LOT Inaugurates Flights to BEIRUT
Rostec to finance civil aviation projects with over $600 million
LOT Polish Airlines Landed in Miami
IATA: Solidarity Airport is a strategic project... Airline consultation will start in July
Russian Helicopters to open mobile service center in Peru
Maintenance center for Ansat helicopters to open in Mexico in 2020
Russian Helicopters will participate in the FAMEX 2019 exhibition
LOT Business Lounges offer free internet courtesy of UPC
LOT Took off from KRAKÓW to BUCHAREST
Airbus’ Skyways drone trials world’s first shore-to-ship deliveries
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With LOT Polish Airlines Directly to Sri Lanka... New Seasonal Service from Warsaw to Colombo Already on Sale
Starting from the winter season, LOT will fly from Warsaw to Colombo in Sri Lanka. Flights will be operated seasonally, from November 3rd to March 28th, three times a week by modern Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Colombo is the sixth Asian long-haul destination in the growing network of Poland’s flag carrier and the first regular seasonal winter service opened for tourists seeking an exotic winter vacation. Tickets are now available for sale. LOT’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will fly between Warsaw and Colombo starting from the coming winter season. The first takeoff is scheduled for 3 November this year. The flights will be operated until the 28th of March 2020 three times a week, according to the following schedule: LO 069 WAW-CMB 15:35-05:10+1 Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays LO 070 CMB-WAW 07:35-13:30 Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays Thanks to the convenient schedule, LOT will guarantee the shortest travel to Sri Lanka to passengers not only from Poland but also from many other European countries. - We decided to start a regular connection to Sri Lanka due to the very high tourist potential of this direction. Annually, more than 1.8 million passengers travel between Europe and Colombo. Our convenient schedule guarantees passengers from all of the cities in Poland, Western Europe, Baltic States served by LOT, as well as from Prague, Zagreb or Budapest short travel time to Colombo with a convenient transfers via Warsaw Chopin Airport. Flights from Warsaw to Sri Lanka will take about 9 hours - says Rafał Milczarski, CEO of LOT Polish Airlines. For the past few years South Asia has become one the most frequently chosen destination for an increasing number of passengers traveling from many European countries. Located in the Indian Ocean island of Ceylon attracts visitors with kilometres of sandy beaches, lush greenery, ancient architecture and outstanding cuisine of the region. Sri Lanka is also one of the largest tea producers in the world, hence its large part is covered by tea fields. Between November and March the average temperature in Sri Lanka is 30C/86F, making it an ideal destination for winter holidays. - LOT Dreamliners have been used on charter services to many popular exotic destinations in the world for a number of years thanks to the perfect cooperation with tour operators. I am glad that we can take another step today and announce the launch of the first regular long-haul service, which will be operated in the winter season for tourists from Warsaw and other European cities. It's the shortest and most convenient way for them to get to the beautiful beaches of Ceylon - says Rafał Milczarski.
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Lux Research Expects Electrification Will Truly Disrupt the Aerospace Industry
The pace of startups jumping into the electric aviation market has accelerated rapidly in the past five years. To put this market rush into context, the team at Lux Research, a leading provider of tech-enabled research and advisory services for technology innovation, has released a new report that differentiates commercialization myth from reality. The new report, "The Future of Electric Aviation," examines the current landscape, remaining challenges, and market outlook for today’s electric aircraft and lays out the disruptive potential across the industry. Lux's deep dive examines air taxis, flying cars, small regional aircraft, and commercial airliners, highlighting key players and commercialization timelines as well as technology advances and barriers. It also looks at the impact of regulations on growth and contextualizes how disruptive technologies will be on the existing aeronautical landscape. "Over the past 20 years, electrification of the automotive and marine sectors has created growth opportunities for businesses throughout the energy industry," says said Chloe Holzinger, Senior Research Associate on the Energy Transition team at Lux and author of this report. "This year, many are having the same discussions about electrification of the aviation industry as the next big opportunity. Our take is that, while significant technical and regulatory challenges remain, electrification will truly disrupt significant segments of the aerospace industry." Below are highlights of some challenges each market segment must overcome, along with Lux's take on the path to commercial success: Air taxis and flying cars – The electric air taxi and flying car market will be the most difficult segment in which to succeed, as developers must overcome significant regulatory, safety, and technical barriers to growth. Small regional planes – This segment is on the cusp of electrification, as regulations in both Europe and the U.S. allow for electrification, and current technologies are suitable for this application, meaning that this segment offers the highest and most immediate market growth opportunities. Commercial airliners – Even when considering future innovative technologies in energy storage and power electronics, commercial airliners will never be fully battery electric, and it will be another 15 years before we even start to see mild hybridization of this segment. Lux's "The Future of Electric Aviation" report also provides detailed assessments of key players and technologies in each market segment and offers the Lux Take on the most promising innovation opportunities.
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LOT Strengthens Sales Network on new Markets
From now on GSA (General Sales Agent) are selling tickets for LOT flights on various markets, e.g. on the Philippines, in Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand. The sales of LOT tickets on these markets will strengthen transit air traffic on regular LOT connections via hub in Warsaw and also build the recognition of the Poland’s flag carrier around the world LOT strengthens its sales structure both in its regions and on so-called offline markets, that is places where LOT has not provided direct flights so far. From now on, GSA (General Sales Agents) are selling tickets for LOT connections, i.e for flights to/from Singapore in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand (including Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Wellington), on the Philippines, in Thailand, and Vietnam. LOT sees the big picture in boosting sales overseas. This way for instance from Australia through Singapore to Europe the flag carrier of Poland would like to encourage, among others, a large Polish community living in Australia, whereas in Malaysia and on the Philippines it puts an emphasis on the marine traffic and pilgrims heading towards Cracow. LOT tickets are being distributed by participating in the international BSP system (Billing and Settlement Plan IATA) which allows LOT to carry out sales in completely new regions, such as Iceland, Kosovo, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Jordan, Serbia, Kenya, Senegal, and Kuwait. BSP associates licensed IATA sales agents and airline carriers with BSP operations carried in some 180 countries and territories all around the world. The number of authorised IATA agents selling LOT tickets on dedicated markets ranges from several dozen to as many as several thousand of authorised IATA agents. Ultimately, Poland’s flag carrier plans to develop sales structures also in South America, among others in Panama, Mexico, and Colombia, which will allow to build the transfer traffic to and from the airport in Miami to which LOT will start flying on 1 June this year. "Even if we do not provide multiple connections on our own, thanks to the constantly developing network we are able to provide passengers travelling from the most distant regions of the world with a beneficial offer of travel to Poland, CEE, and Western Europe, where flights will be carried out partly by LOT aircraft. There is a reason we have decided to launch the connection to Singapore and Miami, which are one the largest transit ports in the region. Thanks to building our sales structures, we are strengthening the transit traffic through the hub in Warsaw and building the recognition of LOT. This will facilitate our further development of connections around the world in the future” – says Anna Staszewska, Director of the LOT Sales Office. Sales on offline markets through ports such as Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, and Miami or New Delhi is possible thanks to cooperation with the partner airlines. LOT established code-share agreements or SPA (straight prorate agreement) with multiple carriers all over the world (e.g. JetStar, Singapore Airlines, Quantas, Air India, and ANA), which for passengers travelling from Poland and Europe, and also for passengers travelling to Europe means that they will be able to travel as part of one booking and one airline ticket. The strengthening of sales from a dozen of new markets in the world falls within the strategy of profitable growth which has been implemented by LOT since the beginning of 2016, with the majority of its assumptions having been successfully fulfilled before time. LOT constantly develops its fleet. In December, the carrier received new planes: Boeing 737 MAX 8 and four Embraers 190 (the carrier has 34 Embraers of four types in its fleet). This year we'll receive nine B737 MAX, the number of which will increase to 14 by the end of this year. By the end of 2019, the fleet will be extended by four subsequent B787 Dreamliners, which will increase their number in the LOT fleet to 15. Last year, LOT transported a record-breaking 8.8 million passengers, i.e. 2 mln more than the year before. This year, it plans to exceed the threshold of 10 million passengers. Today, LOT uses 80 modern planes every day. The carrier offers over 100 scheduled flights on three continents.
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LOT Launched New Connection to London-City Airport from Warsaw
The Poland’s flag carrier flies directly from Warsaw to London City (LCY) up to twice a day. For this special route LOT acquired four brand-new Embraer 190 jets. From February 18th they will operate to London City from Budapest and from May 1st to Vilnius Flights from Warsaw to London City will be operated according to the following schedule: departures to LCY daily (except Sundays) at 7:15am, arrivals at 9:00am and daily (except Saturdays) at 4:15pm, arrivals at 6:00pm. Departures to WAW are scheduled daily (except Sundays) at 9:30am, arrivals at 1:00pm and daily (except Saturdays) at 6:30pm, arrivals at 10:00pm. London City Airport is conveniently located in London’s Royal Docks, is the nearest airport to the business and financial centre of London and less than six miles from famous attractions such as Tower Bridge and the Shard. The newest service offered by LOT will bind Polish-UK relations even stronger, based on the hugely important human and economic links between the countries. The schedule will be in favor of business passengers flying to London-City from Warsaw as well as the other cities in the region such as Vilnius, Kiev, Lviv, Riga, Bucharest, Larnaca or Tbilisi. From now on they will be able to complete their journey within one working day. For passengers travelling from London City, LOT gives an excellent alternative to fly to many eastern destinations such as Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing or Astana as well as to almost all our destinations in Central & Eastern Europe with only one short and comfortable layover at LOT Warsaw Hub at Chopin Airport. It is expected that the route will appeal to leisure travelers seeking city breaks in either direction. “We are more than happy to welcome passengers onboard our flights to London City. London City is the most convenient airport for those passengers willing to get to the City of London in the shortest and most comfortable way not only from Warsaw, but soon from Budapest and Vilnius as well. We are certain that new connections will be in favor of passengers travelling to CEE region and are going to be among the most successful routes in our constantly growing network” – says Adrian Kubicki, Director of Corporate Communications at LOT Polish Airlines. Richard Hill, Chief Commercial Officer at London City Airport, said: “For the first time in a decade, a regular service between London City and Poland has commenced, strengthening the ties between our countries, encouraging tourism and fostering business links between London and Warsaw - now and in the future. Warsaw is another major European capital city to add to our route network, boosting our Central European offer, and providing onward connections to Asia through LOT Polish Airlines’ extensive network. “LOT Polish Airlines is the first new airline to land at London City in 2019 and the fact that Poland’s flag carrier has strategically chosen London’s most central airport to expand operations in the city, and is making a significant investment to do so, shows confidence in the speed and convenience of the London City experience and our long-term growth prospects, with Budapest and Vilnius to follow in quick succession.” In order to operate to London City LOT has decided to acquire brand four new Embraer E-190 jets, which are compatible with the shorter runway and steep approach at London City. The airplanes were delivered to LOT by the end of 2018 directly from the Embraer factory in Brazil. The new Embraer E-190s have capacity of 106 comfortable seats in three class of travel (business, premium economy and economy class), which gives an efficient combination of optimum range and maximum number of passengers.
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Boeing Commercial Airplanes and Market Outlook Press Conference
Boeing held a press conference on its commercial airplanes and market outlook on March 16, 2018, at Conrad Seoul Hotel. At the conference, Darren Hurst, Boeing's marketing manager of the commercial airplane in Northeast Asia region, made the presentation on Boeing's flagship airplanes aiming at low-cost carrier (LCC) market, which is rapidly growing, and the next-generation business. ▲ Darren Hurst, Boeing's marketing manager of the commercial airplane in Northeast Asia region The explosive growth of the low-cost carrier market has drawn a massive growth in demand for single-aisle airplanes, which are mainly operated. At the end of 2017, the aircraft 737 recorded the order of 4668 units, which far exceeds orders of 747 (12 units), 767 units (98 units), 777 units (428 units) and 787 units (658 units). Boeing is optimistic that the growth will continue in 2018. In particular, around 500 units of 737-800/MAX model will be supplied in 2017, contributing to meeting the worldwide demand, which is expected to lead to the more solid demand this year, when the supply of MAX model is started in earnest. ▲ 737 MAX is Boeing's cash cow that stands out the most in LCC market. The news related to 737 MAX series, including 737 MAX 10 model which design was completed on February 6 and 737 MAX 9 model that received FAA certification on February 16, as well as 737 MAX 7 model released on February 5, had set the aviation industry on fire during last February. 737 MAX is a global bestseller with the order of 4307 units from 93 client companies and is already becoming a familiar name for airline customers. In particular, it is able to handle more than 4800 km of roads based on state-of-the-art technology and is also taking the role of a catalyst for single-passenger aircraft to take control of intercontinental aviation demand. And, this became possible by realizing all three in terms of its use: high fuel efficiency, reduction of maintenance cost, and an increase of operation rate. Boeing has a plan to link the success of 737 MAX to the success of 787 model. This is because the demand for 787 models, which can naturally improve maintenance and operation know-how, will continue as LCC airlines expand their business with the success of the business and large-scale passenger transportation. Hereupon, by comparing with the competitors of Airbus, Boeing was keen to inform Korean airlines of the superiority of its 787. ▲ The competitor of 787 series might be A350 series. ▲ The 777X series is also a representative example of Boeing's leadership in the aviation market. Based on its success on 737 and 787, Boeing is also confident of the commercial success of 777X series. The 777X series, which has a large-scale transportation capability and state-of-the-art technology, enables the longest distance operation with two large engines containing the technical force of the aviation industry. It is advertised with its 12% higher energy efficiency and 10% cheaper cost than the competitor, A350. Among 777 series, 777-300ER and 777X models are the main models. Boeing currently compares them with A350-1000, which is well-known as Boeing’s cash cow in terms of the order quantity. 777X is now the successor to 747 series, which has now been discontinued, and has received industry-wide comments as a lineup specialized for large-scale passenger transport and cargo transport.
