Aviation

Three new A380 destinations, three continents, one day

Emirates brings first A380 services to South America and North Africa, and returns to Narita
Flies the popular and efficient aircraft to 49 cities on six continents

DUBAI, UAE – 26 March 2017 – Emirates today celebrates the launch of three A380 destinations, bringing its flagship three-class double-decker aircraft from Dubai to Tokyo- Narita, Casablanca and Sao Paulo on the same day.With this triple deployment, Emirates will be the first airline to operate scheduled A380 services in Latin America as well as to North Africa. In addition, the Emirates A380 service to Sao Paulo marks the airline’s 10th year of operations in Brazil, which began with daily flights between Dubai and Sao Paulo in October 2007.

Emirates had previously served Narita with an A380. The reintroduction of this service and increase in capacity is in response to the healthy demand for travel between Japan and Dubai.
Travellers and fans of the highly popular Emirates A380 will now have more opportunities to enjoy this iconic aircraft as Emirates now flies the A380 to 49 destinations on six continents.

Early Sunday morning, from its hub in Dubai, Emirates flight EK318 set off for Narita, Japan. This was followed by flight EK751 to Casablanca, and then flight EK261 to Sao Paulo.

On all three routes, the A380 replaces an existing Boeing 777 service. Emirates’ spacious A380 aircraft can transport up to 515 passengers per flight, and eight tonnes of cargo. All of the services launched today offer three classes of travel – First, Business and Economy, with generous free baggage allowance (up to 35kg in Economy, 40kg in Business and 50kg in First Class).

On Emirates’ A380s, First Class passengers can look forward to quiet luxury in the comfort of their private suites and enjoy the industry’s only Onboard Shower Spa. First Class and Business Class passengers can socialise and sample canapés and cocktails at the popular Onboard Lounge and passengers in all classes can enjoy the gourmet cuisine, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment, ice, with more than 2,500 channels and Wi-Fi, which is available on all of Emirates’ A380s.

Emirates’ premium onboard experience is complemented by on-the-ground comfort with a network of 40 dedicated Emirates Lounges located within major airports around the globe – all designed with the same attention to detail and exceptional service.
Emirates is the world’s largest operator of A380s, with 94 currently in its fleet and a further 48 on order. Since 2008, the airline has carried over 65 million passengers on its flagship aircraft.

Aviation

This airline will be billed $790 for each customer complaint resolved

In a bold move to streamline passenger complaint resolution, Canada’s transport regulator has proposed a new policy that would charge airlines $790 CAD (~$583 USD) for each customer complaint it resolves.

This initiative, announced by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), aims to alleviate the agency’s record-high backlog of air travel complaints, currently sitting at approximately 78,000 cases.

Mukesh Ambani is buying an aircraft worth Rs 1,000 crore

On Wednesday, the CTA launched a one-month consultation period to gather feedback on these proposed reforms, which would apply to valid customer complaints that the agency processes and settles. According to the agency, it anticipates resolving over 22,600 complaints annually, translating to about $17.9 million in fees levied against airlines.

The government hopes to recoup approximately 60% of the costs associated with handling these complaints, which are projected to reach $29.8 million annually. The bulk of these expenses stems from salaries and benefits for the agency’s resolution officers.

Top 10 Most Remarkable Experimental Aircraft

Critics of the proposal, including passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs, argue that the measure may not be sufficient to deter airlines from rule-breaking, stating it comes “too little, too late.” The CTA contends that the fee structure aims to provide a financial disincentive for airlines, potentially leading to improved compliance and better service for travelers.

The CTA’s proposal underscores the ongoing frustrations faced by passengers in Canada’s air travel system, as the demand for more effective complaint resolution processes continues to rise amid unprecedented travel disruptions.