Category: Commercial

Lufthansa Technik takes over APU services for China Southern Airlines’ A350 fleet

China Southern Airlines and Lufthansa Technik have signed an exclusive eight-year contract regarding the technical support for the auxiliary power units (APUs) of the Chinese carrier’s A350 fleet of  currently 20 aircraft. According to the long-term agreement, Lufthansa Technik will provide maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the Honeywell HGT1700 in the company’s specialized APU workshops in Hamburg, Germany.

Chosen as the maintenance partner by manufacturer Honeywell, Lufthansa Technik is the official warranty station and has been granted approval to perform MRO services on this APU type, which is 
exclusively built for the Airbus A350. The new cooperation consists of an extensive MRO service portfolio, covering spare APU support and engineering services over the duration of the contract. Should the Guangzhou-based airline opt for additional A350s, the agreement would cover them as well.

“With the flight experience in our numerous Airbus A350s, we satisfy thousands of customers every day,” said Wu Rongxin, executive vice president of China Southern Airlines. “As the largest airline in 
China, we want to guarantee our passengers the best operational conditions, and Lufthansa Technik has been instrumentally supporting us to achieve this goal. With a long history of collaboration 
spanning over more than a decade covering various products and services, we are confident in entrusting Lufthansa Technik with this long-term contract. We are pleased to extend our relationship with such a trustworthy partner.”

“This new collaboration represents the next milestone between China Southern Airlines and Lufthansa Technik, and we take great pride in being selected as the official certified partner providing the APU 
services,” said Dennis Kohr, senior vice president Corporate Sales Asia Pacific. “Auxiliary power units are complex technical assets. Having previously delivered exceptional services on engines and 
components has given China Southern Airlines the assurance that they can also rely on us in this field. We are delighted to further deepen our partnership with this exclusive long-term contract.”

Service Electrical Vehicles Safely with the New Electric Vehicle General Maintenance Kit from Snap-on Industrial

The new Electric Vehicle General Maintenance Kit from Snap-on Industrial provides technicians with all the hand tools they need to service electric vehicles safely and reliably.

The Electric Vehicle General Maintenance Kit (EVTECHCARTO) contains an assortment of 270 hand tools, which are composite in design to prevent electricity from reaching the technician’s hand, ensuring excellent protection without compromising on performance. Composite tools are IEC60900 compliant; composite sockets and extensions are UL rated. 

The kit also includes a toolbox and tool control foam. The Electric Orange Roll Cart (KRSC46HPJK) comes with six 35” wide drawers and a top compartment housed in a one-piece fully welded box designed to hold 120 pounds per drawer (240 pounds with double sides). The top compartment stores a battery charger and can be used as a charging station while locked. Additionally, every tool has a specific place in the box, thanks to pre-cut foam for maximum organization, tool identification, inventory, and storage. 

Tool assortment includes:

  • Composite 3/8” metric sockets from 8mm to 19mm
  • Chrome 6-point 1/4″ sockets, shallow and deep from 4mm to 15mm
  • Chrome 6-point 3/8” sockets, shallow and deep from 6mm to 21mm
  • Composite ring- and open-ended wrenches from 6mm to 19mm
  • Flank drive 12-point combination wrenches from 6mm to 23mm
  • Composite pliers
  • Composite hex keys from 3mm to 12mm
  • 1/4″ torque wrench rated from 15-300 in-lbs.
  • Digital hybrid multimeter
  • 12V DC circuit tester

Dexory Aims to Re-define North American Logistics and Warehousing Technology Market

Dexory, a leading provider of cutting-edge AI and robotics solutions, has announced its expansion into the North American market. Dexory is set to disrupt the market through its autonomous robotics and AI-powered analysis solution, DexoryView. The company is already working with global partners with a significant U. S. presence such as DB Schenker, Menzies Aviation, Maersk and ID Logistics. To lead the expansion, Todd Boone has joined the team as its Head of North American business.

The driving force behind the expansion is the rapidly evolving landscape of logistics and warehousing. End customers continue to demand quicker turnaround times while warehouses address the urgent needs for improved space utilization and increased efficiencies while wrestling with ongoing labor scarcity. Dexory combines powerful analytics with autonomous robots capable of capturing rich image and sensor data from across a warehouse. This powerful combination provides comprehensive visibility across warehouses of any size, as well as connecting warehouses across the global supply chain through Dexory’s digital platform, DexoryView.

One customer that has recently deployed Dexory’s solutions in its warehouses is the international contract logistics group, ID Logistics. The collaboration aims to increase warehouse operation accuracy and enhance overall efficiency to improve the service provided to their customers.

Benoit Boiron, group Innovation manager at ID Logistics commented, “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the evolution of inventory management and warehouse data acquisition. The precision and real-time monitoring capabilities have transformed our day-to-day operations, bringing accuracy to new heights.”

“Following successful customer deployments in Europe, we have seen an increased demand from the North American market,” said Andrei Danescu, CEO and co-founder of Dexory. “We are excited to be expanding our offering and see that there is tremendous opportunity in the region. Organizations across the globe are getting to grips with the challenging demands of modern supply chains, and DexoryView allows businesses to gain rapid insights into their operations and make informed decisions that drive better efficiencies across their businesses.”

Dexory says their technology helps businesses to understand, in real-time, what happens in their warehousing operations, which is imperative to closing the visibility gap that occurs when there is a misalignment between expectations and reality. The ever-increasing pace within warehouses is causing the visibility gap to grow, and so worldwide, companies are embracing Dexory’s solution to unlock real-time visibility and insights that minimize the visibility gap while maximizing warehouse performance and reducing costs.

As part of the expansion, Dexory has appointed Todd Boone to lead its North American business. Boone joins Dexory from Zebra Technologies, where he served as director of product management in robotics and automation. With Zebra Technologies he held several leadership roles and worked closely with Fetch, an established AMR provider in North America. Along with his experience in large organizations such as Motorola Solutions and Psion Teklogix, Boone has also acted as an independent advisor for technology companies, providing advice on go-to-market strategies.

“Having an industry veteran such as Todd Boone lead our expansion in the North American region is paramount to our success,” adds Danescu. “Boone has in-depth knowledge of the landscape and the challenges our customers are facing. In addition to this, he is a proven leader and has a track record of delivering value to customers as well as devising strategies that are disruptive and value-driven for our industry. We are pleased to have him on board to spearhead our growth in the region.”

“Many businesses across the globe are struggling with a visibility gap, where they do not have the necessary insight into their warehouse and supply chain operations,” comments Todd Boone, head of North America at Dexory. “The opportunity to lead Dexory’s expansion into the North American market comes at an exciting time for the industry. The technology is truly innovative and disruptive. The combination of robots and DexoryView has already delivered significant benefits to customers in Europe, and North American businesses can expect a transformative effect on the everyday efficiency, productivity and accuracy of their warehouses.”

Intelsat Achieves Arctic Circle High-Speed Aircraft Connectivity

Intelsat has completed a series of test flights to the Arctic Circle demonstrating that airlines that require inflight internet connectivity on long-haul flights at extreme northerly latitudes can access low-latency, high-throughput service at any point on their route map.

“Airlines and their passengers have never had access to polar connectivity, but Intelsat made history as the first inflight connectivity provider to provide high-speed internet service above the Arctic Circle,” said Dave Bijur, the company’s senior vice president of Commercial Aviation. “This is an important region for airlines operating intercontinental flights. Thanks to Intelsat’s multi-orbit satellite service and ESA antenna, millions of international passengers flying on polar routes will enjoy reliable, non-stop connectivity from gate to gate.”

The test flights were completed on Intelsat’s test aircraft, a CRJ-700 regional jet equipped with an Electronically Steered Array (ESA) antenna. During the test flights, engineers from Intelsat and Ball Aerospace collected data necessary to understand the ESA’s operations and connections with different satellite orbits at different latitudes:

  • On December 17, 2023, Intelsat operated its test aircraft from Seattle, Washington to Anchorage, Alaska. Anchorage is located at roughly 61° north, making it the northernmost city served by major airlines, anywhere on the planet. This flight was operated using Intelsat’s fleet of geostationary (GEO) satellites, proving high-throughput GEO service is available using Intelsat ESA at all global airline hubs.
  • On December 18, 2023, Intelsat operated a roundtrip flight from Anchorage to Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly Barrow, AK). Utqiaġvik is situated at a latitude of 71° north, the same as many polar routes connecting Asia, North America and Europe. This flight was operated using OneWeb’s fleet of low Earth orbit satellites and demonstrated that high-speed, low latency performance is available even in a challenging geographic region that previously never had inflight internet service.

“The two tests validated the capabilities of Intelsat’s multi-orbit solution for airlines,” said Pat Walsh, senior vice president of engineering. “As the aircraft traveled due north from Anchorage into the Arctic Circle, we seamlessly connected to the OneWeb low-earth orbit constellation delivering 150 megabits per second inflight and on the ground in Alaska. In addition, near the polar region, Intelsat’s GEO operations exceeded expectations, delivering a reliable, high-speed connection all the way to Anchorage.”

