Lufthansa is restructuring its in-house flight school programme to facilitate a "more needs-based" pilot supply for the group's different operators. The airline group says it intends to "use the interruption caused by the crisis to fundamentally modernise the existing training concept" for ab initio pilot students at its flight schools. Lufthansa will introduce what it terms a "campus model framework". This will continue to facilitate ab initio training, which, the airline says, "has been proven successful for decades". But it adds the new model will more digital training methods and provide "new selection processes". "These will enable more needs-based training for the various airlines of the Lufthansa Group and take into account the volatile demand in air traffic." Lufthansa Aviation Training tells Cirium that the "central element" of the new system will be a two-stage assessment process – first to be enrolled in the training programme, and second, after qualification, to secure a job at one of the group's operators. Prior to crisis, students were recruited via a single assessment test prior to the training, and successful candidates could count on jobs within the airline group. Lufthansa financed a large proportion of training costs, which students later repaid in instalments during employment. How the training will be financed in future has yet to be determined, LAT says. Lufthansa likens the new structure to a university study programme "with defined qualification and training standards resulting in an institutionalised, internationally recognisable degree". Students will complete their training with an airline transport pilot licence under the new structure rather than a Lufthansa-specific multi-pilot licence as in the past. Graduates will be recruited "depending on the demand situation of the respective flight operations of the various airlines" within the group, Lufthansa says. It adds that the new model will give "the current generation student of pilots another perspective on a possible entry into cockpits at Lufthansa Group airlines later on". In 2020, the pandemic prompted LAT to suspend cadet pilot training at its European Flight Academy arm, which span several sites, trainining pilots for the group and third-party customers. Students for the group's own flight-training programme, which takes about two years to complete, were advised by LAT to seek other careers, as the company foresaw no demand for new pilots "for a very long time". In January, Vereinigung Cockpit said that more than 100 students in Lufthansa's in-house training programme had launched legal action against LAT in a bid to complete their training at the company's pilot school rather than third-party flight academies. As part of the restructuring, LAT will concentrate practical flight training at its facility at Rostock airport. Theoretical training, meanwhile, will be consolidated at Lufthansa's traditional flight academy in Bremen. In the past, Lufthansa conducted part of the initial practical training at a company-owned campus outside Phoenix in Arizona. More advanced training took part in Bremen. Training in Phoenix has been "paused" for the time being, says LAT. No decision has been made about the training facilities and aircraft fleet there, the company adds. Lufthansa Group chief operations officer Detlef Kayser acknowledges that the group's previous pilot training programme "enabled us to set the highest and globally recognised quality standards in the selection and training for our cockpit crews… over the past decades". He states that the group will maintain quality standards, but adds: "We now want to modernise this proven concept, make it more efficient and reliable, and enter a new age with digital modules."

Qatar Airways is highlighting its steps towards offering full touchless in-flight technology onboard its aircraft in a further sign of how airlines are adapting their product and marketing in light of customer sensitivities to flying in the post-pandemic environment. The Gulf carrier is introducing technology enabling passengers to navigate the onboard IFE across its Airbus A350 fleet using their personal electronic devices, as well as the offering the option to use their own headphones to access onboard content via Bluetooth technology on its Boeing 787 fleet. Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker says: “The introduction of the state-of-the-art zero-touch technology, and enabling passengers to use their personal Bluetooth headset on board is an important step in taking our already rigorous and stringent Covid-19 precautions to another level, limiting passenger surface contact and preventing any possible spread of infection on board. “We hope it provides yet further assurance of the safety of air travel, as well as offering passengers on board increased confidence that they are enjoying the most consistently advanced customer experience available in the sky.” The Gulf carrier’s zero-touch technology, introduced in partnership with the Thales AVANT IFE system, will enable A350 passengers to pair their personal electronic devices with their seat-back IFE screen by connecting to the ‘Oryxcomms’ Wi-Fi and scanning a QR code displayed on the screen. This will allow passengers to use their own devices to navigate the onboard IFE system. The Doha-based airline will also offer passengers the option to pair their personal Bluetooth headphones with the onboard seatback IFE system in all cabins across its Boeing 787-9 fleet.

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada will temporarily stop producing Dash 8s and begin vacating its Downsview Toronto production site in the second half of 2021. The company disclosed the changes on 17 February, calling the move a production “pause”. But De Havilland insists it remains committed to the Dash 8 turboprop, saying it is investing in product upgrades and intends to restart production as soon as possible. “Given that prevailing industry circumstances have hindered the ability to confirm new aircraft sales, De Havilland Canada will not produce new Dash 8-400 aircraft at its Downsview site beyond currently confirmed orders,” the company says on 17 February. “Approximately 500 employees will be affected by the production pause.” De Havilland describes the decision as “a responsible and prudent measure that reflects current industry conditions, and will limit strain on the market and De Havilland Canada’s supply base as the pandemic recovery occurs”. De Havilland does not specify how many outstanding firm Dash 8 orders it holds or specify when work at Downsview will stop. The company also does not respond to a request for comment. However, Cirium fleets data shows that De Havilland holds 17 Dash 8-400 orders from airlines including Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Canadian aerial firefighting company Conair, Nigeria’s Elin Group, Ethiopian Airlines, Philippine Airlines, the government of Tanzania and TAAG Angola Airlines. De Havilland delivered 11 Dash 8s in 2020, it says. De Havilland assembles Dash 8s at a leased facility in the Downsview section of Toronto. The lease expires in 2021, though De Havilland has previously said the lease can be extended until 2023. “Accordingly, De Havilland Canada has begun preparing to leave the site over the latter part of the year. There are a number of excellent production site options in Canada, and the company will be ready to meet new aircraft demand as the industry recovers,” De Havilland says. The airframer’s parent Longview Aviation Capital acquired the Dash 8 programme from Bombardier in May 2019 for $250 million. “We fully expect worldwide demand for the Dash 8 to return once the industry has recovered from the pandemic,” says David Curtis, Longview executive chairman. He says the turboprop’s performance and operating economics will make it “an important part of the aviation industry’s post-pandemic recovery”. The company insists it intends to “resume new aircraft delivery at the earliest possible time, subject to market demand”. Also on 17 February, De Havilland outlined several “enhancements” it is making to the Dash 8 programme. Those include “investing significant capital” in the Dash 8’s customer support and information technology systems so as to reduce operating costs. De Havilland is also developing Dash 8 upgrades and modifications, among them “cabin refurbishment features” that include overhead bin extensions. “While the pandemic has ravaged the global aviation industry, De Havilland Canada is making future-oriented investments in its organisation, systems and infrastructure to enhance the Dash 8 platform for current and future aircraft operators,” the company says.