Tag: May (Page 4 of 5)

Delta Suspends Atlanta-Rome Flights March 11 through April 30

March 9, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

New York-JFK to Rome service continues
Seasonal service between Detroit and Rome is postponed until May 1.

Due to the continued spread of COVID-19, Delta is temporarily suspending service between Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) and Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO) starting Wednesday, March 11 through April 30.

Additionally, seasonal Detroit to Rome service will be delayed to May 1. It was originally scheduled to begin April 1.

Delta is also extending its suspension of service from New York – John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) to May 20. Service from New York-JFK to Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) is postponed to May 21.

Customers traveling between Rome and the United States will continue to have access through New York-JFK from March 11 through April 30. New York-JFK to Rome will be Delta’s only flight to Italy during this period.

The airline’s flight schedule between the U.S. and Rome will be as follows:

Flight	March	April
JFK-Rome (no changes)	5x Weekly	5x Weekly

Making changes to your flight

Customers with affected travel plans can go to the My Trips section of delta.com to help them understand their options. These may include rebooking on alternate Delta flights, rebooking on flights after April 30, rebooking on alternate or partner airlines, refunds or contacting us to discuss additional options. Delta continues to offer a change fee waiver for customers who wish to adjust their travel plans.

For all flight changes due to COVID-19, visit: https://news.delta.com/changes-our-flying

The latest information about Delta’s response to COVID-19 is available at: news.delta.com/coronavirus

Amtrak Announces Updated Fares for Increased Savings

February 24, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

On March 1, 2020, Amtrak is launching a series of updates to provide customers more options for savings. Amtrak is offering deeply discounted tickets and reduced fares. Keep an eye out for a variety of new, ultra-low Saver Fares in cities including Orlando, Tampa and South Florida —making travel a breeze in the Sunshine State. Discounted Coach fares start at just $9 – a savings of up to 50% off the base fare. Look for more of these offers on March 2!

To make these lowered fares feasible, Amtrak is implementing a few more restrictions on tickets. In an effort to better fit each customer’s need, Amtrak is revising the following:

Saver Fares: Our most discounted fares offered with the most restrictions – including no changes, upgrades or cancelations 24 hours after purchase.
Value Fares: Our standard fare offered with some restrictions – a fee may apply for cancelations or changes made within 14 days of departure.*
Flexible Fares: Our fare with the most flexibility built-in – including the ability to make no-fee changes and receive a full refund up to the moment of departure.

All fares include an array of amenities that come with Amtrak – including downtown-to-downtown service, no middle seat, ample legroom, the ability to earn Amtrak Guest Rewards points and one of the most generous baggage policies in travel. The change fee will not be applied to multiride, Rail Pass, pass riders, group reservations, sleeping accommodations, Acela First Class/non-Acela Business class, Flexible Fares, Unreserved Coach, corporate, Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Executive members, government fare plans and the first change to a reservation made prior to March 1, 2020.

*The change fee will not apply to Value fares if the customer is adding to an existing reservation (booked prior to March 1) or upgrading on the same train and day as the original reservation.

SpaceX Launches its Fifth Starlink Mission From Cape Canaveral

February 17, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

MISSION OVERVIEW

SpaceX successfully targeted Monday, February 17 at 10:05 a.m. EST, or 15:05 UTC, for its fifth launch of Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. A backup launch opportunity was available for Tuesday, February 18 at 9:42 a.m. EST, or 14:42 UTC.

Falcon 9’s first stage previously launched the CRS-17 mission in May 2019, the CRS-18 mission in July 2019, and the JCSAT-18/Kacific1 mission in December 2019. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Approximately 45 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX’s two fairing recoveryvessels, “Ms. Tree” and “Ms. Chief,” will attempt to recover the two fairing halves.

The Starlink satellites will deploy in an elliptical orbit approximately 15 minutes after liftoff. Prior to orbit raise, SpaceX engineers will conduct data reviews to ensure all Starlink satellites are operating as intended. Once the checkouts are complete, the satellites will then use their onboard ion thrusters to move into their intended orbits and operational altitude of 550 km.

PAYLOAD DESCRIPTION

SpaceX is leveraging its experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. With performance that far surpasses that of traditional satellite internet and a global network unbounded by ground infrastructure limitations, Starlink will deliver high speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable.

