"This is not an ordinary flight," says veteran Air Canada Captain Dave Butler. "We're going to have some fun today." Air Canada had taken a 787 Dreamliner out of normal operation to be an actual runway model for its new corporate rebrand during a complex two-day photo shoot. The final product is pure glamor, but the meticulous creation is a side of the airline industry few get to see.
Bombardier’s Atmosphère cabin interior, which will launch on the CRJ series in 2018, was introduced at the airframer’s Aero Perspective media event in Mirabel, Quebec, today. Other announcements included a new 82-seat configuration for the Q400 turboprop and updates on C Series operations.
Our sense of smell is remarkable, and can easily trigger memories and emotions. Recognizing the power of our sniffers, businesses are starting to add a special aroma to their brands. Airlines are capitalizing on this olfactory opportunity, and many are using scents onboard.
Rumors have been circulating of late that Tim Clark, president of Emirates, might be considering the “R”-word – Retirement. Not so, Clark says. “We’re lucky to have a strong management team in place with many potential candidates to take over when I choose to leave. However, for now I’m still here and enjoying what I do.”
The tragic unsolved disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370, and the two-year search for the black boxes from Air France AF447 has focused the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the airline industry to adopt new standards for position reporting. Starting in 2018, airlines will be responsible for tracking aircraft every 15 minutes, and by 2021, the standard will include minute-by-minute autonomous tracking of aircraft in distress.
There are few pop culture icons better known on both sides of the Pacific than Jackie Chan. The action-movie star's work across US and Asian film made him an obvious choice to represent Hong Kong Airlines and fly on the airline's first flight to North America. The Hong Kong-based airline -- as its name suggests -- had its maiden flight to YVR Vancouver International Airport on June 30, its first destination outside of Asia and Australia. The carrier's flight is just the latest inaugural flight to YVR from mainland China and Hong Kong.
Writer Ian Fleming’s Agent 007 burst onto the movie screen in 1962’s Dr. No, in an era when the glamor and cachet of jet travel had permeated the public psyche. Long before social media, the idea of connecting the world through high-speed air travel was popularized by the movies, television and magazines of the time. The rich and famous were featured flying to far-flung destinations in what seemed to be the blink of an eye.
Almost 35 years ago, Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) began its international expansion to North America, flying a Boeing 747-200 from Hong Kong (HKG) to Vancouver, BC (YVR). It was the first airline to fly nonstop between the two key Pacific Rim cities, and on Tuesday morning, Cathay Pacific introduced a new aircraft type on the route. The airline’s Airbus A350-900XWB, B-LRI, touched down in the pouring rain just after sunrise, almost an hour ahead of its 8AM scheduled arrival time. I was with the media group, set up on the south ramp for the A350’s expected arrival on YVR’s Rwy 08R. But just a few minutes before landing, the plane’s approach was changed to the north side runway, 08L.
In simultaneous events in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, earlier today Air Canada revealed its new livery and branding, in an event described as “the future of Canada’s flag carrier.” Air Canada also introduced new uniforms, menu items, and wine choices at the events. The new livery was designed in conjunction with branding agency Winkreative and features a white upper fuselage, black tail and underbody, black engine nacelles, and a striking black “mask” surrounding the cockpit windows. Air Canada’s iconic red maple leaf rondelle returns to the livery after a 24-year absence: on the tail, on the inner part of the nacelles, and on the belly (visible when a plane flies overhead).
Sony recently resumed production of professional-grade Hi8 tape cassettes, giving support to a format that’s still in use by airlines worldwide in early-generation in-flight entertainment systems. Introduced in 1989, Sony’s Hi8 tape format was one of the final iterations in the evolution of analog videotape formats that began 60 years ago with massive, two-inch wide, reel-to-reel broadcast videotapes.
