Flight Safety Information - May 11, 2022 No.090 In This Issue : Incident: Volaris A20N at Mexico City on May 7th 2022, cleared to land on occupied runway : Incident: Easyjet A319 at Glasgow on May 7th 2022, bird strike : Incident: Southwest B737 at Denver on May 3rd 2022, smoke on board : U.S. FAA shifts gears on certifying future 'flying taxi' pilots : Airlines concerned about safety in Mexico City’s airspace : Airlines Look To Abolish 1,500-Hour Rule For Pilots : Analysis: Aircraft lessors gird to battle insurers over Russia jet default : Lufthansa places order for Boeing cargo and Dreamliner jets Incident: Volaris A20N at Mexico City on May 7th 2022, cleared to land on occupied runway A Volaris Airbus A320-200N, registration XA-VRV performing flight Y4-799 from Mazatlan to Mexico City (Mexico), was on final approach to runway 05L cleared to land. A Volaris Costa Rica Airbus A320-200N, registration N545VL performing flight Q6-4069 from Mexico City (Mexico) to Guatemala City (Guatemala), had been cleared to line up runway 05L some time earlier and was moving onto the runway, when some other crew on radio transmitted a warning about the developing conflict prompting the crew of Y4-799 to initiate a go around from low height (about 100 feet AGL). Q6-4069 departed about 3 minutes later, Y4-799 positioned for another approach to runway 05R and landed safely. Mexico's Ministry of Traffic reported they do not have a report about the occurrence. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f883d01&opt=0 Incident: Easyjet A319 at Glasgow on May 7th 2022, bird strike An Easyjet Airbus A319-100, registration G-EZGR performing flight U2-6843 from Glasgow,SC (UK) to Faro (Portugal), was climbing out of Glasgow's runway 23 when the crew stopped the climb at about FL120 reporting a bird strike and decided to return to Glasgow. The aircraft descended to FL070 and entered a hold for about 25 minutes before landing on runway 23 about 40 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft returned to a bird strike. No replacement aircraft was available, the passengers were offered rebooking onto other flights or cancellation as well as hotel accomodation when needed. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f88d2ea&opt=0 Incident: Southwest B737 at Denver on May 3rd 2022, smoke on board A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N7853B performing flight WN-565 from Denver,CO to San Diego,CA (USA) with 129 passengers, was climbing out of Denver's runway 34L when the crew stopped the climb at about FL250 reporting they had a pretty good smell, they had smoke in the back and needed to return to Denver. The aircraft landed safely back on Denver's runway 35L about 22 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-700 registration N293WN reached San Diego with a delay of about 3:20 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 16 hours after landing back. https://www.avherald.com/h?article=4f88d571&opt=0 U.S. FAA shifts gears on certifying future 'flying taxi' pilots WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Tuesday it had shifted course on its approach to approving pilots of future electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) but does not expect it would delay certification or operational approvals. The eVTOL aircraft have been touted as air taxis that could be the future of urban air mobility. The low-altitude urban air mobility aircraft has drawn a huge amount of interest around the world as numerous eVTOL companies have gone public. The FAA said in a statement it would pursue "a predictable framework that will better accommodate the need to train and certify the pilots who will operate these novel aircraft. "The flexibility, the FAA added, "will eliminate the need for special conditions and exemptions. The FAA said it was modifying its regulatory approach because regulations designed for traditional airplanes and helicopters "did not anticipate the need to train pilots to operate powered-lift, which take off in helicopter mode, transition into airplane mode for flying, and then transition back to helicopter mode for landing." Pete Bunce, who heads the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), said in an email the FAA decision is "in our minds detrimental to safety, and increases the workload on the FAA dramatically. This is bad policy for so many reasons." Many eVTOL startups are backed by major airlines or other large companies. Toyota Motor Corp has a stake in Joby Aviation (JOBY.N), Archer Aviation (ACHR.N) is backed by United Airlines (UAL.O) and Stellantis NV (STLA.MI), while Vertical Aerospace - a Bristol-UK-based manufacturer - is backed by investors such as American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) and Honeywell International Inc (HON.O). Joby is targeting the launch of its aerial ridesharing service in 2024. The FAA said its process "for certifying the aircraft themselves remains unchanged. All of the development work done by current applicants remains valid and the changes in our regulatory approach should not delay their projects." The Air Current reported the shift earlier. The FAA briefed Congress on the issue on April 29, and the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General said in March it would review the basis for certification of eVTOLs. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-faa-shifts-gears-certifying-future-flying-taxi-pilots-2022-05-10/ Airlines concerned about safety in Mexico City’s airspace This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page. Multiple international aviation organizations are raising concerns about the air traffic situation in Mexico City, citing an apparent slew of recent safety concerns. In a letter sent last week to Mexican aviation officials, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents hundreds of airlines, said since last spring there have been 17 ground proximity warning system (GPWS) alerts, which is a situation where a plane could crash unless quick action is taken. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. A day after IATA sent its letter to Mexican officials, the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations issued its own safety bulletin, mentioning recent cases where planes arrived in Mexico City with low levels of fuel “due to unplanned holding, diversions for excessive delays, and significant GPWS alerts.” The alert said there was a recent case “where one crew almost had a Controlled Flight into Terrain.” The concerns come weeks after the greater Mexico City area saw a second airport open. Felipe Angeles Airport (NLU) opened in late March, outside Mexico City, on the Santa Lucia Military Airbase site. The airport’s opening was intended to help relieve congestion at Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX). The two airports are located less than 30 miles apart. With the new airport operating, that of course means there is now a more complex air traffic situation in the greater Mexico City region, with more planes flying in and out of more locations. This is not the first time TPG has reported on air safety concerns in Mexico, though. In spring 2021, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced plans to downgrade Mexico’s aviation safety rating. These red flags over air safety come as travel demand to Mexico has reached an all-time high over the last couple of years. As part of its letter, IATA requested a meeting with Mexico aviation officials as soon as possible to find the best solution to recent concerns. In the meantime, the International Federation of Air Lines Pilots advised its crews to carry additional fuel in case the plane has to be diverted or faces prolonged holding prior to landing. The organization also recommended its pilots “exercise heightened terrain situational awareness” when flying in and out of airports in the Mexico City region. https://thepointsguy.com/news/mexico-city-airspace/ Airlines Look To Abolish 1,500-Hour Rule For Pilots We’re currently dealing with a major pilot shortage in the United States, which has been particularly bad for regional airlines. During the pandemic many senior pilots at the major airlines accepted early retirement packages. With demand roaring back, lots of pilots from regional airlines have been able to land jobs at the major network airlines, leaving regional carriers without qualified pilots. One of the biggest regional airline in the United States is now asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to lower the minimum number of hours required to become an airline pilot… is this a reasonable request? In this post: Republic asks for exemption to 1,500-hour rule Should the 1,500-hour rule be eliminated? Republic asks for exemption to 1,500-hour rule Republic is an Indianapolis-based regional airline that operates nearly 220 Embraer E170/175 jets on behalf of American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express. You may have flown with Republic without even realizing it, given how the marketing of regional airlines works. As it stands, the FAA requires pilots to have at least 1,500 flight hours before they can work at an airline. There are a couple of exceptions in place, including that former military pilots can get that requirement cut in half, to only 750 hours. Republic has sound logic for this request — the airline runs its own pilot training academy, called LIFT (which stands for “Leadership In Flight Training”). The airline argues that: The training pilots receive at LIFT is just as good as they’d get in the military, and arguably even better for the purposes of flying a commercial jet This would help airlines deal with the pilot shortage, which is a problem right now This would make becoming a pilot more economical, as it would make the cockpit more diverse, including