NEW YORK, N.Y. (BUSINESS WIRE) – JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced it has reached a new tentative agreement with the Transport Workers Union (TWU) for JetBlue’s inflight crew members.
“We’re pleased to share that the JetBlue and TWU negotiating committees have reached a new tentative agreement,” said Ed Baklor, head of customer care and programs, JetBlue. “Our inflight crewmembers have been on the frontline supporting and protecting JetBlue’s operation and our customers through the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am proud of the TWU and JetBlue teams for recognizing our environment and coming to the table with solutions. We look forward to bringing this contract to a vote with our inflight crewmembers.”
Rex today announced all frontline staff on duty have now been fully vaccinated against COVID- 19, the first airline in Australia to reach this milestone. The several hundred vaccinated staff include pilots, flight attendants, customer service officers at airports and all other workers across the Rex domestic and regional networks who may need to interact with passengers face-to-face.
Company-wide, 93 percent of all Rex staff have either been double vaccinated or received their first dose.
Rex reopens its domestic network on November 15 with the resumption of flights from Melbourne to Sydney and Canberra. Melbourne – Adelaide flights restart on November 26, while flights to the Gold Coast from Sydney and Melbourne begin on December 17.
The airline’s unique Refund Guarantee Policy also protects the financial health of passengers from any COVID-related disruptions.
Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline operating a fleet of 60 Saab 340 and six Boeing 737-800NG aircraft to 61 destinations throughout all states in Australia. In addition to the airline Rex, the Rex Group comprises wholly owned subsidiaries Pel-Air Aviation (air freight, aeromedical and charter operator) and the two pilot academies, Australian Airline Pilot Academy in Wagga Wagga and Ballarat.
The Qantas Group will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of the national carrier’s commitment to safety.
Frontline employees – including cabin crew, pilots and airport workers – will need to be fully vaccinated by 15 November 2021 and the remainder of employees by 31 March 2022. There will be exemptions for those who are unable for documented medical reasons to be vaccinated, which is expected to be very rare.
The policy follows consultation with Qantas and Jetstar employees including a survey sent to 22,000 people to seek their views on vaccination. The 12,000 responses received makes it one of the biggest single surveys on this topic in Australia. The results showed that of those who responded:
89 per cent had already been vaccinated or are planning to be.
4 per cent were unwilling or unable to get the jab.
Around three-quarters think it should be a requirement for all employees to be vaccinated and would be concerned if other employees in the workplace weren’t vaccinated.
Thousands of aviation workers supporting international flights in New South Wales, South Australia and New Zealand are already required to be vaccinated by those jurisdictions. Multiple airlines around the world have also made it a requirement.
Announcing the policy, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “Having a fully vaccinated workforce will safeguard our people against the virus but also protect our customers and the communities we fly to.
Further discussions will take place with employees, their health and safety representatives and unions over the coming weeks on the detail of the policy, including how medical exemptions will be applied.
In a separate survey of more than 1000 Qantas customers, 92 per cent said they expect Qantas crew to be fully vaccinated.
Around 2,500 frontline Qantas and Jetstar employees will be stood down for an estimated two months in response to ongoing COVID outbreaks.
The stand down is a temporary measure to deal with a significant drop in flying caused by COVID restrictions in Greater Sydney, in particular, and the knock-on border closures in all other states and territories. No permanent job losses are expected.
Today’s decision will directly impact domestic pilots, cabin crew and airport workers, mostly in New South Wales but also in other states given the nature of airline networks. Employees will be given two weeks’ notice before the stand down takes effect, with pay continuing until mid-August.
Income support in the form of government disaster payments will be key to helping eligible employees get through this challenging period and the Qantas Group welcomes the targeted Federal Government support offered for those stood down outside of declared hotspots and to retain domestic aviation capability.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the difficult decision to trigger stand downs reflected the reality confronting many businesses operating in New South Wales.
Saint-Cloud, France, May 06, 2021 – Dassault Aviation today announced an all-new Falcon jet that will deliver a level of comfort, versatility and technology unmatched by any purpose-built business jet. Featuring a range of 7,500 nautical miles, the Falcon 10X will fly nonstop from New York to Shanghai, Los Angeles to Sydney, Hong Kong to New York or Paris to Santiago. Top speed will be Mach 0.925.
The Falcon 10X is scheduled to enter service at the end of 2025.
The 10X will have the biggest and most comfortable cabin on the market and offer greater modularity than any other aircraft in its class, with a selection of multiple interior configurations. The 10X is large enough to accommodate four cabin zones of equal length but owners can configure their cabin to create a truly customized interior, including for example, an expanded dining/conference area, a dedicated entertainment area with a large-screen monitor, a private stateroom with a queen-size bed or an enlarged master suite with a private stand-up shower.
The 10X will have a cabin cross section larger than some regional jets. Its cabin will be 6-feet, 8-inches (2.03 m) tall and 9 feet, 1 inch wide (2.77 m). That will make it almost 8 inches (20 cm) wider and 2 inches (5 cm) taller than the widest and tallest purpose-built business jet flying today.
Pressurization will also be the best on the market, with passengers experiencing a 3,000-foot cabin pressure altitude while flying at 41,000 feet. A next-generation filtration system will provide 100-percent pure air. The aircraft will be at least as quiet as the Falcon 8X, currently the quietest business jet in service.
The 10X will feature an entirely new fuselage with extra-large windows—nearly 50 percent larger than those on the Falcon 8X. Thirty-eight windows will line the fuselage making for the brightest cabin in business aviation.
The high-speed wing will be made of carbon fiber composites for maximum strength, reduced weight and minimum drag. Tailored for speed and efficiency, the very-high aspect ratio wing will be equipped with advanced, retractable high-lift devices offering superior maneuverability at low approach speeds.
The twin-engine aircraft will be powered by business aviation’s most advanced and efficient engine, the in-development Rolls Royce Pearl® 10X. The 10X is the latest, largest and most powerful version of the Pearl series, delivering more than 18,000 pounds of thrust.
The Falcon 10X’s flight deck will set a new standard in intuitive design, with touch screens throughout the cockpit. A next-generation Digital Flight Control System, derived directly from Dassault’s latest military technology, will provide an unprecedented level of flying precision and protection, including a revolutionary, new single-button recovery mode.
A single smart throttle will serve as the primary power control, connecting both engines to the Digital Flight Control System which will automatically manage the power of each engine as needed in different flight scenarios.
Thanks to Dassault’s breakthrough FalconEye® combined vision system—the first to offer both enhanced and synthetic vision capabilities—combined with dual HUDs able to serve as primary flight displays, the 10X will be capable of operating in essentially zero ceiling/visibility conditions.