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LOT more flights to Toronto, LA and network as of summer 2019
Starting from June 2019 LOT is going to increase the frequency of flights on its North American routes (Canada and USA). In response to passengers’ needs, such change is possible thanks to deliveries of new B787 Dreamliners scheduled for 2019. Tickets are already available on sale Having announced its new non-stop service to Miami to be operated four times a week as of 1 June, LOT Polish Airlines continues its expansion on the North American market. The changed frequencies will be introduced in June 2019 in regard of the following long—haul services from Warsaw: > Toronto: an increase from 9 to 12 flights per week (vis-a-vis the corresponding period last year) > Los Angeles: an increase from 6 to 7 times a week > Newark: an increase from 4 to 5 times a week (apart from that, weekly flights on the Rzeszów-Newark route will be maintained) The increase in frequency is possible thanks to the expansion of LOT’s wide-body fleet planned for 2019, namely, the deliveries of aircraft ordered from Boeing. Currently LOT has 11 Dreamliners, including eight 787-8s (with 252 seats for passengers) and three 787-9s (294 seats). By the end of next year the total number of Dreamliners in LOT’s fleet will have reached 15 allowing the carrier to boost its transport capacity by 40%. The deliveries of other four machines in their larger 787-9 version are planned for 2019, including the first three scheduled to be delivered by the end of May. The new machines will be operated mostly on the routes from Warsaw: to Seoul, Tokyo’s Narita, Beijing and Chicago (also on the Chicago-Kraków route). Adding these airplanes to the fleet will allow to use other aircraft of that type on the flights to Toronto, Los Angeles and Newark. “The increase in frequencies on those routes is very good news for our passengers. North America, i.e. USA and Canada, are our strategic long-distance markets. Enhanced passenger service to those destinations is consistent with LOT’s 2016-2020 strategy as part of which the Warsaw Chopin Airport hub is to be developed,” says Robert Ludera, Director of Network Planning and Scheduling Department at LOT. LOT currently offers 14 long-distance flights, including nine to North America. LOT flies from Warsaw to: New York City JFK and Newark, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Singapore, from Kraków to Chicago, from Rzeszów to Newark, and from Budapest to Chicago and New York City JFK. The flights on the Warsaw-Los Angeles route are the longest scheduled flights offered by LOT that last 12 hours and 20 minutes and the distance covered is nearly 9.7 thousand kilometers. LOT has regular 105 destinations, which means that since the beginning of 2016 their number has increased by 64. In 2017 LOT carried a total of over 6.8 million passengers, up more than 25 per cent year on year. This year, it plans to carry approx. 8.9 million passengers and intends to exceed the 10 million mark in 2019. LOT has nearly 3,000 employees in a few dozen of countries around the world.
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From Vilnius to the Very Heart of London. A New LOT Offer for Passengers from Lithuania
LOT wins the tender of the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport to operate services between Vilnius and London City Airport. Tickets will be available once the contract has been signed, which is expected to take place in mid-December. The Polish carrier is ready to fly on this route twice a day using its new Embraer 190 aircraft which are to be delivered in the next month The connection between Vilnius and London City (LCY) will feature PSO (Public Service Obligation) which allows public entities to co-fund flights of special interest within the EU. The Government of Lithuania began the tender for this connection in summer last year. The Tender Commission has just announced that the bit submitted by LOT met all the criteria imposed by the contracting parties. The connection launch is scheduled to take place on 1 May 2019. LOT will offer 12 flights between Vilnius and London City (LCY) per week (two flights a day, from Monday to Friday, and one flight on Saturdays and Sundays). London City (LCY) is the best entry point for passengers willing to get to the centre of United Kingdom's capital city in the quickest and most convenient way while avoiding commuting issues and traffic jams. The airport is located in Royal Docks in London, and so it is the closest to the nearest business centre of London: just under 10 km from City and Canary Wharf. “For passengers travelling between Lithuania and Great Britain, the new connection is a perfect alternative to connections to Luton and Stansted airports, which are more distant. Moreover, East London is a place where many Lithuanians live, which is why the launch of the new connection is expected to attract a lot of interest and contribute to a strengthening of relations between Lithuania and Great Britain” says Adrian Kubicki, Director of LOT Corporate Communications. “It is a unique case in EU when the flight mechanism aimed at attracting business travelers will be supported by state. We are especially glad of being the first ones, together with our partners, achieving such an important project. Both Lithuania and the UK`s business community have been waiting for so long for the flights that will even cut geographical barrier and significantly shorten travel time between Vilnius and London. Comfortable flights at appropriate time will definitely increase the flow of business travellers coming to Lithuania” adds Aurimas Stikliunas, Head of Aviation Services of Lithuanian Airports. Already today, LOT has the most extensive offer for passengers travelling to and from Vilnius among legacy air carriers. In addition to the new connection between Lithuanian’s capital and London City, the carrier offers five daily service between Vilnius and Warsaw. They allow to travel conveniently via LOT hub at Chopin Airport in many directions, including London Heathrow (LHR), to which LOT offers three flights every day. As of January, LOT will be launching a direct connection from Warsaw to London City (LCY) which will be well connected with flights to and Vilnius and Kaunas. It ensures a high flexibility, e.g. in the event of a cancelled Vilnius-London City flight, LOT is able to quickly put the passengers to London through Warsaw. Due to a short runway and steep approach in London City, only a few aircraft including Embraer 190, are being certified to operate at LCY. Especially with its LCY operations in mind, the Polish carrier decided to lease four new Embraer 190 aircraft from NAC. All four aircraft will be delivered directly from manufacturer’s plant in Brasil in December 2018 and shall offer 106 seats. LOT will operate its E190 aircraft operated services to LCY from three cities. In addition to newly announced services from Vilnius, LOT will offer new services between LCY and Warsaw as well as Budapest. > As of 7 January, LOT will introduce flights between London City and Warsaw. 