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Emirates brings forward final A380 delivery to November

Emirates

Emirates will receive its last A380 in November, bringing forward from June 2022 the historic final delivery of the Airbus superjumbo.

The final delivery will mark the end of an era at manufacturer Airbus and will be one of three delivered to the Dubai-based carrier this year.

All three A380s come with the airline’s new premium economy cabin and their delivery will bring Emirates’ total fleet of A380s in November to 118, including six four-cabin aircraft.

The Emirates A380 bar is a mecca for premium passengers. Photo: Emirates.

Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said the airline had come to an agreement with  Airbus to bring forward the delivery of the three aircraft and had secured financing for the planes.

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READ: Emirates boosts services as COVID restrictions ease

He said the airline would fully launch the “highly sought-after” premium economy cabin in the coming months.

“Emirates will continue to be the largest operator of this spacious and modern aircraft for the next two decades, and we’re committed to ensuring that the Emirates A380 experience remains a customer favorite with ongoing investments to enhance our product and services,’’ he said.

A380
The premium economy offering. Photo: Emirates.

The A380 is popular with travelers but has been ditched by some operators in favor of smaller twin-engine planes such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350.

However, airlines such as Emirates and Qantas still see a place for the big planes on high-density routes and at slot-constrained airports.

Qantas announced last week that the A380s would return to its international services ahead of schedule with five planes due to be back flying to London and Los Angeles from mid-2022.

READ: A380s to make early return as Qantas reconnects to the world.

Both have positioned the superjumbos as flagship products with Emirates including private suites shower spas in first class, a popular onboard bar and lounge and comfortable fully flat seats in business class.

By October, the Dubai-based airline expects to have reinstated its A380 operations on over a dozen popular routes between Dubai and: Amman, Cairo, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mauritius, Moscow, Munich, New York JFK, Paris, Toronto, Vienna, Washington DC, and Zurich.

Emirates’ four-class A380s are currently operating on its London Heathrow and Paris Charles De Gaulle routes.

A380
Emirates First Class Suite. Photo: Emirates

The airline says the comfortable cream leather-covered Emirates Premium Economy seats with generous legroom, are currently offered as spot upgrades for valued customers on a discretionary basis.

 

 

 

 

American idiots shoot 6800 planes with lasers

laser
The FAA has been running a "Lose the Laser" campaign. Image: FAA.

Shooting at an aircraft with a laser is a dangerous pastime but that didn’t stop more than 6800 Americans targeting flights in 2020.

The 6,852 reported laser strikes reported across the US last year produced the highest annual total since 2016 and came as the number of flights was reduced due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The increase has the US Federal Aviation Administration worried and it’s working to find out why reports of the perilous practice have more than quadrupled since 2009.

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Laser strikes are dangerous because they can blind a crew and potentially lead to a crash.

Those who shine lasers at a plane in the US face fines of up to $US11,000 per violation and up to $US30,800 for multiple incidents. There can also be criminal penalties imposed by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

Authorities follow up reports and the FAA issued $US600,00 in fines since 2016.

As FAA administrator Steve Dickson put it: “Pointing a laser at an aircraft can temporarily blind a pilot and not only affects the crew but endangers passengers and the communities they fly over every night.”

In an effort to understand the growth in incidents, the FAA has built a visualization tool identifying trends between 2010 and 2020.

This includes geographic and per capita data as well as the time of day and the year.

Not surprisingly, the most populous state, California, has the biggest number of laser events — 11,198 between 2010 and 2020 — followed by Texas, Florida and Arizona.

On a per-capita basis, however, Hawaii and the District of Columbia are the biggest miscreants, followed by Nevada, Puerto Rico and Arizona.

The states least likely to shoot a laser at a plane are Wisconsin, Vermont and Massachusetts.

The likelihood of a plane being struck also builds during the week, with Saturday the busiest day, and is elevated in the autumn and winter months.

Governments warned on international traffic as Asia-Pacific lags the world

Singapore Airlines
A Singapore Airlines A380 at Sydney airport in happier times. Photo: Steve Creedy

The recovery of international passenger traffic in the Asia-Pacific continues to seriously lag the rest of the world amid warnings governments are basing decisions on political expediency rather than science.

International passenger traffic in the region remained 94.2 percent below July 2019 levels after barely improving on the 94.7 percent drop in June.

Airlines in the region on average filled just over a third of their international seats  — the lowest of any region —  even though capacity was down 86 percent compared to the same month in 2019.

READ: EU travel downgrade deals a blow to trans-Atlantic recovery.

The International Air Transport Association says the low figures are the result of the Asia-Pacific, once an international air travel powerhouse, having the strictest border control measures of any region.

