Tag: executive (Page 12 of 16)

Air France Takes Delivery of its First A350 XWB

September 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Air France has taken delivery of its first A350-900, the world’s most efficient all new design wide-body aircraft. The first jet out of a total order of 28 was handed over to Anne Rigail, Air France Chief Executive Officer and Benjamin Smith, Air France-KLM Group Chief Executive Officer, by Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer during a ceremony held in Toulouse, France.

Air France will deploy the A350-900 fleet on its transatlantic and Asia routes. The Xtra WideBody aircraft features a comfortable three-class layout with 324 seats including 34 full-flat business, 24 premium economy and 266 economy class seats. Fully in line with Air France’s commitment to the environment, the all-new A350-900 will provide a 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO₂ emissions. Additionally, the aircraft’s delivery flight from Toulouse to Paris will be powered with a blend of conventional and synthetic biofuel.

Air France operates an Airbus fleet of 143 aircraft. It includes 114 single-aisle and 29 wide-body planes. The airline recently opted to purchase Airbus’ newest aircraft family member, the A220, which will join the fleet over the next years.

The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments – up to ultra-long haul (17,900km). Its Airspace by Airbus cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight flying experience. The aircraft features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies result in 25% lower operating costs, as well as 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO₂ emissions compared with previous-generation competing aircraft – demonstrating Airbus’ commitment to minimise its environmental impact while remaining at the cutting edge of air travel.

At the end of August 2019, the A350 XWB Family had received 913 firm orders from 51 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful wide-body aircraft ever.

Labour Judge Rules That Tesla Broke Labour Law

September 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Tesla charging station is pictured during the media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai

(Reuters) – Electric carmaker Tesla Inc <TSLA> interfered with legitimate union organising and must read a notice to workers explaining their rights in a meeting requiring attendance from Chief Executive Elon Musk, a U.S. labour judge ruled on Friday.

The company committed a series of violations of the National Labor Relations Act in 2017 and 2018, Amita Baman Tracy, a California administrative law judge ruled in a court filing.

Among the violations of the law cited in the filing was a tweet sent by Musk in May 2018.

“Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted. But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW & everybody already gets healthcare”, Musk wrote in the tweet http://bit.ly/2nR14f9 from last year.

The tweet amounted to “threatening employees” with loss of stock options if they vote in favour of the union, the judge said in her ruling on Friday.

The ruling has called on the electric carmaker to hold a meeting at its California assembly plant where either Musk or his agent must inform the workers that the National Labor Relations Board has concluded that Tesla broke the law.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Friday’s ruling.

In the past, the company has been plagued by safety complaints brought by workers, allegations that Tesla denies. Workers have said that long hours and pressure to deliver vehicles quickly takes a toll, and some have pushed for a union.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Boeing and Air New Zealand Finalize Order for Eight 787-10 Dreamliner Jets

September 25, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Leading long-range carrier builds future fleet with eight super-efficient 787-10s and includes options to increase number of aircraft to up to 20 Dreamliners

Largest Dreamliner model offers more seats and unmatched fuel efficiency, and environmental performance

SEATTLE, Sept. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Air New Zealand [NYSE:ANZLY] today finalized an order for eight 787-10 Dreamliner airplanes valued at $2.7 billion at list prices. The carrier, recognized for its long-range flights and global network, will integrate the largest Dreamliner model into its world-class fleet of 787-9 and 777 airplanes from 2022 to strategically grow its business.

The airplane deal, announced in May as a commitment, includes options to increase the number of aircraft from eight up to 20, and substitution rights that allow a switch from the larger 787-10 to smaller 787-9s, or a combination of the two models for future fleet and network flexibility.

“This is an exciting decision for our business and our customers as we deliver on our commitment to grow our business sustainably. With the 787-10 offering around 15 percent more space for both customers and cargo than the 787-9, this investment creates the platform for our future strategic direction and opens up new opportunities to grow,” said Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Christopher Luxon.

As the largest member of the passenger-pleasing and super-efficient Dreamliner family, the 787-10 is 224 feet long (68 meters) and can seat up to 330 passengers in a standard two-class configuration, about 40 more than the 787-9. Powered by a suite of new technologies and a revolutionary design, the 787-10 set a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics when it entered commercial service last year. The airplane allows operators to achieve 25 percent better fuel efficiency per seat compared to the previous airplanes in its class.

“Air New Zealand has made very strategic investments in advanced widebody aircraft to build on its status as a leading global carrier connecting the South Pacific with Asia and the Americas. We are very honored that Air New Zealand has selected to add the 787-10 and its unique capabilities to complement its long-haul fleet of 777 and 787-9 airplanes,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, The Boeing Company.

