Alstom has successfully supplied, tested and commissioned part of Cairo Metro line 3 – Ph4 with a total of 10 stations from Heliopolis to Adly Mansour. His excellency the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, the Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly and the Minister of Transport, Kamel El Wazir, have inaugurated the line with the presence of Dr. Essam Wally the Chairman of NAT (National Authority for Tunnels), and Mena AZER, Project Manager of Alstom Egypt.
In May 2015, NAT awarded Alstom, as a consortium leader, a contract to provide system and subsystem design, manufacturing, installation, testing / commissioning, training, maintenance for signaling, centralized control and telecommunication systems for Cairo Metro line 3 Phase 4A. On the same date, NAT awarded Alstom, as a member of the G3 Power Supply Consortium, a contract for the design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, training, maintenance of power traction system (Rectifier Stations, Lighting and Power Stations & Annexes Structure and Switch Rooms).
In November 2017, the Egyptian Joint venture of Orascom and Arab contractor as main contractor for Ph4B, awarded Alstom a sub-contract to extend the Cairo Metro Line 3 with additional 4 stations & Main Depot (Adly Mansour).
Urbalis is an advanced signalling system that helps operators to ease commuter congestion. Constantly upgraded, the solution aids urban operators in maximizing their performance and capacity while providing standard supervision and control supporting their operational needs. Designed for heavy ridership metros, the system offers a considerable range of functions that improve headway and average speed performance.
Alstom has been present in Egypt for over 40 years and has contributed to support the strong trend of railway infrastructure development in the country. Over decades, Alstom Egypt has developed a local talent pool that is today in charge of a center of excellence related to Signaling, Power Supply and Depot Equipment which is supporting our projects within all MEA region. It is this heritage that has allowed Alstom Egypt to make a significant contribution to Egypt’s rail industry development.
Cathay Pacific aircraft are seen parked on the tarmac at the airport, following the outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Hong Kong
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd reported a record HK$9.87 billion ($1.27 billion) first-half loss and said it did not expect a meaningful recovery in passenger demand for some time due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The figure was in line with the HK$9.9 billion forecast it had flagged last month and included HK$2.47 billion of impairment charges.
Revenue plunged 48.3% to HK$27.7 billion in the six months ended June 30 as it slashed passenger flying to a barebones schedule due to lower demand and border restrictions, though it added more cargo-only flights as freight yields rose 44.1%.
The airline, which received a $5 billion rescue package led by the Hong Kong government, has so far refrained from large-scale job cuts but has warned it is reviewing all aspects of its business model with an update expected by the fourth quarter.
“Inevitably this will involve rationalisation of future planned capacity compared to pre-crisis plans, taking into account the market outlook and cost structure at that time,” Chairman Patrick Healy said in a statement on Wednesday.
It has rearranged its aircraft order book with Airbus SE to delay deliveries, is in advanced talks with Boeing Co to do the same and has begun sending one-third of its fleet outside Hong Kong for storage in less humid conditions.
The airline said last month that it had reduced its monthly cash burn to about HK$1.5 billion from between HK$2.5 billion and HK$3 billion while maintaining a minimal flying schedule.
Cathay is expected to report a full-year loss of around HK$13.6 billion, according to the average of 13 analysts polled by Refinitiv before it released its half-year results.
The airline’s shares had surged 9.3% on Wednesday ahead of the earnings announcement, which was made while trading was suspended for the market’s lunch break.
“It is laggard buying on some traditional economy stocks,” Steven Leung, a sales director at UOB Kay Hian, said of the rise.
($1 = 7.7506 Hong Kong dollars)
(Reporting by Jamie Freed; additional reporting by Donny Kwok in Hong Kong; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
Beginning in 2022, DB will expand its mainline fleet with 30 new high-speed trains. Deutsche Bahn has awarded the billion-euro order to Siemens Mobility. DB called for tenders at the end of 2019 when the federal government announced it would be reducing the value-added tax on mainline rail tickets as of the beginning of 2020.
The trains will initially run on routes between the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Munich via the high-speed Cologne-Rhine-Main line. The new trains will increase DB’s daily passenger capacity on these mainline routes by 13,000 seats.
Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn AG said: “Today marks a big step for a strong and environmentally friendly rail system: DB is investing in new trains at a record level. Our fleet will be getting state-of-the-art additions with the new ICE trains, and our passengers will benefit from more seats, greater comfort and higher speeds by the end of 2022. The entire DB fleet will grow by 20 percent over the coming years. Even though demand has sharply declined due to the corona pandemic, everything speaks in favor of climate-friendly rail transport for the longer term. That’s why we’re committed to growth!”
Andreas Scheuer, Germany’s Federal Minister for Transportation and Digital Infrastructure, commented: “The new, ultra-modern ICE trains make rail travel even more attractive – also because high-performance high-speed trains, along with modern rail infrastructure, are a key prerequisite for increasing the frequency of nation-wide rail service. With this move, rail is increasingly becoming a climate-friendly alternative for long-distance travel. The order is also a strong economic stimulus and therefore a positive signal for many employees in the rail industry and their families. With an order of this size, we are securing thousands of jobs and strengthening innovations made in Germany.”
“We are helping Deutsche Bahn implement its master plan for transforming Germany’s transport sector. The goal is to massively reduce CO2 emissions while at the same time attracting more people to public transport,” said Roland Busch, Deputy CEO andMember of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. “Siemens and DB have long enjoyed a highly successful partnership. The most important requirement for the ICE order was to get the new trains on the rails very quickly. We can do exactly that by relying on our proven Velaro platform.”
By 2026, 421 ICE trains with 220,000 seats will be operating on Germany’s rail system. In addition to the 30 new ICE trains just ordered, there is an option for an additional 60 trains.
The new ICE trains will be manufactured at Siemens locations in North Rhine- Westphalia, Bavaria and Austria. Technically, the train is based on the proven platform of the ICE 3. The new trains will have 440 seats and a top speed of 320 km/h. They will offer passengers greater comfort and convenience with features like frequency- transparent windows for stable mobile phone reception and space for transporting bicycles.
Emirates has announced it will resume its A380 operations to Toronto starting 16 August, taking its A380 network to six cities.
The airline continues to gradually expand the deployment of its double-decker aircraft in line with market demand and operational approvals.
The iconic Emirates A380 will begin serving travellers on flights to Toronto starting 16 August. The airline has so far resumed A380 operations to Amsterdam, Cairo, Paris, London Heathrow and Guangzhou (8 August) – taking its A380 network to six cities. The Emirates A380 experience remains a favourite amongst travellers for its spacious and comfortable cabins and the airline will continue to gradually expand its deployment in line with market demand and operational approvals.
Customers can fly the Emirates A380 from Dubai to Toronto five times a week. Flights can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents. Emirates flight EK 241 will depart Dubai at 9:10 and arrive in Toronto at 15:05 local time. The return flight, EK 242 will depart Toronto at 21:45 and arrive in Dubai at 18:30 local time, the following day.
With safety as a priority, Emirates is gradually expanding its passenger services to 70 cities in August, returning to over 50% of its pre-pandemic destination network. Passengers travelling between the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific can enjoy safe and convenient connections via Dubai. Customers from Emirates’ network can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors.
COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.
Free, global cover for COVID-19 related costs: Customers can now travel with confidence, as Emirates has committed to cover COVID-19 related medical expenses, free of cost, should they be diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel while they are away from home. This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until 31 October 2020 (first flight to be completed on or before 31 October 2020), and is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey. This means Emirates customers can continue to benefit from the added assurance of this cover, even if they travel onwards to another city after arriving at their Emirates destination. For more details: http://www.emirates.com/COVID19assistance
NEW YORK — Virgin Atlantic, the airline founded by British businessman Richard Branson, filed Tuesday for protection in U.S. bankruptcy court as it tries to survive the virus pandemic that is hammering the airline industry.
The airline made the Chapter 15 filing in U.S. federal bankruptcy court in New York after a proceeding in the United Kingdom.
A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic said the bankruptcy filing is part of a court process in the United Kingdom to carry out a restructuring plan that the airline announced last month. The process is supported by a majority of the airline’s creditors, and the company hopes to emerge from the process in September, she said.
Emirates has announced it will resume passenger services to Kuwait City (5 August) and Lisbon (16 August). This will take Emirates’ passenger network to 70 destinations in August, over 50% of its pre-pandemic destination network, as the airline gradually resumes operations with the safety of its customers, crew and communities as its top priority.
Flights from Dubai to Kuwait City will operate as a daily service and flights from Dubai to Lisbon will operate three times a week. The flights will be operated with the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents.
Passengers travelling between the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific can enjoy safe and convenient connections via Dubai. Customers from Emirates’ network can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors.
COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.
At a little-known cargo airline that handles shipments for United Parcel Service Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., business is booming.
With passenger carriers forced to cut most of their freight capacity during the pandemic, seven-year-old Western Global Airlines LLC has picked up new orders amid a surge in online shopping.
Now, it’s benefiting from another big tailwind: the credit rally sparked by the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented backstop.
The Estero, Florida-based carrier is borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars from the junk-bond market to fund a stock program that will give it a sizable tax break, hand the founders a large payout and potentially keep its workforce union-free.
BRASILIA (Reuters) – LATAM Airlines will fire “at least” 2,700 workers in Brazil, including pilots, its Brazilian arm said on Saturday, as the bankrupt carrier struggles to cut costs and cope with an industry collapse due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, LATAM Brasil said it opened a voluntary redundancy process on Friday which will run through Aug. 4, after which a further minimum 2,700 jobs will be cut.
The announcement followed the breakdown in talks with the SNA union over workers’ pay, the statement said. O Globo and O Estado de S. Paulo newspapers had reported the redundancies earlier on Saturday. LATAM said it pays its pilots and crew more than its rivals in Brazil, and the pandemic has forced it to “match industry practices.”
The layoffs are the latest in efforts to downsize Latin America’s largest airline. Before the novel coronavirus outbreak, the airline had 43,000 workers worldwide, with most of them in Brazil and Chile.
LATAM is seeking to restructure $18 billion in debt. When it filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection in May, it was the world’s largest airline to date to seek an emergency reorganization due to the pandemic.
(Reporting by Jamie McGeever and Marcelo Rochabrun; Editing by Paul Simao)
Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) delivered a total of 17 jets in the second quarter of 2020, of which four were commercial aircraft and 13 were executive jets (nine light and four large). As of June 30, the firm order backlog totaled USD 15.4 billion. See details below:
In the second quarter of 2020, Embraer delivered fewer commercial and executive jets than in previous years in the second quarter, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic that is affecting the world.
In the commercial aviation segment, Embraer delivered the 1,600th E-Jet, which was received by Helvetic Airways. In addition to receiving the commemorative aircraft, the Swiss airline also announced an upgrade of its firm order with Embraer, converting four of its E190-E2s in backlog to E195-E2s, the largest aircraft in the EJets-E2 family. Helvetic`s order is now for a total of eight E190-E2s, four E195-E2s, and with purchase rights for a further twelve EJets-E2.
Also, Congo Airways converted its firm order made in December 2019 for two E175 aircraft, with purchase rights for two more, into a firm order for two E190-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further two aircraft.
In the Defense & Security segment, Embraer delivered the third C-390 Millennium multimission medium airlifter to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). Similar to the first two units delivered in 2019 and the additional 25 which will be delivered to the FAB, this third unit is prepared to perform aerial refueling missions, with the KC-390 Millennium designation.
In the Executive Jets segment, Embraer announced the first delivery of its new, enhanced Phenom 300E to Texas law firm Dunham & Jones, Attorneys at Law, P.C.
JetBlue Airways Corp. (NASDAQ: JBLU) and American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) announced a strategic partnership that will create seamless connectivity for travelers in the Northeast and more choice for customers across their complementary domestic and international networks. In addition, the relationship will accelerate each airline’s recovery as the travel industry adapts to new trends as a result of the pandemic.
The partnership includes an alliance agreement that proposes codeshare and loyalty benefits that will enhance each carrier’s offerings in New York and Boston, providing strategic growth and driving value for customers and crewmembers of both airlines. (Graphic: Business Wire)
The partnership includes an alliance agreement that proposes codeshare and loyalty benefits that will enhance each carrier’s offerings in New York and Boston, providing strategic growth and driving value for customers and crewmembers of both airlines. Customers will experience a number of benefits from the new partnership, including:
New and expanded routes: The partnership enables new strategic growth opportunities for both airlines. As a result, American will launch international service from New York (JFK) to Tel Aviv (TLV) and to Athens (ATH) and JFK to Rio De Janeiro (GIG) will return as a daily seasonal route in winter 2021, in addition to continuing to serve popular long-haul destinations like London (LHR) and Madrid (MAD). JetBlue will also accelerate its growth in key cities, bringing its award-winning service to more customers. JetBlue will grow in greater New York City, adding flights at LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR), while also increasing its presence at JFK for seamless connections to American’s expanded international network. JetBlue plans to enhance service to strategic markets on the East Coast, West Coast, and in the Southeast, building on JetBlue’s recently announced service between EWR and nine markets, including Mint® service to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO).
More choice and loyalty benefits: Through their integrated networks,JetBlue and American will operate reciprocal codeshare flights, giving customers new options with improved schedules, competitive fares and nonstop access to more domestic and international destinations. JetBlue will gain connectivity to more U.S.destinations, a broad global network and an improved frequent flyer proposition, while American will complement JetBlue’s improved and expanded service with new international routes. JetBlue and American loyalty members will also enjoy new benefits while the carriers are exploring additional premium experiences for customers.
Seamless experience: Customers will enjoy a seamless experience across both airlines, including the ability to book a single itinerary on either website, convenient connections and an improved on-the-ground experience — resulting in a compelling proposition for both leisure and corporate customers. Additionally, customers seeking more comfort in transcontinental service will have access to both JetBlue’s Mint and American’s three-class Transcon service.
“Pairing JetBlue’s domestic network with American’s international route map creates a new competitive choice in the Northeast, where customers are longing for an alternative to the dominant network carriers,” said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “This partnership with American is the next step in our plan to accelerate our coronavirus recovery, get our crewmembers and our aircraft flying again, and fuel JetBlue’s growth into the future.”
“This is an incredible opportunity for both of our airlines,” said American Airlines President Robert Isom. “American has a strong history in the Northeast, and we’re proud to partner with JetBlue as the latest chapter in that long history. Together, we can offer customers an industry-leading product in New York and Boston with more flights and more seats to more cities.”
New routes from the Northeast
The partnership between American and JetBlue enables sustainable international growth for customers in the Northeast from JFK, which will continue to complement the robust international service from Philadelphia (PHL), for even more options.
Upon the implementation of the alliance agreement, American intends to launch service between JFK and TLV and will introduce new seasonal service between JFK and ATH next summer, to meet the strong local demand. The new nonstop service to TLV and ATH from JFK will be the first long-haul international flights that American has launched from New York in more than four years. American will also operate daily seasonal service to GIG beginning in winter 2021 during the peak summer travel period in Rio de Janeiro. And, once the coronavirus pandemic has ended, the new partnership is certain to facilitate American adding new long-haul markets in Europe, Africa, India and South America
As New York’s Hometown Airline®, JetBlue plans to increase flying out of New York’s three major airports, bringing its award-winning experience to more customers. Its growth at JFK will be aimed at offering even more connection opportunities to American’s growing international network of destinations. From both New York and Boston, JetBlue plans to enhance service to strategic markets, including those on the East Coast, West Coast, and in the Southeast. This will further build on JetBlue’s recently announced growth between EWR and nine markets, including Mint service to LAX and SFO.
More choice and loyalty benefits: Codeshare creates more options for customers
JetBlue and American will begin a new codeshare relationship, giving customers seamless access to more destinations, including international service. The codeshare will introduce JetBlue customers to more than 60 new routes operated by American and will introduce American’s customers to more than 130 new routes operated by JetBlue. Codesharing allows customers to book a single itinerary combining flights from both airlines, which will result in a one-stop check-in experience and seamless flight connections from origin to destination.
“JetBlue customers will have more routes and destinations to choose from through American Airlines’ extensive global network,” said Scott Laurence, head of revenue and planning, JetBlue. “Together we will offer customers better options than either of us could alone. This partnership enables JetBlue to bring our low fares and great service to even more customers by expanding our presence in our hometown, growing relevance in Boston, and supporting our successful Mint franchise.”
“Leisure travel is important to our customers, and JetBlue’s network paired with their award-winning service, are the perfect fit,” said Vasu Raja, Chief Revenue Officer at American Airlines. “Both airlines’ customers value access to more destinations, whether it’s a JetBlue customer who wants more direct access to South America from New York, or an American customer who wants more robust service to Florida. Together, we can give our customers the best of both worlds.”
