Flight Safety Information July 3, 2020 - No. 134 In This Issue Incident: S7 A320 and Emirates B773 near Rostov on Jun 10th 2020, loss of separation Incident: United B78X near Amsterdam on Jul 2nd 2020, airframe vibrations Malaysia suspends Pakistan pilots after licence fraud revelation Report: Sardinia blocks Americans who land in private jet AOPA OPPOSES FAA'S NEW RULE ON PILOT RECORDS 'They just turn a blind eye': Amazon Air contractors face safety risks as new coronavirus outbreaks No Federal Mandates For Masks On Planes Or Empty Middle Seats NTSB: Inspection Mistakes Caused Engine Failure On 2018 SFO-Hawaii Flight Airlines for America Applauds ICAO Decision on CORSIA American Airlines says it's overstaffed by 20,000 employees for fall schedule Boeing to pull the plug on its 747 jumbo jet Pik West Insurance Agency, LLC Even amid a pandemic, SpaceX is launching more than ever Online Unmanned Aircraft Systems from SCSI SCSI Slovenia Fall Course Series AVIATION SAFETY SURVEY GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Incident: S7 A320 and Emirates B773 near Rostov on Jun 10th 2020, loss of separation A S7 Sibir Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration VQ-BPL performing flight S7-2126 from Rostov to Moscow Domodedovo (Russia), was cleared to climb and was climbing to FL380 northbound out of Rostov about 130nm northeast of Rostov. An Emirates Airlines Boeing 777-300, registration A6-EGQ performing flight EK-160 from Oslo (Norway) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates), was enroute at FL370 about 130nm northeast of Rostov southbound on the same airway. The sector north of Rostov was being controlled by a controller under training and a training controller. A controller in the adjacent sector noticed the dangerous approximation of the two aircraft and notified the training instructor. Only then the sector controller took action turning Emirates by 50 degrees to their right, having the Sibir Airlines descend to FL360 immediately and also turn 50 degrees to their right and further reiterating to accelerate the descent. While the aircraft already begin their instructed evasive actions, the controller desk activated a short term collision alert. According to ADS-B transmissions the A320 stopped their climb at 36775 feet and began to descend at 18:14:52Z, at that point the two aircraft were still on head on trajectories 22nm apart from each other. A minute later the aircraft reached their point of closest separation, the A320 was at 36700 feet, the horizontal separation had reduced to 6.5nm, both aircraft were already in their right turns onto diverging trajectories. The aircraft passed each other at a horizontal separation of about 3.8nm and 500 feet vertical separation, at 18:16:52Z the A320 was at 36050 feet, the horizontal separation had increased again to 13.2nm. Russia's Southern Transport Prosecution Office have initiated an investigation into the occurrence. https://avherald.com/h?article=4d973ef5&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: United B78X near Amsterdam on Jul 2nd 2020, airframe vibrations A United Boeing 787-10, registration N12010 performing flight UA-2811 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA), was enroute at FL330 about 30nm north of Manchester,EN (UK) when the crew decided to turn around and return to Amsterdam. The aircraft maintained FL330, later set the transponder code to general emergency. Over the North Sea, after checking in with Amsterdam Radar, ATC queried whether the crew needed any assistance, which the crew replied to in the negative (without hinting to the nature of their problem prompting the return), then ATC queried whether they had set the emergency code on the transponder on their own, the crew replied the previous controller had instructed them to set the code. The Amsterdam Radar controller therefore instructed the crew to return to their originally assigned transponder code. After handoff to a discrete frequency the crew advised they had an airframe vibration that in the meantime had subsided some, no control problems or the like. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Amsterdam's runway 27 about 100 minutes after departure and taxied to the apron. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Amsterdam as precaution for a technical cause. https://avherald.com/h?article=4d971de6&opt=0 Back to Top Malaysia suspends Pakistan pilots after licence fraud revelation KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's aviation regulator has temporarily suspended pilots employed by domestic airlines who hold Pakistani licences, after the government of the South Asian nation revealed that many pilots had dubious qualifications. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said in a statement on Thursday that the decision came after an evaluation of all foreign pilots in Malaysia. The regulator told Reuters that there are less than 20 Pakistani pilots in the country. National carrier Malaysia Airlines said it does not have any Pakistani pilot, Malindo Air, the Malaysian arm of Indonesia's Lion Air, said it does not have any foreign pilots, and AirAsia said it does not have any Pakistani pilot. CAAM said the pilots were employed with "local operators", such as flying schools, flying clubs and training organisations. Pakistan last week grounded almost a third of its pilots after discovering they may have falsified their qualifications. Pakistan has a total of 860 pilots, 107 of whom work for foreign airlines. Global concern has mounted since the announcement, with countries grounding Pakistan pilots and seeking to verify their credentials. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has also suspended Pakistan International Airlines' authorisation to fly to the bloc for six months. CAAM said it is making efforts with its Pakistani counterpart to verify the authenticity of the licence holders. "Licence holders that are verified as valid by (the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority) will be reinstated immediately," it said. https://whtc.com/news/articles/2020/jul/03/malaysia-suspends-pakistan-pilots-after-licence-fraud-revelation/1035872/ Back to Top Report: Sardinia blocks Americans who land in private jet ROME - Officials on the Italian island of Sardinia are distancing themselves from a reported decision by local airport authorities to prevent a group of Americans who arrived in a private plane from going to their rented summer house due to European Union anti-coronavirus measures.. Because of the number of confirmed virus cases still getting reported in the United States, the E.U. did not include the U.S. on the list of countries whose nationals were allowed to resume visiting Europe as of Wednesday. Sardinia's regional tourism official, Gianni Cessa, said he went to the airport late Wednesday "out of a sense of solidarity" with the Americans. "Rules must be respected, but there needs to be some common sense," he said in televised comments posted online Thursday by L'Unione Sarda newspaper. The newspaper said the group of about 10 people, most of them Americans and their children, as well as British and New Zealand nationals, landed at Cagliari Elmas Airport aboard a private jet from Colorado on Wednesday. The tourists were prevented from leaving the airport and kept in a waiting area, according to photographs of them posted by Sardinian media. Eventually they got back on the plane and took off for Birmingham, England, the report said. After the EU issued its list of 14 nations whose citizens are welcome in 31 European countries, Italy's Health Ministry said it would still require those visitors to quarantine out of an abundance of caution. While coronavirus cases are soaring in parts of the U.S., they are mostly under control in Italy, the onetime epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe. Sardinia, in particular, has kept its case numbers low. Sardinia's regional governor, Christian Salinas, had sought to test visitors upon arrival, trying to balance the island's need for tourism revenue during the peak summer season with efforts to keep tourists and residents alike safe. That proposal fell by the wayside, but Salinas blasted the treatment the Americans received. In a statement carried by Italian media, Salinas said the interpretation of the travel restrictions "inflicted grave damage to the international touristic credibility of our island and our sense of hospitality." Right-wing politicians noted that migrants who come ashore in Sardinia are allowed in, tested for the virus and allowed to apply for asylum, but not American tourists. https://www.startribune.com/report-sardinia-blocks-americans-who-land-in-private-jet/571605102/ Back to Top AOPA OPPOSES FAA'S NEW RULE ON PILOT RECORDS AOPA raised concerns over the FAA's proposal of an electronic database intended to replace the longstanding Pilot Records Improvement Act (PRIA) for air carriers and to verify certification, training, and currency of pilots. AOPA and other aviation organizations believe that the Pilot Records Database (PRD) described in a notice of proposed rulemaking will place an undue burden on many individual pilots. Though pilot record databases like PRIA have been around since the 1990s, it was the tragic Colgan Air Crash in 2009 that prompted the FAA to make changes in its training requirements and pilot records. After more than a decade in the works, the PRD was published for comment in March, giving AOPA and industry stakeholders 90 days to respond. The PRD is intended to facilitate sharing records surrounding a pilot's qualifications before an air carrier decides to hire that pilot. The database includes information about medical certificates, employment history, flying records, and types of aircraft pilots are qualified to fly. However, it contains many burdensome requirements for Part 91 operators-something AOPA has taken issue with. Chief among AOPA's complaints is that the PRD NPRM expands beyond what is statutorily required, does not accept industry recommendations, and does not provide a clear process for pilots to have errors on their record corrected. Additionally, thousands of small, sole-practitioner operations under Part 91 (e.g., small corporate and air tour operators) would be subjected to costly and burdensome regulations, setting a bad precedent for interpreting the PRD to apply to a broader group of small operations. According to AOPA's comments, "The result would unnecessary self-reporting to the PRD. Similarly, having PRD reporting for other part 91 operations, such as aerial advertising and photographers, pipeline patrol, glider operations, banner towers, agriculture operations, and acrobatic teams should not be included due to their size and type of operation and not being mandated by the PRD Act." "While AOPA supports the need for a transparent process to ensure accurate pilot records, this proposal unfortunately attempts to mandate a costly process to smaller Part 91 operations that we strongly believe were not intended to comply," said AOPA Director of Regulatory Affairs Chris Cooper. "Again, the FAA proposal places unnecessary requirements on Part 91 operators that would do nothing to enhance safety." Along with AOPA, several other aviation organizations and pilots have spoken out against the proposed rulemaking. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/july/02/aopa-opposes-faa-proposed-rule-on-pilot-records Back to Top 'They just turn a blind eye': Amazon Air contractors face safety risks as new coronavirus outbreaks emerge • Employees at Worldwide Flight Services, an Amazon Air subcontractor, say they continue to face an unsafe work environment during the pandemic. • At one facility in Phoenix, five WFS workers told CNBC that employees aren't wearing masks and social distancing is impossible to maintain. • WFS workers say they feel overlooked by Amazon's coronavirus response after the company gave warehouse and delivery workers raises and relaxed attendance policies, among other measures. The coronavirus pandemic has shed a bright light on Amazon's treatment of warehouse workers and prompted the company to take extraordinary steps to reassure employees, legislators and the broader public that it's protecting workers. Amazon has changed how its warehouses operate to improve safety, offered additional benefits to workers who fall sick and set up a relief fund for delivery contractors. But a crucial piece of Amazon's shipping operations was left out of the company's response to the pandemic, some workers say. Workers at Worldwide Flight Services, a company that serves the Amazon' Air freight network and other carriers, say they have gone without many of the benefits provided to warehouse and delivery employees. They also say they weren't provided with bonuses, hourly wage increases, extra paid sick leave or unlimited unpaid time off, despite working long hours at the height of the pandemic. Employees accrue paid sick leave over time, so they're able to take a limited number of days off if they're sick, but once that time runs out, they must return to work. WFS workers say managers aren't enforcing mask requirements and that hand sanitizer and soap are in short supply at facilities. At one WFS facility in Phoenix, safety concerns became so severe that a worker filed a complaint with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration last month. WFS is one of several companies that maintain lucrative contracts with Amazon Air. Workers load and unload cargo from Amazon planes at airports across the country, but they're not considered Amazon employees. Instead, Amazon contracts with third-party companies like WFS, which employs the workers. Amazon outsources other areas of its logistics network, including last-mile delivery, which has been a subject of controversy in the past. Before and during the pandemic, Amazon's cargo partners, including WFS, have played an outsized role in ensuring the company can achieve its increasingly crucial goals of one- and same-day delivery. "These workers are vital," said Cathy Morrow Roberson, founder of consulting firm Logistic Trends & Insights. "It's like the connective tissue for your body, except they're the connection between the airplane and the warehouse. Without them, packages would just be sitting in these facilities." Amazon spokeswoman Kate Kudrna said the company's "first priority" is the health and safety of workers involved in its operations, adding that Amazon has provided WFS with face masks during the pandemic. "All of our airline delivery providers must comply with the Amazon Supplier Code of Conduct and Federal Aviation Administration Regulations," Kudrna said in a statement. "We take seriously any allegation that a delivery provider is not meeting those requirements and expectations, and review accordingly." WFS didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. After publication, WFS said in a statement that all employees have been notified of the company's corporate guidelines around Covid-19 via several forms of communication, including shift briefings, company newsletters and posters inside facilities. The company said it performs daily inventory checks to make sure personal protective equipment is replenished at facilities. "The safety, security and wellbeing of our employees and operations are our greatest priority," WFS said in a statement. "Our local management teams are accessible to any staff needing clarification of our Covid-19 policies and procedures." As Amazon was hit with a surge of coronavirus-related demand in March, WFS workers were on the front lines, handling the Prime packages ordered by millions of Americans who were cloistered inside their homes. Demand has stabilized but the workers now face a new round of coronavirus outbreaks around the country. WFS workers say they feel just as vulnerable as during the beginning of the pandemic, since they still lack the basic protections to be able to do their job safely. Sanitizer shortages and workers refuse to wear masks WFS operates out of dozens of airports across the country, which means facilities are largely independent of one another. Some WFS facilities have taken coronavirus safety more seriously than others. One WFS worker in northern Kentucky said everyone wore masks in the facility and hand sanitizer is located in all areas of the building. By contrast, a WFS worker in New York City said no masks are available for employees unless they bring their own, while managers "refuse" to answer questions about positive cases at the facility. Both workers asked to remain anonymous out of fear of losing their jobs. Five WFS workers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport told CNBC they've confronted managers multiple times over the past few months about employees who don't wear masks or gloves, along with other safety concerns. Despite this, they say, not much has changed, except now the facility requires temperature checks. Many of the workers asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to talk to the media about company matters. "I figured when this pandemic started that they'd take it more seriously, but they haven't been professional about it at all," said Loren Green, a worker at the Phoenix facility. WFS cargo handlers work in very close quarters, which makes social distancing rules difficult to follow. Employees often stand next to each other to hand off boxes, while two or three workers stack packages inside large metal containers, referred to as cans, that are estimated to be about 6 feet wide by 7 feet tall. The issue hasn't improved months into the pandemic, workers said. In April, WFS managers said they had station no more than four workers to a can at a time, but they haven't always enforced that rule. A video taken in June and obtained by CNBC shows WFS workers in Phoenix clustered in groups around cans with the Amazon logo emblazoned on the side. Many of the workers in the video aren't wearing masks and there are at least three employees inside the cans stacking boxes. Hand sanitizer and soap are often in short supply at the facility, the workers said. Last month, Green said he noticed an empty sanitizer bottle had been refilled with water at a workstation. Another WFS worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said the bathrooms were out of soap for several days. The workers told CNBC they were concerned that the facility's nearly 200 employees only have access to two, single-stall bathrooms, one per gender, which could increase crowding and spreading of germs. OSHA requires workplaces with more than 150 employees to provide six toilets, plus one additional toilet for every additional 40 workers. Another WFS worker in Phoenix, who asked to remain anonymous, became so frustrated with the facility's lack of safety measures that they filed a complaint with Arizona's OSHA division on May 2. The complaint, which was viewed by CNBC, claims the facility isn't following federal guidelines for social distancing and that it isn't requiring workers to self-quarantine when they've been exposed to the coronavirus. It also claims employees aren't able to voice their concerns about workplace safety and health. Trevor Laky, a spokesperson for the Industrial Commission of Arizona, which includes the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health, the state's equivalent of OSHA, said the complaint was closed May 8. Laky added that ADOSH representatives did not inspect the facility. Amazon contractor WFS In May, a WFS worker in Phoenix filed a complaint with the local OSHA branch, detailing various workplace hazards related to the coronavirus. WFS said in a statement that its Covid-19 policies are in accordance with federal agencies. The company declined to comment on Phoenix workers' specific accusations. Kudrna, the Amazon spokeswoman, said WFS handles air cargo operations at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport for a variety of companies, not just Amazon. Workers estimate that at least four employees have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Phoenix facility. Each time, there was no official notification from the site's management, they said. Instead, workers said they learned about new infections via word of mouth. The company hasn't told workers whether it's carried out contact tracing or notified workers who might have been in close contact with the infected individuals, the workers said. Sidney Isais Gastelum, who quit his job as a ramp agent at the Phoenix facility last month due to coronavirus concerns, said he worked daily with three of the people there who tested positive for the virus. Gastelum said he informed the site's human resources department that he was in regular close contact with the workers, yet he was never told to quarantine himself. Instead, he said, an HR employee told him he had to come to work because he was "essential" and that if he didn't show up for his shift, he'd be written up. After his co-workers tested positive, Gastelum said, he urged his managers to hold a meeting about coronavirus safety measures, since managers had yet to address the confirmed cases. The meeting never happened. "I was pretty disappointed they wouldn't even have a safety meeting about this because they're close friends of mine," Gastelum said. "I work with them and I care about them. If they don't talk about them, it just shows how much they don't care about our safety." Amazon has called its workers "heroes" for providing supplies to millions of Americans during the pandemic. Gastelum and other WFS workers said Amazon should also applaud them for risking their health and safety on the front lines. "Amazon hasn't done anything for us," said one ramp agent in Phoenix, who works the day shift, and asked to remain anonymous. "We're pretty much fending for ourselves and expected to just keep working." WFS workers contracted by Amazon said they may spend their days moving Prime packages, but their interactions with the company are limited, beyond occasional visits by Amazon representatives to WFS