Flight Safety Information - July 13, 2021 No. 139 In This Issue : de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver - Fatal Accident (Kenya) : Northrop T-38 Talon - Inflight Systems Anomaly - Emergency Landing (Oklahoma) : Eurocopter AS 365N3 Dauphin 2 - Fatal Accident (Spain) : KAI KUH-1M Medeon - Emergency Landing, Serious Injuries (South Korea) : FAA says new Boeing production problem found in undelivered 787 Dreamliners : FAA says Boeing will fix new production defect on 787 Dreamliners before deliveries resume : FAA Deals $10,000 Fine to Airline Passenger over Mask Refusal : Downed Cargo Jet Found on the Seafloor off Hawaii : Aviation expert: Transair cargo plane broke apart on impact, pilots lucky to be alive : MedAire: EVA Air to Launch First Asian Pilot of the AOKpass : Turkish Airlines Has A New Fake Aircraft Cabin For Crew Training : ‘Karen’ forces all passengers to disembark plane after refusing to turn phone on airplane mode : Man behind airport bomb scare was angry about paying for carry-on bag, police say : FAA Violated Environmental Laws at LAX, Federal Appeals Court Rules : Airbus delivered 297 aircraft in the first semester of 2021 : Ryanair starts hiring spree, seeking 2,000 pilots for expansion built around 737 MAX : Canada's Porter Airlines to double fleet with major order of Embraer jets : Air France-KLM starts process for major medium-haul jet purchase : Moon’s ‘wobble’ to shift in 2030, NASA says. Here’s why that’s bad for coastal cities : U.S. approves Blue Origin license for human space travel ahead of Bezos flight de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver - Fatal Accident (Kenya) Date: 12-JUL-2021 Time: Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Owner/operator: Desert Locust Control Registration: 5Y-BCL MSN: 1552 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Category: Accident Location: Naivasha, Nakuru County - Kenya Phase: En route Nature: Agricultural Departure airport: Nairobi-Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO/HKJK) Destination airport: Lodwar Narrative: A DHC-2 Beaver crashed under unknown circumstances in Naivasha, Nakuru County, One occupant died in the crash, two others were injured. Weather conditions may have contributed to the crash. The small plane was surveying a locust invasion. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/265383 Northrop T-38 Talon - Inflight Systems Anomaly - Emergency Landing (Oklahoma) Date: 12-JUL-2021 Time: Type: Northrop T-38 Talon Owner/operator: US Air Force (USAF) Registration: MSN: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 Aircraft damage: None Location: Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport (LAW/KLAW), Lawton, OK - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Military Departure airport: Wichita Falls-Sheppard AFB, TX (SPS/KSPS) Destination airport: Lawton Municipal Airport, OK (LAW/KLAW) Narrative: An inflight aircraft systems anomaly prompted the emergency landing at Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport (LAW/KLAW), Lawton, Oklahoma. The two pilots were unjured. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/265381 Eurocopter AS 365N3 Dauphin 2 - Fatal Accident (Spain) Date: 11-JUL-2021 Time: c 00:30 LT Type: Eurocopter AS 365N3 Dauphin 2 Owner/operator: Eliance opf Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera Registration: EC-JDQ MSN: 6679 Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: off Sotogrande beach, San Roque, Cádiz - Spain Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: SU Departure airport: Cádiz Destination airport: Cádiz Narrative: A Eurocopter AS 365N3 Dauphin 2, operated by Eliance for the Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera (Spanish Customs), crashed in sea off Sotogrande beach, San Roque, Cádiz, while chasing drugs traffickers at night. One crew member, the Customs sensor operator, died in the crash and the two pilots survived smd were rescuedby a Customs vessel. The Emergency Flotation System deployed. The helicopter was dalvaged capsized the same day. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/265344 KAI KUH-1M Medeon - Emergency Landing, Serious Injuries (South Korea) Date: 12-JUL-2021 Time: 10:35 Type: KAI KUH-1M Medeon Owner/operator: Republic of Korea Army Registration: MSN: Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Substantial Location: Pocheon G 217 Airport (QJP/RKRO) - South Korea Phase: Landing Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Pocheon G 217 Airport (QJP/RKRO) Narrative: A Republic of Korea Army KAI KUH-1M Medeon ambulance helicopter, operated by the 60th Aviation Corps, 1 Aviation Company, made an emergency landing at Pocheon G 217 Airport (QJP/RKRO). The five occupants were injured, two seriously. The helicopter came to rest on its side, and the tail of the helicopter was partly destroyed. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/265359 FAA says new Boeing production problem found in undelivered 787 Dreamliners WASHINGTON/SEATTLE (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said late on Monday that some undelivered Boeing 787 Dreamliners have a new manufacturing quality issue that the largest U.S. planemaker will fix before the planes will be delivered. The FAA said the issue is "near the nose on certain 787 Dreamliners in the company's inventory of undelivered airplanes. This issue was discovered as part of the ongoing system-wide inspection of Boeing's 787 shimming processes required by the FAA." The FAA added that "although the issue poses no immediate threat to flight safety, Boeing has committed to fix these airplanes before resuming deliveries." The air regulators added after a review of data it "will determine whether similar modifications should be made on 787s already in commercial service." Boeing declined to comment. Reuters first reported the new production issue to hit Boeing's troubled 787 Dreamliner. The company has about 100 undelivered 787s in inventory. Boeing suspended deliveries of the 787 in late May after the FAA raised concerns about its proposed inspection method, saying it was "waiting for additional data from Boeing before determining whether the company's solution meets safety regulations." The FAA in May had issued two airworthiness directives to address production issues for in-service airplanes. The U.S. planemaker's 737 MAX and 787 have been afflicted by electrical and other issues since late last year, and it had only resumed deliveries of the 787s in March after a five-month hiatus - only to halt them again in May. Two key U.S. lawmakers said in May they were seeking records from Boeing and the FAA on production issues involving the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner. The FAA said in September it was investigating manufacturing flaws involving some 787 Dreamliners. Boeing said in August airlines operating its 787 Dreamliners removed eight jets from service as a result of two distinct manufacturing issues. In September, Boeing said some 787 airplanes had shims that were not the proper size, and some airplanes had areas that did not meet skin-flatness specifications. Last month at a conference, Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said the 787s were "performing beautifully." But he added "the FAA rightfully wants to know more about the analytics and process controls that we put in place, which are different than the ones that we had previously, so that we could be more perfect." Calhoun said he hoped the FAA's review of Boeing's approach was "measured in months and not longer than the calendar year." In February, Reuters reported Boeing was beginning painstaking repairs and forensic inspections to fix structural integrity flaws embedded deep inside at least 88 parked 787s. The fuel-efficient 787 has been a hit with airlines, which have ordered nearly 1,900 of the advanced twin-aisle jet worth nearly $150 billion at list prices. The FAA has been critical of some Boeing safety practices in recent years and imposed a $6.6 million fine on Boeing in February for failing to comply with a 2015 safety agreement. The agency did not allow the Boeing 737 MAX to resume flights for nearly 20 months following two fatal crashes and only after it added significant safeguards to a key system. Last month, Reuters reported the FAA told Boeing in May its planned 777X was not yet ready for a significant certification step and warned it "realistically" will not certify the airplane until mid- to late 2023. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/faa-says-boeing-production-problem-020713117.html FAA says Boeing will fix new production defect on 787 Dreamliners before deliveries resume • Boeing has already paused delivery of its 787 Dreamliners as the Federal Aviation Administration evaluates how the company inspects the planes. • Delays to resuming deliveries would deprive Boeing of cash since the bulk of an aircraft’s price is paid when they’re handed over to customers. • The FAA said the issue “poses no immediate threat to flight safety.” The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday said Boeing will fix another manufacturing defect that was discovered on some of its 787 Dreamliner planes that haven’t yet been delivered to customers. Boeing halted deliveries of the wide-body planes in May for the second time in a year as the FAA reviewed the manufacturer’s method for evaluating the aircraft. Boeing first disclosed incorrect spacing in some parts of certain 787 aircraft, including the fuselage, last year, halting deliveries for five months. The FAA said the latest issue was detected “near the nose” of certain 787 Dreamliners that Boeing has manufactured but not delivered. “This issue was discovered as part of the ongoing system-wide inspection of Boeing’s 787 shimming processes required by the FAA,” the agency said. The FAA’s comments were reported earlier by Reuters. “Although the issue poses no immediate threat to flight safety, Boeing has committed to fix these airplanes before resuming deliveries,” the FAA said. Boeing didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment and it wasn’t yet clear how long the process could take. The company has roughly 100 Dreamliners that haven’t yet been delivered. The majority of an aircraft’s price is paid when they are delivered to customers, so further delays could mean more financial strain for Boeing, which is trying to regain its footing after two fatal crashes grounded its best-selling 737 Max and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. “Based on data, the FAA will determine whether similar modifications should be made on 787s already in commercial service,” the FAA said. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/13/boeing-787-dreamliner-manufacturing-flaws.html FAA Deals $10,000 Fine to Airline Passenger over Mask Refusal The Federal Aviation Authority announced on Tuesday that it dealt an airline passenger a $10,500 fine for refusing to cover his nose with his mask and allegedly intimidating a flight attendant. The FAA said in a press release that flight attendants on an Allegiant Air flight from Utah to Arizona repeatedly told the passenger to cover his nose and mouth with a mask, however the passenger immediately “moved it off of his nose after the flight attendant walked away.” Flight attendants then told him they would have to file a disturbance complaint, however the passenger “argued” and “claimed that it was fine just over his mouth.” When the flight landed the passenger “approached a flight attendant from behind as she prepared to open the cabin door and touched her,” getting close to her saying she was “being aggressive” about the mask policy. “This behavior intimidated the flight attendant and caused her to cry,” the FAA said. The Transport Security Administration has implemented a masking requirement for all passengers on public transportation until mid-September to limit coronavirus spread. As a result, all airline passengers in the U.S. are required to wear face masks over their nose and mouth. The federal requirement was enacted on February 1, 2021, although various airlines have required passengers to wear masks since mid-2020. https://www.yahoo.com/news/faa-deals-10-000-fine-191245707.html (Photo Courtesy: NTSB) Downed Cargo Jet Found on the Seafloor off Hawaii Investigators have located a Boeing 737-200 cargo jet that made an emergency water landing off the Hawaiian island of Oahu in the Pacific Ocean on July 2, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Friday. Transair Flight 810 was found approximately 2 miles offshore from Ewa Beach. The major components of the airplane -- the aft fuselage including both wings and tail along with both engines, and forward fuselage -- were located on the sea floor at depths between 360 and 420 feet, the NTSB said in a statement. The plane components were located with a Side Scan Sonar and Remotely Operated Vehicle, the NTSB said. The NTSB said the wreckage is too deep to deploy divers for recovery of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders. The investigative team is developing plans to recover the aircraft. The safety board said fuel samples from another airplane fueled on the same night were tested and no irregularities were found. The agency released photos of airplane components located on the ocean floor. The two crew members on Transair Flight 810 were injured after being forced to land in the Pacific Ocean. One was taken to a hospital by helicopter and the other was rescued by boat. The Boeing cargo plane was built in 1975. The crew reported engine trouble and plans to turn back shortly after taking off at 1:33 a.m. local time from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. The plane was en route to the Hawaiian island of Maui. The NTSB said its investigators have completed more than a dozen interviews including the flight crew, other Transair personnel, and Federal Aviation Administration employees. https://www.marinelink.com/news/downed-cargo-jet-found-seafloor-off-489102 (Photo Courtesy: NTSB) Aviation expert: Transair cargo plane broke apart on impact, pilots lucky to be alive HONOLULU (KHON2) — Aviation experts say the Transair cargo plane that crashed off Oahu on July 2 broke apart when it hit the water, leaving the two pilots just minutes to get out. Investigators now have to figure out how to retrieve the two black boxes from the bottom of the ocean. The National Transportation Safety Board released the pictures of the wreckage of the plane which is believed to be 360 to 420 feet underwater. The Boeing 737-200 jet broke apart in two large sections, and one of the engines is sitting on the ocean floor. “To me that looks like a high impact on the water with a nose altitude up,” said Capt. Christopher Behnam, aviation expert. “As they’re coming down they must have pulled the nose up and when it hit the water, it broke the airplane basically in half.” Capt. Behnam says the impact is like being in a car and hitting a brick wall at 70-80 miles an hour. The two pilots had to get out quickly because the plane was sinking fast. “They are extremely fortunate that they were not knocked out, that they were able to open the windows and get out of the airplane,” he said. The cargo plane was headed for Maui but reported having engine trouble shortly after takeoff from Honolulu. NTSB says it’s developing plans to recover the aircraft. Marine salvage companies will be hired to get the two data flight recorders, or black boxes, which are on the tail end of the plane. “They might want to recover the rest of the airplane just to see if there was any fatigue in the metal or not,” said Capt. Behnam. “I think the way they would do it is they would put airbags inside the airplane and inflate it. They would lift the airplane and bring it to surface.” Two years ago, Capt. Behnam was the pilot of the United Airlines flight from San Francisco that had to make an emergency landing in Honolulu after an engine cover came off in midair. He says investigators will likely focus on why both engines of the Transair flight might have failed. “The airplane is capable of flying on one engine and coming back and land,” he said. “The mystery right now is why they lost the second engine and what happened.” NTSB investigators say they have conducted interviews with the flight crew and Transair personnel, and reviewed the airplane’s maintenance records. https://www.khon2.com/top-stories/aviation-expert-transair-cargo-plane-broke-apart-on-impact-pilots-lucky-to-be-alive/ MedAire: EVA Air to Launch First Asian Pilot of the AOKpass Pilot will see EVA Air join Air France, Alitalia, Etihad, Air Caraïbes and Corsair in live pilots of AOKpass, the digital health passport with nearly 130 airports ready to deploy pilots with airlines PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EVA Air has announced a pilot of AOKpass, the world’s most operationally advanced secure health certificate platform and app. The pilot, which will be AOKpass’ first in Asia, will be available on flights between Taiwan Taoyuan Airport (TPE) and San Francisco (SFO) / Los Angeles (LAX). Using the app, travellers will be able to securely verify their COVID-19 test results with the airline, from laboratories approved by local health authorities. They will benefit from fast track channels at San Francisco and Los Angeles, while retaining the privacy of their personal health data. Deployments of AOKpass have already involved over 500 flights, reflecting its strong focus on forming local, regional and global alliances for interoperability across jurisdictions and industries. EVA Air spokesperson, David Chen, commented, “It is vitally important that our passengers’ health is protected, their data is secure and they have a convenient travel experience. AOKpass supports all these three key aims and the pilot will be assisted by our trusted medical partner, MedAire. By running a six-week pilot we will be able to see the consistent benefits to our passengers.” Bill Dolny, CEO of MedAire, specialists in providing medical and security support to the aviation and maritime industries, continued, “As organisations are starting to return to travel and operations, ICC AOKpass has been instrumental in ensuring that airlines, airports, and immigration authorities can deliver this safely and sustainably. AOKpass, and the extensive testing network that supports it, has already been used to process thousands of health passes, supporting travellers since September 2020. For the growing number of returning travellers, safety at scale is critical, as is continuing to provide assurance and renewed confidence in travel. EVA Air is to make this another successful implementation and step towards our collective industry goal to open the skies with safe travel once again.” Under current regulations, travellers to and from Taiwan Taoyuan Airport are required to take a PCR test for COVID-19 72 hours prior to departure. With the AOKpass, EVA Air passengers are able to store their PCR test results digitally on their mobile devices for later verification at the airport. The AOKpass management system completes this verification using a global, blockchain-based network ensuring all test results are genuine, valid, and in line with government regulations. https://tucson.com/business/medaire-eva-air-to-launch-first-asian-pilot-of-the-aokpass/article_1f7bbe12-dbc6-5a34-a7de-85e274430b69.html Turkish Airlines Has A New Fake Aircraft Cabin For Crew Training While flight simulators are arguably more fun, cabin simulators also have a role to play in the crew training process. For Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines, a new “Cabin Service Training Simulator” has been assembled and is ready to train the airline’s future flight attendants. Cabin simulators completed by TCI The new mockup aircraft cabin, or more professionally referred to as a “Cabin Service Training Simulator,” has been completed by Turkish firm TCI. With letters standing for “Turkish Cabin Interior,” TCI is a joint venture of three major companies of aviation; Turkish Airlines, Turkish Technic, and Turkish Aerospace Industries. Established in December 2010, the company’s headquarters and manufacturing sites are located in what it calls “Europe’s largest MRO Center,” which is located close to Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. TCI says that it currently designs and manufactures both narrow and widebody commercial aircraft galleys and stowages, VIP galleys, and aircraft equipment. It also provides retrofitting and repair services. Four aircraft mockups prepared for Turkish Airlines Now complete, the project has been years in the making, having started in 2018. For Turkish Airlines, TCI was tasked with manufacturing four realistic and simulated models of the following aircraft: Airbus A320 Airbus A330 Boeing 737 Boeing 777 These simulators will be used at Turkish Airlines’ Flight Training Center for what TCI calls “pre-employment and on-the-job training of flight attendants.” The training modules were manufactured based on aircraft types in the Turkish Airlines fleet, although TCI says that they are also “designed to serve the flight attendants of other airlines as well.” “The quality of the training is enhanced by means of certain aircraft type details, handsets, auditory and visual warnings, cabin noise, announcements and IFE simulations.” -TCI Work extends beyond Turkish Airlines While TCI is a joint venture that includes Turkish Airlines, its work extends far beyond the carrier and its fleet. Indeed, it has inked deals with the following airlines for ‘galley tenders’ (design and construction of galleys): Jet Airways (pre-collapse): 79 737 MAXs SpiceJet: 155 737 MAXs Azerbaijan Airlines: 10 737 MAXs SunExpress: 32 737 MAXs In the short term, the firm says its focus is on offering products such as trolleys and cargo containers. In the long-term, it hopes to also get into the realms of Crew Rest (Compartments) and Cabin Divider Systems & Blinds, among others. With the recovery of the aviation industry, Turkish Airlines should be able to put its brand new cabin mockups to good use, providing new and refresher training for flight attendants who may not have been very active in recent months. https://simpleflying.com/turkish-airlines-crew-training-cabin/ ‘Karen’ forces all passengers to disembark plane after refusing to turn phone on airplane mode 'Oh my God, woman. Get off the plane.' A woman allegedly refused to stop using her phone on a flight, causing all passengers to be forced to disembark