WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said on Monday she named four experts to a blue-ribbon committee to review the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) aircraft certification process after two deadly Boeing 737 MAX crashes killed nearly 350 people.
Chao said she was naming NASA’s former aviation safety program director Amy Pritchett and Gretchen Haskins, chief executive of HeliOffshore Ltd, an international expert in aviation safety and a former U.S. Air Force officer.
She also named Kenneth Hylander, chief safety officer at Amtrak and a former senior safety executive at Delta and Northwest airlines, and J. David Grizzle, chairman of the board of Republic Airways and a former FAA chief counsel.
The committee is “specifically tasked to review the 737 MAX 800 certification process from 2012 to 2017, and recommend improvements to the certification process.”
U.S. lawmakers have criticized the FAA’s program that allows Boeing Co and other manufacturers to oversee the process that ensures air worthiness and other vital safety aspects of new aircraft.
Chao said last month the panel would be co-chaired by retired Air Force General Darren McDew, the former head of the U.S. Transportation Command, and Lee Moak, a former president of the Air Line Pilots Association.
Federal prosecutors, the Transportation Department’s inspector general and lawmakers are investigating the FAA’s certification of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft. A joint review by 10 governmental air regulators is also set to start April 29.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Tom Brown)
Air Mauritius has taken delivery of its first A330-900, on lease from ALC during a ceremony held in Toulouse. The national carrier of the Republic of Mauritius is the first A330neo operator based in the southern hemisphere, and the first airline in the world to operate a combination of both the A330neo and A350 XWB.
Benefiting from the A330neo’s unbeatable operating economics and award-winning Airspace cabin, the aircraft (named Aapravasi Ghat in reference to Mauritius’ history) will feature a two-class cabin with 28 business class seats and 260 economy class seats. The carrier will deploy the aircraft on routes connecting Mauritius to Europe (mainly London and Geneva), India and South East Asian routes and on regional destinations including Johannesburg, Antananarivo and Reunion Island.
Air Mauritius CEO Somas Appavou stated: “I am delighted to welcome our first Airbus A330neo, another milestone in our fleet modernisation programme. The addition of two A330neos to our fleet will bring more flexibility and efficiency to our operations while supporting our network strategy. The A330neo offers similar levels of comfort as the A350 XWB, which has received very favourable feedback from our customers. I strongly believe that with the addition of the A330neo to our fleet, Air Mauritius will further reinforce its focus and emphasis on the customer who are at the very core of our business model.”
“Sugar and spice and all things nice! Like its namesake, inspired by the island’s history in developing the sugar industry, their first A330neo will pioneer Air Mauritius into a whole different level of efficiency and flexibility by operating both the A330neo and the A350 XWB, our latest generation widebodies”, said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer. “Passengers will enjoy unmatched levels comfort in our award winning ‘Airspace by Airbus’ cabins on both aircraft. Well done to our trusted partner on being the world’s first airline to operate the A330neo and the A350 XWB together – a sweet combination!”
Air Mauritius currently operates nine Airbus aircraft, of which two A350-900s, three A340-300s, two A330-200s and two A319s on its regional and long haul services.
The A330neo Family is the new generation A330, comprising two versions: the A330-800 and A330-900 sharing 99 percent commonality. It builds on the proven economics, versatility and reliability of the A330 Family, while reducing fuel consumption by about 25% per seat versus previous generation competitor aircraft and offering an unrivalled range capability. The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce’s latest-generation Trent 7000 engines and features a new wing with increased span and new A350 XWB-inspired Sharklets.
With an order book of more than 1,700 aircraft from 120 customers to date, the A330 is the most popular widebody family.
Caesars Republic Scottsdale to Break Ground in Second Half 2019
LAS VEGAS, January 28, 2019 – Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR), the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment company today announced plans to open Caesars Republic Scottsdale, its first non-gaming hotel in the United States, as part of its plan to expand its brands and loyalty network through its licensing strategy.
