Sunday 29 March 2015

Airbus Updates No.1311

Accident: Air Canada A320 at Halifax on Mar 29th 2015, touched down short of runway
By Simon Hradecky, created Sunday, Mar 29th 2015 11:15Z, last updated Sunday, Mar 29th 2015 13:13Z
An Air Canada Airbus A320-200, registration C-FTJP performing flight AC-624 (dep Mar 28th) from Toronto,ON to Halifax,NS (Canada) with 133 passengers and 5 crew, was on approach to Halifax's runway 05 at about 00:07L (03:07Z) when the aircraft touched down short of and below the runway threshold, clipped a powerline and approach light about 250 meters short of the runway, climbed the embankment up to the runway level and came to a stop past the threshold of the runway near taxiway B about 300 meters down the runway. The aircraft was evacuated. 23 people received injuries and were taken to a hospital, the aircraft sustained substantial damage (collapsed gear, engine separated, wing damage, horizontal stabilizer damage).

The aircraft had been holding west of Halifax prior to commencing the approach waiting for weather (visibility) to improve.

Halifax Airport confirmed there had been an accident on the longer runway 05/23 (length 3200 meters/10,500 feet), which is currently closed. The shorter runway 14/32 (length 2350 meters/7,700 feet) was opened about 5.5 hours after the accident. There were a number of minor injuries. Due the cut of the power line the airport was without power for about 90 minutes until the power supply was restored.

The airline confirmed the aircraft suffered a runway excursion on landing in Halifax, 23 passengers and crew were taken to hospitals, 18 of them could be discharged from hospital in the meantime.

The Canadian TSB announced they have dispatched a team of investigators to Halifax and opened an investigation into the accident.

Halifax's runway 05 features a LOC or NDB non precision instrument approach (no glideslope available, common LOC frequency with ILS runway 23), runway 23 offers a CAT II ILS approach, runway 14 offers a CAT I ILS approach.

Saturday 28 March 2015

Airbus Updates No.1310

Airbus A320 -214 6541  G-EZOG easyJet delivery 27mar15 XFW-LGW ex D-AVVF
 Airbus A321 -111 581  OE-LBC Austrian Airlines ferried 14/26mar15 VIE-BTS-VIE for paint, first aircraft in new cs ex D-AVZS
 Airbus A321 -231 1433  SX-DGT Aegean Airlines delivery 27mar15 LTN-ATH ex G-OZBP
 Airbus A321 -212 3051  C-FGKN Air Canada delivery 25mar15 TLS-KEF-YMX ex F-GTAN
 Airbus A321 -231 6495  N134AN American Airlines delivery 27mar15 XFW-BGR-DFW ex D-AVZT
 Airbus A321 -231 6531  RP-C9919 Philippine Airlines delivery 26-27mar15 XFW-AUH-DMK-MNL ex D-AZAG
 Airbus A330 -202 330  EI-EWR Aer Lingus delivery 28mar15 MNL-DUB ex 9M-XAD
 Airbus A330 -223 939  D-ALAB Lufthansa Technik to be ferried 30mar15 HAM-IST, Kingfisher cs prior delivery to? ex VT-VJO
 Airbus A330 -202MRTT 1516  2406 Royal Saudi Air Force ferried 27mar15 LEGT-MAN after MRTT-config for paint, regd MRTT032 ex EC-337
 Airbus A330 -343 1604  4R-ALN Sri Lankan delivery 26mar15 TLS-CMB “City of Kolomtota” ex F-WWCP
 Airbus A330 -323 1611  HL8025 Korean Air delivery 27mar15 TLS-ICN ex F-WWCY
 Airbus A330 -343 1624  JA330L Skymark Airlines ferried 25mar15 CHR-TLS, F-reg after paint but without titl ex F-WWYR

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Airbus Updates No.1309

RwandAir selects the A330 for fleet growth and modernisation

New Airbus operator with commitment for two A330s
24 MARCH 2015 PRESS RELEASE
RwandAir, the national flag carrier of the Republic of Rwanda, has signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) for two A330s. The agreement makes RwandAir a new Airbus customer and the first airline in East Africa to order the A330. RwandAir’s A330s will be delivered in the second half of 2016 and will be equipped with Rolls Royce Trent 772B engines. 
“As we look to introduce wide body aircraft for the first time into our fleet, with its proven economics, reliability and passenger comfort, we have found the A330 to perfectly support our plans to expand into Europe and Asia, to enhance our regional presence, to open up new routes and to grow our market share,’’ said John Mirenge, Chief Executive Officer of RwandAir.  
“We are delighted that RwandAir has confirmed its confidence in the A330, and are extremely pleased to welcome them as a new A330 customer,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The A330 Family offers a unique combination of unbeatable economics, versatility and fuel efficiency. Passengers will be able to enjoy a new flying experience with state of the art inflight entertainment systems and best-in-class passenger comfort that only Airbus offers.”
Rwanda’s flagship carrier will deploy the new A330 aircraft on medium and long haul routes from their Kigali home base to long-haul destinations throughout Europe, the Middle-East and Asia. 
The A330 Family, which spans 250 to 300 seats, has now attracted almost 1,500 orders, with over 1,150 aircraft flying with more than 100 operators worldwide. The A330 is one of the world’s most efficient aircraft with best in class operating economics, averaging dispatch reliability well above 99 percent.

Airbus Updates No.1308

Airbus celebrates delivery of its 9,000th aircraft

A321 for fast-growing Vietnamese carrier VietJetAir
23 MARCH 2015 PRESS RELEASE
Airbus has celebrated the delivery of its 9000th aircraft at a ceremony in Hamburg, Germany on 20th March 2015. The aircraft is the first A321 to be delivered to Vietnamese carrier VietJetAir and will join the carrier’s all-Airbus A320 Family fleet flying on its fast-growing Asia-Pacific network. 
“The delivery of our 9000th aircraft comes as we enjoy ongoing strong demand for aircraft across our product line,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The range of aircraft we offer today is unrivalled, meeting every airline requirement from 100 to over 500 seats with maximum efficiency, uncompromised comfort and broad customer appeal.”
“We are especially pleased to be delivering today’s aircraft to VietJetAir, which is a rising star in the fast-growing Asian region. With the A321, VietJetAir will be able to increase capacity on its most popular routes while benefiting from the lowest operating costs of any single aisle aircraft.”
“We are excited to be adding the A321 to our fleet today as we continue to develop our innovative value-based model in Asia-Pacific,” said Mr. Luu Duc Khanh, Managing Director of VietJetAir. “Based on our proven experience, we are confident that our decision to operate an all Airbus fleet will bring us unbeatable economies of scale while offering our passengers a comfortable travel experience. It will be a great honour for us to welcome the 9000th Airbus aircraft to its new home in sunny Vietnam.”
VietJetAir first took to the skies at the end of 2011 and now operates a fleet of 22 A320 Family aircraft on a network covering Vietnam and a growing number of destinations across Asia. The A321 delivered today is the first of seven ordered by the airline as part of a major aircraft acquisition plan for up to 100 A320 Family aircraft announced in early 2014.
Since delivering its first A300 in 1974, Airbus has developed the world’s most modern and comprehensive product line. Today this includes the market-leading single aisle A320 Family and the industry’s most extensive Widebody Family, comprising the super-efficient A330, the all-new A350 XWB and the world’s largest aircraft, the flagship double deck A380.
The 9000th delivery comes less than two years after Airbus reached its last milestone of 8000 aircraft-delivered in August 2013.  Over the last 10 years, Airbus has doubled its deliveries to reach over 600 aircraft a year today – a figure that is set to rise further as the demand grows.

Airbus Updates No.1307

GERMANWINGS FLIGHT 4U 9525 ACCIDENT IN THE FRENCH ALPS

Airbus regrets to confirm that an A320 operated by Germanwings was involved in an accident around 11:00 (local time) today near Prads-Haute-Bléone in the French Alps. The aircraft was operating a scheduled service, Flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona, Spain  to Dusseldorf, Germany.
The aircraft involved in the accident, registered under D-AIPX was MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 147 delivered to Lufthansa from the production line in 1991. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 58,300 flight hours in some 46,700 flights. It was powered by    CFM 56-5A1 engines. At this time no further factual information is available.
In line with ICAO annex 13, an Airbus go-team of technical advisors will be dispatched to provide full assistance to French BEA in charge of the investigation.
The A320 is a twin engine single aisle aircraft seating 150 passengers in a standard two classes configuration. The first A320 entered service in March 1988. By the end of February 2015 nearly 6,200 A320 Family aircraft were in operation worldwide. To date, the entire fleet has accumulated some 150 million flight hours in over 85 million flights.
Airbus will make further factual information available as soon as the details have been confirmed and cleared by the authorities for release.
The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident of Flight 4U9525.