Each Starlink satellite weights approximately 260 kg and features a compact, flat-panel design that minimizes volume, allowing for a dense launch stack to take full advantage of Falcon 9’s launch capabilities. With four powerful phased array and two parabolic antennas on each satellite, an enormous amount of throughput can be placed and redirected in a short time, for an order of magnitude lower cost than traditional satellite-based internet.

Starlink satellites are on the leading edge of on-orbit debris mitigation, meeting or exceeding all regulatory and industry standards. At end of their life cycle, the satellites will utilize their on-board propulsion system to deorbit over the course of a few months. In the unlikely event their propulsion system becomes inoperable, the satellites will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere within 1-5 years, significantly less than the hundreds or thousands of years required at higher altitudes. Further, Starlink components are designed for full demisability.

Starlink is targeting service in the Northern U.S. and Canada in 2020, rapidly expanding to near global coverage of the populated world by 2021. Additional information on the system can be found at starlink.com.

U.S. Says May Raise Tariffs on EU Products in Aircraft Subsidy Row

December 2, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) – The U.S. government on Monday said it would review the possibility of raising tariffs on European Union products and applying tariffs to more products, given what it called lack of progress in resolving a dispute over aircraft subsidies.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said Monday’s decision by the World Trade Organization (WTO) affirmed the U.S. position that European Union launch aid to planemaker Airbus continued to harm the U.S. aerospace industry.

“In light of today’s report and the lack of progress in efforts to resolve this dispute, the United States is initiating a process to assess increasing the tariff rates and subjecting additional EU products to the tariffs,” USTR said in a statement. It said it would release more information about the process later this week.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

EU hasn’t ended illegal subsidies to Airbus, WTO panel says

Allegiant Announces Aircraft Base in Des Moines, Bringing New Jobs and Growth Opportunities

November 10, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — State and local officials joined executives from Allegiant Travel Company (NASDAQ: ALGT) today as the company announced plans to establish a two-aircraft base at Des Moines International Airport (DSM). The announcement heralds the leisure airline’s 20^th base of operations, a $50 million investment which will locate two Airbus A320 aircraft in Des Moines, bringing at least 66 new, high-wage jobs to the community. The Las Vegas-based carrier will begin base operations at DSM on May 14, 2020.

“For Allegiant to select Des Moines International Airport as a base of operations is a historic day for Des Moines, our airport and the two-and-a-half million passengers who fly through our City each year,” said Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie. “The financial investment and well-paying jobs this brings to our community is significant and most appreciated. And to those flight crews and ground personnel who will be our new neighbors, we say thank you for flying Allegiant and welcome to Des Moines.”

Iowa’s capital city and the Greater Des Moines region are the core of one of the fastest growing areas in the Midwest. Home to more than 791,000 residents, the region is known for iconic festivals and events, sports and outdoor recreation opportunities, as well as a burgeoning business environment. In recent years, Des Moines has been named among the nation’s top places to live (US News & World Report, 2018) and top locations for business and careers. (Forbes, 2017)

“In many ways, today’s announcement is the culmination of a more than 15-year relationship between Allegiant and Des Moines International Airport, where we’ve steadily grown our operation to meet increasing demand,” said Keith Hansen, Allegiant’s vice president of government affairs. “Having locally-based aircraft and crews will open up a wide range of options for new service and more flights throughout the day. We’re excited to bring more opportunities for affordable, convenient travel, and expand Allegiant’s presence as a hometown airline for Hawkeye state residents.”

Allegiant began service at DSM in 2003 and currently offers eight non-stop routes – to Orlando-Sanford, St. Pete-Clearwater, Punta Gorda, Destin-Fort Walton Beach and Sarasota, Florida; Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona; Los Angeles, California; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Allegiant in 2018 carried more than 232,000 annual passengers through Des Moines, and is on track to eclipse that number in 2019.

“The Des Moines International Airport continues to play a critical role in the economic vitality of the region with this announcement,” said Kevin Foley, Des Moines Airport Authority Executive Director. “Iowans continue to prove travel is important to them and DSM is committed to growing air service in our market. Through this partnership with Allegiant, not only will we be adding jobs in our community, we will be opening the door for new destinations and adventures.”

