Have heard that the A330s might be painted in a CityFlyer livery/titles or something like that? What's the truth to this rumour anyone??? If true, then are other aircraft following suit?
;)

Hitching a ride??
 

If I were to get myself down to Toulouse think they'd let me hitch a ride on the ferry flight?

Missy,

I think any push back and taxi issues while very short lived will be more than made up by the A330 better cruise performance, i.e., M.82 against M.77-78 for B767/737. I can also assure you at domestic weights even the A330-300 would have no problems with most of the runways in Sydney.

.78 in a 767 on domestic! You don't often see less than .81 (unless being sequenced behind a recently deiced 737-800 :rolleyes: )

Gee, I've taken a bagging with this one.

404, you say "I can also assure you at domestic weights even the A330-300 would have no problems with most of the runways in Sydney". Most of the runways, we only have 6 so which ones are you excluding. With the 767s still requiring 16R when we nominate LTOP 07/25 for arrival, then why wouldn't the A330 be the same?

Anyway, we won't have to wait too long before one of us is eating humble pie. I still reckon that the A330 during the early days will be slow around the aerodromes as the pilots get used to it and that during the first month there is a technical delay of more than 60 minutes.

Nose Wheel

The first group of pilots trained on the A330 were Project/Technical pilots and Senior Check Captains who then did line training with either DragonAir or Malaysian. To my knowledge there were no "89" issues with that group. The first group of Line pilots who went to HKG for simulator training are being trained by the QF SCC's who were trained in Toulouse. There would be "89" issues with some of that group, however, I understand that this group will not be doing any line training with other carriers.

Missy,

Don’t have exact detail on A330-200 specs, but on the A330-300, 16R/34L Arr/Dep & 07/25 Arr not a problem. 16L/34R though are no go. As the –200 will only be operating domestically, I can’t see why it wouldn’t at least be able to operate to this. Not sure of the exact details of the QF 330’s, but generally the –200 have the same fuel system and I think very similar capacity as the A340-300, i.e., centre, inner, outer and stab fuel tanks, (111000kg total). The A330-300 doesn’t have a centre tank. This makes the –200 a potential Ultra Long Haul aircraft. On a one-hour sector it would typically only need about 11-15000kg of fuel to complete the sector. Such a short sector would make it a landing weight limited flight, so therefore it would make it a very light A/C on departure.

The first A330 is on sched to arrive mid Dec with the inaugural flight being SYD - PER in early Jan with GD on board. Why SYD - PER I hear you ask? Because thats where GD just happened to be going anyway! Perfect sector for equip with a 300+ pax load. And yes, livery will include the Cityflyer logo on the fuselage! Oh, by the way Skypark, you've obviously never heard of the concept of teething problems. Every organisation suffers them when introducing change of this magnitude. Just because I know how to drive my Holden doesn't mean I know how to drive my neighbours Renault. All operational staff will acquit themselves with the professionalism they were employed for, however, you can train as much as you like but when the rubber ball hits the road nothing beats hands on experience!:cool: :cool:

404 Titan why will 16L/34R be a no go for the A330?

ACB,

it was announced ages ago that the A330 would be starting on SYD - PER and SYD - CNS

Ftrplt, or is that Maverick, are you suggesting I don't tell you something YOU already know by telling me something I already know! :D :D

SYD-PER, let's hope its a 34 day and the winds are such that the FPL is via the gong, and then we'll see how it new jet handles the MARUB SID!!

330 routes
 

ftrplt,

The Perth sectors are just one-offs to get the show on the road so to speek! After the initial Syd-Per-Mel, the 330s are only doing Mel-Syd and Bne-Syd sectors at this stage.

;)

RaTa,

I didn’t say the A330 couldn’t take 16L/34R. What I said is that the A330-300, which I operate on Long Haul, can’t handle it. I then went on to say that the –200 should be able to at least match this. I am sure at domestic weights and right conditions the –200 could handle the above runway. The next time I fly an A330-300, I am only flying the A340 for the next month, I will check the RTOW charts for 16L/34R Sydney and let you know.
:)

and will the A330 be participating in PDC?

HOBAY. Your sources are saying different things to mine. The initial patterns have a large amount of MEL-PER & SYD-PER sectors with only a moderate amount of MEL-SYD-MEL sectors.

332 schedules
 

Where's your info from Boeing? Mine says
Mel-Syd 7,9:30,15:30,18;
Syd-Mel 7,12,15:30,18;
Syd-Bne 10:05;
Bne-Syd 11:40.

:D

Qantas picks up first Airbus

Friday 6 December 2002, 10:06AM


Australian travellers are set to enter a new era of air travel with Qantas Airways Ltd picking up its first ever Airbus plane.

Having flown rival Boeing jets for its entire history, Qantas has picked up its first ever Airbus.

The 300 seat A330-200 is expected to cost 10 per cent less to run when it comes into service on the Sydney to Melbourne Cityflyer route in early January.

Qantas has bought 13 A330-200s and A330-300s from Airbus in a major fleet upgrade.

Qantas Group general manager engineering technical operations David Cox said the purchase represented a major step in the airline's fleet renewal program.


"The A330 that we accept today begins a bright new era for Qantas, carrying more passengers, more economically, in more space and comfort - it is a great aircraft for our passengers and our business," Mr Cox said.

The two classed wide body aircraft will be used on key Cityflyer routes between Sydney and Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth as they are added to the Qantas fleet over the next three years.

The twin engined A330-200s will seat 38 business class passengers and 265 in economy providing a boost to the airline's capacity.

"Having flown rival Boeing jets for its entire history, Qantas has picked up its first ever Airbus."

So what about the 4 A300's that Qantas operated in the 90's. I know they were purchased by TAA/Australian but they did wear Qantas colours.

Good to see the press has done it's homework again.

If you want to get technical they QF has never 'picked up' a new aircraft from the factory they aquired them from a merger, they didn't say first Airbus in QF colours...