Aerospace

Who invented the first business class on an airline? Business class history

Who invented the first business-class on an airline? Business class history

Who invented the first business class?

Qantas introduced the first real business class in 1979 and was the first airline to provide a full business class experience, with separate seating from economy and first class and a different class of fare.

The airline’s website states that “it invented business class in the 1970s,” and the current in-flight safety video also makes the same claim. The website also states that in 1979, “Qantas introduced Business Class air travel, becoming the first airline in the world to do so.”

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History of Business class

Traveling internationally by plane in the early 1970s meant choosing between a luxurious first-class experience and a protracted economy flight. The business class experience that we know today, however, started to take shape as the decade went on as airlines realized there was a potentially lucrative gap between those classes.

In the late 1970s, airlines started separating full-fare and discounted economy-class passengers. A number of other airlines, including Air Canada, quickly adopted the Full Fare Facilities (FFF) service that KLM introduced in 1976 for its full-fare economy-class passengers, allowing them to sit at the front of the economy cabin directly behind first class.

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Business class, which was promoted as being superior to the economy but without the immense price of first class, which many businesses had already excluded from their travel policies, was able to achieve a better balance between comfort, convenience, and cost.

Who invented the first business class on an airline? Business history class

Courtesy: Qantas

Why business class tickets are so expensive?

Depending on the airline, business class benefits include things like priority boarding, spacious seats with extra legroom, gourmet food service, premium beverages, access to lounges, and more. This explains why it is more expensive than an economy ticket.

Which airline has the widest seats in business class?

Singapore Airlines has long been associated with extravagant luxury in the air. Furthermore, the airline never fails to dazzle. The airline’s Business Class seats on its A350 and B777 aircraft are the world’s widest at 30 inches (or 75 cm).

Is it better to sit in the front or back of the business class?

Business class seats start filling up from front to back, so your best chances of scoring an empty seat next to you are to sit in the back of the cabin.

Aerospace

Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences Expands Columbus Plant by 50,000 Sqft

Credit:Aurora Flight Sciences

Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, has launched a significant expansion of its manufacturing facility near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Mississippi.

This ambitious project will add 50,000 square feet of new space, renovate 40,000 square feet of the existing facility, and introduce advanced automation equipment, robotics, and non-destructive inspection technologies. mcas boeing enhancements will support the growing demand for Aurora’s aerospace systems business.

Since its establishment, Aurora Mississippi has specialized in the production of advanced composite components and assemblies for both military and commercial aircraft. The company first opened in 2005 at Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory in Starkville before relocating to its current site in Columbus two years later.

Initially occupying 21,000 square feet, the facility has since grown to encompass over 120,000 square feet, featuring cutting-edge manufacturing technologies such as automated fiber placement. Aurora’s latest expansion is a strategic investment aimed at increasing production capacity for composite components like boeing titanium used in executive jets and the MQ-25TM Stingray composite skins, a key project for its parent company, Boeing.

Additionally, the facility will produce components for NASA’s X-66 sustainable flight demonstrator aircraft, further diversifying its portfolio. Currently employing around 100 full-time staff in Mississippi, Aurora plans to hire more than 60 additional team members by the end of 2025.

Aurora’s expansion project underscores its commitment to Mississippi’s growing aerospace and advanced manufacturing sector. The company maintains strong partnerships with Mississippi State University (MSU) and East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), contributing to research, higher education, and workforce development in advanced manufacturing.

Additionally, Aurora actively supports local K-12 STEM education through summer camps and collaborates with high school vocational education programs. The expansion and renovation project will be carried out in phases over the next two years, with completion expected by 2026. This development marks a significant milestone in Aurora’s ongoing growth and its role in advancing aerospace manufacturing in Mississippi.