Source: ALTA The air sector has historically been a leader in technological development, and today digital transformation is not unrelated to the air industry that seeks to cover three areas: technologies for the automation of operations, technologies for the integration of operations and technologies related to sustainability. During the ALTA CCMA & MRO Conference, Ian Galloway, Director of Commercial Aviation Americas and Connected Aviation Solutions at Collins Aerospace, presented “Connectivity: a catalyst for digital transformation in aviation” where he addressed connectivity, understood as the interconnection capacity between different systems that acts as a catalyst and starts digital transformation in air carriers. “To ensure safe activity and predictive management, a strategy of connectivity is required, as information is available at all [...]

Source: ALTA Disruptions to the global supply chain and maritime transport make it difficult for aircraft manufacturers and company suppliers to meet the growing demand for parts. This context was the theme of the panel “Disruption of the supply chain: operational impact for airlines and suppliers” on the first day of the ALTA CCMA & MRO Conference 2022. Moderated by Carlos Garcia, director of Oliver Wyman, the panel was attended by Eduardo Gáspari, head of operations of Flybondi, Diana Calixto, senior vice president of administration and supply of Avianca, Jayesh Shanbhag, General Manager for Americas Customer and Product Support at GE and Andy Shields, Vice President of PMA at Wencor. At the very beginning of the panel, moderator Carlos Garcia [...]

Source: IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged Asia-Pacific states to further ease border measures to accelerate the region’s recovery from COVID-19. “Asia-Pacific is playing catch-up on restarting travel after COVID-19, but there is growing momentum with governments lifting many travel restrictions. The demand for people to travel is clear. As soon as measures are relaxed there is an immediate positive reaction from travelers. So it is critical that all stakeholders, including governments are well-prepared for the restart. We cannot delay. Jobs are at stake and people want to travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, in his keynote address at the Changi Aviation Summit. The Asia-Pacific region’s international passenger demand for March reached 17% of pre-COVID levels, [...]

Source: TSA The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is prepared for a busy summer travel season with anticipated passenger volumes that will match and may occasionally exceed those of 2019 for the first time since the pandemic began. The continued recovery from the low travel volumes during the pandemic may require more patience and planning than was necessary before the pandemic. Checkpoint environments and procedures have changed to enhance screening operations, ensure the safety and well-being of the traveling public, and to minimize the spread of COVID-19. “Daily passenger volumes at TSA checkpoints show that people are traveling again, and TSA is ready for their return. Our airport security checkpoints include 47,500 highly-trained security professionals and new technologies that enhance security [...]

Source: Smithsonian - National Air and Space Museum Christopher Browne has been named the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, effective immediately. He has served as acting director since January 2021. Browne first joined the museum as deputy director in 2017, and he has helped lead the museum’s multi-year renovation of its flagship building in Washington, D.C. As director, Browne will oversee the museum’s two public facilities: the building on the National Mall in Washington, which opened in 1976 and houses many icons of flight, including the original 1903 Wright Flyer and Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, which opened in 2003 and holds [...]

Source: ALTA The last panel of the day at the ALTA CCMA & MRO Conference brought panelists discussing the status of the aviation maintenance industry in the region. Moderated by Jonathan Berger, director of Alton Aviation Consultancy, the meeting was attended by Pat Foley, CEO of Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico, Basil Papayoti, head of operations of MRO Holding and Caroline Vandedrink, Senior Vice President of Business Development, SR Technics Group. According to moderator Jonathan Berger, airline losses continue to improve, led by North America, but headwinds remain. From a financial point of view, Basil Papayoti of MRO Holding comments that the company is recovering after a critical period experienced at the end of 2020. “We took aircraft that were retired [...]

Source: ALTA Colombia’s geographical location allows it to position itself as an important air transport hub for cargo and passengers. With 16 international airports, 26 airlines connecting the country directly with 28 nations, about 300,000 monthly passengers and about 70,000 tons of cargo per month, on average, Colombia is positioned as the third largest commercial aviation market in Latin America and the Caribbean and El Dorado International Airport as the region’s main cargo hub. The Colombian government has implemented timely measures that have enabled the safe resumption of aviation, especially domestic transport in a country that needs aviation for its mountainous geography for the safe and efficient transportation of the population.  This consolidated Colombia as the second fastest recovery market [...]

Source: ALTA At the first panel of the ALTA CCMA & MRO 2022 Conference, we had a very productive discussion on the future of aviation in Latin America and the Caribbean with the participation of Hernán Pasman, Head of Operations of the Latam Airlines Group, José Antonio Montero, Chief Financial Officer of COPA and Julio Gamero, CEO of TAG Airlines. The panel was moderated by Alex de Gunten, Heico’s Senior Vice President and Chairman of ALTA’s Steering Committee. Among the topics covered are the recovery of the industry after the pandemic, the next moments of aviation in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean and recent market movements, such as the consolidation of airlines in large groups. At the [...]

Source: ALTA The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) is pleased to organize a new face-to-face edition of the ALTA CCMA & MRO Conference, a meeting focused on the main pillars for the region’s air sector: innovation, technology and efficiency. From May 15 to 17, about 120 representatives of airlines and 450 representatives of maintenance companies and aviation supply suppliers will meet in the host city, Cartagena de Indias, located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. At the ALTA CCMA & MRO Conference, networking and collaborative work are the protagonists. With six decades of history, the conference attracts executives from the technical areas, who participate in this space to share knowledge, innovations and explore business opportunities in a [...]

Source: ICAO ICAO has issued new requests for information (RFIs) from public- and private-sector innovators for its upcoming DRONE ENABLE event, designed to advance next generation global standards and solutions for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), UAS traffic management (UTM), and advanced air mobility (AAM). The deadline for the latest round of RFI submissions is 15 July, with 2022 submitters being asked to contribute either their latest experiences and best practices based on recent UTM deployments, or new insights and proposals relating to UTM data requirements. More detailed instructions for prospective RFI contributors are available here. “Governments and innovators expect DRONE ENABLE to deliver global solutions for them, and the focus now is on how the next evolution of aircraft, both manned [...]