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Weekly UpdatesJun 14, 2009
Air France KLM
Air France pilots represented by the Alter union, totaling about 12% of the carrier's flight crew, were told they should refuse to fly A330s or A340s until at least two of three pitot tubes on each aircraft are replaced. An Alter spokesperson told Bloomberg News, "We made this decision following our reading of the technical messages" sent by the aircraft. "Air France communicated to pilots that it accelerated the program to replace these probes. I'm not a technical expert but it makes us fear that this is a very serious matter." Air France began changing the Thales probes on its A320s in late 2007 and on its A330s/A340s in late April. Jun 9, 2009
Air France KLM
Air France's largest pilots union said yesterday that management had informed it that at least two of three pitot tubes on each of the carrier's A330s/A340s will be replaced "within days," while EASA issued a statement declaring that all A330s "are airworthy and safe to operate." AF has said that it began replacing pitot tubes on A330s/A340s in late April, but its pilots expressed concern that the replacements weren't being done quickly enough given the focus on the possible role of pitot tubes in last week's A330-200 crash. Jun 9, 2009
Air France, Airbus
Air France chief questions sensor role in crash. Air France is not yet convinced that faulty speed sensors were to blame for the loss of one of its planes over the Atlantic, but it is replacing old sensors as a precaution, the airline's chief executive said on Thursday. Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told reporters that Air France was in a state of shock over the worst disaster in its 75 year history and expected more information about what happened within a week. An Air France (AIRF.PA) Airbus 330 crashed into the sea on June 1 enroute from Brazil to Paris, killing all 228 aboard. Air accident investigators have said the Airbus registered inconsistent speed readings just before contact was lost, raising speculation that the pilots might inadvertently have flown at the wrong speed and precipitated the disaster. Air France subsequently reported that it had noticed temporary loss of air speed data on previous Airbus flights due to ice collecting in the sensors, known as pitot tubes, and said it was speeding up a pre-planned replacement programme. Jun 11, 2009
Air France, Airbus
The French BEA has stated that data transmitted by Flight 447 before it was lost indicated "inconsistent" speed readings. The SNPL-ALPA union, representing more than 80% of Air France pilots, said yesterday at least two of three pitot tubes would be replaced on all A330s "within days" even it if causes flight delays. "Air France has provided us with an extremely proactive and very accelerated replacement program," it said. The airline did not comment. The Alter union representing about 12% of AF pilots on Monday encouraged members not to fly A330s/A340s until the pitot tube were replaced. Jun 9, 2009
Air France, Airbus, EADS
Airbus parent EASA yesterday issued a safety bulletin as a "precautionary measure" to remind operators "of existing procedures to be applied in the event of loss of, or unreliable, speed indication." It added, "With regard to reports [on AF447] about a possible malfunctioning of the airspeed indication system (pitot tubes), the agency is analyzing data with a view to issuing mandatory corrective action, without prejudging the outcome of the accident investigation." Jun 9, 2009
Airbus
U.S. carriers say they are installing new speed-detection devices on Airbus aircraft used for long-haul flights. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and US Airways are switching out so-called pitot tubes as recommended by the manufacturer. Jun 11, 2009
Airbus
Airbus denies planning to ground A330/340 fleet. Airbus denied on Wednesday a French newspaper report that it is considering grounding its fleet of A330 and A340 planes in the wake of last week's Atlantic plane disaster, saying they are safe to fly. Le Figaro reported in its early Thursday edition that Airbus does not exclude the move after the Air France plane, an A330, crashed during a storm. Responding to the report that Airbus may ground the fleet of almost 1,000 jets and order airlines to change speed sensors, Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath told Reuters: "We are not considering grounding the fleet because it is safe to operate". Jun 9, 2009
Airbus
Airline flying the Airbus A330 distance themselves from possible problems of airspeed sensors. Several airlines flying the type of plane involved in the Air France crash said Tuesday they use a different brand of airspeed sensor than those aboard the doomed flight, distancing themselves from instruments seen as a possible factor in last week's accident. At the same time, other carriers that use probes similar to those on the flight - including Delta Air Lines Inc. and the Middle East's Qatar Airways - said they are working to upgrade the devices on dozens of Airbus planes. The Air France Airbus A330-200 jet disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean while on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing 228 people on board. Jun 9, 2009
Airbus
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus said on Monday that its A330-200 aircraft was safe and was essential for the airline industry. "It's the backbone of the industry," Airbus Commercial Director John Leahy told reporters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association. An Airbus A330-200 operated by Air France crashed in the Atlantic Ocean last week, killing all 228 people on board. Jun 8, 2009
Airbus
Airlines operating the Airbus A330-200 jet, the model that crashed in the Atlantic last week, said Monday they would wait for a directive from plane maker Airbus before making any equipment changes. The CEO of Gulf Air, Bjorn Naf, said he was seeking a meeting with Airbus during the annual International Air Transport Association (IATA) gathering in Kuala Lumpur to get an update on the latest findings on the crash and its causes. Airbus had detected some faulty speed readings on its A330 jets ahead of last week's crash of an Air France airliner, and had advised clients to replace a part, French air investigators said on Saturday. Jun 8, 2009
Airbus, Air France
Air accident investigators have said an Air France Airbus A330 was registering "inconsistent" speed readings before it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean last week. Air France has since said it noticed temporary loss of air speed data on previous Airbus flights due to icing up of the speed sensors, or pitot tubes. Aviation experts and pilots' unions have asked whether the same thing might have happened on the doomed Airbus A330 as the pilots tried to navigate equatorial thunderstorms. Jun 9, 2009
Airbus, Air France
Air France has said all its flights using long-haul Airbus jets will be equipped immediately with new speed sensors after last week's disaster over the Atlantic, a pilots' union said on Tuesday.The pitot tubes that gauge speed have become the focus of an investigation into the crash after messages showed they provided "inconsistent" data to the pilots and might have played a role in the June 1 crash. One Air France union urged its pilots to stop flying Airbus (EAD.PA) A330 and A340 aircraft until the old sensors were replaced and the company has since committed itself to a swift change-out, a union official said. "Air France has provided us with an extremely proactive and very accelerated replacement programme," said Erick Derivry, spokesman of the main SNPL pilots union. "From today, all Air France A330 and A340 flights will use planes equipped with at least two new sensors out of three (on board)," he told France Info radio. Air France, which has 19 A340s and 15 A330s, declined to comment. Jun 9, 2009
ZZ AirGuide 090615
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