Tag Archives: Avgeek
SA Express announces that it will suspend operations from 18 March 2020 until further notice.
17 March 2020, Johannesburg. In light of adverse recent developments including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, SA Express announces that it will suspend operations from 18 March 2020 until further notice.
This decision will impact both SA Express customers and staff in the following manner:
• All customers will be accommodated on alternative flights
• All non-critical SA Express staff will be placed on compulsory leave during this time
The airline will utilise this period to review its current network and streamline operations for improved efficiency.
SA Express will provide communication on any additional developments in due course.
15 Squadron Extract Sick Crewman Off Durban Coast
15 Squadron received a call saying there’s a male person on a ship with cerebral malaria. With the ongoing spread of Coronavirus the risk of the Ships being allowed to dock in the nearby Durban Harbour was a no go.
The vessel CONRAD is a Bulk Carrier built in 2017 (3 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Liberia.
Bulk Carrier Vessel CONRAD
A SAAF Oryx Helicopter part of the 15 Squadron helicopter asset was to the Rescue as a need to get the patient off the ship. Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Fraser Officer Commanding 15 Squadron, Major Altaaf Sheik and Flight Sargent Ryan Naidoo together with three members from Netcare 911 flew out to the ship 12nm from the coast and hoisted members of the Netcare personnel onto the vessel (called the “Conrad”). The man was stabilized, ventilated and other other necessary precautions were put in place while the Oryx Helicopter remained in the holding position in the versinity of the ship.
20 minutes had passed and the Oryx was called back from a NSRI vessel which was also on scene to to communicate with both the Oryx crews, the ship and the NSRI. On the ship the patient was ready for extrication. The Oryx proceeded into the hover over the helipad again and hoisted the medics and the patient onboard and flew him to St Augustines hospital in Durban.
Once again 15 Squadron pulled off a successful sea extraction and saved a life. 15 Squadron is based at the old Durban International Airport and is home to Agusta A109LUHs and Oryx Helicopters, with their sister base in Airforce Station Port Elizabeth home to 15 Squadron “Charlie” Flight flying BK117s.
As 15 Squadron says
“The first 15 the rest are reserves “
SAA Adheres To World Health Organisation And IATA Protocols On COVID-19 Coronavirus
JOHANNESBURG, 12 March 2020 – South African Airways (SAA) assures customers that its operational health and safety procedures adhere to the World Health Organisation’s protocols to protect its customers and crew from contracting the COVID-19 (coronavirus) while flying with SAA.
SAA follows procedures, advice and guidelines from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organisation, International Air Transport Association (IATA), Civil Aviation Authorities as well as the airports and customs authorities’ directives to ensure the safety of its customers.
“The safety, health and wellbeing of our customers and crew is a number one priority. To ensure their wellbeing, we adhere to the following procedures:
· To clean the aircraft, SAA uses the disinfectants, which have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are effective against the COVID-19 (coronavirus).
· The cleaning protocols our teams use to clean our aircraft have been intensified and focus among other things, on high frequent touch points such as handles, seatbelt buckles, tray tables and armrests.
· Hard surfaces such as lavatories, galley units and window shades are also thoroughly cleaned with multi-purpose cleaners.
· The Airbus fleet is equipped with state-of-the-art, High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters that sift out and remove dust, bacteria, allergens and other unhygienic particles.
· SAA crew have been trained to handle situations involving communicable diseases or any other medical emergencies on board and they work closely with ground and inflight expert medical assistance.
· All our aircraft are loaded with bio-hazardous spill kits in case of a contamination event (or to handle a contamination event) and cleaning materials.
“We assess all our passengers and advise that if they are feeling ill, they need to follow recommendations offered by medical professionals,” SAA said in a statement.
SAA said that although it is following customs limits and guidelines, passengers are welcome to travel with antibacterial wipes and hand sanitisers.
SAA crew use officially approved and industry recognised disinfectants on all flights. Cabin crew (Flight attendants) use gloves sanctioned by the food industry. The airline uses sanitation procedures for all domestic, regional and international flights. Should a passenger show any respiratory symptoms on board, i.e. coughing, sneezing, our crew will provide a surgical mask to the passenger to prevent transmission of micro-organisms.
