Qantas has completed its first real-world ‘tech trial’ of the airline’s inflight Internet system, during a three hour flight along the east coast between Sydney and Brisbane.
The special charter flight came ahead of the Boeing 737 starting public trials in the coming weeks, and the results were promising, with Qantas reporting typical download speeds between 7Mbps and 12Mbps to each connected device.
And with the plane packed tip to tail with volunteer Qantas staff, each using at least one device and many juggling two or more bits of kit ranging from smartphones to laptops, that meant 100% connectivity for over 200 devices.
We are excited to announce that SpaceX has been approached to fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon late next year. They have already paid a significant deposit to do a moon mission. Like the Apollo astronauts before them, these individuals will travel into space carrying the hopes and dreams of all humankind, driven by the universal human spirit of exploration. We expect to conduct health and fitness tests, as well as begin initial training later this year. Other flight teams have also expressed strong interest and we expect more to follow. Additional information will be released about the flight teams, contingent upon their approval and confirmation of the health and fitness test results.
Most importantly, we would like to thank NASA, without whom this would not be possible. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which provided most of the funding for Dragon 2 development, is a key enabler for this mission. In addition, this will make use of the Falcon Heavy rocket, which was developed with internal SpaceX funding. Falcon Heavy is due to launch its first test flight this summer and, once successful, will be the most powerful vehicle to reach orbit after the Saturn V moon rocket. At 5 million pounds of liftoff thrust, Falcon Heavy is two-thirds the thrust of Saturn V and more than double the thrust of the next largest launch vehicle currently flying.
Later this year, as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, we will launch our Crew Dragon (Dragon Version 2) spacecraft to the International Space Station. This first demonstration mission will be in automatic mode, without people on board. A subsequent mission with crew is expected to fly in the second quarter of 2018. SpaceX is currently contracted to perform an average of four Dragon 2 missions to the ISS per year, three carrying cargo and one carrying crew. By also flying privately crewed missions, which NASA has encouraged, long-term costs to the government decline and more flight reliability history is gained, benefiting both government and private missions.
Once operational Crew Dragon missions are underway for NASA, SpaceX will launch the private mission on a journey to circumnavigate the moon and return to Earth. Lift-off will be from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Pad 39A near Cape Canaveral – the same launch pad used by the Apollo program for its lunar missions. This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years and they will travel faster and further into the Solar System than any before them.
Designed from the beginning to carry humans, the Dragon spacecraft already has a long flight heritage. These missions will build upon that heritage, extending it to deep space mission operations, an important milestone as we work towards our ultimate goal of transporting humans to Mars.
Heathrow welcomed a record 75.7 million passengers in 2016, up one per cent on the previous year. Passenger charges fell by one per cent at the UK’s largest airport, as Heathrow retained its position as Europe’s best hub for the third year running.
Yesterday, Turkmenistan Airlines flight #T5429 (Boeing-757 reg. EZ-A011) en route from Ashgabat (Capital of Turkmenistan) to Birmingham made an emergency landing in Russia’s southern city of Volgograd over the death of a passenger.
“The decision to make an emergency landing was taken by the pilot when the passenger was still alive but when the plane landed in Volgograd emergency doctors certified his death” told a source.
The flight continued its route with the dead body onboard. “Such decisions are taken by the pilot as a representative of the state owning the aircraft. That is why any pre-investigation checks are out of the question and we can say nothing about the cause of death.”
A source in the local law enforcement agencies told TASS said it was an 85-year old man. According to media reports, he might have died of an asthmatic attack.
The plane was carrying 189 passengers and nine crew members.
International Airlines Group has reported higher annual profits thanks to cost-cutting and lower fuel prices.
It is Europe’s largest airline group with British Airways, Spain’s Iberia, the Irish carrier Aer Lingus and cargo and low cost units.
Annual operating profit rose 8.6 percent to 2.5 billion euros, but the slump in the value of the British pound after the Brexit vote cost it 460 million euros.
IAG said said it expects higher profits this year and plans to return 500 million euros to investors by buying back shares.
CEO Willie Walsh said that across IAG he expected 2.5 percent capacity growth in 2017, with Irish airline Aer Lingus expected to grow quicker than British Airways.
