Flight Safety Information - December 8, 2021 No. 244 In This Issue : Incident: Transcarga A30B at Manaus on Dec 2nd 2021, engine shut down in flight : Incident: THY A333 at Frankfurt on Dec 7th 2021, hydraulic failure : Helicopter crashes with India’s defence chief on board : Despite Challenges, NTSB Stands By Probable Cause Determination in PenAir Runway Overrun : 5G now means some flights won’t be able to land when pilots can’t see the runway : 93 percent of Southwest Airlines employees vaccinated or seeking exemptions ahead of deadline : India Catches More International Airlines Flouting COVID-19 Rules : Airbus delivered 58 planes in November, leaving busy month ahead : 777 Partners Orders 30 Additional 737 MAX Airplanes : Azul Aims For 100% Next Generation Aircraft By 2026 : How Air New Zealand Will Become A Leader In Electric Aircraft : SAF Now Available at Jet Aviation Amsterdam : India's Jet Airways in talks with Boeing, Airbus for $12 bln order : The Hubble telescope is fully operational again after a month-long nap : Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) announces fourth consecutive Safety Dividend : PhD Research Survey Request Incident: Transcarga A30B at Manaus on Dec 2nd 2021, engine shut down in flight A Transcarga International Airlines Airbus A300B4-200, registration YV560T performing flight T9-1521 from Manaus,AM to Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP(Brazil), was climbing out Manaus when the crew stopped the climb at about FL280 due to an engine (CF6) problem. The crew shut the engine down and returned to Manaus for a landing on runway 11 about 50 minutes after departure. A number of tyres deflated as result of the landing. The aircraft is still on the ground in Manaus 5 days later. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f14e2ac&opt=0 Incident: THY A333 at Frankfurt on Dec 7th 2021, hydraulic failure A THY Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration TC-JNP performing flight TK-1587 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany) with 152 people on board, was descending towards Frankfurt when the crew reported the failure of a hydraulic system. The crew subsequently performed an alternate gear extension and landed safely on runway 25C becoming disabled after roll out. The aircraft was towed to the apron about 40 minutes after landing. The aircraft is still on the ground in Frankfurt about 4.5 hours after landing. http://avherald.com/h?article=4f14ba0c&opt=0 Helicopter crashes with India’s defence chief on board At least four people reportedly dead as helicopter carrying General Bipin Rawat crashes in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. A helicopter carrying India’s defence chief General Bipin Rawat has crashed in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, killing at least four people, according to media reports. “An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on board, met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu,” the Indian Air Force said on Twitter on Wednesday. The air force did not say whether Rawat, 63, was injured in the accident. India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati said four people were killed and three others were injured and taken to a hospital. There was no official confirmation of the report. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was expected to make a statement on the incident in Parliament later on Wednesday. There was no immediate confirmation of the number of people on the helicopter. News channels showed a flight manifest that displayed the names of nine people as passengers, including Rawat’s wife and other senior defence officials. The Press Trust of India news agency said the helicopter was on its way from an air force base to the army defence services college when it crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. Videos broadcast on Indian news channels showed the helicopter in flames as local residents tried to douse it in a dense forested area near the college. Rawat is India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, a position that the Indian government established in 2019, which he assumed last year after retiring as army chief. He is seen as close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is an adviser to the defence ministry. Rawat comes from a military family with several generations having served in the Indian armed forces. The general, who has four decades of service behind him, has commanded forces in Indian-administered Kashmir and along the Line of Actual Control bordering China. He is credited with reducing armed conflicts on India’s northeastern frontier and supervised a cross-border counterinsurgency operation into neighbouring Myanmar. The Indian air force said an inquiry was underway into the accident. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/8/india-helicopter-crash-defence-chief-bipin-rawat-on-board (Photo Courtesy: NTSB) Despite Challenges, NTSB Stands By Probable Cause Determination in PenAir Runway Overrun • Sweden and United Kingdom authorities wanted more emphasis on crew mistakes. After challenges from aviation safety investigators from Sweden and the U.K., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is standing by its conclusion on the probable cause of the PenAir runway overrun accident at the Unalaska airport (KDUT) in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. According to the NTSB final report, the accident, which happened on October 17, 2019, was caused by the flight crew’s improper decision-making coupled with the failure of the aircraft’s braking system attributed to improper maintenance. However, the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK) and U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) responded that the NTSB’s report “did not sufficiently emphasize the PenAir flight crew’s role in the accident sequence.” The NTSB maintains the testimony of the SHK and AAIB was considered during the November hearing. What Happened On October 17, 2019, the Saab SA-2000, operated by PenAir as flight 3296, overran the runway during an attempt to land. The aircraft had been cleared for the RNAV 13 approach, but during the descent, the winds shifted and were now from the northwest. The first attempt resulted in a go-around. When the airplane entered the traffic pattern for a second landing attempt, the flight crew learned the wind was from 300 degrees at 24 knots. The captain chose to continue the approach to Runway 13, rather than maneuvering to land on Runway 31, although it meant landing with a tailwind of at least 15 knots. During the investigation, the flight crew reported they were unconcerned about the reported winds. The captain reported that the touchdown was normal, but when maximum braking was applied, there was “zero braking” action. The left tire was destroyed and the aircraft overran the runway and the adjacent 300-foot runway safety area off the end of the pavement. The turboprop crashed through a fence and came to rest on the rocky bank of Dutch Harbor. One person, 38-year-old David Oltman of Ellensburg, Washington, was killed when a piece of a propeller broke off during the crash and pierced the cabin. One person was seriously injured and eight more people suffered minor injuries during the evacuation of the aircraft. Neither the flight crew nor the remaining 29 passengers were hurt. The Original Report During its investigation, the NTSB looked at the crew qualifications and the technical complexity of the airport itself. The runway is located at the base of a mountain and is flanked on both sides by water. The runway measures 4,500 feet by 100 feet and has a reputation for being a difficult operating environment. It was determined that the captain of the PenAir flight had not been properly vetted for that particular airport. The report noted “the captain might not have fully understood the challenges associated with landing the Saab 2000 at Unalaska airport because he had not achieved the experience that the company-designated pilot-in-command airport qualification policy intended.” The NTSB determined the flight crew’s decision to land with a tailwind was an example of continuation bias and was “intentional and inappropriate.” The board went on to state: “The safety margin was further reduced because of PenAir’s failure to correctly apply its company-designated PIC airport qualification policy, which allowed the accident captain to operate at one of the most challenging airports in PenAir’s route system with limited experience at the airport and in the Saab 2000.” The NTSB received testimony indicating the lack of braking action was caused by “incorrect wiring [that] caused the anti-skid system not to function as intended, resulting in the failure of the left outboard tire and a significant loss of the airplane’s braking ability, which led to the runway overrun.” The NTSB stated the design of the braking system was partially to blame for the maintenance error, as it is complicated and confusing to maintain. The NTSB also noted that when the FAA approved PenAir to fly in and out of the Unalaska airport with the Saab 2000, “they did not recognize that the safety area beyond the end of the runway did not conform to the recommended safety criteria for an airplane in that design category.” A 2007 report published by ICAO noted that except under special conditions, the Runway Safety Area standard dimensions for runways used by aircraft with approach speeds of 121 knots or more are 500 feet wide and 1,000 feet long. Recommendations The meeting concluded with the NTSB issuing several recommendations to the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and to Saab to prevent further accidents. These include: • A review of safety assessments for landing gear systems on currently certificated transport-category airplanes to determine if more needs to be done to prevent the cross-wiring of components. • Require transport-category airplane manufacturers without such assessments to implement the mitigations. • Require system safety assessments addressing the landing gear anti-skid system for the certification of future transport-category airplane designs. • In addition, the NTSB recommended that Saab redesign the wheel-speed-transducer wire harnesses for the Saab 2000 to prevent the harnesses from being installed incorrectly during maintenance and overhaul, and that the FAA and the EASA require organizations that design, manufacture, and maintain aircraft to establish a safety management system. The NTSB also noted that it’s possible that safety risks can result when certificate holders experience significant organizational change, such as bankruptcy, acquisition, and