Flight Safety Information - September 22, 2021 No. 191 In This Issue : Incident: TAP A320 at Lisbon on Sep 11th 2021, radio altimeter inoperative on departure : Incident: Canada A320 at Vancouver on Sep 17th 2021, flap system fault and acrid odour in cockpit : Airbus A321-211 (WL) - Bird Strike (Russia) : Alcohol is such a problem airlines have added it to safety announcements-and banned it : U.S. FAA wants airlines to do more to address unruly passengers : Haitian deportees assaulted U.S. pilots, injured three ICE officers : Pilot in deadly hot air balloon crash had marijuana, cocaine in his system : Transport Canada Publishes New Aviation Safety Program : Republic Airways to build new $200 million aviation campus in Carmel (Indiana) : US Air Force to declare winner of B-52 engine replacement competition as soon as this month : Airbus reaches deal to restructure AirAsia jet order -sources : US sues to stop deal between American Airlines and JetBlue : The pandemic has turned United Airlines into a thriving freight company : Airbus in talks on sales of A350 freighter -exec : Billionaires rocketing into space draw UN chief's red glare : NASA reorganizes to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars : RTCA Webinar: Innovation and Airport Infrastructure : Southern California Safety Institute Upcoming Fall Courses : POSITION AVAILABLE: Aerospace Engineer (Powerplants) Incident: TAP A320 at Lisbon on Sep 11th 2021, radio altimeter inoperative on departure A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A320-200, registration CS-TNJ performing flight TP-946 from Lisbon (Portugal) to Geneva (Switzerland), was climbing out of Lisbon's runway 21 when the crew reported their radio altimeter was inoperative and requested to level off at FL070. The aircraft subsequently returned to Lisbon for a safe landing on runway 21 about 35 minutes after departure. The aircraft returned to service about 13 hours after landing back. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ed96099&opt=0 Incident: Canada A320 at Vancouver on Sep 17th 2021, flap system fault and acrid odour in cockpit An Air Canada Airbus A320-200, registration C-GKOD performing flight AC-289 from Terrace,BC to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 124 people on board, was descending through FL200 towards Vancouver when the crew received a Flap System 1 fault warning, the flap slat indicator turned yellow for a number of seconds. Subsequently the crew noticed a strong acrid odour in the cockpit and declared PAN PAN. The aircraft landed safely on Vancouver's runway 08L about 22 minutes later. The Canadian TSB reported the odour dissipated, the aircraft landed and taxied to the gate. Maintenance replaced the #1 System Data Acquisition Concentrator, due to the odour the recirculation filters were also inspected and replaced. No further faults were found. http://avherald.com/h?article=4ed98847&opt=0 Airbus A321-211 (WL) - Bird Strike (Russia) Date: 20-SEP-2021 Time: c. 17:45 UTC Type: Airbus A321-211 (WL) Owner/operator: Aeroflot Russian Airlines Registration: VP-BAE MSN: 7193 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Location: Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (LED/ULLI) - Russia Phase: Approach Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Moskva-Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO/UUEE) Destination airport: Saint Petersburg-Pulkovo Airport (LED/ULLI) Narrative: Aeroflot Russian Airlines flight SU28, an Airbus A321-211, suffered a bird strike to the right-hand flap section. The return flight was cancelled. The bird hit was discovered after landing at Saint Petersburg. The incident likely occurred during approach or landing, but this has not been confirmed. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/267933 Alcohol is such a problem airlines have added it to safety announcements - and banned it Air travelers are hearing more than just announcements about seat belts, flotation devices, travel time and masks before they take off. Several airlines have added reminders about their alcohol policy during the pandemic - as in, don't drink it if they didn't serve it. And not every airline is serving it. After the federal mask mandate was extended until January 2022, Southwest - which has not been serving alcohol - said earlier this month that it has no plans to bring back sales before January. American Airlines, which had earlier suspended alcohol sales in the main cabin until Sept. 13, said in August that it would continue that hiatus through Jan. 18. "We are doing all we can to help create a safe environment for our crew and customers onboard our aircraft," the airline said in a letter to flight attendants. United and Delta restarted alcohol service, though there are some limitations depending on the duration of flights. The suspension of beer, wine and liquor sales does not mean travelers can drink their own booze - even if they can bring mini-bottles on board. The Federal Aviation Administration says regulations "prohibit passengers from drinking alcohol on board the aircraft unless it is served by the air carrier." American Airlines said in a statement that it has updated its preflight announcements to reflect new information on mask rules, covid-19 safety measures and "policies related to on board alcohol consumption." "These announcements are made regularly throughout the travel journey by gate agents, flight attendants and by pilots," the statement said. JetBlue has similarly adjusted its announcements to "make clear that consuming personal alcohol is not allowed," spokesman Derek Dombrowski said in an email. Southwest has not added the warning to its official script, but flight attendants have the authority to include reminders if they see fit. Frontier flagged the issue and included language even before the pandemic. Delta has also updated its language for flight attendants, first with mentions of the mask mandate and then with a reminder about the regulations that prohibit alcohol consumption. "Mask reminders have been in place since mid-2020 and the alcohol portion has been in place since late 2020," Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant said in an email. More than 20 passengers have faced fines over the past several months for offenses including consuming their own alcohol, according to updates from the FAA. Airlines have reported an unprecedented rise in disruptive behavior by passengers over the past several months, in large part driven by resistance to the federal mask mandate. But the FAA said last month that alcohol is often a contributing factor. "Even though FAA regulations specifically prohibit the consumption of alcohol aboard an aircraft that is not served by the airline, we have received reports that some airport concessionaires have offered alcohol 'to go,' and passengers believe they can carry that alcohol onto their flights or they become inebriated during the boarding process," FAA Administrator Steve Dickson wrote in a letter to airport officials. He asked airports to help curb the practice. American said last month in its letter to employees that it was "gaining ground" in efforts along with the FAA to get rid of "to go" drinks at airports in Dallas and Charlotte. "We will continue to work with and hope other airports and vendors will follow," the letter said. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/alcohol-problem-airlines-added-safety-191210353.html Haitian deportees assaulted U.S. pilots, injured three ICE officers • Male deportees assaulted the pilots of a flight carrying families when it landed in Port-au-Prince and attacked three ICE officers on the plane. WASHINGTON — Haitians deported from the U.S. on Tuesday assaulted the pilots on board one of the flights when it arrived in Port-au-Prince and injured three U.S. immigration officers, according to a source familiar with internal reports of the incident. Unrest broke out shortly after a flight carrying single adult men arrived and released the men to Haitian authorities on the tarmac. Then, the source said, several of the men stormed another recently arrived flight carrying families. The men assaulted the pilots of that plane, who work for a government contractor licensed to fly deportation flights for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while the families were still on board. Three ICE officers were also attacked on that plane, each suffering non-life-threatening injuries, the source said. In a statement, a DHS spokesperson said, “On Tuesday, Sept. 21, some adult migrants caused two separate disruptions on the tarmac after deplaning in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Haitian crowd control officers responded to both incidents and resolved the situations. ICE fully respects the rights of all people to peacefully express their opinions, while continuing to perform its immigration enforcement mission consistent with our priorities, federal law and agency policy.” The U.S. has been ramping up its deportations of Haitians after more than 15,000 overwhelmed the U.S. border by congregating under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, in just a matter of days. As of Tuesday, just over 1,000 of the Haitian migrants had been deported to Haiti, according to two sources familiar with the operations. A total of 4,000 have been either deported or moved to other processing centers along the border, the Department of Homeland Security said. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Tuesday at a Senate hearing that the crowd in Del Rio will dissipate in the coming days. "Expect to see dramatic results within the next 48 to 96 hours," he said. But after the assaults Tuesday, some inside DHS worry that they do not have enough security at the airports to safely land deportation flights, said the source familiar with the incident. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/haitian-deportees-assaulted-u-s-pilots-injured-three-ice-officers-n1279775 U.S. FAA wants airlines to do more to address unruly passengers WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday urged U.S. passenger airlines "to commit to take more action" to address reports of violent or unruly passengers. The agency said it had asked airline trade groups at a meeting on Tuesday to disclose within a week what steps they will take to curb such incidents. The FAA said the industry is facing a record number of airline passenger disturbances, and it plans to soon hold similar meetings with representatives from airports and labor. The meeting with groups, including Airlines for America, a group representing American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and others, discussed "ways the industry can work together to reduce the number of unruly passenger incidents," the FAA said, adding it "believes additional action by the airlines and all aviation stakeholders is necessary to stop the unsafe behavior." On Monday, two senior U.S. Senate Democrats urged Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday to prosecute unruly air passengers. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell said "civil penalties alone are failing to deter criminal activity by airline passengers." In June, Airlines for America and aviation unions also asked Garland to prosecute disruptive and violent air passengers. To date this year, there have been 4,385 reports of unruly passenger incidents, including 3,199 that were mask-related. The FAA has initiated enforcement actions in 162 cases, issuing more than $1 million in proposed fines. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson imposed in January a zero-tolerance order on passenger disturbances aboard airplanes after supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump were disruptive on flights around the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack. That policy will extend until at least as long as federal mask rules on airplanes are in place, which were extended last month into mid-January 2022. Separately, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday on unruly passengers. https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-faa-wants-airlines-more-181743085.html Pilot in deadly hot air balloon crash had marijuana, cocaine in his system ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — KOB 4 has confirmed new details about the pilot in New Mexico's deadliest hot air balloon crash. The crash happened at the end of June. While the National Transportation Safety Board has not ruled what caused the crash, KOB 4 has authenticated a report from the Federal Aviation Administration that shows the pilot, Nicholas Meleski, had marijuana and cocaine in his system at the time of the crash that killed all four of his passengers. The Meleski family released a statement saying they are evaluating a copy of the toxicology report and asking for privacy. https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/pilot-in-deadly-hot-air-balloon-crash-had-marijuana-cocaine-in-his-system/6245191/ Transport Canada Publishes New Aviation Safety Program In accordance with the recommendations in Annex 19 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Transport Canada has published a state safety program (SSP). Annex 19, Safety Management, was originally released in 2013 and contains the basis for an SSP intended for adoption by the organization’s member countries. Canada’s SSP follows ICAO guidance very closely, grouping its components into four categories: safety policy; safety risk management; safety quality assurance; and safety promotion. The plan is designed to apply to all private and commercial operators, maintenance personal and facilities, flight and ground training companies, airframe and component manufacturers, and airport operations. One of the most important elements of the SSP is its emphasis on operators having a safety management system (SMS). Over the last decade, Transport Canada has been applying SMS requirements to segments of its regulated companies in the aviation, marine, and rail sectors. While Canada strives to be compliant with Annex 19 requirements, the SSP concedes that “more work is needed to support SMS adoption by other [than commercial] operators” even though many have voluntarily adopted SMS programs. Currently, SMSs are required for airline, commuter, and most air taxi operators, but are only recommended for private aircraft operators. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-09-21/transport-canada-publishes-new-aviation-safety-program Republic Airways to build new $200 million aviation campus in Carmel (Indiana) The investment is the largest by a single company in Carmel’s history and the projected 1,900 jobs would make Republic Airways the city’s largest employer. CARMEL, Ind. — One of the largest regional airlines in the country is about to become the city of Carmel's biggest employer. Republic Airways is moving its training facilities and corporate headquarters to Carmel, a project that will create approximately 1,900 new jobs. The $200 million investment is the most invested by a single company in the city's history. Republic will be a part of a redevelopment project along the Meridian (U.S. 31) Corporate Corridor. This project will increase the daily flow of people coming into an area that was hurt by upgrades to U.S. 31 that resulted in the loss of direct access from the highway. The site will include: • Republic's headquarters • A high-tech training facility for pilots, technicians, flight attendants and other positions within the airline • The expansion of an adjacent hotel • A new parking garage wrapped with commercial amenities on the first floor and multifamily living above Construction will begin with the 105,000 square foot training facility, which will be visible to travelers on U.S. 31. The hotel adjacent to the training center will be expanded and used exclusively to accommodate trainees, visiting instructors, business partners and others traveling to the aviation campus. The City of Carmel will also invest in the project through a Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) bond that will be considered for approval by