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Missed a connecting flight recently - even though was on time but Etihaad staff decided to bump me off and the plane left with 36 empty seats!!
==
Lets hear your stories
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Lets hear your stories
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Contact the PP Team
The Airlines/Air Travel misery thread...
- Thread starter MenInG
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Frustrated travellers face more flight cancellations over the coming weeks, as airlines rush to re-work their schedules.
The upheaval comes in response to last month's announcement that an amnesty will allow airlines to cancel flights while still retaining take-off and landing slots next year.
Airlines buy slots to operate their schedules but can lose them to rivals if they fail to maintain their obligations to the airport and passengers by failing to fly.
It is hoped that being able to more freely adjust schedules will allow airlines to run only the flights they can fully staff, ending the reports of passengers arriving at the airport to find their flights cancelled at the last minute.
British Airways flights from Heathrow are likely to see the highest number of cancellations, according to a report.
The Daily Telegraph said that the airline had planned to carry 1.8 million passengers on more than 9,000 flights from Heathrow in July alone.
A spokesperson for British Airways told the PA news agency that the slot amnesty and consequent cancellations will "help us to provide the certainty our customers deserve by making it easier to consolidate some of our quieter daily flights to multi-frequency destinations well in advance".
They said that the airline "welcomes these new measures", adding: "Slot alleviation allows airlines to temporarily reduce their schedules but still retain their slots for the next year to maintain networks and provide consumers with certainty and consistency.
Airlines and airports unable to say when threat to summer holiday getaways will end
"Allocating slots according to the (World Airport Slots Guide system) means airlines can offer the consistent services and efficient connections that consumers are looking for and protect jobs and create growth in the UK."
Staff shortages in ground handling, airports, and flight crew, have presented major challenges as the aviation sector struggles to move into the peak season after two years of coronavirus pandemic-related turbulence.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled across various airlines over recent weeks, as capacity fails to keep up with demand - a problem also being seen across Europe.
SKY
The upheaval comes in response to last month's announcement that an amnesty will allow airlines to cancel flights while still retaining take-off and landing slots next year.
Airlines buy slots to operate their schedules but can lose them to rivals if they fail to maintain their obligations to the airport and passengers by failing to fly.
It is hoped that being able to more freely adjust schedules will allow airlines to run only the flights they can fully staff, ending the reports of passengers arriving at the airport to find their flights cancelled at the last minute.
British Airways flights from Heathrow are likely to see the highest number of cancellations, according to a report.
The Daily Telegraph said that the airline had planned to carry 1.8 million passengers on more than 9,000 flights from Heathrow in July alone.
A spokesperson for British Airways told the PA news agency that the slot amnesty and consequent cancellations will "help us to provide the certainty our customers deserve by making it easier to consolidate some of our quieter daily flights to multi-frequency destinations well in advance".
They said that the airline "welcomes these new measures", adding: "Slot alleviation allows airlines to temporarily reduce their schedules but still retain their slots for the next year to maintain networks and provide consumers with certainty and consistency.
Airlines and airports unable to say when threat to summer holiday getaways will end
"Allocating slots according to the (World Airport Slots Guide system) means airlines can offer the consistent services and efficient connections that consumers are looking for and protect jobs and create growth in the UK."
Staff shortages in ground handling, airports, and flight crew, have presented major challenges as the aviation sector struggles to move into the peak season after two years of coronavirus pandemic-related turbulence.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled across various airlines over recent weeks, as capacity fails to keep up with demand - a problem also being seen across Europe.
SKY
daytrader
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From recent experience, almost missed a flight due to long line ups at security even though checked in 3.5 hours before. Airports are overly busy and understaffed, it's best to leave lots of time especially if travelling in a group.
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A holidaymaker returning to Heathrow Airport described the scene that greeted him at Terminal Three as akin to a "disaster movie".
Adam Kent, 59, from Worcestershire, landed on Saturday to find a "horrendous first impression of chaos".
He described luggage as looking like it had been dumped and had witnessed "appalling customer service".
A Heathrow spokesman apologised for delays saying there had been a fault with the airport's fuelling system.
"[There was] lost luggage everywhere, stacked between baggage belts everyone stepping over it and no-one doing anything about it," said Mr Kent, who was returning from Florida.
"Staff [were] nowhere to be seen, everyone was pretty shocked," he said.
"The left and abandoned luggage was left unsecured and could easily be stolen. No duty of care shown to passengers' possessions."
A Heathrow spokesman said the technical fault had been resolved, but departure flights on Saturday may be subjected to delays.
"We apologise for any impact this has on people's journeys."
Passengers had previously complained of queues and "total chaos" at the airport after it asked airlines to remove 30 flights from Thursday's schedule.
Airlines are also expected to announce further cancellations at the airport this week aimed at minimising disruption in the peak holiday season.
BBC
A government "amnesty" to the rules on airport slots is in place until Friday, allowing airlines to change schedules without facing a potential penalty.
Adam Kent, 59, from Worcestershire, landed on Saturday to find a "horrendous first impression of chaos".
He described luggage as looking like it had been dumped and had witnessed "appalling customer service".
A Heathrow spokesman apologised for delays saying there had been a fault with the airport's fuelling system.
"[There was] lost luggage everywhere, stacked between baggage belts everyone stepping over it and no-one doing anything about it," said Mr Kent, who was returning from Florida.
"Staff [were] nowhere to be seen, everyone was pretty shocked," he said.
"The left and abandoned luggage was left unsecured and could easily be stolen. No duty of care shown to passengers' possessions."
A Heathrow spokesman said the technical fault had been resolved, but departure flights on Saturday may be subjected to delays.
"We apologise for any impact this has on people's journeys."
Passengers had previously complained of queues and "total chaos" at the airport after it asked airlines to remove 30 flights from Thursday's schedule.
Airlines are also expected to announce further cancellations at the airport this week aimed at minimising disruption in the peak holiday season.
BBC
A government "amnesty" to the rules on airport slots is in place until Friday, allowing airlines to change schedules without facing a potential penalty.
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British Airways (BA) has announced it will cut a further 10,300 short-haul flights until the end of October.
The airline, among the worst hit by post-pandemic staff shortages that have resulted in widespread disruption for passengers this year, made the announcement just a day after another wave of cancellations was revealed in a bid to make schedules more robust.
BA told Sky News that the cancellations it was announcing to passengers on Wednesday, covering August to October, were part of a focus on protecting popular holiday flights.
It suggested that destinations with weak bookings would be most likely to have flight frequency consolidated.
However, there could be worse problems ahead for BA customers using Heathrow.
BA revealed the latest cuts less than 24 hours before unions representing 700 of its check-in and ground-handling staff at the airport - almost half its customer-facing team there - were due to reveal strike dates in a dispute over pay.
The walkouts are widely expected to coincide with the start of the summer holiday rush once schools in England break up for the end of term.
The airline has not been able to rule out making even greater curbs to flights in that event.
It is able to do so, without risk of penalty including the loss of take-off and landing slots, until the close of business on Friday when a government amnesty expires.
The move is aimed at giving passengers certainty over their flights, preventing a repeat of the scenes witnessed over Easter and the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday when airports and airlines failed to cope with high demand.
Read more: Strike vote shows British Airways still appears to have a Heathrow problem
BA said: "The government recently decided to give the whole industry slot alleviation to minimise potential disruption this summer.
"While taking further action is not where we wanted to be, it's the right thing to do for our customers and our colleagues.
"This new flexibility means that we can further reduce our schedule and consolidate some of our quieter services so that we can protect as many of our holiday flights as possible.
"While most of our flights are unaffected and the majority of customers will get away as planned, we don't underestimate the impact this will have and we're doing everything we can to get their travel plans back on track.
"We're in touch to apologise and offer rebooking options for new flights with us or another airline as soon as possible or issue a full refund."
SKY
The airline, among the worst hit by post-pandemic staff shortages that have resulted in widespread disruption for passengers this year, made the announcement just a day after another wave of cancellations was revealed in a bid to make schedules more robust.
BA told Sky News that the cancellations it was announcing to passengers on Wednesday, covering August to October, were part of a focus on protecting popular holiday flights.
It suggested that destinations with weak bookings would be most likely to have flight frequency consolidated.
However, there could be worse problems ahead for BA customers using Heathrow.
BA revealed the latest cuts less than 24 hours before unions representing 700 of its check-in and ground-handling staff at the airport - almost half its customer-facing team there - were due to reveal strike dates in a dispute over pay.
The walkouts are widely expected to coincide with the start of the summer holiday rush once schools in England break up for the end of term.
The airline has not been able to rule out making even greater curbs to flights in that event.
It is able to do so, without risk of penalty including the loss of take-off and landing slots, until the close of business on Friday when a government amnesty expires.
The move is aimed at giving passengers certainty over their flights, preventing a repeat of the scenes witnessed over Easter and the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday when airports and airlines failed to cope with high demand.
Read more: Strike vote shows British Airways still appears to have a Heathrow problem
BA said: "The government recently decided to give the whole industry slot alleviation to minimise potential disruption this summer.
"While taking further action is not where we wanted to be, it's the right thing to do for our customers and our colleagues.
"This new flexibility means that we can further reduce our schedule and consolidate some of our quieter services so that we can protect as many of our holiday flights as possible.
"While most of our flights are unaffected and the majority of customers will get away as planned, we don't underestimate the impact this will have and we're doing everything we can to get their travel plans back on track.
"We're in touch to apologise and offer rebooking options for new flights with us or another airline as soon as possible or issue a full refund."
SKY
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Jet2 has criticised airports for being "woefully ill-prepared and poorly resourced", which has led to "inexcusable" travel chaos.
The holiday firm said customers have had to endure a "much poorer experience" than they should have, pointing to airports' and ground handling suppliers' "often atrocious customer service", long queues, baggage handling problems, delays, and a lack of onboard catering supplies.
Thousands of British travellers have seen their flights cancelled in recent weeks - many at short notice - as the aviation sector grapples with staff shortages and growing demand after the pandemic.
Executive chairman Philip Meeson said: "Most of our 10 UK base airports have been woefully ill-prepared and poorly resourced for the volume of customers they could reasonably expect, as have other suppliers, such as onboard caterers and providers of airport PRM (passengers with reduced mobility) services.
"Inexcusable, bearing in mind our flights have been on sale for many months and our load factors are quite normal."
"This difficult return to normal operations has occurred simply because of the lack of planning, preparedness and unwillingness to invest by many airports and associated suppliers," he added.
SKY
The holiday firm said customers have had to endure a "much poorer experience" than they should have, pointing to airports' and ground handling suppliers' "often atrocious customer service", long queues, baggage handling problems, delays, and a lack of onboard catering supplies.
Thousands of British travellers have seen their flights cancelled in recent weeks - many at short notice - as the aviation sector grapples with staff shortages and growing demand after the pandemic.
Executive chairman Philip Meeson said: "Most of our 10 UK base airports have been woefully ill-prepared and poorly resourced for the volume of customers they could reasonably expect, as have other suppliers, such as onboard caterers and providers of airport PRM (passengers with reduced mobility) services.
"Inexcusable, bearing in mind our flights have been on sale for many months and our load factors are quite normal."
"This difficult return to normal operations has occurred simply because of the lack of planning, preparedness and unwillingness to invest by many airports and associated suppliers," he added.
SKY
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British Airways (BA) workers have suspended a strike that had been planned at Heathrow during the school summer holidays after receiving a "vastly improved" pay offer from the airline.
After extensive negotiations, the Unite and GMB unions said an agreement was reached and members involved in the dispute would now vote on the proposed offer.
After extensive negotiations, the Unite and GMB unions said an agreement was reached and members involved in the dispute would now vote on the proposed offer.
shaz619
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On the flip side, it’s brilliant news for the Aviation industry that demand is there and they can look to recover their awful losses.
As for BA, glad to see them return to the negotiation table with their pants down. The workers have all the leverage, did they seriously expect to get away with fire and rehire in the long term, it’s not the most attractive way to encourage applications either which can partly explain the current crisis with many non safety/engineering staff trying their luck in safer industry’s
As for BA, glad to see them return to the negotiation table with their pants down. The workers have all the leverage, did they seriously expect to get away with fire and rehire in the long term, it’s not the most attractive way to encourage applications either which can partly explain the current crisis with many non safety/engineering staff trying their luck in safer industry’s
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Heathrow ordered the cancellation of 61 flights on Monday, affecting 10,000 passengers - and warned of more to come this summer.
The flights were axed because the airport said it did not have enough capacity to handle expected passenger numbers.
Airlines were asked not to rebook affected travellers on to alternative flights on Monday.
Problems with the baggage system during the weekend led to hundreds of bags not being put on to flights.
"To maintain a safe operation we have asked some airlines in Terminals 3 and 5 to remove a combined total of 61 flights from the schedule," a Heathrow spokesperson said.
"We apologise for the impact to travel plans and we are working closely with airlines to get affected passengers rebooked on to other flights."
SKY
The flights were axed because the airport said it did not have enough capacity to handle expected passenger numbers.
Airlines were asked not to rebook affected travellers on to alternative flights on Monday.
Problems with the baggage system during the weekend led to hundreds of bags not being put on to flights.
"To maintain a safe operation we have asked some airlines in Terminals 3 and 5 to remove a combined total of 61 flights from the schedule," a Heathrow spokesperson said.
"We apologise for the impact to travel plans and we are working closely with airlines to get affected passengers rebooked on to other flights."
SKY
silentkiller187
First Class Captain
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Heathrow Airport has told airlines to stop selling summer tickets as it imposed a cap on passenger numbers, threatening further travel disruption.
The new limit of 100,000 daily passengers - which amounts to a cut of 4,000 passengers a day - will be in place until 11 September, the airport said.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said in the past few weeks, passenger numbers have regularly exceeded 100,000, leading to "periods when service drops to a level that is not acceptable".
He said airlines, airline ground handlers and the airport cannot handle such high volumes.
He said Heathrow predicts that "daily departing seats over the summer will average 104,000 - giving a daily excess of 4,000 seats".
"On average only about 1,500 of these 4,000 daily seats have currently been sold to passengers, and so we are asking our airline partners to stop selling summer tickets to limit the impact on passengers," he said.
"By making this intervention now, our objective is to protect flights for the vast majority of passengers at Heathrow this summer and to give confidence that everyone who does travel through the airport will have a safe and reliable journey and arrive at their destination with their bags.
"We recognise that this will mean some summer journeys will either be moved to another day, another airport or be cancelled and we apologise to those whose travel plans are affected."
SKY
The new limit of 100,000 daily passengers - which amounts to a cut of 4,000 passengers a day - will be in place until 11 September, the airport said.
Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said in the past few weeks, passenger numbers have regularly exceeded 100,000, leading to "periods when service drops to a level that is not acceptable".
He said airlines, airline ground handlers and the airport cannot handle such high volumes.
He said Heathrow predicts that "daily departing seats over the summer will average 104,000 - giving a daily excess of 4,000 seats".
"On average only about 1,500 of these 4,000 daily seats have currently been sold to passengers, and so we are asking our airline partners to stop selling summer tickets to limit the impact on passengers," he said.
"By making this intervention now, our objective is to protect flights for the vast majority of passengers at Heathrow this summer and to give confidence that everyone who does travel through the airport will have a safe and reliable journey and arrive at their destination with their bags.
"We recognise that this will mean some summer journeys will either be moved to another day, another airport or be cancelled and we apologise to those whose travel plans are affected."
SKY
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Emirates has rejected an order from Heathrow that the airline must cancel flights to and from the west London airport to comply with a cap on passenger numbers.
The Dubai-based carrier said that on Wednesday it had been given 36 hours to comply with Heathrow's order, as the airport attempts to ensure it can operate without further travel delays during the summer travel peak.
Airlines and airports globally have struggled to cope this year with high demand after the lifting of pandemic travel restrictions because of staff shortages.
Heathrow argues that airline ground-handling teams are yet to recover sufficiently to cope with booking volumes.
Emirates, which operates six daily flights between Dubai and Heathrow alone, said: "LHR [London Heathrow] last evening gave us 36 hours to comply with capacity cuts, of a figure that appears to be plucked from thin air.
"Their communications not only dictated the specific flights on which we should throw out paying passengers, but also threatened legal action for non-compliance.
"This is entirely unreasonable and unacceptable, and we reject these demands."
It added: "Until further notice, Emirates plans to operate as scheduled to and from LHR."
Heathrow announced this week that despite airlines' own cuts to flights - many under the government's slot amnesty - it was imposing its own cap that would limit departing passenger numbers to 100,000 a day until mid-September.
It amounts to a cut of 4,000 passengers.
Heathrow also pleaded with its airline "partners" to stop selling additional tickets to help with that effort and minimise the effect on passengers and their own operations.
The demand prompted a furious reaction from airlines, with the head of an industry body accusing Heathrow of attempting to maximise its profits at their expense.
That sentiment has been echoed by Virgin Atlantic while BA, which has taken full advantage of the slot amnesty, responded by agreeing to cut six further short haul flights daily.
Emirates added: "The bottom line is, the LHR management team are cavalier about travellers and their airline customers.
"All the signals of a strong travel rebound were there, and for months, Emirates has been publicly vocal about the matter.
"We planned ahead to get to a state of readiness to serve customers and travel demand, including rehiring and training 1,000 A380 pilots in the past year.
"LHR chose not to act, not to plan, not invest. Now faced with an 'airmageddon' situation due to their incompetence and non-action, they are pushing the entire burden - of costs and the scramble to sort the mess - to airlines and travellers.
"The shareholders of London Heathrow should scrutinise the decisions of the LHR management team."
Heathrow said its cap was linked to shortages within airline ground-handling teams operating at 70% of normal capacity when demand stood at up to 85%.
"For months we have asked airlines to help come up with a plan to solve their resourcing challenges", the airport said, "but no clear plans were forthcoming and with each passing day the problem got worse.
"We had no choice but to take the difficult decision to impose a capacity cap designed to give passengers a better, more reliable journey and to keep everyone working at the airport safe.
"We have tried to be as supportive as possible to airlines and our 100k cap on daily departing passengers is significantly higher than the 64k cap at Schiphol.
"It would be disappointing if instead of working together, any airline would want to put profit ahead a safe and reliable passenger journey."
SKY
The Dubai-based carrier said that on Wednesday it had been given 36 hours to comply with Heathrow's order, as the airport attempts to ensure it can operate without further travel delays during the summer travel peak.
Airlines and airports globally have struggled to cope this year with high demand after the lifting of pandemic travel restrictions because of staff shortages.
Heathrow argues that airline ground-handling teams are yet to recover sufficiently to cope with booking volumes.
Emirates, which operates six daily flights between Dubai and Heathrow alone, said: "LHR [London Heathrow] last evening gave us 36 hours to comply with capacity cuts, of a figure that appears to be plucked from thin air.
"Their communications not only dictated the specific flights on which we should throw out paying passengers, but also threatened legal action for non-compliance.
"This is entirely unreasonable and unacceptable, and we reject these demands."
It added: "Until further notice, Emirates plans to operate as scheduled to and from LHR."
Heathrow announced this week that despite airlines' own cuts to flights - many under the government's slot amnesty - it was imposing its own cap that would limit departing passenger numbers to 100,000 a day until mid-September.
It amounts to a cut of 4,000 passengers.
Heathrow also pleaded with its airline "partners" to stop selling additional tickets to help with that effort and minimise the effect on passengers and their own operations.
The demand prompted a furious reaction from airlines, with the head of an industry body accusing Heathrow of attempting to maximise its profits at their expense.
That sentiment has been echoed by Virgin Atlantic while BA, which has taken full advantage of the slot amnesty, responded by agreeing to cut six further short haul flights daily.
Emirates added: "The bottom line is, the LHR management team are cavalier about travellers and their airline customers.
"All the signals of a strong travel rebound were there, and for months, Emirates has been publicly vocal about the matter.
"We planned ahead to get to a state of readiness to serve customers and travel demand, including rehiring and training 1,000 A380 pilots in the past year.
"LHR chose not to act, not to plan, not invest. Now faced with an 'airmageddon' situation due to their incompetence and non-action, they are pushing the entire burden - of costs and the scramble to sort the mess - to airlines and travellers.
"The shareholders of London Heathrow should scrutinise the decisions of the LHR management team."
Heathrow said its cap was linked to shortages within airline ground-handling teams operating at 70% of normal capacity when demand stood at up to 85%.
"For months we have asked airlines to help come up with a plan to solve their resourcing challenges", the airport said, "but no clear plans were forthcoming and with each passing day the problem got worse.
"We had no choice but to take the difficult decision to impose a capacity cap designed to give passengers a better, more reliable journey and to keep everyone working at the airport safe.
"We have tried to be as supportive as possible to airlines and our 100k cap on daily departing passengers is significantly higher than the 64k cap at Schiphol.
"It would be disappointing if instead of working together, any airline would want to put profit ahead a safe and reliable passenger journey."
SKY
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- Oct 2, 2004
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Son sitting on plane for 3 hours at Gatwick - stifling heat and airline staff not even serving water - saying fill it up yourself!
What has happened to this industry?
What has happened to this industry?
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At Heathrow T4 - you need to queue for about 3 hours to get into the departure gates (to go via security!)
Woah..thats really bad
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Flights have been suspended at London Luton Airport due to a "surface defect" on its runway, caused by high temperatures.
The airport said repairs were under way, but all flights had been affected.
The Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning on Monday and Tuesday in much of England, with temperatures set to hit 41C (106F).
The airport said it hoped to "resume operations as soon as possible" and apologised to passengers.
Footage shows a large rectangular-shaped area on the surface being examined by staff from the airport.
A London Luton Airport spokesperson said: "Following today's high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway.
BBC
The airport said repairs were under way, but all flights had been affected.
The Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning on Monday and Tuesday in much of England, with temperatures set to hit 41C (106F).
The airport said it hoped to "resume operations as soon as possible" and apologised to passengers.
Footage shows a large rectangular-shaped area on the surface being examined by staff from the airport.
A London Luton Airport spokesperson said: "Following today's high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway.
BBC
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London Southend Airport has contacted airlines offering to host flights being cancelled by busier airports.
It comes after weeks of disruption across the aviation sector with post-COVID demand booming and many airports and airlines unable to cope.
Speaking to Sky News, the boss of Southend Airport Glyn Jones said the past few months had been "far from great," adding: "It needs to be much better for next year."
Thousands of flights have been cancelled by airlines and airports so far this summer as the industry struggles to scale back up and re-recruit all the staff that were let go during the pandemic.
SKY
It comes after weeks of disruption across the aviation sector with post-COVID demand booming and many airports and airlines unable to cope.
Speaking to Sky News, the boss of Southend Airport Glyn Jones said the past few months had been "far from great," adding: "It needs to be much better for next year."
Thousands of flights have been cancelled by airlines and airports so far this summer as the industry struggles to scale back up and re-recruit all the staff that were let go during the pandemic.
Things have been so bad Heathrow has imposed a customer cap of 100,000 departing passengers a day and said airlines can't sell any more tickets.
The move has left many travellers anxious about their plans as the school holidays get under way.
But given this turmoil, the current scene at Southend might strike many as surprising - the terminal is very quiet.
In fact, the airport has only one or two flights departing a day and passenger numbers are down 95% on what they were pre-pandemic.
In 2019, the airport was growing 40% a year and handling in excess of two million passengers on 40 different routes. But airlines pulled out during lockdown, consolidating their schedules around bigger airports and many haven't returned.
Only easyJet remains, running just four routes.
It means while the likes of Heathrow and Gatwick are cancelling flights, Southend has large amounts of spare capacity and is desperate for more business - a strong indication of just how off-kilter the industry remains post-pandemic.
"We've reached out actually, to many of the people who are going to be affected," says Mr Jones.
"I think the issue is that it's just very late for people, so we may be able to play, candidly, a minor role in it, but a minor role is a useful role if it's your flight that's affected.
"We've got a hiatus situation this summer. It's not been great, let's not kid ourselves, it's been far from great. It needs to be much better for next year."
British Airways planes taxi through the heat haze at Heathrow Airport, London, where the hottest day on record in the UK has been recorded with the temperature reaching 40.2C according to provisional Met Office figures. Picture date: Tuesday July 19, 2022.
Scuppered by security
But for things to get better what is needed is more staff.
The industry as a whole, needs tens of thousands more people, but finding them is proving very difficult.
Thousands were let go when the furlough scheme ended and the sector hadn't reopened. But with record numbers of job vacancies across the economy, many found work elsewhere.
Even for those who do apply for jobs, the security clearances are so stringent, many can't provide the necessary employment histories and others who can, don't want to wait to be cleared.
Kully Sandhu runs the Aviation Recruitment Network, a recruitment agency employed by multiple airlines and airports.
At an assessment centre day in Luton, 16 people were registered to attend, only eight showed up.
This is typical he says. "I've got some clients who are coming to me crying, saying 'I booked in 10 people, no one turned up for interviews' and that is a reality."
Fighting for candidates
His job has never been harder, while vacancies he is filling have doubled, applicants have halved.
"You have absolutely every single airport recruiting," he says. "Everyone now is fighting for the same candidate."
He blames the government for not extending the furlough scheme and then not giving the industry enough notice that things were reopening, which delayed the hiring process.
But, he says, there's another key problem too. "Brexit has been the biggest challenge, especially for the larger airports.
"If you take Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and Heathrow Airport, you are relying on a workforce predominantly which was from Europe. We no longer have those individuals."
Things like the passenger cap at Heathrow are a clear attempt to try to remove some of the uncertainty and last-minute cancellations. But many are highly critical of airlines and airports failing to plan ahead and start rehiring early enough.
It's a situation that's been described as a colossal "strategic failure".
More realistic prices for plane tickets
Experts say the turbulence of this period and the weakness it has highlighted is likely to prompt a full industry re-set, the low-cost model just no longer working.
"We've always had a challenge of there being more supply than there is actual demand and airlines actually creating artificial demand with very low fares," explains John Grant, an expert at aviation analyst firm OAG.
"We'll either see fewer airlines and, quite frankly, I don't think that will be the case because there are always new entrants, the barriers to entry are much lower than they've ever been... or we're going to have to pay a more realistic price for our air fares."
This may not offer much consolation to passengers hoping to get away for a much longed for summer holiday. Many may well expect better.
The move has left many travellers anxious about their plans as the school holidays get under way.
But given this turmoil, the current scene at Southend might strike many as surprising - the terminal is very quiet.
In fact, the airport has only one or two flights departing a day and passenger numbers are down 95% on what they were pre-pandemic.
In 2019, the airport was growing 40% a year and handling in excess of two million passengers on 40 different routes. But airlines pulled out during lockdown, consolidating their schedules around bigger airports and many haven't returned.
Only easyJet remains, running just four routes.
It means while the likes of Heathrow and Gatwick are cancelling flights, Southend has large amounts of spare capacity and is desperate for more business - a strong indication of just how off-kilter the industry remains post-pandemic.
"We've reached out actually, to many of the people who are going to be affected," says Mr Jones.
"I think the issue is that it's just very late for people, so we may be able to play, candidly, a minor role in it, but a minor role is a useful role if it's your flight that's affected.
"We've got a hiatus situation this summer. It's not been great, let's not kid ourselves, it's been far from great. It needs to be much better for next year."
British Airways planes taxi through the heat haze at Heathrow Airport, London, where the hottest day on record in the UK has been recorded with the temperature reaching 40.2C according to provisional Met Office figures. Picture date: Tuesday July 19, 2022.
Scuppered by security
But for things to get better what is needed is more staff.
The industry as a whole, needs tens of thousands more people, but finding them is proving very difficult.
Thousands were let go when the furlough scheme ended and the sector hadn't reopened. But with record numbers of job vacancies across the economy, many found work elsewhere.
Even for those who do apply for jobs, the security clearances are so stringent, many can't provide the necessary employment histories and others who can, don't want to wait to be cleared.
Kully Sandhu runs the Aviation Recruitment Network, a recruitment agency employed by multiple airlines and airports.
At an assessment centre day in Luton, 16 people were registered to attend, only eight showed up.
This is typical he says. "I've got some clients who are coming to me crying, saying 'I booked in 10 people, no one turned up for interviews' and that is a reality."
Fighting for candidates
His job has never been harder, while vacancies he is filling have doubled, applicants have halved.
"You have absolutely every single airport recruiting," he says. "Everyone now is fighting for the same candidate."
He blames the government for not extending the furlough scheme and then not giving the industry enough notice that things were reopening, which delayed the hiring process.
But, he says, there's another key problem too. "Brexit has been the biggest challenge, especially for the larger airports.
"If you take Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and Heathrow Airport, you are relying on a workforce predominantly which was from Europe. We no longer have those individuals."
Things like the passenger cap at Heathrow are a clear attempt to try to remove some of the uncertainty and last-minute cancellations. But many are highly critical of airlines and airports failing to plan ahead and start rehiring early enough.
It's a situation that's been described as a colossal "strategic failure".
More realistic prices for plane tickets
Experts say the turbulence of this period and the weakness it has highlighted is likely to prompt a full industry re-set, the low-cost model just no longer working.
"We've always had a challenge of there being more supply than there is actual demand and airlines actually creating artificial demand with very low fares," explains John Grant, an expert at aviation analyst firm OAG.
"We'll either see fewer airlines and, quite frankly, I don't think that will be the case because there are always new entrants, the barriers to entry are much lower than they've ever been... or we're going to have to pay a more realistic price for our air fares."
This may not offer much consolation to passengers hoping to get away for a much longed for summer holiday. Many may well expect better.
SKY
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Travellers at Heathrow are skipping queues by pretending to need wheelchairs, the airport's boss has said.
John Holland-Kaye blamed a TikTok video showing how to do this, which amassed 2.5 million views on the platform.
The video showed a passenger bypassing queues at Ibiza airport in Spain by faking a leg injury and asking to use a wheelchair.
The man is shown standing up and walking away after the flight.
Mr Holland-Kaye told LBC: "For passengers requiring wheelchair support we have more demand than we had before the pandemic.
"Why is that happening? Some of this is because people are using the wheelchair support to try to get fast-track through the airport.
"That is absolutely the wrong thing to be doing.
"We need to protect that for the people who most need help.
"If you go on TikTok you'll see that that is one of the travel hacks that people are recommending.
"Please don't do that."
Read more: easyJet reported over treatment of passengers with cancelled flights
He recommended that people who "really need the service" let Heathrow know "well in advance so we can make sure there are enough people there to meet your needs".
He said about half of people who ask for the service do not do so until they are on the plane.
Airline passengers have faced long queues at the airport in recent weeks, with the situation blamed on staff shortages.
To help relieve the pressure, Heathrow imposed a cap on passenger numbers earlier this month and asked airlines to stop selling summer tickets.
SKY
John Holland-Kaye blamed a TikTok video showing how to do this, which amassed 2.5 million views on the platform.
The video showed a passenger bypassing queues at Ibiza airport in Spain by faking a leg injury and asking to use a wheelchair.
The man is shown standing up and walking away after the flight.
Mr Holland-Kaye told LBC: "For passengers requiring wheelchair support we have more demand than we had before the pandemic.
"Why is that happening? Some of this is because people are using the wheelchair support to try to get fast-track through the airport.
"That is absolutely the wrong thing to be doing.
"We need to protect that for the people who most need help.
"If you go on TikTok you'll see that that is one of the travel hacks that people are recommending.
"Please don't do that."
Read more: easyJet reported over treatment of passengers with cancelled flights
He recommended that people who "really need the service" let Heathrow know "well in advance so we can make sure there are enough people there to meet your needs".
He said about half of people who ask for the service do not do so until they are on the plane.
Airline passengers have faced long queues at the airport in recent weeks, with the situation blamed on staff shortages.
To help relieve the pressure, Heathrow imposed a cap on passenger numbers earlier this month and asked airlines to stop selling summer tickets.
SKY
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Heathrow Airport has extended its flight restrictions until 29 October, hitting families' plans for half-term getaways.
Previously the daily cap on passengers travelling through the airport - set at 100,000 - was due to end on 11 September.
The airport said on Monday that without a cap, it will not be able to safely and reliably handle its flight schedule.
SKY
Previously the daily cap on passengers travelling through the airport - set at 100,000 - was due to end on 11 September.
The airport said on Monday that without a cap, it will not be able to safely and reliably handle its flight schedule.
SKY
khan-92
Tape Ball Captain
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Alhumdulilah as a Tour operator my flights have not been affected.
I have used EasyJet for Al Aqsa Tours Only delayed once but no cancellation Alhumdulilah.
Just arrived back today on BA for my Turkiye tour, was worried they might cancel but Alhumdulilah all went well.
I have used EasyJet for Al Aqsa Tours Only delayed once but no cancellation Alhumdulilah.
Just arrived back today on BA for my Turkiye tour, was worried they might cancel but Alhumdulilah all went well.
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topspin
ODI Debutant
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Avoid Heathrow like a plague, if you can.
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Two pilots fell asleep at 37,000ft (11,000m), missing an airport runway before waking to safely land the plane, an aviation publication says.
Air traffic tried to contact them after they overshot the point of descent into Ethiopia's Addis Ababa airport.
The pilots eventually woke up and landed the plane on its second approach, the Aviation Herald said.
The Ethiopian Airlines crew have been put on leave pending investigation, state-run news outlet Fana reported.
Monday's passenger flight took off from Sudan's Khartoum airport.
The Boeing 737, with a 154-seat capacity, normally takes less than two hours on its route between the neighbouring countries.
Reactions to sleeping on the job ranged from sympathy with the pilots' work schedule to shock that they fell asleep on the job.
"I wouldn't cast blame on the Ethiopian crew specifically here - this is something that could happen to ANY crew in the world and it probably DID happen... The blame lies on the corporation and the regulators," read one comment on the Aviation Herald website.
Another user suggested that there was only one solution: "Termination. End of story. Full stop."
Others saw the funny side of the story, comment on Twitter, "Sleeping on the job taken to new heights!"
An aviation analyst called the incident "deeply concerning" on Twitter.
"Pilot fatigue is nothing new, and continues to pose one of the most significant threats to air safety - internationally," tweeted aviation analyst, Alex Macheras.
The BBC has contacted Ethiopian Airlines for comment.
Air traffic tried to contact them after they overshot the point of descent into Ethiopia's Addis Ababa airport.
The pilots eventually woke up and landed the plane on its second approach, the Aviation Herald said.
The Ethiopian Airlines crew have been put on leave pending investigation, state-run news outlet Fana reported.
Monday's passenger flight took off from Sudan's Khartoum airport.
The Boeing 737, with a 154-seat capacity, normally takes less than two hours on its route between the neighbouring countries.
Reactions to sleeping on the job ranged from sympathy with the pilots' work schedule to shock that they fell asleep on the job.
"I wouldn't cast blame on the Ethiopian crew specifically here - this is something that could happen to ANY crew in the world and it probably DID happen... The blame lies on the corporation and the regulators," read one comment on the Aviation Herald website.
Another user suggested that there was only one solution: "Termination. End of story. Full stop."
Others saw the funny side of the story, comment on Twitter, "Sleeping on the job taken to new heights!"
An aviation analyst called the incident "deeply concerning" on Twitter.
"Pilot fatigue is nothing new, and continues to pose one of the most significant threats to air safety - internationally," tweeted aviation analyst, Alex Macheras.
The BBC has contacted Ethiopian Airlines for comment.
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- 216,742
British Airways has announced it will be making "some further cancellations" up to the end of October, and cutting thousands of flights from its winter schedule.
It follows the decision by Heathrow to continue its passenger cap, introduced in July because of staff shortages. Over 600 round trips will be cancelled up to 29 October.
A spokesperson for the airline said: "While the vast majority of our customers will travel as planned and we're protecting key holiday destinations over half-term, we will need to make some further cancellations up to the end of October."
They added: "In addition, we're giving customers travelling with us this winter notice of some adjustments to our schedule, which will include consolidating some of our short-haul flights to destinations with multiple services.
"We'll be offering customers affected by any of these changes an alternative flight with British Airways or another airline or the option of a refund."
https://news.sky.com/story/british-airways-announces-more-flight-cancellations-12679311
It follows the decision by Heathrow to continue its passenger cap, introduced in July because of staff shortages. Over 600 round trips will be cancelled up to 29 October.
A spokesperson for the airline said: "While the vast majority of our customers will travel as planned and we're protecting key holiday destinations over half-term, we will need to make some further cancellations up to the end of October."
They added: "In addition, we're giving customers travelling with us this winter notice of some adjustments to our schedule, which will include consolidating some of our short-haul flights to destinations with multiple services.
"We'll be offering customers affected by any of these changes an alternative flight with British Airways or another airline or the option of a refund."
https://news.sky.com/story/british-airways-announces-more-flight-cancellations-12679311
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- 216,742
All flights have been suspended at Stansted Airport after it was forced to close its runway due to bad weather.
Heathrow and Gatwick also cancelled or delayed flights after snow, ice and freezing fog swept the UK.
A yellow weather warning remains place for Scotland, London and south-west England until Monday morning, with the disruption set to continue.
Trains have also been delayed and drivers warned to take care after several motorway accidents.
Stansted said on Sunday night its only runway was closed to allow for snow clearance due to weather conditions and all flights were suspended.
"Delays to flights were experienced earlier due to de-icing of aircraft which is a ground handler's responsibility and safety of aircraft and passengers is paramount," a spokesman added.
"Passengers are advised to check with their airline for current status of their flights."
BBC
Heathrow and Gatwick also cancelled or delayed flights after snow, ice and freezing fog swept the UK.
A yellow weather warning remains place for Scotland, London and south-west England until Monday morning, with the disruption set to continue.
Trains have also been delayed and drivers warned to take care after several motorway accidents.
Stansted said on Sunday night its only runway was closed to allow for snow clearance due to weather conditions and all flights were suspended.
"Delays to flights were experienced earlier due to de-icing of aircraft which is a ground handler's responsibility and safety of aircraft and passengers is paramount," a spokesman added.
"Passengers are advised to check with their airline for current status of their flights."
BBC
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The government decided on Friday to outsource airports in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi in a bid to attract foreign direct investment and provide “world-class facilities” to passengers.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss matters pertaining to the aviation sector, a PM Office press release said.
It was decided that the government would hire the services of operators of international repute to run three major airports in the first phase.
As per the plan, the international operators would help run the said entities for a period of 20-25 years.
The meeting also decided to engage the International Finance Corporation to provide consultancy services.
The international operators would provide the services of international standards at the said airports besides uplifting them through foreign investment.
The meeting gave the Public Private Partnership Authority a go-ahead to initiate the formalities.
The prime minister instructed the authority to ensure the accomplishment of the process transparently and in accordance with the highest standards.
The participants were also told that 44 countries were pursuing the public-private-partnership formula including the US, UK, India, Bahrain, and Brazil where the airports were run under the PPP mode.
DAWN
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss matters pertaining to the aviation sector, a PM Office press release said.
It was decided that the government would hire the services of operators of international repute to run three major airports in the first phase.
As per the plan, the international operators would help run the said entities for a period of 20-25 years.
The meeting also decided to engage the International Finance Corporation to provide consultancy services.
The international operators would provide the services of international standards at the said airports besides uplifting them through foreign investment.
The meeting gave the Public Private Partnership Authority a go-ahead to initiate the formalities.
The prime minister instructed the authority to ensure the accomplishment of the process transparently and in accordance with the highest standards.
The participants were also told that 44 countries were pursuing the public-private-partnership formula including the US, UK, India, Bahrain, and Brazil where the airports were run under the PPP mode.
DAWN
daytrader
ODI Debutant
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Students from Barr Beacon School were on a ski trip to New Hampshire when they were informed their passports were destroyed by hotel management.
Forty-two students from a school in Walsall, UK were left stranded in the US after a hotel was alleged to have accidentally shredded their passports. According to a BBC report, students from Barr Beacon School were on a ski trip to New Hampshire when they were informed their passports were destroyed by hotel management.
The students were scheduled to fly back home on Saturday, but they had to stay for four more days to get their emergency documents.
A mother said she was shocked by the strange turn of events, but the school assured her that they will manage the crisis. "It was a horrific shock really," the mother, who did not wish to be named, told BBC. "It's the first time she has been away from family for this long. And what they were doing was really challenging - skiing black runs or blue runs, depending on their experience."
The mother informed me that the teacher leading the trip communicated well and supported the students. "She was up throughout the night answering our emails and questions when she should have been sleeping," she said.
School head Katie Hibbs told the outlet that she was proud of the staff on the trip for managing the challenging situation.
NDTV
Forty-two students from a school in Walsall, UK were left stranded in the US after a hotel was alleged to have accidentally shredded their passports. According to a BBC report, students from Barr Beacon School were on a ski trip to New Hampshire when they were informed their passports were destroyed by hotel management.
The students were scheduled to fly back home on Saturday, but they had to stay for four more days to get their emergency documents.
A mother said she was shocked by the strange turn of events, but the school assured her that they will manage the crisis. "It was a horrific shock really," the mother, who did not wish to be named, told BBC. "It's the first time she has been away from family for this long. And what they were doing was really challenging - skiing black runs or blue runs, depending on their experience."
The mother informed me that the teacher leading the trip communicated well and supported the students. "She was up throughout the night answering our emails and questions when she should have been sleeping," she said.
School head Katie Hibbs told the outlet that she was proud of the staff on the trip for managing the challenging situation.
NDTV
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daytrader
ODI Debutant
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New Jersey man flies 23m miles with lifetime United pass ‘like a sultan’
Since paying $290,000 for the ‘best investment’ of his life in 1990, Tom Stuker was flown more miles than the Apollo 11 moon trip
A US man who bought a lifetime pass from United Airlines three decades ago has “lived like a sultan” ever since, according to a report, flying multiples of miles more than the Apollo 11 spacecraft in the process.
Tom Stuker, from New Jersey, paid $290,000 for the pass in 1990, according to the Washington Post, a decision he said is the “best investment of my life”.
In the 33 years since then, Stuker, 69, has flown more than 23m miles (37m km) – Apollo 11, which carried Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts to the moon, clocked a mere 953,000 miles (1.5m km) – and visited more than 100 countries.
Stuker’s mileage in 2019 alone “covered more than six trips to the moon”, the Post reported. That year Stuker took 373 flights, covering 1.46m miles. Had he paid cash for the flights, it would have cost $2.44m.
The real boon, however, appears to have been the frequent flier miles that Stuker has accrued along the way. In 2009 Stuker passed the 5m mile (8m km) mark, according to Simple Flying, passing the 10m mile mark in 2019.
He was the first United Airlines customer to do so, and the points have opened all kinds of doors.
“Stuker has lived like a sultan on United miles ever since – lavish hotel suites all over the world, weeks-long Crystal cruises, gourmet meals from Perth to Paris,” said the Post report, written by famed US sportswriter Rick Reilly.
He has also used the miles to “redo his brother’s house”, the Post said, and “once cashed $50,000 worth of Walmart gift cards in a single day”. Stuker also won a charity auction to appear in a Seinfeld episode by bidding 451,000 air miles.
There have also been some less enjoyable moments. He has witnessed four people die during his decades of flying, which Simple Flying calculated to be between “200 and 250 days a year in the air” before the Covid-19 pandemic slowed worldwide travel.
“All heart attacks,” Stuker told the Post. “I’d met a couple of them, too. Just died right in their seats. The last guy was up in business with me, Chicago to Narita [Tokyo]. They covered him with a blanket and put the seat belt back on.
...
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/jun/25/new-jersey-man-lifetime-united-airlines-pass
Since paying $290,000 for the ‘best investment’ of his life in 1990, Tom Stuker was flown more miles than the Apollo 11 moon trip
A US man who bought a lifetime pass from United Airlines three decades ago has “lived like a sultan” ever since, according to a report, flying multiples of miles more than the Apollo 11 spacecraft in the process.
Tom Stuker, from New Jersey, paid $290,000 for the pass in 1990, according to the Washington Post, a decision he said is the “best investment of my life”.
In the 33 years since then, Stuker, 69, has flown more than 23m miles (37m km) – Apollo 11, which carried Neil Armstrong and his fellow astronauts to the moon, clocked a mere 953,000 miles (1.5m km) – and visited more than 100 countries.
Stuker’s mileage in 2019 alone “covered more than six trips to the moon”, the Post reported. That year Stuker took 373 flights, covering 1.46m miles. Had he paid cash for the flights, it would have cost $2.44m.
The real boon, however, appears to have been the frequent flier miles that Stuker has accrued along the way. In 2009 Stuker passed the 5m mile (8m km) mark, according to Simple Flying, passing the 10m mile mark in 2019.
He was the first United Airlines customer to do so, and the points have opened all kinds of doors.
“Stuker has lived like a sultan on United miles ever since – lavish hotel suites all over the world, weeks-long Crystal cruises, gourmet meals from Perth to Paris,” said the Post report, written by famed US sportswriter Rick Reilly.
He has also used the miles to “redo his brother’s house”, the Post said, and “once cashed $50,000 worth of Walmart gift cards in a single day”. Stuker also won a charity auction to appear in a Seinfeld episode by bidding 451,000 air miles.
There have also been some less enjoyable moments. He has witnessed four people die during his decades of flying, which Simple Flying calculated to be between “200 and 250 days a year in the air” before the Covid-19 pandemic slowed worldwide travel.
“All heart attacks,” Stuker told the Post. “I’d met a couple of them, too. Just died right in their seats. The last guy was up in business with me, Chicago to Narita [Tokyo]. They covered him with a blanket and put the seat belt back on.
...
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/jun/25/new-jersey-man-lifetime-united-airlines-pass
UK air traffic control systems face 'network-wide failure'
Airline warns of international flight delays as NATS applies traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety
Britain's National Air Traffic Service (NATS) was forced to restrict the flow of aircraft on Monday as it works to address a technical issue, it said.
"We are currently experiencing a technical issue and have applied traffic flow restrictions to maintain safety. Engineers are working to find and fix the fault," a spokesperson said.
Earlier Scottish airline Loganair said on social media site X that there had been a network-wide failure of UK air traffic control computer systems, warning international flights may face delays.
Several passengers took to social media to say they were stuck on planes on the tarmac waiting to take off on what is a busy travel day due to Monday's UK public holiday.
One Reuters witness being held on the tarmac at Budapest, said their pilot told passengers that a massive computer failure had closed all UK airspaces and they faced an 8-12 hour delay.
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Cancelled flights: Air traffic disruption caused by flight data issue
Widespread flight disruption that left thousands of passengers stranded was caused by incoming flight data, air traffic control bosses say.
National Air Traffic Services apologised for the failure which saw its systems suspend automatic processing.
Monday's technical fault has seen UK passengers stranded abroad and having to find alternative routes home.
Passengers have been warned to expect continued knock-on disruption.
One passenger told BBC News she and her young children slept on the floor of an airport after their flight was axed.
Nats also confirmed there were no signs the failure was caused by a cyber-attack.
The incident is setto be investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe said: "Initial investigations into the problem show it relates to some of the flight data we received.
"Our systems, both primary and the back-ups, responded by suspending automatic processing to ensure that no incorrect safety-related information could be presented to an air traffic controller or impact the rest of the air traffic system."
BBC
Widespread flight disruption that left thousands of passengers stranded was caused by incoming flight data, air traffic control bosses say.
National Air Traffic Services apologised for the failure which saw its systems suspend automatic processing.
Monday's technical fault has seen UK passengers stranded abroad and having to find alternative routes home.
Passengers have been warned to expect continued knock-on disruption.
One passenger told BBC News she and her young children slept on the floor of an airport after their flight was axed.
Nats also confirmed there were no signs the failure was caused by a cyber-attack.
The incident is setto be investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Nats chief executive Martin Rolfe said: "Initial investigations into the problem show it relates to some of the flight data we received.
"Our systems, both primary and the back-ups, responded by suspending automatic processing to ensure that no incorrect safety-related information could be presented to an air traffic controller or impact the rest of the air traffic system."
BBC
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Mohammad Abbas is not happy with Turkish Airlines services.
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Flydubai becomes first international carrier to resume Kabul flights
Low-cost carrier flydubai announced flights to Kabul on Thursday, becoming the first international airline to resume services since US forces’ chaotic withdrawal in 2021.
Twice-daily flights will begin on November 15, the Dubai-based airline said. Taliban authorities swiftly returned to power after the hasty US evacuation.
Dawn
Low-cost carrier flydubai announced flights to Kabul on Thursday, becoming the first international airline to resume services since US forces’ chaotic withdrawal in 2021.
Twice-daily flights will begin on November 15, the Dubai-based airline said. Taliban authorities swiftly returned to power after the hasty US evacuation.
Dawn
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Indian plane makes emergency landing in Karachi
The plane of an Indian private airline – Air India – made an emergency landing at the Karachi Airport on medical grounds.
According to sources, Indian Airlines flight IX192 was travelling from Dubai to Amritsar when a passenger started experiencing epileptic seizures.
The captain of the plane contacted the Pakistani Air Traffic Controller and after receiving permission, made an emergency landing at the Karachi Airport. However, the passengers were not allowed to disembark.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson, the Indian plane landed at the Jinnah Terminal at 12:28pm. The Border Health Services (BHS) and CAA doctors arrived immediately after the plane landed.
The BHS and CAA doctors provided immediate medical assistance to the passenger and the flight took off after the passenger's condition improved.
Tribune
The plane of an Indian private airline – Air India – made an emergency landing at the Karachi Airport on medical grounds.
According to sources, Indian Airlines flight IX192 was travelling from Dubai to Amritsar when a passenger started experiencing epileptic seizures.
The captain of the plane contacted the Pakistani Air Traffic Controller and after receiving permission, made an emergency landing at the Karachi Airport. However, the passengers were not allowed to disembark.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson, the Indian plane landed at the Jinnah Terminal at 12:28pm. The Border Health Services (BHS) and CAA doctors arrived immediately after the plane landed.
The BHS and CAA doctors provided immediate medical assistance to the passenger and the flight took off after the passenger's condition improved.
Tribune
Justcrazy
ATG
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- 105,472
About a two years ago I was travelling from Toronto to Montreal to doha to another destination in Asia. I reached well before time, from Toronto to Montreal was supposed to be West jet and rest Qatar Airways.
I was surprised there was no flight , I did not know what had happened. After that they diverted me from Toronto to London ( UK ) to Doha. They did not charge anything, so I guess it was there fault. In fact my luggage already went to Montreal. I got my luggage after 3 days.
I was surprised there was no flight , I did not know what had happened. After that they diverted me from Toronto to London ( UK ) to Doha. They did not charge anything, so I guess it was there fault. In fact my luggage already went to Montreal. I got my luggage after 3 days.
Not as much misery in the flights as much as the cost and availability of seats !
I typically fly emirates where prices have skyrocketed. Apparently the value of their miles have also gone down 30%.
As of 6 months ago, I had heard supply of aircrafts we're down approximately 20% due to manpower issues so flying is really becoming a pain.
I typically fly emirates where prices have skyrocketed. Apparently the value of their miles have also gone down 30%.
As of 6 months ago, I had heard supply of aircrafts we're down approximately 20% due to manpower issues so flying is really becoming a pain.
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The government has granted permission to Fly Jinnah – a first low-cost carrier owned and operated jointly by Lakson Group and Air Arabia Group of the United Arab Emirates – to operate on international routes.
Fly Jinnah will now be able to carry out flight operations in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkiye and the UAE.
The airline is celebrating its first anniversary on Oct 31 (today), marking a year of exceptional service and outstanding achievements.
Tribune
Fly Jinnah will now be able to carry out flight operations in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkiye and the UAE.
The airline is celebrating its first anniversary on Oct 31 (today), marking a year of exceptional service and outstanding achievements.
Tribune
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Three die after plane crashes in Australia bushfire fight
Three people were killed after a light aircraft crashed in remote northern Australia Saturday while helping in the battle against bushfires, emergency services said.
The plane went down near the outback town of McKinlay, more than 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) northwest of Queensland’s state capital Brisbane.
It was being used for fire mapping, authorities said, as more than a dozen fires continue to burn across the state.
The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
Three people were killed after a light aircraft crashed in remote northern Australia Saturday while helping in the battle against bushfires, emergency services said.
The plane went down near the outback town of McKinlay, more than 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) northwest of Queensland’s state capital Brisbane.
It was being used for fire mapping, authorities said, as more than a dozen fires continue to burn across the state.
The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
Three die after plane crashes in Australia bushfire fight
SYDNEY: Three people were killed after a light aircraft crashed in remote northern Australia Saturday while helping...
www.brecorder.com
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Flights Halted At Hamburg Airport After Man Drives On Tarmac, Fires Shots
Traffic at Hamburg airport was halted and the terminals evacuated on Saturday night over a "hostage situation" believed to have arisen over a custody dispute, police said.
At around 8 pm (0600 GMT), a gunman had rammed his car through the security area onto the tarmac, firing two shots in the air and flinging two burning bottles out of the vehicle, a police spokesman said.
At least two individuals -- including a child -- were in the car, police said.
The wife of the driver had placed an emergency call alerting police to the abduction of her child, the spokesman added.
"We are on site with a large contingent of emergency services. We are currently assuming a static hostage situation," Hamburg police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The car remained parked in the apron area of the airport.
Police added later Saturday that they believed "that a custody dispute is the background to this operation".
www.ndtv.com
Traffic at Hamburg airport was halted and the terminals evacuated on Saturday night over a "hostage situation" believed to have arisen over a custody dispute, police said.
At around 8 pm (0600 GMT), a gunman had rammed his car through the security area onto the tarmac, firing two shots in the air and flinging two burning bottles out of the vehicle, a police spokesman said.
At least two individuals -- including a child -- were in the car, police said.
The wife of the driver had placed an emergency call alerting police to the abduction of her child, the spokesman added.
"We are on site with a large contingent of emergency services. We are currently assuming a static hostage situation," Hamburg police said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The car remained parked in the apron area of the airport.
Police added later Saturday that they believed "that a custody dispute is the background to this operation".
Flights Halted At Hamburg Airport After Man Drives On Tarmac, Fires Shots
Traffic at Hamburg airport was halted on Saturday night over a "hostage situation", police said, with local media reporting that it involved an armed man with two children in his vehicle.
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Another foreign airline has announced direct flights to Pakistan
As per details, the Taban Airline to start its flight operation to Pakistan as the first flight will land in Karachi from Mashhad.
Moreover, the first flight of Taban Airline will be inaugurated by Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori. He will leave for Mashhad along with the Consul General of Iran to inaugurate the airline.
Last month, Malaysian airline Batik Air launched direct flights between Karachi and Kuala Lumpur.
Following the resounding success of its daily flights to Lahore, Batik Air announced new services between Karachi and Kuala Lumpur. The first flight will land at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi at 7:30pm. The airline will operate three times weekly flights.
The new route strengthens the airline’s ties between the countries, fostering both business and leisure travel opportunities.
On November 1, Azerbaijan’s national airline launched direct flight operations to Pakistan.
Azerbaijan’s national airline – AZAL – commenced direct flights to Pakistan, while an inaugural flight from Azerbaijan will reach Islamabad airport tonight.
arynews.tv
As per details, the Taban Airline to start its flight operation to Pakistan as the first flight will land in Karachi from Mashhad.
Moreover, the first flight of Taban Airline will be inaugurated by Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori. He will leave for Mashhad along with the Consul General of Iran to inaugurate the airline.
Last month, Malaysian airline Batik Air launched direct flights between Karachi and Kuala Lumpur.
Following the resounding success of its daily flights to Lahore, Batik Air announced new services between Karachi and Kuala Lumpur. The first flight will land at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi at 7:30pm. The airline will operate three times weekly flights.
The new route strengthens the airline’s ties between the countries, fostering both business and leisure travel opportunities.
On November 1, Azerbaijan’s national airline launched direct flight operations to Pakistan.
Azerbaijan’s national airline – AZAL – commenced direct flights to Pakistan, while an inaugural flight from Azerbaijan will reach Islamabad airport tonight.
Another foreign airline announces flights to Pakistan
KARACHI: Another foreign airline has announced direct flights to Pakistan, ARY News reported. As per details, the Taban Airline to start its flight
arynews.tv
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Toddlers, Teens Among 13 Unescorted Children On Plane Grounded In France
Thirteen unaccompanied minors are among the more than 300 Indian passengers of a Nicaragua-bound plane held in France over suspected human trafficking, authorities told AFP on Saturday.
The Airbus A340 has been held at Vatry airport, 150 kilometres (95 miles) east of Paris, since arriving from Dubai on Thursday following an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking.
The civilian protection unit of the Marne department said the plane was carrying 13 unaccompanied minors as well as accompanied minors, with their ages ranging from 21 months to 17 years.
The 303 passengers of the flight operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines were still in the airport's entrance hall on Saturday morning, an AFP reporter saw.
Two passengers were in custody on Friday as part of the investigation.
Liliana Bakayoko, a lawyer for the airline, said all crew members had been questioned and allowed to leave.
Tarpaulin covered the entrance hall's glass exterior and nearby administrative buildings, while police and gendarmes prevented access.
Source : NDTV
Thirteen unaccompanied minors are among the more than 300 Indian passengers of a Nicaragua-bound plane held in France over suspected human trafficking, authorities told AFP on Saturday.
The Airbus A340 has been held at Vatry airport, 150 kilometres (95 miles) east of Paris, since arriving from Dubai on Thursday following an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking.
The civilian protection unit of the Marne department said the plane was carrying 13 unaccompanied minors as well as accompanied minors, with their ages ranging from 21 months to 17 years.
The 303 passengers of the flight operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines were still in the airport's entrance hall on Saturday morning, an AFP reporter saw.
Two passengers were in custody on Friday as part of the investigation.
Liliana Bakayoko, a lawyer for the airline, said all crew members had been questioned and allowed to leave.
Tarpaulin covered the entrance hall's glass exterior and nearby administrative buildings, while police and gendarmes prevented access.
Source : NDTV
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A Nicaragua-bound Airbus A340 with 303 passengers - several of whom, if not all, are Indians, and who had been grounded at a Paris airport over human trafficking links - has finally left for Mumbai, French newspaper Le Monde reported late Monday. The departure comes after hours of confusion over the plane's status amid reports that many on board did not want to return to their home nations.
"The situation is confusing," Liliana Bakayoko, legal counsel for Romania's Legend Airlines, to whom the plane is registered, told a French TV channel and radio network earlier today. "Some of the passengers were unhappy... because they wanted to continue their journey to Nicaragua as planned."
Earlier in the day she told PTI the plane was would leave France at 10 am local time (2:30 PM IST) and land late Monday or early Tuesday. She told Le Monde the necessary clearances had been obtained.
She indicated then only 200-250 passengers had consented to return. These, she said, would include those who were not in police custody or had not appealed to French for asylum.
However, shortly after that police told Le Monde, the plane would not leave "before noon..."
At least two passengers are among those who were not been authorised to leave and have, it is believed, been detained. A dozen others have sought asylum; their status is not known at this time.
The two may be charged with conspiring to help undocumented foreigners enter the country, Le Monde said. Reports indicate some passengers spoke Tamil and some Hindi.
The two not authorised to leave were reportedly asked "to verify" if their role "may have been different than the others in this transport, and under what conditions and with what objectives".
The flight - a charter service from Dubai - had landed at the airport, which is around 160 km from Paris, to refuel. It was then grounded after a tip-off the pax were "likely to be victims of human trafficking".
Sources told news agency AFP the plane could be part of a crime syndicate trying to smuggle people into the United States via the Central American country.
France's anti-organised crime unit, JUNALCO, is now leading investigations.
Human trafficking carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in France.
On Sunday authorities had said the plane could leave. This was after local judges questioned all those on board. Under French law foreign nationals can be detained for extended periods on arrival.
"We are very relieved. We were impatiently waiting for this," Ms Bakayoko had said then.
Indian citizens on board have been given consular access, and the Indian government has said it is working with its French counterpart to resolve the situation. The passengers were provided makeshift beds, food and water, and access to toilets and showers, at the airport itself, officials said.
Legend Airlines has said it believes it has done nothing wrong and is ready to help the authorities with the investigation. It will also "seek damages from (the) client" who chartered its plane.
Source: NDTV
Grounded Plane With 300 Indians Finally Takes Off From France
A Nicaragua-bound Airbus A340 with 303 Indian passengers - several, if not all, of whom are Indians, and which had beengrounded at a Paris airport over human trafficking links- has left for Mumbai.
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Pilots refuse to fly plane; leave hundreds stranded at airport
A bizarre case in India saw over 100 passengers getting stranded in an Indian airport after the pilots of 10 planes refused to complete their journey citing flight timing laws as their reason.
A report by the India news agency News 9 Live stated that 116 passengers were stranded at the Jaipur International Airport as pilots of 10 aircraft refused to fly their plane under the Flight Time Delay Limitation (FTDL) rule.
The 10 flights – two from IndiGo, five from Air India, one from Vistara and two from Alliance Air – in question were diverted to Jaipur because of dense fog in the country.
Later, two planes out of the 10 planes proceeded to their destinations while the rest remained stranded at the airport.
It is pertinent to mention here are pilots and flight attendants are strictly advised to follow the FTDL rule laid down by India’s Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) so they get adequate rest and avoid fatigue-related safety issues.
Under the regulations, crew members can not work for more than eight hours a day, 35 hours in a week, 125 hours in a month, and 1000 hours in a year.
ARY News
A bizarre case in India saw over 100 passengers getting stranded in an Indian airport after the pilots of 10 planes refused to complete their journey citing flight timing laws as their reason.
A report by the India news agency News 9 Live stated that 116 passengers were stranded at the Jaipur International Airport as pilots of 10 aircraft refused to fly their plane under the Flight Time Delay Limitation (FTDL) rule.
The 10 flights – two from IndiGo, five from Air India, one from Vistara and two from Alliance Air – in question were diverted to Jaipur because of dense fog in the country.
Later, two planes out of the 10 planes proceeded to their destinations while the rest remained stranded at the airport.
It is pertinent to mention here are pilots and flight attendants are strictly advised to follow the FTDL rule laid down by India’s Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) so they get adequate rest and avoid fatigue-related safety issues.
Under the regulations, crew members can not work for more than eight hours a day, 35 hours in a week, 125 hours in a month, and 1000 hours in a year.
ARY News
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Nepal plane crash caused by pilots mistakenly cutting power, says report
A plane crash in Nepal that killed 72 people, including two infants, was most probably the result of its pilots mistakenly cutting the power, said a report by government-appointed investigators.
This caused a loss of thrust that led to an "aerodynamic stall".
The Yeti Airlines flight was flying from the capital Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara on 15 January.
It is the country's deadliest plane crash in 30 years.
The flight on 15 January, which involved an ATR 72, was the flight crew's third sector of the day, shuttling between Kathmandu and Pokhara.
The privately owned plane crashed in the Seti river gorge just 1.5km (0.9 miles) from the airport, prompting a rescue operation that involved hundreds of Nepalese soldiers.
"Due to its momentum, the aircraft flew for up to 49 seconds before hitting the ground," aeronautical engineer Dipak Prasad Bastola, a member of the investigating panel, told Reuters.
The pilots had likely put the condition levers, which control power, in the feathering position instead of selecting the flap lever, he explained. Mr Bastola explained that this caused the engine to "run idle and not produce thrust".
"Following the un-intentional feathering of both engine propellers, the flight crew failed to identify the problem and take corrective actions despite the Crew Alerting Panel cautions," the report said.
The report also listed a lack of appropriate technical and skill based training, high workload and stress, and non-compliance with standard operating procedures as contributing factors to the accident.
It added that the aircraft had been properly maintained, had had no known defects and that the cockpit crew had been qualified in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
More than a dozen investigators from the US, Canada, France and Singapore were involved in the investigation.
A plane crash in Nepal that killed 72 people, including two infants, was most probably the result of its pilots mistakenly cutting the power, said a report by government-appointed investigators.
This caused a loss of thrust that led to an "aerodynamic stall".
The Yeti Airlines flight was flying from the capital Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara on 15 January.
It is the country's deadliest plane crash in 30 years.
The flight on 15 January, which involved an ATR 72, was the flight crew's third sector of the day, shuttling between Kathmandu and Pokhara.
The privately owned plane crashed in the Seti river gorge just 1.5km (0.9 miles) from the airport, prompting a rescue operation that involved hundreds of Nepalese soldiers.
"Due to its momentum, the aircraft flew for up to 49 seconds before hitting the ground," aeronautical engineer Dipak Prasad Bastola, a member of the investigating panel, told Reuters.
The pilots had likely put the condition levers, which control power, in the feathering position instead of selecting the flap lever, he explained. Mr Bastola explained that this caused the engine to "run idle and not produce thrust".
"Following the un-intentional feathering of both engine propellers, the flight crew failed to identify the problem and take corrective actions despite the Crew Alerting Panel cautions," the report said.
The report also listed a lack of appropriate technical and skill based training, high workload and stress, and non-compliance with standard operating procedures as contributing factors to the accident.
It added that the aircraft had been properly maintained, had had no known defects and that the cockpit crew had been qualified in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.
More than a dozen investigators from the US, Canada, France and Singapore were involved in the investigation.
Nepal plane crash caused by pilots mistakenly cutting power, says report
The January incident that killed 72, including two infants, was the country's deadliest in decades.
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Alaska Airlines grounds Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet after midair window blowout
Alaska Airlines has said it is grounding its fleet of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft after a window and piece of fuselage blew out midair, forcing an emergency landing in Portland, in the US state of Oregon.
The incident took place shortly after takeoff on Friday and the gaping hole caused the cabin to depressurise. Flight data showed the plane climbed to 16,000 feet (4,876 metres) before returning to Portland International Airport.
The airline said Flight 1282 – which was bound for Ontario, California – landed safely with 174 passengers and six crew members.
CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement that the airline had “decided to take the precautionary step of temporarily grounding our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft”.
Each jet will be returned to service after full maintenance and safety inspections, which Minicucci said the airline anticipated completing within days.
