Even the smallest of distractions can have serious consequences..................investigation report

British Airways Airbus A321-231 G-EUXJ  Photo  Anna Zvereva 

A British Airways flight crew were starting the fourth day of a four-day short-haul period of duty on 24th November 2019 in the early evening.   On this day they were just scheduled to fly an Airbus A321-231 down from Glasgow Airport to the airlines home base of London Heathrow. 

In the previous three days of this four-day rotation, they had flown a variety of aircraft - A319, A320 and A321 and hadn't reported anything out of the ordinary. This day they were flying a 2007 A321-231, registration G-EUXJ for the short flight down to London.  During passenger boarding, the flight crew had a few minutes spare, so, as encouraged by British Airways, the 57-year-old commander allowed a couple of passengers to visit the flight deck. A Little later, whilst the flight crew were entering the takeoff performance figures into the Flight Management and Guidance Computer the senior cabin crew member asked if they could accept another flight deck visitor. The commander ignored the request to continue to focus on putting in the information to the FMGC, a distraction nonetheless. 

Delta introduces new domestic first class seats for A321neo fleet

Delta’s new Airbus A321neo, slated to be delivered late 2020, will feature industry-leading domestic First Class seats with more privacy, more comfort, larger screens and superior stowage.

“As an industry leader in innovation, we are always looking for new ways to improve the overall customer experience,” said Mauricio Parise, Managing Director of Product Development. “Customer insights were instrumental to the new design, and we spent hundreds of hours listening to customers so that we could respond with thoughtful improvements. We’ve completely customized every feature on the seat to create a truly unique, premium seating product for domestic First Class.”

The airline partnered with RECARO and Factorydesign, using customer feedback and industry trends, to develop the next generation of domestic first-class cabin seats.

Designed to be experience-rich for customers, Delta's new seat design will bring elements of the international travel experience that customers have enjoyed on widebody aircraft to domestic routes for customers to enjoy at home.

Airbus to add A321 production capabilities in Toulouse

Following its strategy to keep its overall production system at the leading edge of technology and to increase industrial capacity and flexibility, Airbus has decided to create new A321 production capabilities at its site in Toulouse.

By mid-2022 the current A380 Lagardère facility in Toulouse will accommodate a digitally-enabled A321 line as a step to modernise the A320 production system in Toulouse. The new facilities will provide more flexibility for A321 production while keeping the overall single-aisle industrial capacity in Toulouse flat.

“We are enjoying an unprecedented high demand for our winning A320neo Family and especially its A321 Long Range (LR) and Xtra Long Range (XLR) derivatives,” said Michael Schoellhorn, Airbus Chief Operating Officer. “In order to optimise the industrial flow, we have decided to increase our global A321 production capacity and flexibility as well as to establish a next-generation Final Assembly Line in Toulouse.”

In 2019 Airbus delivered 863 aircraft and took in 1,131 new aircraft orders

Whilst 2019 has been a year of horror and turmoil for Boeing, by comparison, the year has been a golden breeze for European rivals Airbus.   The Toulouse based planemaker delivered 863 commercial aircraft to 99 customers during 2019, that's up 8% from the year before and the 17th annual production rate increase.

Airbus has moved on to its 'new engining offerings,  or NEO's for its family of aircraft and by the end of the year had delivered 173 wide-body aircraft, its highest number in a single year.

In 2019, deliveries comprised:

A220 Family: 48 v 20 in 2018 (since the A220 became part of the Airbus Family: 1 July 2018)
A320 Family: 642 v 626 in 2018. Of these, 551 were NEO Family v 386 in 2018
A330 Family: 53 v 49 in 2018. Of these, 41 were NEO Family v 3 in 2018
A350 Family: 112 v 93 in 2018. Of these, 25 were A350-1000 v 14 in 2018
A380: 8 v 12 in 2018

Airbus had a strong year of sales with a total of 1,131 new orders.

Nordwind Airlines Airbus badly damaged in heavy landing in Turkey

A Nordwind Airlines A321-200 registration VQ-BRS was travelling from Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on Friday to Antalya Airport suffered serious damage during a hard-landing incident. 

The crew made a stable approach, however, according to the pilot 'wind shear' caused a hard landing and the pilot then elected to do a go-around.

The aircraft, delivered to the airline in May 2017, developed issues with instrumentation and then the crew reported smoke in the cockpit.  According to a pilot report, the crew put on oxygen masks redeclared a mayday and carried out a low fly-over for air traffic controllers could ascertain any damage to the aircraft's landing gear. More technical and systems issues occurred before the crew were able to make an emergency landing on  Antalya's runway 36c.

Фото из ВК pic.twitter.com/dLI3WgNCvi

— ✈Gosha.Z✈ (@AshedShadow) January 10, 2020

A 13th aircraft to be based in Bucharest confirms Wizz Air as the European budget carrier attacks anyone who has ever or will ever fly business class

Wizz Air, the largest airline in Romania and one of Europe’s fastest-growing airlines has confirmed further development of the operation in Bucharest by basing 1 new Airbus A321 aircraft there. The new aircraft will enter the WIZZ fleet in July 2020, and will increase the local Bucharest fleet to a total of 13. From July 2020, Wizz Air will also launch two new exciting routes from Bucharest to Prague, in the Czech Republic and Seville, in Spain, which will be the only connection between the Romanian Capital and the Andalusian city.

"The airline is waging a war against any airline that has a business class/premier cabin or anyone that has/does/will want to fly business class." Josh Jordan.  #banwizzair

Prague is one of the most interesting cities in Europe, ranking in the top 10 most visited capital across the continent. Well renowned for its historical landmarks like the Charles Bridge above the Vltava River, the Prague Castle, or the beautiful old town square with the Astronomical Clock, Prague can also offer a glimpse into contemporary design and architecture, with the Dancing House which is one of the city landmarks. Gastronomy enthusiasts will feel like home in Prague, famous for its great beer and tasty food. So Prague offers an authentic journey into history while also providing relaxing moments on Vltava cruises. On the other hand, Seville, the capital of the Andalusia region in Spain, offers the best of the Latin culture. The must-see list needs include places like the emblematic Giralda (the bell tower of the Cathedral), the Basilica of La Macarena, Centro Ceramica Triana or The Guadalquivir River and several enchanting gardens.

More expansion for Wizz at Bucharest

Wizz Air, largest airline in Romania and one of Europe’s fastest-growing airlines has confirmed it will further expand its operations in Romania by basing another aircraft at in Bucharest. 

The new Airbus A321 aircraft will join the fleet in June 2020, which will grow the local Bucharest fleet to a total of 12 aircraft. From June 2020, Wizz Air also announced a  new attractive route from Bucharest to Lyon, France as well as increase weekly frequencies on the most popular services to Milan and Turin in Italy and Tel Aviv in Israel.

The newest destination, Lyon is a mixture of culture, gastronomy and the romantic atmosphere of France. The third biggest city in the country offers so much activity you might want to stay for week! Find the original authentic bouchons, where you can enjoy the great Lyonnais food specialities, be amazed by the finest of the French architecture or take a relaxing walk at the banks of Rhône or Saône Rivers.

American Airlines and Stand Up To Cancer Team Up with Hyatt, Universal Orlando Resort to Give Families Affected by Cancer with Weekend to Remember

                                       Today marks the inaugural flight of the American Airlines official Stand Up To Cancer Airbus A321 that features 22,627 names of cancer survivors, patients and those we have lost to cancer. Names were submitted by the public throughout the month of July, all of whom donated $25 or more to have their loved one’s name added to the plane, resulting in more than $825,000 for cancer research.

Names include Patrick Swayze, a pilot himself, who was added to the plane by his wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi Swayze. Among the names is also Tug McGraw, added by his son Tim McGraw, who lent his talent to promote the fundraising campaign in this year’s public service announcement. 

To mark the inaugural flight of the freshly painted aircraft, American will whisk away a group of cancer survivors and caregivers from Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to Orlando International Airport (MCO). Upon arrival at LAX, guests will be welcomed by the Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders and mascot Rampage, and, while in flight, will be treated to entertainment by Big Machine recording artist Noah Schnacky and comedian Marina Franklin.

The volunteer flight crew for the inaugural flight all have a connection to cancer. One of the pilots will be American Airlines First Officer Brandon Bailey, who appeared in the Stand Up To Cancer PSA alongside Tim McGraw. Bailey Stands Up for his mother, Machelle, who faced cancer while Brandon was deployed to Afghanistan.

Ural Airlines Airbus A321 crash lands in a field following multiple bird strike

Picture TK Moskva 24

A Ural Airlines Airbus A321 has made an emergency landing in a cornfield near Moscow after flying into a flock of birds, suffering multiple bird strikes in its engines. 

According to local news sources, some twenty-three people have been injured in the crash landing and are described as being  "in serious or fair condition". The local health authority says that five children are included in those taken to hospital.

The jet was carrying 233 passengers and crew onboard operating a flight from Moscow to Simferopol in Crimea when the incident took place.  The Russian Air Transport Agency,  Rosaviatsia said the plane landed in a cornfield about a kilometre (0.62 miles) from the runway at Zhukovsky International Airport, with its engines off and landing gear retracted.

A passenger on the flight told local state-run media how the aircraft started to shake not long after takeoff, "Five seconds later, the lights on the right side of the plane started flashing and there was a smell of burning. Then we landed and everyone ran away,".

American Airlines Airbus suffers wing damage after hitting runway sign and light on departure from New York's JFK

An American Airlines Airbus A321 taking off from New York's JFK about to head to Los Angeles had a lucky escape on Wednesday after it clipped a wingtip on a runway sign on departure.

The aircraft, registration N114NN, was operating flight AA300 and had 101 passengers and 8 crew onboard at the time of the incident with no reported injuries.  

According to local media reports, the jet had left the busy New York airport at around 2040 on Wednesday evening, with passengers reporting it flew sideways at take off before the pilot straightened it out. The crew flew the aircraft around for a short while before it made a safe landing at 2109. 

Nordic-based carriers will introduce the Braking Action Computation Function (BACF) on A320 Family aircraft

A new functionality for Airbus jetliners literally turns an aircraft into a moving sensor during landing – providing real-time data on potentially challenging or dangerous runway conditions created by rain, snow or freezing water.

Developed through a project of Airbus and its NAVBLUE subsidiary for airline operations software, this technology enables pilots to more accurately evaluate the braking action the aircraft experienced during landing.

Wizz Air celebrates 40 million passengers at London Luton Airport

Wizz Air UK, a UK-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Wizz Air announced expansion at its London Luton base earlier this week, with the allocation of two new A321CEO aircraft and six new routes as Wizz Air celebrates carrying 40 million passengers on its low-cost Luton services. With the additional capacity Wizz Air is set to become the largest airline at London Luton Airport in summer 2019 with 42% market share.

The additional two A321CEO aircraft represents a further investment of more than $230 million by Wizz Air UK in the base and will increase Wizz Air’s capacity on its London Luton routes to 8.7 million seats, representing 22% growth year on year and supporting approximately 6,500 jobs in the local area. The aircraft will be the 10 and 11 to be stationed at the Luton base and are due to arrive in summer 2019, creating over 70 new local jobs with Wizz Air UK.

Wizz Air to become the largest airline at Luton

2 More A321ceo's to be based at Luton

6 new routes from Luton

More frequency

The six new routes will connect Luton with the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bergen in Norway and the Norwegian capital Oslo, Finland’s second city Turku, the Greek port city of Thessaloniki, the vibrant Portuguese city of Porto and the ancient city of Catania in Italy. Seats can be booked now on wizzair.com with fares starting from as little as £24.99*, with flights launching between July and September 2019.

American Airlines Introduces Premium A321T Aircraft to Transcontinental Service Between Los Angeles and Boston

American Airlines will introduce its unmatched premium travel experience twice daily on a three-class Airbus A321T between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) beginning April 2, 2019. American already offers more flights between LAX and BOS than any other airline, and with today’s announcement, becomes the only airline to offer both first and business class on this route.

Customers travelling from coast to coast on the A321T in Flagship First and Flagship Business will experience fully lie-flat seats and a chef-curated menu, as well as premium wines and amenity kits. Those travelling in Main Cabin can stay connected with power at every seat, high-speed Wi-Fi and seatback entertainment. And, as part of American’s new collaboration with Zoës Kitchen, Main Cabin customers can purchase new light and healthy menu options.

IndiGo changing Airbus order for larger craft

One of India's leading airlines IndiGo and currently the country's India’s largest domestic operator has made a major switch in a recent Airbus order according to reports from news agency Reuters.

The Indian aviation industry is undergoing a period of severe turbulence at the moment with both Air India and Jet Airways experiencing heavy financial difficulties. Therefore it might seem rather surprising that IndiGo, has apparently, switched an order for 125 of the new engine offering of the Airbus A320 jet to the larger A321neo aircraft that also have a greater range. 

The airline plans to increase capacity on its route network by around 30% before the end of this financial year and it may expand its route network to take advantage of the consolidation from rivals Jet and Air India. 

JetBlue's New York - Palm Springs service to get longer season, larger aircraft & more mint!

Longer Season, Larger Aircraft & More Mint

JetBlue has announced this week that it was enhancing its operations to the fantastically vibrant and fun in the sun destination of Palm Springs, California. Not only has the carrier announced it will start a service from Boston's Logan Airport, but it will also extend the seasonal service from New York and it on large aircraft to the route.

JetBlue confirms it will extend the Palm Springs flying season from New York JFK through Memorial Day 2019, a month later than typically offered in previous years. This comes as the airline prepares to launch JetBlue’s fourth season of service more than a month earlier than in previous seasons on 10th October 2018.

Airbus delivers first aircraft from Mobile powered by sustainable jet fuel blend

From the Mobile production facility in the US, Airbus has delivered its first aircraft partially powered by sustainable jet fuel to low-cost airline, JetBlue.

In total, five A321 aircraft are due to be delivered to JetBlue from Mobile using sustainable fuel by the end of 2018. All of the fuel will be supplied and certified by Air BP. It will be loaded into the aircraft by Signature Flight Support, Airbus’ fueling services provider in Mobile.

Since May 2016, Airbus has offered customers the option of taking delivery of new aircraft from Toulouse, France, using a blend of sustainable jet fuel. Following the deliveries to JetBlue, Airbus will determine the next steps toward offering this option to more customers taking aircraft deliveries from Mobile. Longer term, Airbus envisions supporting industrial production of sustainable fuels for aviation in the southeastern U.S.

Tianjin Airlines welcomes its 100th aircraft.

Tianjin Airlines has acquired its 100th aircraft, an Airbus 321, B-302X which was welcomed at an acquisition ceremony which celebrated this unique milestone for the airline.

Tianjin Airlines' is one of the fastest-growing airlines in China and has grown to 100 strong aircraft fleet in just 9 years, from its official start of operations. So far it has carried more than 70 million passengers across its route network of over 130 destinations on three continents.

The airline has a mixed fleet that includes Airbus 330, Airbus 321, Airbus 320, Embraer 195 and Embraer 190 types of aircraft. The chief executive officer of Tianjin Airlines, Mr Liu said: "It is an honour for the airlines to reach the milestone of 100 aircraft. 

According to Tianjin Airlines, this new aircraft is specially painted and the paint scheme represents Tianjin's city image and focuses on several Tianjin city landmarks, showing Tianjin Airlines' great gratitude towards the city and passengers.