Flight Safety Information February 19, 2014 - No. 036 In This Issue Several Hurt After Cathay Pacific Jet Hits Severe Turbulence Colombian pilot dies when Kfir jet crashes US Airways jet wing clips Boston deicing truck Etihad Flight Investigated After Smoke Detected in Toilet Brazil bans A380 flights at São Paulo airport European Aviation Safety Agency Announces Acceptance of NCAMP Material Certification Process Swiss jets not scrambled over hijacked plane because 'airbases closed at night' PRISM SMS IJAAA - International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace Boeing to place new 777X wing factory near jet's assembly site China's aviation school banks on global ties Newest Cessna jet takes first flight Malaysian Airline Said to Weigh 100-Aircraft Order Indian airlines expected to report annual net loss of $1.2 billion Several Hurt After Cathay Pacific Jet Hits Severe Turbulence Two Flight Attendants, Several Passengers Injured Over Japanese Skies HONG KONG-Two flight attendants and several passengers were injured on a Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. 0293.HK -1.82% jumbo jet bound for Hong Kong when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence over the skies of northern Japan on Tuesday. The aircraft, which was operating as flight CX879 from San Francisco with 321 passengers and 21 crew, continued to Hong Kong and was met at the gate Tuesday evening by paramedics and emergency vehicles. Medical assistance was provided for the injured passengers and flight attendants upon arrival following preliminary treatment during the flight, Cathay Pacific said. Local television footage showed some people being taken off the jet on stretchers. The city's government said eight people on board were taken to hospital for treatment. Seven were discharged after treatment, and one remained hospitalized in stable condition. The city's government said eight people on board were taken to hospital for treatment, though it had no immediate comment on the extent of the injuries. The Boeing BA +0.36% 747-400 jetliner crossing the Pacific hit turbulence as it flew near the Japanese island of Hokkaido, around six hours before it was due to arrive in Hong Kong. Airspace over the Pacific Ocean is prone to turbulence, particularly during the winter months, while some types of turbulence can't be detected. Cathay Pacific, which flies to six cities in North America from its base in Hong Kong, said the city's civil aviation department has been notified of the incident, and that the carrier is collaborating with the authority on the investigation. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303945704579390731264893234?mg=reno64- wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303945704579390731264893234.html Back to Top Colombian pilot dies when Kfir jet crashes A Kfir fighter jet belonging to the Colombian air force, or FAC, crashed Tuesday on a training mission killing one of the two pilots and injuring the other, the military said. The plane, a two-seat fighter jet of Israeli manufacture, crashed at 4:53 p.m. (2153 GMT) near Norcasia, a municipality in the central province of Caldas. According to the FAC, one of the pilots managed to eject from the plane and "was rescued alive and is being medically evaluated" at the air force's military health unit based in Puerto Salgar, in Cundinamarca province, while the other pilot "regrettably perished inside the aircraft. The FAC added that it had launched an investigation with the aim of determining the causes of the accident. On Sept. 27, another FAC Kfir crashed near the Palanquero military base at Puerto Salgar, but its two crewmen were unhurt in the incident. EFE http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/02/18/colombian-pilot-dies-when-kfir-jet-crashes/ *********** Date: 18-FEB-2014 Time: 21:53 Zulu Type: Silhouette image of generic KFIR model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different IAI Kfir TC.12 Owner/operator: Fuerza Aérea Colombiana Registration: FAC3006 C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Norcacia, Caldas - Colombia Phase: Unknown Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: Tandem with tuition FAC Kfir 3006, serving a training mission. As reported by the Air Force, only one of the crew ejected according to the provisions of the manuals for this type of emergency, which was rescued alive and is in medical assessment in establishing health Military Air Combat Command N 1, based in Puerto Salgar, Cundinamarca. Sources: http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/judicial/avion-kfir-de-fac-se-accidento-caldas-articulo-475853 www.aviation-safety.net Back to Top US Airways jet wing clips Boston deicing truck BOSTON (AP) - US Airways says there are no injuries and only minor damage after one of its jets scraped a parked deicing truck with its wing tip at Boston's Logan International Airport. Spokesman Todd Lehmacher says the Embraer 190 aircraft was taxiing