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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,009
26 November 2018
logitrans show report
We were there so you didn’t have to be
Cargo pilots air concerns ahead of the peak season
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ilots contracted to fly for Amazon Air and DHL are concerned about the way their airlines are being run, survey results have found. More than 1,200 pilots at Atlas Air Worldwide (AAWW) subsidiaries Atlas Air and Southern Air, and Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) subsidiary ABX Air were asked questions about hiring, retaining, scheduling and more. Of the pilots, more than 60 per cent were preparing to leave their carrier and seek work at DHL’s competitors, including FedEx and UPS. With the peak season approaching, the pilots highlighted how the situation could affect deliveries for Amazon Air and DHL, with almost 50 per cent reporting flight delays or cancellations. More than 75 per cent of pilots strongly disagreed that morale at their carrier was high with 80 per cent saying they would not recommend their
carrier to a friend working in the industry. Teamsters Local 1224 executive council chairman for Atlas Air Pilots, Captain Robert Kirchner says: “Executives need to take these survey results seriously. We are already losing the race with competitors to maintain and attract pilots. Yet executives appear to be intentionally ignoring the structural problems that are plaguing our airlines, which spells even greater problems. “At Atlas Air, we’re already experiencing delays and operational disruptions and are slow to rollout Amazon Air planes because we don’t have the pilots.” Among the results, more than 80 per cent strongly disagreed that they were satisfied with pay and benefits, while 91 per cent strongly disagreed that their pay and benefits met industry standards. Survey results also say that more than 80 per cent of pilots were concerned about their carrier’s
ability to recruit and retain qualified pilots, while nearly 70 per cent had little confidence in management’s ability to adequately staff their airline. Teamsters Local 1224 ABX Air executive council chairman, Captain Rick Ziebarth says: “More than half of surveyed ABX Air pilots plan to retire in the next five years, and that should be a huge wake-up call for ATSG executives who’ve been tuned out for too long. A new contract is desperately needed to enable ABX Air to hire and retain the pilots needed for the future.” Unions say Atlas Air, Southern Air and ABX Air have been stalling contract negotiations for years, which pilots say is impeding the ability to secure new business contracts. Atlas Air Worldwide hired 288 new pilots this year, with 145 leaving, while at Southern Air, 37 were hired and 46 left. Atlas Air and Southern Air have also signed a pilot pathway agreement with Ameriflight, guaranteeing qualified Ameriflight pilots an interview with Atlas and Southern. Atlas Air president and chief operating officer, John Dietrich says: “Our business is growing, and our airlines are a great place to build a career. Innovative partnerships like this one help us ensure a solid pipeline of qualified candidates dedicated to a career in aviation, which is at the centre of today’s modern global economy.” In response, pilots say the deal shows that staffing issues are a major problem, with Kirchner commenting: “For years, pilots at Atlas Air and Southern Air have been sounding the alarm on an urgent staffing problem. Although AAWW has long denied these issues, we see this new agreement as a tacit acknowledgement of the lack of pilot staff.” Kirchner says the programme will not solve workplace issues and management need to come to the table and negotiate a contract.
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INSIDE MAASTRICHT EARNS CEIV
MAASTRICHT Aachen Airport has received its IATA CEIV Pharma certification, following an audit being carried out and training for staff ... PAGE 2
SIMARCO VOLUMES SOAR
AIRFREIGHT volumes at Simarco have taken off, in the 12 months since tying up deals to buy Formula Goss International, and Sutch and Searle ... PAGE 3 DROPPING IN FOR GOOD
ACCORDING to Cranfield University’s Martin Christopher, logistics is as important as fundraising in providing help to stricken areas ... PAGE 5
DRONE STANDARDS CREATED
THE first-ever worldwide standards for the drone industry have been released by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) .... PAGE 8
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NEWS A
Movember update #4
SHOULD it go or should it stay? The ‘tache has been grown in November and thank you to supporters. There is still chance for big-hearted readers, with both hairy and hairless top lips will contribute to this worthwhile cause. https://moteam.co/ airfreight-airies
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Maastricht Aachen earns CEIV
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aastricht Aachen Airport has received its IATA CEIV Pharma certification, following an audit being carried out and training for staff. The airport’s managing director, Jos Roeven says pharma is very important for airfreight, especially in Limburg, with the industry making use of its speed and efficiency. The south Netherlands, particularly around Limburg is home to a number of large pharma companies including Medtronic, Abbott, Boston Scientific, Medrad and Merit Medical. Roeven says: “Maastricht Aachen Airport has always been an important airport for transporting medicines and medical equipment. But now we are officially meeting the high demands that this industry places on airports with regard to handling, (refrigerated) storage and control.” Employees underwent intense training and testing, with Roeven saying: “By following the
courses, but also by sharpening the procedures and optimising our facilities, including two temperature-controlled cold rooms that are only used for pharmaceutical goods.” Air Cargo Netherlands managing director, Ben Radstaak adds: “With this CEIV Pharma certification we meet the need of the industry for more safety, security, compliance and efficiency by creating a worldwide consistent and recognised certification of pharmaceutical products.”
