A massive part of Air India’s transformation phase under the new ownership is retrofitting in-service aircraft with brand-new interiors, modern-day technology and the latest livery. That refurbishment activity is officially underway, with the first of the 67 jets lined up for a thorough overhaul entering the allotted hangar yesterday.

The aircraft, an Airbus A320neo bearing registration number VT-EXN, will receive new upholstery, carpets, curtains, and seats in a three-class configuration—8 seats in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy, and 132 in Economy. Once the single-aisle jet is back in service, likely in December 2024, travellers will get various creature comforts. In addition to USB Type A and Type C charging ports and personal electronic device (PED) holders, travellers in Business Class will have 40-inch seats with a 7-inch recline, adjustable armrest, footrest and backrest and a push-button deployable tray table.

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Those travelling in Premium Economy will get 32-inch seats with a 4-inch recline, PED holders and USB charging ports. Similarly, the Economy section will have 28-29-inch seats with a 4-inch recline, PED holders and charging ports.

The 67 jets that will receive the upgrade include 27 narrowbody and 40 widebody. The airline expects to overhaul 3 to 4 aircraft per month. That means the overhauling activity for the narrowbody jets will be finished by mid-2025. Air India says the first widebody jet should enter the hangar for the planned upgrade early next year. All in all, this will cost upwards of USD 400 million.

Further strengthening its network in Southeast Asia, Air India has begun direct services to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from Delhi. The first outbound flight took off from the Indira Gandhi International Airport on September 15, 2024, and the return leg completed its journey earlier today.

Air India’s service between Delhi and Kuala Lumpur is a daily affair. Flight AI384 will depart from Delhi and arrive in Malaysia’s capital at 13:00 and 21:00, respectively. Those travelling the other way will board flight AI385, which will take off from Kuala Lumpur at 08:30 and land in Delhi at 11:25. An Airbus A320neo will ferry passengers on both sectors.

Kuala Lumpur is Air India’s sixth destination in Southeast Asia. The airline already has active services from India to Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon.

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The Belgian national airline, Brussels Airlines, has announced its plans to expand its long-haul fleet, invest in cabin refurbishment, and utilise the services of another carrier based on the recently extended wet lease agreement with Lufthansa Group.

Brussels Airlines claims to be the “Africa expert” within the Lufthansa Group. To further strengthen that position, the carrier will induct three Airbus A330 aircraft, bringing its widebody fleet to 13. This move will help the airline focus primarily on the increasing traffic from the sub-Saharan Africa network. The idea is to make Brussels a European hub for flights to and from Africa.

Of course, with the new aeroplanes coming in, more manpower will be required. Hence, Brussels Airlines will hire over 250 new employees, including pilots, cabin crew, maintenance & engineering experts, and airport and office personnel. This also paves the way for present airline staff to move to a different or higher role.

In addition to inducting new aircraft, the Belgian carrier plans to gradually introduce all-new cabin interiors. While specific details are still under wraps, a complete overhaul of all three classes – Business, Premium Economy and Economy – is part of the plan. The airline says this project will attract an investment of more than 100 million euros.

Lastly, Brussels Airlines will operate four Airbus A220-300 aircraft with Latvian carrier airBaltic between March and October 2025. Each aircraft has 148 seats, and they will be deployed on routes with lower demand.

Latvian national carrier airBaltic has announced extending a wet lease partnership with Lufthansa Group. Scheduled to start in the summer of 2025, the three-year extension will see airBaltic operate a set of scheduled flights on behalf of Lufthansa Group. To be a bit more specific, up to 21 airBaltic’s Airbus A220-300 narrowbody jets will operate on routes set by Lufthansa Group.

Here’s what Martin Gauss, president and CEO at airBaltic, said in an official release:

This partnership is an endorsement of our wet lease capabilities and reliability from a well-respected international brand like Lufthansa Group. We are looking forward to a successful collaboration over the coming years.

Earlier this month, airBaltic confirmed 16 new routes from three bases. Last month, it extended its order for new A220-300 aircraft, bringing the order book to 90.

