Tag: Pacific (Page 10 of 12)

Delta Equity Investment Deepens Ties With Partner Korean Air

June 20, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Korean Air joint venture provides a strong platform for Delta growth, world-class customer benefits and revenue generation across one of the most comprehensive route networks in the trans-Pacific.
Delta has acquired a 4.3 percent equity stake in Hanjin-KAL.

Delta has acquired a 4.3 percent equity stake in Hanjin-KAL, the largest shareholder of Korean Air. The investment demonstrates Delta’s commitment to the success of its joint venture with Korean Air and the customer benefits, market positioning and growth opportunities the partnership enables. Delta intends to increase its equity stake to 10 percent over time, after receiving regulatory approval.

“Together with the team at Korean Air, we have a vision to deliver the world’s leading trans-Pacific joint venture for our shared customers, offering the strongest network, the best service and the finest experience connecting the U.S. with Asia,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “This is already one of our fastest-integrating and most successful partnerships, and experience tells us this investment will further strengthen our relationship as we continue to build on the value of the joint venture.”

Delta and Korean Air operate the industry’s most robust trans-Pacific joint venture, providing customers with seamless access to more than 290 destinations in the U.S. and over 80 destinations in Asia, including the partnership’s award-winning hub at Seoul-Incheon (ICN).

Since launching in May 2018, Delta and Korean Air have strengthened cooperation by expanding joint operations in the trans-Pacific to include more than 1,400 codeshare flights, including connections throughout Asia and the U.S. Teams at both airlines have also worked closely together to provide the best travel experience for customers between the U.S. and Asia, integrate sales and marketing activities, and enhance loyalty program benefits, such as the ability to earn more miles on both loyalty programs and redeem them on a wider range of flights. Additionally, Korean Air and Delta have launched cargo cooperation across one of the most comprehensive route networks in the trans-Pacific market.

The partnership is contributing to Delta’s first year-over-year growth in the Asia Pacific region since 2012, with new service launched earlier this year between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Seoul, as well as Seattle and Osaka, operated in partnership with Korean Air. Additionally, Korean Air has launched new service linking Boston with Seoul.

The joint venture builds on nearly two decades of close partnership between Korean Air and Delta, both founding members of the SkyTeam airline alliance.

Delta is growing its international footprint and leveraging partnerships with key airlines in regions around the world, including through joint ventures and equity investments. These investments improve alignment between Delta and its partners, creating a more stable environment for growth amid an increasingly dynamic global landscape.

Cebu Air to Buy Over Two Dozen Airbus Jets

June 17, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS, June 17 (Reuters) – Airbus is set to win a deal to sell jets worth around $4.5 billion at list price to Philippines airline Cebu Air after a face-off with rival Boeing, industry sources said.

The deal involves 16 A330neo wide-body jets and around 10 of the newly launched A321XLR extended-range narrow-body aircraft, the sources said, asking not to be identified.

Together with other aircraft and options the deal could involve as many as 40 aircraft, one of the sources added.

Airbus declined comment. Cebu officials could not be reached for comment.

The deal follows a fight for business at the Philippines budget airline as Airbus seeks a new foothold for its A330neo in the face of heavy competition from Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

The carrier had at one point been seen as likely to proceed with a Boeing 787 order, prompting Airbus to rescue the deal .

Cebu Air plans to expand its fleet with new aircraft that burn less fuel, CEO Lance Gokongwei said last month.

Asian carriers are looking to renew their long-haul fleets as passenger demand remains robust despite a decline in cargo.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Laurence Frost)

Amtrak Customers Celebrate 90 Years of Empire Builder Service

June 13, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Commemorative merchandise now available

CHICAGO – Amtrak today marked the 90th anniversary of the Empire Builder, which travels across the country’s northern tier, allowing customers to experience the grandeur of the Mississippi River Valley, Great Plains, Rockies and the Cascade Range. Daily service between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest provides a vital intercity travel option connecting more than 40 communities in eight states.

Sleeping car customers received wooden train whistles from Amtrak Guest Rewards and all customers departing Chicago received commemorative certificates signed by Amtrak President & CEO Richard Anderson. Prints of a new Empire Builder painting by railroad artist J. Craig Thorpe are available in the Amtrak store and, for a limited time, other items to recognize the anniversary of the service are also availab le from Amtrak.

Inaugurated by the Great Northern Railway (GN), the first westbound Empire Builder departed Chicago on the evening of June 10, 1929, but it was christened the next day in St. Paul, Minnesota, where the GN had its headquarters and where its mainline to Seattle began. The premier service was named for James J. Hill–the “Empire Builder,” who in the late 19th century founded what became the GN.

The GN and three railroads merged in 1970 to form the Burlington Northern, which continued to operate the Empire Builder until May 1, 1971, when newly-formed Amtrak took it over and changed the route to include Milwaukee by using what is now the Canadian Pacific Railway between Chicago and St. Paul. In October 1979, it became the first overnight train to be assigned bi-level Superliner® railcars, setting a higher travel standard that continues today.

Last year, 428,854 customers rode the Amtrak Empire Builder, Trains 7/27 & 8/28.

Season’s First Wild Copper River Salmon Arrives in Seattle

May 17, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

SEATTLE, May 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — About 18,000 pounds of fresh Copper River salmon arrived on a fish-filled Alaska Airlines plane touching down at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport shortly after 6:30 a.m. Today officially marks the start of the salmon season that is anticipated by seafood lovers throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. By noon, Alaska Air Cargo is expected to deliver a total of 50,000 pounds of Copper River salmon to the Lower 48 with more scheduled on later flights.

Alaska Airlines pilots hold up the first Copper River Salmon upon arrival in Seattle

Click the link for the full story! https://finance.yahoo.com/news/alaska-air-cargo-brings-seasons-170900746.html

Airbus Lands MBDA Boss Bouvier To Steer Strategy

May 15, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – European missile maker MBDA’s chief executive is returning to Airbus as head of strategy as the planemaker seeks to modernise its factory system and explores future options in defence, two people familiar with the matter said.

Antoine Bouvier, 59, replaces Patrick de Castelbajac who becomes head of Airbus Asia-Pacific, the sources said. Castelbajac’s responsibility for Airbus international operations had already been transferred to sales chief Christian Scherer.

At Airbus, Bouvier will be embarking on a battle of wits with a new strategy head at arch-rival Boeing CO.

Chris Raymond, until recently head of Boeing’s Autonomous Systems business, recently became vice-president for enterprise strategy under finance director Greg Smith, sources said. Raymond’s appointment has not been officially announced.

Airbus and MBDA declined to comment on Bouvier’s appointment, which was first reported by AeroDefenseNews. It is the latest step in a management reshuffle accelerated by the recent official appointment of Guillaume Faury as Airbus CEO.

Bouvier, a former civil servant who narrowly missed out on running France’s DGA defence procurement agency two years ago, brings experience in forging defence partnerships to Airbus, which is embroiled in a row with Germany over arms controls.

He is expected to be replaced at MBDA by former OneWeb chief Eric Beranger.

Although there is fierce day-to-day competition, with Taiwan’s China Airlines opting last week to switch to Airbus, the European planemaker is not expected to exploit the grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX jetliner for now, industry sources said.

NEXT GENERATION

The future of the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX – the industry’s most successful models – is seen as strategically entwined and insiders say Airbus is also worried about the impact of the grounding on global certification..

But the planemakers are crafting crucial strategies for the next generation of single-aisle jets from about 2030 – both likely to define the aircraft industry well beyond mid-century.

Insiders say Faury wants Airbus to focus more on industrial strategy and closing a perceived gap with Boeing in production technology, as well as responding to the threat of increased environmental regulation of air travel, as well as new products.

