ISTANBUL (AP) — A Turkish airliner skidded off a runway, crashed into a ditch and broke apart while landing in bad weather in Istanbul Wednesday, killing three people and injuring dozens more. Passengers had to scramble through the split fuselage to escape.
The aircraft, operated by low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines, was arriving at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport from the western Turkish city of Izmir with 183 passengers and crew on board when it had what the Transportation Ministry described as a “rough landing.”
Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya said the plane failed to “hold onto the runway” and skidded some 50-60 meters (yards) before it dropped into the ditch from a height of about 30 meters (98 feet.)
“We are deeply saddened … (But) we are very happy that we escaped a greater accident,” Yerlikaya said, adding that the plane could have burst into flames.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca reported early Thursday that three people had died and 179 required care at multiple hospitals.
Emergency workers, assisted by an excavator, recovered one body from beneath the wreckage before the rescue mission ended.
The airport was shut down after the incident, which occurred at around 6:30 p.m. local time (1530 GMT), and flights were diverted to Istanbul’s main airport.
The new capability for Airbus’ C295 to serve as an aerial tanker brings additional flexibility for this tactical airlifter, further increasing its already-proven versatility and opening additional mission opportunities.
Airbus Defence and Space developed a removable air-to-air refuelling (AAR) kit for the twin-engine aircraft that utilises a 100-ft.-long deployable hose with a “basket” at the end – enabling the transfer of fuel to receiver aircraft equipped with a probe. A remote vision system allows crewmembers aboard the C295 tanker to monitor refuelling operations from the cargo cabin.
Recent flights to test the kit involved an Airbus-owned C295 that refuelled a C295 from the Spanish Air Force, as well as proximity tests with the C295 and a fast fighter aircraft – a Spanish Air Force F-18.
“Customers are increasingly interested in purchasing not just an aircraft, but a versatile platform that can be used for different missions,” explained Martín Espinosa, the Airbus Defence and Space engineering technical manager responsible for the C295’s aerial refuelling test campaign. “The development of the air-to-air refuelling capabilities of the C295 forms part of this strategic vision.”
The C295’s aerial refuelling capability would be a highly valuable mission-extender for customers using C295s. These customers include the armed forces of current and future C295 operators responsible for civil and military search and rescue missions.
Additionally, it could serve as a cost-effective platform to train fighter pilots in the skills needed for air-to-air refuelling. “The C295 tanker kit could facilitate training of fighter pilots for missions involving refuelling, or even for AAR services on a lease-by-the-hour basis at a fraction of the cost of heavier aircraft,” explained Luis Díaz-Miguel, the Tactical Airlifters Marketing Manager.
Captain Gabiña, a Spanish Air Force pilot involved in the aerial refuelling tests, gave high marks to the C295 in its new role as tanker. “The degree of difficulty in flight test is always high since it involves performing manoeuvers that no one has done before. It should be noted that due to the positive behaviour of the aircraft, the operation has been good and straightforward,” he said.
Jetstar group chief executive Gareth Evans says he is encouraged by the strong start to the low-cost carrier’s (LCC) new nonstop Gold Coast-Seoul Incheon service.
The inaugural flight departed Gold Coast Airport at a little past 1200 local time on Sunday, with Boeing 787-8 VH-VKF receiving an Airservices Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) monitor cross prior to taking off as the JQ49 bound for Seoul Incheon.
Some nine hours and a half hours later, the 787-8 touched down at Seoul Incheon just before 2030 local time.
And after about two and a half hours on the ground, the Dreamliner took off as the reciprocal JQ50 bound for the Gold Coast.
Evans expressed confidence that the route would do well, given the stimulatory impact of low fares and South Koreans’ being among the most frequent travellers per capita of any country in the world.
Similarly, Australians were increasingly becoming aware of South Korea as a place to visit for food, history and popular culture influences such as K-Pop.
“There will be a lot of demand from Korea. But we are betting on huge increases in demand from Australians as well,” Evans told reporters at Gold Coast Airport on Sunday prior to the inaugural flight.
“The start to the route has been fantastic so we are off to a very good footing.”
Jetstar’s Gold Coast-Seoul Incheon flights have been scheduled on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
The 787-8s serving the route have 335 seats comprising 21 business class recliners in a 2-3-2 configuration with 38-inch pitch and 314 economy class seats at nine abreast with 30-inch pitch.
Currently, Asiana Airlines and Korean Air are the only two airlines with year-round nonstop flights between Australia and South Korea.
Asiana flies to Sydney, while Korean Air has nonstop flights to Brisbane and Sydney.
Qantas – Jetstar’s parent company – last served South Korea with its own aircraft in the mid-2000s when it flew Boeing 767-300ERs on seasonal services between Brisbane and Seoul. It also had year-round flights to Seoul in the late 1990s.
Ansett Australia also flew to Seoul in the late 1990s.
Evans said the stimulatory impact of low fares offered by Jetstar compared with those of full-service carriers Asiana and Korean Air would help grow the market.
Currently, the Australia-South Korea market was split 70 per cent South Korean travellers and 30 per cent Australian.
Looking ahead, Evans said he expected the directional flow to become more evenly balanced over time in a similar way the Australia-Japan market has evolved.
“We will grow both ends of the market but particularly we will grow the Australian end of the market,” Evans said.
“Japan sort of started about 70-30 now it is 50-50. We would imagine over time – a number of year – this market would move to a more 50-50 split.”
Further, a partnership with South Korea’s largest LCC Jeju Air, which has added its 7C airline code on the Jetstar flight as part of a hard block codeshare agreement, would also help raise awareness of the route in the South Korean market.
“The reason we are partnering with Jeju is because right now Jetstar brand has very little penetration in the Korean market so you need a strong partner to provide you with that brand strength and distribution in the market,” Evans said.
“That’s what Jeju brings.”
When Jetstar launched the route in May, it offered introductory fares of $179 one way. Since then, Evans said ticket prices for travel between the Gold Coast and Seoul Incheon have been in the $300 to $400 range.
“It’s those low fares that stimulate demand and open up markets,”Evans said.
“It has happened with us on a number of markets around Asia – Japan, Vietnam, Thailand. It will happen with Korea as well.”
Asked why Gold Coast was chosen as the city to launch flights to Seoul Incheon, Evans said that was where the demand was, noting inbound travellers from Asia loved to visit the Queensland city.
Further, Gold Coast was also able to act as a hub and gateway for the airline, offering convenient connections to other parts of Australia in both directions.
“The geography of the Gold Coast and the operation that we have got here into the Gold Coast means that we are building the Gold Coast as a hub for our Australian traffic,” Evans said.
“We are also seeing great demand from customers in Melbourne and Sydney connecting through the Gold Coast.”
Queensland Airports Ltd chief executive Chris Mills said the Jetstar flight opened up another new and exciting destination for locals on the Gold Coast, as well as new nonstop option for South Koreans travelling to Australia.
“South Koreans will have a direct link to our stunning beaches and hinterland, delivering significant benefits to our economy,” Mills said in a statement.
Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones noted the number of South Korean visitors to Queensland had grown by about 20 per cent to 76,000 visitors a year in the 12 months to June 2019, compared with 63,000 visitors in the prior corresponding period.
The new route was supported by the Queensland government’s attracting aviation investment fund, Queensland Airports and Destination Gold Coast.
Jones said the negotiations were completed over an 18-month period.
“Because it is taxpayers’ dollars to secure these new flights we always make sure that we believe that they meet our expectations for taxpayers,” Jones said.
“From our perspective we back flights that we know will attract and bring new tourists to Queensland.”
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – At least 27 people were killed, including some on the ground, when a small plane crashed into a densely populated neighborhood in the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, a rescue official said.
The propeller plane, which was operated by local company Busy Bee, crashed shortly after take-off en route to the city of Beni, about 250 km (155 miles) to the north, officials said.
The company said the 19-seater Dornier 228-200 had 16 passengers and two crew members on board.
There was no word yet on what might have caused the accident.
Joseph Makundi, the coordinator of rescue services in Goma, told Reuters that 27 bodies had been recovered from the rubble, including those of several people hit by falling debris.
“I was at a restaurant with my family when I saw the plane spinning three times in the air and emitting a lot of smoke,” said Djemo Medar, an eyewitness in Goma’s Mapendo neighborhood. “After that we saw the plane crash into this house,” he said pointing to a nearby building.
“We know the pilot. His name is Didier. He was shouting, ‘Help me, Help me.’ But we had no way to get to him because the fire was so powerful,” Medar said.
At the crash site, residents threw water from buckets and cooking pots onto the smoldering wreckage. The rear section of the plane rested sideways, propped up by a wall, videos posted on social media showed.
Police arrested one man for stealing cash from the rubble and fired warning shots to disperse people who had started looting, he said.
Air accidents are relatively frequent in Congo because of lax safety standards and poor maintenance. All Congolese commercial carriers, including Busy Bee, are banned from operating in the European Union.
A cargo plane departing from the same airport and carrying staff members of President Felix Tshisekedi crashed an hour after take-off last month, killing all eight people on board..
Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Aaron Ross/Mark Potter/ Frances Kerry/Jane Merriman
MILAN, Nov 19 (Reuters) – Italian infrastructure group Atlantia said on Tuesday it was not ready to join a consortium led by Italian railway group Ferrovie dello Stato to rescue loss-making carrier Alitalia, casting a shadow on the entire project.
After months of negotiations and with just one day left before a deadline expires, the group controlled by the Benetton family said that the conditions did not exist yet for it to join a consortium working on Alitalia.
Atlantia added, however, it remained available to engage in negotiations to seek for an industrial partner for the carrier.
A deadline to present a binding offer for Alitalia expires on Thursday, after being postponed several times.
Loss-making Alitalia has been run by special administrators since May 2017 and talks led by Ferrovie have been going on for a year without a deal.
The carrier, which is burning through its cash reserves, is expected to finish its money at the end of this year.
Ferrovie and Atlantia have been in talks with both U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines Inc and, recently, with German airline Lufthansa.
Delta said it was ready to invest 100 million euros ($111 million) in the Italian carrier but sources had said it did not agree with Ferrovie and Atlantia over the development of the Italian carrier’s long-haul business.
On the other hand, Lufthansa said it was prepared to set up a commercial partnership with the Italian carrier but did not want to take a stake in the group before it has gone through a complete restructuring.
“We will not invest in current Alitalia, but we are interested being a commercial partner,” said Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr at an event in Berlin on Tuesday.
Italian daily La Repubblica on Tuesday said the airline could be nationalized for some years before being sold.
Analysts calculate that Italian taxpayers have spent more than 9 billion euros to support Alitalia, which has undergone two previous failed rescue attempts.
($1 = 0.9028 euros)
(Reporting by Francesca Landini; Additional reporting by Ilona Wissenbach in Berlin; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
– Features night-vision goggle compatibility, Head-Up Displays and Synthetic Vision for mission success
– Advanced human-machine interface will reduce pilot workload
– Touch-screen capabilities to increase ease of operation
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Airbus’ new C295 tactical aircraft will come equipped with Collins Aerospace System’s state-of-the-art Pro Line Fusion™ flight deck, significantly advancing the capabilities of C295 operators. The selection marks the first fixed-wing search and rescue platform to include Pro Line Fusion among its standard equipment. Collins Aerospace is a unit of United Technologies Corp.
The Pro Line Fusion flight deck designed for the C295 includes key features to help operators during search and rescue, and other tactical missions, being equipped with:
Four 14.1-inch (35.8 cm) touchscreen displays to provide a more intuitive interface for pilots to interact and customize their information on the flight deck
Night-vision goggle capability to help ensure successful missions in low light conditions
Head-Up Displays that enable the pilot to keep their eyes up for enhanced situational awareness
Enhanced Vision System (EVS) sensor that allows pilots to see through low-visibility conditions
Overlaid weather radar that shows a graphical depiction of weather along the flight plan for easy viewing
Integrated Terrain Awareness and Warning System that enables high-resolution 3D obstacle depiction and enhances mission safety
Fully integrated Mission Flight Management Systems supporting Search and Rescue patterns, Computed Air Release Points and High Altitude Release Points
In addition, the flight deck was designed to meet evolving airspace and regulatory requirements, future-proofing it for years to come.
