Tag: Beijing (Page 1 of 5)

Embraer E195-E2 granted type certification in China

August 23, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Beijing, China, August 23rd, 2023 – Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) E195-E2, the largest member of the E-Jet family, has been granted its Type Certificate by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). This follows the certification of the E190-E2 received from CAAC in November last year, during the Zhuhai Air Show.

According to Embraer’s latest 20-Year Market Outlook published in June, Asia Pacific including China is expected to show a strong growth rate, increasing its RPKs by 4.4% annually over the next 20 years. The need for flexibility, complementing narrow-body aircraft, is driving demand in the up-to-150-seat segment in China.

Last year in November, Embraer E195-E2 ‘TechLion’ visited China and made its debut at the Zhuhai Airshow, exhibiting its capabilities to China’s aerospace leaders, including the outstanding performance, minimal noise and emissions, and low operation costs.

The E195-E2 entered into service in 2019 with Azul. As the largest member of the E-Jet family, E195-E2 accommodates between 120 and 146 passengers. It is the most fuel-efficient single aisle aircraft flying today, delivering 25% better fuel efficiency per seat, compared to previous generation E-Jets.

In June 2022, the E195-E2 was successfully tested on 100% SAF, confirming that the E-Jets E2 family can fly with blends of up to 100% SAF without any compromise to safety or performance. Today, the E2 emits 25% fewer CO2 emissions compared to previous generation aircraft; this reduction can be increased to 85% with SAF.

United to resume flights to Beijing Flying and reintroduces daily service to Shanghai

August 11, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Chicago, Illinois, August 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAL) today announces it will resume daily flying between San Francisco and Beijing this November and will increase flying to Shanghai with daily flights from San Francisco, starting October 1, 2023. These enhancements to United’s Asia Pacific schedule are enabled by agreement between the governments of the U.S. and China to increase flights between the two countries.

Shanghai flights are currently available on United.com and on the United app, while the Beijingschedule will be updated in the next week.*

* Flights pending government approval.

Airbus Delivers First A350 From China Widebody Completion and Delivery Center

July 23, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Airbus has delivered the first A350 from its widebody completion & delivery centre in Tianjin (C&DC), China, taking additional steps in the expansion of its global footprint and long-term strategic partnership with China.

The A350-900 aircraft was delivered to China Eastern Airlines, the largest Airbus operator in Asia and second largest in the world. At the end of June 2021, China Eastern Airlines operated an Airbus fleet of 413 aircraft, including 349 A320 Family aircraft, 55 A330 Family aircraft and nine A350 aircraft.

Located at the same site as the Airbus Tianjin A320 Family Final Assembly Line and the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre, the widebody C&DC covers the aircraft completion activities, including cabin installation, aircraft painting and production flight test, as well as customer flight acceptance and aircraft delivery.

The centre was inaugurated in September 2017 with its capability on A330s. Then, during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to China in 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding on the Further Development of Industrial Cooperation was signed in Beijing by He Lifeng, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, and Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer, announcing the C&DC would extend its capability to A350 aircraft.

The A350 features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon-fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these features translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and CO₂ emissions. The A350’s ‘Airspace by Airbus’ cabin is the quietest of any widebody aircraft and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience.

At the end of June 2021, the A350 Family had received 915 firm orders from 49 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.

Mercedes-Benz Berlin Plant Boss to Join Tesla

November 11, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The head of the Berlin engine plant run by Mercedes-Benz has defected to rival Tesla <TSLA>, German union IG Metall said on Wednesday, calling on employees to protest over his departure.

IG Metall declined to name the head of the plant, which has been run by Rene Reif, one the most experienced manufacturing executives at Mercedes-Benz who helped expand manufacturing capacity for Daimler <DAI> in China.

Reif used to be head of engineering and manufacturing at Beijing Benz Automotive Co. Daimler’s Chinese joint venture, which has a manufacturing capacity of around 480,000 cars and started building the electric Mercedes-Benz EQC last year.

Tesla declined to comment on whether it had found a new manager for a Gigafactory being built on the outskirts of Berlin but the electric carmaker is on a global manufacturing expansion push, building or expanding new factories in Texas, Germany and China.

Last month, a source told Reuters that a Tesla manager who oversaw the construction of the electric carmaker’s Gruenheide plant, had left his position.

Daimler said on Wednesday that Reif, 57, the manager of its Mercedes-Benz Berlin plant, which makes powertrains, would go into early retirement at the end of the year, at his own request.

Mercedes-Benz Werk Berlin, Deutschland: Montage des Mercedes-Benz V6 Dieselmotor OM642 / Mercedes-Benz Berlin Plant, Germany: Assembly of the Mercedes-Benz V6 diesel engine OM642

German unions have lamented the fact that traditional carmakers are cutting investment into combustion engine technologies as regulators clamp down on emissions and as demand for vehicles is hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

IG Metall said there would be a protest in front of the Mercedes factory on Thursday and called on Daimler to present solutions that would help to guarantee the future of the plant.

The union said Daimler managers had outlined cost savings plans and union officials fear the Berlin plant’s future is at risk.

Daimler said Clemenz Dobrawa, who currently heads up the Mercedes-Benz battery manufacturing plant in Kamenz, had taken over leadership of the Mercedes-Benz plants in Hamburg and Berlin earlier this month.

“Thanks to his activity as representative in Kamenz, he brings important know-how for the transformation toward electromobility,” Daimler said, adding the Berlin plant would be restructured to serve an ‘Electric First’ strategy.

(Reporting by Edward Taylor and Ilona Wissenbach. Editing by Jane Merriman)

US & China to Allow 4 Weekly Flights Each for Airlines

June 15, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Delta to fly next week

FILE PHOTO: Delta Air Lines passenger planes parked in Birmingham

(Reuters) – The United States and China will each allow four weekly flights between the two countries, the U.S. Transportation Department said on Monday, easing a standoff on travel restrictions in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The U.S. government still hopes China will agree to restore full U.S. flight rights under their bilateral aviation agreement, the Transportation Department said Monday in its revised order on China flights.

“As the Chinese government allows more flights by U.S. carriers, we will reciprocate,” it said.

The United States had threatened to bar Chinese passenger flights on June 16 due to Beijing’s curbs on U.S. airlines amid simmering tensions between the world’s two largest economies, and has raised concerns about the number of charter flights Chinese carriers want to fly.

Among U.S. airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines had each sought to restart daily passenger flights to China in June but changed their plans in the absence of government approval.

Following China’s agreement to allow four U.S. flights total, Delta said it would operate two flights to Shanghai from Seattle next week and once weekly flights from Seattle and Detroit beginning in July, all via Seoul.

United said it was aiming to re-launch service to China in the weeks ahead.

Chinese authorities have already agreed to some changes on requirements for U.S. carriers, including allowing temperature checks to be done before flights take off for China, rather than mid-flight as previously discussed, a person briefed on the matter said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson and Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Grant McCool and Stephen Coates)

U.S. to Revise Chinese Passenger Airline Ban After Beijing Move

June 4, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

A China Eastern Airlines aircraft is seen at Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Transportation Department plans to issue a revised order in the coming days that is likely to allow some Chinese passenger airline flights to continue, government and airline officials said.

On Thursday, China said it would ease coronavirus restrictions to allow in more foreign carriers, shortly after Washington said it planned to bar Chinese passenger airlines from flying to the United States by June 16 due to Beijing’s curbs on U.S. carriers.

The change should allow U.S. carriers to resume once-a-week flights into a city of their choice starting on June 8, but that would be still significantly fewer than what the U.S. government says its aviation agreement with China allows.

The Transportation Department did not immediately comment.

The department said on Wednesday Chinese carriers could operate “the same number of scheduled passenger flights as the Chinese government allows ours.” It added the order was to “restore a competitive balance and fair and equal opportunity among U.S. and Chinese air carriers.”

The U.S. order would halt the four weekly U.S. roundtrip flights by Air China <0753.HK>, China Eastern Airlines Corp, China Southern Airlines Co <1055.HK> and Xiamen Airlines Co.

U.S. and airline officials have privately raised concerns about the revised Chinese rules and it is unclear if carriers would agree to fly just once a week to China when they have sought approval for two or three daily flights.

Delta Air Lines <DAL.N> and United Airlines <UAL> asked to resume flights to China this month. Both said they were reviewing the order from the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

American Airlines <AAL> is sticking with its previous plan to resume service to China at the end of October, spokesman Ross Feinstein said.

The CAAC said all airlines can increase the number of international flights involving China to two per week if none of their passengers test positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, for three consecutive weeks.

If five or more passengers on one flight test positive upon arrival, the CAAC will bar the airline for a week. Airlines would be suspended for four weeks if 10 passengers or more test positive.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; additional reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Editing by Chris Reese, Richard Chang and Bernadette Baum)

Tesla to Slash Headcount at Nevada Gigafactory by 75%

March 27, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. electric carmaker Tesla Inc <TSLA> plans to slash on-site staff at its Nevada battery plant by around 75% due to the coronavirus pandemic, the local county manager said on Thursday.

The move comes after its Japanese battery partner Panasonic Corp <6752.T> said it would scale down operations at the Nevada factory this week before closing it for 14 days.

The factory produces electric motors and battery packs for Tesla’s popular Model 3 sedans.

“Tesla has informed us that the Gigafactory in Storey County is reducing on-site staff by roughly 75% in the coming days,” Austin Osborne said in a post on the county’s website.

No further details were available and it was not clear how many employees work in the factory. Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Reno Gazette Journal, which earlier reported the planned suspension, said Panasonic has about 3,500 employees at the Nevada plant.

Tesla said last week it would temporarily suspend production at its vehicle factory in San Francisco Bay Area from end of March 23, as well as at its New York solar roof tile factory.

However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company will reopen the New York plant “as soon as humanly possible” to manufacture ventilators for coronavirus patients.

Two employees of Tesla have tested positive for coronavirus but have been working from home for the past two weeks and had not been symptomatic at work, Tesla said in an email to employees on Thursday. It did not disclose which unit or at what location the employees work.

(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Himani Sarkar)

HNA Group Rises After Company Asks Chinese Government for Help

March 1, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, March 2 (Reuters) – Shares in HNA Group-controlled companies rose on Monday after the Chinese aviation and tourism conglomerate said it had asked the government to help it resolve liquidity risk caused by the coronavirus outbreak which has put heavy pressure on the airline industry.

HNA directly owns or holds stakes in a number of local Chinese carriers, which have suffered in recent weeks from widespread flight cancellations and plummeting demand.

Hainan Airlines Holding Co Ltd, the flagship of HNA Group Co Ltd, rose by over 3% by 0400 GMT, while HNA Technology Investments Holdings Ltd surged nearly 40%.

Other units such as HNA Investment Group Co Ltd and HNA Technology Co Ltd also saw their prices climb.

HNA Group said on Saturday it had asked the Hainan provincial government to lead a working group as it was not able to deal with the liquidity risk itself.

The group had acknowledged liquidity issues before the coronavirus outbreak started. In December, Chairman Chen Feng said HNA had faced cash flow shortage that forced it to delay salary payments.

Its Saturday announcement has driven heavy discussion in China on whether there will be a carving up of its assets.

Two weeks ago, HNA-related shares likewise rose on a media report that said China’s government planned to take over the debt-laden conglomerate.

“The implementation of a government acquisition would be challenging as HNA’s structure is complex,” Warut Promboon, head of credit research at Bondcritic, said on Monday. “Overall, it is credit positive. HNA has grown too fast and is too big that it needs to be broken down. The restructuring will be best under the state support.”

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.

EVA Air to Cut Down Cross-Strait Route Network to 5 Destinations in China

February 8, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Starting from February 10th to April 29th, EVA will cut down its cross-strait route network to five destinations in China in compliance with Taiwan government’s epidemic prevention policy. Please refer to the details.

In compliance with Taiwan government’s epidemic prevention policy, EVA Air is reducing flights to / from Mainland China. Starting from February 10th to April 29th, EVA will cut down its cross-strait route network to five destinations in China, including Beijing, Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Xiamen and Chengdu.

EVA is working on the flight cancellation for February and updating the information on its website. The schedule changes for March and April will be announced next week.

For the latest schedule update as well as related rules of ticket refund, itinerary change and service charge exemption, passengers can visit EVA’s dedicated webpage for the flights affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak:

https://www.evaair.com/en-global/emer/2019-nCoV.html

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