Aviation Maintenance & Technology Exchange May 14, 2018 - No. 038 In This Issue Ethiopian Airlines And University Of Mississippi Sign MOU Airbus, Boeing fly into lucrative services market KOMO, aviation contractor point fingers at each other during trial over deadly 2014 helicopter crash. Ventura Air Developing STC for SmartSky in Learjet 55 Sticking it to the plane NCAA suspends FirstNation Airways operations over "illegal operations" Runway Contamination Still an Issue, even in Summer Weather CAPA Americas Summit: ULCC ambitions in the US remain high 787 Engine Issues Prompt British Airways to Seek Lease of Qatar A330s U.S. and UAE settle long-running open skies debate SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has roughly 300 launches before retirement. Ethiopian Airlines And University Of Mississippi Sign MOU Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline, and The University of Mississippi , the largest public research university in Mississippi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to introduce different aviation related training programs into the existing courses of Ethiopian Aviation Academy (EAA). The training programs to be introduced include Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), Aviation Executive EMBA and a four-year engineering degree program aimed at upgrading EAA's existing two-year Aircraft Maintenance training. The MOU was signed in April 2018 by Ethiopian Group CEO Mr Tewolde GebreMariam and Professor Noel E.Wilkin, Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor of The University of Mississippi, at the premises of the University in the presence of dignitaries from the University's academic community as well as Managing Director of EAA. Commenting on the signing of the MOU, Ethiopian Group CEO Mr Tewolde GebreMariam said: "In today's increasingly competitive air transport business, Airlines need well trained and highly skilled management and employees to compete and succeed in the market. As part of our Vision 2025 Strategic road map, to enhance and upgrade the trainings given at our Aviation Academy, we are very happy to sign this agreement with the University of Mississippi which will introduce Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), Aviation Executive EMBA and a four-year engineering degree program. The MOU we signed with The University of Mississippi will be instrumental in diversifying and upgrading our training programs to meet both the Airlines demand and further fill the aviation skill gap in the African continent. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the management and community of The University of Mississippi and look forward to a successful collaboration ahead." Professor Noel E.Wilkin, Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor University of Mississippi, on his part said: "I am pleased that international businesses are recognizing the quality of our faculty and the programs that we offer. This partnership will afford us the opportunity to shape the talent and abilities of the airline industry in Africa." "Integrated Marketing Communications is vital for economic development of a nation and for businesses wishing to have more sales. The IMC degree program at Ole Miss should enhance economic development in Ethiopia and increase business for Ethiopian Airlines", added Will Norton, Dean of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. With annual intake capacity of 4000 trainees, EAA is the largest and the most modern aviation academy in Africa recognized as ICAO regional Training Center of Excellence. Founded in 1848, the University of Mississippi is Mississippi's flagship university with a long history of producing leaders in public service, academics and business. About Ethiopian Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent's leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success. Ethiopian commands the lion's share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 110 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777- 300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with eight business centers: Ethiopian Regional Services; Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian In-flight Catering; Ethiopian Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years. http://www.ethiosports.com/2018/05/11/ethiopian-and-university-of-mississippi-sign-mou/ Back to Top Airbus, Boeing fly into lucrative services market Airbus and Boeing may have built their global success on the back of the transcontinental airliners but they are now eyeing a lucrative if rather less glamorous side of the aviation sector in their battle to dominate the skies-parts and repairs. While booming demand for air travel across has seen the world's top plane makers ramp up production, it is the multi-billion-dollar after-sales service market that is taking an increasing amount of their attention. The aircraft titans are aggressively expanding their presence in the sector, which is dominated by maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft but also covers other services, from training to parts supply. The European and American firms have long done some business in after-sales support, but they are now moving to win greater market share and take on other players like Germany's Lufthansa Technik and US-based AAR. "The services market is more lucrative than actual aircraft sales because it has more potential and it covers many different spectrums," said Shukor Yusof, an analyst with aviation research firm Endau Analytics in Malaysia. "Boeing and Airbus-they have to be part of it. When you sell an aircraft, it's in your interest to have a full package of after-market services." Boeing predicts that the value of the approximately 41,000 planes that will be delivered worldwide over the next 20 years will be around $6 trillion-while the demand for services to support this fleet will be worth around $8.5 trillion. In Singapore, Airbus's wholly-owned subsidiary Satair Group has an 11,000 square metre (118,000 square foot) warehouse to house spare parts. They are arranged on towering shelves in brown, yellow and orange boxes, and range from a main landing gear for an A380, the world's biggest passenger plane, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, to a washer worth one cent. They can be dispatched from the warehouse-Airbus's biggest such facility in Asia, and second- biggest in the world-within four hours of receiving an order, with plans to further slash the waiting time. Airbus, whose revenues from services hit $3.2 billion in 2017, 18 percent higher than the previous year, plans to expand the facility by 8,000 square metres next year. Both Airbus and Boeing also have major pilot training centres in Singapore. Very intense' fight The fierce rivals play up their intimate knowledge of the aircraft they produce as an advantage in providing after-sales support over others who could provide the services, including the airlines themselves. "We know best our aircraft because we have designed it," Airbus head of services Laurent Martinez told AFP. "We have all the capabilities to support the airlines' operations and to have the competitive edge in terms of spare parts." Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the US firm currently only has a seven percent market share in the sector, and there was plenty of room for growth. "The products we have today can only address about 30 percent of this market," he said at the recent Singapore Airshow. "So if this market grows about five percent per year as we focus more on developing new products, we expect to see dramatic growth in our business." The Singapore Airshow highlighted the growing importance of the sector. The largest deals at the show, the biggest in Asia, were not plane orders but contracts worth nearly $1 billion signed by Boeing's dedicated global services unit, which was launched last year as its vehicle to expand into the after-sales market. Both companies are focusing on Asia-Pacific due to explosive growth of the aviation sector in an increasingly affluent region where many people are flying for the first time. Airbus' Martinez said Asia-Pacific is expected to account for 40 percent of the services market over the next two decades, with the region's aircraft fleet set to almost triple by 2036. The fight for after-sales services market share between Boeing and Airbus will likely be every bit as fierce as their battle for aircraft orders. Competition "is going to be very, very tough-very intense", said analyst Shukor. https://phys.org/news/2018-05-airbus-boeing-lucrative.html Back to Top KOMO, aviation contractor point fingers at each other during trial over deadly 2014 helicopter crash Before a KOMO-TV helicopter plunged off the station's rooftop near the Space Needle four years ago, killing two people aboard and crashing onto two motorists on the street below, the aviation contractor that supplied the chopper says it raised safety concerns about landing at KOMO's heliport. Pilot Gary Pfitzner "was not super experienced" or commercially certified to fly the Eurocopter "AStar" - a temporary substitute for the Bell chopper he'd flown for years for KOMO, said Jeffrey Lieber, vice president of operations for contractor Helicopters Inc., during a sworn deposition last year. "We felt it was better to operate from the (Renton Municipal) airport," Lieber said. "Gives us a wider margin of safety because we're not operating from a constricted, confined area." But instead, the news station, which had only recently been purchased by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, pressured the helicopter firm to have Pfitzner refuel the loaner chopper on KOMO's helipad - a landing spot elevated 75 feet in a congested city that posed more risks for pilots and the public, Lieber said. The reason? Sinclair wanted to save money on fuel, he said. "They had a fuel tank at the helipad, so they wanted us to operate from the helipad because it was more cost-effective than paying retail at the airport," Leiber testified. Sinclair's top official at KOMO disputes pressuring the contractor, saying the firm and its pilot had final say on decisions made during the ill-fated flight. The never-before-publicized details of the alleged circumstances leading up to the fiery crash on March 18, 2014, that killed Pfitzner and cameraman Bill Strothman, and injured motorists Guillermo Sanchez and Richard Newman, are now at the center of a civil trial underway in King County Superior Court. Sanchez and Newman separately have sued Sinclair and Helicopters Inc., as well as aircraft manufacturer Airbus and Pfitzner's estate, as part of a complex case in which defendants are pointing fingers at each other. A jury ultimately will decide whether, and for how much, each defendant is negligent for the two men's injuries. "This was a pilot, unfortunately, that was set up to fail," Newman's attorney, David Beninger, said during opening remarks in the trial. " ...(T)his wasn't an accident, a simple error. This was an accident waiting to happen because of institutional problems as to what they did by not following the contract and safety protocols." Both men claim their lives were changed for the worse because of the accident. Sanchez, 46, a handyman from Mountlake Terrace, injured his shoulder and ankle while trying to escape his burning truck after the falling chopper struck its hood, then watched Pfitzner and Strothman perish in the crash's fiery aftermath. He underwent shoulder surgery and now suffers post-traumatic stress, according to testimony and records. Newman, 42, a clinical-trials manager, suffered serious burns and head injuries after the chopper landed on his car and spent a month in Harborview Medical Center. He now must actively avoid the sun to protect his grafted skin and has suffered memory problems and nightmares, according to testimony and records. Already, officials for the St. Louis-based Helicopters Inc. have conceded the firm breached its contract with KOMO during the flight. Pfitzner was an experienced chopper pilot, but he'd been minimally trained on the Airbus- manufactured loaner helicopter used for the newsgathering mission, and wasn't certified to Federal Aviation Administration standards to commercially fly it - a violation of the firm's contract with KOMO, records and testimony show. The AS 350 B2 helicopter provided by Helicopters Inc. to replace the station's usual helicopter while it underwent maintenance also didn't meet the contract terms, according to the plaintiffs' attorneys. The agreement required any substitute aircraft to be "of similar make and model" to the American- made Bell 407 Pfitzner typically flew. In fact, the day of the crash was the first and only time Pfitzner had landed and taken off from the KOMO helipad in the AStar. KOMO agreed to use the helicopter after receiving "assurances" from its contractor it was similar enough, according to General Manager Janene Drafs. Drafs testified last week she was "unaware" that Helicopters Inc. had raised safety concerns about Pfitzner landing on KOMO's helipad and disputed the news station pressured the contractor to land there for cost reasons. "If there was direct conversation between someone in my organization and someone at Heli, Inc. that specifically states that, I have not seen it," she said. Drafs said KOMO couldn't find any emails or other records showing the contractor raised such concerns or that KOMO knew at the time Pfitzner wasn't certified to fly the substitute helicopter. If any such emails existed, she said, they likely were destroyed under Sinclair's retention policies. Drafs denied that KOMO bore any responsibility, contending the contractor and its pilot had the final say on where to land and refuel under an agreement that paid Helicopters Inc. up to $87,000 per month. But despite the fatal crash and contract breach that came to light, Drafs said KOMO still contracts with Helicopters Inc. Drafs also said the news station didn't conduct its own internal investigation about the matter. A two-and-a-half-year National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation of the crash could not pinpoint exactly why Pfitzner lost "hydraulic boost" while taking off from the helipad, causing the helicopter to spin out of control. The probe found no mechanical problems, but noted the helicopter's hydraulic system had been too damaged in the fire to examine it for problems. Issued in September 2016, the NTSB's final report cited pilot error as the most likely cause for the crash, theorizing that Pfitzner, who had been operating the helicopter with an outdated preflight checklist, probably didn't re-engage a hydraulic press button during takeoff, leading to the loss of control. During depositions taken in April 2017, both Lieber and Bill DeReamer, Helicopters Inc.'s director of safety, testified the company's own investigation also found no mechanical problems and concluded a mistake by Pfitzner likely caused the crash. Helicopters Inc. has since changed its story, now blaming the crash on a jammed slide valve, a component in the hydraulic system controlling the chopper's tail rotor. Steven Rosen, the Portland attorney representing both Helicopters Inc. and Sinclair, despite their at times conflicting contentions, claims the equipment failure is manufacturer Airbus' fault. The mechanical failure only was discovered after officials for the aviation contractor testified in their depositions they believed pilot error caused the crash, Rosen said. Airbus attorneys Bill Robinson and Steve Fogg dispute Rosen's defense, contending there's never been a documented instance of such a mechanical defect with any AS 350 model during its 40-year history. NTSB investigators, due to the crash's fire damage, couldn't rule out hydraulic-system mechanical failures for causing the accident, but found such scenarios "unlikely." Drafs testified the news station no longer uses its rooftop helipad, and eventually worked with the Seattle Fire Department to remove the jet fuel from the building for safety reasons. But emails turned over by Helicopters Inc., appear to indicate KOMO wanted its contractor to use and refuel at the station's helipad a year after the crash. In a March 2015 email, initiated by Drafs' executive assistant, KOMO sought to "schedule a conference call to resume landing on the heliport - to empty the fuel tank on site here. There is currently 6,441 gallons of fuel in it." Helicopters Inc. officials later discussed the email among themselves. "I can sympathize with KOMO's situation, they have several thousands of dollars tied up in Jet Fuel in their storage tank," DeReamer emailed to other officials. "This puts us in a precarious situation. if we start landing on the helipad to burn up the remaining fuel this might send the wrong message that we are willing to use the helipad on a full-time bases [sic]." The trial is expected to continue for several weeks. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/komo-aviation-contractor-point-fingers-at-each-other- during-trial-over-deadly-2014-helicopter-crash/ Back to Top Ventura Air Developing STC for SmartSky in Learjet 55 Ventura Air Services is working toward obtaining FAA STC approval for the installation of a SmartSky 4G LTE system on the Bombardier Learjet 55. According to the aircraft charter, management, and maintenance firm, there are more than 100 Learjet 55s currently in service in the U.S. The type is also the primary aircraft operated by Ventura Air, which is based at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York. "As a safety-driven, customer-focused service, we're eager to begin tapping into the benefits of SmartSky 4G LTE, so our role in the STC process is our way of accelerating that goal," said Ventura Air CEO Nick Tarascio. "SmartSky delivers the high-performance in-flight connectivity demanded by both the cockpit and cabin." The SmartSky 4G LTE system received its first STC in January (for the Cessna Citation Excel) and parts manufacturer approval in March. SmartSky expects additional STCs to begin to be available this summer, which will coincide with the formal service launch of its air-to-ground network coverage in the continental U.S. Currently, more than 60 percent of SmartSky's planned network of 200 towers is either online or in the final stages of deployment. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-05-11/ventura-air-developing- stc-smartsky-learjet-55 Back to Top Sticking it to the plane Ed Hill speaks to Invert Robotics about its innovative surface crawling robot now being used to carry out visual inspection tasks on aircraft. In the highly competitive world of the aviation industry, aircraft time on the ground leaks money away from airline's increasingly tight profit margins. Any technology that can help speed up safety inspections is a benefit not only to airlines but also the MRO companies that support them and consequently passengers who avoid delays. Now a New Zealand company is revolutionising the way in which visual inspections are carried out on aircraft. Invert Robotics has designed an innovative new climbing robot that can adhere to a range of surfaces including aluminium, glass and carbon fibre, even when aircraft are wet or the surface requires upside down inspection. Initially developed for the dairy/food and drink industry (a sector with lighter regulation) to inspect stainless steel tanks, the system uses a patented suction mechanism which enables it to crawl over almost every inch of an aircraft. Neil Fletcher, managing director of Invert Robotics explains: "The aviation space was considered from the company's inception but by focusing on an area with lighter regulation around inspection and maintenance Invert Robotics was able to grow whilst learning and developing the technology. Once it reached sufficient maturity, it caught the attention of the MRO industry." Quicker than the eye The system uses high definition cameras and sensors to assess surfaces for flaws such as pits and cracks, whilst also recording the location and size of these defects. Inspectors are fed real-time video during the inspection and are able to identify and classify faults often unable to be picked up by the human eye. A full repair assessment report can then be provided within 72 hours. The crawling robot also eliminates many of the health and safety risks associated with traditional inspection methods as it means the operators, rather than working at height from access systems such as cherry pickers or towers, can remain safely on the ground while inspections are being carried out. Fletcher continues: "The suction methodology in use on Invert's climbing robots is a world first and built specifically to climb on smooth (including curved) surfaces. Flat horizontal surfaces such as wings present no problem and the suction technology allows inspections with the robot upside down under a wing - an important consideration for close visual inspections at the height of wings on wide-bodied jets. "The system is fully automated to enable operators to focus on the task at hand. Our robots can climb any smooth surface and can cross obstacles such as joins between panels, weld seams, edges of doors and other surface discontinuities. Our initial areas of focus are around difficult to access areas including crowns of fuselages and vertical stabilisers/rudders." As the robot tracks its way around the aircraft data is streamed in real-time to an engineer on the ground and/or recorded in industry standard formats. Operators can review all data in real-time during an inspection and following the survey an inspection a report is automatically generated that can then be sent wirelessly for review by other engineers, airlines or OEMs, for example. The system is not only faster than manual inspection it is also safer with less opportunity for human error. It also frees up skilled aircraft engineer's time so they can attend to more complex tasks rather than spending time on the labour-intensive and tedious manual maintenance inspection processes. In turn, this further reduces the time and cost of aircraft maintenance. Fletcher affirms: "Compared with traditional methods, our system provides faster turnaround and minimises delays and disrupts from AOG (time airline is on the ground). The proper comparison is not always with a direct visual inspection - severe damage will usually be readily visible from the ground, but more often damage that requires closer inspection. "Using our system with a 20-30-minute inspection time avoids aircraft being towed to hangars, or operators sourcing and setting up a cherry picker avoiding delays often of many hours. This flexibility of operation and time saving is enhanced by the ability to record and transmit the data for remote analysis at an MRO or OEM where the high definition images from the camera allow for much more accurate assessments of airworthiness." Further NDT inspections Invert Robotics is now developing ultrasound and thermographic sensors to help further expand the capabilities of the crawling robot. Fletcher says: "In the same way as our visual inspections have improved pre-existing workflows our ultrasonic thickness testing and thermographic inspection payloads now being tested will enable clients to work from the ground and deliver inspections utilising those technologies at matching or increased quality. The robot can be deployed to conduct testing with these established technologies on most parts of the aircraft where they are already manually applied. Enabling personnel to work from the ground not only reduces the overhead of using height access equipment it also unlocks the opportunity to perform work in adverse weather conditions, including at the gate, avoiding expensive delays." One MRO company that has teamed up with Invert Robotics to use the system is Zurich-based aircraft maintenance group SR Technics. SR Technics' CEO, Jeremy Remacha comments: "We are constantly looking for ways to improve our services and reduce the costs to our customers in this highly competitive industry. Time savings mean our customers have their aircraft back in service sooner and for airlines that is a huge benefit. Being able to record the state of an aircraft proves the need for and quality of our work and allows more accurate scheduling of required maintenance. We are excited to be part of this innovation that we believe will have a significant effect in our industry." Invert Robotics believes its system has the potential to be used for many more aerospace inspection applications. As well as the food and drink industry, it is also being used in the pharmaceutical, and oil and gas industries. There is also potential to integrate other new technologies such as remote monitoring and virtual reality. Fletcher concludes: "Numerous parties have attempted to build crawlers for planes. The benefits are too great to ignore and yet the problems associated have proven too great until now. This technology will undoubtedly find other uses and not only for civil and military aircraft. "Our technology can most definitely integrate advances from other areas and we are following each of these very closely. However, internally we are very careful to walk before we run - we are trying to minimise the risk of investing in solutions that are before their time whilst ensuring that we are delivering a world leading solution. "The opportunity to evolve from inside concave surfaces to outside convex surfaces have brought the aviation industry into clear focus as a significant market for Invert Robotics." http://invertrobotics.com https://www.aero-mag.com/sticking-it-to-the-plane/ Back to Top NCAA suspends FirstNation Airways operations over "illegal operations" Lagos - The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the Air Operators Certificate (AOC) of First Nation Airways indefinitely over "unauthorised and illegal operations". NCAA Spokesman, Sam Adurogboye, said in a statement that the suspension was conveyed to the airline via a letter with reference No. NCAA/DG/CSLA/RM/1-06/18/2304 and dated May 11, 2018 and signed by the Agency's Director General, Capt. Muhtar Usman. He said the letter had been delivered to First Nation Airways and the airline had acknowledged receipt. Adurogboye said:"The suspension is sequel to the flagrant and continuous violation of the terms and conditions of issuance of it AOC by the airline thereby carrying out unauthorised and illegal operations. "The letter revealed that when the AOC of First Nation Airways expired, the airline did not have at least two airworthy aircraft capable of servicing its approved schedule as required by Part 9.1.1.6(b)(2) (ii) of Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation (Nig.CARS) 2015. "Consequently, the airline's Air Operators Certificate (AOC) was, upon renewal, restricted to non- scheduled operation, (Charter) only." According to him, the airline however embarked on scheduled operations with continuous advertisement of its services and sold tickets at its Check-in counters in Lagos and Abuja Airports. He said that NCAA had earlier notified the airline that it was investigating these violations. "Subsequently, by a letter dated August 31, 2017, the airline was directed to stop the illegal operations forthwith, warning that failure to desist would lead to a suspension of its operating authorisation. "On further investigation, it was discovered that the airline had disregarded all warnings and continued with the unauthorised and illegal operations in violation of its AOC terms and conditions of issuance." He said the action contravene the provisions of Part 9.1.1.4(d) of the Nig.CARS 2015. He said the provisions of the Nig.CARS 2015 provide that "Each AOC holder shall at all times, continue in compliance with the AOC terms and conditions of issuance and maintenance requirements to hold that certificate." Adurogboye said that NCAA had therefore determined that, pursuant to Section 35(2),(3) (a) (ii) and (4) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2006, FirstNation Airways was no longer fit to operate air transport business under the authority of the AOC. He said:"Accordingly, the airline's AOC has been suspended indefinitely, with effect from May 11. when it received the notice. "In addition, the operators of the airline are expected to return the AOC to the NCAA's Director of Operations and Training within seven days of receiving the letter." Adurogboye, however said that if the airline demonstrates ability and willingness to comply with the extant regulations, NCAA would review its operations and restore its AOC to enable it commence operations again. He reiterated NCAA's zero tolerance for violations of the Nig.CARS, adding that it would continue to enforce compliance through application of appropriate sanctions for any infractions. https://nigerianobservernews.com/2018/05/ncaa-suspends-firstnation-airways-operations-over- illegal-operations/ Back to Top Runway Contamination Still an Issue, even in Summer Weather As aviation groups such as NBAA push the word out to the flying community about TALPA, the FAA's Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment initiative in effect since late 2016, some aviators might put off investigating it because the program focuses on runway contamination that involves snow, slush, and ice. But it also considers runways contaminated by rain, making TALPA a year-round effort. However, where rain is concerned, there is some controversy. According to the FAA, airport operators are not required to notify pilots about wet runways-that is, runways covered in one-eighth inch of water or less. That's just fine with Ryan Sheehan, director of operations and maintenance at Spokane International Airport in Washington (KGEG). "It goes back to operational costs and staffing," he told AIN. "A lot of airports don't have overnight staff, so the question becomes, 'If the rain starts after the operations staff goes home for the day, what's the requirement to issue the Notam in the absence of that staff?'" When an FAA Aviation Advisory and Rulemaking Committee (ARC) was developing TALPA, Chet Collet, Alaska Airlines' director of flight operations engineering and an ARC member, said the issue caught him by surprise. The decision to make wet runway reporting optional, he said, was made the day before TALPA went into effect. "The FAA decided to send out a CERTAlert to airport operators and authorities, as well as FAA Airport Certification Safety Inspectors (ACSIs) that made it only 'highly encouraged' to report a wet runway," he said. "Twenty-eight days after the FAA made that decision...[Republican vice presidential candidate] Mike Pence's aircraft slid off the runway at La Guardia [LGA] in moderate rain." Pence was aboard a chartered Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 on Oct. 27, 2016, when the aircraft landed at La Guardia. The NTSB found the aircraft flew approximately 2,000 feet beyond the normal touchdown point in a moderate rainstorm. The jet skidded off the runway at roughly 45 mph. Pilots who landed previously described runway braking action as either "fair" or "good," according to the NTSB report. None of the 737's 48 occupants was seriously injured, although three flight attendants were briefly hospitalized. Part of the TALPA process calls for determining the aircraft's last viable touchdown point, given the runway condition. Sheehan said the FAA and airport operators have discussed the issue of wet runway reporting at length. "One possibility discussed was to allow a Facility Directory entry for airports to indicate whether [or not] they...issue Notams for wet runways," said Sheehan. "We half-jokingly suggested we could simply issue a standing Notam that the runway will be wet when raining," he added. "But that didn't go over very well." The option for reporting wet runways only runs so deep. Airports still must report runways covered in more than one-eighth inch of water. But how that information is reported when the airport is unattended remains an issue. And to this day, Collet said, it is difficult for pilots to discern whether a particular airport will report wet runway conditions. His advice: Call ahead to the airport as part of your flight planning process. If there is precipitation forecast for the arrival airport, be prepared for landing on a wet runway even if the airport does not report it. Listen to the podcast. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-05-11/runway-contamination- still-issue-even-summer-weather Back to Top CAPA Americas Summit: ULCC ambitions in the US remain high Opinions abound over the ultimate size and shape of the ULCC model in the US market place. The market share of Frontier and Spirit remains in the mid-single digits, but their growth rates and order books indicate that their ambitions to capture a larger share of the market remain robust. As Frontier and Spirit continue their growth trajectories, US full service airlines are using segmented fares and hub densification to beat back the ULCC threat. But if Europe is any example, full service airlines may need to shift their focus as the market evolves. ULCCs cannot rest on their laurels either. In order to remain competitive they need to think outside the box, and a planned codeshare between Frontier and Volaris could be the first test of the model's evolution. US ULCCs have the potential to reach 20% market share during the next 7 years For the 11M ending Jan-2018 US ULCCs Frontier and Spirit held a combined 6% of US domestic traffic. But the ULCC investment specialist Indigo Partners, which has previously held a controlling stake in Spirit and owns Frontier, believes those airlines could grow their market share to 20% during the next seven or eight years. Speaking at the recent CAPA Americas Aviation Summit in Houston, Texas, Indigo Partners Managing Partner William Franke remarked that 42% of pan-European travel occurs on low cost and ultra low cost airlines. With US ULCCs holding just a 6% market share, "you have to expect US ULCCs will continue to grow", Mr Franke said. Queried about the specific share ULCCs could achieve in the US during the next few years, Mr Franke remarked that it was a tough question to answer; however, he stated that ULCCs could achieve a 20% share of the US market as their robust order books will continue to support healthy growth rates. In late 2017 Indigo placed a historic order for 430 aircraft for its portfolio of four ULCCs - Frontier, JetSMART, Volaris and Wizz Air. Frontier's share of the order was 134 jets (100 A320neos and 34 A321neos), and the airline has a total order book of 197 aircraft. Spirit has a smaller order book than Frontier, but now that it has reached a new collective bargaining agreement with its pilots the airline is examining its aircraft options. Spirit chief commercial officer Matt Klein told the news outlet Bloomberg at the conference that the airline was evaluating possibly adding smaller narrowbody aircraft to its fleet. As previously reported by CAPA, the new partnership between Airbus and Bombardier on the Canadian airframer's CSeries jet could open up new opportunities for Bombardier. Spirit's network composition includes large metro markets and smaller medium sized markets. With Airbus' sales and technical support, Spirit could give a higher level of consideration to the CSeries than in the past. Both the CSeries and Spirit's Airbus A320neo family jets are powered by Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines, which would create some maintenance efficiency and factor into Spirit's evaluations. Mr Franke remarked that US ULCCs will continue to grow at annual rates above the industry average, noting that it is not uncommon to see ultra low cost airline growth rates of 15% to 20% compared with 7% to 9% for the rest of the US airlines. Spirit has consistently grown its annual capacity at 15% or above since 2011, and data from CAPA and OAG show that Frontier's ASKs increased by 19% in 2016 and 24% in 2017. As Frontier and Spirit work toward reaching a possible combined double-digit market share in the US, full service airlines are not sitting idly by and watching their market share erode. The large US global full service airlines have responded to ULCC growth through fare segmentation that features a basic economy offering, and by bolstering connectivity at their respective hubs. Mr Franke noted that larger full service airlines were adding capacity at a much faster pace than in previous years. United is forecasting capacity growth of 4.5% to 5.5% in 2018, while Delta's projected growth this year is 2% to 3%. American's planned capacity growth for 2018 is 2.5%. Historically, ULCCs have expanded passenger levels when they enter a new market, which could continue in the US. Mr Franke sees ULCCs growing their share through a combination of passenger stimulation and inevitable market share gains at the expense of higher-cost legacy airlines. Using Europe as an example, Mr Franke remarked that ULCCs and LCCs had expanded to the point where they had taken significant domestic share, and larger airlines are focused more on medium and long haul operations. "Will that happen in the US?" Mr Franke said; "My own view is it probably will." Codeshares could be the tip of the ultra low cost model's evolution Mr Franke also offered ways that ULCCs could possibly evolve while maintaining their crucial cost advantage. "Is it possible for a ULCC to associate with a full cost, full service airline?" he asked. "Think about that. Can they survive one another to equate a network opportunity?" He also pondered whether innovative codeshares between ULCCs were a logical evolution of the model. An early high profile example of that type of partnership is the planned codeshare between two of the Indigo-backed airlines: Frontier and the Mexican ULCC Volaris. Mr Franke acknowledged that while codesharing does bring a certain level of complexity to the ULCC model, "...we see mutual benefits and revenue opportunities in that case [Frontier and Volaris] making it worth the circumstances". Another potential opportunity for ULCC evolution is managing costs efficiently, and scale effectively, by doing things in a different way. Mr Franke said that Indigo's order for 430 Airbus narrowbodies "underscores the ability of ULCCs to cooperate in innovative ways", due to the fact that the order was spread across Indigo's portfolio. Following on from that order, said Mr Franke, "can ULCCs develop opportunities to jointly source certain services...can we commonly approach maintenance and spares in a way that benefits both parties?" Indigo will remain on the cutting edge of developing the ULCC model worldwide With a stake in four ULCCs and involvement in several other ULCCs that have launched over the past decade-and-a-half, Indigo Partners has a pertinent view of the model's evolution. Although Indigo believes the ULCC model is no longer in its infancy in the US, the company has also acknowledged that ultra low cost airlines continue to be disruptive in the market. The ultimate composition of ULCCs in the US market has yet to unfold, but Indigo is already examining the ways that the model can evolve. https://centreforaviation.com/insights/analysis/capa-americas-summit-ulcc-ambitions-in-the-us- remain-high-413779 Back to Top 787 Engine Issues Prompt British Airways to Seek Lease of Qatar A330s British Airways is the latest airline to confirm lease requirements to cover Boeing 787 operations as Rolls Royce struggles to meet the engineering demands of resolving the issue with Trent 1000 engines on certain 787 aircraft. BA has applied to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for approval to wet-lease three Airbus A330s from Qatar Airways over the summer to assist with capacity issues resulting from required maintenance on the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines. Regulatory approval for the lease is required as the aircraft are from a non-EU country and BA has cited 'exceptional needs' to support the application. BA's parent company IAG is 20 percent owned by the Qatari airline. The situation with the Rolls Royce engines has escalated in recent weeks as both U.S. and European regulators have placed restrictions of operation on 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft with the affected engines. The FAA lowered the amount of time that an affected aircraft must be within range of a diversion airport from 330 minutes to 140 minutes whilst EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) detailed a new inspection regime for Trent 1000 engines as part of the effort to address intermediate compressor blade durability. These restrictions have resulted in airlines including Virgin Atlantic rotating the grounding of aircraft on a regular basis and others such as Air New Zealand scheduling refuelling stops to adhere to longer flight plans. As well as bad news for airlines it is terrible news for Rolls Royce who is entering a growth phase unseen since the second World War. The Financial Times reports that as well as replacing the turbine blades on the 500 engines affected Rolls Royce will be liable for greater compensation costs. Initial estimates of the cost to the company now exceed £750 million (US$1.018 billion) through 2019 with potential additional costs of £200 million (US$271 million) per year until 2022, when the issues are expected to be resolved. However, speaking at the annual shareholders conference last week, Rolls Royce CEO Warren East said that he hoped the situation would be resolved sooner. Reuters reported that 'due to parts not lasting as long as expected means that airlines are having to ground approximately 30 Trent 1000-powered aircrafts at any one time.' The delay in resolving the issue is such that airlines who had hoped to have their 787 aircraft operating as normal by the summer have been told that replacement engines and accessibility to engineering work may not be available until 2019. Air New Zealand, which has grounded two of their 787-9 aircraft after engine failures last December, is currently awaiting engineering availability at Singapore Aero Engine Services, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Singapore Airlines. Due to demand at that facility the airline has been advised that it may take a number of months before the work can commence. The airline has produced a video explaining the issues to their staff which was made public last month. Air New Zealand was the first airline to order the Trent 1000 in 2004 and took delivery of the first completed 787-9 in 2014. https://airlinegeeks.com/2018/05/11/787-engine-issues-prompt-british-airways-to-seek-lease-of- qatar-a330s/ Back to Top U.S. and UAE settle long-running open skies debate The U.S. and UAE governments have reached an agreement to resolve the years-long debate surrounding open skies policies between the two countries and alleged government subsidies. The deal, expected to be formally announced on Monday, resembles an agreement reached with Qatar in January and will not amend the U.S.-UAE open skies agreement, which according to both sides has created "many benefits" and are an important part of the two countries' "vibrant" commercial and economic relations. The UAE is the largest international buyer of U.S. commercial aircraft, the largest importer of U.S. goods in the Arab world and host to over 1,500 American firms, according to the Record of Discussion seen by AIN. As part of the deal, of which the sides reached terms on Friday, the U.S. acknowledges that many airlines are fully or partially state-owned and government support is neither uncommon nor necessarily problematic in the global aviation sector. While the text notes that government support in whatever form "may adversely impact competition," it does not accuse either side of distorting the market's level playing field. The US major airlines for years argued that the Gulf carriers received $50 billion in unfair subsidies from their governments over a decade, accusations Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways denied. They, in turn, said the U.S. airlines benefited from government support after the 2001 terrorist attacks and from bankruptcy rules that wiped out debts and pension obligations. The UAE is committing financial transparency for its airlines, and Etihad will publish annual financial statements in accordance with internationally-recognized accounting standards after its restructuring. Emirates has published audited financial reports for many years. A confidential side letter to the agreement states that there are currently no plans to expand fifth- freedom routes; however, it doesn't outright prohibit the two UAE airlines from operating more fifth-freedom flights. U.S. carriers, keen to protect the lucrative transatlantic market, are irritated by Emirates' flights to the U.S. from Dubai via Milan Malpensa and Athens. FedEx is the largest operator of services using fifth freedom rights, maintaining a regional hub in Dubai, the UAE noted. Just as had happened following the deal with Qatar, both sides described the accord as a win. "The UAE is very pleased that our understanding with the U.S. preserves all of the benefits of open skies for travelers, airlines, communities, and aerospace companies," said UAE Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba. "All the terms and provisions of the air transport agreement including fifth freedom rights remain fully in place, with UAE and U.S. airlines free to continue to add and adjust routes and services." Scott Reed, campaign manager for the Partnership for Open and Fair Skies, a coalition of American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, and labor groups that campaigned for a review of the open skies deal with the two Middle east countries, said the UAE agreement amounts to a "win for American jobs and shows that President Trump stands up to countries that violate our trade agreements." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-05-13/us-and-uae-settle-long- running-open-skies-debate Back to Top SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has roughly 300 launches before retirement Now that SpaceX's final Falcon 9 design has launched for the first time, there's a looming question: how many more launches does the vehicle have left? Elon Musk has an idea. He estimated that SpaceX will build 30 to 40 more Falcon 9 cores for "~300 missions" over the next five years. The pioneering rocket isn't going to go quietly, in other words -- and each core is expected to get several uses before it retires. It's no secret as to what happens after the final mission: it's all about the BFR. The giant rocket "takes over" from Falcon 9 after those five years are done, Musk said, enabling missions to the Moon, Mars and "eventually outer planets." While there's been little doubt that Falcon 9 was ultimately a stepping stone for SpaceX, the reality of that transition is quickly coming into focus. There's a lingering question about how this will affect the cost of each mission. Right now, it costs about $50 million to launch a reused Falcon 9. In theory, flying 300 missions with as few as 30 rockets is going to dramatically lower the per-launch cost. Musk didn't touch on that directly, but there's a distinct chance that space will be considerably more accessible for companies and countries in the near future. https://www.engadget.com/2018/05/13/spacex-falcon-9-rocket-has-300-launches-before- retirement/ Curt Lewis