Tag: leisure (Page 4 of 8)

New British Airways Service From Belfast to Exeter, Leeds/Bradford, Newquay and Glasgow

June 21, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

British Airways is launching four new domestic routes from Belfast this summer, supporting important business and tourism links between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Over the next few months, the airline will start to operate 18 flights a week between George Best Belfast City Airport and Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford and Newquay airports. The new routes will run alongside existing British Airways services between Belfast and London City and London Heathrow airports.

Customers can book via ba.com from today, with return fares from Belfast to these new destinations starting from £48 each way.

Customers booking with British Airways can do so with absolute confidence, thanks to the airline’s flexible booking policy. Customers are able to exchange their booking for a voucher or move their dates without incurring a change fee if their plans change. British Airways Holidays’ customers also have access to a range of additional flexible booking options, as part of the company’s Customer Promise.

Full schedule:

Route	Flight number	Schedule/departure time
Belfast City (BHD)/ Exeter (EXT) From 16 June 2021	BA7319	Monday – 12.55Friday – 16.35Saturday – 10.15Sunday – 11.40
Belfast City (BHD)/ Leeds Bradford (LBA) From 16 June 2021	BA7313	Monday – 8.40Tuesday – 8.40Wednesday – 8.40Thursday – 8.40Friday – 10.55Sunday – 8.40
Belfast City (BHD)/ Cornwall Newquay (NQY) From 3 July 2021	BA7331	Wednesday – 16.35 Saturday – 6.35
Belfast City (BHD)/ Glasgow (GLA) From 2 August 2021	BA7327	Monday – 19.00Tuesday – 19.00Wednesday – 19.00Thursday – 19.00Friday – 19.00Sunday – 19.00

The additional services will be operated using BA CityFlyer’s existing fleet of Embraer 190 aircraft.
For more information about the NI Domestic Aviation Kickstart Scheme visit www.economy-ni.gov.uk
Aer Lingus is operating services between Belfast and Edinburgh, Manchester, and Birmingham. Please check www.aerlingus.com for the latest schedules.
British Airways has introduced a number of measures at the airport and on board to look after the safety and wellbeing of its customers and crew. These include social distancing measures, the wearing of face masks and hand sanitiser stations. Prior to travel customers will also receive details of how they can prepare for their next flight.
The airline is cleaning all key surfaces including seats, screens, seat buckles and tray tables after every flight and each aircraft is completely cleaned from nose to tail every day. The air on all British Airways flights is fully recycled once every two to three minutes through HEPA filters, which remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over 99.9% efficiency, equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards.

Emirates Boosts Operations in Jordan, Adds Second Daily A380 Service to Amman

June 20, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Emirates will be ramping up operations to Jordan during the summer with the introduction of second daily A380 flight during the months of July and August. The airline will operate the second daily flight from 15-20 July 2021, ahead of the Eid Al Adha period. Emirates will also operate double daily A380 services from 10-31 August. The move to boost capacity between Dubai and Amman during these periods was driven by high forecasted passenger demand. The double daily A380 services to Amman also demonstrate the airline’s commitment to adapting its operations to better serve customers.

Emirates will also increase flights between Dubai and Amman from 12 to 14 weekly, from 1 July.

From 15-20 July 2021, and from 10-31 August 2021, Emirates flights EK 905 and 906 will be operated with an Airbus A380 in a three class configuration, featuring 14 luxurious First Class suites, 76 lie flat Business Class seats and 420 generously pitched Economy Class seats. Passengers in all classes will enjoy over 4,500 channels of films, TV shows, music and games, with an impressive selection of Arabic content, through ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system. What’s more, First and Business Class passengers can enjoy the Emirates Onboard Lounge, where they can safely network and enjoy the signature Emirates experience.

Since it safely resumed tourism activity in July 2020, Dubai remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations. The city is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences. It was one of the world’s first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.