Commenting on the test flight, Ben Griffin, VP mobility at Eutelsat OneWeb said, “We congratulate Intelsat on this milestone moment, made possible by OneWeb’s low Earth orbit constellation. This continuous connectivity across all routes and latitudes is a game changer for international airlines flying between East and West across the polar region. This historic flight validates the 5C’s of connectivity that together OneWeb and Intelsat can deliver to our airline customer namely – coverage, capacity, connection, consistency, and community.”

Boise Hangar Under Construction Collapses Killing Three

An investigation is underway to find the cause of a hangar collapse at the Boise airport that killed three people and injured nine others this week. Five of the injured were in critical condition Wednesday, according to the local fire department.. Authorities said. workplace safety officials are investigating the accident.

The hangar was under construction, according to the fire department. A press release said the city’s building division had found no concerns or issues at a recent inspection at the site. The collapse required an “incredibly large emergency response,” according to Aaron Hummel, Boise Fire Division chief of operations.

Investigators from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) are trying to determine what caused the collapse, officials said Thursday. The site is fenced off and nearby streets are closed.

“Our thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones and those who are awaiting news on those still in critical conditions,” said Mayor Lauren McLean. She added the community is facing “a profound loss.”

Idaho Gov. Brad Little said on X (formerly Twitter) that state officials were monitoring the situation “to find out how we can assist” and asked that people “keep the victims … in your prayers.”

Jelmar Launches New Industrial-Strength Cleaning Solution Delivering Advanced Results

Jelmar, maker of CLR Brands, CLR PRO and Tarn-X, announced the launch of a new industrial cleaning product CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler. The cleaner is specifically engineered to deliver faster, deeper results and dissolve and eliminate scale and rust build up from drains and industrial equipment that heats and cools liquids.

“In independent laboratory testing, the proprietary patent pending CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler was found to outperform all competitive products, some by as much as two times greater descaling power,” according to Rafael Ortiz, director of research & development at Jelmar.

The increased cleaning power and speed of CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler delivers improved operational efficiency of industrial equipment, resulting in overall improved energy consumption and utility savings. It achieves this by reducing buildup, which, if present, is known to block water flow, cause pressure drops, and reduce heat transfer efficiency, resulting in the equipment working harder for longer. CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler boasts the capability to help restore equipment to peak condition, ultimately preserving and prolonging the lifespan of costly industrial machinery.

“The innovation of CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler is in direct response to our customers expressing their need for more power, efficacy and speed in their industrial-strength cleaners,” said Dan Bucci, director of B2B sales at Jelmar. “While our CLR PRO line is optimal for routine industrial cleaning, the new CLR PRO MAX offering delivers greater efficiencies for our customers operating equipment and facilities at major size and scale.”

The product is suitable for a wide range of applications from heat exchangers, cooling towers, die cast lines, quench tanks, evaporators, chillers, wastewater buildup, radiators, dishwashers and urinals. It will be available starting February 1, 2024, through B2B distributors and wholesalers.

Jelmar says it will continue to release new products alongside the new CLR PRO MAX Industrial Descaler in 2024 and beyond to build a CLR PRO MAX product portfolio with cleaning solutions made to tackle tough, heavy-duty industrial cleaning challenges.

FEAM Aero’s Major Repair & Recovery Division Achieves Rapid Global Growth

Line maintenance provider FEAM Aero reports growth in its Major Repair & Recovery (MRR) Division. Established two years ago, this division has seamlessly integrated into FEAM Aero’s repertoire of services, leveraging the company’s renowned reputation for excellence in aircraft maintenance and repair. 

“Higher level technical requests from our clients and customer base were becoming increasingly frequent,” said Cam Murphy, president of FEAM Aero. “It was imperative for us to establish an effective solution to accommodate this type of complicated service.” 

To lead this division, FEAM Aero hired Michael Turpin as the VP of Major Repair & Recovery. With over 38 years of technical expertise, including a significant tenure at McDonnell Douglas, FEAM says Turpin’s leadership has been instrumental in the success of their MRR Team. “Our MMR team is the best in the industry with vast engineering knowledge and countless hours of structural and mechanical training. Our US and European basedMRR teams give us the ability to dispatch our experts and tooling anywhere in the worldon short notice,” said Mr. Turpin. 

Since completing their first major repair job in Madrid during the fourth quarter of 2021, FEAM Aero’s MRR Team has accomplished 20 major repair events, supporting customers across several cities and eight countries, growing from an initial five technicians to a team of 30+ Major Repair & Recovery experts. 

With a total investment of 1.7 million in cutting-edge equipment as well as narrow-body and wide-body aircraft mobile wing jacks, shoring, and related tools, FEAM Aero MRR can support any aircraft type worldwide. To date the FEAM Aero MMR Team has supported A330, A320, A321, A319, B757, B737, B747 family, B767 and B777 aircraft.

“The use of our CVG hangar space is transforming how we handle major repair events. Offering a controlled environment with top-notch tooling ensures efficiency and quality,” explained Turpin. “In a recent A320 tail strike incident in Dulles, our MRR team was dispatched, performed a temporary repair, and ferried the aircraft to our CVG hangar, completing the fix in under 30 days. This exemplifies our commitment to exceptional service in an optimized environment.”

Expansion of the MMR Team is currently underway with plans to establish a third mobile team. This growth will enable FEAM Aero to support more than three major repairs simultaneously across multiple countries utilizing their mobile hangar capabilities, the company said.

Norse Atlantic Airways Partners with EXSYN for Advanced Aircraft Data Management

Norse Atlantic Airways has announced a significant step forward in its maintenance and engineering operations by onboarding EXSYN’s cutting-edge aircraft data management platform. This strategic move will see Norse Atlantic Airways deploying AVILYTICS, EXSYN’s advanced analytics and reporting tool, within their maintenance and engineering organization.

The integration of AVILYTICS with Norse’s existing Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering System, AMOS, alongside various other systems, marks a significant addition to Norse’s operational capabilities. This synergy will streamline processes and enhance data-driven decision-making.

AVILYTICS is renowned for its wide range of pre-built dashboards, which provide comprehensive insights into aircraft health, maintenance efficiency, and operational readiness. Additionally, Norse will benefit from AVILYTICS’ developer module, which offers the flexibility to create custom dashboards and reports tailored to specific operational needs.

A key aspect of this partnership is EXSYN’s unique capability in data exchange and integration. This feature enables seamless connectivity between disparate systems, ensuring that Norse Atlantic Airways can leverage a unified view of its fleet’s data landscape. This integration not only simplifies data management but also adds to the accuracy and efficiency of Norse’s maintenance & engineering processes.

“We are excited to work with EXSYN and their AVILYTICS software. We have just started the project, and what we have seen already is impressive”, said Ole Holmsten, head of engineering at Norse Atlantic Airways.

“We are thrilled to partner with Norse to bring the best of aircraft data management and analytics to their maintenance & engineering operations,” said Sander de Bree, chief visionary of EXSYN.

Veryon Diagnostics Touts 50% Faster Maintenance Troubleshooting

Veryon, a leading provider of information services and software solutions for the aviation industry, recently announced the combined power of its Defect Analysis and Guided Troubleshooting tools into a single, seamless software solution designed for commercial operators and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Championed by 25 percent of the worldwide commercial fleet, Veryon Diagnostics sets the industry standard in improving aircraft availability by reducing troubleshooting time by nearly 50 percent and lifting first-time fix rates by over five percent.

“Delays and cancellations mean lost revenue, decreased customer satisfaction, operational impacts and unanticipated and unnecessary parts and labor expenses,” said Norman Happ, chief executive officer for Veryon. “Our solutions are already used by the largest airlines and major OEMs in the world, and we’re excited to combine these trailblazing platforms into one powerful solution.”

Analyzing over 765,000 maintenance events monthly, Veryon Diagnostics accelerates customer responsiveness in unscheduled maintenance by leveraging machine learning, natural language processing (NLP) and a custom case-based reasoning engine. The result is swift identification, analysis and remedy at both the tail and fleet levels.

“This is a game-changer for operators and OEMs of all sizes,” said Happ. “By combining 50 years of aviation expertise with AI innovation, Veryon empowers maintenance teams to diagnose issues with unparalleled speed and precision, setting a new benchmark in efficiency.”

By automatically identifying new or changing chronic issues as early as the second repeat, Veryon Diagnostics offers a 33 percent reduction in chronic and repeating defects. Maintenance technicians can substantially enhance their initial fix rates by utilizing a proprietary real-time diagnostic reasoning engine, which optimizes aviation troubleshooting based on real field experience, reducing overall equipment downtime and repair expenses, including a 20 percent reduction in unscheduled part removal rates, and ultimately, reducing delays and cancellations by 10 percent or more.

“Veryon Diagnostics represents a transformative leap forward in reliability and maintenance operations for airlines and OEMs,” said Fedor Gorin, senior director of engineering for Veryon. “Operators and OEMs can shift from a reactionary approach to unscheduled maintenance to a proactive and even predictive approach.”

