Flight Safety Information [December 9, 2020] [No. 248] In This Issue : Incident: Hawaiian B712 at Honolulu on Dec 7th 2020, engine problem : Incident: Delta B752 near Memphis on Dec 6th 2020, engine trouble : Eurocopter EC 135T1 - Fatal Accident (France) : F-16 fighter jet crashed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, rescue crews search for pilot : INSURER MAY OFFER RELIEF FOR OLDER PILOTS : NTSB final report: Pilot error led to in-flight breakup of AirMed plane in 2018 : AAR forms Aviation Safety and Training Oversight Committee : Woman Federally Charged with Attempting to Carry a Weapon on an Aircraft : American Airlines offers at-home COVID tests for US travel : The Airlines Banned From Europe : Will Airlines Require Vaccine Passports in 2021? : Metrojet Recognized by IBAC for its Ten-year Advocacy of International Aviation Safety Standards : United Airlines Pledges Boeing 777-300ERs To Increase Government Loan : ABX Air Reaches Tentative Agreement with Pilot Union : JetBlue halts pay raises, other costs to avoid furloughs through Sept : The Jet Set Elite Wants to Fly as Fast as Chuck Yeager : Boeing Delivers First 737 MAX Since Grounding : Boeing hit by more canceled orders even as MAX nears return : Virgin Orbit will carry 10 cubesats on its LauncherOne Demo 2 flight this month : 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Incident: Hawaiian B712 at Honolulu on Dec 7th 2020, engine problem A Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717-200, registration N492HA performing flight HA-216 from Honolulu,HI to Kahului,HI (USA) with 41 people on board, was in the initial climb out of runway 08R when the crew stopped the climb at 3000 feet, declared PAN PAN reporting an engine (BR715) problem and returned to Honolulu for a safe landing on runway 08L about 16 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 717-200 registration N494HA reached Kahului with a delay of about 90 minutes. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 26 hours after landing back. The airline reported one of the engines malfunctioned, the crew returned the aircraft to Honolulu out of abundance of caution. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/HAL216/history/20201207/1951Z/PHNL/PHOG http://avherald.com/h?article=4e041f7e&opt=0 Incident: Delta B752 near Memphis on Dec 6th 2020, engine trouble A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N682DA performing flight DL-557 from Atlanta,GA to Las Vegas,NV (USA), was enroute at FL400 about 140nm westnorthwest of Memphis,TN (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Memphis due to an engine (PW2037) problem. The aircraft landed safely on Memphis' runway 36L about 40 minutes later. A replacement Boeing 757-200 registration N6707A departed Memphis about 9 hours after landing of N682DA and reached Las Vegas with a delay of about 10 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 34 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL557/history/20201207/0311Z/KATL/KLAS http://avherald.com/h?article=4e041a0a&opt=0 Eurocopter EC 135T1 - Fatal Accident (France) Date: 08-DEC-2020 Time: c. 19:10 Type: Eurocopter EC 135T1 Owner/operator: Service Aérien Français (SAF Hélicoptères) Registration: F-HJAF C/n / msn: 44 Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 6 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: French Alps, Bonvillard, Savoie - France Phase: Unknown Nature: Training Departure airport: Destination airport: Narrative: The aircraft has been reported down in mountainous terrain in the Bonvillard sector, Savoie Department of the French Alps. Helicopter damage and only a single occupant from the six onboard survived the accident. Weather is a factor in the area. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=245452 F-16 fighter jet crashed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, rescue crews search for pilot DELTA COUNTY, MI - Emergency crews overnight were searching for the pilot of an F-16 fighter jet that crashed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula while on a military training mission Tuesday night. The Wisconsin Air National Guard said early today that an F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to its 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field Air National Guard Base in Madison crashed about 8 p.m. Tuesday. “At the time of the incident, the aircraft was on a routine training mission with one pilot on board,” the Wisconsin Air National Guard said in a statement released on its Facebook page. “Emergency responders are on scene. The cause of the crash, as well as the status of the pilot, are unknown at this time, and the incident is under investigation.” The crash occurred north of the U.P.’s Garden Peninsula, near the border of Delta and Schoolcraft counties in the Hiawatha National Forest. U.S. Forest Service workers joined with local authorities to set up a perimeter and begin the search late Tuesday. According to U.P. media reports and unconfirmed police scanner traffic from emergency crews in the area, authorities had located a crash site and also had a broad area identified that could be the pilot’s ejection site. Local authorities were in contact with the military and were making plans to remain on site overnight. Originally built for the U.S. Air Force, the F-16s gained a reputation as a nimble, multi-role fighter plane. They continue to be in wide use by different military groups, including the Air National Guard. An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing at Truax Field Air National... Posted by 115th Fighter Wing on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 https://www.mlive.com/news/2020/12/f-16-fighter-jet-crashed-in-michigans-upper-peninsula-rescue-crews-search-for-pilot.html INSURER MAY OFFER RELIEF FOR OLDER PILOTS Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the flying community was voicing its frustration with rising insurance premiums. “Not a day goes by that I don’t get a call about insurance rates,” AOPA President Mark Baker said earlier this year in an industry forum. Many AOPA members, especially the more seasoned ones, were complaining that their premiums were spiking, coverages were being limited, and restrictions to just get covered were sometimes harsh—often with little to no explanation. There is some potential good news on the horizon for pilots. After months of close coordination with AOPA, AssuredPartners Aerospace, AOPA’s strategic insurance partner, is teaming up with an A-rated aviation insurer that has pledged to explore streamlined underwriting guidelines for pilots up to age 79. This coverage could provide more options to those who fly single-engine, piston-powered aircraft with fixed, retractable, or tailwheel gear configurations, and having six seats or fewer and with hull values as high as $500,000. BasicMed is also scheduled to be an approved underwriting element, giving pilots potential relief from burdensome insurance-related medical requirements. This new partner will also offer potential coverage options for younger and newer pilots. “While general aviation has continued to thrive in an otherwise challenging year, alleviating insurance pressures has always been on the front burner for AOPA,” said Baker. “We are excited about an opportunity to provide much-needed insurance relief to many pilots. This is an example of how we listen closely to our members and advocate on their behalf.” The present aviation insurance market has been hard on many in the industry. Aging GA pilots have been faced with fewer options, as insurers have been scrutinizing their underwriting criteria for pilots over the age of 65. “We’ve been working hard with AOPA to develop options for those pilots that are experiencing difficulty in finding necessary coverage and reasonable premiums,” said Bill Behan, AssuredPartners Aerospace CEO. “By bringing another choice to the table, we are aiming to allow more capable pilots to stay in the skies.” While pilots may be getting some insurance relief, it’s important to note that annual flight training may be required depending upon the complexity of the insured aircraft, and hull deductibles also will increase with aircraft value. “They say age is just a number, and nowhere is that more applicable than in general aviation,” added Baker. “This is one step forward in having pilots judged by their abilities and experience, and not just their age.” https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/december/08/insurer-may-offer-relief-for-older-pilots NTSB final report: Pilot error led to in-flight breakup of AirMed plane in 2018 The National Transportation Safety Board today released the final report in its investigation into the 2018 crash of an Air Medical plane northwest of Bismarck. Its conclusion as to the probable cause of the accident: Pilot error resulting in an overload on the wings, causing the plane to break up in flight. The Bismarck Air Medical Cessna turboprop (Conquest) was en route to Williston from Bismarck around 10:40 p.m., November 18, 2018, when, according to the NTSB, the plane apparently broke up in flight and came down near Harmon, about 20 miles northwest of Bismarck. The crash killed all three people aboard: pilot Todd Lasky, nurse Bonnie Cook and paramedic Chris Iverson. The NTSB reports radar data showed the airplane climbed to 14,000 feet mean sea level after it departed Bismarck at 10:31 p.m., and proceeded directly toward the destination airport. While en route, around 10:39 p.m., the plane began an unexplained right descending turn, losing 7,800 feet of altitude over the span of 30 seconds. At some point, the NTSB reported, the pilot attempted a pull-up maneuver to recover from the descent. The NTSB said the stress on the plane from that action caused the part of the wing that passed through the center of the airplane to compress, buckle and fracture. That led to the separation of the left wing and right wing engine and the subsequent breakup and crash of the plane. The NTSB said, “the descending right turn was inconsistent with the intended flight track and ATC-provided clearance. However, there was insufficient information to determine how it was initiated and when the pilot became aware of the airplane’s state in the dark night IMC conditions. Yet, the absence of a distress call or communication with ATC about the airplane’s deviation suggests that the pilot was not initially aware of the change in state. The structural failure signatures on the airplane were indicative of the wings failing in positive overload, which was consistent with the pilot initiating a pull-up maneuver that exceeded the airplane spars’ structural integrity during an attempted recovery from the spiral dive.” The NTSB also noted, “there was no evidence of any pre-existing conditions that would have degraded the strength of the airplane structure at the fracture locations. “Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engines, propellers, and available systems showed no mechanical malfunctions or failure that could have contributed to the accident.” You can download the final report here as well as view the collected information from the investigation. https://www.kxnet.com/news/local-news/ntsb-final-report-pilot-error-led-to-in-flight-breakup-of-airmed-jet-in-2018/ AAR forms Aviation Safety and Training Oversight Committee Wood Dale, Dec. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AAR (NYSE: AIR), a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs and OEMs is pleased to announce that it has formed an Aviation Safety and Training Committee (the “ASTC”) at the Board of Directors (“Board”) level. The ASTC will be comprised of three independent directors, with retired United States Air Force General Duncan J. McNabb, who last served as the ninth Commander, United States Transportation Command, serving as Chair, and Robert F. Leduc and Jennifer L. Vogel joining him as committee members. The ASTC will assist the Board in the oversight of aviation safety matters relating to AAR’s operations, including training employees, promoting a robust safety culture and helping ensure the delivery of services and products with safety as the highest priority. “Forming the ASTC at the Board level is the strategic evolution of AAR’s commitment to aviation safety, which is of the utmost importance because of the number of aircraft we touch every day and AAR’s importance to the overall aviation chain of safety,” said David P. Storch, AAR’s Chairman of the Board. “We have proactively established the ASTC to help the Board in continuing to fulfill its fiduciary duties overseeing aviation safety matters and ensuring that AAR continues to have a best in class safety program.” “The ASTC is comprised of seasoned aviation professionals who will provide valuable oversight and guidance regarding aviation safety matters,” said John M. Holmes, AAR’s Chief Executive Officer. “As a Company, we're proud and honored that our