Flight Safety Information - September 16, 2021 No. 187 In This Issue : Incident: Lufthansa A359 at Munich on Sep 15th 2021, burst tyre on departure : Incident: Canada BCS3 at San Francisco on Sep 12th 2021, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Azul E295 at Curitiba on Sep 11th 2021, engine nacelle overheat : de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 - Fatal Accident (Indonesia) : Laser strikes on planes increase, put pilots and passengers in danger : Ground Safety Alliance Will Leverage Ground Handling Data to Raise the Safety Bar : Four Best Practices for Quality Assurance of Safety Critical Software in Aviation : 'I Will Be Annoying': Flight Attendant's Viral Mask Speech Video Viewed 2.8 Million Times : British Airways operates passenger flight using recycled cooking oil : Air NZ and Airbus to research future of hydrogen-powered aircraft : Southwest Airlines is giving fully vaccinated staff 16 hours extra pay - and cutting special sick pay for unvaccinated workers who catch COVID-19, a report says : Hundreds of former international flight attendants accuse United Airlines of discrimination : Conglomerate Tata Group bids for debt-stricken Indian national carrier : Hawaiian Airlines reveals new in-flight video teaching visitors how to travel respectfully to the islands amid calls for tourists to stay home : SpaceX successfully launches 1st all-civilian flight into Earth's orbit : Southern California Safety Institute Upcoming Fall Courses : POSITION AVAILABLE: Safety Analyst, Aviation Safety Action : POSITION AVAILABLE: Aerospace Engineer (Powerplants) : Position Available - Safety Evaluator : POSITION AVAILABLE: Decision Science Lead, Flight Safety Incident: Lufthansa A359 at Munich on Sep 15th 2021, burst tyre on departure A Lufthansa A350-900, registration D-AIXK performing flight LH-434 from Munich (Germany) to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA), departed Munich's runway 26L and was enroute at FL380 about 50nm north of Glasgow,SC (UK) when the crew decided to turn around and return after receiving information that they had likely burst a tyre on departure. The aircraft performed a gear down low approach to Cologne's (Germany) runway 32R, climbed back to FL190 and is now holding near Nuremberg (Germany) and Munich to burn off fuel estimated to land in Frankfurt/Main (Germany). http://avherald.com/h?article=4ed4e36e&opt=0 Incident: Canada BCS3 at San Francisco on Sep 12th 2021, engine shut down in flight An Air Canada Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration C-GJYI performing flight AC-763 from Montreal,QC (Canada) to San Francisco,CA (USA) with 129 people on board, was enroute when the crew received a brief EICAS low engine oil pressure indication for the left hand engine (PW1521G), the indication ceased. The crew continued the flight. Descending towards San Francisco the crew received a persistent low engine oil pressure indication for the left hand engine, worked the related checklist and shut the engine down. The aircraft continued for a safe landing, the engine was checked by emergency services before the aircraft taxied to the apron. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/ACA763/history/20210912/2225Z/CYUL/KSFO http://avherald.com/h?article=4ed4dec0&opt=0 Incident: Azul E295 at Curitiba on Sep 11th 2021, engine nacelle overheat An Azul Linhas Aereas Embraer ERJ-195-E2, registration PS-AEC performing flight AD-2865 from Sao Paulo Viracopos,SP to Curitiba,PR (Brazil) with 80 passengers and 5 crew, was on approach to Curitiba when the crew declared emergency reporting a left hand engine (PW1921G) nacelle overheat. The crew accelerated landing and landed safely on Curitiba's runway 15. Brazil's CENIPA reported the landing was safe, the aircraft did not sustain any damage. The aircraft returned to service about 29 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ed4c3c6&opt=0 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 - Fatal Accident (Indonesia) Status: Preliminary Date: Wednesday 15 September 2021 Time: 07:30 Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 Operator: Rimbun Air Registration: PK-OTW MSN: 493 First flight: 1976-06-03 (45 years 4 months) Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 Crew: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Passengers: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 Total: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair Location: 3,4 km (2.1 mls) from Bilogai/Sugapa Airport (ZGP) (Indonesia) Phase: Approach (APR) Nature: Cargo Departure airport: Nabire Airport (NBX/WABI), Indonesia Destination airport: Bilogai/Sugapa Airport (ZGP/WAYB), Indonesia Narrative: A de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter operated by Rimbun Air crashed into a wooded mountainside in Sugapa District, Intan Jaya Regency, Papua, killing all three on board. The airplane departed Nabire at 06:40, transporting building materials to Bilogai/Sugapa Airport. Last radio contact was at 07:30 hours. Thre wreckage of the airplane was located in the mountains at an elevation of 2400 m at 11:00, close to Bilogai/Sugapa Airport. The status of the occupants is unclear at this time. https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20210915-0 Laser strikes on planes increase, put pilots and passengers in danger CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - 19 Investigates has a warning from the FBI on the danger of laser strikes blinding pilots on airplanes and helicopters. The FAA reports they continue to increase, even in 2020 when less pilots were flying due to the pandemic. Laser strikes can put you, the passenger, at risk. Laser strikes on airplanes and helicopters are serious and can be deadly for pilots and their passengers, whether the people behind them are playing around or causing intentional harm. “When you shine it up at an airplane or a helicopter, it actually expands. So that little tiny point on the ground that you’re seeing, when it gets into that cockpit, it can expand up to six feet. So it completely blinds a co-pilot and pilot. So it can be very, very dangerous,” said FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson-Gregg with the Cleveland field office. She said in the Cleveland area, they sometimes see clusters of these laser attacks happen at the same time. Otherwise they usually see one every few weeks over our skies. “We have pilots say they see flashes of light afterwards, some become completely disoriented and a lot of times these are happening around airports. So they’re coming in for landings and it can be very, very dangerous,” she said. 19 Investigates found the FAA reported 6,852 laser strikes nationwide in 2020, up from 6,136 laser strikes in 2019. That’s the highest reported number of incidents since 2016. We discovered Ohio is 16th in the nation for laser strikes over the last 10 years. There have been 1,186 laser strikes from 2010 to 2020. Aiming a laser at an aircraft violates federal law, and that’s where the FBI comes in. Agents question people in the area where it happened to find out if someone is doing this maliciously. “When the pilots get hit with one of these lasers, they’re able to pinpoint their coordinates of where they were. They’re able to report that to law enforcement and we take it seriously, because it can have awful consequences,” Anderson-Gregg said. The FAA said there have been nearly 200 reports by flight crews of injuries from laser strikes in the past 10 years. They urge pilots to report them as soon as possible so they can track the suspects down. You can get fined up to $11,000 from the FAA for each violation. The agency has imposed civil penalties up to $30,000 against people for multiple laser strikes. You can read more from the Federal Aviation Administration on laser safety