An out-of-balance JetBlue Airways Airbus A321 tilted onto its tail and rested with its nose high in the air while on the ground at New York’s John F Kennedy International airport on 22 October. Images and video posted on X, the site formerly called Twitter, show the jet, while at a gate, resting tail-down on the tarmac. New York-based JetBlue confirms the incident, saying the A321 had been operating flight 662 from Barbados to JFK. “Once at the gate, due to a shift in weight and balance during de-planing, the tail of the aircraft tipped backward causing the nose of the aircraft to lift up and eventually return back down,” JetBlue says. “No injuries were reported. Safety is JetBlue’s first priority.” “The aircraft has been taken out of service for inspection,” it adds. JetBlue does not provide additional details. Flight tracking website FlightStats shows JetBlue operated the Barbados-JFK flight with an A321 registered as N959JB. JetBlue received that jet, powered by twin International Aero Engines V2500s, new from Airbus in 2015, according to Cirium fleet data.<br/>
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Saudi Arabian flag-carrier Saudia’s parent company is rebranding its various divisions as part of the transformation which has included developing a new livery for the airline. The parent will be known as Saudia Group and will comprise 12 business units, several of which will adopt new names. Its maintenance arm is being rebranded as Saudia Technic – from its previous identity as Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries – while its training operation will be known as Saudia Academy. Saudia Technic is developing an “MRO village”, says the group, which will localise manufacturing and, through manufacturing partnerships, become an authorised service centre for the Middle East and North Africa region. The group adds that Saudia Academy – which was previously called Prince Sultan Aviation Academy – has plans to transform into a “specialised” facility at regional level, with international accreditation. Saudia Group, which also includes budget carrier Flyadeal, is aiming to expand its aircraft fleet to 318 serving a network of 175 destinations, according to director general Ibrahim Al Omar. “The new brand offers much more than an evolution of our visual identity, but rather a celebration of all that we have achieved,” he says. “We are entering a new era, and we believe that we now have everything in place to deliver on our promise to bring the world to Saudi Arabia and demonstrate what the kingdom has to offer from a tourism and business perspective.”<br/>
Vietnam carrier Bamboo Airways aims to sharply curtail its international operations, focusing on narrowbody aircraft and possibly exiting its long-haul network. The airline says it that it aims “to chart a new, suitable course” in 2023-24 that will see it operate only narrowbody aircraft, and focus on Vietnam domestic routes between the top three Vietnamese cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang. It will also offer services on Southeast routes. “For the route network, Bamboo Airways has improved commercial efficiency by reducing the frequency of a number of inefficient routes with low passenger demand while increasing operation on routes recording high demand,” says the carrier. “This has enabled the airline to optimally meet market capacity and enhance the overall performance of its network.” The carrier does not state the routes it will cut, but Cirium schedules data for November 2023 suggests that Bamboo is poised to eliminate services to London Gatwick, Melbourne, and Seoul. For the time being it seems that the airline will retain long-haul services from Ho Chi Minh City to Frankfurt and Sydney. Bamboo’s fleet will also undergo major changes, though it offers no concrete details. It suggests, however, that it may exit widebody aircraft.<br/>
Nepal Airlines is searching for a supplier to provide short-take-off aircraft, and has issued a formal request for proposals. The carrier is seeking three newly-built STOL aircraft with at least 18 seats. It states that they should be reconfigurable, such that the seats can be removed or folded in order to transport cargo. The aircraft must be able to operate from a 1,500ft runway and have payload-range capability to transport 1.8t of cargo over 100nm. Nepal Airlines intends to take delivery of the first airframe six months after agreeing a contract, and the other two at six-month intervals. Bidders must submit their proposals by 5 December. Nepal Airlines operates a fleet including Airbus A330 and A320 jets, but also Viking Air DHC-6-300 Twin Otter turboprops.<br/>
The Transport Workers’ Union on Tuesday alleged that Virgin Australia was not honouring its payment commitments to ground and cabin crew and sought a ballot to take industrial action against the Bain Capital-owned airline. The union said workers had applied for a protected action ballot with the Fair Works Commission to obtain rights for a strike. “Ground workers have asked the Fair Work Commission to grant them a Protected Action Ballot because they can’t afford to stay in low-paid, part-time and insecure jobs,” Nick McIntosh, the union’s national assistant secretary, said in a press statement. The carrier was expected to sign up to five commitments including an employee share scheme as well as investments in technology and workers to maintain safe and fair standards, according to a statement from the union in July. Virgin Australia said earlier in the day it was in talks with the ground staff for a new enterprise agreement. “We are in the process of negotiating a new enterprise agreement for our Pit Crew employees ... continue to negotiate in good faith with our people and the Transport Workers’ Union,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson said. Virgin Australia posted its first profit in 11 years for fiscal 2023 earlier this month, buoyed by a recovery in travel demand following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Reuters reported earlier this month that the airline had delayed its listing plans in Australia to 2024 after assessing market conditions.<br/>