Alstom (OTC: ALSMY) and Hitachi Rail have today confirmed that the Hitachi-Alstom High Speed (HAH-S) 50/50 joint venture has signed contracts with High Speed Two (HS2) to design, build, and maintain the next generation of very high speed trains for HS2 Phase 1 as part of the £1.97 billion contract, including an initial 12-year train maintenance contract.
The UK’s two leading train manufacturers will deliver Europe’s fastest operational train, capable of operating at maximum speeds of 225mph (360 km/h), significantly reducing journey times for passengers. The fleet will be 100% electric, and be one of the world’s most energy efficient very high speed trains due to the lower train mass per passenger, aerodynamic design, regenerative power and latest energy efficient traction technology.
In a major boost to grow and rebalance the economy, the HAH-S joint venture will manufacture the 54 trains at newly enhanced facilities in County Durham, Derby and Crewe. The award to the British-based firms will protect and create thousands of green jobs and add £157 million GVA to the UK economy for every year of the train building phase.
The new 200m-long, 8-car trains are set to run in Phase 1 of the project between London and Birmingham, and on the existing network, and will dramatically increase capacity and connectivity between towns and cities across the country including Stoke, Crewe, Manchester, Liverpool, Carlisle, Motherwell and Glasgow. They will have a major impact in reducing carbon emissions from transport by encouraging people away from fossil fuelled cars and planes, and onto rail.
Rolls-Royce (OTC: RYCEY) announces the agreed sale of its 23.1% shareholding in AirTanker Holdings Limited to Equitix Investment Management Limited for cash proceeds of £189m, including the repayment of shareholder loans and accrued and deferred interest of approximately £47m, subject to any routine closing adjustments and before transaction costs. The transaction is expected to complete by the end of the first quarter of 2022, subject to regulatory approvals. There is no merger control condition. Proceeds will be used to reduce net debt. Remaining AirTanker shareholders have pre-emption rights over the Rolls-Royce shares and loan notes.
AirTanker Holdings Limited, a joint venture with Airbus, Babcock, and Thales, owns 14 A330-200 Voyager aircraft which are powered by Trent 772B engines, a derivative of the Trent 700 engine. The Voyager aircraft support air-to-air refuelling, air transport and ancillary services for the UK Ministry of Defence. This fleet is operated by AirTanker Services Limited, in which we will continue to be a 23.5% shareholder. We will also continue to provide servicing and maintenance for the fleet of Rolls-Royce engines that power the Voyager aircraft to support the Royal Air Force.
Alstom has successfully commissioned the first 7 Prima T8 AZ8A freight locomotives to Azerbaijan Railways (ADY). These locomotives will run on the main freight transit line, which has recently been converted from 3 kV DC to 25 kV AC.
The Prima T8 AZ8A locomotives will be running initially on the “Silk Road” East-West corridor of Azerbaijan linking the Caspian Sea main ports to the Georgian border and later all across the country.
In 2014, ADY signed a contract with Alstom for €288 million for supplying 50 electric locomotives, including 40 Prima T8 AZ8A heavy freight locomotives which are being produced at Alstom’s JV EKZ in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan and 10 Prima M4 AZ4A passenger locomotives which have been produced in Belfort, France and already delivered to Azerbaijan.
Alstom’s Prima T8 is one of the most powerful electric locomotives in the world. This model is a 25 tons per axle two-section freight locomotive capable of towing up to 9,000 tons and running at 120 km/h, with installed continuous power of 8.8 Megawatts. The Prima T8 AZ8A is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -25°C to 50°C. It requires minimum maintenance and provides high reliability levels and low lifecycle costs thanks to its modular design.
Alstom’s Prima range is covering all market segments of locomotives from heavy-haul, freight and passenger operation and shunting or track work operation. Over the past 20 years, more than 3,200 Prima locomotives (more than 4,600 sections) have been sold worldwide.
Alstom is present in Western & Central Asia with more than 1,000 people, three country offices in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, five depots, repair center and two plants, EKZ in Nur-Sultan for electric locomotives manufacturing and maintenance and production of on-board transformers, and KEP in Almaty to produce point machines. Alstom is a major contributor to the revitalization of the region’s mobility industry and the development of its economy.
