Flight Safety Information December 26, 2018 - No. 261 In This Issue Incident: S7 E170 at Novosibirsk on Dec 24th 2018, could not retract landing gear Incident: VietJet A320 near Taipei on Dec 24th 2018, cargo smoke indication EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Incident: Krasavia AN24 at Vanavara on Dec 25th 2018, runway excursion on landing Beechcraft 1900C - Runway Incursion (Canada) Drone in near miss with RAF JET: Tornado travelling at 520mph in Suffolk risked crash Russian pilots navigated plane that overshot runway in DR Congo Hot-air balloon gas tanks catch fire, passengers race to safety (Australia) AAIB seeks NTSB help in probing IndiGo mid-air engine smoke incident (India) Dutch Consider Taking Russia to Court Over Downing of Jet Over Ukraine Airlines may witness more low fuel incidents due to archaic data for diversion fuel requirements (India) Pilots will be required to take post-flight alcohol tests (Japan) JAL probe finds flight attendant consumed alcohol while on duty Hong Kong Airlines Suffers From Wave of Resignations Air Mauritius, Three African Airlines in Talks to Form Alliance Position Available: Manager, Corporate Safety Position Available: Deputy Director of Safety Incident: S7 E170 at Novosibirsk on Dec 24th 2018, could not retract landing gear A S7 Sibir Airlines Embraer ERJ-170, registration VQ-BYB performing flight S7-3051 from Novosibirsk to Nizhnevartovsk (Russia) with 67 passengers and 4 crew, could not retract the landing gear after departure from Novosibirsk and returned to Novosibirsk for a safe landing. West Siberia's Investigation Department of Transport opened an investigation into the incident. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c207cc6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: VietJet A320 near Taipei on Dec 24th 2018, cargo smoke indication A Vietjet Airbus A320-200, registration VN-A696 performing flight VJ-861 from Seoul (South Korea) to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), was enroute at FL340 about 150nm northeast of Taipei (Taiwan) when the crew received a cargo smoke indication and decided to divert to Taipei for a safe landing on runway 05R about 35 minutes later. Attending emergency services found no trace of fire, heat or smoke. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 4:20 hours, then departed again and reached Ho Chi Minh City with a delay of 5 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c207f45&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Incident: Krasavia AN24 at Vanavara on Dec 25th 2018, runway excursion on landing A Krasavia Antonov AN-24, flight K9-53 from Krasnojarsk to Vanavara (Russia) with 39 passengers and 3 crew, landed in Vanavara at 13:34L (06:34Z) but veered left off the runway and came a stop after colliding with a snow bank. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained damage to the left propeller. West Siberia's Investigation Department for Transport reported opened a procedural check and audit on the occurrence. http://avherald.com/h?article=4c207b54&opt=0 Back to Top Beechcraft 1900C - Runway Incursion (Canada) Date: 12-DEC-2018 Time: Type: Beechcraft 1900C Owner/operator: Pacific Coastal Airlines Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 21 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Trail Regional Airport, BC (YZZ) - Canada Phase: Landing Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Vancouver International Airport, BC (CYVR) Destination airport: Trail Regional Airport, BC (YZZ) Narrative: On 12 December 2018, a Beechcraft 1900C aircraft operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines departed Vancouver International Airport for Trail Regional Airport, British Columbia, with 2 crew members and 19 passengers on board. While the aircraft was conducting an approach to land on Runway 16 at the Trail airport, an airport vehicle was performing an inspection of the same runway. The vehicle was able to get to the main apron just before the aircraft reached the runway/taxiway intersection, thereby avoiding a collision. There was no damage to the aircraft. No injuries were reported. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=220034 Back to Top Drone in near miss with RAF JET: Tornado travelling at 520mph in Suffolk risked crash An RAF jet came within metres of hitting a drone being flown by a farmer near an airbase, a report has revealed. The Tornado jet was travelling at almost 520mph when it passed the drone at a distance of just 22m. The jet, which was flying 10 miles from RAF Wattisham, Suffolk, did not see the smaller flying object, which was being used for an agricultural survey. The remote-controlled aircraft was at an altitude of 100m, while the jet was at around 122m at the time. Reporting the incident, the drone pilot said there was a high risk of collision. According to the Civil Aviation Authority - who produced the report - safety "had been much reduced" by the near-miss on July 4. The drone pilot said there was a high risk of collision (Image: SWNS) The report said the proximity of the two aircraft, and the fact the pilot wasn't able to see the drone, resulted in "a significant and largely unmitigated safety risk". It recommended that RAF Air Command use a system to be informed of anyone operating commercial drones near the base. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1063567/drone-news-RAF-jet-tornado-suffolk-rad-wattisham-drone-law Back to Top Russian pilots navigated plane that overshot runway in DR Congo The plane had 68 passengers on board, 40 were injured PRETORIA, December 25. /TASS/. A transport plane that overshot the runway in the east of the Democractic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday was navigated by Russian pilots, Russia's ambassador to the country, Alexei Sentebov, told TASS on Tuesday. "Russian citizens were in control of the plane, but, according to our information, they received no serious injuries," the Russian diplomat said. The plane had 68 passengers on board, most of them were DRC servicemen. A military spokesperson earlier said the plane "overshot [the runway] while landing." As a result, 40 people were injured, eight of them seriously. "Russian pilots arrive to work in DRC not in some official capacity, but as private citizens, and not all of them apply for being registered with the consular department. Therefore, we have no information on how many Russians are currently employed with local companies and, quite often, we learn about such incidents only from representatives of those companies," Sentebov said. This is the second major air incident involving Russian pilots in DRC in less than a week. Last Thursday, a Gomair An-26 plane that was engaged to take electoral materials to Congo's regions ahead of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections crashed when it was on its way back to Kinshasa from Tshikapa. There were 23 people aboard the plane, including the Russian crew. Seven people died, including three crew members. On December 21, Russia's embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed the death of three Russian pilots - Ivan Masalov (born in 1955), Alexander Kretov (born in 1954) and Yevgeny Tarasov (born in 1959). Their relatives have submitted visa applications and are expected to arrive in Kinshasa soon. It is still unclear, whether the pilots had the insurance that would cover the expenses of transporting their bodies to Russia. If not, their employer Gomair will have to defray those costs. http://tass.com/emergencies/1037892 Back to Top Hot-air balloon gas tanks catch fire, passengers race to safety (Australia) A hot-air balloon caught fire as it was taking off in the Yarra Ranges north-east of Melbourne.CREDIT:NINE NEWS A hot-air balloon caught fire Wednesday morning as it was taking off in the Yarra Ranges, north-east of Melbourne. It is understood the balloon landed with its gas tanks ablaze in a paddock off Cahillton Road in Gruyere, near Coldstream. 15 passengers on a balloon in the Yarra Ranges were forced to evacuate after a fire broke out. The Country Fire Authority were called to the scene just after 6am. Footage taken from inside the basket showed one of the beams that connected it with the balloon had caught fire. A person can then be seen trying to douse the flames with an extinguisher. Six fire trucks responded and were able to put the fire out. Firefighters were still on the scene more than an hour later. Footage shows the charred remains of the balloon's basket scattered over a patch of burnt-out grass. The yellow and red balloon is branded with the name of an Alice Springs-based company, Outback Ballooning, but is believed to have been bought by Coldstream-based company Go Wild Ballooning a few years ago. It is unclear at this stage what sparked the fire. A 27-year-old woman has been taken to Maroondah Hospital for observation. Police confirmed up to 15 people who were aboard the balloon evacuated the basket. All are believed to be safe. A hot air balloon has landed and its gas tanks are on fire however the approximate dozen people onboard appear to have evacuated the basket safely. A police spokeswoman said there were no reports of other injuries and investigators were probing the cause of the fire. Damien Crock, a spokesman for the Victorian hot-air balloon industry, said the pilot was extremely experienced and had been able to land "safely and calmly". "The pilot of this aircraft did an awesome job under really difficult circumstances," Mr Crock said. He said he was unable to comment further on the incident, citing an ongoing investigation, but confirmed a report would be lodged with the Air Transport Safety Bureau. Last week another hot-air balloon became tangled in a tree in Eltham in Melbourne's north-east. Three couples got engaged on that early-morning ride, before the balloon was caught by the tree. In February this year, seven people were taken to hospital after another Go Wild Ballooning hot air balloon landed heavily in Dixons Creek, 45 kilometres north-east of Melbourne, following extreme wind. But Mr Crock said hot-air balloons remained one the safest types of aircraft available. He said pilots were put through rigorous training before being allowed to obtain their licence. Commercial balloon pilots and companies are also registered with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and companies must hold air operator certificates, which are renewed every three years following audits. "There can be technical issues with any type of aviation," he said. "But the safety record of the hot-air ballooning