THE NEW DO’S AND DON’T’S WHEN FLYING There are some new and unusual new announcements finding their way into the classic speech of flight attendants. These warnings come as post-covid and a super-clean environment is now expected, but in fact, it is clearly far from the reality! One passenger was advised not to fall asleep on the plane and rest their head against the window as it is ‘not that clean’. Another warning – do not wear shorts on a flight, to avoid direct contact with the seat material as ‘a plane can be incredibly unhygienic’. Finally, never press with your bare hand the flush button in the on-board toilet. Use a piece of toilet paper!
LATAM LINKS FALKLANDS FROM CHILE The air link between Punta Arenas, southern Chile, and the Falkland Islands has begun again, after an absence of over 2 years due to the pandemic. There were many Chilean residents on the Falkland Islands who were stuck there throughout the pandemic and so many had to travel with expired passports and visas, but did so with the help of a special Chilean authorities counter at the airport. The LATAM flight will be weekly with a stop once a month in Rio Gallegos, Argentina.
HONG KONG, CHINA OPENS 3RD RUNWAY Hong Kong’s Chep Lap Kok International Airport rd (HKG) has officially opened its new 3 runway. Flagship carrier Cathay Pacific’s was the use the new runway. The project cost UK£15billion, which also involved reclaiming land from the sea; approximately 1600 acres. The plan for the 3rd runway dates back to 2012 when the original proposal was given the green light by the Hong Kong government. Also part of the grand plan is to expand Terminal 2, the development of a new T2 Concourse, Automatic People Mover and Baggage Handling System. It aims to be complete in 2024. HKG is expected to handle over 120 million passengers and around 10 million metric tons of cargo by 2035.
AIR FRANCE RENEWS ITS FLEET Air France continues to integrate some of the newest and most efficient aircraft into its fleet. By 2030, the new aircraft will make up 70% of the Air France fleet - compared to 7% today. It has received its 10th Airbus A220-300, the latest addition to its medium-haul fleet and used it to fly the Paris-Venice route. Between now and the end of 2025, 60 A220-300s will gradually replace some of Air France’s medium-haul aircraft. With up to 15 deliveries scheduled each year, this is the fastest fleet integration of an aircraft in the history of Air France.
