Thread: Airline News

I was reading an article about Air Italy launching its 737 Max 8's and blow me if they didn't slip this in there...

In addition, the former Qatar Airways A330-203 A7-ACE (msn 571) (below) has now become EI-GFX and is being painted for Air Italy at Dublin. Qatar Airways is leasing five 260-seat Airbus A330-200s to Air Italy pending the delivery of new Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners in 2019.

Doesn't say if it's Wet or Dry lease, but it indicates Qatar aren't expecting any movement on the embargo before next year.

Hi Harry.... can I ask your source please. Not doubting it at all I would just like a further source for Airline info....cheers

^ Qatar Airwas has a 49% stake in Air Italy and I think the A330's are being wet-leased until the 787's arrive next year.

Air Seoul to open route to Vietnam this week

Seoul, 18th May 2018 (VNA) - Air Seoul Inc., the budget unit of Asiana Airlines Inc., of the Republic of Korea (RoK) reported on May 17 that it will launch a new route to Da Nang in central Vietnam this week.

The debut service to Vietnam is set to begin at 10:20 p.m. on May 18 (local time), with the 195-seat A321-200 aircraft being deployed on the route. The service will be available every day, according to the carrier.

Currently, six other carriers of the RoK operate flights to Da Nang, a destination that draws about 500,000 Koreans a year.

Air Seoul currently operates six A321 chartered planes -- two configured for 220 passengers and four with 195 seats. With the planes, the low-cost carrier offers services on routes to 16 destinations in five countries - Japan, Cambodia, Malaysia, China and the United States.

The budget carrier plans to add a seventh A321 plane to its fleet in the second half of this year.


National News Bureau Of Thailand | Air Seoul to open route to Vietnam this week

U.S. regulators have approved a Buck Rogers makeover of Boeing Co.’s revamped 777 jetliner that will allow the tips of its massive wings to fold upward after landing so the plane can park at existing airport gates.




The new wings, the largest ever created by the Chicago-based planemaker, are taking shape as Boeing builds the first of its 777X jetliners in a factory north of Seattle. They will be the most distinctive-feature for the hulking jets, the first twin-engine models built to haul more than 400 travelers.

Once the new planes touch down, the tips of the wings will rotate until they’re pointed skyward, which will make it the only commercial jet in widespread use with such a hinged design. A set of locking mechanisms will make it impossible for them to retract while airborne, according to the company.

Because commercial aircraft design standards didn’t envision a foldable wingspan, U.S. regulators had to craft them from scratch. Those “special conditions” were approved Friday by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to federal documents.

The Boeing plane’s chief project engineer, Terry Beezhold, called it “this beautiful wing” in a recent video made by the company. “This airplane actually will be the most efficient twin-jet ever developed in commercial history,” Beezhold said.

Instead of aluminum, Boeing will make the new wings out of carbon-fiber composites, which are stronger and lighter than the metal they replace. That technology helps enable the company to extend the width of the wings by 23 feet (7 meters), or 11 percent beyond the existing 212 feet.

But the wing also created a new problem: The current 777s barely fit into the standard airport gate for long-range, widebody aircraft. The wider wing on the new 777-8 and 777-9 planes would require airports to build new gates to accommodate the plane’s increased size.

“For that reason, we developed the folding wingtip, so that in flight we can enjoy this very long, efficient span, but it will be able to operate at any airport, any gate, that today’s 777 can service,” Beezhold said.

The 777’s new wing will make it the company’s widest, passing the 747-8, according to Boeing documents.

Airbus SE’s double-decker A380, the largest passenger jetliner, has a wing that’s 262 feet wide. Its size required some airports to build special gates where it could load passengers.

The FAA approval for the 777-8 and 777-9 came as Boeing is already assembling the first wings for the new models. The process is delayed because building structural ribs for the wings “has taken longer than expected up front,” program chief Kevin Bartelson told Aviation Week. Bartelson said the company expects to get the process back on schedule by this summer.

The hinge on the wing created a host of potential safety issues, the FAA said. In particular, several planes have crashed in recent decades when pilots accidentally tried to take off without properly configuring movable panels on wings called flaps. The same thing could happen with the new wingtips, according to the FAA.

One of the conditions the FAA imposed is that Boeing must have multiple automatic warning systems to ensure pilots won’t ever try lifting off without the wingtips fully extended.

The agency also said Boeing must demonstrate that the wingtips could never be accidentally unlocked during flight and that “no force or torque can unlatch or unlock the mechanisms.”

Among the 10 conditions set by FAA, the wings must also be able to withstand wind gusts as high as 75 miles (120 kilometers) an hour on the ground. The agency even set requirements for how to replace the normal lights at the tips of the wings.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-gets-go-ahead

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

The agency also said Boeing must demonstrate that the wingtips could never be accidentally unlocked during flight and that “no force or torque can unlatch or unlock the mechanisms.”

Possibly giving the big red button box to a randomly selected passenger to "keep safe" would be one way of ensuring the pilots, under no circumstances could be tempted/convinced it was the only solution left. Giving it to any steward or stewardess wouldn't work, because one never knows which one is today's Captain's Cutie-pie.

Another possibility is leaving the big red box at the airport and having another one at each airport the plane could possibly reach.

The big red button box would also have to be physically connected to an external port, None of this fancy, hackable, wireless, malarkey.

Or What they said as SABENA closed

FIN

Oops.

Quite the storm in Blighty yesterday apparently.

Passengers have been left stranded on planes at Stansted airport as flights are cancelled after lightning struck a fuel tank.
Flights were forced to remain grounded after the lightning strikes reportedly ruined the airport’s fuelling system.
Scenes of chaos broke out this morning at the terminal as passengers arrived to find their planes were cancelled.

Passengers are stranded on planes at Stansted airport as flights are cancelled | Daily Mail Online

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Passengers have been left stranded on planes at Stansted airport as flights are cancelled after lightning struck a fuel tank.

Soon to be edited at The SUN as "Russian Sappers Scare Passengers - Multiple Swollen Ankles Reported".

Originally Posted by OhOh

Soon to be edited at The SUN as "Russian Sappers Scare Passengers - Multiple Swollen Ankles Reported".

I think you have the wrong thread. Either that or you're waffling again.

Or it could be both.

Wrong thread to rejoice The SUN's influence on some, never.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Wrong thread to rejoice The SUN's influence on some, never.

You seem to be putting two and two together and making five - again.

Singapore Airlines: New 18-hour, 45-minute NYC flight to be world's longest


It’s official: The title for the “world’s longest flight” is coming back to the United States.


That comes this fall, when Singapore Airlines restarts non-stop flights between Singapore and Newark, a route it last flew in 2013. The move had been expected, with Singapore Airlines saying in 2015 it would resume the service once it takes delivery of new long-range aircraft. Tickets for the flight to Newark, one of the three major airports serving the New York City metro, are expected to go on sale by Thursday.


Once the flights begin on Oct. 12, Singapore’s Singapore-Newark route will displace Qatar Airways’ Doha, Qatar-Auckland, New Zealand, route as the longest in the world as measured by distance.


Singapore says its Newark route “will cover a distance of approximately 9,000 nautical miles.” In statute miles, the route will cover 9,537 miles, according to the Great Circle Mapper website. Qatar’s Doha-Auckland route comes in at 9,032.


Singapore Airlines’ non-stop option will shave four hours or more off existing connecting options between Singapore and the New York City area, the airline says. Still, those taking its new flight will face a literal long haul. Scheduled flight time is 18 hours, 45 minutes on the Singapore-bound leg and 18 hours, 25 minutes on the return.


MORE. https://www.usatoday.com/story/trave...est/655083002/

Singapore Airlines plans return to U.S. with new 'ultra long-range' A350



"Singapore Airlines says it plans to resume nonstop flights between Singapore and the United States in 2018, possibly retaking the title for the world's longest flight.

The carrier says it will resume the routes after taking delivery of a new "ultra long-range variant" of the Airbus A350. Singapore Air will be the launch customer for that version of the A350-900, which Airbus confirmed Tuesday.


"Our customers have been asking us to re-start non-stop Singapore-U.S. flights and we are pleased that Airbus was able to offer the right aircraft to do so in a commercially viable manner," Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong says in a statement."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/today...a350/73858528/

Nok Air launches inaugural Don Mueang-Petchabun flight

PETCHABUN, 2 June 2018 (NNT) - Petchabun Provincial Governor Phibun Hatthakitkosol, Deputy Airport Department Director General Somkiat Maneesathit and the Petchabun Chamber of Commerce president welcomed Worapong Sanganate, Vice Chairman of the Transport Commission, National Legislative Assembly (NLA), Gen Yossanan Raicharoen, Deputy Supreme Commander, and a delegation boarding the Nok Air’s inaugural flight DD6202 from Don Mueang to Petchabun at the province's airport.

The provincial governor said the launch of the new airline route will attract a large number of both Thai and foreign tourists to Petchabun.

The deputy Airport Department director general said the Department of Airports is ready to support Phetchabun Airport development so that it can accommodate more flights.

This inaugural flight is a charter flight of Samut Prakarn Logistics Co., Ltd which is offering a three-day and two-night travel package in Petchabun via Nok Air flights. There are two flights a week on Monday and Saturday. Each flight has 66 seats and departs from Don Mueang at 7.30 a.m. and 10.20 a.m. from Petchabun.


National News Bureau Of Thailand | Nok Air launches inaugural Don Mueang-Petchabun flight

Nok Air launches inaugural Don Mueang-Petchabun flight

PETCHABUN, 2 June 2018 (NNT) - Petchabun Provincial Governor Phibun Hatthakitkosol, Deputy Airport Department Director General Somkiat Maneesathit and the Petchabun Chamber of Commerce president welcomed Worapong Sanganate, Vice Chairman of the Transport Commission, National Legislative Assembly (NLA), Gen Yossanan Raicharoen, Deputy Supreme Commander, and a delegation boarding the Nok Air’s inaugural flight DD6202 from Don Mueang to Petchabun at the province's airport.

