In view of the global trend of omni-sourcing, DHL (OTC: DHLGY) Supply Chain, the world’s leading logistics company and part of DHL Group continues its strategic investments into emerging markets and fast-growing economies.
Today, DHL Supply Chain announces a landmark investment of €500 million into the strategically located Latin American markets. These investments made until 2028 are supposed to strengthen DHL’s operations in Latin America. Projects include decarbonizing the domestic fleet through greener alternatives; building, developing and retrofitting its real estate assets and warehouses in the market; as well as significant investments into new technologies, robotics and automation solutions intended to improve workplaces whilst at the same time making operations more effective, flexible and resilient for customers. The investment is part of DHL Supply Chain’s strategic investment plan to further strengthen logistics capabilities in high-demand sectors, such as: Healthcare, automotive, technology, retail, e-commerce, among others.
With the investment into its Latin America infrastructure the DHL Supply Chain is now complementing a long-standing history of strategic investments, acquisitions, and partnerships in the region. Not only the geographical proximity to large consumer markets in North America make the region a springboard to accelerate further growth, it is also the regions own booming sales markets which make it attractive for industries to invest and therewith request additional logistics support.
Amtrak fans across the country may soon spot a few freshly painted locomotives featuring new anniversary logos rolling down the tracks as America’s Railroad® celebrates 50 years of service this year. The first of six different commemorative 50th anniversary locomotives has already entered service on the national network.
“We chose locomotives already budgeted for new paint as part of our life cycle preventative maintenance program and used the opportunity to celebrate this significant milestone on the most iconic component of our business,” said Amtrak President Stephen Gardner. “The locomotive designs uniquely honor our heritage and our vision of connecting communities, economies and families nationwide.”
The commemorative locomotive list includes:
P42 #46 in “Phase V 50th” – The standard Amtrak livery for the past two decades with our “Connecting America for 50 Years” slogan including a large golden yellow 50.
P42 in “Midnight Blue”: An all new one-of-a-kind paint scheme celebrating the dedication and commitment of our employees moving people around the clock and across the nation.
P42 in “Phase VI” – The first adaptation of the latest Amtrak livery phase on a P42.
P42 in “Phase I” – A rendition of Amtrak’s first livery phase dating back to 1972.
P42 in “Dash 8 Phase III” – The award-winning livery designed for the Dash 8 locomotive fleet in the early 90s, adapted for the first time to a P42 locomotive.
ALC-42 #301 in “Day 1” scheme – A historic throwback to the unique design created for the first day of operations on May 1, 1971, applied to Amtrak’s newest locomotive.
Each P42 locomotive is being painted and overhauled at the Amtrak Beech Grove shops in Beech Grove, Ind., rolling out over the coming months and entering service across the national network. Employees will also ensure that these locomotives are maintained to high performance and safety standards. ALC-42 #301 is currently being manufactured by Siemens in Sacramento, Calif. and is expected to be delivered in April to undergo testing in the Northeast Corridor before entering service on the national network.
In addition to the commemorative locomotives, 50th Anniversary collectible items are also now available for purchase at the Amtrak store, including t-shirts, glasses, a challenge coin, pins and other celebratory Amtrak gear.
Colombian airline signs five year contract for its seven aircraft ATR fleet
ATR and SATENA announce the signing of a Global Maintenance Agreement (GMA) contract covering: onsite stock, Standard Exchange, Line Replaceable Unit repair and propeller blades. SATENA are an existing ATR operator but this is the first time they have chosen ATR’s GMA for their fleet support. Owned and managed by the Colombian Air Force, SATENA provides essential connectivity throughout the country, providing links to communities and economies, supporting growth and development. For 20 years, through the GMA, ATR has contributed to reducing operators’ maintenance costs and boosting their operations.
The team of SATENA said: “Choosing the ATR GMA means that we will benefit from the manufacturer’s expertise, which brings many advantages. The COVID pandemic has highlighted how essential regional aviation continues to be for passengers, making reliability more important than ever. Our passengers need to know that they can rely on us, so we need to know that we can rely on our fleet. Selecting the ATR GMA ensures that we have the right infrastructure in place to optimise our operations. The availability and depth of support offered by the GMA makes it the best option available for ATR operators and the right choice for us.”
David Brigante, SVP Programmes and Customer Service of ATR commented: “Everyone is aware of the challenges that airlines are currently facing, so when in the midst of this situation an operator such as SATENA, who is dedicated to supplying essential connectivity, puts their faith in us by choosing our GMA it is something of which we can be immensely proud. SATENA helps Colombians living in remote areas link to larger hubs, allowing them to access economic or educational opportunities or connect with their friends and family. As a manufacturer, ATR’s mission is the same: to create a tool that supports communities by connecting them. This shared vision is why we have always been proud to count SATENA as an operator and why we are now especially pleased that they have chosen our GMA.
The U.S. government and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) submitted an F-35 proposal to the Swiss government in support of Switzerland’s New Fighter Aircraft (NFA) competition.
The F-35 proposal is a total package offering that includes up to 40 F-35A aircraft, a sustainment solution tailored to Swiss autonomy requirements, and a comprehensive training program.
The offering includes an industrial package providing Swiss industry substantial F-35 work opportunities. Should the F-35 be selected as the new fighter for Switzerland, this industrial work would take place in all Swiss regions. Swiss industry has the opportunity to compete for direct production of components for use on all F-35s produced, sustainment projects focused on supporting the Swiss Air Force and enhancing Swiss autonomy, and cyber security projects directly related to the F-35.
The offer uses the F-35 Global Support Solution for sustainment to ensure Switzerland benefits from the European F-35 economies of scale to realize lower sustainment costs for the Swiss Air Force. It also includes a six-month spares package to ensure the Swiss Air Force has the ability to conduct autonomous operations, if needed. Lockheed Martin is also offering an option for the assembly of four aircraft in Switzerland to ensure the Swiss Air Force and Swiss industry gain an understanding of how to maintain the F-35 airframe and its advanced capabilities for the life of the program.
“We are confident that our F-35 offer is the best and most affordable solution for the Swiss NFA competition,” said Greg Ulmer, F-35 Program vice president and general manager. “We are offering the only 5th generation fighter at the cost of 4th generation aircraft while offering Switzerland an aircraft that will protect Swiss sovereignty for decades to come.”
To date, the F-35 has been selected by 13 nations and operates from 26 bases worldwide, with nine nations operating F-35s on their home soil. There are more than 585 F-35s in service today, with more than 1,190 pilots and 9,750 maintainers trained on the aircraft.
Five-year contract with service scheduled to start October 2020
Opening a new crew and maintenance base in Cincinnati
Mesa Air Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MESA) today announced plans to begin providing air cargo service for DHL Express with Boeing 737-400F cargo aircraft.
Under the agreement, Mesa will operate two cargo aircraft from DHL Express Americas global hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport for a five-year term. The company will lease the aircraft from DHL with the first scheduled to be in service this October.
“We are very excited to enter the cargo market and diversify our business. Flying under contract on behalf of DHL is essentially the same business model Mesa has operated under for over 20 years,” said Jonathan Ornstein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Cargo transport plays a critical role in the health of communities and economies around the world. Mesa is well-suited for this new mission, and this is just the beginning of what we believe will be a long and productive relationship with DHL.”
“This new cargo operation opens new doors for Mesa,” said Brad Rich, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are proud to offer new opportunities to our employees as we enter the cargo industry. In particular, Mesa pilots will now have the ability to earn a 737 type rating and receive the highest pay in the regional industry, all without leaving the company.”
“I’d like to thank all the people at Mesa, their counterparts at DHL and the FAA, who worked hard to bring this program to fruition,” said Captain Mike Ferverda, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, who is leading Mesa’s 737 certification process. “While much of the industry is challenged given the present COVID environment, we are pleased to expand our growth opportunities with this project.”
Airline doubles its fleet as domestic operations continue to grow
ATR today announces the sale of two ATR 72-500 aircraft from its asset management portfolio to Hi Air. With this purchase, the South Korean start-up, which began operations in December 2019 will increase its ATR fleet to four. The two additional aircraft will be delivered in August and October. Supported by the superior economics and versatility of the ATR 72, which burns 40% less fuel and emits 40% less CO2 than a comparable regional jet, the airline is already ready to grow its fleet and expand the number of routes it offers. This summer, Hi Air will launch services on five domestic routes, including to the popular tourist destination of Jeju Island. ATR aircraft are proven route openers, having opened 164 routes globally in 2019.
Hi Air’s capacity for growth at this time also illustrates the resilience of the regional aviation market which is likely to make a faster recovery, with domestic short haul routes proving to be the first to resume as countries around the world begin to lift lockdown restrictions. The airline continued to serve passengers during the Covid pandemic, ensuring connectivity to Korean communities. Regional aviation will continue to play an important role for communities and economies worldwide, ensuring vital access for families, businesses and essential supplies – supporting the economic recovery in a Post-Covid19 world.
HyungKwan Youn, Chief Executive Officer of Hi Air remarked: “Selecting the ATR 72 to begin operations has been important for Hi Air’s early success. Launching an airline is hugely challenging. To be successful, new airlines need an aircraft that is efficient, reliable and offers passengers a good in-flight experience. To be in a position already to expand our operations is because the ATR fulfills these criteria. At Hi Air, we believe that increasing regional connectivity in Korea will benefit passengers, communities and businesses and we look forward to continuing this mission with the support of ATR.”
ATR Senior Vice President Commercial, Fabrice Vautier, said: “Regional connectivity is more vital than ever and this is why the regional aviation segment will be resilient. In many countries, we are already seeing that domestic and regional routes are the first to return and in the case of Hi Air they continued to fly. Businesses, governments and people around the world are looking for solutions to this crisis and regional aviation has a key role to play. Our ATR aircraft have the right blend of economics and operational versatility to support airlines. Furthermore, with their advantage in fuel burn and CO2 emissions, they are the perfect solution to help aviation emerge from this global recovery as a more sustainable industry.”
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)
Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Emirates and dnata have been adapting operations in line with regulatory directives as well as travel demand.
The airline has aimed to maintain passenger flights for as long as feasible to help travellers return home amidst an increasing number of travel bans, restrictions, and country lockdowns across the world. It continues to maintain vital international air cargo links for economies and communities, deploying its fleet of 777 freighters for the transport of essential goods including medical supplies across the world.
With many of its airline customers dramatically reducing flights or ceasing services altogether, dnata has also significantly reduced its operations, including temporarily shutting some offices across its international network.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group said: “The world has literally gone into quarantine due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This is an unprecedented crisis situation in terms of breadth and scale: geographically, as well as from a health, social, and economic standpoint. Until January 2020, the Emirates Group was doing well against our current financial year targets. But COVID-19 has brought all that to a sudden and painful halt over the past 6 weeks.
“As a global network airline, we find ourselves in a situation where we cannot viably operate passenger services until countries re-open their borders, and travel confidence returns. By Wednesday 25 March, although we will still operate cargo flights which remain busy, Emirates will have temporarily suspended most of its passenger operations. We continue to watch the situation closely, and as soon as things allow, we will reinstate our services.”
Having received requests from governments and customers to support the repatriation of travellers, Emirates will continue to operate passenger and cargo flights to the following countries and territories until further notice, as long as borders remain open, and there is demand: the UK, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, USA, and Canada. The situation remains dynamic, and travellers can check flight status on emirates.com.
Sheikh Ahmed added: “Emirates Group has a strong balance sheet, and substantial cash liquidity, and we can, and will, with appropriate and timely action, survive through a prolonged period of reduced flight schedules, so that we are adequately prepared for the return to normality.”
Cost reduction measures
The Emirates Group has undertaken a series of measures to contain costs, as the outlook for travel demand remains weak across markets in the short to medium term. This includes:
Postponing or cancelling discretionary expenditure
A freeze on all non-essential recruitment and consultancy work
Working with suppliers to find cost savings and efficiency
Encouraging employees to take paid or unpaid leave in light of reduced flying capacity
A temporary reduction of basic salary for the majority of Emirates Group employees for three months, ranging from 25% to 50%. Employees will continue to be paid their other allowances during this time. Junior level employees will be exempt from basic salary reduction
Presidents of Emirates and dnata – Sir Tim Clark and Gary Chapman – will take a 100% basic salary cut for three months
The Emirates Group has strong liquidity, with a healthy cash position but it is prudent that it take steps to reduce costs at this time. Emirates remains committed to serving its markets and looks forward to resuming a normal flight schedule as soon as that is permitted by the relevant authorities.
Safeguarding customers, employees, and communities
Emirates Group closely monitors the situation and keeps in regular contact with all relevant authorities, so that it can implement the latest guidance to keep travellers and its employees safe and healthy.
The company has strongly discouraged its employees from non-essential travel, implemented work from home policies for all employees where operationally feasible, enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols at its facilities, introduced temperature screening at its key office entry points, and launched internal educational campaigns on hand hygiene and health practices to reduce risk of COVID-19.
Over the past weeks, the airline has also implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfecting measures on all of its aircraft departing Dubai as a precaution, and worked closely with airports to implement screening measures as required by the local authorities.
Frontline employees such as crew and airport teams have also been provided with support to stay safe while on duty, including providing hand sanitizers and masks where required.
The Emirates Group fully supports all initiatives to safeguard the health of communities in every market where it operates, including the UAE’s national COVID-19 response.
