Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) and Virgin Atlantic Airways (London) this weekend are marking the launch of their new services between London (Heathrow) and Los Angeles and London-Heathrow and Atlanta respectively.

The new routes are the first transfer of operations between the two airlines since the launch of their joint venture earlier this year and will offer more choice and flexibility for both airlines’ customers on these key routes across the Atlantic.

From Sunday, Delta will be flying nonstop from London to California for the first time with one of two daily Heathrow-Los Angeles flights previously operated by Virgin Atlantic. The route is Delta’s seventh nonstop destination between London and the United States. Virgin Atlantic, meanwhile, is operating its first ever flights into the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, having taken over one of Delta’s three daily services, and is now able to offer more than 100 additional international and domestic connections to its customers at Delta’s hub airport.

Delta and Virgin Atlantic will operate their Los Angeles and Atlanta services at Heathrow Terminal 3. This co-location adds to the New York-JFK, Boston and Seattle/Tacoma joint venture flights, which already operate from Terminal 3. This provides convenient connections and a seamless customer experience for passengers of both airlines, including access to Virgin Atlantic’s award winning Clubhouse for all business class passengers. Both carriers also offer full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access on all business class flights between the U.K and U.S..

Virgin Atlantic expects to fly around 160,000 passengers annually to Atlanta and beyond on its new service providing convenient connections to Delta flights across the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. Virgin Atlantic has recently announced plans to add a second daily seasonal flight to Atlanta in summer 2015 as part of a package of investment into North American routes that will see the total number of peak day flights operated by the joint venture at 37 from March.

Since the start of the Delta and Virgin Atlantic trans-Atlantic joint venture, 3.5 million passengers have experienced the benefits of the partnership. The two airlines also have a codeshare agreement in place, maximizing the customer appeal of the joint schedule. The partnership enables the airlines to offer more flight choices for travellers on both sides of the Atlantic by improving their travel options.

Top Copyright Photo: Delta will operate the Boeing 767-300 ER on the LHR-LAX route. Delta’s Boeing 767-332 ER N16065 (msn 30199) now carries special “Andrew Young – Atlanta ‘s Ambassador to the World” markings by the nose saluting the diplomatic career of Atlanta native Andrew Young.

Delta Air Lines Aircraft Slide Show: 

Virgin Atlantic Aircraft Slide Show: 

Bottom Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Virgin Atlantic will operate the Airbus A330-300 on the LHR-ATL route. Airbus A330-343 G-VUFO (msn 1352) climbs away from the runway at London’s Heathrow Airport.

SriLankan Airlines (Colombo), the national carrier of Sri Lanka, yesterday (October 30) took delivery of its first (of six) Airbus A330-300 becoming a new operator for the type. The wide-body aircraft arrived at Colombo International Airport, having flown from Toulouse, France, and joins the airlines’ existing fleet of A320, A321, A330-200 and A340-300 aircraft. SriLankan will take delivery of a further five A330-300s.

SriLankan Airlines and Airbus embarked upon a long-term, strategic partnership in 1993 when the airline began operating the A320 and A340. It has since grown to be an all Airbus operator, and is now an award winning carrier, expanding and diversifying its wide range of products and services to drive the country’s ongoing boom in tourism and economic development.

The carrier will introduce the new type on November 7 between Colombo and Tokyo (Narita) followed by Bangkok and Guangzhou on November 18. The airline will also use the new type to Beijing and Shanghai (Pudong).

Top Copyright Photo: Oliver Gregoire/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-343 F-WWYX (msn 1564) became 4R-ALL on the handover.

SriLankan Airlines: 

Bottom Copyright Photo: Airbus. The airline celebrates the signifiant milestone at the delivery ceremony.

Thai Airways International (Bangkok) flight TG 47 scheduled to operate from Khon Kaen to Bangkok with Airbus A330-321 HS-TEG (msn 112) aborted the takeoff and skidded off the runway as it attempted to takeoff last night (November 3) There were no injuries according to the National. The incident closed the airport and a Nok Air flight was forced to divert to another airport.

Read the full report with photos: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-321 HS-TEG departs from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) before the incident.

Thai Aircraft Slide Show: 

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) is increasing its flights from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport to Athens International Airport for the 2015 summer season.

Delta will resume operations with a five-times weekly service from March 30, 2015, growing to daily on May 2, 2015. From June 2, 2015, additional flights will be added bringing the weekly total to 11. During the peak summer months, Delta will offer up to 5,900 weekly seats between Greece and the United States. All services from Athens are operated in conjunction with Delta’s joint venture partners Air France-KLM and Alitalia.

Delta’s Athens services are operated using Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 767-300 aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-323 N815NW (msn 817) arrives back at the John F. Kennedy International Airport hub in New York.

Delta Air Lines: 

Finnair (Helsinki) will start flying to Chicago (O’Hare) next summer, from June 13 to October 17, 2015. Flights will be operated three times a week with Airbus A330 aircraft. Departures from Helsinki and Chicago are on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 17:25 and arrive in Chicago (ORD) at 18:40 local time. Return flights to Helsinki depart at 22:00 and arrive the following day at 14:50.

Finnair’s Chicago service is included in the joint business on trans-Atlantic traffic with fellow oneworld alliance partners British Airways, Iberia, American Airlines and American’s merger partner US Airways. Chicago is a hub for American, which allows Finnair’s customers quick codeshare connections to destinations throughout the United States, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The joint business between the cooperating airlines also gives customers the possibility to mix and match flights on different carriers for the best pricing and scheduling. For example, an itinerary could include a nonstop flight to Chicago in one direction, but a return flight connecting through another transatlantic hub if the timing is more convenient.

Due to opening the Chicago route, Finnair’s seasonal summer service to Hanoi will be discontinued. Finnair’s previously announced new summer destinations in 2015 include Athens, Dublin, Malta and Split.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-302 OH-LTM (msn 994) taxies at the Helsinki hub.

Finnair aircraft slide show: 

Delta Air Lines (Seattle/Tacoma) as previously reported, is building up its new and growing Seattle/Tacoma hub, the home of Boeing. The build-up at SEA is at the apparent expense of its “partner” Alaska Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma) which prides itself on being “all Boeing”. Delta believes the local Seattle market is much larger than one airline and continues its build-up.

According to the local newspaper, The Seattle Times, Delta is apparently now turning to Airbus for a new round of widebody aircraft over Seattle-favorite and the hometown manufacturer Boeing. According to the report, Delta has rejected Boeing’s offer of a mix of 777-300 ERs and 787-9 Dreamliners. Instead Delta will turn to rival Toulouse-based Airbus for a new order of 25 Airbus A350-900s and 25 A330-900neos. The prospective order has not yet been officially announced or confirmed by Airbus.

According to Delta, the earlier delivery slots offered by Airbus were critical in the decision. How will this play in the growing Seattle market where everyone knows someone who works for Boeing. Will this affect their booking decisions?

Delta has also delayed Northwest’s previous order for 18 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. Clearly Airbus is the winner for its widebody needs.

Delta, to their defense, is a large Boeing 737 and 777 customer and continues to take delivery of new 737s which helps the Seattle economy.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

As the competition heats up more in the “battle for Seattle”, will Alaska play up that it is very loyal to Boeing?

Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. The large Airbus fleet came mainly from the merger with Northwest Airlines along with a lot of its management who now manage the current Delta.  Former Northwest Airbus A330-323 N801NW (msn 524) taxies to the international gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show: 

Hong Kong Airlines (Hong Kong) is celebrating its 8th anniversary. The airline issued this statement and logo:

Since its establishment in 2006, Hong Kong Airlines has grown to become an internationally-acclaimed SKYTRAX 4-star airline and was awarded “World’s Most Improved Airline” by SKYTRAX in 2014, recognizing the warmth of its service and the quality of its onboard offering. The Airline operates an all-Airbus fleet with an average age of approximately 2.4 years as of May 2014, which is one of the youngest fleets among major international airlines in the world. To mark the 8th anniversary, Hong Kong Airlines launches a series of exciting activities and promotions, as an appreciation gesture for customers’ continuous support and sharing joy with the whole city.

To spread the birthday joy across Hong Kong, the airlines is delighted to organize “8th Anniversary Roadshow”. A party truck decorated into airplane cabin (below) will travel across different places in Hong Kong, giving out more than 18,000 gifts and up to 888,888 Fortune Wings Miles reward. The first five days of roadshow have attracted numerous visitors, who had fun with games and won attractive prizes. With the wish to earn miles and redeem free air tickets, many of them registered as Fortune Wings Club members.

Many visitors queued up to join “8th Anniversary Roadshow”. They had fun with games on the party truck and won attractive prizes. During the promotion period, visitors can get a birthday stamp card on truck and collect stamps on different roadshow locations. Having at least 5 stamps and writing birthday messages on card, the top ten creative participants will be awarded a total of 888,888 miles. Let’s grasp this opportunity and join the party in coming five days!

Top Copyright Photo: Olivier Gregoire/AirlinersGallery.com (all others by Hong Kong Airlines). Airbus A330-343 F-WWYP became B-LNO (msn 1384) on delivery.

Hong Kong Airlines aircraft slide show: 

Video: The new business class on Hong Kong Airlines:

Route Map:

Lufthansa (Frankfurt) is resuming flights to Florida from its Munich hub. Starting today (December 2), the airline will operate five flights a week to the Sunshine State in addition to its daily Airbus A380 service from Frankfurt.

During the winter months, Miami will be served by LH flight 460, which will be operated with an Airbus A330-300 in the new First, Business and Economy Class layout, which can accommodate 217 passengers.

Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-343 D-AIKQ (msn 1305) touches down in Charlotte with downtown Charlotte in the background.

Lufthansa aircraft slide show: 

Virgin Atlantic Airways (London) is adding a second daily flight to Miami for the winter season 2015/2016. The second flight, operated with Airbus A330-300 aircraft, will start on October 25, 2015 from London (Heathrow) per Airline Route. The second flight will compliment the daily Boeing 747-400 flight.

Copyright Photo: Airbus A330-343 G-VNYC (msn 1315) taxies at the London Heathrow base.

Virgin Atlantic aircraft slide show:

Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur) has suspended the trading of its shares. The beleaguered airline which is majority owned (70 percent) by the state investment fund Khazanah Nasional, is acquiring the remaining shares. The fund will delist the stock and take it private according to the Business Insider.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: John Adlard/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-323 9M-MTC (msn 1229) arrives in Sydney.

Malaysia Airlines aircraft slide show:

Airbus (Toulouse) on January 12 issued this statement:

The newest evolution in Airbus’ market-leading widebody jetliner product line – the A330 with an increased 242-ton maximum takeoff weight capability – is another step closer to entering service later this year after its successful maiden flight.

Taking off from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport today (January 12), the A330-300 variant carried out an airborne evaluation that concluded with its return to the southwestern France location – which is home to Airbus headquarters and the A330 final assembly line.

During the flight, a five-person crew – comprised of Captain Thierry Bourges and First Officer Jean-Louis Rabilloud, along with flight test engineers Joan Andre and Gert Wunderlich and test flight engineer Alain Pourchet– checked the jetliner’s flight control system and validated its flight envelope. This activity kicked off the increased takeoff weight A330-300’s flight test campaign, which is to involve some 15 total hours aloft to confirm its new aerodynamic package and performance.

The increased maximum takeoff weight A330 results from Airbus’ focus on incremental innovation, and will further increase the cost-effectiveness and versatility for its popular twin-engine A330 product line. Operators will benefit from these jetliners’ additional range and fuel-burn reduction, resulting from a combination of improved engine performance and the aircraft’s enhanced aerodynamics.

The 242-ton A330-300 maximum takeoff weight variant launch customer is U.S.-based Delta Air Lines, which is scheduled to take delivery of its first aircraft in the second quarter of this year. The shorter-fuselage A330-200 in the 242-ton configuration is planned to enter commercial service in early 2016.

In addition to Delta Air Lines, eleven customers worldwide have already selected this option since the launch in November 2012.

Airbus’ latest A330 variant is the basis for the A330neo (new engine option) version – which will incorporate new Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 powerplants and aerodynamic improvements to provide unmatched operating economics, along with the latest in cabin technology.

Copyright Photo: Eurospot/AirlinersGallery.com. Registered F-WWYY (msn 1628), the first flight is captured today at Toulouse.

Scandinavian Airlines-SAS (Stockholm) has announced it will launch a new improved business class experience for its long-haul flights staring on January 28. The airline issued this statement:

On January 28, SAS is launching an improved service concept in SAS Business on all its long haul flights. Customers will enjoy a restaurant experience in the air with an even greater number of choices, even more personal service and high quality in every respect.

SAS is currently in the process of updating its long haul fleet. This includes the renovation of seven existing aircraft and the introduction of new aircraft from fall 2015. The food and drink experience onboard in SAS Business is also being improved and customers will notice changes from January 28.

Additional choice and more personal service will be the most noticeable changes for customers in SAS Business. For example, they will have an extra starter and main course to choose from. To increase the restaurant feel and provide an even more personal service, proper tablecloths and porcelain will be used and food will be served from a service trolley to minimize the use of trays.

The improved service concept will be available on all SAS long haul flights from January 28. SAS’s long haul destinations from Scandinavia are New York (JFK), Washington (Dulles), Chicago (O’Hare), San Francisco, Houston (Bush Intercontinental), Beijing, Shanghai and Tokyo (Narita). On September 10, 2015, SAS will open a new route from Stockholm (Arlanda) to Hong Kong.

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Scandinavian Airlines-SAS Airbus A330-343 SE-REF (msn 568) in the Star Alliance scheme arrives at Dulles International Airport near Washington.

SAS aircraft slide show:

Iberia (Madrid) is resuming summer seasonal service to Havana, Cuba with five weekly flights starting on June 1. The flag carrier will also operate three weekly flights on a Madrid – Medellin – Cali – Madrid routing commencing on July 3 per Airline Route. Both routes will operate with Airbus A330-300 equipment.

Copyright Photo: Ole Simon/AirlinersGallery.com. Iberia Airbus A330-302 EC-LZJ (msn 1490) completes its final approach to the runway at the Madrid Barajas International Airport hub.

Iberia aircraft slide show:

Skymark Airlines (Tokyo-Haneda) announced today (January 29) it was filing for bankruptcy protection with the district court in Tokyo. The reorganizing airline announced it would eliminate 15 percent of its flights and ground its Airbus A330-300s on January 31 according to ZipanguFlyer.

Read the full story: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Rob Finlayson/AirlinersGallery.com. The Airbus A330-300s only entered revenue service on June 14, 2014. Airbus A330-343 JA330E (msn 1554) lands in Fukuoka.

Skymark Airlines aircraft slide show:

Skymark Airlines (Tokyo-Haneda) yesterday (January 31) operated its last Airbus A330-300 revenue flight. According to ZipanguFlyer, the last revenue flight from Tokyo (Haneda) was flight BC 727 to Sapporo (New Chitose) operated with Airbus A330-343 JA330D. The final flight was the return leg, flight BC 730 back to Tokyo (Haneda), arriving back at 2236 local time.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Akira Uekawa/AirlinersGallery.com. A spectacular takeoff view of Airbus A330-343 JA330B (msn 1491) from Haneda Airport from Tokyo Bay.

Skymark aircraft slide show:

Turkish Airlines (Istanbul) flight TK 726 from Istanbul skidded off a foggy runway today (March 4) while landing at Kathmandu, Nepal. The Airbus A330-303 TC-JOC (msn 1522) had already aborted a previous approach and was circling the airport before attempting to land again. The aircraft skidded off the runway and the nose gear collapsed. The passengers used the emergency chutes to evacuate the airliner.

According to this report by NBC, only one passenger out of the 224 passengers and crew members on board was injured.

Turkish Airlines issued this short statement:

Our flight number TK726 from İstanbul to Kathmandu overshot the runway after landing at Napal / Kathmandu.

All of our passengers and flight crew evacuated safely.

Necessary precautions are taken; after the technical investigation, this unfortunate incident will be determined and announced to public.

Read the full report from NBC: CLICK HERE

Read the full report from The Independent: CLICK HERE

Twitter photo by Mallika Aryal.

Video:

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will take delivery this year of the first 242-ton Airbus A330-300 as a launch customer. Airbus has issued this statement and photos:

Just four months after entering the Final Assembly Line, and less than two months after its maiden flight, the first 242 ton Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) variant of the A330 rolled out of the paintshop in Toulouse, France in Delta Air Lines livery.

This first, new higher weight variant of the A330-300 is powered by two GE CF6-80E1 engines and will be delivered this year to the new variant’s launch customer Delta Air Lines.

Delta Air Lines is a major Airbus widebody customer, with 32 A330 Family aircraft (11 A330-200s and 21 A330-300s) in service today and 35 more on order (25 A330-900neo and 10 A330-300). In addition, Delta has equally 25 A350-900s on order. Delta also operates 126 A320 Family aircraft (57 A319ceo, 69 A320ceo) and has 45 A321ceo on order.

The A330 242 ton MTOW is the platform for the future A330neo and offers more capability at lower operating cost with a range extended by up to 500 nautical miles and up to two percent reduced fuel consumption while also benefiting from today’s A330 operational reliability of 99.4 percent. The 242 ton MTOW is capable of flying missions up to 15 hours.

Photos: Airbus. Right now this A330-300 airframe is carrying the test registration of F-WWYX (msn 1627) and is also carrying a future fleet number of 3322.

Delta Air Lines aircraft slide show (current livery): 

Cebu Pacific Air (Manila) will launch twice weekly nonstop flights between Manila and Doha, Qatar, starting on June 4, 2015.

CEB will be the only Philippine carrier flying between these two cities, serving more Global Filipinos in the Middle East.

The nonstop service departs Manila every Monday and Thursday, at 9:35 pm (2135). It arrives in Doha at 2:45 am (0245) the next day. The return flight departs Doha every Tuesday and Friday, at 4:15 am (0415), arriving in Manila at 6:35 pm (1835).

This new route will utilize CEB’s brand-new Airbus A330-300 aircraft, with a configuration of 436 all-economy class seats. Hot meals, seats with extra legroom and Wi-Fi onboard, among others, are options that can be added to the fare.

The route will serve over 260,000 Filipinos in Qatar, based on Philippine Overseas Employment Administration 2009 stock estimates.

Qatar has the third-largest Filipino community in the Middle East. CEB already serves the other two key markets for Global Filipinos: United Arab Emirates via direct flights to Dubai, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Riyadh. CEB is also the only airline flying direct between Manila and Kuwait.

CEB’s 55-strong fleet is comprised of 10 Airbus A319, 31 Airbus A320, 6 Airbus A330 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft.

Between 2015 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 7 more brand-new Airbus A320 and 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft.

Copyright Photo: Kok Chwee K.C. Sim/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-343 RP-C3341 (msn 1420) arrives in Singapore (SIN).

Cebu Pacific Air aircraft slide show: 

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) and Virgin Atlantic Airways (London) are celebrating a significant expansion of their trans-Atlantic partnership with the introduction of six new daily services.

The two airlines begin their summer schedule this weekend and will offer up to 39 return trans-Atlantic flights a day between the U.K. and 15 destinations across North America. The joint schedule now includes 10 daily flights between New York and London Heathrow, with eight daily departures from New York-JFK and two departures from Newark. Customers travelling between JFK and London Heathrow will benefit from a memory schedule* of regular evening departures from New York.

