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C.Foo

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Posts posted by C.Foo


  1. DETROIT, Michigan (AFP) - "I just jumped, I didn't think," said Dutchman Jasper Schuringa, who has emerged as a Christmas Day hero for his impulsive smackdown of a terror suspect who tried to blow up a US-bound airliner.

     

    Witnesses and authorities have praised passengers and crew for banding together to stop the suspect, identified by US authorities as Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23.

     

    The suspect failed to fully detonate an incendiary device containing "a high explosive" that he managed to sneak past airport security and started to ignite as the jet approached Detroit.

     

    But if Schuringa's interview with CNN is any indication, he's the one who came to the rescue of the plane's 277 other passengers and 11 crew.

     

    "I basically reacted directly," a relaxed-looking Schuringa, clad in a gray T-shirt and with one of his hands and wrists bandaged, told the news network Saturday.

     

    "When I saw the suspect he was getting on fire and I freaked of course, and without any hesitation jumped over the seats and jumped to the suspect because I was thinking, like, he's trying to blow up the plane."

     

    Schuringa was seated on the right of the Northwest Airlines Airbus 330, a few rows behind Abdulmutallab who was in a window seat on the left. He said he "reacted on a bang," and when smoke and flames started billowing from the suspect's lap he clamored over fellow passengers and tackled him.

     

    "When you hear a pop on a plane, you're awake, trust me. So I just jumped, I didn't think, and I just went, went over there and tried to save the plane, I guess."

     

    As terrified passengers screamed and the cabin filled with smoke, the level-headed Schuringa and alert crew dragged the suspect to the front and contained him, while others put out the mini-blaze with a fire extinguisher.

     

    "We took him to first class and there we stripped him and contained him with handcuffs and made sure he had no more weapons or bombs on him."

     

    The Dutchman, who US media reported was a video director and producer, said that "absolutely nothing" about Abdulmutallab suggested he would try anything sinister.

     

    "He looked like a normal guy," he said. "It was just hard to believe that he was actually going to, trying to blow up this plane."

     

    Schuringa's effort is the latest act of mid-air bravery in the United States, some of which has reached iconic status.

     

    For many the epitome of aviation heroism is represented by Chesley Sullenberger, the unflappable captain who landed his crippled US Airways jet in the Hudson River last January, saving everyone aboard.

     

    For others it is the efforts of those aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked on September 11, 2001.

     

    Passengers on that flight, having learned of earlier attacks that fateful day on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, mounted an assault to try and overpower the hijackers. The jet plowed into a Pennsylvania field, killing all aboard, and passengers were lauded for stopping what experts conclude was a terrorist attack in the making.

     

    Senior US politicians, while not mentioning Schuringa by name, hailed the passengers and crew on the Christmas Day flight who apprehended the would-be Detroit airline bomber.

     

    "We are forever indebted to the heroic passengers and flight attendants who sought to subdue the suspect," said Bennie Thompson, chairman of the homeland security committee in the House of Representatives.

     

    Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement that she was "grateful to the passengers and crew aboard Northwest Flight 253 who reacted quickly and heroically to an incident that could have had tragic results."

     

    Several witnesses said a passenger tackled Abdulmutallab and helped drag him to the front of the plane.

     

    Schuringa said he burned his hands as he struggled to get the burning material out from between Abdulmutallab's legs.

     

    "I pulled the object from him and tried to extinguish the fire with my hands and threw it away," said Schuringa, described by the New York Daily News as a Dutch video producer and director from Amsterdam.

     

    "I had to... damp the fire, because it was growing, and fire on a plane is not good."

     

     

    http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/6624189/dutch-hero-reacted-on-a-bang-to-subdue-suspect/


  2. Except if MH gets its Boeing deal would MH lose there deposits with Airbus or would they go and buy more 380's or 350's or 320NG with GTF :rolleyes:

     

    I strongly suspect that MAS' exclusive A333 order is also used as some negotiating ploy with Boeing. I am sure that the TOTAL COST (not just running costs) of the A333 is superior to anything Boeing can offer right now, in view of the A380 compensation that MH will be seeking for the further delay in deliveries. If Boeing does not want to be shut out of future wide body orders, then it had better come to MH with a better deal plus delivery slots that are earlier than 2020.


  3. WASHINGTON (AFP) - A man who attempted to light an explosive aboard a US airplane as it landed in Detroit on a flight from Amsterdam told investigators he was affiliated with Al-Qaeda, US media reported Friday.

     

    CNN, citing a federal bulletin, said the man told investigators he had acquired the explosive in Yemen, along with instructions as to when it should be used.

     

    President Barack Obama, who is vacationing with his family in Hawaii, was notified about the incident and held a conference call with his national security team, the White House said.

    Sandra Berchtold, an FBI spokeswoman in Detroit, told AFP the incident was under investigation.

     

    The incident unfolded around noon local time (1700 GMT) aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253, which was carrying 278 passengers from Amsterdam.

    A spokeswoman for Northwest's parent company Delta told AFP the man tried to light what appeared to be firecrackers.

     

    "A passenger caused a disturbance on board by igniting some firecrackers," said Susan Elliott.

     

    "The passenger was immediately subdued and Delta is cooperating with authorities in the investigation," she added

     

     

    http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/6623004/us-airplane-incident-was-attempted-terror-attack-us-media/


  4. 1. Quote didn't Qantas cancel there 787-8 order that is a good oppotunity for MH to jump in, this means MH gets there planes before 2016. And Mh will not have to deal with ICAO sound controls, maintence and value of the plane will be bad.

    2. No not BNE, PER, MEL we don't need another 330 operator we need more 747's and 777's

    3. Except the reason SQ have ordered the 330 is a sweetner deal from Airbus and Singaporian deappreciaiton laws they can take advantage of say that's why you see SQ always has very good fleet age. :rolleyes:

     

    I think that MH has already stated why it is not considering the B787 for this order - it needs the planes to be delivered very soon due to their tardy decision making process. Their old A332/A333 are in urgent need of replacement. The other reason is that MH has MRO expertise in handling this plane - so maintenance will not be a big issue as they will be familiar with this aircraft type. If they choose the RR Trent 700EP engine (SQ is using this engine), MTOW will be higher than their old planes too.

     

    This is, at best, a stop gap decision. I am sure more orders will be dished out soon and don't discount orders for the B747-8I!

     

     

    Maximum Range of the 772ER's is 7,700NM (14,260KM)

    Maximum Range of the A333X is 5,669NM (10,500KM)

     

    So the A333 will not be replacing the 772ER's on the long haul routes to Europe, more likely that it will replace the current Flights to Australia (BNE/PER/MEL) along with flights to Regional flights, South Asia, China..

     

    So it is looking like a good purchase for MH, since they need the new aircraft as soon as possible, especially when you compare the current offerings on the A330 on medium haul flights such as Perth with that of its counterparts in SQ and CX..

     

    The B772's are still going strong, so they can go on for a couple years more, until the delivery slots for the A350 etc start to open up. No real point ordering an airplane who's precise specifications are as yet unknown right now when it will only be delivered 2013 (A350)

     

    hope their IFE and cabin is updated with these new birds!

     

     

    MAS has always been a late bloomer. CX is not ordering any 787 or 350 just yet while SIA will continue to take delivery of more 333 in the next few years. So MAS is not exactly alone in this case. Mind you all that all the examples mentioned are reputable carriers.

     

    By the way, EK too has ordered 30x 333 right ? And delivery will only start in 2011 or 2012 if my memory serves me correctly. If EK thinks the 333 are going to work fine for them then why wouldn't it be for MH ?

     

    The first 787 will most likely to enter service in 2011 or 2012 while 350 in what ? 2016 or 2017 ? Ordering the enhanced 333 now makes perfect sense. This is at least a promised technology and we do not know much about the 787 and 350 yet.

     

     

     

    77L is so out of the picture. MAS won't be able to make this plane type work for them.

     

     

     

    Not really. They do have a huge backlog order for Boeing 737-800.


  5. Jet Airways has got the go-ahead from the Bombay High Court to lease out three of its Boeing (NYSE:BA) 777 aircraft to Royal Brunei Airline.

     

    Earlier in May, the Court had allowed Jet to lease out one Boeing to Turkish Airlines in addition to the three leased to the same carrier.

     

    Jet needs the Court's permission each time it enters into a third party transaction.

    _________________

     

    From http://airlinersindia.s4.bizhat.com/airlinersindia-ftopic8682.html

     

    
    

     

    This is intresting as the the 777 could be used to fly the new services to SYD, MEL and current BNE.Then onwards the plane goes to LHR. When I was on board BI in 08 about 80 percent of the flight were people from London, going to Australia. I could see the 1 plane for LHR 2 TO BNE, SYD, MEL. aND mAYBE PER gets upgraded to a 767 as its peak season down under. Does the 777 acousition mean sunny california. :rolleyes:


  6. Hey I was 2 meters away from the Chinese Deputy Premier a few weeks ago. I hope you guys get a few metres within Obama. :rolleyes: Good Luck

     

    I dunno man. I bet security will be super tight. I'm guessing they'll issue a Presidential Movement on the NOTAM at Changi too. Its the most powerful man on Earth flying in. But if you guys do get a shot of the AFO, PLEASE PLEASE post it up here. I wonder if the AFO will ever touch down in M'sia. Cheers!


  7. Air New Zealand's new seat-beds in economy

     

    A comfortable sleep for a small cost

     

     

    The worst part of being stuck in the back of a plane is the lack of sleep. Attempts to get some shut-eye during long inter-continental flights can often be impossible, especially if you're taller than 4 foot.

     

    However, Air New Zealand has proposed a new economy bed, which may be cure crinked necks and buckled knees that accompany an up-in-the-air sleep.

     

    Earlier this year, Air New Zealand told the Dominion Post that they were considering replacing cramped economy seats with sleeping pods in a bid to revolutionise air travel and stay ahead of its much bigger rivals.

     

    The airline's engineers had been given a project to think about how the concept could work

     

    Goodbye to economy sleep nightmares

    Now, according to Sydney Morning Herald, a comfortable snooze could be a reality as early as next April. Air New Zealand has disclosed plans to offer passengers unsold seats when they check in at the airport for conversion to a near-flat bed.

     

    While there is no indication of the exact fee charged for this privilege, the cost could be as little as $150 extra, which could earn the airline millions in revenue.

     

     

    Air New Zealand strategic development general manager Nathan Agnew said the airline wants to introduce an entirely new type of economy cabin when it takes delivery of its fleet of Boeing 787-9 and 777-300ER long-range jets from 2010.

     

    A source told the newspaper that the seat arrangement could involve a system in which both seats could slide forward and the seat rest would raise up so the foot room disappeared and the passenger could spread out across both seats. However, the bed would still have a slight pitch and not be completely flat as many business class cabins are these days.

     

    New seats could be a reality early next year

     

    A rough outline of the new seat-beds, came from Air NZ international group general manager Ed Sims at an investor briefing last week. The airline is also looking into economy seat-bed design to other airlines.

     

    It is not believed though that this new concept would cannibalise business class, because business travellers wanted to guarantee they could get a flat seat when they were flying and would not take the risk of waiting until they arrived at the airport to see whether any spare seats were available in economy class.

     

    Link

    http://au.travel.yahoo.com/special-features/air-nz-economy-beds/index.html

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