EKZ, a joint venture of Alstom, employs around 850 people and is working on supplying and maintaining the Prima electric locomotives ordered by KTZ, Kazakhstan’s national railway company and export markets, like Azerbaijan.
Malaysian consumers can look forward to a new shopping experience as Teleport, the logistics venture of airasia Digital today partnered with Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC), the Lead Secretariat of the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS), to launch the Urban Drone Delivery Sandbox and develop a long-term viability of urban drone delivery service.
The pilot project for the delivery of goods from airasia’s e-commerce platforms including airasia shop using automated drones is set to be carried out through a 6-month phased approach at the third National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) test site in Cyberjaya. The service is currently at testing stage with two local drone operators VStream Revolution Sdn Bhd and Meraque Services Sdn Bhd.
The first phase of the project in Cyberjaya seeks to assess the capability, experience, approval process, deployment readiness and service expansion of the drone operators. The service will be deployed upon a successful trial phase and might be expanded beyond the sandbox environment.
As a national solution coordination and facilitation centre, NTIS provides a critical step by eliminating all or selected processes and/or regulatory requirements to accelerate the development of innovative solutions from the R&D stage to being commercially ready.
In realising this project, NTIS has been working closely with Malaysia’s sole technical regulator, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) to ensure the safety and security of Unmanned Air Services in urban settings meets the requirements and regulations as set by CAAM. This is to ensure that public safety remains the highest priority whilst facilitating technology advancement.
PHOENIX, March 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mesa Air Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MESA) today announced it has entered into a conditional agreement with Gramercy Associates Ltd. based in London, England to develop a European based joint venture. The joint venture will apply for a new Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) in the European Union using CRJ-900 aircraft with the goal of introducing a Capacity Purchase Agreement or ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) in passenger or cargo services in Europe. Gramercy Associates is headed by Tony Davis, former CEO of Tiger Airways and bmibaby.
Under the agreement, Mesa will own 49% of the partnership once the Air Operator’s Certificate is obtained. The current plan is to begin operations by the end of 2021.
Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) andLATAM (Santiago: LTM.SN) have received final approval, without conditions, of their commercial agreement (“trans-American Joint Venture agreement” or “JVA”) by the Brazilian competition authority – the Administrative Council for Economic Defense – after initial approval was granted in September 2020. The JVA seeks to enhance the route networks served by both airlines, delivering a seamless travel experience between North and South America. The Delta-LATAM agreement has also been approved in Uruguay while the application process continues in other countries, including Chile.
“This final approval in Brazil furthers our mission to provide customers in this important market with the world-class travel experience and options they deserve,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “Moving forward, we will continue working with LATAM to unlock more benefits for our customers and create the premier airline alliance of the Americas.”
LATAM Airlines Group CEO Roberto Alvo added, “This ruling reinforces the benefits of this type of agreement for travelers and enables us to advance in our commitment to delivering greater and better connectivity between South America and the world.”
The ratification by the Brazilian authority supports the work of both airlines to deliver a broader and more competitive network of benefits for their customers that will include, among others:
Code-share agreements between Delta and certain subsidiaries of the LATAM group, which allow the purchase of tickets to a larger network of destinations.
Members of the Delta SkyMiles and LATAM Pass programs can redeem points / miles on both airlines, accessing more than 435 destinations around the world.
Shared terminals and faster connections at Terminal 4 of New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and at Terminal 3 of São Paulo’s Guarulhos Airport.
Reciprocal lounge access: Customers can access 35 Delta Sky Club lounges in the United States and five LATAM VIP lounges in South America.
FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) today announced the election of Adriane M. Brown, 62, to its board of directors. Brown will also serve on the company’s Audit and Corporate Governance and Public Responsibility committees.
Brown currently serves as managing partner at Seattle-based venture capital firm Flying Fish Partners. She also sits on the boards of Axon Enterprise, Inc., eBay Inc. and the Washington Research Foundation/WRF Capital.
