by Lufthansa Flyer | Feb 8, 2012 | Industry News |
Reuters has reported this morning that Qantas had decided to ground one of its A380s as a result of discovering the same types of cracks within the wing structure that have plagued other A380s recently.
As a result the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)has issued a directive to now require inspections of ALL A380s regardless of age. Previously the EASA had required inspections only on certain A380 that had met certain criteria based on their age and flight cycles. The EASA has not issued a deadline for these inspections at this point.
I previously wrote about these developing issues and if you’d like to get caught up on them please read my other posts here and here.
Personally, if I were the decision maker within the EASA I would order an immediate grounding of the A380 fleet and order inspections and repairs to take place immediately. Heck, if I am a decision maker within an Airline, I would ground my fleet until I was assured that my passengers would not be at risk. Call me an alarmist, but I’d rather be safe than sorry in this scenario!!
Even though they have always stated that these issues are not putting passengers in risk, how can they be certain? Anytime you have the word ‘crack’ and ‘wing’ in the same sentence has to cause alarm!
What I’m afraid of here is that the EASA may be factoring in economics in its equation which could jeopardize passenger safety. Grounding a fleet obviously would cost millions upon millions in service disruptions.
I’d rather have airlines cancel flights or re-tool their timetables in the short term and fix these issues beyond reproach, versus having to read about a passenger airliner disaster that could have been prevented.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Feb 8, 2012 | Uncategorized |
As part of my trip in January to Hong Kong, I took time to visit Temple Street and the market that takes place there each evening. I was getting a bit tired from walking around all day so I went early, around 6pm, just as the vendors were setting up their stands. Going a bit before sun down will also give you a better chance at the inventory as the market tends to get very crowded at night.
Temple Street is a mainstay in the Hong Kong experience. Every travel guide you see or visit on the internet suggests a stop to Temple Street and to take in the experience. Vendors selling everything from textiles to electronics to typical “I LOVE HONG KONG” type souvenirs. The one thing I appreciated above all else is that you were not being harassed into visiting any vendor’s booth. Vendors readily let you browse and were quick to offer deals. The one word of advice that I would offer is that it is expected that you negotiate. I think the vendors actually enjoy the back and forth with a perspective patron. They also use it as an opportunity to increase the quantity of items you purchase so it helps them sell more and pack less to take home after the market ends.
For example, one vendor had a great selection of silk Table Runners and I was looking for some to bring back for my wife. She has decorated a couple of rooms in our home in an Asian theme and I thought the runners would be a nice and useful addition. The only problem was that there were dozens of patterns and colors to chose from. I figured when in doubt, buy several different ones in the hopes that a few would be acceptable. As I was sorting through literally dozens of different ones, I asked the price and was told they were $75 (Hong Kong Dollars, about $10 US Dollars). As I started pulling out the ones that I wanted, the price started coming down. I countered with my offer and we agreed finally on $50 ($7 USD) a piece. I was happy at the great deal, and the vendor was genuinely happy that she sent me packing with several of them. A win-win for both of us.
Temple Street however is more than just a collection boths with items for sales. There are also great food stands and restaurants in the immediate area. Everything from the typical noodle shops to seafood stands to traditional sit down restaurants. I was there at the exact time that they were bringing in that days seafood catch and were beginning to prep it for their menus. The variety of fish and other seafood was impressive. Tons of variety!
Images from the market:
Some of the food options at Temple Street:
To read my review of the Hyatt Regency as part of this trip, please click HERE. Other parts of the trip will be posted soon (Nathan Road, Mong Kok, etc).
by Lufthansa Flyer | Feb 7, 2012 | Airlines |
A couple updates this morning (the trend to fill the gap in Budapest routes continues):
Blue1:
Helsinki-Budpest effective June 2-August 11 begins 2x/week service.
Aegean:
Athens-Budapest effective March 9 begins 4x/week service.
PREVIOUS 3 STAR ALLIANCE UPDATES: ONE TWO THREE
