Mar
08

MH370

9M-MRO captured at Singapore. Photo: wikicommons.

*this post will continue to be updated as official information is released.

Latest update Sunday, March 9 AEST18:00.

SAR operation continues across the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea in an unprecedented operation involving the deployment of 22 aircraft and 40 ships from six countries. Today, Malaysia’s DCA also confirmed there is no reason to ground the country’s Boeing 777-200 fleet following the disappearance of the aircraft yesterday.

Latest update at AEST18:25.

Malaysia’s Defence Minister and deputy Transport Minister have confirmed that multiple SAR assets have been deployed in search of missing aircraft 9M-MRO. The assets include Malaysian Navy ships, ships from other Vietnam and China, as well as a Malaysian Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130 and Airbus EC725 helicopters - equipped for combat SAR with electro optical/infrared sensors.

Original post. Latest update at AEST16:25.
There has been a considerable amount of unverified speculation driven by Twitter this morning generating a myriad of conflicting  reports on the whereabouts of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared from radar while operating MH370 from Kuala Lumpur (KUL/WMKK) to Beijing (PEK/ZBAA).

The aircraft remains missing and there is no official confirmation that the aircraft has crashed.

Malaysian and Malaysian Airline Systems (MAS) officials as well as China’s Civil Aviation Authority and Chinese state media agency Xinhua have now confirmed that  the aircraft has disappeared enroute and that a coordinated search and rescue (SAR) operation has been launched by China, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The aircraft was due to land in Beijing at 06:30 local.

The Boeing 777-200ER registered 9M-MRO departed with 227 passengers and 12 crew members at 12:41am, disappearing from radar around 02:40 while transiting Subang Air Traffic Control in Malaysia at approximately 35,000 feet, 30 minutes after departure from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Airspace over the Gulf of Thailand/South China Sea where 9M-MRO went missing, and which is now the focus of an ongoing SAR operation.

There is now confirmation that the last point of contact of MH370 was 120 nautical miles off Kota Bharu over the South China Sea near a waypoint named BITOD. Vietnam and China have now deployed SAR ships toward the area.

The aircraft did not transmit a distress signal, and no flight plan would be available unless it is officially released by MAS or authorities through whose airspace jurisdictions MH370 would pass.

There are unconfirmed reports the aircraft made contact with Vietnamese ATC and that the aircraft was identified Vietnamese radar before it disappeared. Civil Aviation Authority Vietnam Flight Control Department manager Bui Van Vo said the aircraft failed to check-in at GMT17:21 “it’s code didn’t appear in our system”. Vietnam’s ADS-B coverage is known to be excellent along the country’s eastern seaboard; further, the majority of airports throughout SE Asia have primary radar coverage from 50-100 nautical miles, so a radar return would only appear if the aircraft was in range of the radar head.

The captain has logged 18,365 flying hours after starting with the airline 1981, the first officer has logged 2,763 hours having joined the airline in 2007. According to aviation reference databases 9M-MRO was built in 2002 and is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines.

Boeing and the NTSB continue to monitor the situation and have yet to provide official statements.

Those who may have relatives travelling on this service are advised to call Malaysian Airlines on +603 7884 1234.

Mar
05

RAAF Centenary Airshow

Got my #avgeek on last weekend at the RAAF’s Centenary Airshow, and thought I’d share some photos of the incredible flying programme and static display that celebrated a centenary of military aviation in Australia. The airshow was held to mark the anniversary of the first Australian military aviation flight undertaken by Lt Eric Hudson of the Central Flying School who took off in a Bristol Boxkite on March 1, 1914.

Feb
27

1H/FY14 Results Day 2: Qantas transforms.

This is a post that will be updated throughout the day as information develops.

The Qantas Group has announced a record half-year PBT loss of $252 million broken down as follows:

  • Domestic a $57 million profit
  • International $262 million loss
  • Loyalty – a record $146 million profit
  • Freight $11 million profit
  • Jetstar Group airlines a $16 million loss
There will be a reduction in headcount of 5,000 staff approximately 16% of the workforce – equivalent to the reductions American Airlines and British Airways made in their transformations.
Qantas will return and lease back its Brisbane terminal resulting in a net gain of $112 million for the business.

There will be a reduction in domestic capacity with A330s redeployed to international services to accelerate B747-400 retiement.

Brisbane and Sydney-Singapore services will be downgraded to A330 aircraft. Melbourne – London services will be permanently re-timed.

B767 retirement will be accelerated with the fleet to be retired by the second half of FY15.

While Jetstar experienced a 2 per cent improvement in unit costs, Jetstar Asia has experienced significant yield, as well as fuel price and foreign exchange pressure in its Asian operations. Growth across its Asian operations will be frozen and the current A320 order book will be renegotiated with Airbus.

The last three of 14 Boeing 787-8 orders for Jetstar will be deferred.

Feb
27

1H/FY14 Results Day 1: REX and Sydney Airport.

REX Regional Express

First cab off the rank, and in line with its guidance released earlier in February REX has issued a Profit Before Tax for the six-months to December 31 of AUD$5 million – a 60 per cent decline on 1H FY2013.

Announcing the results in a report entitled “aviation is crisis”, COO Gary Filmer says “the Abbott government needs to take immediate steps to fulfil their election promises to regional aviation outlined in the Coalition’s Policy for Aviation before the irreversible collapse of regional aviation occurs.” Filmer also made it clear that any Federal Government debt guarantee extended to Qantas should be available to the regional airline.

REX attributes its weak performance to the “continuing weak Australian economy”. The airline saw revenue decline 5 per cent to $130.1 million dollars on a load factor decline of 2.7 per cent to an average 54.1 per cent.

REX’s passenger Cost/ASK increased by 0.5 per cent, with the airline also experiencing an increase in the proportion of total cost attributed to fuel. However, overall the airline’s cost control programme saw a decline in total cost by $200,000 to $ 103.1 million.

Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport today released its 2013 full year results to December 31, announcing a Profit Before Tax of $126 million on the back of a small increase in revenue to $1.139 billion.

Aeronautical revenue grew delivering 49 per cent or $548 million of total revenue after a 4.1 per cent increase in international passengers drove capacity additions by more than half of the 36 international airlines serving Sydney. Retail revenue was also strong, following increases in retail space in T1 and T2.

The airport reiterated its potential to handle capacity growth and its ongoing airport investment programme as the airport fights an impending, but again delayed decision, on a second Sydney Airport.

Now we all wait with baited breath for Air New Zealand’s expected profit and Qantas’ half-year catastrophe. Friday it’s Virgin Australia’s turn. In the meantime here is a reminder of last year’s full year performance.

Feb
26

ETOPS in action: Perth – Mauritius

I thought a recent flight from Perth to Mauritius provided a great basis to highlight the impact of ETOPS restrictions on airline operations in the Southern Hemisphere.

There is no trans-polar or oceanic route in the Northern Hemisphere that requires more than ETOPS 240 approval (four hours from flying time from a suitable airfield), and more than 90% of routes require no more than ETOPS 180.

ETOPS speed schedules are designed assuming a MTOW at departure with highest gross weight and enroute weather conditions at critical points enroute determining diversion speed and endurance. Speeds vary by operator, and other factors including carriage of additional passenger oxygen allowing operations at an intermediate level above FL140 are also taken into account.

Down south ETOPS restrictions have arguably a much greater operational impact as this Perth – Mauritius sector highlights.

Air Mauritius’ previous A340 operation to Australia tracked along a flight path relatively close to the great circle routing (see map below). Now operated by its A330-200 fleet – approved for ETOPS 180 (for arguments sake roughly 1,000nm) – the aircraft must track significantly to the north of the great circle route. Flying north-west after departing Perth to remain within diversion flying time of Learmonth, the Cocos Islands and then Diego Garcia, before tracking to the south-west for Mauritius.

The result is a longer flight time – the previous 8:30 minute block time westbound, is now an 8:30 minute flight time – approximately 45 minutes to one hour longer airborne.

