Malaysia Airlines has dismissed a report that it has scrapped plans to reconfigure its 6 Airbus A380s to an all-economy layout and hive them off as a separate unit to focus on Islamic pilgrimage flights. "[The establishment of the A380 subsidiary] is still very much on track providing charters to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah and Medina airports to cater for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages to Mecca. However, we will be deploying the A380s opportunistically during peak periods to high traffic markets," the airline said. All 6 aircraft are scheduled to be parked by the end of Q2 2018. Thereafter cabin reconfiguration will be carried out by Airbus "in a progressive manner", adds Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia Airlines had previously said that it will cease operating the A380s by "Q3 of 2018" and put them in a separate unit. <br/>
oneworld
Qatar Airways was named the 2017 recipient of the Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey Award for Best Airline for International First Class. The award was announced at a ceremony Tuesday. Global Traveler magazine awards are among the most-respected handed out in the airline industry because they are solely the result of voting by US-based frequent international travellers — most of whom are affluent and very frequent and discerning travellers. Qatar Airways also picked up the award for Best Airline in the Middle East. Qatar Airways CE Akbar Al Baker said of the accolades: "We take pride in providing passengers with the utmost travel experience...it is always our goal to continuously raise the bar on service and offerings on-board." <br/>
Cathay Pacific Airways will continue giving large housing benefits to pilots for a year, it emerged Monday, in a setback to its cost-cutting attempts during an impasse with the aircrew union over cuts to pay and perks. The loss-making airline will maintain its arrangement of paying a total of HK$900m (US$167m) to more than 1,000 eligible pilots annually – including HK$100,000 per month to the most senior aircrew – in accommodation perks. That is despite an earlier indication that it would cut the arrangement. The reinstatement of the accommodation perks came Friday, as union pilots started voting on industrial action. If passed, the motion would formally mandate the pilots' union to prepare for industrial action in any eventuality, should the company cut pay and perks without a union agreement. <br/>