Page 82 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2017 Online Magazine

FEATURE REGIONAL AIRLINES

work to increase the seat count and maintain The enhanced Business Class seat on new ABOVE: Qatar Airways’ premium
the perceived quality of the aircraft and this Boeing 777 aircraft, has a seat pitch of 72 cabin was awarded Skytrax’s
is what we are doing right now,” he indicated. inches that can be moved into a fully flat 180 World’s Best Business Class and its
Al Mourjan Business Lounge was
Airbus will now focus on reducing the fixed degree sleeping position, a personal mini-bar, named Best Business Class Lounge
costs associated with the programme to as well as a 23-inch TV screen with the ability by Skytrax
sustain a production rate of one aircraft to stream personal mobile content.
per month for the next few years. Any OPPOSITE PAGE: Etihad added
86 airplanes in its first decade of
increase in the production rate will only take Qatar Airways operations and carried in excess
place then when additional orders can be Qatar Airways appears to be having a of 11 million passengers over 97
obtained.” Airbus is presently looking a new smoother ride amid the turbulence affecting routes
configuration which will see the addition of the other middle-eastern carriers and has
close to 50 additional seats on the A380, announced that it will continue to grow
which will be done by optimising the cabin in its 20th year. The airline added 14 new
layout. Emirates presently operates a fleet international destinations to its network and
of 88 A380s and is to take delivery of 54 19 new jetliners to its fleet in 2016. In a span
more airplanes. The airplanes are configured of just two decades, the airline has grown its
in a three-class 491 seat layout with 14 fleet to 192 of the most modern commercial
private suites in First Class, 76 lie flat seats airplanes in the world with an average fleet
in Business Class and 401 seats in Economy age of only five years. As launch customer
Class. Emirates’ new Airbus A380 feature for the A350, it now operates a fleet of 13
an enhanced seat configuration in Economy A350s and has placed orders for 30 B787-
Class, and a higher ceiling with more space in 9 Dreamliners and 10 777-300ERs, worth
the Business Class Cabin. Its new Boeing 777- US$11.7 billion (at list prices). It has also
300ERs which entered service in November signed a Letter of Intent for up to 60 737
2016, now feature a new Business Class seat. Max 8s valued at US$6.9 billion. The airline
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