AIRLINE NEWS

ANA has unveiled a special “sea turtle” livery which will feature on the carrier’s first A380. The aircraft will operate on ANA’s Tokyo-Honolulu route, and will be named “Flying Honu”. The green sea turtle is known as the “Honu” in Hawaii, and is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. ANA said it would also support activities in Hawaii to protect the green sea turtle, which has been listed as being in danger of extinction by The International Union for Conservation of Nature. ANA placed an order for three Airbus A380 aircraft in 2016, and will be the first Japanese airline to operate the superjumbo when it takes delivery in early 2019. VIRGIN AUSTRALIA, together with Barossa Valley winery St Hallett, has developed a wine called The Duo. The two companies developed the Virgin Australia wine over a number of months in order to balance the characteristics of the wine specifically for when it is consumed at high altitudes, along with complementing the airline’s existing business class menu. The Duo is a blend that was sourced from the Barossa and Eden Valleys. “The drier air in the cabin can make it hard to really capture a wine’s aroma. This is where the Eden Valley component comes in. The higher altitude of the Eden Valley means cooler conditions and creates Shiraz with lovely overt floral aromas,” says St Hallett. ASIANA AIRLINES, a Korean carrier, is set to introduce a new Economy Smartium seat offering on its Airbus A350 flights starting May 15, when it debuts its first A350 aircraft. According to the airline, its new 311-seat A350s will include 36 Economy Smartium seats offering 3-4 inches additional seat pitch compared with its regular economy seats. Economy Smartium will offer a total seat pitch of 36 inches, though the rest of its seating features remains unchanged from standard economy, with width, recline and screen size all staying the same.