Flight Safety Information - May 24, 2021 No. 104 In This Issue : Incident: UIA B738 near Odessa on May 20th 2021, engine shut down in flight : Incident: KLM E295 at Amsterdam on May 22nd 2021, gear hesitates to come up : Incident: Bulgaria A320 at Sofia on May 22nd 2021, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Horizon DH8D near Yakima on May 21st 2021, sparks in galley : Incident: Camair E145 at Yaounde on May 21st 2021, runway excursion on landing : Incident: United B789 at Tokyo on May 21st 2021, slat problem on approach : Boeing 767-346ER - Rapid Decompression (Japan) : REPORT: Tailwind landing factor in Boeing 737-800 runway excursion, Canada : Global aviation stunned by Belarus jetliner diversion : U.S. prepares to downgrade Mexico air safety rating : Mexico Updates Civil Aviation Law After U.S. Audit : Southwest airplanes clip each other at Midway Airport : Airlines reroute flights to avoid Belarus after forced landing : GET VACCINATED, BRANSON TELLS AUSSIES. : NTSB expanding accident investigation criteria to many enterprise drones : Chairman of Israeli airline El Al steps down after bailout : Sabre Systems IT outage cripples airline operations globally : Cathay Pacific to close Canada pilot base, mulls others : Aerion Supersonic, which planned to make silent, fast business jets, is shutting down : Emirates warns Boeing it will refuse 777x jets if they don't meet commitments : Virgin Galactic spaceplane VSS Unity completes successful flight : Position Available: Maintenance Controller/Maintenance Technician Incident: UIA B738 near Odessa on May 20th 2021, engine shut down in flight A UIA Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration UR-PSM performing flight PS-712 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Kiev (Ukraine), was enroute at FL340 about 210nm south of Odessa (Ukraine) when the crew needed to shut one of the engines (CFM56) down due to a low oil pressure indication. The aircraft landed safely on Odessa's runway 34 about 35 minutes later. A replacement Embraer ERJ-190 registration UR-EMD reached Kiev with a delay of about 6 hours. The airline reported the aircraft made an emergency landing at Odessa due to technical reasons. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7d7854&opt=0 Incident: KLM E95 at Amsterdam on May 22nd 2021, gear hesitates to come up A KLM Embraer ERJ-195-E2, registration PH-NXD performing flight KL-1603 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Rome Fiumicino (Italy), was climbing out of Amsterdam's runway 24 when the crew advised their gear didn't come up. About 5 minutes later the crew advised they could continue to Rome, the gear finally was up, the crew also advised they were consulting with maintenance. Subsequently the crew advised they wanted to return to Amsterdam, lowered the gear and landed safely on runway 27 about 35 minutes after departure. A replacement ERJ-195-E2 registration PH-NXB reached Rome with a delay of about 3 hours. The occurence aircraft had joined KLM's fleet only on May 15th 2021, departed Brazil on the positioning flights to Europe on May 16th, and was on its first revenue flight. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7cbead&opt=0 Incident: Bulgaria A320 at Sofia on May 22nd 2021, engine shut down in flight A Bulgaria Air Airbus A320-200, registration LZ-FBC performing flight FB-8509 from Sofia (Bulgaria) to Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt) with 137 people on board, was climbing out of Sofia's runway 09 when the crew declared PAN PAN and stopped the climb at FL230 reporting an engine (CFM56) failure. The crew shut the engine down, advised they did not need any assistance on the ground and returned to Sofia for a safe landing on runway 27 about 35 minutes after departure. Passengers reported there was a strong smell of kerosene during takeoff, later the captain announced there was a small technical problem (one engine had failed) and they were returning to Sofia. A replacement A320-200 registration LZ-FBD reached Egypt with a delay of about 3:40 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7ca211&opt=0 Incident: Horizon DH8D near Yakima on May 21st 2021, sparks in galley A Horizon Air de Havilland Dash 8-400 on behalf of Alaska Airlines, registration N438QX performing flight AS-2256 from Pasco,WA to Seattle,WA (USA), was enroute at 16,000 feet about 40nm northwest of Yakima,WA (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Yakima after sparks were seen in the galley. The aircraft landed safely in Yakima about 14 minutes later. A replacement Dash 8-400 registration N430QX reached Seattle with a delay of about 4 hours. The airline reported there was no fire and no smoke, the passengers disembarked normally at Yakima. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7c9d9c&opt=0 Incident: Camair E145 at Yaounde on May 21st 2021, runway excursion on landing A Camair Embraer ERJ-145, registration TJ-KMM performing flight QC-206 from Douala to Yaounde Nsimalen (Cameroon) with 31 passengers and 4 crew, landed on runway 19 at about 19:15L (18:15Z) but went off the left hand edge of the runway while landing at Yaounde's Nsimalen Airport. The aircraft came to a stop with all gear on soft ground. There were no injuries, the aircraft received minor if any damage. The airline reported the aircraft suffered a runway excursion due to very bad weather conditions. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft. All occupants disembarked normally. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7c90ae&opt=0 Incident: United B789 at Tokyo on May 21st 2021, slat problem on approach A United Boeing 787-9, registration N26960 performing flight UA-881 (dep May 20th) from Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) to Tokyo Haneda (Japan), was descending towards Tokyo when the crew declared PAN PAN reporting slat problems and requested runway the longest runway 16L for landing. The aircraft was vectored along a newly approved route over the city and landed safely on runway 16L at a higher than normal speed. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported the aircraft had a problem with the high lift devices (slats) and vectored a long a newly opened route for landing, it was the first aircraft to use that new route. The occurrence aircraft was able to depart for the return flight after 4.5 hours on the ground and is estimated to reach Chicago on time. https://avherald.com/h?article=4e7beacb&opt=0 Boeing 767-346ER - Rapid Decompression (Japan) Date: 23-MAY-2021 Time: 10:40 LT Type: Boeing 767-346ER Owner/operator: Japan Airlines Registration: JA616J MSN: 35813/954 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Location: over Aichi prefecture - Japan Phase: En route Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Tokyo/Narita International Airport (NRT/RJAA), Japan Destination airport: Taipei/Taoyuan International Airport (TPE/RCTP), Taiwan Narrative: Japan Airlines' Boeing 767-300ER, operating a cargo flight JAL/JL6729 from Tokyo/Narita, Japan to Taipei/Taoyuan, Taiwan, suffered a rapid decompression warning while en route at FL400 over Aichi prefecture at 10:40 LT. The flight crew declared an emergency, performed an emergency descent and decided to divert to Osaka/Kansai International Airport (KIX/RJBB), Japan. The declaration of emergency was lately cancelled after reaching a safer altitude and the airplane made a safe landing at Kansai at 11:24 LT. No injuries were reported on two onboard. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/262970 REPORT: Tailwind landing factor in Boeing 737-800 runway excursion, Canada In its newly released investigation report the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) found that changing runways without recalculating the landing distance required based on the changes in wind and runway surface conditions, led to a runway overrun in Halifax, Canada, in 2020. On 5 January 2020, a WestJet Boeing 737-800 aircraft was conducting flight WJA248 from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Ontario, to Halifax/Stanfield International Airport, Nova Scotia, with 172 passengers and six crew members on board. The flight crew had originally planned to conduct an approach for runway 05. However, due to a lowering ceiling and reduced visibility, the crew requested to change to the runway 14 instrument landing system approach, which allows for landing with lower minimum ceiling and visibility requirements than the approach to runway 05. The aircraft then touched down with a tailwind component on the wet, snow-covered runway. The aircraft could not be stopped and it overran the end of runway 14, coming to rest in snow with the nose wheel approximately 91m beyond the runway end. There were no injuries and no damage to the aircraft. The investigation found that, while preparing for the runway change, the flight crew mentally assessed that the head wind for Runway 05 would become a crosswind for runway 14. As a result, they did not recalculate the effects of the wind for the approach to runway 14, but rather considered that the landing distance and the target approach speed calculated for Runway 05 were still appropriate. However, the reported wind speed and direction changed as the flight progressed, resulting in a tailwind component that exceeded the operator’s limitation, a lower required approach speed, and a landing distance that exceeded the runway length available. None of this was recognized by the flight crew and, as a result, they continued the approach to runway 14. The unchanged target approach speed combined with the tailwind component resulted in the aircraft touching down at a faster groundspeed, thus requiring a longer stopping distance. The wet snow contamination on the runway reduced braking effectiveness, which also contributed to an increase in landing distance. Following the occurrence, WestJet highlighted to its pilot group the importance of using the actual runway intended for landing when making pre-landing performance calculations. The company also revised its emergency response checklist to include the requirement to pull the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder circuit breakers after an incident, and is now monitoring for landings that exceed the maximum tailwind component in its flight data monitoring program. https://news.aviation-safety.net/2021/05/22/tailwind-landing-factor-in-boeing-737-800-runway-excursion-canada/ Global aviation stunned by Belarus jetliner diversion By Tim Hepher PARIS (Reuters) - The United Nations' aviation agency said it was "strongly concerned" by the apparent forced landing of a Ryanair jetliner in Belarus, as global airlines called for an investigation into Sunday's rare incident. Aviation leaders reacted with shock after Belarus scrambled a fighter and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force a Ryanair jet to land, before detaining an opposition-minded journalist who had been on board. The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said the incident may have contravened a core aviation treaty, part of the international order created after World War Two. "ICAO is strongly concerned by the apparent forced landing of a Ryanair flight and its passengers, which could be in contravention of the Chicago Convention," it said. "We look forward to more information being officially confirmed by the countries and operators concerned." Airlines joined a flurry of government protests. "We strongly condemn any interference or requirement for landing of civil aviation operations that is inconsistent with the rules of international law," said the International Air Transport Association. "A full investigation by competent international authorities is needed." Aviation experts said the rare incident could fuel debate over the resilience of a decades-old system of cooperation. ICAO has no regulatory power, but sits at the centre of a system of safety and security standards that keep most airways open across political barriers. These are managed through the Montreal agency by its 193 member states, including Belarus. KEY CORRIDOR "It looks like a gross abuse of the (Chicago) Convention. It's piracy," Kevin Humphreys, a former Irish aviation regulator, told Reuters. He added he would "not be surprised" if some airlines skirted Belarus airspace while they awaited more details, but stressed each would make its own threat assessment. "People in the industry will be worried," he added. Belarus is an important corridor between Europe and Moscow or southeast Asia and Europe, according to Flightradar 24. Lawyers say Sunday's flight was emblematic of a tangle of jurisdictions that share a delicate co-existence in aviation - involving a Polish-registered jet flown by an Irish group between EU nations Greece and Lithuania, over non-EU Belarus. Under the 1944 Chicago Convention, each country has sovereignty over its own airspace, though the treaty prohibits any use of civil aviation that may endanger safety. But the right to overfly other countries is enshrined in a side treaty called the International Air Services Transit Agreement, of which Belarus is not listed as a member. Non-treaty members grant overflights according to varying rules. A separate 1971 treaty that includes Belarus outlaws the seizure of aircraft or knowingly communicating false information in a way that endangers aircraft safety. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it was "monitoring the situation from the safety perspective." It is not the first time an abrupt diversion has fuelled diplomatic tensions, but the first in memory that a commercial flight governed by civil treaties is involved, Humphreys said. In 2013, Bolivia said President Evo Morales’ plane had been diverted on a flight from Russia and forced to land in Austria over suspicions - later denied - that former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, wanted by Washington for divulging secret details of U.S. surveillance activities, was on board. https://www.yahoo.com/news/global-aviation-stunned-belarus-jetliner-231455602.html U.S. prepares to downgrade Mexico air safety rating • The Federal Aviation Administration’s planned move is expected be announced in the coming day, sources said. • It follows a lengthy review of Mexico’s aviation oversight by the agency. • A downgrade would bar Mexican carriers from adding new U.S. flights and limit airlines’ ability to carry out marketing agreements.. • Downgrades mean an aviation authority is deficient in areas such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping and inspection procedures. The U.S. government is preparing to downgrade Mexico’s aviation safety rating, a move that would bar Mexican carriers from adding new U.S. flights and limit airlines’ ability to carry out marketing agreements, four sources briefed on the matter said. The Federal Aviation Administration’s planned move is expected be announced in the coming days and follows a lengthy review of Mexico’s aviation oversight by the agency. Sources briefed on the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the FAA has had lengthy talks with Mexican aviation regulators about its concerns. The sources said these concerns had not all been addressed following an in-country assessment. The sources added that Mexican government officials have been informed about the planned action and raised concerns. One airline industry source said the FAA’s concerns did not involve flight safety issues but rather Mexico’s oversight of air carriers. Downgrading Mexico from Category 1 to Category 2 would mean that current U.S. service by Mexican carriers would be unaffected, but they could not launch new flights and airline-to-airline marketing practices such as selling seats on each other’s flights in code-share arrangements would be restricted. The action would mean that the FAA has determined that Mexico does not meet International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards as part of its safety assessment program. Mexico has been a top vacation spot for U.S. travelers during the Covid-19 pandemic, spurring U.S. airlines to redirect capacity they had previously flown to Europe before transatlantic travel restrictions were imposed last year. In April, Mexico was the by far the busiest foreign air destination with nearly 2.3 million passengers on U.S.-Mexico flights. That’s more than three times the Dominican Republic, the next highest country, according to industry data. An FAA spokesman declined to comment. Mexico’s Communications and Transport Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Delta Air Lines, which has a codeshare arrangement with Aeromexico, will have to issue new tickets for some passengers booked on Aeromexico flights as a result of the downgrade, sources said. Delta and Aeromexico declined to comment. Delta and Aeromexico, joint venture partners since 2017, are together offering about 3,900 transborder flights in June, more than any other carrier, according to global data aviation company Cirium. Delta owns 49% of Aeromexico but took a $770 million charge on its investment last year after the carrier’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Carlos Ozores, an aviation consultant at global consulting and digital services provider ICF, said the move could impact Delta and Aeromexico’s codeshares, which drive incremental sales, and force growth-driven low-cost airline Volaris to revisit expansion plans to the United States. This would not be the first time the FAA downgraded Mexico’s air safety rating. In 2010, the agency downgraded Mexico to Category 2 due to suspected shortcomings within its civil aviation authority, then restored its top rating about four months later. The FAA has said that downgrades mean an aviation authority is deficient in areas such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping and inspection procedures. Mexican authorities said in 2010 there was no deterioration of flight safety and that the downgrade was due to a shortage of flight inspectors. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/22/us-prepares-to-downgrade-mexico-air-safety-rating.html Mexico Updates Civil Aviation Law After U.S. Audit On May 20, 2021, Mexico's Congress published reforms to the Civil Aviation Law to better align the nation's air transport industry with the regulatory requirements of international treaties and to comply with the recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and its Convention on International Civil Aviation. The reforms come in the wake of the audit conducted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Mexico's Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC). The findings noted differences among the Civil Aviation Law and associated regulations, permit requirements, licenses, certificates of capacity and other items as they relate to international standards. Among the changes are that the Ministry of Transportation and Communication (Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes), acting through the regional and airport commanders of the Federal Agency of Civil Aviation (Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil or AFAC), shall be the aeronautics' authority in airports, heliports and airdromes generally. The definition of air transportation services is updated to include: • • non-regular national air transportation services • regular national air transportation services • non-regular international air transportation services • regular international air transportation services The definition of "Private commercial" services has been removed. Other changes include: • Cabotage practices by foreign permit holders in Mexico are prohibited. The prohibition also applies to foreign owners of private non-Mexican aircraft. • Transportation of passengers, cargo or mail (or any combination thereof) embarked abroad, between two or more points within Mexican territory, is only allowed by Mexican permit holders authorized to provide (non-regular) international air transportation services under the modality of air taxi or charter services. • The reform creates a Commission for the Investigation and Assessment of Aviation Accidents, which will have the authority and autonomy to investigate aviation accidents and incidents. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=557e78f2-c0e7-4818-a0d2-93a9a5bc9a7f Southwest airplanes clip each other at Midway Airport Two Southwest airplanes clipped each other May 21, 2021 at Midway International Airport. AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast A Southwest flight waiting for departure clipped another airplane Friday at Midway International Airport in Chicago. Southwest Airlines flight 654 was taxiing out to depart to Birmingham about 12:23 p.m. when the wingtip struck the tail of Southwest Airlines flight 751, according to a Southwest Airlines spokesperson. Flight 751 had arrived from Washington and was waiting to taxi to the arrival gate when it was clipped, officials said. All passengers were evacuated from both flights and no injuries were reported, officials said. About an hour later, all Birmingham passengers boarded a separate plane and completed their journey, officials said. Both airplanes will be inspected before future flights, according to police. https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2021/5/21/22448178/southwest-airplanes-clip-each-other-chicago-midway-airport Airlines reroute flights to avoid Belarus after forced landing Wizz Air Holdings, a European discount carrier, said it was rerouting a flight from Kyiv to Tallinn, Estonia, to avoid Belarusian airspace, amid rising alarm in the global aviation industry over the forced landing of a Ryanair Holdings PLC RYAAY, +2.03% jet on Sunday. Latvia’s flag carrier, AS Air Baltic Corp., has also said it would avoid entering Belarus airspace until the situation becomes clearer. “The safety and health of our passengers and employees is the main priority for the airline,” the company said in a statement. Ryanair said Monday it would follow European aviation regulators’ advice on whether to avoid Belarus airspace. The Ireland-based airline’s chief executive called the diversion “a case of state-sponsored hijacking.” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko scrambled a jet fighter Sunday to force a Ryanair commercial aircraft to land in Minsk, where a journalist and opposition activist was detained. The incident sparked an international outcry and raised questions over the legality of the plane’s grounding. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/airlines-reroute-flights-to-avoid-belarus-after-forced-landing-11621855330 GET VACCINATED, BRANSON TELLS AUSSIES. Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson has urged the Australian government to speed up its vaccination program as a top priority so the nation’s borders can re-open. While conceding he was unfamiliar with the status of Australia’s vaccination program, Branson noted that countries where people had been vaccinated, such as the US and UK, had been able to open. He told Channel Nine’s Today show there was no reason this could not happen in Australia if the government sped up the vaccination program. “I honestly have not checked how many people have been vaccinated in Australia but by now, it’s a small country, I suspect most people should have been vaccinated,” he said. “And if not, it should be the number one priority of government. “Nothing else matters more to be honest because every single business in Australia will be held back, every single person in Australia will be held back. The economy will suffer. “So the sooner the remaining people who have not been vaccinated get vaccinated the better.” The British billionaire also defended Virgin Australia chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka after she caused a backlash when she argued Australians needed to live with a level of COVID transmission for “the country’s health and economic recovery” but observed that some people may die. Branson said he understood where the comment came from, although “it was obviously unfortunate”. He argued the reaction had been prompted to some extent by how the comment was reported, he said. “I think we’ve all regretted things we’ve said and I don’t think Jayne is any exception to the rule … I think she’s made that clear,’’ he said. “But she’s doing a great job in keeping Virgin Australia going, starting new routes, employing new people.” Australia’s vaccination program is behind expectations due to a lumbering roll-out and some fears in the community about blood clots associated with the Astra Zeneca vaccine. https://www.airlineratings.com/news/get-vaccinated-branson-tells-aussies/ NTSB expanding accident investigation criteria to many enterprise drones The rapid increase of drone use in a variety of enterprise activities has made upgrading their regulation both inevitable and anticipated. One such revamp is now in the works following a National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) decision to expand its criteria for examining accidents involving commercial drones. FAA certification, not weight, to determine inquiries The NTSB issued a