Carry on: Air New Zealand's inflight wifi, Qantas-Airbnb tie-up and more

Air New Zealand to introduce inflight wifi
It isn’t coming soon but it will come. Air New Zealand will have inflight wifi on its international jet services next year and on domestic flights in 2018. This is the result of Inmarsat’s new global GX satellite constellation being integrated with Air New Zealand’s in-cabin Panasonic Avionics technology.

Chief executive officer Christopher Luxon says proving flights will begin in the second half of 2017 and the wi-fi will be progressively available on Tasman, Pacific Island and long-haul services from the end of next year. Domestic services are likely from 2018.

Mr Luxon says Air New Zealand operates over oceanic areas where there has historically been poor quality satellite service. “We have patiently worked with partners until we were comfortable that a service which meets the high expectations of our customers is available,” he says.

Qantas ropes in Airbnb
Qantas and Airbnb have formed a partnership that gives Qantas Frequent Flyer members the opportunity to earn points when they book their accommodation through qantas.com. The partnership marks the first time Airbnb has worked with an airline while Qantas says it is looking for more tieups with innovative digital and technology businesses.

LAX opens Terminal 4 Connector
Moving through Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is easier with the Terminal 4 Connector that links the south side terminals — Terminals 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 — with the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Previously, passengers needed to exit one terminal and re-enter another through federal security screening to catch their connecting flights. This project is a key part of LAX's broader $US14 billion modernisation programme that includes an airport rail system, a new rental car facility and capital renovations to eight out of the airport’s nine terminals.

Air Berlin shrinks Etihad’s hopes
Germany’s second largest airline, Air Berlin, is shrinking its fleet and route network in an attempt to stem losses. Instead, it will hand over the aircraft and routes to competitor Lufthansa while also dealing a blow to Etihad’s aspirations for a bigger regional airline. Air Berlin will reduce its hubs to Berlin (Tegel) and Dusseldorf with a core fleet of 75 aircraft and up to 40 “wet leased” to Lufthansa. Some short-haul routes will be taken over by Lufthansa’s Hamburg-based budget airline Eurowings while the Vienna-based Niki subsidiary will become a separate leisure-based operation.

Saudis lift travel visa costs
Saudi Arabia has raised visa fees for all travellers and Muslim pilgrims who pay subsequent religious visits. The new scale of visa charges does not affect those travelling on the Haj or Umrah for the first time. Business travel will cost 2000 Saudi riyals ($743) for a single-entry visa while a multiple-entry visa now costs 3000 riyals for six months, 5000 for a year and 8000 for two years.

Taiwan gets first A350-900

China Airlines (CAL) is the ninth airline to take delivery of its first Airbus A350-900. It is configured in a three-class layout with a total of 306 seats, comprising 32 in Premium Business (convertible to fully lie-flat beds), 31 in Premium Economy and 243 in the main cabin. Altogether CAL has ordered 14 A350-900s.  After an initial period flying on regional services between Taipei and Hong-Kong, the aircraft will be deployed on long-haul flights, starting with Amsterdam, followed by Vienna and Rome.

Rwanda’s airline goes wide-bodied

RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda, has taken delivery of its first of two Airbus long-haul widebody A330 aircraft.  In doing so, it becomes the East African launch operator of the aircraft and Airbus’s newest customer. The A330 is the first wide-body aircraft in RwandAir’s fleet and is configured in a comfortable three-class cabin layout with 20 seats in Business, 21 seats in Premium Economy and 203 seats in Economy.

First A330neo comes together

Airbus has commenced the final assembly of its first A330neo, an A330-900, at its Final Assembly Line in Toulouse with the joining of the wings to the centre fuselage at station 40. Both the A330-800 and A330-900 feature a new A350-inspired wing with Sharklet wingtip devices for state-of-the-art aerodynamics, incorporating latest-generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, and the new AirSpace by Airbus cabin for the latest experience in cabin comfort.

Hawaiian upgrades business cabin

Hawaiian Airlines will launch its Airbus A330 Premium Cabin offering fully lie-flat seating for travel across the Pacific, including Auckland, starting in December.  The new cabin features 18 lie-flat leather seats that fold into 180-degree beds that are 20.5in wide and 76in long.