Airbus wants comfy seats

EUROPEAN aircraft builder Airbus has called on the global aviation business to adopt an 18-inch-wide (45.72cm) seat as standard for long-haul flights. Airbus said research carried out by The London Sleep Centre showed that 18-inch seats improved sleep quality by up to 53% compared to narrower seats. Whether long-haul passengers will ever enjoy the standard remains to be seen — Aviation International News reports that airline industry organisations said seating options should be left to individual carriers.

EAST MEETS WEST IN ISTANBUL

ISTANBUL’S European and Asian sides have been linked by a new, under-sea railway service, which opened on October 30. Built by a Turkish-Japanese consortium, the 13.6km tunnel runs under the Strait. It is expected to ferry 1.5-million people a day, connecting the two continents in about four minutes.

NEW FASTJET ROUTES

FASTJET has added Mbeya, Tanzania, to its route network, bringing to five the number of cities in that country now served by the carrier. Flights between Dar es Salaam and Mbeya will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Fastjet recently began flights between Dar es Salaam and Joburg.

SANPARKS’ NEW DEALS

SANParks has selected Mugg & Bean and Wimpy to operate restaurants in the Kruger National Park. From March, Mugg & Bean will operate in the Lower Sabie, Olifants and Letaba camps, while Wimpy will operate in Pretoriuskop and Satara.

HOW FAST IS ORT?

WAITING times in the passport queues at OR Tambo airport are about 12 to 14 minutes and there are no bottlenecks, say officials. General manager Tebogo Mekgoe said it took about 40 seconds to process an arrival. The airport was aiming to reduce wait times to 10 minutes, he said.