Flight Safety Information March 29, 2016 - No. 062 In This Issue Egyptian plane hijacked to Cyprus, most passengers released Drones have near-misses with airplanes over three times a day Alaska volcano calming after eruption; alert downgraded Possible Pilot Error Is Cited in FlyDubai Crash in Russia Royal Air Maroc "Does Not Make Compromises" in Passenger Safety Conflicting goals: Profit versus safety in air travel Boeing 737 places safety first Aviation safety: Nigeria commended by ICAO Abu Dhabi Airports celebrates decade in aviation The Best Airlines For Wi-Fi Coverage Asian upstarts eye global aircraft market Virgin America receives takeover offers FAA: Flight testing not required for Cirrus jet's parachute system Gevo's synthetic jet fuel gets key standard designation Hangar Rash Research Request (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Meeting/Dinner - 05MAY Egyptian plane hijacked to Cyprus, most passengers released LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) - An Egyptian man hijacked an EgyptAir plane Tuesday and forced it to land in Cyprus, where most passengers were eventually allowed to get off, though the crew remained on board, Egyptian and Cypriot officials said. The man's motivation was unclear, but President Nicos Anastasiades said the hijacking was "not something that has to do with terrorism" and a Cyprus government official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the man "seems (to be) in love." A civil aviation official, also speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't allowed to disclose details of ongoing negotiations, said the man gave negotiators the name of a woman who lives in Cyprus and asked to give her an envelope. It's unclear what relationship she and the man have. Flight MS181 took off from the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria en route to Cairo with at least 55 passengers, including 26 foreigners, and a seven-member crew. An official with flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 said the plane showed no immediate signs of distress. The flight between Alexandria and Cairo normally takes about 30 minutes. Egyptian government spokesman Hossam al-Queish identified the man who hijacked the plane as Ibrahim Samah. Al-Queish also told the private CBC TV network that authorities could not confirm that Samah had explosives on him. An earlier statement from the Egyptian Aviation Ministry statement said the man claimed he had a belt with explosives. The plane landed at the airport in the southern Cypriot city of Larnaca, also on the Mediterranean. A statement from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry statement said the foreigners on board included eight Americans, four Britons, four Dutch, two Belgians, a French national, an Italian, two Greeks and one Syrian. Three other foreigners could not be identified. The incident raises more questions about security at Egyptian airports, five months after a Russian aircraft crashed over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula minutes after it took off from Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el- Sheikh. All 224 people on board were killed in the crash. Russia later said an explosive device brought down the aircraft and the extremist Islamic State group took responsibility. https://www.yahoo.com/news/officials-egyptian-plane-hijacked-lands-cyrus-063608090.html Back to Top Drones have near-misses with airplanes over three times a day More drones are flying dangerously close to commercial and private aircraft, a new report shows. In a recent five-month period, the Federal Aviation Administration was alerted to almost 600 near-misses between drones and aircraft in the nation's skies, the agency said. Drones - defined as unmanned aircraft either preprogrammed with a flight plan or remotely controlled - are buzzing alongside planes and helicopters, or being launched at night in violation of aviation rules. Startlingly, they're doing so at an average of 3.5 times a day, according to the FAA's figures. In 2014, near misses between aircraft and drones happened an average of less than once a day. The average distance of these latest incidents from an airport was 6.46 miles, the data show. Recent too-close encounters brought to the FAA's attention included: *A JetBlue pilot taking off at JFK Airport reported a near collision with a drone at about 5,800 feet on Jan. 17.A Southwest Airlines 737 pilot reported a drone passing just 100 feet below his plane as it descended to land at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. *A medical helicopter leaving a children's hospital in St. Louis, Mo., needed to swerve to avoid colliding with a drone. *The report, released Friday, chronicled 583 near misses with aircraft between Aug. 21, 2015, and Jan. 31, 2016. That averages out to approximately 116 reported incidents monthly. By comparison, there was as average of only 85 near misses a month during the previous nine months, from Nov. 13, 2014, through Aug. 20, 2015. As yet, there have been no actual collisions reported between aircraft and the estimated 2.5 million drones in the United States. More than 406,000 people have signed up to pilot drones since a federal registry was activated in December. But the close calls keep happening. Just two weeks ago, a commercial jet and a drone came within 200 feet of colliding near Los Angeles' LAX airport. The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers, a national lobbying group of cops at nine airports in the New York, New Jersey, Dallas and Los Angeles areas, is advocating passage of federal legislation improving drone-detection technology at all US airports. http://nypost.com/2016/03/29/drones-have-near-misses-with-airplanes-over-three-times-a-day/ Back to Top Alaska volcano calming after eruption; alert downgraded In this Sunday, March 27, 2016, photo, Pavlof Volcano, one of Alaska's most active volcanoes, erupts, sending a plume of volcanic ash into the air. The Alaska Volcano Observatory says activity continued Monday. Pavlof Volcano is 625 miles southwest of Anchorage on the Alaska Peninsula, the finger of land that sticks out from mainland Alaska toward the Aleutian Islands. ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The activity level of an Alaska volcano has declined after the mountain erupted with a massive ash cloud that prompted the cancellation of dozens of flights. The U.S. Geological Survey said in a news release late Monday night that the intensity of the eruption had "declined significantly." Pavlof Volcano, one of Alaska's most active volcanoes, is 625 miles southwest of Anchorage on the Alaska Peninsula, the finger of land that sticks out from mainland Alaska toward the Aleutian Islands. The volcano in the 8,261-foot mountain erupted about 4 p.m. Sunday, spitting out an ash cloud that rose to 20,000 feet. Lightning over the mountain and pressure sensors indicated eruptions continued overnight Sunday. By 7 a.m. Monday, the ash cloud had risen to 37,000 feet and winds to 50 mph or more had stretched it over more than 400 miles into interior Alaska. "It's right in the wheelhouse of a lot of flights crisscrossing Alaska," said geologist Chris Waythomas, of the U.S. Geological Survey, part of the Alaska Volcano Observatory, along with the University of Alaska and the state Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. In its statement late Monday, the USGS said that the volcano's activity decline began around noon Monday and that by late at night a continuous emission was no longer being observed by satellite. Consequently, a volcano alert - that had been at its highest level, warning of hazards both in the air and on the ground - was downgraded from a warning to a watch. But the agency said that a significant eruption was still possible. Earlier in the day, Alaska Airlines said it cancelled 41 flights affecting about 3,300 customers heading to Fairbanks, Bethel, Kotzebue, Nome, Barrow and Deadhorse. The airline said it will resume its 54 regularly scheduled flights on Tuesday if conditions improve. Volcanic ash is angular and sharp and has been used as an industrial abrasive. The powdered rock can cause a jet engine to shut down. USGS geologists have compared it to flying into a sand blaster. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/alaska-volcano-ash-cloud-covers-400-miles-cancels- flights/2016/03/28/5ac764f0-f547-11e5-958d-d038dac6e718_story.html Back to Top Possible Pilot Error Is Cited in FlyDubai Crash in Russia MOSCOW - An error by a crew member committed during adverse weather conditions may have been responsible for the crash of a passenger jet last week in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don that killed 62 people, a report broadcast by Russian state television said. The Rossiya-1 television channel said late Friday that it had obtained a transcript of the pilot interactions a minute before the FlyDubai passenger jet nose-dived to the ground, killing all the passengers and crew members onboard. A source in the investigative commission with access to flight recorders provided the channel with the transcript. The channel emphasized that its interpretation of the transcript could not be considered the official version of what had happened. Flying from Dubai, the plane was not able to land on its first attempt because of heavy rain and wind, and it entered a holding pattern for two hours. On the second landing attempt, the crew decided to pull up and try again, but 40 seconds after beginning the ascent, one of the pilots switched off the autopilot, possibly in response to sudden turbulence, the report said. Seconds after the autopilot was turned off, the plane plunged to the ground. "Don't worry," one of the pilots says, according to the transcript, which was translated into Russian, seconds before saying, "Don't do that!" The last words recorded were repeated calls to "Pull up!" Only "inhuman screams" could be heard for the last six seconds. The television channel cited experts who suggested that by turning off the autopilot, the pilots were trying to pull the plane back to a horizontal position. But at that moment a stabilizing fin at the jet's tail was switched on. With the fin activated, "the elevator is no longer working and the plane practically does not react to the pilot's control panel," the report said. The channel suggested that the pilot could have accidentally hit the button that activated the fin because of his reported "chronic fatigue." Russian investigators have opened a criminal inquiry into the crash. On Thursday, the investigative commission said that the flight recorders were in good condition and were being deciphered. The first preliminary reports of the commission could be made public within the next two weeks, they said. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/world/europe/flydubai-crash-russia.html?