the Carmel City Council. The TIF bond will be used for infrastructure improvements, which will benefit and support both the public and the private corporate employees and visitors. Site development, parking facilities, streets and other infrastructure improvements will be funded by the increase in property tax revenues from the new building. The bonds will be backed solely by Republic Airways and the City of Carmel, and, according to city officials, taxpayers will have no liability. A key part of the development will be the City of Carmel’s role in financing the construction of a new parking garage that will be used to produce more revenue. The parking garage will be wrapped with commercial amenities on the first floor and multifamily living above, providing shopping and dining options. These buildings will be operational 365 days a year. https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/republic-airways-to-build-new-200-million-aviation-campus-in-carmel/531-84eabe4d-c8d4-4398-a133-6fd45a3d2ce6 US Air Force to declare winner of B-52 engine replacement competition as soon as this month NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — A contract award for new engines for the venerable B-52 bomber is “imminent” and could occur as early as this month, the U.S. Air Force’s top acquisition officials said Tuesday. The service is set to decide whether General Electric, Rolls-Royce or Pratt & Whitney will produce modified commercial engines to outfit the B-52, which is set to fly through at least 2050. “We’re starting to wrap that work up. It shouldn’t be much longer,” said Lt. Gen. Duke Richardson, the Air Force’s top uniformed officer for acquisition. Darlene Costello, the service’s acting acquisition executive, said the source selection team is completing its work and the service could be ready to announce a winner “probably within the month.” “It could be faster, but they have to do their due diligence, and I’m not going to get in their way,” she said. “I will not step in until they’ve completed their work.” The Air Force operates 74 B-52s, each outfitted with eight TF33 engines. The service plans to order 592 new engines, plus spares and support, from the winner of the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program. The service released a solicitation to industry in May 2020 that initially projected a contract award in June 2021. Pratt & Whitney, the incumbent manufacturer of the B-52′s TF33 engine, has proposed its PW800. GE Aviation offered the CF34-10 and Passport engines, and Rolls-Royce put forward its F130 engine for the competition. In the first phase of the program, the service chose to use a contracting mechanism called mid-tier acquisition authority, which allows it to accelerate prototyping new technologies while reducing certain regulatory requirements. Richardson said it has helped to save time in the front end of the effort. At some point, Costello said, the Air Force will determine whether to continue the effort as a traditional program of record or continue using mid-tier authorities to prototype elements of the new engines. To expedite engine development, the companies created digital prototypes of its engines that were able to be plugged into a virtual model of the B-52. Richardson said he expects that work will “save us quite a bit of time going forward.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-air-force-declare-winner-211145340.html Airbus reaches deal to restructure AirAsia jet order -sources PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus has agreed to cut prices or reschedule delivery for hundreds of jets ordered by Malaysia's AirAsia to salvage a contract worth tens of billions of dollars with its largest Asian customer, industry sources said on Friday. The restructuring deal resets relations between two of the industry's closest partners, torn apart by the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis, and lifts uncertainty over the fate of up to 400 A320-family single-aisle jets yet to be delivered. Airbus declined comment, while AirAsia did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The AirAsia deal does not involve cancelling jets on order but includes a new delivery schedule and price cuts or other improvements in terms, the sources said. AirAsia said last year it would stop taking deliveries of all Airbus jets and review remaining orders. Industry sources said it had also stopped sending progress payments to Airbus, prompting the planemaker to suspend plans to produce jets on order pending the new restructuring deal. The deal comes as other airlines in Asia that have ordered hundreds of jets to secure their growth are in the midst of restructuring or are expected to press for relief. Other suppliers are also expected to come under pressure to negotiate new conditions, one of the sources said. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/airasia-reached-deal-restructure-airbus-154403186.html US sues to stop deal between American Airlines and JetBlue The Justice Department and officials in six states have filed a lawsuit to block a partnership formed by American Airlines and JetBlue, claiming that it will reduce competition and lead to higher fares. The Justice Department said Tuesday that the agreement will eliminate important competition in New York and Boston and reduce JetBlue's incentive to compete against American in other parts of the country. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the lawsuit was about ensuring fair competition that lets Americans fly at affordable prices. “In an industry where just four airlines control more than 80% of domestic air travel, American Airlines’ ‘alliance’ with JetBlue is, in fact, an unprecedented maneuver to further consolidate the industry," Garland said in a statement. “It would result in higher fares, fewer choices, and lower quality service if allowed to continue.” American and JetBlue vowed to fight the lawsuit and to continue their alliance unless a court orders them to stop. American and JetBlue announced their deal last year and have already started to coordinate flights in the Northeast. They argue that it is a pro-consumer arrangement that has already helped them start 58 new routes from four airports in New York and Boston, add flights on other routes, and plan new international destinations. American CEO Doug Parker said that blocking the deal will “take away consumer choice and inhibit competition, not encourage it. This is not a merger: American and JetBlue are – and will remain – independent airlines.” The lawsuit comes two months after President Joe Biden issued an executive order calling on government agencies to help consumers by increasing competition in the airline industry and other parts of the economy. The Transportation Department approved the agreement, with certain conditions, in January during the final days of the Trump administration. The airlines gave up some takeoff and landing slots at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Washington Reagan National Airport outside Washington, and they agreed not to cooperate on setting prices. “Instead of suing now, the (Justice Department) should have waited and monitored and held us accountable to the benefits that we said this would deliver,” JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said in an interview. Hayes disputed the Justice Department's belief that the deal will stop his airline from competing against American outside the Northeast. He noted that JetBlue this year started flying from New York to London and between Miami and Los Angeles, important routes for American. Despite the green light from the Transportation Department, antitrust lawyers at the Justice Department began examining the deal more closely this spring and requested interviews and documents from the airlines, according to an airline lawyer involved in the case. In the last three weeks it became apparent that the Justice Department was likely to file a lawsuit, said the attorney, who spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions with the regulators were private. The airlines call their partnership the Northeast Alliance or NEA. It lets American and JetBlue sell seats on each other's flights and give customers reciprocal benefits in the separate frequent-flyer programs. American and JetBlue argue that the deal is pro-consumer by making their combination a stronger competitor in the Northeast. Together, the airlines say, they controlled 16% of the region’s air-travel market before the partnership, and that has grown to 24%. The airlines argue that the Justice Department has no evidence that their agreement is leading to higher fares. Air-travel prices have been hurt by the pandemic, which continues to cut into travel demand and push fares lower. American and JetBlue argue that nothing in their deal controls pricing, and that each airline will continue to set its own fares. Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines filed formal complaints against the American-JetBlue alliance, however, arguing that — along with a similar deal on the West Coast between American and Alaska Airlines — it will make American too big. The Justice Department lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Massachusetts. The department was joined by the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Arizona and the District of Columbia. https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-sues-stop-deal-between-203043477.html The pandemic has turned United Airlines into a thriving freight company During the pandemic, many airlines shifted their focus to flying freight to make up for lost passenger revenue. But no airline has adopted cargo flights with as much enthusiasm—or financial success—as United. United’s eager embrace of freight is at once a pandemic success story, an indicator of the chaos roiling global supply chains, and a harbinger of a future in which more of our goods travel by air. United is betting the airline industry will hold onto cargo revenue even after the pandemic subsides. If its prediction comes true, it could mean billions of dollars in extra revenue for airlines—and millions of additional tons of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Freight flies the friendly skies After the coronavirus pandemic reached the US in March of 2020, demand for air travel evaporated virtually overnight. It took nearly a year for passenger volumes to return to half their former heights, according to data from the US Transportation Security Administration. Although air travel nearly rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in July, buoyed by the rollout of coronavirus vaccines, it has since dipped as the extra contagious Delta variant has spread. To plug the revenue