the plane. A viral TikTok shows police officers requesting the woman to turn off her phone. When she refuses, one of the officers says all of the passengers will have to exit the plane. “Are you serious? Oh my God, woman. Get off the plane,” one passenger shouts. “You have got to be kidding me right now,” another says. Another clip then shows the disembarked passengers waiting at the terminal as the woman is escorted away by police officers. “You suck!” one person shouts. Other passengers boo the woman. The caption claims the flight was delayed by three hours. It’s unclear which airline the flight was on. The video, which received over 9 million views, was shared to TikTok by user @ashleynhowey on July 8 and originally recorded by her father, the user says in another video. In the additional video, the user says the flight attendants asked everyone to turn their phones on airplane mode and specifically requested the woman turn off her phone and properly wear her mask twice before involving the police. TikTok users in the comments questioned why the woman was asked to leave the plane as she appears to be wearing her mask correctly in the initial video. “Ok, I need more details, what was the problem because she has a WHOLE ATTITUDE,” one user said. One user noted that one of the police officers’ masks was not covering his nose. “The cop can’t wear his mask right either,” they said. Some users made racist comments toward the woman, who is Black, by referring to a man wearing a Burger King hat who shouted the N-word on a JetBlue flight last year. “Where’s my burger king hat,” one user said. The TikTok was also shared on the r/ActualPublicFreakouts subreddit, where many users speculated that passengers were disembarked to avoid what happened to David Dao in 2017. Dao was forcibly removed from an overbooked United Airlines flight in Chicago, during which he was knocked unconscious and dragged down the aisle of the plane. The airline faced broad public scrutiny for the situation. The Daily Dot was unable to contact the woman, the airline, or user @ashleynhowey. https://www.dailydot.com/irl/airplane-mode-karen/ Man behind airport bomb scare was angry about paying for carry-on bag, police say What happened next caused panic and major issues for airlines and travelers when the airport shut down for about four hours and three of the terminals had to be evacuated. FORT LAUDERDALE — When Wegal Rosen learned he’d have to pay for a carry-on bag before getting on a plane bound for Canada on Saturday, the part-time South Florida resident was upset. His anger grew worse when he was told he would have to pay to carry his bag on board. And he ended up in a heated argument when an Air Canada agent who said the airline has a no-cash policy and he’d have to walk from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 to buy a Visa card to pay for his carry-on item. What happened next caused panic and major issues for airlines and travelers when the airport shut down for about four hours and three of the terminals had to be evacuated. According to a police report, at 8:30 a.m. Rosen, 74 of Ontario, walked away from the ticket counter where he had been arguing with the Air Canada agent. As he was walking, the agent called out that he left his carry-on bag there and he needed to come and get it. Rosen, the report said, told the agent there was a bomb in the bag. Unaware that the bag actually contained Rosen’s CPAP machine, which helps him breath when he is sleeping, deputies combed the airport for hours making sure there were no bombs. Eight flights were canceled and 50 flights were delayed. Now Rosen faces 15 years in prison — which, for a person his age, could mean spending the rest of his life behind bars. Rosen was taken to jail, where he remained Monday afternoon. Clad in a jail jumpsuit, he appeared before Judge Tabitha Blackmon on Monday. His attorney, whose full name was not readily available, spoke on his behalf: “He said the magic words you do not say.” Prosecutor Eric Linder agreed. “Obviously it would be very concerning if he did have an explosive device, your honor, but anybody — anybody — in our society knows what the impact is of making statement about having a bomb in the airport.” Rosen’s attorney said his client was heading home to Toronto to see a cardiologist. Blackmon, who set bond at $20,000, said Rosen was free to go back to Canada while his case plays out, but that he was forbidden to get there by flying out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. “You cannot return to the Fort Lauderdale airport, Mr. Rosen, do you understand?” Blackmon said. Rosen said he did understand. “To get back to Canada, he’ll have to go through Miami, West Palm Beach or any other county,” Blackmon said. https://www.tampabay.com/news/2021/07/12/man-behind-airport-bomb-scare-was-angry-about-paying-for-carry-on-bag-police-say/ FAA Violated Environmental Laws at LAX, Federal Appeals Court Rules Two years ago, the city sued the FAA, alleging the agency made changes to flight patterns with neither environmental review nor public input. In a victory for the city, a federal appeals court found that the Federal Aviation Administration violated key environmental laws when it changed flight patterns for aircraft coming into Los Angeles International Airport over mid-city and central Los Angeles, City Attorney Mike Feuer announced Monday. As a result of the decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the FAA must undertake a proper environmental analysis that should have taken place prior to implementing the changes in 2018, according to Feuer. Two years ago, the city sued the FAA, alleging the agency made changes to flight patterns with neither environmental review nor public input. "The FAA made changes to a major flight path over Los Angeles without considering the noise and environmental impacts for residents below, and without consulting the city," Feuer said in a statement. "That was wrong and it's why we fought. We are very pleased that the court agreed with us and ordered the FAA to finally conduct a full environmental review which, unlike last time, will include public comment." The appeals panel on Thursday held that the FAA violated three key federal environmental laws by implementing the flight pattern changes at LAX as part of its rollout of its Next Generation Air Transportation System: the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and a section of the Department of Transportation Act. The court ordered the FAA to undertake proper NEPA and NHPA analysis and to consult with the city of Los Angeles regarding the Transportation Act. While the problematic flight patterns will remain in place for now, the court's ruling requires that the FAA undertake a more transparent and public process moving forward. Five years ago, as part of the FAA's implementation of the SoCal Metroplex Project and NextGen procedures, the agency started changing flight patterns for aircraft landing at LAX, including consolidating flight patterns over the West Adams neighborhood and other communities in mid-city and Central Los Angeles, causing significant noise and environmental impacts. In May 2018, the FAA made additional changes to incoming flights but allegedly failed to perform the required environmental review or seek public comment. These changes prompted Feuer's lawsuit. The city of Los Angeles previously requested the FAA address a series of specific modifications to at least partially provide some relief to residents, but that proved unsuccessful, and the city filed its lawsuit in June 2019. Among other things, the city claimed in its suit that the FAA failed to comply with its own procedures and properly consider all of the environmental impacts of the changes to its flight patterns for incoming aircraft at LAX. During the course of litigation, FAA presented documents to the court that allegedly confirmed that environmental review had occurred, but the court held that the documents were deficient because they postdated the publication of the flight pattern changes by several months. The lawsuit is one of three that the city has brought against the FAA on behalf of the city in regards to NextGen. The second concerns southerly departures from Hollywood-Burbank airport in which the city alleges that the FAA admitted in the summer of 2019 that there has been a "southerly shift" of airplanes -- that similarly never underwent environmental review -- affecting residents in Studio City and southeast San Fernando Valley, possibly the Santa Monica mountains and others not near the airport who are now experiencing air traffic for the first time or to a degree never before experienced. The FAA denied the city's request to remedy the southerly shift on the basis that FAA had not caused the shift. The third case has to do with the city's Freedom of Information Act request in regards to flight procedures at Hollywood-Burbank Airport. Feuer's office has since received the requested documents, and the parties are negotiating a resolution. Feuer said he has been communicating directly with the FAA's Regional Administrator, the FAA's counsel, and members of Congress seeking to obtain relief for impacted residents. Additionally, with federal and local officials, he has pushed the FAA to conduct a thorough environmental assessment of prospective flight pattern changes over the south San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica Mountains. The FAA agreed to conduct that assessment and to consider dispersal of flights in the process, Feuer said. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/faa-violated-environmental-laws-at-lax-federal-appeals-court-rules/2636367/ Airbus delivered 297 aircraft in the first semester of 2021 Airbus shares soared last Friday after the result of its delivery schedule was known. In the first half of 2021, Airbus delivered a total of 297 aircraft. This represents an increase of 51% compared to the same period in 2020, which was greatly affected by blockades and border closures due to the pandemic. Between January and June of last year, Airbus had delivered 196 aircraft. In the first half of 2019, 389 new planes left for their new owners. Among the shipments in the first half of this year is Jetsmart’s seventh A320neo, which was delivered to its owner in January, and the three A350s delivered simultaneously to Singapore Airlines in April. As a result of this news, the shares of Airbus, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, rose 4.3% this Friday. On the other hand, Airbus obtained 165 orders in the first half. Once cancellations are computed, this number drops to 38 orders, including the recently announced record order from United Airlines. Deliveries by model Deliveries between January and May were as follows: Narrow-body aircraft 3 A220-100s and 18 A220-200s 2 A319s, one from the ceo and the other from the neo family 125 A320neos, 15 A321ceos and 95 A321neos Wide-body aircraft 1 A330-200 (A330ceo family) 1 A330-800 and 5 A330-900s (A330neo family) 27 A350-900s and 3 A350-1000s were delivered 2 A380s https://www.aviacionline.com/2021/07/airbus-delivered-297-aircraft-in-the-first-semester-of-2021/ Ryanair starts hiring spree, seeking 2,000 pilots for expansion built around 737 MAX Ryanair