Tag: COVID-19 (Page 14 of 17)

What to Expect From Air New Zealand at Alert Level One

June 8, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Air New Zealand has shared what customers can expect while travelling with the airline when the country moves to Alert Level 1. These changes will be progressively rolled out over the coming days.

Air New Zealand General Manager Customer Experience Nikki Goodman says Alert Level 1 will mark a return to normal with regards to domestic flying.

“Social distancing is no longer a requirement, unaccompanied minors will once again be able to travel domestically, and customers will be able to travel around New Zealand again with pets as checked baggage.

“Customers are still encouraged to check-in for their flight via the Air New Zealand mobile app to save time at the airport. We recommend allowing plenty of time to process through the airport as we expect to see more people travelling at this level. As we’ve adapted our processes to support customers through Alert Level 2, we’ve gained some great insight into changes that we will adopt going forward, and customers can expect to see some of these as they travel.

“Our domestic lounges are open except for Auckland Domestic, which is undergoing refurbishment, and Wellington and Christchurch regional lounges which remain closed at this stage. Hot food will be available again and served to our customers, while other food will be pre-portioned and available at the buffet. Inflight, customers would have noticed our food and beverage service resumed under Alert Level 2 with the exception of Koru Hour. We are working closely with our partners and suppliers to bring this back over the coming weeks.

“As always, our top priority is ensuring we keep our customers and people safe, so high touch surfaces on board and in our lounges and airport spaces will continue to be cleaned regularly. Our jet aircraft are fitted with hospital-grade air systems that filter out viruses, and hand sanitiser will continue to be available across the airport, kiosks, service desks and all our aircraft for customers and staff to use as they wish.

“As we get back into more frequent flying, please be patient with us, as our contact centre and customer care teams continue to receive a high volume of enquiries. If your travel isn’t urgent, we’d appreciate if you would wait to contact us so that those with imminent travel can be prioritised. We’re thrilled to welcome more people on board, but please remember to be kind to our frontline employees – and if you are unwell or have Covid-19 symptoms please do not travel.”

Further details on the customer journey for Alert Level 1 can be found on the COVID-19 hub on the Air New Zealand website.

The airline plans to operate around 55 percent of its usual domestic capacity (compared to pre-COVID-19 levels) from July and August. On Monday the airline began operating to all 20 of the domestic ports it previously flew to.

U.S. to Revise Chinese Passenger Airline Ban After Beijing Move

June 4, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

A China Eastern Airlines aircraft is seen at Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Transportation Department plans to issue a revised order in the coming days that is likely to allow some Chinese passenger airline flights to continue, government and airline officials said.

On Thursday, China said it would ease coronavirus restrictions to allow in more foreign carriers, shortly after Washington said it planned to bar Chinese passenger airlines from flying to the United States by June 16 due to Beijing’s curbs on U.S. carriers.

The change should allow U.S. carriers to resume once-a-week flights into a city of their choice starting on June 8, but that would be still significantly fewer than what the U.S. government says its aviation agreement with China allows.

The Transportation Department did not immediately comment.

The department said on Wednesday Chinese carriers could operate “the same number of scheduled passenger flights as the Chinese government allows ours.” It added the order was to “restore a competitive balance and fair and equal opportunity among U.S. and Chinese air carriers.”

The U.S. order would halt the four weekly U.S. roundtrip flights by Air China <0753.HK>, China Eastern Airlines Corp, China Southern Airlines Co <1055.HK> and Xiamen Airlines Co.

U.S. and airline officials have privately raised concerns about the revised Chinese rules and it is unclear if carriers would agree to fly just once a week to China when they have sought approval for two or three daily flights.

Delta Air Lines <DAL.N> and United Airlines <UAL> asked to resume flights to China this month. Both said they were reviewing the order from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

American Airlines <AAL> is sticking with its previous plan to resume service to China at the end of October, spokesman Ross Feinstein said.

The CAAC said all airlines can increase the number of international flights involving China to two per week if none of their passengers test positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, for three consecutive weeks.

If five or more passengers on one flight test positive upon arrival, the CAAC will bar the airline for a week. Airlines would be suspended for four weeks if 10 passengers or more test positive.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; additional reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Editing by Chris Reese, Richard Chang and Bernadette Baum)

Why Shares of Sabre Corporation Were Up Monday

June 1, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh joined travel technology leader Sabre to mark the grand opening of its Boston Innovation Lab, the new headquarters for its research and development team, Sabre Labs. From left to right: Andrew Gasparovic, vice president and chief architect, Sabre Labs; Caroline Wester, director of software engineering, Sabre Labs; Sundar Narasimhan, president of Sabre Labs and product strategy; Sean Menke, president and CEO, Sabre; Larry Kellner, chairman of the board, Sabre.

Shares of Sabre (NASDAQ: SABR) rallied along with airline stocks on Monday on hope that travel patterns might slowly be returning to normal. The airlines were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and with them companies that rely on air travel like Sabre, but investors are seeing signs that the worst might finally be over. Sabre, a former American Airlines Group subsidiary that runs airline ticketing and reservation systems, has lost two-thirds of its value in 2020 on a decline in airline business and regulatory issues that blocked a planned acquisition.

Click the link below to read the full story!

https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/06/01/why-shares-of-sabre-are-up-today.aspx

Wynn Las Vegas Announces June 4 Reopening Date

May 28, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Five-Star Resort Returns With Full Array of Luxury Amenities and Industry-Leading Health & Safety Plan

LAS VEGAS, May 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Wynn Las Vegas (Nasdaq: WYNN) announced today a reopening date of Thursday, June 4, under phase two of the Nevada United: Roadmap to Recovery plan from Governor Steve Sisolak. As the largest five-star resort in the world, Wynn Las Vegas plans to offer guests a complete Las Vegas experience by opening every amenity and outlet available. Both hotel towers and the casino as well as all restaurants will reopen on June 4, followed by the resort’s newest restaurant, Elio, later in the month. Every effort has been made to present Wynn’s complete luxury experience and provide guests with the peace of mind needed to enjoy a fun and relaxing return.

In preparation, the Company has created a comprehensive new Health & Safety Plan that is now considered the gold standard in the hospitality industry.

“We are ready to provide our guests with a full Las Vegas experience with a collection of luxury amenities and unmatched service,” said Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox. “At the same time, our extensive Health & Safety Plan, validated by the nation’s leading public health experts, will enable a safe environment for our guests. The entire Wynn team is looking forward to welcoming our guests back.”

Wynn will reopen withthe full Las Vegas experience guests expect and deserve, with everything conveniently and safely available under one roof, allowing for the perfect getaway. From lounging by pristine pools to lively late-night betting – and most everything in between – the very best of Wynn’s renowned glamour, excitement, and luxury will be available, including:

Both Wynn and Encore hotel towers
Two 24-hour casinos with a variety of table games and slots as well as the Race & Sports Book
The resort’s full portfolio of fine-dining restaurants, lounges, and casual eateries, several with outdoor seating on open verandas and patios
Expansive resort pools with private cabanas
Wynn’s 18-hole championship golf course
Nightly entertainment at the Lake of Dreams
Three retail esplanades
Full-service beauty salons, barber shop, spa treatments and fitness centers

In addition, several thoughtful new measures in social distancing, touchless technologies, and cleaning protocols have been incorporated throughout the resort in a clear and transparent effort to protect the well-being of all guests. Most notable among the enhancements are:

Non-invasive thermal temperature checks and face coverings provided at all entrances
Automatic hand sanitizer stations, UV Technology, and electrostatic sprayers will be utilized throughout the resort
Sealed guest rooms after meticulous sanitization by Wynn’s professional housekeeping staff
Amenity kits including sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer, and face coverings in each guest room
Dedicated team of cleaning professionals sanitizing public guest areas 24 hours a day

Wynn employees are required to wear face coverings at all times, and most importantly, have all been tested for COVID-19 before returning to work.

The Wynn Resorts Health & Safety Plan was created in consultation with leading public health medical professionals from Georgetown and Johns Hopkins Universities in addition to recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) and the Gaming Control Board (GCB). The full plan can be viewed on www.wynnlasvegas.com.

