Flight Safety Information - May 7, 2021 No. 092 In This Issue : Incident: Ural A321 at Moscow on May 5th 2021, rejected takeoff due to engine trouble : Incident: Calm AT72 near Churchill on May 2nd 2021, burning odour on board and erratic engine parameters : 06-MAY-2021 - Government of Madhya Pradesh Beechcraft B200GT King Air 250 accident : Mumbai air ambulance belly landing: DGCA orders ‘complete safety audit’ of operator; AAIB to probe accident : Passenger jet lands safely in LA after bird strikes engine : Small jet goes off runway at Ridgeland Airport; no injuries reported : Air Force begins clearing B-1Bs to fly as safety inspections continue : FAA Proposes Hefty Penalties for Unruly Air Passengers : Airlines have banned more than 4,000 passengers for unruly behavior in the last year — and some violators face more than $30,000 in fines : Analysis-Indian airlines risk consolidation, plane repossessions amid COVID-19 surge : Jobs boost as Qantas announce new aircraft base will be established in SA : Flexjet and Sentient Jet Parent Company Acquires Halo Aviation, U.K.-Based Helicopter Provider : Starliner test flight scheduled for July 30 : Royal Aeronautical Society - Maintaining Wellbeing: Opening up in the maintenance environment: 17 May 2021 - 18 May 2021 - Virtual Conference : ESASI Annual Seminar : Graduate Survey Incident: Ural A321 at Moscow on May 5th 2021, rejected takeoff due to engine trouble An Ural Airlines Airbus A321-200, registration VP-BBH performing flight U6-71 from Moscow Domodedovo (Russia) to Simferopol (Ukraine), was accelerating for takeoff from runway 32R when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed (about 25 knots over ground) due to trouble with one of the engines (V2533). The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. The aircraft is still on the ground in Moscow about 25 hours later. The status of Crimea and Simferopol is disputed. According to international law and United Nations the Crimea belong to the Ukraine although Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e6fbdcf&opt=0 Incident: Calm AT72 near Churchill on May 2nd 2021, burning odour on board and erratic engine parameters A Calm Air Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-200, registration C-FCRZ performing flight MO-484 from Thompson,MB to Rankin Inlet,NU (Canada) with 2 crew on board, was enroute at FL210 abeam Churchill,MB (Canada) when the crew noticed a burning odour on board followed by smoke. The crew noted a high ITT (Interstage Turbine Temperatur) and erratic oil pressure indications for the left hand engine (PW124B). The crew shut the engine down, declared emergency and diverted to Churchill for a safe landing. The Canadian TSB reported the operator sent maintenance staff to Churchill to examine the aircraft. http://avherald.com/h?article=4e701e99&opt=0 06-MAY-2021 - Government of Madhya Pradesh Beechcraft B200GT King Air 250 accident: Date: Thursday 6 May 2021 Time: 21:00 Type: Beechcraft B200GT King Air 250 Operator: Registration: VT-MPQ MSN: BY-373 First flight: 2019 Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: Gwalior Airport (GWL) ( India) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Indore-Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport (IDR/VAID), India Destination airport: Gwalior Airport (GWL/VIGR), India Narrative: A Beechcraft B200GT King Air 250, transporting remdesivir injections meant for critical COVID-19 patients, suffered an accident during an attempted landing on runway 06R at Gwalior Airport (GWL/VIGR), Madhya Pradesh. All three occupants were injured. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20210506-0 Mumbai air ambulance belly landing: DGCA orders ‘complete safety audit’ of operator; AAIB to probe accident NEW DELHI: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will probe the Thursday night belly-landing of an air ambulance in Mumbai. Directorate General of Civil Aviation chief Arun Kumar has ordered a “complete safety audit” of the aircraft operator Jet Serve Aviation. “The aircraft has suffered substantive damages so the AAIB will investigate this case,” said senior officials. There were five people on board — two pilots, a patient, an attendant and a doctor — on board the Beechcraft King Air C 90 which lost its tyre during take off from Nagpur Airport on Thursday night. An alert CISF personnel saw the wheel fall off the aircraft and reported the same to airport authorities. This allowed Nagpur ATC to alert the pilots of the turboprop and Mumbai Airport. Accordingly, the pilots decided to keep flying to exhaust fuel and the airport’s fire-fighters sprayed foam on the runway. Both these things were done to minimise chances of fire when the aircraft made a belly landing. Luckily, the pilots led by Captain Kesari Singh carried out a safe belly landing. As soon the aircraft (VT-JIL) came to a halt, Mumbai Airport fire-fighters sprayed fire retardants on it. An air ambulance with a lung transplant patient and four others carried out a ‘belly landing’—touchdown sans landing gear—at Mumbai airport after a wheel of the aircraft fell off during takeoff from Nagpur on Wednesday evening. Air ambulance makes ‘belly landing’ at Mumbai airport after wheel falls off “The airport’s emergency response team including the fire and rescue responders, follow-me vehicles, CISF, medical team amongst many others was activated instantly and on standby to provide immediate assistance to ensure the safe evacuation of the passengers. As a precautionary method, CSMIA also foamed runway 27 in order to avoid the aircraft catching fire. All passengers were evacuated safely and flights operating in and out of Mumbai Airport remain on schedule,” Mumbai Airport has said in a statement Thursday night. Several pilots want a detailed probe into the aircraft maintenance record of this operator, “especially a plane at Hyderabad with fuel leak issues”. Aviation industry insiders are questioning aircraft maintenance by Jet Serve Aviation and DGCA has now ordered complete safety audit. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/mumbai-air-ambulance-belly-landing-dgca-orders-complete-safety-audit-of-operator-aaib-to-probe-accident/articleshow/82453281.cms ***************** Date: 06-MAY-2021 Time: 21:09 Type: Beechcraft C90B King Air Owner/operator: Jet Serve Aviation Pvt Ltd Registration: VT-JIL MSN: LJ-1573 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Category: Accident Location: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM/VABB), Mumbai - India Phase: Landing Nature: Ambulance Departure airport: Nagpur-Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport (NAG/VANP) Destination airport: Hyderabad-Begumpet Airport (BPM/VOHY) Narrative: Beechcraft C90B King Air, VT-JIL, sustained substantial damage when it conducted a gear up landing at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM/VABB), Mumbai. All five POB were unhurt. One of the main wheels separated during takeoff from Nagpur for Hyderabad. The crew decided to divert to Mumbai where a belly landing was preformed. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/258998 Passenger jet lands safely in LA after bird strikes engine Authorities say an Allegiant Air jet has returned safely to Los Angeles International Airport after the crew reported striking a bird LOS ANGELES -- An Allegiant airliner returned safely to Los Angeles International Airport after the crew reported striking a bird Thursday morning, authorities said. Allegiant Air Flight 314, an Airbus A319 that was headed to Utah, landed without incident at 7:44 a.m., said Ian Gregor, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman. The jet experienced a bird strike to its No. 2 engine shortly after takeoff and returned to the airport for an inspection and an assessment, Allegiant spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said in an email. “The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the gate under its own power, where passengers deplaned normally,” she said. Grey said she did not immediately have further information about damage to the aircraft. A replacement jet was dispatched to take the passengers to Provo, Utah. The hazards of aircraft bird strikes were demonstrated by the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009 after geese were ingested in both engines. Since then, according to an FAA fact sheet, bird strike reporting increased to an average of more than 15,000 a year from 2015 through 2019. Less than 5% of strikes are damaging. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/passenger-jet-lands-safely-la-bird-strikes-engine-77536686 Small jet goes off runway at Ridgeland Airport; no injuries reported A small jet went off the runway around 10:30 a.m. May 5 at the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport (SC), causing damage to the aircraft, but no injuries were reported, officials said. “There were two pilots and three passengers aboard and no one was injured,” airport manager Danny Lucas said in a news release. “We have all the appropriate authorities on the scene investigating, and after talking with the FAA we reopened the airport around 1 p.m. Wednesday.” A small jet went off the runway May 5 at the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport, causing damage to the aircraft, but no injuries were reported. Lucas said the passengers declined medical attention at the airport and left to attend their appointments in the Lowcountry. As the Gulfstream G-150 landed, it was not able to stop in time and left the runway onto the runway excursion, coming to a stop in the wetlands area, Lucas said. A team of experts came to the airport to lift the jet and relocate it away from the runway. Lucas said the Federal Aviation Administration is leading the investigation for the National Transportation Safety Board. A small jet went off the runway May 5 at the Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport, causing damage to the aircraft, but no injuries were reported. The last accident at the airport happened Sept. 3 when a small aircraft traveled off the runway. Ridgeland Fire Chief Bradley Bonds said at the time there was one occupant, the pilot, who was able to escape the plane on his own. “This was a small, two-seater aircraft and the pilot was not injured during the accident,” Bonds said. “There was a small fuel leak from the plane, which was quickly taken care of by those on scene.” https://www.blufftontoday.com/story/news/2021/05/06/small-jet-goes-off-runway-ridgeland-airport-no-injuries-reported/4966817001/ ***************** Status: Preliminary Date: Wednesday 5 May 2021 Time: 10:32 LT Type: Gulfstream G150 Operator: TLD Aviation I LLC Registration: N22ST MSN: 251 First flight: 2008 Engines: 2 Honeywell TFE731-40AR Crew: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Total: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Ridgeland Airport, SC ( United States of America) Phase: Landing (LDG) Nature: Unknown Departure airport: New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, FL (KEVB), United States of America Destination airport: Ridgeland Airport, SC, United States of America Narrative: The Gulfstream G150 jet landed long and overran runway 36 into marsh. The right-hand main landing gear separated. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20210505-0 Air Force begins clearing B-1Bs to fly as safety inspections continue The Air Force is beginning to return B-1B bombers to the air after grounding the entire fleet last month to investigate a fuel system issue. Some Lancers resumed flight operations Monday, about two weeks after Air Force Global Strike Command ordered the fleet of 57 aircraft to stand down for safety inspections. The service declined to say how many were cleared for flight, citing operational sensitivities. “Individual B-1B aircraft will return to flight as inspections and maintenance directed during the stand-down are completed on each aircraft,” Global Strike said in a release Thursday. At issue is the bomber’s fuel filter, which keeps contaminants out of the fuel tank. An aircraft emergency at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, on April 8 led the Air Force to find a hole leaking fuel, which jeopardized the bomber’s ability to fly, The War Zone first reported. That led the service to ground the fleet in search of further problems. Entire B-1B bomber fleet grounded over fuel pump filter housing problem Air Force Global Strike Command