Qatar Airways A380 At Farnborough

Qatar Airways plans to steal the limelight at this year's Farnborough International Airshow with a lavish four aircraft display.

In addition to its newly-delivered A380, the Doha-based carrier will at the July event be showing off its forthcoming A350, its newish B787 and one of its long-standing A320s, according to flightglobal.com.

The A380, of which Qatar has 13 on order, marks its return to the first class market. Right now details of accommodation on the superjumbo remain a closely-guarded secret, but Qatar promises to offer a luxurious first class cabin.

First route for the A380 will be to "a European destination", the airline said. But it's almost a certainty that destination will be London Heathrow with the first scheduled passenger flight taking place either before or after Farnborough.

Qatar has ordered no fewer than 80 A350s and was the launch customer for the large twin-engined wide-bodied plane, which appeared at last week's Singapore Airshow.

The first A350 is expected to enter service with Qatar later this year, with a further nine aircraft arriving in 2015. It is designed for both medium and long-haul routes.

Already well-known to readers is the technically-advanced B787, of which Qatar has bought 60.

Configuration in business class is a spacious 1-2-1 layout. Not so impressive, judging by passenger feedback, is the tight 3-3-3 layout in the economy cabin along with 16.9-inch-wide seats.

It might appear the humble A320 will be overshadowed by such a prestigious line-up. But Qatar might spring a surprise.

The carrier is quietly upgrading the business cabin on some or all of its A320 narrow-bodied fleet, which are deployed both on local and medium-length routes. The existing recliner seats are being removed to be replaced by fully-flat beds.

The significance of this move becomes apparent when you realise that possibly only two carriers, British Airways and Gulf Air, have adopted such seating on international routes owing to weight and space issues.

The A320 on display will be a refitted model with "sharklets" (an aerodynamic aid designed to lower fuel consumption) and hopefully with the latest business class cabin.

Dubai Air Show 2013

David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, visits EADS Group on eve of Dubai Airshow.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group, said the Dubai Air Show 2013 reflects the importance the world's aviation industry attaches to the Middle East region despite challenges experienced by the global economy.

He added that the event enhances communication between aviation industry officials and decision makers on one hand, and the exhibitors on the other.

Sheikh Saeed told ‘Deraa Al Watan’ (Nation's Shield) in an interview, that what had started humbly at the halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre in 1986, has grown gradually since 1989.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group. (FILE)

The Dubai Air Show in 1989 was hosted at the Dubai International Airport at land area of 7,000 square metres with participation of 200 exhibitors.

It was visited by 10, 000 specialists and employees in the sector.

He noted that the event represents a platform for the commercial and military aviation sectors to grow and prosper, hoping that the Dubai Air Show 2013 would be another extension to previous successes, especially this year's event draws hi-tech suppliers from worldwide.

Sheikh Saeed said, "We supported A380 aircraft when it was still a pilot project," noting that "We were the first to place A380 orders", helping the Airbus to shift from the design phase to the manufacture.

He added: "Our investments in A380 exceeds Dh180 billion. Emirates Airlines is the major company worldwide that operates A380.
Our A380 fleet is 38 aircrafts. We have placed orders to purchase 52 A380 aircrafts."

He added that Emiratis constitute 40 per cent of employees at Emirates Airline since 2008, 24 per cent of them occupy the leading positions, noting that there are 300 Emirati pilots and 400 aviation engineers.

Quick Updates On The A380 & A350 XWB

For the second time this year, a full month went by without any A380 deliveries.

According to Aviation Week Intelligence Network's Fleet database, Airbus delivered an A380 on March 21st. No A380s were delivered in both January and April 2013.

Airbus' goal of 25 A380 deliveries for 2013 is likely still achievable, however. Four A380s had been delivered in 2013 as of April 30th with 21 A380s left to deliver. This leaves an average of three deliveries per month through the rest of the year to reach the goal. A deeper analysis of AWIN's Fleet database shows 14 A380s at Airbus' Finkenwerder plant undergoing interior installation and other work prior to being delivered to the customer, some of which have been there since November 2012 after being ferried from Toulouse's A380 assembly line.

As of April 30, total A380 orders stand at 262 with 101 deliveries.

On a higher note, MSN116 (EK #33) Emirates Airlines - was delivered yesterday local time 7pm.

Airbus A380 -861
116 A6-EEG Emirates delivery 07may13 XFW-DXB ex F-WWSS

While on the updates on the latest new commercial aircraft the Airbus A350 XWB (Xtra Wide Body), Yesteday late afternoon MSN001 was moved to paint shop. The first flight of the A350 is now rumored for 11 June. Just right before the Paris Airshow. Hopefully, there will be some surprising news coming our way soon. As of for a whole new painted A350XWB, it is rumored that will rolled out this coming 12th May. Lets see how it goes from here. 

Rubber Duck Arrives In Hong Kong

"I think, after today, Victoria Harbour has changed," Rubber Duck's "papa", Dutch conceptual artist Florentijn Hofman said after his "baby" made it to Ocean Terminal, overcoming the rough wind and waves.

"The duck is a catalyst of joy," he said.

Organisers originally planned for the duck to sail from the direction of the Tsim Sha Tsui clock tower. But because of the rough waves and strong winds, the duck had to enter from the other end via the back of the Pacific Club.

Two police marine vessels acted as guardian for the giant yellow toy making a splash in Victoria Harbour. As the duck emerged from behind a cruise ship docking at Ocean Terminal, the excited crowd roared: "It's here!"

Thirteen-year-old Angeline Lau Hiu-ling said the duck brought back memories.



"I had this duck bathing with me when I was a child. I'm very excited.

"It is very cute," said Lau, a Form One student.

Some jokingly said that Rubber Duck might need some lip balm as creases were spotted on his orange lips.

The Observatory recorded 16.6 degrees Celsius yesterday morning - the coldest day in May since 1917's 15.4 degrees. But that did not stop more than 100 journalists and the crowd braving the wind by the waterfront.





On the public's overwhelming response, Hofman said: "It means public art means a lot [to people]. The water in the world is a global bath tub. You and me are taking the same bath."

Polytechnic University's applied social science professor Denny Ho Kwok-leung said that the duck had been well received in Hong Kong not only because it was a big surprise with a pretty face, but also because it was "safe" - as compared to the suckling pig and the excrement pile inflatable sculptures also showing at "Mobile M+: Inflation!" in West Kowloon Cultural District.

"An enlarged suckling pig [Cao Fei's House of Treasure] that normally appears in a wedding banquet can be read as a sarcastic work.

"And that pile  resembles too much the reality. One can't fall in love with it," Ho said.

"But the duck is simply the realisation of a child's fantasy in an adult world. It is a safe piece to like."

Rubber Duck will float outside Ocean Terminal until June 9. Hofman said that if the weather goes bad, the duck will be deflated to "fall asleep".

Delta Day of Hope

Delta Day of Hope is modeled after the American Cancer Society's popular Relay For Life and will take place inside airport facilities Delta serves around the world including Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; London; Los Angeles; Nagoya, Japan; Madrid; Minneapolis-St. Paul; New York; Rome; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Seattle; Tokyo; and Vancouver, British Columbia.

"We are proud of the enthusiasm and generosity of our employees in the more than 70 cities around the globe who will help raise public awareness in support of the fight against cancer as we honor the commitment and dedication of the American Cancer Society as part of their 100th birthday this month," said Gil West, senior vice president - Airport Customer Service and Delta TechOps and Delta's executive sponsor for the American Cancer Society. "Delta takes our mission to raise $1 million very seriously and we want to do our part to end to a disease that's touched all of us."

In addition to the airport walks, two events will take place in Atlanta. The first is a Jet Drag at the Delta TechOps facility on May 3. The Jet Drag is an airplane-sized tug-of-war between teams of employees and a Delta Boeing 757 aircraft. The teams pull the jet 20 feet to determine who can move it in the shortest amount of time. The second event will take place at Delta's corporate campus and consists of a walk that will include hundreds of employees, family, friends and members of the local community.

Delta also will donate $1 to the American Cancer Society for the first 50,000 new luminarias lit on the Delta Facebook page through the end of May. With Delta's Light to Finish the Fight application and awareness promotion, visitors have the opportunity to create a virtual luminaria in honor or in memory of loved ones who have been affected by cancer, share it with their friends and build additional awareness of American Cancer Society's fight to end cancer.

Starting this month and continuing throughout the year, a Boeing 767-400 will travel the globe featuring American Cancer Society's 100th Anniversary logo with the phrase "The Official Sponsor of Birthdays" near the nose of the aircraft, adjacent to the boarding door. The aircraft flies international routes and will raise awareness for American Cancer Society in Europe, Latin America and the United States.

The American Cancer Society recognized Delta with its 2012 Distinguished Corporate Achievement award for having raised more than $500,000 in the fight to end cancer last year. Delta participated in its first Relay For Life event in 2000.

About The American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. As we mark our 100th birthday in 2013, we're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation's largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

About Delta Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. Delta was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2013 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list, topping the list for the second time in three years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 317 destinations in 58 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta is investing more than $3 billion in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground.

Malaysia Airlines’ Superjumbo Takes-Off To Hong Kong on 1 May 2013

Malaysia Airlines flies twice daily to Hong Kong on the A330-300 and B737-800. The superjumbo will be replacing the A330-300 service from Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong and will operate on MH72/MH73.

In a simple yet meaningful inaugural flight event at the KL International Airport graced by Malaysia Airlines’ Group Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and Malaysia Airlines' senior management staff, the superjumbo operating flight MH72 was given a ceremonious send-off at 9:15am this morning.

The full capacity A380 flight took off for Hong Kong, 41 years after its maiden flight operations on the B737 between the two cities on 1 October 1972.

Speaking at the send-off event, Malaysia Airlines' Group CEO, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said "The decision to fly the A380 to Hong Kong is to showcase our newest premium offering in products and services – improved comfort, luxury and convenience to our guests.”

"Hong Kong has great potential due to its good mix of Business and Leisure travellers—the city has a promising market and I also believe that our membership in the oneworld alliance from 1 February 2013 will also contribute to our load factor".

In conjunction with the introductory, the airline offered its customers attractive Economy Class fares from Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong for only RM760 all-in return on a promotion from 17 April until 20 May 2013.

MASholidays, the travel arm of Malaysia Airlines also offered vacation packages for 4D/3N in Hong Kong with a choice of City Tour, visit to Disneyland or Ocean Park from RM1416 onwards.

"We decided to reward our passengers with these irresistible promotions as our customers were very excited when they heard we were flying the A380 to Hong Kong."

"We generated more than 2,000 passenger sales between 13 April to date under this campaign and the numbers are still growing. This promotion has helped us kick-start the momentum to drive more sales on the A380 to Hong Kong route.”

With the A380 replacing the A330-300, Malaysia Airlines is also introducing First Class travel on this route. The super jumbo has eight First Class seats on the main deck, which converts into a full flat bed of 87 inches in length and a width of 40 inches, making it the widest seats amongst other airlines. Each seat boasts an individual 23-inch in-flight entertainment screen with personal closet and stowage for coat, luggage, laptop and personal belongings.

The airlines’ A380 also has 66 Business Class seats on the upper deck and each comes with individual 17 inches in-flight entertainment screen, the largest amongst Malaysia Airlines’ Business Class. Personal items stowage is available on each seat along with 115VAC PED power supply and USB port.

Hong Kong is the national carrier's third A380 destination after London and Paris.

Lightning Strike Test in MSN3 Passed As It Is Required For The First Flight Clearance

The A350 XWB’s aerostructure is made primarily of composite materials (carbon fibre reinforced plastic), providing more electrical resistance than an aerostructure consisting mostly of metallics. 

To ensure the A350 XWB aerostructure safely manages lightning strikes, Airbus developed a solution where metallic foils are embedded in the aircraft’s composite panels – increasing the aerostructure’s electrical conductivity and protecting harnesses with metallic conduits.

Metallic foils already have been used on the A380 rear fuselage section, however as the A350 XWB includes a higher percentage of composite materials, it is important to confirm that such foils provide adequate protection for systems and equipment.

The A350 XWB “electromagnetic hazard” testing on MSN3 lasted around three days, consisting of lightning strike simulations and follow-up measurements of induced voltage/current levels on selected harnesses. These evaluations use a low-level current injection rather than the actual electrical current level generated by a lightning strike, with the measured voltages and current then extrapolated to the real threat of 200,000 amperes.

This testing will be continued by similar but longer tests on the MSN4 aircraft in 2014, fulfilling a requirement for type certification of Airbus’ A350-900 version.

Emirates Increases South East Asia Capacity

Bangkok, one of Emirates’ earliest destinations in the Far East joining the network in 1990, will receive a second daily, non-stop Airbus A380 service from 27 October 2013, operating as EK372 which departs Dubai at 0940hrs and arrives in Bangkok at 1840hrs. The return flight EK373 departs Bangkok at 2040hrs and arrives in Dubai the following day at 0030hrs.

Emirates will also be strengthening is commitment to Hong Kong with the launch of a fourth daily service from Dubai, operating non-stop as EK386 departing Dubai at 2100hrs and arriving in Hong Kong the following morning at 0805hrs. The return flight EK387 will depart Hong Kong at 0940hrs arriving in Dubai at 1455hrs.

The new service will initially be operated by an Airbus A330-200 in a three class configuration before being upgraded to a Boeing 777-300ER later in the year.

“The addition of a second daily A380 flight to Bangkok and a fourth daily service to Hong Kong demonstrates Emirates’ commitment to both Thailand and Hong Kong. Earlier this year we launched our fifth daily flight to Bangkok and the passenger demand has led to the decision to operate the second A380 on the route. Thailand has been part of the Emirates network for over 20 years and in December we added Phuket as our second Thai destination,” said Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Far East & Australasia.

“We have been steadily increasing the number of services to Hong Kong and this fourth flight gives our customers the flexibility to choose a departure time that fits with their schedule and connect through Dubai to destinations on our ever expanding global network,” added Obaidalla.

Emirates currently flies to 133 destinations in 77 countries including 23 destinations in 12 countries in the Far East and Australasia. From Bangkok, Emirates offers services to Dubai, Hong Kong, Sydney and Christchurch; from Hong Kong Emirates offers flights to Dubai and Bangkok.

Dreamliner Flying to Sydney in December!

"The Dreamliner is a revolutionary new aircraft that will change aviation globally," Sydney Airport Chief Executive Officer Kerrie Mather said.

"Its lower fuel consumption, running costs and noise profile changes the whole economics of air travel.

"Like the Airbus A380, which has revived the excitement and romance of air travel, Boeing 787 cabins are designed to provide a more comfortable, quieter passenger experience, with a higher cabin pressure and humidity than older models of aircraft and larger passenger windows.

"The great news for travellers is that the economics of aircraft like the Boeing 787 will enhance Sydney's connectivity by opening up new non-stop routes, particularly in our target markets in south-east Asia, India and China.

"Sydney Airport is already a major hub for next generation aircraft. With more than 120 services a week scheduled to fly here by the end of the year, we are the world's sixth busiest Airbus A380 airport.

"A number of our major carriers have the Boeing 787 on order and we are expecting significant numbers of Dreamliners to operate here over the next 12-18 months.

"New generation aircraft are helping Sydney Airport to continue delivering passenger growth with a diminishing noise footprint.

"The noise footprint of the Dreamliner is 60 per cent smaller than similarly sized aircraft and it consumes 20 per cent less fuel.

"Our noise forecasts assume that next generation aircraft like the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 will all but replace the older aircraft over the next 30 years.

THAI Celebrates 53 Years In The Skies

With a total of six Airbus A380-800 aircraft ordered, equipped with the most modern technology, products and services, THAI has entered 2013 on an optimistic note. The A380 is already operating daily between Bangkok and Hong Kong, Bangkok and Frankfurt and will soon include Bangkok to Tokyo and Bangkok to Paris. After a period of extensive renovations, THAIs entire fleet of aircraft offers a more comfortable and entertaining flying experience to more destinations than ever before.

With 1.71 million passengers carried in October 2012 alone and a cabin factor average of 73.5%, THAI is flying high. The Middle East has contributed to the success of the airline with increases in passenger traffic from THAI’s Dubai base to destinations such as Chiang Mai with a 54% increase between October 2012 and February 2013 over the same period last year and an incredible 60% increase in passenger numbers to Phuket from the Middle East during the same period. As a relatively new destination from the Middle East, THAI offers daily connections to Koh Samui from Dubai – already recording an increase of 194% over the first months of 2013.

Other developments in THAI include THAI Smile. Established in July 2012 THAI Smile is a regional airline operating short-haul flights with narrow body aircraft providing services to passengers with connecting flights on THAI. Five new international flight routes were introduced effective 31 March 2013 with THAI Smile – Bangkok-Mandalay, Bangkok-Ahmadabad, Phuket-New Delhi, Phuket-Mumbai and Phuket-Kuala Lumpur; a total of 19 new flights per week. THAI Smile is for passengers who enjoy trendy, friendly and worthy service based on THAI standards at affordable prices.

Thai also continues to win awards, the latest being the “Punctuality Awards, Long Haul Airline” in the Brussels Airport Aviation Awards 2013, for the year 2012; the punctuality criterion is to have the best on-time performance for arrivals and departures at Brussels Airport, that is, an actual arrival or departure time within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.

THAI can be found at ATM on Stand AS 7150 together with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The Air France A380 Takes Off For Shanghai

As from 2 September, Air France will offer its customers three weekly services to Shanghai-Pudong by Airbus A380. Air France will therefore become the first European airline to serve the Chinese economic capital by A380.

On board its Airbus A380, Air France offers customers four cabin classes (La Première, Business, Premium Economy and Economy) as well as several exclusive new features for a unique travel experience and even more comfort:

• 6 bars for a friendly atmosphere during the flight,
• 5 decibels less noise in the cabin compared with industry standards,
• A gallery dedicated to art and culture.

“Serving Shanghai by Airbus A380 is a perfect example of our aim to expand on growth markets. On board, we aim to provide all our customers with the levels of comfort, serenity and French-style service excellence that distinguishes Air France worldwide. This new route by A380 demonstrates the excellent cooperation between the French and Chinese aviation authorities, which have made this agreement possible.” underlined Alexandre de Juniac, Chairman and CEO of Air France.

Dedicated services for Chinese customers

Air France has created a range of services specifically tailored to accommodate its Chinese passengers. Announcements are made in Mandarin on flights to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan and in Cantonese for Hong Kong flights. Chinese interpreters are present on board all Air France flights to and from China.

To welcome and provide assistance to passengers who do not speak English or French, Air France has a team of multilingual agents at Paris-Charles de Gaulle who speak Mandarin and Cantonese.

The chefs of Air France subsidiary, Servair, the on-board foodservices specialist, develop a range of fine Chinese dishes served in Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy. In addition, jasmine tea is offered in all cabins.

Air France also offers a frequently renewed selection of international films subtitled in Chinese. A Chinese film is also routinely offered.

Air France offers a selection of Chinese newspapers and magazines on board.

Furthermore, Air France has developed a dedicated corporate website for its Chinese customers, http://corporate.airfrance.cn. Available in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, this website provides all the main Air France news from Greater China and around the world.

European leader between China and Europe

The Air France-KLM Group is European leader between Europe and China. Air France and KLM operate 93 weekly flights from their hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol to 9 destinations in Greater China: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Chengdu,Hangzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen and Taipei.

With its partners China Southern and China Eastern, Air France-KLM offers up to 126 weekly flights to China.

Flight schedules

In summer 2013, Air France serves Shanghai-Pudong from Paris-Charles de Gaulle with 27 weekly flights, thirteen of which are operated on a code-share basis with China Eastern Airlines, a member of SkyTeam.

The Air France A380 in brief

6 destinations in September 2013

• In September 2013, Air France’s eight Airbus A380 will serve six destinations:
• in North America: New York JFK (one daily flight), Washington DC (one daily flight) and Los Angeles (one daily flight),
• in Africa: Johannesburg (one daily flight),
• in Asia: Tokyo-Narita (one daily flight) and Shanghai (3 weekly flights).

516 seats in four cabins

• All Air France’s A380 are equipped with 516 seats in four cabin classes on two decks:
• 9 seats in La Première,
• 80 seats in Business,
• 38 seats in Premium Eco,
• and 389 seats in Economy.

Comfort on board

• 6 bars for a friendly atmosphere during the flight
• 200 windows: abundant natural light in the cabin
• 5 decibels less noise in the cabin compared with industry standards
• A gallery dedicated to art and culture

The latest technology at the service of in-flight entertainment and comfort
External live images with three cameras housed at the front, underneath and at the rear of the aircraft, whose images are broadcast live throughout the flight.
Mood lighting; changing lighting moods to cross time zones without feeling tired.

One of the most environmentally friendly aircraft

With less than 75 grams of CO2 produced per passenger per kilometre, the A380 is one of the most environmentally friendly aircraft.

Special attention for Chinese passengers

CREWS TRAINED IN CHINESE CULTURE

Air France has created a service specifically tailored to accommodate its Chinese passengers. The company has established an outreach program on Chinese culture for its 15,000 flight attendants. This program reflects Air France’s constant search for excellence, hospitality and service as do the languages spoken aboard flights: announcements are broadcast in Mandarin on the flights to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan and in Cantonese for Hong Kong flights. In addition, for more than 10 years, Chinese interpreters have been on board all Air France flights from and to China.

