Flight Safety Information November 4, 2019 - No. 226 In This Issue Incident: Lufthansa E190 near near Krakow on Nov 3rd 2019, hydraulic problem Incident: China Southern A320 at Shijiazhuang on Nov 2nd 2019, nose gear problem on landing Incident: Indigo A20N at Chennai on Nov 1st 2019, cargo smoke indication EVAS - Cockpit Smoke Protection Boeing 777-3SBER - Fire Onboard (Japan) Deformation found in nose landing gear in preliminary report on jet crash landing at RSW 'ICAO should not leave Taiwan behind': transportation minister Airlines Will Prove to Public 737 MAX Is Safe Before Returning to Service: WSJ The Water on These Airlines Is so Bad You Shouldn't Even Wash Your Hands With It, Study Finds Hawaiian Airlines Flight Turns Around due to Cabin Fumes Alaska's aviation average is deadlier than national norms DLR and FAA are cooperating for the integration of commercial spaceflight into the air transport systrm Unqualified Passenger Allegedly Took Control Of A Passenger Flight Over Russia Hong Kong Airlines to cut Los Angeles route amid financial concerns Hyderabad International Airport starts three-month body scanner trial (India) Ryanair says 'real risk' it will have no MAX aircraft to fly next summer Airbus Lines Up More Than 400 A320neo-Family Orders: Building Them Will Be Tougher Call for ban on UK private jets by 2025 as flight traffic soars Boeing readies Starliner capsule for critical launch abort test CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT Incident: Lufthansa E190 near near Krakow on Nov 3rd 2019, hydraulic problem A Lufthansa Embraer ERJ-190, registration D-AECB performing flight LH-1474 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Chisinau (Moldava), was enroute at FL370 about 10nm southwest of Krakow (Poland) when the crew decided to turn around and return to Frankfurt reporting a hydraulic problem. The aircraft landed safely on Frankfurt's runway 25R about 80 minutes later and taxied to the apron. A replacement ERJ-190 registration D-AECI reached Chisinau with a delay of 4:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 9 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cec88d6&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: China Southern A320 at Shijiazhuang on Nov 2nd 2019, nose gear problem on landing A China Southern Airbus A320-200, registration B-9911 performing flight CZ-6540 from Guangzhou to Shijiazhuang (China) with 143 people on board, landed on Shijiazhuang's runway when the crew applied emergency brakes due to a nose gear problem. The aircraft was disabled on the runway. Passengers reported the landing run was extremely short (in the range of about 10 seconds), the smell of burning rubber developed on board. The nose gear appeared to be bent and damaged when they disembarked onto the runway. They were bussed to the terminal. The airline reported a nose gear problem prompted the crew to perform an emergency braking. The aircraft was disabled on the runway, the passengers disembarked normally and were bussed to the terminal. The aircraft was towed off the runway about two hours after landing. The incident is being investigated. Grainy photos from far distance do not permit to identify whether the nose gear was perhaps tilted 90 degrees on landing or what other problem may have been, make clear however, the nose gear did not collapse. A video circulating on China's Social Media, being offered as of the occurrence aircraft, in fact shows the nose gear of aircraft nose number 500, which is not B-9911 having nose number 911. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Shijiazhuang about 31 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cec7a94&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Indigo A20N at Chennai on Nov 1st 2019, cargo smoke indication An Indigo Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-IJJ performing flight 6E-1751 from Chennai (India) to Kuwait City (Kuwait) with about 160 people on board, was climbing out of Chennai's runway 25 when the crew received a cargo smoke indication, stopped the climb at 6000 feet and returned to Chennai for a safe landing on runway 25 about 12 minutes after departure. Emergency services did not find any trace of fire, heat or smoke. A replacement A320-200 registration VT-IAY reached Kuwait with a delay of 2:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service after about 11.5 hours on the ground. http://avherald.com/h?article=4cebe660&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Boeing 777-3SBER - Fire Onboard (Japan) Date: 03-NOV-2019 Time: 14:55 JST Type: Boeing 777-3SBER Owner/operator: Japan Air Self-Defense Force Registration: 80-1111 C/n / msn: 62439/1422 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: near Japan - Phase: En route Nature: Executive Departure airport: Tokyo International Airport/Haneda (HND/RJTT), Japan Destination airport: Bangkok/Don Mueang International Airport (DMK/VTBD), Thailand Narrative: Japanese Air Force One, a Boeing 777-300ER, departed from Tokyo/Handeda, Japan at 13:41 Japan Standard Time (JST) with the prime minister Shinzo Abe onboard who attends to Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held at Bangkok, Thailand. While en route at 14:55 JST, a small fire erupted from a steam oven in the rear cabin. The fire was soon extinguished. The airplane continued to the destination, and landed safely at 20:30 JST. No personal injuries were reported. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/230377 Back to Top Deformation found in nose landing gear in preliminary report on jet crash landing at RSW A preliminary report on an emergency nighttime landing of a air taxi jet at Southwest Florida International Airport that shut the airport down for an hour Oct. 7 found a deformation in the nose landing gear. A second private aircraft incident, involving an injury to a Fort Myers woman at Key West International Airport on Oct. 12, remains under investigation. In the RSW incident, the jet, registered to UYTSAIFLY800XP LLC and operated by Delta Private Jets, had just taken off from Naples Airport bound for Kerrville Municipal Airport, Kerrville, Texas, and experienced problems, a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report said. A preliminary report on the emergency nighttime landing of a private air taxi jet at Southwest Florida International Airport that shut the airport down for more than an hour Oct. 7 pointed to a deformation in the nose landing gear of the Hawker 800XP, similar to the craft shown here. The Hawker 800XP's pilot reported that after a normal takeoff and landing gear retraction he saw a red light warning that the nose landing gear was not fully retracted. He reported a vibration and a "thud" were felt from the landing gear section. He also reported that the main landing gear indicated that they were retracted. The plane, also carrying a co-pilot and two passengers, then diverted to RSW for an emergency landing due to the availability of the 12,000-foot Runway 6. During the landing, the nose gear failed to extend, the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway, and the flight crew and passengers performed an emergency evacuation via the main cabin door. The 11-seater air taxi's fuselage sustained substantial damage. No crew or passenger injuries were reported. The landing shortly before midnight caused the airport to suspend operations while workers attempted to remove the plane. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane after it was transported to a hangar, found the nose landing gear actuator push rod linkage disconnected from its attach point, with the nut, bolt, and pin assembly missing, and deformation in the area where the nut, bolt, and pin assembly should be installed. It was not possible to reinstall a replacement nut, bolt, and pin assembly due to the deformation on the threads. When the nose landing gear was manually extended by hand, it locked into place. The NTSB /FAA preliminary investigation confirmed all flight and medial information was up-to-date and accurate for the pilot and co-pilot. A final report was not yet completed. https://www.news-press.com/story/news/local/2019/11/03/ntsb-report-says-part- deformed-jet-emergency-landed-rsw/4148395002/ Back to Top 'ICAO should not leave Taiwan behind': transportation minister Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) Transportation Minister Lin Chia-lung (???) reiterated Monday that Taiwan should not be left out of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and is working hard to gain membership. As a member in the global aviation community, Taiwan is willing and able to contribute to a more seamless flight safety network, Lin said at the opening of the first International Air Safety Summit hosted by Taiwan. "The ICAO should not leave Taiwan behind," he said, referring to Taiwan's exclusion from the ICAO Assembly in September due to the intervention of China. Noting that China is not attending the current safety summit in Taipei, Lin said Beijing should "view the issue of flight safety from a global perspective." Safeguarding civil aviation operations is a common mission of all aviation stakeholders, and Taiwan has been keen to follow world standards and host major aviation meetings to encourage exchanges, Lin said at the summit, which is being attended by some 350 experts from 30 countries. For example, Taiwan began in 2008 to amend its civil aviation regulations, in response to the ICAO's mandate in 2007 on safety management systems (SMS), a major international air safety code that incorporates organizational structure, accountability, policies and procedures, he said. Under Taiwan government regulations, national airlines, maintenance facilities, airports, and aviation training organizations have adopted SMS since the end of 2016, Lin said. Taiwan has also hosted many international air safety conferences, including the ATR Technical Exchange Meeting, Crew Fatigue Risk Management System Conference, and Safety Management System Conference in the second half of 2019 alone, he said. Such conferences help Taiwan to stay abreast of the latest developments and make contributions in that field, Lin said. Taiwan is also making efforts to adopt international standards in areas of new technology, he said, citing a recent amendment to the Civil Aviation Act to include regulations on the operation of drones. Under the amendments that will take effect on March 31 next year, new regulations will be implemented on matters such as remote pilot licenses and designated areas of operation for drones, Lin said. The annual International Air Safety Summit is being held Nov 4-6 in Taipei, with the participation of experts from around the world, including representatives from the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as well as France's Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA). In March 2018, Deputy Transport Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (???) , who is also chairman of the Taipei-based China Aviation Development Foundation (CADF), signed a memorandum of understanding with Flight Safety Foundation Vice President Mark Millam for the CADF to host the 72nd annual summit. Taiwan made a bid to host the summit in 2007 but failed due to pressure from China. http://m.focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201911040009.aspx Back to Top Airlines Will Prove to Public 737 MAX Is Safe Before Returning to Service: WSJ The three domestic airlines that operate the Boeing 737 MAX are reportedly devising a publicity campaign to prove that the model is once again safe, The Wall Street Journal reports. The airlines will reportedly conduct demonstration flights with senior company officials on board-and no ticketholders-to reassure the public and pilots that the planes are safe, according to officials familiar with the plan. It is typical for airlines to test aircraft after major modifications, but this time the airlines are planning to fly repeated test trips of the plane. Two 737 MAX flights crashed last year, killing all 346 people onboard. The remaining planes have been grounded since March. The model has since undergone months of intense analysis and flight testing by the Federal Aviation Administration as well as foreign regulators, especially with regards to the MCAS system believed to be at the center of the crashes. The planes are expected to return to flight in January or February, depending on regulatory approval. "We look forward to supporting our airline customers, their pilots and flight attendants as the MAX returns to commercial service," a Boeing spokesman said. "Restoring the trust of the traveling public in the safety of the 737 MAX once it's recertified is our top priority." https://www.thedailybeast.com/airlines-will-prove-to-public-737-max-is-safe-before- returning-to-service-wsj Back to Top The Water on These Airlines Is so Bad You Shouldn't Even Wash Your Hands With It, Study Finds Airlines cup of