Thread: Airline News

At least 50 injured after 'technical incident' during flight from Sydney to Auckland

OF
Maja Laerke Maach




A flight from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, developed dramatically when, according to eyewitnesses, the plane suddenly lost altitude.

At least 50 people have been slightly injured, at least ten of whom have been taken to hospital after arriving in Auckland.

It is unknown what exactly happened, but Australian media ABC News and the New Zealand Herald write that a "technical incident" occurred.

It was a passenger plane from Latam Airlines, a Chilean airline, that got into trouble, writes Ritzau.

Not exactly a glowing endorsement, for Boeing.

Panel to discuss domestic airline which rejects passengers in wheelchairs

A subcommittee on the elimination of discrimination against persons with disabilities will meet soon to address the problem of a domestic airline refusing to allow disabled passengers in wheelchairs to board its flights.


Social Development and Human Security Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said today that he is saddened by the airline’s discriminatory treatment of disabled people and has instructed officials to raise the matter with the subcommittee.


He said he is fully aware of the plight of disabled people, for whom leaving home every day is often a challenging adventure, not knowing how they will be treated by other people.


He also said that his 90-year-old mother uses a wheelchair every time she goes outdoors.


Noting that Thailand is becoming an aging society, the minister admitted that facilities for persons with disabilities are still lacking.


Meanwhile, Sorawut Noengchampong, secretary to the transport minister, said that the airline in question has been told to clarify its regulations pertaining to disabled passengers and to explain why it has rejected passengers in wheelchairs.


He went on to say that a working group, comprising officials and representatives of disabled people, will be formed to address the problem of discrimination against disabled people on public transport.

Panel to discuss domestic airline which rejects passengers in wheelchairs | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

Airline conspicuously not named…are the anti-defamation laws that wild or does someone important own the airline?

VietJet Air ?

Think so

Thai VietJet cites safety reasons for refusing disabled passengers

Published: 14:40, 29 February 2024| Updated: 14:41, 29 February 2024 2 minutes read





Photo by Alec Wilson via Flickr

Several Thai people with disabilities stepped forward to lodge complaints with the Ministry of Transport, accusing Thai VietJet Air of refusing to accommodate them. The airline responded to the accusations today, February 29, stating that it denied service to certain disabled passengers as a precautionary safety measure.
The president of the Association for the Empowerment of Disabled Women (AEDW), Saowaluck Thongkuay, submitted a complaint to Parliament President Wan Muhamad Nor Matha. Saowaluck asserted that Thai VietJet violated the rights of people with disabilities by refusing to serve them.
Saowaluck claimed that a victim was denied boarding the plane at the gate without any prior announcement or clarification from the airline that they did not welcome disabled people.
Another Thai man, suffering from visual impairment, recounted his encounter, stating that Thai VietJet Air declined to provide him with service. According to the airline, he was informed that the quota for visually impaired passengers had already been filled. The man argued that the airline should have made provisions for him, given that he had booked his flight well in advance and had notified the airline of his blindness.
Related news




Despite this, the airline remained unresponsive, and there were no updates from Parliament. Consequently, a group of disabled individuals took further action yesterday, February 28, by staging a protest outside the Ministry of Transport, gathering in their wheelchairs to voice their grievances.
The Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Sorawut Nueangjamnong, talked to the protestors and assured them that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) would summon a representative from VietJet to clarify the matter within seven days. Sorawut warned that the airline’s operation licence could be revoked if it ignored the situation.
Safety measures
In response to the pressure, Thai VietJet issued an official statement today, February 29, denying they banned disabled passengers.
Thai VietJet stated that the airline has been welcoming and providing service to passengers with all disabilities. According to the airline, it served 5,300 old passengers and others with health issues, mobility impairment, and other disabilities last year.
The airline outlined its rules, stating that passengers with disabilities must inform the airline 48 hours before the flight schedule and must be accompanied by an escort capable of assisting in an emergency.
The airline then clarified the document’s main incident that sparked public controversy. It clarified that a disabled passenger arrived at the check-in counter accompanied by four other passengers. However, none of the four passengers agreed to act as an escort for the disabled individual.
Thai VietJet explained that, in accordance with airline regulations and safety protocols, it was unable to permit the disabled passenger to board under these circumstances. The airline affirmed that it had promptly refunded the travel expenses to the disabled passenger following the refusal.
Thai VietJet emphasised that it welcomed passengers of all groups and nationalities without discrimination. The airline’s representative would later meet the authorities from the Transport Ministry to provide further details.

