Fiji Airways will add Cairns to its network

FIJI AIRWAYS BOEING 737-MAX 8 DQ-FAD (MSN 64308)

Fiji Airways is introducing a new service between Nadi, Fiji (NAN/NFFN), and Cairns, Australia (CNS/YBCS), scheduled to begin on the 10th of April 2025. The service will run three times a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

According to Fiji Airways, the new route to Cairns is coordinated with its Nadi-Dallas/Fort Worth service, offering passengers from Cairns to Dallas a direct and efficient connection. The airline notes that the Nadi connection will provide a faster transfer time due to less congestion, making it the fastest option for travel between Cairns and Dallas. Additionally, this service provides convenient connections to major cities beyond Dallas, facilitating travel to Cairns from across North America. 

The flights will utilize the airline's Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.

Richard Barker, CEO of Cairns Airport, stated, "This move by Fiji Airways, Fiji's national carrier, is transformative for our region. It not only makes the South Pacific an attractive holiday spot or a place to visit family for locals but also offers quick, one-stop travel to North America through the Nadi hub." He further mentioned that destinations like Los Angeles and San Francisco are now only 16 hours away, cutting almost three hours off the journey compared to traveling via an Australian domestic port.

Passenger killed in helicopter crash

A man has died, and another has been injured following a helicopter crash in south-west New South Wales this morning. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) reported receiving a distress signal from an emergency locator transmitter aboard a US-registered Super Puma helicopter en route from Broken Hill to Albury around 10 am.

The crash site is located 15 kilometres west of One Tree, near Hay, and is 724 kilometres from Sydney.

Authorities reported that a man in his 40s, a passenger on the helicopter, was treated by paramedics but succumbed to his injuries at the scene. His identity has not yet been confirmed.

The 39-year-old pilot sustained minor injuries and was transported to a hospital in Melbourne, where he is in stable condition. Hay Shire Council Mayor Carol Oataway expressed that the crash is a tragic event for the local community.

Community members are in shock over the incident occurring so close to home, Mayor Oataway remarked. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) stated that the aircraft was on a ferry flight when it went down north of Hay.

Upon receiving the distress signal, AMSA dispatched its Essendon-based Challenger rescue aircraft and a Victorian Air Ambulance helicopter from Bendigo to begin the search. The crash site was soon located by a local skydiving aircraft participating in the search, as reported by AMSA through NSW Police.

NSW Rural Fire Service crews are currently at the scene, with NSW police also in attendance, and the AMSA Challenger rescue aircraft has returned to Essendon.

The ATSB has announced plans to investigate the crash, which will include interviewing witnesses and those involved, examining pilot and maintenance records, and retrieving flight data. Super Puma helicopters are commonly used by both civilian and military organizations and have previously been employed in firefighting operations.

Passenger duct taped and bound after trying to open cabin door midflight

AMERICAN AIRBUS A321-231 N164NN (MSN 6909)

A passenger on American Airlines Flight 1915 was subdued with duct tape after attempting to open the aircraft's cabin door mid-flight. The incident occurred on a flight from Milwaukee (MKE/KMKE) to Dallas (DFW/KDFW) when the passenger, reportedly becoming very agitated after being told he could not leave the plane, charged at a flight attendant in an effort to reach the door.

According to reports, the flight attendant managed to prevent him from accessing the door, and with the help of three other passengers, they restrained the individual. The group used duct tape from the flight's emergency kit to secure his wrists and ankles.

After the plane landed, the passenger was removed in a wheelchair and taken for a mental health assessment. An American Airlines spokesperson stated that law enforcement met the flight upon its arrival at Dallas-Fort Worth due to the disruptive passenger, emphasizing the airline's commitment to safety and security.

The flight attendant who intervened sustained injuries to her neck and wrist and was hospitalized.    

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and no charges have been filed as of yet.

EX Qantas 767 crashes in Vancouver

PRIME AIR BOEING 767-319 N347AZ (MSN 26264)

Runway 08L at Vancouver International Airport will remain closed for several days following an incident where a jet carrying Amazon packages overshot the runway early Tuesday morning.

The Prime Air Boeing 767-300, previously flown by Qantas and currently operated by Cargojet, veered off the eastern end of the north runway upon landing at approximately 1:45 a.m. The three crew members on the flight that was traveling from Hamilton-John Munro International Airport, ON (YHM/CYHM) to Vancouver International Airport, BC (YVR/CYVR) were unharmed and exited the aircraft safely, according to a YVR spokesperson speaking to CTV News.

Tamara Vrooman, the airport's president and CEO, briefed the media on the event and its effects on airport operations during a Tuesday afternoon press conference. Vrooman reported that the airport was alerted by the control tower about the aircraft's need for an emergency landing. The specifics prompting this alert are under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

"We are actively participating in the investigation, providing all available information alongside the operator, pilots, control tower, and all parties involved, and we are awaiting the outcome of this inquiry," stated Vrooman.

The aircraft's removal will commence after the TSB concludes its investigation, leaving the timeline for the runway's reopening uncertain.  "At this point, we anticipate it may take several days or possibly longer to remove the aircraft since it is situated on grass, it's heavily laden, and we need to unload the cargo," Vrooman elaborated.

Despite the runway's closeness to a major road and shopping center, Vrooman assured that there was no danger of the aircraft sliding out of the airport's perimeter.

"Our perimeter security is robust," she affirmed.

There were no flight cancellations on Tuesday, with Vrooman noting that only about five percent of the 600 flights scheduled to arrive at or depart from YVR were delayed.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Cargojet Airways (for Prime Air)

Code: W8/CJT

Aircraft: Boeing 767-338

Registration: C-GAZI

Serial Number: 25576

Engines: 2 x GE CF6-80C2B6

First Flew: 2nd August 1994

Age: 30 Years Old

West Jet Canada took delivery of the Qantas 767 back in December 2015

Cargo Jet / Prime Air took delivery in July 2021

QANTAS BOEING 767-338 VH-OGN (MSN 25576)

130 hamsters' grounds TAP Air Portugal aircraft

TAP EMBRAER E195AR CS-TTZ (MSN 19000628)

Recently, a TAP Air Portugal flight was grounded due to over 130 hamsters escaping from their cages in the cargo hold. This incident took place last week during a scheduled journey from Lisbon (LIS/LPPT) to the Azores.

The aircraft, an Airbus A320, had left Lisbon on the 13th of November heading for Ponta Delgada (PDL/LPPD) on São Miguel Island, Azores. Portuguese news outlet Correio da Manha reported that the flight was transporting a variety of animals to a local pet shop, including ferrets, several birds, and 132 hamsters.

Upon arrival in Ponta Delgada, as baggage handlers began to unload the plane, they noticed hamsters scurrying around the cargo hold. It was revealed that all 132 hamsters had escaped from their transport boxes. These hamsters, en route to a local pet shop, had broken out of their cages mid-flight. Correio da Manha noted that an earlier flight had rejected the animal consignment because the transport boxes did not meet the required standards.

The unexpected incident caused disruption to flight schedules. Given the difficulty of tracking all the loose hamsters down, the aircraft was subsequently grounded for five days. As a result, only one scheduled TAP Air Portugal flight was cancelled. 

Whilst mass breakouts of animals from cargo holds remains something of an unusual event, rodents discovered loose on flights does occur occasionally.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: TAP Air Portugal

Code: TP/TAP

Aircraft: Airbus A321-251NX

Registration: CS-TJR

Serial Number: 10105

Engines: 2 x CFMI LEAP-1A32

First Flew: 7th October 2020

Age: 4 Years Old

Looking back on Korean Air Lines Flight 15

Korean Air Lines Flight 15 was a Boeing 747-200 on a scheduled passenger journey from Los Angeles (LAX/KLAX) to Seoul-Gimpo (Kimpo) International Airport (SEL/RKSS) with a stopover in Anchorage International Airport, AK (ANC/PANC). On the 19th of November 1980, it crashed during an attempted landing in Gimpo. Out of the 226 passengers and crew, 15 perished in the accident, and the aircraft was irreparably damaged.

As the Korean Air Lines 747 approached runway 14 at Gimpo International Airport, the conditions were calm with a visibility of 1,000 meters in fog. The aircraft touched down 90 meters before the runway threshold, striking a 45-degree embankment. This impact forced the main landing gear backwards and upwards, tearing open the plane's underside into the cargo area and breaking the struts. The aircraft then skidded along the runway on its nose gear and underbelly. The wings remained intact, and no fuel tanks were breached. 

A fire broke out in the cargo section due to sparks and leaking hydraulic fluid from the damaged struts, but there was no fuel fire. Smoke quickly filled the aircraft. Flames spread through the floor grills, engulfing the seats and rapidly consuming the fuselage.

The evacuation was relatively organized, but some passengers sustained injuries while disembarking. The smoke intensified quickly, leading to smoke inhalation among some survivors. Out of the 18 crew members and 208 passengers, 6 crew members and 9 passengers succumbed to fatal injuries caused by the fire, and four passengers sustained serious injuries.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Korean Air

Code: KE/KAL

Aircraft: Boeing 747-2B5B

Registration: HL7445

Serial Number: 21773

Engines: 4 x PW JT9D-7A

First Flew: 23/03/1979

Age: 1.8 Years

Monday morning spotting at Brisbane airport

It has been some time since I last went plane spotting at Brisbane Airport. Since I don't work on Mondays, I thought I'd head out there for a few hours.

Last night, severe storms in Sydney resulted in Brisbane receiving two additional Airbus A380s: one from Emirates and one from Qatar. The Emirates aircraft returned to Sydney, arriving just before midnight. Special permission was granted for its post-curfew arrival of 11pm.

The Qatar aircraft was reportedly struck by lightning and will remain in Brisbane for a few days. Typically, Brisbane welcomes two Emirates A380s daily: one arrives at 6:30 am and stays grounded until its 9 pm departure, while another lands at 10:30 pm and departs at 2:00 am.

It's an exceptionally rare occurrence for Brisbane to have three Airbus A380s on the ground simultaneously. Even having two at once is an infrequent yet thrilling event.

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-861 A6-EEU (MSN 147) 11 YRS OLD

QATAR AIRBUS A380-861 A7-APC (MSN 145) 10 YRS OLD

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-324R (MSN 462)
CZ381 ARRIVING FROM GUANGZHOU (CAN) 3 YRS OLD

ALLIANCE FOKKER F100 VH-UQN (MSN 11361)
VA600 ARRIVING FROM MACKAY (MKY) 33 YRS OLD

VIRGIN FOKKER F100 VH-FNC (MSN 11334)
VA1101 ARRIVING FROM NEWCASTLE (NTL) 33 YRS OLD
NOW OWNED BY ALLIANCE 

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737 MAX 8 VH-8IE (MSN 66644)
VA913 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 5 MONTHS OLD

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBP (MSN 1174)
QF611 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 13 YRS OLD

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBK (MSN 0945)
QF54 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPORE (SIN) 16 YRS OLD

ALLIANCE EMBRAER E 190AR VH-UYN (MSN 19000095)
QF1875 ARRIVING FROM EMERALD (EMD) 17 YRS OLD
FLYING FOR QANTAS

ALLIANCE FOKKER 100 VH-UQG (MSN 11520)
QQ7240 OFF TO WEIPA (WEI) 30 YRS OLD

CHINA EASTERN AIRBUS A330-243 B-5975 (MSN 1639)
MU715 ARRIVING FROM SHANGHAI (PVG) 9 YRS OLD

AIR CANADA BOEING 787-9 C-FNOI (MSN 35268)
AC35 ARRIVING FROM VANCOUVER (YVR) 8 YRS OLD

QANTAS EMBRAER E190AR VH-UZH (MSN 19000183)
QF1928 OFF TO ADELAIDE (ADL) 16 YRS OLD

SOUTHERN AIRLINES BEECH 1900C VH-VSO (MSN UC-39) 36 YRS OLD

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VFF (MSN 5039)
JQ7823 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 12 YRS OLD

REX SAAB 340B VH-ZRB (MSN 340B-389)
ZL5718 OFF TO ROMA (RMA) 28 YRS OLD

SINGAPORE AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHR (MSN 445)
SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 4 YRS OLD

AIR NIUGINI BOEING 767-341 P2-PXV (MSN 30341)
PX3 ARRIVING FROM PORT MORESBY (POM) 25 YRS OLD

LIFE FLIGHT LEONARDO AW139 VH-XIL (MSN 41411) 8 YRS OLD

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-321 VH-VWW (MSN 3916)
JQ565 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 15 YRS OLD

SOLOMONS AIRBUS A320-232 H4-SIB (MSN 2445)
IE701 OFF TO HONIARA (HIR) 19 YRS OLD

CATHAY PACIFIC BOEING 777-367 B-KQU (MSN 42145)
CX153 ARRIVING FROM HONG KONG (HKG) 9 YRS OLD

QANTALINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QOC (MSN 4117)
QLK255 OFF TO ORANGE (OAG) 18 YRS OLD

AMERICAN BOEING 787-9 N836AA (MSN 40654)
AA8 OFF TO DALLAS (DFW) 6 YRS OLD

PHILIPPINES AIRBUS A321-271 RP-C9935 (MSN 8568)
PR221 ARRIVING FROM MANILA (MNL) 5 YRS OLD

ALLIANCE FOKKER 70 VH-QQR (MSN 11564)
VA1258 ARRIVING FROM EMERLAD (EMD) 28 YRS OLD
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

NATIONAL JET EXPRESS DASH 8 Q400 VH-8QA (MSN 4582)
NC343 ARRIVING FROM MORANBAH (MOV) 6 YRS OLD

SINGAPORE AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHP (MSN 436)
SQ255 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPRE (SIN) 4 YRS OLD

AVCAIR LEARJET 60 VH-AVL (MSN 60-286) 19 YRS OLD

ALLIANCE FOKKER 70 VH-QQW (MSN 11569)
QQ8602 OFF TO MOOMBA (MOO) 28 YRS OLD

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-7K2 VH-NBP (MSN 38128)
VA931 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 13 YRS OLD

PIONAIR AUSTRALIA BAe 146-300 VH-SQR (MSN E3151) 35 YRS OLD

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKJ (MSN 36236) 
JQ9 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 9 YRS OLD

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE AIRBUS KC-30A A39-002 (MSN 0951)

FIJI AIRBUS A350-941 DQ-FAM (MSN 251)
FJ921 ARRIVING FROM NADI (NAN) 6 YRS OLD