Still, this comes as a relief for Lufthansa, having been stuck for many years in an uncomfortable position of having made many great promises predominantly to premium customers, but delivering on none so far on board.

Not many big network carriers fly such an outdated long-haul business-class product as Lufthansa currently does in over a hundred aircraft. The pairs of full-flat seats, lacking almost any privacy, were introduced in 2012.

Usually, the typical cycle of a long-haul premium product in the industry is seven years, while Lufthansa’s new offering will only complete the rollout over the entire fleet of 117 jets by the end of 2027 – 15 years after premiering their last upgrade.

This is not just due to COVID-19 and current supply chain disruptions. Lufthansa is always one of the last among big players to elevate its premium offering to levels that have already become industry standard for years.

British Airways pioneered full-flat seats in long-haul Business Class in 1999 – Lufthansa followed in 2012, with the first generation still flying. “Lufthansa always wants to bring out something new, their own, different design, and then they can’t decide and it drags on forever”, a former Lufthansa executive tells Airlineratings, after painfully experiencing this process first hand before.

“It’s always a clash between the logic of flight operation and the lofty ideas of the designers and creatives.” Back in 2017, Lufthansa first released renderings of a new throne seat in Business Class, the new Allegris product was supposed to premier in 2020 on board the brand new Boeing 777-9, of which Lufthansa is a launch customer. “It’s a joke that this is now the last aircraft where our customers will experience Allegris,” says a product manager. The first 777-9 will only arrive in summer 2026, hopes Lufthansa, if no further delays occur, which is unlikely.

For the peak of the northern summer travel season, Lufthansa will introduce five newly delivered A350s with Allegris to its fleet by the end of July, all stationed in Munich. And all still lacking one crucial product element: The lavish new First Class, coming in two single suites and one double suite. The huge suites, the double one occupying a whopping 3.7 square meters of real estate, initially proved to be too heavy, their 1.88 meter high walls running them into further certification troubles, with supply chain shortages adding to the extra delay.

On the first A350s with Allegris, Lufthansa deals with this shortfall quite cheekily. Due to crew safety reasons, one row of non-revenue Economy Class seats, not to be occupied, has temporarily been installed in the big front First Class compartment. On both bulkhead walls front and back, decals evoke the impression of an online file being slowly downloaded, announcing “Lufthansa Allegris First Class – Loading…”. From October to year-end, three additional A350s will join the fleet coming straight from the factory in Toulouse with the new First Class finally on board.

The actual biggest news about the new cabin, however, is the unprecedented level of differentiation in Business Class. As an industry first, Lufthansa offers five different kinds of seats plus three sub-types, and each can be reserved in advance paying individually set surcharges to the fare. Just how exactly Lufthansa aims to teach its customers this sophisticated level of added complexity remains a mystery, as is currently still the pricing, apparently even internally.

“It’s very optimistic to assume yield management can deal with level of complexity,” says the former Lufthansa executive. Top tiers of frequent fliers will be able to reserve some seat categories without extra payment, while every Business passenger can grab whatever seat is still available at no surcharge once online check-in opens the day before the flight. “You can always gamble,” comments a product manager. In terms of price levels, one hint is Swiss, part of the Lufthansa group, which started charging about €275 for elderly throne seats on its A340-300 fleet recently. Even for its most lavish Business Suites, Lufthansa’s surcharge will be below €1000, hints a product manager asked by airlineratings.

Following recent trends, Allegris almost introduces a separate sub-class in the first row of Business with its Business Suites. Guests here not only get a lot of privacy and space, but they are also the only ones given a special menu of drinks and snacks for in-between main meals, as well as pyjamas on night flights and a soft mattress seat cover on every flight. Other Business guests only get this on sectors of over ten and a half hours block time, making Los Angeles, San Francisco and Mexico City the only North Atlantic destinations where this offering is available to all Business passengers, “due to costs for logistics dealing with mattress covers,” admits a product manager.

The bad news is that entry-level Business seats on the aisle away from the window and some aisle seats in the middle offer less foot space than the current product. While the beds now extend to a full two meters on every seat (about three cm more than currently), the foot well itself is a tiny tunnel on these seats, preventing much movement, especially for passengers with larger feet. At least even these seats get a glimpse of daylight through one window fairly far away – if it’s not seats 6C and 6H, which don’t even have this single window. What is internally called the “Dirk Nowitzki seat” after the super-tall German-born US basketball star is the extra-long bed seat, where passengers can stretch out over 2.20 meters.

For the first time Lufthansa offers direct aisle access from every premium seat with Allegris, and a premier is the heating and cooling system built into every premium seat. A new hard product is also offered in Premium Economy Class with fixed seat shells and an increased pitch of 99cm, in the armrest the seats offer wireless charging for phones, which most other airlines only do in premium classes. While it will still take a long time before the majority of Lufthansa customers can experience Allegris for themselves, it’s finally a big step forward in product innovation, which is long overdue at the German carrier. Until the end of 2024 with eight new cabins flying, Allegris will be available on some flights from Munich to Vancouver, Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco and Shanghai.

The post Lufthansa Finally Launches Its Allegris Product appeared first on Airline Ratings.

That paper falsely claims that the Malaysian military radar data has been released by Geoscience Australia.

Mr Godfrey said that the authors further falsely claim this data:

1. “radically changes our current knowledge of the trajectory travelled by MH370 between the IGARI waypoint and leaving radar coverage at 18:22 UTC.”

2. is “new, previously unknown digital radar data”.

3. “should be understood as an update of the document on civil radar data published in their previous paper.”

4. “To some extent, this report fulfils the promise made by the Malaysian Defense Minister during the press conference to publish the radar data”

5. “goes a step beyond all previous studies on the specific segment of the trajectory of the the MH370: the one that was captured by the radars from Kuala Lumpur until the exit from the radar coverage at 18:22 UTC (LSTRP).” The abbreviation LSTRP does not appear in the JSON file.

6. “It provides evidence for almost perfect knowledge of this segment of the trajectory.

The detailed report which can be read here concludes;

“To claim this “radically changes our current knowledge of the trajectory travelled by MH370”, is“new, previously unknown digital radar data” and “goes a step beyond all previous studies” is speculation.

“To claim that the source of these 500 data points is the Malaysian military has been shown to be false, as the source is clearly the civilian radar and ADS-B data, which has been known since 2015, with updates provided in 2018 and 2019.”

Mr Godfrey also makes these key findings:

Military radar data has a date-time stamp, the Geoscience data does not.

Military radar data is a chronological stream, the Geoscience data is not.

Military radar data has major gaps, the Geoscience data does not.

Military radar raw data does not contain repeats, the Geoscience data has 38 repeats.

Military radar raw data does not contain additions or fillers, the Geoscience data has been redacted.

Military radar data was shown to the NOK in 2014, the Geoscience data does not use this data.

Civilian radar data was released in 2015 and since updated, the Geoscience data matches.

Civilian radar and ADS-B data contains 4,808 rows, the Geoscience data is a subset of 500 rows.

The Geoscience data is for illustrative purposes only, for MH370 flight path graphics on their website.

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Airlineratings.com is packed with information about air travel and answers questions that many of us may have thought of, but didn’t know who to ask. Well, now you do!

Airlineratings.com was developed to provide everyone in the world with a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.

Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information.

The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations as well as the airline’s own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate.

Over 230 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating.

Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline.

The post Geoscience Australia MH370 Data Is Not From The Malaysian Military appeared first on Airline Ratings.

As a leading transporter, with over 550,000 animals including 10,000 horses flown in 2023, the airline reaffirms its commitment to animal welfare.

Mark Drusch, Chief Officer of Cargo at Qatar Airways Cargo, shares his vision: “At Qatar Airways Cargo, we recognise our responsibility extends far beyond the mere transportation of animals. We are committed to advocating for their welfare globally, ensuring our operations respect and contribute positively to their overall well-being. This holistic approach to animal care is a fundamental part of our ethos, driving us to innovate and lead in the industry. With our new Animal Centre and service enhancements, we’re not just setting new standards for animal transport, we’re actively working towards a future where every aspect of our operations reflects a deep respect for animal welfare, embodying our commitment to making a meaningful difference in their lives.”

Qatar Airways Cargo Animal Centre Highlights

• Facility Size: 5,260 square meters, featuring full temperature control for optimal animal comfort.
• Kennel Capacity: 140 dog kennels and 40 cat kennels.
• Horse Stables: 24 stables distributed in 4 zones with separate airflows for proper segregation.
• Specialty Areas: Custom spaces designed for day-old-chicks, birds, fish, reptiles and exotic animals.
• Handling Features: Includes airside and landside interfaces with multiple docks for efficient operations. Equipped with a sophisticated HVAC system for maintaining optimal air quality.
• Technology: Capacity for handling up to 47 ULD positions, with specialized ULD rooms for various operations.

Live Product Enhancements

Qatar Airways Cargo proudly introduces significant enhancements to its live animal transport services:

• Kennel Calculator Tool: An innovative online resource for determining the ideal kennel size, ensuring comfort and compliance with IATA LAR standards.
• Streamlined Customer Service: Procedures have been refined for faster and more efficient customer interactions with a dedicated Control Tower for the most sensitive shipments
• Digitalized IATA LAR Training: Ensures rapid compliance and enhances staff proficiency in animal handling.
• Pet Card Service: Continues to offer a personal touch by sharing updates and photos of pets during transit, enhancing customer experience and peace of mind.

About Qatar Airways Cargo

Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s leading international air cargo carrier is based in Doha, State of Qatar. It serves a global network of more than 70 freighter destinations and 170 passenger destinations utilising freighters and belly-hold passenger aircraft. The airline’s freighter fleet includes 28 Boeing 777 freighters and 230 belly-hold planes. It also has an extensive road feeder service (RFS) network. The cargo airline is the launch customer for the innovative Boeing 777-8F featuring advanced technology, and a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency and emissions, with the first delivery arriving in 2027.

As a market leader, the cargo carrier provides high operating standards for the transportation of cargo, with considerable investments in digitalisation, products, facilities and services.

Qatar Airways Cargo remains committed to sustainability and giving back to communities it serves through its sustainability programme WeQare, built on the key pillars of sustainability: environment, society, economy and culture.

With considerable investments in its products, services, quality handling, infrastructure, facilities, people and procedures at each of its destinations, the cargo carrier provides high operating standards for the transportation of cargo. Qatar Airways Cargo remains committed to sustainability and giving back to communities it serves through its sustainability programme WeQare, built on the key pillars of sustainability: environment, society, economy, and culture.

The post Qatar Airways Cargo Launches State-Of-The-Art Animal Care appeared first on Airline Ratings.

The move will see the formation of a new AirAsia Group, comprising the former AirAsia Aviation Group’s airline units in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X. 

This will make AirAsia the largest low-cost airline group in Asia.

Pursuant to AirAsia X Bhd’s (AAX) proposed internal reorganisation, AAG will assume the listing status of AAX before the completion of the proposed disposals.

The Star’s full story here

CEO of Capital A and Advisor to the newly formed AirAsia Aviation Group, Tony Fernandes said, “Today’s announcement is more than just a transaction, but a unique and time-sensitive opportunity to elevate our aviation business to the next level, while driving growth and profitability across core non-airline business portfolios for Capital A. The divestment facilitates clear distinction between Capital A’s main portfolios of businesses – the aviation group, digital businesses, and logistics plus aviation services to optimise synergies across entities and unlock greater value for all stakeholders.”

He added, “When AirAsia was founded in 2001, our vision was clear: to establish a low-cost airline model focused on simplicity and cost-efficiency, primarily operating single-type narrowbody aircraft optimised for short-haul flights. To capture the medium-haul market, AAX was created in 2007 adhering to the same principles of low-cost, and efficient operations. The emergence of Airbus’ A321LR and A321XLR, is an unprecedented, game-changing opportunity.”

Bo Lingam, Group CEO of AirAsia Aviation Group said, “We are excited about the dawning of a new era, where AirAsia and AAX operations will unify to create a single-type fleet that can reach the entire world, without the complexities associated with a mixed fleet. With extended 7- to 10-hour range capabilities and unparalleled fuel efficiency, these aircraft can fly further and more efficiently than previous narrowbodies, allowing us to explore new destinations and pioneering new and underserved routes, which has been the hallmark of AirAsia’s success. Our ambition is to rival global giants with a profitable, low-cost network spanning the globe.”

Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X said, “We wholeheartedly welcome the strategic acquisition. Over the next five years, we plan to leverage the extended range capabilities of the new specification aircraft to connect Asean to Europe, Africa, Central Asia, and North America, solidifying our position as a key player in the global aviation market. The “One Airline” strategy accelerates our journey, leveraging existing routes, approvals, and slots for rapid expansion. For AirAsia X shareholders, this is a rare opportunity to acquire not one, but four established and growing Asean-based airlines with existing routes, approvals and slots – at a cost outlay of just RM3 billion in new shares issuance. The proposed exercise offers AirAsia X a growth lifeline leveraging Capital A’s aircraft order book of almost 400 aircraft with an ongoing delivery timeline up to 2035. While the process has been long-winding and intricate, we remain committed to safeguarding shareholder interests.”

Fernandes explained, “Turning Capital A’s shareholders’ equity positive, which is a major step forward in exiting Practice Note 17 (PN17), is a welcome benefit but ultimately immaterial in our decision to pursue this proposed divestment. The puzzle of bringing together all AirAsia airlines under a single umbrella had been on our minds for many years and the missing piece has finally arrived in the form of the new-generation Airbus aircraft. Our driving motivation has been to unlock and realise value for our shareholders, though we also remain steadfast in our commitment to emerge successfully from PN17, propelled by our resilience and determination to navigate challenges.

“We have emerged out of the long tunnel called Covid, more resilient, refined and fortified. We have created five great companies– aviation, logistics, digital businesses, aviation services and IP business – all with enormous value and immense potential. I am confident they will evolve into the next AirAsia’s, embodying value and innovation,” he added.

The post AirAsia To Become Largest LCC in Asia appeared first on Airline Ratings.

Flights depart from Incheon International Airport at 9:15 pm and arrive at Macau International Airport at 11:55 pm. The return flight departs from Macau International Airport at 1:10 am the next day and arrives at Incheon International Airport at 6:00 am. The flight time is approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Macau, a special administrative region of China, offers a unique blend of Chinese and Portuguese cultures. With its mild winters, it is considered a great travel destination year-round. Visitors can explore exotic streets, historic buildings and the vibrant skyline as well as enjoy many activities such as night bus tours and fountain shows.

Macau’s proximity to Hong Kong, accessible within an hour by ferry or bus, offers further travel convenience. Korean Air also operates four daily flights between Seoul Incheon and Hong Kong.

In response to growing travel demand, Korean Air is restoring services and exploring new markets to strengthen its China network. The airline has resumed three weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Zhangjiajie and four weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Zhengzhou from April 23 and 24, respectively.

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Airlineratings.com is packed with information about air travel and answers questions that many of us may have thought of, but didn’t know who to ask. Well, now you do!

Airlineratings.com was developed to provide everyone in the world with a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.

Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information.

The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations as well as the airline’s own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate.

Over 230 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating.

Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline.

Airlineratings.com has information on over 30 types of aircraft from the latest Boeing 787 to the A380 and smaller jets.

Best of all, there are simple answers to many of the quirky questions including:

“What are all those noises after takeoff and before landing?”
“Why do you have to put the window shades up for landing and takeoff?”
“What is a winglet and what is it for?
“Why is it so costly to fly short distances?”
“How often is an aircraft maintained?
“How strong is a wing?”
“How do they test aircraft”
“How often do plane tyres need to be replaced?”

The post Korean Air Launches New Daily Service To Macau appeared first on Airline Ratings.

Within the historical record, wooden-hulled sailing ships reigned supreme for most of the passenger ship’s almost 6,000-year heritage. From the Polynesian islands to ancient Egypt, China and the once numerous European empires, sailing ships facilitated the movement of people across the globe.

While rudimentary steam engines had existed for centuries, the 1830s and 1840s saw the technology adapted for widespread use aboard ships. The gradual replacement of sail with steam gave birth to the era of the steamship. As these ships grew, engineers adapted iron and later steel, to build even larger hulls and superstructures – doing away with the wooden designs that had endured for thousands of years.