The result compared to a July global figure that was 73.6 percent below 2019, although this was an improvement on June’s figure of an 80.9 percent decline versus two years ago.

Falls in other regions ranged from 62.1 percent in North America and 64.2 percent in Europe to 74.5 percent in the Middle East.

IATA director-general Willie Walsh said it was clear too many governments had missed the opportunity to apply a risk-based approach to managing their borders.

“The growing number of fully vaccinated travelers and the prevalence of testing provided the chance to restore international connectivity and bring much-needed relief to economies that are heavily reliant on travel and tourism,’’ Walsh said.

“Instead, governments continued to behave as if it was the summer of 2020. Economies and the labor force will pay the price for decisions that were made not based on science, but on political expediency.

“Governments have rightly urged their populations to be vaccinated; now governments need to have confidence in the benefits of vaccinations—including the freedom to travel,”

A stronger domestic recovery, helped by China, meant the Asia-Pacific’s overall passenger traffic — combined international and domestic —  was down 62.7 percent compared to 2019.

This was still a bigger deficit than the global decline in overall domestic passenger traffic compared of 53.1 percent compared to 2019. Only the Middle East registered a bigger fall.

Asia-Pacific
Source: IATA

Global domestic passenger traffic was back to 85 percent of pre-crisis levels with domestic Chinese numbers within striking distance of 2019 figures.

Domestic lockdowns saw Australia sink further with domestic traffic in July 75.4 percent below the equivalent 2019 level, a deterioration of the 54.1 percent decline in June.

Reduced Regional Express losses clouded by uncertain times

Regional
A REX SAAB 340. Photo: Rex

The continued turbulence Regional Express is experiencing in the first half of fiscal 2022 could dog the entire financial year, chairman Lim Kim Hai has warned.

Lim struck the cautionary note as he released the airline’s 2021 annual results Tuesday, noting the airline had never been ravaged as badly as the fall in global passenger numbers stood at more than triple that experienced in the Global Financial Crisis.

“The first half of the FY22 will continue to be dominated by rolling lockdowns and border closures,’’ he said.

READ: QantasLink runway overrun has lessons for pilots

“It is possible that the second half will be struck by further waves of infection given the experience of other highly-vaccinated countries. As such the outlook for the year is highly uncertain.”

Regional Express, which had already flagged its losses to the market, reported a net loss of $A4.86m, compared to a loss of A$19.4m in 2020.

The company’s $A18.4m underlying operating loss before tax, was also an improvement on the 2020 loss of $27.4m.

Passenger numbers fell 29 percent as revenue dropped 20 percent to $252.6m.

“In these circumstances, Rex has performed relatively well in a full year of operations under the pandemic,’’ Lim said.

“I am pleased that we have even managed to improve on our performance over the prior year which was only affected by COVID for a third of the year.”

Lim pointed to the role the Australian government played in supporting the industry, speculating that all passenger airlines in Australia would be in administration without the help.

Rex received $87.4 million in government assistance and Lim said the continued support would ensure that airlines would have their infrastructure intact “ready for the recovery when it comes”.

The airline expanded into the mainline domestic market during the pandemic with Boeing 737 flights between major markets.

It has since grounded its six leased jets and told The Sydney Morning Herald reported it had delayed deliveries of four more until the domestic market stabilized.

QantasLink runway overrun has lessons for pilots

runway
The 717 at Newman Airport. Photo: ATSB/Network Aviation.

Pilots have received new guidelines on landing in wet conditions after a Fokker 100 aquaplaned and ran past the end of a runway in Western Australia’s Pilbara region last year.

The jet operated by Qantas subsidiary Network Aviation landed in wet weather at Newman Airport and ended up stopping 70 metres beyond the runway threshold but inside the runway end safety area.

None of the five crew and 88 passengers were injured in the January 9, 2020 incident but there was damage to tyres and some landing gear components.

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An Australian Transport Safety Bureau report found that a higher-than-normal approach speed made necessary by prevailing winds combined with poor braking effectiveness on the wet runway to cause the overrun.

It also found an examination of the runway prior to the overrun had found it required maintenance to ensure an adequate level of surface friction but this had not been done.

At one stage the aircraft aquaplaned – sliding on a thin film of water between the runway and the tyres — hampering its ability to brake and forcing the crew to adopt procedures to maintain control.

The pilots were aware the inclement weather could cause problems after receiving a weather report indicating heavy rain, moderate to severe turbulence below 5000 ft and a 25-knot crosswind.

There had been 88mm of rainfall since 9 am the previous day but the ATSB found they had not discussed the wet runway’s potential impact on stopping distance.

