A joint announcement in the US and Ireland has today revealed that Northwestern University (Wildcats) will take on the University of Nebraska (Cornhuskers) in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 27 August 2022. The Aer Lingus College Football five-game series was due to start in 2020 but was disrupted due the pandemic so this announcement is a significant milestone in getting the series back on track.
This is the first time that either team has ever travelled to play in Ireland and so, were thrilled to accept the invitation to take to the field and open the 2022 College Football Season at the world-famous Aviva Stadium. Nebraska was set to travel to Dublin later this summer for their game against Illinois, however, it was postponed because of Covid-19.
As Nebraska is one of the most successful American College Football teams in history, and with such strong Irish ties to the city of Chicago where the Wildcats are based, the game is sure to be a huge draw to sports fans here in Ireland as well as across the US and Europe. It is expected that it will also generate a massive €63million for the Irish Economy next year, providing a much-needed boost for the country’s Tourism and Hospitality sectors.
The wholly anticipated fixture is scheduled for week zero, and as both teams are a part of the famed Big Ten Conference, over 18,000 US fans and 5,000 European fans are expected to travel for the game that will be a major international, post-covid event for Ireland. The Series principal stakeholders are Aer Lingus, Failte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council.
Ticketing / Hospitality & Travel Packages
Hospitality packages for the 2022 game are on sale now through the official corporate hospitality game partner Corporate.ie. Travel packages are on sale through the official travel partner On Location in partnership with Abbey Group Ireland. Corporate group ticketing opportunities will also be launched towards the end of the year. General ticketing information to be released in due course, with a pre-sale sign-up option available on the official game website.
Airline increases service from hubs, adds special flights from Kansas City, Missouri, and San Francisco and San Jose, California
FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines, Miami’s hometown airline and the largest carrier serving Miami International Airport (MIA), is adding special flights from Kansas City, Missouri (MCI), and San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC), California, for football fans to cheer on their favorite teams at the big game. American has also added larger aircraft — Boeing 777-200s — from its hubs in New York (JFK), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago (ORD) to accommodate additional traffic to Miami for the game. Flights are available for purchase now.
“We know dedicated fans have watched every pass, play and penalty that got their teams to this moment and what it means to root for them in person,” said Vasu Raja, American’s Senior Vice President of Network Strategy. “We’re looking forward to providing new and increased service to Miami, so more fans can make their dreams a reality.”
American operates more than 340 daily flights to nearly 130 destinations from MIA, and last year connected more than 30 million passengers through the hub. As the airline’s premier gateway into Latin America and the Caribbean, American provides service to more than 70 cities in the region.
“In the coming days, tens of thousands of football fans will be making their way to Miami, many arriving by air through our Miami hub, home to more than 13,000 American team members and to the airline’s largest international gateway,” said Juan Carlos Liscano, American’s Vice President of Miami Hub Operations. “As Miami’s hometown airline for the last three decades, we understand the important role that air service plays in the continued success of our community.”
American recently announced new special service that helps customers see firsthand big named golf tournaments, musical festivals and shareholder meetings, including new service from MIA to Augusta, Georgia (AGS), and Omaha, Nebraska (OMA).
Airline also adds service for special events next year
FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines is giving customers a treat this holiday season with the announcement of two new routes from the vibrant and eclectic city of Austin, Texas (AUS), to the capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose, California (SJC), and to the historical city of Boston (BOS). These new routes will operate twice daily beginning in April.
The airline is also introducing unique service in support of special events like golf tournaments in Augusta, Georgia (AGS), music festivals in Palm Springs, California (PSP), and the annual visit to one of the nation’s biggest shareholder meetings with increased service to Omaha, Nebraska (OMA). Austin flights will be available for purchase starting Dec. 16 and special events flights will be available for purchase starting Dec. 22.
New Austin flights takeoff in April
American’s newest service is in response to strong demand from customers who need to travel between one of the nation’s largest tech cities, Austin, to the tech centers in San Jose and Boston.
“Our customers have expressed the desire for more routes between major tech cities, and we’re pleased to respond to their needs by helping them reach these important destinations with ease,” said Alison Taylor, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Distribution. “These new routes reflect our commitment to partnering with customers to seamlessly support their travel needs.”
Flights will operate twice daily, Monday through Friday, on a Boeing 737-800, year-round. The aircraft features high-speed Wi-Fi, access to power at every seat and 16 first class seats, providing additional comfort while commuting. With convenient flight times, customers flying the new service can get to meetings early and get back home in time for dinner. The airline has also recently renovated the Admirals Club to relax before flights, and, by the end of the year, American will have five contiguous gates at AUS.
“We added these routes with our customers top of mind to bring them closer to the places they value the most when conducting business,” said Vasu Raja, Senior Vice President of Network Strategy. “While it’s not our traditional hub and spoke routing, we understand the importance of travel for the tech community and look forward to offering these new flights to our loyal customers.”
And, for a quick weekend beach escape from the capital of Texas, American will also introduce the only service from AUS to Los Cabos, Mexico (SJD) on Saturday and Sunday, starting May 9.
Special flights for special events
In addition to the yearly increase in service for special events, American is also adding more unique flights that will make it easier than ever to attend must-see special events such as sports tournaments, concerts and meetings. American is adding direct service from Los Angeles (LAX) to PSP in April, for a faster way to get to one of the biggest music festivals of the year. The airline is also adding new service to AGS from BOS on an Embraer E175, and upgauging existing service from Chicago (ORD) to Augusta on a 737-800 to help customers who want a front row seat to golf’s biggest championship tournament. And in May, American will have the most seats to Louisville, Kentucky (SDF), for one of the most unique sporting events under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs, from BOS, CLT, DCA, DFW, LAX, LGA, MIA, ORD and PHL. American also has customers covered who care more about investing with the only service from BOS to OMA, as well as new flights from New York City (LGA) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to OMA on an E175 on May 1.
“It’s important to spend time and resources on memorable experiences, and we want to make sure our customers have options when it comes to the most important events around the country throughout the year,” Raja said. “We’re adding more seats, introducing new routes and making sure that our customers are taken care of throughout their travel journey.”
Union Pacific(NYSE: UNP) is suing the city of Palestine, Texas, to nullify a 150-year-old contract to keep a certain number of jobs in the town indefinitely.
The agreement between Union Pacific and Palestine — which was signed in 1872 — dates back to the days when the city was at the crossroads of several railroad companies that promised to keep jobs there indefinitely, according to the Palestine Herald-Press.
Union Pacific’s lawsuit, filed Nov. 27 with the U.S. District Courts in the Eastern District of Texas, alleges the railroad’s contract with Palestine should have been invalidated when the federal Surface Transportation Board became the nation’s regulating authority for freight rail in 1996; and again in 1997, when Union Pacific merged with the Missouri-Pacific Railroad.
The agreement requires the Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad to keep 0.52% of its total jobs in Palestine, local officials said.
Union Pacific operates around 32,000 miles of track in 23 Western states. The company had around 37,000 employees as of its last earnings report.
Union Pacific 4014 “Big Boy” steam locomotive visits Tucson, Arizona on October 18,2019
Union Pacific implemented Positive Train Control (PTC) on 1,113 route miles in the third quarter of 2019, bringing required PTC-operated route miles to 15,791 or 93 percent, including all required passenger train routes. Nearly all Union Pacific trains operating on PTC-mandated rail lines are operating with PTC locomotives. The company expects to have implemented PTC on all required lines by end of 2019, a year before the Congressional deadline. Its interoperability efforts with other railroads will continue through 2020.
Union Pacific currently hosts 31 freight and passenger railroads, which must achieve PTC interoperability by December 2020. Eleven of these railroads are already compliant, encompassing 85% of Union Pacific’s interoperable PTC train miles. While Union Pacific’s infrastructure is PTC-ready, it is working to be PTC-interoperable with the remaining partner railroads. The company’s expectation is that they will take necessary steps to reach interoperability on our network by mid-2020.
One of the most challenging parts of PTC implementation is ensuring system interoperability among all U.S. rail lines and locomotives. Given the various readiness levels of North American freight and passenger railroads, including publicly funded commuter lines and short lines, it is important that all railroads continue working together to maintain the health, safety, resiliency, and fluidity of the rail network during PTC implementation.
Union Pacific completed PTC installation on required route miles and employee training. PTC education is ongoing as Union Pacific retrains employees and introduces the system to new employees. Training materials are tailored to a variety of employee roles, including engineer, conductor, dispatcher, maintenance of way/engineering, mechanical, signal, telecom and information technologies.
With the FRA’s conditional approval of Union Pacific’s PTC safety plan on April 26, 2017, Union Pacific is running PTC operations on more than 15,000 miles in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Union Pacific and freight and passenger railroads continue working together to safely implement PTC on the remaining 1,271 required route miles.
Closure represents next step in the Company’s long-term cost and footprint reduction strategies
When complete in early 2020, the Company is expected to save $5 million per year in fixed costs
CHICAGO, July 22, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreightCar America, Inc. (RAIL) announced today that it has started the process to permanently close its Roanoke, Virginia manufacturing facility. The Company will retain the necessary workforce to build cars at the facility through November.
“The closure of our Roanoke facility is another next step in our ‘Back to Basics’ strategy as we continue to streamline our manufacturing footprint and match it to our future product offering,” said Jim Meyer, President and Chief Executive Officer of FreightCar America. “Reducing our fixed costs and achieving world-class output from our much larger Shoals facility have always been core pillars of our turnaround strategy.”
Meyer added, “We have spent the last two years building our talent, processes and overall capabilities at Shoals and the plant is now in a position to accept the Roanoke models and volume. This action, when complete in the first half of 2020, is expected to save approximately $5 million per year.”
Meyer concluded, “Our people at Roanoke have consistently performed above all expectations. We are extremely thankful for everything they have given the Company.”
The Company will offer select employees the opportunity to relocate to other parts of the business.
About FreightCar America
FreightCar America, Inc. manufactures a wide range of railroad freight cars, supplies railcar parts and leases freight cars through its FreightCar America Leasing Company subsidiaries. FreightCar America designs and builds high-quality railcars, including bulk commodity cars, covered hopper cars, intermodal and non-intermodal flat cars, mill gondola cars, coil steel cars, boxcars and coal cars. It is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and has facilities in the following locations: Cherokee, Alabama; Grand Island, Nebraska; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Roanoke, Virginia; and Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. More information about FreightCar America is available on its website at www.freightcaramerica.com
MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) announces its participation in the 2019 Airborne Public Safety Aviation Convention (APSCON), July 17-19, 2019 at the CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE. The MDHI display will feature a company-owned MD 530F configured with the type-certified Block 1 all-glass cockpit, newly designed side mounts, and critical vision mission equipment from Trakka Systems. The MD 530F on display is one of two MDHI research and development assets dedicated to ensuring technological and performance improvements for the iconic 369FF airframe.
“Continuous improvements, innovation, and service to airborne law enforcement and public safety operations have been at the core of MD Helicopters’ business for more than 50 years,” said Lynn Tilton, Chief Executive Officer for MD Helicopters, Inc. “Through investment in product design and internal research, development and testing, we are able to deliver next generation capabilities that improve performance, reduce pilot workload, and ensure that reliability, affordability and optimal operational readiness remain hallmarks of the MDHI brand for the next 50 years and beyond.”
Current MDHI customers and interested operators who visit the MDHI booth at the 2019 Airborne Public Safety Aviation Convention (APSCON), will be able to learn more about the following offerings:
Certified Glass Cockpits
MDHI has type-certified for production, and as a type-design option, advanced, all-glass cockpits for the MD 530F and the MD 600N. Certification efforts are ongoing for the company’s other single-engine models. The Block 1 glass cockpit for the MD 530F single-engine helicopter features:
Howell Instruments Electronic Engine Instruments and Crew Alert System (EICAS)
Optional L-3 ESI 500 Electronic Standby Instrument
Advanced Mission Equipment Installation
In order to accommodate installation of the widest range of mission critical vision technologies, MD Helicopters designed and is currently certifying innovative new side mounts that will allow effortless integration of critical EO/IR and searchlight equipment. The mounts are purpose-built to support law enforcement-preferred left-hand command configurations for vision solutions.
On display at the MDHI booth, #1001, are EO/IR and Searchlight solutions from TRAKKA Systems.
TrakkaBeam® TLX
TC-300 high performance multi-sensor surveillance system
Aftermarket & Customer Support Programs
The MD Helicopters Aftermarket and Customer Support teams continue to focus on innovation and responsiveness. Both the easy-to-use MyMD.aero customer portal and the Aftermarket Center of Excellence (ACE) have played integral roles in ensuring optimal operational readiness for the global fleet of MDHI-brand helicopters.
Demo Flights
MDHI has limited availability for demo flights while in Omaha. Interested organizations with current acquisition plans can request a demo flight either prior to show open (July 14 or 15), or immediately following the close of APSCON 2019 (July 19 or 20). Request should be submitted through your MDHI Business Development Director.
“We have great respect for our law enforcement operators, the job they do and the sacrifices they make each and every day, and it is for them that we remain focused on manufacturing the best helicopters with the most advanced, most affordable, most capable systems available.”
(Reuters) – Union Pacific Corp (UNP.N), one of the biggest U.S. railroads, on Thursday reported higher-than-expected quarterly profit and said efficiency gains will bolster profits in 2019.
Shares in the company, which connects 23 states in the western two-thirds of the United States by rail, rose 3.3 percent to $159.37.
Its operating ratio – a measure of operating expenses as a percentage of revenue and a key metric for Wall Street – improved 1.1 points to 61.6 percent in the fourth quarter from the same period last year, the company said.
A lower ratio means more efficiency and higher profitability.
“We expect (2019) operating margins will increase as a result of solid core pricing gains and significant productivity benefits,” Chief Executive Lance Fritz said in a statement.
The Omaha, Nebraska-based company this month hired former Canadian National Railway Co (CNR.TO) executive and turnaround expert Jim Vena as its chief operating officer and said its operating ratio would fall below 60 percent by 2020.
Vena worked with Hunter Harrison, who led the revival of two Canadian railroads and died in 2017 after a short stint as CEO of CSX Corp (CSX.O), which recently set a 2019 target for a sub-60 percent operating ratio.
Union Pacific is cutting jobs, consolidating businesses and selling a corporate retreat to drive costs lower.
On a conference call on Thursday, Vena said “everything is on the table” as Union Pacific looks for further efficiency gains.
“I know the railroad has a vision in place to get to a 55 operating ratio already, and we’ll be working aggressively towards that goal,” Vena said.
Net income fell to $1.55 billion, or $2.12 per share in the fourth quarter, from $7.28 billion, or $9.25 per share, a year earlier when the company received a boost from changes in U.S. tax laws.
Freight revenue in the quarter rose 6 percent, lifting total operating revenue to $5.76 billion from $5.45 billion. Net core pricing was up 2.5 percent from the year-ago quarter.
Analysts, on average, expected a profit of $2.06 per share and revenue of $5.74 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Terminal dwell, the amount of time rail cars sit idle in a terminal, was 26.7 hours for the quarter, an 18 percent improvement versus a year ago.
Union Pacific and Berkshire Hathaway-owned (BRKa.N) BNSF are the largest U.S. freight rail operators with annual revenue of more than $20 billion each.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles and Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber, Steve Orlofsky and Will Dunham)
OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Union Pacific today named Jim Vena chief operating officer, effective Jan. 14. He served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Canadian National (CN) until retiring in June 2016 after a 40-year CN career.
Union Pacific. (PRNewsFoto/Union Pacific) (PRNewsfoto/Union Pacific)
Vena, 60, will lead all aspects of Union Pacific’s operations, including Unified Plan 2020 implementation, the company’s new operating plan that launched in October 2018. He will report to Lance Fritz, Union Pacific chairman, president and chief executive officer.
“Unified Plan 2020 combines precision scheduled railroading principles with our own UP Way tools and best practices,” Fritz said. “We have been making excellent strides rolling out Unified Plan 2020, and Jim’s vast knowledge of the precision scheduled railroading model brings significant experience and expertise that will enhance the work already underway.”
During Vena’s tenure as executive vice president and chief operating officer, Canadian National generated the North American rail industry’s best operating ratio and achieved the best safety incident ratio in the company’s history. Vena started his railroad career as a brakeman and held progressively increasing responsibilities in Canadian National’s operations as well as marketing and sales groups, including leading all of CN’s operating regions.
Tom Lischer, Union Pacific’s executive vice president – Operations, and Lynden Tennison, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, will report to Vena.
About Union Pacific Union Pacific Railroad is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation (UNP). One of America’s most recognized companies, Union Pacific Railroad connects 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country by rail, providing a critical link in the global supply chain. From 2008-2017, Union Pacific invested approximately $34 billion in its network and operations to support America’s transportation infrastructure. The railroad’s diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Energy, Industrial and Premium. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers, operates from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways, connects with Canada’s rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major Mexico gateways. Union Pacific provides value to its roughly 10,000 customers by delivering products in a safe, reliable, fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible manner.
This press release contains statements about the Company’s future that are not statements of historical fact, including specifically the statements regarding the Company’s expectations with respect to implementing a new operating plan and its ability to improve network performance and customer service. These statements are, or will be, forward-looking statements as defined by the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements also generally include, without limitation, information or statements regarding: projections, predictions, expectations, estimates or forecasts as to the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ business, financial, and operational results, and future economic performance; and management’s beliefs, expectations, goals, and objectives and other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.
Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times that, or by which, such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking information, including expectations regarding operational and financial improvements and the Company’s future performance or results are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statement. Important factors, including risk factors, could affect the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ future results and could cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Information regarding risk factors and other cautionary information are available in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10- K for 2017, which was filed with the SEC on February 9, 2018. The Company updates information regarding risk factors if circumstances require such updates in its periodic reports on Form 10-Q and its subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K (or such other reports that may be filed with the SEC).
Forward-looking statements speak only as of, and are based only upon information available on, the date the statements were made. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forward-looking statements. References to our website are provided for convenience and, therefore, information on or available through the website is not, and should not be deemed to be, incorporated by reference herein.
