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BRITISH AIRWAYS WELCOMES ITS FIRST BOEING 787-9 DREAMLINER

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British Airways’ first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner arrived at Heathrow this morning to take its place in the airline’s fleet.

Following an eight hour 45 minute flight from Seattle, the aircraft (registration G-ZBKA) touched down at its new home at 8.50am local time. It is the first of 22 787-9s the airline is set to receive from Boeing, with the next due to arrive in mid-October and a further two expected by the end of the year.

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To mark the arrival of the new Dreamliner, British Airways has released a time-lapse video of the aircraft being built in Seattle: http://ba.uk/787timelapse


  

Mitch Preston, British Airways’ flight technical manager for the Boeing 787 fleet and the pilot who flew the aircraft to Heathrow, said: “It’s always a privilege to be the first pilot to fly an aircraft on its delivery flight. I was lucky enough to bring our first 787-8 to Heathrow in 2013 too.

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“Flying with just the small delivery team on board is a very different experience to a normal flight with customers on board. I’m really looking forward the first one of those – I think our customers will really enjoy the latest addition to our fleet.”

The new aircraft will start flying to Delhi from October 25, 2015 followed by Abu Dhabi and Muscat from November 5, 2015. The 787-9 will also fly to Kuala Lumpur in December and in February the aircraft will start flights to Austin.

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The 787-9 is 20ft longer that its 787-8 predecessor (of which the airline has eight), so as well as offering World Traveller (economy), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and Club World (business class), there’s also room for a new First cabin – a first for the airline’s 787 fleet.

The First cabin has just eight seats in comparison to the 14 seats* available on other British Airways long-haul aircraft, giving even more exclusivity and privacy to customers.
Created specifically for the Boeing 787-9, the new cabin has been painstakingly designed based on feedback from First customers, to put comfort at the heart of the experience and make the very best use of the more intimate space.

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The suites now include four new storage areas. A new ottoman next to the adjustable footstool has enough room for shoes, handbags and personal items, while the personal suiter for jackets and coats is now accessible without the customer having to move from their seat.

A new locker positioned at eye-level is perfect for smaller personal effects such as tablets, spectacles, passport and wash-bags. A handy mirror has also been fitted to the inside of the locker door for personal grooming.

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Customers who need to charge any devices can now do so in a discreet stowage area next to their armrest.
Great attention to detail has also been paid to how the customer uses their suite, with each function being controlled by simple, intuitive touch.

The seat and in-flight entertainment console has been updated with a new handset, much like a smartphone, integrated into the seat from which travellers can control their in-flight entertainment. During flight, the handset can be docked so that customers are also able to watch one item, such as the moving map, on the handset and another, such as a film, on the 23inch fixed screen. This also means travellers will be able to enjoy gate-to-gate entertainment, without having to stow their television for take-off and landing.

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The smart ‘jog-dial’, that previously controlled the seat’s recline, now manages five additional functions including the headrest and lumbar inflate and a ‘global’ lighting control to set both ambient and reading lighting.

 

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The airline also has a short video of the new First to give customers a feel for the cabin: 787-9 Dreamliner First
The aircraft will now go in to an intensive ‘entry into service’ programme, which will include ground trials and familiarisation trips, before it begins flying to Delhi on October 25.
The 787s are the most technologically advanced aircraft in British Airways’ fleet. Different pressurisation means the internal cabin altitude is the equivalent of 6,000ft, which is 2,000ft lower than on other aircraft. This leads to greater humidity, reducing the drying effect of the cabin air, so customers arrive feeling more refreshed. The aircraft’s smooth ride technology also provides extra comfort during any turbulence.

With a total of 42 787s destined to join British Airways, the aircraft is to become the mainstay of the airline’s fleet.

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Lufthansa is interested in deepening its partnership with Air India to expand its cargo operations

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Lufthansa is interested in deepening its partnership with Air India to expand its cargo operations

Lufthansa is willing to expand its cargo collaboration with Air India in order to increase cargo volumes.

“We believe that a strong Air India is good for both India and global aviation.” “We are always looking for ways to strengthen our ties with Air India,” Lufthansa stated According to the report.

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In the midst of a robust revival in its cargo sector, the German airline is eager to work more closely with Air India. The ambitious growth plan for Air India includes the installation of wide-body aircraft, which will expand its cargo capacity by 300%.

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“Lufthansa Cargo has seen a strong recovery in India, with cargo volumes recovering to surpass pre-pandemic levels in the first half of 2023,” the company said. Positive forecasts for the remainder of the year include continuous expansion, according to the airline. “India is one of the world’s air freight markets with the quickest rate of growth. As India’s economy continues to expand and its exports rise, there will likely be a rise in the demand for air cargo, it added.

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LATAM Airlines takes delivery of its first A321neo, adds 13 more to order book

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LATAM Airlines takes delivery of its first A321neo, adds 13 more to order book

LATAM Airlines has taken possession of the first A321neo it had leased from AerCap and placed an order for 13 more of the aircraft to boost regional expansion and expand its route network. This A321neo aircraft is the first in a committed backlog of 76 to be delivered. LATAM will receive 111 A320 Family aircraft in total.

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The recently arrived A321neo for LATAM has Airbus’ Airspace XL bins in the cabin and can accommodate 224 passengers. The larger bins enable 60% more carry-on baggage and 40% more storage space, allowing passengers and cabin crew to board flights more leisurely. 49% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) was used to propel the just-delivered A321neo to its destination.

The largest single-aisle A320 Family model sold by Airbus is the A321neo. The lowest seat-mile cost of any single-aisle aircraft on the market is provided by the A321neo, allowing operators to serve the entire market. Customers from all across the world have ordered more than 5,200 A321neos so far.

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Why LATAM retired its entire A350s fleet?(Opens in a new browser tab)

The LATAM Airlines Group and its affiliates are the major airline group in Latin America, operating internationally throughout Europe, Oceania, the United States, and the Caribbean in addition to five local markets in the region: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. LATAM is currently Latin America’s largest Airbus operator, flying 240 Airbus aircraft. LATAM received a brand-new Airbus A320neo in July of this year, marking the first delivery made with 30% SAF.

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Airbus has sold over 1,150 aircraft in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 750 are in operation throughout the region, with more than 520 in the order backlog, representing a market share of 58% of in-service passenger aircraft. Since 1994, Airbus has secured 75% of net orders in the region.

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Wings of Growth: India’s Need for 130-150 Additional Wide-Body Aircraft

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Wings of Growth: India's Need for 130-150 Additional Wide-Body Aircraft

According to Vikram Rai, CEO of GE Aerospace South Asia, India’s civil aviation market, one of the fastest-growing in the world, has the potential to add 130-150 more wide-body aircraft to its fleet. In India, there are now about 700 commercial aircraft in service, although only about 50 of them are wide-body aircraft.

India, the third-largest aviation market in the world with about 1,500 aircraft on order from domestic airlines, is viewed as having “great potential” by GE Aerospace, a key manufacturer of aircraft engines.

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India is a focus market and a priority market for GE Aerospace” and added that in his opinion, domestic airlines would think about adding more wide-body aircraft to their fleet and using them on busy domestic routes.

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The government is attempting to create international aviation hubs in India in order for domestic airlines to transport passengers directly to a variety of foreign locations as a result of the growing air passenger traffic.

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Currently, the majority of passengers flying out of India to distant locations do so on connecting flights run by foreign airlines.”We need to reach a stage where we can transport our passengers from end to finish. We are talking about the next stage of growth here, Rai added.

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