Airbus Updates No.1306

Airbus A321 -111 581  OE-LBC Austrian Airlines ferried 14/26mar15 VIE-BTS-VIE for paint, first aircraft in new cs ex D-AVZS
 Airbus A321 -211 5295  VN-A651 VietjetAir delivery 21mar15 XFW-AUH-SGN ex D-AZAK
 Airbus A321 -211 6210  TF-MOM Wow Air positioned 24mar15 HHN-KEF ex VQ-BTT
 Airbus A321 -231 6508  TC-JSN Turkish Airlines delivery 24mar15 XFW-IST ex D-AVZX
 Airbus A330 -322 116  9M-MKI Malaysia Airlines ferried 20-21mar15 SZB-DWC-DRS, all white, for use as P2F-conversion prototype ex F-WWKT
 Airbus A330 -223 1221  PT-MVV TAM air-test 21mar15 GRU-VCP in basic cs prior return to lessor ex F-WWKT
 Airbus A340 -642 615  YI- AlNaser Airlines delivery 24mar15 LDE-BSR, G-reg, all white ex G-VSSH

Airbus Updates No.1305

Airbus A310 -304 498  F-WNOV noveSpace re-delivery 18mar15 after Zero-G trainer conversion ex 10+21
 Airbus A319 -111 2245  G-EZEN easyJet ferried 24mar15 GVA-LTN on transfer, re-regd 25mar15 ex HB-JZI
 Airbus A319 -111 2420  N306NV Allegiant Air seen regd at SEN 24mar15 prior delivery ex HB-JZT
 Airbus A319 -111 2450  G-EZIF easyJet ferried 22mar15 GVA-LTN on transfer, re-regd 23mar15, for Allegiant Air as N308NV ex HB-JZQ
 Airbus A319 -132 2468  SX-DGF Aegean Airlines ferried 20mar15 ATH-SNN on return to lessor ex D-ABGC
 Airbus A319 -112 3728  OE-LNC flyNiki Air Berlin cs, ferried 19mar15 TXL-VIE,D-reg on transfer ex D-ABGP
 Airbus A319 -112 3818  HB-JOG Holiday Jet full Germania cs, delivery 15mar15 BRE-ZRH, seen regd 19mar15 ex D-AHIM
 Airbus A319 -115 6514  B-6468 Air China delivery 23mar15 XFW-OVB-CTU ex D-AVYC
 Airbus A320 -211 147  D-AIPX germanwings crashed 24mar15 BCN-DUS en-route in Alps near Digne les Bains, 150/150 dead ex F-WWDN
 Airbus A320 -232 1823  YL-LCP smartLynx Airlines delivery 24mar15 DUB-RIX ex EI-EZS
 Airbus A320 -232 1896  ES-SAM smartLynx Estonia in full cs at DUB 19mar15, EI-reg after paint prior delivery ex EI-EZT
 Airbus A320 -214 1968  OO-TCV Thomas Cook Belgium ferried 24mar15 SXF-OSR for paint ex D-AICN
 Airbus A320 -214 2540  LZ-FBC Hemus Air ferried 15mar15 SOF-AYT on wet-lease to Onur Air, in svc 19mar15 AYT-RIX-ARN-AYT ex EC-JMB
 Airbus A320 -232 2564  G-POWM Titan Airways delivery 21mar15 CMB-GYD-MAN, all white for paint ex 4R-ABJ
 Airbus A320 -232 2874  SU- Nile Air at TLC 18mar15, N-reg in full cs prior delivery ex N874AC
 Airbus A320 -214 5557  D-AIZS Eurowings ferried 23/28mar15 DUS-NWI-DUS for paint ex D-AXAZ
 Airbus A320 -216 6262  VT-JRT AirAsia India special “The Pioneer” JRD Tata livery unveiled at HYD 21mar15 ex VT-ATD
 Airbus A320 -232 6402  B-1660 Sichuan Airlines delivery 19mar15 TSN-CTU ex B-519L
 Airbus A320 -232 6507  N640NK Spirit Airlines delivery 24mar15 TLS-YYR-FLL, old cs ex F-WWIZ
 Airbus A320 -232 6513  VT-TTG Vistara delivery 20mar15 TLS-RKT-DEL ex F-WWBN

