Aviation

AirAsia flight from Perth to Bali turned around after midair emergency

An Indonesia AirAsia flight travelling from Perth to Denpasar with 151 passengers on board was turned back on Sunday morning after a mid-air emergency.

Flight QZ 535 was 25 minutes out of Perth when an indicator alerted the pilot to a loss of cabin pressure.

The pilot made the decision to turn back and emergency services were placed on standby at Perth Airport.

Video from passengers on board showed oxygen masks drop from the ceiling and passengers being told to brace.

The aircraft landed safely at 12:40pm and there were no injuries to passengers.

The flight was cancelled and passengers were re-booked on later flights to Denpasar.

Passengers told Channel Nine they had sent text messages to loved ones fearing they were going to die.

Engineers are tonight examining the aircraft.

The Perth woman said cabin crew were panicking, but left passengers in the dark.

“One of the stewardesses started running down the aisle and we thought, ‘why is she running?’ And then the masks fell down and everybody started panicking. Nobody told us what was going on,” she said.

Tracy, who was travelling with son Jayden, said: “My son said he didn’t want to get on another flight but I’ve assured him it can’t happen twice in a row. It’s really put me off flying. I fly every year on AirAsia.”

The plane landed safely in Perth, with passengers rescheduled for later journeys.

AirAsia said its engineers at Perth Airport were investigating the aircraft.

“The safety of our guests is our utmost priority,” the airline said in a statement. “AirAsia Indonesia apologises for any inconvenience caused.”

In June, passengers spoke of how an AirAsia flight captain told them to start prayingafter the aircraft started “shaking like a washing machine”.

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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.