Aviation

Emirates , Air india and Brussels Airlines salutes its female employees on International Women’s Day

Emirates

Dubai, U.A.E., 7 March 2019 – Across the world every day, Emirates’ flights connect people and businesses, enabling travel, tourism and trade. Whether from the cockpit, or inside the aircraft cabin, on the ramp or at the hangar, at service desks across the world or from headquarters in Dubai, Emirates’ female employees make an important contribution to the successful operation of every one of the airline’s flights, every day.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day Emirates has released a videothat celebrates the diversity of its female staff and highlights the varied roles held by women across the company.

In addition to roles such as cabin crew and pilots, women also work in a number of technical positions spanning aircraft maintenance and aircraft appearance in engineering as well as in ramp, flight, crew and cargo operations. This includes specialised roles such as aircraft licensed engineers, cargo load masters, ramp operations team leader, turnaround coordinators and flight dispatchers.

Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines advocates equal rights between men and women and – in a broader perspective – a more inclusive world in general. As a symbolic gesture on International Women’s Day, Brussels Airlines operates its flight to Kigali and Entebbe of 8 March with an all-female crew, to raise awareness about gender inequality in Europe as well as in Africa, the airline’s most important market.

Brussels Airlines operates all-female flight to Kigali and Entebbe for International Womenâs Day

A Brussels Airlines flight operated by an all-female crew is – fortunately – not a rarity anymore as 10.2% of the company’s pilots and 73% of its cabin crew are women. Nevertheless the company wants to underline the importance of a gender inclusive world and therefor Captain Anne, First Officer Katti and Cabin Crew Members Ann, Tania, Sylvie, Sophie, Ellen, Elke, Pascale, Gina and Sandy will operate flight SN467 to Kigali and Entebbe on international Women’s day.

Air India

NEW DELHI: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Air India said more than 40 of its domestic flights and 12 international flights will take off with an all-women crew.

“Air India is set to fly 12 all-women crew flights on its medium and long-haul international routes and over 40 return domestic and short-haul flights all over India to celebrate the International Women’s Day on March 8 this year,” Air India said in a statement.

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Air India will deploy its B787 Dreamliners and B777s aircraft to operate the aforementioned 12 international flights.

“Women pilots and cabin crew will be operating Airbus family aircraft as well as dreamliners to over 40 domestic destinations and back to commemorate the occasion,” the airline added.

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.