Syrian Airline UK

Welcome to Syrian Airlines UK

Established in 1987 we are Ocean Map Ltd., the Syrian Airlines main agent in the UK. Providing discounted tickets for individuals and groups, we arrange tours both religious and archaeological.

The website will provide you with a full service from Visa Application, Information about Syria, Escorted and Unescorted tours, Short Citibreaks, Hotel reservations and discounted tickets with full online security and peace of mind.

For tour leaders we offer Group seats with free tickets for Group leaders/organisers in addition to Charter flights.

For details please contact the office on 020 7631 3511 to arrange a consultation.

We offer a personal service, in-depth knowledge of Syria and hassle free travel.

British Airway

British Airways is a full service global airline, offering year-round low fares with an extensive global route network flying to and from centrally located airports. Book flights, great value hotels and car hire, as well as check-in online, view the latest offers and manage your booking here at ba.com

British Airways services more than 200 destinations worldwide from London Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Manchester Airport. British Airways belong to the OneWorld airline alliance that includes American Airlines, Aer Lingus, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LanChile and Qantas. The airline features a variety of services: Concorde, First Class, Club World and Club Europe (business class), World Traveller (economy class), World Traveller Plus (intermediate) and a Shuttle service within UK. Important Numbers
Executive Club frequent flyer programme (phone: 0845- 77 222 77 for UK-based members).
BA Customer Service - 0845 77 999 77 (toll free within UK) or + 44 191 490 79 01 (from abroad).
Address: Waterside (Head Office) Harmondsworth UB7 0GB

CHINA AIR LINE

Following the worldwide economic boom, more and more people are going on business and sightseeing trips. These people are not only using airplanes as their main means of transportation, but are also demanding that their trips should be as fast, safe and convenient as possible. China Airlines offers worldwide flights, with routes extending to the major cities in the North America, Europe, Oceania, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. Starting from your initial reservation, China Airlines provides you with the best and most convenient service. When you make your reservation with China Airlines, you can choose from first Class, Dynasty Class and Economy Class. Simply inform us of the date and destination of your journey and provide us with your full name, nationality and telephone number and we will immediately give you complete reservation information. Moreover, we will provide you with a computer code number of your reservation which will speed up the process while changing your schedule. We will appreciate it very much if you would notify us of your cancellation, so that other passengers on the waiting list can be accommodated. Reservation in Japanese Service : 02-27171555 Auto Fax : 02-25465530 In order to facilitate passengers in the U.S.A. and Canada, China Airlines has a toll free number for your convenience. Please dial 1-(800)-227-5118 for information or reserving your seats. In welcoming you to fly with China Airlines, may we assure you of our determination to provide the most attentive services throughout your journey.

CANADIAN AIR LINE

Air Canada is Canada’s largest full-service airline and the largest provider of scheduled passenger services for flights within Canada, between Canada and the U.S, and to every major international destination.

View our latest airfare deals, purchase your airline tickets, book hotels, make a car rental reservation, find vacation packages or check in and manage your booking online.

Largest Plane in the World

Largest Plane in the World

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I'm confused by the way the record for largest plane is determined. I read that the largest airliner in the world is the 747-400, and then I read it is the An-225. Similarly, I read that the plane with the largest wingspan is the Spruce Goose, and then I read about an airliner called the Bristol Brabazon with a wingspan larger than the 747! Could you please define the records, if any, that these aircraft hold with EXACT wording to the particular record?
- question from Jack

Aircraft records can indeed be confusing. If you need any reminder of that observation, try looking through the records on the FAI website. FAI, short for Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, is the international body that officially recognizes aviation and space records. However, most of the information on that site concerns aircraft performance, such as speed and altitude, rather than size.

Your question really comes down to how you decide to compare one plane to another. One of the measurements you mention is wingspan. While this dimension is often used to compare overall size, it is generally not the most accepted measure. Aircraft are usually ranked by weight, the maximum takeoff weight in particular. By this measure, the world's largest plane is the Antonov An-225 built in Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union.

An-225, largest plane in the world

The An-225 is quoted as having a maximum takeoff weight of over 1.3 million pounds (600,000 kg). The FAI gives credit for a slightly lower weight of 1.12 million pounds (508,200 kg), the record set by an An-225 in 1989 for the largest mass ever lifted by an airplane to an altitude of 6,500 ft (2,000 m). The An-225 was originally built to ferry the Soviet Buran space shuttle but it is now used to transport various outsize cargos. Only one example was ever completed, and it is currently available for charter flights through the British company Air Foyle. The An-225 is a cargo transport only and has never been used as an airliner.