Where Delta is flying in June

May 19, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Delta’s summer schedule continues to be shaped by customer demand, CDC guidelines and government travel regulations. While the June schedule is significantly reduced in comparison to last year, customers will see the return of several major routes, both U.S. domestic and international, which were previously suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Customers traveling with Delta can feel confident in a safe flying experience. In addition to requiring customers and employees to wear face coverings throughout the travel journey, Delta has implemented policies like capping seating between 50 and 60 percent to ensure customer spacing on all aircraft, elevated its cleaning measures to deliver a new standard of clean, and streamlined its in-flight services to decrease touch points on board. Customers also have added flexibility if they need to change their plans.

Here’s a snapshot of where Delta is planning to fly in June. This schedule, including routes and frequency, remains subject to change due to the evolving nature of COVID-19. This page may be updated.

U.S. DOMESTIC

Ensuring connectivity for customers with critical travel needs, Delta continues to provide flights to all U.S. hubs and top markets, though frequency is significantly reduced. While Delta has temporarily consolidated operations in some markets served by multiple airports, the airline is adding more flights to its June schedule in comparison to May, primarily in Atlanta, New York and between hubs.

CANADA

Detroit to Montreal (daily)
Detroit to Ottawa (daily)
Detroit to Toronto (daily)
Minneapolis to Calgary (daily)
Minneapolis to Edmonton (daily)
Minneapolis to Winnipeg (daily)
New York-JFK to Toronto (daily)
Seattle to Vancouver (daily)

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

Caribbean

Atlanta to Aruba (less than daily service restarts in second half of June)
Atlanta to Bermuda (less than daily)
Atlanta to Bonaire (Saturday only service restarts in second half of June)
Atlanta to Kingston, Jamaica (less than daily)
Atlanta to Montego Bay, Jamaica (daily)
Atlanta to Nassau, Bahamas (daily)
Atlanta to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (less than daily)
Atlanta to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (less than daily)
Atlanta to San Juan, Puerto Rico (less than daily)
Atlanta to St. Croix (Saturday only)
Atlanta to St. Lucia (less than daily)
Atlanta to St. Maarten (less than daily)
Atlanta to St. Thomas (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Santiago, Dominican Republic (less than daily)
New York-JFK to San Juan, Puerto Rico (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (less than daily)

Central America

Atlanta to Liberia, Costa Rica (less than daily service restarts in second half of June)
Atlanta to Panama City, Panama (less than daily)
Atlanta to San José, Costa Rica (less than daily service restarts in second half of June)
Atlanta to San Pedro Sula, Honduras (less than daily)
Atlanta to San Salvador, El Salvador (less than daily)

Mexico

Atlanta to Cancun (daily)
Atlanta to Mexico City (daily)
Detroit to Mexico City (less than daily)
Los Angeles to Los Cabos (less than daily)
Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta (less than daily)
Salt Lake City to Mexico City (daily)

South America

Atlanta to Bogotá, Colombia (less than daily)
Atlanta to São Paulo, Brazil (less than daily)

TRANS-ATLANTIC

Atlanta to Amsterdam (daily)
Atlanta to Frankfurt (less than daily)
Atlanta to Lagos (less than daily*)
Atlanta to Paris-Charles De Gaulle (less than daily)
Detroit to Amsterdam (daily)
Detroit to London-Heathrow (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Amsterdam (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Paris-Charles De Gaulle (less than daily)
New York-JFK to Tel Aviv (less than daily)

*Delta’s restart of service to Nigeria is subject to foreign government approval.

Delta’s Frankfurt and London flights also double as scheduled cargo service.

TRANS-PACIFIC

Detroit to Seoul-Incheon (daily)
Detroit to Shanghai (daily*)
Seattle to Seoul-Incheon (less than daily)
Seattle to Shanghai (daily*)
Seattle to Tokyo-Haneda (less than daily)

*Delta’s restart of passenger flights to China is subject to government approval. We will also operate cargo-only scheduled service from Shanghai to Atlanta and Los Angeles. Read more on our cargo flights to Asia.

Delta’s second quarter schedule is 85 percent smaller than last year, with reductions of 80 percent in U.S. domestic capacity and 90 percent internationally.

