Carry on: Qantas inflight improvements, Emirates' 100th B777-300ER and Melbourne trial risk-based screening

Qantas puts more news in cabins
Qantas passengers will notice an improved inflight entertainment programme next week that provides more choice and variety. It also features more regular and in-depth news coverage as a result of a new partnership with Sky News, Foxtel and Fox Sports. Brand marketing and corporate affairs executive Olivia Wirth says, “This means multiple, daily news updates seven days a week, 100 hours more TV and movie content, 160 hours of box set viewing, triple the number of new release albums and double the number of blockbusters.”

Emirates’ 100th B777-300ER
Emirates has taken delivery of its 100th Boeing 777-300ER, the world’s largest, long-range twin-engined commercial aircraft. It flies to 77 Emirates’ destinations, including including the world’s sixth longest commercial flight between Dubai and Houston, which is a total distance of 13,120km. Delivery of Emirates’ first Boeing 777-300ER was in March 2005 and with a further 52 aircraft on order, the airline is the world’s largest operator of this aircraft type  – in fact one in every five 777-300ERs flying today is in Emirates’ livery.

Emirates says ‘Hello Budapest’
Emirates this week launched a daily non-stop service to Budapest, with direct connections at Dubai from all of the airline’s four daily services from New Zealand. The flight using Airbus A330-200 aircraft in a two-class configuration boosts Emirates’ destinations in Central Europe, including Vienna, Prague and Warsaw.

Melbourne trial risk-based security
Melbourne Airport, Qantas Airways, Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) signed an agreement to work together to develop a Smart Security pilot programme for delivery at Melbourne Airport in 2015. Smart Security is a joint project between IATA and ACI that aims to shift security screening towards a more passenger friendly and efficient process. It does this by using risk-based technologies. Melbourne is the fourth airport to adopt the system after Amsterdam’s Schiphol, London Heathrow and Doha’s Hamad airports.