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Myanmar Airways International soars on seven-star safety rating

Mynmar

Established in 1993, Myanmar Airways International (MAI) has been recently awarded 7-star safety rating by AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only safety, and product rating agency.

MAI is the first and only recipient of the IATA Operational Safety Audit Program (IOSA) in Myanmar and has been able to maintain a 100 percent safety record since its inception.

The airline emphasizes safety as a pivotal part of its operations with its fleet operated and maintained by an internationally experienced team of skilled aviation personnel.

The airline currently operates scheduled service to Bangkok (BKK), Singapore (SIN), Guangzhou (CAN) and Kolkata (CCU) from its main base at Yangon International Airport (RGN) and the carrier’s fleet consist of Airbus A320 family aircraft.

It also has a seasonal service to Gaya which caters to religious pilgrim traffic. Overall, MAI has more than 5 percent of the international seat capacity in Myanmar.

As part of MAI’s ambitious growth plan, MAI resumed its expansion in 2019 and is on track to regain its former position as the largest competitor in the international market amongst Myanmar carriers.

MAI’s fleet plan includes four additional aircraft, which it hopes to put into service between Q3 and Q42019, with the aim of launching five new routes and grow international passenger traffic by more than 20 percent.

More rapid traffic growth in 2020 is likely, driven by the full year impact of the routes and aircraft added in 2H2019.

Myanmar Airways International

Through enhancement and deeper collaboration with its sister airlines, Air KBZ, MAI now offers seamless connectivity to 15 domestic destinations across Myanmar, including attractive leisure and business destination such as Mandalay (MDL), Heho (HEH) and Nay Pyi Taw (NYT).

MAI also has extensive codeshare and interline partners across the region, including SriLankan Airlines (UL), Garuda Indonesia (GA), Royal Brunei Airlines (BI) and many others – allowing passengers to connect to and from Myanmar effortlessly to regional destinations.

On other fronts, the carrier’s ground handling unit also was recently highlighted by its partners serving RGN, with All Nippon Airways (NH) and Cathay Dragon Airlines (KA) awarding Outstanding Operational Performance Award (for Southeast Asia) to MAI’s ground handling team.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was created to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world.

It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, and regularity, as well as for aviation environmental protection.

It has 8 audit parameters that pertain to safety and they are; Legislation, Organization, Licensing, Operations, Airworthiness, Accident Investigation, Air Navigation Service and Aerodromes.

If the country meets between 6 and 8 of the audits, one star is awarded to the airline. Five secures 1/2 star. However, if any of the criteria are below the average by less than 5 percent it is considered a pass.

The country of Myanmar now achieves a one-star rating for its oversight.

Myanmar Airways International has a perfect safety record in the modern era and is an IOSA – the International Air Transport Association Operation Safety Audit – audited airline.

IOSA was first introduced in 2003 to curb the disturbing trend in airline accidents that could be attributed to simple processes and maintenance programs.

Since it was introduced airlines that have completed IOSA have up to a three-fold safer safety record than airlines that do not do the audit.

Myanmar Airways International A320 PIcture: MAI

Of significant importance to Airlineratings.com is that the audit is done every two years and covers over 1060 parameters.

AirlineRatings.com now awards an airline that has completed IOSA, three stars.

AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas congratulated Myanmar Airways International (IATA code 8M) on this achievement.

“Myanmar Airways International is been a major part of the economic life of Myanmar,” said Thomas. “This is an excellent outcome and will help promote tourism to Myanmar.”

The other main safety criteria are; Is the airline on the European Union (EU) Blacklist; has it a fatality free record for the past 10 years and is the airline FAA (USA).

 

 

4K monitor replaces front window in new supersonic NASA X-plane

Window X-59 NASA supersonic
The X-59 cockpit. Image: NASA

A cracked windscreen will not be a worry for pilots a new supersonic X-plane designed to tame the sonic boom: it won’t have one.

NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSosnic Technology (QueSST) aircraft will not have a forward-facing window but a 4K monitor that does the same job and more.

NASA says the monitor will allow a pilot to see the flight path, and provide additional visual aids for airport approaches, landings and takeoffs.

It will stitch together images from two cameras outside the aircraft and combine them with terrain data from an advanced computing system.

READ:  NASA lowers the boom for supersonic travel.

Displays below the monitor, known as the eXternal Visibility System (XVS), will provide the pilot with systems and trajectory data.

Two side portals and a traditional canopy that will help the pilot see the horizon.

“The XVS is one of several innovative solutions to help ensure the X-59’s design shape reduces a sonic boom to a gentle thump heard by people on the ground.

“Though not intended to ever carry passengers, the X-59 boom-suppressing technology and community response data could help lift current bans on supersonic flight over land and enable a new generation of quiet supersonic commercial aircraft.”

Work on the plane is already underway.

Parts for the new plane’s wing recently arrived at the Palmdale California production facility of NASA partner Lockheed Martin.

The X-Plane will fly at altitudes up to 55,000 feet and speeds up to 1.4 times the speed of sound.

The wing is designed to interact with other features of the aircraft, such as its long nose, top-mounted engine, and uniquely placed canards, to control the location and strength of shockwaves.

NASA says shockwaves from the aircraft’s surfaces are the main culprit behind the sonic boom and X-59 prevents them from merging.

The X-59 is not designed to carry passengers but will conduct a series of tests by flying over communities in the US. It is scheduled for delivery in 2021 and for flight tests from 2022.

The prediction is the thump heard by people on the ground will be no louder than a car door closing.

supersonic
Lockheed Martin’s supersonic airliner concept alongside the X-59 Image: Lockheed

Lockheed Martin has signaled that it is looking at a twin-engine airliner that will carry up to 40 people at speeds of Mach 1.8 as a result of its work with NASA.

The aircraft would need newly-designed engines and the thinking is it would have a range of about 5200 nautical miles.

This would allow it to fly routes such as New York-London, Tokyo-Los Angeles, and Tokyo-Sydney.

The aircraft is still in the conceptual stage but would be a competitor to a 55-seat plane being designed by Boom Supersonic.

Humans retain upper hand in rise of airport machines

machine

The latest report on the global bid to automate airports shows that humans have yet to succumb to the rise of the machines but suggests resistance is futile.

A survey of 2000 travelers by air travel data company OAG found that many still preferred human interaction in the majority of airport functions.

The exceptions were ticketing and check-in where the preference towards machines was about two to one in favor.

However, humans won the day with baggage, security, concierge services, boarding, airport concessions and in-flight services.

OAG’s advice to airports was not to automate too much, too fast but the survey made clear winter is coming for those who still prefer people to machines.

“While these numbers are somewhat surprising, the shift to automation continues across airports,’’ the report said

“ Digging deeper into the numbers, millennials prefer automation more than the general population in every area except for security.

“Specifically, millennials are 30 percent more likely to prefer automated airport concessions and retail and in-flight services compared to travelers 50 years and older.

READ: United aims high for Apollo 11 anniversary.

“Given that preference levels for automation in several key areas, including security and baggage, were within 10 percentage points of human customer service, OAG expects positive sentiment toward automation to climb over the next few years – and ultimately become the clear preference for most travelers.”

A surprising result was almost 60 percent of those surveyed would let airports, airlines and other travel providers track their location through a device if the data was used to redeploy staff and cut down on wait times and queues.

About half of the respondents reported spending at least 45 minutes in line at the airport while just over a fifth spent at least an hour.

When asked where they spent the most time waiting, 59 percent said security followed by boarding lines (20 percent) and check-in and baggage (16 percent).

Travelers were eager for new technology such as CT scanners that allow them to leave electronics and other items in their bag to improve the security process but few wanted it fully automated.

The exception was business travelers, where the preference for automation was 23 percent higher than for leisure travelers.

There were also some “simple wins” for airports: 40 percent of passengers identified the availability of more loading zones to allow them to prepare their bags for scanning as the process that would speed up and streamline security the most. Only 29 percent said biometrics.

“When it comes to the technology travelers believe will improve and streamline their experience the most, the number one answer wasn’t biometrics, robots or any other emerging technologies,” OAG said.

“It was something much simpler: in-airport turn-by-turn GPS directions for navigating terminals and gates (54 percent),’’  the report said.

The survey also asked how travelers spent their time while waiting for a flight.

Only 7 percent said they spent all their time in restaurants, bars and retail shops, although 32 percent said their time was evenly split between the gate, shops and restaurants.

The biggest proportion — 45 percent — said they spent the time sitting, relaxing and working at the gate.

They said they would be more likely to leave the gate if they had more consistent, proactive and trustworthy flight information.

One area OAG suggested was ripe opportunities for airports and food and beverage companies were gate-side delivery and pre-ordering through mobiles.

The survey found only 6 percent had pre-ordered food or drink for pick-up through a mobile device but two thirds would consider doing it in the future.

Just 9 percent had tried gate-side delivery but 62 percent said they would be willing to give it a go.

 

 

 

 

 

Aussie parents say youngest kids should not be on planes.

parents
Out of control children are a major gripe of passengers

Out of control children are a major gripe among passengers generally but now it seems some of their parents agree they shouldn’t be on planes.

A new survey has found the majority of Aussie parents believe children under one should not be taken on flights and many believe it best those that those under five do not fly internationally.

The survey commissioned by travel insurance company InsureandGo asked 1133 Australian parents who traveled at least once in the past six months what age children should be before they can go on a domestic or international flight holiday with their family.

READ our passengers who make your flight hell survey.

Unsurprisingly,  70 percent of respondents believed it was not suitable for babies under six months to travel on domestic flights.

Six out of 10 also believed under-1s could not travel comfortably on domestic flights, dropping back to 25 percent for children aged five.

Older people were less enthusiastic about young kids on planes with 27 percent of parents aged 45-64 saying kids should be five years or older before being allowed on a domestic flight compared with 11 percent of parents under 44.

The biggest resistance to youngsters was on international flights.

More than three-quarters of those surveyed believed international flights and children under one did not mix and 45 percent thought the comfort and well-being of children under five suffered on long-haul journeys.

A not insignificant 14 percent said children should be over 12 to go on a holiday involving an international flight and this increased to 16 percent in the 45-64 age group.

There was again a generational divide with just 5 percent of parents under 45 who thought under-12s were not ready for international flying.

Advice from the company for parents who decided to fly with their children included encouraging natural sleep by bringing a favorite bedtime, reading them a story and discouraging screen time during normal sleeping hours.

The company recommended consideration of overnight flights and counteracting cabin pressure changes by encouraging kids to yawn, swallow or chew gum or sweets.

Babies could be breast or bottle fed during descent or take-off.

Parents should also reserve bassinets where possible and request the right meals, making sure they specify requirements and allergies.

End of an era: American announces last MD-80 revenue flight

MD-80 American retuires
An MD-80. Photo Bill Abbott/Wikimedia Commons

They feel like they’ve been around since Moses was a boy but by September 4, American Airlines will have retired its last 26 McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft from revenue service.

The aircraft are being replaced by more efficient modern planes such as the Boeing 737.

“The MD-80, also known as the Super 80, was the workhorse of the airline’s fleet throughout the 1980s and beyond, providing customers and team members with heartfelt memories on adventures ranging from family vacations to key business trips,” American said in a statement.

“It’s a bittersweet but well-earned retirement as American celebrates the aircraft’s history while modernizing its fleet.”

READ:World’s 10 most successful commercial jet airliners

The planes will be ferried to Roswell, New Mexico, after they operate their last revenue flights on September 3 and September 4.

The final flight, appropriately named AA80, will be from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago.

Amderican retires MD80
The list of AA MD-80 final flights

The MD-80 was designed as a stretch variant of the DC-9, developed by Douglas Aircraft in the 1960s as an adjunct to the DC-8, and first flew on October 18, 1979, as the DC-9 Super 80.

It was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in August 1980 and entered airline service three months later with Swissair.

READ Boeing releases video of first taxi test of its 777X

Initially powered by two rear-mounted  18,500-pound-thrust Pratt & Whitney JT8D-209 engines. the airliner introduced many advances in technology and 1,191 were delivered between 1980 and 1999.

It carried up to 155 passengers in a 2-3 configuration which meant half the number of middle seats compared to later jets in a 3-3 layout.

American was the first US carrier to order the MD80 and leased 20 142-seat aircraft from McDonnell Douglas in  October 1982, to replace the Boeing 727-100.

It would commit to 67 firm orders in 1984 and by 2002 its fleet peaked at more than 360 aircraft.

There were several variants using more powerful engines and extending the range of the aircraft, culminating in the MD-88 launched in 1986.

The aircraft’s appeal was reflected in a long list of global customers that included Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, Austrian Airlines, China Eastern, Aeromexico, Korean Air and Trans World Airlines.

The final DC-9 derivative, The MD95, was renamed the Boeing 717 after Boeing and McDonnell Douglas merged.

 

Airbus pays tribute to key roles of founding father

Roger Béteille during a visit to Airbus. Photo: Airbus

Roger Béteille, a key figure in the founding of Airbus and the shaping of its first aircraft, has died at age 97.

Béteille was appointed the chief engineer of the A300 program and developed a fuselage cross-section for its first aircraft, the A300B,  with a hold big enough to accommodate two LD3 freight containers side-by-side.

Along with initial production director Felix Kracht, he also drew up the workshare program that still forms the basis of Airbus’ European production system.

READ: United aims high for Apollo 11 anniversary

Born in Aveyron, France, in 921, Béteille studied at Supaero in Toulouse before joining the forerunner of Sud Aviation in 1943.

He gained his pilot’s license in 1945, becoming the company’s flight engineer in 1952 and was part of the flight test team on the Caravelle’s first flight.

In early 1968, he started work in secret on what would become the 250-seat A300B.

The plane was formally launched in 1969 — flying for the first time in 1972 — and its innovative fuselage system is still in use on the A330 today.

After the creation of Airbus Industrie, Béteille became senior vice president of engineering and pushed for the company’s headquarters to be near the final assembly line in Toulouse.

In 1977, He was instrumental in gaining the A300’s first US customer, Eastern Airlines, through a strong relationship with the company’s then leader, former Apollo 8 astronaut Frank Borman.

He was also was convinced  Airbus needed an aircraft family to convince potential customers it would survive.

“His dream truly came to fruition towards the end of his career, when in March 1984 he managed the formal launch of the A320,’’ Airbus said in a tribute.

“Roger Béteille was instrumental in developing its fly-by-wire (FBW) controls, with increased flight safety and wider fuselage, all of which were key to its huge commercial success.

“Fly-by-wire also enabled the start of cockpit commonality and cross-crew qualification for pilots across Airbus aircraft.”

 

Eurowings loses long-haul flying in restructure

eurowings

Lufthansa is axing long-haul operations at Eurowings as part of a restructure aimed at turning around the low-cost subsidiary.

The German carrier announced the change at its Capital Markets Day on Monday as part of “a comprehensive set of measures to turn around Eurowings”.

It said the loss-making carrier should be returned to profit as swiftly as possible with a clear focus on short-haul point-to-point operations and a 15 percent reduction in unit costs by 2022.

READ: Delta expands global investment strategy with investment in Korean Air

Eurowings posted an adjusted operating loss of 257 million euros in the first quarter as it faced stiff competition after last year absorbing parts of Air Berlin.

The airline’s long-haul flying will be transferred to the group’s network airlines — Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian — and the Eurowings fleet will be modernized and standardized on the A320 family.

The integration of Eurowings and Brussels Airlines has also been halted and the latter will be more closely aligned with the network airlines.

Management will also tackle Eurowings’ complex flight operations by reducing it to single air operator’s certificate in Germany.

They also vowed to improve crew productivity, improve digital sales channels and unlock ancillary revenues.

Lufthansa also announced a dividend policy that would see 20 to 40 percent of the group’s net income regularly distributed to shareholders.

“With the airlines in our Group we are excellently positioned in our home markets, which are among the strongest in the world,” Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr said in a statement on the group’s website.

“ We want to translate this market strength even more consistently into sustainable profitability and value creation.

“And it is to this end that we are presenting concrete actions today which will enhance our efficiency and generate value for our shareholders.

“Because we don’t just want to be Number One for our customers and our employees: we want to be the first choice for our shareholders, too.”

 

Sleeping pilot flew 78kms past airport

pilot sleeping
The aircraft's flight path. Image: ATSB

A sleeping pilot who flew almost 80kms past his destination had been awake for 24 hours and was acutely fatigued, an investigation has found.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the early-morning incident highlighted the need for pilots to assess their level of fatigue before and during flights.

The pilot of the Piper PA-31-350 was the only person on board the plane on a freight run between Devonport in Tasmania and King Island on November 8, 2018.

As the aircraft reached top of descent into King Island,  the pilot started to feel tired and quickly fell asleep.

Air traffic controllers tried to contact him several times before he woke and advised he was turning back to King Island.

WATCH NASA and the FAA “crash” a Fokker.

The plane had been on autopilot and had overflown the island by 78kms to the north-west.

The aircraft landed without incident but after talking with the aircraft operator the pilot then flew from King Island to Melbourne’s  Moorabbin Airport to complete his shift.

The pilot had landed in Devonport from Moorabbin after midnight and had started a three-hour rest break about 2 am but had been unable to sleep.

It was his first shift after five days of planned leave but he had not modified his normal sleep pattern prior to starting nightshift and had been awake for about 24 hours.

Investigators found the pilot’s fatigue was at a level known to affect performance and his performance would still have been affected even if he had been able to sleep during the rest period.

In addition to urging pilots to assess fatigue levels, the ATSB advised those starting night operations to modify their usual sleep routines to ensure they were adequately rested.

It also called on operators to consider the risks of allowing a pilot to continue operating directly after a fatigue-related incident without corrective management.

“Just as it is the pilot’s responsibility to use rest periods to get adequate sleep and to remove themselves from duty if they feel fatigued, it is also incumbent on operators to implement policies and create an organisational culture where flight crew can report fatigue and remove themselves from duty in a supportive environment,” ATSB executive director transport safety Nat Nagy said.

 

Why the A321XLR doesn’t need to be an economy nightmare

A321XLR economy nightmare
Image: Airbus

If Dante had written Divine Comedy in the 21st century it’s a safe bet at least one of the circles of hell would have involved modern airline economy class seating.

It’s therefore understandable that the prospect of spending up to 10 hours in a single-aisle aircraft could worry economy travelers whose budget fails to extend to roomier accommodations.

However,  the arrival of the Airbus A321XLR need not be a harbinger of economy class doom.

The aircraft is due to enter service in 2023 and routes suggested by Airbus at the Paris Air Show launch included Houston-Santiago, London-Dehli, Sydney-Tokyo, New York-Rome and Auckland-Kuala-Lumpur.

READ: Airbus launches super fuel efficient A21XLR

These are routes normally flown by widebody aircraft, not the smaller planes normally associated with packed domestic services and the ongoing fight for overhead bin space.

So how worried about this development should we be?

It’s still early days and it will be a while before airlines their seating configurations for the A321XLR.

The type of aircraft has a bearing on the seats it can accommodate — for example, A320 family aircraft are designed for seats that 18 inches wide —but it is the airline that decides how cramped the cabin will be.

We already know it’s possible for economy class on a single-aisle plane to be more comfortable than the equivalent seating on a widebody jet.

Exhibit A is US carrier JetBlue.

JetBlue’s A321 “Mint” aircraft offers everything from the airline’s Mint business suite a standard 18-inch wide economy seat with a 33-inch seat pitch.

Compare that to a nine-across widebody Boeing 787 economy seat with a width of just over 17 inches and a 31- inch seat pitch or the forbidding prospect of a 460-seat A330neo.

Passengers can also upgrade to Even More Space seats come with a seat pitch of 37-41 inches and still at 18 inches wide.

The champagne set also does OK with two flavors of business class providing the legroom and lie-flat beds to which they’ve become accustomed.

Not bad going for a small plane and an indication of what can be done.

The US carrier was one of several airlines, including Qantas and American Airlines, to put their hand up for the A321XLR after it was launched at the recent Paris Air Show.

The XLR has a range of up to 4700 nautical miles (8700kms), about 600 nautical miles further than the A321LRs JetBlue intends to use when it launches services from New York-JFK and Boston in 2021.

JetBlue’s decision to convert 13 aircraft in its existing A321neo order book to XLR’s will allow it to look at new destinations deeper into Europe.

A 30 percent lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous generations of aircraft will allow the airline to look at routes previously not feasible or cut costs on existing routes.

For all airlines, kitting out the extra-long-range planes will be a balancing act between the need to meet passengers’ fare expectations and maintain profitability with the desire to differentiate their product and maintain comfort for longer flights.

They will all be aware that how they configure the seating will have a direct bearing on how economy passengers view the aircraft.

This has already happened: the publicity blitz about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s many passenger benefits hasn’t stopped gripes about the way airlines have configured their economy class seating.

This 787 was originally designed with eight-across seating in mind but airlines — with the exception of Japan Airlines —quickly discovered they could fit in nine-across seating by putting the squeeze on seat width. A similar thing has happened with 10-across seating in B777s.

The Airbus A380 is liked by economy passengers as a more comfortable plane but that may not have been the case had airlines opted for the 11-across seating offered by Airbus in a desperate bid the save the program.

A smaller cabin does feel more claustrophobic and there is a learned bias in some markets, such as transcontinental routes in Australia, against single-aisle planes.

It will be up to airlines to convince the hoi polloi that the new long-range A320-family planes are comfortable and don’t deserve a place in a modern-day version of Inferno.

All Nippon Airways soars on inflight excellence and service

All Nippon Airways

All Nippon Airways — ANA — is one of the world’s leading airlines, can trace its heritage back to 1952 but was able to serve only domestic routes up to 1986 when the Japanese government relaxed its airline policies and allowed the airline to spread its wings across the globe.

The airline has evolved into a real industry trendsetter and was the launch airline for Boeing’s 787 and is the biggest operator of that plane, with 67 in service and 16 more on order.

The airline was also amongst the first customers for Boeing’s newest jet, the 777X, that will enter service in 2020.

ANA’s long-haul international fleet is made up of Boeing 777s, 787s and 767s, while its short-haul fleet is a mix of 737s and Airbus A320s.

Also, in the airline’s fleet are three A380 superjumbos which it uses on Hawaii services.ast forward to today and ANA spans the globe on 81 international routes, 120 domestic routes and has a fleet of 267 aircraft and has become the largest airline in Japan.

BOOK HERE WITH ANA

All Nippon

From Sydney, ANA provides a daily overnight service, arriving in Haneda Airport (Tokyo) early the following morning, providing convenient connections to its domestic & international network. ANA will launch its much-anticipated daily Perth to Narita 787 service on September 1, 2019.

All Nippon Airways has been at the forefront for years in cabin innovation.

Its Business Class seats allow passengers to spend their time as they wish, with a lie-flat design and a staggered arrangement ensuring the convenience of direct aisle access to all.

Watch a movie, catch up on work or just sleep, the Business Class product caters for all demands.

ANA’s Business Class

The airline was also one of the first to introduce Premium Economy Class which provides an increased seat pitch for extra leg room and seat width and also provides a larger touch panel monitor.

Even the airline’s Economy Class has a generous seat pitch at 86cm (34 inches) which is 5cm more than most airlines. And the generosity doesn’t end there.

All Nippon Airways has a very generous luggage allowance of 2 pieces of luggage in all classes.

Economy and Premium Economy get 2 x 23kgs while Business Class get 2 x 32kgs.

And as a bonus, the airline has A$100 add-on fares to the entire ANA domestic network, which by the way is the largest in Japan. (domestic tax may apply).

Recently the airline announced an upgrade of its in-flight offering with all business class passengers able to pre-select meals plus revamped sleepwear and amenity kits.

Previously only ANA Mileage Club members travelling in business class were able to select meals on the airline’s website prior to departure.

ANA meals pre-order

From March this year, all business class passengers can choose meals from an expanded menu up to 24 hours prior to departure.

This includes a choice of international options plus a selection of Japanese dishes.

Those heading from Japan to North America (except Honolulu), Europe, Southeast Asia and India will be able to pre-order dishes from ANA’s “The Connoisseurs” premium meal program developed in partnership with elite chefs.

There is also an upgrade in Japanese first and business class dishware to make the meals more visually stimulating.

Customers travelling in economy or premium economy now have access to expanded dining options, although this exclusive service comes at a small cost.

The range of upgraded menu options is available for 2,500 yen (about AUD30) that can be selected up to 24 hours ahead of a flight.

Upgraded amenities will see First Class passengers receive top-of-the-line feather comforters from Nishikawa Sangyo and duck down pillows, both covered in Egyptian cotton, as well as a new blanket and cardigan.

Business Class travellers now have access to high-quality feather comforters from Maruhachi Product as well as a dual-layer pillow with a 100 per cent Egyptian cotton cover. They will be complemented by newly designed cardigans and pajamas.

Both Business and First Class travellers get new amenity kits from Globe-Trotter with high-end Japanese cosmetics.

READ: All Nippon Airways offers special economy meals.

The airline is also revamping its seating on wide-body (777, 787) domestic flights and increasing the size of its premium offering.

This is most noticeable on the Boeing 787-8 which changes from 12 premium and 323 economy seats to 28 in premium and 284 in economy.

On the 777-200, the premium seat count rises from 21 to 28 while the economy seat count drops by 20 to 364.

The airline’s new premium seats will boast a 15-inch touch screen — the largest in the domestic fleet — matched by an enhanced entertainment library and expanded Wi-Fi entertainment options.

ANA’s Premium Economy

 

The new seats will be made of “advanced fabric” and include storage for personal items, a rotating table and retractable side table, privacy partitions as well as a PC adapter and USB power.

The new economy seats are designed by automotive designer Toyota Boshoku and ANA says they are designed to maximize comfort and safety. Designers considered a full range of body types and postures to find the ideal balance for the seat as well as to determine monitor positioning.

The comfortable tailored seat distributes pressure evenly throughout the body to make sitting more comfortable. In addition, the backrest frame shape has been optimized to make it perfectly fit a range of body types.

These same seats and accompanying features have already been installed in six ANA B767-300 aircraft and the airline has received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

The 11.6-inch touchscreen is the biggest yet for All Nippon Airways’  domestic economy class and the seats also feature an ergonomic beverage holder, PC power points and USB power.

There are also transparent pockets to make it easier for passengers to see what they have in them.

“These new seats represent ANA’s commitment to advancing comfort, service and hospitality on international and domestic flights alike,’’ the airline says. “The company will continue searching for ways to raise the bar in order to remain a global standard bearer and premier air travel provider.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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