Allegiant, which employs more than 4,300 team members across the U.S., plans to immediately begin hiring pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and ground personnel to support the operations. The majority of the new positions are expected to offer salaries that are more than double the state’s average wage. Interested applicants may apply online.

“Allegiant’s investment in Greater Des Moines will significantly contribute to the vibrancy of our rapidly growing regional economy,” said Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “The continued advancement of the Des Moines International Airport is one of our strategic priorities, and this expansion project will position DSM for multiple new destinations.”

Delta Might Pull Out of Alitalia Bid Consortium

November 3, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

MILAN (Reuters) – Delta Air Lines <DAL> could pull out of a consortium looking to rescue Italy’s Alitalia as it is unwilling to enter a possible bidding war with Lufthansa <DLAKY>, newspaper Il Corriere della Sera reported on Sunday, citing two sources.

Delta is expected to say it will not raise its offer to invest about 100 million euros ($112 million) in Alitalia in a letter to be sent in the middle of this week to its consortium partners, Italy’s state railways firm Ferrovie and infrastructure group Atlantia, Il Corriere reported.

It said the rough investment figure could go as high as 120 million euros.

But Germany’s Lufthansa might invest about 150 million euros, Il Corriere said.

Lufthansa is seeking up to 6,000 job cuts, however, versus 2,500 envisaged by a plan drafted by the Delta consortium, the newspaper reported.

A source said last week Lufthansa was ready to invest up to 200 million euros in Alitalia which is running out of cash and scrambling to find new funds.

Italy’s industry ministry has extended to Nov. 21 a deadline for binding bids after an Oct. 15 deadline passed without an agreement among potential rescuers.

Alitalia’s temporary administrators said last month that the company’s liquidity amounted to 310 million euros at the end of September.

But that figure was inflated by advanced payments on pre-paid tickets, Sunday’s Il Sole 24Ore newspaper reported, citing unidentified sources.

The report added that adjusted for future costs, the cash amounted to just 160 million euros, and that it would run out in December.

($1 = 0.8957 euros)

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; editing by Jason Neely)

Jaguar Land Rover to Build Electric Cars at UK Plant

July 16, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

LONDON (Reuters) – Jaguar Land Rover (TAMO.NS) is making a multi-million pound investment to build electric vehicles in Britain, in a major boost for the UK government and a sector hit by the slump in diesel sales and Brexit uncertainty.

Britain’s biggest car company, which built 30 percent of the UK’s 1.5 million cars last year, will make a range of electrified vehicles at its Castle Bromwich plant in central England, beginning with its luxury sedan, the XJ.

“The future of mobility is electric and, as a visionary British company, we are committed to making our next generation of zero-emission vehicles in the UK,” Chief Executive Ralf Speth said on Friday.

The announcement gives a boost to Britain’s automotive sector hit this year by Honda and Ford’s (F.N) plans to close factories.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has highlighted the dangers of a no-deal Brexit and the need to maintain frictionless trade with the European Union, echoing warnings from the industry that just-in-time production could be hit by customs delays and additional bureaucracy.

But it has signed a deal with workers at the Castle Bromwich factory to go from a five-day to a four-day working week with the same amount of hours which should allow the plant to operate more efficiently.

Three of JLR’s four European car plants are in Britain, giving it limited capacity elsewhere on the continent.

The other, in Slovakia, only opened last year and is still being ramped up with other models allocated there.

“We are making this investment because the ongoing Brexit uncertainty has left us with no choice, we had to act, for our employees and our business,” JLR said.

“We are committed to the UK as our home and will fight to stay here but we need the right deal.”

Both candidates to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, have both said they are prepared to take Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31 without a deal, although it is not their preferred option.

Brexiteers have argued that the EU’s biggest economy Germany, which exports hundreds of thousands of cars to Britain ever year, would do its utmost to protect that trade

Friday’s announcement comes after a turbulent few months for Jaguar which announced around 4,500 job cuts earlier in January and posted a 3.66 billion pound ($4.5 billion) loss in 2018/19.

The carmaker is undergoing a turnaround designed to offer an electrified option to all of its new models from 2020 as it seeks to move away from its reliance on diesel vehicles which are being increasingly shunned by buyers.

