This will help commercial aerospace manufacturing and maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO) facilities modernise production and lower operational costs through digitalisation.

This addition to the Honeywell Forge suite further supports Honeywell’s alignment with the megatrends of advancing automation and the future of aviation.

“During a time of increasing workplace complexity and operating costs, operators need to be able to leverage data to inform critical decision making and embrace automation,” said Karen Miller, general manager, Honeywell Connected Aerospace. “As the aviation industry grapples with issues such as ageing fleets, higher maintenance costs and ongoing supply chain challenges, Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Aerospace can help organisations achieve key outcomes such as quicker turnarounds, increased asset utilisation and decreased maintenance times.” 

Aerospace manufacturing and MRO operations face several challenges regarding operations and workforces. Many of these organisations need to increase operational awareness and improve asset management, such as quickly locating assets across a site, while also lowering operational costs. Organisations also have siloed data that cannot be effectively utilised in managing their businesses due to complex assets, facilities and workforces. 

“Today’s aerospace companies need to improve their operational efficiency and gain better visibility into their assets, but disconnected and manual processes hold them back,” said Michael Rowe, Vice President Aerospace & Defense at Frost & Sullivan, a leading industry analyst firm. “A smaller MRO team may have more than 1,200 open maintenance actions to tackle. Instead of focusing initially on work that seems easiest to complete, software solutions such as Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Aerospace can enable companies to first address those tasks with the highest impact on operations that improve productivity and decrease costly downtime."

X-ray Diffraction (XRD) is a powerful inspection technology offering highly accurate material discrimination and substance identification based on an object’s molecular structure. XRD is particularly suited to detecting constantly evolving compounds in powder, liquid or solid forms, such as ‘homemade’ explosives or narcotics, even for materials with similar densities.

Multi-level baggage and material handling operations and express forwarders are under pressure to screen huge volumes quickly and efficiently. The SDX 10060 XDi can transform this process by automating the resolution of potential explosive alarms, in turn improving both security and efficiency.

Due to its exceptional sensitivity, XRD technology can also be very effectively deployed to support customs agencies in screening for a range of contraband items including narcotics, helping to mitigate ever-growing threats to society.

Jerome de Chassey, President of Smiths Detection, commented: “We are immensely excited to announce the launch of the SDX 10060 XDi which marks a new era in security screening. Every minute of every day our threat detection and security screening technology helps to protect people and infrastructure, and this new development highlights our commitment to making the world a safer place. X-ray Diffraction will future-proof operations for a large variety of sectors, and we are proud to play a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of future threat detection.”

Schutterop joins Pooleys after 16 years at Bose Corporation as their Business Manager - Aviation for EMEAI, Asia and APAC where he and his team were responsible for managing Bose's extensive aviation dealer network.

Schutterop said: "With great enthusiasm I look forward to joining the strong, passionate, dedicated and motivated team at Pooleys Flight Equipment, contributing my share to their already impressive success."

Schutterop will officially start with Pooleys on May 1.

Utilising cutting edge cloud and AI technologies, the partnership will focus on building Riyadh Air’s data analytics platform and developing AI solutions across its main business and corporate functions.

Through these AI solutions, Riyadh Air will be able to hyper-personalise its guest experience and elevate its guest service through intelligent channels, optimise its flight and ground operations through real-time data insights and predictions, and launch fit-for-purpose offerings of Air and non-Air products through highly efficient and targeted sales channels.

Abe Dev, vice president digital & innovation at Riyadh Air, added: "Our partnership with Artefact signifies Riyadh Air's dedication to leveraging cutting edge technologies to enhance guest experiences at every stage and every moment of their journey. This partnership with Artefact builds upon our recent collaborations with leaders in the aviation industry. Through AI integration, we aim to redefine travel standards, offering personalised, seamless digital-first experience to our guests ahead of our maiden flight in 2025."

Rahul Arya, CEO and managing partner of Artefact MENA, said: "Our partnership with Riyadh Air marks a significant milestone in our commitment to pioneering AI solutions tailored to the unique needs of the aviation industry. By combining Riyadh Air's forward-thinking approach with Artefact's expertise in data and AI solutions, we're poised to set new standards for innovation in the airline sector."

In 1930, there were only around 6 000 passengers travelling by air. By 1934, this had risen to just under 500,000*. Fast-forward to 2019 and it had exploded to four billion travellers. In fact the International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects eight billion air travellers annually by 2040. The demand for air-travel is booming.

To prepare for this, 425 major construction projects (worth around US$450 billion) were already put underway at existing global airports. The industry also invested in 225 new airport projects in 2022, according to the Centre for Aviation. Bricks and mortar infrastructure is only part of the solution though. Without state-of-the-art, adaptable digital solutions, airlines and airports will struggle to manage passenger numbers. This will affect the quality of the travel experience they’re able to deliver."

SITA’s Biometrics White Paper, ‘Face the Future’ highlights how the surge in air traveler numbers places extraordinary pressure on existing and new airports, national borders, and airline resources. In short, “existing paper-based and manual travel infrastructure and legacy processes simply won’t be able to cope”.

The solution, explains SITA, is in harnessing the power of facial and fingerprint biometrics to create a smoother, safer, and slicker air transport experience. By applying advanced technological solutions SITA will also solve other industry challenges, like space constraints, specialist staff shortages, and evolving passenger wants and needs.

The white paper takes us behind the scenes by showcasing successful case studies like the Star Alliance Biometric initiative and the Indian government’s DigiYatra programme. Both cases use the end-to-end biometric passenger processing solution SITA Smart Path.

Stefan Schaffner, VP of Airports at SITA, explains: “SITA Smart Path biometrically enables every step of the passenger journey, from mobile enrolment to aircraft boarding and every point in between and beyond. With facial recognition across as many airport touch points as you need, it lets passengers manage their identity across their whole journey, in a unique and touchless way. The final result is a radically improved travel experience.”

In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudia has made it possible for passengers to obtain a stopover visa immediately during the booking process.

Passengers with stopover visas can stay for up to 96 hours in Saudi Arabia. Within this window, guests can perform Umrah, see sacred sites and visit top tourist destinations such as the nation’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites – from the stunning desert landscape of AlUla, bustling Historic Jeddah and the lush greenery of the Al-Ahsa Oasis.

Saudia’s streamlined process allows passengers to pay for their ticket and visa in one step on the Saudia website. The improved pathway is a digital extension of the world-renowned Saudi hospitality, which continues to be a touchstone for the Saudia brand. The move is the latest initiative by Saudia to bolster travel and tourism to the Kingdom as part of Vision 2030, the transformative economic and social campaign that seeks to open Saudi to the world. As part of the initiative, Saudi has outlined goals to have 150 million annual visits to the county by 2030.

Arved Muhlen, chief commercial officer, Saudia said: ‘We are very proud to be bringing the world to Saudi Arabia with our stopover visa initiative. The seamless digital journey for our guests embodies the hospitality that defines flying with Saudia.

Emirates scooped the top award for inflight entertainment from an extensive finalist list of global airlines, due to its whopping 6,500 channels of high quality and acclaimed content, the world’s largest entertainment library in the sky - making it a clear winner for the Best Inflight Entertainment award.

Airlineratings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said: “Our editors were unanimous in their praise for Emirates ice system as a step above. That early investment in inflight entertainment has paid off for Emirates and just when you think it can’t do it better – it lifts the bar once again.”

Dassault Systèmes’ SIMULIA PowerFLOW application has provided robust and industry-proven fluid dynamics simulation to predict real-world operating conditions, allowing Embraer and Eve’s engineers to evaluate how the aircraft flies and test its sound emission.

“One of the main advantages of eVTOL aircraft is that they are electrically powered and a more sustainable option than combustion-powered aircraft. However, they are meant to operate in urban areas, making noise reduction a key driver in their design. SIMULIA fluid dynamics applications will enable Embraer and Eve to experience and optimise the most critical parts of their eVTOL aircraft in a virtual environment,” said David Ziegler, Vice President, Aerospace & Defense Industry, Dassault Systèmes.

Embraer and Eve have been working in collaborative efforts with global partners in line with the commitment to safely provide more reliable, affordable, sustainable, integrated and human-centric Urban Air Mobility (UAM) solutions. 

“Numerical validated models have demonstrated accuracy when compared with experimental results and have helped accelerate product definition,” said Micael Gianini, Interiors, Noise and Vibration Senior Manager at Embraer. “The human-centered design ensures the safety, accessibility, and comfort of passengers, the pilot, and the community by minimising noise.”

The aim is to spread digital culture and provide advice and guidance that will protect employees in cyberspace.

 Vice Chairman/CEO of Royal Jordanian Airlines Engineer Samer Majali expressed that the launch of the educational platform comes from the importance of creating a comprehensive cybersecurity system at all levels within the company, which contributes to providing a safe environment and protecting information security. The platform will be considered the main tool for providing employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain a safe and sustainable digital environment.

Majali also pointed out that Royal Jordanian supports national efforts to develop infrastructure, raise awareness, and build capacity, as well as ensuring the protection of data security according to the highest international standards and best practices in this field.

As part of the initiative, Etihad Cargo has implemented a customised version of Awery’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to manage its Cargo Chartering Programme.

The Awery ERP system will allow Etihad Cargo to classify and prioritise charter queries, improve analytics and data storage for performance evaluation, and enhance pricing capabilities by providing access to historical data for better decision-making. Driven by intelligent automation (IA), the system reads information from enquiries, making it easily accessible for the creation of future quotes. Etihad Cargo will use this data to consistently provide best-in-class customer service.

Customers will be able to accept quotes and book directly via a single click or reject them, with the option to provide a reason for why the quote has not been accepted. Through the easy retrieval of comparable past quotes, Etihad Cargo has improved its capabilities to set competitive pricing and ensure consistent pricing while offering faster response times.

Stanislas Brun, Vice President Cargo at Etihad Cargo, said: “Etihad Cargo is committed to developing and adopting innovative digital tools that benefit partners and customers. In 2023, Etihad Cargo operated 262 charters, which is a 23 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

“The tailored Awery ERP system will enable the carrier to meet the increasing demand for charter services in the market and improve operational efficiency and customer service. In managing charter enquiries more efficiently, Etihad Cargo will provide faster response times and attractive offers.

“This strategic move is poised to set a new standard in cargo charter services, emphasising Etihad Cargo’s position as a forward-thinking and customer-centric organisation.”

Vitaly Smilianets, CEO of Awery Aviation Software, added: “Working with Etihad Cargo has been a remarkable journey. Our goal was not only to provide a solution that meets the carrier’s current needs but also to build a lasting relationship that contributes to Etihad Cargo’s long-term success. As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, this partnership stands as a testament to our commitment to excellence and our ability to deliver personalised solutions to our clients.”