indefinitely grounded the service’s 57 active B-1B Lancers amid safety concerns April 20. Rachel S. Cohen “Maintenance depot personnel disassembled the augmenter fuel filter housing and performed a series of robust inspections using the latest techniques,” including X-rays and blue-light tools, Global Strike said. “After each unit was determined to be free of defects, it was reassembled, pressure-checked, and returned to service.” Global Strike spokesperson Lt. Col. Will Russell declined to say how many aircraft were found to have the fuel filter issue so far. “The aircraft are still safe to fly and we are confident that this stand-down has resulted in increased safety within the B-1B fleet,” Maj. Gen. Mark Weatherington, the commander responsible for the bomber force under 8th Air Force, added in the release. USAF has grounded the entire B-1 fleet multiple times in the past few years, as the bombers have taken on major wear and tear after years flying combat missions in the Middle East. In addition to Ellsworth, B-1Bs are based at Dyess AFB, Texas, with a major maintenance shop at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. They no longer have a permanent presence in the Middle East, but still regularly fly to Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific. Lancers carry non-nuclear weapons. The ‘Bone’ heads to the boneyard The Air Force retired the first of 17 B-1 bombers planned to be divested as part of the fiscal 2021 budget. Valerie Insinna With the B-1s temporarily unable to fly, and six B-52s assigned to provide air cover for American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan, that leaves the B-2 fleet and the remaining B-52s available for missions. That’s not a problem, the Air Force says. “There is zero operational impact providing bomber task force support to combatant commands across the globe,” Russell said. “Air Force Global Strike bombers will continue to support anytime, anywhere if called upon.” Air Forces Central spokesperson Capt. Carrie Volpe said she’s not aware of any changes to bomber patrols in the region as a result of the fleet restrictions. Pacific Air Forces did not immediately comment on any impacts to bombers in the area; U.S. Air Forces in Europe spokesperson 2nd Lt. Charis Bryan declined to discuss operational specifics. Mark Gunzinger, a retired Air Force colonel who serves as the director of future concepts and capability assessments at the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, expects bomber task force operations are sustainable even with the current number of available aircraft. “The Air Force’s bomber [primary mission aerospace vehicle inventory] is now 86 aircraft. This is a new all-time low,” he said in an email. “There could be a problem if the Afghan mission should grow significantly and then last for a long period of time.” That could prompt the Air Force to scale back bomber patrols, then training and maintenance to keep planes available. “You can only do so much with so little,” he said. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-air-force/2021/05/06/air-force-begins-clearing-b-1bs-to-fly-as-safety-inspections-continue/ FAA Proposes Hefty Penalties for Unruly Air Passengers The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes civil penalties ranging from $9,000 to $32,750 against four airline passengers for allegedly interfering with and, in two cases, assaulting flight attendants who instructed them to obey cabin crew instructions and various federal regulations. The cases are as follows: $32,750 against a passenger on a Feb. 7, 2021 jetBlue Airlines flight from the Dominican Republic to New York. The FAA alleges the passenger failed to comply with multiple flight attendant instructions to wear a facemask; threw an empty alcohol bottle into the air, almost hitting another passenger; threw food into the air; shouted obscenities at crew members; grabbed a flight attendant’s arm, causing her pain; struck the arm of another flight attendant twice and scratched his hand; and drank alcohol that had not been served to her by the cabin crew. As a result of the passenger’s actions, the flight returned to the Dominican Republic. $16,500 – against a passenger on a Jan. 26, 2021 Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago, Ill., to Sacramento, Calif. The FAA alleges the passenger refused to comply with a flight attendant’s instruction to wear his mask over his nose and mouth when he boarded the aircraft and again when he took his seat. When a second flight attendant instructed the passenger to wear his mask over his nose and mouth, he became combative and used offensive language. A supervisor came on board and asked the passenger to leave the plane. As the passenger walked with his luggage toward the exit door, he called each of the two flight attendants “pathetic,” and hit one of the flight attendants with his bags.| $9,000 against a passenger on a Dec. 22, 2020 Delta Air Lines flight from Minneapolis, Minn., to Philadelphia, Penn. The FAA alleges the passenger got out of her seat during takeoff, began walking up and down the aisle, and repeatedly said she wanted to get off the aircraft. Multiple flight attendants repeatedly told the passenger to return to her seat and fasten her seatbelt, but she refused to comply. As a result, the flight returned to Minneapolis. $9,000 against a passenger on a Jan. 30, 2021 Alaska Airlines flight from Bozeman Mont., to Seattle, Wash. The FAA alleges the passenger did not comply with the airline’s facemask policy while boarding the plane, and flight attendants provided him with a facemask. The passenger was not wearing a mask when the plane left the gate, and flight attendants reminded him of the airline policy. Flight attendants repeatedly asked him to put on a mask as the plane taxied to the runway, but he failed to do so. As a result of his actions, the captain returned the flight to the gate and the passenger was removed from the plane. Federal law prohibits interfering with aircraft crew or physically assaulting or threatening to physically assault aircraft crew or anyone else on an aircraft. Passengers are subject to civil penalties for such misconduct, which can threaten the safety of the flight by disrupting or distracting cabin crew from their safety duties. Additionally, federal law provides for criminal fines and imprisonment of passengers who interfere with the performance of a crewmember’s duties by assaulting or intimidating that crewmember. The FAA is strictly enforcing a zero-tolerance policy toward passengers who cause disturbances on flights or fail to obey flight crew instructions in violation of the FAA’s regulations or engage in conduct proscribed by federal law. The passengers have 30 days after receiving the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency. The FAA does not identify individuals against whom it proposes civil penalties. Read the announcement at the FAA https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/airport-aviation-security/faa-proposes-hefty-penalties-for-unruly-air-passengers/ Airlines have banned more than 4,000 passengers for unruly behavior in the last year — and some violators face more than $30,000 in fines Refusing to wear a mask or other unruly behavior on an airplane has gotten more than 4,000 people banned by U.S. airlines over the past year. And a few people have ended up with thousands of dollars in fines — in one case, the federal government is requesting a more than $32,000 penalty. The civil penalty is one of four the Federal Aviation Administration announced it is seeking Wednesday against airline passengers who allegedly interfered with or assaulted flight attendants. A February 7 JetBlue flight headed to New York had to return to the Dominican Republic after a passenger refused to wear a face mask after being asked by flight attendants to wear one, threw an empty alcohol bottle and food, cursed at crew members, grabbed one flight attendant and hit another and drank alcohol that wasn't served to her. The administration is seeking a $32,750 fine in that incident — the highest requested since the pandemic began. The other fines range from $9,000 to $16,500. In two of those cases — one on a January 26 flight and one on a January 30 flight — passengers either refused to wear a mask or refused to wear it properly. The administration also announced three penalties last week for disruptive behavior, ranging from $14,500 to $31,500. The fines are high in part because of the FAA's zero-tolerance policy, announced in January. Airlines have referred more than 1,300 passengers to the agency for unruly behavior since February. But airlines have also instituted their own consequences for unruly behavior. While dozens of people were banned in the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot, the number has climbed since. Carriers told CBS News of hundreds on their lists — which are different from the federal No-Fly list — including some people banned for repeated non-compliance. The number of people banned since airlines started requiring masks in the last year is likely higher, as two major carriers do not release that information. • Alaska: 538 since May 11, 2020 • Allegiant: 15 since July 2 • American: does not report • Delta: more than 1,200 since May 4, 2020 • Frontier: 830 since May 8, 2020 • Hawaiian: 106 since May 8, 2020 • JetBlue: 140 since May 4, 2020 • Spirit: 604 since May 11, 2020 • Southwest: does not report • United: 750 since May 4, 2020 "With the federal mandate for air travel (including airports), and our face covering policy designed to ensure to the greatest degree that issues are addressed on the ground and potential violators do not board an aircraft, we find that the great majority comply," says a statement from Allegiant. "For the most part, those few who may need a reminder in flight also comply." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/passengers-airline-bans-unruly-behavior-fines/ Analysis-Indian airlines risk consolidation, plane repossessions amid COVID-19 surge NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s airlines are under renewed pressure to raise cash or face the risk of having to downsize, consolidate or have their planes repossessed by lessors as a surge of COVID-19 infections roils travel. Passenger traffic fell nearly 30% in April from a month before and has halved again so far in May, forcing even the country’s biggest and most cashed-up carrier, IndiGo, to gear up for the storm. IndiGo’s parent, Interglobe Aviation, will meet on Friday to consider an equity raising, just months after it abandoned plans to raise up to 40 billion rupees ($543 million) in January due to a speedy recovery in travel. With traffic plummeting, according to aviation ministry data, IndiGo’s cash burn is expected to rise to $3.4 million a day – a level last seen in September – from $2 million a day at the end of 2020, said an analyst who tracks the company. This means IndiGo, which has more than a 50% share of the market, may look to raise $543 million to $679 million amounting to at least two quarters of cash burn, said the analyst, who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak publicly. While IndiGo is seen as a survivor, the situation is far worse for a suite of smaller carriers, particularly those without large backers, some of which were already struggling before the coronavirus hit, say analysts. “India hasn’t provided much government assistance or support so the private airlines will need to turn to the private sector,” said independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie. The cash call comes as Indian carriers are expected to report total losses of $4-$4.5 billion in the fiscal year that ended on March 31 and will lose a similar amount this year, aviation consultancy CAPA India said in a note this week. With more people losing loved ones and the outlook on the economy, jobs and incomes turning down, a recovery in domestic travel, which had been expected by the end of 2021, may not come until at least the first quarter of 2022, analysts estimate. To make matters worse, several countries including the United States and Britain with whom India has had bilateral arrangements to operate charter flights have restricted arrivals due to high infection rates. The charters offered a lucrative revenue stream for local carriers after the Indian government shut down regular international flights when the pandemic hit. A recovery in