Flight Safety Information September 18, 2013 - No. 193 In This Issue FAA Expands Exemptions From 24-Month Flight Review JetBlue Airways Names John Allen Vice President, Chief Safety Officer After global body, US regulator, now Japan wants to audit DGCA (India) Fire at Logan Airport fuel pump causes delays U.S. orders 3,800 Honeywell aircraft beacons inspected IATA Boss Wants Safety Audit Mandatory For African Airlines African airlines lament prohibitive taxes, seek improvement in safety Open horizon for China's pilots Think ARGUS PROS Dutch Pick F-35 Jets to Expand Aging Fleet Stretch Dreamliner makes its first flight...Boeing 787-9 EMBRAER DELIVERS 1,000TH E-JET FAA Expands Exemptions From 24-Month Flight Review A new FAA rule is easing restrictions on pilot flight review and recency requirements for both flight instructors and pilots of commuter and on-demand operators. The FAA issued the rule at the request of several parties seeking an overturn of a legal interpretation limiting exemptions to the 24-month flight review requirements. But it also comes as the agency and industry look at areas of flight instructor and pilot requirements to help boost the pilot population and improve general aviation safety. Published Sept. 16, the rule eases certificate requirements by permitting an airman who passes a practical test for a flight instructor certificate, by allowing additional rating to an existing flight instructor certificate and the renewal of the certificate or reinstatement of flight instructor certificate to meet the 24-month flight review requirements. The rule further clarifies that recent flight experience requirements do not apply to a commuter or on-demand pilot-in-command (PIC) if that pilot meets the specific PIC requirements of the operator. A third change in the rule permits requests for replacement airman and medical certificates to be made online. The FAA published the rule as a "direct final" that bypasses the traditional notice and comment period because the rule "alleviates unnecessary burdens by expanding the exceptions to a flight review, removes the redundant recently requirements for pilots flying for certificated operators under Part 135 and provides a regulatory basis for the Airmen Certification to provide Airmen online services." While the rule is final, the FAA is accepting comments through Oct. 16. The rule will take effect Nov. 15, unless the agency receives a comment in opposition to the rule. The rule overturns a legal ruling - the so-called "Levy Interpretation" - made in 2008 by the FAA that did not recognize flight instructor practical tests as an acceptable means of satisfying the 24-month flight review requirements because it was not a "pilot proficiency check." The FAA notes, however, it has received several requests to reconsider the Levy Interpretation, and the agency agreed, saying it has "good cause" to make the change. "Although a flight instructor practical test is chiefly focused on the pilot's instructional skills, a pilot must demonstrate satisfactory performance of the procedures and maneuvers selected by the examiner - at least to the commercial pilot skill level - while giving effective instruction." These requirements exceed those of a flight review, the agency adds, "and meet the goal of ensuring that a pilot's competency is observed by a qualified individual." As for the PIC recent flight experience requirements, the FAA notes that regulations have caused some confusion over the scope of the exception for PICs meeting an operator's recency qualifications and requirements. "The FAA did not intend to limit the exception to pilots employed by air carriers operating in Parts 121 and 135," the agency says. "The FAA intended to include any pilot in command who is employed by a Part 119 certificate holder authorized to conduct operations under Part 121 or Part 135 when the pilot is engaged in operations under parts 91, 121, or 135 for that certificate holder" if the PIC meets the operator's requirements, the FAA adds. http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_09_17_2013_p0-617204.xml&p=2 Back to Top JetBlue Airways Names John Allen Vice President, Chief Safety Officer NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- JetBlue Airways today announces the appointment of John Allen to the position of Vice President, Chief Safety Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Allen is responsible for maintaining JetBlue's focus and practice of safe operations both in the air and on the ground. Mr. Allen will report to James Hnat, JetBlue's Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs. "John brings a wealth of industry experience to JetBlue, and his perspective as the former Director of Flight Standards Service for the Federal Aviation Administration will greatly serve JetBlue, our crewmembers and our customers going forward," Mr. Hnat said. "I expect John will contribute greatly to JetBlue's culture and on behalf of the company's 15,000 safety-focused crewmembers, we're excited to have him join the team." Mr. Allen retired from the FAA on August 31, 2013 after 22 years with the agency in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility, culminating as Director of Flight Safety Standards. In this role, Mr. Allen was responsible for promoting the safety of flight for civil aircraft by setting regulations and standards for air carriers, air agencies, general aviation, airmen, and designees. Mr. Allen retired from the Air Force Reserves in 2009 as a Brigadier General after 31 years of active-duty and reserve service. "It is an honor to join the JetBlue team," Mr. Allen said. "JetBlue's culture is founded on its core values with Safety being first. I look forward to joining a great team and continuing the tradition of serving JetBlue crewmembers with programs and guidance to ensure we keep learning from each other and our industry peers." About JetBlue Airways As New York's Hometown Airline™ and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando and San Juan, JetBlue carries 29 million customers a year to 79 cities in the US, Caribbean and Latin America with more than 700 daily flights. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. JetBlue's fleet totals 188 aircraft, comprising 129 Airbus A320s and 59 EMBRAER E190s. Upcoming destinations include Savannah, Ga.; Worcester, Mass.; Port-au- Prince, Haiti; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; and Lima, Peru, subject to receipt of government approval. For more information please visit www.jetblue.com. SOURCE JetBlue Airways Back to Top After global body, US regulator, now Japan wants to audit DGCA (India) Japan has put in a request to audit the functioning of the Indian aviation safety regulator, an unprecedented move that calls into question the standing of the organisation globally. Two other bodies, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), audited the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in August and September respectively. Both audits cleared DGCA, enabling India to hold on to its 'category one' status, the highest level of safety certification. The ICAO audit followed concerns over the lack of adequate checks on the airworthiness of aircraft in India, and doubts over the enforcement of operating standards. The FAA audit showed a lack of coordination on flight operations within the DGCA and alleged procedural lapses by the regulator in certifying airworthiness. FAA cleared DGCA, but put it up for review in five months. India faces downgrading of its aviation security system: CAPA The request from Japan came last month, just before the ICAO audit was carried out, it is learnt. According to a senior DGCA officer, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) sought a "safety talk" with DGCA, seen as the first step in an audit. But India is learnt to be cold to the possibility of the Japanese audit. Civil Aviation Secretary K N Srivastava has written to the Indian ambassador in Japan, asking that the issue of the 'safety talk' be raised at an appropriate level in the Japanese government. "They want to conduct a safety talk with us on the issue. While no dates have been suggested, we do not see the need for any safety talk, especially since we have cleared the ICAO audit," the DGCA official said. The concern on airworthiness flows from the approval given to major modifications and repairs carried out on foreign manufactured aircraft registered in India. The concern on operations relates to the procedure for granting the Air Operator Permit to non-scheduled operators, and the flight documentation system of scheduled airlines. "In his missive, Srivastava has said that there should not be any concern over India's safety after the ICAO has retained the category one status for us," a government official involved in the exercise said. Japan's safety concerns have held up Air India's plan to switch to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from the 777s that it currently flies on the India-Japan route. AI operates four weekly flights on the Delhi-Tokyo route and three flights on the Delhi-Osaka route via Hong Kong. Changing the aircraft type is expected to make the routes profitable. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/after-global-body-us-regulator-now-japan-wants-to-audit- dgca/1170591/2 Back to Top Fire at Logan Airport fuel pump causes delays A fire that engulfed a fuel pump at Boston Logan International Airport Tuesday afternoon forced the cancellation or delay of about 15 percent of the flights out of the airport, and may lead to more delays on Wednesday, a Massport official said. Fire investigators have not determined the cause of the fire, which sprung up around 5 p.m. in one of the airport's 12 fuel pumps, but the blaze does not appear to be suspicious, said Edward C. Freni, the airport's director of aviation. No injuries were reported. Firefighters had the fire under control within a half-hour, Freni said. But the underground system that transports fuel to the planes remains off while engineers assess the damage. "This is very unusual, it's catastrophic as far as airport operations are concerned," Freni said at an evening press conference at Logan. Citing security concerns, Freni would not discuss the threat the fire posed to sensitive facilities such as the large tanks that store fuel and are located close to the fire scene. Once Massport notified airlines of the problem, most domestic flights bound for Logan were able to take on extra fuel before departing, enabling them to land in Boston and take off again without refueling, Freni said. But several flights, including many international arrivals, were forced to divert to other New England airports to refuel before carrying on to Logan. Freni said engineers had not yet determined the cost of the damage or how long the fueling system will remain shut down, but he tentatively predicted that operations would return to normal Wednesday. "We recommend that anyone with travel plans tonight or tomorrow contact their airlines," he said. "We do feel that there will be some impact tomorrow." http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/09/17/fire-logan-airport-fuel-pump-causes- delays/e4KYTUx9xQm9leqdfEJpOL/story.html Back to Top U.S. orders 3,800 Honeywell aircraft beacons inspected SEATTLE (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Tuesday ordered airlines to inspect more than 3,800 planes to ensure that emergency locator beacons sold by Honeywell International do not have battery problems that could cause a fire. The Federal Aviation Administration order requires inspections of beacons on planes made by Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, ATR and Dassault Aviation SA. An earlier FAA order only required checks of the beacons installed on Boeing 787 aircraft. UK investigators have identified a Honeywell emergency locator transmitter (ELT) as the likely source of a blaze on a Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner parked at London's Heathrow Airport, and recommended that the Beacon be turned off. The locators are used to help rescuers find a plane that has crashed. In July, Boeing asked airlines to inspect the Honeywell beacons on planes it had manufactured, looking for faults that could cause a short circuit and fire. The units use a lithium-manganese battery. In August, Transport Canada ordered Canadian airlines worldwide to inspect the beacons on a broad list of aircraft for possible wiring problems that could lead to a fire. That order affected about 3,600 planes, Transport Canada told Reuters. The units are made in Canada. A draft of the latest FAA order was in the Federal Register on Tuesday, and was scheduled to be published and to take effect on September 18. It affects 3,832 Honeywell beacons installed on U.S. aircraft. The UK is leading the investigation into the cause of the fire in London, and that probe is continuing. The FAA said operators of airplanes with the beacons should look for damage to the battery cover, the black protective cover of the battery, battery wires and insulation and the transmitter unit, wires connected to the battery and problems with the battery cover gasket. The FAA gave airlines up to 120 days to inspect and correct any faults found, an unusually long time that the agency said was intended to avoid disrupting airline operations. The Canadian regulator gave its airlines 150 days to comply. Honeywell said it is cooperating with all of the agencies investigating the cause of the fire, which has not been finally determined. It said the required inspections are "precautionary" and that it has supplied ELTs "since the mid-2000s and have never before had any issues reported related to fire or heat" http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/sns-rt-us-faa-honeywell-20130917,0,6553659.story Back to Top IATA Boss Wants Safety Audit Mandatory For African Airlines The International Air Transport Association, IATA, on Tuesday, urged African governments to make operational safety audit also known as IOSA mandatory for all airlines to improve the continent's appalling safety record. Tony Tyler, IATA Director General and CEO, who spoke in Lagos, western Nigeria, argued that in 2012 none of the 25 IATA members in Africa had an accident. The IATA Operational Safety Audit, IOSA, is mandatory for all IATA members. "None of the 384 airlines on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry had a jet lull loss - including some three dozens carriers on this continent," Tyler said at an event labelled Aviation Day Africa. "I take this opportunity to urge them (African governments) to make IOSA mandatory," Tyler said. Africa, he said, remains the continent with the least flights but with the highest accidents. "In 2012 African airlines had one accident with Western-built jet aircraft for every 270,000 flights. Globally, the industry average was one accident for about every five million flights," Tyler said. Put another way, he said, African aviation accounted for only 3 percent of global traffic but nearly 50 percent of the fatalities with Western-built jets. "It is clear that IOSA is making a difference - not just in Africa, but in safety globally," Tyler said while urging African airline to embrace its safety audit. He said although IOSA can assist governments in safety oversight, it is not a substitute for effective safety oversight by civil aviation authorities. Tyler called on African governments to meet the Abuja Declaration's 2015 for safer skies on the continent. The Abuja Declaration focused on establishing independent and sufficiently funded civil aviation authorities, implementing effective and transparent safety oversight systems by all African states and completing IOSA by all African airlines as well as implementing accident prevention measures focuses on runway safety and loss of control. It also urged African governments to implement flight data analysis and safety management systems by all service providers. IATA boss also called on African governments and private stakeholders to partners to grow the aviation industry on the continent, explaining the industry provides 6.7 million jobs and some US68 billion dollars. Also at the two-day conference were the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Fola Akinkuotu, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, George Uriesi and others. http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/09/17/iata-boss-wants-safety-audit-mandatory-for-african-airlines/ Back to Top African airlines lament prohibitive taxes, seek improvement in safety Arik Air plane WorldStage Newsonline-- African Airlines Association ( AFRAA) has expressed concerns over high rate of air accidents in the continent is giving the body a bad reputation. AFRAA, while urging members to improve on their safety standards, it also bemoaned the prohibitive charge regime in African countries , affirming that the different regime of regulation is having serious impact on the sector. The Secretary General of AFRAA, Mr Elijah Chingoso , who spoke at the ongoing International Air Transport Association ( IATA) , conference in Lagos, said air safety remains a critical challenge for Africa, urging countries in the continent to work together to improve air safety conditions. Represented at the conference by Mr Raffael Kuuchi, he said there is no alternative to improving safety record in the continent, urging all carriers to collaborate with IATA to achieve the relevant certification for its 37 member airlines. He said efforts must be stepped up by African carriers to improve on fleet modernisation and manpower development to improve the critical sector. He said: "Africa must work together to improve safety conditions. But, part of the challenge is the burden of infrastructure which is trailing behind the growth of passenger traffic . Other issues the industry is grappling with is the different regime of regulation , which is torn between liberalisation or other models . These challenges typify the industry in dilemma . "We must strive to reduce industry costs, in the area of aviation fuel price, fluctuations in power supply such that efficiencies could be improved. "We need to bring down the level of taxes , which is stifling the growth of the industry and embrace the model of liberalisation , such that the market could open up . "Airlines must work together . We are therefore calling on the Nigerian government and other countries on the continent to support efforts geared at boosting safety, infrastructure and manpower development." Also speaking, the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), Captain Folayele Akinkuotu said: "The industry is not without its challenges and paramount among these is Funding. Aviation is capital intensive, requiring huge amount of money for aviation infrastructural development. "Another serious challenge to safety and development of Aviation is the ageing workforce. We truly have acute shortage of skilled manpower both at the regulatory arm, airlines and service providers. Pilots, Engineers, Air Traffic Controllers and other technical personnel cannot be produced or cloned overnight. "Even the few trained personnel are migrating to greener pastures. We have also been confronted with challenging attractions from the Middle East, China and India who are dangling offers that are hard to refuse. "Sustainability and Sustainable safety in the aviation Industry would involve "the ability to endure and meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." http://www.worldstagegroup.com/worldstagenew/index.php?active=news&newscid=10856&catid=27 Back to Top Open horizon for China's pilots China will lead Asia-Pacific demand for new commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians to support the country's fast-growing fleet over the next two decades. Open horizon for China's pilots Pilots in a Boeing 787 simulator in Singapore. Chinese airlines can also train new pilots for 787 aircraft in Shanghai, because the same simulator has been operating in Shanghai since June 2012. Provided to China Daily The nation will need 77,400 new pilots and 93,900 technicians through 2032, Boeing said in its latest pilot and technician outlook, which was released on Monday. "There is a very real, urgent demand for competent aviation personnel globally, and the Asia-Pacific region is particularly impacted," said Bob Bellitto, global sales director, Boeing Flight Services. Chinese carriers' fast- expanding capacity will drive this demand. China will take delivery of 5,580 aircraft, and its fleet will triple to 6,450 planes over the next 20 years, according to the United States-based aircraft manufacturer. But providing staff for the Chinese civil aviation industry will be a challenge, experts said. As of Dec 31, there were 31,381 licensed pilots, up 3,574 from a year earlier, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The number of pilots in China keeps growing but can't keep up with demand, said Zou Jianjun, a professor at the Civil Aviation Management Institute of China. Long-haul international traffic to and from China is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 7.2 percent, which will result in demand for an additional 1,440 new wide-body aircraft by 2032, according to Boeing. More wide-body aircraft are being used by Chinese airlines on international and domestic main routes, Zou said, which means carriers need more experienced captains and pilots. Usually, an airline needs eight to 10 pilots per aircraft. It takes two to three years to train an experienced pilot, and achieving the rank of captain takes five to eight years. Because of the shortage, some pilots said they have to work more. "I often fly more than 90 hours monthly, which is near the authority's upper limit of 100 hours," said a pilot with three years of flying experience, who declined to be identified. Some domestic airlines recruit foreign captains to relieve the problem, but that's not a long-term solution, Zou said. The opening of low-altitude airspace