Airlines

‘MH370: The Plane That Disappeared’ streaming on Netflix

On March 8, 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 departed Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on a regular red-eye flight with 239 passengers and crew. No one in command could explain why the plane vanished from radar screens shortly after takeoff. The three-part speculative docuseries MH370: The Aircraft That Disappeared brings together a global network of family members, experts, and investigative journalists who are all still looking for answers nine years after the catastrophe.

Pakistan Airlines flight attendant lands in Toronto, then disappears(Opens in a new browser tab)

What really happened to MH370?

When Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in 2014, it plunged the passengers’ next of kin into a waking nightmare. Episode 1 of MH370: The Plane That Disappeared takes a close look into the first few hours and days following the plane’s disappearance, including what happened when conspiracy theories and false accusations started to spiral out of control.

Malaysia regains US FAA’s Category 1 safety rating(Opens in a new browser tab)

Further complicating the story of the disappearance of MH370 was what happened later. In July of that same year, Malaysian Airlines lost another aircraft when MH17 was shot down by a Russian missile. It was recently confirmed by an international team of investigators that there were “strong indications” that it was approved by Russian heads of state, which Russia has denied. In Episode 2 of MH370: The Plane That Disappeared, experts discuss how the chances of two aircraft from the same airline crashing in such a short time frame are infinitesimal, causing the conspiracy theories to go even further.

Who’s featured in MH370: The Plane That Disappeared?

Jeff Wise, science journalist and author of The Plane That Wasn’t There: Why We Haven’t Found MH370, is featured in the docuseries along with reporter and foreign correspondent Florence de Changy. Many of the victims’ next of kin including families from China, Malaysia, Australia and France are interviewed. Says director Louise Malkinson, “[The families] want people to keep talking about this. The families want a platform to be able to say, ‘Come on, it’s been nine years.’ They were all united on that.”

Is the search for MH370 still ongoing?

Authorities officially ended the search for MH370 in 2017, but many independent investigators and aviation experts are still looking for answers. Says journalist Jeff Wise, as long as the plane is not found, “the entire aviation industry has an asterisk next to it.”

Airlines

British Airways Unveils Two Groundbreaking Weather Apps for UK Operations

In an effort to better prepare for and lessen the impact of weather on any planned flight path, British Airways will be the first airline in the UK to launch two next-generation weather applications. These apps will give pilots and the flight planning teams access to real-time weather data.

At the moment, teams rely on manually created weather reports that are created early in the day. The new apps will enable pilots and flight planning teams to make more operationally effective decisions by allowing them to evaluate the effects of weather variations in real-time and better plan and adjust flight paths.

The first app will provide pilots of the airline with convenient access to weather information from The Weather Company, providing in-depth analysis of weather conditions along flight paths both prior to takeoff and during flight.

To further enhance its capabilities, future upgrades will make use of the onboard Wi-Fi connectivity* to provide real-time in-flight weather updates. The app that will eventually work with the new technologies available to pilots to provide them with exact information on weather changes will also be accessible to the airline’s Integrated Operations Control centre, the operational hub that keeps the airline operating smoothly.

The technology, which is being implemented ahead of the busy summer season, has been built and set to precisely meet the requirements of british airways credit cards’ wide route network, offering benefits across both short- and long-haul operations. This large investment is a component of british airways amex ‘ £7 billion transformation initiative, which is still focused on expanding the airline’s use of modern technologies throughout its operations.

The airline replaced its paper-based system for engineering teams earlier this year with the new Electronic Aircraft Maintenance (eLog) system, which enables instantaneous data transfer from the aircraft to engineers in a matter of seconds. This allows for the pre-ordering of any necessary parts, speeding up the resolution of issues.

Airlines

IndiGo beats Southwest Airlines to Become world’s largest airline by market cap

India’s aviation giant, IndiGo, has soared to new heights, surpassing the renowned US-based Southwest Airlines to claim the title of the world’s third most valuable airline, as per Bloomberg data released on Wednesday.

The surge in IndiGo’s market capitalization, fueled by a remarkable 4.73% jump in its share price to Rs 3,806, catapulted its market value to $17.605 billion, edging past Southwest’s $17.333 billion market cap.

IndiGo’s strategic plans for expansion further solidify its position in the global aviation landscape. With intentions to add 10 new destinations to its network in the fiscal year 2025, the airline anticipates a substantial increase in capacity and passenger growth, aiming for a gross addition of over one aircraft per week during the same period.

Such ambitious endeavors, coupled with a burgeoning demand for travel attributed to tourism and a stable oil price environment, have contributed to the surge in IndiGo’s stock prices. Analysts at InterGlobe Securities attribute indigo partners airlines upward trajectory to several factors, including the operational challenges faced by competitor Vistara and the burgeoning appetite for travel among Indian households.

The rise in income has elevated air travel to a lifestyle staple, with leisure holidays becoming increasingly prevalent. indigo partners As the holiday season approaches, airports across the nation are bracing for heightened activity, promising sustained momentum for IndiGo in the months ahead.

Airlines

Air India Cabin Crew Voices Fabric Issues in new uniforms

Air India’s much-anticipated cabin crew uniforms, designed by renowned fashion icon Manish Malhotra and unveiled with ceremony last December, have encountered a setback.

The airline’s cabin crew, who initially donned the stylish attire on the carrier’s A350 aircraft, have voiced grievances regarding the quality of the fabric. Reports suggest that concerns have arisen over issues such as fast-fading colors, casting a shadow over the otherwise celebrated launch of the new uniforms.

Despite the initial excitement surrounding their debut, the practicality and durability of the fabric have come under scrutiny. In response to the feedback received from its cabin crew members, Air India is poised to address the fabric-related issues promptly. Sources indicate that the airline is gearing up to commence production for all cabin crew uniforms, ensuring that the concerns raised are duly taken into account.

An Air India spokesperson in a statement to PTI, confirming the forthcoming measures, stated that the production program for over 8,000 cabin crew members will kick off within a week’s time. The spokesperson reassured that steps are being taken to rectify the fabric issues and ensure that the new uniforms meet the expected standards of quality and durability.

The new uniform will subsequently be distributed to the crew, aligned with the transition of Air India’s flagship A350 to long-haul international service in the coming months,” the spokesperson added.