Virgin Atlantic is launching a second daily service between Los Angeles and Heathrow, complemented by significant investment on the ground with the first-ever Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse in Los Angeles due to open next month. Combined with the Delta service launched in October 2014, the partnership will offer three daily flights from Los Angeles to London and expects to carry close to 400,000 annual passengers on the route.

Also launching this weekend is a seasonal second-daily Virgin Atlantic service between Atlanta and London Heathrow and a second service between San Francisco and London Heathrow that will operate five days a week over the summer.

The two airlines are maximizing the benefits of their joint-venture partnership and increasing passenger choice by aligning schedules to best meet customer demand. This will see a transfer of operations that begins this weekend with Delta flying one of the Newark-to-London Heathrow services previously operated by Virgin Atlantic. Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic will take over Delta’s Atlanta-to-Manchester service.

Further joint-venture services will be introduced later in the summer. These include:

A new daily Delta service between Philadelphia and London Heathrow starting April 26
A new daily Delta service between New York-JFK and Manchester starting May 21
A new daily Virgin Atlantic service between London Heathrow and Detroit starting June 1

Virgin Atlantic is also offering a series of special seasonal services this year from Orlando to Belfast, Northern Ireland (June and July), and Las Vegas to Glasgow, Scotland (September and October).

Virgin Atlantic is resuming flights from London Gatwick to the Caribbean island of Tobago on Sunday and will be offering a weekly service during the summer and a twice-weekly service in the winter.

This summer, Delta flights between London Heathrow and Boston, Los Angeles and New York will operate from Heathrow’s Terminal 3 alongside all Virgin Atlantic services. Delta flights between Heathrow and Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis-St Paul, Philadelphia and Seattle/Tacoma will operate from Terminal 4. Delta One and Upper Class passengers departing from London Heathrow Terminal 3 will be able to enjoy a seamless transfer from car to lounge via the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing. Business class passengers travelling from Heathrow Terminal 4 will enjoy complimentary access to the SkyTeam lounge.

Since the start of the joint venture, more than five million people have travelled on its services with 10,000 people per month connecting between the two airlines last year. The new schedule offers connecting itineraries to 215 destinations.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-323 N813NW (msn 799) taxies at Amsterdam.

Delta aircraft slide show (current livery): 

Virgin Atlantic aircraft slide show: 

Airbus (Toulouse) has issued this statement today:

The latest variant of the highly successful A330 – the new 242 metric ton A330-300 – has achieved certification from the European airworthiness authorities (EASA) following a 100 hour flight-test campaign. Certification from the US authorities (FAA) is also expected soon. Furthermore, and in the near future, the smaller A330-200 model will follow the -300 by benefiting from the 242 ton take-off weight capability. To date 11 customers have already selected their new A330s to have a 242 ton capability.

Eric Zanin, Airbus’ Head of the A330 Program said: “The latest A330’s maximum take-off weight capability of 242 metric tonnes, combined with various aerodynamic refinements and increased fuel capacity means that soon operators will benefit from an extended range of up to 500 nautical miles or carry greater payload. Moreover, they will do so with a fuel consumption reduction of up two percent – yet another concrete example of Airbus’ incremental innovation strategy.”

The initial certified A330-300 242 ton aircraft is powered by CF6-80E1 engines and certification with the other engine types – the PW4000 and Trent 700 – will follow.

The flight-test campaign of approximately 100 hours was shared between two aircraft: an Airbus test aircraft (msn 871) which was used to validate some aerodynamic refinements, and a new production aircraft (msn 1628) whose tasks included the validation of the *center tank activation and overall performance effect on the larger A330-300 platform. Notably, the 242 ton A330’s structure is also the basis for development of the forthcoming A330neo.

The combination of the increased take-off weight, aerodynamic improvements and the optional fuel capacity boost – compared with the previous 235 ton version – means that the new 242 ton A330-300 is capable of flying missions of up to 15 hours, or carry more payload over existing routes. In practice this means that it will allow operators to fly directly between Europe and south-East Asia and could be used for more than 90 percent of typical routes from London airports.

Photo: Airbus. Delta Air Lines is the launch customer.