Category: Cargo News (Page 10 of 43)

Major Wellington rail projects to take a leap forward this Christmas

December 17, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

December 18, 2023 – KiwiRail will make significant progress on several major rail projects around the Wellington region this Christmas, taking advantage of the annual network shutdown to work without interruption.

The Wellington region’s rail network will be closed to commuter trains from 26 December 2023 to 7 January 2024, with the Wairarapa Line staying closed until 14 January. Nearly 1,000 people will work on rail maintenance and projects across the network, with several sites operating 24/7 to maximise productivity.

KiwiRail Chief Capital Planning and Asset Development Officer David Gordon says that while important maintenance will be carried out during the shutdown, most of the planned activity relates to the Wellington Metro Upgrade Programme – a $700 million programme of works to upgrade existing rail infrastructure and build capacity to support Greater Wellington Regional Council’s plans for rail.

The complex re-signalling work at Wellington Railway Station will continue, alongside much-needed work on various tracks, foundations and platforms. This project is a major step towards modernising Wellington’s rail network and will improve safety in what is New Zealand’s most complex railway junction.

Round-the-clock work on the Kapiti Line will see the completion of the last major portion of the Plimmerton Station upgrade project. The upgrade, which includes adding a third track and platform at the station, will allow commuter trains that currently run from Wellington to Porirua to be extended to Plimmerton, helping with capacity at peak times. Bridge 23 (just north of Paekākāriki) will also be replaced.

KiwiRail will conduct maintenance on the Hutt Valley Line, largely between Ava Station and Taitā Station.

On the Wairarapa Line, renewal work will begin inside the Maoribank and Remutaka Tunnels to update the original track from 1955, and the old wooden bridge (Bridge 56) near Matarawa will be replaced. Capacity-building upgrades will start with work on a new passing loop at Woodside Station and the Fitzherbert St level crossing in Featherston.

Turkish Airlines to become largest operator of Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines

December 15, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LSE: RR, ADR: RYCEY) today announces Turkish Airlines will order 100 Trent XWB-84 engines and 40 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. This will make Turkish Airlines the world’s largest operator of Trent XWB engines.

The Trent XWB-84 powered A350-900’s, Trent XWB-97 powered A350-1000’s and Trent XWB-97 powered A350F will be delivered between 2025 and 2033. The engines health and maintenance will be covered by the Rolls-Royce comprehensive TotalCare service.

This substantial order will complement the airline’s existing fleet, adding to the 40 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-84 A350-900’s already in service and on order, and 26 Trent 700 powered A330’s.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Virgin Atlantic increases capacity to the USA for summer 2024

December 15, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Virgin Atlantic is delighted to announce plans to increase capacity to its heartland in the USA, adding frequencies from London Heathrow to both New York JFK and Boston for summer 2024. These new services complement the airline’s recent announcements of increasing Miami services from 11 flights per week to twice daily year-round and a new seasonal summer service from Manchester to Las Vegas.

Next summer, the airline will offer a record number of flights between London and New York, with a seventh daily flight to JFK, and together with Joint Venture partner Delta, will offer ten daily services to the Big Apple, an increase of 11% compared to summer 2023.

In a further boost to its East Coast flying, Virgin Atlantic will also operate a second daily flight to Boston. Complementing Delta’s daily service, Boston will be served with three flights a day.

Customers on both Virgin Atlantic departures will experience flying on the airline’s newest aircraft, the A330-900neo, and A350-1000, increasing the number of Upper and Premium seats by 23%. Upper-Class passengers looking to treat themselves can also benefit from booking the A330-900neo innovative Retreat Suite, which comprises of two spacious exclusive suites at the front of the Upper Class cabin. Elsewhere, passengers travelling with Joint Venture partner Delta will be able to enjoy its new and enhanced Delta One product.*

*There may be occasions that some ad-hoc Boston and New York services are substituted for an alternate aircraft type.

Union Pacific announces fourth quarter 2023 earnings release date

December 15, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Omaha, Nebraska, December 15, 2023 – Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) will release fourth quarter 2023 financial and operating results on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at 7:45 a.m. ET. The company’s management team will host a conference call and live webcast at 8:45 a.m. ET.

Parties interested in participating via teleconference may dial 877-407-8293. International callers may dial 201-689-8349. A live webcast of the presentation and materials will be available in the investor relations section of Union Pacific’s website at www.up.com/investor. A replay of the audio webcast will be available shortly thereafter.

Forward-Looking Statements

Azul Linhas Aereas discloses order for four A330neo’s

December 15, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Sao Paulo, Brazil, December 15, 2023 – Azul Airlines SA (NYSE: AZUL) discloses a firm order for four additional A330-900 from a purchase agreement signed in June 2023. With these aircraft, the airline will expand its fleet and international route offering.

The A330neo is powered by the latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, with a range of 7,200 nautical miles / 13,300 kilometers non-stop. Azul Linhas Aereas launched operations in 2008 and has since grown to become one of the largest airlines in Brazil by servicing more than 160 destinations within Brazil, the United States, Europe and South America. Azul received the Americas’ first A330neo in 2019 and operates 12 A330 Family aircraft.

Forward-Looking Statements

Turkish Airlines ordering 220 more Airbus aircraft

December 15, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, France, December 15, 2023 – Turkey’s national carrier, Turkish Airlines (Istanbul: THYAO), will expand its fleet with an order for 220 Airbus Group SE (Paris: AIR) aircraft. The order consists of 150 Airbus A321’s and 70 A350 widebody aircraft. The A350 order consists of 50 A350-900’s, 15 A350-1000’s and 5 A350F reighters. This follows two orders from the airline for 10 A350-900’s in September and four A350-900’s in July 2023. This latest order will take Turkish Airlines’ total orderbook for Airbus aircraft to 504, of which 212 are already delivered.

Forward-Looking Statements

Japan Airlines takes delivery of its first A350-1000

December 14, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, France, December 14, 2023 – Japan Airlines Co Ltd (Tokyo: 9201) has taken delivery of its first A350-1000 from the Airbus Group SE (Paris: AIR) delivery centre in Toulouse. The A350-1000 is set to become the airline’s new international aircraft, initially flying on the prestigious Tokyo Haneda – New York JFK route.

JAL’s A350 is configured in four classes. The First Class features six Suites, each with a choice of three modes: sofa, seat and single bed or double bed. The Business Class also offers Suites, with 54 seats and privacy doors. Meanwhile, the Premium Economy Class (24 seats) and Economy Class (155 seats) both feature more personal space and comfort in their respective categories. JAL’s A350-1000 cabin has been designed to make passengers immerse in the elegance of Japanese aesthetics and tranquillity. Meanwhile, a serene ambiance highlights the beauty of Japan. The cabin’s stylish interior is tailored to a high quality, high comfort passenger experience which echoes JAL’s renowned service.

JAL has ordered 31 A350 aircraft, comprising 18 A350-900’s and 13 A350-1000’s. The carrier has been operating the A350-900 on high density Japanese domestic routes since 2019. The A350’s unique Airspace cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle in the sky. It offers passengers and crews the latest modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience. The aircraft’s new generation engines and use of lightweight materials make it the most fuel efficient large widebody aircraft. The A350 is the quietest aircraft in its class featuring a 50 percent noise footprint reduction versus the previous generation aircraft, making it a good airport neighbour wherever it flies.

DHL supply chain deploys first class 8 electric trucks in North America

December 13, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

DHL Supply Chain (Xetra: DHLn), the Americas leader in contract logistics, announced the deployment of its first Class 8 electric trucks, marking a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to clean and efficient trucking operations. The company currently has two trucks in operation in California and in the coming weeks will take delivery of an additional 11 units to be deployed across Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and California.

