Tag Archives: Airbus A350-941

Photo: JAL-Japan Airlines Airbus A350-941 JA13XJ (msn 538) HND (Michael B. Ing). Image: 962186.

Flight JL516 from Sapporo to Tokyo Haneda on January 2, 2024 with the pictured Airbus A350-941 JA13XJ landed at HND but collided with Japanese Coast Guard DHC-8-300 JA722A and burst into flames. 367 passengers and 12 crew members on the A350 were able to safely evacuate the burning aircraft. 5 of the 6 crew members on the Coast Guard aircraft died (WO).

Japan Airlines issued this statement:

On January 2, 2024, Japan Airlines flight JL516 (departing from New Chitose Airport and arriving at Haneda Airport) collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda Airport after landing and both aircraft caught fire. Deepest condolences are extended to the deceased officials of the Japan Coast Guard. Confirmation has been received that all JAL passengers and crew on the flight have safely evacuated.

Sincere apologies are offered for the considerable concerns and inconveniences caused to our customers, their families, and everyone involved. Full cooperation will be provided in the investigation of the incident.

Details:
Date and Time: January 2, 2024 (Tuesday) around 17:47 (JST)
Location: Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport), Runway C
Flight Number: JL516
Departure: New Chitose Airport – Scheduled departure time: 15:50 – Actual departure time: 16:15
Arrival: Haneda Airport – Scheduled arrival time: 17:35 – Actual arrival time: 17:47
Number of Passengers: 359 adults + 8 infants = 367 in total
Number of Crew: 3 cockpit crew members + 9 cabin crew members = 12 in total
Passenger Situation: 1 person with bruising, 13 people requested medical consultation due to physical discomfort
Aircraft Type and Registration: Airbus A350-900, Registration Number JA13XJ
Aircraft Condition: Total loss

Summary:
After departing from New Chitose Airport at 16:15 on January 2, the aircraft flew smoothly (*1), and after landing at Haneda Airport Runway C at 17:47 (*2), the aircraft collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft and caught fire. All passengers and crew members on our flight successfully performed an emergency evacuation (*3). Support is being provided to each passenger in terms of their condition and assistance for their return home.
(*1) The aircraft did not experience any issues or irregularities during its departure from New Chitose Airport or throughout the flight.
(*2) According to interviews with the operating crew, they acknowledged and repeated the landing permission from air traffic control, and then proceeded with the approach and landing procedures.
(*3) The aircraft’s announcement system malfunctioned during the evacuation, so cabin crew members conducted instructions using a megaphone and their voices. Cabin crew members determined safe exits for evacuation, and all passengers and crew members evacuated through three emergency exits.

Currently, detailed information and the cause of the accident are under investigation, and full cooperation with the investigation will be provided.

Top Copyright Photo: JAL-Japan Airlines Airbus A350-941 JA13XJ (msn 538) HND (Michael B. Ing). Image: 962186.

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Air France releases details of its 2023 summer schedule

Air France Airbus A350-941 F-HTYS (msn 576) JFK (Fred Freketic). Image: 960301.

Air France announced highlights of its 2023 summer schedule:

191 flight destinations in 89 countries; network and schedule at 2019 levels
New routes to Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) and Ottawa (Canada) from Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and to Belém (Brazil) from Cayenne (French Guiana)
Daily flights resuming to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong effective July 1, 2023
66 seasonal routes in France and Europe
Rollout of new long-haul cabins continues

Air France is already getting set for the summer season. Strong travel demand combined with the lifting of the last remaining travel restrictions means the airline will be operating at 2019 levels. For the 2023 summer season (April – October), Air France will be flying up to 835 times a day, to 191 destinations in 89 countries.

Long-haul: Reopening of flights to China and more flights to North America and East Africa

The summer season of 2023 will mark a turning point in Air France’s long-haul flight schedule. The resumption of service to China will spark a return to more flights in Asia. Flying to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong will gradually increase throughout spring to reach one daily flight per destination by July 1, or 21 flights a week (1).

Still in Asia, Air France will continue boosting capacity to Tokyo (Japan), where the airline serves both airports. Up to 11 weekly flights to Tokyo Haneda and 3 to Tokyo Narita.

More flights are also being added to North America in response to dynamic demand in the region. This summer, Air France will operate up to 180 flights a week from/to 14 US destinations (2) (including two airports in New York: John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty), as well as 50 flights to 5 Canadian cities (3). The airline will introduce a new Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle-Ottawa flight on May 27. Five direct flights every week, on Airbus A330-200. Air France will be the only airline operating direct flights between Ottawa and Europe.

Very active in Africa throughout the pandemic, Air France will continue to maintain seat capacities there at above 2019 levels. As of June 12, 2023, the airline will begin flying to Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania). Three flights a week on Boeing 787-9 as a continuation of the service to Zanzibar, also a recent Tanzanian destination, inaugurated in 2021. On the same date, the Boeing 787-9 daily departure to Nairobi (Kenya) will become a direct flight.

Finally, in the Caribbean, Air France will inaugurate a new flight on May 5, 2023, linking Cayenne (French Guiana) and Belém (Brazil), once a week on Airbus A320.

These additions to the schedule will raise Air France’s number of long-haul destinations to 85.

France and Europe: 106 destinations and 66 seasonal routes across France and Europe

This summer, Air France will fly up to 650 times a day to 106 French and European destinations to further facilitate short- and medium-haul travel for its customers.

Over and above its regular schedule, the airline will operate 66 seasonal routes in France and Europe, taking off from Paris and regional French airports. These flights will make it possible to reach Corsica (from Paris, Bordeaux, Caen, Rennes, Lille, Lyon and Nantes), Greece (from Paris, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse), Algeria (from Paris, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse), Morocco (from Paris and Nice), and Tunisia as well (from Paris, Marseille and Nice).

Meanwhile, the Air France-KLM Group’s low-cost affiliate, Transavia France, will operate close to 200 short- and medium-haul routes to 120 destinations this summer, including 100 from/to Paris-Orly. This will make it the top low-cost airline operating out of Paris’ airports.

Johannesburg: Next on list of destinations for Air France’s new long-haul cabins

Air France is continuing its rollout of its latest long-haul cabins, gradually being installed on 12 Boeing 777 300 ERs. Already available from/to New York JFK, Dakar and Rio de Janeiro, they will be introduced on flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Johannesburg (South Africa) as of March 27, 2023.

Part of Air France’s move upmarket, this new product, available in Business, Premium Economy and Economy models, forms the cornerstone of the airline’s new travel experience. The Business cabin features a new sliding door that allows for a totally private space, and the seat transforms into a real bed almost 2 metres long. For passengers travelling together, the seats located in the middle of the cabin are now equipped with a central panel that lowers easily, to make flying together even more enjoyable.

https://twitter.com/AFnewsroom/status/1636421570284404739?s=20

Top Copyright Photo: Air France Airbus A350-941 F-HTYS (msn 576) JFK (Fred Freketic). Image: 960301.

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China Airlines restores daily service between Ontario, California, and Taipei

China Airlines Airbus A350-941 B-18901 (msn 049) (Mikado Pheasant) ONT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944973.

China Airlines will fully restore daily round-trip service between Southern California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT) and Taipei beginning March 26, 2023, ONT officials announced.on

The return of daily service connecting ONT and Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) marks a major milestone in Ontario’s recovery of international air service, all of which was suspended at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic nearly three years ago.

China Airlines will resume daily service to and from Southern California's Ontario International Airport later this month. — China Airlines will resume daily service to and from Southern California’s Ontario International Airport later this month.

After suspending service in March 2020, China Airlines resumed ONT-TPE flights in June 2021, gradually increasing service levels as demand returned. The resumption of daily service occurs at the same time that China Airlines marks its five-year anniversary at ONT.

The first carrier to offer nonstop, transoceanic passenger service to ONT after its transition to local ownership, China Airlines will upgrade the aircraft operating the route from an Airbus A350-900 to a larger Boeing 777-300ER, increasing seat capacity from 306 to 358 across premium business, premium economy and economy classes. The service is also scheduled to provide customers with seamless one-stop connections to additional destinations throughout Asia.

TPE is the primary international gateway to northern Taiwan’s more than 9 million residents, while ONT is the closest and most convenient international gateway airport for more than 10 million Southern California residents in San Bernardino, Riverside, northern Orange and eastern Los Angeles counties.

Domestic air travel through ONT surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2022, a milestone achieved by few other airports in California.

Top Copyright Photo: China Airlines Airbus A350-941 B-18901 (msn 049) (Mikado Pheasant) ONT (Michael B. Ing). Image: 944973.

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Hong Kong Airlines to fly to Beijing Daxing International Airport

Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A350-941 B-LGC (msn 168) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 940394.

Hong Kong Airlines will begin operating flights between Hong Kong and Beijing Daxing International Airport every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday starting on March 15, 2023.

Top Copyright Photo: Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A350-941 B-LGC (msn 168) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 940394.

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Qatar Airways and Airbus reach amicable A350 settlement in legal dispute

Qatar Airways and Airbus are pleased to have reached an amicable and mutually agreeable settlement in relation to their legal dispute over A350 surface degradation and the grounding of A350 aircraft.

A repair project is now underway and both parties look forward to getting these aircraft safely back in the air.

The details of the settlement are confidential and the parties will now proceed to discontinue their legal claims.

The settlement agreement is not an admission of liability for either party.

This agreement will enable Qatar Airways and Airbus to move forward and work together as partners.

Top Copyright Photo: Qatar Airways Airbus A350-941 A7-ALA (msn 006) AMS (Ton Jochems). Image: 960011.

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How heavier Finnair flights could lighten the financial load

Finnair has modified ten of its flagship Airbus A350s to carry more customers and cargo as it continues to increase capacity across its popular Asian routes.

The Finnish carrier has worked with Airbus to increase the maximum take-off weight for a specially selected number of its state-of-the-art aircraft as demand for flights to and from Asia has risen.

Modifications made involve minor changes and updates to aircraft’s software and placards and manuals in cooperation with aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

The Nordic airline made the changes to aircraft which regularly serve Seoul and Tokyo, two of the carrier’s longer intercontinental routes.

Each route has been made longer following the closure of Russian airspace which has forced Finnair to replan its flights and detour around Russia, consuming more fuel than used previously.

The normally lighter take-off weight had limited the number of customers and the amount of cargo each aircraft could carry, given the extended flight times.

But now after the modifications each aircraft can carry more customers and cargo – and importantly more fuel to fly the longer flight times between Finland and South Korea and Japan – as well as increasing the economic efficiency of each flight.

These modifications form part of Finnair’s strategy to restore profitability and increase payloads, in spite of airspace closures and increased flight times.

Before, the maximum take-off weight of Finnair’s A350 fleet was 268 tonnes. Now the maximum take-off weight for five aircraft has been increased to 275 tonnes, and the remaining five to 280 tonnes.

The maximum take-off weight increase enables more customers and cargo to be carried, with the total capacity expected to be increased by up to eight tonnes, depending on the aircraft’s respective maximum take-off weight, route as well as flight times conditions.

The plane and fuel together make up most of an aircraft’s weight, followed by customers, with a full plane weighing approximately 24,000kg. Checked-in bags typically weigh an additional 5,500kg, with cargo adding an extra 15,000kg.

Aircraft software compensates for the centre of gravity change and maintains the same handling characteristics, meaning that flying the aircraft does not change.

Each aircraft’s new maximum take-off weight is taken into account by experts at Finnair’s daily flight operations in their Helsinki hub.

The modifications were completed during the two first weeks in January, and operation with the new maximum take-off weight began on January 18, 2023.

Top Copyright Photo: Finnair Airbus A350-941 OH-LWG (msn 051) MUC (Gunter Mayer). Image: 959999.

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Delta launches first-ever service from Los Angeles to Auckland

Delta Air Lines will add to its portfolio of international routes with never-before-operated service to Auckland, New Zealand, from Los Angeles beginning this fall, while also boosting its trans-Atlantic service from its New York-JFK and Atlanta hubs starting this spring.

Daily flights between New Zealand’s largest city and Los Angeles will begin Oct. 28, 2023 on an Airbus A350-900 aircraft, as Delta becomes the only U.S. airline to provide nonstop service. This new destination joins other new Los Angeles service to Tahiti, Paris and London-Heathrow and will complement the airline’s current service from LAX to Sydney, where it operates 10 flights per week in the winter and daily service to Tokyo-Haneda. Delta operates more than 150 daily flights from LAX to 53 destinations across the globe as the airport’s leading premium global carrier.

Delta is forging its way to full network restoration, announcing its first slate of summer 2023 trans-Atlantic routes last fall to cities like Edinburgh, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Geneva and Stuttgart, many routes that have not been flown since pre-pandemic.

Delta will deliver its largest trans-Atlantic schedule ever from JFK next summer by offering more than 220 weekly departures to 26 destinations, including new daily service to:

Geneva beginning on April 10 (flying for the first time since 1993).
London-Gatwick beginning on April 10.
Resumption of daily service to Berlin on May 25.

Additionally, Delta will add a third seasonal flight to Rome beginning May 25, operating daily.

Top Copyright Photo: Delta Air Lines Airbus A350-941 N508DN (msn 190) RIV (Michael B. Ing). Image: 959924.

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