Flight Safety Information June 16, 2016 - No. 118 In This Issue Searchers Report Finding EgyptAir Wreckage Wreckage of EgyptAir jet spotted, committee says NTSB Chairman Foresees New Air-Safety Role for Agency The Weather Company Collaborates with Gogo Business Aviation To Help Improve Turbulence Safety Indonesia's Lion Air removed from EU air safety blacklist Turkish Airlines passenger jet declares mid-air emergency Feds urge pilots to avoid walrus haulouts to prevent deadly stampedes Drone Spotted Flying Near DIA IndiGo flight grounded due to bird hit at Bhubaneswar airport Airbus A319 Ground Collision (Stuttgart, Germany) Incident: Fiji B738 at Auckland on Jun 15th 2016, could not retract landing gear Alaska Airlines CEO says he might keep Virgin America brand India Makes It Easier for Domestic Airlines to Fly Overseas Iran says reaches deal to acquire Boeing planes European, U.S. aviation bodies certify Bombardier CSeries aircraft MC-21 is a Major Achievement for the Aircraft Industry (Russia) RAF Aerobatics Display At Farnborough Canceled FAA Faces Multiple Challenges In Air Traffic Control Hiring, Training Singapore Air to Challenge United With Nonstop U.S. Flights FAA joining the chief data officer movement Commercial fleet summary June 2016 2016 FAA Asia-Pacific Flight Standards Meeting July 19-21 PhD Research Survey (I) PhD Research Survey (II) Searchers Report Finding EgyptAir Wreckage PARIS - Searchers in the Mediterranean have found the first sunken wreckage of the EgyptAir flight that mysteriously veered off course and plunged from 37,000 feet last month, the Egyptian government reported Wednesday. All 66 people aboard the jetliner, EgyptAir Flight 804 bound for Cairo from Paris, were killed in the still- unexplained crash on May 19, as the plane was on the final leg of its trip in Egyptian airspace. News of the discovered wreckage was reported in a statement from the Egyptian Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee, established by the government to find out what happened to the plane, an Airbus A320. The statement said a search vessel, the John Lethbridge, had found and "identified several main locations of the wreckage" and that investigators had been provided with photographic images taken from the seabed, roughly 10,000 feet below the surface. There was no immediate word on the precise location of the wreckage or whether it included the data recorders that are essential for helping determine why the plane crashed. The discovery was the first significant breakthrough in the search for the plane since investigators said they had detected signals from one of its two flight recorder beacons, or "pingers," nearly two weeks ago. With the battery life of those beacons expiring by next week, investigators are hoping to retrieve the recorders - which contain cockpit conversations and data from the plane's onboard computers - before they fall silent. Investigators and search teams will begin mapping the debris field on the ocean floor, the Egyptian committee said. Even in the absence of the data from the flight recorders, air accident experts have said that the distribution of the wreckage would yield significant clues. If the debris contains large pieces of the plane that are concentrated in a relatively small area, that would suggest that the plane hit the water largely intact. Smaller debris scattered across a wide area would suggest that it broke up in midair - possibly the result of an explosion. Remi Jouty, the director of France's air accidents bureau, which is advising Egypt in the investigation, said last week that investigators were still "very far" from understanding what may have caused the crash. Earlier this week, the Egyptian authorities appeared to back away from suggestions that Flight 804 had disappeared abruptly from radar screens - a scenario that had fanned theories that the plane might have been brought down by a terrorist bomb or other deliberate act, rather than a mechanical or other failure. In a statement published Monday, the Egyptian investigation committee said it had validated radar data provided by the Greek authorities in the days after the crash that indicated that the plane had swerved abruptly off course, first making a sharp left turn before veering to the right and spiraling down into the sea. With the wreckage found, the French Navy said it had recalled its survey ship, the Laplace, from the search zone. Investigators aboard the John Lethbridge will now deploy an underwater robot and sonar equipment to locate the flight recorders and bring them to the surface. The Egyptian authorities this week invited experts from the United States National Transportation Safety Board to join the EgyptAir crash investigation team, as well as engineers from Honeywell, the manufacturer of the flight recorders. Besides the radar tracks now confirmed by both the Greek and Egyptian authorities, the only confirmed data received from the plane were a series of seven automated messages sent to an EgyptAir maintenance base. Those messages included two smoke alerts - one in a bathroom, and another in an electronics bay near the cockpit and close to many of the plane's computerized control systems. But while the alerts indicate that there was an emergency on board, experts have said they are not sufficient to explain the disaster. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/world/middleeast/egyptair-crash-wreckage-found.html Back to Top Wreckage of EgyptAir jet spotted, committee says On June 1, Specialized locator equipment on a French vessel La Place detected signals from the seabed in the Mediterranean Sea, an Egyptian investigative committee. The French Aircraft Investigation Committee later said it had confirmed the signals were from one of the aircraft's black boxes -- the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.EgyptAir CAIRO -Egypt on Wednesday said that it spotted and obtained images from the wreckage of the EgyptAir plane flying from Paris to Cairo that crashed into the Mediterranean last month, killing all 66 people on board, according to a statement by the country's investigation committee. The committee said in a statement that a vessel, the John Lethbridge, contracted by the Egyptian government to join search efforts for the data recorders and the wreckage "had identified several main locations of the wreckage." It added that it obtained images of the wreckage. The next step, the committee said, will be drawing a map showing the wreckage location. The vessel is equipped with sonar and other equipment capable of detecting wreckage at depths up to 6,000 feet (1,830 meters). The EgyptAir Airbus A320 had been cruising normally in clear skies on an overnight flight on May 19. The radar showed that the doomed aircraft turned 90 degrees left, then a full 360 degrees to the right, plummeting from 38,000 feet (11,582 meters) to 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) before disappearing at about 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). The cause of the crash still has not been determined. Ships and planes from Egypt, Greece, France, the United States and other nations are searching the Mediterranean Sea north of the Egyptian port of Alexandria for the jet's voice and flight data recorders, as well as more bodies and parts of the aircraft. Egypt's civil aviation minister has said he believes terrorism is a more likely explanation than equipment failure or some other catastrophic event. But no hard evidence has emerged on the cause, and no militant group has claimed to have downed the jet. Leaked flight data indicated a sensor detected smoke in a lavatory and a fault in two of the plane's cockpit windows in the final moments of the flight. Since the crash began, only small pieces of wreckage and human remains have been recovered in a search that has been narrowed down to five-kilometer (three-mile) area of the Mediterranean. Wednesday's announcement came after Egyptian investigators said that time is running out in the search for the black boxes. They said on Sunday that only five days remain before the batteries of the flight's data and cockpit voice recorders expire and they stop emitting signals. The boxes could reveal whether a mechanical fault, a hijacking or a bomb caused the disaster. Finding them without the signals is possible but more difficult. http://www.wcvb.com/news/wreckage-of-egyptair-jet-spotted-committee-says/40070784 Back to Top NTSB Chairman Foresees New Air-Safety Role for Agency Strategy emphasizes data-sharing between agency and FAA, more active role in pinpointing emerging hazards National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Christopher Hart, shown in May, was a longtime FAA official before he joined the five-member board. By ANDY PASZTOR WASHINGTON-The head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has laid out a new advocacy role for the agency, focused on spotting budding air-safety hazards before they can prompt investigations of incidents or accidents. Sketching out the strategy in a speech to an international aviation conference here Wednesday, NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart emphasized growing cooperation between the safety board, whose primary function has been to probe accidents, and regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA increasingly is sharing high-level safety data and analyses with the NTSB that originally were voluntarily supplied by airlines, pilots, mechanics and other segments of the industry. At the start, the information wasn't supposed go to any other agency. Building on years of efforts to gain access to such information collected and closely guarded by the FAA, Mr. Hart said data sharing is the key to further reducing risks in a U.S. commercial aviation system that already has achieved record safety levels. Mr. Hart's comments are a sharp departure from the historically adversarial relationship between NTSB investigators, who issue recommendations to plug regulatory loopholes or other safety lapses, and FAA officials who sometimes can be defensive about criticism and aren't legally bound to adopt board recommendations. Previous chairmen have engaged in high-profile disputes with senior FAA decision makers over persistent safety problems. Over the years, however, the FAA overall has ended up embracing roughly four out of five recommendations. "We are working more closely with the FAA than ever before," Mr. Hart said, adding that data exchanges are "fuel for the improvement process" and help focus the safety board's public outreach efforts advocating changes. "The more we understand what's happening in the real world" before an accident occurs, he added, the better able the NTSB can push for improvements. Part of the shift stems from Mr. Hart's background as a longtime FAA official before he joined the five- member board and a generally more-conciliatory style than that of his predecessors. But the change, according to industry officials and safety experts, also reflects the fact that the safety board has investigated fewer major U.S. airline accidents over the years. And its expert staff is eager to become more proactive in pinpointing emerging hazards for airliners, business jets, private planes and helicopters. Deborah Hersman, Mr. Hart's predecessor, fought hard to gain initial access to the FAA's joint government-industry safety database. At the time she and other NTSB leaders insisted the sensitive information was needed almost exclusively to enhance probes of specific incidents or crashes. Now, Mr. Hart is arguing that the data is essential for the board to carry out broader advocacy functions not connected to any specific event or fatality. In his remarks, Mr. Hart said the FAA also has been receiving more insight into NTSB probes. The information flow "is increasing in both directions and is hugely beneficial on both sides," he said, making his remarks after Peggy Gilligan, the FAA's top safety official, gave him a glowing introduction. In a brief interview after the speech, Mr. Hart reiterated that the FAA and NTSB "are in this thing together, our eyes are on the same prize." Calling the process "very sensitive" because unauthorized release of information could jeopardize years of trust-building efforts between pilots, airlines and regulators, he said "we have to use [data] very carefully." Mr. Hart didn't provide any details about the type of data the safety board has requested or the advocacy steps that have been affected. http://www.wsj.com/articles/ntsb-chairman-foresees-new-air-safety-role-for-agency-1466033226 Back to Top The Weather Company Collaborates with Gogo Business Aviation To Help Improve Turbulence Safety Connected Aircraft Capability Enables Real-Time Turbulence Alerts For Pilots, Dispatch, and Operations Personnel CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, turbulence incidents cost airlines approximately $100 million due to crew and passenger injuries, unscheduled maintenance, operational inefficiencies, and revenue lost while planes are out of service. In fact, studies have shown that aircraft encounters with turbulence are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries in the commercial airline industry. Dedicated to improving aviation safety, The Weather Company, an IBM Business (NYSE: IBM) has announced a groundbreaking deal with Gogo Business Aviation (NASDAQ: GOGO) that will enable the delivery of real-time turbulence reports and alerts directly to pilots, dispatch and other operations personnel. Mark Gildersleeve, president of business solutions at The Weather Company, announced today at The Weather Company Aviation Conference that Gogo will be implementing Weather's patented Turbulence Auto PIREP System (TAPS), a turbulence detection algorithm, on their aircraft-based communications server. The TAPS software will reside on Gogo's server, which provides access to the necessary data generated by the aircraft to create reports of turbulence intensity. Gogo's US-based air-to-ground and global satellite communication network is used to send the reports for immediate action in flight operations and weather forecasting. This is the first time a non-traditional system on the aircraft will be used to help enhance flight safety. Traditionally, flight operations personnel, pilots and aviation meteorologists received coded verbal reports with limited information on flight conditions, also known as PIREPS. Due to multiple reasons, including a lack of cockpit data connectivity, pilots were not able to get real-time updates. Using the Gogo network, pilots in the cockpit will now be able to access real-time turbulence reports and forecaster created alerts through Weather's flight planning and operations applications like WSI Fusion and WSI Pilotbrief, and aircraft communication displays. "Leveraging Gogo's expanded fleet of aircrafts, The Weather Company can quickly share real-time turbulence data directly with pilots and dispatchers, thereby improving crew and passenger safety," said Gildersleeve. "It is a great example of the Internet of Things in action, where we are collecting massive amounts of data very quickly and then using that insight to provide guidance to all flights that will be traveling through impacted air space." "In this increasingly connected world, it's no longer just about passenger connectivity, we have to consider all the other ways we can leverage the available technology to enhance the overall flight experience and improve safety - such as a connected aircraft," said Andrew Kemmetmueller, vice president of connected aircraft services, Gogo. "Our ability to provide access to real-time data through our network will help pilots and operations teams improve flight planning, and ultimately, help airlines deliver the best in-flight customer experience throughout a flight." In addition to real-time alerting, Weather will be able to leverage the TAPS reports to continually improve turbulence forecasts, the skill of Weather's overall forecast model, and the WSI Total Turbulence solution. Some customers of WSI Total Turbulence have seen a reduction in turbulence injuries and unnecessary turbulence-induced maintenance inspection by about 50% each. The reports will also empower Weather's team of 40 aviation meteorologists to alert clients of weather-related safety risks globally. For more information on WSI Total Turbulence, visit business.weather.com. The Weather Company, an IBM Business The Weather Company, an IBM Business, is the world's largest private weather enterprise, helping people make informed decisions - and take action - in the face of weather. The company offers the most accurate, personalized and actionable weather data and insights to millions of consumers and thousands of businesses via Weather's API, its business solutions division, and its own digital products from The Weather Channel (weather.com) and Weather Underground (wunderground.com). The company delivers up to 26 billion forecasts daily for 2.2 billion locations. Weather's portfolio includes award-winning products such as the fourth most-downloaded app and a top weather app on all major mobile platforms globally; the world's largest network of personal weather stations; a top-20 U.S. website; the seventh most data-rich site in the world; one of the world's largest IoT data platforms; and industry-leading business solutions. Weather Means Business™. The world's biggest brands in aviation, energy, insurance, media, and government rely on The Weather Company for data, technology platforms and services to help improve decision-making and respond to weather's impact on business. For more, visit www.theweathercompany.com. About Gogo With more than two decades of experience, Gogo is the leader in in-flight connectivity and wireless entertainment services for commercial and business fleets around the world. Gogo connects aircraft, providing its aviation partners with the world's most powerful network and platform to help optimize their operations. Gogo's superior technologies, best-in-class service, and global reach help planes fly smarter, our aviation partners perform better, and their passengers travel happier. Today, Gogo has partnerships with 17 commercial airlines and is installed on more than 2,500 commercial aircraft. More than 6,800 business aircraft are also flying with its solutions, including the world's largest fractional ownership fleets. Gogo also is a factory option at every major business aircraft manufacturer. Gogo has more than 1,000 employees and is headquartered in Chicago, Ill., with additional facilities in Broomfield, Colo., and various locations overseas. Connect with us at www.gogoair.com and business.gogoair.com. Contact: Katherine Wong The Weather Company, an IBM Business katherine.wong@weather.com Dave Mellin Gogo Business Aviation DMellin@gogoair.com Back to Top Indonesia's Lion Air removed from EU air safety blacklist A Lion Air airplane takes off at Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 18, 2013. REUTERS/Beawiharta/File Photo Indonesia's Lion Air, a major buyer of Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N) jets, was removed from the European Union's air safety blacklist, the European Commission said in a statement on Thursday. That means Lion Air is no longer banned from flying in the 28-nation EU. http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-indonesia-airlines-eu-idUKKCN0Z20WK Back to Top Turkish Airlines passenger jet declares mid-air emergency A PASSENGER plane heading from Istanbul to Canada has been diverted after declaring a mid-air emergency. The Turkish Airlines plane had taken off Istanbul The Turkish Airlines flight TK17 was being held at 10,000ft before being diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark. Mystery surrounds the exact nature of the emergency but the plane's crew are understood to have requested an emergency landing. The jet involved was a Boeing 777 Airlivenet took to Twitter to say the plane had landed in Copenhagen while other users of the social media platform said the same jet had also been forced to make an emergency landing earlier in the week. The Boeing 777 had been due to land in Toronto. http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/680199/Turkish-Airlines-passenger-jet-declares-mid-air-emergency Back to Top Feds urge pilots to avoid walrus haulouts to prevent deadly stampedes ANCHORAGE (KTUU) The Federal Aviation Administration is teaming up with wildlife biologists to address concerns of low-flying aircraft harassing walruses, causing them to stampede and kill their young. New mapping icons are being utilized to reinforce Visual Flight Rules along Alaska's coastlines where walrus haulouts are known to take place. Popular walrus hangouts in Icy Cape, Cape Lisburne and Corwin Bluff are some of the notable areas in the Chukchi Sea pilots are being asked to avoid. "One [walrus] gets excited and starts moving, and then his buddies next to him get excited and they start going, it's just kind of like dropping a pebble in a pond. It starts to wave out," said supervisory wildlife biologist Jim MacCracken with U.S. Fish and Wildlife. MacCracken said some walrus haulouts in Alaska have been counted at up to 30,000 animals on a shore. In one of the worst stampedes recorded by federal biologists, hundreds were left dead on the beach. "We try to specify an altitude... and a lateral distance that [pilots] should maintain from a group of walruses on land," MacCracken said. Part of the new map warnings read: "Fixed wing aircrafts should remain greater than 2000' AGL (above ground level) within a ½ mile of this area. Helicopters should remain greater than 3000' AGL within 1 mile if unable to pass inland to avoid flushing walruses from the beach. Walruses are sensitive to changes in engine noise. Avoid unnecessary circling or turning while in the area of a haulout." Although walrus haulouts have historically taken place on offshore ice, U.S. Geological Survey scientists report warming arctic temperatures have forced the marine mammals to take to land by the thousands. Biologists say walruses are less comfortable on land, thus are more skittish and prone to deadly stampedes. An unexpected run of walrus is not only a concern for the young pups who can be crushed by two-ton adults, any disturbance to walrus populations can affect subsistence villages in Alaska's coastal regions. The FAA said Alaska Native hunters have expressed concerns over growing aviation presence in historic walrus habitat. "It's a food security issue," said Eskimo Walrus Commission program director Vera Metcalf. " It's one of the marine mammals that we harvest. It's sustenance to us, so it's very important." The FAA said it has not received any requests for temporary flight restrictions or altitude restrictions over walrus haulouts. http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/New--383188321.html Back to Top Drone Spotted Flying Near DIA Denver International Airport (credit: CBS) DENVER (CBS4)- A drone is at the center of an investigation at Denver International Airport. A pilot reported seeing a drone seven miles north of the airport on Wednesday afternoon. DIA spokesman Heath Montgomery confirmed the drone was spotted by a United Airlines pilot. He also said there were no injuries as a result of the drone. http://denver.cbslocal.com/2016/06/15/drone-spotted-flying-near-dia/ Back to Top IndiGo flight grounded due to bird hit at Bhubaneswar airport However, the flight landed safely and all the passengers on board were unhurt. The flight which was scheduled to fly to Mumbai after landing at BPIA was cancelled. (Photo: PTI) Bhubaneswar: A Mumbai-bound IndiGo flight with 178 on board was on Thursday grounded at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) as the aircraft suffered bird-hit before landing at the airport. However, the flight landed safely and all the passengers on board were unhurt, sources said. According to sources, the Kolkata-Bhubaneswar-Mumbai IndiGo flight 6E 293 was grounded in the morning at the airport after a bird hit the left wing of the aircraft. The flight which was scheduled to fly to Mumbai after landing at BPIA was cancelled. The passengers were shifted to a Delhi-bound IndiGo flight, which left for Mumbai. The passengers reportedly expressed displeasure over the incident, sources informed. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/160616/indigo-flight-grounded-due-to-bird-hit-at- bhubaneswar-airport.html Back to Top Airbus A319 Ground Collision (Stuttgart, Germany) Date: 15-JUN-2016 Time: ca 06:00 Type: Airbus A319 Owner/operator: Germanwings Registration: D-.... C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Airplane damage: Unknown Location: Stuttgart Airport (STR/EDDS) - Germany Phase: Pusback / towing Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Stuttgart Airport (STR/EDDS) Destination airport: Faro Airport Narrative: An Airbus operated by Germanwings and an Embraer ERJ-190STD operated by KLM Cityhopper were damaged when the right hand wing tip of the Airbus contacted the APU of the Embraer jet. The Airbus was being pushed back at the time of the incident. The Embraer was due to operated flight KL1866 to Amsterdam. The Airbus was due to operate flight 4U2648 to Faro. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=188170 Back to Top Incident: Fiji B738 at Auckland on Jun 15th 2016, could not retract landing gear, forgotten gear pin A Fiji Airways Boeing 737-800, registration DQ-FJG performing flight FJ-410 from Auckland (New Zealand) to Nadi (Fiji), was in the initial climb out of Auckland's runway 23L when the crew stopped the climb at 5000 feet reporting they could not fully retract the landing gear. The aircraft burned off fuel and returned to Auckland for a safe landing on runway 23L about 90 minutes after departure. The airline reported that a tyre had been changed prior to departure, the gear pin had not been removed prior to departure however. The gear pin was removed, and the aircraft departed again. The aircraft, that had first departed with a delay of 80 minutes already, departed again after about 70 minutes on the ground and reached Nadi with a total delay of 4 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=499cf72e&opt=0 Back to Top Alaska Airlines CEO says he might keep Virgin America brand A Virgin America flight lands at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. (LM Otero / Associated Press) Associated Press Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden said Wednesday that he might keep the Virgin America brand, running it and Alaska as two different products within the same airline group. In April, Alaska announced plans to buy Virgin America for $2.6 billion, a deal that would make it a West Coast powerhouse. Both airlines have very loyal - but different - followings, and almost immediately both groups expressed fears that the combination would kill off what they love about their own airline. A decision hasn't yet been made, but Tilden noted that European carriers have kept their own identity following mergers. "We are looking at that because we do believe in the power of the Virgin America brand, and we don't want to lose all that loyalty and revenue that exists today," Tilden said at the end of a speech at the Wings Club, an aviation professional group that frequently hosts CEOs as speakers. Past aviation mergers in the U.S. have meant the death of the acquired brand. But Tilden noted that in Europe, both names and cultures tend to live on. He cited the Lufthansa Group, which includes its namesake German airline, along with Swiss and Austrian Airlines. Air France and Dutch carrier KLM operate as two separate carriers despite common ownership. And International Airlines Group runs several individual brands including British Airways, Spanish carrier Iberia and Ireland's Aer Lingus. In a brief interview with the Associated Press after the speech, Tilden said he is "taking a good look at running two brands for some period of time, perhaps forever." He also said the airline is looking to have regulatory approval for the merger by late summer or early fall. Alaska is loved in its hometown of Seattle and throughout the Pacific Northwest. It has one of the best on- time performances, the industry's lowest complaint rate and tries to strike a balance between making a profit and keeping passengers happy. For instance, like most other airlines, it charges a fee for checked luggage. However, Alaska was the first carrier to add a guarantee - if a checked bag isn't at the pickup area within 20 minutes, fliers get $25 off a future trip or 2,500 bonus miles. Virgin America, which is based near San Francisco airport, has its own loyal following, especially in Silicon Valley. The airline started flying in 2007 with backing from Richard Branson, the colorful British billionaire, as a minority owner (U.S. law limits foreign ownership of airlines). It quickly won over fliers with its funky mood lighting, in-flight Internet and individual TVs at each seat. Passengers can order meals or drinks from the screens and can even send a drink to another passenger. But the Virgin name doesn't come cheap. In the past three years, Virgin America has spent more than $22 million in license fees to a company controlled by Branson. Discussion of the brands came up in a question-and-answer session where J.P. Morgan analyst Jamie Baker noted that this is the first merger he's seen with such different corporate and passenger cultures. "It is the thing I'm losing the most sleep over with our merger," Tilden replied. After the speech, Baker told the AP that the airline-within-an-airline model in the U.S. has been proved "time and time again, to be inefficient." "Maintaining two distinct brands adds complexity and expense and potentially confuses passengers and employees." Baker said. "More likely is an outcome where each brand's best practices are retained. For core Alaska flyers, this could mean ordering a meal from one's seatback monitor on a flight to Anchorage." http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-alaska-virgin-20160615-snap-story.html Back to Top India Makes It Easier for Domestic Airlines to Fly Overseas Federal government relaxes rules to drive growth in civil aviation; the 20% rule An AirAsia India Airbus A320 takes off as it embarks on the carrier's inaugural domestic flight to Goa from the Kempe Gowda International Airport in Bangalore on June 12, 2014. NEW DELHI-India's federal government on Wednesday relaxed the criteria for domestic airlines to fly overseas as part of a new civil-aviation policy aimed at driving growth in the sector. Local carriers will no longer be restricted by the number of years they have operated domestically to fly abroad, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said. Until now, they were required to complete five years of domestic service and have at least 20 planes in operation before being permitted to fly overseas. The government scrapped the time requirement but carriers must still reach the same criterion for planes or deploy 20% of their fleet on domestic routes. Newer carriers such AirAsia India Pvt.-the local joint venture of Malaysia-based AirAsia Bhd.-and Vistara- the Indian airline venture of Singapore Airlines Ltd., have been pushing for a relaxation of the rules. The new National Civil Aviation Policy was welcomed by Amar Abrol, CEO of AirAsia India, which started operating in India in June 2014. "The NCAP gives us clear direction to ramp up our operations in India and grow our business in the domestic segment before we scale our operations to fly international," he said in a statement. Both AirAsia and Vistara will need to increase their fleets significantly to qualify for starting international flights. AirAsia now has six planes and Vistara has 11. India-the world's fastest-growing major economy-has been forecast by the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, to become the third-largest aviation market in the world by 2026. The policy will provide competition to existing international players such as Jet Airways (India) Ltd., Air India Ltd., InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. and SpiceJet Ltd. It will also allow India to better use aircraft-seat quotas available to carriers through bilateral air-services agreements with countries in the Middle East, Germany, the U.K. and Thailand. New airlines will start operations in India as a result of the policy change, said Dhiraj Mathur, an aerospace and defense analyst at PricewaterhouseCoopers India. "This will not only augment supply and increase investment in the sector in India but will also create more choice for our consumers," said Mr. Mathur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is trying to boost air travel by encouraging airlines to offer affordable fares and launch air services to smaller towns and cities. "Welcome to the world of cheap, affordable flying," said Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey as he also announced a proposal to cap fares on flights connecting to smaller airports at about 2,500 rupees ($37). Mr. Choubey said Indian carriers ferried 80 million passengers on domestic routes in the fiscal year ended March 31, a growth of 22%. The figure is expected to jump almost four times to 300 million domestic passengers in five years, he said. Flights connecting to smaller airports will be capped for one hour of flight travel, Mr. Choubey said. Airlines operating such flights will be offered incentives such as lower taxes on jet fuel and negligible airport charges to make the flights financially viable, he added. The government also plans to develop some of India's 350 unused airstrips and airports to expand regional air connectivity, Mr. Choubey said. He said centers for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul will receive incentives to support their expansion and help Indian carriers that now send their planes overseas for maintenance. The government also announced plans to make it easier to operate helicopters to expand the "very low" fleet in the country. http://www.wsj.com/articles/india-makes-it-easier-for-domestic-airlines-to-fly-overseas-1466001838 Back to Top Iran says reaches deal to acquire Boeing planes The logo of Boeing (BA) is seen in Los Angeles, California, United States, April 22, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo - RTSGH3A Iran said it had reached an agreement with Boeing Co (BA.N) for the supply of jetliners on Tuesday, reopening the country's skies to new U.S. aircraft for the first time in decades under an international deal to ease sanctions. Details of the agreement were left vague, but Western and Middle East sources said that once approved, it would involve flag carrier Iranair acquiring more than 100 Boeing jets, both directly from Boeing and from leasing companies. "In coming days details of the deal with this company will be announced," Roads and Urban Development Minister Abbas Akhoundi said, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. The sources said the agreement was so far only a broad outline of what a formal deal would look like once Boeing has the necessary U.S. government approvals to sell planes to Iran, which has been banned from buying U.S. jets for almost 40 years. So far, Boeing has only been granted permission to present its products to Iranair and a handful of other airlines as it tries to catch up with Europe's Airbus (AIR.PA), which earlier this year won a provisional deal for 118 jets worth $27 billion. "We have been engaged in discussions with Iranian airlines approved by the U.S. government about potential purchases of Boeing commercial passenger airplanes and services," a Boeing spokesman said by email. "We do not discuss details of ongoing conversations we are having with customers, and our standard practice is to let customers announce any agreements that are reached. Any agreements reached will be contingent on U.S. government approval." Reuters reported last week that Iran was edging towards a historic deal to buy jetliners from Boeing for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and that a deal for more than 100 aircraft could be reached fairly soon. The chairman of Iranair told Reuters it was also talking to Boeing about providing support for its elderly fleet under last year's deal between Tehran and six major powers to ease sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear activities. HURDLES REMAIN Iran needs an estimated 400 jets to renew its fleet after decades of sanctions and prepare for projected growth, according to Iranian and Western estimates. Two senior Iranian officials said last year that Iran was expected to buy 100 jets from Boeing once sanctions were lifted. Both Airbus and Boeing would need U.S. export licences to carry out their deals, due to the use of significant U.S. technology in all modern jetliners. Even then, industry sources caution that both deals could take some time to implement because of uncertainty over financing, with the U.S. financial system still closed to Iran. The Airbus deal is priced in euros instead of dollars, the currency usually by planemakers, but many banks remain reluctant to finance it because they fear losing their claim to the underlying assets if sanctions are re-introduced, bankers say. BOC Aviation (2588.HK), a Singapore-based leasing company in which Boeing recently invested as part of its stock market debut, is in discussions with Boeing about financing part of the deal, two people familiar with the matter said. BOC Aviation was not immediately available for comment. Secretary of State John Kerry said in April Washington was not against foreign banks doing business with Iran under the nuclear deal, but Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused Washington of not being committed to the accord. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-transportation-boeing-idUSKCN0Z01QZ Back to Top European, U.S. aviation bodies certify Bombardier CSeries aircraft A Bombardier CSeries jet sits in a Montreal hangar on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. (Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS) MONTREAL - Bombardier (TSX:BBD.B) says aviation authorities in Europe and the United States have now certified its CS100 series passenger planes, clearing the way for delivery of the aircraft to Swiss International Air Lines by the end of the month. The Swiss carrier is scheduled to be the first to put the plane into commercial service in July. Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. and the European Aviation Safety Agency follows a similar decision by Transport Canada in December 2015. Montreal-based Bombardier has a lot riding on the success of the CSeries aircraft, which is two years behind schedule and has incurred about US$2 billion in cost overruns. Bombardier received a major boost in late April when Delta Air Lines placed a firm order for 75 CS100 aircraft with options for another 50 in a deal the company said was worth approximately US$5.6 billion. Bombardier said delivery of the aircraft to Delta, one of the largest airlines in the world, is expected to begin in 2018. On Monday, Premier Philippe Couillard said Quebec is on track to finalize its US$1 billion investment in Bombardier's CSeries program and that a deal should be in place by the end of the month. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau earlier said the government continues to talk with Bombardier about providing US$1 billion in funding. http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/european-u-s-aviation-bodies-certify-bombardier-cseries-aircraft- 1.2948065 Back to Top MC-21 is a Major Achievement for the Aircraft Industry (Russia) The MC-21 is a revolution in aircraft production culture, Valery Komarov, Head of the Aircraft Design and Engineering Department at Samara State University, said about the new Russian mid-rage passenger airliner. MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - The MC-21 mid-rage passenger airliner, which was manufactured at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant and rolled out in Irkutsk on June 8, is "a revolutionary achievement in terms of production culture and technology," said Professor Valery Komarov from Samara State University. Komarov said the project took a bit longer than expected, but "engineers have ultimately realized their desire to create an airplane for the 21st century, as you can see from its name, MC-21." He said that it is Russia's first airplane made of composite materials and that the liner's main unit was made using vacuum infusion technology. "This is the first time we used large all-composite units. This fact alone allows us to say that this is a fundamentally new aircraft," the professor said. Komarov also noted that the efficiency of the planes MC-21-200 and ??-21-300 was based on payload fraction, which is calculated by dividing the weight of the payload (passengers plus fuel) by the takeoff weight of aircraft. "The figure has risen to above 50 percent and is 52 percent for MC-21-and 54 percent MC-21-300. This is very impressive," he said. Besides, the airplane's gross takeoff weight is unprecedentedly small for its passenger capacity. "Since airport and other fees are calculated based on an airplane's takeoff weight, this is another evidence of the new airplane's efficiency," Komarov said. He believes that the MC-21 will have low fuel consumption rate, or more precisely, less than 20 grams of fuel consumed per passenger per kilometer. "Taken together, this makes the MC-21 an airliner of the 21st century. This is a major achievement for the aircraft industry and a revolution in terms of production culture and technology," he said. When commenting on skeptic views on the strength of composite materials, the expert proposed "organizing visits to the AeroComposit-Ulyanovsk plant, so that everyone will be able to see the conditions in which the airliner is made. It is really a treat," he added. "They are trying to frighten us by citing problems that the use of these materials will allegedly create. But they have no proof. Here is a solid fact: during the trials I broke several metal units against an all-composite unit. This shows the difference between traditional and cutting-edge alloys. I'm all for composite materials, and not just theoretically, because I work with them," Komarov said. http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160616/1041434209/mc21-achievement-aircraft- industry.html#ixzz4Bk3Ex7m8 Back to Top RAF Aerobatics Display At Farnborough Canceled LONDON-The Royal Air Force's (RAF) Red Arrows aerobatic team will not fly a full routine at this year's Farnborough International Airshow. Due to heightened concerns about urban areas around the air show site-as well as increased public awareness of air show safety following the crash of a Hawker Hunter at the August 2015 Shoreham Airshow-the nine-ship Red Arrows team will be limited to flypasts only, RAF and Farnborough show organizers confirmed June 15. Air Vice-Marshal Andy Turner, commanding officer of the RAF's No. 22 (Training) Group and in charge of the aerobatic team, said the accident at Shoreham and urbanization around the Farnborough venue led the Red Arrows to "recalculate what is safe, sensible or appropriate. "In our judgment, it is no longer tolerable in terms of how we judge risk to third parties, infrastructure and people," he told journalists in London. The crash at Shoreham, which killed 11 people, has led to a slew of new regulations looking at risk assessments, safety reporting and increased levels of competency for aerial-display pilots and directors. "We are in a new place. A tragic accident like Shoreham has led to changes in all of us, in both behaviors and activities," Turner added. "Frankly, from the Red Arrows perspective, it would not be possible to countenance the types of incidents that could occur." The decision, made May 25, followed risk assessments at the Farnborough show. "We give our full support to this difficult decision. It had to be made," said Paul Everitt, CEO of ADS Group and chairman of the air show. The changes end more than 60 years of displays by RAF aerobatic teams at the U.K.'s foremost aerospace trade show. Instead, the Red Arrows will perform flypasts with other aircraft, including the RAF's AirbusA400M and Voyager transports. Plans also have been set in motion for a joint flypast with Airbus' A350. The broader implications of the team's decision are yet to be felt. Show organizers say no other flight demonstrators have withdrawn or expressed concerns about the redesigned airspace. But companies wishing to demonstrate aircraft at Farnborough are only now beginning to work up display routines. If they cannot make their displays work with the strict new criteria, they could well withdraw. The Red Arrows perform the same display at every venue, only adjusting it to meet weather constraints. Changing it to meet the needs of Farnborough would have meant turning the team's performance into a display by a single aircraft. Turner denied that the RAF's Eurofighter Typhoon display withdrew for the same reason. Since a BAE Systems Typhoon demonstration was already scheduled, "There was no real value" in having the RAF Typhoon perform at the same venue, he said. BAE Systems began live-flying to prepare its Typhoon demonstration for Farnborough earlier this month. The primary challenge for the Red Arrows was squeezing their large formations into the redesigned airspace at Farnborough. The new airspace keeps high-energy aerobatic maneuvers away from built-up areas, but is extremely compact, and not big enough for large formations. Built-up areas can still be overflown, but within the rules of the air. Turner said analysis of other venues had shown there would be no impact at other U.K. air show venues. The Lockheed Martin F-35 display will not be affected by the changes, Turner said. The aircraft will perform a vertical takeoff and landing. Senior RAF officers are visiting Beaufort, South Carolina, this week to sign off on the demonstration, which has been worked up by British and U.S. Marine pilots. Until Shoreham, no one attending a British air show had died since the wreckage of a de Havilland DH.110 crashed into the crowd in 1952 at Farnborough. The Hunter at Shoreham did not crash onto the crowds at the show venue-which most air show regulations are designed to safeguard-but onto a road outside the airfield where people had gathered to watch. Additional regulations still could be imposed. The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is awaiting the findings of the U.K. Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), which is leading the inquiry into the Shoreham crash. An interim report by investigators urged the CAA not only to increase separation distances from displays to crowds, but also to introduce U.S.-style airspace boxes in which air displays take place. The CAA says it will review all the actions and the AAIB's recommendations to produce revised air-display guidance later this year. The AAIB's report into the crash is expected in the coming months. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top FAA Faces Multiple Challenges In Air Traffic Control Hiring, Training The FAA faces several challenges in ensuring it has enough fully certified air traffic controllers to balance new controller training requirements and upcoming retirements, a high-ranking official said. Matthew Hampton, the FAA's assistant inspector-general for aviation audits, so testified recently before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's aviation subcommittee. The FAA plans to hire 3,400 additional controllers over the next two years. But the agency does not consider facility-specific information when predicting retirements, and it lacks sufficient data to determine how many controllers it will need. It also continues to fall short of its hiring goals because of the lengthy process to hire and train controllers. Issues that must be addressed include implementing a new scheduling tool, integrating unmanned aircraft into U.S. airspace and transitioning to new, Next Generation Air Transportation System technologies. www.aviationweek.com Back to Top Singapore Air to Challenge United With Nonstop U.S. Flights * Asian carrier to start San Francisco route in October * Nonstop flights to New York and Los Angeles set for 2018 Singapore Airlines Ltd. will restart nonstop flights to the U.S. three years after it stopped the services, ending the reign of United Airlines as the only carrier flying direct between the two nations. Singapore Air will start a daily nonstop flight from the city-state to San Francisco on Oct. 23 using Airbus Group SE A350-900 aircraft, Southeast Asia's biggest carrier said in a statement Wednesday. United Airlines began the only nonstop flight from San Francisco to Singapore on June 1. Such long-distance Asian routes are among airlines' higher-yielding flights and cater to business customers in particular. The lack of a nonstop service has been a competitive disadvantage for Singapore Air, which now routes its U.S. flights to Singapore through other cities including Hong Kong and Frankfurt. The carrier halted direct flights to Los Angeles and New York in November 2013 as costs surged from using four- engine A340s on the all business-class services. "Nonstop operations are critical for us," said James Boyd, a spokesman for Singapore Air in New York. "They are a staple for corporate travel that we've served for many years." United said in an e-mail it is confident it will be "successful on this route," with its San Francisco hub providing onward connections to more than 40 cities in the Americas. For a story on Singapore Air's plan to resume the world's longest flight, click here. The new 13,600-kilometer flight by Singapore Air could take between 14 hours and 35 minutes to 17 hours and 45 minutes depending on time and direction. It will be the carrier's longest nonstop flight until services to Los Angeles and New York resume in 2018, when it receives a longer-range A350-900. The airline has seven of these aircraft on order. While the carrier will offer 253 seats in three classes on the route, there could be some capacity restrictions due to headwinds that will result in some seats not being offered for sale, Singapore Air said. United's Singapore-San Francisco flight uses a Boeing Co. 787-9. The 8,446-mile (13,600-kilometer) route is the longest 787 flight, at almost 16 hours, and the longest by a U.S.-based airline, the carrier said at the time. United and Singapore Air are members of the Star Alliance airline partnership. They don't use code-sharing on United's San Francisco-Singapore flight, which would have enabled Singapore Air to sell seats on that service. The two airlines will continue to offer reciprocal passenger benefits such as frequent-flier miles awards and lounge access, a spokeswoman for the U.S. carrier said in an e-mail separately. Singapore Air also said it will end its service to Sao Paulo on Oct. 20, citing "sustained weak performance" of that route. The flight from Brazil, which is mired in a deep recession, is operated through Barcelona. Flights between the Spanish city and Singapore will continue. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-15/united-to-have-only-u-s-singapore-nonstop-for- just-four-months Back to Top FAA joining the chief data officer movement The Federal Aviation Administration is looking to hire its first chief data officer. In a June 10 job posting, the FAA notes that the new leadership role will require thinking about data both offensively and defensively: The agency wants to use and share its data in new ways, while also minimizing the risk that valuable data might be hacked. The CDO will work with leadership of FAA's NextGen modernization push, as well as the Air Traffic Organization's chief operating officer and the CIO within FAA's Office of Finance and Management. Successful candidates will need both leadership and tech experience, and the ability to obtain a top secret security clearance. The CDO position is slated to pay between $124,900 and $175,700. The FAA plans to accept applications through July 12. https://fcw.com/blogs/fcw-insider/2016/06/faa-cdo.aspx Back to Top Commercial fleet summary June 2016 Flightglobal's Fleet Analyzer database shows that the active commercial fleet now stands at 26,990 units and represents 88% of the global fleet. That is 130 more aircraft in service than a month ago, the data shows. On the global scale, more than half of the in-service fleet consists of narrowbodies, while widebodies account for 18%. Regional turboprops and jets represent 14% and 13%, respectively. More than 40 narrowbodies have been added to the global fleet over the last month, though with airlines in the northern hemisphere approaching the peak summer season the in-service fleet of narrowbodies has increased by over 100 aircraft. The current parked fleet stands at 7%, a percentage point lower than in the same month last year. The total widebody fleet has increased by a dozen additional aircraft from a month ago and now totals 5,560 units. The parked fleet stands at 11%, the same as in June 2015. Looking at the growth of Canadian manufacturer Bombardier's CRJ aircraft (CRJ700, CRJ900 and CRJ1000 regional jets) compared with the Embraer E-Jets, the Brazilian regional jet family has increased at a much greater pace in the last 10 years. There were 373 CRJ700 and 900 aircraft back in June 2007, compared with 245 E-Jets. A decade on, the number for the Bombardier family has doubled to 755, while the E-Jet presence has increased almost fivefold to 1,214 units. The CRJ700 series reached a peak in proportion parked in 2013, with 6.8%, while for the E-Jet fleet the figure is currently at the same level. Both families represent almost half of aircraft currently produced and operated in the regional jet sector, counting for 47% of the global fleet. The CRJ100/200 - introduced in the early 1990s and last delivered in 2006 - counts for another 20% of the fleet. The Embraer ERJ-145 family represents an additional 20% of the regional jet fleet. It entered service in 1996 and was delivered up until 2011. The first E-Jet - the Embraer 170 - was delivered in 2004. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top The deadline is fast approaching to reserve your hotel room for the 2016 FAA Asia-Pacific Flight Standards Meeting July 19-21 at the Westin City Center Hotel in Washington, DC. A special discounted rate of $174/night (exclusive of taxes) has been reserved for conference participants. This rate includes daily breakfast for one person. Click here to reserve your room now! To receive this special rate, you must reserve your room by June 18(subject to availability). Still haven't registered to attend the conference? Please visit the conference website to get the latest information and to register: www.regonline.com/2016-AsiaPacificFlightStandardsMeeting. The deadline to register for the conference is Wednesday, June 29. Questions? Email us at ConferenceSupport@sidemgroup.com. Back to Top PhD Research Survey (I) Cranfield University Research: Do you or have you worked in aerospace design, manufacturing, or test engineering? My name is Steve Daniels, PhD researcher at Cranfield University, and ground crew for Lightning T-5 XS458. As part of my PhD, I am investigating how many aircraft design professionals have had some form of flying experience, and what effect this may have. If you currently work, or have previously worked in aerospace design, manufacturing, or test engineering (e.g: Conceptual Design, Aerospace Engineering Consultancy, Structural Engineering, Systems/Sub- Assembly Engineering, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Tooling Design, Flight Testing) I'd be grateful if you could spare some time to complete the survey by following the link below. If you know of anyone working in these areas who might also be interested, please share the link: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_82LinCFK4OdpEJn This research has been approved by the University's ethics committee, and will not record sensitive personal or commercial data. If you have any queries or comments, I welcome any contact at - s.daniels@cranfield.ac.uk Back to Top PhD Research Survey (II) Survey Link: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_d4IlfWhuMW3RgRn Curt Lewis