Ryanair Mayday landings to be investigated (Lack of fuel)

[scanhorse]

http://forum.flightradar24.com/threa...ll=1#post20291

The case of the three Ryanair planes diverted from Madrid to Valencia on July 26 continues.Photo EFE



The Irish low-cost airline has been repeatedly mentioned in the Spanish media since July 26 when three of the planes were diverted from Madrid to Valencia because of storms over the capital.

Because of an alleged lack of fuel it’s reported that the three pilots issued ‘Mayday’ calls, but all managed to land safely on Runway 12 at Manises Airport in Valencia. The company said that it had activated the alert when there was enough fuel left for 30 minutes. The three planes had to wait in a queue before landing. Ryanair claims that the three planes were flying in the stack over Valencia for 50, 68 and 69 minutes.

Now the State Agency for Security, which depends on the Ministry for Development, announced yesterday (Tuesday), that they started an investigation as to why Ryanair had to make three emergency landings in one day. The investigation was opened on August 9 after they received a denuncia from AENA, the Spanish Airport Authority.

More................................

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news...e_35533.shtml?

[Mike Griffiths]

Ryanair Mayday landings to be investigated..............

Three Ryanair flights to Valencia Manises airport on July 26 are being investigated after the planes ran out of fuel while being kept in a holding pattern.

The Spanish Air Safety Agency are investigating whether the Irish airline's flights carry enough fuel.

The low cost airline stated it complies with European and manufacturers regulations.

(from El Pais today)

[LN-MOW]

Can't really blame them for getting low after holding for an hour .... The article doesn't mention the other airlines that also couldn't land ..

[scanhorse]

[B]Ryanair mayday landings to be investigated[B]

The Ryanair flights, along with planes from other companies, were then put in a holding pattern. But it was only the Irish firm’s planes that had to call mayday emergencies given that they were running low on fuel. Two of the planes refueled at the airport before returning to Madrid, while the passengers on the third plane were taken to the Spanish capital on buses given that the Ryanair crew had exceeded their permitted working hours.

http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/08/14/inenglish/1344969535_529421.html

[Jimbo]

RYANAIR in the limit. Three Ryanair flights declared emergency for lack of fuel.

The same day and in the same airport, Madrid, three Ryanair flights declared emergency for lack of fuel.
Ryanair use to operate in the limit, and the rest of the airline captains are accustomed to hear the Ryanair flights,
request direct vectors to the control centers, because lack of fuel.
I think it has gone far enough, and that the authorities should investigate these operations.
In Spain, the ministry responsible for air transport, is investigating all three incidents, and others who join the company Ryanair.

[Jimbo]

Only the Ryanair flights declared an emergency, not the rest of the flights. It doesn't sound strange to you?

[scanhorse]

Spain has ‘no power’ over Ryanair’s licence

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has rubbished claims that authorities in Spain could suspend his airline’s operating licence over a fuel row.
Ryanair has been heavily criticised since it emerged three of its planes made low-fuel emergency landings on the same day last month.

The Irish Aviation Authority and its Spanish equivalent are investigating the mayday calls made at Valencia Airport on Jul 26 after their diversion from Madrid because of storms. Consumer groups in Spain have accused Ryanair of jeopardising passengers’ safety.

However, Mr O’Leary told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo: "I have absolutely no fears the Spanish government will withdraw our operating licence. It’s issued by the Irish Aviation Authority, not its Spanish equivalent. ................

more...............................

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/spain-has-no-power-over-ryanairs-licence-204538.html?

[scanhorse]

Ryanair blames the Spanish air traffic controllers for the incidents above Valencia

Ryanair has denied any safety failures and blames the air traffic controllers for the three ‘mayday’ landings the airline had to make on July 26 in Valencia.

They say that in the three occasions it was ‘something exceptional’, but have now confirmed that they were obliged to fly over Valencia for an hour.

The Chairman of the low-cost airline, Michael O’Leary, said in an interview on Friday to the Financial Times Deutschland, that the three emergency landings for lack of fuel was an ‘exceptional’ situation.
‘Every one of the three planes had enough fuel on board for more than 90 minutes than for its normal landing. However they were obliged to circle above Valencia for an hour, which is not normal'.

The Spanish State Air Safety Agency, AESA, has been investigating the three planes after detecting that they had minimum levels of kerosene.

more.........................

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_35559.shtml?

[scanhorse]

Pilots have had to make 28 emergency landings because low on fuel

Pilots have had to make 28 emergency landings because they were running low on fuel

The incidents led to the aircraft being given landing priority by airports over other flights were often triggered by planes facing difficulties after having been diverted because of bad weather.
A number of airlines have been involved including Virgin Atlantic when two jumbo-jets sought priority landing at Stansted in January and last month Ryanair was forced to seek an emergency landing for three of its aircraft in Spain.
Although the total represents of fuel-related emergency landings is a reduction on 2008-10, when there were 41 such incidents, some pilots have warned the airlines are operating on very narrow margins as they seek to cut operating costs.
Legally pilots entering British airspace must not only carry enough fuel to complete their journey, but also a reserve which would allow them to reach an alternative airport with enough in hand to allow for 30 minutes circling before being permitted to land.
On top of that there must be a contingency reserve supply to cope with headwinds which can lead to more fuel being consumed.

more................................

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/aviation/9488249/Pilots-forced-to-make-emergency-landings-because-of-fuel-shortages.html

[Mike Griffiths]

O'Leary CEO of low cost airline Ryanair acknowledges that monthly figures of pilots use of fuel are kept - as part of a cost containment drive.

(El Pais today) (not enough ref.)

Please give link when you refer to news !!! there is always more !!!! / Ulf/horse

I surpose you refer to this one ;

http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/08/21/inenglish/1345554933_464978.html

[scanhorse]

There has been another Ryanair incident in Valencia over fuel.

The FR1919 Ryanair flight was timetabled to leave Valencia for Brussels South Charleroi at 8,30pm on Tuesday.Archive Photo EFE

The company had to order the passengers to disembark from the plane. Passengers ran from the plane after it was seen that as the plane was preparing for take-off, it was seen to be ‘losing fuel in squirts from one of the wings’, so said passenger Miguel Ángel Cubillos.
Miguel Ángel also said also said that one of the pilots could have made a strange manoeuvre while the plane was being refuelled, and then the squirts of fuel could be seen from the far end of one of the wings’.

The passengers then had to wait in the airport.

Ryanair said that said it was breakdown which had to be revised by an engineer before takeoff, which finally took place two and a half hours late at 11pm.

In a statement issued on Wednesday Ryanair said engineers had to repair a valve. They apologised for the bother called to passengers on flight FR1919 by this ‘minor technical breakdown’.

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_35590.shtml?

[scanhorse]

AENA rejects Michael O'Leary's claims on fuel

ABC notes that the Spanish Airport Authority, AENA, has denied what the President of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, said about the landings in Valencia on July 26.

AENA has rejected the claim from Ryanair that other companies had fuel problems. O’Leary had named Easyjet and the Chilean airline LAN as having fuel problem, but AENA said these two planes had ‘other technical problems’.

AENA said that the only planes with fuel problems in Valencia on that day were Ryanair, adding flights were also diverted by Vueling, Air Berlin, Easyjet and Iberia. These flights landed normally.

O’Leary has commented to the Irish Independent, ‘It’s the silly season and the Olympics are over, so lets talk and and write a lot of shite about Ryanair planes running out of fuel’

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_35575.shtml?

[Jimbo]

Once again, yesterday.

A Ryanair flight from Leeds (United Kingdom), called for priority landing at Lanzarote airport ahead
of two other aircraft that preceded the turn after having been "loose fuel", as confirmed by AENA.

Mr. O'Leary your company IS NOT A SAFE AIRLINE.