AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS
Wisk | February 07, 2023
On February 6, 2023, Wisk Aero, a renowned advanced air mobility company, and the COMSEQ (South East Queensland Council of Mayors), the largest regional local government organization in Australia, published a paper detailing the benefits of advanced air mobility (AAM) for South East Queensland (SEQ). The two organizations entered a strategic partnership in July 2022 when they signed a Memorandum of Understanding. They continue to collaborate on events and outreach, highlighting AAM's advantages.
With the release of a rigorous and aspirational Opportunities Paper, Wisk and COMSEQ are beginning a new chapter in their partnership. The paper provides an overview of the developing AAM sector, the prospects for South East Queensland (SEQ), and the social, economic, and environmental advantages of introducing AAM to SEQ.
The paper also describes how AAM will become an integral part of SEQ's transportation network as the region seeks to address high-growth-related issues such as congestion, environmental sustainability, and rising demand for affordable and accessible flights.
COMSEQ and Wisk concur that the release of the Opportunities Paper: 'Bringing Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to Australia' highlights the critical importance of government and industry collaboration in making progress with AAM.
About Wisk
Wisk is an urban air mobility company committed to providing everyone with safe everyday flights. The company, a joint venture between The Boeing Company and Kitty Hawk Corporation, aims to shape the future of daily commutes and urban travel safely and sustainably. With more than a decade of piloted and unpiloted flight experience, it has developed Cora, an all-electric, autonomous air taxi. The Cora team is now the firm's foundation and is working towards a future in which commuters can safely fly above traffic and reach their destination more quickly. Wisk believes in a world where less time getting there means more time being there.
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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Target Hospitality | February 14, 2023
On February 13, 2023, Target Hospitality Corp., a provider of value-added hospitality services and vertically integrated modular accommodations in North America, announced that it had initiated an Environmental, Social, and Governance ('ESG') strategy development and implementation process.
Target is committed to leveraging the strength of its core mission, vision, and values to define meaningful and measurable ESG-aligned goals. Its strategy will be to create a quantifiable framework for benchmarking progress and establish a reporting system committed to setting and achieving ESG goals. The company believes that this approach will generate an executable strategy aligned with its long-term growth objectives centered on the continued creation of shareholder value.
The organization has appointed Scott S. Junk as Senior Vice President of ESG to lead this initiative and focus on the company's ESG strategy and implementation. Before joining Target, Mr. Junk was in charge of positioning, releasing, and developing the ESG initiative for WillScot Mobile Mini.
Brad Archer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Target Hospitality, shared, "We are pleased to formalize our ESG initiative and the commitment to establishing a defined and transparent framework. We have taken meaningful steps in conducting a value-added approach capable of supporting Target's growth and evolution. Thoughtful execution should add lasting benefit to Target's employees, customers, and stakeholders."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
AboutTarget Hospitality
Based in The Woodlands, Texas, Target Hospitality (previously Target Lodging) is a leader in turnkey accommodations and integrated hospitality services, present in 22 communities with over 10,000 beds available. It operates worldwide, even in the most remote locations, providing workforce housing and site services to the oil, gas, and mining industries. In addition, it offers temporary accommodation, catering, and hospitality services to governments and relief organizations. In a progressively competitive market, its extensive network, superior culinary services, distinct amenities, and the service-oriented team all work together to improve customer morale and retention. Target Hospitality ensures good care of a client's staff outside of work so that they can perform at their highest level on the job.
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DESTINATION AND TOURISM, COMMERCIAL TRAVEL
KAYAK | January 27, 2023
KAYAK, the leading search engine for travel, recently announced that it has partnered with Affirm, a payment network, to make its payment operations flexible and to empower its travelers in the United States.
According to KAYAK search data, flight prices are rising by about 40% per year. Despite increased flight prices, travelers are still searching for flight bookings in 2023. With Affirm, KAYAK is making it easier for travelers to plan and pay for their trips this year. Now, approved KAYAK travelers can split the cost of flights, hotels, car rentals, and car sharing over $150 into monthly payments by choosing Affirm when they check out. Thus, KAYAK can reach 15 million of Affirm's consumers and 245,000 merchants, including American Airlines, Priceline, Vrbo, Vacasa, and more thereby, enhancing its new reach, overall sales, repurchase rates, and average order value.
Paul Jacobs, General Manager and Vice President of KAYAK North America, says, "It's good to have choices, especially in this economy. In addition to showing travelers all their options on KAYAK, Affirm gives travelers the ability to plan how they pay."
(Source – Business Wire)
Geoffrey Kott, Chief Revenue Officer at Affirm, remarks, "This past fall, Affirm's consumers increased purchases at airlines over seven times compared to the prior year, demonstrating higher consumer demand for payment flexibility when booking travel." He adds, "By partnering with KAYAK, we are able to bring consumers a flexible and transparent way to pay for travel, especially at a time when many are looking for ways to regain financial control and spending power amidst rising costs."
(Source – Business Wire)
About KAYAK:
KAYAK is part of Booking Holdings Inc, one of the world's most prominent search engines for travel. It helps people find the vacation package, hotel, rental or shared car, and flights they want. The company enables travelers to search for the best flight deals and book with flexibility, as it's pretty reliable and completely free to use. With trip planning tools like a flight tracker, trip planner, and bag measure, KAYAK ensures that travelers' overall experience is more than just a flight search site!
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