Flight Safety Information August 28, 2020 - No. 175 In This Issue Incident: Rusline CRJ1 near St. Petersburg on Aug 22nd 2020, generator failure Incident: Bridge Cargo B748 at Moscow on Aug 22nd 2020, engine shut down in flight Alaska Airlines jet's brakes seize up while taxiing for takeoff at Sea-Tac Boeing, Transport Canada pilots to conduct 737 MAX flight test: source, flightaware data NTSB EXTENDS TERM FOR GA SAFETY EXPERT LANDSBERG IndiGo completes replacing A320 Neo aircraft engines SIA plane among 8 Boeing 787 jets affected by structural issues; aircraft currently not in service Deputy's gun accidentally goes off at California airport, striking another employee's arm IATA audit team due next month to assess PIA safety Aspiring aviation mechanic gets probation for bribing FAA examiner in Duluth Bryant's Helicopter Operator Sues FAA Air Traffic Controllers Man admits to setting fire on Delta flight that was diverted to Denver How Ethiopian Airlines' Agility Saw It Through COVID With No Bailout Thailand to Offer $769 Million in Loans to Pandemic-Hit Airlines American Airlines Pilots Urge White House For More Federal Funding To Prevent Furloughs United will cut up to 2,850 pilots without more federal aid Jet Maintenance Solutions Seeing a Strong Recovery in Business Aviation Virgin Atlantic Launches First-Ever Pakistan Routes to Fill Void NASA-sponsored moon mission will launch on a SpaceX rocket Trinity College Dublin and EASA Air Ops Community Survey on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on aviation workers Swinburne University Capstone Research Projects 2020 - Airline pax preferences Study SURVEY:...GA PILOTS AND PIREPs. Graduate Research Survey (1) Incident: Rusline CRJ1 near St. Petersburg on Aug 22nd 2020, generator failure A Rusline Canadair CRJ-100, registration VP-BVC performing flight 7R-9518 from Moscow Vnukovo to Murmansk (Russia), was enroute at FL320 about 240nm eastnortheast of St. Petersburg when the crew decided to divert to St. Petersburg due to a generator failure. The aircraft landed safely in St. Petersburg about 45 minutes later. The aircraft returned to service about 46 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4dbd24e3&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Bridge Cargo B748 at Moscow on Aug 22nd 2020, engine shut down in flight An Airbridge Cargo Boeing 747-800 freighter, registration VQ-BRJ performing flight RU-558 from Shenzhen (China) to Moscow Domodedovo (Russia), was descending towards Moscow when the crew needed to shut engine #1 (GEnx, outboard left hand) down. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Domodedovo's runway 32L. The aircraft returned to service about 44 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4dbd2227&opt=0 Back to Top Alaska Airlines jet's brakes seize up while taxiing for takeoff at Sea-Tac SEATAC, Wash. - An Alaska Airlines jet bound for Anchorage never got off the ground at Sea-Tac Airport after its brakes seized up on the taxiway. The incident unfolded Thursday morning as Flight 85 was exiting the taxiway and preparing for takeoff, said an Alaska Airlines spokesperson. Mechanics checked the plane and determined that it would need to be brought in for maintenance and repair work. Passengers and their baggage were offloaded on the taxiway and were being moved to a new aircraft for their flight to Anchorage. Alaska Airlines did not specify whether the jetliner was a Boeing 737 or an Airbus A320. https://komonews.com/news/local/alaska-airlines-jets-brakes-seize-up-while-taxiing-for-takeoff-at-sea-tac Back to Top Boeing, Transport Canada pilots to conduct 737 MAX flight test: source, flightaware data SEATTLE/MONTREAL (Reuters) - Pilots from Boeing Co and Transport Canada were set to take off on Wednesday morning on a flight test of the 737 MAX jetliner, grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes, according to one industry source and FlightAware data. The test of safety upgrades comes roughly two months after another flight evaluation by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It marks another crucial step in Boeing's long-delayed path to resume commercial service of the jetliner. The flight was slated to take off from King County International Airport, also known as Boeing field, around 8:45 a.m. local time, FlightAware data showed. The Canadian tests are part of the regulator's "independent review" on whether to validate Boeing's proposed changes to the aircraft, Transport Canada has said. Transport Canada said it was taking special precautions because of COVID, with its employees returning to British Columbia after components of the testing, including evaluations on the engineering simulator at Boeing and the flight test in U.S. airspace. The 737 MAX was grounded in March 2019 after crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia killed 346 people. Boeing told analysts in late July that MAX deliveries would resume in the fourth quarter, a fresh delay of several weeks that raises the prospect that its U.S. return to service could slip into 2021. Boeing stock was down 1.21% to $172.52 on Wednesday. Transport Canada, believed to be the first non-U.S. regulator to conduct such test activities, is also preparing to participate in the U.S.-led Joint Operational Evaluation Board (JOEB) which would evaluate minimum pilot training requirements with partners from Europe and Brazil. JOEB is currently planned for mid-September, according to a person briefed on the matter. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-transport-canada-pilots-conduct-155518632.html Back to Top NTSB EXTENDS TERM FOR GA SAFETY EXPERT LANDSBERG NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg, an aviation safety expert who is a familiar face to general aviation pilots, will serve in his NTSB leadership role for three additional years, the board announced August 26. The former AOPA Air Safety Institute executive director was appointed to a five-year NTSB board position in August 2018 when he was also designated the NTSB's vice chairman for a two-year term. Landsberg is a respected aviation safety advocate and a 7,000-hour pilot who holds an airline transport pilot certificate as well as single-engine, multiengine, and instrument flight instructor certificates. He has been an AOPA member for more than 40 years and is often seen piloting his pristine Beechcraft Bonanza A36. "Bruce brings a wealth of experience to the NTSB with his extensive general aviation safety background," said NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt. "While serving as vice chairman during the past two years, Bruce has provided great assistance to me in my role as chairman. I'm delighted that President Trump has allowed him to continue in that capacity for another three years." Landsberg is advocating for several GA safety recommendations during his term. He would like to see a more user-friendly notam system, as well as improved weather forecasts and the reduction of weather-related aviation crashes through more extensive in-flight weather reporting by pilots. He also supports a reduction in driving distractions and speed-related highway crashes, reliable automation in vehicles, and automated enforcement on highways. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/august/27/ntsb-extends-term-for-ga-safety-expert-landsberg Back to Top IndiGo completes replacing A320 Neo aircraft engines • Budget carrier IndiGo has completed replacing engines for Pratt & Whitney (PW)-run A320neos, sources told CNBC-TV18. • The airline has now installed modified engines on 128 A320neo aircraft. • GoAir is yet to complete engine replacement exercise for around 20 neo aircraft. IndiGo has completed engine replacement exercise for 128 Pratt & Whitney-powered A320neo aircraft, ahead of the Aug 31 deadline, sources close to the development told CNBC-TV18. In October and November 2019, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had found issues in the low-pressure turbine of the PW-run A320neos. There were incidents of LPT breakage, leading to engine vibration and the return of aircraft to the ground. As a result, DGCA had asked IndiGo and GoAir, the two operators of such aircraft in India, to install modified engines. As of August 27, IndiGo has installed 256 modified engines on its 128 A320neos and has completed engine replacement exercise, officials said. GoAir is yet to install modified engines on its A320neos which run on Pratt & Whitney engines. "GoAir is yet to replace engines of around 20 A320neo aircraft," officials added. It is important to note that as the government has currently mandated airlines to operate with only 45 percent capacity due to COVID-19, GoAir is operating a reduced fleet and hence, is using only those PW-run A320neos which have both engines modified, officials further added. It is expected that in view of this scenario, DGCA may extend the deadline for GoAir to complete engine replacement exercise. About 40 percent of the domestic seat capacity of India is powered by Pratt & Whitney neo engines. Pratt & Whitney has been in the spotlight in the Indian aviation space since 2016 when India's largest airline IndiGo started facing delivery delays in A320neo aircraft amid issues related to cooling down and a start-up time of the engine, reliability, combustion chamber lining, oil seal and fan blades. In fact, in 2018, India's aviation regulator DGCA grounded as many as 14 Airbus A320neos following warning of a potential in-flight shutdown in a sub-category of its Pratt & Whitney engines. https://www.cnbctv18.com/aviation/indigo-completes-replacing-a320-neo-aircraft-engines-6762611.htm Back to Top SIA plane among 8 Boeing 787 jets affected by structural issues; aircraft currently not in service • All affected planes must be inspected and repaired before they can be used again. SINGAPORE - A Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane is among eight Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets found to have two manufacturing defects that will affect the aircraft's structure. SIA said on Friday (Aug 28) that it is aware that one of its Boeing 787-10 planes was affected by the technical issue. "The aircraft is not in service and we will work closely with Boeing on a solution," it said. Aviation news website The Air Current had on Thursday reported that Boeing had asked airlines to pull the batch of eight affected planes from service. It said the eight affected planes were all built in the last few years, and cited United Airlines and Air Canada as the other airlines affected by the issue. Boeing told the website that the two distinct manufacturing issues would in combination "result in a condition that does not meet our design standards". It said all affected planes must be inspected and repaired before they can be used again. The Air Current also reported that the issues could lead to the structure in the rear of an affected plane being unable to withstand the maximum stress that may be experienced while flying. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/sia-plane-among-8-boeing-787-jets-affected-by-structural-issues-aircraft Back to Top Deputy's gun accidentally goes off at California airport, striking another employee's arm The gun of an Orange County sheriff's sergeant accidentally went off Wednesday morning at John Wayne Airport, hitting another employee in the arm, authorities said. The service weapon discharged at about 7 a.m. in an administrative office of the airport, sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Braun said. The round penetrated a wall before it hit the employee, a woman in her 50s, who was in another room. The employee was taken to a hospital for her injury, which is not considered life-threatening, Braun said. The administration office is not open to the public or airport passengers. The incident did not affect any airport operations, Braun said. Details were not immediately available about what led to the fired shot or how the deputy's employment status would be affected. The Orange County District Attorney's Office would investigate the shooting and the Sheriff's Department would do its own investigation as well. https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/27/deputys-gun-accidentally-goes-off-at-john-wayne-airport-striking-another-employees-arm/ Back to Top IATA audit team due next month to assess PIA safety RAWALPINDI/KARACHI: A designated safety audit team of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is expected to visit Pakistan in the middle of September to assess the operational management and control systems of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The operational safety audit (IOSA) is carried out after every two years. The last such audit was carried out in 2018. The audit programme was designed by the IATA in 2003 to access the operational management and control systems of airlines. According to the IATA, safely connecting people and business is its top priority as it works with airlines to raise standards and implement best practices. Meanwhile, a pilots' body on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to play his role in saving the PIA by replacing its incumbent management with those having knowledge of the aviation sector. It claimed that the national flag carrier had lost around Rs90 billion in just two months due to a ban imposed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The EU agency had suspended PIA's authorisation to operate to EU member states for a period of six months from July 1 due to safety concerns after the aviation minister had made public a preliminary report on the May 22 plane crash in Karachi and said that over 260 pilots had dubious licences. It, however, gave the PIA right to appeal against its decision. The PIA is set to file a formal appeal soon. A spokesman for the Pakistan Airline Pilots Association (Palpa) said that taking advantage of the EASA's six-month ban, foreign airlines had expanded their operations to major cities in Pakistan to capitalise the market share. "It is feared that the time is not far away when most of the local routes will be eaten up by other airlines, triggered by the poor policy of PIA management," he warned. He said the British Airways announced that it would start operating flights from Heathrow to Islamabad from September - two months earlier than its scheduled plan. Holding PIA chief Air Marshal Arshad Malik and his team responsible, Palpa demanded that the PIA management be replaced by the "persons who have substantial knowledge of the aviation sector and operational experience". "If foreign airlines start taking more business by offering their services to a large number of passengers then identity of the PIA would be lost," the spokesman feared. He alleged that the PIA management was taking "draconian measures" against pilots. He said the prime minister acknowledged that the issue of fake licences was created unnecessarily. https://www.dawn.com/news/1576645 Back to Top Aspiring aviation mechanic gets probation for bribing FAA examiner in Duluth • The man was charged in March after traveling to Duluth and offering to pay $2,500 for a passing grade. An aspiring aircraft mechanic who tried to bribe a test administrator for a passing grade on his Federal Aviation Administration exam will spend the next two years on probation. Las Vegas resident Frank A. Jalion Amaro was charged in March after traveling to Duluth and offering to pay $2,500 for a passing grade on the required Airframe and Powerplant test, AJC.com previously reported. The 21-year-old pleaded guilty in May and was recently sentenced to 26 months of probation and 100 hours of community service. Amaro was also ordered to pay a $100 fine for bribing the test administrator, according to the inspector general's office for the U.S. Department of Transportation. The FAA requires all aircraft mechanics to obtain the certification in order to perform maintenance and approve equipment for returns to service. Mechanic students must take 1,900 hours of classroom and practical training before passing a series of tests covering 43 technical subjects, authorities said. Using an alias and fake phone number, Amaro contacted the instructor in November and tried to bribe him. The administrator immediately notified authorities of the solicitation attempt and agreed to work with them, federal prosecutors said. Over the next several weeks, Amaro and the FAA examiner agreed that Amaro would take his test in Duluth at the end of 2019. As part of their agreement, Amaro gave the test administrator $500 up front and another $2,000 the day of his test. "The public trusts that the men and women who perform maintenance on commercial aircraft have the proper credentials and qualifications," U.S. Attorney BJay Pak said in a statement. "By attempting to buy his certification, Amaro took the easy way out and could have put the safety of those citizens who fly in jeopardy." https://www.ajc.com/news/aspiring-aviation-mechanic-gets-probation-for-bribing-faa-examiner-in-duluth/V7DWB53K4RHRPBHO2QGFUV3XHY/ Back to Top Bryant's Helicopter Operator Sues FAA Air Traffic Controllers • Suit details extenuating circumstances that might have distracted the pilot. • The pilot of Kobe Bryant's helicopter was flying VFR until just before impact. Aircraft accident investigations often take years as the players sift through the physical evidence, voice and radar recordings and interview witnesses trying to piece together the cause. The ongoing investigation into last January's crash of the helicopter (N72EX) carrying basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others, took an interesting twist last week after Island Express Helicopters, the charter company operating the big Sikorsky, individually sued two SoCal Tracon air traffic controllers for wrongful death. Named in the suit were two FAA employees (whose names we removed from this story upon request). The suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges both controllers were negligent at their jobs because of "a series of erroneous acts and/or omissions committed by Cross-Defendants," and hence were directly responsible for the accident. Bryant's helicopter was operating VFR on the morning of the accident and was enroute from John Wayne Orange County Airport to Camarillo. The suit reports inflight visibility began to decrease as the aircraft entered the Los Angeles Basin, adding, "After transitioning from the Burbank Air Traffic Control Tower to SoCal Tracon, the pilot-Ara George Zobayan-contacted SoCal and remained on that frequency until the time of the accident." During his time on the SoCal frequency, Zobayan spoke first to Controller A and requested flight following, a request this controller denied stating, "I'm going to lose radar and comms probably pretty shortly so you can just squawk VFR and when you get closer, go to Camarillo tower." The helicopter pilot, was following Highway 101 until moments before impact. The suit claims "This denial [of service] was improper because radar contact had not been lost and services were being denied based on the possibility that they might be lost at some point in the future. The fact that N72EX was able to contact SoCal four minutes later, and its transponder was still observed by the controller, proves that the prediction of lost contact was not accurate and services could and should have been provided continuously." Text of the suit claims Controller A was relieved on his radar position by Controller B. During the position relief briefing, Controller A apparently did not mention his communication with the helicopter. A few minutes after the personnel switch, the pilot keyed his transmitter, "and SoCal for helicopter two echo x-ray, we gonna go ahead and start our climb to go above the uh layers and uh we can stay with you here." Because [Controller A] never mentioned the existence of the helicopter to [Controller B], the suit claims "critical time was lost as [Controller B] struggled to identify N72EX with no help from [Controller A]." Controller A later told investigators he did not use a checklist during his relief briefing of Controller B, something the receiving controller refuted in his own statement. Controllers unable to provide services will typically terminate the conversation with something like, "Squawk VFR, radar service terminated." The suit says "the accident was caused by controller A's failure to properly terminate radar services. Because he never actually terminated radar services with N72EX, attorneys believe the pilot would have assumed he was still being surveilled and being provided flight following. The instruction, 'You can just squawk VFR' was no more than an instruction to the pilot to change his transponder setting. It is apparent that [Controller A] incorrectly thought he had terminated radar service for N72EX because he failed to brief [Controller B], his replacement, about the existence of N72EX." In his interview, Controller B admitted that "[h]e remembered the pilot [N72EX] just talking to him like he had already been in contact and was receiving services, but he had no record of him." Post-accident interviews reportedly confirmed the two controllers were not really busy enough to deny the requested services. Zobayan thought he was still receiving radar services at the time of the accident the court filing says and "would have operated the aircraft under the assumption that ATC was monitoring his flight and would have warned him of unsafe proximity to terrain." Controller B said one reason he did not deliver any flight following services was that N72EX was never radar identified by either controller. For that reason alone, neither controller mentioned the loss of contact with the helicopter to their immediate supervisor. The suit claims, "Once startled by N72EX's call to climb above the layers, [Controller B] took 9 seconds to respond to N72EX, and then proceeded to make four radio contacts, including one instruction (Ident) and question (where say intentions) during the most critical 33-second segment of the accident flight." Zobayan's workload and stress level in deteriorating weather conditions were unnecessarily overloaded by Controller A's multiple errors and compounded by Controller B's errors a few moments later. Finally, the suit says, "There is no indication from calculated data or radio traffic that the accident pilot was panicking or beyond his piloting capabilities and was within a few hundred feet of clearing the clouds at the time ATC required him to "ident," which likely caused the pilot to experience a 'Coriolis effect,' an illusion created when a pilot has been in a turn long enough for the fluid in the ear canal to move at the same speed as the canal. A movement of the head in a different direction, such as looking at something in a different part of the flight deck, sets the fluid moving, creating the illusion of turning or accelerating on an entirely different axis. This action causes the pilot to think the aircraft is performing a maneuver it is not. The disoriented pilot may maneuver the aircraft into a dangerous attitude in an attempt to correct the aircraft 's perceived attitude." Tracking data indicated the pilot made a left turn just prior to impact, shortly after the pilot reported climbing to 4,000 feet. Radar/ADS-B data indicate that as the aircraft "was climbing southwesterly along a course aligned with Highway 101, it reached an altitude of 2,300 feet msl, approximately 1,500 feet above the highway, but still below the surrounding terrain when it began a left turn. Eight seconds later, the aircraft began descending as the left turn continued. The descent rate increased to over 4,000 feet per minute while the ground speed reached 160 knots. The last ADS-B target was received at 1,200 feet msl approximately 400 feet southwest of the accident site." There are as of yet no confirmations available that indicate the pilot's last minute maneuver had anything to do with his awareness of the nearby terrain, something a VFR pilot would have been required to understand. The Los Angeles Times reported, "Among other items, the filing seeks a declaration that the cross-defendants [the two controllers] are 'obligated to defend and indemnify' Island Express." The lawsuit is demanding a jury trial. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/bryant-helicopter-operator-sues-faa-atc/ Back to Top Man admits to setting fire on Delta flight that was diverted to Denver • The flight was headed from LA to Detroit when it was diverted to Denver on April 1 after a fire in the bathroom. DENVER - A man who was arrested at Denver International Airport in April after a fire on a Delta Airlines flight pleaded guilty to the attempted destruction of an aircraft, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday. Robert Vincent Allen, a resident of Pennsylvania, appeared in court remotely and is free on bond. According to Allen's plea agreement, on the morning of April 1, Allen boarded Delta Air Lines flight 1706 at the Los Angeles International Airport and was scheduled to fly to Detroit, Michigan. Shortly after take-off, other passengers observed Allen acting strangely, moving continuously about the cabin, and switching seats. Delta crewmembers monitored Allen, advised the pilot in command of a possible issue, and attempted to get Allen settled, federal prosecutors said. Allen later entered the lavatory, and refused to come out. While he was in there the lavatory smoke alarm went off. According to federal prosecutors, crewmembers forced open the door, removed Allen from the lavatory and extinguished burning paper he had set on fire. After hearing the alarm, the pilot concluded the flight could not continue safely and diverted the flight to Denver International Airport (DIA). Officers arrested Allen after the flight landed at DIA. Allen was charged in a federal criminal complaint on April 2, and indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on June 2. He will be sentenced on Dec. 16. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000 and payment of restitution to Delta Air Lines. https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/guilty-plea-fire-set-delta-flight-bathroom/73-8d4072dc-b8ce-4221-a618-5ada322b68d7 Back to Top How Ethiopian Airlines' Agility Saw It Through COVID With No Bailout Ethiopian Airlines is one of the biggest international carriers and has been hit hard by the COVID pandemic. Despite this, it has not received, nor does it hope to receive any form of bailout. Simple Flying caught up with acting Chief Operating Officer Esayas WoldeMariam to find out how the airline is keeping its head above water. No bailout for Ethiopian The COVID crisis has seen airlines all over the world crying out for support, as an unprecedented downturn in travel demand swings every carrier to huge losses. Some airlines have secured record bailouts from their governments, while those who haven't are on the brink of collapse. To date, Ethiopian has received no bailout; neither is it hopeful of getting this type of support. Simple Flying asked acting Chief Operating Officer Esayas WoldeMariam whether he thought the airline could survive on its own merit. He told us, "Many of the European and American carriers have got a very rich Uncle Sam who is supplying them with these funds. But for us, we do not have that kind of a luxury. So, we have to run for our own life. "So far, we have not pursued anything of the sort, because we're getting by with cargo, with repatriation flights and with reopening the passenger flights. We are making ends meet and getting by, we are paying all our overhead costs and fixed costs and all our other commitments. "We have not defaulted on any payment so far." It's impressive to see an airline as big and as international as Ethiopian not yet struggling to make ends meet. Esayas told us he puts this down to the natural agility of Ethiopian Airlines, and its ability to turn its hand to other activities to keep the revenue flowing. He said, "Number one is our agility. [Ethiopian is] not just an airline, it's a complete aviator. We have a lot of strategic business units like ground handling, catering, repair, maintenance and overhaul, our aviation academy, full cargo, a full international passenger network ... So when one line of business is failing, it is easy for us to switch to the other because, by strategy, we have been well situated with a diversified business." Counting on cargo Early on in the pandemic, Ethiopian noted the huge slump in cargo capacity flying the world's routes. The lack of passenger planes operating stripped almost half the total cargo capacity out of the market, and this didn't go unnoticed by the Addis Ababa based airline. Esayas