Instead, they focussed on cloud base and the visibility needed to conduct the approach as well as the expectation of wind shear, turbulence and a strong crosswind.

The followed guidance for expected turbulence, including a faster than normal approach speed, and touched down with an airspeed of 154knots.

“The aircraft did not slow after crossing the runway threshold, or during the flare, and a higher ground speed than airspeed was recorded, indicating a possible unforecast tailwind component,” ATSB director transport safety Stuart MacLeod said.

The ATSB said recorded flight data was consistent with aquaplaning and the captain, sensing this was happening, applied a technique to maintain directional control.

This involved reducing manual braking with the intent of regaining traction, stowing the thrust reversers to increase directional stability and then applying maximum reverse thrust.

“Given the magnitude of this overrun it is highly likely that had the landing speed been reduced, or the braking effectiveness had been normal, or there had been less crosswind, the overrun would not have occurred,”  Macleod said.

The ATSB found at the time of the incident neither the operator nor the Civil Aviation Safety Authority had guidance to allow flight crews to determine if the runway was contaminated.

Moderate and heavy rain were not identified as possible runway contaminants, Macleod said.

Network subsequently circulated additional guidance and procedures to flight crew for identifying runway water contamination and to ensure appropriate speed control on approach and landing.

CASA also published guidance reflecting research on ungrooved runways by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

“Water on an ungrooved runway can significantly reduce the ability of an aircraft to slow down,’’ MacLeod noted.

“Operators and pilots are encouraged to review the latest guidance and tools available in relation to maintaining safety on runways and the factors that cause runway overruns.”

EU travel downgrade deals a blow to trans-Atlantic recovery

trans-Atlantic
Photo: Giorgio Montersino/Wikimedia Commons

The shifting sands of COVID travel restrictions dealt the budding trans-Atlantic travel recovery a blow this week after the European Union removed the US from its safe countries list.

Passengers from the US and Israel join those from Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia as they face greater restrictions on travel to the EU after they were removed from the list on August 30.

The EU recommended the gradual lifting of travel restrictions such as quarantine for a number of countries in June in response to ongoing vaccination campaigns but warned at the time it would be subject to review.

READ: British Airways reopens exclusive Concorde lounges in London and New York

The latest decision, in response to rising cases of the delta variant of COVID, advised members to restrict non-essential travel to the affected countries.

While it is not legally binding on the bloc’s 27 member states, some countries, such as Germany, had already been tightening restrictions.

The EU requires countries to have less than 75 new COVID cases daily per 100,000 people over the previous 14 days.

The US broke through that threshold as COVID cases soared and hospitalizations topped 100,000 a day. Deaths are now seven times higher than they were in July. according to USA Today.

But there are still countries where the EU remains comfortable, at least at  August 30, in recommending that members gradually lift border restrictions on travel.

They include Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea and, subject to reciprocity, China.

The US Centers for Disease Control has also been updating its travel recommendations and has warned Americans in the past two months to avoid travel to a range of countries that includes France, Israel, Greece, Portugal, Spain and the UK.

Airlines had entered summer optimistic about the trans-Atlantic market but that enthusiasm dimmed when the traffic remained effectively one-way: US citizens could travel to Europe but EU and UK passport holders still faced restrictions on US entry.

One upshot of the rise of the delta variant is that airlines worldwide had already cut back their planned seat capacity by 100 million seats since the first week of August, according to scheduling experts OAG.

This was before the EU decision and OAG’s John Grant expects more cuts among US carriers as the summer season draws to a close and they adjust to the EU decision.

“Should the UK Government follow the EU and restrict US nationals visiting, then the airlines recently launched JFK–LHR operation will face a challenging winter,’’ he said.

“The US airlines may have had a reasonably strong domestic summer season, but the international restrictions will start to bite in the next few months, especially with corporate demand remaining soft.”

British Airways reopens exclusive Concorde lounges in London and New York

British Airways
New cocktails drinkies in the reopened Concorde Room. Photos: British AIrways.

British Airways’ exclusive Concorde Room is back in action at London Heathrow and New York’s JFK as the UK carrier enters the next phase of its lounge reopening plan.

First-class travelers will find the lounges, which reopened September 1 after being closed since March last year, sporting new bespoke cocktail menus as well as the “Forty Winks” sleep pods introduced earlier this year.

The reopening comes after BA relaunched its flagship US lounge at JFK’s Terminal 7 in August following a 16-month closure and it continues to gradually reinstate lounges across its network.

READ: Virgin offers a million frequent flyer points in COVID jab jamboree.