_r=0 Back to Top Royal Air Maroc "Does Not Make Compromises" in Passenger Safety Rabat - Royal Air Maroc (RAM) denied, in a statement on Monday, the conclusions of a French television report that alleged the carrier hired unvetted foreigners to copilot flights through pay-to-fly training programs - an action that European officials said could jeopardize passenger safety due to the copilots' lack of experience. The airline said in a statement it "does not make any compromises" in regards to passenger safety and did not work with the Lithuanian office investigated in the report in order to offer paid training programs for entry-level pilots. Moroccan and foreign hires for pilot positions go through additional training and a flight simulation test overseen by a flight manager with over 10,000 logged flight hours before they are allowed to fly, according to the statement. "The training of foreign pilots by Royal Air Morocco is not commercial," the airline added. The office probed by Channel 3 runs in association with AviationCV - a jobs search engine for the airline industry that manages over 100,000 profiles of pilots, engineers, and other related professionals, according to the company's official website. The channel followed entry-level pilot, Julien Fournier, via hidden camera as he visited the Baltic Aviation Academy (BAA), a private flight school that operates in coordination with AviationCV. There he asked a training manager for information on available "pay-to-fly" programs that would allow him to log flight hours - necessary to land a job as a pilot for a commercial airline - by paying thousands of Euros to a carrier that would allow him to fly as a copilot without salary. The manager who spoke to Fournier said one of the training programs available would allow him to log 500 flight hours as a copilot with RAM for a total of 62,500 euros. BAA already had three trainees working on RAM flights to and from Europe, she claimed, adding that the Moroccan carrier "does not conduct an entry evaluation for pilots paying for the program." "You pay and you start right away," she told Fournier, who was taking notes in the scene. RAM said it started hiring foreign pilots in 2002 for their flight experience and holds them to the same professional standards that are the policy of major European airlines. http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/03/183085/release-royal-air-maroc-does-not-make- compromises-in-passenger-safety/ Back to Top Conflicting goals: Profit versus safety in air travel Aviation safety is defined in annex 19 to the Chicago Convention, as the state in which risks associated with aviation activities, related to, or in direct support of the operation of aircraft, are reduced and controlled to an acceptable level. The nature of commercial flight operations - high speeds at altitude in a pressurized environment - means risk cannot be completely eliminated. In order to achieve and maintain safety, Contracting States have drafted detailed regulations adopted from ICAO annexes to regulate inter-alia; licensing, air traffic control, aircraft operations and maintenance. Such regulations, enforced by state regulatory and oversight agencies, require operational personnel for all aviation organizations to undergo elaborate training (initial and recurrent) so that their competence in risk control and management can be assessed. Unfortunately, regulations are not sufficient. They are simply words written on paper with limited effect on human behavior. In addition, regulatory and oversight agencies do not run the day-to-day affairs of organizations. To achieve safety, an organization has to continuously promote safety as a core value with practices that support a positive safety culture in its daily operations. Key to this is decision making and internal policies rather than regulatory compliance. The two illustrations below show accidents caused by poor decision making and internal policies within aviation organizations. Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 On 11th July 1991, a Nation Air DC-8 operating for Nigerian Airways suffered structural damage caused by a fire, and crashed ten minutes after takeoff from King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah. Four days earlier, a mechanic had been stopped by the Nation Air project manager from changing under inflated and partly worn out tires, to enable the aircraft depart on schedule. The mechanic altered figures on the maintenance log to indicate that the tires had been inflated to normal pressure, whereas not. On the day of the accident, Nation Air's lead mechanic told the project manager in Jeddah that there was need to top up the under inflated tires, but the latter directed that the aircraft depart on schedule without servicing the tires. The underinflated tires led to uneven weight distribution on the left landing gear, damaging the fully inflated tires. This led to intense heat buildup while taxing to the runway. Unknown to the flight crew, two tires on the left main landing gear burst during the take off roll. Intense heat caused by the wheel assembly scrapping along the runway caused a fire, which spread to the wheel well and aircraft cabin upon retracting the landing gear. The fire caused massive structural damage and the crew lost control while attempting to return to the airport for an emergency landing. The plane crashed two miles short of the run way, killing all 247 passengers and 14 crew members. The aircraft accident report prepared by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense and Aviation, attributed the crash to signing off the aircraft as fit for flight in an un-airworthy condition, caused by under inflated tires. Alaska Airlines Flight 261 On 31st January 2000, an Alaska Airlines MD-83 crashed 2.7 miles north of Anacapa Island, California, after failure of the horizontal stabilizer following collapse of the jack-screw assembly. There were 88 fatalities. The airline had undertaken reforms to increase revenue. Such reforms included doubling utilization of aircraft and extending service intervals. This put the maintenance schedule under pressure, and as a result, planes were returned into service without proper maintenance. Supervisors were found to have falsified records and passed unfit aircraft as fit to fly. A maintenance officer had earlier recommended that the Jack screw assembly for