Aegean Airlines Miles&Bonus - A little nervous - is Aegean safe?

Touched down in lca Wednesday, after an abortive first attempt - it felt to many onboard that we were very close to the ground before the foot went back on the pedal and we soared into the sky. Not a small numqber of pax crossing their chests.

How common is this and are Aegean known as safe enough?
I picked up a paper yesterday which mentioned a Russian plane has landed on the wrong (military) runway by error - so that's two incidents in just one week which I as a casual observer / user know of.

Return flight is booked for next week

What you experienced is called a go-around. It's a safe procedure and is used when something is blocking the runway (like another plane or an animal) or if the plane isn't configured for landing. In those situations, it's much safer for the pilot to go back up and try again. It can feel disconcerting for passengers, but it's nothing to be afraid of.

As for how common it is, I don't know if any stats are kept on that.

How common is this ?


Very, very, very common indeed. It's a go-around. And it's a good thing that it happened - it means a highly qualified professional made the judgement that it was safer not to land, than to land. It could have been anything from a plane still on the runway in front, to the plane not being stable (it flies trough a moving fluid called air!), to a flock of seaguls etc. etc. I have experienced dozens of them. The bigger the aircraft, the less you feel it, IMHO. My last one was on LH on an A340 at ABJ (Nigeria) - the view of the 'rocks' was outstanding as we went round. I've also experienced it from the rearmost seats on an MD80, where it's a lot noisier, steeper and you definitely get that sense of being pinned back in your seat. Not too many passengers were enjoying the view for that one! :D


...are Aegean known as safe enough?

Aegean are very safe. This is Europe. We regulate our aviation. Your question is more reminiscent of the Africa forums, where such a question is justified and reasonable - indeed, even necessary.



I picked up a paper yesterday which mentioned a Russian plane has landed on the wrong (military) runway by error - so that's two incidents in just one week which I as a casual observer / user know of.
That happens from time to time - it shouldn't, but it does. Worse things happen, though. Ryanair landed a plane in the wrong airport (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2006/mar/30/theairlineindustry.travelnews) a few years ago. And here's some more light reading on the subject of landing in the wrong place (http://www.thirdamendment.com/wrongway.html). It happens in America too. ;)

I think the issue with the OP is that the smaller an airplane is, the "worse" a go-around feels. I once had a Go-Around in an LH A380 in SIN, I barely felt it. But if it's in an A320, or even smaller, aircraft, you certainly do feel the power much stronger. My last Go-Around was in an A319 landing in FRA, my neighboor panicked and grabed my hand - she had long nails, and it hurted a lot :D So I do know that for the less experienced flyers, a Go-Around might feel very nasty indeed.

Don't worry about Aegeans safety. They're considered as very safe, operating only newish airplanes, and having no bad past like other airlines. I would rate them, on safety standards, at the absolute top in the airline industry (At LH, SQ etc. levels)

Not a small numqber of pax crossing their chests.



:D Lots of Greeks do that and not only on Aircraft. Passing a Church on a bus or before take off on a flight .

A3 has a very good safety record and respected maintenance history.

I have had a few go arounds the last one was on LH landing into DXB . Was a bit concerning for the first 3-4 mins then the Capt came over and explained that an aircraft that landed before us had not cleared the runway.

So nothing to worry about enjoy your return flight. :)

so that's two incidents in just one week which I as a casual observer / user know of.

Go to avherald dot com, there are a lot more incidents than you think... Go-around is nothing to worry about, and wind-shear is another common cause in addition to the ones mentioned above. It's not even an incident, it's just a safety procedure.

Very, very, very common indeed. It's a go-around. And it's a good thing that it happened - it means a highly qualified professional made the judgement that it was safer not to land, than to land. ...

Exactly. It means the pilot is taking full control of the airplane, bypassing the auto pilot. It even has an industry term "TO/GA" (take-off/Go-around) if you like to do some reading up on the term.
Even if the feeling of something unexpected happening during a flight is unpleasant, one should view the go-around as the pilot is having full control of the plane. The flight crew is very observant during landing, and if they have any doubt there is any smallish risk involved, they will issue the TO/GA-procedure.

To make you feel better - a Continental 757 landed on a taxiway at Newark in 2006. Now that is about a million times worse than your go-around.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Airlines_Flight_1883

My question, after reading the first message in this thread is: has Aegean started flying to South America? ICA is Icabaru, Venezuela while Ica Airport is in Peru. Why, then, ask about Aegean's safety record and not the safety record of Mokulele Airlines in Hawaii?

My question, after reading the first message in this thread is: has Aegean started flying to South America? ICA is Icabaru, Venezuela while Ica Airport is in Peru. Why, then, ask about Aegean's safety record and not the safety record of Mokulele Airlines in Hawaii?

OP gave airport code in all lower case which might have confused you.
lca = LCA = Larnaca where A3 do certainly fly

Now, ATH-ICA would be a bit of interesting route... :D
A3 will be the first airline to do aerial refuelling of the A320. I think they also need to install catapult in the runway, as it is less than 4000ft long, and it will be a bit difficult to take off with all that Venezuelan vegetables people will carry :p

Thank you for all these great comments, as a seasoned traveller I almost feel embarrassed that it was my first such experience.

I am elated to discover Venezuela might be a new routing, and I look forward to the refuelling mid air as that would truly be a first. :D

I picked up a paper yesterday which mentioned a Russian plane has landed on the wrong (military) runway by error - so that's two incidents in just one week which I as a casual observer / user know of.

Quite appart from what the others correctly say, these two incidents* have nothing to do with each other? :confused:

[*And yes, one of them (a go-around) is not even an incident but normal. I can understand it being 'new' to you, but mentioning the other???...]

I had one go-round. It was on Ryanair. It was the week after a plane had landed on a runway somewhere in the world where another plane had not cleared and the two planes had collided. It was widely publicised.

Based on all that recent publicity I guess the pilot was over-cautious. Suddenly from what felt like 200 feet above the ground we were heading up at what felt like a 70 degree angle (even if it probably was much less) like a fighter jet with the jets screaming on full power.

So take the safety instructions seriously, folks.

I haven't flown Ryanair for many years, but 'cross my heart' that's for other reasons. :cool:

Ten years ago, early July, I flew from MSP to DEN:
1) "Planned" departure with 60 min. delay due to late arrival
2) But an additional 45 min. delay, after boarding, for reasons I forgot.
3) Landing in COS due to t-storms in the DEN area.
4) After waiting in COS for 30 minutes, electricity "crashes" in the plane. We are told that they had to wait for another 1 hours to see what was wrong and to decide whether we'd continue by plane or buses.
5) After a 30 min. flight, while landing in DEN, a go-around due to "another plane on the runway" according to the captain (hence my post in this thread).
And 6), final waiting an extra 25 minutes for a plane to leave "our" gate. The captain's final comment that evening while saying goodbye: "I'm glad I'll be home soon, anything that could go wrong today went wrong!"
Well, sh.. happens, and it certainly can get much, much worse than that. :p

DO any of you remember Hong Kongs old airport? Now imagine this, a fully loaded 747 from Sin to HKG on route to SFO. The plane flew over those apartment buildings ready to descend onto the runway so close to land and then bang up it went, everyone on-board screamed as the pilot pulled a jumbo jet 747 up due to cross winds whch made landing really precarious. Now that is an experience I will never forget.

A go-around is to be worried about at all most of the time. Now when it happens whilst you are seated at the back of a twin engine CRJ and you suddenly realise you've gone deaf in one ear followed a few moments later by the passenger in the seat next to you saying quietly "Is there a problem?" in the same ear, that's when you need to start to worry about a go-around. Happened to me a few weeks ago on a flight into Calgary. But I survived!

DO any of you remember Hong Kongs old airport? Now imagine this, a fully loaded 747 from Sin to HKG on route to SFO. The plane flew over those apartment buildings ready to descend onto the runway so close to land and then bang up it went, everyone on-board screamed as the pilot pulled a jumbo jet 747 up due to cross winds whch made landing really precarious. Now that is an experience I will never forget.

There were enough oohs and screams when the pilot rather banged our SQ A380 down at LHR yesterday ... I can't imagine what would have happening if he'd needed a go-around! I was probably glad I'd woken up ahead of the descent and had a fair idea what was going to happen given the speed and angle of final approach ...

You shouldn't worry about go-around. Normally go-around is just a sign that pilot is avoiding potentially dangerous situation. Although Aegean is Greek airline, it's operations are monitored also by other EU countries where it flies to. Local authorities eg in Germany, France etc do regular safety inspections to foreign airlines, also to airlines from countries with efficient and well-run goverments, eg Nordics, US, UK etc.

You shouldn't worry about go-around. Normally go-around is just a sign that pilot is avoiding potentially dangerous situation. Although Aegean is Greek airline, it's operations are monitored also by other EU countries where it flies to. Local authorities eg in Germany, France etc do regular safety inspections to foreign airlines, also to airlines from countries with efficient and well-run goverments, eg Nordics, US, UK etc.
Sorry pal, you shouldn't write "Although Aegean is {a} Greek airline" but "Because..."! And, by the way, Greek authorities also do safety inspections...

Don't worry about Aegeans safety. They're considered as very safe, operating only newish airplanes, and having no bad past like other airlines. I would rate them, on safety standards, at the absolute top in the airline industry (At LH, SQ etc. levels)
There is a problem with a small denominator
The Concorde was the safest plane in the sky till the first accident.
A new airline with small number of flights is safest (0 crashes)
After 1 crash it will likely be the "worst"

There is a problem with a small denominator
The Concorde was the safest plane in the sky till the first accident.
A new airline with small number of flights is safest (0 crashes)
After 1 crash it will likely be the "worst"
Statistically speaking, you are absolutely correct. But if one considers the overall safety record of Greek civil aviation (i.e. including OA, old and new, and the numerous small airlines) over the last 50 years, one can easily say that the country has one of the best safety records worldwide as far as its airlines are concerned.

The guy flying today's A3 354 SX-DVV into JTR today deserves every penny he gets. Windy as hell and he got us there nice and safe. :)

DO any of you remember Hong Kongs old airport? Now imagine this, a fully loaded 747 from Sin to HKG on route to SFO. The plane flew over those apartment buildings ready to descend onto the runway so close to land and then bang up it went, everyone on-board screamed as the pilot pulled a jumbo jet 747 up due to cross winds whch made landing really precarious. Now that is an experience I will never forget.
I loved flying into and out of the old Hong Kong airport. BTW, San Diego can sometimes be fun too.

Although Aegean is Greek airline, it's operations are monitored also by other EU countries where it flies to. Local authorities eg in Germany, France etc do regular safety inspections to foreign airlines, also to airlines from countries with efficient and well-run goverments, eg Nordics, US, UK etc.

You may want to be educated to the fact that Greek Airlines and Aviation standards are some of the highest in Europe . ;)

Quite appart from what the others correctly say, these two incidents* have nothing to do with each other? :confused:

[*And yes, one of them (a go-around) is not even an incident but normal. I can understand it being 'new' to you, but mentioning the other???...]

correct.

There is a problem with a small denominator
The Concorde was the safest plane in the sky till the first accident.
A new airline with small number of flights is safest (0 crashes)
After 1 crash it will likely be the "worst"

touche