Airlines
ZeroAvia Makes Aviation History, Flying World’s Largest Aircraft Powered with a Hydrogen-Electric Engine
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19-seat Dornier 228 twin-engine aircraft takes to the sky in testbed configuration for first flight as part of the HyFlyer II project.
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Milestone moves ZeroAvia forward on the way to meeting target of commercial flights using only hydrogen fuel cell power by 2025, and scaling the engine technology to larger airframes.
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Marks a significant step in addressing aviation’s climate change impact and a major innovation success for the UK Government’s Jet Zero Strategy.
The largest aeroplane in the world to be propelled by a hydrogen-electric engine, flown by ZeroAvia, marked a significant advancement in zero-emission flight. The pioneer in zero-emission aviation went to the sky for the first time with its 19-seat Dornier 228 testbed aircraft. The aircraft’s left wing has been retrofitted with a full-size prototype hydrogen-electric powerplant.
Comparison between Dornier-228 v/s Indonesian N219(Opens in a new browser tab)
The flight took place from the company’s R&D facility at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire, UK, and lasted 10 minutes. At 13.35 pm GMT this afternoon the aircraft completed taxi, take-off, a full pattern circuit, and landing. The landmark flight forms part of the HyFlyer II project, a major R&D programme backed by the UK Government’s flagship ATI Programme, which targets development of a 600kW powertrain to support 9-19 seat aircraft worldwide with zero-emission flight.
The twin-engine aircraft was retrofitted to incorporate ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric engine on its left wing, which then operated alongside a single Honeywell TPE-331 stock engine on the right. In this testing configuration, the hydrogen-electric powertrain comprises two fuel cell stacks, with lithium-ion battery packs providing peak power support during take-off and adding additional redundancy for safe testing. In this testbed configuration, hydrogen tanks and fuel cell power generation systems were housed inside the cabin. In a commercial configuration, external storage would be used and the seats restored.
Top 6 Largest Passenger Aircraft in the World.(Opens in a new browser tab)
All systems performed as expected. This is the largest ZeroAvia engine tested to date, and places the company on the direct path to a certifiable configuration to be finalized and submitted for certification in 2023, with this programme also serving as key to unlocking speedy technology development for larger aircraft. ZeroAvia’s 2-5 MW powertrain programme, already underway, will scale the clean engine technology for up to 90-seat aircraft, with further expansion into narrowbody aircraft demonstrators over the next decade.
ZeroAvia will now work towards its certifiable configuration in order to deliver commercial routes using the technology by 2025. The Dornier 228 will conduct a series of test flights from Kemble and later demonstration flights from other airports. Almost exactly two years ago, ZeroAvia conducted the first of more than 30 flights of a six-seat Piper Malibu aircraft using a 250kW hydrogen-electric powertrain.
Airlines
Lufthansa is interested in deepening its partnership with Air India to expand its cargo operations
Lufthansa is willing to expand its cargo collaboration with Air India in order to increase cargo volumes.
“We believe that a strong Air India is good for both India and global aviation.” “We are always looking for ways to strengthen our ties with Air India,” Lufthansa stated According to the report.
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In the midst of a robust revival in its cargo sector, the German airline is eager to work more closely with Air India. The ambitious growth plan for Air India includes the installation of wide-body aircraft, which will expand its cargo capacity by 300%.
“Lufthansa Cargo has seen a strong recovery in India, with cargo volumes recovering to surpass pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2023,” the company said. Positive forecasts for the remainder of the year include continuous expansion, according to the airline. “India is one of the world’s air freight markets with the quickest rate of growth. As India’s economy continues to expand and its exports rise, there will likely be a rise in the demand for air cargo, it added.
Airlines
LATAM Airlines takes delivery of its first A321neo, adds 13 more to order book
LATAM Airlines has taken possession of the first A321neo it had leased from AerCap and placed an order for 13 more of the aircraft to boost regional expansion and expand its route network. This A321neo aircraft is the first in a committed backlog of 76 to be delivered. LATAM will receive 111 A320 Family aircraft in total.
Why LATAM retired its entire A350s fleet?(Opens in a new browser tab)
The recently arrived A321neo for LATAM has Airbus’ Airspace XL bins in the cabin and can accommodate 224 passengers. The larger bins enable 60% more carry-on baggage and 40% more storage space, allowing passengers and cabin crew to board flights more leisurely. 49% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) was used to propel the just-delivered A321neo to its destination.
The largest single-aisle A320 Family model sold by Airbus is the A321neo. The lowest seat-mile cost of any single-aisle aircraft on the market is provided by the A321neo, allowing operators to serve the entire market. Customers from all across the world have ordered more than 5,200 A321neos so far.
Why LATAM retired its entire A350s fleet?(Opens in a new browser tab)
The LATAM Airlines Group and its affiliates are the major airline group in Latin America, operating internationally throughout Europe, Oceania, the United States, and the Caribbean in addition to five local markets in the region: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. LATAM is currently Latin America’s largest Airbus operator, flying 240 Airbus aircraft. LATAM received a brand-new Airbus A320neo in July of this year, marking the first delivery made with 30% SAF.
Airbus has sold over 1,150 aircraft in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 750 are in operation throughout the region, with more than 520 in the order backlog, representing a market share of 58% of in-service passenger aircraft. Since 1994, Airbus has secured 75% of net orders in the region.
Airlines
Wings of Growth: India’s Need for 130-150 Additional Wide-Body Aircraft
According to Vikram Rai, CEO of GE Aerospace South Asia, India’s civil aviation market, one of the fastest-growing in the world, has the potential to add 130-150 more wide-body aircraft to its fleet. In India, there are now about 700 commercial aircraft in service, although only about 50 of them are wide-body aircraft.
India, the third-largest aviation market in the world with about 1,500 aircraft on order from domestic airlines, is viewed as having “great potential” by GE Aerospace, a key manufacturer of aircraft engines.
Airbus unveils order from Wizz Air for 75 A321neo aircraft(Opens in a new browser tab)
India is a focus market and a priority market for GE Aerospace” and added that in his opinion, domestic airlines would think about adding more wide-body aircraft to their fleet and using them on busy domestic routes.
The government is attempting to create international aviation hubs in India in order for domestic airlines to transport passengers directly to a variety of foreign locations as a result of the growing air passenger traffic.
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Currently, the majority of passengers flying out of India to distant locations do so on connecting flights run by foreign airlines.”We need to reach a stage where we can transport our passengers from end to finish. We are talking about the next stage of growth here, Rai added.
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