Tag: level (Page 2 of 3)

Delta Brings Back Flights Across Atlantic and Pacific for 2021

August 23, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

As Delta works to restart service in line with the lifting of travel restrictions, potential vaccine availability and the gradual return of demand, customers will see more trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flights to top business and leisure destinations for the winter 2020-2021 and summer 2021 seasons. While the airline expects pre-COVID level recovery for international flying to continue to lag U.S. domestic, Delta plans to add over 50 transoceanic flights next summer, compared to the summer 2020 schedule.

Delta will focus its strengths in its core markets and with the support of its partners, offer customers a wide array of onward connections.

“While significant hurdles remain in the global fight against the pandemic, we are ready to connect customers to the people, places, opportunities and experiences they’re longing for,” said Joe Esposito, S.V.P. – Network Planning. “Customers flying internationally can look forward to a modernized fleet featuring our latest cabin products and a travel experience that prioritizes their health and the health of our employees from check-in to baggage claim.”

As customers consider future travel, whether international or domestic, Delta’s multi-layered approach to their health and safety ensures peace of mind throughout the travel journey. These include, but are not limited to:

– Sanitizing all aircraft with electrostatic spraying before departure and extensive pre-flight disinfection of high-touch points throughout the aircraft interior.

– Using state-of-the-art air circulation systems with HEPA filters that extract more than 99.99% of particles, including viruses.

– Blocking all middle seats and limiting the number of customers per flight through Jan. 6, 2021.

– Requiring face masks throughout the airport, in Delta Sky Clubs and on board the aircraft

Click the link below for the full story and more details!

https://news.delta.com/delta-brings-back-more-flights-across-atlantic-and-pacific-winter-and-summer-2021

Air New Zealand Cancels Outbound Service to Rarotonga

August 16, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

After consultation with the New Zealand Ministry of Health, Air New Zealand has made the decision not to carry customers on flight NZ946 from Auckland to Rarotonga on Saturday 15 August.

The service will still operate outbound to Rarotonga carrying cargo, and the return service will carry customers into Auckland.

Air New Zealand’s Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says the decision was made not to carry passengers out of Auckland due to the city currently being at Alert Level 3.

“The Cook Islands has so far had no cases of COVID-19 and we want to make sure we are doing the right thing for both countries in terms of safety and wellbeing. That’s why we have taken the precautionary decision not to carry passengers out of Auckland on tomorrow’s service. We are contacting affected customers directly to let them know their options.”

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.

Alstom Barcelona 3D Printing Hub Joins COVID 19 Fight

April 2, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Production and development of new solutions for hospitals

Alstom’s 3D printing hub in Barcelona is coordinating initiatives being implemented at a Group level to contribute to the fight against the COVID 19 global pandemic. Since last week, engineers and developers based in Santa Perpetua site (Barcelona) have been coordinating and implementing different initiatives to produce pieces, supply consumables and design new solutions.

Alstom’s hub is working in coordination with the 3Dcovid19.org network to manufacture visors for face shields and ventilators valves, that are being delivered to different hospitals.

“The aim is to help the healthcare community by manufacturing parts that meet appropriate quality and safety standards,” says Jaume Altesa, responsible for Alstom’s 3D printing hub at Santa Perpètua. “3D printing has gained prominence due to its particular usefulness for creating equipment to protect against COVID-19, as it can be used to manufacture materials currently suffering severe shortages such as face masks, mechanical respirators and even door openers, among others”, he adds.

The CAD design experts at the Santa Perpetua facilities are also innovating in new solutions and developments. They are currently working, for example, on portable personal protectors for door handles and the use of anti-bacterial materials in the masks.

Launched in 2016, Alstom 3D printing hub in Barcelona is one of the components of Smart Operations, Alstom’s ‘Industry of the Future’ programme. Its ambition is to produce 3D-printed parts quickly and at a competitive price for new trains, to meet the customers’ requests for parts, and to facilitate some manufacturing and maintenance operations. At Alstom, 3D printing is used for four applications: tools for our factories, prototypes to validate a design, moulds produced in half the time of classic production methods and series parts with around 70 references in plastic and metal.

