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Emirates celebrates 9 years of the A380 service as newly revamped Onboard Lounge takes to the skies

Emirates

1 August 2017, Dubai, UAE – Emirates’ newly revamped A380 Onboard Lounge has made its operational debut on a flight to Kuala Lumpur, marking the 9th anniversary of the airline’s award-winning A380 service.

The Onboard Lounge was first introduced on 1 August, 2008 and has since become a mainstay of Emirates’ double decker aircraft. Now in its 9th year, the Emirates A380 Onboard Lounge is arguably the most popular social spot at 40,000 feet.

The latest makeover of the lounge, inspired by private yacht cabins, features a more intimate and social area. With a clientele made up of Business and First Class customers on board the A380, the exclusive lounge accommodates 26 guests and serves the finest wines from around the world. The six wines on offer differ by destination but a champagne offering of Moët & Chandon or Veuve Clicquot is always available.
Emirates has over 6,000 crew trained as mixologists who can whip up 14 cocktails such as its signature Bloody Mary or a non-alcoholic Apple Spritzer. The lounge stocks fine spirits such as Hennesy XO Cognac and Chivas Regal 18 year old Scotch whisky.  It also serves over 18 different bar snacks, the most popular of which are the smoked salmon bagels and fresh fruit skewers.
For those who prefer a perk me up, the menu also includes juices, Illy coffee and several varieties of tea from Dilmah. At the back of the lounge, a 55 inch LCD screen gives customers the latest flight information, or live TV broadcasts of the latest news or sports updates. Emirates has also recently expanded its Wi-Fi offering to give patrons of the lounge who are Emirates Skywards members free Wi-Fi throughout their flight.
Emirates flies the A380 to 48 cities on 6 continents. The latest cities to join the A380 network this year are Sao Paulo, Casablanca and Nice. Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the A380 aircraft with 96 of these double-decked aircraft in service, and a further 46 on order. The Emirates A380 is a popular choice for travellers, carrying 80 million passengers since 2008.

Reported by : Manjunath NK 

Bangalore , India 

Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

  • Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
  • Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.

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