Brussels airport launches SAF subsidy scheme
January 03, 2024
Brussels airport will use state subsidies to provide up to €200,000 ($220,000) to airlines that use low carbon jet fuels at the facility this year. The gateway is seeking to cover up to 80% of the additional costs of using the fuel for airlines that take part, with the money coming from a €2 million sustainability scheme launched by the Belgian government in 2022. “The SAF incentive programme is one of the measures that Brussels Airport Company wanted to take to accelerate the sustainable development of aviation and promote the use of sustainable aviation fuels,” states Arnaud Feist, chief executive of Brussels Airport Company. “As an airport, within the framework of our European Stargate programme, we have expressed the ambition to aim for 5% SAF on total kerosene use by airlines at Brussels airport by 2026. That is faster than the European target, but we want to fully commit to this together with our airline partners.” The incentive scheme is open to all passenger and cargo airlines, offering short and long-haul services departing from Brussels airport in 2024. Brussels airport notes that it first received SAF via its NATO fuel pipeline in December 2022.
Investigation into JAL A350 and Dash 8 collision starts
January 03, 2024
Airbus is sending specialists to assist investigators probing the 2 January collision between a Japan Airlines A350-900 and a Japanese Coast Guard De Havilland Canada Dash 8 at Tokyo Haneda International airport as the airliner was landing. The investigation will be led by the Japan Transport Safety Bureau and involve France's accident investigator, BEA, as per international conventions. The A350, registered JA13XJ (MSN 538), was operating flight 516 from Sapporo’s New Chitose airport at 16:15 (local time) and landed at Tokyo Haneda at 17:47 on 2 January, carrying 367 passengers, including eight infants, and 12 crew members, JAL states. The aircraft burst into flames after colliding with the Dash 8 immediately after landing, however all crew and passengers were evacuated from the A350 with no fatalities. Five crewmembers of the Dash 8 were killed in the accident, and the captain sustained severe injuries. JAL says in a statement that the A350 is a "total loss", with daytime pictures on social media appearing to show that much of the fuselage was consumed by the subsequent fire. A large part of the investigation is likely to focus on the actions of air traffic controllers and the crew of the two aircraft involved. JAL says that based on interviews with the crew operating the A350 "they acknowledged and repeated the landing permission from air traffic control, and then proceeded with the approach and landing procedures". It also notes that the “aircraft did not experience any issues or irregularities during its departure from New Chitose Airport or throughout the flight.” The carrier adds that “detailed information and the cause of the accident are under investigation, and full cooperation with the investigation will be provided.” All Haneda’s four runways were temporarily closed following the accident, and all runways but the affected one were reopened at "around 21:30" the same day, Kyodo News agency reported citing the transport ministry. Schedules data shows that more than 40 airlines have scheduled 218 departures and 216 arrivals at Haneda on 3 January. ANA and its subsidiary ANA Wings together about 37% of the total number of departures and arrivals while JAL accounts for about 26%. About one-third the total number of arrivals and departures on 3 January have been cancelled outright, according to flight status data on Haneda’s website as of 12:49. On the international front, eight departures and six arrivals have been cancelled, while on the domestic front, 71 departures and 45 arrivals were axed. JAL said that it had cancelled a total of 50 domestic and three international flights for the day but has “not decided” further schedules changes from tomorrow.
Red Wings adds restored Tu-214 to its fleet
January 02, 2024
Russian carrier Red Wings Airlines has expanded its fleet with the addition of a restored Tupolev Tu-214 aircraft. The carrier says it took delivery of the aircraft, with registration number RA-64518, from leasing company Ilyushin Finance on 28 December at Kazan airport. Ilyushin Finance organised work to restore the airworthiness of the aircraft after long-term storage and received a new airworthiness certificate in mid-December, the airline adds. Manufactured in 2009 at the Kazan Aviation Plant, the aircraft was operated by Transaero until 2017 and then by Red Wings. Red Wings adds that it plans to continue its collaboration with United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in restoring and operating the domestic fleet of passenger and transport aircraft. The carrier announced on 10 December the launch of a cargo transportation business line, which will include Ilyushin Il-96-400T aircraft restored at UAC aircraft factories. Meanwhile, UAC is expanding its line of Russian civil aircraft, preparing for mass production of Sukhoi Superjet 100s, conducting flight tests for the Il-96-400M and certifying the medium-haul MS-21-310 in the import-substituted version.