Emirates remains focused on taking various steps to ease travel and has been a leader in introducing initiatives in cooperation with health authorities and organisations to protect the health of customers and to ensure their safety. Emirates introduced measures on the ground throughout all touchpoints and onboard to provide its passengers with the highest safety and hygiene standards at every step of the journey. The airline has also recently introduced contactless technology to ease the customer journey through Dubai airport.

Alstom Wins Largest Railway Contract in History of Denmark

June 20, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

First order from landmark framework agreement with DSB covers 100 Coradia Stream trains and 15 years of maintenance.

Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has won the largest train tender in Danish rail history. Part of a landmark framework agreement with Danish State Railways (DSB) valued at a total of €2.6 billion, the first firm order of 100 Coradia Stream regional trains as well as a 15-year full-service maintenance agreement amounts to a value of €1.4 billion. The framework agreement includes an additional 15 years of maintenance services and the possibility to order additional trainsets.

Delivery of DSB’s new trains is scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2024. Once in service, this new fleet will operate as a regional and fast rail service and connect Denmark’s northern region to the capital city of Copenhagen, before proceeding south to Lolland.

The Coradia Stream for DSB has been specially adapted to meet the needs of the Danish rail network and its top speed of 200 km/h will help ensure swift mobility across the country. Each trainset will consist of five single- deck coaches with a total seating capacity for 300 passengers. The trains will be pre-fitted with Alstom’s Atlas onboard ETCS Baseline 3 system, as well as an STM interface enabling it to operate on Denmark’s legacy signalling system.

Qantas and Jetstar Meet Strong Domestic Demand with More Aircraft and Flights

June 20, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

The Qantas Group is preparing for continued growth in domestic travel demand, with additional aircraft to be made available for Qantas and Jetstar flying.

Additional E190’s for QantasLink

The national carrier today announced an expansion of its three-year deal with Alliance Airlines, which provides QantasLink with capacity using Alliance’s Embraer E190 regional jet aircraft and the flexibility to respond to changing market conditions.

The expanded agreement will see the airline increase its options under this deal from 14 jet aircraft to a total of 18. Of this, three are already flying with another five to enter service by October. The E190s will be painted in QantasLink livery and are part of Qantas growing its domestic capacity to at least 107 per cent of pre-COVID levels in FY22.

The first of the 94-seat E190 jets started flying on the QantasLink network last month. The jet’s five-hour range makes it well suited to linking regional centres with smaller capital cities. The introduction of E190s also frees up Qantas’ Boeing 737 aircraft to be redeployed across the domestic network, enabling the airline to launch a number of new routes and add frequencies on existing ones.

Canberra-Adelaide is the latest route to benefit from additional flights made possible by the E190, with frequencies to double from nine per week to 18 per week from mid-July.

Jetstar boosts its Australian-based A320 fleet

Demand for low-cost leisure travel remains strong due to closed international borders and structural changes in Australia’s aviation market. As a result, Jetstar’s Australian domestic network is set to grow to 120 per cent of its pre-COVID schedule in FY22.

To help meet the increased demand, three Airbus A320 aircraft will be temporarily redeployed from Jetstar Asia in Singapore while international travel in the region faces a slower recovery.

These aircraft join the six Airbus A320 aircraft on loan to Jetstar Airways from Jetstar Japan and up to five Boeing 787-8 aircraft set to operate domestically until international travel resumes.

SAF Orders Three H145 Airbus Helicopters for EMS Missions in France

June 19, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Marignane,France 16 June 2021 – SAF Group will be operating three more five-bladed Airbus H145 helicopter’s for emergency medical services (EMS). These three aircraft will be based in Grenoble, Valence, and Montpellier. They will complement the three H145s already ordered by SAF in 2018 and 2020, the first of which was delivered recently and will be deployed for EMS missions in Belgium.

SAF is a key actor of EMS in France and Europe. This French company already operates 55 Airbus helicopters. SAF’s fleet includes a Super Puma, H135s and H125s. The H145 will bring increased capabilities for the EMS missions.

The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta in March. This latest upgrade adds a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg. The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew. The helicopter’s high-mounted tail boom and wide opening clam-shell doors facilitate access to the H145’s spacious cabin.

Today, Airbus has more than 1,470 H145 Family helicopters in service around the world, logging a total of more than six million flight hours. For EMS alone, there are more than 470 helicopters of the H145 family conducting air rescue missions worldwide.

Airbus Delivers First A350 to New Airline World2fly

June 9, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, France 09 June 2021 – World2fly, the new long-haul airline recently founded by the Spanish hotel company Iberostar, has taken delivery of the first of two A350-900s on lease from Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL), becoming the latest operator of the world’s most efficient large widebody aircraft.

The airline, based on the Balearic island of Mallorca, will operate the two leased A350-900 aircraft on long-haul routes from Madrid to leisure destinations, such as Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Cancun, Mexico, and Havana, Cuba.

World2fly’s A350-900s feature a modern and highly-comfortable single-class cabin layout with 432 seats. Passengers will enjoy more personal space, wide seats and absolute well-being on board and appreciate the latest-generation in-flight entertainment and connectivity. The A350 Airspace cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft and offers passengers and crew the best flying experience.

The Airbus A350’s clean-sheet design features state-of-the-art aerodynamics, a carbon-fibre fuselage and wings, plus the most fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency and sustainability for World2fly, with a 25% reduction in fuel-burn and CO2 emissions compared to previous generation twin-aisle aircraft.

Qantas Group Announces its Balance Sheet Repair is Underway

May 19, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

A sustained rebound in domestic travel demand, and the performance of its Freight and Loyalty divisions, continues to drive the Qantas Group’s recovery from the impacts of COVID-19.

Based on current trading conditions the Group expects to be statutory free cash flow positive for the second half of FY21. Net debt levels peaked in February at $6.4 billion and are expected to be lower than they were in December ($6.05 billion) by the end of the financial year.

Liquidity levels remain strong with total funds of $4.0 billion, including cash of $2.4 billion and $1.6 billion of undrawn debt facilities as at 30 April 2021.

The total revenue loss for the Group since the start of COVID is now projected to reach $16 billion by the end of FY21 – however the role of domestic travel demand in the Group’s recovery is highlighted by the fact revenue from domestic flying is expected to almost double between the first and second half of this financial year.

Assuming no further lockdowns or significant domestic travel restrictions, the Group expects to be Underlying EBITDA positive in the range of $400 – 450 million for FY21. At a statutory level before tax, the Group is still expecting a loss in excess of $2 billion, which includes the significant costs associated with previously announced redundancies, aircraft write downs and non-cash depreciation charges.

Click the link below to read the full press release!

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/7978/

Virgin Australia Group Outlines Growth Plans to Support Tourism Recovery

April 19, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

BRISBANE, 15 April 2021: Virgin Australia Group has announced fast-tracked plans to acquire new aircraft, create more frontline jobs and grow its network to further support domestic tourism.

The recovery efforts include the reintroduction of 10 additional Boeing 737-800 aircraft and the planned return of more than 80 per cent of the airline’s pre-pandemic domestic capacity by mid-June. Network operational changes will also allow the airline to redeploy Boeing 737 aircraft to other parts of its network over the coming months.

After a year of rolling state-based restrictions, pent-up travel demand is supporting the launch of several new and expanded services and frequencies on key leisure and business routes. Virgin Australia Group is committed to maintaining a market share consistent with its pre-COVID position.

Commitment to Jobs

The creation of more roles at the Company will see more than 220 cabin crew return to the skies from the airline’s discontinued long-haul international, ATR regional and Tigerair Australia operations. The new recruits will join one of 15 cabin crew training schools over the next two months.

