Carry On: News for business travellers

Airbus expands wide-bodied family
The Airbus wide-body family has taken off together from Toulouse airport in France for the first time before continuing on separate flight test missions. The trio comprises the A330, the new A350 XWB and the double-decker A380.

Airbus’ design approach ensures that all its aircraft – both widebody and single-aisle – share the highest commonality in airframes, on-board systems, cockpits and handling characteristics Across all its aircraft families.

This significantly reduces operating costs for airlines as pilot, crew and maintenance training times are shorter. Crew management is also more flexible for airlines as they can move pilots and crews easily from one Airbus aircraft to the other.

Lufthansa confirms largest order
German airline Lufthansa confirmed one of the biggest ever aircraft orders and one that is divided between Airbus and Boeing. The Airbus order is for 25 A350-900 aircraft, while Boeing will supply 34 new 777-9Xs. The first of the new models will begin being delivered in 2016.

Lufthansa says they will replace older aircraft such as Boeing 747-700s and Airbus A340-300s, which will be phased out by 2025. The total order, worth €14 billion euros ($22.6 billion) at list prices, is the biggest in the airline’s history. Lufthansa also it is taking options to buy more planes if its business needs demanded it.

Dubai opens second airport complex
Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), which will be the world’s largest aviation complex when fully completed, is set to open for passenger flights next month after receiving certification for operation of its new passenger terminal. Dubai Airports, the company that operates the emirate’s two airports, says the certification paves the way for an opening of the passenger terminal building on October 27.

It is designed to accommodate up to seven million passengers per year. When completed, DWC will be the largest airport in the world with five runways and capacity for 160 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo.

Boston joins Emirates network
Emirates is to launch a further transatlantic link with the start of flights from Dubai to Boston from March 10, 2014. This will be the airline’s eighth route into the US, ninth into North America and 12th into the wider Americas. The flight will be operated by Boeing 777-200LR aircraft on a daily basis. Emirates started flights to America in 2004, beginning with New York.

So far this year, Emirates has launched new routes to Warsaw, Algiers, Tokyo Haneda and Stockholm. In the coming months, flights will begin to Clark International in the Philippines, between Milan and New York, to Conakry in Guinea, Sialkot in Pakistan, Kabul, Kiev and Taipei.

SIA, Tata form Indian airline
Singapore Airlines (SIA) and India's Tata industrial conglomerate are setting up a new full-service airline based in New Delhi. SIA and Tata Sons have signed a memorandum of understanding and applied for government approval for the new carrier.

The partners says its establishment "will help further stimulate demand for air travel," adding the plan would be subject to regulatory approvals including from India's foreign investment promotion board. The new carrier will operate under the full-service model" with Tata Sons owning 51% and SIA 49%.