Naim

Eirjet A-320 operated on behalf of Ryanair. Saw the stranded plane on telly just now. "Newspaper headline writers had a field day this morning with 'Ryanwhere?' and 'Errorjet' amongst the best offerings." .ny +++ Belfast Telegraph Home > News > Northwest Edition Ryanair pilot left red-faced by error in landing 30 March 2006 The pilot who flew a Ryanair flight into an Army base was "very embarrassed" by his mistake, the Manager of Derry Airport said today. Seamus Devine said he sympathised with the Eirjet pilot who is now at the centre of an investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority into how the Eirjet flight from Liverpool (flown on behalf of Ryanair) ended up at Ballykelly airfield six miles away. Concerns were also raised today about the lack of fire cover at Ballykelly, a legal requirement at all commercial airports. Flight FR9884 landed at 14.40 yesterday (almost on time) with 39 passengers and 6 crew onboard. According to a statement from Ryanair, the Eirjet pilot mistakenly believed he was on a visual approach to City of Derry. No emergency landing was required. Helicopters and light aircraft are the only air traffic at the Army base. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said today that it was "probably the first time since the Second World War that a fixed wing plane of that size has touched down in Ballykelly". Aircraft steps had to be transported from City of Derry airport to Ballykelly to get the passengers off the plane and into a coach to take them to their intended destination. The scheduled return flight to Liverpool was cancelled. It is understood that the plane remained at Ballykelly overnight pending the completion of an investigation. Seamus Devine, Manager of Derry airport and a former air traffic controller and pilot, said this morning that pilot error in this sort of situation was unusual but not unheard of. "A pilot is just a human being after all. His instruments may be saying one thing but if he has a visual of the airstrip he may think his instruments are wrong and land it. I spoke to him yesterday and he was very embarrassed". Newspaper headline writers had a field day this morning with 'Ryanwhere?' and 'Errorjet' amongst the best offerings. As the runway at Ballykelly is not needed for large aircraft the tarmac and other trappings are not kept to large aircraft standards. === http://www.flightglobal.com Pilot faces accidents branch quizzing after Ryanair wet lease carrier lands at wrong UK airport The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is leading an inquiry into an incident yesterday when a flight operated on behalf of Ryanair landed on a demi-disused air field several kilometres from its intended destinatiuon. The captain of the Eirjet Airbus A320, operating a UK domestic flight yesterday that landed at Ballykelly UK Army Air Corps base rather than City of Derry airport in Londonderry, 8km (5miles) away, was questioned yesterday by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), but will now face a grilling from the UK AAIB, who has taken over primary investigation of the incident . The Shannon-based airline operates flights under a wet lease agreement with Ryanair. The AAIB is carrying out the investigation jointly with the Irish Air Accidents Unit into how the mistake happened. The IAA will simultaneously study procedures breakdown, although says the incident "is just something that happens". Ryanair has also launched its own investigation into the incident that left passengers stranded onboard the aircraft at the airfield that lacked stairs to disembark passenger jets. Flight FR9884, operated by Eirjet on behalf of Ryanair, landed at Ballykelly airfield instead of City of Derry in Londonderry airport at 14:40 en route from Liverpool John Lennon airport. The Airbus A320 aircraft landed safely and the 39 passengers onboard were bussed to Derry, after waiting for steps to be transported from the main airport, Ryanair says. However Ballykelly airfield, (formerly RAF Ballykelly) has 2,000m (6,600ft) of partially-paved strip, of which only around half is understood to be usable, not least since it is now intersected by a railway line. It has not been used for fixed wing aircraft since 1971 when it was transferred to the UK Army Air Corps to be used as a helicopter base. Ryanair says this "incident arose as a result of an error by the Eirjet pilot who mistakenly believed he was on a visual approach to City of Derry airport. The Eirjet pilot was cleared by air traffic control in City of Derry for a visual approach and mistook the nearby Ballykelly for City of Derry." Ballykelly lies on the same heading as Derry and air charts warn against possible confusion. The A320 positioned "light" from the airfield at 18:20 yesterday back to Liverpool and is back operating commercial services for Ryanair today, Eirjet says. A relief crew flew the A320 and the return flight was cancelled, it adds. Ryanair says: "In over seven years of Ryanair flights into City of Derry airport, and over 20 years of Ryanair operated flights, such a mistake has never occurred before." Eirjet says it will work in full consultation with the investigation. ===

