SAS Scandinavian Airlines

SAS was Europe's most punctual airline in 2009,  one of Europe’s enduring flag carrying airlines.

Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia. Part of the SAS Group and headquartered in the Scandinavian Airlines head office in Solna, Sweden, the airline operates 198 aircraft to 176 destinations in more than 30 countries. The airline's main hubs are Copenhagen Airport, which is the main European and intercontinental hub, Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen.

Our Rating 4 stars.

Telephone numbers:

United Kingdom 0871 226 7760

United States 1 800 - 221 2350

 

We like the good schedules, the friendly crews and the clean aircraft, which are comfortable and favourable to most other airlines.

On Time, most of the time!  SAS has a great on time rating,  2009(see lower for more details)  saw it hailed as Europe’s most punctual airline, although that has slipped a little since then, it still remains one of the best airlines for time keeping.

Service in flight – Europe -

SAS is one of very few airlines in Europe to offer three service

classes: Business, Economy Extra and Economy - with the aim to

satisfy most customer needs, depending on their demand and

budget. As the customer is the main focus, and the airline has

specifically spent recent years in launching travel solutions that

offer customers travel efficient experiences when choosing SAS. 

Seats

SAS is amongst the leading airlines in the fields of cabin design

and comfort, which includes seats, lavatories, air quality, and

space for cabin baggage.  SAS’ short and medium-haul seats are considered to be amongst the best of European carriers, with a 30-32 inch pitch  in Economy/Economy Extra and 32 inches in Business class. In Business class, the middle seat is also always free to provide extra space and comfort.

For extra comfort, SAS always offers complimentary blanket

and pillows upon request.   Convenient check-in

SAS offers time-efficient travel, no matter what service class you  travel in, and with more choices than any of its competitors. It is possible to check in whenever and wherever via SMS or online.  SAS is amongst few airlines that allows seat selection, with the  possibility to change seat later on online.

Once checked in, it is possible to print your boarding pass at

home or opt for a mobile boarding pass. If travelling with

luggage, customers who are already checked in can go directly

to the SAS Baggage Tag Kiosk and print your luggage tag.

Our SAS Self Service kiosks at the airport are conveniently

located and offer a fast and efficient way to check in, and can be used with and without check-in luggage.

If you need or prefer personal service when checking in, SAS

will be pleased to assist you at one of the manned check-in

counters or with the help of the dedicated support staff.

Entertainment -  A wide selection of both international and local newspapers are offered by gate. In Business the passengers are also offered a selection of magazines.

Meals and drinks  Business Class

Meals in Business Class are served with a SAS Royal Scandinavia

set, comprising Georg Jensen cutlery, Royal Copenhagen

porcelain and Orrefors glasses, complemented by linnen napkin. Business class customers will be served a cocktail or non alcoholic  beverage prior to the meal. The three course meal is either hot or cold, depending on the flight time, served with warm bread and SAS’ unique rye bread. The meal is rounded out with a cheese plate, dessert, coffee or tea, and an after dinner drink.

Economy Extra

Economy Extra passengers within Scandinavia or on European

routes receive a two course meal, served with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, bread and cheese, and a chocolate

snack, followed by coffee or tea.

Economy

On short and medium routes in Economy, SAS Cloudshop offers

passengers a large selection of sandwiches, meals and salads,

as well as beverages, snacks and coffee and tea for purchase.

Long Haul Economy -

SAS’ Airbus aircraft provide one of the most comfortable Economy  cabins for passengers travelling to and from Europe, with a spacious 2-4-2 configuration. The Scandinavian touch can be experienced throughout the food, the design of the meal tray and the hospitable approach of our helpful flight attendants.

Seats

Scandinavian Airlines’ Economy seats are considered to be

among the most comfortable and widest in the sky, with a seat

pitch of 81cm/32” and width of 45cm/17”. SAS is also one of

the few airlines to allows advance seat reservation in Economy.

Convenient check-in Economy passengers can travel smarter by checking in online before they travel. Alternatively, for extra convenience, SAS Self Service check-in kiosks and baggage drop facilities are also available at most airports.

Entertainment

All seats are equipped with a 6.4” personal screen that offers

a wide range of entertainment, including movies, music and

video games. It is also possible to watch landing and take off live through our landscape cameras. SAS is also one of few airlines to offer Economy passengers a wide selection of magazines

on-board.

Meals and drinks

SAS passengers in Economy are served a three-course meal,

with complimentary drink and a meal beverage. Depending on

local arrival time, breakfast or a light meal is served prior to

landing. Between meals passengers are invited to help themselves

to juice, water, snacks and sandwiches. Alcoholic drinks

between meals can be purchased.