Air New Zealand was a global launch customer for the 787-9 and today operates 13 of the Dreamliner variant. With another 787-9 on the way and the 787-10 airplanes in the future, the airline’s Dreamliner fleet is on track to grow to 22. The new Dreamliner aircraft will replace Air New Zealand’s fleet of eight 777-200ERs. Air New Zealand’s widebody fleet also includes seven 777-300ERs.

As part of its efforts to maintain an efficient and reliable fleet, Air New Zealand utilizes a number of Boeing Global Services solutions, including Airplane Health Management and Maintenance Performance Toolbox. These digital solutions provide maintenance data and decision support tools that enable aircraft maintenance teams to increase operational efficiency.

Electric Vehicle Startup Rivian Gets Big Van Order From Amazon.com

September 20, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

DETROIT, Sept 19 (Reuters) – Electric vehicle startup Rivian Automotive LLC got a big boost from one of its investors on Thursday when Amazon.com announced it was ordering 100,000 electric delivery vans.

Before Rivian has even begun commercial production at its factory in Normal, Illinois, the Amazon order rocketed it to the forefront of electric vehicle makers.

Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said in Washington that as part of the online retailer’s plan to be carbon neutral by 2040 it would order the electric vans from Rivian, with deliveries starting in 2021. The goal is to deploy all the vehicles by 2024.

Rivian, a potential rival to Silicon Valley’s Tesla Inc, unveiled its electric R1T pickup and R1S SUV last November, but had piqued Amazon’s interest earlier. Bezos personally reached out to Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe last summer to express interest in an investment, sources previously said.

Plymouth, Michigan-based Rivian, founded in 2009, has raised close to $1.9 billion from investors, including a $700 million February round led by Amazon.

The deal solidifies Rivian’s place among EV builders, said Sam Fiorani, a vice president with Auto Forecast Solutions. “It helps boost the image of the (Rivian) brand,” he said.

Rivian aspires to be the first to produce a mass market electric pickup. It intends to begin selling its R1T by the end of 2020, a target that has not changed with the Amazon deal in place, said Rivian spokeswoman Amy Mast said.

Traditional U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co, a Rivian investor, and General Motors Co, as well as Tesla, are pushing to develop their own electric pickups.

The Amazon vans, under the exclusive deal, will be built at Rivian’s plant, a former Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois, Mast said. The first vehicles will be delivered in 2021 and 10,000 should be on the road by late 2022, she said. The vehicles will be serviced by Rivian.

Scaringe has described the Rivian vehicle’s platform as a skateboard that packages the drive units, battery pack, suspension system, brakes and cooling system all below wheel height to allow for more storage space and greater stability due to a lower center of gravity.

Amazon is looking to speed packages to shoppers’ doorsteps regardless of spikes in consumer demand or shortages of delivery personnel. Last year, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz said Amazon had become the biggest customer of its Sprinter vans, securing 20,000 vehicles for delivery contractors.

Ford invested $500 million in Rivian in April with plans to use the Rivian EV platform to build a new vehicle in North America. Details of that vehicle were not disclosed. Ford is not involved in the Rivian deal, Mast said.

Cox Automotive Inc, the owner of the Autotrader online automobile market and the Kelley Blue Book car valuation service, invested $350 million in Rivian this month. The companies will explore partnerships in digital retailing, service operations and logistics.

Other backers include Saudi auto distributor Abdul Latif Jameel Co, Sumitomo Corp of Americas and Standard Chartered Bank.

Amazon’s reputation and the contract size would raise Rivian’s status with potential customers and investors, Fiorani said. It also offers the advantage of not having to chase buyers or ship vehicles all over the country.

(Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by David Gregorio)

Embraer Delivers New Jet That Boeing May Soon Sell

September 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil (Reuters) – Embraer <ERJ> hopes to see more orders for its newest passenger plane by the end of the year, an executive said on Thursday, as Boeing <BA> readies to take over the Brazilian planemaker’s commercial jets division in what could mark the next phase of its rivalry with Airbus <EADSY>.

Manufacture of the E195-E2, as Embraer’s plane is known, will soon be controlled by Boeing, which needs regulatory approval to close on the deal to buy 80% of Embraer’s commercial jets division for $4.2 billion.

Embraer on Thursday delivered its first E195-E2 plane, which will seat about 140, to Brazil’s No. 3 airline Azul <AZUL> at its headquarters in Sao Paulo state. Embraer executives said the delivery should spur more orders, helping to fend off fresh competition from Airbus.

