Flight Safety Information December 26, 2019 - No. 266 In This Issue Boeing discloses 'very disturbing' messages on 737 Max to FAA New Boeing CEO is no stranger to corporate crises Incident: Iberia A20N at Madrid and Milan on Dec 25th 2019, bird strike Incident: Commut E145 at Washington on Dec 24th 2019, multiple system failures 24-DEC-2019 - Calafia Airlines Cessna 208B Grand Caravan accident 15 people injured in helicopter emergency landing in Russia FAA extends conflict zone Notam on Afghan airspace by another year ANA pilot flies without carrying license as required, results in cancellation and delay A 'wild environment': Uncertain safety rules await space tourists GoAir's troubles underscore the serious pilot shortage in Indian aviation Emirates to take flagship A380 to Kuwait Aviation Show 2020 Azimuth Airlines Turns Profit For First Time (With A Sukhoi Superjet Only Fleet) France's Safran considers $150-mn aircraft engine repair unit in India President of Dubai-based carrier Emirates to retire in June Boeing's Starliner space taxi makes flawless landing after flawed flight Laura Taber Barbour Aviation Scholarship Fund Position:...Corporate Safety Investigator Call for Papers - ISASI 2020 Boeing discloses 'very disturbing' messages on 737 Max to FAA The documents were turned over to the aviation agency on Monday, the same day Boeing's CEO was ousted. BY ALAN LEVIN A new batch of messages between Boeing Co. employees on the development of the 737 Max paints a "very disturbing picture" of concerns about the plane, according to an aide to a House committee. The documents were turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday, the agency said in a statement. The disclosure came the same day that Boeing ousted its chief executive officer. At least some of them were written by the same Boeing pilot whose 2016 messages were released in October and were the subject of sharp questioning by lawmakers, according to a person familiar with their contents who wasn't authorized to discuss them. The communications haven't been released publicly. The staff of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are still reviewing the messages and didn't provide specific details about what they contain. "But similar to other records previously disclosed by Boeing, the records appear to point to a very disturbing picture of both concerns expressed by Boeing employees about the company's commitment to safety and efforts by some employees to ensure Boeing's production plans were not diverted by regulators or others," a committee aide said in a statement. "The committee will continue to review these and other records provided by Boeing as part of the committee's ongoing investigation," the aide said. Boeing brought the emails to the FAA and Congress "as part of our commitment to transparency with our regulators and the oversight committees," the company said in a statement. "As with prior documents referenced by the committee, the tone and content of some of these communications does not reflect the company we are and need to be," the company said. Boeing has made changes to enhance safety, it said. Boeing fell 1.3% to $333 at the close in New York, as markets shut down early because of Christmas Eve. This was the second time that the Chicago-based company has delayed turning over to the FAA sensitive messages related to the development of the 737 Max. The jetliner was grounded in March after a design flaw was linked to two fatal crashes, in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The earlier episode involving messages prompted a rebuke by the agency and stirred tensions between the regulator and the planemaker. The new incident adds to the challenges awaiting David Calhoun, the Boeing chairman who is poised to become CEO next month following the ouster on Monday of Dennis Muilenburg. A statement from the board cited deteriorating relations with the FAA as part of the rationale for the move. Boeing's handling of the second set of records rankled the agency, according to a person familiar with the issue who wasn't authorized to speak about it. Boeing told the FAA the messages existed in recent days, but didn't initially provide them or disclose their contents, said the person. The FAA didn't comment in its statement on the content of the emails, saying only that they were under review. The company's decision to turn the emails over to the FAA was reported earlier by the Seattle Times. In October, Boeing disclosed to the FAA instant messages and emails by a high-ranking company pilot who in 2016 expressed misgivings about the software implicated in two fatal crashes on the Max. Boeing had known about those messages since early in the year and turned them over to the Justice Department in February. It didn't give them to the FAA immediately because of the criminal investigation into how the plane was approved, Bloomberg News reported at the time. The delay angered the FAA, which is charged with overseeing Boeing. One of the agency's key tenets is that entities it oversees must disclose safety issues or possible breaches of regulations. In some circumstances, failing to tell the agency about such an issue may be considered a legal violation. "The FAA finds the substance of the document concerning," the agency said in a statement on Oct. 18. "The FAA is also disappointed that Boeing did not bring this document to our attention immediately upon its discovery." The November 2016 instant messages disclosed in October, which were reviewed by Bloomberg News, were between between Mark Forkner, then Boeing's chief technical pilot for the 737, and another 737 technical pilot, Patrik Gustavsson. Forkner expressed concern that the flight-control feature later implicated in the crashes was "running rampant" and said he might have unknowingly misled the FAA about it. In separate emails he sent to an unnamed FAA official, he said he was "Jedi-mind tricking" regulators outside the U.S. into accepting Boeing's suggested training for the Max. A lawyer for Forkner, David Gerger, said issues raised in the messages were the result of balky simulator software and not a result of problems with the plane itself. Forkner believed the plane was safe and didn't mislead the FAA, Gerger said. Gerger didn't respond to requests to comment on the latest messages and whether they involved his client. https://www.pressherald.com/2019/12/25/boeing-discloses-very-disturbing-messages- on-737-max-to-faa/ Back to Top New Boeing CEO is no stranger to corporate crises The person now in charge of steering Boeing through its 737 MAX troubles is no stranger to crises. Newly-appointed Chief Executive David Calhoun's career includes a stint at General Electric as head of a division that included jet engines right after the September 11 attacks. And later he became chairman of the Caterpillar board shortly after federal agents raided its headquarters in 2017. Experience that's led some to believe - like former GE CEO Jeff Immelt - that he's the right man for the job. ... as Boeing struggles to recover after two deadly crashes led to the grounding of its best-selling 737 MAX. Calhoun has spent a decade on Boeing's board and was named chairman in October He'll take the CEO job over from Dennis Muilenburg, who was ousted this week. Now, Calhoun must repair strained relations with regulators, customers and suppliers. And manage a cash squeeze from what is widely seen as the worst crisis in Boeing's more than 100-year history. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-ceo-no-stranger-corporate-215509139.html Back to Top Incident: Iberia A20N at Madrid and Milan on Dec 25th 2019, bird strike An Iberia Airbus A320-200N, registration EC-NFZ performing flight IB-3250 from Madrid,SP (Spain) to Milan Linate (Italy), departed Madrid's runway 36R and landed on Linate's runway 36 about 100 minutes later. A post flight inspection revealed a dent in and blood on the radome. A passenger reported the bird strike is believed to have occurred on departure from Madrid. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Milan about 12 hours after landing. The radome (Photo: Andrei Sam): http://avherald.com/h?article=4d117760&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Commut E145 at Washington on Dec 24th 2019, multiple system failures A CommutAir Embraer ERJ-145 on behalf of United, registration N11194 performing flight UA-4902 from Washington Dulles,DC to Jacksonville,FL (USA), was in the climb out of Washington's runway 01R when the crew requested to stop the climb at 6000 feet due to an issue with the landing gear and advised ATC they needed to maintain 190 KIAS. After working the checklists the crew continued the climb and resumed the departure route when climbing through FL260 the crew requested to return to Washington advising they had some failures, which could be a gyro fault or more, they therefore declared emergency. The aircraft returned to Washington for a safe landing on runway 01R with emergency services in attendance. A passenger reported during taxi for departure whenever engine power was increased there was a large groaning noise that the frequent flyer had never heard before. The aircraft taxied onto the runway and accelerated the engines to takeoff power, however, without releasing the brakes for about 30 seconds. Takeoff was without incident. Subsequently the flight felt "very erratic", the aircraft was speeding up and slowing down. After about 20 minutes the crew announced they were returning to Washington due to a technical issue. The aircraft landed safely about 20 minutes later, the speed fluctuations continued until landing. The aircraft was received by emergency services. A replacement ERJ-145 registration N17169 reached Jacksonville with a delay of 3 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 24 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL4902/history/20191224/1340Z/KIAD/KJAX http://avherald.com/h?article=4d117294&opt=0 Back to Top 24-DEC-2019 - Calafia Airlines Cessna 208B Grand Caravan accident Date: Tuesday 24 December 2019 Time: ca 07:30 Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan Operator: Calafia Airlines Registration: XA-TWN C/n / msn: 208B0931 First flight: 2003 Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants: 1 Total: Fatalities: / Occupants: 2 Aircraft damage: Missing Aircraft fate: Presumed damaged beyond repair Location: Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) ( Mexico) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Domestic Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Hermosillo-Gen Pesqueira Garcia Airport (HMO/MMHO), Mexico Destination airport: Guerrero Negro Airport (GUB/MMGR), Mexico Flightnumber: A7872 Narrative: Calafia Airlines flight A7872, took off from Hermosillo, Mexico, at around 07:00 LT (GMT-7) in the direction of Guerrero Negro Airport, where it should have landed at 08:10 LT (GMT-7). After takeoff, flying over the Sea of Cortez approximately 89 kilometers (48 nautical miles) from the departure airport, contact with the aircraft was lost. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20191224-0 Back to Top 15 people injured in helicopter emergency landing in Russia MOSCOW (AP) - Russian officials say 15 people are injured after a passenger helicopter made a rough emergency landing in Siberia on Wednesday morning. The Mi-8 helicopter with 21 passengers and three crew members got caught in a snowstorm soon after taking off in the village of Baykit, officials from the local branch of Russia's Emergency Ministry said. The helicopter toppled over upon landing. The injured have received medical help and two remain in a hospital, health care officials said. Police are investigating the accident. The Mi-8, code-named Hip by NATO, is a medium twin-turbine helicopter designed in the Soviet Union and widely used in Russia as a transport aircraft. Rough landings and other incidents involving Mi-8 helicopters have become rather common in Russia in recent months. On Wednesday afternoon, another Mi-8 helicopter made an rough emergency landing in one of Russia's Arctic regions. All 23 people on board were evacuated without injuries, emergency officials in the Nenets region said. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the incident. https://www.yahoo.com/news/3-people-injured-helicopter-emergency-075252033.html Back to Top FAA extends conflict zone Notam on Afghan airspace by another year The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration extended the Conflict Zone Notam on Afghan airspace by a year, warning American pilots to stay at or above FL330 over Afghanistan. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2019/12/25/faa-extends-conflict-zone-notam-on-afghan-airspace-by-another-year/ Back to Top ANA pilot flies without carrying license as required, results in cancellation and delay An All Nippon Airways pilot flew a plane Tuesday without carrying his license as required, the airline said. One flight was canceled and another flight was delayed due to the problem. According to ANA, the pilot in his 60s went on duty aboard ANA Flight 259 bound for the city of Fukuoka from Haneda Airport in Tokyo at 3 p.m. The flight carried 217 passengers. He became aware during the flight that he was not carrying his pilot's license with him, and reported the fact to the airline. He left the license at home, according to ANA. Pilots and co-pilots are required to mutually check whether they are carrying their licenses with them before a flight. ANA is investigating whether the checking procedures were conducted before the flight. The pilot in question was to board ANA Flight 428 from Fukuoka to Itami airport in Osaka Prefecture. But the flight, for which 129 seats were reserved, was canceled as the pilot did not bring his license with him. ANA Flight 739 bound for Sendai from Itami was delayed as the airline had to find a substitute pilot. It carried 93 passengers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/12/25/business/corporate-business/ana- pilot-flies-without-license/#.XgSCEFVKjIU Back to Top A 'wild environment': Uncertain safety rules await space tourists The lack of clear oversight has some concerned that the federal government will take action only when it is too late. SpaceX A prototype of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft is seen at the company's Texas launch facility near Brownsville, Texas. | Loren Elliott/Getty Images When buckling up for a road trip, passengers can be confident the vehicle has met a range of federal and state safety regulations - from the durability of the car's frame to reliability of the brakes and performance of the seat belts. But when the first space tourists strap in for their maiden voyage to space in 2020, they'll have no such guarantees. No federal regulator will have certified whether the spacecraft is safe - and only a patchwork of authorities exists to investigate a private space disaster, a POLITICO investigation found. The commercial spaceflight industry is instead governed by a confusing jumble of oversight authorities, and no agency has been empowered to ensure the safety of space travel - largely leaving the manufacturers themselves responsible for the flightworthiness of their own spacecraft. Oversight agencies will have to quickly catch up before a possible disaster creates a backlash that could hobble the industry before it takes off, warn top government and industry officials. For instance, the Federal Aviation Administration can force companies to demonstrate the public will be safe near space launch facilities but it cannot govern the safety of the people on board. In fact, the FAA is actually barred from implementing any safety rules for commercial spacecraft until 2023 to spare the fledgling industry burdensome regulations. That's even though Virgin Galactic expects to fly nearly 1,000 people to space by 2022, according to paperwork filed with the SEC. Meanwhile, if an accident were to occur, like in 2014 when a Virgin Galactic test pilot was killed, it's also not dictated by law who would be in charge of investigating the cause and recommending remedial actions. In fact, if the same capsule suffered a catastrophe with NASA astronauts on board, it would be subject to an investigation by a different body than if it were carrying private citizens. And if a private spaceship exploded in flight, the National Transportation Safety Board would have the legal purview to investigate only if it traveled off its designated course. The spotty regulatory regime only gets more confusing, the review found. A memorandum of understanding signed in 2004 by the FAA, NTSB and the Air Force says the military will investigate any accident that occurs during a space launch aboard a rocket licensed by the Pentagon, while either the FAA or the NTSB will investigate a commercial space accident. An appendix to the memo, however, stipulates that the NTSB will investigate only a commercial space accident that impacts people or property outside of the designated launch area. That document is "in need of a lot of updating," says Joe Sedor, the NTSB's chief of major investigations in the Office of Aviation Safety, who, like other federal officials, told POLITICO the current framework is woefully insufficient for the expected increase in space traffic. The lack of clear oversight has some concerned that the federal government will take action only when it is too late - "when something bad happens," in the words of George Nield, who served as the FAA's associate administrator for commercial space transportation from 2008 to 2018. "Then there unfortunately will be an overreaction, [where people question] how did the government allow this to happen?" he said in an interview. A 'wild environment' The growing private spaceflight industry isn't waiting for government oversight to catch up. After years of false starts and missed deadlines, space tourism seems poised to finally take off. Four American companies are expected to fly humans to space next year. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin will take paying tourists to the edge of space, while Boeing and SpaceX will fly astronauts on a commercial capsule designed in partnership with NASA. Not long after, private citizens could begin spending days or weeks in orbit on the International Space Station, according to some companies' timelines. Currently, private citizens can fly to space under the principle of informed consent, the same legal framework that governs skydiving or surgery. Prior to their trip, a paying passenger must sign a statement acknowledging that what they are about to do is inherently risky and that they accept and understand that risk. Blue Origin Blue Origin says its lunar module, Blue Moon, will be used to land humans the moon. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images This has led to a "wild environment" in which the FAA and other oversight agencies are prevented from imposing safety rules for participants, according to one industry official who requested not to be identified criticizing Congress. The roots of the mishmash go back to 2004, when the FAA was designated as the office to regulate space tourism in the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act. But at the same time, the agency was prohibited from actually imposing any rules to keep spaceflight participants safe for eight years - a so-called learning period during which the industry was supposed to take off with minimal government interference. Space tourism was slower to launch than initially expected, and some lobbyists for the budding new space industry fought to extend the prohibition of the FAA creating regulations even further down the road, arguing that the burden of too many rules too soon would crush the young industry before it even got off the ground. As a result, the learning period has been extended twice, once in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 and again in 2015, under the Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act. It now stretches until Oct. 1, 2023. Some senior government overseers insist there is ample time to get it right. "This is still a nascent industry, and there are some folks who believe there's not enough data to effectively regulate," Wayne Monteith, the FAA's associate administrator for commercial space transportation, told POLITICO. "Quite frankly, when the legislation originally came out, there was a belief that the industry would be far more robust far sooner than it has become." But other former government and industry officials argue that imposing some additional regulations now as the industry is preparing to take the first tourists to space is better than making the type of snap decisions that would likely be implemented in the wake of an accident - not to mention a potential legal backlash that could cripple the entire industry before it even gets off the ground. "I'd frankly rather see a supportive balanced framework that we put in place [rather than] trying to hurry up and put out some regulations in response to an accident," Nield said. "We could have a calm discussion and debate about the right way to go forward, but I'm not optimistic." The FAA does have authority to ensure the safety of the public on the ground nearby space launch facilities, according to Monteith. To get a license, for example, companies must demonstrate they can safely launch without debris falling on someone's home if a mishap were to occur. Even this mission to protect the general public is getting harder as the number of space launches grows. The FAA in 2018 issued 35 licenses to companies that could prove their launches would be safe to people not involved in the launch, and this year's number is expected to be similar, Steve Dickson, the FAA administrator, said at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event in December. But by 2020, that's expected to climb to 52, a number that his current staff cannot handle. "While this way of doing business worked well for a few commercial launches a year the way it used to be, the pace has picked up to the point where it's quickly becoming impractical," Dickson said. But space tourists are effectively on their own. "There's way more oversight for NASA astronauts who have had years of training than commercial passengers with no experience," the industry official said. Investigating the aftermath On Oct. 31, 2014, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo broke apart during a test flight over the Mojave Desert, killing one co-pilot and seriously injuring another. Shortly after, officials from the NTSB were on the phone with their counterparts at the FAA. The NTSB, which also investigates accidents on land, in the air and at sea, has investigated space accidents for decades, dating back to a 1993 probe of a Pegasus rocket launch in which communications broke down and the rocket launched despite an order to abort. More recently, observers from the NTSB and FAA helped SpaceX investigate the launch pad explosion of SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule. But while government officials widely recognize the NTSB's expertise, the agency's legal authority over commercial space accidents is not ironclad - and it only has such authority in specific scenarios. A memorandum of understanding among the FAA, the Air Force and the NTSB signed in 2004 gives the transportation board the authority to investigate commercial space launches that veer away from their intended trajectories and impact the property or people nearby who are not part of the launch. That means that if a space tourism flight stayed on its predicted course but killed everyone on board, the NTSB would not have the authority to investigate, the FAA's Nield explained. Nor does the 2004 memorandum have the full power of a law. Meanwhile, US Code 1131 only grants it authority to investigate accidents involving aircraft, roads, ships, railways and pipelines, but does not mention space. Virgin Galactic Authorities inspect the wreckage of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShip 2 north of Mojave, California on November 2, 2014 after it crashed during a test flight. | Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images Sedor, the NTSB's chief of major investigations in the Office of Aviation Safety, acknowledges the outdated authorities need to be modified and Congress must make it clear in the law. "We have the authority to investigate but we're ... working with Congress to get that specific language put into 1131 [the section of U.S. code that explains the NTSB's authority] that would include commercial space accidents launch and reentry accidents," said Sedor, who oversees the agency's commercial space program. Even so, there would still be gaps. For example, an accident involving a NASA spacecraft would require a presidential commission to investigate, but not if it involved the same type of spaceship traveling on a private space mission (SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's Starliner capsules are intended to perform missions for both). Current law also sets up another confusing scenario. If, for example, a commercial space flight that brings tourists to the edge of space also had a NASA experiment flying on board, a presidential commission would need to investigate any serious accident, Nield said. Putting a new industry at risk Some experts and industry officials argue the moratorium on rulemaking is dangerous for passengers seeking to go to space - but also the industry's bottom line. In the case of a serious accident or death, the FAA can step in and impose rules despite the current moratorium on making safety regulations, the FAA's Monteith said. But regulating in the wake of a tragedy could lead to hurried, snap decisions, Nield said - effectively stripping industry of the opportunity to have a discussion with the government on the right way to maintain safety in the industry while also allowing it to thrive. And a retroactive crackdown to impose safety standards could hurt companies' bottom lines. Instead of just building spacecraft to a set of standards laid out by the government, companies instead will potentially have to fork over extra money to retrofit a vehicle to comply with the FAA's regulations. "There's nothing to prevent the FAA from coming back to say, 'Tap the brakes, we're applying new standards to everyone retroactively," the industry official said. "You either spend the money now or spend it later." A deadly accident could also scare away some would-be space tourists, strangling the industry before it even truly begins. Some experts predicted that people who want to go to space understand the risk and will still want to fly after a deadly incident, pointing to the fact that people are still lining up to fly with Virgin Galactic after an accident in 2014 killed a test pilot. But others say the calculation changes when the person killed is not a test pilot, but instead a famous movie star or a soccer mom, and that, regardless of which company experiences the accident, the blowback is likely to be felt across the entire industry. "You can see how a failure in one can spill over into new requirements or new burdens on others," the industry source said. "A bad day for Virgin is a bad day for Blue [Origin] ... and a bad day for SpaceX is bad for Boeing." https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/25/space-tourists-safety-rules-089681 Back to Top GoAir's troubles underscore the serious pilot shortage in Indian aviation * GoAir and IndiGo have cancelled flights due to