customers trust us to perform maintenance on their planes and the ASTC will help us deliver safety programs that are on the cutting edge of industry practice.” “I am delighted to chair the newly formed ASTC at AAR as the Company continues its journey to be best in class in delivering aviation safety,” said Duncan J. McNabb. “The ASTC will provide oversight regarding AAR’s training programs and safety culture, and I look forward to working with AAR leadership, the committee members, and the Board on this important initiative.” # # # About AAR AAR is a global aerospace and defense aftermarket solutions company with operations in over 20 countries. Headquartered in the Chicago area, AAR supports commercial and government customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Expeditionary Services. AAR’s Aviation Services include Parts Supply; OEM Solutions; Integrated Solutions; and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Services. AAR’s Expeditionary Services include Mobility Systems operations. Additional information can be found at www.aarcorp.com. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/12/08/2141377/0/en/AAR-forms-Aviation-Safety-and-Training-Oversight-Committee.html Woman Federally Charged with Attempting to Carry a Weapon on an Aircraft On November 28, 2020, Erine Aisha Robertson, 36, attempted to pass through a TSA checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with intent to board a commercial aircraft while carrying a folding knife concealed in her bra. Robertson was charged in a criminal complaint filed in federal court, with Attempting to Carry a Weapon on an Aircraft in violation of 49 U.S.C Section 46505(b)(1). Complaints and indictment are only accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for Arizona at http://www.azd.uscourts.gov/ or on PACER https://www.pacer.gov/, magistrate number: 2:20-mj-00306 The FBI would like to thank the Transportation Security Administration, Phoenix Police Department, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, and the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, for their work on this case. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/phoenix/news/press-releases/woman-federally-charged-with-attempting-to-carry-a-weapon-on-an-aircraft American Airlines offers at-home COVID tests for US travel They cost $129 American Airlines is about to start offering at-home COVID-19 tests to domestic fliers in order to help them meet various state travel restriction requirements, the company announced Tuesday. The airline is partnering with direct-to-consumer home testing company LetsGetChecked, which will sell the tests for $129 on top of the cost of travel. The at-home tests help travelers check off one of the most common travel restrictions that states have implemented, which is a negative test result either before departure or upon arrival. It will also help customers get reliable access to testing, which is still hit-or-miss in many parts of the United States. But there are still holes in the process; it is still possible to get infected on the way to or at the airport, for example. Different states also have different restrictions. Some states still require travelers to quarantine even with a negative test result. So American Airlines and LetsGetChecked are advising customers to make sure they know what’s required of them when they land. American Airlines previously offered at-home tests for travelers heading to international destinations with restrictions, like the United Kingdom, Belize, and Chile. RECEIVE A KIT, SWAB YOUR NOSE, SEND IT BACK LetsGetChecked’s test kits use a nasal swab, so customers will have to take a sample at home and send back through the mail (using UPS) to be run through a Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, test. That whole process takes a few days, so LetsGetChecked says travelers should be sure to order their tests at least five days before their flights. American Airlines is the first to offer access to at-home testing for domestic flights. But other major airlines and airports have also been trying to introduce testing protocol as part of a way to encourage travelers to return to the skies. Delta Air Lines and Alitalia recently announced they will test passengers multiple times on flights from New York’s JFK airport, New Jersey’s Newark Airport, and Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport to Rome’s Fiumicino airport. Facing historic losses but buoyed by billions of dollars in government aid, companies like American and Delta have been trying to resurrect the industry after the coronavirus pandemic devastated air travel earlier this year. The number of fliers did dramatically increase over the Thanksgiving holiday despite a sharp increase in case counts and warnings from the Centers for Disease Control, but it’s not yet clear whether people will remain as willing to fly. https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/8/22164032/american-airlines-home-covid-19-tests-domestic-flights-cost The Airlines Banned From Europe Most jurisdictions have airline blacklists. Generally, airlines find themselves banned from certain jurisdictions because of safety concerns. Two of the best-known blacklists are those operated by the United States and the European Union. In the case of the European Union, the list of banned airlines gets updated around twice a year. This week, they’ve released their latest airline blacklist, and it makes for some interesting reading. There are a few caveats to this blacklist. Generally, a ban is slapped on all airlines from a certain nation, although airlines can be specifically targeted in some instances. Further, not all airlines on the list face a blanket ban. Some airlines can fly over and into the European Union on a restricted basis. Further not all the banned airlines are run regular passenger flights. Some are freight or charter airlines. Helicopter-centric “airlines” are also on the list. The European Union released its latest blacklist on Tuesday, December 8. All up, 96 airlines from 22 countries cannot fly over or into the European Union. A further three airlines, all from different countries, are subject to operational restrictions within the European Union. The European Union typically blacklists all airlines from certain countries Let’s start by running through the countries impacted by the current European Union blacklist. First off the block is Afghanistan. All airlines certified by Afghanistan’s