“I expect we will close more transactions, I’m hopeful … before the end of the year,” John Slattery, head of Embraer’s commercial plane division, told Reuters. “I’m not seeing a big wave of people that need to delay, or wish to delay because of the Boeing transaction.”

The new plane comes as the landscape for jets with under 150 seats is changing drastically. Airbus bought control of the Bombardier division competing directly with Embraer in 2018, followed by Boeing’s deal to take over Embraer’s commercial plane division.

The result would expand the global duopoly for jumbo jets into a smaller category, as Boeing and Airbus work to lure orders across a broader lineup of commercial aircraft.

Azul was founded by U.S. airline executive David Neeleman, who also founded JetBlue Airways <JBLU>, which was a launch customer and key customer for Embraer’s last generation of jets.

“We can have 18 more seats with this plane, with a travel cost that is 15% less,” Neeleman said of the improvements in the new generation. “If you have something that is 15% cheaper, you just want that thing, you don’t want anything else.”

STIFF COMPETITION

Embraer is banking on the fuel efficiency of this new generation, to the point it has marketed its E195-E2 to customers as the “profit hunter,” painting the jet with livery resembling a shark in the plane’s nose.

But for now, Embraer has struggled to compete directly with Airbus. Carriers and plane lessors had placed 551 orders for the Airbus A220 family as of June, but Embraer had racked up only 168 for its new family of E2 jets, down from 200 in 2014.

Part of Embraer’s struggles stem from its smaller E175-E2 plane, which has been a hard sell to U.S. regional airlines due to labor contract restrictions. Embraer dropped 100 of those planes from its order book after resistance from pilots made it unclear if buyer Skywest <SKYW> would be able to fly them.

“We didn’t design an aircraft just for the U.S. market,” Slattery said, adding that he hopes his company will secure an order from a customer somewhere else in the world this year. Currently they have none, although Slattery said Skywest remains committed, if pilots allow it.

JetBlue also dealt a blow to Embraer last year when it decided to replace its old Embraer fleet with Airbus A220s, a decade after Neeleman left the company.

JetBlue cited the advantages of A220’s longer range, as well as a broader package with Airbus including larger planes — the kind of arrangement that Boeing could offer with Embraer’s jets in its portfolio.

(Reporting my Marcelo Rochabrun in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil; Additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Alistair Bell and Marguerita Choy)

Once Bankrupt Wow Air Returns From The Dead This October

September 9, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

The last we heard of the Icelandic budget airline Wow Air was in March 2019 when it ceased operations without warning, stranding up to 4,000 passengers at the time. According to Yahoo, the airline is now on schedule to come back in October of this year, thanks to a major investment by USAerospace Associates.

Michele Ballarin, chief executive of USAerospace Associates, said in a press conference last week that Wow Air will relaunch with just two planes in operation, with the potential to increase that number to more than 10 aircraft by summer 2020. The relaunched Wow Air operations will be based at Dulles International Airport, located outside of Washington, DC, though it will have facilities in Reykjavik and nearby Keflavik International Airport.

Click the link for the full story! https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/9/20857460/wow-air-comeback-october-iceland-us-airport-dulles-bankruptcy

Cathay Pacific Shares Fall Nearly 4% After Chairman Resigns

September 4, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Slosar attends a news conference in Hong Kong

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Shares in Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd fell nearly 4% in early trade on Thursday following the resignation of its chairman after the market closed on the previous day.

The departure of John Slosar was announced less than three weeks after mounting Chinese regulatory scrutiny led to the shock exit of its chief executive, Rupert Hogg.

Cathay shares had closed 7.2% higher on Wednesday as the Hong Kong market was lifted by reports of the withdrawal of a controversial extradition bill, which was officially announced after the market closed.

Long-serving Swire Pacific Ltd executive Patrick Healy was appointed as Cathay’s new chairman on Wednesday following the resignation of Slosar, who had served in the role since 2014.

“As John would have retired soon anyway it’s not really a huge setback as a business,” an analyst said of Slosar’s departure. “However it’s always awful to see when politics dictate like this.”

The analyst, who was not authorised to speak publicly about personnel changes, said he believed if the political situation in Hong Kong stabilised, the situation at Cathay should as well.

Daiwa Capital Markets analyst Kelvin Lau said the extradition bill’s withdrawal was positive for Cathay, even though protests were not expected to end immediately.

“We expect this to be a turning point where the situation would at least not worsen,” he said in a note to clients, adding that recent personnel changes at the airline should satisfy the requirements of the Chinese regulator and were likely to instill confidence among customers.

China’s aviation regulator last month said crew who engaged in the anti-government protests in Hong Kong posed a threat to safety and should be suspended from staffing flights to the mainland and over its airspace.