Things are going from bad, to worse for Boeing.


An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in California Wednesday evening after its pilot a possible mechanical issue, the airline said.
Flight 345, which took off from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, reported the issue with the Boeing 777 plane and ultimately landed at the Los Angeles International Airport at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday without any incident, American Airlines said in a state
ment on Thursday.
"The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power and customers deplaned normally," it added.



Boeing plane forced to make emergency landing at LAX after possible mechanical issue | Fox Business

^ Sounds like media hype firing on all cylinders regarding any Boeing incident. I don't know the full details, but it appears to have been a low tyre pressure warning and is hardly a Boeing manufacturing problem...aircraft was a 777-200 and probably over 20 years old.

IMO the 777 is a fantastic aircraft with a superb safety record, only suffering from a noisy cabin in cattle class. It is only the latest model 777-X (of this type) where the problems occur as Boeing tried to stretch their designs to the limits.

Once Boeing planes had landed, staff discovered missing panel

OF

Emma Amalie Oxenbøll




A Boeing 737-800 aircraft that arrived in Medford, Oregon, from San Francisco, California, on Friday was missing an exterior panel.

It spotted flight crew when it inspected the aircraft after landing. It writes Reuters.

United Airlines operated the flight and said its 139 passengers and six crew did not notice as the flight went as planned.

Boeing has faced fierce criticism in the United States since a side panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines plane back in January. The aircraft was a Boeing 737 Max-9.

^ ...and another misdirected hit on Boeing. The aircraft in question is 25 years old so hardly a Boeing problem during manufacturing. Could have happened due to any number of reasons from United maintenance to a bird strike.

There's plenty of reasons to have a go at Boeing but these recent reports are just irrelevant noise.

Originally Posted by Troy

these recent reports are just irrelevant noise.

Whether I'm flying with Boeings or just walking in my garden minding my own business, "irrelevant" isn't the word I would use, when stuff falls off planes.

I really don't give a shit how old the debris is.

But each to his own

^ Hate to break it to you, but bits have been falling off planes for decades.

Originally Posted by Troy

but bits have been falling off planes for decades.

Now that's what I call irrelevant

Let's rewind a little Helge before we go too far off on a tangent.

Boeing have had some very serious issues with their quality during production. The video in post #4227 is pretty accurate in the reasons why and worth a watch.

The media have latched onto the Boeing issues and are reporting problems regardless of how minor they may be, or indeed, whether or not Boeing is responsible.

The tyre low pressure warning above was caused by a blown tyre on take-off. The panel being ripped off appears to be as a result of very poor maintenance at United. The manufacturer can hardly be made responsible for either of these incidents, but the media don't care because they are just on a witch hunt at the moment.

During the same time period a couple of Airbus had issues, smoke in the cockpit just after take-off (A320 Flt VY-3910) and a Hydraulic leak (A320 Flt UA-1816). These were actually far more serious incidents but were ignored by mainstream media. There were also problems with Embraer and ATR aircraft that were ignored. This reaffirms my thinking that Boeing are being targeted for any problems regardless how minor.

This is all I was trying to point out with my posts.

Originally Posted by Troy

Let's rewind a little Helge before we go too far off on a tangent.

Originally Posted by Troy

Boeing have had some very serious issues with their quality during production. The video in post #4227 is pretty accurate in the reasons why and worth a watch.

Can't say that I have watched it.

