Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/756492
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2016 17 Events Emirates welcomes new generation A380 and Boeing 777 aircraft to its fleet EMIRATES has begun taking delivery of its new generation Airbus A380 and Boeing 777- 300ER aircraft. The first of the new generation A380s was de- livered this month as Emirates' 85th A380. The first of its new generation Boeing 777-300ER aircraft is expected to be deliv- ered later this month and will feature upgraded Business Class seats amongst other features. These new aircraft reflect Emirates' continued invest- ment and commitment to fly- ing a modern, environmentally –friendly fleet and providing its customers with a superior level of comfort and safety. New generation Emirates Air- bus A380 In addition to its iconic On- board Lounge and First Class Shower Spa, the new generation Emirates A380 – 388Q will have several new features including a new seat configuration. This is the first of seven expected to be delivered this fiscal year, with 51 more on order. With the reloca- tion of the crew rest area, there will be 25 additional seats in Economy Class, making it a total of 426 seats on the lower deck. First and Business Class seats will remain at 14 and 76 respec- tively. Among the features is an el- egant new design in the Busi- ness Class cabin with a higher ceiling to create a more spacious and luxurious feel for customers. Overhead cabin lockers on the new A380 aircraft will be con- centrated in the middles aisles and will be 28% larger in volume. The next generation A380s are expected to serve more ultra- long haul routes. New generation Boeing 777- 300ER From end of November, Emir- ates will begin taking delivery of its new generation Boeing 777- 300ER. It will be the first of six this fiscal year and 27 total on or- der. The new aircraft will feature enhanced Business Class seats which recline to 180-degree fully flat beds of 78 inches in length, an in-seat minibar and the larg- est inflight entertainment screen in Business Class at 23 inches. The aircraft will also have an upgraded seat configuration with two additional seats in Economy Class taking the total capacity in economy to 306. The number of seats in First and Business Class will remain the same at 8 and 42 seats respectively. The lavatories have also been given a fresh look with new wood finish, improved lighting and new designs on the sidewall panel. These fuel efficient aircraft are expected to have improved envi- ronmental performance with 2% lower fuel burn. 100% on-demand entertain- ment Emirates' entire fleet is now made up completely of Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s, as it re- cently retired the last of its Air- bus A330 and A340 aircraft. An all-Boeing 777-and-A380 fleet means that the inflight enter- tainment offering will effectively be 100% video on demand giv- ing customers full control and choice with up to 2,600 channels of entertainment on its award- winning ice system. Currently, 85% of Emirates' fleet of passenger aircraft is equipped with Wi-Fi on board including all A380 aircraft. In addition, 108 aircraft are equipped with live TV, which has up to nine channels of live news and sport. With close to 90% of custom- ers on Emirates connecting to Wi-Fi on long haul flights, Emir- ates will continue to meet the in- creasing demand for connectiv- ity, enabling more aircraft with Wi-Fi and live TV each month. Emirates flies from Malta to Dubai on a Boeing 777-300 via Larnaca in Cyprus on Mondays and Wednesdays, with the op- tion of stopping in Larnaca. On Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays the airline operates the Dubai - Malta route on a circular routing via Tunis in Tunisia, while the return flight is direct from Malta to Dubai. Emirates' new generation A380 The 2016 MFGC World Cat Show to be held at SmartCity CAT lovers from around the world are eagerly waiting to par- ticipate in the 2016 MFGC World Cat Show at SmartCity Malta to be organised by the Malta Feline Guardians Club (MFGC) at The Laguna, on Saturday, 3 December and Sunday 4 December. A splendid display of 95 majes- tic feline creatures from different countries are expected to partici- pate in this magnificent interna- tional cat show in Malta. The contest will see different breeds of cats hailing from Greece, Italy, Russia, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Spain, and Switzerland. Amongst the breeds one can ex- pect Abyssinians, Balinese, Ben- gals, British Shorthairs, Burmese, Devon Rex, Don Sphynx, Exotics, Himalayans, Kurilian Bob Tails, Mainecoons, Persians, Ragdolls, Russian Blue, Scottish