Monday 29 October 2018

A brand new passenger jet crashes in Indonesia


Full article on economist.com

On October 29th a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airliner, one of the newest and most technologically advanced passenger planes in the world, crashed into the Java Sea shortly after leaving Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. If, as is feared, none of the 189 passengers and crew aboard Lion Air Flight 610 survived, the crash will become the second deadliest in Indonesia’s history. It is also the first involving a MAX aircraft, which only entered service last year. Speculating on the causes at this early stage is both unhelpful to investigators and disrespectful to victims. Most aircraft losses stem from a web of technical, environmental and human factors, the nuances of which take months to unearth. But, as they get to work, investigators will inevitably have Indonesia’s poor air-safety record at the front of their minds...

Wednesday 3 October 2018

Primed for failure


Full article on economist.com

Primera Air changed its low-cost business model this year by adding scheduled long-haul flights to its predominantly short-haul charter network. Hrafn Thorgeirsson, its chief executive, had said that the change was necessary to avoid the structural decline of the European market for charter flights. He could have saved himself the bother. The airline entered administration on October 2nd after failing to secure further funding for its loss-making long-haul operation, which was beset by delays and cancellations during its first and only summer season. Its collapse leaves thousands of customers stranded and tens of thousands more out of pocket...