Tag: Temporary (Page 1 of 2)

Alstom to build two infrastructure sections on Florence tramway Line 4

January 12, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

January 12, 2024 – Alstom SA (Paris: ALSO), a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, has been awarded a contract by the Municipality of Florence, valued at € 50 million for the construction of track, catenary, substations, and lighting system for Line 4.2 of the city’s tram system, with an option for Line 4.1, worth €49 million.

The tender was awarded to a temporary consortium of companies composed by the mandated company CMB together with Alstom, Hitachi Rail and ComNet, and covers operations spanning across a distance of 5.3 kilometres (11 stops) of Line 4.2 Campi Bisenzio-Piagge. The Line 4.2 will connect Le Piagge station to San Donnino and from there to the centre of Campi Bisenzio.

The contract includes an option, for the second lot, which will cover the 6.3 kilometres of Line 4.1 Piagge-Leopolda (13 stops) will connect Line 4.2 with the city centre.

The project is financed by National Recovery and Resilience Plan funds.

The works will be carried out by the System & Infrastructure team in Rome and the components for the electric traction will be designed and supplied by the Alstom site in Valmadrera, Lecco.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

KiwiRail re-opens rail line to Napier in cyclone Gabrielle recovery milestone

September 18, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

The reopening of the rail line to Napier – allowing rail freight to once again get to Napier Port – is an important step for the Hawke’s Bay cyclone recovery, KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy says. Scheduled freight services resumed Monday, September 18, following a seven month pause after the rail line was badly damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Cargo that is typically carried by rail includes chilled and frozen meat, wood products such as logs, pulp and timber, food products and imported machinery and consumables used in manufacturing. Following the cyclone in February, KiwiRail reopened the Palmerston North – Gisborne Line to Hastings at the start of April. Temporary Container Terminal sites were also set up in partnership with Napier Port, transport operators and cargo customers so that freight could be railed to Hastings, then trucked to Napier.

The section of line between Hastings and Napier, particularly around Awatoto, was badly damaged in the cyclone, with track and embankments washed away, and major damage to Bridge 217, which lost piers and spans in the floods. The work included rebuilding two-metre-high embankments, replacing 800 sleepers, 140 metres of rail, laying 3,000 cubic metres of formation (the rock foundation under the tracks) and 3,500 tonnes of ballast.

KiwiRail also railed steel casings to Hastings from Christchurch for replacement bridge piers on Bridge 217 – which have been driven 30 metres into the riverbed. The rebuild of Bridge 217 is temporary, in order to get rail freight moving as quickly as possible. A permanent new bridge will be designed and built over the next couple of years.

QANTAS to Open Pop-up Transit Lounge at Darwin International Airport

October 27, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Qantas will open a temporary lounge to cater for eligible customers travelling between Sydney and London via Darwin from next month.

It follows the recent announcement that Qantas’ flagship Australia to United Kingdom route would operate via Darwin once Australia’s international borders open on 1 November until at least April 2022 due to WA border closures.

Qantas will lease Darwin International Airport’s Catalina lounge, which will have space for approximately 100 guests utilising existing furniture and fittings. The offering will feature:

Service delivered by local Qantas lounge team members, including a signature welcome mocktail (Top End Lemonade) and refreshing cold towels.
Generous lounge and dining areas with a serviced buffet
Tailored menus for time of day, drawing on local culinary influences such as a Darwin markets inspired Asian style soup.
Premium Australian wines, beers and non-alcoholic drinks offered by a dedicated bar attendant
Power points through the space to recharge on the fly
Bathroom facilities

Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer, Stephanie Tully, said the national carrier is delighted to work with Darwin International Airport to ensure a comfortable transit experience for its top tier frequent flyers and customers travelling in Business Class.

Customers eligible to visit the Qantas Darwin International Transit Lounge include:

Platinum One, Platinum, Gold Qantas Frequent Flyers and Qantas Club members
Customers travelling in Business Class
Eligible oneworld partner members

Qantas will also reopen its Sydney International First Lounge from 1 November and its London and Los Angeles lounges in December. In the interim few weeks of operation, eligible Qantas customers will be able to visit the British Airways T3 Lounge at London Heathrow and the Star Alliance Lounge at Tom Bradley International Terminal in LA. Other international lounges will reopen to align with the return of further international routes.

QANTAS Group Stands Down 2,500 Crew in Response to Domestic Border Closures

August 6, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Around 2,500 frontline Qantas and Jetstar employees will be stood down for an estimated two months in response to ongoing COVID outbreaks.

The stand down is a temporary measure to deal with a significant drop in flying caused by COVID restrictions in Greater Sydney, in particular, and the knock-on border closures in all other states and territories. No permanent job losses are expected.

Today’s decision will directly impact domestic pilots, cabin crew and airport workers, mostly in New South Wales but also in other states given the nature of airline networks. Employees will be given two weeks’ notice before the stand down takes effect, with pay continuing until mid-August.

Income support in the form of government disaster payments will be key to helping eligible employees get through this challenging period and the Qantas Group welcomes the targeted Federal Government support offered for those stood down outside of declared hotspots and to retain domestic aviation capability.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the difficult decision to trigger stand downs reflected the reality confronting many businesses operating in New South Wales.

AIRPORT NARITA, TOKYO, JAPAN - 2017/05/06: Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner landing at Tokyo Narita airport. (Photo by Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Air New Zealand Limits Capacity on Inbound International Services

July 8, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Air New Zealand has put a hold on new bookings on international services into New Zealand following a request from the New Zealand Government.

The move is to help ensure the country is able to provide quarantine accommodation for inbound passengers for the required 14-day period.

As well as the temporary hold on new bookings for the next three weeks, the airline is also looking at aligning daily arrivals with the capacity available at managed isolation facilities. This may mean some customers will need to be moved to another flight.

Air New Zealand Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Cam Wallace says the airline has been working closely with the government to understand how it can support the government’s efforts to contain COVID-19 at the border.

“We accept this is a necessary short-term measure given the limited capacity in quarantine facilities and we’re keen to do what we can to help New Zealand’s continued success in its fight against COVID-19.”

The airline is proactively contacting customers affected by these changes from today. The Air New Zealand contact centre is currently experiencing very high demand, and customers are also welcome to contact the airline via its social media channels. Customers booked via a travel agent, including a third-party website (e.g. Expedia, Booking.com) should speak directly with their agent.

Air New Zealand is grateful to customers for their patience while it works through these changes.

Outbound Air New Zealand services from New Zealand to international ports are not affected by the New Zealand Government restrictions. Domestic services are not impacted.

We will update the COVID-19 Information Hub with more information on these changes.

Boeing Resumes 737 MAX Production

May 28, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Production system enhanced through factory initiatives

Boeing [NYSE: BA] has resumed production of the 737 MAX at the company’s Renton, Washington factory. The 737 program began building airplanes at a low rate as it implements more than a dozen initiatives focused on enhancing workplace safety and product quality.

“We’ve been on a continuous journey to evolve our production system and make it even stronger,” said Walt Odisho, vice president and general manager of the 737 program. “These initiatives are the next step in creating the optimal build environment for the 737 MAX.”

During the temporary suspension of production that began in January, mechanics and engineers collaborated to refine and standardize work packages in each position of the factory. New kitting processes will also ensure that employees have everything they need at their fingertips to build the airplane.

“The steps we’ve taken in the factory will help drive our goal of 100 percent quality for our customers while supporting our ongoing commitment to workplace safety,” said Scott Stocker, vice president of 737 Manufacturing.

The 737 program will gradually ramp up production this year.

Qantas Group ‘Fly Well’ Prepares for Travel Restriction Easing

May 19, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Range of measures introduced to ensure a safe travel environment and give extra peace of mind.
Masks on board, hand sanitising stations and enhanced aircraft cleaning among the improvements.
More flexibility added to bookings so people can plan with confidence.

Qantas and Jetstar will roll out a series of wellbeing improvements to give peace-of-mind in preparation for domestic travel restrictions easing.

The ‘Fly Well’ program brings together a number of temporary measures already in use by the Qantas Group, including on repatriation flights from virus hot-spots, and represents a combination of best-practice medical advice and feedback from customers.

Pre-flight

Rolling out from 12 June, the key measures at each point of the journey will be:

Information sent to all customers before they fly, so they know what to expect.
Contactless check-in (via online/app) and self-serve bag drop strongly encouraged, including use of Q Bag Tags.
Hand sanitising stations at departure gates.
Temporary changes to Qantas Lounges, including increased physical distancing, hand sanitising stations, enhanced disinfection of surfaces and adjustments to food and drink service.
Working with airports on other safeguards in the terminal, including regular disinfection of security screening points and installing hygiene screens at airline customer service desks, wherever practical.

On board

Masks provided to all passengers on each flight – while not mandatory from a safety point of view, they are recommended to be worn in the interests of everyone’s peace-of-mind.
Enhanced cleaning of aircraft with a disinfectant effective against Coronaviruses, with a focus on high contact areas – seats, seatbelts, overhead lockers, air vents and toilets.
Sanitising wipes given to all passengers to wipe down seat belts, trays and armrests themselves, if preferred.
Simplified service and catering to minimise touchpoints for crew and passengers.
Passengers asked to limit movement around cabin, once seated.
Sequenced boarding and disembarkation to minimise crowding.