Holdings is starting one of the biggest recruitment drives among European airlines, aiming to add 2,000 pilots over the next three years as the carrier plans to grab market share from rivals weakened by the pandemic. Europe’s biggest discount carrier needs pilots to fly its new Boeing 737 MAX jets, which it began taking last month, Ryanair said Monday. The carrier will start training new hires this year, aiming to have crews ready for next summer. The Irish carrier is counting on lockdown-weary travelers flocking to the beach this year, and has been adding capacity as it looks to scale up after a near-standstill in flights during the pandemic. Ryanair has 210 Boeing 737 MAX jets on order. Ryanair is adding staff as Deutsche Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Portugal’s TAP have been cutting jobs. While European countries began opening for travel this month, the U.K. will lift mandatory quarantines for vaccinated Brits returning from holiday from countries on the U.K.’s so-called amber list starting July 19. Last year, at the height of the pandemic, Ryanair reached a deal with its pilot and cabin crew unions to cut pay in order to stave off 3,000 job cuts. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/ryanair-starts-hiring-spree-seeking-2000-pilots-for-expansion-built-around-737-max/ Canada's Porter Airlines to double fleet with major order of Embraer jets SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Porter Airlines is tapping opportunities from the COVID-19 pandemic with a firm order for 30 Embraer E195-E2 jets that will double the Canadian carrier's fleet and allow it to add new routes in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean, Chief Executive Michael Deluce said on Monday. Earlier, Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA said Porter was the mystery buyer behind an order of up to 80 E195-E2 jets, a deal previously announced in May. Porter placed an order to buy a record 30 jets and options for 50 more, for a total value of $5.82 billion based on list prices, Embraer said. Embraer shares were up 6% in early afternoon trade in Sao Paulo. The order, Toronto-based Porter's largest ever, is part of a reshaping of Canada's post-pandemic air travel sector. Tiny ultra low cost carrier (ULCC) Flair Airlines is introducing cross-border service, raising pricing pressure as market leader Air Canada restores routes. [nL2N2OJ2MZ] "It certainly will be highly competitive," Deluce said in an interview. Like their global peers, Canadian carriers were battered during the pandemic with flights plummeting due to strict travel restrictions. But the pandemic also led to growth opportunities, including lowering the cost of acquiring planes. "The pandemic created opportunities on acquisition that were not available before," Deluce said, without giving details on pricing. "We were looking at various growth plans, but I think the specifics really emerged during the pandemic." United Airlines in late June announced its largest-ever order for Boeing and Airbus jets in a push for post-pandemic growth. Porter is restarting flights on Sept. 8 after suspending travel for nearly 18 months. The carrier operates 29 DeHavilland Dash 8-400 turboprops and competes by offering perks like free beverages and snacks, at a time when rivals are moving toward charging for onboard services. But while the fuel-efficient turboprops help Porter lower costs, their limited range capped the airline's growth potential. The E195-E2 jets would allow Porter to fly to new U.S. Mexican and Caribbean destinations from Canadian cities like Toronto and Montreal, although new routes have not yet been announced. The jets will enter service starting in the second half of 2022. Embraer has orders for up to 280 E195-E2 planes, a mix of firm orders and options. Porter will be Embraer's first North American customer for the E2 line. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/embraer-says-canadas-porter-airlines-143306102.html Air France-KLM starts process for major medium-haul jet purchase PARIS/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Air France-KLM has launched a tender to "renew and extend" the medium-haul fleets of Dutch unit KLM and the French and Dutch arms of low-cost subsidiary Transavia, a spokesperson for the Franco-Dutch airlines group said on Monday. The company confirmed the tender after Chief Executive Officer Ben Smith was quoted as saying Air France-KLM had approached Airbus and Boeing about 160 jets. "We've done a little bit in this area, it's been on the agenda since 2004, but it's never been put in place as it is now. I am very pleased to be able to put together this order, the largest in the group's history," he told the daily Het Financieele Dagblad in an interview. A competition for medium-haul jets would typically pit the Airbus A321neo family against the Boeing 737 MAX, although Air France has also ordered the smaller Canadian-designed A220 jet for its French operation. Smith said in the interview that the Air France-KLM combination had slipped behind competitors Lufthansa of Germany and Anglo-Spanish IAG, which owns British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus. Air France-KLM should strengthen cooperation to be able to respond more quickly to market developments, he said, without specifying which business segments. "In 2004, Air France-KLM was the largest group in Europe, now we are number three. They have worked more effectively. Obviously we can do that too, but we need to move forward a little faster." https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/air-france-klm-starts-process-094839166.html