Heathrow welcomed a record 75.7 million passengers in 2016, up one per cent on the previous year. Passenger charges fell by one per cent at the UK’s largest airport, as Heathrow retained its position as Europe’s best hub for the third year running.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Harrison Ford was cleared by air traffic controllers to land on runway 20L and correctly repeated the clearance but then landed on a taxiway adjacent to the runway.
On its descent, the single-engine Aviat Husky passed over the American Airlines Boeing 737 which was waiting just short of the runway.
Staff have been ticked off for relieving themselves inside the massive holds of Boeing 747s because they cannot be bothered to trek back to the airport building.
Urine is highly corrosive and engineers are said to have discovered several areas of flaking metalwork on the inside of planes — although there is no suggestion any aircraft were in danger.
A BA source said: “Basically the guys were taking a leak in the hold when they were caught short”.
10 years ago today, Adam Air Flight 172 (PK-KKV) was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia to Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, Indonesia. The Boeing 737-33A was carrying 143 passengers & 6 crew members.
PK-KKV, the accident aircraft involved.
ACCIDENT
Adam Air Flight 172 was on descent to Juanda International Airport. The weather at Surabaya included thunderstorm and rain, wind 240/7 knots with a visibility of 8,000 meters. During the descent, the conversation in the cockpit was not related to the process of the flight. It was relating to the company fuel policy and training program until 2000 ft. The approach briefing nor a checklist reading wasn’t carried out. On final approach to runway 28, while passing 800 ft, the approach lights were in sight and a landing clearance was received. Prior to touchdown, control of the aircraft was transferred from co-pilot to captain. During the descent towards the runway, the GPWS warned “Sink Rate” & Pull Up”.
The right wheel touched down some 4 meters outside the runway the airplane was steered back onto the runway. The aircraft stopped about 100 meters from taxiway N3. After the 5g touchdown, the fuselage aft of passenger seat row 16 was severely buckled and bent down. There was panic among the passengers. Flight attendants evacuated the passengers via all exits available and all door slides were inflated. Two passengers sustained minor injuries, and the aircraft suffered substantial damage.
INVESTIGATION
The investigation into the accident of Adam Air Flight 172 was led by National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC).
They concluded that the probable cause was the aircraft was the crew’s failure to stabilize the approach, the crew’s failure to comply with several procedures published by the Boeing company and the failure to respond to the GPWS alert and warnings.
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships St. Moritz 2017 took place on 6-19 February. Visitors enjoyed unforgettable moments on the ground and in the air. SWISS, as official airline and partner, teamed up with Patrouille Suisse to take the event in St. Moritz to further heights.
Five people are feared dead after a small charter plane “came in low and fast” before crashing into the Direct Factory Outlet shopping centre in Melbourne, causing a large explosion and sending plumes of black smoke into the air.
It’s understood the Beechcraft B200 Super King Air aircraft was a charter flight headed to King Island off Tasmania’s north-west coast. The plane had just taken off from Essendon Airport when it made two mayday calls shortly before crashing into the rear of DFO Essendon near the Spotlight and Focus on Furniture stores around 9am.
Victoria’s Police Minister Lisa Neville this morning confirmed five people were on board when the plane struck.”It’s too early to know whether there has been fatalities but it appears to be a very, very tragic accident that’s happened out there,” she said.
Police believe the crash may have occurred due to “catastrophic engine failure” but investigators have been unable to gain access to the building due to fire, Superintendent Mick Frewen said.
Around 60 firefighters are assessing the area for fire hot spots and structural damage.
ABC radio caller Jason was in a taxi when he looked out the window and saw what he thought was a twin-propeller plane.
“I saw this plane coming in really low and fast. It went just behind the barriers so I couldn’t see the impact but when it hit the building there was a massive fireball,” he said.
Eleven people walked through an unscreened security lane at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday morning and apparently boarded flights to unknown destinations, officials told NBC News.
None of them were checked by Transportation Safety Administration personnel, an airport official and senior law enforcement official said.
The TSA said in a statement that three passengers may not have been rescreened after they set off metal detectors. A senior law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the incident told NBC News that there was surveillance video of the three setting off the alarms.
The TSA said it was “confident” that the incident posed no threat and said those found responsible would be disciplined and retrained “as appropriate.”
