Airlines

Qantas adds New York flights with new aircraft, designer PJs & menu items

Qantas Announces New Non-Stop Direct Flights from Perth to Paris

Qantas has taken delivery of brand-new 787 Dreamliner aircraft to operate the route and has released a selection of exclusive onboard passenger products as it prepares to resume flights to New York for the first time since 2020.

The national carrier will begin offering three weekly flights from Sydney to New York on June 14; those flights will increase to four weekly in October. For the first time, the route will stop in Auckland en route to New York before continuing on a 17+ hour direct journey. The flight had previously used Los Angeles as a stopover.

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The relaunch of the New York flights brings Qantas closer to returning to 100 percent of its international network pre-COVID capacity by March 2024. For a limited time, Business Class customers on the New York route will be offered a navy sleeper suit featuring a monogram of the Qantas “Roo” and Rebecca Vallance logo, incorporating the flight numbers QF3 and QF4 and a bespoke New York heart design.

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They will also receive a custom-created Rebecca Vallance amenity kit, with a matching eyeshade instead of the Koskela amenity kit being rolled out across the international network. A small number of the collectible PJ and amenity kit sets will be available for purchase on Qantas Marketplace for $69 (plus delivery) or 12,000 Qantas Points (plus delivery).

New York inspired menu items across QF3, QF4 premium cabins

New York style spaghetti and meatballs
Classic Reuben sandwich
NY bagel with lox, cream cheese, capers and lemon
General Tso chicken with smashed cucumber salad, steamed rice and broccolini
Classic beef hot dog with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard
Seared beef fillet with creamed spinach and baked potato with sour cream and chives
Pecan pie with crème fraiche
New York style baked cheesecake with blueberry compote

The Qantas First Lounges in Sydney and Melbourne and the Auckland International Lounge will feature a New York-inspired dish of the day for the month of June, along with Manhattan Spritz and Garibaldi cocktails.

Airlines

Air India Express Aircraft Engine Part Falls Outside Delhi Airport; DGCA Orders Probe

Air India Express flight skids off runway while landing at Kochi airport

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an inquiry following reports that metal fragments were discovered at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after an Air India Express flight made an emergency landing on Monday evening.

The emergency landing was prompted by a detected engine fault, but fortunately, the landing was executed safely without any injuries to the passengers.

The situation began when crew members of the Air India Express flight reported an engine issue, leading to the emergency landing. The DGCA has confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway and has directed that the aircraft undergo a comprehensive safety inspection.

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The discovery of metal debris outside the airport has raised concerns, prompting the DGCA to probe whether these fragments are linked to the aircraft involved in the emergency landing. Authorities are particularly focused on whether the metal pieces, which were found near the airport, originated from the same Air India Express flight that experienced engine trouble.

While preliminary assessments suggest that the debris could be a broken blade from an aircraft engine, the exact source remains unconfirmed. The airline has yet to verify if the metal fragments are from their aircraft.

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The Delhi Police, working in conjunction with the DGCA, have initiated their own investigation to determine the origin of the metal pieces. A technical team is set to analyze whether the fragments are associated with the aircraft in question. As the investigation continues, a case has been filed with the airport authority to address the matter.