Category: Airbus

Cathay Pacific orders 30 Airbus A350 XWB

Cathay Pacific, one of the world’s most prestigious airlines, has firmed up a commitment for 30 ­Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. The purchase agreement was finalised in Hong Kong on 16 September by Tony Tyler, Chief Executive, Cathay Pacific Airways and John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers, Airbus. The aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

Cathay Pacific will operate the A350 XWB across its route network, principally on non-stop services to Europe. Featuring an all-new design, the aircraft will represent a step change in operational efficiency, burning significantly less fuel than existing aircraft of a similar size and offering a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions. For passengers, the extra wide cabin will offer the highest standards in in-flight comfort, with a spacious interior design, new, wider windows and the latest state-of-the-art amenities.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-900 XWB

Mr Tyler said: “I am delighted that we have now finalised this milestone deal for Cathay Pacific. The purchase of these new generation aircraft is an important step in our plan to grow our fleet to ensure that we stay at the forefront of the industry. The A350 fits perfectly into our operation. Its passenger capacity, flight range and operating economics are just right to become the backbone of our mid-sized long haul wide-bodied fleet.”

The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) Family is an all-new mid-size long range product line comprising three basic passenger versions (A350-800, A350-900, A350-1000) seating between 270 and 350 passengers in typical three-class layouts. Scheduled for entry-into-service in 2013, the A350 Family has already received a total of 558 firm orders from 34 customers worldwide. One unit costs between $208 million and $270 million.

Source: Airbus
Image: Airbus

Airblue Airbus A321 Crashed in Pakistan

Today an Airblue Airbus A321-231 (AP-BJB) crashed into a mountains near Islamabad-Benazir Bhutto International Airport (ISB), Pakistan. Flight ED202 was bound from Karachi to Islamabad.
All 6 crew members and 146 passengers on board were killed.

The plane AP-BJB, MSN (Manufacturer Serial Number) 1218, was initially delivered from the production line in 2000. The aircraft was formerly operated by Aero Lloyd (D-ALAN) and Aero Flight (D-ARFA) and was leased to airblue in January 2006. The aircraft had accumulated approximately 34,000 flight hours in some 13,500 flights. It was powered by IAE V2533 engines.

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Source: Airbus

Images – Airbus Concept Plane

How does Airbus see the future of aviation? Last week at Farnborough Airshow Airbus came up with a new futuristic concept plane.
Airbus experts in materials, aerodynamics, cabins and engines put heads together and designed this “engineer’s dream”, illustrating what air transport could look like in 2050.

Airbus Concept Plane 2010

Airbus Concept Plane - The future of air transport in 2050

Airbus Concept Plane - The future of air transport in 2050

Airbus Concept Airplane 2010

“Here we are stretching our imagination and thinking beyond our usual boundaries. We want to stimulate young people from all over the world to engage with us so that we can continue to share the benefits of air transport while also looking after the environment.” said Charles Champion, EVP Engineering.

Images by EIAI
© Airbus S.A.S 2010

Lufthansa A380 – First Commercial Flight

On Sunday 6 June, Lufthansa operated its first commercial Airbus A380 flight. Lufthansa flew the German national soccer team to the Soccer World Cup in Johannesburg aboard its new flagship Airbus A380. The A380 (D-AIMA / MSN038) operating the Frankfurt-Johannesburg route under flight number LH2010 left Frankfurt Airport at 20:30 and arrived at Johannesburg at 8:15 local time.

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All the passengers on the special flight were presented with an exclusive Lufthansa World Cup fan kit full of items the supporters will need to cheer their team on.

Captain Jürgen Raps, Member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board and Chief Pilot, was pilot in command of the special flight. The cabin crew comprised two pursers and 19 flight attendants.

After returning to Germany, Lufthansa’s Airbus A380 will be on display at ILA Berlin Air Show – one of the world’s largest and most important aerospace exhibitions.

The A380 will be used on regular service between Frankfurt and Johannesburg, Beijing and Tokyo.

Source: Lufthansa

Swiss with Special San Francisco Livery

To celebrate its new non-stop route between Zurich and San Francisco, Swiss International Air Lines has come up with a colourful “flower power” San Francisco livery on one of its Airbus A340-313X (HB-JMJ).

The final design was chosen from a selection of three by the readers of the 20 Minuten daily paper. Around 30000 readers voted, and their choice will remain on the aircraft for more than a year.

Swiss San Francisco Flower Power Peace Livery

Swiss also launched a special website for this event. At http://www.singfrancisco.com you can find wallpaper, ringtone and screensaver downloads as well as further information and a singing contest.

Customers aboard the “San Francisco” aircraft can expect a further highlight inside. HB-JMJ is the first of SWISS’s A340s to be equipped with the new SWISS Business cabin, with its unique seating arrangement and the generous space it provides and seats that feature an innovative air cushion whose firmness can be swiftly and flexibly adjusted to individual wishes, to name just two of the new cabin’s many benefits. Under current plans, a second A340 should have the new SWISS Business cabin installed by mid-July, enabling the new Business Class product to be offered to travellers on all Zurich-San Francisco flights.

