Aviation Hub

01/12/2023

When water began to leak from the overhead hand luggage storage on an Air India aircraft from London to Amritsar, passengers had an unpleasant experience. In a statement, Air India stated it "regrets this unexpected incident."
Water flowing from the panel gaps of the overhead storage dropped on several of the seats, according to a video released on X, now known as Twitter.
'Air India... fly with us - it's not a trip; it's an immersive experience," the man said in the post.

https://twitter.com/baldwhiner/status/1729856754068959379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1729856754068959379%7Ctwgr%5E6a45950dbae19efaf539eae63c44ebbde2380ffb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ndtv.com%2Findia-news%2Fvideo-water-leaks-from-overhead-storage-on-london-to-amritsar-air-india-flight-4621373

According to the airline, customers from the impacted rows were transferred to other vacant seats, and the crew did everything possible to make them comfortable given the circumstances.

30/11/2023

The first commercial transatlantic flight fueled entirely by "sustainable" jet fuel has taken off from London Heathrow.
Although scientists and environmental groups remain skeptical,

The Virgin Atlantic flight, which was partially funded by the UK government, has been lauded by the aviation industry and governments as a demonstration of the ability to drastically reduce net carbon emissions from flying.

Airlines have previously flown on a sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) blend of up to 50% alternative fuels, and flight VS100 is running under special dispensation with no paying passengers, using fuel manufactured largely from tallow and other waste products.

One of those on board, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, remarked, "Today's 100% SAF-powered flight shows how we can decarbonise transport both now and in the future, cutting lifecycle emissions by 70% and inspiring the next generation of solutions."

16/04/2023

On Saturday (15th April), Saudia Arabian Airlines confirmed one of its planes was involved in an accident in Khartoum. It said,

“SAUDIA clarifies that its A330 aircraft, flight number SV458 was involved in an accident at Khartoum International Airport before taking off to Riyadh at 0730hrs UTC this morning, Saturday, April 15”.

The Saudi carrier later confirmed that the aircraft was exposed to gunfire damage while preparing for its scheduled departure with guests and crew onboard. All members of the aircraft’s cabin crew have safely arrived at the Saudi Embassy in Sudan, and the company canceled all future flights to and from Sudan. Saudia did not report on the status of the passengers onboard.

11/04/2023

Ryanair jet after its nose wheel collapsed while landing at Dublin Airport following flight from Liverpool

05/07/2022

A Turkish cargo aircraft that was parked on the tarmac at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake met with an accident early this morning (5th July 2022).

The aircraft has been identified as an A330-300 Airbus and had been involved in the accident as it was preparing to depart from the Katunayake airport today.

The cargo aircraft had transported goods from Istanbul, Turkey to Sri Lanka and was set to return to Istanbul with 54 Metric Tonnes of apparel goods when it faced the unfortunate accident.

Several containers that had been placed near the aircraft to be loaded by Sri Lankan Airlines operators had reportedly crashed into the aircraft due to strong winds in and around the airport.

The containers had crashed into engine #2 of the aircraft causing damage.

05/01/2022

On approach to Venetia Mine (South Africa), a SA Airlink Jetstream JS-41, registration ZS-NRJ, was operating a charter flight from Johannesburg to Venetia Mine when a bird impacted the right hand propeller, causing one of the blades to split and pierce the cabin. The plane continued on its way to a safe landing.

On January 4th, 2022, the airline verified the event, saying: "On landing at Venetia airfield yesterday, an Airlink Jetstream 41 aircraft operating a private charter trip collided with a large bird. Neither the passengers nor the crew were hurt, even though the plane was badly damaged."

27/12/2021

Three passengers injured & hospitalised after a private aircraft Cessna 172 made an emergency landing in the Kimbulapitiya area in Sri Lanka, Katunayake - Director Operations

This is the 2nd such incident with the same flying school this week.

19/08/2021

Etihad Reviews Travel Data, 70 countries eligible for Visa on Arrival

UAE airline Etihad Airways has updated travel rules and has decided to issue visas on arrival for passengers from 70 countries.

Travellers from these 70 countries that will receive a visa on arrival in Abu Dhabi:

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR of China), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, People’s Republic of China, Peru, Poland, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of El Salvador, Portugal, Romania, Russian, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Vatican, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Uruguay.

