1 Emirates, at 30, is ‘fastest-growing’ airline
(Sadiq Shaban in Khaleej Times) Emirates airline, launched in October 1985 with
first flights to Karachi and Mumbai, is now one of the world's biggest
international carriers, flying to more than 140 destinations around the globe.
The transition from a regional airline that started
off with a leased Boeing 737 and an Airbus 300 B4 to a global behemoth in terms
of revenue has been truly spectacular. Three decades on, Emirates has grown in
both scale and stature. It is now the largest airline in the Middle East in
terms of revenue, fleet size and passengers carried.
Subsidiary of the Emirates Group, which is wholly
owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, Emirates operates over 1,500
flights per week from Dubai International Airport. With a fleet of more than
230 aircraft, it currently flies to more than 80 countries.
As one of the most profitable airlines in the world,
it announced its 27th consecutive year of profit earlier this year. The
Emirates Group recorded its second highest profit of Dh5.5 billion. The
airlines created history in 2007 by announcing a historic civil aviation
aircraft order for 120 Airbus A350s, 11 A380s, and 12 Boeing 777-300ERs, worth
an estimated $34.9 billion at the Dubai Airshow.
Three years later, in line with the airline's
strategic growth plan, Emirates significantly hiked its orders for new
aircraft. During the Berlin Airshow, Emirates announced an order for 32 Airbus
A380s. Subsequently at the Farnborough Airshow, 30 more Boeing 777-300ERs were
added to the list, taking the combined value to a whopping $13.4 billion.
During the financial year 2013/2014, Emirates
carried 44.5 million passengers and 2.25 million tonnes of cargo. More than
76,000 customers travelled on a single day - September 18 - with Emirates,
according to the airline's booking figures. The overall figure represented a 65
per cent growth from last year. Employing more than 62,000 people across 50
business units and associated firms, it is one of the biggest employers in the
region.
2 Fifth of UK adults stuck with parents until 26
(Hilary Osborne in The Guardian) It has been dubbed the hotel of mum and dad
but few guesthouses have such favourable terms. As the housing crisis bites, a
fifth of young adults are staying in the family home until they are at least
26, and the same proportion are not paying a penny towards their keep.
A survey by Nationwide, the building society, found
that the proportion of adults living at home varied around the country, from
just under 9% in the east Midlands, to more than double that in London, where
house prices and rents are highest. While many around the country contributed financially,
it found that 20% were paying nothing at all.
Young adults are being squeezed by low wages and
rents which have hit record highs, while those who want to buy a property are
finding the monthly cost of renting is preventing them saving enough to get on
the housing ladder. Research published by the homeless charity Shelter showed
half of tenants were unable to save a penny towards a deposit, while a quarter
could only put by £100 or less each month.
Faced with this, young adults are increasingly
returning to the family home in order to save money, and parents who cannot
afford to offer their offspring a lump sum seem willing to help. Nationwide’s
survey found that 28% of adults were living at home because they were trying to
save a deposit. However, it also found that 30% were not saving any money.
A Nationwide spokesman said: “The hotel of mum and
dad is often staying open for longer than many anticipated. Rental costs and
deposits or the need to save for a mortgage deposit mean that some children
understandably have to wait before flying the nest. And, for some, moving out may
never be an option.”
3 Making the most of your break (Lisa Evans in San
Francisco Chronicle) It may seem counter-intuitive to busy entrepreneurs, but
research shows the best way to improve your productivity is to stop working.
While managers have long complained that employees take too many breaks and
should be working harder and longer, studies are now showing that breaks hold
the key to improved productivity.
According to a recent study published in the Journal
of Applied Psychology, by Emily Hunter and Cindy Wu, associate professors of
Management at Baylor University, breaks not only help to prevent burnout, but
increase feelings of job satisfaction and helpfulness at work.
But there are right and wrong ways to take a break.
Here’s how to get the most out of your break time: Aim for a mid-morning break.
Waiting for that 3pm slump to take your first break isn’t going to yield great
results, according to Hunter and Wu.
Their research found the best time of day to take a break was
mid-morning.
Do something that you like. Their study revealed the
best way to enjoy a break is to do an activity that you prefer to do, whether
that means calling your mom or catching up on Facebook. And third, there’s no
set number of breaks. Although some experts claim breaks work best when taken
every hour, Hunter and Wu didn’t find this was necessarily the case.
While some individuals thrive off taking one long
break, others find their productivity soars when they take frequent small
breaks. Finding that sweet spot may take some trial-and-error, but Hunter
warns, it’s important not to wait until you’re completely exhausted before
taking a break.
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