Airlines saving lives with trashed leather

Aviation isn't known as the most eco-friendly industry. Carbon emissions aside, running an airline produces an incredible amount of waste. Everything from uneaten food to outdated uniforms is potential landfill fodder.

Southwest Airlines, for one, has decided to do something about it. After a large-scale redesign of many of its 737 aircraft, the carrier found itself with an excess of 80,000 leather seat covers -- enough to fill the Empire State Building.

"We had this idea of 'could we do something with this leather beyond recycling it or shredding it? Could we repurpose it?'" says Marilee McInnis, the airline's senior manager of culture and communications.

Following the advice of Bill Tiffany, a Southwest VP who grew up in Kenya, the airline started looking towards Africa for recipients of the used leather. Rather than just donating the goods and leaving it there, the airline decided to take a more holistic approach, giving the materials to NGOs that will use them to provide job training and health education.

The main partner is SOS Children's Villages Kenya, which is providing paid apprenticeships and training to orphaned youth, who in turn make shoes and soccer balls from the leather. The shoes are given to Maasai Treads, who distributes them as part of a campaign to fight debilitating foot parasites. The soccer balls are donated to Alive & Kicking, a charity that uses sport to educate young people on HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention.

Alive & Kicking uses sport for health education

COURTESY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

"It's really easy to donate and walk away. We didn't want to do that. The leather is finite, but the skills these young people will learn will hopefully take them through their lives," says McInnis.

The redesign was itself an environmental measure. The seats were reupholstered with E-leather, a substance created from scraps the leather industry discards. The material is also lighter, reducing the weight of each aircraft by 600 pounds, and saving on fuel.

An upcycling uptick?

Though Luv Seat is perhaps the largest airline-led upcycling initiative, it is not the first of its kind. When KLM redesigned cabin crew uniforms in 2011, the carrier had the surplus fabric woven into the carpets that lined the business class cabin in the then-new 747-400 fleet. Air France last year had old uniforms recycled into car insulation, and in the past has repurposed plastic meal trays to create cutlery, and used the cables from seat backs to make headphones.

"When we launch a new product, we always ask, 'what is the life cycle of this product and what will we do with it at the end of its life?'" says Sophie Virapin, Air France's vice president of sustainable development.

It's a trend that's only likely to grow.

"This is a new area for us, and with the leather, we're just dipping our toe in the water," explains McInnis.

Qatar Airways releases first images of A350 Xtra Wide Body aircraft

Qatar Airways, the launch customer of the Airbus A350 Xtra Wide Body aircraft is set to receive its first delivery before the end of this year.

The airline has ordered 80 of the widebody A350 XWB which will be deployed on a wide variety of routes served by the Qatar Airways network.

The A350 MSN005 development aircraft recently concluded a world tour, touching down in 14 cities, demonstrating its readiness for airline operations on a global scale.

Qatar Airways Group chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker said that the airline is currently in the midst of a massive fleet expansion programme and the incoming delivery of the Airbus A350 XWB type into the fleet will be a significant milestone for the airline.

“We take pride in introducing the latest products and services available to the industry and this new aircraft is a prime example of that. We look forward to offering to our passengers even more choice and variety in the young and modern fleet which we operate to more than 140 destinations across the world.”

Analyst Saj Ahmad commented: “As Airbus wraps up flight testing on the A350-900, Qatar Airways will be eager to get their hands on their first example in a matter of weeks time once all certification paperwork has been signed off.

“Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines designed to operate in the harsh heat of the Arabian desert to the cooler Arctic climes, Qatar Airways knows just how to induct and operate a 21st Century jet given the breadth and wealth of experience they have amassed with the 787-8 fleet, which had gone through a variety of post-in-service updates to make the airplane even more better than advertised.”

Ahmad added: “It stands to reason that the A350-900 will also suffer in-service issues that may not have cropped up during flight testing, but Qatar Airways will be safe in the knowledge  that Airbus, like Boeing did with the 787, pull out all the stops to help get the A350-900 maturity and dispatch reliability rate as close to 100% as it can.

“With a mix of 80 A350s on order, Qatar Airways, like its other GCC peers in Emirates and Etihad is eager to expand its network and products to give customers superior quality and connections in the air.”

Etihad Airways donates AED70,000 to assist the work of Breast Cancer Arabia

Qatar Airways is set to be the main sponsor at French Classic automobile event

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Domaine de Chantilly, this classic car gathering allows those interested in classic design and the art of travel to gather in a unique location – The Chantilly Castle – to celebrate the finest aspects of French living. This highly anticipated gathering is set to take place in stunning landscaped gardens, surrounding two buildings: the Petit Château, and the Grand Château. The site houses the famous Musée Condé, the first museum of classical paintings in France after Le Louvre. Known all around the world, the museum showcase more than 800 chefs-d’oeuvres and an exceptional collection of precious books in the Cabinet des Livres.  It is in this setting that an important number of classic cars will be gathered in the following categories:  Le Concours d’Etat, Le Concours d’Elegance and Le Grand Prix des Clubs. Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, said: “This event will bring together a dynamic combination of both the arts and elegance, attracting classic car enthusiasts from all over the globe. “Qatar Airways is proud to sponsor this unique event and is sure those in attendance will benefit not only from the display of some of the most beautiful cars in the world, but memorable experiences, all set against the spectacular backdrop of Chantilly.” VIP guests will also partake in an exclusive gala dinner, the ‘Grand Ecuries’, on Saturday 6th September at which guests will dine amongst a unique equestrian display by Sophie Bienaimé, Artistic Director of the Living Museum of the Horse, a museum dedicated to equine art and culture. - See more at: http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/qatar-airways-is-set-to-be-the-main-sponsor-at-french-classic-automobile-event.html#sthash.MJebeSnf.dpuf