industry remains outstanding in Australia. "It safely carries 250,000-plus people per annum, it's an integral part of the national tourism landscape. It's one of the simplest and safest forms of aircraft and it operates in harmony with nature." https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/hot-air-balloon-gas-tanks-catch-fire-passengers-race-to-safety-20181226-p50o88.html Back to Top Back to Top AAIB seeks NTSB help in probing IndiGo mid-air engine smoke incident (India) MUMBAI: Aircraft accident probe agency AAIB has sought assistance from its US counterpart NTSB in investigating the incident of an IndiGo plane's Pratt & Whitney engine emitting smoke mid-air, a senior official said Tuesday. The incident, which took place in the A320 neo aircraft operating the Jaipur-Kolkata flight on December 10, is also the first time globally that smoke was detected from a P&W engine. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which has refuted allegations that it was going slow with the probe, is already pursuing the matter with Airbus and P&W. "In this case, AAIB is sending this engine to M/s P&W facility for detailed investigation and is seeking assistance from NTSB, USA also," a senior AAIB official told PTI. Responding to queries about the incident, wherein the plane made an emergency landing at Kolkata airport, the official also said the "question of hushing it (the probe) up doesn't arise at all". While cooperation between civil aviation authorities and regulators is a regular practice, it is not common for AAIB to seek inputs from the NTSB as part of a probe into an incident. The National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) is tasked with investigating all aircraft crashes in the US and those overseas, involving US aircraft, among other responsibilities. P&W engines, powering A320 neo planes, have been facing glitches and in the past many months, some of the planes were grounded due to engine woes. An industry source on Monday claimed that AAIB mid-way changed the probe team and brought an official, whose integrity has come under question in the past allegedly to cover up the probe. Both, the Civil Aviation Ministry and IndiGo denied the allegations. "There is no question of any probe being hushed up. On the contrary, the AAIB is pursuing the matter with Airbus and Pratt & Whitney for assessing the reasons and recommending remedial measures," Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey told PTI on Monday. Investigation are still underway and as a responsible corporate representing the Indian aviation industry, IndiGo will never influence any authority in its on-going investigation, the airline told PTI on Monday. Notably, IndiGo had downplayed the incident saying in a statement that the flight "made an emergency landing as a precaution due to a suspected smoke in cabin". The source had also alleged that as per the the AAIB procedure manual only the officer who has visited the spot should be made the investigating officer but in this particular case "neither the DG nor the senior official who had accompanied him are investigating officers of the case". Stating that the aviation regulator DGCA and DG AAIB called all stakeholders operating neo engines for a meeting immediately after this incident , the AAIB official said that as per settled practice, an officer from DGCA regional office is the first to reach the site of occurrence. "Subsequently, based on their initial assessment, if required, AAIB takes over the investigation. In this case, the Bureau chief went to Kolkatta." Defending the "credentials" of the chief investigator in the probe, the official said that the AAIB chief is also part of the investigation and the probe was being conducted in a "fair and transparent" manner. In India, two budget carriers - IndiGo and GoAir - operate P&W engine-powered Airbus A320 planes, while Air India and Vistara, which also operate these latest single-aisle planes, have CFM engines. However, the P&W engines-run aircraft have been confronting with glitches every now and then since their induction in the fleet by the two operators in 2016 with several instances of mid-air engine shut downs. But the US engine maker has failed to come up with any tangible solution to fix these glitches so far despite frequent grounding of these planes and passengers safety at risk. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/aaib-seeks-ntsb-help-in-probing-indigo-mid-air-engine-smoke-incident/articleshow/67243137.cms Back to Top Dutch Consider Taking Russia to Court Over Downing of Jet Over Ukraine The Netherlands is considering referring Russia to an international court after reaching an impasse with the Kremlin over responsibility for shooting down a civilian airliner over Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people, many of them Dutch citizens. In a letter delivered to the Dutch Parliament on Thursday morning, the country's foreign minister, Stef Blok, said that Russia had rebuffed all efforts to start negotiations on a possible settlement or compensation for the victims of the 2014 attack on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and that the government was considering "potential next steps" including "submitting the matter to an international court or organization." The Netherlands