water, beverage Every frequent flier knows there's one health rule travelers need to follow. And that rule is, you must drink copious amounts of water while in the air in order to stay hydrated. As Lifehacker explained, the humidity on board planes sits somewhere around 10 to 20 percent, making it a drier landscape than the Sahara. That means you must drink even more water than usual. However, as one study shows, some water on board airlines may be better than others. The Airline Water Study by DietDetective.com and the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center reveals the quality of drinking water varies by airline, so much so that some airline water may actually make you sick. The 2019 Airline Water Study ranks 11 major and 12 regional airlines, mainly by the quality of water they provided on board flights, according to the study's press release. It also noted that serving any unhealthy water violates the federal government's Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR), which was implemented in 2011 and requires airlines to provide passengers and flight crew with safe drinking water. For the study, each airline was given a "Water Health Score" with 5 ranking as the highest and 0 the lowest. The score is based on 10 criteria, including fleet size, ADWR violations, positive E. coli, and coliform water sample reports, as well as the airline's cooperation in providing answers to water-quality questions. A score of 3.0 or better indicates that the airline has relatively safe, clean water. So, just which airline comes with the cleanest drinking water on board? That honor belongs to Alaska Airlines and Allegiant. "Alaska Airlines and Allegiant win the top spot with the safest water in the sky, and Hawaiian Airlines finishes No. 2," Charles Platkin, PhD, JD, MPH, the editor of DietDetective.com and the executive director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, said in a statement. Hawaiian Airlines was the only other major airline to score above a 3. The airlines with the worst scores, the team said, are JetBlue and Spirit Airlines. "Except for Piedmont Airlines, regional airlines need to improve their onboard water safety," Platkin added. Perhaps the worst part of the study's findings is the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency, which is one of the federal agencies responsible for ensuring safe aircraft drinking water, rarely ever levies civil penalties to airlines in violation of the ADWR. The study found nearly all regional airlines, except Piedmont Airlines, have poor Water Health Scores and a large number of ADWR violations. Republic Airways (which flies for United Express, Delta Connection, and American Eagle) has the lowest score at 0.44 and ExpressJet is second-lowest at 0.56. The study even issued a "Shame on You" Award, which went directly to the EPA and nearly all major airlines for their "very poor response time and lack of cooperation answering detailed questions." So, what can you do to stay safe? The authors issued a few key pieces of advice including to never drink any water on board that isn't in a sealed bottle, do not drink coffee or tea on board, and do not wash your hands in the bathroom; bring hand- sanitizer with you instead. https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/airlines-with-the-best-water-quality Back to Top Hawaiian Airlines Flight Turns Around due to Cabin Fumes Fumes infiltrated the cabin of a Hawaiian Airlines flight Monday, forcing the plane turn back to California. Hawaiian Airlines Flight 3, from Los Angeles to Honolulu, took to the air at approximately 10 a.m. local time. There were 238 passengers and 10 flight crew aboard. Around two hours into the flight, passengers and crew notice fumes in the cabin and the plane changed course, landing safely in Los Angeles a little after 2:30 p.m. where those aboard were greeted by medical personnel. In a statement to Hawaii News Now, which first reported the story, Hawaiian Airlines said it had "...determined that the non-toxic odor resulted from an engine wash prior to departure." https://bigislandnow.com/2019/11/03/hawaiian-airlines-flight-turns-around-due-to- cabin-fumes/ Back to Top Alaska's aviation average is deadlier than national norms Data shows it's more dangerous to fly in Alaska, and changing that would be hard Despite a spate of high-profile airplane wrecks, the number of fatal crashes in Alaska this year was fairly in line with state averages, according to National Transportation Safety Board data. But Alaska's average is a lot different from normal in the U.S. "The accident rate is higher than in Alaska for the rest of the country," said Tom George, Alaska Regional Manager for Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a national nonprofit that advocates for aviation. Data backs that assessment up. The NTSB has preliminary reports for 10 fatal wrecks for the 2019 calendar year, and an Oct. 17, which crash in Unalaska, which does not yet have a report, brings that total to 11. That's two more than nine last year, three more than eight in 2017, one fewer than 12 in 2016 and matches the total from 2015. In 2016, the most recent year NTSB lists on its website, there were 221 total fatal accidents in the nation, 12 were in Alaska. That means Alaska, which is home to about 2% of the U.S. population, was the site 5.4% of its fatal airplane wrecks. Making sense of the numbers Previous analysis by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation found there is a rate of 13.59 accidents per 100,000 flight hours in Alaska between 2004-2008 compared to a 5.85 national rate. Flying is also much more common in Alaska, according to the FAA. There were 5 million total plane boardings in Alaska in 2018, according to the FAA, That's 6.8 times the state's population. The national average is 2.6 times the U.S. population. George said there's a lot of conditions that explain the statistics. Those include few federally funded airports, which means more landings and takeoffs occur in harbors or in relatively rugged terrain; a lack of ground-based radio receivers to help pilots keep track of other aircraft via automatic dependent surveillance- broadcast (ADS-B), which helps pilots keep track of other aircraft and prevent mid-air collisions like the one that occurred May 13 near Ketchikan; the sheer size of the state; and treacherous weather, which may be most impactful in Southeast Alaska. Four fatal wrecks occurred in Southeast Alaska in 2019, one