Top 7 stories of this week in Aviation Industry

Welcome to our new series, Week In Review, where we compile the biggest news in the Aviation Industry for the entire week. This week, we will be taking a look at a few headlines in the Aviation Industry which have impacted air travel.

Dubai’s Flood and It’s impact on Aviation 

Dubai recently experienced record-setting rainfall and subsequent flooding. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed the heaviest rain since records began in 1949. Flights were severely disrupted due to flooded runways, with the tarmac of Dubai International Airport being completely flooded due to the overwhelming rainfall. Dubai, a country with an arid climate, usually receives approximately 100 milliliters of rainfall a year on average. However, this particular time, it received some 250 milliliters of rainfall in fewer than 24 hours, leaving its drainage system struggling to cope with such large amounts of rainfall. This severely affected air travel, with Dubai Airport temporarily pausing arrival flights, resulting in the diversion of some flights. As the world’s second largest airport, together with it being home to one of the world’s largest airlines, this led to many holiday plans being cancelled or delayed, resulting in travelers flooding to the social media pages of Emirates and FlyDubai to voice their discontent.

In the latest statement released by Dubai Airport, Majed Al Joker, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Airports stated that Dubai International Airport will return to its full operational capacity in 24 Hours, likely bringing an end to the massive disruptions caused. 

Airlines are rerouting routes to avoid Iranian Airspace, longer flight times expected 

Amidst the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, due to instability in the region, multiple airlines have announced that they have rerouted the flight paths of some routes to avoid Iranian Airspace, with longer flight times expected for these routes. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has safety advisories in place for multiple regions in the Middle East, including Iranian and Israel’s Airspace.

This rerouting has been described by The Daily Mail as ‘the biggest disruption to air travel since 9/11’, with airlines across the world rerouting and cancelling services due to the ongoing conflict.

Singapore Airlines, a major airline which has had flights to most of its destinations in Europe rerouted as a precautionary measure, informed passengers of the potentially longer flight time expected, further adding that they would assist affected customers to re-accommodate them on to alternative flights, should they miss their connection. This mirrors actions by airlines such as Qantas, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic, who had to modify the flight paths of some flights to avoid the Iranian Airspace. 

Scoot Takes Delivery of new E190-E2 aircraft 

Scoot, a Singapore-based Low Cost Carrier, took delivery of its first E190-E2 aircraft this Monday, with it set to be operating flights on regional routes once deemed commercially unviable. This delivery of the Embraer E190 aircraft also marks the first time a Singapore-based carrier is introducing an aircraft from a Brazilian Manufacturer.

Scoot plans to start using the Embraer E190 aircraft on flights from Singapore to Krabi, before further expanding to other new destinations such as Koh Samui in Thailand and Sibu in Malaysia.

The E190 aircraft will also be used to operate flights to Hat Yai in Thailand, together with Kuantan and Miri in Malaysia after more aircraft are received. The first E190 flight would be set to take place on May 7, with an inaugural flight to Krabi. 

Airlines cancel flights due to Mount Ruang Eruption

Mount Ruang, a volcano in Northern Indonesia, erupted, resulting in cancellation of flights by airlines to Indonesia and East Malaysia. The eruption has resulted in extensive volcanic ash clouds in the air, therefore affecting airspace and visibility in the region. This has resulted in the cancellation of flights in the region, so as to ensure the safety of the passengers travelling by air. In a press release, AirAsia, a Malaysian-based Low Cost Carrier, announced that it would cancel flights to and from 9 airports, namely Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Sandakan, Labuan, Miri, Sibu, Bintulu, Kuching and Brunei.

‘AirAsia is committed to prioritising safety during this time and has notified all guests affected by the cancellations. Guests who are travelling to/from the affected destinations are encouraged to check their registered email and mobile phones for cancellation notifications.’

Apart from AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines have also cancelled flights to and from Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. However, due to the improving weather conditions, some of these cancelled flights have been reinstated, therefore lessening the impact of the flight disruptions.

FAA investigation: Passenger seated in Captain’s seat inside cockpit at cruising altitude

A viral video capturing a startling moment aboard a United Airlines charter flight from Denver to Toronto has triggered a federal investigation.

The footage, initially shared on social media by Hensley Meulens, the hitting coach for the Colorado Rockies baseball team, depicts a member of the coaching staff seated in one of the pilot seats while the aircraft was in mid-flight.

In his caption, Meulens expressed gratitude to the captain and first officer for allowing him this unusual experience. The video, filmed by another passenger, reveals the cockpit door open, and at one point, a third passenger briefly enters the flight deck. Alarmingly, during this time, the captain was absent from the cockpit.

Hamad International Airport Recognised as the “World’s Best Airport” at the 2024

Hamad International Airport (DOH) has once again been named the “World’s Best Airport” by the esteemed 2024 Skytrax World Airport Awards, which took place in Frankfurt, Germany at the Passenger Terminal Expo 2024.

Along with winning “Best Airport in the Middle East” for 10 years running, the airport was named “World’s Best Airport Shopping” for the second year in a row. In 2023, Hamad International Airport saw an extraordinary increase in passenger volume, marking a noteworthy milestone.