Category: Avionics

Liebherr-Aerospace and Japan Airlines (JAL) have signed a long-term service contract for the overhaul of landing gears. With this contract, Liebherr-Aerospace becomes the exclusive service provider for J-Air, a subsidiary of the JAL Group, for the maintenance, overhaul and repair of the landing gears of the airline’s E170 and E190 fleet.

Following the completion of the initial landing gear overhaul program which had started in 2019, this new contract renews the profound partnership between JAL and Liebherr-Singapore by extending the earlier landing gear overhaul program by another 17 landing gear sets. The new overhaul program is planned to start in mid-2024 and will extend until 2028.

“It is with great excitement that we embark on this continuous journey with Japan Airlines,” said Ekkehard Pracht, general manager aerospace at Liebherr-Singapore Pte Ltd. at the contract signing. “We are honored and grateful for their decision to once again entrust Liebherr-Aerospace with the overhaul of the landing gears for the remaining E170 aircraft and the entire E190 fleet. The contract is also proof of our continuous efforts to expand our footprint in the Asia-Pacific region.”

“JAL Group valued the high-quality maintenance standards that was provided by Liebherr-Aerospace and had chosen once again to collaborate with Liebherr-Aerospace. JAL Group is convinced that this partnership will further strengthen our long-term relationship,” commented Kojiro Yamashita, vice president of procurement at Japan Airlines.

The complete landing gear system for the E-Jet family (E170/175, E190/195) was developed and manufactured by Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH (Germany), Liebherr’s center of competence for flight control, actuation, gears as well as gearboxes and landing gear systems.

CIRCOR’s subsidiary, CIRCOR Industria, has been chosen by FLYING WHALES as its partner for the development and production of critical helium valves essential for the LCA60T airship. These valves facilitate the controlled release of helium from the airship’s cells as needed during operations. A total of twenty-eight such valves will be integrated into the airship’s helium cells.

This strategic collaboration is the culmination of an extensive and collaborative effort spanning more than a year between the dedicated teams at CIRCOR and FLYING WHALES. A crucial co-engineering phase in 2021 allowed for precise specification and alignment regarding this pivotal helium management component within the airship and the contract was signed in 2023.

“We are delighted to seal this partnership with a major aeronautical industrial player. The proactivity of CIRCOR’s teams was decisive in our choice. For example, the creation of a scale model of the valve allowed us to anticipate the problems related to the size and optimization of the equipment,” explains Benoit Beaubier, program director at FLYING WHALES.

Furthermore, CIRCOR has been entrusted with providing a comprehensive integrated fuel distribution, storage, control, monitoring, and gauging system for the LCA60T turbine generators. The fuel management system will also be compatible with the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). The collaboration discussions commenced in August 2021 to evaluate potential synergies for the fuel management system supply. Extensive dialogue and assessments led to the identification of optimizations to harness the innovations presented by CIRCOR. The proposal put forth by the CIRCOR team emerged as the most effective, ultimately resulting in the contract’s signing in September 2023.

“We are really proud to be given the opportunity to be on board of such a disruptive project whose development represents a major step for us,” said Frédéric Gréhal, VP and general manager at CIRCOR. “All our employees are excited about it, and we have full support from our corporate.”

NAVBLUE and Delta Air Lines have signed a long-term agreement for Mission+, NAVBLUE’s Electronic Flight Assistant, which provides pilots with all the data and information they need to perform their mission via one modular digital solution.

The agreement includes the deployment of Mission+ on the global airline’s entire fleet of over 900 Airbus and Boeing aircraft and represents one of the biggest transitions from paper to an Electronic Flight Folder (eFF) digital solution in the aviation industry. In addition, NAVBLUE and Delta will work on further enhancing the application for pilots by adding new functionalities.

Delta has been involved in the development of Mission+ since its inception. This digital solution is now considered the most intuitive eFF on the market that minimizes pilot interactions. Delta has also been part of the early adopter program, together with other major airlines from different regions and with diverse types of operations. The airline provided feedback to build a tool adapted to pilots’ tasks for mission management in all flight phases (briefing, in-flight follow-up, reporting).

The agreement between Delta and NAVBLUE considers the airline’s requirements and community-driven needs. As a scalable and reliable solution, Mission+ FLIGHT, the integrated flight folder module of Mission+, is seamlessly integrated with its existing ground environment ensuring business continuity.

The full implementation process across Delta’s fleet has been achieved in less than two years, covering deployment, testing, and operational usage by the airline’s entire pilot community (more than 17,000 pilots), who are now using Mission+.

Mission+ removes the need to print paper flight plan information for every Delta flight, which represents saving more than 77.5 million pages annually (or around 4,000 trees), further supporting Delta’s ongoing efforts to embed sustainability across its business.

“On behalf of the NAVBLUE teams, I would like to thank Delta for their trust in this product and our people,” said Marc Lemeilleur, CEO of NAVBLUE. “By choosing Mission+ they are enabling their pilots to benefit from all the data and information they need to perform their mission via a unique modular digital solution. Working together we enabled the deployment of Mission+ on the entire fleet in less than two years, which is a great success for all of us.”

Ryan Gumm, flight operations senior vice president of Delta, added: “Achieving this major milestone is part of our commitment to removing operational complexities, as well as moving toward a more digital, sustainable future. Mission+ allows our pilots more time to focus on what Delta people do best – expertly serve our customers with safety top of mind.”

StandardAero has expanded its service offerings for Rolls-Royce M250 helicopter engine MRO services. The company has invested in maintaining the largest pool of rental and exchange engines/modules of any provider in the Rolls-Royce FIRST Network.

StandardAero says it has also developed material planning models to support customer requirements. The company is closely tied in with Rolls-Royce and Boeing to aid in mitigating ongoing supply chain challenges. In addition, the company continues to expand its shop capability and capacity both in North America and around the world. Moreover, StandardAero says it will continue to expand its component repair capability, and offer “more economical solutions to customers and greater control over turn time.” StandardAero is also investing in a second M250/RR300 test facility at its Winnipeg, Manitoba, location. This new facility will create additional capacity as well as capability redundancy, the company says.

“One of the things we are really proud of is the unparalleled level and scope of service we provide for M250 helicopter operators,” stated Neena Gill, vice president and general manager of StandardAero’s Helicopters business unit. “All of the actions we’ve taken in the past twelve months have improved our industry leadership and are paying off in the solutions we’re providing for our customers.”

StandardAero provides tip-to-tail services for Airbus and Bell model helicopters including engine MRO, complete engine accessory overhaul, airframe maintenance, avionics, structural repairs, AOG and field service support and various dynamic component at five facilities located in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

“Our team works hard with customers. We listen to them. We work to increase the reliability of their engines. We ensure the quality is always above par, and that is something we stress. Through our engineering-heavy focus we work on customizing solutions for our customers for their specific needs — not just providing cookie-cutter answers,” Gill added.

AERO CARE has opened new headquarters in Miami, Fla. AERO CARE says the new facility is strategically positioned to support its rapidly expanding global customer base and it will house the organization’s stock of engine parts for CFM56 and V2500.

Focused on enabling operators to fly their engines for as long and as economically as possible, AERO CARE concentrates on mid- to late-life engines, providing solutions that cover green-time leasing, parts supply, and asset management.

“Miami is the commercial aviation engine hub of the Americas, so it is logical for AERO CARE to be based here, however we will be supported by our European office in Bucharest, Romania, to ensure our global reach and 24/7/365 service is faultless,” said Anca Mihalache, managing director, who has spearheaded this strategic move to the U.S.

“As a portfolio company of Alchemy Aero Corporation, the specialist aviation investment and trading platform, we have the secure financial support we need to acquire the engine assets our customers need. We have an ambitious growth target and look forward to cementing our position as a respected mature aircraft assets solutions provider.”

AERO CARE aims to stock inventory to help minimize fleet downtime and promote profitable operations, however Mihalache goes on to say that AERO CARE is more than just an engine trading and parts business. “We are passionate about aviation and ultimately what an aircraft represents – taking someone to their next adventure, or to a meeting that will build their business, or to visit family and friends. Our role is to make sure that these journeys can happen – that crucial business deals get signed, or that the open arms don’t go unhugged.”

Mihalache adds that AERO CARE’s business objective is to be an integral part of the team. “We don’t see ourselves as separate from our customers, when they work with us, it is no different to dealing with any other internal department. Our desire is to develop truly symbiotic relationships – so picking up the phone and calling us simply becomes the natural thing to do.”

Norse Atlantic Airlines has selected Ultramain Systems electronic logbook, ULTRAMAIN ELB, to fully replace the aircraft paper technical log, cabin log, journey log and fueling logs on their fleet of 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Upon implementation, Norse Atlantic’s Flight Crews will operate ULTRAMAIN ELB iOS version on iPads. This transition from paper to digital line maintenance operations marks a significant step forward for Norse. Real-time Flight and Cabin Crew reports, selected from ULTRAMAIN ELB’s on-device B787 tailored fault repository, will enable enhanced planning and defect clearance. This will lead to lower deferral rates, increased operational service levels and lower maintenance costs across their Dreamliner fleet, ULTRAMAIN says.

“Going paperless has been a goal for Norse Atlantic´s technical department since our start up, as it will help streamline our operations, improve cost efficiency, and contribute to our sustainability goals. Choosing Ultramain represents a significant milestone in realizing our paperless vision,” expressed Ahmad Abu-Nima, VP technical operations at Norse Atlantic Airways.

“We are delighted to welcome Norse Atlantic to the ULTRAMAIN ELB user community, marking a significant milestone in our expansion into Norway. At Ultramain Systems, we take pride in delivering solutions that not only streamline workload and enhance operational efficiency for our customers but also contribute to their environmental sustainability efforts, and we’re excited to support Norse Atlantic in their journey,” said Mark McCausland, president and CEO of Ultramain Systems.

Columbia Helicopters has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Heliswiss International, marking the first international customer of the Model 234SP (Special Purpose) Chinook.

“Securing Heliswiss International as our first international customer for the Model 234SP underscores the global demand and recognition of the revolutionary capabilities this aircraft brings to the market,” said Mike Tremlett, president and CEO at Columbia Helicopters. “We are thrilled to partner with Heliswiss in introducing this game-changing aircraft to international operators.”

European customer Heliswiss International, a Swiss helicopter operator specializing in heavy-lift long-line precision work and disaster relief, will also be a customer for the 234SP. Severin Riedi, chairman of Heliswiss’s parent company, Swiss Helicopter Group, stated, “For over 60 years, Heliswiss International has developed an expertise in the construction and assembly of complex structures worldwide with the help of 10-ton category aircraft. In the frame of its development strategy and the global development plan of the Swiss Helicopter Group, Heliswiss International has assessed the European market and confirmed the need for such a helicopter.”

CEO of Heliswiss International, Stéphane Delaye, added, “With the signature of a Letter of Intent to purchase a 234SP, Heliswiss makes a further step and secures its project to operate this helicopter as a utility-purposed Super Heavy Helicopter, and to support the ambitious development plan of Power Grids in Europe with an unmatched lifting capacity of more than 10 tons. We are happy to have the support of Columbia Helicopters to operate a Model 234UTin early 2025, independent from the certification process of the Model 234SP.”