Volga-Dnepr moves engines for GECAS
VOLGA-DNEPR Airlines has moved two GE-90 aero engines and accompanying equipment on its first charter flight for aviation leasing and finance firm, GECAS. The 64 tonne payload was carried on an AN-124-100 flight from Dallas, Texas to London, and consists of the engines, two propulsors and fan cases, along with other equipment. All eight cargo positions were carefully loaded using the AN124-100’s internal crane through the rear door of the aircraft. Volga-Dnepr GE global account manager, Russell Means says: “We are delighted to have GECAS among our customers, extending our long-term and reliable partnership with General Electric. It is an honour to support both companies with our expertise and experience and to find the most cost-efficient logistics solutions for their needs. “Our active and dynamic team of cargo professionals was able to organise this charter taking into consideration all requirements and guaranteeing a high-quality logistics service.”
In next week’s ACW
‘Man’s best friend’ on airfreight’s frontline ACW ON THIS DAY
Whale of an aircraft Vol 17 Issue 46
24 November 2014
AIRBUS’ cargo aircraft for ferrying its fuselages and other large assemblies, the Beluga, is to be redesigned. The new design will be based on the Airbus A330-200 passenger version, not the freighter product. The existing Beluga aircraft uses the Airbus A300 design. The European aircraft manufacturer is increasing the size of its Beluga fleet to be able to cope with future production levels of its Airbus A350 eXtra Widebody (XWB) and other products. The first of the five new Belugas will enter service in mid-2019. The existing Beluga fleet of five will operate in parallel and will be progressively retired through to 2025. Airbus says the new Beluga will be based on the A330 with large re-use of existing components and equipment. The distinctive looking lowered cockpit will be newly developed.
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Acquisitions help Simarco’s volumes soar
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irfreight volumes at Simarco Worldwide have taken off, in the 12 months since tying up deals to buy Formula Goss International, and Sutch and Searle. Volumes have risen by six per cent in 12 months, with Simarco co-founder and CEO, Simon Reed (pictured) saying that the successful integration of the two companies has made airfreight operations more efficient. Reed says taking over companies is a challenge, saying: “Before we had agreed the acquisitions, though, we had a clear idea of what we wanted to do and how we might best consolidate our in-house air freight expertise with the experience of both FGI and Sutch and Searle. I’m delighted to say that the hard work of everyone involved in this comprehensive restructuring has paid off.” He adds: “Even allowing for the fact that administrative work has taken some time to complete, we have managed to make savings and generate considerable high volume and high value new business in the 12 months since, as well as being able to recruit extra staff as the division takes off. “Having seen airfreight sales rise to more than £4.5 million in the last year, we believe that the performance thoroughly vindicates our initial decision and bodes very well for the future.”
Reed says the acquisitions and integration means Simarco can consolidate services into a single unit at Heathrow Airport. Prior to the deals, Simarco did not have a physical presence, having run airfreight operations from its depot in Witham, Essex and in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
WORLDNEWS PETER Ulber will not stand for re-election as chairman of the board of Panalpina at the next Annual General Meeting on 9 May 2019. The company’s compensation and nominated committee, headed by Thomas Kern will conduct a thorough and expeditious search for a new independent chairman. HARALD Gloy will join Lufthansa Cargo’s executive board with responsibility for operations, taking over from Soeren Stark on 1 January 2019. Gloy is responsible for global component services at Lufthansa Technik and is also the spokesperson for the division board. Stark, who has led operations since April 2016 and will take over as chief operating officer of Lufthansa Technik on 1 January 2019. Gloy studied international engineering at the TU Berlin and Arizona State University, and has held various roles at Lufthansa Technik since 2003.
Leipzig and Noi Bai sign MoU
LEIPZIG/HALLE Airport and Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport have signed a memorandum of understanding to help airfreight grow between the two airports. The agreement creates the framework for long-term cooperation with a major focus on e-commerce and exchange of experience and information, as well as personnel. E-commerce in Vietnam is growing rapidly, with the volume of airfreight between Vietnam and the European Union rising 94 per cent between 2012 and 2017, and by 70 per cent between Vietnam and Germany. Noi Bai is one of the largest airports in Vietnam and handles about 712,700 tonnes of cargo a year, with the potential for further growth. The delegation trip was led by Saxon state minister for economic affairs, labour and transport, Martin Dulig, who says: “The modern infrastructure and the 24-hour operating permit for freight traffic have created significant growth in the volumes of freight being handled. We want to continue this success story. “The memorandum of understanding that we’ve signed today can open up new doors for us in south-east Asia and make a contribution towards continuing to strengthen Saxony as a business centre.” Chairman of the board of Leipzig/Halle’s operator Mitteldeutsche Flughafen, Gotz Ahmelmann says: “Leipzig/Halle Airport fulfils all the conditions for acting as a multimodal hub for flows of goods between Vietnam, Germany and Europe in future and has been able to attract an important player in the region in the form of Noi Bai International Airport.” He adds: “In addition to the general conditions in the form of ideal infrastructure, the continually developing product portfolio in terms of logistics services at the airport creates the basis for establishing direct transport services in future.”
SkyTaxi leases 767 from ATSG AIR Transport Services Group (ATSG) has delivered a Boeing 767-200 converted freight to SkyTaxi of Poland under a seven-year lease. Through ATSG’s subsidiary Cargo Aircraft Management, SkyTaxi has been granted the option to lease a second 767-200 for delivery in 2019. SkyTaxi operates two Saab 340s from its home base at Copernicus Airport Wroclaw. SkyTaxi spokesman, Wojceich Nocun says: “We will join the growing cargo market community and as we speak, we finalise arrangements with major brokers for the introduction of the freighter for their customers – right in time for the peak season before Christmas.”
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LOGITRANS SHOW REPORT
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logitrans 2018 confirms Turkey as gateway logistics hub
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platform to compare airline offers? After all, real-time information is now very reliable.” He concluded his segment with a rallying call for the wider airfreight industry: “I have come across a statement that I want to share: there is no such thing as a digital strategy, just a strategy in a digital world.”
he 2018 iteration of logitrans Turkey was opened at a crowded ceremony by Messe Munchen chief Gerhard Gerritzen this month. The theme of the ceremony, in front of more than 200 logitrans participants, was Turkey’s role as the gateway to Eurasia and Germany’s role in supporting that ambition. Gerritzen said: “Welcome to logitrans 2018, the most important logistics trade show in Eurasia. In an age of mobile phones and the internet, it is still very important that people meet face to face at events like this. That is why it is important to have trade fairs.”
Third time lucky
Man from the ministry
The fair was formally opened by Steffen Bilger, Germany’s Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure who welcomed visitors with a speech outlining the purpose of the fair which was given in German with Turkish translation. At the conclusion of the formal speeches and welcome, plaques were given out by organisers to a number of commercial participants, including Lufthansa Cargo and Turkish Cargo by the minister. These represent companies and partners involved for five and ten years at the show. This was followed by the formal ribbon-cutting and a walkabout tour of the venue by the minister and official entourage.
