Business jets, Heathrow's 'gin bar,' transtasman wi-fi and more

Business jet market runs hot
Demand for corporate versions of large commercial passenger jets is running hot. Boeing has sold 16 business jets so far this year – its best tally since 2008. Most are based on the extended-range derivatives of its 737 single-aisle airliner family. Airbus has sold nine, mostly its ACJ319 and ACJ320 variants.

Buyers include wealthy individuals, companies and heads of state. Boeing sold two 747 jumbos to renew the US presidential fleet. The planes are built to order and can spend 10-18 months at a specialist cabin-building firm after they are sold.

In a VIP configuration, a typical layout may offer a staff area, lounge, an office and a bedroom with shower. Seating is usually for eight to 19 passengers. Boeing and Airbus entered this market 20 years ago and have since been joined, in a small way, by Embraer of Brazil, which offers the Lineage 1000, a corporate version of its E190 airliner.

Lufthansa stretches business seats
Lufthansa joined the airlines adding further luxury to its premium cabins. New business-class seats, which stretch to 2.2m (seven feet), will be installed in new Boeing 777-9s that will be delivered from 2020. Passengers will be able to choose from six different setups in the business cabin, including a paired layout, an enhanced-privacy variant and one that offers slightly less snooze room while featuring more storage and workspace. All but the extra-long berth will measure a standard 6ft 6in.

Wi-fi across the Tasman
Virgin Australia will serve up inflight internet on flights between Australia and New Zealand from early 2018. The airline aims to have half of its international Boeing 737 fleet kitted out with the high-speed Gogo 2Ku/Optus satellite system before the end of March 2018, with the remainder completed "before the end of September 2018,” Virgin says.

Qantas opens new London lounge
The new Qantas lounge at Heathrow Airport is ready for the first Kiwi passengers who will travel on the non-stop Perth-London Boeing 787 Dreamliner service from March 24. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said investing in the first dedicated Qantas lounge at Heathrow is a key part of launching the direct flights.

“The Kangaroo Route is at the heart of Qantas’ identity and London is one of our most important destinations,” he said at the opening. “We are reshaping what customers come to expect from international travel with direct flights between Australia and London. It’s a long flight, so we’re taking a holistic approach to passenger wellbeing on and off the aircraft.”

Key features of the 230-seat lounge include a downstairs “gin bar” (pictured above), seating for more than 230 customers and a marble cocktail bar.  The design by Woods Bagot has interiors that reflect London at twilight with deep greens and rich blues throughout the furniture, while warm-coloured timbers, stone and brass represent the city’s historic architecture.

Cathay ‘s club dilemma
Suggestions in the Hong Kong media that China Southern will switch from the Skyteam airline club to Oneworld pose a dilemma for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon. While the Hong Kong-based group is a longstanding member of Oneworld with Qantas and British Airways, it also has close ties to Star Alliance airlines. Its second-largest shareholder is Air China and it has partnerships with Air New Zealand and Lufthansa.

The Hong Kong reports say China Southern, based in Guangzhou, is too close geographically for Cathay’s liking. Oneworld partner American Airlines recently took a 3% stake in China Southern. Complicating matters, fellow Oneworld member Qatar Airways has bought a shareholding in Cathay. Such shareholdings criss-cross alliances, making it harder to move out of one into another.

Okay gets Dreamliners
Okay Airways, one of China's first privately owned airlines, finalised an order for five Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners worth $US1.4 billion at list prices. Li Zongling, president of Okay Airways, which is headquartered in Beijing with its main hub at Tianjin Binhai International Airport, will strengthen Okay's position to expand into the long-haul market. Okay Airways' all-Boeing jetliner fleet includes 737s, serving more than 70 domestic and regional destinations, while the 787-9 Dreamliner can fly 290 passengers up to some 14,000km.

Hybrid to power turbofan engine
Airbus, Siemens and Rolls-Royce are teaming up to develop a hybrid passenger plane that would use a single electric turbofan along with three conventional jet engines running on aviation fuel. They aim to build a flying version of the E-Fan X technology demonstrator plane by 2020. It will be based on the existing BAe 146 four-engine regional jet (pictured above). It will generate electric power through a turbine within the plane that will turn the engine’s fan blades. If the system works, a second electric motor could be added, the companies say.

Dreamliner goes full year to Adelaide
Air New Zealand says a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be used on the Auckland-Adelaide route year-round. The aircraft was initially scheduled to operate the route three times a week over the summer peak until March 25, 2018, complemented by A320 services. But it will now operate on a year-round basis while continuing to be supplemented by A320 flying in peak travel periods. The move will increase capacity on the route by more than 30%. The first Dreamliner service to Adelaide began on October 26.

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