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Some airlines including the Lufthansa Group, QANTAS and Royal Jordanian are temporarily avoiding Iraqi airspace

Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa) (Frankfurt) is not flying over Iraq through today. The Group issued this statement:

After renewed consultation, the Lufthansa Group has decided effective immediately not to fly over Iraq until and including Sunday. This includes flights to Erbil in northern Iraq for this time period. Normally, Lufthansa flies twice weekly to Erbil and Austrian Airlines operates a daily flight. The company is also in regular and close contact with the responsible security authorities in Iraq regarding flight safety. Based on our own evaluations there is currently no danger in flying over Iraq or for Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines flights to the north Iraq city of Erbil. Nevertheless and as a precautionary measure the Lufthansa Group has decided to avoid Iraqi air space effective immediately and including Sunday. The reason for this is that the background of the decision made by some aviation authorities is not clear yet and needs a comprehensive evaluation. With this step the company carries the growing uncertainty of customers and crew members that results from the different evaluations of aviation officials. Lufthansa regrets the resulting inconvenience for its customers. However, the safety and security of its passengers is the highest priority of the company. The changed flight routes apply to all group airlines. In addition to Lufthansa, this includes Lufthansa Cargo, Austrian Airlines and Swiss. By avoiding Iraqi air space flight times will not significantly increase.

Meanwhile QANTAS Airways issued this statement about Iraqi airspace:

Qantas has closely monitored the issue of flight paths over conflict zones, particularly in light of the MH 17 tragedy, with safety our first priority.

We have no new information that alters our safety assessment of flying over Iraq, especially given the altitudes we maintain over this region.

However, given the various restrictions imposed by different governments in the past 24 hours, including by the United States’ FAA, QANTAS temporarily rerouted its flights within the Middle East to avoid Iraqi airspace. This change will apply until further information becomes available.

The flight path adjustment applies to services between Dubai and London, and is not expected to significantly increase flight times on this route.

We will continue to assess this situation and make any further amends we think are prudent.

In addition, Royal Jordanian suspended all flights to Baghdad for at least 24 hours on security grounds yesterday according to Reuters.

Lufthansa:

Lufthansa donates its Vickers Viscount 814 D-ANAF to the Museum of Technology in Speyer, Germany, will modify 157 Airbus A320 family aircraft

Lufthansa (Frankfurt) has issued this statement:

Representatives of Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Technical Training officially handed over a Vickers Viscount 814 to the Museum of Technology in Speyer in southwest Germany. Lufthansa operated the aircraft on scheduled routes from 1962 to 1969, and in 1972 converted it into a technical training aircraft. To date, more than 2,000 young people in the Lufthansa Group have undergone basic training on this Vickers Viscount as an aircraft mechanic or electrician.

In cooperation with the workshop team at the Museum of Technology in Speyer, Lufthansa Technik trainers and apprentices have now restored the Viscount 814 with the registration D-ANAF for exhibition purposes. Before being transported to Speyer, the plane had to be dismantled. It was then re-assembled at the museum and repainted in its original livery with its 1960s registration. The Lufthansa Technik apprentices completed the work in a total of 2,096 man-hours, and visitors to the museum can now admire the results.

In the 1960s, the Vickers Viscount 814 was the workhorse on European routes and was one of the most popular propeller aircraft ever deployed on short and medium-haul routes. Since 1958, Lufthansa has operated a total of eleven of these aircraft on its domestic German and European scheduled services.

A close friendship has developed between the Museum of Technology in Speyer and Lufthansa Technik, which is an honorary member of the Museum Association. For many years, both companies have collaborated successfully on joint projects. Back in 2003, Lufthansa handed over a retired Boeing 747-200 with the registration D-ABYM to the museum for the symbolic price of one euro. There was an outburst of applause as “Yankee Mike” (the phonetic designation used by pilots for the last two letters “YM” in the aircraft registration) taxied to its final parking position. And now the Vickers Viscount 814 has also found a new home.

While the Lufthansa Group is currently investing 36 billion euros in new, even more environmentally friendly aircraft as part of the largest fleet renovation process in the company’s history, the Vickers Viscount represents a “historic fleet renewal” at Speyer’s Museum of Technology.

In other news, Lufthansa has announced it will add vortex generators to reduce noise for its 157 Airbus family aircraft. The company issued this statement:

Lufthansa is an active proponent of noise abatement and is investing in the nationwide modification of 157 aircraft from its Airbus A320 family. These planes connect Lufthansa’s hubs in Frankfurt and Munich with the destinations in its closely meshed European route network.

The manufacturer, Airbus, has even developed vortex generators especially for the A320 family. These are based on the findings of research carried out by Lufthansa and the German Aerospace Center. Flyover measurements showed that the vortex generators eliminate two unpleasant tones and therefore reduce the total noise generated by the approaching plane by up to two decibels. They can be fitted both to aircraft already in service as well as to the new Airbus A319, A320 and A321 models, which are still to be delivered.

“By fitting these vortex generators to our Airbus short and medium-haul fleet, we are continuing to invest in active noise protection”, says Kay Kratky, Member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board, Operation & Hub Frankfurt. “In addition to the extensive modernisation of our fleet over the next few years, this is one of several steps that we are taking to reduce noise. It shows our commitment to working towards a balance between the interests of aviation and local residents, especially at our hubs.”

The tons that the vortex generators will eliminate are created on the underside of the wing by the pressure equalisation vents for the fuel tanks. Airflows passing over them in flight have an effect like blowing across the mouth of a bottle. The new components create a vortex in front of these vents and so prevent the noise. The modification of the existing fleet is to start in early 2014. All new deliveries of the A320 and A321 for Lufthansa will be fitted as standard with the vortex generators in future.

Top Copyright Photo: Lufthansa.

Lufthansa: