Latest news with #retrofit
Gulf Business
14 hours ago
- Business
- Gulf Business
More legroom, more cities: Where Emirates' upgraded aircraft will be flying
Image credit: Emirates/Website Emirates is set to boost capacity and enhance passenger experience across several global routes, with increased flight frequencies, retrofitted aircraft, and wider Airbus A380 deployments. Read- In response to growing demand across its network, the airline will roll out schedule enhancements and deploy more of its newly refurbished Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft to key destinations including Shanghai, Zurich, Milan, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Singapore. More flights and larger aircraft across the network Effective October 26, Emirates will: Add a third daily flight to Milan (EK101/102), operated by a Boeing 777-300ER. Increase its linked Rio de Janeiro–Buenos Aires service (EK247/248) to daily flights. Upgrade its Shanghai operations, with EK302/303 shifting to the A380 and EK304/305 operated by a retrofitted Boeing 777 starting July 20. Deploy the A380 on its third daily Dubai–Singapore flight (EK314/315) this winter. Further enhancements are scheduled for Zurich starting February 1, 2026. Emirates' second daily flight (EK85/86) will be upgraded to an A380, replacing the retrofitted Boeing 777. On the same day, Premium Economy will debut on flights EK87/88 with a newly retrofitted A380, Retrofitting programme reaches 60 aircraft These changes are part of Emirates' ongoing aircraft retrofit program, which began in November 2022. The airline has completed 60 retrofits to date, with one aircraft undergoing a full interior upgrade every three weeks. The program features Emirates' acclaimed Premium Economy cabin and refreshed interiors across all classes. On the Boeing 777, the four-class layout includes up to 8 First Class suites, 38–40 Business Class seats, 24 Premium Economy seats, and 256 Economy seats. The four-class A380 offers 56 Premium Economy seats at the front of the main deck in a 2-4-2 configuration. Each seat features increased pitch and width, personal charging points, and a side cocktail table. Emirates responds to growing global travel demand Despite operating in a dynamic aviation environment, Emirates continues to scale up operations to meet increasing customer demand for both summer and winter travel seasons. The airline remains focused on delivering its signature onboard experience and premium service as it positions itself for further growth. Passengers flying on retrofitted aircraft can look forward to a modernised in-flight experience across every cabin class, reinforcing Emirates' long-standing commitment to comfort and innovation.
Zawya
15 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Emirates layers on retrofitted aircraft with latest product, including Premium Economy to more cities
Emirates will be layering on more retrofitted Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s on its existing schedules to Shanghai and Zurich; expanding Milan, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires schedules; and upgrading its services to Shanghai and Singapore with A380 deployments. Emirates' latest schedule, capacity enhancements and newly retrofitted aircraft deployments are in response to increased demand across the airline's network and offer opportunities for more customers to enjoy the airline's signature onboard experience, especially its highly acclaimed Premium Economy cabin. The airline's ambitious retrofit programme is progressing with remarkable momentum, as one aircraft undergoes a comprehensive nose-to-tail refresh every three weeks. Emirates' engineering teams have retrofitted 60 aircraft since the start of the programme in November 2022.
Globe and Mail
10-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
How three generations of leadership transformed a small plumbing business into a successful mechanical construction company
It started with a bird and a wrench. In 1971, Jack Bird, a plumber by trade, opened a small-scale plumbing business out of his garage in Willowdale, Ont. He called it Jack Bird Plumbing & Heating and provided mostly residential services and hot water heating, as the name suggests. 'It really catered to residential,' Jack's son, Brian Bird, says of the original logo featuring a bird sitting atop a wrench. A neighbour across the street happened to work as a commercial artist for Loblaws, so Jack asked them to draw the logo. A vintage matchbook from that era features a bird and a wrench, with the motto: 'Our business is built on service.' The Bird family's humble plumbing business has come a long way since it first opened its doors. Over the 54-year history, three generations of Birds have served as chief executive officer. The company's direction has evolved with each succession and the name has changed each time to reflect its offerings. Today, it's called Bird Infrastructure and is run by current-CEO Brandon Bird, Jack Bird's grandson and a third-generation plumber. Over the years, it has shifted from a regional plumbing provider to a multi-service, multi-location company with 200 employees and a state-of-the-art 40,000-square-foot in-house fabrication shop. The company specializes in complex retrofit projects in facilities that need to continue day-to-day operations such as courthouses and hospitals. The company's first shift happened in 1991 when Brian Bird took the company over from his father. He gradually pivoted to pursue industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) construction work – a natural interest for him. A hands-on leader, Brian was into complex work, including retrofitting steam and process systems. By the early 2000s, the Gormley, Ont.-based company was so busy it dropped service-side offerings altogether and wholeheartedly embraced mechanical ICI. To reflect the change, Brian renamed the company Bird Mechanical. 'When we started doing these bigger projects, people were saying, 'Jack Bird Plumbing and Heating doesn't sound like a mechanical company that can do this type of work,'' Brian says. 'So, I changed the name and we started striving towards more industrial, commercial projects.' His push into this niche was successful. In the early aughts, Bird Mechanical had landed its biggest contract yet – a $7.7-million project to replace the chiller and cooling tower at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children. Brian's son, Brandon Bird, was a high school student who spent almost every weekend and summer break working for his dad. He ran equipment, moved pipe and loaded trucks. 'He would drop me off in the morning and pick me up every day on site,' Brandon, now 36, remembers. 