31-03-2016

Source Breaking travel news

American Airlines has submitted an application to the United States department of transportation for daily service between Los Angeles International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport.

“This new route would solidify Los Angeles as American’s West Coast gateway to Asia and it would be our only Beijing access from the western United States, creating new connections to one of Asia’s major business and leisure destinations,” said Andrew Nocella, chief marketing officer for American Airlines.

“Beijing is one of the world’s great cities, and nonstop service from LAX would be a great complement to our existing China service.”

If approved, American would begin LAX-PEK service on December 16th, 2016.

Since 2013, American has more than doubled the number of destinations it serves in the Asia-Pacific region.

American currently offers or has announced service from LAX to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo (Haneda and Narita airports), Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand.

By June, American will have completed two new gates at LAX to support more than 20 new daily flights to nine new year-round and seasonal destinations and added frequencies to existing domestic markets.

When the new flights begin June 2nd, American will operate more than 220 daily flights at LAX with service to more than 70 destinations around the world.

As part of American’s $3 billion investment in the customer experience, the airline is adding more all-aisle access; fully lie-flat seats; international Wi-Fi; more in-flight entertainment options and power outlets; and improved food and beverage offerings.

Starting this spring, American will redefine its exclusive Flagship Lounge location at LAX with more expansive spaces, more modern furnishings and access for more premium customers.

Throughout 2017, American will introduce Flagship Dining, a one-of-a- kind, pre-flight meal with full tableside service and elegant dining, at LAX.

First Class customers on American’s three-class international and transcontinental flights will have exclusive access to Flagship Dining.

31-03-2016

Source Air cargo week

Emirates is to serve London 10 times a day with a fourth daily flight to Gatwick Airport from 1 October.

The airline will use a Boeing 777-300ER for the fourth daily flight, which through the cargo division, Emirates SkyCargo, will offer about 20 tonnes of cargo capacity. UK exports carried on Emirates flights mainly consist of perishables, construction equipment, electronics and automotive and aircraft spare parts. Flight EK023 will leave Dubai at 09.50h and arrive in London at 14.30h. The return flight, EK024, will leave London at 16.50h, arriving in Dubai at 02.40h.

Gatwick Airport chief executive officer, Stewart Wingate says: “We are delighted with Emirates’ decision to introduce a fourth daily service from Gatwick to Dubai … This fourth daily service to Dubai complements Gatwick’s growing network of long haul connections with over 50 global destinations flown to this year alone.”

Emirates also operates six daily flights to Heathrow Airport as well as two SkyCargo freighters to Heathrow a week.

31-03-2016

Source Arabian aero space

Dubai is to introduce a 35 Dirham airport-service fee on all passengers leaving the emirate, including transfers.

The fee will be collected by the airlines on departures after June 30 and transferred to Dubai Airports. It is expected that some of the money will support the expansion projects in the newly opened Concourse D, as well as go to the renovation of Terminal 1.

31-03-2016

Source Air cargo week

Turkish Cargo has served as a ‘Super Hero’ for the first time transporting the Batmobile around the globe as part of the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie.

The carrier added Metropolis and Gotham City to its flight line, moving the Batmobile from the US to London on an intercontinental cargo flight.

Turkish Cargo became the official air transport carrier of the Batmobile as part of Turkish Airlines’ partnership with the film and will carry it to launch events of the movie at various locations.

The first stop of the Batmobile’s journey with Turkish Cargo was London. The operation was conducted as a part of the car’s promotional European Tour. Having started from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Batmobile first landed in Istanbul, later continued its way to London with a transit flight.

Turkish Cargo says: “Although there were no visible technical problems for the transportation of the car, Turkish Cargo’s US team nonetheless showed the utmost attention to the operation with a “zero-error” approach and performed a load testing.”

Three weeks before the vehicle was scheduled to depart, a model container was prepared and carried by Turkish Airlines Flight TK6557.

The carrier adds: “Taking all the precautions for the transport, the Turkish Cargo team adjusted all other cargo shipments that were scheduled to be on the same flight as the Batmobile. The planning of this shipment, which weighed approximately 30 tonnes, required a zero error margin both at the departure and arrival points.

“The teams coordinated on both ends to quickly and accurately complete the necessary preparations for carrying this invaluable cargo without a single mistake and to the complete satisfaction of the studio and car manufacturer.”

When the date of transport was announced as 12 February, the manufacturer of the car, the container manufacturer, the cargo operations agency and producer Warner Bros. started work in cooperation to finalise the operation.

The Batmobile was prepared for transport in accordance with Turkish Cargo’s instructions for the shipment to the warehouse at JFK International Airport on 11 February.

After the necessary checks were made, the Batmobile was accepted. Later, it was loaded onto the aircraft bound for Istanbul, with its first stop scheduled for London.

The Batmobile is two metres high, 6.4 metres long, 3.3 metres in width, has 650 horsepower and weighs 6.8 tonnes.