Today 6th of April the first Finnair A333 starts the daily service on the HEL-JFK route, in the coming summer season the route will be served 10x weekly. The A333 cabin has got a new look in both classes, the rest of the fleet will get the new cabins in about two years. The business class will get fully-flat seats starting with the fifth A333 arriving in November.
Yesterday the 5th of April AY's old work horse MD-11 said good bye to JFK, after 17 years of service. All their MD-11s will be gone by next spring. Now it seems AY's only MD-11 route next winter season will be the HEL-BKK. The MD-11s are being replaced by eight A333s, five arriving this year, three more next year. AY also have five A343s.
Finnair opened the HEL-JFK service (via CPH and AMS) 40 years ago in May 1969, using DC-8-60. In 1975 they started the non stop flights with DC-10-30, in 1992 the route got MD-11.
JFernandez From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 301 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks ago) and read 20962 times:
So what's going to happen to AY's MD-11's? Had a pleasure of flying it HEL-PVG in 2005, enjoyed it, even if I've been somewhat bashing the plane in the NRT crash thread.
Atlanta From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 473 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 20924 times:
Quoting 777STL (Reply 3): Wasn't AY the first pax operator of the MD11?
I'm pretty sure that was DL.
Atlanta
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Andaman From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 20887 times:
Quoting JFernandez (Reply 2): So what's going to happen to AY's MD-11's?
SU Cargo have bought a couple, those owned by AY, not sure where the leased ones go.
Quoting 777STL (Reply 3): Wasn't AY the first pax operator of the MD11?
A.net Aircraft Data says: "First flight occurred on January 10 1990, certification was granted in November that year, and the first one was delivered on December 7 1990 to Finnair."
I've undrestood AA accepted the first production MD-11, Finnair was the first one to put the type into revenue service.
The first commercial MD-11 flight in passenger service was Finnair's Helsinki-Tenerife 20th Dec 1990.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21457 posts, RR: 24 Reply 6, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 20859 times:
Quoting Atlanta (Reply 4): Quoting 777STL (Reply 3):
Wasn't AY the first pax operator of the MD11?
I'm pretty sure that was DL.
Sorry, DL wasn't even close to being the first MD-11 operator. AY was the first in December 1990, 13 months before DL's first MD-11 was delivered in March 1992. By then, at least 10 other airlines were flying the MD-11.
Atlanta From United States of America, joined Jun 2008, 473 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 20765 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 6): Sorry, DL wasn't even close to being the first MD-11 operator. AY was the first in December 1990, 13 months before DL's first MD-11 was delivered in March 1992. By then, at least 10 other airlines were flying the MD-11.
Then, I do not understand these photos. Both were taken in 1990.
Richiemo From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 195 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 20677 times:
Another MD 11 route retired. I tear streams down my cheek. The last of the true beauties. The wingkets, the three hole. It's just too, too bad.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21457 posts, RR: 24 Reply 11, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 20649 times:
Quoting Atlanta (Reply 8): Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 6):
Sorry, DL wasn't even close to being the first MD-11 operator. AY was the first in December 1990, 13 months before DL's first MD-11 was delivered in March 1992. By then, at least 10 other airlines were flying the MD-11.
Then, I do not understand these photos. Both were taken in 1990.
Thanks, I didn't know DL had leased these two MD-11s. I was only referring to those ordered from Boeing directly. In any case, the first MD-11 delivered was to AY, 2 weeks before these two operated by DL (leased from Mitsui in Japan).
MAH4546 From Sweden, joined Jan 2001, 31107 posts, RR: 74 Reply 12, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 20634 times:
Quoting Atlanta (Reply 8):
Then, I do not understand these photos. Both were taken in 1990.
Delta started receiving MD-11s in 1990, but Finnair was still the first to put them into scheduled service in December 1990.
Note that both your pictures are of special flights, not scheduled services. I do not know when Delta's first revenue service started with the MD-11, but Finnair was first (December 7, 1990).
LAXDESI From United States of America, joined May 2005, 5085 posts, RR: 48 Reply 15, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 20275 times:
Quoting Finnaviation (Reply 14): Finnair's next downgrade is in May when 333 takes HEL-DEL -route.
A little off-topic:
IIRC, India-HEL-JFK flights have a short window for connection at HEL. Has that changed?
