Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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Why Was The Japanese Coast Guard Plane On The Runway?

Coast Guard Plane
The DHC8 photographed by Stephen Mason

Examination of videos has revealed that the Japanese Coast Guard Plane, a DHC8 turboprop, was lined up on runway 34L for take-off when it was struck by the landing Japan Airlines A350 on Tuesday evening.

Why the Coast Guard plane was lined up is a mystery but advice from ATC (NOTAM) that critical Stop Bar Lighting were unserviceable for a series of taxiway to runway junctions (C1 to C14) could be a critical factor.

READ: Every airline should show this escape video

Did the Coast Guard pilot assume he could enter the runway as there were no Stop Bar warning lights on (Below Images)? Did the Coast Guard crew read the NOTAM? What instructions did it receive from ATC? These questions will be the key to the investigation.

The Japan Airlines crew wouldn’t have seen anything on their Traffic Collison Avoidance System (TCAS) as this is disabled passing through 900ft on the approach to land. The blame appears to be with either the Coast Guard Pilot or ATC for not knowing where the a/c under their control was.

Five Coast Guard crew died in the tragedy although the pilot survived, while all 379 passengers and crew of the Japan Airlines A350 survived.

READ: World’s Safest Airlines for 2024

JAL crash

The accident mirrors an almost identical collision in Los Angeles at night in 1991 when a USAir Boeing 737, Flight 1493 was cleared to land on runway 24L and at the same time a SkyWest Metro II aircraft, Flight 5569 to Palmdale, was permitted to line up on runway 24L but hold.

The air traffic controller became distracted and confused by another aircraft problem and tragically a collision occurred killing 12 passengers and crew on the MetroLiner and 22 on the 737.

Want to know more? Read about the world’s deadliest runway collisions here

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NEXT: KOREAN AIR RELEASES A NEW SAFETY VIDEO FEATURING VIRTUAL HUMANS BUT WHY?

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

Vietjet vs Vietnam Airlines

In this week’s long-haul, low-cost vs full-service airline comparison, we take a look at Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines on a return flight from Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh (SGN).

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In perhaps the toughest review yet, the winner of this comparison between the two Vietnamese airlines will come down to seat selection and baggage.

Our flight to Ho Chi Minh will be taking place on August 11th and returning on August 26th, 2023. Both Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines operate direct flights on this route with an A330 and A350 respectively.

Our return flight with Vietjet came to $597 AUD which included seat selection, 40kg of checked baggage, a 10kg carry-on bag, meal, and drink. There is no in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi or in-seat power and extra snacks and drinks need to be purchased.

Our flight with Vietnam Airlines came in at $666 AUD which included meals, snacks, unlimited drinks, in-flight entertainment through seat back screens, in-seat power, blankets and pillows plus 23kg of baggage and a 7kg carry-on bag.

However, and this is where it gets interesting, when we add extra baggage and seat selection to the Vietnam Airlines booking to match Vietjet and compare ‘like with like’ the price jumps up an extra $600 AUD to make the total cost $1523 AUD.

If we take the baggage and seat selection out of the equation, then Vietnam Airlines with its onboard comfort and in-flight entertainment would be a winner. When we add extra baggage and seat selection to match the Vietjet offering then Vietjet becomes the winner with a far cheaper cost.

So, who is the winner? For the first time, we do not have a clear winner. Put simply, if you’re travelling with just 23kg of baggage and don’t mind where you sit then Vietnam Airlines is our choice, however, if you want more luggage and to choose your seat then we would choose Vietjet.

If you missed last week’s long-haul comparison between British Airways and Play check it out here

Are you enjoying our reviews so far? Are there any routes would you like us to evaluate? Place a comment below or get in touch via our social pages

Play vs British Airways Long Haul

British Airways

In this week’s long-haul, low-cost vs full-service airline comparison, we take a look at the ever-popular London to New York route. There are loads of full-service flight options for this route but we have opted to compare the UK’s legacy carrier, British Airways and the new Icelandic low-cost carrier, PLAY Airlines. For the first time yet in this series we had a very clear winner.

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Our return flight with PLAY came to $ 664 USD (£532) which includes an $80 USD allowance for meals, drinks and snacks on board, 20kg of checked luggage, carry-on baggage, seat selection and priority boarding. Amenity kits, blankets and pillows, in-flight entertainment, in-seat power and WiFi are not available.

Flights with Play departed and arrived at London Stansted and New York Stewart respectively. Each flight also stops over in Iceland for roughly 2 hours. The total flight time (including the stopover) from London to New York is 11h 15 and from New York to London 10h 20. New York Stewart is a small airport on the outskirts of New York and passengers need to allow approximately 90 minutes to get into New York Central (bus or train) and allow an additional $ 20-25 USD each way.

Our flight with British Airways came in cheaper at $605 USD (£485) which included meals, snacks, drinks, in-flight entertainment, amenities upon request, 23kg of baggage and a 7kg carry-on bag.

The flights with British Airways outbound departed from London Gatwick and arrived at JFK.  Coming back they departed JFK and arrived at London Heathrow. Both flights are direct and fly into more ‘central’ airports.

On the topic of central airports, the centrality of these airports really depends on where you are going/living within each city. Where a city has multiple airports always factor the cost and time of getting to/from the airport into your final decision.

In terms of comfort, both airlines offer 30-31 inches of legroom and some seat recline. The aircraft operated on these flights are however very different with PLAY operating the single-aisle A321 and British Airways the far more comfortable twin-aisle Boeing 777.

In this week’s head-to-head we have a very clear winner in British Airways. British Airways offers not only a cheaper fare but far more comfort on board with included drinks, meals and in-flight entertainment. For the author flying into JFK rather than SWF is also a big factor in the decision and unless you are after a holiday in Iceland, a direct flight is usually preferable.

If you missed last week’s long-haul comparison between Scoot and Singapore Airlines check it out here

Are you enjoying our reviews so far? Are there any routes would you like us to evaluate? Place a comment below or get in touch via our social pages

play vs British Airways

Scoot vs Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines

In this week’s long-haul, low-cost vs full-service airline comparison, we take a look at Scoot and Singapore Airlines on two different flights from Singapore to Europe. Why two different destinations?

Scoot is Singapore Airlines’ low-cost subsidiary and provides passengers with direct flights into Europe via Athens or Berlin.  Singapore Airlines operates direct flights to numerous ports in Europe however excludes those operated by Scoot. For this comparison, we used the direct flight with Scoot into Athens and the Singapore Airlines direct flight into Rome.

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Our return flight with Scoot came to $1830 SGD with the inclusion of a meal, snack and drink on each segment, a standard window seat, 30kg of checked baggage and a 10kg carry-on bag.  Amenity kits such as blankets and pillows are also available for purchase ($24 SGD) on board but given most passengers wouldn’t buy these, we left that off the price for this exercise. I also added an additional $40 SGD to each flight ($80 in total) for the purchase of in-seat power, additional drinks, meals and snacks over the 11-hour flight.

Our flight with Singapore Airlines came in at $2787 SGD which included meals, snacks, unlimited drinks, in-flight entertainment, amenity kits, blankets and pillow plus 30kg of baggage and a 7kg carry-on bag.

In terms of comfort, Scoot offers 30-31 inches of legroom and Singapore Airlines 32 inches. Both offer an 18-inch seat width and a 6-inch seat recline.  

Having flown both airlines multiple times the author can vouch for the value Scoot provides and the excellence in dining, inflight entertainment and comfort you receive on Singapore Airlines. Anyone who’s flown Singapore Airlines long haul will know what I mean.

Even though Scoot has no in-flight entertainment, less legroom, a buy-on-board menu and comfort packs that need to be purchased, with a saving of $957 SGD this author would have to choose Scoot over Singapore Airlines. The Rome flight is longer than the Athens flight (60-90 minutes) so you would expect a higher fare however not that high!

If the budget allowed and you aren’t travelling with anyone under 12, I would recommend upgrading your flight to the Scoot In Silence cabin for an additional $200 SGD

If money was no object, it would be Singapore Airlines all the way but looking at the value proposition of getting from Singapore to Europe, Scoot would be the easy choice on this occasion.

If you missed last week’s long-haul comparison between WestJet and Air Canada check it out here

Are you enjoying our reviews so far? Are there any routes would you like us to evaluate? Place a comment below or get in touch via our social pages

WestJet or Air Canada?

This week we compare WestJet and Air Canada on a long-haul return flight from Calgary to London Heathrow. Considering the overall cost, comfort, aircraft and flight time we will see who offers the best value. This review will demonstrate why it is so important to check all prices on a route rather than simply assuming low cost is cheaper.

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Our economy flight to London will be taking place on September 11th and returning on September 23rd 2023. Both WestJet and Air Canada operate direct flights on this route with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Our return flight with Westjet came to $1557 CAD with the inclusion of meals, snacks and drinks, in-flight entertainment through seat back screens, in-seat power, a standard window seat, blankets and pillows, 23kg of checked baggage and a 7kg carry-on bag.  Wifi Is also available for a fee.

Our flight with Air Canada came in cheaper at $1507 CAD which included meals, snacks, unlimited drinks, in-flight entertainment through seat back screens, in-seat power, a standard window seat, blankets and pillows plus 23kg of baggage and a 7kg carry-on bag. Wifi Is also available for a fee.

What was particularly interesting about this flight comparison was not only that Air Canada was cheaper than its low-cost competitor Westjet but that Westjet actually offered more legroom and seat width in economy. It is unusual to find the low-cost carrier offering more personal space than a full-service carrier. 

So which one would we pick to fly? With both airlines offering almost identical onboard service, having similar departure and arrival times plus the same aircraft, the choice has to come down to price. For this reason, the author would choose Air Canada but I would encourage anyone doing this route to compare the prices for both airlines for your specific dates and take your pick from there as both offer comfort and value so you can’t lose.

If you missed last week’s long-haul comparison between Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines check it out here

Are you enjoying our reviews so far? Are there any routes would you like us to evaluate? Place a comment below or get in touch via our social pages

Jetstar vs Qantas: Who offers the best value long haul?

qantas

In this week’s long-haul, low-cost vs full-service airline comparison, we take a look at Jetstar vs Qantas on a flight from Sydney to Honolulu. Looking at cost, comfort, aircraft and flight time we will see who offers the best value.

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Our Jetstar vs Qantas fly-off to Honolulu will be taking place on August 28 to September 11th, 2023. Both Jetstar and Qantas operate direct flights on this route with a 787 and A330 respectively.

Our return flight with Jetstar came to $1192 AUD with the inclusion of a meal, snack and four bottles of water on each segment, a standard window seat, access to the in-flight entertainment, 20kg of checked baggage and a 7kg carry-on bag.  Amenity kits such as blankets and pillows are also available for $25 but given most passengers wouldn’t buy these, we left that off the price for this exercise.

Our flight with Qantas came in at $1494 which included meals, snacks, unlimited drinks, in-flight entertainment, amenities, 23kg of baggage and a 7kg carry-on bag.

In terms of comfort, the leg room is only one inch (or 2.5 cm) more on Qantas than Jetstar however the seat recline is roughly double.  The actual seat width is virtually the same.

The Qantas A330 offers a comfortable 2-4-2 seating configuration across the plane where as the 787 is fitted out as 3-3-3.

Despite the layout of the A330 being one of my favourites, with a $302 AUD difference in the fare and a comparable level of comfort and flight time, in this example the author would opt to save that $302 for the destination and take Jetstar.

If you missed last week’s long-haul comparison between AirAsiaX and Malaysia Airlines check it out here

Are you enjoying our reviews so far? Are there any routes would you like us to evaluate? Place a comment below or get in touch via our social pages

REVIEW: Are low cost airlines really worth it for long haul flights?

low cost

In the year post COVID we have seen the demand for travel rise like never before. There’s friends and family to catch up with, bucket lists to tick off and savings to be spent. However, the rise in demand has also resulted in an expected but significant rise in the price of airfares, accommodation, and experiences.

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Travellers are looking for ways to cut costs where they can and one of these is to consider a low-cost airline for their long-haul travel.  On the surface, the low-cost airline fare is attractive and affordable but what is the real cost of travelling long haul by the time you add food, water, bags and seats? Let’s not forget the comfort factor too – on a long-haul flight every extra inch of space makes a difference.

To answer this question, we are compiling a series of low cost vs full service airline comparisons on certain routes around the world. We will look at cost and comfort to determine if long haul low cost is really worth it.

Our first comparison looks at the total cost and on board experience flying low cost AirAsiaX or full service legacy carrier Malaysia Airlines. Our trip from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland will depart on August 28 and return on September 15th 2023.

