Tag: havana

Airbus Delivers First A350 to New Airline World2fly

June 9, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, France 09 June 2021 – World2fly, the new long-haul airline recently founded by the Spanish hotel company Iberostar, has taken delivery of the first of two A350-900s on lease from Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL), becoming the latest operator of the world’s most efficient large widebody aircraft.

The airline, based on the Balearic island of Mallorca, will operate the two leased A350-900 aircraft on long-haul routes from Madrid to leisure destinations, such as Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Cancun, Mexico, and Havana, Cuba.

World2fly’s A350-900s feature a modern and highly-comfortable single-class cabin layout with 432 seats. Passengers will enjoy more personal space, wide seats and absolute well-being on board and appreciate the latest-generation in-flight entertainment and connectivity. The A350 Airspace cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft and offers passengers and crew the best flying experience.

The Airbus A350’s clean-sheet design features state-of-the-art aerodynamics, a carbon-fibre fuselage and wings, plus the most fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency and sustainability for World2fly, with a 25% reduction in fuel-burn and CO2 emissions compared to previous generation twin-aisle aircraft.

Delta Increases Service Between Atlanta and Key Regional Airports Throughout Georgia

November 4, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Delta is deepening its investment in communities throughout its hometown state of Georgia with more flying from Albany, Brunswick, Columbus and Valdosta to the airline’s Atlanta hub. Each market will see one additional daily frequency to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport beginning next spring, increasing seat capacity to and from these Georgia communities by 35 percent in 2020.

“With more than 200 destinations served from Hartsfield-Jackson, including recently added nonstop service to destinations including Havana, Seoul and Shanghai, these communities now have even more connections across the globe while supporting economic development here at home,” said Joe Esposito, Senior Vice President — Network Planning.

Delta will add a fourth peak-day round-trip from Albany, Brunswick and Valdosta and a fifth peak-day round-trip from Columbus.

The additional Brunswick flight will begin on May 22, 2020; while the increased flying to and from Albany, Columbus and Valdosta will start on June 8, 2020. Delta Connection carrier SkyWest will operate the Albany and Valdosta flights and three of the four Brunswick frequencies, all on Canadair regional jet aircraft. Delta Connection carrier Endeavor Air will operate the Columbus flights as well as the remaining Brunswick frequency, which will upgrade to a 2-class CRJ-900 aircraft.

“With roots in Georgia dating back to 1924, Delta Air Lines has helped put our state on the map as a gateway to the global economy,” said Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp. “Delta serves 80 percent of key U.S. destinations within a two-hour flight from Atlanta, and as these new flights begin operating, they will open new doors for economic growth in every corner of our state. I am grateful for Delta’s partnership and their continued investment in Georgia.”

Delta has long called Atlanta home and today operates more than 1,000 peak-day departures from its ATL hub. The airline employs tens of thousands of Georgians – it’s among the state’s top private employers – and contributes millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours to charities and organizations throughout the metro area.

Flight schedules are as follows:

President Trump Bans Cuban Flights, Except for Havana

October 25, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON/HAVANA, Oct 25 (Reuters) – The U.S. government said on Friday it would bar U.S. airlines from flying to all destinations in Cuba besides Havana starting on Dec. 10 as the Trump administration boosts pressure on the Cuban government.

The U.S. Transportation Department said in a notice it was taking the action at the request of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “further the administration’s policy of strengthening the economic consequences to the Cuban regime for its ongoing repression of the Cuban people and its support for Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.”

The move will bar U.S. air carrier flights to any of the nine international airports in Cuba other than Havana and impact about 8 flights a day.

The prohibition does not impact charter flights. There are no foreign air carriers providing direct scheduled flights between the United States and Cuba.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said in a tweet that his country strongly condemned the move and that it “strengthened restrictions on U.S. travel to Cuba and its citizens’ freedoms.”

Rodriguez said sanctions would not force Cuba to make concessions to U.S. demands.

These flights carry almost exclusively Cuban Americans visiting home at a time when the Trump administration has drastically reduced visas for Cubans visiting the United States. Some 500,000 Cuban Americans traveled to Cuba last year.