12 weekly operations has been planned to cater business passengers needs: two flights between Monday ad Friday as well one service on Saturday and Sunday. The Warsaw-London City connection has been announced by LOT in mid-June as its 100th service offered in the network of the Polish carrier. > As of 18 February, the Polish carrier will take its passengers willing to travel between London City and Budapest. As in the case of Warsaw and Vilnius, there are 12 weekly services planned. Planned schedule for Warsaw, Vilnius, and Budapest to LCY offers passengers same day return trips opportunity. “This announcement, hot on the heels of Warsaw and Budapest, not only demonstrates LOT’s commitment to the airport, but solidifies our credentials as London’s bridge to Europe. We are hugely grateful to the Lithuanian government for helping to make a route happen that will not only better connect businesses, but also the Lithuanian community with their family and friends, whether in East London or Vilnius” says Richard Hill, London City Airport’s CCO. LOT is currently the fastest growing airline in Europe. The carrier offers 105 scheduled connections (the newest one, Warsaw-Beirut, was announced in mid-November). Since the beginning of 2016, LOT has announced the launch of over 60 routes, including from Warsaw to Miami, Los Angeles, Newark, Seoul, Tokyo and Singapore, from Budapest to New York City and Chicago, from Kraków to Chicago, and from Rzeszów to Newark. The carrier has a total of 75 planes in its fleet, and this number will continue to grow, not only because of the new Embraer 190 aircraft which are to be delivered in December to provide flights to London City; the carrier is also waiting for the delivery of narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, whose number will increase from the present 4 to 12 by the end of 2019. By the end of 2019, the fleet will be extended by four subsequent wide-body B787 Dreamliner aircraft and, as a result, the number of these airplanes will increase from 11 to 15. In 2017 LOT carried over 6.8 million passengers in total, growing more than 25 per cent versus 2016. It is planned to reach the level of 8.9 million passengers this year, and to exceed the 10 million mark in 2019. Tickets for flights from Warsaw and Budapest to London City may be purchased through all sales channels, including www.LOT.com, via LOT Contact Center, and from agents. The Vilnius-London City offer will be open for sales in all channels once the contract between the Ministry of Transport of Lithuania and LOT has been signed, which is expected to take place in mid-December.
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Poland to Strength Regional Aviation Sector by Establishing Polish Aviation Group
Big milestone for Polish and European aviation market has been reached – four key companies: LOT Polish Airlines, LOTAMS, LS Airport Services and LS Technics unified forces under the same roof – the Polish Aviation Group. This move starts the integration of aviation sector in Poland and the entire CEE region. Today, on October 10th four Polish leading aviation companies were transferred to Polish Aviation Group (PGL) as in kind assets. From now on, LOT Polish Airlines - the flag carrier of Poland, LOTAMS and LS Technics global aircraft maintenance services provider, and LSAS responsible for handling services will be sharing the same goals and profitable growth strategy under one integrated structure and common management centre. This is a window of opportunity as each company has already achieved to become a profitable and developing entity with potential to take over the role of a regional leader in its sector. “Thanks to integration of so far leading aviation companies into PGL, each passenger will be in the hands of one capital group and not several companies which did not share common goals and development strategy. Consolidation combined with growing passenger demand will require effective business management across all segments of the industry. As a result, our passengers will gain a wider choice of connections, a more competitive offer and better service both on the ground and onboard and result with higher standard of travel as well as best value for their money” emphasized Rafał Milczarski. PGL consolidation will bring the balance of power in the growing aviation market in Europe, as well as positive competitiveness to the services provided by other strong entities on the market. PGL will operate on a similar basis to other aviation groups around the world organized around major airlines, such as the Lufthansa Group, IAG and Air France-KLM. This does not mean, however, that the other companies will develop for the benefit of LOT - all entities of the group will retain their identity, capital separation and will concitnue to expand their business activity in the aviation market in Poland as well as abroad. The establishment of PGL is another step towards consolidation of the CEE market which is the most fragmented in Europe. Passenger potential of the entire CEE region accounts for 180 million inhabitants. According to IATA forecasts, until 2036 entire European market will grow at 2.3%, and will add an additional 550 million passengers a year. The total market will account for 1.5 billion passengers. “I am certain that PGL will stimulate the development of the aviation sector both in Poland and fragmented Central and Eastern Europe. It will allow to improve the efficiency coming from a common strategy in leveraging operations, investing in advanced technologies while expanding the most modern fleet, better flow of information and know-how, as well as joint planning and group procurement. The establishment of a strong PGL is in the interest of the Polish economy, but also in the interest of all passengers travelling from Europe and beyond” he added. In August 2018 the Office for the Protection of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) gave its consent for PGL to take over LOT, LOTAMS and LSAS and LST. Forecasts of the rapid development of the aviation sector in CEE plans to build the Central Transportation Hub, for which the Polish government will need a strong aviation group, i.e. a carrier with a large market share and efficient maintenance and handling companies integrated within the group. The aim of the group is to effectively compete with other major group which potentially might be interested in operating at the new central hub in Poland. The first investment announced by PGL is the MRO base (Maintenace Repair and Overhaul), which will be created within three years by LOTAMS in the Rzeszów-Jasionka Port in the southern-east part of Poland. The investment includes hangars for aircraft maintenance, which are to be adapted, among other, to service the latest generation of wide-body aircraft, such as Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 777 or Airbus A350. In the next steps, PGL will also include a company dealing with aircraft acquisition and leasing for airlines as well as the entity investing in the real-estate, technologies and innovations for the future growth of the aviation market in Central and Eastern Europe.
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Latvian and South Korean Foreign Ministers sign an Air Traffic Agreement
On 28 September 2018, during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Kang Kyung-wha. The parties discussed bilateral relations between both countries and current developments on the North Korea’s nuclear disarmament issue. An Air Traffic Agreement between Latvia and South Korea was signed at the meeting, which is expected to promote cooperation in tourism. Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed satisfaction with the active political dialogue and noted in particular the visits to Korea by the President of Latvia and the Minister of Defence. The Minister extended an invitation from the Latvian government to the South Korean Prime Minister to visit Latvia. “We wish to build closer cooperation with South Korean companies on the development of new technologies since alongside traditional areas Latvian-Korean economic cooperation should especially be facilitated in science, research, and innovations. Establishment of an Innovation Centre in Riga could be a successful platform for cooperation in exploring new technologies. For instance, Latvia is currently working actively in research on the new generation of mobile internet, or 5G network, in which South Korean companies could take part,” said Edgars Rinkēvičs. The Minister also noted that since Latvia opened its Embassy in Seoul, the overall trade volumes had been increasing each year. The parties shared views on the issue of North Korea’s nuclear disarmament. Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed hope that the Singapore Summit this past 12 June had offered and opportunity to overcome the decades-long tension. The Summit should also be regarded as a good political signal and the first step towards the normalisation of situation on the Korean peninsula. Background information: On 5 September 1991, the Republic of Korea recognised the independence of the Republic of Latvia, and diplomatic relations were established on 22 October the same year.
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2019 ON SALE! Tickets for Dreamed Travels with LOT Available now
LOT launched its special offer for travels in 2019. For the next nine days starting today tickets for round trips from all LOT destinations in Europe as well as from the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Canada and Singapore are available on sale! The special offer applies to connections to many destinations in Poland and worldwide Tickets for flights to over 100 LOT destinations all over the world are available at reduced prices. Starting from 15 January up to 31 March 2019 passengers will be able to travel to Poland, Europe and the most attractive destinations in Asia or North America via LOT’s hub in Warsaw at promotional prices. For example, flights from Vienna or Riga to Warsaw start at just 79 EUR. Others from Dusseldorf, Milan, Barcelona, Munich, Brussels or Kiev start with 99 EUR! Tickets for flights from European destinations to North America and Asia can be found with a discount of up to 50%. Passengers from the cities such Paris can fly to Beijing or Singapore only for 399 EUR round trip. As many as three travel classes can be chosen by passengers on all of LOT international flights: LOT Business Class, LOT Premium Class and LOT Economy Class. LOT’s current offer includes flights from Warsaw: to New York City JFK and Newark, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Singapore, from Kraków to Chicago, from Rzeszów to Newark, and from Budapest to Chicago and New York City JFK. LOT’s regular offer include over 100 destinations, which means that since the beginning of 2016 their number has increased by over 60. The development of network of connections is possible, among others, thanks to new aircrafts acquired. In June, the 11th Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner joined the fleet. By the end of 2019, the Dreamliner fleet which operates long-haul flights, will have been increased to 15 aircrafts. The launch of a new long haul flight is a part of LOT’s current strategy that provides for a consequent growth of flight offer available at the transport hub in Warsaw.
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From Krakow to Tel aviv. LOT to connect another Polish cities with Israel
From 25 February of next year, LOT’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft will be serving the route from Karków to Tel Aviv. The connection will expand the range of flights departing Warsaw and other regional airports. Tickets are already on sale The flights from Kraków to Tel Aviv will be offered twice per week. Passengers will be able to reach Israel every Tuesday and Wednesday or Thursday (depending on the week). The aircraft will take off from Tel Aviv to the capital of Poland’s Małopolska region every Monday and Tuesday or Wednesdays. All flights will be served by state-of-the-art Boeing 737 MAX 8 narrow-body aircraft. The new connections are offered to satisfy Israel's growing popularity among Polish tourists. “The launch of connections to Israel - not only from Warsaw, but also from several regional ports - has turned out to be excellent and thought-out decision. Israel has been, for at least a year now, one of the most frequently visited tourist destination for Poles, who are traveling there all year round. We are glad to be able to expand our offering by a connection from Kraków now - Poland’s largest regional airport” - says Adrian Kubicki, Director of Corporate Communications. Israel has become increasingly popular destination among Poles. The country owes this popularity to its cultural heritage, good infrastructure and weather that encourages to sightsee and relax, regardless of the season of the year. The Tel Aviv airport is situated right in the heart of the country’s attractions - close to downtown Tel Aviv - a city teeming with life and entertainment, but also in the direct vicinity of Jerusalem - a city of great importance for the world’s historic and religious heritage. Tel Aviv serves also as the best point of departure for trips to three different seas: the Dead Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. LOT is consistently expanding its network of regional connections. Today, its passengers may fly to Tel Aviv from Warsaw, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Poznań, Lublin and Rzeszów. The carrier is also selling tickets for its own flights from Kraków to: Gdańsk, Warsaw, Budapest and Chicago (twice per week, starting from July), from Rzeszów to Newark, from Poznań, Bydgoszcz and Olsztyn to Lviv, from Bydgoszcz to Kiev and from Katowice to Torino.
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New Boeing 787-9 and 737 MAX Painted in the National Colors Arrived in Warsaw
After a 10-hour flight from Everett our newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with a special exterior painted on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence has landed in Warsaw yesterday. The same day it took off to Toronto. Today a white-and-red Boeing 737 MAX 8 arrive in Warsaw at 09:45 UTC Delivery flights of B787-9 and B737 MAX (no. LO9787 and LO9737) turned out to be special: new jetliners were accompanied in Polish territory by F-16 fighter aircraft from the 31st Tactical Airbase in Poznań Krzesiny. Before the landing at the Chopin Airport, the fighter jets of the Polish Air Force and later both LOT airplanes made a low pass, which means flying over the runway at a low height. Boeing 787 no. SP-LSC is already the 11th Dreamliner available in the fleet of the Polish carrier, and at the same time the first plane with a white-and-red exterior painting. Apart from the Dreamliner, the occasional colors also appear on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 SP-LVD the newest narrow-body LOT aircraft. The look of the machine is inspired by a waving Polish flag moved by the take-off momentum. An outline of the Polish border is located on the front doors. At one side it stands “Dumni z niepodległości Polski”, meaning “Proud of Poland’s Independence” placed on the other side of the aircraft body. On nose of the Dreamliner, the carrier has placed a logo of the Niepodległa (“Independent”), which is an element of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of regaining independence. “This is an exceptional moment: two of our newest, the most advanced aircraft of its kind, the B787-9 Dreamliner being the pillar of the long-haul fleet and the newest Boeing Commercial Airplanes narrow body B737 8 MAX commemorates the 100th anniversary of Poland’s regaining independence. As a national carrier, we naturally act as a Polish ambassador abroad. For the first time in history our plane has been painted white and red and it will keep its colors for the entire service at LOT” – says Rafał Milczarski, CEO of LOT Polish Airlines. Both airplanes were incorporated thanks to the agreement with Air Lease Corporation. The white-and-red Boeing 787-9 is the third larger-variant Dreamliner acquired by LOT. The jet’s seating capacity is 294 (42 more compared to its smaller variant of the 787-8). The B787-9 is nearly 63 meters long, which means that it is over six meters longer than its predecessor. In the “nine”, passengers are offered one of the three classes: > 24 seats in business class > 21 in premium economy > 249 in economy. The maximum range of the wide-body 787-9 (in its variant for LOT) is over 13,350 km, i.e. approx. 700 km more compared to the 787-8. Based on Boeing’s analyses, the new B787-9 Dreamliner has lower fuel consumption per passenger in comparison with the “eight”. The white-and-red B737 MAX , registered as SP-LVD, arrived in Poland from the Boeing factory in Renton near Seattle. In the next few days, it will fly to London (Heathrow), Madrid, Barcelona, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Moscow, Frankfurt, and Zurich. As of now, LOT has four B737 MAX planes at its disposal, two of which were supplied in December 2017, with the third one (SP-LVC) being commissioned on LOT routes since Monday. MAX offers 186 seats. Thanks to new-generation engines, these planes are not only more efficient than other machines from this segment, which translates into lower operating costs borne by the carrier, but they are also more economically friendly, which is why LOT is able to decrease the amount of airport fees, e.g. at Heathrow. “Our passengers will see the white-and-red Boeing 737 MAX 8 at many European airports, whereas the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be used on long-haul flights, reaching the most distant places of the world. This way, the promotion of Poland’s national colors, and Poland as an attractive travelling destination have now a global dimension” – says Rafał Milczarski from LOT.
