United doubles down on first widebodied Airbus A350s

United Airlines opts for more A350s …
United Airlines is the latest major carrier to switch its widebodied, long-haul aircraft choice to Airbus. For the first time, United is buying the new A350 for its fleet and has expanded its previously existing order for 35 A350-1000s to 45 A350-900s. Airbus delivered its 100th A350 at the end of July. To date, Airbus has recorded a total of 848 firm orders for the A350 from 45 customers worldwide.

… and boosts Auckland capacity
United Airlines will upgrade to new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft when the San Francisco-Auckland service recommences in late October. United has received 14 of these aircraft since the start of the year and has another four aircraft due for delivery by the end of 2017. They have an entirely new cabin fitout featuring the Polaris business class. Polaris customers will also have access to a new lounge at San Francisco International Airport that is due to open in early 2018.

Hong Kong Airlines expands global network
Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) has taken delivery of its first A350-900 and has announced it will launch international routes to London, San Francisco and New York. HKA, part of the Hainan Airlines Group, has ordered 21 A350s, including 15 purchased directly from Airbus and six on lease from third party lessors.

HKA has also unveiled a new premium lounge at Hong Kong Airport. HKA and its sister airline, HK Express, fly to more than 60 destinations. HKA embarked on its global expansion last year with flights to Auckland and Vancouver. It will fly to Los Angeles by the end of the year.

Strata Lounge opens at Auckland Airport

Auckland Airport has opened its new $4 million, 185-seat lounge for international passengers. The Strata Lounge replaces the Emperor Lounge and is for travellers who do not belong to an airline lounge programme. Some 13 airlines have chosen to use the lounge to accommodate their premium passengers.

Australia-Israel linked through codeshare
Qantas and El Al Israel Airlines have agreed on a codeshare that will link flights between Australia and Israel through hubs in Asia and South Africa. Qantas will operate the following routes: Brisbane-Hong Kong, Melbourne-Hong Kong, Sydney-Bangkok, Sydney-Hong Kong and
 Sydney-Johannesburg. El Al
will operate Tel Aviv-Bangkok,
Tel Aviv-Hong Kong
 and Tel Aviv-Johannesburg.

Qantas to upgrade A380 cabins
Qantas has reached an agreement with Airbus to upgrade its 12 flagship A380 cabins in a move it says will further improve passenger comfort on long-haul operations while maximising economics. In particular, the new interior takes advantage of the A380’s large floor area to embody Qantas’ latest seat products for Business Class and Premium Economy. Airbus will be responsible for the overall upper-deck integration. In addition, Airbus will develop a new business lounge area in the forward upper-deck. Installation will have started by mid-2019 and all 12 aircraft will be completed by the end of 2020.

Three-way alliance approved
Air France-KLM shareholders have backed Delta Air Lines and China Eastern Airlines taking minority stakes in an alliance among three of the world’s biggest carriers. Delta in July said it planned to acquire a 10% stake in Air France for €375 million as they strengthen their position in the transatlantic market. China Eastern will buy 10% of Air France. The two carriers will spend a total of €751 million to acquire the stakes in Air France. As part of the deals, Air France-KLM is taking a 31% stake in Virgin Atlantic from majority owner Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group for £220 million. Delta already owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic.

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