Aviation Discussion

[flymo]

PC Air - A Thai airline famous for Transgender cabin crew has ceased operations (unable to pay fuel bills)

Crikey, they only started a few weeks ago didn't they...?

 

[starrymarkb]

Crikey, they only started a few weeks ago didn't they...?

Yep. I think the fact they were using a single A310 which is rather thirsty by modern standards didn't help!

 

[radamfi]

Wow Air have acquired Iceland Express. It happened a while ago but I only just found out today. I thought Iceland Express were pretty good and they sent amusing emails.

 

[WestCoast]

Wow Air have acquired Iceland Express. It happened a while ago but I only just found out today. I thought Iceland Express were pretty good and they sent amusing emails.

Didn't hear about that either. I thought that two low cost carriers based in Iceland seemed a bit ambitious, although none of them owned/leased any aircraft directly. Wow Air has A320s leased from Avion Express and Iceland Express had A320s leased from Holidays Czech Airlines (before that the defunct Astraeus and Hello Air).

 

[radamfi]

Iceland Express were incredibly ambitious in the past having a route from Gatwick to Akureyri. Akureyri is Iceland's second city, with a population of around 20,000.

 

[WestCoast]

Brighton City Airways are launching a Shoreham to Paris Pontoise route, using a 19-seat LET-410 of Van Air (currently also operating for Manx2/Citywing on UK - Isle of Man routes).

Shoreham to Paris scheduled flight service launched

A new airline is to start twice-daily cross-Channel scheduled flights to Paris from a West Sussex airport.
Brighton City Airways (BAC) plans to fly from Shoreham Airport to Paris Pontoise Airport, near the French capital, from 6 March 2013.
Its owners claim passengers will reach the city centre two hours after they arrive at Shoreham.
BAC co-founder Jonathan Candelon, said: "It's a dream. We believe that it's going to work."
Currently passengers in the South East who want to catch a scheduled flight to Paris have to travel to Heathrow Airport.
'Fantastic schedule'
Mr Candelon added: "The market is there, the demand is there. It's all about controlling the cost, offering people something different, something that is convenient and something with a transparent pricing policy."
The Let-410 commuter aircraft the airline will use carries a maximum of 19 passengers, but does not have a toilet.
Shoreham Airport has been re-branded Brighton Shoreham Airport to coincide with the launch of the flights.
East Worthing and Shoreham Conservative MP Tim Loughton said: "Shoreham Airport has a lot to offer as a base for short hop trips to the continent with a large market of travellers on its doorstep who otherwise have to spend more time travelling to and through the London airports than in the air."
Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, said: "For business travellers in Sussex this is a fantastic schedule.
"Two departures a day enabling you to get to Paris to do a day's work there and enabling you to get home at a reasonable hour. Absolutely tremendous, I hope it will succeed.
"However the evidence isn't brilliant after all there isn't even a link to Paris from Gatwick which is Britain's second airport. I hope it succeeds but I wouldn't put my pension on it."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-20546286?print=true

 

[starrymarkb]

Brighton City Airways are launching a Shoreham to Paris Pontoise route, using a 19-seat LET-410 of Van Air (currently also operating for Manx2/Citywing on UK - Isle of Man routes).

I think Eurostar is the main reason for a lack of Gatwick to Paris Flights and the Heathrow flights are there for feeding Long Haul at Heathrow or Charles De Gaulle rather then O&D..

Plus Pontoise is some way from Paris with no onward public transport (its a GA Airfield!)

 

[Butts]

I have just booked my next "fag run" to Luxembourg on BA.

I used my avios points (not many) and have to pay £60 in cash from EDI via LHR and back the same way.

When I checked what it would have cost me from LHR it was exactly the same so I am getting two "free flights" from EDI to LHR and back.

This Avios Scheme is not bad

 

[WestCoast]

I have just booked my next "fag run" to Luxembourg on BA.

I used my avios points (not many) and have to pay £60 in cash from EDI via LHR and back the same way.

When I checked what it would have cost me from LHR it was exactly the same so I am getting two "free flights" from EDI to LHR and back.

This Avios Scheme is not bad

You do get all domestic transfers to/from Heathrow, Gatwick or London City free of charge, providing they are operated by BA and you are making an onward flight to an international destination paying with Avios.

 

[starrymarkb]

The Prototype A350 has been rolled out in Toulouse... Really don't like these new noses (see also 787)

Pix From Airbus via Flight Global

It'll now have a few months of ground testing before a first flight next year.

 

[LE Greys]

The Prototype A350 has been rolled out in Toulouse... Really don't like these new noses (see also 787)

Pix From Airbus via Flight Global

It'll now have a few months of ground testing before a first flight next year.

Nothing new about it, Geoffery de Havilland just styled it a lot better. Anyone who knows their way around Photoshop might want to see what it looks like in BOAC livery (I have pencils and paper, but no scanner).

http://www.mediastorehouse.com/low.php?xp=media&xm=7664321

 

[starrymarkb]

Air France are starting to merge their three French based regional airlines (Britair, Régional and Airlinair) into a new combined operation called "HOP!". So far Dublin based Cityjet has been left out of this development (but rumours are they will be merged with KLM Cityhopper eventually).

Amusingly HOP! is not easily pronounced in French and would come out as 'up! So well done Air France for using a name your main customer base can't pronounce.

 

[Butts]

I came in from Luxembourg on a delayed Flight this afternoon and only had an hour to make my connection to Edinburgh going from T1 to T5.

Normally I exit the Terminal (so I can have a fag) and get the HE to T5 and then hang about until just before my flight is due before going airside.

I'd never used the TX before and it involves a bus from T1 to T5 - it did have a much shorter Passport Q but you had to go through security again despite not leaving the secure areas of the Airport.

This seems a bit OTT.

My bag was checked through from LUX to EDI so no worries there.

 

[telstarbox]

Since the demise of EUJet, KLM are the latest airline having a go at Manston Airport in East Kent. They will be operating two return flights per day between "London" Manston and Amsterdam Schipol from April:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/klm-to-fly-manston-amsterdam-from-april-2

 

[WestCoast]

Since the demise of EUJet, KLM are the latest airline having a go at Manston Airport in East Kent. They will be operating two return flights per day between "London" Manston and Amsterdam Schipol from April:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/klm-to-fly-manston-amsterdam-from-april-2

There have been a few charter services since EUjet, a summer service to Jersey and a programme to Spain.

 

[starrymarkb]

Trials are currently ongoing of an A320 fitted with motorised landing gear for engine off taxiing - motors are fitted to the main gear and are driven by power from the APU. It looks odd!

[youtube]Xz_eU_l0vMs[/youtube]

 

[LE Greys]

Trials are currently ongoing of an A320 fitted with motorised landing gear for engine off taxiing - motors are fitted to the main gear and are driven by power from the APU. It looks odd!

[youtube]Xz_eU_l0vMs[/youtube]

I like the idea of that. Presumably, this means they can make long taxis on this and only start up the main engines just before they reach the end of the runway. Should save a bit of fuel.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I wonder if they could use these motors to spin the wheels up to match the airspeed before touchdown in order to reduce stress on the tyres and make them last longer as well as reducing the chances of one bursting?

 

[LE Greys]

I wonder if they could use these motors to spin the wheels up to match the airspeed before touchdown in order to reduce stress on the tyres and make them last longer as well as reducing the chances of one bursting?

I always thought they had ram-air vanes in the wheels to do that anyway, a sort of mill wheel effect.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I never realised that! Must take a closer look with my binoculars next time I'm at Hatton Cross...

 

[LE Greys]

I never realised that! Must take a closer look with my binoculars next time I'm at Hatton Cross...

I'm probably wrong, though. It just seems like a good idea.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

If they don't, then they should do - and vanes would allow precisely accurate speed matching wouldn't they? As well as having nothing to go wrong...

 

[starrymarkb]

The Dash 8 certainly doesn't spin the wheels up...

IIRC tyre bursts are usually failures in the ABS system causing a wheel to lock.

Thinking, having spinning wheels is going to cause issues with the gyro effect. I can see it causing issues with maneverabliity especially at airports that require turns during final approach (Funchal, Innsbruck). Also the wheels are extended at speeds far higher then touch down (up to 280kts - touchdown is usually less then 150kts)

 

[flymo]

My wife returned from a holiday in The Philippines tonight courtesy of Philippine Airlines (PR). Looking at the metal they use on the MNL-HKG route it varies from an A320 to an A343 to a B744, a huge variation in capacity. There can't be many sectors where you could have an A320 or a B744 with the same airline?

ADDENDUM: Cathay (CX) use a B744, B77W, B772, A343, A333 on their 6 flights so it looks like anything spare will do. Not complaining though...

 

[telstarbox]

Virgin Atlantic are launching domestic routes branded "Little Red" between Aberdeen/Edinburgh/Manchester and London Heathrow.

On the Manchester route this will put them in competition with Virgin Trains services.

Manchester flights begin 31st March 2013
Edinburgh flights begin 5th April 2013
Aberdeen flights begin 9th April 2013.

 

[Butts]

Virgin Atlantic are launching domestic routes branded "Little Red" between Aberdeen/Edinburgh/Manchester and London Heathrow.

On the Manchester route this will put them in competition with Virgin Trains services.

Manchester flights begin 31st March 2013
Edinburgh flights begin 5th April 2013
Aberdeen flights begin 9th April 2013.

Why not Glasgow as well - is it because BMI had already pulled out of that route prior to their demise ?

 

[WestCoast]

Why not Glasgow as well - is it because BMI had already pulled out of that route prior to their demise ?

Yes, that was the reason. There was no provision for slots for a LHR - Glasgow service as part of BA's acquisition of bmi.

Virgin Atlantic Little Red's A320s are wet-leased (i.e. aircraft and the crew) from Aer Lingus.

 

[jon0844]

I see that the Virgin April Fool today was a bit weak and a clear ad for the new services. Probably got a reasonable amount of coverage though.

 

[Butts]

Has anyone tried to redeem Flybe Points recently.

I don't know what it's like from Airports "Down South" but from Scotland other than going to Birmingham or the like availability is rare as "hens teeth"

Even when available using Birmingham as an example booking an ordinary flight without redeeming any points is often cheaper than the "taxes and charges" payable when using points.

For the above sort of flight the best value is probably to cash 22 points rather than 16 and have a "Plus Flight" where at least the grub, lounges , 2 suitcases and seat selection are included and the extra to pay is often not much more than using 16 points.

Alternatively much better value is to be found on internal Scottish Flights that are operated by Loganair on behalf of Flybe. Luggage and onboard refreshments are included, there is plenty of availabilty and taxes and charges are much lower.

I have just cashed 16 points for a trip from Edinburgh to The Orkney Islands and the extras were only £30 in total on top. The return fare without points for my journey was over £200, so I consider that a good deal.

 

[starrymarkb]

Yep it is the same, where they are available the 'reward' flights seem to be those where the 'airfare' pre taxes and charges is maybe £1 or less*, so you spend a load of points to save a grand total of £1


*it is the same with using BA Avios on long haul, it's usually better value to pay a little more for Premium economy and upgrade to Business using points from there.