Passenger Records Video of Plane’s Wheel Falling Off During Takeoff
An Air Canada passenger captured frightening footage of a plane’s wheel falling off during takeoff on a flight from Montreal to Bagotville, Canada on Friday.
The Air Canada Express flight operated by Jazz Aviation, which was carrying 49 passengers and three crew members at the time, was forced to burn off fuel before returning to the airport in Montreal, according to NBC News.
Fortunately, the plane landed without incident and no injuries were reported.
Is Southwest Considering a Basic Economy Fare?
UPDATE: Jan. 7, 11 a.m.
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly came out and set the record straight, telling his employees in a weekly address that Southwest will not consider a basic economy fare:
“I’m on the record many times saying that Southwest—at least as long as I’m around—will never do basic economy, so I’m on the record with that,” Kelly said.
JetBlue to Become First Major US Airline to Offset Carbon Emissions
JetBlue continues its commitment to sustainability by announcing Monday the airline plans to offset carbon dioxide emissions from fuel for all domestic flights beginning in July 2020.
The commitment to offsetting carbon emissions makes JetBlue the first major U.S. airline to take this critical step toward reducing its contribution to global warming. In addition, the carrier will begin using sustainable fuel in mid-2020 on flights from San Francisco International Airport.
The changes also build on JetBlue’s existing programs, such as investments in fuel-saving technologies and aircraft, as well as advocating for a more fuel-efficient air traffic control system that would reduce emissions from flying.
Safest airlines in the world are in Asia-Pacific, along with some of the most punctual
Qantas tops AirlineRatings.com’s safest list, followed by Air New Zealand and Eva Air from Taiwan. Cathay takes 9th place
Garuda Indonesia was the most punctual airline last year, according to OAG Aviation Worldwide, while Moscow’s Sheremetyevo was the airport with fewest delays
Asia-Pacific airlines are the safest in the world, with Qantas leading the way, according to AirlineRatings.com. Garuda Indonesia led the world in punctuality.
Qantas Airways was named safest airline in the world on a top-20 list published by AirlineRatings.com, followed by Air New Zealand and Taiwan’s Eva Air. Singapore Airlines was sixth, Cathay Pacific Airways ninth and Virgin Australia 10th.
AirlineRatings.com said it takes into account factors including audits by governing and industry bodies, crash and serious incident records, profitability and fleet age.
In a separate survey by OAG Aviation Worldwide, Garuda Indonesia was crowned 2019’s most punctual carrier. Panama’s Copa Airlines ranked second among airlines arriving or departing within 15 minutes of scheduled times. Japan’s Skymark Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Latam Airlines rounded out the top five. Among major US carriers, Delta Air Lines was the only one to make it into the top 20.
Travellers at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, which dropped out of the world’s top 10 for on-time performance. Photo: AFP
The number of global air passengers will double to 8.2 billion by 2037, thanks to economic growth and a swelling middle class, according to the International Air Transport Association. More than half of those fliers will come from the Asia-Pacific region, led by demand from countries like China and India.
About 4.7 billion people are expected to travel this year, 4 per cent more than in 2019, IATA said in December.
Taiwan’s Eva Air has the third-best safety record. Safety ratings are based on audits by governing and industry bodies, crash and serious incident records, profitability and fleet age. Photo: Kyodo
Among mega airports ranked by OAG – those catering to more than 30 million airline seats – Moscow Sheremetyevo topped the list for the best on-time performance last year. The ranking is based on the proportion of flights at each airport that arrive and leave within 15 minutes of scheduled times.
In contrast to the poor showing of its airlines, the US’ airports were top performers for punctuality. Six of the top 10 on-time airports were American, with Atlanta ranking fourth. Seattle came in fifth and Los Angeles seventh.
John F. Kennedy airport entered the top 10, while Bangkok and Amsterdam dropped out
United Airlines Looking to Expand Denver Hub
United Airlines, the largest carrier to fly out of Denver International Airport, wants a bigger piece of the pie.
Like, much bigger.
Denver International is currently in the midst of a $1.5 billion project to add 39 more gates to the airport by 2021 – and United wants more than 60 percent of them.
Southwest Airlines ranks last for safety among US airlines in recent study
Unlike peers, airline earned just 3 of 7 stars – but there’s a catch
Southwest scored last among US carriers, with three stars out of seven, in a new safety study of global carriers. Photo: LM Otero, Associated Press
Southwest scored last among US carriers, with three stars out of seven, in a new safety study of global carriers.
It’s probably no surprise that a new global safety study concluded that for 2020, Qantas is the world’s safest airline (remember that famous discussion in the movie “Rain Man”?). But it’s definitely a surprise that Southwest Airlines ranked so far down on the AirlineRatings.com list – dead last among U.S. carriers – earning only three out of a possible seven stars.
Most of the other U.S. carriers in the study earned a full seven stars (out of seven), including American, Delta, United, Alaska, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Frontier, Sun Country, Silver Airways (a regional airline serving Florida and the Bahamas), Cape Air (a small-plane turboprop carrier in New England, south Florida and the Caribbean) and Omni Air International (a charter carrier). However, only Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines rank among the world’s top 20 safest carriers, according to AirlineRatings analysis of 405 carriers worldwide.
The three U.S. airlines that didn’t earn seven stars were Spirit, Allegiant and PenAir (a commuter carrier in Alaska). But each of them had a rating of four stars, still better than Southwest’s three.
Southwest’s three safety stars puts it in the company of carriers such as Aerocaribbean (Cuba), Avia Traffic Co. (Kyrgyzstan), Novoair (Bangladesh), Tajik Air (Tajikistan) and Turkmenistan Airlines, as well as Air Panama, Ethiopian Airlines and northern Canada’s First Air.
Even with three stars, Southwest still ranked higher than two-star airlines in the study such as Iraqi Airways and Afghanistan’s Ariana Afghan and Kam Air. (The study found just a single company that merited only one safety star: Nepal Airlines.)
So what happened to Southwest? One standard that most carriers easily passed in the AirlineRatings.com study was an absence of passenger fatalities over the past 10 years, and that’s one thing that tripped up Southwest. You might recall that in April 2018, a Wells Fargo Bank executive on a Southwest flight from New York’s LaGuardia to Dallas died after she was struck by a piece of shrapnel that crashed through her window when an engine failed and blew apart. The B737 had to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia. That was the first U.S. airline passenger fatality since 2009.
But there’s an even bigger factor – and not an entirely fair one. The study placed major importance on whether an airline has passed an operational safety audit (IOSA) conducted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade organization of the world’s airlines. And Southwest didn’t check that box – although that seems to be a technicality. “Registering for IOSA certification and auditing is not mandatory,” AirlineRatings.com noted. “Therefore an airline that does not have IOSA certification may have either failed the IOSA audit or alternatively chosen not to participate.”
An IOSA audit is required for airlines that belong to IATA, but according to an online list of IATA carriers, Southwest is not a member. Because U.S. airlines are so closely regulated and inspected by the FAA, Southwest’s lack of an IOSA audit doesn’t mean it’s not safe. But its failure to get that audit cost it three stars out of seven in the AirlineRatings.com safety study.
AirlineRatings.com said its safety study considers “a comprehensive range of factors that include audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, government audits, airline’s crash and serious incident record, profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, and fleet age.” It does not consider the size or number of safe flights completed each year by the airline, which would likely boost the rating of Southwest considering its sheer number of incident-free flights every year.
From Perth, Australia, Geoffrey Thomas, editor and publisher at AirlineRatings.com told SFGATE, “Southwest is a great airline, but is not amongst our safest airlines due to the fact that it has not completed the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit or IOSA. This is an audit that is done every two years and covers over 1000 parameters many of which are operational and safety areas.” He added that since Southwest has not participated in an IOSA audit, it has not made the top 20 list in any of the five years this study has been published. Using the sort function on the online list, we were unable to remove the IOSA criteria to see how Southwest ranked without that.
Rating airlines on safety is a touchy, difficult subject. For example, a competing airline rating site, SkyTrax.com, states that it “does not publish a comparative rating of airline safety standards or airline safety record details, because there is no single accurate, global reference of safety standards and/or safety incidents which provides information that can in our opinion be truly trusted by passengers, or which supplies total accuracy to customers in choosing an airline… It is critical that any single, global measure of airline safety provides exactly that – a single rating format with no gaps caused by inconsistency in the way safety incidents may or may not be reported.”
UPDATE: Southwest Airlines provided the following statement to SFGATE on Friday: “As we approach nearly 50 years of air service, Southwest has safely transported more U.S. air travelers each year than any other carrier, for well more than a decade. Safety has been, is and will remain our number one priority and focus. We note that the primary driver in ranking carriers within this study is IOSA registration, which, to date, as an airline serving primarily US destinations, we have chosen not to pursue. We regularly evaluate whether an additional affiliation with IATA, which administers the IOSA program, would make sense as our international footprint grows. ”
In declaring Qantas to be the world’s safest airline, AirlineRatings.com noted that “over its 99-year history the world’s oldest continuously operating airline has amassed a truly amazing record of firsts in operations and safety and is now accepted as the industry’s most experienced airline.” It noted that Qantas has pioneered a number of safety-related technologies such as “real-time monitoring of its engines across its fleet using satellite communications, which has enabled the airline to detect problems before they become a major safety issue.”
Other carriers in the study’s top 20 safest airlines include Air New Zealand, EVA Air, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Virgin Australia, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, TAP Portugal, SAS, Royal Jordanian, Swiss, Finnair, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, and KLM.
Thomas said that US carriers Delta, American and United, all had incidents involving allegedly intoxicated pilots during 2019, which ruled them ineligible for the top 20 list.
AirlineRatings.com also issued a separate list of the “Top 10 Safest & Best Low-cost Airlines.” That list includes Air Arabia, Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, IndiGo, JetBlue, Volaris, Vueling, Westjet, and Wizz.
https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Southwest-Airlines-safety-ranking-14945622.php
FAA proposes revoking Nantucket Express’s air carrier certificate over alleged safety issues
These Were the Most On-Time Airlines and Airports of 2019
Travel data and analytics expert Cirium has released its 11th annual On-Time Performance (OTP) Review, which identifies the world’s best-performing airlines and airports for on-time flight operations in 2019.
The long-running analysis by Cirium provides the definitive ranking of the top ten most on-time airlines and airports globally, by size and region.
The Review is designed to raise the benchmark by encouraging airlines and airports to invest, ensuring they operate on-time and provide their customers with a best-in-class travel experience, both in the air and on the ground.
Data Shows 2019 Was Third Safest Year in Aviation History
A new study found that 2019 was the third safest year in recorded aviation history.
According to Deutsche Welle, the report from Germany’s Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Center (JACDEC) revealed Monday that 293 people died in air accidents last year, which is a drastic drop from the 559 deaths recorded in 2018.
The number would have been much lower if it wasn’t for the Boeing 737 MAX crash that took place in Ethiopia in March, which left 157 people dead. The Ethiopian accident was responsible for over half of all aviation fatalities in 2019.
These Are the World’s Safest Airlines For 2020
Airline Rankings
The airline safety and product review website AirlineRatings.com has once again chosen its safest airlines, and there’s no surprise who’s at the top for 2020.
It is a list dominated by foreign carriers, and with the exception of the 2018 rankings – when AirlineRatings.com could not find a clear-cut winner and rated the top 20 as one entity in alphabetical order – it is a list filled with familiar names.
AirlineRatings.com sifts through more than 400 airlines to narrow its list to the 20 safest. It takes into account a comprehensive range of factors that include audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, government audits, airline’s crash and serious incident record, profitability, industry-leading safety initiatives, and fleet age.
The World’s Busiest Airport Goes Smoke-Free
The world’s busiest airport is making a dramatic change sure to affect thousands of customers.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which has been the world’s most-trafficked airport in terms of passengers since 2000, went smoke-free starting Thursday, Jan. 2.
“In an effort to maintain the health, safety and welfare of the traveling public the City of Atlanta has passed an ordinance prohibiting smoking and vaping inside Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ref. no, 19-O-1205),” the city of Atlanta said in a statement. “In accordance with this smoking ban, all smoking rooms inside the airport will close on January 2, 2020.”
TSA Agent Helps Thwart Wanted Criminal From Passing Security Checkpoint
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer is being celebrated for helping catch a man convicted of manslaughter.
According to the official website of the TSA, the unnamed agent was working the security checkpoint at Richmond International Airport last week when a male traveler presented her with an identification card believed to be fake.
The officer asked the man about the ID, but he couldn’t explain why it looked tampered with, so she called on a TSA supervisor and manager to help handle the situation. The agents called the Richmond International Airport Police Department, who arrested him and transferred him to Henrico County for processing and identification.
Aviation Safety Network releases 2019 airliner accident statistics
Will They – or Should They – Rename The Boeing 737 MAX?
While speculation runs rampant about whether the embattled Boeing 737 MAX will ever fly again, aviation experts, Boeing’s own executives, the flying public, and even the President of the United States are contemplating whether the aircraft should be rebranded with a new name.
In a terrific piece by Will Horton, Forbes researched the policy of airlines that use the 737 MAX. The publication found that of the 54 airlines that have 737 MAXs identifiably painted, only 11 airlines consistently write “MAX” on the aircraft’s nose.
Southwest Kicks Off New Year With Sale
Southwest Airlines has kicked off a short window for the new year with a flight sale deal to virtually anywhere in the country, starting at $49 one-way.
But you’re on the clock.
The sale started on New Year’s Eve and runs through Thursday, Jan. 2, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
Trade Your Unused Gift Cards for United Miles
So, let us guess – you got a gift card for the holidays.
Or two.
Or three.
Or more.
It doesn’t surprise us. The gift card industry has been one of the fastest-growing segments in the country. In the 13 years between 2006 and 2018, sales of gift cards have nearly doubled – from $83 billion in ’06 to $160 billion in ’18.
It’s a great ‘out’ for purchasing presents for friends and family who are hard to buy for, but not everybody likes getting them.
Most ‘Eligible’ British Airways Aircraft Will Have Wifi In A Year
Many will be preparing for the new year by drafting a list of resolutions for 2020. British Airways was no different, releasing a list of 20 resolutions for 2020. One of these involves the rollout of WiFi to the majority of its aircraft by the end of 2020.
British Airways, WiFi, Internet
British Airways will install WiFi on a majority of eligible aircraft next year. Photo: British Airways
In-flight WiFi is increasingly important when it comes to attracting customers. In fact, in a 2018 survey by Inmarsat 67% of passengers are more likely to rebook with an airline if it offers WiFi. This figure was even more significant if you only look at business travellers. This is clearly something that British Airways is aware of, as it looks to up its WiFi availability.
Which British Airways aircraft currently offer WiFi?
In August we took a look at British Airways’ WiFi offering and compared it to the rival airline, Virgin Atlantic. Only around 30% of British Airways’ short-haul fleet was equipped with WiFi connections. This includes three Airbus A319s, 34 Airbus A320s, four Airbus A320neos, and six Airbus A321s.
Taking a look at the long haul fleet, we saw that 64% of the airline’s long-distance fleet now has WiFi enabled. Of course, since then, the airline has received three more Airbus A350s with WiFi enabled.