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LOT anounces its new flight from Hungary
LOT expands in Hungary. After successful launch of long-haul flights to New York City and Chicago as well as between Budapest and Kraków, now it is time for LOT’s flights to London City Airport (LCY). Starting from 18 February 2019 LOT will offer up to two flights a day to be operated by the newly acquired Embraer 190s. Tickets are going on sale now New flights will be operated based on the following timetable: morning departure from Budapest is scheduled at 7.00am with arrival to LCY at 8.45am daily (except Sundays). Second flight will leave Budapest at 5.15pm, arriving at LCY at 7.00pm (except Saturdays). The departing flights from LCY are scheduled at: 9.15am and 7.30pm and arriving at Budapest at 12.45pm, and 11.00pm respectively. Such convenient schedule allows passengers travelling mainly from Budapest for business to take a round trip without an overnight stay. Located in the Royal Docks, the LCY is the closest airport to the financial and business center of London (The City is only 9.6 km away). Moreover LOT’s new flight is an excellent alternative to other flights offered on London-Budapest route using airports located farther away from the center of London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and Southend). LOT’s new flights are targeted at corporate passengers and will also help tighten business and economic relations between Hungary and the Great Britain. “Being a modern and most dynamically growing airlines in Europe, we are very proud we are able to fast-track our development in Hungary. We have opened a new chapter in our history: after the launch of the flights to New York City, Chicago, Cracow, the two daily flights to London City are now added. The annual passenger traffic on the Budapest-London route approximates 1.4 m. London City Airport is the most conveniently located airport for those passengers who want to reach London’s business district in a shortest and most convenient way. I am certain that Hungarian passengers will appreciate the new connection thanks to the elevated quality of services” says Rafał Milczarski, LOT’s CEO. „I am extremely happy to have another innovative product introduced into the Hungarian aviation market by our friends from LOT Polish Airlines. The start of operations between Budapest and London City Airport marks another important milestone in our joint efforts to present high quality service to passengers at both ends of this destination” said Jost Lammers, CEO of Budapest Airport. Owing to a relatively short runway and a steep approach angle of 5.5° the flights to London City require complicated maneuvers and only a few aircraft models meet the LCY’s landing and takeoff criteria. To be able to fly to and from London City Airport, LOT decided to acquire four new Embraer E-190s to be delivered on or before the end of 2018 directly from the manufacturer’s plant in Brazil. The new Embraer E-190’s seating capacity is 106. Robert Sinclair, CEO of London City Airport, said: “The addition of Budapest to London City Airport’s route map for the first time epitomises our determination to offer passengers the very best links between London and major European cities. We know more destinations and more choice is what our passengers want, especially as we invest 480 million pounds in our facilities, and a Budapest connection offers a further foothold for tourism and trade in Central Europe and a convenient link with this buzzing city on the banks of the Danube. In addition to the recently announced Warsaw service, LOT Polish Airlines’ latest route provides a positive indication of their growth ambitions at London City Airport.” To Hungary it means the release of its potential of passenger travel on the new routes and the development of its transport arm, with improvements to the airport infrastructure, ground handling and new jobs to follow. Currently LOT’s headcount in Budapest is 60 (onboard crew on the Budapest-New York City/Chicago routes). The carrier announced that by the end of 2019 it will have hired 300 pilots from the Central and Eastern Europe with some of them to be permanently stationed in Budapest. LOT’s business lounge is to be opened at the Budapest Airport soon. Apart from London City, LOT offers its passengers direct connections between Budapest and three destinations: flights New York City and Chicago operated by wide-body Dreamliners, and flights to/from Cracow operated by Bombardier Q400s, resulting in the annual passenger traffic passenger on those routes at 400,000. LOT offers more than 100 scheduled flights in total including direct flights from Warsaw to New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore and from Budapest to NYC and Chicago. Strategy of profitable growth being implemented by LOT since 2016 enabled the airline to develop its Hungarian operations. Based on its underlying assumptions, LOT intends to become the first-choice airlines in the CEE countries. LOT is currently the fastest growing airlines in Europe. In 2017 its passenger traffic totaled over 6.8m which means that the figure went up by nearly 25% year-to-year. This year it has plans to reach the threshold of 9m and exceed 10m in 2019 to be able to continue its momentum.
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LOT’S New Connection to London city
LOT is proud to announce the 100th connection in its network. As of January 7th 2019 the Polish carrier will fly directly from Warsaw to London City (LCY) up to twice a day. For this special route to London City, LOT will acquire 4 brand-new Embraer 190 jets Flights from Warsaw to London City will be operated according to the following schedule: Departures to LCY daily (except Sundays) at 7:15am, arrivals at 9:00am and daily (except Saturdays) at 4:15pm, arrivals at 6:00pm. Departures to WAW are scheduled daily (except Sundays) at 9:30am, arrivals at 1:00pm and daily (except Saturdays) at 6:30pm, arrivals at 10:00pm. The following schedule enables particularly business travelers flying from Warsaw, as well as Vilnius, Kiev, Lviv, Riga, Bucharest, Larnaca or Tbilisi to complete their journey within one working day. London City Airport, conveniently located in London’s Royal Docks, is the nearest airport to the business and financial centre of London, including the City of London just 6 miles away. It is also expected that the route will appeal to leisure travelers seeking city breaks in either direction. For passengers travelling from London City, LOT gives an excellent alternative to fly to many eastern destinations such as Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing or Astana as well as to almost all our destinations in Central & Eastern Europe with only one short and comfortable layover at LOT Warsaw Hub at Chopin Airport. “We are extremely happy to announce this prestigious destination as our 100th connection in our network. LOT has a long lasting history of operations to London Heathrow, where we are flying three times a day. Now we are opening the new chapter by putting two daily flights to London City into our offer. London City is the most convenient airport for those passengers willing to get to the City of London in the shortest and most comfortable way. I am the most certain that this new connection will be appreciated by our passengers particularly from CEE region and is going to be one of the most successful routes in our constantly growing network” – says Adrian Kubicki, director corporate communications of LOT Polish Airlines. Richard Hill, Chief Commercial Officer at London City Airport, said: “For the first time ever, a regular service between London City and Poland touches down with LOT Polish Airlines, boosting connectivity between London and Warsaw and adding another major European capital city to our route network. LOT’s arrival is a huge gain for London City Airport and its passengers, offering a gateway for trade and tourism in Central Europe and onward connections to Asia, and demonstrating the airport’s commitment to attracting new routes, greater choice and more airlines ahead of our £480 million development. It also demonstrates that, despite Brexit, London remains open for business and connections between Poland will continue to be vital for each country’s economy.” “The fact that Poland’s flag carrier has strategically chosen London’s most central airport to expand operations in the city, and is making a significant investment in compatible aircraft to do so, demonstrates confidence in the speed and convenience of the London City experience and our long-term growth prospects.” Only few types of aircraft are eligible to land and take of at this airport. To operate to London City LOT has decided to acquire brand 4 new Embraer E-190 jets, which will be delivered to the Polish airline by the end of 2018 directly from the Embraer factory in Brazil. The new Embraer E-190s will have capacity of 106 comfortable seats, which gives an efficient combination of optimum range and maximum number of passengers. “LOT has an extensive experience in operations on Embraer jets family. In fact, together with our brand-new Embraer E-190s LOT will become the first and only airline to operate all existing types of Brazilian jets. Embraer E-190s with 106 seats onboard will give LOT several commercial advantages in service to London City. After all we will be able to create not only the most convenient but also the most price competitive offer on flights to and from London City airport” – says Adrian Kubicki. “We are delighted to further expand our partnership with LOT, on the placement of the new aircraft. NAC are extremely grateful for the opportunity to have worked closely with the airline to support their continued growth. We congratulate them on their network expansion and look forward to continuing our relationship with the Polish Airline” - said Martin Møller, Chairman of NAC. “Embraer’s long and successful relationship with the fastest growing network carrier in Europe continues. In 2004 LOT was the first operator of the E-170. With this deal LOT adds another Embraer ‘first’ to their history books - the first airline to operate all four variants of E-Jets in their fleet. By the end of this year, with six E-170s, twelve E-175s, four E-190s and twelve E-195s. LOT will have maximum flexibility to right-size for their routes, and fully exploit the commonality in their E-Jet fleet”, said Martyn Holmes, Vice President Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and Leasing, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “Launching new route into London City Airport with E-190, LOT joins the growing number of airlines at this challenging airfield where Embraer aircraft already perform 57.8% of all departures.”
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Boeing 787-9 Painted in the National Colours of Poland to arrive in warsaw in june
In Boeing Everett plant, painting of the newest 787-9 Dreamliner has just ended. The unique white and red livery of the machine registered as SP-LSC, commemorates the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining its independence. This month, first passengers will be able to board the plane The white and red painting covers the entire fuselage of the plane. The look of the machine is inspired by a waving Polish flag moved by the take-off momentum. An outline of the Polish borders is located on the front doors. On one side of the door there is a sign reading “Dumni z niepodległości Polski”, and on the other – “Proud of Poland’s Independence”. It is the first such paining in the history of LOT Polish Airlines. “2018 is a significant year for Poland due to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of regaining independence. LOT, as a national carrier, naturally acts as a Polish ambassador abroad. Promoting the country is an integral role of LOT which through dynamic growth builds positive image of Poland abroad”, said Adrian Kubicki, Director of Corporate Communications. “As a national carrier, we welcome in Poland guest from around the world, offering them almost one hundred connections within our network”, he added. The white and red Dreamliner, registered as SP-LSC, is the third of seven ordered planes in a larger 787-9 variant. The jet’s seating capacity is 294 (42 more compared to its smaller variant of the 787-8). The B787-9 is nearly 63 meters long which means that it is over six meters longer than the smaller variant. In the 787-9 model, passengers can be seated in three classes: > 24 lie-flat seats in business class >21 wide premium economy class seats > 249 in economy. The unique white and red Dreamliner will fly on LOT’s long-haul flights to South America and Asia. The plane will also feature – similarly to many other machines of LOT – a logo of the Niepodległa (“Independent”) programme which is an element of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of regaining independence. Composite materials, i.e. carbon fiber reinforced plastic, make up the majority of its weight. Composites are much more durable, yet lighter than aluminum, resulting in the parameters improvement. Based on Boeing’s analyses, the new B787-9 Dreamliner has lower fuel consumption per passenger. The maximum range of the 787-9 machine (in its variant for LOT) is over 13,350 km, i.e. approx. 700 km more compared to the 787-8. LOT is the first airline in Europe whose long-haul fleet consists only of Dreamliners. In LOT, there will be 11 such planes overall when, by the end of June, the white and red SP-LSC will take on passengers. Planes have been operating long-haul connections from Warsaw to New York City (JFK and Newark), Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing and Singapore, from Kraków to Chicago, from Rzeszów to Newark, and from Budapest to New York City and Chicago. By the end of 2019, LOT will have 15 Dreamliners in its fleet (eight 787-8 and seven 787-9), obtained under operational and financial leasing. It means that with respect to the quantity of the long-haul fleet, the LOT’s strategy for years 2016-2020 will be implemented a year ahead of schedule. Apart from the new Dreamliners, LOT has also been waiting for the delivery of narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX 8s. At this moment, Polish carrier has two MAXs, registered as SP-LVA and SP-LVB, which were delivered in December 2017. The planes, with LOT’s passengers on board, fly to destinations such as London, Madrid and Larnaca. By 2020, 12 MAXs are scheduled to be obtained. The arrival of two additional planes, one of which will also be painted in white and red, is scheduled for the second half of June. Overall, in June, LOT will collect two specially painted planes from the Boeing’s plant: Dreamliner B787-9 and B737 MAX 8.“We are proud that our national colours will decorate two of our most modern planes. We aspire to be the aviation leader in Central and Eastern Europe and our fleet purchases are part of that goal”, Adrian Kubicki says. Last year, LOT carried a total of over 6.8 million passengers, up more than 25 per cent year on year. The carrier has 54 modern planes (including jets of the Estonian partner line, Nordika and those leased from the Romanian Blue Air, making a total of 67 machines). LOT is currently the fastest growing airline in Europe. Since early 2016 the Polish carrier has announced the launch of 60 connections, including direct flights from Warsaw to Los Angeles, Newark, Seoul, Tokyo and Singapore, from Kraków to Chicago, from Rzeszów to Newark, and from Budapest to New York and Chicago.
