Flight Safety Information - December 29, 2020 No. 262 In This Issue : Incident: UPS B752 at Louisville on Dec 28th 2020, hydraulic failure : EVA Air COVID-19 Scandal Widens After Four Flight Attendants and Four Pilots Sacked : Lyon Aviation Joins the Air Charter Safety Foundation and ASAP : FAA publishes new rules on drone operations : A pilot’s perspective on the ‘toxic fume events’ controversy : FAA to reform new airplane safety approvals after 737 MAX crashes : Delhi Airport Says It’s Ready for Vaccine Distribution Challenge : New FAA rule requires Remote ID for drones : 2020 Canceled 21 Years Of Aviation Growth : Meet the woman who wants to pilot Air India (and the pilots opposing her) : EPA Sets Emissions Limits for Jet Aircraft : Lockheed Martin misses F-35 jet delivery target due to COVID-19 : Japan developing wooden satellites to cut space junk : NTSB - Position Available - Transportation Disaster Assistance (TDA) Specialist : 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Incident: UPS B752 at Louisville on Dec 28th 2020, hydraulic failure A UPS United Parcel Service Boeing 757-200, registration N468UP performing flight 5X-342 from Louisville, KY (USA) to San Juan (Puerto Rico) with 3 crew, was climbing out of Louisville's runway 17R when the crew requested to level off at 5000 feet to run checklists. The crew subsequently indicated they needed to return to Louisville and declred emergency as a precaution advising they would need to do everything manually including dropping the landing gear, later advising they had lost the left hydraulic system. The aircraft positioned for an ILS approach to runway 17R, advised tower they had no nose wheel steering, would try to make the high speed turn off and needed a tow afterwards, if they couldn't make the highspeed turn off, they'd need to be towed off the runway. The aircraft landed safely on runway 17R, the aircraft vacated the runway via the high speed turn off. The aircraft is still on the ground about 7 hours after landing. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UPS342/history/20201228/0617Z/KSDF/TJSJ http://avherald.com/h?article=4e118d8b&opt=0 EVA Air COVID-19 Scandal Widens After Four Flight Attendants and Four Pilots Sacked EVA Air has admitted that it has sacked a total of four flight attendants and four pilots for breaking COVID-19 epidemic control measures, while a fifth pilot remains under investigation. The Taiwan-based airline made the admission following the revelation that one of the sacked pilots broke a 250 day COVID-19 free streak in the country when he brought the virus back from an international layover and infected a local woman. The incident caused an outcry in Taiwan where health officials have managed, so far, to keep a lid on the novel Coronavirus with fewer than 800 cases so far detected since the pandemic started in March. “The company has always attached great importance to discipline, and the vast majority of crew members on the front line of duty face transportation and epidemic prevention tasks with a cautious and serious attitude,” the airline said in a statement on Tuesday. “Regrettably, since March, there are still 4 flight attendants and 4 pilots who have violated the epidemic prevention regulations. The company has removed all of them from their posts, as an example,” the statement continued. As a result of the sacked New Zealand pilot’s action, EVA Air said it would now clamp down even further on international aircrew in an attempt to avoid a repeat occurrence. A spokesperson said flight attendants and pilots would now be required to wear face masks, goggles and gloves whenever they leave their hotel room in an international destination, although crew would be encouraged to shelter in place during their layovers. In fact, the airline said it was now working with hotels in certain destinations to record the movements of its crew to ensure they don’t leave their hotel rooms or have visitors stay over. In many countries, there are no restrictions placed on aircrew which is in accordance with official advice from the World Health Organization (WHO). EVA Air believes the New Zealand pilot was infected during a layover and then failed to comply with strict self-isolation rules on his return to Taipei. The pilot is now known to have visited crowded public spaces while infectious but lied to contract tracers in what’s believed to have been an attempt to cover up for the fact that he broke quarantine rules. Since that incident, the airline will now require crew to take a COVID-19 test before being released from home quarantine. Aircrew are already only permitted to operate a maximum of two international flights that require a layover per month because of the strict quarantine rules. In addition, pilots will be required to wear a face mask at all times during a flight unless they are actively eating or drinking. Only one pilot at a time will be permitted to remove their face mask to eat or drink. In contrast, many airlines permit pilots to remove their face masks on the flight deck because wearing a mask could interfere with aircraft operation and communication. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2020/12/29/eva-air-covid-19-scandal-widens-after-four-flight-attendants-and-four-pilots-sacked/ Lyon Aviation Joins the Air Charter Safety Foundation and ASAP Air Charter Safety Foundation Lyon Aviation has joined the non-profit Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) and its Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). The ACSF provides an array of programs for its 240-plus members, enabling them to achieve the highest levels of safety in personal, charter and business aviation. The ASAP is a separate program available within the ACSF, which is administered by the ACSF in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Participation in the ASAP program enables employees to voluntarily report significant safety concerns, non-compliance with regulations and other unusual events. Each report is investigated, and corrective actions are determined based on a non-disciplinary approach to flight safety. Mike Lyon, chairman of the Board and Principal for Lyon Aviation, said his company’s rationale for joining ACSF is to further enhance