Tag Archives: Aviation

Benelux gets its 1st Dreamliner

04 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Aircraft, Airlines, Aviation, Business, News, Tourism, Travel

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Jetairfly of Belgium is set to become the first airline in Benelux to operate the Boeing 787.

The Dreamliner. Boeing photo.

The Dreamliner. Boeing photo.

The carrier, which is part of the British-based leisure travel company TUI Travel PLC, took delivery of the Dreamliner at a ceremony in Seattle on Tuesday. The 787 will start flying this month, replacing the airline’s 767.

Jetair“We are very excited about the Jetairfly Dreamliner entering service as the first and only 787 operated by a Belgian airline,” said Elie Bruyninckx, CEO of TUI Belgium.

Bruyninckx called the aircraft a great asset in the company’s strategy of offering unique holiday experiences to its passengers, especially when they fly between Europe and the Caribbean.

“We are very excited that Jetairfly will be flying the 787 Dreamliner,” said, Todd Nelp, vice- president of European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The fuel-efficient Dreamliner has features such as larger, electronically-dimmable windows and larger overhead luggage bins.

TUI Travel, which operates six airlines including Thomson Airways, Arkefly, TUI Fly Nordic and Jetairfly, has made a commitment for up to 15 Dreamliners. It now has four in service.

The Dreamliner was launched in 2004. It reached a sales milestone at the Dubai Airshow last month when Boeing received the 1,000th order for the aircraft, from Etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi.

Boeing puts the total number of orders at 1,012 from 16 customers.

Boeing 777X takes off with record orders

17 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Aircraft, Airlines, Aviation, Travel

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Boeing 777-8X and 777-9X. Boeing photo.

Boeing’s newest aircraft – the 777-8X and 777-9X. Boeing photo.

Boeing made history on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow, announcing record-breaking orders worth almost $100 billion for its new 777X airplanes. The American aircraft maker said Sunday the orders for 259 airplanes represented the largest product launch in commercial jetliner history by dollar value.

Dubai flag carrier Emirates led the way with an order for 150 of the aircraft. Other Gulf airlines followed suit, with Etihad of Abu Dhabi ordering 25 and Qatar Airways 50. Joining them was the German airline Lufthansa with a commitment for 34 aircraft.

“We are proud to partner with each of these esteemed airlines to launch the 777X – the largest and most-efficient twin-engine jetliner in the world,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Ray Conner.

“Its ground-breaking engine technologies and all-new composite wing will deliver unsurpassed value and growth potential to our customers.”

The 777X is the newest member of the highly successful 777 family of long-haul airliners. It will be built in two versions: the 777-9X that offers seating for more than 400 passengers and the 777-8X, which will seat 350 passengers.

Boeing’s European rival, Airbus, also won a major order at the show, again from Emirates for 50 A380s worth $23 billion, boosting the airline’s fleet of the superjumbos to 140.

“The A380 continues to be the flagship of our fleet and after five years in operation it remains highly popular with our passengers,” said Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum.

The AIrbus A380 in Dubai. Airbus photo.

The Airbus A380 in Dubai. Airbus photo.

He added that the latest order will help the airline meet both fleet expansion and fleet replacement needs.

“By strategically placing the A380 at the centre of its business, Emirates is maximizing its leading position with each day of operations,” said Airbus president Fabrice Bregier.

The airshow has attracted some 1,000 exhibitors from around the world. It runs through Nov. 21 and more orders are expected in the next few days.

British woman retraces historic flight

04 Monday Nov 2013

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A 51-year-old British pilot has taken off on a solo journey to retrace the historic 1928 flight of Lady Mary Heath from South Africa to the United Kingdom.The Flight

Tracey-Curtis Taylor

Tracey-Curtis Taylor

Tracey Curtis-Taylor took off from Cape Town on Nov. 2 in a reconditioned 1942 Boeing Stearman open-cockpit biplane.

With a maximum speed of just 150 kilometres an hour, her aircraft, the Spirit of Artemis, is not expected to arrive at her destination in Goodwood near London before mid-December.

By then she would have flown more than 11,000 kilometres and made 32 stops. Currently commercial flights take about 12 hours, non-stop.

The historic flight fo 1928

The historic flight of 1928

Lady Heath was the first person to fly solo a small open-cockpit aircraft from Cape Town to London. Curtis-Taylor has the luxury of a GPS on board, while Lady Heath had just an atlas. “It’s a little bit bigger and more stable than the one Lady Heath flew but very much in the spirit — all stick and rudder stuff,” Curtis-Taylor said before departure.

The primary trainer for the U.S. Air Force, some 8,500 Stearmans were built during the 1930s and 1940s.

“We hope this journey inspires people along the route to learn more about the remarkable history of aviation and the role Boeing has played in the past,” said Boeing Military Aircraft president Chris Chadwick.

A biography posted on the flight website says Curtis-Taylor was born in Britain and spent her childhood in Canada before moving to New Zealand in her early 20s. She has since settled back in Britain.

The Spirit of Artemis has been fitted with cameras and the aircraft is being followed by a film crew in a chase plane.

The footage will become part of a documentary on the flight planned for release early next year.

All photos in this post are courtesy of Boeing and the flight website.

Airbus pushes for more cabin comfort

28 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by in Airlines, Life, Travel

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Even as airlines try to increase revenue by squeezing more passengers in, one leading aircraft maker is calling for a minimum 18-inch (46-centimetre) seat standard on long-haul flights.

Citing a study conducted in Britain, Airbus said Monday an 18-inch seat improved passenger sleep quality by more than 50 per cent, compared to the more common 17-inch (43-centimetre) seat.

In calling for more cabin comfort in the economy class, Airbusthe European manufacturer noted the rapid growth in long-haul flights.

It said in the past five years alone, the number of daily flights over 13-plus-hour flying time had increased from 24 to 41.

Airbus has also predicted that in the next 15 years passenger traffic will double and by 2032, the world’s airlines will take delivery of more than 29,000 new aircraft.

But lately, the focus of many airlines worldwide has been on making more money.

That worries Kevin Keniston, head of passenger comfort at Airbus.

“If the aviation industry doesn’t take a stand right now then we risk jeopardizing passenger comfort into 2045 and beyond –- especially if you take into account aircraft delivery timetables combined with expected years in service,” he said.

“Which means another generation of passengers will be consigned to seats which are based on outdated standards.”

But Airbus has its own vested interest in promoting a wider-seat campaign —  it  says it has always maintained a standard of 18 inch minimum in its long-haul economy cabins.

“However, other manufacturers are eroding passenger comfort standards by going back to narrower seat widths from the 1950s in order to remain competitive,” the company claimed Monday.

So, the stage is set for a PR war over cabin comfort.