here. https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/09/15/laser-strikes-planes-increase-put-pilots-passengers-danger/ Ground Safety Alliance Will Leverage Ground Handling Data to Raise the Safety Bar The Ground Safety Alliance is a collaborative industry-led organization dedicated to leveraging data to help advance business aviation and general aviation ground handling safety. Washington, DC, September 15, 2021 – The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) announced the formation of the Ground Safety Alliance (GSA) at this week’s virtual Ground Handling Safety Symposium (GHSS). The Ground Safety Alliance is a collaborative industry-led organization dedicated to leveraging data to help advance business aviation and general aviation ground handling safety. “This year’s Ground Handling Safety Symposium, with nearly 90 locations and hundreds of the most dedicated safety professionals in the industry in attendance, was the perfect venue to announce the formation of the Ground Safety Alliance (GSA). Data is critical for aviation business success and has been used to improve safety in aircraft operations for years. The GSA will provide the foundation for ground handling operators and other industry stakeholders to collaborate on the collection, analysis, and distribution of safety data and intelligence,” stated Michael France, NATA managing director, safety and training. “We are pleased to see the aviation business community unite for such a critical purpose.” The GSA is led by a governing board of industry leaders, including: Todd Smith, Atlantic Aviation Bob Schick, TAC Air Jennifer Bartenstein, Signature Flight Support Kate Fraser, NetJets Robert Cavetti, Sheltair Aviation Services Angela Thurmond, American Aero FTW Kevin Donnelly, Jet Aviation Sean White, First Wing Jet Center Jessica Rowden, Cutter Aviation The GSA board is already working to overcome the challenges of implementing a comprehensive safety data collection program that protects confidentiality while providing powerful operational insights. In the coming weeks, the GSA will announce opportunities for FBOs, aircraft operators, safety consultants and others to join the alliance in driving safety improvements through data. For inquires on the GSA or opportunities for participation, please contact Michael France, managing director, safety and training at mfrance@nata.aero. https://www.aviationpros.com/ground-handling/ground-handlers-service-providers/ramp-operations-training/press-release/21238470/national-air-transportation-association-nata-ground-safety-alliance-will-leverage-ground-handling-data-to-raise-the-safety-bar Four Best Practices for Quality Assurance of Safety Critical Software in Aviation Software can be found in every corner of the aviation industry, and it’s a critical component of anything related to safety in the cockpit from monitors and displays to navigation and communication systems. On an airplane, anything software-related that is not part of the passenger entertainment system has to meet specific safety regulations and must be certified according to DO-178C — Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification — before it goes aboard an airplane. DO-178C is recognized by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and its European equivalents. The guideline also covers other aviation-related devices, such as drones. The four-step process to attain DO-178C certification involves four Stages of Involvement (SOIs), beginning with a lot of documents and forms to fill out in SOI1. In SOI2, companies must have their software coding and architecture verified, and in SOI3, the software must be tested. SOI4 is the completion stage, in which a company is required to show all the evidence that its software has passed all the tests and that every other stage of the process was completed correctly. The certification process can take up to 10 years or more, depending on the complexity of a system and how many subsystems it has. Along the path to meet DO-178C, there are some best practices that manufacturers can keep in mind to ease the process. Best Practice 1: Understand the safety-critical level of the software being certified Of course, not all software has to meet the same level of safety requirements. There are four Design Assurance Levels (DALs) that specify how critical a piece of software is in relation to the safety of the airplane, from the least critical (DAL D) up to the most critical (DAL A). One example of DAL D would be an ice-breaking system for drones. When a drone is at a very high altitude, it can get ice on its wings, so there’s a system that breaks the ice. This kind of a system is not considered critical because the drone doesn’t have any passengers, and it won’t crash but rather make an emergency landing if there is too much ice on the wings. Higher-level systems like maps and displays fall under DAL B, while DAL A level software includes navigation systems. The higher you go up the safety-critical ladder, the more tests there are and the more rules to follow regarding development. All this also influences the length of time it takes to get the software certified and the cost of the process. Best Practice 2: Automation streamlines the testing process As one would expect, the rules for achieving DO-178C certification are very strict. Therefore, it’s difficult to find faster or easier ways of going through the process. That said, advances in automation for testing, along with automated tools, have allowed for more expedient testing and for continuous testing as well. Every tool used in the process must also be certified, so being able to cut the necessary testing time is crucial to getting a software or system into the marketplace faster. With manual testing, it could take several months to test just one version of software for a system. If one line of code is changed, testing has to start all over again. Automation has sped the testing process up so that it now takes only several hours to test one version. Best Practice 3: Expect constant retesting No matter how small of a change something might seem, the fact is, it could lead to 100 different requirements that need to be changed. And each of those changes will require software to be retested. Requests for changes can come from anywhere. Sometimes the pilots or the airlines themselves will request a change, such as altering the font in all the apps. If the font is changed — even to increase or decrease the size by a fraction of a point -- this will necessitate retesting all the maps, because the new font size creates an entirely different image on the screens. Changing the size of the displays? Be prepared to retest the entire system. Some changes are inevitable. Hardware gets old and has to be replaced. This happens a lot in the aviation industry. When it does, the software has to be updated, and this requires everything to be tested all over again. If software that has been tested for use in one aircraft is put on a different plane, or is being adapted from a smaller drone for use with a larger drone, this also means retesting the software in its new platform. Best Practice 4: Ensure the traceability of the certification process As with the testing of the safety of anything -- from pharmaceuticals to aviation software -- the test must be thoroughly transparent and examinable. An auditor should be able to trace the testing of the system from end to end. Therefore, a developer must ensure the traceability of its software from the code, to the requirement, to the verification, to the test, all the way through the process. An auditor must be able to see exactly what was done and how at every stage of the certification process. A simple certification takes about two years. That’s the minimum. Going through the process, developers need to follow the guidelines closely and keep traceability tight and manageable. Testing must be repeated until the system meets the DO-178C standard, otherwise it won’t go onto the airplane or the drone. Whether your software is safety critical or not, changes to the code will eventually be necessary, whether due to inevitable technological evolution, necessary hardware upgrades or customer change requests. These code changes will need to be tested, no matter how small or insignificant they seem. This level of deliberate, time-consuming testing is indispensable when considering the inherent life or death stakes within aviation and aircraft technology. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2021/09/15/engineer-guest-post-four-best-practices-quality-assurance-safety-critical-software-aviation/ 'I Will Be Annoying': Flight Attendant's Viral Mask Speech Video Viewed 2.8 Million Times In a now-viral TikTok video, a flight attendant makes several hilarious comments as she discusses the airline's mask policy. Neither the flight attendant nor the airline is identified by the video's creator, but that didn't stop many commenters from singing her praises. Though the video is highly entertaining, it also serves as a great reminder to all future travelers that they are still required to wear face coverings on planes. Tyler Janee shared the video with her TikTok followers last week, and already, it has received 2.8 million views. The video is shot in selfie mode, so neither the flight attendant nor the other passengers are visible. However, the flight attendant's speech can be heard very clearly, and the video's auto-generated captions provide a great transcription of the attendant's comments. "We see you without your face coverings," the flight attendant said at the beginning of the video. "I know it's a 46-minute flight, y'all look tired—we already established that. So, you might fall asleep. "If that face covering is not on your face properly, I will wake you up," she continued. "And I do not care." At this point, Janee's eyes go wide and start to wander. "I will be annoying," the flight attendant said. "We don't have to be annoying but I will be." As she continues to say that she can see passengers wearing their masks improperly, Janee leans over her seat in an attempt to track down those who aren't complying with the airline's mask mandate. The video ends with the attendant explaining that the flight crew will swab passengers, though it's not clear if she means those without masks or everyone. Newsweek has reached out to Janee for comment. Federal law requires that all passengers wear face coverings on flights when not eating or drinking. That being said, each airline has its own policy. For example, Travel and Leisure stated that Delta and Southwest allow passengers to wear gaiters, so long as they have two layers of fabric. But other airlines, such as Allegiant and American, do not allow passengers to wear gaiters as face coverings. Before traveling, all passengers should double-check their chosen airline's mask policy. And of course, regardless of which mask an individual chooses to wear, it must fully cover a person's nose and mouth. Though masks are required by law, some passengers are still trying to remove their masks on flights. On September 10, a couple was removed from a flight for not wearing their masks properly. A video taken by another passenger on the plane showed the couple cursing at the flight attendant before being removed. Newsweek reported on September 7 that a woman was handcuffed and removed from a plane for continuously pulling her mask up and down. Some commenters thought the attendant featured in Janee's video was rude. However, many commenters rushed to praise the flight attendant, who, they believe, is tired of arguing with passengers about the country's mask policy. "Honestly, she most likely has tried being nice about it in the past and it didn't work," said Collin in response to a few commenters calling the flight attendant unprofessional. "I don't blame her." "I don't blame her lol I work in health care and I'm so tired of asking people to do something that's been a rule for over a year now," added Carrie. Olivia commented: "not all heroes wear capes." https://www.newsweek.com/i-will-annoying-flight-attendants-viral-mask-speech-video-viewed-28-million-times-1629589 British Airways operates passenger flight using recycled cooking oil • London-Glasgow flight run partly on sustainable fuel produces 62% less CO2 than a decade ago British Airways has operated its first passenger service directly powered by sustainable aviation fuel, a London to Glasgow flight that the airline said produced 62% less CO2 emissions than a similar journey a decade ago. The airline said the combination of the fuel – partly made from recycled cooking oil – with optimal flight paths, electrified airport vehicles and its newest plane slashed emissions. BA said it had offset the CO2 produced, making the flight carbon-neutral. While about 6.4 tons of CO2 were still produced by flight BA1476 on Tuesday, the airline said the flight was intended to demonstrate the progress made by the aviation industry in its attempts to decarbonise ahead of the Cop26 summit. The service was operated by BA’s special liveried “sustainability” plane, an Airbus A320neo, its quietest and most fuel-efficient short-haul model. The fuel was a 35% mix of sustainable fuels (SAFs) from BP – close to the maximum proportion currently permitted and higher than in similar demonstration flights. Further contributions to maximising efficiency came from the air traffic control service Nats, which ensured a direct ascent and descent with no holding time, while Heathrow used vehicles powered by green electricity to push the plane on the ground. While most of the factors involved in creating the “perfect flight” that BA aimed for on Tuesday are not always available – and considerable scepticism remains about sustainable air travel and offsetting – BA said it was a glimpse of the future. The BA chief executive, Sean Doyle, said: “This flight offered a practical demonstration of the progress we’re making in our carbon reduction journey. By working together with our industry partners we’ve delivered a 62% improvement in emissions reductions compared to a decade ago. “This marks real progress in our efforts to decarbonise and shows our determination to continue innovating, working with governments and industry, and accelerating the adoption of new low-carbon solutions.” BA said the reduction in emissions compared with a similar London-Edinburgh flight in 2010 was achieved primarily by the more efficient aircraft and operations – a 34% cut. The sustainable fuel, whose “carbon lifecycle emissions” could be up to 80% lower, contributed a 28% reduction. The remaining 38%, in common with all BA domestic flights, were offset using “high-quality, verified carbon offsets” – although there is significant dispute about the value of offsetting. The Heathrow chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said the flight showed “that the solutions to deliver net zero flight exist, we just need to scale them up”. However, Cait Hewitt, the policy director of the Aviation Environment Federation, said: “It’s important to realise with SAFs that these are net emissions. You still get as much CO2 coming out of the back of the aircraft as you do with conventional fuels. “The SAFs available today will not a scalable solution for the industry. To suggest that this a long-term path to decarbonise aviation would be misleading.” https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/sep/15/british-airways-operates-first-passenger-flight-run-on-sustainable-fuel Air NZ and Airbus to research future of hydrogen-powered aircraft • Airbus is currently looking at three concepts for hydrogen-powered aircraft, including a turboprop, turbofan and blended wing option. Air New Zealand and aircraft manufacturer Airbus have announced a joint initiative to research how hydrogen-powered aircraft could be part of their fleet by 2030. In a first for the Asia-Pacific region, the two organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate on a joint research project to better understand the opportunities and challenges of flying zero-emission hydrogen aircraft in New Zealand. Under the MoU, Air New Zealand will analyse the impact hydrogen aircraft may have on its network, operations and infrastructure, while Airbus will provide hydrogen aircraft performance requirements and ground operations characteristics to support Air New Zealand to develop its decarbonisation roadmap. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says the MoU is an exciting step towards understanding how hydrogen-powered aircraft could become a reality in New Zealand. Air New Zealand Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Captain David Morgan says the MoU is an opportunity for the airline to be part of the design and definition of how a hydrogen-powered aircraft might fit into its own operations. “We’ll be working closely with Airbus to understand opportunities and challenges, including achievable flying range and what ground infrastructure or logistics changes may be required to implement this technology in New Zealand.” Airbus Asia-Pacific President Anand Stanley added that the company chose to work with Air New Zealand because of its commitment to sustainability, reputation for technical excellence and alignment with the manufacturer’s own decarbonisation goals. “This agreement with Air New Zealand will provide us with important insights about how we could put a zero-emission aircraft into service. The joint study will enable us to gain invaluable feedback on what airlines will expect and their preferences in terms of configuration and performance.” Airbus is currently looking at three concepts for hydrogen-powered aircraft, including a turboprop, turbofan and blended wing option. https://www.futuretravelexperience.com/2021/09/air-nz-and-airbus-to-research-future-of-hydrogen-powered-aircraft/ Southwest Airlines is giving fully vaccinated staff 16 hours extra pay - and cutting special sick pay for unvaccinated workers who catch COVID-19, a report says Southwest said flight attendants and pilots would receive pay for 13 trip segments, per CNBC. The airline is also cutting special sick pay for unvaccinated people who catch COVID-19, per CNBC. Southwest Airlines is boosting incentives for staff to get COVID-19 vaccines. The airline is giving fully vaccinated staff 16 hours extra pay if they show proof of vaccination before November 15, according to a company memo sent Wednesday, first reported by CNBC, The Dallas Morning News, and others. Southwest said that flight attendants and pilots, who aren't paid hourly, would instead receive pay for 13 trip segments, per CNBC. The airline also said it would cut quarantine pay protections for unvaccinated people who catch the coronavirus after November 16, per CNBC. The protections gave employees full pay for up to 10 days if they were exposed to or contracted COVID-19 on the job, per Bloomberg. These people would still be able to use normal sick pay, the airline said, per CNBC. "If you have not been vaccinated and choose to do so, this timeline gives you enough time to receive both rounds of a two-series vaccine or the single-dose vaccine," Southwest said in the memo, per CNBC. Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, and American Airlines have already announced similar moves. CNBC reported that Southwest told staff the new policies were "unrelated" to the vaccination rules President Joe Biden announced September 9, which would require businesses with more than 100 employees to mandate vaccines or weekly testing. Insider asked Southwest for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. In August, United Airlines became the first US airline to mandate vaccines for all employees. Other airlines, including Delta, Alaska, and Horizon, are only requiring the vaccine for new hires, while encouraging existing staff to get a shot with perks, such as bonuses. Delta said in August that workers who don't get vaccinated would have to pay $200 extra a month for health insurance. The airline said that each worker who was hospitalized with the virus cost it an average of $50,000. Delta said last week that 20% of its unvaccinated workers chose to get the vaccine within two weeks of it announcing the insurance surcharge. Just under a quarter of adults in the US are yet to get their first dose of the vaccine, according to CDC data. https://www.yahoo.com/news/southwest-airlines-giving-fully-vaccinated-092007152.html Hundreds of former international flight attendants accuse United Airlines of discrimination Until last year, Stuart was a man with ties to many countries—an exemplar of this multinational age of business. He was a Briton who’d lived since 1996 in Japan, working as a flight attendant on international flights. His employer through all those years, United Airlines, was American. Stuart worked under a US contract, which meant that he was represented by a US union, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). He paid US income taxes and contributed to social security. After the Covid-19 pandemic hit, he even continued getting his salary under the US government’s payroll support program, which disbursed $40 billion to US airlines on the condition that they didn’t lay off employees until Sep. 30, 2020. But as soon as that deadline lapsed, Stuart lost his job; so did 535 other flight attendants who were not US citizens but were on US contracts in United’s international bases in Tokyo, Frankfurt, and Hong Kong. They didn’t get any offers to relocate or to be furloughed, as they had during past crises. But their American colleagues, on the same contracts in the same bases, didn’t suffer the same fate. Of Stuart’s 430 or so colleagues in Tokyo, he says, around 60 were US citizens, and United offered to accommodate them in its bases back home. Employees allege United discriminated based on their nationality Dozens of these separated flight attendants, including Stuart, who asked to be referred to by his first name, have lodged complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal agency. They claim they’ve been subjected to discrimination on the grounds of their nationality. Her dismissal, one flight attendant wrote in her EEOC complaint, was “in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” which addresses employment discrimination on the grounds of “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” American companies doing business overseas are subject to the Act, but it only protects employees who are US citizens; to protect non-citizens, lawmakers worried, might violate another country’s sovereignty. But in an age when workforces routinely span the globe, this asymmetry only makes for a lopsided regulatory framework when it comes to American multinationals and their employees. The conflict between these 536 flight attendants and United embodies how, by some laws, foreign employees overseas are treated no differently than their US citizen colleagues, and how they’re disqualified from protection under others. One key question arises from this conflict: Should employees who aren’t US citizens but are working overseas on US contracts and even paying US taxes be entitled to the same protections as their American counterparts? At a time of mounting concerns over workplace inequality, Title VII’s pointed exclusion of non-Americans from its overseas ambit is at odds both with the law’s spirit and with the realities of the modern, globalized workforce. An EEOC spokesperson told Quartz the agency could not comment on the ongoing process. In response to a questionnaire from Quartz, a United spokesperson said: “We do not have anything to share on this topic.” Separately, many of Stuart’s colleagues in Tokyo have sued United in a Japanese court, claiming unfair dismissals; others filed a lawsuit in Germany. But by the time these suits were under way, Stuart had had to leave Tokyo, his home of a quarter-century. He vacated his apartment, and since United didn’t offer to pay for his move, he sold his furniture and his electrical appliances. Then he flew to the UK—on his own dime—and tried to figure out what had just happened to his career. The promises of a US contract Stuart began working for United in London in 1991, and moved to Tokyo five years later. His new base was one of several that United opened in the 1990s. “Initially, I did some flying within Asia,” he said. “But mostly, we only flew to the US. These were flights that started in Tokyo, went to say Chicago or Seattle, and then returned.” When crew members like Stuart were hired for these bases, United didn’t demand that they possess a US passport or a US green card. Further, their contracts specified that if they were ever furloughed and their bases were then closed, they’d be transferred to another available base or back to where they started with United. So, for example, when United shut down its Paris base in 2006, its agreement with AFA read: “United has offered vacancies to its [Paris-based] Flight Attendants at domiciles in the European Union., i.e. in Frankfurt and at London-Heathrow as well as other Flight Attendant domiciles in the United States and Asia.” No jobs were lost. Airlines closed their bases during the pandemic Last June, Stuart and his colleagues learned about the closures of the Tokyo, Frankfurt, and Hong Kong bases from an internal newsletter emailed out to the staff. In it, John Slater, a senior vice-president at United, wrote that, in the pandemic environment, “we simply are not able to sustain an Inflight Base at these locations.” The newsletter went out late on a Friday, US time. “I woke up on a Saturday morning, and I had all these text messages saying: ‘What are you going to do?’ or ‘I’m so sorry,’” Stuart said. “What was this about, I wondered. Then I checked my email.” United dealt with the employees of these bases in two distinct ways. US citizens were offered furloughs and transfers to American bases. Non-citizens weren’t offered transfers; they also weren’t offered furloughs, one Frankfurt-based flight attendant said to Quartz. (She asked to remain anonymous.) “In the past, we were offered the same furloughs as American employees,” she said. For instance, when the airline industry suffered after 9/11, she recalled, “I took a nine-month furlough and even got a very nice Thank You letter for it when I rejoined. This time, there wasn’t even the option. It feels like discrimination based on our nationality.” Kenneth Diaz, the president of the AFA’s United chapter, told Quartz in an email: “Management callously communicated they would terminate anyone without the ability to work in the U.S., and only gave the option of retirement or voluntary resignation.” Instead of being furloughed, the 536 attendants were “separated,” according to the language in United’s communications with them. It was a way to avoid the obligations of the furlough clauses in the contract, the Frankfurt-based flight attendant alleged. Diaz said that “the contract and the parties’ past practice on the closing of international domiciles prohibited United management from terminating any Flight Attendant due to their status as a foreign national.” Unlike their American counterparts, the 536 flight attendants didn’t automatically have a right to work in the US. But many with British or European passports could still have lived and worked in London, the Frankfurt-based flight attendant pointed out. “In fact, anyone from these bases could have worked in London for at least three years under an airline employment visa,” she said. How the pandemic triggered an international labor dispute After the base closures were announced, the AFA represented the 536 employees in an arbitration process with United. Late in September, the arbitrator ruled in a 26-page decision that United wasn’t obliged to “create sufficient vacancies” for these flight attendants in its remaining bases. But it also left open “the question of what rights and benefits these affected Flight Attendants have.” The AFA wrote to the 536 ex-employees that it was “deeply disappointed” by the arbitrator’s decision: “We understand the myriad of feelings with which you are faced—abandonment, frustration, anger.” Diaz said the union continued to push for some concessions. As a part of an agreement signed between the AFA and the airline, United promised that the terminated flight attendants would have “a preferential right of reemployment” if it opened any new bases or expanded its London base between October 2020 and March 2023. This was still akin to being short-changed, several of the ex-flight attendants told Quartz. If they’d been furloughed like their American colleagues, they said, they’d have been contractually entitled to a preferential right of reemployment for six years instead of two-and-a-half. The former employees said they were also entitled to a lifetime’s worth of free travel passes for themselves and their families—a benefit that accrues from long careers at United and other airlines. But United allowed them to retain their travel passes for only six months. In return, the AFA agreed not to challenge these terminations or support claims made by these 536 employees any more. To those who had lost their jobs, it felt like an abject concession by the union. Diaz said he disagreed with United’s decisions. “These workers were the only example in the industry of work defined as equal no matter where you come from in the world,” he said. “It is a shame the company treated these invaluable contributions with such disdain and the people as disposable.” Using the payroll support program as “blackmail” One of the concessions that the AFA wrung from United was an agreement to keep paying these 536 flight attendants a monthly minimum guarantee as long as it kept receiving federal aid. At present, the aid runs until Sep. 30, 2021. But United has used this as leverage, several former flight attendants said. In January 2021, after the government renewed its support for payrolls, United tried to deploy it “as a means of blackmail to, somehow, force our recognition” of the termination, several ex-flight attendants complained in a letter to the airline. In a letter Stuart received on Jan. 5, 2021, United told him that if he wanted to continue receiving federal aid benefits, “please accept this letter as official notice that you will be separated from United effective April 1, 2021, in accordance with the extension of the [payroll support program].” Even if he didn’t sign and send the letter back, United wrote, that would constitute a choice to be “permanently separated from employment with United.” (In the next line, the United executive signed off: “Wishing you a very happy and safe holiday season.”) Stuart signed, he said, “because if I didn’t, I knew I wouldn’t get even this money.” Many others refused to sign. In several documents, including its post-arbitration agreement with AFA, United emphasized that the shrunken state of international flying meant that the Frankfurt, Tokyo, and Hong Kong bases would not be reopened. But the flight attendant formerly based in Frankfurt pointed out that flights are, in fact, serving those three bases. In July, for instance, she said that United operated seven daily flights in and out of Frankfurt, and up to 11 flights a week in and out of Tokyo. It wasn’t even that United anticipated bleak times ahead, said another flight attendant formerly based in Frankfurt; in July, the company announced that it expected to turn a profit in the next quarter. “Every one of us has between 23 and 35 years