Airlines
Qatar Airways To Eliminate First Class In Future
According to its CEO, Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways intends to eliminate some of its most opulent cabin seats in the future. According to Al Baker, the airline would not offer first-class seating on its long-haul next-generation aircraft due to a lack of revenue support for such an investment. He continued by saying why should you invest in a subclass of an airplane that already gives you all the amenities that first class gives you…I don’t see the necessity.
He thinks that business class, where Qatar Airways delivers its highly regarded Qsuite offering, holds the key to the future. Due to this, the airline’s new Boeing 777X aircraft won’t feature first-class seating. Once the airline retires ten Airbus A380 aircraft, each of which still has eight first-class seats, these aircraft will be the biggest ones it operates.
Qatar Airways plans to start airline in India, says Al Baker(Opens in a new browser tab)
The elimination of first-class service on long-distance flights has strategic risks. This decision opposes Qatar’s distinguished five-star reputation as well as an industry trend in which airlines such as Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Qantas Airways Ltd, and Air France are strengthening their premium offers.
Al Baker, on the other hand, stated before the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual meeting that his company’s aircraft delivery operations are falling short by about 15 planes from their target of 25 expected deliveries this year due to problems with Boeing 787 and Airbus A321neo and A350 planes.
Airlines
First Look: IndiGo Takes Delivery of A321neo with New Business Class
India’s largest domestic airline, IndiGo (6E), celebrated its 18th anniversary in August 2024 by announcing a major upgrade: a new Business Class product called “IndiGo Stretch.”
Now, the airline has officially taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft fitted with these premium seats. Registered as VT-ICF, this first A321neo with the new configuration took off from Hamburg (XFW) at 6:06 PM local time, operating flight 6E9001.
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The launch route for IndiGo’s A321neo with IndiGo Stretch seats will be from Delhi to Mumbai, starting November 14, 2024. After this initial route, the airline plans to expand the offering across its network.
Airbus completed the final assembly of this special aircraft in Hamburg, where the A321neo Final Assembly Line is located. Enthusiastic planespotters got a sneak peek of the new IndiGo Stretch interior before the aircraft’s official delivery to India.
Tobias Gudat, a planespotter on X.com, captured images of the aircraft, still marked with its test registration, showcasing its fresh Business Class interior.
Adding a distinctive touch, each IndiGo aircraft featuring the Stretch product will have the slogan “IndiGo Means Business” displayed on the fuselage, signaling a new era of premium travel for the airline.
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IndiGo took delivery of the A321neo with the Stretch seats on October 30, 2024, coinciding with Airbus’s delivery of the world’s first A321XLR to Iberia.
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