The security breach occurred at 6:05 a.m. in Terminal 5, the officials said, but the TSA did not notify police for two hours, an apparent violation of protocol that requires immediate notification of the Port Authority Police Department.
CCTV footage shows the moment the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was brazenly murdered by a woman in front of bystanders in a busy Malaysian Airport.
The video begins with Kim Jong Nam arriving at the concourse in Kuala Lumpur International Airport in a light jacket and carrying a backpack.
Kim, who was preparing to fly to Macau, goes to a ticket machine while the suspects are also shown lurking in the vicinity.
She reaches around appears to target his face, possibly with a poisoned cloth or spray while still standing behind him.
32 years ago today, China Airlines Flight 006 (N4522V) was a scheduled international passenger flight from Chiang Kai Shek International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan to Los Angeles International Airport in California, United States. The Boeing 747SP-09 was carrying 251 passengers & 23 crew members.
N4522V seen at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands in March 1984.
ACCIDENT
The cockpit crew of China Airlines Flight 006 consisted of Captain Min-Yuan Ho (55), First Officer Ju Yu Chang (53), Flight Engineer Kuo-Win Pei (55), Relief Captain Chien-Yuan Liao (53) and Relief Flight Engineer Po-Chae Su Shih-Lung (41). Captain Ho had approximately 15,500 flight hours. The first officer had more than 7,700 hours and the flight engineer had approximately 15,000 hours of flight time. At the time the accident occurred the main crew was on duty.
The flight from Taipei to about 300 nautical miles northwest of San Franciso was uneventful. The aircraft was flying at 41,000 ft when the No.4 engine stalled at a low thrust setting and flamed out. After the flameout, the captain instructed the flight engineer to attempt to restart the engine, while the plane remained at 41,000 ft with the autopilot still engaged and the bleed air on. The flight manual procedure required the plane to be below 30,000 ft before any attempt to restart a flamed-out engine. The attempt failed.
The airspeed continued to decrease, while the autopilot rolled the control wheel to the maximum left limit of 23 degrees. As the speed decreased even further, the plane began to roll to the right, even though the autopilot was maintaining the maximum left roll limit. By the time the captain disconnected the autopilot, the plane had rolled over 60 degrees to the right and the nose had begun to drop. Ailerons and flight spoilers were the only means available to the autopilot to keep the wings level as the autopilot doesn’t connect to the rudder during normal flight. To counteract the asymmetrical forces created by the loss of thrust from the No. 4 engine it was essential for the pilot to manually push on the left rudder. However, the captain failed to use any rudder inputs at all, before or after disconnecting the autopilot.
As the plane descended through clouds, the captain attention was drawn to the artificial horizon which displayed excessive bank and pitch. Because such an attitude is highly irregular, the captain incorrectly assumed the indicators to be faulty. Without any visual references due to the clouds and having rejected the information from the ADI’s, the crew became spatially disoriented.
Only after breaking through the bottom of the clouds at 11,000 ft was the captain able to orient himself and bring the plane under control, leveling out at 9,600 ft. They had descended 30,000 ft in under two and a half minutes. While all onboard experienced g-forces as high as 5g.
After leveling out, the three remaining engines were supplying normal thrust. A restart attempt brought No. 4 engine back into use. They began climbing and reported to ATC “condition normal now” and continuing on to Los Angeles. They then noticed that the inboard main landing gear was down and one of the plane’s hydraulic systems was empty. Because they didn’t have sufficient fuel to reach Los Angeles with the drag added by the landing gear, they diverted to San Francisco. On final approach, the elevators didn’t respond to the captain’s inputs, forcing him to control the plane’s pitch angle with differential engine power. The plane landed without further incident.
There were two serious injuries on board: a fracture and laceration of a foot, and an acute back strain requiring two days hospitalization. The aircraft was significantly damaged by the excessive G-forces. The wings were permanently bent upwards by 5cm. The inboard main landing gear lost two actuator doors, and the two inboard main gear struts were left dangling. Most affected was the tail, where large outer parts of the horizontal stabilizer had been ripped off. The entire left outboard elevator had been lost along with its actuator, which had been powered by the hydraulic system that ruptured and drained.
INVESTIGATION
The investigation into the accident of China Airlines Flight 006 was led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
They concluded that the probable cause was the captain’s preoccupation with an in-flight malfunction and his failure to monitor properly the airplane’s flight instruments which resulted in his losing control of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the captain’s over-reliance on the autopilot after the loss of thrust on the no.4 engine.
Jet Airways Boeing 777-300ER flight #9W118 from Mumbai to London Heathrow had a loss of communications over the German airspace near Cologne this week.
The Boeing 777-300ER (reg. VT-JEX) was intercepted by two German Eurofighter Typhoon jets. It is usual protocol to scramble jets to be able to visually communicate with the aircraft pilots and in case something is wrong in the plane, take further steps according to instructions from the ground.
A British Airways pilot was able to capture this moment from the cockpit of flight #BA2042 from Malé to London Gatwick.
A man forced his way into a secure area at Honolulu International Airport and died after he was detained, the Hawaii Department of Transportation said.
The incident took place at the airport’s commuter terminal Saturday morning. The unidentified man forced his way through the exit lane of the security checkpoint and gained access to an area where ticketed passengers were waiting to board, Hawaii DOT officials told CNN affiliate HawaiiNewsNow.
“Even after he was detained, there was still a struggle and the suspect remained combative and at that point is when he became unresponsive,” Tim Sakahara, DOT spokesman, told HawaiiNewsNow. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died.
Honolulu Police have opened “an unattended death investigation,” the Hawaii DOT said in a statement.
While there was no impact on airport operations, authorities are investigating the security breach, the Hawaii Department of Public Safety told CNN.
Under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command, a pair of F-15s intercepted an unresponsive general aviation aircraft near the Palm Beach, Fla., area at approximately 7 p.m. EST.
Residents were startled by the super-sonic booms as the two fighter jets were en-route from Homestead Air National Guard Base to the unresponsive aircraft.
According to NORAD, the intent by the military was to have the identified aircraft re-establish communications with local FAA air traffic controllers and instruct the pilot to follow air traffic controllers’ instructions to land safely for follow-on action.
Turkish Airlines flight #TK17 returned to the gate at Istanbul Ataturk Airport after a bomb threat note was found in toilets.
The Boeing 777-300ER (reg. TC-LJH) to Toronto (Canada) was already pushed back from the gate but a note wrote in english was found left in the toilet: “I am coming to you with Toronto bomb”.
The flight didn’t take off and 292 passengers had to evacuate the aircraft to be searched.
Passengers and luggages have to pass thru security check before to board an other aircraft.
UPDATE 1545 UTC Authorities announced that security check is over. Passengers now allowed to board an other plane.
The two-seat PC-7 aircraft, part of the Patrouille Suisse aerobatic team, was flying on a training exercise when it brought down the cable that carries an overhead television camera for ski races, said police in canton Graubünden.
The camera fell right into the final end of the ski run area.
The plane landed safely but was slightly damaged. All further displays at the ski championships were cancelled.
British Airways Embraer 190 flight #BA4454 from Rotterdam was met by fire crews after landing at London City at 1235 LT.
A spokesman told The Sun: “A smokey smell was reportedly detected on board and as we take the safety and security of our customers and crew so seriously, the captain decided to declare an emergency landing.”
“Upon inspection no traces of smoke were found and our engineers on the ground are investigating the incident.”
This is the moment an entire plane full of disgruntled passengers cheered as two women were escorted off an easyJet flight by police after they allegedly shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ during two hours.
The pair were filmed being taken away by officers after causing ‘drama’ on a Valentine’s Day flight from Prague to London Stansted.
As the officers removed them the passengers can be seen cheering and clapping – but one of them still grins back at them.
Despite their alleged anti-social behaviour police decided against arresting them and let them go home after giving them a warning.
Ryanair has launched its biggest-ever Scottish winter schedule, with 13 new Edinburgh routes to Baden, Budapest, Carcassonne, Eindhoven, Hamburg, Katowice, Nantes, Prague, Szczecin, Toulouse, Venice, Valencia and Wroclaw.
In addition, two new Glasgow routes will be added, to Krakow and Madrid, bringing the total offered from the airport to 17.