facilities. "To us, it seems like Amazon doesn't really care about how we operate so long as we get the job done," Gastelum said. "They just turn a blind eye." https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/02/amazon-air-contractors-claim-safety-risks-amid-coronavirus-outbreaks.html Back to Top No Federal Mandates For Masks On Planes Or Empty Middle Seats Airlines tired of largely empty flights because of coronavirus fears want to fill planes - and the federal government isn't stopping them - now that more travelers are venturing out. The Trump administration is urging airlines to leave some airplane seats empty to help protect travelers and crew members from the coronavirus but it is stopping short of requiring airlines to keep seats open to create physical distancing on flights. The federal COVID-19 guidelines also encourage all passengers to wear face coverings or masks but again, the administration will not mandate it. And that's a problem, according to some consumer groups, public health officials, airline employee unions and members of Congress, who say there needs to be enforceable federal rules that are consistent across the air travel industry to minimize the risk for transmission of the virus. As air travel demand begins to slowly recover from the pandemic, the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, and Health and Human Services jointly issued guidelines for the air travel industry Thursday in a report called the Runway to Recovery. It encourages airlines and airports to promote social distancing, enhance disinfection and cleaning procedures, create barriers such as plastic shields at counters, conduct health assessments of passengers and employees and collect passenger information for possible contact tracing; all are measures most airlines and airports have already implemented, as they follow recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention months ago. A Transportation Department press release says, "The guidance will enhance public health risk reduction to support an increase in travel volume while ensuring that aviation safety and security are not compromised." "This document provides clear guidance to airlines and airports to protect the traveling public, and we encourage people to pay attention to it," added Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in a statement. But traveler and consumer advocacy groups say the guidelines are inadequate. "Americans are rightfully concerned that they may be putting their health and safety at risk if they choose to fly during a global pandemic," said William McGee, aviation advisor for Consumer Reports. "The DOT shouldn't leave it up to the airlines and airports to decide which COVID-19 safety precautions they will follow to keep passengers safe." Consumer groups, airline employee unions and some members of Congress say the Trump administration needs to create mandatory public health standards to ensure passengers are protected when they travel during the pandemic. "There's very few, I think, worse environments to be in than trapped in a tube that's crammed full of people who are rubbing shoulders with recirculated air for five or six hours while flying across the country," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., chair of the House Transportation Committee, who says the administration "should require masks under the penalty of federal law on airplanes." While many airlines are requiring passengers masks or face coverings, enforcement has been inconsistent. United, Delta and a few others say they have removed some passengers from planes and prohibited others from boarding for not wearing masks, but such enforcement actions have only been taken recently after a rising number of complaints from other passengers. And flight attendants are somewhat frustrated because they are the ones who often must police the mask wearing and social distancing requirements. "Without a federal mandate and a coordinated effort to address these issues, we're left to the airlines putting in place policies that are inconsistent, leave people confused and leave us to deal with the consequences on the front lines," said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants. The new federal guidance encouraging airlines to leave some seats open comes in a week in which American Airlines joined rival United and discount carrier Spirit in saying they'll fill every seat on every plane if there is enough demand. It's a move that drew sharp criticism from two of the nation's top public health officials in a Senate committee hearing on the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday. "I think it sends the wrong message," said Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Obviously that is something that is of concern. I'm not sure what went into that decision making," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and a member of the White House coronavirus task force told senators. "I think in the confines of an airplane that (lack of physical distancing) becomes even more problematic." Other airlines, including Delta, Southwest and JetBlue say they will continue to temporarily block out middle seats or keep planes no more than two-thirds full in order to create more space between passengers. But officials at United and American defend their decisions to fully book flights saying social distancing is impossible on a plane. Even if the middle seats are empty, passengers are less than three feet apart, and there is even less distance between rows in economy seating. "You can't employ distancing on an airplane like you can in a grocery store line," said Nick Calio, president of the industry group Airlines for America in a conference call with reporters this week. He contends other safety measures, such as enhanced cleaning of airplane cabins, physical distancing when boarding and deplaning, and wearing face coverings will minimize the risk of transmitting the coronavirus. "We don't fly people if we feel it's not safe to fly them," Calio said. Nonetheless, many people are still reluctant to return to flying. In regard to where to travel safely and how to get there this summer, "things are still incredibly uncertain and confusing," says Melanie Lieberman, senior travel editor at The Points Guy website, who adds, "Air travel is definitely one of the more complicated ways of traveling." To minimize potential risk, she suggests travelers consider short haul flights rather than long haul flights, airlines that have more stringent airplane cleaning regimens, and airlines that are still blocking out middle seats or restricting capacity in other ways. Some airline pilots would like to see more government help in that regard. The Allied Pilots Association, which represents pilots at American Airlines, wants the next federal coronavirus relief package to include funding to "purchase enough seats on each flight to eliminate the need for any passenger to sit next to a stranger." APA President Capt. Eric Ferguson says under that sort of "uniform social distancing, passengers would be encouraged to fly more, airlines would be encouraged to operate more flights, and the government would ensure the preservation of critical transportation infrastructure and associated jobs." https://www.npr.org/2020/07/02/886973877/no-federal-mandates-for-masks-on-planes-or-empty-middle-seats?ft=nprml&f= Back to Top NTSB: Inspection Mistakes Caused Engine Failure On 2018 SFO-Hawaii Flight HONOLULU (CBS / AP) - Investigators say inspections of a fan blade that broke off during a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Hawaii in 2018, triggering an engine failure and emergency landing, had failed to spot signs that the blade was weak. The National Transportation Safety Board says engine maker Pratt & Whitney did not provide a formal program for training its inspectors who examined the fan blades. The safety board issued its conclusions in a report Tuesday. The incident on United Flight 1175 happened as the Boeing 777 from San Francisco International Airport cruised toward Honolulu on Feburary 13, 2018. The crew heard a loud bang and felt the plane shake. The pilots were able to land safely, and none of the 374 passengers and crew were injured, although parts of the engine housing were blown off, according to the NTSB. The safety board said the blade that snapped off had shown signs of metal wear and tear in previous examinations in 2010 and 2015, but Pratt & Whitney inspectors believed it was just a paint imperfection. Investigators said Pratt & Whitney had developed a new inspection process in 2005, using thermal sensors to inspect fan blades on its PW4000 engines. Because the company classified the process as a new and emerging technology - and didn't change that description over 13 years - it did not have to develop a formal training program for training and certifying inspectors. In an emailed statement, Pratt & Whitney said they supported the NTSB investigation and have taken corrective actions in response to the event. As a result of the United flight, the Federal Aviation Administration in March 2019 ordered inspections of fan blades on all PW4000 engines. It is rare for a fan blade to break in flight, but there have been several such incidents in recent years. One, involving a CFM International engine on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737, triggered an engine failure that sent shrapnel crashing into the plane, killing a passenger on a 2018 flight. https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/07/02/united-flight-1175-sfo-honolulu-ntsb-investigation/ Back to Top Airlines for America Applauds ICAO Decision on CORSIA Airlines for America (A4A) WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 - Airlines for America (A4A) - the industry trade organization representing the leading U.S. airlines - today applauded the decision of the Governing Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to use verified 2019 CO2 emissions data in calculating the baseline for the 2021-2023 "pilot phase" of ICAO's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and to conduct analyses to support having the 193-country ICAO Assembly consider maintaining the baseline at 2019 emissions levels for the later phases of the offsetting system when the Assembly convenes in 2022. CORSIA is a global market-based mechanism designed to complement aviation industry advances in technology, operations, infrastructure and sustainable aviation fuels to enable carbon-neutral growth in international air travel starting in 2021. Using the 2019 data will ensure that international aviation emissions are capped at the aggressive level countries intended when they entered the CORSIA agreement in 2016. When CORSIA was conceived, the plan was to set the baseline using an average of verified 2019 and 2020 CO2 emissions data, with analyses projecting 2020 emissions to be higher than 2019 emissions. The purpose of a two-year baseline for this global program was to account for small market disruptions such as air traffic