international traffic to pre-COVID levels is expected only by 2024, according to CAPA. LESSORS LESS FORGIVING Smaller carriers like SpiceJet Ltd and privately owned GoAir could come under pressure to reduce capacity, find partners or consolidate, analysts say, particularly as aircraft lessors take a harder line. CAPA expects 250-300 planes to be grounded in the first half of the current fiscal year, while lessors may not be as patient as last year in allowing delayed repayments now air travel is resuming in places such as the United States and China. “There is now more demand for aircraft, and they would rather have the asset back than let airlines use it for free and depreciate it,” said Sanjiv Kapoor, former chief commercial officer of Indian airline Vistara. Debt forgiveness is also unlikely. “Lessors are united in not writing off airline debts and that won’t change, as some are also under severe threat of bankruptcy,” said Shukor Yusof, head of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics. GoAir plans to raise up to 25 billion rupees through an initial public offering, local media reported in March, though as the COVID-19 situation worsens the attraction for investors becomes less clear. While IndiGo, which took delivery of 44 new planes from Airbus last year, has not delayed lease payments, SpiceJet had missed payments even before COVID-19 hit, according to leasing industry sources, and its financial accounts state it has delayed payments during the crisis. GoAir and SpiceJet did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Any carriers that have planes repossessed will struggle once the market picks up. While CAPA says consolidation is inevitable, potentially leading to a 2-3 airline system, other analysts say it is still too early to predict an outcome. “This hopefully will be a temporary setback for all airlines. We will have to see if all the players will be able to weather the storm,” said Sobie. https://kfgo.com/2021/05/07/analysis-indian-airlines-risk-consolidation-plane-repossessions-amid-covid-19-surge/ Jobs boost as Qantas announce new aircraft base will be established in SA In a huge vote of confidence in South Australia, Qantas has today announced the establishment of an Embraer E190s aircraft base in South Australia. Working in partnership with the Marshall Liberal Government and Adelaide Airport Ltd, the base will create up to 200 jobs when fully operational. Together at Adelaide Airport for the announcement, Premier Steven Marshall and Qantas CEO Alan Joyce welcomed the partnership that will expand both Qantas and South Australia’s aviation networks and capabilities. “The establishment of an Embraer E190 aircraft base is a shot in the arm for the South Australian aviation industry,” Premier Marshall said. “The base will create aviation and maintenance jobs, increase tourism and position Adelaide as Australia’s regional aviation hub. “These are important priorities for our state’s economic development and represent a strong step forward in creating direct regional and international aviation connectivity.” Minister for Trade and Investment Stephen Patterson said the investment in South Australia by Qantas highlights the state’s capability to provide skilled workers across the aviation industry and is a great investment in the state’s ability to grow its national connectivity and tourism industry. “We have a number of significant tourism investment projects underway in South Australia and the news that Qantas will establish an aircraft base to increase direct flights from Adelaide will support that investment growth,” Minister Patterson said. “Bringing tourists into our state will further build our economy, fill our hotels at night, support our tourism businesses and drive further investment into South Australia as we look to expand our tourism facilities and experiences.” Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce, who was at Adelaide Airport with South Australian Premier Steven Marshall and Alliance Airlines Managing Scott McMillan, said the E190s were well suited to linking capital cities and regional centres. “Basing these aircraft in Adelaide means we can service South Australia better and help bring more visitors to the State,” Mr Joyce said. “The E190 is a great aircraft for the Adelaide market, with its size, range and economics opening up a number of new destinations that wouldn’t be viable with the larger 737 aircraft,” Mr Joyce said. “Instead of one or two flights a day with a larger aircraft, we can offer three or four flights a day on the E190, which gives customers a lot more choice about when they travel. “We’re continuing to see really positive signs of sustained recovery, with strong travel demand and forward bookings expected to see our domestic capacity back above 100 per cent of pre-COVID levels in the coming months. That’s great progress when you consider we were as low as 20 per cent of our normal flying levels at the height of lockdown. “The return to flying has huge flow on benefits, helping to boost tourism which is so vital to local economies and businesses around the country,” added Mr Joyce. Mark Young, Managing Director of Adelaide Airport, has welcomed today’s announcement, which will drive an additional 750,000 passengers through its doors each year. “We’re excited by Qantas’ decision to base the E190 Embraer aircraft at Adelaide Airport,” Mr Young said. “These aircraft are perfectly suited for the economics of emerging markets and off-peak services. Basing them in Adelaide gives us more capacity and greater flexibility including the option to work with Qantas to open up new short to medium haul destinations, which ultimately benefits all South Australian travellers.” Qantas initially anticipates three Embraer E190 aircraft, operated by Alliance Airlines on behalf of Qantas, to begin flights mid-2021, with two initial routes – Adelaide to Alice Springs and Adelaide to Darwin. Qantas intends to expand the base in the coming years as available aircraft and new domestic route opportunities arise. This will see the base accommodate up to five E190 aircraft at Adelaide Airport, creating up to 200 jobs across roles such as pilots, cabin crew, on-airport personnel and engineering. The five aircraft will increase inbound visitors to South Australia by 560,000 passengers a year, with an additional 190,000 passengers transiting in Adelaide. https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/news/media-releases/news/jobs-boost-as-qantas-announce-new-aircraft-base-will-be-established-in-sa Flexjet and Sentient Jet Parent Company Acquires Halo Aviation, U.K.-Based Helicopter Provider • Announcement comes just weeks after acquisition of U.S.-based Associated Aircraft Group helicopter provider • Positions companies to become global leaders in vertical flight • Enables Flexjet, Sentient Jet and other Directional Aviation OneSky Flight companies to develop the next generation of end-to-end private aviation offerings not available elsewhere U.K.-based helicopter provider Halo Aviation acquired by Directional Aviation’s OneSky Flight, parent of global private jet travel provider Flexjet, jet card provider Sentient Jet and on-demand charter providers PrivateFly and FXAIR. (Photo: Business Wire) LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Luxury fractional jet provider Flexjet and jet card pioneer Sentient Jet, today announced that they have a new sister company, Halo Aviation Ltd. (Halo), a leading provider of helicopter transportation services in the United Kingdom. The transaction follows the acquisition earlier this year of Associated Aircraft Group (AAG), the premier provider of executive Sikorsky helicopter service in the Northeastern United States. These moves position Flexjet, Sentient Jet and their sister companies, FXAIR and PrivateFly, on-demand jet charter providers in both the U.S. and Europe, to become leaders in vertical flight, further expanding their offerings and global operations. “My vision is to strategically position each of our flight providers to become a leader in its market” Halo and AAG, both manage fleets of some of the finest helicopters in the world and are leading providers of vertical lift and urban mobility services in their respective nations. This move will inject a new group of customers from Flexjet, the second largest fractional jet provider in the world, and Sentient Jet, which has 8,000 active jet card holders, and will pave the way for a unique end-to-end travel solution not offered by any other provider. The structure of these companies and their relationships to each other will offer differentiators in the market that other brands will not be able to duplicate – from the safety of flying managed fleets to the packaging of end-to-end flight solutions – these acquisitions will rebrand what the private jet traveler will want in a provider. “My vision is to strategically position each of our flight providers to become a leader in its market,” said Kenneth C. Ricci, Principal, Directional Aviation, parent of OneSky Flight and its member companies. “Flexjet is the preeminent global fractional ownership company, Sentient Jet offers the industry’s leading jet card and FXAIR and PrivateFly have uniquely-positioned offerings in the on-demand charter space. Now, with the acquisition of Halo and AAG, we can add another market to that list: Vertical lift.” Ricci added that the addition of Halo advances three important strategic goals, saying, “First, these acquisitions position us as a leader in the exciting future of vertical lift solutions. Second, it builds a core competency in urban mobility operations. Third it makes possible synergies with our other affiliated companies, like Flexjet and Sentient, allowing us to provide a complete aircraft travel solution. During the coming months, we will share with our customers and partners our plans for taking vertical lift services to the next level – perhaps through bolstering the fleet with a manufacturer order which could lead to a possible combination of powerhouse travel solutions.” Founded in 2009 by William Fanshawe and Therese Bewsey, Halo Aviation is a helicopter travel services provider with bases in the south of England, around London, in the Midlands and in the Channel Islands. Headquartered in Cranleigh, Surrey, Halo Aviation serves a clientele of leaders in business, government and other fields as well as leisure travelers, providing connections between airports and city centers and between short-haul domestic destinations such as musical festivals, racecourses and other sports and entertainment events. While other private aviation companies are expanding into the vertical lift market, they are doing so as aggregators of demand for charter vertical lift providers. In contrast, the recent Directional Aviation OneSky Flight acquisitions targeted companies with managed fleets, giving them full control of assets and operations, ensuring that their stringent safety standards are met, that service aligns with the highest standards of quality and that synergies with other companies in the OneSky family are realized. “The acquisitions of Halo and AAG by themselves make us a leader in vertical lift,” said Andrew Collins, OneSky’s on-demand private jet travel and vertical lift lead. “They also provide the foundation for the future of global mobility, with the capabilities to provide outstanding service on two continents; to provide a platform for the entry into service of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) technology. In addition, they offer a critical, customer-benefiting differentiator for their fellow OneSky companies, providing the link between airports and final destinations. We look forward to bringing to vertical lift the same commitment to excellence in customer service that we have to our other private aviation markets.” The helicopters in the fleets of Halo and AAG are the finest on two continents. Halo operates six- and eight-seat Agusta/Leonardo helicopters, including the Agusta AW109 and AW169 models. The Agusta craft are produced by the helicopter division of Rome-based aerospace company Leonardo S.p.A., which previously had acquired the Agusta and AgustaWestland brands. Leonardo continues to produce a range of helicopters for commercial aviation, public service and military use, and manages the full range of operations from development to production to pilot training to after-sales support. AAG operates the Sikorsky S-76, the