Travels And Aviation NEWS: Behind the Scenes: How Boeing Delivered Air New Zealand’s First 777-300ER Dinner hosted at the Experience Music Project in downtown Seattle the night before the delivery.

The plane is one of two A320s which the airline is making

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Air New Zealand’s first Boeing 777-300ER was recently delivered to the airline, then flown to Los Angeles before heading to Auckland. Being able to show off the new interior was quite exciting. This was a huge deal for Air New Zealand, Boeing and airline geeks around the world. Boeing and Air New Zealand worked hard to make sure the hand over was not a small celebration and I wanted to share what happens behind-the-scenes on a VIP aircraft delivery.

The event really started the day before the delivery. Boeing employees, Air New Zealand guests, the media and other VIP’s were invited to take a special tour of the Boeing factory and attend a celebratory dinner. Due to scheduling I had to choose to either take a tour of the factory (which I have done quite a bit previously) or take a ride down to LAX on the new plane. Needless to say, I didn’t make the tour.

After the factory tour, people were invited to dinner, which was hosted at the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum in downtown Seattle. The dinner was quite the fancy affair. “The venue - Experimental Music Project (EMP) was a good fit for the delivery dinner as it followed ANZ ’s branding of clean, modern, sleek, technologically advanced and fun as well as all the lighting etc that are part of their new interior and product,” Linda Lee with Boeing International Communications explained to me.

Everyone was in business suits and fancy h’orderves and drinks were being served when I arrived. Although we had free access to roam the facility, I decided to stay and talk with Air New Zealand and Boeing folks. We were housed in a very large room with a huge LED wall with an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER displayed on the wall. On either side was a projected Air New Zealand logo and on the other a Boeing logo. The purple hue of the lights really matched the feeling of the inside of Air New Zealand’s new 777-300ER.

The Future of Flight's Gallery was closed off for the delivery celebration. Where you see the projector screen were the large doors that opened to reveal the new 777-300ER (click for larger).

After things calmed down we all sat in our assigned seats. Sitting on one side of me was Andrew Baker who is the Cultural and Customer Ambassador and on the other was David Wilson who is the Boeing 777 Deputy Fleet Manager and was one of the pilots taking the new 777 to Auckland. Cool. I care very little about celebrities on TV or in movies. For me, these people are celebrities. It was wonderful speaking with them and the rest of the guests at the table about airlines, airplanes and the whole business.

Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren of NYCAviation, who was also covering the event, pointed out that he enjoyed how Air New Zealand set up the seating. “Air New Zealand peppered in more than just the communications staff at the media tables. We had David, the first officer, and Chris, one of the premium cabin flight attendants at our table among others. To get their perspectives and pick their brains provided a much more frank and real discussion; one you may not have had at a table with only communications staff parroting talking points.” Oh yes, the food was not too shabby either.

What kind of dinner would it be with out those special speeches? There was a lot of thanks and appreciation that was shared between both companies and it was all well deserved. Although the dinner was a very fun and informational event, one couldn’t help but be excited about actually seeing the plane the next day.

Being December in Seattle, I was expecting rain. The airline-delivery gods were smiling on us and gave us one beautiful day. Our flight was scheduled to leave from Paine Field at 3pm, but were asked to show up at the Future of Flight by 10am. I really didn’t know the full plan for the day and I was totally fine with that. I knew I was there at 10am, plane was leaving at 3pm and I had my return flight back to Seattle. Everything else was going to be an adventure.

Going outside to check out Air New Zealand's Boeing 777-300ER for the first time.

When most airplanes are delivered to an airline there isn’t a huge ceremony. On the east side of the airport, Boeing has a building where the airline’s crew will show up, some paperwork is signed and the aircraft is flown off. Actually during the ceremony, two other airlines took delivery of other Boeing 777-300ERs: Qatar and Turkish Airlines with little fanfare. But with certain milestones, airlines like to make a little bigger deal about their delivery. “Events and deliveries vary based on the airline customer i.e. Is it a first of model, milestone delivery, participation and attendance levels etc. This obviously was a large event as it was ANZ’s First 777-300ER and the world introduction of their new interior and branding,” Lee stated.

On the Future of Flight’s gallery floor there was a large stage and chairs set up. The gallery was closed to the general public during this event, but it provides one heck of a backdrop for celebrating an airplane. After some more speeches and some paperwork signed, Boeing handed over the keys — literally. Now, the keys aren’t used to actually start the plane, but I was told they do access the cockpit door. At this point, the airplane is no longer Boeing’s and belongs to the airline (well the bank I guess). After the handshakes and big smiles, the large hangar doors opened to show the shiny new Boeing 777-300ER.

Since this was a few days before Christmas (er, non-denominational holiday time-frame) there was a Santa and two elves dancing around the plane with a big sign that read “Happy Holiday Air NewZealand!” I got too caught up looking at the new plane, others caught something a bit more touching. “Another correspondent working the event noted that he saw a few welled up eyes on the team as the doors pulled back – and I’m not surprised.” Dwyer-Lindgren explained to me. “To be able to share in that excitement and witness the deep pride they felt for their company and their plane was really something special.” The event was more than just getting a new airplane.

Me and Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren (with NYC Aviation) show off our boarding passes before getting on board at Paine Field.

Before any of us could take a look inside, Mr. Baker, in traditional garb, blessed the aircraft. Then it was finally time: checking out the inside. Since my blog about the interior already goes over that part of the event, I will skip it on this one. After we all had our tour, it was back into the Future of Flight’s gallery for some food and networking while we waited for the aircraft to be prepared for flight. This was a good time for most media-types to start writing out stories and checking the photos they took.

2. Air NZ offers mobile phone calls on new 'All Black' plane

Passengers on Air New Zealand's new black A320 will be able to make phone calls, send texts and check emails - if they are Vodafone customers.

The plane is one of two A320s which the airline is making "mobile phone capable" in the next month.

Passengers will pay roaming costs of $3.50 a minute and 80c for every outbound text. They will also pay $20 per megabyte of data.

Telecom is not offering the in-flight service.

While the move has been welcomed by some, aviation commentator Peter Clark believes the "annoyance factor" of people talking on phones in the close confines of an aircraft will upset some travellers.

"As a passenger myself I would find it extremely annoying, and extremely discomforting, to have a person sitting either side of me - if I was the person in the middle - both talking on a cellphone.

"I am a little concerned for the travelling public. I can't understand why people can't wait one hour and 20 minutes to make a voice call, to be honest."

In May last year Air New Zealand said customer feedback showed passengers did not want people talking into mobile phones on international flights. Spokeswoman Tracy Mills said that had not changed, but the new A320 was only flying domestically and not long-haul.

Customers would still be asked to keep their phones on silent or vibrate mode to minimise disruption to other passengers, she said.

However, she said the airline still had plans to install technology to allow mobile phone text message and email services in its growing fleet of 777-300s, which travel internationally. The service was expected to be running in November but has been delayed.

Voice services will not be allowed on these flights because of the potential disturbance during long flights.

A total of 16 A320s will be added to Air New Zealand's fleet over the next five years, including two which are expected to arrive later this year.

Ms Mills said the airline would evaluate demand for the service before deciding if it would be extended to the rest of the fleet. She said passengers would be able to use the internet but it would probably be quite slow.

The plane is painted black to support the All Blacks' World Cup bid.

Labour's communications spokeswoman, Clare Curran, congratulated the airline. "Domestic passengers deserve the best and this is a step in the right direction."

3. Air Nelson Q300 suffers nose gear landing failure

An Air Nelson Dash 8 Q300 was forced to make an emergency landing at New Zealand’s Blenheim Airport on February 9 after its nosegear failed to lock down in the extended position.
Forty-one passengers and three crew were on board the aircraft, which was operating a scheduled flight between Hamilton and Wellington, before diverting to Blenheim where the nosegear failed upon landing.
Fairfax reports that the Air New Zealand subsidiary’s aircraft “circled the airport at least four times before landing”. All passengers disembarked safely, while Air New Zealand made arrangements for either temporary passenger accommodation or transport to nearby Nelson Airport for a special flight to Wellington. The Q300 was subsequently moved off Blenheim’s runway as Air Nelson sought a special flight permit from manufacturer Bombardier and the New Zealand CAA to fly the aircraft to Nelson Airport for further inspection and repairs.
Initial reports suggest that the incident is unrelated to another Air Nelson Q300 nosewheel failure in September last year.

4. Nigeria-Aviation fuel: Ohunayo profers cost saving strategies

Aviation fuel-Nigeria - One factor currently determining the profit or loss airlines in Nigeria make is the cost of Jet A1 otherwise called aviation fuel which constitute 30 to 35 per cent of an airline's total cost of operation depending on oil price, aircraft type, age, engine efficiency and the overall management of operations in any particular airline. Industry stakeholder and Head of Research, Zenith Travels, Olumide Ohunayo in a paper title Relevant strategies for Nigerian Civil Aviation Industry said that fuel cost is a strong factor world over, highlighting the International Air Transport Association (IATA) position at a meeting in Istanbul.

IATA had forecast a loss of US $3-6 billion in the industry when the oil price was hovering at $135 per barrel with the Director General, Giovanni Bisignani taking a retrospective look at 2001 where airlines achieved massive change, fuel efficiency improved 19 per cent and non-fuel units cost dropped 18 per cent, all of which changed with the skyrocketing price of oil eaten these gains and left the industry in red.

Ohunayo who mentioned some global strategies used in combating the fuel monster and in achieving changes said that some airlines reduce weight on-board aircraft - documents, papers, equipment for customer usage, complaint cards, immigration cards, catering packs, in-flight entertainment (IFE) packages etc are either reduced to the barest or much lighter models are used in place of heavier versions.

Also, some airlines like Jet Blue have yanked off a row of seats while others have limited weight and height for cabin crew.

Airlines are also reducing the quantity of fuel being ferried on flights though adhering to regulations regarding fuel for taxiing, diversion, holding, reserve and contingency (for long haul flights 5 per cent contingency fuel, while for short sector flights between 5 per cent to 10 per cent fuel burn off is used to reduce weight and achieve more payload).

Unfortunately majority of the airports in Nigeria do not have fuel so airlines are forced to tanker up from base, which reduces payload, increases drag and fuel burn. Also, it is important to note, when operating into any of the French speaking countries in the sub-region, it is advisable to ferry fuel because it is so expensive that the cost of weight is off-set by cash savings.

Ohunayo also cited increased usage of Ground Based Power Unit (GPU) as a means of conserving fuel. This, he said, is about the oldest and simplest method of conserving fuel. The GPU is used to supply on-board power and air conditioning instead of the aircraft auxiliary power unit (APU). Nigerian Airlines without GPU can obtain the service from NAHCO and SAHCOL at a fee. American Airlines were able to save $14million last year due to reduced usage of APU.

Purchase of newer aircraft also helped in saving fuel. According to him, airlines are ordering newer, fuel-efficient aircraft and discarding older airplanes from their fleet. New aircraft are made of composite and other lighter material (B777, 737NG, A380, A350), easy to maintain and have much lighter Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) panelled fuselage skins.

Ohunayo also recommended taxing with one engine, a situation where one of the aircraft engines is used for moving the aircraft to the threshold or ramp in preparation for take off or parking. Here the consumption of fuel is limited as other engines are idling away.

"The operational policy of the airline and experience of operating crew are needed to achieve this objective safely. British Airways uses this procedure about 80 per cent of the time and estimates $8million savings annually, while, American Airlines saves between $10-12million."

"In Nigeria we are getting sick of the ubiquitous presidential movement and the perennial rehabilitation of the 18 left runway that keeps airlines and passengers on the tarmac. This option looks really good. "

Towing Of Aircraft: This is a new initiative being spear headed by Virgin Atlantic whereby the aircraft will be towed to the end of the runway before starting its engine this will reduce pre-take off fuel consumption and CO2 by 50 per cent. The technique might work for low frequency long haul operators but might be logistically impossible for a high frequency hub-spoke carrier.

Further more, Delta Airlines is to develop a system with Wheeling Plc which will enable pilots to taxi from take-off and landing points without using jet engines. Presently, Bellview (before it ceased operations) is about the only domestic carrier with an ICAO certified tow vehicle, other airline might have to contact SAHCOL and NAHCO for such services if they are considering this option.

Fuel Hedging, another method of saving fuel is a practice often employed by airlines; it requires making advance purchases of fuel at a fixed price for future delivery to protect against the shock of anticipated rises in price. The most successful fuel hedging airline is Southwest Airline, closely followed by Alaska Air.

It is a very sensitive practice with high risk which can be attested to by the failure of Delta and Austrian airlines to hedge successfully. Also you must have spare cash to participate in hedging. It is informative that Southwest Airline just announced that the programme has saved the airline $3.5 billion since 1999.

Linear Holding: This is a system being developed by the United Kingdom National Air Traffic Services, in conjunction with British Airways to bring aircraft down without having to engage in fuel guzzling holding patterns. This concept is known as linear holding. Rather than holding by going round in circles, it can hold farther from the airfield by slowing down earlier. It is a controlled decrease in speed such that the arrival sequence of aircraft is determined 100 miles from the airfield.

According to BA the process can shave off $2.5million per year on fuel bill. Also, Airways New Zealand, the country's navigation services provider, has experimented a glide descent approach procedure for Air New Zealand and Qantas 747s landing at Auckland International.

Engines will be set at idle from the top of the descent point in order to "significantly" reduce fuel burn and emissions. Similar trials have been run at Melbourne and Amsterdam, with a third currently operating in San Francisco. These organizations are the equivalent of our own Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP): The Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures (ATOP) system replaces the FAA's existing systems and procedures responsible for separating aircraft over the oceans, enabling controllers to reduce spacing between aircraft flying while preserving passenger safety and improving efficiency.

When fully deployed, it will manage approximately 80 percent of the world's controlled oceanic airspace, including approximately 24 million square miles over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans. New capabilities offered by the initial phase of the ATOP system will increase capacity for international air travel and automate the manual processes now in use.

The system will allow aircrafts fly more direct routes, save fuel and better on-time performance. The asia pacific region has something similar called ASPIRE (asia pacific initiative to reduce emission).

Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM): RVSM reduces the vertical separation between flight levels (FL) 290-410 from 2000 ft to 1000 ft and makes six additional FL's available for operation. The additional FL's enable more aircraft to fly more time/fuel efficient profiles and provides the potential for enhanced airspace capacity. RVSM operators must receive authorization from the appropriate civil aviation authority.

RVSM aircraft must meet required equipage and altitude-keeping performance standards. Operators must operate in accordance with RVSM policies/procedures applicable to the airspace where they are flying.

Bio-Fuel: sometimes referred to alternate fuel is being developed by airlines and other industry participants such as Airbus, Boeing, and Honeywell. This involves the conversion vegetation and algae based oil into aviation fuel, while the world waits for the outcome in the long run, I am not unmindful of the global food crisis.