Latest News

Virgin Blue launch Blackberry app for mobile domestic check-in

Virgin Blue has launched a new process to check in and board on domestic flights via a traveller’s mobile phones called “Check-Mate”. Read more

Iberia freight cargo up 40% this month even with volcanic ash

Iberia has carried 40 per cent more freight this month – 41.5 per cent more outgoing and 51.60 per cent more incoming – compared to April, 2009. This increase is partly due to the closing of airports in Northern and Central Europe for the past six days because of the volcanic ash cloud, which caused operations to be shunted to the Iberia Cargo Terminal.

1,000 tonnes landed in Barcelona yesterday alone

Air shipments from the Americas were unloaded in Madrid for surface haulage across Europe, while European freight was moved by land to the Madrid Cargo Terminal, where Iberia flew it to North American and Latin American destinations.

To deal with the additional tonnage, Iberia used air freighters and raised from four to twelve the number of freight distribution trucks which stood in for aircraft on some routes.

Yesterday Iberia set a new record for freight handling at Barcelona Airport, as 1,000 tonnes arrived aboard freighters diverted from other European destinations.

As the situation slowly returns to normal in Europe, Iberia continues to carry the perishable goods that are its speciality, including tropical fruit, fish from Chile and American shellfish.

US Airways Chairman issues statement with regard to United merger talks

US Airways Chairman and CEO Doug Parker has issued the following statement with regards to the merger talks between his airline and United Airlines:

“US Airways has long been a proponent for consolidation in our industry. As opportunities have arisen for our company to participate in consolidation, we have taken a close and careful look at our options, always with an eye on what is in the best interests of our shareholders, customers, employees and the communities we serve.

“We have recently held discussions with United Airlines regarding a possible combination between our two airlines. After an extensive review and careful consideration, our Board of Directors has decided to discontinue those discussions.

“While it is our policy not to comment on rumors concerning strategic transactions, because of the persistent rumors about a possible transaction with United Airlines we believe it is appropriate to clarify the status of those negotiations. In the future, we will continue to follow our policy of not commenting on potential strategic transactions until we have entered into a definitive agreement with respect to a specific transaction.”

“It remains our belief that consolidation makes sense in an industry as fragmented as ours. Whether we participate or not, consolidation that leads to a more efficient industry better able to withstand economic volatility, global competition and the cyclical nature of our industry is a positive outcome.”

“The US Airways team is doing an outstanding job of running a reliable airline, taking care of our customers and keeping our costs down. We are well along the road to near-term profitability and are well-positioned for sustainable, long-term success. As the industry becomes less fragmented and more stable, everyone will benefit.”

Malaysia Airlines expects to mount 6 additional flights on 23 April

Malaysia Airlines expects to mount 6 additional flights, subject to approval of airport authorities, on 23 April to enable stranded customers to get to their destinations as soon as possible.

The additional flights on 23 April 2010 are:

• Kuala Lumpur to London via Gatwick and vice versa
• Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam and vice versa
• Kuala Lumpur to Sydney and vice versa

Its additional flight to London Gatwick scheduled to depart on 23 April at 12.00 noon is already full booked.

Priority for these flights will be given to special needs or elderly customers, and those with infants or young children. Following that, customers who have booked for travel from April 15 to 17 will be given priority.

For scheduled flights, priority will be given to customers with confirmed bookings. Bookings will also be accepted, on a first come, first serve basis.

Malaysia Airlines Director of Operations, Captain Azharuddin Osman said, “As of today, we have managed to clear over 2,500 passengers. However, there are still some 11,000 passengers still stranded system-wide with most of these in Kuala Lumpur.

‘With airspace opened at destinations where we operate, all scheduled flights to and from Europe have resumed. We are also mounting additional flights, and using aircraft with larger capacity, where possible.

“Passengers are also urged to remember that the situation remains fluid and any changes to this plan or updates will be provided under the Book/Flight Status section on www.malaysiaairlines.com,” he added.

To secure seats, stranded passengers can contact 03-7884 1234, MAS Call Center 1300-88-3000 (within Malaysia) or 603-7843 3000 (outside Malaysia). They can also visit Malaysia Airlines’ ticket offices at KL Sentral or KL International Airport to re-book flights, subject to seat availability.

Customers without confirmed seats are advised not to travel to the airport.

