Shame on you Airbus

I have never particularly liked Airbus. For decades, a political football parading as a real company, they were always just a tad too aggressive and self-important for my liking. Some of our airline colleagues related just how different it was to accept new aircraft in Seattle and in Toulouse. The Airbus personnel always acted like… Continue reading Shame on you Airbus

United Airlines Gate Event to Celebrate New Service Between San Francisco and Washington Reagan

On 14 May United Airlines welcomed local business and community leaders to Gate 85 at San Francisco International Airport to celebrate the launch of the airline’s new daily service between San Francisco and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Guests included representatives from the California Chamber of Commerce, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, the San Francisco Travel Association… Continue reading United Airlines Gate Event to Celebrate New Service Between San Francisco and Washington Reagan

Airbus, Sharklets and a Lawsuit

Perhaps you too have been wondering when you saw Boeing 737s and 757s sprouting winglets: why was the Airbus 320 family stuck with the old-fashioned wingtip fences? Winglets have been shown to bring substantial (up to 5 %) reduction in fuel burn and the Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) blended winglet design, patented in 1994, have… Continue reading Airbus, Sharklets and a Lawsuit

A Classic with Winglets

Brussels Airlines, Belgium’s main carrier operates an interesting mixed fleet out of Europe’s capital. It is one of the few European companies that fly a winglet version of the Boeing 737 Classic, the 300 series. Airliner World has been invited to see how they fly. Brussels Airlines rose from the ashes of Sabena after its… Continue reading A Classic with Winglets

Are Brussels Airlines and Brussels Airport loosing it?

I have written in the past about the curious happenings that seem to affect Brussels Airlines’ flights from Vienna. You can read about them here and here. Last Friday however I got proof that flights TO Vienna can also be jinxed… Sadly, the event I am about to relate to you also shows that collaborative… Continue reading Are Brussels Airlines and Brussels Airport loosing it?

737 successor is coming!

Although officially Boeing maintains that they are still only evaluating their options concerning the future of the 737 (re-engining versus an all new aircraft), CEO Jim McNerney, speaking at the Cowen and Company Aerospace and Defense Conference in New York, basically confirmed that they will build an all new narrowbody to counter Airbus’s A320NEO. Well,… Continue reading 737 successor is coming!

Airfield Engineering Asset Maintenance – A sector report

This article was compiled by Bryan Camoens and Ed Haines for the Airfield Engineering and Asset Maintenance 2011 Conference. You can contact Bryan here. To visit the conference web-site, click here. Airport engineers, operational and maintenance heads are working under extremely challenging operational scheduling and cost constraints. In addition new, larger aircraft types and higher… Continue reading Airfield Engineering Asset Maintenance – A sector report

Brussels – CDM airport daylight hours only??

Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) is a vital element of the new air traffic management paradigm (you can read more about CDM in Roger-Wilco’s CDM category). Some airports in Europe are leading CDM implementation, among them Brussels. One would expect that operations at a CDM airport do not have to contend any more with such basic… Continue reading Brussels – CDM airport daylight hours only??

Screwing up the boarding process the Brussels Airlines way

It is so much fun flying these days! Getting to the airport, struggling through security, navigating the intricate web of shops and eateries while waiting for the gate to be posted are just the small pleasures you get for the exorbitant service fees you are charged over and above the “cheap” airline ticket. But fly… Continue reading Screwing up the boarding process the Brussels Airlines way