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The Independent
17 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
How Delta amenity kits changed across the decades, from shoehorns to spa-grade toiletries
The golden age of air travel is long gone, but the business-class amenity kit is one luxury introduced in that era between the 50s and 70s that is still with us. Delta introduced it in 1978, at the tail end of the period, and has been keeping a photographic record of its evolution. The fascinating pictures serve as time capsules that offer insights into aircraft etiquette of the day and reveal how amenity kits went from being merely practical to designer collectibles. First, we step back in time, to an age long before AI pricing and online check-ins, when according to the amenity kits, fuzz-free clothing and being able to remove one's shoes with ease were the priorities for wealthy fliers. 1978 Delta's first amenity kits arrived in 1978, when the carrier was using Boeing 747s and Lockheed TriStars for long-haul travel. One of the kits featured a white bag, Pepsodent toothpaste, a comb, hand lotion, a hand towel, and a large nail file. Yes, doing your nails mid-flight was a top priority. Another brown and beige offering featured Michaud shaving cream and hand and body lotion, along with a razor and eye mask. Milestones for the carrier in the 70s included the introduction of the first transatlantic service from Atlanta to London, and audio in-flight entertainment. 1985 Notable inclusions of the 1985 amenity kit were a lint mitt for removing clothing fluff and dust and a shoehorn. Bizarre? Not really, this was, after all, a time when people would don formal attire to fly business class, a concept alien to today's tracksuit-wearing one-percenters. The goody bag also contained a toothbrush kit, shave cream, mouthwash and moisturizing lotion, along with a comb and a nail file. By this time, Delta had introduced computer-generated boarding and automated advance seat selection. 1987 This picture shows a 1987 amenity kit, which includes a pair of blue Delta slippers, with the rest of the kit unchanged. In this year, Western Airlines merged with Delta, making it the fourth-largest US carrier and the fifth-largest world carrier, with new hubs in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. It was also the year that Delta began trans-Pacific services to Tokyo. 1995 In 1995, the amenity kit took a step up, with Delta partnering with Essentiel Elements, known for its spa-grade toiletries. The kit included an aromatherapy towelette by the firm, along with a 'disc case' for CDs (remember those?), and Rembrandt toothpaste and mouth rinse. By that time, Delta had purchased Pan Am and introduced onboard recycling. And in 1995, Delta introduced the airline industry's first seasonal menus and became the first US airline to ban smoking on all flights worldwide. 1996 In 1996, Delta's business-class customers were treated to an enticing bundle, with Essential Elements lotions and potions still in place. In that year, a Delta plane carried the Olympic flame from Athens to Los Angeles for the 1996 Torch Relay to Atlanta. Watershed moments, meanwhile, were customers being able to make reservations and purchase tickets via Delta's website, SkyLinks, and Delta becoming the first airline to offer in-seat power and live broadcast television programming. 2001 This tin of delights, which included L'Occitane creams, arrived in 2001. This year also saw Delta install self-service airport kiosks, allowing customers to check-in and print boarding passes. 2006 The year 2006 saw the introduction of a vibrant red amenity kit with Lather products and playful inscriptions, such as "do not disturb, save me a snack" on a privacy notice. And in 2006 Delta became the first major airline with in-seat, on-demand movies, games and live TV on a large portion of its domestic fleet. Another first was the introduction of Delta flights to southern Africa, with a service to Johannesburg via Dakar, Senegal, launched. 2007 Lather products also featured in the blue and red 2007 amenity kit. The look of the airline changed in this year, with the carrier adopting a new three-dimensional red widget logo and livery. And an open skies agreement between the US and the European Union paved the way for services to Heathrow, which would launch the following year. New for 2025 Delta is rolling out "collectible" new amenity kits by Missoni in the fall "designed to reflect the colors of the sky". These will come in blue and cream and include "crew-length" socks; a breathable eye mask; an "upgraded" pen featuring "metal accents and Delta One branding"; Grown Alchemist skincare products in "elevated aluminum tubes"; a bamboo toothbrush; Marvis toothpaste; and earplugs. Delta is also launching a new bedding set by Missoni.
India.com
2 days ago
- Business
- India.com
F-35B Still Grounded In Kerala: UK Stealth Jet's Big Flows Exposed – Even Trump Camp In Panic; What's Next?
New Delhi: Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram Airport has become an unusual site. A fighter jet that was supposed to be invisible now sits visibly grounded. The F-35B, a prized asset of the British Royal Navy, landed here more than a month ago. It has not taken off since. A fuel shortage forced an emergency landing. What followed was something no one expected. A complete breakdown. Lockheed Martin made this jet. A name that echoes in every defense corridor. Their top product has now become a puzzle. Experts flew in. Engineers worked round the clock. Still, nothing changed. The F-35B stands in silence. The problems are not isolated. Reports show that the U.S. government has also been struggling. Software upgrades are delayed. Hardware is not responding. Deliveries have slowed. Lockheed was supposed to hand over 72 aircraft by May. That deadline slipped. The upgrade plan is called TR-3. It promises better displays. Stronger computing. Faster reaction. But development has crawled. As delays mounted, the Pentagon stepped in. Funds were withheld. Millions of dollars held back. Only after some progress did they release partial payments. The aircraft parked in Kerala has brought attention to a deeper issue. It is not only about a jet refusing to fly. It is about an industry under pressure. Even with top minds and advanced tools, basic fixes have become complicated. The hydraulic system is at the center of the problem. Twenty-four specialists are on-site. They have tried everything. Nothing has worked yet. For India, this situation is sensitive. The aircraft uses stealth technology. Its secrets cannot be exposed. So, the British Navy and U.S. officials were hesitant to move it indoors. But monsoon rain pushed their hand. Eventually, they agreed to shift it into a hangar. Since June 14, the jet has remained parked. On the outside, it looks sleek. Inside, it is wounded. For Lockheed Martin, the timing is difficult. The F-35 programme makes up nearly 30% of their business. If these issues continue, future orders may shrink. The Trump administration is already reviewing purchase plans for 2026. The aircraft in Kerala has unintentionally opened a window into a larger story. A symbol of precision. Now a symbol of pause.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why Boeing Retired Its Iconic C-17 Globemaster III
Boeing is reportedly considering resuming production of its C-17 Globemaster III jet, discontinued in 2015. That's going to be quite a trick since the Long Beach, California factory that made the plane has long been shuttered and is currently for sale. That said, some of the equipment and assembly lines might be salvaged and relocated to a new facility, which raises the question of why the supersized cargo hauler was discontinued to begin with. Few jets besides the Lockheed C-5M Galaxy can match the C-17's 164,000-plus-pound cargo capacity or its range of 6,230 nautical miles when empty. However, the C-17 has an advantage over the C-5M Galaxy because of its more compact footprint, which allows landings on remote, undeveloped runways as short as 3,000 feet. Its brace of four Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines make 40,440 pounds of thrust each. Converting that thrust figure to horsepower, we come up with about 223,444 horsepower at the jet's cruising speed of 450 knots (518 mph). The contents of the C-17's voluminous cargo hold could range from humans to military vehicles like tanks and helicopters. It's ironic that recent conflicts like Russia's war against Ukraine and flare-ups in the Middle East have rekindled interest in the C-17, because most of the reason it was discontinued was lack of demand. That's not unlike the fate of another famously large aircraft, the Boeing 747 passenger jet, which is mostly gone from commercial flight except for these airline holdouts. Read more: You'd Only Drive These Cars If They Were Free Development of the C-17 was begun in the 1980s by McDonnell Douglas, which Boeing later acquired. Test flights commenced in 1991 and by 1995, the first squadron was declared operationally ready. Fast forward to 2013, by which time the U.S. Air Force's entire purchase order was complete, although a few international buyers' planes had yet to be completed. Meanwhile, the 2011 Budget Control Act led to significant cuts in U.S. defense spending that weren't ideal for the future of the C-17, which was expensive both to purchase and maintain. For example, charging $151,000 for soap dispensers that should have cost about $2,000. The Department of Defense put it blandly in its 2010 budget request: "DOD does not need additional C-17 aircraft. Therefore we are ending production under this program." Boeing manufactured a total of 279 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, and the company says 275 of them are still in service. The Air Force is the largest operator, with 223, while the remainder are scattered all over the globe. In 2003, the C-17 inserted almost 1,000 soldiers at once via parachute during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Besides combat missions, the C-17 also aided humanitarian relief efforts with cargo like food and medical supplies following natural disasters in Japan, Haiti, and other locations. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Axios
12-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
"You could never have enough": Militaries scramble for air defense interceptors
The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are diminishing supplies of air defenses and raising concerns at the Pentagon, and around the world, about insufficient stockpiles. The big picture: Militaries are burning through interceptors, and everyone wants more. But demand outstrips production. Ukraine bats down Russian salvos. Israel counters Iranian barrages. The U.S. and allies such as France swat away bombardments from Yemen. Meanwhile, worries about stateside stashes were apparently so severe that they necessitated a review of weapons deliveries worldwide. The Pentagon recently froze shipments of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine, citing inventory concerns, before Trump at least partially reversed that move. Driving the news: The U.S. Army in its fiscal 2026 budget blueprint increased its acquisition goal for the most advanced variant of Patriot interceptors to almost 14,000. That's quadruple the previous level for those interceptors, the Lockheed Martin-made PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement. What they're saying: " The Biden administration was doing way too much 'playing catch' with the Houthis, and now the Trump administration is doing the same thing," Tom Karako, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Axios. "It's a bipartisan sin to treat our missile-defense interceptors as expendable and attritable assets," he added. "These are scarce national resources. We need to treat them as such." Friction point: Industry can only pump out so many interceptors annually. "Part of the bad news is that we're not going to be able to flip a switch and get all of this overnight," Karako said. Specialty munitions like PAC-3 MSE, Israel Aerospace Industries' Arrow 3 and RTX's Standard Missiles (proving popular in Red Sea and Gulf of Aden battles) cost millions of dollars a pop. Large exchanges can burn through weeks of work. The U.S. reportedly used 30 interceptors in one night shielding Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar from an Iranian attack. Ukraine typically uses multiple countermeasures for each incoming Russian ballistic missile. Yes, but: Lockheed is on track to produce more than 600 PAC-3 MSEs this year, a first for the world's largest defense contractor, and is eyeing 650 annually by 2027. "Demand for PAC-3 MSE has surged following its proven performance in real-world operations," a spokesperson told Axios. "Our new Camden facility, built in 2022, has capacity to increase production rates and enable the program to continue its critical production ramp-up." Lockheed last year signed a $4.5 billion contract with the Army for interceptors and associated hardware. Then-Army acquisition chief Doug Bush described the deal as "vital" to equipping the service "along with Ukraine and other allies around the world." The bottom line: " It seems like the [combatant commands] line up outside the factory doors when PAC-3 MSEs are being produced," retired Army Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler said at a CSIS event Tuesday. "They're stealing them and they're grabbing them to get them out into their particular areas of responsibility."