longest-running helicopter serving elite clienteles, with more than 40 years and 7.4 million hours of safe flight. AAG offers charter services, the AAG Excalibur Card (sold in 10-hour increments), Sikorsky Shares™ and New York-area airport transfer services. It also offers professional aircraft maintenance and management services for Sikorsky owners. About Directional Aviation and OneSky Flight Directional Aviation is a private investment firm whose singular focus is private business aviation. Directional’s OneSky Flight portfolio of private jet travel providers includes shared/fractional jet ownership, jet card, membership, on-demand charter and vertical lift providers. Industry leaders representing MRO, private jet remanufacturing, aviation parts distribution and more also make up the Directional family. Directional Aviation is charting the course of private aviation, worldwide. For more information, visit www.directionalaviation.com and www.onesky.com. About Halo Aviation Halo Aviation Ltd. is a helicopter company offering access to vertical lift via charter, card, fractional ownership and full ownership/management programmes. Halo Aviation is committed to passenger safety by operating the leading helicopter types in their class piloted by instrument-rated pilots, most of whom served in the U.K. armed forces. Halo’s fleet of Agusta/Leonardo AW109 and AW169 helicopters dispatch from bases in the south of England, around London, the Midlands and in the Channel Islands. For more information, visit www.haloaviation.com About AAG AAG has flown more than 65,000 safe flying hours and has more than 30 years of experience providing helicopter charter, fractional ownership and helicopter maintenance services from its New York, Teterboro, Bridgeport, Providence and Philadelphia installations. With the Northeast’s largest fleet of S-76 helicopters, AAG is the only VIP helicopter company to own and operate its own FAA Part 145 maintenance facility and is a Sikorsky Authorized Customer Support Center. AAG has earned the Wyvern Wingman status, the ARG/US Platinum rating, the ACSF IAS Registry and the IS-BAO Stage 3 Registration, which serve as hallmarks of AAG’s commitment to safety. AAG also is approved for DCA operations under the DASSP. For more information, visit www.flyaag.com. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210507005160/en/Flexjet-and-Sentient-Jet-Parent-Company-Acquires-Halo-Aviation-U.K.-Based-Helicopter-Provider Starliner test flight scheduled for July 30 WASHINGTON — NASA and Boeing have scheduled a second uncrewed test flight of the CST-100 Starliner commercial crew spacecraft for July 30. In separate statements, the agency and the company said they were planning to launch the Starliner on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 at 2:53 p.m. Eastern July 30 on the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) 2 mission. A launch that day would allow the spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station on the evening of July 31. The new launch date comes after NASA and Boeing completed an “integrated mission dress rehearsal” for the mission using a simulator at a Boeing facility in Houston. The five-day simulation covered activities starting 26 hours before launch and going through landing, including docking and undocking from the station. “It provided another opportunity to run the software end to end with the highest-fidelity hardware and mission controllers in the loop to simulate as close to an actual flight as possible,” John Vollmer, Starliner vice president and program manager at Boeing, said in a company statement. In addition to performing the dress rehearsal, Boeing has completed all the actions recommended by an independent review team after the original OFT mission in December 2019, which suffered several problems that prevented it from going to the ISS. NASA noted in its statement that those actions are “pending closure” by the agency. The Starliner that will fly the OFT-2 mission is, at this point, largely ready. Boeing will now focus on processing the spacecraft that will be used for the later Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission until it’s time for prelaunch activities for OFT-2 in midsummer. While the spacecraft is nearly ready, Boeing has to wait until late July to launch because of both launch schedules on the Eastern Range as well as vehicles visiting the ISS. Starliner can dock at one of two ports on the station, one of which is currently occupied by the Crew-2 Crew Dragon spacecraft. The other will be used by a cargo Dragon mission launching June 3 and scheduled to remain at the station through mid-July. “The traffic model up there on ISS is something else,” Bob Cabana, director of the Kennedy Space Center, said during a Space Transportation Association presentation May 6 when mentioning the status of the OFT-2 mission, shortly before the NASA and Boeing statements about the new launch date. “Between all the different resupply vehicles and the different crew vehicles going back and forth, it’s getting hard to find a spot to dock up there.” However, the new launch date is still slightly earlier than expected. In mid-April, NASA officials said they were projecting a launch of OFT-2 in August or September. Boeing said at the time that the Starliner would be “mission-ready” in May should an earlier launch window become available. NASA and Boeing are holding out hope that, if OFT-2 does launch this summer, it can still fly the CFT mission with three NASA astronauts on board before the end of the year. Cabana said they wanted to fly CFT “hopefully later this year.” At a meeting of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel May 6, panel member David West said there was “good confidence within NASA” about the launch readiness for OFT-2. However, he added there are “several open items that will require resolution” before the CFT mission, but didn’t elaborate on those issues. Later in the meeting, another panel member, Amy Donahue, said that NASA and Boeing had finalized plans to conduct an organizational safety assessment of the company. The panel, at its February meeting, complained that NASA had yet to start that safety culture audit, and called on the agency