flydubai adds three new routes in East Africa

Flydubai has announced the addition of three new East African routes, bringing the total number of destinations in the carrier's network to 80. With the launch of flights in September 2014 to Bujumbura in Burundi, Entebbe in Uganda and Kigali in Rwanda, flydubai will fly to nine destinations in Africa.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer of flydubai, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of three new East African destinations which also sees flydubai become the first national carrier from the UAE to fly to Rwanda and Burundi, underlining our commitment to opening up underserved markets.”

flydubai’s operation to these emerging markets will provide passengers with a reliable, direct and high-quality service. Business Class, which is made available for the first time between Dubai and Burundi, will give passengers travelling to these new destinations a more comfortable and personalised travel experience.

“We have announced 17 new destinations since the start of 2014, matching the total number of destinations flydubai launched last year. We look forward to continuing to expand our network as we remain committed to supporting Dubai’s trade and tourism sectors,” continued Al Ghaith.

In addition to operating between Dubai and these three new cities, flydubai has obtained the rights to carry passengers between Uganda and Burundi.

Rwanda and Burundi are home to some of the most biodiverse places. Filled with numerous volcanoes, nature reserves and the second deepest lake in the world, the two countries also have one third of the world’s remaining Mountain Gorillas and one third of Africa’s bird species. While tourism is the largest contributor to Rwanda and Burundi’s economies, Uganda is considered one of Africa’s most progressive economies and is emerging as one of the leading commercial centres within Africa.

Within Africa, flydubai currently operates flights to Alexandria in Egypt, Khartoum and Port Sudan in Sudan, Juba in South Sudan, Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa as well as Djibouti’s capital Djibouti.

Etihad Airways launches new ambulance service for employees

An ambulance service for Etihad Airways has started operations in Abu Dhabi, as part of the airline's commitment to provide world-class medical emergency response for its employees.

Based at the Etihad Airways Medical Centre in Etihad Plaza, the high-tech ambulance provides a 24/7 emergency medical service for the airline’s employees in the capital city. From today, employees can dial a special emergency number to call the ambulance. 

Operated by Abu Dhabi’s National Ambulance, the service is staffed by professionally trained and experienced emergency medical technicians (EMT). 

National Ambulance is accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), is fully licensed by the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi and has also attained ISO standards accreditations of 9001, 14001 and OHSAS 18001. 

Ray Gammell, Etihad Airways’ chief people and performance officer, said: “The launch of this unique service is part of our expanding employee healthcare program, aimed at providing our employees with the right care at the right time. 

“The new ambulance joins a range of best-in-class services for our employees, which support their health and wellbeing, and include fitness programs, family visa application assistance, children’s education assistance and an on-site nursery. 

“We take our duty of care very seriously. This service reinforces Etihad Airways as an employer of choice and reflects our commitment to the ongoing wellbeing of our employees.”

The ambulance is fitted with modern medical emergency equipment and supplies including heart defibrillators, oxygen cylinders, intravenous drips, spinal and traction splints, foldable stretchers and medicines. 

Dr Nadia Bastaki, Etihad Airways’ vice president of Medical Services, said: “In a medical emergency, we recognise the importance of providing a rapid response. Treatment starts as soon as the patient is onboard the ambulance and continues on the journey to the hospital. 

“Our number one priority is to provide an optimal level of care for an employee needing emergency support, which our EMTs are fully trained to deliver.” 

Employee medical services have been offered since 2004 with the Etihad Airways Medical Centre opening in 2010. Staffed by nearly 30 medical experts including 10 doctors, the Centre provides top quality medical services for 13,800 of the airline’s Abu Dhabi-based employees including radiology, full laboratory services, physiotherapy, mammography, dental, nutrition counselling, primary care and aviation health services.

- See more at: http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/etihad-airways-launches-new-ambulance-service-for-employees.html#sthash.fjYYu8Dt.dpuf

Turkish Airlines grows network in East Africa with flights to Asmara

Turkish Airlines, has announced flights to Asmara in Eritrea, the 27th country destination in Africa where the global carrier now flies to 42 destinations.

Turkish Airlines Asmara flights operate from Istanbul 3 days a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Promotional round trip fares are available from Istanbul to Asmara starting at €464, including all taxes. Miles&Smiles members receive 25% miles discount for tickets booked in first 6 months of operations to newly opened destinations, with the option of class upgrades.