Tag: short (Page 3 of 5)

Embraer E195’s Make Vietnam Debut with Bamboo Airways

September 29, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Two Embraer E195s have commenced operations in Vietnam with Bamboo Airways, offering the first jet service to Con Dao from Hanoi, Vinh and Hai Phong. Con Dao Island and the surrounding National Park is an area of outstanding natural beauty 1400km (760nm) from the capital Hanoi, off the southern coast of Vietnam. The popular tourist destination, featuring an archipelago of 16 islands, is currently only served by turboprop aircraft due to its short runway, light pavement, and lack of fuel provision.

The Embraer E195s join Bamboo Airways’ fleet on a wet-lease agreement with Denmark based Great Dane Airlines, adding to the growing number of E-Jet operators in the Asia Pacific region.

“Bamboo Airways is proud to offer jet-operated flights to Con Dao with the E195s,” said Mr. Dang Tat Thang – Executive Vice Chairman of Bamboo Airways. “The aircraft’s short runway performance makes it an ideal aircraft for flights to and from Con Dao. The two by two seating will offer our passengers a high level of comfort in a modern, spacious aircraft, including the one-of-its-kind Business Class on the route to Con Dao.”

“Congratulations to Bamboo Airways on this strategic move. The E-Jets will give them great flexibility both in performance as well as in economics,” says Raul Villaron, Vice President, Asia Pacific for Embraer’s commercial aviation unit. “The E195’s fuel efficiency and economics enables Bamboo Airways to cost effectively manage fluctuating demand and operate lower density routes with the right sized aircraft. We welcome Bamboo Airways to the Embraer family and our global team are here to support them.”

Bamboo Airways is the first to operate direct flights to Con Dao from three cities; the capital Hanoi, Hai Phong city in the North and Vinh city in the central area. There will be two flights a day on the Hanoi – Con Dao route and daily flights from Hai Phong and Vinh to Con Dao in the initial phase. Bamboo Airways are operating the aircraft in a comfortable single class configuration with 118 seats.

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats with more than 100 customers from all over the world. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,600 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleet of more than 80 customers in some 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline carriers.

Air New Zealand Signs Government Deal to Provide World Cargo

May 4, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

The International Airfreight Capacity agreement with the Ministry of Transport will allow exporters and importers the ability to access key markets in a world where available air freight capacity is reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Air New Zealand General Manager Cargo Rick Nelson says cargo customers will be able to access capacity across Air New Zealand’s traditional network, with a handful of exceptions.

“The new agreement means Air New Zealand can publish scheduled cargo services into key markets which will allow freight forwarders, exporters and importers to plan and operate their logistics supply chains with certainty.

“We are working to offer connectivity to and from the United Kingdom and Europe, as well as Houston and Chicago via Los Angeles and San Francisco, Hong Kong and Narita gateways.

“This agreement will add significant value to New Zealand’s air cargo community, and we encourage the New Zealand forwarding, export and import communities to get behind these cargo options. Naturally, we hope the need to operate under an agreement of this nature will be a short-term business model and in time we’ll be able to revert to our traditional model as demand for passenger travel begins to pick up.”

Ports the airline will not operate cargo flights to under the agreement are London and Buenos Aires. Singapore is also not included in the initial phase.

Norwegian Air Could Run Out of Cash Unless Debt Plan Approved

April 27, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

OSLO (Reuters) – Norwegian Air <NAS.OL> could run out of cash by mid-May unless its proposed financial rescue plan is approved by creditors and shareholders, the budget carrier warned on Monday.

If approved by bondholders, leasing companies and shareholders, the plan may help Norwegian survive the coronavirus outbreak, which has grounded 95% of its fleet, leaving just 7 aircraft in operation.

But the planned debt-to-equity swap will hand majority ownership of 53.1% to the company’s lessors, while bondholders would own 41.7%, leaving current shareholders with just 5.2%, it said.

The move would allow Norwegian to tap government guarantees of 2.7 billion crowns ($255 million), which are dependent on the company reducing its ratio of debt to equity, and which would come on top of 300 million crowns it has already received.

It is “critical to get access to the state aid package by mid-May before the company runs out of cash,” Norwegian said in a presentation to investors.

Rapid growth has made Norwegian Europe’s third-largest low-cost airline and the biggest foreign carrier serving New York and other major U.S. cities, but with the expansion came debts and liabilities of close to $8 billion by the end of 2019.

Last week, the company reported that four Swedish and Danish subsidiaries had filed for bankruptcy and that it had ended staffing contracts in Europe and the United States, putting some 4,700 jobs at risk.

Norwegian’s shares opened 8% lower on Monday and are down 86% year-to-date.

The company aims to gradually emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with both a short-haul and long-haul network in place, and is targeting a return to normal operations in 2022, it said.

The plan requires backing from bondholders in each of four separate votes planned for April 30, from shareholders in an extraordinary general meeting scheduled for May 4, and from leasing firms.

It maintained plans to raise up to 400 million crowns in cash from owners.

(Editing by Jan Harvey)

FILE PHOTO: A Norwegian Air plane is refuelled at Oslo Gardermoen airport

Austrian Airlines Will Temporarily Suspend Flight Operations

March 19, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Last flight will land on 19 March in Vienna / all further flights are temporarily suspended until 28 March
Lufthansa Group: entire short and long-haul schedule significantly reduced again
As of 17 March: ten percent of the originally planned capacity will still be available on long-haul routes and 20 per cent on short-haul routes
Lufthansa Group airlines fly thousands of cruise passengers and holidaymakers home
Arrangements for further evacuation flights
Lufthansa Cargo flight operations carries out all planned flights despite corona crisis

The Lufthansa Group carrier Austrian Airlines will temporarily suspend scheduled flight operations as of Thursday, 19 March 2020. Austrian Airlines is thus reacting to the entry restrictions imposed by many countries in response to the massive spread of the coronavirus.

For the time being, the last flight with flight number OS 066 will land in Vienna from Chicago at 8:20 a.m. on 19 March. Until then, flight operations are to be reduced in a controlled and structured manner in order to bring all passengers and crews home if possible. Initially Austrian Airlines will cancel all flights until March 28th 2020, and passengers who have booked a flight with Austrian Airlines during this period will be rebooked on other airlines if possible.

In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines will further reduce their short- and long-haul schedule. The cancellations, which will be published as early as tomorrow, March 17th, will lead to a sharp decline in long-haul service especially in the Middle East, Africa and Central and South America. Overall, the Lufthansa Group’s seating capacity on long-haul routes will be reduced by up to 90 per cent. A total of 1,300 weekly connections were originally planned for summer 2020.

Within Europe the flight schedule will also be further reduced. Starting tomorrow, around 20 percent of the originally planned seating capacity will still be offered. Originally, some 11,700 weekly short-haul flights were planned for summer 2020 with Lufthansa Group airlines.

The additional cancellations will be published over the next few days and passengers will be informed accordingly.

Despite the large-scale cancellations, Lufthansa, Eurowings and Austrian Airlines have scheduled more than 20 special flights with over 6,000 guests on short notice to fly cruise passengers and holidaymakers back home. Wide-body aircraft namely, the Boeing 747 & 777 and Airbus A350 are being used to offer as much capacity as possible on these return flights. Since thousands of German, Austrian, Swiss and Belgian citizens are still waiting to return to their home countries, Lufthansa Group airlines have made arrangements for further evacuation flightsand are in close contact with the governments of their home countries concerning this. Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said: “Now it is no longer about economic issues, but about the responsibility that airlines bear as part of the critical infrastructure in their home countries.” Lufthansa will work with airports and air traffic controllers to develop a coordinated concept for maintaining the critical infrastructure.

The new timetable for all Lufthansa Group airlines will initially be valid until 12 April 2020. Lufthansa Group passengers planning a trip in the coming weeks are advised to check the current status of the respective flight on their airline’s website before departure. If rebooking possibilities exist, the passengers concerned will be proactively informed about alternatives, as long as they have provided their contact details online. In addition, currently changed rebooking conditions apply on a goodwill basis. Customers can find more information about this at lufthansa.com.

