Renowned for its vast wildlife preserves, Kenya is one of the most important landscapes for the protection of the 鈥楤ig Five鈥� which includes elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and the African buffalo.  

And it was with the safari industry in mind that partly attracted Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A which owns AirAsia X, to open this new frontier for the airline.听聽

鈥淲e are thrilled to announce a direct new route, bridging Malaysia and Kenya. This new route not only opens up Asia to Africa but also has the potential to strengthen ties in tourism, business and trade between the two continents. It marks the beginning of a new journey into Africa, and while our roots are in Asia and Asean, our dream has always been to make Kuala Lumpur a global low-cost carrier hub. This expansion brings us closer to that vision, giving us a solid footing to build global connections and opportunities,鈥� Fernandez said.  

The new route from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) will commence on November 15, 2024, with the Airbus A330-300 service operating four times a week.听聽

The airline said on July 1, 2024, that the new route comes off the back of a 鈥渟trong start鈥� to the year and a 鈥渞obust trajectory鈥� in its financial results thanks in part to increased load factors.听聽

鈥淓mbarking on this new adventure into Africa is truly exhilarating, particularly in light of our significant growth trajectory earlier this year. We anticipate carrying over 156,000 travellers annually on this route, which will strengthen ties and boost the tourism sectors in both Malaysia and Kenya,鈥� Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X, said.  

The new service will also provide an effective connection to Nairobi for customers in Southeast Asia, Northern and Central Asia, and Australia. 

鈥淭he Nairobi route serves as a crucial link in connecting Asia to Africa, fostering stronger trade, tourism and business ties within the region. By facilitating direct air travel between Kuala Lumpur and Nairobi, the airline aims to enhance accessibility and spur economic opportunities for both countries,鈥� AirAsia X said in a statement. 

AirAsia X previously flew to the African island Mauritius in what was the airline精东影业 first-ever expansion into Africa.听聽聽

AirAsia X flying high as profits soar in 1Q24, plans for new A321XLR聽

• Airlines
• Aviation Economics & Finance

byLuke Peters

2024-05-28

Entitled the 鈥楢330neo: The Heir Apparent鈥�, the mini docuseries focuses on the evolution of Airbus鈥� A330neo, the successor to the highly popular A330ceo. 

The A330neo aircraft variant has not reached the dizzy heights of its predecessors, the A330-200 and A330-300, but Airbus clearly felt it was a story worth telling.听聽

鈥淭he series will focus on the dedication, fervour and commitment of the teams entrusted with the development of this game-changing aircraft, as well as the trust and confidence displayed by the customers who have chosen it,鈥� Airbus said in a statement announcing the launch. 

The docuseries is free to view through the Airbus website, with the first season looking at the work of engineers, test pilots and designers at both the planemaker and British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.  

The first episode, 鈥楩lying the Nest鈥�, introduces viewers to Vincent Lebas, the Head of A330neo Overall Aircraft Design at Airbus, who provides invaluable insights into the plane精东影业 development.  

In the opening episode, Lebas explains how a double-digit reduction in fuel burn was the driving force behind the design of the aircraft, with particular regard to the aerodynamic efficiency of the new wing and wing/engine integration. 

Additional episodes will explore the A330neo精东影业 updated cockpit and systems, Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and the Airspace cabin. 

Spread over four episodes, the first season will also feature Chief Test Pilot Malcolm Ridley, Rolls-Royce精东影业 Trent 7000 Chief Engineer Paul Sixsmith and Jochen Werner, Airbus鈥� VP Industrial Cabin Design.  

A second season, which is already in the pipeline, will focus on A330neo customers, their thoughts on purchasing the aircraft variant and how it operates daily. 

Although Airbus has not confirmed which customer airlines will beinvolved in the docuseries, some of the A330neo existing operators include Delta Air Lines and Cebu Pacific, and lessor ALC.  

As of May 2024, a total of 319 A330neo family aircraft had been ordered by more than 25 customers, of which 131 aircraft had been delivered. 

Together, the A330-200 and A330-300 accumulated 1,445 orders before being replaced by the improved New Engine Option series.   

In June 2024, it was understood that Airbus had opened talks with several Chinese airlines regarding the potential sale of more than 100 A330neo widebody aircraft.听

You can watch episode one of 鈥楢330neo: The Heir Apparent鈥� on the .

Airbus confirms order for 20 A330neos from secret buyer, 600th A350 delivered

• Aircraft

byIan Molyneaux

2024-06-07

According to emergency authorities in Castilla鈥揕a Mancha, the fire started in the tail of the Airbus A330 before spreading to the rest of the aircraft.  

The Fire and Rescue Service for the Ciudad Real region confirmed that firefighters were deployed to the airport on April 18, 2024, shortly after the fire broke out at around midday.  

Multiple fire engines attended the blaze, along with firefighters from both the airport and the Ciudad Real area.听聽

The Civil Guard, emergency medical responders and police officers from the national and local service also attended the incident. 

Shortly after 14:00, the Ciudad Real fire service announced that the fire had been extinguished and that that there were no injuries to members of the public or emergency staff.  

It is unclear whether the Airbus A330 was sitting idle or in the process of being scrapped at the time it caught fire.听聽

Controlado el incendio de un avi贸n, que se estaba desguazando, en el aeropuerto de Ciudad Real
鈩癸笍 Se ha perimetrado la zona y est谩n actuando efectivos de los parques de capital y , adem谩s de bomberos del aeropuerto

— SCIS Ciudad Real (@Emergencia1006)

There are unconfirmed reports that the retired A330 was formally operated by Cathay Pacific, or one of its subsidiaries such as Cathay Dragon.  

The fire is being investigated, but so far no details have been released regarding a possible cause.听聽

Exploring the use of robotics and automation to enhance airport ground handling

• Aviation Technology and Innovation

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-07-06

The lawsuit filed in a Texas District Court, United States (US), on February 16, 2024, said that during a Lufthansa flight from Austin to Frankfurt on March 1, 2023, Elwaleed Sidahmed “violently struck the cabin ceiling and was thrown violently back down to his seat鈥� due to turbulence.听

Court documents seen and reported by claim that the seat belt sign on flight LH469 was lit up at the time and cabin staff failed to warn passengers before the turbulence occurred.听聽

The 鈥渟evere and violent turbulence鈥� happened about an hour into the flight aboard an Airbus A330, Sidahmed claimed. 

A Lufthansa spokesperson told Business Insider that the plane was struck by 鈥渂rief severe turbulence鈥�. 

The airline referred to it as 鈥渃lear air turbulence鈥�, which can 鈥渙ccur without visible weather phenomena or advance warning”. 

The lawsuit also claims that after the Airbus A330 diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) cabin crew told the passengers to delete any photos or video of the incident. 

“Upon landing, the flight crew told passengers over the plane’s speaker to delete any pictures or videos they had taken of the flight,” the suit claims. 

精东影业 has contacted Lufthansa for comment.听聽

American Airlines becomes only US carrier to fly between New York and Tokyo

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2024-02-25

The flight on January 15, 2024, operating as VS127, was scheduled to depart Manchester Airport (MAN) at 13:30 bound for New York-JFK Airport. However, as the plane prepared for push-back, a passenger onboard (Phil Hardy, aged 41) noticed that four screws were missing from a panel on the top of one of the wings.  

Hardy reported his observations to the cabin crew who then relayed the issue to the flight crew in the cockpit. Engineers were called to the aircraft and were photographed by another passenger attending to the wing panel with a screwdriver.听

鈥淚鈥檓 a good flyer, but my partner was not loving the information I was telling her and starting to panic, and I was trying to put her mind at rest as much as I could,鈥� said Hardy, speaking to the New York Post.  

鈥淚 thought it was best to mention it to a flight attendant to be on the safe side,鈥� he added. 

Despite the cabin crew assuring Hardy that the lack of screws did not present a safety issue to the aircraft, the flight was canceled in any event to allow 鈥渢ime for precautionary additional engineering maintenance checks, which allowed our team the maximum time to complete their inspections,鈥� said a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson.  

Reports state that the airline canceled the flight as they were unsure how long it would take to identify and completely resolve the issue. As a matter of precaution, the airline believed that there was no point in keeping the passengers waiting, and canceling the flight was the most appropriate step to be taken, allowing more time to book the passengers on other flights heading to New York that day. 

Virgin Atlantic added that the wing panel on the plane was inspected, and the tops of four of the panel精东影业 119 fasteners were found to be missing. They were subsequently replaced. According to the airline, 鈥渢here was no impact to the structural integrity of the wing or the ability of the Airbus A330-300 to operate safely.鈥澛�

In a statement provided to ABC News, an Airbus A330 program chief wing engineer explained that the panel in question was a 鈥渟econdary structure panel, used to improve the aerodynamic performance of the aircraft鈥�. The engineer added that there was 鈥渘o impact to the structural integrity or load capability of the wing, and the aircraft was safe to operate鈥�. 

The aircraft involved in the incident is registered G-VGEM and is one of Virgin Atlantic精东影业 10-strong fleet of Airbus A330-300s. The aircraft was delivered new to Virgin Atlantic in April 2011 and is currently configured to carry 264 passengers in a three-class configuration (31 in business, 48 in premium economy, and 185 in economy).听

Pilot killed after Jetways Airlines Fokker 50 crashed on landing at airstrip

• Aviation Safety

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-01-19

The flight took off from Manchester on January 7, 2023, at 12:59 operating as flight VS77. The flight was being performed by one of the airline精东影业 10-strong fleet of Airbus A330-300s registered G-VKSS.   

After just 19 minutes in the air and having leveled off at an altitude of 27,000ft just off the North Wales coast, the pilots reported to air traffic controllers that 鈥渄ense acrid smoke鈥� was filling the cockpit. The aircraft swiftly turned back eastwards and landed back at Manchester at 13:49.听

The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing back at Manchester Airport and was met upon arrival by the airport精东影业 own as well as the local fire and rescue service. It is understood that no emergency evacuation of the aircraft was necessary, and that the aircraft returned to a parking stand under its power. 

“The VS77 from Manchester to Barbados has returned to Manchester due to a technical issue,鈥� said a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson. 鈥淭he safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.鈥� 

鈥淎t just after 13:30 on Sunday, January 7, 2023, firefighters were called to an incident involving an aircraft making an emergency landing at Manchester Airport,鈥� said a spokesperson for the local fire service. 鈥淲orking alongside Manchester Airport fire personnel, firefighters were on standby for the aircraft精东影业 arrival, which landed safely. Our crews were in attendance for approximately one and a half hours.鈥澛�

The aircraft involved in the incident is 13 years old, having first flown in January 2011 and was delivered to Virgin Atlantic in February 2011. The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines and is configured to carry 264 passengers in a three-class configuration (31 in Upper Class, 48 in Premium Economy, and 185 in Economy).听聽

In addition to the 10 A330-300s used by the carrier, Virgin Atlantic also operates four A330-900neos with an average age of 1.2 years.听

Connecting four billion travelers via content and business: Sam Chui interview

• Aviation

byMichael Jonga

2024-01-05

Cathay Pacific has placed orders for various new aircraft types in recent months so any new commitments to purchasing planes would continue that trend.听聽

On January 3, 2024, Bloomberg reported that Cathay Pacific had issued a formal request for information from Airbus and Boeing for new aircraft to replace some of its older mid-sized widebody jets such as its Airbus A330s. Issuing such a request generally represents the first step in a future purchase process. 

鈥淲e are currently evaluating options for a versatile, mid-sized widebody aircraft that can undertake a range of missions and grow our passenger and cargo business,” said a statement issued by the airline.  

The carrier first publicly discussed the possibility of a mid-sized widebody evaluation process in late 2022. The company currently has 51 A330-300s in its fleet with an average age of 17.4 years which have been earmarked for replacement in the coming years.听聽

The likely candidates should any formal tender process be undertaken by the airline include the Airbus A330neo and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.  

In December 2023, Cathay placed a firm order to purchase six A350 freighters, with the right to acquire 20 more, as it sets about replacing its aging Boeing 747 cargo aircraft fleet.  

Further back, in September 2023, the carrier ordered 32 Airbus A320neo and A321neo single-aisle aircraft, with all deliveries to be completed to the airline by 2029. 

Cathay’s total outstanding order book currently stands at more than 70 aircraft and also includes 21 Boeing 777-9 passenger planes which are scheduled to be delivered from 2025 鈥� a date that remains subject to the type gaining certification. 

In August 2023, Cathay said it aimed to rebuild its capacity to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. However, the airline remains among the world’s carriers most affected by the pandemic. From October to December 2023, Cathay精东影业 Available Seat Miles figure (a standard measure of total capacity flown) was down by a massive 31% versus the same three months in 2019. In contrast, the global airline figure for the same period was just -1%.听

Cathay Pacific switches from Boeing to Airbus with A350F freighter order

• Air Cargo
• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2023-12-08

Once acquired, the aircraft would be the company精东影业 first widebody aircraft, enabling the airline to launch long-haul intercontinental flights for the first time. 

The RFP comes on the back of the recent decision by the president of the Maldives, Mohammed Muizz, to source a pair of widebody aircraft for future long-haul operations to destinations in Europe and China.  

The RFP states that any aircraft being proposed should be configured in a two-class layout, with seating for 235 passengers or more, including a minimum of 20 business class seats.听聽

The airline, based at Male精东影业 Velana International Airport on the main island in the Maldives archipelago, also states a preference for aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, which is certified for 180-minute ETOPS operations, and which has a maximum take-off weight of no less than 230 tonnes, due to the Maldivian climate and payload/range requirements.  

According to the RFP, the carrier will consider aircraft with either Rolls-Royce Trent 700 or General Electric鈥疌F6 engines. The aircraft must be delivered fresh from a C Check, and there must be no planned major maintenance events for at least the next 24 months, 9,000 flight hours, or 5,000 flight cycles, whichever is the more limiting factor. 

While Maldivian does not outline the preferred age, hours, or cycles of the airframe in the RFP, it will give preference to newer aircraft, according to the president. While the initial lease term is tentatively stated as five years, Maldivian is prepared to accept other offers. The carrier further states that it will prefer lessors who can provide a spare engine at no additional cost. 

The lessor should also be able to provide training for pilots, cabin crew, maintenance, and ground handling staff at its own expense. The RFP calls for bids to be lodged with the carrier by January 22, 2024, and Maldivian plans to select the lessor by February 10, 2024.听聽

According to the ch-aviation database, the airline’s current fleet comprises a single Airbus A320-200, one ATR42-600, two ATR72-600s, twelve De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter floatplanes, one De Havilland Dash 8-200, and seven鈥疍ash 8-300s.  

Although the foray into long-haul operations will be a first for Maldivian in its current guise, its predecessor, Air Maldives, operated a single leased Airbus A310-300 in the late 1990s. This was itself an attempt to break into long-haul operations, but with little success, contributing to the ultimate closure of the carrier.听

Etihad and Maldivian enter interline partnership agreement聽聽

• Airlines
• Aviation

byLuke Peters

2023-12-19

The deal announced on January 2, 2023, represents the first time that Thai Airways and CBD Aviation have worked together, with delivery of the jets expected in September and October 2024.

鈥淲e are delighted to be welcoming Thai Airways to our growing Asian Pacific customer base,鈥� Jie Chen, CDB Aviation精东影业 Chief Executive Officer, said. 鈥淭he increased widebody fleet will strengthen the carrier精东影业 position across its key intra-Asian markets, providing the extra capacity needed to meet the high season and rising travel demand in many regions.鈥�

Rumors began circulating in November 2023 that the Taiwanese flag-carrier was in discussions with Airbus, Boeing and various leasing companies with a view to acquiring 90 new aircraft.

The airline was particularly focused on securing widebody aircraft as passenger demand surged following the pandemic.

鈥淲e鈥檙e continuing to see the heightened demand from airlines amidst a tight supply of new and used aircraft, driven primarily by the need to meet growing passenger volumes. Our commercial team remains focused on comprehending and fulfilling the diverse needs of our customers, assisting them in addressing both immediate and longer-term fleet challenges that necessitate resolution,鈥� Chen added.

Thai Airlines currently operates a fleet consisting of three A330-300s, 16 A350-900s, six Boeing 777-200ERs, 17 Boeing 777-300ERs, six 787-8s, and a pair of 787-9s.

The carrier also operates a short-haul fleet of 20 A320-200s, although ten are operated by the airline精东影业 low-cost arm, .

Thai Airways considers orders for up to 90 new aircraft聽

• Airlines
• Aviation

byLuke Peters

2023-11-28

The off-duty pilot, an Air Transat captain himself, was traveling on an Airbus A330-200 from Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) to the Dominican Republic for a family holiday when he was asked to assist with the unusual incident.听

Air Transat told the People that Flight TS186 was flying to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) on November 22, 2023, with 299 people on board when a nosebleed meant that the captain was 鈥渦nable to continue his duties鈥�. 

The off-duty pilot was 鈥渇it and able鈥� to take over the controls and the plane landed at its destination safely. 

“It is worth noting that our pilots are expertly trained to deal with situations such as this one and can manage flying our aircraft unassisted. As such, there was absolutely no risk for anyone on this flight and the situation would have been the same had the backup pilot not been on board,鈥� the airline said in a statement to the .听

It is not uncommon for off-duty pilots to be traveling on board flights operated by their airline. 

“A flight crew member became incapacitated approximately three hours into the flight. A company qualified pilot who was flying as a passenger replaced the incapacitated flight crew member and the aircraft continued to the intended destination without further incident,鈥� the (TSB) said.听聽

The TSB decided that the incident did not warrant a full investigation, but it will be used for 鈥減ossible future safety analysis鈥�.听

China Eastern Airbus A330 rattles violently after engine failure mid-air: video

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2023-12-03