Posts Tagged ‘boeing’

Travel industry makes strides in going greener

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

As it becomes more and more necessary for the individual to play their part in looking after the environment, so to is the travel industry taking greater steps to play its part. Car hire firms along with hotel chains and airlines are now making going greener a major part of their company policies. Car rental outlets throughout the world are now offering customers the opportunity to do their bit by providing fleets of hybrid cars as a way of saving fuel along with reducing emissions that damage the environment. Enterprise, Budget, Avis and Hertz already hire out a large range of vehicles especially designed to reduce a driver’s impact on the planet. Although at present they may cost a little more to run it is expected that over time as these vehicles become standard prices will drop.

Major aircraft manufacturers are also realizing that by producing planes that are more efficient they are helping to reduce the impact on both the environment and the wallets of the airline companies. Boeing has already shown that its new 787 is more efficient than most other large aircraft by around twenty percent. This added to initiatives by companies such as British Airways, Southwest, Continental and Singapore Air to recycle more materials and use more efficient bio-fuels is already having a more positive impact on the environment.

Greener designs, recycling programs, water and energy saving initiatives along with the use of electricity saving light bulbs are now measures that have become standard across many major hotel chains. Customers who wish to do their part in reducing their impact on the planet’s environment now have few excuses not to do so.

Qantas flight delayed due to fine weather

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

A light 10 knot breeze amidst sunny skies and fine weather delayed a Qantas Boeing 747-400 flying from Brisbane, Australia to Los Angeles for about three hours in a rather unusual holdup

The unusual situation was due to tail winds on both of both of Brisbane’s runways which meant the aircraft would have been too heavy for QF flight 15 to take-off with the length of runway.

Passengers who had already boarded the flight were scheduled to depart at 11:05am but were forced to deplane and return to the terminal.

A Qantas spokesman said the airline began preparing to remove some of the aircraft’s freight but the wind subsided to allow passengers to board the aircraft again.

The flight departed shortly after 2pm with 407 passengers on board.

Airbus and Boeing predict 2011 for recovery

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

International air travel deeply affected by the world economic downturn is beginning to level out but may not recover for another two years as travellers and business travel continues to cut back, both Boeing and Airbus said yesterday.

Randy Tinseth, a Boeing marketing vice president said passenger travel had faired somewhat better in the second half of 2009, but was still expected to slump between 6 and 8 percent for the year.

Even though the decline in air travel seemed to be slowing, airlines are starting to see higher capacity in the Chinese and Latin American markets.

He told reporters at the an Asian aerospace and aviation show in Hong Kong that some improvement was seen in traffic growth but there was still a long way to go.

Airlines have amounted massive losses since the beginning of the economic crisis which led companies to cut back travel and consumers to cut back on holiday travel.  The airline industry is already estimating losses of around $6 billion in the first half of this year and set to lose a total of $9 billion overall for 2009.

Boeing competitor Airbus has a slightly more positive forecast, saying that air traffic seemed to be bottoming out.

Global air travel is measured by a combination of revenues, passengers and distances flown.  It is predicted that all of these combined could slide between 2 and 4 percent this year, then grow flat or increase by 4 percent next year, an Airbus senior marketing vice president said.

Boeing also predicts that Asia will overtake North America as the world’s largest air travel market in the next 20 years, growing from 32 percent to 41 percent.

Chinese airlines delay Boeing orders

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

Chinese airlines are currently in talks with Boeing to delay the delivery of the new 787 Dreamliner, a senior Boeing executive said on Monday, as carriers continue to implement cost-cutting measures amidst the downturn in air travel.

The downturn in the airline industry has had a dramatic effect on the Chinese airline industry, with the top three airlines recording a combined $4 billion loss in 2008, forcing them to cut back on expenditures.

Meanwhile, aircraft manufacturer Boeing has been struggling with a range of problems that have dogged the launch of the Dreamliner, as well as a two-month strike at its Seattle plant last year.

David Wang, president of Boeing’s China operations said that based on their delays, aircraft could be ready by the end of the year, however the airlines are not in a position to receive the aircraft.

China Southern Airlines has ordered nearly 60 Boeing 787 jets, saying that the Dreamliner is expected to make its first flight later this year with the first delivery of the jet to take place at the end of 2010.

Meanwhile the Chinese government has offered handouts to aid the airlines to fight the downturn in global travel and encouraged them to delay or scrap aircraft orders.

Delta flying empty planes to Heathrow

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

US carrier Delta airlines has been attacked by environmental campaigners for flying empty aircraft across the Atlantic in to be disinfected.

The airline has admitted running ‘ghost’ flights from the US to London Heathrow in order to meet Australian quarantine regulations.  Australian regulations require inbound aircraft to be sprayed with insecticide to ward off diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, but Delta is not allowed to carry out the treatment in the US.

A spokeswoman for Delta said that materials were used for the process are approved and available in the US but regulations state that the treatments must be carried out at locations outside the US.

Environmental group, Campaign for Better Transport said the round trip taken by the Boeing 777 jet summed up the attitude of the airline industry towards global warming.

The group said that it symbolised their cavalier approach to the environment.

Delta plans to stop the Heathrow flights at the end of the month and switch to an airport in China.

The airline industry has been under great pressure to cut back its greenhouse gas emissions.  Ghost services are relatively common with BMI frequently operating empty flights from Cardiff to Heathrow in order to maintain its landing slots.