In addition, the air conditioning systems of all Qantas and Jetstar aircraft are already fitted with hospital-grade HEPA filters, which remove 99.9% of all particles including viruses. Air inside the cabin is refreshed on average every five minutes during flight.

All airline employees are required to follow strict personal hygiene protocols, for the benefit of themselves and others.

All passengers are encouraged to download the Australian Government’s COVIDSafe app as part of improving the ability of health authorities to contain the spread of Coronavirus. In-line with public health advice, anyone with cold and flu like symptoms should stay at home.

Norwegian Air Shares Plummet 60% After Proposed Rescue Plan

April 14, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

OSLO (Reuters) – The shares of Norwegian Air plunged by more than 60% on Tuesday as they resumed trade after the airline proposed a financial rescue package on April 8 that would significantly dilute existing equity.

If approved by creditors and shareholders, the plan would convert $4.3 billion of debt into equity, and also raise some new equity, wiping out much of the remaining value of the company’s current shares.

The budget carrier has grounded most of its fleet due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on travel and on March 16 announced the temporary layoff of 7,300 staff, about 90% of its workforce.

Norwegian’s shares plunged 62.5% in early trade to an all-time low of 3.10 crowns, valuing the company at just 500 million Norwegian crowns ($48.8 million).

Norwegian was facing financial problems even before the coronavirus outbreak. Before Tuesday’s fall, its shares were down 78% this year, underperforming other major European airlines, which were down between 30% and 60%.

The airline must now convince its creditors to agree to the rescue plan before it is put to a shareholders’ vote on May 4.

The Oslo stock exchange said on Tuesday that trading in Norwegian’s shares would be subject to special observation until there was further clarification of the airline’s situation.

Special observation is used under circumstances that may make the valuation of a security particularly uncertain, according to the market operator’s guidelines.

($1 = 10.2490 Norwegian crowns)

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche/Victoria Klesty/Susan Fenton)

Passengers board a Norwegian Air plane in Kirkenes, Norway

Boeing Extends Suspension of Puget Sound Production Ops

April 6, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Boeing is extending the temporary suspension of production operations at all Puget Sound area and Moses Lake sites until further notice. These actions are being taken in light of the company’s continuing focus on the health and safety of employees, current assessment of the spread of COVID-19 in Washington state, the reliability of the supply chain and additional recommendations from government health authorities.

During the suspension, the company will continue to implement additional health and safety measures at its facilities to protect employees. These measures include new visual cues to encourage physical distancing, more frequent and thorough cleaning of work and common areas and staggering shift times to reduce the flow of employees arriving and departing work, among many other improvements.

“The health and safety of our employees, their families and our communities is our shared priority,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal. “We will take this time to continue to listen to our incredible team and assess applicable government direction, the spread of the coronavirus in the community and the reliability of our suppliers to ensure we are ready for a safe and orderly return to operations.”

The volunteers who have been supporting essential site and services work should continue to report to their assigned shifts. Puget Sound area and Moses Lake employees who can work from home should continue to do so.

As the suspension of operations continues, Boeing will monitor government guidance and actions on COVID-19 and associated impact on all company operations. Boeing sites that remain open are being monitored and assessed on a daily basis.

Volaris Announces Temporary Capacity Reduction

April 2, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

PRNewswire/ — Volaris (NYSE: VLRS), the ultra-low-cost airline serving Mexico, the United States and Central America, announces that pursuant to a decree published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, the Government of the United Mexican States, acting through the General Health Council (Consejo de Salubridad General (“GHC”)) declared a health emergency due to force majeure, as a result of the disease epidemic caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), known as Coronavirus, which will be in effect until April 30, 2002 (the “Declaration of Emergency”)

The Declaration of Emergency and the health security measures announced by the GHC, such as the suspension of non-essential activities in the public, private and social sector, as well as the call to the population to comply with stay at home, will impact the demand for passenger air transportation whilst the Declaration of Emergency is in effect.

As a result, from the date hereof, Volaris will make an additional capacity reduction to that which was advised on March 24, 2020. Capacity measured by available seat miles (ASMs) for the month of April, 2020 will reduce to approximately 80% of total operation versus the schedule originally published.

Volaris will continue to provide relevant market updates should further capacity, governmental travel restrictions or other liquidity preserving measures need to be implemented.

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