Oliver is a bit too "fishwifey" for me

Originally Posted by Troy

The tyre low pressure warning above was caused by a blown tyre on take-off. The panel being ripped off appears to be as a result of very poor maintenance at United. The manufacturer can hardly be made responsible for either of these incidents, but the media don't care because they are just on a witch hunt at the moment.

I just posted the article. I didn't check or verify

Originally Posted by Troy

During the same time period a couple of Airbus had issues, smoke in the cockpit just after take-off (A320 Flt VY-3910) and a Hydraulic leak (A320 Flt UA-1816). These were actually far more serious incidents but were ignored by mainstream media. There were also problems with Embraer and ATR aircraft that were ignored. This reaffirms my thinking that Boeing are being targeted for any problems regardless how minor.

If I see articles about Airbus etc, I'll post them. Promise.

But I guess your point is, that I haven't seen any

Originally Posted by Troy

The media have latched onto the Boeing issues and are reporting problems regardless of how minor they may be, or indeed, whether or not Boeing is responsible.

Relevant or not: Seeing videos with workers at a Boeing plant, stating that they won't set foot in a plane, that they build, raises some scepticisme with me.

I'm just like that

And that Boeing and the FAA allegedly are sleeping together, doesn't make it better.


Apart from that:

I think you are right

Originally Posted by helge

Relevant or not: Seeing videos with workers at a Boeing plant, stating that they won't set foot in a plane, that they build, raises some scepticisme with me.

My mother used to work at a biscuit factory, none of the workers would eat the biscuits...
...and a girlfriend worked at Walkers Crisp factory and they wouldn't eat the crisps...
...and another girlfriend worked at Rowntree's chocolate factory where they wouldn't eat the chocolate...

...get the picture?


However, saying it was a side panel that fell off* serves Boeing right I suppose. I mean, a major breach of the pressure shell is just a tad more than a panel falling off!!

*referring to Alaska Airlines incident


I have no sympathy for Boeing regards the safety failures but I won't gloat at the failures of the opposition when I know they can just as easily be directed at Airbus or Embraer or any other aircraft manufacturer in the blink of an eye. The Media can be ruthless with or without just cause and the people of today believe whatever they read. (just ask snubby)

Originally Posted by Troy

Originally Posted by helge
Relevant or not: Seeing videos with workers at a Boeing plant, stating that they won't set foot in a plane, that they build, raises some scepticisme with me.

My mother used to work at a biscuit factory, none of the workers would eat the biscuits...
...and a girlfriend worked at Walkers Crisp factory and they wouldn't eat the crisps...
...and another girlfriend worked at Rowntree's chocolate factory where they wouldn't eat the chocolate...

...get the picture?

No comment, mate

I have free seat selection for a Mayday flight on Thai to BKK

Should my 1.86m body take advantage of the superior legroom at an exit seat or if the door opens prematurely is there a risk of being sucked off?

Two Estonians fined for smoking on Finnair flight into Bangkok

Two Estonian siblings were arrested and fined at Suvarnabhumi International Airport today after they were found smoking on a flight, despite cabin crew telling them that it is illegal.


Meanwhile, Thai police are trying to locate a woman who was caught on camera vaping during a flight from Mae Fah Luang airport.


After the airline touched down in Bangkok, the Finnair crew reported to Suvarnabhumi Airport officials that the two siblings had smoked in the aircraft’s bathroom during the flight to Bangkok.


The cabin crew told them to stop, but they smoked again on five separate occasions. Consequently, they were each fined 20,000 Baht.


In a separate case, a viral video shows a woman smoking e-cigarettes during the flight. The nationality of the woman in question is not yet known.


Somchanok Tiamtiabrat, director of Mae Fah Luang International Airport, stated that the passenger and baggage search process usually identifies hazardous items in airports adding, though, that some e-cigarettes are made of plastic, which could be missed.


According to the Tobacco Product Control Act 2017, smoking on planes is prohibited and offenders face imprisonment not exceeding one year and/or a fine not exceeding 40,000 baht on conviction.