Should health authorities inform the airline that a person who travelled with SAA exhibited coronavirus symptoms, the aircraft will be taken out of service and put through a decontamination process.
While SAA takes all the necessary steps to ensure that their customers enjoy a healthy flying experience, the airline advises customers to also take precautions to stay healthy while flying.
The Global recommended Precautionary tips include:
- Wash hands with soap often;
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser after touching any surface;
- Avoid touching eyes, face and nose;
- Avoid contact with coughing passengers by whatever means possible and
- Stay home if sick.
We thank customers for the support by continuing to place their trust in South African Airways with their travel plans.
Stellenbosch Ready for First Airshow for the Season in South Africa
The South African Airshow Season is ready to fly off with the first airshow for 2020 in Stellenbosh, home of many famous wine farms, the Stellenbosch Flying Club and a long awaited airshow in the Western Cape for many Aviation enthusiasts!
Stellenbosch Flying Club. Building on the success of 2019, FASHKOSH 2020 will be bigger and more exciting – held over two days, from 20 to 21 March 2020.
Fridays Airshow will also see a evening display from the Puma Flying Lions, which will be performing for the first time at Stellenbosch.
Other South African Airshow favorites such as Team Extreme, Goodyear Eagles Pitts, Boeing Stearman and many more will take part in the show.
The South African Airforce which are celebrating their centenary this year will have a 2 Squadron Gripen, also a first for Stellenbosch, the Silver Falcons Aerobatic Team led by New team leader Major Sivu Tangana and 22 Squadron will support with a Super Lynx 300 maritime patrol helicopter.
The program is still full of surprises including two different airliner displays which make great photo opportunities with the mountain backdrop.
Gates are open at 8am both Friday and Saturday.
Tickets can be purchased at https://www.viagogo.co.za/Theatre-Tickets/Shows-and-Awards/Stellenbosch-Airshow-Tickets
Rolls-Royce Celebrates International Women’s Day By Signing Up For IATA’S 25by2025 Gender Diversity Campaign
As a member of 25by2025 we will deliver on the below commitments:
- Increasing the number of women in leadership positions to a minimum representation of 25 per cent by 2025
- Reporting annually on key diversity metrics
Rolls-Royce is celebrating International Women’s Day by announcing that we have signed up for IATA’s 25by2025 campaign, an initiative to advance gender diversity in the aviation industry by 2025. We are proud to be the first aerospace business, outside of the airline community, to support this campaign, which recognises the valuable contribution that women make to the industry.
By joining many of our airline customers in supporting this campaign, we confirm our commitment to diversifying our workforce and promoting more women into leadership roles.
Jacqueline Sutton, Rolls-Royce, Chief Customer Officer – Civil Aerospace, said: “With only three per cent of CEO positions in our industry held by women, we have a clear and recognised gender imbalance challenge that must be addressed. We are proud to be the first non-airline to participate in this exciting IATA initiative, which leads the way in taking the necessary steps to solving this issue. As a company, we are committed to the diversification of our workforce and to developing the many talented and gifted women among us into leaders of the future.”
Alexandre de Juniac, IATA Director General and CEO, said: “25by2025 aims to improve gender diversity in aviation. With Rolls-Royce joining, we are adding a new dimension to the campaign, which initially focused on airlines. Gender diversity needs to be a priority across the value chain. I hope that the leadership of Rolls Royce in signing up to 25by2025 will inspire more of our industry partners to join.”
About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc
- Rolls-Royce pioneers cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet our planet’s vital power needs.2
- Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces, 70 navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.
- Annual underlying revenue was £15.3 billion in 2019, around half of which came from the provision of aftermarket services.
- In 2019, Rolls-Royce invested £1.45 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 29 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.
- The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.
SAA Extends Sale Offering Of Up To 20% Discount Across The Route Network
Johannesburg, 3 March 2020 – South African Airways (SAA) has extended its sale, offering discounts of up to 20% to major destinations across its route network.
These offers are available for sale from today to 5 March only so customers are encouraged to respond quickly to take advantage! The sale has been extended due to the positive uptake last week, where SAA recorded high levels of sales activity across its markets.
“Due to the tremendous response we received last week for our special offers, the sale is back by popular demand and we are extending it during this week,” said Philip Saunders, SAA Chief Commercial Officer.
The extended sale will be accessible on all SAA’s major distribution channels, at www.flysaa.com and throughout a network of travel agents both in South Africa and in other African and international markets the airline continues to serve.
“We are pleased that our customers and travel trade partners are showing renewed trust in our brand. We aim to build further on this trust by offering our customers more exciting offers over the months ahead,” said Saunders.
SAA’s sales have also been bolstered by the reinstatement of the Travel Insurance Consultants insurance services across the travel trade, which provides protection for customers choosing to fly with SAA.
The extended sale includes destinations such as New York, London, Washington DC, Perth, Frankfurt, Blantyre, Dar es Salaam, Kinshasa, Harare, Lilongwe, Lagos, Lusaka, Livingstone, Maputo, Mauritius, Nairobi, Victoria Falls and Windhoek.
Prices are all-inclusive and for return flights and are available in economy class, as well as for travel in business class.
Travellers can choose to fly between Johannesburg and New York, London, and Frankfurt from as little as R8 999. These economy class return offers are fully inclusive, providing a discount of up to 20% with Business class tickets also discounted at up to 20%, with fares to New York from R49 927, London from R37 178 and Frankfurt from R32 902.
For further information, customers can book on www.flysaa.com or contact their nearest travel agent. T’s and C’s apply.
The airline’s revised route network will ensure customers keep reaching their destinations while enjoying SAA’s 4-star experience along the way.
SAA Joins Fight Against The Illegal Wildlife Trafficking
JOHANNESBURG. 3 MARCH 2020 – As the world commemorated World Wildlife Day on Tuesday, South African Airways said it would help intensify the fight against the global illegal wildlife trafficking.
As a new member of the USAID Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES), the national carrier said it would work hard to reduce the trafficking seizure of 42% of wildlife animals checked in luggage, 4% hidden in passenger clothing, 23% in air flight, 4% in mail and 27% recorded as unknown.
SAA employees are being trained in methods to detect wildlife smugglers and their activities and to report these to the relevant authorities.
USAID ROUTES said Africa is a significant source of smuggled live animals and wildlife products.
For example, in 2019 more than 103 wildlife animals were seized in three countries across the African continent. Most commonly, air traffic of wildlife animals in the African skies involves:
· Ivory moved from East Africa, through the Middle East, into Asia;
- Rhino horn moved from Southern Africa, through East Africa and the Middle East, into Asia;
- Pangolin scales moved from West Africa, through Europe, into Asia;
- Tortoises moved from Madagascar, through East Africa, into Asia;
- Abalone moved from Southern Africa straight to Asia and
- Nile crocodiles moved from the Horn of Africa into the Middle East.
Now SAA said it was committed to taking action to protect wildlife and their natural heritage.
SAA has joined the fight against illegal wildlife trade by adopting the Illegal Wildlife Trade Module of the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Programme. IEnvA is an equivalent of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), but in terms of the environment rather than safety. SAA is audited, much like IOSA, and certified as IEnvA compliant. The airline was recently successfully audited through the Illegal Wildlife Trade module of the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Programme to ensure that the correct systems and procedures are in place.
In its effort to fight against illegal wild-life trade, SAA recently conducted an awareness campaign among its employees to demonstrate how a trained dog can reinforce detection efforts to combat wildlife trafficking in the air transport industry.
Air BP highlights low carbon solutions at Aviation Africa 2020
- Air BP focuses on low carbon solutions and sustainability at Aviation Africa 2020
- Air BP has been investing in and supporting aviation growth in Africa for 77 years which is set to increase to 450 million passengers by 2040.
Air BP, the international aviation fuel products and services supplier, returns to the 5th Aviation Africa summit this week at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa as sponsor and exhibitor (Stand # 67 & 68). The company will highlight its low carbon solutions and sustainability agenda as the African aviation market gears up to support a forecasted increase of 200 million passengers in the next two decades. Africa, which is the second fastest growing aviation market in the world is a key market for Air BP. It began operations on the continent 77 years ago in Mozambique and Zanzibar and now provides fuel at around 40 network locations across the continent.
Low carbon solutions
Air BP was the first aviation fuel supplier in the world to achieve carbon neutrality for its into-plane fuelling services across an international network of over 250 operated facilities and as such will be sharing its low carbon solutions with customers at the event. Air BP’s carbon neutral operations in Africa includes both OR Tambo International and Cape Town International.
Air BP has more than a decade of experience in the use of electric powered vehicles. It has also adopted innovative stop-start technology in its hydrant dispensers which constantly monitors power demands and reduces vehicle idling. At OR Tambo International airport Air BP deployed a bespoke engine start/stop system last year. This has been increased and extended to Cape Town International with each airport now operating six hydrant dispensers with stop/start technology. By shutting the fuel dispenser engine down whilst refuelling the aircraft, it has reduced carbon emissions from those engines by around 20 percent. Last year at Cape Town International Air BP introduced additional offloading points in the depot which has improved its supply operations planning and stock management thus considerably reducing inefficient vehicle idling and waiting during busy periods. In addition, Air BP has added variable controls to pumps in its Johannesburg rail siding operations which allows for more efficient use of electric power on pump motors during lower demand periods thereby reducing electricity consumption.
Carbon offsetting supports emission reduction in Zambia
Through its carbon offsetting programme BP Target Neutral, BP has supported emission reduction projects around the world. One such project includes the REDD+ Forest Protection Project in Zambia which is helping to conserve over 40k hectares of pristine forest from destruction as a result of charcoal production and the expansion of farmlands. BP Target Neutral’s carbon finance supports forest wardens, sustainable charcoal production, education and alternative income sources like bee-keeping/honey production. The project has resulted in 943,469 tCO2e credits issued to date which is an average 137,000 tCO2e per year.
Air BP’s Anthony Leon, general manager, Southern Africa who will be attending Aviation Africa this week says: “We are pleased to be sharing our lower carbon solutions and sustainability agenda with our customers and delegates at Aviation Africa 2020. With the African continent anticipated to experience phenomenal growth, it is vital that we work together with our partners, suppliers, customers and operations teams to continue to develop innovative solutions to reduce our carbon footprint and neutralise emissions.”
Airfield Automation in Africa
In other news, last year Air BP rolled out its Airfield Automation digital technology to nine locations in Africa. Designed to enhance safety, reliability and compliance in airport fuelling operations, it has been well received by operators in Africa who have reported increased speed and efficiency in fuelling. Airline customers in the region such as Airlink have been impressed with Airfield Automation and have reported improved turnaround times and enhanced accuracy in fuelling.
Anthony Leon, adds: “We are delighted to receive such positive feedback from the installation of Airfield Automation in Africa. With this new technology, we are playing our part in ensuring that the fuelling process is fast, efficient and safe. Misfuelling is one of the biggest risks we face in our industry. Our global solution provides an engineering barrier to help prevent misfuelling, which is good news for Africa and good news for our industry.”
Air BP grows its footprint in Africa
Air BP continues to invest and grow its footprint in Africa. In November 2019, Air BP signed a technical services agreement with Sonangol, the state-owned oil company in Angola marking its entry into the country. Air BP will support Sonangol in assuring its operations to international standards, providing advice on product quality, operations, HSSE and engineering.
Air BP further extended its reach last year with its first location in Nigeria at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos. Air BP is working in collaboration with 11PLC (formerly Mobil Oil Nigeria plc) to provide fuelling services at both the main terminal and the general aviation terminal. Additionally, Air BP is providing technical support and risk management expertise to the airport. Furthermore, Air BP’s technical services team has supported 11PLC in the construction and commissioning of a new 20 million litre aviation jet fuel import tank including the laying of new jet fuel pipelines both of which were completed in 2019.
