News

Airbus launches the fifth Fly Your Ideas global student challenge.

Airbus launches the fifth Fly Your Ideas global student challenge

Inspiring today’s generation to build tomorrow’s sustainable aviation

For the fifth time, Airbus challenges students worldwide to innovate for the future of aviation by launching the latest Fly Your Ideas competition

Airbus Fly Your Ideas is a unique global student competition, designed to establish a strong and lasting relationship between Airbus and the next generation of innovators. Every two years, the competition offers a unique opportunity for students from across the globe to co-innovate with Airbus on real challenges facing the aviation industry and to develop valuable skills for their future careers. This includes learning teamwork, project management, as well as communications skills.

New in this latest competition, students are asked to submit solutions to genuine industry challenges that are either innovations for ‘Now’ or innovations for the ‘Future’; guaranteeing a cross section of ideas that are both applicable today and deliver blue sky thinking for tomorrow.

The key challenges submitted to students are:

Business models: What else could be done with aircraft other than transportation?
Flight operations: How can big data be used to improve efficiency of flight operations?
Passenger experience: How can new processes or layouts ease passenger boarding and disembarking, whilst increasing capacity for luggage?
Design engineering: How can artificial intelligence support aircraft design and/or manufacturing?
Manufacturing: How can manufacturing be optimised to reduce waste and ensure the sustainability of resources?

“With Fly Your Ideas 2017, Airbus offers its innovation expertise to team up with universities and their most inventive students,” said Charles Champion, Airbus Executive Vice President Engineering. “We value and encourage this type of mutually-beneficial collaboration, enabling students to apply their creativity in an exceptionally rich learning environment, and to prepare for a highly-competitive job market. For Airbus, it is an opportunity to nurture new ideas from the imaginative and unrestrained thinking of fresh minds.”

Registration for Fly Your Ideas 2017 opens today, May 31st 2016 at www.airbus-fyi.com. Students must register as a team of three to five members. They are encouraged to include team members from diverse nationalities, backgrounds and disciplines – from engineering to marketing and from science to design. Teams must be supported by an academic mentor from one of the students’ institutions. Projects are assessed by Airbus experts and all teams get feedback as early as Round 1. The 50 teams selected for Round 2 get significant input and guidance from Airbus mentors to develop their idea into a detailed project. Five teams are selected for Round 3 where students are asked to test, prototype or visualise their solutions. Finally the teams present their projects to an expert jury at the final event in May 2017, where the winning team wins a prize of €30,000 and the runners up €15,000.

Facts & figures

The aviation market:

In the last 40 years the aviation industry has cut fuel burn and CO2 emissions by more than 70%, NOx emissions by 90% and noise by 75%. This has been achieved through the aircraft and operational improvements, and innovation.
In the same time, flying has become 60% cheaper (in real terms) than it was in the 1970’s.
62,7 million jobs supported by aviation worldwide
50,5 million tons of freight carried each year
3.5 billion passengers in 2015
By 2026, it is forecast that aviation will contribute 1$ trillion to world GDP

Fly Your Ideas competition – since the 2008 launch:

4 competitions in 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015
Partnership with UNESCO since 2012
More than 100 countries represented
Over 600 universities supporting
More than 15,000 students registered
380 Airbus staff involved
1,600 ideas submitted

Displaying FYI 2017 Infographic_.jpg

For more information please visit: www.airbus-fyi.com

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Airlines

Alaska Airlines Acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines Reshapes the Air Travel Landscape

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK) and Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA) jointly announced today the execution of a definitive agreement, signifying Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines at a cash price of $18.00 per share. The total transaction value stands at approximately $1.9 billion, encompassing Hawaiian Airlines’ net debt of $0.9 billion.

The combination of complementary domestic, international, and cargo networks

This strategic union is poised to open up an array of additional destinations, providing consumers with increased choices in crucial air service options across the Pacific region, Continental United States, and globally.

The transaction is anticipated to establish a robust platform for growth and competition in the U.S., offering enduring employment opportunities, ongoing community investments, and a commitment to environmental stewardship.

Key Points:

Acquisition Overview:
- Alaska Air Group to acquire Hawaiian Holdings for $18.00 per share in an all-cash transaction, totaling approximately $1.9 billion.
- Combined company aims to maintain the strong, high-quality brands of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
Fleet Expansion and Network Reach:
- Creates the fifth-largest U.S. airline with a fleet of 365 narrow and wide-body airplanes.
- Enables access to 138 destinations through combined networks and over 1,200 destinations via the oneworld Alliance.
Hub Development and Connectivity:
- Honolulu to become a key hub for the combined airline, offering expanded services to the Continental U.S., Asia, and the Pacific.
- Tripling the number of destinations from Hawai‘i to North America, while maintaining robust Neighbor Island service.
Commitment to Hawai‘i:
- Strong commitment to Hawai‘i, ensuring robust Neighbor Island air service.
- Aiming for a more competitive platform supporting growth, job opportunities, community investment, and environmental stewardship.
Employee and Union Commitment:
- Commitment to maintaining and growing the union-represented workforce in Hawai‘i.
- Immediate value creation with at least $235 million of expected run-rate synergies.
Investor Call and Timeline:
- Investor conference call scheduled for today at 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. HT.
- Anticipated closing of the transaction within 12-18 months.
Strategic and Financial Rationale:
- Complementary networks to enhance competition and provide greater choice for consumers.
- Preservation of both Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines’ brands on a single operating platform.
- Expected to deliver high single-digit earnings accretion for Alaska Airlines within the first two years.
Community and Sustainability Commitment:
- Focus on growth in union-represented jobs and strong operational presence in Hawai‘i.
- Commitment to environmental stewardship, aligning with Alaska Airlines’ five-part path to net zero by 2040.
Synergies and Accretion:
- Expected run-rate synergies of at least $235 million.
- Transaction multiple of 0.7 times revenue, approximately one third the average of recent airline transactions.
Conditions to Close:

Approval by regulatory authorities and Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. shareholders.
Expected to close in 12-18 months, with the combined organization based in Seattle under the leadership of Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci.