Aviation

Aeroflot named world’s leading airline brand

Aeroflot begins flights to Beijing Daxing International Airport

11 December 2017, Moscow — Aeroflot has taken the prestigious World’s Leading Airline Brand 2017 prize at the World Travel Awards, the first time the nomination has been awarded.

Known as the Oscars of the tourism industry, the World Travel Awards are given every year to leading tour firms, hotels and airlines. Country-level and regional awards take place during the year, followed by the world event. Winners are decided by an online vote that attracts hundreds of thousands of travel professionals and millions of travellers to take part. The key criteria are product quality and level of service.

The global WTA ceremony took place on 10 December at the renowned Vietnamese island resort of Phu Quoc. Aeroflot took the World’s Leading Airline Brand nomination in a highly competitive field including carriers such as Emirates. “This award is a great honour for us, and also a well deserved result,” said Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev. “The World Travel Awards are the Oscars of the tourism industry, and to triumph in such a prestigious category has taken many years of work. Today Aeroflot is one of the world’s top-20 airlines by passenger numbers. We hold 4-Star Airline status from Skytrax and were recently named a Five Star Global Airline by US passenger association APEX. I am proud that we have been recognised as the world’s leading aviation brand.

Aeroflot will do everything it can to hold on to this title going forward.” Earlier this year Aeroflot won two key categories at the regional World Travel Awards: Europe’s Leading Airline Brand and Europe’s Leading Airline – Business Class. This result meant Russia’s flagship carrier was able to advance to the global awards, something no other Russian company has previously achieved.

In February Aeroflot was named the world’s most powerful airline brand by Brand Finance, the leading authority on brand value and strategy. Aeroflot was also named the most powerful brand in Russia in any sector.

Related Topics:Aeroflot best airline in the world Russia

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”