aviation

Top 10 Airports in the World in terms of PAX Movement …

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We’ve taken a look at the top 20 airports in the world in terms of passenger numbers, for December 2014.

What are the World's Top 20 Airports? December 2014 Network Update

The biggest change comes from Atlanta, which was top in December 2013 and despite reporting a 1.5% growth has been overtaken by Beijing Capital International Airport. Istanbul and Dubai International have seen big rises, while Shanghai Pudong is the fastest growing airport according to our analysis. The three main Asian hubs – Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore have all seen declines. Denver International Airport reaches the top 20, which is the destination for Routes America’s 2015!

1. Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) – 4,794,291

The airport is the busiest airport in Asia, and is home to the second-largest passenger terminal in the world. Terminal 1 covers 60,000m2; Terminal 2 covers an area of 336,000m2 and is able to handle 26,500,000 passengers yearly. Terminal 3 covers a huge 986,000m2 (244 acres). The passenger numbers have risen a massive 10.5 percent in comparison to December 2013 figures.

2. Hartsfield – Jackson, Atlanta Airport (ATL) – 4,599,874

The terminal complex measures 130 acres or 6.8 million square feet and includes domestic and international concourses. The airport comprises of 207 gates – 167 of which are domestic, and 40 international. Hartsfield has its own underground system, which on average carries more than 200,000 passengers per day.

3. Haneda Airport, Tokyo (HND) – 4,433,928

A third terminal to allow for international flights was completed in October 2010 as well as a fourth runway, which was constructed to increase the airport’s operational capacity from 285,000 movements to 407,000 movements per year. The airport is the first in Japan to receive 5-star status in the Global Airport Ranking conducted by Skytrax.

Dubai Airport

4. Dubai International Airport (DXB) – 4,261,485

Dubai International has registered a 10.4 percent increase in passenger numbers in December 2014 in comparison to December 2013. Construction of a third terminal began in 2004, and the terminal opened in 2008 after a two-year delay. The airport constructed an extra 29 gates capable of handling the Airbus A380 before its arrival.

5. London Heathrow Airport (LHR) – 3,805,009

The five-terminal airport spans across 12.14 square kilometres. The first phase of a new Terminal 2 complex was opened in 2014, and Terminal 5 was voted Skytrax World’s Best Airport Terminal in the Annual World Airport Awards, 2014.

6. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – 3,581,733

The airport offers 692 daily flights to 85 domestic cities and 928 weekly nonstop flights to 67 cities in 34 countries. The airport has 119 gates spanning across nine terminals, one of which – the Tom Bradley International Terminal, which is named after the first African-American and longest-serving mayor of Los Angeles (20 years).

7. Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) – 3,482,573

Hong Kong International is undergoing some development, with the construction of a new 20 gate passenger concourse to be built in 2 phases for completion between 2015 and 2020. In 2013, HKIA handled 59.9 million passengers, 4.12 million tonnes of cargo and 372,040 flight movements.

8. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – 3,462,693

The eight-runway airport has a total of 189 gates across four terminals. The entire O’Hare International Airport complex spans over 7,000 acres and has the capacity to move 2,400 passengers per hour.

9. Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW) – 3,283,093

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has five terminals totalling 165 gates. The airport is currently undergoing renovation work with the replacement of infrastructure, and easier parking, security and baggage reclaim, with Terminal A nearing completion.

10. Soekarno–Hatta (Jakarta) International Airport (CGK) – 3,252,159

The airport is expected to serve 62 million passengers per year, with a third runway being built in 2015. There will be an increase in apron capacity from 125 airplanes to 174 airplanes. By 2015, additional upgrades are expected to increase the airport’s capacity to 75 million passengers.

Changi

11. Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) – 3,168,437

Changi Airport is a major air hub in Asia, Serving more than 100 international airlines flying to some 300 cities in about 70 countries and territories worldwide, the airport handled more than 53.7 million passengers in 2013. A flight takes off or lands at Changi roughly once every 90 seconds.

12. Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) – 3,116,072

The airport has three buildings that make up the terminal complex, the Satellite Building which handles international travellers, the Contact Pier which serves Malaysia Airlines passengers, and the Main Terminal.

13. Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) – 3,113,579

There are three terminals at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, and in 2013, the airport handled 62,052,917 passengers and 497,763 aircraft movements. It is the second busiest airport in Europe after London Heathrow.

14. Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG) – 3,046,694

The passenger complex consists of two terminals, with a third terminal expected to open in 2015. The airport is a hub for both Shanghai Airlines and China Eastern Airlines and hosts over 40 million passengers annually.

15. Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST) – 2,970,455

Istanbul Atatürk Airport has four terminals and three runways, with plans for a fourth. The Istanbul greater metropolitan area is expected to have a demand of 35 million international passengers and 25 million domestic passengers annually by the year 2015.

16. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) – 2,907,632

In 2013, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport was China’s second busiest and world’s 16th busiest airport by passenger traffic, with 52,450,262 passengers handled. As for cargo traffic, the airport was the third busiest in China and the 18th busiest worldwide.

BKK

17. Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok International – BKK) – 2,864,854

There are two runways and seven four-storey concourse buildings. The airport can accommodate 45 million passengers per year, 76 flights per hour, and three-million tons of cargo per year.

18. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) – 2,828,133

The airport sees over 52 million international passengers, and has two terminals, with a third under construction. Frankfurt Airport is the third busiest in Europe, after London Heathrow and Paris Charles De Gaulle.

19. John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) – 2,771,749

Over ninety airlines operate out of JFK. It is the base of operations for JetBlue Airways and is a major international gateway hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. JFK covers 4,930 acres, including 880 acres in the Central Terminal Area. The airport has more than 30 miles of roadway.

20. Denver International Airport (DEN) – 2,552,974

The airport’s runway – 16R/34L is the longest public use runway in the United States. Denver Airport opened in 1995 and in less than 20 years has become a major transportation hub handling over 50 million passengers annually. The airport has a two-sided main terminal and three concourses, A, B and C. Denver will be host to the Routes Americas 2015 event. Now in its 8th year, Routes Americas is the essential event for all aviation based companies who wish to conduct business to, from and within the region.

SOURCE::::::www.routesonline.com
Natarajan

 

World’s Oldest Airports ….

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The world's oldest airports

LaGuardia Airport opened in New York 75 years ago today, and has since handled countless millions of passengers – including Marilyn Monroe – and 26,722,183 in 2013. But it’s still some way off being the world’s oldest.

 

The world's oldest airports

Albany International

Founded: 1928

Passengers in 2013: 2,393,506

While an airport was established in Albany, New York, in 1909, with early aviation pioneers such as Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh stopping there, the airport was moved to the current site in 1928.

 

The world's oldest airports

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, US

Founded: 1920

Passengers in 2013: 33,897,335

Visited by Howard Hughes on his round-the-world flight in 1938, Minneapolis-St. Paul is currently served by 14 airlines, with Delta being by far its biggest customer.

 

The world's oldest airports

Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport, Australia

Founded: 1920

Passengers in 2013: 36,964,734

Established in 1920, with regular flights starting in 1924, Sydney Kingsford Smith remains the only major hub to serve the city and is the headquarters of Qantas.

 

<>The world's oldest airports

Paris-Le Bourget Airport, France

Founded: 1919

Passengers in 2013: general aviation traffic only.

The French capital’s only airport until work began on Paris-Orly in 1932, Le Bourget is where Hitler began his one and only tour of Paris in June 1940. It closed to international traffic in 1977 and regional traffic in 1980, but hosts the Paris Air Show every two years. Pictured here is Charles Lindbergh.

 

The world's oldest airports

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, The Netherlands

Founded: 1916

Passengers in 2013: 52,527,699

The busiest of the world’s elderly airports, Amsterdam Schiphol was established as a military airbase in 1916 and has been used by civilian aircraft since 1920.

 

The world's oldest airports

Rome Ciampino Airport, Italy

Founded: 1916

Passengers in 2013: 4,749,251

Opened in 1916 and here seen welcoming Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Ciampino suffered decades of stagnation following the opening of Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in 1960, but was revitalised by low-cost carriers. Ryanair now operates almost every service to and from the airport.

Picture: GETTY 

The world's oldest airports

Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok, Thailand

Founded: 1914

Passengers in 2013: 16,479,227

A major US command hub during the Vietnam War, Don Mueang was closed for several months in 2011 due to flooding.

 

The world's oldest airports

Bremen Airport, Germany

Founded: 1913

Passengers in 2012: 2,447,001

Early customers at Bremen included KLM, the world’s oldest airline. It was used as an airbase by the US army from 1945 until 1949.

 

The world's oldest airports

Bucharest Aurel Vlaicu Airport, Romania

Founded: 1912

Passengers in 2013: 6,036  The hub for the airline TAROM during the communist period, Aurel Vlaicu is now solely used by charter flights and private jets.

 

The world's oldest airports

Shoreham Airport, UK

Founded: 1911

Passengers in 2013: 1,500 (approximately)

Britain’s oldest continuously operating airport, found in Sussex, is now used solely by light aircraft.

Note: the site of Blackpool Airport was first used for aviation in 1909, but soon became a racecourse and then a military hospital. Flights did not resume until the 1930s.

 

The world's oldest airports

Hamburg Airport, Germany

Founded: 1911

Passengers in 2013: 13,502,939

Opened in January 1911, Hamburg Airport was used as a staging area during the Berlin Airlift in 1948.

 

 

The world's oldest airports

College Park Airport, Maryland, US

Founded: 1909

Passengers in 2013: general aviation traffic only.

Known as “the cradle of aviation”, this was where the first aeroplane – a Wright Type A biplane – was uncrated and assembled on October 7, 1909.

 

 

SOURCE:::: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Natarajan

 

” Astronaut Chris Hadfield Explains The Big Problem With The Mars One Mission”

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If you haven’t heard, there’s a plan to start up a colony of humans living on Mars in the near future.

If the next decade goes as planned, the not-for-profit organization, Mars One, will launch a manned mission to Mars that will land the first human colony on the red planet in 2025.

Here’s the catch: Those who leave Earth for the 7-month-long ride in space will never return.

The four-member crew will learn to call Mars – a freezing, barren, lifeless planet – home. Forever.

That may sound great to the tens of thousands of people who applied, but Mars One is going about their grandiose plans all wrong according to retired Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield.

Right now, Mars One is focused more on raising funds and selecting crew members than developing the technology needed for the trip. And the technology, Hadfield told Elmo Keep, writing in Medium, is the most basic starting point for any space mission.

“There’s a great, I don’t know, self-defeating optimism in the way that this project has been set up,” Hadfield told Keep. “I fear that it’s going to be a little disillusioning for people, because it’s presented as if for sure it’s going to happen.”

So far, the company claims they’ve had more than 200,000 people apply, and are about to start interviews with 663 final candidates. Mars One says that they will gather the majority of money for the trip through crowd funding from a global reality television event.

The company anticipates that the trip to Mars will cost approximately $6 billion (that’s shockingly low compared to NASA estimates for a two-way trip to Mars and back costing roughly $100 billion.)

Although Mars One has visions of partnering with companies like SpaceX to procure the proper technology, so far its only contract is with Paragon Space Development Corporation to study initial life support systems.

Hadfield isn’t the only one doubting this project. Doubters at MIT have calculated that “living on Mars” will last only about 68 days before the colonists die.

In particular, Hadfield said, if you don’t have the specifications of the spacecraft, you can’t begin to select the people who will live and work in it.

“I want to see the technical specifications of the vehicle that is orbiting Earth,” Hadfield said. “I want to know: How does a space suit on Mars work? Show me how it is pressurized, and how it is cooled. What’s the glove design?”

What’s more, Mars should not even be a target for colonization at this point, according to Hadfield. Our sites should be set on a place much closer.

“We absolutely need to do it on the moon for a few generations,” Hadfield told Keep.