for general aviation will be an opportunity for pilot training in China, since it will be much easier to conduct training flights, he said. Because it is difficult to get flying hours in China, some Chinese airlines establish flight training centers overseas. "The situation will change if low-altitude airspace is opened," Zou said. Technicians are in short supply, Zou said. He didn't provide a specific number, but the shortage is even worse than for pilots, some industry insiders said. The ratio of technicians to planes in China has kept falling as the fleet expands. A technician from a domestic carrier said he used to work alone, covering six planes in eight hours. "It's my record," he said. "It proves we need more hands." http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-09/17/content_16975027_2.htm Back to Top Back to Top Dutch Pick F-35 Jets to Expand Aging Fleet PARIS - The Dutch defense ministry said on Tuesday that it had selected the F-35 fighter jet from Lockheed Martin to replace its aging fleet of F-16s, bringing an end to years of uncertainty over the Netherlands' commitment to a program that has been plagued by technical delays and mounting development costs. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Dutch defense minister, proposed to Parliament the purchase of 37 F-35s - far fewer than the 85 planes initially envisioned before the financial crisis put a squeeze on military budgets across the region. The plan sets a budget of 4.5 billion euros, or $6 billion, for the aircraft and a further 270 million euros a year for maintenance and operating costs - equivalent to the annual operating costs of the current F-16 fleet. It also builds in a "contingency reserve" of 10 percent to account for any unforeseen rise in the final cost. Deliveries of the first planes are expected to begin in 2019 and be completed by 2023, when the F-16 fleet will be discontinued. "The cutbacks in defense budgets which many NATO member states, including the Netherlands, are facing demand careful consideration and astute choice," the defense ministry said in a statement. "Above all, opting for a modest number of the best aircraft attests to a sense of reality." The proposed order will be put to a parliamentary vote this year, said Sascha Louwhoff, a defense ministry spokeswoman. Approval is likely, she said, given that the proposal has the support of the governing coalition of the conservative V.V.D. and Labor parties, which took power a year ago. The Netherlands is one of nine countries that joined to help develop the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, securing lucrative subcontracting deals for local companies from Lockheed Martin. Most of those partners have stuck with the program despite the cost overruns that have put the plane more than 70 percent over budget. But opposition to the escalating costs prompted some politicians in the Netherlands and other industrial partner countries, like Denmark and Canada, to urge that the program be opened to competitive bids from other manufacturers, including Boeing, Saab of Sweden and Eurofighter, a European consortium led by European Aeronautic Defense and Space. "This could have gone either way," Richard L. Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at the Teal Group in Fairfax, Va., said of the Dutch decision. "Politics might have driven them to an open competition. The fact that they are staying in the fold is a boost for the program." After parliamentary approval, the Netherlands would become the seventh export customer for the F-35, after Australia, Britain, Israel, Italy, Japan and Norway. The American military is by far the largest customer for the F-35, with more than 2,400 planes of the three different models on order at an estimated cost of $392 billion. In a statement, Lockheed Martin said it welcomed the Dutch decision, calling it "testimony to the Netherlands' confidence in the program," and said the order would help secure high-technology jobs over the long term with Dutch companies involved in the plane's design and manufacture. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/business/global/dutch-choose-f-35-fighter-jets-but-fewer-of- them.html?_r=0 Back to Top Stretch Dreamliner makes its first flight Boeing 787-9 The first Boeing 787-9, a longer version of the company's Dreamliner, is seen at the company's factory in Everett, Wash. A longer version of Boeing Co's Dreamliner made its first flight on Tuesday, passing a key milestone for a plane that should be more profitable both for Boeing to sell and for its customers to operate than the current production model. The 787-9 jet, which left the ground at 11:02 a.m., has room for 290 passengers, 40 more than the original 787-8 jetliner, and has about 300 more nautical miles of range. That means Boeing can charge $37.7 million more for the plane at list price, and airlines can sell more seats on longer routes. Boeing has unfilled orders for 936 Dreamliners, worth about $217 billion at list prices, or nearly eight years worth of production at its target construction rate of 10 per month, which it aims to hit by year's end. About 41 percent of the orders, or 388 planes, are for the 787-9. Boeing began selling an even longer version of the jet, the 787-10, in June. It has garnered 50 orders so far. The rest of the orders are for the 787-8. In its maiden voyage on Tuesday, the 787-9 will fly for about five hours, running detailed tests of its flight controls, part of a nine-month testing program. The