Ice crystals in fuel caused London 777 crash
Safety checks for THOUSANDS of planes after ice in fuel caused BA crash at Heathrow
By Ray Massey
Last updated at 10:42 PM on 04th September 2008
Every long-haul passenger plane in the world faces strict new safety checks to prevent a repetition of the Heathrow crash-landing in January.
They could also be ordered to fly at lower altitudes after investigators admitted last night they have no idea how many other planes may be vulnerable to a 'previously unforeseen threat' of ice blocking the flow of engine fuel.
An eight-month investigation into the dramatic crash-landing has concluded that a rush of ice crystals choked off the fuel supply less than a minute before touchdown.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-Heathrow.html
Bald-head adverts for NZ airline
Bald-head adverts for NZ airline
New Zealand's national airline is looking for bald passengers to head up a new advertising campaign.
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2008/09/377.jpg
The carrier said it wanted 50 passengers to be "cranial billboards" and publicise a new check-in service on their heads.
The fliers will be offered money to have their pates temporarily tattooed with the message.
The airline said it would pay NZ$1,000 (£380; $666) per head, making it easy money for bald frequent fliers.
The airline's marketing manager Steve Bayliss said in a statement: "How better to tell our customers that Air New Zealand is going to do something about [long check-in queues]... than through messaging they can read while they're standing in a queue themselves?"
It looks like farewell Alitalia, cue violins...
Consortium withdraws Alitalia bid
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2008/09/503.jpg Union protests forced the ailing airline to cancel 40 flights on Wednesday
A consortium of investors proposing to rescue airline Alitalia has withdrawn its takeover offer, raising fears the carrier may go into liquidation.
The Italian group, called CAI, dropped its bid after unions failed to back the deal before a 1400GMT deadline.
While four of Alitalia's unions had supported the deal, five had objected because of plans to cut 3,000 jobs.
Italy's flag-carrier has already warned that it is running out of funds to buy all the aviation fuel it needs.
Making its announcement, CAI said it expressed "profound disappointment".
"Further concessions would inevitably have put the realisation of the plan at risk," it said.
Cancelled flights
Italian Labour Minister Maurizio Sacconi said before the deadline that the future of Alitalia was "hanging by a thread".
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2005/11/91.jpghttps://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2005/08/29.jpg The company is dead and some of my colleagues want to be its undertakers https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2005/08/30.jpg
Head of the UIL union, Luigi Angeletti
While Italy's four main union organisations - CGIL, CISL, UIL and UGL - had signed up to the agreement with the CAI, five other unions had rejected the deal as "useless and provocative".
Those opposed to the package - SDL, ANPAC, UP, ANPAV and Avia - include pilots and cabin crews.
Their protests forced Alitalia, which is losing 2.1m euros ($3m; £1.7m) daily, to cancel 40 flights on Wednesday.
The head of the UIL union, Luigi Angeletti, attacked those unions that rejected the CAI offer. "The company is dead and some of my colleagues want to be its undertakers," he said.
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BBC NEWS | Business | Consortium withdraws Alitalia bid