A Swiss Global Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration HB-IJJ performing flight LX-2027 from Madrid,SP (Spain) to Zurich (Switzerland), was enroute when the crew donned their oxygen masks reporting a pungent smell in the cockpit. The crew subsequently advised that no assistance was needed, removed the oxygen masks and continued to Zurich for a safe landing on runway 14.
The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground in Zurich for about 37 hours before resuming service in the morning of Aug 27th.
The Aviation Herald
Fire started on Monarch flight from Birmingham
Police are investigating after a passenger on a packed plane from Birmingham allegedly started two fires in mid-air.
The West Midlands force said the blazes were believed to have been “deliberately started” on a Monarch service to the Egyptian holiday resort of Sharm El Sheikh.
The flames were extinguished by cabin crew and police in Egypt were waiting for the A321 aircraft – carrying 201 passengers – when it touched down on August 27.
But the plane was left unserviceable – leaving holidaymakers due to return to Birmingham on the liner stranded for almost 24 hours while a replacement was despatched.
West Midlands Police said no arrests had been made and investigations continued, although eyewitness accounts suggested a suspect was questioned on arrival in Egypt.
Passengers heading back to Birmingham were put up in a hotel as their wait dragged on.
One, Tarek Mohammed, previously told the Mail: “We were not told our flight was cancelled until 20 minutes after take-off time.
“There were no official representatives from Monarch.
“Passengers were given each others’ personal information and were asked to sort out the chaos.
“There are 200 disappointed Monarch passengers.”
But a second said: “The plane was unserviceable because a man set fire to onboard toilets deliberately while also smoking and abusing the cabin crew, terrifying crew and passengers.”
She said the crew deserved praise for having to deal with the “idiot” in mid-flight and that, even while being escorted away, he “showed no remorse and verbally abused the passengers whose flight was cancelled”.
The passenger said the delayed travellers were put up in a “lush luxury hotel” and it “wasn’t entirely Monarch’s fault”.
A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: “We have launched an investigation after two small fires are believed to have been deliberately started on a Birmingham flight bound for Egypt.
“The fires were contained and extinguished by staff aboard the Monarch flight from Birmingham to Sharm El Sheikh and no-one was injured.
“Officers from the Airport Policing Unit continue to investigate the circumstances around the incidents.”
A Monarch Airlines spokeswoman added: “The A321 aircraft, which was carrying 201 passengers and seven
crew landed safely in Sharm El Sheikh where local police were in attendance.
“UK authorities have been notified and are dealing with the matter.
“As the alleged incident is the subject of a police investigation, we are not in a position to comment further.”
Birmingham Mail
BizAir calls it quits
Nonstop air service between Carlsbad and Las Vegas has abruptly ended, a little more than a month after BizAir Shuttle debuted the new flights.
McClellan-Palomar Airport Manager Olivier Brackett confirmed Thursday that it had been advised a day earlier by the airline that it was ceasing all operations. The cancellation of flights to Vegas follows an earlier decision in August by BizAir to end its short-lived, twice-daily flights to Los Angeles International Airport.
BizAir had been offering nonstop service between Carlsbad and Las Vegas three times a week on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, and had flown its last flight on Sunday.
“Demand for the Los Angeles flights was very poor,” Brackett said. “The demand for Las Vegas was better, but I guess it just wasn’t enough to sustain it. It’s very unfortunate for the public because we get a lot of phone calls asking for service to Vegas.”
Officials with BizAir, a public charter operator, did not respond to requests Thursday for comment. Its website continues to advertise nonstop flights to Las Vegas, with fares starting at $99 one way, but they are unavailable. At the time BizAir made its June announcement of the new air service, Ricardo Gomez, director of operations and development, said the airline was “excited to bring the people of Carlsbad our tradition of convenience and uncompromising service with no extra fees.”
Chris Jones, a spokesman for McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, said that BizAir had informed its airport ground handler only that it was canceling flights scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
“Originally they had told us they were going to begin service July 6 and initially it would be daily service, but by the 30th, it had gone to three times a week,” Jones said.
Carlsbad resident Erik Staley had booked a flight to Vegas for a late October leisure trip but received an email Thursday from BizAir that it was refunding his booking because it was canceling the flights.
“We have the need for that (air service) because there are those of us in Carlsbad who don’t like the sometimes difficult drive to San Diego where the parking has become more expensive,” said Staley, who had paid $169 each way for the flights. “I’m willing to pay a little more to fly out of Palomar which is 5, 10 minutes away from where I live.”
BizAir’s initial service to Los Angeles had been intended to replace flights formerly operated by SkyWest, which had been offering the commuter service since 1998. They were eliminated as the airline moved to a new fleet of jets that could not land on the airport’s short runway.
The San Diego Union-Tribune