Aviation
Hong Kong Airlines becomes new operator of the A350 XWB
Toulouse, 1st September 2017 – Hong Kong Airlines has taken delivery of its first A350-900, on lease from AerCap, making the carrier the 15th airline to operate the world’s newest and most efficient twin aisle airliner. Altogether Hong Kong Airlines will acquire 21 Airbus A350 XWB, including 15 purchased directly from Airbus and six on lease from third party lessors.
The A350 XWB will bring unrivalled eco-efficiency and a superior passenger experience to the carrier’s network. Hong Kong Airlines has configured its A350-900 with a premium three-class layout with a total of 334 seats, comprising 33 in Business Class, convertible to fully lie-flat beds, 108 in the new cabin class “Economy Comfort” and 193 in Economy Class. The aircraft features the airline’s latest cabin products, including an all-new entertainment system and full in-flight connectivity. After an initial period flying on regional routes, Hong Kong Airlines’ A350-900 will begin long haul operations in December this year, flying on the carrier’s non-stop service to Los Angeles.
The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. As the founding member of “Airspace by Airbus” cabin brand, the A350 XWB cabin provides passengers and crews the best in comfort, well-being and technology.
To date, Airbus has recorded a total of 848 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 45 customers worldwide, already making it one of the most successful wide-body aircraft ever. With 287 firm orders for the A350 from carriers in Asia-Pacific, the region represents over a third of total sales for the type to date.
Reported by : Manjunath NK
Bangalore, India
Virgin Atlantic and IndiGo have increased their codesharing, giving frequent travellers more options and opening up a number of new destinations throughout India. Codesharing is frequently an agreement between airlines to resell seats on each other’s flights, expanding the present footprint.
Customers may now buy tickets, making it simple for them to travel from places like Varanasi, Srinagar, Goa, and Lucknow to London and other destinations via Delhi and Mumbai. Virgin Atlantic passengers have shown a special affinity for Goa’s stunning beaches. The expanded collaboration will include Goa’s second airport at Mopa, giving travellers even greater access to one of their favourite places.
With more opportunities to earn Virgin Points and Tier Points on every codeshare flight with IndiGo, Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club members can accomplish their rewards faster with the increased codeshare.
“With IndiGo’s codeshare agreement, we are thrilled to more than double the number of destinations we can provide. As a result, our clients have even more options when travelling to and from India “said Alex McEwan, Virgin Atlantic’s country manager for South Asia.
“We offer a variety of connections to and from India’s most well-liked destinations by combining IndiGo’s extensive network with Virgin Atlantic’s three daily trips between India and the UK,” added McEwan.
Airlines
Etihad Airways successfully completes its inaugural flight to Beijing Daxing International Airport
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), began its first scheduled flight between Abu Dhabi and Beijing Daxing Airport on March 28, 2023.
The inaugural flight EY888, operated using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, marked the move of regular flights from Abu Dhabi to Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX). Previously Etihad operated to Beijing Capital International Airport.
Etihad Airways adds flights to Shanghai to its route network(Opens in a new browser tab)
2023 also marks the 15th anniversary of Etihad Airways’ services in China and its Abu Dhabi-Beijing route. With the continuous consolidation and strengthening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the UAE and China, political, economic, trade and cultural exchanges between the two countries have become more frequent. Etihad Airways maintains its unwavering support for and commitment to its Chinese partners and the China market, and its contribution to the growing bilateral relationship.
Etihad Airways’ first outbound flight will depart Beijing Daxing on March 30th, allowing travelers choosing Abu Dhabi as their destination or a stopover to explore the emirate’s breathtaking landscapes, thriving arts and culture scene, top shopping destinations, magnificent attractions and world-class events; or connecting passengers with access to more than 70 destinations via our Abu Dhabi hub.
Etihad Airways has recently added popular destinations such as Düsseldorf, Copenhagen and Lisbon, expanding Etihad Airways’ European network while providing travelers with more convenient travel and holiday options. Etihad’s Boeing 787 aircraft feature innovative, award-winning cabin designs and products, complemented by the airline’s acclaimed service and hospitality offerings
Air India, India’s leading airline and a Star Alliance member inaugurated non-stop flights between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick, the UK’s second-largest airport.
The inaugural flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick departed on time at 1150 hrs, scheduled to arrive at London Gatwick at 1640 hrs (local time) today. It is estimated that over 8,00,000 Gujaratis call the UK their home, making the Gujarati diaspora in the UK to be, arguably, the largest in the world. The flights between Ahmedabad and London Gatwick will be operated three times a week using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring 18 Business Class and 238 Economy Class seats.
Air India launches new routes to London Gatwick(Opens in a new browser tab)
This week, in addition to flights from Ahmedabad, Air India has also launched non-stop flights to London Gatwick from Amritsar, Goa, and Kochi while increasing the frequency to London Heathrow from Delhi and Mumbai. In total, the airline now operates 49 flights per week between India and the UK, including six flights a week to Birmingham from Delhi and Amritsar.
Amritsar to London Gatwick
It launched its first-ever non-stop flight to London Gatwick, from Amritsar today. It has now become the first and only Indian airline to operate at Gatwick Airport— the second-largest airport in the UK. The services
to Gatwick are in line with Air India’s ongoing endeavor of enhancing connectivity between India’s major cities and leading global destinations to provide more choices to its passengers.
Equipped with 18 Business class seats featuring fully-flat beds and 238 Economy class seats, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will be operating three flights a week on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from Amritsar. In addition to the flights from Amritsar, Air India will operate 9 other weekly flights scheduled from Ahmedabad, Goa, and Kochi—making it a total of 12 weekly flights to Gatwick. These operations will reaffirm Air India’s operations, presence, and network in the UK. In total, the airline now operates 49 flights in the UK per week— 43 flights to London (Heathrow and Gatwick) and six flights to Birmingham. Air India also operates 31 weekly flights to Heathrow, London from Delhi and Mumbai.
The first flight AI 169 from Amritsar to Gatwick departed on time at 1320 hrs and will arrive in Gatwick at a convenient 1755 hrs on the same day. Earlier, AI 170 had taken off from Gatwick at 2140 hrs to arrive in Amritsar at 1015 hrs (All Local Time).
Overall, Air India operates 80 flights per week to seven major cities in the UK and Europe and has relaunched flights to some of the prime European destinations such as Milan, Vienna, and Copenhagen.
The flights are now available for booking on the Air India website and mobile apps, as well as through authorised travel agents and other booking channels.
The Air India Group today announced that it has completed a significant milestone in the integration of its two low-cost subsidiary airlines, Air India Express and AirAsia India.
On 27 March 2023, the two low-cost airlines moved to a single, unified reservations system and website, and adopted common social media and customer support channels. This migration, which largely involved Air India Express migrating to the systems used by AirAsia India, confers significant capability and efficiency benefits for the airline and passengers.
AirAsia India to merge with Air India Express by end of 2023(Opens in a new browser tab)
In particular, passengers are now able to make and manage bookings, and check-in to AirAsia India and Air India Express domestic and international flights, on an all-new integrated website airindiaexpress.com.
This system merger comes five months after AirAsia India was fully acquired and subsidiaries under Air India, and three months after both AirAsia India and Air India Express were placed under a single CEO. In the coming months, the airlines will continue integrating other internal systems and, eventually, their air operating permits and regulatory posts.
Air India Express flight skids off runway while landing at Kochi airport(Opens in a new browser tab)
The integration of Air India Express and Air India will bring revenue, cost, and operational benefits through broader adoption of each airline’s best practices, systems, and routes, and confer greater economies of scale. The new Air India Express will focus on leisure-oriented and price-sensitive markets while improving connectivity between key domestic cities and Air India’s fast-expanding international network.
AirAsia India flies to 19 destinations across the country while Air India Express operates to 14 international destinations from 19 Indian cities.
Aruba and Guyana have become the latest destinations to join British Airways’ network, with inaugural flights arriving to a warm welcome in the destinations’ respective capital cities.
British Airways operates more routes to the Caribbean and Mexico than any other UK airline, with Aruba and Guyana bringing the total number of destinations served in the region to 17. Flight BA2157 departed London Gatwick (LGW) at 10:00 on Sunday 26 March and touched down at Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) in Oranjestad, Aruba at 17:00 local time. The brand-new route will operate twice weekly via Antigua on Thursdays and Sundays.
The following day on Monday 27 March, flight BA2159 departed London Gatwick at 11:35, landing at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) in Georgetown, Guyana at 19:50 local time. This was the first of a twice-weekly flight, operating via St Lucia on Mondays and Thursdays.
Both routes will operate on a Boeing 777-200 aircraft, with three cabins for customers to choose from: Club (business), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy). Sunday 26 March also saw British Airways’ first direct flight to Port of Spain, Trinidad, which will operate three times per week from London Gatwick. The flight was formerly via St Lucia.
Return fares are from £520 for Oranjestad, Aruba, £499 for Georgetown, Guyana and £520 for Port of Spain, Trinidad. To book, visit www.ba.com
Here are some of the most important factors that airlines consider when setting ticket prices:
To find cheap flights, there are several strategies you can use:
- Be flexible with your travel dates: By being flexible with your travel dates, you can often find better deals as prices can vary greatly depending on the day of the week, time of year, and other factors.
- Book in advance: Booking your flight well in advance can often result in better prices, as airlines will typically offer lower prices for tickets booked further in advance.
- Look for deals and discounts: Airlines will often offer special deals and discounts on flights, so it’s worth checking their websites and signing up for their newsletters to stay informed.
- Use flight search engines: Flight search engines like Skyscanner, Kayak, and Google Flights can help you find the cheapest flights available by comparing prices across multiple airlines and dates.
- Consider alternative airports: Flying into or out of smaller airports can often be cheaper than larger airports, so it’s worth considering alternative airports if they are within a reasonable distance.
Aviation
Airbus achieves in-flight autonomous guidance and control of a drone from a tanker aircraft
Airbus Defence and Space and the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Airbus UpNext, have achieved in-flight autonomous guidance and control of a drone using an A310 MRTT.
In a first step towards Autonomous Formation Flight and Autonomous Air-to-Air refueling (A4R), the technologies demonstrate a significant breakthrough for future aerial operations involving manned and unmanned assets. These cutting-edge, ‘Made in Europe’ solutions could reduce crew fatigue and the potential for human error, as well as minimize crew-training costs and provide more effective operations.
Russia seeks car and aircraft parts from India.(Opens in a new browser tab)
Over the waters of the Gulf of Cadiz, the control of the drone transitioned from a ground station to the A310 MRTT, autonomously guiding the DT-25 to the in-flight refueling position.
During almost six hours of flight test, the four successively launched receivers were sequentially controlled and commanded thanks to artificial intelligence and cooperative control algorithms, without human interaction. The different receivers were controlled and guided until a minimum distance of 150 feet (around 45 metres) from the A310 MRTT.
Auto’Mate Demonstrator technology focuses on three pillars:
- Accurate Relative Navigation to precisely ascertain the relative position, speed and attitudes between the tanker and the receiver;
- Intra-Flight Communication between platforms allows information exchange among the different assets, increasing the autonomy of the system of systems;
- Cooperative Control Algorithms to provide guidance, coordination, consensus and collision-avoidance functionalities to the tanker and the receiver/s.
These pioneering technologies, developed by a European team from Spain, Germany and France, will continue to increase the capability gap among competitors, as well as being re-used in key technological projects, such as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
A second campaign is expected towards the end of 2023, exploring the use of navigation sensors based on artificial intelligence and enhanced algorithms for autonomous formation flight. In addition, there will also be two simulated drones flying in the vicinity of the A310 MRTT to demonstrate multi-receiver autonomous operations and collision-avoidance algorithms.
Indigo, Virgin Atlantic Expand Codeshare Partnership; Add 18 New Destinations
Etihad Airways successfully completes its inaugural flight to Beijing Daxing International Airport
Air India launches non-stop flight from Amritsar, Ahmedabad to London Gatwick
Air India Group completes integration of Air India Express and AirAsia India
British Airways launches new routes to the Caribbean routes
How airlines set ticket prices and how to find cheap flights?
Airbus achieves in-flight autonomous guidance and control of a drone from a tanker aircraft
Emirates restores Dubai-Sydney-Christchurch daily service on Airbus A380
Is this Air India’s shortest narrowbody route in India?
Etihad Airways returns to East India with daily flights to Kolkata
Virgin Atlantic has a surprise for passengers who steal its salt and pepper shakers from flights
Woman’s ‘genius’ revenge hack for people reclining seats all the way on airplanes
United Airlines Blocking Seats Due To Passenger Weight
EasyJet Passengers Escorted Off Plane For Asking ‘Where They Should Put Their Luggage’
The B777’s new livery and impressive cabin of Air India pleased the customers.
Worlds Ugliest Aircraft
Boeing 747 jet clocked up just 42 hours in the sky is scrapped
‘Woman refused to move for my crying son after Ryanair double booked his seat’
Southwest Airlines’ two pilots are winning the internet after the airline received intense backlash for cancelling flights.
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