Jaguar also called on the government to bring giga-scale battery production to the country so that Britain is not left behind in the rush to produce low and zero-emissions vehicles and technology.

Britain’s business minister Greg Clark said the government was doing all it can to meet that goal.

“We are determined to realize that ambition,” he said.

($1 = 0.7952 pounds)

Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Michael Holden and Jane Merriman

FILE PHOTO – A car hangs on the wall of Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich manufacturing facility in Birmingham, Britain, November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Darren Staples

JetBlue Airways Reports May Traffic

June 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) reported its preliminary traffic results for May 2019. Traffic in May increased 5.7 percent from May 2018, on a capacity increase of 5.4 percent.

Load factor for May 2019 was 86.0 percent, an increase of 0.2 points from May 2018. JetBlue’s preliminary completion factor for May 2019 was 99.7 percent and its on-time (1) performance was 77.6 percent. JetBlue expects second quarter revenue per available seat mile (RASM) to range between 2.0 and 4.0 percent.

(1) The U.S. Department of Transportation considers on-time arrivals to be those domestic flights arriving within 14 minutes of schedule.

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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190612005161/en/

JetBlue Investor Relations

Tel: +1 718 709 2202

JetBlue Corporate Communications

Tel: +1 718 709 3089
corpc omm@jetblue.com

Source: JetBlue Airways Corporation

Boeing May Deliveries Fall 56% on 737 MAX Groundings

June 11, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FILE PHOTO: An aerial photo shows Boeing 737 MAX airplanes parked on the tarmac at the Boeing Factory in Renton, Washington

(Reuters) – Boeing Co said on Tuesday it handed over 56% fewer airplanes in May, compared with a year earlier, as deliveries of its top-selling 737 MAX jet remained suspended following a deadly crash in March.

Total deliveries fell to 30 planes, compared with 68 in 2018. Net orders for the first five months remained in negative territory, with a total of minus 125 net orders.

The company has been facing its worst ever crisis after an Ethiopian Airlines’ 737 MAX plane crashed, killing all 157 people on board, in the second fatal accident involving the jet in just five months.

Boeing reiterated on Sunday it was working with global regulators to certify a software update for the jet as well as related training and education material to safely return the plane to service.

Global airlines that had rushed to buy the fuel-efficient, longer-range aircraft have since canceled flights and scrambled to cover routes that were previously flown by the MAX.

European rival Airbus SE delivered 81 aircraft in May, up 59% from last year and 313 in the January-May period, a rise of 40%.

Boeing shares were down 0.6% at $351.44 in morning trade.

(Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)

Allegiant Reports May 2019 Traffic

June 10, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

LAS VEGAS, June 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) today reported preliminary passenger traffic results for May 2019.

May 2019 estimated average fuel cost per gallon – system $2.32

Allegiant Travel Company

Las Vegas-based Allegiant (ALGT) is an integrated travel company with an airline at its heart, focused on connecting customers with premier leisure experiences – from vacations to hometown family entertainment. Since 1999, Allegiant Air has linked travelers in small-to-medium cities to world-class vacation destinations, with all-nonstop flights and industry-low average fares, as well as hotel rooms and rental cars available exclusively through the company’s website, Allegiant.com. Today, Allegiant serves more than 450 routes across the country, with base airfares less than half the cost of the average domestic roundtrip ticket. Allegiant’s Sunseeker Resorts division is currently under construction with its inaugural resort property, Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor in Southwest Florida – a unique waterside integrated resort like no other. A growing group of Allegiant Nonstop family entertainment centers offer state-of-the art indoor sports and games to thrill seekers of all ages, while TeeSnap helps golf courses thrive and enhance customer experience through an innovative suite of technology tools for course scheduling, point of sale and more. For more information, visit us at Allegiant.com. Media information, including photos, is available at http://gofly.us/iiFa303wrtF

ALGT/G

Note: This news release was accurate at the date of issuance. However, information contained in the release may have changed. If you plan to use the information contained herein for any purpose, verification of its continued accuracy is your responsibility.

For further information please visit the company’s investor website: http://ir.allegiantair.com

Reference to the Company’s website above does not constitute incorporation of any of the information thereon into this news release.

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