merger. All three were experienced at PenAir more than two years before the accident. Citing this, the NTSB suggested that the FAA revise agency guidance to include a formalized procedure for these transitions to ensure that incoming personnel are fully aware of potential safety risks. The NTSB also suggested that the FAA pay more attention to the runway design code for runways of intended use when authorizing a scheduled air carrier to operate its airplanes at specific airfields under Part 139 on airport operations. https://www.flyingmag.com/despite-challenges-ntsb-stands-by-probable-cause-determination-in-penair-runway-overrun/ 5G now means some flights won’t be able to land when pilots can’t see the runway A new FAA rule may lead to flight delays Verizon and AT&T are hoping new swaths of C-band cellular radio spectrum will help make the 5G hype closer to reality, but the big mid-band 5G rollout may have a side effect. Airplanes rely on radio altimeters to tell how high they are above the ground to safely land when pilots can’t see, and the FAA is now instructing 6,834 of them to not do that at certain airports because of 5G interference. The FAA ruled on Tuesday that those thousands of US planes (and some helicopters) won’t be able to use many of the guided and automatic landing systems that are designed to work in poor visibility conditions, if they’re landing at an airport where there’s deemed to be enough interference that their altimeters aren’t reliable. “Landings during periods of low visibility could be limited due to concerns that the 5G signal could interfere with the accuracy of an airplane’s radio altimeter, without other mitigations in place,” an FAA spokesman tells The Verge. • “THESE LIMITATIONS COULD PREVENT DISPATCH OF FLIGHTS ... AND COULD ALSO RESULT IN FLIGHT DIVERSIONS” That likely means flight delays: “These limitations could prevent dispatch of flights to certain locations with low visibility, and could also result in flight diversions,” reads a portion of the FAA’s written explanation. “We are engaged with the wireless operators, as well as our interagency partners, to do everything possible to make sure the mitigations are tailored to prevent disruptions,” an FAA spokesman tells us. The FAA ruling does give airlines and pilots an out — if they can prove their airplanes have altimeters that are protected or are otherwise not going to be affected by interference. No airline would comment to The Verge on expected delays, nor would the Airlines for America industry group that the airlines pointed us to. It’s not yet clear which specific airports might restrict low visibility flight, but you can imagine that they’d likely be in the same places where the carriers are deploying mid-band 5G — with a few exceptions, they’re the United States’ most-populated cities. As of December, the planned rollouts (PDF) are in 46 markets designated as Partial Economic Areas (PEAs), including 1-4, 6-10, 12- 19, 21-41, and 43-50. The FAA plans to issue notices for specific airports later. Verizon and AT&T did agree to push back the launch of C-band by one month (to January 2022), and also offered to dial back the power of 5G towers for six months past that to address concerns. Carriers and their lobbying group, the CTIA, have suggested that there isn’t a valid reason to fear interference, but the FAA has so far not been convinced. Nor was an aviation lobbying group, the Aerospace Industries Association, which sent a letter to the FCC on Monday suggesting that AT&T and Verizon’s proposed power limits don’t go far enough for safety. The FCC, not the FAA, is the entity that regulates wireless interference. While C-band 5G and these radio altimeters don’t actually operate in the same band, the bands are close enough that the fear exists. One possible solution is a band filter for those altimeters, but organizations like the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) have warned (PDF) that it might take years to certify them and retrofit all the planes. https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/7/22822875/5g-faa-rule-c-band-landing-airport-bad-weather-visibility 93 percent of Southwest Airlines employees vaccinated or seeking exemptions ahead of deadline Roughly 93 percent of Southwest Airlines employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 or are seeking an exemption ahead of the Jan. 4 deadline for federal contractors to get vaccinated, according to a company memo. Southwest has not provided specific details on the percentage of workers who got vaccinated versus the percentage of workers seeking a medical or religious exemption. “We continue to work through accommodation requests received and are pleased to report that the large majority of our compliant employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” Southwest emergency director Steve Goldberg said in the memo, which was obtained by The Dallas Morning News. Southwest, along with other major airlines, has large contracts with the U.S. government to transport supplies and federal officials, meaning its workers must comply with President Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors. Employees who don’t comply with the mandate by Jan. 4 could face termination, but the Biden administration has given federal contractors broad flexibility to enforce their own rules. Southwest CEO Gary Kelly previously said the company will not fire any of its employees over the federal mandate. Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors is currently held up in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee following a federal court order, but the Biden administration is still moving forward with enforcing the rule. Other airlines have surpassed the 90 percent vaccination threshold ahead of the Jan. 4 deadline. Delta Air Lines said that 90 percent of its employees were vaccinated without a mandate in place. The company instead adds a $200 monthly surcharge to unvaccinated employees’ health care plans. United Airlines said that 99 percent of its employees got vaccinated in accordance with the company’s own vaccine mandate. Only around 200 employees were forced out of the company for refusing to comply. https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/aviation/584654-93-percent-of-southwest-airlines-employees-vaccinated-or India Catches More International Airlines Flouting COVID-19 Rules Authorities in New Delhi continue to hand out notices to international airlines for violating COVID-related guidelines for arriving overseas passengers. The latest carriers to have been asked for explanation are two of the ME3 airlines – Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways. There are different protocols for airlines arriving from “at-risk” and “not at risk” countries, and it’s mainly the carriers from the second category of nations that have come under the scanner. Two more airlines The New Delhi district authorities issued notices to two more carriers this week. On Monday, Etihad Airways was asked to clarify the reason for its alleged violation of COVID norms at the airport. The notice stated that the airline failed to randomly test 2% of passengers on two flights that landed in Delhi on Sunday and Monday. The notice to Etihad stated, “A sub-section (2 percent of the total flight passengers) will undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport on arrival. The 2 percent of such travelers in each flight will be identified by the concerned airline (preferably from different countries). It has come to notice that the above directions were not followed by you.” Qatar Airways was also issued a similar notice for the same violation for a flight that arrived from Doha’s Hamad International Airport on Tuesday. The station masters for both airlines have been asked for an explanation. Earlier, three other airlines – American Airlines, Air India, and Mahan Air – were also pulled up for failing to adhere to COVID protocols upon arrival. 2% rule In the wake of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the government of India has identified a list of “at-risk” countries, some of which are South Africa, Botswana, Hong Kong, the UK, Israel, and Zimbabwe. Passengers originating or transiting from these places will have to take an on-arrival COVID test and leave only after a confirmed negative result. Further, they need to home-quarantine for seven days and undergo another test on the eighth day. The rules for passengers from “not at risk” countries – including the US, Canada, and the UAE – are more relaxed, but airlines from such nations have been asked to test 2% of passengers on the flight randomly. Previously, American Airlines and now Etihad and Qatar have been identified as carriers not sticking to the 2% rule. Strict mandates Delhi airport has become even more vigilant after testing its first Omicron case on December 5th – a passenger arriving from Tanzania. Since then, it has increased the testing capacity at the premises to reduce chaos and smoothen the process. The airport officials are also keeping a close eye on “at-risk” passengers who are not following the seven-day quarantine rule. A Hindustan Times report published the statement of an airport official, stating, “District administration and Delhi police have been asked to verify and report the status of people under mandatory home quarantine. If they are found flouting the Covid-19 protocol, then action will be taken against them.” Airlines and passengers have had to adapt a great deal in the last two years when crossing international borders. While one wishes for smoother airport transitions of the pre-COVID days, it seems that the pandemic-related protocols are here to stay for the time being. https://simpleflying.com/india-airlines-flouting-covid-rules/ Airbus delivered 58 planes in November, leaving busy month ahead Airbus delivered 58 jets in November, setting up a busy final month of 2021 as the company aims to ship 600 aircraft this year. The tally leaves the planemaker 82 aircraft short of its annual target with just weeks to go. Bloomberg News reported last week that the company needed to accelerate jetliner deliveries in December to meet its goal. The end of 2021 presents specific challenges for Airbus beyond the usual year-end push, with the company facing supply-chain issues and customer uncertainty following the emergence of the omicron coronavirus variant. Still, November’s performance made the task easier. The manufacturer handed over 89 planes last December even as the industry reeled from a winter flare-up of COVID-19 cases. Pre-pandemic tallies were comfortably higher — more than 125 jets in both 2018 and 2019. Airbus delivered just two A350s in