Alaska Airlines has not provided further information about the possible cause, but the United States National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have said they would investigate the incident.
Source: Al Jazeera
www.aljazeera.com
Alaska Airlines has said it is grounding its fleet of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft after a window and piece of fuselage blew out midair, forcing an emergency landing in Portland, in the US state of Oregon.
The incident took place shortly after takeoff on Friday and the gaping hole caused the cabin to depressurise. Flight data showed the plane climbed to 16,000 feet (4,876 metres) before returning to Portland International Airport.
The airline said Flight 1282 – which was bound for Ontario, California – landed safely with 174 passengers and six crew members.
CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement that the airline had “decided to take the precautionary step of temporarily grounding our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft”.
Each jet will be returned to service after full maintenance and safety inspections, which Minicucci said the airline anticipated completing within days.
Alaska Airlines has not provided further information about the possible cause, but the United States National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have said they would investigate the incident.
Source: Al Jazeera
Alaska Airlines grounds Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet after midair window blowout
All 174 passengers and six crew are safe after incident shortly after takeoff from Portland forced emergency landing.
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FAA grounds 171 Boeing planes after mid-air blowout on Alaska Airlines jet
FAA grounds 171 Boeing planes after mid-air blowout on Alaska Airlines jet
It comes after part of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 fell off, forcing an emergency landing.
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Flight returns to Japan after ‘drunk’ man bites crew member
A US-bound ANA flight was forced to return to Tokyo after an intoxicated passenger bit a crew member mid-flight.
The man, reportedly a 55-year-old American, was "heavily drunk" when he bit a cabinet attendant's arm, slightly injuring her, a spokesman for the airline told AFP.
Japanese media said the man told police he had taken a sleeping pill and did not remember what happened.
It is the latest in a series of recent incidents to affect Japanese aviation.
The plane, which reportedly had 159 passengers on board, was over the Pacific Ocean when the incident happened, prompting its pilots to turn back to Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
There the man was handed over to police, the airline said.
It is the second incident to impact ANA in recent days - and the fifth involving the Japanese aviation industry in a matter of weeks.
On Saturday, a domestic ANA flight in Japan had to turn back after a crack was discovered in the window of the cockpit.
The crack appeared in the outermost of the four layers of window surrounding the cockpit, and there were no injuries to anyone on board.
"The crack was not something that affected the flight's control or pressurisation," an ANA spokesperson said.
The most serious of the recent incidents occurred at Haneda on 2 January, when a Japanese Airlines aircraft collided with a smaller coastguard plane.
All 379 people on board the passenger jet escaped before it burst into flames, but five of the six people on the smaller aircraft - which was supplying relief after a major earthquake hit central Japan - died.
On Tuesday, aircraft belonging to Korean Air and Cathay Pacific clipped wings at an airport on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido amid wintry conditions. There were no injuries.
A similar incident occurred on Sunday when an ANA aircraft came into "contact" with a Delta Air Lines plane at Chicago airport in the United States, the Japanese airline told AFP, also causing no injuries.
A US-bound ANA flight was forced to return to Tokyo after an intoxicated passenger bit a crew member mid-flight.
The man, reportedly a 55-year-old American, was "heavily drunk" when he bit a cabinet attendant's arm, slightly injuring her, a spokesman for the airline told AFP.
Japanese media said the man told police he had taken a sleeping pill and did not remember what happened.
It is the latest in a series of recent incidents to affect Japanese aviation.
The plane, which reportedly had 159 passengers on board, was over the Pacific Ocean when the incident happened, prompting its pilots to turn back to Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
There the man was handed over to police, the airline said.
It is the second incident to impact ANA in recent days - and the fifth involving the Japanese aviation industry in a matter of weeks.
On Saturday, a domestic ANA flight in Japan had to turn back after a crack was discovered in the window of the cockpit.
The crack appeared in the outermost of the four layers of window surrounding the cockpit, and there were no injuries to anyone on board.
"The crack was not something that affected the flight's control or pressurisation," an ANA spokesperson said.
The most serious of the recent incidents occurred at Haneda on 2 January, when a Japanese Airlines aircraft collided with a smaller coastguard plane.
All 379 people on board the passenger jet escaped before it burst into flames, but five of the six people on the smaller aircraft - which was supplying relief after a major earthquake hit central Japan - died.
On Tuesday, aircraft belonging to Korean Air and Cathay Pacific clipped wings at an airport on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido amid wintry conditions. There were no injuries.
A similar incident occurred on Sunday when an ANA aircraft came into "contact" with a Delta Air Lines plane at Chicago airport in the United States, the Japanese airline told AFP, also causing no injuries.
Flight returns to Japan after ‘drunk’ man bites crew member
The man, reportedly a 55-year-old American, said he did not remember what happened.
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IndiGo Fined ₹ 1.2 Crore After Viral Video Shows Fliers Eating On Tarmac
Low-cost carrier IndiGo has been fined ₹ 1.2 crore by the Bureau Of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) after a viral video showed passengers eating on the tarmac as they waited for their delayed flight to take off.
The country's aviation regulator, DGCA, also took cognisance of the video circulating on social media and ordered Mumbai Airport to pay ₹ 30 lakh for the violation.
On Tuesday, the Centre issued show-cause notices to IndiGo and Mumbai Airport over the video of passengers eating on the tarmac.
www.ndtv.com
Low-cost carrier IndiGo has been fined ₹ 1.2 crore by the Bureau Of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) after a viral video showed passengers eating on the tarmac as they waited for their delayed flight to take off.
The country's aviation regulator, DGCA, also took cognisance of the video circulating on social media and ordered Mumbai Airport to pay ₹ 30 lakh for the violation.
On Tuesday, the Centre issued show-cause notices to IndiGo and Mumbai Airport over the video of passengers eating on the tarmac.
IndiGo Fined Rs 1.2 Crore After Viral Video Shows Fliers Eating On Tarmac
Low-cost carrier IndiGo has been fined Rs 1.2 crore by the Bureau Of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) after a viral video showed passengers eating on the tarmac as they waited for their delayed flight to take off.
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UK okays essential travel to western Ukraine
Britain on Monday updated travel advice to some western Ukraine regions, giving the green light to essential trips having previously warned against visiting the whole country following Russia’s invasion.
“The UK government has updated its travel advice to Ukraine today following a change in the risk assessment on the ground in four western regions of the country,” said the Foreign Office.
It now advises against all but essential travel to the regions of Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernivtsi in western Ukraine.
The United Kingdom previously advised against travel to the whole of Ukraine after Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“Russia continues to illegally wage war across Ukraine but the country continues to show remarkable determination and resilience in the face of Russia’s attacks, which is why the UK has changed its travel advice to these regions,” said the ministry.
“It has strong air defence systems which are helping to defend the country from Russia’s missile and drone strikes.”
London continues to advise against all travel to the capital Kyiv.
Britain on Monday updated travel advice to some western Ukraine regions, giving the green light to essential trips having previously warned against visiting the whole country following Russia’s invasion.
“The UK government has updated its travel advice to Ukraine today following a change in the risk assessment on the ground in four western regions of the country,” said the Foreign Office.
It now advises against all but essential travel to the regions of Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Chernivtsi in western Ukraine.
The United Kingdom previously advised against travel to the whole of Ukraine after Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“Russia continues to illegally wage war across Ukraine but the country continues to show remarkable determination and resilience in the face of Russia’s attacks, which is why the UK has changed its travel advice to these regions,” said the ministry.
“It has strong air defence systems which are helping to defend the country from Russia’s missile and drone strikes.”
London continues to advise against all travel to the capital Kyiv.
UK okays essential travel to western Ukraine
LONDON: Britain on Monday updated travel advice to some western Ukraine regions, giving the green light to essential...
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Small plane crashes in Brazil killing seven
Brazilian authorities said Sunday at least seven people were killed in a small plane crash that is said to have broken up in midair in the Minas Gerais state with firefighters responding to the site of the incident.
Firefighters said that they have "found seven dead victims [who were] on board the aircraft," the department said in a statement.
Earlier it announced that three bodies were found from the crash site.
Images captured by the locals and uploaded on social media show the wreckage of the plane shortly after falling on the side of a hill covered with grass and trees.
This plane crash comes as in September last year, 14 people were killed during a small plane crash in Amazon.
Amazon state Governor Wilson Lima had wrote on his social media post that twelve passengers and two crew were killed in the accident, that occurred in the northern town of Barcelos — a tourist destination.
The plane was an 18-passenger EMB-110, a twin-engine turboprop manufactured by Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer, reported a news site G1.
It had been travelling from the state capital, Manaus, to Barcelos, about a 90-minute flight.
Located on the Rio Negro, an Amazon tributary, it is bordered by several national parks and other protected areas.
News site UOL said at that time that the passengers were Brazilians travelling to the region for sport fishing, citing state security secretary Vinicius Almeida.
www.thenews.com.pk
Brazilian authorities said Sunday at least seven people were killed in a small plane crash that is said to have broken up in midair in the Minas Gerais state with firefighters responding to the site of the incident.
Firefighters said that they have "found seven dead victims [who were] on board the aircraft," the department said in a statement.
Earlier it announced that three bodies were found from the crash site.
Images captured by the locals and uploaded on social media show the wreckage of the plane shortly after falling on the side of a hill covered with grass and trees.
This plane crash comes as in September last year, 14 people were killed during a small plane crash in Amazon.
Amazon state Governor Wilson Lima had wrote on his social media post that twelve passengers and two crew were killed in the accident, that occurred in the northern town of Barcelos — a tourist destination.
The plane was an 18-passenger EMB-110, a twin-engine turboprop manufactured by Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer, reported a news site G1.
It had been travelling from the state capital, Manaus, to Barcelos, about a 90-minute flight.
Located on the Rio Negro, an Amazon tributary, it is bordered by several national parks and other protected areas.
News site UOL said at that time that the passengers were Brazilians travelling to the region for sport fishing, citing state security secretary Vinicius Almeida.
Small plane crashes in Brazil killing seven
Brazilian authorities said Sunday at least seven people were killed in a small plane crash that is said to have broken up in midair in the Minas Gerais state with firefighters responding to the site...
www.thenews.com.pk
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Six people were injured after an American Airlines plane made a “hard landing” at Kahului Airport in Maui on Saturday afternoon, according to federal officials.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating after American Airlines Flight 271, an Airbus A320, "made a hard landing" on the runway around 2:00 p.m. local time.
In a statement to USA TODAY, American Airlines said one passenger and five flight attendants were taken to the hospital in stable condition and then released.
The flight which was arriving from Los Angeles, had 167 passengers and seven crew members on board, the airline said.
www.usatoday.com
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating after American Airlines Flight 271, an Airbus A320, "made a hard landing" on the runway around 2:00 p.m. local time.
In a statement to USA TODAY, American Airlines said one passenger and five flight attendants were taken to the hospital in stable condition and then released.
The flight which was arriving from Los Angeles, had 167 passengers and seven crew members on board, the airline said.
Six people taken to hospital after American Airlines plane makes hard landing at Maui airport
An American Airlines flight made a hard landing on the runway at Kahului Airport in Maui, Hawaii on Saturday afternoon.
www.usatoday.com
gazza619
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Hi everyone!
So I am looking to book a flight in May 2024 travelling from London to New York (JFK). Has anyone had any experience recently which they can share please? This is my first time travelling to the US. There are quite a few airlines that fly the route, but when I check their online reviews, most reviews are negative which makes me slightly nervous. I just don't want to be in a position where my flight get cancelled without any notice. My mom will be travelling with me and she would need a wheelchair , I am just hoping for a smooth & hassle free journey. I would rather pay a bit extra for a better service.
Do they ask for Covid vaccination evidence? is there anything I should be aware of?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated
So I am looking to book a flight in May 2024 travelling from London to New York (JFK). Has anyone had any experience recently which they can share please? This is my first time travelling to the US. There are quite a few airlines that fly the route, but when I check their online reviews, most reviews are negative which makes me slightly nervous. I just don't want to be in a position where my flight get cancelled without any notice. My mom will be travelling with me and she would need a wheelchair , I am just hoping for a smooth & hassle free journey. I would rather pay a bit extra for a better service.
Do they ask for Covid vaccination evidence? is there anything I should be aware of?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated
My family flew last summer from Heathrow to JFK. Avoid Norse Atlantic Airways at all costs. Clown airline. Plane took off and 1 hour later had to turn back due to technical issues. Family then stuck on plane for 5 hours whilst they tried to fix issue. Eventually they sorted it and Family landed safely in the US. Rubbish airline zero customer service they don't have a human you can speak to. Currently trying to claim compensation which is a nightmare as airline does not respond to emails. Avoid.Hi everyone!
So I am looking to book a flight in May 2024 travelling from London to New York (JFK). Has anyone had any experience recently which they can share please? This is my first time travelling to the US. There are quite a few airlines that fly the route, but when I check their online reviews, most reviews are negative which makes me slightly nervous. I just don't want to be in a position where my flight get cancelled without any notice. My mom will be travelling with me and she would need a wheelchair , I am just hoping for a smooth & hassle free journey. I would rather pay a bit extra for a better service.
Do they ask for Covid vaccination evidence? is there anything I should be aware of?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated
Spare no expense. Fly BA or Virgin always had positive experiences with them
gazza619
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Delta flight forced to turn back after maggots fall on passengers from overhead compartment
A Delta flight was recently forced to turn around an hour after take-off when maggots fell from the overhead compartment onto passengers sitting in the economy seats.
