To facilitate this, a final assembly line and service center for Brimstone will be established at MBDA精东影业 Schrobenhausen site. Neither the exact number of missiles ordered nor the value of the contract has yet been specified. 

鈥淭he procurement of Brimstone 3 by Germany is a decisive contribution to the harmonisation of armaments in Europe and the Bundeswehr’s ammunition stockpile,鈥� Eric B茅ranger, CEO of MBDA, stated. 鈥淭he new production line is the first of its kind outside the UK and demonstrates the value of the MBDA cooperation model in ensuring the sovereign supply of critical European defence capabilities.” 

The Brimstone 3 missile is a tactical precision strike weapon designed to engage both stationary and fast-moving targets on land and at sea. It weighs 50kg, has a length of 1.8 meters, and a diameter of 180mm. It is equipped with a tandem-shaped charge warhead. 

The weapon features three modes of operation for different target scenarios: Semi-Active Laser (SAL) guidance for engaging static targets with limited or no radar cross section (RCS); a combination of SAL and Millimetric Wave radar guidance for targeting fast-moving objects in cluttered environments; and a fire-and-forget mode for simultaneous target engagement. 

European countries to jointly acquire over 1,500 Mistral air defense missiles

• Defense

byClement Charpentreau

2024-06-21

The Doha-based airline claims to have seen a 62% growth in outbound passengers from Germany in 2023 when compared with the previous year.  The airline currently flies to four other cities in Germany: Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Berlin Airport (BER), Munich International Airport (MUC) and Dusseldorf Airport (DUS).

According to Qatar Airways, the flights are expected to offer up to 11% growth in Hamburg精东影业 cargo sector as compared to 2023.

The daily flights, which are being served by the airline精东影业 fleet of A350 aircraft, operate on the following schedules:

Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday (all local time)

QR89 Doha (DOH) to Hamburg (HAM)  departure 08:35, arrival 14:10

QR90 Hamburg (HAM) to Doha (DOH) departure 15:40, arrival 22:40

Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (all local time)

QR91 Doha (DOH) to Hamburg (HAM), departure 02:15, arrival 07:50

QR92 Hamburg (HAM) to Doha (DOH), departure 09:20, arrival 16:20

鈥淲e are proud to offer our customers from northern Germany one of the most modern and comfortable aircraft choices in the world to travel to some of their favorite destinations, whether for business or leisure,鈥� Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori said in a statement.

“As Germany’s most important foreign trade center, international accessibility is a key factor for Hamburg,鈥� CEO of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce Dr Malte Heyne said.

鈥淭he direct connection to Qatar Airways鈥� Doha hub strengthens Hamburg精东影业 links to global trade. Direct flight connections are an important factor for the attractiveness of investors and tourists as well as for the organization of international congresses and events,” Heyne added.

Qatar Airways posts largest annual profits in its history at $1.7 billion聽聽

• Airlines
• Aviation Economics & Finance

byLuke Peters

2024-07-02

Lufthansa City Airlines, the newest airline in the Lufthansa Group, previously announced in April 2024, that the first flight will depart Munich Airport (MUC) for Birmingham Airport (BHX) and opened reservations.听听

On June 24, 2024, Lufthansa City confirmed that flight VL2508 will leave MUC at 09:10 on June 26, 2024, and arrive in Birmingham at 10:00.  

“Lufthansa City Airlines is committed to successfully positioning itself in the European short and medium-haul segment from Munich and Frankfurt. A major investment in the future that will strengthen Germany as an aviation location and create numerous attractive jobs,” said Jens Fehlinger, Managing Director of Lufthansa City Airlines. 

The first aircraft will initially fly to Birmingham, D眉sseldorf, Cologne, Hanover and Bremen then from July 27, 2024, the second aircraft, an Airbus A319, will fly to Bordeaux, Hamburg and Berlin.   

After the initial Airbus A320 family aircraft, Lufthansa City Airlines鈥� fleet will be expanded further with the arrival of at least eight more A320neo and more A319s in the coming year.   

In December 2023, the Lufthansa Group placed an order with Airbus for 40 A220-300, and a further 20 purchase options, all earmarked for .听 聽

Delivery of the 40 new aircraft of the A220-300 type ordered will start in 2026.听

Lufthansa City to launch with flights to airports in Germany, France and the UK聽

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2024-02-28

The deal includes 38 firm orders with options for a further six H225 helicopters, which is popular among commercial operators and governmental agencies for its long range and all-weather capabilities. The contract also includes training amenities and spare part packages.

The H225精东影业 payload, range and advanced systems make it a versatile aircraft capable of conducting a large array of law enforcement and homeland security missions ranging from special forces transport to firefighting and disaster relief.

The H225 will replace the H155 and AS332 helicopters that have been in service with the German Federal Police for over 20 years. The order for the H225 will ensure a seamless transition for pilots and maintenance personnel. 

The new fleet of H225 helicopters will be powered by Safran精东影业 Makila 2A engines. According to Safran, the Makila 2A, powering all variants of the H225, is a 2,100 shaft horsepower (shp) engine which will contribute to expanding the Bundespolizei’s operational capabilities.

The German Bundespolizei currently operates 94 Airbus helicopters, ranging from the single-engine H120 used for pilot training, to more than 40 twin-engine H135 family helicopters for several missions including emergency medical services. The Bundespolizei will receive support from Safran Helicopter Engines鈥� Germany facility in Hamburg.

Germany精东影业 partnership with Airbus began in 1962, when the Bundespolizei (at that time Bundesgrenzschutz) started operation of its Alouette II, manufactured by Airbus predecessor company A茅rospatiale. 

鈥淭he Bundespolizei can look forward to a modern helicopter thanks to the continuous improvements we’ve made to our H225 in recent years. It will remain one of the most advanced helicopters available on the market for the decades to come,鈥� Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters said in a statement.

Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2029.

Airbus H225 performs first helicopter flight with 100% SAF in both engines

• Sustainability

byJean Carmela Lim

2022-06-23

The Airbus A350, registered 10+03, will officially fall under the guardianship of the German Air Force and be used to fly German government officials and dignitaries from place to place.

The new A350 officially entered service (again) on June 5, 2024, at a service attended by the German Secretary of State for Defense Nils Hilmer.

Named 鈥楰urt Schumacher鈥�, this is in fact the second time the A350 has been delivered to the German Air Force.

The initial handover of 10+03 took place just a few months after the political decision was made to replace the German Air Force精东影业 two long-serving Airbus A340s with three brand-new A350s.

Due to the A340s becoming unreliable a new A350 was needed very quickly, so initially only equipped 10+03 with an interim cabin before delivering the aircraft in August 2020.

The first A350 deliveries with a fully modified governmental cabin followed in November 2022 and in March 2023 with 10+01 鈥楰onrad Adenauer鈥� and 10+02 鈥楾heodor Heuss鈥�.

Once those aircraft were up and running, 10+03 was able to return to Lufthansa Technik精东影业 Hamburg VIP Completion Center for the full upgrade treatment.

The jet was updated in the latest livery with new lettering in the 鈥楤undes Sans鈥� font and wingtips that are now extensively painted in the colors of the German flag.

鈥淭he largest modernization programme in the history of the Special Air Mission Wing can justifiably be called a Herculean task,鈥� Soeren Stark, Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Technik AG, said. 鈥淔our cabin refurbishments for a total of three wide-body jets over a period of just four years, and some of them were still heavily influenced by the pandemic.鈥�

Stark added: 鈥淚 am all the more proud of our team, which mastered this task with flying colors, and completely within the estimated cost and time frame. I take my hat off to this achievement and thank everyone who was involved.鈥�

German government places firm order for three ACJ350 XWB

• Defense

byClement Charpentreau

2019-05-20

During a speech on June 5, 2024, Chancellor Scholz confirmed that the purchase of the new aircraft for the Luftwaffe is in addition to the 38 Eurofighter Typhoons ordered in 2020.听听

Addressing the media, Scholz said: 鈥淚 am strongly in favor of maintaining and expanding production capabilities. That is why we will order 20 more Eurofighters in this legislative period in addition to the 38 aircraft currently in the pipeline.鈥�  

The German leader added: 鈥淲e are also committed to further prospects for the Eurofighter in terms of exports. I already had the opportunity to visit the Eurofighter facility in Manching in January. We shall ensure continuous capacity utilization there.鈥�  

He added that the order would provide Airbus and its suppliers with security for the future.听听

Wir wollen eine starke Luft- und Raumfahrtbranche in Deutschland und Europa. Dazu geh枚rt Planungssicherheit in der Verteidigungsindustrie. Deshalb sorgen wir f眉r verl盲ssliche Auftr盲ge – auch mit der Bestellung von 20 weiteren Eurofightern noch in dieser Legislaturperiode.

— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler)

Eurofighter CEO Giancarlo Mezzanatto said: 鈥淭oday精东影业 announcement from the German government is great news for the Eurofighter programme and our industry partners. It underlines Germany精东影业 long-term commitment to the Eurofighter.鈥� 

Mezzanatto added: 鈥淓urofighter Typhoon will be the backbone of Europe精东影业 defence for decades to come.鈥� 

In June 2020, Germany精东影业 acquisition of 38 Eurofighter Typhoons was estimated to be worth around 鈧�5.4 billion ($5.8 billion). Delivery of the Airbus fourth-generation fighter jets should commence in 2025. 

The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter, manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.听

Airbus receives order for 38 Eurofighter Typhoons from Germany

• Defense

byClement Charpentreau

2020-11-06

The German company aims to leverage the country’s extensive aerospace supplier network for the serial production of its all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet. The announcement was made during the 鈥淐hoose France鈥� summit, an initiative created in 2018 by French President Emmanuel Macron to stimulate foreign investments. 

Lilium is exploring potential strategic partnerships and subsidies to facilitate its expansion plans. If successful, this 鈧�400 million investment over several years could create up to 850 new direct jobs in New Aquitaine, France, according to the manufacturer. The region already includes industrial sites of aerospace giants such as Airbus, Safran, Dassault Aviation, and Thales. 

The Munich-based startup was founded in 2015 and is now approaching the last critical stages before launching its electrically powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.  

The Lilium Jet will be able to carry five people (four passengers and a pilot) over distances of up to 175 kilometers (about 108.74 miles). It uses Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (DEVT) technology, which allows the aircraft to take off vertically and then accelerate horizontally, resembling the takeoff of a tiltrotor aircraft.  

Behind the scenes at Lilium, the eVTOL firm aiming to change regional air travel聽

• Aviation Technology and Innovation

byMiquel Ros

2024-05-07

In line with a decision by the German government, as of May 1, 2024, aviation tax rates in the country surged by 19%, now varying between 鈧�15.53 and 鈧�70.83 per passenger, contingent upon the route. After the tax increase, that Germany could become less competitive across several critical economic sectors, such as tourism, exports, and employment.

Given that international passenger numbers in the country remain 20% below pre-pandemic levels, placing it among the slowest in the European Union, the association warns that these measures will hinder the aviation sector’s recovery from the pandemic.

According to IATA精东影业 Director General Willie Walsh, Germany精东影业 government should focus on improving its competitiveness rather than opting for a short-term revenue boost.

鈥淲hen Germany精东影业 economic performance is anemic at best, denting its competitiveness with more taxes on aviation is policy madness. The government should be prioritizing measures to improve Germany精东影业 competitive position and encouraging trade and travel. Instead, they have gone for a short-term cash-grab which can only damage the economy精东影业 long-term growth,” Walsh said.

IATA also cautioned that although aviation aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the tax increase will have a detrimental impact on decarbonization efforts.

鈥淭he German government coalition agreement originally stated that revenues from aviation taxes would directly fund production of SAF, but this commitment has been broken. In addition, weakening the German air transport industry with this tax makes it harder for airlines to invest in SAF, in a more fuel-efficient fleet and other decarbonization efforts,鈥� IATA statement reads.

