Tuesday, Lufthansa was named the ATW 2019 Airline of the Year. It is the first time in 14 years that the Award has been bestowed on a European carrier. Lufthansa was selected for its across-the-board achievements that set it apart from its legacy airline peers and maintained its competitive edge against increasing LCC competition. In 2018, Lufthansa and its Group airlines carried a record 142m passengers, making it the largest airline group by passenger numbers, and saw all-time high average load factors. The company kept a sharp eye on costs, while introducing new technologies and service amenities that improve the passenger experience. Lufthansa also continued to be an industry leader in sustainability, operating one of the most modern and fuel-efficient fleets and implementing numerous fuel-saving projects. <br/>
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SIA reassured passengers Tuesday that cameras embedded in some of its inflight entertainment systems have been "permanently disabled" since they were installed. The airline added that it has no plans to use the embedded cameras. Its response comes after a flurry of complaints on social media by passengers who had spotted the cameras on SIA aircraft and raised concerns about their privacy. SIA said that the cameras were built into the hardware and provided by the equipment manufacturer. “Some of our newer inflight entertainment systems provided by the original equipment manufacturers do have a camera provisioned and embedded in the hardware," SIA said, adding that the manufacturers intended to use the cameras for future developments. <br/>