IATA reports that total air passenger traffic is now very close to pre-Covid levels

Total air passenger traffic in December, worldwide, reached a level very close to that recorded before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has... 

Embraer reports significant increases in its aircraft deliveries and services business

Brazil-based major aerospace and defence group Embraer has announced that its commercial and business aircraft deliveries last year were 13% higher than in 2022, reaching a total of 181 aircraft... 

IATA welcomes release of some blocked airline funds by Nigeria

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global representative body for the airline industry, has welcomed the announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that it has... 

Three of Africa’s five youngest airliner fleets are in East Africa

The five African airlines which currently have the youngest airliner fleets are, in order from youngest to less young, Uganda Airlines, Jambojet, Air Tanzania, Air Cairo and Air Austral. This was... 

Stellenbosch, Western Cape universities receive muon detector from France

Research into cosmic rays by scientists at Stellenbosch University (SU) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) has been energised by the delivery, from France, of a muon detector. The... 

NNR approves the separation of the operating timelines of Koeberg’s nuclear reactors

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has announced that it has approved the request of national electricity utility Eskom to separate the operational timelines for the two reactors of the Koeberg... 

Airline association and European regulator agree on global threat posed by GNSS jamming

The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), have agreed on the dangers posed... 

A prototype dish for the SKA has started early science work in the Karoo

Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) has announced that a prototype dish for the SKA-Mid radio telescope array has commenced initial astronomical observations, known as “first... 

Global air passenger traffic now almost at pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels

Global total air passenger traffic in November last year passed 99% of the figure for November 2019, which was the last November before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, reports the International... 

Zero carbon aeroengine company reports breakthrough in inverter technology

UK-US zero carbon emissions aviation company ZeroAvia has announced that the initial testing campaign for its in-house developed 200 kW continuous power inverter has been successfully concluded.... 

The Global Reporting Initiative has released a new Biodiversity Standard

Independent international standards organisation, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), on Thursday published a significantly updated version of its Biodiversity Standard. This was a response to... 

Airbus Helicopters reports orders increased in 2023 by about 10%, year-on-year

Airbus Helicopters, part of the Europe-based global major aerospace and defence group Airbus, has reported that it secured 410 gross orders, or 393 net orders, for its aircraft last year. These... 

Proposed underground lab in South Africa moves into project stage

A proposal to build South Africa’s and Africa’s first underground science laboratory has now moved into the project stage, with the launch of the Paarl Africa Underground Laboratory (PAUL),... 

Johannesburg golf club has implemented solar power system

In what is believed to be the biggest such project implemented, so far, at a major South African golf club, a solar power and battery microgrid has been commissioned at the Royal Johannesburg and... 

IATA, ICAO extend cooperation on air transport of dangerous goods

The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the intergovernmental agency responsible for overseeing the regulation of civil... 

Airlink updates on aircraft runway excursion incident in Mozambique

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink on Monday issued an update regarding one of its Embraer ERJ135 37-seat regional airliners, which suffered from a runway excursion when landing at... 

Wesgro, Standard Bank, facilitate new agricultural export deal with China

Western Cape provincial trade, tourism and investment promotion agency Wesgro and Standard Bank South Africa have collaborated to support the conclusion of an export deal worth R300-million a year... 

South African woman to head Brussels aircraft maintenance facility

Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company ExecuJet MRO Services Europe has appointed South African Nadia Coetzee as GM of its facility at Brussels International Airport. She was... 

Global nuclear energy summit announced for March

The intergovernmental International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo have... 

Nuclear energy conference in Ghana in May to be hosted by that country’s President

The Africa Nuclear Business Platform (AFNBP) has announced that its 2024 conference, to be held in Accra, Ghana, from May 27 to May 30, will be attended by Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa... 

Airlink to restart Durban-Bloemfontein air service

South African regional and domestic airline Airlink has announced that it is to reinstate direct flights between the cities of Durban and Bloemfontein. This service will recommence on February 26.... 

Boeing appoints retired nuclear submariner to review its airliner business quality control

Global major US aerospace group Boeing has announced that the quality management system in its Boeing Commercial Airplanes business would be reviewed by a team of experts recruited from outside the... 

No emissions transport companies team up to analyse new hydrogen technology for aviation

US-UK zero carbon emissions aviation company ZeroAvia and US hydrogen storage and refuelling technology startup company Verne have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the... 

Airbus Helicopters acquires US uncrewed aircraft company

Airbus Helicopters, the rotary-wing business of the Europe-based global major aerospace and defence group Airbus, has announced that it is acquiring US uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) company... 

ATNS takes over air traffic control at Grand Central Airport

Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), South Africa’s air traffic management (ATM) agency, has assumed responsibility for air traffic services at Grand Central Airport, in Gauteng province,... 

Airbus reports 2023 was a landmark year for its airliner business

Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus has announced that its Commercial Aircraft (that is, airliner) business had a “landmark” 2023, in terms of orders and deliveries. Gross orders last... 

December international air passenger traffic through Cape Town Airport sets new record

Cape Town Air Access (CTAA) announced on Monday that December had seen a monthly record number of two-way international passengers passing through Cape Town International Airport (CTIA). These... 

Airbus opens new hydrogen technology research centre

Europe-based global major aerospace group Airbus has announced that it has opened a new hydrogen technologies research unit, in Germany. Designated the ZEROe Development Centre (ZEDC), the facility... 

Nasa delays first two crewed Artemis Moon missions

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) has announced that it is delaying the launch of its Artemis II and Artemis III crewed lunar missions by about a year, in each case.... 

Global air cargo demand recorded strong growth in November

Global total air cargo demand grew strongly in November, year-on-year, the International Air Transport Association (IATA – the global representative body for the airline industry) has reported.... 

Global air passenger traffic now almost at pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels

Global total air passenger traffic in November last year passed 99% of the figure for November 2019, which was the last November before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, reports the International... 

US researchers develop longer-life, rapidly charging, solid-state lithium battery

A new solid state lithium metal battery, that can be charged within a matter of minutes and can be charged and discharged at least 6 000 times, has been developed by researchers at the John A... 

UAE to build key element of future new Nasa space station

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is to build the crew and science airlock module for the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration- (Nasa-) led Gateway Space Station. Gateway will be the first... 

UK to invest hundreds of millions into the production of fuel for advanced reactors

The UK government has announced that it is to invest £300-million in the creation of a commercial-scale production plant for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel for nuclear reactors. It... 

IAEA launches microplastic pollution research project in Antarctica

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a mission to research the presence and impact of microplastics in Antarctica. Microplastics are defined as plastic particles with a... 

IATA welcomes aviation decarbonisation conference agreements, but demands States act

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global representative body for the airline industry, has welcomed the outcomes of the intergovernmental International Civil Aviation... 

International air cargo group opens pharmaceuticals handling facility at Cape Town

The International Airlines Group’s (IAG’s) freight business, IAG Cargo, announced on Thursday that Cape Town had become its latest station to receive approval to handle the shipment of temperature-... 

South African young-women-led startup gains international visibility from global event win

The winning of the jury prize at the recent Women Entrepreneurs 4 Good (WE4G) global startup pitching event in Paris, by South African biotechnology startup BAOM Eco Solutions (BAOM), has created... 

AI, flying taxis identified as emerging megatrends in the air transport sector

Global air transport industry information technology (IT) provider SITA has identified both generative artificial intelligence (AI) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as among the emerging megatrends in... 

PRASA to brief Parliament’s transport committee early next year on its challenges

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) will account to, and provide a briefing for, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport, regarding the challenges faced by the Shosholoza Meyl...