Millennials are coming
The highlight of the second day of the threeday event was the conference talk entitled: “Airfreight: Getting ready for the digital age.” A panel of five – moderator Hasan Hatipoglu, Lufthansa Cargo director; Gian Carlo Floris, WCN Barcelona; Yucel Cinar of Turkish Cargo; Robert Lees for Lufthansa Cargo; and, Ahmet Izer of CargoPort – directed such an interesting and involved discussion of airfreight’s topic of the moment that it overran its slot by 30 minutes. Hatipoglu opened his remarks by saying the event was being visited by many technical school students: “We have many guests here from vocational schools. These are the pioneers of digitalisation. One day they will replace us and do even better!” Looking at the audience, he said: “Isn’t it a cool title!” He added: “There are key words we are all going to talk about: paperless work; blockchain; iCloud; collaborative platform and AI.” Floris took as his theme the need to bring “airfreight online”. He warned that an increasingly
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State Secretary Bilger (fourth from left) officially opens logitrans Istanbul. He is standing next to Gerritzen (centre) middle-aged workforce in a century-old indus- reiterated by Lufthansa’s Lees who told the try was in danger of being left behind in the rush forum: “Online bookings for Lufthansa Cargo through our website are around 64 per cent. to digitalisation. He said: “We have to bring airfreight online. This is a pretty good share for the industry We are two steps behind many other industries yet EDI is 40 to 50 years old technology and is in moving to the digital. The Millennials are essentially telex technology.” coming! They book holidays online, they book cabs online, they order food online. They do not Ancient technology know the meaning of the word ‘wait’” Speaking as a representative of WorldCargHe drew parallels with airfreight staff who oNet, he explained the growing importance of work with “ancient technology” at work and dynamic rates to the modern industry. then go home to surf the net and make many He said: ”We have new start-ups coming along e-commerce online purchases on all types of saying why is airfreight so complex? They know platforms. everything about digitalisation and nothing “Who is using Google Flight for airfreight?” he about airfreight.” asked. He added: “As an industry we have to go online He outlined a changing business environment – it’s not an option to be off-line anymore.” for airlines that sees many modern start-ups Cinar of Turkish Cargo delivered a stark mes- with considerable knowledge of the digital envisage in his wide-ranging address: “Without ronment, yet know nothing of how airfreight digital, airlines cannot survive.” His point was works. He said: “They ask: why is there not one
Doing the business at logitrans
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Aerotrans attended logitrans for the third time this year, according to Aerotrans sales manager Armin Kompel. “This is absolutely a fine show,” he said. “When we arrived on Tuesday and saw the build-up, we were worried but then it was all finished properly.” The company met many potential business contacts at the show. “We saw many people from all over the world who asked many questions,” he added. The GSA was part of the Made in Germany Logistics stand. Another company that spoke of its positive experience at the show was Turkish air charter operation Skyair. At the beginning of the event, Tekin Ertemel had collected a plaque marking five years of attendance at the event. He believes in attending the show to promote his business, especially as conditions for the Turkish airfreight community have become difficult over recent years. “It is very important we are here,” he said, pointing to problems created by the decline of the Turkish lira.
Leading trade fair
“logitrans has confirmed its position as the leading trade fair for the logistics industry in Turkey and the Eurasian region,” explained Gerritzen, a member of the management board of Messe München, “A total of 136 exhibitors from 20 countries were on site. In addition to a large number of Turkish companies, the top three exhibitor countries were Italy, Germany and Austria. International collaboration played a major role at the fair.” Regardless of whether the Silk Road, intermodal traffic or even digitalisation, the challenges and opportunities of important trend topics were discussed intensively in the extensive conference programme. “Logistics in particular is an industry in which reliable relationships are important, and logitrans in Istanbul provides the best platform for dealing with international trade flows in the Eurasian region,” Gerritzen affirmed.
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Dropping in for good When natural or man-made disasters strike, humanitarian logistics kick into action to bring relief and substance to the homeless, bereaved and hopeless.
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ccording to Cranfield University academic Martin Christopher, logistics is as important as fundraising in providing help in stricken areas. In a paper he wrote: “Disasters seem to be on the increase and floods, earthquakes and the like are occurring more regularly and are much more on the public’s radar than was the case in the past. Disaster relief is as much about logistics as it is about fundraising – indeed it has been estimated that for every pound that is raised, some 80 pence is spent on logistics. “I believe that that humanitarian relief agencies can learn a lot from the commercial and military worlds when it comes to logistics and supply chain management.”
HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS Most recently, the Miami (MIA) team partnered with the American Red Cross to compile packages for those who lost everything. The group put together more than 5,000 boxes of hygiene kits for families. Because of this collaborative effort, the American Red Cross was able to fill its trucks and send along help to people still staying at local shelters. AA Cargo president Rick Elieson says doing what needed to be done only worked through a collaborative effort with freight forwarders. “Providing a first source of assistance after a natural disaster can be both challenging and dangerous,” notes Elieson. “The 2017 season reinforced just how valuable our partnerships with freight forwarders are. “Within a week more than 4,500 shipments weighing 830,000 pounds had poured in and this combined with the massive amounts of relief we were carrying on our extra widebody flights meant we moved more than 3,000,000 pounds of relief over a very short period and our first flights landed within 48 hours of the hurricane making landfall.”