GROUND STAFF WHO SPEAK MANDARIN

To welcome and provide assistance to passengers who do not speak English or French, Air France has a team of multilingual agents at Paris-Charles de Gaulle, speaking Mandarin and Cantonese. The team welcomes daily passengers, assisting them with checking-in and facilitates their connections between flights. Knowledge of the travellers’ languages and cultures makes it easier to exchange and establish immediate and natural contact.

MOBILE SERVICES IN CHINESE

Air France customers benefit from an exclusive, free service, requiring no registration or subscription, informing them of changes or any disruptions in their journey. The “Air France Connect” service is also now available in Chinese.

With a mobile phone number and e-mail address indicated by the customer when purchasing their ticket, Air France can provide information up to 14 days prior to departure, by telephone, SMS or e-mail, regarding flight cancellations or delays, gate changes or delays in delivery of luggage following the flight. Air France and KLM are the first airlines providing such large-scale proactive information services to all passengers throughout their network. To be notified personally in case of emergency on a flight, customers only need to ensure that they have provided the company with the maximum contact information for the communications modes (telephone, mobile or e-mail) the customer will use during the trip.

CHINESE CUISINE ON BOARD

Air France places particular emphasis on openness to other cultures, taking into account the tastes of its passengers. While providing a French dining experience, Air France pays attention to adapting its menus to the culture or dietary needs of its customers. For Chinese customers, the chefs of Air France subsidiary, Servair, the on-board foodservices specialist, develop a range of fine Chinese dishes served in Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy. In addition, jasmine tea is offered in all cabins.

FILMS AND INFORMATION IN MANDARIN

For its Chinese passengers, Air France offers a frequently renewed selection of international films subtitled in Chinese. A Chinese film also is routinely offered. The selection changes every three months with the language of the films alternating between Mandarin and Cantonese.

CHINESE NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES ON BOARD

A Chinese version of the Air France flight magazine is available to passengers and a regular selection of Chinese newspapers and magazines is also available on each flight.

A DEDICATED CORPORATE WEBSITE FOR CHINESE CUSTOMERS

Air France has developed a dedicated corporate website for its Chinese customers, http://corporate.airfrance.cn. Available in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, this website provides all the main Air France news from Greater China and around the world, including regular updates on company strategy, a map of the Air France, KLM and their Chinese partners’ networks, the art of travel with Air France, the ambitions of the company in terms of sustainable development and the latest press releases and press kits.

MH Free Seats For Kids

Family trips are now more affordable with Malaysia Airlines. From 29 April, just purchase an adult seat in Economy Class and receive a complimentary seat for any child aged 12 or below.

Book now with your favourite travel agent or nearest Malaysia Airlines ticket office, or call 1 300 88 3000.

Extra 10kg baggage allowance

Our baggage allowance for Economy Class is now 30kg. That means you and your child can carry more of your favourite things!

Terms and conditions

• Booking period: 29 Apr 2013 to 20 May 2013.
• Travel period: 29 Apr 2013 to 31 May 2013.
• Eligibility: For every paying adult, one accompanied child or infant is entitled to fly for free.
• Valid for Economy Class purchases only.
• Not applicable for promotional fares.
• Complimentary child ticket applicable for first accompanied child. For second child onwards, normal fares will apply.
• Valid for all international sectors, except for Kuala Lumpur-Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur-Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur-Chennai, Kuala Lumpur-Bangalore and all domestic sectors.
• Promotion is not applicable during peak periods, demand flights and subject to seat availability.
• Not applicable for online bookings. Bookings can be made via travel agents, Malaysia Airlines ticket office or by calling 1 300 88 3000.

SriLankan Airlines Close To Announce An Order For 4 A350 XWB

State-run Sri Lankan Airlines will acquire 6 Airbus A350-900 and 7 A330-300 aircraft to upgrade its product and cut costs starting from October 2014, chief executive Kapila Chandrasena said.

Sri Lankan will acquire 10 aircraft from Airbus through a mix of operating and finance leases in a deal which has a 'present value' of 1.2 billion US dollars and another 3 from an aircraft leasing firm, he said.

Cabinet approval has been given to sign a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 10 purchase options and the first aircraft is expected to arrive starting from October 2014, he said.

2014-2022. The aircraft are to be delivered over 7 years.

Starting from 2014, 6 A340 aircraft which are up to 18 to 16 years old will be replaced by A330-300 aircraft.

7 A330-200 aircraft which are around 13 to 16 years old will be replaced starting from 2017 with A350-900 aircraft. 3 will come from an aviation leasing firm as there were no manufacturing slots available at Airbus in that period.

The balance 4 A350s will be acquired from Airbus Industries starting from 2019.

With several very old aircraft in the fleet, the airline could not give the same level of service to all passengers and operating costs were also high. "Fuel is 50 percent of our operating costs. With newer aircraft fuel is about 40 percent. That is a huge quantum of savings." Chandrasena said.

Air France To Expand In Asia, Returns To Malaysia After 25 years

Population growth in Asia is the highest and so is economic growth. Furthermore, businesses in Asia are booming and hence the attraction for global airlines to get a slice of that action.

It is therefore no coincidence that Air France decided to take a bite at the pie when it landed on Malaysian soil on Tuesday after a 20-year absence.

For a start, Air France will begin with three weekly flights into Malaysia and may increase them should the demand rise.

It may even change from the B777 that it now operates to a A380, which is what Malaysia Airlines (MAS) deploys on the KL-Paris route.

“There is big potential for us here. We are targeting Malaysian tourists and businessmen to use our aircraft and we are pretty optimistic about that, otherwise we would not have opened the route, considering that we also have daily flights to Bangkok and Singapore,” Air France chairman and chief executive officer Alexandre de Juniac.

He is looking at loads of over 80% for his three weekly flights and that is what MAS is enjoying with its A380. That load is also shared by Air France's sister airline KLM on its KL-Amsterdam flights. Air France is not alone in returning to Malaysia. Just two days ago, Turkish Airlines returned after a decade's absence. Turkish Airlines will fly three times weekly between Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur. And in a week's time, Philippine Airlines too will return after a decade's absence.

The move by Philippine Airlines indicates that they too want to partake in the vibrancy of Asia and the sentiment is not lost on British Airways which is rumoured to be returning to KL International Airport before 2015.

“Nowadays the Asean area with Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore represent a major opportunity for businesses, so we need to cover more,'' he says.

The rising affluence

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says demand for air travel continues to rise on economic optimism and improved business confidence. Much of the growth is concentrated in emerging markets especially in Asia. Europe continues to be a laggard.

Air France chairman and chief executive officer Alexandre de Juniac.

IATA estimates that by 2014, Asia Pacific will account for 30% of all passengers, followed by North America at 23%. Of the 800 million new passengers who will fly by then, 360 million of them, or almost half, will be in Asia Pacific. China alone will account for 214 million passengers.

Asia is now the unchallenged leader in aviation, with 787 million journeys last year and if the present rate of increase continues, the one-billion passenger figure will be overtaken in 2015, said another report.

That explains why Europe's biggest airlines are reassessing their long-haul alliances, particularly in Asia as a growing number of emerging-market carriers are fighting hard to take a bigger share of Europe-Asia traffic.

De Juniac was candid when he said: “We are here for the margins and traffic.”

But it is not just Asia, even the Asia Pacific region offers plenty of opportunities, especially for low-cost carriers and Asian airlines. Route connectivity is not as dense as Europe as there are many points in Asia and Australia which are not covered.

Demand for flights even drove Singapore Airlines (SIA) to increase its stake in Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd this week and Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airway bought into India's Jet Airways. The deal by SIA will intensify its challenge in the Australian market against dominant carrier Qantas Airways, whose new partner is Emirates, said a report.

Pricing pressure

With Air France and Turkish Airlines coming to Malaysia, the number of seats in the European sector will shoot up. Though the number of travellers will increase, so will competition.

MAS is already flying to five points in Europe London, Amsterdam, Paris, Istanbul and Frankfurt. Four European carriers, namely Air France, KLM, Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa offer connections into multiple cities in Europe from Asia.

Besides that, the Middle-East carriers are aggressively marketing European routes via a Middle East stop. Emirates is hugely popular in Australia as many like the 30kg baggage offer even though it means sitting in Dubai airport for up to four hours to catch a connecting flight into Heathrow in UK.

As at 2011, KL, Singapore and Bangkok offered 15 million seats to Europe and back, and last year the numbers fell to 14.2 million, and they are lower at 14 million this year. In contrast the seats offered by the Middle Eastern carriers to Europe is on the rise, from 8 million in 2011 to 9.5 million in 2013.

Lesser seats are offered by carriers out of Singapore and Bangkok to Europe but the seats offered from KL have increased from 1.8 million in 2011 to 1.9 million in 2013.

CAPA Centre for Aviation analyst Brendan Sobie believes the arrival of Air France is good for KLIA. It boosts competition to Europe, which is positive after AirAsia X dropped Europe including Paris last year. But that also means more competition for MAS.

Competition will intensify for the airlines as they vie for the customers even though the pie is getting bigger as more Asians take to the skies.

Competition is already intensifying when it comes to ticket prices. A return all inclusive airfare to London is between RM3,000 and RM4,000 but some airlines offer tickets at RM2,800 depending on the season. Air France is offering an all-in fare of RM3,626 for a standard economy round-trip from KL to Paris and RM11,333 for business class. It also offers premium economy seats (the in-between business and economy) at RM5,777.

An air hostess at the first class seat.

With competition comes pricing pressure and being full service carriers, the airlines need to meet the high expectation of travellers.

That is despite Visa's latest Global Travel Intentions Study 2013 that showed global cross-border tourism is thriving and people are more willing to increase their budgets for their next trip by an average of 5%.

Alliances

European carriers have been facing tough times back home and margins are thinning because of the eurozone crisis and they are jockeying for positions to grab a bigger share of the fast-growing Asian market.

Given that competition can get fierce in Asia with pricing pressure, can these European carriers sustain the momentum?

De Juniac is taking a page from KLM's success story of being able to sustain in Asia for several decades now. He believes Air France is a “high class” product where quality matters and it will be able to attract travellers both from Europe and Asia.

“We will open additional Asian destinations and the reasons why we are targeting this part of the world is because of the strong growth here compared with the eurozone which is slow and lagging. It could recover but for the long haul we have to target the fast-growing areas,” De Juniac says.

KLM flies to KL and also flies to Indonesia because of its historical ties and Air France will use the KLM's KL-Jakarta connectivity as it penetrates Asia.

