Facelift for Puerto de La Cruz

It has been announced that Puerto de La Cruz, the popular tourist resort in North Tenerife, is to undergo a 12 million Euro facelift.

Three separate plans have been approved focusing on the regeneration of this charming old colonial town.

Tourism is the leading industry in Puerto de la Cruz, which has a tourism history dating back over a hundred years. The cosmopolitan town is very different from the modern 1970’s concrete resorts in the south of the island, which were purpose built to respond to the boom in tourism to Tenerife.

The Puerto de La Cruz regeneration project will bring the historical town up to date with aesthetic and structural improvements, whilst ensuring that its well-known charm and character is not compromised in any way.

The three different plans are:

Plan de Choque (Plan of Impact). This will incorporate 22 specific actions to improve, paint, remodel or restore pavements, streets, squares, facades and buildings, as well as beginning on the construction of a brand new Marina in Puerto de la Cruz. A total of more than €6,380,000 will be spent on this project which will be fully completed by 2009 and will allow visitors to Puerto de la Cruz to fully appreciate the town’s history, charm and beauty.

Plan del Mirador de la Paz (La Paz viewpoint project). From the area of La Paz in Puerto de La Cruz, visitors can enjoy fabulous views over the town and sea beyond from an ideally located viewpoint. With an investment of €500,000, this area will be rebuilt to replace damaged pavements and bring it in line with the style of the historical buildings located in the near vicinity, for example the Hermitage of San Amaro.

Renovación de la Playa Martianez (Renovation of Martianez beach). This project is to focus on the small beach of Playa Martianez. €5 million will be spent on the renovation of the beach, the boulevard and the rebuilding of two bars located on the beach’s edge.

A further project which has been agreed, although details of the specific developments and investment have not yet been disclosed, is the Plan Horizonte 2020 (Horizon plan 2020). This is a general plan for all Spanish tourist destinations, the aim being to focus developments in tourism on raising the competitiveness of resorts, as well as on the environmental, social and economic sustainability. Puerto de la Cruz, as an important and historic tourist destination, has been included in this plan and will receive public financing to improve the town and its facilities.

Snra. Dolores Padrón Rodriguez, Mayor of Puerto de la Cruz and recently appointed head of tourism, said: “We are keen to develop and boost tourism in Puerto de la Cruz and now have a dedicated team in the local council focused on promoting the best we have to offer in both the Spanish and international markets. The funding currently on offer – and there will be more to follow – is testament to the significance of the town as a major tourist destination and is key to bringing Puerto de la Cruz up to date following general wear and tear over the last 50 years as a booming tourist hub.

Puerto de la Cruz is and will continue to be a point of reference in the search for quality and excellence in tourism and it is in this objective that all current efforts are being placed.”

Boeing flies hydrogen fuel cell plane

Boeing has, for the first time in aviation history, flown a manned airplane powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

The recent milestone is the work of an engineering team at Boeing Research & Technology Europe (BR&TE) in Madrid, with assistance from industry partners in Austria, France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Boeing is actively working to develop new technologies for environmentally progressive aerospace products,” said Francisco Escarti, BR&TE’s managing director. “We are proud of our pioneering work during the past five years on the Fuel Cell Demonstrator Airplane project. It is a tangible example of how we are exploring future leaps in environmental performance, as well as a credit to the talents and innovative spirit of our team.”

A two-seat Dimona motor-glider with a 16.3 meter (53.5 foot) wingspan was used as the airframe. Built by Diamond Aircraft Industries of Austria, it was modified by BR&TE to include a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell/lithium-ion battery hybrid system to power an electric motor coupled to a conventional propeller.

Three test flights took place in February and March at the airfield in Ocaña, south of Madrid, operated by the Spanish company SENASA.

During the flights, the pilot of the experimental airplane climbed to an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level using a combination of battery power and power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. Then, after reaching the cruise altitude and disconnecting the batteries, the pilot flew straight and level at a cruising speed of 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) for approximately 20 minutes on power solely generated by the fuel cells.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts hydrogen directly into electricity and heat with none of the products of combustion such as carbon dioxide. Other than heat, water is its only exhaust.

According to Boeing researchers, PEM fuel cell technology potentially could power small manned and unmanned air vehicles. Over the longer term, solid oxide fuel cells could be applied to secondary power-generating systems, such as auxiliary power units for large commercial airplanes. Boeing does not envision that fuel cells will ever provide primary power for large passenger airplanes, but the company will continue to investigate their potential, as well as other sustainable alternative fuel and energy sources that improve environmental performance.

BR&TE, part of the Boeing Phantom Works advanced R&D unit, has worked closely with Boeing Commercial Airplanes and a network of partners since 2003 to design, assemble and fly the experimental craft.

The group of companies, universities and institutions participating in this project includes:

· Austria – Diamond Aircraft Industries

· France – SAFT France

· Germany – Gore and MT Propeller

· Spain – Adventia, Aerlyper, Air Liquide Spain, Indra, Ingeniería de Instrumentación y Control (IIC), Inventia, SENASA, Swagelok, Técnicas Aeronauticas de Madrid (TAM), Tecnobit, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, and the Regional Government of Madrid

· United Kingdom – Intelligent Energy

· United States – UQM Technologies.

Antigua unveils music festival plans

Antigua and Barbuda will burst onto the entertainment scene with its inaugural Romantic Rhythms Music Festival from 12-15 June this year.

Two concerts are planned, one at the iconic Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and the other at Fort James, a renowned scenic spot overlooking the ocean.

A variety of special events and packages will be launched to coincide with the musical extravaganza. Performers will include international artistes as well as those from the Caribbean and South America, forming an impressive line-up of vocal and instrumental talent that reflects the Island’s eclectic cuisine, heritage and culture.

Spirit starts flights to Panama City

Fort Lauderdale’s hometown of low cost carrier Spirit Airlines begins three weekly non-stop flights to Panama City, Panama tomorrow, with increased frequency to daily service starting May 1, 2008.

In addition to this new non-stop service, Spirit also offers connecting service to Panama from its domestic network.

The new route will be operated by Spirit’s Airbus fleet, the youngest in the Americas.

Panama City is one of many new routes that are part of Spirit’s aggressive 2008 expansion plan. Already the largest carrier at Fort Lauderdale, Spirit is well on its way to increasing its South Florida operations by 40 percent this year.

In addition to Panama City, Spirit has also announced that it will begin new and/or expanded service to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; San Antonio and Boston, among other destinations to be announced over the coming weeks.

“Our passengers have spoken and we’re giving them what they want – more ultra low fares to even more destinations throughout the U.S., Latin America and Caribbean,” said Barry Biffle, Spirit’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.