Airplane kingpins tell Airbus: Overhaul A350 By Dominic Gates Seattle Times aerospace reporter ORLANDO, Fla. — Two of the world's most powerful airplane buyers yesterday said Airbus should completely rethink the plane it has proposed to compete against Boeing's strong-selling new 787. Steven Udvar-Hazy, probably the most respected figure in the global business of buying and selling airplanes, predicted the current version of Airbus' A350 would sell poorly and leave Boeing to dominate the lucrative market for midsized wide-bodies. He stunned a packed audience of some 700 aviation professionals here by calling on Airbus to scrap its existing A350 design and spend many additional billions on a brand-new airplane with a new fuselage and a new wing. "That's probably an $8 billion to $10 billion decision. Airbus is at a crossroads," said Udvar-Hazy, founder, chairman and chief executive of the second-largest airplane-leasing company, Los Angeles-based International Lease Finance Corp. ... read more here: http://snipurl.com/ofu0

In the late 80s I lived in Ipoh and used to take the F50 to KUL pretty often. I remember once there was a storm en route, and the poor machine was all over the place. It was moving left-right, up-down. I had to hold on to the armrests just to keep myself in the seat. What a ride! And the props were just purring along. .ny

OK, thanks for tip. So no new scanner from DXB. I now have a mtg with the Qatar Foundation, so for the privilege of landing on Qatari soil, I have to cough up some more moolah. At least I get to see Doha before those Asian Games blokes! .ny

A319 Eurowings take-off: http://snipurl.com/oe7w KAL 747 landing at Kai Tak: http://snipurl.com/lf59 Apologies if you have seen these. .ny

Well, as I said the set is 12+ yrs old now. Picked it up at Tottenham Court Rd. Maybe Netset is not so popular now. I rigged an antenna on the roof (made of TV VHF antenna). OK lah, though ground-based transmission a bit weak. Maybe I should re-rig the antenna for better reception. If signal is strong, the stub antenna (like walkies) works well. Been itching to get one of those cute late models whenever I went to the US. Btw, is it on sale in Dubai? .ny

12-yr-old box - Netset. That's how long I've been snooping. Just don't tell the goon squad, ok? .ny

Here I am in my bedroom at 11.40pm 29/3/06 Malaysian time, and a female voice is on 132.8 for clearance to VPG. Lady-pilots being a rare species, I opened my ear and heard her calling from N674RW. Did a quick search on the web, and found that 674RW is a Coca-Cola Gulfstream V biz-jet. It's not so boring after all here. :-) .ny