Seven new cocktails created by globally-renowned mixologist Mr Lyan will include two unique British Airways mixtures celebrating the airline’s heritage and staff.

The two special cocktails are named the Barton and the Lawford after Lynne Barton, the first female British Airways pilot, and Bill Lawford, the first-ever British Airways pilot in 1919.

BA says the menu has been designed “with a focus on the best of British seasonal ingredients that specifically embrace ‘in-flight’ and wind-pollinated flavors.”

Customers in the Concorde Room will continue to receive table service across the whole lounge and take advantage of the “EnergyPod”  sleeping pods.

Power naps for the powerful. Photo: British Airways.

The Energypod is designed specifically for power napping and features a combination gravity-neutral position with a privacy visor.

Customers can set the timer on the EnergyPod to the desired duration or use a one-touch start button to launch a pre-programmed 20-minute nap.

The EnergyPod reclines to elevate the feet and promote relaxation. The adjustable privacy visor can be swiveled into place to block out distractions.

Complimentary audio content for use while in the lounge and traveling can be downloaded via an app.

Concorde Room customers will be able to book an EnergyPod via dedicated hosts, request a time they would like to be woken and choose a hot beverage to enjoy after their rest. Water and hot towels will be provided to add to the refreshing awakening experience.

“As we start to gradually welcome back customers, we want to ensure that they have the best experience possible with British Airways,’’ said British Airways brand and customer experience director Tom Stevens.

“We are looking at every element of the customer experience, from sleep pods and signatures cocktails in our newly reopened lounges to roast dinners onboard and additional benefits for our cardholders – we want flying with British Airways to be memorable.

“Our teams will continue to innovate, and we look forward to sharing more exciting developments with our customers over the coming months.”

Another perk will see BA  surprising a number of its Bronze Executive cardholders on a daily basis in September and October with the taste of Silver Card benefits and access to the Heathrow lounge.

Virgin offers a million frequent flyer points in COVID jab jamboree

Virgin
Photo: Virgin Australia

Australia’s major airlines are vying to convince passengers to get COVID jabs with a smorgasbord of incentives that now allows one to become a Virgin Australia frequent flyer millionaire.

Virgin on Wednesday unveiled hundreds of prizes such as business class flights and lounge memberships as part of a “VA-X & Win” competition with a total prize pool of more than $150,000.

Topping the competition is a grand prize of a million frequent points.

READ: Virgin Australia adds nine 737-800s for growth.

The move comes after Qantas earlier this month announced rewards for fully vaccinated frequent flyers that allowed them to choose 1000 frequent flyer points, 15 status credits towards a higher frequent flyer tier of a $A20 discount on Qantas or Jetstar.

Members who claim a Qantas reward are then automatically entered into a draw for 10 mega-prizes that include year’s flying across the group’s network, free accommodation at Accor hotels and free fuel from BP.

Virgin’s competition gives fully vaccinated Australians until December 31 to enter through a simple process on virginaustralia.com/vaxandwin.

Virgin Australia Group CEO and Managing Director, Jayne Hrdlicka described vaccination as Australia’s ticket to freedom.

“We know how important it is to reach the vaccination thresholds as soon as possible, especially for those people living in New South Wales and Victoria, and we’re proud to play our part in adding to the benefits of getting vaccinated,’’ she said.

“We all have a role to play in ensuring our country is safe and we can return to our basic freedoms and all the jobs and prosperity that come with that.

“For 21 years, we have used our voice for good in the community and this is just another element of our service,” she said.

The airline is backing the competition with a new marketing campaign it says pokes a bit of fun of the current COVID constraints.

It focuses on two passengers who miss flying and unsuccessfully try to re-create the experience in their home using a makeshift airport travelator and a “business class” reclining chair.

Virgin
A scene from the Virgin campaign. Photo: Virgin Australia

A video will be released on social media before being aired on the Seven Network during the broadcast of the AFL grand final on September 25.

Australian carriers have yet to reveal whether they will require passengers to be vaccinated on domestic flights but both Qantas and Virgin have made jabs mandatory for staff.

READ: Virgin Australia will require staff to be vaccinated.

Virgin is also dangling a carrot in front of employees who get the jab before November 15 with incentives that include a holiday to Hamilton Island, additional annual leave, business class flights and lounge memberships.

It said a staff survey found that more than 75 percent of the frontline workers had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with another 9 percent registered for vaccination.

Australia’s east coast has been devastated by lockdowns prompted by the arrival of the infectious Delta variant and governments have been urging as many people as possible to get vaccinated.

Fear of the disease and promises that locked down areas will begin progressively opening up as the country reaches fully-vaccinated thresholds of 70 and 80 percent of the eligible population have seen a surge in inoculations.

