Thread: Airline News

In other news, re the Thai A350 we discussed a couple weeks ago, the BKK - MEL flights have now begun - 'after more than a year of delays'.
Thai Airways Airbus A350 finally starts Bangkok to Melbourne flights

Thai originally announced that it would begin A350 flights to Melbourne in September 2016, but a series of delays – including issues regarding flight approval for the aircraft from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority – saw the date pushed back.

The MEL flights are replacing 777-200, so almost a straight swap in terms of capacity. Thai only compete with one budget airline (Jetstar daily 787-8) on the route. But mention in the article of SYD going A350 next year is interesting, as it is currently 10 * 747 per week (someone influential needs 1st class on the route IMO). Will Thai take the opportunity to reduce capacity? - they compete with a daily Emirates A380 and a daily Qantas A330 on this route, the loads cannot be great. Return fares today are usually 30% to 40% less than they were before AirAsia and Scoot began flying to SYD. Seems Thai and Emirates have perpetual specials / promotions.

Originally Posted by david44

Thai certainly have special poor service, I preferred Emirates often same or lower price to Brisbane,to be fair to Thai the luggae unweighed and food was ok but they seem only really to smile for teh hi sos

BNE is buiding 2nd part and good links to NZ Newcastle or Cairns

Jetstar ok for 2-3 hrs domestic but seemed poor value

Mate your banal and insignificant travelogues are not Airline NEWS. Please fuck off.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Airline passengers could soon be forced to produce photo identification before boarding domestic flights in Australia, bringing security
standards in line with those at international terminals.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and aviation security experts have long argued that identity checks are needed to prevent criminals
and fugitives boarding flights under false names.

There have also been calls for liquid restrictions and full body scans.

While photo ID was once required for all domestic flights, most airlines now offer self-service kiosks and mobile check-in, meaning
passengers never have to prove who they are.

The ABC understands the Federal Government is moving to close that gap and will announce the additional security measure before
the end of the year.

Between 2013 and 2016, 60 people were charged with flying under false names.
One of those was self-styled Islamic preacher Junaid Thorne, who flew from Perth to Sydney.
Aviation security has been under scrutiny since police uncovered a plot to bring down an Etihad flight from Sydney using an improvised explosives device in July.

The Government ordered a review of security arrangements at all airports which is due to be handed down next year.

Here

Don't really see a problem with that tbh.

deleted.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Mate your banal and insignificant travelogues are not Airline NEWS. Please fuck off.

get fcuked harry

Originally Posted by baldrick

get fcuked harry

Fuck you too (obviously I mean that in a loving, caring way).

Let him post his bizarre nonsense in his own threads.

Michael O’Leary writes letter to Ryanair pilots offering to 'transform' their pay and careers

Thursday, October 05, 2017 - 11:01 pm


Michael O’Leary has written to all Ryanair pilots offering to “transform” their pay and career prospects and to beat the pay and job security offered by rival airlines.



The Ryanair chief executive told the pilots the airline will each year benchmark its pilot pay against its 737 competitors, particularly Jet2 and Norwegian.


“Where at any base we are below them, we will negotiate with that base to ensure we don’t just match them, but rather we will exceed them,” he told them.


“These pay increases will now allow us to target 737 recruits from these weaker, lower pay airlines.”


Mr O’Leary said over the next six months, pilots would see significant changes to and investment in rosters and pilot career development at Ryanair.


Among a number of improvements he committed to were:


Pay increases from October 1, initially through base supplements of €10,000 for captains and €5,000 for first officers at a number of bases including Dublin. At other bases, different supplements would apply depending on competitor rates and whether Ryanair is already “pay competitive”.
A 12-month loyalty/production bonus of up to €12,000 for captains and €6,000 for first officers, payable monthly from next month to October 2018 subject to “reasonable and achievable performance or targets being met”.
The negotiation of any differences between Irish and local individual employment benefits, such as sick pay, into its Irish contracts with each base’s Employment Representative Council.
The Ryanair boss also urged pilots who were considering a move to a “less financially secure or Brexit challenged airline” to stay with Ryanair “for a brighter better future for you and your family”.


In the letter, Mr O’Leary also defended his respect for the pilots describing them as “the best in the business”, hard workers, well trained and extremely professional.


He said comments he had made at a recent press conference were “misreported” and that criticisms he had made were aimed at pilots of competitor airlines and their local unions “who take every opportunity to criticise and denigrate Ryanair, our pilots, our safety, our operating performance and our business model”.


Referencing the cancellations announced last month, he apologised personally and said there had been “poor planning” during the airline’s “rostering failure”.


He concluded the message to pilots by asking them to give the airline any evidence of higher pay by a rival at their base so Ryanair could “meet it and beat it”.

Michael O?Leary writes letter to Ryanair pilots offering to 'transform' their pay and careers | Irish Examiner

AirAsia Perth to Bali flight QZ535 plunges 20,000 feet in mid-air emergency



Terrified passengers on an AirAsia flight to Bali say they feared for their life after the aircraft plunged
20,000 feet in a mid-air emergency.
The plane dropped from 32,000 feet to 10,000 feet after a ‘technical issue’ on the flight, an hour out
from Perth this afternoon.

Oxygen masks dropped from above the seats and passengers have criticised staff on board the flight,
who they say only made matters worse.
Clare Askew was among the 145 passengers on board flight QZ535 and she said the reaction of the
airlines crew made the ordeal all the more frightening.

The only video currently I can see is embedded in the original post here in the West

Passengers said they didn't know what was happening because most of the plane's onboard announcements weren't in English.

That helps!

Originally Posted by David48atTD

The only video currently I can see is embedded in the original post here in the West

Here's the video on Youtube.

New Screenings to Start for All US-bound Airline Passengers

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES —
All incoming flights to the United States will be subject to new security screening procedures before takeoff, including both American citizens and foreigners possibly facing security interviews from airline employees, the U.S. government said Wednesday.


Both American air carriers and global airlines must comply, affecting all the 2,100 flights from around the world entering the U.S. on any given day. The directive is far broader than an earlier Trump administration ban on laptops inside the cabins of some airliners, which only targeted 10 Mideast cities and their airlines.




Carriers confused


Confusion greeted the new rules. While five global long-haul carriers said they would begin the new security interviews on Thursday, each offered different descriptions of how the procedure would take place, ranging from a form travelers would be required to fill out to being verbally quizzed by an airline employee. Other carriers insisted their operations remained the same.


“The security measures affect all individuals, international passengers and U.S. citizens, traveling to the United States from a last point of departure international location,” said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. “These new measures will impact all flights from airports that serve as last points of departure locations to the United States.”


The new rules come at the end of a 120-day window for new U.S. safety regulations to be implemented following the lifting of the laptop ban imposed on some Mideast airlines.


They include “heightened screening of personal electronic devices” and stricter security procedures around planes and in airport terminals, Farbstein said. She did not elaborate.


Details of the new rules first became apparent in a statement by Dubai-based Emirates, which operates the world’s busiest airport for international travel.



Allow extra time


In the statement, Emirates said it would begin carrying out “pre-screening interviews” at its check-in counters for passengers flying out of Dubai and at boarding gates for transit and transfer fliers. It urged those flying through Dubai International Airport to allow extra time for flight check-in and boarding.


“These measures will work in complement with the current additional screening measures conducted at the boarding gate,” it said.


Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. said on its website that it had suspended self-drop baggage services and that passengers heading to the U.S. “will be subject to a short security interview” when checking their luggage. Those without bags would have a similar interview at their gates.


Air France said it would begin the new security interviews on Thursday at Paris Orly Airport and a week later, on Nov. 2, at Charles de Gaulle Airport. It said the extra screening would take the form of a questionnaire handed to all passengers.


EgyptAir said in a statement the new measures include more detailed searches of passengers and their luggage as well as interviews. It said the procedure would extend to unauthorized agricultural or veterinary products.



Expect a short interview


A statement by Germany's Lufthansa Group said that “in addition to the controls of electronic devices already introduced, travelers to the U.S.A. might now also face short interviews at check-in, at document check or (at their) gate.” Lufthansa Group includes Germany’s largest carrier, Lufthansa, as well as Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Eurowings and several other airlines.


Royal Jordanian, based in Amman, said it would introduce the new procedures in mid-January. Spokesman Basel Kilani said it would take the form of a questionnaire given to passengers before check-in. He said he didn't know what kind of questions would be asked.


U.S. carriers also will be affected by the new rules. Delta Air Lines said it was telling passengers traveling to the U.S. to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight and allow extra time to get through security. United declined to comment, while American did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



'Complex security measures'


The International Air Transport Association, which represents 275 airlines, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, Vaughn Jennings of the trade group Airlines for America said that while the new rules include “complex security measures,” U.S. officials have been flexible.


“The safety and security of passengers and crew is the highest priority for U.S. airlines and we remain committed to ensuring the highest levels of security are in place throughout the industry,” Jennings said.


However, not all were convinced of the new measures’ effectiveness.


“The part of the new measures I don't like is that airline personnel are being put back into the security screening process,” said Jeffrey Price, an aviation-security expert at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “Airline ticket agents aren't always the best at conducting security measures.”



Trump's latest travel move


This is just the latest decision by President Donald Trump’s administration affecting global travel.


In March, U.S. officials introduced the laptop ban in the cabins of some Mideast airlines over concerns Islamic State fighters and other extremists could hide bombs inside of them. The ban was lifted after those airlines began using devices like CT scanners to examine electronics before passengers boarded planes heading to the U.S. Some also increasingly swab passengers’ hands to check for explosive residue.


The laptop ban as well as travel bans affecting predominantly Muslim countries have hurt Mideast airlines. Emirates, the region’s biggest, said it slashed 20 percent of its flights to the U.S. in the wake of the restrictions.


https://www.voanews.com/a/new-screen...s/4086292.html

Qatar flying Doha-Utapao....

https://www.qatarairways.com/en/pres...2000000001105#

Good spot!... that will please the O & G folk. It'll piss off a few taxi drivers though. No long runs to Suvarnabhumi.

Originally Posted by toslti

Good spot!... that will please the O & G folk. It'll piss off a few taxi drivers though. No long runs to Suvarnabhumi.

How far is Utapao?

And is its public transport up to snuff?

Mind you they did say they are spending a load of money upgrading it.

Utapao Airport has been made use of since Vietnam war, more or less, not only by few domestic lines but also by some foreign charters. Easy procedure, convenient to people of Rayong, Pattaya and around.

It's still an hours drive. Maybe when they finish the train....


Mind you, fuck all use to most Gulf residents unless you want to add two flights to get to Doha via Muscat or Kuwait.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

How far is Utapao?

And is its public transport up to snuff?

Asked,

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

It's still an hours drive. Maybe when they finish the train....

And answered by the same poster..

They used Utapao during the yellow shirt protest at Swampy, erected some tents good to go.I refused to fly from Utapao told my airline to feck off my ticket was from Swampy so waited until they emailed me revised flight date.

Utapao can be great... if theres not more than one plane just landed you can be out of the door in 3 minutes its that small. Its also great flying from there, you dont have to be there until an hour before an international flight.

It was bedlam last time i landed there on a delayed flight, the queue was onto the runway, with 3 booths manned with only 3 staff instead of what could be 6.

Heres the kind of quality tourist you'll be queing up with...




Cheap Russkies with bin bags and loud Chinese queue jumpers

Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
How far is Utapao?

And is its public transport up to snuff?
Asked,



Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
It's still an hours drive. Maybe when they finish the train....
And answered by the same poster




And he managed to get it wrong,

its about half an hour

Originally Posted by aging one

Asked,





And answered by the same poster..

Since no fucker answered my I looked on Google Maps.

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
How far is Utapao?

And is its public transport up to snuff?
Asked,



Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
It's still an hours drive. Maybe when they finish the train....
And answered by the same poster




And he managed to get it wrong,

its about half an hour

Just checked again, it's currently 58 minutes.

It should go without saying that Google gives the current traffic conditions.

At 3am it probably is half an hour.

Plus I chose Walking Street as the destination to make it relevant.