Airband

All in the family... FLAIR REPORTEDLY SPLITS FROM 777 PARTNERS AS BONZA SAGA CONTINUES 737 MAX 8 operated by Bonza’s Canadian sister airline, Flair Thu May 02, 2024 - Australian Aviation By Jake Nelson Canadian low-cost carrier Flair appears to have divorced itself from parent company 777 Partners as its sister airline Bonza attempts to fight its way out of administration. 777 Partners, which is believed to have held around 24 per cent of Flair, has seen its stake reduced to almost nothing, according to sources cited in the Australian Financial Review. The Miami-based venture capital firm is also a part owner of Bonza, which entered voluntary administration this week. An unnamed “affiliate of Flair’s largest senior lender” is acquiring a portion of 777’s stake, the airline said, as well as providing “new non-binding debt funding”. “We are excited about this strategic evolution and the new financial commitment,” said Stephen Jones, CEO and President of Flair Airlines. “We are grateful for their support as we chart the course for continued growth.” Australian Aviation this week reported that 777 Partners paid the equivalent of $30.9 million AUD to Premier League club Everton hours after the Bonza’s fleet was repossessed. 777 Partners has been attempting to buy Everton since at least September, but questions have repeatedly been raised about its ability to close the deal. The firm earlier this year faced legal action from aircraft lessors over three Flair 737 MAX 8s and one 737-800 that were repossessed last March over unpaid fees. Three 737 MAX 8s and one 737-800 leased to Flair from a trio of Ireland-based lessors were seized last March, which reportedly resulted in 777 Partners sending planes that had been earmarked for Bonza to Flair to make up the shortfall. As reported in The Guardian, the lessors, Corvus Lights Aviation, MAM Aircraft Leasing 4 and Columba Lights Aviation, were seeking US$28.5 million from the investment firm, which includes interest, lost income, repossession and reconfiguration costs, and damages for breach of contract. They claimed that 777 Partners had been ignoring their demands for payment. Up until it entered administration, Bonza was flying its own aircraft from the Gold Coast, with both its planes leased from Flair otherwise occupied. The two wet-leased Flair 737 MAX 8s, C-FLKC and C-FLHI or ‘Matilda’ and ‘Bruce’ respectively, shifted to a dry-lease arrangement, with the intention they would be operated by local crews from the Gold Coast. Matilda had returned to North America to operate Flair flights, while FlightRadar data showed Bruce had not flown commercially since the end of February as it awaited recertification by CASA to fly under an Australian registration number. Bonza had difficulties launching numerous routes from its Gold Coast base late last year, with delays in CASA approval for its wet-lease agreement with Flair pushing back the start date to 19 December, though some services using Bonza’s own planes had commenced in November. Bonza administrators Hall Chadwick have said the airline will not fly again until at least next Tuesday.

Passengers stranded as Australian airline Bonza enters administration The low-cost carrier has only been operating flights in Australia since 2023 Tue Apr 30, 2024 - BBC News By Hannah Ritchie & Simon Atkinson Australia's newest budget airline has gone into voluntary administration, after abruptly cancelling all of its flights on Tuesday. Bonza's financial woes have left thousands of passengers stranded around the country. Operating since last year, the carrier had been the first to launch in Australia since 2007. Aviation remains one of the nation's most concentrated industries, dominated by Qantas and Virgin Australia. "We apologise to our customers who are impacted by this and we're working as quickly as possible to determine a way forward that ensures there is ongoing competition in the Australian aviation market," Bonza said in a statement. The company has appointed Hall Chadwick as voluntary administrators for its operating and holding company, according to documents filed with Australia's corporate regulator. Bonza's eight planes - a Boeing 737 Max fleet - were repossessed by creditors on Tuesday, according to local media. The airline has not confirmed the claim. Passenger Mel Watkins, who was due to fly to Launceston for a family holiday, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that she was "absolutely shattered" by news her flight had been axed. "I thought it's an Australian airline, and we'd be better off supporting a small company, but it turns out no," she said. The federal transport department set up an emergency help hotline for passengers on Tuesday, after planes were cancelled across Queensland and Victoria. Qantas Group and Virgin Australia - which account for 95% of the nation's domestic aviation market - each offered to assist anyone stranded mid-journey. Based in Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Bonza launched in 2021, promising low-cost fares and a suite of new domestic destinations. After delays with regulatory approval, it finally took to the skies in 2023 but aircraft shortages and low patronage saw it slash several routes in quick succession. Those setbacks, combined with its inability to secure access to take-off and landing spots in the lucrative Sydney market, quickly sparked speculation over its future. Australia's main transport union is now seeking an urgent meeting with the airlines leadership to discuss how the sudden closure will impact workers. "Bonza must ensure staff are prioritised and informed as this process plays out," the national secretary of the transport workers union, Michael Kaine said, according to the Guardian. Mr Kaine also criticised the "unchecked corporate greed" in the aviation industry that's led to higher fares and warned that any carrier attempting to break into the market "has little chance of survival".

Could AI pull off a 'Sully'? Probably not; would it put a flyable aircraft on the bottom of the Atlantic? Probably not. It won't have to be perfect, just consistently better. At some point, lines will cross on a graph and there will be a new reality.

