Flight Safety Information November 17, 2011 - No. 235 In This Issue Pilot causes mid-air terror scare by locking himself in toilet India, USA sign Aviation Safety Agreement Air India Express pilot flirts with danger 4 times, grounded Nigerian government fines British Airways $135 million, Virgin Atlantic $100 million Baltimore-Bound Flight Delayed For 'Suspicious Substance Boeing Electronic Flight Folder to Be Launched by Qatar Airways Helicopter crashes south of Grand Canyon Irate Chinese travellers hold airplane protest Eight PIA aircraft remain grounded for want of spare parts Air passengers 'forced' to pay pilots to complete trip Private business jet operators sue IRS for $643 million European Cabin Safety Conference Delivers Critical Cabin Safety Discussions US airlines fight Air-India financing Brazil needs over 700 aircraft in 20 years Pilot causes mid-air terror scare by locking himself in toilet and sending passenger 'with Middle Eastern accent' to cockpit for help A pilot inadvertently caused a mid-air terror scare when he accidentally locked himself in the toilet and sent a passenger 'with a Middle Eastern accent' to the cockpit for help. With the flight not far from landing, a spooked co-pilot refused to let the Good Samaritan in, and instead told the control tower at LaGuardia Airport of his serious concerns that an attack was underway. The passenger continued to bang on the door for assistance and even offered the password but the co-pilot refused to budge, leading to fighter planes being alerted. Terror fear: The pilot of a New York-bound flight caused panic when he locked himself in the toilet and sent a passenger 'with a Middle Eastern accent' for help Jittery: The co-pilot alerted air traffic control of his concerns The apparent danger was only averted when the pilot managed to force his way out of the men's lavatory and resume his place behind the controls. In a cockpit radio recording, obtained by the New York Post, he can be heard telling air traffic control: 'The captain, myself, went back to the lavatory and the door latch broke and I had to fight my way out of it with my body to get the door open. 'There is no issue, no threat.' The drama took place on a New York-bound Chatauqua Airlines flight from Asheville, North Carolina, and began when the pilot decided to take a bathroom break before landing. But when he tried to leave the latch broke and he was locked inside at a crucial moment in the flight's journey. The plane was holding pattern above the airport and ready to touch down. A well-meaning passenger sitting in the front row heard his hammering and rushed to assist, the New York Post reported. Relieved, the pilot told the passenger to go to the cockpit and tell the crew of his situation, the paper said. But the co-pilot, already jittery about why his colleague's bathroom break was taking so long, was in no mood to allow a stranger into the highly-secured area, least still one with a Middle Eastern accent, the New York Post reported. Almost stammering, he swiftly contacted air traffic control. New York: The Chautauqua Airlines flight, which was running under the Delta name, was just about to land at LaGuardia Airport, pictured 'We are 180 knots 10,000 [feet] uh, can we leave the frequency for a minute? We are going to try to, uh contact dispatch,' he said in the recording obtained by the New York Post. 'The captain disappeared in the back, and, uh, I have someone with a thick foreign accent trying to access the cockpit.' The passenger explained through the door what had happened but the co-pilot was still suspicious. 'What I'm being told is he's stuck in the lav, and, uh, someone with a thick foreign accent is giving me a password to access the cockpit,' he said. 'I'm not about to let him in.' The controller, also scared, advised the pilot to declare an emergency and 'just get on the ground.' The captain finally managed to bash his way out of the bathroom and told his colleagues everything was fine. At that point fighter planes had already been alerted, although they were never scrambled. When an air traffic controller called back to check if 'there any level of disturbance on the airplane,' the pilot responded 'negative.' The FBI and Port Authority officers met the plane when it landed around 6.30pm, the New York Post reported. A spokesman for Chatauqua said police talked to the passenger and quickly established there had been a big misunderstanding, the New York Post reported. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2062708/Chatauqua-Airlines-pilot- route-LaGuardia-causes-terror-scare-locking-toilet.html#ixzz1dyRHLwPP Back to Top India, USA sign Aviation Safety Agreement Third US - India Aviation Summit begins in Delhi India and the USA have signed a significant Aviation Safety Agreement on the sidelines of the third US - India Aviation Summit which commenced in Delhi today. The agreement, known as Implementation Procedures for Airworthiness (IPA), is a mutual commitment between the two countries to enhance international aviation safety and will enable a more efficient exchange of aviation products. The IPA was signed by Bharat Bhushan, Director General, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Government of India, and Dorenda Baker, Director - Aircraft Certification Service, FAA, Government of USA. IPA details the scope and nature of the cooperation established in the framework set up in the US - India Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) Executive Agreement signed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Government