Middle-East Aviation News

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May 2024: The International Flight Training Center (IFTC) awarded HAVELSAN a contract to deliver an Airbus A320 NEO/CEO Full-Flight Simulator (FFS) with three engine options.

March 2024: Exail was awarded a contract by Fosen High School in Norway to deliver a new B737 Flight and Maintenance Training Device to provide a realistic and immersive experience for its students undergoing B737 maintenance and flight training programs.

May 2023: Mc Dan Aviation, an air charter services provider in Ghana, added two aircraft to its fleet, the Beechcraft King Air B200 and Airbus EC135 T1 helicopter. The provider announced that the Beechcraft King Air B200 will operate mainly in Ghana and West Africa.

October 2022: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation announced a new authorized warranty facility agreement with ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria, which will provide warranty and maintenance service and spare parts for Gulfstream G450, Gulfstream G550, Gulfstream G650, and Gulfstream G650ER aircraft in West Africa.

February 2024: Saudi Arabia announced plans to procure Airbus’ A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport and A400M military transport aircraft to bolster its air force capabilities.

March 2023: The Abu Dhabi Police in UAE awarded a contract to Leonardo SpA for an AW139 helicopter. The AW139 can perform area patrol, officer transport, re‑supply, command and control, fire support missions, medical evacuation, and search and rescue operations.

• October 2023: The UK announced that the country will likely start trials of new 16 Protector aircraft surveillance aircraft. Aircraft is expected to undergo test flights until entering service in late 2024. A new uncrewed RAF aircraft is capable of global surveillance operations.
• October 2022: Jet2, a British airline, ordered 35 new A320neo family aircraft and retained an option to purchase an additional 36 aircraft. The deliveries will likely take place in 2031, and the approximate value of the contract is USD 3.9 billion. If the option for additional aircraft is exercised, the total value of the contract is expected to rise to USD 8 billion.
• July 2022: The US State Department announced the foreign military sales (FMS) approval for up to 35 F-35A aircraft to Germany. The newly procured F-35 fighter jets are likely to replace its aging Tornado. Under the contract, Germany is expected to receive 35 F-35A aircraft, munitions, and related equipment for nuclear deterrence missions. The total value of the contract was USD 8.4 billion.

December 2023: Air India rejigged the 250-aircraft order with Airbus to 140 A321neo and 70 A320neo aircraft. The remaining 40 widebody A1350s included six A350-900 and 34 A350-1000s.

October 2022: Alaska Airlines ordered 52 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with a plan to expand its fleet. The airline stated that by the end of 2023, it is expected to have an all-Boeing mainline fleet.

September 2022: Lockheed Martin announced that it has been awarded a firm-fixed contract by the US Navy to produce 12 Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for the Royal Australian Navy. The OEM plans to deliver these 12 helicopters between mid-2025 and mid-2026.

• February 2024: Haryana Police became the first Indian police force to employ tear gas drones. These drones, crafted by Haryana's Drone Imaging and Information Service, were instrumental in dispersing protesting farmers at the Shambhu Barrier on the Punjab-Haryana border.
• January 2024: Wrap Technologies, headquartered in Arizona, unveiled its BolaWrap product, underscoring its non-lethal design. Resembling a taser, this device uses a Kevlar cord to restrain and temporarily restrict an individual's movement.

June 2024: OMNI Air Taxi (OMNI), South America's leading operator of Leonardo AW139 helicopters, awarded a significant contract to Honeywell International Inc. The agreement entails the upgradation of OMNI's 31 AW139s with Honeywell’s state-of-the-art IntuVue RDR-7000 Weather Radar System.

June 2023: Indonesia enhanced its airspace surveillance capabilities by procuring 13 long-range military radars from THALES. Opting for THALES' Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400a), boasting a 515-kilometer range, Indonesia highlighted its appeal for integrating artificial intelligence, a feature streamlining data management.

June 2024: Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a part of the SATS Group, bolstered its collaboration with American Airlines in Europe. This partnership was solidified through a fresh cargo handling contract in Copenhagen. The move aimed to facilitate American Airlines' new daily Boeing 787 flights, connecting Denmark to its transatlantic hub in Philadelphia. WFS's role in Europe already encompasses managing American Airlines' escalating cargo operations in key countries, including France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

February 2024: Menzies Aviation inked a significant deal with Air Serbia. The agreement, marking Menzies' largest venture in Eastern Europe, kicked off in February 2024. As part of this deal, Menzies' local teams are set to oversee over 22,000 turns at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport in the inaugural year.

July 2023: Safran, a French aerospace and defense company, finalized a USD 1.8 billion cash deal to acquire a business division from Collins Aerospace. This division specializes in aircraft actuation and flight control products. The acquisition of Collins Aerospace's mechanical and hydraulic actuators positions Safran favorably for next-generation aircraft initiatives.

July 2022: South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace Co. Ltd partnered with Vertical Aerospace, a UK company specializing in electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, to collaborate on designing, testing, and supplying electromechanical actuators for Vertical's VX4 electric aircraft. The joint initiative was a strategic move toward advancing zero-emission electric aircraft technology.

November 2023: Northrop Grumman Corporation completed thermal vacuum tests on the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM), a two-satellite constellation designed to deliver broadband communications to Northern Polar for the US Space Force and Space Norway.

February 2023: The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency awarded Maxar Technologies a five-year contract worth USD 192 million to provide commercial satellite imagery to the US allies. Maxar will also provide three-dimensional data services to the allies.