The low-cost carrier hopes to deliver 20 per cent growth and over five million customers per annum in total at Ryanair’s four Scottish Airports and supporting 3,750 jobs.
Ryanair will continue to connect Scotland with major business centres on high frequency, low fare services including Berlin (daily), Dublin (six daily), London (seven daily) and Rome (daily).
A Frontier Airlines A320 clipped the wing of an arriving Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 coming from Oklahoma City at Phoenix Sky Airport around 2000LT.
Southwest Airlines released a statement shortly after the incident at Terminal 3 saying: “Southwest Flight #WN4182 was taxiing to the gate at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport when another airline’s aircraft pushed back from a gate and made contact with our aircraft. There were no Customer or Employee injuries. Our aircraft is currently out of service for repairs and the Customers who are traveling to Denver will be accommodated on another aircraft, arriving approximately 50 minutes late.”
Frontier Airlines also released a statement shortly after Southwest Airlines: “Frontier Flight #F9756, an Airbus A320, scheduled to operate from Phoenix to Denver was cleared to push back from the gate in Phoenix. While the aircraft was being pushed back, an aircraft belonging to another airline made contact with our aircraft. No injuries have been reported. There were 163 passengers on board and a crew of six. Frontier is cooperating with the NTSB and FAA in the investigation and is working with customers to accommodate them on other flights.”
A Phoenix Fire spokesperson said at least one plane had a fuel leak. The Denver-bound Frontier flight is transferring passengers to another plane.
No delays have been reported as a result of the incident and the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.
Last year, Brussels Airport held a survey of the spotters who regularly come to the airport. Around 1,700 spotters responded and indicated what they considered important for a fixed spotters’ place and what this location should ideally look like.
Since there are currently no regulated locations for spotters in the municipalities around the airport, Brussels Airport has, in consultation with spotters and neighbouring municipalities, looked for nearby places that meet both the wishes of the spotters and the provisions for security and safety. Brussels Airport has identified two places where a spotter area can and will be built. Brussels Airport Company will shortly submit a permit application and, if the application is successful, the construction of the spotter places can begin this year.
When designing the spotter places, account was not only taken of the wishes of the spotters; for Brussels Airport it was also important that sustainable materials should be used and that information about the airport in general would be given. Brussels Airport is also constructing a small parking at the start of runway 25L so that there are sufficient parking spaces for spotters in Steenokkerzeel.
1. Zaventem
A first spotter place will be created at runway 01/19, in the area where the Speelbos is also located. Brussels Airport will be building a raised platform there so that spotters can have an unobstructed view of the runway. There will also be information signs about the airport next to the platform. In addition, Brussels Airport will be installing new play equipment for families. Spotters can make use of the normal parking areas around the wood.
2. Melsbroek (Steenokkerzeel)
A second spotter place will be constructed in the vicinity of the transit centre Steenokkerzeel near runway 25L/07R.This runway is generally used for landings and the area around this runway is very popular with spotters. To increase traffic safety in the area and also the safety of the spotters, Brussels Airport will expand a prescribed platform and the parking near the transit centre with a section for the spotters. In order to provide the spotters an attractive spot with an unobstructed view of the aircraft landing and taking off, Brussels Airport will construct a raised platform here.
Runway 18L/36R is closed at Charlotte Airport after an American eagle has hit a deer on runway 36R during takeoff. The aircraft returned and landed safely.
Emergency services are assisting the aircraft.
The airport is still operational and open but flight delays are expected.
During the month, over 1.74 million passengers passed through Stansted, an increase of five per cent over January last year and surpassing the previous record of 1.66 million passengers also set in January 2016.
Aircraft load factors also hit a record high for the month of January with an average of 81.4 per cent of all available seats occupied on every flight.
This beat the previous high of 79.2 per cent set last year.
In the 12 months ending January 2017, Stansted’s passenger numbers grew by 7.3 per cent over the previous year with the moving annual total rising to 24.4 million.
Andrew Cowan, Stansted Airport chief executive, said: “We have begun 2017 in a similarly positive way to how we ended 2016, with a record number of passengers for the month of January taking advantage of the extensive range of destinations available from Stansted.
Harrison Ford had a near miss on Monday when he almost crashed his single-engine Husky plane into a Boeing 737.