If we continue to measure by maximum takeoff weight, the next largest plane in the world would be either the related An-124 transport or the Boeing 747 airliner. Both aircraft are quoted with a maximum weight around 900,000 lb (405,000 kg). The An-124 was also built by the Soviet Union as a large cargo plane for both military and civil use. The basic design was later enlarged and adapted to produce the An-225.

An-124

Over 50 examples of the An-124 were ultimately built, and many are now operated on charter flights through Air Foyle or other commercial firms. The American EP-3 reconnaissance plane that was forced to land after colliding with a Chinese fighter was actually transported back to the US aboard an An-124 chartered by the American government.

Boeing 747

The Boeing 747, meanwhile, is currently the world's largest commercial airliner and typically carries about 400 passengers on intercontinental flights. The 747 will not retain its title for long, however, since the new Airbus A380 will carry over 550 passengers and have a takeoff weight over 1.23 million pounds (560,000 kg).

Airbus A380

Once it enters service, the A380 will become the world's largest airliner and at least the second largest plane. Additional stretched models are also planned, and one of these will almost surely supersede the An-225 to take the official title as world's largest plane.

Your question also mentions two other classic aircraft that were certainly enormous by any measure. Unfortunately, both proved to be disastrous follies that were great embarrassments to their proponents. The Spruce Goose, officially known as the Hughes H-4 Hercules, was the brainchild of flamboyant billionaire Howard Hughes. The aircraft had originally been ordered by the US government during World War II as a giant cargo plane ferrying up to 750 armed troops or two 30-ton tanks. As the war concluded, Hughes believed he could adapt the massive plane to revolutionize long-distance transportation in the fledgling airline and air cargo industires. His creation was the world's largest plane at the time and is still the largest flying boat ever built with a maximum takeoff weight of 400,000 lb (180,000 kg). The enormous craft also holds records for the largest wingspan at 319 ft 11 in (97.5 m), tallest airplane at 79 ft 3 3/8 in (24.2 m), and the largest aircraft ever made from wood.

Spruce Goose during its only flight

After pouring $7 million of his own money and another $18 million of government funds into the behemoth, Hughes only succeeded in making a single mile-long flight in 1947. The record-setting plane never flew again and is today a tourist attraction at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in Oregon.

Like the Spruce Goose, the Bristol Brabazon was another a government-sponsored effort intended to advance the state of the art in long-distance travel. The Brabazon was funded by the UK during the 1940s to develop a large airliner capable of non-stop flights between London and New York. Though smaller than the Spruce Goose, the Brabazon would have easily been the largest airliner of the day with a takeoff weight of 250,000 lb (115,000 kg) and a wingspan of 230 ft (70 m).

Bristol Brabazon compared to other planes of the day

If successful, the Brabazon offered the opportunity to challenge American manufacturers for dominance in the commercial aviation market. Unfortunately, the ambitious design failed to receive government certification following the discovery of fatigue cracks in the propeller mountings. While the problem was certainly correctable, the UK decided to cancel further funding in the early 1950s even though £3 million had already been invested. Only one prototype had been built, and it was broken up for scrap in late 1953 after flying only 400 hours. An improved prototype with structural enhancements and turboprop engines was also under construction, but it too was scrapped after the project was cancelled.

Relative size comparison of the Spruce Goose, An-225, A380, and 747

In summary, aircraft sizes are typically compared by weight rather than length or wingspan. The largest plane in the world at the current time is therefore the An-225, though the A380 will likely overtake it in the near future. The largest wingspan, however, still belongs to the Spruce Goose at nearly 320 feet. By this measure, the An-225 would be a distant second place at 290 ft, and the A380 falls short at 262 ft.
- answer by Molly Swanson, 8 August 2004

Additional Rankings:

Since this article was posted, we have received several messages from readers who believe the C-5 Galaxy transport operated by the US Air Force ranks second or third place and should be included. The C-5 was the world's largest plane when it was introduced in the late 1960s, but it has since been overtaken by the jet-powered aircraft discussed above.

C-5 Galaxy

The C-5 remained the world's largest plane until the introduction of the An-124, and the C-5 has since been surpassed by the An-225, enlarged models of the 747, and the new A380 as well. The current ranking of the world's largest aircraft by maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is shown in the following table.

