TOMORROWS TRANSPORTATION NEWS TODAY!

Tag: Preservation

Volaris reports September 2020 traffic results, operating at 84% of 2019 capacity levels

MEXICO CITY, /PRNewswire/ — Volaris (NYSE: VLRS and BMV: VOLAR), the ultra-low-cost airline serving Mexico, the United States and Central America, reports September 2020 preliminary traffic results.

Volaris is well positioned for a continuing post Covid-19 traffic recovery and is regaining capacity at a fast pace, due to its strong ultra-low-cost business model focused on the VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) and leisure segments in the domestic and US-transborder markets. Volaris also continues to see success from its efforts to convert first time flyers through its bus switching marketing campaigns in Mexico.

In September 2020, capacity measured by ASMs (Available Seat Miles) was 84.2% compared to the same month of last year. Demand measured by RPMs (Revenue Passenger Miles) was 75.6% of last year. This represents an increase of 2.4% versus August 2020. Volaris transported a total of 1.3 million passengers during September 2020, an increase of 4.1% versus August 2020. Booked load factor for September 2020 was 74.4%, an increase of 1.8 pp versus August 2020. No shows were back to normal levels.

Click the link below for the full story with financials!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/volaris-reports-september-2020-traffic-013900973.html

Emirates Starts on Greener road journeys for crew in Dubai

Emirates has revealed that nearly a third of its dedicated fleet of transport buses for cabin crew in Dubai will now operate on biofuel, taking another step forward on its environmental mission to reduce emissions.

The airline’s contracted service provider, Al Wegdaniyah, has committed to operating all road trips with biodiesel provided by Neutral Fuels, one of the UAE’s leading producers of biofuels, utilising locally-sourced, used cooking oil as feedstock.

Emirates commissions a fleet of nearly four dozen buses in Dubai alone, to safely shuttle its cabin crew between their homes and the workplace, clocking an average of 700,000 kilometres in a normal month. Similar to operations in the air, route and schedule planning for ground transport is also an important aspect to maximise transport efficiency and reduce emissions.

The estimated carbon dioxide savings from this initiative alone is 75,000 kg annually, and the airline continues to work with its other transport suppliers to extend this initiative across the transport fleet.

Karl W. Feilder, CEO of Neutral Fuels congratulated Emirates and Al Wegdaniyah for the initiative, pointing out that it is in line with the energy-related sustainability goals that the UAE has committed to achieve by 2050. Using biofuel reduces greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and the change can be easily made because switching from fossil fuel to biofuel requires no modification to diesel engines. It has a positive effect on engines because its lubricating properties help prevent premature wear and failure, and it even acts as a detergent in fuel systems, removing sludge deposits which improves efficiency and reduces maintenance costs.

In addition, Emirates is also currently trialling the use of electric buses airside at Dubai International airport, to transport its crew between the terminal and aircraft.

Over the years, the airline has invested in electric vehicles for its on-ground operations where feasible. For instance, at its state-of-the-art Emirates Engineering Centre in Dubai, which comprises a complex of hangars, workshops, material stores and offices, over 130 electric buggies and 80 electric material handling vehicles including forklifts, are being utilised for day-to-day operations.

Emirates is committed to environmental stewardship, focusing its ongoing efforts in three main areas: emissions reduction, responsible consumption, and the preservation of wildlife and habitats.

Emirates has a comprehensive fuel efficiency programme that actively investigates and implements ways to reduce unnecessary fuel burn and emissions wherever it is operationally feasible, whether in the air or on the ground.

Operating modern and fuel-efficient aircraft has been central to Emirates’ business model from the airline’s inception. This ongoing, multi-billion dollar investment, is Emirates’ biggest commitment – not only to passenger comfort, but also to reducing our environmental impact.

WWII B-17 Bomber Crash Lands in Connecticut, 7 Killed

(Reuters) – A World War Two-era B-17 bomber trying to make an emergency landing at an airport near Hartford, Connecticut, crashed and burned on Wednesday, killing seven people on board and closing the airport for several hours, authorities said.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress took off from Bradley International Airport on Wednesday morning and the crew contacted the air traffic control tower five minutes later to report a problem, National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference. 

During the crew’s attempt to land back at the airport, the plane struck stanchions near a runway and careened across a grassy area and a taxiway before striking a de-icing facility, said Homendy, whose agency sent a 10-member team to investigate the crash. 

Rescue crews from numerous emergency response agencies raced to the scene where a plume of thick, black smoke billowed skyward after the crash. 

Seven people died in the crash and six others, including a worker in the de-icing station, were treated for injuries ranging from minor to critical, James Rovella, commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, told the news conference. 

A total of 13 people were on board the plane, including three crew members, Rovella said. 

The names of the seven people who died have not been released pending notification of all the victims’ families. All the victims were adults, Rovella said. 

ESCAPE HATCH 

Some people on the plane opened an escape hatch and helped others get out, he said. 

“During the course of the next coming days, you’re going to hear about some heroic efforts from some of the individuals that were in or around that plane,” he said. 

The airport, located in the town of Windsor Locks, was closed for about 3-1/2 hours after the crash. 

The plane was operated by the Massachusetts-based Collings Foundation, which is dedicated to the preservation and public display of automotive and aviation-related history. 

“The Collings Foundation flight team is fully cooperating with officials to determine the cause of the crash of the B-17 Flying Fortress and will comment further when details become known,” the foundation said in a statement.

The vintage plane was one of only 18 B-17 aircraft still operating in the United States. 

Reporting by Peter Szekely and Maria Caspani in New York, Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney

Comment: I have made several pilgrimages to see the Collings Foundation aircraft over the years, and some of my personnal photos of this aircraft can be seen below. Thank you