of USA and Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India in July this year. Earlier, speaking at the inauguration of the third US-India Aviation Summit, jointly hosted by the United States Trade & Development Agency (USTDA) and US - India Aviation Cooperation Programme (ACP), Leocadia I Zak, Director, USTDA, said that the ACP is a unique public-private-partnership between the US and India which has witnessed "impressive developments" in the Indian aviation industry since it was launched in 2007. "The ACP, established with ten founding members, has grown to thirty corporate members as of this year. In addition to two previous Summits, USTDA and the ACP have supported projects that respond to the priorities and needs of the Indian aviation sector. The US-India Aviation Summit will give an opportunity for stakeholders of the aviation industry in both countries to meet and forge long-term strategic and commercial relationships." Bhushan spoke of the benefits that the ACP has brought to Indian civil aviation, and technical and management training in the last five years. He said that officials of all the 32 DGCA offices have benefited from the training programme launched this year. He informed the delegates that the government is keen to set up a Civil Aviation Authority of India in place of the DGCA to take on the regulatory challenges that will come with future growth in the aviation industry. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Nasim Zaidi, Secretary - Civil Aviation, Government of India, said that partnership between India and the US in the aviation sector has come a long way since the Air Transport Agreement was signed between the two countries in 2005. "India is slated to become the fifth-largest market in the world in terms of overall traffic growth in the next five to ten years and the government is prepared to smoothen this growth by creating infrastructure, both on the ground and in the airspace," he said. He further added that India needed to expand its airport network into Tier-II and Tier-III cities to cope with this growth and has already identified 30 more locations for development of airport infrastructure. Speaking on the importance of private investors, Zaidi stated, "The government wants to involve the private sector in a pragmatic way in development of this sector. In the last few years, the private sector has invested almost USD 6 billion in the aviation sector. The aviation sector will require investments to the tune of USD 130 billion in the next 10 to 15 years, which would open new opportunities for private sector partners." He also invited the private sector to invest in aviation education and training infrastructure in India to address the shortage of skilled personnel. "The government is planning to set up a National Aviation University, and a Centre of Excellence for aviation training and education. Maintenance and Repair Operations is another area where India is looking for investment," he added. In his brief speech, Peter Burleigh, USA Ambassador of to India, while commending the growth India has achieved in the civil aviation sector, said that the USA wanted to help and be part of the future growth of the aviation industry here in India. http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/india-usa-sign-aviation-safety-agreement-14970 Back to Top Air India Express pilot flirts with danger 4 times, grounded MUMBAI: It was a quartet of mistakes that could have had disastrous consequences. In the course of landing an aircraft in a strong crosswind, an Air India Express commander took four erroneous decisions, one after another, endangering a Boeing 737 aircraft and its 87 passengers. Luckily, it all ended with damage done only to the aircraft and the commander's flying record. The potentially fatal incident occurred on November 3 on the Cochin-Salalah Air India Express flight IX 441 when it landed after three attempts at 9.45am, local time. After a very rough touchdown, the Boeing 737 aircraft hurtled down the runway only to jerk sharply as two tyres burst. One wing almost scraped the runway surface and the landing gear was damaged before the aircraft came to a halt near the runway end. The commander was so flustered that even after the plane stopped, he kept the engines running and did not release his foothold on the brakes for about 15-20 minutes till an engineering team arrived to tow away the aircraft. Confirming the incident, the Air India Express spokesperson said: "The landing was not in keeping with our standard operating procedures. It indicated a disregard for the SOP by the commander." The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is investigating the matter. The series of faulty decisions began when the flight reached Salalah ( Oman) airspace and the pilots were informed by the Omani air traffic controller that the wind speed on the ground was 25 knot (46 kmph) gusting (sudden bursts of high-speed wind) to 35 knot (65 kmph). "The aircraft should not have attempted a landing in Salalah as the crosswind (wind blowing across the runway) speed was about 35 knot," said a source. The SOP manual disallows a landing when the surface wind speed is beyond 25 knot, and in this case, it was not only about the wind speed but also about wind direction. Landing in a crosswind is more difficult, as an aircraft is prone to drifting laterally as it approaches the runway. At this point, the commander should have diverted the aircraft to Abu Dhabi, the alternate airport listed in the flight