Based on extensive feedback, research and aligned to real-life workflows, Initial Symptom Profiles gives technicians the information they need to get the aircraft back in service as quickly as possible. The modular ISP page provides quick access to tech pubs, fleet and tail history, potential solutions and other critical information as configured, similar to a Wikipedia page specific to the symptom.

“We’re aligning cutting-edge technology and big data with the real-world need to reduce delays and cancellations and maximize aircraft uptime,” said Gorin.

Other features of Veryon Diagnostics include customizable chronic validation workflows and alerting and collaboration tools for seamless communication across reliability, maintenance control and technicians. This cloud-based SaaS solution is available on mobile apps and the web, allowing operators to implement Single Sign-On (SSO) for seamless user management. The solution boasts sophisticated dashboard functionalities meticulously crafted to cater to the unique requirements of every operator.

IAI Announces Launch of U.S. Innovation Center and Unveils Debut Program, IAI CATALYST

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced the launch of its first innovation center in the U.S. and the debut program within it – IAI CATALYST. The innovation center is a groundbreaking initiative of the company alongside the decision to expand its business activities and presence in the U.S.

The American defense market is a leading knowledge-hub for pioneering technological and military infrastructure development regarding the future battlefield. IAI’s new innovation center and the IAI CATALYST program will foster cooperation between IAI and American startup companies while providing them the opportunity to develop technologies alongside our world-renowned experts and partners.

Operated by Starburst Aerospace, IAI CATALYST is a unique five-month business accelerator program, tailored to support emerging startups on their journey to success. The program will focus on several key sectors critical to the future of aerospace innovation including Trusted AI & Autonomy, Quantum Science, Sustainability and Energy Technology, and Space Technology. Selected companies will receive technical and business support and mentorship in addition to financial incentives to accelerate market entry and growth.

IAI already operates a highly successful innovation center in Tel-Aviv, Israel, in which the company is developing new and advanced technological capabilities that integrated into existing and future projects. The center encourages a range of technologies in conjunction with open innovation and organic creativity while supporting intra-organizational innovation and cooperation with the entire Israeli ecosystem, including academia, startup companies, and the IAI’s engineers. IAI invests in companies that demonstrate cutting edge advancements in sectors such as space and satellites, sustainability and renewable energy, biotech, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence.

Chairman of IAI’s Board of Directors, Amir Peretz: “As a global company, which sees the United States as not only a major target market in our worldwide business activities, but also as a partner and ally during the current iron swords war and since the establishment of the state of Israel, IAI is acting to increase connections and collaborations between it and American companies, with the aim of encouraging groundbreaking innovation. The innovation center is an important pillar in deepening the relationships between IAI and American technological companies, and of course with government officials and the country’s armed forces.”

“The innovation that has characterized IAI throughout its seventy-year history now has an important additional platform from which to showcase its capabilities and secure its future, by means of the inauguration of the center in Virginia, which that reflect the company’s strength and is the basis for extensive collaboration in the future,” said Boaz Levy, IAI President and CEO. “I am confident that through this center we can promote joint business and technological activities for the benefit of both Israel and the United States of America, which continue together to pave the way of partnership through respect, collaboration, and support.”

IAI vice president of North American affairs, Amir Geva: “The opening of an innovation center in Virginia, reflects the company’s strategy, namely, to work to deepen business and technological activities with our partners in the United States. These ventures demonstrate a combination of the IAI’s rich history with the American defense market alongside joint future initiatives, and their launch is a proactive step to strengthen IAI’s business activities in the U.S.”

IAI’s vice president of innovation and R&D, Eitan Eshel: “After the international success of IAI’s innovation center in Tel Aviv at the heart of the “Start-Up Nation”, the innovation center we are now establishing in Virginia is another expression of IAI’s commitment to the research and development of innovative technologies, in which hundreds of millions of dollars are invested every year. The uniqueness of the innovation center is embodied in the working model of a startup, providing startups and entrepreneurs from academia, accompanied by experienced engineers from IAI, with a path that leads them to develop unique technologies and demonstrate their capabilities within weeks. Israel Aerospace Industries continues to be at the forefront of technology and provide its customers and the world with products of the future using the most advanced technologies.”

IAI North America president and CO, Stephen Elliott: “We are excited about the opening of this innovation center here in the U.S. It demonstrates IAI’s commitment to promoting cutting-edge technological innovation and opportunities by investing in local U.S. startups. The work we will do there will help create the next generation of leading technology through collaboration with IAI from the very beginning.”