The Australian Software glitch meant planes at risk in the air Steve Creedy, Aviation writer March 25, 2006 MORE than 500 Boeing 777s used by airlines around the world flew for almost seven years with a software error that could cause pilots to lose full control of a dangerously pitching plane. The error was revealed when a Malaysian Airlines 777 travelling from Perth to Kuala Lumpur in August suddenly pitched up in a 3000-ft climb that brought it close to stalling. Australian investigators said yesterday the error was in the operating software of the air data inertial reference unit (ADIRU), a device that supplies acceleration figures to the aircraft's flight computer. It had not been detected during original testing of the unit by manufacturer Honeywell prior to the 777's 1995 entry into service but had been suppressed in the first three versions of the operating program. However, a fourth version of the software deleted the functions that suppressed the error and allowed it to send the Malaysian plane on a heart-stopping roller coaster ride. The twin-engine 777 is Boeing's flagship and is popular with Asian carriers servicing Australia. The issue was considered serious enough for the US Federal Aviation Administration to issue an emergency airworthiness directive last August to all 777 operators requiring them to revert to version three of the operating system. Boeing spokeswoman Liz Verdier agreed last night that the fault was an unacceptable risk, although she said other software on the Malaysian plane "mitigated the event". "It's critical software and it isn't supposed to happen and we don't like it so it needed to get fixed," she said from Seattle. According to Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigators, the violent pitching experienced by the 177 passengers on flight MH124 resulted from a combination of the faulty software and two failed devices used for measuring acceleration. A flight attendant began praying as the pilots fought to counter the false data being fed into the plane's autopilot system and primary flight display. The sudden climb cut the plane's indicated airspeed from 500km/h to 292km/h and activated a "stickshaker" warning that it was approaching a stall speed where it would have insufficient lift to keep flying. The pilot managed to lower the plane's nose to prevent the stall but his attempts to bring the plane back under control were initially thwarted by the plane's automatic system. It climbed another 2000ft before he radioed to air traffic controllers that he was unable to maintain altitude and requested assistance to return to Perth. He was forced to fly manually after tests revealed problems with the aircraft's two autopilot systems and the plane again tried to increase thrust and gave a windshear warning before it landed safely in Perth. An investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board revealed that one of six accelerometers available to the ADIRU had failed at the time of the incident and another had been inoperable since July, 2001. The software error meant the unit did not pick up that the accelerometer that had failed in 2001 was unserviceable. It then allowed faulty data from it to be used by the flight computer. Ms Verdier said Honeywell had investigated how the error occurred and issued new software in November. "It's in the process of going on airplanes now if they're not completed already," she said. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/commo...5E23349,00.html

Malaysia Airlines to lay off 6,500 Kuala Lumpur (dpa) - Malaysia Airlines has announced it will lay off 6,500 workers and give up 96 domestic routes to budget airline AirAsia under a major restructuring plan. A statement from the prime minister's office said the national carrier will also lose all government subsidies as of August 1. The announcement came as part of Malaysia Airlines' efforts to overcome huge losses, and shed its image as a government-subsidised, loss-making airline. The carrier will now retain 19 domestic routes to share with AirAsia, Southeast Asia's first low-cost carrier, including flights to tourist destinations such as Penang, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and state capitals. Airline officials have said that many of the former Malaysia Airline staff will be absorbed by AirAsia. Under the restructuring, "the government will not be giving any subsidy to Malaysia Airlines or AirAsia to operate the domestic sector," beginning August 1, the statement said. Also, "the profit-and-loss account for domestic routes will be borne by Malaysia Airlines, not by the government," it said. The government has been bearing an annual loss of about 300 million ringgit (81 million dollars) annually for the airline, which suffered 1.26 billion ringgit (340 million dollar) in losses from April to December last year. http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...ws.php?id=87732

I guess this qualifies as aviation news. Never been to JHB tho'. .ny === Police on high alert at Jo'burg airport March 27, 2006, 07:00 Police say security at the Johannesburg International Airport is up to standard, despite this weekend's massive robbery and several robberies having taken place over the last four years. "The security at the airport has always been exceptionally good. This is something that we are trying to understand how these people got in and it will continue to be safe as it was in the past," says Vish Naidoo, a police spokesperson. Other reports say officials have not ruled out the possibility of an inside job. Armed with automatic weapons, including AK-47 rifles, a gang of men managed to rob a South African Airways plane of millions in foreign currency on Saturday despite the airport's high security, which has left police baffled. Millions of US dollars stolen The plane had just arrived on a flight from Britain, and a single shot was fired as the gang made off with bags full of US dollars. Although police would not confirm the amount of cash stolen, it is believed to be more than $16 million. The money was destined for Tanzania and another undisclosed African country. According to police, two robbers held security guards at the airport's gate and others held police hostage and loaded the bags into a van. Police haven't ruled out the possibility that the heist was an inside job. In 2001 a KLM flight was robbed of diamonds and dollars and a Swissair flight was robbed off cash and jewellery. Article printout courtesy of the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Copyright © 2000 - 2003 SABC. See 'Disclaimer'

