Flight Safety Information April 19, 2010 No. 077 In This Issue Laser beamed in JFK pilot's eyes JetBlue Completes Top International Safety Audit Airline losses from ash spiral over $1 billion Article Headline ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Laser beamed in JFK pilot's eyes A JetBlue pilot was briefly blinded by a laser beam last night before touching down safely at JFK Airport, airline officials said. Flight 607 was arriving from Portland, Me., 25 minutes ahead of its 8:27 p.m. arrival time, when the captain and first officer were reportedly zapped by a flash of light, an airline spokesman confirmed. The plane, which had about 100 passengers on board, landed safely and there were no reported injuries. WABC/Channel 7 reported that the pilot told air-traffic controllers afterwards that the laser was green and that he used a sun visor to deflect the bright light. A Port Authority representative had no comment last night. http://www.nypost.com/ Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JetBlue Completes Top International Safety Audit - Registration with International Air Transport Association's Operational Safety Audit clears way for additional airline partnership opportunities - - JetBlue proudly announces IATA membership - NEW YORK, April 19, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- JetBlue Airways /quotes/comstock/15*!jblu/quotes/nls/jblu (JBLU 6.77, +0.14, +2.09%) is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and achieved IOSA registration. Additionally, JetBlue is now a proud member of IATA. IOSA sets aviation's global standard for quality, safety and operations performance. Joining the IOSA Registry will expand JetBlue's partnership opportunities with other world class airlines, proving that the value-based carrier meets the highest industry benchmarks. The audit encompasses eight areas: Corporate Organization and Management, Flight Operations, Operational Control/Flight Dispatch, Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance, Cabin Operations, Aircraft Ground Handling, Cargo Operations, and Operational Security. "Safety has always been our number one value, and achieving IOSA registration shows that our own rigorous guidelines rate with the strictest standards in the world," said Dave Barger, CEO of JetBlue Airways. "Successfully completing the audit is a testament to the work put in every day by our 12,000 crewmembers keeping customers and each other safe." About JetBlue Airways New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. In 2009, the carrier ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low-Cost Carriers in North America" by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the fifth year in a row. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers Lots of Legroom and super-spacious Even More Legroom seats. JetBlue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on aircraft "BetaBlue," a first among U.S. domestic airlines. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 60 cities with 600 daily flights. New service to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic starts in May. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530 or visit www.jetblue.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103324246132&s=6053&e=001iXVXFG8VDPD3i26H-hyx6epXV1kK4-G7H4MabDZiFfC6QHRl-q9NfTura_vac8ExhXLZwsIXFA3v3_Rv4EqxC0b0viDp3UFtc5dVNCTbsEi0H7llUPDxrA==]. SOURCE JetBlue Airways Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Airline losses from ash spiral over $1 billion PARIS (AP) - As airline losses from the volcanic ash cloud spiraled over $1 billion on Monday, the industry demanded EU compensation and criticized European governments for not using scientific measures to evaluate the ash and open up their airspace. Shares of some European airlines fell as flight disruptions from the volcanic cloud moved into a fifth day, and the International Air Transport Association complained of "no leadership" from government leaders - one of whom admitted to EU dissension about how to respond. "It's embarrassing, and a European mess," IATA CEO Giovanni Bisignani told The Associated Press. "It took five days to organize a conference call with the ministers of transport and we are losing $200 million per day (and) 750,000 passengers are stranded all over. Does it make sense?" European civil aviation authorities held a conference call Monday about what steps could be taken toward opening airspace, and transport ministers from all 27 EU member states were to hold another later in the day. Dominique Bussereau, France's transport minister, told reporters Monday that he had urged EU president Spain ever since Saturday to call the ministerial meeting immediately - but Madrid declined. "Naturally, it would have been better if had taken place Sunday or Saturday," Bussereau said. British Airways said airlines have asked the EU for financial compensation for the closure of airspace, starting last Wednesday. With London among the first hubs shut down, the British carrier said it's losing as much as 20 million pounds ($30 million) per day. BA Chief executive Willie Walsh said European airlines have asked the EU and national governments for financial compensation for the closure of airspace. He pointed to a precedent: compensation paid to airlines after the closure of U.S. airspace following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. "This is an unprecedented situation that is having a huge impact on customers and airlines alike," Walsh said. "We continue to offer as much support as we can to our customers, however, these are extraordinary circumstances that are beyond all airlines' control." Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo - the No. 2 in the French Cabinet - said a meeting was planned Tuesday of French airlines, travel agencies and the government to examine possible state aid to the industry. "This aid will evolve of course based on the severity of the crisis. For that, we need a European pre-accord that we have obtained - an accord in principle so this sector aid can be allocated," Borloo told France's i-Tele. The IATA, in a statement, called on governments to place "greater urgency and focus on how and when we can safely reopen Europe's skies" - such as through more in-depth study of the ash cloud. "We have to not just use - as the Europeans were doing - a theoretical model, let's try to use figures and facts," Bisignani said." It means sending test planes at certain kinds of altitudes to check what was the situation with the ashes." While the association says "safety is our top priority," Bisignani said in the statement that its member airlines have run test flights with no problems and "they report missed opportunities to fly safely." Bisignani said that Europe - unlike the United States, for example - is "not well-equipped" when it comes to planes that can test the air quality in the skies. He estimated that once flights in Europe do resume, it would take three to six days for traffic to return to normal. France's Borloo said disparate analyses needed to be brought together based on "real tests on real planes with real pilots," so some air "corridors" could be reopened. "The issue today is not to reopen all European commercial airspace, the issue today is to increase the ability to reopen corridors to allow the general de-congestion of European traffic," he told reporters. "The desire of France - without taking risk - is to open corridors as much as possible and as quickly as possible." Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, the No. 2 executive at Air France-KLM, said his company is losing euro35 million a day and called for more test flights to see if routes are safe to fly. He said the French-Dutch carrier conducted five test flights on its own Sunday and planned another seven Monday. Speaking to reporters Monday at Air France headquarters near Paris' main airport, Gourgeon said aviation authorities had relied on "insufficient" information when they imposed a near-blanket flight ban in some countries. Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BA: No engine degradation on 747 ash test-flight Detailed analysis of the engines on the British Airways Boeing 747 used in a test flight through the European volcanic cloud has indicated no deterioration in performance. Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce monitored the RB211 powerplants in real time, from the ground, during yesterday's 2hr 46min flight between London Heathrow and Cardiff. Technicians conducted a borescope inspection of the engines after the flight. "All these checks showed no deterioration from that previously recorded at London Heathrow," says BA. Rolls-Royce is to analyse the engine oil and fuel filters from the aircraft. BA says that information from the flight recorders indicates that all four RB211s performed "without fault for the duration of the flight" and without any degradation of performance. Chief executive Willie Walsh is citing the technical analysis to support an argument that the blanket restrictions on European airspace are unnecessary. "Since airspace was closed on [15 April] our assessment is that the risk has been minimal and can be managed by alternative procedures to maintain the highest safety standards," he says. "We believe airlines are best-positioned to assess all available information and determine what, if any, risk exists to aircraft, crew and passengers." The 747 operated up to an altitude of 40,000ft in a series of staged climbs to expose the jet to various layers of the atmosphere, in a bid to assess whether the volcanic ash from Iceland is liable to affect flight safety. BA says the 747 underwent a full structural survey at Heathrow, including compilation of a photographic record, covering critical areas such as the wing and stabiliser leading edges, sensors, engine inlets and radome. Engineers also checked lights, the windshield and passenger windows. All four powerplants underwent borescope checks and examination of the compressor, combustor, turbine and vanes. The carrier also replaced some of the equipment - including oil and fuel filters, recirculation fan and cooling filters - to simplify the post-flight detection of debris. At specific intervals during the test flight specialists on board monitored not only the performance of the aircraft but also the cabin air to check possible build-up of acrid compounds that might signal concentrated volcanic gas. "We use our expertise in risk assessment across a wide range of safety issues to make decisions on the safe operation of flights every day," says Walsh. "We believe that we should be allowed to take the same responsibility over safety issues over the recent volcanic eruptions in Iceland." Source: Air Transport Intelligence news Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC