A brutal war has been raging inย Europeย for two months now.ย Russia’sย unprovoked invasion ofย Ukraineย continues to cause much bloodshed and suffering, especially among civilians. I, and many business leaders I know around the world, believe that not enough is being done to support Ukrainians in their fight to end the aggression and preventย Russiaย stealing large chunks of their country. Or worse.
With every day that passes, more Ukrainians are fighting and dying โ for their own freedom, but also for the freedom of all of us. They are fighting a war for humanity โ we have to show up for them. The future of a sovereign, self-determinedย Ukraineย is inextricably linked to the future of liberal democracy itself. Given these high stakes, Western countries need to take the threat much more seriously and rapidly ramp up their support. Citizens must play their part too.
Firstly, a massive increase in military aid is needed and NATO governments and others should immediately authorise the transfer of weaponsย Ukraineย has asked for. The world must not stand by and watch as Russian troops flatten city after city.
Secondly, it is preposterous for Western countries to be sending billions of dollars toย Russiaย for fossil fuels. Importing Russian oil and gas is funding Putin’s war and has got to stop immediately.
As a business leader, it’s clear we can do this without damaging our countries or economies. One simple way is for all Western democracies to reduce use of oil and gas by 10% over the next 12 months, compared to the previous pre-COVID year. For instance, if all European countries were to do this for oil, it would reduce European total oil demand from 14.87 million barrels a day to 13.383 million โ a reduction of 1.487 million barrels a day. That would free up enough fuel to cut 550,000 barrels a day thatย Germanyย currently buys fromย Russiaย and leave a further 937,000 barrels a day to sort out the needs ofย Poland,ย Slovakia,ย Finlandย andย Lithuania, and other EU importers of Russian oil. Were the US to join in this European effort, the impact would be even greater. A similar set of measures has been suggested to reduce consumption of natural gas.
As recent IEA research shows, introducing emergency measures could cut global oil demand by 2.7 million barrels a day within four months – read the IEA’s 10-point plan to cut oil use. There are a variety of different ways to reduce fossil fuel consumption and governments can choose which actions they take.
One obvious option is the introduction of speed limits. If IEA members were to get behind a reduction in speed limits by just 10 miles per hour it would save around 600,000 barrels per day from cars and trucks, more than ย enough to replace the 550,000 barrels thatย Germanyย imports from Russia.ย Several European NGOs, led by the European Transport Safety Association, have just written to the EU suggesting cutting speed limits. It’s a no-brainer, especially forย Germanyย where thousands of miles of Autobahn remain without any speed limit at all.
On top of this, businesses could cut back on their least profitable operations. Individuals could turn down their air conditioning or heating or share the occasional car journey. It’s surprising what a massive difference some of these small changes can make.
Meanwhile, as I wrote recently, the clean energy revolution must be accelerated by every Western country, so that we’re no longer dependent on fossil fuels and move faster towards net zero. This too will dramatically reduce what everyone is paying for their fuel.
As my fellow B Team leaders and I stated: “Now is not the time for neutrality.ย Russia’sย invasion is unprovoked and unacceptable. Evidence of atrocities committed by Russian troops on Ukrainian civilians, including women and children, is mounting.”
Monumental tasks such as this require collaboration between the public and private sector. The alternative is that the war, and the suffering ofย Ukraine’sย people, continues indefinitely.
Virgin America (San Francisco) yesterday (November 2) celebrated the launch of new daily nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Honolulu International Airport (HNL) with a series of festive events in San Francisco and Honolulu.
On December 3, the airline’s Hawai’i schedule grows again with daily nonstop flights from SFO to Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG).
Virgin America will fly to Hawai’i with its newest Airbus A320 aircraft, equipped with fuel-saving ‘sharklet’ wingtip devices. Earlier this year, the airline completed the Federal Aviation Administration’s Extended Operation certification in order to operate longer range overwater flights. The first of Virgin America’s aircraft to fly to Hawai’i was named “Pineapple Express” (above) by the airline’s teammates and features a surfer girl image created by street/tattoo artist Si Scott.
April Fools’ Day (sometimes called April Fool’s Day or All Fools’ Day) according to Wikipedia “is celebrated every year on the first day of April as a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. The jokes and their victims are known as “April fools”. Hoax stories may be reported by the press and other media on this day and explained on subsequent days. Popular since the 19th century, the day is not a national holiday in any country, but it is well known in India, Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil and the United States.
The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness can be found in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (1392).”
Some airlines have made this date as a way to connect with the public. We thought we would some of the best ones we have seen today.
Aer Lingus took the opportunity to joke about its shamrock logo on The Aer Lingus Blog:
Say hello to our new logo. That’s right – it’s an emoji.
