Emirates, which has boosted operations by 31 per cent (total ASKMs) since the start of its financial year and announced further plans to ramp up seat capacity in its latest published northern summer schedule starting March 26, 2023.
In the past months, the airline has executed rapid growth of its network operations – reintroducing services to 5 cities; launching flights to 1 new destination (Tel Aviv), adding 251 weekly flights onto existing routes and continuing the roll-out of service enhancements in the air and on the ground.
In the coming months, established routes to Europe, Australia and Africa will be served with more Emirates flights, while in East Asia, more cities are seeing route restarts.
Upcoming A380 deployments in the Northern Summer 2023 season:
Emirates continues to scale up its A380 operations with the reintroduction of the iconic double-decker across its network: Glasgow (from 26 March), Casablanca from (15 April), Beijing (from 01 May), Shanghai (from 04 June), Nice (from 1 June), Birmingham (from 1 July), Kuala Lumpur (from 01 August), and Taipei (from 01 August).
Upcoming route enhancements by region:
Europe
Amsterdam: from 14 to 19 weekly flights starting 02 April.
Athens: Addition of a daily seasonal service to serve summer demand between 01 June to 30 September.
Bologna: from 5 flights a week to a daily service starting 01 May.
Budapest: from 5 flights a week to a daily service by 01 June.
London: start of 2nd daily service to London Stansted on 01 May. This will take Emirates’ London operations to 11 daily flights – including 6 times daily to London Heathrow and 3 times daily to Gatwick.
Venice: from 5 to 6 flights a week from 26 March, increasing to a daily service from 01 June.
Africa
Cairo: from 25 to 28 weekly flights by 29 October.
Dar es Salaam: from 5 flights a week to daily flights starting 01 May.
Entebbe: from 6 flights a week to daily flights starting 01 July.
Australia and New Zealand
Emirates’ non-stop Australia flights will return to pre-pandemic levels to Sydney from 01 May, Melbourne from 26 March, and Brisbane on 01 June.
Brisbane: An additional daily service starting 01 June will take Emirates to 14 flights per week to Brisbane.
Christchurch: restart of daily service from Dubai via Sydney from 26 March.
Melbourne: addition of 3rd daily service to Melbourne from 26 March via Singapore. This adds capacity to Melbourne and re-establishes connectivity between Singapore and Melbourne. The other 2 daily flights from Melbourne fly non-stop to Dubai.
Sydney: addition of 3rd daily non-stop service from 01 May.
East Asia
Bangkok: Addition of 5th daily service from 01 August.
Beijing: To commence daily non-stop Boeing 777-300ER service from 15 March, upgrading to an A380 effective 01 May. A second daily service will commence effective 01 September with an A380.
Hong Kong: Addition of a daily non-stop flight from 29 March. This increases Emirates’ operations to 14 weekly flights including its existing daily Dubai-Bangkok-Hong Kong service.
Kuala Lumpur: Addition of a third daily service from 01 June.
Tokyo: Resumption of services to Tokyo Haneda with daily flights on 02 April. This takes Emirates’ Japan operations to 21 daily flights including a daily A380 service to Tokyo-Narita and a daily Boeing 777 service to Osaka.
The new Riyadh Air is expected to acquire 39 and Saudia will buy a similar number and the purchases are part of a major push by the Saudis to move into tourism and trade to diversify its economy.
The potential Boeing aircraft order is valued at about $35 billion, while Airbus is also expected to be part of the order mix.
According to the WSJ, the “government has earmarked $1 trillion over the next decade to turn the kingdom into a mass-market tourism destination, after many years of self-imposed isolation. A nascent cruise sector, luxury Red Sea resorts and eco-lodges in the desert are all in the works. A second international airport in Riyadh is also being planned.”
The new airline will “leverage Saudi Arabia’s strategic geographic location between the three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, enabling Riyadh to become a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Sunday.
Airlineratings.com was developedto provide everyone in the world with a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.
Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information. The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations, as well as the airlines, own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate.
Over 360 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating. Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline
Airlineratings.com has information on over 30 types of aircraft from the latest Boeing 787 to the A380 and smaller jets.
Best of all, there are simple answers to many of the quirky questions including:
“What are all those noises after takeoff and before landing?”
“Why do you have to put the window shades up for landing and takeoff?”
AirAsia has launched a mega sale featuring, for the first time, 10 million discounted seats across Asia and beyond which are available for booking now to a myriad of destinations worldwide.
From now until March 19, 2023, all-in fares one way from Sydney and Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur are on sale from just $269*, from Sydney and Melbourne to Bangkok from $239*, from Auckland to Sydney from NZ$199*, from Perth to Bali from $169* and from Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur from $189*.
For those seeking extra comfort, Premium Flatbeds are also on sale starting from $799* from Perth to Kuala Lumpur and from NZ$559* from Auckland to Sydney.
AirAsia’s Fly-Thru connecting services to destinations from Australia are also included in this sale. Fly from Australia (Sydney/Perth/Melbourne/Gold Coast) to Phuket, New Delhi, Manila, Seoul, Kuching, Hanoi and more starting from $193* all-in fare one way.
In Malaysia, AirAsia’s main hub, domestic fares are also now on sale to many popular leisure favourites from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi, Penang, Johor Bahru and more from only RM23** one way (or under AUD/NZD10). Seats to a wide range of destinations across Asia such as Jakarta, Bali, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and many more are available from RM60** one way (under AUD/NZD25).
For globe-trotters wishing to spread their wings and fly a little further, AirAsia X has flights on sale to many popular international destinations such as from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo or Taipei from just RM329* (under AUD/NZD120).
AirAsia’s recently-resumed routes to China are also on sale from Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing (Daxing), Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Kunming from just RM599* (under AUD/NZD230) all-in fare one way, from Kota Kinabalu to Guangzhou and Shenzhen from just RM299* one way (under AUD/NZD115) and from Johor Bahru to Guangzhou from RM469* one way (under AUD/NZD200) .
The Mega Sale sale ends this Sunday, March 19, 2023 for a travel period spanning between September 4, 2023 and July 9 2024 for travel to/from Australia and New Zealand.
Book on airasia.com
*Fares on sale to/from Australia and New Zealand include airport taxes, charges and other applicable fees. Subject to availability. Other T&Cs may apply.
**Fares to selected domestic and regional destinations in Asean starting from RM23/RM60 exclude airport taxes, MAVCOM fee, fuel surcharges and other applicable fees. Subject to availability. Other T&Cs may apply.
Airlineratings.com was developedto provide everyone in the world with a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.
Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information. The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations, as well as the airlines, own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate.
Over 360 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating. Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline
Airlineratings.com has information on over 30 types of aircraft from the latest Boeing 787 to the A380 and smaller jets.
Best of all, there are simple answers to many of the quirky questions including:
“What are all those noises after takeoff and before landing?”
“Why do you have to put the window shades up for landing and takeoff?”
In the words of one relative, who lost his wife on MH370, the doco is “pointless and irresponsible.”
AirlineRatings.com Founder and Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said he was appalled by the documentary which focuses mainly on two conspiracy theories, for which there is not one shred of evidence.
Key people in the search for MH370 such as Richard Godfrey refused to take part. Mr Godfrey’s work on refining WSPR technology offers the very best chance of finding MH370. You can read about Mr Godfrey’s work here.
Airlineratings.com was developedto provide everyone in the world a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.
Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information. The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations, as well as the airlines, own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate.
Over 360 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating. Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline
Airlineratings.com has information on over 30 types of aircraft from the latest Boeing 787 to the A380 and smaller jets.
Best of all, there are simple answers to many of the quirky questions including:
“What are all those noises after takeoff and before landing?”
“Why do you have to put the window shades up for landing and takeoff?”
Geoffrey Thomas, AirlineRatings.com founder predicted the Australian airline chaos and high airfares that have plagued the country’s airline industry since travel restrictions were lifted in that country.
In a far-ranging interview with Australia’s Skynews in 2020, he urged the government to rescue Virgin Australia and also fund Qantas because many other airlines were being supported by their respective governments with tens of billions of assistance.
Qantas did get $2 billion in job keeper and other funding to keep the airline’s Australia network operating a limited schedule and help pay staff. However, for instance, in 2020 Lufthansa received over A$15 billion in capital injection or loan guarantees, which has since been repaid.
The Australian government did not rescue Virgin, which went into receivership and was acquired by Bain Capital.
Since Australia’s borders reopened early in 2022 the airline chaos has been unprecedented because the staff that was forced out due to limited government assistance have left the industry.
Here is the interview.
Airlineratings.com was developedto provide everyone in the world a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.
Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information. The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations, as well as the airlines, own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate.
Over 360 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating. Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline
Airlineratings.com has information on over 30 types of aircraft from the latest Boeing 787 to the A380 and smaller jets.
Best of all, there are simple answers to many of the quirky questions including:
“What are all those noises after takeoff and before landing?”
“Why do you have to put the window shades up for landing and takeoff?”
Netflix has been branded “irresponsible” by the spokesman for the relatives of those lost on MH370 in a gut-wrenching criticism of the streaming service MH370 documentary: MH370 The Plane That Disappeared.
K S (Naren) Narendran lost his wife on MH370 and has set up a blogdedicated to her memory and he has headlined his post, Netflix On MH370: The Truth That Disappeared.
Naren states: “Netflix’s latest documentary on MH370, MH370: The Plane That Disappeared, was a difficult watch—it wasn’t just pointless, it was plain irresponsible. If honest, they should have admitted at the outset that it is a fictional drama inspired by real-life events, featuring real people playing themselves. Viewers should be advised to not treat it as a serious documentary seeking to inform or educate the viewer. It is a slick production—and we know Netflix doesn’t stinge—about which we can say no more than that it is a lavish exercise in gaslighting.”
“Conspiracy sells, feeding on the widespread suspicion of an incomplete official narrative. It is easier to raise doubt than to establish the truth, and while it feels heroic to be the challenger, credibility suffers when alternate explanations don’t have a solid leg to stand on.”
Naren says “the choice of narrator, Jeff Wise, (who has written an MH370 conspiracy book) is intriguing to start with, but it soon becomes apparent that the series is about drama and entertainment, disguised as a documentary.
“Wise put forward his bizarre scenario of the plane being spirited away to Kazakhstan some years ago only to be ridiculed and discredited. Yet, he has a free run for nearly a whole episode to outline his plot, only to be demolished by the representative from Inmarsat, the satellite communications company.
“Florence de Changy, a journalist and author, has a fan following that adores her ‘investigation’ and research. She lays out an equally fantastic (as in fantasy) version of what she believed happened to MH370, without feeling burdened with having to name sources, reflects on the science, or to suggest how debris was disposed of after allegedly being shot down by the USA or its allies/client states. It is a sad commentary when assumptions and suppositions are elevated and treated as fact. The small print and disclaimers, if any, are mentioned in passing or are rendered inconsequential by the enormity of what is alleged,” Naren says.
He adds that “there are any number of worthies (scientists, technologists, oceanographers, etc.) who could have enriched the production but may not have served the purposes of gripping entertainment with their boring assertion of facts, data and hypotheses.”
In a closing statement, Naren says “for those who believe that the human drama of affected families shown brought home the scale of the tragedy, let me say that the conspiracies peddled in this series are an insult to the continuing trauma of the families.”
There are many errors of fact in the three-part Netflix MH370 documentary but here are British aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey’s top 10 major ones.
Mr Godfrey has been praised for his groundbreaking tracking of MH370 using WSPR technology which is expected to lead to a new search later in 2023 or early 2024.
1. Inmarsat satellite data is captured and distributed in real-time from the ground station and cannot be manipulated or fabricated in real-time in multiple databases.
2. The MH370 floating debris has been confirmed in 8 cases by part numbers, in 6 cases by stencil marks, in 4 cases by Malaysian Airlines System materials, laminates or livery and in 5 cases with conformity to Boeing 777-200ER drawings and specifications.
3. It is not possible to fly the aircraft from the Main Equipment Centre (MEC). You cannot plug into the Airplane Information Management System (AIMS) computer in the MEC and fly the aircraft remotely. AIMS uses four ARINC 629 buses to transfer information. There are 2 cabinets on each plane (left and right). The ARINC 629 bus operates as a multiple-source, multiple-sink system; each terminal can transmit data to, and receive data from, every other terminal on the data bus. This makes it impossible to connect to any part of the system and take over the entire operation of the aircraft remotely.
4. It is not possible to enter the MEC in the forward service area of the aircraft undetected by any of the crew and passengers.
5. The Satellite Data Unit that manages the connection to the Inmarsat satellite system is not housed in the MEC but in an overhead locker in the aft cabin.
6. If the aircraft had flown to Kazakhstan, then it would have been picked up by the military and civilian primary radar systems of India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and China.
7. Blaine Gibson, Johny Begue, Schalk Lückhoff, Neels Kruger, Liam Lotter, Milson Tovontsoa, Rija Ravolatra, Eodia Andriamahery, Jean Dominique, Suzy Vitry, Barry McQade, Jean Viljoen and others have found 39 items of debris, which have been confirmed or are likely to have come from MH370. That these items of debris were flown intact to Kazakhstan, then subsequently damaged to simulate a crash, then subsequently exposed to marine life for a month and finally planted in 27 locations in 7 countries for 14 different people to find, is preposterous nonsense.
8. Blaine – a lawyer – has travelled to 185 countries and speaks 6 languages fluently including Russian. This is not proof of anything suspicious. It is public knowledge that Blaine worked on various government-sponsored projects between the US and Russia from 1998 until 2005. This included the US independent verification of the Russian reform of the Atomic Industries Enterprises (including the Atomic Weapons Program), which was based in the closed Russian Nuclear Cities of Snezhinsk, Zarechny and Obninsk. Blaine was based in Washington DC and Seattle but travelled extensively to Russia. Blaine has not travelled to Russia in the last 15 years. This is not proof of anything suspicious.
9. A Tomnod satellite image of debris in the South China Sea analysed by Cyndi Hendry is not proof that the debris was from MH370. No debris from MH370 has been found in the South China Sea.
10. The Copilot’s mobile phone was detected by a tower at the BBFARLIM2 base station at Bandar Baru Air Itam on Penang Island at 17:52:27 UTC. An aircraft without an active transponder was detected simultaneously by the civilian primary terminal area radar for Penang Airport and RMAF Butterworth Airbase. We have the raw data from both the mobile phone detection and civilian radar. The radar trace shows an aircraft turning back over Malaysia which aligns with the radar trace of MH370 up until both transponders were switched off.
MH370 tracking expert Richard Godfrey has slammed the new Netflix documentary series on MH370 saying it’s “full of misinformation and disinformation.”
The series is called Netflix’s MH370: The Plane That Disappeared and is in three parts.
Mr Richard Godfrey who has refined the tracing technology WSPR said on this website that the “key message of the Netflix documentary series is there was a massive cover-up, the debris was planted and the satellite data manipulated or fabricated and the truth will never come out.”
“The Netflix documentary series is 2 hours 37 minutes 46 seconds full of misinformation and disinformation. Netflix gives conspiracy, fabrication, manipulation, speculation, fantasy and theory equal weight, but is short on hard facts and evidence. Netflix has relied entirely on speculation and fantasy from questionable sources, but they provide no definitive answers to the what, where and why of MH370,” Mr Godfrey said.
Mr Godfrey said he was “first approached by Esme Ash an Assistant Producer at RAW media on 19th November 2021 to appear in the documentary they produced for Netflix. Esme Ash wanted to set up a Zoom call with Harry Hewland the Series Producer. I had an initial Zoom call and exchanged 15 emails with Esme Ash.
“On 22nd March 2022, I wrote declining to participate in the documentary series after I realised the sensationalist and speculative nature of the planned production. They replied requesting I review my decision and requesting that I at least talk to Harry Hewland. I was told that: “The Next of Kin are a major part of our series, many of whom are backing your work.” I was further informed that: “We have already filmed with Danica Weeks, and we will be filming with Grace Nathan and Intan Othman over the next couple of weeks. We have also filmed with Peter Foley and are speaking with Ocean Infinity about filming with Oliver Plunkett after Easter.”
Mr Gibson with some of the MH370 debris
“I declined to change my decision or discuss my decision with the Series Producer Harry Hewland. I note that Oliver Plunkett and Ocean Infinity also declined to be interviewed for the Netflix documentary series,” Mr Godfrey said.
“The entire narrative is determined by Jeff Wise and Florence de Changy simply in order to sell their books for their own personal gain. In the process, Wise and Changy tread on Mark Dickinson and his colleagues at Inmarsat and falsely accuse them of manipulating or fabricating the satellite data. In the process, Wise and Changy tread on Blaine Gibson (above) and falsely accuse him of planting debris and being a Russian agent.
“For 2 minutes 44 at the end of the documentary Mark Dickinson and Blaine Gibson are allowed a right of reply supported by Mike Exner of the Independent Group and Peter Foley formerly of the ATSB.
“Mike Exnerstates: “Oh boy! I am just reluctant to talk about Florence or Jeff or these conspiracy advocates, they are just such a distraction.” … “These are people who do not understand the facts and the data.”
Mark Dickinson states: “The accusations that somehow Inmarsat fabricated or manipulated the data are simply wrong. The data is the data. I don’t understand why anyone would think that we wanted to change or manipulate any data associated with this. It is not who we are and to choose things differently I find hurtful and yeah it impacts me.”
Blaine Gibson states: “The theory that the plane was shot down in the South China Sea … basically denies all the evidence.” … “They seem to be losing objectivity and that’s sad.”
Peter Foley states: “At the risk of sounding flippant, opinions are like arseholes, everyone has got one. Um … Cut that, please. But it is true.”
This narrative is not worthy of a premier streaming service and one of the leading streaming service companies in the world. The Netflix documentary series is specious, inaccurate, malicious towards Dickinson and Gibson, hurtful to the next of kin and misleading to the general public.
Jeff Wise speculates it was the Russians: 1. The Inmarsat data was manipulated or fabricated. 2. The debris recovered in the Indian Ocean was planted. 3. All the radar systems en route to Kazakstan failed to detect MH370.
Florence de Changy speculates and fantasises it was the Americans: 1. The Malaysian military and civilian primary radar showing an air turnback over Malaysia is wrong. 2. Copilot’s mobile phone was not detected over Penang. 3. The Inmarsat data was manipulated or fabricated. 4. The debris recovered in the Indian Ocean was planted. 5. Two USAF AWACS planes jam all MH370 communications and then shoot down MH370.
The Netflix documentary series presents 3 theories: 1. Murder/Suicide by Captain Zaharie Shah. 2. Hijack by Russian Agents (Jeff Wise). 3. Intercept by USAF AWACS (Florence de Changy).
The official Malaysian investigation and report, Malaysian Airlines colleagues like Fuad Sharuji and Intan Othman, journalists like Jeff Wise, Florence de Changy, and next of kin like Ghyslain Wattrelos and Grace Nathan all exonerate Captain Zaharie Shah, so theory number one is ruled out.
Mr Godfrey refutes the other two theories thus:
“Jeff Wise then presents his Hijack theory by Russian agents to Kazakhstan. No suicide pilot flew for 6 hours before ending his life before. MH17 is not a coincidence. The Russians caused both the MH370 and MH17 events. The plane is not where it is supposed to be after an exhaustive search. There is no evidence presented to support this theory except that a hijacker in full view of other passengers entered the main equipment centre (MEC) via a door under the carpet in the forward service area. You cannot plug in to the Airplane Information Management System (AIMS) computer in the MEC and fly the aircraft remotely. AIMS uses four ARINC 629 buses to transfer information. There are 2 cabinets on each plane (left and right). The ARINC 629 bus operates as a multiple-source, multiple-sink system; each terminal can transmit data to, and receive data from, every other terminal on the data bus. This allows much more freedom in the exchange of data between units in the avionics system but makes it impossible to connect to any part of the system and take over the entire operation of the aircraft remotely. In addition, the Inmarsat Satellite Data Unit is not housed in the MEC but in an overhead locker in the aft cabin. Jeff Wise’s theory number two is ruled out because 39 items of floating debris have been by 28 different people in the southern Indian Ocean. Jeff Wise lies about the reason he was kicked out of the Independent Group (IG). It was not because he disagreed with the IG, it was because he stole all our data and published it in a book for his own financial gain.
