SIA is pursuing more than 50 cost-cutting initiatives including reducing fuel burn and reviewing its relationship with key suppliers as part of a 3-year plan to make the airline more competitive, a newsletter to staff shows. Both SIA and rival Cathay Pacific Airways have come under pressure due to growing competition from Chinese and Middle Eastern rivals. Both also lack domestic flight markets to help offset the international competition. SIA set up a dedicated transformation office to review its strategy in May after a surprise Q4 loss although it not released a cost-cutting target. CE Goh Choon Phong said in September the airline was working on 56 initiatives, which also include more self-service options for customers and reducing in-flight food and beverage wastage. <br/>
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The first of AZ's new-look Boeing 787-9s has arrived in Auckland, with a freshly configured interior offering more premium seats. The airline says this is in response to growing demand for premium travel and the aircraft will be used on its Auckland-Houston route from December, the first time a Dreamliner has been used regularly on North American services. Increasing numbers of leisure travellers are sitting up the front of planes to and from New Zealand as fares drop amid hot competition. Air NZ's 4 new Dreamliners will have 27 Business Premier seats, up from 18, and 33 Premium Economy, up from 21. Air NZ was the first airline in the world to take delivery of the 787-9 aircraft in 2014 and this latest arrival takes the airline's fleet to 10 Dreamliners. <br/>
Ivory Coast is in talks with 3 African airlines to operate the first direct route to the US by early 2018 as the West African nation seeks to attract more investors to its fast-growing economy. The most advanced discussions are with Ethiopian Airlines, which is due to send a delegation to Ivory Coast before the end of the month, Transport minister Amadou Kone said. Ethiopian leads Kenya Airways, which only made “first contact” with the govt last week, and South African Airways, he said. The move would fit with the strategy of Ethiopian, which is pushing to consolidate its lead as the continent’s biggest airline with new hubs and already flies to Ivory Coast and the US. It would make less sense for SAA, which is relying on a govt-led recapitalisation to remain in operation. <br/>