05 OCT 2009 _______________________________________ *Thirty airlines ignore FAA’s “Call to Action” *Pilots and cabin crew demonstrate over EU duty rules *Pilots protest over flying hours *Jat Airways 737-300 slides off runway at Istanbul *Air India investigates mid-air brawl between pilots and cabin crew *Manufacturers to Gather to Discuss U.S. - Mexico Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement **************************************** Thirty airlines ignore FAA’s “Call to Action” FAA today said 30 airlines failed to respond with written commitments to use best practices as part of a "Call To Action" scheme launched by administrator Randy Babbitt earlier this year. Babbitt's requests of carriers was driven by enhanced scrutiny of US airlines following the fatal crash of a Colgan Air Bombardier Q400 in February. During public hearings after the crash questions were raised about pilot fatigue and training at regional airlines. In June Babbitt asked 105 airlines for a formal written commitment to participate in voluntary safety initiatives such as the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) and Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA), and develop effective data analysis to effectively use the information collected. Additionally Babbitt asked carriers to commit to published a code of ethics, establish professional standards and ethics committees and to develop peer audit and review procedures. He also included labour groups in his request, asking them to support safety risk management meetings between FAA and mainline and regional carriers. Today FAA released the list of carriers that did not respond, but Babbitt points out that several of those airlines not responding in writing already have FOQA and ASAP programs in place. "And some carriers may simply be too small or have too limited operations for FOQA programs to be practical," says Babbitt. "The fact that carriers haven't responded or are too small to have certain programs in place will be taken into consideration when performing FAA surveillance activities. FAA's administrator warns that "the operators and labor organizations who have not responded need to understand the American public will ultimately judge their reluctance to adopt proven safety practices, not just the Federal Aviation Administration". A list of carriers who did no respond is available here. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news **************** Pilots and cabin crew demonstrate over EU duty rules Pilots and cabin crew from 36 nations are protesting today over European Union plans for new flight and duty time regulations that crews believe will raise the risk of fatigue-induced accidents. Members of the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) European representative body, the European Cockpit Association, together with colleagues from the European Transport Workers' Federation, are demonstrating at airports across the continent against both the current and proposed regulations. IFALPA today reiterated its opposition to the current EU stance on new flight and duty time regulations, which it says ignore independent, EU-funded research into fatigue factors affecting aircrew. "Since the findings of the study (the Moebus report) were published a year ago Brussels appears to have buckled under pressure from lobbying groups," says IFALPA in a statement. "As a result, the forthcoming regulation, as set out by the European Air Safety Agency (EASA), does nothing to improve the safety of the travelling public and, it can be argued, actually makes air travel less safe by not taking into account this EU-funded research and not even permitting member states with more stringent regulations, to retain them." In the UK (where pilots are not allowed to demonstrate on airport property), British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) general secretary Jim McAuslan has written to the UK Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, asking him how the UK government will uphold a 2006 promise to maintain the UK's standards, which would be overtaken when the proposed new EU regulations come into force in 2012. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news ************** Pilots protest over flying hours Pilots claim long duty hours are putting passengers in danger Airline pilots who say long flying hours are "putting lives at risk" are to hold demonstrations across Europe. European air crew unions argue current rules that govern how long they can fly for are unsafe, with fatigue a factor in 15% of accidents. But the European Aviation Safety Agency says it is still considering a scientific report on the issue. There will be no demonstrations in the UK, because industrial action by pilots is outlawed. British pilots are expected to join demonstrations at major airports on the continent with colleagues from 35 other countries. It is not clear whether the action will cause disruption to travellers. This is a defining moment in how passengers will be protected Jim McAuslan, British Airline Pilots Association The rules are already in force in some EU countries, but are due to come into force in the UK in 2012. Pilots and air crew have complained that their working conditions have deteriorated as the airline industry looks to cut costs. The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said two million leaflets would be handed out across Europe by the protesters. The general secretary of Balpa, Jim McAuslan, said he feared that attempts by the EU to standardise working conditions by 2012 would put more pressure on pilots. He said: "Only fatigue experts understand the impact on a body of flying through so many time zones, having consecutive early starts and late duties and all the other factors that make up a pilot's life". Mr McAuslan told the BBC that while EU law meant a pilot could work up to 14 hours a day, scientists believe they should not exceed 13 hours. "Anything over that increases the risk of an accident by five and a half times," he said. "When that's brought home to the public, I hope the public will put pressure on the regulator to say 'you mustn't do this - you must listen to what science has been saying'." Safety is 'top priority' The President of the European Cockpit Association, Captain Martin Chalk, warned that "unless the EU acts now on information it already has, that it commissioned and that was delivered to it a year ago - unless it acts on that, unfortunately the safety levels we currently enjoy would be damaged". He was speaking to BBC Radio Five Live on Monday. A UK Department for Transport spokesman insisted that safety would not be compromised by the new rules. He said: "The European Aviation Safety Agency is in the process of considering the responses to its consultation on a first draft of rules establishing flight and duty time limits. "While these are unlikely to be finalised until some time in 2011, we are confident they will maintain the same high level of safety as the current rules. "The safety of passengers and crew is our top priority and we will not allow this to be compromised." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8289953.stm *************** Jat Airways 737-300 slides off runway at Istanbul Investigations have begun after a Jat Airways Boeing 737-300 came off the runway at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. The aircraft, registered YU-ANV, is a 21-year old jet which Flight's database ACAS lists as being owned by the carrier. Images from the scene show that the twin-jet came to a halt on a grassy incline with its right-hand engine close to the ground, although the undercarriage appears to be deployed and intact. It is unclear whether the aircraft has sustained damage, but all those on board - said to total 125 passengers and six crew - were reportedly uninjured. The aircraft is reported to be 50m off runway 06/24. Weather details at the time of the incident have yet to be confirmed. Jat Airways has just resumed operations following a technicians' strike last week which grounded the carrier. Source: Air Transport Intelligence news *************** Air India investigates mid-air brawl between pilots and cabin crew The pilots and cabin crew of an Air India flight brawled at 30,000ft after a stewardess accused a co-pilot of sexual harassment. The cockpit of the Airbus A320 was reportedly left unmanned during the scuffle and at one point a pilot allegedly threatened to land Flight IC-844, from the United Arab Emirates to Delhi, in Pakistan, which it was flying over. According to Indian media reports, crew members threw punches and hurled abuse at each other in full view of 106 passengers. Air India said it had grounded two pilots and two crew members over the incident, which happened at about 4.30am local time on Saturday. “The incident of [a] scuffle between the two pilots and cabin crew members of [flight] IC-884 was reported yesterday morning,” said an Air India spokesman. “As there have been claims and counter-claims between the parties involved, the management has ordered an inquiry, which is still in progress. Further action will be decided based on the inquiry report.” It is still not clear precisely how or when the fight started, but it is believed to have stemmed from an angry exchange during the pre-flight briefing at Sharjah airport in the UAE. Police in Delhi said that a 24-year-old stewardess accused one of the flight deck crew of trying to molest her and of pushing her out of the cockpit when she resisted. Officers said that they had registered a case against two pilots — identified as Commander Ranbeer Arora and Captain Aditya Chopra — on suspicion of committing “assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty”. Satyendera Garg, the Joint Commissioner of Police, said that the hostess had suffered bruises and injuries on her hand and a medical examination had confirmed that she was assaulted. The pilots are reported to have made a counter-claim, saying the harassment allegation was an attempt to divert attention from accusations of misconduct against a male flight attendant. Air India enjoyed a monopoly until the mid-1990s but is now struggling to compete with new, private airlines. The mid-air brawl came three days after the Government had to intervene to end a four-day strike by Air India’s senior pilots which grounded its entire fleet and caused havoc across the country. The Government overrode the company’s plan for a steep cut in wages for its best-paid employees to try to reduce accumulated losses of around $3 billion (£1.8 billion) — including at least $875 million (£550 million) last year. A week earlier, another Air India flight from the city of Amritsar to London had to be delayed by several hours after passengers noticed a rat on board. The airline is also being challenged in the Supreme Court by nine air hostesses it dismissed in January for being overweight. It is under fire, too, for having given free tickets to senior managers’ spouses, children, parents, brothers, sisters, and sons and daughters-in-law for more than a decade. Manmohan Singh, India’s Prime Minister, pledged to support the airline in June, but also insisted that it undergo massive restructuring. Air India employs about 32,000 people — twice as many as it needs to operate — and critics believe that the only way to make it more efficient is to privatise it. “It is almost too late for Air India,” wrote Vir Sanghvi, a columnist for the Hindustan Times, yesterday. “Let’s try and save it before it dies. And the only way to save it, is for the Government to finally let go.” http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6860927.ece ***************** Manufacturers to Gather to Discuss U.S. - Mexico Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement Aerospace manufacturers to gather this month in Mexico to discuss critical industry issues. TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Aerospace manufacturers currently in production in Mexico, as well as those considering options for low-cost country investment and sourcing, will gather in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico from October 20 -22, 2009 at The Offshore Group's Aerospace Manufacturing in Mexico Conference. Ricardo Dominguez Quijano will be one of the event's featured speakers. Mr. Dominguez, of the Mexican Professional Aeronautical Engineers Association, will discuss the provisions and ramifications of a 2007 agreement that enables aerospace companies in Mexico to certify aerospace designs and components in accordance with U.S. Standards, and in compliance with FAA Regulatory issues. The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement, or BASA, aims to streamline production and to avoid costly recertifications or secondary reviews. Mexico is home to approximately 120 aerospace companies, and employs a work force that is rapidly approaching 20,000 workers. The Offshore Group's Guaymas and Empalme, Sonora, Mexico industrial parks are home to one of the nation's fastest developing aerospace clusters. Complete information about this unique industry event can be accessed by visiting: www.offshoregroup.com/guaymasaerospace.asp About The Offshore Group The Tucson, Arizona - based Offshore Group is Mexico's leading provider of a turnkey outsourced manufacturing support or, "shelter," solution that has enabled manufacturers to initiate and maintain low-cost, low-risk operations in Mexico since 1986. The Offshore Group's 50+ manufacturing company clients are located in three gated and modern industrial parks with strategic locations in Mexico's North Central and Western regions. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE The Offshore Group **************** Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC