Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach awarded two Michelin keys

                                  Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, a boutique resort setting where oceanfront pools and the Island’s best beach beckon to discover the true art of vacationing, has been awarded two Michelin keys by the Michelin Guide, an accolade that recognizes hotels worldwide for offering the most singular and authentic travel experiences. The award celebrates excellence in design, architecture, service, and character, as well as a meaningful contribution to the local community. As one of only six two key hotels in Florida, this distinction embodies the uniquely crafted, personalized stays that guests of Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach have come to cherish.

Mazen Saleh, General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, expresses his pride in the achievement: "We are honoured to receive this prestigious two Michelin key accolade, a reflection of the local charm that shines here with very special thanks to our gracious, dedicated and passionate team. At Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, it’s like having your very own beach house on a beautiful island where every moment of your getaway is attended to with kindness and care. This award celebrates the exceptional hospitality and warmth that makes a stay here stay with you.”

At Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, guests can step into a world of relaxed beachfront sophistication and step out effortlessly to enjoy all that Palm Beach has to offer at their own pace. The Michelin Guide’s point of view: “Pleasures don’t get much simpler than the ones on offer at Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach - this upscale beach town and this ultra-palatable luxury hotel are a match made in heaven. The rooms and suites are contemporary in style, but gently so - this is a long way, figuratively and literally, from Miami Beach. The beach club, the pools, and the Spa are all as tranquil as can be, and the restaurants don’t disappoint - Florie’s, the flagship, is a partnership with the multiple Michelin-starred Mauro Colagreco, who adapts his Italian and Argentine influences to the climate and produce of South Florida.”

Ryanair will 'nick' slots at Dublin Airport promises O'Leary

The aggressive bullying boss of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary has promised the carrier will 'nick' the slots of other airlines at Dublin Airport, if they move flights to Cork. 

“The one problem for the airlines is, you switch a slot out of Dublin, somebody else will come and nick the slot," O'Leary said during a press conference last weekend. "In fact, we'll come and nick anybody else's slot, we’ll take the slot that moves to Cork, we’ll fill it and they won't get it back!".

The outspoken remarks, as reported by Cork Beo, were in response to the news that the Dublin Airport Authority is trying to get airlines to move flights from Dublin to Cork and other Irish airports, to keep Dublin under a 32 million passenger cap per year. 

The authority has applied to the local Fingal County Council to raise the cap, which has been considered 'antiquated' by many politicians and airline officials, up from 32m to 40m and more.  Thus far, the the council hasn't agreed to raise the limit, nor introduce an interim measure to cover the next year or so. By the end of this year, Dublin will break the cap, and consequentially, break the law. 

O'Leary has threatened the Irish government that if the cap is not removed or significantly increased, Ryanair will raise fares to more than €1000 from Dublin this Christmas. 

.

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore announces the reintroduction of its membership programme,

.

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore announces the reintroduction of its membership programme, promising an elevated wellness experience for its members. Recognized as the only Forbes-awarded spa in Maryland, The Spa offers a tranquil retreat for those seeking harmony of mind and body.

In addition to the special membership, The Spa is unveiling its enhanced Vitality Pools. The updated pools now feature invigorating colour therapy lights and luxurious jets integrated into seating benches. This refreshed hydrotherapy oasis combines hot and cold therapy to boost immunity and improve circulation, complementing the spa’s existing heat treatments.

Accessible to annual members, hotel guests, and spa patrons, The Spa includes full-service Relaxation Rooms equipped with brand-new, state-of-the-art Vitality Pools, Experience Showers, Saunas, and Steam Rooms. Membership benefits include:

Sean Menke added to JetBlue’s Board of Directors

JetBlue Airways announced the appointment of Sean Menke to the company’s board of directors. The independent director appointment is effective immediately, following unanimous approval by the company’s board of directors.

On September 12, 2024, the Board appointed Mr. Sean Menke to the Board. Mr. Menke was most recently executive chair at Sabre Corp., a position he held from early 2022 until April 2024. Mr. Menke joined Sabre in 2015 and was promoted in late 2016 to serve as president and CEO and then CEO of Sabre Corp. until April 2023. Before joining Sabre, Mr. Menke spent more than 20 years in the airline industry. He served as chief executive officer at Frontier Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines and held senior-level commercial and operating roles, most notably with Air Canada and Hawaiian Airlines.

