Flight Safety Information June 22, 2020 - No. 125 In This Issue Incident: Tunis A320 at Bucharest on Jun 20th 2020, burst tyre on landing Incident: Karun F100 at Ahwaz on Jun 19th 2020, smoke in cabin Aérospatiale SA 342J Gazelle - Accident (Neveda) NTSB report: Pilots killed in Greenville plane crash chose to fly despite brake problems Airlines Are Ditching Peanuts for Purell to Bring Customers Back. It Might Be Working A Child On a United Airlines Flight Suffered Serious Burns From a Lidless Coffee Pot Passenger at LAX removed from Frontier Airlines flight for not wearing mask Latin-America's Airlines Are Crashing, But There May Be No Bailouts France's air pilots given an ultimatum by Ryanair Gogo fights to retain as many satcom-fitted Delta aircraft as possible Five Important Features of an Aircraft Maintenance Software Qantas to announce future direction soon, trying to avoid forced pilot job cuts -sources American Airlines seeks $3.5 bln in new financing Kathy Lueders now has the job of making NASA's 2024 moon landing happen Position Available: Chief Investigator of Accidents AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Tunis A320 at Bucharest on Jun 20th 2020, burst tyre on landing A Tunisair Airbus A320-200, registration TS-IMN performing repatriation flight TU-8237 from Kiev (Ukraine) to Bucharest Otopeni (Romania), landed on Otopeni's runway 26L but burst the outboard right hand tyre. The aircraft taxied to the apron, but was unable to continue the flight so far. The aircraft had flown flight TU-8236 from Tunis (Tunisia) to Kiev and TU-8237 from Kiev to Bucharest. The aircraft is supposed to continue TU-8237 to Tunis, the delay is currently estimated to be about 7.5 hours (estimated departure now at 02:30L instead of 19:00L). https://avherald.com/h?article=4d8f2dd2&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Karun F100 at Ahwaz on Jun 19th 2020, smoke in cabin A Karun Airlines Fokker 100, registration EP-AWZ performing flight NV-2633 from Ahwaz to Rasht (Iran), was climbing out of Ahwaz's runway 12 when the crew stopped the climb at FL180 reporting smoke in the cabin. The aircraft returned to Ahwaz for a safe landing on runway 30 about 30 minutes after departure. Passengers reported the cabin filled with thick smoke that began to emerge from the back of the cabin. The airline reported a technical defect in an aircraft system prompted the return to Ahwaz. All passengers are in "perfect health". An alternative transportation to Rasht is being organized. https://avherald.com/h?article=4d8e77a6&opt=0 Back to Top Back to Top Aérospatiale SA 342J Gazelle - Accident (Neveda) Date: 21-JUN-2020 Time: c. 12:30 Type: Aérospatiale SA 342J Gazelle Owner/operator: Registration: C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: Minden-Tahoe Airport (MEV/KMEV), Minden, NV - United States of America Phase: Unknown Nature: Private Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The aircraft impacted the terrain at Minden-Tahoe Airport (MEV/KMEV), Minden, Nevada. The helicopter was destroyed by impact and fire and the two occupants were able to walk away https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/237214 Back to Top NTSB report: Pilots killed in Greenville plane crash chose to fly despite brake problems A co-pilot's willful decision to fly a plane with a faulty brake system led to the crash that killed him and another pilot at the Greenville Downtown Airport nearly two years ago, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The Dassault Falcon 50 jet's nosedive off the end of a downtown airport runway into a ravine split the plane apart, killing both pilots and severely injuring a health-care executive and her husband. The couple from Tampa, Florida, had flown to Greenville using a private flight-service company. The emergency drew dozens of first-responders to the scene on Sept. 27, 2018, and it caused the city fire department to review protocols and airport safety measures. The NTSB concluded its investigation into the crash last week and reported that the co-pilot's decision to fly while knowing of unresolved maintenance issues with the plane's brake system caused the crash. The flight crew, meaning the pilot and co-pilot, also failed to configure the plane in a way that would have allowed an emergency brake system to stop it during landing, the report states. "Before the accident flight, the airplane had been in long-term storage for several years and was in the process of undergoing maintenance to bring the airplane back to a serviceable condition, which in part required the completion of several inspections, an overhaul of the landing gear, and the resolution of over 100 other unresolved discrepancies," the NTSB report states. Pilot John Christian Caswell, 49, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, and co-pilot Stephen George Fox, 66, of Indian Rocks, Florida, died while passengers Marci Wilhelm and husband Steve Rose were taken to a hospital, where they recovered. The jet belonged to Fox, who owned Air America Flight Services and Clearwater Aviation, both based in Florida. Neither pilot had the proper credentials to operate the Falcon 50, according to records from the Federal Aviation Administration. A separate pilot, Luis Hernandez, had made four previous flights with the same aircraft in the days leading up to the Greenville flight, according to statements in the NTSB report. That pilot informed Fox the plane's normal breaking system was inoperable when the plane was traveling faster than 20 knots, according to the NTSB report. Fox was a co-pilot for those previous flights, according to the report. "He (Fox) remedied the situation by configuring the airplane to use the emergency, rather than normal, braking system," the report states. "That pilot reported this discrepancy to the operator's director of maintenance, and it is likely that maintenance personnel from the company subsequently added an 'INOP' placard near the switch on the date of the accident. The label on the placard referenced the anti-skid system, and the airplane's flight manual described that with the normal brake (or anti-skid) system inoperative, the brake selector switch must be positioned to use the emergency braking system." The NTSB investigation also included an interview with Timothy Fox, Steve Fox's son and the director of maintenance for the aircraft. Timothy Fox told the investigator the plane needed to undergo maintenance at the time of the crash, and the investigator asked how then Steve Fox was able to take the airplane. "He just does and doesn't tell me about it," Timothy Fox said in response. https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2020/06/11/ntsb-report-pilots-greenville-sc-plane-crash-knew-brake-problems/5265052002/ Back to Top Airlines Are Ditching Peanuts for Purell to Bring Customers Back. It Might Be Working. Purell is the new peanuts as airlines try to win back consumers in the age of coronavirus. Delta Air Lines (ticker: DAL) said last week that it would hand out "complimentary care kits" to customers who don't have a face mask at check-in. The kits include a mask and Purell hand sanitizer pouches. Delta also said it is imposing more distance between customers and staff. And the airline created a new "Global Cleanliness" division to monitor and improve health safety. Other airlines are taking similar steps, hoping to convince consumers that taking a flight won't risk their health. Most airlines are limiting ticket sales and blocking middle seats to keep some distance between passengers. Carriers such as American Airlines Group (AAL) and Delta have closed airport club lounges and curtailed services (showers are no longer available at Delta Sky Clubs). Southwest Airlines (LUV) is now asking passengers to fill out a "customer health declaration" to confirm they don't have Covid-19 symptoms and haven't been exposed to the virus in the two weeks before flying. Getting a beer on a plane has also gotten tougher. Airlines including American, Delta, United Airlines (UAL), and JetBlue Airways (JBLU) have suspended some or all food-and-drink service. Baggies of bottled water and pretzels are in; beer, wine, and little bottles of hard liquor are out, though some airlines are still offering alcohol on long-haul international flights. (First class passengers can still get a drink, depending on the airline and flight duration). The safety measures may be working. The number of passengers passing through U.S. security checkpoints has been rising for weeks, according to data from the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA reported that 576,514 passengers went through checkpoints on June 18, the highest number since March 20. That is still well below the 2.7 million a year ago. And the seven-day average is down 80% from last year's levels, with international travel down 96%, according to Airlines for America (A4A), an industry trade association. But the domestic market is showing big improvements from April and May. Carriers are adding back hundreds of flights for the summer travel season, especially to vacation destinations in Florida and Las Vegas. Visits to websites for airlines, casino resorts, and hotels are all showing weekly gains, according to Citigroup. Nonetheless, airlines are still operating well below economically sustainable levels. Load factors-the percentage of a flight's ticketed passengers-are well below the 75% thresholds that airlines need to break even (assuming a healthy mix of business and leisure fares). Partly that is because airlines are blocking middle seats and limiting sales to 60% of a flight's capacity-measures likely to stay in place through the summer. Moreover, even with sharply lower air traffic, the industry still appears to have excess capacity. Revenue-per-mile, a measure of demand, was down 87% for the seven-day period ending June 9, compared with last year. But capacity was down 77%, according to A4A. Even if they can fill most of the available seats, airlines may have limited ability to raise fare prices, improving revenue yield per flight. The industry's big test will be this fall, when leisure travel typically dips and business fares pick up the slack. A confluence of factors need to align: Economic activity and business confidence would have to rebound, and large companies need to get comfortable sending employees on the road, rather than doing business online. All the Purell in the world won't help if none of that happens. https://www.barrons.com/articles/airlines-are-ditching-peanuts-for-purell-to-bring-customers-back-51592742603 Back to Top A Child On a United Airlines Flight Suffered Serious Burns From a Lidless Coffee Pot That Tipped Over A young passenger on a United