Aviation

QANTAS A380 FIRST CLASS TAKES OFF AGAIN

The fourth Qantas aircraft has returned to passenger operations from the Californian desert, and Qantas will resume its full first-class service on the A380.

While the planes were in the desert, Qantas took advantage of the downtime to improve the popular A380s, adding more premium seats and upgrading the interiors. The aircraft has a refurbished economy and First cabins, as well as a reconfigured business class cabin with 70 upgraded business suites and an expanded premium economy section with 60 seats, up from 35.

The top deck lounge has been completely renovated, featuring booth seating for ten people, a self-service bar, and the ability to order unique beverages and snacks.

Frequent Flyers love the First cabin on the 485-seat A380 because of the comfy suites with completely lie-flat mattresses, premium Neil Perry multi-course meal experience, award-winning Australian wine cellar, and Martin Grant designed PJs.

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Emirates operates an A380 with three classes, offering 517 to 615 seats, and an ultra-long-range A380 with 489 seats. Qantas, on the other hand, will operate 485 seats in four classes. It has increased premium seats by 27 percent and improved customer comfort.

There are 70 business suits and first class seats on the top deck, as well as 60 premium seats.

14 upgraded first-class seats and 341 economy seats with improved services and colour schemes are available on the lower deck.

Interesting facts about Emirates Airlines Airbus A380

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

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This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

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In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.