Tag: family (Page 7 of 14)

Boeing to Consolidate 787 Production in South Carolina in 2021

October 1, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

– Single site to improve operational efficiency as company adapts to market downturn and positions for recovery and long-term growth

– 787 production to continue in Everett, Wash. until program begins building at the previously announced rate of six airplanes a month in 2021

As the airline industry continues to address the impact of COVID-19, The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] said today it will consolidate production of 787 jets at its facility in North Charleston, S.C., starting in mid-2021, according to the company’s best estimate. The decision comes as the company is strategically taking action to preserve liquidity and reposition certain lines of business in the current global environment to enhance efficiency and improve performance for the long-term.

While Boeing’s versatile 787 family has outperformed other widebody airplanes during the challenging market downturn, its production system has been adjusted to accommodate the current difficult market environment while positioning the 787 family to ramp up production as air travel increases.

“The Boeing 787 is the tremendous success it is today thanks to our great teammates in Everett. They helped give birth to an airplane that changed how airlines and passengers want to fly. As our customers manage through the unprecedented global pandemic, to ensure the long-term success of the 787 program, we are consolidating 787 production in South Carolina,” said Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

“Our team in Puget Sound will continue to focus on efficiently building our 737, 747, 767 and 777 airplane families, and both sites will drive Boeing initiatives to further enhance safety, quality, and operational excellence.”

The company began assembling 787-8 and 787-9 airplanes at its Everett site in 2007, and brought the North Charleston facility on line as a second final assembly line in 2010. However, only the North Charleston site is set up to build the larger 787-10 model. Production of the smaller 787 models will continue in Everett until the program transitions to the previously-announced production rate of six airplanes a month in 2021.

In July, Boeing announced an in-depth study into the feasibility of producing 787s at a single location. The review examined the impacts and benefits to Boeing customers, suppliers, employees and the overall health of the production system. The 787 study is part of an enterprise review underway to reassess all aspects of Boeing’s facility footprint, organizational structure, portfolio and investment mix, and supply chain health and stability.

This analysis confirmed the feasibility and efficiency gains created by consolidation, which enables the company to accelerate improvements and target investments to better support customers.

“We recognize that production decisions can impact our teammates, industry and our community partners,” said Deal. “We extensively evaluated every aspect of the program and engaged with our stakeholders on how we can best partner moving forward. These efforts will further refine 787 production and enhance the airplane’s value proposition.”

Boeing said it is assessing potential impacts to employment in Everett and North Charleston and will communicate any changes directly to its employees.

Airbus Celebrates 5 Years of Production in Mobile, Alabama

September 14, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

In 2015, Mobile, Alabama became home to Airbus’ first US-based commercial aircraft manufacturing facility. Now celebrating five years of production, it has grown from an initial workforce of around 250 staff producing A320 Family aircraft, to 1,000 employees building both the A220 and A320 aircraft families. To date, the factory has delivered more than 180 A320 Family aircraft to eight customers; aircraft which have subsequently flown 60 million passengers 500 million miles.

For Airbus, commercial aircraft production in Mobile signified two things: its position as a truly global aircraft company, and that it was also a truly American manufacturer. With the addition of this brand new US operation to the company’s A320 production network in Europe and Asia, Airbus had strategically augmented its worldwide industrial base in America – the largest single-aisle aircraft market in the world – to be closer to its US-based customers and key supplier partners.

Enter the A220 Family

The journey of Airbus’ investment in Mobile took a major stride in October 2017 when it announced the decision to introduce a second aircraft programme to the site: the A220 Family, entailing a second assembly line to be built adjacent to the original A320 plant – which would also complement the A220’s primary production site in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. The arrival into the US of this newest Single-Aisle Family member was an important testament to the confidence that Airbus had in Mobile, and the confidence in the team there to make it happen. Fast-forward to the present, and the first US-built A220 is already in its final stages of manufacture for Delta Air Lines – which will roll-out in the very near future.

Prior to the introduction of the A220 and expansion of the A320 facilities, the Mobile site sat on 116 acres. Today Airbus has added another 70 acres of real-estate which accommodates: two new final phase/flight-line hangars (four bays); an enlarged delivery centre with four new aircraft parking spaces; a ‘pre-transshipment’ hangar and of course the new ‘flow-line’ final assembly line (FAL) building itself. Notably, the delivery centre will be named after one of the company’s former leaders, Tom Enders. Enders supported and drove the establishment of a new Airbus aircraft factory in the US during his tenure as CEO of Airbus.

Doubling local industrial footprint in five years

When complete, nearly US$1 billion will have been invested in Mobile – to create new state-of-the-art facilities designed and built primarily by local companies. In short, Airbus has doubled its footprint there in just five years – establishing a new manufacturing home for Airbus’ Single-Aisle Family. Moreover, a recent study* concluded that Airbus’ total economic impact throughout the state of Alabama in five years was US$1.2 billion, supporting more than 15,000 jobs through construction and payroll.

Airbus Corporate Jets Wins First A321LR Order for Two Aircraft

August 19, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) has won the first A321LR order for two aircraft from Lufthansa Technik, highlighting the market appeal and versatility of the A320neo Family. The aircraft will be multi-role capable and can be equipped for various types of missions, such as troop transport, different MedEvac role setups (medical evacuation) and will be operated by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). Lufthansa Technik has now placed a total order of five Airbus aircraft on behalf of the German Government: three ACJ350-900s and two A321LRs. The A321LRs will be able to fly up to 163 passengers, up to 6 intensive care patients and up to 12 medium care patients, depending on the installed configuration, with a maximum range of 4,200nm/7,800km or 9.5 flight hours.

The A321LR is a member of the A320neo Family with over 7,400 orders by more than 110 customers. It delivers 30 per cent fuel savings and nearly 50 per cent reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation competitor aircraft. With a range of up to 4,000nm (7,400km), with 206 passengers, the A321LR is the unrivalled long-range route opener, featuring true transatlantic capability and premium wide-body comfort in a single-aisle aircraft cabin.

Featuring the most spacious cabins of any business jet, while being similar in size to competing large-cabin aircraft, the ACJ320neo Family also delivers similar operating costs. The ACJ320neo Family can do this because its lower maintenance and training overheads – part of its airliner heritage – deliver a similar total cost when combined with fuel and navigation and landing charges.

Some 12,000 Airbus aircraft are in service worldwide, supported by a globe-spanning network of spares and training centres, giving corporate jet customers unmatched support in the field. Airbus corporate jet customers also benefit from services tailored to their particular needs, such as the “one call handles all” corporate jet customer care centre (C4you), and customised maintenance programmes.

Combined with the inherent reliability that comes from aircraft designed to fly many times a day, the ACJ320neo Family is both dependable and available when customers need it.

Airbus corporate jets are part of the world’s most modern aircraft family, which delivers, as standard, features which either cost more, or are unavailable, in competitors. These features include the protection and simplicity of fly-by-wire controls, the benefits of Category 3B autoland, and time and cost-saving centralised maintenance on all systems.

Around 200 Airbus corporate jets are in service on every continent, including Antarctica, highlighting their versatility in challenging environments.

Enter Air to Purchase Up to Four Boeing 737-8 Jets

August 19, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

– New order expands Polish carrier’s commitment to the 737 family

– Enter Air: “Convinced 737 MAX will be the best aircraft…for many years to come”

Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Enter Air today announced the Polish airline is expanding its commitment to the 737 family with a new order for two 737-8 airplanes plus options for two more jets.

An all-Boeing operator and Poland’s biggest charter carrier, Enter Air began operations in 2010 with a single 737 airplane. Today, the airline’s fleet includes 22 Next-Generation 737s and two 737 MAX airplanes. When the new purchase agreement is fully exercised, Enter Air’s 737 MAX fleet will rise to 10 aircraft.

“Despite the current crisis, it is important to think about the future. To that end, we have agreed to order additional 737-8 aircraft. Following the rigorous checks that the 737 MAX is undergoing, I am convinced it will be the best aircraft in the world for many years to come,” said Grzegorz Polaniecki, general director and board member, Enter Air.

Enter Air and Boeing have also finalized a settlement to address the commercial impacts stemming from the grounding of the 737 MAX fleet. While the details of the agreement are confidential, the compensation will be provided in a number of forms and staggered over a period of time.

“In the settlement with Boeing, we agreed to revise the delivery schedule for the previously-ordered airplanes in response to current market conditions. The specific terms of the settlement are strictly confidential, but we are pleased with the way Boeing has treated us as its customer,” added Polaniecki.

“We are humbled by Enter Air’s commitment to the Boeing 737 family. Their order for additional 737-8s underscores their confidence in the airplane and the men and women of Boeing,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, The Boeing Company. “We look forward to building on our decade-long partnership with Enter Air and working with the airline to safely return their full 737 fleet to commercial service.”

Enter Air 737 MAX 8 (7210) C1 Flight – November 28, 2018

Airbus Adds More Deliveries, Breaks 3 Month Order Drought

August 6, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus delivered 49 aircraft in July, up from 36 in June as it continues to recover from a slump in deliveries during this year’s coronavirus lockdowns, the company said on Thursday.