"We’re excited to welcome Sean to JetBlue’s board of directors,” said Peter Boneparth, chairman of the board. “His diverse industry experience will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen the JetBlue business for our crewmembers, customers and owners.”

airBaltic sees passenger growth of 13% in August

                                    Demonstrating strong performance, the Latvian airline airBaltic continues to report growth in its passenger numbers. In August, the airline carried more than half a million passengers marking a 13% increase compared to the same period last year. In the previous month, airBaltic performed 4 510 flights, showing a 6% increase from August 2023. Furthermore, for the second month in a row, in August airBaltic reached the highest load factor in the company’s history – 89.8%, which is a 6.6 percentage point increase compared to the same period last year.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “Throughout this summer, we have observed significant overall passenger growth with several record-breaking results and have continued to maintain strong operational performance with an increased number of flights. Recently, we announced plans to launch 16 new routes for the upcoming summer season from the Baltic States – four from Riga, five from Tallinn, and seven from Vilnius. airBaltic is the connectivity backbone for the entire Baltic region and with the continuing network expansion, we are further strengthening our position as the leading and most favoured airline in the Baltic States.”

Additionally, August set new passenger and flight records at airBaltic's bases in Estonia and Lithuania, with impressive increases of 20% and 26% in passengers, and 17% and 21% in flights, respectively. These are the highest passenger and flight numbers ever recorded in August for both bases.

airBaltic recently has announced plans to launch 16 new routes from the Baltic States – four from Riga, five from Tallinn, and seven from Vilnius. The new routes include such destinations as Mykonos, Cluj-Napoca, Stavanger, Ibiza, Rzeszów, and others. They offer customers a wide range of travel options, catering to leisure, business, and onward connectivity needs. Additionally, the airline plans to increase frequencies on eight existing routes from Riga, four from Tallinn and four from Vilnius.

Minnesota will soon be home to a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending facility

Minnesota will soon be home to a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending facility – only the third in the United States – that will provide SAF supply via existing pipeline to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) – Delta’s second-largest hub where it uses 250 million gallons of fuel annually.  

The first-of-its kind Minnesota SAF Hub – of which Delta is an anchor member along with the Greater MSP Partnership, Bank of America, Ecolab and Xcel Energy – launched in August 2023 with a commitment to implement an ambitious shared strategy for aggressively decarbonizing the airline industry by scaling SAF production and replacing conventional jet fuel. On Sept. 10, the coalition announced its achievements and four major milestones on its journey to develop a fully integrated SAF supply chain in Minnesota, thanks to collaboration across the coalition’s members representing the entire SAF value chain – from finance to farm to airport:  

The first SAF blending facility in Minnesota: Delta and Flint Hills Resources are in the early stages of developing a facility to blend up to 30 million gallons of neat SAF at its Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount, Minnesota. The facility is likely to be the first between the coasts that can blend neat SAF with conventional jet fuel. Shell will supply the neat SAF and bring its expertise in product quality, supply chains and logistics to the team. Flint Hills will blend the jet fuel it produces with the neat SAF and will deliver via Flint Hills’ existing pipeline to MSP. The facility is expected to be completed in late 2025.   

 

 

Making SAF cost-competitive: A “Demand Consortium” that includes Bank of America, Deloitte, Delta, and Ecolab has been formed to purchase the first several million gallons of SAF each year, starting in the second half of 2025. The goal: scale production, drive down costs and secure multi-year demand that spurs continued growth of the SAF market. Each of these companies are providing funding to support the market production of SAF, which will contribute to verified carbon emission reductions associated with their employee business travel.  

 

 

Establishing SAF production in Minnesota: On August 16, the Federal Aviation Administration announced a $16.8 million Inflation Reduction Act grant to convert an existing Gevo ethanol and isobutanol fuel facility in Luverne, Minnesota, into a fully integrated alcohol-to-jet fuel facility for SAF production. This will allow the first conversion of Minnesota crops to SAF within the state.   

 

 

Making SAF out of next-generation feedstocks: Coalition partners at the University of Minnesota are developing a novel crop called winter camelina seed, which can be used for a variety of purposes, including producing oil for conversion into SAF. Although this crop is early in its development, future opportunities are promising, and the MN SAF Hub is working to bring the first shipment of camelina-derived SAF to MSP this fall.  

