SAA has Airbus 330-200's???
Feb 1, 2011, 2:41 pm
#61
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SAA new A330-200
The first Airbus A330-200 for South African Airways (SAA) will be flown from the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, on February 7, arriving in South Africa the following day. It performed its maiden flight last week, on Monday January 17.
SAA has agreed to lease six A330-200 from aircraft leasing company AirCastle, says Linden Birns, spokesman for Airbus Sub-Sahara Africa. Although they are being leased, the aircraft were built to SAA’s specifications and feature a refreshed cabin interior and enhanced in-flight entertainment system.
The twin-engine wide-body aircraft will replace SAA’s six ageing A340-200s, which are leased from Airbus. However, the carrier will keep its six A340-300s and nine A340-600s.
The A330 is one of the most widely used long haul aircraft in service today and is significantly more fuel efficient than the four-engine A340.
The A330 deal was first announced in March last year following 2009’s Airbus-assisted profit turnaround and a resolution to a dispute between the two parties over the botched cancelling of 15 A320s.
In 2009 SAA posted a R398 million net profit, up from a R1.085 billion loss in 2008 and losses the previous six years. Its 2010 it recorded a pre-tax profit of R595 million for the year to March.
SAA will also receive 20 new Airbus A320s, worth $1 billion, between 2013 and 2015.
SAA is not a newcomer to the A330 as the airline operated two A330-200s leased from British Midland (BMI) in 2002/2003 and another two A330-200s leased from Brazilian airline TAM in 2003/2004. They were used primarily on international flights.
http://www.flyafrica.info/forums/sho...ive-08.02.2011
SAA has agreed to lease six A330-200 from aircraft leasing company AirCastle, says Linden Birns, spokesman for Airbus Sub-Sahara Africa. Although they are being leased, the aircraft were built to SAA’s specifications and feature a refreshed cabin interior and enhanced in-flight entertainment system.
The twin-engine wide-body aircraft will replace SAA’s six ageing A340-200s, which are leased from Airbus. However, the carrier will keep its six A340-300s and nine A340-600s.
The A330 is one of the most widely used long haul aircraft in service today and is significantly more fuel efficient than the four-engine A340.
The A330 deal was first announced in March last year following 2009’s Airbus-assisted profit turnaround and a resolution to a dispute between the two parties over the botched cancelling of 15 A320s.
In 2009 SAA posted a R398 million net profit, up from a R1.085 billion loss in 2008 and losses the previous six years. Its 2010 it recorded a pre-tax profit of R595 million for the year to March.
SAA will also receive 20 new Airbus A320s, worth $1 billion, between 2013 and 2015.
SAA is not a newcomer to the A330 as the airline operated two A330-200s leased from British Midland (BMI) in 2002/2003 and another two A330-200s leased from Brazilian airline TAM in 2003/2004. They were used primarily on international flights.
http://www.flyafrica.info/forums/sho...ive-08.02.2011
Feb 2, 2011, 4:32 pm
#62
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Feb 8, 2011, 2:10 pm
#63
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1st New SAA A330-200 Arrives in Cape Town
SAA has leased six new A330-200s to replace the aging A340-200s. All six Airbuses will be delivered by the end of 2011.
An awesome sight
It is an awesome sight to see a new aircraft of this stature. The precision and detail exercised by the Airbus team during the aircraft assembly deserves a global round of applause.
A330 Family information
• The A330 Family's fine pedigree has manifested in 1100 orders globally, of which more than 740 aircraft are already in-service with 90 operators around the world.
• Over 800 million passengers have flown on a member of the A330 Family.
• Each week the A330 Family flies to over 300 airports worldwide.
• Every 52 seconds an A330 aircraft takes off somewhere in the world.
Engines
• Powered by 2 Rolls Royce Trent 772B engines.
Cruise data
• Typical speed is Mach 0.82.
• Maximum altitude is 12.6km.
Environment
• The aircraft betters the most stringent noise and NOx requirements.
• Airbus has developed the most advanced navigation systems to reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions.
The Cabin
The cabin has 36 Business Class seats and 186 Economy Class seats, with a total of 222 seats. The interior design complements the SAA lounge design, creating a continuous theme from the lounge to onboard.^
Every Airbus passenger will enjoy enhanced comfort and the best and latest In Flight Entertainment Technology.^
Business Class passengers have flat bed seats, similar to the current product, in a combination of leather and fabric. The seat pitch remains at a comfortable 74 inches. A design improvement in the new Airbus is the reclining armrest, adding two inches to the flat bed width.^
Wash up in style
Impressive design features make the most of the limited bathroom space.
In Business Class, the non-textile floor reflects a warm dark wood. The cupboards are a stylish cream colour, contrasting beautifully with the floor and offset by the bathroom top's light granite look with a glossy finish.
Economy Class bathrooms have moved away from the usual "grey dot" finish to feature a brand new design called Madagascarian Raphia that gives a warm African feel and is unique to SAA. Cupboards are contrasted in a Pepperdust Porcelain colour.
In accordance with new regulations to allow easier access for passengers with wheelchairs and babies, one of the bathrooms in Economy Class is almost double the size of the standard 90cm bathrooms, and is situated towards the middle of the aircraft.
Let us entertain you!
Entertainment-wise, what immediately sets this aircraft stand apart is the In Flight Entertainment (IFE) system: the new Thales Top Series i5000. Every seat now has its own screen: Business Class has 12-inch screens and Economy Class has 10-inch screens (larger than current).
Passengers can select English, French or German to navigate the system and most movies will be available in all three languages.
The all-new entertainment system allows for additional applications to be included, such as movie information, menus, surveys, duty free catalogues and a 2D interactive map with in-depth information about the countries the aircraft is flying over.
Business Class passengers have laptop power at each seat, as well as a USB and RCA jack: plug in your camera, memory stick or ipod. Own content, such as movies, can be viewed from a personal ipod.^
Chic New Galleys
The galleys are sleek and user-friendly with plenty of loading space.
Galley floor temperatures can now be adjusted for improved crew comfort.
Galleys are fitted with coffee makers, hot jugs, liquid drainage facilities, trash compactors, ovens and chillers. Business Class galleys have espresso makers.
Mood Lighting
The crew will be able to select a range of lighting "moods", including "wake-up" and "relax" modes.:-:
Light tightness between Business Class and Economy Class cabins
Breakfast in Business Class is an "on demand" service, as many passengers on the long haul flights prefer to sleep a little longer in the comfortable flat beds. A special solution for light tightness between the Business and Economy Class cabins blocks light flow from Economy Class to enhance the comfort of Business Class passengers.
An awesome sight
It is an awesome sight to see a new aircraft of this stature. The precision and detail exercised by the Airbus team during the aircraft assembly deserves a global round of applause.
A330 Family information
• The A330 Family's fine pedigree has manifested in 1100 orders globally, of which more than 740 aircraft are already in-service with 90 operators around the world.
• Over 800 million passengers have flown on a member of the A330 Family.
• Each week the A330 Family flies to over 300 airports worldwide.
• Every 52 seconds an A330 aircraft takes off somewhere in the world.
Engines
• Powered by 2 Rolls Royce Trent 772B engines.
Cruise data
• Typical speed is Mach 0.82.
• Maximum altitude is 12.6km.
Environment
• The aircraft betters the most stringent noise and NOx requirements.
• Airbus has developed the most advanced navigation systems to reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions.
The Cabin
The cabin has 36 Business Class seats and 186 Economy Class seats, with a total of 222 seats. The interior design complements the SAA lounge design, creating a continuous theme from the lounge to onboard.^
Every Airbus passenger will enjoy enhanced comfort and the best and latest In Flight Entertainment Technology.^
Business Class passengers have flat bed seats, similar to the current product, in a combination of leather and fabric. The seat pitch remains at a comfortable 74 inches. A design improvement in the new Airbus is the reclining armrest, adding two inches to the flat bed width.^
Wash up in style
Impressive design features make the most of the limited bathroom space.
In Business Class, the non-textile floor reflects a warm dark wood. The cupboards are a stylish cream colour, contrasting beautifully with the floor and offset by the bathroom top's light granite look with a glossy finish.
Economy Class bathrooms have moved away from the usual "grey dot" finish to feature a brand new design called Madagascarian Raphia that gives a warm African feel and is unique to SAA. Cupboards are contrasted in a Pepperdust Porcelain colour.
In accordance with new regulations to allow easier access for passengers with wheelchairs and babies, one of the bathrooms in Economy Class is almost double the size of the standard 90cm bathrooms, and is situated towards the middle of the aircraft.
Let us entertain you!
Entertainment-wise, what immediately sets this aircraft stand apart is the In Flight Entertainment (IFE) system: the new Thales Top Series i5000. Every seat now has its own screen: Business Class has 12-inch screens and Economy Class has 10-inch screens (larger than current).
Passengers can select English, French or German to navigate the system and most movies will be available in all three languages.
The all-new entertainment system allows for additional applications to be included, such as movie information, menus, surveys, duty free catalogues and a 2D interactive map with in-depth information about the countries the aircraft is flying over.
Business Class passengers have laptop power at each seat, as well as a USB and RCA jack: plug in your camera, memory stick or ipod. Own content, such as movies, can be viewed from a personal ipod.^
Chic New Galleys
The galleys are sleek and user-friendly with plenty of loading space.
Galley floor temperatures can now be adjusted for improved crew comfort.
Galleys are fitted with coffee makers, hot jugs, liquid drainage facilities, trash compactors, ovens and chillers. Business Class galleys have espresso makers.
Mood Lighting
The crew will be able to select a range of lighting "moods", including "wake-up" and "relax" modes.:-:
Light tightness between Business Class and Economy Class cabins
Breakfast in Business Class is an "on demand" service, as many passengers on the long haul flights prefer to sleep a little longer in the comfortable flat beds. A special solution for light tightness between the Business and Economy Class cabins blocks light flow from Economy Class to enhance the comfort of Business Class passengers.
Feb 15, 2011, 4:45 am
#64
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Feb 17, 2011, 12:41 am
#66
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Still, colors as good or bad they might be are a minor detail for me at least, I think the improvements compensate for that a million times over.
Feb 17, 2011, 2:46 am
#67
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Feb 17, 2011, 5:18 am
#68
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I'm just repeating what others have posted here from the press release (no personal experience) but improved IFE, slightly improved seats, mood lighting and as a small bonus the espresso maker (I assume thats's new)...
Look a few posts up at jetboy360's post to see more details.
When somebody gets to actually fly one of these it'd be interesting to hear how the new non-textile floor works. Sounds cold but we'll see.
Look a few posts up at jetboy360's post to see more details.
When somebody gets to actually fly one of these it'd be interesting to hear how the new non-textile floor works. Sounds cold but we'll see.
Feb 18, 2011, 1:43 am
#69
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.My plans have now changed a bit and it will be a while before I can personally sample the improvements
.
Feb 18, 2011, 2:08 pm
#70
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I will be travelling on the new A330 in J the second week in March (JNB-LHR). I will post my thoughts on my return!
Feb 19, 2011, 3:06 am
#71
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Feb 19, 2011, 8:25 am
#72
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I'm just repeating what others have posted here from the press release (no personal experience) but improved IFE, slightly improved seats, mood lighting and as a small bonus the espresso maker (I assume thats's new)...
Look a few posts up at jetboy360's post to see more details.
When somebody gets to actually fly one of these it'd be interesting to hear how the new non-textile floor works. Sounds cold but we'll see.
Look a few posts up at jetboy360's post to see more details.
When somebody gets to actually fly one of these it'd be interesting to hear how the new non-textile floor works. Sounds cold but we'll see.
In reviewing the previous post that describes the cabin environment in further detail, I believe the. "non-textile" floor is referring to the lavatories. It sounds like a dark pergo-type flooring material, which is a nice and more elegant replacement to the vinyl type flooring that most airlines use in their lavatories. The Premium Business Class cabin does have tan colored carpet.
Feb 19, 2011, 12:20 pm
#73
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What I find incredible is the fact that after all the fanfare re this new addition to the SAA fleet, there is still absolutely no information about the aircraft on the SAA website. Pretty shoddy if you ask me considering it has now entered service.
Feb 19, 2011, 12:59 pm
#74
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In reviewing the previous post that describes the cabin environment in further detail, I believe the. "non-textile" floor is referring to the lavatories. It sounds like a dark pergo-type flooring material, which is a nice and more elegant replacement to the vinyl type flooring that most airlines use in their lavatories. The Premium Business Class cabin does have tan colored carpet.
I'm sure some people opt for other airlines because of that, I would have if it weren't for FT, Airliners.net and the likes. I want to know what I'm buying.
Last edited by mkgrip; Feb 19, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Feb 20, 2011, 2:55 am
#75
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I agree... and I also find it extremely weird how little info they have about any of their products. Hardly any pics, and very little info scattered around the web page. Given most people seem to like the SA product, it is weird they seem to advertise it about as much as MS.
I'm sure some people opt for other airlines because of that, I would have if it weren't for FT, Airliners.net and the likes. I want to know what I'm buying.
As most of the frequent visitors to this board will know, I am generally an SAA fan, they normally serve me well. But at moments like this, I struggle to be so positive about them. "Bunch of amateurs" is what come to mind.....
Trying Emirates for my next CPT/LHR.
Edited to add: Just to be clear: there are seatmaps on the website (you have to search for them, but they're there). But NOT for the 332!
Last edited by thijsseh; Feb 21, 2011 at 10:57 pm Reason: Added last para.