told us, "When that [capacity] was reduced, and the need for conveyance of PPE was surging, then we had to embark. Necessity pushed us into converting 25 aircraft plus we used our existing cargo aircraft, 12 of them, so altogether we were working with about 37 of them." Ethiopian converted 25 of its 777s for cargo, including stripping out the passenger seats to give cargo capacity both above and below the wing. In April, despite COVID costing the airline half a billion dollars, it said it could survive on cargo alone until July. Now, as demand slowly picks up, some of those 777s are having their seats put back in. But this willingness to rapidly pivot to cargo has kept Ethiopian's head above water through the worst of the crisis. Regular repatriation Ethiopian has also been busy working on repatriation flights. Since the very start of the crisis, the airline has been a top choice for governments to get their people home. Ethiopian has welcomed every opportunity with open arms, despite the challenging nature of organizing such flights. Esayas explained, "It is all irregular operations. It is operationally intensive, supervision intensive, it's very hands on and requires a lot of coordination. There are airports which we're not used to flying in the past within our scheduled network ... It's quite a circus, but that's part of the challenge. Which makes it more adventurous." We asked Esayas why Ethiopian is such a popular choice for repatriation services. He told us, "When repatriation emerges, the early bird is catching the fat worm. The fact that we have been responding quickly, and we have competitive prices, we have a high standard of hygiene and protection, which is stipulated by CDC and World Health. So all this put together has made us a better choice." Throughout the crisis, Ethiopian has been working hard and working smart. The airline is in an incredible position to weather the crisis, without the need for the level of bailout we've seen in other companies. https://simpleflying.com/ethiopian-no-covid-bailout/ Back to Top Thailand to Offer $769 Million in Loans to Pandemic-Hit Airlines • Seven airlines to get loans at below-market interest rates • Credit line to help carriers avert layoffs, revive tourism The Thai government is set to offer 24 billion baht ($769 million) in loans to seven local airlines to help them counter the blow from the coronavirus outbreak as authorities firm up plans to revive tourism by gradually easing travel restrictions. The so-called soft loans should be enough to help the airlines survive the pandemic and avoid laying off 20,000 workers, Thai AirAsia Co. Chairman Tassapon Bijleveld told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha in Bangkok Friday. The carriers may get loans from state banks, led by the Export-Import Bank of Thailand, for a five-year period, he said. Thailand is throwing a financial lifeline to its carriers as airlines worldwide have asked for bailouts, cut salaries and furloughed staff amid a near shutdown in global travel. Prayuth's government is also intensifying efforts to revive the tourism and trade reliant economy that's on course for its worst crisis ever. "The government is considering many relief measures and looking to find ways to ease flight restrictions, as well as measures to allow tourism in the country," Prayuth said in a statement following a meeting with airline operators. "I ask the airline sector to cooperate more during this time, stop competing with prices but with services instead, and don't increase debt and conduct layoffs." Tourism Collapse The collapse in Thailand's tourism industry due to international border restrictions and global lockdowns widened losses at Thai Airways International Pcl and budget carrier Nok Airlines Pcl, prompting them to seek restructuring under the country's bankruptcy law. Foreign tourist arrivals into Thailand is forecast to plunge to 8 million this year from about 40 million a year earlier. The seven airlines set to receive financial aid from the government include AirAsia Group Bhd.'s Thai AirAsia and its long-haul unit, Thai AirAsia X, Bangkok Airways Pcl, Nok Airlines, Thai Smile Airways Co. Ltd., Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet Air. The airlines have also requested an extension in reduction of excise taxes for jet fuel, Thai AirAsia's Tassapon said. The government agreed to extend the lower airline-related fees, which includes parking and landing charges, to March 2022, he said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-28/thailand-to-offer-769-million-in-loans-to-pandemic-hit-airlines Back to Top American Airlines Pilots Urge White House For More Federal Funding To Prevent Furloughs The Allied Pilots Association backs the industry's request of another $25 billion over six months to help prevent 19,000 American Airlines furloughs. The Allied Pilots Association (APA) sent a letter to President Trump this week on behalf of the 15,000 American Airlines pilots it represents, urging an extension of the federal Payroll Support Program that ends after next month. The airline industry had predicted a recovery by now, but APA spokesperson Gregg Overman said COVID-19 is still around so potential passengers are still afraid. "There's a dearth of things to do in the cities that we serve,so a lot of travelers have stayed away," Overman said. "The demand for business travel is almost nil. If you look at the statistics for travelers passing through TSA portals it's just flat out dismal." Pilots support what the industry's requesting - another $25 billion over 6 months. That could help prevent 19,000 furloughs, in the case of American Airlines. Overman said carriers are also considered critical infrastructure by the