Turkish Airlines Wednesday urged Istanbul passengers to take “all necessary precautions” ahead of the snowfall expected in Istanbul early on March 1. “According to the announcement recently made by Turkish State Meteorological Service, it is expected a snowfall in Istanbul to be effective as from 5 a.m. on March 1, 2018,” a statement said. “In the given circumstances, we kindly request you to take all necessary precautions in order to prevent any probable problem either on your road to the airports or at the airports (Istanbul Atatürk International Airport, and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport), for the mentioned date,” it added. The airlines also called on passengers to check on their flight statuses ahead of their travels.<br/>
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United Airlines is considering the Airbus A330-800neo and Boeing New Mid-market Airplane (NMA) among options to replace its fleet of aging Boeing 757s and 767s. The carrier is looking at replacements for its 77 757-200 and -300s, and 51 767-300ERs in the near term, a presentation by senior VP Gerry showed. The A330-900neo and NMA are joined by the Airbus A321neo, Boeing 737 Max 10 and Boeing 787-8 as replacement options for the fleet. United's 757-200s have an average age of 21.8 years, its 757-300s 15.5 years and its 767-300ERs 22.7 years, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows. The airline targets an average life for its aircraft of around 25 years. United and other US carriers face a similar quandary over what to replace aging 757s and 767s with. Most domestic 757s have been replaced by A321s and 737-900ERs, but neither Airbus nor Boeing have released a comparably sized replacement for longer missions across the Atlantic or to South America.<br/>
Avianca Brasil is betting the gastronomical delights of Thomas Troisgros, the Brazilian-French chef of Michelin-starred Olympe in Rio de Janeiro, will woo wealthy Brazilians. The Sao Paulo-based airline is the last of the Brazil-based companies to start flying to New York, entering an already crowded market. Comfortable seats and state-of-the-art entertainment systems aren’t enough anymore as carriers fiercely compete to seduce the lucrative business-class travellers. Airline food, infamous for its often dubious look, feel and consistency, seemed like an easy way to stand out. "On long flights, what you remember is the food," Avianca Brasil’s CEO Frederico Pedreira said. Specialties from Troisgros, whose Olympe is a constant fixture on the world’s best restaurant lists, are now available on Avianca’s international flights. The airline started its daily nonstop flight from Sao Paulo to New York in December bringing its total international destinations to four, including Miami, Bogota and Santiago. But a Michelin-style dining experience doesn’t come easy, especially when prepared within the confines of an airplane kitchen. Initial customer feedback has been “great,” Pedreira said. Whether the food can help Avianca Brasil grab market share is another question. “A flight from point A to point B is very generic, and if an airline doesn’t try to differentiate itself from others, it may lose market share,” Foley said. “If gimmicks work, why not?”<br/>
Air NZ has added yet another edition to its safety video collection, releasing an over-four-minute clip on YouTube this morning. Set in Antarctica and featuring Hollywood filmmaker and environmentalist Adrian Grenier, the latest video ups the cool factor. Previous safety videos have generally been quite light-hearted, but the latest one strikes a slightly more serious note in addressing the threat of climate change. The video builds on Air NZ's partnership with Antarctica New Zealand and sees Grenier teaming up with Scott Base scientists to track penguin populations, study ice core samples and visit early explorer Ernest Shackleton's hut and the vast Dry Valleys.<br/>Grenier, who as UN environment goodwill ambassador, is best-known for playing a movie star in the TV show Entourage. The series, which only screened on pay TV in New Zealand, featured Grenier as Vincent Chase, a Hollywood star and his childhood friends navigating an acting career in Hollywood. The TV show was later made into a movie. Grenier is also a high-profile environmentalist.<br/>