Throughout the late 19^th century and early 20^th century, shipbuilders expanded their designs to create larger, faster, and more comfortable ocean liners. The 1880s saw the widespread adoption of electricity aboard. The 1890s witnessed an upscaling of amenities and passenger comforts, while in the 1900s fast and efficient turbine engines powered the giant Lusitania and Mauretania at record-breaking speeds – allowing them to cross the Atlantic in under 6 days.

The Atlantic speed record, known as the Blue Riband, was held by the ship that made the fastest Westbound crossing – west being more challenging due to the Atlantic currents.

Throughout the 20^th century, speeds quickened. Queen Mary achieved a crossing in under 4 days in 1938, and the SS United States crossed in 3 days, 12 hours 12 minutes in 1952 – the fastest transatlantic transit ever achieved by Ocean Liner.

The QE2 survived the jet age by blending resort facilities with traditional transatlantic liner capabilities.

However, by the 1950s the global travel paradigm was starting to shift.  The same year as SS United States blitzed her way across the Atlantic, the de Havilland Comet entered service with BOAC.

While the range of the first Comet variant meant the aircraft could not make efficient transatlantic crossings, the comfort and convenience of jet air travel took the world by storm. But the Comet’s reign was short-lived, with the airliner suffering numerous fatal crashes that irreversibly damaged its reputation.

Yet despite devastating losses, the pace of change quickened. In 1957, for the first time, the number of air travellers eclipsed sea travellers on the prestigious transatlantic service.

This shift was driven by improvements in large piston driven airliners, such as the Lockheed Constellation and the Douglas DC-7. Yet there were still plenty of travellers taking ocean crossings, and for a brief period, shipping executives attempted to maintain the status quo.

BOAC Douglas DC-7C

However, on October 26, 1958, the Boeing 707 entered service with Pan American Airways. This aircraft, N711PA ‘Clipper America’, set off from New York flying an 8-hour, 41-minute service to Paris.

Though the aircraft did make a fuel stop at Gander, Canada, on the return service, the speed of the service was a true game-changer. The 707-made ships, even the mighty SS United States, appear positively glacial.

As more jet aircraft, entered service on the North Atlantic, passengers with means flocked to the airlines. The question on the mind of many travellers was: ‘Why spend days at sea on a ship when I can cross the Atlantic in just a few hours by air?’

Nearly always, the answer resolved in favour of air travel. And as Douglas DC-8s joined the world’s fleets from 1959 and Vickers VC10s from 1964, there were ever more airlines operating jet services.

Passenger shipping on the North Atlantic was almost immediately impacted. And the shift to jets spread globally, meaning the loss of ocean liner passengers was not constrained to the North Atlantic.

Qantas, for example, was the first non-US carrier to operate the 707, flying the modified long range -138 model from June 1959. These jets allowed the Australian flag carrier to compete head-to-head with long-established ocean liner operators for business travellers, as well as people with means emigrating to Australia.

Widebody airliners were the final death knell for passenger ships as a primary form of transport. The efficiency and capacity of the Boeing 747, Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 led to an almost global adoption of air travel as the main way to travel between continents.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, ocean Liners were laid up en masse. Many were sent to scrap yards. A few, such as the iconic QE2, Mardi Gras and SS Norway, were able to transition successfully to a cruising role.

It may surprise you to know that the modern-day cruise industry owes much of its success to the same airlines that decimated ocean liner travel. But that is a story best left for another day.

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Airlineratings.com is packed with information about air travel and answers questions that many of us may have thought of, but didn’t know who to ask. Well, now you do!

Airlineratings.com was developed to provide everyone in the world with a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.

Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information.

The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations as well as the airline’s own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate.

Over 230 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating.

Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline.

Airlineratings.com has information on over 30 types of aircraft from the latest Boeing 787 to the A380 and smaller jets.

Best of all, there are simple answers to many of the quirky questions including:

“What are all those noises after takeoff and before landing?”
“Why do you have to put the window shades up for landing and takeoff?”
“What is a winglet and what is it for?
“Why is it so costly to fly short distances?”
“How often is an aircraft maintained?
“How strong is a wing?”
“How do they test aircraft”
“How often do plane tyres need to be replaced?”

The post How The Jet Airliner Eclipsed Ocean Liners appeared first on Airline Ratings.

The airline stated that the exact configuration of the aircraft would be decided at a later stage, and the deliveries are expected to start in 2027.

Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, (centre above) said the historic moment marks a new chapter for IndiGo and will further shape the future of the airline and for Indian aviation at the same time. “For IndiGo, after successfully pioneering the Indian skies with an unprecedented journey, its fleet of 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft will allow IndiGo to embark on its next phase of becoming one of the leading global aviation players.”

Full story here:

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Airlineratings.com is packed with information about air travel and answers questions that many of us may have thought of, but didn’t know who to ask. Well, now you do!

Airlineratings.com was developed to provide everyone in the world with a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.

Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information.

The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations as well as the airline’s own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate.

Over 230 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating.

Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline.

Airlineratings.com has information on over 30 types of aircraft from the latest Boeing 787 to the A380 and smaller jets.

Best of all, there are simple answers to many of the quirky questions including:

“What are all those noises after takeoff and before landing?”
“Why do you have to put the window shades up for landing and takeoff?”
“What is a winglet and what is it for?
“Why is it so costly to fly short distances?”
“How often is an aircraft maintained?
“How strong is a wing?”
“How do they test aircraft”
“How often do plane tyres need to be replaced?”

The post Indigo Opts For 100 Airbus A350s To Grow International Expansion appeared first on Airline Ratings.

The touch-down of the Lufthansa 747 was very heavy and the aircraft bounced back into the air before touching down again and then the pilots initiated a go-around.

Here is the video;

The post Lufthansa 747 In Rough Landing And Go-Around appeared first on Airline Ratings.

In a major revelation MH370 expert Richard Godfrey has found that key data recovered by the FBI showed Captain Zaharie Shah was checking on his home flight simulation program how far the fuel load would take him into the Southern Indian Ocean.

This new revelation adds significant weight to the mounting evidence indicating that the captain was the perpetrator of the disappearance of MH370.

The time of the simulation – February 2, 2014 – was just before the captain was due to fly MH150 to Jeddah but he did not divert it into the Southern Indian Ocean. Read more on this aspect here.

Mr Godfrey said “The major question arising from the FBI data, in the possession of the ATSB (Australian Transport Safety Bureau), but missing from the Royal Malaysian Police report is why the RMP did not include all the data from the FBI? Did the RMP have the data and decide not to include in their internal report? I doubt it.”

“In an email to the Independent Group dated 5th October 2017, the ATSB admits that they have several pages more data from the FBI, which was recovered from the home flight simulator of Captain Zaharie Shah than is contained in the leaked Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) report. This was originally thought to just be header and footer data, that was not relevant to the investigation of the disappearance of MH370. It turns out that this original assessment was wrong,” said Mr Godfrey,

“The question is then, why was the data given to the ATSB, but not to the RMP?”

“The ATSB has not disclosed the complete FBI data in their possession and this should now be done to provide transparency in the investigation. This would also enable independent investigators to analyse the data from the home flight simulator of Captain Zaharie Shah.”

Read Mr Godfrey’s full report here.

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Airlineratings.com is packed with information about air travel and answers questions that many of us may have thought of, but didn’t know who to ask. Well, now you do!

Airlineratings.com was developed to provide everyone in the world with a one-stop shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.

Our rating system is rated from one to seven stars on safety – with seven being the highest ranking. Within each airline, you will find the country of origin, airline code, booking URL and seat map information. The rating system takes into account a number of different factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies, lead associations as well as the airline’s own safety data. Every airline has a safety rating breakdown so you can see exactly how they rate.

Over 230 of the airlines on the site that carry 99 per cent of the world’s passengers have a product rating. Given that low-cost, regional and full-service carriers are so different we have constructed a different rating system for each which can be found within each airline.

Airlineratings.com has information on over 30 types of aircraft from the latest Boeing 787 to the A380 and smaller jets.

Best of all, there are simple answers to many of the quirky questions including:

• “What are all those noises after takeoff and before landing?”
• “Why do you have to put the window shades up for landing and takeoff?”
• “What is a winglet and what is it for?
• “Why is it so costly to fly short distances?”
• “How often is an aircraft maintained?
• “How strong is a wing?”
• “How do they test aircraft”
• “How often do plane tyres need to be replaced?”

The post Critical Captain’s Flight Simulator Data Missing From MH370 Crash Reports appeared first on Airline Ratings.

This tiny county is one of the world’s luxurious tourism destinations that attracts about two million holidaymakers each year.

Among the four international airports in the country, there is only one that serves over 95% of the international arrivals and the rest usually caters for private jets and occasional charters. Resorts that are close to the main Velana International Airport usually offer speedboat transfer between the airport and the resort. For the rest of the islands, it is either domestic flight or seaplane, the latter is more common and popular among the tourists.

The Twin Otter originally came with a conventional undercarriage but was then fitted with pontoons to land and take off on water. Produced by De Havilland Canada, this is the most popular seaplane in the Maldives. In fact, this is the only model of seaplane used by 3 different companies in the country.

The first tourist resort in the Maldives was opened in 1972 at Vihamnaafushi island as Kurumba Village, today the resort is known as Kurumba Maldives.

To cater for the needs of growing tourism Hummingbird Island Helicopters was founded in 1989 with few helicopters, due to a lack of infrastructure and reliability issues most of the resorts still relied on traditional wooden boats that took several hours for the transfer. In 1991 Lars Erik Nielsen travelled to Kuredu Island Resort which took 7 hours for the journey and many tourists fell seasick. That was when Mr Nielsen felt the need for better transportation.

In 1993 the Maldivian Air Taxi was born with just two Twin Otter aircraft. Since it can land and take off at sea there was no need to develop infrastructure in resorts. Quickly the Twin Otter proved itself with high reliability and safety in different weather conditions. That led to tremendous growth of the seaplane market in the Maldives. Today, Trans Maldivian is the world’s largest seaplane operator, the company that began service in 1993 with few rented aircraft today operates 62 aircraft in its fleet and flies to 79 destinations.

Other competitors in the market include Island Aviation Services operating as Maldivian, and Manta Air. All the seaplane operators chose the reliability-tested Twin Otter.

For safety reasons, seaplanes in Maldives fly only in the daytime. Their operations start early morning at sunrise and end at sunset. Even though there are no fixed runways there are sea-based runways at different resorts. The resort operators and seaplane companies exchange information during the construction of villas, especially water villas, to leave enough space in the lagoon for seaplanes to land and take off during different seasons.

On some islands, it is the same sea runway that is used in all seasons. Resorts usually operate speedboats and wooden boats called Dhoni for various activities such as water sports or diving. The movement of boats is channelled away from the runway for seaplanes.

During the day there is good visibility for pilots to monitor conditions in the whole area. When seaplanes get chartered to unusual destinations the aircraft usually performs a few circles above the landing spot to ensure clearance.

Having two engines is double the safety and while a rare experience to have engine issues in the Twin Otter there have been the occasional case. A blogger writing to Maldives Resorts shared one such case in which the seaplane landed perfectly but had an engine issue at a resort in Meemu Atoll. An engine change was required and another aircraft delivered a spare engine, a portable crane and tools. Engineers had the engine changed within a few hours.

Trans Maldivian keeps spare engines available that save time and loss of revenue.

The regular Twin Otter can accommodate up to 16 passengers. Based on baggage weight there may be some empty seats in the aircraft. These seaplanes are not airconditioned but there are small fans behind the cockpit for cooling. Some of the aircraft have air inlets in windows and that helps passengers stay cool.

The VIP aircraft come with fewer seats that are bigger and more luxurious, and this aircraft has air conditioning as well. Most of the private charters for couples or small families usually take place with this aircraft. But, in peak periods the availability becomes tight and many guests have no choice except the regular seaplane.

All the seaplane operators in the Maldives have VIP aircraft. Resorts choose one company for an exclusive contract under which the seaplane operator commits to operate flights based on the demand, at fixed pricing. So, even if there is just one guest the seaplane operator must provide a transfer and the price cannot be increased. On the other hand, the resorts are restricted from doing business with other seaplane companies. In very rare cases if the TMA cannot provide VIP aircraft it may hire from other airlines and cater to the resort. Capacity issues usually affect only the VIP transfers. For regular operations the airlines estimate demand and keep enough aircraft, they only do contact based on available capacity.

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