Air BP currently supplies commercial, general and military aviation customers at nine locations in South Africa, 10 in Egypt, seven in Tunisia, seven in Mozambique, two in Morocco, two in Cape Verde and one each in Nigeria, Mauritius and Ivory Coast. The company’s operations in Africa are supported by around 180 employees.
When NASA sent A U2 Spy plane to South Africa!
Pietersburg now known as Polokwane in the Limpopo Province, An advance team from the American space agency NASA and the first of seven research planes arrived at the Pietersburg International Airport in preparation for the SAFARI 2000 science initiative to monitor the earth’s environment and atmosphere.
Airport corporate relations the then manager Howard Khosa said the Washington University Convair 580 transport plane that arrived, is expected to be joined by two more hi-tech research planes on that week the aircraft took part in the survey and the famous cold war U2 spy plane,was also part of the survey fleet of aircraft.
The NASA U2 Spy planes also made a series of low level passes at the then DEXSA International Airshow at Waterkloof in that very same year of 2000.
Safari 2000 used the U2, officially the ER2 high-altitude surveillance aircraft, as its main tool to monitor the relationships between antopogenic (the influence of topography on atmospheric conditions), physical and biological processes that create the land and atmospheric systems of the sub-continent.
The study is intended to set international scientific standards for measuring atmospheric pollution, global warming and ecological processes and will include the ecology of the Kruger National Park and cloud physics off the Namibian coast.
The NASA programme is was Pietersburg’s first big commercial project since the airport was commercialised in a 50-year, R5-billion concession to a Malaysian consortium.
There was also a C-141B Starlifter as additional support aircraft. But it and the KC-135R returned to the States the following day.
Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc 2019 Full Year Results
Warren East, Chief Executive commented: “After a challenging first half, we had a good end to 2019, delivering 25% growth in full year underlying operating profit and an encouraging level of free cash flow. Our restructuring efforts gained momentum, with run-rate cost savings of £269m. Civil Aerospace improved its underlying profit significantly, with record engine deliveries, good aftermarket performance and improved OE unit losses. We made further progress on the Trent 1000; cash costs are in line with guidance. We remain on target to reduce aircraft on ground to single digits by the end of Q2 2020.
We continued to invest significantly in R&D and took important steps towards becoming a leader in low carbon technologies.
We grew our electrical capabilities with the acquisitions of Siemens’ eAircraft business and a majority stake in Qinous, as well as developing new in-house hybrid-electric solutions.”
- Strong 2019 underlying operating profit driving FCF; reinforcing our confidence for 2020
- Good end to 2019: strong Civil Aerospace aftermarket; better Power Systems trading in Q4
- Underlying core operating profit up 25% to £810m; reported group operating loss £(852)m
- Core FCF £911m led by higher profit and reflecting £173m Trent 1000 insurance receipts
- £0.5bn improvement in net cash* position to £1.4bn; gross debt reduced by £1.1bn
- Trent 1000 in-service cash costs £578m; £1.4bn exceptional charge in 2019 results
- Trent 1000 guidance unchanged from November trading update
- Record widebody engine deliveries; 14% lower OE unit loss; 64% share of new orders
- Defence: record £5.3bn order intake driving 26% order book growth and healthy cash flow
- Power Systems: revenue up 4% & operating margin +90bps despite market challenges
- 2020: underlying operating profit up ~15%; at least £1bn FCF; excl. any material COVID-19 impact
- Remain confident in mid-term target of at least £1 per share of FCF (>£1.9bn FCF)
COMMENTING ON ROLLS-ROYCE PLC’S ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA, PATRICK REGIS, PRESIDENT FOR AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST, SAID:
“Africa is entering a new era buoyed by the promise of free trade, open skies and resilient growth. Home to the world’s fastest-growing aviation market and set to influence the shape of global energy trends, Africa is in a unique position to pursue innovative clean energy technologies. As we enter this new decade, we are focused on growing our presence across the continent and partnering with Africa’s dynamic and forward-looking policymakers, investors and industry leaders to help close the deficit in electrification and support a more sustainable industry powered by innovation and collaboration.”
