As reported here on Aviation roundtable blog,  https://aviationroundtable.blogspot.com/2019/11/emirates-airline-to-operate-historic.html?m=1 Emirates airline made history on Friday when it set a new record for the largest number of nationalities on a single flight.The A380, with its one-off Year of Tolerance livery, took off from Dubai International Airport as part of celebrations marking this year’s UAE National Day. The plane, carrying more than 500 passengers, flew over all seven emirates at low altitude, allowing those on the ground to watch the aircraft.On board were Emirates residents from 145 different countries - a new and official Guinness World Record. Flight EK2019 took off from Dubai shortly after 12pm and was in the air for a little over an hour and a half. Its striking livery depicted a line of people from different backgrounds and cultures, all holding hands in a show of solidarity. Once airborne, the jet initially headed towards the coast of Umm Al Quwain

Emirates will operate a historic one-off A380 flight on 29 November, 2019 (Flight EK2019) in an unprecedented effort to bring together and celebrate the vibrant multicultural communities of the UAE onto one flight.The airline will attempt to welcome as many nationalities as possible onto flight EK2019, for a special flight journey around the UAE. The A380 commissioned for this flight will be decorated with a colourful and bespoke ‘Year of Tolerance’ livery, showcasing a panorama of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures holding hands, celebrating the UAE’s message of multiculturalism. Aviation brings the world together, and as a global airline operating across 6 continents, Emirates brings people together, and enables cultural exchange and understanding through travel, mobility and its long-standing support of sports and the arts. On average, Emirates carries more than 50 nationalities any given flight across its network and through its home and hub of Dubai. Much like t

Turkish Airlines has announced it will add a fourth route to China before the end of 2019, the 20th anniversary of Turkish Airlines’ first operations in China. The airline will offer customers direct flights from Istanbul to Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi province. The new route to Xi’an will be Turkish Airlines’ fourth to China, alongside Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.The only other European airline flying to the city is Finnair. With the addition of Turkish Airlines’ fourth route to China, the capacity for tourism and business connections between the two countries continues to grow. Xi’an is one of China’s oldest and most historically significant cities. It was also the Eastern terminus of the fabled Silk Road, making it a must-visit destination for history buffs. At the other end of the Silk Road sat Istanbul, making the new Istanbul to Xi’an route all the more significant. Turkish Airlines with the mantra of been the airline that flies to the most countries continues t

Nigeria's, west and central Africa leading airline, Airpeace received it's first 737-800NG aircraft. This bold move is part of the airlines drive to boost operations and capacity both for domestic and regional routes. The airlines order for the brand new Boeing 737 Max is clouded with uncertainty due to the certification problems bedeviling the aircraft. Therefore this move is seen as a way to cushion the effect of that uncertainty and also providing seemless travel experience to their teeming passengers. The aircraft arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 8 p.m. on Thursday from Europe. It is fitted with 160 seats comprising 16 Business Class and 144 economy class seats. Airpeace expansion drive is a breath of fresh air despite the airline operating in a challeging environment. The airline continues to surmount all obstacles and also opening new frontier into becoming a leading airline in the region.

Africa's largest airline, Ethiopian Airlines will commence the inaugural Airbus A350 flight on Sunday, November 10th to Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. This service will be operated five times weekly between Toronto and Addis Ababa replacing B777-200LR used on this route. In a statement, Samson Arega, Ethiopian Airlines Canada country manager said  “We’re excited about the arrival of our Airbus 350 to Toronto, a city where we have been flying direct now for over seven years. Canada is a very important market for us, and we are committed to providing our customers with the ultimate travel experience.” Passengers onboard this brand new aircraft should expect the state of the art special features fitted in the aircraft.Passengers with smart devices can connect to in-flight WiFi, while others can use smart individual touch screens on their seats. WiFi is provided via “state-of-the-art broadband satellite technology” that will allow travelers to send emails and u

Cebu Pacific has signed a firm order with Airbus for 16 long-range A330neo aircraft.The order firms up the wide-body portion of a previously announced Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which also includes commitments for 10 A321XLR and five A320neo single-aisle aircraft. The A330neo ordered by Cebu Pacific is a higher-capacity version of the A330-900, with up to 460 seats in a single-class configuration. Cebu Pacific plans to operate the aircraft on trunk routes within the Philippines and the rest of Asia, as well as on longer range services to Australia and the Middle East. In a statement to mark the occasion, Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific President and CEO, said: “The A330neo is integral to our fleet modernization program. With this purchase, we aim to reduce our fuel emission and build a more sustainable operation. This will also give us the lowest cost per seat, at the same time enabling CEB to increase seat capacity and maximize valuable airport slots in Manila and other

South African Airways have finally received the first of the much anticipated Airbus  A350-900. The flag-carrier disclosed in mid-year that it was intending to lease two A350-900s and, on 31 October, the first of them arrived at its base in Johannesburg as was reported here. https://aviationroundtable.blogspot.com/2019/07/south-african-airways-leases-two-airbus.html?m=1 The Aircraft was received after a ferry flight from Singapore were it was repainted to the livery of the national carrier. SAA plans to put the initial A350 into service on its transatlantic route to New York JFK, replacing the Airbus A340-600. The twinjet is configured with 339 seats in two classes, with 30 lie-flat seats in the business cabin. The airline states that the first six economy-class seat rows include larger legroom. In a statement to mark the occasion, SAA acting chief executive Zuks Ramasia says the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered aircraft will "contribute to the airline's operational ef