Emirates, which operates the world’s biggest fleet of long-haul aircraft, threw its weight behind the future of first-class travel, pouring millions into an upgrade of the ultra-luxury category on its Boeing 777 aircraft even as other carriers dispense of the biggest berths. President Tim Clark showcased the new design at the Dubai Air Show, with flourishes including hard-wood floors, multiple mood-lighting options and the benefits of a window even in the center-cabin suite, which is created by beaming the outside view through a set of mock windows. The suites, created in collaboration with Mercedes Benz, were built by Rockwell Collins. Clark pushed back on the notion that ultra-luxury is a dying vestige of a more elegant travel age, saying his aircraft are full in the most expensive seats, be it on routes from Paris or London or China. <br/>
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Hawaii's second-largest airline, Island Air, shut down Friday after exhausting all options to keep flying. Island Air, which has about 400 employees, made the announcement Thursday. The company filed for bankruptcy protection Oct 16 after its aircraft lessor attempted to repossess the company's 3 remaining Q400 aircraft for non-payment. The airline lost money every quarter for the past 4-plus years. It flew inter-island routes within the state of Hawaii for 37 years. "Island Air has taken every measure possible to avoid this tremendous hardship to its passengers," said David Uchiyama, Island Air president. Hawaiian Airlines said it will honour Island Air tickets for the next week on a standby basis. <br/>
EasyJet has selected TUI Group deputy CE Johan Lundgren as its next CE, succeeding Carolyn McCall who will hand over leadership of the airline Nov 30. Lundgren has over 30 years’ travel sector experience, including 12 years with TUI Group as group deputy CE and CE for mainstream markets. According to Lundgren’s profile on TUI’s website, the Swedish executive became a board member in 2007 and was appointed as TUI Group deputy CE in October 2011. He has previously been CE of TUI Nordic and MD of TUI Travel’s northern region. McCall has led EasyJet for 7 years, since 2010. Her departure was announced in July, after she accepted the CE position at UK television company ITV. EasyJet had indicated that McCall will step down at the end of 2017. <br/>
VietJet Aviation plans to expand its fleet to include wide-body jets as the carrier considers California as its first US destination starting about 2019. The airline would use the larger aircraft to begin the route after the US FAA grants Vietnam airlines permission to fly to America, said Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, VietJet’s founder and CE. The first flights could link the Southeast Asian nation with the Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International, located near a large Vietnamese community, and would also be close enough to serve San Francisco, she said. “We aim to expand international flights in the next few years” Thao said in an interview. “We want to make international flights 60% of our total flights. We are also studying the possibility of using widebody planes for long-haul flights when market conditions are favourable.” <br/>
A passenger plane carrying more than 50 people made an emergency landing without its nose gear at Belfast International in Northern Ireland Friday, after circling for 2 hours to burn fuel. The Bombardier Q-400 operated by Flybe took off from Belfast City Airport for Inverness, Scotland, Friday before being diverted. Images on social media showed the aircraft tipped forward onto its nose with fire trucks nearby. The airline said the plane was carrying 53 passengers, including an infant, and 4 crew members. One passenger was treated in a local hospital for a minor hand injury. No one else was hurt. Brian Strutton, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association, said landing without nose gear is "a very difficult manoeuvre." <br/>
Ryanair is to increase the number of pilots it employs directly and hire more staff to respond to their queries as part of a new program to improve its pilot management, according to an internal memo. The airline in September canceled 20,000 flights, saying rostering problems had left it without enough standby pilots to operate without significant delays. The resulting wave of passenger outrage threatened to undo the success of its 'Always Getting Better' customer service drive. In the memo, chief people officer Eddie Wilson said almost 20 of Ryanair's 86 bases had voted for the pay deal as of Friday. However, a number of bases, including its largest at London Stansted, have rejected the offer. Ryanair said in the memo sent Friday that it would "dramatically increase" the number of pilots employed directly rather than by outside agencies. <br/>
Yemen's national airline said Sunday it still lacks the security permits needed to resume commercial flights, a day after the transport minister said some flights would be allowed as a nationwide blockade is eased. The Saudi-led military coalition fighting against Yemen's Houthi movement said last week that it had closed all air, land and sea ports in Yemen to stem the alleged flow of arms to the Houthis from Iran. The move came after Saudi Arabia intercepted a missile fired towards Riyadh, which it blamed on Tehran. Transport minister Mourad al-Halimi had said Yemenia flights to the pro-Saudi govt-held cities of Aden and Seiyun would resume Sunday, but the carrier said that it "didn't acquire the necessary permits" to fly. <br/>
Flydubai is in contact with Airbus and Boeing about a potential new order for up to 175 passenger jets, industry sources said Sunday. Flydubai, which owned by the govt of Dubai, is already planning the next stage of its growth, months after taking delivery of the first of 75 Boeing 737 MAX jets, the sources said. The carrier's current fleet are all Boeing jets. CE Ghaith al-Ghaith confirmed the airline was working on a new order but declined to discuss specifics. With 737 MAX deliveries due to end in 2023, "we are definitely interested in a new order; we are working on a new order," al-Ghaith said. There were no immediate signs, however, that any order would be ready in time to be announced at the Nov 12-16 airshow. <br/>