- More than 200 professional and amateur aviation photographers from around the world submitted images of Volga-Dnepr Group’s freighter fleet to win prizes in its Third International Photo Contest. The winner of the Grand Prix award was Marina Lystseva from Russia (her winning photo pictured above). Russian photographer Artem Orlov won the An-124 aircraft category. Yvo Cotala from the Czech Republic was awarded the top prize in the IL-76TD-90VD category, while German photographer Cristoph Flink won first place in the Boeing 747 category.
- Boeing and GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. will work together to speed the research, development and approval of new sources of sustainable aviation biofuel in Brazil. Their collaboration will support GOL’s plans to use this lower-carbon jet fuel on more flights during upcoming major sporting events and also will benefit long-term development of a new sustainable aviation biofuel industry in Brazil.
- Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI), the jet engine overhaul facility at Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, which employs 400 people, announced that it is to commence a process to consider closing the company, subject to consultation with employee representatives. LTAI will begin immediate negotiations with its three trade unions and existing employee representatives.
- C.H. Robinson opened a new office in Basel, Switzerland. Located on the borders of Switzerland, France and Germany, the Basel office employs multilingual account managers. Managing the new office will be Ildiko Gergely, a 13-year transportation industry veteran.
- Etihad Airways will launch daily non-stop flights to Zurich beginning June 1, 2014. Through Zurich, the daily flight will connect with the route network of Etihad Airways’ latest equity partner, Darwin Airline, which will be rebranded Etihad Regional. Darwin Airline will provide connections between Zurich and eight new destinations: Leipzig, Germany; Florence, Italy; Graz, Austria; Linz, Austria; Lyon; Turin, Italy; and Verona, Italy, as well as a new domestic service to Geneva, Switzerland.
- Aeroscraft Corporation, the creator of a new cargo airship called the Aeroscraft, signed a memorandum of understanding with CAE, a global company dealing in simulation and training for civil and military aviation. The MoU will allow the companies to explore potential business relationships leading to the development and delivery of simulation-based training for Aeroscraft’s new aircraft.
- Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. redelivered the fifth B737-400SF 11 pallet freighter to the ASL Aviation Group. The fifth freighter to deliver is a B737-400SF built in 1992. The conversion was performed at AEI’s Authorized Conversion Center, Commercial Jet Services in Dothan, Ala. The aircraft will soon be ferried to Paris, where it will enter service with Europe Airpost in support of the French Post Office.
- Air Serbia announced that 10 next-generation A320neo aircraft have been confirmed for its fleet. The deal for Air Serbia forms part of the major fleet order by its equity partner Etihad Airways, for up to 117 Airbus aircraft. The A320neo will replace the eight A319 and two A320 aircraft, which are now being leased in order to progressively retire the aging fleet of 10 Boeing 737-300 aircraft. The new A320neo aircraft are expected to be delivered between 2018 and 2020.
- MIAT Mongolian Airlines awarded its cargo GSA contract for the whole of Europe to Globe Air Cargo. The airline operates twice-weekly Boeing 767-300ER flights from Berlin’s Tegal Airport to Ulaanbaatar, the largest city and capital of Mongolia. Globe Air Cargo, part of ECS Group, will also market cargo capacity on MIAT Mongolian Airlines’ wide-body flights to Seoul and its services to Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Osaka, Japan.
- XL Airways France signed a worldwide cargo partnership agreement with Air Logistics Group. This partnership will activate Air Logistics Group’s global network of 71 offices in 46 countries for the worldwide sales and marketing of XLF’s capacity.
- An IL-76TD-90VD freighter owned by Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered a 23-tonne generator rotor for power production from East Midlands Airport in the UK to Saint Johns, Canada. The single-piece shipment was loaded at East Midlands using the airline’s specialist loading equipment and a 50-tonne crane. In order to make the rotor secure for carriage, Volga-Dnepr worked with the shipper, Brush Electrical Machines (pictured), to design a suitable packing and stowage system because the existing skid under the rotor would not have been strong enough to resist the G-forces during the flight.