closures due to a volcanic eruption in a particular region. However, as the ICAO Council noted in its decision, the ICAO Member States never envisioned a disruption anywhere near as significant as that caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ICAO Council's decision to use 2019 data ensures that international aviation CO2 emissions will not exceed 2019 levels, which ICAO has confirmed to be less than 2 percent of global manmade CO2 emissions. U.S. airlines transported 2.5 million passengers and 58,000 tons of cargo per day in 2019 while contributing just 2 percent of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. They improved their fuel efficiency by 40 percent since 2000, and they are helping to lead the fight against climate change with a myriad of measures including developing sustainable alternative jet fuels, investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft and operating them in more efficient ways. A4A and our members reaffirm our commitment to protecting the planet as we work through the COVID-19 crisis to reconnect it. CORSIA and our longer-term commitment to a 50 percent net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 relative to 2005 levels are an important part of that. https://www.aviationpros.com/airlines/press-release/21144668/airlines-for-america-a4a-airlines-for-america-applauds-icao-decision-on-corsia Back to Top American Airlines says it's overstaffed by 20,000 employees for fall schedule • American and its competitors are trying to reduce head count because of weak travel demand. • U.S. carriers are prohibited from laying off or cutting the pay rates of staff through Sept. 30 under terms of $25 billion in federal aid. • American said it reduced its daily cash burn from $100 million a day in April to less than $35 million a day in June. American Airlines on Thursday told staff it has more than 20,000 employees it doesn't need for its reduced fall schedule as the carrier and its competitors face weak demand for air travel during the coronavirus pandemic. The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier and other U.S. airlines are urging employees to take buyouts or early retirement options to reduce head count before turning to involuntary measures like layoffs. U.S. carriers are prohibited from laying off or cutting the pay rates of their staff through Sept. 30 under the terms of $25 billion in government payroll support aimed at softening the impact of the virus on their business. American had 133,700 employees as of the end of last year. "We currently anticipate having 20 to 30% - or more than 20,000 - more team members on payroll than we need to operate our schedule this fall," CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom said in a staff note. "To be clear, this doesn't mean 20,000 of our team members will be furloughed in October, it simply means we still have to work to do to right-size our team for the airline we operate." American and its competitors have been shoring up liquidity and cutting costs as demand remains a fraction of 2019 levels, even for the peak summer travel season. American and four other airlines reached agreements for portions of $25 billion in federal loans to weather the crisis, the Treasury Department said Thursday. American said it expects to finalize the loan in the third quarter. At the depths of the demand crisis in April, American had around $11 million in cash receipts, which rose to $358 million in May and more than $1 billion in June, the executives said. "While that improvement is encouraging, it's compared to an average of $4.2 billion each month during the same period in 2019, so we have a ways to go," Parker and Isom wrote. The carrier was burning less than $35 million a day at the end of June, down from $100 million a day in April, they said. American expects international travel demand will stay muted into next year. Earlier this week, it said its long-haul international schedule in summer 2021 would be down 25% from what it offered in the 2019 season and that it would cut 19 routes. The carrier is also planning to reduce wide-body cabin crew staffing for international and transcontinental routes and will shrink some of its flight-attendant bases and scrap bases in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, area and in St. Louis. United Airlines, for its part, is also also encouraging staff to take buyouts, telling employees this week that it will accept applications through July 15 and that their last day on the job, if their applications are accepted, will be July 29. "We expect that this will be the last [voluntary separation program] extension and there will be no further voluntary offerings," the airline said in a note to staff. "As we shared in this June 15 message, we are likely to issue notices, pursuant to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, to some employees this month that signal potential involuntary furloughs that are effective October 1." Delta Air Lines last week said more than 2,500 pilots would receive WARN Act notices early this month about possible furloughs. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/02/american-airlines-says-its-overstaffed-by-20000-employees-for-fall-schedule-due-to-covid19.html Back to Top Boeing to pull the plug on its 747 jumbo jet (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) is pulling the plug on its 747 jumbo jet, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. The 747 democratized global air travel in the 1970s but fell behind modern twin-engine passenger jets. The last 747-8 will roll out of a Seattle area factory in about two years, according to the Bloomberg report. (bloom.bg/38n5A8p) When contacted by Reuters, Boeing did not confirm the Bloomberg report. "At a build rate of 0.5 airplanes per month, the 747-8 program has more than two years of production ahead of it in order to fulfill our current customer commitments," a Boeing spokesman told Reuters. "We will continue to make the right decisions to keep the production line healthy and meet customer needs." Boeing's 747 plane is enjoying a second life as a cargo mule for companies like United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N) due to a freight market boom fueled by online shopping. In 2016, Boeing said it could end 747 production amid falling orders and pricing pressure. Major U.S. carriers like United Continental Holdings Inc (UAL.O) and Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) have already said goodbye to the 747. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-747/boeing-to-pull-the-plug-on-its-747-jumbo-jet-bloomberg-news-idUSKBN2432U0 Back to Top Pik West Insurance Agency, LLC, an independent insurance brokering, risk management and consulting company specializing in aviation, is pleased to announce the addition of Christopher Young. Chris brings decades of aviation experience in commercial helicopter, fixed-wing and OEM operations to the Pik West team of aviation professionals. His safety expertise compliments and advances our model of employing individuals with real-world aviation proficiency. Our team draws on each of our unique backgrounds and uses that insight in collaboration with our underwriting partners, to provide the absolute best solution to our clients. Chris is the perfect example of how Pik West is committed to providing tangible value-added support. Chris will be offering a variety of safety related services to Pik West clients in addition to growing the Pik West client base. Chris was an officer and instructor in the Navy (flying the SH-60B) before working as a Helicopter Air Ambulance pilot and at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in several product safety roles. Chris has spent many years implementing risk management solutions within the aviation industry and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS) and participates in the HAI Safety Working Group, the US Helicopter Safety Team and the CAMTS Aviation & Safety Advisory Committee. With the addition of Chris Young, Pik West also expands into another state, now with individuals in Alaska, Washington, California, and Colorado. Pik West has offered aviation insurance services for over 40 years and will continue to enhance our clients' risk management experience. PIK WEST INSURANCE AGENCY, LLC Aviation Cell-phone- 801-518-0514 ▪jessica@pikwest.com ▪www.pikwest.com CA License #6000825 P.O. Box 2003, Renton, WA 98059 Back to Top Even amid a pandemic, SpaceX is launching more than ever SpaceX's 11 launches match the total this year by Russia, Europe, and Japan combined. On Tuesday, SpaceX launched its 11th Falcon 9 rocket of the year-with a brand-new first stage delivering a 3.7-ton GPS III satellite into orbit for improved navigation services. The mission's customer, the US Space Force, was happy. "The successful GPS III SV03 launch and recovery serves as another step in our journey with industry partners to create innovative, flexible, and affordable services to meet NSSL mission objectives and propel US dominance in space," said Col. Robert Bongiovi, Launch Enterprise director. Tuesday afternoon's launch puts the company on pace for 22 missions in this calendar year, which would break the company's previous record of 21 launches set in 2018. What seems more remarkable about this pace is that it has occurred amid a global pandemic that has slowed operations in many other countries. For example, SpaceX's 11 launches match the total so far this year by Russia, Europe, and Japan combined. Globally, the company ranks second only to China's state enterprise, which has attempted 15 orbital launches in 2020, two of which have been failures. Much of the company's activity during the pandemic has been driven by its own payloads. SpaceX has launched seven Starlink missions during the first half of this year, putting nearly 420 of its own satellites into low-Earth orbit. The company is moving forward with efforts to begin offering limited commercial Internet service by late this year or early 2021. Barring a catastrophe, it seems likely that SpaceX will easily launch a dozen or more Falcon 9 rockets between now and the end of this year. The company has as many as 18 launches on its manifest, including half a dozen Starlink missions, a second Crew Dragon mission, a supply mission to the International Space Station, and several commercial missions. Its next launch may occur in a week, with the Starlink-9 mission, on July 8. Thanks to the successful recovery of the first stage from Tuesday's launch, SpaceX now has five first stage boosters at its disposal for future missions. Of those, it will be most interesting to see if, or when, Booster 1049 flies again. This first stage has already flown five flights dating back to September 2018 and could be ready for its sixth mission by the end of July-if engineers deem it safe to fly again. https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/07/even-amidst-a-pandemic-spacex-is-launching-more-than-ever/ 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