دحلاا

Cairo Airport receives first EgyptAir flight coming from Newark Airport

Cairo International Airport received the first EgyptAir flight coming from Newark Airport, New Jersey on Sunday. The plane was received by water salute to welcome the operation of this line, on board EgyptAir’s latest Boeing B787-9, which has 309 seats equipped with personal screens, divided to 30 seats in business class and 279 seats in economy class. The launch of these new flights comes in accordance with the expansion and development strategy that the company is currently pursuing under the umbrella of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

This includes updating the company’s fleet with the latest aircraft models, and expanding its airline network to many vital and important markets around the world, which will contribute to strengthening tourism, cultural and commercial relations.

Ethiopian Airlines selects GX Aviation inflight broadband

Pan-African carrier Ethiopian Airlines, will offer advanced, high-speed inflight broadband to passengers onboard its upcoming Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, with GX Aviation provided by Inmarsat, recently acquired by Viasat, and selected through the Airbus Airspace Link HBCplus programme.

As one of the launch airlines for inflight connectivity )IFC( through Airbus’s HBCplus programme, Ethiopian Airlines will benefit from a more streamlined, efficient order process that will ensure its latest aircraft meet the rapidly growing passenger demand to stay connected while flying.

Inmarsat’s latest Passenger Experience Survey found that 97 per cent of respondents use their personal devices on flights for entertainment, such as streaming movies and TV shows, keeping up with work, and to stay in touch with family and friends. In addition, 82 per cent of passengers are more likely to rebook with an airline that offers quality inflight Wi-Fi.

The first of Ethiopian Airlines’ Airbus A350-1000 aircraft is set to be delivered in the Third Quarter )Q3( of 2024, with passengers able to benefit from GX Aviation’s connectivity technology. This supports the airline’s Vision 2035 Strategy which focuses on expanding its fleets, enhancing its passenger experience and maintaining its leading position in the airline industry.

Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “As we endeavour to maintain our position as Africa’s number one and among the leading airlines globally, we know one of the key success factors is giving our passengers the best possible onboard experience. Connectivity is a crucial part of our services and products; and bringing Inmarsat’s best-in-class GX Aviation service to our passengers, as part of Airbus’ HBCplus programme, is a major step forward. We want to give our passengers the possibility to stream, surf, and chat from thousands of feet in the air, no matter where their route or destination is. Inmarsat’s seamless, truly global inflight connectivity will be vital to deliver this. We look forward to a very successful partnership with Inmarsat and Airbus, now and in the years to come.”

Niels Steenstrup, President, Aviation, Inmarsat, said: “We were selected as the first managed services provider )MSP( for the Airbus HBCplus programme last year, with a scope that includes connectivity, digital portal services and ISP capability. The fact that we have already been selected by two leading airlines is a great achievement and we are excited about delivering our award-winning GX Aviation inflight broadband to Ethiopian Airlines’ passengers starting from next year. This will enable them to stream videos, browse the Internet, shop online, enjoy social media and more, all from the comfort of their seats and using their personal devices.”

Andre Schneider, Airbus VP Cabin and Cargo Programme, said: “We are delighted that Ethiopian Airlines has selected our agnostic and flexible high-bandwidth connectivity solution – HBCplus. This is further endorsement from our valued airline customers of the confidence they place in Airbus to devise and integrate enhanced inflight capabilities for their passengers to experience. Airspace Link HBCplus provides satcom based off-board connectivity for the Airspace Link open ecosystem, available both in linefit and retrofit. Initially encompassing Ka-band services, it will enable the airline to connect to a choice of Managed Service Providers )MSPs(, in this case with Inmarsat – via a new certified terminal and antenna built as part of the aircraft.”

Powered by Inmarsat’s Global Xpress satellite network, GX Aviation delivers connectivity on every aircraft, on any route, and for every passenger. Airline customers will also benefit from seven more Inmarsat satellite payloads entering service by 2025, increasing its Ka-band network fleet to 12. This includes two Inmarsat-6s, both of which have already launched, followed by two payloads in highly elliptical orbit, enabling the world’s only commercial mobile broadband service for flights in higher latitudes and across the Arctic. This delivers uninterrupted connectivity on high-elevation routes. Three additional satellites will then launch in geostationary orbit, adding further speed, capacity, and resilience.

SpiceJet plans to add 10 narrow-body Boeing aircraft, including five B737 Max

No-frills airline SpiceJet, which is trying to keep afloat amid several aircraft of its fleet being grounded over payment issues with lessors, on Friday said it plans to add 10 narrow-body Boeing aircraft, including five B737 Max, on lease by October. In the intervening period, the airline is working on restoring and reviving its grounded aircraft which will start returning back to service soon, SpiceJet said in a statement.

These are all the strikes at European airports you need to watch out for right now

It’s a tough time to be working in the aviation industry. Faced with staff shortages and huge levels of disruption, many workers at airlines and airports are facing long, stressful hours and poor working conditions. And, thanks to the cost of living crisis and pandemic pay cuts, loads of them are doing it all for lower wages, too.

Needless to say, it’s no wonder that so many staff at airports and airlines have already gone on strike over the past few months.

From Italy and Belgium to Portugal and France, airports across Europe have seen thousands of flights delayed and cancelled by industrial action. Strikes can, obvs, have a serious impact on your holiday, so it’s best to be as informed about them as possible. Read on for our guide to who’s going on strike in Europe right now, where and when those strikes will happen – and whether you need to worry about them.

Heathrow strikes this summer

There will be strikes at London’s Heathrow Airport every weekend this summer, with 2,000 security officers who are members of the Unite union on track to walk out on 31 days between June 24 and August 27.

Air traffic controllers in France are striking on June 6, with disruption expected from 6pm on June 5 to 6am on June 7. Workers are striking in response to government plans to increase the retirement age. Air France reckons that as many as three out of every ten flights from French airports could be cancelled by the strike. What happens if your airline goes on strike?

If the staff on strike cause your flight to be delayed or cancelled, the airline is usually obliged to help you and/or provide compensation. However, this often depends on the conditions of carriage of your airline, as well as the extent of your travel insurance. These should both be easily accessed on either your airline or insurer’s website.

However, if you book your flight already knowing that a strike is set to take place )ie. it’s already been announced by the union(, you are exceptionally unlikely to receive compensation. Before you book, be sure to check for any strike dates not just at your intended airline but also at departure and arrival airports. Of course, it’s worth bearing in mind that the threat of a strike is exactly that: a threat. Strikes are primarily used as bargaining chips in negotiations between unions and employers, so there’s always the chance that both sides will come to an agreement before one actually takes place.

In any case, if your journey involves any of the above airlines, destinations and dates, be sure to keep an eye on your flight status and prepare for a more disrupted journey than expected.