Capital Airlines Inaugural Qingdao-Sydney Service

By Grahame Hutchison on Monday, 30th October 2017

This morning at Sydney Airport, Capital Airlines operated their first service from Qingdao, with A332 B-8550 touching down on Runway 34L at 0601L. B-8550 vacated on the ALFA 2 Rapid and taxied via HOTEL, GOLF, and ALFA to Gate 31.

After the arrival, a Media Conference was held to officially welcome Capital Airlines to Sydney. A great job by Capital Airlines Vice President Qu Tao, who was Captain on the 11hr flight down, and then spoke an hour later at the Media Conference.

 

Flight Schedule:

The Qingdao-Sydney service will operate four days each week, as follows.

JD479 departs Qingdao at 1550L on Monday, Wednesday,Friday, and Sunday, arriving in Sydney at 0655L.

JD480 departs Sydney at 1100L on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, arriving in Qingdao at 2005L.

JD480 departs Sydney at 0935L on Saturday, arriving in Qingdao at 1905L

 

 

Capital Airlines flight JD479 from Qingdao rolls through on Runway 34L as the sun rises behind the aircraft

After vacating the runway,  B-8550 taxies on Taxiway ALFA towards Gate 31

 

 A diversion down Taxiway HOTEL to allow the Media Bus time to get into place at Gate 31

 B-8550 approaching Gate 31 for the first time

 B-8550 edges forward to the Gate 31 parking stop

 

 B-8550 taxies the last few metres to Gate 31

 Ground Crews are ready to jump into action as B-8550 completes the Inaugural Qingdao-Sydney service

 Capital Airlines will be using the Airbus A330-200 aircraft with seating for 222 passengers

 The Capital Airlines logo looks impressive on the tail and winglet

 

 The Gate 31 aero-bridge is ready to move into place to allow passengers to leave the aircraft

 The advertising logo on the rear fuselage

 

 Ground crews quickly start to prepare the aircraft for the return flight

 One of the Pilots doing a walk around of the aircraft to make sure everything is serviceable for the return flight

 One of the pilots checking the port wing as part of his walk around - he will be looking at the ailerons, flaps, leading and trailing edges, and keeping an eye out for any fuel leaks

 Ms Hongbo Wang from the Consulate-General of the People's Republic Of China, welcomed Capital Airlines to Sydney

 NSW Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier and Treasurer, Jonathan O'Dea MP, welcomes Capital Airlines to Sydney

 Sydney Airport CEO Kerry Mather welcomes Capital Airlines to Sydney

 Capital Airlines Vice President Qu Tao thanks Sydney Airport for the inaugural welcome

Capital Airlines Vice President Qu Tao presents Kerrie Mather with a model of the Capital Airlines Airbus A330

Capital Airlines Vice President Qu Tao presents Kerrie Mather with a bouquet of flowers

 The Official Party cut the Capital Airlines Inaugural Qingdao-Sydney celebration cake

 

 

 Mr Weijian Luo (China National Tourist Office), Ms Wang Hongbo, Kerrie Mather, Vice President Qu Tao, and Jonathan O'Dea MP

 

 Running about 90 minutes late after the Inaugural Welcome celebrations, B-8055 climbs out from Runway 34L heading back to Qingdao

 

 

 

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