Monthly Archives: November 2021

Selangor Aviation Show 2021 – Overview

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Selangor Aviation Show 2021 – Overview

Selangor Aviation Show 2021 is the first ever airshow brought together by the Malaysian State of Selangor through Invest Selangor Bhd. and its dedicated aerospace division, S-DAICO. It is being held at the Skypark Regional Aviation Centre, Subang between November 25th and 27th, 2021. The Selangor Aviation Show 2021 is an event dedicated to business aviation, general aviation and helicopters.

Malaysia’s premier aviation event – LIMA, held in Langkawi every two years was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Selangor Aviation Show was a much needed boost at least for the business/general aviation sector in Malaysia.

The main exhibitors during this edition are Embraer, Dassault Aviation, Bell Helicopters, Piaggio Aerospace, Turkish Aerospace & Robinson Helicopters.

The star of the show is the Embraer E-195 E2. This aircraft adorned in the “Profit Hunter” colours is an eye-catcher wherever it visits, and it was the same here.

Embraer E195-E2 | PR-ZIQ

Turkish Aerospace is displaying their T625 GÖKBEY multirole helicopter

Turkish Aerospace T625 GÖKBEY

Piaggio Aerospace is displaying their cute little P-180 Avanti EVO

Piaggio P-180 Avanti EVO

Also on display is the Robinson R66 Turbine aptly registered 9M-FLY

Robinson R66 Turbine

Airbus Helicopters AS350 Écureuil

Airbus Helicopters AS350 Écureuil

Diamond Aircraft displaying their DA-42 Twin Star

Diamond DA-42 Twin Star

Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin 2

Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin 2

Apart from the static aircraft display, the Selangor Aviation Show also has the exhibition area, showcasing the latest technologies, products and services in the business/general aviation and related sectors.

Exhibition Area at Selangor Aviation Show 2021
Aerodyne Agras T2 agricultural spraying system

As mentioned earlier, the Selangor Aviation Show 2021 was a great opportunity for the general aviation sector to network and display the latest on offer after nearly two years of disruption caused by the pandemic.

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Akasa Air orders 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

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Akasa Air orders 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

DUBAI, Nov 16 2021 – India’s Akasa Air has placed an order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at the Dubai Airshow 2021. The order, which was being rumored in aviation circles for the past few weeks has now finally been confirmed.

Akasa Air is a yet to be launched “Ultra Low Cost Airline” and is backed by billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala. The airline expects to start domestic operations by the summer of 2022.

The order for 72 aircraft includes two variants – The 737 MAX 8 and the high density 737- 8-200, which can seat up to 200 passengers in a single class configuration. The order is valued at around 8 billion USD at list prices, although steep discounts are often offered to customers.

This order marks a major win for Boeing in the Indian aviation market which is dominated by Airbus A320 family narrowbody aircraft. The only other airlines currently flying that operate Boeing narrowbody aircraft are SpiceJet, Air India Express and a handful of aircraft by Vistara.

Boeing put out the following tweet and press release announcing the Akasa Air order.

Akasa Air’s order will also mark the debut of the high density Boeing 737- 8-200 in the Indian market. As previously mentioned, this variant can fit up to 200 passengers in a single class configuration. The increased number of seats is made possible by reducing galley space and using slimline seats. The higher passenger number also necessitates the provision of an additional pair of emergency exits aft of the wing. Irish low cost carrier Ryanair was the launch customer of this high density variant.

Post Lockdown Flying | KUL – LGK on AirAsia Airbus A321neo – Video Report

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Post Lockdown Flying | KUL – LGK on AirAsia Airbus A321neo – Video Report

I recently flew from KUL to LGK on AirAsia’s Airbus A321neo. This was my first flight in nearly a year because of COVID-19 related lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Here is a video report on the flight:

Flight Details

Airline: AirAsia

Aircraft: Airbus A321neo

Rego: 9M-VAB

Flight No: AK 6304

Route: KUL – LGK

Flight Time: 1hr 10min

Video © 2021 Viman Photography

It certainly feels great to be back in the air once again. Hope everyone is able to take a flight to their favourite destination soon!

Now Boarding – The world’s shortest A380 flight!

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The last year and a half has been extremely difficult for all of us, and particularly for the aviation industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen lockdowns being imposed all over the world, causing massive losses to airlines leading to layoffs and in some cases airlines going bankrupt.

As the world starts getting back on its feet, long haul international travel is well poised to making a comeback. Passenger air traffic has seen a steady increase in the past few months and the upcoming end of the year festive season promises to show encouraging numbers.

Singapore Airlines – one of the world’s premier long haul airlines is gearing up for resumption of long haul international passenger flights as well. The airline, which was the world’s first to fly the Airbus A380 had parked these massive birds in the Australian desert to prevent corrosion related damages in the humid tropical weather.

Singapore Airlines is now deploying its flagship Airbus A380 aircraft on a short 1 hour hop to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is to help the flight deck and cabin crew get back up to speed on operating the aircraft. In fact, the actual flying time on this route is just over 30 minutes, earning it the nickname of the world’s shortest scheduled A380 flight.

9V-SKM touching down on Runway 32L at KUL with SQ 106 from SIN | Nov 2021

Even though the flying time is barely enough for a glass of juice or a pack of peanuts to be served, it provides valuable real-world experience to the crew on the nuances of operating this aircraft in preparation for long haul flights.

For passengers as well as aviation enthusiasts, this is a great opportunity to experience the world class Singapore Airlines long haul products on the A380. One would normally have to take a long haul flight with the airline in order to fly on these superjumbos.

Singapore Airlines is operating the A380 on the following flight numbers from 4th November to 3rd December 2021.

SQ 106 SIN D 0830 KUL A 0930 Mon, Tue, Thu

SQ 105 KUL D 1100 SIN A 1210 Mon, Tue, Thu

SQ 126 SIN D 1825 KUL A 1930 Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun

SQ 125 KUL D 2100 SIN A 2200 Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun

Although border restrictions and international travel has not completely opened up yet, if you are one of those that plan to travel between SIN and KUL, this is an option definitely worth considering!