Airbus grabs UK’s Jet2.com with order for 36 A321neos

Airbus
Image: AIrbus.

UK-based Boeing operator Jet2.com has defected to Airbus with an initial order of 36 A321neos and the flexibility to extend the order to 60 aircraft.

The airline, which currently operates 82 Boeing 737 and 757 aircraft, said the order underscored a fleet renewal plan would help it meet the future anticipated growth of its leisure travel business.

Headquartered in Leeds, the low-cost leisure airline offers scheduled and charter flights from the UK and is the nation’s third-biggest airline behind easyJet and British Airways.

READ: AirAsia staff 100 percent vaccinated and ready to fly.

It rebranded in 2020 from the Dart Group moniker it had used since the early sixties with the stated aim of being the UK’s “leading leisure travel business”.

Jet2.com has yet to make an engine selection but said it would be flying with a 232-seat configuration featuring the Airspace cabin. The cabin features new lighting and seating products as well as 60 percent bigger overshared bins for added storage.

“This aircraft is, in our opinion,  the most efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft in its class today – it will give our holiday customers a wonderfully comfortable and enjoyable experience as they travel with us for their well-deserved Jet2holiday,’’ Jet2.com executive chairman Philip Meeson said.

Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer said the UK operator had arrived at its decision after testing leased A321s and running a comprehensive evaluation.

“Jet2.com is forward-looking and investing in modern and future-proof Airbus fly-by-wire technology,’’ he said.

“This is a testimony to Jet2.com’s vision of efficiency, quality, performance and environmentally friendly flying.”

the A320neo Family incorporates the technologies such as new generation engines and Sharklets to deliver a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption per seat.

Airbus said the A321neo’s additional range of up to 500 nautical miles (900 km). or two tonnes of extra payload, would deliver Jet2.com additional revenue potential.

At the end of July 2021, the A320neo Family had won over 7,400 firm orders from over 120 customers worldwide to 60 aircraft.

AirAsia staff 100 percent vaccinated and ready to fly

AirAsia

AirAsia Group is ready to fly with its operating crew and frontline staff 100 percent vaccinated.

And that is just part of the story with the airline group having a host of contactless safety and hygiene measures in place to ensure the highest standards are maintained ahead of a resumption of air travel.

Group CEO Tony Fernandes said “we are ready to fly and as part of our strict safety policy we are mandating that all of our operating crew and frontline staff serving guests, including pilots, cabin crew, and airport staff are fully vaccinated to return to work.

READ: Qatar Airways Privilege Club offers great deals

“We’ve always been about the people and it doesn’t just stop with our own Allstars (employees). With stringent health and hygiene protocols and robust standard operating procedures, guests can be assured of a 360-degree peace of mind when traveling with us again.

“The acceleration of vaccines in all of our key markets is setting us up for a strong return to the skies. More than 50 percent of the adult population in Malaysia is now fully vaccinated, and Malaysia is tracking to have at least 80 percent of its population vaccinated by the end of 2021. We are also seeing promising progress in Singapore, Korea, and the Philippines.

Airasia

“More than 50 countries in the world have begun to welcome vaccinated travelers again. As ASEAN accelerates the vaccination effort, we are hopeful that countries will soon ease travel restrictions for vaccinated travelers for both domestic and international travel and will resume plans for travel bubbles.

“Thanks to vaccines being aggressively rolled out in all of our key markets, better testing and education, the end is in sight and I’m hopeful we will be able to return to the skies in the near future. Importantly, we are fully prepared and ready for take-off,” Mr. Fernandes said.

The AirAsia Group was one of the first airlines worldwide to achieve the top 7/7 rating for being Covid-19 ready by Airlineratings.com.

All of the airlines in the Group are IOSA accredited which is the global benchmark for upholding the highest safety standards says the AirAsia Group.

AirAsia says it has used downtime in flying to implement robust procedures and innovations to make flying even safer and more hygienic than ever.

A new check-in feature enables guests to verify any required medical documents in real-time online before heading to the airport and the airline Group is in the process of rolling out biometric facial recognition technology at key ports commencing with klia2 in the near future.

AirAsia will soon have its check-in system integrated with the Malaysian government’s MySejahtera digital health app to enable a seamless and hassle-free check-in procedure.

“With all the uncertainties Covid-19 has provided, one thing I am sure of is that we will return to the skies soon with a more robust and viable business model which isn’t solely reliant on airfares alone as our digital transformation to become the ASEAN super app of choice is now fast becoming a reality,” added Tan Sri Tony.

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