A series of catastrophic electrical and other failures may have led to the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 over the Indian Ocean, according to a lawsuit filed in the US on behalf of the families of 44 people on board the still missing plane. The lawsuit, filed Friday against Boeing in US District Court in South Carolina, names 7 malfunctions, from an electrical fire to depressurisation of the plane's cabin, that could have led to the crew losing consciousness, the plane's transponder stopping its transmission and the plane flying undetected until it crashed after running out of fuel. The suit was filed by a special administrator for families who lost loved ones on the flight. The lawsuit was filed in South Carolina because Boeing has built a massive new plant in the state to build the 787 Dreamliner. <br/>
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Akbar Al Baker, CE of Qatar Airways, has outlined plans to launch an airline in the fast-growing Indian market as part of an international expansion programme. Al Baker also made it clear that he was interested in further developing his airline’s relationship with Royal Air Maroc. However, in an apparent reference to the challenges facing Etihad, following its rapid international expansion, Al Baker vowed to move carefully. Etihad has been forced to pour substantial resources into several of its investments, including Air Berlin and Alitalia. “We want to do [this] one by one, step by step, so that we don’t put so much food in our mouths that we cannot chew, like some airlines did before,” Al Baker said. India is a critical market for Qatar and other international airlines because of its fast-growing middle class’s increasing propensity to travel. <br/>
Qatar Airways presented a new business-class seat, “Q Suite,” at ITB Berlin March 8. Qatar Airways Group CE Akbar Al Baker said next year “all the current fleet will be reconfigured with the new product.” He declined to say how much the carrier invested in the new seats. To achieve the aggressive roll-out plan, Al Baker said Qatar will have 3 aircraft permanently on the ground for reconfiguration “in Doha and at some maintenance facilities in Europe.” He said the new product will have a “huge impact on our operation.” The first aircraft reconfigured with the new business-class seats will be a Boeing 777-300ER, which operates on the Doha-London Heathrow route, “followed by Paris and New York,” Al Baker said. He added that the Airbus A350-1000s, for which Qatar is the launch customer, will be equipped with the new product at the Airbus factory. <br/>