near Kake, two near Ketchikan and one near Metlakatla. "If I had to point to one thing, I would say the weather is the biggest contributing factor and that's true back as far as I can remember," said Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Service President Jerry Kiffer, who has been in a leadership position with the organization that tends to aircraft wrecks and other maladies for more than 30 years. Preliminary accident reports do not identify causes of wrecks, so exactly why the reported fatal wrecks occurred hasn't officially been determined, but it seems weather was likely a factor in some of this year's fatal events. That includes a May 20 wreck that claimed two lives after a de Havilland Beaver floatplane "nosed over" while attempting to land in Metlakatla Harbor, according to the NTSB. Kiffer said wind is a regular concern in that area. "That Beaver was not the first one to go upside down in that water," Kiffer said. While Southeast Alaska has been the site of four fatal wrecks this year, the loss of life wasn't limited to the panhandle, according to the NTSB. The day after the Metlakatla wreck, another plane nosed over during a water landing in Cascade Bay near Whittier. Nine days later, an airplane crashed, killing its pilot, shortly after taking off near Wasilla. Earlier this month, a plane crash in Unalaska became this year's westernmost fatal wreck, according to NTSB's reports. "I think we've had fatal accidents in all parts of the state," George said. George said no one region of the state seems to be inherently more at-risk than another. A pilot familiar with Southeast Alaska may find the North Slope challenging, while someone used to flying near the Aleutian Islands could be flummoxed by the air traffic near Anchorage. "The area that you're least familiar with is the place you think is most dangerous to fly," George said. Each airplane icon represents a fatal airplane wreck in Alaska in 2019, according to National Transportation Safety Board reports. Could Alaska make another safety leap? NTSB numbers show Alaska was once an even more dangerous place to fly but drastically improved beginning in the late '90s. Total aircraft wrecks were roughly halved between 1990 when there were 193 and 2004 when there were 101. That matched a sizable reduction in fatal wrecks, too. There were 25 in 1990 and 10 in 2004. The improvements coincided with a handful of Federal Aviation Administration efforts in the state. Those included the Capstone Project, which provided ADS-B equipment for aircraft and support ground infrastructure; funding the Medallion Foundation, which is designed to raise pilot awareness, beginning in 2002; and the Alaska Weather Camera Program, which started in 1999 and installed 230 weather cameras around the state so pilots could see real-time weather conditions without flying to a site. A FAA flying camera showed there was reduced visibility in all directions June 28 at the time of a fatal wreck in Moose Pass, according to an NTSB preliminary report. "All those things collectively contributed to the improvement in safety we saw come down massively in the '90s," George said. Both he and Kiffer were unsure of what practical actions could be taken to generate a similar leap forward in safety. "We're constantly scratching our heads and trying to figure it out," George said. He said more ground stations to improve the usefulness of ADS-B would likely help. A lot of Interior Alaska is not covered by the service that broadcasts flight and traffic information, and Kiffer said many parts of Southeast are outside its radio range too. It's also not required in most of the state, George said. That means there's not a lot of incentive for plane owners to purchase the expensive equipment. Kiffer said if both planes involved in the May 13 mid-air collision had been equipped with working ADS-B equipment, that crash would likely have been avoided. "Essentially, it kind of comes back to infrastructure," George said. Kiffer said meaningful reduction of fatal crashes in Southeast Alaska would likely require changes in how flightseeing works. Of the 10 fatal wrecks with NTSB reports, three involved a flightseeing business. The mid-air collision in Ketchikan involved two such businesses and- Taquan Air and Mountain Air Service - according to the NTSB. Taquan Air was also the operator in the Metlakatla wreck a week later. Taquan Air did not return multiple calls seeking comment. Ward Air declined to comment. The role of instruments Kiffer said as long as flightseeing tours continue to operate as they currently do, it's a mathematics certainty there will be plane crashes. "I think we can talk all we want about flight safety and medallion programs and all of that, but if you're going to continue to operate a VFR (visual flight rules) in the conditions that they're operating in, you're going to crash the airplanes," Kiffer said. He said more usage of instrument flight rules could possibly increase safety. Visual flight rules are a set of standards made by the FAA for flying when the responsibility for avoiding other aircraft falls on the pilot. They include rules about cloud coverage and visibility. Instrument flight rules are FAA standards that apply to aircraft flying in conditions in which a pilot will be guided by instruments in the cockpit. It means flights are less likely to be grounded by inclement weather, but it requires additional training. Also, instrument flight rules often don't apply to planned flightseeing tours or personal flights. Of the four fatal wrecks in Southeast this year, only one aircraft had an IFR flight plan, according to NTSB preliminary reports. However, flying in the clouds guided by instruments would defeat the purpose of a flightseeing tour. So, in light of uniquely Alaska conditions and a large number of flights, Kiffer isn't optimistic much will change. "I don't see any other way around it," Kiffer said. "It's just going to happen." https://www.juneauempire.com/news/alaskas-aviation-average-is-deadlier-than- national-norms/ Back to Top DLR and FAA are cooperating for the integration of commercial spaceflight into the air transport system The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the Office of Commercial Space Transportation of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are seeking to identify the data that may need to be exchanged between United States and European Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) prior to, during