After a long hiatus, we are finally returning with another column of our signature FAN article! These have been dramatic two weeks for aviation, and here is a brief overview of what has happened.
By: Yu Le
Published on: 22 April 2024, 9.00pm (GMT +8)
Virgin Atlantic 787 suffers a collision with a British Airways A350 at London Heathrow
The Virgin Atlantic aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-9. Photo: Virgin Group
On April 6 2024, A British Airways Airbus A350-1000’s horizontal stabilizer was struck when a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9, registered G-DVIA, had its wingtip collide with the British Airways' A350 while pushing back. The British Airways A350, registered G-XWBC, was parked on the apron near Terminal 3 at the time of the incident. As a result, both the 787-9’s left wingtip and A350-1000’s right horizontal stabiliser faced substantial damage. No injuries were reported.
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 loses engine cowling
The Southwest flight was operating from Denver to Houston. Photo: Wikimedia Common
Flight attendants onboard a Southwest Boeing 737-800 bound for Houston Hobby Airport (HOU/KHOU) reported to the pilots shortly after takeoff that the right engine cowling had torn off. This prompted an immediate return to Denver International Airport (DEN/KDEN), and the pilots safely conducted an emergency landing onto the airport’s runway 34L at 8.14 a.m. local time on 7 April 2024, around 25 minutes after departure. No one was reported to have sustained injuries.
SAS Announces that it will leave Star Alliance
The Scandinavian airline will leave Star Alliance on 31 August 2024. Photo: Airbus
Scandinavian Airlines, better known as SAS, a founding Star Alliance member, has announced that it will leave the alliance on 31 August 2024. This comes after the Air France-KLM Group recently purchased a 20% stake in SAS to save the airline from bankruptcy. The airline is expected to join the SkyTeam Alliance, which Air France and KLM are in.
Boeing engineer claims that there are manufacturing issues with the 777 and 787
The allegations came after a recent spate of events involving Boeing aircrafts. Photo: Boeing
In another cruel twist of fate for Boeing, another whistleblower claims that there are quality issues with Boeing’s planes. Sam Salephour, a Boeing quality engineer, has alleged that some sections of the Boeing 787 aircraft have not been assembled properly, which could lead to the aircraft breaking up in midair due to fatigue and stress on the airframe. This is not the first time that quality issues have been raised against the Boeing 787 family, one of which led to delivery delays for over a year. After the engineer’s complaints, Boeing's management team moved him to the Boeing 777 production line, where he witnessed further improper procedures; he commented that a misalignment issue was resolved by people “jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align." Salephour has also reported that he faced retaliation from executives at Boeing. Boeing has denied all the allegations, saying that the claims are “inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality of long-term safety of the aircraft”.
Scoot Receives Its First Embraer E190-E2, a first in the region
The aircraft arrived in Singapore on 15 April 2024. Photo: Embraer
The first of nine E190-E2 that Scoot has ordered, named "Explorer 3.0", arrived at Singapore Changi Airport on the 15th of April 2024. Scoot confirmed their order for these Embraer jets in May 2023 to serve “thinner routes to non-metro destinations” using a more modern and fuel-efficient fleet as part of their network growth strategy. The aircraft will be used on flights to Koh Samui, Sibu, Hat Yai, Krabi, Kuantan, and Miri, with the fleet’s inaugural flight to Krabi set to start on 7 May 2024. The route maps can be found here:
Dubai Sees Record Rain, Leading to Flooding at Dubai Airport
The flooding was the worst one experienced by Dubai in 75 years. Photo: Sky News
The desert city of Dubai has seen the most rain in 75 years, leading to severe flooding and flight disruptions at Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world. Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed, and many had to divert to an alternate airport. As of now, normal operations at the airport have resumed.
Retired Cathay Pacific Airbus Consumed in an Inferno
A retired Cathay Pacific A330 caught fire in an airport in Spain. Photo: Cathay Pacific
On April 18th, a 29-year-old former Cathay Pacific A330-300 caught fire while parked at Ciudad Real International Airport in Spain. The tail of the aircraft was set ablaze first before it quickly consumed the rest of the aircraft, resulting in its total destruction. The authorities took around 2 hours to control the fire. This is the first such incident at this airport, which ceased commercial operations in 2011. The cause of the fire is still unknown, and authorities are investigating.
That is all for our FAN this week. Look out for our next publication two weeks later, and as always, thank you for your support!
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