regulatory authorities are banned, including Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air. Next is Angola. Angolan airlines Aerojet, Guicango, Air Jet, Bestflya, Heliang, SJL, and Sonair, are all blacklisted from the European Union. However, TAAG Angola Airlines and Heli Malongo have dodged the blacklist. Guess you know which carrier you’ll fly on when next in that part of the world. All Armenian airlines are banned from the European Union. That includes Aircompany Armenia, Armenia Airways, Armenian Helicopters, Atlantis Armenian Airliners, Atlantis European Airlines, Mars Avia, and the fabulously named Skyball. Both Congos are on the list. The ban on Congo sees Canadian Airlines Congo, Equaflight Services, Equajet, Trans Air Congo, and Societe Nouvelle Air Congo all barred from the European Union. The ban on the Democratic Republic of Congo means Air Fast Congo, Air Katanga, Busy Bee Congo, Compagnie Africaine D’Aviation, Congo Airways, Kin Avia, Malu Aviation, Serve Air Cargo, Swala Aviation, and Mwant Jet cannot fly into the European Union. Nearby Equatorial Guinea is also on the European Union no-fly list. That has local airlines Ceiba Intercontinental and Cronos Airlines blacklisted as well. In Eritrea, Eritrean Airlines and Nasair Eritrea are both banned. Airlines from Kyrgystan, Libya, and Nepal all barred The European Union has banned all airlines certified by aviation authorities in Kyrgystan. On the list is Air Company Air KG, Air Manas, Avia Traffic Company, Sky KG Airlines, and Tez Jet. Over in Northern Africa, all Libyan airlines are subject to the same rule. That sees Afriqiyah Airways, Air Libya, Al Mala Aviation, Buraq Air, Global Aviation and Services, Libyan Airlines, Libyan Wings Airlines, and Petro Air kept out of the European Union. In Moldova, all airlines are banned from flying into or over the European Union except for Air Moldova, Fly One, and Aerotranscargo. Meanwhile, the European Union might be thinking about lifting their blacklist on Nepalese airlines, but it still stands as of right now. There’s a lot of Nepalese airlines on the list, including many helicopter businesses. Currently on the European Union no-fly list are Air Dynasty Helicopter Services, Altitude Air, Buddha Air, Fishtail Air, Summit Air, Heli Everest, Himalaya Airlines, Kailash Helicopter Services, Makalu Air, Manang Air, Mountain Helicopters, Prabhu Helicopters, Nepal Airlines, Saurya Airlines, Shree Airlines, Simrik Air, Simrik Airlines, Sita Air, Tara Air, and Yeti Airlines. Sudan also on the European Union’s radar Sao Tome and Principe is also subject to a European Union ban. That means local airlines Africa’s Connection and STP Airways can’t fly to Europe. Another sizeable country impacted by the European Union ban is Sudan. The European Union bans all Sudanese airlines. That sees Alfa Airlines, Badr Airlines, Blue Bird Aviation, Eldinder Aviation, Green Flag Aviation, Helejetic Air, Kata Air Transport, Kush Aviation, Nova Airways, Sudan Airways, Sun Air, and Tarco Air all blacklisted from European Union airports. The European Union also blacklists airlines certified by local authorities in both Sierra Leone and Liberia. However, neither country has active airlines right now. The European Union can ban specific airlines With just a couple of exceptions, the above summary covers blanket bans on airlines operating out of certain countries. But there are also individual airlines based in countries outside the European Union who are subject to bans. For example, Avior Airlines from Venezuela is banned, but no other airline from that country is. Also individually targeted are Blue Wings Airlines from Suriname, Iran Aseman Airlines, Iraqi Airways, Med-View Airline from Nigeria, Air Zimbabwe, and Daalloo Airlines from Djibouti. Some Air Koryo planes cleared to fly into the European Union Finally, there’s a list of just three airlines in European Union purgatory – not quite in and not quite out when it comes to flying into the European Union. North Korea’s flagship airline, Air Koryo is banned except for two specific aircraft. Lest that sounds harsh, Air Koryo has only four planes – so half the fleet is good to go. Two TU-204s are good to fly into the European Union. Of course, Europe doesn’t regularly feature on Air Koryo’s destination list. It would surely be quite the local sensation if an Air Koryo aircraft touched down in Europe. A Simple Flying favorite, Iran Air also has restricted access into the European Union. They can’t fly their three Fokker 100s into Europe. Brussels also takes a dim view of Iran Air’s dilapidated fleet of Boeing 747s, banning them. The rest of Iran Air’s fleet is cleared to fly into the European Union. The European Union also bans all planes belong to Air Services Comores from Comoros. Except for one – they’ll let one Air Services Comores aircraft in, a plane registered as D6-CAM. That plane doesn’t crop up on either the AirFleets or Planespotters.net databases. A Google search indicates the plane is a Let L-410 turboprop, one of only two planes in the Air Services Comores fleet. The blacklist – a help or hindrance? The European Union airline blacklist features airlines most of us wouldn’t have cause to fly on. So the blacklist has minimal day to day impact on us. Arguably, the blacklist is a good thing, helping to keep airlines that are unsafe or perceived to be unsafe out of European skies. Of course, the big takeout from the list is that most banned airlines come from places lacking much in the way of economic firepower. That means local aviation regulatory and safety authorities are poorly funded, and standards can slip. The current European Union blacklist also provides a good indicator of where richer countries need to direct resources in order to improve aviation safety. https://simpleflying.com/european-union-airline-ban/ Will Airlines Require Vaccine Passports in 2021? • International travel may require a vaccination passport next year. • The International Air Transport Association is in the final stages of developing a digital COVID-19 vaccine passport for travelers. • Most airlines have yet to announce if they’ll require passengers to show proof of getting the vaccine. • Travelers should expect to continue wearing masks and social distancing on flights, even after getting immunized. After grinding to a near halt during the pandemic, travel is poised to make a major comeback in 2021, once the COVID-19 vaccine becomes widely distributed. Governments