Hong Kong’s national carrier, Cathay Pacific not only has a fine reputation in the air but also on land with its ground breaking contemporary lounges in Hong Kong and other international airports.

Apr 18 -  Air New Zealand is continuing to work with engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce on a global issue involving some of the Trent 1000 engines that power its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet.

Virgin Australia today announced a suite of changes to its Trans-Tasman services, including two new routes and increased frequency into key markets.

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled after strike action in France and Germany.  Air France predicted that one if four flights would be grounded due to action by its employees on Tuesday that was due to continue on Wednesday, with four more walkouts planned this month.

Apr 10 - Singapore Airlines will again increase the number of flights it provides to and from Christchurch over the peak summer season in 2018/2019.

Apr 09 - Air New Zealand has once again been recognised for its outstanding product and service in the second annual 2018 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice™ Awards, with significant wins across multiple categories.

Air New Zealand will launch two new routes across the Tasman from December this year and add an extra 15% seat capacity across all its Tasman services year on year.

Singapore Airlines has unveiled the next generation of regional cabin products for its new Boeing 787-10 fleet, which it says will “redefine travel on flights up to eight hours”.

Boeing can be excused for breaking out the Champagne after beating Airbus to supply 47 new 787 Dreamliner aircraft to American Airlines, following a tight contest with European rival Airbus, which had been pushing its latest models.

“This was a difficult decision between the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350 and A330neo,” American Airlines president Robert Isom said in a statement. Isom thanked both manufacturers “for their aggressive efforts to earn more of American’s business”, explaining that “in the end, our goal to simplify our fleet made the 787 a more compelling choice.”

The decision comes as a double-blow to Airbus, as Hawaiian Airlines recently dropped an order for six A330neos in favour of the B787 Dreamliner.

American Airlines’ decision will more than double its B787 Dreamliner fleet. The new order for 47 B787s includes 28 options. The 47 Dreamliners are valued at more than USD 12 billion at list prices, making American Airlines the largest B787 customer. American Airlines is already the largest airline in the world. The world’s biggest B787 Dreamliner customer currently is Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA).

American earlier ordered 42 B787 Dreamliners and has been using them to open new routes around the world, including Asia Pacific and Europe.

“We are extremely honoured that American Airlines, is deepening its commitment to the 787 Dreamliner. This new order is a powerful endorsement of the 787 family’s unique passenger appeal and unmatched ability to help airlines open new routes and grow profitably,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive Kevin McAllister.

Built with lightweight composite materials and powered by advanced engines, the B787-8 Dreamliner can fly 242 passengers up to 7355 nautical miles (13,620 km) in a typical two-class configuration. The B787-9, a stretch of the 787-8, can fly 290 passengers up to 7635 nautical miles (14,140 km).

|   Written by Peter Needham for GlobalTravelMedia |  ||  April 09, 2018   |||

Tag flights — when an airline lands in one international city and then almost immediately takes off for another — are disappearing from aviation as more airlines launch ultra-long-haul nonstops that make the stop unnecessary. But Qantas will probably keep its Los Angeles-New York nonstop for awhile.