“Florence de Changy then presents her USAF intercept and shooting down of MH370 theory. Cyndy Hendry knows MH370 is in the South China Sea because she found a picture of the aircraft debris in the Tomnod satellite imagery. Ghyslain Wattrelos agrees it is the Americans and “Mr B” told him in an underground car park that MH370 was intercepted by two USAF AWACS aircraft. The FBI has never released the full data found on the home simulator of Captain Zaharie Shah. MH370 did not turn back over Malaysia and the Malaysian military and civilian radar sources are wrong. The co-pilot’s mobile was not detected over Penang. The Inmarsat data has been fabricated or manipulated. The recovered debris is not from MH370. Florence de Changy states these are aircraft parts from a junk yard with name plates removed and ignores the fact that 8 items have been identified from MH370 with a part number, 6 with a stencil mark, 4 with Malaysian Airlines System materials, laminates and livery as well as 5 with conformity to Boeing 777-200ER drawings and specifications. Florence de Changy does not have one item of debris from MH370 found in the South China Sea. Florence de Changy’s theory number three is ruled out because we have the raw civilian radar data showing a turn back over Malaysia, we have the mobile phone records showing the Copilot’s mobile phone detection over Penang, we have the Inmarsat raw satellite data log and we have the physical evidence of the MH370 floating debris found by 28 different people on the shores of the Indian Ocean.
“All three theories are ruled out and the conclusion of the Netflix documentary is we will never know the truth.”
Mr Godfrey states that “I believe that one day the truth will come out and MH370 will be found.”
Is this the future of flight for passengers? We have had input from HawaiianIslands.com which has sought out ten intriguing proposals that aerospace engineers have submitted to the patent office and re-created their sketches as realistic digital renders.
The challenges of designing a comfortable aircraft cabin are enormous when you need to make travel as economical as possible.
The pressures on airline designers are complex and somewhat unique to their industry and even their part of the market.
As HawaiianIslands.com point out “First Class and Business airlines strive to improve the pleasure and prestige of flying to attract wealthy patrons from rival airlines. Economy airlines recognize that passengers are willing to compromise on comfort if it saves them a few bucks — the difficult bit is finding a balance that customers find acceptable.
“Meanwhile, the laws of physics are against them. Space is limited. The shape of a plane determines its efficiency. Every extra gram in the fixtures and fittings bumps up the cost of fuel — and the cost to the environment,” the website points out.
To look into the future of passenger comfort the website has sought out ten intriguing proposals that aerospace engineers have submitted to the patent office and re-created their sketches as realistic digital renders.
We have chosen five designs/concepts to bring to you.
Cockpit
Aerospace giants Airbus figured out that not only do front windows reduce fuel efficiency but that the conventional cockpit takes up valuable seating space. So they moved it.
Patent US9302780B2 proposes that the cockpit (above) could be moved to the belly of the plane or into its tail. The pilot would find themselves in a futuristic media centre surrounded by OLED displays, and projection screens. AirlineRatings.com view: No way, passengers will not buy it.
Business Class Office
British Airways hopes to meet the balance between work and sleep with this shell-like seating module of patent B64D 11/06 pictured below.
The sleek, herringbone formation of each seat unit maximizes space, giving business passengers room to stretch into the recess of the seat ahead. The seats are wide rather than deep and paired with a tail-shaped table of the same size. By adding an ‘infill’ between the seat and the table, the whole thing is convertible into a “substantially continuous sleeping surface.” AirlineRatings.com View: It’s a yes from us.
Economy VR Head Rest
From Airbus the innocent-sounding Headrest for a Passenger Seat for an Aircraft promises to immerse you in entertainment, descending in the form of a virtual reality (VR) helmet and “at least partially housing the head of the passenger,” providing blissful isolation (and viewing privacy) from fellow flyers. Airlineratings.com view: Yep we think it would work.
Food by Monorail??
Sell GMBH proposes an aircraft monorail automat that skirts up and down the aisle delivering food to passengers and freeing up flight attendants to practice their safety dance routine. The mobile restaurant unit — likened to a sushi conveyer belt but better resembling WALL-E — would occupy a narrow footprint, freeing up aisle space for people to pass and sinking below deck to travel from one row of seating to another. AirlineRatings.com View: No chance.
Economy Head Support
From Boeing, this falls into the realm of “are you dreaming.” Patent B64D II/06: The Transport Vehicle Upright Sleep Support System would be distributed by flight attendants and transforms into a seated sleeping unit that attaches to your seat. And, for safety reasons, to you.
The unit hangs in front of you for you to lay your chest on. Resting your forehead on the cushion positions your face on a massage table-style hole so that you can breathe. AirlineRatings.com view: Boeing stick to aeroplanes and forget seats.
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