IATA presents 2024 outlook: rising profits but thin margins for airlines

• Airlines
• Aviation Economics & Finance

byMiquel Ros

2023-12-07

The association asserts that the country精东影业 government appears to be leaning towards the European Taxation Directive, which proposes implementing an additional tax on jet fuel. According to a recent survey conducted by IATA among air travelers in Germany, travelers are skeptical about the tax increase and do not perceive it as a solution to promote sustainability in aviation.

“The German government appears to have an unhealthy obsession with aviation taxes. On top of increasing the passenger tax, it is also in favor of a European jet fuel tax which will make it even more expensive to do business in Germany or for families to go on holiday,鈥� Walsh said.

鈥淥ur survey of air travelers in Germany shows deep skepticism about government claims for 鈥榞reen taxes鈥�. 75% agreed with the statement 鈥淭axation is not the way to make aviation sustainable鈥� and 72% agreed that 鈥淕reen taxes are just government greenwashing鈥�. Time and again, we see taxation that was supposed to help the industry decarbonize be stolen and then lost in the general budget. And money taken out of the industry means that it has less money to invest in other decarbonization measures,鈥� the IATA精东影业 Director General concluded.

The Lufthansa Group subsidiary said that seating capacity on flights to Spain will increase by more than a third compared with 2019, with demand continuing to rise.听听聽

Eurowings will operate almost 100 routes to 14 different Spanish destinations from 26 European airports.听

As well as flying from German airports to Spain, Eurowings also operates flight to the popular summer destination from Prague and Stockholm. 

In addition to the most popular Balearic island, Mallorca, Eurowings said that demand for destinations to the coastal mainland, such as Barcelona and Malaga, is particularly strong.   

The 14 destinations Eurowings flies to are Alicante, Bilbao, Barcelona, Jerez de la Frontera, Malaga and Valencia on the Spanish mainland; Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca on the Balearic Islands, and Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma and Tenerife on the Canary Islands. 

Flights from Berlin operate to eight different destinations in Spain. On the other hand, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, and Stuttgart fly to 14, 13, and 12 destinations in Spain respectively.  

Palma de Mallorca is the most popular destination with 22 flights from Berlin every week, 64 flights from Dusseldorf, 42 flights from Hamburg and Stuttgart, and 48 flights from Cologne.听听聽

easyJet uses hydrogen to power baggage tractors in ground-breaking airport trial

• Airlines
• Sustainability

byIan Molyneaux

2024-04-15

announced the agreement on March 26, 2024, which it said represents a 鈥渟ignificant growth milestone鈥� for the company.听听

The Boeing 757-300 has been in service for the German leisure carrier since 2004 but the ageing fleet no longer fits in its future plans as it renews its aircraft. 

All 11 aircraft were acquired subject to existing lease agreements with Condor.听

鈥淲e are thrilled to welcome these Boeing 757-300 aircraft into our portfolio. This acquisition enhances our current portfolio and signifies the commencement of a promising partnership with Condor,鈥� said Steve Williamson, Principal, Head of Trading at Crestone Air Partners.  

Condor精东影业 existing Airbus A320/1 and Boeing 757 aircraft will be phased out and replaced with 41 factory-new A320neo-family aircraft, consisting of 13 A320neo and 28 A321neo units.   

Condor currently operates a fleet of over 50 aircraft consisting of A320-200, A321-200, A320neo, A321neo, 757-300 and A330neo aircraft. 

The transaction for the 11 757-300s was funded with equity from Crestone and Atalaya Capital Management, an existing joint venture partner since 2021. 

鈥淲e are pleased to continue to expand our relationship with Crestone. This transaction evidences creativity, collaboration and our flexible investment mandate within commercial aviation,鈥� commented Daniel Rosato, Managing Director, Atalaya Capital Management.听

Condor brings 33-year-long enduring partnership with Boeing 767-300ER to a close

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2024-03-13