CAPA's Sobie believes “the connections to Indonesia will be key in making the route (KL-Paris) work for Air France.”

For players like Air France to make it big in Asia, they need partners.

De Juniac is thinking of working with partners in Asia, and China, including MAS. During his visit, he met up with the top brass at MAS for exploratory talks on cooperation.

Alliances are important for long haul carriers. A major shift occurred in the industry when Australia's Qantas partnered Emirates. That ended Qantas' relationship with Air France and BA.

Both now need to find new partners to connect to Australia because Qantas cannot do that any more from Singapore. BA has found Cathay Pacific but experts believes a viable proposition is via Singapore or Malaysia.

Hence the talks between MAS and Air France. What will come out of it is unclear as both are members of different alliances. MAS is with oneworld and Air France SkyTeam. But De Juniac believes there can be a way.

Air France’s economy class seating

“Of course, the difficulty at this stage is that it (MAS) belongs to oneworld and we belong to SkyTeam, which are competing alliances. But it is not impossible that we could envisage something. It could be possible if MAS asks its other oneworld members and any arrangement could be limited to a particular route, destination or traffic,'' De Juniac says.

Perhaps the cooperation could be beyond the KL-Paris route to include Australian and the Asian connections. Even BA needs that connection into Australia and greater Asia, experts believe. MAS is in talks with BA for a code share.

The big brands

One major beneficiary from new flights coming into KL is the tourism sector.

According to Tourism Malaysia director (international marketing division Americas, Europe, Oceania) Datin Normasila Musa, tourist arrivals from Paris alone totalled 136,172 last year and the target is over 140,000 French tourists this year.

That means there are more arrivals at KLIA, and one immediate beneficiary will be Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB). Hopefully with Air France. Turkish Airlines and Philippine Airlines returning, other big airlines will also be attracted to KLIA.

More than a decade ago BA, Qantas and Lufthansa left because of the economic crisis. The latter returned some years ago and MAHB has been in talks with BA.

BA may return, some say, but is there a compelling reason for its return or can it just make do with the code share with MAS?

Passenger arrivals will help boost tourist receipts and the airport. A decade ago, it was hard to justify KLIA as a hub in Asia. That is changing with the return of more big brands.

Last year, KLIA was the 27th busiest airport globally, recording 39 million passenger arrivals, according to Airport Council International (ACI) data. Experts believe it should go up a few notches over the next two years and should be in the top 20 by 2020. But it would be hard to beat the growth Soekarno Hatta records as last year, 57 million passengers passed through the airport in Jakarta, beating Changi which chalked up 51 million and Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi 53 million.

A decade ago, both Jakarta and KLIA was not even on the ACI charts.

All this indicates the growth is in KLIA and Soekarno Hatta and Malaysia's vibrant economy led by the economic transformation programme is also seeing a lot more foreign investors coming and setting shop in the country.

With more investments, the expatriate community will also increase and it also induces tourism activities. Just this week Germany's BASF and Petronas Chemicals Bhd say they will invest US$500mil (RM1.5bil) to expand their operations at Gebeng, Kuantan to manufacture products for the global flavour and fragrance industry.

All this bodes well for Malaysia, which is moving in the right direction. If the European carriers want a slice of this market, they need to be in Asia and Malaysia stands to benefit from that.

Credits to Star Biz Week

Qatar To Get First A380 In Early 2014

The assembly of Qatar Airways' first A380 superjumbo is set to start this month, according to plane maker Airbus.

The European manufacturer said the vertical tail section for the first A380 for the Gulf carrier has been painted with the airline's trademark oryx logo and arrived at Airbus final assembly line in Toulouse.

The painting was completed earlier this week at Airbus facilities in Hamburg and is now ready for assembly. The first A380 is slated for delivery to Qatar Airways in early 2014.

The distinctive Qatar Airways logo is comprised of a violet oryx with silver streaks and the paint was applied over a period of 10 days, Airbus said in a statement.

Qatar Airways will become the tenth operator of the A380 when it takes delivery of its first aircraft in 2014.

The airline has firm orders for ten A380s and will operate the aircraft on its most premier routes.

More news on the A380

AIRFRANCE to Start A380 Service to Shanghai from September 2013

AIRFRANCE from 02SEP13 is to introduce Airbus A380 operation on Paris CDG – Shanghai Pu Dong route, where it’ll operate 3 times a week. Reservation for the A380 service opened earlier today (25APR13).

AF112 CDG1340 – 0640+1PVG 77W D
AF116 CDG2320 – 1620+1PVG 388 145
AF116 CDG2320 – 1620+1PVG 77W x145

AF117 PVG1040 – 1650CDG 77W D
AF111 PVG2320 – 0535+1CDG 77W x256
AF111 PVG2320 – 0535+1CDG 388 256

As a result of A380 redeployment, AIRFRANCE will cancel A380 service to Singapore from the same date.
AF256 CDG2320 – 1815+1SIN 77W D
AF257 SIN2300 – 0610+1CDG 77W D

The Lights Go Out and Things Get Dark On Glee

Leave it to Glee to manage to throw a seriously twisted twist into the middle of an episode about preparing for regionals. Tonight the lights went out at McKinley High School, and people opened up ... bit time. Not one but two Glee characters confessed they've beenmolested.

The show has covered some major teen topics over the years -- from suicide to alcohol -- but it's the first time they've broached child molestation.

To their credit, the writers did right by the topic.

We've watched Ryder struggle with the fact that his new online confidant might be a fellow choir member who is Catfishing him, but tonight we found out why he's let himself be reeled in. Thanks to the anonymity provided by a computer screen, the newest New Direction was able to talk about being molested by his babysitter wen he was younger. But tonight decided to say the words out loud for the first time to his fellow choir members in part because he was afraid his Catfisher might spill the beans.

The power of the Glee treatment came from the response from the guys in the choir room.

The New Directions guys scoffed at Ryder's embarrassment and called being violated by an older woman a real coup for a young stud.

And it turns out something similar happened to Kitty, who confessed to Ryder during a private dinner at Breadsticks that she too was abused -- this time by a friend's older brother at a sleepover. Kitty's trust was then violated by her own parents, who seemed intent on believing that the perpetrator was a "good boy" who just couldn't have done what she'd said. The bullying that came after her story spread around school forced Kitty to change schools, sending her to McKinley.

Both teens stories were pretty sad ... and pretty typical of the high school experience.

At first I was a little put off by how quickly the show jumped from these serious confessions back to the more superficial work Kurt, Rachel, and Santana were doing for the New York City Ballet's fundraiser or the Glee club perfecting its version of Queen's We Will Rock You.

But the more I think about it, the more apropos it was. This is what happens to real kids in real life. They say someone is sexually assaulted in some way every 2 minutes, but we probably will never know how often it happens to kids especially because they are blown off so often, they are treated as if they were somehow responsible or as if they should have enjoyed it. And if they aren't receiving that treatment, they're fearing that they will ... fearing it so much that they don't speak up.

Bravo to Glee for their treatment of this tough topic, especially for pairing up with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) to give kids a place to turn if the episode hit home.

But I have to say I'm hoping for something a little lighter next week ... and they'd better follow through on the promise of some Klaine drama that we saw in the teaser!

What did you think of tonight's powerful episode? Did it ring true for you?

Qatar To Restart Boeing 787’s Delayed Australian Debut

Qatar cancelled the launch of the Perth-Doha Boeing 787 service just two weeks before its scheduled February 1st start, as the Gulf carrier joined other airlines around the world in grounding the 787 after a series of critical overheating problems with the lithium-ion battery system.

However, following a series of design changes by Boeing which include containment and venting systems for both the main and auxiliary batteries, Qatar is keen to see its 787s hauled out of the hanger and put back into service.

This will include Qatar’s QR901 service from Perth to Doha switching from a Boeing 777 to a Boeing 787, although the airline has yet to name a new date for the Dreamliner’s delayed Australian debut.

A Qatar Airways spokesman told Australian Business Traveller that the airline has pencilled in May 15 for the recommencement of the dedicated Doha-London Boeing 787 QR75 service.

Australian travellers arriving into Doha on QR901 at 5.20am will be able to transfer to QR75, which leaves Doha 6.40am to continue their 787 journey through to London’s Heathrow airport.

Despite a tight 1h20m timing between the two flights, a Qatar Airways spokesman assured Australian Business Traveller that “this connection is correct and it’s very bookable.”

“Doha is very efficient in moving passengers from aircraft to aircraft and the passengers will make the connection easily” he said, adding a little positive spin that “the best thing about it (is) there’s no waiting around.”

Inside Qatar Airway's Boeing 787

The 22 business class seats nestled in the nose of Qatar's Dreamliner adopt a passenger-pleasing 1-2-1 layout with fully flat beds and direct aisle access for every passenger.

The cabin is bright, modern and streamlined – and in common with other 787 customers, Qatar has skipped a super-luxe first class: their Dreamliners contain only business and economy cabins.

AusBT contributor David Parker Brown (who also runs AirlineReporter.com) snapped these these real-world photos at Qatar's 787 launch.

Like just about every modern airliner, Boeing's 787 has LED overhead lighting that's a big improvement on the fluorescent tubes used in older planes.

And it's not just about the accent lighting: waking up gently with a slowly brightening, sunrise-hued cabin is much more pleasant than the single flick-to-glaring lights we remember from older jets. 

Angling towards the windows (or centre dividers, which you can raise or lower depending on whether you want to interact with the person next to you), each seat is private and spacious, with cleverly designed multi-level storage and work surfaces.

The 22-inch (56 cm) seat reclines to a fully flat 80 inches (203 cm), with your feet sliding underneath the monitor. The armrest also slides down so you have a wider sleeping area.

With the centre divider down, you can share ideas with colleagues or spend some quality time with a +1 over dinner, or use the large work table to put the final touches to a slide deck on your laptop.

Tight fit in Qatar's 787 economy cabin

Down the back in economy, it's a different scene: Qatar drew up an elbow-crunching 3-3-3 layout.

This means that each seat is narrower than Boeing's alternative option of an an eight-across 2-4-2 configuration. And these seats are narrow, even for economy.

With their generous legroom, the front rows are the obvious seats to pick.

A massive video screen -- with its own Android phone-sized controller -- might take your mind off the tight elbow-room.

Boeing's extra-large 787 Dreamliner windows are a benefit for the window seat seat passenger (and anyone trying to peer past them for a glimpse of what's outside).

Like all 787s, Qatar's also has electronic dimming windows.

However, we reckon many travellers woud trade those windows for a spot in the 787's 'secret' crew rest area where pilots and flight attendants take their scheduled breaks from duty.

Perched above the passengers and overhead bins, this cosy loft space is accessible by a small ladder leading up from the main deck.