Just trying to figure out what was the type of Jumbojet/Aircraft & Airline operator
the eyewitnesses/Islanders on Kuda Huvadhoo island in Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives claim to have seen
flying low on the 8th of March, based on following useful Wikipedia Indo, MSM, links, Maps:
Info about Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives capital island Kudahuvadhoo, located at the atoll's southern tip:
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudahuvadhoo"]Kudahuvadhoo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
"Kudahivadhoo has a population of about 3,580"
"On March 19, 2014 the New York Post said that residents of Kudahuvadhoo reported having seen an airplane
resembling the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared midflight to Beijing from Malaysia on March 8, 2014.
This lent credence to one of the theories that the flight had been commandeered by someone who intended to land the plane in
a remote area. Kudahuvadhoo has an airstrip. The Kudahuvadhoo airstrip was one that the pilot had practiced landing on,
using his homemade flight simulator.The claim was subsequently rejected by authorities."
List of airports in the Maldives:
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_the_Maldives"]List of airports in the Maldives - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Ibrahim Nasir International Airport:
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibrahim_Nasir_International_Airport"]Ibrahim Nasir International Airport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
"Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (IATA: MLE, ICAO: VRMM), commonly known as Malé International Airport, previously known as Hulhulé Airport,
is the MAIN International airport in the Maldives. It is located on Hulhulé Island in the North Malé Atoll, nearby the capital island Malé.
Ibrahim Nasir International is well connected with major airports around the world, mostly serving as the main gateway into the Maldives for tourists.
Moreover, despite the upgrading of GAN Airport to international standard, Ibrahim Nasir International is currently the ONLY
INTERNATIONALLY ACTIVE airport in the country."
Gan International Airport:
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gan_International_Airport"]Gan International Airport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
"Gan International Airport (IATA: GAN, ICAO: VRMG) is located on the island of Gan in Addu Atoll (previously known as Seenu Atoll) in the Maldives.
First built by the Royal Navy, and transferred to the Royal Air Force as RAF Gan, it was a military airbase used during World War II and until 1976.
The British handed it over to the government and it was used as a domestic airport. Recently the airport has been upgraded to international standards
in preparation for international flights with the opening of tourist resorts in the area.
Gan International Airport (GIA) serves as a key tourism gateway to the Republic of Maldives and its luxury beach resorts and dive sites.
GIA is situated at the southern tip of the country, and allows international and domestic aircraft movements year-round."
List of airlines of the Maldives:
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airlines_of_the_Maldives"]List of airlines of the Maldives - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
Official Maldives Airports website:
http://www.macl.aero/plus/ a
Based on Maldives Airports website looks like some Airlines flying to/from International Airport:
- Aeroflot (Aircraft Photo example:
http://www.aeroflot.ru/cms/en/special_offers/class_comfort_promo/ )
- Airberlin (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/24290/d-abkc-air-berlin-boeing-737-800/ )
- Air India (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/7671/vt-air-air-india-boeing-777-200/ )
- Bankok Airways (Photo:
http://www.bangkokair.com/eng/press_release/view/29 )
- British Airways (Photo:
http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/about-ba/fleet-facts/boeing-777-300 )
- Cathay Pacific (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/88852/b-kpi-cathay-pacific-boeing-777-300er/ )
- China Southern (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/74620/b-2073-china-southern-airlines-cargo-boeing-777-200f/ )
- Condor (Photo:
http://www.flugzeuge.de/s/Verkehrsflugzeuge/Boeing-/Boeing-757-300-Condor/9121 )
- Dragonair (Photo:
http://www.boeing-747.com/_Media/boeing_747-400bcf_freighter-3.jpeg )
- Edelweiss (Photo:
http://airlinergallery.nl/a320a.htm )
- Emirates (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/34753/a6-ems-emirates-airlines-boeing-777-300/ )
- Etihad (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/6706/a6-etc-etihad-airways-boeing-777-300er/ )
- Fly Dubai (Photo:
http://www.plane-mad.com/aviation-photos/view/flydubai/boeing-737-800/dubai-international/32911.html )
- Flyme (Photo:
http://maldives.net.mv/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/flyme.jpg )
- Hainan Airlines (Photo:
http://www.planes.cz/en/photo/1103794/a330-243-b-6088-hainan-airlines-chh-hu-berlin-tegel-txl-eddt/ )
- Japan Airlines (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/8409/ja737j-jal-japan-airlines-boeing-777-300er/ )
- Korean Air (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/12124/hl7721-korean-airlines-boeing-777-200er/ )
- Malaysia (Photo:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._9M-MMJ@HKG;04.08.2011_615sl_(6260603722).jpg )
- Maldivian (Photo:
http://maldives.net.mv/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/3Mains2.jpg )
- Mega Maldives (Photo:
http://maldives.net.mv/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/mega-001.jpg )
- Mihin Lanka (Photo:
http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=183561 )
- Oman Air (Photo:
http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=184833 )
- Qatar Airways (Photo:
http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=330255 )
- Sichuan Airlines (Photo:
http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=252437 )
- Singapore Airlines (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/7276/9v-srm-singapore-airlines-boeing-777-200er/ )
- SpiceJet (Photo:
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/119842/vt-sgf-spicejet-boeing-737-800/ )
- Swiss (Photo:
http://www.cardatabase.net/modifiedairlinerphotos/search/photo_search.php?id=00010962 )
- Transaero Airline (Photo:
http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=420636 )
- Turkish Airlines (Photo:
http://www.planespotters.net/Aviation_Photos/photo.show?id=376379 )
Fore full/more Maledives Flight Information, visit
http://www.fis.com.mv
Note: not all Airlines have Boeing777 in use on their route's to the Maldives!