plan. An aircraft is flown to an alternate airport if the commander perceives that a safe landing is not possible at the destination airport (it is mandatory to carry enough fuel to fly to the alternate). There are instances where experienced commanders have managed to land safely in a strong wind and taken care to ensure that the flight safety department of the airline concerned was not informed about it. "But the best of pilots follow the norms. If a landing is in violation of an air safety norm, it is not done," said a senior commander. The AI Express commander too tried to land in Salalah, but had to abort the landing. After the first failed attempt, he took the aircraft up 6,000 feet and after 10 minutes attempted a second landing, only to fail again. Finally, he decided to divert to Abu Dhabi, which is one hour, 15 minutes away. But that wasn't the end of the matter. "The commander entered the wrong data into the Flight Management System and it threw up a scare," said the source. "It showed that only six minutes of flying time would be left on reaching Abu Dhabi, which was insufficient to make a landing." In reality, the aircraft had 4.7 tonnes of fuel on board, and the fuel needed to reach and land safely in Abu Dhabi was 4.5 tonnes. But since the commander was under the impression that the aircraft was short on fuel, he panicked and decided to return to Salalah. It was now the commander's third attempt at landing in Salalah in poor weather, which is something air safety experts warn against. Several airlines worldwide have banned a third attempt at landing at an airport in poor weather and made a diversion mandatory. Air India, however, does not have such a policy yet-the airline spokesperson said this was "under review". During the third attempt, the commander decided to do an autoland although the cockpit crew was not trained to do so. In an autoland, the aircraft directly takes inputs from ground-based navigation instruments that give guidance to an aircraft on descent profile and horizontal manoevering. But there are wind speed restrictions for autoland, and a 35-knot crosswind is way above the permissible limit for a B737. "The commander also disregarded the limitations by Boeing Company for autoland operation," said the airline spokesperson. "The matter is under investigation by our air safety department." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Air-India-Express-pilot-flirts-with-danger-4- times-grounded/articleshow/10760907.cms Back to Top Nigerian government fines British Airways $135 million, Virgin Atlantic $100 million LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - Nigeria's government has fined air carriers British Airways $135 million and Virgin Atlantic Airways $100 million over what it describes as unfair trade practices that hiked up airfare prices in the oil-rich nation, an official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The official said the fines came after a six-month investigation into fuel charges added to fares from Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport to London's Heathrow Airport. The official said the two airlines acted together to inflate prices as far back as 2004. The official spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity as the Nigerian government did not want to publicly acknowledge fines as negotiations with the two carriers continue. Nigerian newspaper ThisDay published a story Thursday saying the government had levied the heavy fines. British Airways, which is run by International Consolidated Airlines Group PLC, rejected the allegations in a Thursday statement. British Airways has been flying to Nigeria, a British colony until 1960, for more than 75 years. "We are vigorously defending our position," the statement read. Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. issued a statement Thursday saying it had been contacted by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority over the fuel-charge investigation. "We have fully assisted the NCAA with its inquiry and we do not believe we have breached Nigerian law," the statement read. "We will be robustly defending any suggestion to the contrary." The airlines also will be required to provide compensation for affected passengers, which could mean millions of dollars more in losses, the official said. The fuel charges appear to have spiked in just over a year, from 2.50 pounds ($4) in 2004 to 30 pounds ($47) in 2005, according to an analysis done by the Nigerian government and obtained Thursday by the AP. The fee "was nothing but an additional fare," the analysis read. In trading Thursday, IAG stock dropped 2.10 pounds ($3.30) to 141.40 pounds ($222). The Nigerian government's push to accuse the two airlines of price fixing has precedent abroad. In the U.S., 21 airlines have paid more than $1.7 billion in fines over artificially inflating passenger and cargo fuel charges, one of the largest criminal antitrust investigations in U.S. history. Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic found themselves ensnared in that probe, with British Airways fined $300 million in August 2007. However, the fines come as Nigeria is engaging in talks with the United Kingdom over Nigerian carrier Arik Air's loss of spots at Heathrow. The Nigerian airline said a government agreement entitles it to 21 slots at U.K. airports, but the airline refused to pay increased rates for some Heathrow slots, which are administered by a private company. The Nigerian official denied the fines came as a response to the conflict, which has seen the Nigerian government threaten to cut British Airways flights in Lagos in retaliation. Other foreign carriers also fly in and out of Lagos' international airport, a major hub for West Africa. That airport alone saw 2.3 million passengers pass through it in 2009, according to the most recent statistics provided by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. The official said authorities will continue their investigation to examine the high prices charged by other foreign airlines as well. Back to Top Baltimore-Bound Flight Delayed For 'Suspicious Substance' 137 People On Board Southwest Plane BALTIMORE -- Investigators determined that a suspicious powder found on a Southwest Airlines flight headed to Baltimore from West Palm Beach, Fla., was not dangerous. West Palm Beach spokesman Chase Scott said a flight attendant reported an unidentified substance on board Southwest Airlines flight 793 shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday. Scott said the flight attendant found a powdered substance in a tissue box in the restroom. Passengers were removed from the flight while Palm Beach County Fire Rescue hazardous materials crews investigated. Passengers could be seen sitting on chairs on the tarmac. Scott said the passengers were being kept on the tarmac to avoid any potential contamination to the rest of the airport. Scott said two crew members who were directly exposed to the substance were being decontaminated on the plane. "We are working with the local hazmat crews to determine what the suspicious substance is and we are holding boarding until we determine what actions need to be taken," Southwest Airlines said in a statement. Megan Moffitt said she was waiting to board the flight when passengers were halted at the gate. "We were waiting in the gate to get on the plane and then I saw the pilot come out, pass by everyone, a little cautious, and he came back through and then they said on the announcement that everyone had to come back out," Moffitt said. Moffitt said she waited about a half hour before being told what was happening. Investigators said that the substance, while inert, would still be sent to the FBI lab for further analysis. Read more: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/29788448/detail.html#ixzz1dyDrmydb Back to Top Boeing Electronic Flight Folder to Be Launched by Qatar Airways Qatar Airways 777 fleet first to transmit day-of-flight information directly to Electronic Flight DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 16, 2011 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Qatar Airways have announced that Qatar Airways will be the launch customer for Boeing's new Electronic Flight Folder (EFF).The carrier will install the EFF on their entire fleet of Boeing 777s, making it the first in the world to transmit day-of-flight data such as flight plans and weather information directly to the 777 Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). Qatar Airways will also install the Electronic Flight Folder on their future Boeing 787 fleet, making it the first airline to deploy such advanced operational software on both models. The carrier will begin using Electronic Flight Folder in 2012. EFF is a software application that runs on an airplane's Electronic Flight Bag, allowing pilots to conduct route briefing and log flight progress directly on the EFB. The suite of EFF applications helps the airline to achieve ground report efficiencies and to reduce or eliminate paper printing, handling and storage costs. "We are delighted to have Qatar Airways as our launch customer for the Electronic Flight Folder," said Per Noren, vice president of Information Services for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. "They are an excellent, long-term customer and we are committed to making them even more successful by helping them connect their data and transform it into actionable, real-time information." "Qatar Airways is pleased to take part in the development and introduction of the EFF across its Boeing fleet," said Ra'ed Ayoub, Qatar Airways vice president, Flight Operations Technical. The airline will continue to work jointly with Boeing to further develop aircraft systems and applications that take advantage of technological innovation to enhance safety and increase operational efficiency. Boeing received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certification for its Class 3 EFB in November 2003, when the first commercial unit was delivered to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Boeing has orders for more than 1500 of their industry-standard EFBs. Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/16/4059818/boeing-electronic-flight- folder.html#ixzz1dyD1dgBr Back to Top Helicopter crashes south of Grand Canyon Coconino County Sheriff's Office The pilot of this helicopter was injured in a crash Tuesday morning near Valle. ...A 57-year-old Glendale man was transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries following a helicopter crash south of the Grand Canyon on Tuesday. The crash occurred about four miles west of the Valle airport, according to the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. Dispatchers received an emergency call from a man who said he was pinned in the wreckage of a helicopter just after 8:30 a.m. this morning. The pilot, identified as Jeff Boatman, said the UH-1H Huey aircraft had a mechanical failure and he was trying to land when the crash occurred. He was stabilized at the scene and flown to Flagstaff. First responders reported that he suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Boatman works for Airwest of Glendale, which contracts with the Havasupai tribe. Boatman is thought to have been flying to the Hilltop area above Havasupai Falls. The helicopter is owned by Aero Leasing, also of Glendale. Valle is about 30 miles south of the south entrance to the Grand Canyon, between Williams and Tusayan on Highway 64. Read more: http://azdailysun.com/news/local/helicopter-crashes-south-of-grand- canyon/article_640a1fa8-1068-11e1-894b-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1dyC2dswC Back to Top Irate Chinese travellers hold airplane protest HONG KONG: (AFP) Furious Chinese passengers refused to leave a plane at Hong Kong airport for several hours until they were paid compensation for flight delays, an airline spokeswoman said Thursday. The protest sit-in began when the Hong Kong Airlines plane landed around 5.30am local time on Wednesday from Singapore, airline spokeswoman Eva Chan told AFP. The Airbus 330 carrying 159 passengers had been delayed in Singapore for almost nine hours due to a technical fault and a fracas between two groups of passengers which left an old Chinese women with an injured hand. "Some of the passengers weren't happy with our compensation policy and they showed their anger. Actually it was quite a mess," Chan said of the incident at the boarding gate in Singapore. The airline offered the passengers HK$400 (US$51) each by way of compensation but 80 of them rejected the offer and refused to leave the plane in Hong Kong until they received more money, she said. Fifty nine passengers gave up their sit-in and left the aircraft at 9:00 am but the remaining 21 -- including a tour group from Shenzhen and four travellers from Hong Kong -- remained on board. Police were called to the scene as the crew tried to negotiate with the passengers inside the cabin. "For airport security reasons we had to call the police. We couldn't take action because it wouldn't be right for us to force them off the aircraft," Chan said. Ninety minutes later the passengers agreed to disembark, but they continued their protest inside the airport. The protest finally ended around 1:30pm when the airline raised their compensation to HK$1,200 each. "The amount of the compensation is not important. Their (Hong Kong Airlines) attitude was very poor," one of the passengers from mainland China was quoted as telling Hong Kong's iCable TV. Chan said the airline apologised for the inconvenience caused by the plane's technical problem, but added that up to two hours of the delay in Singapore was due to the protest actions of the passengers. "Two groups of passengers tried to fight with each other at the boarding gate and an old lady fell down and injured her hand," Chan said. The spokeswoman said the injured woman received medical treatment for the injury and compensation from the airline in Singapore, but she continued to demand more money on arrival in Hong Kong. "We offered to take her to a hospital or clinic but she refused," Chan said. Chan rejected some of the passengers' allegations in the media that they were assaulted by Singapore airport staff and deceived by the airline about compensation. She said CCTV footage of the incident in Singapore showed the airport ground staff had acted appropriately. Back to Top Eight PIA aircraft remain grounded for want of spare parts KARACHI: The Dubai-based Transwaorld Aviation FZE, which signed a multimillion dollars spare parts contract with Pakistan International Airlines a few weeks ago, has failed to make any delivery of spare parts so far, with the result that only one out of two grounded jumbo jets has been put into operation, whereas eight other aircraft still remain grounded. In a related development, the Pakistan Airlines Pilots' Association (Palpa) has announced that it will stage a protest demonstration against acquiring aircraft on lease. The demonstration will be held at PIA head office on November 18. According to information available here, the-non-supply of parts by Transworld Aviation has compelled the airline to ground one Boeing 737 and an Airbus for unspecified period, as some spares were taken out from these aircraft to make other planes serviceable. Under the agreement, Transworld Aviation had offered a $ 700 million credit line but it does not seem providing any benefit to the empty stores of national flag carrier. Airline staff, conversant with the technicalities involved, said that PIA had awarded a crucial contract for procurement of aircraft spares and disposal of surplus inventory in the most non-transparent manner to a firm which does not meet even the basic requirements. They pointed out that Transworld Aviation FZE has no experience of dealing with commercial airlines and the agreement signed in a haphazard way has brought the national flag carrier to almost verge of collapse where its nine aircraft remained grounded for whole of last week and 5-6 aircraft remained grounded on average all the time. According to details available here, a Boeing 737 AP BFT was scheduled for infrastructure check after its engine life cycle was completed. In order to keep it operational, another Boeing 737 AP BCA was grounded from which an engine was removed, as a new engine was not available, and installed in AP BFT to carry on with the operations. Similarly, a Boeing 747 AP BGG, which remained grounded for 3-4 months, was brought into operations after installation of two engines, But it got stuck on its first flight in Islamabad