The aircraft were all narrow-body jets, highlighting a dearth of demand for the industry’s biggest models, which last month prompted Airbus to trim A350 production for a second time.

The month’s deliveries included 47 A320neo-family jets.

Airbus also scored its first orders in three months as it sold two A320neos to an undisclosed customer and two A321neos to Lufthansa Technik, the modification and repairs business of German carrier Lufthansa <LHA.DE>.

So far in 2020, Airbus has delivered 245 jets and sold 369, or 302 after cancellations.

Demand for aircraft has been crippled by the coronavirus crisis and its heavy impact on air travel.

Airbus is boosting deliveries on a monthly basis despite the industry’s worst crisis as it negotiates deals with airlines.

But although deliveries are rising compared to the trough seen in April, several bankers and analysts have questioned how many of the aircraft are being placed into service as airlines struggle to save cash. Some are said to go straight to storage.

Airbus has issued default notices and threatened to sue airlines that refuse to collect planes already built while showing flexibility in deferring jets not yet in the factory.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Keith Weir)

An Airbus A320neo aircraft is pictured during a news conference to announce a partnership between Airbus and Bombardier on the C Series aircraft programme, in Colomiers near Toulouse, France

Inauguration of Dubai Route 2020 Metro

July 15, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom-led consortium delivers extension of Dubai Metro Red Line

A full turnkey integrated system
15km-long
50 Metropolis trainsets
Total value of the project is €2.6 billion

Alstom congratulates Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), on the inauguration of the Dubai Route 2020 Metro. This iconic project was ceremonially inaugurated by H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai on 7 July 2020, and was also attended by Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Alstom’s CEO and Chairman of the Board as well as the top management of the ExpoLink Consortium via video conference technology.

The new line project, commenced in July 2016 and carried out by the Alstom-led ExpoLink consortium, also composed of ACCIONA and Gülermak, consists of a 15km-long line, of which 11.8km is above ground and 3.2km underground, and an interchange on the Red Line. The extension of the metro has seven stations including Jabel Ali Station and the flagship metro station at the Expo exhibition site. The project is worth a total of €2.6 billion.

As part of the Consortium, Alstom was responsible for the integration of the entire metro system including 50 Metropolis trainsets produced in Alstom’s site in Katowice, Poland, power supply, communication, signalling, automatic ticket control, track works, platform screen doors and a three-year warranty on the whole system, as well as the enhancement of the existing metro line by upgrading power supply, signalling systems, miscellaneous communication and track works. The trainsets are 85.5 meters long and composed of five cars per trainset, and they will be able to carry up to 696 passengers each.

The train offers an excellent level of passenger experience, thanks to wide gangways, large doors and windows, three specific areas for Silver, Family and Gold Classes. Eco-friendly, the train is equipped with a full electrical braking system, LED lighting and other innovations to reduce energy consumption.

Alstom is a dedicated and long-standing partner of Dubai’s transportation and mobility development. Alstom delivered the Dubai tramway, the first fully integrated tramway system in the Middle East and the world’s first 100% catenary-free line, which was opened in November 2014. Alstom is also in charge of the maintenance of the Dubai Tram for a period of 13 years.

The Gardens Station on Dubai Metro Route 2020

Congo Airways Converts Embraer E175 Order to E190-E2 Jets

May 28, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

São José dos Campos, Brazil, May 26th, 2020 – Congo Airways have converted the firm order made in December 2019 for two E175 aircraft, with purchase rights for two more, into a firm order for two E190-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further two. The new deal has a total value of USD 256 million at current list prices with all purchase rights exercised, and will be included in Embraer’s second quarter backlog.

Desire Bantu, CEO of Congo Airways said, “These new jets will be replacing our legacy turboprops and will allow us to extend our operations within the Democratic Republic of Congo, and regionally to West, Central, and Southern Africa. Despite the current difficult circumstances, the fundamentals of our market have not changed; so we expect the momentum we’ve seen in the past to redevelop. I said in December that we may need to make an additional order for E2s due to the agility required to adapt to market changes – we have now reached that point. As we prepare for future success, we will have the flexibility, and the right sized, most efficient aircraft, to serve our customers as the market returns.”

“It’s great to welcome another airline to the E2 and the Embraer family of operators, especially in Africa where the demand for regional travel had been growing strongly before the current crisis. Africa has long been a market with low frequencies and long thin routes. As airlines start ramp up their operations, the E2 family of aircraft is perfectly positioned to right size routes previously operated by narrowbodies, while keeping frequencies and adjusting capacity to new levels.” said Raul Villaron, Vice President Sales, Africa and Middle East, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “We look forward to supporting Congo Airways as they continue to upgrade their offering to their customers.”

The aircraft will be configured in a dual class layout seating 96 passengers in total, with 12 staggered business class seats. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022. This is second E2 order received from an African customer. There are currently 189 Embraer aircraft operating in Africa with 54 airlines in 27 countries.

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats with more than 100 customers across the world. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,500 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleets of 80 customers in 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline network carriers.

United Airlines Message From Oscar Munoz and Scott Kirby

April 16, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO, April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Oscar Munoz, Chief Executive Officer, and J. Scott Kirby, President, today issued the following message to nearly 100,000 United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) employees:

To our United Family:

We hope all is well with you and your family. Two weeks ago, we hosted a virtual townhall and it was a valuable opportunity for us to connect with you all. And we’ve been really pleased with the response, more than 50,000 of you tuned in live or watched the broadcast on demand.

At the townhall, we discussed the impact of your calls and letters to Congress as they debated financial support for the airline industry. Washington heard you loud and clear, passing vital legislation that will provide commercial airlines with a total of $50 billion worth of grants and loans. We are grateful for the bipartisan cooperation displayed by leaders in the Congress and Administration — and appreciative of the critical role that you played. The thousands of letters and messages you sent, capturing the spirit of our United family and what our service means to our customers and communities, made all the difference in the world. We will need that spirit more than ever as we set our sights on the rest of 2020 and beyond.

The challenge that lies ahead for United is bigger than any we have faced in our proud 94-year history. We are committed to being as direct and as transparent as possible with you about the decisions that lay ahead and what impact they will have on our business and on you, the men and women of United Airlines.

Let’s start with the near-term. We now expect United to receive approximately $5 billion from the federal government through the Payroll Support Program under the CARES Act – to be used to protect the paychecks of our United employees. This government support does not cover our total payroll expense, but we’re keeping our promise that there will be no involuntary furloughs or pay rate cuts for U.S. employees before September 30. And, payroll only represents about 30 percent of our total costs. Fixed operating and non-payroll costs like airport rent, supplies and infrastructure are significant and not going away. That’s why we’ve been so aggressive in reducing our schedule, slashing capital expenditures, scaling back our work with vendors and consultants and cutting executive salaries in half.

We’re planning to go even further to reduce costs. This weekend, we’ll load a revamped schedule that will further reduce our capacity to about 10 percent of what had been planned for May at the beginning of this year. We expect to announce similar reductions to the June schedule in the next few weeks. We have now essentially redesigned our network to be down 90 percent while complying with the CARES Act and maintaining connectivity among nearly all our domestic destinations. And these May and June schedule reductions will have direct consequences for our frontline employees in terms of total hours worked. Those work groups can expect to hear more details from their leaders soon.

The more flexibility we have from a payroll perspective, the better. So, all work groups can expect to see a continued emphasis on payroll cost cutting options over the next few weeks including new voluntary leave offerings and voluntary separation programs. For those who are eligible, please consider signing up for voluntary COLA and ANP days. We’re grateful to the more than 20,000 employees who have already signed up. Your sacrifice is both deeply appreciated and important to our company’s future.

These schedule changes reflect the stark reality of our situation – and unfortunately, it’s something that even legislation as large as the CARES Act can’t fix. Travel demand is essentially zero and shows no sign of improving in the near-term. To help you understand how few people are flying in this environment, less than 200,000 people flew with us during the first two weeks of April this year, compared to more than 6 million during the same time in 2019, a 97 percent drop. And we expect to fly fewer people during the entire month of May than we did on a single day in May 2019.

The historically severe economic impact of this crisis means even when travel demand starts to inch back, it likely will not bounce back quickly. We believe that the health concerns about COVID-19 are likely to linger which means even when social distancing measures are relaxed, and businesses and schools start to reopen, life won’t necessarily return to normal. For example, not all states and cities are expected to re-open at the same time. Some international travel restrictions will remain in place. Meeting planners and tour operators will do their best to accommodate people looking to avoid large crowds. So, while we have not yet finalized changes to our schedule for July and August, we expect demand to remain suppressed for the remainder of 2020 and likely into next year.

So, let us end where we began, the government funding we expect to receive soon is helpful in the near-term because we can protect our employees in the U.S. from involuntary furloughs and pay rate cuts through the end of September. But the challenging economic outlook means we have some tough decisions ahead as we plan for our airline, and our overall workforce, to be smaller than it is today, starting as early as October 1.

Throughout this crisis, we have been candid and upfront with you. And today is no different. We appreciate the partnership and open dialogue we have with all of you as we confront this extraordinary situation that has had an unprecedented impact on our families and our company. We promise to continue to stay in close touch – and will continue to be as transparent as possible – in the weeks and months ahead.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. And please continue to take good care of our customers and each other. It’s because of you that we remain proud to be United Together.

Oscar and Scott

Aeroflot Takes Delivery of its First A350-900

February 28, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Aeroflot, the Russian flag carrier and member of the SkyTeam alliance, has taken delivery of its first A350-900, becoming the launch operator of the latest-generation widebody aircraft in Eastern Europe and CIS. Aeroflot’s A350-900 features a distinctive new livery embracing its almost 100-year heritage. Aeroflot has a total of 22 A350-900 aircraft on order and operates an Airbus fleet of 126 aircraft (107 A320 Family and 19 A330 Family aircraft).

Aeroflot’s A350-900 features a brand new elegant cabin design, offering unrivalled passenger comfort. The aircraft has a spacious three-class cabin layout with 316 seats: 28 private Business Class suites with full-flat seats, 24 Comfort Class with extra legroom and 264 Economy Class. In addition, the latest-generation Panasonic eX3 in-flight entertainment system, HD screens and Wi-Fi connectivity will ensure enhanced experience for all passengers on long-haul flights. Aeroflot will operate its A350-900 from Moscow to a number of destinations including London, Dubai, New York, Miami, Osaka and Beijing.

The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments – up to ultra-long haul (9,700 nm). Its Airspace by Airbus cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight flying experience. The aircraft features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies result in 25% lower operating costs, as well as 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO₂ emissions compared with previous-generation competing aircraft – demonstrating Airbus’ commitment to minimise its environmental footprint while remaining at the cutting edge of air travel.

Frontier Airlines Announces Nonstop Flights from Ontario to Seattle

February 25, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines today announces its continued expansion at Ontario International Airport (ONT) with new low-fare summer seasonal nonstop flights to Seattle. The new service is in addition to five new routes announced in Dec. 2019, which included international service to Guatemala and El Salvador. To celebrate this new service, Frontier is offering fares as low as $49*, which are available now at FlyFrontier.com.

“We’re proud to lead the unprecedented growth in air service from Ontario and further expand our network to nine routes from ONT with new nonstop flights to Seattle,” said Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial for Frontier Airlines. “Ontario International Airport’s convenience paired with Frontier’s low fares and friendly service have proven to be a combination for success and we look forward to enhancing our valued partnership.”

New route from Ontario International Airport (ONT):

Service is seasonal and frequency and times are subject to change, so please check FlyFrontier.com for the most updated schedule.

New routes from ONT announced Dec. 2019:

“We pride ourselves on becoming a low-cost airport and our approach is proving to be attractive to our airline partners,” said Mark Thorpe, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “Ontario has capacity to grow which is advantageous to carriers adding new aircratt and our hallmark no-hassle experience continues to appeal to our traveling customers.”

Frontier is focused on more than low fares. The carrier offers customers the ability to customize travel to their needs and budget. For example, customers can purchase options a la carte or in one low-priced bundle called the WORKS. This bundle includes refundability, a carry-on bag, a checked bag, the best available seat, waived change fees, and priority boarding.

The airline’s frequent flier program, FRONTIER Miles, lets members enjoy many benefits as well as attain Elite status. Like the airline, FRONTIER Miles is family friendly, and the program makes it easy for families to enjoy the rewards together, including family pooling of miles. FRONTIER Milesis aptly named because you earn one mile for every mile flown – no funny formulas at Frontier. If a customer travels a little or a lot, they will find FRONTIER Miles rewarding.

Frontier operates over 95 A320 family aircraft and has the largest A320neo fleet in the U.S., delivering the highest level of noise reduction and fuel-efficiency, compared to previous models. The use of these aircraft, Frontier’s seating configuration, weight-saving tactics and baggage process have all contributed to the airline’s average of 39% fuel savings compared to other U.S. airlines (fuel savings is based on Frontier Airlines 2018 fuel consumption per seat-mile compared to the weighted average of major U.S. airlines), which makes Frontier the most fuel-efficient U.S. airline. More information about Frontier’s green commitments are available at FlyFrontier.com/Green.

With over 150 new Airbus planes on order, Frontier will continue to grow to deliver on the mission of providing affordable travel across America. Frontier’s young fleet also ensures that the company keeps fares low and that customers will enjoy a pleasant and reliable experience flying with the airline.

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