Southwest Airlines Unveils Plan to Avoid Future Disruptions, Urban Air Mobility, and More
Aviation news brief today
Dear readers,
Welcome to AviationOutlook newsletter, your one-stop source for the most relevant aviation news briefs and industry insights (every weekday).
Here are the exciting aviation industry updates for today. Let’s get started.
Southwest Airlines unveils tactical action plan to avoid future operational disruptions
Southwest Airlines has announced a three-part tactical action plan to improve operational resiliency and customer support.
The plan follows internal and third-party assessments of the airline's operational performance, with actions to accelerate operational investments, improve winter operations, and enhance cross-team collaboration.
These actions aim to mitigate the risks of future events like Winter Storm Elliot, which overwhelmed station operations and internal tools in December 2022.
Southwest plans to spend over $1.3 billion on investments, upgrades, and IT maintenance in 2023 to support operational resiliency. Read more
Africa soars: Airlines set sights on continent's booming aviation industry
Africa's aviation industry is expected to be valued at $400 billion by 2040, with an annual increase in passenger traffic of 5.4%.
With Africa's population set to reach two billion by 2050, airlines from Europe, Asia, and the United States see the continent as a new frontier for business.
The market is expected to expand by 5% annually over the next 20 years, making it one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets.
Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad Airways are among the Gulf carriers leading the charge. African airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines and Egypt Air are also aggressively expanding their local operations. Read more
Key aerospace player vulnerable to cyberattacks: A wake-up call for the aerospace industry
According to research by Cybernews, Safran Group, the eighth-largest aerospace supplier worldwide, was vulnerable to cyberattacks for over a year due to a misconfiguration of its systems.
The French multinational aerospace company was found to be leaking sensitive data, including its Laravel app key, JSON Web Token key, MySQL credentials, and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol credentials.
If attackers had access to these keys, they could create an admin account and have privileged access to the company's website.
Due to its position in the aerospace supply chain, a supply-chain attack could have a far-reaching impact, posing a risk to Safran Group and its customers. Read more
UPS cleared for takeoff: UAE issues license for electric cargo aircraft
The UAE's Regulations Lab has granted a temporary license to United Parcel Service (UPS) to test electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the country.
Under the license, UPS can conduct cargo operations using a new sustainable aircraft that meets international electric air cargo and transportation systems standards.
The Regulations Lab aims to align regulation with innovation, ensuring that necessary laws are implemented to keep pace with rapid development in various sectors, including mobility, health, 3D printing, AI, etc. Read more
Volocopter and SITA partner to develop digital infrastructure for sustainable urban air mobility
Volocopter, a company specializing in urban air mobility (UAM), and SITA, an IT provider to the air transport industry, have partnered to develop digital and IT systems for vertiports.
Under the agreement, SITA will be Volocopter's preferred digital partner and has become an investor in Volocopter's Series E funding round.
The partnership aims to shape aviation industry standards by offering a sustainable and efficient air transport system with end-to-end passenger experiences.
Volocopter's electric air taxi, VoloCity, will operate routes in congested megacities through designated boarding points, or vertiports. The partnership is expected to commercialize its services by 2024. Read more
Airline industry to face new measures to address toxic fumes on airplanes
A bill has been introduced in the US Congress that seeks to mandate the airline industry to adopt measures to protect passengers and crew members from toxic fumes.
The legislation would require crew training, sensor-equipped aircraft, and reporting and investigating of fume events.
This comes in response to a Los Angeles Times investigation that found dangerous vapors on airplanes often sicken passengers and crew and incapacitate pilots during flights.
Nearly 400 pilots, flight attendants, and passengers reported receiving medical attention after these "fume events," with almost 50 pilots impaired to the point of being unable to perform their duties. Read more
Boeing's $27 billion deal with Saudi Arabia could be even bigger
According to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, Boeing's deal to sell 80 787 jets to Saudi Arabian airlines may be larger than initially reported.
While the order is significant, the report suggests that Saudi Arabia may also be interested in purchasing other types of planes as it begins to launch its own airline.
The deal is worth an estimated $27 billion based on list prices, but actual prices paid are subject to negotiation and are not typically disclosed. Boeing has not yet commented on the report. Read more
Crystal Cabin Awards shortlist unveils innovative ideas to revolutionize airplane cabins
The Crystal Cabin Awards has announced its shortlist for this year's innovative aviation ideas. The awards, which have eight categories, aim to reconceptualize the airplane cabin experience.
Among the shortlisted concepts are Air New Zealand's "Skynest" sleeping pods, Adient Aerospace's "Front-Row Business Class Retreat," and Taller De Arquitectura T36's "Multicabin" design that reconfigures an economy cabin to eradicate the middle seat.
Additionally, Safran Seats and Devialet's Euphony concept aims to improve inflight entertainment by installing speakers in each individual seat's headrest. The winners will be announced in June. Read more
Korean Air reinstates routes and flights to boost China travel demand
Korean Air is set to resume more flights to and from Mainland China on 17 March. As part of the move, the airline will restore routes and add more flights between Incheon and Gimpo Airports and major Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.
The airline will operate 13 flights per week to China until the end of March, with this increasing to 84 weekly flights in April, and 99 times per week by May.
The sister carrier of Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, will also resume services to Guangzhou, Qingdao, Xian, and Tianjin. Read more
How is the aviation industry tackling sustainability and ESG ambitions?
The aviation industry is progressing toward sustainability, but collaboration is necessary to achieve true headway in the right direction.
This requires the collective work of airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers, and air navigation service providers.
Government support will be paramount for the success of green innovation, whether through funding, new policies, or investment initiatives.
Technology will play a critical role in cutting emissions, including the development of sustainable aviation fuels, more fuel-efficient aircraft, redesigning airspace, and electric aircraft.
Carbon offsetting, carbon capture technologies, and increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging will also help.
Ultimately, customer expectations are driving change, and businesses must adopt clear ESG ambitions achieved through collaboration, technology, and engagement. Read more
***
Thank you for reading!!
Who reads AviationOutlook?
Whether you are an aviation professional, engineer, pilot, cabin crew, aircraft technician, or frequent flyer and aviation enthusiast, you will find something that suits your interests and needs in our newsletter.
Know someone who would love AviationOutlook? Gift them a subscription!
Join other Aviation Outlookers
Be part of this growing community of aviation professionals and enthusiasts. Connect with people, and share your opinion and ideas on ongoing aspects of the aviation industry.
Join Us! Help build a thriving aviation community. Share this newsletter with your colleagues, friends, and family.