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US aerospace giant Boeing‘s newest and biggest jumbo jet, the 747-8 Intercontinental, made its first flight on Sunday near its headquarters in Seattle.

Boeing’s largest passenger plane, the 747-8 can carry 467 passengers in a three-class configuration and is designed for long-haul routes.

The plane is a longer and more fuel-efficient update of Boeing’s double-decker 747 jumbo jet, and will compete with European rival Airbus‘s A380, the world’s biggest passenger plane.

source: AFP

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that fuel prices could increase and the global aviation industry will face a setback while Japan recovers from the earthquake.

While it is too early to assess the long-term impact of the Japanese tragedy on the global air transport industry, IATA said there would be a major slowdown in Japanese air travel in the short-term. “‘The thoughts and prayers of the air transport industry are with the Japanese people at this most difficult time,'” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s director general and CEO. “‘Japan is an important link in global air transport. The US$62.5 billion Japanese aviation market represents 6.5 percent of worldwide scheduled traffic and 10 percent of the industry’s revenues.'”

source: Travel News

A number of hotels in London have been accused by tourism authorities of hiking room rates during next year’s Olympics.

Ahead of London 2012 tickets going on sale this Tuesday, UKinbound, the industry body for overseas tourism to Britain, said the move undermines the hospitality industry’s efforts to avoid tourism “‘price-gouging’”.

Visit Britain, the government’s tourism agency, said it hoped that hoteliers and other hospitality businesses would sign up to a “f’air pricing and practice charter’” under which they would voluntarily agree to offer fair and reasonable prices between June 1 and September 30 next year.

source: breakingtravelnews.com

BA and AA announced in the wake of a transatlantic alliance that flights between the UK’s main airport and the Big Apple will now depart every hour between 1pm and 8pm. Flights to Chicago and Miami will also be evenly spaced.

A BA spokesman said: “‘We are finally able to align all our flights and offer customers more frequent services. Previously, our services would depart at the same time as AA’s.'”

From the end of this month BA and AA will operate a total of 11 flights a day between Heathrow and JFK on a new timetable, thanks to a partnership that allows them to co-operate on schedules and pricing.

source: Guardian.co.uk

A former British Airways computer specialist was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison for plotting with the American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki to kill hundreds of people by blowing up a United States-bound plane. Rajib Karim, 31, left, from Bangladesh, was convicted last month of four counts of preparing for terrorist attacks. He had already pleaded guilty to five other terrorism offenses, but denied plotting an attack in Britain. Justice David Calvert-Smith recommended that Mr. Karim be deported after completing his sentence.

source: nytimes.com

Travelers flying with American Airlines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will now be able to tag their own bags at self-service kiosks.

The six-month trial by American will allow passengers to print and tag their own luggage without direct supervision by an airline employee. Ticket agents will still check passenger IDs, scan luggage tags, and place bags on the conveyor belt to be scanned by the Transportation Security Administration.

source: Fox News.com

Emirates Airline is expected to post record results next month despite regional political turbulence and the rising price of oil.

The Dubai Government-owned carrier is expected to achieve a net profit of about US$2 billion (Dh7.34bn), analysts say.

The airline recorded a first-half result of $925 million in earnings after a 19.4 per cent jump in passenger traffic during the period, running from April to September, compared with the same period in 2009. Its fiscal year closes at the end of this month.

source: thenational.ae

Fifty-six pilots working for Indian airlines have failed alcohol tests in the last two years, according to a list issued by the civil aviation ministry.

Ten pilots were fired after they failed tests, including one who was found over the limit on two occasions, according to the list released by Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi in parliament on Thursday.

The fifty-six pilots worked for the state-owned national carrier Air India, as well as private airlines Jet Airways, Indigo, SpiceJet, GoAir, and Kingfisher.

source: smh.com.au

With the ‘Federal Aviation Administration’ granting early approval for the use of the iPad in airplane cockpits, major commercial airline companies like Delta are exploring the possibility of using Apple’s touchscreen tablet to ditch paper maps entirely.

Delta Air Lines is pursuing approval to test iPads and other tablet-style devices in its airline cockpits next quarter. The news comes just after the FAA endorsed the use of the iPad in a test project at Executive Jet Management.

source: appleinsider.com

The‘ Foreign Office’ has advised against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and the north of Japan, while airlines last night warned customers still travelling to expect cancellations and delays.

Although Tokyo has been largely unaffected by the 8.9-magnitude quake, transport has been severely disrupted, with little or no public transport running from Narita and Haneda airports to the capital.

The Foreign Office warned travellers to expect widespread power cuts and aftershocks from the quake.

In a statement, it said: “‘We advise against all non-essential travel to Tokyo and the north-east of Japan whilst we assess the damage caused by the 11 March earthquake.'”

source: scotsman.com