Flight Safety Information June 4, 2020 - No. 112 In This Issue Incident: Iran Aseman F100 at Ahwaz on May 31st 2020, engine shut down in flight Incident: Fedex MD11 at Mumbai on Jun 3rd 2020, overran runway on landing Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III - Accident (Argentina) Pakistani aviation authority says PIA pilot ignored air traffic control HONEYWELL DEVELOPS SAFETY PACKS FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS, CREW Airlines certified in Armenia banned from flying to EU FAA UPDATES AIRCRAFT LIST, REOPENS COMMENTS ON PIPER WING SPAR AD Delta to keep social distancing onboard until customer 'confidence' returns Canada to require most airport workers, flight crews to wear masks IBAC and GAMA Welcome ICAO Work on Aviation Challenges Related to the Global Pandemic Mokulele Airlines and Makani Kai Air announce merger China to Allow Foreign Airlines Back After U.S. Retaliates Air carriers extend unpaid leave for foreign pilots Some Air Force pilots are choosing to stay in uniform amid commercial aviation slump Amazon adds 12 planes to its growing air-cargo fleet that's encroaching on FedEx and UPS SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites and achieves a reusability record for a Falcon 9 booster Ship-based Helicopter Management Aviation Safety Survey Incident: Iran Aseman F100 at Ahwaz on May 31st 2020, engine shut down in flight An Iran Aseman Fokker 100, registration EP-ATF performing flight EP-833 from Ahwaz to Tehran Mehrabad (Iran) with 94 passengers and 7 crew, was climbing through FL150 out of Ahwaz when the crew needed to shut the left hand engines (Tay 650) down following a high engine oil temperature indication. The aircraft returned to Ahwaz for a safe landing about 25 minutes after departure. On Jun 3rd 2020 Iran's AIB reported the crew encountered high engine oil temperatures, shut the engine down and returned to Ahwaz. The AIB reported the engine had still 5,400 cycles of life remaining. Preliminary studies show an engine defect had been repaired at a foreign repair center. This fault, before the previous occurrence, see also Incident: Iran Aseman F100 at Tehran on May 30th 2020, engine shut down in flight, was unrelated and had not been repetitive. A specialist group was formed to investigate the occurrences. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d834b97&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Fedex MD11 at Mumbai on Jun 3rd 2020, overran runway on landing A Fedex McDonnell Douglas MD-11, registration N583FE performing flight FX-5033 from Bangalore to Mumbai (India), landed on Mumbai's runway 14 at 12:14L (06:44Z) but overran the end of the runway by about 9 meters/30 feet. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft. The aircraft was quickly towed off the runway. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d8300ac&opt=0 Back to Top Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III - Accident (Argentina) Date: 04-JUN-2020 Time: Type: Swearingen SA227-AC Metro III Owner/operator: Flying America Registration: LV-YIC C/n / msn: AC-448 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Resistencia Airport, CH (RES/SARE) - Argentina Phase: Unknown Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: Serious incident, circumstances unknown. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/236688 Back to Top Pakistani aviation authority says PIA pilot ignored air traffic control KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani aviation authorities have told Pakistan International Airlines that the pilot of a passenger plane that crashed into a residential district of Karachi last month had ignored air traffic control's instructions for landing, a PIA spokesman said on Wednesday. The PIA Airbus A320 crashed on May 22 while trying to land after the pilots reported the loss of both engines. Ninety seven people on board were killed and two survived. At least one person was reported to have died on the ground. Initial reports suggested the plane scraped its engines along the runway on a first attempt to land following what appeared to be an unstable approach, arriving steep and fast. In a letter sent to PIA, the Civil Aviation Authority said an approach controller twice told the pilot to discontinue its approach as he came into land but he did not comply. As it neared landing, the plane's ground speed was above the runway threshold, the letter quoted the controller as saying. It lifted up from the runway surface and crashed over Model Colony while attempting a second approach, the letter said. "Yes, we have received the letter, they are documenting it," Abdullah Hafeez Khan, PIA's general manager for corporate communications told Reuters. He declined to comment on the assertions made in the letter. The flight had been observed as being high for approach at as it passed Makli, about 100 km east of Karachi, but the pilot said he was comfortable for the descent, the letter said. He was also cautioned a second time. The plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data box are being decoded in France by French air accident agency BEA. Pakistan's Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan has said that an initial report on the crash will be presented to parliament on June 22. Aviation safety experts say air crashes typically have multiple causes and it is too early to determine the reasons behind the air disaster, which is Pakistan's worst since 2012. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-aircrash-pia/pakistani-aviation-authority-says-pia-pilot-ignored-air-traffic-control-idUSKBN23A2ZH Back to Top HONEYWELL DEVELOPS SAFETY PACKS FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS, CREW New Honeywell Safety Packs with personal protective equipment are designed to help airline passengers and crew members feel more comfortable while flying. The resealable packs include a safety mask, latex-free gloves, and hand wipes. The passenger kit is designed for one-time use. The crew version can be one-time or longer use "with an option for a reusable version that has a mask with interchangeable filters, reusable safety glasses and hand wipes." Honeywell created the kits after informally surveying more than 700 frequent fliers to understand what kind of "health-related equipment passengers may be looking for while flying during and after the COVID-19 pandemic," the company said. Fifty-one percent of the respondents said that air quality was a top priority while 47 percent said "personal protection equipment such as masks" was most important. "Passengers' most-desired safety items during travel were masks, hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes," Honeywell said. Honeywell said the safety packs can be branded by the airlines, but that packs are also available "for use in office buildings, warehouses, retail stores, sports arenas, schools and other public spaces." In addition to the safety packs, Honeywell said that it is working on "new technology to detect elevated body temperature, monitor air quality in buildings and determine if people in large groups are social distancing properly" as well as products to "help airlines manage new protocols for cleaning, screening and social distancing." https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/june/03/honeywell-develops-safety-packs-for-airline-passengers-crew Back to Top Airlines certified in Armenia banned from flying to EU All airlines certified in Armenia have been banned from flying to the European Union. The decision follows the hearings of the Armenian Civil Aviation Committee (CAC) and six Armenian air carriers, the European Commission informs. The European Commission today updated the EU Air Safety List, the list of airlines that are subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union as they do not meet international safety standards. The Commission wishes to ensure the highest level of air safety for all passengers travelling in the European Union. Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean said: "The EU Air Safety List should be used as an instrument that helps airlines and countries listed reassess and improve their flying standards. The decision to include the Armenian carriers on the EU Air Safety List has been made based on the unanimous opinion delivered by the Air Safety Committee. The Commission, with the assistance of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, stands ready to cooperate and invest in Armenia to improve its aviation safety." Following today's update, a total of 96 airlines are banned from EU skies: 90 airlines certified in 16 states*, due to inadequate safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these states; Six individual airlines, based on serious safety deficiencies identified: Avior Airlines (Venezuela), Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname), Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran), Iraqi Airways (Iraq), Med-View Airlines (Nigeria) and Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe). An additional three airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types: Air Service Comores (the Comoros), Iran Air (Iran) and Air Koryo (North Korea). https://en.armradio.am/2020/06/02/airlines-certified-in-armenia-banned-from-flying-to-eu/ Back to Top FAA UPDATES AIRCRAFT LIST, REOPENS COMMENTS ON PIPER WING SPAR AD Thousands of aircraft may be culled from a list of up to 20,000 Piper single-engine airplanes potentially subject to an airworthiness directive proposed after the fatal crash of a training airplane in Florida in April 2018. The FAA announced the AD's applicability update and other revisions in a notice published June 3. The AD was first proposed in December 2018, calling for inspections of a wide range of Piper singles for main wing spar metal fatigue following the crash that killed the two occupants of a Piper PA-28R-201 after a wing separated from the airplane during a practical test for a commercial pilot certificate. According to the supplemental notice, the AD's applicability could be reduced by as many as 8,800 aircraft."Based on airplane usage history, the FAA determined that only those airplanes with higher risk for fatigue cracks (airplanes with a significant history of operation in flight training or other high-load environments) should be subject to the inspection requirements," it said. Nine months after the FAA proposed the AD, the NTSB issued a report noting the probable cause of the April 4, 2018, accident as metal-fatigue cracking associated with flight training maneuvers and frequent landing cycles. AOPA, in initial comments on the AD, called on the FAA to scale back the list of affected airplanes and urged the agency to rethink the risks of ordering invasive inspections of numerous older aircraft. The NTSB also expressed concern to the FAA about the risks of ordering invasive inspections. Whether an individual aircraft would have to undergo inspection would be determined according to a formula the FAA proposed that taps the aircraft's logged maintenance records to calculate its time in service-a method that has raised many questions from aircraft operators. In the FAA's supplemental proposal-which will be open for public comment until July 20-the FAA said it has adopted "more focused risk criteria using load data provided by Piper." Reviewing the data led the agency to propose adding Piper models PA-32R-300, PA-32RT-300, and PA-32RT-300T to the list of applicable aircraft and removing five others (PA-28-140, PA-28-150, PA-28-160, PA-28-161, and PA-28-180) "for a net reduction of approximately 8,800 lower risk aircraft." In an extensive discussion of comments it received on the original AD proposal, the FAA acknowledged AOPA's contention that the crash of the airplane operated by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was the "driving force" behind the AD, a fact that had not been mentioned in the FAA's original 2018 notice of proposed rulemaking. The updated AD proposal would no longer allow replacing a wing spar with a used part. Another new provision would replace a procedure mandated for an eddy-current inspection with the procedure set forth in a Piper service bulletin that was issued after the AD was proposed. Members may submit comments until July 20 on the supplemental NPRM online or by mail to U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/june/03/faa-updates-aircraft-list-reopens-comments-on-piper-wing-spar-ad Back to Top Delta to keep social distancing onboard until customer 'confidence' returns This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. Delta Air Lines is in no hurry to lift social distancing rules on its flights during the coronavirus pandemic, extending a cap on the number of passengers on any given flight through September. The Atlanta-based carrier will limit the number of travelers on its planes at 60% of economy seats, 50% of first class seats and 75% of Delta One suites through Sept. 30, Delta said on Wednesday. The caps allow Delta to block all middle seats on its flights. "[Then] we'll reevaluate, if we gradually lift it at that point we'll see how the consumer confidence has grown at that point," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said of the cap expiration at the end of September during a Business Travel News (BTN) webinar on Wednesday. Sept. 30 is also the day that coronavirus aid package, or CARES Act, restrictions on airlines lift. Airlines are taking different approaches to problem of how to keep travelers and crew safe from the coronavirus onboard planes. American Airlines and United Airlines are not assigning middle seats at booking but will fill them with flyers if a flight is full. On the other hand, Southwest Airlines that offers open seating on all of is flights has capped the number of travelers that can be booked on any given flight. "You can't be six feet apart on an airplane, middle seat or not," United CEO Scott Kirby said at an investor conference on May 28. "What makes an airplane safe is HEPA air filters, wearing a mask onboard an airplane, cleaning an airplane - those are the things that make an airplane safe." Blocked middle seats have, effectively, become a COVID-19 marketing tool that airlines are using to try and encourage wary travelers to take to the skies again. The break between airlines on onboard social distancing measures comes as the number of people flying in the U.S. creeps up. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 353,261 people on June 1, the highest number since the beginning of the crisis in March. However, the number remains below 15% of the people screened on the same day last year. In addition, the average number of passengers on U.S. domestic flights hit 54 during the week ending May 31, according to trade group Airlines for America (A4A). The number bottomed out below 10 people per flight in April. Delta's flights are averaging 46% to 48% full, Bastian told BTN. This is prompting the airline to add back several hundred domestic flights in June and July so that it can continue to block middle seats on all flights. Not all is rosy. Delta still expects a recovery to take two- to three years, with domestic travel leading the way, Bastian said. The airline has retired its McDonnell Douglas MD-88s and MD-90s, and will retire its Boeing 777s, in preparation for a smaller market for the next few years. As flights do come back, Delta plans to restore its core hubs in Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) and Salt Lake City (SLC) first. Its coastal hubs in Boston (BOS), Los Angeles (LAX), New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA), and Seattle (SEA) will return at a slower pace. "I don't see international recovering in any meaningful way in at least 12 months," said Bastian. The focus, at least initially, will be on connecting Delta hubs to partner hubs abroad. Bastian did not comment on the U.S. decision to bar Chinese carriers from operating scheduled passenger flights to the country beginning June 16. The move followed the failure of the Chinese government to authorize Delta and United Airlines to resume flights to Beijing and Shanghai in June. https://thepointsguy.com/news/delta-air-lines-social-distancing/ Back to Top Canada to require most airport workers, flight crews to wear masks OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will require most airport workers and flight crews to wear non-medical masks from June 4, but pilots will be exempt while they are on the flight deck, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said on Wednesday. Airline passengers have been required to wear face coverings since April. Garneau, asked why masks for transport staff were imposed more than a month after passengers, acknowledged the new measures could have been done "a little sooner", but said organizing the new rules and consulting with all affected industry took time. "The measures we are putting in place today will further reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 for transportation workers and passengers," he said, referring to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Maritime and rail workers will be provided masks, while rail passengers will be asked to have one at hand in case they are not able to physically distance, Garneau said. In Canada, there have been no broad requirements to wear a mask in public, but on May 20 it was recommended for people who could not maintain physical distancing. Canada's coronavirus deaths rose less than 1% to 7,414 on Wednesday from a day earlier, official data showed. The plan laid out by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International last month to reassure governments it is safe for the public to fly included contact tracing, temperature screening, social distancing, extra cleaning and the wearing of masks. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-canada/canada-to-require-most-airport-workers-flight-crews-to-wear-masks-idUSKBN23A2NR Back to Top IBAC and GAMA Welcome ICAO Work on Aviation Challenges Related to the Global Pandemic International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) welcome the report of the Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The report outlines principles and recommendations regarding the restart and recovery of the global air transport system following the COVID-19 pandemic. CART's work will facilitate coordination among the ICAO Member States, international and regional organizations, including IBAC, and industry by providing global guidance for a safe, secure, and sustainable restart and recovery of the aviation sector. Kurt Edwards, IBAC Director General, said, "We commend ICAO and the task force for developing these principles and recommendations to assist the restart and recovery of the air transport system. Although the report speaks mainly to scheduled air transport and large airports, we at IBAC, representing business aircraft operators, are pleased to note the report's support for protecting people, working as one aviation system, ensuring essential connectivity, and strengthening public confidence using public health measures that work with the aviation system." Edwards underscored IBAC's efforts in a closely related initiative at ICAO, the Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA), which links ICAO, the World Health Organization (WHO), other United Nations agencies and industry in developing coordinated, practical approaches to operating under the current challenges. "We continue to work with ICAO in other ways," said Edwards. "Through CAPSCA, we have expanded the concept of the Public Health Corridor (PHC) to include some critical operational needs of the business aviation sector, such as ferry flights, maintenance flights, and