Flight Safety Information - August 17, 2022   No.158


In This Issue 

: Incident: Tailwind B734 at Antalya on Aug 15th 2022, engine problem

: Incident: Southwest B737 at St. Louis on Aug 12th 2022, dropped cowling on landing

: Incident: France A321 near Athens on Aug 14th 2022, smoke in cockpit

: Incident: LOT B788 over North Sea on Aug 14th 2022, cracked windshield

: Incident: Allegiant A320 at St. Petersburg on Aug 13th 2022, rejected takeoff due to bird strike

: Aspen airport back open after private jet slides off runway

: Russia’s Violations of Global Aviation Rules Could Leave the UN With Tough, Costly Choices

: TSA agents find pen gun inside passenger’s luggage at Logan Airport

: Mexican Government Suspends Commercial Activity With Regional Carrier Calafia Airlines For Six Months

: Malaysia Airlines To Retire Airbus A380 Fleet By End 2022, So Why Are They All Still Flying?

: Could Pakistan Soon Get An FAA Category 1 Safety Rating?

: Barriers to Entry: FAA Proposes to Require Flight Deck Physical Secondary Barriers on New Aircraft

: Amazon workers walk out over pay, safety concerns at major California air hub

: American Airlines bets on supersonic travel with Boom jet deal

: RTCA Webinar: Airspace Integration, Sustainable Aviation Fuels with NBAA

: GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1

: GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2



Incident: Tailwind B734 at Antalya on Aug 15th 2022, engine problem

A Tailwind Boeing 737-400, registration TC-TLC performing flight TI-291 from Antalya (Turkey) to Zurich (Switzerland), was climbing through FL190 out of Antalya's runway 36R when the crew reported an engine (CFM56) showed high vibrations and increased EGT and decided to return to Antalya. The aircraft landed safely on Antalya's runway 36R about 40 minutes after departure.

The aircraft is still on the ground in Antalya about 28 hours after landing back.

https://avherald.com/h?article=4fcf8064&opt=0

 


 

Incident: Southwest B737 at St. Louis on Aug 12th 2022, dropped cowling on landing

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N791SW performing flight WN-1721 from Orlando,FL to St. Louis,MO (USA), landed on St. Louis' runway 11 but dropped a cowling. The aircraft slowed safely and taxied to the apron.

The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT ON LANDING AND COWLING CAME OFF, ST LOUIS, MO."

The aircraft is still on the ground in St. Louis about 80 hours after landing.

https://avherald.com/h?article=4fcf3378&opt=0

 

 


Incident: France A321 near Athens on Aug 14th 2022, smoke in cockpit

An Air France Airbus A321-200, registration F-GTAE performing flight AF-1002 from Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) to Heraklion (Greece), was enroute at FL350 about 80nm west of Athens (Greece) when the crew reported smoke in the cockpit and diverted to Athens. The aircraft landed safely on Athens' runway 21R about 16 minutes later.

A passenger reported there had been odours on board.

The aircraft remained on the ground for about 2:45 hours, then continued the flight and reached Heraklion with a delay of 3 hours.

https://avherald.com/h?article=4fcf7e1b&opt=0

 


 

Incident: LOT B788 over North Sea on Aug 14th 2022, cracked windshield

A LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787-8, registration SP-LRC performing flight LO-45 from Warsaw (Poland) to Toronto,ON (Canada), was enroute at FL380 about 20nm southwest of Stavanger when the crew decided to turn back to Warsaw due to a cracked windshield. The aircraft subsequently descended to FL100 (levelling off at FL100 about 40 minutes later, average rate of descent 700 fpm) and landed safely back on Warsaw's runway 33 about 110 minutes after leaving FL380.

The airline reported the aircraft returned due to a cracked cockpit window, the passengers are going to board another aircraft for their flight to Toronto.

https://avherald.com/h?article=4fcee709&opt=0

 


Incident: Allegiant A320 at St. Petersburg on Aug 13th 2022, rejected takeoff due to bird strike

An Allegiant Airbus A320-200, registration N208NV performing flight G4-1089 from St. Petersburg,FL to Indianapolis,IN (USA), was accelerating for takeoff from St. Petersburg's runway 36 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 100 knots over ground) due to a bird strike. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron.