Minnesota is uniquely positioned to help scale the SAF industry and is why it’s an ideal location for this SAF Hub. Not only is Minnesota home to a variety of feedstocks that can be used to make SAF, it also has a strong history of producing biofuels. It was also one of the first states to enact a tax credit and construction incentive to support the development of a SAF economy.  

KLM's first Airbus A321neo flight

Today is a special day for KLM, with the first official flight of the brand-new Airbus A321neo. Early in the morning, the first luggage containers were loaded, the crew boarded, and the passengers checked in. The first flights are headed to Copenhagen, Berlin, and Stockholm.

The arrival of this new aircraft is an important step in the large-scale fleet renewal through which KLM is giving a new impetus to cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient flying. The A321neo will fly to Copenhagen, Berlin, and Stockholm starting today. Later this year, Paris, Prague, and Vienna will be added to the destinations. KLM will add three more new A321neo aircraft to the fleet this year.

 

.

Birmingham City and Delta Air Lines join forces for 2024-2025 season......

                            Birmingham City Football Club is pleased to announce Delta Air Lines as its Official Airline Partner for the 2024-2025 season. The new commercial relationship reflects the growing appeal of Birmingham City Football Club to leading global brands.

The relationship officially 'kicks-off' Monday, September 16, to coincide with Birmingham City's appearance on Sky TV's Live Monday Night Football. The Sky Bet League 1 match against Wrexham, a 29,000 sell out, will be broadcast live in the UK, the US, and across the globe. Delta branding will be visible on the Men's First Team's shirt sleeve and appear on the Club's new digital screens and advertising boards at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park. Delta branding will also appear on the Club's Women's First Team shirt sleeve, starting with the Barclays Women's Championship home match against Portsmouth on 22 September 2024.

Delta and Birmingham City will work together on storytelling opportunities that demonstrate the club's climb, surprising and delighting football fans around the world, bringing them ever closer together.

Tom Wagner, Birmingham City Owner and Chairman of the Board, said: "We're excited to welcome Delta to the Blues family. As we continue leveraging our resources to bring Birmingham City to a global audience, Delta's vast network will help us connect our international fan bases and bring them and our team to new heights. Alongside world-class brands like UNDEFEATED and Nike, Delta shares our vision to elevate the club. This marks the beginning of a defining era in our nearly 150-year history." 

Garry Cook, CEO and Board Member, Birmingham City said: "Delta is one of the world's leading brands. Delta's rally cry, "Keep Climbing", resonates with the journey that Birmingham City is now on. Blues is going to be one of the most exciting stories in football in the next five years. Our teams are at the start of a transformational journey; our charitable Foundation is now helping hundreds of thousands of people across the city start to enjoy better lives; leading global brands are excited to partner with us due to the value we can bring; and our owners are spearheading one of the country's largest infrastructure projects, the Sports Quarter, here in East Birmingham. It will attract millions of visitors each year and many of them will choose to arrive on Delta planes. Birmingham, in partnership with Delta, is most definitely on the rise."

Lufthansa Group extends wet lease partnership with airBaltic

The Lufthansa Group is extending its collaboration within the framework of a wet lease partnership with its long-standing and proven partner airBaltic (BT) for a further three years beyond the summer of 2025.

This partnership enables to flexibly deploy up to 21 additional aircraft of the fuel-efficient Airbus A220-300 in summer and five aircraft of this type in winter at various hubs.

Due to changing customer needs, the Lufthansa Group airlines are aligning their route networks to seasonal peaks in demand, particularly in the summer timetable. With the additional capacities of airBaltic, destinations in high demand in the route networks can be served even more flexibly in future. At the same time, this will strengthen the quality of connections to Lufthansa Group Airlines’ intercontinental services at the Group’s hubs.

As is usual with a wet lease, the aircraft and crews will be provided by airBaltic. The Latvian national airline with its headquarters and hub in Riga has proven itself to be a very reliable wet-lease operator. The Lufthansa Group, says, that since it started working with airBaltic in 2019, the airline has proven itself to be a reliable and valuable partner.

Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic said: "Throughout the recent years, airBaltic has earned a reputation as one of the leading premium wet lease providers in Europe. The wet-lease business has become a crucial element of the airBaltic growth strategy, complementing our scheduled operations from our existing bases. The efficient single-type fleet of modern Airbus A220-300s and our high-quality onboard service have been key to this success."

Gauss added: "This partnership is an endorsement of our wet lease capabilities and reliability from a well-respected international brand like Lufthansa Group. We are looking forward to a successful collaboration over the coming years." 

.

.

OX1 Plant Achieves 40% Higher Conversion

.

OXCCU’s OX1 plant, the world’s first demonstration of the direct conversion of CO2 and H2 into deoxygenated long-chain hydrocarbons, is now fully operational. Since going live in September, OX1 has consistently produced liquid fuel (OXEFUEL™), and OXCCU is now ready to supply its first customers.  The plant's performance has exceeded expectations, marking a significant milestone in OXCCU's journey to develop the world’s lowest-cost PtL pathway.

OXCCU’s Co-Founder and CEO, Andrew Symes has provided a comment that can be used for any upcoming article narratives:  "Our OX1 plant, the world’s first demonstration of the direct conversion of CO2 and H2 into deoxygenated long-chain hydrocarbons, is now live. CO2 and H2 in, liquid fuel out—this low-cost, single-step method makes achieving SAF targets possible. Since going live in September, OX1 has been consistently producing liquid fuel for more than a week, and we're now ready to supply our first customers. The results have exceeded expectations, with conversion increasing by over 40% and a significantly higher SAF selectivity than anticipated.

In May 2023, we committed to delivering OX1, a 1,000-times scale-up from the lab, and it’s now operating as planned at Oxford Airport, thanks to the incredible efforts of the OXCCU team. We are passionate about developing the world's lowest-cost PtL pathway, and the next step is OX2 in Saltend, Humber, where we will further scale this world-leading Oxford University IP. Our focus is on reducing e-fuel costs and helping the UK meet its SAF targets, with rapid scale-up from demo to commercial scale being fully achievable with this technology.

Amsterdam's Schiphol takes a runway out of use......

From Monday 16 September to Tuesday 24 September, regular maintenance work will be taking place at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on the Oostbaan Runway. 

This runway is usually only used for small, business and private aircraft, or for air ambulance, coast guard or government flights. During the period of maintenance, this traffic will use the Buitenveldertbaan Runway or one of the other runways at the airport. If all goes to plan, Schiphol-Oostbaan will be also be available on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd of September.

Annual maintenance is carried out on all the runways so that they remain in good condition and the Schiphol-Oostbaan runway will be undergoing restorative works on the asphalt and markings. The cabling and electrics will be checked, the rainwater drainage system will be flushed out, the grass around the runway will be cut and the lights will be cleaned or repaired. These works are being carried out in collaboration with construction company Heijmans. 

 

During the maintenance, air traffic will be directed to other runways, such as the Buitenveldertbaan Runway. This means there will be more aircraft flying over the areas beneath these runways’ flight paths during this maintenance period.

From Monday 28 October to Wednesday 6 November, the Polderbaan Runway will not be available for its annual maintenance. Departing traffic will make more use of the Zwanenburgbaan and Buitenveldertbaan runways, landing traffic the Zwanenburgbaan, Buitenveldertbaan and Schiphol-Oostbaan runways.

.

KLM Cityhopper flies to Valencia for The Aviation Challenge

A KLM Cityhopper Embraer 195-E2 flew from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Valencia Airport for The Aviation Challenge. The challenge is an initiative by SkyTeam to encourage airlines to conduct operations as efficiently and economically as possible. The participating airlines share the results of the tests so they can use this information to further enhance the sustainability of their overall flight operations.

KLM recognizes its impact on the environment and climate and understands that there are limits to what our planet can handle, necessitating action if we want to continue operating within these boundaries. By testing various innovations during flight operations and onboard, KLM examines their outcomes with the goal of scaling them up and implementing them as standard practices. 

The KLM Cityhopper flight for The Aviation Challenge has landed in Valencia, the city designated as the European Green Capital for 2024 by the European Commission. 

Before and during the flight, KLM tests various initiatives. For instance, the implementation of a new climb procedure, OptiClimb, can save 1% fuel on KLM Cityhopper flights. This procedure advises pilots on the most efficient climb speeds based on weight, weather conditions, aircraft type, and route. This procedure is implemented on all KLM Cityhopper flights next week. Additionally, efforts are made to conduct ground processes at the airport—both at Schiphol and Valencia—using as much electric equipment as possible. 

