Page 25 - World Airnews Magazine October Edition 2020
P. 25

NEWS             AIRLINES


 A MENTOR-PROTÉGÉ                  UNITED AIRLINES



 AGREEMENT                         ADDS ROUTES


 landing the first woman and the next man   “Southern University and A&M College

 on the moon in 2024. We look forward to   has long been a leading institution in Louisi-


 oeing and Southern University   a long and mutually beneficial relationship   ana and among fellow HBCUs,” said US Rep.   nited Airlines has extended its


 Band A&M College have signed an   with Boeing and NASA.”  Cedric Richmond.   Uinternati onal routes to cover Lagos,
 18-month NASA Mentor-Protégé agree-  The NASA-sponsored Mentor-Protégé   “This collaboration is a great example of   Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; New Delhi and Banga-

 ment to work together on NASA’s Space   Programme pairs large companies with   NASA and Boeing working hand-in-hand   lore, India and Johannesburg, South Africa.


 Launch System programme.  eligible small businesses and minority-serv-  with institutions like Southern University to   This was recently disclosed by the



 Boeing will provide tactical business and   ing institutions to enhance the protégés'   advance the mission of HBCUs and create   airline’s vice president of International



 technical support to Southern University to   capabilities and enable them to successfully   sustainable opportunities for those in our   Network and Alliances, Patrick Quayle, via
 improve its ability to win NASA contracts   compete for larger, more complex con-  district to showcase their engineering skills   live and lets fly’, a travellers blog.

 and subcontracts. The university already   tracts. During 2019, Boeing subcontracted   on the world’s most powerful rocket.”  According to the airline, it will add service
 supplies alumni engineering skills to Boeing   approximately (US) $5.3 billion to small and   The Boeing SLS programme employs   to Lagos, Nigeria from its Washington
 for SLS at NASA’s Michoud assembly facility   diverse businesses.    Boeing’s workforce in Huntsville, Alabama,   Dulles hub and it has worked with Boeing

 in New Orleans.  “Boeing has enjoyed a productive   at NASA’s Michoud assembly facility in New   to address range issues with this new route

 The SLS is the world’s most powerful   relationship with Southern University   Orleans and at other Boeing sites and with   on the 787-8.
 rocket. It will launch NASA’s Artemis mis-  that will only be enhanced by this NASA   suppliers across the United States.  He explained that Lagos is the largest   on the route, which offers service from New   between San Francisco and Bangalore will



 sions to the moon, Mars and beyond.  Mentor-Protégé agreement,” said John   “It is fantastic to see this symbiotic   gateway to West Africa, and the airline had   York JFK utilizing a 767-300,” he said.  connect Silicon Valley East with Silicon



 “We are honoured to be the first HBCU   Shannon, Boeing SLS vice president and   relationship grow with the establishment   operated service between Houston and La-  With South African Airways on life sup-  Valley West.

 [historically Black colleges and universities]   programme manager.   of a formal mentor-protégé partnership   gos for many years, but with the oil market   port, Quayle explained that United will add   While critics argued that United’s move

 to enter into a Mentor-Protégé agreement   “The Mentor-Protégé program allows Boe-  between Southern University and Boeing,”   depressed, Washington appeared to be a   daily service between Newark and Johan-  at a time the world still battles COVID-19



 with Boeing,” said Ray L. Belton, president   ing to promote the growth of small suppliers   said US Rep. Garret Graves.   more lucrative opportunity.  nesburg beginning in Spring 2021, and the   pandemic could backfire, Quayle said,




 of the Southern University System and   and strengthen the NASA industrial base.”       “This mutually beneficial relationship will   He said, “The service will operate 3 times   move is expected to complement existing   “Now is the right time to take a bold step



 chancellor of Southern University and A&M   Boeing is the prime contractor for the de-  build upon Southern and Boeing’s success   weekly starting next spring utilizing a 787-  seasonal service to Cape Town. The flight   in evolving our global network to help our





 College..   sign, development, test and production of   and provide key opportunities for Southern   8. United will compete with Delta on the   will still utilize a 787-9.  customers reconnect with friends, family,


 “We are also excited about supporting   the SLS core stage, as well as development   students and solidify Louisiana’s role in   route, which offers service from New York   On Delhi route, United Airlines will take up   and colleagues around the world.”



 the Artemis programme and its goal of   of the flight avionics suite.  future lunar and Mars missions.” Q  JFK utilizing a 767-300.”  the mantle of a long-time, but now aban-  He said that the new non-stop routes



           With a growing Ghanaian population in   doned American Airlines route. Chicago, Unit-  would provide shorter travel times and



         the greater Washington metro area, and   ed notes, has the second highest population   convenient one-stop connections from



 HELICOPTERS  a more fuel and passenger efficient 787-8   of Indian Americans in the United States.  across the United States, demonstrating
                                                                                United’s continued innovative and for-
                                              The new service will begin in December


         Dream liner, United hopes Accra route will

         be a success.                       2020 and utilize a 787-9.          ward-looking approach to rebuilding our
                                                                                network to meet the travel needs of our
                                              In what United calls its most-requested

           “The service will operate 3x weekly starting
 THE NEXT-GEN CHINOOK   next spring. United will compete with Delta   international route, new nonstop service   customers. Q

 HELICOPTER       NEWS
 oeing is delivering new technologies and perfor-
 Bmance improvements to the US special operati ons   A DRONE TO FLY IN TIGHT SPACES
 command with the Block II Chinook helicopter. Boeing’s

 Philadelphia team recently delivered the first MH-47G Block

 II Chinook to SOCOM on time.        Robotics facility in Boston.  or inconvenient for a human   consumer use.

 “This delivery marks a major step for the Chinook   The leap forward is a drone   or another robot to enter,”   “You can expect you might
 programme,” said Andy Builta, vice president and H-47   called the Dronut. What   said Simon Czarnota, Cleo’s   be able to see this technology
 programme manager.    United States,   makes it unique is the propel-  co-founder and chief technol-  as a robotic security guard in


 “The new Chinook will give US special operation forces   ABoston start-up is   lers are inside the drone.  ogy officer.  your home or business,” said



 significantly more capability for extremely challenging mis-  giving drones a new look that   “The Dronut has two count-  Law enforcement and the   Eleryan, “or even delivering

 sions and will enable them to conduct those missions on the   could make a big difference in   er-rotating propellers, which   military will be able to send   your packages.”



 future battlefield.”  security and safety. Cleo Ro-  is a basically a ducted fan,   the Dronut into dangerous



 The company is on contract for 23 more MH-47G Block II   botics is pu�ng the propellers   UAV,” Eleryan said.  spots without the risk of a   THE DRONUT
 Chinooks, having signed a contract with SOCOM in July.  inside.  And the benefits of keeping   propeller hitting a wall and   The Dronut is only being sold



 Boeing has more than 4,600 employees in Pennsylvania   “What we’ve done is a leap   those propellers inside are   breaking the device.  to military and law enforce-

 supporting Chinook, the V-22 Osprey, MH-139A Grey Wolf   forward in technology and   immense.  It’s safe enough, in fact,   ment. The researchers next

 and a number of services and engineering efforts. Including   capability,” said Omar Eleryan,   “We’ve designed to fly into   to catch in mid-air. Because   goal is to make it quieter. They




 suppliers and vendors, Boeing’s activities support an esti-  chief executive officer of Cleo   confined and enclosed spaces   of that, the Dronut will be   say they’re about six months





 mated 16,000 jobs in Pennsylvania. Q  Robotics, housed in the Mass-  where it might be dangerous   available in the near future for   from making that happen. Q
 World Airnews | October 2020                      World Airnews | October  2020
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