UAE’s national carrier Etihad has taken delivery of three new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jets. Slated to go into service from this month onwards, the trio will help the airline achieve its target of flying to 125 destinations with an over 160 aircraft fleet by 2030.

The newcomers feature a two-class layout, with 32 Business Suites and 271 Economy seats. Those flying in the former section will have various creature comforts. The list includes a 17.3-inch 4K TV screen, Bluetooth headphone pairing, a lie-flat-bed 78” in length, wireless charging and multiple charging ports.

In the Economy section, with 217 standard seats and 54 Extra Legroom seats (4 inches more), passengers have a 13.3-inch 4K screen for entertainment. They can also pair their personal headphones and tablets to use them as a remote. With Viasat connectivity technology, travellers can use Wi-Fi to stream online content, such as movies and Live TV, including sports channels.

The new aircraft will help Etihad expand its reach in the upcoming months. For instance, the airline will start service to Boston on March 31, 2024, becoming Etihad’s fourth US destination. Other international routes, such as Nairobi and Bali, are also in the pipeline. The summer schedule will also include Nice, Malaga, Mykonos and Santorini.

Etihad now has a fleet of 88 aircraft, including 43 Boeing Dreamliners. The remaining comprise Airbus A380, A350, A320 family and Boeing 777 jets.

Also Read: Etihad Is The New Official Sponsor For Chennai Super Kings

At the Singapore Airshow 2024, Vietnam’s Vietjet Air inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus to purchase twenty A330-900 jets. If the agreement materialises, it will become the first-ever order from the carrier for a widebody aircraft. Besides helping expand the network, the new aircraft will replace the airline’s current fleet of leased A330-300s.

The Airbus A330-900 is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. The aeroplane can fly up to 7,200 nautical miles (13,300km) nonstop. Indoors, it offers travellers enlarged overhead bins, a new lighting system, and access to in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems.

Earlier this week, Vietjet signed an engine deal with Pratt & Whitney. That’s for 19 additional A321Neo jets.

At the Singapore Airshow 2024, aircraft lessor AerCap announced that it has signed multiple lease contracts with Thai Airways. Those comprise the leasing of seven widebody jets and ten single-aisle aeroplanes. Specifically, the agreements cover the transaction of four Airbus A350-900s, three Boeing 787-9s and ten Airbus A321Neos.

Two of the four A350-900s mentioned above have already been delivered to Thailand’s flagship carrier. The remaining two are scheduled to be handed over in this year’s first and second quarters, respectively. The delivery process of the three Boeing jets is slated to commence in Q2 of 2024 through Q4 of 2025. As for the A321Neos, they should begin joining the airline’s fleet in Q3 of next year through Q2 of 2026.

Earlier this week, Thai Airways and Boeing confirmed a purchase agreement for 45 787-9 Dreamliners.

From June 3, 2024, Emirates will start serving its fourth South American destination. It’s Bogota, the capital of Colombia. The other three locations the Dubai-based carrier flies to are Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Once flights to the Columbian capital commence, Emirates operations in the Americas will jump to 19 destinations across the USA, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and, of course, Colombia.

The daily service between Dubai and Bogota will have a stopover in between – Miami, Florida. This is necessary because Bogota is a high-altitude city. Also, passengers on both legs should meet entry regulations for the USA and have the required documentation due to the immigration procedures in Miami. That said, citizens of Colombia and the UAE can stay visa-free for up to 90 days in Dubai and Bogota, respectively.

Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will serve this new route. It will feature a three-class configuration with 354 seats, including lie-flat First and Business Class seats. Here’s the flight schedule:

• EK213 (from Dubai to Miami) – 02:15 departure and 10:05 arrival.

• EK213 (from Miami to Bogota) – 12:35 departure and 15:25 arrival.

• EK214 (from Bogota to Miami) – 17:25 departure and 22:15 arrival.

• EK214 (from Miami to Dubai) – 00:45 departure and 23:00 arrival.

All times mentioned above are local. The schedule is for the summer season. Timings will change slightly for the winter season.

After landing engine deals from Cebu Pacific and JetSmart, Pratt & Whitney has signed another one. At the Singapore Airshow 2024, the RTX-owned business has bagged an engine contract from Vietjet. The latter has exercised options for an additional 19 GTF-powered Airbus A321Neo aircraft. Also, the engine maker will provide the Vietnam-based airline with engine maintenance through an EngineWise Comprehensive service agreement.

Vietjet is expanding its operations at quite a pace. Besides serving passengers throughout its home country, it is also strengthening its flight network to India, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, among other intercontinental markets. The airline received its first Airbus A321Neo aircraft in 2018. Presently, it has 24 GTF-powered A321Neos in its fleet. All orders put together, the carrier has a backlog of up to 87 jets of the same type.

Taiwan-based carrier Starlux Airlines has placed a firm purchase order for eight Airbus aircraft. Signed at the Singapore Airshow 2024, the agreement comprises five A350F freighters and three A330Neo jets. With this order, Startlux Airlines will become the first to operate the A350F in the country, and it will be used on some of the world’s busiest cargo routes. Also, adding three A330Neos will help the carrier bolster its fleet. It will boast a two-cabin configuration, with 28 business class seats and 269 economy seats.

Starlux Airlines has an all-Airbus fleet of passenger aircraft, including A350-900, A330Neo and A321Neo. The A350F, which is currently under development, will be able to haul up to 111 tonnes of cargo and fly up to 4,700 nautical miles (8,700km). The aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent-XWB97 engines, efficient enough to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 40 per cent compared to the 747F.