Indians can only travel to Abu Dhabi if they are:

1.UAE citizen, golden/silver visa holder or diplomat.
2.Fully vaccinated resident of the UAE – you must have proof of having received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine within the UAE no less than 14 days before travel.
3.Medical personnel, education sector workers or students studying in the UAE.
4.Travelling for medical reasons.
5. A federal government agency worker.

Indian nationals holding a US visitor visa or green card are also eligible to obtain a visa on arrival in Abu Dhabi. Additionally, Indians who have UK or EU residency valid for at least 6 months.

19/08/2021

A prototype of Russia's new Ilyushin Il-112V military transport aircraft caught fire during a test flight and crashed near Moscow on Tuesday, Russian media reported, citing the United Aircraft Corporation. All Three of the Crew members were killed.

The Il-112V is a light military transport aircraft being developed by the Ilyushin Aviation Complex, which is part of the United Aircraft Corporation. The plane can carry up to five metric tons of either personnel, weapons, or other cargo.

08/07/2021

Dubai-based Emirates Airlines on Thursday announced it will restart passenger services to Mauritius this summer.

The airline will fly two weekly flights from July 15 as the island-nation gradually reopens its borders to international tourists.

According to the Emirates Airlines, the passengers can also enjoy other Indian Ocean destinations, as the airline offers 28 weekly flights to Maldives and seven weekly flights to Seychelles.

Only Thursdays and Saturdays, the Emirates will operate its flights to Mauritius. The airline flight will depart from Dubai International Airport at 2:35hrs and arrive in Mauritius at 9:10hrs local time.

The return flight will operate on Fridays and Sundays. Flight EK704 will depart from Mauritius at 23:10hrs and arrive in Dubai at 5:45hrs local time, the following day.

From July 15, the borders will be reopened only for vaccinated Mauritian nationals and foreign tourists. From Oct.1, the island-nation will start to welcome fully vaccinated foreigners who can explore the country freely with no coronavirus curbs.

The Emirates has also announced it will deploy its iconic Emirates A380 aircraft to Mauritius starting from Aug.1.

Starting from July 15, the route will be served utilizing a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and from Aug.1, the A380 aircraft of the airline.

From luscious landscapes, crystal clear water and white sandy beaches – the island-nation remains one the most favorite holiday destinations, attracting travelers across the Middle East, Europe and Americas.

-Gulf Today-

05/07/2021

United Airlines has placed the biggest aircraft order in its history,

upto 270 brand new jets, and one of the biggest ever in the U.S. airline market, signaling a very bullish view for a travel demand return. The order, for all narrow-body aircraft, will include planes for both growth and replacement. The airline has been actively marketing the benefits of this order since its announcement, with CEO Scott Kirby touting that the main idea behind the order is for an improved customer experience. This move is the most aggressive United has made, and follows an order just a few weeks ago for 15 supersonic jets from a new company called Boom.
There are a lot of upsides to this new order for United, including a relatively quick refresh of a fleet that has gotten quite old. The two new plane models, the Boeing 737MAX and the Airbus A321NEO, are both highly efficient, fuel-saving airplanes that will be better for the environment than United’s current fleet. But this order has some significant risks, also, and has implications for domestic U.S. capacity, affects on competition, airline labor markets, and the regional airline industry.

Replacement Of Regional Jets
According to United’s press release, many of these planes will replace 50-seat regional jets (RJs). This has plenty of interesting implications. These replacements will mean a step function increase in size per departure compared with the RJs, meaning that the schedule may need to change in terms of frequency or otherwise a lot more people will be needed for each flight. The RJs are flown by regional airlines on a cost-plus basis for United, making these flights a much lower per-trip cost than a United-flown flight. This is partly because the regional airlines use labor not covered by United’s unions and these work at generally lower wage rates. When a 737 replaces an RJ, it is now United pilots flying the plane and the regional carrier must redeploy their plane with United or find something else to do with it. The larger plane will burn more absolute fuel although likely less fuel per seat, and since it is heavier it will cost more to land it at most airports and it will be more expensive to insure.
Other Fleet Moves Expected
Not long ago, CEO Scott Kirby spoke positively about United keeping more wide-body planes than his primary competitors, and he saw this as a strength for when long-haul business travel returns. Not sure if he still believes this, as both the 737MAX-10 and the A321NEOs just ordered can replace the carriers’ Boeing 767 fleet if not more. Using a long-range narrow-body instead of a wide-body aircraft reduces the financial risk of a flight significantly and allows more destinations to to be added from hubs like Newark and Houston. This order suggests that United will soon be announcing a retirement schedule for some of their older wide-bodies.

