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Transport News

Denel confirms salary cut; union expresses shock and concern

By: Rebecca Campbell Updated 3 hours ago State-owned defence industrial group Denel confirmed on Tuesday that it will pay its staff only 85% of their salaries for this month. “Due to ongoing liquidity challenges we are now faced with unfortunate reality that the company is not in a position to fulfil the 100% salary obligation,” stated... →

Air Tanzania to reintroduce flights to South Africa

By: African News Agency 24th June 2019 Air Tanzania is to resume flights to South Africa on Friday in a bid to attract South African tourists and business travellers. The revived passenger schedule will connect four major airports in Tanzania with OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg with four direct flights per week on... →

Rolls-Royce reports strong progress in its civil aerospace 'IntelligentEngine' initiative

By: Rebecca Campbell 24th June 2019 UK-based global major power plant manufacturer Rolls-Royce has reported that its “IntelligentEngine” philosophy (also referred to as a vision) is making strong progress throughout its Civil Aerospace products and services “portfolio”, powerfully driven by the capabilities of digital technology.... →

Photo by Rolls-Royce
Trent 1000 civil aeroengines on a Rolls-Royce production line

Resgen says final member confirms participation in lending syndicate for Boikarabelo

By: African News Agency 24th June 2019 Energy resources firm Resource Generation (Resgen), which is listed on the ASX and the JSE, on Monday said the third and final member of the proposed lending syndicate for the construction of its Boikarabelo mine in South Africa had confirmed its participation in writing. It said the combined... →

South African drone sector association created

By: Rebecca Campbell 21st June 2019 A representative body for the South African unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, sector was launched on Thursday evening at Kyalami, north of Johannesburg. This is the South African Federation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS – another term for drones), officially abbreviated to Safu.... →

Theft, vandalism slow new train rollout at Metrorail

By: Irma Venter 21st June 2019 While the Gibela factory in Gauteng has started to steadily produce new, made-in-South Africa trains for the Metrorail system in South Africa, it appears it may take some time before these trains all start carrying passengers. The Gibela Rail Transport Consortium is to deliver 600 new trains (3... →

A new train on the Metrorail system

Aerospace giants displaying their wares at Paris

By: Rebecca Campbell 21st June 2019 Global major aerospace groups Airbus and Boeing are both using the current Paris Air Show (at Le Bourget Airport) to display innovative technologies and programmes. Airbus will also be marking its 50th birthday. Both companies will have commercial and military, fixed- and rotary-wing, aircraft on... →

Karpowership sees 'huge potential' in energy-hungry Africa

By: Bloomberg 20th June 2019 Karpowership, one of the world’s largest powership companies, is building vessels the size of several football fields to meet rising demand for energy, especially from Africa. The unit of Turkey’s Karadeniz Energy Group has about 20 ships under construction, according to Karpowership’s director... →

Tambo Springs project an 'exciting experience', says Italian Railways

By: Irma Venter 20th June 2019 Italian Railways senior VP Nino Cingolani expects the consortium appointed as the preferred bidder in the Tambo Springs Intermodal Terminal project to sign the 20-year concession agreement with Transnet Freight Rail by the end of the year. The consortium, announced earlier this month, is led by... →

Sierra Leone President opens bids for 7 km airport bridge

By: Reuters 20th June 2019 Sierra Leone's President opened a tender process on Wednesday for building a 7 km bridge at a cost of up to $2-billion to link Freetown to the country's only international airport. Freetown International Airport at Lungi is currently accessible only by boat or helicopter, separated from the... →

Five things to watch out for in Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation speech

By: Bloomberg 20th June 2019 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday delivers his first state-of-the-nation speech since the ruling party extended its quarter-century grip on power in last month’s election. His address to Parliament in Cape Town is scheduled to begin at 19:00. Here are five key things to watch... →

Transnet signs R8.5bn rail deal with UMK

By: Marleny Arnoldi 19th June 2019 State-owned freight utility Transnet and manganese producer United Manganese of Kalahari on Wednesday “renewed their business vows” by signing an R8.5-billion contract to move two-million to three-million tonnes a year of manganese by rail to six South African exports channels. Transnet... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Marleny Arnoldi
UMK CEO Victor Radko and Transnet commercial sales and marketing group executive Mike Fanucchi

