Airlines warned over Russian cruise missiles being fired at Syria

The missiles, fired from the Caspian Sea, are crossing airspace used by the airlines to fly to Asia and the Far East

Russian cruise missiles have been fired at Syria from the Caspian Sea EPA/RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE

Commercial flights are under threat from Russian cruise missiles being fired at Syria, European airlines are being warned by aviation experts.

The missiles, fired from the Caspian Sea, are crossing airspace used by the airlines to fly to Asia and the Far East, according to a bulletin issued by EASA, the EU’s flight safety regulator.

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British Airways has said it was aware of the bulletin and said it would “never fly in airspace unless we were satisfied that it was safe to do so”, while airlines including Air France reportedly changed flight routes over the region to avoid the area, beginning on Monday.

British Airways said that they would "never fly in airspace unless we were satisfied that it was safe to do so".

It raises further questions about the safety of commercial airliners flying over warzones, as Dutch safety investigators prepare to publish their report into the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 as it flew over Ukraine, killing all 283 people on board.

The bulletin, sent to airlines by the European Aviation Safety Agency, said: “EASA was informed from public sources of several launches of missiles from warships, located in the Caspian Sea …

“Before reaching Syria, such missiles are necessarily crossing the airspace above Caspian Sea, Iran and Iraq, below flight routes which are used by commercial transport aeroplanes.”

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The bulletin did not contain recommendations, and said that it was issued to “inform airspace users about the hazard” of the missiles, fired by Russia on 6 and 7 October. It added that the warning would be amended “if more information is received related to that situation”.
Four Russian warships launched 26 cruise missiles from the Caspian on October 7, part of its campaign to reinforce the position of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
A spokesman for British Airways told the Daily Telegraph that “depending on a number of factors, but our highest and first priority is always the safety of our customers and crew”.

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Singapore Airlines plane collapses at Changi Airport

No passengers or crew were on board the SIA Airbus A330-300 when its nose gear retracted on Sunday morning, said the airline.           

The Singapore Airlines Airbus A330-300 that collapsed on Sunday, Oct 11. (Photo: Jason)

SINGAPORE: The nose gear of a Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane retracted on Sunday morning (Oct 11) at Changi Airport Terminal 3, causing the plane to tilt forward.

   In response to queries, SIA said the nose gear of the aircraft retracted while the aircraft was at Gate A17 undergoing a landing gear system check at around 8am on Sunday morning. At the time of the incident, there were no passengers or crew on board, but an engineer was on the aircraft.
The engineer was not hurt, added the airline.

   SIA said the Airbus A330-300 is registered as 9V-STG, and had last operated flight SQ835 which arrived in Singapore from Shanghai at 12.49am. The aircraft was next due to have operated SQ890 to Hong Kong on Sunday morning.

   However, another aircraft was used for that flight due to maintenance being carried out on the plane involved in the incident, said the airline. According to online flight schedules, SQ890 was scheduled to depart at 7.35am on Sunday morning, but took off instead at 8.18am.

   "We do not have details of damage to the aircraft at this point. An assessment will be carried out after it is removed from the gate," said SIA. "Singapore Airlines will be co-operating fully with the authorities in their investigations."

Photos sent to Channel NewsAsia on Sunday showed the nose of the plane tilted downward on the tarmac of Changi Airport next to an aerobridge, and the photos appear to show that the front door of the plane was torn off.

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Norwegian Air to transport UNICEF Aid to Syria

   Low-cost airline Norwegian and UNICEF will send an aircraft fully loaded with emergency aid and school supplies to help Syrian children living in refugee camps.

   A series of initiatives are also underway allowing UK passengers to make a donation.
In November, Norwegian’s UNICEF aircraft will take off for Amman, Jordan, a couple of hours’ drive from one of the largest refugee camps on the Syrian border.

   The initiative between Norwegian and UNICEF is aimed at helping some of the two million children affected by the brutal civil war in Syria.

   Norwegian chief executive Bjorn Kjos and several employees will join the emergency aid flight, and passengers in the UK are also being encouraged to make a donation.

   The goal of the flight is that every seat, every cabin compartment and every spot of cargo space is filled with school supplies, medicines and other life-saving supplies.

   A ‘Help us fill a plane!’ website has now been launched allowing UK passengers to make a donation.

   UK passengers flying from Norwegian’s four UK airports (London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh) to destinations including Greece, Sicily, Cyprus and Hungary can also carry aid in a separate bag of up to 25kg for free.

   Passengers are also able to make a donation when booking their flights online with a simple click allowing them to donate £3, £5, £10 or £15 – the initiative has already raised more than £75,000.
Kjos said: “We are eager to help the refugee children of Syria and our partnership with UNICEF is allowing us to provide aircraft and crew to carry emergency aid and school supplies.

   “This is an important cause and we encourage all of our passengers and customers to make a donation to help prevent a lost generation of Syrian children.”

   Represented in more than 190 countries around the world, UNICEF is the world’s leading humanitarian and development agency working for the rights of every child.

   Both in Syria and neighbouring countries, the organisation has a responsibility to give children temporary educational facilities and creating safe areas for them where they can play and be treated for possible traumas.

The goal is that Syria’s children will one