Ryanair’s costly acceptance of trade unions is proving to have a bright side: the carrier aims to open 2 bases in France, where its hard-line labour policies have allowed only a limited presence. Ryanair aims to station 5 jets at each of the hubs, according to CCO David O’Brien, who said Tuesday that the company has met representatives of airports in Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse. Talks on recognising French labour groups are ongoing. While Ryanair has served France for years, the carrier has done so with aircraft stationed elsewhere, and has never been able to establish the permanent bases and local employee structures that have served as a springboard to dominance in other countries. Markets including Scandinavia may also now open up. <br/>
unaligned
Canadian investigators have disclosed that a SkyWest Airlines Bombardier CRJ200 which emitted flame from an engine on start-up had accumulated de-icing fluid in the power plant. The jet had been preparing to depart Winnipeg for Minneapolis and had taxied to the de-icing area, where fluid was applied with the left-hand General Electric CF34 engine shut down. As it proceeded to the runway the jet's crew attempted to start the engine. But the pilots received a "hot-start" indication with temperatures of 600C, says the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, and carried out a shutdown procedure. The aircraft underwent a maintenance inspection after returning to the gate. While there was no indication of damage, says the board, maintenance personnel found a "significant" quantity of de-icing fluid in the affected engine. <br/>
Human error may be to blame for the Saratov Airlines plane crash that killed 71 people, Russian investigators said Tuesday, noting that the plane's pilots failed to turn on the heating unit for its measuring equipment, resulting in flawed speed data. After studying the An-148's flight data recorder, the Interstate Aviation Committee said that Sunday's crash near Moscow occurred after the pilots saw conflicting data on the plane's 2 air speed indicators. The flawed readings came because the pilots failed to turn on the heating unit. The pilots had placed the An-148 on autopilot after taking off from Moscow Domodedovo but took its manual controls back when they heard alarm signals warning of conflicting speed data. One indicator showed the plane's speed at zero, investigators said. <br/>
Virgin Atlantic has found itself at the centre of a social media row after removing the word Palestinian from an in-flight meal following complaints. A couscous-style salad had been described on a menu as "inspired by the flavours of Palestine". Pro-Israel social media users called for a boycott of the airline, saying it pandered to Palestinian supporters. However, the airline's decision to remove the terms sparked a fresh backlash from Palestinian sympathisers. Virgin Atlantic said the airline chose to name the dish Palestinian couscous salad as the main ingredient, maftoul, is not widely-known. Maftoul is often referred to as Palestinian. A spokesperson said: "We'd like to reassure all customers that our sole intention was to bring new flavours on-board, and never to cause offence through the naming or renaming of the dish." <br/>