Airlines

Universal Hydrogen receives approval from FAA to begin flight tests

Universal Hydrogen Co., whose mission is to make hydrogen aviation a near-term reality, announced it was granted a special airworthiness certificate in the experimental category by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to proceed with the first flight of its hydrogen-powered regional aircraft. The company also released video footage of successful first taxi tests of the aircraft, designed to evaluate ground handling qualities and the performance of the fuel-cell electric powertrain at low power settings and airspeeds.

American Airlines Makes Equity Investment in Universal Hydrogen(Opens in a new browser tab)

The Dash 8-300 flying testbed has a megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell powertrain installed in one of its nacelles. The powertrain is in a configuration that closely resembles the company’s first product—a conversion kit for ATR 72-600 regional airliners—which is expected to be certified and in commercial passenger service starting in 2025. Notably, Universal Hydrogen’s powertrain does not utilize a hybrid battery architecture—a major innovation—with all of the power transmitted directly from the fuel cells to the electric motor, significantly decreasing weight and lifecycle cost.

The FAA approval clears the way for the first flight of the Dash 8-300 flying testbed which will take place at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. The aircraft will be by far the largest hydrogen fuel cell-powered airplane to take to the skies, and second as a hydrogen-powered aircraft only to the Soviet flight test in 1988 of a Tupolev Tu-155 airliner with one of its jet engines converted to burn hydrogen.

ZeroAvia Makes Aviation History, Flying World’s Largest Aircraft Powered with a Hydrogen-Electric Engine(Opens in a new browser tab)

Universal Hydrogen unveiled in December 2022 first operational tests of its modular hydrogen delivery system at its engineering center in Toulouse, France. Those tests demonstrated a pragmatic, near-term, and highly scalable approach to hydrogen delivery to airports and into aircraft using modular capsule technology. This eliminates the need for costly new infrastructure, with any airport capable of handling cargo being hydrogen-ready. It also eliminates transfer losses and significantly speeds up hydrogen fueling operations—both significant pain points for the zero-emissions fuel.

Airlines

British Airways Unveils Two Groundbreaking Weather Apps for UK Operations

In an effort to better prepare for and lessen the impact of weather on any planned flight path, British Airways will be the first airline in the UK to launch two next-generation weather applications. These apps will give pilots and the flight planning teams access to real-time weather data.

At the moment, teams rely on manually created weather reports that are created early in the day. The new apps will enable pilots and flight planning teams to make more operationally effective decisions by allowing them to evaluate the effects of weather variations in real-time and better plan and adjust flight paths.

The first app will provide pilots of the airline with convenient access to weather information from The Weather Company, providing in-depth analysis of weather conditions along flight paths both prior to takeoff and during flight.

To further enhance its capabilities, future upgrades will make use of the onboard Wi-Fi connectivity* to provide real-time in-flight weather updates. The app that will eventually work with the new technologies available to pilots to provide them with exact information on weather changes will also be accessible to the airline’s Integrated Operations Control centre, the operational hub that keeps the airline operating smoothly.

The technology, which is being implemented ahead of the busy summer season, has been built and set to precisely meet the requirements of british airways credit cards’ wide route network, offering benefits across both short- and long-haul operations. This large investment is a component of british airways amex ‘ £7 billion transformation initiative, which is still focused on expanding the airline’s use of modern technologies throughout its operations.

The airline replaced its paper-based system for engineering teams earlier this year with the new Electronic Aircraft Maintenance (eLog) system, which enables instantaneous data transfer from the aircraft to engineers in a matter of seconds. This allows for the pre-ordering of any necessary parts, speeding up the resolution of issues.

Airlines

IndiGo beats Southwest Airlines to Become world’s largest airline by market cap

India’s aviation giant, IndiGo, has soared to new heights, surpassing the renowned US-based Southwest Airlines to claim the title of the world’s third most valuable airline, as per Bloomberg data released on Wednesday.

The surge in IndiGo’s market capitalization, fueled by a remarkable 4.73% jump in its share price to Rs 3,806, catapulted its market value to $17.605 billion, edging past Southwest’s $17.333 billion market cap.

IndiGo’s strategic plans for expansion further solidify its position in the global aviation landscape. With intentions to add 10 new destinations to its network in the fiscal year 2025, the airline anticipates a substantial increase in capacity and passenger growth, aiming for a gross addition of over one aircraft per week during the same period.

Such ambitious endeavors, coupled with a burgeoning demand for travel attributed to tourism and a stable oil price environment, have contributed to the surge in IndiGo’s stock prices. Analysts at InterGlobe Securities attribute indigo partners airlines upward trajectory to several factors, including the operational challenges faced by competitor Vistara and the burgeoning appetite for travel among Indian households.

The rise in income has elevated air travel to a lifestyle staple, with leisure holidays becoming increasingly prevalent. indigo partners As the holiday season approaches, airports across the nation are bracing for heightened activity, promising sustained momentum for IndiGo in the months ahead.

Airlines

Air India Cabin Crew Voices Fabric Issues in new uniforms

Air India’s much-anticipated cabin crew uniforms, designed by renowned fashion icon Manish Malhotra and unveiled with ceremony last December, have encountered a setback.

The airline’s cabin crew, who initially donned the stylish attire on the carrier’s A350 aircraft, have voiced grievances regarding the quality of the fabric. Reports suggest that concerns have arisen over issues such as fast-fading colors, casting a shadow over the otherwise celebrated launch of the new uniforms.

Despite the initial excitement surrounding their debut, the practicality and durability of the fabric have come under scrutiny. In response to the feedback received from its cabin crew members, Air India is poised to address the fabric-related issues promptly. Sources indicate that the airline is gearing up to commence production for all cabin crew uniforms, ensuring that the concerns raised are duly taken into account.

An Air India spokesperson in a statement to PTI, confirming the forthcoming measures, stated that the production program for over 8,000 cabin crew members will kick off within a week’s time. The spokesperson reassured that steps are being taken to rectify the fabric issues and ensure that the new uniforms meet the expected standards of quality and durability.

The new uniform will subsequently be distributed to the crew, aligned with the transition of Air India’s flagship A350 to long-haul international service in the coming months,” the spokesperson added.