May
23

China’s CAAC issues 787 type certification

It’s been a long wait. After years of delays, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) today issued the Chinese type certification certificate for the Boeing 787-8.

A team from China Southern is currently in Seattle undertaking preparatory work and customer acceptance flights before formally accepting the carrier’s first 787 LN 34, registered B-2725, on or before May 28. Hainan Airlines will follow, taking delivery of its first 787-8 in June.

The opaque nature of Chinese bureaucracy has muddied the official reason behind the CAAC’s delay in issuing the Chinese type certificate. Industry sources suggest that the 787 type certificate was ready for issue in late 2011, however due to development delays the preparatory work expired before the 787 could enter service under the old certificate. It is also suggested that Air China’s political connections in Beijing played a hand in delaying the paperwork, waving their magic wand to reduce the competitive pressure on the Chinese flag carrier which couldn’t secure early delivery positions for its 787-9 order, and didn’t order the A380.

Each carrier holds orders for ten 787-8s; China Southern will receive five aircraft, and Hainan seven, by the end of 2013.

Check out Carry-on’s profile of China Southern
*This post has been amended as we mistakenly wrote Air China had not ordered the 787. Air China has 15 787-9s on order. Thanks to one of our readers for pointing this out.

May
22

How do you visualise increasing air traffic?

The ageing Boeing 767 is on approach, descending you feel the odd bump as your aircraft passes through the clouds. It’s been a smooth flight, with the average 2013 standard service, but importantly you’re on schedule. Then, the flight crew announce they’ve slowed down as a result of air traffic restrictions. There is a collective groan, you roll your head back against the seat and push your iPod earphones back into your ears.

You’re delayed, it’s inconvenient, but how often do you take a moment to visualise the huge amount of aircraft in the sky around the aircraft you’re sitting on?

These time-lapse videos shot at San Diego International Airport and London Heathrow provide an incredible visualisation of the fast growing number of aircraft movements, a result of the increasing demand for air transportation around the world.

To give some perspective. In 2012, San Diego only handled 17.2 million passengers on an average 509 movements per day or approximately 215,000 in 2012. In comparison, London Heathrow handled 69.9 million passengers on 471,341 movements or 1,300 per day in 2012. Both airports operate with night curfew restrictions.

These time-lapses show only a fraction of the movements on any given day. Next time you fly, give some consideration to the coordination it takes to move these aircraft safely, and what you’re missing outside when you choose to sit in an aisle seat.

May
14

Ain’t she pretty? Airbus rolls out painted A350XWB.

Image: Airbus SAS.

Airbus has rolled out its first Airbus A350-900 MSN001 in its full paint scheme at its Toulouse production facility.

Airbus is yet to set an official date for the maiden sortie of the prototype flight test aircraft.

Fitted with Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines the aircraft has spent close to a week in the paint shop. The A350 has already completed flight-test-instrument (FTI) verification and will now commence ground testing, followed by a series of ground runs before its first flight.

Airbus holds 616 customer orders for the three member A350 family, which will eventually include a smaller 250-seat A350-800 variant and larger 350-seat A350-1000 variant.

More information about the Airbus A350 family.

Image: Airbus SAS.

May
03

Japan Airlines is bringing the dream to Sydney.

 

Pushing ahead with it’s 787 expansion, Japan Airlines will be the first international airline to introduce Boeing 787 services to Sydney. Operating the daily JL771/772 service from Tokyo Narita, the Boeing 787-8 will replace the Boeing 777 currently operated from December 1.

Three months after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was grounded in late-January, the aircraft and programme are back in the air. With safety fixes for the aircraft’s battery system approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, airlines are bursting with renewed confidence in the besieged programme and planning the aircraft’s re-entry into service on routes around the globe.

Both Japan’s All Nippon Airlines (ANA) and JAL each suffered separate fire incidents in the 787′s lithium-ion battery, and are now working to restore the Japanese public’s confidence in the aircraft before they resume services on June 1. Over the next few weeks both carriers plan to undertake more than 200 test flights for pilot training and battery system verification demonstrating to the public the safety of the aircraft.

With the arrival of the 787 into the Australian market imminent, airlines will soon have a host of new operational opportunities into the country. Initially for JAL, the substantial product upgrade, but capacity downgrade of the 787 reduces available seat capacity on the Tokyo – Sydney route by 24%; instantly improving Qantas capacity share and competitiveness on a market that has struggled since its 1997 peak.  However, the economics of the 787-8 provides the potential to introduce new routes and improved schedules to destinations across Asia and beyond, encouraging growth and allowing markets to mature with the potential to increase capacity with the 787-9 from sometime after 2016. Up-gauging to an aircraft with a similar operating cost, but significantly increased capacity also delivers airlines greater pricing flexibility, to stimulate even more demand through lower fares or the ability to extract higher margins from operations.

The unprecedented level of regulatory and developmental scrutiny afforded the 787 will ultimately deliver an exceptionally safe next generation aircraft. There may be some initial tepidness from passengers in booking on the 787, but ultimately the romance of a revolutionary aircraft will draw them back. It’s been a long wait, but the 787 is almost here.

Carry-on is booked to travel on the inaugural Sydney service, and will be bringing you all the excitement of the day. Stay tuned.

Boeing’s full page すみません (apology). Image: Yoshiaki Miura, Japan Times.

May
01

National Air Cargo 747-400F accident

This video is purported to be of the Boeing 747-400BCF, registered N949CA, of National Air Cargo that crashed after takeoff from Bagram Air Force base in Afghanistan on 29 April.

During climb out the nose of the aircraft appears to pitch up sharply, before enters into a stall and coming down near the airport perimeter fence. Reports indicate that listeners on the frequency are reported to have heard the flight crew report a load shift had caused the stall. The aircraft was carrying a crew of seven or eight people, although the this remains unconfirmed.

Orlando based National Air Cargo operated three B747-400BCF aircraft, and is a member of a group of airlines participating in the civil reserve air fleet programme, which transports cargo on behalf of the US Air Mobility Command.

Apr
19

The new American Airlines.

By far, the best picture of the new American Airlines livery we’ve seen. Image: Praneeth Franklin.

Mar
05

Peeking into British Airways’ chic new A380

British Airways’ new video gives a sneak peek into the onboard refinement of their chic new A380. BA has twelve A380s on order to be delivered by 2016, and will receive with the first three aircraft to be delivered in July, September and November. Configured in a four class 469 seat layout with , BA’s A380 will be deployed between London – Los Angeles from 15 October and daily London – Hong Kong services from 15 November.

British Airways is likely to deploy its A380 to other destinations in Asia including Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore; in line with strategic moves to increase its presence throughout Asia, particularly mainland China. In support of this, BA has signed a codeshare agreement with Cathay Pacific to take affect from 31 March, the final day of the Qantas/BA Joint Service Agreement (JSA). BA will initially place it’s flight code on Cathay Pacific’s services from Hong Kong to Cairns, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

“The best refinements are those you hardly notice. Deceptive in their simplicity, you may not notice them at all. Truly great design steps aside, leaving you with a sensation, a feeling. This was our ambition when designing the interiors for our next generation aircraft. Soon, our A380s will fly between London Heathrow, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. We hope, when you step on board, you can’t put your finger on exactly what makes flying in them so pleasurable.

More than 90 years of experience has taught us how to get things right and our intention is to make sure – on every second of every flight – you realise how flying with us makes you feel.” – British Airways

Tally ho!

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