- renata927
- Mar 5
- 3 min read
Air France CEO says ready to bid for Portugal's TAP
Air France-KLM has confirmed its intention to participate in the privatization of TAP Air Portugal. The Portugese government is considering selling at least 49% of TAP and Air France-KLM is interested in a minority or majority stake. The CEO of Air France-KLM, Ben Smith, said last week the airline was ready to present its project for the privatisation of Portugal's flag carrier TAP, and intended to invest in local economy and connect the country's secondary cities. Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who had previously insisted on a total privatisation of TAP, has signalled that a partial sale was a possibility.
With a fleet of 551 aircraft (divided between Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and Transavia), the Air France-KLM Group provides services to up to 300 destinations in 125 countries, mainly from hubs in Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol. With a fleet of more than 90 aircraft TAP Air Portugal carried a total of 16.1 million passengers in 2024.
GE Catalyst turboprop engine achieves FAA certification
GE Aerospace announced last week that the Catalyst turboprop engine has been certified by the FAA. The FAR Part 33 certification involved over 23 engines and more than 190 component tests. Catalyst is the first, new centerline, clean-sheet turboprop engine to be certified to the latest standards, which include more than 20 significant new requirements.
During the certification process, the test engines completed more than 8,000 hours of operation. According to GE, the engine will bring an industry-best 16:1 overall pressure ratio that enables up to 18% better fuel consumption and up to 10% higher cruise power, compared to competitors in the same engine class. Catalyst introduces two stages of variable stator vanes, cooled high-pressure turbine blades, and features components made by using additive manufacturing. The Catalyst was designed, developed, and manufactured at GE Aerospace sites in Europe, including Avio Aero in Italy, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany.
Lilium declares bankruptcy for the second time – stops operation
German eVTOL aircraft developer Lilium Aerospace has filed for insolvency again after promised funding options to secure the company’s future failed to materialize. In a statement issued on February 21st, the company said; “While talks about alternative solutions are still ongoing, the chance for restructuring right now is highly unlikely and therefore operations will be stopped. Given the situation, this is deeply regretful for all employees and Lilium Aerospace thanks them for their resilience and dedication."
At its peak, Lilium employed more than 1,000 people and was working towards the first flight tests of a full-scale version of its Jet eVTOL aircraft before it ran out of funding in October 2024. Lilium had planned to construct six test aircraft to progress through to EASA certification with an entry-into-service during 2026.
People: Textron elects Rob Mionis to board of directors
Textron Inc. announced that Rob Mionis has been elected to the company's Board of Directors, effective March 1, 2025. Mionis is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Celestica Inc., a multinational leader in design, manufacturing, hardware platform and innovative supply chain solutions for a wide range of industries including aerospace, industrial and communications. Celestica’s solutions span design and engineering through to after-market services. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Celestica employs approximately 27,000 people across 40 locations in the Americas, Asia and Europe, and generated $9.7 billion in revenue in 2024. Mionis has served as Celestica’s CEO since 2015. Prior to his role at Celestica, Mionis was an Operating Partner/Senior Advisor in private equity at Pamplona Capital Management from 2013 to 2015 where he generated deal flow within the industrial/aerospace market and supported several companies across a range of industries, including industrial, aerospace, healthcare and automotive. From 2006 to 2013, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of StandardAero, a global aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul company, leading it through a period of significant revenue and profitability growth. He previously held senior leadership roles at Honeywell, culminating in his position as the Vice President Integrated Supply Chain for Honeywell Aerospace. Mionis began his career at General Electric and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Comments