Weekly News Debrief: 25 November-1 December

 NEWS HEADLINES THIS WEEK:


Emirates Receives its First A350:

  • Emirates, known to be one of the world's leading airlines, only operated 777s and A380s.
  • On the 25th of November 2024, Emirates took delivery of its first A350, registered A6-EXA, from Toulouse to Dubai.
  • This aircraft is an imperative addition to its fleet, as it will be able to operate out of smaller airports with shorter runways, as compared to the enormous A380s and 777s, thus increasing its connections and route network, previously dominated by Qatar Airways, which has a variety of aircraft, including A320 family jets and 737s.
  • The A350 will fly its inaugural flight to Edinburgh in January 2025, and will also fly to Mumbai and Ahmedabad, in terms for India.
  • The cabin will accommodate 312 passengers in 3 classes of service. The new-generation business class, of the new 777s, will be in 1-2-1 configuration, 21 premium economy seats, as well as 259 economy seats in a 3-3-3 configuration.
British Airways Unveils New First Class:
  • On Monday, 25/11/24, BA announced its new First-Class seats which will be coming to the A380 in 2026.

IndiGo Stretch Routes:
  • IndiGo's new Business Class, IndiGo Stretch, had its inaugural flight earlier this month, and is confirmed to be flying across 12 routes, connecting major metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
  • The seat comes with a 6-way adjustable head rest with neck support, 5 inch deep recline, a 60-watt USB-C outlet along with a universal power outlet and a device holder.
  • It comes in a 2-2 configuration with a starting price of ~INR 18000.
IndiGo Fine:
  • The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) fined IndiGo INR 500000 (5 lakh) for violating aviation security regulations. 
Nagpur Airport Emergency:
  • An Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) is a device installed on aircraft to send out distress signals upon strong impact or can be manually enabled in the cockpit.
  • An ELT signal was caught at Nagpur Airport, leading to ceased operations and panic at Nagpur Airport for 3-hours, on Friday.
  • No aircraft was found in an emergency, so a probe is underway to find the source of the distress signal.
PIA Ban Lifted:
  • Europe has lifted the ban imposed on Pakistan International Airlines, the country's flag carrier.
  • This ban was imposed in 2020 due to an Air Crash in Karachi which left ~100 people dead.

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