- More than 200 professional and amateur aviation photographers from around the world submitted images of Volga-Dnepr Group’s freighter fleet to win prizes in its Third International Photo Contest. The winner of the Grand Prix award was Marina Lystseva from Russia (her winning photo pictured above). Russian photographer Artem Orlov won the An-124 aircraft category. Yvo Cotala from the Czech Republic was awarded the top prize in the IL-76TD-90VD category, while German photographer Cristoph Flink won first place in the Boeing 747 category.
- Boeing and GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. will work together to speed the research, development and approval of new sources of sustainable aviation biofuel in Brazil. Their collaboration will support GOL’s plans to use this lower-carbon jet fuel on more flights during upcoming major sporting events and also will benefit long-term development of a new sustainable aviation biofuel industry in Brazil.
- Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI), the jet engine overhaul facility at Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, which employs 400 people, announced that it is to commence a process to consider closing the company, subject to consultation with employee representatives. LTAI will begin immediate negotiations with its three trade unions and existing employee representatives.
- C.H. Robinson opened a new office in Basel, Switzerland. Located on the borders of Switzerland, France and Germany, the Basel office employs multilingual account managers. Managing the new office will be Ildiko Gergely, a 13-year transportation industry veteran.
- Etihad Airways will launch daily non-stop flights to Zurich beginning June 1, 2014. Through Zurich, the daily flight will connect with the route network of Etihad Airways’ latest equity partner, Darwin Airline, which will be rebranded Etihad Regional. Darwin Airline will provide connections between Zurich and eight new destinations: Leipzig, Germany; Florence, Italy; Graz, Austria; Linz, Austria; Lyon; Turin, Italy; and Verona, Italy, as well as a new domestic service to Geneva, Switzerland.
- Aeroscraft Corporation, the creator of a new cargo airship called the Aeroscraft, signed a memorandum of understanding with CAE, a global company dealing in simulation and training for civil and military aviation. The MoU will allow the companies to explore potential business relationships leading to the development and delivery of simulation-based training for Aeroscraft’s new aircraft.
- Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. redelivered the fifth B737-400SF 11 pallet freighter to the ASL Aviation Group. The fifth freighter to deliver is a B737-400SF built in 1992. The conversion was performed at AEI’s Authorized Conversion Center, Commercial Jet Services in Dothan, Ala. The aircraft will soon be ferried to Paris, where it will enter service with Europe Airpost in support of the French Post Office.
- Air Serbia announced that 10 next-generation A320neo aircraft have been confirmed for its fleet. The deal for Air Serbia forms part of the major fleet order by its equity partner Etihad Airways, for up to 117 Airbus aircraft. The A320neo will replace the eight A319 and two A320 aircraft, which are now being leased in order to progressively retire the aging fleet of 10 Boeing 737-300 aircraft. The new A320neo aircraft are expected to be delivered between 2018 and 2020.
- MIAT Mongolian Airlines awarded its cargo GSA contract for the whole of Europe to Globe Air Cargo. The airline operates twice-weekly Boeing 767-300ER flights from Berlin’s Tegal Airport to Ulaanbaatar, the largest city and capital of Mongolia. Globe Air Cargo, part of ECS Group, will also market cargo capacity on MIAT Mongolian Airlines’ wide-body flights to Seoul and its services to Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Osaka, Japan.
- XL Airways France signed a worldwide cargo partnership agreement with Air Logistics Group. This partnership will activate Air Logistics Group’s global network of 71 offices in 46 countries for the worldwide sales and marketing of XLF’s capacity.
- An IL-76TD-90VD freighter owned by Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered a 23-tonne generator rotor for power production from East Midlands Airport in the UK to Saint Johns, Canada. The single-piece shipment was loaded at East Midlands using the airline’s specialist loading equipment and a 50-tonne crane. In order to make the rotor secure for carriage, Volga-Dnepr worked with the shipper, Brush Electrical Machines (pictured), to design a suitable packing and stowage system because the existing skid under the rotor would not have been strong enough to resist the G-forces during the flight.