Flight Safety Information September 22, 2020 - No. 192 In This Issue Incident: Aeroservice L410 at Irkutsk on Sep 6th 2020, descended below procedural height Jet makes emergency landing at Long Beach Airport; no damage or injuries Water, smoke and arcing electricity in the cockpit of Safair B737 FAA's own engineers say proposed fixes to Max aren't enough Pilots' unions urge U.S. regulator to improve cockpit procedures for Boeing 737 MAX American Airlines plans pilot training on Boeing 737 Max in November Alitalia airline offering 'Covid-tested' flights Republican senators introduce bill for $28 billion in additional aid for airline industry as job cut Freighter conversion: a way to double an aircraft's life and add cargo capacity SPEEA Comments on Boeing Eliminating customer Flight Training Airplane pilots, sending jobs to overseas CAE launches Airside, a new digital platform for pilots Jet engine maker Rolls-Royce considering £2.5bn cash call Lufthansa pulls more big jets, issues gloomy outlook Space agency under fire over weekend rocket launch (Australia) Graduate Research Survey Incident: Aeroservice L410 at Irkutsk on Sep 6th 2020, descended below procedural height An Aeroservice Let L-410, registration RA-67075 performing flight NKZ-189 from Krasny Chikoy to Irkutsk (Russia), was on a 2-NDB approach to Irkutsk's runway 30 when the aircraft descended to 620 meters instead of published and approved 800 meters. ATC alerted the crew, who went around, positioned for another approach and landed safely on second approach. On Sep 21st 2020 Rosaviatsia reported the descent was the result of a blunder, when the crew descended to 620 meters without coordination with ATC due to a mismatch of procedures in use. The crew referred to the NDB X approach runway 30 instead of the 2-NDB approach runway 30. The occurrence was rated an incident. http://avherald.com/h?article=4dce755b&opt=0 Back to Top Jet makes emergency landing at Long Beach Airport; no damage or injuries A Learjet filled with seven passengers landed safely with a blown tire at a Long Beach Airport runway on Monday shortly before noon, according to airport spokesperson Kate Kuykendall. Two groups of aircraft-crash response units and a medical team prepared to received the jet, which was coming in from Texas, but they were later called off by Long Beach Fire Department dispatchers as the the jet made a safe landing on Runway 12/30, according to radio traffic. That runway was blocked but the landing, but two other, smaller runways, the 26 Left and 26 Right, were open, Kuykendall said. https://lbpost.com/news/long-beach-airport-emergency-landing Back to Top Water, smoke and arcing electricity in the cockpit of Safair B737 On December 10, 2019, a crew of Boeing 737-400 belonging to South African low-cost carrier Safair experienced an incident reminiscent of a Hollywood action movie, as sparks started flying and smoke filled the cockpit. The final report on the incident was published by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) on September 9, 2020. According to the report, the aircraft took off from O.R. Tambo International Aerodrome (JNB) at 4:36 local time. Sometime after the takeoff, a drain tube, located on the left of the cockpit, above the pilot-in-command head, started leaking. At 4.48, the first drops fell on the instrument panel. The equipment became lit up with arcing electricity and smoke started filling up the cabin. The pilot-in-command broadcasted a Mayday and stated that they had a fire. Seconds later, he corrected himself: it was just smoke, not fire. The crew followed emergency procedures, fitting smoke goggles and oxygen masks, and requested a turn back to JNB. The request was granted, and the aircraft landed safely, 32 minutes after the takeoff. The investigation revealed that the drain tube at fault dislodged itself from the fitting. The aircraft in question was continuously operated since 1989, and it is likely that the tube was never changed. Being constantly exposed to the light, the plastic lost its flexibility and became brittle, which led to the dislocation. Although the dislodged tube was visible, it was slightly out of the pilot's peripheral vision, and was not noticed. Small amount of water accumulated in the upper cockpit drip pan and was therefore drained into the cockpit instead of through the external drain valve via the tube. An immediate special inspection of all Boeing 737s was issued by the operator, with an emphasis on the security of the tubing leading from the drip pan. https://www.aerotime.aero/valius.venckunas/25888-water-smoke-and-arcing-electricity-in-the-cockpit-of-safair-b737 Back to Top Back to Top FAA's own engineers say proposed fixes to Max aren't enough • A whistle-blower at Boeing separately urged regulators to add additional protections to the plane. (Bloomberg)-The union representing the Federal Aviation Administration engineers overseeing Boeing Co.'s redesign of the grounded 737 Max says the government's proposed fixes to the plane don't go far enough. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents FAA engineers who review and sign off on aircraft certification, said in comments filed on Monday that the Max should have to adhere to tougher standards on cockpit alerts. Because the plane was adapted from earlier versions, portions of its design weren't required to meet the latest safety requirements. The union said that the proposed fixes to the jetliner are extensive and the most current regulations should apply. The comments are significant because they suggest that at least some of the FAA's own technical staff don't agree on the extensive proposed revisions to the plane. A whistle-blower at Boeing Co. separately urged regulators to add additional protections to the plane. The FAA has proposed multiple changes to the aircraft following the crashes that killed 346 people before allowing it to carry passengers again. Among the changes: The system that was driving the jet's nose down in both accidents would no longer activate repeatedly and various steps were taken to minimize the chances it would malfunction. The agency is also proposing to require extensive additional revisions to the plane, such as an improved flight-computer system to improve the system's redundancy. Before the FAA can mandate the fixes, it must sift through the comments, which totaled more than 200 as of Monday afternoon. The deadline for comments is the end of the day. The filings range from frightened consumers who say they won't fly on a Max to highly technical white papers by engineers. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board last week said the FAA's proposals were consistent with its recommendations on the plane issued last year, while family and friends of crash victims urged wholesale changes before the plane returns. Boeing said in a statement that it wouldn't respond to the comments on the FAA's proposed fixes. The FAA said in a statement that it would "consider all comments." Boeing closed down 2.97% to $156.35 in New York amid broad market declines. The shares tumbled a little more than 50% this year through Sept. 18, the biggest drop on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Curtis Ewbank, a whistle-blower who has previously raised concerns about the plane's design with congressional investigators, said in comments filed with the FAA that a proposal to mandate fixes to the jetliner didn't address multiple hazards identified in the two fatal Max accidents and earlier incidents. "Clearly more actions are required to revise FAA processes so that it accurately assesses airplane design and regulates in the public interest," Ewbank said in the comments, posted on the Regulations.gov website. Ewbank said the FAA and Boeing should do more to prohibit faulty readings from the sensor implicated in both crashes and improve the plane's warning systems. In addition, the agency should do a broader review of how pilots react to emergencies and do a more thorough redesign of the flight-control system, he said. The FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency are also planning to require Boeing to adopt longer-term fixes after the aircraft's return, some of which are similar to what Ewbank is seeking. A consumer group that advocates for airline passengers, Travelers United, said it supported the plane's return. "After this thorough and unprecedented review of the plane's safety, it is time to get the 737 Max planes in the air serving the flying public where they can enhance travel options for consumers and reduce carbon emissions and fuel burn," wrote the group's president, Charles Leocha. A retired Boeing engineer who said he worked on the 737 decades ago called on the company to release more technical information about the design of the system implicated in the crashes. Robert Bogash, who said he has also been involved in accident investigations, said simpler changes to the plane, such as limiting its weight and balance, could accomplish the same thing as the automated system involved in the two crashes with less risk. "Personally, none of us want another 737 accident -- we have devoted our careers to that remarkable airplane -- and my suggestions and comments are aimed at ensuring that the outcome of this prolonged grounding are as effective as possible," Bogash said. https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/faas-own-engineers-say-proposed-fixes-max-arent-enough Back to Top Pilots' unions urge U.S. regulator to improve cockpit procedures for Boeing 737 MAX • American Airlines Says No Definitive Plans For Boeing 737 Max Training Can Cancel Pilot Training Scheduling If The Max Isn't Recertified - Spokesman SEATTLE/MONTREAL/CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. aviation regulator should require new cockpit procedures for Boeing Co's 737 MAX to help pilots disable an erroneous stall alert that could be a serious distraction during mid-flight emergencies, major pilots unions said on Monday. The proposal about an erroneous "stick shaker" alert is among recommendations the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Allied Pilots Association submitted during a 45-day public comment period for proposed 737 MAX design and operating changes laid out last month by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Monday was the deadline for comments. The 737 MAX changes could pave the way for the FAA to lift a ban on the jet, potentially before year-end. The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide 18 months ago after crashes killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia. In both crashes, pilots grappled with Boeing's flawed MCAS flight control system, which repeatedly forced down the jet's nose, and multiple audio and visual warnings that included the rapid and noisy rattling of their control column known as "stick shaker" and excess speed. The proposals, which include recommendations for pilots during emergency situations, came during a U.S.