The Dawn of the Ethiopian Airlines Airbus A350-900 XWB Era

ET-ATQ, Ethiopian Airlines’ first Airbus A350-900 XWB after painted in Ethiopian Airlines livery

Airbus will deliver the first Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft of Ethiopian Airlines in this May. The first Airbus A350-900 XWB of Ethiopian Airlines registered as F-WZGM as test registration. Later the aircraft registered as ET-ATQ. 

Ethiopian Airlines ordered fourteen Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft. The Airbus A350-900 XWB aircraft will be filled with 348 seats, consist of 30 business seats and 318 economy seats.

Cathay Pacific's First Airbus A350-900 XWB Made Its Maiden Flight

On 25 March 2016, F-WZFX, Cathay Pacific's first Airbus A350-900 XWB made its first maiden flight at Toulouse. Later, F-WZFX will be registered as B-LRA. With this maiden flight, Airbus made one more step to the delivery of the first Airbus A350-900 XWB to Cathay Pacific. 

F-WZFX, Cathay Pacific’s first Airbus A350-900 XWB on its maiden flight at Toulouse

The first Airbus A350-900 XWB scheduled to be delivered to Cathay Pacific in this May. Cathay Pacific has 25 orders for this aircraft type to replace its aging Boeing 777-200 and Airbus A340-300 aircraft. Some of Cathay Pacific's aircraft still use the old interior. The Airbus A350-900 XWB will be filled with 280 seats, consist of 214 economy seats, 28 premium economy seats, and 38 business seats. Congratulations, Airbus and Cathay Pacific!

EgyptAir Flight 181 Hijacked and Diverted to Larnaca International Airport

SU-GCB after the hijacking

On 29 March 2016, SU-GCB, an EgyptAir Airbus A320-200 operated EgyptAir flight 181. The flight was departed from Borg El Arab International Airport, Alexandria, Egypt at 06:38 A.M, local time. The plane was en route from Alexandria to Cairo with 56 passengers and 8 crews on board. After takeoff, the pilot has informed the passengers if a passenger claiming to wear an explosive belt and demanded the pilot to fly the aircraft to Cyprus.

A passenger reported if flight attendants collected the passengers' passports which are unusual for a domestic flight. After the plane gained altitude the crews announced if they would divert the plane to Larnaca International Airport, Larnaca, Cyprus. The plane finally landed safely at Larnaca International Airport at 07:15 A.M local time. The plane stopped at a remote parking area. The incoming and outgoing flights at Larnaca International Airport was closed after that. Now, the hijacker had been arrested.