Flight Safety Information June 29, 2020 - No. 130 In This Issue Incident: Skywest CRJ2 near Prescott on Jun 26th 2020, loss of cabin pressure Incident: Transavia France B738 at Paris on Jun 27th 2020, cabin pressurization problem Incident: Western Global MD11 near Chicago on Jun 27th 2020, loss of cabin pressure Incident: ANA B773 enroute on Jun 26th 2020, deflated tyre Incident: Eagle L410 at Lankien on Jun 25th 2020, contacted tree during departure Boeing 737-82R (WL) - Ground Collision (Turkey) Boeing 737 MAX certification flight tests to begin on Monday - sources Pakistani pilots deny gov't claim of obtaining fake licenses Vietnam grounds Pakistani pilots over licence concerns Iran to hand over black boxes of downed Ukraine jet to France for analysis DGCA issues showcause to Air Asia India over allegations of safety norms violations by pilot Maintenance firm clashes with inquiry over severe E190 loss-of-control incident Italy Bans Use Of Airplane Overhead Bins PK-8303 crash: Making heads roll UAE To Suspend Flights From Pakistan Caribbean Airline LIAT To Be Liquidated LATAM Group Requests Return of 65 Aircraft to Its Lessors and Lenders SAS Airlines Lays Off 560 Pilots Amid Pandemic British Airways sacks 350 pilots and puts 300 in 'pool' for rehire Delta could furlough more than 2,500 pilots, will downsize flight attendant bases Spanish airline Iberia will downsize due to coronavirus: CEO China's big three airlines take delivery of domestically made ARJ21 aircraft Boeing Finally Admits That Aircraft Demand Is Basically Zero The UK may be about to blow $600 million on the wrong satellites SCSI Slovenia Fall Course Series AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: Skywest CRJ2 near Prescott on Jun 26th 2020, loss of cabin pressure A Skywest Canadair CRJ-200 on behalf of United, registration N431SW performing flight UA-5071 from Denver,CO to Prescott,AZ (USA), was enroute at FL320 about 20nm north of Flagstaff,AZ (USA) and 61nm northeast of Prescott when Albuquerque Center called the aircraft on guard frequency to change to their frequency. After a second call on guard frequency the crew reported on the center frequency and was immediately cleared to descend to 10,000 feet. A short time later the crew declared Mayday after having donned their oxygen masks and reported they were now executing an emergency descent to below 10,000 feet, the controller advised they were still in an area of MSA of 11,000 feet and provided a vector to take the aircraft quicker to an area where he could approve a descent to 10,000 feet. After levelling off at 10,000 feet the crew advised no further assistance was needed and requested a RNAV approach to Prescott's runway 21L. When ATC queried whether they had got their cabin pressure back the crew, already without oxygen masks again, replied they did not have the pressure back but were now low enough. The aircraft continued for the approach and a safe landing in Prescott. The aircraft returned to service about 16 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SKW5071/history/20200627/0115Z/KDEN/KPRC http://avherald.com/h?article=4d9479fe&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Transavia France B738 at Paris on Jun 27th 2020, cabin pressurization problem A Transavia France Boeing 737-800, registration F-GZHS performing flight TO-3174 from Paris Orly (France) to Valencia,SP (Spain), was climbing out of Paris when the crew stopped the climb at FL250 reporting some technical problem, the aircraft continued in the direction of Valencia while the crew were working the checklists. The crew subsequently advised of pressurization issues, maintained FL250 and returned to Paris Orly for a safe landing about 50 minutes after departure. The rotation to/from Valencia was cancelled. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground at Orly Airport about 17 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d945271&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Western Global MD11 near Chicago on Jun 27th 2020, loss of cabin pressure A Western Global Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-11, registration N415JN performing flight KD-1576 from Anchorage,AK to Louisville,KY (USA), was enroute at FL330 about 100nm south of Chicago,IL (USA) and about 180nm northwest of Louisville when the crew descended the aircraft to FL290, subsequently declared emergency and initiated an emergency descent to 10,000 feet due to the loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft continued to Louisville maintaining 10,000 feet for about 10 minutes, on approach to Lousiville advised no assistance was needed, landed safely on Louisville's runway 17R maintaining routine communication with tower about 30 minutes after leaving FL330 and taxied to the apron. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/WGN1576/history/20200627/1630Z/PANC/KSDF http://avherald.com/h?article=4d93f49e&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: ANA B773 enroute on Jun 26th 2020, deflated tyre An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 777-300, registration JA779A performing flight NH-7 from San Francisco,CA (USA) to Tokyo Narita (Japan), was enroute when the aft right hand outboard tyre deflated. The aircraft cotninued to Tokyo for a safe landing on runway 34L, vacated the runway and stopped clear of the runway. The aircraft was subsequently towed to the apron. The aircraft is still on the ground in Tokyo 10 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d931b8a&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Eagle L410 at Lankien on Jun 25th 2020, contacted tree during departure An Eagle Air Let L-410, registration EY-433 performing a flight from Lankien to Juba (South Sudan), was departing Lankien, when the right hand wing tip contacted a tree. The aircraft was able to continue to Juba for a safe landing. The aircraft currently undergoes repairs to its right wing tip in Juba. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d93189d&opt=0 Back to Top Boeing 737-82R (WL) - Ground Collision (Turkey) Date: 27-JUN-2020 Time: c. 08:30 UTC Type: Boeing 737-82R (WL) Owner/operator: Corendon Airlines Registration: TC-TJR C/n / msn: 40723/3622 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Kayseri Erkilet International Airport (ASR/LTAU) - Turkey Phase: Taxi Nature: International Scheduled Passenger Departure airport: Stuttgart-Echterdingen Airport (STR/EDDS) Destination airport: Kayseri Erkilet International Airport (ASR/LTAU) Narrative: A Corendon Airlines Boeing 737-800 knocked over the spray turret on an ARFF fire truck as it taxied to the apron after landing. The fire truck was positioned to the right of the taxiway and was giving the aircraft a traditional water salute. The aircraft was operating the first post-Corona flight from Stuttgart. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/237446 Back to Top Boeing 737 MAX certification flight tests to begin on Monday - sources SEATTLE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pilots and test crew members from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing Co are slated to begin a three-day certification test campaign for the 737 MAX on Monday, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The test is a pivotal moment in Boeing's worst-ever corporate crisis, long since compounded by the novel coronavirus pandemic that has slashed air travel and jet demand. The grounding of the fast-selling 737 MAX in March 2019 after two crashes in five months killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia triggered lawsuits, investigations by Congress and the Department of Justice and cut off a key source of Boeing's cash. The FAA confirmed to U.S. lawmakers on Sunday that an agency board had completed a review of Boeing's safety system assessment for the 737 MAX "clearing the way for flight certification testing to begin. Flights with FAA test pilots could begin as early as tomorrow, evaluating Boeing's proposed changes to the automated flight control system on the 737 MAX." After a preflight briefing over several hours, the crew will board a 737 MAX 7 outfitted with test equipment at Boeing Field near Seattle, one of the people said. The crew will run methodically scripted mid-air scenarios such as steep-banking turns, progressing to more extreme maneuvers on a route primarily over Washington state. The plan over at least three days could include touch-and-go landings at the eastern Washington airport in Moses Lake, and a path over the Pacific Ocean coastline, adjusting