The passenger, Jem Maybank, a 30-year-old property worker from West Yorkshire in the UK, arrived at Leeds-Bradford Airport (LBA) on June 22, 2024, for a short weekend break in Paris, France. She was booked to fly on Ryanair flight FR3579 to Paris-Beauvais Airport (BVA) which was due to depart from LBA at 06:00 local time.听听

However, due to a series of mishaps, the passenger reportedly found her way onto FR9079 heading to Alicante Airport (ALC) in Spain, departing at 06:10, with both Boeing 737 aircraft parked alongside each other on the apron at LBA.听听听听

Investigating how the unfortunate event unfolded, Maybank told the airline that she had arrived at the airport early on the day of departure and had proceeded through security at the airport without any issues. Maybank did however later tell reporters that she felt 鈥渋n a disoriented headspace at the airport鈥� due to the early start.  

鈥淚 had a bit of a mad holiday rush,鈥� said Maybank. 鈥淚 was looking for the gate to Paris-Beauvais. I saw it was Gate 6 or something, but this was from a distance away,鈥� she added.听

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She then proceeded to what she believed to be the correct departure gate where her boarding card was checked by Ryanair ground staff. This is despite her being at the gate for the Alicante flight (Gate 8).  

鈥淭he staff scanned my boarding pass and the QR code, and they did read it. They just let me straight through the gate,鈥� Maybank said.  

The first indication that should have warned her that something was not quite right was when she first boarded the plane and discovered that her assigned seat (34A) did not exist in the plane精东影业 cabin. While the Alicante flight was to be operated by a 737-800, the Paris flight was to be flown by a longer 737 Max 8 which does feature a row 34.    

鈥淚 had seat 34A and this didn鈥檛 exist. I showed it to a member of the cabin crew, and I said, 鈥楥an you help me because I don鈥檛 have a seat鈥�,鈥� Maybank said. 

According to the passenger, having raised the issue with the cabin crew on the flight, she was assured that 鈥渟ometimes that happens when we switch the aircraft around, but luckily there精东影业 a no-show today.鈥� 

With Maybank assigned another seat instead and the problem seemingly resolved, she settled into her seat for her short flight to Paris. Maybank later told the airline that she had not paid attention to any of the onboard announcements at the start of the flight, which may have also alerted her to the fact she was on the wrong plane.  

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 really hear the announcements. They must have done one saying, 鈥榯his flight goes to Alicante鈥� but I didn鈥檛 hear it,鈥� she said.听

Maybank said that she found the flight twice as long as expected but attributed it to inflight turbulence and fell asleep shortly after take-off. It wasn鈥檛 until she woke up to the sight of palm trees, sea, and mountains out her window that she realized that Paris looked rather different from what she was expecting and that she might be somewhere else.听听

Upon landing, Maybank waited until all other passengers had disembarked before notifying the Ryanair crew that there had been some sort of error.   

鈥淚 waited until everyone got off the plane and was like 鈥楬ey, so, I鈥檓 not meant to be here, I鈥檓 meant to be in Paris,鈥� she stated. 

Ryanair staff, who were also confused by the whole incident, reportedly took pity on Maybank精东影业 plight and swiftly arranged for her to catch the next available flight to Paris from Alicante free of charge later that same day.  

Maybank is still unsure how everything happened, though she speculated she might have misread Gate 6 as Gate 8 back at LBA where her European odyssey first started.  

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how it happened. Maybe the gate number changed while I was waiting,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淭he number 6 looks quite similar to the number 8 from a distance too, so I think that精东影业 what happened.鈥澨�

Emirates celebrates 101-year-old seasoned flier with first class upgrade

• Airlines
• This is interesting!

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-07-02

101-year-old Rachida Smati was visiting friends and family in Dubai when the centenarian was offered a first class upgrade for the flight back to her home in Algiers. 

Smati was also greeted by a dedicated team ensuring she was fast-tracked through the airport before heading to the first class lounge for a relaxing experience before boarding her flight.

It was Smati精东影业 third visit to Dubai, a city she counts as one of her favorite destinations for its accessibility, high standards of medical care and vibrant attractions.

Born in Algeria in 1923, Rachida精东影业 first flight was to Paris when she was 21. She continues to be an avid traveler and prefers flying Emirates for its signature onboard experience and service, and focus on customer comfort on the ground and in the air.

“I had a great experience on my Emirates flight to Dubai, the cabin crew were very kind and helpful. I鈥檓 looking forward to flying back to Algiers aboard Emirates and experiencing First Class, and I鈥檓 ever so grateful for the warm welcome by all of the teams,鈥� Smati said in a statement.

Couple threatens to sue Emirates after unpleasant first class experience

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-06-13

The man, identified as Guru Sewak Singh, was detained by India精东影业 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on June 18, 2024, after his odd appearance caught the attention of officials. 

On trying to board an Air Canada flight, Singh presented a passport under the name and identity of Rashvindar Singh Sahota, aged 67.

Despite being in possession of the passport, with his hair dyed white and wearing glasses, officials noticed that Singh精东影业 skin texture and voice did not match that of a senior citizen.

A CISF statement seen by media outlet India Today read: “The man’s appearance, voice and skin texture seemed significantly younger than the details provided in the passport. Closer observation revealed that he had dyed his hair and beard white and was wearing glasses to appear older.” 

Upon interrogation by CISF officials, Singh eventually disclosed his real identity, and officials found his actual documents, revealing his true age.

Singh was then handed over to Delhi Police for legal action.

Air Canada plans large expansion to India for winter 2024/25听听

• Airlines

byLuke Peters

2024-06-04

The close-knit group of friends reunited to visit what was then called the RAAF School of Air Navigation. Despite one member passing away, six surviving graduates toured simulators and observed the latest software at RAAF Base East Sale精东影业 Air Mission Training School.

The class of 1984 donned their old flying jackets and suits as they surveyed takeoff checks on the ground missions trainer simulator, showcasing technology that is remarkably different from the 1980s. 

Back then, manual navigation over water relied on whatever positional data was available 鈥� often celestial cues and solar observations.

Sextants and mathematical equations helped calculate heading and airspeed, always mindful of the wind’s potential to alter its course.

Despite the 鈥榥avigator鈥� title no longer existing, many aspects of the role remain the same.

鈥淭he work during our course was vastly different from what students do now, but someone still occupies the seat I once did, they just have extra duties and a bit more comfort with modern equipment,鈥� one of the group members, retired Wing Commander Gavin Small, said in a press release published by the RAAF.

The former navigators marveled at how today’s compact A4-size charts starkly contrasted with the sprawling maps of the past, which required origami techniques to fold.

The veterans’ strong bond left an impression on current students, offering them a glimpse at what their futures might hold.

The group told the students that their classmates could potentially become lifelong friends, not just temporary acquaintances.

鈥淲e wanted to show them that we old blokes are still great friends, as it certainly never crossed our minds during the course that we would forge such a lasting bond,鈥� Small said.

The class of 鈥�84 group previously celebrated their 30th reunion, with plans already underway for a 45th reunion.

Small said: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to wait too long between gatherings; after all, we鈥檙e not getting any younger.鈥�

Avatar Airlines, which calls itself an 鈥榓mbitious startup set to revolutionize the airline industry鈥�, is searching for an 鈥榚xceptional鈥� CEO, offering a base salary of $500,000 plus a performance bonus of up to 50% of the base salary.

The airline said the new CEO will  take over from the current CEO/Founder, Barry Michaels who, at 82 is set to retire as Chairman.

Requirements: Avatar has said that the successful candidate will have a minimum of twenty years鈥� leadership experience, with the ability and vision to build Avatar into a multi-billion dollar public company. Prior airline experience is not necessarily a requirement.

Another important requirement: 鈥淥ur CEO position requires a $250,000 investment in Avatar. The reason current management  feels this is necessary are many, but most of all it provides the assurance of knowing our CEO will be fully engaged and dedicated to seeing Avatar get off the ground.鈥�

The airline claims that these funds will be used primarily to begin marketing Avatar精东影业 $300,000,000 offering.

The full job ad can be viewed . 

Founded by the current CEO, Barry Michaels, in 1992, Avatar was initially known by the name Family Airlines. 

鈥淥ur plan is to start with four Boeing 747-400 aircraft, add eight more by the end of the first year of operations and have purchased a total of 30 by the end of the third year,鈥� the airline said on its website. 

According to its LinkedIn page, Avatar Airlines plans to hire 2,000 employees once it is certified, using the Boeing 747 for its operations. 

A spokesperson for BARK Air reached out to 精东影业 to advise that Westchester County voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against the airline having reached an agreement on June 10, 2024.

The county initially filed a lawsuit against the world精东影业 first dog-focused airline on May 30, 2024 over its operations at Westchester County Airport (HPN). 

According to the lawsuit, which came just days after the carrier精东影业 inaugural flight, the terminal limits airlines from selling seats on aircraft with nine or fewer seats. The lawsuit also stated that larger aircraft must operate out of the airport精东影业 commercial terminal. BARK Air operates its flights using a Gulfstream G5, which has 14 passenger seats.

An agreement between BARK Air and Westchester County has been publicly filed, which means the canine-centric carrier can continue operations to and from HPN. 

鈥淒ogs can and will continue to fly first aboard BARK Air! On Monday, Westchester County voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit, which at no time impacted BARK Air’s operations. BARK Air will continue to operate flights to and from HPN,鈥� the BARK Air spokesperson told 精东影业.

BARK Air has currently not sold more than nine individual seats for human passengers on flights to Westchester County Airport. The agreement states that the airline must provide the county with a notice of such a sale or offer to sell if and when it has sold more than nine seats.

Under the agreement, BARK Air must provide the county with the number of human passenger seats it has sold to the public on each aircraft for BARK精东影业 flights into and out of Westchester County Airport every month. 

鈥淪o long as BARK does not sell or offer to sell to the public more than nine individual seats for human passengers on flights that depart from, or arrive at any of Westchester County Airport精东影业 Fixed Base Operator (FBO), the county agrees that the defendants are not in violation of Terminal Use Procedures (TUP),鈥� the agreement stated.

Dog-centric airline BARK Air slapped with lawsuit days after inaugural flight

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-06-11

The sold-out flight, which used a Gulfstream G5, carried six dogs and 11 humans. One ticket, which includes one dog and one human companion, costs $6,000.

The airline shared details of the inaugural flight on an Instagram post. 

鈥淩ight now, at an altitude of 30,000 feet, there is a flight filled with dogs. Unlike any flight before it, these dogs are not merely an afterthought, nor are they treated as cargo or a burden to the crew and fellow travelers. Here, dogs are the foremost priority,鈥� BARK Air said.

The airline said it had taken 10 years for the first flight to happen but it was confident it can 鈥減rovide all dogs with the air travel experience they deserve: one that puts them first.鈥�

American singer and songwriter Josh Groban and his dog George were among the passengers on the inaugural flight.

Groban took to Instagram Stories to say thata most airlines have made it 鈥渟o insanely difficult鈥� and stressful to travel with pets, so he took the chance to fly with BARK Air when he saw it was available to book. Groban精东影业 video was later shared on X. 

BARK Air currently offers one-way and round-trip flights between New York via Westchester County Airport and Los Angeles via Van Nuys Airport, as well as New York and London via Biggin Hill (BQH).

Unlike commercial airlines that allow pets on board with several requirements, BARK Air does not have any restrictions when it comes to size, weight, or breed of the dog.

The administration posted photographs of the snakes on social media, but did not mention where the passenger intended to fly to. 

According to the TSA, the snakes, which were hidden inside a sunglasses pouch, were discovered during a checkpoint on April 26, 2024.

The pouch containing the snakes had been concealed in the man精东影业 pants, the TSA said. 

One of the photos showed two small pink snakes slithering around the exterior of the pouch with white packaging material around them.

The TSA said that Customs and Border Protection and Miami-Dade Police partners were called to assist with the discovery. 

The snakes were eventually turned over to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Wildlife smuggling is unfortunately a common practice worldwide due to the demand for exotic pets. In October 2023, rodents, otters, and turtles escaped an enclosure and caused chaos mid-flight on a VietJet flight from Bangkok to Taipei.

Southeast Asia is a hot spot for illegal wildlife trading and Bangkok Airport (BKK), in particular, recorded more than 14,000 live animals confiscated at the airport between 2010-2020.

Otter, rat run amok on VietJet flight after escaping from suitcase of animals

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-10-16

Ravi Gupta, a local Director General of Police in Telangana in India, was flying with his wife to Perth Airport (PER) via Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) in May 2023. They discovered that the business class seats assigned to them were not working properly on the first leg of their journey between Hyderabad International Airport (HYD) and SIN. 

The flight was full so the couple could not be reassigned to other seats. Cabin crew offered to manually recline the seats, checking in on them every now and then throughout the flight. 

However, the couple claimed they felt like economy class passengers and that left them in 鈥渕ental agony鈥� during the four-hour and 50 minute flight.

鈥淪IA can confirm that while the automatic recline function on Mr and Mrs Gupta精东影业 seats was faulty, the manual recline function was working on their flight from Hyderabad to Singapore,鈥� a spokesperson for the airline confirmed to multiple media outlets. 

鈥淥ur crew proactively checked in on these customers regularly and offered to manually recline the seat when needed,鈥� the spokesperson added.

The airline initially offered 10,000 frequent flier miles per passenger as compensation, which the Guptas refused.

The couple then took the matter to court in India, where the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Hyderabad ruled in favor of the Guptas. Singapore Airlines was ordered to refund INR 48,750 ($570) to each passenger, plus 12% interest. Additionally, the airline was required to pay $1193 for the 鈥渕ental and physical distress鈥� caused to the Guptas, along with $119 to cover expenses.

This is not the first case where a business class passenger has taken an airline to court over seats. In May 2023, an Emirates business class passenger pursued a legal battle against the Middle East carrier for misleading advertisement over its B777 business class seats which did not meet his expectations during the flight.

Slide that fell off B767 found outside home of lawyer suing Boeing

• Aviation Safety
• This is interesting!

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-05-02

Los Angeles-bound DL 529 was forced to return to New York精东影业 John F Kennedy Airport (JFK) when the aircraft精东影业 emergency slide fell from the aircraft shortly after takeoff on April 26, 2024.

Two days later, the slide washed up in front of the beach house of a lawyer whose firm is representing Boeing shareholders in a case against the planemaker over safety issues related to a in January 2024 incident where a plug door separated from an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9. 

New York attorney Jake Bissell-Linsk told The New York Post that it was a 鈥渟urprise鈥� to see the emergency slide when he looked out the window of his oceanfront home in Belle Harbor, Queens. Belle Harbor is located 9.6 kilometers southeast of JFK Airport.

鈥淲e are right on the beach and I saw it was sitting on the breakers,鈥� Bissell-Linsk said.

According to Bissell-Links, Delta Air Lines crew arrived on the site to haul the emergency slide out of the water about five hours later.

A spokesperson for the airline told The Post that the emergency slide had been retrieved and the airline would 鈥渇ully cooperate鈥� with all relevant investigations.

Bissell-Linsk said his law firm has not yet decided whether the recent emergency slide incident is related to the case it is handling against Boeing.

Bissell-Linsk精东影业 law firm, Labaton Keller Sucharow, claims that Boeing made misleading statements regarding safety following the January 2024 Alaska Airlines blowout.

Emergency slide falls from Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 aircraft after takeoff

• Aircraft
• Aviation Safety

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-04-29