You don't tug on Superman's cape; you don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger... Air Canada apologizes to national chief after flight crew took her headdress away Airline says it's reviewing its policies following 'regrettable incident' Fri Apr 26, 2024 - CBC News by Arturo Chang Air Canada says it's sorry after staff tried to stow away the headdress of the Assembly of First Nations' national chief in cargo storage before the departure of a flight Wednesday. The company said in a statement Thursday it's apologizing to National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, who said on social media Thursday she was forced to hand over a case containing the headdress that was with her in the plane's cabin. "I won't be letting anyone take away my headdress or case again," Woodhouse Nepinak said in a public Facebook post, ahead of a different flight to Montreal. "Air Canada needs a protocol for First Peoples so that we are not harassed for our sacred items. Our headdresses don't belong in [garbage] bags by airlines." CBC News contacted Woodhouse Nepinak, but she was still in transit and wasn't ready to talk at length about the incident Thursday night. . The national chief said staff wanted to put her headdress in cargo storage because there was no room in the cabin, and that the situation got tense. She said the flight crew threatened her staff, and other passengers stood up for her. The case was put in a plastic bag, said Woodhouse Nepinak. The pilot came out and brought the case back after she complained, she said. Woodhouse Nepinak said she normally travels with the headdress on her lap, or in carry-on storage. Air Canada said in a statement it's reached out to the national chief to "better understand and apologize for her experience." "Air Canada understands the importance of accommodating customers with items and symbols of sacred cultural significance, and in the past the chiefs have been able to travel while transporting their headdresses in the cabin," the statement said. The airline added it's following up on the matter internally, and will be reviewing its policies after the "regrettable incident." Incident 'unacceptable,' minister says Federal Transportation Minister Pablo Rodriguez said what happened is "unacceptable" and the government "expects Air Canada to treat Indigenous customers with respect and promote better Indigenous cultural diversity." Alvin Fiddler, grand chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, called out Air Canada on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, saying the incident was "shameful" and the company needs to ensure staff follow protocols on sacred items. David Lametti, who was the federal justice minister when Canada adopted the Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2021, told CBC News in an interview the incident left him "stunned." "There aren't many chiefs across Canada who would have that kind of headdress," said Lametti, who now works as a lawyer specializing in Indigenous law. "It is critically important that it be treated as a sacred object, and I don't understand why this would have been treated with anything less than the appropriate amount of dignity that it deserves." Woodhouse Nepinak, from Pinaymootang First Nation in Manitoba, was elected national chief last December. She received the headdress during a New Year's Day ceremony by the Blackfoot Confederacy of the Piikani Nation in Alberta for her national leadership and her work championing a historic settlement on Indigenous child welfare. The Assembly of First Nations said in a release at that point that the headdress transfer is one of the "highest honours among First Nations ceremonies for leadership," and the eagle feathers that make up the headdress have been "blessed to help support leadership in their travels and challenges."

Biden’s New Chopper Is Demoted After Scorching White House Lawn New presidential helicopters delayed under $5 billion program A Marine One fleet Sikorsky VH-3D helicopter, top, lands near a Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin VH-92 Patriot helicopter, at Delaware Air National Guard Base Tue Apr 23, 2024 - Bloomberg News By Anthony Capaccio and Jennifer Jacobs The new presidential helicopter has been demoted to backup duty because Lockheed Martin Corp. still can’t figure out how to keep it from scorching the White House’s South Lawn. The VH-92 Patriot is landing only on paved runways for now, flying missions with White House officials or Secret Service staff instead of carrying President Joe Biden. The problem is down to an issue first identified in 2018 — the helicopter’s spinning rotors and engine exhaust sometimes scorch the grass where it lands. With its emblematic “white top” paint job, Marine One — its designation when the president is on board — is as much a symbol of the US presidency as Air Force One. Crowds of reporters and White House guests often gather to watch the president depart from its traditional takeoff spot on the South Lawn. For the time being, the helicopter doing that job will remain the VH-3D Sea King, which like the VH-92 is is built by Lockheed’s Sikorsky unit. Lockheed has so far delivered 20 VH-92 helicopters to the Marine Corps under the $5 billion program, Lockheed spokeswoman Melissa Chadwick said. She said the company believes it’s found a fix and will start testing soon. “We have been working in close collaboration with our customer and have an agreed upon landing zone solution with testing planned to validate and ensure the aircraft meets that specific operational requirement,” Chadwick said. According to a White House official, who asked not to be identified discussing private conversations, engineering and design work is underway to see if fixes can be made to prevent grass damage under hot environmental conditions when rotors are turning. The current fleet of presidential helicopters entered duty in 1975, a year after Richard Nixon resigned, walked across the South Lawn and waved the victory sign from the steps of Marine One in one of the the defining images of his presidency.

Another one for your list.. The EV Bust in Europe Is a Red Flag for Region’s Climate Goals Carmakers push back on timing of emissions targets and combustion-engine ban with consumers skirting EVs as soon as incentives end Slow demand for EVs sees the Il Faldo parking lot near Italy's port of Livorno fill up Fri 19 Apr, 2024 - Bloomberg News by Albertina Torsoli Europe’s falling electric-vehicle sales are painful proof the market isn’t ready to stand on its own, putting governments on notice for more support until affordable EVs become a reality. The glut is clogging up ports and factories are cutting production — a red flag for the region’s climate goals and risk of more job cuts after Tesla’s mass layoffs this week. Without subsidies, EVs are still too expensive for many drivers. Insurance and repairs are more expensive than for combustion-engine cars, and many would-be customers continue to bristle at limited charging infrastructure. At the same time, rapid technological advances and Tesla’s price war are causing resale values to plummet, wreaking havoc on ownership costs. “We are losing momentum,” said Mattias Bergman, chief executive officer of auto industry group Mobility Sweden, where sales slumped by nearly a fifth during the first quarter. “The market is no longer growing, and the share of electric cars in the market is actually decreasing.” For the industry, it’s too late to turn back. Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and other carmakers have invested billions and are now grappling with building out new lineups even as demand weakens. Last month, sales in Europe declined 11% from a year ago, helping tip the broader market into reverse, as Germany, Sweden and Italy saw EV declines of around 30%. Changes in incentives have been a trigger for the reversal. Germany, looking for savings during an unprecedented budget crisis, yanked its popular subsidy program suddenly late last year, causing EV sales to halve in December. In Sweden, among the most advanced EV markets in Europe with 39% of new vehicles sold last year being battery-powered, the government ended an incentive and then lowered fuel taxes, making combustion-engine cars cheaper by comparison. “People just don’t earn enough to buy these cars,” said Laurent Favre, CEO of French auto-part supplier OPmobility. “There’s a gap between supply and demand and it’s normal that the subsidies won’t last forever. Reality is catching up with us.” Governments are starting to be more selective with their subsidies. Italy is considering grants of as much as €13,750 ($14,650) on EV purchases for low-income families who trade in decades-old cars. In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s cut-price EV leasing contracts for poorer households have been wildly popular. In the UK, the House of Lords in February said it was “premature” for the country to end a plug-in grant for private buyers in 2022. Since then, EV sales have flatlined as a share of overall new car purchases. New targeted grants should be reconsidered, the report said. “The grants were lifted too early,” said Andy Palmer, interim CEO of charging company Pod Point and former head of Aston Martin. Consumers are reluctant to spend comparatively more on an EV, he said, especially when the charging infrastructure is lagging. “If you want to speed up adoption, you’ve got to reduce the cost of the cars. You’ve got to put cars in that $20,000 to $30,000 bracket.” Months into owning a Mercedes EQB, Naeem Badiuzzaman in Milton Keynes, England, says he’s ready to trade in the vehicle, which he acquired with the help of a company incentive program. A dearth of charging stations has meant regular 45-minute waits, and even medium-distance trips required him to stop and top up his battery. When his two-year lease ends, Badiuzzaman plans to switch to a hybrid. “I would currently not recommend an EV to my family or friends,” he said. “For the price of an entry level electric vehicle, you have wide range of slightly more premium petrol cars.” Sentiments like his are a bad omen for Europe’s ambition to phase out sales of new combustion-engine cars by 2035. Carmakers have begun lobbying for a softening or delaying of that plan, and an easing of interim benchmarks they’re supposed to hit along the way. The shift to EVs has become highly politicized, and ill-conceived measures can backfire. France’s yellow vest protests in 2018 over increased fuel taxes brought the country to a standstill. In the UK, London’s extension of the city’s Ultra Low Emission Zone has brought about vandalism. Germany’s far-right AfD party has denounced a forced shift away from combustion-engine cars, and the issue could feature prominently in upcoming elections in September in the states of Thuringia, Brandenburg and Saxony, where the AfD is leading in polls. “Consumers in Europe are lost right now as governments change the rules for EV subsidies too often,” Alexandre Marian, partner and managing director at consultancy AlixPartners. “What is badly needed is some continuity in the rules in the run-up to 2035.”

Out on bail Resigned from AC summer of '23 - whereabouts unknown

Arrests made in $24M gold and cash heist at Pearson, Peel Regional Police announce Police will provide details about the arrests on the one-year anniversary of the case that saw 400 kilograms of gold and $1.95 million US in cash stolen from a warehouse at Pearson airport Tue Apr 16, 2024 - The Toronto Star By Andy-Takagi - Staff Reporter On the one-year anniversary of the robbery of $24 million in gold and cash from an Air Canada warehouse at Pearson International Airport, Peel Regional Police and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms will announce the details of arrests made from their joint task force, Project 24K. Officers from the joint task force will hold a press conference at 8:30 a.m. in Brampton to “announce details and arrests made concerning the theft of gold from Pearson International Airport,” according to a press release. One year ago, on the evening of April 17, a man presented a phoney waybill to Air Canada staff at a warehouse off to the side of Pearson International Airport. That person, according to court documents filed by Brink’s, then walked out with 400 kilograms of gold and $1.95 million USD cash. Since then, police have made scant statements, the whereabouts of the money and gold have remained a mystery and a multimillion lawsuit over responsibility for a lapse in security is before the courts. It’s not the first gold theft at Pearson nor the strangest robbery in Canada. How did it all happen and what happens now? Here’s what you need to know on the one-year anniversary of the infamous Pearson airport gold heist What happened in the Pearson airport heist? It took Peel Regional Police three days before holding a press conference to announce its investigation into the $24 million worth of gold and cash that was quietly carted away from Toronto’s Pearson Airport. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which runs Pearson airport, was quick to distance themselves from the incident. A spokesperson told the Star that the thieves had accessed the public side of a warehouse leased out to a third party, later revealed to be Air Canada, and that the heist did not involve Pearson airport besides the theft’s geographic proximity to the robbery. “Our investigators have got their eyes open to all avenues,” Insp. Stephen Duivesteyn of Peel police told reporters at the time. “We really don’t want to make an error and sort of focus on one particular area. We’re kind of keeping a broad outlook on it.” Experts later told the Star that the heist was likely a methodically planned out professional job that may have had inside help, and that if police did not recover the stolen gold and cash quickly, it could be gone forever. Brink’s sues Air Canada for the gold heist Most of the details of the heist come from the Brink’s lawsuit against Air Canada, which it filed in October 2023, alleging the airline was “reckless” and failed to properly secure the company’s precious cargo. The company’s Oct. 6 claim has not been tested in court. According to the claim, Valcambi SA, a Swiss precious metal refinery, and Raiffeisen Schweiz, a Swiss retail bank, contracted Delaware-based Brink’s to transport the gold and cash from Zurich to Toronto. Brink’s booked the shipment on board flight AC881 using AC Secure, a special service for handling valuable cargo for which the airline charges higher fees. The flight landed at Pearson shortly before 4 p.m., and the shipments, which police have said were in a container about five to six square feet in size, was deposited at an Air Canada bonded warehouse at the airport about two hours later. According to the statement of claim, at around 6:32 p.m., “an unidentified individual gained access to AC’s cargo storage facilities.” That person allegedly presented Air Canada personnel with a “fraudulent waybill,” and the airline employees released the gold and banknotes to them. In a statement of defence, Air Canada fired back, denying the allegations made by Brink’s and claiming that the company had not taken out insurance on the valuable cargo. “Brink’s Switzerland Ltd. elected for its own reasons not to declare a value for carriage and to pay the standard rate for the AC Secure services product and, to Air Canada’s knowledge, elected not to insure these shipments,” the airline said in its statement of defence. “Brink’s Switzerland Ltd. did so of its own volition and while fully aware the consequences.”

Yup, got me convinced it's all a plot by the oil companies and there's no structural issues impeding uptake of EVs in the US.

A couple of thoughts... America's strength and customer preference have always been larger, content-laden vehicles—they've never been able to develop (never had to), build, and profitably sell a market-leading small, cheap car like the VW Beetle, Civic, or Corolla. As a result, there's no engineering tradition to support such development. In contrast, China's mainstay vehicles have been small and cheap, and there is a reservoir of engineering talent to support ongoing development and transition to small EVs. Americans may have uncontested prowess in some fields, but not automobiles. China easily matches the U.S. and chases Japan and Germany in both quality and productivity (partly as a result of copying/stealing Western manufacturers' methods/designs). China has had a 15-year lead in EV development and production methods, mainly driven by dependence on imported oil for 70% of its needs but having relatively cheap and abundant electricity. Whatever it is, both Joe and Don have set a common protectionist course to deal with it. With respect to oil, it isn't industry lobbying but decades of low gasoline prices that have led the US industry to continue focusing on the larger vehicles consumers prefer. If gas prices were raised to European levels, there would be an immediate drift to smaller vehicles. They just won't be electric.

U.S. weighs higher tariffs on China EVs Chinese EVs are currently subject to a 25 percent levy in the U.S., limiting their ability to enter the market Thu Dec 21, 2023 - Automotive News by Katrina Nicholas The U.S. is considering raising tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and other goods as it tries to limit reliance on Asia’s biggest economy and shield its own green industry, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people it didn’t identify. While officials in President Biden’s administration have largely left in place Trump-era tariffs on around $300 billion of Chinese goods, the White House and other agencies are debating the levies again, the people said, with an eye on completing a review of the tariffs early in the new year. China has become a global powerhouse in electric vehicles, with Bloomberg NEF earlier estimating that the country was expected to account for about 60 percent of the world’s 14.1 million new passenger EV sales in 2023. That dominance has led to tension elsewhere — most prominently in Europe, which in September launched a probe into state subsidies for Chinese EVs with EU officials claiming that China was unfairly flooding the market with cheap cars. Beijing has called that investigation a breach of World Trade Organization rules. The EV landscape in Europe is different than in the U.S., where tariffs are already high enough to deter competition from China. China exported nearly 48,000 EVs to North America as of October this year, compared to the more than 564,000 vehicles it sent to Western Europe. Chinese EVs are currently subject to a 25 percent levy in the U.S., limiting their ability to enter the market. China’s BYD Co., for example, doesn’t retail passenger vehicles in North America — despite being on the cusp of overtaking Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. as the world’s biggest seller of EVs.

Unless the tariff is set at such a punishing level that it leaves the product uncompetitive and the manufacturer elects not to even enter the market. Welcome to Lada World with Commissars Buttigieg and Guilbeault leading the parade.

I believe that's not so. Rate of adoption is directly tied to the price, quality and availability of a product. Barriers to access slows rate of adoption. Great news- that's exactly what the climatologists say we have lots of.

What would OLED pricing and take-up be if Asian manufacturers such as LG & Samsung were either prohibited entry or faced punishing duties (Korean TV's are currently imported duty free to the US)? Standing by for a $25K North American produced EV that isn't an electrified Vega/Pinto POS, cause that's what tariff walls will get us.

My 2¢ Mass adoption of EVs in North America won't happen without the availability of low-cost models to fuel it. The cost structure of domestic OEMs inhibits the necessary return for the production of small, cheap vehicles. The quickest way to achieve it would be to allow Chinese vehicles priced less than $25K to enter the region tariff-free for five years to replace end-of-life Civics, Corollas, small SUVs, etc. That would create a critical mass of drivers demanding action from politicians, condo associations, landlords, and employers to speed up the buildout of charging infrastructure. Of course, promoting it at the moment would be political suicide for any party, so it won't happen. The result will be slow growth/plateauing of EV sales in NA and relegation to niche product status for the foreseeable future. Tesla scraps low-cost car plans amid fierce Chinese EV competition Fri Apr 5, 2024 - Reuters By Hyunjoo Jin, Norihiko Shirouzu and Ben Klayman April 5 (Reuters) - Tesla has cancelled the long-promised inexpensive car that investors have been counting on to drive its growth into a mass-market automaker, according to three sources familiar with the matter and company messages seen by Reuters. The automaker will continue developing self-driving robotaxis on the same small-vehicle platform, the sources said. The decision represents an abandonment of a longstanding goal that Tesla, opens new tab chief Elon Musk has often characterized as its primary mission: affordable electric cars for the masses. His first “master plan”, opens new tab for the company in 2006 called for manufacturing luxury models first, then using the profits to finance a “low cost family car.” He has since repeatedly promised such a vehicle to investors and consumers. As recently as January, Musk told investors that Tesla planned to start production of the affordable model at its Texas factory in the second half of 2025, following an exclusive Reuters report detailing those plans. Tesla’s cheapest current model, the Model 3 sedan, retails for about $39,000 in the United States. The now-defunct entry-level vehicle, sometimes described as the Model 2, was expected to start at about $25,000. Cont.

Frontier Airlines Controversy: Passengers happy, flight attendants 'furious' Thu 04 Apr, 2024 - MSN News by Jeffrey Quiggle For travellers, one of the most surefire ways for a trip to have an unfortunate start is to encounter an airplane delay or cancellation of a flight. Data released for 2023 revealed the best airlines for on-time performance. And one carrier that did not make the top five quickly made some changes in 2024 that are stirring controversy. Performance results for North American airlines released by aviation analytics experts at Cirium showed that Delta Air Lines was first in 2023 with an on-time percentage of 84.72%. Alaska Airlines came in second at 82.25% and American Airlines was third with an on-time percentage of 80.61%. Rounding out the top five were United Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Frontier Airlines, however, came in eighth on the list — with an on-time rate of 68.68% — and that was apparently enough to trigger some major scheduling changes. Frontier Airlines' changes anger its flight attendants While any efforts made to reduce delays and cancellations will please Frontier's passengers, its flight attendants are upset over the developments. It turns out that Frontier is reworking its flying schedules so its airplanes do more out-and-back flights, rather than flying all around the routes in its system. "That way, when a plane breaks down or there's bad weather in a city, the effect is localized instead of creating delays and cancellations for them all over the country," wrote Gary Leff of View From the Wing. One might expect that among the flight attendants' larger complaints would be that extended trips take them away from home for too long. But that is not the sentiment that is being reported. The anger seems to be about a change in lifestyle for the ultra-low-cost airline's flight attendants, including financial challenges they anticipate. Leff wrote that they are "furious" about the move. In fact, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) union calls the changes to Frontier's business model "drastic" and notified the airline's management on April 3 that it is disputing the plan under the Railway Labor Act. "Management has announced it intends to shift operational scheduling to over 90% one-day turns which would drastically impact the compensation, out of pocket costs, and time at work without additional pay," read a statement from the AFA. "The current collective bargaining agreement does not properly address the effect of this business model change." Frontier's flight attendants outline their specific complaints Points of contention identified by the AFA include the fact that one-day trips are worth less pay for flight attendants than multi-day trips. Importantly, their compensation is structured around flight hours and time away from home. The union also cites the fact that the majority of current Frontier flight attendants travel to work by air or by driving more than 90 miles to an airport. "One day trips mean flight attendants will have to pay for more hotel nights in base or spend more nights in a crash pad with multiple other crewmembers," the AFA wrote. "In most cases it means more nights away from families as the turns reduce commuting opportunities at the start or conclusion of work assignments." "This is a significantly higher cost pushed to flight attendants and disrupts personal commitments at home," the AFA continued. "Local flight attendants will spend more money on gas and car repairs/wear and tear with more trips to the airport." Also included in the statement is the fact that per diem on one-day trips is taxed, while a worker, identified as away from home on multi-day trips, is not not taxed while away.

All part of the plan...

Nexus application fee increasing to $120 US at beginning of October Canada Border Services Agency says current $50 US fee doesn't cover cost of administering program Tue Apr 02, 2024 - CBC News The cost to apply for the Nexus trusted-traveller program will increase from $50 US to $120 US on Oct. 1 of this year, the federal government announced Tuesday. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says the current $50 fee was set two decades ago and no longer covers the cost of the program. "The new fee would reflect more accurately the cost of administrating the program and the investment required for future program improvements, including technology and infrastructure enhancements," the agency said in a press release. Cont.