Clearing up after Michael AFTER Hurricane Michael made landfall and brought destruction to surrounding communities in and around Florida early last month, many American Airlines Cargo employees took it on themselves to find ways they could help their local communities.
Aerial delivery system
UK-based AirDropBox has developed a simple method of air delivery of supplies for Humanitarian aid. It is designed to be as cost effective and simple to use as possible and cause minimal environmental impact. The AirDropBox is a complete aerial delivery system incorporating a load container suspended below a parachute. Each system features a self-contained shock mitigation structure to ensure the safety and integrity of even the most delicate of loads. According to Relief Aid Logistics general manager James Chalkley, AirDropBox products were originally designed to be one time use and made from largely biodegradable products. He said: “We wanted to achieve several goals, firstly provide a very low cost and simple air drop solution for use in disaster zones where a reverse supply chain is challenging, secondly we wanted to ensure that if we were leaving the systems on the ground the systems could be either reused/repurposed into materials that could help in a disaster zone (strong rope, tarpaulin and combustible cardboard for cooking / heating) or biodegrade so as not to pollute.” AirDropBox systems have dropped everything from computers, medicines, vaccines, radio systems, machine parts, food items, fuel and even fresh eggs. “All of our systems have an internal shock mitigation system inside them allowing for slightly faster descent speeds than usual, this both aids drop accuracy (less wind drift) and allows a simpler and therefore cheaper to produce parachute design. Our parachutes are designed for dropping small & delicate cargo and the only thing we stipulate is that our parachutes are not intended for humans,” said Chalkley. The drone market has developed considerably since AirDropBox started six years ago, with Chalkley saying: “We now have customers able to deliver serious payloads over serious distance with some aircraft offering 12 hours of flight time and in excess of 1,000km range and we have reacted to this by introducing several UAV / Drone specific systems, we can even provide systems for low opening low speed deployment (10 + metres at zero speed).”
In our next issue, we will have an indepth interview with a key humanitarian logistics player aircargoweek.com
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FINLAND
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2018 proving profitable for Finavia
PROFITS at Finnish airport operator, Finavia have continued to grow with an increase of 10.2 per cent in the first nine months of 2018. Between January and September, profits were up 10.2 per cent to €38.4 million while revenue increased 0.3 per cent to €275.9 million. Other financial highlights included investments rising by 10 per cent to €149 million and net debt was down 9.5 per cent to €237.6 million. In Finavia’s business review January – September 2018, chief executive officer, Kimmo Maki stated: “Finavia’s strategic goals are to have the best air traffic connections in the Nordic countries, sustainable growth, exceptional customer experience and growth and profitability as enablers of further development. “Key projects for reaching these goals are growing the home market, development of airline cooperation, commercial development of
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airports and customer-oriented services as well as capacity increase to support growth.” Investment projects have included expansion at Lapland’s airports, with the first phase of the €55 million programme scheduled for completion by Christmas this year, and the rest by the end of 2019. The largest renovation programme in Tampere-Pirkkala Airport’s history was completed in August, with the runway being closed for a month for construction work. €15 million was spent on renewing the apron and runway, and another €2 million was invested in the runway’s instrument landing system. Up to October this year, cargo and mail volumes at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport are up 1.8 per cent to 164,565 tonnes. This growth came despite a small fall in October of 2.5 per cent to 18,195 tonnes.
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Finavia strives for carbon neutrality
FINAVIA has adopted Neste MY Renewable Diesel in its vehicles at Rovaniemi (pictured), Kuusamo, Ivalo and Kittila airports as part of its goal to make airports carbon dioxide neutral by 2020. The diesel has been used at Helsinki Airport for over a year in vehicles including apron buses, and has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 610 tonnes. Finavia vice president – sustainability and environment, Mikko Viinikainen says: “Using Neste MY Renewable Diesel as our vehicle fuel is a key part of our climate program. It is excellently suited to our purposes, as it helps us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 90 per cent compared to the emissions from conventional fossil diesel.”