and after a space launch or re-entry operation that is initiated in one country and traverses the airspace of another country. This data exchange should facilitate improved situational awareness, allowing US and European ANSPs to respond as necessary in the event of a vehicle failure. To this end, the FAA and DLR intend to bring together their unique capabilities using FAA's Commercial Space Integration Lab and DLR's Air Traffic Validation Center, located in the USA and Germany respectively. In order to be able to cooperate and exchange data in the future, a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in the development of commercial space transportation was signed by Pascale Ehrenfreund, Chair of the DLR Executive Board, and Wayne R. Monteith, Associate Administrator, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, on 24 October 2019. The signatory ceremony was held at DLR's stand at the 70th International Astronautical Congress in Washington, DC. The MoC reflects the excellent collaboration that FAA and DLR have developed since the first Research and Development Cooperative Agreement of both establishments, which was signed in 2010. https://www.suasnews.com/2019/11/dlr-and-faa-are-cooperating-for-the-integration- of-commercial-spaceflight-into-the-air-transport-system/ Back to Top Unqualified Passenger Allegedly Took Control Of A Passenger Flight Over Russia According to reports coming out of Russia an unqualified young woman was allowed to fly a passenger plane on a scheduled flight in Siberia. The unqualified woman can be seen flying the An-24 If you have had safety doubts about flying with a Russian airline your reservations could be right following a video of a woman passenger flying a passenger plane on a regularly scheduled flight. Extraordinary footage has appeared of the woman sitting in the co- pilots seat aboard an IrAero flight over Siberia. The footage of a young woman in her 20s flying the 44-seat IrAero twin-turboprop Antonov-24 is now being investigated by Russian prosecutors. In the video, you can hear the male pilot giving instructions to the female passenger in the cockpit during the 1hr 45min flight from Yakutsk to Batagai. A spokesman for the Russian airline when commenting on the reports told The Siberian Times website: "There are doubts that these materials have anything to do with our airline's activities in providing passenger transportation." The inappropriate use of letting an unqualified person fly the aircraft took place on August 31st, 2019, but are only now just coming to light. The woman named Anna posted photos and a video of herself flying the plane on Instagram, but these have now all been deleted. Woman is Filmed in Co pilot's Seat Flies a Plane Over Siberia In the video, Anna can be heard saying in Russian "this was unbelievably cool" and "thank you!" Russian television channel 5-TV is reporting the pilot's name as being Krill S. and describes the young woman of being his girlfriend. In the video, The Serbian Times says you can hear the pilot giving her instructions on where to turn the joystick. When asked by his girlfriend "why can't I get there?" Pointing at the navigation screen he answers saying "Well, I have no idea why you can't get there." Transport prosecutors in the region of Yakutia are currently following up on the incident with IrAero Airlines telling news outlet Ykt.ru that it has also begun a "thorough check" into the allegations. Who are IrAero Airlines? Founded in 1999 as a cargo transport company IrAero now operates passenger flights throughout Russia and internationally to China. The An-24 is a rugged aircraft. IrAero is based at International Airport Irkutsk (IKT) in Siberia where it operates a fleet of 18 aircraft. The IrAero Airlines fleet is made up of three 777-200s, five Bombardier CRJ-100 Series and five Sukhoi Superjet 100s. IrAero also operates a mixed fleet of 17 Antonov An-24 and An-26 aircraft. What is the AN-24 like? Designed in 1957 in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau the Antonov An-24 is a 44-seat twin-turboprop transport/passenger aircraft. The An-24 was designed in the Soviet Union in 1957. Built to operate from remote locations and on rough landing strips, the An-24s high wings helped protect the engines from ground debris. Also with a high power to weight ratio, the An-24 is a rugged aircraft that requires minimal ground support equipment. If you have ever flown an An-24 or been a passenger on one we would love to read your thoughts in the comments section. https://simpleflying.com/passenger-flies-plane-russia/ Back to Top Hong Kong Airlines to cut Los Angeles route amid financial concerns Hong Kong Airlines' ongoing financial troubles have forced the carrier to cut one of its U.S. routes. The airline said on Monday that under pressure from the Hong Kong government, it will end its route between Hong Kong and Los Angeles (LAX). As of 8 February 2020, the carrier will cancel the route to LAX. The last flights will operate between the two cities as HX068 and HX069. According to a press release, the carrier said that it will offer alternative travel arrangements for affected passengers. Additionally, the carrier said that it will continue to monitor the market demand in case it needs to suspend the route sooner than early February. The move is part of a series of operational adjustments in order to cut costs. In addition to the Los Angeles cancellation, the carrier is also cutting its current operation by around 6%, forcing it to further adjust frequencies to some of the destinations in its network. Business class on Hong Kong Airlines' A350. (Photo by Emily McNutt/The Points Guy) The airline is adjusting its frequencies between Hong Kong (HKG) and Vancouver (YVR), Osaka (KIX), Okinawa (OKA), Sapporo (CTS), Tokyo (NRT), Seoul (ICN), Haikou (HAK), Hangzhou (HGH), Nanjing (NKG) and Bangkok (BKK). The airline said that will be contacting affected customers. "Hong Kong Airlines has been operating in a challenging business environment for some time," the carrier said in a press release. "In addition to strong competition and overcapacity in the market, the recurring protests in Hong Kong since June have also affected travel demand, further impacting its business and revenue." As reported by the South China Morning Post, last week, Hong Kong's Air Licensing Transport Authority warned that it would impose measures if the airline's financial situation did not improve. In conjunction with the country's