Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo Roars Into Abbotsford
Thursday’s official opening of the 2016 Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo (ADSE) was punctuated by the roar of fighter jets and warbirds, arriving and practicing for this year’s Abbotsford International Air Show. Hosted by the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC), the two-day conference at the Fraser Valley Trade and Exhibition Centre (Tradex) saw a full slate of sessions and events. It was an important opportunity for industry suppliers, manufacturers, and government officials to mingle and meet.
XiamenAir Launches First North American Service to Vancouver
On Monday, July 25th, a XiamenAir Boeing 787-8 touched down gracefully on Vancouver International Airport’s (YVR) runway 26R, marking the carriers inaugural service to Canada’s West Coast Asia-Pacific gateway. The landing at YVR not only marked Xiamen’s 32nd birthday, but also its entry into the North American market.
Connecting in China
The Chinese airline market continues to see double-digit growth in domestic and international passenger traffic, with thousands of aircraft needed to meet the demand over the next twenty years. According to Boeing, the Chinese domestic airline market is expected to become the world’s largest. With this onslaught of new travelers comes the need for Chinese airlines to provide inflight connectivity on par with the rest of the world. Although the regulatory process has so far moved at a deliberate rate, recent announcements suggest that more passengers on Chinese airlines will soon be online.
Delivering the Goods
New Distribution Capabilities. No, it isn’t a drone-based package delivery system. And it isn’t a viewing infrastructure to binge-watch your favorite program on a smartphone. New Distribution Capabilities, or NDC, is a data protocol, a schema, a standard to permit the interchange of electronic information between airlines and travel agents, ultimately benefitting travelers.
It’s Show Time!
People love to watch airplanes. That’s why airshows are one of the world’s most popular spectator events. Aviation enthusiasts will risk sunburn and dehydration to stand at an airport, sunglassed eyes scanning the skies, to watch pilots demonstrate their planes’ performance. Fast-moving and incredibly noisy military jets will make them reach down to cover their kids’ ears, and they’ll haul kilos of photo gear around to “get the shot.”
The Megajet Arrives! A380 Service Begins At YVR.
Western Canada’s first scheduled Airbus A380 service began on Sunday evening, with the arrival of British Airways flight BA85 at Vancouver International Airport. YVR is the airline's only Canadian A380 destination, and is one of only nine city-pairs worldwide served by one of British Airways’ eleven megajets. The A380 replaces British Airways’ daily London-YVR Boeing 747 service for the summer season.