ROLL-ROYCE CIVIL AEROSPACE DIVISION – AFRICA – OPERATIONAL UPDATE
In 2019:
· We delivered 17 aircraft, with entry into service:
o Air Senegal – 2x A330neo
o Air Mauritius – 2x A330neo
o Egyptair – 6x Boeing 787 Dreamliners
o SAA – 2 x A350
• We have 75 aircraft in service and 35 on order
• Our average fleet age is 5.2 year in service
• Total number of Customers: 20 in 14 countries
• Market share of widebody passenger aircraft in service is 50%
• Market share of widebody passenger aircraft backlog is 100%
What to expect in 2020
• Entry into Service:
o Uganda Airlines x2 A330neo
o Ethiopian x 2 A350
o Rwandair x 2 A330neo
2019 FULL YEAR GROUP HIGHLIGHTS
Financial:
- Both Group and core underlying operating profit increased 25% to £808m and £810m respectively; led by a £195m organic improvement in Civil Aerospace underlying operating profit to £44m and underlying profit growth in Power Systems of 15% following better Q4 trading
- Strong Group free cash flow (FCF) of £873m (2018: £568m) and core FCF £911m (2018: £648m), driven by improved underlying operating profit and Civil aftermarket cash margin; £578m Trent 1000 in-service cash costs partly offset by £173m insurance receipt
- FCF before working capital movement (inventory, receivables & payables), insurance receipts and Trent 1000 costs was £747m, 79% higher than the prior year (2018: £418m)
- Trent 1000 exceptional programme charge of £1,361m consistent with our November trading statement, driving reported operating loss of £(852)m (2018: £(1,161)m)
- Core R&D cash spend increased modestly to £1,108m; good progress on electrical strategy including acquisition of Siemens’ eAircraft business and strengthening of hybrid capabilities in Power Systems; small modular reactor (SMR) development progressing following UK Government matched funding; investment in future opportunities in Defence (Tempest, Future Vertical Lift, B-52)
- Net cash excluding lease liabilities improved to £1,361m (2018: £840m); gross debt £1.1bn lower
Operational:
- Civil Aerospace: record 510 widebody engines delivered; further progress in reducing average widebody OE loss, down 14% to £1.2m; 6% growth in large engine installed fleet to 5,029 with engine flying hour growth of 7%. Widebody market share of 64% achieved on new orders in 2019
- Power Systems: revenues up 4%; strong power generation growth and market share gains in Asia; increased services penetration; underlying operating profit margin up 90bps to 10.1%
- Defence: excellent performance in 2019 on both orders and cash flow; record order intake of £5.3bn and book-to-bill ratio of 1.6x driving healthy cash flow; 499 aero engines delivered
- ITP Aero: good underlying revenue growth of 21% and strong profit growth to £111m
- Restructuring plan on track; 2,900 cumulative headcount reduction with run rate cost savings of £269m achieved since the programme commenced in June 2018
Civil Aerospace in-service performance:
- Trent XWB now our second largest installed fleet; leading engines now in their fifth year in service. Fleet leader has flown over 22,000 hours without a shop visit; Trent XWB-84 OE deficit reduced by over 20% in 2019 and remains on track to reach breakeven by the end of 2020
- Trent 1000: roll-out of technical fixes progressing well, further actions underway to reduce customer disruption; in-service cash costs unchanged at £2.4bn across 2017-23. AOG reduction to single-digit by end of Q2 2020, unchanged since November update
- Design progressing on track for the improved Trent 1000 TEN high pressure turbine (HPT) blade, the last major issue to resolve; certification of this component still expected in the first half of 2021
Market environment: mid-term ambition of £1 FCF per share remains supported
- Updated widebody engine delivery expectations of 450 in 2020 and 400-450 per year over the mid-term, following previously announced airframer build rate reductions
- Despite challenges in certain Power Systems end markets, growth expected to continue led by mission-critical power generation, rising services penetration and further geographical expansion
- Defence targeting a number of attractive mid-term growth opportunities, particularly in the US where we are well positioned
- The outbreak of COVID-19 represents a macro risk and is likely to have an impact on air traffic growth in the near term; however long term growth trends remain intact