of flying experience, so we’re the most expensive flight attendants they have,” she said. “They just saw this as an opportunity to get rid of us. And now we’re too old to make a new start and too young to retire. We don’t know what to do.” https://qz.com/2059537/former-flight-attendants-accuse-united-airlines-of-discrimination/?utm_source=YPL Conglomerate Tata Group bids for debt-stricken Indian national carrier India's tea-to-steel conglomerate Tata Group confirmed Wednesday it has submitted a bid to buy debt-crippled national carrier Air India, which it owned decades ago before the airline was nationalised. The Indian government has sought to sell its entire stake in the ailing company, setting a deadline for bids for Wednesday after failing previously to secure any interest for a majority share. "We have put in a bid," a Tata Group spokesperson told AFP late Wednesday, without giving any further details. Tata already has investments in airlines AirAsia India and Vistara. The founder of Indian budget carrier SpiceJet, Ajay Singh, also submitted a bid in a personal capacity, The Times of India reported. SpiceJet did not respond to an AFP request for comment. The secretary of the government's investment and public asset management department, Tuhin Kanta Pandey, confirmed bids had been received. "Process now moves to concluding stage," he tweeted Wednesday. Tata Group in 1932 pioneered commercial air travel in India with Tata Airlines. Once known affectionately as the "Maharaja of the skies", the airline was later taken over by the government and rebranded Air India. But it has been haemorrhaging money for more than a decade, incurring billions of dollars in debt and losing market share to low-cost rivals in one of the world's fastest-growing, but highly competitive, airline markets. Apart from Air India, the government also plans to raise billions of dollars through the privatisation of Bharat Petroleum and a share sale of a major insurer. In August, New Delhi said it was seeking to lease state-owned assets to the private sector to raise six trillion rupees ($81 billion) to repair public finances battered by the pandemic and fund new infrastructure. https://www.yahoo.com/news/conglomerate-tata-group-bids-debt-175028189.html (Photo Courtesy: YSSYguy at the English Wikipedia) Hawaiian Airlines reveals new in-flight video teaching visitors how to travel respectfully to the islands amid calls for tourists to stay home Hawaiian Airlines has launched a new inflight video encouraging safe and responsible tourism on the islands. Five airline crewmembers give advice on how to respect the local environment and cultures when visiting. The video is an extension of Hawaiian's Travel Pono program. On Monday, Hawaiian Airlines posted a five-minute video to its YouTube channel to encourage visitors to be mindful of the Hawaiian environment, culture, and community when traveling to the islands. The video will debut before landing on all transpacific Airbus A330 and Airbus A321 aircraft beginning next week, according to the airline. VIDEO The video titled "Travel Pono," meaning to explore with care in Hawaiian, features five crewmembers who give expert advice on how to visit Hawaii safely and respectfully. The employees include a firefighter, a cultural practitioner, and volunteers for marine and mammal conservation. They ask for kōkua, meaning your help, to recognize the responsibility as a tourist to preserve the islands' natural resources and respect the local communities. According to Hawaiian, the new video is an extension of the airline's Travel Pono program which it launched to equip guests with the tools and resources needed to safely and responsibly visit the state. Hawaii has been battling an over-surge of tourism since the state reopened for vaccinated travelers in July, and government officials and locals - including Hawaii's governor - have been begging people to stay home. The rate of visitors has met or surpassed 2019 levels, according to Hawaii's travel data, and the influx has taken a toll on businesses and the environment. "The people of Maui County have lacked sufficient time to prepare for the sudden, large influx of tourism, even as health restrictions remain in place. Many of our hospitality-related businesses are still struggling to fully staff their operations to provide a high quality of customer service, Brian Perry, a spokesman for Maui county mayor Michael Victorino, told Hawaii News Now in July. Meanwhile, Hawaii's rental car shortage has created problems for companies like U-Haul. Due to low car availability, travelers are renting U-Haul trucks and vans instead, creating a shortage of moving equipment needed for locals and adding extra strain to the communities. According to locals, Hawaiian beaches and wildlife are feeling the impact of tourism, and visitors have harmed historical landmarks and the state's fragile ecosystem. https://www.yahoo.com/news/hawaiian-airlines-reveals-flight-video-161524455.html SpaceX successfully launches 1st all-civilian flight into Earth's orbit VIDEO The first all-civilian flight to Earth's orbit successfully launched Wednesday. The Falcon 9 rocket took off as scheduled at the start of the five-hour window for launch at 8:02 p.m. ET. It reached orbit about 12 minutes later. The crew said goodbye to their families, suited up and were driven in Teslas to Kennedy Space Center's historic pad 39A Wednesday afternoon. SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission is the third recent billionaire-backed space launch, but it's gone where neither Richard Branson nor Jeff Bezos could -- into orbit. If successful, the crew on Inspiration4 will reach the farthest any civilian has traveled from Earth. They will orbit 360 miles above the Earth, even further than the International Space Station, which orbits at 240 miles. Commanding the mission is 38-year-old billionaire Jared Isaacman, an experienced pilot. He founded a payment process company called Shift4 Payments and purchased all four seats on the flight for an estimated $220 million. Isaacman wants this launch to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He has already donated $100 million to the cause. One seat was reserved for 29-year-old St. Jude ambassador Hayley Arceneaux. Arceneaux is a bone cancer survivor and will be the youngest American to go to space as well as the first pediatric cancer survivor. The third occupant will be Dr. Sian Proctor, 51, who said she has dreamed of going to space since she was a child. She burst into tears when she heard she was chosen as a member of the Inspiration4 mission. She will become the fourth Black female American astronaut to travel into space. The final crew member is Chris Sembroski, 41, an Iraq War veteran and engineer with Lockheed Martin, who won the final seat through a lottery that required a St. Jude donation to enter. The four will orbit the Earth for three days with no set destination. They said they will conduct some science experiments while on board and auction off items in space for St. Jude. There is always risk launching into space and coming home. While these passengers have been trained by SpaceX, they are not professional astronauts. The SpaceX Crew Dragon will also be tested for the first time at this distance. They cannot go much longer than three days without running low on fuel, food and water. And while past missions could make changes on the return because of bad weather on Earth due to astronauts on board, this ship won’t have quite as much flexibility. After three days of orbiting Earth, they will prepare to splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida late Saturday or early Sunday. https://www.yahoo.com/gma/spacex-set-launch-1st-civilian-223419528.html Safety Analyst, Aviation Safety Action Indianapolis, IN US Schedule Full time POSITION PURPOSE Provides support for Republic