delivery flights to public sector owners. These are the types of operations that cannot be delayed and can be managed within the envelope of confidence provided by the PHC concept." GAMA provided important information to support the expansion of the PHC concept. GAMA President and CEO, Pete Bunce, said, "We applaud the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force for its work to put forth guidelines and recommendations addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global aviation. General and business aviation is working concurrently with similar health and safety protocols and appreciative of the progress being made on Public Health Corridors. It is crucial that all sectors of the aviation industry work together to progress through the recovery process," added Bunce. The CART report can be found here. https://www.aviationpros.com/airlines/press-release/21140825/international-business-aviation-council-ibac-ibac-and-gama-welcome-icao-work-on-aviation-challenges-related-to-the-global-pandemic Back to Top Mokulele Airlines and Makani Kai Air announce merger Hawaii's only two commuter airlines supplying scheduled flights have decided to merge operations as they battle COVID-19 fears and tourism lockdowns amid an increasingly competitive interisland landscape. Mokulele Airlines and Makani Kai Airlines announced today that they would begin merging operations this month. Richard Schuman, the founder of Makani Kai Airlines, will join the team at Mokulele as executive vice president, where he will oversee all operations across the state. The Schuman name has long been synonymous with transportation in Hawaii. Richard Schuman's great-grandfather, who immigrated from Germany in 1893, founded Schuman Carriage Company, which was Hawaii's largest automobile dealership for nearly 100 years. In 1998, Richard Schuman founded Schuman Aviation Company, Makani Kai Air's parent company. Schuman Aviation Company also includes Magnum Helicopters and Hawaii Aviation Services, which are not a part of the Mokulele merger. Mokulele will be the surviving name following the merger, which is expected to take place over a four- to five-month period, said Keith Sisson, chief marketing officer of Southern Airways, which acquired Mokulele Airlines last year. Southern, which began in 2013 by offering flights from Memphis, Tenn., to Destin, Fla., using a total of four pilots and three aircraft, was continuing a string of expansions and acquisitions in February 2019 when it bought Mokulele, which was founded in 1994 by Rebecca "Kawehi" Inaba, who was the first native Hawaiian woman to start an airline. At the time of its Mokulele purchase, Southern was coming off a record-setting year for passenger growth in its Essential Air Service cities with some communities seeing 40% increases in traffic over the previous year, and many airports having had their best year for enplanements in more than a decade. So much has changed. "There's not an airline in the country that is making money right now. When you look at the situation with the interisland quarantine it's been extremely difficult," Sisson said. "We felt we were stronger together. The commuter airlines in Hawaii need stability so that the people of Hawaii have good options when it comes to air travel." Sisson said the merger allows the two commuter airlines to capitalize on "the synergies that we have together." Both airlines have similar business values and fly Cessna Grand Caravan turboprop airplanes with seating for up to nine passengers. "We know that in the age of COVID, people want to be on smaller aircraft, with less personal contact, and the ability to bypass crowded terminals and TSA lines. Truly, it is more important than ever to fly smaller, fly smarter, fly safer," Schuman said in a statement. Up until COVID-19, there had never been a more competitive number of interisland seats in the Hawaii market, Sisson said. "We had to do something to combat Southwest's entry, which with Hawaiian Airlines, has made for a very competitive landscape," he said. Sisson said Mokulele cut its Hawaii flights back by at least half during the pandemic. Travel demand dropped even more after April 1 when the state began a 14-day mandatory self-quarantine for interisland passengers. "I was worried about the commuter industry not being there for the Hawaiian people once the COVID crisis ends," Schuman said. "I reached out to Mokulele CEO Stan Little and suggested that maybe we can better serve the Hawaiian people if we team up and do it together." Little said Schuman's proposal ensures that Mokulele can continue the service and programs that are critical to Hawaii's people. "In the last two months, we at Mokulele have provided uninterrupted transportation for essential workers, flown free medical supplies for hospitals and first responders, donated free shipping for almost 70,000 pounds of groceries to the people of Molokai, and catered a hot meal for the residents at Kalaupapa, who have been on lockdown longer than any of us," Little said. Sisson said it's fortuitous that the merger coincides with the state's decision to lift the interisland quarantine on June 16. "After Gov. David Ige's announcement, web traffic increased from 100% to 200% week over week, with Kona leading the routes," he said. "We'll be watching the trends on a daily basis and as we sell out, we'll add service back." The combined airlines already have announced a new nonstop route between Honolulu and Lanai City, which Sisson said is "perhaps the first new U.S. airline route announced since the coronavirus lockdowns began in March." Sisson said both airlines will be operating flights during the integration period, which is expected to last through fall. During this period, Makani Kai's flights will be sold exclusively through Mokulele's distribution channels, which primarily includes the airline's website, MokuleleAirlines.com, he said. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/06/03/breaking-news/mokulele-airlines-and-makani-kai-air-announce-merger/ Back to Top China to Allow Foreign Airlines Back After U.S. Retaliates China will ease its ban on foreign airlines starting June 8, changing course a day after the Trump administration demanded the country reopen to U.S. airlines or face curbs on its own carriers flying passengers to America. Foreign airlines excluded from an earlier pact will be able to operate one commercial passenger flight to China a week, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said. It didn't name any countries or carriers, but the move opens up a chance for U.S. airlines to return for the first time in four months. While the timing may have been coincidental, it appeared as a concession from China just as tensions between the superpowers intensify. The nations are locked in a tussle that began over trade but escalated to include Beijing's handling of the coronavirus and its treatment of Hong Kong. The friction puts the phase one trade deal signed on Jan. 15 in jeopardy, along with billions of dollars in Boeing Co. aircraft sales. "China and the U.S. should use this opportunity to restore high-level and diplomatic communications as soon as possible," said Zhu Feng, director of the Institute of International Studies at Nanjing University. "Both sides should cut short the hawkish and emotional rhetoric, as they're against the business interests of both." Flights can land in 37 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan, where Covid-19 first emerged. That list could change in the future, CAAC said. If no passengers on a particular route test positive for coronavirus for three consecutive weeks, the operating airline can increase services to twice a week, CAAC said. However, a route would be suspended for a week if five passengers on the same flight tested positive. If 10 test positive, the route will be halted for four weeks. CAAC estimated average daily inbound air passengers would climb to 4,700 from June 8, up from 3,000 currently. That compares with more than 25,000 a day before the pandemic. A total of 95 foreign airlines will be allowed to resume flights to China, it said. China already allowed flights from some foreign airlines under a policy introduced in March that limited them to one trip a week and didn't allow them to operate more services than they had scheduled on March 12. U.S. carriers missed out because they'd suspended passenger services to and from China because of the coronavirus pandemic, which devastated the global aviation industry as countries imposed travel restrictions and demand disappeared. Washington's order on Wednesday would stop passenger services by Chinese airlines starting June 16, though President Donald Trump could impose the ban sooner if he chooses. The order stops short of an outright ban, allowing Chinese carriers to operate one flight to the U.S. for each flight that China grants to American carriers. By Thursday afternoon, flights between China and the U.S. was one of the most popular topics on China's Twitter-like site Weibo, as users debated whether CAAC's announcement was yielding to Washington's threats or was a sign of Beijing taking back control and incentivizing airlines to control virus risks. The U.S. Department of Transportation said last month that China violated a bilateral agreement because it didn't respond to requests by Delta Air Lines Inc. and United Airlines Holdings Inc. to resume flights. Four Chinese carriers have maintained flights to and from U.S. airports. "The Chinese government's failure to approve their requests is a violation of our Air Transport Agreement," the DOT said Wednesday. It also accused China of being "unable to communicate definitively" about when it will allow U.S. carriers to resume flights. At a briefing in Beijing on Thursday afternoon, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China has been in close communication with the DOT, and the two sides made progress. China hoped the U.S. wouldn't "create obstacles" to resolving the issue, he said. A U.S. ban on flights wouldn't hurt Air China Ltd. too badly given its limited exposure to the market, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst James Te said, noting that only 6.5% of the carrier's 2019 revenue came from North American routes. China Eastern Airlines Corp. and China Southern Airlines Co. also get the bulk of their revenue from the domestic market, and even more so now that international routes are restricted. The "Big Three" Chinese carriers all rebounded from losses of about 2% Thursday morning to close higher in Hong Kong, led by China Eastern with a 1.8% gain. In early January, there were about 325 scheduled flights a week between China and the U.S., but that slid to only 20 a week by four Chinese carriers by mid-February, according to the DOT. Delta is seeking to restart flights to Shanghai on June 11 from Detroit and Seattle, while United also plans to resume three routes this month, pending approval. American Airlines Inc. plans to resume flights to China in October. U.S. airline shares rose Wednesday amid a broad market rally and signs that travel demand is starting to rebound. A Standard & Poor's index of major carriers rose 7.6% to the highest since March 27, with United leading the gains with a 13% jump. Boeing also climbed 13% after the International Air Transport Association indicated a recovery was underway for global airlines. Still, the tension between the U.S. and China adds to the risk and uncertainty for Boeing's 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner, two aircraft that are critical to its recovery from the worst downturn in aviation history. While China was the largest customer of the 737 jetliner before Trump was elected, its airlines last ordered the Max in September 2016, according to Boeing's website. The country hasn't bought any planes from the Chicago-based manufacturer in more than two years. Airlines for America, a trade group that represents large U.S. carriers, applauded Wednesday's announcement on the restrictions for Chinese carriers. "We believe DOT's order will ensure fair and equal opportunity for passenger airlines with respect to service to and from China," it said in a statement. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-04/china-to-allow-foreign-airlines-back-after-retaliatory-u-s-ban Back to Top Air carriers extend unpaid leave for foreign pilots South Korean air carriers including Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have extended unpaid leave for foreign pilots amid slowing recovery of the aviation industry after COVID-19, companies said Thursday. Korean Air said it had extended the unpaid leave period for all 376 of its foreign pilots to the end of July, a month longer than previously planned. They have been away from work since April. "As the situation shows no sign of abating, we had to extend the unpaid leave period. If the flight operations do not get back to normal, we may extend (the period) even longer," a Korean Air official told The Korea Herald, adding that further discussions will take place by closely looking at the situation. Although the company has resumed operation of part of US and Canada routes using smaller, mid-sized planes, the reservation rate for international flights in June has hovered around 32 percent. The flight operation rate of international routes is currently only at 22 percent, according to Korean Air. Korean Air said a total of 11 foreign pilots have left the company since April, when they began unpaid leave. Asiana Airlines said it has also indefinitely extended the unpaid leave for foreign pilots -- except for a number of B747 cargo pilots -- considering the status of recovery in the aviation industry. Some 120 foreign pilots at Asiana Airlines have been away since March. "It is unavoidable to conduct unpaid leave until the situation gets better, while an average of eight flights take off for international routes on daily basis," said an Asiana Airlines official. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Asiana Airlines has suspended operation of 57 out of 72 international routes over reduced passenger numbers and overseas entry bans of travelers from other countries. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200604000653 Back to Top Some Air Force pilots are choosing to stay in uniform amid commercial aviation slump Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. The Air Force is hoping more soon-to-be-departing pilots will consider its generous retention bonuses as commercial airlines struggle with the effects of the coronavirus. Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force chief of staff, told the House Armed Services Committee on March 4 that the service was 2,000 pilots short of the 21,000 needed to meet requirements laid out in 2018 National Defense Strategy. He cited competition from high-paying commercial airlines. However, the pandemic has thrown commercial aviation into a free fall with passenger volumes dropping by 90%, the Financial Times reported May 14. "Recognizing the challenges the airline industry is facing, we are providing options for rated officers to remain on active duty who otherwise had plans to depart," Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Malinda Singleton said in an email Wednesday. "We have seen Air Force members with approved retirement and separation dates request to withdraw their paperwork since March, and at this time 171 pilots have been approved to stay past their original retirement or separation dates," she said. Airlines have received billions of dollars in government funding for payrolls in recent months, the Financial Times reported. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, passed March 18, prohibits airlines from laying off or furloughing staff until Oct. 1, Singleton said. "We might expect to see furloughed pilots requesting to return to active duty after this date and are keeping a close watch on the situation," she said. Active-duty aviators whose initial service commitment expires during this fiscal year are being offered the following retention bonuses: * Bomber, fighter, mobility and special operations pilots: Annual payments of $35,000 for contract lengths of three to 12 years. Lump-sums of $100,000 for seven- to nine-year contracts and $200,000 for 10- to 12-year contracts. * Command and control intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pilots, combat search and rescue fixed wing pilots and remotely piloted aircraft pilots: Annual payments of $30,000 for contracts of three to six years and $35,000 for contracts of seven to 12 years. Lump-sums of $100,000 for 10- to 12-year contracts. - Combat search and rescue rotary wing pilots: Annual payments of $25,000 for contracts of three to six years and $30,000 for contracts of seven to 12 years. - Combat systems officers and air battle managers: Annual payments of $20,000 for contracts of three to six years and $25,000 for contracts of seven to nine years. Aviators whose contracts have expired, or who have never signed a previous retention agreement, are being offered the following retention bonuses: * Bomber, fighter, mobility and special operations pilots: Annual payments of $35,000 for contracts of three to nine years. * Remotely piloted aircraft pilots, command and control intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pilots and combat search and rescue fixed wing pilots: Annual payments of $30,000 for contracts of three to nine years. *Combat search and rescue rotary wing pilots: Annual payments of $25,000 for contracts of three to nine years. * Air battle managers: Annual payments of $20,000 for contracts of three to five years The Air Force is working to increase its training capacity to produce 1,480 pilots a year as well as improving quality of life for aircrew and their families, Singleton said. "In addition, the Air Force is partnering with commercial aviation and pilot educators who share our concern in ensuring the national pilot supply meets the needs of both the military and commercial communities," she said. https://www.stripes.com/news/air-force/some-air-force-pilots-are-choosing-to-stay-in-uniform-amid-commercial-aviation-slump-1.632363 Back to Top Amazon adds 12 planes to its growing air-cargo fleet that's encroaching on FedEx and UPS • Amazon is adding 12 new planes to its cargo fleet. • That brings it to 81 total planes. Industry watchers believe that Amazon is on track to challenge the US Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx, slashing a total of $100 billion from the companies' top line. Still, Amazon will have to spend about $120 billion to catch up to those companies' transportation networks. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Amazon is adding 12 new cargo planes to its fleet, the company announced Wednesday. One has already been delivered, and the remaining 11 will arrive in 2021. The retailer will have 81 total planes. ATSG will insure, lease, and staff the additional planes. Amazon works with ATSG, Atlas Air, and, most recently, Sun Country to fly its in-house fleet of planes. "Amazon Air is critical to ensuring fast delivery for our customers - both in the current environment we are facing, and beyond," said Sarah Rhoads, Amazon Global Air vice president, in a statement. "During a time when so many of our customers rely on us to get what they need without leaving their homes, expanding our dedicated air network ensures we have the capacity to deliver what our customers want: great selection, low prices and fast shipping speeds." Amazon started to in-house its air cargo operations in 2014. Thirteen pilots who fly these planes previously told Business Insider that the pressure Amazon puts on its contract airlines undermines safety standards. The average