for people who historically couldn’t afford to become pilots Airline pilots currently need 1,500 flight hours Should the 1,500-hour rule be eliminated? The 1,500-rule is one of the highest requirements you’ll find anywhere in the world, as other countries will let pilots fly airliners with just a couple of hundred hours experience. However, arguably the US takes this requirement to the extreme. First it’s worth considering the origin of this rule. In 2013 the requirement for new airline pilots was increased from 250 hours to 1,500 hours, which is a massive increase. This was done following the 2009 crash of Colgan Air flight 3407, which crashed primarily due to pilot error. The catch is that both the captain and first officer on that flight had over 1,500 hours, so that wouldn’t have even been a factor there. While I can appreciate the logic of wanting to make requirements to become a pilot more stringent (250 hours was arguably too low), I’m not sure what exactly this was intended to address. Republic’s request seems reasonable to me: Lots of hours as such doesn’t make someone a good pilot, but rather it comes down to the training that they’ve received If these flight academies have good programs and a rigorous process for certifying people to get into the cockpit of a jet with passengers, then I’m all for it, regardless of whether a pilot has 750 hours or 1,500 hours If the FAA believes it’s safe for pilots from the military to fly with 750 hours, then there should be a similar pathway for civilians to do this, in my opinion Becoming a pilot is expensive, and that excludes a lot of people who may potentially be interested in this as a career path; if becoming a pilot can be made more affordable without compromising safety, I’d consider that to be a great thing Hopefully Republic can have a 750-hour exception granted With a significant pilot shortage, Republic is asking the FAA to waive the 1,500-hour rule for hiring pilots. Republic has its own aviation academy, and it’s argued that after 750 hours, pilots would be more than qualified to get behind the controls of a regional jet. https://onemileatatime.com/news/1500-hour-rule-pilots/ Analysis: Aircraft lessors gird to battle insurers over Russia jet default DUBLIN, May 10 (Reuters) - Lessors with hundreds of jets stuck in Russia are preparing for what one said would be a "vigorous" pursuit of insurance claims while maintaining discreet contact with some customers after Moscow blocked the jets from leaving. The loss of over 400 leased planes worth almost $10 billion since Western countries sanctioned Russia has led to a string of lessors writing down hundreds of millions of dollars in recent weeks. But the lessors, speaking at a major industry conference in Dublin, said they may have to wait years to find out how much they will secure from unpredictable battles with insurers. In the meantime they face much higher insurance bills. "Practically speaking, I don't think anyone's expecting to get their planes back anytime soon ... mentally we're moving past it," said the head of U.S. lessor Aircastle, which has booked $252 million in impairment charges. "That doesn't mean our teams aren't still working and chasing, preparing for what we expect to be contested discussions with our insurance carriers," CEO Michael Inglese told the Airline Economics conference. Steven Udvar-Hazy, founder of Air Lease Corp (AL.N), which has booked an impairment of $802.4 million, said it was pursuing "vigorous" insurance claims. The largest claim has been made by AerCap (AER.N), the world's biggest aircraft lessor, which has submitted a $3.5 billion insurance claim for more than 100 jets. read more Chief Executive Aengus Kelly acknowledged his firm was on the "wrong side" of the default, with the industry's largest Russia exposure, but said "the insurance companies will have to settle" at some point as he shrugged off higher premiums. "Costs are going to go up, but I'm not going to listen to what the insurance companies are saying because they're going to face competition themselves at some point," he said. The head of Ireland's Genesis, Karl Griffin, said it was one of the first lessors to renew insurance after Western sanctions halted all Russian leases - adding it was "not a pretty sight." Few can say how the looming battle between lessors and insurers will play out. S&P Global has forecast a huge range of aviation insurance losses of $6-15 billion. "No one knows exactly where it will land," said Niels Jensen, co-head of aviation finance at Vinson & Elkins law firm, who said it will come down to the specific policy wording. Lawyers say the most heated issue involves the number of "occurrences" or trigger events involved in Russia's default. That judgment could sway the value of settlements dramatically. In London, multiple leading law firms have been lined up to do battle over the implications of that single, sparse term. Dubai-based lessor DAE Capital, which described its $538 million write-off as "manageable", said it expected to collect on insurance. "It will just takes time," Chief Executive Firoz Tarapore told the conference. 'WE DIDN'T STEAL' Even as many write off assets and pursue claims, a number of lessors said they were keeping some contact with private Russian airlines, which have in recent years relied heavily on Western lessors and have been good at paying bills. All said they were adhering strictly to sanctions. "We're all pursuing the same strategy, making insurance claims, talking to the airlines, private airlines... but there is not much they are allowed to do," said Dan Coulcher, Chief Commercial Officer of Willis Lease Finance, which on Monday took a $20.4 million impairment on two engines left in Russia. The Russian airlines who leased the planes were a lucrative market before the invasion. Lessors say the carriers want toavoid closing the door completely to future business, but are under heavy pressure from Moscow to cut ties. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said lessors from "unfriendly countries" violated their contractual obligations. read more "We have many of them basically tell us on the phone: 'look we're not crooks. We didn't steal your airplanes. We hope you get paid for your airplanes, but we're both stuck'," said John Plueger, chief executive of Air Lease Corp (AL.N). Some airline officials have shied away from cellphones, with some adopting 'burner' phones or meeting away from base. "Obviously their concern (is) we don't know who's listening. And that fear ... escalated as the crisis went" on, Plueger said. Dialogue continues but is "much more guarded" he added. Russia makes up a modest 4% of global traffic but experts worry the claims battle could sour attitude to risk in general. "I think the bigger thing is could we see the same thing happening in a much, much bigger country starting with a 'C' in Asia," said Marc Iarchy, a partner at World Star Aviation. "It will be a much bigger shock to the system. But it's entirely possible," he warned. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/aircraft-lessors-gird-battle-insurers-over-russia-jet-default-2022-05-10/ Lufthansa places order for Boeing cargo and Dreamliner jets Lufthansa Group joined the growing list of customers for The Boeing Co.’s (NYSE: BA) newest jet design, the freighter variant of the 777X. The German airline placed an order for seven of the jets, which are expected to begin deliveries in 2027, with an interim order of two of the company’s standard 777 freighters. Reuters reports Lufthansa will acquire a third standard 777 freighter that has been in use by another airline. “The purchase will complement our existing orders and further reduce our operating costs, enhance fuel efficiency and provide state-of-the-art customer experiences,” Detlef Kayser, who sits on the executive board for Lufthansa, said in a news release. “Moreover, the purchase highlights our commitment towards enhancing sustainable aviation." Monday’s order also included seven 787 Dreamliners, worth a little more than $2 billion at book value, though customers often receive steep discounts on large orders. Boeing hasn’t yet released a price for the freighter variant of the 777X, but the passenger variant retails for between $410 million and $442 million. At list price, the order total could come to nearly $6 billion, according to Reuters. Lufthansa will be the first European customer for the 777X freighter, Boeing said. The company previously netted orders from launch customer Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airlines. Lufthansa was a launch customer for the original 777X, having placed an order for 20 of the planes in 2013. Last month, Boeing pushed its planned launch of the jet, which was initially expected to debut in 2020, into 2025, citing more stringent requirements by federal regulators. In the meantime, Boeing said it expects to increase production of its legacy 777 freighters to meet the strong demand for new air cargo capacity as global supply chains recover from pandemic-related disruptions and a sharp spike in e-commerce sales. The 777 line is produced in Everett, while final assembly the 787 Dreamliner takes place in South Carolina, supported by nearly 100 Puget Sound-region suppliers. https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2022/05/09/lufthansa-places-order-for-777x-freigthers.html?ana=yahoo TODAY'S PHOTO Curt Lewis & Associates, LLC | curt@curt-lewis.com | 817-845-3983 | www.curt-lewis.com Curt Lewis, PhD, CSP, FRAeS Newsletter Signup: www.fsinfo.org See what's happening on our social sites: Curt Lewis and Associates, LLC | 1000 John Deere Road, Burnet, TX 78611 8178453983 Unsubscribe fgae@club-internet.fr Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by curt@curt-lewis.com powered by Try email marketing for free today!