In the weeks since a 777 operated by Russian airline Red Wings broke down in Turkey, hundreds of travelers have been stranded. Now, the same problem has struck a Rossiya Airlines flight. The Russian cargo plane made an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow on Friday due to a malfunction of one of its engines, according to Russian news agency Interfax and air traffic control records. The airline said the problem was associated with the engine's control sensor. The aircraft was flying from Hong Kong to Madrid, and no passengers were aboard.
The incident raises concerns about the safety of the Boeing 777, the world's most popular widebody jetliner with more than 3,400 orders, and its derivatives. It also highlights the impact of Western sanctions on Russia, which have made it harder to repair American and European-made aircraft. Earlier this week, a United Airlines 777 with General Electric engines—the same model as the 777 in question—also suffered an in-flight engine failure, which prompted the company to temporarily suspend operations on all its Boeing 777s that use those powerplants.
It's a shame to see the 777 get so much bad press, especially in light of the fact that it remains an extraordinarily safe aircraft with plenty of room for even the largest economy class seats. That said, I'd be interested in hearing from a reader who has flown on the plane recently to share their experiences.
As part of a trip to Tokyo and back, I had the pleasure of flying in ANA's new business class on its newly-configured 777s. One of the cool features is that both the main door and a half-door slide away, creating an almost completely closed-off cocoon in which to relax during the flight. It takes a https://143.198.211.51 bit of elbow grease to slid the doors back into place, but once they're in place, you're treated to absolute privacy within your business-class cocoon.
The cabin itself is well-appointed, with a nice mix of materials and design features. The seats themselves are angled slightly backwards, which helps to reduce the amount of foot traffic in front of your seat. They're comfortable enough, though not particularly plush. What I really like about the new ANA business class, however, is that they have a unique storage compartment in which you can store your headphones and amenity kit when you're not using them.
I was aboard a Rossiya Airlines flight, which is owned by Aeroflot and operates regional flights to destinations in Russia's Far East. This particular flight was on a Leopardlyot, a 777 that's been painted with the face of a Siberian leopard. It's a nice touch, although it seems a little out of place on a passenger flight. The meal service was fine, and included a pre-landing breakfast of a plate with a turkey sandwich and salmon tartare crepe and a bowl of chicken tangine. The crew was friendly and attentive.