the month, compared with average production rates of five. The company is currently battling big customer Qatar Airways over paint and surface degradation on the plane, issues that Reuters reported last week are also affecting several other customers. Separately, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency this week identified another potential issue with the plane. The company got 318 orders in November, including a 255-jet deal with a group of four discount airlines backed by Bill Franke’s Indigo Partners at the Dubai Airshow. Airbus emerged as the clear winner from the first major industry event since the virus outbreak, with rival Boeing posting a more modest order tally. EasyJet also firmed up an order for 12 A320neos, while an outline deal secured with Italy’s new state-backed airline for 28 jets was also made official last month. Airbus saw 75 cancellations in November, with Mexican low-cost carrier Interjet scrapping 28 A320neo orders. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/airbus-delivered-58-planes-in-november-leaving-busy-month-ahead/ 777 Partners Orders 30 Additional 737 MAX Airplanes - Investment firm has ordered a total of 68 737 MAXs in 2021, including 737-8 and 737-8-200 models - 777 Partners leveraging the 737 to expand cost-effective, fuel-efficient operations for its affiliated low-cost carriers SEATTLE, Dec. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] and 777 Partners today announced the Miami-based investment firm will nearly double its 737 MAX order book with the purchase of 30 additional jets. The new order expands 777 Partners' commercial aircraft portfolio to a total of 68 737 MAXs, in its fourth order this year for the fuel-efficient, single-aisle jets. Valued at $3.7 billion at list prices, the order will enable 777 Partners to expand 737 MAX operations across the fleet of its affiliated global low-cost carriers. "We're delighted to be able to announce the almost doubling in size of our order with Boeing," said Josh Wander, managing partner of 777 Partners. "We have long been confident in the economics of the 737 MAX family but we are especially excited about the 737-8-200 variant which represents the bulk of our additional orders. We're confident that this aircraft will be the hallmark ULCC/LCC asset, particularly in the sub-200 seat market. As travel demand returns, 777 has accelerated our quest for efficiencies in both operating cost and carbon footprint at our operating carriers. . In these areas the 737-8 is compelling and the 737-8-200 is simply unrivalled." The 737 MAX family reduces fuel use and carbon emissions by at least 14% compared to the airplanes it replaces, reducing operating costs as well as the environmental footprint for 777 Partners' affiliated airlines. Every 737 MAX features a passenger-pleasing Boeing Sky Interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger pivoting overhead storage bins. "We greatly appreciate 777 Partners for their trust in our products, including repeat orders for the 737 MAX and expanding their fleet to include the high-capacity 737-8-200 model," said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. "777 Partners is enabling growth for its affiliated low-cost carriers by leveraging the 737 family's flexibility, reliability and efficiency to serve passengers for years to come." As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company's core values of safety, quality and integrity. Learn more at www.boeing.com. 777 Partners is a Miami-based private alternative investment firm that invests across a number of high growth attractive verticals. Founded in 2015, 777 Partners initially applied its expertise in underwriting and financing of esoteric assets to diversify across a broad spectrum of financial services businesses, asset originators, and financial technology/service providers. In recent years, the firm has broadened its mandate and now invests across six different industries: insurance, consumer and commercial finance, litigation finance, direct lending, media and entertainment, and aviation. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/777-partners-orders-30-additional-737-max-airplanes-301439187.html Azul Aims For 100% Next Generation Aircraft By 2026 Azul Linhas Aereas has set 2026 as the year its fleet will become 100% next-generation aircraft. The airline will use planes such as the Embraer E2, Airbus A320neos, and A321neos for commercial service, retiring and repurposing its older, costlier, Embraer E1 fleet. Let’s investigate further. Azul’s fleet plans In the last ten years, the number of domestic passengers in Brazil has doubled; Azul has been responsible for over half of market growth. The carrier, founded by David Neeleman, started operations in 2008 with two routes from Campinas to Salvador and Porto Alegre. Nowadays, Azul operates in 127 domestic and five international destinations. The airline flies to almost every state of Brazil, except for one (Acre). Azul currently has a fleet of 179 aircraft, including several subleased units. It is a diverse fleet, as Azul operates Airbus widebodies, narrowbodies, Embraer E1 and E2 units, ATRs, and Cessnas. Moreover, Azul is expecting 75 new aircraft in the future. According to ch-aviation, Azul will receive 54 Embraer E2 planes, 13 A320neo, five A321neo, and three A350-900. The new next-generation aircraft will allow the airline to reduce costs and have a significant margin expansion going forward. In the meantime, the airline will reduce its E1 fleet. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. Renewing the fleet During an investors’ presentation held yesterday, Azul talked about the importance of renewing its fleet. Alex Malfitani, Azul’s CFO, said, “Looking at our numbers, the cost of the E1 is much higher. So our reduction as we go from the old generation to the new generation will be bigger than the reduction that our competitors are going to go through. Everybody is going to go to the next generation, right? The difference is where are you starting from? And we are years ahead of the competition in terms of when we’re going to get to 100% next-gen.” Azul is looking to have a fleet composed of 100% of next-generation aircraft by 2026, said Malfitani. The COVID-19 pandemic somewhat impacted that timeline since the original estimation of the carrier was 2024. Azul will finish 2021 with a fleet of 140 aircraft (not counting the Cessnas and subleased units), including nine E2. In 2022, Azul will increase to 146 aircraft, thanks to the arrival of six new E2 and four A320neos (although it will retire four E1 units). Then, by 2023, the airline’s fleet will reduce to 140 again due to further reduction of the E1 family (from 42 to 31). The cargo E1 So, what will happen with the E1? For Azul, it has been a marvelous aircraft. Nonetheless, it is much more expensive than the next-gen planes from Embraer and Airbus. For instance, the E1 and the A320neo burn almost the same amount of fuel per engine, but the A320neo allows Azul to carry 47% more passengers. The E2 reduces by 18% the fuel consumption versus the E1 and allows 15% more seats. Cost per seat reduces by 26% with the E2, 29% with the A320neo, and 34% with the A321neo, compared to the E1. It’s a no-brainer for Azul. Nonetheless, the E1 will not entirely abandon Azul’s fleet. The airline will relocate a part of its fleet to the cargo business. Abhi Shah, Azul’s CRO, explained, “We are reformulating our E1s, and we have an opportunity to do what we did with passengers 13 years ago. What we are doing is removing all the seats, and we are putting fire bag containers on the aircraft, doubling the payload. We are using the E1 trip cost. Azul grew using the E1’s trip cost; that’s how we built our hubs in Confins and Recife. And now, using the E1 trip cost, we can fly to secondary cities and provide dedicated e-commerce delivery services.” Next year, Azul will use four E1 freighters starting in January, added Shah. https://simpleflying.com/azul-next-generation-aircraft/ How Air New Zealand Will Become A Leader In Electric Aircraft Air New Zealand continues to actively pursue opportunities around electric aircraft as an option for shorter domestic and regional flights. The CEO of the Auckland-based airline has confirmed plans to have electric aircraft in its fleet by 2030 as it pursues an electric aircraft global leadership role. Air New Zealand is talking with multiple partners about electric aircraft Air New Zealand invests heavily in sustainability and is targeting net zero emissions by 2050. The airline has a comprehensive sustainability framework. One of the pillars of that framework is genuine climate action – and that’s where electric aircraft come in. “We’re out there working with a number of partners on this, but pretty heavily with Airbus,” Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran told a CAPA conference on Tuesday. “We signed an MOU with them just recently and are sharing a lot of data and a lot of information between us.” “There are another 12 odd partners we continue to stay close to and are having reasonably in-depth conversations with them. The way these things usually develop, that list will come down, and we’ll pick a couple, go even deeper, and then get on and purchase an (electric) aircraft sometime in the next few years.” Greg Foran says that once that first electric aircraft is operating, the airline will learn and expand from there. “We’re excited about that opportunity,” he adds. The Air New Zealand CEO said he expects to have at least one electric aircraft operating on one route within the next few years. When pressed on a more definite timeline, Greg Foran nominated the late 2020s. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. Air New Zealand doesn’t want to be an electric aircraft laggard Air New Zealand sees that first electric aircraft operating a short-haul regional domestic route now serviced by Q300 aircraft. Greg Foran says that the late 2020 start date slots in nicely with Q300 fleet renewal plans. “We don’t want to be a laggard on this. We’re prepared to get out there a bit earlier. It’s something we believe in as a business.” Air New Zealand is also investing in the green hydrogen-powered aircraft research and development process as well as sustainable aviation fuels. The airline has exhausted its carbon offset opportunities with New Zealand, but Greg Foran says carbon offsets “don’t excite me a lot.” “We have exhausted what we can do in New Zealand in terms of offset,” he said on Tuesday. “In our business, you get one point for talking and nine points for doing, and if you really want to make a difference here, and I think we must, the key problem we need to solve here