“This flight deck implementation is a great example of how Collins Aerospace is able to apply the latest commercial avionics technology and integrate it with military functions and capabilities to create the perfect fit for our customers,” said Dave Schreck, vice president and general manager for Military Avionics and Helicopters at Collins Aerospace. “Our Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system will reduce pilot workload and increase ease of operation for all future C295 operators.”
Canada’s Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will serve as the launch customer for the C295 with the first delivery expected before the end of the year.
SEPANG, 13 November 2019 – AirAsia has unveiled a special ‘Save our Malayan Tiger’ aircraft livery in support of the government’s campaign to save the fast-disappearing Malayan tiger.
The ‘Save Our Malayan Tiger’ livery forms part of AirAsia’s ongoing sustainability efforts to support conservation and environmental programs, and would encourage millions of people to pledge their support for the cause.
The Airbus A320 aircraft livery was unveiled by the Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources Yang Berhormat Dato’ Dr Xavier Jayakumar alongside AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group President (Airlines) Bo Lingam and AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad Asmat here in Sepang today.
AirAsia Group Head of Global Affairs & Sustainability, Shasha Ridzam said, “Malayan tigers are a majestic symbol of strength and part of our national identity. We would never want our children to grow up in a world where the Malayan tiger exists only as an image on the coat of arms. That is why we must play our part in protecting them. I hope this new livery helps to bring the government’s wildlife conservation campaign to life.”
AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes also added, saying, “Congratulations to the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources for taking proactive measures in protecting our Malayan tigers, and we’re proud to be able to do our part in helping this campaign.”
Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources YB Dato’ Dr Xavier Jayakumar said, “We are proud to take the Save Our Malayan Tiger and Hutan Kita campaigns to new heights with AirAsia. The alarming decline of our national symbol is clear evidence that we need to do more when it comes to conserving our tigers. Our Hutan Kita campaign is an important cause as well, as without our forests, there will be no tigers and wildlife. We hope with AirAsia’s support, we will further raise the awareness on these important messages not just in Malaysia but in the region as well and be the vehicle of change for our tigers.”
AirAsia has also extended its support to the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources’ environmental campaigns by sponsoring return flights for 10 orang asli to attend the Hutan Kita Exhibition Launch in August 2019, in addition to supporting a visit to the National Wildlife Rescue Center (NWRC) in Sungkai, Perak for its Allstars in October 2019.
AirAsia’s sustainability efforts include guest education, carbon reduction and waste management, the collection and separation of recyclable items on board and community-based tourism programmes such as JourneyD. AirAsia also fosters social enterprise initiatives across Asean through its philanthropy arm, AirAsia Foundation.
SEATTLE, Nov. 8, 2019 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] last week delivered the first of nine P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) to the United Kingdom Royal Air Force (RAF). The United Kingdom is acquiring the multi-mission aircraft through the Foreign Military Sales process with the U.S. Navy. The P-8A Poseidon replaces the U.K.’s retired Nimrod aircraft.
Speaking to attendees at the delivery ceremony, Air Marshal Andrew Turner, deputy commander for Capability for the Royal Air Force, spoke of the “profound challenge” of enemy submarines threatening the U.K. and other nations. “P-8 is the key to solving this challenge on the surface, the sub-surface and in the waters of the North Atlantic. There is no place [for our enemies] to hide. We will make the oceans transparent and we will prevail.”
Boeing formally delivered the aircraft on Oct. 29 to the U.S. Navy during a ceremony at the Boeing Military Delivery Center in Tukwila, Wash. From Tukwila, the aircraft flew to the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, where U.S. Navy leaders officially turn the aircraft over to the United Kingdom. At JAX, Royal Air Force crew will work with the aircraft before flying it to the United Kingdom in January 2020. All nine P-8A aircraft will be based at Lossiemouth, Scotland.
As part of a collaborative program with the U.S. Navy, pilots and maintainers from the United Kingdom’s RAF have been stationed at Naval Air Station JAX since 2012. Called “Project Seedcorn,” the arrangement has allowed RAF members to fly the P-8A with Patrol Squadron Thirty (VP-30), the Navy’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Fleet Replacement Squadron, to maintain their maritime patrol skills in advance of receiving the P-8A.
The P-8 is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations. In addition, the P-8 performs humanitarian and search and rescue missions around the globe.
MILAN (Reuters) – Delta Air Lines <DAL> could pull out of a consortium looking to rescue Italy’s Alitalia as it is unwilling to enter a possible bidding war with Lufthansa <DLAKY>, newspaper Il Corriere della Sera reported on Sunday, citing two sources.
Delta is expected to say it will not raise its offer to invest about 100 million euros ($112 million) in Alitalia in a letter to be sent in the middle of this week to its consortium partners, Italy’s state railways firm Ferrovie and infrastructure group Atlantia, Il Corriere reported.
It said the rough investment figure could go as high as 120 million euros.
But Germany’s Lufthansa might invest about 150 million euros, Il Corriere said.
Lufthansa is seeking up to 6,000 job cuts, however, versus 2,500 envisaged by a plan drafted by the Delta consortium, the newspaper reported.
A source said last week Lufthansa was ready to invest up to 200 million euros in Alitalia which is running out of cash and scrambling to find new funds.
Italy’s industry ministry has extended to Nov. 21 a deadline for binding bids after an Oct. 15 deadline passed without an agreement among potential rescuers.
Alitalia’s temporary administrators said last month that the company’s liquidity amounted to 310 million euros at the end of September.
But that figure was inflated by advanced payments on pre-paid tickets, Sunday’s Il Sole 24Ore newspaper reported, citing unidentified sources.
The report added that adjusted for future costs, the cash amounted to just 160 million euros, and that it would run out in December.
($1 = 0.8957 euros)
(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; editing by Jason Neely)
MILAN, Oct 14 (Reuters) – Alitalia is set to win a temporary lifeline on Tuesday, when its latest rescue deadline expires, with toll road operator Atlantia expected to give a conditional green light to hundreds of millions of euros of investment, according to two people close to the situation.
The future of the troubled Italian carrier remains in doubt with no binding offer and no clear business plan in sight but it should avoid an immediate liquidation after the expiry of the Oct. 15 deadline set by the industry ministry.
Atlantia, which is controlled by Benetton family, has been in talks since July over taking part in a government-orchestrated rescue of the airline, together with railway group Ferrovie dello Stato, the treasury and Delta Air Lines.
“Atlantia is expected to give its commitment to invest in Alitalia subject to several conditions,” one of the sources said. But issues that still cause concern range from potential antitrust problems, treatment of state aid under European Union rules, the cost of possible redundancies and the future of the carrier’s long-haul routes, the source said.
Oct. 15 is the latest in a series of deadlines set for Ferrovie and potential partners in a rescue for Alitalia, which has been under special administrators since May 2017 and needs new funds to continue flying.
The board of Atlantia, which runs Rome’s airports through its Aeroporti di Roma unit, is expected to approve a preliminary commitment to the Alitalia rescue on Tuesday, the sources said.
The rescue plans include potential investment of a total of around 1 billion euros in the carrier, which has cut costs under the special administrators but still burns cash and had only 310 million euros left at the end of September.
Atlantia is expected to invest some 300 million euros, depending on commitments from other partners.
A second source said more time was needed to iron out a complete business plan for Alitalia. Possible involvement by Delta Air Lines or Germany’s Lufthansa AG is still under discussion.
A third source said Atlantia, Ferrovie and other potential partners were under pressure from Italy’s Industry Ministry to present a binding bid and take control of the carrier which in the past two years has already received 900 million euros from the state to stay afloat.
Atlantia’s participation in the rescue was put in doubt this month when it wrote to the Industry ministry, urging a radical overhaul of the Alitalia plan if talks were to go ahead.
(Reporting by Francesca Landini, Stefano Bernabei, Giuseppe Fonte. Editing by Jane Merriman)
An Alitalia Airbus A320 takes off on September 26, 2017 from Toulouse-Blagnac airport in southwestern France. / AFP PHOTO / PASCAL PAVANI