Brown has held a number of senior leadership positions during her career, including president and chief operating officer at Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC, president and CEO of Transportation Systems and vice president and GM of two aerospace divisions at Honeywell International Inc. Brown launched her career at Corning Incorporated and rose to hold several senior roles. She previously served on the boards of The Raytheon Company, Allergan plc and Harman International Industries, Incorporated.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in environmental health from Old Dominion University and a Master of Science in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The Lufthansa Innovation Hub, the central digitalization unit of the Lufthansa Group, spins-off the startup RYDES. Forward31, the company builder of Porsche Digital, is contributing with its expertise and resources to the venture. Both Porsche and the Lufthansa Group are now strategic minority shareholders in the startup.
“The spin-off and subsequent funding from RYDES has been a great success. Once again, we are proving that startups from corporate digital units can adapt to market conditions. With Forward31, Porsche’s company builder, we have gained an important strategic partner that shares and further enhances our vision of a seamless mobility chain,” says Gleb Tritus, Managing Director Lufthansa Innovation Hub.
“The Lufthansa Innovation Hub is an authority on the development of new business models. Together with such a strong partner and the founding team, we look forward to continuing the successful development of RYDES in the future,” says Christian Knörle, Head of Company Building at Porsche Digital.
The aim of RYDES is to redefine and simplify access to modern mobility. For this purpose, the startup bundles existing mobility offers in one app and makes them accessible via the “Mobility Budget”. The new product allows companies to provide their employees with a monthly budget that they can use for various mobility services. These include car and bike sharing services, e-scooters, shared taxis, and public transport services. The different mobility providers are integrated into the RYDES app and users can use the app to book their trips and manage their budget. All journeys booked through RYDES are offset via the “Compensaid” platform and therefore CO2 neutral.
One-stop shop for mobility as B2B offer
RYDES focuses on companies that want to offer mobility to their employees as an additional benefit. In this way, RYDES is also meeting the demand for mobility services that is emerging in the context of “new work” and the trend towards flexible and decentralized employment. RYDES’ first customer is the flex-office provider WeWork. Companies and freelancers who have a membership with WeWork can use the RYDES offer. WeWork will make the offer available as soon as possible under the relevant Corona guidelines.
The “Mobility Budget” will initially be available in German-speaking countries. In order to drive further growth as well as the startup’s internationalization, Martin Miodownik is expanding the founding team. Martin Miodownik’s who was employee number one at GetYourGuide later assumed the role of VP Global Sales. In this position, he was responsible for the global expansion of the Berlin-based unicorn.
RYDES was founded in 2018 as part of the Lufthansa Innovation Hub. The company’s initial business idea focused on developing a loyalty program that rewards people for using different mobility services. With the ‘Mobility Budget’, RYDES now goes one step further and combines the booking of services in one app, making travel much more convenient.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the newest national airline of the United Arab Emirates, today confirmed that Athens will be its inaugural destination, with flights from Abu Dhabi International Airport starting on 15 January 2021. Fares start as low as AED 129*, with tickets already on sale on wizzair.com (which also has an Arabic booking website) and the airline’s mobile app.
The airline is also to start flights from Abu Dhabi to Thessaloniki, starting on 4 February 2021 with fares starting at AED 149*.
Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said: “The waiting is almost over for Abu Dhabi fans of our ultra-low fare airline. From 15 January 2021, a new model of air travel comes to Abu Dhabi, offering new choices and new competition, demonstrating that things are looking up for next year.
Our network from Abu Dhabi will expand rapidly as destinations on our planned network are added to the ‘green countries’ list. Thanks to the support of the government and our local business partners in Abu Dhabi, we are fully prepared. We have the aircraft, we have the crew, we have the partners, and we are ready to fly.
We look forward to building a new travel segment in this important market.”
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is a joint venture established between ADQ and Wizz Air Holdings plc.
It initially announced a route network that also includes Alexandria, Kutaisi, Larnaca, Odesa and Yerevan. Flights to these cities will launch as each destination joins the ‘green countries’ list. Further destinations will be launched as the airline adds to its Abu Dhabi-based fleet over the coming months.
With a fleet composed of brand new Airbus A321neo aircraft, the airline will have the lowest environmental footprint among its competitors in the region.