Caesars Republic Scottsdale will be located adjacent to the region’s premier luxury retail destination, Scottsdale Fashion Square, and will be a four-star hotel developed by HCW Development and operated by Aimbridge Hospitality. Caesars Entertainment will license its brand, advise on design elements and integrate the industry’s leading loyalty network Total Rewards.
“Caesars Republic Scottsdale represents the introduction of a new world class brand and further progress on our strategy to expand our non-gaming business into premier destinations,” said Caesars Entertainment President and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Frissora. “This project will be our first non-gaming asset in the United States and demonstrates the global strength of the Caesars brand. We look forward to partnering with HCW Development and Aimbridge Hospitality to create a world-class experience in one of the nation’s most desirable communities.”
This modern 11 story glass structure with 266 rooms will be developed at the intersection of North Goldwater and East Highland Avenue. This high-profile location will allow the Caesars Republic Scottsdale guests the ability to walk to the state’s most elegant mall.
The interior décor will feature rich textures and strong architecture, juxtaposing soft curves and bold accents in a chic and classy lobby, with designs curated throughout the guest rooms. The first-floor bar will be the spot for an after-work cocktail or glass of wine after a day of shopping. The signature restaurant will feature a sophisticated, high-energy environment that will synergize with surrounding trade areas, catering to both locals and hotel guests alike. There will be an abundance of outdoor seating on the patio with fantastic views of Camelback Mountain. In addition, there will be a coffee shop, ideal for a casual business breakfast or as a grab-and-go option for those on the run.
The guest room experience will set the standard for rooms and amenities in Scottsdale. In addition to the mixture of kings, double queens, one and two-bedroom suites, the hotel will also feature a bridal suite, and on the 11th floor, five luxury entertainment suites. On the second floor, there are five breakout rooms which will accommodate up to 40 people each or can be opened for events up to 200. The second-floor executive board room is capable of seating 16 at a permanent table.
Caesars Republic Scottsdale will house a 7,000-square foot column-free ballroom with 34-foot sliding glass doors which open out onto the adjacent lawn, suitable for outdoor events for up to 600 people. The ballroom is divisible into four sections and can accommodate banquets up to 500. The ballroom’s LED lighting system will allow event organizers to customize the look and feel of their event with the ability to change the ceiling color. Additionally, the ballroom will feature a cutting-edge sound, internet and audio-visual system.
The most stunning part of Caesars Republic Scottsdale will be the 7th floor, encompassing a rooftop pool and bar – the only rooftop pool in Scottsdale – featuring breathtaking views of Camelback Mountain. The pool will host activities such as yoga at 9 and champagne at 11. The rooftop bar will feature specialty drinks by HCW’s award-winning mixologist. There will be weekend brunches and lively afternoon energy year-round. This area will also serve as private event space for exclusive groups or company events. Adjacent to the pool will be the hotel’s state-of-the-art fitness center.
“We are very excited to work alongside our new partners to introduce the Caesars Republic brand to the world,” said Richard Huffman, Chief Executive Officer and President of HCW Development. “Scottsdale is a vibrant community and we are confident that this high-end facility will provide a truly unique and dynamic experience to both locals and guests traveling from afar.”
Caesars Republic offers a new kind of lifestyle hotel experience; the first brand from Caesars Entertainment designed exclusively for non-gaming hotels. Caesars Republic is a brand with an edge: it inspires the imagination, pushes creative boundaries, and collaborates with trendsetters.
The brand pays homage to the dynamic energy of Las Vegas – celebrating rebellious spirits and beckoning its guests to unleash their alter egos. Just as all republics are social in nature, Caesars Republic incorporates thoughtful details and brand rituals to facilitate connections among its guests.
No two hotels within the brand will be exactly alike – everything from the décor to the culinary offerings are inspired by local traditions and tastemakers. Caesars Republic taps into the unique pulse of each host city, amplifying its energy and culture.
“We are honored to partner with Caesars Entertainment and add a hotel with the iconic Caesars brand to our management portfolio,” said Aimbridge Hospitality President and Chief Operating Officer, Robert Burg. “We share Caesars’ commitment to operating excellence and look forward to managing Caesars Republic Scottsdale.”
