Shaping the future of travel
Airbus gave the world a peek at the new A350 XWB "MSN001", as it emerged in its Airbus livery out from the paintshop in Toulouse last week.
The aircraft painting was achieved in less than seven days and follows the recent completion of MSN001’s flight-test-instrumentation (FTI) verification. Last month the aircraft underwent its engines installation, and passed a subsequent intensive phase of ground vibration tests. MSN001 will soon start the final tests before its maiden flight this summer.
On tracks with the O and V
A new tourist train is on offer for visitors to South Korea to explore the country. The Central Inland Region Tour Train travels two different routes. The O train takes a 257-kilometre trip from Seoul through the mountainous regions of Chungcheongbuk-do, Gangwon-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do provinces. The train departs four times a day and has four wagons – including one for couples, one for families and an observation wagon. The V train travels 28 kilometres between Buncheon and Cheolam.
Beetles on the streets
Loud convoys of old Volkswagen Beetle cars have taken to the streets of Berlin this summer as transport for sightseers. There are 11 classic Volkswagens in the Oldie Kaefer Tour fleet – 10 Beetles and one VW bus and the starting point is the Europa Centre at Kurfuerstendamm. The tourists can decide for themselves if they would rather drive or sit in the passenger seat. The idea is a riposte to well established Berlin tours in communist-era Trabi cars, which belch evil exhaust fumes.. Visit http://oldie-kaefer-tour-berlin.de. – DPA
Spain surfs for free
Travellers at airports in Spain are being granted free Internet access for 15 minutes. The Spanish airports company Aena says 28 airports around the country now have WiFi for everyone. Users need a mobile phone to receive the code to activate the free service. The code must be entered on the access web page. Users can only consult websites, but cannot contact their corporate networks. Madrid-Barajas, Palma de Mallorca, Valencia and Ibiza are among the airports participating.
Art flies east
The island of Saadiyat off the coast of Abu Dhabi is being developed into a cultural centre for locals and tourists. Construction on Abu Dhabi's outpost of the Louvre museum of art has already begun and will be completed by 2015. In contrast to the French original in Paris, the principal motif at the Abu Dhabi Louvre will not be a glass pyramid but a flat, round, white dome. – DPA
Russia drops visas for athletes
Russia relaxed its strict travel rules on Monday by allowing foreign athletes to visit international tournaments without a visa. A decree signed by President Vladimir Putin and published on the Kremlin's website says athletes, trainers and other sports officials can enter and exit Russia simply by showing their tournament accreditation to border guards. A range of high-profile sports events will be hosted by Russia in coming years, including the Sochi Winter Olympics in February 2014 and football's 2018 World Cup.