โ
For almost 80 years, Aer Lingus aircraft have proudly displayed the symbol of the shamrock as part of our unique livery. Our crews have worn it with pride on their uniforms. The Aer Lingus logo has come to be symbolic of Ireland, and of Irishness. In fact, our customers in far-away places often comment that as soon as they see the green shamrock, high on the tail-fin of our aircraft, they feel like they’re already home.
Throughout these 79 years, our logo has evolved, with each transition to a new design marking a milestone in the life of the airline.
โToday, we’re proud to present the latest update to our time-honoured logo. โFor the first time in our history, our shamrock, or “clover” as we’d like it to be known from now on, will boast not three, but four leaves.
Some of you may recognise this iconic and elegant design from your smartphone – and you’d be right. We’ve taken the bold step of using an emoji as our brand new company logo.
โIntroducing the Aer Lingus four-leaf clover emoji logo.
Why, you ask? We believe in keeping abreast of the latest developments in mobile technology. We recognise the unstoppable trend in the use of emojis as a sophisticated new form of communication, and we’re proud to demonstrate leadership in this space. Indeed, we may be the first ever publicly-listed company to use an emoji as their logo.
We know that by having our logo pre-loaded in smartphones around the world, we can make our brand more recognisable and accessible than ever before. Starting April 1st, we begin the significant task of updating our livery to include the four-leaf clover.
Join us in welcoming in the era of the Aer Lingus four-leaf clover emoji logo.
Meanwhile Virgin Atlantic Airways’ CEO Richard Branson announced he was moving Virgin’s headquarters to Branson, Missouri with this story:
Above Photo: thelibrary.org
My great-great-uncle, Reuben S Branson, founded Branson and was the original all-American entrepreneur. As I have followed his lead as an adventure and an entrepreneur, I now want to follow his footsteps into his hometown. Iโm proud to announce the Virgin Groupโs US operations, and a section of our UK operations, are moving to Branson, Missouri.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Route Map Above: Virgin America.
Virgin America are leading the way, announcing a new flight service to Branson from San Francisco. Virgin Hotels are well on their way to developing their next property in Branson, following in the footsteps of Virgin Hotels Chicago. Meanwhile, Virgin Limited Edition has announced their next luxury property will be based in Branson, offering guests exclusive wagon trails.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Virgin Produced, our film and production company, will be filming their next feature in Branson. Virgin Mobile USA will be stocked at Bransonโs Walmart store, where several hundred t-shirts were handed out to staff and customers. Virgin Active are introducing a new Branson-themed workout that will have gym-goers tossing hay bales and rolling wagon wheels across the gym.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Virgin Pure will ensure that the entire water supply throughout Branson is triple-filtered and purified to make it healthy for all โ so I will always be able to enjoy the perfect tasting cup of tea whenever I’m in town. Virgin Holidays will be also offering package holidays to the city with a variety of attractions and excursions available through their concierge service.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Before embarking upon this project, I spoke to Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley, who is wholeheartedly behind the move. I also searched around for other entrepreneurs who have successfully launched businesses in Branson. To my delight, I found that Dolly Parton, the undisputed queen of country, runs the wildly popular Dixie Stampede in Branson. Virgin America are honouring Dolly by naming our newest plane Jolene, hosting Dolly Partonโs Dixie Stampede-themed flights and featuring a Dolly channel on our Red in-flight entertainment system (only available from 9am-5pm).
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Kevin Plank, CEO and Founder of Under Armour, runs one of the most successful stores right in Branson. They are showing their support by painting their Under Armour Branson store red, as well and throwing the biggest party ever to welcome Branson to Branson.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
With more of our Virgin brands expanding Stateside, it made sense to open our US headquarters in the hometown that bears my family name. I canโt wait to paint the town red.
Thank you Richard.
WestJet announced its new “SmartSeats” with this announcement:
WestJet today announced SmartSeats, a new concept in boarding its aircraft that could change the way people fly.
The SmartSeats concept is simple; the seats in the lounge are the seats on the aircraft. Guests ride the SmartSeats directly between the boarding lounge and the plane. The SmartSeats project team created a brief video now available on WestJet’s YouTube channel and Facebook page to assist in explaining the concept.
“WestJet has long been considered an innovator in improving the guest experience,” said Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice-President, Communications and Community Relations. “Prior to arriving at the boarding lounge, our guests have already lined up to check in, to get through security, to grab a cup of coffee and to buy a book or a magazine for the flight. We understand the small inconveniences associated with flying and we are always trying to make improvements. SmartSeats are the next step in a constant evolution toward a seamless boarding process.”
SmartSeats could allow guests to board seven times faster than traditional boarding without any of the hassle involved with lining up and actually walking down the bridge to board the aircraft. Now guests can sit down in the lounge, get out a book or a laptop, and let WestJet do the rest.
Video Below: WestJet.ย After years of research and testing, we are excited to announce SmartSeats, a new concept in boarding flights. SmartSeats are guaranteed to change the way people fly. How? Your SmartSeats in the boarding lounge will also be your seats on the plane. Just sit back, relax and let SmartSeats do the work.
Finally Spirit Airlines announced new boarding procedures in its April 1 message:
Spirit Airlines has announced a new, more effective boarding process that may affect certain passengers on future flights. The implementation of Spirit Superiority Boarding will take place immediately at all U.S. based airport locations.
“We understand the boarding process for most airlines can be lengthy, confusing, and frankly insulting,” said Spirit’s Director of Boarding Procedures Sidd Finch. “It’s important to clearly define who should board and when they should be given access to the aircraft. These new boarding procedures will clear things up.”
With new Spirit Superiority Boarding, customers board in priority order, based on the following criteria:**
Gluten-free customers
Members of the Illuminati
Those with O-negative blood type
Laurie’s
Steve’s
Squirrels
Secessionists
Men with Low T
Canadian royalty
People who eat kale
Business-in-the-front-party-in-the-back Class
Everyone else
** Spirit is confident this new procedure, beginning on April 1, 2015, will lead to fewer complaints and more fun on their flights, and that most people will figure out this is a joke before they get to this point in the news release.
Spirit will continue with its normal boarding procedures, which provides one of the quickest and easiest ways to get on the plane and treats everyone fairly.
Virgin Atlantic Airways (London) is assessing the opportunity of a direct route to the Zambian capital, with founder Sir Richard Branson saying the airline will โconsider the possibilitiesโ of launching the route according to The Post in Zambia.
The airlineโs owner has also advised the Zambian government to ensure local entrepreneurs are able to invest in the country and thrive.
Two major European carriers, British Airways and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, previously abandoned direct flights to the Zambian capital. Both within the space of a year; rendering the African nation without a direct flight service between Lusaka and a respective European capital.
The government has consistently intimated that a national carrier is in the pipeline, but progress still depends on the final decision the nationโs Cabinet will make.
Addressing a media briefing at Lusakaโs Radisson Blu Hotel on Friday, December 5, Sir Branson said the Virgin Group will look at the feasibility of establishing a direct London-Lusaka route but would first have to assess how viable the Zambian market would be in view of the two recent pull-outs by other carriers.
โIt seems a great pity that you [Zambia] donโt have a direct service to the UK. When I leave, I will look at the feasibility. I certainly donโt promise that we could make a success of it, but we will certainly have a look at it and see whether we can make the figures work,โ he said.
Virgin Galactic’ SpaceShipTwo yesterday (October 31) at 10:51 am PDT tragically exploded and crashed near Mojave, California after it experienced an in-flight “anomaly”. Virgin Atlantic Airways’ Richard Branson has been promoting space tourism and has reportedly collected more than $80 million for future flights at $250,000 for each ticket. Yesterday’s fatal crash is a major setback for the program which is committed to moving forward in its quest for space flights.
The flight was the first test flight of SpaceShipTwo with new plastic-based fuel, replacing the originalโa rubber-based solid fuel. The crash killed the first officer and the captain was seriously injured.
Bloomberg Businessweek explores the program from a business perspective (see below).
STATEMENT FROM VIRGIN GALACTIC
Virgin Galactic’s partner Scaled Composites conducted a powered test flight of SpaceShipTwo earlier yesterday (October 31). During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of the vehicle. The WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft landed safely.
The Virgin Galactic team is cooperating with our partners at Scaled Composites and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as well as local authorities. We understand that the NTSB is scheduled to arrive in Mojave on Saturday Nov. 1) to commence their investigation, which is expected to last several days.
Local authorities have confirmed that one of the two Scaled Composites pilots died during the accident. The other pilot parachuted to the ground and is being treated at a local hospital. All of us at Virgin Galactic are deeply saddened by yesterdayโs events. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those affected by this accident.
George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic, provided the following statement:
โOur primary thoughts at this moment are with the crew and family, and weโre doing everything we can for them now. Iโd like to recognize the work of the first responders who we work with in the Antelope Valley for their efforts on behalf of the team. Weโre also thinking of the team members that we have at the companies that have been working on this program.
Space is hard and October 31 was a tough day. We are going to be supporting the investigation as we figure out what happened today. Weโre going to get through it. The future rests in many ways on hard days like this, but we believe we owe it to the team, that has been working so hard on this endeavour, to understand this and to move forward. And that is what weโll do.โ
Sir Richard Branson (above) is on his way to Mojave and is expected to arrive by early Saturday morning.
Bloomberg Businessweek: The Virgin Galactic Crash and the Risks of Space Tourism: CLICK HERE
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