Emirates Flight Training Academy Welcomes New Pilots

As the aviation world grapples with pilot shortages, Emirates Flight Training Academy’s (EFTA) third graduation ceremony held earlier today welcomed 53 new pilots trained at their world-class facility into the industry.

With the latest ceremony, EFTA celebrated crossing three major milestones, including graduating –

• international cadets for the first time since the academy opened its doors for non-Emirati cadets in late 2019

• the largest cohort – more than 50 cadets and double that of previous events

• more than 100 cadets since its first graduation in 2020.

Located in Dubai South, the Emirates Flight Training Academy was launched by Emirates in 2017 to train UAE nationals and international students to become pilots. The Academy combines cutting-edge learning technologies and a modern fleet of 27 training aircraft to train cadets with no previous knowledge of flying. EFTA’s fleet has 22 x Cirrus SR22 G6 single-engine piston and 5 x Embraer Phenom 100EV very light jet aircraft.

EFTA’s state-of-the-art facility, which is equal to 200 football fields, has 36 modern ground classrooms, 6 full motion flight simulators, an independent Air Traffic Control Tower, and a dedicated 1,800 m long runway.

Ground school (53 weeks): All 36 classrooms are equipped with two 86” touchscreens, running bespoke training software created for EFTA by Boeing. Cadets undergo 900 hours of training, and access the material via their own devices, which are all connected to each other, creating an interactive training environment.

Flying school (250 hours): cadets train on simulators, single-engine Cirrus and Phenom jets.

For more info, visit https://www.emiratesflighttrainingacademy.com

Starbucks Starts New Year with Special Treats

Guests' favorite winter drink specials have arrived at Starbucks Hungary cafés. In addition to the popular Honey Hazelnut Oat Latte, starting this year the chain offers a brand new coffee specialty, the unique Caramelised Macadamia Oat Latte®. From January 3, 2023, all coffee specialties can be ordered with alternative milk at no extra cost in Starbucks coffee shops nationwide.

Entering a new year signals excitement and adventure. Whether you are welcoming a pick me up to start your year on the right foot or want to slow down and take some time to yourself, there’s a Starbucks beverage for you this winter. Starbucks Oat Latte platform is back, with Honey Hazelnut Oat Latte returning for another year after a stellar debut in 2021. This year, it is joined by a new flavor, Caramelised Macadamia Oat Latte.

To coincide with the launch, Starbucks announces it will no longer charge extra for any of its dairy alternatives in stores across Hungary from 2023.01.03. onwards, so customers will always be able to choose the right beverage customisation for them, all year round. So if you prefer plant-based, you can now add soy, oat, almond or coconut drink free of charge in addition to cow's milk.

Enjoy new winter menu

This January, try the new Caramelised Macadamia Oat Latte where subtle buttery macadamia and caramel notes are complete with sprinkle of caramelised macadamia flavour topping. The platform’s unique flavours are specially designed to be paired with our oat dairy-alternative and complement the taste of Starbucks Signature Espresso® Roast, our darker roasted espresso with a rich and nutty flavour profile. As always, you can customise your beverage to make it your own – with your favourite dairy alternative, or if you fancy something cooler, why not try it iced for an uplifting take?

For those seeking the comfort of familiar favourites, the returning Honey Hazelnut Oat Latte is back and better than ever, with an improved flavour profile. This beverage champions the natural flavours of delicate honey and roasted hazelnut. Combined with velvety oat dairy-alternative and Starbucks Signature Espresso® Roast, this well-balanced beverage is finished with a glowing honey flavoured topping; the perfect sip to keep you going through the first months of the new year.

Free non-dairy choices for all

Starbucks Hungary proudly serves a broad range of dairy alternative options, including oat, soya, almond and coconut milk. From the winter menu launch on 2023.01.03., plant-based alternatives to cow's milk are available free of charge in all Starbucks coffee shops across Hungary, making it even easier for customers to choose the right beverage customisation for them, all year round.

Nano Energies Launches Virtual Power Plant Services in Hungary

Stanislac Chvála, CEO of Nano Energies

Businesses across Europe are dealing with rising electricity prices. One way out of the crisis may be flexibility aggregation offered by ouzr agency's new client, the Czech Nano Energies, which smartly manages electricity consumption and production, while also helping reduce energy costs by 10-30%. It also strengthens the stability of the energy grid and optimizes the feed-back of renewable energy. The company has 130 highly skilled employees, and Hungary is now the fourth country where it is present.

Energy systems are undergoing significant technological change around the world, but rising prices are also a major challenge for businesses and households alike. This has put the spotlight on what is known as energy flexibility, which means the continuous coordination of consumption and production. As electricity cannot be stored in large quantities and in a cost-effective way, the control of smaller devices is an efficient solution for the stability of energy supply. As an independent flexibility aggregator, Nano Energies combines numerous smaller and larger power generators and consumers into a common smart system, which thus acts as one large "virtual power plant".

Flexibility aggregators are becoming increasingly important as renewable energy production grows. As the renewable generation is not balanced over time, solutions to stabilize the electric grid are much needed.

Tibor Lukács, country manager, Hungary

"Feeding the electricity generated by solar panels to the grid has become a hot topic in Hungary in recent months, which shows how important the balance of the transmission grid is. With its grid balancing services, Nano Energies' technology can offer a solution to this problem," says Tibor Lukács, Head of Nano Energies Hungary, who also points out that in addition to the increased stability, the flexibility aggregator can also optimize costs. With Nano Energies' intelligent solutions, companies - for example biogas stations, cogeneration units, landfill gas power plants just to name a few - can achieve energy cost reductions of 10-30 percent without having to transform its daily operations. For companies that operate 24 hours a day and have variable energy consumption, cost savings can be as high as 60 percent.

"Flexibility aggregators are accelerating the transition to sustainable energy. Nano Energies can harness the potential of electricity that would otherwise remain untapped. We adjust consumption and generation so that customers generate electricity when it is most expensive and consume it when it is cheapest. The customer does not even notice this during operation, because everything is done automatically, and at the same time it contributes to the stabilization of the grid without the need to increase the dependence on the gas power plants," explains Nano Energies CEO Stanislav Chvála.

Nano Energies is currently working together with the national grid operator MAVIR Zrt. to meet all its requirements and to be able to start providing balancing services as of next year. Later on, the company plans to launch a more sophisticated and automated (aFRR) flexibility aggregation service as well to allow customers to get extra revenue.

Nano Energies was founded in 2008 by Czech entrepreneur Petr Rokůsek in the Czech Republic. Last year, the company reported a sales revenue of €116 million and currently employs 130 highly skilled professionals - IT specialists and developers, mathematicians and renewable energy experts.

Press inquiry: nanoenergies[@]flowpr.hu