A replacement A320-200 registration N285NV reached Indianapolis with a delay of 5:10 hours.

The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 31 hours before returning to service.

The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD ON DEPARTURE AND ABORTED TAKEOFF, ST PETERSBURG, FL."

https://avherald.com/h?article=4fcf3a76&opt=0

 


 
 
 
 
Aspen airport back open after private jet slides off runway

Aspen-Pitkin County airport reopens after private jet incident.

Inbound and outbound flights at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport were canceled late Monday afternoon after a private aircraft skidded off the runway, officials said. The airport returned to full operations Tuesday morning.

“It was about somewhere between 4:45 and 5 (p.m.) and a small- to medium-size jet came in and went to the side of the runway and hit a couple of runway signs and a couple of runway lights,” airport director Dan Bartholomew said Tuesday.

The two pilots and three passengers aboard the Cessna Citation  (Cessna 560 Citation Encore) aircraft were not hurt, he said.

The National Transportation Safety Board will look into the cause of the incident, Bartholomew said. The weather was stormy when the plane landed.

“We have a security camera, and we also take photos of the scene after an incident such as this,” he said. “That report also includes weather and friction testing on the runway, and we’ll send that off to the NTSB and they’ll open an investigation into it.”

The investigation will include interviews with the pilots and an examination of a voice recording if the aircraft was equipped with a recorder, according to Bartholomew.

The damage to the aircraft did not appear to be greatly significant, said Parker Lathrop, who is the chief deputy of operations for the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office.

“I would say there was moderate damage to the landing gear and there appeared to be some damage to one of the wings,” he said. “But overall, the plane appeared to be intact.”

A fuel leak, however, was cause for concern. The fuel spill occurred in the runway safety area, which is on the side of the actual runway.

“We had to construct a burn to control the fuel,” Bartholomew said.

Because the safety area was compromised, the entire runway was closed for the rest of the day and into the night, Bartholomew said.

The aircraft also was removed from the site of the incident, Parker said.

https://www.aspentimes.com/news/aspen-airport-back-open-after-private-jet-slides-off-runway/

 


Russia’s Violations of Global Aviation Rules Could Leave the UN With Tough, Costly Choices

Russia has recently violated certain rules of the International Civil Aviation Authority, which ensures flight safety standards in global skies. The country has until Sept. 14 to remedy its rule-breaking, but if it is not resolved, the UN may not be able to continue leasing Russian aircraft, which provides a chunk of transport services to crucial UN operations. Helicopters, for example, are essential equipment for the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, above, where Russia is a major supplier. MINUSMA

Dozens of planes and helicopters used by United Nations peacekeeping missions and humanitarian operations may soon be grounded as war-driven sanctions against Russia begin to bite, leaving UN officials scrambling to figure out how to keep critical air transport services running without compromising safety and falling afoul of international aviation law.

In an Aug. 2 memo sent to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, a copy of which was obtained by PassBlue, Atul Khare, the head of the UN Department of Operational Support (DOS), and David Beasley, director of the World Food Program (WFP), discussed what is called a Significant Security Concern, issued formally by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on June 15, regarding an “unresolved” development involving Russia. The concern, Khare and Beasley write, warrants the secretary-general’s “immediate attention.”

So far, Guterres seems to be deflecting decisions on the matter to the UN aviation organization. The problem occurs as the secretary-general must keep the new deal to export grains from Ukraine’s ports going with Turkish and Russian cooperation while ensuring Russia’s fertilizers reach commercial markets.

The Montreal-based ICAO is a specialized agency that supports “diplomacy and cooperation in air transport” globally. When necessary, it issues a Significant Security Concern (SSC) — or bulletin — to alert member states of any action that may compromise international aviation safety standards. ICAO was established by the Convention on International Civil Aviation, known as the Chicago Convention.

Russia, the subject of ICAO’s June 15 bulletin, has side-stepped aviation-related sanctions imposed by the collective West in response to Moscow’s war in Ukraine, by passing a domestic law on March 14 allowing Russia to add foreign aircraft leased by its aviation industry to Russia’s own national registry. The move by Moscow violates provisions of the Chicago Convention. Western sanctions gave leasing companies until March 28, 2022, to terminate all Russian leasing contracts.

ICAO, in turn, has given Russia until Sept. 14 to resolve the warning. Meanwhile, it is not clear whether current use of Russian aircraft for UN peacekeeping missions and humanitarian-aid deliveries poses certain risks for the UN. According to ICAO’s website, “the identification of a Significant Safety Concern does not necessarily indicate a particular safety deficiency.” The Aug. 2 memo from Khare and Beasley, however, refers to the SSC bulletin on Russia as “indicative of a situation where it can be considered that the regulatory legitimacy of the State [Russia] to provide impartial and correct oversight, including safety oversight as well as ensuring the effective governance and implementation of all applicable ICAO standards has been compromised.”

PassBlue asked ICAO — the stewards of the Chicago Convention — if any of the Russian aircraft used by the UN’s Department of Operational Support and the World Food Program have been grounded in anticipation of the Sept. 14 deadline. In an email response, an ICAO spokesperson replied that “regulatory” questions cannot be answered by the agency but “need to be addressed to the relevant state regulator, with the exception of UN humanitarian operations . . . which would need to be addressed directly to the operator(s) of interest.”

Drafted in 1944, the Chicago Convention, agreed upon by 54 nations, including Russia (referred to then as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), now has 193 states parties. It was created to “establish the core principles permitting international transport by air.” Under the Convention, “aircraft cannot be validly registered in more than one state” at a time, but registration may be changed from one country to another.

The Convention also states, however, that “in case of war,” provisions of the treaty “shall not affect the freedom of action of any of the contracting States affected, whether as belligerents or as neutrals.” It also states: “The same principle shall apply in the case of any contracting State which declares a state of national emergency and notifies the fact to the Council” — the permanent body that convenes the assembly (member states) of ICAO.

Yet since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, Russia has steadfastly avoided calling it a “war,” and instead refers to it as a “special military operation.” The Russian delegation to the UN in New York City has consistently followed this wording in public forums at the world body.

Global Connection Television - The only talk show of its kind in the world
Donal Patrick Hanley, a professor and interim director of the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University in Montreal, told PassBlue that the Chicago Convention’s war clause has never been “tested.” He added that if Russia or any other country in a similar situation were to declare an emergency or war, no one would know how to implement the clause as it is written, so “nobody knows what this clause means.”

When PassBlue asked Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for Guterres, to comment, his email response said, “As ICAO is the specialized agency of the United Nations charged with international air navigation and related matters, any questions regarding documents, bulletins and the like issued by them should be directed to them;”

He added: “The United Nations always remain ready to replace any contracts as needed, with a wide range of registered and participating air operators, if needed, depending on the global situation and changing market conditions, as well as field requirements with a constant awareness of budgets and best value of money procurement modalities. The Secretariat and WFP both rely on ICAO advise and guidance for applying stringent standards to international operations ensuring safety and value.”

World Food Program Airdrop in South Sudan
The World Food Program relies heavily on leasing aircraft from Russia to deliver lifesaving items to the most desperate people in the most hostile regions, but breaches by Russia under the Chicago Convention, which governs international aviation, puts the UN in a serious bind. Here, a Russian-made Ilyushin cargo plane, used by the World Food Program’s Humanitarian Air Service, drops cans of vegetable oil to recipients in South Sudan. TOMSON PHIRI/WFP

Of the 980 passenger or commercial aircraft that Russia currently operates globally, more than 750 are leased from other countries — mainly from Ireland and Bermuda — where the aircraft are registered. By unilaterally reregistering — or “double-registering” — the planes it leases, Russia has essentially issued its own seal of airworthiness to continue operating the planes. Yet in doing so, it compromises the aircrafts’ safety. According to the Chicago Convention, such safety can be determined and validated only by the country where the aircraft is lawfully registered, such as Ireland or Bermuda.