Scottsdale is an ideal market for the introduction of the Caesars Republic brand. Scottsdale hosted an estimated 4.5 million overnight visitors and 4.4-million-day trip visitors in 2017. Caesars Republic Scottsdale will be located just north of Scottsdale Fashion Square. Owned and operated by Macerich (MAC), Scottsdale Fashion Square features an elevated luxury wing anchored by Neiman Marcus, plus a new flagship Apple, and more than 200 shopping and dining options including market exclusives Saint Laurent and a recently announced Nobu.
“Our market-dominant Scottsdale Fashion Square is the natural home for the innovative new Caesars Republic hotel concept,” said Ed Coppola, President, Macerich. “The addition of this exciting new hotel is part of the next phase of development for our exceptional mixed-use property, which also will introduce Class A office space and upscale residences to bring even more value to this one-of-a-kind destination.”
This announcement follows the late 2018 opening of Caesars Entertainment’s two beachfront luxury resorts and beach club on Meraas’ Bluewaters Island in Dubai. Additionally, Caesars announced plans last year to develop a non-gaming Caesars Palace resort along the coast of Puerto Los Cabos, Mexico.
About Caesars Entertainment Corporation
Caesars Entertainment is the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment provider and the most geographically diverse U.S. casino-entertainment company. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, in 1937, Caesars Entertainment has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions. Caesars Entertainment’s resorts operate primarily under the Caesars®, Harrah’s® and Horseshoe® brand names. Caesars Entertainment’s portfolio also includes the Caesars Entertainment UK family of casinos. Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars Entertainment is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward of the environment. For more information, please visit, visit www.caesars.com/corporate.
Project team currently includes BRP Architect firm out of Springfield, MO; Studio 11 Interior Design from Dallas, Texas; Transaction handled by LeDonna Spongberg of CBRE’s Phoenix office.
Singapore, December 19, 2018 – Embraer has announced the signing of a contract with the Government of Kiribati, in partnership with their national airline, Air Kiribati, for two firm orders for the E190-E2 E-Jets and two purchase rights for the same model. With all purchase rights being exercised, the contract has a value of USD 243 million, based on current list prices. The order will be included in Embraer’s 2018 fourth-quarter backlog.
Scheduled for a 2019 delivery, the E190-E2 will enable the flag carrier for the Republic of Kiribati, located in the central Pacific, to fly longer domestic and international routes than it currently does with its turboprop fleet. Air Kiribati will be the launch operator for the E190-E2 in the Asia Pacific region (excluding China). This order comes after a three-week Asia Pacific tour of the ‘Shark’ livery E190-E2 in October, which included a stop in Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati. Spanning four time zones and comprised of more than 30 islands, Kiribati is the only country in the world to be in all four hemispheres.
“We warmly welcome Air Kiribati to the Embraer family and we will work closely with the airline as they transition to the E190-E2 through our extensive entry-into-service package and world-class support team in the region,” said Cesar Pereira, Asia Pacific Vice President, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “Flying in the Pacific, over large bodies of water, requires outstanding range, performance and ample cargo capacity. Air Kiribati’s selection of the E190-E2 is yet another validation of the world’s most efficient single-aisle jet design, which exceeds these requirements and will enable the airline to enhance its flight frequency and to boost its network.”
“We were impressed with what we saw when the E190-E2 visited Kiribati in October,” said Hon. Willie Tokataake, Minister for Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development of the Kiribati Government. “Given its impressive range, lower fuel consumption and maintenance costs and dual class configuration that brings comfort to our passengers compared to its peers, the E190-E2’s capabilities empower us to enhance connectivity within our country and beyond, taking our nation to its next phase of growth.”
With a maximum range of up to 2,850 nautical miles, the E190-E2 can operate over the vast expanse of Kiribati, including from Tarawa directly to Kiritimati (Christmas) Island, one of the most challenging routes in the Pacific. The current domestic connection from Tarawa to Kiritimati includes an international stopover in Fiji.
The E190-E2 is part of Embraer’s new generation E-Jets E2 family of aircraft, which can seat between 70 to 150 passengers. The E190-E2 specifically, can seat up to 114 passengers, and is the first member of the E-Jets E2 family of aircraft to enter into service in April 2018.
Embraer has been present in the region since the first Bandeirante was delivered in 1978 in Australia and has been providing comprehensive support and services through the years to aircraft based in Australia and in the Pacific region.
Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jets with 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 almost 1,800 orders and 1,500 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft.
Embraer has released the following press announcement on its website:
São José dos Campos, Brazil, October 19th, 2018 – During the third quarter of 2018 (3Q18), Embraer (NYSE: ERJ; BM&FBOVESPA: EMBR3) delivered 15 jets to the commercial aviation market and 24 business jets, being 17 light jets and 7 large jets. On September 30, Embraer’s firm order backlog totaled USD13.6 billion.
Regarding the commercial aviation market, Embraer forecasted in its Market Outlook a demand for 10,550 new aircraft with up to 150 seats worldwide over the next 20 years,. The in-service fleet is set to increase to 16,000 aircraft, up from the 9,000 aircraft currently in operation. Market growth will drive 65% of this demand, while the remaining 35% of the projected demand will be to replace ageing aircraft.
Embraer and Helvetic Airways signed a contract for a firm order of 12 E190-E2 jets during 3Q18. The agreement was announced at the Farnborough Airshow in July as a Letter of Intent. The contract also includes purchase rights for another 12 E190-E2 aircraft, with the possibility of conversion to the E195-E2 model, raising the order potential for up to 24 aircraft. Deliveries should occur between the end of 2019 and 2021. Also in Farnborough, United Airlines made a firm order for 25 E175 jets in a 70-seat configuration. Deliveries will begin in the second quarter of 2019.
In 3Q18, Embraer also signed a contract with an undisclosed customer for up to five E195-E2s, being three firm orders and two purchase rights. This agreement was previously announced as a Letter of Intent (LoI) during the Farnborough Airshow. In addition, the Company continues to work on finalizing its recent LoI signed at the Farnborough Airshow for 100 E175 aircraft for Republic Airways, with the expectation that a significant portion of these jets should enter the Company’s backlog by the end of 2018.
A total of 134 jets were removed from Embraer’s backlog in 3Q18. The majority of these planes belong to an order placed by Skywest for 100 E175-E2s, and were removed largely due to IFRS accounting changes. Given current timing uncertainty of the scope clause changes in the U.S. market to allow the heavier E175-E2 to be flown by regional airlines under capacity purchase agreements (CPAs) for mainline airlines, Embraer has proactively adopted best practices to align with the latest IFRS principles and remove the order from backlog given its conditionality terms. Skywest remains committed with the E175-E2 order and its terms are unchanged. The other 34 jets that were removed from the Company’s backlog in 3Q18 are related to cancellations, including an order for 24 E190 jets that were cancelled by JetBlue following its recent fleet renewal decision.
In the business jets segment, Embraer first exhibited the Phenom 100EV, Phenom 300E and Legacy 650E aircraft with full interior at Labace, the largest Latin American executive aviation fair which took place in São Paulo in August. Embraer also delivered its first Phenom 300E in Asia Pacific.
Embraer Services & Support signed relevant agreements in Europe and Africa during the quarter. LOT Polish Airlines, the national carrier of Poland and leading airline in Central Europe, signed an extension of its pool agreement to support LOT’s fleet of 34 Embraer E-Jets. Kenya Airways also joined a service program whereby Embraer will take over the planning and replenishment of a sizeable portion of Kenya Airways’ spare parts stock covering the 15 Embraer E190 aircraft operated by the airline. Sahara Africa Aviation also signed a multi-year Pool Program Agreement for spare parts and support covering more than 500 components for their two recently acquired Embraer ERJ 145 jets.
