Richard Branson reaches space in a Virgin Galactic spacecraft

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, broke the atmospheric barrier on July 11 aboard a Virgin Galactic spacecraft to test and evaluate the experience for his future customers that wish to go sightseeing in space.

That was the first of three test flights to be made with a crew on a Virgin Galactic spacecraft before starting commercial operations scheduled for 2022. 

The company plans to make at least 400 flights a year from Spaceport America, and so far, they have managed to sell approximately 600 tickets to people in 60 countries for $250,000.

Branson traveled to space in the VSS Unity, along with two pilots and three other passengers. They took off horizontally from Spaceport America, and they reached an altitude of about 15 kilometers. The spacecraft detached and began a supersonic ascent, reaching an altitude of more than 80 km (the established U.S. point for the space frontier).

When the engine was shut down, the passengers were able to admire the curvature of the Earth from one of the cabin windows, detached from their seats, and floated for a few minutes in weightlessness.

“Honestly nothing can prepare you for the view of the Earth from space,” Branson said during the ceremony following their successful landing in New Mexico.

“Our mission is to make space more accessible to everyone. In that spirit, and with today’s successful flight of VSS Unity, I am thrilled to announce a partnership with Omaze and Space for Humanity to inspire the next generation of dreamers. For too long, we have looked with awe at yesterday’s space pioneers. Now, I want tomorrow’s astronauts to look ahead and realize their dreams,” added.

Singapore Airlines offers in-flight online shopping

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Technology takes over the sky, and Singapore Airlines will offer online shopping when you go onboard a flight. 

Singapore Airlines will become the first airline to offer this service. Passengers will be able to make purchases through KrisShop, the airline’s shopping portal that offers more than 4,000 online products that can be delivered to your doorstep. 

Among the range of categories offered by the airline are: beauty items such as fragrances and cosmetics, exclusive Singapore Airlines products, and electronics. 

At the same time, orders delivered to passengers on their next Singapore Airlines flight can enjoy duty-free prices. Users can also opt for delivery services directly to their homes. 

A star technology…

“E-commerce is the future of shopping, and the integration of this feature into our in-flight entertainment system is another industry first for SIA.” Comments Yeoh Phee Teik, Senior Vice President, Customer Experience.

SIA and KrisShop’s relationship in conjunction with Thales, Panasonic Avionics, and AirFree, work to deliver this electronic experience in the air, with an air-to-ground connectivity system.

Which connects KrisShop to the aircraft’s IFE system for in-stock product updates and credit card authorization. 

At the moment, the in-flight shopping service is available for a few A350 aircraft. However, it will gradually be expanded to the entire Singapore Airlines fleet. 

Source: Hosteltur.

The first 100% electric ferry

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The German shipping company Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe (BSB) is carrying out the construction of the first 100% electric ferry powered by photovoltaic solar energy, which will carry up to 300 passengers through the Bodensee lake of Constance, which has a length of 63 kilometers.

It will have its catamaran design, with a length of 30 meters long and 8 meters wide, which will become the largest electric ferry manufactured by the Ostseestaal KG shipyard.

The company BSB plans to finish the construction of the long-awaited ship soon, to sail in the middle of the year 2022 along the enormous Bodensee, and carry out sightseeing tours.

The propulsion system will have a specific optimization software of new invoice, which will prioritize the saving and optimization of energy, as well as the control of external factors. On the other hand, its solar panels will be bifacial and will collect energy to later store it in a series of batteries with characteristics that are yet to be determined.

 

Learn more about Hybrids and Electric.

Prince Air, India’s First Subscription Airline

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Despite the consequences that the pandemic has left worldwide, the aeronautical sector continues to bet on moving forward and taking advantage of the opportunities that arise thanks to technological advances.

That is why India launches its first subscription airline. Sanket Raj Singh, the founder of Prince Air, promises an experience like no other, akin to owning your own ‘private jet’.

It will not be necessary to make long lines for the check-in process, just by arriving half an hour before departure, the passenger will go through a different entrance than the usual.

They will have a car at their disposal, it is necessary to leave the airport quickly, to provide an experience of height.

Although there is no specific release date, they are already in the pre-sale period. Users can subscribe for approximately $ 744 per month, so they can travel unlimitedly through the destinations offered by the airline.

The destinations stipulated by Prince Air so far are Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. Subsequently, it will have connections with Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Pune, Amritsar, Jaipur, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

Prince Air targets users who mostly travel in business class, so they can continue to enjoy an experience like no other. Lastly, operations are expected to be launched when there are around 10,000 to 12,000 subscribers.

Read a little more at: Zephyrnet

Digital acceleration in the port sector

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The shipping sector has been characterized by being very traditional and not very adventurous when it comes to implementing new solutions that imply drastic changes in its behavior. However, the port industry has grown in the last 3 months than in the last 3 years, and all due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Currently, it has been possible to evidence a striking trend for the implementation of digital tools and platforms aimed at the digital transformation of ports and shipping companies. This without leaving aside those aimed at cybersecurity that today has become a primary concern for any sector.

The technological implementation in the port sector is considered the second major transformation of the industry after the creation of containers, taking as one of the main contributions the digitization and automation of processes. The implementation of software that performs merchandise traceability and the interconnection of ports are just some of the improvements that the sector has received, and can only provide greater visibility and confidence in the port industry.

However, the change in the sector is not only limited to technological tools. There is also hard work together to encourage ecological work practices such as the development of green hydrogen for the decarbonization of maritime transport that can offer greater sustainability to the industry.

These are great advances for an industry that has always been considered extremely conservative. However, the need to face a situation like the pandemic has provided numerous opportunities for startups and venture capital companies to enter an industry that generates billions of dollars a year.

 

The cruise industry after the pandemic

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Before the health emergency generated by Covid-19, was decreed the cruise tourism industry was one of the most prosperous since it offered a very wide range of options, that are adapted to the needs and tastes of each traveler.

However, after the unfortunate events at the beginning of the pandemic, when the cruise ships presented hundreds of infected passengers and deaths. Some vessels were left adrift full of travelers and crew, being seriously affected by the ban on docking in ports in many countries.

For this reason, the industry has spent months developing and implementing various safety plans in the health field that will allow them to reactivate their operations without putting passengers, crew, and receiving countries or ports at risk. Here we bring you some of the measures that will be imposed from the summer of 2021, which is when the activation of some cruise lines is expected.

Limitations on the capacity of the ship: Although we are talking about boats that mobilize thousands of people for long periods, this decision can help in multiple ways since a more specific control can be carried out in PCR-type tests. While the theaters will take their places. Keeping two places of the distance between people and will leave many free cabins destined for isolation in case there is someone infected or suspicious.

Testing before, during, and after the cruise: the crew personnel must carry out tests some time in advance of the departure date and will be quarantined until the start of the cruise. While passengers will have to undergo tests before boarding and some random ones during the trip to make sure that they are not infected. Additionally, the cruise lines have enabled improved medical services with an ICU area and specialized medical personnel where they will receive free car

Food distribution: For now, buffets are forbidden while the security protocols last, the service of food and beverages in bars and restaurants will be served at the table, where they will also include mobile technology to avoid direct contact with passengers.

Bubble Trip: This new concept prevents both passengers and crew from having contact with any other person who is not part of the cruise. In this way, it will be mandatory to use a mask and carry a control chip so that accurate monitoring of where and with whom each passenger has been can be done. This measure will help in the event of any contagion, the tracing of contacts that have had each person.

For now, the industry proposes to carry out the first test trips, visiting different ports within the same country, until they can refine strategies and make longer trips that involve other countries and their sanitary control measures as well as the reception of tourists.

 

Lufthansa and Airbus convert their planes into cargo transport

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Lufthansa Technik and Airbus have teamed up to convert their commercial aircraft into “temporary” cargo transport, thus offering a temporary solution to their customers.

This new Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) solution will allow operators to load up to 15 tons of additional payload, in the cabins of their A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft.

The conversion consists of removing the seats, then installing a standard “PKC” pallet and nets on the main deck. This solution offers a load capacity of about 78 cubic meters on the main deck, with 12 PKC pallet positions and 18 nets.

Under the agreement, LHT owns the STC and will provide the retrofit kits for customers, while Airbus’s role as a manufacturer includes providing technical data, engineering validations, and operational calculations.

“The cooperation with Lufthansa Technik enables the smooth implementation of this temporary cargo solution. Best-in-class operating economy and cabin versatility make the A330 the perfect aircraft for cargo missions in today’s environment. With this new solution, we continue to support our Airbus customers, “said Soeren Stark, Chief Operating Officer and Account Manager at Lufthansa Technik.

 Source: Aviación al día

 

ITP Aero joins “Race to Zero”

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

ITP Aero, is the Spanish aeronautical company that joins the United Nations “Race to Zero” campaign, as part of its commitment to the environment. ITP Aero seeks to minimize carbon emissions and reach zero emissions, for the year 2050.

As part of the “Business Ambition to 1.5ºC” program, the first objective is to neutralize carbon emissions by 2030. This is only part of the commitment that ITP Aero manages with the care of the environment. In addition to minimizing the impact that carbon emissions cause on the environment, it also seeks to promote this movement for other companies to join.

At the same time, Carlos Alzola, CEO of ITP Aero argues that: “ITP Aero is committed to clean, safe and competitive propulsion systems to achieve a sustainable aeronautical industry.”

Also within the Spanish company’s commitment to the “Race to Zero” program, the following stand out: Investment in development and research to seek efficiency in products and solutions that are friendly to the environment; The company will take advantage of its mechanisms to promote decarbonization and collaboration between stakeholders to create a positive impact in the localities and also establish the steps to achieve “net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

This movement is undoubtedly part of a great step where other aeronautical companies and airlines are already joining this cause, to minimize carbon emissions in the environment.

Read the full statement at ITP Aero

 

Drones: The future of the airline industry

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Drones have become one of the key advancements in the future of technology and could change the air logistics of the coming years, becoming part of the world’s transportation system.

On April 14, a conference called “Drone Enable” was held, organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (OASI), where several specialists met and discussed the importance of creating a regulatory framework that allows the integration of drones into the system. World air transport.

The objective is not to replace traditional transport, but to bring great value to areas with high traffic congestion, rural and isolated sectors, speed up freight transport and provide fast services in cases of emergency.

Drones have been very useful in agricultural processes, in the control of forest fires, even in the analysis of traffic in some cities, and in the delivery of medicines. In 2015, the United States Government authorized the delivery of emergency medications to a rural clinic located in Virginia, which was 90 minutes by land from the nearest pharmacy.

There are many benefits that this type of unmanned aerial vehicle provides, and in logistics processes, its advantages are extremely positive.

In this sense, the OASI is working on an international registry of drones that allows their integration into the airspace. Koen de Vos, a member of the transport department of the European Commission, said that: “The challenge is to maintain a balance between promoting the potential of drones and addressing the concerns of society and the airline industry. Safety in the skies depends on the responsible behavior of all operators ”.

However, for society to fully accept the use of this new technology, the benefits of it must be totally clear to all people, especially if one considers that the negative aspects of these vehicles, such as noise and pollution, affect everyone.

Source: A21

 

How will the Blockchain influence the aeronautical industry?

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Although the financial sector was the first to benefit from new technologies such as blockchain, today it is the aeronautical industry that takes the most advantage of it, but the question is, how?

Currently, most of the crucial information needed to keep aircraft operational is processed manually and when it comes to aircraft that carry hundreds, thousands, and even millions of parts, it becomes a nightmare to track each maintenance of each aircraft. Many times it brings with it human errors that can trigger air accidents and human and material losses.

What technologies such as blockchain can bring to the aeronautical sector is facilitate the traceability of each spare part. From its manufacture, through its configuration, maintenance, or replacement.

Blockchain technology can generate a birth certificate for each part of an aircraft and thus provide access and update of its current condition each time the aircraft is inspected. This will allow everyone involved to be aware of the real state of the airplane.

It is estimated that the use of blockchain could increase the industry’s revenue by up to 4% which translates to about 40,000 million dollars, while it could cut maintenance costs by 5%.

The aerospace industry will be in constant search to integrate new technologies that strengthen its capabilities, impacting on the improvement of services and their operation, so in the coming years, we will be able to see the full integration of this technology as well as the influence of artificial intelligence or 3D printing.