Boeing autonomous passenger air vehicle completes first flight

Boeing has successfully completed the first test flight of its autonomous passenger air vehicle (PAV) prototype in Virginia.

Boeing NeXt, which leads the company's urban air mobility efforts, utilised Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to design and develop the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and will continue testing to advance the safety and reliability of on-demand autonomous air transportation.

The PAV prototype completed a controlled takeoff, hover and landing during the flight, which tested the vehicle's autonomous functions and ground control systems. Future flights will test forward, wing-borne flight, as well as the transition phase between vertical and forward-flight modes. This transition phase is typically the most significant engineering challenge for any high-speed VTOL aircraft.

"In one year, we have progressed from a conceptual design to a flying prototype," said Boeing chief technology officer Greg Hyslop. "Boeing's expertise and innovation have been critical in developing aviation as the world's safest and most efficient form of transportation, and we will continue to lead with a safe, innovative and responsible approach to new mobility solutions."

Powered by an electric propulsion system, the PAV prototype is designed for fully autonomous flight from takeoff to landing, with a range of up to 50 miles (80.47 kilometers). Measuring 30 feet (9.14 meters) long and 28 feet (8.53 meters) wide, its advanced airframe integrates the propulsion and wing systems to achieve efficient hover and forward flight.

"This is what revolution looks like, and it's because of autonomy," said John Langford, president and chief executive officer of Aurora Flight Sciences. "Certifiable autonomy is going to make quiet, clean and safe urban air mobility possible."

ANTONOV Airlines transports mining equipment to Gabon for Bolloré Logistics

ANTONOV Airlines has completed a project transporting mining equipment from East Midlands Airport (EMA) in the UK to Franceville Airport (MVB) in Gabon in just nine days, facilitated by in-house ANTONOV Airlines loading technology.

    

Ground staff at EMA used ANTONOV Airline’s purpose-built ramp positioned at an angle of only three degrees to load two tracked crushing machines, and the entire process was completed using remote control.     

“One of our AN-124-100 ‘Ruslan’ aircraft flew two 18m-long crushing machines to be used in mining operations in Gabon, on behalf of our long-standing customer, Bolloré Logistics,” said Paul Bingley, commercial manager of ANTONOV Airlines.  

“The project turn-around was only nine days and in that timeframe, we managed to deliver a cost-effective solution by securing special permission for landing in Gabon’s second city, Franceville, which is 600km closer to the mine than the capital, Libreville.”

The total combined weight of the two machines was nearly 70 tonnes, and precision was vital during the loading process.

“We only required one flight for this project as the hold length of the AN-124-100 measures in at just over 36m, making it the perfect fit for two vehicles which are 18.68m in length,” said Chris Grigentin, Bolloré Logistics director of industrial projects, France.   

“We partner regularly with ANTONOV Airlines whose aircraft provide more than sufficient space for carrying oversized equipment, and this is yet another job completed in excellent time.    

“We look forward to working with ANTONOV on future projects.”

Qatar Airways to increase flights to South African destinations

Qatar Airways will be increasing the number of weekly flights on its popular routes to South Africa from July 2019.

Weekly flight frequencies to Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest metropolis, will increase from 14 to 18 from July, rising to 19 in August. A further two flights will be added to the airline’s winter schedule, taking the total number of weekly frequencies to 21 by the end of October 2019.

In addition, passengers hoping to soak up some sun on some of South Africa’s most beautiful scenic beaches will be able to take advantage of the addition of three extra flights on the Cape Town route, taking the total from seven to 10, from 27 October 2019.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive,  Akbar Al Baker, said: “The latest additional services to both Johannesburg and Cape Town reflect the growing demand for travel to and from these popular South African destinations. As the largest city in South Africa, Johannesburg has emerged as one of our key regional destinations for both leisure and business travellers alike since its introduction in 2005. With its mix of nature, culture and wildlife, Cape Town is another hugely popular regional destination, offering a unique and memorable experience for our passengers.

“We are pleased to be increasing our frequencies to these fantastic cities, and once again confirm our commitment to providing Qatar Airways’ passengers with an even greater choice of travel options to key global destinations.”

Turkish Cargo delivers circus lions to their natural habitat

Turkish Cargo delivered three young lionesses Luca, Charlie, Kai and the young lion Nathan to South Africa, their natural habitat, from Kiev with a connection flight from Istanbul.

The young lion Nathan and the three young lionesses Luca, Charlie and Kai had been used as circus animals and had been placed in a concrete and steel cage of 35 square meters in Ukraine under harsh conditions without direct sunlight and clean air, far away from their natural habitat

The lions were saved by the Lawrence Anthony World Organization (LAEO), an organisation that acts with the mission of defending animal rights, and were transported to their natural habitat in South Africa under the sponsorship by the global air cargo brand Turkish Cargo.

The lions were transported in specially-designed containers, where their nutritional needs were met, and they were accompanied by their keepers, specially-assigned veterinarians, an authorised person from the Lawrence Anthony World Organization and IATA LAR (IATA Live Animals Regulations) certificated Turkish Cargo personnel during the flight

After a long flight covering almost nine thousand kilometers, the lions were set free at Kragga Kamma Natural Park, a natural habitat embracing huge animal populations of Africa and offering all-green coastal forest and meadows extending along 14 thousand square meters. Initially having some difficulties to get used to their own habitat as they got used to the conditions of the circus, the lions will discover their real habitat and freedom with their new friends from now on.

Qatar Airways launches more African destinations to its network

Qatar Airways announced today it is launching services to Rabat, Morocco, Izmir in Turkey; and Mogadishu, Somalia.

Qatar Airways chief executive officer, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are tremendously excited to be adding these new destinations to our rapidly expanding global route network later this year, and to be able to connect our passengers to anywhere in the world they wish to go.”

African airlines saw January traffic rise 5.1%, up from 3.8% in December.

“2019 has started on a positive note, with healthy passenger demand in line with the 10-year trend line. However, market signals are mixed, with indications of weakening business confidence in developed economies and a more nuanced picture across the developing world,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

International passenger demand rose 6.0% in January compared to the same month last year, which was up from a 5.3% rise in December year-over-year. All regions recorded growth, led by Europe for a fourth consecutive month. Capacity increased 5.8% and load factor climbed 0.2 percentage point to 79.8%.

African airlines saw January traffic rise 5.1%, up from 3.8% in December. Concerns continue about the region’s largest economies, South Africa and Nigeria, however. The region’s capacity rose 2.9%, and load factor jumped 1.5 percentage points to 70.9%.  

17 dead as plane plunges into river in South Sudan

        
        Passengers were travelling from the Juba International Airport to the city of Yirol in Eastern Lakes State on Sunday, September 9 when disaster struck. Local sources in the region confirmed the accident which is believed to only have three survivors 

Several other passengers are still missing from the wreckage which was thoroughly quelled by water after the plane came into contact with the river. An Italian doctor and a bishop were among those who were on board the ill-fated plane. The cause of the crash is yet to be determined.