Latest news with #FiumicinoAirport
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
American Airlines sends jet too large for Naples, diverts flight to Rome
The Boeing 787-9 is 20 feet longer than the plane that typically operates Flight 780. PHOTO: AVIATION AZ Listen to article An American Airlines transatlantic flight bound for Naples, Italy, was forced to divert to Rome after the airline dispatched an aircraft too large for the intended airport, resulting in passengers being bused over two hours to their final destination. Flight 780 departed Philadelphia on Monday evening at 19:42 local time, scheduled to land in Naples at 10:00 Tuesday morning. However, just 70 miles from its destination, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner veered away from the southern Italian city and diverted north to Rome Fiumicino Airport, landing at approximately 09:45. American Airlines attributed the diversion to 'operational limitations.' Flight data reviewed by aviation tracking service Flightradar24 confirms that the aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-9, a variant typically longer than the Boeing 787-8, which usually serves the route. While both aircraft share similar wingspans, the 787-9 is 20 feet longer and, crucially, requires a higher category of emergency services to be on standby during landing. According to standards set by Boeing and the International Civil Aviation Organization, the 787-9 requires a Category 9 rescue and firefighting service (RFFS), whereas Naples International Airport provides Category 8 — sufficient only for smaller wide-body aircraft like the 787-8. Aviation enthusiast and commentator @xJonNYC first brought attention to the incident on social media platform X, citing airport sources who confirmed the larger 787-9 variant is not permitted to land in Naples. After safely landing in Rome, passengers were transferred to Naples by bus — a journey of roughly 145 miles that takes over two hours by road. American Airlines issued an apology, stating, 'We apologize to our customers for this disruption to their journey.' The diverted aircraft later departed Rome for Chicago as Flight 111, resuming its transatlantic operations. The incident marks the second time this week that passengers were rerouted by bus after flight diversions. In a separate case on Wednesday, a Ryanair flight in Europe diverted due to turbulence caused by a thunderstorm, with passengers transferred by road from Memmingen, Germany, to Milan.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Retired Nissan Leaf batteries are ending up somewhere weird
Ever wondered where Nissan Leaf batteries go when nobody wants them any more? We didn't think so, but it turns out an Italian airport has the answer. Nissan is partnering with Aeroporti di Roma's Fiumicino Airport, Italy's largest transport hub, to give retired Nissan Leaf batteries a new purpose in life. The batteries will form part of the airport's new battery energy storage system in an ambitious net zero project to provide clean, reliable power to terminals by 2030. Nissan's reconditioned Leaf batteries will provide 2.1MWh of capacity to the 10MWh battery system. Coupled with 55,000 solar panels, the setup is due to generate 31GWh of electricity to the airport every year. As well as helping to keep the departure boards lit, Nissan says the initiative demonstrates the potential for 'end of life' EV technology to be recycled in innovative new ways. Recycling electric vehicle batteries is notoriously difficult, and driven mostly by the demand for the rare metals – like lithium, nickel and cobalt – that go into their construction. Nissan supplied a total of 84 used 30kWh and 40kWh batteries to the airport's battery energy storage system, sourced from high-mileage Leaf EVs and warranty returns. Each battery has been refurbished and requalified to ensure their safety and performance, and Nissan predicts they'll be operational for 6-7 years with daily use. Soufiane El Khomri, energy director at Nissan, says, 'This project not only demonstrates the long-term viability of repurposed EV batteries in demanding environments, but underscores Nissan's commitment to sustainable end-of-life battery management. 'Our team is involved in the technical integration of second-life batteries into the [energy storage system], the simulation of battery lifespan, and providing warranties for their performance in the new system. Just as importantly, once the batteries reach the end of their useful life on this project, we take full responsibility for their recycling.' This isn't the first collaboration between Nissan and European energy providers. A similar battery storage project is already in operation in Melilla, Spain, where electric vehicle batteries are used as a critical backup for a power plant. 'We are turning potential waste into valuable energy assets,' El Khomri added. 'Our re-use strategy not only supports large-scale industrial projects such as Aeorporti di Roma's Fiumicino Airport, but also shows potential for use in the home such as backup during power cuts.' 'As we continue to scale battery reuse and recycling, we are advancing our broader mission toward a cleaner, more energy-efficient future.'
