Page 80 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL NEWS DIGITAL

AIR ARABIA TO BOOST NETWORK EXOMARS ROVER

GETS ITS EYES
Sharjah-based low cost carrier will expand its medium haul
destinations after arrival of second Airbus A321neo

UK designed and

built PanCam

integrated on

Air Arabia, the Sharjah-
based low-cost carrier, has rover at Airbus in
received its second Airbus
A321neo Long Range (LR) Stevenage
which will allow it to expand
its network of medium haul
destinations.
The airline said in a
statement that the addition One of the key instruments on the European Space Agency’s
of the second A321neo LR will (ESA) ExoMars rover, the Panoramic Camera (PanCam) has been
also enable it to strengthen its fitted and integrated in the Airbus bio-burden clean room in
existing routes.
The A321 neo LR accom- Stevenage.
modates 215 passengers and Designed and built by University College London’s Mullard
is equipped with Air Arabia’s Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) in an international partnership,
complimentary in-flight en- and including the High Resolution Camera provided by DLR, the
tertainment system SkyTime PanCam will be the scientific eyes of the rover when it lands on
that allows passengers to Mars in spring 2021.
live stream digital content on The high resolution camera will take 3D images to be used by
smart phones, tablets and the autonomous navigation system on the rover. Images will be July 2020.”
laptops. join the airline’s fleet of 53 Airbus A320 aircraft, serving more sent back to the Rover Operation Control Centre for the scientific The PanCam consists of three cameras. Two wide angle cameras
Air Arabia is the first Middle Eastern airline to operate the than 170 routes from its four hubs including Sharjah and Ras Al team to choose a location and then the rover, Rosalind Franklin, will take panoramic images, and a filter wheel enables them to
A321neo LR and this delivery is the second of six aircraft that will Khaimah, Morocco and Egypt. Q will determine its own safe path to travel there. The PanCam will
also give textural information for example, laminations or pitting, image in 12 different wavelengths. A high resolution camera will
which could be related to the presence of organisms. image in full colour. Included on the rover is a Rover Inspection
The PanCam will also observe atmospheric phenomena such as Mirror which will allow the PanCam to image parts of the rover
Mars’ famous dust devils and water in the atmosphere. not directly in its field of view to allow the status of the rover to be
monitored.
Colin Paynter, Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space
NEWS CABO VERDE AIRLINES UK said: "ExoMars is Europe's latest flagship space mission and The ExoMars rover Rosalind Franklin will be Europe’s first
ANNOUNCES FLIGHTS TO Airbus is at the heart of it. Today's installation in Stevenage of the planetary rover and is being assembled at Airbus in Stevenage. It
will search for signs of past or present life on Mars and is equipped
powerful PanCam, which will not only provide 3D images of the
with a 2m drill to take samples from below the surface where they
LAGOS Martian landscape but also data on the atmosphere, is a major will have been protected from the harsh radiation environment. Q
milestone as we move forward to the rover being ready to fly in

Saturdays and Sundays, with a Boeing Brazil - Salvador, Porto Alegre, Recife and
757, with 161 economy class seats and Fortaleza.
Cabo Verde Airlines, the Cape 22 executive seats. The inaugural flight is In addition to the hub connections on AFRICAN RUNWAY WILL CLOSE
Verdean airline, will start flying to Lagos, scheduled for December 9th, departing Sal Island, Cabo Verde Airlines' Stopover
Nigeria, from December 9th. from Amílcar Cabral International program allows passengers to stay up to
After announcing flights to Luanda Airport (Sal) at 20:50 local time and 7 days in Cabo Verde and thus explore runway will be communicated in due course," the statement
(Angola, Dec. 9th), Porto Alegre (Brazil, arriving at Murtala Muhammed Airport the various experiences on the islands, said.
Dec.11th) and Washington DC (USA, (Lagos) at 02:10 local time. at no additional cost for airline tickets. The runway at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Currently, only two airlines serve the southern Nigerian city.
Dec.11th), Cabo Verde Airlines now All flights will connect to Sal Island, The new route strengthens the has closed "for major repairs and works on the airfield" the Air Peace (P4, Lagos) links it to both Lagos (14x weekly) and
announces a new route for the Winter Cabo Verde Airlines' international hub, company's operations within the African Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said in a recent Abuja (7x weekly), while Ethiopian Airlines operates a 3x weekly
2019-2020. and will make connections to Lisbon (five continent, as well as the connection statement. connection with Addis Ababa.
The connection between Sal and Lagos times a week), Washington DC (three between Africa and Europe and North A date has not been set for reopening. Network changes implemented by Arik Air (W3, Lagos) in early
will be operated five times a week, times a week) and Boston (once a week), and South America as part of its mission "This move is aimed at resolving the existing safety and June included the cancellation of its routes from Enugu to Abuja
on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, as well as to the airline’s destinations in to connect these four continents. Q security concerns for flight operations. A date to reopen the and Lagos. Q

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