“2009 on time!”

SAS Scandinavian Airlines was Europe's most punctual major airline during 2009, with an overall arrival punctuality of 89.11%. SAS was also the world's third most punctual major airline for 2009 after Japan Airlines and ANA (All Nippon Airways) and only one of two European carriers in the top 10.
"We are exceptionally proud to be Europe's most punctual airline, and amongst the top three in the world. This position really underlines our promises to minimize our customer's time related to travel and to maximize their value of the time spent with us. Our staff does a tremendous job to ensure our customers arrive at their destination in time, especially considering the sometime severe weather conditions we are faced with in Scandinavia during the winter months," says John Dueholm, CEO, Scandinavian Airlines.
All airlines within the SAS Group, which also includes Finland's Blue1 and Norwegian airline Widerøe, were amongst the most punctual in the world. Blue1's punctuality for 2009 was 86.4%, while Widerøe was Europe's most punctual airline in both November and December. In December, Widerøe's punctuality was 83.99% and SAS's 78.27%, compared to competitors such as British Airways (67.31%), Norwegian (61.11%), Easyjet (54.18%) and Finnair (48.01%).
The punctuality statistic derives from Flightstats, which track the performance of over 150,000 flights per day, and provide real time flight status to millions of travelers worldwide each day.

A Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A340 at Narita International Airport

 

The Scandinavian Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (active aircraft as of April 28, 2011)

Scandinavian Airlines Fleet
Aircraft	Total	Orders	Passengers	Notes
C	K	Y	Total
Airbus A319-100	4	—	0	0	141	141	OY-KBO painted in retro livery
Airbus A321-200	8	—	0	0	198	198
Airbus A330-300	4	—	34	35	195	264	SE-REF painted in Star Alliance livery
Airbus A340-300	6	—	46	28	171	245	1 Leased to Hi Fly
Boeing 737-400	3	—	0	0	150	150	To be phased out
Boeing 737-500	9	—	0	0	120	120	To be phased out LN-BUD in hybrid livery
Boeing 737-600	28	—	0	0	123	123
Boeing 737-700	19	12[15]	0	0	141	141
Boeing 737-800	19	5[15]	0	0	150 179 186	150 179 186	LN-RRL painted in Star Alliance livery LN-RPO in hybird livery
Bombardier CRJ200	4	—	0	0	50	50	Operated by Cimber Sterling
Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen	12	—	0	0	88	88
McDonnell Douglas MD-82	23	—	0	0	150	150	To be phased out Three painted in Star Alliance livery
McDonnell Douglas MD-87	3	—	0	0	125	125	To be phased out SE-DIB painted in Star Alliance livery
Total	142	17

History

SAS in history

Pioneering aviation

since 1946

Scandinavian Airlines’ reputation as an industry pioneer is well

deserved. But, not too surprisingly this hasn’t always sat very

well with competitors or even foreign governments. Over the

year, SAS has started “wars”, had passengers removed by

police and introduced the world’s most awarded frequent flyer

program.

Some highlights from the history of SAS:

SAS’ first financial statement, which covered August 1, 1946, to

December 31, 1947, showed sales of $7.4 million and a gross

operating profit of $1.6 million. The result was quite remarkable

for the first financial year of a new enterprise, and received much

favorable media coverage both in Scandinavia and abroad.

By the end of 1947, Scandinavian Airlines had carried more than

18,000 passengers over the Atlantic. This figure was far beyond

the 3675 passengers SAS had forecasted for the time. The

airline had not predicted to reach 10,000 passengers until 1952,

and carry 16,200 passengers by 1955.

In 1954, SAS started the so-called ‘”sandwich war” on the North

Atlantic routes with Danish smørrebrød. As tourist class had

been introduced, economy passengers had to pay for their

meals on-board. So many of the lunchboxes SAS offered

passengers to buy remained unsold that SAS decided to serve

smørrebrød, giant, open-faced sandwiches, instead, free of

charge. In the US, this was considered to be a meal and not to

be included in the fare. The final drop for the US competitors

was when SAS put out an ad displaying its luxurious sandwiches

next to meager cellophane-wrapped varieties offered by the

American carriers. In response, the Americans threatened to

withdraw SAS’ traffic rights.

The media coverage, however, was so extensive, SAS paid a

$16,000 fine without complaint. It was also established that if

SAS was to continue serving the sandwiches, which they did,

one corner of the sandwich had to be clearly visible and not

covered by any spread. The “sandwich war” also introduced

open-faced sandwiches to the rest of the world, as prior to this

event, they had only been found in Scandinavia.

On February 24, 1957, an SAS flight, ‘Guttorm Viking’, departed

Copenhagen for Tokyo, via Anchorage. At the same time,

another SAS aircraft, ‘Reidar Viking’, took off from Tokyo, and the

two aircraft met over the North Pole at 9.10pm. With the new

route, flying time between Scandinavia and Tokyo had been

reduced from 52 hours to 32 hours. By linking the Tokyo via

Bangkok and Tokyo via Anchorage routes, SAS established the

world’s first commercial around-the-world route. The DC-7s

servicing the route had “First over the Pole and around the

World” marked on the aircraft.

Passengers on-board the first Scandinavian Airlines flight from

Copenhagen to Tokyo via Anchorage in 1957 were impressed

that one particular flight attendant remained impressively fresh

and alert all the way from Copenhagen to Tokyo. What SAS

didn’t publicize at the time was that it had employed two

identical twin sisters, and replaced one sister with the other

during the intermediate landing in Alaska!

In 1958, Birgitta Lindman, a 23-year-old Swedish stewardess,

landed the cover of LIFE magazine’s jet special issue about

airlines. She beat hostesses from 53 other airlines to make the

coveted cover.

In May 1969, 31-year-old Norwegian Turi Widerøe became the

first female pilot for a Western airline. She was the daughter of

aviation pioneer Viggo Widerøe and had previously flown

seaplanes for Widerøe Airlines (which SAS acquired in 1997).

Turi became a celebrity in the US, and in 1971 she was presented

with the prestigious Harman International Aviation Trophy at

the White House, along with the Apollo 11 astronauts who had

landed on the moon. A year later, some 200 million people saw

the documentary What Makes Turi Fly?

The first female SAS captain, Swedish Lena Lindeberg, was

appointed in 1995. And on April 20, 1998, the first SAS flight

with an all-female crew departed Stockholm for Dublin.

In 1977, SAS added the unique ‘Exercise in the Chair’ program to

its in-flight entertainment. The worldwide response and media

attention to the airborne physical fitness program was far

greater than SAS could possibly have expected, and created new

waves of goodwill for SAS worldwide.

In the early 1980s, under the helm of new president Jan Carlzon

(who was head of SAS for a record 12 years), the airline

embarked on a new mission: to become the businessman’s

airline. SAS was to become more customer-orientated, or as

Carlzon himself put it, the best airline in the world for the

frequent business traveler.

First Class was dropped on all European routes, and instead,

SAS introduced EuroClass on all European routes in 1981, which

gave the airline an edge over its European competitors. By

paying full-fare economy prices, EuroClass passengers received

separate counters and lounge access, more legroom, free drinks

and upgraded meals. The “legality” of SAS EuroClass was,

however, questioned by SAS’ competitors and reached its height

when police boarded an SAS plane in Madrid and started to

remove passengers who they had decided were getting too

much for too little money. The action rewarded SAS with

priceless media coverage all over the world.

Air France, in particular, objected to SAS’ new class and it even looked as if all air connections between France and Scandinavia would be shut down as the two airlines fought it out. In the end, the French and Scandinavian foreign ministers came to a resolution which favored SAS’ new class.

In 1983, SAS introduced special seminars, dubbed “charm

schools” for the 11,000 employees, with the aim to improve

customer service.

EuroBonus, the SAS frequent flyer program launched in 1992,

has become the world’s most awarded. In 1997, when the

prestigious Freddy Award was launched, EuroBonus took home

the coveted ‘Program of the Year’ award, and continued to win it for six consecutive years. To date, EuroBonus remains the most awarded frequent flyer program in the industry.

Accidents, incidents and crashes.

On 4 July 1948, a DC-6B, SE-BDA collided with a British military plane at Northwood, north of London, England. All 32 on board were killed. See Northwood Mid-Air Collision

On 19 January 1960, a Caravelle III, OY-KRB crashed near Ankara, Turkey. All 42 on board were killed.See Scandinavian Airlines Flight 871

On 13 January 1969, SAS flight 933 DC-8-62, LN-MOO, hit the water while approaching Los Angeles. 15 of the 45 on board were killed.

On 19 April 1970 a DC-8-62, SE-DBE, experienced an uncontained engine fire during takeoff from Rome. Aircraft burned out, but all on board managed to evacuate safely.

On 30 January 1973, a DC-9-21, LN-RLM SAS flight 370, Oslo-Alta via Tromsø, was cleared for takeoff from runway 24. The takeoff run was normal and the DC-9 rotated at VR (125 knots). At that moment the stall warning system activated. Although the speed had increased to 140 knots (259 km/h), the pilot aborted the takeoff. The remaining 1100 m was not enough to bring the aircraft to a halt, the reversers did not deploy completely and the aircraft overran the runway and onto the ice covered Oslofjord. All passengers and crew evacuated before the plane broke through the ice and sank 20 minutes later. The decision to abort the take-off in spite of the high speed was because the flight crew had received outdated (by several hours) runway data, giving much better braking coefficients than the actual ones.

On 28 February 1984, SAS Flight 901, DC-10, LN-RKB departed Oslo (GEN) for a flight to New York City JFK. The aircraft touched down 1440 m past the runway 4R threshold. The crew steered the plane to the right side off the runway to avoid approach lights. The DC-10 ended up in shallow water. All on board the plane were uninjured.

On 27 December 1991, SAS flight 751, an MD-81, OY-KHO "Dana Viking" crash landed at Gottröra (Sweden). During the initial climb, both engines ingested ice particles having broken loose from the wings, which had not been properly de-iced before departure. The ice damaged the compressor blades causing compressor stall. The stall caused repeated engine surges that destroyed both engines, leaving the aircraft with no propulsion. The aircraft landed in a field and broke in three parts. No fire broke out and all aboard the plane survived. Captain Stefan G. Rasmussen was later decorated by the Danish Queen for his performance. This incident was mentioned on The History Channel's True Action Adventures episode "Against All Odds" which first aired in the United States on 2 April 1997.

The Linate Airport disaster, involving the highest number of SAS passenger fatalities, occurred on 8 October 2001 in Milan, Italy, when an MD-87, SAS flight SK686, SE-DMA collided with a small Cessna jet during take-off. All 104 passengers and 6 crew aboard SK686 were killed, along with four people on the Cessna and another four people on the ground. Italian authorities established that the cause of the accident was a misunderstanding between air traffic controllers and the Cessna jet, and that the SAS crew had no role in causing the accident. Another factor was the inoperative ground movement radar at the time of the accident.

In the autumn of 2007, three separate incidents occurred, involving landing gear problems with the de Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 (Q400) airplane. These incidents (SAS flight SK1209, SAS flight SK2748 and SAS flight SK2867), while not resulting in hull loss or fatalities, were widely publicized in the media and eventually led to SAS permanently retiring its Dash 8 Q400 fleet.

On 23 August 2010, a female flight attendant sustained serious spinal injuries when the aircraft, a Boeing 737-600 encountered severe turbulence during approach to London Heathrow Airport. No injuries among the passengers were reported.

British Airways

British Airways,
Once self titled ‘The World’s favourite Airline’ is the national airline of the United Kingdom,  it has a vast network and a large fleet of over 200 aircraft.  It’s recently been dogged by strike after strike by a large number of it’s cabin crew, a situation that’s not looking  likely to get better within the foreseeable future.
Recent mergers and amalgamations with Iberia and America Airlines put the airline back on a more secure financial footing after many years of loss,  however it’s doing little for enhancing the reputation of the big conglomerate bully boy image it’s been saddled with.

Service on-board is a rather hit or miss affaire,  sometimes it’s great and other times it’s appalling.  The more senior the cabin crew the more of a superiority attitude they seem to exude. 


Our Rating  3 stars.




Expect reasonable meal service on most medium and long haul flights,  little on European sectors.  Club seats are comfortable, but the menu’s are a little old and uninspiring.  First, however is still a beacon of good traditional service and comfort.   Especially good are the all business class services from London City to New York, via Ireland outward.


They are currently rolling out a new economy service and cabin on their long haul aircraft,  which may go some way to reduce the number of complaints received.
 
As an airline, it has a rich and vibrant past,  including some of the amazing aircraft it flew,  from the tri jet wonder of Trident to the super sonic delight of Concorde.    

Explore our past

Celebrating 90 years of flying with pride

British Airways can trace its origins back to the birth of civil aviation, the pioneering days following World War I. In the 90 years that have passed since the world's first schedule air service on 25 August 1919, air travel has changed beyond all recognition. Each decade saw new developments and challenges, which shaped the path for the future, Take a look at the different eras of air travel, to see how British Airways became the airline it is today.

1910 - 1919

On 25 August 1919, British Airways' forerunner company, Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited (AT&T), launched the world's first daily international scheduled air service between London and Paris. That initial proving flight, operated by a single-engined de Havilland DH4A biplane taking off from Hounslow Heath, close to its successor company's current Heathrow base, carried a single passenger and cargo that included newspapers, devonshire cream and grouse.

