CX: What's wrong with our loos?
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CX: What's wrong with our loos?
currently enjoying (forced into taking) some vacation but caught the scmp today and noticed the story on the airbus lav problem... can any 330/340 drivers shed any light? are new cost saving measures to blame or are we just up the creek; have things come to a head?
cheers
cheers
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CX Chap,
allegedly a certain airline (not to be named here for legal reasons) moved from using the product 'A' approved cleaning solution, to the product 'B' approved cleaning solution, as a certain airline has more product 'B' aircraft. Then in an ebullient manner somebody thought the cleaning interval was too short......
But this is a rumour and will be denied vehemently!
Brgd's
Smooth Mover
allegedly a certain airline (not to be named here for legal reasons) moved from using the product 'A' approved cleaning solution, to the product 'B' approved cleaning solution, as a certain airline has more product 'B' aircraft. Then in an ebullient manner somebody thought the cleaning interval was too short......
But this is a rumour and will be denied vehemently!
Brgd's
Smooth Mover
Seem to recollect that, when the B744 first flew pax, there was a problem with holding tanks indicating 'FULL' in error.
I heard that the high level sensors took exception to being paintballed by solid matter travelling at about 50 knots, indicated 'FULL' and shut down the section.
Engineers designed mod involving deflector plates or, as a non tech acquaintance referred to them, 'jobbie wheechers'.
I heard that the high level sensors took exception to being paintballed by solid matter travelling at about 50 knots, indicated 'FULL' and shut down the section.
Engineers designed mod involving deflector plates or, as a non tech acquaintance referred to them, 'jobbie wheechers'.
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Mysterious toilet blockages plague airline
AFP
26 November 2009
CATHAY Pacific will fit its Airbus fleet with new pipes after a toilet on a packed flight broke down, forcing an emergency landing.
Toilets on the Hong Kong airline's Airbus A330 and A340 planes have been blocked in three separate incidents over the past 11 days, Cathay spokeswoman Carolyn Leung said, confirming a report by the South China Morning Post.
One November 17 flight from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to Hong Kong carrying 278 passengers was forced to divert to Mumbai, when flight attendants discovered shortly after take-off that none of the plane's 10 toilets was working.
The enforced detour caused an 18-hour delay on what should have been an eight-hour flight.
The two other flights affected by blocked toilets were from Rome to Hong Kong on November 9 and Dubai to Hong Kong on November 19.
In both cases, the number of passengers had to be restricted to fewer than 240 when it was discovered before take-off that only toilets on one side of the plane were functioning.
The exact cause of the toilet blockages remained unclear, the spokeswoman said, adding that passengers might be partly to blame.
”You would be amazed at what we find in the pipes when we clean the system – not just face towels but medicine bottles, socks, items of clothing and even children's stuffed toys,'' Leung said.
The airline said it has consulted Airbus about the problem and its engineers are now fitting new pipes and carrying out deep-cleaning treatment on toilets.
Aircraft toilets use high-speed pipes that carry waste at up to 110 kilometres an hour into a holding tank which is emptied between flights.
Two vacuum systems operate separately on each side of the plane, meaning that a blockage usually affects all toilets on one side of the aircraft.
Cathay's internal guidelines say the minimum toilet-to-passenger ratio in economy class should be one to 80.
AFP
26 November 2009
CATHAY Pacific will fit its Airbus fleet with new pipes after a toilet on a packed flight broke down, forcing an emergency landing.
Toilets on the Hong Kong airline's Airbus A330 and A340 planes have been blocked in three separate incidents over the past 11 days, Cathay spokeswoman Carolyn Leung said, confirming a report by the South China Morning Post.
One November 17 flight from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to Hong Kong carrying 278 passengers was forced to divert to Mumbai, when flight attendants discovered shortly after take-off that none of the plane's 10 toilets was working.
The enforced detour caused an 18-hour delay on what should have been an eight-hour flight.
The two other flights affected by blocked toilets were from Rome to Hong Kong on November 9 and Dubai to Hong Kong on November 19.
In both cases, the number of passengers had to be restricted to fewer than 240 when it was discovered before take-off that only toilets on one side of the plane were functioning.
The exact cause of the toilet blockages remained unclear, the spokeswoman said, adding that passengers might be partly to blame.
”You would be amazed at what we find in the pipes when we clean the system – not just face towels but medicine bottles, socks, items of clothing and even children's stuffed toys,'' Leung said.
The airline said it has consulted Airbus about the problem and its engineers are now fitting new pipes and carrying out deep-cleaning treatment on toilets.
Aircraft toilets use high-speed pipes that carry waste at up to 110 kilometres an hour into a holding tank which is emptied between flights.
Two vacuum systems operate separately on each side of the plane, meaning that a blockage usually affects all toilets on one side of the aircraft.
Cathay's internal guidelines say the minimum toilet-to-passenger ratio in economy class should be one to 80.
LongTimeInCX
One of the engineers in Sydney said it was the extract air ducting having partially collapsed and restricting the airflow.
One of the engineers in Sydney said it was the extract air ducting having partially collapsed and restricting the airflow.
Last edited by 404 Titan; 26th Nov 2009 at 10:25.
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Also said by another engineer: the air filter (Extracting air)in the toilets gets clogged up, not cleaned on a regular basis. The air (smell) then finds its way into the flight deck
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Loos..
Cathay to ground all A330/A340 which had a cleaning procedure change ? " heard it from someone - is it true ???
There has been a re-introduction of cleaning toilet pipes using crushed ice and with another newly introduced chemical.
A330 that diverted into BOM was found to have toilet pipe blocked approx 6-8" solid by ex pax stuff put down toilets, towels, tissue boxes and the like...
TW
Maybe O'Leary has got it right...charge the SLF a 'Crapper Surcharge'!
LongTimeinCX...you are absolutely correct...we do need a better class of PAX but that ain't going to happen when all the punters treat air travel equipment like a public convenience and we are supposedly in a huge economic downturn.
Having said that, the last 8 sectors I have done had a total of 100 seats unsold, which on my calculator is about a 97% load factor.
LongTimeinCX...you are absolutely correct...we do need a better class of PAX but that ain't going to happen when all the punters treat air travel equipment like a public convenience and we are supposedly in a huge economic downturn.
Having said that, the last 8 sectors I have done had a total of 100 seats unsold, which on my calculator is about a 97% load factor.
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Oh the irony of diverting to India to get your toilets unblocked!
I wonder how much this little 'cost saving' maintenance reduction program ended up costing 'the group'. Whats the first thing that the public think, 'where else are they skimping on maintenance' springs to mind.
I wonder how much this little 'cost saving' maintenance reduction program ended up costing 'the group'. Whats the first thing that the public think, 'where else are they skimping on maintenance' springs to mind.
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Why shouldn't they skimp on maintenance, they've already been given the green light by the CAD to do as they please with matters that affect the safety of the public.
This is what happens when there is no oversight.
This is what happens when there is no oversight.
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The saga continues
Been told the Bus flight HKG to LHR flight very narrowly escaped landing en-route due to blocked toilets on Tues. Toilets backed up to full toilet bowls, yummy, I bet the pax enjoyed that and cannot wait to fly back on CX. Merry Xmas. A most unpleasant experience for pax and crew alike.
Good to see its been dealt with, NOT.
Good to see its been dealt with, NOT.