01 APR 2009 _______________________________________ *Jet Makes Emergency Landing at Palm Springs Airport *All IATA Airlines Are IOSA Registered *Frontier Receives 10th Consecutive Award from FAA for Excellence in Safety and Training *A Wing and a Prayer: Safety Concerns Over Red Bull's 55-Year Old Seaplane *JetBlue worker nods off, flies to Boston in cargo hold *Alaska Airlines cancels all overnight flights to and from Alaska *FAA Prepares for Safety Management System Requirement *German carrier Blue Wings suspends operations *Air Canada names new chief operating officer *FAA stresses local cooperation in accelerating NextGen **************************************** Jet Makes Emergency Landing at Palm Springs Airport A Cessna Citation business jet headed to Canada with six people aboard landed safely at Palm Springs International Airport after some smoke was detected in the cabin, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said Tuesday. The plane, registered in Canada, departed from Palm Springs International Airport for Winnipeg, Manitoba, at 10:55 a.m., but the pilot radioed back to report smoke in the cockpit, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said. The plane circled around the Thermal area to burn off some fuel before the emergency landing. "Generally when the plane is lighter it puts less strain on the landing gear," Gregor said. He said it was later learned that the smoke was only in the cabin, but the cause of the smoke was under investigation. http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Jet-Makes-Emergency-Landing-at-Palm- Springs-Airport.html **************** All IATA Airlines Are IOSA Registered -An Important Mark of Quality- Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced today that all 224 of its member airlines, comprising 93% of all scheduled international air traffic, are listed on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry. "Today is a momentous day for aviation safety - our number one priority. IATA membership is now synonymous with best practice in airline safety. This is a great achievement and an important mark of quality for all IATA airlines. This in turn is a reassurance for travellers everywhere of aviation's serious commitment to safety," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO. IOSA is the global industry standard for airline operational safety management. The IOSA registry (www.iata.org/registry) now consists of 308 airlines, 224 of which are IATA members. IOSA's 900+ standards, developed in cooperation with the world's leading airlines and regulators (including FAA, CASA, JAA, Transport Canada) represent industry best practice in all aspects of operational safety. Registration is valid for two years from the date at which the audit was commenced. At the 2006 Annual General Meeting IOSA was made a condition of IATA membership with three milestones. By 31 December 2006, member airlines had to complete contractual arrangements for an IOSA audit. By 31 December 2007, all audits needed to be completed. And by 31 December 2008, all audit findings had to be closed and the carrier noted on the IOSA registry. Failure to meet any of the deadlines resulted in termination of IATA membership, with effect 90 days after the milestone. Qatar Airways was the first airline to have its IOSA audit in September 2003. A total of 9 carriers had their memberships terminated as a result of not meeting the 2006 or 2007 milestone deadlines. A further 8 resigned their memberships at the end of 2008 as they needed more time to complete preparations for a successful audit. One airline lost its IATA membership on 31 March 2009 as a result of being unable to complete the registration process. "The vast majority of IATA member airlines completed the IOSA process. We are now working with those airlines not able to make the deadline to bring them up to the high IOSA standard as soon as possible," said Bisignani. IOSA standards are available free-of-charge to any commercial airline. In 2009 IATA will invest US$ 8 million to fund IOSA audits for its member airlines. Non-IATA members can undergo an IOSA audit by contracting with one of the 8 accredited audit organisations. Improving Safety "Meeting the high standards of IOSA was a challenge for all airlines. Today, air travel is safer as a result of these efforts," said Bisignani. The global hull loss rate in 2008 was 0.81 accidents per million flights (one accident for every 1.2 million flights). For IATA members the accident rate was 0.52 per million departures (one accident for every 1.9 million flights). IOSA is one of the elements driving the significantly better safety record of IATA member airlines. "The goal of IOSA is to improve safety - not reduce our membership numbers," said Bisignani. IATA invested US$3 million in its Partnership for Safety programme which helped 180 airlines worldwide to prepare for IOSA with gap analysis audits, and specific training courses. IOSA and Governments IOSA has won recognition by governments around the world. "Safety oversight is a government responsibility. Aviation is the safest way to travel because of industry-government cooperation and global standards. IOSA is a great tool for governments to enhance their oversight programmes. Many are using it successfully already. And I urge all others to follow their great example," said Bisignani. The FAA accepts the use of IOSA by American carriers for their code-share arrangements with foreign airlines. Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, Madagascar, Mexico, Panama, Syria and Turkey are among the countries that have mandated IOSA in national legislation. Improving Efficiency IOSA is also helping the airlines to focus their safety efforts by reducing redundant and repetitive auditing. Audit results, stored in a central database, can be shared - with the audited airline's approval - with partner airlines and governments. Since its inception, IOSA has helped to avoid almost 1200 redundant audits, saving US$71 million. Next Steps IATA is building on the success of the IOSA programme to improve safety on the ground. Ground accidents cost the industry US$4 billion annually. The IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) was launched in 2008 for ground handlers to improve safety and reduce this cost. ISAGO uses industry best practice standards with a similar central registry. Since launching, a total 45 audits have been conducted. Both IOSA and ISAGO are part of the IATA 6 point safety strategy. Along with auditing, the strategy includes specific programmes for infrastructure safety, safety data management and analysis, operational safety, safety management systems and maintenance. www.iata.org *************** Frontier Receives 10th Consecutive Award from FAA for Excellence in Safety and Training DENVER, March 31, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ ----Reflecting its commitment to safety and continuing education, Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc. (Pink Sheets: FRNTQ) is proud to announce that it is among an elite group of maintenance facilities in America whose maintenance department has been awarded the Federal Aviation Administration's Diamond Award. This is the tenth consecutive year Frontier has received this recognition. "No other major airline has ever received this prestigious award for 10 consecutive years with 100 percent participation," said Frontier Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering Ron McClellan. "It is a reflection of Frontier's total dedication to safety and to the continuing education of our outstanding maintenance employees." The Diamond Award is the highest honor given by the FAA and recognizes airlines and other maintenance facilities where 100 percent of its aircraft maintenance technicians complete certified training requirements beyond their initial certification. In 2008, the FAA raised the level or participation for a Diamond Award from 25 percent to 100 percent. Since 1999, Frontier has far exceeded the FAA's standard with 100 percent participation of its aircraft maintenance technicians, upholding Frontier's status as one of a very small number of air carriers to achieve this distinction. Each of the airline's 303 maintenance and engineering employees participated in the program this year. About Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc. Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of Denver-based Frontier Airlines. Currently in its 15th year of operations, Frontier Airlines is the second-largest jet service carrier at Denver International Airport, employing more than 5,000 aviation professionals. Frontier Airlines' mainline operation has 51 aircraft with one of the youngest Airbus fleets in North America. Frontier Airlines' mainline operations offer 24 channels of DIRECTV(R: 28.37, 0, 0%) service in every seatback along with a comfortable all-coach configuration. In conjunction with a fleet of ten Bombardier Q400 aircraft operated by Lynx Aviation (a subsidiary of Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc.), Frontier offers routes to more than 50 destinations in the U.S., Mexico and Costa Rica. In addition, Frontier and AirTran Airways operate a first-of-its-kind integrated marketing partnership that offers travelers the ability to reach more than 80 destinations across four countries with low fares, aboard two of the youngest fleets in the industry. For more in-depth information on Frontier Airlines, please visit its Web site at FrontierAirlines.com. SOURCE Frontier Airlines Holdings, Inc. ************** A Wing and a Prayer: Safety Concerns Over Red Bull's 55-Year Old Seaplane Popular Marketing Tool Twice Grounded Over Concern about Aged Wings Failing The 55-year old seaplane used to market the Red Bull energy drink at major sporting events and air shows was decommissioned and disposed of by the Coast Guard in 1976 because they considered it no longer safe to fly given the age of its wings. Some say 55-year-old seaplane used to market the energy drink is unsafe. But it flies over the heads of hundreds of thousands of people a year under an "experimental airworthiness certificate" granted by the FAA in 2008. In a written response to questions, a Red Bull spokesperson, Patrice Radden, said: "Neither Red Bull nor any of its pilots or flight crews have or would operate an aircraft that is known to be unsafe or in an unsafe manner." Although the FAA certificate specifically requires the Red Bull plane to "avoid densely populated areas," the plane flew over festivities