the aircraft involved in the accident be replaced. His recommendation was overruled and the plane returned into service. He leaked details of Alaska Air's violations of maintenance procedures to the U.S Department of Transportation. The airline retaliated by suspending him from work. The National Transportation Safety Board report determined that the probable cause of this accident was loss of airplane pitch control, resulting from the in-flight failure of the horizontal stabilizer trim system jackscrew assembly's acme nut threads. The thread failure was caused by excessive wear resulting from Alaska Airline's insufficient lubrication of the jackscrew assembly. Contributing to the accident were Alaska Airline's extended lubrication interval and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) approval of that extension, which increased the likelihood that a missed or inadequate lubrication would result in excessive wear of the acme nut threads. What the two accidents have in common: * Maximizing use of aircraft to boost revenue, effectively placing "production" ahead of "protection". * Pressure from senior management for aircraft to stay on schedule. * Management not being aware of the consequences of their actions. * Fear by junior staff of countermanding their superior's actions/decisions for fear of retribution. The management style of both airlines was manipulative and authoritarian. Employees were apprehensive of doing anything the airlines considered not in their "best interests". * Deliberate falsification of records by maintenance personnel. * Information regarding unfit condition of aircraft was never shared with the flight crew (although it was never established if the pilots when informed, would decline to fly). * Both Countries had agencies entrusted with regulatory, oversight and enforcement function: Transport Canada (Canada) and the Federal Aviation Administration (United States of America). * Both aircraft had operations manuals that indicated when an aircraft was fit to be released into service and approved service intervals. These manuals were known by the airlines and regulatory/oversight agencies as these aircraft were on the respective national registers. * Hazards were identified and known, but trivialized. * Crashes were caused by a poor corporate safety culture, not lack of a safety regulatory framework. The two accidents illustrate that operational personnel in aviation environments do not operate in isolation, but are bound by contractual obligations and interests of higher authorities in the organization's hierarchy. As a result, their attitudes are influenced by top management and senior administrative personnel who may have limited knowledge and appreciation of aviation's inherent risks. Such attitudes constitute the corporate culture which in essence is the personality of the organization. It was part of the corporate culture at Nation Air and Alaska Airlines to "cut corners" regularly, in effect, placing profit ahead of safety, with disastrous consequences. Regulations, though a good starting point, are not sufficient. An organization's corporate culture, emphasizing safety ahead of profit, is the only way risks associated with aviation can be reduced and controlled to an acceptable level. http://www.eturbonews.com/69756/conflicting-goals-profit-versus-safety-air-travel Back to Top Boeing 737 places safety first The 737 family is one of the safest commercial airlines in operation As with all incidents and accidents of commercial airliners, interest always heightens in the type of jet involved and whether it was safe to fly. Since the dawn of the modern jet era which is largely signified by the entry into service of the legendary Boeing 707, air transport has grown far rapidly than anyone could have imagined. At the same time, the growth in air transport safety has, in my view, been growing at a much faster rate. So, it comes as no surprise that the current Boeing 737 Next Generation family in operation today employs some of the most radically advanced technologies and safety systems. Every three seconds, somewhere in the world, there is a 737 taking off. Yes, every three seconds. At any one moment in a 24-hour period, there are on average some 1,300 Boeing 737s flying. That's a lot of 737s. While it would take forever to document every incident involving the 737 family, the only aspect to keep in mind is that the 737 is one of the safest airplanes you can hope to fly on. Test programmes This is why flight test programmes are designed to evaluate and test airplanes beyond what they would ever face in service. Boeing's 737 Next Generation family has been a massive seller, with orders combined for the 737-600, 737-700, 737-800, 737-900, 737-900ER and other sub-variants totalling well over 7,100 units to date. Analysis by Boeing shows that the hull loss rate of the 737 Next Generation family is just 0.26 out of 1.74 million departures - the lowest rate of any of the 737 family, which entered service in February 1968. Back in 2004, the 737 production rate was around 17 airplanes a month. Today, that rate stands at 42 airplanes a month. By 2017, the rate jumps up to 47 a month. In 2018, the 737 production rate will jump again to 52 airplanes a month and in 2019, that rate will top out at 57 airplanes a month. These record-breaking jumps in deliveries are fed on the back of a rapidly expanding air travel market which has seen the proliferation and massive growth in low-cost airlines wanting new fuel-efficient jets to support their network development. Evolution While oil prices have tumbled to around $40 a barrel, the evolution of the 737 family in the 737 Max will further refine its capabilities to fly further and at a much lower cost than the current Next Generation 737 family. This is why airlines like flydubai have chosen to stick with the 737 Max for their future fleet needs rather than swap to competing models. The same can be said for other bellwether airlines such as Ryanair and Southwest Airlines, both of whom are big customers of the Next Generation 737 as well as 737 Max. There are too many big 737 customers to list. Many of the major leasing firms such as Gecas, BOC Aviation, AerCap and ALC all readily invest in the 737 for a plethora of reasons. It has the best dispatch reliability rate of any airplane in history at over 99.7 per cent - a rate that the competing Airbus A320 family has never matched. It has the highest residual value on the used and second-hand market. It has the world's most reliable engine provider in CFM International, backed by millions of flight hours before engines go in for overhaul or maintenance. It has lower direct and cash operating costs than the competing A320s and sports more range, allowing airlines to deploy the type on an array of short, medium and longer range routes where demand doesn't warrant the use of a more costlier widebodied jet. Airlines and lessors such as GOL, Norwegian, Southwest, United, Turkish Airlines, flydubai, Ryanair, China Eastern, Qantas, AeroMexico, Jet Airways, Alafco, CIT Leasing, Alaska Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and countless others all rely on the 737 for the core of their business. Bright future And with over 3,000 firm orders for the 737 Max 7, 737 Max 8 and 737 Max 9, Boeing's future with the 737 family has never looked brighter. The 737 Max has become its fastest selling airplane and when you consider that more than half of existing 737 customers haven't even started to place orders for their existing fleets, there is a very high probability that these customers will continue their operations with the 737 Max in the same vein that others have done. The first of the new 737 Max family members, the 737 Max 8, first took to the skies on January 29, 2016. Entry into service is planned for the first half of 2017. As it stands, the 737 Max 8, powered exclusively by CFM International's Leap-1B engine, there is a good chance that the swift pace of flight testing could see service entry happen sooner than that. The Leap-1B engine has already demonstrated its 15 per cent fuel efficiency over the existing CFM56-7BE engine that powers today's Next Generation 737 family. To that end, the efficiency of the 737 Max is not in question. Neither then is its safety in question because we know that like all aerospace industry manufacturers, Boeing stops at nothing to ensure safety is paramount in all that it builds. And the 737 family, Next Generation or Max, both come as standard with safety first before all else. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/aviation/boeing-737-places-safety-first Back to Top Aviation safety: Nigeria commended by ICAO Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on Monday said that Nigeria had excelled in its recently-concluded Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). This is contained in a statement issued by the General Manager, Public Relations, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr Sam Adurogboye, in Lagos. The four-man ICAO team, led by Mr Jean-Claude Waffo, had arrived Nigeria on March 13, to assess the country's aviation industry. The statement said the auditors, in their preliminary report, commended Nigeria for the progress and development being made in the sector. "Each member gave an individual assessment of all the delineated areas. These are: Legislation (LEG), Organisation (ORG), Accident and Incident Investigation (AIG), Air Navigational Services (ANS) and Aerodrome and Ground Aids (AGA). "During the presentation, the team leader and the members articulated all their systemic findings in the course of the 11-day USOAP Audit conducted in Nigeria. "While there were areas that were identified as open items that needed to be closed, the Auditors were unanimously very satisfied with the level of improvement in the aviation industry in Nigeria. "The auditors were highly impressed with the stellar preparation for the audit by all concerned and claimed that this made the exercise a huge success.'' According to the statement, the final report will be produced and sent to Canada for review and final assent, after comments on the draft report have been received from Nigeria. The statement quoted Waffo as saying that the draft results would be produced 90 days after the presentation. It said that, therafter, Nigeria was expected to produce a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) which would provide room for comments and observations within 45 days. "The final report is only to be expected and produced after 30 days of receipt and acknowledgement of comments,'' it quoted Waffo as saying. The statement said that at the end of the presentation, the auditors thanked the Director-General, NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, and all the Chief Executives of the aviation parastatals. http://thenewsnigeria.com.ng/2016/03/aviation-safety-nigeria-commended-by-icao/ Back to Top Abu Dhabi Airports celebrates decade in aviation The company has diversified its assets over the last ten years to include Abu Dhabi Airport Business City and the Gulf Center for Aviation Studies . Abu Dhabi Airports is marking a decade of innovation in aviation this year as the company celebrates its tenth anniversary. Created in 2006 through an Amiri Decree from the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Airports Company was formed to spearhead the development of the Emirate's aviation infrastructure, and assumed responsibility for the operation and management of Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) and Al Ain Airport (AAN). Abu Dhabi Airports later added Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI), an exclusive business aviation airport, along with Sir Bani Yas and Delma Island Airports to its portfolio. The company has further diversified its assets over the last ten years to include Abu Dhabi Airport Business City - a free zone operating at AUH, AAN and AZI; and the Gulf Center for Aviation Studies - a center of excellence for airport and aviation training. Ali Majed Al Mansoori, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, said, "Innovation, as well as the passion and determination of our staff, have been the key pillars to our continued success." He said the aviation sector in the emirate has changed considerably over the last ten years. "We are proud of the role that Abu Dhabi Airports has played in facilitating that the positive changes witnessed in this dynamic sector. Through innovative products such as our recently launched Smart Travel System at Abu Dhabi International Airport, we have consistently provided high quality facilities and services with cutting-edge solutions to passengers at all our airports, and we will continue to do as we receive more and more visitors from around the world." Since 2006, Abu Dhabi Airports has thrived. The company has invested over Dh 20billion in capital development projects during the past ten years across all of its airport sites. The biggest infrastructure project undertaken so far, the Midfield Terminal Complex (MTC), will increase Abu Dhabi International Airport's overall capacity to 45 million passengers per year. Emiratization figures have increased from 25 per cent in 2010 to over 50 per cent in 2015, with 82 per cent of executive management roles now occupied by UAE nationals. The company remains committed to its objective to be an employer of choice for Emiratis and has developed its National Development Program (NDP) for employing and training UAE graduates. "Aviation is playing a significant role in the diversification of the economy, as outlined in Abu Dhabi's Economic Vision 2030. It is therefore imperative to develop national expertise and workforce within the industry to deliver sustainable growth. Our National Development Program is enabling us to exceed our targets and develop the human capital able to lead this vital industry well into the future", Al Mansoori added. Some of the key milestones of the last ten years include: 2006 - Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) was created to manage and operate AUH and AAN. 2007 - People and assets were integrated into ADAC from Department of Civil Aviation (DCA). http://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/aviation/abu-dhabi-airports-celebrates-decade-in-aviation Back to Top The Best Airlines For Wi-Fi Coverage When it comes to Wi-Fi service, you are better off flying domestic. In the United States, 71 percent of domestic flights offer internet service, while only 13 percent of international flights provide coverage, according to an airline connectivity report by Routehappy. While part of this is due to the difficulties of offering service while flying above places like the North Pole, it is also because the American legacy airlines were some of the first to begin rolling out Wi-Fi systems a few years ago. And now, the three major U.S. airlines - Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines - offer the most connectivity per mile. For good in-flight Wi-Fi, stick with domestic flights on the legacy airlines. Photo credit: Alexandra Talty. "This has all happened very quickly. Three to four years ago, you could get on a plane and there wasn't Wi-Fi," says Jonathan Savitch, Vice President of Business Development at Routehappy. When looking at international flights with WiFi, Scoot - a Singaporean budget airline - comes at the top of the list, with 100 percent of its flights offering internet. It is closely followed by Virgin America and Icelandair. http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2016/03/28/the-best-airlines-for-wi-fi- coverage/#475d7e2066dc Back to Top Asian upstarts eye global aircraft market * Big growth seen in short-haul routes in Asia * Asian aerospace firms aim to compete with Bombardier, Embraer * But small plane makers find headwinds over safety concerns SINGAPORE, March 29 Indonesia is about to roll out its first passenger plane, one of several smaller, homegrown aircraft being studied in Asia, designed especially for short hops across the region's emerging markets, where air travel is booming. State-owned aerospace firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia's 19-seat N219, which cost $400 million and took just over five years to make, is scheduled to make its first flight in June and start deliveries in 2018. South Korea is mulling a 100-seat aircraft, and India has considered a 70-90 seater. Novices in a highly competitive industry, these largely state-owned manufacturers are betting on growing passenger numbers and an increase in short flights operated by small, efficient craft. The planned craft would be smaller than the Airbus 320 or Boeing 737, which seat between about 150 and 190 passengers. Instead, they aim to be cost-effective, nimble alternatives to planes produced by Brazil's Embraer, Canada's Bombardier, and European firm ATR, a joint venture between Airbus and Finmeccanica. Many of these could suit some markets in Asia, South America and Africa, executives say, where demand for air travel is growing but infrastructure development often lags demand. Runways at many smaller airports are not always long enough to accommodate larger planes like the A320 and 737. But while countries see the launch of a commercial aircraft as an important economic milestone, designing an airplane from scratch is also an expensive gamble. Both China and Japan have struggled to create jets that sell. TEST CASE Asian markets are a testbed for smaller aircraft. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents airlines, expects Indonesia will be one of the five fastest growing markets over the next 20 years. But the country also has many low-density cities where poor airport infrastructure has been a drag on strong demand for air travel. Other emerging markets face a similar challenge, Ade Yuyu Wahyuna, vice-president of business development and marketing at PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), told Reuters. Powered by two turboprop engines from Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies, Indonesia's N219 is similar to the Airbus CASA CN212 that PTDI manufactured under license in the 2000s. PTDI says it has 150 commitments from small Indonesian regional carriers. It is just the start of the company's aerospace ambitions, said Wayhuna. PTDI is also studying a 50- passenger plane. For its part, Korea Aerospace Industries, which develops and license-produces fighter jets and helicopters, has been studying a 100-seat passenger aircraft for more than a year, said an industry executive familiar with KAI's plans. KAI would prefer to work with established Western aerospace firms if it goes ahead, this person added. "We will initially start with mid-sized passenger aircrafts or business jets, instead of taking on Boeing directly with large-sized jets," said a KAI spokesman, who added these remain mid to-long term plans. Indian state-owned aerospace firm Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and research agency National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) have both studied separate projects for a 70-90 seat aircraft. HAL and NAL declined to comment. Industry executives said both are waiting for the Indian government to clarify its aerospace policy, especially on the taxation of aircraft and aircraft parts and the opening of smaller airports in secondary cities. LEARNING FROM CHINA China and Japan's experience with homegrown craft, however, underlines the costly challenge ahead. The MA60 turboprop, China's first passenger aircraft - developed by state-owned Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) and delivered from 2000 - has been involved in 11 major incidents. This includes four in which the plane was completely written off and one that resulted in 25 deaths. In August 2013, the New Zealand government warned tourists not to fly on a Tongan airline's MA60, citing the incidents. Another Chinese plane, Commercial Aircraft Corp of China's long-delayed ARJ-21 regional jet, has not received U.S. certification after seven years of testing. In Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' MRJ regional jet has also struggled. The jet's first flight in November 2015 was more than three years behind schedule. Its first deliveries have been delayed by more than four years to mid-2018. Embraer has since unveiled an upgraded version of its regional jets, giving it an order backlog of 513 planes across its line-up. The MRJ garnered just 233 firm orders. Industry analysts expect Mitsubishi may only supply a quarter of the roughly 4,000 regional jets that will be needed in the 20 years to 2013. Embraer, by contrast, would control 60 percent of the market, they say. "We are very confident of getting a good share in this market," Yugo Fukuhara, vice president and general manager of sales and marketing for the MRJ, told Reuters. Analysts say the newcomers should learn from the Chinese experience of putting a state-owned firm in- charge of a aircraft programmes and trying to source everything at home. They will also need to master the complexity of a large supply chain, pass the rigorous certification process, and establish an after-sales support network. http://www.reuters.com/article/asia-aerospace-idUSL3N16M1VL Back to Top Virgin America receives takeover offers - source (Reuters) - U.S. budget airline carrier Virgin America Inc (VA.O) has received acquisition interest from several companies, including JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU.O) and Alaska Air Group Inc (ALK.N), a person familiar with the matter said on Monday. Asian airline companies have also expressed interest in Virgin America, although they would have to partner with a U.S. bidder because of foreign ownership rules governing U.S. airlines, the person said. Bloomberg reported earlier on Monday that Virgin America had received takeover offers from JetBlue and Alaska Air. The source asked not to be identified because the sale process is confidential. Virgin America did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while JetBlue and Alaska Air declined to comment. Burlingame, California-based Virgin America went public in November 2014 and now has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion. Virgin America is the U.S. offshoot of billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson's London-based Virgin Group, which is involved in airlines, railroads, telecommunications, media and hospitality. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/virgin-america-receives-takeover-offers-195925457.html Back to Top FAA: Flight testing not required for Cirrus jet's parachute system As the Cirrus SF50 Vision personal jet nears completion of a type certification process it began in 2008, the FAA plans to evaluate the aircraft's ballistic parachute recovery system without requiring costly and potentially dangerous in-flight testing of the technology designed to bring the aircraft safely down in an emergency. The FAA detailed how it intends to approve the SF50's parachute system in a notice of proposed special conditions published March 18. The FAA noted that unlike the Cirrus Aircraft Parachute Systems (CAPS) approved for its piston single- engine SR20 and SR22 models, "the SF50 CAPS is a supplemental system and no credit for the system will be used to meet part 23 requirements," the agency's rules containing aircraft airworthiness standards. A major design difference between the SF50 CAPS and Cirrus's previously approved parachute technology- credited by the company with saving about 100 lives-is a new component that interacts with the aircraft's avionics and flight controls. This interface is designed to bring the airplane within a "valid deployment envelope speed" of between 67 and 160 knots calibrated airspeed when the parachute system is activated. The CAPS system for the jet also was designed for higher gross weight, maximum activation speed, and altitude of operation. "Since it is a non-required system, the means of substantiation have been altered to reflect the bounds of the operating envelope, the means of analysis that can be substantiated with overlapping lower-level testing/analysis, and relieve in-flight deployment to avoid unnecessary expense and the inherent danger in performing this test," the notice said. Systems evaluated as subjects of special conditions must meet two baseline criteria. They must not introduce unacceptable hazards prior to or after activation, and there must be a showing by the applicant that the system does not adversely affect the functioning of other systems, or adversely influence the safety of the aircraft or occupants. "The applicant does not have to prove or demonstrate that the system works in flight," the FAA said. http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2016/March/28/FAA-Flight-testing-not-required-for- Cirrus-jets-parachute-system Back to Top Gevo's synthetic jet fuel gets key standard designation DENVER BUSINESS JOURNAL - Gevo Inc., which makes synthetic fuels, said its alcohol-to-jet fuel is close to receiving ASTM compliance. That means that once the fuel receives full compliance from the standards testing organization, the Douglas County-based company can sell the fuel to more airlines. Gevo said it expects to receive full ASTM compliance by early April. Alaska Airlines has already signed up to buy the alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel: In January, the Seattle-based airline said it would make a major purchase of Gevo's fuel. Read more from the Denver Business Journal: http://bit.ly/1Uq1Zvv. http://www.9news.com/money/business/gevos-synthetic-jet-fuel-gets-key-standard- designation/106208766 Back to Top Hangar Rash Research Request Hello, my name is Mary Popko and I am a student as San Diego State University currently working towards a B.S. in Statistics. I would like to request your participation in my survey regarding 'hangar rash', a term commonly used to describe the unecessary damage that many aircraft sustain on the ground, while being maneuvered in the airport environment. The survey takes less than thirty seconds to complete. I hope to shed some light on this subject and would be happy to share my paper with anyone who is interested. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TLW5KZ6 Back to Top The International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Cordially invites you to attendour spring 2016 Dinner/Meeting Location: Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel Herndon, Virginia, 20170. Date/Time: Thursday, May 5, 2016, 6:00 - 9:30 pm Guest Speaker Honorable T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, Vice Chair, National Transportation Safety Board To: ISASI Members, Associates, and Guests: Please plan to attend this important annual event. We anticipate a large turnout for this event because our distinguished guest speaker. Please make your reservations early; as space will be limited and I must confirm the dinner numbers with the hotel by Thursday, April 21st. Don't forget that companions and other guests are most welcome. From: Ron Schleede President, MARC; Vice President, ISASI (H) 1-703-455-3766; (Cell) 571-212-4255; Email: RonSchleede@aol.com Date: Thursday, May 5, 2016 Times: 6:00 pm-Reception with cash bar 7:00 to 8:00 pm-Full buffet dinner ********************************************************** RESERVATION FORM The International Society of Air Safety Investigators Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter (MARC) Spring 2016 Dinner/Meeting Thursday, May 5, 2016, 6:00 pm Crowne Plaza Dulles Airport Hotel There will be a "networking" cash bar beginning at 6:00 pm, followed by a full buffet dinner beginning at 7:00 pm. The program will begin about 8:00 pm. Adjournment anticipated about 9:30 pm. Yes, I will be attending: Name__________________________ Telephone___________________ Email Yes, I will be bringing a guest (s): Name__________________________Telephone____________________ Email Name__________________________Telephone____________________ Email Payment Method: Check, or Credit Card. Badge Name Company Name______________________________________ If paying by check, please make checks payable to ISASI-MARC, in the amount of $50.00 per person, if paid before April 21, 2016. The cost after April 21, 2016, will be $55.00, if space is available. This includes dinner, taxes, gratuity, and routine function expenses. Please mail checks to: Ms. Ann Schull, ISASI International Office, 107 E. Holly Avenue, Suite 11, Sterling, VA, 20164. (Telephone: 703-430-9668; FAX: 703-430-4970) If paying by credit card, please provide your reservation information, along with the following credit card information directly to Ms. Ann Schull by telephone, FAX, email, or regular mail. Curt Lewis