AirlineRatings.com has captured a magnificent video of Sydney Airport at dawn on the approach to runway 18L.

SEE Striking pictures and video of BOAC 747 and Red Arrows in formation

The approach takes the aircraft over – and to the left – of the Qantas Terminal and the airline’s maintenance facilities as well as the Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Tigerair and Rex terminal.

The runway is one of the two parallel runways.

On the far side of the airport can be seen the International Terminal which is used for all international flights.

This year on 19 November, Sydney Airport celebrates its 100th year, making it one of the world’s oldest continually operating airports.

From that solitary flight piloted by pioneer aviator Nigel Love carrying just one passenger, the airport has grown to handle 44 million passengers every year.

In 1919, Nigel Love chose a bullock paddock in Mascot to launch his aviation ambitions, the location where Sydney Airport still stands 100 years later. Love piloted the first commercial flight in Sydney that same year, heralding the start of a new era in aviation.

Charles Ulm is one of Australia’s most visionary aviation trailblazers. Ulm flew the record-breaking circumnavigation of Australia in 1927 and was part of a four-man crew on the ‘Southern Cross’, the world’s first trans-Pacific flight from the United States in 1928.

Sydney Airport has renamed its two corporate buildings to honour Australian aviation pioneers Nigel Love and Charles Ulm.

Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert said the airport’s centenary was an incredible milestone.

“We’re proud to celebrate 100 years of being a part of the fabric of this city,” he said.

“Renaming our headquarters pays tribute to the significant contribution both Nigel Love and Charles Ulm played in the history of both our airport and nation. They were among the first to foresee the incredible potential of global air travel.”

The airport shared an unveiling ceremony with the families of some of the most important aviation trailblazers in history. Descendants from Nigel Love, Charles UIm, Charles Kingsford Smith, Nancy-Bird Walton, Billy Marshall and Keith “Bill” Bradfield, all gathered together for the first time to honour their family legacies.

British Airways and Lufthansa abruptly suspended all flights to Cairo on Saturday over security concerns, with BA telling passengers at a departure gate that their flight was canceled.

The UK airline, which suspended flights for a week, did not detail the security concerns and said it was its policy not to do so.

“We constantly review our security arrangements at all our airports around the world, and have suspended flights to Cairo for seven days as a precaution to allow for further assessment,” it said in a statement.

READ: Striking pictures of British Airways’ BOAC 747 and the Red Arrows

Lufthansa said it had temporarily suspended its flights for a day as a precaution because safety “is the number one priority of Lufthansa”.

In an updated advisory, the UK government’s travel advice site noted the British Airways decision and referred passengers to the airline.

It site said an estimated 415,000 British nationals visited Egypt in 2018 and most visits were trouble-free.

But it noted there was a heightened risk of terrorism against aviation and additional security measures were in place for flights departing Egypt for the UK.

“Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Egypt,” it said.

“Although most attacks occur in North Sinai, there is a risk of terrorist attacks across the country.

“Attacks could be indiscriminate, affecting Egyptian security forces, religious sites, large public gatherings and places visited by foreigners.”

A Recently updated US travel advisory also urged its citizens to consider the risks of travel to Egypt “due to threats from terrorist and violently political opposition groups”.

“Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of Egypt, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR),” it said.

The UK is advising against all but essential travel to a number of areas.

They include travel:

• by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh.
• to the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, excluding the coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh (as shown on the map).
• to the Governorate of South Sinai, except the area within the Sharm el Sheikh perimeter barrier, which includes the airport and the areas of Sharm el Maya, Hadaba, Naama Bay, Sharks Bay and Nabq.

American Airlines and Qantas say they will be able to jointly offer more products and lower fares after getting the final nod from the US Department of Transportation to more closely link their operations.

The joint venture on flights between the United States, Australia and New Zealand has been a long-standing objective of the partners but suffered a setback when it was initially rejected by the DoT.

The change in administration with the election of US President Donald Trump prompted the partners to renew their application, this time successfully.

READ: Why American Airlines needs to fix its customer service

In a tentative determination delivered in June, the DoT found that substantial public benefits “are likely to result from the proposed immunized cooperation and that the benefits can only be achieved with a grant of antitrust immunity”.

It said the benefits were likely to include additional seat capacity and the retention and expansion of current flights and codeshares, schedule optimization, the elimination of mark-ups and technological investments that would increase seat availability.

The department proposed that American and Qantas report annually on the progress of their commercial cooperation and provide a detailed assessment after seven years.

Qantas said Saturday the final approval meant the two airlines could now coordinate as part of a joint business to deliver new routes, more destinations, reduced travel time, lower fares, and additional benefits for frequent flyers.

“The joint business will allow Qantas and American Airlines to further deepen our longstanding partnership with the first order of business for Qantas to introduce two new routes from Brisbane to Chicago and San Francisco,” the Australian airline said in a statement.

“Announced in Brisbane last month, these two new routes, which will be operated by Qantas’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, are expected to launch by the end of April 2020 and will add more than 170,000 seats across the Pacific each year.

“The schedule for Qantas’ Brisbane-Chicago and Brisbane-San Francisco flights is being finalized, with fares available for sale soon.

“Qantas and American Airlines will also add codeshare services to more of each other’s existing international flights between Australia and the United States with customers able to purchase these codeshare flights in coming days.”

American chief executive Doug Parker said the US carrier looked forward to working closely with Qantas.

“We now have the opportunity to launch new routes and provide enhanced service with better schedules, additional frequent flyer benefits and continued investments in the overall customer experience,” he said.

The airlines have long been codeshare partners and are members of the oneworld global alliance but the new partnership will allow a new level of commercial integration not possible through any other form of cooperation.

As well as new flights and destinations, this is expected to include better access to seats on each other’s network, optimized schedules on trans-Pacific service, more connections and reduced total travel time.

Frequent flyers would also benefit through higher earn rates for points on each other’s networks, increased redemption opportunities and improved reciprocal end-to-end recognition of our top-tier frequent flyers.

Co-location at airports, investments in lounges, baggage systems and other infrastructure are also on the cards.

Getting Shanghaied has taken on a new meaning with the opening of Cathay Pacific’s swish newly renovated lounge at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Located near gate 69 in Pudong’s Terminal 2, the 970 square- metre lounge continues the look and feel designed by London-based Studiolise and epitomized by the carrier’s widely-acclaimed The Pier in Hong Kong.

It’s a styling that can be seen in many of Cathay’s newest lounges around the world.

The latest addition, according to Cathay, has been designed to reflect the comfort and familiarity of a contemporary apartment.

READ: Cathay sees mixed fortunes in June.

Cherry wood combines with limestone tiling, high-quality leather as well as bronze and brass to create the atmosphere.

“This relaxed theme is reflected in the choice of material, furniture, lighting, artwork, music and food, all of which have been carefully curated to emulate the idea of a real, modern home,’’ the airline says.

The main lounge features big windows with designer furniture and lighting Cathay says has been carefully selected for their practicality and comfort.

It includes a generous sprinkling of side tables with in-built lamps and power sockets.

The Food Hall contains a full self-serve food and beverage offerings, including freshly made food and drinks at the Servery counter,

A self-service bar allows passengers to mix their favorite cocktails.

No Cathay lounge is complete without the signature noodle bar, in this case featuring Hong Kong-style furniture with a stylish wood-slat ceiling and wooden ceiling fans.

It serves reshly made popular dishes from Hong Kong, Shanghai and around the region, including classic Cantonese Wonton Noodles, and Sichuan-style Dan Dan Noodles.

A variety of freshly handmade dim sum is also served daily, including a Shanghainese favorite, Xiao Long Bao dumplings.

Those wanting panoramic of the airport can take advantage of an open-ceiling verandah on The Terrace.

Bespoke Solo Chairs, each equipped with a built-in reading lamp and an
individual side table, are available for those looking for a quiet space to catch up on their work.

And so there’s no mistaking whose lounge this is,  guests are greeted by the signature Cathay scent blending lavender, bamboo, green tea and jasmine.

“In using our brand scent, the arrival at a Cathay Pacific lounge is
instantly recognizable and the passenger can relax in a familiar feeling of a comfortable home,” the airline says.