Aviation

Qatar Airways is awarded the best airline in the world in 2022.

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Qatar Airways has been named as the airline of the year by AirlineRatings.com, the only website in the world that rates products, safety, and COVID.

In the list of AirlineRatings.com’s Best Airlines for 2022, the Doha-based carrier edged out Air New Zealand, Etihad Airways, and Korean Air for the top place. Singapore Airlines, Qantas, and Virgin Australia were the next three airlines included.

AirlineRatings.com “Excellence is the goal at Qatar Airways, headed by Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, at every touchpoint,” stated Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas of the airline ratings’ excellence awards, which highlight the world’s Best Airlines.

“Mr. Al Baker’s quest of quality has resulted in several enhancements to aircraft, and travellers around the world are better off as a result of Qatar Airways’ commitment to excellence.

“The airline has a tonne of firsts for the industry. First to successfully complete IATA’s crucial IOSA safety exam and the first to have both AirlineRatings and Skytrax fully audited and certified as COVID compliant.

Qatar Airways also took out Best Business Class. “The airline’s Qsuite is a first-class experience in business class and our judges rated it as the best overall business-class product they had seen,” said Mr Thomas.

Top Twenty Airlines 2022

AirlineRatings.com also named its Best of the Best: Qatar Airways, Air New Zealand, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Virgin Australia, EVA Air, Turkish Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Japan Air Lines, JetBlue, Finnair, Emirates, Hawaiian, Air France/KLM, Alaska Airlines and British Airways.

Source : Airline Ratings

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.