Airbus must also assess how to respond to rising defence spending after its failure to merge with Britain’s BAE Systems in 2012 left it heavily skewed towards commercial markets that are now approaching the end of an extended upcycle.

It is involved on the German side of a nascent Franco-German fighter project along with French partner Dassault Aviation but faces competition for valuable systems work and a growing spat with the German government over export controls.

At MBDA, Bouvier helped forge an Anglo-French agreement on the use of shared missile technology.

Bouvier followed the classic path of a French mandarin from the prestigious Polytechnique engineering school to France’s ENA civil service academy. He had been linked with a number of top aerospace posts such as Safran and Thales.

“His appointment will be very credible with the French government,” a person familiar with the appointment said. France and Germany own 11 percent each of Airbus.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Luke Baker and Alexander Smith)

Union Pacific Quarterly Profit Beats Estimates

April 18, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FILE PHOTO: A Union Pacific rail car is parked at a Burlington National Santa Fe (BNSF) train yard in Seattle, Washington, U.S., February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

(Reuters) – Union Pacific Corp on Thursday reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, as the U.S. railroad raised prices, helping offset the impact of severe winter weather and record flooding that damaged rails in the Midwest.

Shares rose 2.7 percent to $173.80 in premarket trading.

Union Pacific’s operating ratio, a measure of operating expenses as a percentage of revenue and a key metric for Wall Street, increased 1 point to 63.6 percent from a year ago.

A lower ratio means more efficiency and higher profitability.

Total operating revenue fell to $5.4 billion from $5.5 billion.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based company’s net income rose to $1.4 billion, or $1.93 per share, in the first-quarter ended March 31 from $1.31 billion, or $1.68 per share, a year earlier.

Analysts, on average, expected a profit of $1.89 per share and revenue of $5.50 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Union Pacific and Berkshire Hathaway-owned BNSF are the largest U.S. freight rail operators with an annual revenue of more than $20 billion each.

(Reporting by Rachit Vats in Bengaluru and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

Richard Cole, Last WWII Doolittle Raider, Dies at 103

April 9, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

SAN ANTONIO — Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, the last of World War II’s Doolittle Raiders, passed away early Monday morning in San Antonio with his daughter, Cindy, and son, Rich, at his side, according to reports from family and friends.

Cole was 103 years old. Arrangements are being made for a memorial service at Randolph Air Force Base, and Cole will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery. He had been scheduled to be honored in Sarasota on April 7 but was unable to attend the ceremony after being hospitalized.

The Doolittle Raiders were group of 80 Army Air Force aviators who participated in a daring aerial raid on Japan during World War II, bombing seven cities just months after the Japanese had laid waste to American naval power at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Cole, though, was humble about his role in the historic raid, which was planned and led by Army Air Force Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle of the United States Army Air Forces.

“I don’t think that the Raiders should be remembered any more than the millions of other people who took part in World War II,” he said during a recent interview at the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin Air Force Base.

The Doolittle Raiders are woven tightly into the historical fabric of this area. For a little more than two weeks in March 1942, they trained at what was then Eglin Field for their improbable mission: launching stripped-down B-25 bombers off the deck of an aircraft carrier and flying hundreds of miles across the Pacific Ocean to bomb Japan.

Less than a month after leaving Eglin Field, on April 18, 1942, the Doolittle Raiders — all volunteers and none of whom had flown a combat mission — boarded 16 B-25 bombers on the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet in the Pacific to start their mission. Cole was in the copilot’s seat of the lead B-25, which was piloted by Doolittle.

Cole also was among the airmen who had to bail out of the the B-25s after the raid. Asked recently about his sharpest memory of the raid, after more than 76 years, Cole had a quick response.

“The thing I remember most is my parachute opening,” he smiled.

Cole was in the area last month, attending a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, headquarters of Air Force Special Operations Command, for a 75th anniversary commemoration of Operation Thursday, another piece of World War II history in which he was involved. Cole was among the aviators involved in the 1944 operation in the China-Burma-India war theater in which early American air pioneers worked alongside British special operations soldiers known as Chindits to extract British soldiers from the forests of Burma. The operation marked the birth of Air Commandos as part of U.S. military aviation forces.

B-25 bombers aboard the aircraft carrier
USS Hornet, departing San Francisco bound for Tokyo, Japan

American Airlines and China Southern Launch Frequent Flyer Partnership

March 21, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Despite repeated claims from all sides that China Southern has no interest in joining the Oneworld alliance, American Airlines and Asia’s largest carrier are moving forward with a frequent flyer partnership. The new arrangement announced Wednesday will allow American’s AAdvantage and China Southern’s Sky Pearl Club members the ability to earn and redeem miles on each other’s flights.

Mileage earning for passengers will go into effect March 21, and online availability is planned for later this year. In the meantime, phone reservations agents at American are already reporting the ability to book China Southern flights through Sabre, its booking system. An earn chart, which shows how China Southern fares will earn miles in American’s loyalty program, has also been posted to American’s site.

American and China Southern’s partnership comes at a time in which Oneworld has been cool on formally pulling the Asian carrier fully into the alliance — though it’s not clear which side the hesitation is coming from. At Oneworld’s 20th anniversary in February, Ron Gurney, CEO of Oneworld shared that the alliance had “no plans” to add the carrier in full. Instead, he suggested that China Southern might join Oneworld as a Connect partner, a new type of “alliance light” that allows passengers to connect onto partners and still earn benefits.

The relationship announced between American and China Southern on Wednesday is more thorough than that. In addition to the ability to earn and spend miles reciprocally, loyalty members can book flights directly through the other carrier’s website and still reap benefits. In other words, the relationship is almost like having an alliance partner without having China Southern in the alliance.

To be clear, many expected some sort of deeper relationship to bear fruit after American bought a stake in China Southern in 2017. Only a year after that investment, China Southern bowed out of the Skyteam alliance, leading many to speculate that it planned to join Oneworld. Ever since Gurney’s comments and the big push around Oneworld Connect, however, that enthusiasm seems to have faded.

That doesn’t mean that China Southern may not eventually end up joining Oneworld. Both airlines and alliances have famously been coy about when new members are coming onboard and China Southern will need to tread lightly in the back yard of Cathay Pacific, another major Oneworld carrier based out of Hong Kong. At the very least, AAdvantage members anxious to fly deeper into China will now get minimal frequent flyer benefits. Other Oneworld passengers will have to wait.

Story by Grant Martin

Cathay Pacific in Talks to Buy Stake in HK Express Airways

March 5, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Hong Kong flagship carrier Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said on Tuesday it is in “active discussions” about an acquisition involving budget airline Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd, although an agreement has yet to be reached.

Such a deal would give Cathay exposure to the growing budget-travel market at a time when a lack of slots at Hong Kong International Airport has constrained its ability to follow peers like Singapore Airlines Ltd and Qantas Airways Ltd and set up its own budget brand.

The Hong Kong carrier has instead shifted some destinations from its main brand to its regional carrier, Cathay Dragon, as part of a transformation plan designed to cut costs and increase revenue. It has ordered 32 Airbus SE A321neos for Cathay Dragon.

Cathay said it had decided to go public about the discussions in response to media reports suggesting it may be in talks to acquire shares in Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd and full-service sister carrier Hong Kong Airlines Ltd from cash-strapped Chinese conglomerate HNA Group Co Ltd.

It did not detail the potential value of the transaction, nor the size of the stake it would hold. It said it would issue an additional statement when appropriate.

An analyst last year estimated to Reuters that HK Express could be worth about $300 million.

HNA and HK Express did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A person with knowledge of the matter said the companies appeared close to reaching an agreement and noted Cathay’s parent Swire Pacific Ltd had historically taken majority stakes when making investments.

Cathay is not interested in Hong Kong Airlines because it has both similar routes and full-service positioning, the person said.