The provincial governor said the launch of the new airline route will attract a large number of both Thai and foreign tourists to Petchabun.

The deputy Airport Department director general said the Department of Airports is ready to support Phetchabun Airport development so that it can accommodate more flights.

This inaugural flight is a charter flight of Samut Prakarn Logistics Co., Ltd which is offering a three-day and two-night travel package in Petchabun via Nok Air flights. There are two flights a week on Monday and Saturday. Each flight has 66 seats and departs from Don Mueang at 7.30 a.m. and 10.20 a.m. from Petchabun.


National News Bureau Of Thailand | Nok Air launches inaugural Don Mueang-Petchabun flight

They should organise flights to Loei to see the Pineapple mountain range.

BA pilot pulled off flight for being so drunk he was five times over the limit faces jail

A former British Airways pilot who admitted being drunk on duty has been told there is a ‘very, very high chance’ he will receive a custodial sentence. Julian Monaghan, 49, was arrested at Gatwick Airport on January 18 on suspicion of reporting for duty as a pilot when his level of alcohol was over the prescribed limit.

He pleaded guilty to the offence at Crawley Magistrates’ Court and to having 86mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system. The legal limit for a pilot is 20mg. Emlyn Jones, defending, told the court his client had consumed a vodka and coke at 10.30am, well in advance of the eight-hour prohibition on the consumption of alcohol before turning up for duty – known as the ‘bottle to throttle’ rule. He said: ‘He was not due to take up his responsibilities as pilot of the plane on take-off. ‘He would not have been charged with taking up the role of pilot until three- and-a-half hours into the flight.’

Mr Jones told the court Monaghan had been on a overnight flight as a passenger the night before, and had spent the day without food or sleep. He added: ‘He turned up for work appalled, astonished and horrified that he was still over the limit.’ Mr Jones submitted his client was only ‘a fraction’ over the drink-drive limit of 80mg per 100ml of blood, and that Monaghan was not falling over drunk and no harm was caused.

This was rejected by chair of the bench Dr David Wiggins, who said: ‘I have to say the comparison to drink-driving is somewhat spurious in these circumstances. ‘A pilot in a Boeing 777 is somewhat different from driving on the road, so we are completely ignoring that comment.’ Asking for the court to consider sentencing Monaghan on Wednesday, Mr Jones, said: ‘He has thrown away the only career he has ever known. ‘He has been a pilot his whole life, and that has gone.’ Sending the case to crown court, Dr Wiggins told the ex-pilot: ‘I think you need to prepare yourself there is a very, very high chance that it will be an immediate custodial sentence.’

Monaghan, who gave his address as care of a solicitors’ firm, was arrested at Gatwick Airport after Sussex Police received a call at 8.25pm regarding a member of airline staff suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol. The 12-hour flight, from Gatwick to Mauritius, was scheduled to leave at 8.20pm, but the plane was left waiting at the gate while airline staff looked for a third pilot. Monaghan is due to be sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on June 12. A spokeswoman for British Airways said: ‘This behaviour is completely unacceptable and not what we expect from our highly professional fleet of pilots. ‘The safety and security of our customers and colleagues is always our top priority.’

https://metro.co.uk/2018/06/07/ba-pi...-jail-7611984/

Joke's on him really, his most notable talent is the ability to brown nose the Al Thani's.

Any fucking hack could do what he does, same as the bloke at Etihad.

They piss sheikh's money away to show off on their behalf.

Qatar Airways boss Akbar Al Baker sorry for 'joke' that women could not do his job

The head of Qatar Airways has apologised after saying that a woman could not do his job.
The airline’s chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said he had been joking when he made the comment at a news conference after being announced as chairman of the International Air Transport Association.


Asked why his job as chief executive could not be done by a woman, Al Baker said, "Of course it has to be led by a man because it is a very challenging position".

He later sought to play down the seriousness of the remarks, saying: “Quite frankly I think the press took it out of context. They all blew it out of proportion.

“It was just a joke. I didn’t mean it in the way it was meant to be… I apologise for it.”

The issue of gender imbalance in aviation was a hot topic at the annual meeting of IATA, only six of whose 280 member airlines have female chief executives.Al Baker later said Qatar Airways was the first carrier in the region to have female pilots.

The chief executive is one of the airline industry's most outspoken and controversial figures, known for criticism of rival airlines. But he has also drawn criticism for being insensitive or disrespectful.

In 2017 he apologised after calling US flight attendants "grandmothers" during a trade row with US airlines, prompting an airline union to accuse him of sexism and age discrimination.

In 2014, Qatar Airways defended policies on pregnancy and marriage for cabin crew after coming under fire over working conditions in the conservative Gulf emirate.

Asked at Wednesday's CAPA conference whether he truly believed that only a man could do his job, Al Baker said, "No, I don’t believe that. As a matter of fact (at) Air Italy the majority shareholder has shortlisted women to be CEO and as minority shareholder we are actively encouraging that."

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/worl...-a3856736.html