his company’s safety profile. “ACSF allows us to be part of a larger safety picture and continue the sharing of knowledge and events to make the industry that much better,” he commented. “And the ASAP program gives us the ability to hunt out and highlight issues that otherwise may not be reported. Partnering with the FAA and ACSF will offer us another perspective regarding safety concerns.” “It’s companies like Lyon Aviation, with their obvious safety focus, that strengthen our ACSF membership,” said ACSF said Bryan Burns, ACSF president. “We look forward to their active participation in our organization as well as in our Aviation Safety Action Program.” https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21204050/air-charter-safety-foundation-lyon-aviation-joins-the-air-charter-safety-foundation-and-asap FAA publishes new rules on drone operations The Federal Aviation Administration has published two new rules for drone operations that it says will increase safety in the fastest-growing sector of the aviation industry today. The FAA says on 28 December that its Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft Final Rule and its Operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Over People Final Rule are ”the next incremental step[s] towards further integration of unmanned aircraft (UA) in the National Airspace System”. “The new rules make way for the further integration of drones into our airspace by addressing safety and security concerns,” says FAA administrator Steve Dickson. “They get us closer to the day when we will more routinely see drone operations such as the delivery of packages.” The remote ID rule will require drones to broadcast a type of remote identification and location information without requiring them to be connected to the internet, increasing situational awareness for both operators and authorities, the FAA says. “Remote ID provides identification of drones in flight as well as the location of their control stations, providing crucial information to our national security agencies and law enforcement partners, and other officials charged with ensuring public safety,” the FAA says. “Airspace awareness reduces the risk of drone interference with other aircraft and people and property on the ground.” The rule, which is expected to go into effect in early 2021, allows drone manufacturers 18 months to produce aircraft with the remote ID capability. It allows operators one further year to begin using drones with remote ID. The second rule governs where and under which conditions remote pilots can fly their aircraft. For the first time it grants blanket permission for FAA-certified drone pilots to overfly people and at night. Under current so-called FAA Part 107 regulations, operators must have a specific individual waiver allowing them to conduct such flights. Remote pilots must complete an updated knowledge test or recurrent online training in order to be considered qualified to conduct these flights, the FAA says. The drones will also be required to have anti-collision lights that can be seen for up to three statute miles (5km), and these must be operational. The new regulations pave the way for delivery drone companies like Alphabet’s Wing, Amazon, Elroy Air and UPS to speed up development of their commercial drone delivery systems. Similar tests are ongoing in Switzerland and Japan. The FAA says there are currently 203,000 certified remote UAS pilots in the United States, and 1.7 million registered drones, and that drone-flying is the fastest-growing segment of aviation today. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/faa-publishes-new-rules-on-drone-operations/141767.article A pilot’s perspective on the ‘toxic fume events’ controversy Recent reports have highlighted the occurrence of “fume events” in aircraft. In the most extreme cases, pilots became disorientated and had to don emergency oxygen masks. Cabin crew and passengers reported feeling nauseous and dizzy. Between January 2018 and December 2019, 362 fume events were reported to NASA, with 400 crew and passengers requiring post-flight medical attention, according to reporting by the LA Times. Of these flights, pilots on 73 of them used emergency oxygen. So how real is this threat and is it something that you, as a passenger, should be worried about? How aircraft are pressurized The engines on a modern jet airliner provide more than just thrust to drive the aircraft forward. One of those other functions is to provide air to pressurize the cabin. The fuselage of an aircraft is, for all intents and purposes, a sealed metal tube and for good reason. The atmospheric conditions outside at 39,000 feet are inhospitable, to say the least. Air temperatures can be as low as minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit and the oxygen concentrations are so low that a human will become unconscious in a matter of seconds. With the fuselage largely sealed off, air inside would run out pretty quickly so it needs to be replaced on a continuous basis. However, there are other parts of the aircraft designed to draw in several tons of air every minute — the engines. The engines Aircraft engines operate in a four-stage process, colloquially known as “suck, squeeze, bang, blow.” First, the air is sucked into the front of the engine before it is then compressed in the “squeeze” phase. It then enters the combustion chamber of the aircraft where it is ignited before the final stage where it is blown out the rear of the engine, creating thrust to drive the aircraft forward. However, this high-pressure air created in the engines serves other purposes, too. Depending on the engine type, at certain stages of the process, some air is “bled” out of the system, known as “bleed air.” Due to the high pressure and temperature of this air, it can be used to stop ice from forming on the wings, start other engines and pressurize the cabin. This allows passengers and crew to breathe as if they are on the ground. On an aircraft like the Boeing 777, high-pressure bleed air is directed to the air conditioning packs, which sit in the belly of the aircraft. Using a combination of heat exchange methods, utilizing cooler (think minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit) air from outside, the hot bleed air is cooled. Once it has been cooled to an acceptable temperature, it is then directed towards a unit that removes moisture. After this, it heads towards another unit where it is mixed with some of the original hot air. It is here where the temperature required in the cabin is created. Finally, the conditioned air flows into the cabin, providing the air to pressurize the cabin at a temperature that keeps you comfortable. Detecting smells and odors When we detect a smell, there are a number of factors that determine our interpretation of the odor and how we respond to it. These include the intensity of the smell, the expectation of smelling it at that particular time, our individual experience and the frequency of the smell. For example, if you smell fuel when filling up your car, you’re not surprised because you’ve had this experience before and, as a result, you’re not alarmed because you expect it. If, however, you were sitting in an office and started to smell fuel, you might be a little concerned. Depending on the situation and your own personal experience, this concern would elevate your stress levels, leading to a response that may or may not be commensurate to the threat posed. Aircraft are complex machines and, as a result, there are a whole number of reasons why an odd smell could be detected in the cabin. Exhaust fumes from other aircraft on the ground, hydraulic fluid leaks, residues from engine compressor washes and even from pollution in the air outside. This summer, California suffered the worst wildfires on record with millions of acres of land being lost. Flying into Los Angeles airport during this time, there was a distinct layer of smoke as aircraft made their approach to land. Within seconds of flying through this, the smell of burning wood was clearly present in the aircraft. Not a threat to the safety of those on board, but still, it would have taken those in the cabin by surprise. Smoke from wildfires can be smelt in the cabin as aircraft fly through smoke layers in the climb and descent. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images) In a small number of events, fumes in the cabin have been caused by contaminated bleed air from the engines. In these cases, faults in oil seals have allowed burnt oil vapors to enter the cabin air supply via the bleed air. However, one of the main sources of odors in cabin air isn’t actually from the engines, it’s from the auxiliary power unit (APU). The APU Sat in the tail of most commercial airliners is a small engine called the auxiliary power unit (APU). This is used on the ground to provide electrical power and also to provide air for starting the engines and the air conditioning system. Like the main engines, the air is bled off the APU to and directed towards the environmental conditioning system (ECS), which regulates the pressure and temperature of the air in the cabin. Whilst on the ground, the APU inlet is a relatively easy entry point for contaminants such as de-icing fluid, vehicle exhaust gases and oil. Investigations into odor events have found that, once airborne with the APU switched off, the contaminants already in the system were found to be responsible for a large number of odor events; the engines were only suspected as they were providing the bleed air at the time. What is being done to prevent this? With the knowledge that most odor events can be sourced back to the APU, airlines and manufacturers have implemented steps to reduce the chances of this air entering the environmental control system (ECS). Airbus recommends that pilots leave the APU bleed running for a few minutes before turning the air conditioning packs on. This will allow any contaminant to be flushed out before it enters the ECS. In addition, some airlines have been fitting guard bars to the area around the APU inlet. This acts as a physical barrier to prevent oil and other liquids from getting into the APU in the first place. How pilots keep the aircraft safe Should the crew detect an odd smell during a flight, their first act is to protect themselves. If they deem it necessary, they can don their oxygen mask. If things get really bad, we can carry out a procedure that evacuates the air from the cabin. Oxygen masks In the flight deck, the oxygen masks are a little different (and more complicated) to those in the cabin. In order to protect us in the event of smoke or fumes, the masks also contain fully enclosed goggles to protect our eyes. Once the masks have been donned, establishing communication with the other pilot is key. Due to the goggles, our peripheral vision is drastically reduced and all audio conversation via the intercom is conducted over a background of heavy breathing. If you think of a standard Darth Vader sound effect, you won’t be far off understanding what it sounds like. This is part of the reason why we will delay making an announcement to the passengers too soon. Smoke, fire and fumes removal When dealing with a smoke or fumes event, pilots will initially run the smoke, fire and fumes checklist for their aircraft type. Part of this gives us the option to attempt to remove the smoke or fumes from the cabin. This procedure involves opening up the outflow valves, normally used to control the cabin pressurisation and then opening the ram air inlet. This forces fresh air from the outside directly into the cabin, taking any contaminated air with it as it exits through the outflow valves. However, this is quite an involved procedure so it may not be pertinent to try this when close to landing; just focus on landing the aircraft safely. The 787 Dreamliner As I mentioned, most aircraft use bleed air to pressurise the cabin. This means that despite being filtered before entering the air conditioning systems, the air you breathe has still come via the engine. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, however, is different. Instead of using air from the engines or APU, Boeing designed the aircraft to use air taken directly from the outside. As the engines aren’t then losing energy to power the air conditioning system, it also makes them more efficient. More efficient engines equal lower carbon emissions. Air is taken into the aircraft by two dedicated inlets just below where the front of the wing meets the fuselage. To protect these inlets, two deflector doors deploy in front of them during normal ground operations and the landing phase of flight. This stops large contaminants such as stones and birds from being taken into the air conditioning system. This air is then directed into four electrically operated cabin air compressors (CACs). The air is pressurised and sent to two identical air conditioning packs. Each pack has two dedicated CACs, however, a single CAC is enough to power a single pack. This airflow is controlled by regulating the cabin air compressors. CAC output is automatically increased during periods of high demand, for example, to compensate for a failed pack. It is also limited during times of low aircraft electrical output to ensure that there is enough power available to run other critical systems. From here, the supply of air to the cabin is much the same as other aircraft, except when it comes to another important factor — moister air. The air on the 787 is much moister than on other types, particularly compared to the 777. On the Dreamliner, the crew are able to set exactly how many passengers are on board. The air-conditioning system then uses this number to optimise the humidity of the air being directed into the cabin creating an environment much more like that on the ground. Should you be worried about toxic fumes? When you read of 362 reported fumes events in a two-year period, it seems quite a lot. However, according to the Bureau of Transport Statistics, part of the Department of Transport, during the same time there were around 16 million flights. That means that there was a fumes event in only one in every 44,198 flights. To put that into perspective, statistically speaking, you’d have to get on a flight every single day for 121 years before you experienced a fumes event. When put like that, it doesn’t seem like much to worry about. As a pilot myself, I am not concerned. Yes, like all threats to safety, I am respectful of the danger, but it is not something that will stop me from doing the job I love. The 787 is a game-changer when it comes to air quality in aircraft. Due to the fact that it does not use bleed air for the air conditioning system, it is not at risk from contaminated air in the same way as the majority of other aircraft types are. If you are really concerned, try to book your next flight with an airline that flies the 787 on the route. Bottom line A 2017 study by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) found that the air quality found in aircraft is similar, if not better, than many enclosed environments on the ground such as offices, schools and homes. “To state the obvious, there is no contaminant-free indoor environment,” it continued. “The aircraft cabin is no exception. However, due to the exceptional high air-exchange rates in aircraft, the cabin air has been proven to be less polluted compared to normal indoor environments … volatile contaminations in the cabin are thus depleted quickly.” Whilst the number of reports of fumes in the cabin do seem to be increasing, the overall numbers are still incredibly small. From the statistics mentioned previously, you have a one in 219,000 chance of being involved in a fumes event serious enough for the pilots to require the use of their masks, you’re 20 times more likely to be injured by a toilet. As your pilot, our number one priority is to keep you safe and, in a selfish kind of way, if we keep ourselves safe, we keep you safe. https://thepointsguy.com/news/pilots-perspective-toxic-fumes-situation/ FAA to reform new airplane safety approvals after 737 MAX crashes WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday it would reform how it certifies new airplanes in line with legislation passed by Congress after two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people. Lawmakers approved sweeping reforms in legislation signed into law Sunday by U.S. President Donald Trump that boosts FAA oversight of aircraft manufacturers, requires disclosure of critical safety information and provide new whistleblower protections. The FAA said in a statement it “will work to implement the changes as directed by Congress. The FAA is committed to continuous advancement of aviation safety and improving our organization, processes, and culture.” Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican who chairs the Commerce Committee, said in an opinion piece Monday the law “will take steps to protect against manufacturers placing undue pressure on employees during the certification process.” Wicker added the law “should help restore the safety culture in the FAA.” An FAA survey released in August found some safety employees reported facing “strong” external pressure from industry and raised alarms the agency does not always prioritize air safety. The FAA lifted the 20-month grounding of the 737 MAX last month. The MAX is set to resume U.S. commercial passenger flights Tuesday, when American Airlines begins flying the MAX on a Miami to New York flight. The legislation requires an independent review of Boeing’s safety culture. Boeing, which faces an ongoing criminal investigation into the MAX, has not commented on the new law. The FAA must report to Congress on implementation of recommendations issued after the 737 MAX crashes. “You can’t legislate cultural change, but we’re darn sure going to try to increase the safety goals,” Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, said in an interview. The law repeals rules allowing FAA employees to receive bonuses or other financial incentive based on meeting manufacturer-driven certification schedules or quotas. “We’re not going to pay people at the FAA to move planes faster,” Cantwell said. “This is about getting safety right.” The law authorizes civil penalties against aviation manufacturer supervisors who interfere with employees acting on behalf of the FAA, authorizes new resources for FAA to add key technical staff and requires it to review pilot-training. The United States has not had a fatal U.S. passenger airline crash since February 2009 and only one fatality due to a U.S. passenger airline accident in that period. The FAA credited the decline in fatalities in part “because the FAA established robust information-sharing programs throughout the aviation industry that encouraged openness.” https://www.reuters.com/article/boeing-737max-congress/faa-to-reform-new-airplane-safety-approvals-after-737-max-crashes-idUSL1N2J901G 1`Delhi Airport Says It’s Ready for Vaccine Distribution Challenge • ‘Huge logistics exercise’ to dispense covid shots: Jaipuriar • India now has more than 10 million confirmed coronavirus cases Distributing vaccines around India will pose plenty of logistical headaches given the size of the country, its vast population and number of coronavirus cases, now at more than 10 million. For its part, India’s busiest airport is “completely ready” to handle Covid-19 vaccines, according to Delhi International Airport Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, but there could be issues elsewhere considering more remote areas may not be equipped with sufficient equipment and containers. “One of the key challenges will be the availability of cold chain across India,” he said. New Delhi’s airport -- Indira Gandhi International -- will be a main handling point and has facilities to store 2.7 million vials of vaccine at 2-to-8 degrees Celsius, as well as cooling chambers that can keep temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, Jaipuriar said. “As soon as we get an indication on what’s going to be the flow, we will do the final tune up and then we will be ready to go,” Jaipuriar said in an interview with Bloomberg News during a tour of the airport’s facilities on Dec. 22. He said there was also capacity to potentially export vaccines to nearby countries. India is relying largely on two domestically made vaccines from Bharat Biotech International Ltd. and the Serum Institute of India Ltd., which has partnered with AstraZeneca Plc to produce at least one billion doses. Ultra-cold storage requirements for Pfizer Inc.’s shot make it an unlikely choice for widespread use given India’s patchy health networks and infrastructure, especially in rural areas where the bulk of the country’s nearly 1.4 billion people live. According to Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking, a measure of the best places to be in the Covid-19 era, India is a long way down the list, ranked No. 39 out of 53 economies in December, below even the U.S. and Brazil. New Zealand -- with its closed borders, vaccine deals and elimination of the virus in the community -- remains No. 1. India, along with China, the world’s most-populous nation, both slipped in the ranking versus November. While both countries have secured over two billion shots with multiple developers, that’s less per capita coverage than many smaller places. “This is a huge logistics exercise that needs to be worked out in detail for the vaccine to reach every nook and corner,” Jaipuriar said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-29/delhi-airport-says-it-s-ready-for-vaccine-distribution-challeng New FAA rule requires Remote ID for drones The FAA today announced that it will be issuing two new rules for drone pilots in the U.S. The first is the implementation of a long-awaited Remote ID. The system effectively works as a kind of digital license plate for unmanned aircraft, broadcasting identifying details, including the location of the craft. The full text of the finalized new rule can be found here. In short, drone operators will have one of three methods for complying: 1. Operate a standard Remote ID drone that broadcasts identification and location information of the drone and control station; 2. Operate a drone with a Remote ID broadcast module (may be a separate device attached to the drone), which broadcasts identification, location, and take-off information; or 3. Operate a drone without Remote ID but at specific FAA-recognized identification areas. While some drone operators are likely to be put off by additional regulations, their arrival is understandable given the sheer volume and speed of drone adoption. The FAA says that more than 1.7 million drones have been registered in the U.S., along with around 203,000 certifications for drone pilots. Those numbers will likely only snowball as more drones are deployed for commercial purposes. Notably, the FAA sees the new rules as a method for accelerating drone deliveries in the U.S. “The new rules make way for the further integration of drones into our airspace by addressing safety and security concerns,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a release tied to the news. “They get us closer to the day when we will more routinely see drone operations such as the delivery of packages.” Also new is the “Operations Over People and at Night” rule, which, as the name implies, regulates both the ability to fly over people and fly at night. The rule features a number of different qualifications for compliance, including weighing less than 0.55 pounds to fly overhead. According to the rule, “small unmanned aircraft must not cause injury to a human being that is equivalent to or greater than the severity of injury caused by a transfer of 25 foot-pounds of kinetic energy upon impact from a rigid object, does not contain any exposed rotating parts that could lacerate human skin upon impact with a human being, and does not contain any safety defects.” In order to fly at night, drones need to sport operational anti-collision lights that can been see for three miles. The rules are set to be officially published next month, officially becoming effective 60 days later. Drone makers will have a year-and-a-half to begin adding Remote ID to their devices. In August, the FAA granted Amazon permission for delivery trials. https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/28/new-faa-rule-requires-remote-id-for-drones/ 2020 Canceled 21 Years Of Aviation Growth Data released by aviation analysis and data business Cirium shows that COVID-19 and its fallout has canceled 21 years of global aviation growth. This year, airlines worldwide operated 49% fewer flights than in 2019, and passenger traffic was down 67% this year. Cirium says just 16.8 million flights operated in 2020, the lowest figure since 1999. “This severe setback shows the true extent of the challenge faced by the struggling aviation sector as it has sought to reset itself in the new post-COVID-19 era,” says Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium. The data comes from Cirium’s Airline Insights Review 2020. The review uses raw statistics to show the full impact of COVID-19 on the global airline industry. Cirium says airlines operated 49% fewer flights in 2020 than in 2019. There were 33.2 million flights in 2019. Up until December 20, there were just 16.8 million flights in 2020. Most of those flights (13 million or 77%) were domestic flights, while 3.8 million (or 23%) were international flights. The review says the most popular aircraft in 2020 was the Airbus A320. That aircraft type operated 6.07 million flights. Cirium suggests that’s because domestic and short-haul flights dominated in 2020. They also note that while 30% of the worldwide passenger fleet remains in storage, only 10% of the Airbus A320neo planes are still in storage. Domestic flights ruled the skies in 2020 While domestic flights ruled the skies this year, it was still down 40% on 2019 levels, dropping from 21.5 million flights to 13 million. International flights decreased by 68%. There were 11.7 million international flights in 2019 and just 3.8 million international flights this year. Cirium says the busiest day in 2020 was January 3, when over 95,000 flights crisscrossed the skies. In contrast, the slowest day was April 25, when only 13,600 flights operated. That represents an 86% decrease. In terms of flight numbers, the busiest airport this year was Atlanta. The United States airport handled over 250,800 arriving flights in 2020. South Korea owned the busiest route. Some 71,900 flights operated between Seoul and Jeju. Breaking it down by airline, Southwest Airlines ruled the roost in 2020. That airline not only operated the most flights in North America (869,800 flights in 2020) but the most of any airline worldwide. Ryanair was the busiest airline in Europe, operating 207,000 flights. Chinese powerhouse airline China Southern took the mantle in the Asia-Pacific region, running 500,700 flights in 2020. In Latin America, São Paulo based Azul Airlines operated 138,500 flights. Qatar Airways took the busiest airline crown in the Middle East and Africa, operating 84,100 flights. Cirium believes the aviation industry will push through While the Cirium review paints a pretty bleak picture, Cirium doesn’t think it’s all gloom and doom. “Cirium is confident aviation will weather this difficult and terrible year and emerge in better shape – with younger more fuel-efficient aircraft and right-sized fleets – and will gradually navigate its way to recovery in the years ahead,” said Mr. Bowen. Cirium thinks 2021 will see a few trends emerge, continuing over the short to medium turn. They suggest there will be more consolidation, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region where new domestic airlines will merge or be acquired. Cirium also thinks there will be more new-generation aircraft flying. These include the aforementioned A320neo, but also the Boeing 737 MAX. Older and larger aircraft will be retired. Some of these older planes will get reconfigured into freighters. How demand is forecast is also changing. Cirium expects to see more importance put on on-line searches and searches to calculate demand. As a result, scheduling will need to be more dynamic, and airlines will need to be more flexible. The booking window is falling from between six to 12 months out to just six to eight weeks ahead. Increased flexibility means airlines will put greater emphasis on leasing. Cirium expects aircraft leasing to push past 50% and become the primary way aircraft are financed. Cirium’s new analysis puts hard numbers on what most of us already knew – the airline industry has changed this year and will continue to do so. As for the future, many of those trends Cirium predicts are also well underway. The question is, how far will these changes go, and how long-lasting? https://simpleflying.com/2020-canceled-21-years-aviation-growth/ Meet the woman who wants to pilot Air India (and the pilots opposing her) • Mallik joined Indian Airlines as a management trainee in 1989 in Kolkata. She studied in Odisha and holds a BSc (Hons.) degree in physics and an MBA from Utkal University. She played a key role in Air India’s Vande Bharat mission MUMBAI: In the long-running saga of Air India privatisation, an unlikely figure has emerged with an ambition to pilot the carrier. Meenakshi Mallik, who serves on the flag carrier’s board as director (commercial) and has worked at the airline for 31 years, is the face behind the employees' bid to acquire Air India. She and 218 other employees have placed an expression of interest (EoI) for the airline, responding to the Preliminary Information Memorandum (PIM) issued by the government. While she seemed confident in a communication to the employees who have signed up to be a part of the consortium, the plan is facing staunch opposition from the company’s pilots, who view the management with suspicion. Separately, the Tata Group and a US-based fund named Interups--run by executives of Indian origin--have also submitted EoIs. Early in January, the Centre will announce the qualified bidders. The battle for the airline will play out subsequently. Rise through the ranks Mallik joined Indian Airlines as a management trainee in 1989 in Kolkata. She studied in Odisha and holds a BSc (Hons) degree in physics and an MBA from Utkal University. Her father Upendranath Malik was a 1961-batch IAS officer, who served in senior positions in the Odisha government. Her mother Rajkumari Malik was a doctor. Most recently, she played a key role in Air India’s Vande Bharat mission. But how does Mallik plan to acquire a mammoth airline saddled with staggering debt with a ragtag band of colleagues? The answer has two parts. One is to partner with a private equity fund that will finance the bid while letting employees retain control of the airline. Second is that the support of the employees will be the biggest political hurdle in the privatisation bid. Partly due to this, the government has built in adequate provisions into the PIM to allow an employees-led consortium to take control of the airline. A consortium that enjoys the support of the employees is likelier to be able to effectively take control and successfully helm the flag carrier. In a recent letter to the members of her group, Malik had spelt out the plan: “Due to the support we will receive from the financial partner, while I anticipate that each of us will have to make a contribution of no more than ₹1,00,000 ( ₹1 lakh), to bid for the company, this is a detail which I will be better placed to convey to you all once we have passed the initial stage of the EoI." Mint has reviewed a copy of the letter, in which she praises the group’s collective effort and vision which has enabled them to consider a bid for “our Palace in the Sky". Responding to questions from Mint, Mallik said the employees' bid was separate from those of Interups Inc and the Tata Group. She did not respond to other questions and declined to be interviewed. Interups, which has submitted an expression of interest (EoI) for Air India, is, however, interested in tying up with the airline’s employee consortium, Laxmi Prasad, the company’s chairman told Mint. The company is ready to offer 51% of the airline stake to the employees' consortium, provided it wins the bid, he said, in response to messages seeking comment. "Willing and continuing employees will be offered 51% in the consortium that acquires the airline. No capital investment is required," Prasad said. But little is known about Interups, a fund that principally manages the wealth and retirement corpus of high-networth, non-resident Indians. Mallik’s plan has not seen the smoothest of start, though. For one, not many employees have joined the consortium, although it’s unclear if the group has been kept small by design for initial stages. "Only a small number of employees (219 in this case) came out to place a bid as probably it didn’t make sense for others to join the consortium," a senior official at the airline said, speaking on the condition of anonymity, pointing out that the national carrier has close to 10,000 permanent employees on its rolls. Malik’s bid has also faced opposition from the two big pilot unions of the airline--Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) and Indian Pilots’ Guild-- (IPG), both of whom have asked its members to not take part in the bid. "Most of the members of the bidding consortium are not directly involved with operations of the airline. Also, pilot bodies like ICPA and IPG are seeking reversal of huge pay cuts and immediate payment of arrears from management. Considering many in the bidding consortium are part of the management, and have taken a namesake pay cut of 10% or so, as compared to 50-70% pay cut for pilots, and have done nothing for the pilots, we have asked pilot union members to stay away from bidding," said a senior pilot with the airline, who requested anonymity. A banker, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the challenge with an employee consortium acquiring the airline was not just the capital but also the management bandwidth. “I believe that even if they are able to arrange capital, these consortia lack management bandwidth. It is no mean feat to run an airline as not only does it need deep pockets but also a lot of experience in managing something as big in an industry that is volatile," said a senior banker at a large public sector bank. While there is no dearth of naysayers, if Mallik is able to drum up support of a significant number of employees, she could emerge as a key figure in forming a viable consortium. As things stand, there is little clarity about the shape the final bid will take, as the government is yet to spell out the exact contours of the airline’s debt restructuring. Air India’s net debt as on March 2019 stood at a whopping ₹58,255 crore, of which ₹29,464 crore has been moved into a special purpose vehicle, or a company created for a specific purpose—in this case, the asset restructuring of the airline. https://www.livemint.com/companies/people/meet-the-woman-who-wants-to-pilot-air-india-and-the-pilots-opposing-her-11609213080912.html EPA Sets Emissions Limits for Jet Aircraft • First-ever rules help ensure U.S. jet makers can meet international rules and sell abroad • The new rules create efficiency standards to limit carbon-dioxide and nitrous-oxide emissions from commercial airliners and large business jets. WASHINGTON—The Environmental Protection Agency said Monday it has set its first-ever climate standards for commercial airliners and large business jets, aligning U.S. rules with global standards and giving jet makers eight years to comply. The move follows years of momentum internationally to address the airline industry’s contribution to climate change. The sector accounts for about 2% of the global carbon emissions that are warming the planet, according to U.S. data and environmental groups. The EPA first proposed the rule in July while under legal pressure from environmental groups and amid concern from U.S. jet-makers about international sales. The new rules create efficiency standards to limit carbon-dioxide and nitrous-oxide emissions from commercial airliners and large business jets in the U.S. starting in 2028. Aircraft companies have to apply the limits to any new designs starting this year. The core of these regulations adopt metrics established by the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations’ commercial-aviation regulator. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in July that the U.S. aviation industry had made it clear the agency should be adopting those standards to ensure consistency globally. The EPA’s action helps prevent U.S. jets from getting shut out of the international market. U.S. manufacturers export three of every four aircraft they make, the EPA has said, and U.S. companies face the potential of losing those sales if their planes don’t meet international standards. Shippers and companies that buy aircraft have been concerned such rules could raise costs. But manufacturers, including Boeing Co. , have been supportive, aiming to avoid any potential risk to their international business. Mr. Wheeler called the rules historic and said they would help the U.S. continue to be a world leader in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson, Ariz.