Flight Safety Information October 7, 2016 - No. 198 In This Issue Paris, Cairo still working to uncover mystery of crashed EgyptAir flight: minister Low-flying Jet flight: Pilots erred in calculating take-off parameters Aviation Dev: FAAN Gives Score Card Virgin Australia flight attendant thrown onto galley floor in mid-air incident Outrage at Hawaiian Airlines' new policy for obese passengers Piece of aircraft wing found on Mauritius came from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 European aviation groups call for improved UAV safety An Oregon company takes aim at the bird strikes that made 'Sully' famous Aviation Regulator Studying Proposal On Providing Wi-Fi In Flights: Jayant Sinha (India). EASA proposes checks on Trent XWB compressor case pins NTSB rejects Spanish findings in 767 tyre-rupture probe Chinese Tycoon Expands Aviation Empire With $10 Billion Purchase Will it be Washington? Spike Aerospace is still up in the air on supersonic jet plant GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY (2) Accident Investigation for Aviation Management Course - Cranfield University Aviation Management Services (AMS) Paris, Cairo still working to uncover mystery of crashed EgyptAir flight: minister Egypt's Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy said on Wednesday that Egypt and France are still working to determine the cause of the crash of an EgyptAir flight into the Mediterranean Sea in May. During an interview on TV host Khairy Ramadan's program "Momkin" (Possible) on satellite channel CBC, Fathy said that a technical inspection of the debris is almost finished, but prosecutors are continuing their investigations into the incident. EgyptAir flight MS804, an Airbus A320 plane, plunged into the eastern Mediterranean en route from Paris to Cairo on May 19. All 66 people on board were killed, including 15 French passengers. The cause of the crash remains unknown. Audio from the flight recorder of the crashed aircraft mentions a fire on board the plane in its final moments, the investigation committee said in July. Earlier analysis of the plane's flight data recorder showed there had been smoke in the lavatory and avionics bay, while recovered wreckage from the jet's front section showed signs of high-temperature damage and soot. During the interview on Wednesday night, the Aviation Minister expected EgyptAir to gain senior standing among international airliners, adding that the national company has different plans to deal with crises it faces. Fathy added that EgyptAir is one of the companies most committed to periodic maintenance of planes, with regular maintenance at EgyptAir reaching 98 percent. He said that plane maintenance in Egypt is a "gold mine" that brings hard currency, adding that EgyptAir has over 32,000 workers on the highest levels. Fathy said that Egypt has 22 airports in different governorates, but only seven are operational. However, all the other airports are well equipped, he said. http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/paris-cairo-still-working-uncover-mystery- crashed-egyptair-flight-minister Back to Top Low-flying Jet flight: Pilots erred in calculating take-off parameters NEW DELHI: An initial probe into the reported 'unsafely' low take-off by a Jet Aircraft from London Heathrow on August 30 has revealed that the pilots based their take off calculations like speed and thrust on the full length of the runway. This despite the fact that the full length of the runway was not available and only a part of the runway was there for take off that day. This critical error meant that the pilots reportedly erred on both the take-off speed and thrust, endangering the safety of the Mumbai-bound aircraft and people on board. "Due to this serious calculation error by the pilots, the plane did not achieve the desired height after getting airborne. The Boeing 777 had an altitude of was just 120 feet when it was over the airport boundary wall. And before that, at a point it had an altitude of 35 feet on two engines - while that is the altitude that is achieved by a single-engine jet," said a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The regulator has since grounded both the pilots. "The pilots did not inform the airline about this unsafe altitude take off. People living near Heathrow complained to the local authorities, who then told London aviation authorities. They, in turn, told our aviation agencies," said the official. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing this case. A statement by Jet Airways said: "The subject incident did not have any damage to aircraft or property, nor injuries to crew members or guests on board. We are investigating the event that has been brought to our attention, as part of our active safety management system. At Jet Airways, safety of its guests, crew and assets is of paramount importance." The wide body aircraft took off without using the full length of runway available to it, technically called an intersection take off. Once air borne, the plane reportedly did not climb to the required height and passed very close over the airport boundary wall and traffic on the road beyond the wall. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Low-flying-Jet-flight-Pilots-erred-in-calculating- take-off-parameters/articleshow/54734189.cms Back to Top Aviation Dev: FAAN Gives Score Card ...Says Air Safety Has Improved (Nigeria) The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has recounted various successes and achievements it has recorded so far in the development of the aviation industry in recent time. The authority has also harped on the current seamless policies and programmes of the Buhari-led administration designed to ensure a quantum leap in the industry. A statement from FAAN's Corporate Affairs Department, made available to The Tide at the Port Harcourt Airport, Tuesday, stated that security and safety which are pivotal to aviation business all over the world, have significantly improved in the country. It also explained that the Managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, has recently initiated massive manpower training programme for personnel of the authority. All these efforts, according to the release, have already started yielding positive result, particularly as Nigeria passed its last International Audit, and the Universal Safety Sversight Audit, in good grades, where it scored up to 96 per cent. According to the statement, Nigeria has also made tremendous progress in engendering enduring, sustainable framework for growth, and that the future of aviation lies in partnership that will sustain this key sector through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mechanism. Some of the on-going projects that are critical, the statement said, include the construction of an ultra-modern five-storey car-park at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and the new terminals that are nearing completion in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu airports. The authority has also marked some airports in the country as Cargo airports to focus on delivering perishable agro-produces in good time to the international market. http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2016/10/07/aviation-dev-faan-gives-score-card-says- air-safety-has-improved/ Back to Top Virgin Australia flight attendant thrown onto galley floor in mid-air incident A Virgin Australia flight attendant was thrown onto the galley floor of a Boeing 737 passenger jet after the plane's pilots attempted to stop it from flying too fast on approach to Adelaide Airport last year. The flight attendant suffered a knee injury and another cabin crew member also lost her footing in the rear galley of the plane, which was carrying 83 passengers from Sydney, during the mid-air incident on May 9. A Virgin Australia 737 similar to the one pictured was involved in the incident on approach to Adelaide. Air-safety investigators have detailed how the plane's pilots had decided to tell the cabin crew to prepare for landing earlier than usual to reduce the risk of injury from turbulence as they prepared to encounter strong westerly winds near Adelaide. Shortly afterwards, the pilots changed their planned speed from 280 to 320 knots following a request from air-traffic control for a high-speed descent into Adelaide. But as the plane passed below 10,000 feet, the air speed began to increase above 320 knots and at 8400 feet a "drag-required" message displayed on the cockpit computer. In response, the first officer extended the plane's speed brake. Despite this, the passenger jet's air speed continued to increase. To avoid a so-called overspeed, the first officer pulled back forcibly on the control column to raise the nose of the plane, overriding the autopilot and activating the control-wheel steering. Seconds later, the pilot abruptly released the back pressure on the control column. At about the same time, the flight attendants had almost finished securing the cabin and were about to take their seats. They then felt what seemed to be turbulence, and the two flight attendants in the rear galley lost their footing, one of them falling heavily on the floor. A final report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, released on Friday, found the pilots had not adequately considered the greater risk of a so-called overspeed of the plane in changing wind conditions. Air-safety investigators also found that the flight crew were yet to complete the airline's training that focused on managing incidents in which planes fly too fast. "This increased the risk that the guidance provided through other sources would not be followed correctly," the report said. The investigators noted that the plane's cabin crew had fortunately begun preparing for landing early than usual, which was likely to have prevented more serious injury. http://www.smh.com.au/national/virgin-australia-flight-attendant-thrown-onto-galley- floor-in-midair-incident-20161007-grxcny.html Back to Top Outrage at Hawaiian Airlines' new policy for obese passengers Hawaiian Airlines has introduced a controversial new policy for its Pago Pago-Honolulu route and it's upsetting a lot of passengers. REMEMBER all those times you fretted over the weight of your carry-on bag? That's not the only weight you need to worry about at this airport. In a controversial new policy introduced last week, travellers flying out of Pago Pago International Airport in American Samoa can no longer preselect seats on Hawaiian Airlines flights. Staff are eyeballing passengers instead and seating them in a way that more evenly distributes weight on-board. There are also widespread reports passengers at Pago Pago will be weighed before boarding Hawaiian Airlines flights, however the airline has denied this, the Toronto Sun reported. "We will not be weighing passengers