and airlines may begin requiring travelers to get the immunization and prove it with a new form of digital documentation called a vaccine passport. Here’s what we know so far about the forthcoming vaccine passport, along with some expert insight on what to expect when traveling next year. New document for travel The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline trade association that represents 290 airlines worldwide, announced on Nov. 23 that it was in the final stages of developing a digital vaccine passport for travelers. Dubbed the IATA Travel Pass, the digital health document will provide travelers with a way to get a certification of things like their vaccination status and COVID-19 test results from medical facilities and share that information with airlines and border authorities. Travelers would carry their certified COVID-19 health information via a new contactless app from the IATA. Alan Joyce, the chief executive officer of the Australian airline Qantas, has told journalists that he thinks getting vaccinated against COVID-19 (and likely proving they had the immunization) will be a necessity before getting on a flight. Other airlines are still mum about possible requirements on their flights, but experts say that travelers should expect to show proof of immunization once the vaccine becomes available to most people in the United States, likely next spring. “Airlines don’t want to be accused of serving as vectors for the virus in passengers on board,” said Dr. Robert Quigley, senior vice president and global medical director of International SOS, a health and security services firm, and MedAire, which offers training, medical equipment, and other services for flight crew and passengers. “It’s all about protecting against the transmission of the disease and not bringing it into areas that aren’t infected,” he added. So far, experts like Quigley believe that the vaccine passport will mainly apply to international trips, rather than domestic journeys, but travelers should keep an eye out for announcements from airlines over the coming months to ensure they have the right documentation for upcoming flights. Travelers should also stay up to date on vaccination requirements and other measures destinations may implement on foreign visitors next year. Proof of vaccination in the past While the proposed vaccination passport has made headlines over the last couple of weeks, showing proof of immunization at certain borders is nothing new. The yellow fever vaccine is sometimes required for travelers coming from or going to countries where there’s a risk of that disease, such as Uganda and Brazil. Travelers typically show proof of their yellow fever vaccination at borders using the World Health Organization’s “International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis,” a yellow booklet filled out by a physician. “The yellow booklet for the yellow fever vaccination is sort of an obsolete solution from a time when everything was written on paper,” said Dr. Martin Krsak, an infectious disease specialist with the UCHealth Infectious Disease/Travel (TEAM) Clinic at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. What’s new about the forthcoming vaccination passport is the digitization of the health information, which would offer a more streamlined way for border agents and airlines to vet the growing number of travelers who will likely soon be required to show proof of immunizations at many more places around the world. Precautions during travel Just because you get the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t mean you won’t have to follow other precautions that have become common when traveling during the pandemic. “There will be continued efforts by airlines, airports, and the travel industry as a whole to focus on hygienic best practices,” said Quigley. “That’s a good thing, it’s long overdue, and I think it will persist perhaps even forever.” Travelers should expect to continue wearing masks and social distancing on their journeys over the next year, said Krsak. They may be exempt from other requirements, such as quarantining at the destination, once they have proof of vaccination, though. “Essentially the major improvement offered by the vaccination passport would be freer mobility,” he said. “Some particularly strict lockdowns would no longer apply to the carriers of such passports.” For now, travelers should continue to monitor what’s going on in the industry in regard to the vaccine passports and other requirements. “It’s still very fluid and we don’t know what’s going to happen with regard to these passports,” said Quigley. “They’re strongly encouraged in the industry, and that initial notice by the IATA is the first indication that something is going to change in the industry.” https://www.healthline.com/health-news/will-airlines-require-vaccine-passports-in-2021 Metrojet Recognized by IBAC for its Ten-year Advocacy of International Aviation Safety Standards The Hong Kong-based business jet operator, Metrojet Limited, is the first and only local operator recognized by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) for its ten-year support and participation in International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). Metrojet received its Stage 1 IS-BAO certificate in 2011 and Stage 2 in 2014. It has further affirmed its safety efforts achieving the first Stage 3 IS-BAO certificate in 2016 and the subsequent three-year renewal in 2019. IS-BAO contains three stages of certification of which Stage 3 is the highest registration certificate issued by IBAC. The successful completion of the audit verifies that the safety management activities are fully integrated into an operator’s business and that a positive safety culture is fully integrated and supported in the daily operations. Metrojet’s CEO Gary Dolski said, “We are extremely grateful and proud to have received this high-level recognition from IBAC together with other internationally renowned organisations, including NASA.” Eddy Lee, Metrojet’s head of corporate safety and quality continued, “We would like to thank all of our employees for adhering to the Company’s safety standards and procedures and believe their efforts can assist in raising the industry safety bar higher in the Asia region where we based and operate.” https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21165591/metrojet-limited-metrojet-recognized-by-ibac-for-its-tenyear-advocacy-of-international-aviation-safety-standards