while operating as PK 309, and the flight was delayed by more than eight hours. Also, an Airbus 310, AP BGN is being grounded for frame check, earlier than planned, as its engines will be installed in other two Airbus AP BGR and AP BGQ. Two technical spare parts of engines, called reverser cowls, will be taken out from AP BGN and installed in Airbus AP BGO, which was earlier grounded. This Airbus AO BGO is the same aircraft, which was held up in Paris in August as a result of fuel leak, detected by SAFA inspectors. The aircraft was not allowed commercial flight and, after about a week, was brought back without passengers. Since then it was parked 'peacefully' in Karachi hangar. According to PIA engineers, grounding of AP BGO was unusual, as only due to fuel leak and unscheduled checks the aircraft should not have spent so much time in the hangar, if proper supply of spares was in place. The AP BGN, it is feared, will remain grounded for several months more as PIA management will be left with no choice of shuffling spare parts and engines from one aircraft to another. Another aircraft, ATR AP BHJ, has remained grounded for more than two months--for installation of two engines. ATRs came into focus two months back when two aircraft were grounded the very same day they had made emergency landings as a result of an engine shutdown during light at Karachi and Zhob. Wrong decisions are lethal for PIA as the management is shuffling its resources with no help from Transworld Aviation FZE, for which the agreement was signed, sources in PIA said. Awarding the contract to an ineligible party, failing to meet the requirements of the tender floated, has already damaged the image of PIA in international aviation circles and alienated the most efficient and competent international suppliers who might not participate in future tenders of the national carrier, they said. Initially, it looked that sending a considerable number of aircraft of its fleet to hangars for check and maintenance prior to Hajj was a preparation for the massive operations ahead. Later, it was thought that it was to justify the agreement with Transworld Aviation. But, as a surprise to many, it has now been proved that it is mere inefficiency that halts PIA's smooth operations. PIA workers' unions have also decided to join hands with Pakistan Railways and Pakistan Steel Mills unions against privatisation of their organisations and threatened a nationwide protest in case government moves towards privatising these institutions. Palpa President Capt Sohail Baloch has, in the meantime, clarified that he has not given any countrywide strike call against the government's privatisation plan. He said that Palpa had expressed its concern over the proposed privatisation plan of PIA, but did not give a call for countrywide strike. Pilots will continue to raise the issues as their fundamental right before the management, and give suggestions for the progress and prosperity of the airline and its workers, he said. Expressing his sympathy with the workers' unions of public sector entities, Sohail said that the Association members would soon meet the President of Pakistan and request him to intervene and instruct to resolve the issues with proper strategies, without indulging in privatisation plan. http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/1-front-top-news/35536-eight-pia-aircraft-remain- grounded-for-want-of-spare-parts.html Back to Top Air passengers 'forced' to pay pilots to complete trip LONDON (AFP) - Passengers on board a flight from the Indian city of Amritsar said on Thursday that they were forced to collect money on board the plane to fund the remainder of their trip back to Britain. Those on board said they were "held to ransom" for six hours on the runway in the Austrian capital Vienna after the flight with Austrian airline Comtel Air from Amritsar stopped to refuel. Passengers said they were told they had to hand over £20,000 ($31,500, 23,500 euros) to complete the journey to Birmingham. More than 180 passengers, who should have arrived in Birmingham on Saturday, finally reached the city late on Tuesday, according to the Birmingham Mail. Elderly women and children were among the passengers. One passenger, Dalvinder Batra, told the paper: "It is absolutely disgusting. There are still people stuck out there." Ranbir Dehal said: "We were escorted to the cash point to take money out. They said there was a deficit of nearly 24,000 euros and they gave us receipts." Reena Rindi, who was travelling with her two-year-old daughter, told Channel 4 News: "We wanted to go home. We'd been stranded for about three to four days. Who was going to take us home?" She said passengers agreed to pay so they could fly to Birmingham and added: "We all got together, took our money out of purses -- £130. "The children under two went free. "If we didn't have the money they were making us go one by one outside in Vienna to get the cash out." Konrad Bhupinder, managing director of Comtel Air, blamed the tour operator Skyjet, which reserved the flight tickets, for the problem. "We only organise flights if the tickets have been paid for," he said, adding that in this case Skyjet had not paid the airline for the flights. The flight had been due to take off on Saturday but was delayed to Tuesday because of a conflict between Skyjet and Comtel Air, which had hired the plane and the crew from a Spanish company, Mint Airways. Back to Top Private business jet operators sue IRS for $643 million, claiming ticket tax wrongly applied COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A group of private business jet operators is suing the Internal Revenue Service for $643 million, saying the government wrongly applied a ticket tax meant for commercial passengers only. The lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Columbus by four Ohio-based subsidiaries of Columbus-based NetJets Inc. says the ticket tax was not intended to apply to private aircraft owners and the fees they pay to maintain and operate their planes. The companies provide aircraft management services to people and companies that own planes. The companies "do not transport these owners, but instead simply act as the owners' agent and assist them in transporting themselves on their own planes," the companies argued in the lawsuit filed Monday. "As such, the ticket tax has no application to the fees that aircraft owners pay ... to manage and maintain their aircraft for them," the lawsuit said. The companies are seeking back payment of the taxes, which were first applied beginning in 2003, with interest. An IRS spokeswoman was reviewing the lawsuit but said the agency typically doesn't comment on pending litigation. Messages were left with NetJets and the attorney handling the lawsuit. The companies filing the lawsuit are NetJets Large Aircraft Inc., NetJets International Inc., NetJets Aviation Inc. and Executive Jet Management Inc. The companies said the IRS never explained what type of fees it was placing the taxes on, the lawsuit said. As a result, the companies "are stuck with a $642 million-plus bill for past taxes the IRS never indicated they were required to collect and for which they are not even the actual taxpayers," the lawsuit said. ___ Online: http://www.netjets.com/ Back to Top FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: European Cabin Safety Conference Delivers Critical Cabin Safety Discussions and Innovative Safety Methods for Improving Aviation Safety Programs Worldwide San Pedro, CA - November 15, 2011 -In a world that continues to grow exponentially every day, developing new and innovative ways to continually improve aviation safety programs is essential. At the European Cabin Safety Conference (ECSC) in Frankfurt, Germany last week (1-3 November 2011), the team at (L/D)max Aviation Safety Group brought together professionals from a variety of industry disciplines to work towards the common goal of improving cabin safety programs at an international level. Cabin safety is a critical aspect of aviation safety that often receives less attention than it should. With the help of major sponsors including Condor Airlines, CAT Magazine, and Turkish Airlines, ECSC delegates walked away with new perspectives, new ideas and new developments that will directly impact their cabin safety procedures. "Personally and professionally the impact of the ECSC cannot be understated. The conference opened up new avenues and applications to tackle some our biggest cabin safety challenges," stated Jeffrey Hendren, Director - Inflight/Flight Attendance Manager at Regional 1 Airlines Ltd. "(L/D)max obviously has their finger on the pulse of aviation safety. The biggest hot topics within the industry all had floor time at the conference, ensuring that information relevant to us right now was addressed." Condor Airline's COO, Uwe Balser, opened the conference with the Keynote Address, followed by speakers from around the world leading discussions that included future rules for cabin crew, SMS and its role in the cabin, cabin crew competence development, dealing with physical aggression, evaluation of wireless communication devices and much more. Delegates in attendance came from a variety of aviation disciplines, but found that there were significant takeaways for their organizational safety needs at all levels. "Thank you for bringing International Operations, Regulatory and Manufacturing representatives together in such a collegial forum," boasted Julie Palmer, Chief of Cabin Safety & Training at Bombardier Aerospace. "The ability to share ideas and have discussions between all these complimentary groups will inevitably enhance cabin safety worldwide." Thirty-nine countries in total were represented at the ECSC, including nearly every European country. With attendees from throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America, and South America, this event brought to light the essential need for increased cabin safety training and discussions amongst industry professionals worldwide. (L/D)max Aviation opened up new lines of communication amongst professionals in a variety of industry roles while maintaining the essential purpose of the conference - cabin safety. "(L/D)max Aviation Safety Group did a fabulous job of developing and coordinating the European Cabin Safety Conference," said US FAA Survival Factors Project Team Leader Denise Deaderick. "It exceeded my expectations. I made several contacts with the Canadian Aviation Authority, EASA, ICAO, CAA United Kingdom, and Singapore CAA. I've been talking it up...and I've had some interest from the FAA Accident Investigation Group at Washington Headquarters and the researchers at CAMI for participation in next year's conference." Throughout the three-day conference, delegates inquired heavily to (L/D)max Aviation CEO, Sharon Morphew, and the newly appointed COO, Chrissy Kelley, into future conferences. Many voiced the need for this particular conference to continue, and a number of delegates approached the (L/D)max Aviation team about an opportunity to have them host one