South African Airways A340-200

[kharabovsk]

Many thanks to remind me the good Time when i was waiting for this A340-200 SAA beauty to take off ! I am so sad they are to be phased out from SAAs fleet by the end of this year !

[kharabovsk]

Many thanks for this excellent video well showing one of my favourite airplne

[kharabovsk]

Many thanks for this excellent video of my fafo

[Rwy02]

South African 281, winds are calm, runway 03 cleared for takeoff

[ambinobambino]

*flight SA281, not AS281

[chrisklein21]

i dont think the A340-200's are leased to SAA from Airbus. they are ex-Lufthansa and one of the first build but i am not sure if they were sold or leased to SAA from Lufthansa. i read that SAA has ordered / leased 6 A330-200's so maybe they will be replacing the A340-200's with them and maybe we'll be seeing SAA A330-200's in Perth someday.

[greg781000]

@chrisklein21 Would they fly an ETOPS180 on that route? They wouldn't be able to go great circle. I think they will move all the -300's and -600's to JNB-PER route when they've replaced the -200's with the A330's.

[chrisklein21]

@greg781000 i don't think ETOPS affects 4 engined aircraft as much as it does 2 engined aircraft. saa already flying A340-200 -300 -600 to Perth but lately i noticed that they have been operating the -300 a lot specially

ZS-SXH and ZS-SXG which have no tail logo last time i saw it just a few days ago and those 2 A340's are ex-Iberia

[greg781000]

@chrisklein21 You're right, ETOPS only affects two-engined aircraft. The A330 is a two engined aircraft with a three hour limit on it (afaik). Your initial post wondered if they would fly A330's to Perth. I don't think they would because then they would not be able to fly the most direct great circle route.

[chrisklein21]

@greg781000 Air Mauritius fly their A332 to Perth

[greg781000]

@chrisklein21 Perhaps, but it's quite a lot closer from Port Louis to Perth than it is from joburg. The joburg flight route flies quite a way down South to avoid strong winds and fly the most direct route. Other than Port Louis and Perth there are no other big airports within 3 hours flying distance when you're in the middle of the Southern Ocean I don't think.

[chrisklein21]

@greg781000 V Australia fly or used to fly 777's from Melbourne to JoBurg

[chrisklein21]

i could be wrong but i dont think SAA will replace the -200 with the -600 to just operate the 1 type. if they wanted to they would have done so already. i think its a case of aircraft availability. all six

A340-200 are ex Lufthansa. anybody know if they were leased or sold to SAA.

[SouthAfricanAirways1]

They are leased from Airbus.

[chrisklein21]

SAA flying 340-200 /-300 /-600 to Perth. mostly the -200 and -600 but i dont think they ever intended of replacing the 340-200 with the -600.

[SouthAfricanAirways1]

I hope they replace the -200 with the -600 cuz well you don't get personal tv on the -200

[SouthAfricanAirways1]

Yeah I know but one can hope true? I just like AVOD on my flights, we booked the flight with a -600 specifically because of that.

[PhilipDK5800]

If it wasnt for the cramped cabin and lack of IFE, I'd fly with this one next time I go to Africa

[SouthAfricanAirways1]

Oh, don't let that put you off. They mostly use their -600's with AVOD and extra legroom:)

[PhilipDK5800]

Thats my point, IF the 340-200 had AVOD and decent seats like the A340-600 (Which I flew with last time I was in South Africa) I'd gladly fly with it.

But 12 hours without AVOD and cramped seats, yuck! :b

[xDaNiEldrummerx]

what's the difference between the a330-200 and the a340-200? besides the engine amount

[Shreytherockstar1]

2 engines...4 engines

[0412704393]

i flew south african airlines from perth the flight was horrible very bumpy, food awful and the planes was dirty south african airlines have to pull their act together by geting bigger aircraft, better serice and simply care for their planes

[SouthAfricanAirways1]

How much bigger could a aircraft get? A340 are big and the A340-600 are very long too. You dont have to have a A380 to be a good Airline

[SouthAfricanAirways1]

I know I already commented but dirty?  It's the airport crew who clean the planes so how could the airline be at fault?

[ansettaddict123]

i have a quiz... perth is SAA only Australian destination?? true or false??

[zacsg1]

True.

[ansettaddict123]

congrats!!!:) they then use qanats as a codeshare to the rest of oz... in return qantas codeshares with saa for flights to joburg

[ansettaddict123]

thats awesome!!! what model was that thou?? its got an incredibly short takeoff run for a jet that size!!! awesoeme vid!!!!:)

[zacsg1]

Thanks,it's an Airbus A340-200 but it is soon too be replaced by a Airbus A340-600!!!

[ansettaddict123]

yay!!!!!!

[Kirk612]

They havent replaced them, they fly them in alternatlly, onbe night its a -600, then some nights its a -200, like cathay do some nights they send in a 330, some nights they send a 340, thats the beauty of airbus is you can cross crew on the 340 and 330 types, therefore they dont need 2 seperate crews to fly the different types in and out.

[wazzawazza73]

Been on that! Wa hey!

[zacsg1]

cool!

[FlyByDanny]

WOW

[zacsg1]

cool:)