United Airlines Pledges Boeing 777-300ERs To Increase Government Loan United Airlines has decided to use certain Boeing 777-300ERs to increase its term loan facility with the United States Department of Treasury. The airline, which first borrowed under the loan in September, can now access up to $7.5 billion from the facility. United pledges 777-300ERs Back in November, United Airlines was given a choice by the Treasury Department. If it pledged certain Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, it could increase its total available amount under the loan facility to $7.5 billion. Of this, $7.16 billion was, in the aggregate, secured by certain route authorities, some slots and gate leasehold, and other assets. However, if United pledged certain Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, certain flight simulators, and met other unspecified conditions, it could increase its loan facility by another $340 million. On December 8th, United and the Treasury Department amended the loan agreement to include an extra $331 million after the carrier pledged certain Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and flight simulators and related assets. United’s total amount under the loan facility is $7.491 billion. Of which, the carrier has borrowed $520 million. As of December 8th, the airline has not borrowed any additional amounts. All loans borrowed under the term loan facility will be due on September 28th, 2025. The interest rate is variable and is set at the London interbank offering rate (LIBOR) plus a margin of 3.00% per annum. A more conventional form of financing Securing owned aircraft for a loan is nothing new in the airline world. It is one of the staples of the industry when an airline needs to raise any funds. Without the government loan, United would have gone to the private market to secure funding by pledging these aircraft and other associated collateral. United Airlines has not specified how many Boeing 777-300ERs it has pledged as part of this loan. Earlier this year, United Airlines also took a more unconventional route to raise funds. It leveraged its frequent flier program to the tune of billions of dollars, which helped shore up the airline’s liquidity over the summer. United is still burning cash In mid-November, amid a deceleration in bookings and a growing number of cancelations, United Airlines pulled back some fourth-quarter capacity but maintained an expected average daily cash burn of $15 million to $20 million per day, plus $10 million of average debt principal payments and severance payments per day. Having access to all of this funding does not mean United has to take on all of that debt. Instead, it has the option to if it needs to. And, right now, having the option is much better than not having it at all. The Boeing 777-300ERs The Boeing 777-300ERs are some of United’s newest aircraft. Onboard, these planes have room for up to 350 passengers. This includes 60 in Polaris business class, 24 in Premium Plus (premium economy), another 62 in extra-legroom economy, and finally 204 in standard economy. United has 22 Boeing 777-300ERs, and the first of these aircraft only arrived about three years ago. United typically flies the 777-300ERs on some of its most high-profile routes, such as to Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong, New Delhi, and more. These planes have more Polaris business class seats than any other aircraft in United’s fleet. https://simpleflying.com/united-govt-loan-increase/ ABX Air Reaches Tentative Agreement with Pilot Union WILMINGTON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (ATSG) said today that its ABX Air subsidiary has reached a tentative agreement to amend the collective bargaining agreement with its pilot group, currently numbering more than 230 flight crew members. ABX Air’s pilots are represented by the Airline Professionals Association of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 1224 (IBT). The tentative agreement would extend for six (6) years from the date of ratification by the ABX Air pilots. “We are optimistic that this tentative agreement, if ratified, will give ABX Air the opportunity to compete for new growth and provide all our employees with opportunities for career advancement and financial stability,” said ABX Air president David Soaper, “while ensuring that ABX Air continues to provide the excellent service its customers expect.” Terms of the tentative agreement were not disclosed but will be presented to the ABX Air pilot group prior to holding a ratification vote. The vote is expected to be completed prior to the end of the year. About Air Transport Services Group, Inc. (ATSG) ATSG is a leading provider of aircraft leasing and air cargo transportation and related services to domestic and foreign air carriers and other companies that outsource their air cargo lift requirements. ATSG, through its leasing and airline subsidiaries, is the world's largest owner and operator of converted Boeing 767 freighter aircraft. Through its principal subsidiaries, including three airlines with separate and distinct U.S. FAA Part 121 Air Carrier certificates, ATSG provides aircraft leasing, air cargo lift, passenger ACMI and charter services, aircraft maintenance services and airport ground services. ATSG's subsidiaries include ABX Air, Inc.; Airborne Global Solutions, Inc.; Airborne Maintenance and Engineering Services, Inc., including its subsidiary, Pemco World Air Services, Inc.; Air Transport International, Inc.; Cargo Aircraft Management, Inc.; and Omni Air International, LLC. For more information, please see www.atsginc.com. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201204005639/en/ABX-Air-Reaches-Tentative-Agreement-with-Pilot-Union JetBlue halts pay raises, other costs to avoid furloughs through Sept CHICAGO (Reuters) - JetBlue Airways unveiled a series of cost saving measures on Tuesday, including halting pay raises and paid parental leave, in a move it said would avoid furloughs through at least Sept. 30 as it continues to battle the pandemic. New York-based JetBlue said cost reductions, which also include pay cuts for top executives into 2021 and the cancellation of large-scale company events, were necessary amid an unpredictable 2021 followed by years of paying back debt it took on to weather the coronavirus crisis. "We are finalizing next year’s budget now and there is no doubt it will be the most challenging in our history," Mike Elliott, JetBlue's chief people officer, told staff in a memo obtained by Reuters. The details of the memo were first reported by CNBC. JetBlue did not comment. The airline is planning for revenue to be billions of dollars lower than usual, Elliott said. "As we get into 2021, we will have better visibility into what we need to do to continue protecting jobs beyond September," he said. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/jetblue-halts-pay-raises-other-205308772.html The Jet Set Elite Wants to Fly as Fast as Chuck Yeager Late on Oct. 14, 1947, Capt. Charles E. Yeager, of the United States Air Corps, filed a report, headed SECRET, on a test flight he had just completed from Muroc Dry Lake in California, otherwise known as Edwards Air Force Base. In the fourth paragraph, in his usual laconic style, Yeager wrote: “Acceleration was rapid and speed increased to .98 Mach. The needle of the machmeter fluctuated at this reading momentarily, then passed off the scale.” The instrument in his XS-1 rocket ship hadn’t been calibrated to keep up with where Yeager had gone—for about 20.5 seconds he had passed through Mach 1, the speed of sound, and reached Mach 1.06, the first man to reach supersonic speed. “I was kind of disappointed,” Yeager recalled later, “that it wasn’t more of a big charge than it was.” These days, as we mourn the passing of Yeager at the age of 97, there are a lot of people ready to pay big bucks to go where Yeager went, in somewhat plusher seating and for a lot longer than 20.5 seconds. They want to get there faster, a lot faster—there being another continent. But they can’t. There is no commercial airplane, or corporate jet, flying faster than sound. The last one, the only supersonic passenger jet to regularly fly the Atlantic, was the Anglo-French Concorde. Concorde’s exit in 2003 was only partly due to a crash in Paris in 2000 that killed 113 people. Two other problems killed it off: It never made money and it was a gas-guzzling polluter that could never be compliant with new environmental standards. Here is a case, rare in our times, of voluntary technological regression. The airline business pulled back from a great leap forward in human movement. But the lust to restore that advantage has never gone away. Going faster is one of those bragging rights that creates its own elite, as it did during the 27-year life of the Concorde, able to cross the pond in only three and a half hours. Of course, it may seem bizarre at the depths of a pandemic that has decimated international air travel that anyone is pushing ahead with a Concorde successor—but they are. One very tangible sign of this is taking shape inside a small plant at Centennial Airport in Denver, Colorado. It looks like a mini version of Concorde—a needle-nosed single-seat experimental jet named the XB-1, due to take to the air next year. Its creator, Boom Supersonic, is building it to demonstrate the concept of a 75-seat supersonic airliner, the Overture, that it plans to have ready a decade from now. Boom promises eye-watering cuts in the flying time between continents: Tokyo to Seattle in four and a half hours instead of eight and a half hours; Los Angeles to Sydney in eight hours and 30 minutes instead of 14 hours and 30 minutes. (You can be sure that the all-business class seat prices will be eye-watering, too.) The Overture will be greener than Concorde, able to meet the same emissions standards required of subsonic airliners—but for one thing. It will still generate the same ballistic boom that rattled windows as Concorde flew over land (hence the macho company name of Boom). Generating that boom is the inevitable result of going for a high speed. Overture will cruise at around Mach 2.2, or 1,600 mph (Concorde cruised at 1,300 mph). That’s not the course taken by a second American shot at supersonic air travel, Aerion, a startup based in Reno, Nevada. They are building a supersonic corporate jet, the AS2, with a maximum seating of 12, and they are committed to delivering a jet that is far greener than the Overture—and can fly supersonically over land without generating a boom. That means a tradeoff between speed and the toughest environmental standards. The AS2’s top speed will be Mach 1.4, just over 1,000 mph. Over land, to avoid the boom, it will have to slow down by about 200 mph, named by the company as “boomless supersonic cruise.” Flying over the pond at the higher speed from JFK to London Heathrow would take four hours, saving about two hours on subsonic times, depending on the prevailing winds. Longer flights would require refueling stops. That means, for example, that it would take 13 hours and 45 minutes to fly between New York and Singapore, a saving of 4.15 hours. At what point is the time saved worth the extra cost? The newest subsonic corporate jet, the Gulfstream G700, can fly nonstop from New York to Tokyo at 660 mph, in 13 hours, with great fuel economy. But for sure the answer to that question won’t be decided by cold logic, or even the corporate bean-counters. If the boss’ pockets are bottomless and his ego demands the thrill of arriving in a hot ship, he will raise a glass to Chuck Yeager and say, to hell with the sound barrier. https://www.yahoo.com/news/jet-set-elite-wants-fly-095930669.html Boeing Delivers First 737 MAX Since Grounding United Airlines to take delivery on a number of planes before year's end. United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ:UAL) on Tuesday became the first airline to take delivery on a Boeing (NYSE:BA) 737 MAX since the plane was recertified last month, the first step in a long recovery for Boeing and the troubled airplane. The 737 MAX was cleared to fly in November after 20 months on the ground following a pair of fatal crashes. Boeing's new challenge is to place the more than 400 planes manufactured during the halt but not yet delivered at a time when airlines are cutting back service and looking to cut costs. Boeing has been dealing with cancellations that exceed orders all year, a trend that continued in November. But the airlines have not given up on the 737 MAX. American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) is making plans to return the plane to service before year's end, and United has said it intends to put the 14 planes in its fleet at the time of the grounding to work early in 2021. United confirmed the delivery to reporters. The plane is the first of eight MAX planes expected to be delivered to the carrier before year's end, according to The