Virgin Atlantic will launch its latest Clubhouse at Los Angeles International Airport early in 2025

Virgin Atlantic is all set to open a new Clubhouse lounge at Los Angeles International Airport early next year, subject to local authority approvals. The carrier which is 49% owned by U.S. airline Delta says the lounge will be located in the Tom Bradley International Terminal and will pay homage to the City of Angels.

The Clubhouse will feature Virgin Atlantic’s signature touches including an expansive bar and social area with table service dining options, exclusive spaces - including a VIP Booth dubbed ‘The Royal Box’ – and flexible seating areas in which to work, dine and connect. Yes, travellers can stay connected with wireless charging, Bluetooth connectivity, and plenty of power outlets throughout the lounge, including at the bar and in private pods where they can take calls or finish emails in a peaceful setting.

 

Corneel Koster, Chief Customer & Operating Officer, Virgin Atlantic, commented:  "We’re thrilled to bring our award-winning Clubhouse to the vibrant, entertainment capital Los Angeles, where we know business and leisure travellers alike will enjoy our experience before their flight across the pond. 

Our latest Clubhouse will have something special for every customer, from signature dishes to British designer finishes, plus some fun surprises you’d only expect from Virgin Atlantic. And we know our amazing teams will bring the experience to life brilliantly." 

The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse will be open daily for those who are eligible to enter. 

Eligibility criteria.

Customers flying in Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic + one guest travelling with Virgin Atlantic or Delta Air Lines 

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Gold Card members + one guest travelling internationally with Virgin Atlantic or Delta Air Lines 

Delta One customers on a Delta Air Lines international flight 

SkyTeam Elite Plus members travelling on Virgin Atlantic or Delta + one guest travelling on an international flight operated by a SkyTeam carrier 

Customers connecting domestically must be traveling same day on the same itinerary and ticket 

Discover Upper Class

. Discover Upper Class

Development consent decision extension for London Luton Airport's new terminal

The application decision deadline is extended to 3 January 2025.

The UK's Department for Transport and Louise Haigh MP have extended the deadline for making a decision on further development at London Luton Airport to 3rd January 2025.

Under the 2008 Planning Act, a decision must be made within 3 months of receipt of the examining authority’s report unless authorities extend the deadline by making a statement to Parliament announcing the new deadline. The application was received on 10 May 2024, and the current deadline for a decision was 4 October 2024, after a written ministerial statement dated 24 May 2024. was issued. Now the new government has issued another statement extending it to early next year. 

The reason for the extension is to enable the applicant further time to provide the requested information, and for that information to be considered, including by interested parties, before the final determination of the application.

The proposed development by Luton London Airport was for a new passenger terminal and aircraft stands that would enable it to increase passenger capacity from 18 million to 32 million per year. It would also feature a new station, new open spaces and more parking.  

Consultation – Luton Rising

.

London Gatwick offers 250 flights per week to popular ski destinations

London Gatwick is also offering flights to ski destinations in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland and Bulgaria this winter.

Passengers looking to hit the slopes this winter will have the choice of more than 250 flights to 15 skiing destinations from London Gatwick.

Alongside more than 50 weekly flights to popular French ski destinations Chambery, Lyon and Grenoble - all part of VINCI Airports' network - passengers across London and the South East will also enjoy easy and convenient access to the slopes in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Finland and Bulgaria.
Stephanie Wear, VP Aviation Development, London Gatwick said: “Every winter we welcome more than a million passengers jetting off with their skis and snowboards, so we know how popular these destinations are with our passengers.
“We are delighted to be able to offer such a breadth of choice this winter, with fantastic connectivity to a number of the best ski resorts across Europe.”
Val d’Isere, often rated among Europe’s top ski destinations, is easy to access from each of Chambery, Lyon, Grenoble and Geneva airports, while Chamonix can also be reached in just over an hour by car from Geneva and Chambery.
Villars-sur-Ollon, a 90-minute drive from Geneva, alongside Arabba Marmolada in Italy’s Dolomites – served by Bolzano Airport - and Borovets, an hour from Sofia, have been named among Conde Nast’s top 10 underrated ski resorts in Europe.
Those seeking a magical Christmas skiing experience, meanwhile, can fly to one of Ivalo, Kuusamo, Kittila or Rovaniemi – all situated in Finland’s Lapland region.