Carry on: Singapore gets 10,000th Airbus, China Southern's B787-9 order and more

Singapore gets 10,000^th Airbus
Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of its sixth Airbus A350-900 – the 10,000^th aircraft that Airbus has delivered. The airline is the largest A350-900 customer with commitments for 67 firm orders, including seven of the ultra-long-range A350-900ULR (ultra long range) variant.

This aircraft, for which deliveries will begin in 2018, will be used to re-launch non-stop flights from Singapore to New York and Los Angeles. The just delivered A350-900 (pictured) will be used to launch non-stop flights between Singapore and San Francisco later this month.

China Southern buys bigger 787s
Boeing and China Southern Airlines have sealed a $US3.2 billion deal for 12 787-9 Dreamliners. China Southern was the launch customer of the 787 in China and has 10 787-8s in its fleet. They have enabled the Guangzhou-based carrier to launch six new non-stop global routes, connecting Guangzhou to London and Rome in Europe, Vancouver in North America, as well as Perth, Auckland and Christchurch.

Qantas opens Brisbane lounge
The new Qantas Brisbane International Lounge is the first of several new facilities it will open there as part of a multi-million dollar upgrade. The airline’s A330 fleet is being refurbished at the Brisbane Maintenance Facility and the domestic terminal lounges are set for a complete redesign.

The Brisbane International Lounge is based on Qantas’ Hong Kong and Singapore lounge concept, with the food and interior design taking inspiration from the local region. The lounge – split across two levels – offers nearly 30% more space. The furniture is inspired by a relaxed approach to living in the tropical north with timber café seating and low slung lounges. Inset rugs bring colour and texture reminiscent of the reef, sandbars and waterways of Queensland’s coast and inlets.

Best and worst airports for sleeping
Singapore's Changi Airport has topped Canadian travel site Sleeping in Airports’ latest annual survey. It was followed by Seoul Incheon in Korea in second place followed by Tallinn in Estonia, Tokyo Haneda and Helsinki-Vantaa in Finland. The three worst are Jeddah King Abdulaziz in Saudi Arabia, London’s Luton and Reykjavik-Keflavik in Iceland. Wellington Airport was 33rd on the list with Auckland at 48.

More airlines cut Nigeria services
Emirates and Kenya Airways have both announced they will be pulling out of services to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, citing the country's worsening foreign currency shortage. 

Emirates’ last flight is on October 22, while Kenya Airways will exit from November 15. Other foreign operators that have withdrawn from the Nigerian market in past six months include Iberia and United Airlines.

Route news of the week
Sichuan Airlines, the newest Chinese airline planning a service to Auckland, has just launched its Chengdu-Hangzhou-Los Angeles route. It runs twice a week using Airbus A330 aircraft. Hainan Airlines will increase its Beijing-Tel Aviv service to four times weekly from November 6. Vietnam-based Jetstar Pacific plans to add four new international routes in coming weeks. They are: Ho Chi Minh City-Hong Kong four times weekly from November 18; Hanoi-Guangzhou daily from December 1; Da Nang-Taipei Taoyuan three times weekly from December 2 (the airline’s predecessor Pacific Airlines served Ho Chi Minh-Taipei until May 2007);

 and Ho Chi Minh City-Guangzhou five times weekly 
from December 2.