Indian low-cost carrier Akasa Air has taken delivery of its 25th Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The narrowbody twin-engined jet landed in Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on September 12, 2024. The single-aisle airliner, with Captain Bhavna Gandhi and Captain Sanaya Chothia incharge, flew out of Boeing’s facility in Seattle on September 9. The aircraft’s first halt outside the USA was in Keflavik, Iceland. The final leg to Telangana’s capital began in Larcana, Cyprus.

For those unaware, Akasa Air placed its first-ever order for narrowbody jets in 2021: 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The airline started commercial operations in August 2022, followed by an order for four Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets in June 2023. Then, earlier this year, the carrier deepened its order books with the American aircraft manufacturer by ordering 150 737 MAX aeroplanes. Simple math reveals that in 17 months, Akasa Air had an order book of 226 aircraft. The remaining 201 aircraft will be delivered over the next eight years.

The carrier serves several domestic routes and offers overseas connections. For instance, the daily Mumbai-Riyadh service was launched in June 2024. Similarly, Akasa Air linked India’s financial capital with Kuwait last month.

UAE’s national carrier, Etihad Airways, has announced a new flight schedule for its Abu Dhabi-Paris route. Starting November 1, 2024, an Airbus A380 will fly passengers between the two capitals directly daily. Then, from January 15, 2025, a second daily service will be introduced on the same route. This one will be served on a Boeing 787-9.

Both aircraft will feature a three-class configuration. The A380 will exclusively offer Etihad’s ‘The Residence’ – the only three-room suite on a commercial airliner worldwide. In addition, the double-decker four-engined long-haulier will boast First Apartments, Business Studios and, of course, an Economy section. On the other hand, the 787-9 will offer travellers the option of First, Business and Economy Class cabins.

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Beginning November 1, 2024, flight EY31 will depart Abu Dhabi and arrive in Paris at 02:40 and 07:30, respectively. The return leg – EY32 – will fly out of the French capital at 09:45 and land in Abu Dhabi at 19:25.

As mentioned above, the second daily service will begin in mid-January of next year. Flight EY33 will leave the UAE capital at 14:20 and land in Paris at 19:10. The same aircraft will carry flight number EY34 on the way back, which begins at 20:45 and concludes at 06:25 the next day. All times mentioned above are local.

To strengthen its European network further, Korean Air has launched direct flights to Lisbon, Portugal, from its primary hub, Seoul Incheon. The first flight, KE921, left the Korean soil at 11:50 today.

South Korea’s flag carrier will operate the Seoul Incheon-Lisbon route thrice weekly, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The outbound flight – KE921 – will depart from Seoul Incheon at 13:10 and land in Lisbon at 20:10. The return leg – KE922 – will fly out of the Portuguese capital and arrive in South Korea’s capital city at 22:10 and 19:10 the next day, respectively. All times mentioned are local.

Korean Air claims that KE921 will have a flight duration of 15 hours and 10 minutes, whereas KE922 will take 13 hours to complete the journey. Both legs will be on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, configured with 24 seats in Prestige Class and 254 in Economy.

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In a bid to attract more passengers travelling between Europe and the Middle East, Etihad Airways has confirmed the addition of two new routes. The first is to Prague, Czechia, while the second is to Warsaw, Poland. The UAE’s national carrier has never flown to either of these destinations directly. Both new routes will go live in the summer of 2025.

The service between Abu Dhabi and Prague will begin on June 2 next year. Flight EY155 will depart from the UAE capital at 02:50 and arrive in the Czech capital at 07:15. The return service—EY156—will depart from Prague and land in Abu Dhabi at 11:20 and 19:05, respectively.

The second new route goes live the following day. On June 3, 2025, flight EY159 will leave Abu Dhabi at 02:45 and land in Warsaw at 06:50. Those travelling the other way will board flight EY160, which will depart from the Polish capital and arrive in Abu Dhabi at 11:15 and 19:00, respectively.

Etihad will operate four weekly services on both the new routes mentioned above. Passengers will be aboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, featuring a two-class layout with 28 seats in Business Class and 262 in Economy.

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