Daily Business Report — Nov. 15, 2012
Japan Airlines to Inaugurate Nonstop Service
Between Asia and San Diego on Dec. 2
Japan Airlines (JAL) will launch the first-ever nonstop service between San Diego and Asia on Dec. 2 with the 787 Dreamliner aircraft, starting with four weekly flights from San Diego International Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays initially. Beginning March 1 of next year, the airline will increase the frequency to once daily and customers can make reservations and purchase tickets for these flights right now. To commemorate the launch of the new service, JAL will also offer a special in-flight menu exclusive to this route and for the limited period between Dec. 2 and Feb. 28. Customers traveling in Business Class bound for San Diego will be treated to Mexican dishes.
World Trade Center San Diego Chooses
Atlanta Executive as New President/CEO
Steven W. Weathers, president and CEO of the Economic Development Authority in Savannah, Ga., will be the new president and CEO of the World Trade Center San Diego. Weathers, who used to be a vice president of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., will use the Thanksgiving break to relocate from Savannah. The board of the World Trade Center approved his selection on Wednesday. As head of the Savannah EDA, Weathers also founded and headed the World Trade Center Savannah, modeled on the one in San Diego. Prior to that, he was president and CEO of the Savannah Regional Growth Partnership, president and CEO of the Greater Tucson Economic Council, and, from 1990 to 2001, vice president of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. Weathers succeeds Bella Heule, who accepted a position as vice president of the global World Trade Centers Association in July. Since then, Hugh Constant has served as interim president/CEO.
Flood Maps Raise Questions About
S.D. Convention Center Expansion
The planned expansion of the San Diego Convention Center will include almost one million additional square feet of space and cost half a billion dollars. It will have more room for meetings, exhibitions, a ballroom and retail outlets. The people who pushed for the larger venue believe it will lure major conventions to San Diego. But all of this may be irrelevant, reports KPBS. The expanded version of the Convention Center could be inundated with seawater by mid-century if climate change predictions are accurate. For the full story, visit www.kpbs.org/news.
SDG&E Launches Advanced Outage
Management System for the Region
San Diego Gas & Electric said it has launched an advanced Outage Management System that will use new “smart grid” technology to speed up the detection of power outages and help utility personnel restore electricity faster. The company said it is one of the first utilities in the country to adopt the management system of this size and sophistication for its entire service area. The Outage Management System uses new computer software that provides grid operators with real time information about the status of the electric network to help them restore outages quicker. “By connecting this system to our extensive network of smart meters, we will have a comprehensive view into the real time state of the grid, which will allow us to identify and restore outages faster due to this amazing technology we have implemented for San Diego,” said David Geier, vice president of electric operations for SDG&E.
The Daily Business Report is produced by SD METRO. Contact: Manny Cruz (619) 287-1865. manny@sandiegometro.com.