to the deicing area at the time of the 5 p.m. Tuesday incident he called "very minor." Lehmacher said there appear to be scratches on the truck and on the plane's left wing tip. Lehmacher said Flight 740 from Boston to Philadelphia had 99 passengers and four crew members. The plane returned to the gate. He said the airline expected all the passengers could be rebooked on other Tuesday night flights. The Federal Aviation Administration said it's investigating. An airport spokesman referred comment to the airline. The National Weather Service reported light snow at the time. http://lancasteronline.com/news/pennsylvania/us-airways-jet-wing-clips-boston-deicing-truck/article_51a44181-df77- 50bb-a9be-b3b36911e746.html Back to Top Etihad Flight Investigated After Smoke Detected in Toilet Etihad Airways PJSC, the third-largest Middle Eastern airline, said one of its flights is being investigated after smoke was detected in two toilets, prompting the captain to make an unscheduled landing in Jakarta. The captain of flight EY 461 from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi on Feb. 17 decided to divert the plane to the Indonesian capital to allow authorities to assist him conduct a "security assessment of the situation," the airline said in an e-mailed statement today. The flight resumed after a security search of the aircraft, passengers and their carry-on luggage. Another toilet smoke alarm occurred on the Boeing Co. (BA) 777-300ER two hours before arrival in Abu Dhabi, prompting the captain to position crew members at each of the toilets, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad said. The crew continued to monitor and secure toilet access for the remainder of the flight, maintaining "strict controls" over passenger movement that were enforced after the first alert. "The events that occurred during the flight remain under investigation," the carrier said. "Etihad Airways is assisting the authorities to complete this as soon as possible." Passengers were being questioned by local authorities after getting off the plane, Etihad said. Kristanto, a spokesman at PT Angkasa Pura II, the state-owned operator of the Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta, declined to comment. The company's Corporate Secretary Daryanto didn't return three calls to his mobile phone and hasn't replied to a text message seeking comment. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-19/etihad-flight-investigated-after-smoke-detected-in-toilet.html Back to Top Brazil bans A380 flights at São Paulo airport Brazilian regulators have nixed Air France's plans to use its Airbus A380 superjumbo jet for flights to São Paulo, Brazil's biggest metropolis. Brazil's air traffic regulator says airlines will not receive approval to fly the A380 to São Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport - the city's main international airport - because the main runway there is not wide enough for the jet, according to The Associated Press. Brazil's Civil Aviation Agency said in a brief Friday statement that "not all minimum and essential safety requirements at Sao Paulo's International Airport have been met, especially the widening of the landing and takeoff runway." The agency adds that it would allow carriers to plan A380 flights to São Paulo once the airport's runway is widened. AP says the decision by Brazilian regulators came after the São Paulo runway was inspected after Air France requested permission for its A380s to use the airport." Air France currently flies Boeing 777 jets on its route between Paris and São Paulo. http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayinthesky/2014/02/18/brazil-bans-a380-flights-at-so-paulo-airport/5576871/ Back to Top European Aviation Safety Agency Announces Acceptance of NCAMP Material Certification Process NCAMP is the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance, part of Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). Wichita, KS, January 30, 2014 - The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recently released Certification Memorandum CM-S-004 to announce "acceptance of the composite specification and design values developed using the NCAMP process." NCAMP is the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance, part of Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). The EASA memo states that EASA accepts data developed through the FAA process described in Federal Aviation Administration Memorandum AIR100-2010-120-003, "subject to review as required by standard project Certification and Validation processes." To put it simply both EASA and the FAA will accept material data generated following the NCAMP process as certification data. NCAMP works with the FAA and industry partners to qualify material systems and populate a shared materials database that can be viewed publicly. NCAMP-qualified materials systems include: Hexcel 8552 Newport NCT4708 Cytec MTM45-1 Tencate TC250 (available Mar 2014) Cytec 5320-1 (available Aug 2014) Cytec EP2202 (available Jan 2015) EASA's acceptance of the NCAMP process will allow participating material suppliers to more effectively market their materials. It will also shorten the certification process for manufacturers using NCAMP-qualified material, which results in major cost savings. "EASA has been involved with NCAMP and CMH-17 (Composite Materials Handbook-17) working groups for many years," said John Tomblin, executive director of NIAR and NCAMP. "Their support of the handbook and NCAMP initiatives is crucial to the ultimate success of the program." The CMH-17 working groups develop content for the CMH-17 handbook. Working group members ultimately approve or deny NCAMP-qualified materials for publication in the handbook. NCAMP began in 2005 as a FAA-funded program within WSU-NIAR and stemmed from NASA's 1995 Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiment (AGATE). EASA Certification Memorandum number CM-S-004 is available at http://easa.europa.eu/certification/docs/certification- memorandum/%27final%27%20EASA%20CM-S- 004%20Issue%2001_Composite%20Materials%20%20Shared%20Databases_PUBL.pdf. FAA Memorandum AIR100-2010-120-003 is available at http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgPolicy.nsf/0/a0270c9f1bf8eaa1862577a8004d62ba/$FILE/AIR100- 2010-120-003.pdf. For more information about NCAMP, visit the website at http://www.niar.wichita.edu/coe/ncamp.asp or download the flyer at http://www.niar.wichita.edu/coe/ncamp_flyer.pdf. NIAR supports the aviation industry by providing research, development, testing, certification and training services. Its laboratories include Advanced Coatings, Aging Aircraft, CAD/CAM, Composites & Advanced Materials, Computational Mechanics, Crash Dynamics, Environmental Test, Full-Scale Structural Test, Mechanical Test, Metrology, Nondestructive Test, Research Machine Shop, Virtual Reality and the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel. NIAR operates on a nonprofit budget and is the largest university aviation R&D institution in the U.S., located in Wichita, Kan., the "Air Capital of the World." www.niar.wichita.edu Back to Top Swiss jets not scrambled over hijacked plane because 'airbases closed at night' A Swiss F/A-18 fighter jet. An incident with a highjacked Ethiopian passenger jet has exposed the Swiss Air Force's inability to deal with threats in 'off-duty' hours. An emergency escort to the aircraft in distress was carried out by vigilant colleagues from Italy and France. Early on Monday morning, an Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot told ground control he had highjacked flight ET-702 from Addis Ababa to Rome and was going to land in Geneva. The Swiss Air Force was caught off guard and missed a rare opportunity to go on a real mission. It turned out that they were unable to scramble any jets because they only work during office hours! "Switzerland cannot intervene because its airbases are closed at night and on the weekend," Swiss Air Force spokesman, Laurent Savary, commented to AFP later on, adding that it is "a question of budget and staffing." According to Laurent Savary, the Swiss Air Force operates during office hours only, specifically from 8am until a lunch break at noon. A return to cockpits happens at 1:30 pm and they watch over Switzerland's skies until 5pm. When the Boeing 767-300 with 202 passengers, highjacked by 31-year-old co-pilot Hailemedehin Abera Tagegn got to Europe, it was still too early for the Swiss pilots to gear up for the urgent mission. So the job was done by Italian and French military pilots. Italian Air Force Colonel, Girolamo Ladiciccio, said, the order to intercept the Boeing from the Ethiopian capital came from NATO command. Two Italian, and later a couple of French fighters ensured the Ethiopian aircraft did not stray from its route and harm national security. And the fears were justified, as more details about the hijacking drama continued to emerge. In an audio recording published on Italian media websites, a voice said to be the captain could be heard threatening to "crash the plane." "We thought the co-pilot had gone mad," said Francesco Cuomo, a 25-year-old development economist who was among the ET-702 passengers, as reported by Switzerland's, The Local. The story proved that Swiss business wakes up earlier than its national military. Geneva airport opens for business flights at 06:00 am, whereas the Air Force remains inoperable until 08:00 am. The Ethiopian aircraft had to circle the region for some time until the green light to land in Geneva was given around 5:30 am (04:30 GMT). When the plane safely landed in Geneva at 6:02 am (05:02 GMT), Swiss military technicians had not even started to warm up the engines of the country's F-18s and F-5 Tigers fighter jets. With plans to re-arm the Air Force with Swedish Gripen fighters, Switzerland has postponed a decision on round-the-clock operations till 2020, a Swiss Air force spokesman said. Swiss airspace remains under constant electronic surveillance, Laurent Savary stressed, but so far the Alpine nation has had to rely heavily on its neighbors, primarily France, which is allowed to escort suspicious planes into Swiss airspace. "There is no question of shooting it down. It's a question of national sovereignty," he explained. The majority of comments for the AFP article published at Yahoo! news service about the unpreparedness of the Swiss Air force were pejorative. "I'm sorry sir, but you are not permitted to invade us. You don't have an appointment" (Toecutter) "If we ever have to invade Switzerland, it's a 5:30pm kick-off time." (Thomas) "I'm sorry, but could you please invade us during normal business hours?" (K Dad) "Although no Swiss Air Force fighters were scrambled, the report of the hijacking WAS passed on to the Swiss Navy...." (PHILLIP L 1) Co-pilot Hailemedehin Abera Tagegn was arrested by Geneva police after he got out of the plane's cockpit using a rope. He asked for asylum. It is believed that the co-pilot will be charged with hostage seizure, a crime punishable with up to 20 years in prison in Switzerland. In Ethiopia hijacking is punishable with 25 years in prison. The scandal about the inoperable Air Force might affect the purchase of Sweden's Gripen fighter jets by Switzerland. This is yet to be decided by an upcoming public vote. So far, according to a poll published on Monday, up to 53 percent of Swiss citizens would vote against the deal. http://rt.com/news/swiss-fighters-office-hours-514/ Back to Top Back to Top IJAAA - International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace College of Aeronautics The IJAAA is the peer-reviewed journal of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide College of Aeronautics. With one of the most recognized names in aviation education across the globe and almost 90 years of excellence, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University provides a premier publication outlet for scholars, industry stakeholders, and government entities. The Journal editorial staff work very hard to make your publication experience as easy and seamless as possible. Gone are the days of waiting months for decisions on your hard work. Currently, our average publication decision is made within 10 days. Link: http://commons.erau.edu/ijaaa/ Back to Top Boeing to place new 777X wing factory near jet's assembly site NEW YORK (Reuters) - Boeing Co said it would locate a new factory for building the wings of its forthcoming 777X jet in Everett, Washington, where it currently builds 777 jetliners. The decision, though widely expected, nevertheless confirms the aerospace giant's plan to build the carbon-composite wing close to where the full jet will be assembled. It marks a departure from the large-scale outsourcing to overseas suppliers that caused significant delay on Boeing's 787 jet. Locating the factory in Everett is expected to reduce the risk that delivery of the first 777X jet would be delayed beyond the target date of 2020, analysts have said. In announcing the move, Boeing reaffirmed that it plans to deliver the first of the new fuel-efficient jetliners in 2020. Last year, the company had indicated that it was aiming for around the end of the decade. The project includes building a 1 million-square-foot factory for fabrication of the wings. The wings will be assembled in the Everett area, with the location to be set in coming months, Boeing said. The 777X will be the latest version of the company's best-selling widebody jet, a so-called minijumbo, which carries a list price of up to $320 million. The current versions are capable of seating up to 550 passengers in a single-class configuration, according to Boeing. In a more typical three-class configuration, the jet family seats up to 386 passengers and has a range of up to 9,395 nautical miles. Political and union leaders praised the decision, noting that it ensures thousands of jobs will remain in the Puget Sound area. "This marks the first step in a bricks-and-mortar commitment by Boeing to build a facility that will be home to the jobs and technology of tomorrow - not in a foreign country or a distant state, but right here in the Pacific Northwest," said R. Thomas Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace workers, which oversees the local lodges of machinists in Washington. The jobs were in question last year after Boeing received bids from 21 other states seeking to host the new factory. Boeing agreed to build the plant in the Puget Sound area after Boeing's 31,000 machinists ratified an eight-year extension to their labor contract in early January. The contract guaranteed the work but also ended contributions to the employee's pension, replacing it with a defined contribution savings plan. The agreement also ensures that Boeing returns the knowledge about commercial composite wing fabrication and assembly to the United States. Composite wings for the 787 Dreamliner are