The new measure takes effect soon before Christmas and New Year’s when Cuban Americans flock to the island for family reunions.

Further restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba would be aimed at squeezing the island economically and expanding Trump’s steady rollback of the historic opening to Cuba by Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama. The reversal, along with his pressure on Venezuela, has gone over well among Cuban Americans in South Florida, a key voting bloc in Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.

Under Obama, the United States reintroduced U.S. airline service to Cuba in 2016. Pompeo said on Twitter on Friday that “this action will prevent the Castro regime from profiting from U.S. air travel and using the revenues to repress the Cuban people.”

According to U.S. officials, JetBlue Airways Corp flies to three destinations in Cuba in addition to Havana from Fort Lauderdale — Camaguey, Holguin and Santa Clara — and American Airlines flies to five Cuban cities beyond Havana from Miami — Camaguey, Holguin, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba and Matanzas/Varadero.

American Airlines said it is “reviewing the announcement and “will continue to comply with federal law, work with the administration, and update our policies and procedures regarding travel to Cuba as necessary.”

Jet Blue said it will “operate in full compliance with the new policy concerning scheduled air service between the United States and Cuba. We are beginning to work with our various government and commercial partners to understand the full impact of this change on our customers and operations.”

(Reporting by David Shepardson; additional reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)

Southwest Balks At American Airlines New Idea For Cuba Routes

October 16, 2018 / WIL BALDWIN

Southwest ripped American’s proposed rule change that would alter how U.S. airlines handle their routes to Cuba, calling the idea “unprecedented” in an Oct. 10 regulatory filing.

The U.S. opened up the Cuban market a few years ago and allowed airlines to apply for routes. Only 20 daily routes to Havana were allocated to U.S. airlines.

Both American Airlines Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) and Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) were granted routes. When an airline is awarded a route, it’s tied to that specific city. So, an airline can’t shift its route allocations to different U.S. cities to match demand.

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Southwest balks at American Airlines

Carnival Vista to take cruise passengers to Havana?

May 23, 2016 / WIL BALDWIN

Carnival Vista to take cruise passengers to Havana? Well, sort of. The newest member of the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, the Carnival Vista sailed on her maiden voyage on May 1, 2016. The 13 day European sailing took her guests on a voyage from Venice in Italy to Barcelona, Spain. The ship will continue to operate in the Mediterranean until October, when she will head to New York City. Following 2 departures from New York, the Vista will make its way to her new home base of Miami, Florida in November. The ship will then operate year around, offering passengers Caribbean cruises of 5 to 8 nights. Coming in at 133,500 tons, the new vessel is the largest of the 24 ships in the Carnival fleet. She has room for 3,936 passengers based on 2 per stateroom, with a crew of 1,450.

Carnival Vista

image from www.carnival.com

Carnival Vista features and amenities

The Carnival Vista will feature a few different motifs for guests to choose from.

Havana – Located at the rear of deck 5, the Havana Bar & Pool will be exclusively available up until 5:00 pm daily to passengers that book a Havana stateroom. After 5:00 pm, anybody can visit the bar and pool area. Havana rooms that are labelled as “balcony” actually have a semi-private patio, with a short gate that separates your private space from the public walkway. All Havana staterooms offer a Cuban décor, and guests in these rooms must be age 12 or older.
Cloud 9 Spa – The best way to enjoy the ships relaxing and invigorating Cloud 9 Spa is by booking a spa stateroom. Guests that choose a Cloud 9 Spa cabin receive private spa access, special amenities, and priority spa reservations. Inside the twin deck Spa you will find a thermal suite with steam chambers, an infrared sauna, and a Turkish bath. The spa also contains a selection of sensory showers that can be programmed with different scents, sights, and sounds. The spa also contains an indoor cycling studio and fitness center.
Family Harbor – Family Harbor staterooms offer an affordable option to keep the whole family close together during your cruise. Located on Deck 2, the Family Harbor Lounge allows the family to hangout with large screen TV’s, games, a free breakfast, and daily ice cream. For kids under 12, the area also includes the Camp Ocean undersea themed play area, a Dr. Seuss Bookville, an interactive HASBRO Game Show, and family oriented comedy performances at the Punchliner Comedy Club.