Go Green: GATE II Funding Programme Launched

Dear Subscribers,

Over the last few weeks, not one but two R&D funding programmes focused on sustainable aviation have been launched that are sure to be of great interest to Hamburg's aviation community. First, the City of Hamburg has launched the second phase of its GATE initiative, providing €4 million for SMEs developing new sustainable aviation technology. GATE II is administered by Hamburgische Investitions- und Förderbank (IFB Hamburg) with funding provided by Hamburg Innovativ (Ministry for Economic Affairs).

ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research is hosting an Ideas Workshop for GATE II on 14 May aimed specifically at interested SMEs - it's the ideal event to generate ideas and flesh out proposals. Join other companies and get inspiration for your next R&D project. Register here.

Last week, the German government published the latest round of its national Aeronautics and Climate Research programme, or LuFo Klima VII. The addition of "climate" to the programme name shows how it is becoming increasingly focussed on mitigating the climate effects of aviation. Among the funding priorities of LuFo Klima VII are disruptive hydrogen technologies as well as iterative development of legacy technology as an enabler for decarbonisation. Find out more here.

It's so encouraging to see that at all levels - regional, national and European - public bodies are supporting our industry in this crucial arena!

Best regards,

Angus Baigent and the Hamburg Aviation Team

Crystal Cabin Award 2024: Finalists Announced!

The Crystal Cabin Award has announced the finalists of the 2024 Crystal Cabin Awards! 25 highly innovative products and designs have been selected by a jury of industry experts, with the finalists gathering at Hamburg’s Chambers of Commerce on 28 May for the award ceremony. Hosted as part of Aircraft Interiors Expo , this annual event is a celebration of the ingenuity and creativity of the cabin interiors industry in taking the passenger experience to the next level.

Hamburg Airport returns to profitability

Hamburg Airport , northern Germany's biggest air traffic hub, announced that it had returned to profitability for the 2023 financial year. Beating its own forecasts, the airport reported a profit of €6.6 million with revenues rising to €259.4 million, up around 20% over the previous year. Passenger numbers have continued to recover but have not yet returned to pre-Covid levels, the airport said in its annual financial statement. Read more.

Lufthansa Technik achieves 9-figure Q1 EBIT despite strong headwinds

Despite considerable challenges, Lufthansa Technik has announced a 9-figure EBIT result for the first quarter of 2024. After last year's record result, the global MRO market leader started the year weaker than expected with an Adjusted EBIT of €116 million, down from last year's €135 million for the same period. The company reported that results have been hit by strikes in Germany in recent months. The continuing aviation supply chain difficulties and disproportionately high cost increases were also cited as contributing to a challenging operating environment. Read more.

Mankiewicz Coating Solutions celebrates two Airbus Supplier Awards in 2024

Global coatings manufacturer Mankiewicz wins both awards in the supplier category "Materials and Parts“ for its excellent performance. Airbus has chosen its best suppliers at the SQIP supplier day and has honored Mankiewicz again with its highest supplier trophy in 2024. SQIP stands for "Supply Chain & Quality Improvement Program." The award is presented annually to companies that have distinguished themselves through exceptional performance in the areas of product quality and delivery reliability. Read more.

Hamburg Aviation holds second National Workshop for ECARE

ECARE Project is an important European initiative to accelerate sustainable aviation research by charting and developing synergies between European and national R&D funding activities. In April, Hamburg Aviation held the second National Workshop, an important project milestone that presented the latest achievements of the project. The results of the discussion will contribute to the synergies handbook to be published later this year. Congratulations to our colleague Maybrit Brooksnieder and the ECARE team on this successful event.

Hamburg Aviation, HCAT+ and partners launch aviation industry dialogue on quality assurance

A new series of events fostering dialogue around quality assurance processes in aviation kicked off last week. Run by Hamburg Centre of Aviation Training Lab (HCAT+ e.V.) and Hamburg Aviation, the opening event brought together stakeholders from across Hamburg's supply chain. Among the main topics raised by participants was the importance of data-based knowledge management as well as managing human factors in production quality. Many thanks to our partners Deutsche Gesellschaft für Qualität (DGQ) , HECAS e.V. and Hanse-Aerospace ! If you're interested in participating in upcoming events in this series, get in touch with our colleague at HCAT+ Sabine Frykmer .

Time to do good: Lufthansa "Merchandise4Good" charity auction running now!

Looking for a bit of aviation memorabilia and want to support some worthwhile charity projects at the same time? Lufthansa Group 's “Merchandise4Good” charity auction is on until 12 May with proceeds going to support fantastic causes. This year, the group curated an impressive collection of over 630 aviation-related items.