DocLightning From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 16807 posts, RR: 57 Reply 17, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 20255 times:
AY's service to JFK celebrate's the 40th anniversary this spring: The new A333 replaces MD-11.
Can it? Same capacity?
Quoting Richiemo (Reply 9): Another MD 11 route retired. I tear streams down my cheek. The last of the true beauties. The wingkets, the three hole. It's just too, too bad.
DocLightning From United States of America, joined Nov 2005, 16807 posts, RR: 57 Reply 19, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 20133 times:
Holidaycharter From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 194 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 19906 times:
Kappel From Suriname, joined Jul 2005, 3533 posts, RR: 19 Reply 23, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 19825 times:
Quoting Andaman (Reply 20): Yeah I thought that too, A343 is able to carry more cargo though.
They are exactly the same size. They can carry the exact same amount of cargo, however the a333 can carry a smaller payload IIRC. So it can carry the same cargo over a shorter distance than the a343.
YULWinterSkies From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 2107 posts, RR: 6 Reply 24, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 19820 times:
Quoting Finnaviation (Reply 14): Changing MD-11 for Airbus is absolutely downgrade for any route.
Come on! Accept progress. I'm sure the on-board comfort cannot be worse with state-of-the-art entertainment system, 2-4-2 config seating...
Quoting DocLightning (Reply 19): Interesting. I thought the 343 was bigger than the 333.
They both have same size, length, height, wing span, cabin width etc... The main difference (apart from the number of engines) is that the structure of the A343 is heavier, allowing for more cargo / more fuel to be taken, enhancing the range, or, read this differently, the structure of the A333 is lighter, allowing for better fuel efficiency.
I can guess that, with nearly identical seating configuration, AY will use the A333 on the shortest routes and the A343 on the longest routes that the A333 cannot do. Like AC used to do when both fleet were still in service.
When I doubt... go running!
25 Mir: They're the same size. The difference (only two seats) is probably a configuration thing, replacing one side of the 2-4-2 configuration with a closet
26 Aerialix: The difference comes from relocation of crew rest compartment, from the back of the aircraft to the middle, thus eliminating the emergency escape hat
27 Andaman: Yes hopefully all their C-cabins get the fully flats... but talking about the Y-class most of us use there are not much differences, just different f
28 DC10sRULE: How Sad! I got my farewell flight last Oct JFK-HEL to enjoy one last MD-11 experience. I will admit that the 10 abreast seating was not pleasant given
29 Sancho99504: Just booked AY JFK-HEL-HKG-BKK-HEL-JFK in on 14MAY09, hopefully, MD11 will be in service still on AY 96. Never have flown on an A343 or MD11, will be
30 Andaman: Yes most probably BKK will be served by MD-11 in May, the HEL-BKK will be the last MD-11 route for AY. It seems MD-11 really shares the opinions, I w
31 Lufthansa747: Acceptable for the short flight - old recliners with about 50" pitch and a useless old PTV with ridiculous controls (no remote). B-HNL is the B777 pr
32 Sancho99504: All legs in C, usually only fly y domestically. Can't stand being cramped anything longer than 3 hours.
33 Andaman: Good, you have an interesting routing, a TR would be cool
34 Sancho99504: Will try to get one in. The routing is due in part not being able to book HEL-BKK for some reason.
35 LipeGIG: This is really not good for any M11 lover. Year after year, there's less M11 in activity (passenger) It depends on your view of downgrade. The M11 ca
36 Andaman: After the cabin face lift, the KLM MD-11s have (AVOD) PTVs now, though the screen looks smaller than on AY. Over all, the new KL MD-11 looks fine to
38 Andaman: Yes true, it has changed, though DEL is getting the their second A333 next month. Well, most probably we will see more changes before their MD-11s le
39 SurfandSnow: Thank you! At least someone here is thinking rationally! The new A330 will be a MAJOR improvement in terms of comfort, safety, and overall pax experi
40 Finnaviation: Safety? Tell me more about this safety.
41 Leskova: In terms of comfort, it's a major upgrade. Probably even more so in terms of economics. I agree that it's probably not a "MAJOR improvement" in terms
42 Andaman: Finnair's network in Asia is based on transit traffic, probably only HEL-BKK would survive without. Hard to see any Middle Eastern/Asian carrier comi
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