Boeing Net Orders Slump to Lowest in Decades

January 14, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

(Reuters) – Boeing Co <BA> reported its worst annual net orders in decades on Tuesday, along with its lowest numbers for plane deliveries in 11 years, as the grounding of its 737 MAX jet saw it fall far behind main competitor Airbus <EADSY>.

Boeing’s gross orders plunged 77% to 246 in 2019, while net orders after cancellations or conversions were just 54 airplanes compared with 893 the previous year.

After an accounting adjustment representing jets ordered in previous years but are now unlikely to be delivered, Boeing said its net total for orders this year sank to a negative 87 airplanes.

As a result, Boeing’s book-to-bill ratio, which measures orders against deliveries, came in at a negative 0.23 in 2019.

Boeing said unidentified customers canceled orders for three 787-9’s in December and another customer canceled an order for a 787-8.

Ten months after the MAX was grounded in March following two fatal crashes, Boeing still has a backlog of more than 5,400 orders for its long- and short-distance commercial jets.

By comparison, Airbus said earlier this month it racked up a net 768 orders last year after cancellations and delivered a record 863 planes.

Boeing said on Tuesday deliveries fell by 53% to 380 planes over the whole of last year, as the MAX’s grounding made it impossible for it to deliver the planes to customers, forcing it to halt production last month and lose the top spot to its European rival for the first time in eight years.

Planemakers receive most of their revenue when aircraft are delivered – minus accumulated progress payments – making final delivery crucial for their finances.

Analysts estimate that Boeing has been losing around $1 billion a month because of the grounding and it reported an almost $3 billion negative free cash flow in the third quarter. Fourth-quarter figures are due on Jan. 29.

Boeing parted ways with Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg last month as it became increasingly clear that he was making little headway in resolving the crisis.

The company is still working to fix the MAX and there is little clarity on when Boeing is likely to get the green light from regulators to bring the airplane back into service, making analysts and investors jittery about the company’s prospects in 2020.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris, and Ankit Ajmera and Rachit Vats in Bengaluru; Editing by Patrick Graham, Shounak Dasgupta and Amy Caren Daniel)

Unpainted Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are seen parked at Renton Municipal Airport in Renton

IAG Ups Bet on Latin America with Air Europa Takeover

November 4, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

* Buys Air Europa for 1 bln euros

* To be funded by external debt

* Shares rise more than 2%

* To be run by Iberia CEO

* Regulators may set requirements -analysts

Nov 4 (Reuters) – IAG, the parent of British Airways and Spain’s Iberia, announced a 1 billion euro ($1.12 billion) takeover of Spain’s Air Europa to boost its presence on routes to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The deal follows a setback in Latin America for IAG after Chile’s Supreme Court ruled against a plan that would have allowed it to bolster cooperation with partners in the oneworld airlines alliance.

**BA parent IAG ups bet on Latin America with Air Europa takeover**
Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary attends a Reuters Newsmaker event in London

Chile’s LATAM Airlines in September then announced it planned to leave the alliance, opting instead for a tie-up with SkyTeam member Delta Air Lines.

IAG shares initially rose more than 2% following the Air Europa takeover announcement but some analysts said IAG may have to shed routes in order to win regulatory approval.

IAG shares were up 1.2% at 1315 GMT.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said his company will ask the UK’s market watchdog to force IAG to make divestments as part of its Air Europa takeover, a deal he said would be bad for competition.

“Potential remedies, perhaps in the form of slot release or behavioural restrictions, may be required and these could impact the potential synergies,” an analyst at Liberum wrote in a note.

IAG also owns carriers Iberia Express, Level, Ireland’s Aer Lingus and Vueling.

“We are not convinced that having just another brand platform is the optimal move, and could see it potentially combining with Level, Vueling or potentially Iberia Express after some time,” analysts at Bernstein said.

