etihadairways
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US lifts laptop ban at Abu Dhabi airport
The US is scaling back its ban on laptops for Middle Eastern flights headed to the US... though it's not because officials believe everything is safe. The Department of Homeland Security has exempted Abu Dhabi International Airport from the ban (which also covers tablets) after verifying that Etihad Airways has properly implemented "enhanced security measures." While the agency isn't clear about what those are, they include tighter screening for both people and the devices they carry aboard.
Etihad's A380 'Residence' has a lounge, double bed and an en-suite shower
We've seen full-length beds, 32-inch TVs and even dedicated chefs on board the latest Airbus and Boeing planes, but Etihad's setting the bar far, far higher by offering an entire section of its brand-new A380 to passengers with the cash to spare. "The Residence," as the airline's calling its uber-lux three-room suite, includes 125 square feet of space spread between a living room, dining area, bedroom and private bathroom (yes, of course it has a shower). You can have the suite all to yourself, or you can share the double bed with a companion. As for the tech on board, there's a 32-inch TV in the living room, a 27-inch screen near the bed, HDMI inputs (hello PS4 at 30,000 feet), power outlets, USB ports and a top-of-the-line Panasonic entertainment system. Etihad's not talking pricing at this point, but the A380 is expected to fly between Abu Dhabi and London, New York and Sydney beginning in 2015, giving you plenty of time to save up. Update: The Residence is now available for bookings. Dates we priced in March 2015 are coming in at a whopping £25,456, or about $43,000 roundtrip for the roughly seven-hour trip between London and Abu Dhabi.
Daily Update for March 21, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Etihad Airways to use iPads for aircraft training
Last year, the iPad landed in cockpits as a replacement for flight bags. Now it's being used to supplement training courses for aircraft engineers. According to a report by Gulf News, Etihad Airways is using the iPad to train 200 licensed aircraft engineers. Eleven engineers already went through the Airbus A340 course which was developed by airline technical service provider SR Technics. Both the airline and SR Technics intend to further develop the iPad aircraft training course and hope to eventually replace traditional, spiral-bound manuals. Werner Rothenbaecher, Etihad Airways Senior Vice President Technical, has nothing but good things to say about the company's iPad initiative. We have found that using such technology allows for more efficient and effective training, and one of the major benefits of the iPad is that additional supporting materials may now be included in the interactive manuals such as images, videos, cockpit voice recordings and incidents reports. Etihad Airways is one of the main airlines for the United Arab Emirates. I'm sure many smaller carriers will be watching this pilot program to see how well it works on a larger scale.