I have a bad feeling when the govt gets involved. I was expecting MH to provide low-cost fares too to make Uncle Tony sweat a bit. Now no more Supersavers from MH, so budget travelers at the mercy of AK. .ny === March 27, 2006 21:18 PM AirAsia To Get 96 Non Trunk Routes Under Rationalisation Plan KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (Bernama) -- The government Monday announced the rationalisation of domestic flight routes whereby Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia Bhd would operate 19 trunk routes, while AirAsia would also take on another 96 non-trunk routes. The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement here today that the rationalisation plan would come into force soon, possibly by August 1 this year. AirAsia would also operate social services routes such as rural air services in Sabah and Sarawak. The government said it would not provide subsidies to MAS or AirAsia for operating the domestic routes, but AirAsia would receive financial support from the government for undertaking the rural air services. Aimed at promoting healthy competition and focus in their respective segments, MAS will not be allowed to sell tickets below their full economic fares. This means MAS would be offering premium services based on its price structure and related services costs, while AirAsia would offer non-premium, low priced fares. Under the conditions, MAS and AirAsia would be given the flexibility to fix their flight fares, capacity and frequencies and type of aircraft used for their domestic flights. The department said that the decision was made after taking into consideration the proposals sent in by both MAS and AirAsia. He said the definition of the main route was based on two criteria comprising the international relationship and usage by the business community. The KL International Airport, Kuching Airport and Kota Kinabalu Airport would become the hub for the 19 main routes which would be the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Pulau Pinang, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Johor Baharu, Miri, Sibu, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Baharu, Alor Setar, Kuantan, Labuan, Bintulu and also the Kuala Lumpur-Bintulu, Kuching-Kota Kinabalu and Kuching-Miri routes. The others are Kuching-Sibu, Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu-Tawau and Kota Kinabalu-Labuan. The rationalisation would come into full effect in the nearest possible time, once the restructuring of MAS' operations is implemented and AirAsia has built up its capacity to operate all of the domestic routes. This would include providing efficient links and interlining services for the destinations where MAS has no domestic flight services, and according to the needs. To carry out the rationalisation process, the government would offer compensation for the business unbundling agreement between MAS and Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd. With this, the loss and profit account seen by MAS' domestic operations would be borne by MAS and no longer by the government, the statement said. The department said that the government has been also informed that MAS and AirAsia were working together towards signing a deal which would see AirAsia maintaining the MAS flight and engineering crew in Malaysia. This process and the strong cooperation shown by MAS and AirAsia would be able to raise the competitiveness of both the airline companies not only at the domestic level but also in the region and international front, the department said. The government would also continue to ensure that the rationalisation process takes care of the interest and needs of the consumers. -- BERNAMA

No real pref for me - each is unique, even Embraer, Canadair, BAC, ATR - although I have soft spot for DC-10-30. Regretted did not try Tu-134 when I was doing stuff in Vietnam in the early 90s. .ny

A friend flew to Jakarta last Friday morning, a day after opening. His observations: Let me give a first hand review since I went to Jakarta on Friday morn. 1. The nasi lemak they sold at the cafe near the entrance is mentah 2. No ashtray for smokers sitting outside....so main tabur aja lah 3. Check-in....not too many counters for each flight and as usual the passengers on cheap flights are a bit kiasu 4. Departure lounge seats not enough....again kiasuism takes over 5. The convenience shop inside, the staff macam tak cukup training (ok la, first day kot) 6. It was raining heavily, each passenger got to grab an umbrella and walk like 300 meters to the plane. Must follow this lane painted on the runway but not too many notice this and must be "herded" by air asia ground staff. 7. Bottleneck on takeoff and landing or some other oprational problems.....departure late by 1 hour. 8. Balik yesterday 10pm.....walked down airplane and 100 meters to arrival lounge 9. Only two immigration counters for malaysians. The autopass or auto passport readers (2) are still being installed. Saw the Iris technician there. 10. The customs officers a bit finicky. Asked to open golf bags. The tax free shop staff advised they are enforcing the limit on cigarettes. 11. Came out, had to walk to the arrival area to get the taxi. Again staff is not trained properly. Got to cross road to get to the taxi. 12. There is a RM9 bus shuttle to Sentral. The ticket is sold on the plane. Air Asia got brains. The schedule is provided on the plane oso. .ny

New Super Plane One Step Closer to Take-off Despite Broken Leg, Other Injuries, Airbus Calls Evacuation Test of Two-Decker Plane a Success REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK by BOB JAMIESON March 26, 2006 — - Airbus successfully evacuated 853 people acting as passengers from its super-jumbo A-380, the biggest passenger plane ever built. The test was a critical milestone in the process of certifying the plane as safe to begin commercial service. Airbus declared it a "great success" even though one man broke a leg and 32 others suffered minor injuries sliding down evacuation chutes. The test was conducted in a darkened hangar at an Airbus test facility in Hamburg, Germany. Eighteen flight attendants from Lufthansa, an airline which has ordered the A-380, managed the evacuation. The Federal Aviation Administration and safety organizations from other countries require than an aircraft manufacturer show any new plane can be evacuated in 90 seconds before it will be certified to enter service. Airbus said the complete evacuation took just 80 seconds even though half of the double-decker plane's 16 exits were blocked to simulate crash conditions. The evacuation test was the first ever tried with the A-380 and involved the most passengers ever in such a test. That it was successful the first time came as a something of a surprise to airline executives and journalists who cover the industry. "We were very happy with this result" said Charles Champion, chief operating officer for Airbus, in a bit of understatement. Gyms? Casinos? Dining Areas? While 853 people were loaded aboard the plane for the test, no airline that has ordered the A-380 plans to carry that many. Singapore Airlines, which will be the first to put the plane in regular service, will carry about 500 passengers, in a three-class (economy, business and first) configuration. Just how the huge plane will be configured by its customers, however, is a secret. Emirates, which will be the second carrier to fly the plane, may carry as many as 650 passengers on regional routes in the Middle East and in South Asia. Others, like Lufthansa, Air France, Virgin Atlantic and Quantas have been mum on their plans. Most companies plan to carry the 555 passengers recommended by Airbus, or even fewer. At 555, that's 35 percent more than today's versions of the 747. While there was much talk in the beginning about gyms and casinos, it's unlikely there will be anything more unique than a pub or sit-down dining area on board (though one airline still is talking about a waterfall). Showers remain a possibility as do open spaces for passengers on long flights. It might be enough if there are wider seats, more legroom and space to walk -- the non-cattle-car plane. The lure for the airlines includes operating efficiency: The A-380 is designed to be super-efficient, using 20 percent less fuel than the 747 for flying distances Boeing's flagship cannot match. That could translate into profits. No U.S. carrier has ordered the aircraft. After all, they're focused on survival. Huge Plane Here's a helpful review: The A-380 is a full double-decker with 50 percent more floor space than the 747. Its wing span is nearly the length of a football field and it is long enough for the Wright Brothers' first flight to have taken place twice inside the plane. The smaller upper deck, alone, is 133 feet, five inches long. I most recently saw the plane in operation several months ago in Singapore, on its first long haul flight test. Pilots who flew it to Asia from France said it handled in the air like a dream. One told me he felt he was flying a much smaller plane. And it lands at such a low speed -- less than 150 knots -- that watching the A-380 as it approaches the runway, it seems almost frozen in the air. You only get the sense of its size after it lands and taxis past what we once considered huge planes, the 747 or Boeing 777, on the ground. Inside, there is a sense of size, of course, but not of speed. It seems almost like an ocean liner. And engineers who flew on that trip to Australia and Malaysia as well as Singapore said it passed every in-flight test. They did not discuss the three cases of champagne observed on the lower deck despite being partially hidden. Problems There have, however, been problems, and the plane will enter service nine months later than promised after a series of creeping delays. Airline industry officials said initially the A-380 was heavier and louder than promised and would not meet standards at airports in the United States and Europe. There also has been talk of problems with wing stability. But Airbus COO Champion says those problems have been overcome, while vaguely blaming the delays on "engineering capacity." With fewer than 160 orders, however, there are still questions whether it will be a commercial success. Airbus spent $12 billion developing the plane and must sell more than 250 just to break even. And will it revolutionize air travel as the 747 did 36 years ago? That's an open question that will be answered only when it enters service. Will airports handle it with dispatch? Will it load and unload efficiently? How long will it take to get luggage? The biggest question of all may be: Will the experience on board be one of comfort, not crowding, of space on long flights? Will the travel experience be better? Still, there's no denying that the plane inside and out is magnificent. Watching it land in Singapore, I simply could not take my eyes off it. I hope I find it equally magnificent after my first commercial flight. Copyright © 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/US/story?id=1770016&page=1

Interesting read. Evacuation test is due this Sunday. .ny +++ SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/263847_air22.html Aerospace Notebook: Critical evacuation test looms for A380 Wednesday, March 22, 2006 By JAMES WALLACE P-I REPORTER It's time for the evacuation drill of the world's biggest jetliner that the aviation industry has been talking about for more than a year. Just how many people can make it out of the double-decker Airbus A380 jetliner in 90 seconds? The long-awaited evacuation is supposed to take place Sunday, in a hangar at the Airbus plant in Hamburg, Germany. Watching closely will be representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration from this country. Officials from the European Aviation Safety Agency will oversee the certification test. Nearly 900 passengers and crew members will board the jet, and when the word is given, they will have 90 seconds to get out of their seats, step over and around luggage, blankets and pillows scattered in the aisles, and then find their way through the darkened cabin to the nearest exit with an emergency escape slide -- and get the heck out of Dodge. How many make it off in that minute and a half could determine how many passengers the A380 will be certified to carry before it enters revenue service with Singapore Airlines late this year. Most of the airlines that have ordered the plane have said they will configure the cabin to carry from 480 to 500 passengers. Boeing's 747-400, by way of comparison, can seat just over 400 passengers in three classes. But the A380 is a much bigger plane and was designed by Airbus to seat about 853 passengers if that is what an airline wants to haul in a single class. So far, no airline that has ordered an A380 has expressed any intent to pack that many passengers into a flying sardine can, though Emirates Airlines of Dubai has said it will configure some of the 43 A380s that it has ordered in a two-class configuration for 650 passengers. This is no easy test. But it is required of all new commercial jetliners before they can be certified by regulators to carry passengers for the first time. The conditions imposed for the test are daunting. The A380 has 16 exits and emergency slides. But only half can be used for the evacuation. Jumping out of the dark plane in a darkened hangar is sure to test the courage of some of the 850 volunteers, who have been recruited from around the Hamburg area. The upper-deck slides -- there are three on each side -- are 26 feet above the ground. In addition, there are eight exits and slides on the main deck of the A380, as well as two off-wing exits. The slides were developed by Goodrich. In December 2005, the FAA adopted rule changes to make these kinds of evacuation tests safer for volunteers. The new rules allow for the predeployment of the emergency slides before the drill begins. "The predeployment and inflation of slides allows the proper placement and opportunity for inspection of safety mats around the slide prior to the start of the demonstration," according to the FAA. Another rule change allows low-level lighting in the hangar so that those observing the drill from the ground can react more quickly if there is a potential safety problem. There have been serious accidents in prior evacuations. In 1991, during the evacuation test for the new McDonnell Douglas MD-11, an elderly woman broke her neck and was left paralyzed when she caught her foot on a slide and flipped head first into a pile of volunteers on the bottom of the slide. An FAA review of 19 full-scale evacuation demonstrations between 1972 and 1991 involving 5,797 participants found that 269, or 4.5 percent, were injured. The A380 has been in flight testing for more than a year and the evacuation test was originally supposed to have taken place in 2005. But it was pushed back because of various delays in the A380 program. The first plane will be about six months late when it is delivered to Singapore Airlines late this year. The plane that will be used for the evacuation is the second of two A380 test planes to be fitted with a three-class cabin and about 500 seats. The cabin configuration is needed for A380 route-proving trials that are supposed to take place this summer. For the evacuation, the cabin has been modified to include an 853-seat configuration -- not including seats for about 20 crew members who must also be evacuated from the jet. Extra seats have been placed in areas where bulkheads and galleys will go later. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Airbus spokeswoman Barbara Kracht in Toulouse, France, said the company wants to get at least 650 of the volunteers off the A380 within the 90 seconds. "We are happy with anything above that," she told the paper. But just in case of a problem, or if the number of volunteers who make it out in 90 seconds comes up well short of 650, Airbus said another group of volunteers already has been recruited to rerun the evacuation one week later. HOW TO ATTAIN FAA CERTIFICATION FAA requirements for 90-second evacuation drill # Passenger load must be representative with at least 40 percent female; 35 percent over age 50; at least 15 percent must be female and over age 50. Three life-size dolls (not included in total passenger count) must be carried by passengers to simulate live infants 2 years old or younger. # Crew members, mechanics and training personnel who maintain or operate the airplane in the normal course of their duties may not be used as passengers. # No practice runs are allowed before the drill. # Only half the emergency slides and doors can be used. # Passengers must have seat belts on when the drill starts. # Passengers can't know the location of the emergency exits to be used. # Slides can be deployed before the drill begins, but doors inside the plane must be covered so passengers do not know which will be used in the drill. # Only the plane's internal emergency lighting system can provide illumination in the cabin. # Each crew member must be seated in his or her normally assigned seat. # Before the start, about half the total average amount of carry-on baggage, blankets, pillows and other articles must be distributed at several locations in aisles and emergency exit access ways to create minor obstructions. # Evacuation test is over when the last person on the plane, including crew members, is on the ground. ONLINE: For previous coverage of the test and how it works, see: goto.seattlepi.com/210321 ===========

Better floor plan here (plane icon looks a tad funny): .ny

"The Prime Minister was accompanied by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas, senior transport ministry officials, senior management staff of Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad, AirAsia Berhad and officials from the aviation industry." Where's MAS? Maybe lumped under 'the aviation industry'? .ny +++ March 23, 2006 17:47 PM PM Launches Biggest LCC Terminal SEPANG, March 23 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today launched the biggest terminal dedicated to Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) designed to handle up to 10 million passengers a year at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The RM108 million terminal, known as LCC Terminal-KLIA, is an extension of the facilities of the KLIA. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas, senior transport ministry officials, senior management staff of Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad, AirAsia Berhad and officials from the aviation industry. The first aircraft to officially touch down at the LCC terminal was an AirAsia flight from Penang, carrying some 130 passengers, who were greeted on arrival by Abdullah. The flight which landed at about 4.40 pm, was the first of 19 AirAsia flights to land at the newly launched LCC terminal today. AirAsia, Asia's leading and largest low fare airline and its associates Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia will be the main airline operators at the terminal occupying 44 out of 72 check-in counters available. Starting Friday, all AirAsia, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia will depart and land at this new terminal. The opening of the LCCT marked a significant milestone in the country's aviation industry as just a decade ago, no frills or low cost travel were unheard of in the region. AirAsia has successfully pioneered and revolutionalised low cost travel in Asia now flying to 59 destinations and had carried some 17 million passengers to date. At the opening, Chan said the completion of the project ahead of schedule, whick took nine months to complete, was a reflection of the government's support and commitment to develop the low cost travel sector and to make air travel more affordable to all. "The government had undertaken the building of a dedicated low cost carrier terminal in recognition of the contribution by low cost carriers in promoting and developing tourism and economies in their respective countries. "Although it is a low cost carrier terminal, the facilities offered are similar, if not better, than other international airport in trhe region," he said. The opening of the LCC terminal completes KLIA as an integrated airport which caters to passengers of all levels. Last year, 23.2 million passengers passed through, of which low cost airline passengers constituted 17.41 per cent or 4.04 million passengers. -- BERNAMA

Yes, still going strong. See: http://www.berjaya-air.com/ .ny

Friday 24/3, should be 100% at LCCT. To confirm call MAB at 03-87778888. .ny

Thanks Imran. I oredi tried both www.dohaairport.com and www.qatarairways.com since morning, but got errors! That's why I asked here. Anyway my travel agent just told me I should get free lodging courtesy of QR during the long lay-over. This is my first trip to the Gulf States and I found something interesting. Their flights are pricey for one. QR quoted economy at more than MYR6,000 for KUL-KWI-KUL via DOH! Luckily MH had a sale so I grabbed KUL-DXB-KUL promo ticket, and used EK/QR for DXB-KWI-DXB. All in about MYR5,000. Still pricey in my book. The funny thing is that with QR I bought a transit fare via DOH, i.e. I must stay in transit area and not enter the country. For the privilege of entering the country, I have to buy a more expensive ticket, about MYR800 more! Other countries probably subsidize you to do a stopover and play tourist, and yet the Qataris want you to pay more for a stopover in their own country. Funny! .naim

Would like to know how facilities are like at the transit area. Have to do overnight lay-over due to poor connection . Traveling KWI-DXB with QR. Is there a transit hotel or something? Thanks a lot! .naim

Uh-huh? Now IATA gets into the LCCT act? .ny +++ March 23, 2006 14:48 PM IATA Seeks Non-discriminatory Treatment At KLIA KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has demanded assurances from Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad (MAHB) that passengers and airlines using the main terminals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport will not be subsidising those using the low cost carrier terminal (LCCT). IATA also demanded that the low cost carrier terminal be available for any carrier wishing to use its facilities. Last week, MAHB announced a lower departure tax of RM35 for international passengers using the LCCT. At the same time, IATA said MAHB failed to give any assurance that the LCCT would be available for use by any airline. The first priority of any airport should be efficiency and lower charges for all airlines, IATA said in a statement issued from its Asia Pacific office in Singapore. "Where different levels of service are provided, cost-related charges can be acceptable, provided there is accurate cost-allocation and transparency," it said. There should be no discrimination for charges with common service levels, such as security, the association said. KL International Airport unilateral announcement contravenes the charging principles adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). ICAO principles state that all charges should be based on sound economic principles and be reached through consultations with airlines. ICAO also requires transparency and cost relatedness in the charges. IATA is ready to work together with MAHB and the Transport Ministry to ensure an efficient and fair charging model in accordance with internationally agreed principles. IATA has urged MAHB to engage in consultations with airlines before any further decisions are made. IATA also said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), which operates Singapore's Changi Airport, had held consultations with regards to the Singapore low cost terminal. Following the consultations, IATA accepted CAAS' proposals on the operating and charging principles for the low cost terminal. IATA also received CAAS' commitment that all airlines meeting the operational criteria, including full service carriers, will be able to operate from the low cost terminal. -- BERNAMA

Plane in pic, 9M-PMW, has more details here: http://www.plane-spotters.net/Production_L.../737/24197.html .ny

Yes, not difficult at all. The shuttle buses from KLIA to F1 Sepang Circuit during last weekend's big race used this route. .ny