Happy Birthday KLM

KLM B747-406 PH-BFH (CN 24518)

In 1919, a young aviator lieutenant named Albert Plesman sponsored the ELTA aviation exhibition in Amsterdam. The exhibition was a great success; after it closed several Dutch commercial interests intended to establish a Dutch airline, which Plesman was nominated to head. In September 1919, Queen Wilhelmina awarded the yet-to-be-founded KLM its "Royal" ("Koninklijke") predicate. On the 7th October 1919, eight Dutch businessmen, including Frits Fentener van Vlissingen, founded KLM as one of the first commercial airline companies. Plesman became its first administrator and director. 

KLM was founded on the 7th October 1919, it is the national airline of the Netherlands with its headquarters in Amstelveen and with its hub at nearby Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The name KLM is an abbreviation of its full legal name, Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (Royal Dutch Airlines). It is the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name. The first KLM flight took place on the 17th May 1920. KLM's first pilot, Jerry Shaw, flew from Croydon Airport, London to Amsterdam. The flight was flown using a leased Aircraft Transport and Travel De Havilland DH-16, registration G-EALU, and was carrying two British journalists and a number of newspapers. In 1920, KLM carried 440 passengers and 22 tons of freight. In April 1921, after a winter hiatus, KLM resumed its services using its own pilots and aircraft: Fokker F.II and Fokker F.III. In 1921, KLM started scheduled services. KLM's first intercontinental flight was initiated on the 1st of October 1924. On the 30th September 2003, Air France and KLM agreed to a merger plan in which Air France and KLM would become subsidiaries of a holding company called Air France–KLM. Both airlines would retain their own brands; both Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol would become key hubs. 

KLM A330-303 PH-AKE (CN 1381)

KLM is the core of the KLM Group, which includes the wholly-owned subsidiaries KLM Cityhopper, Transavia.com and Martinair. In September 2010, KLM integrated the passenger division of Martinair into KLM, transferring all personnel and routes. By November 2011, Martinair consisted of only the cargo and maintenance division. KLM's frequent flyer program is called "Flying Blue" and the airline slogan is "Journey's of Inspiration" On the 14th November 2015 KLM welcomed its first of 13 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner's. The first one is called “Anjer” (Carnation). All of KLM’s Dreamliner's are named after flowers. KLM is rated 18th best airline in the world (down from last years 19th) according to Skytrax. Before Covid KLM operated scheduled passenger and cargo services to 145 destinations with 123 aircraft

As of September 2021, the KLM fleet (excluding its subsidiaries KLM Cityhopper, Transavia and Martinair) consists of the following aircraft:

KLM fleet

Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers
			B	E+	E	Total
Airbus A330-200	6	—	18	36	214	268
Airbus A330-300	5	—	30	40	222	292
Boeing 737-700	12	—	20	6	106	132
Boeing 737-800	31	—	20	6	150	176
Boeing 737-900	5	—	28	18	138	184
Boeing 747-400	3	—	35	36	197	268
Boeing 777-200ER	15	—	34	40	242	316
Boeing 777-300ER	16	—	34	40	334	408
Boeing 787-9	13	—	30	48	216	294
Boeing 787-10	5	—	38	36	270	344
KLM Cargo fleet
Boeing 747-400ERF	4	—	Cargo
Total	115	12

Last year KLM announced they were going to bid farewell to their long-serving Boeing 747 fleet in late October 2020. Retirement was originally scheduled for mid 2021, on 747’s 50th anniversary with the airline. But the new coronavirus crisis forced the Dutch to rethink their plans and conduct final passenger flights in March 2020, officially phasing out the plane for the first time. In an unexpected twist of fate the Queen of the skies was recalled from its retirement in August to conduct air bridge operations between the Netherlands and China, carrying medical equipment and supplies. 

Emirates to bring Airbus A380 back to Australian skies

      EMIRATES A380-861 A6-EEL (MSN 133)        

Superjumbo stalwart Emirates says it will rebuild its flights to Australia following the country's restart of international travel, with the Airbus A380s ;– and their private first class suites, inflight showers and signature cocktail bar – also making a return.

The Gulf carrier's forward schedule for 2022 already show the superjumbo pencilled in for Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with a Boeing 777 slated for Brisbane.

Also bouncing back is the Sydney-Christchurch leg of EK412/EK413 – news that will cheer the savvy frequent flyers who enjoy making that three-hour trip across the pond as an indulgent jolly in Emirates' A380 business class or even first class.

"As borders re-open, we look forward to restoring our Australian flight schedules including our popular A380 services, and to welcoming customers to experience our best-in-class partnership for many more years to come," Emirates President Sir Tim Clark said today, after signing an agreement with Qantas to extend the airlines' partnership for a further five years, to 2028.

As Emirates' flagship, the Airbus A380 is well suited to the marathon between Australia and its Dubai hub – flights which can take 11-14 hours, and that's before any connection to Emirates' services to the UK, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Although the airline's two-class 615-seat superjumbo is earmarked for routes where there's markedly less demand for a premium experience, Australia will continue to see its 'classic' three-class A380s with 14 first class suites (and two private showers) and 76 flat-bed business class seats.

There's no indication if Sydney, Melbourne or Perth might be upgraded to the newer four-class A380s which sport Emirates' all-new premium economy 'sleeperette' seats.

Every Emirates A380 also features that iconic cocktail bar towards the rear of the upper deck, either in its original 2008 form...

Emirates this year marked 25 years of flying to Australia: a journey which began in 1996 with three flights a week between Dubai and Melbourne, and peaked at over 100 weekly flights to Australia before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Small plane crashes into building, kills all eight onboard

A small, single-engine plane that crashed into a vacant two-storey office building in a Milan suburb, killing all eight people aboard, was being piloted by Romanian billionaire Dan Petrescu, local media have reported. Investigators opened a probe into what caused the private plane to crash on Sunday local time shortly after takeoff from Milano-Linate Airport (LIN/LIML) en route to Olbia-Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB/LIEO) on the Italian island of Sardinia. The aircraft took off from runway 36 at Linate Airport at 13:04 local time. It made a climbing right hand turn after departure and stopped the climb at an altitude of about 5,300 feet. At 13:07 the aircraft entered a steep and fast descent until it impacted a building under construction.

A thick column of dark smoke rose from the crash site and was visible for kilometres. Several parked cars nearby went up in flames. Firefighters tweeted that no one else but those on board were killed in the early afternoon crash near a subway station in San Donato Milanese, a small town near Milan.

Mr Petrescu, a real estate investor and one of Romania's richest men, his wife, and their adult son were among those killed. Control tower officials reported the anomaly, she said, but further details on that weren't immediately given. The prosecutor said the plane didn't send out any alarm. It was too early to cite any possible cause for the crash, Ms Siciliano said, adding that the flight recorder has been retrieved.

By early evening, only two of the eight dead had been identified, since they carried documents on them, Ms Siciliano said.

Those aboard were "all foreigners," she said, including the pilot, who was Romanian. The aircraft was registered in Romania, she added. The reports said the aircraft had flown from Bucharest, Romania, to Milan on the 30th of September with no apparent problem.

Aircraft Information:

Owner/Operator: Aviroms  Rent-a-Car

Aircraft: Pilatus PC-12/47E

Registration: YR-PDV

Serial Number: 1532

First Flew: April 2015

Thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends during this difficult time.

Birdstrike causes engine fire on Spirit Airlines

SPIRIT AIRLINES A319-132 N532NK (MSN 3165)    File Photo

A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320neo travelling from Atlantic City (ACY/KACY) to Fort Launderdale (FLL/KFLL) had to abort its takeoff from Atlantic City after experiencing a bird strike. This avian ingestion caused an engine fire on the Fort Lauderdale-bound aircraft, prompting an evacuation. 

Spirit Airlines flight NK3044 is a regular scheduled service that originates at Atlantic City International (ACY) in New Jersey. The budget carrier operates almost all of ACY’s flights, with the only exception being Regional Sky to Pennsylvania’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International (AVP). Spirit operates both year-round and seasonal flights from ACY.

Data from RadarBox.com shows that, on most days, Spirit Airlines flight NK3044 is scheduled to depart Atlantic City at 17:36 local time. Its arrival in Fort Lauderdale is timed to take place at 20:17, giving a planned duration of two hours and 41 minutes. However, yesterday’s iteration didn’t go to plan, with the flight not managing to leave New Jersey.

The reason that Spirit Airlines flight NK3044 was unable to leave Atlantic City yesterday evening was due to a bird strike that it experienced during takeoff. According to Ocean County Scanner News, the incident occurred at approximately 17:47 local time. The strike resulted in a fire in the Airbus A320neo’s right-hand Pratt & Whitney PW1127G-JM turbofan.

Following the bird strike, the crew was thankfully able to bring the aircraft to a safe stop on the runway. An evacuation then followed, whereby two people suffered minor injuries. According to 6ABC, the flight had 102 passengers and seven crew members onboard. 

Spirit Airlines issued the following statement in response to the incident:

“Spirit flight 3044 from ACY to FLL encountered what is believed to be a large bird while accelerating for takeoff in Atlantic City, which entered one of the plane’s engines. The captain braked safely and brought the plane to a stop, received an indication of damage to the engine, and ordered an evacuation in accordance with our standard procedures.”

“All Guests and Team Members evacuated the aircraft and were bussed back to the terminal. We commend our crew for handling the situation swiftly and safely. Our Guests will receive full refunds, a future travel voucher, and the option of traveling to Fort Lauderdale on another plane.”

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Spirit 

Code: NK/NKS

Aircraft: Airbus A320-271N

Registration: N922NK

Serial Number: 9341

First Flew: December 2019

Age: 1 Year 10 Months

Story source from here:

Birdstrike Causes Engine Fire On Spirit Airlines Aircraft - Simple Flying

Virgin Australia to launch more routes from Hobart

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-YVD (MSN 40998) 

Virgin Australia will launch one new domestic route and reintroduce another from Hobart (HBA/YMHB) in Tasmania during October: 

Hobart - Adelaide (ADL/YPAD) and 

Hobart - Perth (PER/YPPH).

The HBA-ADL route is a completely new one for Virgin Australia. 

It will be operated 4 times a week all year-round from the 22nd Oct 2021. 

VA1600 will depart Adelaide at 7.30am (local) and arrive in Hobart at 10.00am (local)

VA1601 will depart Hobart at 10.40am (local) and arrive in Adelaide at 12.10pm (local) 

The carrier recently announced it had launched flights between Adelaide and the Tasmanian city of Launceston (LST/YMLT).

Meanwhile, the HBA-PER route is a resumption of a route operated by the carrier before the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be operated 3X-weekly on a seasonal basis from the 19th October 2021 to the 25th April 2022.

The carrier previously said it would launch flights between PER and LST from the 5th November to be operated on a seasonal basis until the 30th January 2022.

“Over the past month, Virgin Australia has already announced two new Tasmanian services, so together that’s up to 18,000 more [passengers per month on four routes] who are able to explore the Apple Isle’s incredible tourist attractions and natural wonders,” Virgin Australia chief strategy and transformation officer Alistair Hartley said.

“Virgin Australia is now the only carrier to connect both Launceston and Hobart to five state capital cities, including Brisbane BNE/YBBN, Sydney SYD,/YSSY Melbourne MEL/YMML, Adelaide (ADL/YPAD) and Perth (PER/YPPH).”

If all goes well, and we aren't in lockdown, myself and my family will be in Hobart that week to see these flights.

Kalitta 747 engine flames at East Midlands airport

DHL / KALITTA AIR B747-446 N743CK (MSN 26350)     File Photo

A Kalitta Air Boeing 747 cargo aircraft has been seen emitting an impressive burst of flame from the back of its number three engine. The aircraft was landing in East Midlands Airport (EMA/EGNX) in the UK from Leipzig (LEJ/EDDP) in Germany when the incident occurred. The aircraft and its occupants were unharmed by the event.

Cargo carrier Kalitta Air is a regular at East Midlands Airport in the UK. Data from RadarBox.com shows that the airline’s cargo planes touch down on average 1.4 times per day, making EMA the airline’s 25th most visited destination. Most frequently flown into the airport is Kalitta’s Boeing 747-400, of which it has 24.

One of its 747-400s, registered N741CK, was performing flight K4-330 from Leipzig in Germany to East Midlands Airport yesterday. This is typically a tag flight between Leipzig and Los Angeles, with EMA providing a brief stop for cargo exchanges before the aircraft continues on to the USA. The Boeing 747 typically spends just a couple of hours on the ground in the UK before taking off again for Los Angeles.

But last Wednesday's flight did not end up making its final leg to the US. As the aircraft approached EMA, buffeted by high winds and in heavy rain, it made a safe, if slightly crabby, landing on the runway. But as it engaged its reverse thrusters, the number three engine backfired, emitting a momentary burst of flame from the back.

The moment was caught on camera by local spotter Tony Johnson. Tony commented that he thought the engine ingested something on landing, which could have been a bird or debris on the runway. He noted that the aircraft emitted a loud bang at the moment of the backfire.

It’s a blow for Kalitta, as the 747 is still on the ground in EMA, reportedly with its engine covers open. Right now, it’s a very busy time for cargo movers, with Kalitta operating 45% more flights this month than it did in 2019. The loss of one of its Queens will be disruptive to its busy schedule. Hopefully it will be back in the air soon.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Kalitta Air

Code: K4/CKS

Aircraft: Boeing 747-4HS

Registration: N741CK

Serial Number: 24315

Engines: 4 x GE CF6-80C2B1F
First Flew: 1st October 1989
Age: 32 Yrs

Story sourced from here
Kalitta Boeing 747 Sees Engine Flames At East Midlands Airport - Simple Flying

A technical fault grounds all Paris airport departures

All flights departing from Paris-Orly (ORY/LFPO) and Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG/LFPG) airports were suspended for around 30 minutes yesterday morning. Officials confirmed a technical issue with the flight plan systems. Arrivals were not affected, but departure delays are ongoing. The French Civil Aviation Authority, Direction générale de l’Aviation Civile, confirmed that the issue with the flight plan processing system started at the flight control center in Athis Mons, close to Paris-Orly airport. Although no details have been given as to what the problem actually was, the system was up and running half an hour after initial issues were detected. According to a spokesperson, all Paris airports were affected this morning. The system was back up and running just before midday, and departures were slowly brought back to normal across all Paris airports.

Problems with the flight plans

Although the cause of the issue isn’t known, it’s likely the Integrated Initial Flight Plan Processing System (IFPS) wasn’t collecting and processing flight plans correctly. The system network validates flight plans before take-off. Every aircraft operating a flight must have a flight plan that ensures no collisions, improves efficiency, simplifies operations, and aids communication during the flight.

This could explain why arrivals were not affected as flight plans were already approved. Flight plan management is performed regionally. For the Parisian airports, this takes place at the flight control center situated to the south of Paris-Orly.

Half an hour is a long time for airports

Although the system was only problematic for 30 minutes, flights were delayed for longer as a backlog of aircraft caused a domino effect of problems for the airports. According to its website, Paris Charles de Gaulle handles over 100 aircraft movements every hour on average. During the morning peak times, this increases. With aircraft unable to depart, arriving aircraft may not find space at a gate and be forced to wait on the apron or runway. Luckily, the airport staff was able to minimize delays. Some departures were still delayed until around 15:00 local time showing over an hour to wait. However, most appear to now be on time; passengers are advised to check with airlines before traveling. Some other airports in northern and central France also show ongoing delays.

All things considered, the disruption appears to be minimal. In comparison, a software crash in 2019 caused thousands of delayed flights across the US. The software used by Southwest, United, and Delta to perform pre-flight weight calculations went down, causing massive delays. As with the issue in Paris, the system was up and running again in around 40 minutes, but the impact was felt by passengers and airlines for days.

Problems with IT systems highlight how strict airports’ schedules are and how a small error can considerably impact operations.




Story sourced from here

A Technical Fault Grounded All Paris Airport Departures Today - Simple Flying