October 8, 2018 - No. 079 In This Issue Monarch aircraft maintenance arm denies winding up threat CINEC Campus and Air Seychelles to provide aircraft maintenance diploma 4 Unexpected Ways Congress' Aviation Bill Impacts Cities Southwest to build large maintenance facility at BWI Improving Engine Data GE Aviation's Accelerator in Washington, D.C. Launches to Drive Efficiencies and Digital Transformation GAMA Celebrates National Manufacturing Day with Workforce Development Video Series Nigeria: NCAA Directs Airlines to Submit Monthly Financial Reports Morocco's Thriving Aeronautic Industry Attracts International Interest. SPACEX STICKS ITS LANDING AFTER A SHOWY CALIFORNIA LAUNCH Monarch aircraft maintenance arm denies winding up threat The aircraft maintenance arm of Monarch Airlines is reported to be working on a financial restructuring deal amid the threat of a possible winding-up petition from the taxman. Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has drawn up plans to take action against Monarch Aircraft Engineering (MAEL) over an unpaid tax bill, the size of which was unclear last night, according to Sky News. The move raises questions over the future of a business which employs more than 800 people working with airlines including Cathay Pacific, easyJet, Norwegian, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air. It comes almost exactly a year to the day since Monarch collapsed. People close to the situation said that HMRC had yet to serve a winding-up petition but confirmed that one had been discussed between the engineering group's stakeholders in the last few days as they seek to resolve its future, Sky News reported. MAEL stressed that it was "not the subject of a winding-up order or any other form of administration or insolvency process". Insiders said there was optimism that a "cleaned-up" MAEL freed of the legacy liabilities generated by Monarch could have a bright future, with a large part of the revenues lost when the carrier collapsed already having been replaced by new customers. Technically still a subsidiary of Monarch Airlines, MAEL is not in itself in administration but is said to have debts of more than £100 million. The bulk of that is secured debt held by Greybull Capital, the investment firm which owned Monarch for three years before administrators from KPMG were called in when regulators declined to renew its licences. The Air Travel Trust, which helps to meet the cost of refunds and repatriation when Atol licence-holders go bust, is thought to be owed roughly £15 million by Monarch's engineering arm after the debt was transferred to it from its former parent. Several sources said that one possibility being explored was to launch a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), a mechanism used to reduce obligations to creditors. If used by MAEL, such a move could impact on the claims of unsecured creditors including the ATT, which falls under the auspices of the Civil Aviation Authority, with Greybull also expected to write off some of its substantial debt and provide new capital to the business. New capital would be provided by MAEL's existing stakeholders, according to one source. The unit's other creditors include Boeing, which contributed to a rescue package for Monarch Airlines in the months before its demise, the Pension Protection Fund and PNC, an asset-based lender which is thought to be owed more than £10 million. KPMG is leading the talks about MAEL's restructuring, which the company insisted was being conducted from a position of strength. "One year on from the failure of Monarch Airlines, MAEL has successfully stabilised operations and transitioned to a standalone business. "It has built on its strong foundations as a leading, independent aircraft maintenance company and, under the leadership of its skilled and experienced management team, has strengthened its customer base through new contracts with customers including Thomas Cook Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Vueling." It added: "The company's hangars in Luton and Birmingham are now fully utilised and operating at maximum capacity, with contracted work stretching throughout 2019." The ownership structure, it said, was "unsustainable in the medium and longer term and the review is now necessary". "MAEL has made good progress in agreeing the terms on which the ownership structure and legacy issues will be resolved. "As part of this process, the MAEL balance sheet will be strengthened and management are confident that the process will be finalised by the end of this month." Monarch Aircraft Engineering chief executive Chris Dare said: "I'm proud of what we have achieved in the last 12 months. We have stabilised our operations and grown our business significantly. Our teams and employees have done remarkable work. "I'm excited about our future potential and this process is the final phase in the journey to go from being a division of Monarch Group to a successful, standalone entity. We have enjoyed strong support from our key stakeholders which has been so important as we complete our journey." MAEL has increased its geographical footprint with the opening of a new component maintenance facility in Northampton and has created more than 100 new jobs, growing its workforce to more than 800 people in the last year. It has also doubled the size of its apprentice scheme. http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/313186/monarch-aircraft-maintenance-arm-denies-winding-up-threat Back to Top CINEC Campus and Air Seychelles to provide aircraft maintenance diploma Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) , with the Colombo International Nautical and Engineering College (CINEC) Sri Lanka, last week, to provide internship opportunities in aircraft maintenance to students from CINEC Campus. The agreement was signed at the CINEC Campus, by the Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer, Remco Althuis and the Chairman, Managing Director and President of CINEC, Captain Ajith Peiris.Also present were the airline's Chief Commercial Officer, Charles Johnson and the Vice President of CINEC, Professor Nalaka Jayakody. Air Seychelles was established in 1978 and began long-haul services in 1983. The airline offers international flights to Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg, Mauritius and Mumbai. It also offers more than 350 domestic scheduled flights a week throughout the archipelago, including domestic charter services. As the national airline of the Seychelles, it is a pillar of tourism, the mainstay of the country's economy. Air Seychelles maintains a strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, a major stakeholder and national airline of the United Arab Emirates. CINEC is a large and diversified non-state higher education institute, which provides a Higher Diploma in aircraft maintenance engineering.This qualification is approved by the Civil Aviation Authority Sri Lanka (CAASL). http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2018/10/07/cinec-campus-and-air-seychelles-provide-aircraft-maintenance-diploma Back to Top 4 Unexpected Ways Congress' Aviation Bill Impacts Cities Every day, more than 42,000 flights travel through cities in the United States, carrying 2.5 million airline passengers across more than 29 million square miles of airspace. This is why reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was on the must-do list before Congress leaves Washington for the mid-term elections. Cities were glad to see that the Senate moved forward with a negotiated FAA package and sent it to the President's desk for signature, particularly because the FAA's existing programs were not the only programs of note for cities in the bill. Drones Make Every Part of Your City an Airport While any city with an airport knows that this FAA bill will impact them, every city will actually be impacted by this bill because it turns every part of a city into an "airport." This bill contains significant changes to how unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, will be authorized to fly. Today, more drones are registered with the government than airplanes, and drone use is forecasted to continue to climb, especially as major logistics players like UPS, Amazon and the Postal Service consider drones' practical uses. To open up this space, this bill removed an exemption for model aircrafts that held the FAA back from writing overarching rules for all drones, including requiring an electronic identification system for drones. Congress also directed the FAA in Section 348 to update its rules to allow drones to carry property for hire within a year, opening up drones for a range of new transportation uses that could have an even greater growth trajectory than scooters and bikeshare on city streets. While the FAA is directed to "address the views of state, local, and tribal officials related to potential impacts of the carriage of property by operators of small unmanned aircraft systems for compensation or hire within the communities to be served," cities must now work with the FAA to discuss the specifics of increasing drone flights and set expectations for how the new rules will impact communities. In Section 346, Congress sought to streamline the process for public unmanned aircraft systems and public safety agencies to receive permission to fly drones that are 4.4 pounds or less by implementing some basic safety rules. The bill also contains language from the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018 (Division H), allowing the departments of Homeland Security and Justice to interdict and, if necessary, destroy errant drones. It remains a federal offense for local law enforcement to engage in similar actions, despite the inability of federal officials to have a presence in every community. With the increase of drone usage, NLC anticipates continuing to discuss with Congress what tools local law enforcement should have at its disposal. Additionally, in Section 373, Congress requests a Government Accountability Office report to Congress on the regulation of low-altitude operations of small unmanned aircraft and the appropriate roles and responsibilities of federal, state, local, and tribal governments in regulating this activity. The report will address "the scope of various jurisdictions, gaps among them, and the level of regulatory consistency needed to foster a financially viable unmanned aircraft industry." NLC will continue to advocate for cities' interests as FAA and GAO move forward with their processes. Workforce Wins, Including Investments in Local Aviation Maintenance Programs The bill strongly recognizes the need to invest in a skilled aviation workforce in order to advance the overall growing needs and changing demands of the industry. Across many sectors within the aviation sector, we have seen an increase in the demand for skilled workers combined with a peak in those who are retirement-eligible. In short, we need to do a better job of ensuring that we are providing skills training and education that develops a strong pipeline into these critical jobs for local economies. Reflecting that need, in Section 625 of the bill, cities saw a major legislative win with the inclusion of the Aviation Maintenance Workforce Development Program. NLC strongly advocated for this program, along with our partners in the aviation industry, that will provide cities and their partners with $5 million in competitive grants over five years to support career and technical education programs as well as access to scholarship, apprenticeship and transitional programs for those interested in the aviation maintenance sector. This new workforce training program will provide direct access to cities and their local partners to develop and further their programs in this growing sector. We hope this program is an example of the recognition by Congress of the importance in investing in human capital as they make investments into physical infrastructure. Airport Noise Gets Closer Scrutiny from Congress Congress has been hearing from local communities about the impacts and challenges of airport noise from the ground and with the rise of drones and supersonic aircrafts, new noise discussions loom for cities of all sizes. While the FAA bill does not require FAA to reduce noise, several provisions, reports and requirements may assist cities with concerns in building a case for future policy changes. These provisions include: • Section 122, which states the Future Aviation Infrastructure and Financing Study must consider "the resources eligible for use toward noise reduction and emission reduction projects." • Subtitle D-Airport Noise and Environmental Streamlining - the bill widens the potential entities who can conduct assessments beyond the airport itself. • Section 173 sets a deadline of one year from passage of the bill to complete the ongoing evaluation of alternative metrics to the current Day Night Level (DNL) 65 standard. • Section 174 requires updating the Airport Exposure Maps "if in an area surrounding an airport, a change in the operation of the airport would establish a substantial new noncompatible use, or would significantly reduce noise over existing noncompatible uses" compared to prior maps. • Section 175, Addressing Community Noise Concerns and modifying routes states that: "When proposing a new area navigation departure procedure, or amending an existing procedure that would direct aircraft between the surface and 6,000 feet above ground level over noise sensitive areas [the FAA] shall consider the feasibility of dispersal headings or other lateral track variations to address community noise concerns." • Section 176 on Community Involvement in FAA NextGen Projects Located in Metroplexes gives a 180 day deadline to review FAA's NextGen projects in metroplexes and review "how and when to engage airports and communities in performance-based navigation proposals" and report to Congress on "how the Administration will improve community involvement practices for NextGen projects located in metroplexes; how and when the Administration will engage airports and communities in performance-based navigation proposals; and lessons learned from NextGen projects and pilot programs and how those lessons learned are being integrated into community involvement practices for future NextGen projects located in metroplexes." • Section 179 requires an FAA study to review and evaluate the "relationships of jet aircraft approach and takeoff speeds and the corresponding noise impacts on communities surrounding airports." • Section 180 requires FAA to design individual ombudsman for each region to liaison with the community on issues like noise, pollution and safety, make recommendation to the Administrator to address concerns raised, improve consideration of public comments in decision-making, and consult in proposed changes in aircraft operations affecting the region. • Section 181, on setting noise standards for the use of civil Supersonic Aircraft, requires FAA to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking by March of 2020 that would identify noise requirements for the addition of civil supersonic flight to U.S. airspace. • Section 186 requires the Administrator to conclude the ongoing review of the relationship between aircraft noise exposure and its effects on communities around airports within two years of passage of the bill and report to Congress with recommendations. • Section 188 requires study of "alternative metrics to the current average day-night level standard, such as the use of actual noise sampling and other methods, to address community airplane noise concerns" within one year of passage and report to Congress. • Section 189 will require a "study on the health impacts of noise from aircraft flights on residents exposed to a range of noise levels from such flights" in cities such as Boston, Chicago, D.C., New York, the Northern California Metroplex, Phoenix, the Southern California Metroplex, Seattle and other areas identified by the FAA Administrator. • Section 190, the Environmental Mitigation Pilot Program will have the Secretary of Transportation issue a five-year pilot program of up to 6 environmental mitigation projects at public use airports that will "measurably reduce or mitigate aviation impacts on noise, air quality, or water quality at the airport or within 5 miles of the airport." Up to $2.5 million is available and the federal share will be 50%. • Section 534 on a NextGen Delivery Study requires a review of the program including "an analysis of the potential impacts on aircraft noise and flight paths." • Section 742 includes noise as a review criterion for Airport Technology. • Section 432 continues the FAA's CLEEN program, which develops technologies to reduce noise and emissions. Reform of Federal Disaster Assistance Rode on FAA The FAA's passage was significantly better for cities because it included the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) within it. Congress has heard cities' call to build resilience into their system and the DRRA will shift federal resources to help communities take proactive steps to mitigate risk and make their neighborhoods safer. The additional investment in mitigation, both pre- and post-disaster, is the best defense against natural disasters and it will reduce future federal spending for disaster recovery. NLC commends Congress for setting stricter limitations on the ability of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to claw-back previously approved funds distributed to local governments for disaster relief efforts. We are pleased that Congress is committed to working with local leaders to rebuild our cities and to drive forward solutions for all American communities. The DRRA will reform the FEMA programs that help communities better prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against disasters of all types. DRRA increases focus on pre-disaster mitigation - actions taken before disaster strikes that will lessen future impacts, reduce disaster costs, help speed recovery, and prevent loss of life. Specific provisions in the bill will: • Reform FEMA and the Stafford Act by ensuring that a percentage of assistance provided in the wake of disasters is invested in pre-disaster hazard mitigation allowing states, tribal, and local governments to pre-empt the damage and distress that results from disasters. • Clarify what may be eligible for mitigation funding, making sure investments are cost effective and low in risk. • Speed recovery by creating efficiencies in FEMA's programs, such as getting structures inspected faster. • Clarify federal programs to help expedite assistance for recipients of FEMA aid, resolve issues quickly, and rebuild more efficiently. • Provide more flexibility in meeting disaster survivors' housing needs. • Simplify federal requirements for individuals and state, locals, and Indian tribal governments. • Help communities meet the needs of pets in disasters. • Increase transparency and oversight in the disaster assistance process. As NLC President Mark Stodola, mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, said after Senate passage, "Cities are the hubs of our national airport system, and the passage of this FAA bill under the leadership of Rep. Shuster and Sen. Thune will keep cities and our economy moving. With aviation funding secured for five years and plans for essential air service funding, airport improvement, drone integration and contract towers that reach rural areas, cities now have certainty on how to partner with the FAA to build up an airspace that meets our needs on the ground." The inclusion of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) in this FAA legislation was a win for cities on disaster preparedness and community resiliency. Cities across the country can now use these new tools to rebuild and to drive forward solutions for all American communities. https://citiesspeak.org/2018/10/05/4-unexpected-ways-congress-aviation-bill-impacts-cities/ Back to Top Southwest to build large maintenance facility at BWI Governor Larry Hogan and Maryland transportation leaders joined Gary Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for Southwest Airlines, to announce that Southwest plans to construct and operate a major aircraft maintenance facility at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The announcement that the airline's first maintenance facility in the Northeast will be located at BWI affirms Southwest's continued commitment to Maryland. The project is expected to create 450 constructions and maintenance jobs over the next three years, supporting hundreds of additional maintenance jobs over the next two decades. "For four years, our administration has been doing everything we can to showcase Maryland's incredible assets, which is why we are so fortunate to be home to the number one airport in the Washington-Baltimore region and to one of the best, most convenient, efficient, and thriving airports in the nation," said Governor Hogan. "We are proud to strongly support BWI and Southwest, and will continue to encourage the growth and success of this important partnership as we work hard to create the very best airport, highway system, Port, transit, and transportation infrastructure network in the nation." The proposed airline maintenance facility would include an approximately 130,000 square-foot maintenance hangar, aircraft parking apron, and office space. The facility could accommodate three aircraft, and the exterior apron space could support up to eight aircraft. Pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, the preliminary schedule calls for construction to begin in 2019, with a scheduled completion in late 2021. The total cost of the Southwest Maintenance Facility is $130 million, with $80 million from Southwest to build the maintenance facility and $50 million from MDOT Maryland Aviation Administration to build infrastructure improvements such as utility work and site preparation. "We continue to appreciate the great relationship with the state of Maryland and the Maryland Aviation Administration, and we thank them for the support over the past 25 years," said Southwest Airlines Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly. "This facility will be Southwest's first Maintenance Hangar in the Northeast and will support our more than 120 Technical Operations Employees with performing existing line maintenance work at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport." Southwest Airlines started service at BWI Marshall 25 years ago this week. The airline is the busiest at BWI Marshall, serving about 69 percent of the airport's passenger traffic. For calendar year 2017, Southwest Airlines flew nearly 18.2 million domestic and international passengers at BWI Marshall. The airport is the carrier's second-busiest overall in the Southwest system. According to the airline, there are 4,837 Southwest employees at BWI Marshall Airport. "As BWI Marshall Airport flies high with record passenger traffic and growing cargo shipments, we remain committed to providing customers and airline partners with outstanding service," said Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete K. Rahn. BWI Marshall remains the busiest airport in the Baltimore-Washington region. The airport has set three-straight annual passenger records. Through June 2018, BWI Marshall has set new monthly passenger records in 35 of the past 36 months. The airport produces a total economic impact of $9.3 billion. BWI Marshall and visitors generate and support more than 106,000 jobs throughout the region. "The growth of Southwest Airlines here over the past 25 years has been remarkable," said Ricky Smith, Executive Director of BWI Marshall Airport. "We thank our airline partner as we work together to support tourism, trade, and business development." https://www.eyeonannapolis.net/2018/10/southwest-to-build-large-maintenance-facility-at-bwi/ Back to Top Improving Engine Data Artificial intelligence and big data analysis promise a better way to operate and maintain aircraft and engines, we are often told. Yet it is sometimes overlooked that no matter how smart the algorithm, its output will always depend on the quality of the information it receives. In medical technology, for example, the precision of the measuring hardware is obviously crucial. How data is transmitted is also significant: even the most advanced 5G networks are not quick enough to enable large-scale networks of driverless cars without significant computing power in the car itself (and not in the cloud). Similar concerns apply to aviation, in particular the data that is applied to predictive maintenance and lifecycle analysis of engines. "Faster response times and accuracies directly facilitate improved, or more responsive controls and also allow monitoring systems to better evaluate system health," Scott Wright, a chief consulting engineer at GE Aviation, tells Engine Yearbook. All engine OEMs are investing in sensor technology, improvements of which include plug-and-play devices - self-powered devices that could be plugged in at a later stage in an engine's life and connected to the engine management unit (EMU) to record new parameters. Meanwhile, increasing satellite communication bandwidth for aircraft has raised the possibility of engine data being streamed to the ground continuously. However, the volume of raw data is much too large to transmit more than a fraction from the air. One solution is edge analytics for pre-transmission data processing. On-board the aircraft such software applies its own analytics to work out what data it wants to condense down and put into ACARS or other maintenance messages. To find out more about the future of engine sensors and data communication from aircraft, see the forthcoming Engine Yearbook 2019. https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/improving-engine-data Back to Top GE Aviation's Accelerator in Washington, D.C. Launches to Drive Efficiencies and Digital Transformation Today, GE Aviation's Accelerator opened to provide a place in the D.C., Virginia and Maryland area for hands-on collaboration with federal and defense customers to achieve mission-critical outcomes. The accelerator is an innovation space focused on using data and analytics with idea generation, incubation, and development for products and services. GE Aviation Chief Digital Officer John Mansfield officially opened the accelerator with Vice President of Software Research at GE's Global Research Center Colin Parris and GE Aviation President of Military Systems Tony Mathis. Technology partners participating in the event included Microsoft, Teradata, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, CACI, and VION. "GE Aviation's Accelerator in Washington, D.C. is home to software developers, architects, data scientists and domain experts with specific backgrounds in analytics, maintenance, and engines," says John Mansfield. "Building on the strong partnership we have with our customers will allow us to continue to share both our physics and digital-based capabilities, improving their asset availability, efficiency and operations." Through the partnership, data scientists, domain experts, software developers, and solution architects from GE will work together with Federal and Defense customers to distill some of the 10 billion data points produced by the defense sector annually into solutions that can achieve condition-based maintenance and connect disparate data sources. "GE Aviation's Accelerator is where digital and physical technologies come together in powerful ways to improve industrial operations of all kinds," said Colin Parris. "We're combining data, AI and our deep industry domain expertise into digital twins that provide unique insights and solutions to drive better mission-based outcomes for the military and for industry." "Digital transformation is a strategic imperative for aviation to stay competitive in today's ever-changing world," said Tony Mathis. "We're partnering with customers to bring real and tangible outcomes leading to increased readiness, affordability, mission effectiveness and operator safety." GE Aviation's Accelerator is located at the Warner Building, 1299 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 9th floor, Washington, D.C. The collaboration space is comprised of data scientists, engineers and UI/UX designers in the DMV area. GE Aviation's Accelerator in Washington, D.C. is their second collaboration space in the United States, with the first one in Austin, Texas, the headquarters for their Digital Solutions business. GE has similar spaces in Dubai and Munich. Today, more than 300 unique airlines, OEMs and business jet operators covering more than 10,000 aircraft are GE Aviation's Digital Solutions customers for services such as flight and fuel analytics, navigation services, operations management, and planning and recovery. Click here for a video on GE Aviation's Accelerator and here for video on how GE Aviation's digital solutions impact the future of air travel. https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12432412/ge-aviations-accelerator-in-washington-dc-launches-to-drive-efficiencies-and-digital-transformation Back to Top GAMA Celebrates National Manufacturing Day with Workforce Development Video Series Washington, DC -- The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) today announced the launch of its new video series about careers in the general aviation manufacturing and maintenance industry in conjunction with National Manufacturing Day, an annual celebration of modern manufacturing in the U.S. meant to inspire the next generation workforce. The launch video, entitled, "Manufacturing is Not an Assembly Line" features current employees of GAMA member companies discussing what modern general aviation manufacturing is, and their careers in an industry they say is high-tech, innovative and exciting. "Too often people think of a job in the manufacturing industry as entailing repetitive work requiring little skill with minimal opportunity for professional growth," said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce. "We hope that giving the public a behind-the-scenes look at our member companies and watching talented and enthusiastic industry professionals share their stories will shift people's perception and inspire them to consider a career in our dynamic industry." GAMA's workforce development series will feature nine total videos covering a range of themes that address common public perception misnomers, including how there is no typical day on the job, the innovation and creativity that is a part of the professionals' work and more. "This is one implement in our toolbox of initiatives and programs to address the looming workforce shortage so many of us are aware of, and the Boeing 2018 Pilot and Technician Outlook highlights," Bunce continued. "In combination with the GAMA Aviation Design Challenge, our internship and career database, our support of congressional workforce legislation and more, we hope to attract talent to our industry and alleviate the shortage." View the video. https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12432467/gama-celebrates-national-manufacturing-day-with-workforce-development-video-series Back to Top Nigeria: NCAA Directs Airlines to Submit Monthly Financial Reports To sustain flight safety and ensure that domestic carriers have robust financial status, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has started enforcement of economic regulation of the airlines. To this end, the agency has insisted that the operators must submit monthly financial report to the agency. NCAA explained that this is to ensure that airlines that do not have the funds to maintain their aircraft; pay their staff, renew insurance of their aircraft and have operation funds are not allowed to continue operation. It is also aimed at preventing possible air crash, as airlines that cannot sustain the airworthiness of their aircraft are not given start up to go into service. The Director General of NCAA, Captain Muhtar Usman, who made this known on Wednesday in Lagos, said the regulatory authority has directed all airlines to always submit their financial health report to it in order to ensure strict economic regulation of the sector. THISDAY learnt that NCAA had earlier warned airlines that delay the payment of their workers of possible sanction and has ensured that all operating airlines pay their workers in accordance to the strict regulations that guide operations of airlines in the industry. Also, to ensure aircraft that are not airworthy are not allowed to operate, NCAA grounds any aircraft that is due for maintenance checks and has refused to grant waivers to airlines to extend the maintenance dates. "This is to ensure that safety is not compromised and that Nigeria continues to maintain the good record of air safety, as the country has not recorded any major incident or accident involving commercial airliner since the past five years," Usman explained. The Director General also insisted that NCAA monitoring of the airlines is to ensure they meet their monthly financial obligations, including payment of charges for services rendered to them by the aviation agencies. He also argued that these charges, contrary to protests by airlines, are not as high as the operators purported them to be, noting that compared to other countries in the continent; the charges are uniform to what are paid in other countries in the region. "NCAA began the process of streamlining aviation charges recently, aviation charges in Nigeria are quite moderate comparable to other countries and there are some existing charges in other countries that are not applicable in Nigeria and this is not to overburden airlines. "Also, the NCAA directive is to the effect that airlines must render their monthly financial obligations in line with the provision of aviation regulations and they must submit financial health returns too", he said. Usman also disclosed that between January and June 2018, a total of 36 pilots were issued licences while 64 air traffic controllers' licences were renewed. According to him, 750 pilots got their medical and instruments renewed; there 23 foreign licences were converted, 242 cabin crew licence issued; 206 cabin crew medicals renewed, and 68 aircraft maintenance engineers were issued licences. Usman disclosed further that 20 aircraft were registered for commercial air transport; 10 aircraft were registered for general aviation operations; 10 aircraft were de-registered; 12 aircraft re-registered; 30 certificates of airworthiness were issued while the Authority renewed 85 certificates of airworthiness. Usman also told THISDAY that NCAA would continue to adhere to Cape Town Convention protocol which Nigeria is signatory to and which allows Nigerian airlines to lease aircraft from lessors with a proviso that the regulatory authority must recover the aircraft for the lessor if the airline reneges on the agreement. The Director General regretted that two airlines that went to court recently to stop lessors from taking over their aircraft after the airlines failed to abide by the agreement with the lessors, has damaged the image of the country. He noted that remarked that lessors are now reluctant to lease aircraft to Nigerian operators and when they do they hike the charges and the insurance premium, making it difficult for the airlines to pay for the lease and still operate profitably. https://allafrica.com/stories/201810050430.html Back to Top Morocco's Thriving Aeronautic Industry Attracts International Interest Since 2001, the Moroccan aeronautics sector has seen a remarkable and considerable growth. From 2001 to 2011, the number of companies active in the aeronautics industry increased from 10 to more than 100. Total employees increased from only 300 to more than 10,000 with a total sales of over $1 billion, according to the Moroccan Agency of Investment and Development (AMDI). In 2016, Morocco's Minister of Industry, Trade, Investment, and the Digital Economy Moulay Hafid Elalamy said, "The Moroccan aeronautics industry has seen ... huge growth these last few years. The sector has multiplied by six in 10 years." Morocco now has 130 aeronautics companies. Morocco's strategic location gives it access to Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of Africa. This advantage has made the North African country a favorite destination for big international aircraft manufacturers, such as Bombardier, Boeing, and Safran. In September 2016, the American Boeing company announced plans to create a "Boeingindustrial ecosystem" in Morocco to attract 120 suppliers for Morocco's aeronautics exports, generating $1 billion and creating more than 8,200 jobs. "Through our business in Casablanca, we have already seen with our own eyes the unique opportunities offered by Morocco to aeronautics subcontractors in terms of cost effectiveness, all while producing quality products," said Boeing Vice Chairman Raymond Conner. The Seattle-based aerospace company has settled in Morocco since 2001. Boeing also has a joint venture with France's Safran in Casablanca to build aerospace parts such as wire bundles and harnesses for aircraft makers like Boeing and Airbus. According to Safran's general delegate in Morocco, Hamid Benbrahim El Andaloussi, "Morocco is now regarded as one of the most aeronautical platforms in the region. It is, without question, the most competitive aeronautical base in the natural extension of Europe." Safran has been operating in Morocco for more than 15 years with more than 2,700 employees in seven companies and joint ventures. Safran's companies in Morocco involved in activities such as aeronautical cabling, thrust reversers and nacelles, engineering, and engineering maintenance. The company's employees are primarily young people in their 20s, of which 70 percent are young women. Women make up 40 percent of the managing staff. Bombardier has plans to invest $200 million in Morocco by 2020 and create 850 direct jobs and 4,400 indirect jobs. In July 2014, US-based Alcoa Aerospace also announced that "it would invest €4.6m in a production unit in Midparc specialising in fastening systems for the aerospace industry," reported Oxford Business Group. "Bombardier's Moroccan facility today produces wing components, slats, ailerons, winglets, flaps, fuselage parts, fuselages, nose extensions, doors, floors, nacelles, and subassemblies for various programs of regional aircraft and business jets," a Moroccan Bombardier spokeswoman told the aviation outlet AIN in July. Bombardier is the world's third-largest aerospace and transportation manufacturer, based in Montreal. In 2014, the company built an aerospace-manufacturing facility in Morocco. Great logistics, stable economic environment Morocco boasts of many economic free zones which provide an important platform for Morocco's growing aeronautics sector. These include Casablanca's Aeropole Nouaceur and Midparc free zones, in addition to zones with aerospace facilities in Tangier; Kenitra, north of Rabat; Oujda, in northeast Morocco; and Sale, near Rabat. Midparc's Director General Aref Hassani told Morocco World News that there are 16 companies such as Hexcel, Stelia (an Airbus company), Arconic (an Alcoa company), Eaton, and Thaler which are operational in the Midparc free zone, in addition to 2 companies "under study before construction." Hassani added that among the 16 companies, 12 are French, 3 are American, and 1 is Canadian. Foreign direct investment website fDi Intelligence ranked Casablanca among the 15 aerospace cities of the future in 2016, and 6th in the top 10 aerospace cities "in terms of cost-effectiveness." Morocco is situated only 14 kilometers south of Europe, across the Mediterranean, with much lower labor costs. According to Midparc, Morocco is a "competitive platform for export" with an average monthly wage of $327, which is "almost ten times lower than in Spain." In its 2018 Investment Climate Statement, the US Department of State wrote, "Morocco enjoys political stability, robust infrastructure, and a strategic location, which are helping it emerge as a regional manufacturing and export base for international companies." In the World Bank's most recent Doing Business report for 2018, Morocco ranked 69th worldwide. Morocco scored 67.91 points with a more favorable business climate than that of neighboring countries in North Africa, such as Tunisia (88th), Egypt (128th), and Algeria (166th). The report also stated that Morocco's scoring enabled it to rise to the third position in the MENA region behind the UAE (21st) and Bahrain (66th). Among African countries, Morocco also took third place, behind Mauritius (25th) and Rwanda (41st). Training centers to meet needs of aeronautics industry Training centers are part of Morocco's plan to boost its attractiveness for aeronautical industry investments. Morocco boasts of an Aeronautics Professions Institute (IMA), which the Group of Moroccan Aviation and Aerospace Industrialists (GIMAS) established in partnership with the Moroccan government. The center, near Casablanca's international airport, was inaugurated in 2011 and provides Moroccan aeronautical companies with a skilled workforce and human resources. Before 2011, Morocco never had any specialized centers for training technicians and operators , said El Andaloussi, president of IMA. "IMA's medium-term objective is to train 800 persons per year in aviation and aerospace professions thanks to a tool of international standards in place as a result of a partnership between GIMAS, the UIMM (Union of Metallurgical Profession Industries) and the state of Morocco," Midparc said. In September, Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani inaugurated the Moroccan Private Aviation Academy (MAPA) in Benslimane, near Rabat. El Othmani said that the school will meet the growing needs of the aviation industry and will train pilots and aviation maintenance technicians. MAPA received the national license for airline pilot training and the EASA European Approval for Aircraft Maintenance Technicians. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/10/254695/moroccos-thriving-aeronautic-industry-attracts-international-interest/ Back to Top SPACEX STICKS ITS LANDING AFTER A SHOWY CALIFORNIA LAUNCH "The Falcon has landed." As SpaceX declared victory on its live webcast, cheers erupted on a southern California hilltop, where a group of watchers had gathered to witness the company's latest rocket launch (and landing). SpaceX had just achieved another first: touching down a rocket on California soil. Until now, the company's West Coast landings had all taken place on the deck of the company's drone ship, Just Read the Instructions. But following its carefully choreographed orbital gymnastics, the Falcon 9's first stage booster stuck its landing in the center of LZ-4, SpaceX's new landing pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Minutes earlier, the Falcon 9 rocket had leapt off the pad, tasked with delivering Argentina's newest Earth-observing satellite-SAOCOMM-1A- into space. Without a single cloud in the night sky, the Falcon's pyrotechnics were on full display. Exhaust from the rocket undulated through the atmosphere like ripples across a pond. Residents across the state caught sight of the unusual light show, as portions of the rocket's flight were illuminated by the last bits of light lingering from a sun that had already set. The rocket that starred in tonight's spectacular launch was the second of SpaceX's next-generation Falcon 9, dubbed the Block 5, to refly. The veteran flyer had first delivered 10 Iridium NEXT communications satellites into orbit on July 25. Following that flight, the booster had landed safely at sea, before getting hauled back to land. Now it stands tall atop LZ-4. Following a rocket launch, the company has two options for recovering boosters: returning to land, using a specially constructed landing pad, or touching down at sea, on the deck of one of the company's two drone ships. The option SpaceX picks depends largely on the rocket's payload. Returning to land requires more fuel than lowering onto a drone ship, so launches that use up lots of propellant during ascent (typically larger, heavier payloads) usually have to land in the ocean. But lighter payloads, like this one bound for low-Earth orbit, have plenty of fuel reserves left to trek back to land. Tonight's flight marked the 30th landing for SpaceX out of 62 total launches-only 12 of which have been on land. This is the first time a rocket has landed on solid ground in California. Previously, SpaceX's ground landings all occurred at the company's busiest launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida, where SpaceX has a pair of launch and landing pads. But SpaceX has been wanting to do ground landings out of its Vandenberg facilities, dubbed Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4 for short). Originally home to Titan missiles, SLC-4 is actually two launch sites in one. Split up into two parts-east and west-SpaceX leases both and uses one for launching and one for landing. Though SpaceX appears to have mastered the art of booster landing, each attempt still presents a challenge, especially when the landing pad is mere feet away from the launch pad. If something were to go awry, it could be a very bad day for SpaceX. Despite the tricky landing, SpaceX made it look easy as the Falcon stuck its landing as planned. With the success of tonight's landing, SpaceX won't have to rely solely on its drone ship to recover boosters shot from its West Coast facilities. Land landings reduce post-launch processing times, nudging SpaceX closer to its goal of sending a rocket back to space within 24 hours. In addition to reusing first stage boosters, SpaceX has been working towards recovering and reusing the rocket's nose cone. Unfortunately, any hopes of recovering a fairing tonight were thwarted by rough seas. The company's fairing-retrieval vessel, Mr. Steven, was forced to warm the bench. But the good news is that Mr. Steven won't be sidelined for long. SpaceX still has a few more West Coast launches on the docket this year, and a few more chances for Mr. Steven to snag the ultimate prize: a fairing. https://www.wired.com/story/spacex-sticks-its-landing-after-a-showy-california-launch/ Curt Lewis