Rank	Aircraft	MTOW [lb]	Notes
1.	An-225 Mriya	1,300,000	-
2.	Airbus A380	1,230,000	-
3.	Boeing 747-400ER	910,000	the 747-8 under development will reach 960,000 lb
4.	An-124 Ruslan	892,870	-
5.	C-5 Galaxy	840,000	wartime only, peacetime TOW is limited to 769,000 lb
6.	Airbus A340-600 HGW	837,755	high-gross weight variant
7.	Boeing 777-300ER	775,000	highest available weight, loading restrictions apply

With a wingspan of 223 ft, the C-5 currently ranks sixth after the Spruce Goose (320 ft), An-225 (290 ft), A380 (262 ft), An-124 (240 ft), and a tie between the Brabazon and B-36 (230 ft). The C-5 has a larger span than the 747-400 (211 ft) but will soon be narrowly beaten by the new 747-8 variant with a wingspan of nearly 225 ft.
- answer by Greg Alexander, 11 November 2005

INDIAN AIR LINE

From The Chairman’s Desk

Welcome aboard! The Indian Civil Aviation Industry, which has witnessed rapid growth in recent years, acquired centrestage at the country’s maiden civil aviation exposition India Aviation 2008, held in Hyderabad last month. The event, organised jointly by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) evoked keen interest, with leading aviation companies from India and abroad participating and displaying their products. More than 37 aircraft, including commercial aircraft, regional aircraft, business aircraft, cargo aircraft, helicopters, gliders, motor gliders and paragliders, besides aircraft machinery and related equipment were on display during the four-day mega event.

Air India showcased its Boeing 777-300LR and Airbus A319, the latter being formally inducted in the fleet after making a ceremonial landing at Hyderabad in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Praful Patel and other dignitaries. Business visitors, corporate flyers and travel agents who visited the aircraft expressed their genuine appreciation for the quantum jump made by Air India in providing a product that can match the best in the industry for international and domestic travel.

The theme pavilion recapitulated the various milestones achieved by the Indian Civil Aviation Industry since JRD Tata flew the first flight on 15th October 1932, heralding the birth of Civil Aviation in India. Air India’s history, which is virtually synonymous with that of the Indian Civil Aviation Industry, played a pivotal role in embellishing the theme pavilion by providing rare pictures of various milestone events from its archives. Models of various types of aircraft operated by Air India over the years were also exhibited. A touch of nostalgia was added by reproduction of Air India’s advertising over the years with the Maharajah, Air India’s mascot, being depicted in various avatars.

The occasion also gave an opportunity to reflect of the strides made by the Civil Aviation sector. It was in 1947 that Air India, then a Tata airline, launched the non-stop flight on the Kolkata-Mumbai sector. The advertisement released to promote the flight read “AIR INDIA AT YOUR SERVICE… to fly you non-stop from Calcutta to Bombay. We provided transportation to and from airports, and meals (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian) en route. We have hostesses to see to your comfort. And, on this, our Viking Service, you can smoke while you fly!” The flight then took five hours and 40 minutes to traverse the distance of 1,064 miles between the two metro cities. It was 60 years later, in 2007, that Air India launched its non-stop flight from Mumbai to New York with the state-of-the-art Boeing B777-200LR.

Other major events included the landing by Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft. The giant double-decker made a low fly-past and landed gently waving the Indian flag from its windows amidst thunderous applause from aviation enthusiasts. Air India made the occasion momentous by not only arranging for the ceremonial landing of its new aircraft to coincide with the event but also inking the Joint Venture Agreement with the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), a global leader in aerospace services, for creation of an Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Centre for Airbus aircraft. Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, stated at the inaugural function that Tata Group, founder of Air India before the airline was nationalized, was keen on setting up a Tata Aviation System in the proposed economic zone on the outskirts of Hyderabad for which 50 acres of land has been allotted.

The event, which will be held biennially henceforth, attracted thousands of students from aviation academies, engineering and hospitality colleges besides management institutions. As a leader of the aviation industry in the country, Air India salutes the initiative taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI for taking another step in globalizing the Indian aviation industry.
I thank you for flying Air India and look forward to your continued patronage.

(Raghu Menon)
Chairman & Managing Director

Airnorth

Who is Airnorth?

Airnorth is the major regional aviation operator in Northern Australia. Headquartered in Darwin the company operates 152 scheduled departures weekly, servicing 8 destinations including, Maningrida, Gove, Groote Eylandt, Kununurra WA, Broome WA, Dili East Timor and Bali Indonesia (6 domestic, 2 international) and uplifting 132,250 passengers annually.

In addition to these scheduled departures Airnorth operates a large number of charter services for a wide variety of companies undertaking mining, defence and government activity.

Airnorth directly employs 180 staff in Darwin and provides indirect employment through the contracting of ground service operations across all its destinations.

In recent years Airnorth has experienced significant change through their reaction to both internal and external pressures. The demise of Ansett in 2001 saw Airnorth develop a crisis management plan which enabled the company to recover from a massive disruption in operations and restore air services to a majority of Airnorth's destinations in a matter of days, at the same time enduring net financial losses of $1.6M.

Since then Airnorth has formed a corporate alliance with Qantas Airways which includes the hosting of all flights in the Amadeus system, inclusion in the Qantas Frequent Flyer Program, thru-fares & thru-check, joint marketing activities and participation in a joint training program for Qantas aircrew. This arrangement will soon include E-Ticket facilities which will vastly improve Airnorth's service to clients.

Airnorth were the first airline to establish services to Dili, East Timor during the political uprising in 1999 and are currently conducting 10 scheduled services per week. We also provide support to humanitarian organisations providing aid in East Timor through special fares and waivers to excess luggage charges.

In May of 2004 Airnorth signed contracts to commence services between Darwin and Kupang, Indonesia under a joint venture arrangement with Merpati Nusantara Airlines. This ceremony was hosted by NT Minister for Asian Trade & Relations, Mr Paul Henderson.

Airnorth and RegionalLink

RegionalLink is a newly formed division of NT aviation services company Capiteq Limited, whose other airline subsidiary is Airnorth. RegionalLink Airlines Pty Ltd will become the lead franchiser to a group of carriers, which will operate under a single brand and share core functions including reservations, purchasing, yield management, airport services and information technology - the first example of franchising in the Australian air transport industry.

All aircraft in the RegionalLink Group will be painted in the new blue-and-silver colour scheme of the group, which features Australia's Southern Cross, with a large central star representing regional Australia, and a vertical swirl to unite north, south, east and west. But while all members of the group will share a single brand, individual carriers will continue to trade in their own name in their home markets - eg: Airnorth, a member of RegionalLink Airlines.

All aircraft will feature the logo of each participating partner. RegionalLink would provide a single flight designation code, to be used by all member airlines, and would negotiate the procurement of supplies and services for members, obtaining discounted pricing for items including fuel, insurance and common spare parts.

Airnorth and Regional Communities

The Capiteq group has a strong commitment to regional communities. Relationships have been established through structured sponsorship programs, corporate attendance and input at various meetings and forums along with other initiatives.

We receive many requests for sponsorship from organizations both within our network of operations and from further afar. All requests are considered in accordance to sponsorship guidelines and all requests are responded to in writing.

Successful applicants are selected on their ability to provide recognition and awareness of the sponsoring carrier's brand and also for their specific focus or regional perspective ie. sporting, indigenous, youth, community or region.

Major sponsorships for 2004 include, but are not limited to Airnorth Ord Valley Muster, Darwin Symphony Orchestra, Northern Territory Rugby, Artback Indigenous Performing Arts, Young Achiever Awards, and NT Duke of Edinburgh's Awards. These sponsorships can range from offering a flight to be raffled or auctioned for fundraising, to providing discounted travel for judges, coaches, award nominees. Many other sponsorships are issued on a one off and/or ad hoc basis.

Airnorth also supports ongoing humanitarian aid in East Timor by offering discounted fares to approved non-government organizations and granting substantial waivers for excess luggage charges on charity items such as clothing, linens, toiletries, books and toys. We also extend this waiver to medical teams traveling with large amounts of medical supplies and equipment to conduct clinics in this region.

Airnorth has recently signed with Angel Flight Australia who co-ordinate free of charge air travel for medically and financially needy patients. Airnorth's very first Angel Flight was conducted on 25 July 2004 to reunite a 12 year old boy with his family for a short time prior to receiving extensive treatment for a rare neurological degenerative disorder.

Airnorth also support the promotion and development of our regional destinations by providing discounted travel for various trade media and special interest journalists and travel writers.

Airnorth Kimberley Moon Experience 2 June 2007

Click here to find out more: www.ordvalleymuster.com.au

Entertainment on the night included James Blundell (Regionallink Ambassador)

Marcia Hines, Darwin Army Band , Mirima Indegenous Dancers, local acts.