Qatar Airways has reversed course and will include first class cabins on its upcoming fleet of Airbus A380 superjumbos in a bid to woo wealthy leisure and business travellers.
Airline officials are keeping mum about what signature offerings will be on store for the airline's version of the double-decker aircraft, which will go head to head against A380s operated by Emirates, with its showers available for first class ticket holders, and Singapore Airlines, with its suites featuring a full-sized bed, desk, seats and personal storage.
The plans come as the Doha-based full-service airline carries out a wide-ranging programme elsewhere in its fleet to rely only on business and economy cabins at a time when the global economy is still recovering from the recent downturn.
The A380 "will be the only model in our fleet which will have a first class cabin," Akbar al Baker, the chief executive of Qatar Airways, said last week, adding that the premium cabin will have eight seats in first, with 517 overall in all cabins.
A typical layout on the A380 accommodates 525 passengers, with 10 first, 76 business, and 439 economy class seats, according to Airbus.
igale@thenational.ae
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
On Women's Day
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action
Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?
Justin Thomas: Challenge the notion that 'men are from Mars, women are from Venus'
The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
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Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
While you're here
Nasser bin Nasser: Is US-China conflict in West Asia inevitable?
Sholto Byrnes: Time for an uninhibited China to lead Asia
Damien McElroy: BRI has changed the rules of the game
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
Sleep Well Beast
The National
4AD
Whiile you're here
Damien McElroy: Anti-science attitudes in America are proving lethal
Editorial: What makes the UAE such a good place to test vaccines?
Editorial: The fight against Covid-19 should be guided by science
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PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
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THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
The specs
While you're here
Chris Blackhurst: Football fans can't have it both ways
Dominic Hart: How football fought back against ESL
While you're here
Khaled Al Qubaisi: Ties between India and the UAE will boost investor confidence
Rebecca Bundhun: Will India's new farm laws cause farmers economic pain?
Neil Murphy: Britain must ‘double down’ on post-Brexit ties with India
Rebecca Bundhun: India needs to address its unemployment crisis
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5