to perform the audit before the CFT mission. NASA said it had delayed the assessment because of complications in conducting it caused by the pandemic. Donahue said a joint NASA-Boeing team will conduct the assessment “very soon,” and that the results of the assessment should be ready to present at the panel’s next meeting in July. “We continue to believe that safety culture assessment must be performed soon to ensure that any lingering systemic issues related to risk management, quality and safety are identified and corrected,” she said, “certainly before CFT takes place but now even before OFT-2.” https://spacenews.com/starliner-test-flight-scheduled-for-july-30/ Maintaining Wellbeing: Opening up in the maintenance environment 17 May 2021 - 18 May 2021 Virtual Conference 13:30 - 17:00 BST Ever since the tragic Germanwings accident in 2015 there has been growing interest in the mental health and wellbeing of pilots, even to the extent that EASA has recently introduced new rules on the mental fitness of aircrew. Of course, pilots are not the only aerospace professionals whose wellbeing has a direct impact on safety. There are many humans in the chain equally vulnerable to the stresses and strains of modern life, and not least aircraft maintainers. However, are their needs being recognised, never mind being addressed? Following a successful recovery from an airborne incident the passengers and crew are rightly given every assistance to get over the traumatic experience, but what about the engineers worried that something they might have done was the cause of the incident? They are frequently the ones who have to immediately recover the aircraft, perhaps without a thought by anyone as to how they might feel about it and the impact this could have on their performance. This Conference takes a unique look at wellbeing and mental health from the maintainers point of view. What are the specific challenges faced by aircraft engineers and the business case for addressing these challenges? How widespread is the problem? Individual and organisational coping mechanisms will be discussed and we will hear thoughts from the CAA. This is a significant opportunity to shine a light on the challenges faced by maintainers who can often be taken for granted. Your attendance would help us to start a new conversation at a time when arguably the need is at its greatest. Please do see the full programme below using the blue button. Delegate fees: RAeS Member: £40+VAT Non Member Engineers special offer 50% off £40+VAT Non Member: £80+VAT RAeS Corporate Partner: £60+VAT RAeS Student/Apprentice Affiliate Member: £20+VAT BOOK NOW View the full programme now Call for Nominations For 2021 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award is scheduled to be presented during Flight Safety Foundation’s annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS). Presented annually since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study or other improvement. The Award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and/or a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition for their achievement. Nominations that were not selected as past winners may be resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Award Board, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us identify and honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-to-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted until June 4th, 2021. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back 75 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In 1956 her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., in close association with The Flight Safety Foundation, established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. For the past 65 years, this long distinguished award recognizing crowning achievements in aviation safety worldwide has been presented at Flight Safety Foundation’s International Aviation Safety Summit. In 2013, The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed as an independent, non-profit, charitable organization composed of members of the Award Board, the aviation community, and the Barbour family. In addition to annual presentation of the Award, in 2019 the Foundation initiated a scholarship program that provides tuition support to worthy students pursuing professional aviation studies leading to a career. As the Foundation broadens the scope of its intent, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to spotlight those champions who pioneer breakthroughs in flight safety. For more information on the Foundation, the Award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org ESASI Annual Seminar Dear ESASI Members and Friends, The ESASI Committee has decided to convert the ESASI Annual Seminar into a webinar. The dates remain the same. It will be held on Zoom on the afternoons of the 1st and 2nd of July 2021. The ESASI Committee has been working with our hosts in Hungary to organize ESASI 2022 in Budapest in Spring 2022. CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS • Challenges faced by air safety investigators. • The environment, and culture, that air safety investigators operate in. • Practical experience of applying investigation techniques. • New techniques to aid the investigation. • Investigating UAVs. • Investigating accidents involving manned spacecraft. • Topical cases studies. Details of proposed presentations should be sent to Thorkell Agustsson and Brian McDermid by the 14th May 2021 at presentations@esasi.eu Best regards Steve Hull - ESASI Secretary Graduate Survey My name is Pierre DION, I am an airline Captain and student at City, University of London doing an MSc in Air Safety Management. Department of Mathematics of City, University of London We are looking for volunteers to participate in a study of "Artificial Intelligence in Safety Management System". As a participant in this study, you would be asked to answer 18 questions for an anonymous questionnaire. Your participation would involve one session of approximately 10 minutes of your time. Please follow the link below. Thank you. Survey Link: https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UCz8cT2NDRdIxg Thank you. Pierre DION Curt Lewis