Melbourne will become the first Australian destination for Turkish Airlines, with long-awaited flights to Istanbul set to begin this year. A route via Singapore will initially fly three times per week on 787-9 Dreamliners, with non-stop services to commence once it acquires the A350-1000s necessary to reach Australia’s east coast directly from Istanbul. The first flight will touch down in Melbourne on 16 March. “As the airline flying to more countries than any other, we are excited to add Melbourne to our flight network as the 346th destination,” said Turkish Airlines chairman Dr Ahmet Bolat. “Endowed with natural beauty and a welcoming people, Australia becomes the 130th country and sixth continent under our wings."<br/>
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Irish emergency services were on high alert on Saturday as an EGYPTAIR flight to New York turned around over the Atlantic and diverted to Dublin due to a cracked windshield. The crew of the Boeing 787-9 declared an emergency, and the plane later landed in Dublin without incident. Passengers will head for New York on a replacement aircraft.<br/>
A pilots union on Monday voted to strike at Taiwan's Eva Airways in a dispute over salaries and working conditions, raising the prospect of industrial action that could impact flights over the crucial Lunar New Year holidays next month. Taoyuan Union of Pilots says Eva has not raised salaries enough and has been recruiting foreign pilots to fill manpower shortages without adhering to the law. Eva says it has steadily been raising salaries and has not recruited any pilots in contravention of the law. The union began balloting members on strike action last month after talks with Eva broke down. In a statement after the vote was counted, the union said pilots had voted to authorise it to launch strike action and it expected strikes to take place around the Lunar New Year, but did not give exact dates. The week-long Lunar New Year holiday starts in Taiwan on Feb. 8.<br/>Eva, in a statement, expressed regret at the vote and called on the union to keep talking. Eva "will not abandon negotiations with the trade union", it added.<br/>
Asiana Airlines said Sunday it plans to weigh passengers on international flights to calculate the standard passenger weight. Starting Monday, Asiana will weigh passengers on international flights departing from Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul through the end of this month to calculate the standard passenger weight, the company said. Passengers will be asked to stand on a scale in their full attire and with their carry-on bags. They are free to decline participation. The standard weight is used to distribute the aircraft's weight and enhance operational safety. The data will also provide airliners with information on how much additional fuel planes should carry, considering they typically load approximately 1% more than the necessary amount.<br/>
Sorting through the minutiae of which airline and partner alliance to choose, and why, can be maddening. They all purport to be better, to offer more, to fly you farther in less time with more benefits and advantages than ever before. That’s not quite the case though, is it? We’re living through a rough time in aviation history. Lounge access is being revoked, and mileage value is being reduced. Privileges are being stripped away, like so many superfluous winter layers in a TSA line. Make no mistake about it, the blame rests with our airline overlords and the system that allows them to persist. These are enormous corporations who receive billions of bailout funds in times of need, and turn it into billions of profits by nickel-and-diming their loyal consumers once the crisis has passed. Pick your poison may never have been so apt, but here we are. Story looks at each alliance.<br/>