flee

Yes, I think one engine failing is not a big problem. I suppose getting back to Paris, it is easier to fix the plane (as Airbus HQ is in France) and also to accommodate the pax in hotels.

PARIS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - A Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) A380 was forced to turn round mid-flight and head back to Paris on Sunday after one of its four engines failed, the head of the airline's French operations said. The doubledecker A380 took off from Paris at 12.30 p.m. (1030 GMT) with 444 passengers aboard and headed for Singapore, but had to turn round after 2 hours 45 minutes because of the engine problem, airline director Jerry Seah said. The plane landed safely back in France at 5.45 p.m. (1545 GMT) and the passengers were sent to hotels as the airline tried to lay on an alternative flight for them. Seah told Reuters he believed it was the first time the plane had suffered such a problem since it had started operating the Singapore-Paris route earlier this year. The giant jet, built by Airbus (EAD.PA), is designed to continue flying with only three engines, but came back to Paris as a safety precaution. The engines on the Singapore A380s are built by Britain's Rolls Royce Group (RR.L). (Reporting by Jean Baptiste Vey, writing by Crispian Balmer; editing by Elizabeth Fullerton) Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSLR12794520090928

I thought that AK is not attempting to do ETOPS with the A322 as it is too expensive. Those routes will be D7's - anything over 4 hours flying time is given to D7 (e.g. Taipei). I think Trichy is doing very well, that is why they have it twice daily now.

By the time MH receives its A380, it will no longer be a novelty. So cabin configuration needs to be well thought out, if yields are to be acceptable. Maybe that is why they are having second thoughts, the recession has shown that they cannot put too many premium seats in the plane. However, too many cattle class seats may mean MH having to work very hard to get a good load factor.

The A380 order was made before the 738 order, so Penerbangan Malaysia was the owner as MAS was still financially weak then. For the 738 order (which was made only last year), MAS will be owning them but their current 738's, MLA-MLC are also leased. I think most airlines are waiting for more improvements on the 777 (at least 15-20% better fuel burn), before they will seriously consider ordering that plane. Most prefer all new designs like the 787 and A350XWB because they promise to be extremely economical. Many airlines do not like to be caught in the same trap as those who ordered the A345 and A346, only to see a new design (777) improve operating efficiencies by a huge margin...

MH will be leasing them from Penerbangan Malaysia - MH does not currently own its aircraft. This was due to the bailout some years ago.

This report again shows how some financial analysts do not understand airline operations. I suspect that MH does have some requirement for new A333s to replace its ageing fleet. The A350s are good replacements for the 772's and 744's but they won't come online so soon. The A380's are probably only going to give good yields for the LHR route currently. Perhaps MH might be considering reducing the A380 order by one or two aircraft - but that would reduce its flexibility to operate other routes in future should air travel pick up again. Airlines buy and use aircraft over a long period of time, and once the recession is over the economics will change again. It would be a mistake for MH to make hasty decisions now but they have to consider all angles. I am sure MH will also be looking at the Boeing offerings before coming to a decision.

Err how much fuel can it carry if it has 262 seats? Don't tell me they are just carrying the fuel in the cargo holds?

MAS is quite different from AirAsia. When it went bankrupt a few years ago, it got the govt. to pay for something that it already owns - the planes. In other words, it got bailed out. If AirAsia collapses, it will just disappear and the shareholders will have to bear the losses. As such, MAS management always know that the govt. will not allow it to sink. So it can take reckless management decisions and still don't have to pay the consequences.

Great shots of the different traffic that you receive over there in Vietnam! Well done.

This is possibly one of the routes that could be flown via the Abu Dhabi virtual hub. But I think that it will only happen after D7 receives its next batch of A333's in 2010.

Unfortunately, those in charge of HR departments do not know what he did. He will be an asset to any airline, particularly as an instructor!

This is its pre-delivery test reggo. A-318's are assembled in Germany, so carry German test reggos. Its definitive reggo is G-EUNA. Please see pix above, where it is actually at LCY doing test flights from LCY.

In the dark days of MAS' loss making history, it sold ALL its aircraft and leased them back. A government company called Pernerbangan Malaysia owned all the planes. So this is an often used finance tool.