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Used EV batteries power renewable energy push at Rome airport
Nissan is giving a second life to its EV batteries as part of a clean energy project at Rome's Fiumicino Airport. The Japanese carmaker has provided 84 used Leaf battery packs for a large energy storage system designed to help the airport reduce its carbon footprint. The system is part of a wider initiative known as Pioneer, supported in part by the EU's Innovation Fund. It forms a key part of Aeroporti di Roma's plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. In total, the battery energy storage system holds 10MWh of electricity. Nissan's contribution,— equivalent to 2.1MWh, is made up of battery units recovered from high-mileage vehicles and warranty returns. The 30kWh and 40kWh packs were expertly reconditioned to meet safety and performance standards before being put into service. The second-life batteries are being integrated by Italian engineering firm Loccioni, which is combining them with Enel's broader storage infrastructure. The system works in tandem with a solar farm consisting of 55,000 panels, which is expected to generate up to 31GWh of electricity per year. The electricity generated and stored will help power airport terminals and support the facility's internal grid, specially during peak demand. According to Nissan, the batteries are expected to stay in operation for at least six to seven years, even with daily use.
Business Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
The delight of being a tourist in Rome during the conclave
I'M originally from Chicago, and when I travel, that fact has historically prompted responses such as 'oh, like Michael Jordan?' or 'like Barack Obama?' But two weeks ago when I was in Rome, I got a new one. 'Chicago! Like our new pope,' a bartender said to me, stunned that for the first time an American – Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV – had become the head of the Catholic Church. I was visiting the Eternal City ahead of a voyage on the new La Dolce Vita Orient Express, an ultra-luxury train (more on that soon), but my trip had coincided with the start of the conclave, the process by which the Catholic Church's cardinals elect a new pope. Luckily, this was my fifth trip to Rome, so I wasn't in a rush to see all the sights; instead I could just take in the city during such a historic moment. Rome's Fiumicino Airport was packed with tourists, a mix of people who had longstanding plans to visit the city and those keen to be in Vatican City when a new pope was announced, a major event for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. There were, of course, a few grumbles about the crowds and the restrictions on tourism. I did overhear a family upset that they couldn't visit the Sistine Chapel on their once-in-a-lifetime trip. I can understand disappointment, but it was a real read-the-room-type moment: sorry, the Sistine Chapel is busy making history! Still, the atmosphere in the city was electric, even if I wasn't one of the masses waiting for a glimpse of white smoke from a chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, the traditional sign that a new pope has received the necessary two-thirds majority (black smoke means a vote was taken, but no single candidate prevailed). At drinks on May 7 at a rooftop bar, I was eager to see if my vantage afforded me a view of the area around St Peter's. I couldn't quite see the smoke, but the glimpse of the basilica itself was exciting to me, knowing that there was likely voting going on at the time. People were throwing around names of cardinals like Pizzaballa or Parolin as if it was the National Basketball Association draft, eagerly anticipating who the next pope would be. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up On the street, I stopped to speak with a priest from France who had come to Rome for a pilgrimage, but was pleased to be in town during such a historic moment. 'People keep asking me about the pope, but I am just a priest,' he said with a wry smile. 'It is, of course, in God's hands.' The most exciting moment for me came when the alert popped up on my phone that a pope had been chosen. I was in a room full of Italians and could hear about 20 different incredulous voices exclaim 'Americano?' as the news travelled around the room. Conclave or no concave, it was business as usual for many Romans. I asked a taxi driver taking me back to the airport how he felt about the crowds descending on the city. 'It's been so busy this year. There was the funeral for Pope Francis. Then, of course, it's the Jubilee year,' he said, referring to a major celebration the Catholic Church puts on every 25 years, and one of the reasons Rome made our list of Where to Go in 2025. 'There is always a reason to come here,' he added. BLOOMBERG
Daily Mail
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Pope Francis funeral: Donald Trump arrives to pay tribute to 'people's pope' as world leaders join the hundreds of thousands gathering in Rome for emotional service
Donald Trump has arrived at the Vatican to join world leaders and pilgrims in solemn reflection for the funeral of Pope Francis. The U.S. president is joined by his wife, Melania, in the Vatican City, among some 170 heads of state or government in attendance. Sir Keir Starmer, Prince William, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Giorgia Meloni and the Spanish royal family are also among those expected to attend. Donald Trump is set to have a 'third-tier' seat at the funeral mass, with precedence for front row seating given to Catholic royalty. The pontiff's funeral is expected to start at 10am local time (9am GMT), with at least a quarter of a million members of the public to attend. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, leads the service, addressing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, and world leaders and dignitaries. But it will be prisoners and migrants who ultimately usher the pope into the basilica where he will be buried, reflecting his priorities as head of the Catholic Church. Francis is breaking with tradition and will be buried in the St. Mary Major Basilica, where a simple underground tomb awaits him with just his name: Franciscus. Pope Francis died on Monday, aged 88, from a stroke and irreversible heart failure in his beloved Casa Santa Marta residence. In his final hours, he had joined crowds for an Easter Sunday blessing at St Peter's Square. The pontiff had only recently been discharged from hospital, after five weeks of treatment for an infection that led to double pneumonia. U.S President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump disembark Air Force One at Fiumicino Airport, to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, near Rome, Italy, April 25, 2025 Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden walk ahead of the funeral Mass of Pope Francis, at the Vatican, April 26, 2025 Francis, heralded as the 'people's pope' due to his focus on society's neediest, had been lying in state in St Peter's Basilica for three days, with some 250,000 mourners passing him day and night. The Vatican had to extend hours to meet the overwhelming demand to see his body, lying in an open casket, before it was formally sealed in private on Friday, with his face covered by a simple white shroud. Members of the public are today be joined by world leaders in St. Peter's Square. The British Government delegation includes Sir Keir Starmer and his wife, Victoria, as well as Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Prince William is also in attendance on behalf of the royal family. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived on Saturday morning and will attend with his wife Olena Zelenska, following uncertainty over where he could, after his travel plans were disrupted by air strikes in Kyiv. Former U.S. president Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, were also pictured arriving on Saturday, joining president Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, from the United States. A seating order was published on the eve of the funeral, showing Francis's birth country of Argentina, then Italy, take precedence. Thereafter, leaders are seated 'in alphabetical order' in French - considered the language of diplomacy. Ireland's delegation comes ahead of both Prince William and the British Government delegation in the official order of precedence, because it is led by head of state Mr Higgins. Haakon, the Crown Prince of Norway, and William follow soon after in a category set aside for crown princes. French president Emmanuel Macron is seen at St Peter's Basilica in Rome on Saturday ahead of the Pope's funeral President Trump and his wife First Lady Melania are seated ahead of both the Irish and British delegations. However, the Pope will be ushered into his final resting place by prisoners and migrants - in a nod to his focus on the needy and the poor during his time as leader of the Catholic church. Scaffolding has been erected to provide international media with the best vantage points overlooking St Peter's Square while there is a strong Italian police presence managing numbers and security. The complex security operation, estimated to cost five million Euros (£4.3m), comprises 8,000 security staff members, including 2,000 uniformed police officers and 1,400 plainclothes officers. The Vatican has a small ceremonial army of Swiss Guards and there is also the Vatican Security Service, the Pope's bodyguards. But the main security will be provided by the Italian government and there will be thousands of police and soldiers in and around the Vatican and along the four-mile route from St Peter's to the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica where Francis will be buried. Anti-drone technology is being deployed to jam any UAVs that attempt to film proceedings from above. The operation also includes special forces sharp-shooters on rooftops, undercover units, security teams on horseback, helicopter patrols and boats on the nearby River Tiber. Former US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill are seen within Vatican City ahead of Pope Francis' funeral Following the funeral, Francis will be taken through the streets of Rome in a break with tradition as he is carried to his final, unconventional resting place. Rather than in the Vatican, where popes are typically buried, Francis will be laid to rest in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in the centre of Rome, where he regularly prayed before and after trips overseas. Francis' simple coffin will be entombed in an alcove that had previously been used to store candlestick holders. Per his request, it will not be decorated and will be inscribed only with his papal name in Latin, Franciscus. It is another departure from tradition for the liberal Pope, who held progressive views on the rights of immigrants and LGBT rights, as well as climate change and the ethics of modern technology such as social media and artificial intelligence. The last pope who asked to be buried outside of the Vatican was Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903. And while today marks the first of nine days of mourning, speculation regarding the next pope is likely to begin shortly after the funeral. Conclave, the secret meeting of cardinals to elect Francis's successor, is thought likely to begin on May 5. One Vatican expert has said she thinks it is 'totally unpredictable' at this point as to who the next pope might be. UK theologian Professor Anna Rowlands said: 'That's partly because the process is genuinely both secret, so it happens in private, but also because the make-up of this College of Cardinals is very different from anyone that's been here to elect a pope before. 'It's going to be, I think, a surprise conclave, that is totally unpredictable at this point, but I think will produce, potentially, a really interesting candidate who possibly none of us will know.' Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell - the camerlengo or senior Vatican official - has been responsible for carrying out the administrative and financial duties of the Holy See until a new pope takes over. He had the role of announcing the Pope's death on Easter Monday, coordinating meetings with the cardinals ahead of conclave and ensuring the Sistine Chapel is ready to accommodate them when that process begins in the coming weeks.
