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United Adds 127 Nonstop Flights for 2023 College Football Season

Chicago, Illinois, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – United (Nasdaq: UAL) today announced the addition of 127 new, nonstop flights to help college football fans cheer on their favorite teams at 30 games this season.

Last year, more than 50,000 fans flew United to some of the most iconic college football towns across the country. This year, the airline will continue to help fans get to games to cheer on teams including Wisconsin, USC, University of Michigan, Penn State and more.

In addition to the airline’s special schedule, United is partnering with USC Trojans quarterback and 2023 Heisman Award Winner Caleb Williams for a name, image, likeness (NIL) agreement to hype up college football fans in United’s advertising and social media. He’ll appear in a variety of United advertising and social media spots during the season as well as post to his own account.

The airline has added more flights and will be flying larger planes to select cities for the following games:

  • Sept. 2: Tennessee State University @ University of Notre Dame
  • Sept. 3: Louisiana State University @ Florida State University
  • Sept. 9: University of Texas-Austin @ University of Alabama
  • Sept. 9: University of Nevada, Las Vegas @ University of Michigan
  • Sept. 9: University of Cincinnati @ University of Pittsburgh
  • Sept. 9: University of Notre Dame @ North Carolina State University
  • Sept. 16: Northwestern University @ Duke University
  • Sept. 16: University of Washington – Seattle @ Michigan State University
  • Sept. 23: Ohio State University @ University of Notre Dame
  • Sept. 23: University of Arkansas @ Louisiana State University
  • Sept. 23: University of Mississippi @ University of Alabama
  • Sept. 23: University of Iowa @ Penn State University
  • Sept 23: University of Oklahoma @ University of Cincinnati
  • Sept. 30: Louisiana State University @ University of Mississippi
  • Sept. 30: University of Notre Dame @ Duke University
  • Oct. 7: University of Arkansas @ University of Mississippi
  • Oct. 14: University of Southern California @ University of Notre Dame
  • Oct. 14: University of Arkansas @ University of Alabama
  • Oct. 14: Louisiana State University @ Auburn University
  • Oct. 14: Ohio State University @ Purdue University
  • Oct. 14: University of Iowa @ University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Oct. 21: University of Tennessee @ University of Alabama
  • Oct. 21: Penn State University @ Ohio State University
  • Oct. 28: University of Pittsburgh @ University of Notre Dame
  • Oct. 28: Ohio State University @ University of Wisconsin
  • Nov. 4: University of Notre Dame @ Clemson University
  • Nov. 4: Louisiana State University @ University of Alabama
  • Nov. 11: University of Michigan @ Penn State University
  • Nov. 11: University of Pittsburgh @ Syracuse University
  • Nov. 18: University of Georgia @ University of Tennessee
  • Nov. 18: Wake Forest University @ University of Notre Dame

Tickets are on sale now in the United app or at United.com

Date Announced for the 2022 Aer Lingus College Football Classic

A joint announcement in the US and Ireland has today revealed that Northwestern University (Wildcats) will take on the University of Nebraska (Cornhuskers) in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 27 August 2022. The Aer Lingus College Football five-game series was due to start in 2020 but was disrupted due the pandemic so this announcement is a significant milestone in getting the series back on track.

This is the first time that either team has ever travelled to play in Ireland and so, were thrilled to accept the invitation to take to the field and open the 2022 College Football Season at the world-famous Aviva Stadium. Nebraska was set to travel to Dublin later this summer for their game against Illinois, however, it was postponed because of Covid-19.

As Nebraska is one of the most successful American College Football teams in history, and with such strong Irish ties to the city of Chicago where the Wildcats are based, the game is sure to be a huge draw to sports fans here in Ireland as well as across the US and Europe. It is expected that it will also generate a massive €63million for the Irish Economy next year, providing a much-needed boost for the country’s Tourism and Hospitality sectors.

The wholly anticipated fixture is scheduled for week zero, and as both teams are a part of the famed Big Ten Conference, over 18,000 US fans and 5,000 European fans are expected to travel for the game that will be a major international, post-covid event for Ireland. The Series principal stakeholders are Aer Lingus, Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council.

Ticketing / Hospitality & Travel Packages

Hospitality packages for the 2022 game are on sale now through the official corporate hospitality game partner Corporate.ie. Travel packages are on sale through the official travel partner On Location in partnership with Abbey Group Ireland. Corporate group ticketing opportunities will also be launched towards the end of the year. General ticketing information to be released in due course, with a pre-sale sign-up option available on the official game website.

Southwest Airlines Eugene, Oregon Service to Begin August 29, 2021

Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE: LUV) today published an initial flight schedule for Eugene Airport (EUG) in Oregon, bringing the airline’s low fares, flexible policies, and Hospitality closer to more outdoor attractions in the Pacific Northwest. Southwest Airlines® will offer nonstop, roundtrip service once daily to Las Vegas and twice daily to Oakland in the Bay Area, bringing additional same-plane or connecting roundtrip service daily between Eugene and more than 30 airports across the Southwest route map.

 “We welcome new Customers to Southwest as we continue an expansion across the nation to bring additional service and open new cities,” said Andrew Watterson, Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer. “The addition of Eugene to our map positions easy access to Southwest all around Track Town USA, and is a request from leisure and business travelers who value our flexibility and Hospitality.”

EUGENE, OREGON FLIGHTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE 
Beginning Aug. 29, 2021, Southwest will commence service to a second city in Oregon, having served Portland since 1994. Southwest Customers will be able to experience the vibrant arts, college athletics, and outdoor beauty of Eugene and the surrounding regions through new service available for purchase now at Southwest.com:

Fly nonstop between
Eugene, Ore. and:
Initial flight schedule (roundtrip service, nonstop):One-way fares as low as*:
Las VegasOnce daily$49
OaklandTwice daily$39

Cirrus Aircraft Unveils TRAC Series Flight Training Aircraft

Duluth, Minn. & Knoxville, Tenn. – Cirrus Aircraft has announced the TRAC Series, a purpose-built configuration of the best-selling SR Series line of aircraft developed specifically for flight training institutions. The TRAC Series is thoughtfully crafted with reliability, durability and economy in mind to meet the rigors of high-tempo flight operations, while providing industry-leading safety and performance for both the pilot trainee and flight instructor. Combining the Perspective+TM by Garmin® flight deck along with the unrivaled performance and safety uniquely found in the SR Series, the TRAC Series includes tailored features such as rear seat push-to-talk functionality and a landing gear simulator aimed at increasing training productivity.

“Our commitment to flight training goes far beyond innovation in aircraft design to include a unique approach to attracting and training future generations of aviators,” said Zean Nielsen, CEO at Cirrus Aircraft. “The TRAC Series delivers a 21st century solution for world-class, forward-thinking flight training institutions.”

Designed to be the ultimate training platform, the technologically-advanced TRAC Series boasts an impressive list of features and capabilities that complement the aircraft’s stable flight characteristics. The integrated Perspective+ flight deck includes two large flight displays, a Flight Management System (FMS) keypad controller, an Electronic Stability and Protection system, as well as integrated engine indication and crew alerting/warning systems – all features found on today’s advanced airliners.

“Premier flight programs around the world continue to select Cirrus Aircraft for their training fleets,” said David Moser, Vice President of Fleet & Special Mission Aircraft Sales at Cirrus Aircraft. “These partnerships have been instrumental in our development of the technologically-advanced, cost-effective TRAC platform designed exclusively for leading flight academies and universities across the globe.”

Cirrus Aircraft has redesigned the interior to meet the unique needs of a high-utilization training environment, replacing the luxury materials found in the SR Series with a durable all-weather floor liner and easy to clean wear-resistant seats. The spacious cabin provides an optimal workspace to learn and train, with more space than typical training aircraft, rear seats for additional students or observers and optional air conditioning for comfort in all seasons.

The TRAC SR20 comes equipped with a modern Lycoming IO-390, 215HP power plant, providing reliability and efficiency for up to 2,400 hours before overhaul, and features a durable all-composite airframe structure with the signature Cirrus Airframe Parachute System® (CAPS®), making the TRAC Series one of the safest and most versatile training airplanes available today. The TRAC Series is further enhanced by a wide array of interactive, tailored flight training content through Cirrus ApproachTM, including online courses, engaging videos and the award-winning iFOM (interactive Flight Operations Manual) for convenient learning anywhere in the world.

With the TRAC Series, Cirrus Aircraft is poised to expand an already impressive list of world-class flight training programs around the globe that operate fleets of Cirrus aircraft, including Emirates Airline, Lufthansa Aviation Training, the United States Air Force Academy, Airbus Flight Academy, Western Michigan University, Oklahoma State University, Japan Civil Aviation College, the Royal Saudi Air Force and many more.

‘System is not Broken’ After 737 MAX Crashes

FILE PHOTO: A Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is seen grounded at a storage area in an aerial photo at Boeing Field in Seattle

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration process for certifying new airplanes is not broken but needs to be improved, the chair of an international panel of air-safety regulators, tasked to review Boeing Co’s <BA> 737 Max, said on Friday.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event at a New York City college, Christopher Hart, chair of the multi-agency panel, said there was no need to question the agency’s overall way of certifying airplanes.

“The U.S. aviation system each day transports millions of people safely, so it’s not like we have to completely overhaul the entire system, it’s not broken. But these incidents have shown us that there are ways to improve the existing system,” Hart said, referring to fatal crashes of a Lion Air 737 MAX in Indonesia and an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX five months apart that killed a total of 346 people.

The MAX remains grounded and Boeing has not set when it will conduct a key certification test flight. Some in Congress and in aviation have criticized the FAA’s longstanding practice of delegating certification tasks to manufacturers.

Michael Perrone, who heads the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said at a House hearing in July that external entities designated by the FAA “are now performing more than 90 percent of FAA’s certification activities despite serious concerns that oversight is lacking.”

Hart, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and a licensed pilot, heads the Joint Authorities Technical Review, a panel including air-safety regulators from the United States, Canada, China, Indonesia, European Union and Brazil.

Reuters reported on Sept. 17 the review’s recommendations will include citing regulations that need to be harmonized internationally and where communications can be improved at the FAA and among international regulators, citing a person briefed on the matter.

Hart on Friday said the panel would release its recommendations to the FAA “shortly,” but declined to provide more details on the timeline. He said the panel’s goal was not for all of its members to agree, but to provide a wide range of opinions and recommendations to the FAA.

Hart spoke to students the Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in Queens. Asked by a student whether passengers can be expected to fly again on a 737 MAX, Hart said he predicted people would “sooner or later forget” about the crashes and investigations.

“This will be the safest airplane out there by the time it has to go through all the hoops and hurdles,” he said.

He also was optimistic when asked whether the deadly crashes would spell the end for Boeing’s 737 MAX programme.

“It will be a cold day in hell before Southwest starts moving away from 737s because that’s all they got,” Hart said, referring to Southwest Airlines Co <LUV.N>, which has cancelled flights into January because of the MAX grounding.

A Southwest Airlines spokesman declined to comment directly on Hart’s comments but said the airline has “no plans to veer away from our all-737 fleet.”

(Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York; Additional reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Daniel Wallis)