Aviation

IndiGo strengthens connectivity with Sri Lanka: Announces new direct flights

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IndiGo, India’s favoured airline, has announced additional direct flights between Mumbai and Colombo beginning April 12, 2024.

These flights, scheduled three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, would improve connectivity between India’s financial centre. Mumbai is also the capital of Sri Lanka. Mumbai now ranks fourth in India for direct connectivity to Colombo, following Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

Over 2,500 years of intellectual, cultural, religious, and commercial ties bind India and Sri Lanka together. Colombo is a thriving centre for travel and business. The city provides convenient access to the island nation and is well-connected to the international airport. The city of Colombo itself is a study in contrasts, with both colonial-era architecture and contemporary skyscrapers.

Numerous historical and cultural sites, such as the National Museum and the Gangaramaya Temple, are open for exploration by tourists. For culinary adventure lovers, Colombo’s diverse food scene offers a tempting array of flavours, from spicy curries to fresh seafood.

Customers can reserve tickets through mobile app or official website, www.goIndiGo.in, if they would want to organise their trip. The addition of these flights will improve the airline’s global connection even more.

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.