statement of intent to amend sections of 2010 regulations that currently restrict drone accident investigations to commercial craft weighing more than 300 lbs. Rather than continue using weight as the defining consideration, however, the NTSB plans to expand accident investigations to any unmanned aerial system (UAS) that require Federal Aviation Administration certification to operate. The NTSB says it needs the rule changes to keep pace with intensifying flights of businesses’ drones – in particular quickly developing delivery services. As drone delivery and other applications develop, airworthiness certification will become more prevalent for certain unmanned aircraft similar to that of manned aircraft. Therefore, an unmanned aircraft—of any size or weight—used for certain activities will require airworthiness certification or approvals due to higher risk potential, such as flights over populated areas for deliveries. Moreover, a substantially-damaged delivery drone may uncover significant safety issues, the investigation of which may enhance aviation safety through the independent and established NTSB process. “Hobbyist” drones are not affected The NTSB stipulates its proposed revisions will “only affect those operations under 14 CFR part 107 that apply to small UAS that weigh less than 55 lbs. and hold an airworthiness certificate.” All others, including “hobbyist/modeler operations” with remain outside the agency’s purview. The move is not only in reaction to the recent spikes in enterprise drone deployment. It also takes into account increasing distances of UAS missions flown, as well as automated flights and Beyond Visual Line of Sight operation that require FAA approval. The advent of higher capability UAS applications – such as commercial drone delivery flights operating in a higher risk environment (e.g., populated areas, beyond line-of-sight operations, etc.) – has prompted the agency to propose an updated definition of “unmanned aircraft accident”… Only events resulting in serious injury or death will be categorized as an “accident.” Rising cases of suspected UAS-caused accidents To date, virtually all NTSB inquiries involving UAS have been linked to accidents of manned aircraft that drones were suspected to have provoked. Last August the NTSB said a remote-controlled craft was almost certainly the source of damage suffered by a news helicopter during a December 2019 flight in Los Angeles. In its ruling on that case, the agency revealed two other aircraft incidents it believes were the result of collisions with UAS as well. Given the rapid spread of drone deployment by businesses, the NTSB is anticipating a corresponding rise in future accidents involving drones – and necessity for it to investigate a lot more of those than it has. If there’s any doubt that far-too-close encounters between drones and aircraft are on the uptick, meanwhile, read our next post about a near-miss incident in Arizona that the Feds are energetically looking into. https://dronedj.com/2021/05/24/ntsb-expanding-accident-investigation-criteria-to-many-enterprise-drones/ Chairman of Israeli airline El Al steps down after bailout David Brodet will step down as chairman of cash-strapped El Al Israel Airlines (ELAL.TA) at the end of May after seven months in the job, he said on Sunday, having waited until the Israeli flag carrier received a government bailout package. The Israeli government this month approved a $210 million bailout package for El Al on condition of steep spending cuts and a cash injection from the airline's owners. "During my tenure as chairman, I worked ... to get the company what it needed, to overcome the great crisis El Al has gone through since it was founded," Brodet wrote in a letter to directors, saying he led the negotiations with the Finance Ministry. A new chairman has yet to be named. Brodet considered stepping down after the state approved the bailout but opted to wait until the end of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. read more He likened his tenure at El Al to doing reserve duty in the military, calling it a duty and saying: "I have set goals for myself, and I am happy to say that they have been achieved." Brodet said the state aid would enable El Al to pay its debts to customers and suppliers as well as compensate the 1,900 workers whose jobs are being cut. read more El Al posted an $86 million loss in the three months to the end of March, versus a net loss of $140 million a year earlier. "There is much more to be done to recover from the severe crisis that befell El Al. But I'm sure it now has all the conditions and tools to succeed," said Brodet, who previously was chairman of Bank Leumi (LUMI.TA) and director-general of the Finance Ministry. El Al suspended scheduled passenger flights in March 2020 at the start of the coronavirus crisis, when Israel closed its borders to most foreign citizens, compounding the company's financial woes. Following a rapid vaccination rollout Israel has begun to open up some international routes to its citizens and El Al has resumed flying while small groups or vaccinated foreign tourists were allowed to enter from Sunday. read more The Israeli government last week gave permission for Kenny Rozenberg, who recently became an Israeli citizen, to join his son Eli in controlling El Al after buying control last year. read more El Al was one of only a handful of carriers flying to and from Israel after many airlines suspended flights during 11 days of Israeli-Hamas fighting. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-el-al-airlines-chairman-brodet-stepping-down-2021-05-23/ Sabre Systems IT outage cripples airline operations globally Virgin Australia, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines are among the handful of carriers that were forced to cancel or delay flights on Friday after Sabre suffered a global IT outage. Virgin Australia was among the handful of airlines worldwide whose flights were impacted by a global IT systems outage on Friday afternoon. The source of the outage was Sabre, a third-party IT system used by the carriers for check-in, boarding, and flight bookings. American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and JetBlue were also impacted. Virgin Australia was forced to cancel more than 30 flights on Friday, while a "small number" of flights on Saturday were cancelled and delayed as the airline worked to "reposition aircraft and crew across [its] network". "Sabre, which is a third-party IT system we use for check-in, boarding and flight bookings, is investigating the cause of the outage," Virgin Australia spokesperson said in a statement. Sabre blamed the outage on its hardware provider, Dell EMC. "Dell/EMC has confirmed it experienced a hardware redundancy failure that impacted Sabre's system, including PSS and check-in," Sabre told ZDNet. "The issue has been resolved. Dell/EMC is working to understand why the failure occurred." The outage was resolved three hours after Virgin Australia first issued its statement on Twitter at 5:20pm AEST that warned of the outage. Improved operational efficiency through automation is one of the key business objectives for service providers when embracing new network technologies such as virtualization, multi-cloud, and 5G slicing. Service providers are now differentiating themselves through the delivered quality of service and overall experience, instead of only bandwidth and coverage. This means that it is crucial for service providers to measure what matters for their end users. This session will talk about how automated active testing and monitoring ensure successful and quality-assured deployments. "We're pleased to let you know the global system outage has been resolved. To all our guests travelling this evening and ahead of the weekend, thank you for your patience tonight. We're working to get you on your way as soon as possible," Virgin Australia tweeted. Virgin also issued an apology to impacted customers. "While it has since been resolved, the impacts on our guests were felt right across our domestic network, and on behalf of Virgin Australia, we apologise for the disruption to their weekend travel plans," the airline's spokesperson said. "We are working closely with Sabre to ensure that necessary measures are taken to prevent these outages from reoccurring." Virgin Australia rolled out Sabre to replace the company's previous Navitaire system, which had a history of outages. In 2011, the airline suffered an 11-day outage due to a failure of the Navitaire system. After Virgin threatened legal action, the matter was eventually settled out of court. https://www.zdnet.com/article/sabre-systems-it-outage-cripples-airline-operations-globally/ Cathay Pacific to close Canada pilot base, mulls others As part of a review of its overseas flight crew operations, Cathay Pacific (CX, Hong Kong Int'l) has decided to close its pilot base in Canada and may do the same in Australia and New Zealand, the South China Morning Post reported citing an internal memo dated April 22. In addition, later this year, it will reevaluate its pilot bases in Europe and the United States. Instead, the airline will start to transfer some overseas pilots to Hong Kong on a voluntary basis, the memo said. That may be difficult, however, as ex-pat flight crew currently receive only short-term visas, and there are already many unemployed pilots in the territory, particularly in the wake of the closure of Cathay’s full-service regional subsidiary Cathay Dragon (KA, Hong Kong Int'l) late last year. Cathay Pacific, which last month reported a 2020 full-year loss of HKD21.65 billion Hong Kong dollars (USD2.79 billion), said it had been giving furloughed pilots in Europe and the US half of their salaries and those in Canada two-thirds. It stopped paying its Australian crews this month. “Covid-19 continues to have a devastating impact on our industry and our airlines. Following the record loss for 2020, all of the company’s cash preservation measures continue unabated. It is clear that we must continue to review all areas of the business to ensure we emerge competitively from this unprecedented global crisis,” Deborah McConnochie, Cathay Pacific’s general manager for aircrew, told the newspaper in a statement. The Canada base closure was a decision that had “not taken lightly,” she said, adding that the carrier had contacted Australian and New Zealand-based pilots to initiate a consultative process “based on a proposal to close those base areas.” The latter is currently only a proposal, she underlined, and no firm decisions on closures other than Canada have yet been made. Cathay Pacific continues to burn HKD1.9 billion (USD245 million) a month, according to the South China Morning Post. Its recovery has faltered due to low Covid-19 vaccination rates in Hong Kong and government reluctance to broadly reopen international travel. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, of Cathay Pacific’s total fleet of 174 aircraft, including freighters, only 58 are currently active. In Canada, it currently operates passenger flights 1x weekly from Hong Kong Int'l to Toronto Pearson as well as cargo-only flights that link Hong Kong, New York JFK, and Anchorage Ted Stevens to both Toronto and Calgary, the ch-aviation schedules module shows. https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/102903-cathay-pacific-to-close-canada-pilot-base-mulls-others Aerion Supersonic, which planned to make silent, fast business jets, is shutting down The company said it was unable to raise enough capital Aerion Supersonic, which had plans to build silent business jets that would travel twice as fast as most commercial airplanes, is shutting down operations. First reported by Florida Today, Aerion, which had backing from Boeing, said it was unable to raise the money to build its AS2 supersonic jet. “The AS2 supersonic business jet program meets all market, technical, regulatory and sustainability requirements and the market for a new supersonic segment of general aviation has been validated with $11.2 billion in sales backlog for the AS2,” the company said in an statement emailed to The Verge on Saturday. “However, in the current financial environment, it has proven hugely challenging to close on the scheduled and necessary large new capital requirements to finalize the transition of the AS2 into production. Given these conditions the Aerion Corporation is now taking the appropriate steps in consideration of this ongoing financial environment.” Aerion CEO Tom Vice said in January 2020 that the AS2 would likely cost about $4 billion for the company to develop, CNBC reported. At that time, it had already spent $1 billion to develop the AS2’s engine. And in April 2020, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Aerion was relocating its headquarters from Reno, Nevada to Melbourne, Florida, at a plant to be built at Orlando Melbourne International Airport. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported Aerion was in talks to go public via a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. Those talks apparently did not come to fruition. The company’s AS2 was intended to travel at around 1,000 miles per hour, and its patented “boomless cruise” technology would have allowed it to fly without creating a sonic boom. The company had planned to fly its first AS2 by 2024, and begin commercial flights by 2026. https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/22/22449167/aerion-supersonic-jet-company-shuts-down-financial-air-travel Emirates warns Boeing it will refuse 777x jets if they don't meet commitments DUBAI (Reuters) -The head of Emirates airline, one of Boeing's biggest customers, has warned the U.S. planemaker that it would refuse delivery of 777x jets if they fall short of contractual performance commitments. In an interview broadcast on Monday, President Tim Clark said he had not received any performance details of the jet's engines so far even though test flights began in 2020. The influential industry veteran has raised concerns that Boeing had a recent history of over-promising on performance of new jets, including the in service 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner. "We will not accept an aeroplane unless it is performing 100% to contract," Clark told aviation consultant John Strickland in a pre-recorded online interview for Dubai's Arabian Travel Market trade show. "Unless it is doing what they said it would do and contracted, we will not take that aeroplane." Boeing declined comment. Engine maker GE could not immediately be reached for comment. State-owned Emirates is one of the world's biggest long-haul airlines, with a fleet of around 140 Boeing 777-300s and 115 Airbus A380s. It has ordered 126 777x and 30 787s worth over $50 billion at list prices with the U.S. planemaker. Boeing has been developing the widebody jet, a new version of its popular 777 series, with the goal of releasing it in late 2023, three years later than planned. Emirates, who was supposed to receive its first last July, doubts it will start receiving the jets until 2024 though Boeing had told them it would come in the back end of 2023, Clark said. "There are issues on that airplane. I'm not altogether clear as to when we're going to get them." He said the delays meant Emirates, a launch customer of the new jet, over the next three years had no visibility on how it would replace its current 777-300s with the new 777x jets. Clark repeated recent criticisms that Boeing needed to undertake a cultural and governance change following the production of the flawed 737 MAX, which was suspended worldwide for nearly two years following two fatal crashes. He said he recently told Boeing to only start commercially producing a new aircraft once it had been fully tested and certified. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/emirates-doubts-first-boeing-777x-072620029.html Virgin Galactic spaceplane VSS Unity completes successful flight It’s the first of four spaceflights the company has planned this year. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic completed its first successful space flight in more than two years on Saturday, with its crewed VSS Unity spacecraft carried to a release altitude of more than 44,000 feet before gliding safely back to Earth. It marked the first spaceflight from New Mexico, making it the third US state to launch humans into space. The Zia sun symbol of New Mexico’s state flag was displayed on the outside of the ship. Virgin’s VMS Eve carrier aircraft took off from Spaceport America in New Mexico at about 10:35AM ET with Unity aboard. About 10 minutes before its release, Unity switched to its own battery power, and conducted flight control and electrical checks. Once released by Eve, Unity’s pilots C.J. Sturckow and Dave Mackay ignited the rocket motor, then shut it down a few minutes later, with the spacecraft’s momentum keeping it traveling toward its apogee, or highest point. Unity reached a speed of Mach 3 after it was released from Eve, and reached space at an altitude of 55.45 miles. It reached apogee at about 11:30AM ET, did a slow turn, then glided back into Earth’s atmosphere, landing at about 11:43 AM ET on the same Spaceport America runway where its flight began. “It was picture perfect,” Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier told The Verge in a phone interview Saturday after Unity and Eve were back on the ground. “We’re gonna go through the data deeply and thoroughly as we always do.” In a statement, Colglazier called the flight a “major step forward for both Virgin Galactic and human spaceflight in New Mexico,” which had never hosted a crewed test mission to space until today. “You’ve never seen a mix of more proud parent engineers,” Colglazier said of Virgin Galactic’s engineering team. Dozens of company employees gathered to watch the test flight under clear blue skies at Spaceport America, the company’s HQ for future commercial missions. Champagne was popped to celebrate the craft’s landing and Branson, the company’s billionaire founder, was “electrified” to see it all play out, Colglazier said. Saturday’s flight, which also carried research payloads for NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, is the latest step toward Virgin Galactic’s goal of a space tourism program. The company has some 600 reservations for tickets on future space flights, which go for around $250,000 each. Unity is able to carry up to six passengers and two pilots. It was Virgin Galactic’s first space flight since 2019, and the third one it’s completed. Unity’s first two flights, in late 2018 and early 2019, were conducted at the company’s test facility at the Mojave Air and Spaceport out of California. Virgin Galactic later moved its operations to Spaceport America, where it plans to conduct all of its commercial tourist flights. The company had to abort its