Aviation
NATO Grants Next-Generation Rotorcraft Concept Contracts to Airbus, Leonardo, and Lockheed Martin
The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded a contract to Airbus Helicopters to lead a concept study under the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) project.
This project brings together participants to collaborate on the design, development, and delivery of a medium multi-role helicopter. Airbus is partnering with RTX’s Collins Aerospace and Raytheon businesses, as well as MBDA, for the 13-month study, which will analyze two integrated concepts of next-generation military rotorcraft.
“Participating in this NATO study for the next generation of military rotorcraft offers a unique opportunity to leverage our experience working with various European armed forces,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.
“Our goal, together with our highly skilled partners, is to develop a European solution that fulfills both the needs of NATO armed forces and guarantees industrial sovereignty for our European nations while maintaining key engineering competencies,” he added. “This project will be fully interoperable with other NATO assets.
With our experience in both civil and military helicopter design, we are confident that Airbus Helicopters has the right cost-effective, high-performance, and operationally efficient solutions for the next generation of military rotorcraft.”
NSPA General Manager Stacy A. Cummings stated, “The launch of Concept Study #5 is a significant milestone for the NGRC concept stage activities, demonstrating NSPA’s dedication to meeting the challenge of next-generation medium lift for participating nations.
Our strategy to launch three parallel contracts awarded through competition maximizes industry expertise, opportunities, and engagement in the program, providing a broad range of potential concepts in the study results for our multinational customers.”
France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, and Italy are involved in the project through various partner companies. Each partner will contribute to the study in its area of expertise: helicopter design, systems integration, connectivity, weapons and effectors, avionics, and sensors.
The study will focus on high-performance rotorcraft. The concepts will be modular, multi-mission, and fully interoperable with NATO standards, featuring a high degree of connectivity and resilient communication systems.
Aviation
Air India Successfully Completes Its First A350 Flight from Delhi-New York
Air India has officially launched its new wide-body flagship, the Airbus A350 aircraft, on the highly anticipated Delhi-New York route, marking the aircraft’s ultra-long-haul debut.
This milestone signifies the induction of the first new aircraft type by an Indian carrier in over a decade. With this development, Air India is set to deploy the A350 on its non-stop flights to North America, with plans to introduce the aircraft on the Delhi-Newark route starting January 2, 2025.
Lufthansa Introduces A350 with Allegris Suites on Bengaluru-Munich Route
Additionally, the airline announced the upcoming launch of inflight Wi-Fi service on international flights operated by the A350, enhancing the passenger experience.
On November 1, 2024, the air india Airbus A350-900 took off from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in Delhi at 02:49 local time and successfully landed at New York’s JFK Airport approximately 15 hours later, at 07:47 local time.
This journey follows Air India’s first-ever A350-900 flight, which took off from Bengaluru Kempegowda Airport (BLR) to Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport (BOM) on January 22, 2024.
Air India’s US Service Takes a Hit with 60 Flight Cancellations This Peak Season
In a statement released on November 1, 2024, an Air India spokesperson expressed enthusiasm, stating, “Our A350 is NYC-bound for the first time ever! Now enjoy the all-New Air India experience when you fly between Delhi and New York JFK.”
air india new routes currently operates long-haul flights to major destinations including Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco with its Boeing wide-body fleet.
Passenger feedback regarding the A350 air india retrofit and the new customer experience has been overwhelmingly positive since its introduction on the Delhi-London Heathrow route in September. Managing Director and CEO Campbell Wilson noted, “We are excited to now bring it to New York.”
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