Airbus Updates No.1304

Summary of Germanwings press conference

  • Germanwings flight 4U9525 from Barcelona to Düsseldorf reached its cruising altitude of 38,000ft at 10.45am, 44 minutes into the flight. Just a minute or two later, it began an unexplained descent.
  • The descent lasted eight minutes: contact was lost at 10.53am, when the plane was at 6,000ft. The airline does not know why the descent was initiated.
  • The airline is not sure whether a distress call was issued. The company spokesman said that it had conflicting information about the issue from air traffic controllers. French aviation sources have also given contradictory information on this point.
  • There were 144 passengers, including two babies, and six crew on board. There are believed to be 67 German nationals on board.
  • The aircraft was 24 years old, bought by Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, in 1991. It underwent a routine technical check by Lufthansa technicians in Düsseldorf yesterday. It had received a major inspection in the summer of 2013. 
  • The captain had more than 10 years’ flying experience with Lufthansa and Germanwings, and had recorded more than 6,000 hours’ flying time.
  • A team from Germanwings is on its way to the crash site to help with the investigation.
Updated 
The spokesman says that although today is a “sad day” for the airline, it can be proud of its standards. It would be premature to ground the fleet, and normal flight operations would continue.
Information about the nationalities of the casualties will only be announced when the airline feels it can do so “without any shred of doubt”.
He adds that information will not be given out until all family members have been informed.
He says the primary focus is to understand the data supplied by the French authorities and French air traffic control. Once this information can be verified, there will be another press conference. The briefing ends.
Updated 

Uncertainty over distress call

On the question of whether a distress call was made from the aircraft, a spokesman says the airline has received conflicting reports.
We have contradictory information about that ourselves, from the air traffic controllers, and we are uncertain as to whether a distress call was issued at all.
He said the company had no clear indication of why the pilots initiated the sharp, eight-minute descent, adding that there were “no irregular aspects” with the plane.
It is very important that we do not engage in speculation … We need to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible.
At this stage Germanwings believed there were 67 German nationals on board, based on the passenger list, the spokesman said.
Updated 
The Germanwings spokesman said the last routine check of the aircraft was yesterday in Düsseldorf. The captain had 10 years’ experience flying Airbus aircraft for Lufthansa and Germanwings.
We feel a deep feeling of sorrow vis-a-vis our passengers, the families ... our thoughts and prayers go exclusively to the victims. In parallel, we are going to work with the authorities to investigate [and] resolve the cause of the accident as quickly as possible.
Updated 

Germanwings press conference

Germanwings is giving a press conference. Two babies were on board, the company spokesman says.
The aeroplane left Barcelona at 10.01am and the destination was Düsseldorf. There were 144 passengers on board, two babies and six crew members.
At 10.47am it left its travel and cruising altitude ... and entered into a descent stage. This stage lasted for a total of eight minutes. The contact between the aeroplane and the French radar [air traffic control] broke off at 10.53 ... The plane then crashed.
Updated 

'No distress call made'

Contrary to earlier reports, the authorities in France now say that no distress call was made by the pilot, Kim Willsher in Paris reports.
Updated 
French emergency services workers gather in Seyne, south-eastern France, near the site of the crash.
 French emergency services workers gather in Seyne, south-eastern France, near the site of the crash. Photograph: Boris Horvat/AFP/Getty Images
Updated 
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has expressed her sorrow about the news, saying these were “hard hours”.
She said the German authorities have agreed to cooperate with the other countries affected.
Merkel will visit the site of the crash tomorrow. Her foreign minister and transport minister are already en route.
She said:
This is a time and an hour of great sorrow and great grief. We should be thinking about people who have lost relatives and also friends.
A man walks past a screen displaying news of the crash at the airport in Düsseldorf, where the Germanwings plane was due to land.
 A man walks past a screen displaying news of the crash at the airport in Düsseldorf, where the Germanwings plane was due to land. Photograph: Sascha Schuermann/AFP/Getty Images

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