We are currently receiving an exceptionally high number of customer calls at our Service Centers and at our stations. We are continuously working on increasing capacity to meet this demand. Nevertheless, there are currently long waiting times. Passengers can use the extensive rebooking and self-service options on the airlines’ websites as an alternative to the Service Centers.

Unlike the passenger airlines, Lufthansa Cargo has so far been able to operate all its planned flights except for cancellations to mainland China. The Lufthansa Group subsidiary will continue to do everything in its power to maintain the flight operations of its own cargo fleet and thus support the global supply chains. Especially during the current crisis, logistics and thus also airfreight are of paramount importance.

Due to the COVID-19 Outbreak, Icelandair Posts Travel Update

March 17, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many countries have implemented travel restrictions. Here we have collected information on various travel restrictions to destinations that we fly to. Please be advised that the following is subject to change on short notice. We will attempt to update you as promptly as possible.

If you do not have a flight in the next 72 hours we kindly ask you to consider contacting us in a few days. Due to high volumes for incoming calls and requests, we apologize for the delay in our responses. We will do our best to post any updates on our website and social media as soon as the latest information is available.

If you have a ticket with Icelandair and are affected by these restrictions, please read our FAQ.

You are able to change your ticket yourself here.

SWISS Welcomes its First Airbus A320neo

February 24, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

SWISS took delivery today of the first of 25 new aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family. The new arrival was formally welcomed to the fleet and named “Engelberg” in a ceremony at Zurich Airport. In acquiring these advanced and efficient short- and medium-haul aircraft, SWISS is further underlining its commitment to resource-friendly aviation. With its innovative engine technologies, the Airbus A320neo consumes some 20 per cent less fuel than comparable aircraft of the older generation. SWISS’s new Airbus A320neo also features a newly developed seat that tangibly enhances its passengers’ travel comfort.

The first Airbus A320neo of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) landed in Zurich at 10:57 today. The aircraft, which bears the registration HB-JDA, arrived directly from Airbus’s Hamburg-Finkenwerder works airport in northern Germany. SWISS will be receiving a total of 25 new aircraft of the Airbus A320neo family (the “neo” stands for “New Engine Option”) between now and the end of 2024: seventeen A320neos and eight of the larger A321neo version. The new twinjets will replace older Airbus A320 family aircraft in the SWISS fleet’s ranks and, with their innovative powerplant technology, will help substantially further enhance SWISS’s environmental efficiency.

After arriving in Zurich, the latest member of the SWISS aircraft fleet was formally welcomed in the hangar area by a delegation of invitees from the political, business and media worlds, and was also named “Engelberg”. The naming was jointly performed by Alex Höchli, the mayor of the Central Swiss mountain resort, and Brother Meinrad Haberl of Engelberg Monastery.

Lower fuel consumption and lower noise emissions

Thanks to the advanced technology of its Pratt & Whitney engines and its aerodynamic “sharklet” wingtip extensions, the Airbus A320neo consumes up to 20 per cent less fuel than comparable aircraft types. The new twinjets are also equipped as standard with noise-reducing vortex generators. As a result, a departing Airbus A320neo has a noise footprint on takeoff which is around half the size of the footprint produced by a comparable aircraft type.

“Our new Airbus A320neo family aircraft will substantially further reduce the average age of the SWISS aircraft fleet,” says SWISS CEO Thomas Klühr. “Once they are all delivered, our aircraft’s average age will be one of the youngest in Europe at around nine years. These billion-franc investments will further enhance our environmental credentials, too,” Klühr continues, “because operating an advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft fleet is one of the most effective means of all of reducing the ecological impact of aviation activities.”

An innovative seat for greater travel comfort

The new SWISS Airbus A320neo also offers substantially more travel comfort to both Business and Economy Class passengers, thanks to its newly-developed seats from Italian manufacturer Geven. With their ergonomic pressure distribution over the backrest and the seat cushion, the new seats deliver a tangibly pleasanter sitting experience. And the innovative horizontal placement of the literature pocket above the seat table also provides more personal space.

It’s not just aloft, either, that passengers will enjoy an even more comfortable flight: the new seats can be reclined to 20 degrees (instead of the previous 12) during the taxi, takeoff and landing phases. And Business Class travellers can even recline their seat to a full 26 degrees during the cruise phase of flight.

SWISS will be deploying its Airbus A320neos on its short- and medium-haul routes of up to 4,200 kilometres within Europe and to and from destinations in North Africa and the Middle East. The Airbus A320neo accommodates 180 passengers in Business and Economy Class.

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

Genesee & Wyoming Announces Completion of Sale to Brookfield Infrastructure and GIC

December 30, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) today announced the completion of its previously announced sale to affiliates of Brookfield Infrastructure and GIC.

Under the terms of the sale, each issued and outstanding share of G&W common stock converted into the right to receive $112 in cash. As a result of the completion of the sale, G&W’s common stock ceased trading on the NYSE prior to market open today and will no longer be listed for trading on the NYSE.

“This transaction is an excellent outcome for all G&W stakeholders,” said Jack Hellmann, Chief Executive Officer of G&W. “For our customers, employees, and Class I partners, the long-term investment horizon of Brookfield and GIC is perfectly aligned with the long lives of G&W railroad assets. We look forward to building on G&W’s track record of safety, service excellence and commercial growth as we become an important component of a portfolio of global infrastructure assets.”

About Genesee & Wyoming

G&W owns or leases 119 freight railroads organized in locally managed operating regions with 8,000 employees serving 3,000 customers.

G&W’s six North American regions serve 42 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces and include 113 short line and regional freight railroads with more than 13,000 track-miles.
G&W’s Australia Region serves New South Wales, the Northern Territory and South Australia and operates the 1,400-mile Tarcoola-to-Darwin rail line. The Australia Region is 51.1% owned by G&W and 48.9% owned by a consortium of funds and clients managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets.
G&W’s UK/Europe Region includes the U.K.’s largest rail maritime intermodal operator and second-largest freight rail provider, as well as regional rail services in Continental Europe.

G&W subsidiaries and joint ventures also provide rail service at more than 40 major ports, rail-ferry service between the U.S. Southeast and Mexico, transload services, contract coal loading, and industrial railcar switching and repair. For more information, please visit www.gwrr.com.

About Brookfield Infrastructure

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners is a leading global infrastructure company that owns and operates high quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, energy and data infrastructure sectors across North and South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. We are focused on assets that generate stable cash flows and require minimal maintenance capital expenditures. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.brookfieldinfrastructure.com.

Brookfield Infrastructure is the flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with over $500 billion of assets under management. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com.

About GIC

GIC is a leading global investment firm established in 1981 to manage Singapore’s foreign reserves. As a disciplined long-term value investor, GIC is uniquely positioned for investments across a wide range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, private equity, real estate and infrastructure. In infrastructure, GIC’s primary strategy is to invest directly in operating assets with a high degree of cash flow visibility and which provide a hedge against inflation. GIC has investments in over 40 countries. Headquartered in Singapore, GIC employs over 1,500 people across 10 offices in key financial cities worldwide. For more information on GIC, please visit www.gic.com.sg.

Hokkaido Air Company Takes Delivery of 1st ATR 42-600

December 18, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Japanese regional operator starts fleet replacement with eco-responsible turboprop aircraft

World number one regional aircraft manufacturer ATR today delivered the first of two ATR 42-600 aircraft to Hokkaido Air System Co., Ltd (HAC), a JAL Group Company. This delivery marks the first step in HAC’s replacement of its Saab 340 fleet. The delivery of this aircraft will ensure that essential regional air connectivity in Hokkaido can continue.

The ATR 42-600 will offer HAC increased capacity for the same operating costs – generating opportunities for the airline to increase revenues. It will also provide HAC’s passengers with a modern, comfortable cabin featuring latest generation 18”-wide seats as well as more space for luggage in the overhead bins.

Tetsu Ohori, Chief Executive Officer of HAC said: “Today is a long-awaited day for us at Hokkaido Air System, and becomes a memorable day, marking a new chapter in our history. We have so many tourists who enjoy the fantastic ‘Mother Nature’ of Hokkaido. In winter, the great nature turns her face with severe cold and heavy snow. Even under such hard conditions, this ATR 42 will perform well and make our new business a success. I’m really looking forward to showing this wonderful aircraft to everyone in Hokkaido as soon as possible.”

ATR Chief Executive Officer Stefano Bortoli remarked: “Our aircraft makes perfect sense for the Japanese market. Japanese passengers, who are known to demand the very best in terms of comfort and eco-responsibility, will appreciate both the aircraft’s reduced emissions and modern comfortable cabin. This, plus the unbeatable economics and the need to maintain essential regional connectivity in Japan demonstrates why we are increasing our presence in the country.”

ATR’s market estimates forecast that around 900 30-50 seat aircraft will soon need to be replaced as older and inefficient aircraft come to the end of their lives. The ATR 42-600 is part of ATR’s unique family of regional aircraft, including the ATR 72-600, the ATR 42-600S (Short Take-Off and Landing) and the ATR 72-600F, the only brand new regional freighter. Together, they represent the ideal and modern solution to ensure that essential connectivity is maintained for local communities all over the world, while flying sustainably, emitting up to 40% less CO2 compared with regional jets.

About Hokkaido Air System Co., Ltd
Established on 30 September, 1997, Hokkaido Air System began operations on 28 March.1998, with Japan Airlines (57.3%), Hokkaido government (19.5%), Sapporo city (13.5%) as major shareholders. Hokkaido Air System operates three aircraft (SAAB340B-WT) and 26 daily departures on five routes; between Sapporo-Okadama and Rishiri/Kushiro/Hakodate/Misawa, Hakodate and Okushiri, based in Sapporo-Okadama airport.

Air Peace Signs a Firm Order for Three additional E195-E2 Jets

November 17, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Dubai, UAE, November 17th, 2019 – Embraer announced today, at the Dubai Air Show, that Air Peace, Nigeria and West Africa’s largest airline, has signed a contract for three additional E195-E2s, confirming purchase rights from the original contract, signed in April this year. These new E195-E2s will be included in Embraer’s 2019 fourth-quarter backlog and have a value of USD 212.6 million, based on Embraer’s current list prices.

Set to be the first E-Jets E2 operator in Africa, Air Peace’s firm order, announced in April this year, is now for 13 E195-E2s with 17 purchase rights for the same model. The first delivery is scheduled for the second quarter of 2020.

“The E195-E2 is the perfect aircraft to expand our operations in Africa and this new order is a further confirmation of our ‘no-city-left-behind initiative which we shall continue to execute”, said Air Peace Chairman/CEO, Mr. Allen Onyema. He added, “We are receiving impressive data about the aircraft’s economics now that is in revenue service, and this was a driver to place this new firm order with Embraer. We look forward to receiving our first aircraft, which will enhance connectivity in Nigeria and the African region, while feeding long-haul flights from our Lagos hub.”

“Air Peace will love the aircraft’s efficiency and the passenger will experience an unparalleled level of comfort, especially in first class – Air Peace is the launch customer for Embraer’s new premium staggered seating option”, said Raul Villaron, Vice President Sales, Africa and Middle East, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “We look forward to supporting Air Peace’s growing E2s fleet and to deepening our fruitful partnership.”

Air Peace subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper, started operating six ERJ145 jets last year on short thin routes. That experience with Embraer’s products and services, including the pool programme, and the undeniable economic benefits of right-sizing aircraft for the mission, was a key factor in selecting the E2.

Air Peace’s E195-E2s will be configured in a comfortable dual class arrangement with 124 seats. Air Peace operates more than 20 local, regional, and international routes and has strategic plans to expand those routes.

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world operating the ERJ and E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,500 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft.

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