Our flight with AirAsiaX came to 3854 MYR ($1305 AUD) with the inclusion of a meal and one small bottle of water on each flight leg, a standard window seat, 20kg of checked baggage and a 7kg carry on bag. Admittedly you would likely need to spend at least another 120 MYR ($40 AUD) to purchase extra drinks and snacks, but for this exercise we left that out. This airline offers no in flight entertainment or seat back power to recharge your device.

Our flight with Malaysia Airlines came in at 5174 MYR ($1753) which included meals, snacks, unlimited drinks, in flight entertainment, amenities, 20kg baggage and a 7kg carry on bag.

With a 1320 MYR ($448 AUD) difference in the fares the question of ‘which is better’ really comes down to where the traveller places value.

For the author (who is admittedly a tired mother to two babies), the thought of a direct flight with a little extra seat width, more seat recline, unlimited beverages, meals and snacks, a seat back screen for in-flight entertainment and a cosy blanket and pillow makes the extra cost worthwhile. 

However, when discussing this with my 18 year old niece, the value for her is placed on the saving she can make flying long haul, low cost. For her, she can easily go without the comforts and endure the longer flight time to have that extra money in her pocket to spend at the destination.

AirAsia Announces AirAsia Cambodia

airasia cambodia

AirAsia Aviation Group Limited (AAAGL) celebrates yet another major milestone with the confirmation of the launch of its fifth airline, AirAsia Cambodia (flight code KT), which is set to take off on May 2 2024. 

The new airline will be operating out of Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH), with an initial fleet of two Airbus A320s.

Fares are now on sale on three domestic routes from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville, with plans to grow the network. 

Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim, Chairman of AirAsia Aviation Group Limited (AAAGL), expressed his enthusiasm for the venture and said: “The launch of AirAsia Cambodia marks another momentous occasion for AirAsia in providing low-cost and high-value travel for the people of Asean to connect with friends and family and explore the region and beyond. After the most challenging period, the new airline is a significant milestone in our incredible journey of expansion and recovery from the turbulence posed by the pandemic. Cambodia offers a wealth of opportunities for cultural, historical and natural experiences, and we are proud to be able to connect travellers from all over the world to this remarkable country.”

Bo Lingam, Group CEO of AirAsia Aviation Group Limited (AAAGL) said: “Our founders Datuk Kamarudin Meranun and Tony Fernandes have always had the vision to make Asean a smaller place and it gives us great privilege to continue that legacy.

“AirAsia has a long history in Cambodia and we see much untapped potential in the region. The launch of AirAsia Cambodia further cements our mission to truly own ASEAN for affordable travel, where our brand and footprint is strongest. Historically, we have a total of 6 routes into Cambodia across the Group, carrying 1.3 million passengers into the kingdom.

“We remain focused on building the most incredible network in our core markets that can’t be surpassed with the best value, connectivity and flight frequencies. Everything great starts with two planes, and just like our predecessors, we aim to grow AirAsia Cambodia to a fleet of 60 planes in the next five years. “With the pending merger of all of the AirAsia airlines in the Group as a single listed company, including medium haul affiliate airline AirAsia X, we will have seven airlines leveraging off one another to over 130 destinations and growing. This will truly transform the future of short and longer-haul air travel across Asean and beyond.”  

Miracle Pilot Takes Off For The Last Time

Miracle Pilot
A 2014 photo of Eric Moody with AirlineRatings.com Geoffrey Thomas holding the yoke of the 747 that flew through the volcanic ash.

It is with great sadness that we advise of the passing of Captain Eric Moody (84), the miracle pilot, who with his crew nursed his 747 back to life after it flew through volcanic ash on a flight from Kula Lumpur to Perth in 1982.

His crew were: Senior First Officer Roger Greaves and Senior Flight Engineer Barry Townley-Freeman.

Captain Moody served with British Airways for 32 years, retiring in 1996 with over 17,000 flight hours.

The 747 City of Edinburgh was returned to service and continued flying until being retired in 2004. It was scrapped at Bournemouth Airport, Dorset, England, in 2009. Capt Moody was given the yoke from the 747 as a memento of the incredible escape.

Captain Moody passed quietly in his sleep at his home in the United Kingdom.

The following is the story of the event first published on airlineratings.com in 2014.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them under control. I trust you are not in too much distress.”

