The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection unveiled its summer 2025 itineraries across its fleet, Evrima, Ilma, and Luminara, marking an exciting moment as the company opens bookings for the inaugural season of its third superyacht. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection debuted in October 2022 with the launch of Evrima, the first time a luxury hospitality brand expanded into the cruising category. With all three superyachts now open for reservations, the brand extension continues to build on its success signifying continued growth and offering more opportunities for luxury travelers to enjoy unforgettable getaways at sea.
The Inaugural Season of Luminara
Inspiring curiosities and celebrations, Luminara, derived from Latin origin and meaning “light,” will measure 794 feet (242 meters) and accommodate up to 452 guests. In addition to 226 spacious suites, each boasting a private ocean-view terrace, a higher percentage of upper-suite categories, and superior guest amenities, the onboard experience will feature world-class dining, a wine vault, The Ritz-Carlton Spa®, and an expanded marina providing direct access to the sea. Among its range of upper-suite categories will be a new expansive accommodation, The Residential Suite, promising a collection of offerings that caters to a variety of preferences.
Luminara will embody contemporary craftsmanship and refined interior finishes envisioned by AD Associates, a renowned London-based architectural and design firm, with creative direction by Chapi Chapo Design, an internationally acclaimed Toronto-based luxury design firm, and celebrated lighting designer DPA. The yacht’s sleek and graceful exterior design, expertly envisioned by Helsinki-based design studio Aivan, draws inspiration from the elegant aesthetics of private yacht design. Inspired by light and luminescence, Luminara‘s design emphasizes elegance and sophistication. Its layout, featuring explorative passages and favoring circular silhouettes over geometric edges, creates a seamless design, forming a sense of limitless space in each area. A serene color palette of soft brown oak, Calcutta marble, leather accents, and touches of rich red, navy, and green will provide an elegant oasis at sea.
Click the link below to see the entire press release!
Seattle, Washington, September 25, 2023, PRNewswire – Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Air Canada (Toronto: AC) announced today the carrier is selecting the 787 Dreamliner to further modernize and grow its fleet with an order for 18 787-10 widebody jets, with the option to purchase 12 more. The flag carrier of the country, Air Canada will deploy the new fuel-efficient airplanes as part of its broader strategy to reduce carbon emissions while expanding its global route network.
Reducing fuel use and improving efficiency by up to 25% compared to previous generation jets, the 787 helps advance Air Canada’s ambitious environment goals over the next several decades. The carrier is positioned to optimize its fleet as it adds international routes in new and existing markets, further benefiting from the Dreamliner family’s route flexibility and operating economics.
Air Canada currently operates a fleet of 38 787s, including eight 787-8 and 30 787-9 jets. The largest model in the family, the 787-10, can carry up to 336 passengers with a range of 6,330 nautical miles (11,730 km).
With the selection of the 787 Dreamliner family, Air Canada is supporting economic growth and jobs across the Canadian aviation industry. Canada is among Boeing’s largest international supply bases with more than 550 suppliers. There are more than a dozen Canadian suppliers supporting the 787 program, including Boeing’s aerospace composite manufacturing facility in Winnipeg. Each year, Boeing contributes around $4 billion Canadian dollars in economic benefit to the country while supporting more than 14,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 7, 2023 – VIA Rail Canada Inc. (VIA Rail) is pleased to announce the reintroduction of two round trips between Toronto and Ottawa and one round trip between London and Toronto, starting this October.
Returning frequencies
Passengers can start booking their trips on train 82/83 as of today and on the other returning frequencies over the next week.
Route
Schedule
Resuming date
82
London – Toronto
1 daily trip, every day but Sunday
Tuesday, October 24
83
Toronto – London
1 daily trip, every day but Saturday
Tuesday, October 24
644
Toronto – Ottawa
1 daily trip on Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Friday, October 27
646
Toronto – Ottawa
1 daily trip on Thursday, Friday, Sunday
Thursday, October 26
43
Ottawa – Toronto
1 daily trip on Monday, Friday, Sunday
Friday, October 27
647
Ottawa – Toronto
1 daily trip on Friday and Sunday
Friday, October 27
*To accommodate those changes, the Saturday trip on train 44 will be cancelled starting October 28.
TORONTO – Porter Airlines is adding Victoria to its network, with flights between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Victoria International Airport (YYJ). Victoria is the second city in British Columbia that Porter serves with the new 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The E195-E2 has the lowest fuel consumption per seat and per trip among its class, and is the quietest single-aisle jet flying today. The two-by-two configuration means no middle seats on any Porter flight.
Service begins on September 20, 2023, with one daily roundtrip flight. Connecting flights with Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and St. John’s will also be available. Introductory roundtrip fares start at $476.
Route
Departure
Arrival
Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) to Victoria (YYJ)
10:55 a.m.
1:04 p.m.
Victoria (YYJ) to Toronto-Pearson (YYZ)
2:00 p.m.
9:31 p.m.
Porter’s distinct service includes complimentary beer and wine served in glassware, free premium snacks, and free, fast WiFi, with full access to web surfing or favourite streaming platforms, available to all travellers. Fresh, healthy meals, pre-mixed cocktails and additional snack options are also available on the new route.
Sustainability is at the heart of the menu design, with a priority on reducing and eventually eliminating single-use plastics onboard, providing biodegradable cups and cutlery, and eco-friendly packaging.
Porter continues to expand its presence in Western Canada, now serving Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg.
Flights and Porter Escapes vacation packages are now available for booking at www.flyporter.com and with travel agents.
The Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 with the registration D-ABPA and the future name “Berlin” will be delivered to Lufthansa following certification by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) this summer.
The ultra-modern long-haul “Dreamliner” aircraft will consume an average of around 2.5 liters of kerosene per passenger and 100 kilometers flown. That is around 25 percent less than their predecessor aircraft. The CO2 emissions are also improved accordingly.
The Boeing 787-9 “Berlin” will have an improved cabin product – including direct aisle access for all guests in Business Class. Following several weeks of planned cabin refurbishments at Lufthansa’s maintenance in Frankfurt, the aircraft will be deployed initially on domestic German routes for training purposes. The first intercontinental scheduled destination of the Lufthansa “Dreamliner” will be Toronto.
In total, the Lufthansa Group has ordered 32 Boeing “Dreamliner” with delivery between 2022 and 2027.
CALGARY, Alberta & KANSAS CITY, Mo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (NYSE: CP) and Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) have announced they have jointly filed a railroad control application with the Surface Transportation Board (“STB”) regarding the proposed transaction to create Canadian Pacific Kansas City (“CPKC”), the only single-line railroad linking the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The comprehensive control application provides an overview of the proposed operational integration of the CP and KCS rail networks, the impact of that consolidation on the companies’ finances and labour needs, and the anticipated competitive and other benefits that will flow from providing shippers with new and better transportation alternatives. Information in the filing outlines the public and customer benefits a CP-KCS combination would bring, including more efficient north-south trade arteries to support the interconnected supply chains of the United States, Mexico and Canada.
In addition to the central foundation of the transaction to invigorate transportation competition and support economic growth across North America, the CP-KCS combination will generate many other public benefits, including:
The creation of more than 1,000 direct new jobs system-wide, including approximately 760 in the United States, over the next three years brought about by expanded rail operations across the combined network.
Capital investments in new infrastructure of more than USD$275 million1 over the next three years to improve rail safety and capacity of the core north-south CPKC main line between Louisiana and the Upper Midwest.
Avoidance of more than 1.5 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within five years due to the improved efficiency of CPKC versus current operations.
Diverting 64,000 long-haul truck shipments to rail annually with new CPKC intermodal services, eliminating another 1.3 million tons of GHG emissions over the next two decades, saving $750 million in highway maintenance costs.
Rail customers will not experience a reduction in independent railroad choices as a result of the CP-KCS combination. The joint control application reiterates the applicants’ commitment to keep all existing freight rail gateways open on commercially reasonable terms, including the Laredo gateway between the United States and Mexico, and shows how customers will not lose competitive routings because no new regulatory “bottlenecks” are being created. It also describes how the combined company will compete aggressively to attract traffic to its network via new single-line lanes between Canada, the Upper Midwest and the Gulf Coast, Texas, and Mexico.
More than 960 stakeholders, including more than 440 shippers, 186 smaller railroads, dozens of public officials, eight major ports, railroad labor unions representing both CP and KCS employees and 289 rail industry suppliers have written letters to the STB supporting CP’s proposed combination with KCS.
CP has agreed to acquire KCS in a stock and cash transaction representing an enterprise value of approximately $31 billion, which includes the assumption of $3.8 billion of outstanding KCS debt. The transaction, which has the unanimous support of both boards of directors, values KCS at $300 per share, representing a 34 percent premium, based on the CP closing price on Aug. 9, 2021, the date prior to which CP submitted a revised offer to acquire KCS, and KCS’ unaffected closing price on March 19, 2021.2
The transaction is subject to approval by shareholders of each company along with satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including Mexican regulatory approvals. Shareholders are expected to vote on the transaction later this year.
CP’s ultimate acquisition of control of KCS’ U.S. railways is subject to the approval of the STB. In April 2021, the STB determined it would review the CP-KCS combination under the merger rules in existence prior to 2001 and the waiver granted to KCS in 2001 to exempt it from the 2001 merger rules. In August 2021, the STB reaffirmed that the pre-2001 rules would govern its review of the CP-KCS transaction. On Sept. 30, 2021, the STB confirmed that it has approved the use of a voting trust for the CP-KCS combination.
The STB review of CP’s proposed control of KCS is expected to be completed in the second half of 2022. Upon obtaining control approval, the two companies will be integrated fully over the ensuing three years, unlocking the benefits of the combination.
While remaining the smallest of six U.S. Class 1 railroads by revenue, the combined company would have a much larger and more competitive network, operating approximately 20,000 miles of rail, employing close to 20,000 people, and generating total revenues of approximately $8.7 billion based on 2020 actual revenues.
For more information about the benefits of the CP-KCS combination, visit futureforfreight.com
After unveiling plans for a major expansion in North America with a firm order for 30 E195-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further 50 aircraft, Porter Airlines has signed a major aftermarket support package contract with Embraer. The Total Support Program (TSP) agreement includes airframe heavy maintenance checks, technical solutions, and access to the Pool Program, which includes component exchanges and repair services for hundreds of reparable items for Porter’s E2 fleet of commercial aircraft, for up to 20 years. Currently, the Pool Program supports more than 50 airlines worldwide.
The Pool Program services will be provided by Embraer Aircraft Customer Services (EACS) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, while the heavy maintenance services will be performed by Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services (EAMS) in Nashville, Tennessee. In the coming months, Embraer will work with Porter in order to provide services related to the aircraft entry into service (EIS) process, which includes technical training, spare parts recommendations, and provisioning services.
Porter Airlines will be the North American launch customer for Embraer’s E-Jets E2 family of commercial aircraft. Porter’s investment is set to disrupt the Canadian aviation landscape by enhancing competition, elevating passenger service levels and creating as many as 6,000 new jobs. Porter intends to deploy the E195-E2s to popular business and leisure destinations throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, from Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Porter’s first delivery and entry into service is scheduled to start in the second half of 2022. The E195-E2 accommodates between 120 and 146 passengers. Configuration plans for Porter’s E2s will be revealed in due course.
Aerial view of the Canadian rockies mountains in the Banff national park, Canada
Porter Airlines has unveiled plans to extend its award-winning service to destinations throughout North America with a firm order for 30 Embraer E195-E2 jets, with purchase rights for a further 50 aircraft. The deal will be included in Embraer’s second quarter backlog, and is worth USD5.82 billion, at list price with all options exercised. First revealed in May 2021, this announcement adds the purchase rights and the customer name, which had been undisclosed.
