Ethiad 777 in Cairns!
 

I was honeymoon a few weeks back and saw an Ethiad 777 at Cairns Airport, Australia. Anyone know what it was doing there?Route proving I hope. I reckon it would be a great route for any middle eastern operator, taking all the backpackers down there..........any thoughts?

The Etihad 777 you saw was A6-ETB. B777-3FX/ER, operated by Boeing for hot-weather testing for the GE90-115B's... They did not accomplish the tests as it was not hot enough...

So, unfortunately, not route-proving, but rather manufacturer testing...

Yeah, just bloody wonderful.!!!! Why not and while we are at it, try and get Gulf Air, Qatar, Saudia Arabian, Kuwait Airlines all into the country as well. Just wonderful. :yuk:

Not to Cairns but Etihad will be all over Oz by the end of the year, and not a moment too soon. Paying 5,500 dhs return to Melbourne from Dubai is ridiculous. And best of all I can fly in and out of Abu Dhabi!!!! Will be a godsend for the big Oz expat community in Ab Dab.

Like to know how Etihad will be all over AUS by end of year considering that the UAE only has approval for 49 flights a week into AUS and once EK go double daily to PER, thats the 49 gone.

More flights have been applied for (42 week extra), but do you really think little johnny and his ministry for qantas will approve those ... got to keep those bad boys from the desert who dont pay anything for their fuel away from QF now dont we!!!!!

The ETIHAD a/c was on hot wx stuff and ended up at Alice Springs for it, talked to a Boeing Security guy yesterday who was on it.
As far as the AUS routes go .....SYD later this year... and for the EK guys, at least 2 days layover Keep discovering

@ ANSA

You're obviously in the ATC biz, what other expat jobs make up the big community there? Is there a big expat community in Al Ain?

MASP
 

"Just (4pm CST, 22/1/06) tracked-spotted a Boeing 777 (with Boeing call sign; Emirate-like livery) paying a 10 minute visit to Alice Springs, and then flying out to Cairns. Apparently an experimental trip. Who knows what about the exercise?"
I posted the above on the Spectators Balcony forum without definitive response. I'm interested to find more specific info on this forum. The 777 was certainly on its way to CNS ex ASP; perhaps it had come from there. It got caught up with a go-around by the preceding aircraft (QF 725 ex DRW) due to a breaking thunderstorm, and did several orbits over the town. Sorry it wasn't hot enough here: it was >40°C in the shade throughout January (and beyond)!