Tag: Hong Kong (Page 2 of 2)

Hyatt Regency Opens Shenzhen Yantian

August 11, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Newly opened hotel in the heart of Yantian District of Shenzhen brings Hyatt Regency brand’s signature hospitality and connecting guests to the booming city

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) today announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Yantian in the east Guangdong Province, China. The 298-room hotel aims to bring the Hyatt Regency brand’s signature intuitive service and energizing experiences to business and leisure guests alike.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190808005248/en/

As part of a newly concepted Recreational Business District, Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Yantian is located in the heart of Yantian District, neighboring Dameisha Beach and Overseas Chinese Town East along a 12 mile (19.5 kilometer) golden coast. Within an hour’s drive to Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, the hotel is also half an hour to Shenzhen Railway Station and only a five minute drive to the Shatoujiao port of entry to Hong Kong.

“We sincerely appreciate the support from our owner Shenzhen Vanke Binhai Real Estate Ltd. and are excited to see the Hyatt Regency brand footprint grow in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA),” said Stephen Ho, president, Greater China, global operations at Hyatt. “We look forward to welcoming our guests to Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Yantian with confidence for a world-class hospitality experience.”

Guestrooms

Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Yantian was designed by the renowned HEITZ PARSONS SADEK and features 298 contemporary guest rooms with varied dimensions ranging from 462 square feet to more than 2,300 square feet (43 square meters to 215 square meters). There are 20 suites, four Regency Executive Suites and one Presidential Suite, all of which are spacious and located on the 41st to the 50th floor. Select rooms offer gorgeous ocean views and all rooms feature high-quality amenities and panoramic French windows. Guests staying in Club Access Rooms and Suites can enjoy the exclusive Regency Club benefits on the 49th floor.

Dining and Drinking

The hotel offers several fine dining restaurants that cater to varying tastes and group sizes, including:

XIANGYUE, a Chinese Restaurant on the 6th floor providing authentic Cantonese flavors as well as cuisines of neighboring areas. A comfortable experience that feels like dining in a country village, the restaurant’s layout includes a “Dai Pai Don” style open kitchen offering guests a high-touch taste of Cantonese life.

Market Café is a stylish all-day dining restaurant where guests can enjoy a collection of global delicacies. Whether buffet breakfast and dinner, or all-day a la carte service, Market Café will satisfy any taste with a flavorful option. The Lounge is the ideal place to gather friends or family and enjoy themed afternoon tea and various hand-crafted cocktails. Guests can also visit the Sky Lobby, ideal for connecting with colleagues over a vibrant scenery. For a stress-free meal, the hotel offers 24-hour in-room dining services with a range of selections available anytime.

Meetings and Events

To build a dynamic experience for groups that feels connected, motivated and inspired, the hotel events team will be at hand to support customers during conferences, special events and weddings. The hotel offers nearly 25,000 square feet (2,321 square meters) of meeting and event space in total, including a 12,916 square foot (1,200-square meter) pillar-free grand ballroom and five salons equipped with high-tech audio and video systems. Additionally, the ballroom foyer provides more than 6,500 square feet (612 square meters) of flexible pre-functional space to perfectly showcase the creativity of any event.

The scenic surroundings at Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Yantian create the perfect backdrop for weddings of all sizes. A bridal suite with separate fitting room and living room is situated right beside the grand ballroom to deliver a brilliant wedding experience.

Wellbeing

Guests can relax in the hotel’s refreshing outdoor pool or work out anytime at the hotel’s fully equipped fitness center featuring state-of-the-art equipment.

“Inspired by the hotel’s surroundings, the hotel was built with the concept of bringing the forest into the city, offering guests a place to take a deep breath of fresh air and bask in the beautiful scenery,” said Mary Liu, general manager of Hyatt Regency Shenzhen Yantian. “As a bridge between GBA and the Pearl River Delta area, Shenzhen is at the core of this booming region. We are delighted to deliver Hyatt’s well-known expertise in food and beverage and full range of services and amenities for a productive stay.

Boeing Delivers First 737 MAX for Cayman & Fiji Airways

December 3, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

SEATTLE, Nov. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Air Lease Corp. [NYSE: AL; “ALC”] today delivered the first 737 MAX 8 for Cayman Airways. The first 737 MAX to enter service in the Caribbean marks the beginning of the airline’s plans to modernize its fleet and expand its network.

“Cayman Airways is able to achieve the highest levels of efficiency with the 737 MAX 8, along with unparalleled levels of reliability and comfort,” said Cayman Airways President and CEO Fabian Whorms. “In addition, the MAX’s incredible range opens up the potential for several new markets within the Americas.”

Cayman Airways plans to take delivery of four MAX 8 airplanes to replace its fleet of 737 Classics.

Compared to the 737-300, the MAX 8 offers 30 percent greater seat capacity, and a more than 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency per seat. The MAX achieves the higher levels of performance with the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, and other airframe enhancements.

“ALC is pleased to announce this new Boeing 737 MAX 8 delivery with Cayman Airways today,” said Steven F. Udvar-Hἁzy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “With this new MAX 8 and the additional three aircraft set to deliver from ALC, Cayman Airways is successfully modernizing its fleet with the most technologically advanced, fuel-efficient aircraft to enhance the airline’s overall operations, maximize customer comfort and bring a new standard of excellence for travelers to and from the Cayman Islands.”

“We are delighted to open a new chapter in our partnership with Cayman Airways and ALC, and bring the 737 MAX to the Caribbean,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company. “The 737 MAX will help Cayman achieve significant improvement in performance and operating costs, while providing an even better flying experience for their passengers.”

To prepare for their new 737 MAX, Cayman Airways will train pilots at Boeing Global Services’ Miami training campus. Under this agreement, Cayman will use Boeing simulators for its entire 737 fleet including 737 Classics and Next-Generation 737s.

The 737 MAX family is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating about 4,800 orders from more than 100 customers worldwide. Boeing has delivered more than 200 737 MAX airplanes since May 2017.

Story from www.boeing.com Image from www.caymanairways.com

SEATTLE, Nov. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the first 737 MAX for Fiji Airways, which plans to use the fuel-efficient, longer-range version of the popular 737 jet to expand and modernize its single-aisle fleet.

“We are thrilled to take delivery of our very first 737 MAX 8, named Island of Kadavu,” said Andre Viljoen, Managing Director and CEO of Fiji Airways. “The introduction of the 737 MAX is the beginning of a new chapter for Fiji Airways and we look forward to taking advantage of the airplane’s superior performance and economics. These new airplanes will enable us to offer a world-class customer experience through the new Boeing Sky Interior cabins with in-seat entertainment for all guests.”

Fiji Airways plans to take delivery of five MAX 8 airplanes, which will build on the success of its fleet of Next-Generations 737s. The MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, and other airframe enhancements to improve performance and reduce operating costs.

Compared to the previous 737 model, the MAX 8 can fly 600 nautical miles farther, while providing 14 percent better fuel efficiency. The MAX 8 can seat up to 178 passengers in a standard two-class configuration and fly 3,550 nautical miles (6,570 kilometers).

“We are delighted to welcome Fiji Airways to the MAX family of operators and we are thrilled they will be the first 737 MAX operator in the Pacific Islands,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company. “We are honored by their continued partnership and confidence in Boeing products. The market-leading efficiency of the MAX will pay immediate dividends for Fiji Airways and will help them improve their operation and route network.”

Based at Nadi International Airport, Fiji Airways serves 13 countries and 31 destinations/cities including Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands (Oceania), the United States, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. It also has an extended network of 108 international destinations through its codeshare partners.

In addition to modernizing its fleet, Fiji Airways will use Boeing Global Services to enhance its operations. These services include Airplane Health Management, which generates real-time, predictive service alerts, and Software Distribution Tools, which empowers airlines to securely manage digital ground-based data and efficiently manage software parts.

Story from www.boeing.com Image from www.fijisun.com.fj

VietJet Signs $6.5 bln Deal For 50 Airbus Jets

November 2, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

HANOI, Nov 2 (Reuters) – VietJet Aviation signed a $6.5 billion agreement on Friday to buy 50 Airbus A321neo jets, the Vietnamese budget carrier said.

The agreement, signed during a visit to Hanoi by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, is part of aggressive investment in the Vietnamese airline’s fleet, which has provided lucrative business for both European aerospace group Airbus and its U.S. rival Boeing.

VietJet said the order is in line with its growth strategies and will enhance the airline’s operational efficiency and capacity, especially on international routes.

In addition to the aircraft, Airbus will deploy pilot and technician training programmes and fight management and flight safety management for VietJet.

In a separate statement, VietJet said it had also signed a memorandum of understanding with CFM International on a $5.3 billion deal for long-term jet engine maintenance.

VietJet, Vietnam’s biggest private airline, currently operates 60 Airbus jets with more than 385 flights daily within Vietnam and to countries such as Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia.

CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao told Reuters this week that VietJet plans to maintain an average fleet age of only three years to minimise fuel and maintenance costs.

It placed provisional orders for the A321neo jets and 100 Boeing 737 MAX jets at the Farnborough air show and has been in negotiations to complete the deals, with deliveries expected between 2020 and 2025.

(Reporting by Khanh Vu Editing by David Goodman)

Image from Airbus

Airbus 2018 Delivery Goal Questioned By Analysts

October 29, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Airbus (AIR.PA) will have to equal a record final quarter for deliveries if the European planemaker is going to meet its overall 2018 targets following a series of production setbacks.

Flight Ascend, a UK-based consultancy which monitors fleet developments worldwide, told aircraft investors in Hong Kong that Airbus may struggle to meet its target for 800 total aircraft deliveries this year.

And Bernstein analyst Douglas Harned said in a note that Airbus faced a shortfall in deliveries of its best-selling A320neo due to ongoing engine delays and operational problems.

The warnings came as Airbus prepares to post third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, when all eyes will be on whether it keeps its full-year target of 800 jet deliveries.

By end-September, Airbus was already facing a tough – though not unprecedented – challenge in meeting its full-year goal, a Reuters analysis of delivery data shows.

To meet the goal it would have to repeat exactly the record pattern of 2017, when 37 percent of the total number of annual deliveries were squeezed into the final quarter.

Airbus “usually pulls a rabbit out of the hat, so I wouldn’t bet against it,” a financial source familiar with the process said, adding delays had stressed the global aircraft industry.

For the first nine months, Airbus delivered 503 aircraft, leaving it once again with 37 percent of the targeted annual figure to accomplish in just three months.

The average achieved over that quarterly period in the past 10 years was 31 percent, according to a Reuters review of Airbus data.

Crucial to whether Airbus meets its goal is progress on best-selling single-aisle jets like the A320 and A321.

Commercial jets make up 76 percent of Airbus revenues, which are mostly paid on delivery, while aircraft lessors, who control around half the global fleet, lose $10,000 a day for a late A320-family jet, experts said.

Airbus does not publish separate delivery targets for single-aisle jets but Flight Ascend estimates this year’s target at around 630, leaving 76 a month to go in the last quarter.

“October numbers are sitting in the mid-50s which means it … is very challenging to reach the target for the end of year,” Ascend’s Ryan Hammacott told a Hong Kong seminar.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported Airbus faced new problems in producing the A321neo, a model central to its ambition to dominate the top end of the single-aisle market and thwart Boeing’s (BA.N) plans for a new mid-sized passenger jet.

Last week Rolls-Royce (RR.L) disclosed a shortfall in engine deliveries for the big A330neo.

Airbus planemaking president Guillame Faury last week confirmed Airbus was facing internal problems with the A321neo, but declined to discuss any impact on the delivery target.

Faury, who is the designated future Airbus chief executive has made stabilising deliveries a top priority.

Harned said stock markets may absorb a downgrade in the delivery target but would watch for any signs of stress in 2019.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Alexander Smith)

Image from http://www.airbus.com

IndiGo Airlines Considering Wide-Body Aircraft From Airbus, Boeing

October 15, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Indian airline IndiGo on Sunday said wide-bodied aircraft are an “aspiration” and talks with manufacturers are ongoing but there is no firm timeline amid difficult market conditions in the Indian market.

The budget airline, owned by InterGlobe Aviation <INGL.NS>, faces fierce competition in the very price sensitive Indian market where carriers are struggling to remain profitable despite filling 90 percent of their seats and rising demand.

IndiGo recently reported a steep fall in quarterly profit due to higher fuel prices and continued pressure on yields reflecting price competition.

“Wide-bodied aircraft are an aspiration, we have talked to manufacturers. We are looking at A330neo and Boeing 787,” Chief Commercial Officer Willy Boulter told Reuters in Abu Dhabi, declining to go into details.

IndiGo, India’s biggest low-cost carrier by market share, announced direct flights, starting Monday from two south Indian cities, Kochi and Kozhikode to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

In the Gulf, the airline has direct flights to Dubai and Sharjah in the UAE as well as to Doha and Muscat. Flights to Kuwait will be launched this week, to Saudi Arabia in November and Hong Kong in December, Boulter said.

In early 2019, IndiGo plans to start flights to London with an Airbus A321 aircraft stopping at a mid-point that is yet to be selected, he said. Other international destinations for launch include Kuala Lumpur and Phuket, Thailand, in November.

IndiGo is working closely with the Indian government to take advantage of opportunities under bilateral agreements where travel rights will become available for additional markets, he said, adding that IndiGo has applied for rights to Europe and Asia.

“We are confident of bilaterals being expanded further,” he said.

IndiGo has a fleet of 192 aircraft and more than 400 aircraft on order. The first batch of Airbus A321neo aircraft with 222 seats will be delivered next month, he said.

(Reporting By Stanley Carvalho)

First Boeing 777 Finds New Home In Tucson

September 19, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) – Aviation history was made Tuesday morning when the very first Boeing 777 ever flown made its final landing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

The former Cathay Pacific airliner was donated by the company to the Pima Air & Space Museum. Built in 1994, the massive aircraft was a test plane before becoming a part of Cathay Pacific’s commercial fleet in 2000, operating more than 20,000 flights across the globe over 18 years.

I’ll have to go check it out this Saturday!

Click the link below for the full story and video!

First Boeing 777 Finds New Home

Discover The Pearl Skyscraper in Hong Kong

July 19, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

The Pearl is more than a skyscraper.
It is an idea, a philosophy, a dream.
A marvel of technology and architectural design.
Inspired by the ancient fable The Pearl and the Dragon
It stands 3500 feet tall.
In the heart of Hong Kong.
The enormous “Pearl” at top lends the building its name.
With its luxury amenities, it is truly a self-contained city in the sky.
Live, work, and play in the clouds.

Click the link below to Discover The Pearl, the ficticious Mega Tall Tower from the hit movie Skyscraper with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson!

The Pearl Skyscraper

Air Belgium Takes To The Skies With 15 Passengers

June 7, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Air Belgium is a new airline that intends to operate a fleet of Airbus A340-300s between Charleroi (outside of Brussels) and China (including the mainland and Hong Kong). The airline was initially supposed to start flying to Hong Kong as of April 30, though finally ended up starting service as of June 3, which was yesterday.

First of all, it’s exciting that the airline finally started flights. What’s equally interesting is the load on the flight. Air Belgium’s inaugural flight to Hong Kong yesterday apparently had just 15 passengers.

Click the link below for the full story!

Air Belgium takes to the skies

First Cathay Pacific A350-1000 Completes Test Flight

May 3, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

03 MAY, 2018 FROM: FLIGHT DASHBOARD LONDON

The first of 20 A350-1000s for Cathay Pacific has completed its initial test flight from Airbus’s Toulouse plant. Deliveries of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered aircraft to the Hong Kong carrier are scheduled to begin in June. It will become the second operator after launch customer Qatar Airways to receive Airbus’s biggest twinjet.

The new twinjets will be operated alongside Cathay’s existing fleet of smaller A350-900s, 22 of which are currently in service with six more on order, according to Flight Fleets Analyzer.

Cathay will deploy the A350-1000 on its new route to Washington DC from September. The airline says that at “8,153 miles” (7,095nm/13,126km), the new service to Dulles will become the longest in its network.

Airbus (via Cathay Pacific)

Hong Kong Express expects six-month A320neo delivery delay

February 18, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd expects at least a six-month delay in deliveries of new Airbus SE (AIR.SE) A320neo jets due to issues with engines made by Pratt & Whitney, according to an internal memo issued by the airline.

The budget carrier has grounded one plane in Hong Kong until May due to a lack of spare engines after the jet made a mid-air turn-back due to engine issues last month, said a person with knowledge of the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly and so declined to be identified.

Another one of its five A320neos remains on the ground at the Airbus final assembly line site in Hamburg and has yet to be delivered to Hong Kong because one of its engines needs a fix, according to a memo to pilots seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The U.S. aviation regulator on Wednesday said the engines from Pratt & Whitney – a unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N) – posed a potential shutdown risk, in a formal warning that followed similar action by European regulators on Feb. 9.

India’s largest airline, IndiGo, owned by InterGlobe Aviation Ltd (INGL.NS), said on Feb. 10 it had grounded three jets due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines.

Pratt & Whitney’s priority is to obtain replacement engines for all of the affected jets globally, said the Hong Kong Express memo, the contents of which were first reported by the South China Morning Post earlier on Thursday.

The memo said that could take months, while new A320neos on the production line could be delayed for “six months or more”.

Because replacement engines will need testing, Hong Kong Express is “seriously considering” not introducing any new A320neos into its fleet until next year at the earliest, the memo said.

Representatives of Hong Kong Express – part-owned by HNA Group Co Ltd – were not immediately available for comment. The South China Morning Post reported that Hong Kong Express said the memo had been issued to provide relevant details about the fleet and operations to its cockpit crew.

Airbus on Thursday said it was assessing the impact the engine issue would have on 2018 deliveries.

Pratt & Whitney did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The engine maker on Monday said it would discuss the potential affect of the problem on 2018 engine production after regulators respond to its proposed fix. (Story by Jamie Freed)

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