Burbank, California, January 25, 2024 — Avelo Airlines was among the attendees at the Los Angeles Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) groundbreaking of the airport’s new terminal last Thursday.
The 355,000 square-foot facility will replace Hollywood Burbank’s current 94-year-old terminal utilized by Avelo and eight other airlines. BUR’s new terminal will have 14 gates, a variety of options for dining and shopping, more space to move about, and an upgraded TSA checkpoint, among other features.
Key speakers included Hollywood Burbank Airport’s Executive Director Frank Miller, President of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority Felicia Williams and Rep. Tony Cardenas, who represents California’s 29th congressional district. Avelo’s Director of Airport Relations Somer Shindler represented Avelo at the ceremony.
September 20, 2023,– NetJets named launch customer for the new Cessna Citation Ascend
Wichita, Kansas, Business Wire – Textron Aviation (NYSE: TXT) and NetJets, a Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKa) today announced a record-breaking fleet agreement for the option for NetJets to purchase up to 1,500 additional Cessna Citation business jets over the next 15 years. This agreement extends NetJets’ existing fleet agreement, and includes options for an increasing number of aircraft each year, enabling NetJets to expand its fleet with Cessna Citation Ascend, Citation Latitude and Citation Longitude aircraft. Equally exciting is the announcement that NetJets has been named the fleet launch customer for Textron Aviation’s newest jet — the Citation Ascend. Deliveries of the Citation Ascend are expected to begin in 2025 when the aircraft, currently under development, is expected to enter into service.
Since the inception of the more than 40-year relationship between the companies, NetJets has taken delivery of more than 800 aircraft from Textron Aviation, including exercising over 300 options for Citation Latitudes and Longitudes during the past eight years. This enduring relationship equips discerning customers with class-leading, safe, and reliable aviation travel experiences worldwide. Through the years, NetJets has owned and operated industry-leading Citations including the Citation SII, V, Excel/XLS, Sovereign, X, Latitude and Longitude models.
The Citation series of business jets has evolved to offer an unmatched range of capabilities, systems and options that allow customers to expand their business reach. More than 30 Citation models have been certified over the 50-year history of the Citation line. There are currently six Citation models in production: Citation M2 Gen2,Citation CJ3+, Citation CJ4 Gen2, Citation XLS Gen2, Citation Latitude and Citation Longitude, with the Citation Ascend under development.
Battery-powered tram offers major benefits of requiring no overhead wires or other electrified infrastructure – saving on costs and visual impact
On-board batteries allow energy to be additionally recovered during breaking
Trial in Florence aims to allow mobility firm to offer battery-trams globally
Tram adds to the growing list of battery products being developed as Hitachi puts decarbonisation and sustainability at the heart of its global strategy
Hitachi Rail has successfully tested its first battery-powered tram in Florence – an important milestone towards expanding the firm’s offer to market the vehicles across the world.
While traditional tram lines require electrified infrastructure – usually overhead wires supported by poles or pylons – that are expensive to install and visually unattractive. Battery trams offer the opportunity to run high capacity public transport through city centres, while saving millions on installing wires and reducing the visual impact on beautiful historic streets, like Florence.
The trial involves installing battery packs on an existing Hitachi-built Sirio tram, which covered a section of the line under battery power. The innovation allows power to be returned to the batteries when the train breaks, reducing the overall amount of energy consumed and protecting the environment.
This news is the latest in a number of announcements from the global mobility firm as expands its sustainability credentials and its zero-carbon offer to its customers around the world. Hitachi recently announced the trial of a battery train in the UK and delivery of hybrid trains in Italy, having built one of the world’s first battery powered train fleets that operates in Japan.
Hitachi has a rich heritage of building trams and tramways in Europe and in Asia, and is involved in new tram and metro infrastructure projects in the Americas and in the UK.
Andrea Pepi, Head of Sales and Projects Italy, Hitachi Rail said: “Our aim is to use our technology and our work to help build a sustainable society and contribute to the well-being of people around the world by improving their quality of life.”
“This is a key milestone as we pioneer this new technology that allow us to work with our customers to reduce infrastructure costs while still offering environmentally-friendly public transport. We hope this successful trial in Italy creates new opportunities for us across the world.”
The Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella said: “We are happy that Hitachi Rail has chosen the tramway in Florence to test this innovation. Battery-powered trams can revolutionize this type of service within cities. Public transport, especially in historic centers, will have to be less impactful and increasingly sustainable. This marks another significant step forward for the tramways in Florence.”
PORTLAND, MAINE – The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA) announced today that the Amtrak Downeaster achieved record breaking ridership of 574,404 passengers in calendar year 2019, a 7.8% increase from 2018. The previous ridership record of 546,056 passengers was set in 2017.
The Amtrak Downeaster experienced record ridership growth in 9 out of 12 months, according to NNEPRA Marketing Director, Natalie Bogart, who reported that August 2019 was the highest ridership month in Downeaster history. “August ridership of 60,944 was an all-time record and the first time that Downeaster ridership surpassed 60,000 passengers in a month.”
NNEPRA attributes the ridership surge to increased frequency to Freeport and Brunswick, improved reliability, as well as repeat riders. Amtrak Customer Satisfaction score of 91% suggests that people are not only riding the Downeaster, but are finding it to be enjoyable as well. When compared to Amtrak services throughout the country, passengers rank the Downeaster among the top services for friendliness, overall satisfaction, and quality of on-board food service.
“These results are particularly impressive,” stated NNEPRA Chairman, John Melrose. “We are committed to the continued growth of the Downeaster service and are working hard in 2020 to improve/ expand transportation alternatives to further enhance mobility to our citizens and support economic growth for Maine Businesses.”
For additional Amtrak Downeaster information or to purchase tickets visit: AmtrakDowneaster.com
Amtrak Downeaster, POR, 2016, 15th Anniversary of the Downeaster, Portland Intermodal Station, Chuck Gomez
WASHINGTON, WAS
ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) – Billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX accused the U.S. Air Force of breaking contracting rules when it awarded money to three rocket makers but passed on Musk’s rival bid, and said the tender should be reopened, according to a court filing unsealed on Wednesday.
In the complaint, Space Exploration Technologies Corp said contracts were awarded for three “unbuilt, unflown” rocket systems that would not be ready to fly under the government’s timeline, “defeating the very objectives” outlined by the Air Force’s program.
SpaceX asked the court to force the Air Force to reopen the $2.3 billion Launch Service Agreements competition and reconsider the Hawthorne, California-based company’s proposal.
The agreement is part of a Department of Defense initiative to assure constant military access to space and curb reliance on Russian-made RD-180 engines.
In the watershed race for dominance in the space industry, new entrants including SpaceX and billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, compete for lucrative contracts for military launch services. The arena has been long dominated by incumbents like Boeing Co-Lockheed Martin Corp’s United Launch Alliance (ULA).
ULA was granted $967 million under the program for developing its heavy-lift Vulcan rocket, Blue Origin won $500 million for its New Glenn rocket, and Northrop Grumman Corp was awarded $791.6 million for its OmegA rocket development.
In separate court filings this week, all three companies argued they should be parties to the lawsuit because of their direct financial interest in its outcome.
A SpaceX spokesperson said the company sued to “ensure a level playing field for competition.”
Representatives for the Air Force and ULA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Blue Origin declined to comment.
SpaceX’s complaint was filed with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims last Friday under seal, along with a request for the court to keep the proceedings secret under a protective order, citing proprietary information. A redacted complaint was filed Wednesday.
SpaceX alleged the Air Force broke contracting rules on five different counts and asked the court to halt deliveries of the award to the three companies and force a re-evaluation of the proposals.
The Air Force rejected a formal objection from SpaceX in April regarding the terms of the awards.
SpaceX has sued the government over contracts before, most prominently in 2014 to protest a multibillion-dollar, non-compete contract for 36 rocket launches to United Launch Alliance. It dropped the lawsuit after the Air Force agreed to open up the competition.
(Reporting by Joey Roulette in Orlando, Florida; Editing by Eric M. Johnson and Richard Chang)
FILE PHOTO: SpaceX headquarters is shown in Hawthorne, California, U.S. September 19, 2018. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
A brand new ground transportation centre has opened at Nashville International Airport. The new complex is part of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s BNA Vision Project, a $1.2 billion expansion and renovation plan geared towards meeting the regions population growth and record-breaking passenger numbers.
The new facility came in under budget, and features a six-level, 2,200-space garage equipped with parking guidance and sensors that will direct drivers to open parking spots.
A covered walkway connects the parking garage to the terminal, and airport information displays are located at all five passenger elevators on the first level.
The first level of the garage has dedicated hubs for buses, limos, ride-sharing services, shuttles, and taxis.
JE Dunn Construction was the general contractor for the project, which includes car locating kiosks, electric-vehicle charging stations, and a fee-free tire-inflation unit.