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Orolia Awarded $34 Million Contract to Deliver Personnel Recovery Devices to the US Army
Orolia, a world leader in Resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) solutions, announced today that its subsidiary McMurdo Inc. was awarded a $33,986,800 contract to manufacture Personnel Recovery Devices (PRD) for the US Army. This PRD is a dual-mode, MIL-SPEC Personal Locator Beacon that will be integrated into the Army's Personnel Recovery Support System (PRSS). The PRD will be capable of transmitting both open and secure signals (training-combat dual mode) to alert and notify that a soldier has become isolated, missing, detained or captured. This innovative positioning device will optimize a successful rescue operation for soldiers in a distress situation through secure enhanced capabilities. It has been designed to meet military standards and specifications, and has improved accuracy, decreased size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements. “We are extremely proud and honored to have been selected by the US Army as the provider of this critical positioning device for the safety of US warfighters. Easy to incorporate into Personnel Recovery operations, the PRD is based on Orolia’s new rugged and small PNT platform dedicated to Combat Search and Rescue (C-SAR) and other dismounted soldier Assured PNT applications. This award, which follows the 2016 contract from the U.S. Coast Guard to produce 16,000 FastFind 220 personal locator beacons, is a testimony to Orolia’s world leadership in Resilient Positioning, Navigation and Timing,” said Jean-Yves Courtois, CEO of Orolia. The Personnel Recovery Support System Personnel Recovery Device contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland on behalf of the Army Air Warrior Product Management Office at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama with an estimated completion date of March 6, 2022.
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Airbus C295 MPA for Korea Press Conference
On May 17, 2018, Airbus held a press conference at Seoul Plaza Hotel and proposed 20 C295 Maritime Patrol Aircrafts (MPA) to the government of the Republic of Korea to provide the most appropriate solution to the requirements of the Korean maritime patrol. As a company that develops and manufactures aircraft from the body to systems as a whole, Airbus emphasized that it supports both systems and weapon integrations, thereby providing surveillance and reconnaissance functions. Moreover, as a company that advanced the concept of maritime operations with 'P-3' improvement business, Airbus was confident about the suggestion of the optimal solution for a middle-range and long-range patrol. ▲ Brian Kim, Vice President of Airbus Korea Defense & Space Division ▲ Fernando Ciria, Head of Marketing of ISR and Tactical Aircraft at Airbus Defence & Space Brian Kim, Vice President of Airbus Korea Defense & Space Division, said at the press conference that Airbus would be willing to participate if given the opportunity for a competitive bid of the next MPA. He stated, “Considering the budget and requirements of the Korean government identified by Airbus, Airbus can offer a total of 20 C295 maritime patrols to the Korean government. If the R.O.K Navy has a large number of C295 MPAs, it will be able to monitor more extensive areas across the Korean peninsula more effectively, which will allow it to respond more quickly to potential external threats.” Also, he added, “The C295 MPA is equipped with state-of-the-art radar, sensors and mission-critical systems. Currently, Brazil, Chile, Oman, Portugal, Saudi Arabia and many other countries are using Airbus’s MPAs for the actual battles, which proves that the C295 is a proven fighter, not just a concept model. We expect significant savings for the government of the Republic of Korea on the basis of low introduction and operation costs compared to competitors of Airbus C295.” Airbus and Korea have long-term and strategic partnerships in a variety of industries including commercial aircraft, defense, space and helicopters. Earlier, Airbus had introduced the A330 MRTT, a multi-purpose tanker to the Republic of Korea Air Force. The ROKAF is also using the CN235 tactical aircraft equipped with the turboprop-powered engine, a previous model of the C295, for transport purposes. What’s more, Airbus helicopter products are in operation in the Korean defense industry and it has developed Surion helicopter for the use in the Republic of Korea Army with Korea Aerospace Industries, LTD. (KAI). Airbus also maintains close industrial cooperation with KAI, KAL-ASD, and many SMEs in Korea. Its business in Korea is expected to grow from $500 million in 2016 to $600 million in 2020. Airbus estimates that more than 6,000 jobs requiring highly skilled have been created through various projects in Korea. ▲ Airbus has been leading the business of maritime patrol aircrafts for more than 30 years since the P-3 advancement project. ▲ The C295 model was produced based on the development know-how of CN235, the global bestseller. ▲ Airbus presented its configuration optimized for the MPA business ordered by the Korean government. ▲ FITS (Fully Integrated Tactical System) components were introduced as a brain of the system ▲ Focusing on the Korea EEZ area and major base camps, the rationality of the C295 MPA specification is mainly explained. ▲ Since South Korea is surrounded by North Korea, China, Russia, Japan, etc., it has a special characteristic in its operations. ▲ Airbus emphasized inexpensive introduction and maintenance costs as its competitiveness. ▲ Airbus, following Boeing and SAAB, threw a ticket for Korean MPA bidding. ACROFAN explained the main features of the Korean anti-submarine operation and pointed out that bad weather is usually considered when an antisubmarine operation occurs. It asked for durability in these adverse conditions and explanations of related cases. Fernando Ciria, Head of Marketing of ISR and Tactical Aircraft at Airbus Defence & Space, answered, “The C295 MPA is a worldwide model. The C295 MPAs are also operating around Chilean Pacific coast and Antarctica. The customers who operate the C295 MPA in that harsh environment speak for us. Customer cases demonstrate the operational competence. In addition, onboard sensors allow detection of maritime vessels and sharing of information even in bad weather.” Also, he said, “The C295 MPA enables operations in bad situations. For reference, a recent Canadian contract would be a good example. Canada uses aircraft for search and rescue purposes, and when it is bad weather or the weather changes, it uses the aircraft for rescuing citizens. It also carries out a role of search and rescue in the mountains as well as in the sea. A total of 16 units will be deployed in northern Canada to perform search and rescue across Canada. Therefore, no matter how bad the weather conditions are, I think it will not be difficult to carry out the operations.
