Aviation

Two planes carrying 351 crash into each other while taxiing at Los Angeles Airport

Two planes carrying 351 passengers crashed into each other at Los Angeles Airport which left a large chunk of the aircraft on the ground.
It happened when a United Airlines flight – which had just landed from New Jersey at Gate 73 at Terminal 7 – came into contact with an Alaska Airlines jet, which was departing from Gate 66.
Passengers aboard said they felt a ‘huge jolt’ and then saw part of the plane had snapped off.
No one was injured in the incident which happened around 7.45pm last night.
Diana Westmyer, a passenger on board the United flight, said she felt a huge jolt before the pilot asked passengers over the intercom to remain in their seats with their seat belts on.
She told CBS: ‘And then they came back and said we can’t move yet because they’re connected. They said they wanted everyone to sit back down because they were either going to pull us away from the other plane or pull the other plane away from us.’

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She added how she could see a big piece of the plane on the ground which ‘had clearly broken off.’
Actor Peter Cambor tweeted: ‘So…the United plane I’m on was pulling into the gate at LAX and…another plane just RAN INTO US! Planes are stuck together.’
United Airlines said its plane had been ‘taxiing to the gate at a low speed’. The 169 passengers on board disembarked as normal as engineers inspected the aircraft.
In a statement Alaska Airlines reported its plane ‘was being pushed back from the gate about 7:45pm and its wing tip clipped another aircraft’.
The 182 passengers aboard the plane managed to continue their journey to Portland, Oregon, on a different aircraft around two hours later.
LAX Public Relations Director Nancy Castles said an investigation will determine the damage to the aircraft and who was at fault in the collision.

Report : daily mail

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

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This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

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In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.