The actor had been instructed to land on runway 20L at John Wayne Airport, California, NBC News reports. But the 74-year-old mistakenly aimed for a taxiway, just passing over an American Airlines 737 loaded with more than 100 passengers and a six-person crew.
The passenger plane,American Airlines Flight #AA1456, managed to depart safely for Dallas just minutes after the incident.
Ford was heard on air traffic control recordings asking, “Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?”
Kim Jong Nam, the older brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was attacked at a Kuala Lumpur airport and died on the way to a hospital, a senior Malaysian official said Tuesday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the incident’s diplomatic sensitivity, said Kim Jong Nam was attacked with a spray on Monday in the shopping concourse and sought help at an information counter. He was taken to the airport clinic and then died en route to the hospital, he said.
District police chief Abdul Aziz Ali said the man was waiting for a flight to Macau.
Kim Jong Nam reportedly fell out of favor in North Korea after being caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. He is believed to be in his mid-40s and has reportedly been living in recent years in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia.
As part of its contribution to preserving aviation heritage, Airbus will be transferring Airbus A380 test aircraft to the Museum of Air and Space in Paris-Le Bourget.
Airbus A380 MSN4 will arrive today afternoon at Le Bourget. Following the arrival and preparation for its display at the museum there, the iconic test aircraft will undergo a unique refurbishment to showcase its operational role.
Once an initial phase of technical work has been carried out on the airframe – which will include structural preservation – a special exhibit will also be created inside the aircraft’s interior to enable the greatest possible number of people to visit it from 2018 to experience the success of Airbus.
Ryanair has announced that it has issued a 6.5 year, €750 million Eurobond at a fixed coupon of 1.125 per cent.
Ryanair is rated BBB+ (stable) by both Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.
These ratings reflect the ratings of Ryanair’s business model which as a long established track record of profitability, cash generation, and an industry leading balance sheet.
The bond will be listed on the Irish stock exchange which offers access to both Europe and the rest of the world.
The joint bookrunners were BNP Paribas, Citigroup and Crédit Agricole.
Ryanair chief financial officer, Neil Sorahan, said: “This low cost finance will enable us to further reduce our aircraft ownership costs while continuing to offer the lowest fares and best customer service through our Always Getting Better programme as we grow to 200 million customers per annum by 2024.”
British Airways is to start flying from Birmingham and Bristol airports again with the launch of four new summer-only routes to popular European sunspots.
From May the airline will begin direct flights from both Birmingham and Bristol to the popular Spanish destinations of Malaga, Ibiza and Palma and to the Italian city of Florence.
They will operate on modern Embraer 190 jet aircraft, with spacious cabins and two abreast seating so every customer can have an aisle or window seat.
The new return flights from both airports will operate once a week at weekends.
British Airways last flew from Birmingham and Bristol in 2007 when the regional airline business was sold to Flybe.
Since then Vueling and Iberia Express, subsidiaries of British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), have started up services to Barcelona, Malaga, Alicante, Tenerife, Paris Orly and Madrid from Birmingham, while Aer Lingus has continued to operate to Dublin from Birmingham since 1984.
The news comes just a week after British Airways announced it is to resume European flights from Manchester Airport and increase destinations and frequencies from both London City and Stansted airports this summer.
Several people complained about respiratory irritation on Sunday afternoon, the airport had to be evacuated and flight operations were stopped. According to initial report, 50 are passengers are injured.
The alarm triggered late in the morning when nasty odors appeared an several people complained about respiratory irritation at Hamburg airport.
Immediately, five emergency doctors, several rescue cars and more than 50 people were deployed. The rescuers evacuated terminals 1 and 2 and finally, the entire airport was finally evacuated.
Since 11200 UTC, no takeoffs or landings, the air traffic is closed. The airport fire brigade is deployed. The press office at the airport says the flight operations will soon be resumed.
With huge delays of 30 minutes into Dublin, pilots and controllers were doing their best to clear the backlog.
Aerlingus Airbus A320 from Milan flight #EI433 and Ryanair Boeing 737 from Venice Treviso flight #FR9451 came extremely close over Dublin. At their closest, the two aircraft were just under 1 mile apart laterally and 700 feet vertically, the absolute minimum is 3 miles laterally and 1000 feet vertically in busy airspace like Dublin’s.