Wall Street Journal. American and Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) are also expected to take deliveries in 2020, according to the Journal. Still, Boeing has an uphill battle ahead of it. The manufacturer will be lucky to work through half of its inventory of stored planes in 2021. Boeing currently hopes to ramp up new plane assembly to 31 aircraft per month by the beginning of 2022, well short of its pre-grounding aim of manufacturing more than 50 per month by now. https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/12/08/boeing-delivers-first-737-max-since-grounding/ Boeing hit by more canceled orders even as MAX nears return Boeing was hit with more canceled orders for its 737 MAX jet in November, according to sales data Tuesday, even as the plane readies to resume commercial flights this month. Boeing reported 63 net cancelations for the MAX last month, adding to the growing tally following two deadly crashes that caused the aircraft to be grounded worldwide in March 2019. US air regulators last month approved the MAX to return to service following upgrades to flight systems and pilot training, a move Brazil's civil air regulator followed a week later. Brazilian domestic carrier GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes is scheduled to resume commercial service on the MAX beginning Wednesday, the airline said this week. American Airlines also plans to resume commercial flights later this month. The latest MAX cancelations bring Boeing's net order total to 536 since the start of the year. The November figures include the restructuring of an order with Virgin Australia, which dropped a plan to receive 23 Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes, but will still receive 25 of the MAX 10 models under a later delivery schedule. The aircraft has been grounding for 20 months following two crashes that together claimed 346 lives. New jet demand also has been dented by a major downturn in air travel amid the coronavirus. However, Boeing's fortunes have begun to improve after the Federal Aviation Administration's decision last month to clear the MAX for service. And Irish carrier Ryanair last week announced it would acquire 75 of the planes. On Tuesday, Boeing delivered a MAX to United Airlines, the first delivery of the plane to a commercial carrier since the grounding. The US carrier plans to resume flights on the MAX in the first quarter of 2021. The new sales data also showed Boeing delivered seven planes in November, taking its total to 118 for 2020 so far. Boeing delivered 345 jets during the year-ago period. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-hit-more-canceled-orders-182620308.html Virgin Orbit will carry 10 cubesats on its LauncherOne Demo 2 flight this month The launch window for Virgin Orbit's Demo 2 mission will run from Dec. 19 to 20. Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket will perform in its second demonstration flight later this year, according to a company announcement. Virgin Orbit is designed to deliver about 1,100 lbs. (500 kilograms) of small-satellite payloads into low Earth orbit using an air-launch strategy. During operational flights, a modified Boeing 747 carrier plane carries LauncherOne up to an altitude of 35,000 feet (10,700 meters); the rocket then travels on its own into space. Virgin Orbit is part of billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Group. The launch window for the Demo 2 mission will run from Dec. 19 to 20, "with further opportunities available in the following weeks, if needed," company officials shared in a Nov. 30 statement. The company launched its Demo 1 test flight mission on May 25 from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, but terminated the mission shortly after the 70-foot-long (21 m) LauncherOne separated from under the wing of its carrier plane, Cosmic Girl. Mission failure was caused by an anomaly of LauncherOne's NewtonThree engine, the company said. Virgin Orbit did not carry any operational payloads during Demo 1, but the upcoming Demo 2 flight will aim to carry ten small cubesats into space. Virgin Orbit's carrier plane, Cosmic Girl, hauls the company's LauncherOne rocket aloft on the Launch Demo mission on May 25, 2020. LauncherOne did not reach orbit on the flight. Virgin Orbit's carrier plane, Cosmic Girl, hauls the company's LauncherOne rocket aloft on the Launch Demo mission on May 25, 2020. LauncherOne did not reach orbit on the flight. Hitching a ride on LauncherOne's Demo 2 flight are: the space-debris tackling CACTUS-1; the educational missions CAPE-3 and MiTEE; the exosphere-studying EXOCUBE-3; a satellite duo called PICS; a small radiometer called PolarCube; a mission facilitating microgravity experiments called Q-PACE; the space radiation-observing RadFXSat-2; and a technology demonstration mission called TechEdSat-7. The deployment of these cubesats is part of Virgin Orbit's collaboration with NASA's Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) and the space agency's Launch Service Program (NASA LSP). https://www.space.com/launcher-one-second-demonstration-launch-date 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Registration Now Open ** Free for the first 500 registrants ** 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference 15 to 18 March 2021 1500 to 2000 GMT daily via Zoom (0700 to 1200 PST) Four online days of powerful talks given by industry and subject matter experts. Registration is open and FREE for the first 500 registrants. https://www.aircraftcabinair.com/ Following on from the success of the 2017 and 2019 Aircraft Cabin Air Conferences, the 2021 conference will be an essential four-day free modular online event via Zoom. Providing an in-depth overview or update for all those seeking to understand the subject of contaminated air, the flight safety implications, the latest scientific and medical evidence investigating the contaminated air debate and the emerging solutions available to airlines and aircraft operators. The 2021 conference will be the biggest conference ever held on the issue. Who should participate? Airline Management - Aircraft Manufacturers - Safety equipment providers - Health & Safety Regulators - Maintenance Companies - Airline Safety Departments - Air Accident Investigators- Crew & Unions - Policy Makers- Press & Media - Aircraft Insurers - Leasing Companies - Scientists - Occupational Health Professionals - Academics & Researchers - Engineers Register Curt Lewis