The flight on Tuesday 13 February was transporting travellers from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, when a passenger’s suitcase containing rotting fish was in the overhead bin and opened up resulting in maggots falling onto passengers and the plane turning around.
After the plane landed all passengers were instructed to de-board the aircraft and the suitcase containing the fish was placed in a bag to be destroyed. The plane itself was also deeply cleaned.
www.independent.co.uk
A Delta flight was recently forced to turn around an hour after take-off when maggots fell from the overhead compartment onto passengers sitting in the economy seats.
The flight on Tuesday 13 February was transporting travellers from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, when a passenger’s suitcase containing rotting fish was in the overhead bin and opened up resulting in maggots falling onto passengers and the plane turning around.
After the plane landed all passengers were instructed to de-board the aircraft and the suitcase containing the fish was placed in a bag to be destroyed. The plane itself was also deeply cleaned.
Delta flight forced to turn back after maggots fall on passengers
Flight was travelling from Amsterdam to Detroit
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That is the reason why I prefer sitting in the window seat.Delta flight forced to turn back after maggots fall on passengers from overhead compartment
A Delta flight was recently forced to turn around an hour after take-off when maggots fell from the overhead compartment onto passengers sitting in the economy seats.
The flight on Tuesday 13 February was transporting travellers from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, when a passenger’s suitcase containing rotting fish was in the overhead bin and opened up resulting in maggots falling onto passengers and the plane turning around.
After the plane landed all passengers were instructed to de-board the aircraft and the suitcase containing the fish was placed in a bag to be destroyed. The plane itself was also deeply cleaned.
Delta flight forced to turn back after maggots fall on passengers
Flight was travelling from Amsterdam to Detroit
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2023
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"Good Night. Malaysian Three Seven Zero."
Those six words were the last radio transmission from the cockpit of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, less than an hour after the aircraft took off late at night from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Minutes later, the plane disappeared from air-traffic control radar screens.
The huge Boeing Co. 777 jet, almost as long as a Manhattan city block and taller than a five-story building, had somehow managed to make itself invisible in the clear night sky. There were 239 people on board.
Ensuing search operations combed through some of the deepest ocean floors in the inhospitable southern Indian Ocean, hundreds of miles off Australia's western seaboard, and found no trace of the main fuselage or any passengers and crew. Of the 3 million components in the 777, just a few fragments washed ashore years later on the east African coast.
With no mayday call, no known flight path and no wreckage, MH370 remains modern aviation's biggest mystery. And while investigators had very little to go on, they were clear on one thing: A plane must never go missing like this again.
Yet 10 years on, an industrywide push to rule out a similar case has been stymied by bureaucracy, financial pressure, and a debate about who should have ultimate control of the cockpit, according to years of regulatory amendments chronicling the process.
A key aircraft-tracking tool that was proposed by Malaysian authorities weeks after the disaster is yet to be implemented. While the industry has saved hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment costs, there remains an ocean-sized hole in aviation's safety protocols, meaning that a doomed passenger jet in a remote corner of the planet could remain hidden forever.
As search teams looked in vain for MH370, an additional layer of safety regulation spearheaded by the International Civil Aviation Organization proposed new jets should broadcast their position at least every minute if they were in trouble. The aim was to give authorities early warning of an unfolding disaster. Should the plane later go down, rescue teams would at least have a chance of locating the crash site.
It hasn't turned out that way. The one-minute tracking rule has twice been delayed. It was initially due to be in force in January 2021 but is now set to take effect from January 2025. Bloomberg News asked more than a dozen major airlines spanning the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia how many planes in their fleets already meet ICAO's requirements. At the airlines that responded, very few planes are compliant.
Air France, which had more than 250 aircraft as of September, said seven jets - all Airbus SE A350s - comply with the standard. Korean Air Lines Co. said three of its 159-strong fleet are equipped with the tracking device, while Japan Airlines Co. said two of its 226 planes have the technology installed.
The delay since MH370 vanished has been unacceptable, said Hassan Shahidi, president and chief executive officer of the Flight Safety Foundation, a Virginia-based not-for-profit group that promotes aviation safety standards. "This was a tragedy and solutions have been developed. It is absolutely imperative that we take this final step," Shahidi said.
As well as being years late, the fresh tracking standard applies only to new aircraft. There's no requirement to install the relevant technology on more than 20,000 older planes in service as of last year. That means thousands of aircraft will fly for decades, ferrying millions of passengers around the world, without a capability that was deemed crucial after MH370 disappeared.
Technology hurdles have played at least some role in the delays. When the US National Transportation Safety Board recommended "tamper-proof" tracking systems on planes in 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration, considered the global pacesetter for the civil aviation industry, pushed back. The FAA said it couldn't be done without sacrificing the pilot's control of all systems, considered a mainstay of aviation safety protocols because pilots should have final say over the aircraft in case of emergencies.
The role of MH370 Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah has been a major focus point of the mystery. According to the presumed sequence of events in the final report, the plane deliberately left its planned route north to China, looped back over Malaysia and headed out to sea. It cruised south for about six hours and probably came down in the southern Indian Ocean when it ran out of fuel.
Scientists managed to roughly map the doomed jet's route by studying its hourly connections with a satellite 36,000 kilometers (22,400 miles) above Earth. As remarkable as this detective work was, it produced an enormous potential crash zone. An international search fleet surveyed 710,000 square kilometers of seabed, peppered with trenches and peaks, before the hunt was called off in 2017. A fresh effort the following year by marine exploration company Ocean Infinity also came up empty.
The forensic detail included in the 450-page final report into the tragedy makes it hard to escape the human toll of the tragedy. The report lists the seat number, gender and nationality of the passengers. The economy section was almost full, two children sat in 17F and 18F and another in 30H, and there were two infants on board. In the rear, four rows apart, two Iranians were traveling on stolen European passports.
The business-class section was barely one-third occupied, with most of the 10 passengers seated by the windows. The 10 flight attendants tending to their guests all came from Malaysia, while the majority of passengers were Chinese. Just after 1 a.m., the flight had settled into cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. Some 20 minutes later, MH370 signed off from Malaysian air-traffic control with its last-ever voice transmission.
Investigators said it's possible someone then switched off the plane's communications systems, while stopping short of a definitive conclusion. The team was "unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370," they said.
At the same time, the report made an impassioned appeal to the international aviation community, saying it "needs to provide assurance to the traveling public that the location of current-generation commercial aircraft is always known. It is unacceptable to do otherwise."
The one-minute tracking rule was designed to resolve that blind spot, by aiming to nail down a crash site to within a radius of six nautical miles.
That's still not good enough, said Mike Poole, chief executive officer of APS Aerospace Corp., an Ottawa-based company that conducts flight-data analysis for accident investigations. With satellites covering almost every inch of the planet, Poole wants all commercial flights to transmit their position and other key data almost constantly over a tamper-proof system. It shouldn't matter whether the aircraft's in trouble or not, he said.
"In the event of a missing plane, not only do you know where it is, you get a lot of instant information," said Poole, who worked for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada for more than 20 years and led its flight-recorder laboratory. "You would probably have a really good idea what happened to MH370."
Finding any missing plane is important because understanding the cause of past incidents is central to preventing disasters in the future. The FAA has an online library devoted to lessons learned from decades of accidents.
After MH370 disappeared in 2014, there was an initial flurry of activity. Within a month, the International Air Transport Association, an airline trade group, formed a task force to draw up proposals for more stringent flight monitoring. Boeing, Airbus and ICAO, a United Nations agency central to aviation standard-setting, were all included. One of the outcomes from this early work was a requirement for large, new passenger planes in distress to transmit their position at least once a minute from Jan. 1, 2021.
Meeting that deadline was beyond the sector. In a four-page submission to ICAO in 2019, Australian authorities claimed there had been "a lack of coordination and information sharing" between Montreal-based ICAO and search-and-rescue entities. One-minute tracking was subsequently delayed until 2023. When the coronavirus shut down air travel and sent hundreds of newly made, undelivered planes into storage, the tracking rule was shunted back to 2025.
A 2022 filing by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency sheds light on the financial gains from the second delay. The EASA document said the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industry Associations, representing plane manufacturers, asked ICAO for the postponement. EASA cited estimated cost savings of between $175 million and $262 million - less than the list price of a new Boeing 777.
At the same time, EASA acknowledged that the technology to process emergency signals by the satellite networks has faced "significant delays" because the satellites needed to monitor the entire globe weren't yet fully operable. And the entities responsible for acting in the event of a distress report also need time to set up processes to handle such incidents, it said.
Montreal-based ICCAIA declined to comment. An Airbus spokesman declined to comment on the delays and deferred to the EASA filing. ICAO said in an email that "the pandemic put everyone back." Tracking equipment for planes in distress might someday be obligatory on older aircraft, "depending on how essential and performing the new device turns out to be," ICAO said.
Boeing said it continues to "work under the oversight of global regulators on the requirement for a Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System.''
To be sure, airlines tightened their tracking capabilities to some degree in the wake of MH370, pinpointing their large passenger planes at least every 15 minutes when over remote waters.
"The job on safety is never done," said IATA Director General Willie Walsh. "When you have events like MH370, I think it really does cause everybody to stand back and say, 'How can this happen?' Could this happen again? I'd be very surprised if it could. I'm not saying the chances are zero, but the chances are so much smaller today than they were 10 years ago."
Off-the-shelf products that track commercial flights continuously are available. Inmarsat and Aireon, for instance, provide carriers near real-time in-flight data using a network of satellites that can link up with planes almost anywhere in the world with high precision and in real-time.
That means a situation like the 2009 crash of Air France 447 - a functional plane that plunged into the Atlantic Ocean without suspicion of foul play and was only found after two years - should theoretically never happen again.
ICAO lays down clear requirements for in-flight one-minute tracking devices for aircraft in trouble. They need to activate in a range of scenarios, such as a loss of propulsion. Critically, devices triggered automatically can't be manually turned off.
Airbus introduced an emergency locator transmitter system that meets the standard, and has fitted it on all new widebody aircraft the planemaker has delivered since April 2023.
There was no such capability on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Joe Hattley, an Australian air-accident expert who joined the international investigation team in Malaysia after MH370 went missing, says the mystery still hangs over him, even after 10 years. While the incident bore the hallmarks of a deliberate action, the lack of evidence frustrates him.
"I think about MH370 every day," said Hattley. "As an accident investigator, your job is to answer questions, provide answers to families, friends and next of kin, and to try and improve safety. We haven't been able to do that."
NDTV
www.ndtv.com
Those six words were the last radio transmission from the cockpit of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, less than an hour after the aircraft took off late at night from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Minutes later, the plane disappeared from air-traffic control radar screens.
The huge Boeing Co. 777 jet, almost as long as a Manhattan city block and taller than a five-story building, had somehow managed to make itself invisible in the clear night sky. There were 239 people on board.
Ensuing search operations combed through some of the deepest ocean floors in the inhospitable southern Indian Ocean, hundreds of miles off Australia's western seaboard, and found no trace of the main fuselage or any passengers and crew. Of the 3 million components in the 777, just a few fragments washed ashore years later on the east African coast.
With no mayday call, no known flight path and no wreckage, MH370 remains modern aviation's biggest mystery. And while investigators had very little to go on, they were clear on one thing: A plane must never go missing like this again.
Yet 10 years on, an industrywide push to rule out a similar case has been stymied by bureaucracy, financial pressure, and a debate about who should have ultimate control of the cockpit, according to years of regulatory amendments chronicling the process.
A key aircraft-tracking tool that was proposed by Malaysian authorities weeks after the disaster is yet to be implemented. While the industry has saved hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment costs, there remains an ocean-sized hole in aviation's safety protocols, meaning that a doomed passenger jet in a remote corner of the planet could remain hidden forever.
As search teams looked in vain for MH370, an additional layer of safety regulation spearheaded by the International Civil Aviation Organization proposed new jets should broadcast their position at least every minute if they were in trouble. The aim was to give authorities early warning of an unfolding disaster. Should the plane later go down, rescue teams would at least have a chance of locating the crash site.
It hasn't turned out that way. The one-minute tracking rule has twice been delayed. It was initially due to be in force in January 2021 but is now set to take effect from January 2025. Bloomberg News asked more than a dozen major airlines spanning the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia how many planes in their fleets already meet ICAO's requirements. At the airlines that responded, very few planes are compliant.
Air France, which had more than 250 aircraft as of September, said seven jets - all Airbus SE A350s - comply with the standard. Korean Air Lines Co. said three of its 159-strong fleet are equipped with the tracking device, while Japan Airlines Co. said two of its 226 planes have the technology installed.
The delay since MH370 vanished has been unacceptable, said Hassan Shahidi, president and chief executive officer of the Flight Safety Foundation, a Virginia-based not-for-profit group that promotes aviation safety standards. "This was a tragedy and solutions have been developed. It is absolutely imperative that we take this final step," Shahidi said.
As well as being years late, the fresh tracking standard applies only to new aircraft. There's no requirement to install the relevant technology on more than 20,000 older planes in service as of last year. That means thousands of aircraft will fly for decades, ferrying millions of passengers around the world, without a capability that was deemed crucial after MH370 disappeared.
Technology hurdles have played at least some role in the delays. When the US National Transportation Safety Board recommended "tamper-proof" tracking systems on planes in 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration, considered the global pacesetter for the civil aviation industry, pushed back. The FAA said it couldn't be done without sacrificing the pilot's control of all systems, considered a mainstay of aviation safety protocols because pilots should have final say over the aircraft in case of emergencies.
The role of MH370 Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah has been a major focus point of the mystery. According to the presumed sequence of events in the final report, the plane deliberately left its planned route north to China, looped back over Malaysia and headed out to sea. It cruised south for about six hours and probably came down in the southern Indian Ocean when it ran out of fuel.
Scientists managed to roughly map the doomed jet's route by studying its hourly connections with a satellite 36,000 kilometers (22,400 miles) above Earth. As remarkable as this detective work was, it produced an enormous potential crash zone. An international search fleet surveyed 710,000 square kilometers of seabed, peppered with trenches and peaks, before the hunt was called off in 2017. A fresh effort the following year by marine exploration company Ocean Infinity also came up empty.
The forensic detail included in the 450-page final report into the tragedy makes it hard to escape the human toll of the tragedy. The report lists the seat number, gender and nationality of the passengers. The economy section was almost full, two children sat in 17F and 18F and another in 30H, and there were two infants on board. In the rear, four rows apart, two Iranians were traveling on stolen European passports.
The business-class section was barely one-third occupied, with most of the 10 passengers seated by the windows. The 10 flight attendants tending to their guests all came from Malaysia, while the majority of passengers were Chinese. Just after 1 a.m., the flight had settled into cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. Some 20 minutes later, MH370 signed off from Malaysian air-traffic control with its last-ever voice transmission.
Investigators said it's possible someone then switched off the plane's communications systems, while stopping short of a definitive conclusion. The team was "unable to determine the real cause for the disappearance of MH370," they said.
At the same time, the report made an impassioned appeal to the international aviation community, saying it "needs to provide assurance to the traveling public that the location of current-generation commercial aircraft is always known. It is unacceptable to do otherwise."
The one-minute tracking rule was designed to resolve that blind spot, by aiming to nail down a crash site to within a radius of six nautical miles.
That's still not good enough, said Mike Poole, chief executive officer of APS Aerospace Corp., an Ottawa-based company that conducts flight-data analysis for accident investigations. With satellites covering almost every inch of the planet, Poole wants all commercial flights to transmit their position and other key data almost constantly over a tamper-proof system. It shouldn't matter whether the aircraft's in trouble or not, he said.
"In the event of a missing plane, not only do you know where it is, you get a lot of instant information," said Poole, who worked for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada for more than 20 years and led its flight-recorder laboratory. "You would probably have a really good idea what happened to MH370."
Finding any missing plane is important because understanding the cause of past incidents is central to preventing disasters in the future. The FAA has an online library devoted to lessons learned from decades of accidents.
After MH370 disappeared in 2014, there was an initial flurry of activity. Within a month, the International Air Transport Association, an airline trade group, formed a task force to draw up proposals for more stringent flight monitoring. Boeing, Airbus and ICAO, a United Nations agency central to aviation standard-setting, were all included. One of the outcomes from this early work was a requirement for large, new passenger planes in distress to transmit their position at least once a minute from Jan. 1, 2021.
Meeting that deadline was beyond the sector. In a four-page submission to ICAO in 2019, Australian authorities claimed there had been "a lack of coordination and information sharing" between Montreal-based ICAO and search-and-rescue entities. One-minute tracking was subsequently delayed until 2023. When the coronavirus shut down air travel and sent hundreds of newly made, undelivered planes into storage, the tracking rule was shunted back to 2025.
A 2022 filing by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency sheds light on the financial gains from the second delay. The EASA document said the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industry Associations, representing plane manufacturers, asked ICAO for the postponement. EASA cited estimated cost savings of between $175 million and $262 million - less than the list price of a new Boeing 777.
At the same time, EASA acknowledged that the technology to process emergency signals by the satellite networks has faced "significant delays" because the satellites needed to monitor the entire globe weren't yet fully operable. And the entities responsible for acting in the event of a distress report also need time to set up processes to handle such incidents, it said.
Montreal-based ICCAIA declined to comment. An Airbus spokesman declined to comment on the delays and deferred to the EASA filing. ICAO said in an email that "the pandemic put everyone back." Tracking equipment for planes in distress might someday be obligatory on older aircraft, "depending on how essential and performing the new device turns out to be," ICAO said.
Boeing said it continues to "work under the oversight of global regulators on the requirement for a Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System.''
To be sure, airlines tightened their tracking capabilities to some degree in the wake of MH370, pinpointing their large passenger planes at least every 15 minutes when over remote waters.
"The job on safety is never done," said IATA Director General Willie Walsh. "When you have events like MH370, I think it really does cause everybody to stand back and say, 'How can this happen?' Could this happen again? I'd be very surprised if it could. I'm not saying the chances are zero, but the chances are so much smaller today than they were 10 years ago."
Off-the-shelf products that track commercial flights continuously are available. Inmarsat and Aireon, for instance, provide carriers near real-time in-flight data using a network of satellites that can link up with planes almost anywhere in the world with high precision and in real-time.
That means a situation like the 2009 crash of Air France 447 - a functional plane that plunged into the Atlantic Ocean without suspicion of foul play and was only found after two years - should theoretically never happen again.
ICAO lays down clear requirements for in-flight one-minute tracking devices for aircraft in trouble. They need to activate in a range of scenarios, such as a loss of propulsion. Critically, devices triggered automatically can't be manually turned off.
Airbus introduced an emergency locator transmitter system that meets the standard, and has fitted it on all new widebody aircraft the planemaker has delivered since April 2023.
There was no such capability on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Joe Hattley, an Australian air-accident expert who joined the international investigation team in Malaysia after MH370 went missing, says the mystery still hangs over him, even after 10 years. While the incident bore the hallmarks of a deliberate action, the lack of evidence frustrates him.
"I think about MH370 every day," said Hattley. "As an accident investigator, your job is to answer questions, provide answers to families, friends and next of kin, and to try and improve safety. We haven't been able to do that."
NDTV
"Good Night. Malaysian 370": World's Top Missing Plane Mystery, 10 Years On
The huge Boeing Co. 777 jet, almost as long as a Manhattan city block and taller than a five-story building, had somehow managed to make itself invisible in the clear night sky. There were 239 people on board.
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At least 50 hurt as LATAM's Boeing 787 to Auckland 'just dropped' mid-flight
March 11 (Reuters) - At least 50 people were hurt when a Boeing 787 operated by LATAM Airlines (LTM.SN), opens new tab dropped abruptly mid-flight from Sydney to Auckland on Monday, according to the airline and a New Zealand health service organisation that treated the injured.
The aircraft experienced a strong shake and as a result 10 passengers and three cabin crew members were taken to a hospital, the South American carrier said as it investigates the cause.
The flight with 263 passengers and nine cabin crew members landed at Auckland airport as scheduled on Monday afternoon.
One person is in a serious condition while the rest suffered mild-to-moderate injuries, a spokesperson for Hato Hone St John, which treated roughly 50 people at the airport, said.
"The plane, unannounced, just dropped. I mean it dropped unlike anything I've ever experienced on any kind of minor turbulence, and people were thrown out of their seats, hit the top of the roof of the plane, throwing down the aisles," passenger Brian Jokat told the BBC.
The cause of the apparent sudden change in trajectory of flight LA800 could not be ascertained immediately. Safety experts say most airplane accidents are caused by a cocktail of factors that need to be thoroughly investigated.
"Some of the roof panels were broken from people being thrown up and knocking through the plastic roof panels in the aisle ways. And there was blood coming from several people's heads." Jokat, who was not injured in the incident, said.
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This week Emirates was crowned the global winner of the ‘Best Inflight Entertainment Award’ in Airline Ratings 2024 Airline Excellence Awards, announced online.
Emirates scooped the top award for inflight entertainment from an extensive finalist list of global airlines, due to its whopping 6,500 channels of high quality and acclaimed content, the world’s largest entertainment library in the sky – making it a clear winner for the Best Inflight Entertainment award.
ARY News
Emirates scooped the top award for inflight entertainment from an extensive finalist list of global airlines, due to its whopping 6,500 channels of high quality and acclaimed content, the world’s largest entertainment library in the sky – making it a clear winner for the Best Inflight Entertainment award.
ARY News
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Azerbaijan Airlines set to launch Karachi flights
Azerbaijan Airlines announced on Tuesday that it is set to initiate direct flights to Karachi from next month, with the first flight tentatively scheduled for April 18.
The airline, also called AZAL, said the move aimed to “enhance connectivity between the two countries”.
Karachi will be the third city in Pakistan to have direct flights from AZAL, following the launch of flights from Baku to Islamabad and Baku to Lahore, the airline said.
The airline’s first flight from Baku to Karachi is scheduled for April 18. Flights on this route will be operated twice a week.
Dawn News
Azerbaijan Airlines announced on Tuesday that it is set to initiate direct flights to Karachi from next month, with the first flight tentatively scheduled for April 18.
The airline, also called AZAL, said the move aimed to “enhance connectivity between the two countries”.
Karachi will be the third city in Pakistan to have direct flights from AZAL, following the launch of flights from Baku to Islamabad and Baku to Lahore, the airline said.
The airline’s first flight from Baku to Karachi is scheduled for April 18. Flights on this route will be operated twice a week.
Dawn News
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It could have ended so badly if the engine had caught and jammed.
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Passenger, flight attendant injured during severe turbulence on Southwest flight
Two people were injured when a Southwest Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence on Wednesday morning and had to make an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida, according to a spokesperson for Tampa International Airport.
Southwest Flight 4273 was traveling from New Orleans to Orlando when the captain declared an emergency after experiencing turbulence, the airline said in a statement.
“The Captain declared an emergency, a requirement to deviate from a filed flight plan, and also requested that paramedics be available when the aircraft arrived to assess any potential injury,” the statement said.
A passenger and a flight attendant were transported to a Tampa area medical facility, the airline added.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, a spokesperson told CNN.
According to CNN Weather, storms that brought severe weather from the Ohio Valley to the Deep South on Tuesday were draped over the Gulf of Mexico this morning, causing strong thunderstorms in the area.
CNN
Two people were injured when a Southwest Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence on Wednesday morning and had to make an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida, according to a spokesperson for Tampa International Airport.
Southwest Flight 4273 was traveling from New Orleans to Orlando when the captain declared an emergency after experiencing turbulence, the airline said in a statement.
“The Captain declared an emergency, a requirement to deviate from a filed flight plan, and also requested that paramedics be available when the aircraft arrived to assess any potential injury,” the statement said.
A passenger and a flight attendant were transported to a Tampa area medical facility, the airline added.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, a spokesperson told CNN.
According to CNN Weather, storms that brought severe weather from the Ohio Valley to the Deep South on Tuesday were draped over the Gulf of Mexico this morning, causing strong thunderstorms in the area.
CNN
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Two planes at Heathrow Airport collide wings
Two planes on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport collided on Saturday, causing damage to their wings.
The empty Virgin Atlantic 787 was being towed from the stand at terminal 3 when it clipped the wingtip of a British Airways Airbus A350.
No customers were on board the plane that was being towed, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said.
The plane has been taken out of service while engineering teams perform maintenance checks, they said.
"We've commenced a full and thorough investigation.
"The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority."
No passengers were injured, a Heathrow spokesperson said.
"We do not anticipate there to be any ongoing impact to airport operations," they added.
The tow movement was provided by a ground handling company under contract by Virgin Atlantic.
A spokesperson from British Airways said its plane was stationery when the collision happened.
"Our aircraft is being assessed by our engineering teams and we have provided an alternative aircraft to limit the impact on our customers," they said.
Two planes at Heathrow Airport collide wings
Two planes suffered damage to their wings when they collided at Heathrow Airport on Saturday.
news.sky.com
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This is strictly against protocols.
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Another farewell
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New airline gets CAA license to kickstart business in Pakistan
Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a Charter Class-2 license to Private Airways.
Sources familiar with the development claimed that another new private airline will now start private cargo flights as the aviation relator issued a license.
Sources claimed that private Airways returned the Tourism Promotion & Regional Integration (TPRI) license. After all the clearances, CAA issued the license to Private Airways as a cargo airline. Private Air has acquired an aircraft initially for cargo flights, through CAA
The new airline will start its cargo flight operations soon, creating new jobs for people in the aviation sector.
Samaa TV
Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a Charter Class-2 license to Private Airways.
Sources familiar with the development claimed that another new private airline will now start private cargo flights as the aviation relator issued a license.
Sources claimed that private Airways returned the Tourism Promotion & Regional Integration (TPRI) license. After all the clearances, CAA issued the license to Private Airways as a cargo airline. Private Air has acquired an aircraft initially for cargo flights, through CAA
The new airline will start its cargo flight operations soon, creating new jobs for people in the aviation sector.
Samaa TV
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Chaos has been reported at airports across the UK - as several airports have confirmed a nationwide border issue.
Both Stansted and Gatwick airports said the issue was related to e-gates at passport control.
Manchester Airport also confirmed that the UK Border System is down as part of a nationwide outage.
SKY News
Both Stansted and Gatwick airports said the issue was related to e-gates at passport control.
Manchester Airport also confirmed that the UK Border System is down as part of a nationwide outage.
SKY News
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