The big worry for carmakers: what if the EV slowdown is not a blip? Expansion of production is far outstripping demand Robotic arms assemble electric cars at a factory in Jinhua, China. Tue Apr 02, 2024 - Financial Times by Peter Campbell As global electric vehicle sales growth slows, carmakers and regulators are asking an existential question: is the current slowdown a blip? One scenario sees mass market buyers, who currently balk at higher prices of EVs, eventually come around and flock to the technology. EVs are silent, accelerate like sports cars and can save money in the long run. Once they are cheaper than petrol cars, and there are enough chargers, most consumers will never turn back. The other scenario is more worrying. If prices do not fall, or legitimate concerns over charging infrastructure are not met, motorists may resist indefinitely. The implications of the second are potentially concerning. Meeting long-term decarbonisation targets without removing all petrol and diesel cars from the roads is impossible. But if politicians cannot persuade consumers to buy EVs, will they tear up their net zero pledges, or turn to other measures to drive EV sales? You cannot, in the words of Ineos boss Jim Ratcliffe, force EVs “down consumers’ throats”. Norway has become the world’s hotspot for EV adoption by penalising petrol cars through higher taxes. But France’s gilets jaunes protests over higher fuel taxes show this approach will not work everywhere. The shift to EVs will take time. Prices will fall as new models come on sale, while the job of installing charging stations grinds on. “The next two years are going to be very wobbly,” admits one former EV adviser to the UK government, who predicts demand will not pick up until later in the decade. Carmakers must be prepared for either scenario. Asking senior industry executives the question over the past weeks has elicited almost an even split. “EVs are more expensive and just not as good,” says the head of one carmaker that has nevertheless pledged to phase out engine sales in the coming two decades. Carmakers, like all companies, only have a certain number of chips to place on the board. Deciding where to put the money has direct consequences — a new hatchback means no money for an alternative model, for example. The rise of the electric era throws this issue into even sharper relief. Volvo Cars last week made its last-ever diesel model, after choosing to invest in battery models instead. How fast to ramp up EV production is a key — possibly the key — decision being taken in automotive boardrooms currently. From Ford and General Motors all the way up to Bentley, carmakers globally have pulled back EV plans to focus on hybrid models, with one eye on milking the cash cow of the internal combustion engine for just a little longer. But they may not have gone far enough. The global auto industry manufactured 10.5mn electric vehicles last year — and expects to produce 13.5mn this year, according to data pooled from suppliers and forecasters by one auto investor. In 2025, on current projections, output will rise even further to 18mn — a 70 per cent increase in global EV output in just two years, the forecasts show. Yet sales, the same data set predicts, will lag even further behind. EV interest last year resulted in sales of 9.5mn vehicles, but the figure is only expected to be 9.8mn this year. Some investors are now privately warning about an “enormous misallocation of capital” across the industry. “It is difficult to see anything that could cause a marked acceleration in demand in 2025,” says one investor who has studied the data. “Arguably the cars need to be cheaper than their engine equivalents to drive adoption, but with many carmakers already losing billions on EVs, their appetite for further price cuts to promote the switch is going to be very limited.” Even BYD — the most feared of the new EV players from China — has seen price cuts denting its own profitability in the past week. If governments slow targets — a possibility that several carmakers believe is more likely than not — it helps the industry generate higher profits in the short term, while also giving them more breathing room to compete with the coming wave of Chinese EVs. But slow too fast, and you lose the competitive edge. US auto manufacturers are privately worried that a second Donald Trump win will lead to a gutting of EV rules. While this helps boost short-term profits, it shields the industry from the necessity of coming up with something to beat China. As one senior executive at a global auto company told me, if the Chinese sell an EV that is just as good as a western car, but cheaper, that is one thing. But if they sell a better car that also undercuts the west, it’s impossible to catch up.

The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce Wed Mar 27, 2024 - MIT Technology Review By Casey Crownhart Plug-in hybrids are supposed to be the best of both worlds—the convenience of a gas-powered car with the climate benefits of a battery electric vehicle. But new data suggests that some official figures severely underestimate the emissions they produce. According to new real-world driving data from the European Commission, plug-in hybrids produce roughly 3.5 times the emissions official estimates suggest. The difference is largely linked to driver habits: people tend to charge plug-in hybrids and drive them in electric mode less than expected. “The environmental impact of these vehicles is much, much worse than what the official numbers would indicate,” says Jan Dornoff, a research lead at the International Council on Clean Transportation. While conventional hybrid vehicles contain only a small battery to slightly improve fuel economy, plug-in hybrids allow fully electric driving for short distances. These plug-in vehicles typically have a range of roughly 30 to 50 miles (50 to 80 kilometers) in electric driving mode, with a longer additional range when using the secondary fuel, like gasoline or diesel. But drivers appear to be using much more fuel than was estimated. According to the new European Commission report, drivers in plug-in hybrid vehicles produce about 139.4 grams of carbon dioxide for every kilometer driven, based on measurements of how much fuel vehicles use over time. On the other hand, official estimates from manufacturers, which are determined using laboratory tests, put emissions at 39.6 grams per kilometer driven. Some of this gap can be explained by differences between the controlled conditions in a lab and real-world driving. Even conventional combustion-engine vehicles tend to have higher real-world emissions than official estimates suggest, though the gap is roughly 20%, not 200% or more as it is for plug-in hybrids. The major difference comes down to how drivers tend to use plug-in hybrids. Researchers have noticed the problem in previous studies, some of them using crowdsourced data. In one study from the ICCT published in 2022, researchers examined real-world driving habits of people in plug-in hybrids. While the method used to determine official emissions values estimated that drivers use electricity to power vehicles 70% to 85% of the time, the real-world driving data suggested that vehicle owners actually used electric mode for 45% to 49% of their driving. And if vehicles were company-provided cars, the average was only 11% to 15%. The difference between reality and estimates can be a problem for drivers, who may buy plug-in hybrids expecting climate benefits and gas savings. But if drivers are charging less than expected, the benefits might not be as drastic as promised. Trips taken in a plug-in hybrid cut emissions by only 23% relative to trips in a conventional vehicle, rather than the nearly three-quarters reduction predicted by official estimates, according to the new analysis. “People need to be realistic about what they face,” Dornoff says. Driving the vehicles in electric mode as much as possible can help maximize the financial and environmental benefits, he adds. It’s important to close the gap between expectations and reality not only for individuals’ sake, but also to ensure that policies aimed at cutting emissions have the intended effects. The European Union passed a law last year that will end sales of gas-powered cars in 2035. This is aimed at cutting emissions from transportation, a sector that makes up around one-fifth of global emissions. In the EU, manufacturers are required to have a certain average emissions value for all their vehicles sold. If plug-in hybrids are performing much worse in the real world than expected, it could mean the transportation sector is actually making less progress toward climate goals than it’s getting credit for. Plug-in hybrids’ failure to meet expectations is also a problem in the US, says Aaron Isenstadt, a senior researcher at the ICCT based in San Francisco. Real-world fuel consumption was about 50% higher than EPA estimates in one ICCT study, for example. The gap between expectations and reality is smaller in the US partly because official emissions estimates are calculated differently, and partly because US drivers have different driving habits and may have better access to charging at home, Isenstadt says. The Biden administration recently finalized new tailpipe emissions rules, which set guidelines for manufacturers about the emissions their vehicles can produce. The rules aim at ramping down emissions from new vehicles sold, so by 2032, roughly half of new cars sold in the US will need to produce zero emissions in order to meet the standards. Both the EU and the US have plans to update estimates about how drivers are using plug-in hybrids, which should help policies in both markets better reflect reality. The EU will make an adjustment to estimates about driver behavior beginning in 2025, while the US will do so later, in 2027.

Speculation aplenty, and will add some more with this video and accompanying comment on it: dali.mp4 'When a ship leaves port there is a requirement to start stand-by generators for the duration of the voyage out. But sometimes there are other issues, a switch board failure, or auto-control issue and you can lose the lot. Everything goes off-line and the main engines shut down automatically because they have no feed pumps for fuel, lube oil and air. The emergency generator will usually start - a small diesel housed on the upper deck, usually behind the bridge. It gives enough power for the nav gear and some ventilation and enough power to enable the engineers to get the rest of the gear back online. That is probably driving the lights we see come back on but not as many as before. The engineers then go round the engine room and control room and manually switch all the gear back on. That can take some time. But because of the emergency the engineers in this case would have to make a decision to start the main engines immediately to go emergency full astern possibly without supporting pumps and almost certainly of some engine damage. Black smoke is always a sign of incomplete combustion. the massive pumps that supply air to the engine room would be off-line and so the engines would be gasping for air. The fuel would burn but without enough air hence the black smoke. In full-astern mode the rudder would be useless. I really hope the anchor team got off the foredeck before the bridge came down on top of them.'

It's been a while...

Now, all you have to do is convince the buyers - they're proving to be a tough sell.

Another stranded passenger saga in waiting... Flair Airlines’ website malfunctions on weekend, in another blow to the discount carrier Mon Mar 25, 2024 - The Globe and Mail by Eric Atkins - Transportation Reporter Flair Airlines’ flight-booking functions on its website were down over the weekend, preventing would-be travellers from buying seats. Flair said in an e-mail on Sunday night it worked overnight Saturday on a solution, and hoped the website would be working again “within the next few hours.” Flair did not address questions about the cause. The site remained down into Sunday evening. The problem, which apparently took hold on Saturday, appeared to affect the seat purchase function on the website. Destinations and prices were displayed as usual, but the booking and payment functions failed. “We are currently experiencing a service interruption,” a message read. “Please check back soon.” Flair’s travails have made news recently. In January, The Globe and Mail reported the airline owes $67-million in tax repayment for imported aircraft. Flair said it has a repayment agreement with the federal government and is following the schedule. Financial services company Peoples Trust, meanwhile, recently withheld $25-million from Flair, the airline said. Peoples, a payment processor, declined to address questions about the money. Speaking generally, Peoples said in a statement it boosts the size of a payment reserve fund according to the risks posed by a merchant. “Should a flight be cancelled and not rebooked by an airline and the airline cannot refund the money, cardholders are entitled to request a refund, or chargeback, from their card-issuing bank,” Peoples said the statement. “When a chargeback is received, the airline’s payment acquirer [Peoples or another processor] must refund the purchase from a reserve account,” Peoples said. Flair said Peoples acted improperly and promised unspecified legal action. Flair is Canada’s lone discount airline after the failure of Lynx Air in February. Lynx was granted court protection from creditors, and its leased fleet will be auctioned off. Flair’s fleet was reduced by four last year, when the Boeing 737 Max aircraft were seized for non-payment of rent. The Globe reported on Friday that Flair reduced its spring schedule by about 600 flights. Flair spokeswoman Gabrielle Poirier said the reductions were made months before Lynx shut down, and are unrelated to its financial position. “We acknowledge we have faced financial challenges, but these are not impacting operations, now or in the future,” she said in an e-mail on Friday. “We are actively managing our finances and fulfilling our obligations, guided by principles of compliance, stability and transparency.”

Flair Airlines cuts over 600 flights as it faces multimillion-dollar financial woes Fri Mar 22, 2024 - The Globe and Mail by Eric Atkins - Transportation Reporter Flair Airlines has reduced its spring schedule by more than 600 flights, making cost-saving cuts to its domestic network even as it adds holiday routes after the failure of low-cost rival Lynx Air. Flair eliminated a number of flights departing its major hubs, including Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton, for March, April and May, according to Cirium, an aviation data company. The Edmonton-based no-frills carrier has also added flights to Florida, Mexico, Las Vegas and other resort destinations. Flair’s discount rival, Lynx Air, ceased flying on Feb. 26 and is under court-granted protection from creditors. The nine-plane airline said it could not pay for its daily operations and will wind up the business or be sold in a court-supervised process under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act. The recent changes in the discount segment precede what is expected to be a busy summer travel period for Canada’s airlines. The industry has enjoyed healthy demand and higher airfares since COVID-19-related restrictions were lifted. Flair’s schedule changes come as the airline faces a tax repayment bill worth $67-million, a move by a financial services company to hold back $25-million in customer receipts, in addition to a sharp credit-rating downgrade of Flair’s U.S. shareholder’s reinsurance unit, which is a lender to Flair. Overall, Flair has slashed its schedule for March, April and May by about 8 per cent, the airline confirmed. Rivals Air Canada, WestJet Airlines and Porter Airlines, meanwhile, have all boosted the number of scheduled flights for the same months by about 6 per cent, according to Cirium. Eric Tanner, Flair’s vice-president of revenue management and network planning, said the airline made the cuts to reduce flights in a crowded market, and is focusing on longer, pricier domestic routes that better defray the high costs of landing at Canadian airports. The longer flights mean Flair, on an overall basis, has increased its capacity, measured by available seat miles, an industry gauge. As well, Flair added sun destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean after seeing strong demand last year, he said. “Our [year-over-year] average fare for this period is substantially exceeding the increase in [flight] length,” Mr. Tanner said. “For March through May, we anticipate an improvement of over 50 per cent in our average base fare.” John Gradek, who teaches aviation leadership at McGill University, said the airline has eliminated or reduced flying frequencies on poorer-selling routes that are costing it money to operate. “Spring break is over and they’ve got to be conserving cash,” Mr. Gradek said. Flair’s route cuts come as it faces challenges on a few fronts: A payment-processing company, Peoples Group, is withholding $25-million in transfers to Flair. The airline says the company, which acts to protect consumers who have prepaid for services, is acting unjustly. “We will pursue resolution through legal channels,” Flair chief executive Stephen Jones said in a statement. Peoples Group declined to answer questions specifically about Flair. In an e-mail, Peoples said it manages reserve funds that protect consumers when they deal with merchants that offer prepaid services, including airlines. It increases the amount in the fund according to the risk posed by a merchant. “Should a flight be cancelled and not rebooked by an airline and the airline cannot refund the money, cardholders are entitled to request a refund, or chargeback, from their card-issuing bank,” Peoples Group said in a statement, speaking generally. “When a chargeback is received, the airline’s payment acquirer [Peoples or another processor] must refund the purchase from a reserve account,” Peoples said, adding that its “underwriting team reviews the risk associated with each one of our merchants and determines the right reserve required to match the risk.” Flair owes $67-million in tax repayments to the federal government for aircraft imports, and says it is making payments on the amount. A court granted Ottawa the right to seize and sell Flair property worth the amount owed, but has not apparently done so. The government has registered interests or liens on Flair’s Boeing 737 flight simulator, unspecified Flair real estate and “all of the debtor’s present and after-acquired” personal property. Flair says the interests are related to the tax bill. The Canada Revenue Agency declined to comment. Alberta’s property registry shows about 25 liens on Flair aircraft and other assets have been made or amended since 2022. The assets include leased aircraft, a spare engine, forklifts and blanket claims on all Flair property. Aircraft leasing companies in March, 2023, seized four Flair aircraft for missed rent payments over several months. Mr. Jones has said U.S. investor 777 Partners paid the arrears on another seven aircraft, which Flair retained. Mr. Jones, in an e-mail, said the Alberta registrations are standard practice. “Just like any other airline, Flair has security agreements on its aircraft and equipment pursuant to leasing agreements. These security agreements are a common practice and do not impede our ability to operate efficiently,” said Mr. Jones, who was unavailable for an interview on Wednesday and Thursday. Alfonso Nocilla, a law professor at Western University in London, Ont., said leasing companies and creditors typically register their interests in properties when a deal is made, while others might do so to ensure they are viewed as secured creditors. “The registry exists to give notice to anyone else in the world that you have a security interest in the property that’s covered by that registration,” Prof. Nocilla said. Flair says it’s managing its finances. “Customers can be assured that Flair remains dedicated to fulfilling tax obligations, managing financial responsibilities, and providing affordable, accessible air travel options, guided by principles of compliance, stability and transparency,” Mr. Jones said in a e-mail. A major U.S. investor in Flair, meanwhile, is fielding its own challenges. Flair is 25 per cent owned by 777 Partners LLC, a Miami-based private equity company. New York-based credit-rating agency AM Best has downgraded 777 Partners’ insurance arm, 777 Re Ltd., twice since November, from “excellent” to “weak.” AM Best cited Bermuda-based 777 Re’s ability to meet its financial and insurance obligations, its “weak” balance sheet and exposure to “illiquid” affiliated private investments. Those related-party investments include several European soccer teams and Flair Airlines. 777 Partners’ stable of soccer teams includes Genoa CFC, Sevilla Futbol Club, Hertha Berlin, Standard Liege and Vasco da Gama. Its proposed purchase of the Everton Football Club in Britain is awaiting approval from the Premier League. When asked how Flair is affected by 777’s situation, Mr. Jones said the airline “maintains the full support of our financial backers, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing competitive services in the market.” A 777 Partners spokesperson declined to comment. AM Best said 777 Re is working with the industry regulator, the Bermuda Monetary Authority, to reduce the company’s exposure to the affiliated assets. As a reinsurer, 777 Re sells policies to insurance companies looking to reduce their own risks. Typically, a reinsurance company invests in assets seen as stable and secure. Soccer teams and airlines are known for their financial volatility. Bermuda offers reduced regulation and is home to many reinsurance companies. The reinsurance division of privately held 777 Partners is a significant lender to Flair Airlines, with credit totaling US$58-million in 2022 and US$37-million in 2021, according to 777 Re documents filed with the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Investments in entities related to 777 Partners totalled US$1.4-billion in 2022. AM Best said its ratings downgrades “reflect 777 Re. Ltd.’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very weak, as well as its marginal operating performance, very limited business profile and weak enterprise risk management.” AM Best and the Bermuda Monetary Authority declined to comment further. Companies with poor ratings are viewed as riskier than average investments, and typically must borrow money at higher interest rates.