On average, the moon is about 600 times closer to Earth than Mars. That means if something goes wrong with a colony, we can dispatch help from Earth that will reach the Moon in a matter of hours instead of months. Developing a working moon colony would be an important first step to living on Mars.

apollo 17

NASA

Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan of Apollo 17 tests the Lunar Roving Vehicle on the moon.

Here’s a short list of what Hadfield told Keep we need to know before living on Mars:

  • How do you completely recycle your water?
  • How do you completely recycle your oxygen system?
  • How do you protect yourselves from radiation?
  • How do you not go crazy?
  • How do you set up the politics of the place and the command structure, so that when we get it wrong we won’t all die?

While the Mars One desire to get people excited about space travel again is noble – it has been more than 42 years since we last landed a human on anything in space besides the International Space Station. There’s a right way and a wrong way to go about landing people on other satellites throughout the solar system.

“It’s not a race, it’s not an entertainment event. We didn’t explore the world to entertain other people. We did it as a natural extension of human curiosity and matching capability,” Hadfield told Keep. “And that’s what will continue to drive us.”

SOURCE::::Jessica Orwig in http://www.businessinsider.in

Natarajan

Dubai to invest $32-billion to build world’s largest airport…

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File photo of Dubai Airport
APFile photo of Dubai Airport

To further secure its position as the world’s aviation hub, Dubai Airports is building a whopping USD 32—billion greenfield airport at the upcoming Dubai World Central, 30 km off the present international airport which already is the second busiest in the world.

The proposed new airport will become the world’s largest aviation facility on completion and will have five runways which all will be simultaneously operational, all A380-compatible with a length of 4.5 km each.

“We are planning a USD 32—billion brand new airport at the Dubai World Central at Al Maktoum, 30 km off the present Dubai facility. In the first phase, the new airport will be able to handle 120 million passengers, which will go up to 200 million by 2020, when the project is completed,” Dubai Airports Corporate Communications Head Julius Baumann told PTI.

“On completion, the new airport will be the world’s largest airport, with each concourse the size of seven football fields and have five runways which all will be simultaneously operational, all A380-compatible,” Mr. Baumann said.

The other features include 200 aircraft stands for wide bodied aircraft, four concourses connected via six airport trains to two terminals, which in turn will be linked to the city’s metro network. When complete, the mega-hub will have total annual capacity exceeding 200 million passengers and 12 million tonne of freight.

The existing Al Maktoum International opened its doors to passengers on October 27, 2013 and three airlines are operating from here. It has one A380 capable runway, 64 remote stands, one cargo terminal with annual capacity for 250,000 tonne and a fully operational passenger terminal building designed to accommodate 5 million passengers annually.

The Dubai International Airport is the world’s second busiest airport after the London Heathrow and is on course to become the global aviation hub, thanks to its geographical location and the availability of cheap fuel.

The first phase of the new airport includes a single A380 compatible runway, a passenger terminal with capacity of 5 million passengers which is expandable to 7 million; a cargo terminal with a capacity of 250,000 tonne per annum and expandable to 600,000 tonne and a 92-metre air traffic control tower.

The state-owned Dubai Airports already operates the Dubai International Airport in the heart of the Arabian megapolis and the Al Maktoum International Airport at the upcoming Dubai World Central (DWC).

The DWC is a 140 sq km new international city being built to de-congest the present city, Dubai Airports’ Marketing & Corporate Communications Manager Zaigham Ali said, adding the work on new airport will begin early next year.

Apart from the new airport plan, the Emirate is also expanding the Dubai International Airport with a USD 7.8 billion investment to take the capacity to 100 million by 2020. This project was started in 2011 and will be completed by 2016.

The expansion of the Dubai International include a new concourse (Concourse D), expansion of Terminal 2 to twice its current capacity, refurbishment of Terminal 1, and additional aircraft stands, taxiways and aprons among others.

Dubai International, Mr. Baumann said handled 66.43 million passengers in 2013, and has being growing 15.5 per cent per annum since its launch in 1960. In 2013, it was named the second busiest airport in the world after the London Heathrow.

Mr. Ali said India is the largest source market for the airport, with an airline network that connects Dubai with 18 cities in the country.

In 2013, the airport saw a 14.3 percent increase in passenger numbers from India at 8.5 million and in the first 9 months of this year, the number has already crossed 7 million.

Mr. Ali added the company is confident of crossing the last year’s mark this year.

Explaining the rationale for a gigantic new airport, Mr. Baumann said the airport’s forecast figures for unconstrained passenger traffic show 126 million passengers by 2020, and 300 million passengers by 2050.

Additionally, the Terminal 2 will double in capacity by 2015. Concourse D of the airport, slated to open by mid 2015, will provide for 100 more aircraft and taking the figure up to 80 million passengers.

In all, the expansion projects will take the airport’s passenger capacity to a little over 100 million passengers, Mr. Ali said.

With a built-up area of 1,972,474 sqm, the Dubai International Airport comprises three terminals and ranks among the world’s top two busiest airports for international passengers, serving over 125 airlines flying to over 260 destinations, as per the Airports Council International.

On the economic impact of the aviation sector in Baumann, quoting an Oxford Economics report said, aviation will contribute USD 53.1 billion to Dubai’s economy, which is 37.5 per cent to its GDP and will support over 750,000 jobs by the turn of 2020.

The aviation sector as a whole contributed USD 26.7 billion to the Dubai economy in 2013, which was almost 27 per cent of the national GDP and supported 416,500 jobs accounting for 21 per cent of the Emirates’ total employment.

Passenger traffic in September totalled 5,942,628 compared to 5,407,326 recorded in the same month last year, an increase of 9.9 per cent. January—September rose 6.2 per cent to 52,422,547, up from 49,379,165, while in 2013, the passenger traffic stood 66,431,533, up 15.2 per cent from 2012.

Keywords: Dubai airport, Dubai World Central

SOURCE:::: http://www.the hindu.com

Natarajan

Airports Remain… No Flights … A Precarious Situation … What Next ?

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Representative Image (Photo: AP/File)

Representative Image (Photo: AP/File)

Eight non-metro airports modernised using public money have no scheduled flights operating there, leading them to incur a total loss of about Rs 82 crore in the last three years.

As government pushes for air connectivity in remote areas, official figures show that these eight airports have jointly incurred a total loss of over Rs 25 crore in 2011-12, over 27 crore in 2012-13 and almost Rs 30 crore in 2013-14, official sources said.

Reacting sharply to the “precarious” situation prevailing at these airports, aviation industry experts said only market conditions and operational viability and “not political compulsions” should determine developing airports or creating new ones.

The airports, which were modernised and upgraded by state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) but have no scheduled flights, are at Akola (Maharashtra), Bikaner and Jaisalmer (Rajasthan), Coochbehar (West Bengal), Cuddapah (Andhra Pradesh), Pathankot and Ludhiana (Punjab) and Puducherry.

Details regarding the cost of modernising these airports were not immediately available. Similarly, the figures on losses of Bhatinda and Jalgaon airports, also modernised by AAI with no scheduled flights operating from there, were also not available.

Asked why airlines were not flying to these places, official sources said it was up to the airline operators to provide air services to such places “depending on the traffic demand and commercial viability”, apart from the route dispersal guidelines.

However, industry experts disagreed saying airlines should be consulted first before investments are made for developing airports.

“It is a precarious situation. Airports should not be developed merely because of political compulsions, but only on the basis of operational feasibility and market conditions. Airports do not just mean plush terminal buildings like shopping malls. The apron and the runway are crucial for flight operations,” said Debashis Saha, senior executive of professional aviation body Aeronautical Society of India.

Therefore, detailed feasibility studies for short, medium and long term flight operations should be carried out, both for passenger and cargo operations, “before any decision is taken to upgrade an airport or create a new one,” he said.

Giving examples of other countries, he said airport operators like Changi in Singapore “attract airlines by offering special schemes including no or low charges and marketing budget”.

“Government should make available some funds to attract airlines to Tier-II and III cities at least for three years so as to enable airlines to achieve market capitalisation and help air traffic in these sectors grow,” Saha said.

