Flight Safety Information March 18, 2020 - No. 056 In This Issue ISASI 2020 and Covid19 Incident: Canada Rouge B763 at Montreal on Mar 15th 2020, engine vibrations and deaf sound Incident: Endeavor CRJ9 at Knoxville on Mar 16th 2020, flock of birds Incident: Jetstar A320 near Mildura on Mar 17th 2020, cargo smoke indication 17-MAR-2020 - Planemasters Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster accident: 1 dead FAA is probing how a 12-inch crack occurred in Southwest jet FAA: Tower at Chicago's Midway airport is closed after 'several' employees test positive for COVID-19 Air Canada Flight Attendants' Union Outlines COVID-19-related Health and Safety Concerns Textron Aviation to Power Facilities With Wind Energy U.N. Unveils New Rules for Aviation Carbon Offsets IFALPA Forms COVID-19 Industrial Response Team Latest SpaceJet M90 test aircraft embarks on first flight Canada's Sunwing Airlines halts operations, lays off 470 pilots Emirates asks pilots to take unpaid leave, Qatar Airways lays off staff Boeing human resources boss heads for exits in fresh departure from senior ranks 'This is the first time NASA has been in this situation': NASA is forcing nearly all 17,000 of its staff to work from home after coronavirus cases appear at 2 space centers ISASI 2020 and Covid19 While we watch the situation unfold around the world, we are of course thinking of the upcoming ISASI seminar, scheduled to take place in Montreal in September. While no one has a crystal ball, we are over 5 months away and it is our hope that everything will have calmed down by then. At the moment, we are proceeding with all plans and deadlines as posted on the seminar website. Please be assured our first priority is, and will continue to be, the health and safety of our delegates. We will not do anything to put that in jeopardy. Thank you for your continued support. Your ISASI 2020 Committee Back to Top Incident: Canada Rouge B763 at Montreal on Mar 15th 2020, engine vibrations and deaf sound An Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300, registration C-FJZK performing flight RV-1726 from Montreal,QC (Canada) to Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe) with 73 people on board, was climbing out of Montreal's runway 06R when the crew heard a deaf sound and noticed vibrations on one of their engines (CF6). Tower advised the crew of flames out of the left hand engine. The crew declared emergency, stopped the climb at 2500 feet and returned to Montreal for a safe landing on runway 06R about 22 minutes after departure. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ROU1726/history/20200315/1135Z/CYUL/TFFR http://avherald.com/h?article=4d49d7a5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Endeavor CRJ9 at Knoxville on Mar 16th 2020, flock of birds An Endeavor Air Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N320PQ performing flight DL-5271 from Knoxville,TN to Atlanta,GA (USA) with 24 people on board, was climbing out of Knoxville's runway 23L when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet reporting they had encountered more than 12 birds at about 5000 feet and needed to return to Knoxville as a precaution, everything was running normally. A short time later the crew of another aircraft they had a close encounter with four cranes at about 4000 feet, the controller initially believed the CRJ9 was reporting again. The crew was vectored for a return to runway 23L and landed safely about 16 minutes after departure. The FAA reported the aircraft received unknown damage when it struck several birds. The aircraft is still on the ground in Knoxville about 30 hours after landing back. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/EDV5271/history/20200316/1235Z/KTYS/KATL http://avherald.com/h?article=4d49b985&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Jetstar A320 near Mildura on Mar 17th 2020, cargo smoke indication A Jetstar Airbus A320-200, registration VH-VGT performing flight JQ-660 from Sydney,NS to Ayers Rock,NT (Australia), was enroute at FL340 about 140nm north of Mildura,VI (Australia) when the crew received a cargo smoke indication and diverted to Mildura. The aircraft landed safely on Mildura's runway 09 about 26 minutes later. The airline reported the crew received indication of a cargo issue, media reports of a cargo fire were incorrect however. The aircraft remained in Mildura for about 12 hours, then climbed to FL240 and positioned to Melbourne,VI (Australia). http://avherald.com/h?article=4d49a2aa&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top 17-MAR-2020 - Planemasters Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster accident: 1 dead Date: Tuesday 17 March 2020 Time: 09:30 Type: Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster Operator: Planemasters Registration: N279PM C/n / msn: 208B0623 First flight: 1997 Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A Crew: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: NW of La Crosse, Rush County, KS ( United States of America) Phase: En route (ENR) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, KS (ICT/KICT), United States of America Destination airport: Hays Municipal Airport, KS (HYS/KHYS), United States of America Flightnumber: PMS1670 Narrative: A Planemaster Ltd Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster, performing cargo flight PMS1670, from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT/KICT) to Hays Municipal Airport (HYS/KHYS) crashed in wheat field terrain under unknown circumstances northwest of La Crosse, Rush County, Kansas. The aircraft took off from ICT at 07:52 local time (12:52 UTC). During the flight, visibility at HYS decreased. At 08:36 the aircraft arrived 20 km south of HYS. At that time, visibility had decreased to about 800 m. The pilot performed two circles in the vicinity of the airport before deciding to divert to Great Bend Municipal Airport (GBD/KGBD). About 09:30 the aircraft crashed near La Crosse. The airplane was destroyed and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injures. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20200317-0 Back to Top FAA is probing how a 12-inch crack occurred in Southwest jet Officials are investigating the causes of a crack that ruptured the skin of a Las Vegas to Boise plane. DALLAS (AP) - Federal officials said Friday they are investigating after a crack ruptured the skin on a Boeing 737 jet operated by Southwest Airlines, causing the plane to gradually lose cabin pressure. The incident occurred Monday on a flight from Las Vegas to Boise, Idaho. Flight records show that the pilots began a rapid, 6-minute descent from 39,000 feet to 22,000 feet. At that altitude, the cabin pressure was safe, and the crew completed the flight, said Southwest and the Federal Aviation Administration. Oxygen masks in the passenger cabin never dropped from the ceiling, and no injuries were reported, the airline and the regulatory agency said. The FAA said that an inspection turned up a 12-inch crack in the skin of the plane's crown behind the cockpit. Airlines are required to inspect that area every 1,500 flights. The FAA said it was too early to know whether the frequency of inspections should be increased. Southwest spokeswoman Michelle Agnew said the plane had been inspected for cracks within the required 1,500-flight period. Agnew said that during the flight, pilots responded to an indicator in the cockpit and "followed standard procedures by descending to a lower altitude to maintain a safe and comfortable cabin environment." That "resolved the issue," and the crew continued safely to Boise, she said. "The aircraft did not incur a rapid depressurization, masks were not deployed, and the aircraft did not require a diversion to maintain safety of flight," Agnew said. On Friday, the plane was in a maintenance facility and undergoing repairs for the crack, she said. A spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing said the manufacturer was aware of the incident and was working with Southwest to learn more. The incident was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper, citing people familiar with the matter, said Southwest told the FAA that required inspections turned up external cracks in two other planes in the same area but that those incidents didn't lead to cabin decompression. Breaks in the skin of aluminum-body jets such as the Boeing 737 are usually caused by fatigue or wear and tear. Maintenance experts say fatigue cracks are not uncommon in older planes, and inspections are designed to find them and repair them before they become safety problems. In 2009, metal fatigue created a hole in the roof of a Southwest jet as it cruised 35,000 feet over West Virginia. The crack started where two sheets of aluminum skin were bonded together. Two years later, a 5-foot-long hole ripped opened in another Southwest 737, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing at a military base in Arizona. Investigators blamed fatigue cracks in the plane's skin. No one was injured in those incidents, but in 1988 an Aloha Airlines flight attendant was blown out through a hole of a Boeing 737 as it flew over the Pacific Ocean. That prompted tougher inspection rules. Southwest's maintenance record has faced scrutiny. In 2008, the FAA proposed a $10.2 million fine against the airline for failing to conduct mandatory inspections for fatigue cracks on some of its planes. Southwest, which is based in Dallas, settled the case by agreeing to pay a $7.5 million civil penalty. The incident was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper, citing people familiar with the matter, said Southwest told the FAA that required inspections turned up external cracks in two other planes in the same area but that those incidents didn't lead to cabin decompression. Breaks in the skin of aluminum-body jets such as the Boeing 737 are usually caused by fatigue or wear and tear. Maintenance experts say fatigue cracks are not uncommon in older planes, and inspections are designed to find them and repair them before they become safety problems. In 2009, metal fatigue created a hole in the roof of a Southwest jet as it cruised 35,000 feet over West Virginia. The crack started where two sheets of aluminum skin were bonded together. Two years later, a 5-foot-long hole ripped opened in another Southwest 737, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing at a military base in Arizona. Investigators blamed fatigue cracks in the plane's skin. No one was injured in those incidents, but in 1988 an Aloha Airlines flight attendant was blown out through a hole of a Boeing 737 as it flew over the Pacific Ocean. That prompted tougher inspection rules. Southwest's maintenance record has faced scrutiny. In 2008, the FAA proposed a $10.2 million fine against the airline for failing to conduct mandatory inspections for fatigue cracks on some of its planes. Southwest, which is based in Dallas, settled the case by agreeing to pay a $7.5 million civil penalty. https://idahobusinessreview.com/2020/03/17/faa-is-probing-how-a-12-inch-crack-occurred-in-southwest-jet/ Back to Top FAA: Tower at Chicago's Midway airport is closed after 'several' employees test positive for COVID-19 • "Several" employees at Chicago's Midway International Airport tested positive for coronavirus, the FAA said. • The airport remains open thanks to back-up facilities but is operating at a reduced pace. • Aviation has been at the epicenter of the outbreak as the virus and measures to stop it hurt demand. The air traffic control tower at Chicago's Midway International Airport was closed Tuesday after "several" technicians there tested positive for coronavirus, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The airport is still open but is operating at a reduced rate, according to the agency. "The air traffic control tower at Midway Airport is temporarily closing while we ensure a safe work environment for air traffic controllers and technicians," the FAA said in a statement. The agency said it had backup facilities in operation to help the airport continue operating. Aviation has been at the epicenter of the coronavirus crisis as airlines and related industries reel from a sharp drop-off in demand as travelers stay home and bookings tumble. "The FAA continues to maintain close contact with airports, airlines and other stakeholders during this situation," it said. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union that represents the about 20,000 air traffic controllers, engineers and other aviation-safety workers, said all aviation safety workers at Midway should be immediately tested for the disease, or COVID-19. NATCA "is adamant that the testing must occur immediately and is hopeful there will be no additional COVID-19 infections," it said. "We are encouraged that the FAA is pursuing the rapid testing of all personnel at MDW Tower." https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/17/faa-says-tower-at-chicagos-midway-airport-is-closed-after-several-air-traffic-controllers-test-positive-for-covid-19.html Back to Top Air Canada Flight Attendants' Union Outlines COVID-19-related Health and Safety Concerns VANCOUVER, British Columbia - As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create turmoil in the airline industry, the union representing flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge is doing everything in its power to protect the health and safety of its 10,000 members. "Our members are on the front lines of this global crisis, and we are doing all that we can to support them," said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). On Monday morning, Lesosky wrote to Air Canada outlining flight attendants' current concerns regarding health and safety. "Reducing physical contact between flight attendants and passengers and in-flight service items is critical, and it is the union's position that all non-essential in-flight service to passengers needs to be minimized going forward," Lesosky stated. He added that flight attendants should only be interacting with passengers for urgent matters, like medical situations or security situations. Lesosky also demanded increased availability of personal protective equipment, including medical grade gloves, long-sleeve isolation gowns, N95 masks, and face shields for every flight attendant. Finally, the union is also calling for Air Canada to properly stock every flight with adequate disinfectant and potable water, and to properly disinfect every plane after every flight. Lesosky also said the union welcomes the announcement by Prime Minister Trudeau that additional pre-flight screening of passengers for COVID-19 symptoms will begin on March 18. However, he stated flight attendants should not be responsible for this screening and that airports or airlines should have specially trained personnel assigned. https://www.thewhig.com/pmn/press-releases-pmn/business-wire-news-releases-pmn/air-canada-flight-attendants-union-outlines-covid-19-related-health-and-safety-concerns/wcm/6e745ea9-7b32-48ca-a4eb-d75eee2e6727 Back to Top Textron Aviation to Power Facilities With Wind Energy Agreement with Evergy delivers renewable power to plants in Wichita and Independence. A 2018 tariff has generated a surge in Kansas wind energy projects, including the Soldier Creek Wind Farm near Manhattan, Kansas.Textron Aviation In July 2018, the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) passed the Direct Renewable Participation Service (DRPS) tariff which enabled large commercial and industrial customers to access wind energy at lower rates than the utility's current offerings. This has helped to fuel a surge in wind energy production in the state, allowing Textron Aviation to announce a multi-year agreement with Evergy, Inc. to meet nearly all of its electricity needs at the company's facilities located in Wichita and Independence, Kansas, by utilizing renewable wind energy. Evergy's new green energy program will allow Textron Aviation a path towards achieving its sustainability goals using Kansas' abundant, affordable and renewable wind energy. The DRPS tariff lowers Textron Aviation's fuel factor cost from 2.3 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 1.8 cents per kWh, nearly a 22-percent savings. Textron Aviation normally uses enough energy to power about 22,500 homes. By supporting wind energy production in Kansas, Textron Aviation will significantly offset its carbon footprint. The multi-year agreement with Evergy will provide Textron Aviation's Kansas facilities with 55 megawatts (MW) of energy from a 300-MW wind farm being constructed near Manhattan, Kansas, in Nemaha County. The Soldier Creek Wind Farm is scheduled to be on line by the end of 2020. "The purchase of renewable energy demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable future for our employees, communities, and customers," said Brad White, Textron Aviation senior vice president, Operations. "Textron Aviation claims nearly 20 percent of the zero-emission and renewable energy generated by the Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center." Textron Aviation continues to be a leading general aviation aircraft manufacturer and is home to the Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker brands, which together account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying, according to the company. Their general aviation product portfolio includes five principal lines: business jets, general aviation, and special mission turboprop aircraft, high-performance piston aircraft, military trainer and defense aircraft plus a global customer service organization. Textron Aviation has delivered more than 250,000 aircraft in more than 170 countries. NextEra Energy Resources is leading the Soldier Creek Wind Farm, a project that appears to be a win-win for all stakeholders by creating jobs, economic growth, and clean energy. The company said Soldier Creek will have approximately 120 GE wind turbines capable of generating up to 300 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable power while creating up to 250 construction and 15-20 good-paying, full-time jobs to operate. Additionally, the project will provide approximately $50 million in payments to Nemaha County landowners and pump approximately $34 million in additional revenue into Nemaha County budgets. The state-of-the-art GE turbines at the Soldier Creek Wind Farm are capable of withstanding Midwest weather, with a sophisticated computer system inside each turbine that performs thorough self-diagnostic tests and troubleshoots errors before the startup command is given. If the computer detects any problems, or if winds are sustained at 56 mph or gusting over 100 mph, the turbines shut down automatically. A System Control and Data Acquisition control system allows a remote operator to use a data link from anywhere in the country to set new operating parameters, perform system checks and ensure turbines are operating at peak performance. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/textron-wind-powered-facilities/ Back to Top U.N. Unveils New Rules for Aviation Carbon Offsets The new climate rules come as the airline industry is reeling from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic The United Nations last week took a major step toward reducing climate pollution from aviation-even as the airline industry reels from the economic fallout of the novel coronavirus pandemic. At issue are rules released Friday by the International Civil Aviation Organization, an independent U.N. body tasked with regulating the sector. The rules govern the implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, known as CORSIA. While it sounds complicated, CORSIA is simply a mechanism that allows airlines to purchase carbon offsets. It's aimed at helping the airline industry meet a goal of carbon-neutral growth from 2020 onward, and its pilot phase is set to last from 2021 to 2023. Essentially, carbon offsets are certificates that help people or companies mitigate their carbon emissions by supporting projects that reduce emissions elsewhere in the world. Projects often involve planting trees, preventing deforestation, installing solar panels or handing out cleaner-burning cookstoves. Under the new rules, airlines will be allowed to purchase carbon offsets from several approved programs, including the American Carbon Registry, the Gold Standard and the Verified Carbon Standard Program. Within these approved programs, projects only would be eligible if their emissions reductions occurred between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2020. That's in line with a recent analysis by Ecosystems Marketplace, which found that carbon markets are well-positioned to meet demand for credits generated between 2016 and 2020. Environmental groups praised ICAO for releasing the new rules despite the spread of COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus, which has forced the United Nations to cancel or delay other events focused on climate change (Climatewire, March 12). "At a time of extreme stress for the industry, [ICAO] has stood by its commitment to grapple with the climate crisis even as it deals with the immediate tragedy of COVID-19. That is a demonstration of real leadership," Annie Petsonk, international counsel at the Environmental Defense Fund, said in a statement Friday. "The Council's decision today sends a signal that when we get to the other side of the gut-punch that COVID-19 is delivering to families, communities and the whole travel sector, nations will move forward to meet the climate challenge," she added. Brad Schallert, deputy director of international climate cooperation at the World Wildlife Fund, echoed this sentiment. "Around the world, we are seeing urgent and unprecedented action to the COVID-19 emergency. Today governments at ICAO ... signaled they can continue to address the climate crisis at the same time," he said in a statement Friday. Still, Schallert said the council should have further limited the amount of credits under the Clean Development Mechanism, which resulted from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and remains the largest carbon offset program in the world. Environmentalists have questioned the effectiveness of the Clean Development Mechanism in the wake of a 2016 report by the European Commission that found only 7% of carbon offsets in the program led to emissions reductions that would not have happened otherwise (Climatewire, Sept. 10, 2019). "This decision is far from perfect: the ICAO Council should have set a higher bar," Schallert said. "Governments could have more severely limited the amount of CDM credits or rejected the program altogether." The new rules come as the airline industry continues to see its passenger numbers and shares plummet amid efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus. Shares of major U.S. airlines plunged last week after President Trump banned air travel for foreigners from most of Europe to the United States for 30 days. But they saw a slight uptick Friday as the White House and Congress moved to provide economic assistance to hard-hit industries. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also has signaled that helping the airline industry remains a priority for the administration. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-n-unveils-new-rules-for-aviation-carbon-offsets/ Back to Top IFALPA Forms COVID-19 Industrial Response Team MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For more than 70 years, IFALPA has been a trusted voice with aviation industry stakeholders including ICAO, State Regulators, IATA, Governments, and Airline Operators. Known for our expertise on technical, safety, and security matters our Member Associations represent more than 100,000 pilots who fly for airlines on all five continents. IFALPA and our Member Associations are skilled in all matters related to the airline business, including difficult restructuring and industry resets. We know that navigating these complex issues requires unity. Through strong relationships with industry stakeholders we have been able to advance all aspects of global aviation, even during the most challenging times. We are facing an unprecedented challenge to our industry. IFALPA is inviting all aviation stakeholder partners to collaborate actively to maintain the safety and security of our system and ensure the continued economic stability of our industry. IFALPA has assembled a COVID-19 Industrial Response Team to provide expertise, resources, and guidance to manage the unfolding crisis. The Team is made up of professional and pilot representatives from across the globe with decades of experience dealing with airline restructurings. IFALPA Member Associations and their pilots will be key to providing the stability required by the aviation industry in the short term. Our role in the long term will be equally vital: to partner with all industry stakeholders to ensure a healthy, stable, and profitable industry emerges from this crisis. For information please contact Emily Bitting, IFALPA Senior Communications Specialist, emilybitting@ifalpa.org, +1 514 419 1191 ext. 228 The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations represents more than 100,000 pilots in nearly 100 countries around the globe. The mission of IFALPA is to promote the highest level of aviation safety worldwide and to be the global advocate of the piloting profession; providing representation, services and support to both our members https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200317005494/en/IFALPA-Forms-COVID-19-Industrial-Response-Team Back to Top Latest SpaceJet M90 test aircraft embarks on first flight Mitsubishi Aircraft's SpaceJet M90 flight-test vehicle 10 took off on its maiden sortie on 18 March. The aircraft, FTV10, registered JA26MJ, took off from Nagoya and conducted a series of performance tests over the Pacific Ocean. Two hours later, the aircraft returned to Nagoya. Flight test vehicle 10 took off on its first flight at Nagoya. With the aircraft's first flight done, Mitsubishi Aircraft will prepare it for certification flight testing. "In coming weeks Mitsubishi Aircraft plans to continue flight tests on FTV10 in Nagoya, as well as prepare for the ferry flight to Moses Lake Flight Test Center to join the remainder of the Mitsubishi SpaceJet M90 test fleet for the final phase of type certification flight test," the Japanese airframer states. Mitsubishi Aircraft chief development officer Alex Bellamy adds: "Today's announcement is especially encouraging, as it marks the start of certification flight testing for the first SpaceJet M90 in final, certifiable configuration." FTV10 is the first version of the SpaceJet M90 to be produced in its final configuration FTV10 is the first such SpaceJet M90 to be produced in what the company calls a "final, certifiable baseline configuration". The airframer previously said that FTV10's first flight was to be a low-key affair, as a result of coronavirus prevention measures. This meant that there was no media activity accompanying the event. JA26MJ was rolled out by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Manufacturing in January and handed over to the Mitsubishi Aircraft flight test division. It had been undergoing ground tests including refuelling, engine start, ramping up to full power, and taxiing tests. https://www.flightglobal.com/programmes/latest-spacejet-m90-test-aircraft-embarks-on-first-flight/137366.article Back to Top Canada's Sunwing Airlines halts operations, lays off 470 pilots Canada's Sunwing Airlines today announced it will suspend operations after March 23, 2020 and all pilots, approximately 470 in total, will be laid off on April 8, 2020. Sunwing's decision to suspend operations and layoff all pilots is the first major layoff announcement of its kind in the Canadian aviation industry. The decision is a direct result of the federal government's COVID-19 travel restrictions and border closure policies. Making matters worse, approximately 125 pilots at Sunwing face possible eviction from company-rented residences in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Quebec City. To address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Unifor, Canada's largest union in the private sector, has called on the federal government and provincial governments to immediately implement a wide series of measures to protect workers across all industries including but not limited to: • Establish direct, emergency income assistance measures to all workers and families - including those ineligible for Employment Insurance benefits; • Waive the one-week waiting period for regular Employment Insurance benefits and temporarily eliminate the qualifying hours needed to access benefits; • Service Canada must issue a directive to employers to code layoffs as "Layoff/Shortage of Work" instead of "other" to ensure no administrative bottlenecks prevent impacted workers from receiving money; • Place restrictions on any stimulus funding for the aviation industry to ensure funds are directed to support employees rather than executives; • Place a moratorium on all evictions and postpone any and all eviction orders currently in place. "Our members have mortgages, bills to pay, and children to take care of, and will not be able to make ends meet if there isn't a comprehensive government strategy in place. We will not let our members go without a roof over their heads," said Barret Armann, Unifor Local 7378 President. "Any bailout package to the industry must come to workers and their families first and include written commitments from the employer that ensures all of our members will return to work once these travel restrictions are lifted." Unifor has also asked that the federal government develop a long-term solution to support airlines such as Sunwing that will undoubtedly face challenges as service levels normalize once the pandemic is contained. In the case of the 2015 MERS outbreak, passenger traffic levels did not normalize for more than four months and during the SARS outbreak in 2003 passenger levels did not to return to normal levels for more than six months. With the current COVID-19 outbreak, it is estimated that passenger traffic may not return to current levels for more than a year. That is why bold action is needed now. Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. https://www.eturbonews.com/567469/canadas-sunwing-airlines-halts-operations-lays-off-470-pilots/ Back to Top Emirates asks pilots to take unpaid leave, Qatar Airways lays off staff MANILA/DUBAI (Reuters) - Middle East airline Qatar Airways laid off about 200 Filipino staff in Doha this week and rival Emirates asked pilots to take unpaid leave as the coronavirus outbreak hammers demand for travel. The state-owned airlines have had to slash dozens of flights, which are crucial for their Gulf hubs that millions of passengers pass through each year. Philippine Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello told Reuters on Wednesday that the government was trying to ascertain the "real cause" behind the unexpected decision to lay off the workers. Qatar Airways did not respond to an emailed request for comment. The layoffs were reported earlier by ABS-CBN. It said the Filipino employees, including engineers and maintenance staff, were laid off on Tuesday and others had also lost their jobs. State-owned Qatar Airways had warned it would report its third consecutive loss this financial year, which ends this month, before the outbreak battered global travel demand. Dubai's Emirates has joined other airlines around world in asking pilots to take unpaid leave. "You are strongly encouraged to make use of this opportunity to volunteer for additional paid and unpaid leave," the airline said in an internal email to pilots seen by Reuters. Emirates, one of the world's biggest international airlines, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment. Tourism and aviation are vital to Dubai's economy, which does not have the vast oil wealth of some of its neighbors. Emirates Group, which employed over 100,000 people, including about 4,000 pilots as of March 2019, asked staff to take unpaid leave earlier this month, although pilots were not included in the request then. Emirates has told staff the coronavirus epidemic could be the biggest challenge it has faced in many years. The airline has frozen recruitment and continues to cut flights as the situation worsens globally. In response to a Reuters query as to whether the Dubai government would provide support to its state aviation entities, the state media office sent a statement from the emirate's airport operator. Dubai Airports said it was working with business partners to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus but could not comment further as commercial arrangements were confidential. Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways on Wednesday announced another raft of flight cancellations, including to India and Egypt. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/emirates-asks-pilots-unpaid-leave-103104788.html Back to Top Boeing human resources boss heads for exits in fresh departure from senior ranks Deal and Colbert report to David Calhoun became Boeing President and CEO on Jan. 13. He replaced Dennis Muilenburg, who was forced to resign in December. Boeing said Monday that its senior vice president of human resources is leaving the jet maker in early April for a new job. Departing after giving her notice is Heidi Capozzi, who joined Boeing in 2009. She has led the company's HR leadership and learning, talent planning, employee and labor relations, and diversity and inclusion initiatives since 2016. There was no information about what her new job will be. The Chicago-based company announced Capozzi's departure after the stock market closed and after Boeing shares plunged $40.55 each, a 25 percent drop in a single day. News of her exit also came amid a report that Boeing has asked White House and Congressional officials for short-term financial aid for itself, suppliers and airlines, to help avoid layoffs during the crisis caused caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. It's the latest in a series of departures and new hires Boeing has made over the past six months as it grapples with the 737 Max global grounding and now a worldwide airline crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19. In a statement announcing Capozzi's departure, Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun thanked her for service to the company and its 160,000 employees around the world. "For more than a decade, Heidi has demonstrated a deep commitment to engaging and inspiring our people, strengthening our culture and supporting our business," Calhoun said. Boeing said that after an "orderly transition," its vice president of corporate human resources, Wendy Livingston, will replace Capozzi on an interim basis until her successor is hired. No timeline was given for that hire. Livingston currently leads a Boeing HR team that supports several corporate functions and previously oversaw a unit responsible for identifying and developing leaders within the company. Livingston joined Boeing in 1995 as a business and planning analyst for what at the time was McDonnell Douglas. She later worked at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. The company employs more than 61,000 people in Washington state at its facilities in Everett, Seattle, Renton, Auburn and Mukilteo. https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/03/16/boeing-human-resources-boss-heads-for-exits-in.html?ana=yahoo&yptr=yahoo Back to Top 'This is the first time NASA has been in this situation': NASA is forcing nearly all 17,000 of its staff to work from home after coronavirus cases appear at 2 space centers NASA's administrator, Jim Bridenstine, announced Tuesday that all staff were under a mandatory order to work from home "until further notice" amid the spread of the novel coronavirus in the US. NASA employs about 17,000 people, and only "mission-essential personnel" will be permitted at the space agency's centers and facilities. The decision is known as a "Stage 3" response and is part of a new NASA plan to respond to the coronavirus, which has infected people at some of its facilities. "This is the first time NASA has been in this situation," an agency representative told Business Insider. NASA has sent all but an essential cluster of its 17,000-person workforce home in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Jim Bridenstine, the US space agency's administrator, made the announcement Tuesday evening. "Effective immediately, all employees and contractors will move to mandatory telework until further notice," Bridenstine said in a statement emailed by NASA's public-affairs office. "Mission-essential personnel will continue to be granted access onsite." Bridenstine noted that "a limited amount of employees have tested positive for COVID-19," as the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus is called. As of Tuesday evening, cases were confirmed at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "It is imperative that we take this pre-emptive step to thwart further spreading of the virus among the workforce and our communities," Bridenstine added. NASA's agency-wide move follows a phase called "Stage 3" from a recently unveiled "Response Framework" document, which it created to rapidly mitigate the spread of the coronavirus among workers, if necessary. Stage 1 applies to mostly functional access to centers and facilities, with an emphasis on social distancing, reduction in nonessential travel, and other activities to reduce the spread of the virus. The last phase, called Stage 4 - which only Ames is subject to right now, per a NASA coronavirus page - is a near-total closing of all facilities, "except to protect life and critical infrastructure." "This is the first time NASA has been in this situation," an agency representative told Business Insider. Coronavirus is confirmed to have infected about 200,000 people around the world and killed 8,000, according to Johns Hopkins University, and approximately half of all cases have not yet resolved. Many cases are still going undetected because of testing shortfalls and the fact that some people with COVID-19 show no obvious symptoms. Deaths are also weighted heavily toward those people who are older or have what appear to be underlying risk factors such as heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, or cancer, according to a March 11 study published The Lancet. NASA previously tightened access to its astronauts, including those scheduled to fly SpaceX's new Crew Dragon spaceship for the first time this spring - and return the US to flight since the retirement of the space-shuttle program in July 2011. NASA is also working to develop the Space Launch System and Orion spaceship to send astronauts back to the moon mid-decade and possibly on to Mars in the 2030s. Business Insider asked the NASA representative which missions and projects would be affected by the agency-wide escalation in its response plan, but the person did not immediately provide a response. https://www.yahoo.com/news/first-time-nasa-situation-nasa-034600880.html Curt Lewis