Flight Routes of each Airline flying near/over Maldives would need to be checked/published.
The Airlines listed above only seem to fly to Maldives International Airport = Ibrahim Nasir International Airport
on the Hulhule' Island in the North Malé Atoll in Maldives, except local small planes flying to
more remote Maldive islands e.g. Maldivian:
http://www.maldivian.aero/destinations/
Maldive's Getting around info by Lonely Planet official online-site:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maldives/transport/getting-around
"Air, Seaplane: Most travellers in the Maldives are far more likely to use the services of the two charter seaplane companies,
Trans Maldivian (
www.tma.com.mv) and Maldivian Air Taxi (
www.mataxi.com.mv), both of which fly tourists from the seaplane port
next to Male’ International Airport to resorts throughout the country.
Both companies fly 18-seater DeHavilland Twin Otter seaplanes under contract to resorts throughout the Maldives.".
List of islands of the Maldives:
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands_of_the_Maldives"]List of islands of the Maldives - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
The Star an English-language MSM newspaper in Malaysia published March 18, 2014:
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/03/18/Missing-MH370-maldive-low-flying-jumbo/
"Residents of Kuda Huvadhoo in Dhaal Atoll in the Maldives reportedly saw a "low-flying jumbo jet" flying over houses
early in the morning of March 8, the same day Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing.
In a report by Maldivian daily Haveeru, residents described the aircraft which flew over Kuda Huvadhoo at around 6.15am as being white,
with red stripes across it.
This colour scheme is very similar to the livery used by Malaysia Airlines on its aircraft - including the Boeing 777 used for MH370.
Eyewitnesses who saw the aircraft agreed that it was travelling in a north to south east heading towards Addu, the southern tip of the
Maldives, and all commented on the very loud noise the aircraft made when flying over the island.
One noted that the doors on the aircraft could be seen clearly, a fact that was also agreed upon by other eyewitnesses.
"Some people got out of their houses to see what was causing the tremendous noise too," said the eyewitness"."
"based on satellite data obtained since MH370 disappeared from Malaysian radars at 2.15am on March 8."
Info about Addu Atoll (also known as Seenu Atoll) is southernmost atoll of the Maldives.
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addu_Atoll"]Addu Atoll - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
and Addu City [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addu_City"]Addu City - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
"Addu City (local administrative code Seenu) is a city in Maldives consisting of the inhabited islands of
the southernmost atoll of the archipelago. Addu City is the second-largest inhabitance in Maldives, in terms of population"
"In August 1941, the netlayer HMS Guardian landed Royal Navy construction crews on Addu Atoll in the Maldives Islands to
begin work on a secret naval base for Britain’s Eastern Fleet."
"The Royal Navy selected the southernmost island, Gan (pronounced "Yahn") for their airfield and began construction of three
crushed-coral airstrips for the Fleet Air Arm. This was turned over to the Royal Air Force in 1957 and became “RAF Station Gan,” an
airfield that would be used intermittently until 1971. The FAA airfield on Gan in theory could handle all aircraft in the
British inventory, but had short runways and larger bombers often crashed on landing."
"British naval base.
"The Royal Navy established a base ("Port T") - later RAF Gan from 1957 - on the island of Gan (Addu City)."
"In 1957, the naval base was transferred to the Royal Air Force. As RAF Station Gan, it remained in intermittent service until 1975, when British Forces withdrew.
Most of the employees who had experience working for the British military spoke good English. When RAF Station Gan closed, they turned to the nascent tourism industry for employment.
As a result, there was an influx of Addu people to Malé seeking employment in the nearby resorts and also looking for education to their children. Ex RAF Gan is now a tourist resort,
an equator village, with the airstrip now being Gan International Airport.".
Suspicious object washes up on Baarah beach article by Haveeru Online
MSM-link from 'Haveeru Daily' the longest serving daily newspaper in the Maldives,
Article published on Mar 25, 2014 :
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/54153
"A police media official said that the islanders had found the object, washed up on the beach sometime early in the evening.
He also reported that police had responded immediately by arriving at the scene and in turn reporting to
Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF)."
"The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) spokesperson major Hussein Ali reported that they are now looking into
this "unknown" object that had washed up onto Baarah Island, Maldives. He did not give details."
"While some of the islanders speculate this unknown object to be a sea mine, others imagine it as another form of an explosive."
Photo of the Object MSM link:
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/54153
Some speculate it looks similar to Image/Photo:
AAE's Official Company website (Advanced Aircraft Extinguishers AAE, Ltd., has over 30 years of aircraft fire protection system
experience)
http://aae-ltd.com/extinguisher-bottle-assembly/
Image/Photo Official BOEING 777 Parts Catalog (Maintenance):
http://dc725.4shared.com/doc/qx2fzCe6/preview.html
Maldives Distances: (NOTE! Approximate based on Map search):
1,943 mi = 3.1270km Distance from Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur to Maldives.
647mi = 1041.2km Distance from Maldives to Diego Garcia.
Interesting to know what WS'ers think the object found by islanders on Baarah Island Maldives beach around a month ago
(Monday 24.3.2014) looks like? Any suggestions with photos, comments on this?
:fence: