Flight Safety Information - March 31, 2021 No. 066 In This Issue : Incident: Delta B752 at Salt Lake City on Mar 30th 2021, bird strike : Incident: American B38M near Nassau on Mar 29th 2021, pitch trim issue/failure : Incident: Southwest B737 at Denver on Mar 30th 2021, speedbrake arming issue : Incident: United B739 at Denver on Mar 30th 2021, flaps problem : Indonesia recovers cockpit voice recorder of crashed Sriwijaya Air jet : IATA says travel pass app to launch on Apple mid-April : FAA Publishes Preflight Briefing Guide for Pilots : American Airlines Regional Carrier That Told Pilots to Delay COVID Jabs Denied Flight Attendants Paid Pandemic Leave : NATA and TSI Continue to Inspire Excellence in Safety Management with New Series : Boeing Selects Artex Distress Tracking Emergency Locator Transmitter for GADSS Compliance on Commercial Aircraft : SpiceJet ties up with Avenue Capital to buy 50 new aircraft : Alaska Air to purchase additional 23 737-9 MAX from Boeing : Saab Has Begun Testing 3D Printing To Repair Battle-Damaged Fighter Jets : China's top airlines post wider fourth-quarter losses on asset impairments : American Airlines readies more jets to meet rising demand : SpaceX lost its fourth Starship prototype in a row Incident: Delta B752 at Salt Lake City on Mar 30th 2021, bird strike A Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200, registration N651DL performing flight DL-8944 from Salt Lake City,UT to Memphis,TN (USA) with the Utah Jazz Basketball Team on board, was climbing out of Salt Lake City's runway 35 when the left hand engine (PW2037) ingested at least one bird. The crew stopped the climb at about 8000 feet and returned to Salt Lake City for a safe landing on runway 34L about 15 minutes after departure. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL8944/history/20210330/1910Z/KSLC/KMEM https://avherald.com/h?article=4e52aeea&opt=0 Incident: American B38M near Nassau on Mar 29th 2021, pitch trim issue/failure An American Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration N302SA performing flight AA-987 from Miami,FL (USA) to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) with 135 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at FL330 about 30nm south of Nassau (Bahamas) when the crew reported a pitch trim issue, pitch trim failure and decided to return to Miami. The aircraft began its descent towards Miami while turning back. The crew requested a long final (15nm) and landed safely on Miami's runway 09 about 50 minutes after turning around. The crew advised after roll out no further assistance was needed and taxied to the apron. A replacement Boeing 737-8 MAX registration N339SU reached Santo Domingo with a delay of 3.5 hours. The FAA reported they are going to investigate the occurrence but referred to the airline for further details. The airline released following statement: American Airlines flight 987, with service from Miami (MIA) to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SDQ), reported a possible mechanical issue after departing MIA on March 29. The aircraft landed safely at MIA without incident and taxied to the gate on its own power. All customers deplaned normally, and there were no reported injuries to any customers or crew. A replacement aircraft was used to fly our customers to SDQ while our maintenance team evaluated the original aircraft. Additional background: - The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX with 135 passengers and six crew members. - A component of the main electric trim system became inoperative. Our pilots ran the appropriate checklist, which included manually trimming the aircraft. They returned to MIA and landed uneventfully. The issue was not related to MCAS. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL987/history/20210329/1455Z/KMIA/MDSD https://avherald.com/h?article=4e52a7cb&opt=0 Incident: Southwest B737 at Denver on Mar 30th 2021, speedbrake arming issue A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7704B performing flight WN-903 from Tampa,FL to Denver,CO (USA), was on final approach to Denver's runway 34R when the crew went around, declared emergency advising ATC they had a speed arming issue and did have insufficient time to calculate their numbers. The aircraft climbed to 9000 feet, positioned for an approach to runway 35L and landed safely at a normal speed about 15 minutes after the go around. The aircraft went around only a few minutes after another go around and emergency, see Incident: United B739 at Denver on Mar 30th 2021, flaps problem. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/SWA903/history/20210330/1705Z/KTPA/KDEN https://avherald.com/h?article=4e52bc88&opt=0 Incident: United B739 at Denver on Mar 30th 2021, flaps problem An United Boeing 737-900, registration N37466 performing flight UA-1260 from Las Vegas,NV to Denver,CO (USA), was on final approach to runway 34R when the crew went around early. The aircraft climbed to 8000 feet, the crew declared emergency and subsequently reported a flaps issue, they could not extend their flaps into the landing position. When requested to climb to 11,000 feet the crew advised "with that much stuff we have out we'd rather not go back into the ice" and remained on 8000 feet MSL. The aircraft landed safely on runway 34L at a higher than normal speed (about 190 knots over ground) about 30 minutes after the go around. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/UAL1260/history/20210330/1916Z/KLAS/KDEN https://avherald.com/h?article=4e52bb6a&opt=0 Indonesia recovers cockpit voice recorder of crashed Sriwijaya Air jet JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has recovered the cockpit voice recorder from a Sriwijaya Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea in January, and the air accident investigator said on Wednesday it could take up to a week to be able to listen to the recording. The CVR could help investigators understand the actions taken by the pilots of the doomed jet, which crashed shortly after take-off on Jan. 9, killing all 62 people on board. A preliminary report by investigators released in February said the plane had an imbalance in engine thrust that eventually led it into a sharp roll and then a final dive into the sea. The report included information from the flight data recorder (FDR). Divers found the casing and beacon of the CVR from the 26-year-old Boeing Co 737-500 within days of the crash but had been searching for the memory unit in relatively shallow but muddy waters, where currents are sometimes strong. The CVR of Srwijiaya flight 182 was located late on Tuesday, Indonesia's transport minister told a media conference. A navy official said it had been found under a metre of mud. "We will take CVR to lab for reading, about three days to one week," Indonesia National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) head Soerjanto Tjahjono said. "After that we'll transcribe and match it to FDR. Without a CVR, in the Sriwijaya 182 case it would be very difficult to determine the cause." Safety experts say most air accidents are caused by a combination of factors that can take months to establish. Under international standards, the final report is due within a year of the crash. https://www.yahoo.com/news/indonesia-recovers-cockpit-voice-recorder-014129551.html IATA says travel pass app to launch on Apple mid-April DUBAI (Reuters) - Global airline industry body IATA said on Wednesday a digital travel pass for COVID-19 test results and vaccine certificates would be launched on the Apple platform in mid-April. The digital travel pass, currently in the testing phase, had been planned to be launched by the end of March. IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East Kamil Alawadhi said it was expected to launch on the Apple platform around April 15, and later for the Android platform. "But the application will only achieve its success once airlines, different countries, airports adopt it," Alawadhi said. UK-based carrier Virgin Atlantic said on Friday it would trial the IATA app on its London to Barbados route from April 16. Barbados has said it will accept the pass at its border, one of the first countries to accept a digital pass instead of paper documentation. IATA has said its travel pass will help speed up check-ins. "A huge amount of airlines have requested to be on board," Alawadhi said. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/iata-says-travel-pass-app-095225306.html FAA Publishes Preflight Briefing Guide for Pilots Guide offers a blend of traditional printed briefing tools as well as new technologies. Safe flights always begin with an in-depth preflight briefing. The FAA recently published advisory circular 91-92, a guide to assist pilots in completing a comprehensive preflight briefing. The AC, aimed at Part 91 operators, will serve as an educational roadmap for the development and implementation of preflight self-briefings, including planning, weather interpretation, and risk identification/mitigation skills. The guide says, “Pilots adopting these guidelines will be better prepared to interpret and utilize real-time weather information before departure and enroute, in the cockpit, via technology like Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and via third-party providers.” In addition to two pages chock full of additional reading resources for pilots—that offers them a closer look at how flight service stations operate today—the guide includes a review of how to find important information on aeronautical charts and a dozen or so of the FAA’s most useful handbooks such as the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), the Aviation Weather Cam System in Alaska, Canada and Colorado, a look at the Aviation Weather Center (AWC) and the agency’s Risk Management Handbook. The AC also delivers guidance on how pilots can best utilize the bevy of new technological tools now available via the Internet. https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/faa-publishes-preflight-briefing-guide/ American Airlines Regional Carrier That Told Pilots to Delay COVID Jabs Denied Flight Attendants Paid Pandemic Leave Piedmont Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines which operates regional flights under the American Eagle brand has been accused of failing to offer its flight attendants paid pandemic leave when staffers test positive for COVID-19 or when they have to self-isolate because they are identified as a close contact. The policy to make flight attendants use their own sick days for pandemic-related absences is in stark contrast to the approach taken by its mainline parent company which boasts of the initiative on its corporate website. Other regional carriers including Envoy and PSA also offer flight attendants pandemic sick leave. “While other airlines negotiated paid or non-punitive pandemic leave, Piedmont management penalized Flight Attendants,” allege the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) which represents crew at the Marland-based carrier. “Management forced us to use our own sick leave when we tested positive for COVID, likely at work, or when required to quarantine due to a known COVID exposure,” a statement from the union continues. “Almost no other airline requires Flight Attendants to use their own sick leave for COVID related absences.” Piedmont employs around 10,000 workers and operates close to 400 daily departures between 55 destinations across the eastern United States. The airline’s fleet of 50 seater Embraer ERJ-145 twin-engine regional jets are not fitted with hospital-grade HEPA air filters as standard but they can be retrofitted. Flight attendants at American Airlines mainline are entitled to up to two weeks of paid time off if they are awaiting test results, have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 or have themselves tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. Piedmont Airlines flight attendants are, however, made to use their own sick leave to cover for these eventualities. Last week, Piedmont was in the news after it asked some pilots to delay getting a vaccinated due to high demand across its network. The airline’s chief pilots told colleagues that in order to maintain “operational reliability” they should “attempt to schedule later in the month”. Piedmont said that it encourages all employees to get vaccinated but that a surge in travel demand was making it difficult to release pilots from their duties. An FAA requirement that pilots wait for at least 48-hours after receiving their shot before returning to work was making the situation even more complicated. “While we encourage every pilot to get vaccinated, the requirement to wait 48-hours before returning to flight duty is causing serious crew coverage concerns,” one memo sent to pilots explained. Piedmont has been contacted for comment. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2021/03/30/american-airlines-regional-carrier-that-told-pilots-to-delay-covid-jabs-denied-flight-attendants-paid-pandemic-leave/ NATA and TSI Continue to Inspire Excellence in Safety Management with New Series National Air Transportation Association (NATA) The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s, Transportation Safety Institute (TSI) announce the launch of the virtual safety management “Inspire Series.” The Inspire Series complements the in-person TSI/NATA Air Transport Safety Management Certification (ATSM) course by providing a conduit to continue important safety management conversations with world-class subject matter experts. The first installment of these monthly webinars will take place on April 15, 2021, featuring Dr. Tony Kern who will cover “Learning Again for the First Time: The Gift of Lost Proficiency.” Attendees receive a digital certificate from the U.S. DOT/NATA, as well as .5 CEU toward Aviation Safety Officer qualification. “As the industry moves toward Safety Management Systems (SMS), NATA is pleased to partner with the DOT and TSI to provide access to experts, resources, and training that assist our members with SMS program inception, and then throughout its evolution,” stated Michael France, NATA Managing Director, Safety and Training. “We are thrilled by the excellent feedback on the value of the ATSM to our members, as well as the opportunity to build on that success with this virtual opportunity.” Upcoming topics include: • Creating Safety Leaders from the Frontline Team • Understanding & Controlling Risk Using the Bowtie Methodology • Perspectives from the FAA SMS Office • Managing Safety Performance Using the Bowtie Methodology • The Fastest Way to Crash a Safety Program • “NATA and TSI have a shared mission in advancing safety and empowering safe aviation businesses,” stated Roger Hood, TSI Senior Air Safety Investigator and Training Manager. “Any opportunity to foster ongoing conversations about risk management, safety improvement, and positive safety culture represents a win for the industry and the traveling public.” https://www.aviationpros.com/education-training/press-release/21216471/national-air-transportation-association-nata-nata-and-tsi-continue-to-inspire-excellence-in-safety-management-with-new-series Boeing Selects Artex Distress Tracking Emergency Locator Transmitter for GADSS Compliance on Commercial Aircraft ACR Electronics has signed an agreement with The Boeing Company to supply its new distress tracking ARTEX ELT 5000 (DT) with crash survivability, enabling compliance with the new Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS) regulations. The next generation ARTEX ELT will be available to support Boeing production aircraft to meet the new International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) GADSS initiative recommendations that are being adopted into regulations by various regulatory bodies, such as EASA. Triggered by a potential distress condition from independent aircraft monitoring, the 406 MHz ARTEX ELT 5000 (DT) intelligently activates and will automatically begin transmitting 406 MHz distress messages with the current location in real time while the aircraft is in-flight. The distress tracking provides the precise location of the aircraft to assist the relevant monitoring bodies in order to respond to the alert quickly and effectively. The ICAO standard for the distress tracking element of GADSS is applicable as of January 2023 for new-build aircraft. Prompted by the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the mandate requires certain aircraft to autonomously transmit position information once every minute or less when an aircraft is in distress. In addition to in-flight distress tracking, with next generation ELT technology installed, the final location of an aircraft can be more accurately determined. This enables rescue services to reach downed aircraft faster and helps to ensure prompt recovery of flight recorders. John Nguyen, president of ACR Electronics, said: “We are excited to announce the agreement with The Boeing Company for our new distress tracking ELT program, confirming that the ACR equipment will be offered on Boeing aircraft starting late in 2022. This has been a multi-faceted program to develop a next generation ELT solution that will future proof our customers’ aircraft with a state-of-the-art emergency distress signaling and tracking solution. We have one of the industry’s most experienced and knowledgeable engineering teams who understand and strive to exceed our customers’ needs and expectations.” The ELT 5000 (DT) delivers an existing First-Generation Beacon (FGB) packaging solution that allows easy migration to Second-Generation Beacon (SGB) technology. When the supporting SGB satellite infrastructure is available, ACR will be ready to migrate easily with the existing ELT 5000 (DT). The ELT 5000 (DT) will also support Return Link Service (RLS). The ARTEX ELT 5000 (DT) is also offered to the market in combination with SKYTRAC’s Autonomous Distress Tracking (ADT) system as a complete GADSS solution. ACR Electronics, Inc. designs and manufactures an array of ARTEX ELT’s, battery packs, and ELT accessories. ARTEX ELT’s serve a wide category of aircraft ranging from general aviation to the world’s leading airframe manufacturers, large commercial airlines, and government aircraft. This device has not been authorized by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission, FAA, EASA or Cospas-Sarsat. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, until authorization is obtained. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/commercial-airline/press-release/21216571/artex-aircraft-supplies-boeing-selects-artex-distress-tracking-emergency-locator-transmitter-for-gadss-compliance-on-commercial-aircraft SpiceJet ties up with Avenue Capital to buy 50 new aircraft SpiceJet MD says the alliance will ensure a seamless induction of the planes in our fleet and help us plan better for the long term. Avenue Capital specialises in the field of aircraft leasing Homegrown carrier SpiceJet has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New York-based Avenue Capital Group for financing, acquisition and sale and lease-back of 50 new planes. The MoU sets out the next steps and conditions upon which Avenue, as part of the deal, will assist with placing SpiceJet's new aircraft portfolio. It includes sale and lease-back of and also the assumption of ownership of potentially up to 50 of these aircraft. Avenue Capital Group specialises in the field of aircraft leasing and has identified the new planes to be ordered by SpiceJet as a unique opportunity for investment. Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, said, "We are delighted to enter into this strategic alliance with Avenue Capital Group and we look forward to closely working with them. This alliance will ensure a seamless induction of the planes in our fleet and help us plan better for the long term." Besides, the no-frills carrier has said it will add 66 new flights, including additional services on certain routes, in its domestic network from this week. These new flights, which will be operated with Boeing 737s and regional jet Bombardier Q400s, are aimed at augmenting connectivity between metro and non-metro cities as part of its enhanced network. https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/aviation/spicejet-ties-up-with-avenue-capital-to-buy-50-new-aircraft/story/435298.html Alaska Air to purchase additional 23 737-9 MAX from Boeing (Reuters) - Alaska Air Group Inc said on Tuesday it would buy an additional 23 737 MAX 9 jets, in a move that highlights growing confidence in Boeing Co’s aircraft following a 20-month safety ban triggered by two fatal crashes. The amended deal, under which deliveries are expected between 2023 and 2024, is also expected to increase the pace at which the airline’s fleet shifts back to Boeing planes. Alaska, for which 737 MAX order book inclusive of options and lease commitments stands at 120 airplanes, may exercise further options to purchase 15 aircraft with deliveries between 2023 and 2026. In December, Seattle-based Alaska Air had agreed to buy 23 MAX 9 jets, an order worth about $2.96 billion at list prices before significant discounts. (reut.rs/3cyQekS) The Alaska Air deal comes just a day after Boeing said it sold 100 new 737 MAX-7 jets to long-time customer Southwest Airlines, in its biggest order win since the safety ban was lifted. Earlier this month, the planemaker won orders for 24 of the 737-8 model from a backer of Canadian low-cost carrier Flair Airlines. The 737-9 is expected to use 20% less fuel and reduce emissions by 20% per seat compared with airplanes it replaces, Boeing said in a statement. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alaska-boeing-orders/alaska-air-to-purchase-additional-23-737-9-max-from-boeing-idUSKBN2BM357 Saab Has Begun Testing 3D Printing To Repair Battle-Damaged Fighter Jets Trials of a 3D-printed replacement part aboard a Gripen fighter could pave the way to a new concept of battle damage repair for combat aircraft. Swedish defense and security firm Saab has begun flight-testing of 3D-printed parts on its Gripen multirole fighter as part of a battlefield damage repair trial. Starting with a single exterior hatch on the jet, the company is confident that rapidly produced spare parts will eventually be able to allow battle damage to be temporarily fixed while these aircraft are deployed at remote locations, ensuring a high operational tempo can be maintained. Saab announced today that it has already completed a first test flight with a 3D-printed replacement exterior part. The trial at the company’s Linköping airfield on March 19 involved a two-seat Saab JAS 39D Gripen fighter with a replacement hatch fitted on the rear fuselage. Made of a nylon polymer called PA2200, the part was furnished using “additive manufacturing” — better known as 3D printing. Saab has utilized 3D printing to produce parts for its aircraft in the past, but never for an exterior part like this. Meanwhile, the company’s Additive Manufacturing Group has been exploring the possibilities for 3D-printed parts in these kinds of battlefield damage repair scenarios for four years. “Post-flight initial inspection of the hatch was very positive and showed no visual structural changes had occurred from the flight,” said Håkan Stake, contract manager for support to Gripen C/D, and manager of the development project. “The potential of this approach means that maintenance personnel in the field can get access to individually fitted spare parts and you no longer have to resort to emergency fixes nor cannibalize other broken-down aircraft for their parts, while also further reducing the small number of parts brought on a deployment,” Stake added. “This also reduces the operational time lost in repairs.” In an operational scenario, the idea is that, with only minimal infrastructure and resources available, a replacement part could be scanned on-site — even at a dispersed airfield or austere highway strip — and then quickly printed, as an exact replica of the original, and attached to the jet. In this way, different types of battlefield damage could be addressed without the need to bring huge quantities of spares out “into the field,” reducing the deployed footprint. That could provide a huge advantage when deploying quickly to an unfamiliar location, whether for an exercise or a combat operation. In particular, structural parts take up considerable volume, most of which could be saved by shifting to a 3D-printed spare parts model. For example, the hatch used in the initial flight trials is repeatedly used to access parts of the chaff and flare countermeasures system on the Gripen and is prone to damage even in daily use. From a 3D printing perspective, this wasn’t the hardest item to print, but it proved the possibility of scanning an item without access to 3D modeling, fitting it to the aircraft, then taking to the air for another mission. Before the Gripen could fly with the hatch fitted, the component itself had to be exhaustively tested, to prove its strength and resilience to temperature. Meanwhile, multiple suction tests demonstrated that it would remain safely attached to the aircraft and not come adrift. While the Gripen has not flown supersonically with the hatch attached, officials from Saab’s Additive Manufacturing Group say they think this would be entirely possible. Saab officials stressed that the latest test is a proof of concept for the PA2200 polymer, but they think that other materials could be utilized for the same type of battlefield damage repairs, too, and also that larger parts could be produced, up to 3 x 3 meters, compared to the 60 x 60 centimeters possible today. After all, the new-generation Gripen E that’s in production for Brazil and Sweden already uses titanium structural parts that are made using 3D printing. Using other materials in the process also opens up the path to creating more complex parts, too. That could even extend into flight-critical parts, too, such as a Gripen elevon or canard foreplane. That, however, would require a more extensive program of testing to prove the strength and resilience of the end product. Overall, though, the potential benefits of this technology would seem to far outweigh the time and effort required to approve them for operational use. Not only does Saab expect 3D printing to reduce the total weight of the items being replicated, but also to trim production lead times, and even reduce cost by up to 60 percent. The company says it has already proven this using a 3D-printed version of a still-classified “highly complex airborne subsystem.” Saab told The War Zone that established Gripen customers see huge potential for 3D battlefield damage repair but would not name the particular countries that have expressed an interest. But with dispersed operations in mind, the company has come up with a container-based 3D “printshop” that could be taken on operations, like the highway exercises that the Swedish Air Force regularly practices. Under this concept, ordinary highways become austere operational airstrips, to serve as a complement to wartime main and reserve airbases. A container operation printing polymer spare parts could be managed by perhaps just two operators, who would not require particularly intensive training, Saab officials claim. While the first test used a scan-print-fit approach, it might not always be possible to accurately scan a part that’s too badly damaged or perhaps missing altogether. In that scenario, a “print on demand” model might be used instead, with the required part called up from a database and then printed in the containerized workshop. The company is also still assessing just how resilient different kinds of replacement parts need to be. It might be that a 3D-printed replacement item only needs to be cleared for 10 to 15 flights, or maybe just one, keeping the aircraft in the mission loop while waiting for a factory-made replacement to arrive. That, in turn, would speed up the path to operational clearance for such parts. Saab’s first tentative steps into this kind of high-tech battlefield damage repair are focusing on parts likely to be damaged by handling or become worn out in everyday use. Before this kind of capability can be deployed in an operational scenario, additional testing is required. But it’s easy to see that, ultimately, the same kinds of techniques being pioneered here could be used to repair an aircraft returning to base with damage inflicted by enemy forces, too. Aircraft expected to work in particularly high-threat environments like the U.S. Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II or various attack helicopters would appear to be obvious candidates for this kind of technology, were it to become more widely available. While that may be some way in the future, the prospect of being able to produce spares on-site, at remote locations, is one that clearly has significant implications for air arms deployed away from their home bases for any length of time. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/39997/saab-has-begun-testing-3d-printing-to-repair-battle-damaged-fighter-jets China's top airlines post wider fourth-quarter losses on asset impairments BEIJING/SYDNEY (Reuters) - China's three biggest airlines on Tuesday reported weaker results for the final quarter of 2020 on asset impairments though some analysts still expect a rebound this year as domestic travel rises. China Southern Airlines fell to a fourth-quarter net loss of 3.38 billion yuan ($514.37 million) after a third-quarter profit. It booked a 2020 loss of 10.8 billion yuan after .impairments on planes, engines and other equipment of 4 billion, with much of its international fleet still grounded due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Beijing-based Air China, the country's flag carrier, said its net loss widened to 4.3 billion yuan in the fourth quarter from 671 million yuan in the third, taking its full-year loss to 14.4 billion yuan. Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines said its net loss widened 2.7 billion yuan from 563 million, spelling a full-year loss of 11.8 billion yuan. China's domestic air travel market has quietly overtaken the once-dominant U.S. market in size during the pandemic. But multiple coronavirus outbreaks before last month's Lunar New Year halted the rebound and could lead to first-quarter losses, analysts said. Now, with temporary testing and quarantine restrictions once again lifted, airfares are rebounding to pre-pandemic levels, bolstering the bottom lines for Chinese airlines despite rising fuel prices and somewhat a weaker currency. "The chance is high this year that the airline industry can reach a breakeven level," said Chen Cheng, lead small and midcap analyst at Renaissance Capital Advisors. "The potential upside will come from further easing of travel restrictions in China and business travel will become the main driver towards the second half of the year." A gradual recovery in international travel in the second half should mean net profits for the top three carriers, according to analysts at Shenzhen-based Guoxin Securities. ($1 = 6.5712 Chinese yuan renminbi) https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/chinas-top-airlines-post-wider-134544640.html American Airlines readies more jets to meet rising demand (Reuters) - American Airlines said on Monday it expects to fly most of its fleet in the coming months thanks to strong domestic and short-haul international bookings as COVID-19 infection rates and hospitalizations decline and more people receive vaccines. American said that as of March 26, average bookings for the next seven days had reached 90% of levels experienced before the pandemic upended air travel in 2019, with a domestic load factor of about 80%. "The Company presently expects this strength in bookings to continue through the end of the first quarter and into the second quarter," it said in a regulatory filing. Shares in U.S. airlines, which parked hundreds of jets as demand plummeted last year, have climbed this year amid hopes for a recovery. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 1.57 million passengers on Sunday, the highest number since March 2020. Following the increase in travel demand so far this year, American said it expects its system capacity to be down between 40% and 45% in the first quarter to March 31 versus the same period in 2019, compared to its previous guidance for a 45% decline. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/american-airlines-readies-more-jets-144204956.html SpaceX lost its fourth Starship prototype in a row SpaceX is still having trouble completing Starship test flights. As Ars Technica reports, the company lost its SN11 Starship prototype roughly six minutes into its high-altitude journey. It's not clear exactly what happened, but the engine bay camera feed dropped soon after one of the Starship's engines relit for the landing sequence, and parts from the destroyed vehicle fell on the landing site afterward. Elon Musk noted that the second engine had problems during both the ascent and landing burn, but it theoretically wasn't necessary. More details should come after SpaceX got a chance to examine the debris, the executive said. It's a potential setback for SpaceX. Earlier prototype flights were successful right up to the landing, and SN10 even stayed on the ground before exploding 10 minutes later due to fuel line breaks. SN11 didn't even make it back to the ground — a concern when flights are supposed to improve on past work. This doesn't represent a crisis for SpaceX. It's building each new Starship prototype in three weeks or less, and its next version could be a more advanced model. Still, there's mounting pressure on the firm to overcome these failures and move closer to putting Starship into commercial service. VIDEO https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/spacex-loses-sn11-starship-prototype-151339952.html Curt Lewis