Amazon Air captain makes about 33% less than the average FedEx and UPS captain for flying the same plane once reaching the maximum years of experience. Amazon's rapidly-expanding logistics operation is on track to cut serious revenue from UPS, FedEx, and the US Postal Service DePaul University researchers concluded in a May 22 policy brief that Amazon is on track to expand to around 200 planes in next seven to eight years. This would make its air fleet larger than major cargo players like DHL, which has 77 planes, and Korean Air Cargo, which has 104. Still, it's far behind UPS, which has 679 planes, or FedEx, which has 564. Amazon will need to spend $122 billion in order to match the networks of the two delivery giants, according to a July Goldman Sachs analysis. About $17.8 billion of that would go on new planes. Right now, Amazon is the fourth-largest transportation company in the US behind FedEx, UPS, and the US Postal Service. It delivered 3.5 billion packages globally last year, approaching rivals FedEx (3.9 billion packages), UPS (5.5 billion), and the USPS (6.2 billion). That's set to boom by 2022, when Amazon is expected to increase its package volume to 6.4 billion, according to a Morgan Stanley analysis from December 2019. The e-commerce giant could deliver more than FedEx by 2020 and more than UPS by 2022. Amazon's rapidly growing transportation fleet is not just designed to move your Prime packages. Rather, it's slated to move more and more non-Amazon packages. That threatens traditional delivery companies. Per Morgan Stanley, if Amazon were to move 6.5 billion more of its own packages by 2022, that would slash up to $65 billion in lost annual revenue for UPS and the USPS. (FedEx is no longer a delivery partner of Amazon, ending its US ground and air relationship with the company over the summer of 2019.) The potential loss at the three delivery giants upticks by $100 billion if by 2022, Amazon also moves 3.5 billion non-Amazon parcels that they would otherwise move. Dave Clark, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a 2019 all-hands meeting that Amazon's transportation would be "pretty radically different" from typical parcel carriers. "I really think the next three to five years is all about what's going to happen in our transportation businesses," Clark said, according to audio obtained by Business Insider's Eugene Kim. "And we're starting to see our first implementations of robotic sort centers, package sortation centers, air hubs, delivery stations starting to deploy this year. And it will begin to scale in 2020 and 2021." https://www.yahoo.com/news/amazon-adds-12-planes-growing-210048452.html Back to Top SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites and achieves a reusability record for a Falcon 9 booster SpaceX launched its second Falcon 9 rocket in the span of just four days on Wednesday at 9:25 PM EDT (6:25 PM PDT). This one was carrying 60 more satellites for its Starlink constellation, which will bring the total currently in operation on orbit to 480. The launch took off from Florida, where SpaceX launched astronauts for the first time ever on Saturday for the final demonstration mission of its Crew Dragon to fulfill the requirements of NASA's Commercial Crew human-rating process. Today's launch didn't include any human passengers, but it did fly that next big batch of Starlink broadband internet satellites, as mentioned. Those will join the other Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit, forming part of a network that will eventually serve to provide high-bandwidth, reliable internet connectivity, particularly in underserved areas where terrestrial networks either aren't present or don't offer high-speed connections. This launch included a test of a new system that SpaceX designed in order to hopefully improve an issue its satellites have had with nighttime visibility from Earth. The test Starlink satellite, one of the 60, has a visor system installed that it can deploy post-launch in order to block the sun from reflecting off of its communication antenna surfaces. If it works as designed, it should greatly reduce sunlight reflected off of the satellite back to Earth, and SpaceX will then look to make it a standard part of its Starlink satellite design going forward. Part of this launch included landing the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket used for the launch, which has already flown previously four times and been recovered - that makes this a rocket that has now flown five missions, and today it touched down safely once again on SpaceX's drone landing barge in the ocean so it can potentially be used again. SpaceX will also be attempting to recover the two fairing halves that form the protective nose cone used during launch at the top of the rocket to protect the payload being carried by the Falcon 9. We'll provide an update about how that attempt goes once SpaceX provides details. Tomorrow, June 4, actually marks the 10-year anniversary of the first flight of a Falcon 9 rocket - between this reusability record, and the much more historic first human spaceflight mission earlier this week, that's quite the decade. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/spacex-launches-60-more-starlink-013913971.html Back to Top Back to Top New Insomnia Treatment Developed for Pilots Set To Shake Up The Billion Dollar Sleep Industry Blenheim, New Zealand-May 25th, 2020 For Immediate Release Today, Allan Baker, well known aviation psychologist, has announced the release of his new book, "BLIS™ For Insomniacs", which provides details on the new treatment he has developed which helps insomniacs and others with sleep problems to actively bring on sleep when they need it, rather than waiting passively for sleep to 'happen to them'. This is a breakthrough How-To-Get-To-Sleep technique and guide for anyone who doesn't get enough sleep. Working with long haul airline pilots over the past 15 years, Allan has had to help them cope with the effects of too little sleep due to the nature of their work-changing time zones, flying at night, frequent layovers in new cities and hotels. Finding that existing insomnia treatments simply did not provide adequate results, and knowing that pilots could not resort to using sleeping pills and other medications which would impair their performance, he set about trying to find a better solution. "The problem is," he says, "most sleep therapies are simply rehashes of things that sleep professionals have been expounding for years, with limited success-until now there's been no significant breakthrough technique that addresses all the body's prerequisite conditions for sleep to occur, as a whole." Extensive research through the relevant scientific literature, particularly that around the effective treatment of PTSD, and an ability to think outside the box, has meant that Allan has been able to join-the-dots and make a discovery that appears to have eluded other sleep researchers. Simply put, the two main existing treatment paradigms, 'sleep hygiene' and cognitive behavioural treatment, as just two legs of the sleep stool, deal only with some of the conditions that must be met for sleep to occur. Allan's new technique, coined BLIS - for bilateral induced sleep - completes what he refers to as the third leg of the Sleep Stool, by providing an easy to learn and use method which helps the brain make the shift from emitting the high frequency Alpha waves of wakefulness, to the lower frequency Delta waves seen when we sleep. "I've discovered from knowledge of other areas of therapy, that it's possible to easily train your brain to shift from emitting alpha waves to delta waves, and when the brain emits delta waves, it basically brings on sleep." Allan notes that the sleep industry worldwide is worth tens of billions of dollars, primarily because so many people struggle to get the sleep they need. "The downstream effects of disturbed sleep on health are massive," he says. "If you're getting a couple of hours less sleep a night than you should, on average you're shortening your life by seven and a half years. Sleep is very important in keeping your immune system working well." "The breakthrough came from treating getting to sleep as a skill that can be trained. My new technique has been very effective with many of the pilots I've worked with, and I'm hoping that by releasing this book, I'll now be in a position to help many other sleep deprived people get the rest that they need and crave." BLIS™ For Insomniacs (ISBN: 978-0-473-52117-2) is available as a downloadable PDF eBook for US$14.99 from the mySleepSwitch website at: www.mysleepswitch.com. A sample chapter of the book is available for free download. About Allan Baker Trained as a military pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and is a registered psychologist. Allan has had a psychology career spanning over 45 years, and for the past fifteen years has worked exclusively in the field of Aviation Psychology. This has led to his deep understanding and interest in the area of sleep, which is so critical for commercial pilots and air crew. He is the current holder of the Jim Collins Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions to Aviation Safety. Allan was presented with this award in 2017 for his significant contribution to the development of the New Zealand Air Line Pilots Association (NZALPA) Peer Assistance Program, and in particular his furthering of a better industry understanding in the specialist area of pilots' mental health. Press Contact: Golden Micro Solutions Ltd, Box 590, Blenheim, New Zealand, publisher of the book. For more information: E: admin@mysleepswitch.com T: +64 21 900 461 Back to Top Back to Top TO ALL PROFESSIONAL PILOTS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, members of their Management, Regulators and related organizations (airplane, helicopter, civil or military) WE REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT FOR A JOINT AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY (JASS) ON: "AERONAUTICAL DECISION-MAKING, INCL. MONITORING & INTERVENTION IN PRACTICE" Dear aviation colleague, you are invited to participate in a research project conducted by the department of Psychology at City, University of London, which aims to elicit your views and thoughts on Aeronautical Decision-Making, including Monitoring and Intervention in normal operation,by which we mean routine line flights without any incidents or technical malfunctions. The questions deal with teamwork and decision-making issues in various Pilot-roles, e.g. the role of the Pilot Monitoring (PM), Pilot Flying (PF), Pilot in Command (PIC) and Co-Pilot, and respectively in the Air Traffic Controller (ATCO)-roles of the coordinating and radioing/radar ATCO as well as pilot's and controller's training and occupational picture. This survey is completely anonymous - no identifying information will be requested or collected - and all responses will be treated as strictly confidential. The survey is approved by City's research and ethics committee (Approval Code: ETH 1920-1414). The introductory section of the survey will provide you with further information and the informed consent. Please click here to access the survey or copy the survey-link below into your browser. https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6n7cxeunMyfy0fz By completing the questionnaire, you can - in addition to supporting aviation safety research - even do more good as we will donate a minimum of €2 for the first 1000 fully completed responses to the UNICEF COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund which helps to care for vulnerable children and communities all over the world. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email: aviationsafety@city.ac.uk or tom.becker.1@city.ac.uk or via phone: +49 172 7178780. We thank you very much in advance. Your support is truly appreciated. Best regards, Capt. Tom Becker Prof. Peter Ayton Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions and attitudes about stress and mental health. This research started almost two years ago. The purpose of this study is to examine mental health issues in aviation, specifically Part 121 airline pilots. During this study, you will be asked to complete a brief online survey about your opinions on various life circumstances, stress, and mental health topics. This study is expected to take approximately 15 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must possess an FAA issued Airline Transport Certificate (ATP) and you must also be currently working as a pilot for a Part 121 air carrier that is headquartered within the United States. Participation in this study is voluntary and data will be collected anonymously, stored confidentially, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study, as it is another small but important step towards increasing safety in aviation. Please click on the link below to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7ZG6M6L For more information, please contact: Tanya Gatlin - Student Researcher Gatlint1@my.erau.edu 281-924-1336 Dr. Scott Winter - Faculty Advisor winte25e@erau.edu 386-226-6491 Curt Lewis