IN BRIEF

Joon Launched

A new Air France subsidiary airline called Joon will start medium-haul flights from Paris CDG in the autumn, with long-haul flights to follow in summer 2018. Joon is apparently designed to meet the aspirations of 18–35-year-olds, but the carrier says it is, “not be a low-cost airline”. Joon will operate Airbus A340S, A350-900s and A320s. Mark Broadbent

EMS Black Hawks

Ten UH-60 Black Hawks are to be repurposed for seasonal aerial firefighting operations and yearround emergency services and disaster relief work in Australia and New Zealand. The first of ten ex-US military machines will be imported into Australia in 2018 for refurbishment in Brisbane by Sikorsky. The helicopters will be operated by Kaan Air Australia and StarFlight Australia. Mark Broadbent

By E-Jet to St Helena

South African Airlink has been awarded an official contract by the government of St Helena to provide scheduled and unscheduled air services to the island for an initial three-year period. It will start scheduled flights from October on a route that will include Johannesburg, Ascension Island and Windhoek, Namibia, using Embraer 190s in a two-class configuration. Comair, which runs the British Airways franchise in South Africa, landed a Boeing 737-800 on St Helena in April 2016, but experienced problems with wind shear. Although Airlink has been awarded a contract, Comair is looking at using the northern approach to the runway for future operations; Airlink will use the southerly approach, which involves a tailwind. Guy Martin

5 E190-E2s FOR AIR ASTANA

Kazakhstan national carrier Air Astana is to lease five Embraer E190-E2s from Q4 2018, becoming an early user of the new regional jet. Wideroe will be the launch operator early next year. Mark Broadbent

29.5 MILLION FOR PROP RESEARCH

Dowty has launched a technology development project called Digital Propulsion to research new capabilities for propellers and other propulsion systems. The company will invest £20 million in the venture and the UK Aerospace Technology Institute will provide a further £9.5 million. Mark Broadbent