The chilling address delivered calmly by Capt. Eric Moody over 30 years ago has become the greatest airline passenger announcement of all time and is brought back to life by the eruption of yet another Indonesian volcano.

For the 263 passengers and crew aboard flight BA9, a British Airways 747 flying through a moonless night from Kuala Lumpur to Perth on June 24, 1982, death was only a matter of time.

Initially, they were in awe of the strange, static electrical light show outside but that quickly turned to terror as the jet’s four engines glowed white, spurted flames and halted. It was 9.43pm.

“Horrific, ” is how passenger Arthur Ewen, of Scarborough, described the feeling in this 2012 interview. “It still affects me and Shirley today. The cabin was quiet, people were praying. We just hugged and held hands.”

The 747 had blundered into the ash cloud from the sudden eruption of Mt Galunggung, 110km south of Jakarta.

The passengers and crew faced an agonising 42 minutes before the 747 touched down in Jakarta.

Capt. Moody was on his way to the toilet.

“Suddenly I was summoned back to the cockpit, ” he told Australian Aviation. “On the way back, I noticed puffs of smoke billowing out of the floor vents and there was an acrid smell or ionised electrical smell.”

When Capt. Moody entered the flight deck, he saw the most intense display of St Elmo’s fire — a blue-glowing form of atmospheric electricity — dancing across the windshield.

Senior First Officer Richard Greaves and Senior Engineer Barry Townley-Freeman were already taking action.

“Richard pointed out the glow from the engines and what could only be described as tracer bullets streaming towards the cockpit, ” Capt. Moody said.

What worried Capt. Moody — and terrified the passengers — was the smoke billowing out of the air-conditioning system.

The air was then punctuated by a chilling call from the engineer: “Engine failure number four.”

Within seconds the problem became worse. “Engine failure number two, three’s gone . . . they’ve all gone.”

The crew was faced with a bewildering array of confusing dials and amber caution lights. They noticed a slowing of airspeed and put the 747 into a slow descent.

Capt. Moody instructed FO Greaves to put out a mayday call: “Jakarta, Jakarta, mayday, mayday, Speedbird 9. We’ve lost all four engines.”

But it took some time for the full gravity of the message to get through because the static around the 747 was interfering with radio transmissions. “We had absolutely no idea what had happened, ” Capt. Moody said. “We had to think outside the box — it was so confusing.”

At 26,000ft, the cabin pressure warning sounded and the crew donned their masks. But the FO’s mask fell apart in his hands, forcing Capt. Moody into an emergency descent.

Mr Ewen remembers the passengers were numb with fear, which turned to horror as repeated failed attempts to restart the engines sent fuel spewing out the back, which was then ignited by the St Elmo’s fire dancing over and around the wings.

As the 747 reached 14,000ft, Capt. Moody said he started to consider a water landing. “I think we had another 10 minutes of glide left. My pondering was broken by the jubilation of the rest of the crew as number four started.”

Within 90 seconds the other three engines had come back to life.

Speedbird 9 was cleared to Jakarta but there was a complication Capt. Moody recounts.

“We had great difficulty picking up the lights and what we didn’t realise is that the front windows were almost opaque from the ash.”

The landing — despite many problems — was smooth and was greeted with “thunderous applause and cheers from the passengers”, Mr Ewen said.

Reflecting on the incredible events Capt. Moody mused: “When I learnt to fly in the 50s, flying was dangerous and sex was safe. “When I retired in the 90s, that had gone the other way around!”

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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

Qatar Airways Wins Best Catering For 2024

Best Catering

Qatar Airways has taken out Airlineratings.com’s Best Catering Award for 2024 in its annual Airline Excellence Awards.

Airlineratings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said that “no matter what class you fly Qatar Airways’ food offering is superb”.

The presentation and delivery of meals is outstanding and the airline has no less than 18 special meal options.

For First and Business Class passengers, you can also pre-select your meal and when on board have the meal when you wish.

The catering in Qatar premium classes is easily restaurant standard, and this also sets a higher bar for the service and food in economy,’’ Mr. Thomas said. “Judges were impressed with the taste, freshness, and presentation of the food.’’

In Economy Class passengers are offered three choices for the main course.

Mr Thomas added that the website continually gets positive feedback about catering on Qatar Airways.

“We received so many positive comments about the catering on Qatar Airways, particularly from Economy Class passengers, where typically airlines have cut back offering substandard boxed meals,” Mr Thomas said.

In a radical move from past Airline Excellence Awards announcements, we will tease our millions of readers and airlines by announcing different winning categories each week over eight weeks culminating with Airline Of The Year 2024 and our Top Twenty 2024 airlines on April 30.

Last week we announced Virgin Australia Regional Airlines as our 2024 Regional Airline of The Year and next week on March 26 we will announce the Best Cabin Crew.

The April dates are:

April 2: Best Cabin Classes – First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy

April 9: Best Geographical Winners – Long Haul & Regional Airlines

April 16: Best Environmental Airline

April 23: Best Low-Cost Airlines & Top Twenty LCCs

April 30: Airline Of The Year & Top Twenty

Emirates Wins Best Inflight Entertainment Award For 2024

Best Inflight Entertainment
Photo: Emirates

Emirates has won the Best Inflight Entertainment Award in Airline Ratings 2024 Airline Excellence Awards with its multi-award winning ICE system.

Emirates was one of the first airlines to introduce seat-back videos for economy-class passengers almost 30 years ago and has led the field ever since and today the system has 6,500 channels making it a clear winner for Best Inflight Entertainment.

Passengers enjoying an Emirates flight can access a world-class entertainment library with more than 45 Academy Award® winning films, 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment, over 1,500 movies and 1,500 hours of TV, as well as music, podcasts and audiobooks across 40 languages, 5 channels of live TV including news from BBC, CNN and Sky News Arabia, and two channels with live sports coverage- Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra.

Emirates virtual relaity cabins

Passengers can also curate their own ice experience before their flight, simply by browsing and pre-selecting movies or TV shows on the Emirates app, which can then be synced to ice the moment they board, maximising the seamless travel experience.

Airlineratings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas commenting on the award said “Our editors were unanimous in their praise for Emirates ICE system as a step above.”

“That early investment in inflight entertainment has paid off for Emirates and just when you think it can’t do it better – it lifts the bar once again.

The most-viewed genres on ice are documentaries, action, thrillers, and comedies.

Emirates continually updates its inflight content, adding hundreds of movies, TV shows, podcasts, and music channels each month to its extensive entertainment library.

In a radical move from past Airline Excellence Awards announcements, we will tease our millions of readers and airlines by announcing different winning categories each week over eight weeks culminating with Airline Of The Year 2024 and our Top Twenty 2024 airlines on April 30.

Last week we announced Virgin Australia Regional Airlines as our 2024 Regional Airline of The Year and next week on March 26 we will announce the Best Cabin Crew.

The April dates are:

April 2: Best Cabin Classes – First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy

April 9: Best Geographical Winners – Long Haul & Regional Airlines

April 16: Best Environmental Airline

April 23: Best Low-Cost Airlines & Top Twenty LCCs

April 30: Airline Of The Year & Top Twenty

Easter Flight Chaos Averted Downunder

Easter Flight Chaos
Credit Victor Pody

Easter flight chaos has been averted downunder in Australia after the country’s aviation firefighters postponed industrial action until after the Easter long weekend.

However, they have voted in favour of future action in a dispute with Air Services Australia, the government air traffic control body that also provides, firefighter capability at 27 of the country’s busiest airports.

United Firefighters Union of Australia Aviation Branch Secretary Wes Garrett said in a statement that the decision came after a ballot of membership returned a 90%-plus vote in favour of taking industrial action to support the inclusion of minimum international staffing levels for safety, better fatigue management, and fair pay rises for emergency workers in their workplace agreement.

“Right now some airports around Australia are not meeting the minimum international staffing standards for a safe response to a critical incident. Firefighters are short-staffed, fatigued and worried seeing Air Services Australia compromising safe staffing levels and thumbing their nose at the regulator.

However, Airservices suggests the issue is more about pay.

In a statement, it said: “Airservices Australia is currently in Enterprise Agreement (EA) negotiations with our Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting service (ARFF) employees and their representatives, the United Firefighters Union of Australia – Aviation Branch (UFUAV).

“As part of negotiations which commenced in September, Airservices has offered a $32 million pay rise comprising 11.2 per cent over three years in line with the Australian Public Service Commission’s recent pay decision, as well as the retention of all current conditions.

It added that the ballot that has just been approved would see a “campaign of industrial action in support of a number of claims that would cost an additional $128 million, including a pay increase of 20 per cent.”

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READ: Why I used to hate Virgin BUT not anymore.

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

Qatar Airways Mulls Major Order For 150 Jets

Qatar airways

Qatar Airways is in talks with Boeing and Airbus to order 100 to 150 widebody jets to expand and renew its fleet, according to Bloomberg News.

It is expected that the order will be for both the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X models.

Qatar Airways has submitted a request for a proposal to Boeing and Airbus for a “big” new aircraft order, its CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer said during a CNBC interview on Friday.

Qatar Airways’ fleet of A350 jets is now back in service after a paint issue was resolved.

Qatar Airways is a major user of the A350 and has 50 Boeing 777X aircraft on order.

It has 58 A350s in service with 18 more on order. For Boeing, it is 50 777-9s on order plus 50 purchase rights and has ordered 34 777Fs with 16 options.

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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

Korean Air Expands International Services

Korean Air
Korean Air

Korean Air will expand international services for the summer 2024 season starting from March 31. The airline will resume services to four cities in China, Europe and Southeast Asia, and increase flight frequencies on major routes.

The expansion will allow the airline’s international capacity to reach approximately 96% of pre-pandemic levels, measured by available seat kilometres (ASK).

On April 2, the airline will resume three weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Zurich to cater to the high demand for this popular summer destination.

From April 23, Korean Air will resume three weekly flights on the Seoul Incheon-Zhangjiajie route, famed for its designation as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.

In addition, on April 24, Korean Air will resume its Seoul Incheon-Zhengzhou services, to operate four flights per week. Zhengzhou is a popular tourist destination in China featuring Taihangshan, often called the “Grand Canyon of China.” Visitors may also hike Songshan, one of the Five Great Mountains of China, and visit Shaolin Temple, considered the birthplace of Kung Fu.

The airline will also resume daily flights on the Busan-Bangkok route on April 25, after nearly four years of hiatus due to the pandemic.

In response to growing demand, Korean Air will also increase flight frequencies on popular routes in Europe, Southeast Asia and North America.

Korean Air will increase flight frequencies on the Seoul Incheon-Budapest from three to four weekly flights. Budapest is a popular tourist destination and a manufacturing base for battery and automotive component companies.

The Seoul Incheon-Bangkok route will increase from three to four daily flights, and the Seoul Incheon-Manila route will increase from two to three daily flights. Since January, the airline has also added two additional frequencies on the Seoul Incheon-Bali route to offer eleven weekly flights, offering travellers greater flexibility and choice.

In North America, Korean Air will increase services on the Seoul Incheon-Dallas route from four flights per week to daily flights.

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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

Australian Travellers Face Easter Flight Disruptions

Easter Flights

Australian travellers face Easter flight disruptions with the country’s aviation firefighters threatening industrial action.

Members of the United Firefighters Union – Aviation Branch will vote today on a range of protected industrial actions, several of which hold the potential to heavily impact flight schedules across Australia’s airports.

If aviation firefighters approve the actions, work stoppages could begin as soon as Thursday, March 28.

The union alleges that Airservices’ Australia, has refused to act over “short staffing and fatigue”.

However, Airservices suggests the issue is more about pay.

In a statement, it said: “Airservices Australia is currently in Enterprise Agreement (EA) negotiations with our Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting service (ARFF) employees and their representatives, the United Firefighters Union of Australia – Aviation Branch (UFUAV).

“As part of negotiations which commenced in September, Airservices has offered a $32 million pay rise comprising 11.2 per cent over three years in line with the Australian Public Service Commission’s recent pay decision, as well as the retention of all current conditions.

“The UFUAV is now planning to hold a ballot of members seeking approval for a campaign of industrial action in support of a number of claims that would cost an additional $128 million, including a pay increase of 20 per cent.”

Some of the actions proposed include:

• 3-hour windows where Aviation Rescue Firefighting Services (ARFFS) will be unavailable to respond to aircraft emergency incidents

• Work stoppages varying in duration from 4 hours to full shifts

• Bans on working the working of overtime.

Wes Garrett, United Firefighters Union – Aviation Branch Secretary, claims that “domestic and international flights are taking off and landing without the required number of aviation firefighters and trucks to protect that aircraft’s size and passenger capacity.

“To cover staff shortages, current aviation firefighters are working unsustainable amounts of overtime to fill the gaps, resulting in massive fatigue. This is unsafe for firefighters and the air travellers they seek to protect.

“To address this significant safety problem, aviation firefighters are seeking to add minimum staffing clauses to their employment agreement that would guarantee sufficient numbers of firefighters and trucks on duty to protect air travellers as per international aviation safety law,” Mr Garrett said.

He added that airlines would be given a sufficient period of notice to reschedule flights.

“If aviation firefighters support industrial action and the United Firefighters Union chooses to proceed with stoppages, Airlines will have seven days’ notice to reschedule or cancel flights during these periods.

Airservices said it will take all available steps to minimise disruptions to flights as a result of industrial action and will work with airlines and airports to maintain safe operations.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulates Airservices provision of Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting services for all international and domestic flights.

It added that “we have sufficient ARFF services staff to meet our operational requirements, and we are continuing to recruit to ensure that service is maintained in the future.”

Airservices has employed more than 115 full-time aviation rescue fire fighters since 2022. 

Airservices said that it “continues to invest in its ARFF capability, including in its numbers of aviation rescue fire fighters. Currently, Airservices employs more than 830 aviation rescue fire fighters with an additional 48 expected to join the service in 2024 to cater for the continued growth of aviation in Australia.”

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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

Cockpit Seat Switch Caused LATAM 787 Plunge

LATAM 787

It is almost certain that a cockpit seat switch that moves the captain’s seat back and forward caused the LATAM 787 to plunge over the Tasman Sea injuring 50 passengers on March 11.

Flight Safety Detectives John Goglia has shared his inside information that indicates one of the pilot seats on the LATAM 787 was accidentally moved forward, jamming the pilot up against the control column and causing a sudden drop.

In the video below special guest Miles O’Brien joins Todd Curtis and John Goglia to discuss this and another aviation incident from early March 2024. The second incident occurred on March 7, when a planespotter recorded a video of a wheel falling off of a 777 shortly after takeoff from San Francisco.

The location of the cockpit seat switch in the LATAM 787 aircraft is examined in detail.

Todd shares his experiences as a Boeing engineer working on the 777 development program. He and his colleagues identified design changes to deal with potential safety issues, but most of those changes never happened.

John shares his experiences with wheel separation events. He has an informed opinion on how the recent 777 wheel separation event may have happened. The NTSB needs to get to the root cause and provide the public with detailed information about what happened.

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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

Outstanding New MH370 Documentary Urges New Search

MH370

An outstanding new documentary on MH370 urges a new search in two areas identified by Richard Godfrey with WSPR and Capt. Patrick Blelly and Jean-Luc Marchand.

The documentary produced by Peter Hörnfeldt titled “MH370 – A New Trace” on his YouTube Channel called Mentour Pilot.

UK aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey states, “The documentary is a well-researched forensic analysis of the evidence for what happened to flight MH370. The report is well-balanced, any speculation is avoided, but every technical and scientific detail is examined and discussed.”

The conclusion of Peter’s analysis is a recommendation to search again in two areas:

1. An area of 1,200 km² (marked in green on the above graphic) between 35.518°S 93.025°E and 35.875°S 93.039° E as defined by Capt. Patrick Blelly and Jean-Luc Marchand in their paper titled “Analysis of the trajectory of Flight MH370” dated 16th February 2023 and updated 22nd March 2023, which can be downloaded here

2. An area of 2,800 km² (marked in red on the above graphic) within a circle with a radius 30 km centred on 29.128°S 99.934°E as defined by Richard Godfrey, Dr. Hannes Coetzee and Prof. Simon Maskell in their paper titled “MH370 Flight Path Analysis – Case Study” dated 31st August 2023, which can be downloaded here

A short update on the crash location probability map confirming 29.128°S 99.934°E with even greater likelihood was given in section 9 of their paper titled “How does WSPR detect Aircraft over long Distances? – Technical Paper” dated 15th February 2024, which can be downloaded here

Mr Godfery said that he supports Petter’s findings and his search recommendations as does this website.

Debris hunter Blaine Gibson said: “This is an excellent documentary, and I fully concur with its recommendations. I encourage everyone to watch it.”

The two locations are below.

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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

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