This story was originally posted on Jan 12, 2014 and re-posted with updated details on Feb 12, 2014.
Unite AvGeeks! This weekend is it – Aviation Geek Fest 2014 – and to say that we are excited is an understatement. Personally this will be my fifth AGF and I am more excited about this one versus any of the others (and the others were awesome).
A HUGE thanks to Sandy Ward & Toni Olson at the Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour for organizing most of these great activities.
I wanted to share all the newest updates to help you prepare for the weekend.
Sukhoi Superjet in Sky Aviation livery (PK-ECN) – Photo: Jacob Pfleger | AirlineReporter
I was able to take a tour of a Sukhoi Superjet at the Singapore Airshow and am sharing the photos with AirlineReporter readers!
The aircraft, parked next to a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was in Sky Aviation livery – an airline based predominantly in Surabaya Indonesia that operates a full-service product, including business class.
This was my first time on an operational Russian commercial airliner and I was pleasantly surprised that the interior was similar to an Embraer E-Jet, although it is considerably wider and the overhead space is greater.
The flight deck was also surprisingly roomy, as were the lavs and galley areas. The configuration in business is set up 2-2, while economy is 2-3. I found that the seat pitch in business was sufficient, but economy was a bit of a challenge.
The A350XWB shows its stuff at the Singapore Airshow – Photo: Jacob Pfleger | AirlineReporter
The Singapore Airshow is in full swing right now and although we will have a nice wrap-up story at the end, we wanted to share some photos.
These are pictures of the third Airbus A350 XWB (MSN003) taking its first flight at an airshow like this and according to Jacob Pfleger, who is at the show for AirlineReporter, the most noticeable thing for him was how quiet the plane was. “During its fly-by I was impressed with how quiet it is and in my opinion it’s the quietest jet out there even more so than the Airbus A380 or even Boeing 787,” Pfleger explained via email.
A hybrid Qatar Airways/Airbus livery is painted onto the latest test A350XWB – Photo: Airbus
In Toulouse, France this past week, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker made a visit to inspect the Airbus A350XWB manufacturing line ahead of the first delivery of the type to the airline later this year. As Al Baker inspected the A350 line, along with senior Qatar & Airbus management, Airbus revealed a special livery for their latest aircraft (MSN004).
MSN004 was painted in a hybrid Airbus & Qatar Airlines launch customer livery. Part Qatar Airways at the front, and the standard Airbus livery in the rear, the most noticeable features are the striking Oryx logos, not only on the aircraft body but also on the unique A350 winglets.
The aircraft will soon join the Airbus test fleet, where it will will be used for external noise and lightning tests, avionics development & certification, and training for the first customer pilots & maintenance teams.
A model of an Up 737-800 – Photo: El Al/Up Airlines
Israel is not a large country. Because of this, domestic flying has never been of much importance. There are flights out of both Tel Aviv airports (TLV and SDV) to the resort town of Eilat, but even that is within driving distance. This fact has left Israel’s air travel market as one that focuses on flying to international destinations. Competition is heating up and El Al is planning to go head-on with a lower-cost version called Up.
Israel, though an extremely high-tech and growing economy, also has some market features that make it unique compared to equivalent countries in different climates. There is a gigantic Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market. There is also a lot of business traffic traveling from Continental Europe on restrictive travel budgets. Realistically, most of the high-yield traffic comes from destinations in Northern Europe, North America, and Asia. British low-cost carrier easyJet is expanding its services to Tel Aviv at a seemingly unending rate. There is even talk of Easyjet competitor RyanAir starting Tel Aviv service this year.