18/06/2021

Boeing 787-8 (G-ZBJB) British Airways suffered a nose gear collapse while parked at London Heathrow this morning, June 18th.

The matter is still under investigation.

17/06/2021

Thai Airways International Pcl is seeking new loans to help fund operations after the court approved its plan to restructure at least 170 billion baht ($5.5 billion) of debt.

The carrier has been in talks with some banks for loans of as much as 25 billion baht as part of the debt-rehabilitation program, Chief Financial Officer Chai Eamsiri told a video conference with reporters on Wednesday. The Central Bankruptcy Court today endorsed the proposal, which is backed by most creditors, the airline said.

“We would like to secure new loans as soon as possible because our operating revenue can’t cover the operating costs,” said Chai. “Our existing cash and revenue now can cover operations only through the end of this year.”

The airline, whose biggest shareholder is the Finance Ministry, in March proposed a three-year freeze on loan payments and a deferment of bond repayments for six years. To help it return to profitability -- it posted a record loss of 141 billion baht last year -- the carrier also plans to cut its workforce by half, sell property and seek 50 billion baht in new capital.

“All related parties should go ahead and help Thai Air succeed in its rehabilitation plan,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha told a news conference after a weekly Cabinet meeting Tuesday.

Sponsored Content
Smart Data Helps Predict and Manage Non-Performing Loans
Business Reporter
The approved debt plan includes some $7.4 billion in claims from dozens of aircraft lessors and engine-service providers. Bangkok-based Thai Air challenged that in March, saying it isn’t liable for because those claims involve future expenses and were incurred after the airline received bankruptcy protection.

Thai Air has confidence in its ability to be profitable again once the coronavirus pandemic passes, Chief Executive Officer Chansin Treenuchagron told a press conference. Thailand is one of the top travel destinations in the world and the carrier will be able to capitalize on this popularity, he said

-Bloomberg_

10/05/2021

24/04/2021

Etihad Airways Group CEO Tony Douglas has revealed this week that the Abu Dhabi-based airline will retire its entire Boeing 777-300ER passenger fleet by the end of 2021.
Currently Etihad Airways Operates 19 of the type.

17/12/2020

SriLankan Airlines will soon announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for two dedicated freighters, Chairman Ashok Pathirage told UAE's The National newspaper.

"There's so much cargo business at the moment. Exports have picked up, so there’s huge demand and we want to help the national economy. One lesson learnt from COVID is to not be completely dependent on passenger business and to look for other alternatives," he said.

While SriLankan Airlines does not operate dedicated freighters, it's aggressively expanded in the cargo market since COVID-related border closure completely closed its international-only scheduled passenger business. The carrier currently operates one A321-200N, three A330-200s, and six A330-300s on cargo-only flights.

Despite its budding freight ambitions, SriLankan Airlines also hopes to recover and expand its passenger business in the future. Pathirage reaffirmed the airline's plans to turn Colombo Int'l into an international hub connecting Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

Sri Lanka expects to reopen airports to international arrivals in January 2021. The flag carrier hopes to restructure and achieve profitability - which was not the case before COVID - by the end of 2022.

24/11/2020

Qantas has become the first airline in the world to announce that it is likely to require its passengers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before travelling.

The Australian airline’s chief executive, Alan Joyce, said in an interview that “We are looking at changing our terms and conditions to say for international travelers, we will ask people to have a vaccination before they can get on the aircraft,” and that he believes that other airlines will follow suit in this demand.

Qantas has suspended the vast majority of its international flights amid the pandemic, with just a limited schedule operating between Australia and New Zealand at present. The airline expects to reopen to international travelers next year, provided they have received a vaccine.

Strict lockdowns and the banning of international tourists have seen Australia gain control over the spread of the virus, and the country now has among the lowest new case numbers in the world. In order to maintain this success, the government has suggested in its National Vaccination Policy that overseas visitors may in the future be required to provide proof of vaccination before travel.

22/11/2020

Atlas Air (NASDQ: AAWW) reported Thursday that third quarter net income grew $14 million to $74.1 million, with adjusted pre-tax earnings, earnings per share and revenue all above analysts estimates driven by the macro trend of strong demand for air cargo.

The Purchase, N.Y., all-cargo carrier said total revenue grew 25% to $810 million, compared to the consensus estimate of $797.2 million. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were $196.3 million, compared to Wall Street’s expectation of $177 million. Earnings per share of $2.84 beat the Street by 38 cents per share.

The better than expected results were primarily powered by stronger yields and more block hours in long-term outsourced flying and cargo charters.

22/11/2020

Emirates will be operating its Airbus A380 aircraft four times a day to London’s Heathrow Airport from Nov. 27 in addition to six times per week to Manchester beginning Dec. 2. The Dubai-based carrier will also deploy additional A380 services to Moscow, increasing the frequency from the current twice weekly, to a daily service from Nov. 25. This is in response to increased demand from Russian travelers wanting to vacation in Dubai and at other popular island destinations within easy reach from Dubai, such as the Maldives.

The airline is making these service enhancements following the recent establishment of a travel bubble between the U.K. and the United Arab Emirates. In response to the United Arab Emirates’ rigorous and effective pandemic response, the air travel corridor allows travelers entering the U.K. from the United Arab Emirates to not have to quarantine upon arrival.

Going to Dubai, however, travelers will still have to do a COVID-19 PCR test 96 hours in advance of their flight, or upon arrival at Dubai International Airport.

07/09/2020

Cathay Pacific B747 Freighter in CMB

03/09/2020

03/09/2020

JET AIRWAYS ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

The immediate aftermath of Jet Airway's grounding saw lessors from around the world quickly move into taking back their aircraft's. However, a small number of aircraft's are still owned by a Jet Airways or were on a financial lease (wherein the airline gets to take ownership of the plane once payments are made).

In July, Jet Airways has finally managed to raise enough funding to take possession of financial leased aircraft's. The airline recently sold off a number of its asset's,such as its office in Mumbai, to raise funds. Jet has used these funds to re-acquire the six aircraft, according to The Hindu Newspaper.

31/08/2020

The world’s first Airbus A321P2F destined for Qantas Freight.

Airbus A321s that have completed their operational service carrying passengers for airlines can soon have a second life as highly efficient freighters, converted through a programme involving ST Engineering and Airbus with their joint venture, Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW).

24/08/2020

SAA is set to relaunch in January 2021, according to a report from the Sunday Times.

The report stated that the government is working with private sector investors for the relaunch – and that it had received “more than 10 unsolicited offers” to partner with SAA.

These interested investors are also exploring potential integrations of SAA and its subsidiaries, including SAA Technical and Mango.

It was reported by Bloomberg earlier this week that the government has started talks with investors who were interested in buying stakes in SAA.

SAA needs R10 billion in funding to take off again, and the investor negotiations are currently being handled by Rand Merchant Bank.

Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s largest and only consistently profitable carrier, has previously said it also may be interested in investing in SAA.

New SAA
The relaunched SAA will look very different to the previous version of the national carrier.

Voluntary severance packages have been offered to employees in a bid to bring staff numbers down, and only 1,000 employees will remain to start the new airline.

This will see 2,700 SAA staff lose their jobs, including a large number of its pilots.

As part of the restructuring, SAA’s current complement of 625 pilots will be cut to 88.

It has also been reported that equal employment metrics will be more important than seniority for determining which pilots will be retained at the new SAA.

This is to address concerns from sectors players that the majority of pilots and cabin crew in the local aviation sector are white.

The government has said it will ensure the new SAA offers the right routes at the right times, and at competitive prices, when it takes to the skies again.

23/08/2020

Emirates nears deal on Boeing 777X, 787 deliveries

Emirates has decided on its preferred mix of new Boeing Co. wide-body planes, with the focus likely to be on smaller aircraft rather than jumbo jets following a slump in demand amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Dubai-based carrier has been pushing to swap more of Boeing’s behemoth 777X jets - of which it has ordered 115 - for 787 Dreamliners. Emirates has finalized its position on the composition of the intake, Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha said in an interview Thursday, declining to provide details.
Negotiations are ongoing, including on the timing of the plane deliveries, Al Redha said. Emirates prefers to take the smaller Dreamliner sooner rather than later as it “offers better seat capacity” at a time when demand for international travel is flagging, he said. Boeing wants to hand over the larger 777X first, the COO said, in line with an agreement made before the coronavirus tore up the plans of airlines around the world.

mirates is particularly affected by a downturn in demand for air travel as the largest long-haul carrier in the world, typically operating more than 500 flights a day and using its Dubai hub to connect travelers from Europe and the US to Africa and Asia. Its swollen order book also includes Airbus SE A380 superjumbos and 50 smaller A350s, which are now the subject of separate delivery talks.