(Reporting by Donny Kwok and Jamie Freed, writing by Jamie Freed, editing by Richard Pullin)

Discount Carrier Sun Country Prepares for IPO

August 29, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Sun Country Airlines,a small Minnesota-based, low-cost carrier owned by private-equity firm Apollo Global Management, plans to file for an initial public offering as soon as April, Sun Country’s CEO said Tuesday in an interview.

“Our earnings are supportive,” Jude Bricker told Skift at the International Aviation Forecast Summit in Las Vegas. “I think there’s a market for an airline that is growing.”

If Sun Country were to go public next year, it would be a fast turnaround for Apollo, which acquired the airline in December 2017. The previous owners, Mitch and Marty Davis, who also control Cambria, a maker of stone countertops, had managed Sun Country more like a family business than a medium-sized airline. Apollo has cut costs and changed the model, dropping first class, adding fees and making more it like Frontier Airlines or Spirit Airlines than an undersized competitor to Delta Air Lines or American Airlines.

Click the link for the full story! https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-discount-carrier-sun-country-180032662.html

Spirit Airlines Looking at Airbus and Boeing Planes for Growth, Debuts WhatsApp

August 26, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Spirit Airlines <SAVE>, a fast-growing, low-cost U.S. carrier that flies an all-Airbus SE <EADSY> fleet, is looking at both the Airbus A321neo and a larger Boeing Co <BA> aircraft to fuel its growth, Chief Executive and President Ted Christie said on Monday.

“The A321neo is certainly something we’re looking at, but we’re also in conversations with Boeing about their larger airplane too, so it’s all on the table,” Christie said at an aviation conference.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

MIRAMAR, Fla., Aug. 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spirit Airlines, the fastest growing airline in the United States, continues its commitment to invest in the Guest experience with an industry-leading technology to connect with its Guests via the messaging application WhatsApp. Beginning in September, the technology, powered by global conversational commerce solutions provider LivePerson, will open a new direct line of communication between Spirit’s English and Spanish-speaking Guest Relations and Reservations teams and the millions of Spirit Guests in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America, who already use WhatsApp every day.

“We launched this service to better connect with our Guests, both domestically and abroad, as many have told us that they would rather communicate on a familiar and convenient service like WhatsApp,” said Bobby Schroeter, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Spirit Airlines. “We know WhatsApp is incredibly popular in the United States, but also in the more than two dozen destinations we serve in the Caribbean and Latin America. From travel updates to adding a bag to your reservation, this new messaging service allows Guests to communicate with us in English and Spanish and to opt in to WhatsApp messaging. It is all part of our goal to elevate and improve our Guest experience.”

The launch of WhatsApp support comes as a direct result of Spirit’s new partnership with LivePerson, a global leader in conversational commerce solutions. Beyond WhatsApp, the partnership also makes it possible for Spirit Guests who call to get immediate support by opting to begin a messaging conversation with Spirit representatives instead.

These new Guest solutions will also leverage LivePerson’s new AI-powered Maven Assist capability, which recommends the optimal next actions for human agents to take, including surfacing content or suggesting virtual assistants capable of responding to a Guest’s intent. Guests will still retain the ability to message with a live representative at any time during the process to address questions, comments and situations that are best suited for a live specialist.

“We’re excited to enable this new connection for America’s fastest growing airline, providing a powerful, engaging way for Guests to connect with Spirit on their own time,” said Rick Winnard, Global Head of Gainshare Programs at LivePerson. “Guests want to be able to ask questions, add products, and get immediate help without waiting, and with Spirit we’re making it possible for them to do so in the messaging channels they prefer.”

In addition to new WhatsApp and messaging support, Spirit will continue to serve its Guests via its social media channels, on Twitter and Facebook. Over the past two years, Spirit has heavily invested in the Guest experience touching all aspects of the journey, including on-time performance, Guest care technology, and in-flight products.

Tesla Scouting Sites for Possible Factory in Germany

August 25, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Electric carmaker Tesla <TSLA> is scouting out locations for a possible factory in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany’s most populous state, daily Rheinische Post reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.

First inspections have taken place, the paper said.

Tesla spokespeople in Europe were not immediately available for comment.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a tweet in April that the company was “considering” building a factory in Germany.

Last year, Musk said Germany was a leading choice in Europe to build a Gigafactory, adding “the German-French border makes sense, near the Benelux countries”.

NRW, Germany’s most populous state, shares borders with the Netherlands and Belgium.

Tesla is also looking at the German state of Lower Saxony, which shares a border with the Netherlands, its Economy Minister Bernd Althusmann said earlier this week.

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Frances Kerry)

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