The controller and pilots quickly corrected the situation It is not clear yet who was at fault All the ATC conversation in relation to this is in the video.
A British woman died on a Birmingham-bound plane from Pakistan after medical emergency landing in Germany.
On Thursday 10 feb. 2017, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Islamabad was diverted to Berlin after the woman fell ill on the Boeing 777-340 plane.
A medical team was waiting for flight PK791 after the pilot radioed ahead to Berlin Schoenefeld Airport for medical help.
Paramedics attempted to revive the unnamed passenger but she was found to be dead on arrival despite the paramedics’ efforts.
Flight #EY42 board left from Dublin Airport at 8.30am on Friday morning bound for Abu Dhabi. The passenger plane was forced to divert to Al Minhad Air Base after a “security threat onboard”.
“The crew completed all necessary inflight checks as per procedure, with no abnormalities found, then followed the authorities instructions to undergo further security checks at the Air Base,” an Etihad Airways spokesperson told independent.ie.
“Throughout additional security, the passengers were accommodated in the Air Base and were provided with refreshments. Guests then boarded police escorted buses to Abu Dhabi airport to be processed through the terminal,” said the spokesperson.
The majority of disrupted passengers were re-booked on flights on Saturday morning – and were offered overnight accommodation in Abu Dhabi.
Air Canada has unveiled a major new branding transformation under which the carrier will repaint its entire fleet in a new color scheme and provide employees with newly-designed uniforms, the Montreal-based airline announces on 9 February.
This evening Turkish Airlines #TK2223 from Gaziantep has hit a bus which was carrying the passengers to the terminal at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. The nose of the plane (radome) suffered damage.
The Airbus 321-231 was delivered only 20 days ago as the newest Airbus 321 aircraft of the Turkish Airlines fleet.
Investigators are probing an incident in which a private plane flew too close to Air Force One last week, according to sources. The planes reportedly came so close that the two pilots could see each other.
The close encounter occurred over Florida on February 3, while US President Donald Trump was en route to Palm Beach International Airport for a weekend stay at his Mar-a-Lago estate, ABC reports.
The two aircraft were about 2 nautical miles from each other, despite regulations which require planes to stay at least 3 nautical miles from each other near airports and as far as 5 nautical miles apart at higher altitudes.
A source told ABC News that the two pilots made visual contact with one another. However, another source said there was no danger of collision, because the planes were flying parallel to each other. Both planes were reportedly in constant contact with air traffic control.
“Today, around 08.40, during airstrikes against Daesh targets [in Syria], Russian combat planes accidentally hit a building hosting Turkish servicemen taking part in Euphrates Shield operation. As a result, three Turkish soldiers were killed, 11 were wounded, including one seriously,” the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.
The Russian Defense Ministry has also confirmed the unintentional strike, killing Turkish servicemen in Syria. The ministry said that Russian bombers had been on a mission to destroy Daesh terrorists’ positions near al-Bab, where Turkish soldiers had been accidentally bombed.
A quarter of a million more passengers used Manchester Airport in January 2017 than in January 2016, as the northern gateway continued to experience record breaking growth through the winter season.
The 17.7 per cent growth in January, coupled with exceptional growth in December and November 2016, means that the airport has served 25.9 million passengers in the last 12 months, enough to break into the European top 20, displacing Stockholm.
The airport is now just behind Oslo and Palma in the European rankings.
The move means that the UK joins Spain as one of two European countries with three airports in the European top 20.
1014 UTC the two Russian bombers estimated position was between the Faroe Islands and Shetland Islands then headed south westerly direction at FL280 in a loose formation.
1113 UTC Two RAF Typhoons callsigns were scrambled from Coningsby.
1349 UTC Russian Bombers were estimated to be over the Celtic Sea heading north west.
1420 UTC RAF Typhoon callsign C9S08 ZJ916/S scrambled from Lossiemouth.
Singapore Airlines has announced a commitment to purchase 20 Boeing 777-9s and 19 additional 787-10s. The order is theoretically worth $13.8bn at list prices. There had been no 777X order announcements since June 2015.
The national carrier and 787-10 launch customer also announced its recommitment for its previous order for 30 787-10 airplanes.