the flight plan and timing as needed for weather and other factors, one of the people said. Pilots will also intentionally trigger the reprogrammed stall-prevention software known as MCAS faulted in both crashes, and aerodynamic stall conditions, the people said. Boeing declined to comment. The FAA email said the testing will last several days and "will include a wide array of flight maneuvers and emergency procedures to enable the agency to assess whether the changes meet FAA certification standards." It added the "FAA has not made a decision on return to service" and has a number of additional steps before it can clear the plane to do so. The rigors of the test campaign go beyond previous Boeing test flights, completed in a matter of hours on a single day, industry sources say. The tests are meant to ensure new protections Boeing added to MCAS are robust enough to prevent the scenario pilots encountered before both crashes, when they were unable to counteract MCAS and grappled with "stick shaker" column vibrations and other warnings, one of the people said. Boeing's preparation has included hundreds of hours inside a 737 MAX flight simulator at its Longacres facility in Renton, Washington, and hundreds of hours in the air on the same 737 MAX 7 test airplane without FAA officials on board. At least one of those practice flights included the same testing parameters expected on Monday, one of the people said. After the flights, FAA officials in Washington and the Seattle-area will analyze reams of digital and paperwork flight test data to assess the jet's airworthiness. Likely weeks later, after the data is analyzed and training protocols are firmed up, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, a former F-15 fighter pilot who has promised the 737 MAX will not be approved until he has personally signed off on it, will board the same plane to make his assessments, two of the people said. If all goes well, the FAA would then need to approve new pilot training procedures, among other reviews, and would not likely approve the plane's ungrounding until September, the people said. That means the jet is on a path to resume U.S. service before year-end, though the process has been plagued by delays for more than a year. "Based on how many problems have been uncovered, I would be stunned if the flight tests are 'one and done,'" said another person with knowledge of the flight plans. Regulators in Europe and Canada, while working closely with the FAA, will also conduct their own assessments and have pinpointed concerns that go beyond the FAA. They may require additional changes after the 737 MAX is cleared to return to service. "This is new territory," said one industry source with knowledge of prior Boeing tests. "There's a lot more play between regulators, and certainly a lot more pressure and public attention." https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-737-max-certification-flight-040443646.html Back to Top Pakistani pilots deny gov't claim of obtaining fake licenses KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - A union of Pakistani pilots fired back Saturday at the country's aviation minister after he claimed that as many as 262 pilots working for state-run Pakistan International Airlines and other airlines obtained their pilot licenses by having others take exams for them. Capt. Chaudhry Salman, head of the Pakistan Airline Pilots' Association, told a news conference in Karachi that claims by aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan were false. Karachi is where a PIA plane crashed last month killing 97 people. "There is no truth in these allegations," he said. Salman acknowledged that 141 of his fellow pilots had been grounded by PIA a day earlier but said the pilots accused of obtaining "fake pilot licenses" were ready to defend themselves in any forum. Salman's comments came a day after Khan fired five aviation officials for their alleged involvement in a scandal in which pilot licences were allegedly awarded to people who had others take their exams. Khan said 141 PIA pilots whose licenses were tainted will not be allowed to fly. The allegations of cheating to obtain pilot licenses in Pakistan come in the wake of the May 22 crash of a PIA Airbus A320 in a residential area near Jinnah International Airport. There were only two survivors and a girl died on the ground. Salman's comments come days after Khan presented preliminary findings of an investigation into the A320 crash to Parliament. Khan on Wednesday told lawmakers that 262 out of 860 Pakistani pilots had "fake" licenses. He said out of these 262 pilots, 141 worked for PIA and the remainder were flying planes for private airline companies. The government has not said whether the pilot and co-pilot of the doomed Karachi flight had tainted licenses. It only said the two pilots were medically fit and experienced, while investigators say human error was behind the crash. Salman said 39 pilots out of the 262 accused of obtaining fake pilot licenses had either died or retired years ago. He said the validity of the licenses and degrees of the pilot and co-plot who were flying the doomed flight PK-8303 were beyond any doubt. Salman revealed that an investigation into the alleged "fake licenses" of scores of pilots had started two years ago and had not been completed when the crash took place and Khan leveled baseless allegations against them. He requested the country's judiciary appoint an independent commission to probe allegations against the pilots. https://www.yahoo.com/news/pakistani-pilots-deny-govt-claim-160610120.html Back to Top Vietnam grounds Pakistani pilots over licence concerns HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's aviation authority said on Monday it had grounded all Pakistani pilots working for local airlines, amid concern from global regulators that some pilots may have been using "dubious" licences. Pakistan said last week it will ground 262 airline pilots whose credentials may have been falsified, after global airlines body IATA said that irregularities found in pilot licences at Pakistan International Airlines represent a "serious lapse" in safety controls. "The head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has ordered a suspension for all Pakistani pilots working for Vietnamese airlines," the CAAV said in a statement on Monday. The suspension will be in effect until further notice from CAAV, it said, adding that the authority is coordinating with Pakistani authorities to review the pilots' profiles. Vietnam had licensed 27 Pakistani pilots, and 12 of them were still active, while the other 15 pilots' contracts had expired or were inactive due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the CAAV. Of the 12 active pilots, 11 were working for budget airlines Vietjet Aviation and one for Jetstar Pacific, a unit of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines. Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways were not using any pilots from Pakistan, the CAAV said. Vietnamese airlines currently have 1,260 pilots, with nearly half of them holding foreign citizenship, according to the CAAV. https://www.yahoo.com/news/vietnam-grounds-pakistani-pilots-over-055549806.html Back to Top Iran to hand over black boxes of downed Ukraine jet to France for analysis Iran has requested help with repairing and downloading data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder of the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. Iran told the U.N.'s aviation agency that it would send black boxes from a downed Ukrainian jetliner to Paris for analysis, once countries involved in the investigation agree. The other countries involved are Ukraine, Canada and the United States. Canada previously pressed Iran to send the black boxes to France for analysis. "An Iranian aviation team will transfer the black boxes to France and data extraction will begin on July 20, if nothing happens out of the ordinary," Mohsen Baharvand, the deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, was quoted as saying by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. After initially denying any responsibility for the crash, Iranian officials were forced to admit that an IRGC air defence battery unintentionally shot down the airliner minutes after departing Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport amid heightened tensions with US forces in neighbouring Iraq. Iran has requested help with repairing and downloading data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder of the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, the Civil Aviation Safety Investigation Authority tweeted. However, Iran has refused to hand over the flight recorders from the Ukraine International Airlines flight, which was shot down on January 8 near Tehran by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, killing 176 people including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents. https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-to-hand-over-black-boxes-of-downed-ukraine-jet-to-france-for-analysis-309234 Back to Top DGCA issues showcause to Air Asia India over allegations of safety norms violations by pilot DGCA has initiated probe against AirAsia after one of its pilots, who also runs YouTube channel called Flying Beast, alleged violations of safety norms by the airliner. Gaurav Taneja on Sunday tweeted that he had been suspended by AirAsia India. Days after Air Asia pilot Gaurav Taneja (now suspended), who runs a popular YouTube channel called 'Flying Beast', alleged violations of safety norms by the low-cost airliner, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Sunday issued a showcause notice to the airliner over the allegations. The showcause is learnt to have been issued to the airline's head of flight operations and safety. "A show-cause notice has been issued to Manish Uppal, Head of Operations, AirAsia India after the pilot's allegations," the DGCA officials said. "AirAsia India confirms receipt of the notice and we are assisting the regulator in its fact-finding process. We will fully cooperate with the regulator." a spokesperson of the low-cost airliner said. The suspended pilot who flagged the violations of safety norms by the airliner also took to Twitter and said: "For all those who are standing by me - #DGCA has sent Show cause notice to @mauppa @AirAsiaIndian for serious public safety concerns raised by me. All I want is a FAIR INVESTIGATION @DGCAIndia." Recently, Gaurav Taneja, who worked with Air Asia as a captain, had flagged safety concerns with the DGCA, post which the aviation regulator had started investigating into the allegations. "DGCA has taken note of the concerns raised by some stakeholders against a particular Airline and its approach to safety. DGCA has already started an investigation into the issues flagged and shall take appropriate action based on the outcome of the said investigation," DGCA had tweeted on June 15. Captain Gaurav Taneja, a popular Youtuber, tweeted on June 14 that he has been suspended by AirAsia India "for standing up for safe operations of an aircraft and its passengers". On June 15, he posted a detailed video on YouTube titled "Reasons behind suspension from my pilot job". Taneja alleged in the video that the airline has asked its pilots to do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, which allows it to save fuel. He said if a pilot does not do 98 per cent of landings in "Flap 3" mode, the airline considers it a violation of its standard operating procedure (SOP). Flaps are part of wings of an aircraft and they are engaged to create a drag during a landing or a take-off. Taneja gave the example of the Imphal airport, where the plane descends more steeply as compared to other airports when approaching for landing. He said when an aircraft is coming down steeply, it needs to have a drag so that it remains slow, and in these circumstances, a pilot has to do a "Flap full" landing. "In order to achieve targets, what would people do? They will do Flap 3 landings without giving consideration whether it is safe or unsafe. This directly impacts the passenger safety," he said in his YouTube video. If something happens during a Flap 3 landing, then the question would be asked to the pilot if he or she cares more about saving fuel or 180 passengers' lives, Taneja said. "Safety lapses are a serious concern at Air Asia," Taneja had tweeted to the aviation minister, However, an AirAsia India spokesperson had said: "AirAsia India stands firmly on its value of 'Safety Always'. The safety of our guests is of paramount importance in every aspect of our operations. AirAsia India is cognizant of the matter in regard to a social media post put up by one of its employees." "We are cooperating with the DGCA on this matter. As a policy, AirAsia India does not comment on matters pertaining to its business or employees," the spokesperson had said. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/dgca-issues-showcause-air-asia-india-allegations-safety-norms-violations-pilot-gaurav-taneja-1694948-2020-06-28 Back to Top Maintenance firm clashes with inquiry over severe E190 loss-of-control incident Portuguese maintenance firm OGMA has clashed with accident investigators over conclusions drawn from a serious Embraer 190 incident during which the aircraft departed with cross-rigged aileron cables, almost leading to the loss of the jet. OGMA has strongly objected to several findings from investigation authority GPIAAF, arguing that the inquiry disproportionately assigns responsibility to the maintenance operation. The Air Astana aircraft had taken off from Alverca do Ribatejo air base, bound for Minsk and Almaty, on 11 November 2018 after undergoing scheduled maintenance at OGMA's facilities. But the cross-rigging of the ailerons left the crew struggling to control the jet's attitude, notably in the roll axis. Such was the severity of the situation that, at one point, the pilots sought to head for the sea in order to ditch, before they managed to regain a degree of control and eventually land. The inquiry determined the improper aileron cable installation to be the probable cause of the incident, identifying lack of an effective safety-management system and inadequate independent procedures to detect maintenance escapes. As part of the maintenance work the E190's aileron cables were disconnected, to be re-routed and replaced. But testing was delayed and personnel without relevant experience, who found the maintenance instructions difficult to follow, temporarily reconnected the cables. GPIAAF states that the crossover error went undetected during extensive subsequent troubleshooting and testing. Its inquiry mentions "weaknesses" in the aircraft's design - which had allowed the cables to be inverted - plus flaws in the presentation of the cable routing in maintenance publications, and it points out that the crew had not detected the improper aileron functioning during pre-flight checks. But the conclusions over the maintenance work have triggered a sharp and extensive response from OGMA, running to 14 pages, which recognises that its technicians failed to install the aileron cables properly but which also claims that it is being unjustly singled out. "The message conveyed by the report to any average reader is that only OGMA was at fault and that no other parties had any real contribution for the incident," it states. "That is inaccurate and incorrect and creates an unfair balance in the report." OGMA claims it has been "heavily criticised" throughout the inquiry for not having fully implemented a safety-management system, and defends itself by stating that it is "not legally required to do so" - noting that such a measure is still under a rulemaking process, and is not likely to enforce such implementation until around 2022-23 at the earliest. But it adds that it has "already started" implementing a safety-management system, ahead of any legal obligation, for which it says it "should be praised". "Not being a legal requirement OGMA's [safety-management system] should not be a focus of the report and cannot be deemed to have had any impact whatsoever on the incident," it says. OGMA has particularly brought up the fact that the aircraft's crew missed the opportunity to detect the maintenance blunder through the routine pre-flight control check. It argues that a maintenance release to service is "not a certificate" for the aircraft's airworthiness and that the operator is the party responsible for ensuring the aircraft is in flying condition - with the crew particularly alert given that the jet had just come out of heavy maintenance. "The aviation industry safety net is established in such way that the pilot-in-command is, by law, the ultimate [person] responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft," says OGMA. It states that the crew is effectively the "last safety barrier" for preventing an accident. "All things considered, in OGMA's view the crew's failure in detecting the ailerons misconfiguration during the [pre-flight check] is clearly less excusable than the [maintenance company's] failure in detecting the same problem during the maintenance operational checks," the company says. It accuses the inquiry of "different treatment and assessment" of OGMA's operational checks compared with those of the crew, and that this is "unreasonable and clearly unfair". OGMA also questions whether sufficient analysis was paid to the crew's handling of the severe flight-control problems, whether the aircraft's flight manual should have addressed the issue, and whether the pilots followed any procedures correctly. Several other matters from the inquiry are brought up in the critique, some of which are "detrimental" to OGMA's reputation, the company insists. Investigation authority GPIAAF says its task is not to assign blame or liability, in line with international standards, but it has included OGMA's comments to "ensure transparency", even though the inquiry had not sought opinions but rather comments on any factual errors. GPIAAF has largely resisted responding to OGMA's comments, with the exception of a few notes for "clarification" where it believes the company has made "non-supported or biased statements" which were "clearly out of scope" in regards to the consultation process for the draft inquiry report. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/maintenance-firm-clashes-with-inquiry-over-severe-e190-loss-of-control-incident/139033.article Back to Top Italy Bans Use Of Airplane Overhead Bins We've seen all kinds of policies introduced to try and keep passengers safe when traveling by air. Some of these policies have been government mandated, while others have been introduced by airlines. Well, Italy as a country has just introduced a new rule for air passengers, which some airlines (and maybe passengers) will be very unhappy about. Italy bans hand luggage on planes As of this past Friday (June 26, 2020), Italy's National Civil Aviation Authority has banned the use of overhead bins for "health reasons." Passengers are allowed to bring small personal items onboard that can fit underneath the seat in front of them, but they can't use overhead bins. This applies to both domestic and international flights, on both Italian and foreign airlines. Overhead bins can no longer be used on flights to & from Italy What's the logic for this policy? The policy makes sense... kind of. The idea is that when passengers place bags in the overhead bins there's a lot more crowding in the aisles, both during boarding and deplaning, which isn't great in terms of distancing. Italian consumer association Codacons was in favor of this, saying that this would "avoid the chaos" that occurs during boarding: "In this area, the Italians are among the most unruly travellers in Europe, causing delays and queues which today would fuel the risk of contagion." Arguably there's another side to this, though. While it's true that people crowding in the aisles probably isn't ideal, the reality is that when checking bags you're increasing your touch points during the journey. That's to say that you need to go to check-in to drop off your bag, more people will be touching your bag, you'll need to go to baggage claim, which is often crowded, etc. I question whether banning carry-ons actually reduces exposure for passengers. Passengers will now have to check all bags Some airlines have issues with this policy As you'd expect, some airlines have serious problems with Italy's policy. They're now required to allow passengers to check bags at no extra cost. Given that so many airlines in Europe have an ultra low cost business model, including a (forced) checked bag with a ticket isn't great in terms of ancillary revenue opportunities. Ultra low cost carriers won't be happy about this Bottom line Italy is now banning use of the overhead bins onboard planes until further notice. This is in order to prevent people from crowding in the aisles onboard planes as much as possible. While I can appreciate that logic, on the other hand I'm not sure the benefit of that outweighs people lining up at check-in to check their bags, and people crowding at baggage claim. https://onemileatatime.com/italy-bans-overhead-bins/ Back to Top PK-8303 crash: Making heads roll Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan has formally presented an initial, interim inquiry report in the National Assembly on the May 22 PIA's plane crash. This ill-fated flight PK-8303 crashed in Karachi last month, killing 97 people, including 8 crew members. The inquiry report primarily sees "human error" behind this deadly aviation disaster. It maintains that there was considerable negligence on the part of deceased pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC) officials who blatantly ignored "standard protocols". It has also attributed this crash, inter alia, to pilots' "overconfidence and lack of focus". The minister also made some startling revelations about the "fake degrees" and "fake licenses" held by the country's commercial pilots. The initial inquiry report, in fact, has somehow substantiated the provisional analyses made by certain aviation experts on the basis of available information soon after this unfortunate accident last month. Holding deceased pilots primarily responsible for this disaster, most of such experts made almost similar conclusions. Obviously, there have been a number of acts of commission and omission that eventually led to this fatal disaster. To begin with, the pilots of the plane were believed not to be fully focused since they remained busy in discussing the coronavirus pandemic throughout the flight. Secondly, these pilots tried to land with an unstabilised approach. They not only erred in maintaining such speed and height which is generally advised for a safe landing but also ignored the repeated warnings issued by the ATC about the plane's excessive height. They also chose to ignore the ATC's advice regarding making a "go-around" before landing. Making things worse, they unnecessarily switched from auto-landing to manual, undermining the plane's inbuilt safety mechanism. The landing gears of the ill-destined plane remained a mystery throughout its landing fiasco. Inexplicably, the plane's landing gears were not open when it made its first landing attempt while the same were in an extended position when it crashed. It also appears to be another fault on pilot's part since there has been no evidence of the malfunction of the plane's landing gear system. Also, the decoding of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) has indicated that the aircraft's system had made several warnings and alerts regarding its overspeed, ground proximity and landing gears which were wholly disregarded by the cabin crew. There is evidence that both engines of this plan just "scrubbed" the runway when it made its first attempt to land, with its landing gears retracted, making it lose both engines one by one. Unluckily, neither the pilots instantly realised this fact nor the ATC noticed it and communicated the same to the pilots to avoid this disaster. We have seen the relatives of the plane's victims helplessly wandering around to find a clue about their loved ones aboard. They faced immense hardships in receiving and identifying the remains of their kith and kin. The government must have extended extraordinary cooperation and kindness to them since this disaster was the direct outcome of some sort of incompetence and negligence exhibited by one of its own agencies. Moreover, we also hardly observed any sincere and serious effort made by the Sindh government to rescue the plane's victims following this crash. There were mostly workers from some charitable NGOs on the site that were rescuing and providing ambulance services. The aviation minister has admitted that almost 40 percent of pilots serving in the country's various commercial airlines have fake licenses. There have also been similar reports about a large number of pilots with fake degrees. However, despite the fact the apex court had taken up this case, and issued strict instructions to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to this effect, the civil aviation regulator didn't bother to seriously proceed against such pilots. Surely, this matter must have been taken seriously by the government since it would not only badly tarnish Pakistan's image internationally but also damage our troubled domestic aviation industry beyond repair. The flight safety has always been paramount to the best airlines around the world. Most of such airlines have readily adopted state-of-the-art flight safety standards. Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) is one such system whereby the operational efficiency and flight safety are ensured by capturing and analysing the flight data of an airplane while it moves from one point to another. Through this system, any violation or deviation from any standard aviation protocol, can easily be detected and ratified. It is quite ironic that flight data in our country is monitored only in the event of an aircraft crash after securing a black box from the wreckage to inform the people about the "human error" responsible for such a crash. The deceased pilots and ATC officials may be primarily responsible for PK-8303 crash. However, they should not be solely blamed for this disaster. I believe it was more of an institutional failure on the part of both the CAA and the PIA, which miserably failed in effectively ingraining a culture of accountability in the airline. Accountability generally signifies a particular characteristic of an individual or institution whereby they are held responsible and answerable for the performance of a particular function or task. 'Operant Conditioning' is one of the fundamental concepts in behavioural psychology. Significantly influenced by the well-known 'law of effect', this thesis establishes a causal relationship between any behaviour and its consequence. It maintains that the consequences of a particular behaviour determine whether such behaviour is likely to be repeated or not in future. Thus, rewards and punishments play a fundamental role in modifying human behaviour. Had the CAA or PIA evolved such a system of rewards and punishments, the deceased pilots and ATC officials may have not flouted the aviation safety protocols which eventually led to this deadly plane crash. There should also be an across the board "purge" in the PIA to rid our national airline of all those who are responsible for damaging it. The airline's senior managers must also be removed for failing to avert PK-8303 crash besides their poor handling of the post-crash situation. PIA is like a patient who is clinically dead but still manages to survive through artificial respiration provided in the form of the government's extensive bailout packages. PIA is now essentially a public limited company. If PIA fails to become a viable and profitable company, it may be wound up like any inefficient public company under the Companies Act, 2017. The county's poor taxpayers should no longer be made to bear such a cumbersome burden. https://nation.com.pk/29-Jun-2020/pk-8303-crash-making-heads-roll Back to Top UAE To Suspend Flights From Pakistan The United Arab Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority (GCCA) announced yesterday that it would temporarily suspend flights from Pakistan in light of its worsening COVID-19 situation. This suspension, effective Monday, will stand until a laboratory is set up for COVID-19 tests. A precautionary measure The move is being made to ensure the health and safety of arrivals from Pakistan, with the GCCA saying that passengers on all flights, including transfers, will not be allowed at UAE airports. The GCCA is urging all passengers who are affected by this decision to contact their airlines or travel agents to make alternate plans. According to Gulf News, the suspension will remain in effect until a laboratory facility is set up for proper testing. The COVID-19 situation in Pakistan According to Worldometer, Pakistan recently surpassed the 200,000-case milestone and has accumulated over 4,100 deaths at the time of writing. In the last two weeks, it appears that Pakistan has seen a rise in active cases, although this seems to have flattened quite recently, with daily new cases declining as well. The United Arab Emirates, on the other hand, appears to have 'flattened the curve', with active cases and daily new cases in decline. In fact, it is expected that Dubai will reopen its borders to international visitors beginning on July 7th. However, this is dependent upon following strict entry requirements. This includes: • Downloading the COVID-19 DXB app which allows for communication with health authorities if travelers experience COVID-19 symptoms, • Filling out a 'Health Declaration Form' before embarking, • Having valid health insurance, • And conducting a PCR test with a maximum validity of four days (96 hours) ahead of the date of departure. • Furthermore, all arrivals will be subject to thermal screenings. Flights not (yet) canceled Interestingly, FlightRadar24 shows that many flights to the UAE, from cities such as Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, have yet to be canceled. Using Lahore as an example, we can see that flights by flyDubai, Emirates, AirBlue, and Air Arabia are still listed as 'scheduled' for Monday and Tuesday. A few Air Arabia flights are listed as canceled, but the airline also still has a few scheduled to go ahead. Strangely, the only airline that appears to have canceled nearly all of its flights to and from Pakistan is Doha-based Qatar Airways, which obviously does not have any operations to the UAE. This is possibly because many airlines are going ahead with the flights for the primary purpose of cargo operations. However, this has not been confirmed. https://simpleflying.com/uae-pakistan-suspension/ Back to Top Caribbean Airline LIAT To Be Liquidated Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda announced that Caribbean airline LIAT would be liquidated following a series of unsuccessful months due to COVID-19. The airline, based in Antigua, will be formed into a new entity that will provide vital connections between the Caribbean islands. LIAT to close down Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne announced that LIAT, formerly known as Leeward Island Air Transport, will cease its operations. The decision was announced and shared with local media outlets on June 27th. It comes after months of losses due to the coronavirus alongside a particularly unprofitable 2019. Last year, the airlines recorded a loss of EC$12m (US$4.4m). While it may have hoped to recover this year, LIAT could not have foreseen the scale of the coronavirus. In May, it said it needed US$5.4m to recover. There was a spell of hope for investment from Richard Branson, which later turned out to be bogus. It goes without saying that the coronavirus has been kind to very few if any, airlines. Small regional carriers like LIAT are now feeling the pinch after months of parking their aircraft and paying staff. Unfortunately, for LIAT, the toll was just too much. After making losses in 2019, the coronavirus hasn't helped LIAT. Photo: Laurent ERRERA via Wikimedia Commons The airline is currently awaiting a stakeholder review where its fate will be decided. The hope is that a new carrier can rise from LIAT's ashes to bring vital connectivity within the Caribbean. LIAT will form a new airline In a local radio interview in Antigua, Gaston Browne spoke confidently about the need for a new airline to be formed in Antigua. It's essential. As an island in an archipelago, connectivity is vital, and allowing LIAT to collapse without investing in an alternative is non-negotiable. At this point, the Prime Minister hopes that the LIAT brand can be restored on a revamped carrier. According to Barbados Today, Browne said in a local radio interview that, "We should not be running away from the name LIAT. LIAT is a Caribbean institution built by Caribbean people of which we should be proud." However, realizing that ideal is fraught with difficulties. In the interview, Browne's cautionary approach was evident. Currently, four Caribbean isles own LIAT; Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica. Should that continue to be the case for the new carrier, it will be challenging to determine the best course of action for the airline. With each state following different agendas, it will be better for the new LIAT to have even stronger leadership this time around. LIAT's current issues However, while the promise of a new airline is where everyone wants to focus their interest, there are a few loose ends that need tying up first. For starters, how will LIAT manage its employees? Having made a loss in 2019 and owning very few planes, there are very few avenues where money can be recouped. Of course, paying staff is a priority, but currently, it is unclear exactly how the airline will be able to manage. Hundred of jobs will be lost in the collapse that will not be recovered. While LIAT will need to come back stronger than ever, it must also be smaller to adapt to the current climate. https://simpleflying.com/liat-liquidation/ Back to Top LATAM Group Requests Return of 65 Aircraft to Its Lessors and Lenders This week saw the second court hearing take place regarding the debt restructuring process under the protection of Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Law filed by LATAM Airlines Group. Judge James L. Garrity, from the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York agreed to the 25 motions made by LATAM. According to La Tercera, the topics discussed in the court hearing were related to services, taxes and expenses, insurance, among others. Judge James L. Garrity authorized workers' payment, administrative expenses for goods and services and fuel suppliers' payment. In addition, the holding requested authorization to pay settlements and pending payments with 2,000 former workers for $1.635 million. Of that amount, $500,000 corresponds to the payment for former employees in Chile, $550,000 in Uruguay, $550,000 in Peru, $20,000 in Colombia, and $15,000 in the U.S. and Spain. LATAM Airlines Group also filed a request to get exonerated of various aircrafts leases contracts. The company stated that it has an excess of aircraft, which is why they are trying to reject and abandon lease agreements that are costly and do not provide benefits to the company. The airline presented several agreements to the U.S. courts on Tuesday with aircraft lessors and lenders, including BNP Paribas from Brazil, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, The Korea Development Bank, Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior de Panamá, J.P. Morgan Europe and Citibank Europe. In these briefs, the company defined a series of agreement conditions in which establishes a framework for the return of aircraft. According to Diario Financiero, the agreement implicate the return of aircraft, engines and related equipment, and registration documents. Within the commitments, the company stipulates to maintain the equipment and the aircraft under a storage program approved by the aviation authority and with the recommendations of the manufacturers. At the end of the court hearing, LATAM Airlines Group requested the return of 65 aircraft to their lessors and lenders. Judge James L. Garrity, from the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, will take a month to analyze the request to cancel aircraft lease contracts. LATAM's objective is uncertain. It is unclear what will be its future strategy. Will the airline group prefer an operation with the latest generation, higher capacity aircraft, or maintaining older and lower capacity equipment? What is certain is that there will be a reduction in some domestic and international routes, and frequencies in other domestic and international routes will decrease. https://airlinegeeks.com/2020/06/27/latam-airlines-group-requested-the-return-of-65-aircraft-to-their-lessors-and-lenders/ Back to Top SAS Airlines Lays Off 560 Pilots Amid Pandemic After letting go 350 cabin crew earlier this month, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has terminated the contracts of 560 pilots in Sweden, Denmark and Norway in a bid to save costs amid pandemic. First reported by the Swedish national public television broadcaster SVT News, the affected crew will be notified by June 30. Although details as to the layoffs have not been revealed, The first area likely to be affected will be pilots flying its Boeing fleet. In 2018, SAS announced an order of 50 more A320neos to replace all 737NGs in service as part of its goal to have an all-Airbus fleet by 2023 when the airline will have at least 80 Airbus A320neos in service. The airline currently operates 21 B737-700 and 26 B737-800 which will be removed from the fleet to create a single-type fleet. The Swedish Pilots Association believes that the airline has chosen to proceed with redundancies before considering other alternatives. Among other things, it points out that the situation may look different when the pilots' notice period is over. "Many of the pilots have long notice periods. How can SAS know what the situation looks like in six months ahead after the pilots have left the company?" said Martin Lindgren, chairman of the association. At the end of April, SAS announced that it had to cut its workforce by 5,000 employees, i.e. almost half of the company's total employees, which corresponds to 1,300 employees in Norway, 1,900 in Sweden and 1,700 in Denmark. "COVID-19 has forced SAS to face a new and unprecedented reality that will reverberate not only in the coming months, but also during the coming years. In order to continue this important societal function, we need to adapt our cost base to the prevailing circumstances. Regretfully, we are forced to adapt our workforce to lower passenger demand," said Rickard Gustafson, CEO SAS. Hit hard by the novel coronavirus crisis, the airline battles to ensure its survival. Among other things, the flag carrier for the three countries has been most affected by the unprecedented slump in demand for air travel, pandemic-related restrictions and lockdowns. To give a striking example, the number of departures from Swedish airports in May slumped by 98% compared with the same period last year. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the airline had more than 800 daily departures operated by a fleet of 156 aircraft including the brand new Airbus A350-900s. In mid-June, SAS confirmed that it will increase capacity by ten aircraft in July, from 30 to 40. However, capacity will still be only at 30% compared to June 2019. Additionally, Scandinavian struggles to reimburse passengers for canceled flights. The company owes customers approximately $725 million. The flights that were canceled in March are expected to be reimbursed in June, whereas the ones that had to be canceled in April and May will be compensated in September. SAS press manager John Eckhoff assured customers that they will receive a refund, "if they wish." He pointed out that SAS has been granted $340 million government aid in Sweden and Denmark, adding that they were working on a plan to raise capital. SAS Will Fly to 95 Destinations in Summer As demand and interest in travel in Europe increase, SAS resumes seven new routes from Copenhagen. Last week, the airline unveiled its flight schedule for July. The airline said that it saw a rise in demand and interest for travel in Europe following the partial lifting of coronavirus restrictions in Europe. With the demand slowly increasing once again, the airline is boosting the frequency of flights on many routes and resuming services to seven destinations, including popular tourist hotspots in Italy and France. In July, SAS will fly to an additional seven destinations from Copenhagen including long haul destinations such as San Francisco, Chicago and New York. The airline will operate scheduled flights to 95 destinations as of July, corresponding to approximately 75% of its network. The airline will gradually add more destinations from Norway, Sweden and Denmark as demand returns. SAS operates flights to, from and within Scandinavia. The airline, which has a fleet of 156 aircraft, connects three main hubs - Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm - with over 125 destinations in Europe, the US and Asia. https://airlinegeeks.com/2020/06/27/scandinavian-airlines-sas-lays-off-560-pilots-amid-pandemic/ Back to Top British Airways sacks 350 pilots and puts 300 in 'pool' for rehire June 28 (Reuters) - British Airways, which has said it needs to cut 12,000 jobs and proposed pay cuts for cabin crew, has reached a deal with its pilots that will see 350 laid off and another 300 put in a 'pool' for rehiring when needed, The Sun on Sunday reported here Captains and first officers placed in the pool do not currently have an aircraft to operate and will remain on half-pay, the report said, while all other operating flight crew will take a 15% pay cut. Once 'pooled' pilots return, operating flight crew members will get 7.5% of their deducted pay back, while the rest of the pay cut will be lost, the report added. The majority of pilots being 'pooled' will be Boeing 747 jumbo jet first officers. British Airways, owned by International Consolidated Airlines Group, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, said in an emailed statement that "constructive talks are ongoing with (UK pilots union) BALPA to save as many jobs as possible." BALPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters reported last week that British Airways has made a proposal to its cabin crew on pay cuts. The airline plans to lay off a quarter of its pilots. Planes were grounded in March by lockdowns to curb the coronavirus pandemic, tipping the industry into crisis. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-iag-pilots/british-airways-sacks-350-pilots-and-puts-300-in-pool-for-rehire-the-sun-idUSL3N2E50AG Back to Top Delta could furlough more than 2,500 pilots, will downsize flight attendant bases 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 offering more details on its plans to shrink as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a big bite of its business, warning thousands of pilots of possible furloughs and closing flight attendant bases across the country. The Atlanta-based carrier intends to notify 2,558 pilots of possible furloughs in the coming weeks, Delta senior vice president of flight operations John Laughter told staff in a memo on June 26 viewed by TPG. The furloughs will occur after the employment protections under the federal government's coronavirus aid package, or CARES Act, sunset on Sept. 30. CNBC first reported on the furlough notices that will be sent to some of Delta's roughly 13,000 pilots. Other major U.S. carriers, including American Airlines and United Airlines, are expected to follow Delta's lead and warn staff of layoffs or furloughs in the coming weeks. Under federal rules, the airlines must give workers 60 days notice - or by early August for an October furlough. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and Association of Flight Attendants-CWA are both pushing to get the U.S. Congress to extend the worker protections under the CARES Act. ALPA represents pilots at Delta and a number of other carriers. The layoffs are in preparation for what many in the industry expect a years-long recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that domestic flying may not return to 2019 levels until 2022, and international flying until 2024. In addition to the pilot reductions, Delta will downgrade its flight attendant bases in Cincinnati (CVG), Honolulu (HNL) and San Francisco (SFO) to a remote status, the airline's senior vice president of in-flight service Allison Ausband told cabin crews in a separate memo on June 26. While no longer officially bases per Delta's own guidelines, a select number of cabin crewmembers - around 80 in Cincinnati and Honolulu - will be able to continue to begin and end trips in the cities after the transition. However, the availability of similar remote statuses for Delta flight attendants in Chicago, San Diego and Tampa will end, said Ausband. She did not provide a timeline for any of the changes. The downgraded statuses are not expected to impact Delta's flying from any of the cities for the foreseeable future, though much about the trajectory of the recovery remains unknown. However, the fate of Delta's former hub in Cincinnati may be sealed. The airline unveiled plans to close its pilot base there in May leaving the city - once its sole Midwestern hub - with no official Delta base, just the remote status for flight attendants. "The unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 have impacted our business and people in ways we never could have imagined," said Ausband. "It pains me to be talking about an in-flight landscape where we're shrinking in size and footprint; however, we know it's the right, but difficult thing to do to help our company weather this storm." Ultra low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines has already announced expanded service from Cincinnati on five routes beginning in July. The discounter's CEO Barry Biffle recently told TPG in an exclusive interview that the carrier plans to grow out of the crisis. Every U.S. carrier faces serious challenges from the pandemic. In April, the industry as a whole flew less than 20% of what it flew a year ago amid unprecedented flying reductions aimed to stem losses as most would-be travelers stayed home, according to data from trade group Airlines for America (A4A). Still, financial losses surpassed $100 million a day at the worst-hit carriers. While some leisure travelers have returned, the industry still faces the prospect of a multi-year recovery. Discounters like Frontier and Spirit Airlines that fly mostly holidaygoers have seen the largest share of their flyers return. At the same time, major carriers American, Delta and United that rely more on business travel are seeing a more muted recovery. Delta has taken a conservative approach to the recovery. In addition to repeatedly warning staff of furloughs or layoffs to come, executives have said the airline only plans to be flying about half of what it flew at the end of 2019 this December. However, the recent rise in COVID-19 infections in some southern and western states may slow this. In preparing for this smaller future, Delta has retired its McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and MD-90 jets, and will remove its Boeing 777s sometime this fall. "Things were starting to improve but then what happened, the virus," Delta CEO Ed Bastian told staff during a virtual town hall on June 25 viewed by TPG. "We'll continue to stay, as best we can, ahead of the virus." Delta hopes to be breaking even financially by the end of the year. However, to get there executives have said it must reduce costs in line with being a smaller airline. https://thepointsguy.com/news/delta-pilot-furlough-closing-flight-attendant-bases/ Back to Top Spanish airline Iberia will downsize due to coronavirus: CEO BARCELONA (Reuters) - Spanish airline Iberia will reduce the size of its fleet, the number of destinations it flies to and how frequently as the coronavirus pandemic continues to drag on demand, its chief executive officer said in a newspaper interview. Luis Gallego also told El Pais that Iberia, part of International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG.L), wants to extend a temporary layoff scheme for workers, known as ERTE, until December. "In Iberia, we will be smaller, but we will exist, something that it is not clear other airlines will be able to say," Gallego said in the interview, published on Sunday. "Smaller, unfortunately, with the capacity adapted to the demand. We will have fewer planes, fewer flights and fewer destinations." The Madrid-based airline has been losing 7 million euros per day as lockdowns to curb the spread of coronavirus have grounded planes, he said. Iberia will withdraw 17 Airbus A340-600 planes from its fleet, he said. Gallego, who will take over as chairman of IAG in September, said demand in the airline industry was not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2023 or 2024. In May, Iberia and Vueling, both part of IAG, secured 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) of government-backed loans to cope with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, which has tipped the airlines industry into its biggest ever crisis. https://www.yahoo.com/news/spanish-airline-iberia-downsize-due-085218016.html Back to Top China's big three airlines take delivery of domestically made ARJ21 aircraft BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's three biggest state-owned airlines on Sunday took delivery of their first ARJ21 aircraft, a short haul 90-seater aircraft made by state-run Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). COMAC said in a statement on Sunday that Air China Ltd , China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd and China Southern Airlines Co Ltd had received the aircraft, which has a 90-seat capacity, and would each take delivery of three ARJ21 aircraft this year. Last August, the three carriers announced on the same day deals to each purchase 35 ARJ21-700 regional jets from COMAC, with deliveries scheduled from 2020 through 2024. The ARJ21 entered commercial operations four years ago and is China's first domestically manufactured airliner. COMAC has two other passenger jet programmes in development - the C919 narrowbody aircraft programme which is currently undergoing flight testing, and the CR929 widebody programme in collaboration with Russia. China Eastern Airlines earlier this year launched a subsidiary - OTT Airlines - to operate ARJ21 and C919 airliners. It is slated to be the first customer for the C919, once the 160-seater plane receives airworthiness certification from the Chinese aviation regulator. The C919 is a much more high-profile programme, that will place COMAC in direct competition with Airbus and Boeing in the single-aisle market. The United States earlier this year considered whether or not to block the sales of LEAP-1C engines to the programme, but it later relented. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on international travel has decimated the order books of both Airbus and Boeing. https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinas-big-three-airlines-delivery-034919574.html Back to Top Boeing Finally Admits That Aircraft Demand Is Basically Zero The aerospace giant has dramatically reduced its 2020 production plans for the 737 MAX. Six months ago -- before the COVID-19 pandemic -- Boeing (NYSE:BA) announced that it would suspend 737 MAX production in January. Its top-selling plane had been grounded since March 2019, following a pair of fatal accidents. Due to Boeing's decision to continue building the 737 MAX while waiting for regulators to recertify the model, the company had built up an inventory of about 400 undelivered 737 MAX jets and was running out of places to store them. Since then, aircraft demand has plummeted, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused global air travel to dry up. Nevertheless, Boeing restarted 737 MAX production in late May, with plans to ramp up output gradually over the remainder of the year. Given that few (if any) airlines want new planes right now, this decision didn't make much sense. It didn't take long for Boeing to come to its senses, though. Recently, the company told a major 737 MAX supplier to virtually halt production again. Boeing and a key supplier manage output Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR) is arguably the most important supplier to the 737 MAX program. The company (which was spun off from Boeing in 2005) builds the fuselage for each 737 MAX, along with other components like engine pylons and thrust reversers. For most of 2019, Spirit AeroSystems built 737 MAX shipsets at a rate of 52 per month: even after Boeing reduced its own output to 42 per month. However, once Boeing decided to suspend 737 MAX production temporarily in 2020, it was clear that Spirit would have to slow its production rate. In early February, the partners agreed that Spirit AeroSystems would deliver 216 737 MAX shipsets to Boeing during 2020: an average of just 18 per month. This was part of a broader plan to restart production ahead of an expected mid-year recertification of the 737 MAX. At that time, most people had no idea that COVID-19 would turn into a global pandemic. As global air travel plummeted in the following months, it became obvious that Boeing's production plans (and, by extension, Spirit's production plans) were unrealistic. This forced the companies to renegotiate their production agreement. In early May, Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems agreed that the latter would deliver a total of 125 737 MAX shipsets during 2020, including some that had already been delivered. Production estimates are plunging again The International Air Transport Association currently estimates that global passenger air traffic will remain more than 25% below 2019 levels in 2021. With demand depressed to that extent, most airlines have far more aircraft than they will need over the next year. Some carriers are still willing to take new jets for one reason or another, but Boeing has less leverage than Airbus for forcing customers to take the aircraft they have ordered. Delivery delays mean that many 737 MAX buyers have the right to cancel certain orders. As a result, Boeing has finally realized that its plan for a slow ramp-up in 737 MAX production this year was still too aggressive in light of demand. Earlier this month, Spirit AeroSystems announced that on June 4, Boeing had directed it to pause work on four 737 MAX shipsets and avoid starting work on 16 others. Spirit said that it expected that Boeing would ultimately tell it to reduce 2020 output by more than the 20 shipsets affected by the June 4 letter. Sure enough, Spirit AeroSystems revealed last week that it will now build just 72 shipsets for the 737 program in 2020, of which 35 have already been delivered. This implies a significant cut to Boeing's own production plans for the next six months. Another warning sign Entering this year, Boeing stock traded for more than $300. In the "panic" phase of the COVID-19 market sell-off, the stock briefly crashed below the $100 mark, but it recovered strongly in late May and early June. Even after a recent pullback, Boeing shares have been trading for around $170, putting the company's market cap near $100 billion. At that price, Boeing isn't a good stock for investors to buy. The aerospace giant burned $4.7 billion of cash in the first quarter, and cash burn could accelerate in the near term as Boeing starts to feel the full impact of the pandemic. While the company recently issued $25 billion of bonds, giving it plenty of liquidity for the foreseeable future, that new debt has pushed its total borrowings to nearly $64 billion. Looking ahead, Boeing will continue to incur massive costs related to the 737 MAX crashes and the subsequent grounding. It also appears that foreign regulators will demand costly design changes. Meanwhile, Boeing may need to increase financial support to critical suppliers to ensure that they're still around when it wants to ramp up production again. In short, the pain is just beginning for Boeing. Unless the stock price falls significantly or air travel demand quickly recovers to near 2019 levels, this is one stock investors should avoid. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/m/ad25d0a9-8216-39e0-9a2a-6d2f518d6b1b/boeing-finally-admits-that.html Back to Top The UK may be about to blow $600 million on the wrong satellites as it tries to solve losing access to the EU's satellite navigation system The UK may be about to blow £500 million ($616 million) on the wrong kind of satellites as it seeks to solve the problem of losing access to the EU's satellite navigation system after Brexit. The UK is poised to take up to a 20% stake in collapsed satellite broadband provider OneWeb to create its own navigation system. But experts told The Guardian that OneWeb doesn't use the right kind of satellite for a navigation system and the idea was "nonsensical." London-based OneWeb didn't focus on satellite navigation, but on global internet access through its satellites, but filed for bankruptcy in March. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The UK may be set to invest £500 million ($616 million) of taxpayer funds on the wrong kind of satellites as it tries to mitigate against losing access to the EU's satellite navigation system after Brexit. The UK is expected to take a stake of up to 20% in London-based satellite internet firm OneWeb, which collapsed in March, with an eye to building its own satellite navigation network following the transition period. In the increasingly likely event of a no-deal Brexit, the country will lose access to the EU's Galileo satellite system for defense and critical infrastructure, though it will still be available to users. The Financial Times reported on Thursday that the UK government had signed off on a multimillion-pound bid for a stake in OneWeb. But space experts speaking to The Guardian say that OneWeb's satellites can't be repurposed for a navigation system. The company offers something similar to Elon Musk's Starlink, planning mega-constellations of satellites at low orbit to provide broadband internet access to Earth. The company has 74 satellites in orbit, with plans to expand to 650. "The fundamental starting point is, yes, we've bought the wrong satellites," Dr Bleddyn Bowen, a space policy expert at the University of Leicester, told the newspaper. The problem is that OneWeb's satellites are too small to be re-engineered to carry the appropriate hardware required to turn them into a navigation system. The satellites are also too low, being 1,200km above Earth. The satellites for other big positioning systems, including that of the US, are in medium orbit around 20,000km from Earth. Jeffries research analyst Giles Thorne told The Guardian: "This situation is nonsensical to me" but added that it might make more sense for the UK to "smash the square peg of OneWeb into the round hole of a Galileo replacement" than to attempt to build a new system from ground zero. https://www.yahoo.com/news/uk-may-blow-600-million-115352205.html 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