Airways Safety Action Programs. Assists with projects and process studies for ASAP programs in Flight Operations, Inflight, Dispatch, and Maintenance to promote Safety in preventing accidents and incidents while enhancing Company policy and FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) compliance. ESSENTIAL DUTIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. · Maintains Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) agendas and supporting documentation. · Serves as the focal point for safety information regarding the status of ASAP reports. · Maintains a database that tracks safety events and the analysis of those events. · Build data visualization by leveraging existing tools, as well as providing enhancements to business dashboards, and provides department deliverables. · Analyzes and investigates trends relative to ground and flight safety. · Acts as the liaison between the FAA, Company, and Union/Employee Group Representatives for implementation for recommended changes and corrective actions. · Provides feedback to submitters regarding the status of ASAP reports. · Assists in the implementation of policies and procedures in accordance with company and industry guidance. · Conducts follow-up analysis to ensure compliance and effectiveness of corrective and preventative actions. · Maintain the security, integrity, and confidentiality of all report data from all data sources. · May perform other responsibilities as assigned. Responsibilities and duties may change when circumstances dictate (e.g., emergencies change in workload, rush jobs, or technical developments). REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability necessary to perform this job. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE · Bachelor’s degree (B.S. / B.A.), or aviation related field or equivalent experience in air carrier maintenance, quality assurance, or operations. · 3 years relevant experience (job or coursework). PREFERRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE · 3 years of experience with air carrier quality and/or safety program management, Safety Management System (SMS), or Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). · Airman Certificate: Commercial pilot, dispatch, or Airframe and Powerplant (or comparable military experience). · Basic knowledge of Microsoft Power BI. · Statistical background and good communications. · Understanding relevant 14CFR and FARs. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. REASONING/PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. DECISION MAKING Makes day-to-day decisions used to support strategic direction. Decisions often require some thought and are somewhat structured. Decisions tend to be short-term and usually moderate cost. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Typically not exposed to extreme environmental conditions. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Ability to travel up to 10% of the time, including overnight and weekend travel. APPLY HERE POSITION AVAILABLE: Aerospace Engineer (Powerplants) VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT #: AS-11194481-21-AE POSITION TITLE: Aerospace Engineer (Powerplants) POSITION SERIES & GRADE: GS-0861-14 OPEN DATE: September 3, 2021 CLOSE DATE: October 4, 2021 Area of Consideration: U.S. Citizens Duties Summary This position is located in the Office of Aviation Safety, Aviation Engineering Division. The incumbent will participate and direct technical analyses of general aviation and air carrier accidents and incidents in the specialty area of turbine and reciprocating engines, propellers, fuel systems, engine accessories, and auxiliary power units. Responsibilities As an Aerospace Engineer (Powerplants), GS-0861-14, you will: Participates and directs technical analyses of general aviation and air carrier accident and incidents in the specialty area of turbine and reciprocating engines, propellers, fuel systems, engine accessories, and auxiliary power units. Serves as Group Chairman, documenting and analyzing airworthiness issues potentially involved in accidents and develops accident prevention strategies. Coordinates efforts with other Group Chairman, the IIC, and the Team Lead to assure thoroughness of all investigations and that necessary documentation is accomplished as a result of the investigative activity. Prepares factual and analytical reports covering specialty area on each accident. Correlates these findings with those of other Group Chairmen to assist in identifying the causes(s) of the accident. Assists the IIC and report writers in the preparation of the Safety Board's accident report with particular emphasis on the accuracy of factual information and the logic of analyses of the evidence from the investigation. Critically reviews drafts of the Safety Board's accident reports and provides constructive and timely feedback to improve the technical accuracy and logic presented in these reports. Researches and develops appropriate safety recommendation to correct hazardous or unsafe conditions using information obtained in the course of investigations, personal observations, and knowledge of current aviation engineering trends and developments. Acts as an advisor to the US Accredited Representative on foreign investigations. May be required to act as the US Accredited Representative to foreign investigations. Makes presentations and responds to Member's questions at Board meetings following the conclusion of major investigations or projects. Work Environment: The incumbent supports major go-team launches as well as significant international investigations. Major go-team launch teams commonly travel on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) jet from Reagan National Airport within two hours after an accident notification is received. Timely arrival at the scene of a major accident allows for timely documentation of a wreckage; a delay in this effort can have significant impacts, such as impeding the re-opening of an airport. International travel by US Government employees frequently requires the issuance of a visa from the host country, which is most efficiently obtained at the embassies located in Washington, DC. Additionally, security concerns in many locations make it essential that the investigative team travel together. Physical Demands: Occasionally the aircraft wreckage may contain hazardous materials that may be burning by the time the investigator arrives on-the-scene; therefore, the incumbent may be exposed to a variety of weather conditions and other environmental discomforts such as remote, rugged, snow, rain, temperature extremes, swampy or mountainous areas and hostile settings and may have to wear a hardhat, safety shoes, goggles, gloves, and other protective equipment. Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position. APPLY AT: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/613161300 Position: Safety Evaluator Job Description At Republic Airways, our vision is to be America’s regional airline of choice, and our 6,000 associates work together each day to achieve that by providing a safe, clean and reliable flying experience. Whether the role is on the aircraft or in the office, every person at Republic contributes to our success and our family-oriented work environment. Since our founding in 1974, we’ve grown to become the world’s largest operator of the Embraer 170/175 jet, flying more than 1000 flights daily for our partners, American Airline, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Beyond our operations, we’re focused on sharing our time, talents and treasures with our community—both locally and globally. Join Republic Airways where you will find opportunities, reach new heights and be part of something bigger than yourself. Republic Airways, opportunity elevated. POSITION PURPOSE Conducts internal evaluations of operational divisions to ensure adherence to federal regulations, company policies and procedures. Conducts aircraft damage investigations, tracks regulatory correspondence and completes special projects as assigned. ESSENTIAL DUTIES To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Conducts internal evaluations of operational divisions to ensure compliance with federal regulations as well as company policies and procedures. Communicates company policies/procedures, Federal Aviation Regulations and other Standards including but limited to International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audits (IOSA) standards, Department of Defense Standards etc. facilitating fair resolutions and imparting quality expertise to all operational departments. Coordinates Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - Safety Assurance System (SAS) inspections conducted by the FAA Coordinates IOSA conducted by appointed Audit Organization Coordinates DOD inspections conducted by the DOD Communicates with external audit organizations, the FAA and DOD Identifies, tracks, and solves quality and safety concerns, issues or hazards (this includes, but not limited to, interviews, reviews of past evaluation/audit records and compliance data for trends) Reviews changes to applicable regulations in order to recommend appropriate actions to ensure company compliance. Ensure adherence to all Safety and Security regulations Develops and maintains Data Analysis Group key performance indicators, and continuous improvement initiatives for data analysis and visualization. Provides technical leadership to team and department members. Leads through example; monitors, influences and trains others. OTHER DUTIES Performs data analysis on aircraft ground damage to identify trends & systemic causes of aircraft damage. Participates in investigations of aircraft ground damage. Leads investigations into company controllable damage and participates in conference calls for codeshare partner damages. Contributes to the development of SMS training modules for all company associates covered under SMS. Responsible for the continuous improvement of Republic’s Safety Management System Assists with development of SMS structured risk assessment and safety assurance processes, including facilitating Data Analysis Groups Participates in special projects including but not limited to: special request audits, Codeshare meetings and initiatives, Safety Management System (SMS) implementation, monthly safety newsletter and manual reviews using SAS tools. Performs various other duties as assigned. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability necessary to perform this job. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE. Bachelor’s degree with at least 2 years of Aviation experience required. Knowledge of the Code of Federal Regulations for Title 14 and 49 and associated regulatory materials. Knowledge in aviation safety systems including, but not limited to: Safety Management System (SMS), System Safety, Safety Assurance System (SAS) and IOSA. Skills in Microsoft Office applications is a must. PREFERRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE Bachelor's degree in an aviation or safety related discipline is preferred. At least 3 years of previous experience in aviation. Airframe and Powerplant, Dispatch License or Pilot’s License is preferred. Previous auditing and evaluating experience. LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. REASONING/PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. DECISION MAKING Makes decisions and determines best methods to solve problems by referring to established precedents and policies. Decisions tend to be medium range and of medium significance with moderate consequences. PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Able to move about the work environment. Frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear. WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an associate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Typically not exposed to extreme environmental conditions. Work in an open air hangar and outdoor weather conditions occasionally. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Travel up to 15% of the time, including overnight stays. Equal Opportunity Employment and Disability Accommodations Republic Airways is committed to achieving a diverse workforce by providing equal employment opportunities to all Associates and applicants, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type with regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We are committed to providing applicants and Associates reasonable accommodation to enable the individual to perform the essential duties of the job. If you require accommodation, please contact Human Resources. APPLY HERE POSITION AVAILABLE: Decision Science Lead, Flight Safety Atlanta, GA This position will support the delivery and continued evolution of products based on the safety data, classifications, and models built with Flight Safety metrics and data science. The Technical Lead will help develop the safety data best practices for adoption and training within Flight Safety as well as Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance. This requires a deep knowledge of aviation safety metrics and models, classification models, statistical processes, and core data science/data engineering skill sets. This role will report directly to the Manager, Data and Decision Science. Primary responsibilities: • Bridge the gap between data collected from operations and the risk analysis needed for Delta to make informed decisions about areas of flight safety risk. • Design, develop and implement software products based on data science/machine learning models. • Help develop best practices for flight safety data architecture, data stewardship, and data presentation. • Define and execute the data modeling roadmap. • Build data sets from multiple data sources, both internally and externally. • Partner with Operational data analysis teams to optimize and enhance the data environment for addressing known safety risks and applying methods to discover potential new risks. • Work with operational leaders to ensure that the data products are produced with optimal efficiency and best practices. • Leverage emerging technologies and identify efficient and meaningful ways to disseminate data and analysis in order to satisfy the business' needs. • Provide technical leadership to the Flight Safety department and Corporate Safety. • Practice safety-conscious environment resulting in employee safety and well-being. • Embraces diverse people, thinking and styles. What you need to succeed: • Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or equivalent experience. • Must have at least 2 years of relevant analytical/project management experience. • Must have a working knowledge of Flight Operations and Flight Safety metrics. • Proficiency in working with relational databases and query authoring (SQL). • Proficiency in data visualization best practices and commercially available tools (e.g. Tableau). • Proficiency in Python, Bash script or other basic functional programming tools. • Strong written, oral communication, and interpersonal skills. • A natural curiosity towards constant improvement. • Strong project management, organizational, and prioritizations skills. • Must be able to interact and collaborate at all levels within Corporate Safety, Security and Compliance, Flight Operations, cross-divisional working groups and outside entities. • Must be performing satisfactorily in current position. What will give you a competitive edge: • PhD degree/candidate preferred. • Working knowledge of statistical/machine learning tools (e.g. scikit-learn) preferred. To apply, please visit: https://delta.avature.net/careers/JobDetail/Decision-Science-Lead/6087 APPLY HERE Curt Lewis