A joint U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) flight crew flying a C-5M Super Galaxy strategic transport claimed 41 world aeronautical records in one flight on September 13. The flight from Dover AFB broke eight existing world marks and established standards in 33 other categories where there had been no previous record attempt. The records were set in the Class C-1.S, Jet category for altitude in horizontal flight, altitude with payload, time-to-climb, time-to-climb with payload and greatest payload to 2,000 meters. The aircraft carried a payload of more than 80,000 kg (the actual measured payload weight was 176,610 lb) to an altitude of more than 41,100 feet in 29 minutes. “These records are simply a reflection of the capability of the Super Galaxy,” said Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin C-5 Program vice president. “These records are not just for show. They demonstrate conclusively the C-5M’s ability to quickly get the warfighter out of harm’s way while carrying a larger payload than any other U.S. airlifter. This flight also showed the Super Galaxy can operate with that payload at operational altitudes. The C-5M is strategic airlift redefined.” GE Aviation also completed assembly of the first production engine on September 15th for the C-5M Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining (RERP) program. Engine assembly was completed in Evendale, Ohio and acceptance testing is currently taking place at the GE test facility in Peebles, Ohio. The engine will be transported to Goodrich Aerostructure’s facility in Foley, Alabama where Goodrich, Middle River Aircraft Systems, and Lockheed furnished equipment will be installed on the engine transforming the engine into an entire propulsion system. This propulsion system will be installed on the first C-5B Galaxy strategic transport (Air Force serial number 83-1285) that was inducted into the Lockheed Martin C-5M production line on August 18th. "This first delivery of the C-5M CF6-80C2L1F engine is the beginning of many engine deliveries for Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force," said Allen Paxson, vice president for GE Aviation. "Over the past 20 years the CF6 has demonstrated the lowest specific fuel consumption in its thrust class and is among the most utilized and most reliable engines in the industry." As an example, the modernized C-5M flew direct from Dover AFB, Delaware to Incirlik Turkey in May of this year with 96,000 lbs of cargo (36 pallets) completing the mission in 2 vs. 3 days, consuming 44% less fuel compared to C-17ER (2 C-17s required for same mission), saving approximately 30,000 lbs of fuel by eliminating an enroute stop, and reducing fuel consumption by 13 % compared to legacy C-5 A/B models. C-5M World Records The Class C-1.S Jet category is for aircraft weighing from 250,000 kilograms (551,155 pounds) to 300,000 kg (661,386 lb). The C-5M had a takeoff weight of 649,680 lb, which included fuel, crew weight, necessary equipment, and the payload, which was loaded on 29 standard U.S. military 463L cargo pallets. All C-5s are capable of carrying 36 pallets. The flight set a new record for altitude with payload of 41,188 feet. It also set marks for time-to-climb and time-to-climb with 35,000 kg (77,162 lb), 40,000 kg (88,185 lb), 45,000 kg (99,208 lb), 50,000 kg (110,231 lb), 60,000 kg (132,277 lb), 70,000 kg (154,323 lb), and 80,000 kg payload. The flight took 4 minutes, 13 seconds to reach 3,000 m (9,843 ft) altitude; 7 min., 27 sec to get to 6,000 m (19,685 ft); 13 min., 8 sec. to fly to 9,000 m (29,528 ft); and 23 min., 59 sec to fly to 12,000 meters (39,371 ft). The flight also broke existing class records for altitude in horizontal flight (41,116 ft) and altitude with 35,000 kg, 40,000 kg, 45,000 kg, 50,000 kg, 60,000 kg, and 70,000 kg payload (41,188 ft). The mission broke the record for greatest payload (80,036 kg/176,610 lbs) to 2,000 meters (6,562 ft) as well. All of the records will first be certified as United States national records by the National Aeronautic Association, the nation’s oldest aviation organization. The NAA, based in Arlington, Va., is the U.S. representative to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the sanctioning body for all world aviation records. Formal approval of the C-5M records by the Lausanne, Switzerland-based FAI is expected to take several weeks. The C-5M is the product of two major upgrade programs. The Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) modifications replace the C-5’s analog avionics in the Galaxy with a commercially available, digital avionics suite along with an integrated architecture that allows for upgrades. The entire system is designed to increase safety, ease crew workload and enhance situational awareness. The second phase is the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP). The RERP modifications consist of more than 70 improvements and upgrades to the C-5 airframe and systems, and include installation of higher-thrust, more reliable, more environmentally friendly F138-GE-100 turbofan engines. This engine is the military version of the CF6 engine that has recorded hundreds of millions of hours on commercial airliners all over the world and that serves on Air Force One. When a Galaxy has been through both AMP and RERP, it is redesignated a C-5M. Current Air Force plans call for Lockheed Martin to deliver 52 C-5Ms (modification of 49 C-5Bs, two C-5Cs, and one C-5A) by 2016. Three C-5Ms have been redelivered to the Air Force. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion. GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and integrated systems for commercial and military aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. www.ge.com/aviation Additional notes to editors regarding production engine delivery: The C-5M made its debut to the public at Oshkosh AirVenture 2009 on August 1 powered with four CF6-80C2 engines. The C-5M Super Galaxy RERP modernization effort adds new GE CF6-80C2L1F commercial engines (military designation F138) and other enhancements or replacements of major components and subsystems. The additional 10,000 lbs of thrust per propulsion system creates 40,000 lbs of additional thrust across the platform, significantly improving operational performance. The additional thrust comes with improved fuel efficiencies allowing the C-5M to complete some missions in a single flight leg versus the multiple legs currently required. Overall, the C-5M will save the USAF from 8 – 20% in fuel depending on the mission. This comprehensive modernization program improves the fleet mission-capable rate (aircraft availability) and the overall reliability and maintainability of the aircraft while reducing total ownership costs. Finally, the C-5M has met stage IV noise requirements thereby reducing the unusual current acoustic signature. The CF6-80C2 engine entered service in October 1985 and has become the most popular CF6 engine model, with more than 3,700 engines in operation with more than 150 customers. The CF6-80C2 engine powers the Lockheed Martin C-5M, Boeing 747, 767 and MD-11 aircraft as well as the Airbus A300 and A310 aircraft. GE currently has more than 160 million flight-hours on the CF6-80C2 engine fleet. In 2006, GE launched the Tech CF6 program, which incorporates advanced technology into the high-pressure turbine (HPT), combustor and high-pressure compressor (HPC) areas. The new HPT technologies include airfoil-cooling advancements that are now standard on all new CF6-80C2 production engines. The combustor and HPC advancements are available as an upgrade option to incorporate into existing CF6-80C2 fleets. GE's CF6 engines have been among the most utilized and reliable in the industry. Powering more than 10 models of wide-body aircraft, the engine family has established an unparalleled record of reliability and has compiled more than 330 million flight-hours in service with more than 260 customers worldwide. Related Article: C-5M aircrews crow about new engines, avionics Source: http://www.euroinvestor.co.uk/news/story.aspx?id=10628722&bw=20090918005817 Did some digging around on a.net and here is a pix the C-5A: And this is the latest C-5M with the new engines:

There are only 32 pax and a short fuselage - evacuation should not be a huge problem, even if it is carrying a full load.

SQ operates the A345.

Perhaps the shortest passenger plane to cross the Alantic non-stop. Here is an a.net pix at London City airport. Note the definitive reggo of this plane, G-EUNA:

Not really - sale and leaseback is an off balance sheet financing technique. Most airlines have some of their aircraft on lease. I think D7 is trying to keep their balance sheet healthy because local analysts seems to be very worried about companies with large borrowings, i.e. high gearing. So this is an effort to reduce gearing so that analysts don't have any reason to bitch about their gearing.

I think that there may be some executive jet hire companies realising that getting a classic aircraft and restoring it to its original condition is cheaper than getting brand new corporate jets. This may even be a plus point for charters because there are people who really appreciate flying in classic aircraft. Looks like this B707 has got a hush kit - it may be costly to fly compared to the re-engined (with CFM-56's) ones. Hope that you can get it in better weather conditions when it comes back next week. Thanks KC!

Malaysian long-haul carrier AirAsia X is looking to sell and lease back two of the six new Airbus A330s it will take delivery of by the end of 2010. Speaking at the Cargo Facts annual Aircraft Symposium in Seattle, AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman Rani says the carrier, which currently operates three A330s and two A340s, has issued a request for proposals for the sale and leaseback covering one of the three A330s it is scheduled to take by year-end. He says the other two aircraft will be financed. Azran says AirAsia X is also scheduled to take three A330s next year, with deliveries in June, July and November. He says the carrier is looking to pursue a similar combination of two financing deals and one sale and leaseback for these aircraft. He says AirAsia X will use the three A330s to be delivered the reminder of this year to launch new services from Kuala Lumpur to Abu Dhabi and Chengdu in China plus add capacity on existing routes to China and Australia. Azran says AirAsia X hopes to use some of the extra capacity being added next year to launch services in Sydney, which would be the carrier's fourth Australian destination after the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth. AirAsia X has been trying to secure rights for Sydney for some time and Azran says he now expects this will be achieved in the first half of 2010. AirAsia X is also evaluating a number of other potential services for 2010, including extending its new Kuala Lumpur-Abu Dhabi route to Europe. Azran says the carrier typically decides on new routes three to four months before an additional aircraft is delivered. Azran says the carrier may need to raise more capital in 2011 or beyond to support its continued fleet expansion but "right now we're not actively looking at it". According to Flightglobal's ACAS database AirAsia has 23 A330-300s on outstanding order as well as 10 A350-900s. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/09/17/332399/airasia-x-seeks-a330-sale-and-leaseback-deals.html

Below is a more detailed story, minus the marketing hype: AirAsia X lands in US for first time Malaysia's AirAsia X operated its first flight to the US earlier this week - a non-revenue one-off service to Oakland - as the long-haul low-cost carrier contemplates launching regular flights to the US next year. AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman Rani says one of the carrier's two Airbus A340-300s landed in Oakland on 14 September following a non-revenue flight from London Stansted. The special flight, which Azran says was made possible by cancelling one of AirAsia X's seven weekly Kuala Lumpur-Stansted rotations, was made in an A340 painted in Oakland Raiders livery. The aircraft was only in an Oakland a few hours for a ceremony attended by the city's mayor and the US ambassador to Malaysia before returning to Stansted. AirAsia X signed up as a sponsor of the Oakland Raiders American football team earlier this year. AirAsia X currently does not fly to the US but has been evaluating several potential airports including Oakland, an alternative gateway for San Francisco. Azran says the carrier is also evaluating airports in the Los Angeles and New York City areas. He says AirAsia X is interested in any airport in southern California except Los Angeles International and any airport in the New York City area which can support quick turnaround and taxi times. Azran says the carrier is now looking at which routes to launch in 2010 and it is not certain that AirAsia X will begin serving the US next year. "We're studying it very closely and measuring it against the opportunity cost of other destinations," he told ATI following a 16 September speech at the Cargo Facts annual aircraft symposium in Seattle. Azran says Oakland is attractive because it is a big base for US low cost carrier Southwest Airlines "and it's very important for us to get the feed". AirAsia X has found that a lot of its passengers self-connect to other low-cost carriers, including to easyJet at Stansted. Oakland is also an obvious choice for AirAsia X because its sponsorship of the Oakland Raiders has helped it build brand awareness in northern California long before it launches services to the US. Azran points out sister carrier AirAsia's sponsorship of the Manchester United football team from 2005 to 2008 helped build awareness of the AirAsia brand in the UK before AirAsia X started serving Stansted earlier this year. This helped AirAsia X's Kuala Lumpur-Stansted route achieve instant success, with more than half of the passengers originating in the UK rather than Asia. Azran says AirAsia X would serve the US west coast from Kuala Lumpur via Taipei, Seoul or Honolulu. US east coast destinations would be served via Stansted. He says the carrier can launch service to the US east coast with its two existing A340s by extending its Kuala Lumpur-Stansted route across the Atlantic. For the west coast Azran says AirAsia X would need to acquire additional A340s. He says the carrier currently does not plan to expand its A340 fleet but will entertain proposals for more A340s if the right deal is offered. "If it is sub $400,000 per month we'll look at it," he adds. AirAsia also now operates three A330-300s and will take three more of the type this year followed by three more next year as part of its earlier order for 25 A330s. But Azran says A330s are not an option for US routes as they lack the range for a one-stop service and would require an unattractive two-stop service. He says the new Airbus A350 will be ideal for one-stop US service but AirAsia X is not scheduled to receive its first A350 until 2016. Azran says when AirAsia X began evaluating the A350 it was looking at both A330 replacements and growth. But he says the carrier is not currently focused on replacing its A330s with A350s because it believes on "bread and butter Asia Pacific" routes, which are typically seven hours or less, the A350 does not have a big advantage over the A330. As a result he says AirAsia X decided to order only 10 A350s instead of 25 firm plus 25 options, which it originally was considering. He says AirAsia X now intends to use the A350s to replace its A340s and launch more long-haul routes. While the A330s can be used to for services within Asia as well as to Australia and the Middle East, the A340s and later the A350s are needed for non-stop services to Europe and one-stop services to the US. Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/09/18/332400/airasia-x-lands-in-us-for-first-time.html

I am glad you defied the rain KC! This pix looks monochromatic! And the B707 looks like it is in pristine condition too. Was it noisy?

Thanks for sharing those Kingfisher pix, KC. Excellent coverage, as usual!

For those who plan to shoot the Thunderbirds, here is a taste of what you can do. Found this on a.net