U.S. government. https://www.keranews.org/business-economy/2020-08-27/american-airlines-pilots-urge-white-house-for-more-federal-funding-to-prevent-furloughs Back to Top United will cut up to 2,850 pilots without more federal aid • United Airlines says it will furlough up to 2,850 pilots this fall unless the federal government provides more coronavirus-relief money to the nation's airlines CHICAGO -- United Airlines said Thursday that it will furlough up to 2,850 pilots this fall unless the federal government provides more relief to help airlines cover their labor costs during a pandemic-fueled downturn in travel. United's figure is higher than the 1,941 pilots that Delta plans to furlough and the 1,600 targeted for termination at American. The Chicago-based airline told pilots it will send furlough notices by U.S. mail in the next few days, with the cuts taking effect between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30. The airlines and their labor unions are lobbying for another $25 billion to help the companies cover payroll costs for six more months, through next March. However, talks between the White House and congressional Democrats over a larger virus-relief measure have stalled. Earlier this year, Washington set aside $50 billion in grants and loans for passenger airlines, including $25 billion to keep workers on the payroll through September. Travel hasn't rebounded as quickly as hoped, however, as the U.S. has failed to control the coronavirus outbreak. Travel restrictions remain in place to prevent more spread. Delta, United, American and Southwest lost $10 billion between them in the second quarter. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/united-cut-2850-pilots-federal-aid-72661200 Back to Top Jet Maintenance Solutions Seeing a Strong Recovery in Business Aviation During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation's future seemed bleak. While airlines are still not operating at full capacity, European business aviation companies saw a strong rebound in the month of July 2020. In the statistical data released by EBAA, some European airports have reported an increase in departures of business jet aircraft. Palma de Mallorca airport has seen a 17 percent increase in private aviation airplanes departing the airport compared to July 2019. With positive recovery signs, the business aviation industry is becoming a popular choice among people looking for a way to travel in comfort while minimizing the number of contact points experienced during regular passenger flight procedures. Additionally, the data shows that more than eight countries recorded flight flows that surpassed the 1,000 flights per month figure during the month of July. The main countries leading business aviation's recovery include United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany and Italy. With more than two thousand monthly flights between the aforementioned states, business aviation is regaining its previous market share with hopes of reaching pre-COVID levels by the end of the year. As previously predicted by Jet Maintenance Solutions business aviation is becoming more and more popular among working class people and because of the limited number of contacts during the flight, private flights are set to continue market's growth and support post-crisis recovery of the sector. "With strong signs of rebound around the globe in different operating environments, business aviation companies will most probably see a quicker recovery than commercial aviation. To support rising demand and the need for maintenance, our company is keeping the shops working at full capacity, offering our clients maintenance, repair and overhaul solutions, mandatory upgrades such as ADS-B installation services as well as service bulletins, which improve the safety and comfort of the flights. We are ready to support our business partners at any time 24/7", comments Vytis Zalimas, CEO at Jet Maintenance Solutions. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21152063/jet-maintenance-solutions-jet-ms-jet-maintenance-solutions-seeing-a-strong-recovery-in-business-aviation Back to Top Virgin Atlantic Launches First-Ever Pakistan Routes to Fill Void Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. announced its first new routes since the start of the coronavirus crisis, saying it will serve Pakistan for the first time after bans on the Asian nation's flag carrier created a gap in the market. Virgin will serve Pakistan's capital Islamabad from both London Heathrow and Manchester airports, as well as Lahore -- the country's second-largest largest city -- from Heathrow alone, it said in a statement Thursday. The move comes after the carrier founded and controlled by billionaire Richard Branson won creditor backing this week for a 1.2 billion-pound ($1.6 billion) rescue plan. It said the new flights are viable because the market mostly comprises trips to visit friends and family fueled by the large number of people of Pakistani origin living in the U.K., bolstered by the curbs on Pakistan International Airlines after a crash earlier this year. The European Union's air-safety regulator barred PIA from flying into the bloc for six months from July 1 after one of the carrier's Airbus SE A320 jets crashed in Karachi on May 22 following a botched landing attempt, killing almost 100 people. The ban also applies to the U.K. and could be extended. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/virgin-atlantic-launches-first-ever-143042882.html Back to Top NASA-sponsored moon mission will launch on a SpaceX rocket • A NASA-contracted lunar lander bound for the moon's South Pole will launch on a SpaceX rocket in late 2022. Earlier this year, NASA selected Masten Space Systems to manage the delivery of eight different payloads to the moon's pole as part of the agency's Artemis program designed to land humans in the same region in 2024. Masten has hired SpaceX to launch its XL-1 lunar lander for the delivery, the company announced on Wednesday (Aug. 26). "Having SpaceX's proven launch success behind us is not only great for us, but it's great for our customers," Masten CEO Sean Mahoney said in a statement. "We share a common vision with SpaceX and that makes this more than a partnership. It's more like a dream team." Masten's flight represents the second installment of NASA's lunar-delivery program; the first two contracts in the initiative went to Intuitive Machines (which also hired SpaceX to handle the launch) and Astrobotic (which hired United Launch Alliance). Those missions will launch next year. The instruments on Masten's lander will focus on tasks like mapping the moon's composition and temperature, photographing the lunar geology and sampling nearby material. The lander will also carry a small rover that will look for signs of water on the moon. https://www.space.com/masten-hires-spacex-for-moon-launch.html Swinburne University Capstone Research Projects 2020 - Airline pax preferences Study Airline Passenger Carrier Preference Research Project 2020 The Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) business model has disrupted the aviation industry. It has generated new passenger demand, provided passengers with more choice and created many competitive challenges for the traditional Full-Service Carriers (FSC). As the global airline market continues to change and adapt to new challenges, airline passenger preferences and intent to travel may also change. As part of our undergraduate research project at Swinburne University of Technology we are conducting a survey on passenger preferences regarding the decision to fly between LCC and FSC airlines. This survey asks for your views on various issues associated with airline choice and seeks to better understand passenger risk perceptions and the perceived value offered by each airline model. You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire, which also includes an explanatory statement. The study takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. To access the survey, please go to the following link: https://swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wwfJDvc7chU3Cl Participants who complete the study will be eligible to enter a draw to win an iPad. This research project is being supervised by Peter Renshaw at the Department of Aviation, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. If you have any questions, please contact Peter at prenshaw@swin.edu.au *** Image from: Uphues, J. (2019). Full service carrier vs. low cost carrier - What's future-proof? Retrieved from https://www.inform-software.com/blog/post/full-service-carrier-vs-low-cost-carrier-whats-future-proof Back to Top SURVEY: GA PILOTS AND PIREPs "Dear GA pilot, Researchers at Purdue University are seeking general aviation (GA) pilots to participate in an online study, partially funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) NextGen Weather Technology in the Cockpit (WTIC) program. The goal of this study is to evaluate opportunities for speech-based or other "hands-free" technologies that GA pilots might use to submit PIREPs. If you are able and willing to participate, you will be asked to review a set of 6 weather-related flight scenarios and record PIREPs as if you are flying. The study will last approximately 20 minutes and can be completed using a laptop or desktop computer. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. You can withdraw your participation at any time during the study for any reason. If you agree to participate, you will be asked to acknowledge your voluntary participation. Then there are 4 questions about your flight history, 6 weather scenarios, and 4 questions about PIREPs. Responses to the survey will be completely anonymous. We ask that you complete the study in a quiet location free from background noise. You must be at least 18 years of age or older to participate. When you are ready to begin, please click here: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lZhv409DcoV8KF and follow the instructions in Qualtrics. Please feel free to share this link with other pilots you know. Email any questions or concerns to Mayur Deo and Dr. Brandon Pitts at nhance@purdue.edu." Back to Top Graduate Research Survey (1) Stress and Wellbeing for Global Aviation Professionals Dear colleagues, I am inviting you to participate in a research project on wellbeing in the aviation industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation has affected aviation professionals around the world, and this research seeks to identify wellbeing strategies that work across professions, employers, families, and nations. All responses to this survey are anonymous. The findings of this research will inform future work by the USC Aviation Safety and Security Program and the Flight Safety Foundation to improve wellbeing for aviation professionals during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please click or copy the link below to access the survey, and please share it with any interested colleagues. https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cC2nlWEAazl22TX This research will support a treatise towards a Master of Science in Applied Psychology degree at the University of Southern California's Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. The researcher is also on the staff of the USC Aviation Safety and Security Program. Thank you, and please contact us with any questions, Daniel Scalese - Researcher scalese@usc.edu Michael Nguyen - Faculty Advisor nguyenmv@usc.edu Curt Lewis