Nationwide, 2,779 flights had been canceled as of 7 a.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. The vast majority of those cancellations were announced on Wednesday, with airlines preemptively grounding flights in anticipation of the storm.
Reload the page for updates…
UPDATE 1329 UTC Due to weather, there is a Traffic Management Program in effect for traffic arriving Newark International Airport.
Some airlines had already begun to cancel flights for Friday, with nearly 70 flights grounded as of 7 a.m. ET on Thursday. Most of those came at Boston, which was expected to be among the cities hardest hit by the storm. Others were scattered around New York and the Northeast, though additional disruptions appeared likely.
“We expect today and tomorrow to have more cancellations as airlines finalize their plans and then assess the impact on how quickly they can recover tomorrow,” FlightAware CEO Daniel Baker said in a statement. “It appears that most airlines expect to recover overnight and into tomorrow morning so that they can operate as much of a normal schedule as possible on Friday.”
35 years ago today, Japan Airlines Flight 350 (JA8061) was a scheduled passenger flight from Fukuoka Airport, Japan to Haneda Airport, Japan. The McDonnell Douglas DC-8-61 was carrying 166 passengers & 8 crew members.
JA8061, the accident aircraft involved.
ACCIDENT
The cockpit crew of Japan Airlines Flight 350 consisted of Captain Seiji Katagiri, 35. First Officer Yoshifumi, 33 and Flight Engineer Yoshimi Ozaki 48.
Japan Airlines Flight 350 took off from runway 16 at Fukuoka Airport at 07:34 local time. The aircraft climbed to the cruising altitude of 29,000 ft. At 08:22 the crew started their descent to 16,000 ft. After reaching 16,000 ft, they were cleared to descend down to 3000 ft. The aircraft was cleared for ILS runway 33R at Haneda Airport.
At 08:42, the aircraft descended through 1000 ft of an airspeed of 135 knots with the wind from a direction of 360deg at 20 knots. The co-pilot called out “500 ft” at 08:43:25 but the captain did not make the “stabilized” call-out as specified by JAL operational regulations. The airspeed decreased to 133 knots as the aircraft descended through 300ft at 08:43:50 and the co-pilot warned the captain that the aircraft was approaching decision height. At 08:43:56 the radio altimeter warning sounded, followed by the flight engineer calling out “200 ft”, which was the decision height, three seconds later.
At 08:44:01 the aircraft descended through 164 ft at 130 KIAS (Knots Indicated Air Speed). At that moment the captain canceled autopilot, pushed his controls forward and retarded the throttles to idle. The co-pilot tried to regain control but the aircraft crashed into the shallow water of Tokyo Bay, 510 meters short of the runway 33R threshold. The nose and the right-hand wing separated from the fuselage.
Among the 166 passengers & 8 crew members, 24 were killed in the crash. Katagiri, one of the first people to take a rescue boat, told rescuers that he was an office worker, to avoid being identified as the captain. Katagiri was later found to be suffering from a mental illness prior to the crash, which resulted in a decision that he was found not guilty by reasons of insanity. The has since been released from psychiatric care and lives near Mount Fuji.
PK-KKV, the accident aircraft involved. 
It’s understood the Beechcraft B200 Super King Air aircraft was a charter flight headed to King Island off Tasmania’s north-west coast. The plane had just taken off from Essendon Airport when it made two mayday calls shortly before crashing into the rear of DFO Essendon near the Spotlight and Focus on Furniture stores around 9am.
A first spotter place will be created at runway 01/19, in the area where the Speelbos is also located. Brussels Airport will be building a raised platform there so that spotters can have an unobstructed view of the runway. There will also be information signs about the airport next to the platform. In addition, Brussels Airport will be installing new play equipment for families. Spotters can make use of the normal parking areas around the wood.
A second spotter place will be constructed in the vicinity of the transit centre Steenokkerzeel near runway 25L/07R.This runway is generally used for landings and the area around this runway is very popular with spotters. To increase traffic safety in the area and also the safety of the spotters, Brussels Airport will expand a prescribed platform and the parking near the transit centre with a section for the spotters. In order to provide the spotters an attractive spot with an unobstructed view of the aircraft landing and taking off, Brussels Airport will construct a raised platform here.