Civil Aviation Department, the two groups concluded that measures needed to be taken following a Nov. 1 meeting with the airline's management team. "It is hoped that this will help improve the operation of Hong Kong Airlines," the government said in a statement following the airline's reduction in frequencies. In July, the carrier announced plans to suspend its Hong Kong to San Francisco (SFO) route, which took effect in October. Airlines changing routes and service isn't uncommon, but if your travel plans have been impacted be sure to contact the airline and take advantage of the offer to rebook or refund your tickets. Situations like this are also why its always best to book your travel with a credit card that offers travel protection. https://thepointsguy.com/news/hong-kong-airlines-cutting-lax/ Back to Top Hyderabad International Airport starts three-month body scanner trial (India) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, India, has started trialling body scanners at its domestic terminal. This September, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) announced that all major airports in India will deploy body scanners within a year. The move is aimed at accelerating passenger clearance processes and phasing out manual frisking, without compromising airport security. The three-month trial at Hyderabad Airport began on 12 October and has been introduced to travellers on a voluntary basis. As part of the trial, one body scanner has been installed at the express security check lane located near the third departure gate. Additional body scanners are planned for the terminal upon successful completion of the trial. Due to the SAFE radio wave security system that uses an image free scanning technique, the scanners are unable to breach a person's privacy. The airport stated that the scanner has received positive feedback from travellers. This August, Dunedin International Airport in New Zealand installed two body scanners to boost the security of domestic passengers. In May, Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) called for expression of interest (EoI) from original equipment makers for the supply of body scanners at the airport. Singapore-based Changi Airport recently installed 14 new body scanners across four terminals. In January, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan deployed a new full-body scanner at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar to handle smuggling and money laundering issues. https://www.airport-technology.com/news/hyderabad-airport-body-scanner-trial/ Back to Top Ryanair says 'real risk' it will have no MAX aircraft to fly next summer A Ryanair commercial passenger jet takes off in Blagnac near Toulouse, France, May 29, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ryanair (RYA.I) on Monday said there was a real risk that it would have no Boeing (BA.N) 737 MAX aircraft flying next summer if there are additional delays to the return to service of the grounded aircraft. "We have now reduced our expectation of 30 MAX aircraft being delivered to us in advance of peak summer 2020 down to 20 aircraft and there is a real risk of none," Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said in a video presentation. "We have already reduced our passenger growth forecast ... we may have to cut that again but frankly there is no point in keeping on changing the number until we get more certainty," he said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ryanair-results-max/ryanair-says-real-risk-it-will- have-no-max-aircraft-to-fly-next-summer-idUSKBN1XE0IS Back to Top Airbus Lines Up More Than 400 A320neo-Family Orders: Building Them Will Be Tougher Signing up lots of orders is nice, but increasing production profitably is the real challenge for Airbus. Through the first nine months of 2019, aircraft order activity was sluggish at both Boeing (NYSE:BA) and Airbus (OTC:EADSY). For Boeing, the 737 MAX safety crisis was the obvious culprit. No airlines were eager to commit to the 737 MAX while the type was grounded and its fundamental safety was in question. Airbus didn't have an obvious excuse. Nevertheless, as of the end of September, the European aerospace giant had booked just 127 net firm orders in 2019. Airbus turned things around in a hurry in October, though. Just in the past two weeks it has announced firm orders and commitments for more than 400 A320neo-family jets from three budget airlines. This has put Airbus back on pace to report a respectable full-year net order total. Ultra-low cost carriers line up for more Airbus jets Airbus' recent order surge began on Oct. 23, when Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE) announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding to buy 100 new Airbus jets between 2022 and 2027, with an additional 50 options. The order will be split between the A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo models, with the exact breakdown to be finalized at a later date. This will allow Spirit to maintain its high growth rate in the years ahead, while also starting to replace some of its older aircraft. The deal is likely to be finalized and added to Airbus' backlog by year-end. AS EXPECTED, SPIRIT AIRLINES PICKED THE AIRBUS A320NEO FAMILY FOR ITS NEXT BIG AIRCRAFT ORDER. IMAGE SOURCE: AIRBUS. Less than a week later, Airbus announced an even bigger order. Budget carrier IndiGo - - the largest airline in India -- placed a firm order for 300 A320neo-family jets. The order will be split between the A320neo, A321neo, and A321XLR models. This represents one of the largest orders in Airbus' history, and it boosts IndiGo's firm order backlog to a record 633 A320neo-family jets. Finally, on Oct. 31, Airbus announced a firm order for 15 A321XLRs from VietJet. This brought the aircraft manufacturer's order total for the last nine days of October to 415 jets, including the Spirit Airlines deal, which still needs to be firmed up. The IndiGo order is a bit suspect Even before its latest order, IndiGo was the largest customer for Airbus' A320neo family. It has grown rapidly in recent years, capitalizing on rising air travel demand in India and the collapse of some rivals, most notably Jet Airways. That said, IndiGo already had more than 300 firm orders with Airbus prior to its latest deal: enough to roughly double the airline's size while also retiring all of its prior- generation Airbus jets. Ordering an additional 300 jets seems highly speculative. Even if IndiGo