of the (L/D)max Aviation conferences in their own country in the future. With an overwhelmingly positive review from attendees, speakers and exhibitors, (L/D)max Aviation is currently in discussions with agencies throughout the world about future events and next year's conference, which will take the name the International Cabin Safety Conference as it will expand beyond the scope of Europe in the future. "We set a goal of providing the world with an event that would bring together a wide variety of industry experts and professionals in one setting to allow an open discussion of cabin safety topics, concerns, rules, etc.," stated COO, Chrissy Kelley. "The Cabin Safety Conference did just that. Not only did the delegates gain much needed information and training opportunities, but they also found an opportunity to network with other aviation professionals in a way that will allow them to continue developing safety programs and standards for their own organizations." Details of the next International Cabin Safety Conference will be available from (L/D)max Aviation Safety Group soon. To receive information as it becomes available, including the announcement of 2012 conference details, sign up for the (L/D)max Aviation newsletters on their homepage at www.ldmaxaviation.com today. If you are interested in speaking with Sharon Morphew about hosting, sponsoring, or taking part in next year's conference, or an event similar to the cabin safety conference, she can be contacted directly at the email and phone number provided below. "Ultimately, it is my goal to bring elite training, innovative workshops, and informative presentations to a forum that will provide the most current and beneficial information to cabin crew at all levels as well as improve aviation safety worldwide," said Sharon Morphew. For more about (L/D)max Aviation Safety Group, visit: www.ldmaxaviation.com Contact: info@ldmaxaviation.com Phone: +1 805 285 3629 Chrissy Kelley (L/D)max Aviation Safety Group PO Box 2612 San Pedro, CA 90731-5991 Phone: 805-285-3629 http://www.ldmaxaviation.com info@ldmaxaviation.com # # # Back to Top US airlines fight Air-India financing (Financial Times) - A powerful lobby group for the US airline industry has asked a federal judge to stop the main national export credit agency from providing billions of dollars of loan guarantees to Air-India to support the sale of Boeing aircraft. Wednesday's move escalates an ongoing spat that has pitted US airlines and their representative, the Air Transport Association, against the US Export-Import Bank and Boeing, which benefits from Ex-Im's support for its international customers. While airlines in countries such as India are able to access Ex-Im Bank financing, US and European carriers are prohibited by certain international understandings from gaining similar support from their domestic credit agencies, a situation they claim gives their competitors access to lower-cost financing and unfairly distorts markets. In September, the Ex-Im Bank agreed to provide $1.3bn in loan guarantees and a further $2.1bn preliminary commitment to help secure the sale of 30 Boeing aircraft to Air-India, the Indian flag carrier. Earlier this month, the Air Transport Association sent a letter to the Ex-Im Bank alleging that in providing the loan guarantees to Air-India, the institution had failed to comply with its statutory requirements and complaining that the deal would eliminate US jobs. "This is yet another example of the US government failing to recognise the contribution of the US airline industry to our economy ... by creating an environment that favours foreign competitors over domestic carriers," Nicholas Calio, chief executive of the ATA, said in a statement on Wednesday. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ex-Im Bank described the lawsuit as "without merit" and said that "export credit financing ensures American companies ... have a level playing field in the increasingly competitive and challenging global markets". Back to Top Brazil needs over 700 aircraft in 20 years PARIS -(MarketWatch)- Brazil will require over 700 new passenger aircraft that have more than 100 seats each over the next 20 years through 2030 to replace ageing aircraft and to add capacity to handle fast-growing passenger traffic demand, European commercial aircraft builder Airbus said Wednesday. Airbus estimates in a recently released market forecast that Brazil will need 701 aircraft consisting of 501 single-aisle, 174 twin-aisle and 26 very large aircraft like the double-decker Airbus A380, worth a total of $82 billion. Brazil will become the fourth-largest domestic air-travel market in the world by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 7.4%, according to Airbus's estimates. It said Brazil's international and domestic air travel more than doubled over the last 10 years, and that by 2010 Sao Paulo had become the biggest gateway city for international travel to Latin America. Brazil's economy will continue its fast expansion over the next 20 years, with gross domestic product rising 144%, or 20% higher than the average expected for Latin America, Airbus said. For all of Latin America, Airbus sees demand for more than 2,000 new passenger aircraft worth about $200 billion over the next 20 years. Globally, it expects demand for 27,900 new passenger aircraft worth $3.5 trillion. More than three-quarters of these planes will be single-aisle medium-haul aircraft like the Airbus A320 and Boeing Co.'s 737. Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC