Airlines

Emirates to operate double daily direct flights to Colombo from 1 December

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To meet the seasonal rise in demand for travel, Emirates has announced plans to introduce a second daily direct route between Dubai and Colombo, beginning on December 1, 2022. Three daily flights will now connect the two cities with the new service, which will fly as EK648/EK649 and include two direct flights and and one operating via the Maldivian capital, Male.

Emirates reintroduce direct A380 services to Auckland and Kuala Lumpur from December(Opens in a new browser tab)

Emirates’ second daily flight will operate direct between Dubai and Colombo, except during 16 to 30 December, when the service from Dubai to Colombo will stop over in Male.

From 1 to 15 December and from 31 December to 26 March, EK648 will depart Dubai at 16:10hrs daily and arrive in Colombo at 21:55hrs, all times local. Flight EK648 will be routed via Male from 16th to 30th December, and will during that period, depart Dubai at 10.30hrs and arrive in Male at 14.45hrs. It will then depart from Male at 17.15hrs and arrive in Colombo at 19.15hrs.

Aeroflot resumes flights to Colombo, Bangkok, Goa(Opens in a new browser tab)

Throughout the period from 1 December to 26 March, flight EK649 is scheduled to depart Colombo at 02:55hrs and arrive in Dubai at 05:55hrs.

Emirates operates its modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration on flights to Colombo, offering private suites in First Class, lie flat seats in Business Class and spacious seats in Economy Class. Travellers to and from Sri Lanka benefit from Emirates’ award-winning service and industry-leading products in the air and on the ground across all classes, with regionally-inspired dishes and complimentary beverages and the airline’s ice inflight entertainment system which offers up to 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment in over 40 languages, including movies, TV shows, and an extensive musical library along with games, audio books and podcasts.

Airlines

Qantas Engineers Stage Walkout Over Cost of Living Concerns

Tensions at Qantas reached new heights as base maintenance workers in Brisbane walked out of a hangar meeting hosted by the airline’s CEO, Vanessa Hudson.

The walkout was a clear display of displeasure and aimed to send a strong message to the company’s management about the growing frustrations within the workforce. The workers, represented by the Qantas Engineers Alliance, have been pushing for wage increases that reflect the rising cost of living.

In an open display of displeasure, Qantas Base maintenance workers walked out of a hangar meet hosted by the CEO Vanessa Hudson in Brisbane, also aimed to send a message to the management.

Qantas Engineers Alliance members have been demanding decent wage increases to match with… pic.twitter.com/y9EVjc46VM— FL360aero (@fl360aero) September 14, 2024

Despite ongoing discussions, the employees feel that their concerns have been overlooked, leading to this public show of dissent. The hangar meeting, meant to foster dialogue and address employee concerns, instead became the stage for a visible demonstration of dissatisfaction as the workers exited in unison.

For some time, the engineers and maintenance staff have expressed frustration over wage stagnation amid increasing inflation and living costs. Their demand is simple: a decent and fair wage adjustment that keeps pace with economic realities. The walkout underscores the workers’ determination to stand firm on their request for better pay and fair treatment.

As Qantas navigates its recovery post-pandemic, this incident highlights the growing internal challenges the airline faces, especially concerning its workforce. The maintenance staff’s actions have put additional pressure on the company’s leadership to address the wage concerns and avoid further escalation.