aircraft used for the tests will eventually be delivered to Air New Zealand in mid-2014, Boeing said. An hour behind schedule, in overcast weather, the jet rose smoothly before TV crews, reporters and thousands of Boeing employees, who watched from an adjacent runway. The flight began at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, near Boeing's main 787 assembly lines, and is due to end at Boeing Field south of Seattle, near Boeing's 737 factory. The jet was scheduled to fly at a speed of up to 250 knots and altitude of 16,000 feet if the two test pilots aboard feel it is safe, Boeing said. The jet will fly over Puget Sound and then head inland to Moses Lake, Washington. The first 787-9 delivery is due in mid-2014. The first airline set to get the longer plane is Air New Zealand. Chicago-based Boeing Co. said it finished production of the first 787-9 at its Everett, Wash., factory late last month. It is 20 feet longer than the Dreamliner currently in service and can carry 40 more passengers and fly longer distances without the need to refuel. The second and third planes are currently in the final stages of assembly. United Airlines is currently the only U.S. carrier to fly a Dreamliner. It has 7 in its fleet. The world's largest airline, also based in Chicago, has almost 50 of the Dreamliners on order, a mix of both the 787-8, currently in service, and the 787-9. There is still another version of the Dreamliner, the 787-10, planned for delivery to United in 2018. That was just launched in June. The 787-10 will add another 18 feet to the 787-9's length, but will have a shorter range than either of the earlier jets. The 787-9 carries a list price of $243.6 million, compared with $206.8 million for the 787-8. Boeing hasn't disclosed a price for the 787-10. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-stretch-dreamliner-first-flight- 20130917,0,633524.story Back to Top EMBRAER DELIVERS 1,000TH E-JET Embraer delivered the 1,000th E-Jet production aircraft during a ceremony held at the Company's headquarters in São José dos Campos. The E175 was handed over to Republic Airlines, a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings Inc., which will operate the aircraft on behalf of American Eagle. The delivery is part of Republic's order for 47 E175s that was announced at the beginning of 2013. The contract also includes options to buy another 47 aircraft. "This is truly a remarkable milestone given that we delivered 1,000 airplanes in less than ten years," said Frederico Curado, President & CEO of Embraer S.A. "This makes Embraer E-Jets among the most successful aircraft programs in the history of commercial aviation. We share this achievement with all of our customers, suppliers and especially our Embraer employees." Embraer's relationship with Republic dates back to 1999 when Chautauqua Airlines, also a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings, took delivery of its first ERJ 145 in the livery of US Airways Express. In 2008, Republic also received the 400th production E-Jet. "Congratulations from the 6,500 employees of Republic Airways to the 18,000 employees of our good friends at Embraer on this significant milestone," said Republic Chairman, President and CEO, Bryan Bedford. "Our relationship with Embraer spans nearly 15 years and covers nearly every commercial jet product produced in San José dos Campos. We are thrilled to be able to celebrate this particular achievement with our very good friends." "We are extremely proud to deliver this jet to our friends at Republic Airways, a company that has been a huge part of our success and the operator of the largest fleet of E-Jets in the world," said Paulo Cesar Silva, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. "Republic is here today representing all of our other customers who have added E-Jets to their fleets over the years. To them, I extend my sincere thanks for their support and for sharing our vision to introduce an airplane family that has made such an enormous contribution to our industry." The E-Jets family entered revenue service in 2004 when the first aircraft was delivered to LOT Polish Airlines. Currently, E-Jets are flying with 65 airlines from 45 countries. In June of this year, Embraer launched the second generation of the E-Jets family - E-Jets E2 - the first of which is slated to enter service in 2018. Embraer E-Jets currently hold a 50% market share and account for 62% of deliveries in the segment of jets with capacity up to 130 seats. Since January 2013, Embraer has received more than 330 firm orders for both current-generation E-Jets and the E2s. Embraer is the only manufacturer to develop a modern family of four airplanes specifically targeted for the 70 to 130-seat segment. Since the formal launch of the program in 1999, E-Jets have redefined the traditional concept of regional aircraft by operating in range of business applications. Today, E-Jets are flying with mainline carriers, low-cost and regional airlines, and tour companies. With an average mission completion rate of 99.9% and seven million flight cycles, the fleet of E-Jets recently reached the 10 million flight hour milestone. More than 460 million passengers have flown on Embraer E-Jets. In addition to their proven reliability, E-Jets have a strategically-located global network of customer support and services with 34 MRO centers, 11 of which are authorized and 23 are independent. http://aviationtribune.com/airlines/fashion/item/773-embraer-delivers-1-000th-e-jet Curt Lewis