Austrian takes off with second new long-haul cabin

· Second Boeing 777 equipped with state-of-the-art new long-haul cabin to take off as flight no from Vienna to Bangkok later today
· World-beating standards of travel comfort offered by new full-flat seats in Business Class, new Economy Class seats, and improved entertainment from redesigned inflight entertainment system
· Finished three days earlier than planed

After completing a successful test flight and gaining official approval from aviation authorities, the second Austrian long-haul aircraft to feature the company’s completely remodelled long-haul cabin, a Boeing 777 bearing the identification code OE-LPA and named Sound of Music, will embark on its maiden flight this evening. Flight will take off from Vienna at 11.20 p.m. local time, and land in Bangkok, capital of Thailand. The new fittings mean passengers travelling Economy Class on long-haul flights will have the opportunity to enjoy an entirely new level of seating comfort. In Business Class, meanwhile, the new seats will offer a persuasive mix of intuitive operation, a built-in massage function, and extra storage space. The excellent standard of reclining comfort offered to passengers by the new seats is thanks to their innovative combination of an air cushion system and the option to convert them into full-flat beds.

The new cabin in the Boeing 777 offers space for a total of 308 passengers, with 260 people in the Economy Class section and 48 in Business Class. An all-new inflight entertainment system offers a wide choice of the latest films, ensuring passengers enjoy non-stop inflight entertainment. And as before, the award-winning DO&CO service, with its inflight chef feature, will be provided for passengers’ culinary pleasure.

Austrian Airlines is converting its entire long-haul fleet, which consists of four aircraft of the Boeing 777 type and six Boeing 767, on a step-by-step basis. One Boeing 767 and from today on, two Boeing 777 are just finished. Around 1.1 million customers travel long-haul with Austrian Airlines on 5,500 flights every year.

The new Business Class seat – an overview
· Horizontal full-flat surface almost two metres in length
· Innovative air cushion system offering greatest possible comfort, whether passenger sitting or lying down
· More space in shoulder area in reclining position thanks to lowerable armrests
· Generous storage spaces and extra storage compartments built directly into seat
· Entertainment system with larger monitors:
Economy Class screens now 9-inch instead of 6.5-inch to 9 inch to date (depending on aircraft type); Business Class screens 15-inch instead of 5 to 10.4-inch to date (depending on aircraft type)