• Explore 1910 - 1919

1920 - 1929

In 1924, Britain's four main fledgling airlines, which had by then evolved into Instone, Handley Page, The Daimler Airway and British Marine Air Navigation Company, merged to form Imperial Airways Limited. By 1925, Imperial Airways was providing services to Paris, Brussels, Basle, Cologne and Zurich.

• Explore 1920 - 1929

1930 - 1939

In the mid 1930s, a handful of smaller UK air transport companies merged to form the original privately-owned British Airways Limited, which became Imperial Airways' principal UK competitor on European routes, operating out of another new airport, Gatwick. Following a government review, Imperial Airways and British Airways were nationalised in 1939 to form British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).

• Explore 1930 - 1939

1940 - 1949

Post-war, BOAC continued to operate longhaul services, apart from routes to South America which were flown by British South American Airways (BSAA). This company was eventually merged back into BOAC in 1949. Continental european and domestic flights were flown by a new airline, British European Airways (BEA).

• Explore 1940 - 1949

1950 - 1959

BOAC and BEA were the principal British operators of scheduled international passenger and cargo services and they preserved Britain's pioneering role in the industry. The 1950s saw the world enter the passenger jet era, led by BOAC, with the Comet 1 flying to Johannesburg in 1952, halving the previous flight time.

• Explore 1950 - 1959

1960 - 1969

Following the formation of the Air Transport Licensing Board in 1960, other British airlines began to operate competing scheduled services. Eventually several of the smaller domestic airlines, including Cambrian Airways and BKS (later Northeast Airlines) passed into BEA's ownership.

• Explore 1960 - 1969

1970 - 1979

British Caledonian was born in 1970, when the original Caledonian Airways took over British United Airways. Two years later, the businesses of BOAC and BEA were combined under the newly formed British Airways Board, with the separate airlines coming together as British Airways in 1974.

• Explore 1970 - 1979

1980 - 1989

The Civil Aviation Act of 1980 was passed to enable the Government to sell its shares in British Airways. Lord King was appointed Chairman in 1981 and charged by the Secretary of State for Trade to take all necessary steps to restore the company to profitability and prepare it for privatisation.

• Explore 1980 - 1989

1990 - 1999

The 1990s brought the first Gulf War in 1991, much activity in working with other airlines, the sale of Caledonian Airways, and the advent of Codeshare and franchise operations. The airline unveiled its new corporate identity featuring aircraft livery taken from images from around the world.

• Explore 1990 - 1999

2000 - present

The British Airways Concorde fleet was finally retired, bringing with it the end of the world’s only supersonic passenger services, which has yet to be replaced. British Airways’ fleet of seven Concordes was dispersed for preservation to different worldwide locations. Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge retired as Chairman of British Airways, and was replaced by Martin Broughton.

• Explore 2000 - present

History of ATA

The ATA was founded by British Airways Limited in May 1938 and organised by them into an operational unit at the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. It was thus a civilian organisation which made an enormous contribution to victory by taking over from service pilots the task of ferrying RAF and RN warplanes from factories to maintenance units and front-line squadrons and back again from the squadrons if damaged or due for overhaul.

• Explore the history of ATA

British Airways Fleet
Aircraft	In Service	Orders	Passengers	Base
F	J	W	M	Total
Airbus A318	2	—	0	32	0	32	LCY
Airbus A319	33	—	0	0	0	132	132	LHR
0	15	0	129	144	LGW
Airbus A320-200	41	3	0	15	0	137	152	LHR
0	0	0	156	156
Airbus A321-200	11	—	0	15	0	169	184	LHR
0	0	0	188	188
Airbus A380-800	—	12	TBA	LHR
Boeing 737–400	19	—	—	13	—	132	145	LGW
Boeing 747–400	57	—	14	70	30	177	291	LHR
14	52	36	227	329
Boeing 767-300ER	21	—	0	24	24	144	192	LHR
0	26	0	221	247
Boeing 777–200	3	—	17	48	24	127	216	LHR
Boeing 777-200ER	43	—	14	48	40	127	229	LHR
0	48	24	214	286	LGW
Boeing 777-300ER	3	3	14	56	44	183	297	LHR
Boeing 787–8	—	8	0	42	51	90	183	LHR
Boeing 787–9	—	16	TBA	LHR
Total	233	42

In February 2011, the average age of the BA fleet was 11.9 years.

