Category: Aviation
Half of British pilots fall asleep on the job: survey
LONDON, September 27, 2013 (AFP) – More than half of Britain’s airline pilots have fallen asleep in the cockpit and a third have woken up to find their co-pilot asleep, according to a new survey.The BALPA survey comes ahead of a vote in the European parliament on Monday on proposals to set out maximum working […]
Air Asia X starts flying to Sri Lanka and Maldives
Sept 24, 2013 (LBO) – Malaysia-based AirAsia X, a low cost long-haul carrier said it is starting flights to Sri Lanka’s Colombo via Male, Maldives from September 28. “Our guests may now fly to Sri Lanka to take in the rich flavours and cultures that Colombo has to offer, and also to Maldives for a […]
Airbus predicts 29,000 new planes needed by 2032
LONDON, September 24, 2013 (AFP) – Airbus predicts that the world will need more than 29,000 new commercial planes over the next 20 years to respond to higher traffic and replace older models, the European planemaker said Tuesday.Delivering its 20-year outlook, Airbus said air travel through 2032 will be fuelled by traffic to and from […]
SriLankan flight diverted over bomb claim
Sept 22, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines said its flight to London’s Heathrow airport was diverted to Stansted after a passenger claimed that he had a parcel bomb.The passengers had been transferred by Heathrow by coach. A British national had claimed that he had a bomb on board just as SriLankan’s UK503 was beginning […]
Sri Lankan airlines says to change times or buy tickets quickly
Aug 30, 2013 (LBO) – State-run Sri Lankan Airlines has asked customers to change or buy tickets today as its reservation system, will not be accessible after midnight tonight. The reservation system will come online on September 01 following an upgrade. Passengers who want to buy tickets or change itineraries are being asked to contact […]
Air New Zealand annual profit soars to five-year high
WELLINGTON, August 28, 2013 (AFP) – Air New Zealand posted a 156 percent jump in annual net profit Thursday, the flag carrier’s best result in five years. The airline said net profit for the 12 months to June 30 was NZ2 million (2 million), up from NZ million in the previous year. Chairman John Palmer […]
Singapore firm launches in-flight Muslim prayer app
SINGAPORE, August 13, 2013 (AFP) – A Singapore-based company has launched an iPhone app alerting Muslims when to pray and in which direction they should face even when they’re 35,000 feet in the air.Travellers input the flight details and are provided with prayer times during their journey, as well as the direction of the Muslim […]
Sri Lanka state airline on track for direct China flights
Aug 12, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines is on track to fly direct to China next year as traffic to Colombo picks up, a top official said.SriLankan is now flying to China via Bangkok, with tourists to Maldives being a key contributor to filling seats.But direct traffic to Sri Lanka has been picking up. […]
Brazil to privatize two airports in late October
BRASÃLIA, August 9, 2013 (AFP) – An auction to privatize airports in Rio and Belo Horizonte, two host cities for the 2014 World Cup, will be held on October 31, Brazilian authorities said Friday. Presidential chief of staff Gleisi Hoffmann announced the date for the auction to sell concessions to run Rio’s Galeao airport and […]
SriLankan to break even over four years with new fleet
Aug 08, 2013 (LBO) – State-run carrier SriLankan airlines group is planning to break even in the year to March 2017, after running about 335 million US dollars of losses in the intervening years, an official said. Sri Lankan is buying 13 new aircraft from Airbus which will be more fuel efficient saving costs and […]
‘s state airline in MRO venture with Lufthansa Technik
Aug 07, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines will start operating a joint venture aircraft repair and maintenance organization (MRO) with Lufthansa Technik by July 2014, an official said.SriLankan chief executive Kapila Chandrasena said the MRO is expected to earn revenues of 100 million US dollars a year, with an investment of 14 million US […]
Indonesian plane skids off runway after hitting cow
JAKARTA, August 7, 2013 (AFP) – An Indonesian passenger jet crashed into a cow and skidded off the runway as it came into land at an airport in the centre of the archipelago, officials said Wednesday.One small jet managed to take off Wednesday, but the Lion Air plane was still at the edge of the […]