and Australia, whose citizens made up a large number of the victims, made "several requests to Russia through diplomatic channels to engage in formal meetings on this matter, with a view to establishing the truth and achieving justice and accountability for the victims and their next of kin," Mr. Blok wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The New York Times. The diplomatic efforts, he said, have not produced negotiations "concerning Russia's responsibility," though the Dutch government remains open to dialogue should the Kremlin wish to come to the table. Russia has denied any involvement in the attack, and Western allies have accused the Kremlin of trying to thwart the investigation through cyberattacks and a disinformation campaign. Though Dutch authorities have not yet decided on a precise plan of action, the letter is a clear indication of their frustration with Russia. Any effort to seek accountability through an institution like the International Criminal Court would take years, if not decades, though the mere threat may incense Russia. When Mr. Blok first challenged Russia to accept responsibility in May, he described the reaction of his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, as "quite abrasive." That was around the time an international consortium of prosecutors determined that the Russian military had supplied the missile that shot down the airliner. The missile, part of a Buk antiaircraft system, belonged to the 53rd Antiaircraft Brigade based in the Russian city of Kursk, and was transported from Russia to eastern Ukraine during a period when pro-Russian rebels there were sustaining heavy losses from Ukrainian airstrikes, the prosecutors found. The war between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists has now dragged on for nearly five years, at the cost of more than 10,000 lives. Though the eastern provinces of Ukraine have become virtual no-go zones for outsiders, in July 2014 the region was still a busy, east-west corridor for civilian air traffic. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, when it was hit by the missile and broke up in midair, scattering debris and bodies over wheat fields below. Almost immediately, suspicion fell on Russian-backed separatists. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released audio of a phone call, made right after the plane was downed, in which a separatist commander told a Russian military intelligence official, "We have just shot down a plane." https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/world/europe/russia-mh17-netherlands-victims.html Back to Top Airlines may witness more low fuel incidents due to archaic data for diversion fuel requirements (India) There can be a finite amount of fuel in the tanks of an aircraft and the minimum required to commence a flight is defined in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 6 document and DGCA regulations. Over the years we have witnessed increased incidents of low fuel scenarios. These could be a result of a combination of a number of factors. The actual minimum fuel requirements defined by the ICAO/DGCA may be sufficient if the present accident rate is accepted. Europe has a stringent requirement of keeping the accident rate below 20%, which translates to less than one accident per ten million commercial flights, keeping the growth rate until year 2050. Studies in Europe show the current fuel policy is not sufficient to guarantee the long-term safety target for Europe. The very competitive situation in the airline market incentivizes the use of creative interpretation and circumnavigation of existing requirements in order to achieve small cost reductions by decreasing the fuel uplift. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that airlines under high cost pressure will use strategies to reduce the arrival fuel as much as possible, if legally permissible. For example, in Europe regularly using the alternate fuel to cover expected delays during the flight is not desirable, but is also not illegal under current legislation. Today, fuel emergencies already occur and the probability is high, particularly when air traffic is affected by external disturbances, such as thunderstorms or unexpected traffic congestion. Current regulations stating that the Final Reserve Fuel which is the fuel required to hold over the alternate after a diversion from the destination, must allow for 30 min of flight time cannot guarantee that an averagely performing flight crew will successfully handle complex failure scenarios. Given the relatively low complexity of first and second generation jet aircraft compared to today's aircraft, ensuring that additional time is available to handle a technical problem was considered less important. At that point in time (50 years ago), the complexity levels of abnormal or emergency procedures were relatively small. Also, the total number of flights only amounted to 5% of today's traffic (ICAO, 2016 data). Therefore, severe traffic congestion at airports was nonexistent. The question now arises as to whether the requirement on Final Reserve Fuel is still up to date, or whether the complexity and length of abnormal procedures, the traffic volume and today's safety targets requires a modification. The Safety Management Manual (SMM) published by the ICAO requires airlines to identify hazards and unsafe conditions, so-called emerging risks, that have not yet caused an incident or accident (ICAO, Annex19, SMM). Emerging risks should be reviewed and, if necessary, corrective actions have to be defined to take control of these emerging risks (ICAO SMM). This is achieved by performing quantitative risk assessments, including studies and experiments. The risk assessments must demonstrate that a proposed change in the aviation system does not increase the probability of an accident. Studies show that the average time to handle a complex failure in a modern jet aircraft is 26 minutes. This, along with the complexities in the air traffic congestion and other peculiarities of the airport and approach aids can lead to a fuel starvation. Fuel starvation scenario With a remaining period of 30 min, as specified by the current fuel regulations, 18% of the crews (see right y-axis) within an error interval of [10%; 40%] would not have had enough time to handle the problem. An error interval of 3 min is considered, indicated by the red and green error bars, to account for uncertainties: firstly, there may be a discrepancy between the indicated fuel and the usable fuel, which are roughly 3 min flight time (Langton et al., 2009). In the past, engine flameouts have been observed before the fuel quantity indication showed zero (CIAIAC, 2010). Secondly, regarding traffic at major airports, the route to the airport or speeds assigned by ATC may not correspond to the planned optimum, which is the basis for fuel calculation. By contrast, with 45 min of available flight time, the probability of fuel starvation is reduced to approximately 2%, a reduction of around 90%, assuming that complex Failure does not change. Cost impact of the higher fuel requirement has also been analysed. The extension of the final fuel reserve from 30 min to 45 min is a highly cost effective measure for mixed operations, and would even be more effective when considering short-haul flights alone. From the ecological aspect of carbon footprint, in the long run, the additional emissions are compensated by the latest aircraft generation like the B787 and A320 NEO that promise up to 20% less fuel burn. The study concludes that an increase in the final reserve fuel from the current 30 minutes of hold fuel at the alternate to 45 minutes is highly desirable to ensure the acceptable level of safety. This caters for the growth in air traffic, increased complexity of the failures aboard aircrafts as compared to the 50 year old data used for drafting the current requirement, cost factor and ecological impact. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/mindfly/airlines-may-witness-more-low-fuel-incidents-due-to-archaic-data-for-diversion-fuel-requirements/ Back to Top Pilots will be required to take post-flight alcohol tests (Japan) Transport ministry officials inspect Japan Airlines Co.'s office at Tokyo's Haneda Airport in November. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) The transport ministry will require domestic airline pilots to undergo post-duty alcohol tests to ensure they have not cheated in the pre-boarding screening process or consumed booze during the flights, an interim report showed Dec. 25 The measure will start by the end of March. The ministry has been considering new rules since a co-pilot for Japan Airlines Co. was arrested at Heathrow Airport in London in October after failing a sobriety test before a flight to Tokyo. He had apparently cheated on an in-house breath-alcohol test also attended by his colleagues. The report also says all tests must use sophisticated breath-alcohol devices. Pilots employed by foreign airlines and those who fly private aircraft will not be subject to the mandatory alcohol tests, but they may face unannounced testing during the ministry's on-the-spot inspections. The ministry has already announced a blanket guideline that limits all pilots, including those working for foreign airlines and those licensed to fly only private aircraft, to 0.09 milligram of alcohol per 1 liter of breath. But the rules will be stricter for pilots of the 67 domestic airlines. They will be prohibited from flying if any trace of alcohol is detected in the tests. http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201812260029.html Back to Top JAL probe finds flight attendant consumed alcohol while on duty, citing empty mini-bottle of Champagne An internal probe at Japan Airlines Co. has concluded that a female flight attendant who tested positive for alcohol last week had consumed alcohol while on duty, the airline said Tuesday. The cabin attendant tested positive in two Breathalyzer tests conducted after a colleague noticed that her breath smelled of alcohol during a Tokyo-Honolulu flight, and she was removed from duty for the remainder of the flight, JAL said. "An unserved (6 ounce or 200 ml) bottle of Champagne for premium economy was found empty in the galley area," JAL said in a release, citing that fact as one basis for the conclusion. The probe also revealed that a total of three crew members had smelled alcohol on her breath, and four reported unusual behavior, while a similar report about her smelling of alcohol was made in November last year. No alcohol was detected in