Tag: responsibility

Lufthansa Airbus A350-900 “Erfurt” Will Become Climate Research Aircraft

April 7, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Predicting the weather even more accurately, analyzing climate changes even more precisely, researching even better how the world is developing. This is the goal of a globally unique cooperation between Lufthansa and several research institutes.

Converting an aircraft into a climate research plane poses major challenges. Lufthansa has chosen the most modern and economical long-haul jet in its fleet – an Airbus A350-900 named “Erfurt” (registration D-AIXJ). In three stages, the “Erfurt” will now become a flying research laboratory.

In Lufthansa Technik’s hangar in Malta, the first and most extensive conversion work was carried out. Preparations were made for a complex air intake system below the belly. This was followed by a series of test insertions, at the end of which came the certification of a climate research laboratory weighing around 1.6 tons, the so-called CARIBIC measurement laboratory. The acronym CARIBIC stands for “Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container” is part of a comprehensive European research consortium.

The “Erfurt” is expected to take off from Munich at the end of 2021 for its first flight in the service of climate research, measuring around 100 different trace gases, aerosol and cloud parameters in the tropopause region (at an altitude of nine to twelve kilometers). Lufthansa is thus making a valuable contribution to climate research, which can use these unique data to assess the performance of current atmospheric and climate models and thus their predictive power for the Earth’s future climate. The special feature: Climate-relevant parameters can be recorded at this altitude with much greater accuracy and temporal resolution on board the aircraft than with satellite-based or ground-based systems.

The A350 conversion, which has now been launched, was preceded by an ex-tremely elaborate planning and development phase of about four years involving more than ten companies (in particular Lufthansa, Lufthansa Technik, Airbus, Saf-ran, enviscope, and Dynatec) as well as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) as representative of a larger scientific consortium.

The Lufthansa Group has been a reliable partner of climate research since 1994 and has since equipped several aircraft with special instruments. This is now the first time worldwide on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

American Airlines Names Adriane M. Brown To Board of Directors

February 22, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) today announced the election of Adriane M. Brown, 62, to its board of directors. Brown will also serve on the company’s Audit and Corporate Governance and Public Responsibility committees.

Brown currently serves as managing partner at Seattle-based venture capital firm Flying Fish Partners. She also sits on the boards of Axon Enterprise, Inc., eBay Inc. and the Washington Research Foundation/WRF Capital.

Brown has held a number of senior leadership positions during her career, including president and chief operating officer at Intellectual Ventures Management, LLC, president and CEO of Transportation Systems and vice president and GM of two aerospace divisions at Honeywell International Inc. Brown launched her career at Corning Incorporated and rose to hold several senior roles. She previously served on the boards of The Raytheon Company, Allergan plc and Harman International Industries, Incorporated.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in environmental health from Old Dominion University and a Master of Science in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Air Côte d’Ivoire Receives its First Airbus A320neo

February 18, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Toulouse, 18 February 2021 – Air Côte d’Ivoire, Ivory Coast’s flagship carrier based in Abidjan, has taken delivery of its first A320neo, becoming the first operator of the type in the West-African region. This latest generation aircraft will join Air Côte d’Ivoire’s existing Airbus fleet of six aircraft.

With improved levels of efficiency, this new aircraft will be deployed on Air Côte d’Ivoire’s regional network to serve Senegal, Gabon, and Cameroon. Destinations like South Africa will be added at a later stage, highlighting the operational flexibility of the A320neo. Powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines, the aircraft is configured in a comfortable two-class layout with 16 seats in Business and 132 seats in Economy Class. Passengers will benefit from the widest cabin of any single-aisle aircraft, high-speed Internet connectivity and latest generation in-flight entertainment system.

Air Cote d’Ivoire’s first A320neo took off from Toulouse carrying 1 tonne of humanitarian goods including medical equipment and toys. In partnership with Aviation sans Frontières and the Airbus Foundation, the mission is part of Air Côte d’Ivoire’s corporate social responsibility initiative. The transported goods will serve local NGOs in Abidjan, thus supporting the education and health sector in the country.

Air Cote d’Ivoire has a fleet of 10 aircraft, including three A319s and three A320s, serving 25 domestic and regional destinations in West and Central Africa.

The A320neo Family incorporates the very latest technologies including new generation engines, Sharklets and aerodynamics, which together deliver 20% in fuel savings and CO2 reduction. The A320neo Family has won 7,450 orders from nearly 120 customers.

Lufthansa Announces dean&david and Dallmayr Partnership for New Catering Concept

January 26, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

In autumn 2020, Deutsche Lufthansa AG (LHA.DE) announced that it would soon be offering Economy Class passengers a range of high-quality food and beverages for purchase on board short- and medium-haul flights.

The airline has now decided on its catering partners: With dean&david, Lufthansa was able to win over a young gastronomy company from Munich that represents freshness, quality and a sense of responsibility – for healthy food, high-quality ingredients and sustainable nutrition as well as environmentally friendly packaging. The culinary offer, which will be available on flights with a duration of at least 60 minutes, will be high quality and full of variety. Gate Gourmet, Lufthansa’s new main caterer for Europe, prepares essential components of the assortment, such as salads, bowls, wraps and sandwiches, fresh daily according to dean&david recipes. The menu includes a salmon avocado bowl, falafel tahini salad, crunchy chicken bowl or sweet chilli chicken sandwich as well as freshly made Birchermuesli. There will also be “Best of dean&david Boxes” with a fine selection from the dean&david assortment.

The menu selection will be complemented by cake specialities and snacks from other manufacturers, such as vegetable crisps. The prices for meals and snacks will range from two to about 12 Euros. The range of fresh products will be updated every three months.

Lufthansa will be expanding its long-standing cooperation with the traditional Munich-based company Dallmayr for hot beverages, confectionery and patisserie specialties. One highlight of this assortment is the project coffee Dano. The name stands for a cultivation region in Ethiopia. Dallmayr supports local people there with projects such as building a school and establishing a coffee cooperation. The product range is complemented by various organic teas, such as Alpine Herbs and First Flush Darjeeling, as well as chocolate milk. Furthermore, chocolates from the Dallmayr praline factory and a selection of cake specialities in cooperation with Gate Gourmet will also be offered.

There will also be a large selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. A bottle of tomato juice or orange juice, for example, will be available for three Euros, as will a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or tea. A bottle of water and a small chocolate surprise will be served free of charge.

The focus of the new in-flight offer is on quality, freshness and sustainability. Christina Foerster, Executive Board Lufthansa Group Customer, IT & Corporate Responsibility, explains: “Our partners dean&david and Dallmayr represent outstanding quality and responsible action. In addition to the satisfaction of our guests, the topic of responsibility for the environment is also very important to us. We use almost exclusively sustainable materials for our packaging. Furthermore, we ensure that less food is wasted through more accurate production. We are pleased to be able to offer our passengers fresh products on European flights that taste delicious.”

The new food and beverage offer scheduled to be available on Lufthansa’s short- and medium-haul flights starting in the course of the summer timetable 2021. Orders will be placed directly on board.

Qantas Announces Change to Executive Team

August 23, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

The Qantas Group has today announced a reduction to its Group Management Committee as it continues to respond to the expanding COVID-19 crisis.

CEO of Qantas International, Tino La Spina, will leave the Group in light of what is likely to be the extended grounding of this part of the airline.

Responsibilities currently held by Mr La Spina will transfer to CEO of Qantas Domestic, Andrew David. Mr David’s role will change as a result, adding functional responsibility for Qantas International in addition to his existing responsibility for Qantas Domestic and Qantas Freight, reporting to Group CEO Alan Joyce. John Gissing (Group Executive of Associated Airlines and Services) will continue to have responsibility for regional carrier, QantasLink.

Mr Joyce said: “The COVID crisis is forcing us to rethink our business at every level. It’s increasingly clear that our international flights will be grounded until at least mid-2021 and it will take years for activity to return to what it was before. Under those circumstances, we’ve made the decision to consolidate the domestic and international business units under a single divisional CEO.

“Tino has done a superb job throughout his 14 years at Qantas. He’s a talented executive who brings his trademark enthusiasm to every challenge. I know I speak for the rest of the executive team and for the Board in thanking him sincerely for the huge contribution he has made, particularly as Deputy CFO and then CFO for most of that time.”

The change announced today will take effect from 1 September 2020.

As part of its response to the COVID crisis, the Qantas Group Management Committee took three months of zero pay in the last quarter of FY20 and is on reduced pay (65 per cent for the CEO and 85 per cent for other executives) until November 2020.

Wynn Resorts Extends Benefits for All North American Employees

April 2, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

I always love to read stories about the generosity of great corporations. Especially during times when self-centered politicians love to bash them so that they can profit from the potential graft a pending victory can bring. -WB

PRNewswire/ — Wynn Resorts (Nasdaq: WYNN), the world’s leading resort company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, announced today that the Company will extend paying all salaried, hourly and part-time employees through May 15, for a total of 60 days of payroll continuance. The Company decided to take this action as part of its shared responsibility for the health and safety of its employees, their families and the Las Vegas and Greater Boston communities during this pandemic.

Payroll coverage will include more than 15,000 current Wynn and Encore employees. For tipped employees, it includes the average tip compliance rate or distributed tips/tokes since the beginning of the year.

“It is our shared responsibility to follow the direction of health and safety professionals to stay home, and limit social contact,” said Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox. “We owe it to each other, our families and to our community.”

For more information on Wynn’s health and safety measures, please visit www.WynnInfo.com.

The Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett seen from Somerville. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Austrian Airlines Will Temporarily Suspend Flight Operations

March 19, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Last flight will land on 19 March in Vienna / all further flights are temporarily suspended until 28 March
Lufthansa Group: entire short and long-haul schedule significantly reduced again
As of 17 March: ten percent of the originally planned capacity will still be available on long-haul routes and 20 per cent on short-haul routes
Lufthansa Group airlines fly thousands of cruise passengers and holidaymakers home
Arrangements for further evacuation flights
Lufthansa Cargo flight operations carries out all planned flights despite corona crisis

The Lufthansa Group carrier Austrian Airlines will temporarily suspend scheduled flight operations as of Thursday, 19 March 2020. Austrian Airlines is thus reacting to the entry restrictions imposed by many countries in response to the massive spread of the coronavirus.

For the time being, the last flight with flight number OS 066 will land in Vienna from Chicago at 8:20 a.m. on 19 March. Until then, flight operations are to be reduced in a controlled and structured manner in order to bring all passengers and crews home if possible. Initially Austrian Airlines will cancel all flights until March 28th 2020, and passengers who have booked a flight with Austrian Airlines during this period will be rebooked on other airlines if possible.

In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines will further reduce their short- and long-haul schedule. The cancellations, which will be published as early as tomorrow, March 17th, will lead to a sharp decline in long-haul service especially in the Middle East, Africa and Central and South America. Overall, the Lufthansa Group’s seating capacity on long-haul routes will be reduced by up to 90 per cent. A total of 1,300 weekly connections were originally planned for summer 2020.

Within Europe the flight schedule will also be further reduced. Starting tomorrow, around 20 percent of the originally planned seating capacity will still be offered. Originally, some 11,700 weekly short-haul flights were planned for summer 2020 with Lufthansa Group airlines.

The additional cancellations will be published over the next few days and passengers will be informed accordingly.

Despite the large-scale cancellations, Lufthansa, Eurowings and Austrian Airlines have scheduled more than 20 special flights with over 6,000 guests on short notice to fly cruise passengers and holidaymakers back home. Wide-body aircraft namely, the Boeing 747 & 777 and Airbus A350 are being used to offer as much capacity as possible on these return flights. Since thousands of German, Austrian, Swiss and Belgian citizens are still waiting to return to their home countries, Lufthansa Group airlines have made arrangements for further evacuation flightsand are in close contact with the governments of their home countries concerning this. Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said: “Now it is no longer about economic issues, but about the responsibility that airlines bear as part of the critical infrastructure in their home countries.” Lufthansa will work with airports and air traffic controllers to develop a coordinated concept for maintaining the critical infrastructure.

The new timetable for all Lufthansa Group airlines will initially be valid until 12 April 2020. Lufthansa Group passengers planning a trip in the coming weeks are advised to check the current status of the respective flight on their airline’s website before departure. If rebooking possibilities exist, the passengers concerned will be proactively informed about alternatives, as long as they have provided their contact details online. In addition, currently changed rebooking conditions apply on a goodwill basis. Customers can find more information about this at lufthansa.com.

We are currently receiving an exceptionally high number of customer calls at our Service Centers and at our stations. We are continuously working on increasing capacity to meet this demand. Nevertheless, there are currently long waiting times. Passengers can use the extensive rebooking and self-service options on the airlines’ websites as an alternative to the Service Centers.

Unlike the passenger airlines, Lufthansa Cargo has so far been able to operate all its planned flights except for cancellations to mainland China. The Lufthansa Group subsidiary will continue to do everything in its power to maintain the flight operations of its own cargo fleet and thus support the global supply chains. Especially during the current crisis, logistics and thus also airfreight are of paramount importance.

Newsweek Names American Airlines One of America’s Most Responsible Companies

December 14, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines was named to Newsweek’s 2020 list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, appearing among the top 100 companies in the publication’s inaugural ranking. American ranked highest among U.S. airlines included on the list.

“We believe our company’s focus is in the right place when we’re doing more than moving people from destination to destination — we’re taking great care of those people on their journeys, and we’re conducting our business in a responsible and sustainable way,” said Steve Johnson, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs for American. “Our team members work hard every day to put that purpose into practice as they interact with their colleagues, our customers and the communities we serve, and we know our company is stronger for it. We’re proud to see their efforts recognized through our inclusion on this list.”

American’s approach to corporate responsibility is guided by three strategic objectives: to make culture a competitive advantage, to create a world-class customer experience and to build the airline to thrive forever. The company’s commitment to corporate responsibility is detailed in its latest Corporate Responsibility Report.

Newsweek’s list was developed from an analysis of publicly available key performance indicators in the areas of environmental, social and corporate governance, in addition to an independent survey.

Frontier Airlines Welcomes Wellington the Black-Footed Ferret to its Fleet

November 10, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Low-fare carrier, Frontier Airlines, today, introduces the newest aircraft tail to its fleet, Wellington the Black-Footed Ferret. The addition of the Airbus A320neo aircraft, Wellington, grows Frontier’s fleet to 95 Airbus aircraft. The tail’s namesake calls attention to the town in Larimer County, Colorado and the local recovery efforts for one of the most endangered species in North America.

“We’re excited to welcome Wellington the Black-Footed Ferret to our fleet,” Barry Biffle, President and CEO of Frontier Airlines said. “The animals on the tails of our aircraft are part of Frontier’s DNA and Wellington is a special addition to the fleet because of its connection to Colorado and its endangerment. As America’s Greenest Airline, we feel a great responsibility to support the efforts of the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them.”

“It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come together on our journey to bring this species back from the brink of extinction,” said Noreen Walsh, Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “This success is due in large part to the strength of our partnerships with states, local communities, tribes, ranching families, and now, Frontier Airlines.”