Folds, Si- berians, Siamese, Sphynx, and last but not least household cats which will also be taking part of the show. The judges for this contest in- clude WCF all breed judges, Elena Fedorenko from Russia, Marina Zhuravleva also from Russia and Tatyana Cernova from Latvia. Throughout the two full days kittens, adult cats, spayed and domestic cats will be presented to WCF's All Breed International Judges. After discerning the different breeds, the judges will select the world's most beautiful, striking and most special show quality cats to compete and win respectively their categories. The MFGC will also be hosting Italian Photographer Alessandro Di Pinto, who with his lens and passion for these mesmerizing fe- line creatures will capture beauti- ful moments and pictures of this show. Apart from the show, club mem- bers will also be available for any questions regarding pet educa- tion, breeds, pedigrees and regis- trations. All cats must have a registered pedigree with the club, along with all valid documents of the cat. Further information about pedigrees and registrations can be obtained from the Facebook page of Malta Cat Shows, or its web- site www.maltacatshows.com or by calling 9949 5017. The World Cat Show will be sponsored by Pet Nutrition Ltd with Princess Prod- ucts, and Madagascar "Id-dinja tal-Annimali" – the pet education programme, aired on TVM. Entrance to the show for the public is free of charge. Farsons Foundation presentation to ADVICE THE Farsons Foundation has pre- sented a sponsorship cheque to ADVICE, Assistive Devices for the Visually Impaired Centre, recently set up by the Association for the Visually Impaired. It is estimated that there may be as many as 14,000 persons in Malta suffering from some form of visual impairment. At present there are few devices available in Malta to as- sist these persons in leading more normal lives and in most instances, they or their friends or family, have to conduct research into what is available or rely on the advice of their doctors, but in the end have to buy such gadgets from overseas without an opportunity to try them out and without any training in their use. "The purpose of ADVICE is to have on display the widest range of these items that people can try out before purchase, and subsequent to this to provide the necessary support in the adoption of these technologies and repair when needed. While some of these items such as magnifying glasses or level indicators cost a few Euros, many others such as audio readers, run into hundreds or thou- sands of Euros. We have established contact with both the Royal as well the Canadian National Institutes for the Blind who apart from a range of services they provide, operate such Centres. We have also established contact with manufacturers of these devices and are now in the process of putting these in touch with local companies who may be interested in representing them in Malta," Major Francis Naudi, Treasurer of the As- sociation for the Visually Impaired said. Bryan Gera, Chairman of the Far- sons Foundation added, "It is with great pleasure that we are extending our support to this Association who are providing an invaluable service to the community. Our contribu- tion will finance the purchase of one of the display devices at the Centre." Although the set-up of ADVICE was the first priority for the Asso- ciation, the eventual aim is the re- alization of a National Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired that would provide assistance and sup- port to affected persons. From left, Mr Arthur Muscat and Mr Bryan Gera, Trustee and Chairman respectively of the Farsons Foundation, Major Francis Naudi, Treasurer of the Association for the Visually Impaired, Mr Michael Calascione and Mr Joseph V. Tabone, from ADVICE PKF publishes tax guide for 2016 PKF International has published the PKF individual country tax guides 2016/2017 for 121 coun- tries including Malta. The PKF Worldwide Tax Guide (WWTG) has a long-standing legacy ser- vicing international businesses' fiscal needs, having been pub- lished annually since 1994. This publication is the pre- cipitate of a continually joint endeavour that brings to the fore a think-tank consolida- tion of fiscal expertise. The WWTG stands tall as a reli- able first point of reference to which readers return in the knowledge that they are part- ners with us in the service we render. A soft copy of Malta's World Wide Tax Guide 2016/2017 is available online at the follow- ing link: h t t p : // w w w . p k f . c o m / m e - d i a / 1 0 0 2 8 4 4 4 / m a l t a - t a x - guide-2016-17.pdf. A hard copy may be ordered via email sent to Dr Marilyn Mifsud at mmifsud@pkfmalta.com