surrounding the Super Bowl last month in Tampa. The aircraft is a Grumman-built HU-16E "Flying Albatross." http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=7192755&page=1 *************** JetBlue worker nods off, flies to Boston in cargo hold A 21-year-old JetBlue baggage handler flew between New York JFK and Boston after "mysteriously" getting trapped in the flight's cargo hold, various media outlets reported Monday. NBC New York says it learned yesterday "that the worker was in the belly of the plane loading luggage for the flight that left JFK Airport around noon Saturday en route to Boston. That's when the worker seems to have fallen asleep. He later found himself in Beantown after the flight had landed at Logan International Airport," NBC writes. The New York Daily News adds the man "stunned his tarmac counterparts at Boston's Logan Airport Saturday when they opened the cargo door of the twin-engine ERJ-190 jet and unloaded him along with the luggage." Police initially thought the man may have been a stowaway, but they eventually concluded he simply was "an accidental tourist," as the Daily News put its. Still, Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio tells the paper that "even after talking to him we were a little uncertain as to how it happened." NBC New York writes "one official said it appears the baggage handler fell asleep inside the cargo hold, but added that investigators are looking into whether the worker was accidentally locked inside by co-workers." Regardless, NBC adds that the official said the worker appeared to be "tired" and nodded off before the flight left JFK. Then, the man "panicked when he realized he was no longer on the ground," The Boston Globe writes. The paper says he 'phoned JetBlue officials from the air but had to wait to be unloaded with the luggage at Gate 28 of Logan Airport, police said. A medical team evaluated him and found no signs of injuries." JetBlue officials say the company is investigating the incident. JetBlue spokesman Bryan Baldwin "said the cargo bins on JetBlue planes are pressurized, which allowed (the man) to survive," the Daily News writes. The flight between JFK and Boston took 37 minutes and reached 17,000 feet, according to the paper, which adds that this isn't the first such incident to happen at one of the New York-area airports. The Daily News writes that "in June 2005, a La Guardia Airport baggage handler took a nap in the empty cargo bin of a Spirit Airlines MD-80 and woke up 90 minutes later in Detroit." http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=64875831.blog ************** Alaska Airlines cancels all overnight flights to and from Alaska Because of another blast of ash from Alaska's Mount Redoubt, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines has suspended flights in and out of Anchorage until Wednesday morning. The ash poses a significant risk to air travel, an airline spokeswoman said tonight. As a safety precaution, 18 flights tonight and early Wednesday morning have been canceled. The airlines says service will be re-evaluated Wednesday. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008958594_webalaska31.html ***************** FAA Prepares for Safety Management System Requirement The FAA is targeting a June 30 release of an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) laying the groundwork for requiring aviation operators and businesses to implement a Safety Management System (SMS). The FAA last month completed the initial ANPRM and sent it for Dept. of Transportation review. The ANPRM also must undergo Office of Management and Budget review. Don Arendt, manager of the FAA's Flight Standards SMS Program Office, called the ANPRM "basically a fishing expedition," a survey that seeks industry input on requiring SMS. The ANPRM is the first step toward a more forward rulemaking that would mandate SMS. The FAA defines SMS as "a management system for integrating safety activities into normal day-to-day business practices." SMS is designed to help organizations integrate a systematic risk-based and process-oriented approach to managing safety. "The FAA is considering SMS rulemaking to further enhance the practice of managing safety and oversight of that management," the agency said. "Such an approach stresses not only compliance with technical standards, but increases emphasis on those management systems." Current regulations impose technical standards for industry products and services, the agency said. "However, they do not address the framework within which the safety of those products and services are to be managed. SMS requires a proactive approach to discovering and correcting problems before they exhibit safety consequences. SMS also includes processes that seek to identify potential organizational breakdowns and necessary process improvements." Arendt stressed SMS is not a substitute for compliance nor oversight. SMS is not indicative of a "cozy relationship," he added, but it is designed to establish a more cooperative, collaborative environment. "It's about how to make safety decisions," he said. The ANPRM is expected to cover all aspects of aviation - from operators to manufacturers, maintenance organizations and other service providers. The rulemaking would create a new "Part" within the Federal Aviation Regulations to accommodate SMS, but also would include elements that would fold in with the existing FARs that apply to the different aspects of aviation, Arendt said. The agency late last month convened a new Aviation Rulemaking Committee to develop recommendations for the comprehensive SMS rule (BA, March 9/105). The ARC initially is made up of 12 people from across the industry, but Russell Lawton, the director of safety management for the Air Charter Safety Foundation who was appointed to the ARC, said that the membership will grow as working groups form to consider the application of SMS to various aspects of industry. Chartered through February 2012, the ARC will review comments and develop recommendations for the rulemaking. FAA is under an international directive to establish an SMS rule. ICAO established a January 2009 deadline for nations to adopt an SMS mandate. Most member nations - including the U.S. - have not yet met the requirement. Canada is one of the few nations to have an SMS rule in place. Also, the FAA has established a pilot project to help organizations voluntarily implement SMS. The project, ongoing since 2007, currently has about 50 participants, and Arendt indicated that his office would be willing to work with other volunteers. The agency also has issued an order, 8000.36, which Arendt said basically states "we buy into SMS." But the agency currently has no guidance or procedures in place to formally approve SMS programs, which is worrying some international operators. Flight Safety Foundation President Bill Voss acknowledged those concerns at the 2009 Air Charter Safety Symposium held earlier this month. His concerns were focused on liability protection, especially with the growing trend of criminalizing accidents. Companies must demonstrate that they have met best industry practices. But it would be difficult for U.S. organizations to meet those practices without an approved SMS program in place, Voss said. http://www.charterx.com/resources/article.aspx?id=4039 *************** German carrier Blue Wings suspends operations German scheduled and charter airline Blue Wings has suspended flights after hitting financial problems. Dusseldorf-based Blue Wings, which launched services in 2003, operates nine Airbus A320s primarily linking Germany with Turkey and Russia. It has a further 20 A320 family aircraft on order A Blue Wings spokesman confirms that the German CAA (LBA) has suspended the airline's operating licence. According to Flight's ACAS database, Blue Wings owns all but two of its nine A320s. One of the remaining aircraft belongs to Jetscape. The owner of the final aircraft is unknown. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Air Canada names new chief operating officer Air Canada has named Duncan Dee as its new chief operating officer and executive vice-president, succeeding retiring Bill Bredt. Dee, who takes up the post on 3 April, will report directly to new chief executive Calin Rovinescu. He joined the Canadian flag-carrier 12 years ago and was appointed executive vice-president, customer experience and chief administrative officer in 2007. Dee also previously had responsibility for legal and government affairs and corporate safety. Bill Bredt is stepping down after 36 years at Air Canada and its Jazz division. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** FAA stresses local cooperation in accelerating NextGen As momentum builds to accelerate policy and procedure development for the next generation air traffic system (NextGen) in the US, FAA officials stress local municipalities need to contribute to the speed-up in NextGen design. FAA chief operating office Hank Krakowski today during a panel discussion at the FAA Forecast Conference said making airspace adjustments at the local level in some cases triggers strong opposition from lawmakers representing those territories. He warns if NextGen is blocked at the local level "the business case won't be durable". Southwest has also encountered challenges at is works to roll-out required navigation performance (RNP) fleet-wide by 2013. Carrier VP flight operations Chuck Magill says it is "absolutely remarkable" that to change arrival patterns an environmental study that can take up to 12 years needs completion. In recent testimony before the US Congress Honeywell VP of marketing and product management TK Kallenbach explained that four of the most delay-prone airports in the US reside in New York airspace. Efforts to provide congestion relief through redesigned airspace to take advantage of new procedures have been underway for a decade, "delayed in part by opposition from local community groups", he says. Highlighting the opportunity to accelerate NextGen development Air Transport Association of America (ATA) CEO Jim May tells conference attendees that large markets need aircraft to operate with automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) in/out, and specifically highlights that ground based augmentation systems are necessary in New York and Newark. Continental Airlines, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and FAA in January agreed to invest $6 million for a GBAS demonstration at Newark in August. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC