Kick-off this week’s round-up of aviation news with Emirates’ hilarious take on mid-air “fouls” as the airline teams up with famous ref Nigel Owens. All this and MUCH more awaits here.

Air New Zealand signs contract for multi-billion-dollar fleet investment 

Air New Zealand has signed contracts for the airline’s multi-billion-dollar investment to purchase eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft. The aircraft will be powered by GE Aviation’s GEnx-1B engines. The airline first announced its intention to enter contracts with Boeing and GE Aviation on 27 May 2019.

The first new aircraft is expected to join the Air New Zealand fleet in late 2022 with the remainder delivered at intervals through to 2027.

The fleet investment constitutes a major transaction as defined by NZX Listing Rule 5.1, and the contracts are contingent upon approval from a simple majority of 51 per cent of shareholders. The transaction will be voted on at the airline’s Annual Shareholder Meeting tomorrow in Aukland. Air New Zealand anticipates the contracts with GE Aviation will be signed immediately following that meeting.

Western Sydney Airport’s curfew-free promise 

Introducing greater choice to Sydney’s airport market will be the focus of Western Sydney Airport’s first World Routes exhibition at the Adelaide event last weekend.

Western Sydney Airport CEO Graham Millett said airlines are invited to help design their dream airport from the ground up.

“Insights from industry into how we build a modern, efficient airport that represents an enticing commercial proposition for airlines are proving invaluable,” Millett said.

“As we plan Western Sydney International, we want to create a service-focussed, stress-free experience for passengers and increased reliability and efficiency for airlines.

“We’re designing an airport that will minimise aircraft turnaround times so airlines using our airport will have their assets spending less time on the ground.”

Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport will not be subject to a curfew or movement restrictions, creating flexibility for Australian and overseas airlines looking for ways to diversify services.

Governments are investing billions in ground transport infrastructure to connect Western Sydney International to the region and beyond.

The Airport will have a direct motorway connection to the terminal from day one of operation, providing uninterrupted motorway access to the Sydney CBD. Bus connections will provide for easy transfers to major Western Sydney centres. A high-frequency metro rail line will be built to connect the Airport to other parts of Western Sydney.

Western Sydney Airport will be located at Stand 34 at World Routes 2019, alongside Tourism Australia.

Emirates kicks off Rugby World Cup 2019 with referee Nigel Owens

Emirates, Official Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2019 (RWC 2019), has teamed up with famous Welsh Rugby referee, Nigel Owens, to create a campaign to inform travellers what’s fair play and what’s foul play when flying.

The campaign, “Emirates etiquette guide to Rugby World Cup 2019”, comprises a series of short, light-hearted and witty videos, which sees Nigel, known for his unique tongue-in-cheek way of talking to rugby players on the pitch, blow the whistle on bad traveller etiquette during flights. The first of the videos is being released today across several digital platforms and the airline’s social media channels to coincide with the start of the tournament.

Rugby World Cup, in which 20 qualifying nations compete for The Webb Ellis Cup, is hosted once every four years, and will take place at 12 venues across Japan from Friday, 20 September to Saturday, 2 November, 2019. RWC is the 3^rd largest sports event in the world after the Summer Olympics and the Football World Cup.

LATAM Airlines reveals Star Wars-inspired aircraft

LATAM Airlines Group today unveiled the first image of its Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge-inspired aircraft, following the recent opening of the new Star Wars land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

LATAM Airlines Group will enable customers and fans to travel on an aircraft-inspired by the stormtroopers of the First Order from the airline group’s São Paulo/Guarulhos hub to Orlando, where Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is based, as well as other international destinations including Miami and European cities such as Madrid, Frankfurt and Paris.

The livery of the ‘Stormtrooper Plane’, a Boeing 777 with capacity for 410 passengers, was designed by Disney’s creative team in conjunction with Lucasfilm and was painted using stencils. The aircraft is due to arrive in São Paulo/Guarulhos and operate its first commercial flight in October.

Cathay Pacific’s Earlybird 2020 Sale is on now

On Friday, Cathay Pacific launched its first wave of its Earlybird 2020 Sale, an exciting promotion on fares from all Australian ports to over 20 popular destinations across the UK, Europe, USA, Canada and Israel.

This promotion offers Aussies the perfect incentive to book early and lock in in their 2020 holiday and/or New Year’s resolution. Travellers can visit a range of popular destinations including London, Paris, New York, as well as take advantage of exploring Cathay Pacific’s newest destination; Seattle.

Fares start from just $1,194 return to London and $1,494 return to New York. Sale commences from 20 September and will run until October 31 with flights departing from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Passengers can experience Cathay Pacific’s award-winning Economy Class, Premium Economy Class and Business Class, all designed to make the travel journey a comfortable and seamless experience.

Airbus forecasts need for over 39,000 new aircraft in the next 20 years

The world’s passenger and freighter aircraft fleet is set to more than double from today’s nearly 23,000 to almost 48,000 by 2038 with traffic growing at 4.3 per cent annually, also resulting in a need for 550,000 new pilots and 640,000 new technicians.

By 2038, of the forecast 47,680 fleet, 39,210 are new and 8,470 remain from today. By updating fleets with latest-generation fuel-efficient aircraft such as the A220, A320neo Family, the A330neo and the A350, Airbus believes it will largely contribute to the progressive decarbonisation of the air transport industry and the objective of carbon-neutral growth from 2020 while connecting more people globally.

Air Canada presents ice hockey cup to victorious Bears

Air Canada’s iconic rondelle was centre stage at a sold-out Hunter Ice Skating Stadium in Newcastle this month to kick off the biggest game on the Australian Ice Hockey League’s calendar, the Grand Final of the legendary Goodall Cup.

After first eliminating tournament favourites the Canberra Brave in the semi-final, the Sydney Bears took on the Perth Thunder, who broke local hearts by knocking out the Newcastle North Stars. In the end, for only second time in its history, the Bears emerged victorious.

This is seventh consecutive year Air Canada has presented the AIHL finals and the airline shared the weekend’s games – which were live-streamed on Fox Sports Australia – with almost 30 travel industry guests, including team members from the Hunter Travel Group and Scenic.

Sales Account Manager Neil Ford and Sales Planning Manager Australia Fei Revel also had the honour of presenting the winners with this year’s Goodall Cup – the world’s third oldest ice hockey trophy – and their hard-earned medals.

Singapore Airlines extends title sponsorship for Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix + Ramen Keisuke’s signature Japanese ramen to be featured on select flights 

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will continue to be the Title Sponsor of the FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX for two more years, until 2021.

The Singapore Grand Prix is one of Formula 1’s premier racing events as drivers race through the Marina Bay Circuit, a street track against the city’s famous skyline as its spectacular backdrop.

SIA first signed as Title Sponsor in 2014 for four years and subsequently extended it for two years, through the 2019 race. The agreement to extend the sponsorship for two more years was announced today by SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong and Formula 1 Chairman and CEO Chase Carey.

Meanwhile, the airline has unveiled a six-month collaboration with Ramen Keisuke to serve its authentic Japanese ramen creations on select SIA flights from 1 October 2019.

AirAsia celebrates 600 million guests flown with BIG Sale

AirAsia is celebrating 600 million guests flown with a BIG Sale and 6 million promotional seats.

Enjoy AirAsia BIG Member fares from as low as AUD$96 for flights from Perth to Lombok and Denpasar and AUD$116 for flights from Perth to Kuala Lumpur.

Fly to Kuala Lumpur from the Gold Coast or Melbourne Avalon from AUD$146, or from Sydney for just AUD$156.

AirAsia’s newest Australian route, Brisbane to Bangkok is also part of the sale, with fares from just AUD$166.

Enjoy 16 per cent off Pick A Seat when making seat selection with flights during the initial booking stage, up to 40 per cent off bookings for selected hotels and up to 60 per cent off flight-plus-hotel holiday packages. BIG members will earn an additional 600 BIG points when booking activities during the BIG Sale period (minimum spend required).

Book at airasia.com or the AirAsia mobile app from 23 September 2019 (0001h AEST) to 26 September 2019 (2400 AEST) for travel between 10 February and 15 December 2020.

Air Malaysia to participate in Malaysia Festival 2019 

Malaysia Airlines will be participating in the upcoming Malaysia Festival in Sydney from 21 – 22 September 2019.

The student-run festival aims to celebrate Malaysia’s culture with plenty of traditional food stalls, performances, competitions and promotions on offer.

Attendees will have the chance to learn more about Malaysia Airlines’ MHexplorer Student Travel Programme whereby eligible students aged 18 – 26 can gain access to exclusive privileges catered just for them.

There are also four partners on-board including Expedia, Grab, Hotlink Postpaid Flex and Temptations – giving access to discounted hotels, taxi rides, transport, mobile plans and in-flight shopping.

Malaysia Airlines will also have an additional and exclusive promotional fare on offer during the festival for all attendees (not only students) with a discount of up to 10 per cent off fares to Malaysia.

Starting from $740* and departing from Sydney. Travellers will need to book between 21 – 23 September 2019 for travel between 21 September to 19 March 2020. To access this special discount collect the promotional code at the festival.

Scoot removes payment processing fees globally starting today

Aligning with its vision since inception of making travel attainable for all, Scoot today announced the removal of payment processing fees[1] globally for all bookings made on its direct channels, offering customers even greater value with immediate effect.

To provide customers greater convenience and a seamless booking experience, Scoot currently offers a comprehensive range of payment options across its network of 67 cities in 17 countries and territories. This includes global payment methods such as Apple Pay, Credit Card (American Express, JCB, MasterCard, UnionPay, Visa), Google Pay and PayPal, and local payment methods such as AXS and PayNow for customers in Singapore, POLi for customers in Australia, WeChat Pay and Alipay for customers in China, DragonPay for customers in the Philippines, Konbini for customers in Japan, and Momo for customers in Vietnam.

Changi Airport encourages Aussies to show how much they love Changi, to win a trip to Singapore Changi Airport

Aussies are encouraged to show their love for Changi Airport for the chance to win the ultimate trip for two to Singapore Changi Airport, valued at S$7,000.

The Australia-wide promotion launches today and to enter the game of skill, entrants are urged to demonstrate how much they love Changi Airport, whether that be a photo, love letter, drawing, video or any other means! They can also find inspiration through suggestions and downloadable I Love Changi content on the website.

Entries can be submitted in two ways, either through the website or via Instagram, tagging @ChangiAirport and #ilovechangi (with a public profile).

The lucky grand prize winner will win 2 return Economy flights to Singapore Changi Airport, 2 nights accommodation at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, S$1,000 Changi gift card to enjoy all of the incredible offerings at Changi, as well as free access to the amazing attractions at Jewel’s newly opened Canopy Park. There will also be 5x runner up prizes up for grabs, including GIFT by Changi Airport hampers, which will be announced on the website and Changi social channels once the competition closes.

Enjoy a taste of the Philippines at 30,000 feet with Cebu Pacific

Your Philippine adventure starts the second you board a plane from Sydney or Melbourne to or from Manila, thanks to Cebu Pacific.

The leading Philippine airline will offer a brand-new range of inflight meals from 1st October, that will celebrate the traditional food and hospitality of the Philippines, as well as other international favourite dishes.

Eight new dishes are available to pre-order on international and domestic flights, including Filipino home comfort favourites: Pinoy Spaghetti, Lechon Paksiw, Slices of Lechon and Beef Salpicao.