Mint
20-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Europe's Arms Revival Pits Homegrown Wares Against US Stalwarts
Europe's arms manufacturers are duking it out with American rivals to win their slice of the region's fast-growing military pie, as governments embark on an unprecedented expansion of defense spending. The jockeying between European and US firms was in the spotlight at the Paris Air Show this week, where talk of fighter jets, drones and missiles led the conversation, instead of the commercial aircraft orders that typically dominate the expo. Defense and security took up about 45% of the footprint on the show's floor — a 'strong increase' from two years ago, its organizers told Defense News. Behind the shift is a growing realization in Europe that the region needs to become more self-reliant for its security, as threats escalate and the US signals a retreat under President Donald Trump. War has raged in Ukraine for more than three years, exposing the menace posed by Vladimir Putin's Russia, and Israel attacked Iran just days before the meeting began, putting countries in the Middle East more on edge. After 80 years of peace, European nations haven't developed the 'culture of defense' seen in the US, Russia and Israel, said Roberto Cingolani, chief executive officer of Italian state-backed defense contractor Leonardo SpA. 'We were not as well prepared because we almost forgot that war could happen,' Cingolani said. 'We were more used to peacekeeping missions where you don't develop a real defense system, you develop an assistance system. And our army now is making a lot of effort for the so-called capacity boost.' With Trump demanding that allies dedicate a greater share of their resources to defense, European NATO spending is expected to double by the end of the decade to as high as €800 billion in 2030, according to McKinsey. NATO leaders meet next week at the Hague to discuss raising current spending targets. 'The surge in European defense funding is significant,' Hugues Lavandier, leader of McKinsey's aerospace and defense practice in Europe, said in an interview. France's Dassault Aviation wasn't subtle about seizing the opportunity, touting its Rafale warplane as 'the choice of sovereignty' and conducting a demonstration above the makeshift chalets at Le Bourget airfield. Lockheed Martin Corp. put its F-35 through the paces as well. At least half of Europe's 13 current customers for the fighter jet are talking publicly about buying more, said Frank St. John, Lockheed's chief operating officer, with other countries seeking US approval for purchases. By decade's end, Lockheed expects to have around 700 of its fighters on the continent, he said in an interview. 'We're headed into a period over the next three to five years of increasing budgets,' St. John said, including in the US, Japan and Australia. According to the Financial Times, the US firm is also seeking a piece of the UK's Iron Dome-type missile defense project. Boeing Co. had a muted commercial presence at the show because of the Air India crash involving one of its 787 Dreamliners last week. The US company sees an opportunity to expand in European defense with autonomous aircraft like its MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone, designed to fly on reconnaissance and tactical missions in tandem with crewed aircraft, Bernd Peters, vice president of business development and strategy, told reporters. American defense contractors are increasingly willing to forge deals with European counterparts to better make the case for their wares. Honeywell International Inc. said it plans to acquire more companies in the region and expand in the UK, Germany and Czech Republic. Lockheed is raising its investment with Rheinmetall AG to jointly develop missiles and rockets. The German supplier inked a separate drone-technology partnership with US startup Anduril Industries Inc. — underscoring the boom in demand for future weaponry. Germany, Europe's biggest economy, is emblematic of the changes afoot. Its armed forces are shrinking as soldiers age, hampering the biggest push to re-arm since World War II. The government has lifted caps on defense spending, clearing the way for hundreds of billions of euros in expenditures. Given the recent strains on the US relationship, many in Europe want to see the money allocated at home rather than with American companies that have long supplied NATO. 'The time has come to buy European products,' Michael Schoellhorn, who heads Airbus SE's Munich-based defense unit, said in an interview. 'That way we not only gain higher tax revenues but also the technology. If you just buy, the money is gone.' But Europe needs weapons now, and its companies are struggling to gear up the factories and supply chains that would fulfill the demand. To that end, France and Spain renewed their commitment to the troubled A400M military transport aircraft. Airbus, Thales and Leonardo are working to unify their satellite and space operations, and Leonardo, working with Rheinmetall, is trying to vacuum up the military vehicle business of Italy's Iveco Group NV. Yet it's not certain whether these deals will ultimately go through, and a public quarrel between Airbus and Dassault Aviation, its French partner on Europe's FCAS Future Combat Air System, served as a reminder of the challenges going forward: Europe's defense industry is currently seen as too fragmented and driven by nationalistic priorities to truly compete with American, Russian or Chinese rivals. For the current Eurofighter warplane, Airbus is aligned with Leonardo and the UK's BAE Systems, competing against the F-35 and Dassault Aviation's Rafale. On the next-generation FCAS, the German and French governments have teamed Airbus with Dassault. It's not easy to go from being a rival on a high stakes weapons program to becoming its partner on the next one, said Jean-Brice Dumont, head of air power at Airbus. 'We have to make the 'Europe of defense' — it has to happen,' he said. But 'you are having two competitors poised to marry, and that creates a natural ambiguity, a natural paradox.' With assistance from Anthony Palazzo. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