-led gathering of regulators in the UK for a training review of the MAX. While the FAA is in charge of certifying the MAX, other regulators like Transport Canada and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) could add different training requirements as part of their validation of the aircraft. ALPA proposed steps that would allow flight crews to identify and pull a circuit breaker to stop the stick shaker after they confirm an alert is erroneous, echoing an earlier recommendation by Transport Canada. Separately, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines' pilots, also asked on Monday for a checklist to disable erroneous stick shaker activation as well as an overspeed warning. The union said the FAA should condense a checklist for dealing with a loss of control called runaway stabilizer to help pilots "more rapidly isolate the problem." Among other comments, the National Transportation Safety Board has called the FAA's proposed changes "positive progress," while crash victims' families have said Boeing's changes to MCAS do not address the jet's underlying aerodynamic problem. Meanwhile, Boeing whistleblower Curtis Ewbank has urged additional protections, while the British Airlines Pilots Association has called for Boeing to add a third "angle of attack" sensor to the jet. https://www.yahoo.com/news/worlds-largest-pilots-union-asks-214753033.html Back to Top American Airlines plans pilot training on Boeing 737 Max in November • The 737 MAX has been grounded since March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people. • The FAA is getting closer to recertifying the planes but hasn't given a firm timeline for when the Max will be cleared to fly. American Airlines is planning to start training its pilots on the still-grounded Boeing 737 Max this November, according to a company memo sent Monday. The jets were grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people, prompting software and other changes on the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration is going through some of the last steps that would allow the planes to fly again but hasn't provided a specific timeline. The FAA last month issued the safety changes needed for the planes to return to service. Public comments on those changes are due Monday. An American Airlines spokesman said that the company hasn't made any "definitive plans" on the Max and that the pilot training date can be adjusted based on regulators' work. "With the planned return to service for our B737 MAX aircraft in the near future, we will begin conducting B737 MAX Special Training for our B737 pilots," Ameya Kingaonkar, director of flight training planning and scheduling, said in a pilot memo, which was seen by CNBC. Kingaonkar said that the company expects to train all of its 737 pilots on the Max by the end of January. Southwest and United said they didn't have any updates on potential 737 Max pilot training. "We are awaiting the FAA's guidance regarding the Max, and that guidance will drive our future timelines," a Southwest spokesman said. The 737 Max, while fuel-efficient, would return to air travel running at just a fraction of last year's levels because of the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the Transportation Security Administration screened 4.9 million people at U.S. airports, down about 5% from the previous week and nearly 70% lower than a year ago. Airline stocks were down sharply on Monday as concerns over possible further Covid-19 restrictions in Europe amid more outbreaks of the virus. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/21/american-airlines-plans-pilot-training-on-boeing-737-max-in-november.html Back to Top Alitalia airline offering 'Covid-tested' flights (CNN) - If you could book a seat on a flight where you were guaranteed not to catch coronavirus, would you do it? Alitalia is an airline betting that the answer to that question is "yes." The Italian national carrier has announced that it will trial flights between Rome and Milan where every single passenger has to confirm that they have tested negative for the virus. These flights are identified as "Covid-tested." There are two ways to do that: by getting tested within 72 hours of flying and bringing a negative certificate to the airport, or by getting a negative result of a rapid antigen test at the airport's Covid testing facility. These flights will have a dedicated security line for extra safety. And the test alone isn't enough for a boarding pass: "Before boarding, a Ministry of Maritime, Air and Border Health (USMAF) doctor will check the validity of the certificate already held by passengers," Alitalia explained in a statement. Right now, this testing procedure isn't significantly different from what many airlines are doing around the world. But labeling the flight "Covid-tested" could provide much-appreciated peace of mind to travelers who are antsy about boarding a plane amid a pandemic. Aviation blog One Mile at a Time notes that some of these flights are already available for booking on Alitalia's website and that they are the same price as the non-earmarked flights serving the route. For Alitalia, the way ahead is not only about making passengers feel safe on board. Earlier this month, Rome's Fiumicino Airport (FCO) was recently given Europe's first (and so far only) five-star "Anti-Covid" award from international airline ratings body Skytrax. The airline has transformed one of its parking lots into a mobile Covid testing facility, available to travelers and non-travelers alike. It's unclear what will happen with the "Covid-tested flights," though. Does this mean passengers would not have to wear masks on board, or that the airline will be able to fill middle seats? For now, this experiment remains an experiment. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/alitalia-coronavirus-free-flights/index.html Back to Top Republican senators introduce bill for $28 billion in additional aid for airline industry as job cuts loom • Some carriers are preparing to cut more than 30,000 jobs as early as Oct. 1. • Passenger airlines received $25 billion in federal aid to protect jobs through Sept. 30. • A rebound in air travel, however, has failed to materialize. Senators on Monday introduced a bill that would give the ailing airline industry more than $28 billion in additional aid as carriers get ready to cut more than 30,000 jobs as early as next month. Airlines have struggled throughout the coronavirus pandemic, racking up billions in losses, while a significant rebound in travel demand has yet to materialize. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Commerce Committee, and Maine Sen. Susan Collins, chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees transportation introduced the legislation 10 days before airlines can cut jobs under an aid package that protected workers through the end of this month. Congress approved $32 billion for passenger airlines, cargo carriers and contractors in March on the condition that a set level of air service is maintained during the pandemic and that neither jobs nor pay rates are cut through Sept. 30. Airline CEOs and labor unions have been urging lawmakers and Trump administration officials to include additional aid in a new, national coronavirus relief bill, a provision that has won bipartisan support. But Congress and the White House have repeatedly failed to reach a deal and industry workers and executives are fretting about the lack of additional relief as air travel demand remains at less than a third of last year's levels. "We're grateful for the continued show of broad, bipartisan support in Congress for our team members and our industry, and we appreciate the willingness of these senators to take action to avoid imminent furloughs and air service cuts when the Payroll Support Program expires next week," said American Airlines in a written statement. American expects it will have to furlough or layoff some 19,000 employees starting next month, more than any other U.S. airline. United Airlines has said it would have to cut about 16,000 jobs but it's reached a preliminary deal to avoid furloughs of close to 3,000 pilots. The unionized pilots started voting on that cost-cutting plan, which would mean a reduction in schedules, this week. Southwest Airlines expects to avoid job cuts this year thanks to thousands of workers who accepted buyouts and leaves of absence. Delta Air Lines also expects to largely avoid furloughs with the exception of more than 1,900 pilots though talks with their union to avoid those cuts are ongoing. The funds for the additional aid would come from $11 billion in new aid and more than $17 billion in funding and loans that went unused in the last bill, Wicker and Collins said in a statement. Correction: The legislation was introduced 10 days before airlines can cut jobs under an aid package that protected workers through the end of this month. An earlier version misstated the number of days. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/21/republican-senators-introduce-bill-for-28-billion-in-aid-for-airline-industry-as-job-cuts-loom.html Back to Top Freighter conversion: a way to double an aircraft's life and add cargo capacity Airlines are grappling with the difficulties of increasing their freight capacity while holding off adding unnecessary capacity into the passenger business. Last week saw freight capacity increase 3%, according to WorldACD, while volumes fell 1%; yields remained stable, it added, at $2.82/kg. Accenture's Seabury revealed that the last two weeks of August had seen cargo capacity decline slightly, and that only 59% of the widebody passenger fleet's cargo capacity was in the air. But airlines are seeking ways to boost cargo capacity, and cut passenger capacity. Boeing announced today that one customer had signed a firm order for two 737-800 converted freighters (BCFs) and that it was expanding its freighter conversion lines to handle additional demand. A second 737-800BCF line will open early next year at Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company (Gameco), and Boeing will add a second line for 767-300 conversions at ST Engineering's facility in Singapore this year. "The freighter conversion programme is an excellent way to double the life of an airplane and provide operators with an economical way to replace less-efficient freighters," said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing's senior vice president of commercial sales and marketing. "By working with our partners to add freighter conversion capacity, we look forward to meeting the strong demand in this market segment and helping our customers scale their operations." The news follows an announcement on Friday that AerSale had agreed to buy 24 757-200 passenger aircraft for conversion, of which 16 will be kept for spares. "Pre-Covid, more freight was carried in the cargo holds of passenger aircraft than in pure freighters," said Craig Wright, AerSale's president of aircraft & engine management. "As a result of the reduced demand for passenger air travel and the concurrent explosive growth of the e-commerce market, there