After the video went viral, netizens questioned how the airport authorities had allowed these e-cigarettes to pass through to the aircraft.

Two Estonians fined for smoking on Finnair flight into Bangkok | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

Airlines Adjust Flights Amid Mideast Tension

Recent missile and drone attacks by Iran on Israel have impacted airline operations between Europe and Asia. Despite the reopening of airspace in Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon on Sunday (Apr 14), flight disruptions continue to affect several carriers.


Germany's Lufthansa has halted flights to and from Tel Aviv, Erbil, and Amman until Monday, with operations to Beirut and Tehran paused until Thursday. KLM has also canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Tuesday, while Britain's easyJet has paused operations to Tel Aviv indefinitely. Wizz Air similarly canceled most of its Tel Aviv flights from Saturday through Monday.


Finnair has opted to avoid Iranian airspace, which will slightly delay flights from Doha as they reroute over Egypt. SAS had to reroute a flight between Copenhagen and Bangkok due to the closures. United Airlines, Air Canada, and Australia's Qantas Airways have also announced cancellations and reroutes affecting flights to Tel Aviv and other regional destinations.


On the other hand, some airlines are beginning to resume operations. Etihad Airways canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, and Amman, Jordan, but said regular passenger and cargo services would resume starting April 15. Emirates Airlines has already resumed flights to and from Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq as of Sunday afternoon.


The situation remains fluid, with airlines closely monitoring developments and adjusting their operations accordingly. These adjustments include potential delays and ongoing cancellations as the region stabilizes from the recent geopolitical tensions.

https://thainews.prd.go.th/nbtworld/.../227228/?bid=1

Flight attendant explains why you should never drink the tea or coffee on a plane




Her video went viral. Photo / TikTok

On the surface, a flight attendant's job sounds glamorous - overseas trips, hotel stopovers and cheap flights for holidays.
But they also hold a lot of secrets and tips travellers are desperate to know about.
One flight attendant has taken to social media to share some of her best tips as well as must-avoids when travelling.
But Cierra Mistt has made a bold claim, lifting the lid on something she never does while flying, and warns others to avoid as well.

In a video which has more than seven million views, Mistt revealed why she never drinks the tea, coffee or hot water on a plane.

In a post captioned "secrets about pilots and flight attendants", she said: "The water that we used for the coffee and the tea come from the same spot - and guess what? It never gets cleaned.
"And while the airline may tell passengers that they do regular water quality tests, we're told that's it about six to nine months for even one test on one plane to happen.
"They're not going to clean out that tank unless they find something."

The TikToker will not drink the water supplied on the plane. Photo / TikTok

Her revelations stunned many viewers.

"Thanks for the water tip ... definitely never drinking that damn water again," replied one.

Another agreed, saying: "I won't unless I absolutely HAVE to.. (aka those red-eye flights)".


However, others say her revelations are stretched.

"I literally sterilize the water on the planes you fly on. It happens frequently, on a time-based schedule," one argued.

Another added: "I'm a pilot and I have been drinking airplane coffee for 26 years."

Originally Posted by misskit

[B]Two Estonians fined for smoking on Finnair


In a separate case, a viral video shows a woman smoking e-cigarettes during the flight


After the video went viral, netizens questioned how the airport authorities had allowed these e-cigarettes to pass through to the aircraft.

Maybe the Finnair luggage checkers weren't that strict/ diligent while checking passengers' luggage? That's why the vapes were able to be transported undetected.

*****
My story: A small (fruit) knife was found in my handbag/ purse by the x-ray luggage staff in Taipei airport, on my way back to Manila. It was the 1st time that I was asked to step aside and they said that I had a knife in my bag. Then they removed it and showed me. I said I was sorry & had forgotten about it.

The knife was in a pocket in the purse and I really forgot abt it. (honest, guv!) I had used the purse for several local trips in PH and just put the knife there in case I needed it for fruits or self defense.

