Following the ceremonial opening of the first concourse to comprise Delta’s state-of-the-art terminal at LaGuardia Airport last month, all Delta Shuttle flights to Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., will relocate to these new gates from Terminal C starting Nov. 16, 2019.
The spacious new concourse, which houses gates 92 through 98, features floor-to-ceiling views of Citi Field and Flushing Bay and dining options from favorite New York chefs and eateries.
“Our Shuttle customers are among the very first to experience Delta’s newest facility at LaGuardia, and we’re so excited for them to enjoy all of the amenities it has to offer,” said Ginny Elliott, V.P. — Delta’s LGA Operations. “Its modern design, spacious gate areas, and delicious dining offerings are sure to elevate the travel day for some of our most frequent fliers.”
Until the terminal’s centralized check-in lobby in the new headhouse opens (scheduled for early 2022), the new concourse will be accessible via a pedestrian walkway on the east side of Delta’s existing Terminal D. The security checkpoint in Terminal D is being expanded to support both concourses. Customers arriving into the new gates with checked bags will claim their bags in Terminal D baggage claim.
Volunteer wayfinders from Delta’s Peach Corps will be stationed at the airport throughout the week to assist customers.
The new concourse, a major milestone in Delta’s $4 billion redevelopment investment at LGA, opened on Oct. 29, to rave reviews and participation by Delta CEO Ed Bastian, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and representatives of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Shuttle customers will continue to have access to benefits including:
Check-in as close as 15 minutes prior to departure without bags or 30 minutes with checked bags
Boarding up to 5 minutes prior to departure
Consistent gates
Expedited security options via Clear and dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes
Complimentary onboard snacks and beverages
Weekday flights to Washington, D.C., operated by Delta Connection partner Republic Airline using E-170 and E-175 aircraft, will continue departing near the top of the hour beginning at 6 a.m. with 10 peak-day departures on the November schedule. Flights to Chicago, operated by Delta on mainline Boeing 717 aircraft, will continue to depart at 10 minutes past the hour beginning at 6:10 a.m. with 13 peak-day departures on the November schedule. And flights to Boston will continue departing near the top of the hour beginning at 6 a.m. with 17 peak-day departures on the November schedule. Boston flights are operated by a mix of Delta mainline B717 and A220 aircraft and Delta Connection partner Republic Airline using E-170 and E-175 aircraft.
22 October 2019 – Alstom will supply 39 additional Coradia Polyvalent trains to the Grand Est region for the sum of approximately 360 million euros[1]. The region had already ordered 40 Coradia Polyvalent trains, of which 36 have already been delivered. Deliveries of these new trains will be staggered between 2022 and 2024.
Firstly, this new order covers 30 trains intended for cross-border circulation in Germany. These 4-car trains, which are dual mode – dual voltage 25 kV / 15 kV and comply with German safety requirements, will run at 160 km/h, serving the German states of Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg. The 30 Coradia Polyvalent cross-border trains will offer a first-class zone and an area for bicycles, and will incorporate the new TSI PRM[2] 2014 standard, notably offering more spacious toilets to facilitate movement for passengers with reduced mobility. The first cross-border trains will be delivered at the end of 2023.
Secondly, nine additional Coradia Polyvalent trains, consisting of five 4-car and four 6-car trains, have been added to the existing fleet for domestic connections. These new trains will benefit from the same special features as those already in operation in the Grand Est region.
“Alstom is proud of this new sign of trust from the Grand Est region. The expertise and innovation capacities of our French teams are mobilised to support the region in developing cross-border mobility. This order also contributes to the activity of Alstom’s Reichshoffen site,” says Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud, President of Alstom in France.
Coradia Polyvalent belongs to Alstom’s Coradia range of trains. With its modular architecture, it can be adapted to the requirements of each public transport authority as well as to different types of use: suburban, regional and intercity. It comes in three lengths (56, 72 or 110 metres) and offers optimal comfort to passengers, whatever the length of the journey. The train is both ecological and economical due to its low energy consumption, its compliance with the latest emissions standards in thermal mode and its reduced maintenance costs. Coradia Polyvalent is the first French regional train to comply with all European standards, in particular with regard to access for people with reduced mobility.
To date, 387 Coradia Polyvalent trains have been ordered as part of the contract awarded to Alstom by SNCF in October 2009, including 320 Coradia Polyvalent for Régiolis by 9 French regions and 67 Coradia Liner by the French state, the authority responsible for the country’s TET (intercity) trains. Régiolis has already covered nearly 85 million kilometres in commercial service.
The Coradia Polyvalent train also meets the needs of the export market: 17 trains have been ordered by SNTF (Algeria) and 15 trains by APIX (Senegal).
This is Coradia Polyvalent’s second cross-border application as the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has ordered 17 Léman Express Coradia Polyvalent trains, to be commissioned on the CEVA cross-border line between France and Switzerland in mid-December 2019.
The manufacturing of Coradia Polyvalent secures more than 4,000 jobs in France for Alstom and its suppliers. Six of Alstom’s 12 sites in France are involved in the project: Reichshoffen for the design and assembly, Ornans for the engines, Le Creusot for the bogies, Tarbes for the traction chains, Villeurbanne for the on-board electronics and signalling products, and Saint-Ouen for the design.
[1] Booked in the second quarter of the current fiscal year
[2] Technical Specifications for Interoperability relating to Persons with Reduced Mobility
New service increases flexibility for customers traveling between Los Angeles and San Diego
ORANGE, Calif. – Oct. 10, 2019 – The Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner® will soon offer an additional train in each direction between Los Angeles and San Diego, giving customers expanded options for travel along the southern California coast. Tickets can now be purchased for travel beginning October 14.
A schedule change, effective Monday, October 14, features the addition of a 13th Pacific Surfliner roundtrip between Los Angeles and San Diego. The new southbound Train 578 will depart Los Angeles at 1:15 p.m., arriving in San Diego at 4:12 p.m. Existing northbound Train 591 will be renumbered to Train 593. New Train 591 will depart San Diego at 5:25 p.m. and arrive in Los Angeles at 8:34 p.m.
“Each of the new trains will fill a nearly three-hour gap in our existing schedule, providing expanded possibilities for business and leisure travel between Los Angeles and San Diego,” said Al Murray, chairman of the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency, which oversees the Pacific Surfliner service. “We appreciate the support of the state of California, Amtrak, BNSF Railway, and our local member agencies in launching these additional trains, which mark the first expansion of Pacific Surfliner service in the past three years.”
The Pacific Surfliner travels along a 351-mile route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, with portions of the route hugging the Southern California coastline. As part of the new schedule, minor changes are also being made to arrival and departure times of other Pacific Surfliner trains to improve reliability and coordination with other trains.
“This service expansion represents the initial benefit of a decades-long, multi-hundred million dollar capital investment by the state of California to add a third track and grade separations between Los Angeles and Fullerton, which will greatly expand capacity and reduce delays for passenger and freight trains on this busy rail corridor,” said Chad Edison, chief deputy secretary for rail and transit at the California State Transportation Agency.
“We look forward to adding additional passenger rail service in the near future, taking full advantage of the new frequencies enabled by the completion of this project.”
With almost 3 million riders in 2018, the Pacific Surfliner is the busiest state-supported intercity passenger rail route in the United States and will now offer a total of 26 trains a day between Los Angeles and San Diego.
All Pacific Surfliner trains feature comfortable, reclining seats with power outlets, Wi-Fi, bike and luggage racks, a free and generous baggage policy, and an onboard Market Café that offers fresh food, snacks and beverages, including California wines, cocktails and local craft beer.
“As the second busiest rail corridor in the United States, the Pacific Surfliner has generated significant demand for customers,” said Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson. “The LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency alongside the state of California had a vision to expand transportation and we are thrilled to see that investment realized. With service that connects major cities along the Southern California Coast – this increased service offers a significant benefit to customers.”
Ticketing and reservations are available onPacificSurfliner.com, Amtrak.com, Amtrak mobile apps, or by calling 800-USA-RAIL. Boarding documents can be self-printed, or customers using a smartphone or mobile device can present the eTicket to the conductor by opening a document in their email.
JetBlue Converts 13 Aircraft in Existing Order Book to the Xtra Long Range Version of Airbus’ Newest, Fuel-Efficient Aircraft to Expand Transatlantic Options
JetBlue Also Exercises Its Option to Take 10 Additional A200-300 Aircraft – Featuring Powerful Combination of Economics and Range – Increasing Total on Order to 70
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced it is converting 13 aircraft in its existing Airbus A321neo order book to the XLR version for delivery scheduled to begin in 2023. The aircraft will support JetBlue’s focus city strategy by allowing the airline to implement further expansion to additional European destinations from Boston and New York, while also providing added fuel efficiency.
“The incredible extended range of the A321XLR allows us to evaluate even more overseas destinations as we think about JetBlue’s expansion into European markets plagued by high premium fares and subpar service,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue.
The airline also announced it is exercising its option to add 10 additional A220-300 aircraft to its order with delivery beginning in 2025. Together both aircraft ensure the best financial performance of JetBlue’s fleet, while providing maximum flexibility to execute its network strategy. These aircraft are both game changers in regards to enhancing the airline’s industry-leading customer experience.
“Increasing our firm order for A220 aircraft gives us a valuable tool to support our network strategy in the Americas and continue to build our focus cities with an airplane that offers incredible economics and range,” said Hayes. “Both the XLR and the A220 ensure we remain committed to meeting financial targets with disciplined growth.”
“JetBlue has been pioneering new travel options for passengers for 20 years,” said Christian Scherer, chief commercial officer, Airbus. “By building their future fleet with more A220s and the addition of the A321XLR – the most capable, longest-range aircraft in their categories – JetBlue is signaling a continued commitment to creating new opportunities for people to travel in both comfort and efficiency.”
The A321XLR & Overseas Options
Introduced just this week at the Paris Air Show, the A321XLR is the latest evolution of the A321neo aircraft family and features an extended range of 4,700 nautical miles – some 600 nautical miles more than the A321LR aircraft. The increased flying distance is made possible with an additional rear center tank for more fuel volume. And with 30% lower fuel burn per seat than previous-generation aircraft, JetBlue can maximize the benefits of single-aisle aircraft economics.
“This next generation, low-cost single-aisle platform ensures we are building a fleet that meets and exceeds our financial targets for the next decade and beyond,” said Steve Priest, executive vice president and chief financial officer, JetBlue. “These investments allow us to advance our broader expansion plans but with disciplined, thoughtful growth.”
JetBlue remains focused on delivering earnings per share between $2.50 and $3.00 by 2020. This update to the fleet plan is part of JetBlue’s vision to continue growing its earnings per share beyond 2020.
The A321XLR also allows JetBlue to evaluate new transatlantic options as the airline explores additional destinations it may serve in Europe. The XLR opens up possibilities for service between the northeast U.S. and destinations in south, central and northern Europe.
As announced in April 2019, JetBlue intends to launch service to London from New York-JFK and Boston in 2021 using the A321LR (long range) aircraft. Today’s XLR news builds on the previously announced conversion of 13 A321neos to the A321LR aircraft.
Like London, JetBlue will explore European cities that suffer from high fares or mediocre service and those which are effectively controlled by legacy carriers and their massive joint ventures. JetBlue is developing a reimagined transatlantic version of its premium Mint product, as well as an enhanced transatlantic Core experience for the A321XLR. With both the A321LR, and now the A321XLR, the customer-favorite airline intends lower fares while raising the bar on what travelers can expect from a low-cost carrier when flying across the Atlantic.
The A220 & Continued Growth in the Americas
By exercising its option to add 10 additional A220-300 aircraft to its existing order, JetBlue will grow its total number of A220s on order to 70.
The A220’s spacious and comfortable cabin makes it the perfect fit for JetBlue, which has consistently led U.S. airlines in the onboard experience. The A220’s cabin design offers customers the best inflight experience with wider seats, spacious overhead bins and extra-large windows that offer a great view from the sky and on the ground.
The aircraft’s range and seating capacity will add flexibility to JetBlue’s network strategy as it targets growth in its focus cities, including options to schedule it for transcontinental flying. The aircraft also opens the door to new markets and routes that would have been unprofitable with JetBlue’s existing fleet.
The initial order for 60 A220 aircraft – announced in July 2018 – will be phased in as replacements for JetBlue’s existing fleet of 60 Embraer E190 aircraft.
About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 42 million customers a year to 100+ cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of more than 1,000 daily flights. For more information, please visit jetblue.com.
PARIS (Reuters) – American Airlines is edging towards a deal with Airbus to buy up to 50 newly launched A321XLR extended-range narrow-body aircraft including some converted from existing orders of other models, people familiar with the matter said.
Airbus and American Airlines declined comment.
The people said the order, if confirmed, could be announced to coincide with the Paris Airshow, though officials from the airline were not expected to attend the show in person.
One of the people said that American Airlines was likely to include the world’s longest-range single-aisle jet in its fleet, but the timing of a decision remained unclear.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Editing by Eric M. Johnson)
