Carry on: Emirates unveils new B777-300 business class seat

Emirates upgrades B777-300 business cabins
Emirates unveiled its new business class seat at the ITB Berlin travel show. The seat will be installed in all Emirates’ new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft delivered from November 2016 onward.  The typical configuration remains 2-3-2, featuring a third seat in the middle of the cabin (see pictures), and the total number on each aircraft will still be 42. The new seat has a pitch of 72in and the latest touchscreen controller allows the seat to be electrically converted into a fully flat sleeping position at 180 degrees. The personal TV screens have been extended to 23 inches and additional amenities include a conveniently located mini-bar and improved lighting. Emirates 

Qatar to boost NZ visitors numbers
Auckland Airport says Qatar Airways’ new daily service between Doha and Auckland, starting on December 3, will deliver an additional 189,070 seats to the route and contribute $198 million to the economy in extra tourists. Norris Carter, the airport’s general manager, aeronautical commercial, says the flight will link Auckland into a fleet of 177 aircraft that services more than 150 destinations in six continents. “We expect this new route to New Zealand to be very popular with European travellers, providing them with a high quality in-flight service and a great transit experience through the new Hamad International Airport,” he says. At nearly 18 hours, the flight will be the longest scheduled service in the world.

Jetstar pulls Brisbane-Honolulu
Jetstar is pulling out of the Brisbane-Honolulu route from December. It says with the high US dollar and competition from Hawaiian Airlines it will be more profitable to add flights to Bali and Phuket. Jetstar will continue to operate the Melbourne-Honoulu, where it has a monopoly. Hawaiian offers daily flights from Sydney and four times a week from Brisbane, while Jetstar flies to Hawaii five times a week from Sydney and up to seven times a week in peak season. Qantas also flies five times a week from Sydney.

Airbus tests new engine for A321neo
The first Airbus A321neo single-aisle plane powered by new generation Pratt & Whitney engines has made its first test flight from the Hamburg assembly facility to the company’s Toulouse headquarters. Delays in getting the engine ready led Airbus to test the new aircraft with engines from CFM, a joint venture of General Electric and France’s Safran. But Airbus says the first A321neo to go to an airline customer will still feature Pratt engines. Delivery is planned toward year-end. The first A320neo planes using the Pratt engine are already in service with Lufthansa.

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