Thursday 31 July 2008

Woman dies onboard Delta flight to Atlanta

A woman's body was found in the bathroom of a Delta Airlines flight after it had landed at Atlanta from Los Angeles.

The crew were assisted by medical professionals and the flight was met by authorities who confirmed that the lady had died.

Los Angeles Times quoted: "There were no signs of foul play and the body of a woman in her 60s was taken to a medical examiner's office for an autopsy".

A passenger onboard had alerted crew members when the woman had failed to come out the bathroom after half an hour and the woman's identity hasn't been released due to passenger privacy.

Tuesday 29 July 2008

Another Qantas aircraft makes emergency landing

Another Qantas plane had to make an emergency landing just 3 days after a hole ripped through the fuselage of a Qantas 747.

The plane bound for Melbourne had to turn back to Adelaide with a mechanical problem. The pilot had told passengers there was a problem with the landing gear after it failed to retract after the Boeing 737-800 took off.

A Qantas spokeswoman said: "there was no risk to passengers’ safety during the “routine air turnback”.

Investigators have since found evidence that an oxygen tank had exploded onboard the 747 which eventually landed safely in the Phillipines on Friday.

Sunday 27 July 2008

Oxygen canister found to be missing from Qantas 747.

An exploding oxygen canister has been suspected of blowing the big hole in the fuselage of the Qantas 747 en-route to Melbourne. The airline has been ordered to check all the oxygen bottles on its 30 fleet of 747s.

After the pilot had to make an emergency landing in Manila one of the oxygen bottles usually stored in the area where the explosion occurred was found to be missing.

Reports have also come to light that some of the oxygen masks onboard the aircraft were in poor condition and some didn't even deploy nearly causing some passengers to pass out.

An hour after departing Honk Kong a loud bang was heard and the aircraft descended from 29,000 feet to 10,000. All crew and passengers embarked unharmed.

Investigators have said no evidence of an explosive material has been found onboard the plane or in any luggage.

Saturday 26 July 2008

2 Metre hole blown in fuselage of Qantas Boeing 747 Jumbo.


Qantas have always maintained a 100% safety record but concerns have now been raised when a 747 on its way to Melbourne had to make an emergency landing in the Phillipines.

A loud bang was heard onboard the aircraft which blew a 2 metre hole in the fuselage and a forum for the Airline Industry said the plane had 'serious corrosion issues'.

One entry was reported saying "serious issues have been detected on VH-OJK while undergoing maintenance at Avalon [Melbourne Airport]."

VH-OJK is the specific registration code for the plane.

The entry, written by someone describing himself as an 'in-flight operations employee' continued: "This is the first aircraft to undergo cabin reconfiguration with the all new Premium Y/C cabin.

"Sources tell me the launch date has further slipped once to 5th of March operating the QF001 SYD-BKK-LHR route. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope OJK recovers from her plastic surgery!"

Qantas have confirmed the plane had undergone maintenance and Chief Executive Officer Geoff Dixon has said that preliminary checks didn't indicate corrosion near the hole.

The plane which had departed from London Heathrow and had stopped over at Hong Kong with 346 passengers was built in 1991. Whilst they were flying over the South China Sea people heard a loud bang which led to cabin decompression and oxygen masks releasing.

In order to stabilise the cabin pressure the Captain lowered the plane to 10,000ft and then went on to complete a safe emergency landing. Nobody was hurt and engineers are now conducting a full investigation into what happened.

Qantas haven't suffered a serious air accident since 1951 and have a fantastic safety record.

Wednesday 11 June 2008

100 feared dead after plane explodes on landing

A Sudan Airways jet has exploded whilst attempting to land at Khartoum Airport and veered off the runway.

It’s feared more than 100 people are dead. Aviation officials have said 203 passengers and 11 crew were onboard the aircraft and 103 and 10 crew members have survived.

The Airbus A310 had taken off from Damascus and was trying to land in a thunderstorm. It appeared to have landed safely before then swerving off the runway and exploding into a massive fireball.

"There are missing passengers who could be still inside the plane, or left the aircraft but did not inform officials they were passengers," a police spokesman said.

One survivor stated: “The landing was "rough", the right wing was on fire. Smoke poured into the cockpit and passengers began opening emergency exit doors as the flames quickly swept into the plane.”

The cause of the accident is still unclear. John Ukec Lueth Ukec the Sudanese ambassador to Washington has put the cause of the accident down to bad weather.

"There was a lot of water on the runway and they still tried to land," he claimed. "It will be investigated and we will find out what went wrong, whether it is a technical issue or human error."

Sudan’s police chief later added:

"Bad weather caused the plane to crash-land, split into two and catch fire. We believe that most of the passengers were able to make it out and escape with their lives."

However, the director of Khartoum Airport has said a technical fault with the aircraft caused the accident. He said that the aircraft landed safely and was being instructed from the control tower about taxiing. "At that moment, one of the engines exploded and the plane caught fire. It is a technical reason," said Mr Ibrahim

This incident has added to Sudan’s poor aviation safety record. In May 24 people died in a crash in remote part of the country where members of the region’s government were killed.

A Sudan Airways Boeing 737 crashed after take off from Port Sudan killing everyone onboard in July 2003.

Sunday 25 May 2008

Jumbo 747 splits in two during take off

A Jumbo 747 has crashed and split in two at the end of the runway in Brussels Airport.

The aircraft was a cargo plane due to fly to Bahrain and was attempting to take off when it crashed.

The five crew members onboard the plane have all been slightly injured and are in hospital. A spokesman at the airport said:

"The plane is very seriously damaged. The aircraft cracked in two after it crashed at the end of runway 220, which lies very close to a rail line and houses. Rail services to and from the airport were suspended as a safety precaution, however the crash did not affect other flights at the airport."

Firefighters at the scene sprayed the wings of the jet with special fire retardant foam as a precaution.

It's not known at present what cargo was onboard the aircraft or what was the cause of the accident.

The pilot has told authorities that a big noise sounded as he tried to take off.

Wednesday 21 May 2008

Fans stranded at Gatwick Airport

A special charter flight put on for football supporters going to Russia for the Champions League final has been cancelled leaving hundreds of fans stranded at Gatwick airport.

A spokesman has said that a technical problem caused the fight to be cancelled.

Fans have now started to leave the airport as it's now too late to get to the match in time which starts at 19.45 BST.

Tuesday 20 May 2008

Attempt to ban early morning flights arriving at Heathrow

The governement are being taken to court in an attempt to ban flights landing at Heathrow before 6am.

Three years ago it was discovered that the Department of Transport were accused of failing to act when in fact planes had been placed in the incorrect noise category.

Around sixteen 747 long haul flights arrive at Heathrow between 4.30 and 6.00am.

Coucils taking the court action are accusing the airport of taking advantage of a legal loophole allowing Boeing 747 to land at night but bans other aircraft from doing so.

Lawyers are claiming that residents aren't protected from noise at night and closing this loophole would force airlines to use quieter jets or scrap early arrivals altogether.

Edward Lister Wandsworth Council leader said:

"We are aiming to achieve some much-needed relief for residents in the 4.30-6am period. Those aircraft types which break the rules should be grounded. There are currently no controls at this time of day. If we win, it could mean the Government having to set limits for the first time at a time of day when many people are still asleep."

The case continues.

Tuesday 18 March 2008

A380 soon to fly into London Heathrow

Heathrow airport have commenced developments to accommodate the A380. Terminal 3 will see a pier be demolished to allow space for the plane's wingspan.

The new development will be 280m long and 3 storeys high. Passengers will be able to disembark from both levels of the aircraft.

Managing Director of BAA said that preparations are going well: "The A380 will be an important aircraft for Heathrow... but we are also ensuring that our new facilities can accommodate all types of aircraft and meet the needs of all our airlines," he said.

A new pier will see 4 new aircraft stands designed to serve new models of aircraft such as the Airbus A320.

Airlines planning to operate the A380 to Heathrow include Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and Qantas.

Friday 14 March 2008

Man arrested trying to run onto runway at Heathrow Airport

A man armed with a rucksack managed to get past security and onto the runway into the path of an oncoming aircraft at London Heathrow. An enquiry is now being conducted.

The man's actions disrupted flights for the day yesterday, he was arrested just before reaching the tarmac but the north runway was shut whilst armed officers held their guns towards him.

This incident came just 1 day before the Queen was expected to open the new terminal five. It's believed the rucksack contained clothes.

Police have said they don't know the man's motive but are confident it's not terror related. Workers at Heathrow believe it's a sign of protest over the new terminal and he wanted to cause havoc.

Gordon Brown has said that he's satisfied everything possible is being done to ensure security at the opening.

He later said: “I think the important thing about the Heathrow incident is that the person was detained, that all the security precautions went quickly into action, that he’s now being interviewed and that all possible steps were taken so that when this incident happened the arrest took place.”

A BAA spokesman said: “Clearly this incident is a matter of some concern and will be fully investigated in conjunction with the police.”

Twenty flights were cancelled by various airlines and outgoing flights diverted to the south runway.

This incident is the second in a number of weeks where security has been breached.

Tuesday 4 March 2008

Leaving a rainy Heathrow, destination Kuala Lumpur!


Leaving a rainy Heathrow, destination Kuala Lumpur!

Monday 25 February 2008

Malaysia Airlines MH004 - We need the toilet!!


Well I've never experienced a flight like it. An hour after take off from KLIA the captain suddenly spoke through the speaker into the cabin.

"Ladies & gentleman we have a problem in the cabin which I need your full attention about."

My first response "Oh my god the plane's gonna go down!!." The captain then went on to say that 7 of the 14 toilets onboard the aircraft weren't working, or rather the flush had packed up! So we had 2 options, to either divert back to KLIA which will take an hour, or proceed onto London with the use of only 7 toilets.

Everybody in the cabin then had to vote, proceed or turn back. The result - an overwhelming 'carry on to London'. And so the flight continued as normal.

After many hours of watching films and playing Solitaire we were flying over Europe. Again another announcement from the captain,

"Ladies and gentleman, the toilet situation has just worsened, all toilets are now not functioning. Again 2 options, carry on to London which will take 1.5hrs or divert to Frankfurt taking 30mins. Please vote now."

Again another overwhemling decision to carry on the extra mile straight to London!!

After another very long hour and a half and many crossed legs, the flight finally landed at Heathrow and many anxious passengers disembarked from the aircraft!!.

There's a first time for everything!!

Wednesday 6 February 2008

Budget Airline, Budget Costs

Budget airline Ryanair have been ordered to pay French president Nicolas Sarkozy costs of €1 for using an unauthorised photograph of Sarkozy and his new wife Carla Bruni.

The couple had borrowed a billionaire industrialist's private jet to fly to Egypt for a Christmas break where they exchanged gifts costing €84,000 (£62,000).

Ryanair obtained their photograph and used it to advertise cheap flights in a Paris newspaper, the President failed to see the funny side and took the airline to court.

The Sarkozys, who were married last weekend won their case against the Irish company with Sarkozy being awarded a requested €1 in symbolic damages, his wife received €60,000.

Tuesday 5 February 2008

Boeing 747 - Majestic!


Malaysia Airlines Boeing 747 steep turn landing at Hong Kong

Friday 1 February 2008

It's a Date for the Airbus A380


On March 18th the world’s largest passenger aircraft will fly into and out of Heathrow for the first time.

The plane is of course the Airbus A380, which will be winging it’s way into London for it’s first commercial flight from Singapore.

Singapore Airlines will take delivery of their third A380 in March which will enable the airline to begin services to Heathrow.

The first A380 commercial flight to London, will leave Singapore’s Changi Airport on Tuesday, March 18th at 9am and arrive at Heathrow at 3.05pm the same day.

The aircraft will then return to Singapore leaving Heathrow at 6.55pm and arriving back into Singapore on Wednesday.

Thursday 31 January 2008

The Airbus A380...

... the more I see, the more I like!

Singapore Airlines announce A380 flights to Heathrow

Singapore Airlines have announced plans to start flights from Singapore to Heathrow using the A380 commencing March 18th.

The world's largest aircraft is already in service flying to Sydney. The new direct flight to the UK will be the start of a daily return service.

The airline have commented:

"The A380 will provide a capacity expansion on the popular Singapore-London route, for the first time, an aircraft larger than the Boeing 747-400 will fly this route, thereby meaning more seats without the need for more frequencies to what is already one of the world's busiest airports."

Tuesday 22 January 2008

Gang attack men at Birmingham Aiport Arrivals Terminal

A group of bikers thought to be a Hell Angels group tore through the arrivals lounge at Birmingham Airport chasing 3 men who were walking through the lounge after arriving on a flight from Alicante.

The gang was armed with iron bars and machetes and attacked the 3 men infront of terrified passengers.

An airport worker said:

'There was a large group of men congregating around the arrivals lounge, mostly big, stocky guys and they seemed agitated and looked as though they were waiting for someone. Then, all of a sudden, a few pointed out three large, shaven-headed men who had just got off the Alicante flight and they just exploded. Out came bars, machetes and chains and they really laid into these three men, it was horrific. I've seen a lot of fights before but this was different. It was brutal, it was nasty and it was organised. People were screaming, young kids crying their eyes out and they ran for cover, but there was blood everywhere. The fight carried on for a couple of minutes; the police were nowhere to be seen, which is unusual because usually there is quite a strong presence.'

Another added:

'I'm just staggered that violence as extreme as this can happen at an airport.'

The gang consisting of 10 men and 1 woman jumped into vehicles waiting outside Terminal One but they were later apprehended.

One of the men attacked is in a critical condition. Two others were hurt but not critically.

Saturday 19 January 2008

Update on flight BA38 crash landing at Heathrow Airport

Reports have said that the reason for the BA flight crash landing short of the runway at Heathrow was due to the failure of both engines.

The AAIB's report said: "the Auto throttle demanded an increase in thrust from the two engines but the engines did not respond."

Neither engines responded when crew tried for more thrust with the throttle levers.

Captain Peter Burkill has praised all staff onboard the jet for playing key parts in averting certain tragedy.

"Flying is about teamwork and we had an outstanding team on board. As captain of the aircraft I am glad to say that every member of my team played their part expertly," Burkill said.

"No one more so than my senior first officer, John Coward, the handling pilot on the final approach. He did the most remarkable job."

Thursday 17 January 2008

British Airways Flight falls short of runway at Heathrow


British Airways flight BA38 fell short of the runway whilst making an emergency landing.

The jet was packed with 136 passengers all of whom escaped without serious injuries. The undercarriage of the aircraft comlpetely fell apart and two wheel units were ripped off.

The black box is now being investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. The Boeing 777 had its landing gear lowered as it prepared to land but witnesses have said they saw it 'drop' out of the sky.

BA have reported that the flight coming in from Beijing came down as it was approaching the south runway at Heathrow.

Passenger Paul Venter said: "We came in to land, I could hear the undercarriage come out and the next moment the plane just dropped."

The captain has apparently told an airport worker that all power was lost as he came in to land.

The plane was heavily banking to the side at a very low level with one witness saying it was "so low you would think you could lean out of the window and touch it".

Meanwhile on the runway waiting to depart to Beijing was Gordon Brown's plane who along with many other flights was delayed. Two hundred flights had to be cancelled and diverted to other airports.

With wreckage still spread all over the south runway it's a miracle that nobody was killed.

Scotland Yard have said: "There is nothing to suggest at this stage that the incident is in any way terror-related."

Tuesday 15 January 2008

Ryanair Go Brum Brum - Cheap Cheap!

Ryanair have announced that they will fly 20 routes from my local airport in Birmingham from April 2008.

They will start by using two Boeing 737-800’s to fly to five destinations in Italy and France, three in Poland, two in Spain, and one each in Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Slovakia.

They then plan to introduce a further eight Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "The people of Birmingham have been woefully underserved and overcharged by British Airways and Flybe's high fares for years.

"Ryanair's new base will smash this high fare stranglehold by delivering savings of £130m next year for Birmingham's passengers.

"This route count will more than double as a result of Ryanair's $700m investment in Birmingham, bringing with it a significant increase in European visitors and jobs for the West Midlands”.

Good news for Midlander's looking to make a saving on European trips.

Sunday 13 January 2008

Singapore Airlines take delivery of second A380

Singapore Airlines has added another A380 to its collection. The Superjumbo was handed over in Toulouse on Friday 11th January. This is the second that the airline now possess.

This one is also the same as the first with the capacity of seating 471 configurated in a three class layout.

This Superjumbo will allow for more cabin training and will allow rotation on the Sydney route with the first.

The airline will be given a third Airbus in February and will be operating between Singapore and London Heathrow.

Singapore are the only airline operating the A380 at present and has another 17 on order.

A380 grounded after rolling off runway

The newly flying Singapore Airlines A380 has been grounded after a tow truck towing it came away and the aircraft rolled onto grass next to the runway.

The jet was bound for Sydney and passengers had to be asked to leave the plane so that it could be inspected for damage.

The passengers boarded a 747-400 to depart for Sydney.

A spokesman said that the tow truck being used developed some sort of failure which resulted in it becoming detatched from the aircraft.

'As a consequence of the failure on the truck, the aircraft ... came into contact with the grass verge off the airport tarmac. The aircraft was not under its own power at the time. It is too early at this time to know the cause of the incident but Singapore Airlines will investigate this quickly, and is filing reports with the appropriate Singapore authorities,' the spokesman said.