Porter Airlines will be the North American launch customer for Embraer’s newest family of jets, the E2. Porter’s investment is set to disrupt the Canadian aviation landscape; enhancing competition, elevating passenger service levels and creating as many as 6,000 new jobs. Porter intends to deploy the E195-E2s to popular business and leisure destinations throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, from Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Porter’s first delivery and entry into service is scheduled starting in the second half of 2022. The option to convert purchase rights to the E190-E2s is included in the agreement. This would provide greater flexibility to introduce non-stop service in markets with fewer passengers, and to add frequencies on higher demand routes.
The E195-E2 accommodates between 120 and 146 passengers. Configuration plans for Porter’s E2s will be revealed in due course.
Emirates has announced it will restart passenger services to Mauritius this summer with two weekly flights from 15 July, as the island-nation gradually re-opens its borders to international tourists. To serve market demand, the airline has also announced it will deploy its iconic Emirates A380 aircraft to Mauritius starting 1 August. Fully vaccinated travellers can enjoy a relaxing and safe getaway in a list of pre-approved COVID-19 safe resorts across the island.
Emirates’ flights to Mauritius will operate on Thursdays and Saturdays. Starting from 15 July, the route will be served utilising a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and from 1 August, utilising the Emirates A380 aircraft. Emirates flight EK 701 will depart Dubai 2:35hrs and arrive in Mauritius at 9:10hrs local time. The return flight will operate on Fridays and Sundays. Emirates flight EK 704 will depart Mauritius at 23:10hrs and arrive in Dubai at 5:45hrs local time, the following day.
Emirates flights to Mauritius can be booked on emirates.com, via travel agents or Emirates Sales Office.
The Emirates A380 experience remains a favourite amongst travellers for its spacious and comfortable cabins and the airline will continue to expand its deployment in line with the gradual return in demand. Emirates currently operates the A380 to New York JFK, Los Angeles, Washington D.C, Toronto, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Frankfurt, Moscow, Amman, Cairo, and Guangzhou.
From white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and luscious landscapes – Mauritius remains one the most popular holiday destinations, attracting travellers across the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. Emirates passengers can also enjoy other Indian Ocean destinations, as the airline offers 28 weekly flights to Maldives and seven weekly flights to Seychelles.
Travellers can also book with Emirates Holidays and enjoy tailor-made packages at world-class hotels and resorts across the island. For more information, click here
Emirates has announced it will resume non-stop services to Seattle (from 1st February), Dallas and San Francisco (from 2nd March), offering its customers seamless connectivity via Dubai to and from popular destinations in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The addition of these three destinations will take Emirates’ North American network to 10 destinations following the resumption of services to Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Toronto and Washington DC.
Flights to/from San Francisco will operate four times weekly on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER while flights to/from Seattle (operating four times weekly) and Dallas (three times weekly) will be operated with the two-class Boeing 777-200LR, offering 38 lie-flat seats in Business and 264 ergonomically designed seats in Economy class.
The airline will also be providing its customers more options and choice with additional flights to New York , Los Angeles and São Paulo. Effective 1st February, Emirates will be operating double daily flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and a daily flight to Los Angeles (LAX). Emirates customers also have seamless access to other US cities via the airline’s codeshare agreements with Jetblue and Alaskan Airlines.
In South America, Emirates will be introducing a fifth weekly flight to São Paulo (from February 5th), offering customers in Brazil even more travel options with greater access to its expanding network. Beyond São Paulo, Emirates customers can enjoy seamless connectivity and access to 24 other cities in Brazil via the airline’s codeshare partnership with GOL and its interline agreements with Azul and LATAM.
Emirates has safely and gradually restarted operations across its network and currently serves 114 destinations on six continents.
Since it safely resumed tourism activity in July, Dubai remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, especially during the winter season. The city is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences. It was one of the world’s first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.