The associated impact on flight economics is substantial as Virgin Australia learnt the hard way in its brief foray into Boeing 777-300ER operations between Melbourne and Johannesburg. To remain with ETOPS 180 restrictions the 777 operated a more northerly, inefficient routing – maps of westbound and eastbound flights – resulting in a flight time 1:15 longer than Qantas’ 14 hour Sydney – Johannesburg service.

The lightest grey shade on the map indicates ETOPS 180 limits. If Air Mauritius were to gain approval for ETOPS 207 or even 240 it would allow a more efficient southerly routing. But would you really be comfortable knowing you are that far from land on the off chance your Royce stops Rolling?

 

 

 

Jan
29

Virgin Australia: A decade of international services.

Today marks ten years since Virgin Australia (Blue at the time) launched it’s first international flight, DJ007 between Christchurch and Brisbane on January 29, 2004.

Across the Tasman, Virgin’s competitive bullseye wasn’t locked squarely on the Qantas Group, it was also taking on a newly relaunched and reinvigorated Air New Zealand in its highest yielding market place. Pacific Blue grew quickly, leveraging the opportunity to develop reliable low-cost air services to the remote, developing islands of the Pacific, an area of the world that couldn’t support the high-cost operation of either national carrier.

Virgin’s long-haul ambitions came to fruition in 2009 – the worst time to launch an international airline, but it had little choice – with the launch of V Australia services to the US.

Continue reading “Virgin Australia: A decade of international services.” »

Jan
26

A380 Harbour Flyover

A few shots of Qantas A380 VH-OQE’s flying display over Sydney Harbour in celebration of Australia Day.

Jan
19

The weekly rollerboard 19 January: A350 special

The A350XWB flight test campaign continues in earnest, and with more than 850 flight hours now logged it’s time I wrote an update. I was following the campaign and the CSeries more closely in the initial stages, but the number of great resources available online meant I took a bit of back seat.

Flexible limits

The static test frame MSN5000 has now successfully completed ultimate wing load testing reaching a five metre deflection the wing, subjecting the wing to loads to 1.5 times greater than expected in service life. Strains were measured by 10,000 measurement channels which correlate load information against structural design models.

The ultimate load is the beyond which the wing is expected to fail, and is calculated at 2.5 times the maximum expected G load. As the Airbus Fly By Wire system limits G loads to +2.5G or +3.5G in a reversion to Direct Law, the ultimate load could be higher than 7.5G. Continue reading “The weekly rollerboard 19 January: A350 special” »

Jan
17

Missed Approach: Air India AI301

Image: hartlandmartin on flickr

There’s been three notable incidents of late in which flight crew have mistakenly landed at the wrong airport – see the Dreamlifter, a C-17 and a Southwest 737. A third was almost added this past Tuesday morning when an Air India Boeing 787-8 registered VT-ANM mistook Melbourne’s Essendon Airport for Melbourne International Airport (Tullamarine).

Operating AI301 from Sydney to Melbourne VT-ANM approached and crossed Melbourne from the east following usual tracking paths for aircraft inbound from the north-east to YMML’s active Runway 34.

The flight crew initiated a right turn to lining up for Essendon’s Runway 35 mistaking it for YMML’s Runway 34. Essendon Airport is located 4.5nm to southeast of Melbourne International Airport, and has a similar cross-runway layout to Melbourne with the runway headings only offset 1 degree.

Continue reading “Missed Approach: Air India AI301” »

Jan
12

The weekly rollerboard 12 January

AA’s inaugural A321T service. Image: Edward Russell.

This week Australia’s mantle for offering the best transcontinental airline product in the world – which Australian’s unjustifiably love to pick apart as woefully inadequate – was challenged for the first time in perhaps two decades as American Airlines launched its new premium A321T service from New York JFK to Los Angeles.

Compared with the past decade of woefully inadequate product offer onboard American carriers, the product reinvention is a welcome return to the days of glamorous transcon air travel. There will be a 30 per cent increase in the number of first class seats AA offers as business class and economy decline by 13 per cent and 27 per cent respectively. Continued capacity rationalisation carries through to the strategic relaunch with AA’s total New York-Los Angeles capacity decreasing in favour of frequency growth from ten to thirteen services daily.

Continue reading “The weekly rollerboard 12 January” »

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