A second person with knowledge of the matter said Cathay had signed an exclusivity period for discussion but other parties remained interested in HK Express if a deal could not be reached.

Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity as discussions are confidential.

ANTITRUST

Given Cathay’s dominance of Hong Kong’s aviation market, a deal could attract scrutiny from the competition regulator.

Some analysts have also expressed doubts about the likely benefits of any deal. Daiwa analyst Kelvin Lau said he did not see much value from the acquisition as the two airlines flew similar routes, but also because Cathay would need to undertake significant reform to add a budget wing.

Jefferies analyst Andrew Lee however said in a note to clients it would be “positive for Cathay Pacific” as it would give the airline greater access to a different passenger segment in the low-cost market.

FLYING HIGH

News of Cathay’s interest in HK Express comes just weeks after Hong Kong’s flagship carrier projected its annual profit at more than double analyst estimates, sending its shares surging nearly 9 percent.

Shares of Cathay have risen more than 19 percent so far this year, compared with an 8 percent fall in 2018. The airline’s shares jumped more than 3 percent on Tuesday morning.

Cathay has faced repeated questions from investors over the last few years about its failure to set up a budget carrier.

Chief Executive Rupert Hogg has said it would be difficult to do so until a third runway was completed at Hong Kong International Airport in 2024, opening up more slots.

“Our home-based airport is full at the moment, or largely full, and so it’s not a perfect place to develop a model from scratch,” he told CAPA Centre for Aviation last May.

HK Express operates a fleet of 25 A320 family aircraft to regional destinations around Asia, according to plane tracking website FlightRadar24.

Embattled HNA Group is more than a year into the process of unwinding a $50 billion acquisition spree that at its peak netted the company stakes in banks, fund managers, hotels, property and airlines, among other assets.

(Reporting by Donny Kwok in Hong Kong and Jamie Freed in Singapore; Additional reporting by Kane Wu in Hong Kong; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Stephen Coates)

Air Vanuatu Selects Airbus A220 for Fleet Expansion

February 26, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Melbourne, 26th February 2019 – Air Vanuatu, the national flag carrier of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, has signed a firm order with Airbus for four A220s (two A220-100s and two A220-300s). Air Vanuatu’s first ever order with Airbus makes it the launch customer of the A220 in the Pacific region.

Based at Bauerfield International Airport in the capital Port Vila, Air Vanuatu operates to 26 domestic airports and internationally to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and New Caledonia. It began services in 1987, and has played a vital role in establishing Vanuatu as a tourist and investment destination. Currently the airline operates a Boeing 737 and ATR 72 fleet.

Air Vanuatu Chief Executive Officer Derek Nice said: “We are proud to be the launch airline in the South Pacific of the best-in-class Airbus A220. These aircraft will be deployed to operate on our current domestic and international routes, including our newly announced non-stop Melbourne-Vanuatu service, and will bolster plans to expand our network in the South Pacific.”

“By ordering the A220 Air Vanuatu is making a significant investment in advanced technology and superior passenger comfort, while demonstrating its respect for fuel efficiency and the environment. Air Vanuatu’s decision to place the Airbus A220 at the centre of its expansion plans will surely keep it one step ahead of the competition,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer.

Passengers on board the A220 will experience superior cabin comfort, the widest seats and the largest windows in its market segment. The A220’s performance and range capabilities will enable Air Vanuatu to streamline its current operations and launch a growth plan that is a key pillar of Vanuatu’s economic development goals.

The A220 delivers unbeatable fuel efficiency. It brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation PW1500G geared turbofan engines to offer at least 20 percent lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generation aircraft.

With an order book of over 530 aircraft to date, the A220 has all the credentials to win the lion’s share of the 100- to 150-seat aircraft market, estimated to represent at least 7,000 aircraft over the next 20 years.

About Airbus

Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2018 it generated revenues of €64 billion restated for IFRS 15 and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

Story and images from http://www.airbus.com

Commemorative merchandise now available

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