As there have been a high volume of calls to the Call Centre and waiting times may be longer than usual, Malaysia Airlines encourages customers with other travel related questions to refer to the ‘Ask MAS/Travel Advisory’ section on the website.

NASA's new eye on the Sun delivers stunning first images

NASA’s recently launched Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, is returning early images that confirm an unprecedented new capability for scientists to better understand our sun’s dynamic processes. These solar activities affect everything on Earth.

Some of the images from the spacecraft show never-before-seen detail of material streaming outward and away from sunspots. Others show extreme close-ups of activity on the sun’s surface. The spacecraft also has made the first high-resolution measurements of solar flares in a broad range of extreme ultraviolet wavelengths. Read more

Video: Korean Air celebrate 20 years flying to Australia with new commercials

To celebrate 20 years of flying to Australia, Korean Air launches a new series of TV commercials in Korea to strengthen its tourism ties with Australia.

This commercial is featuring Kangaroo.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FeXTvg7JL8

Stranded passengers return on first Malaysia Airlines flight from Europe

Malaysia Airlines successfully flew 338 stranded passengers on flight MH001S from Frankfurt into Kuala Lumpur International Airport today. The national carrier was the first ASEAN carrier to operate flights out of Frankfurt.

Malaysia Airlines Managing Director/CEO, Tengku Dato’ Azmil Zahruddin said, “Our focus is on getting our passengers home as quickly as possible. We are glad this flight was able to accomplish just that.

“It’s a good start. Over the next couple of days, we will gradually operate more flights to and from the affected airports to clear the backlog of passengers. The situation remains fluid so we will continue to assess the situation on a daily basis.

“In the meantime, stranded passengers are urged to check flight status before they leave for the airport via our website and call centre,” he added.

Flight MH001S out of Frankfurt also operated with 14.7 tonnes of cargo out of Frankfurt as well as passengers originally booked on other carriers.

In the meantime, Malaysia Airlines will continue to resume its scheduled flights to London, Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt for tomorrow, Thursday, 22 April 2010.

This applies to the following flights:

On 22 April from Kuala Lumpur to:

• London (MH4) scheduled to depart 10.05am
• London (MH2) scheduled to depart 11.40pm
• Amsterdam (MH16) scheduled to depart 11.55pm
• Paris (MH20) scheduled to depart 11.35pm
• Frankfurt (MH6) scheduled to depart at 11.50pm

On 23 April to Kuala Lumpur from:

• London (MH3) scheduled to depart 12.00noon
• London (MH1) scheduled to depart 10.00pm
• Amsterdam (MH17) scheduled to depart 12.00noon
• Paris (MH21) scheduled to depart 12.00noon
• Frankfurt (MH5) scheduled to depart 12.30pm.

Scheduled flights to Rome are not affected and will operate as normal. Details are as follows:

• 22 April: Kuala Lumpur/ Rome (MH14) to depart at 11.45pm
• 23 April: Rome/ Kuala Lumpur (MH15) to depart 1.45pm

Both these flights will be upgraded to a B747 from a B777.

Malaysia Airlines expects to offer an additional flight to London on 22 April subject to slot availability at Heathrow airport.

Details are as follows:

• 22 April: Kuala Lumpur/ London (MH7502) to depart at 11.50pm
• 23 April: London/ Kuala Lumpur (MH7503) to depart at 8.20am
• 23 April: Kuala Lumpur/London (MH7504) to depart at 12.00pm

Only customers with confirmed bookings for travel on 22 April 2010 are advised to proceed to the airport.  Stranded passengers should contact the dedicated telephone line 03-7884 1234 to re-book flights, subject to seat availability. Customers without confirmed seats are advised not to travel to the airport.

In addition, customers can continue to call the MAS Call Center 1300-88-3000 (within Malaysia) or 603-7843 3000 (outside Malaysia). Customers who have mobile phones are encouraged to register their numbers with Malaysia Airlines for ease of notification via SMS. 

Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight test program moves to Florida

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Boeing expanded type inspection authorization (TIA) today, clearing the way for its personnel to fully participate in future test flights and for the collection of required flight-test data. Initial TIA was granted 11th February, which supported the collection of flutter certification data.

The expanded TIA marks the FAA’s confirmation that the airplane and team are ready to collect additional certification data. Boeing achieved the expansion by demonstrating the readiness of the airplane throughout a variety of speeds, altitudes and configurations.

Boeing Dreamliner 787 ZA003 In Florida for testing

“This TIA expansion is another significant step toward delivering airplanes to our customers. We remain on track to deliver the first airplane to ANA this year,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, Commercial Airplanes.

In addition to receiving expanded TIA, Boeing finalized the aerodynamic configuration of the 787.

“We have completed sufficient testing to decide that no additional changes to the external lines or shape of the airplane are required,” said Fancher. “Having an airplane match its expected performance with so few changes is rare and speaks to the maturity of the design.”

The 787 flight-test fleet logged its 500th hour of flying April 16. On Sunday, ZA003, the flight-test airplane outfitted with interior elements, landed in Florida, where it will go through extreme weather testing at McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base.

Boeing released two videos highlighting flutter and ground effects testing. These videos feature commentary by the pilots and the chief project engineer and are available on www.boeing.com and www.newairplane.com.  

US Navy to fly biofuel powered F/A-18 Super Hornet

Boeing is supporting the U.S. Navy’s biofuel-powered flight, scheduled to take place on Earth Day, April 22. An unmodified, Boeing-built F/A-18F Super Hornet will take off from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., powered by a sustainable biofuel blend of 50 percent camelina and 50 percent JP-5 aviation fuel.

Operating Navy platforms with renewable energy sources such as sustainable biofuels is part of the service’s strategy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by half over the next decade, as well as the Secretary of the Navy’s broader emphasis on energy-efficiency efforts for the Navy and Marine Corps.

Boeing has been assisting the Navy through laboratory testing of fuel properties and engineering evaluations of fuel system compatibility, according to Tim Vinopal, Boeing’s environmental chief engineer supporting the Boeing Defense, Space & Security effort.

“We have worked closely with the aviation and fuels industries for several years to provide our customers with options to reduce environmental impact, including the use of sustainable biofuels,” Vinopal said. “We are honored to be able to support the U.S. Navy in this groundbreaking renewable-energy effort.”

Boeing biofuel testing has included demonstration flights of five commercial aircraft, testing of four engine types, and laboratory testing with various fuel processors, feedstocks, and engine manufacturers to ensure these fuels meet or exceed the high performance and quality standards specified for current aviation fuels, without modification to the engine or airframe. Camelina is one of several promising biofuel crops, as it requires little water or fertilizer and does not compete with food crops.

The company also is helping to create a commercial market for renewable fuels and to guide their approval for use in commercial aviation.

“Boeing is applying the significant knowledge we’ve gained during this sustainable biofuel development effort in support of U.S. Department of Defense specification revisions for military fuels,” said Vinopal. “Boeing recognizes the serious challenges facing the global ecosystem and is committed to improving the environmental performance of its operations, products and services.”

Flight-test operations for Boeing 747-8 Freighter move to Southern California

The second Boeing 747-8 Freighter, RC521, landed in Palmdale, California , marking the beginning of a planned transition of 747-8 Freighter testing to Southern California. The more than four-hour flight from Boeing Field in Seattle included testing on avionics and cruise performance.

“Taking the airplane to Palmdale is a big step,” said Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager of the 747 program. “The team is focused on ensuring a seamless transition into the next phase of the flight-test program as we prepare to expand testing of the 747-8 Freighter’s performance characteristics.”

The airplane will be stationed in Palmdale for the majority of its scheduled flight-test program. The crew will conduct several tests on the airplane with fuel-mileage and engine-performance testing as key focus areas.

“Palmdale provides an excellent test environment for the 747-8 Freighter,” said Andy Hammer, 747 test program manager. “It allows us to take full advantage of one of the world’s premier experimental test flight facilities and the excellent weather conditions to meet our flight-test requirements on the road to obtaining our amended type certification.”

A contingent of employees has been stationed at Palmdale for the testing, including flight-test engineers and the support personnel who prepare the airplane for each day’s flights. In the coming weeks, the two other 747-8 airplanes in the flight-test fleet will join RC521 in Southern California.

The entire flight-test program calls for the three airplanes to perform a total of about 3,700 hours of ground and air testing. The first 747-8 Freighter delivery to Cargolux is planned for the fourth quarter of this year.