Emirates was supposed to take delivery of three A380s in June, but the carrier agreed with Airbus to delay these until later this year, the COO said. The 777X’s commercial debut was originally set for 2020 but has been postponed to 2022 as the manufacturer faces regulatory scrutiny and uncertain demand. Emirates is scheduled to take the delivery of the first of 30 787s in 2023.

“I think Boeing would prefer to deliver the 777s before 787 because that is a new program for them,” Al Redha said. The Chicago-based planemaker declined to comment.

17/08/2020

(CNN Business)Qatar Airways has promised to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into British Airways and Iberia as they fight to survive the coronavirus pandemic.

International Airlines Group (ICAGY), which owns both European carriers said Friday that it plans to raise as much as €2.75 billion ($3.3 billion) from shareholders, including Qatar's state-owned airline, to help weather the deepest crisis in aviation history.
The company plans to use the money to pay down debt and increase the amount of cash it holds, as it prepares for several years of depressed demand.
The aviation industry has been decimated by the pandemic and IAG does not expect global passenger demand to return to 2019 levels before at least 2023. British Airways has already announced plans to cut up to 12,000 jobs, more than a quarter of its workforce, and is retiring its entire fleet of Boeing 747s four years ahead of schedule.
AG, which also owns Aer Lingus and Vueling, unveiled a record operating loss of nearly €1.4 billion ($1.7 billion) in the first half of 2020. It also took a €2.2 billion ($2.6 billion) hit relating to the early retirement of BA's Boeing 747s and Iberia's Airbus A340s. The group has canceled or deferred nearly half its scheduled aircraft deliveries through 2022.
Passenger traffic in the second quarter fell more than 98% compared with the same period last year. Revenue in the quarter was down nearly 90%.Qatar Airways is the group's largest shareholder with a 25.1% stake. IAG said Qatar would support the capital increase, implying it will provide nearly €688 million ($817 million) in new funds.

14/08/2020

Emirates from mid-August 2020 plans to resume Airbus A380 service on Dubai – Toronto route, currently operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The A380 aircraft will once again operates this route 5 times weekly from 16AUG20, instead of 01AUG20.

12/08/2020

Dubai, UAE: 12 August 2020 – Emirates has announced it will resume passenger services to Birmingham (1 September), Cebu (20 August), and Houston (23 August). This will bring the airline’s network to 74 destinations, offering travellers convenient connections between the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas through its Dubai hub.

Flights between Dubai and Birmingham will operate four times a week, while flights between Dubai and Cebu will operate two times a week, utilising an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

Emirates’ flights between Dubai and Houston will operate three times a week, utilising an Emirates Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The airline currently offers passenger services to five gateways in the United States including New York JFK, Washington DC, Boston (15 August), Chicago and Los Angeles – expanding its U.S. network to six cities, and offering 27 weekly flights to the country.

Customers can book flights on emirates.com or via travel agents.

Customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.

05/08/2020

Virgin Australia has today announced details of a radical restructuring. This comes after the airline entered voluntary administration back in April, and as Virgin Australia prepares to be taken over by Bain Capital, which has a new direction for the airline.
While the backbone of Virgin Australia’s fleet has long been the 737, the airline has also operated A330s and 777s, which the airline used for long haul flights.

Effective immediately, Virgin Australia will exclusively operate Boeing 737 aircraft, as the airline focuses on its core domestic and short-haul operations.

This means that Virgin Australia will get rid of its five Boeing 777-300ERs and six Airbus A330-200s. These planes were really young — the 777s were an average of just 10 years old, while the A330s were an average of just seven years old.

With these planes being retired, it also means that Virgin Australia will discontinue long haul flights, including to Los Angeles and Tokyo.

The airline is hoping to realize cost efficiencies and remove operational complexity. It’s noted that while long haul international operations are an important part of the Virgin Australia business, current travel restrictions make these flights very difficult.

The airline hopes to recommence and grow long haul flights when sufficient demand returns. While that sounds nice, obviously that won’t exactly be an easy process when the airline gets rid of all planes capable of flying these routes. If Virgin Australia does ever recommence long haul operations, it will likely be many years down the road, as the airline will need to acquire new planes.