CARRY ON: News for business travellers

Desert designs for Etihand's new A380s
Etihad Airways has unveiled new livery design for its first Airbus A380 as rolled out of the paint hangar at the Airbus Finkenwerder facility in Hamburg, Germany.

Created by brand consultants Landor Associates, the new livery is inspired by traditional Emirati patterns, the landscapes of the desert and the geometric shapes found in the modern architecture of Abu Dhabi. The new livery will be introduced across its 100-strong fleet over the next three years.

The design is called Facets of Abu Dhabi and uses a colour palette that ranges from the darker sands of Liwa to the lighter colours seen in the Northern Emirates. Etihad says the design development has involved researching design options among Emiratis and international travellers to help select the final winning livery.

The UAE national emblem is given prominence along the fuselage next to the Etihad name and the national flag is respectfully featured forward near the cockpit. Etihad expects A380s will operate to Sydney during 2015 after it receives its fourth and fifth aircraft. The airline has 10 of the double-decker airliners on firm order.

Extra Christchurch flights to Singapore
Singapore Airlines will add five additional flights to Christchurch over the summer period, on top of the 18 supplementary flights already announced for the season. The flights will depart Christchurch on December 19 and 21, with three more flights departing on February16, 17 and 23. The extra services are due to heavy demand, partly due to increased tourism for the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

LAX introduces passenger kiosks
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) says passengers can expect to clear immigration quicker after the launch of 40 Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks at Tom Bradley International Terminal. The kiosks are applicable for 38 Visa Waiver Countries, including New Zealand, who have registered with the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).

The APC kiosks – featuring 13 languages – allow international travellers, including family groups, to submit customs declaration forms and biographic information electronically, reducing the amount of time spent with a Customs officer. 

LAX expects some 70 million passengers will travel through the airport this year, of which 19 million are international travellers. The $US2 million project, with each APC kiosk costing $US36,000, will also put them into LAX’s secondary international terminal, Terminal 2, which recently commenced a $US320 million renovation, scheduled to be finished in 2016.

Air France-KLM pilots stop budget airline
Air France-KLM has shelved plans to expand its Transavia low-cost airline across Europe in a bid to halt a crippling pilots' strike at its French arm that has cost the company millions of euros.

Pilots walked out on September 15 to oppose the project and demanded that all the group's pilots be given the same working conditions and benefits as those at its French arm. They feared the company would use Transavia to replace France-based pilots with those in countries where salaries are lower.

After a 10-day strike that has cost the company up to €20 million ($32 million) a day, Air France-KLM says instead of creating Transavia offshoots in other European countries it will now only expand the airline in France.

Lufthansa pilots plan more action
Pilots at Lufthansa are planning a new round of strikes after the latest breakdown in negotiations retirement benefits. The Vereinigung Cockpit union says strike days will be announced soon.

Last week, Lufthansa pilots called off plans to strike at the Frankfurt airport after the company published details of the retirement package it proposed to their union. The dispute focuses on shifts in retirement benefits stemming from changes in mandatory retirement ages.

Currently, pilots can retire and continue to receive 60% of their wages as of age 55. Lufthansa has said this early retirement benefits plan is antiquated, given recent changes in European Union laws, which now allow pilots to fly until age 65.