Aviation

ANA Receives First A380 from Airbus

Ceremony held in Toulouse, France to commemorate the occasion.

· The latest addition to ANA’s fleet solidifies the airline’s partnership with Airbus.

TOULOUSE, March 20, 2019 – All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest and 5-star airline for six consecutive years, has received the first of its three Airbus A380 aircraft. ANA and Airbus held a ceremony in Toulouse, France to mark the handover of the plane as well as acknowledge the importance of the airline’s relationship with Airbus. Media events are also scheduled to take place in Japan after the aircraft touches down at Narita airport.

https://youtu.be/CHlnu54tyEU

ANA’s new Airbus A380 will enter service on May 24th, traveling between Narita and Honolulu, Hawaii. The airplane is designed to provide maximum comfort to up to 520 passengers on this popular route with itspremium layout seating. The upper deck is home to eight First Class suites, 56 Business Class seats that convert to fully flat beds and 73 Premium Economy seats. The main deck will have 383 Economy Class seats, including 60 couch seats. This makes ANA the first in Japan to introduce a couch seat concept. Each couch is comprised of three or four seats and passengers are able to lie on the seats by folding up the leg rests. In addition to expanded passenger space, the aircraft offers heightened internet options as well as other advanced in-flight entertainment features.

ANA’s A380 is configured in a premium layout seating 520 passengers. The upper deck features eight suites in First Class, 56 Business Class seats that convert to fully flat beds and 73 Premium Economy seats. Economy Class is located on the main deck, where ANA offers a spacious layout seating 383 passengers, including 60 Couch Seats. The aircraft features ANA’s very latest in-flight entertainment systems, as well as full connectivity in all classes.

“We will commit all three of our Airbus A380 to the Tokyo Honolulu route with the goal of introducing a new level of luxury service to our passengers flying ANA on the number one resort route for Japanese travelers,” said Shinya Katanozaka, President and CEO of ANA HOLDINGS INC.

The A380 offers airlines the most efficient option to meet demand on the world’s most heavily travelled routes. It is also firmly established as the aircraft of choice by passengers worldwide, offering more personal space in all classes, a super-quiet cabin and smooth ride. Around 250 million passengers have already flown on the aircraft.

Following today’s delivery to ANA, there are currently 232 A380s in service with 15 airlines worldwide, flying on 120 routes across the globe.

Aviation

Boeing to Slash 17,000 Jobs Worldwide Amid Ongoing Factory Strike

Boeing to Slash 17,000 Jobs Amid Ongoing Factory Strike

Boeing, one of the world’s largest aerospace manufacturers, is facing a severe crisis. The company announced on Friday that it will lay off 17,000 employees—roughly 10% of its workforce.

This decision comes amid a prolonged strike, production delays, and ongoing safety concerns with its aircraft. Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s CEO since August, delivered the news, stating, “Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together.

Beyond navigating our current environment, restoring our company requires tough decisions, and we will have to make structural changes to ensure we can stay competitive and deliver for our customers over the long term.”

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Boeing has been struggling financially, with the last reported profit in 2018. The company’s largest union, with 33,000 members, has been on strike for nearly a month after rejecting a labor deal. The ongoing walkout is reportedly costing Boeing around a billion dollars each month as negotiations remain at a standstill.

Compounding these issues, Boeing’s much-anticipated boeing 777x wide-body plane is now six years behind schedule, with deliveries postponed until 2026. This follows the discovery of structural damage during flight tests. Boeing also announced it will stop manufacturing its commercial 767 freighters after fulfilling its remaining orders by 2027.

Financially, the company expects to report a significant third-quarter loss—nearly $10 per share—and a total cash outflow of $1.3 billion. boeing new aircraft commercial airplane unit faces a $3 billion pretax charge, while its defense business will absorb an additional $2 billion hit.

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The strike has severely impacted production at key boeing facilities, particularly in Seattle, where half of the company’s nearly 150,000 employees work. Since 2019, Boeing has lost approximately $25 billion.

Ortberg was brought in over the summer to help the company regain public trust following safety concerns, especially surrounding the 737 Max line, which was involved in two deadly crashes. Earlier this year, a separate incident involving a panel popping off a 737 Max mid-flight reignited concerns. A Federal Aviation Administration investigation following the event found that Boeing had failed 33 out of 89 product audits.