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STARLUX Launches Widebody Fleet with First Airbus A330neo

Toulouse, France February 21, 2022 – Taiwan’s STARLUX Airlines has taken delivery of its first widebody aircraft – an A330-900. It is the first of 26 Airbus (OTC: EADSY) widebodies set to join the airline’s fleet, comprising eight A330neo and 18 A350’s. 

The A330neo aircraft and one A350 are being acquired on lease from ALC, while the airline has 17 A350s on direct order with Airbus. Benefiting from the A330neo’s unbeatable operating economics and award-winning Airspace cabin, the aircraft will feature a two-class cabin with 28 business class seats and 269 economy class seats. 

The A330neo joins an existing fleet of seven single-aisle A321neo at the airline, and will complement the airline’s network by flying regional routes from Taiwan to the wider Asia-Pacific.

At the same time, STARLUX has also signed up for the computer-based ACE (Airbus Cockpit Experience) Suite training solution. Using a “learning by discovery” approach, STARLUX’s flying crew will be able to use the ACE Trainer that simulates a 3D Cockpit environment with guided lessons and free play. 

ACE Suite offers an efficient learning process that also provides customers with significant time savings off high-level devices training. Users can enjoy better knowledge retention and continuous skills reinforcement. ACE Suite is approved by EASA and in line with ICAO regulations.

Vietjet Selects Rolls-Royce TotalCare to Support Trent 700 Powered A330 Aircraft

Vietnamese airline Vietjet Aviation will operate Rolls-Royce (OTC: RYCEY) Trent 700 engine-powered Airbus A330 aircraft in its fleet. As part of the airline’s strategic fleet decision, these will be the first widebody aircraft to join its operations as it expands its network into long-haul operations. The selection is supported by a TotalCare long-term aftermarket engine maintenance agreement. The first aircraft is expected to enter into service in November 2021. 

The Trent 700 is the only engine specifically designed for the A330 and is widely recognised for its outstanding efficiency and reliability. Since its launch in 1995, the Trent 700 has dominated the A330 fleet with more than 60 per cent market share and has logged more than 60 million hours in service to date.

Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engine

Vietjet, which is Vietnam’s largest airline in terms of the total number of passengers transported domestically and the country’s second largest airline in terms of fleet size, currently has a fleet of 90 narrow-body aircraft. The airline’s ability to stay agile and financially resilient in 2020 has allowed Vietjet to navigate successfully through the market headwinds due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Supporting Vietjet’s business ambitions with the addition of its fleet for long-haul widebody operations, the Trent 700 delivers the best balance of attributes to achieve the maximum capability and efficiency on the A330. With a wide fuselage, well-established technology and sound economics, the airline aims to invest in additional A330 widebody aircraft in the next few years as part of its strategic fleet expansion plan.

French Navy Exercises Option for Two Additional Airbus H160 Helicopters

The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has confirmed an option to Airbus Helicopters, Babcock and Safran Helicopter Engines for two more H160s for the French Navy. These aircraft will join the fleet of four H160s already contracted in 2020, the first of which is currently being assembled by Airbus Helicopters in Marignane, in the south of France. The six H160s will be delivered in a Search and Rescue (SAR) configuration and will gradually start operating from May 2022 from Lanveoc-Poulmic naval air station (Britany), Cherbourg airport (Normandy) and Hyères naval air station (Provence). Awaiting the H160M “Guépard” deliveries in the frame of the French Joint Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger: HIL) programme, these H160s will take over the SAR missions  currently conducted by the NH90s and Panthers , allowing these combat helicopters to fulfill their main tasks at sea on board combat vessels.

The French Navy’s operational feedback with these H160s will benefit the design of the military version of the aircraft and its associated support system.

The H160s were ordered by Babcock in 2018 and will be maintained and equipped in partnership with Airbus Helicopters, and Safran Helicopters Engines ensuring the highest level of availability for the French Navy and the continuity of SAR operations on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean coasts. Built by Airbus Helicopters, the six H160s will be equipped with a winch and a modular cabin that can be optimized for each mission. The H160s will be certified for use of night vision goggles which are necessary for winching operations at night.

The six H160s will be modified into a light military configuration by Babcock, a provider of critical, complex engineering services to governments, to answer to the needs of the French Navy. Babcock will integrate the Safran Electronics & Defense new generation electro-optical system, Euroflir 410.

The H160, as a next generation medium twin engine aircraft, powered by Arrano engines, is modular by design in order to address missions ranging from offshore transportation, private and business aviation, emergency medical services, and public services.

Tigerair Taiwan Becomes New Airbus A320neo Operator

Taipei, 8 April 2021 – Tigerair Taiwan, the low cost subsidiary of China Airlines, has taken delivery of its first A320neo. This is the first of 15 A320neo Family aircraft scheduled to join the airline’s fleet. The aircraft is also the first A320neo to be introduced in Taiwan, and will be the optimal platform for Tigerair Taiwan to increase capacity and open new routes across the Asia region. The A320neo has a range of up to 3,200nm, enabling flights of up seven hours from Taipei.

With the A320neo, Tigerair Taiwan will benefit from the lowest operating costs and highest comfort levels in the single-aisle segment, while maintaining a high degree of commonality with the A320ceo. Tigerair Taiwan’s A320neos are powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines and configured in a single class layout with 180 seats.

The A320neo Family offers the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky and incorporates the latest technologies, including new generation engines and Sharklets, delivering a 20 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. At the end of March 2021, the A320neo Family had won nearly 7,400 firm orders from 120 customers worldwide.

Corsair Takes Delivery of its First A330neo

Toulouse, 31 March 2021 – Corsair has taken delivery of its first A330-900, on lease from Avolon, to join the French airline’s fleet. By selecting a total of five A330neo’s, Corsair is executing its strategy to become an all-A330 operator. Thanks to the aircraft’s latest technologies, Corsair will benefit from cost-effective and eco-efficient solutions, while providing passengers with the best comfort standards in the quietest cabins in its class.  

The aircraft features 352 seats in a three-class layout, providing all the comfort and amenities of Airbus’ leading ‘Airspace’ cabin, including state-of-the-art passenger in-flight entertainment (IFE) and full WiFi connectivity throughout the cabin.

The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce’s latest-generation Trent 7000 engines. The Corsair aircraft will also be the first A330neo to feature an increased maximum take-off weight of 251 tonnes. This capability will allow the airline to fly long-haul destinations up to 13,400 km (7,200nm) or benefit from ten tons more payload on board.

The A330neo is a new-generation aircraft and successor to the hugely popular A330ceo widebody family. As well as the new engine option, the aircraft benefits from a host of innovations, including aerodynamic improvements and new wings and winglets that together contribute to 25% fuel-burn and CO2 reductions.

Corsair, which already operates an Airbus fleet of five A330 Family aircraft, became a member of the Airbus Skywise ‘Open Data Platform’ in 2020, thus benefiting from several Skywise-based services, such as  a real-time in-service fleet performance analysis capability (aircraft health monitoring), reliability analysis and predictive maintenance.

Tesla to be Added to the S&P 500 Index

Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) will be joining the S&P 500 index, expanding its investor base and putting the electric car maker in the same company as market behemoths such as Alphabet, Amazon.com, Apple, and Microsoft.

The announcement, made Monday afternoon by the S&P Dow Jones Indices, sent the company’s shares 13.7% higher in after-market trading. Tesla will officially join the benchmark stock index before the market opens on December 21, the index stated.

When Tesla joins the S&P 500, it will be one of the most valuable companies on the benchmark index. The weighting will be so influential that the S&P is debating whether or not to add the stock at its full market capitalization weight all at once, or in two separate tranches.

Mercedes-Benz Berlin Plant Boss to Join Tesla

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The head of the Berlin engine plant run by Mercedes-Benz has defected to rival Tesla <TSLA>, German union IG Metall said on Wednesday, calling on employees to protest over his departure.

IG Metall declined to name the head of the plant, which has been run by Rene Reif, one the most experienced manufacturing executives at Mercedes-Benz who helped expand manufacturing capacity for Daimler <DAI> in China.

Reif used to be head of engineering and manufacturing at Beijing Benz Automotive Co. Daimler’s Chinese joint venture, which has a manufacturing capacity of around 480,000 cars and started building the electric Mercedes-Benz EQC last year.

Tesla declined to comment on whether it had found a new manager for a Gigafactory being built on the outskirts of Berlin but the electric carmaker is on a global manufacturing expansion push, building or expanding new factories in Texas, Germany and China.

Last month, a source told Reuters that a Tesla manager who oversaw the construction of the electric carmaker’s Gruenheide plant, had left his position.

Daimler said on Wednesday that Reif, 57, the manager of its Mercedes-Benz Berlin plant, which makes powertrains, would go into early retirement at the end of the year, at his own request.

Mercedes-Benz Werk Berlin, Deutschland: Montage des Mercedes-Benz V6 Dieselmotor OM642 / Mercedes-Benz Berlin Plant, Germany: Assembly of the Mercedes-Benz V6 diesel engine OM642

German unions have lamented the fact that traditional carmakers are cutting investment into combustion engine technologies as regulators clamp down on emissions and as demand for vehicles is hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

IG Metall said there would be a protest in front of the Mercedes factory on Thursday and called on Daimler to present solutions that would help to guarantee the future of the plant.

The union said Daimler managers had outlined cost savings plans and union officials fear the Berlin plant’s future is at risk.

Daimler said Clemenz Dobrawa, who currently heads up the Mercedes-Benz battery manufacturing plant in Kamenz, had taken over leadership of the Mercedes-Benz plants in Hamburg and Berlin earlier this month.

“Thanks to his activity as representative in Kamenz, he brings important know-how for the transformation toward electromobility,” Daimler said, adding the Berlin plant would be restructured to serve an ‘Electric First’ strategy.

(Reporting by Edward Taylor and Ilona Wissenbach. Editing by Jane Merriman)

Italian Airline Alitalia’s Rescue in Doubt as Atlantia Backtracks

MILAN, Nov 19 (Reuters) – Italian infrastructure group Atlantia said on Tuesday it was not ready to join a consortium led by Italian railway group Ferrovie dello Stato to rescue loss-making carrier Alitalia, casting a shadow on the entire project.

After months of negotiations and with just one day left before a deadline expires, the group controlled by the Benetton family said that the conditions did not exist yet for it to join a consortium working on Alitalia.

Atlantia added, however, it remained available to engage in negotiations to seek for an industrial partner for the carrier.

A deadline to present a binding offer for Alitalia expires on Thursday, after being postponed several times.

Loss-making Alitalia has been run by special administrators since May 2017 and talks led by Ferrovie have been going on for a year without a deal.

The carrier, which is burning through its cash reserves, is expected to finish its money at the end of this year.

Ferrovie and Atlantia have been in talks with both U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines Inc and, recently, with German airline Lufthansa.

Delta said it was ready to invest 100 million euros ($111 million) in the Italian carrier but sources had said it did not agree with Ferrovie and Atlantia over the development of the Italian carrier’s long-haul business.

On the other hand, Lufthansa said it was prepared to set up a commercial partnership with the Italian carrier but did not want to take a stake in the group before it has gone through a complete restructuring.

“We will not invest in current Alitalia, but we are interested being a commercial partner,” said Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr at an event in Berlin on Tuesday.

Italian daily La Repubblica on Tuesday said the airline could be nationalized for some years before being sold.

Analysts calculate that Italian taxpayers have spent more than 9 billion euros to support Alitalia, which has undergone two previous failed rescue attempts.

($1 = 0.9028 euros)

(Reporting by Francesca Landini; Additional reporting by Ilona Wissenbach in Berlin; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Azul Eyes Partnership with United, Avianca, Copa

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil airline Azul SA said on Monday that it is in discussions to join a planned partnership with United Airlines, Avianca Holdings and Copa Holdings for flights between the United States and Latin America.

The three airlines announced their plan to coordinate routes in November 2018, but have yet to receive regulatory approval to go ahead. United owned 8.2% of Azul’s preferred shares last month, according to the Brazilian airline’s website.

(Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun)

E2-195 plane with Brazil’s No. 3 airline Azul SA logo is seen during a launch event in Sao Jose dos Campos
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