Moon’s ‘wobble’ to shift in 2030, NASA says. Here’s why that’s bad for coastal cities As the moon orbits around the Earth, the two celestial bodies, together with the sun, line up in ways that influence how gravity acts on our planet. The phenomenon is what causes ocean tides to wax and wane, but the gravitational pull differs from year to year. To our eyes, the moon appears to “wobble” in space because of its tilt, velocity and shape of its orbit, taking 18.6 years to complete. Half of the cycle suppresses tide activity by making high tides lower than normal and low tides higher than normal. But the other half exacerbates them — and therein lies the problem. The moon is currently in the “tide-amplifying part of its cycle,” according to NASA, but by mid-2030, when this intensified series returns, people living in coastal cities may be dealing with severe floods “every day or two.” Why? This natural yet amplified lunar cycle will be coupled with higher sea levels caused by global warming, triggering a decade of dramatic surges in the number of days with high-tide flooding on nearly all mainland coastlines in the U.S., Hawaii and Guam. High-tide flooding, also known as “nuisance” or “sunny day” floods, is projected to exceed thresholds across the nation more often and occur in clusters that last a month or longer, the NASA Sea Level Change Science Team of the University of Hawaii said. Their study was published last month in the journal Nature Climate Change. These kinds of floods are already plaguing many cities on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. In 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported more than 600 such floods, which occur when high tides reach about 2 feet above the daily average “and start spilling onto streets or bubbling up from storm drains.” VIDEO The problem, researchers say, is that these events are often considered less important or damaging than floods caused by hurricanes, for example, because they involve smaller amounts of water. But “it’s the accumulated effect over time that will have an impact,” study lead author Phil Thompson, an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii, said in a statement. “If it floods 10 or 15 times a month, a business can’t keep operating with its parking lot under water. People lose their jobs because they can’t get to work. Seeping cesspools become a public health issue.” What’s more, these repeated events will eventually occur in clusters in about a decade when the moon’s amplified wobble merges with future higher seas, the team says. The dangerous cocktail is predicted to spark increased high-tide flooding over a short period of time, creating extreme months of activity. For instance, during a five-year period with an expected 100 high-tide flooding days, the six most severe months will experience seven to 10 high-tide flooding days per month on average, according to the study. The remaining months will have less than one high-tide flooding day per month on average. In a scenario where there will be 200 high-tide flooding days over five years, the six most severe months will experience 10 to 17 high-tide flooding days on average, in comparison. The team discovered these “tipping points” by analyzing 89 tide monitoring stations in every coastal state and territory except Alaska. From there, they created models by combining that data with NOAA’s sea level rise predictions, flooding thresholds and information on celestial cycles and weather events. Just as engineers plan for rare, extreme weather events, their efforts should also focus on these smaller, clustered episodes occurring in shorter periods. “From a planning perspective, it’s important to know when we’ll see an increase,” study co-author Ben Hamlington of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and leader of NASA’s Sea Level Change Team, said in a statement. “Understanding that all your events are clustered in a particular month, or you might have more severe flooding in the second half of a year than the first — that’s useful information.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/moon-wobble-shift-2030-nasa-222810058.html U.S. approves Blue Origin license for human space travel ahead of Bezos flight SEATTLE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday it approved a Blue Origin license to carry humans on the New Shepard launch system into space. Former Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos is set to fly to the edge of space on Blue Origin's maiden crewed voyage on July 20. Blue Origin is authorized to carry humans while its FAA license is valid through August and is approved to conduct these missions from its Launch Site One facility in Texas, the agency confirmed. Blue Origin was required to verify its launch vehicle's hardware and software worked safely during a test flight and the FAA confirmed it met regulatory requirements. Blue Origin's flight will come a little over a week after space-tourism rival Virgin Galactic successfully sent a crew including its founder, British billionaire Richard Branson, to the edge of space. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, as well as the space firm founded by rival billionaire Elon Musk, are working to usher in a new era of routine commercial civilian space travel in what has been popularized as the "billionaire space race." Proving rocket travel is safe for the public is key to developing what the Swiss-based investment bank UBS estimates will be a $3 billion annual space tourism market in a decade. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/u-approves-blue-origin-license-233033696.html Curt Lewis