#QatarAirways yesterday took delivery of its first two #A380 aircraft in a ceremony at the Airbus Hamburg factory.

wow!!!!

Feeling supersonic: What does the future hold for air travel?

Electric cars: the benefits and the barriers lin;virg.in/hiZC1

Could “magic mushrooms” treat depression? Leading scientists think so

 http://cnn.it/1r8SK3v 

Emirates and Jetstar expand codeshare on more routes

Emirates and Jetstar have announced the expansion of their codeshare and frequent flyer relationship, to 30 routes across the Asia Pacific region providing more choice to Emirates customers.

From 26 October 2014*, Emirates will grow its codeshare on Jetstar to include Jetstar Airways services between Melbourne and Ayers Rock (Uluru), Christchurch to Wellington in New Zealand and three new destinations in south-east Asia from Jetstar Asia’s hub in Singapore.

The new codeshare services from Singapore will connect Emirates passengers to Penang in Malaysia, Yangon in Myanmar and Medan in Indonesia.

The additional destinations complement the current 25 routes announced in February this year.

Effective immediately, Skywards members can now also earn Skywards Miles when they book economy Starter Plus, economy Starter Max or Business Max fares on international routes with Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Japan and Valuair, as well as domestic routes within Australia and New Zealand if they connect to an international flight. .

“The expansion of the codeshare with Jetstar is an important milestone as we continue to expand the destinations available to Emirates’ passengers. On Emirates alone we offer 145 destinations and with our partnership with Jetstar we are adding a further 30 routes across the Far East & Australasia region,” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.

“Today’s announcement also benefits our Emirates Skywards members who will now see their miles go even further, be it a holiday in Penang or extra sightseeing in New Zealand,” commented Mr Antinori.

“We are delighted to add Emirates Skywards as a loyalty option for Jetstar customers while also adding more routes to our codeshare partnership,” Jetstar Group Chief Commercial Officer Lisa Brock said.

Emirates customers travelling on Jetstar will enjoy a range of full service fare features such as food and beverage options and the same luggage allowance they would have on Emirates.

All Emirates’ passengers on Jetstar flights will receive boarding passes on check-in at their first international departure point for connecting international service

Members must enter their Emirates Skywards membership number during the booking process and Skywards Miles will be awarded within two weeks of completing the journey.

Jetstar and Emirates Codeshare Flights

Jetstar Airways	Sydney	Ayers Rock (Uluru)
	Sydney	Ballina/Byron Bay
	Sydney	Hamilton Island
	Brisbane	Proserpine
NEW	Melbourne	Ayers Rock (Uluru)
	Melbourne	Ballina/Byron Bay
	Melbourne	Hamilton Island
	Auckland	Christchurch
	Auckland	Dunedin
	Auckland	Wellington
	Auckland	Queenstown
	Auckland	Adelaide
	Auckland	Gold Coast
	Christchurch	Melbourne
	Christchurch	Gold Coast
NEW	Christchurch	Wellington
	Queenstown	Melbourne
	Queenstown	Sydney
	Denpasar	Singapore
Jetstar Asia/Valuair	Singapore	Darwin
	Singapore	Bangkok
	Singapore	Phuket
	Siem Reap	Singapore
	Phnom Penh	Singapore
	Ho Chi Minh	Singapore
NEW	Penang	Singapore
	Jakarta	Singapore
	Kuala Lumpur	Singapore
NEW	Medan	Singapore
NEW	Yangon	Singapore

Emirates press release

Bombardier First to Deliver Honeywell’s High-Speed “Jetwave” Connectivity Hardware for Business Jets

Bombardier to offer consistent, fast in-flight internet virtually anywhere in the world via Honeywell’s Ka-Band-based GX hardware and Inmarsat’s Jet ConneX service Bombardier Business Aircraft will be the launch business aircraft manufacturer for Honeywell Aerospace’s (NYSE: HON) JetWave Ka-Band satellite connectivity system.  Honeywell’s JetWave hardware exclusively supports Inmarsat’s forthcoming Jet ConneX* (JX) service which, when it goes live in 2015, will provide business jet passengers with high-speed, in-flight connectivity virtually anywhere in the world.
Bombardier will be the first business aviation manufacturer to equip JetWave and plans to offer the technology across the Global 5000, Global 6000,Global 7000 and Global 8000 platforms. A retrofit offering will also be available for all Global aircraft currently in service.

“With JetWave securing the backing of a leading business jet manufacturer in Bombardier, we celebrate a major milestone in the evolution of business aircraft connectivity,” said Brian Sill, president, Business and General Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace. “The industry is showing a clear desire for high speed, global, consistent in-flight connectivity and is turning to Honeywell and Inmarsat to deliver it.”

“Our customers want to be online everywhere they go. They will now experience the same level of connectivity in the air that they have come to expect on the ground without a drop in connectivity performance once they leave their homes or offices,” said Eric Martel, president, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “The introduction of this technology allows us to further strengthen the industry-leading cabin experience that we are offering to our customers.”

Honeywell’s JetWave hardware will allow passengers to video-conference, send and receive large files and access streaming content while on the move by enabling them to access Inmarsat’s JX service. A range of service packages will be available to Bombardier customers, enabling them to select the speed that is right for their operations. In an industry first, each service package will be covered by a minimum service guarantee ensuring passengers experience a remarkable step forward in connectivity when compared to currently available technologies.

In 2012, Honeywell signed an agreement with Inmarsat to be the exclusive hardware provider for its Ka-Band GX Aviation connectivity service, branded Jet ConneX for the business aircraft market. Honeywell is also the master distributor of airtime for the business aviation market, working alongside channel partners Satcom1, Aircell, ARINC Direct, Satcom Direct and OnAir.

Airbus says in final stages of A320neo ground tests

(Reuters) – Airbus is conducting the final stage of ground trials as it edges towards the keenly-awaited first flight of its revamped A320neo aircraft, the planemaker said on Tuesday.

The first test aircraft is on the “final run-in” towards its maiden flight, a spokesman said in answer to a query, but added it was too early to predict an exact date.

Airbus is sticking to its target for a first flight in the third quarter, or by the end of September, the spokesman said.

Maiden flights need 

good weather

 and are usually announced just a few days before they are expected to happen.

Industry sources have said the flight was tentatively planned in early September, but had to be pushed back because of a problem with engine testing, raising some concerns that the flight could slip to October.

Airbus and its engine maker Pratt & Whitney have declined to comment on the precise schedule, but analysts are paying close attention because the success of the new fuel-saving version of Airbus’s best-selling A320 jet depends in part on new engine technology to fulfil a backlog of 3,000 orders from airlines.

Another person familiar with the matter said preparations had been disrupted by a problem with a bird strike test.

The test, in which bird carcasses are fired at an engine to test its ability to withstand a potentially dangerous bird strike, is one of several key steps towards certification.

Pratt & Whitney declined to comment on the test.

SOURCE REUTERS,