Parts replacement deadline looms for Southwest

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

Major US carrier Southwest Airlines faces a deadline on Tuesday to reach an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over the replacement of parts on 82 Boeing 737 aircraft, and failure could result in jets being grounded.

Talks between both the airline and the FAA continued yesterday as the sides try to set up a schedule to replace the hinges on the back of wings for the jets.  Southwest grounded 46 planes late last before the FAA granted a 10-day waiver.

The parts in question were installed by a third-party maintenance contractor that didn’t have proper permission to install the parts.

The parts, installed by a third-party maintenance contractor and not by Southwest’s own aircraft mechanics, didn’t have proper permission to install the parts in question.

Southwest has since suspended the vendor, D-Velco, which was subcontracted to rplace the parts.

The replacement of parts undertaken by an approved vendor could take up to three months.

“We are still in talks with the FAA to allow us to continue replacing these good parts in a timely manner for minimal disruption to air service for customers,” Southwest spokeswoman Beth Harbin said Monday.

The FAA said Friday that talks were still ongoing.

Jet2.com to open new base at East Midlands

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Jet2’s plan to open a new base at East Midlands Airport is likely to create about 250 new jobs from spring next year.

The company will initially base one aircraft at the airport, which will make nine flights per week to seven destinations including Turkey and Egypt.

In what was described as a major coup for the airport, the proposed new base means that an additional 130,000 passengers will travel through the new base.

Jet2 will launch the services from the base with a Boeing 757, and plan further investments as growth increases over the next three years.

Eighty of the planned 250 new jobs will be based at the airport whilst the remainder will be spread across the region.

East Midlands airport’s managing director said: “We have been talking to Jet2 for some time about a base here.

“They have got some great destinations and are a good brand.

“This news is a positive indicator for the future and puts East Midlands Airport in a strong position as we continue to extend and develop our route network.”

Thanks to BBC News.  For more information on this article visit their website at bbcnews.com

Boeing 737 skids off runway in Dhaka

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

A flight bound for Delhi skidded off the runway at Zia International Airport in Dhaka on Monday, disrupting flights to and from the Bangladeshi capital, officials said.

Saeedul Hasan Khan, airport chief, said the Jet Airways flight 271 which was carrying 121 passengers and 10 crew members on board, was preparing for takeoff to New Delhi when it skidded three and a half metres off the runway.

”After line up before the engines were about to open up for taxi, the plane skidded off the runway,” he said, adding that there were no immediate reports of any injuries.

”All flights have been shut down for the time being.”

The incident occured at 10.40am (0340 GMT) local time.

An investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the incident and the Boeing 737 aircraft would be towed away.

Thanks to AFP.  For more information please visit their website.

Airbus to receive government loan

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

A Government loan of £340 million will help protect over 1,000 jobs at an Airbus factory in North Wales.

Staff at the Flintshire factory, which produces wings for Airbus aircraft, celebrated after the announcement from Business Secretary Peter Mandelson, who added that the funds would assist with the development of the latest passenger jet, the A350 XWB.

He said: “The UK’s aerospace industry is world-class and capable of competing successfully across the world. We recognise the vital role Airbus, and its supply chain, play in the UK.”

Factory boss Brian Fleet said most of the 1,200 jobs would remain at the Broughton factory in Flintshire.

He said: “This is a major step forward. Work on the A350 North factory is on track and on cost.

“Assembly of the A350 wings is due to begin in the last quarter of 2010.”

The wings will be produced in a purpose built factory that costs £71 million.

It is believed that 5,000 jobs across the UK will be saved as a result of the government loan, and 493 orders for the new extra wide-bodied aircraft have been placed.

Airbus competitor Boeing slammed the loan, claiming it gave Airbus an unfair advantage.  The A350 is a long-haul wide bodied aircraft designed to compete with Boeing’s 777 and 787 which is due for release soon.

Lord Mandelson denied that the launch was a subsidy for the aerospace industry, adding that: “This is neither a bail out nor a subsidy. This is a first rate investment in British engineering expertise.”

Quotes thanks to Wales Online. For more information on this article please visit their website at www.walesonline.co.uk

Scandinavian Airlines devise greener, cheaper landing method

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Scandinavian Airlines System has said that it had devised a new landing method which would help airlines save on fuel costs and carbon emissions.

The new technique would have the aircraft gliding into land on an optimum route guided by satellite and would save around 100kg of fuel on a twin-engine jet, equivalent to about 300kg of carbon dioxide released into the environment.

“We win on two levels,” said Thomas Midteide, spokesman for SAS Norway, the Norwegian airline run by the group.

“On one hand, we save fuel, on the other, we reduce our emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide).”

Carbon dioxide is considered as one of the major contributing causes to climate change.

Scientific body, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, say air traffic produces about 2 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions from humans and 13% from transport.

The newly devised landing method involves the aircraft’s engines placed in idle, allowing the plane to glide on a course mapped out by satellite technology, with the pilot taking over control just before touchdown.

The traditional manner in which a pilot lands an aircraft is to descend in stages over a long distance, which involves a constant shift in power, ultimately using up a large amount of fuel.

The fuel-saving technique has only been tested in a simulator, but the airline will attempt the new method in a Boeing 737 flight tonight in northern Norway.

If civil aviation authorities approve the technique, it airlines within the Scandinavian group could be using the technique on a full time basis.

The airline says that the method would be suited to quieter airports surrounded by mountains or hills.

Thanks to the Age for the above quotes.  For more information please visit their website.