at any point during the check-in or boarding process," carrier spokeswoman Tara Shimooka told the Sun. But the airline has confirmed seating arrangements on flights out of Pago Pago had changed to maintain a limited number of adults per row and ensure some sections were reserved for smaller children. That was apparently why passengers were no longer able to choose their own seats. "It's in order to make aeroplane weight and balance limitations," a Hawaiian Airlines customer service agent told theNew York Post. A survey by the airline showed an average passenger weight was increasing, which has forced it to redistribute the load in its Boeing 767 cabins to meet manufacturer's guidelines, according to Radio New Zealand. While the carrier maintained the focus on weight was a safety issue, it has not gone down well with flyers. The airline admitted it has already received several complaints from passengers who accused the new policy as being discriminatory and offensive. "We're having a tough time explaining it (the policy's rationale)," the customer service agent told the Post. American Samoan businessmen Avamua Dave Haleck and Daniel King, have already filed formal complaints to the US Transportation Department, which is now investigating. Hawaiian Airlines has been flying its Boeing 767-300 to American Samoa since 2003. Both men questioned the sudden policy change, and why it only applied to flights to and from the island. "And of course Hawaiian is saying that 'yes it is a safety issue'," Haleck told Radio New Zealand. "So have we been flying unsafe for all these years?" Commentators have suggested the policy - which only applied to Hawaiian Airlines flights out of American Samoa - was discriminatory. Samoa and American Samoa have some of the highest obesity rates in the world, with close to 75 per cent of all Samoans considered obese, according to the CIA World Facebook. Hawaiian Airlines spokeswoman Tara Shimooka said the airline routinely reviewed weight as part of fuel saving strategies on many routes. "This action resulted from the recognition that over time our fuel burn on Pago Pago flights was consistently much higher than projected, indicating that our weight assumptions were inaccurate," she told the Toronto Sun. "We review weights on any flight within our route network that demonstrates such a discrepancy." This is not the first time airlines have clamped down on full-figured passengers. Samoa Air and Uzbekistan Airways already weigh passengers before boarding in order to meet international air safety guidelines. Samoa Air introduced a "XL" class for passengers weighing more than 130kg in 2013, becoming the first airline in the world to do so. Uzbekistan Airways started weighing passengers last year, saying it was obliged to "observe requirements for ensuring flight safety". US-based airlines, including United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines, require passengers to purchase a second ticket if they cannot fit comfortably in their seat with both armrests down. Australian airlines don't have specific policies for larger passengers. Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority requires "maximum weight and weight balance" to be calculated before each flight. Calculations are based on "suggested standard passenger weights" of 81 to 86kg for men and 66 to 71kg for women. http://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/pacific/outrage-at-hawaiian-airlines-new- policy-for-obese-passengers/news-story/466c2e21aa7bf5c567f11d8935f72253 Back to Top Piece of aircraft wing found on Mauritius came from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, officials confirm MH370 A part number found on the piece of aircraft wing linked it to the missing Boeing 777, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a report. (AFP/Getty Images) Associated Press A piece of an aircraft wing found on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has been identified as belonging to missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Malaysian and Australian officials said Friday. The piece of wing flap found in May was analyzed by experts at the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which is heading up the search for the plane in a vast, remote stretch of ocean off Australia's west coast. Investigators used a part number found on the debris to link it to the missing Boeing 777, the agency said in a statement. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai also confirmed the identification. Several pieces of wreckage from the plane have washed ashore on coastlines around the Indian Ocean since the jetliner vanished with 239 people on board during a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing on March 8, 2014. So far, none of the debris has helped narrow down the precise location of the main underwater wreckage. Investigators need to find that in order to locate the flight data recorders that could help explain why the plane veered so far off course. Oceanographers have been analyzing wing flaps found in Tanzania and on the French island of La Reunion to see if they might be able to identify a potential new search area through drift computer modeling. But any new search would require more funding; Malaysia, Australia and China said in July that the $160-million hunt will be suspended once the current stretch of ocean is exhausted unless new evidence emerges that would pinpoint a specific location of the aircraft. http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-mh370-mauritius-20161007-snap-story.html Back to Top European aviation groups call for improved UAV safety A group of European aviation bodies has called for a number of "urgent measures" to be taken in order to guarantee the safety of manned aviation as unmanned air vehicles are increasingly introduced into national airspace. Agencies including the European Regions Airline Association, IATA, the European Helicopter Association and European Cockpit Association have called for action, prompted by a lack of harmonisation in regulation, despite the European Aviation Safety Agency's intention to bring in new rulings that will address this concern. "As a result of growth in both commercial and recreational markets, drone manufacturers and operators are seeking greater access to airspace, including that in which commercial aircraft are operating," the group says. "Recent incidents in the surroundings of European airports or close to low-level helicopter operations are an illustration of the threats we are facing." EASA released a technical opinion last December, which will pave the way for a proportionate approach to the regulation of UAVs in Europe, and provide commonality across the continent as more control is handed to the safety agency and away from individual aviation authorities. While the effort welcomes the release of this opinion, it claims that "more needs to be done with the increase in use of RPAS [remotely-piloted air systems], coupled with wider availability [of UAVs]". Noting that while the EASA proposal on UAV rulings does offer "practical and efficient possibilities, especially for commercial applications", it says the recreational use of UAVs is on the rise, and is not necessarily being addressed. "The recreational use of drones is rapidly increasing and the related risk of incidents and accidents with manned aviation must be mitigated," it says. "In fact, irresponsible recreational and commercial drone use constitutes serious safety risks that are often underestimated." In order to achieve the aim of ensuring safety, the consortium has called for a number of measures to be implemented. These include the launch of a public awareness campaign, the compulsory registration of all UAVs, mandatory training - including for the law enforcement of misuse - and built-in technical limitations within UAVs, such as geofencing and altitude and distance restrictions. It also calls for more research to be carried out into the risk of collisions, and requests that recreational UAVs adhere to the same rules that apply to the use of model aircraft. "The signatories of the statement want to support the effort of the European regulator to produce a robust harmonised EU-wide regulatory safety framework for drones," it adds. "At the same time, the sector parties express their serious concern about the safety of manned aircraft in controlled and uncontrolled airspace." https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/european-aviation-group-calls-for-improved- uav-safet-429274/ Back to Top An Oregon company takes aim at the bird strikes that made 'Sully' famous Among the Hollywood blockbusters out and about at present is the tale of Capt. Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberg. He's, of course, the U.S. Airways pilot who managed to safely land an Airbus A320 airplane and 155 passengers and crew in the middle of the Hudson River after it hit a flock of geese that killed both engines. It's a film that hits close to home for the Bend company Precise Flight, which among other aviation technologies developed a pulsing light system designed to steer birds clear of aircraft. "The movie certainly gave us an added opportunity to open the door to this conversation with prospective clients while bird strikes are in the mainstream consciousness," said Precise Flight CEO Doug La Placa in an email exchange. La Placa, the former CEO of Visit Bend, also answered a few questions about where Precise Flight's Pulselite System came from, how it works and the difference it's made in commercial aviation. Can you talk a little about where the idea for Pulselite System came from? The origination was working in collaboration with general aviation to increase the conspicuity of aircraft. A big threat to aviation safety is midair collisions. Visibility is hampered by darkness, clouds, snow, low light, dust storms - it's important to be visible on the ground as well as in the air. The general aviation and business jet segment quickly realized that not only was it beneficial to increase visibility to other pilots and ground maintenance crews, but this also contributed significantly to the reduction of bird strikes. From there we did comprehensive testing - with Qantas Airways - and found a significant and immediate reduction in bird strikes. That's where the idea for the Pulselite System as a bird strike reduction application spawned from. Does it essentially work by alerting birds and then they steer clear? There is a big difference in bird reactions when they encounter pulsing lights versus steady or static lights. Research has confirmed that static lights create the false and dangerous impression that it's a stationary object. Pulsing lights better reflect the speed and directional movement of aircraft. Not only do static lights not deter birds and wildlife, but a growing body of research indicates that they even attract birds and wildlife. A recent FAA advisory instructed ground operators to replace static lights with pulsing lights. This will become law in the future. You have some research showing a vast improvement in bird strikes for those who use the Pulselite System. Are you able to directly attribute that to the system? Yes. The FAA and ICAO reported a 32 percent decrease in Alaska Airlines' bird strikes for the three-year period after installing the Pulselite System, compared to the three-year period before. During the same comparative three-year periods, the FAA and ICAO reported a 12 percent increase in bird strikes for all other major domestic airlines combined. Effectively, this means that Alaska's bird strikes dropped by 44 percent in relation to the domestic airlines industry average trend. Has it been difficult to get airlines to consider adopting it? Large companies like the airlines have long sales cycles, but those that have come to understand the science and financial impacts of bird strikes versus the cost of modifying their fleets with Pulselite System, such as Alaska Airlines, Qantas Airways and regional carriers such as Horizon and Sun State, have adopted the system. What else is the company up to these days? We have many cool new products coming out in the first and second quarters of 2017. One product we are creating will be the brightest and most durable light for aircraft ever developed. Another one will have a huge military and even sports application. Whereas currently oxygen masks serve one person at a time, we've developed Ox Box, an oxygen box that will make it possible to serve oxygen to up to eight people at a time. We're very excited about this one. http://www.kgw.com/money/business/an-oregon-company-takes-aim-at-the-bird-strikes- that-made-sully-famous/329690676 Back to Top Aviation Regulator Studying Proposal On Providing Wi-Fi In Flights: Jayant Sinha (India) Once approved, Wi-Fi facility would be available for domestic and foreign carriers in Indian skies. NEW DELHI: The Civil aviation regulator DGCA is examining a proposal to introduce Wi-Fi service onboard flights to adequately address all the related issues, Union Minister Jayant Sinha said today. Civil Aviation Ministry, in August, had said that security issues were being sorted out for allowing use of Wi-Fi facility in the Indian airspace. "The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is studying the matter to make sure that all considerations are adequately addressed and as soon as that is done, we will issue a statement," the Minister of State for Civil Aviation said on the sidelines of India Economic Summit. Asked about the possible timeline, he said "I don't have a timeline. The matter is under consideration". Once approved, the Wi-Fi facility would be available for domestic as well as foreign carriers flying in Indian skies. Currently, Wi-Fi services and phone calls are not allowed on flights flying over the Indian airspace. Globally, many airlines are already offering Wi-Fi for passengers, but they currently have to switch off the facility when they enter the Indian airspace. The Ministry has been pursuing the proposal of permitting use of Wi-Fi in flights on-board for quite some time and various security issues were holding up a final decision on the matter. On August 24, Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey had said the ministries of Civil Aviation, Telecommunications and Home Affairs have been working on allowing Wi-Fi use in flights. Generally, Wi-Fi facility for fliers can be provided either through air-to-ground technology or satellite connectivity and the latter will be expensive. Availability of Wi-Fi is also expected to provide local airlines with an additional source of revenues amid stiff competition in the Indian aviation market, which has been witnessing one of the highest passenger traffic growth rates in the world. http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/aviation-regulator-studying-proposal-on-providing-wi-fi- in-flights-jayant-sinha-1471178 Back to Top EASA proposes checks on Trent XWB compressor case pins European regulators are proposing to issue a directive covering replacement of low- pressure compressor case support components for Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. The engine powers the Airbus A350-900, of which 26 had been delivered by the end of September this year. In its proposed directive the European Aviation Safety Agency says that a "certain population" of compressor case support pins and hollow dowels have "insufficient material properties" and do not meet specification requirements. EASA says this could lead to loss of concentricity between the core and the fan case, resulting in blade-rubbing, and possible blade release, in the low-pressure compressor. Rolls-Royce has developed an inspection and replacement process for the affected components, and the EASA directive proposes a one-time visual assessment, within four months or 1,500 cycles, to check the pins involved. www.flightglobal.net Back to Top NTSB rejects Spanish findings in 767 tyre-rupture probe Spanish and US investigators have clashed over the origin of a metallic fragment which caused a tyre-burst on take-off, substantially damaging a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767- 300ER. While a Spanish inquiry has concluded that the fragment was left inside the tyre during retreading, US counterparts believe it was already present on the runway at Madrid Barajas, from where the 767 departed for New York JFK. As the aircraft (N182DN) accelerated the right-hand aft tyre on the right main landing- gear burst, and debris punctured the underside of the wing, damaging 13 hydraulic lines and causing components to detach. These punched through the upper wing surface, resulting in the loss of a panel. Damage to the hydraulics meant the undercarriage could not be retracted and the crew of the 767 opted to return to Madrid. It landed on runway 32L at 169kt but, owing to the loss of the centre and right hydraulic systems, as well as nose-wheel steering, the aircraft could only be slowed and steered using limited functions. These included the left-hand reverse thrust, three of the 12 spoilers, the rudder, and the accumulator system. Rudder steering authority was lost below 80kt and the 767 veered to the left, its accumulator fluid exhausted, and exited via the last taxiway before rolling to a halt on a grassy area 10,500ft past the threshold and 600ft from the centreline. At the centre of the probe is a stainless steel fragment 87mm long which was found on the departure runway 36L. Spanish investigation authority CIAIAC says the tyres on the right main gear had been retreaded by Goodyear in Arizona in July 2013, and had undertaken 145 cycles before the 5 December 2013 event. The inquiry refers to problems obtaining specific data on the retreading process, owing to intellectual property laws - CIAIAC mentions having sent formal protests over the matter. CIAIAC acknowledges that introduction of the fragment during retread would have been "difficult", given the inspections carried out as part of the process. But it also finds tyre penetration by the thin fragment "unlikely", and points out that the debris was discovered immediately by a team which had inspected the runway 15min earlier with no findings. The Spanish inquiry believes the fragment has "remained inside" the tyre during the retread, and has recommended that Goodyear reviews its quality control. US National Transportation Safety Board investigators, however, have disagreed with this conclusion, stating that it is not supported by factual information. Its analysis found no evidence of problems during the retread process, and shearography images indicated "no evidence" of foreign objects in the tyre or errors in quality control. The metal fragment had no rubber debris attached but showed scratches and corrosion consistent with having been present on the runway for a "considerable time", it states. While it accepts that the runway was inspected before the incident, it says there are no details on how this was conducted. NTSB analysts believe the tyre burst was "likely" to have resulted from a high-speed impact with a foreign object during take-off. It has not indicated whether this object was the metal fragment or a different piece of debris. Goodyear has also submitted detailed comments to CIAIAC, casting doubt on the inquiry's findings, claiming that it "fails to account" for available information on the appearance of the tyre involved. www.flightglobal.com Back to Top Chinese Tycoon Expands Aviation Empire With $10 Billion Purchase China's HNA Group, controlled by billionaire Chen Feng, agreed to buy the aircraft-leasing business of CIT Group Inc. for $10 billion in a deal that would create the world's third- largest rental fleet. HNA's Avolon Holdings Ltd. will expand its lineup to 910 aircraft valued at more than $43 billion, including planes on order, the company said Thursday in a statement. The acquisition is scheduled to close in the first quarter after regulatory and shareholder approval. "Our strategic objective is to build the No. 1 aircraft-leasing company in the world in terms of size, shape and scale," Domhnal Slattery, chief executive officer of Avolon, said in a telephone interview. "This transaction enables that journey." The purchase roughly doubles Avolon's fleet and vaults it into the ranks of the top aircraft lessors. Founded in 2010, Avolon is betting on rising demand for global air travel and airlines' desire to replace aging jets, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, where China is poised to become the biggest aviation market within two decades. The Dublin- and Hong Kong-based company aims to overtake market leaders GE Capital Aviation Services, a unit of General Electric Co. known as GECAS, and AerCap Holdings NV. "The transaction fits right in the middle of our wheelhouse," Slattery said. The deal doubles HNA's more than $10 billion of acquisitions already announced this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, and expands its travel and leisure business spanning airports, airlines and hotels. For billionaire Chen, 63, who two decades ago walked the aisle of his startup Hainan Airlines Co.'s lone airplane serving refreshments, the latest acquisition is part of his ambition to make HNA one of the world's top 100 companies by the end of this decade and among the top 50 by 2030. "This is an essential part of a strategy to make China a hub, not just for airlines, but also for aircraft manufacturing, for leasing, for components, for engines," said Will Horton, a Hong Kong-based analyst at CAPA Centre for Aviation. "Demand for leasing should remain high. It's certainly more profitable than running an airline." CIT rose as much as 10 percent to $40 in extended trading in New York. The stock had dropped 8.3 percent this year through the close of regular trading Thursday. Returning Equity CIT, a New York-based bank, intends to return as much as $3.3 billion of common equity to shareholders, it said in a separate statement Thursday. CIT is seeking to reduce annual operating expenses by $125 million over the next two years as it targets a return on tangible common equity of 10 percent, the firm said in March. The bank has been exploring a sale of its aircraft business, which comprised about 23 percent of assets before the deal, since last year. "This transaction will strengthen our balance sheet, simplify our business and enable us to return significant capital to our shareholders," CIT Chief Executive Officer Ellen Alemany said in the statement. "The sale of CIT Commercial Air represents an important milestone for CIT." The deal is "definitely accretive" to CIT's value to shareholders, Chief Financial Officer Carol Hayles said on a conference call. Whether the deal adds to earnings per share depends on how many shares the company buys back, she said. Financial Advisers JPMorgan Chase & Co. served as exclusive financial adviser to CIT, and Bank of America Corp. provided capital markets structuring advice. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal counsel to CIT. Sullivan & Cromwell provided bank regulatory advice on the Amended Capital Plan. Avolon's financial advisers for the transaction were UBS Group AG and Morgan Stanley. Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer acted as Avolon's legal advisers. KPMG and Ernst & Young also advised on the transaction. Airlines in Asia will fly more than 16,000 planes within 20 years, almost tripling the current number, according to estimates by Boeing Co. In the past three decades, the number of aircraft owned by operating lessors jumped 11 percent a year, according to Singapore-based Phillip Capital Pte. Most Active HNA is among the most active players in what's shaping up to be a record year for overseas acquisitions by Chinese companies. In August, HNA completed the purchase of a stake in Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras SA, Brazil's third-largest airline, after agreeing in May to buy part of Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd. The group expects to complete its acquisition of Swiss airline caterer Gategroup Holding AG this year after taking over airport luggage-handler Swissport International Ltd. in February. HNA has also shopped for non-aviation assets. U.S. computer and software distributor Ingram Micro Inc. agreed to be bought by a unit of HNA for $6 billion in February, and the Chinese group is seeking to buy the owner of the Radisson and Park Inn hotel brands. HNA posted 2015 revenue of almost 190 billion yuan ($28 billion) and had about 200,000 employees worldwide, according to its website. Aviation is a key business for HNA, whose airlines include Hainan Airlines Co., the fourth biggest in China. The group's airlines flies more than 800 domestic and international routes with a fleet of 1,250 aircraft as of July. GECAS and AerCap are the aircraft-leasing market leaders, each with more than 1,000 planes in operation, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Avolon said it had a fleet of 443 planes at the end of the second quarter. BOC Aviation Ltd., the aircraft-leasing unit of Bank of China, had 483 aircraft owned, managed or on order, according to a company statement. HNA-controlled Bohai Leasing Co. acquired Avolon in a $7.6 billion deal that closed in January. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-10-06/hna-to-buy-cit-s-plane-leasing- business-for-10-billion Back to Top Will it be Washington? Spike Aerospace is still up in the air on supersonic jet plant An artist's conception shows Spike Aerospace's S-512 supersonic jet in flight. (Credit: Spike Aerospace) LYNNWOOD, Wash. - Boston-based Spike Aerospace is moving a bit more slowly than planned on its process to pick the site for a supersonic jet factory, the company's top executive said today. Washington state is still in the mix, but so are seven other states, said Vik Kachoria, Spike's president and CEO. "We're not moving to Washington state just yet," Kachoria said here at the Governor's Aerospace Summit, presented by the Aerospace Futures Alliance of Washington. "Each region offers something interesting that we want to explore." At one time, the company had hoped to start narrowing down the field from Washington, Oregon, California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts and the Carolinas by the end of this year. But Kachoria told GeekWire that the "down-select" would have to wait until 2017. He also the schedule for building a subscale supersonic demonstrator would slip from mid- 2018 to early 2019. Spike estimates that $500 million would be invested in building the plant and getting it up to full production in the 2022 time frame. The company currently employs about 45 people, but that workforce could eventually ramp up to more than 1,000. Kachoria said the startup's goal was to sell 10 jets a year at a price of $100 million, amounting to a billion dollars in gross revenue. If Spike's concept comes to fruition, its jets could transport up to 18 passengers at Mach 1.6, or roughly 1,100 mph. That translates to a three-hour flight from New York to London. Kachoria said the ticket price could be in the range of a current-day business- class flight, which is around $4,000. However, there are lots of challenges ahead: Spike still has to perfect its "quiet-boom" technology for supersonic travel and work out the kinks in its aircraft design. The company plans to work with a bevy of partners, including engine suppliers and manufacturers that have yet to be chosen. Those partnerships will be key for turning Spike's concept into a reality, Kachoria said. "There's no way that a small company like us can build a supersonic jet," he explained. Spike jet interior An artist's conception shows the Spike supersonic jet with high-resolution display screens on its walls. The jet would rely on cameras and display screens for external views (or in- flight movies) because a windowless design provides aerodynamic advantages. (Credit: Spike Aerospace) Then there's the competition: Boom Aerospace, for example, is partnering with British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. Meanwhile, Aerion Supersonic is partnering with Airbus. Spike hasn't yet announced big-name partners. Finally, there's a debate over just how big the supersonic market will turn out to be. During a follow-up presentation at today's summit, Boeing executive Mike Sinnett was asked where supersonic transport ranked on his own company's agenda. "Our customers today are primarily large commercial airlines that right now aren't demanding supersonic flight, because they don't believe that they have passengers that are willing to pay that kind of money for supersonic flight," said Sinnett, who is vice president of product development at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Instead, Boeing's current focus is to reduce travel time by making it easier for passengers to fly directly to their destinations rather than having to go through airline hubs, Sinnett said. "If it's faster, it doesn't matter if it's not supersonic," he said. He acknowledged, however, that smaller companies like Spike could change the equation in the years ahead - either by developing more efficient, lower-cost technologies for supersonic travel, or by carving out specialized niches in the marketplace. Sinnett said Boeing does expect to develop supersonic jets, but on a time scale of 20 to 30 years rather than the five- to seven-year time frame that Spike is targeting. "There's got to be the combination of available technology and customer pull," he said. http://www.geekwire.com/2016/spike-aerospace-supersonic-decision/ Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY (1) Dear Airline colleagues, I would be very grateful if airline staff among you accept this invite to complete my short online survey on "exploring the influence of emotionally intelligent leadership on airline safety culture". https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EI-INTEL The survey is an element of my final project which explores how safety leadership who utilize or exhibit emotional intelligence leadership qualities can influence the organisations safety culture. Safety leadership in this context is taken as all management and supervisory staff who act as, or should act as safety leaders in their teams. I am researching to see if the leadership qualities of each individual safety leader can impact safety culture. Emotional intelligence markers are embedded in 10 of the survey questions. The survey contains an introduction and explanatory page, followed by 14 questions and should only take 8 to 10 minutes. If you would like to make any comments on the project, or have any questions, please contact me at Patrick.Morris.1@city.ac.uk. Thank you in advance and best regards. Pat Morris. MSc Student, City University of London. Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY (2) Dear colleague in the aircraft ground handling industry My name is Mario Pierobon and I am conducting a doctoral study on aircraft ground handling safety at Cranfield University. As part of my research I have developed a survey that requires you to consider the degree of implementation of the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) chapter 4 ramp safety provisions and various management practices in place in your organisation to ensure that safety provisions are implemented. The survey will take approximately 13 minutes to complete. In order to participate to this survey you are required to have a management role in the aircraft ground handling industry and be familiar with IGOM chapter 4 ramp safety provisions. The survey may be accessed at the following link https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8c5FmAf0bLFJ39P Earlier in the summer I sent out another survey concerning the categorisation of 40 different hazards that are peculiar to the aircraft ground handling environment. If you have not filled in this survey may I kindly ask you to please do so and go to the other following link https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3abRtXF0f6D7oEJ Thank you in advance for your kind support, if you need any additional information you may reach me at m.pierobon@cranfield.ac.uk. Kind regards Mario Pierobon PhD Candidate (air safety), Cranfield University Back to Top Accident Investigation for Aviation Management Course 31 Oct - 11 Nov 2016 https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/Courses/Short/Transport-Systems/Accident- Investigation-for-Aviation-Management Curt Lewis