CNN

June 2nd, 2014

CNN embarks on special coverage to celebrate 100 years of commercial aviation

CNN is running a special theme week of coverage to mark the 100-year anniversary since Abram C. Pheil became the first paying passenger on a commercial flight.

Starting on June 2, Across the Skies: 100 Years of Commercial Flight will air on CNN globally to coincide with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and World Transport Summit taking place in Doha, Qatar. The coverage will feature as daily segments in CNN International’s Quest Means Business – which will also be broadcast from Doha at points during the week – and on CNN US output.

The segments, fronted by CNN’s Aviation Expert Richard Quest and correspondents Jonathan Mann and Isa Soares, will celebrate the milestones, iconic moments and transformations that gave rise to today’s vast aviation network. Reports will include:

• Key moments in aviation history, featuring interviews with industry experts
• A look at the Douglas DC-3 – the plane that made widespread commercial air travel possible
• The planes of the future, with a report from Airbus HQ in Toulouse, France
• How airspace is being reconfigured to cope with demand

Across the Skies: 100 Years of Commercial Flight will be a fascinating look at many aspects of how the global aviation industry has become what it is today,” said Mike McCarthy, Senior Vice President, Programming, at CNN International. “CNN’s expertise in this area – particularly with Richard Quest’s unparalleled knowledge of the aviation industry – will deliver viewers a new and compelling take on one of the world’s most important and innovative industries. Coinciding with the IATA leadership convention in Doha will make the coverage even more relevant and of value to our global audience.”

A special Across the Skies microsite cnn.com/Aviation on CNN International will complement the on-air programming. This microsite will feature video content from Across the Skies and the IATA AGM and interactive elements such as a timeline of 100 years of commercial flight and an aviation quiz.

Across the Skies: 100 Years of Commercial Flight is sponsored by Qatar Airways, which is also hosting this year’s IATA AGM and World Transport Summit.

Notes to Editors:

For more information, please contact:

Dan Faulks
Director, Communications
CNN Europe, Middle East & Africa
Tel: + 44 20 7693 1362
Dan.Faulks@turner.com

About CNN International

CNN’s portfolio of news and information services is available in five different languages across all major TV, internet and mobile platforms reaching more than 375 million households around the globe. CNN International, awarded “News Channel of the Year” by the Royal Television Society in 2013 and 2014, is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America. The CNN digital network is consistently one of the top news and current affairs destination on the web. CNN has 44 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.

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