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Hello and welcome to London Air Travel’s Atlantic Update providing a weekly bulletin on developments on transatlantic travel between Europe and North America. The Atlantic Update is published every Wednesday morning at 06:00 GMT.
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Virgin Atlantic’s First Airbus A350 Test Flight
Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus A350-1000 aircraft took its first test flight on Monday.
Aircraft G-VPOP, also to be known as “Mamma Mia”, took a three hour test flight in Toulouse. This will in fact be the second A350-1000 to be delivered to Virgin Atlantic. The first, G-VLUX, is also on the production line and will be the first aircraft to be delivered to the airline. Full details of the test flight are available from Virgin Atlantic.
The Airbus A350-1000 will first operate on one of Virgin’s six daily flights from London Heathrow to New York JFK. This will give Virgin a significant competitive advantage over BA on this route, who will have little choice but to make a competitive response.
Also of note this week:
This Friday, 31 May 2019, the Metropolitan Transit Authority introduces contactless payment on Staten Island buses and on the New York Subway 4, 5 and 6 lines between Grand Central – 42 Street and Atlantic Avenue -Barclays Center. This is ahead of a full roll-out of a full contactless payment known as OMNY. (OMNY)
The Mayor of Los Angeles announces funding for new initiatives to create bicycle and walking paths along the Los Angeles River in West San Fernando Valley. This is part of a broader plan to revitalise the Los Angeles River. (Mayor of Los Angeles)
San Francisco is a city that should in theory have a lot going for it – geography, progressive values and a temperate climate. But for a long time it has disappointed with a seemingly intractable problem with homelessness. The New Yorker looks at the impact of the tech boom on rising tensions in the city. (The New Yorker)
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London Air Travel’s Atlantic Update is published every Wednesday at 06:00 GMT. If you have any comments, suggestions or tips then please drop us a line at mail [@] londonairtravel.com
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