Month: May 2008

Video – TACA Airbus A320 Overshot Runway in Hunduras

TACA International Airlines flight 390 – an Airbus A320-233 (EI-TAF) – overran the runway after landing at Tegucigalpa (TGU), the capital of Honduras, and slammed to a stop on a city street. At least one passenger died and several others were injured.

Raw video by AP

TACA International Airlines flight 390 is a regular flight from San Salvador (SAL), El Salvador to Miami (MIA), USA with an intermediate stop at Tegucigalpa (TGU), Honduras. The A320 took off from San Salvador around 09:05 and landed at Tegucigalpa’s runway 02 around 09:40. Runway 02/20 is a 6112 x 148 feet (1863 x 45 meters) asphalt runway.

The Weather around the time of the accident (15:40 UTC) was reported by the following METARs: MHTG 301500Z 19004KT 2000S -DZ FEW008 BKN020 OCV080 21/19 Q1016 2KM S SW WSW D/C 8KM PCPN CL HZ= [Wind 190 degrees at 4 knots, light drizzle, Ceiling 2,000 ft. broken clouds, few clouds at 800 ft., overcast 8,000 ft., Temperature 21°C, Dewpoint 19°C, QNH 1016 mB] MHTG 301600Z 20009KT 3000SW -DZ FEW006 BKN020 OVC080 22/20 Q1017 3KM SW WSW W 8KM CTE E PCPN CL D/C UNL HZ AVION DE TACA ACCIDENTADO EN LA PISTA 19 EN EL AEROPUERTO TONCONTIN=

At the morning of the accident, tropical storm Alma buffeted Nicaragua’s Pacific coast but was losing force as it headed inland over southern Honduras.

Source: Aviation Safety Network

Safety Report – 05/30/2008

Date & Time: 05/29/2008 15:57
Location: Jackson Hole, WY
Aircraft Type: Airbus A319 Registration: Unknown
Operator: Unknown
Phase: Unknown
Damage: None
Injuries & Fatalities: 1 PAX with minor injuries
Description: While the aircraft was deplaning, the stairs collapsed and injured one passenger (sprained ankle)

Date & Time: 05/29/2008 20:00
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Aircraft Type: Airbus A320 Registration: Unknown
Operator: Unknown
Phase: Unknown
Damage: None
Injuries & Fatalities: 1 flight attendant with minor injuries
Description: The aircraft diverted to LAX after a flight attendant fell and injured her wrist (not due to turbulence). The flight attendant was treated and released.

Source: FAA
Correctness of this posting is not guaranteed & completeness not intended. This posting is just for informational purpose.

Airbus deploys A380 and A340 to help Chinese earthquake relief efforts

Airbus S.A.S. LogoTwo Airbus test aircraft, an A380 and an A340-300 have been deployed to help transport essential relief effort cargo to China’s South Western region following the devastating earthquake near Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province on 12th May 2008.

The two aircraft will carry over 2,000 tents between them to help shelter the thousands of people left homeless. The relief operation was set up by Airbus, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Paris and is undertaken in close cooperation with Air France Cargo, Air China and Aéroports de Paris. The A380 and A340 will be operated by Airbus crews. Around 1,100 tents are supplied by the Chinese Embassy with the remaining tents being provided by the Association Franco-Chinoise d’Echanges Economiques et Culturels as a result of individual donations.

The aircraft will first fly from Toulouse to Paris CDG airport, where Air France Cargo will load the containerised cargo. The A380 will depart for Chengdu on Friday, 30th May in the afternoon, and the A340 at dawn on Saturday. Both aircraft are scheduled to arrive and leave again on Saturday, 31st May.

Airbus employees from throughout the world are contributing to the relief effort. Airbus China and its partner China Aviation Supplies Holding Company donated ten emergency mobile stretcher units for transport aircraft to Chinese life saving teams. Airbus also chartered five train carriages to help deliver 1,000 tonnes of packaged milk donated by a Beijing based dairy company. Furthermore, Airbus donated RMB five Million in cash to help in the relief efforts through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. And once the rescue efforts are over, Airbus will also be looking at projects to support the rebuilding phase.

Today’s flights are part of a series of relief actions the EADS group has undertaken and started through its various divisions, in particular the donation from Airbus, but also providing Infoterra satellite imagery of the affected areas with Astrium, organising and coordinating the work of ten Eurocopter helicopters for relief operations from Guaghan airport, and sending an important quantity of tents for the refugees in Sichuan with EADS/DS.

Source: Airbus

KD Avia commits to 25 Airbus A319s

KD Avia, a fast growing Russian airline, has placed a commitment with Airbus for the purchase of 25 A319s, thus becoming a new Airbus customer. The agreement was signed at the International Berlin Airshow taking place from 27th May to 1st June.

KD Avia’s A319s will feature a spacious and comfortable cabin layout. The aircraft will be operated on the airline’s extended network of domestic and international routes out of its Kaliningrad hub. The choice of engines has not yet been made.

Source: Airbus

Gulf Air orders 35 Airbus aircraft

National carrier of Bahrain, Gulf Air has placed a firm order with Airbus for 35 aircraft. The order comprises 15 A320 single aisle aircraft and 20 A330-300s. The contract was signed by Björn Näf, Gulf Air CEO, and Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO, at the Berlin Air show.

Gulf Air already operates 10 A320s, six A330-200s and nine A340-300s. The new order will more than double the number of Airbus aircraft in their fleet.

“Gulf Air is taking huge strides forward in its strategy to re-fleet and expand its network and this contract is a significant milestone in this direction as we aim to become the airline of choice and the pearl of the Gulf,” says Mr. Näf. “Expanding our fleet with Airbus will ensure a smooth introduction of the new aircraft into our existing fleet with the best operating economics in their class and our customers will appreciate the high levels of passenger room and comfort.”

The A320 will serve Gulf Air’s regional destinations, while the A330 will operate on the airline’s European routes and enhance its Far Eastern services.

Gulf Air launched services in 1950 and is one of the Middle East’s major international carriers serving over 40 destinations worldwide.

Source: Airbus

Jet Airways gets Airbus A330-200 at the Berlin Air show

Indian based international carrier Jet Airways has taken delivery of its latest Airbus A330-200 aircraft, yesterday. Naresh Goyal, Jet Airways Chairman, formally accepted the aircraft at a ceremony at the Berlin Air Show (ILA) in presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders.

The aircraft forms part of an order for 15 Airbus A330-200 aircraft placed between 2005 and 2007. An initial order for 10 aircraft was signed in October 2005 and this was increased to 15 in December 2007. Today’s A330-200 is the airline’s seventh aircraft directly received from Airbus. The first aircraft was delivered in April 2007.

Jet Airways Airbus A330-200

Jet Airways Airbus A330-200

Jet Airways is deploying the aircraft on new far Eastern routes to serve Hong Kong and to expand services to Europe and the Middle East. The aircraft will be configured in two classes with a total of 220 seats.

The customised aircraft is configured with 30 seats in Première arranged in a ‘Herringbone configuration’ with fully lie flat electronic seats with lumbar support and massage systems.

Jet Airways operates A330s between India and its Brussels European hub in Belgium and onto Canada and North America. The airline plans to deploy the additional A330s on regional and long haul international flights.

Source: Airbus
Photo Credit: Airbus

First 747-400ERF Delivered to Cathay Pacific Airways

Boeing and Cathay Pacific Airways celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 747-400ERF (Extended Range Freighter) last Friday.
The airplane, the first of six Boeing 747-400ERFs to be delivered to Cathay Pacific, was unveiled last week at a pre-flight ceremony at the Boeing Delivery Center in Everett, Wash. Among those present were Cathay Pacific’s Ron Mathison, director and general manager for Cargo; senior managers from Cathay’s North America and Hong Kong cargo team and invited senior cargo industry executives.
Cathay Pacific currently operates 115 airplanes, 18 of which are freighters, including six 747-400BCFs (Boeing Converted Freighters), six 747-400 and six 747-200 Freighters. The airline has remaining orders for two 747-400BCFs to further expand its freighter fleet. Cathay Pacific also has an order for 10 747-8F freighters.
The 747-400ER Freighter, which entered service in October 2002, has a maximum takeoff weight of 910,000 pounds (412,770 kg). This takeoff weight increase over existing 747-400 Freighters allows the 747-400ER Freighter to fly an additional 525 nautical miles (972 km), or it can carry an additional 22,000 pounds (9,980 kg) of payload on long-range flights at maximum takeoff weight.
The new aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4062A engines and will be deployed on trunk routes to North America to take full advantage of the airplane’s superior payload range capability.

Source: Boeing

British Airways buys two Airbus A318s

British Airways has signed a firm contract with Airbus for two Airbus A318 aircraft to launch services between London City Airport, in central London, and New York. The A318 is the most modern and largest aircraft certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the steep approach procedures which are required at London City.

British Airways’ order for the smallest member of the A320 Family boosts the number of customers for the A318 to 13. British Airways already operates 70 A320 Family aircraft and has an additional 20 on order in addition to a recent order for 12 A380 aircraft.

“The A318 is the perfect aircraft for these flights. It is capable of operating at London City and is large enough for us to provide the number of business class seats required to make this a viable operation”, says Willie Walsh, British Airways’ Chief Executive.

All A318 models were certified for Steep Approach in 2007 after compatibility tests at London City Airport in 2006.

“The A318 shares the same wide cabin as other members of the A320 Family, and offers by far the greatest level of cabin comfort of any aircraft able to fly from London City or similar inner city airports. The aircraft also offers more range, which allows operators to offer new exciting route combinations”, said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers.

City centre airports are typically constrained by shorter runways, high building and stringent noise constraints. The A318 can land on very short runways and the steep approach procedure enables a 5.5 degree descent angle rather than the standard 3 degrees. The A318 also climbs and reaches cruising altitude quicker than any other aircraft operating out of London City and with significantly reduced noise than previous generation aircraft, making the A318 ideal for city centre operations.

Source: Airbus