Flight Safety Information May 8, 2013 - No. 094 In This Issue Will you be safe flying with fewer flight attendants? Unruly passengers prompt diversion of Southwest flight DOT to simulate airplane crash Thursday at Lihu'e Airport (Hawaii) No casualties in Papua aircraft fire (Indonesia) Non-reporting of air-safety lapses a worry (India) Annual SMS Audit Results Released Great Alaska Aviation Gathering aims to attract future pilots for Alaska Air China's board approves plans to buy 100 Airbus aircraft Will you be safe flying with fewer flight attendants? OTTAWA - The federal government wants to let Canada's airlines fly with fewer flight attendants, a move that one union says is a threat to passenger safety. Transport Canada this week granted WestJet an exemption to the existing rules, allowing the airline to operate with one flight attendant for every 50 passengers, instead of one cabin staff for every 40 passengers. And the department quietly signalled this week it intends to change the rules so Canadian carriers can fly with fewer flight attendants in the future - seven years after rejecting the same move because of safety concerns. "The department has considered WestJet's request carefully and is confident that the same levels of safety will be maintained," Transport Minister Denis Lebel said in a statement Monday. Transport Canada said the exemption puts WestJet on a competitive footing with international standards, saying that airlines based in the United States and other countries operate with one flight attendant for every 50 passenger seats. "This decision will make WestJet more competitive with U.S. airlines while maintaining a high safety standard," Lebel said. The department also said it would "begin work on a regulatory change so that airlines can meet this internationally-recognized standard without seeking an exemption." That was a surprise to the union representing 10,000 flight attendants in Canada which warned that fewer cabin staff will mean less help for passengers during emergencies inflight or on the ground. "What does competitiveness with U.S. airlines have to do with the safety of these employees and the flying public," asked Paul Moist, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents flight attendants at such airlines as Air Canada, Air Transat, Canjet and Sunwing. "It deserves much more debate than an innocuous news release," Moist said in an interview. He noted that in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 hijackings, pilots are sealed behind a locked door in the cockpit, leaving flight attendants to cope with inflight disruptions, such as unruly passengers or security threats. "It's you and flight attendants and no one else," he said. Moist said the move is especially surprising given that the Conservatives rejected taking that very step in 2006. Then Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon said at the time that the government was "committed to aviation safety" and recognized the "important contribution that flight attendants make, particularly with respect to the orderly evacuation of aircraft." New Democrat MP Olivia Chow called the announcement "downright dangerous." "It is compromising the passenger's safety," she said. "They are trying to slip it through." Chow noted the 2005 crash of an Air France jet at Pearson International Airport when flight attendants helped hustle 297 passengers to safety without a fatality after the Airbus overran the runway while landing and burst into flames. "When there is an accident, when there is a problem, the flight attendants are the first responder," Chow said. Transport Canada refused to make anyone available yesterday for an interview to provide clarification about the impact of the proposed rule change. WestJet president and CEO Gregg Saretsky told analysts during a conference call that the rule change helps "level the playing field" for Canadian airlines, by adopting the U.S. and international standard. The airline, based in Calgary, said the move is expected to bring about $30 million in annual cost savings, though WestJet said no jobs will be effected. Saretsky added that in conversations with Lebel, WestJet made it clear the rule change isn't about Air Canada versus WestJet. "It's more about as we expand into the U.S., making sure that we have a cost-structure which is competitive with the players we are now going to be competing against," Saretsky said. "He made it clear in his pronouncement (Monday) that the one-in-50 is available to all Canadian carriers. So over time, I would expect they will move in that direction," Saretsky said. Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the airline will study this change. "We'll evaluate this industry development with a view to ensuring we remain competitive in all the markets we serve," Fitzpatrick said, adding Air Canada as well as its new leisure carrier Rouge, which launches in July, will seek exemptions on select aircraft types as needed. Earlier this year, flight attendants with Air Transat agreed to cost-cutting measures that include one fewer flight attendant on its wide-body Airbus 330 planes, which hold about 345 passengers. Instead of 11 flight attendants, there will now be 10. http://www.mississauga.com/news/article/1614639--will-you-be-safe-flying-with-fewer- flight-attendants Back to Top Unruly passengers prompt diversion of Southwest flight CHARLESTON, S.C. A Southwest Airlines plane made an emergency landing at Charleston International Airport Tuesday night, reports CBS Charleston affiliate WCSC-TV. The Charleston County Aviation Authority tells the station the crew declared an emergency because three passengers were being disruptive and unruly and failed to listen to the flight crew. Aviation Authority police, the FBI and Federal Air Marshal Service responded to the scene. The three passengers were removed from the plane and the flight continued just after midnight, WCSC says. The Southwest flight was traveling with 134 passengers and 5 crew members from Orlando, Fla. to Providence, R.I. Back to Top DOT to simulate airplane crash Thursday at Lihu'e Airport (Hawaii) LIHU'E - The state Department of Transportation's Airports Division plans to conduct an emergency response exercise beginning at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Lihu'e Airport. The two-hour exercise will simulate a Boeing 717 airliner crash at the airport. It is a Federal Aviation Administration certification requirement to test airfield disaster preparedness and response, according to a news release from the DOT. About 80 volunteer employees from the Lihu'e Airport will play the role of casualties during the exercise, which will include a fire suppression drill. All flight operations will continue as normal during the exercise. Motorists are asked to be aware of additional emergency vehicles and security personnel along Ahukini Road. Back to Top No casualties in Papua aircraft fire (Indonesia) Jayawijaya police chief Adj.Sr.Comr. F.S.Napitupulu said there were no casualties when a Nusantara airlines cargo aircraft caught fire in Wamena airport, on Wednesday. "We also have yet to calculate the losses caused by the incident. The aircraft was carrying diesel fuel at the time," he said as quoted by tempo.co. The aircraft caught fire at around 11:30 a.m., local time, on Wednesday, as it unloaded goods at the airport. "Fire is not yet out," said Napitupulu. The BAe-146 aircraft landed in Wamena airport at around 11:20 a.m. Diesel fuel was being unloaded by forklift when a fuel spill accidentally came into a contact with fire. "When the fire started, flames instantly engulfed the fuselage," said Napitupulu. On 2008, a similar accident occurred at Wamena with a C-160 Transal cargo aircraft carrying fuel and logistic supplies. Wamena airport is in Jayawijaya regency and can accommodate huge aircraft such as Hercules and Boeing. (nai/ebf) http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/05/08/no-casualties-papua-aircraft-fire.html Back to Top Non-reporting of air-safety lapses a worry (India) MUMBAI: Two consecutive incidents in Mumbai, where pilots attempted to hide the air- safety lapse, have raised serious concerns. The attempt at covering up shows the lack of responsibility on part of the pilots as well as the airlines involved. Last month, an Indigo flight had veered off the runway and the incident came to light only when the airport inspection team saw some lights broken on the runway. An unauthorised landing by an Air India (AI) aircraft ten days ago also showed how lax the administration is when it comes to air-safety issues. The pilot involved was allowed to fly the next flight despite the goof-up. Officials at the airport said that the attempt to cover up may create serious situations and may set a bad precedent. "Why would a pilot try to hide an incident? Only because he or she knows that they can get away easily despite violations," said a senior airport official. Officials said that things won't improve unless the investigation is clear and quick at all levels. "The airline involved has to duly report and take necessary action of de-rostering the pilot so that investigation can proceed. All proof should be provided so that corrective action is taken duly," said a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Non-reporting-of-air-safety-lapses-a- worry/articleshow_dc/19725570.cms Back to Top Back to Top Great Alaska Aviation Gathering aims to attract future pilots for Alaska The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering Luka Hart, 7, reaches for a dinosaur glider while waiting in line to take a tour of a FedEx Boeing 777 during the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering on Sunday, May 5, 2013, which is held annually at the FedEx hangar on Postmark Drive in Anchorage. The Alaska Airmen's Association sponsors the event that helps protect and promote general aviation in Alaska, and enhance aviation safety. Elizabeth Willis and Heidi Russell bounded up the steps of the mammoth UPS cargo plane and peeked inside. They explored the cavernous interior of the Boeing 767, which a representative of the company said was big enough to carry three or four average American households full of stuff. Willis, from Stony River, and Russell, from Aniak, are aspiring pilots themselves. The girls, both 15, just completed the Kuskokwim Sky Riders Ground School through a program offered by the Kuspuk School District. Having not yet actually flown even a small plane they agreed piloting a cargo jet seemed daunting. "It would be so awesome, though," said Russell. The girls were spending part of Sunday at the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering at the FedEx hangar in Anchorage. Outside, on a tarmac with a view of the Chugach Mountains, visitors toured big and small airplanes. Inside, hundreds of vendors hawked everything from seaplane floats to insurance to an audience mostly much older than Willis and Russell. Organizers say 21,000 people attend the two-day event, put on by the Alaska Airmen's Association. Alaska needs more young pilots, said Rex Gray, the president of the Airmen's Association. Enrollment at flight schools is down, he said. "Old guys like me are going away," he said. "And it's the next generation of pilots that will deliver the goods to Bethel or Tyonek." Willis and Russell say they'd like to do just that. The girls were in Anchorage to take the Federal Aviation Administration written test, where they'd be quizzed on aerodynamics, weather, navigation and FAA regulations. After an intensive three weeks of ground school instruction in Aniak, they said they felt ready but nervous. "Four weeks ago if someone asked me what an E6B is I would have had no idea," Willis said. (An E6B is a circular slide rule used in aviation.) While in Anchorage they'd also get a chance to take a training flight out of Merrill Field. "The next step is flight school," said Willis. Both said they were interested in becoming professional pilots in their roadless region. Willis hoped to fly for law enforcement. Getting more young people to take up flying is essential to the state, said Chris Phillips, the treasurer of the Airmen's Association and a longtime pilot. "The state can't be without it," he said. "And it's one of the most fun things you can do in Alaska." http://www.adn.com/2013/05/05/2891898/great-alaska-aviation- gathering.html#storylink=cpy Back to Top Air China's board approves plans to buy 100 Airbus aircraft Air China (CA, Beijing Capital (PEK)) along with its unit, Shenzhen Airlines (ZH, Shenzhen Bao'an International (SZX)), is to acquire one hundred Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) aircraft, to "mainly consist of A320 narrow-bodies" in a deal that could be worth over USD9billion at list prices. The Airbus deal comes on the back of a move by the Chinese carrier in March to acquire two B747-8s, one B777-300(ER), 20 Next-Generation B737-800s and eight B777-Fs from Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) worth USD4.83 billion. The acquisition is part of the airline's plan to expand capacity and improve efficiency which will also result in the retirement of its four A340-300s. http://www.ch-aviation.ch/portal/news/18770-air-chinas-board-approves-plans-to-buy- 100-airbus-aircraft Curt Lewis