a pre-flight Breathalyzer test but the two tests aboard the flight recorded 0.15 milligrams and 0.1 mg of alcohol per liter of breath. JAL sets a limit of 0.1 mg per liter for pilots. President Yuji Akasaka and Eri Abe, the head of the cabin attendants division, will each take a salary deduction for one month, 20 and 10 percent respectively, to take responsibility for the incident, the airline said. Recently a series of drinking-related incidents have occurred involving JAL. The airline received a business improvement order from the transport ministry last Friday - its first since 2005 - after one of its pilots was convicted in the U.K. for heavy drinking that delayed a London-Tokyo flight. The airline said on Thursday that another pilot had evaded Breathalyzer tests prior to flights over 100 times since last year. Alcohol tests are currently not mandatory in Japan and the nation's airlines set their own regulations. After the recent revelation of drinking-related incidents at JAL and some other Japanese airlines, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has decided to mandate alcohol tests for pilots and set legal limits. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/12/26/national/jal-probe-finds-flight-attendant-consumed-alcohol-duty-citing-empty-mini-bottle-champagne/#.XCNx0VVKiUk Back to Top Hong Kong Airlines Suffers From Wave of Resignations A Hong Kong Airlines A350 at LAX (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson) Hong Kong Airlines has continued its ongoing tumultuous wave of resignations, ranging from the Chief Financial Officer and six directors who have left the airline since July. In response to the recent incidents, the airline reiterated that "Hong Kong Airlines is operated by an independent Hong Kong-based management. The recent change to Hong Kong Airlines board of directors does not impact our business and operations. We have recruited leaders to join our management team." Hong Kong's Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) said it has been following up on the financial situation of Hong Kong Airlines and its request to explain the situation. Under government regulations, Hong Kong Airlines is required to submit annual audited financial statement for review by ATLA. "As a private company, Hong Kong Airlines does not disclose its financial performance publicly nor comment on market rumors or media speculation," the airline said on Friday. Hong Kong's local media have widely reported that the airline is struggling to repay $575 million in bonds by January 20. The airline has a fleet of 38 Airbus aircraft and is owned by China's HNA group. The cash-strapped group has continued to offload some assets to pay off significant debt, accumulated through its purchase of many international assets. In addition, Hong Kong-based low-cost carrier Hong Kong Express is affiliated with HNA. Nevertheless, Airbus has resumed delivering aircraft to the cash-strapped group after the payment row. According to Reuters, earlier this year, the transaction of six A330 jets worth over $1 billion has been held after six months of talks. HNA-affiliated affected carriers include Hainan Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines and Tianjin Airlines. Also, HNA's flagship Hainan Airlines, Lucky Air and Beijing Capital Airlines had missed some payments, with Tianjin Airlines seeking to extend the term for payment due this year as well. HNA was founded in 1993, quickly growing from a regional airline to a Chinese conglomerate. Following several years of a spending spree, the group became Deutsche Bank and hotel chain Hilton's largest shareholder. In the meantime, the rapid expansion caused the group to become heavily indebted. As of Jun. 30, the total debt of HNA was nearly $95 million. https://airlinegeeks.com/2018/12/25/hong-kong-airlines-suffers-from-wave-of-resignations/ Back to Top Air Mauritius, Three African Airlines in Talks to Form Alliance South African Airways, Kenya Airways Plc, Air Mauritius Ltd. and RwandAir are in talks to create an alliance, as they face mounting competition. "Air Mauritius took the initiative to join forces with three other African airlines in a bid to create an alliance that would develop air connectivity in the region," Chief Executive Officer Somas Appavou said Wednesday. "In a highly competitive environment, this alliance would allow the potential partners to create a consolidated network using the individual strength of each airline to offer passenger better choice and flexibility." The talks come at a time when Kenya Airways is going through a restructuring after reporting loses for three consecutive years. In November 2017, the Kenyan government and lenders agreed to convert $405.3 million owed by the carrier into equity, giving the state a controlling stake and diluting other shareholders, including Air France-KLM. Last month, Air Mauritius reported a first-half loss of 17.7 million euros ($20.2 million). South African Airways received an unsolicited 21 billion-rand ($1.4 billion) loan offer in return for a 51 percent stake in the cash-strapped state-owned carrier, City Press reported Dec. 23. RwandAir is prioritizing adding new routes and overhauling its existing fleet over short-term profitability as the state-owned airline focuses on supporting the country's growing tourism industry. "As an alliance, the partner airlines would also benefit from synergies in areas like maintenance, knowledge sharing and training while they will also have an edge in procurement activities," Appavou said in response to questions. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-26/air-mauritius-three-african-airlines-in-talks-to-form-alliance Back to Top Manager, Corporate Safety • This position reports to the General Manager - Corporate Safety and has the following responsibilities: o Responsible for managing and developing one or more direct reports o Responsible for the daily management and oversight of the Occupational Safety Management System o Thorough knowledge of regulatory compliance in order to ensure training is accurate and efficient o Act as the corporate point of contact for all OSHA employee complaints, fatalities, serious injuries, investigations, and citations , including investigating the incident, developing corrective actions with the operating division/station, and corresponding with OSHA officials o Report on Delta's safety performance to senior leaders o Maintain the corporate-level OSHA injury database o Work with the operating divisions through Safety Roundtables, monthly meetings, etc to review performance against goals, discuss program changes o Represent Delta externally on safety-related, industry associations o Track occupational safety regulatory requirements and update the Safety Policies and Procedures manual accordingly o Communicate corporate-wide, through newsletters, corporate website, safety bulletins etc. on workplace hazards, regulatory changes, significant issues in other airlines • Bachelors degrees required (safety disciple preferred) • 5 years working experience in a safety discipline • Thorough knowledge of a part 121 airline • Knowledge of OSHA regulations and application to part 121 operations • Experience conducting accident/incident investigations • Ability to work with all divisions and levels • Must have strong verbal and writing skills • Must be able to effectively work with standard Microsoft office products • Must be performing satisfactorily in present position APPLY HERE Helicopter Association International (HAI) is dedicated to providing its members with services that directly benefit their operations, and to advancing the international helicopter community by providing programs that enhance safety, encourage professionalism and economic viability while promoting the unique contributions vertical flight offers society. HAI has more than 3,800 member organizations and annually produces HAI HELI-EXPO®, the world's largest trade show and exposition dedicated to helicopters. Position: Deputy Director of Safety Overview: The Deputy Director of Safety is responsible for supporting the association's existing aviation safety programs and developing new safety initiatives to benefit HAI's membership. Essential Functions of the Position Include, but Are Not Limited To: • Providing auxiliary support to the Director of Safety • Serving as the HAI safety representative on various industry, government, and international boards, task forces, and meetings • Providing feedback for the association's response to proposed safety-related regulations and legislative initiatives • Collecting, researching, and analyzing safety and accident data for subsequent statistical reporting • Developing and implementing new HAI industry safety initiatives • Routinely interacting with aviation related agencies and organizations in support of the rotorcraft industry • Supporting all aspects of HAI's accreditation programs (IS-BAO & HAI APS) that assist helicopter operators in reducing incidents and accidents, while improving industry safety culture • Providing safety supervision for flight activities at the association's annual trade show and exposition, HAI HELI-EXPO® • Responding to requests for rotorcraft safety assistance from HAI members and the general public • Serving as staff liaison for assigned HAI committees • Contributing content for use in HAI's printed and electronic publications • Making safety presentations on behalf of HAI as necessary • Other duties as assigned The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Desired Qualifications for the Position Include: • College or advanced degree related to aviation safety and/or management • Five or more years of related helicopter safety background, training, and experience • Certificated helicopter pilot and/or maintenance technician • Previous experience with helicopter or other aviation-related organization • Prior international experience preferred • Experience with auditing protocols and accreditation programs • A passionate commitment to the promotion of helicopter safety • Highly motivated, able to work independently and in a team environment • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with prior experience in creating and delivering written proposals and public presentations • Research, data analysis, and report writing experience • Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite • Detail oriented, self-starter, with strong organizational and time management skills • Ability to travel The above qualifications are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position. Curt Lewis