KINGSTON, JAMAICA – Feb. 23, 2022 – Low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines (NASDAQ: ULCC) will launch nonstop service between Miami (MIA) and Kingston, Jamaica (KIN) beginning May 5, 2022, marking the airline’s first scheduled service to the Jamaican capital. Flights will operate three times per week year-round. To celebrate, America’s Greenest Airline is offering fares from Miami to Kingston as low as $79*.
New Route from Miami International Airport (MIA):
SERVICE TO:
SERVICE START:
SERVICE FREQUENCY:
INTRO FARE:
Kingston, Jamaica
May 5, 2022
3X
$79*
Frequency and times are subject to change, so please check FlyFrontier.com for the most updated schedule.
Frontier is focused on more than low fares. The carrier offers customers the ability to customize travel to their needs and budget. For example, customers can purchase options a la carte or in one low-priced bundle called the WORKS. This bundle includes refundability, a carry-on bag, a checked bag, the best available seat, waived change fees, and priority boarding.
Low-fare carrier Frontier Airlines (NASDAQ: ULCC) today announces five new nonstop routes via McCarran International Airport (LAS): Bentonville, Arkansas; Bloomington, Illinois; Memphis; Madison, Wisconsin and Tucson, Arizona beginning this August. Frontier now offers 48 nonstop Las Vegas routes and, to celebrate the new service, is offering introductory fares starting at $19*.
New Routes via McCarran International Airport (LAS):
SERVICE TO/FROM:
START DATE:
SERVICE FREQUENCY:
INTRO FARE:
APPLICABLE DAYS FOR INTRO FARE:
Bentonville, Arkansas (XNA)
Aug. 13, 2021
2x Weekly
$39*
From LAS: Friday To LAS: Monday
Bloomington, Illinois (BMI)
Aug. 12, 2021
2x Weekly
$49*
From LAS: Thursday To LAS: Sunday
Memphis (MEM)
Aug. 12, 2021
2x Weekly
$39*
From LAS: Thursday To LAS: Sunday
Madison, Wisconsin (MSN)
Aug. 13, 2021
2x Weekly
$39*
From LAS: Friday To LAS: Monday
Tucson, Arizona (TUS)
Aug. 13, 2021
2x Weekly
$19*
From LAS: Friday To LAS: Monday
Frequency and times are subject to change, so please check FlyFrontier.com for the most updated schedule.
Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today announced plans to expand its Florida service by adding flights at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) in the first quarter of 2021. Sarasota will be the carrier’s tenth airport served in the State of Florida and is the tenth airport in a list of new places to join the Southwest route map in the coming eight months as the carrier furthers its reach of friendly policies, iconic Hospitality, and value and comfort. Service details including the initial flight schedule and fares for Sarasota-Bradenton will be announced soon.
“We’ll arrive in Sarasota-Bradenton as Southwest marks 25 years of serving the Sunshine State. Our Customers who choose SRQ will land closer to their preferred beaches and business meetings, benefiting from our added investment in the growing region between our longtime cities of Tampa Bay and Ft. Myers,” Steve Goldberg, Southwest Airlines Senior Vice President of Operations and Hospitality said. “Locals who fly Southwest can also pair their preferred airline and airport, and get in the air faster with a shorter drive to SRQ.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Southwest Airlines to the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ). This is especially significant during these challenging times in aviation,” Rick Piccolo, President, CEO of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport said. “Southwest’s low fares and renowned customer service will provide the bi-county community, as well as our inbound visitors, with access to the vast network of destinations that Southwest Airlines serves.”
Previously announced Southwest service to Miami begins on November 15.
ATR and one of its long-standing customers, the Finnish airline Finnair, signed a 10-year Global Maintenance Agreement (GMA). Through this package, Finnair and Nordic Regional Airlines (NoRRA) – who operates Finnair’s regional ATR traffic – will benefit from a customised support from ATR, which will help the airline better anticipate maintenance costs while enhancing the dispatch reliability of its fleet of 12 ATR 72-500.
This pay-by-the-hour contract covers the repair, overhaul and pooling services of Line Replaceable Units, along with their door-to-door delivery and an on-site leased stock of spare parts. Finnair will also benefit from blades maintenance and availability, and maintenance recommendations based on ATR’s expertise to enhance aircraft reliability.
Juha Ojala, Vice President Technical Operations of Finnair, declared: “Our ATR flights form a key part of our feeder traffic to our Helsinki hub, and as a large share of our customers are transfer customers, they have strong expectations in terms of punctuality and reliability. This Global Maintenance Agreement is one step further in our relationship with ATR and ensures we benefit from the most suitable services, so that we can in turn provide our customers with a reliable and punctual travel experience.”
Stefano Bortoli, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, added: “Finnair is new to our GMA programme but they have been part of the ATR family from the very beginning, as they took delivery of their first ATR aircraft, MSN 006, in 1986. During the challenging times we are currently living, the confidence from a valued customer is the best tribute they can offer to the quality and economics of our products and services. We are looking forward to sharing our knowledge and expertise with Finnair, so that they can in turn keep on operating regional traffic in a responsible and efficient fashion.”
Air New Zealand will fly its 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft between Christchurch and Auckland three times a week to help transport cargo from the South Island to the rest of the world.
Air New Zealand General Manager Cargo Rick Nelson says these services are being launched in response to significant demand from the South Island freight forwarding and export communities.
The first flight will depart from Christchurch tomorrow night as part of a support agreement with the Ministry of Transport. The agreement sees the Dreamliner fly Christchurch to Auckland on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing Christchurch at 5pm and arriving in Auckland at 6:25pm so that cargo can then be airfreighted to other global destinations.
“Flights are timed so cargo goods are able to connect to our new Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Narita and Shanghai cargo flights, as well as onto our trans-Tasman flights from Auckland.
“As the nation emerges from lockdown, it’s critical our exporters in the South Island are well supported in order for them to remain viable. These Dreamliner services from Christchurch will allow exporters with high value, perishable and time sensitive goods access to a same day air cargo link into international services departing from Auckland.”
Passengers will also be able to book return flights on the Dreamliner services between Christchurch and Auckland.
(Reuters) – British aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce will abandon its targets on profits, cash and deliveries, and suspend its dividend, as airlines around the world ground planes due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Financial Times reported late on Sunday.
Rolls-Royce is also aiming to announce new credit facilities in excess of 1 billion pounds ($1.22 billion) to bolster liquidity, the newspaper said https://on.ft.com/2ULsL7q.
Rolls-Royce, which makes engines for large civil and military planes, has been hit hard by the pandemic as its airline customers park hundreds of planes.
In March, engine flying hours were down by about 40%, the newspaper said, citing a source. The company is paid by airlines based on how many hours its engines fly.
At the end of February, Rolls Royce had forecast 2020 free cash flow of 1 billion pounds, excluding any material impact from COVID-19. The group will ditch that pledge, the FT said.
The dividend payment of 11.7 pence per share, which has been frozen since 2016, will also be suspended, the newspaper added.
Rolls-Royce declined to comment.
In addition, the FT said the company on Monday will reopen its civil aerospace facilities in the UK with a fraction of the normal workforce, after suspending operations in March.
The company could also eventually furlough some 50% of its 7,500 UK shop-floor workers, with wages supported by government subsidy, two sources told the newspaper.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Richard Pullin)
Rolls Royce engine of the first Fiji Airways A350 XWB airliner is seen at the aircraft builder’s headquarters of Airbus in Colomiers near Toulouse
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.
Norwegian is pleased to announce that two Nordic banks have obtained credit committee approval to provide a guarantee for the required 10 percent for the first tranche of 300 million Norwegian kroner (NOK). Norwegian will secure the necessary headroom to pursue further guarantees from the Norwegian Government.
Government measures On Thursday 19 March, the Norwegian Government proposed a guarantee of NOK 6 billion for the Norwegian airline industry, of which up to NOK 3 billion is directed to Norwegian. The guarantee will be up to 90 percent from the Norwegian Government provided that financial institutions contribute with the remaining 10 percent. The guarantee scheme will consist of three tranches with a maximum two years maturity.
Since Thursday evening Norwegian has worked with banks and financial institutions and is pleased to announce that two Nordic banks have obtained credit committee approval to contribute with the 10 percent required in guarantee for Tranche I and to provide the NOK 300 million in financing backed by the guarantee from the Norwegian Government. The Company is working with the banks and the Norwegian Export Credit Guarantee Agency (“GIEK”), who will administrate the guarantee scheme, on the documentation in order to obtain the NOK 300 million in liquidity as soon as possible.
The Company is now working with GIEK and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries to clarify the criteria and terms related to the remaining tranches under the scheme and to obtain further guarantees from financial institutions in order to back such remaining tranches. Norwegian will update the market with its further plan of action and implications for its stakeholders as soon as the criteria and terms have been finalized. The Government guarantee scheme is crucial for the Company as the current state of the capital markets in combination with the challenging times for the airline industry limit the options available. The first NOK 300 million will create necessary headroom to pursue the remaining tranches of the guarantee scheme.
Operational update Currently, most of the fleet is grounded and Norwegian has reduced its operations to a minimum. The airline will now primarily operate domestically in Norway and Sweden and between the Nordic capitals, in order to deliver on its corporate responsibility of maintaining critical infrastructure so that people and necessary goods and medical supplies can be transported during this unprecedented crisis. The limited schedule will remain in place until further notice. In addition, Norwegian has conducted repatriation flights together with the authorities in order to get citizens of Norway, Denmark and Sweden back home.
In order to reduce cost, Norwegian has temporarily laid off approximately 90 percent of its workforce and will continue to implement additional cost measures going forward.
JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) has issued the following message to its 23,000 crew members.
It has been a very tough few weeks. We are so proud to see once again how the JetBlue culture brings us together during times of crisis. Thank you for continuing to serve our Customers and deliver the JetBlue experience, particularly when your own lives are being disrupted in so many ways.
With safety our #1 value, we continue to take the measures necessary to protect your health. But as it relates to our business, we are not going to sugarcoat it. Demand continues to worsen, and the writing is on the wall that travel will not bounce back quickly.
We’d like to give you some color on what we are seeing. Last year on a typical day in March we took in about $22 million from bookings and ancillary fees. Throughout this March, our sales have fallen sharply and in the last several days we have taken in an average of less than $4 million per day while also issuing over $20 million per day of credits to Customers for canceled bookings. This is a stunning shift, which is being driven by fewer new bookings, much lower fares, and a Customer cancel rate more than 10 times the norm. If you do the math, $4 million per day does not come anywhere close to covering our daily expenses. It is hard to predict how long these conditions will last and how much more challenging the environment may become.
We are not alone. Virtually every major carrier is taking actions that were almost unthinkable a few weeks ago, making huge schedule reductions and parking significant portions of their fleets.
Even though we entered this from a position of strength with a strong balance sheet and cash in the bank, because of the dramatic fall-off in bookings, we need to reduce our spending immediately so that we can continue to fund JetBlue’s operations and ensure your jobs are protected. We have already announced an initial capacity reduction, pay cuts for our officers (VPs and above), voluntary time off programs, re-negotiated Business Partners agreements, and other spending reductions.
We’ve taken swift and decisive actions to protect you, but we must do more and do so quickly to weather this storm.
Reducing our flying to reflect demand We are reducing our capacity in the coming months, with a reduction of at least 40% in April and May. We also expect substantial cuts in June and July, and given the unpredictability of this event, we will ground some of our aircraft. We know this is not an easy move – it will impact hours for many frontline Crewmembers, but it is also essential that we reduce capacity in the face of dramatically falling demand.
We will be notifying Customers of their specific cancellations in a phased approach so that we do not overwhelm Customer Support as they continue to receive exponentially more calls than they ever have before.
Reviewing our fleet plan One of our most substantial capital expenses is the purchase of new airplanes. In collaboration with Airbus, we are looking at our order book for opportunities to slow deliveries and reduce aircraft pre-delivery payments (PDPs). We will also defer the four previously used airplanes that we announced earlier this year.
Cutting our capital and operational spending We will reduce spending wherever we can to preserve our cash, and both of us will be taking a 50% pay reduction during this crisis.
We entered the year with a list of major initiatives to invest in our infrastructure, technology and real estate. As of today, we have paused or stopped more than 75% of these projects and will continue to stand down work wherever we can.
Increasing our cash reserves The dramatic loss of revenue in recent days means we will have to start dipping into our cash savings. Although we came into this with about $1.2 billion, our expenses total millions of dollars each day. The good news is we have secured a new liquidity facility – an extra credit line – which allowed us to borrow $1 billion. This is not free money – it’s a band-aid solution that holds us over and we have to pay it back with interest. Even with these cash reserves we, like the rest of the industry, will need significant government support to help us through these losses.
Calling for government intervention The governmental warnings and actions taken to manage this health crisis have hit both domestic and international travel hard. We have been coordinating with Airlines for America (A4A) and other U.S. airlines to ensure government leaders understand the threat to our global economy if air travel is not supported. When this pandemic passes – and it will – air travel will play a major role in getting life back to normal and supporting economic recovery. We are going to need significant government help to do that. This is not a position we’d like to be in, but government assistance will help us protect our 23,000 Crewmembers who are our most important priority as we navigate these turbulent times.
From the beginning we have faced many challenges and, against all odds, we have thrived through some incredibly difficult events. Now we are faced with what is by far the biggest challenge our company and our industry has ever seen. While we know this is an incredibly difficult time for all of you as you work to juggle your own concerns around coronavirus, we have come through other challenges in our 20 year history and we can – and will – come through this together.
The next few months won’t be easy, but please know that all the steps we’re taking today are focused on protecting the health and safety of our Crewmembers and Customers and ensuring JetBlue remains a great place for you to work well into the future.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump called Boeing <BA> Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg this week to ask about the status of 737 MAX production, two people briefed on the matter confirmed.
The call on Sunday was brief and Muilenburg assured Trump that the planned production halt was temporary and that the company would not be laying off any workers. The production halt, set to begin in January, was announced by Boeing Monday after a board meeting.
Boeing and the White House declined to comment on the call, reported earlier by the New York Times.
Separately, S&P Global Ratings on Thursday downgraded Boeing’s credit rating to “A-” from “A” and lowered the short-term rating to “A-2” from “A-1.”
The change “reflects the uncertainty over when the 737 MAX will return to service, the risk to the supply chain from the planned production halt, and possible long-term impact to Boeing’s competitive position.”
U.S. officials have repeatedly said they are waiting for additional answers from Boeing and have at time faulted the quality of submissions from the planemaker since the plane was grounded in March after two fatal crashes killed 346 people.
“We’ve had conversations about the importance of making sure that we are looking at complete documentation and not piecemeal documentation,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson told Reuters in September. “It’s really better to be very methodical and very detailed rather than try to rush a partially completed product and then say, ‘We’ll get back to you with the rest of it.’”
Boeing has repeatedly said it is working with regulators to safely return the plane to service and acknowledged last week it would not occur until 2020.
Dickson said last week there are nearly a dozen milestones that must be completed before the MAX returns to service. Approval is not likely until at least February and could be delayed until March, U.S. officials told Reuters last week.
American Airlines Group Inc <AAL> and Southwest Airlines Co <LUV> have canceled flights into April because of the grounding.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