is what are we going to do with sustainable aviation fuels?” The long-haul flying environmental conundrum While electric aircraft might solve some environmental issues surrounding short-haul hops, the technology cannot yet handle long-haul flying. The Air New Zealand CEO suggests sustainable aviation fuels can play a big role here, but that also opens another can of worms. Mr Foran says he’s not aware of any current technology available that deals with the environmental impact of flying, particularly long-haul flying, like sustainable aviation fuels can. But there’s insufficient supply, infrastructure issues, and it still costs three to five times as much as normal aviation fuel. “It’s not a problem that can just be solved by airlines,” Mr Foran adds. The Air New Zealand boss says one of the consequences of using more sustainable aviation fuel would be higher fares and says if passengers want to walk the environmental talk, they’ll need to be prepared to pay the higher fares. Mr Foran says right now, most are not. “Unless someone’s got an alternative solution about what you do for long-haul, we’d better put our collective heads together, and that’s not just going to involve people in the industry.” https://simpleflying.com/air-new-zealand-ceo-greg-foran-electric-aircraft/ SAF Now Available at Jet Aviation Amsterdam • For the first time at one of its European FBOs, Jet Aviation will provide a continuous supply of sustainable aviation fuel. The service provider announced that its facility at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport will stock the fuel which is currently distributed in a blend with conventional jet-A. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provider Neste has signed an agreement to provide its SAF product at Jet Aviation’s FBO at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The deal will allow Jet Aviation to establish a continuous supply of the fully-certified, drop-in replacement fuel for the first time at one of its European locations. The MY Neste SAF, which in its unblended form can result in an up to 80 percent lifecycle greenhouse gas emission reduction over conventional jet fuel, is produced entirely from renewable and sustainable waste and residue materials such as used cooking oil and animal fats. Jet Aviation is receiving a blend of 38 percent SAF, which will be placed in the airport's general fuel supply. “As a clean, fully approved alternative to standard fossil-based jet fuel, we are delighted to secure a permanent supply of SAF at our first European FBO to help business aviation owners and operators contribute to sustainable aviation,” said João Martins, Jet Aviation’s v-p of regional FBO operations in Europe and general manager of the company’s Zurich facility. Last year, Jet Aviation, in collaboration with Neste and Zurich Airport, imported a limited supply of SAF to fuel aircraft departing from the annual World Economic Forum, held in nearby Davos. This marked the first time SAF had been available for purchase in Switzerland. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2021-12-07/saf-now-available-jet-aviation-amsterdam India's Jet Airways in talks with Boeing, Airbus for $12 bln order BENGALURU, Dec 2 (Reuters) - India's Jet Airways (JET.NS) is in talks with planemakers Boeing Co (BA.N) and Airbus SE (AIR.PA) for an order worth $12 billion, BloombergQuint reported on Thursday, citing Bloomberg News. The airline's new owners, UAE-based businessman Murari Lal Jalan and UK investment firm Kalrock Capital, told Bloomberg News that Jet could buy at least 100 narrowbody aircraft, BloombergQuint said on Twitter. The group is set to invest about $200 million through equity and debt in Jet over the next six months, BloombergQuint said. Jet, Boeing and Airbus did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. The Jalan-Kalrock consortium's resolution plan for Jet was approved by India's bankruptcy court in June, with the airline poised for takeoff by the first quarter of 2022 as it gears up to resume domestic operations. read more The debt-laden airline, once India's biggest private carrier, stopped flying in April 2019 after running out of cash, leaving thousands without jobs. Shares of the airline jumped as much as 3.7% to 85 rupees on Thursday and were trading 2.4% higher at 0740 GMT. The news on Jet comes a month after billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed low cost Indian carrier Akasa Air placed a $9 billion order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX jets. https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/indias-jet-airways-talks-with-boeing-airbus-12-bln-order-bloombergquint-2021-12-02/ The Hubble telescope is fully operational again after a month-long nap NASA's Hubble telescope has been in a "coma" since going into system failure in late October — but today, the agency announced that it is waking Hubble up. After multiple instrument sync failures that required putting Hubble into safe mode, NASA says the telescope is now functioning as normal, with all four active instruments collecting data. On October 23rd, NASA first noticed that Hubble's instruments weren't receiving sync messages from the telescope's control unit. Communications issues continued for several days, which led NASA to put the telescope into a sort of safe mode — something that takes a long time to come out of because of the sensitivity of Hubble's hardware. Rapid power or temperature changes aren't good for its lifespan, so NASA took its time here. This shutdown was the second that was required in 2021, with another month-long "coma" taking place in July to deal with an unrelated issue. Given the 31-year-old telescope's age, it's entirely possible that Hubble is nearing the end of its useful life in space, but for now NASA expects Hubble to work in tandem with the Webb telescope "well into this decade." After numerous delays, the Webb telescope is expected to finally launch on December 22nd. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/nasa-hubble-telescope-is-operational-again-155710162.html posted on December 6, 2021 08:00 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) announces fourth consecutive Safety Dividend One of the initial long-term goals of BASC continues to reward high achieving business flight departments! BASC was designed to be a highly desired partner with world-class business flight departments that strive for excellence in Safety Management and Compliance. Coincidentally, BASC was also conceptualized to be of high value and provide for ease of budgeting. The Safety Dividend provision was implemented at the founding of BASC to return a portion of the members’ annual investment when organizational performance provided that opportunity. Although a “for profit” entity, no reason could be found not to share and reward excellence, loyalty, achievement, continuous improvement and safety culture. Any current BASC Full-Service member, that has been with the organization for six months or greater, will be awarded a Safety Dividend in December 2021. This is a significant achievement as this award to clients was achieved despite significant infrastructure investments including a new FAA 14 CFR Part 5 Compliance Checklist, BASC Slack Chanel, and RampInspectionPrograms.com website. Founder and President, Rick Malczynski, shared, “This is a great achievement for the BASC membership. We knew from the beginning that having a “killer” program was key, but what we also learned over the years was that treating our end users with respect, honesty, and transparency was the foundation of our previous successes. BASC Nation members, often get labelled as an “industry disrupter,” and it is actually one of the highest compliments we receive. It is a pretty cool concept, when you just do your best, work with the savviest professionals in the industry, and treat everyone the way you wish to be treated…everyone grows together…and has a great time doing it! I could not be more enthused and proud regarding BASC and what the members have accomplished.” Malczynski further commented, “2021 was an awesome year for us! Given current industry conditions and trends, the sustained growth was a given. We realized years ago that the frontline team members in corporate aviation are the most knowledgeable regarding actual SMS application in the aviation industry…so we listened to them! Our partnerships with amazing innovators like Quality Resources and Advanced Aircrew Academy, have helped insure that BASC members anticipate, adapt, and meet or exceed changing requirements in a fast-paced and dynamic operating environment. Personally, working with teams of professionals that have mastered the concepts, processes, and execution of SMS, is extremely fulfilling. Observing team after team transitioning from ‘checking boxes’ to continuous improvement and operational excellence is amazing! I guarantee 2022 will be a banner year!” ### About the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (AviationConsortium.com, LLC or BASC): Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, BASC serves as a logical partner for SMS, regulatory, and operational excellence verification for high performing business aviation organizations. BASC was founded in 2016 and accepted the first member in January of 2017. For more information, visit http://www.aviationconsortium.com PhD Research Survey Request This survey aims to understand whether a gap exists between the regulatory authorities' expectation of Crew Resource Management training curriculum (FAA outlines this in AC 120-51E) and the current training offerings across all facets of the industry. If a gap does exist, the study aims to understand which topics are under or inaccurately trained, measure the baseline level of understanding of these topics, and the perception of relevance-to-safety by industry pilots. To make it easy, I’ve created a posting that you’re welcome to modify and personalize or completely ignore and make your own. :) ----------------- Calling all pilots: A pilot and Ph.D. student is conducting cognitive science research on Crew Resource Management. Would you please help them by taking this survey? https://forms.gle/pkXH3cH1BYbvSoGz5 It’s 34-questions of mostly multiple-choice and shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Your input is anonymous and very much appreciated! Participation in this survey aids in the ongoing research on aviation human performance, human factors, and safety culture. -------------- Thank you, in advance, for your support. Kimberly Perkins Captain I Researcher I Writer Ph.D. Student University of Washington Doctoral Research: The Impact of Cognitive Biases on Aviation Safety Curt Lewis