First Cessna Skycourier Twin Utility Turboprop Takes Flight

May 18, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced the successful first flight of its new twin utility turboprop, the Cessna SkyCourier. The milestone flight is a significant step toward entry into service for the clean-sheet aircraft, and it kicks off the important flight test program that validates the performance of the Cessna SkyCourier.

“Today was an exciting day for our employees, our suppliers and our customers. The Cessna SkyCourier performed exactly as we expected, which is a testament to the entire team of men and women who worked together to prepare for this day,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO, Textron Aviation. “I’m proud of the way the team has persevered through disruptions caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic and remained focused on getting us to this point. The Cessna SkyCourier will be an excellent product in its segment due to its combination of cabin flexibility, payload capability, superior performance and low operating costs. Our customers will be very pleased with what they experience from this aircraft.”

The Cessna SkyCourier took off from the company’s east campus Beech Field Airport, piloted by Corey Eckhart, senior test pilot, and Aaron Tobias, chief test pilot. During the 2-hour and 15-minute flight, the team tested the aircraft’s performance, stability and control, as well as its propulsion, environmental, flight controls and avionics systems.

“We were very pleased with how the Cessna SkyCourier performed throughout its first flight,” Eckhart said. “It was particularly impressive to see how stable the aircraft handled on takeoff and landing. The Cessna SkyCourier already displays a high level of maturity in its flight characteristics, especially for a first flight. We were able to accomplish everything we wanted on this flight, and that’s an excellent start to the flight test program.”

The prototype aircraft, along with five additional flight and ground test articles, will continue to expand on performance goals, focusing on testing flight controls and aerodynamics.

Relentless capability

The Cessna SkyCourier, featuring Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC engines, will be offered in various configurations including a 6,000-pound payload capable freighter, a 19-seat passenger version or a mixed passenger/freight combination, all based on the common platform.

The Cessna SkyCourier is designed for high utilization and will deliver a combination of robust performance and lower operating costs. Cessna SkyCourier will feature the popular Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite and offer highlights such as a maximum cruise speed of up to 200 ktas and a maximum range of 900 nm. Both freighter and passenger variants of the Cessna SkyCourier will includer single-point pressure refueling as standard to enable faster turnarounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGcKM669tP4

Air New Zealand to Resume Taupo and Timaru Services

May 18, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Air New Zealand will restart flights to and from Taupo and Timaru on 8 June.

The airline has started operating to the majority of its domestic ports with the country’s move to Alert Level 2.

Air New Zealand General Manager Networks Scott Carr says the airline has been encouraged by the customer response to its recently released schedule.

“We’re pleased to be able to restart both our Taupo-Auckland and Timaru-Wellington routes early next month and we know this news will be welcomed by these towns and their wider regions.

“Bringing Taupo and Timaru back into our domestic schedule means we’ll soon operate to all 20 of the domestic destinations we serviced pre COVID-19, albeit with reduced frequencies.”

Initially the airline will operate three return services a week between Taupo and Auckland on Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as three return services per week between Timaru and Wellington also on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Additional frequencies will be reintroduced back into Air New Zealand’s domestic schedule as demand permits.

Flights are available to book now at www.airnewzealand.co.nz

Korean Air to Issue $817 Million in New Shares as Virus Strains Industry

May 14, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s largest airline, Korean Air, plans to sell around 1 trillion won ($816.55 million) in new shares in its biggest rights issue in 20 years to raise funds amid mounting strains in the industry due to the pandemic.

Korean Air is the latest carrier to raise funds as travel restrictions imposed by governments around the world have led to airlines grounding their fleets worldwide.

Korean Air separately plans to receive 1.2 trillion won in support from South Korean state-owned banks.

About 79 million newly issued shares, to be listed on July 29, will be first bought by the carrier’s shareholders, including holding company Hanjin Kal which has a 30% stake in the carrier, followed by general public, the company said in a statement.

“Korean Air will continue to carry out self-rescue measures to overcome the dismal business environment due to COVID-19,” the company said.

Korean Air had 70% or more of its employees working in South Korea take a six-month leave of absence in April. Woo Kee-hong, the airline’s president, warned in March that the coronavirus outbreak could threaten its survival if the situation becomes prolonged.