Airlines flight was seriously burned when scolding hot coffee was spilt from the pot after flight attendants turned their backs on the beverage cart according to a final accident report recently published by the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB). The serious accident happened back in 2016 but investigators have only now got round to releasing their findings, concluding the accident was most probably caused by the lidless coffee pot's improper placement on the beverage cart. United Airlines flight UA430 from New Orleans to Chicago O'Hare was forced to declare a medical emergency and divert to Little Rock Arkansas during the June 26, 2016 incident so that the injured child could receive medical attention. Thankfully, off-duty medical personnel were also onboard the plane at the time and helped render immediate First Aid. In testimony to the NTSB, the four flight attendants working the flight said they couldn't find the safe-pour lids that are meant to be fitted to United's metal coffee pots so instead, they had simply placed a plastic cup in the opening of the pot. In contravention of United's in-flight service standards, the crew didn't place the pot in a cart pull out tray but placed it straight on the top of the cart in the center. The flight attendants had got to row seven in their in-flight service when one had to return to the galley. The other flight attendant turned their back on the cart for one moment but suddenly heard screaming. It's still not known whether the coffee pot tipped over or was grabbed by the child who was quickly attended to by a doctor who happened to be on the flight. United, possibly aware of the risk of scalding hot coffee in an enclosed aircraft cabin, warned in its flight attendant manuals to always use a safe-pour lid anytime the coffee pot is taken into the aisle. Although, on this occasion, it appears that the safety lids weren't actually loaded on the plane in the first place. In a statement, United declined to say whether specific action had been taken to prevent a similar accident occurring in the future or whether the flight attendants involved in this incident had faced disciplinary action. However, a spokesperson for the Chicago-headquartered airline told us that the airline "thanks the NTSB for their continued commitment to aviation safety". The statement continued: "Because the safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority, we regularly review and update our inflight service policies and training." Last year, a young passenger won a court case against the Austrian airline Lauda after suffering serious burn injuries from scalding hot coffee. In the 2015 incident, a flight attendant placed a cup of coffee on the tray table but it then tipped over and burned the then 6-year-old child. Administrators working on behalf of the now-defunct airline argued in court that they weren't liable under the Montreal Convention because an accident would need to be caused by a typical aviation hazard like turbulence. The judges at the European Court of Justice, however, disagreed ruling that an airline could be liable for damages for any accident where an "object used when serving passengers has caused bodily injury to a passenger". https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2020/06/21/a-child-on-a-united-airlines-flight-suffered-serious-burns-from-a-lidless-coffee-pot-that-tipped-over/ Back to Top Passenger at LAX removed from Frontier Airlines flight for not wearing mask A passenger was taken off a Frontier Airlines flight out of Los Angeles International Airport in part because he refused to wear a mask. LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A passenger was taken off a Frontier Airlines flight out of Los Angeles International Airport in part because he refused to wear a mask. Frontier says the passenger in question was on a Denver-bound flight early Sunday morning and was removed for not complying with repeated crew member instructions. Several Los Angeles police officers were called in to escort the man off the plane. Frontier requires all passengers to wear masks when flying. There is no federal mandate requiring passengers to wear masks onboard a plane, but all major U.S. airlines put policies in place in recent weeks stating that passengers and crew have to wear face coverings in order to fly. Exceptions exist for kids, passengers eating and drinking and for those with certain medical conditions. https://abc7.com/frontier-airlines-lax-passenger-removed-face-masks-not-wearing-mask/6259421/ Back to Top Latin-America's Airlines Are Crashing, But There May Be No Bailouts. Aeromexico Denies Filing for US Bankruptcy The AMLO government, which has refused to bail out shareholders and bondholders of large companies, could be on to something: A form of capitalism where investors, not taxpayers, carry the risks. Mexico's main airline, Aeromexico, on Friday felt compelled to issue a denial that it "has not initiated, nor has it made the decision to initiate, a restructuring procedure under Chapter 11 of the Unites States Bankruptcy Code," following allegations to that effect in Mexico's most widely read financial daily El Financiero. A few lines further down in the press release, the company said it is exploring ways to restructure, in an orderly fashion, its short- and medium-term financial commitments. If the statement was meant to put investors' nerves at ease, it didn't quite work that way. Aeromexico's shares ended the day 4.5% lower and are now down 60% year to date. Investors are spooked for good reason. In May, the number of passengers on its domestic flights plunged by 89% from a year ago, and for international flights by 98%. Like all airlines, it desperately needs financial support to navigate the unprecedented turbulence hitting the aviation industry. And for the moment, it's not getting it. Like many airlines, Aeromexico was already in trouble before the virus crisis brought air travel to a near-standstill. In 2019, its CEO, Javier Arrigunaga, went cap in hand to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's right hand man, Alfonso Romo, to request a $125 million emergency credit line from Mexico's state-owned development bank. The answer was a resounding no. According to the article in El Financiero that forced Aeromexico's bankruptcy enial, the airline is currently being advised by U.S. law firm White & Case and Citigroup. Two of South America's largest airlines, Santiago-based LATAM (a Chilean-Brazilian airline) and Colombia's Avianca, have already filed for bankruptcy protection in a New York court. In May, LATAM became the world's largest airline to date to seek an emergency reorganization due to the coronavirus pandemic. It seeks to restructure $18 billion in debt. Latam's filing for Chapter 11 is likely to delay a proposed bailout of the company by Brazil's state development bank as well as push back aid to its domestic rivals. Avianca was already desperately weak before Covid struck, having emerged from a debt restructuring process in Dec. 2019. Like LATAM, Avianca's revenues and earnings were decimated by the near-total collapse of passenger operations in April, as all countries in Latin America sealed their borders and barred all non-essential travel. Passenger traffic on Latin American and Caribbean airlines plunged by a staggering 96% in April, according to the International Air Travel Association (IATA). With Covid-19 cases rising across the region, which is now considered the epicenter of the global virus crisis, some countries still haven't opened their borders and many travel bans remain in place. For example, travel between Brazil, which currently has the second highest number of covid-19 cases in the world, and the U.S., which has the highest, is still suspended, while all non-essential travel between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada remains restricted. Prior to COVID-19, Latin America's airline industry generated $167 billion in revenues and supported 7.2 million jobs, according to IATA. Forecasts now anticipate a drop of at least $77 billion in revenues, with more than 3.5 million jobs at risk. Avianca recently reported that its passenger revenues had slumped 51% for the year up to early June compared to the same period of 2019. Given that included roughly two and a half months of normal uninterrupted operations, between January and mid-March 2020, the revenue figure shows just how dire second-quarter results are likely to be for Latin America's airlines. By the end of 2020, LATAM Airlines expects to be operating at half of pre-pandemic levels, said the group's CEO Roberto Alvo on Thursday, adding that a full recovery was unlikely for at least three to four years. LATAM's Argentinean subsidiary has already announced it is ceasing all cargo and passenger operations, indefinitely. The decision, it said, was "a result of current market conditions, exacerbated by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the difficulty of building structural agreements with local industry actors, which has made it impossible to foresee a viable and sustainable long-term project". It's a common theme throughout the region. The airlines say they desperately need help from taxpayers to weather the storm. And in most cases they're not getting it. "This is our last chance to survive this crisis," said Peter Cerdá, IATA Regional Vice President for the Americas. "Time is against us and every day that goes by places more agony on an industry that is seeking clarity on timelines to restart operations. No sector has the liquidity to stay afloat during a four- or five-month standstill." In North America and Europe, governments have responded to the turmoil hitting the aviation industry by unleashing billion-dollar aid packages to help keep airlines afloat. Some central banks have even bought bonds issued by airlines. It still may not be enough to save the industry. On June 10, Delta Airlines, which forms part of the same SkyTeam airline alliance to which Aeromexico belongs, warned in an SEC filing that its revenues in the second quarter, ending June 30, would collapse by 90% compared to the second quarter last year. Ironically, Delta could end up facing billions of dollars in losses as direct a result of its untimely strategic partnership with LATAM, struck just seven months before LATAM's bankruptcy. Delta can count on government support, at least temporarily, as well as raise funds relatively cheaply on the bond market. In most Latin American economies, those sorts of luxuries are painfully scarce right now. As we've been warning since late March, most economies in Latin America have neither the fiscal firepower nor monetary leeway to bail out corporations in the way that countries in Europe and North America have. Latin American and Caribbean governments have offered less support to the aviation sector sector than any other region, says Peter Cerdá at IATA. Even in Mexico, where funds are more readily available, the AMLO government has steadfastly refused to use taxpayer money to bail out shareholders and bondholders of large corporations. And he could be on to something - some sort of wild-eyed experiment, a form of capitalism where investors, not taxpayers, carry the risks. https://wolfstreet.com/2020/06/21/aeromexico-denies-having-initiated-a-us-bankruptcy-filing-latin-americas-airlines-are-dropping-like-flies/ Back to Top France's air pilots given an ultimatum by Ryanair which leaves them with the choice of a pay cut or redundancy FRENCH pilots have been given an ultimatum by Ryanair who wish to cut their wages by 20 per cent and also look to cut flight attendant's and steward's wages by 10 per cent. French unions have been given five days to respond or the airline will begin with redundancies. The low-cost airline will also pay new employees 10 per cent less than their colleagues. The plan is to start from July 1, 2020, and could last until at least 2025, enabling employees to recover their full salary over the next five years. Ryanair expects that 3,000 positions will be cut across its entire European network but did not indicate exactly how many would be cut in France. The Irish carrier justified its decision by saying it was facing "a new environment with even lower fares and a distortion of competition due to sales at a loss by ineffective airlines backed by billions of euros in illegal state aid." Ryanair also plans to appeal against the controversial $9.8 billion in state aid that Lufthansa is earmarked to receive. In order to gain market shares over competitors, the troubled airline is expected to cut the price of tickets in half for July and August. The conflict between Ryanair and Lufthansa is showing no signs of coming to an end anytime soon. As the German airline received a $9.8 billion state aid package from their government, Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary was extremely critical of the situation. French pilot unions now have five days to respond, after which '29 per cent of pilots and 27 per cent of co-pilots' currently identified as redundant at the airports in Bordeaux, Marseille and Toulouse will be formally dismissed. This will be the same for the flight attendant unions, with 27 of the 160 French cabin crew in line for the chop. The SNPNC-FO, the main French union among Ryanair cabin crew, reacted by claiming that "blackmail to dismissal" was being used by the low-cost airline, forcing them to work at "80 per cent of the minimum wage." The union now plans to engage in legal action against Ryanair in the coming days. https://www.euroweeklynews.com/2020/06/02/frances-air-pilots-given-an-ultimatum-by-ryanair-which-leaves-them-with-the-choice-of-a-pay-cut-or-redundancy/ Back to Top Gogo fights to retain as many satcom-fitted Delta aircraft as possible Inflight connectivity service provider Gogo is vowing it will fight to retain as many satcom-fitted aircraft as possible at Delta Air Lines, after admitting the US major plans to diversify its provider base and split the fleet between Gogo and an IFC competitor. At stake are 575 predominately single-aisle, mainline jets at Delta that have been equipped with Gogo's 2Ku IFC solution under a 2015 agreement between the two parties. A newly revised 2Ku IFC pact with Gogo effectively enables Delta to go in a different direction for IFC on these aircraft, on a fleet-by-fleet staggered schedule beginning in November of this year and running through July of 2022, if it so chooses. During a William Blair-hosted Fireside Chat event last week, analyst Louie DiPalma asked Gogo CEO Oakleigh Thorne if Delta has notified Gogo of its plans to deinstall some aircraft, and whether investors should expect deinstalls to be in the hundreds. Thorne responded: We don't know how many planes will be deinstalled, because we have not been informed of any decision yet. We're going to fight for our share of those 575 planes, but there will be another supplier. There is no doubt about that. Thorne conceded that Gogo "will lose some planes but the amount of planes has not been communicated to us". No matter which way you slice it, the loss of tails is a blow to Gogo. But Thorne remains optimistic that Gogo can still grow its revenue at Delta even with a smaller plane count, as the carrier transitions to the airline-directed model, and pays outright for IFC service (versus receiving subsidized hardware and allowing Gogo to steer). More broadly, the Gogo CEO reiterated that Delta's plan to offer free Internet browsing to passengers "is good for us and the industry" as it will create demand for the same at other airlines. Thorne finds Delta's willingness to renegotiate terms amid the COVID-19 pandemic - at a time when airlines are cutting costs left and right - to be "remarkable", as it demonstrates how important IFC has become to airlines and passengers. As he has done in the past, Thorne stressed that Delta is simply doing what other majors will do (and have done) - trying to achieve maximum flexibility with a dual-source approach that effectively keeps vendors on their toes to remain competitive, striving to maximize the passenger experience. Industry observers predict that Viasat will win some of Delta's business, though no announcement has been made. Viasat's high-capacity Ka-band connectivity solution currently supports free Wi-Fi on JetBlue, as well as broadband IFC on American Airlines and on a portion of United Airlines' fleet. The Carlsbad, California-based company has said it has undisclosed customers. Rotation A bright spark for Gogo is that an onerous clause has been removed from the 2015 2Ku IFC agreement - that is, the ability for Delta to terminate the agreement if a materially improved IFC product becomes commercially available. Thorne called this the "shiny new product clause" and noted to DiPalma that it would have given Delta the ability to terminate in a mere 45 days. Such a termination would have resulted in years of litigation to resolve that question, he noted. The revised agreement removes this clause. The Gogo CEO also seems to agree with Delta's suggestion that there is presently not enough Ku-band satellite capacity for North America to support the high-capacity requirements of the carrier's free Wi-Fi plan, saying: "I'm not sure any one supplier could supply all that capacity." The newly amended arrangement buys Gogo time to enhance Ku capacity and to work on a Ka-band satellite-supported "2Ka" product, which might help Gogo hang onto tails. Notably, Gogo has contracts with Delta for roughly 694 additional aircraft, consisting of twin-aisle jets that fly international routes (and carry the Astronics AeroSat traditional antenna) using Ku satellite capacity and a mix of older mainline aircraft and regional jets flying domestic routes utilizing the Gogo ATG network. The amended arrangement with Delta "doesn't affect them", said Thorne. https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/06/19/gogo-fights-to-retain-as-many-satcom-fitted-delta-aircraft-as-possible/ Back to Top Five Important Features of an Aircraft Maintenance Software Dealing with an aircraft can be complicated at times, and if you want to make sure that they are running in a safe and ideal way, it is very important that all its maintenance tasks are followed as required. For the majority of the companies, it is tricky because not only are they dealing with a large aircraft, but they are dealing with an entire fleet of it, which can be a huge challenge. It is just not possible to take care of the maintenance on this large scale without any help. So what do the aircraft companies do when they find themselves in such a situation? They simply turn towards an aircraft maintenance software that helps them manage all the maintenance tasks efficiently and without any inconvenience. Aircraft maintenance software like Aviation InterTec is easy to use and helps you keep track of the maintenance of all your aircraft. In this article, I have mentioned five of the most important features of an aircraft maintenance software let's have a look: Helps Plan and Monitor Work Schedule One of the biggest features of aircraft maintenance software is that it helps you plan and monitor work schedules efficiently. The software allows companies to ensure that the aircraft is well prepared and working perfectly fine so the passenger and the crew onboard can travel safely. However, there are other things as well that happens alongside monitoring. This includes the tasks assigned to the personnel and the flight schedules. With the help of the software, any job can be assigned to the right worker without any complications. And it does not just help you assign the job! It also helps you monitor every worker so you can make sure that all the tasks are being done the right way and in time. This way, the functions of your airport runs all the time smoothly. Compliance An aircraft is not like a car or a truck that has to keep just a few rules in mind to reach their destination safely. Things are more complex for aircraft, and they have to meet certain standards and follow guidelines in order to fly. These strict guidelines are placed in order to ensure the safety of many people on board as the aircraft takes you thousands of feet up in the air, and even a slight error can prove deadly. With the help of an aircraft maintenance software, you can easily keep up with the rules and comply with regulations. The software stores compliance data and notifies you time to make sure that your aircraft is flying safely. Cost Accounting Keeping track of the accounts is also something that can be complicated when it comes to managing an aircraft company. If you do not keep track of all the costs being spent in different departments, you will just end up overspending. Also, if you keep track of everything manually, then you are bound to make errors when it comes to accounting, and you will lose extra money. An aircraft maintenance software does not only allow you to manage and monitor maintenance, but it also helps you keep a good track of your accounts. It can provide you with the estimate needed for maintenance and can also help you nullify any sort of errors. Predicting Preventative Maintenance For aircraft, preventative maintenance is extremely important. You need to predict the problems an aircraft can face before it happens, and it is an important step that should not be taken lightly. An aircraft maintenance software helps engineers with forecasting preventative maintenance as it helps surface problems based on the history of the plane. As soon as the software figures that the aircraft can face this problem, it notifies the engineer in advance to make sure that it never comes to that. Inventory Control When it comes to managing and controlling aircraft inventories, there are a lot of teams involved, and a lot of items are located in different places. Due to the large scale of the inventory, it can be hard to keep track of things, and that is where an aircraft maintenance software assists you. The software has built-in inventory control features that help you track and manage aircraft inventory much efficiently. https://aviationtribune.com/featured-content/five-important-features-of-an-aircraft-maintenance-software/ Back to Top Qantas to announce future direction soon, trying to avoid forced pilot job cuts -sources SYDNEY, June 22 (Reuters) - Qantas Airways Ltd has told pilots it plans to make an announcement on the airline's future direction by the end of the month and that it hopes to avoid forced job cuts among flight crew, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Qantas International Chief Executive Tino La Spina made the remarks at a webinar with pilots on Monday, said the people, who declined to be identified as they were not authorised to speak with media. La Spina said avoiding forced redundancies, which he would view as a "failure", would require flexibility from the workforce as the airline grapples with the coronavirus outbreak, the people said. Measures could include early retirement, voluntary redundancy and pilots agreeing to be paid for fewer than the minimum hours in their industrial agreements due to the lack of flying, one of the people said. Qantas declined to comment directly on La Spina's comments but pointed to previous statements that the airline is reviewing the scope and scale of its business due to the impact of the coronavirus and that it expects to be smaller in the future. Most Qantas pilots have been stood down and are receiving government aid rather than their normal pay. Rival Air New Zealand Ltd last month made 300 of its 1200 pilots redundant through forced cuts and voluntary exits, while the remainder agreed to the equivalent of a 30% pay cut for nine months, its pilot union said. Qantas last week cancelled most international flights until late October after the Australian government indicated its border closure because of the coronavirus was likely to extend to 2021. The airline had previously announced plans to retire its remaining five Boeing Co 747 jets by the end of the year and said it expects its 12 Airbus SE A380s to remain in storage for some time. At the same time, it is ramping up domestic capacity. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-qantas/qantas-to-announce-future-direction-soon-trying-to-avoid-forced-pilot-job-cuts-sources-idUSL4N2DZ19F Back to Top American Airlines seeks $3.5 bln in new financing American Airlines said Sunday (June 21) it plans to secure $3.5 billion dollars as it continues to grapple with travel limits over the global health crisis. In a statement, American said it plans to raise $1.5 billion by selling shares and debt to try and free up cash. The world's air travel industry has been bleeding money during the health crisis. U.S. authorities reported record low passenger numbers in April. But American announced earlier this month it would be ramping up flights for June and July and expects to stop burning cash by the end of the year. It says that will be thanks to a rise in travellers and its own efforts to cut costs. American and fellow U.S. airline Delta said last week a modest recovery in travel demand was already helping it to burn less cash this month. https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-seeks-3-5-032016521.html Back to Top Kathy Lueders now has the job of making NASA's 2024 moon landing happen NASA's selection of Kathy Lueders to become the new associate administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate has been met with universal praise. Even former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, who is on record as wanting to cancel the Artemis return to the moon program, was quite effusive. Lueders is coming off a highly successful term as program manager of the Commercial Crew program. Commercial Crew achieved a world historic milestone recently with the SpaceX Crew Dragon launch that delivered two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. The mission was the first crewed spaceflight operated by a private company, placing SpaceX in the same category as NASA, Russia and China as a space power. Lueders' first task will be to exert steady leadership over the HEO directorate, shaken by the train wreck caused by the sudden departure of her predecessor Doug Loverro. Loverro was forced to resign, reportedly because he violated the Procurement Integrity Act by secretly favoring Boeing during the down select for the lunar lander contract. The matter is a subject of an ongoing investigation by the NASA Office of Inspector General. Lueders, because of her work overseeing Commercial Crew, has a close working knowledge of two of the major players in the Artemis program. Those companies are Boeing, the prime contractor of the Space Launch System heavy lift rocket and SpaceX, one of the firms competing for the lunar lander contract. As Ars Technica's Eric Berger noted, "She just spent a decade closely observing how two of NASA's key contractors, Boeing and SpaceX, approach and solve technical problems. She saw who executed, and who did not." While trying to keep Artemis on track for the planned 2024 moon landing, Lueders has an even bigger problem: convincing Congress to provide enough funding to make that happen. A recent article in Axios suggests that making the 2024 landing would be difficult. Congress is spending a great deal of money on the coronavirus pandemic and may want to cut rather than increase funding for Artemis. On the other hand, it can be argued that fully funding Artemis would aid in the economic recovery from the pandemic. Lueders stated in a recent teleconference, "We're going to try, right? Sometimes it's the trying that gets us closer to the goal than the not trying." The idea is that the surest way not to make the 2024 date is to not to try. The upcoming presidential election provides another element of uncertainty. Former Vice President Joe Biden has not provided any hint of what his space policy will be should he win the election aside from some platitudes. He could choose to keep with the 2024 landing date. He could delay the date of the moon landing but continue Artemis at a slower pace. He could cancel the return to the moon program altogether. The sort of uncertain future that Artemis faces has bedeviled long term, large scale NASA projects from the very beginning of the space age. The last two return-to-the-moon programs, both started by presidents named George Bush, were unceremoniously cancelled by their Democratic successors. The International Space Station was almost stillborn, except that President Bill Clinton restructured it, brought in Russia as a partner and then threw his support behind it. Lueders is not a political appointee but a civil service, NASA employee, having served in senior positions under both President Obama and now President Trump. She has a lot of street credit - thanks to the success of Commercial Crew - that will stand her in good stead for the Artemis program. Will that credibility be enough to save Artemis and land the first Americans on the moon since 1972 just four years hence, no matter who is president? The answer will determine the future of America's space program and, indeed, of the United States itself. https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/503804-kathy-lueders-now-has-the-job-of-making-nasas-2024-moon-landing-happen Back to Top Chief Investigator of Accidents • Executive team role with safety and investigation focus • Strategic and organisational leadership • Represent New Zealand in international forums The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) investigates significant, aviation, rail and marine accidents and incidents with a view to avoiding similar occurrences in the future. The Commission has set a visionary goal of "No Repeat Accidents - Ever!" Thorough investigation skills are pivotal to the Commission's successful performance, and in this role you will provide strong organisational, strategic and technical leadership, as you lead the organisation's high quality and timely investigative function over the aviation, rail, and marine modes. This is a rare opportunity, due to a relocation based on family circumstances, to drive the capability and performance of highly skilled teams, and contribute at the sector's highest level. For this dual titled role - Chief Investigator of Accidents / General Manager Investigation Services, our ideal candidate will be professionally and technically qualified and have sector investigation experience, however distinct and proven safety management experience from this sector would also be highly desirable. Key competencies and experience you will bring to the role include: • Senior leadership and business skills and experience • Investigative, safety and QA experience and skills • An ability to work conceptually, anticipating and recognising risks/issues and identifying possible solutions • Outstanding all-round communication skills, including the ability to represent New Zealand at national and international level • An understanding of quasi-judicial processes, particularly the rules and requirements applicable to a Commission of Inquiry • Emotional and psychological maturity to handle stressful and emotionally difficult situations and to support your team in this area • Political nous and sound judgement • Medically and physically fit with the ability to travel at short notice. I look forward to hearing from those interested in progressing their career in this pivotal senior role, based in central Wellington, New Zealand. Applications close at 5pm on Wednesday, 24 June 2020. If you are interested in the position, please visit our website www.peopleandco.nz and search on the keyword 19442 under the Jobs tab. All applications will be acknowledged electronically. For further information contact Jacaleen Williams on 0064 4 931 9450 or Michele Walls on 0064 4 931 9448 quoting job number 19442. Only people with the right to work in New Zealand may apply for this position. For advice on obtaining a New Zealand work or residence visa visit www.immigration.govt.nz Back to Top 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