Incidents and accidents - November 1974, British Airways Flight 870 from Dubai to Heathrow, operated by a Vickers VC10, was hijacked in Dubai, landing at Tripoli for refuelling before flying on to Tunis. One hostage was murdered before the hijackers eventually surrendered after 84 hours. Captain Jim Futcher was awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal, the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators Founders Medal, the British Air Line Pilots Association Gold Medal and a Certificate of Commendation from British Airways for his actions during the hijacking, having returned to the aircraft to fly it knowing the hijackers were on board.
On 10 September 1976, a Trident 3B on British Airways Flight 476, flying from London Heathrow to Istanbul collided in mid-air with an Inex Adria DC9-32 near Zagreb, Croatia, resulting in the 1976 Zagreb mid-air collision. All 54 passengers and 9 crew members on the BA aircraft died. This is the only fatal accident to a British Airways aircraft since the company's formation in 1974.

On 24 June 1982, Flight 9, a Boeing 747–200, G-BDXH, City of Edinburgh flew through a cloud of volcanic ash and dust from the eruption of Mount Galunggung, causing extensive damage to the aircraft, including the failure of all four engines. The crew managed to glide the plane out of the dust cloud and restart all four of its engines, although one later had to be shut down again. The aircraft made an emergency landing at Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport just outside Jakarta. No-one was injured.


On 10 June 1990, Flight 5390, a BAC One-Eleven flight between Birmingham and Málaga, suffered a windscreen blowout due to the fitting of incorrect bolts the previous day. The Captain suffered major injuries after being partially sucked out of the aircraft, however the co-pilot landed the plane safely at Southampton Airport. Two cabin crew members held on to the captains legs which prevented him being pulled out to his death.


On 2 August 1990, Flight 149 landed at Kuwait International Airport four hours after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, leading to the capture of the passengers and crew, and the destruction of the aircraft. Many believe the aircraft should never have been sent,  with knowledge of the unrest in the region widely known before it departed.


On 11 December 2000, British Airways Flight 2069 from London Gatwick Airport to Nairobi experienced a hijack attempt whilst flying over Sudan. A Kenyan student with a mental illness burst into the cockpit of the Boeing 747. As three crew fought to restrain the man, the auto-pilot became disengaged and the jet dropped 10,000 feet (3,000 m) with 398 passengers on board. However, with the help from the passengers, the pilots recovered the aircraft, successfully restrained the Kenyan with handcuffs and the plane landed safely. Passengers aboard the plane included English singer Bryan Ferry and socialite Jemima Khan.
On 19 February 2005, the No. 2 engine of a Boeing 747–400 G-BNLG surged (whereby the airflow through the engine reverses) and suffered internal damage just after take off from Los Angeles on a flight to London Heathrow with 16 crew and 351 passengers on board. The crew shut the engine down and continued the climb and continued the flight, in line with BA's standard operating procedures for 4 engined aircraft. Because it was unable to attain normal cruising speeds and altitudes, the aircraft diverted to Manchester Airport, England. The United States Federal Aviation Administration had been critical of the Captain's decision and accused BA of operating the aircraft in an non airworthy condition. In June 2006 the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch recommended that the UK and US authorities review the policy on flight continuation and give clear guidance. This has not happened but the FAA have accepted the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority’s determination that the aircraft was airworthy.


The damaged British Airways Flight 38On 17 January 2008, British Airways Flight 38, a Boeing 777-200ER G-YMMM, flying from Beijing to London, crash-landed approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) short of London Heathrow Airport's runway 27L, and slid onto the runway's threshold. This resulted in damage to the landing gear, the wing roots, and the engines, resulting in the first hull loss of a Boeing 777. There were 136 passengers and 16 crew on board. 1 serious and 12 minor injuries were sustained. The initial report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch stated that the engines repeatedly failed to respond to commands for more thrust from both the autothrottle system and from manual intervention, beginning when the aircraft was at an altitude of 600 feet (180 m) and 2 miles (3.2 km) from touchdown. In September 2008, it was revealed that ice in the fuel might have caused the crash. In early 2009, Boeing sent an update to aircraft operators, identifying the problem as specific to the Rolls-Royce engine oil-fuel flow heat exchangers.

Celebrating Concorde

About Concorde
Concorde used the most powerful pure jet engines flying commercially. The Aircraft's four engines took advantage of what is known as ‘reheat’ technology, which added fuel to the final stage of the engine. This produced the extra power required for take-off and the transition to supersonic flight.
Concorde measures nearly 204ft in length and stretched between 6 and 10 inches in flight due to heating of the airframe. It was painted in a specially developed white paint to accommodate these changes and to dissipate the heat generated by supersonic flight.
In November 1986 a British Airways Concorde flew around the world, covering 28,238 miles in 29 hours, 59 minutes.
More than 2.5m passengers flew supersonically on British Airways Concorde flights.
Concorde was subjected to 5,000 hours of testing before it was first certified for passenger flight, making it the most tested aircraft ever.
Concorde’s fastest transatlantic crossing was on 7 February 1996 when it completed the New York to London flight in 2 hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds.
On 24 October 2003, British Airways withdrew Concorde, bringing to a close the world’s only supersonic passenger service. The final scheduled commercial flight was BA002 from JFK operated by G-BOAG. BA’s fleet of seven aircraft were subsequently dispersed for preservation at Barbados (AE), Edinburgh (AA), Filton (AF), Manchester (AC), New York (AD) and Seattle (AG) with one (AB) remaining at Heathrow.
Concorde facts

Capacity	100 passengers and 2.5 tonnes of cargo
Seating	100 seats, 40 in the front cabin and 60 in the rear cabin
Range	4,143 miles (6,667 kms)
Engines	Four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593s, each producing 38,000lbs of thrust with reheat
Take-off speed	250mph (400kph)
Cruising speed	1,350mph (2,160kph/Mach Two) up to 60,000 ft
Landing speed	187mph (300kph)
Length	203ft 9ins (62.1m)
Wing span	83ft 8ins (25.5m)
Height	37ft 1in (11.3m).
Fuselage width	9ft 6ins (2.9m)
Fuel capacity	26,286 Imperial gallons (119,500 litres)
Fuel consumption	5,638 Imperial gallons (25,629 litres) per hour
Maximum take-off weight	408,000lbs (185 tonnes)
Landing gear	Eight main wheels, two nose wheels
Flight crew	Two pilots, one flight engineer
Cabin crew	Six
First commercial flight	London Heathrow to Bahrain, BA300 on 21 January 1976 (Captain Norman Todd)
Last commercial flight	New York JFK to London Heathrow, BA2 on 24 October 2003 (Captain Mike Bannister)

Avianca

Avianca


The airline of Columbia,  a large network with many service partners and subsidiaries plus a substantial fleet make this a great and popular choice for air travel in the central and south American region.   It's fares are reasonable,  it's service, whilst not extraordinary are acceptable and friendly.  On time record is average for a large airline in Latin America and has a passable safety record.


Our Rating 4 stars.


Reservations  USA  (+1) 800 2 842 622

Tradition, Experience, and Commitment

Thanks to the ingeniousness and adventurous spirit of a group of Germans and Colombians,Sociedad Colombo Alemana de Transporte Aéreo – SCADTA was founded in Barranquilla, Colombia on December 5th, 1919.  It was the first commercial airline founded in Latin America and the second in the world.

The public document formalizing Aerovías Nacionales de Colombia S.A. - Avianca was signed before a public notary in Barranquilla on June 14th, 1940 as a result of the merger of SCADTA, (already in American hands), and Servicio Aéreo Colombiano – SACO.

Since 2004, Avianca has been part of the Brazilian business group Grupo Sinergy that has commercial oil, gas and telecommunications activities in several Latin America countries and in the United States.

Always First

The responsibility that being number one in the continent brings, as well as being one of the most recognized symbols of Colombia throughout the world signifies that for Avianca a commitment to being state-of the-art in technology, products, services, and coverage is indispensible.

And the Company has done just that. The first company flight was a mail run, taking 57 letters from Barranquilla to the nearby town of Puerto Colombia, using a Junker F-13.  It opened the first international routes from Colombia in the mid 1920s.  It has always incorporated the latest cutting-edge aircraft in the aeronautical industry, starting with Boeing 247s and DC 3s in the 1930s, then DC4s and C54s in the 1940s, Constellations and Super Constellations in the 1950s, Boeing 707s and 720s in the 1960s, Jumbo 747s in the 1970s. Later, in the early 1980s, it opened an exclusive modern air terminal to serve its passengers and it started operating a Connection Center in Bogota in 1998.

Year after year Avianca has provided mail, cargo, and passenger air transportation services, overcoming all types of obstacles. The company is constantly innovating and driven by its eagerness to open frontiers, striving to be able to offer the best products and services possible to its customers. Avianca takes full advantage of Colombia’s unique strategic geographical location, making use of the benefits that such a location gives for point-to-point transportation and connections.

Our commitment motivates us to maintain our presence, carrying forward and transporting back safely the dreams and labors of tens, hundreds, and even thousands of citizens. It also allows us to offer a portfolio that satisfies the needs of the market.

• A trained team dedicated to service excellence
• Modern sales points strategically located in different cities
• Fast, simple, reliable processes
• Technology and innovation for physical facilities, the aircraft, and all travel facilities
• A broad network of destinations operated through direct flights and through commercial agreements for the five continents with airline operators acknowledged worldwide.
• Loyalty programs, top-quality on-board service and entertainment, comfortable aircraft, and a modern airport infrastructure.

The airline suffered a few incidents during the 1980s and early 1990s. Many were caused by warring gangs, under the assumption that a member of a rival gang was aboard. 

The deadliest of those incidents was Avianca Flight 203, which was bombed in 1989, following orders from Pablo Escobar to kill presidential candidate César Gaviria Trujillo. In the aftermath, it was found that Gaviria had not boarded the aircraft. Only one successful bombing has occurred in the airline's history, while most other gang related incidents were related to hijackings or shootings on board. In most hijackings, all passengers and crew members, unaffiliated with the hijacker's cause, were immediately released.

On 26 April 1990, 19th of April Movement presidential candidate Carlos Pizarro was gunned down during a domestic Avianca flight.

Other incidents include:

On 21 January 1960, Avianca Flight 671, a Lockheed L-1049E, crashed and burned on landing at Montego Bay International Airport in Jamaica, killing 37 aboard.

On 15 January 1966, Avianca Flight 4 crashed shortly after takeoff from Cartagena-Crespo. The cause was determined as maintenance problems, possibly compounded by pilot error.

Avianca Flight 011, a Boeing 747-200 that crashed onto a mountain, just short of landing at Barajas Airport in Madrid, in November 1983 had 181 fatalities. The cause was determined to be pilot error.

On 21 May 1970, a Douglas DC-3 of Avianca was hijacked to Yariguíes Airport, Barrancabermeja whilst on a flight from El Alcaraván Airport, Yopal to Alberto Lleras Carmargo Airport, Sogamoso. The hijackers had demanded to be taken to Cuba.

On 29 July 1972, Douglas C-53s HK-107 and HK-1341 were involved in a mid-air collision over the Las Palomas Mountains. Both aircraft crashed, killing 21 people on HK-107 and 17 people on HK-1341. Both aircraft were operating domestic scheduled passenger flights from La Vanguardia Airport, Villavicencio to El Yopal Airport.

On 22 August 1973, Douglas DC-3A HK-111 crashed into a hill near Casanare, Colombia, killing 16 of the 17 people on board. The aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled passenger flight from La Vanguardia Airport, Villavicencio to El Alcaraván Airport, Yopal.

On 12 August 1974, Douglas C-47 HK-508 flew into Trujillo Mountain killing all 27 people on board. The aircraft was on a domestic scheduled passenger flight from El Dorado Airport, Bogotá to La Florida Airport, Tumaco.

On 17 March 1988, Avianca Flight 410, a Boeing 727 domestic flight, crashed into low mountains near Cúcuta - Norte de Santander, Colombia, after take-off, killing all 143 on board. It was determined that pilot error was also the cause of this crash, in a situation similar to that of Avianca Flight 011, five years earlier.

On 25 January 1990, Avianca Flight 52, a Boeing 707-320 jet en route from Bogotá to New York City via Medellín, crashed in the town of Cove Neck, New York, after running out of fuel while in a holding pattern, awaiting landing at New York's Kennedy Airport, killing 73 of the 158 people aboard. There was much controversy surrounding this crash.

Avianca current fleet

Aircraft	In Fleet	Orders	Passengers			Notes
			J	Y	Total
Airbus A318	6	4	12	88	100	Ex Mexicana aircrafts leased from GECAS from 2011–2018, delivered from January 2011 Replacing Fokker 100. Equipped Overhead Video.
Airbus A319	6	11	12	108	120	3 operating for Avianca Brazil Equipped with AVOD 14 rolling options.
Airbus A320-200	20	13	12	138	150	equipped with AVOD. Replacing Fokker 100 and MD-83 aircraft. 16 rolling options.
Airbus A330-200	6	4	30	222	252	equipped with AVOD. Replacing Boeing 767 aircraft. 15 rolling options.
Airbus A350-800	—	10	TBA			first delivery scheduled for 2015. 10 rolling options. South American Launch customer
Boeing 767-300ER	1	—	24	188	212	equipped with overhead TV. Replaced by Airbus A330/Boeing 787 aircraft.
Boeing 787-8	—	12	TBA			first delivery scheduled for 2012 8 rolling options. Replacing Boeing 767 aircraft South American Launch customer
Fokker 50	9	—	—	52	52
Fokker 100	13	—	8	89	97	16 more operating for Avianca Brazil world's largest operator of this aircraft type All to be retired from June 2011 Replaced by Airbus A318 and Airbus A320 aircraft.
Avianca Cargo Fleet
Boeing 767-300ERF	4	—	N/A			Cargo (operated by Tampa Cargo)
Total	67	55