gap, airlines leaned on cargo deliveries. They began temporarily converting their wide-bodied passenger jets into cargo planes in March 2020, and found ravenous demand for their air freight services as port closures, container shortages, and one very large ship wedged in the Suez Canal created record-setting backlogs in shipping. Within a year, air freight bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, according to data from the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Desperate to get their goods on time, retailers are paying extra to have them delivered by air rather than wait for long ocean transits. United Airlines wins the freight race The biggest winner in the airline industry’s pivot to cargo was United. The carrier, which operates one of the largest fleets of widebody planes on Earth, already had the biggest freight business among US passenger airlines. In the first 15 months of the pandemic, United flew more than 13,400 cargo-only flights to quickly bring its freight volumes back to normal levels, even as passenger totals plummeted. Even though United isn’t carrying much more cargo than it did before the pandemic, it has managed to wring much more money out of every ton it transports. The airline’s cargo revenues have doubled over pre-pandemic levels, and now total more than $2 billion per year. United executives are now fighting to hold onto their cargo windfall. “We are working to figure out how we keep as much of that revenue onboard United Airlines as we possibly can as we come out of the pandemic,” chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella said at a Sept. 9 transportation conference hosted by Cowen analysts, according to a transcript from Factset. This summer, Nocella appeared that consumer demand for air travel was recovering because it forced United to divert planes from profitable cargo routes to carry passengers instead. “We are not going to be able to do more cargo-only flights,” he said on a July 21 earnings call. “We’re obviously disappointed by that given where yields currently stand.” United’s passenger flights are still running half-empty as a pandemic-wary public shies away from travel, while cargo space remains at a premium. That calculus has now shifted United’s strategy. At the Cowen conference in September, Nocella said the company was reversing its earlier decision to cancel cargo-only flights in favor of passenger routes and expected United to keep raking in big cargo revenues into the future. “I just released five 777-300s to our cargo division for later this year to put those aircraft back into all-cargo markets based on the dynamics we’re seeing in the marketplace today,” Nocella said. https://qz.com/2062867/the-pandemic-turned-united-airlines-into-a-freight-company/?utm_source=YPL Airbus in talks on sales of A350 freighter -exec TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - Airbus is in talks with several potential customers for a new A350 freighter while seeing signs of demand for smaller A320 passenger jets in Europe, its sales chief said on Tuesday. With e-commerce booming, Airbus formally began marketing a proposed freight variant of its A350 passenger jet in July, taking aim at Boeing’s tight grip on the global cargo market. “We are in a number of very encouraging discussions,” Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer told reporters in Toulouse, where the European planemaker is based. “It is available for sale and is selling,” he added. Boeing has for years dominated the market for purpose-built freighters, even as its European rival grabbed the crown as the world's largest maker of passenger jets. Boeing is preparing to launch its own new freighter, a cargo version of its upcoming 777X jetliner, industry sources say. Freighters can sell for higher prices than passenger planes and help to prop up depressed production for wide-body models at a time when long-haul travel is weak, industry experts say. While demand for wide-body passenger jets remains stagnant, demand for smaller planes used in regional and domestic markets is rising. "Demand is coming back," Scherer said. "We need to be very careful - we are not out of the woods and we are still in a very fragile environment - but Europe is rallying quite nicely at this moment." Airbus plans to increase production of the medium-haul A320neo family, which competes with Boeing's 737 MAX, to a record 63 a month from 40 now, surpassing pre-crisis levels. It has said it is also looking at pushing output as high as 75 a month, but such levels have drawn concerns about supply chains from engine makers like France's Safran. Scherer defended the existing production commitments, which he said were justified by contracts with airlines even after an industry shakeout brought about by the coronavirusus crisis. "If anything in my world I am challenging them to be steeper," he said. Airbus is talking to Hungary's Wizz Air over a sale of at least 100 more narrowbody jets, Reuters reported earlier this month. Among other European prospects, British Airways parent IAG has reopened a fresh competition between Airbus and Boeing for narrowbody jets, revisiting a large provisional order for 200 MAX jets that was never finalised, the sources said. Finnair is looking at a narrowbody purchase but a formal tender has yet to be launched. Air France-KLM in July said it had launched a tender to extend the medium-haul fleets of Dutch unit KLM and the French and Dutch arms of low-cost subsidiary Transavia. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/airbus-talks-sales-a350-freighter-202526124.html Billionaires rocketing into space draw UN chief's red glare • United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, at United Nations headquarters in New York. Space, we have an equity problem. When three billionaires rocketed into space this summer, they did more than escape Earth’s surly bonds, they helped spread “a malady of mistrust” plaguing an all-too hungry world, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told other world leaders Tuesday. In his opening speech to the General Assembly, a grim Guterres highlighted the gap between the rich and poor with “billionaires joyriding to space while millions go hungry on Earth.” In July, billionaires Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos flew into space on private rockets that their companies built, gathering worldwide attention in their short trips that didn’t make it into orbit. Both bank on space tourism business from their fellow space fans with big wallets. After returning to Earth, Branson, 71, sprayed G.H. Mumm champagne over his crew and then chugged it from the bottle. Billionaire Jared Isaacman led the first all-private orbital mission that splashed down Saturday after three days in orbit. His flight was on a Dragon capsule and Space X rocket built by a fourth space-obsessed billionaire, Elon Musk. Unlike the other two missions, Isaacman’s ride raised more than $200 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital including $100 million from Isaacman and $50 million from Musk. Guterres lumped billionaire space hops with the maladies of hopelessness, corruption, curtailing of personal freedoms and “when parents see a future for their children that looks even bleaker than the struggles of today.” After Branson and Bezos spaceflights and revelations that Bezos, the richest man in the world, didn’t pay any federal income tax in 2007 and 2011, critics called for taxing billionaires with some wanting to tax them out of the 10-digit income level. So far those proposals, unlike the billionaires, haven’t gotten off the ground. https://www.yahoo.com/news/billionaires-rocketing-space-draw-un-164957817.html NASA reorganizes to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars As it moves towards returning to the Moon ideally sometime in 2024, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is creating two new mission directorates. With the move, the agency is separating its existing Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate into the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) and Space Operations Mission Directorate. NASA said it's making the change in response to the increasing number of missions it's conducting in low-Earth orbit, in addition to the plans it has for exploring deep space in the future. It also announced who's leading those units. Jim Free, a NASA veteran who has been with the space agency on and off since 1990, is the new associate administrator of ESDMD, while Kathy Lueders is taking on the equivalent position at the Space Operations Mission Directorate. Before becoming the first-ever woman to oversee human spaceflight at NASA, Lueders managed the Commercial Crew Program. As for what the two units will do, ESDMD will oversee the development of programs critical to Project Artemis and eventually manned spaceflight to Mars. Meanwhile, its counterpart will focus on launch operations, including those involving the International Space Station, with an eye towards Moon missions later. According to NASA, the reorganization is ultimately about looking forward to the next 20 years. The new structure will allow one unit to focus on human spaceflight while the other builds future space systems. In that way, the agency says there will be a constant cycle of development and operations to help it move forward with its space exploration goals. "This reorganization positions NASA and the United States for success as we venture farther out into the cosmos than ever before, all while supporting the continued commercialization of space and research on the International Space Station," Nelson said. "This also will allow the United States to maintain its leadership in space for decades to come." https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nasa-directorate-reorganization-175038234.html RTCA Webinar: Innovation and Airport Infrastructure Airports are increasingly reliant on technical and related innovations to meet the needs of the communities they serve and those of their airline and other commercial partners. Join RTCA and airport leaders for a discussion about embracing new technologies and utilizing them in concert with physical infrastructure to enhance customer experiences, enhance safety and security, and improve sustainability and operational efficiency. Panelists from major airports debate whether the vision for a more efficient, accessible and greener transportation ecosystem demands a different approach to planning and funding. The session, moderated by Carol Huegel of Gate 2 Gate Solutions is part 2 in a 2-part series and includes panelists from LAWA, MCI, Greater Toronto Airport Authority and others. REGISTER 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 Curt Lewis