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July 13 2022

Virgin Atlantic Debuts New Upper Class Suite

Virgin Atlantic will debut the new version of its Upper Class Suite on board its new A330-900 neo aircraft. The first of these will be introduced this autumn, with London to Boston being its first route. The A330-900 neo will have 262 seats in a three-class configuration: 28 Economy Delight seats and 156 standard economy seats, 46 Premium seats, and 30 Upper Class suites – plus two ‘Retreat’ Upper Class suites. The Loft, a space with four seats for up to eight people to socialise, replaces the former Upper Class bar. The new suites are the Thompson Vantage seats, similar to those offered by Delta in business class.

Business Traveller | Related

Bunk beds in economy class? The in-flight innovation we've been waiting for - The Telegraph

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Vancouver Airport Introduces Amadeus Flow

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has introduced the cloud-based technology, Amadeus Flow, to improve the passenger experience. Transitioning to Amadeus Flow reduces Vancouver’s reliance on rigid fixed service points for passengers. As a result, passenger services can become mobile, freeing check-in agents from traditional desks so they can provide services using mobile devices. It now connects more than 650 check-in and gate desks to 30+ airline partners. This capability supports social distancing, reduces queues, and enables ‘off-airport’ check-in and baggage services at locations like cruise terminals and hotels.

Passenger Terminal Today | Related

Amadeus demos cloud-integrated management platform at Passenger Terminal Expo - Passenger Terminal Today

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SAUDIA Wins Top Sustainability Award For Customer Engagement

SAUDIA has been declared the winner of the 'best customer engagement' award in the SkyTeam Sustainable Flight Challenge. This follows SAUDIA running the world’s first in-flight sustainability lab, in partnership with SimpliFlying, on a Jeddah to Madrid flight to crowdsource ideas on greener air travel from guests. This was also the world’s longest carbon net-positive flight. The carrier also won in the 'best employee engagement' category. Additionally, SAUDIA was a finalist in three more categories: 'greatest CO2 reduction medium haul', 'lowest CO2 emissions ground handling' and 'best sustainable innovation (in-flight)'.

Times Aerospace | Related

Singapore Airlines Operates Its First Flights With Blended Sustainable Aviation Fuel - Pragativadi

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British Airways Sending Out Flights Without Food Because Of Staff Shortages

British Airways is dispatching some flights without any food and it’s blaming a dire shortage of security staff at its Heathrow hub for the catering woes. The airline said the passengers on impacted flights were advised ahead of time so that they could arrange self-catering for their trips. The problem, the airline claims, isn’t a staff shortage at its catering department but a lack of Heathrow airport security staff holding up catering truck deliveries to the aircraft side. It would appear that Heathrow is diverting security staff to reduce the massive queues plaguing the airport’s passenger security screening areas.

Paddle Your Own Kanoo | Related

London’s Heathrow Airport Says It Will Limit Passengers for the Summer - The New York Times

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Starlink Expects Inter-Satellite Links Fully Online By Q1 2023

Key to Starlink’s expansion into the maritime and aviation mobility markets is the ability to deliver service off-shore. Unlike the first generation of satellites, more recent launches include inter-satellite links (ISLs) to support that level of connectivity. In Q4 2022, Starlink coverage expanded to include a large chunk of the Caribbean, flight paths from the US east coast to western Europe, as well as routes between the US mainland and Hawaii. In Q1 2023, the company anticipates completing its global footprint of ISL-enabled satellites.

PAXEX.AERO | Related

Hawaiian Airlines gets online with Starlink - PAXEX.AERO

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IndiGo Chooses Recaro Seats For New Airbus A320 Family Aircraft

India’s largest airline has chosen Recaro to supply economy class seats for its upcoming Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft. The German aircraft-interior manufacturer will provide its award-winning BL3710 seats for 75 IndiGo airframes, due for delivery January 2023 onwards. The low-cost airline will be the first to feature these seats in the Indian sub-continent. The BL3710 was specifically created for short and medium-haul flights. The combination of the ergonomic design and weight of less than 10kg per pax has made the economy class seat a bestseller since it first entered the market in 2019.

Runway Girl | Related

Recaro Chosen To Provide Economy Seats On Air France-KLM’s New A320 Family Planes - Simple Flying

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Aegean Airlines Signs SAF Supply Agreement With Hellenic Petroleum

Greek flag carrier Aegean Airlines has signed a strategic agreement with oil company Hellenic Petroleum to power its fleet with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The deal will see EKO, a Hellenic Petroleum subsidiary, supply SAF to Thessaloniki Airport (SKG), the third-largest airport in Greece. Aegean will become the first Greek airline to regularly use SAF as airports strive to meet European Union (EU) SAF targets by 2025. The deal is set to extend to Athens International Airport (ATH), the largest in the country, in due time.

Industry Update | Related

Bordeaux Airport To Offer Permanent Supply Of Sustainable Aviation Fuel - Simple Flying

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> PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's picture comes from @southbay_dan_aviation, showing Air Canada's B737 MAX 8 flight AC556 from Vancouver to Los Angeles.

Use #APEXPOTD for the chance to be featured in the APEX Daily Experience newsletter!

> Tweet of the Day

Say hi to @VirginAtlantic 's A330neo interior, flying to @BostonLogan in October. Economy: 31" pitch, AC/USB ports, Bluetooth IFE audio Premium Economy: 38" pitch, Bluetooth and wireless charging Upper Class Suites: Has a door Retreat Suite: Bulkhead suite, 27" screen #PaxEx

Jason Rabinowitz @AirlineFlyer

Association News

Registration is NOW OPEN for APEX/IFSA EXPO!

Registration is now open the most comprehensive end-to-end airline passenger experience marketplace in the industry – APEX/IFSA EXPO! On October 25-27 in Long Beach California, join more than 1,500 industry professionals, including airline CEOs, executives, suppliers, and decision-makers from dozens of airlines around the world, in showcasing the latest technologies, products, and content and share unique insights via our thought leadership programming. Click here to register.

> Quote of the Day

“When it comes to innovating for our customers, we never stand still. Our desire to create memorable experiences means we’ll continue to imagine with fresh ideas. We care about every detail of the cabin design and every step of our customer’s journey.”

Corneel Koster, Virgin’s chief customer and operating officer
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ABOUT APEX

The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) encompasses a network of airlines, businesses and professionals that are committed to providing a world-class airline experience for passengers around the globe. Every day, APEX members are improving every aspect of the airline experience, from designing, building and installing seating, entertainment and communications systems on commercial aircraft, to airport lounges and in-flight dining. Visit apex.aero for more information. APEX is professionally managed by Kellen Company, the premier global association management firm with offices and representation in the United States, Europe, China, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia.

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