documentation to the manufacturer signifies the commencement of the production of initial samples.
Anticipated to make their debut in 2024–2025, the aircraft prototypes are expected to be followed by a pilot batch in 2026, as per previous disclosures by UAC. Serial production is projected to take place between 2026 and 2027.
The introduced modifications have enhanced the competitiveness and commercial appeal of domestic single-engine aircraft while simultaneously mitigating technical risks associated with development.
The Russian Federation and the Ministry of Industry and Trade anticipate the unveiling of a prototype for Russia’s fifth-generation light fighter, Checkmate, by the end of 2025. As the Su-75 enters mass production, several countries may acquire their first fifth-generation stealth fighter. However, challenges persist regarding Russia’s claim that the Su-75’s capabilities can directly rival those of the US F-35 Lightning II fighter.
Aerospace
Iran Finalizes Contract to Procure Russian Fighter Aircraft
Iran has concluded its plans to procure military aircraft from Russia, as reported by Iranian state media.
The finalized agreement includes the purchase of advanced Russian military assets, including Yak-130 jet trainers, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, as confirmed by Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi, Iran’s Deputy Defence Minister.
Iran has the most military helicopters in the area and has significantly improved its capabilities through a number of upgrade projects. Tehran is expected to receive 24 Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jets from Moscow, although the deputy minister did not specify how many aircraft were scheduled for delivery.
Iranian is facing geopolitical issues with the US Earlier. it used to have f-16 and other fighter jets which were built by the US operating in the Iran Air Force. Later on with the Middle East political tension united States rejected arms supplies to Iran. Further, Iran depended on russia and the Turkish aircraft. Due to recent Israel conflicts it planning to procure more defensive products from Russia.
Su-35s would be a major upgrade over Iran’s current fleet of aircraft, but how much better the planes are will depend on a number of factors, such as the equipment, training, and other capabilities that come with them and how well they integrate with Iran’s potent integrated air and missile defense systems.
Whatever the case, the growing security cooperation between Russia and Iran poses a serious challenge to American allies in Europe, Israel, and the Arab world. Washington and its allies and partners should work together to counter the expanding Russian-Iranian axis rather than worrying about the issue separately.
Addressing last week, John Kirby, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said that after giving Moscow drones, guided aerial bombs, and artillery ammunition, Tehran might now supply Russia with ballistic missiles to use in its conflict in Ukraine. In return, Iran is seeking billions of dollars worth of military hardware from Russia in exchange for bolstering its military capabilities.
Airlines
flynas partners with Eve Air to bring eVTOL operations to Riyadh and Jeddah
Eve Air Mobility has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to investigate the possibility of operating electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Saudi Arabia.
Flynas is the top low-cost airline in the Middle East and the world. In 2026, the partners plan to investigate the feasibility of launching eVTOL operations in Riyadh and Jeddah.
“This collaboration is a significant step towards realizing our common goal of sustainable air travel, as well as a demonstration of our dedication to establishing an eco-friendly, accessible, and efficient transportation system,” stated Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve.
“We are excited to start this revolutionary journey with flynas and work together to improve Saudi Arabia’s air mobility in the future.” The agreement will help Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector by establishing and bolstering the region’s potential electric flight ecosystem. Additionally, the partnership will support the ambitious targets in the aviation sector as well as the sustainability goals of Vision 2030.
More than 1,500 flights per week are offered by flynas to more than 70 domestic and international locations. The launch of eVTOL flights to Saudi Arabia as well as the joint venture between Eve and flynas will give passengers another choice for urban transportation while reaffirming the companies’ dedication to influencing the direction of electric aviation and offering effective, secure, and environmentally friendly transportation to the area.
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