is a supply shortage of dedicated freighter aircraft for the foreseeable future." Meanwhile, Qantas is shortly to receive the first converted A321, which is claimed to have 50% more capacity than the 737 converted freighter and can carry small containers and pallets on the lower deck. EFW is converting the aircraft - and ATSG is preparing for a A321 conversion programme. Several airlines have said they are looking at their current fleet for conversion feedstock. Passenger carrier Eastern Airlines told The Loadstar last week that it was reviewing its 767 fleet with an eye to converting one, and was also looking at 777 conversion possibilities. Kenya Airways, while waiting to kit out a 787 as a cargo-only aircraft, has acknowledged the limitations of flying cargo on passenger aircraft - but is also looking to increase its cargo business substantially, so that it will account for 20% of its revenues. https://theloadstar.com/freighter-conversion-a-way-to-double-an-aircrafts-life-and-add-cargo-capacity/ Back to Top SPEEA Comments on Boeing Eliminating customer Flight Training Airplane pilots, sending jobs to overseas contract house SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The following is a statement from SPEEA: • Boeing lays off experienced in-house flight training pilots and outsources customer training for 737MAX upgrades to overseas pilot contract house. On Friday September 18, The Boeing Company delivered layoff notices to its remaining seven Flight Training Airplane (FTA) pilots and will instead send the critical work of providing on-site training to airline customers to an overseas contract house. The 60-day notices of layoff eliminate all direct Boeing FTA pilots by the end of November - a critical moment in Boeing's plan to return the 737MAX to service and start delivering the roughly 400 airplanes now parked around the West Coast. The move comes just days after the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released its report on the "Design, Development and Certification of the Boeing 737MAX." Based on a year-long investigation, the report, along with citing a "culture of concealment" in Boeing management, calls on the company to provide additional training specific to the 737MAX upgrades to every airline pilot flying the plane after it returns to service. Instead of using its own highly experienced pilots, Boeing is expanding its use of contract pilots from Cambridge Communications Limited (CCL), a contract house incorporated in the Isle of Mann. According to union officials, CCL's ownership structure is a company within a nest of shell companies. Once hired and working for Boeing, the contract pilots are provided Boeing uniforms and business cards making them indistinguishable from Boeing's own flight training pilots when they work with airlines and regulatory agencies. Boeing currently uses some contract pilots but has genuine Boeing pilots to ensure quality control over the contractors. Eliminating the Boeing training pilots ends the decades long Boeing practice of using its own specialists to ensure airline customers operate Boeing aircraft safely. During a meeting with union leaders last week, Boeing representatives said CCL contract pilots will do nearly all simulator and in-flight training involved in the 737MAX return to service. "I was gobsmacked to hear company officials admit that Boeing will exercise zero quality control over these contractor pilots despite costuming them in Boeing uniforms," said SPEEA Executive Director Ray Goforth. "The entire fate of The Boeing Company depends upon a smooth re-entry into service of the 737MAX. I cannot believe Boeing chose this moment to fire their highly experienced training pilots and outsource their work to contractors they don't even control." Regardless of the extensive workload ahead to prepare 737MAX pilots, Boeing told union officials there is no work for the seven FTA pilots - all of whom are protected military veterans with a combined total of more than 225 years of experience flying a wide range of commercial and military aircraft. Unlike most pilots who are type rated to fly a single aircraft model, the Boeing FTA pilots are all rated to fly multiple different aircraft models and qualified to instruct other pilots how to fly those aircraft models. The union noted FTA pilots have regular interaction with Boeing's other pilot groups, including its Flight Test Pilots, Technical Pilots and Safety Pilots. Additionally, Boeing FTA pilots interact and are respected by the engineers and technical workers who design and are involved in the certification and service of Boeing products. "The loss of this critical coordinating function between the Boeing employees who design and manufacture aircraft and the customer air crews who fly them is incalculable" Goforth said. "The face of The Boeing Company to customers and regulators will now be foreign contractors masquerading as genuine Boeing pilots." A local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), SPEEA represents more than 17,600 aerospace engineers, technical workers, professionals and pilots at Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems and Triumph Composite Systems in Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Utah, and California. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200921005135/en/SPEEA-Comments-on-Boeing-Eliminating-customer-Flight-Training-Airplane-pilots-sending-jobs-to-overseas-contract-house Back to Top CAE launches Airside, a new digital platform for pilots • Airside is a community platform with career and training tools to support pilots during the COVID-19 pandemic MONTREAL, Sept. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - (NYSE: CAE) (TSX: CAE) - CAE announced today the official launch of Airside, a new digital platform and online community for pilots. Airside provides career and training tools to support pilots during the COVID-19 pandemic, and throughout their professional career. CAE's digital team, based at the company's innovation campus in Montreal, designed and developed this new digital platform after surveying over 3,000 pilots in April 2020. More than 10,000 visitors have accessed Airside since the digital platform first went live in June 2020. Airside (CNW Group/CAE INC.) "CAE is building a strong pilot community on Airside and providing the information and tools required to get through these challenging times," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. "With the Airside platform, CAE is reinforcing its commitment to safety and excellence with resources that will allow pilots to sharpen their skills, remain connected to the industry, and emerge better prepared to pursue their dreams of flying. CAE's digital team will continue to enhance Airside as we grow our digital product portfolio and serve the civil aviation industry with outstanding pilot training experience.'' With its Resume Builder, Career section, articles, podcast, and much more, Airside is designed to help pilots improve their skills and advance their careers in a community environment where professional pilots have resources and support to help them succeed. In addition to connecting proficiency and career opportunities for professional pilots, Airside solicits constant feedback with surveys to help ensure we create relevant content for the platform. For more information on CAE's new digital platform, visit airside.aero #Airside #AirsideFromCAE Links to key content and tools Training: Staying proficient during the COVID-19 pandemic Getting familiar with a new type of aircraft Career Resume Builder Tool Create a cover letter for a pilot job Organise your pilot documents for a job application Write the best pilot CV Top 10 interview tips Interview with Andy Thornton and advice on technical interviews Lifestyle Interview - The power of positivity Myth de-busting from the point of view of a business jet pilot About CAE CAE is a high technology company, at the leading edge of digital immersion, providing solutions to make the world a safer place. Backed by a record of more than 70 years of industry firsts, we continue to reimagine the customer experience and revolutionize training and operational support solutions in civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare. We are the partner of choice to customers worldwide who operate in complex, high-stakes and largely regulated environments, where successful outcomes are critical. As a testament to our customers' ongoing needs for our solutions, over 60 percent of CAE's revenue is recurring in nature. We have the broadest global presence in our industry, with approximately 10,000 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. www.cae.com Follow us on Twitter: CAE_Inc Facebook: www.facebook.com/cae.inc LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cae Hashtags: #CAE; #CAEpilot https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cae-launches-airside-a-new-digital-platform-for-pilots-301134951.html Back to Top Jet engine maker Rolls-Royce considering £2.5bn cash call • Derby-based firm says it is reviewing all funding options to get it through Covid-19 crisis The jet engine maker Rolls-Royce has confirmed it is considering a £2.5bn cash call after months of speculation about its financial position, pushing shares in the company to a 16-year low. The Derby-based engineering company said it was reviewing all funding options to shore up its balance sheet, including a rights issue, or issuing new debt. Rolls-Royce said it had not taken a final decision on whether or when to proceed with an equity raise, nor the exact amount. The impact of Covid-19 on its civil aviation business has been brutal, leading the company to report a record £5.4bn loss for the first half of the year in August. It announced at the time that it expected to have burned through £4bn of cash by the end of 2020, and said it might not be able to find enough funding to cover its needs. To cope with the slump in demand for its engines, Rolls-Royce is undertaking the largest restructuring in its history, cutting 9,000 jobs globally and closing several production sites. The group has forecast that the restructuring will give it pre-tax savings of £1.3bn a year by 2022. The company said "rapid management actions" had allowed it to reduce its costs and secure additional liquidity, including a £2bn loan, partly backed by the government credit agency UK Export Finance (UKEF), which it finalised in August. It is also looking to shore up its finances for the longer term by selling assets that are likely to raise at least £2bn, including the Spanish engine maker ITP Aero. Rolls-Royce has predicted it will take until 2025 for aircraft engine orders to return to pre-Covid levels, as the pandemic led to a slump in demand due to the slashing of flight schedules by airlines and a slowdown in production by aircraft manufacturers. It originally expected to produce 450 aircraft engines during 2020, but was forced to reduce its target to 250 deliveries. Rolls-Royce shares closed down 11% on Monday after the company confirmed it was considering an equity raise, making it one of the biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 on a day when the index fell 3.4%. "Tougher widespread restrictions on movement are likely to push any recovery for the airline industry even further into the future," said Susannah Streeter, a markets analyst at the stockbroker Hargreaves Lansdown. "That concern has had a domino effect on aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls Royce, as investors see no end in sight for the falling demand for new planes," she said. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/sep/21/jet-engine-maker-rolls-royce-considering-cash-call-coronavirus-crisis Back to Top Lufthansa pulls more big jets, issues gloomy outlook German airline Lufthansa, already bailed out by the government, says it will have to make more staff cuts and mothball more jumbo jets than originally planned because the outlook for air travel is worse than the company first predicted. The company said Monday it would have to drop more than the already announced 22,000 full-time positions, without saying how many more. The airline will also pull its remaining eight Airbus A380 jets out of service and put them in long-term storage, along with 10 four-engine A340-600 aircraft. Overall, it said that a modest rebound in air travel had petered out after the end of the summer vacation travel season. It expects to offer only 20-30% of its normal capacity in the last three months of the year, compared with the same period in pre-virus 2019. The final number of job reductions will be negotiated with employee representatives. It said it was hoping to reduce cash burn to 400 million euros ($470 million) a month this winter from 500 million euros a month presently. Management is staying with its prediction that it will return to positive operating cash flow some time in 2021. Lufthansa has secured a 9 billion euro ($10.6 billion) bailout from the German government. https://apnews.com/bf0ef71b12ac2e94e9be4ead460a2670 Back to Top Space agency under fire over weekend rocket launch (Australia) SA Senator Rex Patrick has delivered a withering critique of the Adelaide-based Australian Space Agency, accusing it "putting Australian economic activity and jobs at risk" by bureaucratic inertia. It follows the weekend's 'second time lucky' launch of a rocket at Koonibba on SA's west coast - an event that was not attended by any Australian Space Agency representatives, as it fell under the jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. That was because the company behind the operation, Southern Launch, was not authorised by the ASA to send its record beyond 100km - a fact that prompted Patrick to lash the regulator in a column published in InDaily today. "The Australian Space Agency needs a good shaking up... [it] has induced hesitation amongst potential international customers and put Australian economic activity and jobs at risk," he said. "As a Senator, I am bombarded by aviation people who tell me that CASA is just the most difficult Government organisation to deal with in Australia... and yet, somehow, the Australian Space Agency has made CASA look good." An Australian Space Agency spokesperson said the regulator was "working closely with Southern Launch on their applications for the launch facility and launch activity at the Koonibba Test Range, including providing advice to support the completion of its applications under the Space (Launches and Returns) Act 2018". "The obligation remains with Southern Launch to demonstrate that it meets these requirements," they said. "Southern Launch's test rocket launches on the weekend were expected to peak at 85km above Earth which requires approval by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), under the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and associated framework. "CASA is responsible for approval of areas for operation of rockets and must take into account the likely effect on the safety of air navigation. "The Agency will continue to work closely with Southern Launch as its applications are further developed and completed." Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp told InDaily the company submitted its application in December for a March deadline, which was later delayed because of the outbreak of COVID-19. "There was discussions between Southern Launch and the agency about what exactly it is they were asking for and it never really progressed," he said. He said the company had "always been open with the space agency in trying to get these launches done in a commercially viable timeline, in line with other space-faring nations". Damp said the Australian Space Agency had informed Southern Launch there were "gaps" in its submission, "but as the regulator they were unwilling to tell us where or what was missing". "We reiterated to the agency that the rockets were sub-orbital, that no payloads were to go into orbit around the earth," he said. "The rocket itself was very simple and didn't have any guided navigational control [that would be] more aligned with a large Space-X rocket... "This is all new space [using] very small rockets, and that's where we're trying to work with the agency as much as possible to show them the simplicity of these types of rockets and why they're so good for STEM and other forms of research." https://indaily.com.au/news/2020/09/22/space-agency-under-fire-over-weekend-rocket-launch/ Back to Top Graduate Research Survey 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