“On behalf of the town of Wellington I would like to say thank you to Frontier Airlines for choosing Wellington the Black-Footed Ferret as the animal on the tail of its newest aircraft”, Mayor of Wellington, Troy Hamman said. “It’s an honor for me as the town mayor of Wellington to help represent our black-footed ferret and an awesome airline such as Frontier.”

Black-footed ferrets are the only ferret native to North America. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, along with many partners, coordinates efforts to recover the species and monitor overall population health.

Frontier Airlines has partnered with the conservation center to support their efforts and call attention to endangered species. To learn more about the center and about black-footed ferrets, visit www.blackfootedferret.org.

Frontier operates 95 A320 family aircraft and has the largest A320neo fleet in the U.S., delivering the highest level of noise reduction and fuel-efficiency, compared to previous models. The use of these aircraft, Frontier’s seating configuration, weight-saving tactics and baggage process have all contributed to the airline’s average of 39% fuel savings compared to other U.S. airlines (fuel savings is based on Frontier Airlines 2018 fuel consumption per seat-mile compared to the weighted average of major U.S. airlines).

With over 150 new Airbus planes on order, Frontier will continue to grow to deliver on the mission of providing affordable travel across America. Frontier’s young fleet also ensures that the company keeps fares low and that customers will enjoy a pleasant and reliable experience flying with the airline.

TAROM Selects ATR 72-600 to Renew its Regional Fleet

June 27, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Major fleet upgrade with nine modern turboprops providing increased seat capacity, lowest operating costs and best environmental performance

Toulouse, 26 June, 2019 – TAROM, the Romanian national air carrier, will introduce nine new ATR 72-600 aircraft, the market-leading product of the world’s number one regional aircraft manufacturer, into its fleet. The ATR 72-600 will be leased from NAC, the world’s number one regional aircraft lessor. Deliveries will commence in October 2019 through to 2020.

TAROM has been very successful in its domestic market operations by using ATRs to allow it to compete with low cost carriers. This upgrade will ensure that the airline is equipped with the latest generation of turboprops burning 40% less fuel and emitting 40% less CO2 than regional jets.

New ATRs will offer TAROM an additional 330,000 seats every year at the same operating cost as its previous seat level, improving short haul connectivity in Romania and supporting the development of local and more isolated communities. This will provide TAROM with the possibility to further expand and consolidate their position in the market.

TAROM Chief Executive Officer Madalina Mezei said: “We have selected ATR after a comprehensive review of competing aircraft, with the ATR 72-600’s demonstrating they are the best aircraft to meet our ambitious targets regarding efficiency, modern technology and environmental responsibility. With this aircraft, we will be able to develop new routes and increase frequency and seat availability, whilst introducing the highest levels of comfort and the latest technology into our domestic network.”

“We are very proud to welcome TAROM as our newest customer,” said Martin Møller, Chairman of Nordic Aviation Capital “we are confident that the ATR 72-600 aircraft will ensure efficiency in their network for many years to come. We thank TAROM for the confidence they have placed in NAC, and we look forward to building and strengthening our relationship with them in the future.”

Stefano Bortoli, Chief Executive Officer of ATR commented: “TAROM is among Europe’s most experienced ATR operators. We are proud to see this long-time customer renew its partnership with the ATR 72-600, the regional aircraft with the best environmental credentials. TAROM made its selection after a vigorous evaluation and in selecting the ATR 72-600 they chose more efficiency, more flexibility and more capacity, for long-term benefits.”

TAROM and ATR have been working together for 20 years. The Romanian national airline operates a fleet of 25 aircraft, including seven ATR 42-500’s and two ATR 72-500’s which are now to be traded in for the announced nine 72-600’s.

About TAROM:
The Romanian National Air Transport Company TAROM has been established in 1954 and grew at the same time as Romanian aviation. TAROM’s activity is subordinated to the authority of the Ministry of Transports. TAROM is member of the Alliance SkyTeam starting from June 2010, member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) starting from 1993.

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