a severe shortage of pilots. The impact on GoAir has been bigger. * This comes in a year when one large airline in the country collapsed and the overall fleet growth has been modest, unlike previous years. * Pilot shortages plague the industry and leads to schedule disruption which eventually impacts the flying public. GoAir's troubles underscore the serious pilot shortage in Indian aviation In February this year, IndiGo, India's largest airline by fleet and domestic market share, announced that it would cut up to 2 percent of its schedule as it battles crew shortages. The airline had initially blamed the network-wide cancellations on the NOTAMs and diversions triggered by bad weather impacting crew duty time. A few days ago, GoAir cancelled flights across its network. While the number was smaller than IndiGo, the impact is higher since GoAir is one-fifth of IndiGo in size by the fleet. GoAir, too, blamed the crew shortage on excess utilisation of pilots due to diversions and bad weather across the country. While for both IndiGo and GoAir shortage of pilots and the bad weather and diversions are indeed part of the reasons, what comes out is how precarious the pilot situation is in the country! Interestingly, this comes in a year when one large airline in the country collapsed and the overall fleet growth has been modest, unlike previous years. This November, the government said that there are currently 436 expat pilots in the country. IndiGo has 239 while Alliance Air and GoAir have 64 each. Spicejet has 33, Trujet operates with 21 expat pilots while Vistara and Star Air have 8 and 4 respectively. Yet, pilot shortages plague the industry and leads to schedule disruption which eventually impacts the flying public. A severe shortage It is estimated that currently there are 8,000 pilots in India for a commercial fleet of 650+ aircraft. Both Airbus and Boeing have been gung ho about the potential in India. While this year, both the leading manufacturers did not specify exact projection for India, last year Boeing had said that it foresees a demand of 2,380 aircraft for India by 2038. A year earlier, Airbus had predicted a demand of 1,750 aircraft for India by 2036. At the current ratio of pilots and commercial aircraft fleet, the requirement for pilots will balloon in excess of 28,000 in the next two decades. IndiGo has a large orderbook of 700+ aircraft while Spicejet has 200+ B737 MAX aircraft on order. Go Air has nearly 100 more aircraft on order and the two TATA airlines - Vistara and AirAsia India have been looking at opportunities to make a mark on the aviation scene. Airlines must run like well-oiled machines and while each part is equally important and irreplaceable, pilots are the most expensive in the operations set-up comprising airport staff, cabin crew, engineering staff and cockpit crew. In an environment like India, where airlines operate on margins as thin as a boarding pass, having anything in excess in an overhead which can be best avoided. What are the reasons that led to this situation? Volatile delivery schedule: This year was characterised with problems for both the Airbus A320neo family and the B737 MAX. With an uncertain delivery schedule, airlines seemed to be cautious to recruit pilots and have them not fly as many hours as permitted by the regulator means huge expenditure for the airline. In the past, airlines the world over have offered leave without pay in cases where the airlines had excess pilots. Finding a right balance has always been a challenge when delivery schedules have gone for a toss. Availability of Jet Airways pilots: As Jet Airways suspended operations in April this year, the market was flooded with pilots as well as planes. While SpiceJet took the maximum planes which earlier operated with Jet Airways, the pilots went to SpiceJet, Vistara and others. While SpiceJet and Vistara had the B737s which earlier operated for Jet Airways, IndiGo and GoAir operate the A320 family aircraft and the B737 pilots had to undergo type-rating to qualify for the A320 family operations. The country did not have ample simulators and training facilities to fulfil the sudden demand and that has led to airlines having pilots on their rolls but not yet certified to fly the aircraft in their fleet. Attrition: India is surrounded by markets which are also growing at breakneck speeds. Airlines from the middle east and south-east Asia have been growing at faster rates than airlines in India. Often, these airlines are profitable and give out handsome bonuses and packages. Coupled with the call of foreign shores, Indian pilots have spread across the region from UAE to Vietnam! Will things change in 2020? That's too difficult to predict. Why? Because there hasn't been any change in situation with either the Pratt & Whitney powered A320neo family or the B737MAX aircraft which would comprise the bulk of aircraft inductions in India going forward. In this case, none of the airlines operating knows the future of inductions. IndiGo and GoAir are under scrutiny from the regulator - Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for engines while Spicejet has a lot of aircraft ready with Boeing. As and when issues are resolved, there could be rapid inductions in Indian skies and that again would put a strain on the pilots and their availability. In absence of a clear date of induction, airlines would be cautious in inducting pilots and rightly so since it adds to the cost. Most airlines are trying to stitch tie-ups with aviation academies for training or even for type-rating, so have a steady flow of pilots who can join their fleet. Yet, pilot training is not everything - India is a case where there are many pilots who haven't found jobs and there are airlines that haven't found enough pilots. The bridge could well be a finishing school like in other professions! https://www.cnbctv18.com/aviation/goairs-troubles-underscore-the-serious-pilot- shortage-in-indian-aviation-4941231.htm Back to Top Emirates to take flagship A380 to Kuwait Aviation Show 2020 Emirates is set to showcase its latest flagship Airbus A380 to visitors and spectators on 15 January at the Kuwait Aviation Show 2020. Visitors to the show will be able to tour the popular double-decker's signature interiors and experience its industry trendsetting products across all three classes, including Emirates' latest generation Onboard Lounge. Emirates' latest generation Airbus A380 will be decorated in blue livery, representing the 'mobility' theme of Expo 2020, and spreading awareness about the world's greatest show which will be hosted for the first time in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asian region. EXPO 2020 Dubai will be held between 20 October 2020 and 10 April 2021. Adil Al Ghaith, senior vice president, commercial operations, Gulf, Middle East & Central Asia for Emirates said: "Emirates is proud to be part of the Kuwait Aviation Show 2020, an event that welcomes spectators as well as members of the aviation and aerospace industry across the Gulf region. The Expo 2020 'mobility' themed Emirates A380 being showcased during the Aviation Show demonstrates our long-standing commitment and contribution to Kuwait's air transport sector, which is investing in development projects and progressively positioning itself for future growth. It also highlights the importance of air connectivity and mobility as a facilitator of trade, tourism and strong relations between Kuwait and the UAE." https://www.arabianaerospace.aero/emirates-to-take-flagship-a380-to-kuwait-aviation- show-2020.html Back to Top Azimuth Airlines Turns Profit For First Time (With A Sukhoi Superjet Only Fleet) Azimuth Airlines has turned profit for the first time since it launched two years ago, in the third quarter of 2019. This Russian regional airline is the only airline in the world to operate a fleet made up of only Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft. Azimuth Airlines is the only airline in the world to operate a fleet made up of only Superjet aircraft. Photo: Dmitry Terekhov via Flickr. What is Azimuth Airlines? Azimuth Airlines is a Russian regional airline which connects city pairs in Russian, predominately in the south. It has bases in Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don. It does not fly to any of the airports that serve Moscow. Both Krasnodar and Rostov are niche airports for Azimuth to concentrate on. They have little means of connecting to other regional airports across Russia, except via Moscow which causes a considerable increase in journey time. The only other European transfer airline to fly to Krasnodar, apart from Turkish Airlines, is Air Serbia. Air Serbia launched flights there this year as part of its push to make Belgrade a new transfer hub in Europe. According to Russian Aviation Insider, Azimuth anticipates handling 1.2 million passengers this year, which should be almost double of what the airline had in 2018. Simple Flying previously asked the question - is the SSJ making a comeback? The positive development with Azimuth Airlines might indeed indicate that it is. The SSJ is an attractive aircraft, with components manufactured in countries including Italy, Switzerland, and the US. It compares well against Airbus's and Boeing's narrow- body aircraft. But since Sukhoi does not produce spare parts for the SSJ, airlines that have ordered the model have found it unreliable. Still, Airbus and Boeing narrow-body aircraft are facing separate issues of their own. All Boeing 737 MAX aircraft remain grounded, which is causing considerable issues for the airlines that had planned to have it delivered by now. An Irish lessor and Turkish Airlines are even preparing lawsuits against Boeing over the uncertainty this has caused them. Air Serbia jet at airport gate Air Serbia is one of the European airlines that could replace its fleet with Sukhoi Superjet aircraft.. Photo: John Taggart via Flickr Russian Aviation Insider reports that Azimuth Airlines finally reached a profit in the third quarter of 2019 because of "dispatch reliability", but also state subsidies. The Russian regional airline now has a load factor approaching 85%. This is an impressive figure for a regional airline, especially since Azimuth is a fairly new brand name. A strong reason why Azimuth Airlines made a profit is that the airline has now achieved a "99.8% dispatch reliability level". This prompted the co-owner of Azimuth, Vitaly Vantsev, to exclaim that he is "happy with the Superjet". Azimuth has a fleet of 11 SSJ aircraft, all of which are on lease from the GLTK, Russia's State Transport Leasing Corporation. These lease agreements are where Azimuth is subsidised, as part of the Russian government's programme of developing regional route networks. As a Russian airline leasing Russian-made aircraft, Azimuth is partially compensated. The other way in which the Russian government is supporting Azimuth is by exempting the ticket sales on over half of its routes from VAT tax. This is because they are part of the network of 242 regional city pair routes that the Russian government is seeking to develop, in order to aid connectivity in the country. https://simpleflying.com/azimuth-airlines-profit-sukhoi-superjet-fleet/ Back to Top France's Safran considers $150-mn aircraft engine repair unit in India Safran and GE Aviation own a 50 per cent stake each in the US-based CFM International, which manufactures engines for the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 types of aircraft France-based Safran Group is considering a $150-million investment in a new aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) unit in India to cater for its airline customers, according to the company. Safran and GE Aviation own a 50 per cent stake each in the US-based CFM International, which manufactures engines for the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 types of aircraft. Currently, around 220 Airbus and Boeing planes in India are fitted with CFM engines. Additionally, there are 485 planes on order from IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Vistara, which will be equipped with these engines and are expected to be delivered over the next five years. CFM International, which competes with engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, won a $20-billion order from IndiGo to supply engines for 280 Airbus A320neo in June. Plans to set up an MRO unit in India are being evaluated following the big order win. To a query from Business Standard about its plans, Safran said, "As a long-standing partner of the Indian aerospace industry, Safran is committed to supporting growth in the Indian market." "Given the fast expansion of the CFM fleet in Asia and in India specifically, we are considering the possibility of building a new Safran shop in this region of the world to address the growing MRO needs. This new shop will represent an investment of more than $150 million," adds Safran. Currently, only Air India has capabilities for in-house maintenance of aircraft engines, while all other carriers send their engines overseas for overhaul and major repairs. A domestic MRO will help Indian airlines to reduce costs and save on foreign exchange, besides generating employment for engineers and technicians. A team of Safran executives visited Air India's MRO facilities in Mumbai a few months ago to check the airline's capabilities. An Air India executive said labour costs in India were half of those in Europe or the US and that would make a maintenance unit attractive for other airlines. Safran Group is discussing issues related to tax and regulatory framework for MROs with the civil aviation ministry. In India, an 18 per cent goods and services tax is applicable to aircraft maintenance jobs and airport operators charge high royalties on units, making the MRO business in India unattractive. An investment decision will depend on favourable policy decisions, it is learnt. Safran declined comment on the issue of tax structure in India. According to the MRO Association of India, the size of Indian repair and overhaul market is $1-1.2 billion. "More than 90 per cent of business generated by Indian commercial airlines is being carried out overseas by large MRO companies in Singapore, Germany, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia," the association said. Wings of Opportunity $1-1.2 billion: Size of Indian maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market 1,000: CFM engines likely to be in service in India in the next five years 40-45%: Share of an airline's maintenance expense related to engines Air India carries out in-house maintenance of aircraft engines. All other airlines send engines overseas for overhaul https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/france-s-safran-considers-150- mn-aircraft-engine-repair-unit-in-india-119122500852_1.html Back to Top President of Dubai-based carrier Emirates to retire in June Dubai, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The president of Dubai-based airline Emirates will retire in June after 17 years at the helm of the Middle East's biggest carrier, the company confirmed Wednesday. Tim Clark, who joined the airline in 1985 when it was first launched, will remain on as an adviser, the company told The Associated Press by email. His retirement at the end of June 2020 was first announced by Emirates Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum in an internal company memo to employees on Tuesday. No details were given on who will succeed him. The British aviation industry figure has gained a formidable reputation in the United Arab Emirates. Local media, which reported that Clark turned 70 in November, wrote glowing pieces about his tenure after news broke that he'd be stepping down as president. The Dubai-based Gulf News described him as the "genius" who has headed the airline since 2003. Abu Dhabi-based The National said he helped take Emirates' growth "to dizzying heights." The National noted that when Emirates began operations in 1985, it was leasing planes from Pakistan International Airlines, and now has a fleet of 270 aircraft that fly to 159 cities. His biography on the airline's website describes him as "instrumental in the transformation of Emirates into the global giant it is today." Emirates has expanded rapidly in the U.S. and elsewhere in recent decades, operating daily flights to major North American cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, among others. It's main hub of Dubai International Airport is the world's busiest for international travel, with more than 89 million arrivals or transits in 2019. Aviation and tourism are major pillars of Dubai's economy, and Emirates' success is key to that. The airline is known for its customer service, comfort and state-of-the-art aircraft. Emirates' success and that of smaller rivals Qatar Airways and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has rattled big U.S. airlines, which accuse the Gulf carriers of receiving billions of dollars of unfair government subsidies. They deny the allegations. https://www.yahoo.com/news/president-dubai-based-carrier-emirates-095710467.htm Back to Top Boeing's Starliner space taxi makes flawless landing after flawed flight Boeing, NASA, and U.S. Army personnel put a protective cover over Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft shortly after its landing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. (NASA Photo / Bill Ingalls) Boeing's CST-100 Starliner space taxi made a flawless automated landing in New Mexico today, marking the end of an orbital test flight that was cut short due to a glitch with the craft's timing system. Because of the glitch, NASA and Boeing had to forgo Starliner's planned trip to the International Space Station. But the uncrewed transport notched a first in space history nevertheless by becoming the first crew-capable U.S. space capsule to make its return from orbit on land. The spacecraft also got its christening from NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who is scheduled to fly on the craft after its refurbishment. "A little homage to other explorers and the ships that they rode on," Williams said during a NASA webcast. "I think we're going to call her Calypso." The name paid tribute to the ship that served as the base of operations for ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. "There's so much to discover in the ocean, and there's so much to discover in space. It just seemed like a natural marriage," said Williams, who was once a Navy diving officer. No issues were reported during Calypso's descent from orbit - which involved slowing the spacecraft down from a velocity 25 times the speed of sound, and weathering temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. All three main parachutes opened successfully, which was an improvement on the parachutes' performance during last month's pad abort test. The climax came just before sunrise at 5:58 a.m. MT (4:58 a.m. PT) with Calypso's parachute-assisted, airbag-cushioned landing at White Sands Missile Range. "It was an absolute bull's-eye," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said. The trouble-free touchdown for the Orbital Flight Test buoyed confidence for an follow- on mission known as the Crewed Flight Test, which would send Boeing test pilot Chris Ferguson and NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann to the space station and back. "Looks like it's going to be a smooth ride for CFT, judging by how softly and smoothly this OFT vehicle came down this morning," Richard Jones, NASA flight director at Mission Control in Houston, was quoted as saying on the webcast. The crew members for that future flight were on hand in New Mexico to check out Starliner after the landing. "Three parachutes, six airbags and a beautiful soft landing," Fincke said. "Can't wait to try it out." Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft jettisons the heat shield before its landing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. (NASA Photo / Aubrey Gemignani) Many of the flight test's objectives were met, including establishing links with the space station and extending the Starliner craft's docking mechanism. "We got some objectives done," Jones said. But because Calypso wasn't able to hook up with the space station, none of the objectives relating to an actual docking could be checked off. NASA and Boeing will have to review the data from the flight - including readings from the sensors attached to a test dummy nicknamed Rosie the Rocketeer - and then decide what steps need to be taken before the crewed test flight. Jim Chilton, senior vice president of the space and launch division for Boeing Defense, Space and Security, said that "the vessel looks great," and that Rosie the Rocketeer "lived in air-conditioned splendor for the last couple of days." He estimated that 85 to 90 percent of the flight test's objectives would end up being met. But he said assessing the post-flight data would probably take the team "deep into January." One priority will be to trace the root cause of the timing system glitch, which spoiled Calypso's ascent to orbit about a half-hour after Friday's launch from Florida. Mission managers said the craft's software used an incorrect time stamp for a sequence of automated maneuvers during ascent. The time stamp, which Boeing's Chilton said was 11 hours off, was pulled out of data stored on the United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket. Engineers were still trying to figure out what went wrong. The glitch caused Calypso to miss out on firing its maneuvering engines for a key orbital insertion burn. Instead, it repeatedly fired the smaller thrusters in its reaction control system. After some communication snags, ground controllers were able to upload corrected instructions and get the spacecraft into a stable, albeit lower, orbit. But by that time, so much fuel had been expended that NASA and Boeing decided they couldn't risk a space station rendezvous. Chilton said the timing issue didn't show up in pre-launch simulations. "We are surprised that a very large body of integrated tests didn't surface this," he said on Saturday. But he vowed that "we're going to go fix it." NASA's deputy manager for the Commercial Crew Program, Steve Stich, said it's still possible that the next test flight will carry crew as planned. "We'll have to sit down and talk about what we do for the Crewed Flight Test," Stich said. "To me, there's good data out there to suggest that once we go through it, maybe it's acceptable to go, next step, fly the Crewed Flight Test." NASA is paying Boeing and SpaceX billions of dollars to develop space taxis that can transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station - filling a U.S. spacecraft gap that's existed ever since the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011. In the interim, NASA has had to pay the Russians tens of millions of dollars per seat for rides on Soyuz spacecraft. Boeing is preparing a different Starliner spacecraft for the Crewed Flight Test. Calypso will be refurbished for what's expected to be the second crewed flight, providing a ride to the space station for Williams, NASA crewmate Josh Cassada and two spacefliers to be named later. Meanwhile, SpaceX is continuing work on its Crew Dragon space taxi. It's scheduled to put a Crew Dragon through an in-flight abort test in January. Like Boeing, SpaceX aims to start flying astronauts next year. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-starliner-space-taxi-makes-140832243.html Back to Top Back to Top Position: Corporate Safety Investigator (Contract position reporting directly to Delta Air Lines) Responsibilities: The Corporate Safety Investigator will be responsible for conducting in-depth investigations into employee injuries, ground safety events and reports of general safety issues. These investigations will include but are not limited to: traveling to the incident scene, liaising with Government officials, conducting human factors focused interviews, analyzing data, developing recommendations, reporting findings to senior leaders, and writing detailed technical reports. The Investigator will support the Corporate Safety team on a variety of airline operations safety programs and projects. This position will be included on an on-call rotation, maintaining the ability to monitor operational incidents 24/7 during the rotation, identifying critical and major injury incidents, and reporting incidents to the appropriate leaders. Approximately 30% travel is required, sometimes at short notice. The position will report to the Manager of Corporate Safety Investigations and Compliance. Qualifications: The Corporate Safety Investigator must have investigative and technical writing experience. The Investigator should have a working knowledge of airline operations. Must be flexible, with the ability to think critically in a fast-paced environment. The Investigator must be able to communicate effectively communicate both verbally and orally with all levels of employees, from front line employees to senior executives. The Corporate Safety Investigator must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and internet applications. Preferred qualifications include experience in OSHA investigations and completion of OSHA 30. To apply for the position, please email a cover letter and resume to David Hammack (Manager of Corporate Safety Investigations and Compliance, Delta Air Lines, Inc.) at David.hammack@delta.com. Back to Top Call for Papers - ISASI 2020 Montreal Sheraton, Montreal PQ September 1 - 3, 2020 With "20/20 Vision for the Future" as our theme, the ISASI 2020 Committee is inviting interested individuals to submit abstracts for papers that address the future of aircraft accident investigation. Presentation topics that support the theme may include, but are not limited to: * Recent accident/incident investigations of interest. * Novel investigation techniques for aircraft, helicopter, and drone accidents. * Data investigation methods, techniques and future developments. * Airport investigation methods and techniques * Future investigator selection criteria and training needs. * Future of aircraft data capture and retrieval and protection of safety information. * Future developments in underwater wreckage recovery. * Future evolution of Family Assistance. We are also interested in papers that address the challenges surrounding the recent 737 Max accidents. While it is not our intent to discuss the accidents themselves, we are hoping to generate thought and discussion on the impact the accidents have had on to the industry as a whole and how it has affected the travelling public. Presentations must be in English and should be 25 minutes long. There will be an additional 5 minutes for questions at the end of each presentation. Abstracts should include the author's current CV [1 page only please] and be sent to isasi2020papers@shaw.ca Important dates: March 20th, 2020 - Last date for receipt of abstracts. May 8th, 2020 - Presenters informed of acceptance and provided with additional instructions. May 22nd, 2020 - Draft program for the 2019 Seminar Technical Program will be published. July 10th, 2020 - Last date for receipt of completed paper and PowerPoint presentation. Any papers not received by this date will be removed from the program and replaced by another speaker. If you have questions related to the paper topics or any other inquiries about the program, please contact the ISASI 2020 Program Chair at avsafe@shaw.ca Curt Lewis