Tag Archives: Travel

Boeing Dreamliner in stunning performance ahead of the Paris Air Show

11 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in 787-9, Aircraft, Aviation, Boeing, Business, Dreamliner, News, Paris Air Show, Transport, Travel, Vietnam Airlines

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,


Boeing has released a stunning new video of the 787-9 Dreamliner soaring above Washington state ahead of next week’s Paris Air Show.

The Vietnam Airlines Dreamliner is scheduled to fly during the show that opens June 15.

The video was filmed above Moses Lake, Wash. It highlights technical manoeuvres that showcase some of the airplane’s many capabilities.

As of last month, Boeing says, 30 customers have ordered 509 787-9s, 46 per cent of all 787 orders.

The Dreamliner video is courtesy of Boeing.

Boeing: World needs airplanes worth $5.6 trillion in 20 years

11 Thursday Jun 2015

Posted by in Airbus, Aircraft, Airlines, Aviation, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Le Bourget, Paris Air Show, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,


Show logoJust days before the opening of the Paris Air Show, Boeing has forecast a demand for more 38,000 new airplanes over the next 20 years.

The U.S. manufacturer says that is an increase of 3.5 per cent from last year’s forecast.

Boeing’s annual Current Market Outlook estimates the total value of those new airplanes at $5.6 trillion.

“The commercial airplane market continues to be strong and resilient,” said Randy Tinseth, vice-president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

“As we look forward, we expect the market to continue to grow and the demand for new aircraft to be robust.”

InfoBy the end of the forecast period, the commercial airplane fleet will double, from 21,600 airplanes in 2014 to 43,560 airplanes in 2034, Boeing said.

“Fifty-eight per cent of the 38,050 airplanes delivered over that time will be to accommodate growth,” it added.

According to Boeing, the single-aisle market continues to be the fastest-growing, requiring nearly 27,00 airplanes over the coming two decades.

“These aircraft are the foundation of the world’s airline fleet, carrying up to 75 per cent of passengers on more than 70 per cent of the world’s commercial aviation routes,” the forecast noted.

“This sector is fuelled by growth in low-cost carriers and airlines in developing and emerging markets.”

As for widebody aircraft, Boeing says the segment will require about 9,000 new airplanes, led by airplanes in the 200- to 300-seat range.

The week-long Paris Air Show opens in Le Bourge next Monday.

The infographic is courtesy of Boeing

IATA launches Cabin OK logo for carry-ons

09 Tuesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Airbus, Airlines, Aviation, Baggage, Boeing, Bombardier, Carry-ons, Embraer, IATA, Passengers, Tourism, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,


Bag1The International Air Transport Association has finally decided to address the perennial problem of carry-on luggage.

The group that represents more than 260 airlines has announced a new initiative to optimize the accommodation of cabin baggage.

“Working with airline members of IATA and aircraft manufacturers, an optimum size guideline for carry-on bags has been agreed that will make the best use of cabin storage space,” it said Tuesday.

“A size of 55 x 35 x 20 cm (or 21.5 x 13.5 x 7.5 inches) means that theoretically everyone should have a chance to store their carry-on bags on board aircraft of 120 seats or larger,” it said in a release issued in Miami, Fl., where IATA is holding its annual general meeting.

logoTo facilitate a smooth check-in, IATA has also developed an “IATA Cabin OK” logo, indicating that a bag meets the agreed size guidelines.

“A number of major international airlines have signalled their interest to join the initiative and will soon be introducing the guidelines into their operations,” the group said.

“The development of an agreed optimal cabin bag size will bring common sense and order to the problem of differing sizes for carry-on bags,” said Tom Windmuller, IATA’s senior vice-president for airport, passenger, cargo and security.

“We know the current situation can be frustrating for passengers. This work will help to iron out inconsistencies and lead to an improved passenger experience.”

IATA said it was working with baggage tracking-solutions provider Okoban to manage the approval process of bag manufacturers.

“Recognition of the ‘IATA Cabin OK’ logo is expected to grow with time as more airlines opt-in to this IATA initiative,” the group said.

Bags carrying the label are expected to reach retail shops later this year.

Images are courtesy of IATA

The stars of the Paris Air Show 2015

08 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by in A350XWB, A380, Airbus, Airlines, Airports, Airshow, Aviation, Boeing, Bombardier, Business, Canada, CS100, CS300, CSeries, Dreamliner, Embraer, Le Bourget, News, Paris, Tourism, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Some of the aircraft that will be on static/flying display at the Paris Air Show next week.