first flight attempt at the new facility in December, after Unity’s engine cut out early ahead of its glide back to Earth due to what the company later said was electromagnetic interference. VSS Unity’s flight on Saturday featured some hardware upgrades installed since the December abort scenario, including a new digital controller that the pilots used for tighter handling. “This was our first run with it under full power, and it was flawless. Spot on,” Colglazier said. That controller will be used on SpaceShipThree, the company’s upgraded spacecraft tailored for routine production. Virgin Galactic said in February, and confirmed during its May 10th earnings call, that it has a total of four spaceflights planned this year. The next one is slated to have two pilots and four Virgin Galactic employees as passengers, and a third flight is scheduled to have Virgin founder Richard Branson on board. Flight four is intended to be a commercial flight for the Italian Air Force, which should generate $2 million in revenue. Saturday’s flight was the 400th commercial space launch licensed by the FAA. The dates for the future Unity flights are still to be announced. https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/22/22448928/virgin-galactic-spaceplane-vss-unity-space-branson Position Available: Maintenance Controller/Maintenance Technician FlightWorks, Inc. is growing, and we are seeking an experienced Maintenance Controller/Maintenance Technician to join our team for a high-volume full-time Part 91 and 135 opportunity based in Kennesaw, Georgia. This is a great opportunity to join one of the most trusted management companies in the industry with career growth potential. Must reside in or be willing to locate to Georgia. FlightWorks is not your typical aircraft management company. Our core values focus around Safety, Safety and FAA compliance are our top priorities, with exceptional service being a close second! Please see below for more details on our benefits package. The responsibilities consist of any and all tasks generally recognized as, but not limited to, a mechanic's work on or in reference to aircraft, its component parts and related equipment performed at line stations, major stations and shops. Mechanic/Technicians may be required to inspect and test systems, component parts used in their work and sign for the work performed. Must be capable of performing their work satisfactorily to our company standards. Sensitive material or subject matter may be discussed in your presence. Strict confidentiality must be adhered to. Mechanics/technicians may be required to instruct less experienced employees. Responsibilities: · Maintaining the many different types of aircraft operated by the company, in accordance with current FAA regulations, manufacturer's maintenance manuals, FlightWorks General Operations Manual (GOM) and FlightWorks General Maintenance Manual (GMM). · Maintain adequate tools necessary to perform all tasks on aircraft. The company will supply aircraft specific specialty tools. · Maintain a clean and orderly work area. This includes cleaning up after completion of a job and general housekeeping of hangar, shop, and office areas. · Completing all required documentation in accordance with current FAA regulations, FlightWorks General Operations Manual (GOM), and FlightWorks General Maintenance Manual (GMM). · Communicating aircraft discrepancy information, aircraft status, and changes in a timely manner to direct supervisor. · Performs all maintenance and repairs on aircraft for which s/he is assigned and qualified. · Approves aircraft for return to service after scheduled or unscheduled maintenance for which s/he is authorized and qualified. · Returns all equipment and tools checked out at end of work shift and reposition equipment in assigned area after use. · Reports all inoperative or faulty equipment to the Maintenance Supervisor in charge. · Performs duties of Maintenance Coordinator as qualified when assigned to that position by an authorized person. · Completes all paperwork for the maintenance s/he performs. · Assures that hangar workshops, and other areas assigned are maintained in an orderly manner. · Will have adequate tools to perform work. FlightWorks is not your typical aircraft management company. Our core values focus on Safety, Compliance and Service. As an example, all of our flight crews receive real prospective duty and rest assignments every duty day. We do not believe in the 24/7/365 on-call scheduling that so many other companies offer. Safety and FAA compliance are our top priorities, with exceptional service being a close second! Please see below for more details on our benefits package. Because FlightWorks cares about the health and well-being of our employees and their families, we offer a comprehensive benefits package. Full-Time Employee Benefits · Competitive salary · 401(k) retirement plan · Medical and dental insurance · Prescription drug plan · Vision care plan · Healthcare Reimbursement and Flexible Spending Accounts · Employee Assistance Program · Basic life and accidental death insurance, with optional elective coverage · Optional spouse and dependent life insurance · Short-term disability coverage and basic long-term disability insurance, with optional “buy-up” coverage. · Legal Shield and Identity Theft insurance · Pet Insurance Time Away From Work · Paid time off · Holiday pay (qualified employees) Qualifications · Must hold a valid A & P Certificate, IA preferred. · Must travel as necessary, for company business. · Must be able to be reached by telephone, cellular phone, and report to work at all times, except when prior arrangements have been made with maintenance supervisor. · Experience with Bombardier preferred. · Part 135 experience preferred. · Must stay up to date with current FlightWorks Policies and Procedures. · Must stay up to date with current Federal Aviation Regulations. · Must be willing to work nights, weekends and holidays. · Display initiative, integrity, and an overall positive attitude. · Be able to independently identify tasks that need to be accomplished. · Ask questions as they arise. · Be a "Team Player". This is a Safety Sensitive position and is subject to Random Drug and Alcohol testing. APPLY AT: www.flightworks.com/about/careers Curt Lewis