Govt to spend R38bn on Metrorail, Mbalula to seek 'proper policing' on trains

By: Irma Venter 19th June 2019 The South African government will spend about R38-billion over the next three years on the procurement of new trains for the Metrorail service, as well as on the modernisation of signalling systems, depots, perway and stations, says new Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. “The expenditure will... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Irma Venter
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula

Transnet Freight Rail Breakthrough Technologies

19th June 2019 In a context of increasing competition, growing demand and tighter management of operational and capital costs, freight railways are constantly looking for ways to increase efficiency by boosting throughput and cutting costs. Below are several breakthrough technologies that have been developed... →

Kenyan lawmakers propose nationalisation of Kenya Airways

By: Bloomberg 19th June 2019 Kenya’s Parliamentary transport committee proposed the nationalisation of Kenya Airways after rejecting the airline’s proposal to allow it to manage the nation’s biggest airport. The committee proposed creating a holding company with four subsidiaries including the carrier and the Jomo Kenyatta... →

Aviation technology leaders reaffirm their determination to cut industry’s CO2 emissions

By: Rebecca Campbell 18th June 2019 At the 2019 Paris Air Show on Tuesday, the Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) of seven of the world’s major aerospace companies issued a joint statement on their joint and cooperative commitment to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by the aviation industry. The companies were, in alphabetical... →

State capture inquiry hears about 'Myeni's person' at SAA

By: News24Wire 18th June 2019 The judicial commission of inquiry into State capture on Tuesday heard from a former South African Airways executive about how she was advised by then board chairperson Dudu Myeni to interact with her "personal advisor". The airline's former chief financial officer Phumeza Nhantsi, a chartered... →

Threats to embark on industrial action could hurt SAA, airline warns

By: Nadine James 18th June 2019 South African Airways (SAA) on Tuesday noted a “deep sense of disappointment” at the South African Airways Pilots’ Association’s (Saapa’s) comments that it may embark on industrial action in protest against the appointment of Zukisa Ramasia as the airline’s acting CEO. Saapa chairperson Captain... →

South Africa not the gateway to Africa, warns research house

By: Irma Venter 18th June 2019 South Africa is not, as is so often punted, the gateway to Africa, says Africa House director Duncan Bonnett – this is a mere “influence illusion”. The country is more a gateway to Southern African, and not even all of that. →

Airbus launches extra long range version of its best-selling airliner family

By: Rebecca Campbell 18th June 2019 At the Paris Air Show on Monday, global major aerospace group Airbus launched the latest version of its A321neo (new engine option) single-aisle airliner (itself the largest model in the A320neo family). This is the A321XLR, XLR standing for extra long range. This new version, which will enter... →

Photo by Airbus
Computer-generated image of the A321XLR

Gauteng to vet minibus taxis before they can operate on reopened Soweto routes

By: African News Agency 18th June 2019 The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) on Tuesday said it will vet minibus taxis before they can be allowed to operate on reopened Soweto routes. "The GPG will today, 18 June 2019, begin the process of vetting minibus taxis that will be operating on the now reopened Soweto ranks and routes that... →

Cargo handled by Kenya's Mombasa port up 6% in eleven months to May

By: Reuters 18th June 2019 Kenya’s main port of Mombasa handled 6.3% more cargo in the last eleven months thanks to higher efficiency, a surge in imports and greater capacity after the port was expanded, the facility's management said on Monday. The rise in cargoes came despite uncertainty after 75 tax agency staff... →

South African Express says that it is turning itself around

By: Rebecca Campbell 14th June 2019 South African State-owned regional airline SA Express (SAX) affirmed on Friday that it was making substantial progress in its turnaround programme. It has also been taking action against employees found to have been engaged in wrongdoing. All those employees who have been charged with offences,... →

A CRJ-700 of SA Express

AST declares maiden quartz resource, celebrates with inaugural blast

By: Nadine James 14th June 2019 AST Sand Mines’ Van Dykspruit quarry, on the border between Gauteng and Mpumalanga, on Friday declared its maiden quartzite-roadstone resource. AST management also oversaw the inaugral blast that would provide access to the underlying high-grade quartzite rock. →

Van Dykspruit Quarry

Airbus signs amended contract with launch customers for A400M airlifter

By: Rebecca Campbell 14th June 2019 The Airbus group announced in Amsterdam on Friday that it had signed an amendment to its contract with OCCAR (the French acronym for the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation) for the A400M military airlift aircraft. The OCCAR member states are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the... →

