Aviation

AirAsia X launches direct flight to the “Pink City” in India from Kuala Lumpur!

SEPANG, 6 NOVEMBER 2017 – AirAsia X will achieve yet another milestone with the announcement of direct services from Kuala Lumpur to Jaipur, India with four times-weekly flights effective 5 February 2018.

AirAsia X launches the new unique route today, offering promotional all-in fares from as low as RM229* for economy seat and RM699* one way for Premium flatbed seats open for bookings on airasia.com for the travel period between 5 Feb 2018 and 21 Nov 2018.

AirAsia X is the first low-cost long-haul carrier to fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan, further improving its connectivity between its regional network in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and India. This follows a successful launch of Bangkok-Jaipur route in September this year operated by its short-haul affiliate AirAsia Thailand.

Flight Schedule for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL) – Jaipur, India (JAI)

Route	Flight No	STD	ETA	Day	Flight Frequency
Kuala Lumpur – Jaipur	D7 184	1900hrs	2200hrs	Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday	4 x Weekly
Jaipur- Kuala Lumpur	D7 185	2315hrs	0705hrs	Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday	4 x Weekly

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.