Image / Source: Swiss

Schedule – Lufthansa A380 Test Flights

Some news for our German visitors. 😉 Lufthansa’s new flagship, the Airbus A380, will undergo a number of test flights in early June.

Before the first Lufthansa Airbus A380 flies the German soccer team to Johannesburg (South Africa) for the Football World Cup on Sunday, 6 June, Lufthansa will carry out numerous flights. The flights – with no passengers on board – are required as part of the qualifications for pilots to acquire a licence to fly this aircraft type. In addition to take-offs and landings, the flight tuition includes line training on scheduled routes to prepare the pilots to operate scheduled services for the airline with the A380.

The Lufthansa A380, named “Frankfurt am Main“, will be seen at the following airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland:

Monday, 31 May
Full-day flight training at Karlsruhe Airport.

Tuesday, 1 June
Full-day flight training at Leipzig Airport.

Wednesday, 2 June
Line training on the route Frankfurt – Stuttgart – Zürich – Vienna – Dresden – Linz – Munich – Frankfurt.

Thursday, 3 June
Line training on the route Frankfurt – Berlin-Tegel – Hanover – Hamburg – Bremen – Düsseldorf – Cologne/Bonn – Frankfurt.

The first Airbus A380 is scheduled for delivery to Lufthansa on 19 May.

N106US “Hudson A320” Wreckage To Be Sold

Almost one year after the famous US Airways 1549 New York Hudson River emergency landing, Airbus A320-214 N106US (S/N 1044) was put on auction recently. The auction closes March 27 and is open to the general public. Bids can be submitted online. The wreckage is currently stored in Kearny, NJ – wings, vertical and horizontal stabilizers have been separated from the fuselage, the engines are not included in the sale.

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Hudson River Airbus A320 Fuselage - US Airways 1549 N106US
US Airways 1549 Airbus A320 Fuselage Impact Damage
Hudson River US Airways 1549 Airbus A320 Cockpit
Hudson River Airbus A320 Cockpit
Hudson River US Airways 1549 Airbus A320 Cabin

Link to auction:
http://www.aigaviation.com/aviationsalvage/salvagedetail.aspx?faano=N106US

Photos: aigaviation.com

Airbus Delivers 6000th Aircraft

Airbus today celebrated the delivery of the 6,000th aircraft in the airframe manufacturer’s 40 year history. The aircraft, an A380 (MSN025), was handed over to Emirates Airline in a ceremony in Hamburg. The aircraft is Emirates’ eighth A380.

6000th Airbus Aircraft - 25th Airbus A380

Accepting delivery of the new aircraft, Adel Al Redha, Executive Vice President, Emirates’ Engineering and Operations, said: “The A380 represents the future of air travel and our strength and determination to drive forward, alongside Airbus, to meet our ambitious expansion plans and traffic demand. If a powerful demonstration of the resilience of the aviation industry was required, today has provided that. All who have flown the A380 will realise that this is a very special aircraft, embracing the latest in passenger comfort, technology and environmental credentials.”

“Today’s delivery is our 25th A380 so far, and more importantly, the 6,000th Airbus produced in our 40 year history. It is particularly significant that it is both an A380 and for Emirates, as they were involved in its development from early on. We are proud to have the words’ Airbus 6,000th Aircraft’ inscribed alongside the Emirates livery,” said Tom Enders, Airbus CEO.

With a total order for 58 aircraft, Emirates is the single largest customer for the A380. Established in 1985, Emirates became an Airbus operator from the outset. Today, Emirates’ Airbus fleet has grown to 55 aircraft with a further 121 on order.

Airbus delivered its first customer aircraft in May 1974 – an A300B2
The 1,000th aircraft was delivered in March 1993 – an A340-300
The 2,000th was delivered in May 1999 – an A340-300
The 3,000th was delivered in July 2002 – an A320
The 4,000th was delivered in September 2005 – an A330-300
The 5,000th was delivered in December 2007 – an A330-200

Airbus was formed in 1969, and by 2005 had reached more than 50 per cent of worldwide deliveries in a single year, of all aircraft of more than 100 seats. It also took Airbus some 30 years after its initial creation to bypassBoeing in terms of sales and remain at around half the market share.

Source: Airbus
Photo: Airbus

United Airlines Airbus A319 Emergency Landing at Newark

An United Airlines Airbus A319-131 (N816UA) was substantially damaged today when it landed at Newark-Liberty International Airport, NJ (EWR) with its right hand main landing gear retracted.

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United Flight 634 after emergency landing at Newark on Twitpic Share photos on twitter with Twitpic

United Airlines flight UA634 was bound from Chicago-O’Hare International Airport, IL (ORD) to Newark-Liberty International Airport, NJ (EWR). While on finals, the crew experienced problems getting the main gear down and locked. After the crew carried out a missed approach, a new approach was carried out to runway 04L. The airplane landed with the right main gear retracted and came to rest on the runway with the nr.2 engine touching the runway surface. The plane was evacuated using the emergency slides, no one was injured.

Source: aviation-safety.net