|
Airlines Risk Ash Filled Skies Flight
Thousands of Flight Still Cancelled
 |
Airlines make test flights amid wait for clear skies
Flight restrictions: thousands of flights were cancelled for a third day in most of central and northern Europe (AFP: Mehdi Fedouach)
Video: Qantas flights affected by volcano ash (ABC News Breakfast) Video: Iceland volcano grounds flights (7pm TV News NSW) Video: Airport meltdown after Iceland volcano eruption (Lateline) Audio: Volcanic ash continues to cause air travel chaos (AM) Audio: Ash cloud slices into European economy (AM) Related Story: Chaos continues as ash drifts across Europe Related Story: Ash clouds global economy Related Story: Travellers fed up with flight nightmare Related Story: Ash cloud to blanket Europe for days Photo Gallery: Volcano erupts in Iceland Dutch and German airlines have carried out test flights over Europe and say their planes appeared undamaged by a volcanic ash cloud that has forced airports to close across the continent.
A plume of ash spreading from Iceland has led to massive air travel disruptions in recent days, and problems are getting worse as the cloud spreads south-east across Europe.
The volcanic ash contains tiny particles of glass and pulverised rock, which can melt in plane engines, causing a loss of power.
Dutch airline KLM says if further examinations show its test flight to have been successful, it hopes to fly seven planes back from Germany to Amsterdam on Sunday (local time) and get permission to partially restart its operations.
KLM says it flew a two-engine Boeing 737-800 over the Netherlands at the regular altitude of 10 kilometres, at the maximum 13 kilometres, and at other levels.
"We have found nothing unusual, neither during the flight, nor during the first inspection on the ground," KLM chief executive Peter Hartman, who took part in the test flight, said.
"If the technical examination confirms this image, we are ready tomorrow to fly back our seven planes from Duesseldorf to Amsterdam.
"We then hope to get permission as soon as possible to partially restart our operations and get our passengers to their destinations."
Germany's Lufthansa says it flew 10 planes to Frankfurt from Munich, mostly flying at a 'visual level' of 3,000 metres while also testing conditions through to a height of 8,000 metres.
"All airplanes have been inspected on arrival in Frankfurt but there was no damage to the cockpit windows or fuselage and no impact on the engines," company spokesman Aage Duenhaupt said.
The situation for people booked on flights to Europe is getting worse, with flights in and out of Britain and much of Europe still grounded and more destinations becoming off-limits to planes.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled for a third day in most central and northern regions of the continent, and the lifting of flight restrictions is creeping further and further away as the plume of ash continues to spread, shutting down more airports.
Singapore Airlines spokeswoman Susan Bredow says it normally flies 1,000 passengers a day to Europe from Australia, so there is a huge backlog.
"[The situation] has deteriorated. Some ports that were still open yesterday are now closed today," she said.
Ms Bredow says Europe-bound passengers flying out of Australia are being urged to stay at home.
The airline does not know when it will be able to fly into Europe again but is rebooking people on flights later this week.
Qantas has cancelled all inbound and outbound services to Europe. Its passengers are being transferred to the next available scheduled flight or offered a refund.
In the UK, all flights to and from London's airports are suspended until at least 10pm on Sunday (local time).
Some airlines have already said they are not flying into northern Europe until Monday at the earliest.
But industry insiders worry the situation is a little more dire. They predict movement is four or five days away at best.
Airlines are losing more than $200 million a day and are watching their share prices fall.
Iceland's volcano continues to belch out ash and grit and scientists warn this could be the case for weeks and even months.
Imports like fruit and pharmaceutical supplies are expected to start dwindling and some airlines have foreshadowed staff layoffs.
The only silver lining is the roaring trade being enjoyed by ferry, train and taxi services.
Airspace is partially or completely closed in at least 23 countries.
- Reuters/ABC
Nigerian Would Be Terrorist Attempts To Bomb A US Flight
The Delta Flight To Detroit Landed Safely With All Passengers
 |
A Nigerian passenger attempted to ignite device aboard a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Friday as the plane began its approach for landing, the plane however landed safely about twelve noon Detroit time.
The suspected bomber suffered burns as the result of his attempt, and two other on the flight reported minor injuries, authorities said. The White House believe this to be a terrorist act and the FBI is investigating the event. The suspect is in US Custoday and all passengers are currently been investigated in US custody.
"He was trying to ignite some kind of incendiary device," said a federal anti-terrorism official. "He lit himself on fire and he's suffered some burns." The nature of the explosive device is not released at this time and it was too early to say how potent or sophisticated it was. The passenger has been identified as a Nigerian who began traveling from Nigeria and caught the flight in Amsterdam, the anti-terrorism official said. A Passenger Syed Jafri, a U.S. citizen who had flown from the United Arab Emirates, said the incident occurred during the plane's descent. Jafri said he was seated three rows behind the passenger and saw a glow and smelled smoke. Then, he said, there was a lot of panic.
The focus on whether the Nigerian acted alone or had training from Al Qaeda or another network. There will be great interest also in the nature and destructive capacity of the explosive device and on how it got past airport security screeners. Nigerians have not figured in many cases involving Al Qaeda, but the rise of violent Islamic extremism in that country, and in sub-Saharan Africa overall, concerns Western anti-terrorism officials.
Reports on recent investigation revealed that the ingenious technology in plots have been developed in Pakistan by Abu Ubaida al Masri, terrorist groups linked to Al Queda, revealed to involved teams of two or three attackers smuggling aboard explosives and separate ignition devices to blow up planes bound for North America.
Arik Air of Nigeria To Start Abuja London Newyork Flights
By Innocent Asah
LAGOS - Arik Air said yesterday it had concluded plans to commence direct flight from Abuja to London Heathrow with effect from next Thursday.
This comes as the airline had earlier finalised plans to fly direct into New York, USA from November 29, 2009.
Managing Director of Arik Air, Mr. Jason Holt, who disclosed this in Lagos, said the airline had always looked forward to fly from Abuja to London because of the historical ties between Nigeria and Britain. Holt said: "Arik Air is extremely proud to connect Nigeria's federal capital directly with London. The introduction of direct flights between Abuja and Nigerian state capitals has been at the forefront of Arik Air's domestic expansion strategy. "London has always been of great importance for Nigerians and the airline first launched non-stop flights between Lagos and London Heathrow on December 15, 2008.
Air Bus Airplane Order Dropped By African Country
Price have Skyrocketed
 |
South Africa canceled a multibillion-dollar order for the Airbus A400M troop transport plane Thursday, dealing a painful blow to the program just weeks before the aircraft was expected to make its long-delayed first flight. The price had swollen to $5.2 billion, since the order was placed in 2004. The cost escalation represented an “unaffordable burden” on the country’s taxpayers during the current economic downturn, Mr. Maseko told reporters in Cape Town.
Airbus is left with just one export customer for the A400M: Malaysia, which placed a firm order in 2005 for four planes, originally due to be delivered in 2013. Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Turkey jointly ordered 180 of the planes in 2003 — a €20 billion, or $30 billion, deal that remains the largest ever European military contract. South Africa’s decision, while costly for EADS, could make those negotiations “slightly easier,” said Sash Tusa, an aerospace consultant in London. “Assuming the program survives, it will be a lot easier to rearrange deliveries for the European customers.”
Saudi Arabia Lauches New Pilgrimage Airline
More Pilgrims Can Fly To Haj
 |
Saudi-based pilgrimage airline Alwafeer Air has obtained an operating license and is expected to start flying during the haj season in November, an official said Sunday.
The Jeddah-based airline is the kingdom's fourth after state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines and low budget carriers Nas Air and Sama.
"Today they received their Air Operation Certificate (AOC) but they will not start yet," said Abdulhalim Felemban, supervisor of economic planning at the General Authority of Civil Aviation.
"It will take time but it will definitely operate in haj," he said.
The charter airline will focus on flying pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites in Mecca and Madina, starting with three Boeing 747 aircraft, and may expand its fleet to eight planes within three years.
More than two million pilgrims from around the world flock to Mecca to perform the annual haj. Umra, the minor pilgrimage, can be done throughout the year.
Alwafeer aims to attract "the largest share of the haj and umra transportation", the carrier said on its website without giving details
Cameroons Red Tape Blame for Crash Poor Recovery
TTimes World Report Africa
Kenyan investigators at the site of kenyan Airlines crash in Cameroons, who include military and aviation specialists, admit they have been ruffling feathers in dealing with their hosts, who they find inflexible.
"There is too much red tape here. Even when we are faced with a deadline to recover the body parts before they totally decompose," an investigator who sought anonymity told me.