Korean Air also picked last month a preferred bidder to buy its real estate and non-core assets, which some analysts value at about 400-500 billion won.

Korean Air had a debt-to-equity ratio of about 870% as of end-2019. It is expected to announce January-March quarter earnings later this week.

A spokeswoman for Korean Air said it was operating just 10% of its previously planned international schedule, and 60% of its domestic schedule.

The airline said it expects its June international schedule to rise to 20% of its previous plan, as it announced the addition of more international passenger flights to prepare for increased travel demand once COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed.

United Airlines Holdings Inc said earlier this month it plans to raise $2.25 billion through a bond offering, after announcing a public offering to raise more than $1 billion in April.

In March, Singapore Airlines said it would issue S$5.3 billion ($3.70 billion) in new equity and up to S$9.7 billion($6.78 billion) via mandatory convertible bonds in a rights issue backed by state investor Temasek Holdings.

($1 = 1,224.6700 won)

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Louise Heavens)

Korean Air’s passenger planes are parked following outbreak of COVID-19, at Incheon International Airport

Azul Airlines to Delay 59 Embraer Airplanes Until After 2024

May 14, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

SAO PAULO, May 14 (Reuters) – Brazilian airline Azul SA said on Wednesday it had agreed with planemaker Embraer SA to delay the delivery of 59 E2 jets, with a list price of 24.5 billion reais ($4.16 billion), to 2024 or later.

The planes had been initially set for delivery from 2020 to 2023, according to an Azul securities filing.

Azul said the agreement was a step to shore up its business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which also led it to reduce its April capacity by 90% in comparison to the same month in 2019.

($1 = 5.8852 reais)

(Reporting by Alberto Alergiri; Editing by Sandra Maler)

JetBlue To Require Customers to Wear Face Coverings During Travel

April 28, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced that starting May 4 all customers will be required to wear a face covering during travel. The policy comes after the airline began requiring all crewmembers to wear face coverings while working. JetBlue has modeled its policy on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines that indicate all individuals should wear a face covering in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

“Wearing a face covering isn’t about protecting yourself it’s about protecting those around you,” said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “This is the new flying etiquette. Onboard, cabin air is well circulated and cleaned through filters every few minutes but this is a shared space where we have to be considerate of others. We are also asking our customers to follow these CDC guidelines in the airport as well.”

This new policy will require customers to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning. Customers will be reminded of this requirement before their flight via email and at the airport by both terminal signage and announcements. Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are exempt from this requirement.

CDC guidance defines a suitable face covering as an item of cloth that should fit snugly against the side of the face, be secured with ties or ear loops, include multiple layers of fabric and allow for unrestricted breathing. The CDC recommends surgical masks and N-95 respirators be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders.

Maintaining distance onboard whenever possible

Beyond face covering requirements for crewmembers and customers, since late March, JetBlue has limited the number of seats available for sale on most flights, allowing the airline to provide additional space between individuals who are not traveling together. Before each flight, JetBlue reviews seat assignments to ensure as much personal space as possible. In addition, rows near crewmember jump seats have been blocked off to create buffer zones for added crewmember and customer safety.

Safety enhancements throughout the journey

All of JetBlue’s aircraft are equipped with hospital grade high-efficiency air particulate (HEPA) filters. All recirculated air is passed through these HEPA filters before re-entering the cabin and being mixed with fresh air. All of the air in the cabin is, on average, completely changed every three minutes. HEPA filters are capable of removing 99.97 percent of particles, bacteria and viruses. To learn about how air circulates onboard JetBlue’s fleet, view this JetBlue video at https://youtu.be/Q2_C2iN-tEs.

Since the coronavirus began spreading in the United States, JetBlue has increased the rigor of its aircraft cleanings at night and between flights, using disinfectant approved to kill the coronavirus. Cleanings have been focused on the places customers and crewmembers touch the most, including seat covers, seatbelts, tray tables and armrests. Traditional food and beverage service have been adjusted onboard to limit touchpoints between crewmembers and customers. To learn about all the additional measures JetBlue has implemented visit http://blog.jetblue.com/coronavirus.

U.S. DOMESTIC

CANADA​

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

TRANS-ATLANTIC

TRANS-PACIFIC

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