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Neste vice president of marketing and services in Finland, Sam Holmberg says: “Diesel vehicles can switch to using Neste MY Renewable Diesel without having to make any changes to existing engines. Also for years now our refuelling trucks have used Neste MY Renewable Diesel. The product is also an ideal choice for the Nordic climate, since it can withstand temperatures as low as -34 °C.” Holmberg adds: “At present Neste MY Renewable Diesel is available from a total of 13 light traffic and 13 heavy traffic filling stations in southern Finland, Jyväskylä and Seinäjoki, and we have plans to extend its availability to northern Finland in the near future.” Picture credit: Lauri Silvennoinen, Wikimedia Commons.
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HE PRETENDS TO KNOW WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT
World’s first drone standards created ernment, in that they address operational requirements of the more recognised and prevalent aerial drones, including protocols on safety, security and overall ‘etiquette’ for the use of drones, which will shape regulation and legislation going forward. They are the first in a four part series for aerial drones, with the next three addressing General Specifications, Manufacturing Quality and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM).
Etiquette for drones
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he first-ever worldwide standards
for the drone industry have been released by the International Standards Organisation (ISO). The new, long awaited standards have been developed after several years of global collaboration between standards institutions from across the world and are expected to trigger rapid acceleration of growth within the drone industry. Organisations throughout the world will be galvanised to adopt drone technology against a new background of reassurance on safety and security, claim the ISO. The ISO Draft International Standards for
A prime characteristic of the ISO standards is their focus on air safety, which is at the forefront of public attention in connection with airports and other sensitive locations. The Drone Operations are formally released today for public consultation, with drone professionals, academics, businesses and the general public being invited to submit comments by 21 January 2019 with final adoption of these Standards expected in the US, UK and worldwide in 2019. The announcement by ISO is the first important step in the standardisation of the global drone industry, encompassing applications for all environments - Surface, Underwater, Air and Space. The first drone standards, announced on 21 November, are particularly significant for the general public and gov-
Why 1 is a lonely number THE British Red Cross has released new research on the extent of loneliness in the UK, with more than half of people (52 per cent) working in the transport and logistics sector feel always, often or sometimes . The Red Cross polled over 4,000 UK adults and found that a third (33 per cent) of people working in the transport and logistics sector do not have colleagues they feel close to or can talk to about it. The findings of the research suggest a lack of meaningful social connections could be contributing to people’s feelings of loneliness and isolation as in the sector.
new standards act as a new ‘etiquette’ for drones, which promote and reinforce compliance regarding no-fly zones, local regulation, flight log protocols, maintenance, training and flight planning documentation. Convenor of the ISO Working Group responsible for global drone operational standards, Robert Garbett said: “I am delighted that we have now reached the point where the first ever standards for the global drone industry are ready for public consultation after three years of hard work and international cooperation between ISO, BSI and standard’s bodies across the world, with final adoption expected in 2019. These standards will undoubtedly lead to a new confidence in safety, security and compliance within this industry.“
· Over two fifths (42%) of people say they often feel alone, with no one to turn to. · Two fifths (40%) of those who do have people they feel close to or can rely on say those people live far away from them. · One in six people (17%) don’t have friends they feel close to or can talk to. Over seven in ten (73%) said their loneliness is having a negative impact on their life, and 55% worry their loneliness will get worse. Almost three quarters (72%) often feel completely alone when surrounded by people. Over a third (34%) of people said they have no strategies for coping with their loneliness.
Airfreight’s next big thing - VTOL IF plans drawn up by German VTOL (Vertical Take Off / Landing) aviation startup JETcopter come to fruition, this could be the future of airfreight. The Krakow am See-based company has finished the primary air turbine tests, which confirmed the concept feasibility. With the latest design, the JETcopter has become more compact and now has a flatter bottom. JETcopter will be able to drive on roads as well as to fly. The JETcopter engine compartment, with two 400 hp automotive motors powering two counter-rotating fans, will be situated on top of the fuselage. Airflow from these two fans will be diverted to four vectoring nozzles. Like
other VTOLs, the amount of power given to each output point can be manipulated to control vertical hovering and manoeuvring. Once the JETcopter is in the air, its fixed nozzles tilt for horizontal flight, and from there it operates much like a jet. The JETcopter team plans to build a cargo version of the JETcopter VTOL-aircraft at first. This cargo version of the JETcopter will be followed by a passenger version in a later stage. A full-scale mock-up of the JETcopter will be presented at the AERO 2019 aviation exhibition, the largest general aviation trade show in Europe, in Friedrichshafen, Germany, in April 2019.
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