BA’s 747 retirements ‘should bring forward aircraft scrappage scheme’

Posted on 17 July, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

End of the BA jumbo jets: British Airways scraps ENTIRE FLEET of ...

The government must use British Airways’ retirement of its 747 fleets to bring forward aircraft scrappage scheme, says union Unite.

BA announced this morning that it is to retire its Boeing 31-strong 747 fleets as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The move was brought forward from 2024.

Unite national officer Rhys McCarthy noted the nostalgia of the aircraft but called on the aviation industry to use the landmark to move towards cleaner aircraft.

“While the 747 jet is held in high regard, it is time for the ‘queen of the skies’ to relinquish her throne,” he said. “The entire aviation industry’s stock of older more polluting planes needs to be replaced with the next generation of cleaner and quieter aircraft built and maintained in the UK.

“Other European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, have already committed to scrappage measures that will see their aviation industries invest in greener aircraft and help re-kickstart aerospace manufacturing so badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is now time for the UK government to do the same and put together a sector-based strategy for the long-term future of our world-leading aerospace industry, and the thousands of highly skilled jobs it supports.

“Investment in research and development is vital if zero and ultra-low emission planes are to be built. However, this must be accompanied with an immediate industry-wide scrappage scheme so that the newest planes, which emit 25 per cent less Co2, are 25 per cent more fuel-efficient and 50 per cent quieter, can replace more polluting aircraft as quickly as possible.”

This week Boris Johnson said he would ‘examine’ the idea of an aircraft scrappage scheme. Transport secretary Grant Shapps recently announced a Jet Zero Council to work towards carbon-neutral transatlantic flights.

McCarthy said: “British Airways’ retirement of the 747 should be the impetus he needs to put such a [scrappage] scheme into action.”

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ chairman and chief executive, said: “This is not how we wanted or expected to have to say goodbye to our incredible fleet of 747 aircraft. It is a heartbreaking decision to have to make. So many people, including many thousands of our colleagues past and present, have spent countless hours on and with these wonderful planes – they have been at the centre of so many memories, including my very first long-haul flight. They will always hold a special place in our hearts at British Airways.

“We have committed to making our fleet more environmentally friendly as we look to reduce the size of our business to reflect the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on aviation. As painful as it is, this is the most logical thing for us to propose. The retirement of the jumbo jet will be felt by many people across Britain, as well as by all of us at British Airways. It is sadly another difficult but necessary step as we prepare for a very different future.”

Pullmantur Cruises Donates 13 Tons of Food

Posted on 14 April, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Pullmantur Cruises has donated some 13 tons of food and beverages to the Malaga City Council (Spain) and the Government of the Colón Province (Panama).

Pullmantur said in a prepared statement that the food, which included an assortment of cold meats and sausages, canned fish, olive oil, coffee and dairy products, has been distributed among different shelters, soup kitchens, homes and associations, benefiting an estimated 1,800 people.

Explained President and CEO of Pullmantur, Richard J. Vogel: “It is food – perfectly fit for consumption – that we had onboard the Sovereign and Monarch and that we wanted to donate to help families facing difficult situations right now.

“As a company it is always our duty to act in a responsible manner, taking people into account and adding value in one way or another. We will continue to look at possible opportunities to make new food donations.”

The Monarch and Sovereign have been docked in the Port of Colón (Panama) and Malaga (Spain) since 13 and 20 March, respectively. The company expects to resume its cruise operations on May 30, 2020.

Arne Wilhelmsen, A Founder of Royal Caribbean, Passes Away

Posted on 12 April, 2020 by Spacejunkie2

Arne Wilhelmsen, a founder of Royal Caribbean Cruises, died Saturday, April 11, 2020, in Palma, Spain. He was 90.

Wilhelmsen was a constant influence on the company from its founding, serving more than three decades on the company’s board of directors, the company said.

Together with the company’s first CEO, the late Edwin Stephan, Wilhelmsen saw possibilities for the nascent cruise industry that others did not.

“At a time when the rest of the world thought cruising was a niche use for old transatlantic liners, Arne was already seeing glimmers of the growth that was possible,” said Richard Fain, RCL’s chairman and CEO. “He had a vision of the modern cruise industry when the ‘industry’ might have been a dozen used ships, total.”

Their key insight: building new ships uniquely designed for cruising in warm weather. The industry did not grow from New York, the traditional transit hub; it came to Miami, helping the region itself grow as the public discovered an entirely new way to take a vacation.

Wilhelmsen saw the potential for cruising to become the fastest-growing segment in a growing vacation industry. A believer in economies of scale, he once recalled: “My initial challenge was to convince my partners and management in Miami to build bigger and more efficient ships in order to grow the company.”

True to his vision, the company now sails 61 ships calling on all seven continents and its fleet features the largest cruise ships in the world.

Born on June 15, 1929, in Oslo, Norway, Wilhelmsen earned his MBA at Harvard Business School and worked as a chartering assistant for Norway’s EB Lund & Co. and later as a shipbroker in New York. After joining the family business in 1954, he became its president in 1961. The scion of a leading Norwegian shipping concern – Anders Wilhelmsen & Co AS – he spent most of his life in the family business, including an early stint as a deckhand.

“Arne was a steady presence and source of wisdom on our board for decades,” Fain said. “And in 2003, when he was ready to step back, he was succeeded on the RCL board by his son, Alex, who has carried the involvement of the Wilhelmsen family in charting our company’s course into its sixth decade. Our high standards as a company, our insistence on excellence in operations and design, and our determination to persevere all owe a great deal to the long-term vision of Arne, Alex and the Wilhelmsen family. We salute our friend, and we will miss him dearly.”