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Airport Technology •

Menzies forms joint venture with SGA Angola

UK-based aviation servicer Menzies Aviation has agreed on a joint venture (JV) with Sociedade Gestora de Aeroportos (SGA-SA) to increase cargo operations at Luanda International Airport (LAD), in Angola’s capital.


The partnership will focus on cargo delivery services and airport lounge amenities.Its parent firms said they expect Menzies Angola to handle over 30,000 tonnes of cargo per year, catering to customers including Taag-Angola Airlines, Air France, TAP, and Ethiopian Airlines.The serv...
Airport Technology •

Delta expands widebody fleet with 20 A350-1000s on order

US carrier Delta Air Lines has announced a first-time A350-1000 aircraft order to meet its “needs for modern efficient widebodies.” The airline ordered 20 aircraft adding to its portfolio of 450 Airbus aircraft.


This order will extend Delta’s current Airbus order book which stands at over 200 including aircraft from the A220 and A350-900 families.According to Airbus, the carrier is set to “benefit” from the A350-1000’s operational efficiency. The aircraft carries short to ultra-long-range cap...
Railway Technology •

Skoda to deliver new trams to Prague

Czech transportation company Skoda Transportation has signed an eight-year contract with the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) for the purchase of 40 new Praha 52T trams with an added option to deliver up to 160 more.


Featuring a total contract value of CZK 16.6bn ($730m) the tender represents one of the largest investments in new trams ever witnessed by DPP.According to Skoda, the first 20 trams are set to arrive in Prague in Q4 2025 with the next 20 locomotives entering by Q4 2026.The “Sk...
Railway Technology •

FS Group introduces tourist train route from Rome to the Dolomites

The new service which follows a route from Italy’s capital Roma Termini to ski town Cortina d’Ampezzo offers travel every weekend until 25 February. According to FS the service departs every Friday from Roma Termini at 21:40 arriving in Calalzo di Cadore at 07:57 am.


The express service features further stops at Orte, Orvieto, Treviso, Polpet and Longarone Zoldo. Passengers are offered a 45-minute bus from Calalzo to Cortina to complete the journey to the famous ski destination. Luigi Ferrari...
Airport Technology •

IATA reports cargo growth in November 2023

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its air cargo markets report for November 2023 highlighting the greatest year-on-year growth for nearly two years.


The air cargo market grew by 8.3%, respective of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting 2022, the report marks a fourth consecutive month of improving air freight demand.According to the data, aviation capacity was up 13.7% compared to November 2022, alongside this in comparison to November 2019 demand is down 2.5% while ca...
Airport Technology •

Vancouver Airport receives $75m to boost cargo handling capacity

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) announced a $75m investment from the Government of Canada for its air cargo project, with aims to boost the airport’s cargo handling capacity by more than 50%.


The Government of Canada made the finance announcement on 11 January and it is set to be delivered through Transport Canada’s National Trade Corridor Fund (NTCF).The $75m investment, which YRV will match, will enable the additional movement of 160,000 tonnes of “critical high-value cargo shipments”...
Airport Technology •

EVA Air orders 33 Airbus aircraft to boost fleet

Taiwan’s EVA Air has signed a contract with aircraft manufacturer Airbus for 18 A350-1000s and 15 single-aisle A321neos, featuring a contract value of $10.1bn.


The airline is set to implement the A350-1000 for its long-haul requirements adding “new levels of efficiency” across its regional network and aligning with its fleet modernisation goals.The A350 aircraft, powered by versions of the newest generation Rolls-Royce engines, can fly up to 9,700 nautical miles while consuming 25% less fuel....
Railway Technology •

Peru opens first underground metro line

The Ministry of Transport and Communications in Peru announced the opening of the first section of Lima’s Metro Linea 2 line, stretching 5km and covering five stations, on 21 December 2023.


Linea 2’s stage 1A was opened by Dina Boluarte, President of Peru and Raúl Pérez Reyes, Transport Minister, stating that “the political will of the Government allowed this transport megaproject to be unblocked for the benefit of citizens”.According to Peru’s transport ministry, the system is set to benefit...
Railway Technology •

European Commission approves I Squared sole acquisition of Arriva PLC

The European Commission has approved the full acquisition of Arriva PLC by private equity firm I Squared.


The notified transaction was reviewed using the streamlined merger review method and was cleared under the EU Merger Regulation.According to the Commission, the yet-to-be-completed transaction would not create “competition concerns” because the businesses are not involved in the same or directly connected areas.The EU Commission added how “the transaction relates primarily to the market o...
Airport Technology •

DHL signs five-year SAF agreement with Mytheresa

DHL Express has signed a five-year agreement with Mytheresa for the use of its GoGreen Plus service enabling the German luxury e-commerce business to reduce CO2 emissions by using SAF-powered transport.


Mytheresa will invest “several million euros in GoGreen Plus over five years,” which DHL said represented the largest investment in this service by a DHL Express client in Europe to date.This investment in GoGreen Plus is expected to save Mytheresa more than 27,000 tons of CO2 emissions from...
Railway Technology •

EIB invests €475m into Brussels’ north-south metro line

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the finance lending arm of the European Union, has announced a €475m ($520m) loan agreement with the Brussels Capital Region to support the transformation of the City’s Metro line 3 (M3).


The agreement covers the upgrade of the existing underground metro connection between the Albert and Gare du Nord / Noordstation stops and the M3 line, the new underground metro in Belgium’s capital. The loan is set to be repaid over 25 years. The full north-south metro is...
Uncertain twenties •

Volunteering in a hostel and why you should do it - Uncertain twenties

I left my journalism job in early January 2024 with a set mind of travelling but not knowing for exactly how long I will be gone for. A breeding ground for anxiety of course but also a welcoming time for adventure and the unknown.My journey so far took me across the French alps for two months and allowed me to explore almost every crevice across Italy. I eventually landed two volunteering experiences in hostels across the region- one of them being in Genova.Volunteering came with its ups and dow...
Airport Technology •

AirAsia X acquires Capital A’s aviation business

Malaysian long-haul budget airline AirAsia X (AAX) has announced the signing of a non-binding letter of acceptance with Capital A for the planned acquisitions of AirAsia Berhad and AirAsia Aviation Group Limited.


The Capital A divestment will allow for the merging of AirAsia X and AirAsia, bringing all short and medium-haul routes under the AirAsia brand name.According to AirAsia, the deal is set to bring “unparalleled advantages”. This will include a strengthened market position, increased o...
Airport Technology •

Argentina surrenders Emtrasur 747 aircraft to the US

Argentina has agreed to surrender a 747-300 registered in Venezuela to the US over breaches of US export control legislation.


This arrangement comes after the aircraft’s seizure for a year and six months, alongside the detention of the aircraft’s crew for five months.Since June 2022, the Emtrasur Cargo aircraft, registering YV-3531, has been parked at Buenos Aires Airport. The aircraft entered Argentina, after attempting to enter Uruguay. It was refused landing permissions due to reports of “...
Railway Technology •

Germany’s train drivers set to strike but DB launches legal challenge

Trains across Germany will be affected by driver strikes in January, the Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivführer (GDL, German Train Drivers’ Union) confirmed, as talks with Deutsche Bahn stalled.


GDL union members at DB, Transdev and City Bahn Chemnitz will begin industrial action on passenger services from 10 January to 12 January, due to escalations in wage and working hours disputes. Drivers on DB Cargo services will walk out a day earlier, from 9 January at 6 pm. This arrangement follows...
Ship Technology •

China’s largest cruise ship “Adora Magic City” sets sail

China’s first domestically manufactured cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, set sail on 1 January 2024 from the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Port on a seven-day voyage.


Short of its capacity of 5,246 passengers, the ship’s maiden voyage began with 3,000 onboard, before stopping at Jeju Island in South Korea as well as Nagasaki and Fukuoka in Japan.Manufactured by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, the Adora Magic City weighs in at 135.5K DWT, is 323.6m long, and can reach a top speed...
Railway Technology •

Alstom set to supply first hydrogen trains to Puglia

French locomotive manufacturer Alstom will supply two Coradia Stream H Hydrogen trains to rail operators of the Puglia region, replacing its diesel fleet.


The deal was signed with Ferrovie del Sud Est, allowing for the first H Hydrogen locomotives to enter the region.In addition to the initial contract, Alstom inked a deal with Ferrovie Nord Milano for the second order of two Coradia Stream H trains. This extends the framework agreement and allows for the acquisition of a total of 14 trains.A...
Airport Technology •

LAX Airport welcomes art installations by local and regional artists 

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has welcomed a range of new artworks by ten artists in nine installations across Terminals 1, 3, 7 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal.


The project was presented by the Los Angeles World Airport’s (LAWA) art programme with the aim of complementing the recently opened terminal spaces.According to LAX, the art displays are set to showcase “the vibrancy of LA through sculpture, painting, photography, murals and multimedia”.Bea Hsu, interim CEO at LA...
Ship Technology •

Singapore and China to develop green shipping corridor

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has signed an MoU with China’s Tianjin Municipal Transportation Commission to develop the Tianjin Green and Digital Shipping Corridor.


The corridor is being developed to promote the decarbonisation, digitalisation, and expansion of the maritime sector between Singapore and the Bohai Region.The agreement will further encourage the adoption of new fuel technologies and the offtake of fuels with zero or nearly zero greenhouse gas emissions.The M...
Railway Technology •

Bangkok's MRT opens monorail to passengers for the first time

French locomotive manufacturer Alstom has launched the passenger trials of its automated Innovia monorail on Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Pink Line.


Inaugurated by Srettha Thavisin, Prime Minister of Thailand on 21 November 2023 the “free public trial” will run until January. The service is set to enhance connections across the northern areas of Bangkok and Nonthaburi, allowing over 5 million residents across Bangkok access to sustainable urban transportation. It is said to halve previo...
Ship Technology •

Shipping experts explain why 2024 will be a “painful” season

US-based capital markets information company S&P Global has released its Global Shipping Report which analysed the 2024 outlook for the shipping industry and investigated some key causes of the industry’s breakdowns.


S&P Global warned there will be significant effects by 2024 as shippers will need to adjust to a significantly changed environment. This leads to short-term objectives centred on “grabbing hold of all the savings available in a depressed freight rate market”.Of high importance wa...
Railway Technology •

Biggest railway deals of 2023

As the year comes to a close we have taken a look back at the biggest deals across Railway Technology in 2023. Rail companies and manufacturers were observed broadening their market reach and extending their product offerings.


Over the past year, the rail sector has demonstrated strong progress in recovery after setbacks with Covid-19, and received billions of dollars worth of deals.Siemens Mobility secures €3bn locomotive contract in India Commencing the year strong Siemens Mobility secured...
Railway Technology •

Hitachi Rail recognised as first company to track train's ethical life cycle

Japanese rolling stock manufacturer Hitachi Rail has announced a Social Product Declaration (SPD) which will allow for tracking the “ethical life cycles” of its trains.


This will place Hitachi Rail as the first company globally to be able to monitor both the social and environmental effects of its rail products.The certification will assess a train’s effect on a variety of factors including end-of-life care and recycling to manufacturing and the supply chain.The SPD was created after the comp...
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