Kenya Airways Chief Executive Titus Naikuni, however, told a press conference in Douala that they respect Cameroon's authority as the main investigators. Joshua Osih, an aviation consultant in Douala, concedes that the local crisis team has been, to a large extent, a let down.
"The professionals have been pushed aside in favour of politicians and this has resulted in the mission delays," says Mr Osih.
Despite the urgency of the task, the crisis committee has failed to assemble the appropriate equipment for search operations - even though air force helicopters are readily available in Cameroon, he said
Bodies
Observers have also questioned the initial use of unqualified personnel to search for the bodies at the wreckage.
Before the Cameroon Red Cross took charge, local villagers who had volunteered were being supervised at a distance by the police, as they combed the mangrove swamp for visible bodies or body parts.
"We appreciate the goodwill of the local people but in this case close professional supervision would have improved the pace," a Kenyan official lamented.
By Wednesday evening, human parts that can make up 76 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage.
Kenya Airways has flown forensic experts in from the United Kingdom to help with the identification of the bodies; earlier reports said France will also assist in the process.
Dozens of relatives of the victims have flown or driven into Douala to assist in the process.
The airline is providing counselling services at a crisis centre set up at the centre of the city. Several religious leaders have also been hosting prayer sessions for them as they mourn.
"We lack a sizeable mortuary that will accommodate the forensic process and matching of the body parts that will reconstruct the victims," Mr Osih said.
The ideal situation is for the Cameroon authorities to begin the process of perhaps setting up refrigerated cargo containers to serve as makeshift morgues, but nothing is being implemented, observed Mr Osih.
He conceded that the plane crash has been a wake-up call for Cameroon's authorities to set up a proper and professional disaster preparedness team.
"Going by what happened to the plane it's clear that however rapid the authorities were no lives would have been saved, but we should learn from these mistakes and improve for the future."
South Africa Opposition Elect New Leader
TTimes World Report
Pretoria: She will succeed Tony Leon who is stepping down after 13 years.
The biggest challenge facing the Democratic Alliance is to attract more black support.
Helen Zille had been the favourite in this party leadership contest, with strong political credentials and a high-profile position as mayor.
She was both a journalist and an activist during the struggle against apartheid.
In more recent years, as a Democratic Alliance MP, she worked in Khayelitsha, one of the most impoverished areas of Cape Town.
Since becoming mayor of the city last year, Helen Zille has had fierce political tussles with South Africa's governing party - the African National Congress.
But she is determined to remain as Cape Town's mayor, while at the same time, leading the Democratic Alliance (DA) in parliament.
The DA has grown in size since the 1990s, but although it is the largest opposition party, it still only holds 12% of the seats in the National Assembly.
The DA has long been criticised for being too white and middle class.
One of Helen Zille's priorities will be to draw in more black voters and break the concentration of power that lies with the ANC.
Kenya Airways Crash Site Found Near Airport in Cameroons
TTimes World Report
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (May 7)- Kenya Airways passenger plane crashed in southern Cameroon on Saturday. Kenya Airways, speaking in Nairobi, said the crash site has been found about twelve miles from the airport where the plane took off. Search for plane at this site was started due to hints from local fisher men in the area who reported a loud noise at about the time of the crash.
Kenya airways said a team of investigators had been dispatched to the crash site but "so far no report of any survivors"
Kenya Airways said earlier Saturday it had lost contact with the jet shortly after its midnight takeoff from Douala, Cameroon, north of Niete. With the crash so close to the airport, it is believed that the plane was attempting to return back to the airport when it finally crashed.
"The last message was received in Douala after takeoff and thereafter the tower was unable to contact the plane," Naikuni said.
Kenyan airline said the Boeing 737-800 was carrying 114 people, including 105 passengers, from many countries, and the plane was six months old.
The plane departed Douala at 12:05 a.m. and was to arrive in Nairobi at 6:15 a.m. It originated in the Ivory Coast, but stopped in Cameroon to pick up more passengers, the airline said.
The last crash of an international Kenya Airways in January 2000, was a flight taking off from Abidjian, Ivory Coast, on its way to Nairobi, a faulty alarm and pilot error was blamed and crash killed 169 people.
Airliner With 104 Aboard Crashes in Nigeria
By BASHIR ADIGUN
ABUJA, Nigeria (Oct. 29) - A Nigerian airliner reportedly carrying 104
people crashed Sunday shortly after takeoff from the airport in Abuja during
a storm and at least six people survived, Nigerian media reported.
The airline had 104 passengers and crew members on board when it went down
near the airport in the capital, state radio reported. The report cited
Rowland Iyayi, head of the National Air Space Management Agency, as saying
no survivors had been found, but privately owned Channels Television said at
least six people survived the crash.
The plane was headed to the northwest city of Sokoto, according to the
reports. Channels had earlier reported the plane was headed to Lagos.
A local radio station, Ray Power FM, said the plane was owned by Aviation
Development Co., a private Nigerian airline.
Angus Ozoaka, head of the accidents investigation bureau in the Aviation
Ministry, said the crash had been reported to his office but he had no
details.
"I'm trying to get to the scene now. I can't say anything more until I've
been to the scene," Ozoaka told The Associated Press by telephone from
Abuja.
ADC last suffered a crash in November 1996, when one of its jets plunged
into a lagoon outside Nigeria's main city, Lagos, killing all 143 aboard.
Associated Press writer Dulue Mbachu in Lagos contributed to this report.
KLM's 60 years of flying into Nigeria
In a turbulent aviation world for an airline to be flying non-stop
for 60 years is no mean achievement. TUNJI OKETUNBI reviews the
Dutch airlines' place in Nigerian aviation industry as it celebrates
its diamond jubilee on the Nigerian route.
FOR Ramon Delima, the youthful general manager of KLM Dutch airline
in Nigeria the excitement of witnessing the 60th anniversary of the
mega-carrier in the Nigerian airspace cannot be measured. KLM is the
only airline in Nigeria to have operated with the same name for 60
years and today it ranks among the biggest foreign players in the
country's aviation industry.
Said Delima: "I was not born 60 years ago but it is exciting to
witness an airline marking years without any break for 60 years."
The Dutch flag carrier in 1946 landed in Kano, marking the beginning
of a marriage that would be enduring and beneficial to both parties.
KLM today operates 10 weekly flights to Lagos, Abuja and Kano,
making it one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Federal Government
liberality as regards utilisation of Bilateral Air Service Agreement
(BASA).
To mark the diamond jubilee anniversary, the airline was set to
announce today some promotional fares that Delima promised would be
mouth watering.
He also announced plans to introduce new Boeing B777 on the route
with the complement of new Business class seats and more capacity to
meet market demands. The airline currently operates MD 11.
Delima explained that KLM delayed in introducing modern aircraft on
the route due to low yield on the market although he admitted that
the market has become more competitive now than some years back.
More foreign airlines have entered the market thereby creating
capacity and heightened competition.
"We are putting more seats into the Nigerian market. We are adding
capacity because we have confidence in the future of the market. We
are not doing it for the fun of it. We are a private airline and we
must have returns on investments," said the airline boss in Nigeria
and Central Africa.
KLM was once contracted to manage the defunct Nigeria Airways by the
then General Olusegun Obasanjo's military regime. The outcome of
that adventure to some aviation analysts was not very amusing.
Nigeria is now liquidated.
The Dutch airline, however, holds 26 per cent equity in Kenya
Airways, an airline that has become a case study in successful
airline privatisation, which many aviation analysts believe should
have been adopted by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) then led
by Mallam Nasir El Rufai.
In the area of corporate social responsibility, KLM, according to
Delima, supports FATE Foundation in promoting young Nigeria
entrepreneurs but critics said for an airline of six decades of
operations in the country the airline should be able to point to
more tangible community projects as pay back for a country that
contributed so much to its growth.
Founded by Albert Plesman in 1919, KLM made its first flight to
London in 1920 and has been operating worldwide since then before
merging with Air France in 2004 in a business model that is unique
in the aviation industry to become the largest airline in Europe.
Under the Air France-KLM holding company, both KLM and Air France
operate as network airlines: via hubs, or transfer airports, they
maintain a worldwide network of services to European and
intercontinental destinations.
A key principle in the alliance is the dual hub strategy: KLM and
Air France's home bases of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Paris
Charles de Gaulle respectively act as transfer airports in the
shared network.
Measured by operating revenues, Air France-KLM is the largest
airline group in the world. KLM is a member of SkyTeam, one of the
three global airline alliances. With 10 members as of April 2006,
SkyTeam is the second largest alliance by market share.
KLM appears to be committed to a long haul operation in the Nigerian
aviation market.
|
