AviationNews24
Air France and KLM have expanded partnerships / Air France-KLM have expanded their partnerships with Delta, Virgin Atlantic and China Eastern. With these new joint ventures, the group expects to lead in transatlantic flights and have a big market in China. The group will have 25% of market share on Europe-US flights. This new partnership will benefit both the airlines and the customers, as customers will receive more offers and a better service.
Delta receive first A350-900 / Airbus delivered the first A350 XWB to Delta. The airline is the first customer of the A350 in the US. Delta will receive 25 A350s which will replace the Boeing 747 and 767. The total number of passengers that the Delta A350 will be able to carry is 306 passengers. Its first flight for Delta will be on the 30th of October and will fly from Detroit to Narita, Tokyo.
Interjet open 2 new routes to Toronto / The Mexican Airline has opened two new routes from Mexico City and Cancun to Toronto will fly four times a week in both routes with their A320s. Both routes face competition by Air Canada Rouge, Aeromexico, WestJet and Air Transat.
Australian Counter-terror Police stop Terror Attack
Counter-terror police in Australia have managed to stop a bomb entering an Etihad plane that was going from Sydney to Abu Dhabi on July 15th. The plane was a Boeing 777 which can carry up to 330 people. Two men tried to put the bomb inside the luggage, but it was too heavy to pass through security. The men then decided to build a device that could spread a poisonous gas. Australian police discovered these plots the 26th of July and made several raids across Sydney. 2 men have been charged with terror offences, another man is being held in detention and a man has been released.
Avianca and Delta suspend flights to Venezuela / Avianca have cancelled flights to/from Caracas as they are concerned for the safety of their customers. Avianca were scheduled to do this the 16th of August. Delta will be cancelling flights from September. Many airlines have stopped flying to Caracas, such as United, Aeromexico and many more, as they are concerned about the safety of their customers. Iberia and Air France canceled 2 flights to Caracas in the beginning of August, but have resumed operations to the capital of Venezuela.
WOW Air to Dusseldorf diverts to Edinburgh
WOW Air WW752 from Reykjavik to Dusseldorf diverted to Edinburgh on Thursday. The Airbus A320 took off from Reykjavik at 06:37 and climbed to an altitude of 33,000 ft. At 08:58 Edinburgh time, the plane started descending at a normal rate. Once the A320 had reached 25,000 ft, the pilots declared a general emergency. The plane landed at 09:26 on runway 24. The pilots had to divert to Edinburgh due to a medical emergency. The flight then continued to Dusseldorf.
Qantas QF7 to Dallas Returns to Sydney
Qantas flight QF7 from Dallas to Sydney returned to Sydney after holding for 2 hours. The A380 took off at 14:00 and it was climbing until it stopped at 5,150 feet. It then turned to the right and started doing circles. A few minutes after, the A380 climbed to 8,500 feet. After two hours, QF7 started descending and aligned with runway 34L. It landed safely at 16:39 at a speed of 165 knots. Qantas then announced that the A380 had to return to Sydney as the pilots could not retract its flaps. The next day, the plane had been fixed and it flew to Dallas.
Qantas QF63 to Johannesburg Returns to Sydney
Qantas QF63 from Sydney to Johannesburg had to return back to Sydney on Friday. The Boeing 747 took off from Sydney at 11:20 and climbed to an altitude of 30,000 ft. 2 hours after takeoff, the 747 makes a U-turn and is heading towards its origin, Sydney. Two hours after turning the plane landed at 15:20 and taxied towards its gate. The pilots had to turn back as the plane had a cracked windshield. The flight landed safely and the next day, the plane had been fixed and it took the passengers to Johannesburg.
EasyJet flight to Vienna Declared an Emergency and Diverted to Frankfurt
EasyJet flight U28959 from London Gatwick to Vienna declared an emergency and diverted to Frankfurt. The Airbus A319 took off at 19:12, with a delay of 1 hour and 50 minutes. It climbed to an altitude of 37,000 ft. At 21:07 Frankfurt time, the A319 started descending at a fast rate and aligned with runway 07R. The pilots landed the plane safely at 21:34. On EasyJet's flight tracker, the reason for the diversion that was given was that the flight had to divert due to a possible technical issue. Once the plane was fixed, it was allowed to fly to its destination, Vienna.
British Airways BA549 Declares Emergency on Approach at Heathrow
British Airways flight BA549 from Rome to London Heathrow declared an emergency as it was descending into Heathrow on Monday. The A321 took off at 13:55, with a delay of 1 hour. It climbed to an altitude of 34,000 ft. When the plane was at 20,000 feet, the pilots declared a general emergency. As it approached Heathrow, it aligned with runway 27R. A Singapore Airlines A380 had to abort its landing as BA549 was given top priority to land. The flight landed at 15:03 London time. British Airways announced that the plane had a suspected technical issue. The Airbus A321 is scheduled to fly the 9th of August to Olbia and Bologna.