British Airways, WiFi, Internet
WiFi is a key driver of passenger loyalty according to Inmarsat. Photo: British Airways
What was in British Airway’s resolution
British Airways today released a list of 20 new years resolutions to achieve by the end of 2020. Regarding the installation of wireless internet, the carrier said:
The majority of eligible aircraft will be WiFi ready by the end of 2020.
The airline hasn’t gone into exactly what number “the majority” converts to. Additionally, the airline didn’t specify which aircraft are eligible. However, we can have a good guess.
According to the users over at FlyerTalk, 18 long-haul and 27 short-haul aircraft won’t be receiving WiFi. This includes the Boeing 747 aircraft which are currently without WiFi. These aircraft will also not receive the new Club Suite seat as they are due to retired in the coming years. The other long-haul aircraft not set to receive retrofitted WiFi are the airline’s three Boeing 777-200 aircraft. These are also due to be replaced.
British Airways, WiFi, Internet
All of the airline’s A350’s are equipped with WiFi. Photo: British Airways
On the short-haul side of the fleet, 27 aircraft will not be receiving a WiFi retrofit. These are all Airbus A319s. As a result, this leaves 64 short-haul aircraft and 24 long-haul aircraft, a total of 88, still in need of WiFi. A total of 221 aircraft will receive or have already received WiFi capabilities. As such, the goal has already been met, even if British Airways were to install no WiFi in 2020.
https://simpleflying.com/most-eligible-british-airways-aircraft-will-have-wifi-in-a-year/
Italian Carrier Ernest Airlines To Suspend Operations
Italian budget carrier Ernest Airlines is being forced to suspend its operations two weeks from now. The suspension comes from Italy’s National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC). There have not been any specific reasons provided publicly for the suspension. However, Ernest’s website says it hopes to restore operations as soon as possible.
Ernest Airlines is based in Milan, Italy – operating out of both Milano Bergamo and Milano Malpensa airports. Photo: Julia Novitska via Wikimedia Commons
Sudden and unexpected
The news of the suspension comes without warning, catching many travelers off guard. The following announcement is up on Ernest’s website:
“Dear passengers, unfortunately, we must temporarily close the sales of our flights departing from 13 January 2020 as the National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) has disposed a suspension of our operating license starting January 13th, 2020. The flights will be restored on the site as soon as the revocation of this provision is published. The license can be restored following the demonstration by Ernest S.p.A. to be in possession of the requirements prescribed by the current legislation on the matter and to obtain the revocation of the provision issued by ENAC.”
However, according to Flight Global, the airline states that there are “no imminent critical issues” which would jeopardize operational safety.
ENAC states that the suspension is temporary and revokable. This means that its license can be restored when it is able to demonstrate compliance with current regulations and standards.
“Our company is taking all the necessary actions aimed at obtaining the revocation of [the prohibition],” -Ernest Airlines via Flight Global
What to do if you’re affected
While the news is sudden, thankfully the suspension will only begin after the busy holiday travel period. ENAC says the deferment of the suspension is in consideration of the holiday period, including for Ukraine as many Ukrainian’s celebrate Orthodox Christmas Day on January 7th.
Passengers who have flights booked with Ernest after January 13th are being asked to contact the airline via phone or email to change their flights free of charge. The airline is also allowing full refunds of tickets. Its website states that only requests coming directly from passengers involved in the delay, cancellation or denied boarding will be accepted. Ernest is also advising travelers not to go to the airport.
Ernest operates in cities across France, Spain, Italy, Ukraine, and Albania. Anna Zvereva via Wikimedia Commons
About Ernest Airlines
Ernest began in 2015 with a combination of Italian and Swedish investment and obtained its operation certificates in 2017. The company says it has roughly 200 staff working out of its offices in Milan.
ch-Aviation reports that Ernest Airlines currently operates one A319-100 and three A320-200s. These four aircraft together serve mainly two key markets from Italy: Albania and Ukraine. It operates to Tirana from eight Italian cities. In Ukraine, it serves four major cities including the capital of Kyiv. In the west, Ernest flies to Ibiza and Menorca in Spain and Toulouse in France.
Conclusion
Hopefully, the airline can rectify whatever irregularities exist with its operations and get back into the good books of the civil aviation authorities. Unfortunately without any indication of the reason for suspension, we can’t even speculate as to how long this suspension may last.
Vietnam Airlines Launches Its 19th Route To China
Beginning 19 January, Vietnam Airlines will operate flights between Danang, Vietnam and Shanghai, China. With the addition of this new route, Vietnam Airlines will operate a total of 19 different routes between Vietnam and China.
Vietnam Airlines Airbus A321-231
Vietnam Airlines will open its 19th route to China in January. Photo: Aero Icarus via Flickr
As reported by Business Traveller today, Vietnam Airlines will be launching its 19th route between Vietnam and China on 19 January.
According to Vietnam Airlines, it already operates flights direct to a number of major Chinese cities. Current routes include Shanghai – Danang – Hanoi/ Ho Chi Minh City and Danang – Shanghai – Hangzhou – Danang.
Lucky number 19
2019 was a good year for the Vietnamese flag carrier, as it opened a number of new routes throughout Southeast Asia and further afield.
Back in October, Vietnam Airlines announced two new leisure routes out of Ho Chi Minh City – one to Phuket, Thailand and one to Bali, Indonesia.
The new Danang to Shanghai flights will run twice-weekly on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights out of Danang will depart at 5:55pm local time, while flights from Shanghai will depart at 11:20pm local time.
According to the airline, the new Danang to Shanghai route will operate with four-star service on its Airbus A321s.
Airbus A321-231 ‘VN-A334’ Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines will operate the route with the Airbus A321. Photo: Alan Wilson via Flickr
Cause for celebration
Vietnam and China are neighbours and both countries’ populations are among the most well-travelled in the region. There are also increasingly important business ties between the two.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that there is a high demand for flights between Vietnam and China. But even so, 19 routes between the two countries for Vietnam Airlines alone is impressive.
To celebrate the milestone 19th route, Vietnam Airlines is offering special reduced-fare tickets for a limited time only.
Customers who buy tickets between 30 December 2019 and 31 January 2020 for flights departing between 19 January 2020 and 28 March 2020 will be able to snag a return trip between Danang and Shanghai from just $227.
The airline says the tickets are “purchasable via Vietnam Airlines’ official website, mobile app, ticketing offices, and agents under certain conditions.”
Vietnam Airlines
When it comes to regional competition, Vietnam Airlines has a lot. Not only does it have a sizeable domestic competitor in VietJet Air, it also has a number of major international competitors in China.
Vietnam Airlines itself is by no means small. In fact, at the end of October, it welcomed its 100th aircraft to its fleet.
The third of a total order of eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners arrived on 22nd October with a ceremony attended by Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister, Truong Hoa Binh.
The acquisition of the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner by Vietnam Airlines was a big deal. Not only was Vietnam Airlines one of the first few airlines to receive the type, but the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner also became the largest aircraft flown by any Vietnamese carrier.
This is a milestone that many within the country’s political sphere are well aware of. Vietnam Airlines has grand plans to lift Vietnam’s aviation industry among the tough local competition, and it looks like it’s on the right track.
https://simpleflying.com/vietnam-airlines-launches-its-19th-route-to-china/
Cause Of Deadly EgyptAir Crash Finally Revealed?
Oh EgyptAir…
EgyptAir’s Mysterious Plane Crashes
EgyptAir has historically had a not-amazing safety record, and perhaps most alarming has been that the cause of two crashes remains unknown. This is concerning because airlines can’t do anything to improve safety if they’re not able to (or are unwilling to) figure out or admit what happened.
The two crashes that stand out are the following:
- In 1999 EgyptAir 990 crashed enroute from New York to Cairo; most international investigators agree that the relief pilot intentionally crashed the plane, while Egyptian authorities strongly dispute that
- In 2016 EgyptAir 804 crashed enroute from Paris to Cairo; up until now the cause has been unknown, with Egyptian investigators insisting that a bomb detonated onboard, though international investigators have disputed that
It’s incredibly mysterious that the cause of a plane crash as recent as 2016 can’t be determined. Then again, a 777 disappeared into thin air just a few years prior to that, so I guess nothing is out of the realm of possibility.
Anyway, it looks like we now have a better sense of what caused the crash of EgyptAir 804.
EgyptAir 804 Basics & Theories
EgyptAir 804 was scheduled to fly from Paris to Cairo on May 19, 2016, and was operated by an A320. The plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, and killed all 66 people onboard.
Up until now Egyptian authorities have insisted that a bomb went off on the plane. They’ve based this on traces of TNT being found on the bodies of victims, though since bodies were in seawater for several weeks, other authorities said it was normal for traces of such explosives to be found. Furthermore, these were never found on the bodies of French victims that were returned to the country.
International investigators have disputed this theory all along. They say that a smoke detector in the forward lavatory went off, and that shortly before the crash passengers moved towards the back of the plane, suggesting there was a fire near the front of the plane.
Some Clues As To What Really Happened
The Wall Street Journal has revealed disturbing findings from an investigation into what happened to EgyptAir 804.
The issue seems to stem from the fact that Egyptian authorities were in charge of the investigation (since it was an EgyptAir plane), and they’ve withheld key information from other investigators.
They simply insisted that a bomb brought down the plane, but were unwilling to share a lot of their findings, citing the secrecy of their counterterrorism inquiry.
Now a French judicial probe has been completed (since French citizens died on the plane), which paints a very different picture of what happened. They have determined that maintenance and safety lapses left the plane unsafe to fly in the days before it crashed. Specifically, a leak of oxygen in the cockpit preceded a fire that likely disabled the plane.
According to this investigation, automated messages from the A320 involved in the crash reported serious mechanical errors on the final five flights, and those were largely ignored by the airline.
The pilots on these flights never mentioned the issues in post-flight reports, even though these issues should have set off alarms inside the plane. The EgyptAir ground technician also said that neither the airline nor the pilots informed him of these issues. On top of that, investigators are questioning if the EgyptAir technician in Paris who inspected the plane was qualified to service aircraft in Europe.
According to the documents from the investigation:
“The plane should have been checked during its four previous flights, and should not have left Cairo after the appearance of repeated faults that were not reported by successive teams.”
It’s clear that the Egyptian officials have been trying to block this investigation to such a great degree. In May 2018 the French and Egyptians met in Cairo, and French authorities were allowed to view aircraft debris, but not touch it. The French asked for a copy of the plane’s cockpit voice recorder, but Egyptian authorities refused, citing it as a secret criminal investigation.
But as it turns out, information was even being withheld between French investigators. France’s air crash investigation bureau held a backup copy of the data for quite a while, but refused to share it with the French judicial probe, arguing that they promised Egyptian authorities that they wouldn’t. So arguably that delayed the investigation by about 18 months.
Bottom Line
While I’ve enjoyed my flights on EgyptAir, it’s always disheartening and irresponsible for an airline (or perhaps country in this case, since EgyptAir is state owned) to be more focused on covering up problems and fault, than to focus on making the airline as safe as possible (in fairness, Boeing could be described in a similar way at the moment).
I’m happy to see that we’re getting closer to finding out what really happened to EgyptAir 804.
Child Saves Mother Having Stroke During Flight
A mother is eternally thankful to her daughter after the child reported an issue to flight attendants during a flight to Greece that eventually saved her life.