Airlines should be consulted and asked to study the market potential of an airport in a remote or a non-metro city so that they can sustain day-to-day operations, Saha said, adding the airlines should also be asked to commit to launch operations if found viable.

Cost of day-to-day operations include those for maintenance of all technical equipment, the terminal, payment for staff, location of fire and security services.

Saha said the costs incurred in these areas have led to the eight airports to run into losses without having even a single scheduled flight. Though AAI was providing incentives like no landing or parking charges and priority of slots to flights between Tier -II and Tier-III cities, he said unless the airlines were consulted beforehand, these incentives would not work and “the AAI would continue to incur heavy losses”.

SOURCE:::: http://www.deccanchronicle.com

Natarajan

” Meet Mr. John Martin 82 Years Old …A Frequent Flyer with Three Million Miles to his Credit” !!!

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John Martin says his passion for flying has given him “the best life in the world”.

John Martin says his passion for flying has given him “the best life in the world”. Source: Supplied

AT 82, John Martin is not your typical frequent flyer — but he’s quite possibly one the proudest.

During his 50 years of flying, which he celebrated on July 19 this year, Mr Martin has notched up 148 flights to New York, 138 to London and almost three million miles in the air — and he shows no signs of having his wings clipped just yet.

Mr Martin who spent 20 years as News Editor at WIN Television in Wollongong, has dedicated his life to flying anywhere and everywhere and making it his mission to reach 1000 flights on Qantas.

And rest assured, with his 959th flight scheduled for the 2nd December, he’s going to get there … “because dropping dead is not really in my top ten”, he says, “the bucket list does not include it!”.

The veteran traveller says his friends keep giving him brochures on retirement homes and suggesting the time has come for him to slow down, but he’s got too many flights planned.

“I say to my doctor, who I have a great relationship with, ‘I don’t think I’m ready for it, I’m too busy, I can’t really spare the time for retirement living,” he toldnews.com.au on a recent flight. “I’ve got mountains to climb, things to do and flights to take’ and he says ‘John you will know when the time has come and there are worse things than having the time of your life and dropping dead.’”

John Martin names his favourite Qantas aircraft as the WH-EBK.

John Martin names his favourite Qantas aircraft as the WH-EBK. Source: Supplied

He travels all over the world to pursue his twin loves of theatre and flying.

“I made my money as a news editor, it was a good salary and a good job and I spent most of it with the tax office and Qantas, and it gave me, I think, the best life in the world. The things I’ve done, the places I’ve been, it’s been wonderful!

And while his body might be showing the signs of old age, his mind is still as sharp as a tack.

Mr Martin can name every one of the 278 different aircraft he’s flown on — and the ones he hasn’t.

He records the registration of every single flying kangaroo aircraft he flies on and will always try and book on aircraft that he has never flown on before.

“The one I want the most is VH-OQA — Qantas’ first A380 called Nancy Bird Walton, I’d like that one,” he says of the aircraft that has so far escaped him.

In fact, Mr Martin loves flying so much that he often flies Sydney to Perth or Melbourne and back again in the one day — simply for the joy of the flight and to say G’Day to all his friends in the Qantas lounge.

Mr Martin was presented with the keys to Qantas’ 75th Boeing 737-800.

Mr Martin was presented with the keys to Qantas’ 75th Boeing 737-800. Source: Supplied

“I love Perth on the A332, I’ll go over on the 8.15am, spend a couple of hours in Perth then come back at night. To me, that is a great thing to do when you retire.”

He says he loves everything about flying, the movies, talking to the crew about the aircraft and it’s history and can’t understand why people find flying a hassle.

“People don’t like airports, but I’m the one in a million who does, I love sitting in the airport watching planes coming in and going out, pushing back. They’re all interesting to me.

Mr Martin, who has never married and never had children often flies to a destination and back on Christmas Day because he considers Qantas his family — and says they put on a great Christmas lunch in the lounge.

He was chuffed to be presented with the keys to Qantas’ 75th Boeing 737-800 last week, a retro-inspired aircraft which featured exactly the same livery as the inaugural B747 flight he flew on in 1971.

But he says the key to his long life is his passion for flight.

Qantas pilot Alex Passerini present John Martin with the keys.

Qantas pilot Alex Passerini present John Martin with the keys. Source: Supplied

“This is (flight number) 958 and I would think given a reasonable chance, I’ll reach the 1000 and we’ll probably get an A380 and go under the Harbour Bridge or loop the loop,” he joked.

“I would have liked to have done the 1000 in the 50th year, because it was neat and it was tidy and somehow it was me. 1000 flights is the next goal, if it’s going to happen, it will happen and I think it will.

“But then again, I could be dead tomorrow and if that’s the case, I’ve had a wonderful life.”

But don’t think Qantas’ most enthusiastic flyer will be taking any Frequent Flyer points with him.

“I tend to use the (points) before they get too big, because if I died before I used them, it would kill me, it would be the end of the world, I mean going up to heaven with Frequent Flyer Points unused! The man upstairs says you can’t use them for the last trip, so there’s just no way.”

SOURCE::::www.news.com.au

Natarajan

” Want to Go Somewhere , But Don’t Know Where ? … ” !!!

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Malaysia Airlines creates a stir with its latest promotion. Picture Simon Cross

Malaysia Airlines creates a stir with its latest promotion. Picture Simon Cross Source: News Corp Australia

MALAYSIA airlines has been slammed for its latest tweet that promotes its end of year specials. The tweet was criticised for its poor choice of words, which read, “Want to go somewhere, but don’t know where?”

Critics say the tweet was insensitive, following a devastating year for the airline that saw them lose two planes resulting in the deaths of hundreds of passengers.

Flight MH370 disappeared between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing on 8 March with 230 passengers on-board including 6 Australians. The plane is still missing.

Flight MH17 was shot down four months later by rebels over the Ukraine killing all 298 of its passengers. It

MH370 and MH17 where are we now?

 

Twitter users responded to the airline’s tweet with astonishment criticising its poor choice of words.

 

The airline has run into controversy before with another inappropriate promotion earlier in the year that asked Australian and New Zealand travellers to enter a competition named, “My Ultimate Bucket List.”

Malaysia Airlines released the following statement regarding the incident.

“A recent tweet posted regarding our Year-End Specials was intended to inspire travelers during this holiday period to explore destinations and deals Malaysia Airlines is offering. Unfortunately, it unintentionally caused offence to some, and we have since removed the tweet.”

SOURCE:::: news.com.au

Natarajan

The Birth Of ” Peanut Airline” …!!!

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It’s the final week for our Aviation History Month articles, and this week we are looking at airlines between 1980 and 2000.

The Birth of the 'Peanut Airline' - Aviation History Month

1989 saw a Qantas Boeing 747, fly non-stop from London to Sydney, setting a world record for a four engine jet, after having flown 11,000 miles in 20 hours. During the first half of the 1990’s, the industry suffered world recession, and in 1991, international passenger numbers dropped for the first time.  The financial difficulties were aggravated by airlines over-ordering aircraft in the boom years of the late 1980s.

However, in 1993, The 1,000th Boeing 747 came off the production line 26 years after the first 747 was built. By 1997, all EU airlines were given unlimited rights to serve airports in other member states after the European Commission approved new regulations to liberalise air travel within the EU.

Virgin Atlantic

On June 22, 1984, the airline launched its inaugural flight from London Gatwick to Newark, consisting mainly of celebrities and media. The airline celebrated its 1,000,000thpassenger only 4 years afterwards, and in 1999, Richard Branson sold a 49% stake in the company to Singapore Airlines, which was later acquired by Delta Airlines.

VAA

Virgin Atlantic inaugural flight, 1984 [Image by Virgin Atlantic]

Emirates

The airline commenced operations on October 25, 1985, departing Dubai International Airport for Karachi in Pakistan. The airline began operations to Karachi, New Delhi and Bombay using Airbus A300 and Boeing 737 leased aircraft from Pakistan International Airlines. In 1992, the airline became the first to install video entertainment systems in all of its classes throughout its fleet, and in 1995 when the airline celebrated its tenth birthday; it could already boast 34 locations in the Middle East, Far East and Europe.

Emirates

Emirates inaugural flight 1985. [Image by Gulf News]

Ryanair

The airline was established in 1985 with a share capital of £1 and 25 employees, using only a 15-seater Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante aircraft. By 1990, Ryanair dropped its Business Class product and closed the Frequent Flyer Club, to re-launch as Europe’s first low fares airline, using only Boeing 737 aircraft. 1992 saw more than one million passengers carried in a year for the first time. The airline stopped serving meals and served only snacks instead, leading to the birth of the ‘peanut airline’.

Ryanair

Ryanair ATR 42-300. [Image by airliners.net]

Air China

Air China was established in 1988 after the Chinese Government decided to split the operating divisions of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) into six separate airlines, including Air China. The carrier was given chief responsibility for intercontinental flights, and took over the CAAC’s long haul aircraft and routes, including its Boeing 747s, 767s and 707s. In 2001, Air China acquired China Southwest Airlines following a merger plan.

Air China

Air China A340

 Jet Airways

Jet Airways was incorporated in 1993 as an air taxi operator with a fleet of four leased Boeing 737-300 aircraft from Malaysia Airlines. The operator became a scheduled airline in 1995, after the Air Corporations Act was abolished, and began its first international operation in March 2004, from Chennai to Colombo.

Jet Airways

Jet Airways A340, 2005, with 1993-2007 livery. [Image by Adrian Pingstone

SOURCE:::: Poppy Marello in http://www.routesonline.com

Natarajan

 

Runway with Pillars!!!….An Unique Airport !!!

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A special airport  
SOURCE::::www.binscorner.com
Natarajan

 

” Did Fliers Really Get Out and ‘ Push’ Frozen Russian Jetliner !!

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Video of that appears to show passengers dislodging a frozen Russian plane is making the rounds on social media and in various news outlets.

In its report, the AFP news agency writes “Siberian air passengers had to get out and push their plane in temperatures of minus-52 degrees Celsius (-62F) after its chassis froze, Russian prosecutors said Wednesday. The extraordinary story emerged after a passenger posted a video on YouTube showing a group of cheery travelers pushing the Tupolev plane on the snow-covered runway in Igarka, which is beyond the Arctic Circle.”

The Guardian newspaper of London was among others to jump on the story, writingthat “it might sound like a bad joke about budget flights but for passengers at a remote Siberian airport there was little to laugh about when they were asked to leave the plane in extreme cold weather and help push it along the tarmac.”

But a report from Russia-centric website RT.com puts a somewhat different spin on the story.

RT’s report does say the wheels of the UTair Tupolev Tu-134 were frozen to the ground at the airport, about 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle. However, RT suggests the video was more of a “selfie” photo-op than an actual effort to move the heavy aircraft.

RT.com: Siberia: Over 70 passengers ‘push’ frozen plane to runway

RT says the charter flight’s 74 passengers offered to exit the plane in an effort to lighten the aircraft as airport crews tried to get the plane headed toward the runway.

“The passengers disembarked to lighten the weight, and then they volunteered to move it,” a spokeswoman for UTair tells RT.

RT adds that the director of the airport – whom RT did not identify by name – told RT he was doubtful that passengers would have been able to move the heavy aircraft. RT writes the airport director “added that it would be hard to reach its two-meter-high wings, and if you did manage, the cover and flaps could get damaged.”

“The passengers … must have decided to make some sort of a ‘selfie’. The joke proved right and became a good one in the internet,” the airport director is quoted as saying by RT.

The plane did eventually take off from Igarka for the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. As for the possibility of damaging the aircraft, Russian authorities say they’ve launched an investigation.

Regardlessof the precise details, the video has been a hit on the Web.

TWITTER: You can follow me at twitter.com/TodayInTheSky

SOURCE::::  https://www.youtube.com/and Ben Mutzabaugh,in  www.usatoday.com

Natarajan