Aviation

2018 World Airline Awards results announced

In a gala ceremony at the iconic Langham Hotel in London, airline leaders and top airline management from across the globe to receive their 2018 World Airline Awards. Referred to by media as the “Oscars of the aviation industry”, the World Airline Awards are held in high esteem for the clarity of process and independence, with no outside sponsorship or external influence.

Edward Plaisted of Skytrax commented: “We congratulate Singapore Airlines on this fabulous achievement, being voted the World’s Best Airline by customers for a fourth time in the awards history. A key ‘wow’ factor for customers is consistency and this proved to a real asset for Singapore Airlines who scored highly across both product and service. I am sure Singapore Airlines will also take great pride in winning the World’s Best First Class award, less than one year after they introduced their new first-class suites.”

The World’s Top 10 Airlines of 2018 are:

Singapore Airlines
Qatar Airways
ANA All Nippon Airways
Emirates
EVA Air
Cathay Pacific
Lufthansa
Hainan Airlines
Garuda Indonesia
Thai Airways

Other notable accolades include China Southern Airlines winning the World’s Most Improved Airline, continued success for Garuda Indonesia being named the World’s Best Cabin Crew, and Qatar Airways as the World’s Best Business Class.

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

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This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

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In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.