retires some of its oldest A320neos in the late 2020s -- when they would be just 10 to 12 years old -- this aircraft order would still cause the carrier's fleet size to triple over the next decade. Air travel demand may continue to grow quickly in India, but IndiGo already holds nearly 50% market share, so it can't count on further share gains to drive growth. Thus, it wouldn't be surprising if IndiGo never takes delivery of all 633 A320neo-family jets it currently has on order. Production problems are a more pressing concern An even bigger reason for investors to curb their enthusiasm about these deals is that Airbus has run into huge problems while trying to increase production over the past few years. These recent orders will push Airbus' backlog of A320neo-family orders past the 6,000 mark. Yet in a best-case scenario, A320neo-family output will rise to around 700 jets annually by 2021, putting the backlog at nine years of production. Investors can't count on this best-case scenario coming to fruition. Just last week, in conjunction with its Q3 earnings report, Airbus slashed its full-year guidance for aircraft deliveries, due to production problems for the new "cabin-flex" version of the A321neo. The company now expects to deliver about 860 commercial jets this year, down from its previous guidance of 880 to 890 deliveries. Moreover, Airbus' production woes are hurting its earnings and cash flow. In fact, Airbus burned nearly three times as much cash as Boeing in the first nine months of 2019, even though the latter has been unable to deliver its most popular jet model since mid- March. (To be fair, Airbus does expect full-year free cash flow to be positive, unlike Boeing.) Until Airbus can figure out how to build its aircraft more reliably and without going over budget, its order-gathering prowess won't do investors much good. https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/11/03/airbus-lines-up-more-than-400-a320neo- family-order.aspx Back to Top Call for ban on UK private jets by 2025 as flight traffic soars Study says passenger has 10 times carbon footprint of economy-class flyer with 40% of flights empty return-legs A private jet on the tarmac with a bright blue sky beyond One private jet flight from New York to London contributes the same emissions as driving a car continuously for 4.5 years. Photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto Private jet flights to and from UK airports contribute as much to the climate crisis as 450,000 cars per year and should be banned as soon as 2025 to encourage development of electric planes, according to a thinktank with close ties to the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn. In a report exposing the scale of fossil fuel private jet emissions, the Common Wealth thinktank found there were 128,000 flights between UK and EU airports in 2018 using private jets, representing 6% of total UK air traffic. A further 14,000 trips were also made to destinations outside Europe. The thinktank said the global heating impact of private flights to and from UK airports is roughly 1m tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year - the same as the annual emissions of around 450,000 typical cars on Britain's roads. It said that one private flight from London to New York was equivalent to driving a typical UK car non-stop for four and a half years. It added that a ban in five years' time would help spur the development of electric alternatives. Shadow transport secretary, Andy McDonald, said the party would examine the report and "consult with industry on the introduction of a phase-out date for the use of fossil fuel private jets". He added: "Climate targets cannot be met without curbing pollution from air travel, and a passenger on a private jet produces 10 times the emissions of someone on a regular flight. This simply cannot be ignored." According to the Common Wealth assessment, a typical private jet passenger journey within Europe emits seven times as much greenhouse gas as a flight in business class on a typical airliner - 10 times as much as flying economy class and around 150 times as much as an equivalent journey using high-speed rail. Industry estimates also suggest that about 40% of private jet movements are empty leg journeys, in which aircraft are repositioned for the convenience of the super-rich and corporate customers who use them. Even when full, private jets on average will carry as few as five passengers. Almost half of all private jet traffic in Britain passes through five airports around London, given its status as the home to the most billionaires in Europe and as one of the world's biggest financial centres. Luton airport, roughly an hour north of the capital is the busiest, with almost 15,000 private aircraft departures in 2017, followed by Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Stansted and Northolt. Some of Britain's richest people use private jets. Prince Harry has faced criticism for taking private jets for short-hop breaks while campaigning against global heating. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the chief executive of petrochemicals company Ineos, who is Britain's third richest man with an £18bn fortune, has four private jets and a helicopter, while Sir James Dyson, the electrical products entrepreneur and fifth richest man in Britain, owns a £55m private jet. The new analysis of private jets in the Common Wealth report, compiled by Leo Murray of Free Ride, a campaign group calling for a frequent flyer levy, and Jamie Beevor of Green Gumption, an environmental consultancy, suggested most carbon-emitting private flights to and from UK airports could be handled by new electric aircraft in future. Growing numbers of aircraft manufacturers are investing in the development of new electrical alternatives to fossil-fuel jets. However, progress has been slow, with the report suggesting just 15% of total UK aviation emissions are set to be replaced by 2050 on the current trajectory. The study found that as many as four out of five private jet journeys within Europe today cover distances that could be completed by small electric aircraft currently in commercial development that would enter the market in the mid 2020s. The report said: "We believe that an imminent ban on landing at UK airports in a fossil- powered private jet would help to focus the minds of some of the wealthiest people on Earth on the urgent need to develop fully electric planes." https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/04/call-for-ban-on-uk-private-jets- by-2025-as-flight-traffic-soars Back to Top Boeing readies Starliner capsule for critical launch abort test Simulating a catastrophic failure, Boeing is gearing up to fire an unpiloted Starliner crew capsule's abort engines Monday morning, triggering a high-speed boost from ground level to a height of more than 4,000 feet to prove the spacecraft can safely propel a crew to safety in the event of a low-altitude emergency. Mounted atop a short support platform at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the Starliner's four powerful launch abort engines, along with 20 smaller maneuvering jets, are scheduled to ignite at 9 a.m. ET, accelerating the capsule from 0 to 650 mph - straight up - in just five seconds. The big abort engines were expected to shut down at the end of those five seconds, followed by the maneuvering thrusters about five seconds after that. A Boeing CST-100 Starliner capsule on a test stand at the White Sands Missile Range for a critical test of the spacecraft's launch abort system. The capsule then was expected to arc over at the high point of its trajectory - 4,426 feet above the launch site - 19 seconds after liftoff. After jettisoning its forward heat shield, drogue parachutes were to deploy, followed by the spacecraft's three main parachutes about 26 seconds into the flight. Unlike the Apollo lunar capsules that ended their flights with ocean splashdowns, the Starliner is designed to land at ground facilities in the western U.S., jettisoning its heat shield and inflating airbags to cushion impact while descending under the main parachutes. For Monday's test, touchdown more than a mile north of the White Sands launch site was expected a minute and a half after liftoff. A Boeing animation shows details of the abort test: CST-100 Starliner Pad Abort Test Animation Boeing has encountered a variety of technical hurdles and setbacks during Starliner development, putting the program well behind schedule. But the long-awaited pad abort test marks a key milestone in the company's drive to finally ready the CST-100 Starliner for an unpiloted flight to the International Space Station (ISS) in late December. If that test goes well, Boeing and NASA will set their sights on a piloted test early next year that will carry three crew members to the space station for a six-month stay. SpaceX also is building an astronaut ferry ship, known as the Crew Dragon, that also is in the final stages of preparation for piloted flights to the space station. Unlike the Starliner, the Crew Dragon is designed to end its missions with ocean splashdowns. The Crew Dragon already has completed a low-altitude pad abort test and an uncrewed flight to the station. An in-flight abort test is planned for early December, setting the stage for a piloted flight to ISS sometime next year. Both companies face multiple technical hurdles and reviews before operational crew rotation flights can begin, and it's not yet known which spacecraft will launch a crew into orbit first. However it plays out, NASA managers are hopeful 2020 will mark the end of a nine-year hiatus in U.S. human spaceflight that began when the space shuttle's retirement in 2011. Boeing holds NASA contracts valued at $4.2 billion to build and launch the Starliner while SpaceX was awarded $2.6 billion for Crew Dragon development. The goal is to end the agency's sole reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the space station. Both commercial crew ships are designed to enable safe aborts at any point from the launch pad to orbit, and both NASA contracts require the companies to complete on- the-pad and in-flight abort tests before proceeding with piloted flights. An artist's impression of a Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew capsule docking at the International Space Station. Monday's test was intended to demonstrate the Starliner abort system will work as required if a crew ever needs to escape from its Atlas 5 booster while still on the launch pad or at extremely low altitudes. The capsule is equipped with four powerful launch abort engines, or LAEs, each one generating 40,000 pounds of thrust, and 20 orbital maneuvering and attitude control - OMAC - engines providing 1,500 pounds of push each. The launch abort engines would only be used in an actual low- to mid-altitude abort while the OMAC engines would normally be used to complete the spacecraft's trip to orbit after separation from its Atlas 5 second stage. During a low-altitude abort, the OMAC engines are used to provide additional thrust and attitude control. The Starliner also is equipped with 28 less-powerful reaction control system engines for use during high-altitude aborts and, in a problem-free flight, to make small changes in the spacecraft's orbit and for docking with the ISS. In Monday's test, only the LAE and OMAC engines were expected to be used. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boeing-starliner-launch-cst-100-starliner-capsule- launch-abort-test-today-2019-11-03-live-stream/ Back to Top CABIN CREW FATIGUE RESEARCH PROJECT Fatigue is a pervasive issue that affects all airline cabin crew. Fatigue may impede cabin crews' ability to consistently and effectively manage passengers from safety, security and service perspectives. As part of our undergraduate research project at Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia), we are conducting a survey of international cabin crew primarily engaged in long-haul (LH) and ultra long-haul (ULH) flight operations. This survey asks cabin crew for their views on various issues associated with work- related fatigue and stress. We also seek your views on the availability and effectiveness of various fatigue countermeasures. If you are working as LH or ULH cabin crew, you are invited to participate in this study. You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire, which also includes a consent form. The study takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. To access the study, please go to the following website: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8qBLCKgmpWlraxT Participants who complete the study will be eligible to enter a draw to win the latest iPad (6th Generation). This research project is being supervised by Peter Renshaw at the Department of Aviation, Swinburne University of Technology. If you have any questions, please contact Peter at prenshaw@swin.edu.au Curt Lewis