Emirates are planning a first.  The introduction of showers on their flights.  Unfortunatley and somewhat typically this is only for first class passegers on board their new A380 planes in August this year.
 The service will require one ton of freshwater to be carried on board, and the showers will be cleaned after every use.  Great news for Air Hostesses.   "The water certainly won't be recycled," said Richard Vaughan, the carrier's senior vice-president, commercial operations, East Asia and Australasia. He said the showers would be cleaned after every use.

Emirates, which has spent $96.3 billion on new aircraft since 2001, has ordered 58 A380s – the biggest purchase by any airline of the superjumbo.

Asia aiport news round up courtesy of Asia pulse.

AUSTRALIA'S AVIATION BOOM AT AN END?

SYDNEY - Aviation's current sweet spot may be short-lived, particularly in the domestic market, says the Australian businessman who ran three international airlines, Sir Rod Eddington.

A Rhodes Scholar and business adviser to Labor leader Kevin Rudd, Sir Rod led Cathay Pacific, Ansett and British Airways at various times over the past two decades. 

LUFTHANSA ARRIVES IN LAHORE

LAHORE - The inaugural flight of Lufthansa arrived here Monday from Frankfurt along with a delegation of guests, headed by Lufthansa Vice President Sales and Services Southeast Europe, Africa and Middle East/ Pakistan, Joachim Steinbach.

"It was indeed an honour to be the first European carrier to offer flights to the commercial city of Karachi and for the first time connecting Lahore non-stop to Europe," said Steinbach after arrival of the flight here.

GARUDA LEASING AIR ATLANTA B747 TO FLY PILGRIMS TO MECCA

MEDAN - National flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia has leased Iceland's Air Atlanta aircraft to fly moslems from Medan's Polonia airport on pilgrimage to Mecca.

"We are leasing Air Atlanta's 445 seating capacity Boeing 747-300 aircraft along with pilot and copilot, to fly 8,179 North Sumatra moslems on pilgrimiage to the holy land this year", General Manager of Garuda Indonesia Medan office Yona Mardiona said after attending the installation of the Medan Pilgrimage Committee here on Tuesday.

CARRIER OFFERS DISCOUNT TICKETS ON TAIPEI-KINMEN FLIGHTS

TAIPEI - To better serve Kinmen residents flying between Kinmen and Taipei, Taipei-based Trans Asia Airways will, beginning November 1, upgrade its fleet and offer discount ticket prices on the route, Trans Asia General Manager Dennis Tien announced Tuesday.

Tien made the announcement following a meeting earlier the same day with Kinmen County Magistrate Lee Chu-feng at the Kinmen County Government office.

EMIRATES BEGINS DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN AHMEDABAD AND DUBAI

AHMEDABAD - UAE-based Emirates began operating direct flights between Ahmedabad and Dubai from Monday.

"This is our ninth destination in India," Nabil Sultan, Senior Vice President of the airlines told reporters after the airline's first flight touched down at Sardar Patel International Airport here.

PHILIPPINE CARRIER CEBU PACIFIC TO FLY 10 TIMES DAILY TO BORACAY

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY - Cebu Pacific (CEB), the country's leading domestic airline and low fare leader, will start flying the Manila-Boracay (Caticlan) route starting February 29 and the Cebu-Boracay (Caticlan) route starting March 28 next year.

The new routes will utilize CEB's brand new ATR 72-500 aircraft which will arrive in February 2008.