In addition, a major recruitment drive to fill more than 150 new cabin crew roles, including an expression of interest for future positions has also begun today, with applications from other Virgin Australia employee groups being assessed as a matter of priority. External expressions of interest can be made via the airline’s careers website.

Fleet and Network

The Company has finalised arrangements to re-introduce 10 Boeing 737-800 aircraft which had previously been operated by Virgin Australia, with further aircraft under investigation. The first three aircraft will join the airline’s mainline fleet this month while the remainder are set to progressively enter service by October.

The Company is finalising wet lease arrangements with Alliance Airlines to operate Fokker 100 services on behalf of Virgin Australia between Brisbane-Alice Springs and Brisbane-Mt Isa from 19 April 2021. The move will allow Virgin Australia to explore more efficient ways of managing capacity and frequencies to support choice and convenience for regional customers.

Using an Airbus A320 aircraft, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA) will also move to operate select services on mainline routes between Perth-Darwin, Perth-Broome and Perth-Adelaide from next month. These arrangements will support the redeployment of the Boeing 737 aircraft to other markets.

Between now and the June school holidays, the airline will add more than 220 return flights per week to its schedule, offering new and extended seasonal services and expanded frequencies on key business and leisure routes. Trans-Tasman services to Queenstown are set to recommence ahead of school holidays on 18 September 2021.

Southwest Airlines Eugene, Oregon Service to Begin August 29, 2021

April 18, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE: LUV) today published an initial flight schedule for Eugene Airport (EUG) in Oregon, bringing the airline’s low fares, flexible policies, and Hospitality closer to more outdoor attractions in the Pacific Northwest. Southwest Airlines® will offer nonstop, roundtrip service once daily to Las Vegas and twice daily to Oakland in the Bay Area, bringing additional same-plane or connecting roundtrip service daily between Eugene and more than 30 airports across the Southwest route map.

“We welcome new Customers to Southwest as we continue an expansion across the nation to bring additional service and open new cities,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer. “The addition of Eugene to our map positions easy access to Southwest all around Track Town USA, and is a request from leisure and business travelers who value our flexibility and Hospitality.”

EUGENE, OREGON FLIGHTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
Beginning Aug. 29, 2021, Southwest will commence service to a second city in Oregon, having served Portland since 1994. Southwest Customers will be able to experience the vibrant arts, college athletics, and outdoor beauty of Eugene and the surrounding regions through new service available for purchase now at Southwest.com:

Fly nonstop between Eugene, Ore. and:	Initial flight schedule (roundtrip service, nonstop):	One-way fares as low as*:
Las Vegas	Once daily	$49
Oakland	Twice daily	$39

Embraer Modular Airplane Concept Receives International Design Award

April 7, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Évora, Portugal, April 6, 2021 – The Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) FLEXCRAFT, a modular and remotely piloted aircraft concept, which allows quick reconfiguration of the cabin for multiple missions, won the International Design Awards (IDA) in the Transport Design category.

With the ability to land and take off on short lanes and use alternative energy sources, the concept seeks to foster ideas for transforming the future of air mobility, combining the human, technological, social and economic perspectives in a sustainable manner. IDA highlighted the passenger experience through the flexibility of fuselage design and new technologies.

The futuristic project was the result of a Portuguese consortium led by Sociedade de Engenharia e Transformação, SA (SET.SA) that brought together Embraer Portugal, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Almadesign, Instituto de Ciência e Inovação em Engenharia Mecânica e Engenharia Industrial (INEGI), plus the support from Embraer SA (Brazil). The initiative was funded by the Portugal 2020 program, under the Operational Program Competitiveness and Internationalization through the European Regional Development Fund.

The scientific research aimed to raise the critical technologies of this concept in an integrated way, such as configuration, flexibility solutions and production and material processes. Through the FLEXCRAFT project, it was possible to evaluate the development of new production processes, eco-efficient technologies, and the integration of new materials, among other research fronts.

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