Photo by Airbus
An Airbus A400M

Technology integration crucial

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 14th June 2019 Digital technology solutions provider Etion Digitise CE Koketso Seripe is set to deliver a presentation at the Africa Rail exhibition and conference, which will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Gauteng, on June 19 and 20. Seripe will deliver his presentation, titled ‘A seamless... →

INTEGRATION STATION Etion Digitise’s integrated system display serves as a human-machine interface for other systems in the train

Event will address challenges facing African rail industries

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 14th June 2019 Several challenges face Africa’s rail industries, and global events company Terrapinn will host the twenty-second annual Africa Rail exhibition and conference, which aims to tackle these challenges. Terrapinn business development manager Athena Maharaj tells Engineering News that there is a... →

EXHIBITION BONANZA Terrapinn is expecting 250 exhibitors at Africa Rail

Government departments need to align to revive industry – RRA

By: Jessica Oosthuizen 14th June 2019 There is no alignment in terms of the objectives of the local rail industry, and the country lacks a united vision, says the Railroad Association of South Africa (RRA) CEO Mesela Nhlapo. Currently, the visions of the different government departments are not aligning, which leads to policies being... →

RAIL’S RIGHTFUL PLACE The Railroad Association of South Africa works to promote and protect the interests of its members and the rail industry

Comair’s new CEOs to press ahead with diversification strategy

By: Rebecca Campbell 14th June 2019 South African private-sector airline group Comair announced at the end of last month, via a Stock Exchange News Service release at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, that it was acquiring the “shares and claims” of Star Air Maintenance and Star Air Cargo. The deal involves paying the sellers... →

Comair expects financial hit from 737 MAX grounding, but is filling the fleet gap

By: Rebecca Campbell 14th June 2019 South African private-sector airline group Comair has suffered financially from having to ground its newly delivered Boeing 737 MAX airliner earlier this year, following two fatal crashes involving the type in just five months in late 2018 and early 2019, which killed 346 people. “We’re obviously... →

Jobs potential seen in aerospace manufacturing

By: Schalk Burger 14th June 2019 Previously disadvantaged individuals can comprise up to 90% of the main beneficiaries and startup business owners as part of the private-public growth initiative (PPGI) which aims to stimulate the expansion and development of the aerospace manufacturing sector. Further, at least 30% of the... →

JOHAN STEYN Adherence to international quality, safety, design and manufacturing standards will lead to qualification and certification as part of international supply chains

Aviation manufacturing can be showcase for industrial stimulation

By: Schalk Burger 14th June 2019 A proposed industrial growth initiative by the local aviation manufacturing industry can potentially serve as a showcase for how South Africa can stimulate its industrial sectors and how it should respond to their digital transformation, Commercial Aerospace Association of South Africa (Camasa)... →

Camasa co-chair Johan Steyn discusses the proposed industrial stimulation plan. Camerawork: Nicholas Boyd. Editing: Christo Greyling.

Industrial development funding mix can improve success

By: Schalk Burger 14th June 2019 A diversified funding mixture to stimulate industrial activity and development will help to improve success and can lead to growth partnerships with investors and government, as well as more rapid growth if successful, states industry body Commercial Aerospace Manufacturing Association of South... →

Camasa co-chair Themba September discusses certification and regulation in the aerospace industry. Camerawork: Nicholas Boyd. Editing: Christo Greyling.

Defining the heavy-haul railway of the future

14th June 2019 Heavy-haul railways are under constant pressure to optimise operational efficiency, a factor that has led the sector to spearhead many new technologies. Michael Roney, special advisor to the International Heavy Haul Association (IHHA), explains in this article, originally published in the... →

South Africans to prepare ‘smart heavy haul industry’ roadmap

14th June 2019 The South African Heavy Haul Association (SAHHA) hosted a three-day technical workshop in Johannesburg in late 2018 as part of preparations for the 2019 International Heavy Haul Association (IHHA) conference to be held in Narvik, Norway, from June 10 to 14. Ten countries are a part of the IHHA... →

Longest Production Train in the World

14th June 2019 In an unprecedented move, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) successfully ran a 375 wagon manganese train. The testing of the train took place on Wednesday, 05 September 2018 over a distance of around 861 km, from Sishen to Saldanha. The test train is four (4) kilometres long and will be a production... →

ACSA appoints new acting CFO

By: Simone Liedtke 13th June 2019 Lindani Mukhufwani has been appointed acting CFO of Airports Company South Africa, effective June 13. She succeeds Dirk Kunz, who has been acting CFO since January 2017. →

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