The Bombardier CS300

The Bombardier CS300

The Bombardier CS100

The Bombardier CS100

The Airbus A350XWB

The Airbus A350 XWB

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

The Bell 429 WLG

The Bell 429 WLG

The Embraer ERJ135

The Embraer ERJ135

 Images are courtesy of Bombardier, Qatar Airways, Boeing, Bell and Embraer.

CS300 to make air show debut in Paris

03 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by in Airbus, Aviation, Boeing, Bombardier, Business, Canada, CS100, CS300, CSeries, Embraer, France, Le Bourget, News, Paris Air Show, Tourism, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


CS3Less than four months after its maiden flight, Bombardier’s CS300 is set to make its air show debut at the world’s premier aviation event in Paris this month.

The long-delayed airplane, designed for the 100- to 149-seat, single-aisle market, is expected to enter service in late 2016.

Bombardier believes the CS300 offers the best seat-mile cost in its category and is ideal for a range of routes from short-haul to longer transcontinental markets.

CSTest flights for the smaller CS100, which can carry up to 125 people, began in 2013.

Certification for that aircraft is expected in the second half of this year with commercial flights starting shortly after that.

Bombardier has won 243 firm orders for the CSeries aircraft, 180 of them for the CS300.

The 51st edition of the Paris Air Show opens on June 15. The week-long event has attracted more than 2,200 exhibitors from 45 countries including 18 from Canada.

The United States will have the biggest presence – more than 350 companies will gather at the American pavilion.

In all, 150 aircraft will be on display at the show and 40 of them will take to the skies of Le Bourget.

Logo “Paris Air and Space Show is a major player in the aerospace industry, and shows its richness and diversity,” says Emeric d’Arcimoles, the show’s chairman and CEO.

“More than just a showcase, the show is an extraordinary exchange tool, in which every actor of this industry finds the contacts and ideas that will help them to grow.”

Images are courtesy of Bombardier and Paris Air Show

Niagara Falls hosts Rendez-vous Canada

26 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by in Alberta, Business, News, Ontario, Rendez-vous Canada, Tourism, Travel, Travel Market

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

TravelNiagara Falls. There couldn’t be a better Canadian city to host the country’s premier travel market, Rendez-vous Canada 2015.

The four-day annual event, which opens Tuesday, has attracted hundreds of travel buyers from around the world.

Showcasing Canadian tourism products and services to them will be promoters from every part of the country.

This year’s event includes presentations from Banff Lake Louise Tourism, Edmonton Tourism and Aboriginal Tourism.

But the city that needs no introduction will benefit most.Travel5

Niagara Falls, which attracts 12 million visitors on average every year, is expected to get a big bounce from the market.

“Rendez-vous Canada provides an unparalleled opportunity to showcase this iconic destination to the world’s leading influencers of travel purchasing behaviour!” said   Catherine McNabb, executive director of Niagara Falls Tourism.

“The impact of this level of exposure, among key decision makers, will be felt for many years to come in the entire Niagara region,” she added in an email to exitStamp.

Travel6No wonder, the city is laying out a lavish welcome to the delegates.

The organizers say there will be a full evening event beginning at 6:30 p.m. and culminating with a “surprise experience” at 10:30 p.m.

Official estimates show more than 600,000 Canadian jobs depend on tourism.

Fortunately, the industry is steadily growing.

The Canadian Tourism Commission reported this week that in the first quarter of 2015, more than 2.3 million international travellers came to the country.

That is up 7 per cent over 2014.

Rendez-vous Canada 2016 will be held in Montreal.

New Emirates A380: Sorry, no First Class

12 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by in A380, Airbus, Aircraft, Airlines, Airports, Aviation, Business, Copenhagen, Dubai, Emirates, News, Tourism, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

All of the 13 airlines currently flying the Airbus A380 use aircraft with a three-class configuration, featuring First-, Business- and Economy-class cabins.

Hub2
The world’s largest operator of the superjumbo is planning to change that with the introduction of a two-class A380 later this year.

Emirates is launching a daily service from Dubai to Copenhagen in December, using what it says is the world’s first two-class configured A380, which can carry up to 615 passengers.

But the down side is the new A380 will not have a First-Class cabin. Instead, it will have 58 seats in the Business Class and 557 in the Economy Class.

Emirates began flying to the Danish capital about four years ago, using an Airbus A330. A few months later, the airline switched to the bigger Boeing 777.

Tim Clark and Thomas Woldbye announce the A380 service.