After that incident, I realised that the airport staff in Manila didn't do their job well, since they didn't see my knife and it stayed in my bag during the Taipei trip! (tsk tsk for the Manila staff and kudos to the Taipei staff)

I've since bought a new knife and placed it in the purse pocket again.

Originally Posted by katie23

I've since bought a new knife and placed it in the purse pocket again.

Not the best idea.

But I'm sure good money was made.

Thailand: Why The Betong International Airport Is A White Elephant – OpEd

The construction of Betong International Airport began in 2017 after the project was pushed by both local identities and the former Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The mountainous enclave in the southern tip of Thailand with unique cuisine and multiculturalism was attracting 1.6 million visitors a year pre-Covid-19. Betong had shed its ‘honky tonk’ reputation and was attracting a much wider diversity of tourists. Hotel rooms are often fully booked out on weekends and public holidays.
The airport, 10 kms east of Betong town in Yarom District was completed mid-2021, where the first flight arrived on January 29, 2022. Then prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha arrived on the first scheduled commercial flight on a Nok Air 86 seater Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 to attend the official opening of the 1.9 billion Baht airport, which featured giant bamboo outer walls around the terminal (Betong means large bamboo in Jawi the local language) on March 14, 2022.
The official opening brought hopes that the airport would establish air links between Betong-Bangkok, and eventually Betong-Kuala Lumpur and Penang and greatly enhance tourism in the town. However, scheduled flights by Nok Air were cancelled indefinitely just two days after they began.
Nok Air stated at the time that the new route to Bangkok wasn’t financially viable, even though the demand to seats was close to capacity. Due to the short concrete runway of 5,906 feet (1,800 metres) and its 30 metre width, only aircraft such as the ATR-32, Airbus A319, Boeing 737 could operate to and from the airport. This limited seats to 80-90 per flight. As the airport had no fuelling facilities, turboprop aircraft would have to refuel at a third airport for longer routes.
This has led to Betong International Airport becoming semi-abandoned with only skeleton security staff on location. The giant bamboo outer wall of the 7,000 square foot terminal is quickly weathering, and the runway itself is in danger of sinking in parts due to heavy rains during the wet season. The costs of maintenance are high and not being met presently.
The airport has been almost abandoned for almost two years. Not even general aviation is using it. There was talk of doing deals with tourism agents to create demand for Betong as a tourism destination, and allowing a private airline company to operate the airport. However, Betong doesn’t have the same attraction, as Kok Samui has for Bangkok Airways. Bangkok Airways just purchased a 15 percent stake in U-Tapau International Airport in Chonburi/Rayong with much better long term potential.
In February, prime minister Srettha Thavisin visited Betong International Airport, where there was talk of extending the runway from 1,800 to 2,500 metres. This would be very costly due to the immediate terrain around the airport to accommodate larger aircraft with 150-180 seat capacity. Moreover, it would be risky as demand for the extra capacity is far from certain.
By far the biggest issue is the perception of the danger of the Deep South insurgency situation. The media has been playing up the success of the peace talks brokered by Malaysia. However, the extraordinary outbreak of violence during Ramadan is a negative. The reality of the peace talks is that the terms of reference (TOR) of the talks has not been agreed to yet, and its far from certain whether Mara Patani, supposedly representing the insurgents has any real control on the ground.
For the perspective of public policy formation, the fallacy of Betong International Airport lies in the demographics of Betong’s 1.6 million annual visitors. The majority of visitors to Belong comprise of Thai’s living within the three most southern provinces, Patani, Yala, and Narathiwat. In a similar manner, visitors to Betong from Malaysia come from the northern states, only a short driving distance away. Thus, Betong International Airport as an entry point for existing visitor demographics is totally unsuitable. They will come by road.
This is a 1.9 billion baht mistake that shouldn’t happen through prudent feasibility studies. Perhaps the best option is to handover the airport to the Royal Thai Air Force to operate as a forward base.

Thailand: Why The Betong International Airport Is A White Elephant – OpEd – Eurasia Review