July 24
It’s Sunday again, so it must be time for some more airplane p0rn.
This week, it’s Spanair McDonnald Douglas MD87, painted up in Star Alliance colours parked up at Barcelona El Pratt Airport.
More of course next week!
July 23
It’s time again for another Safety Video. This week, Philippine Airlines are leading the pack….
More next week!
July 22
It seems the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (or Prince Will and Kate Middlton to the rest of us) had a problem on the way home from the USA.
The couple flew BA on a 747 from LA to London. Alas, the bird decided to have an IFE failure inflight.
And as a result, service compensation went into play. Which, if you’re stuck in BA First (and there are worse places to be in the world when you have a broken IFE system)
Now those of us who are frequent flyers would had opted for the miles. This being Will and Kate, BA’s normal practice is to offer £200 each of Vouchers (MCO’s – Miscellaneous Charge Orders).
The worst part: They want to watch Bridesmaids on the IFE system
Even worst part: They went off to a cinema afterwards to watch it…
Oh well, at least the version they watched in the cinema wouldn’t had been cut to shreds… like some films in a plane.
July 22
AVHerald picked this gem up.
It seems a Korean Air Airbus A380 was landing at Tokyo Narita – an airport famed for it’s mad winds sadly, made a landing – landing on one of the engine pods.
I’ll let the picture do the talking.
Picture – avherald.com
Not the most graceful of landings.
The aircraft itself was able to right itself on landing, and rolled to the gate safely. The runway was shut for 20 minutes for inspections, before being reopened.
The A380 itself returned to Seoul as booked with passengers and a 1 hour delay on the board.
Whilst Narita wild winds are known (one only need remember the FedEx crash last year), it’s amazing that there’s so minimal damage… and that Korean Air said “Hang it, we’ll fly her home with passengers rather than an empty ferry flight”
No doubt, there’s more to this than meets the eye…
July 21
Ok, this is nothing to do with commerical flight, but I don’t care. An end of an era today as the Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down safely at Kennedy Space Centre today.
Images: NASA.
The landing brings to a close of 30 years of Space Shuttle programme.
Atlantis will be put into a museum at the Kennedy Space Centre in the future.
July 21
It seems ANA want to really get into this Low Cost Carrier thing. As well as developing their own Lo-Co “Peach Aviation”, they have also today annoucned a new joint venture with Air Asia to form Air Asia Japan.
The aim is to go after the Japanese domestic market. As such, ANA and Air Asia have agreed not to attack the new airline – however the agreement allows Peach Aviation to go on the offensive if required from it’s base at Osaka’s Kansai International Airport. Peach will not be allowed to serve Tokyo Narita in this agreement.
From it’s base, it’s clear where Air Asia wishes to spread next via this new subsiduary – Japan itself, as well as North China, South Korea and Taiwan, whilst linking it up further with it’s South East Asian markets.
ANA is the “Other” major carrier in Japan and competes with JAL as well as other local airlines. Air Asia is represented in Japan already by it’s Air Asia X subsidiary, running long haul services.
No launch date has been announced or equipment specified, but it has been confirmed that Air Asia Japan when operating will operate from Tokyo Narita Airport.
When this shakes out, it’ll be interesting how “toe to toe” Peach and Air Asia Japan go. Japan’s domestic market tends to be based on big birds tightly packed to the gills in high density operations – it’ll be interesting to see how these adapt.
July 20
Surprisingly, American’s orders for new aircraft will be a “win” for Airbus over Boeing
For Boeing frames it’s 200 frames, split between the current 737NG models (700/800/900ER) and the “expected evolution of the 737NG” (the frame Boeing doesn’t talk about – least of all they don’t know what that frame looks like yet…)
First Boeing 737′s NG are expected from 2013.
Meanwhile, with negotiation with Airbus, the 260 aircraft will be made up of 130 of the current generation of Airbus narrow body (A319/A320/A321), and the A320Neo Series.
Current A320 series deliveries commence in 2013, A320Neo Series from 2017.
Delivery through both series are due to begin in 2013, and continue through 2022.
That’s a LOT of frames as I said before – and spells the end for the MD-80′s that still fly with AA.
July 20
It seems American Airlines is in the mood to upgrade parts of it fleet, with the announcement today that has agreed with Boeing and Airbus to renew it’s fleets.
Under the new agreements, American will acquire 460 narrowbody aircraft from the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families beginning in 2013 in what American calls “the largest aircraft order in aviation history.”
Don’t think they’re doing this for love – there’s looking at the long term fuel efficiency gains.
When I see a breakdown of the “actual numbers” and “options”, it’ll be reported here.
For those of you who love your wide bodies, American has seen the light, and has 8 Boeing 777-300ER’s that a scheduled for delivery between 2012 and 2013. American has options for 42 Boeing 787 frames at this time too.
Lots for American’s competitors to chew over.
July 19
It’s never a dull minute at Castle Donnington where BMI have announced new routes to Agadir (Morocco) and Nice (France)
The Nice service will commence on 25th August on a single return flight a day on the 25th August 2011, scaling up to 2 return flights a day from 30th October 2011. This will be operated with an A320.
From 25 August – to 29 October 2011:
BD195 Dept LHR 17:30 Arrive NCE 20:40
BD196 Dept NCE 21:30 Arrive LHR 22:30
From 30 October 2011:
BD193 Dept LHR 08:50 Arrive NCE 11:45
BD194 Dept NCE 13:10 Arrive LHR 14:15 (Operates MON, TUE, WED, SAT)
BD194 Dept NCE 13:00 Arrive LHR 14:05 (Operates THUR, FRI)
BD195 Dept LHR 17:50 Arrive NCE 20:50 (Operates MON, TUE, WED, THURS, FRI, SAT)
BD196 Dept NCE 21:35 Arrive LHR 22:35
The Agadir service will be operated twice weekly, commencing 29th October. This compliments the current Marrakech and Casablanca flights. Again, this will be operated on an A320.
29 October 2011 only:
BD445 Dept LHR 10:55 Arrive AGA 13:55
BD446 Dept AGA 15:40 Arrive LHR 20:35
From 1 November 2011:
BD445 Dept LHR 09:55 Arrive 13:55 TUESDAYS
BD446 Dept AGA 14:50 Arrive 18:45 TUESDAYS
BD445 Dept LHR 10:50 Arrive 14:50 SATURDAYS
BD446 Dept AGA 15:40 Arrive 19:35 SATURDAYS
These are odd moves for BMI, least of all Nice has major competition with British Airways and Easyjet, whilst Agadir has competition with the low cost carriers.
Fares have not been disclosed, but knowing the loony bin known as Revenue Management at BMI, you can be sure they’ll either be sky high or bargain basement.
July 19
It seems that the Competition Commission has has enough of BAA, and has ruled it must sell Stansted and either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports.
This is a follow on from the case in 2009 where BAA was instructed to sell Gatwick as well (which it did unwillingly), and challenged the sale of the other airports.
BAA is “dismayed” and is preparing to launch a judicial review – buying more time before it has to sell the airports, calling it a ‘Draconian demand’.
The Competition Commission says:
“that the sales process for Stansted would start in three months’ time, and would be followed by the sale of one of the Scottish airports.”
However, BAA cite that the world has changed, that different markets are served and they’d loose money on any sale that an investor could make money on -and destroy shareholder value.
Unsurprisingly, Ryanair is on the side of the Competition Commission, as is EasyJet who favour going for the best value.
If a review is granted, expect this to play out for a lot longer…..