Tim Clark and Thomas Woldbye announce the A380 service.

“Today, based on strong load factors, we are happy to further up-gauge the route to our iconic double-decker, the A380,” said president Tim Clark.

As of December, the airline will offer more than 8,600 seats a week between Copenhagen and Dubai.

Emirates also noted that the aircraft would be more environmentally efficient than others, producing the lowest CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre of all commercial airplanes.

“Emirates is making history with this aircraft, its fuel efficiency is better than most modern small passenger cars in terms of fuel economy per passenger kilometre, allowing us to reduce emissions without compromising on comfort,” said Clark.

CPH2Meanwhile, the airport says it is investing heavily to make its infrastructure A380-compatible.

Copenhagen will be the first in Scandinavia to offer a scheduled A380 service.

“The increased capacity will hopefully stimulate more trade and tourism between Denmark and countries of the Middle East, Asia and Africa,” said Thomas Woldbye, CEO of Copenhagen Airports.

Emirates has 59 A380s in its fleet, operating from Dubai to more than 30 destinations worldwide. The airline has ordered a total of 140 superjumbos.

Images are courtesy of Emirates and Copenhagen Airport.

The largest habitable work of art

23 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by in Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arts, Austria, Automotive, Business, Cities, Culture, Environment, General Motors, Graz, Hotels, Life, Luxury Hotels, Luxury Travel, New Zealand, News, Opel, People, Rogner-Bad Blumau, Spa Hotels, Tourism, Transport, Travel, Travel Blog

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dome“The water feels like silk on your skin.”

That is how Rogner-Bad Blumau describes the thermal water at the Austrian hotel’s spa.

The supply is from the nearby Vulkania springs and is said to be the most mineral-rich curative water in the spa town of Bad Blumau.

And the healing water is just one of many features that make this hotel out of the ordinary.

Billed as the world’s largest habitable work of art, Rogner-Bad Blumau was designed by eccentric Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, whose last name literally means “100 waters.”

“Your name is Hundertwasser, I have water of hundred degrees,” businessman Robert Rogner told the artist as they began the work on the hotel in early 1990s.

Postcard3

Rogner-Bad Blumau is unique in so many ways – the most compelling being the architecture itself.

There are six “houses” connected by a maze of hallways and green roofs with golden onion domes.

In addition to supplies from the Vulkania springs, the hotel’s numerous pools and bathing areas get water from the Melchior and Balthasar springs.

Original roof tiles from old farmhouses have been used for the facade of one of the rainbow-coloured buildings.

Artist

The late Friedensreich Hundertwasser

They all fit well with the philosophy of Hundertwasser: A life in harmony with nature.

“The great thing about Blumau is the uniqueness,” said Jasmin Rogner, co-owner of the 312-room, four-star hotel.

“It’s a great artwork, which rather increases in value with time,” she wrote in an email.

“The biggest challenge is to interpret this great place consistently.”

Hundertwasser died in February 2000 in his adopted home country of New Zealand.

The hotel sits on the beautiful rolling hills of Bad Blumau, less than an hour from the city of Graz – a UNESCO City of Design and the hometown of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I stayed at the hotel back in March 1998, barely a year after Rogner-Bad Blumau opened its doors to first guests.

004

The 1998 launch of Opel Astra at Rogner-Bad Blumau. Photo by Abdul Latheef

I was among a group of journalists flown in from around the world for the launch of a new General Motors car, Opel Astra.

The hotel has since become a major site for product launches and corporate events.

The property is owned by Rogner International Hotels and Resorts.

Bad Blumau is easily accessible from Graz, Vienna and Salzburg. Austrian Airlines has direct flights from Toronto to Vienna while Lufthansa offers flights to Graz from several German cities.

Postcard2

 Images are courtesy of Rogner-Bad Blumau

Van Gogh adds more colour to Keukenhof

11 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Air Canada, Amsterdam, Arts, Business, Holland, Keukenhof, KLM, Life, Netherlands, News, Tourism, Travel, Vincent van Gogh

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

 

Van Gogh

Visiting Keukenhof is an exhilarating experience any year.

This year, especially so.

The famous Dutch park has declared 2015 the Van Gogh Year, marking 125 years since the death of the artist.

A 250-square-metre flower mosaic of Vincent van Gogh’s self-portrait will be the highlight when Keukenhof opens on March 20 for the 66th edition of the show.

Keukenhof1

Keukenhof, 1997 – from my family album.

Keukenhof, about 40 kilometres south-west of Amsterdam, is the world’s biggest spring garden, showcasing more than seven million flowers for eight weeks.

The park calls it a “living catalogue” for the Dutch floriculture industry.

Covering an area of more than 30 hectares, it is a breathtaking show of rows upon rows of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths as far as the eye can see.

It all began in 1949, when a small group of flower bulb exporters decided to use the garden outside the Keukenhof Castle in the town of Lisse as an exhibition ground. The first public show was held the next year, and attracted more than 200,000 visitors.

K3This year, some 100 companies and 500 flower growers are participating.

In 2014, Keukenhof attracted a record one million visitors, many of them from North America and Asia.

The park is easily accessible by public transport from Amsterdam.

From Toronto, Dutch national carrier KLM flies directly to Amsterdam while several other airlines offer flights with convenient stopovers.

Air Canada is adding Amsterdam to its international network in June with six flights a week. That is, of course, too late for this year’s show.

cropped-cropped-tulips.jpg

The Van Gogh photo is courtesy of Keukenhof.

 

Study: Emirates has big impact on European economy

03 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by in A380, Airbus, Business, Dubai, Emirates, EU, Europe, IATA, ITB Berlin, News, Tourism, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

EKAs one of the world’s biggest travel shows opens in Berlin, Dubai’s Emirates airline has released a study suggesting its operations support more than 85,000 jobs in the European Union countries.

The study, by the consultancy Frontier Economics, also says the airline’s purchases of Airbus A380 superjumbos support an additional 41,00 jobs.

In all, the airline had a €10.2-billion impact on the EU GDP, Emirates quoted Frontier as saying. The study covered 2013-2014.

EK2“Emirates is fully committed to the European market,” said Tim Clark, president of the airline.

“The relationship goes back to 1987 when we first started flying from Dubai to London Gatwick. Since then, we have witnessed growth based on demand and now operate over 350 passenger flights a week from Europe, providing global connectivity via our hub in Dubai.”

The Frontier analysis covered 28 cities served by Emirates in 16 EU states.

ITBEmirates is among the thousands of companies showcasing their products and services at the 49th edition of ITB Berlin, which runs from March 4 until 8.

More than 10,000 exhibitors from 186 countries are participating in the show.

According to official estimates, deals worth €6.5 billion were concluded during last year’s show.

Images are courtesy of Emirates and ITB Berlin.

Bombardier CS300 makes maiden flight

27 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by in Aircraft, Airlines, Airports, Bombardier, Business, Canada, CS100, CS300, CSeries, Mirabel, Montreal, News, Quebec, Tourism, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CS2“It’s a pilot’s aircraft.”

Those are the words of Capt. Andris Litavniks, who was in command on Friday’s maiden flight of Bombardier’s CS300, designed for the 100- to 149-seat, single-aisle market.

The airliner departed Montreal-Mirabel International Airport at 11 a.m. and returned four hours later, marking a major milestone in the CSeries program after years of delays and cost overruns.

“It was an absolute privilege to fly the first flight of the CS300 airliner and I’m absolutely ecstatic with how well it handled,” Litavniks said after landing the aircraft.

“It’s a pilot’s aircraft and handled exactly as predicted by simulation.”

The CS300 is expected to enter service in late 2016.

Test flights for the smaller CS100, which can carry up to 125 people, began in 2013. Certification for that aircraft is expected in the second half of this year with commercial flights starting shortly after that.

Bombardier believes the CS300 offers the best seat-mile cost in its category and is ideal for a range of routes from short-haul to longer transcontinental markets.

“Our CSeries aircraft program is progressing well, with results from testing as expected or better,” said Rob Dewar, vice-president of the program.

“The CS300 airliner will now join the five CS100 aircraft flight test vehicles that have amassed more than 1,000 flight test hours to date.”

Bombardier has won 243 firm orders for the CSeries aircraft, 180 of them for the CS300.

“It was a thrill to see the first CS300 aircraft take to the skies for the first time,” said Mike Arcamone, president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

“We continue to see increased interest from all over the world and as our performance targets are validated, we expect the enthusiasm for the CSeries family of aircraft to grow even more.”

Images are courtesy of Bombardier.

Dubai International soars to new heights

27 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Airbus, Aircraft, Airlines, Airports, Boeing, Business, Dubai, Emirates, IATA, London Heathrow, Luxury Travel, News, Tourism, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Airport1Dubai’s main airport has become the busiest international passenger hub. Until now that honour belonged to London’s Heathrow Airport.

Official figures released Tuesday show passenger traffic at Dubai International soared to more than 70.4 million last year, up 6.1 per cent from 66.4 million the previous year.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum

DXB2“This historic milestone is the culmination of over five decades of double-digit average growth,” said Dubai Airports chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum.

“The shared goal is to make Dubai a global centre of aviation and we are nearing that goal thanks to an open skies policy, a friendly business environment, Dubai’s growing attractiveness as a centre for trade, commerce and tourism, growing network connectivity due to the rapid expansion of Emirates and flydubai and timely investment in aviation infrastructure.”

CEO Paul Griffiths said the rapid growth was expected to continue this year.

“Today we are also releasing our projections for 2015 traffic at Dubai International which forecast 79 million passengers,” he said.

“We will have more flights connecting more people to more destinations.”

Dubai also has a second airport, Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central.

Construction of the second phase of that airport is now underway.

Once completed, officials say, the airport will be able to handle 160 million passengers a year. It will also have the capacity to handle 12 million tonnes of cargo.

Images are courtesy of Dubai Airports.

Airbus raises aircraft prices

16 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by in A350XWB, A380, Aircraft, Airlines, Airports, News, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,


FamiliesA year ago, the Airbus A380 cost a mere US$414 million.

As of January 1, the price of the superjumbo has gone up by $14 million to $428 million, the European aircraft manufacturer announced this week.

The single-aisle A318, the smallest member of the A320 family, will cost just over $74 million while the brand new A350-800 jet will sell for $269.5 million.

AirbusOn average, the company has increased its list price by 3.27 per cent.

That is the price nobody pays though, as airlines typically negotiate a better deal.

“The 3.27 per cent price increase has been calculated according to Airbus’ standard escalation formula over the January 2014 to January 2015 period, and enables Airbus to continue to enhance its profitability,” the company said.

 

Last year, the price went up by 2.6 per cent.

 

Airbus offers aircraft ranging in capacity from 100 to over 500 seats and has

sold more than 15,000 airplanes to some 380 customers worldwide.

 

Images are courtesy of Airbus.

Emirates becomes the wide-body king

28 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by in A380, Airbus, Aircraft, Airlines, Airports, Aviation, Boeing, Business, Emirates, News, Tourism, Transport, Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

The airline's 100th 777-300ER takes off from Everett, Wash. Boeing photo.

Emirates is celebrating a major milestone.

The UAE national carrier now has the world’s largest wide-body aircraft with a fleet of 218 passenger jets and 14 freighters.

In 2014, the airline says, it added 13 Airbus A380s, 12 Boeing 777-300ERs and two Boeing 777 freighters to its fleet.

The aircraft included the 100th Boeing 777-300ER and the 50th Airbus A380.

The Dubai-based airline flies to nearly 150 destinations around the world, including Toronto, operating more than 3,500 flights per week.

Photo shows the airline’s 100th 777-300ER taking off from Everett, Wash., in October 2014. Courtesy: Boeing

Seattle museum gets a Dreamliner

08 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by in Air Canada, Air India, Air New Zealand, Aircraft, Airlines, Airports, All Nippon Airways, Aviation, Boeing, Business, Dreamliner, Japan Airlines, Museums, News, Tourism, Transport, Travel

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

D2Seattle’s Museum of Flight is celebrating a rare acquisition — one of the original Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner test airplanes.

It was donated this week to the museum by the American manufacturer, also based in Seattle.

Known as ZA003, the airplane was the third 787-8 produced by Boeing.

In donating the aircraft, the company cited its unique past.

Boeing said the ZA003 had circumnavigated the globe multiple times in 2011 and 2012, first as part of test and certification program and later during the Dream Tour, which introduced the 787 to the world.

“This revolutionary airplane caps the museum’s collection of historic commercial airplanes, beginning with our 1932 Boeing 247, which was the first all-metal, modern airliner,” said Doug King, president and CEO of the museum.

“It was followed by our 1969 prototype 747, the first jumbo jet, and now with the first composite airliner, the 787. It’s an incredible addition to our comprehensive display.”

One of the largest air and space museums in the world, the Museum of Flight attracts more than a half million visitors annually.

As of last month, Boeing had won orders for 1,050 Dreamliners from nearly 60 customers. More than 200 airplanes have been delivered so far.

Major Dreamliner operators include All Nippon Airways, Air India, Air New Zealand, Japan Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and Air Canada.

Photo shows visitors waiting to see the Dreamliner at the museum Saturday. Courtesy: Boeing