made in Japan, and Mitsubishi Heavy had proposed building 777X wings in Japan. The decision "launches Washington into the forefront of advanced composites manufacturing - an industry with exciting growth potential beyond aerospace," Washington state Governor Jay Inslee said. http://news.yahoo.com/boeing-place-777x-wing-factory-near-jet-39-161123536--sector.html Back to Top China's aviation school banks on global ties China wants to work more closely with European nations in training civil aviation engineers, an aviation educator said on Tuesday. "A top aviation industry needs a pool of top talent, and this must be based on a top training system," said Wu Tongshui, president of the Civil Aviation University of China. "We plan to gain the capability of training the best engineers in major aviation fields before 2018, and in order to do that we must deepen international cooperation to improve how we teach." Wu made his remarks during the graduation ceremony of 75 Chinese students of the Sino-European Institute of Aviation Engineering in Tianjin established by the Civil Aviation University of China. Each received a master's degree in aviation engineering. Founded in 2007, the institute is the only school on the Chinese mainland that sends aviation engineers to foreign nations on exchange programs. Each year, it recruits around 100 Chinese students from the university and sends the top students, nearly 10 percent, to French aeronautical universities. Wu said the institute will soon begin accepting 50 more students each year with possible increases in enrollment on an annual basis. The Civil Aviation University of China is currently looking into expanding cooperation with French aeronautical universities to help train Chinese doctoral students. Wu said France is an ideal partner because it has the most successful training schools for engineers in Europe. China's aviation school banks on global ties "The experience of Airbus is a good example. Compared to Boeing, the European company started very late but now is a strong competitor to the American giant," Wu said. "The rise of Airbus came because of its powerful training system, which emphasizes practical engineering expertise and giving trainees many opportunities to intern." Wu said more than 1,000 first-year students in his university apply each year for a place in the institute, which receives major sponsorship from Airbus. The 100 students are admitted after undergoing several rounds of written tests and interviews from Chinese and French teachers. Other nations in Europe, such as Germany, have also sent teachers to the institute. Zhu Ruixin, deputy director of publicity at the Civil Aviation University of China, said students at the university need six and a half years to receive their civil aviation engineering degrees. During that time, about one-third of the students fail a number of stringent tests and are moved to other majors. The university has agreements with 35 aviation companies in China, France and Canada to give students internship opportunities, said Wu, who added that many of its graduates have received offers from Chinese civil aviation authorities, airlines and foreign aviation companies. In her speech at the ceremony, French Ambassador to China Sylvie Bermann said: "These graduates have a good command of aeronautical knowledge and practical engineering skills. They know the Chinese and French cultures very well. Therefore their service will definitely boost the development of the aviation industry in both nations." Marc Houalla, director of the French Civil Aviation University, one of the three French aerospace universities working with the Chinese aviation university at the institute, echoed Bermann's sentiment. "Our two countries share a long history of cooperation in many aviation fields. We hope that this cooperation will be expanded to more fields," he said. http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-02/19/content_17290596.htm Back to Top Newest Cessna jet takes first flight Citation Latitude first flight First flight for Cessna Citation Latitude WICHITA, Kan. - Cessna's newest business jet has soared to new heights. . The Citation Latitude prototype took its first flight in southwest Wichita Tuesday. The pilots said the plane passed all the tests, and noted improved sight-lines and handling. The Latitude has the widest cabin of any Cessna jet, the company said. It can seat up to nine passengers. More testing is expected to take place Wednesday, with certification in the future. The flight could bring more work for the Wichita aviation company. Cessna already has orders for 150 planes, with deliveries expected to begin in 2016. http://www.kwch.com/news/local-news/newest-cessna-jet-takes-first-flight/24549728?ver=125 Back to Top Malaysian Airline Said to Weigh 100-Aircraft Order The state-run company is looking at a range of short-haul and long-haul models from both Airbus Group NV (AIR) and Boeing Co. (BA), said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. A decision on the purchase may be taken by the end of first half of this year, the person said. Malaysian Air seeks to start taking deliveries of the new planes from late 2016 or early 2017, the person said yesterday, as it works to upgrade its fleet over the next decade. The carrier needs new fuel-efficient jets to cut costs amid rising competition from discount airlines such as AirAsia (AIRA) Bhd., which have ordered hundreds of planes to tap Asia's rising travel. "Malaysian Air is playing catch-up with other airlines," Mohshin Aziz, an analyst at Kuala Lumpur-based Maybank Investment Bank Bhd., said in a telephone interview. "It's the right thing to do given the competition in the industry." Najmuddin Abdullah, a spokesman for Malaysian Air, didn't answer a call made to his mobile phone today. He didn't respond to an e-mail sent yesterday. Malaysian Air said yesterday it lost 1.17 billion ringgit last year, exceeding a mean estimated loss of 882.8 million ringgit by 14 analysts in a Bloomberg poll. Its shares dropped 6.9 percent to close at a record low of 29 sen in Kuala Lumpur trading today, underperforming a 0.2 percent increase in the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index. (FBMKLCI) AirAsia, Lion The national carrier, incorporated as Malayan Airways Ltd. in October 1937, operates a fleet of 88 planes, according to its website. The airline, which flies Boeing and Airbus jets, moves 37,000 passengers daily to 80 destinations worldwide. About 15 low-fare carriers started flying in Asia-Pacific over the past decade as the region's increasing urbanization and growing middle class fuel a surge in travel. Asia's growth contrasts with the mature markets of the U.S. and Europe, where over-capacity has led to a consolidation. AirAsia, the region's biggest discount carrier, already has about 140 A320 planes in operation plus 335 on order. Indonesia's PT Lion Mentari Airlines has a 105-strong fleet and a mammoth 650 Airbus and Boeing narrow-bodies yet to come. VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co., Vietnam's only privately owned airline, last week signed an order for 100 Airbus planes. Close to half the world's air traffic growth will involve Asian routes over the next 20 years, Boeing marketing chief Randy Tinseth has said, with carriers from the region acquiring 12,820 more aircraft, or 36 percent of the global total. Competitor Airbus puts the figure at 11,000 planes. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-18/malaysian-air-said-to-weigh-100-plane-order-to-upgrade-fleet.html Back to Top Indian airlines expected to report annual net loss of $1.2 billion MUMBAI, India - The Indian airline industry has landed itself in dire straits due to mounting losses, and three airlines are expected to report a combined full year net loss of $1.2 billion, according to aviation consultancy Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA). This includes a loss of $700 million by Air India (AI). Earlier, CAPA had estimated full year loss of $750-800 million for AI. "AI is once again expected to incur the largest loss... although this represents an improvement of 20 per cent year-on- year in local currency terms. Jet Airways and SpiceJet are likely to report record losses," CAPA said in its Indian Aviation Outlook for FY2015. It said GoAir would end the year with a break-even. IndiGo will report significantly lower than expected net profit. In seven years till March 31, 2013, the airline industry reported total accumulated losses of $8.6 billion, and the industry's debt had climbed to $12.6 billion, it said. The entry of new airlines this year was expected to put additional financial stress on incumbent carriers, CAPA said. According to CAPA's estimates, airlines would need capital infusion of $1.6 billion in 12-18 months to continue operations out of which Air India would need $1 billion. In the Interim Budget, the Union Finance Minister has allocated nearly $900 million as equity infusion into AI. Since AI would require more cash to stay airborne, CAPA felt that the new government might think of privatising the airline as its fund requirement had exceeded earlier commitment by the government. However, serious investors would stay away in the absence of a structured and predictable framework. Agreeing with CAPA estimates and outlook, Air Deccan founder Captain G.R. Gopinath said flawed government policies had largely contributed to these losses. "All sectors in India are flourishing, why not the airline industry? Airlines are suffering partly due to their internal problems but government policies are mostly to be blamed. Exorbitant airport fees are bleeding airlines, and the government owns all airports. We need long-term plan for the sector, not airline-specific plans to bail out individual carriers." Captain Gopinath told The Hindu. http://www.eturbonews.com/42915/indian-airlines-expected-report-annual-net-loss-12-billion Curt Lewis