Tag: FAR

Germany First Lady Elke Budenbender Christens Berlin Express

October 4, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Hapag-Lloyd AG (Frankfurt: HLAG) has officially welcomed into its fleet the “Berlin Express”, the first ship of its new Hamburg Express class. At an event attended by some 300 guests from business and politics, naming patron Elke Büdenbender performed the ceremonial christening of the ship at the Container Terminal Burchardkai (Athabaskakai) in the Port of Hamburg. Among the guests were Peter Tschentscher, the First Mayor of Hamburg, and Daniel Günther, the Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein.

The Hamburg Express class will mark the beginning of a new era for Hapag-Lloyd and its fleet. In total, a dozen state-of-the-art large container ships will be put into service by 2025. Together, these vessels will make an important contribution to Hapag-Lloyd’s efforts to operate its entire fleet in a climate-neutral manner by 2045. Thanks to their cutting-edge dual-fuel technology, they will also be able to operate using non-fossil fuels, such as bio-methane and e-methane, and thereby generate hardly any CO2 emissions.

For the time being, liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be used, which will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 25 percent and soot emissions by 95 percent. In addition, advanced components – such as an optimised hull and a highly efficient propeller – will help the vessels to reduce fuel consumption and thereby greenhouse gas emissions.

The “Berlin Express” was built at the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in South Korea. With a length of almost 400 metres and a capacity of 23,600 TEU, it is the largest cargo ship ever to sail under German flag. The container ships in the Hamburg Express class will exclusively operate on the cargo-intensive Far East route between Asia and Europe. The “Berlin Express” will operate regularly on the FE3 service, which sails between Ningbo and Hamburg, via Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Yantian, Hong Kong, Singapore and Rotterdam.

Austrian Airlines sells three Boeing 767s to US company MDI

February 27, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Austrian Airlines has found a buyer for the three long-haul aircraft that were up for sale. The Boeing 767-300ER aircraft will go to the U.S. company MonoCoque Diversified Interests. The purchase agreement has already been signed. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The first aircraft, registered OE-LAT, will leave Vienna at the beginning of March for Pinal Airpark, Arizona. The aircraft is currently undergoing all the necessary preparations for the handover. The next transfer flight is scheduled for May with the Boeing 767 registered OE-LAX.

“Being able to sell all three Boeing 767’s to one buyer is very gratifying and a big step for our fleet transition”, says Austrian Airlines CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech. “I would like to thank MonoCoque Diversified Interests for the good negotiations and our team for their great commitment.”

“MDI is excited to continue the growth of its passenger and cargo aviation portfolio with the addition of three 767-300ERs”, adds MDI’s manager Mary Alice Keyes. “It has been a pleasure to work with Austrian Airlines, a group with a long history and outstanding pedigree.”

At an average of 28.5 years, the three 767’s sold are among the oldest aircraft in the Austrian Airlines fleet. The remaining three 767’s are between 20 and 22 years of age. After the completed handover, Austrian Airlines will continue to have nine long-haul jets at its disposal, which will connect Austria with destinations around the globe – from the USA to the Far East. In detail, these are six Boeing 777’s with over 300 seats and three Boeing 767’s with over 200 seats.

Until the beginning of 2022, 28 aircraft will leave the fleet of Austria’s home carrier: In addition to the aforementioned three Boeing 767-300ER’s, 18 Dash turboprops and seven Airbus A319 jets will be handed over. Ten turboprops have already left Vienna, with the remaining eight to follow soon. This means that the fleet will consist of around 60 aircraft by the beginning of 2022. As mainly smaller aircraft will be retired, this corresponds to a capacity reduction of around 20 percent.

Boeing Licenses Ultraviolet Wand to Healthe to Counter COVID-19

September 22, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Boeing [NYSE: BA] entered into a patent and technology license with Florida-based Healthe® Inc. today under which Healthe will manufacture an ultraviolet (UV) wand designed to sanitize airplane interiors. Boeing designed and developed the UV wand as part of the company’s Confident Travel Initiative (CTI) to support customers and enhance the safety and well-being of passengers and crews during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The UV wand is designed to be more effective than similar devices. It quickly disinfects surfaces on an airplane and further strengthens other layers of protection for passengers and crew,” said Mike Delaney, who leads Boeing’s CTI efforts. “Boeing spent six months transforming an idea for the wand into a working model, and Healthe will now take that prototype and make it available to the world at large.”

Healthe will produce and distribute the commercial wand, helping airlines and potentially others combat the coronavirus pandemic. The technology could be available for airlines in late fall. The device is an addition to sanitizing and protective measures already in place, which include the use of high-efficiency particulate air filters that trap more than 99.9% of particulates and prevent them from re-circulating back to the cabin.

“We are proud to be assisting Boeing as they work with their partner airlines to enhance in-cabin plane sanitization efforts. This could also benefit schools, hospitals, offices, wherever pathogens go,” said Abe Morris, Healthe executive chairman. “As we ramp up deployment of our cutting-edge UVC and Far-UVC 222 light solutions across many sectors, this new commercial-grade wand will be another powerful tool in the sanitization arsenal to protect passengers against the spread of harmful viruses.”

The UV wand uses 222 nanometer UVC light. Research indicates 222 nanometer UVC inactivates pathogens effectively.

Using the self-contained apparatus that resembles a carry-on suitcase, crews can pass UV light over high-touch surfaces, sanitizing everywhere the light reaches. The UV wand is particularly effective in compact spaces and sanitizes a flight deck in less than 15 minutes.

As part of CTI, Boeing solicited feedback from multiple industry sources, which aided in quickly validating this technology. Etihad Airways was the first to evaluate the device, and the UV wand was demonstrated on the Etihad 787-10 ecoDemonstrator airplane on Aug. 21.

Emirates to Expand Reach in Mexico Via Enhanced Agreement with Interjet Airlines

December 5, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline and Interjet Airlines, one of the fastest growing airlines in North America, have announced an enhanced interline agreement, which is set to open new routes and destinations for passengers travelling between Mexico, the Gulf and Middle East and beyond.

With a single ticket, Emirates’ passengers can now seamlessly connect via Mexico City onto Interjet flights to Leon/Guanajuato, Culiacan, Cancun, Chihuahua, Guadalajara, Merida, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta, Tampico, Tuxtla Gutierrez, Tijuana and Villahermosa. Similarly, Interjet’s customers will be able to travel with great ease to Emirates’ destinations within the Middle East, Spain, South East Asia, the Far East and North Africa.

“We’re pleased to establish a partnership with Interjet Airlines, allowing Emirates passengers to benefit from increased choice, flexibility and ease of connection to different cities within Mexico and to regional international points beyond. This partnership further demonstrates our commitment to Mexico for the long run, as we continue to look at ways to build our operations in the market to best serve our customers,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer.

“While the interline agreement is only the start of our collaboration, we’re looking forward to explore more mutual opportunities and a wider scope of partnership in the near future,” he added.

Emirates’ partnership with Interjet started in April 2019 with a one-way Interline agreement, allowing passengers from Emirates’ 12 US gateways to travel to Mexico City on Interjet flights. With the expanded partnership agreement, Emirates’ passengers can now tap into Interjet’s strong domestic presence in Mexico and access 12 destinations beyond Mexico City. The enhanced agreement with Interjet Airlines also provides Emirates’ customers choice of over 15 regional international destinations beyond Mexico City.

“Since our initial interline agreement in April 2019, Interjet’s relationship with Emirates has truly been a success,” said Julio Gamero, Interjet’s Chief Commercial Officer. “This enhanced agreement, provides travelers from both airlines access to a broader network not only with more flight choices, but for Emirates customers, access to more of Mexico with our many domestic connections from Mexico City. When you combine this with seamless reservations, one-stop check-in with baggage checked to the final destination, more legroom between seats and Interjet’s outstanding on-board service, it’s easy to see why this agreement is a win-win for both airlines,” he added.

Starting 9 December 2019, Emirates will launch its new daily service from Dubai (DXB) to Mexico City International Airport (MEX), via the Spanish city of Barcelona (BCN). Effective XXX 2019, Interjet customers can start booking their trips through Emirates’ website, Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) or travel agents, benefiting from the convenience of holding a single ticket with a single baggage policy.

Air Transport Services Acquires Omni Air International

October 2, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (ATSG) today announced that it has agreed to acquire Omni Air International LLC (Omni Air), a passenger ACMI and charter services provider with significant experience serving U.S. and allied foreign governments and commercial customers, for $845 million, subject to customary adjustments. The company did not assume any debt in connection with the acquisition.

Omni Air is a leading provider of passenger airlift services to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) via the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program, and a worldwide provider of full-service passenger charter and ACMI services. Omni Air also carries passengers worldwide for a variety of private sector customers and government services firms. Omni Air, founded in 1993, is an FAR Part 121 certificated and IATA Operational Safety Audit registered airline.

Click the link below for the full story!

Air Transport Services Acquires Omni Air International

Germany First Lady Elke Budenbender Christens Berlin Express

Austrian Airlines sells three Boeing 767s to US company MDI

Boeing Licenses Ultraviolet Wand to Healthe to Counter COVID-19

Emirates to Expand Reach in Mexico Via Enhanced Agreement with Interjet Airlines

Air Transport Services Acquires Omni Air International

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