Tag: Bavaria

Lufthansa connects India Silicon Valley to Munich and beyond

November 8, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Deutsche Lufthansa Group AG (Xetra: LHAG) connected the Indian metropolis of Bengaluru with Munich, the capital of Bavaria when its new service began on November 4, 2023. Alongside Delhi and Mumbai, Bengaluru is the third Indian city with a direct connection for travelers via Lufthansa’s 5 star Munich hub and is India’s third-largest city. The Indian city serves an IT hub and a center of the aerospace industry.

India in Focus

With a legacy in India that spans more than 90 years, the Lufthansa Group will be operating 64 weekly frequencies between India and Europe by January 2024. The Indian aviation market is currently the 3rd largest globally. This Bengaluru-Munich service represents Lufthansa’s strong commitment to the Indian market as Lufthansa Group’s capacity to India now exceeds pre-COVID levels.

Currently operating service three times a week and conveniently arriving the same day at 8:05 in Munich, Lufthansa guests will enjoy their experience on one of the most modern and fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft, the Airbus A350-900. As with all services to India, local cuisine and catering will be offered to passengers onboard their direct service from India’s “Silicon Valley” to Munich and beyond.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Denver Airport to Offer More European Flights in 2022 Than Pre Pandemic

December 27, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Story by Alicia Cohn from the Denver Business Journal

Flights between Denver and Europe in summer 2022 will increase by 23% compared to the pre-pandemic summer of 2019, according to Denver International Airport. With new flights beginning or resuming in 2022, DIA “is scheduled for more transatlantic capacity than at any other time in the airport’s history,” the airport said in a press release.

DIA offers more than 20 international destinations, and will expand its European offerings in 2022.

Click the link below to read the full story!

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2021/12/27/denver-airport-european-flights-2022.html?ana=yahoo

Bavaria Orders 8 Five-Bladed Airbus H145 Helicopters for Police Force

December 16, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Donauwörth, Germany December 2021 – The Ministry of Interior of Bavaria has ordered eight five-bladed Airbus (OTC: EADSY) H145 helicopter’s for its police force, following a European tender launched earlier this year. The aircraft will replace the state’s current H135 fleet and will be operated by the two bases of the Bavarian helicopters squadron at the airport in Munich and in Roth, close to Nuremberg. The first delivery is planned for 2023.

The new version of Airbus’ best-selling H145 light twin-engine helicopter was unveiled at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta. 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.

In total, there are more than 1,500 H145 family helicopters in service, logging a total of more than six million flight hours. Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.

Alstom to Provide Additional 64 Commuter Trains to Hamburg, Germany

September 12, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Alstom and S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH have signed a contract for the delivery of an additional 64 Class 490 S-Bahn trains. The order is an option from a framework contract signed in 2013 and is valued at around 500 million euro.

As with the previous trains, passengers will enjoy the proven amenities of these three-car electric multiple units, but with the addition of some new improvements to better meet the needs of Hamburg’s passengers. For example, the new S-Bahn train’s middle cars will feature a multipurpose area with room for bicycles, luggage, and dedicated spaces to accommodate passengers with limited mobility.

However, the train’s most significant innovation will be invisible to passengers. For the first time in Germany, S-Bahn trains will be equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS) Baseline 3 Release 2 and automated train operation (ATO) technology. Together, these technologies will ensure denser and more frequent service and enable Hamburg to provide more fluid transport while increasing the overall number of train journeys. In addition, the flexibility of Hamburg’s new S-Bahn trains means that they will couple with the 82 Class 490 S-Bahn trains already in service.

Photo of main Hamberg train station from author’s visit in 2016.

This order marks Germany’s first implementation of ATO in automation level 2 (GoA 2) for new S-Bahn vehicles. In addition, S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH will receive vehicles that already comply with the latest state-of-the-art signalling technology. The trains will be delivered with Alstom’s intelligent onboard technology for ETCS, with integrated ATO software that meets the high demands of future digital rail operations in terms of performance, availability, and automation.

Initially, Alstom will manufacture three vehicles that will undergo extensive testing and inspection, in particular for approval of their ETCS and ATO functionalities. Vehicle deliveries to Hamburg are scheduled for 2025 and 2026.

Among others, Alstom’s sites in Hennigsdorf, Bautzen (production), Berlin (signalling), Braunschweig, Siegen and Mannheim, Germany, will be involved in the production of the new S-Bahn trains. This is in addition to sites in Charleroi, Belgium (ETCS), Wroclaw, Poland, Västeras, Sweden and Vadodara, India, which will also participate in production.

In Germany, Alstom offers innovative solutions for sustainable mobility and is one of the leading suppliers of railway technology with metros, suburban trains, trams, regional trains, locomotives and signalling solutions. Our trains travel from Schleswig-Holstein to Bavaria. More than 70% of high-speed trains running in Germany are equipped with Alstom’s ETCS signalling solutions. In Lower Saxony, Alstom is building the world’s first fuel cell-powered, completely emission-free Cordia iLint regional train in series production. Alstom is Germany’s only manufacturer of infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility solutions to provide maintenance, service and modernisation of all mass transit trains for all manufacturers’ series, as well as information systems.

Lufthansa to Fly Boeing 747 and Airbus A350 to Mallorca Due to High Demand

June 11, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

– Wide body aircraft to operate to Palma de Mallorca from both Frankfurt and Munich

– First departure planned from Frankfurt on July 17 and on July 31 from Munich

– Tickets now available for booking

Lufthansa is taking extraordinary measures in order to respond to a significant increase in booking demand for flights to Palma de Mallorca from both Frankfurt and Munich. The booking figures for the destination “PMI” have increased 25 times between April and the beginning of June 2021: The airline will be operating a Boeing 747-8 from Frankfurt to Palma de Mallorca four Saturdays in a row during the upcoming summer vacation in Hesse. Additionally, the airline also plans to operate an Airbus A350 from Munich to the Balearic Island at the start of the summer vacation in Bavaria. Although these routes are normally operated by an Airbus A321, on 31 July, two wide-body Lufthansa aircraft will be arriving on Palma de Mallorca.

Departing Frankfurt with the “Jumbo”

The Boeing 747-8 is the largest aircraft that Lufthansa is currently operating, offering up to 364 seats instead of the usual 215, which are normally available on this route. This wide-body aircraft offers passengers 88 Business Class seats (including First Class) as well as 276 seats in Economy Class (including Premium Economy).

The first “Jumbo” flight, LH1152, will be departing the Rhine Main metropolis on Saturday 17July at 10:20 a.m., just in time for the start of the Hessian summer vacation, and arrive at Palma de Mallorca airport at 12:25 p.m. The return flight, LH1153 will take place the same day at 14:25 p.m., arriving in Frankfurt at 16:45 p.m.

The modern and kerosene-efficient Boeing 747-8, also known as the “Queen of the Skies”, will operate for an addition three weekends, specifically on 24 July, 31 July and 7 August.

Departing Munich with the Airbus A350

The Airbus A350 is the most sustainable long-haul aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet. It consumes 20 percent less kerosene and is 50 percent quieter than previous models. Those who want to experience the Lufthansa Airbus A350 along with its multi-award-winning cabin now have the chance to do so now. The aircraft offers 293 seats, including 48 in Business Class and 245 in Economy Class (including Premium Economy).

The A350 flight to Palma de Mallorca will take place at the start of the Bavarian summer vacations on Saturday 31 July. Departure from Munich is planned for 9:50 a.m. under flight number LH2658, arriving in Palma de Mallorca at 12:00 a.m. The return flight, LH2659, will take place the same day at 13:30 a.m. arriving in Munich at 15:35 p.m.

Defence Ministers of Germany and France visit Airbus in Manching

September 17, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

During a visit of the Airbus premises in Manching, Europe’s largest military aviation development centre, the Defence Ministers of Germany and France, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Florence Parly, expressed their nations’ support for key European defence programmes.

Ministers Kramp-Karrenbauer and Parly met with senior company executives led by Airbus Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Guillaume Faury, Airbus Defence and Space CEO Dirk Hoke as well as local policy-makers.

The event marked the first-ever joint visit of a German and French Defence Minister on site, which is home to some 5,600 Airbus employees from 43 nationalities and some 1,000 service-members from the German armed forces.

Both Ministers stressed the importance of fostering key European defence programmes such as the development of an European drone, the so called Euro MALE RPAS unmanned aerial vehicle, and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

An European industry consortium under the lead of Airbus, with its partners Dassault Aviation and Leonardo, aims at developing a European drone for France, Germany, Italy and Spain, also often publicly referred to as the “EuroDrone”. This new system is designed to bring unique operational capability to Europe in the field of unmanned aerial surveillance.

The FCAS programme, brought to life by the governments of France and Germany in 2017, will provide the next level of airpower by creating a System of Systems of manned and unmanned platforms with full operational capability planned for 2040. Spain has meanwhile joined the programme, making FCAS a true European endeavour.

On the industrial side, Dassault Aviation and Airbus are leading the FCAS activities together with other key partners. Despite constraints due the COVID19 pandemic, the Joint Concept Study, launched in 2019, and the Demonstrator Phase 1A, launched this year, remain on track.

“The visit of the French and German Defence Ministers to Manching is a clear signal of the importance of a strong and capable defence industry for Europe”, said Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus. “Manching is the centre of competence and national champion for all German fixed-wing military platforms and thus of strategic importance for our local customer. Here, we are also shaping the future of military aviation with multinational programmes such as the EuroDrone and FCAS and we are very grateful that we could showcase this today to decision-makers.”

Besides ongoing programmes, the Ministers also received a glimpse of the high-end technical engineering capabilities of Airbus by visiting into the future of flight with the Low Observable UAV Testbed (LOUT), a research project funded by the German Ministry of Defence that had first been publicly revealed in the fall of 2019. Low observability will be one of the key factors in the development of the Future Combat Air System.

Policymakers also praised the high-level visit to one of Bavaria’s top industry sites:

“Manching is a prime example of what Europe can achieve in defence if we join forces. Not only are we proud of the international spirit we see here in Bavaria coming from companies like Airbus where Germans, French, Spanish, British and other nationalities are working hand in hand. Manching is also an example for unique and critically important cooperation models with the Bundeswehr”, said Reinhard Brandl, member of the CSU in the Bundestag’s budget committee. “The future of European defence and the future of high-tech industry sites such as Manching hinges on programmes such as FCAS and the EuroDrone. Therefore, we have to ensure they are endorsed and brought forward in a joint and balanced manner.”

Siemens Mobility Awarded Billion-Euro Order for Deutsche Bahn High-Speed Trains

August 10, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Beginning in 2022, DB will expand its mainline fleet with 30 new high-speed trains. Deutsche Bahn has awarded the billion-euro order to Siemens Mobility. DB called for tenders at the end of 2019 when the federal government announced it would be reducing the value-added tax on mainline rail tickets as of the beginning of 2020.

The trains will initially run on routes between the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Munich via the high-speed Cologne-Rhine-Main line. The new trains will increase DB’s daily passenger capacity on these mainline routes by 13,000 seats.

Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn AG said: “Today marks a big step for a strong and environmentally friendly rail system: DB is investing in new trains at a record level. Our fleet will be getting state-of-the-art additions with the new ICE trains, and our passengers will benefit from more seats, greater comfort and higher speeds by the end of 2022. The entire DB fleet will grow by 20 percent over the coming years. Even though demand has sharply declined due to the corona pandemic, everything speaks in favor of climate-friendly rail transport for the longer term. That’s why we’re committed to growth!”

Andreas Scheuer, Germany’s Federal Minister for Transportation and Digital Infrastructure, commented: “The new, ultra-modern ICE trains make rail travel even more attractive – also because high-performance high-speed trains, along with modern rail infrastructure, are a key prerequisite for increasing the frequency of nation-wide rail service. With this move, rail is increasingly becoming a climate-friendly alternative for long-distance travel. The order is also a strong economic stimulus and therefore a positive signal for many employees in the rail industry and their families. With an order of this size, we are securing thousands of jobs and strengthening innovations made in Germany.”

“We are helping Deutsche Bahn implement its master plan for transforming Germany’s transport sector. The goal is to massively reduce CO2 emissions while at the same time attracting more people to public transport,” said Roland Busch, Deputy CEO andMember of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. “Siemens and DB have long enjoyed a highly successful partnership. The most important requirement for the ICE order was to get the new trains on the rails very quickly. We can do exactly that by relying on our proven Velaro platform.”

By 2026, 421 ICE trains with 220,000 seats will be operating on Germany’s rail system. In addition to the 30 new ICE trains just ordered, there is an option for an additional 60 trains.

The new ICE trains will be manufactured at Siemens locations in North Rhine- Westphalia, Bavaria and Austria. Technically, the train is based on the proven platform of the ICE 3. The new trains will have 440 seats and a top speed of 320 km/h. They will offer passengers greater comfort and convenience with features like frequency- transparent windows for stable mobile phone reception and space for transporting bicycles.