FILE PHOTO: An Air Europa-branded Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is seen grounded at a storage area in an aerial photo at Boeing Field in Seattle

Air Europa serves 69 destinations, including long-haul routes to the Americas and the Caribbean. It had a fleet of 66 aircraft at the end of 2018.

Air Europa’s Spanish parent company Globalia earlier this year received authorisation from the Brazilian government to explore the possibility of flying domestic routes within Latin America’s largest economy.

It is unclear if that authorisation will remain with Globalia or be transferred to IAG.

Air Europa will initially keep its brand and as it gets integrated into the existing hub at Madrid it will be a standalone operation run by Iberia boss Luis Gallego, IAG said.

It will also withdraw Air Europa from the SkyTeam alliance once the deal is completed. Air Europa has a joint venture with Air France-KLM.

“This is of strategic importance for the Madrid hub, which in recent years has lagged behind other European hubs,” said Gallego, adding that Madrid had the potential to serve as a gateway between Asia and Latin America.

IAG said it expected the Air Europa deal, which will be funded through external debt, to close in the second half of next year and for it to add to its earnings in the first full year after the closure.

($1 = 0.8951 euros) (Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Andres Gonzalez in Madrid and Marcelo Rochabrun in Sao Paulo, editing by Patrick Graham and Jason Neely)

An Air Europa Boeing 737 airplane takes off at the airport in Palma de Mallorca

Porsche Debuts The Taycan 4S, Its ‘Entry Level’ Electric Car

October 14, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Porsche announced on Monday the expansion of its electric-vehicle lineup. A month after revealing its Taycan Turbo and Turbo S, Porsche debuted its “entry-level model,” the Taycan 4S.

Taycan 4S pricing starts at $103,800 — a steal compared to the $150,900 Taycan Turbo or $185,000 Turbo S, but far less accessible than other EVs on the market.

Porsche is owned by Volkswagen AG.

How The 4S Compares In The Series

The Taycan 4S comes in a Performance Battery version (79.2 kiloWatts per hour) and a Performance Battery Plus version (93.4 kiloWatts per hour), each of which is less powerful than the original models. The 4S delivers up to 420 kiloWatts (630 horsepower) compared to the Turbo’s 500 kiloWatts and the Turbo S’s 560.

Click the link to view the full story! https://finance.yahoo.com/news/porsche-debuts-taycan-4s-entry-151539607.html

Boeing 737 MAX Boosted by IAG Plan to Order 200 Jets

June 18, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS, June 18 (Reuters) – Boeing’s grounded 737 MAX jet received a boost on Tuesday after British Airways-owner IAG signed a letter of intent to order 200 of the planes and said it was confident that it would return to service in the coming months.

Boeing said the deal had a value of more than $24 billion at list prices.

IAG said the mix of 737-8 and 737-10 aircraft, to be delivered between 2023 and 2027, would be powered by CFM Leap engines and used across a number of its airlines including British Airways, Vueling and Level.

The MAX 737 was grounded in March following two deadly crashes, and Boeing has been working on a software fix to get the jet back flying by the end of the year.

IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh said he had experienced Boeing’s MCAS anti-stall software in person, adding it was “very helpful to see it in operation” and to “understand the changes” that Boeing was proposing.

“It gave me confidence both in terms of the aircraft and the changes that Boeing introduced,” he said at the announcement of the deal at the Paris Airshow.

“I am confident in Boeing.”

Boeing shares rose 2% on the announcement. The company is working towards a certification flight with regulators soon.

Boeing commercial airplanes boss Kevin McAllister said the decision of when the MAX flies again was in the hands of the regulators.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Eric M. Johnson and Alistair Smout Editing by Jane Merriman and Mark Potter)

Newest Delta Sky Club Evokes Eclectic Austin

May 20, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

The new Delta Sky Club is the latest investment Delta is making for Austin travelers.

Just in time for summer travel, the newest Delta Sky Club and first at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will open for business on May 21.

“Building on our unmatched operational excellence, award-winning customer service and the ability to easily connect to cities around the globe, the first Delta Sky Club at Austin will give business and leisure travelers yet another best-in-class offering to enjoy,” said Erik Snell, Delta’s Senior Vice President — Operations & Customer Center, who first shared the news of the new Club during a visit to the Austin Chamber of Commerce last year.

On the mezzanine level of the Barbara Jordan Terminal, this 9,000 sq. ft. Delta Sky Club conveniently located near the Delta gates features:

• Covered Sky Deck, an outdoor patio that can be enjoyed year-round.
• Full-service bar that includes seasonal cocktails and wine,
selected by Delta’s Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, which
will be stored in a temperature-controlled custom glass tower,
along with the Agave Experience — an extensive selection of tequila
and mezcal that can be sampled in individual pours or tasting
flights — on the premium bar menu.
• Beer to try from around Texas, like Thirsty Planet Thirsty Goat,
Hi Sign Violet the Blueberry Blonde and Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower,
and rotating, seasonal food offerings inspired by the region, like
handcrafted tacos and barbecue dishes.
• Unique, eclectic interior style inspired by Austin with warm walnut
surfaces, metal finishes and rich fabrics.
• Select artwork from well-known and up-and-coming artists with
connections to Texas.
• Comfortable seating areas, high-speed Wi-Fi and power outlets at
nearly every seat.

“We’ve put care into every detail — from the curated, local artwork to the Club design to the seasonal food and beverage offerings,” said Claude Roussel, Managing Director — Delta Sky Club. “We look forward to welcoming guests traveling through Austin — they will be wowed by the experience and incredible service.”

The new Delta Sky Club is the latest investment Delta is making for Austin travelers. Delta offers 28 peak-day departures with nonstop service to all of its U.S. hubs, including three daily flights to both Los Angeles and New York City, easily connecting customers to the airline’s global network of more than 300 destinations. Delta also offers nonstop daily service to other key Austin destinations including Boston and Raleigh. In addition, Delta has hosted a “festival shuttle” from Los Angeles to the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals for the past five years, offering a curated travel experience to tech and entertainment leaders traveling to Austin. And, the airline continues to invest in the local workforce, recently insourcing dozens of airport operations jobs.

As a part of a long-term effort to expand the award-winning Delta Sky Club experience across the network, later this year Delta will debut a new Club at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and several upgrades like more, comfortable seating and a completely redesigned food and bar experience at the John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4 Club. Salt Lake International Airport will also see a new, nearly 28,000-square-foot Club in 2020 and Los Angeles International Airport will see a new Club in 2021 — both of which will feature a Sky Deck and breath-taking views. Over the past several years, Delta also opened a new Club at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and a refreshed Club at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, along with a new award-winning flagship clubs at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

IAG Says New Norwegian Bid Unlikely, but ‘Never Say Never’

March 6, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – British Airways owner IAG is unlikely to renew its interest in Norwegian Air after ruling out a new bid for the Scandinavian carrier earlier in the year, but “never say never”, IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh said on Wednesday.

“I’d never say never, but I think it’s unlikely,” Walsh told reporters on the sidelines of the Airlines for Europe summit in Brussels.

IAG sold its stake in Norwegian when it ended its interest in the airline, which competes with IAG’s low-cost long-haul Level brand, earlier this year.

“If there was a case that we might have done that (renewed our interest), we probably would have retained the shares in Norwegian,” he added.

Norwegian Air Shuttle; 737MAX-8; Air to Air; K66675

Asked if Level could expand into Scandinavia, Walsh said: “It could, ultimately.”

“There are several significant markets that are underserved from a long-haul point of view and can be best served by a low-cost model,” he said.

He also said that, although he was still not interested in buying A380s, those who wanted to approach him with offers after Airbus said it was scrapping production of the superjumbo should do so.

“I’m not looking to buy A380s. If there are people looking to sell them, they should probably approach us, because we would be one of the few people who might be interested. But I’m not looking to buy,” he said. “Let’s see what happens.”

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Jason Neely and Mark Potter)

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