British Airways is attributing to a "technical issue" the evacuation of an Airbus A321 whose cabin appeared to fill with smoke or mist during approach to Valencia. Images circulating on social media, purportedly taken by passengers on board flight BA422 from London Heathrow, indicate that visibility was severely reduced in the cabin. The jet touched down on runway 12 at Valencia at around 18:45 on 5 August. BA says 175 passengers and eight crew members were on board the twinjet. Evacuation slides were deployed from six of the eight exits, images of the incident indicate. Three passengers were taken to hospital as a precaution, says the carrier, and all have since been discharged. The images identify the aircraft as G-MEDN, an International Aero Engines V2500-powered airframe. It was originally ordered by British Airways franchise partner BMED before the airline was taken over by BMI. BMI was subsequently acquired by British Airways. BA says the aircraft "experienced a technical issue" during the approach, and was met by airport emergency services.
"The safety of our customers and crew is always our highest priority," the airline adds. "In addition to our team on site, other British Airways team members have arrived in Valencia to help our customers and our local airport partners with anything they need." Spanish investigation authority CIAIAC has not given any details of the incident.

Source: FlightGlobal

Russian authorities in St Petersburg have identified operator Rossiya as being among companies participating in a state property privatisation scheme. The St Petersburg government has outlined a decision to amend an October 2018 privatisation decree which set out privatisation initiatives for 2019 and the 2020-21 planning period. Rossiya is just over 25%-owned by the local St Petersburg administration, according to a document published by city governor Alexander Beglov on 5 August. The document gives a net asset value of Rb7.36 billion ($112 million). Privatisation of the state property would potentially provide the possibility of dividends and the reduction of a burden on the budget, it says, and give businesses independence in their financial activities. The St Petersburg government points out that it has a "lack of control" over companies in which it does not have a controlling stake. Rossiya is a division of Aeroflot Group, one which was reinforced when it absorbed assets of collapsed carrier Transaero.

Source: FlightGlobal

Nordic carrier Finnair will operate in August two transatlantic flights with a biofuel blend as part of its environmental "Push for change" initiative. The airline says that flights from San Francisco to Helsinki today and on 7 August will be powered by kerosene containing 12% biofuel, which has been refined from used cooking oil in California. Senior vice-president communication and corporate responsibility Arja Suominen states that the "Push for change" programme is an "important step for Finnair" to enable customers to reduce carbon emissions for their flights, and that the airline is "pleased with the early phases of the initiative". Passengers are able to offset carbon emissions or purchase biofuel for their flights through the programme. "We naturally hope that customers will be increasingly willing and interested in using the service in the future as well," Suominen says.

Source: FlightGlobal