-based advocacy group, criticized the new rules as not being aggressive enough and as not mandating technology or operational changes for aviation companies. The group is one of two environmental organizations that gave the EPA a formal notice in January that they intended to sue over the matter, saying the EPA wasn’t following through on a 2016 scientific assessment that aircraft emissions endanger public health and welfare. That finding was a legal prerequisite for the new rules the EPA has now finished. Mr. Wheeler signed the new rules last week ahead of the Christmas holiday. They go into effect once they are published in the Federal Register. https://www.wsj.com/articles/epa-sets-emissions-limits-for-jet-aircraft-11609190107 Lockheed Martin misses F-35 jet delivery target due to COVID-19 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp said on Monday it had missed its target to deliver 141 F-35 fighter jets to the United States and its allies in 2020, as it built 8% fewer jets after the coronavirus pandemic hampered its supply chain and factories. The defense contractor delivered 123 aircraft in 2020, underperforming its target established in late 2019. The company in May revised down the target to 117-123 aircraft due to parts shortage. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-lockheed-f35/lockheed-martin-misses-f-35-jet-delivery-target-due-to-covid-19-idUSKBN2921JC Japan developing wooden satellites to cut space junk Japan plans a 2023 launch of the world's first satellite made out of wood. A Japanese company and Kyoto University have joined forces to develop what they hope will be the world's first satellites made out of wood by 2023. Sumitomo Forestry said it has started research on tree growth and the use of wood materials in space. The partnership will begin experimenting with different types of wood in extreme environments on Earth. Space junk is becoming an increasing problem as more satellites are launched into the atmosphere. Wooden satellites would burn up without releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere or raining debris on the ground when they plunge back to Earth. "We are very concerned with the fact that all the satellites which re-enter the Earth's atmosphere burn and create tiny alumina particles which will float in the upper atmosphere for many years," Takao Doi, a professor at Kyoto University and Japanese astronaut, told the BBC. "Eventually it will affect the environment of the Earth." "The next stage will be developing the engineering model of the satellite, then we will manufacture the flight model," Professor Doi added. As an astronaut he visited the International Space Station in March 2008. During this mission, he became the first person to throw a boomerang in space that had been specifically designed for use in microgravity. Sumitomo Forestry, part of the Sumitomo Group, which was founded more than 400 years ago, said it would work on developing wooden materials highly resistant to temperature changes and sunlight. The wood it is using is an "R&D secret" a spokesman for the company told the BBC. Space junk Experts have warned of the increasing threat of space junk falling to Earth, as more spacecraft and satellites are launched. Satellites are increasingly being used for communication, television, navigation and weather forecasting. Space experts and researchers have been investigating different options to remove and reduce the space junk. There are nearly 6,000 satellites circling Earth, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). About 60% of them are defunct (space junk). Research firm Euroconsult estimates that 990 satellites will be launched every year this decade, which means that by 2028, there could be 15,000 satellites in orbit. Experts predict an increasing threat of space junk that will fall to Earth. Elon Musk's SpaceX has already launched more than 900 Starlink satellites and has plans to deploy thousands more. Space junk travels at an incredibly fast speed of more than 22,300 mph, so can have cause considerable damage to any objects it hits. In 2006 a tiny piece of space junk collided with the International Space Station, taking a chip out of the heavily reinforced window. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55463366 NTSB - Position Available - Transportation Disaster Assistance (TDA) Specialist The NTSB hiring a Transportation Disaster Assistance (TDA) Specialist in our TDA division. TDA works closely with federal, state, local, and volunteer agencies, as well as the transportation carrier, to coordinate disaster response activities following a transportation accident. Our team focuses on meeting the needs of transportation accident victims and their families during this difficult time. TDA specialists engage directly with victims and family members to address questions and provide investigative updates during the on-scene phase, and throughout the course of an NTSB investigation. Our ideal candidate will bring working knowledge of: · family assistance response operations following transportation accidents, natural disasters, criminal events, or other critical incidents or traumatic events; · domestic and foreign air carrier emergency response and family assistance operations, to include the development of family assistance programs and the interface with alliance and code-share partners, and airports in the implementation of family assistance response plans; and · U.S. civil airport emergency response operations with a specific focus on passenger and family assistance operations. Our ideal candidate will have experience in: · project or case management of victim or family assistance in the aftermath of transportation accidents, natural disasters, criminal events, or other critical incidents or traumatic events. To learn more about this opportunity and what we’re looking for, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/586748300 2021 Aircraft Cabin Air Conference Registration Now Open ** With over 500 registrants in just 10 days - the sponsors have extended the free registration to the first 1000 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 1000 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