'My dad always went out of his way to make sure I was exposed to the trade if I wanted it.' He enjoyed it but didn't think he would join the family business. Instead, he followed his passion, attending Toronto Film School to pursue a career in filmmaking. In 2008, when Brandon was between movie productions, he was flown down to California on behalf of his dad's company to learn how to run a new pipe-cutting machine. That trip was a pivotal moment – afterwards, Brandon walked into his father's office and said, 'Sign me up. I'll do this.' 'He had a look like he was on Punk'd,' Brandon recalls. 'He was looking around for hidden cameras, like what just happened.' But it was no prank: in 2012, Brandon completed his Red Seal plumbing certification and gradually took on more responsibilities at the company. By the time Brian stepped into an executive chairman role in 2016, Bird Mechanical was bringing in $28-million in annual sales, and his son, Brandon, was primed to take over as the third-generation CEO. Anticipating market needs and giving each CEO the freedom to follow their gut allowed for compounding success, according to Kerry Smith, national leader for family office services at MNP. 'Successful business leaders understand the industry and see where that industry is going,' Mr. Smith says. 'In this case, each individual was able to read the market and see where the trends were going.' The integrated mechanical construction firm has grown significantly since Brandon took over the company. In the last decade, he has made strategic acquisitions, including a civil contractor business and a structural steel company. In 2018, Brandon took a risk and expanded into Atlantic Canada, opening an office in Dartmouth, N.S. with 40 employees. The push came with its share of challenges. Brandon describes it as 'the biggest and most humbling learning experience.' He would attend meetings with East Coasters who were wary of the Ontario-based company, despite its nearly 50-year history. But with each job, Bird proved its expertise and, in 2021, it landed a $12.4-million contract to upgrade Cape Breton Regional Hospital's piping to connect heating and cooling systems to new and aging facilities.
CNN
05-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Qatari jet that could be new Air Force One will ‘probably' cost less than $400 million to retrofit, Air Force Secretary says
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers on Thursday that it will 'probably' cost the Air Force less than $400 million to retrofit a luxury Qatari plane that President Donald Trump has said he is getting from the Qataris as a gift to use as the new Air Force One. Meink was grilled about the plane's cost by Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. 'You can't retrofit a plane that is built for another purpose for Air Force One and expect it to be a free plane,' the Connecticut congressman said, adding that the Qatari plane will require encrypted communications technology, hardened defenses and countermeasures. 'It's clear that this is going to be a drain on the Air Force's budget.' Meink would not discuss details of how the plane will need to be retrofitted, noting that much of that information is classified. But he said estimates that it will cost over $1 billion are high, and that 'we believe the actual retrofit of the aircraft is probably less than $400 million.' The Pentagon announced last month that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had accepted the Boeing 747 from Qatar that Trump will use once the Pentagon upgrades it to include 'proper security measures and functional-mission requirements.' A the time, a person familiar with the discussions, however, countered that the deal had not yet been finalized and that the talks between the legal teams are ongoing. The aircraft is currently parked in San Antonio awaiting upgrades, and the Air Force told CNN last month that 'as directed by the Secretary of Defense, the Air Force is preparing to award a contract to modify a Boeing 747 aircraft for executive airlift. Details related to the contract are classified.' Retrofitting and installing the required security and communications equipment on a second-hand plane from another government, even a friendly one, is a monumental task, CNN has reported. US spy and security agencies tasked with the overhaul will need to essentially strip the aircraft down to its frame and rebuild it with the necessary equipment.
CNN
05-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Qatari jet that could be new Air Force One will ‘probably' cost less than $400 million to retrofit, Air Force Secretary says
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers on Thursday that it will 'probably' cost the Air Force less than $400 million to retrofit a luxury Qatari plane that President Donald Trump has said he is getting from the Qataris as a gift to use as the new Air Force One. Meink was grilled about the plane's cost by Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. 'You can't retrofit a plane that is built for another purpose for Air Force One and expect it to be a free plane,' the Connecticut congressman said, adding that the Qatari plane will require encrypted communications technology, hardened defenses and countermeasures. 'It's clear that this is going to be a drain on the Air Force's budget.' Meink would not discuss details of how the plane will need to be retrofitted, noting that much of that information is classified. But he said estimates that it will cost over $1 billion are high, and that 'we believe the actual retrofit of the aircraft is probably less than $400 million.' The Pentagon announced last month that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had accepted the Boeing 747 from Qatar that Trump will use once the Pentagon upgrades it to include 'proper security measures and functional-mission requirements.' A the time, a person familiar with the discussions, however, countered that the deal had not yet been finalized and that the talks between the legal teams are ongoing. The aircraft is currently parked in San Antonio awaiting upgrades, and the Air Force told CNN last month that 'as directed by the Secretary of Defense, the Air Force is preparing to award a contract to modify a Boeing 747 aircraft for executive airlift. Details related to the contract are classified.' Retrofitting and installing the required security and communications equipment on a second-hand plane from another government, even a friendly one, is a monumental task, CNN has reported. US spy and security agencies tasked with the overhaul will need to essentially strip the aircraft down to its frame and rebuild it with the necessary equipment.