The deployment represents a significant step forward in the company’s commitment to decarbonizing the transportation sector, one of the largest global contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

The cutting-edge electric truck boasts impressive capabilities, including:

Zero tailpipe emissions: Electric vehicles (EVs) are considered zero-emission technology (ZET), which means they do not produce any tailpipe carbon dioxide (CO2e) or nitrogen oxide emissions. Each EV that replaces a diesel truck saves, on average, 100 tons of CO2e annually.
Energy conservation: A six month DHL Supply Chain-led pilot of a class 8 EV truck revealed that the truck consumed on average 50% less energy for the same job compared to its diesel counterpart.
Extended range: The EV trucks get up to 250 miles on a single charge, covering the needs of many regional haul routes.
Right-sized charging: Equipped with fast-charging technology and remote monitoring capabilities, the EV trucks enable turnaround times that are aligned with the operational requirements.
Powerful performance: The EV trucks deliver superior horsepower and torque to their diesel counterparts, ensuring seamless integration into existing operations.
Improved driver satisfaction: During the pilot drivers shared a preference for EV over diesel due to its ‘quietness’ and low to no vibrations, leading to less fatigue.

Forward-Looking Statements

Air Canada cargo certifies Opticooler Containers from DoKaSch Temperature Solutions

December 13, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Montreal, Quebec, Canada, December 13, 2023 – Shippers and forwarders using Air Canada Cargo (Toronto: AC) can now rely on DoKaSch Temperature Solutions’ Opticooler RKN anywhere serviced by Air Canada’s widebody fleet or dedicated freighters following its certification by Air Canada Cargo. In additional, the Opticooler RAP is also available to shippers, providing reliable packaging of temperature-sensitive products such as vaccines and other pharmaceuticals.

Through Air Canada’s vast international passenger network, in addition to the routes served by its fleet of dedicated freighters, Air Canada Cargo has access to over 300 cities on six continents. Air Canada Cargo’s self-handled hubs in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Chicago, London and Frankfurt provide optimal global connections, and allow for the continuous shipment of goods to and from anywhere in Air Canada’s network.

The Opticooler is a temperature-controlled active packaging solution and comes in two sizes: the RAP containers hold up to five euro-pallets, while the smaller RKN version provides space for one pallet. Both containers are battery-powered, can easily be adapted to any transport scenario, and enable customers to always keep the temperatures of their pharmaceutical products in an internal range between two and thirty degrees at all times.

Forward-Looking Statements

An exciting new chapter for Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000 engine

December 13, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (London: RR) Trent 1000 engine fleet has surpassed 17 million in service flying hours on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft family, carrying more than 250 million passengers around the globe since its entry into service in 2011. During that time, the engine has consistently delivered world-class levels of reliability and availability, with more than 99.9% of flights taking off on time. But the journey for the Trent 1000 doesn’t end there.

Our engineers continually explore opportunities to improve the engine and in-service support, to ensure we always deliver value to our customers. We are therefore pleased to announce an exciting new chapter for the Trent 1000. So, what is new?

A new Durability Enhancement package

We are making great progress on a new Durability Enhancement package, due to be available in the third quarter of 2024, which will increase engine time on-wing (TOW) whilst also reducing emissions. A key element of this Durability Enhancement package is a re-engineered high-pressure turbine blade (HPTB) to improve durability. The package also includes improvements to reduce the emissions, which together with the exceptionally low fuel burn of the Trent 1000 TEN, is future proofing the engine for a more sustainable world.

A comprehensive testing program

We have successfully completed a rigorous engine ground test programme and pushed the engine beyond the certification requirements for the new HPTB to validate and gain confidence in our predictions of the benefits it will deliver in service. Our focus has now moved to aircraft-level certification in collaboration with Boeing, and flight testing is underway on a Boeing 787 flight test aircraft. Stay tuned for regular updates!

More about the Trent 1000

Capitalising on the three-shaft architecture of the Trent engine family and incorporating the latest in materials, component and subsystem design and technology, the Trent 1000 was specifically designed and optimised to power the more-electric 787 Dreamliner. It has the highest bypass ratio of any engine in the Trent family and is recognised for being one of the quietest widebody engines in service today.

Since entry into service in 2011, we have been continuously improving both the fuel efficiency and the capability of the Trent 1000.

Forward-Looking Statements

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