According to the New York Post, 39-year-old Alexandra Hajipaulis was on a Ryanair flight from England to Crete in July 2018 when her six-year-old daughter, Jaideen, noticed her mother had passed out in her seat shortly after takeoff.
When Jaideen notified the attendants working the flight, they called for a doctor who determined Hajipaulis was suffering an ischemic stroke. The captain called for an emergency landing in Italy, where the plane touched down safely, and Hajipaulis was transported to a local hospital in a coma.
Budget Carrier Eurowings Forced to Cancel Flights
While France is grappling with strikes that have disrupted travel, Germany is now facing the same fate.
Eurowings, the European budget carrier affiliate of Lufthansa Airlines, has canceled more than 170 flights starting Monday and running through Wednesday due to a three-day strike called by its flight attendants.
The cancellations mostly affect flights within Germany from airports that include Cologne-Bonn, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and Dusseldorf, according to the Associated Press.
Where the Top US Airlines Rank for In-Flight Entertainment
Fun Flights
The data analysis team at CableTV.com recently examined 10 of the top U.S. airlines, comparing several factors contributing to an entertaining flight, including in-seat entertainment consoles; the ability to access entertainment using a personal console such as a tablet, laptop or phone; access to USB ports or power outlets and the variety of movies, TV channels, games and music offered.
Qatar brings history and culture to Life
Photo: A scene from Doha, Qatar’s Souq Waqif. (photo via Flickr/Ian Cochrane)Qatar is a modern country with a sophisticated flair that is bringing the country’s history to life through its museums and the preservation of historical sites.
The country’s newest treasure is the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), which opened on March 28, 2019, and is one of the most exciting new opportunities for travelers coming to the country. The museum is a “desert rose” and truly connects visitors with the rich history of the country. The museum’s floor plan is laid out in three “chapters” that include the Beginnings, Life in Qatar, and Building the Nation. Eleven galleries extend 1.7 miles and chronicle the times before humans inhabited the peninsula through the present day.
Jean Nouvel created the design which features an array of curved discs representing crystal clusters found in the Qatari desert known as “desert roses.” Galleries are made up of oral histories, archival images, artworks, music and storytelling, and evocative aromas add a sensory aspect to the immersive experience.
The Museum of Islamic Art
The national museum is Qatar’s most recent treasure, but its art museum is another world-class collection. The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) houses one of the best collections of Islamic art in the world. A diverse array of artwork that features paintings, glassworks, metalwork, ceramics, textiles, and manuscripts that cover several periods, including Mughal and Safavid.
The building is a work of art in and of itself, designed by IM Pei, who won the 1983 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Guests will find rotating exhibitions, temporary shows, indoor and outdoor cafes, and IDAM, a restaurant run by a three-Michelin-star chef, Alain Ducasse.
Souq Waqif
Qatar has been a trading post since ancient times, and another way to experience it is to head to its central marketplace, Souq Waqif. Its maze of alleyways, unique architecture creates an ambiance and a sense of place for visitors looking to connect with Qatari culture. Many people come to the market for carpets, rugs, and textiles as well as Arabic coffee pots, antique silver, incense burners, prayer beads, inlaid jewelry boxes, and other handicrafts. Travelers can also venture outside of Doha to the port city of Al Wakra. Here, Souq Waqif Al Wakra offers a variety of restaurants and coffee shops and is open late into the evening.
Historic Sites
While museums are an ideal place to get to know the history and culture of Qatar and the region as a whole through the ages, travelers can get a glimpse of the past at the country’s historic sites. The Barzan Towers, located in the suburbs of Doha, was recently restored. They were initially built between 1910 and 1916 and stood 16 meters high. They likely served as a lookout point to protect local water sources and as an observatory.
Al Wajba fort is just outside of Doha was constructed in the late 18th or early 19th century where it was the site of a battle between Qatari forces and the Ottomans in 1893. It has also served as the residence for sheiks.