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Air NZ flight attendants could in the future wear head sets feeding them information about passengers, including what sort of mood they're in. The airline has been working with an augmented reality technology firm which produces gear that displays data such as a customer's preferred meal and drinks choice, onward travel and loyalty membership details. "The programme is even sophisticated enough to detect the emotion of the customer by picking up on visual and audio cues," he airline says. Air NZ has been working with information technology service provider Dimension Data on unique software for Microsoft's augmented reality (AR) viewer HoloLens. In a video the airline says that it will not replace personalised service. A display screen in the video shows a passenger's mood as ranging from calm to anxious. Air NZ chief digital officer Avi Golan says the airline has fostered a strong culture of experimentation with new, emerging technologies such as the HoloLens. "This software is a great example of us collaborating with other partners and exploring how technology could enhance the way our people work as well as the experience they deliver to our customers through greater personalisation," he said. A spokeswoman said it was at an experimental stage.<br/>

An EgyptAir Airbus A330-200 has sustained damage to one of its Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines during a takeoff incident on May 15. The aircraft, registered SU-GCI, was operating as MS955 from Cairo to Beijing with 211 passengers onboard at the time of the incident. According to a report, confirmed by EgyptAir, the left engine failed and the takeoff was rejected. Images of the aircraft posted on social media show visible damage to the left engine, including a large hole in the cowling. An EgyptAir spokesman said nobody was injured during the incident.<br/>