Wizz Air introduced a new era of sanitized travel across its network this year, with enhanced hygiene measures to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew. Throughout flights, both cabin crew and passengers are required to wear facemasks, with cabin crew also required to wear gloves. Wizz Air’s aircraft are regularly put through an industry-leading disinfection process with an antiviral solution and, following WIZZ’s stringent daily cleaning schedule, all of the airline’s aircraft are further disinfected overnight with the same antiviral solution. Sanitizing wipes are handed to each passenger upon entering the aircraft, onboard magazines have been removed from the aircraft, and any onboard purchases are encouraged to be made by contactless payment. Passengers are also requested to follow physical distancing measures introduced by the local health authorities and are encouraged to make all purchases prior to the flight online (e.g. checked in luggage, WIZZ Priority, fast security track), to minimize any possible physical contact at the airport. Click here to view Wizz Air’s new health and safety video, for more information.
Confirmed routes
Days
Start date
Fares from*
Abu Dhabi – Athens
Monday, Friday
15 January 2021
AED 129
Abu Dhabi – Thessaloniki
Thursday, Sunday
4 February 2021
AED 149
*One way price, including administration fee. One carry-on bag (max: 40x30x20cm) is included. Trolley bag and each piece of checked-in baggage is subject to additional fees. The price applies only to bookings made on wizzair.com and the WIZZ mobile app.
Qantas and Japan Airlines (JAL) today announced plans to form a new joint business, designed to better serve customers travelling between Australia, New Zealand and Japan and support the tourism industry’s recovery when international flying resumes.
The airlines have submitted an application for authorisation to regulators in Australia and New Zealand, with a decision expected within six months. Subject to this regulatory approval, it is anticipated that the joint business would commence operations around July 2021, when Qantas has said it expects its international network to gradually restart.
The coordination made possible through a joint business would enable Qantas and JAL to ramp up flights between Australia and Japan sooner than would otherwise be possible. The airlines have flagged an intention to launch a new route between Australia and Japan and expect to announce details once regulatory approval is received, borders open and demand returns.
Under the proposed five-year agreement, the airlines would deliver substantial benefits for customers and help accelerate the recovery of the tourism, trade and corporate travel links between Australia and Japan, including:
An expanded codeshare relationship and optimised schedules on flights between Australia and New Zealand and Japan, opening up more connections to more destinations beyond the major city gateways. Qantas customers would have access to 14 new codeshare destinations in Japan and JAL customers would have access to 15 new codeshare destinations in Australia and New Zealand.
Enhanced frequent flyer benefits for Qantas and JAL customers, including improved earn of Qantas points or JAL miles on routes under the joint business beyond what is possible today, as well as the ability to upgrade using points or miles on each other’s services.
Improvements in the customer experience, including streamlined processes for disruption management and investments in product and service inflight and on the ground, designed to better serve the carriers’ joint customers.
More premium travel opportunities, with Qantas able to offer customers a greater number of Business and Premium Economy seats on flights operated by JAL.
Coordination of pricing, schedules, sales and tourism marketing to develop new and improved travel products, delivering more choice for customers.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the joint business would play a vital role in reviving trade links with the world’s third largest economy and deliver significant benefits for customers travelling between Australia and Japan.
“Around half a million people visited Australia from Japan in 2019. We want to see that tourism resume and grow even further by making it easier for Japanese travellers to visit,” said Mr Joyce.
“The joint business means we’ll be able to build on our existing relationship with JAL through oneworld to offer more routes, better flight connections and more benefits to frequent flyers. It also helps us diversify our portfolio of joint businesses amongst Australia’s key trading partners.
“It will be a win for our customers, a win for trade and a win for the one million people who work in tourism across Australia.”
Japan Airlines President Yuji Akasaka added: “For over 50 years, JAL and Qantas have operated flights between Japan and Australia, demonstrating our mutual commitment to support and strengthen the diplomatic relationship built by the two countries.
“We believe that a joint business with Qantas will make for a quicker recovery between both countries with the ability to expand connectivity within each carrier’s respective domestic network, providing more customer choice and travel growth opportunities.”