The Convention sets rules and standards for all international flights regardless of ownership, aiming for universally safe skies as planes criss-cross global borders. But it does not apply to domestic flights within Russia (or any other nation’s domestic flight operations).

According to the memo obtained by PassBlue, President Vladimir Putin’s new reregistering law “compromises” Russia’s “regulatory legitimacy,” and the writers warn that the “continuation of chartering or traveling on aircraft registered to the Russian Federation would potentially expose the Organization to significant liabilities — safety and legal.”

The DOS and the WFP currently charter a total of 62 aircraft — including, most crucially, helicopters — from Russia. As PassBlue previously reported, Russia has a decades-long procurement relationship providing goods and services to the UN in open bids to provide vital medical equipment, food and air-transport services to UN peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. Procurement remains a critical area in which the UN is still doing business with Russia despite its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Yet according to UN aviation procurement rules, prerequisites for doing business with the UN requires that the “state of registry of aircraft” has no “unresolved ICAO Significant Safety Concern.”

To cite the latest figures, from 2014, the year Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine, through 2020, the UN has spent more than $2.3 billion on Russian goods and services. However, Russia’s breaching of the Chicago Convention now forces the UN to consider replacing its fleets with “non-Russian aviation providers,” as the Aug. 2 memo states.

In recommending the suspension of the current contracts of Russian-registered chartered aircraft, the memo also notes that such a step would affect approximately 45 aircraft/helicopters chartered by DOS and 17 aircraft/helicopters chartered by the World Food Program.

According to the UN Humanitarian Air Service (Unhas), which is managed by the World Food Program to deliver food and other essentials, in 2021, approximately 23 percent of its charters were Russian; for DOS, the percentage was about the same, as of 2017. A major portion of the UN peacekeeping’s budget goes to transportation with the largest recipient being the mission in Mali.

The financial burden for dropping Russian services could be difficult for the UN to absorb. According to the memo, Khare and Beasley write that contracting with non-Russia aviation companies will result in “major increases in costs” that could be “three to four times” the price of “currently deployed aviation services,” leaving the UN with few affordable choices. But this isn’t the first time that the UN doing business with Russia has been raised since it started attacking Ukraine in early February.

In a confidential memo sent to Guterres on March 8, 2022, a copy of which was also seen by PassBlue, Khare of DOS acknowledged several informal requests made by a Ukrainian delegation at the UN to “stop contracting aircraft from the Russian Federation,” in light of its invasion of Ukraine, but he said in the memo that doing so would “halt” the UN’s global peace operations. He added that he was not “hopeful” that the UN would “be able to fill such a large void” within “a reasonable amount of time.”

Khare appears to be the primary manager of relations with the Russian aviation industry executives for DOS, which handles the helicopter (and other aircraft) contracts for UN peacekeeping. In 2019, according to UN peacekeeping operations, it used 133 helicopters from a range of providers to support 10 peacekeeping operations, six special political missions and the African Union mission in Somalia.

Moreover, the Siberian-based UTAir Group is the top provider of UN peacekeeping helicopters — 30 — followed by Ukraine at 10. UTAir Group said that it had annually provided the highest number of helicopters for UN operations since 2001.

In remarks Khare made at the 2021 MAKS International Aviation and Space Salon conference, a forum to promote Russian aircraft and held in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Khare praised the “work done by Russian air carriers, the UNs partners in medical evacuation” and noted that “long-term contracts” between Russia and the UN had been signed to ensure their continued “cooperation.”

The Beasley and Khare memo reiterates that ICAO has given Russia until Sept. 14 to resolve the SSC, which gives UN aviation experts a small window of time to plan for the “worst case scenario” or “fleet replacement.” The latter appears to be the UN’s most viable option beyond “considering possible exceptions” to the law, “implementing local mitigation measures” to address “transportation shortfalls” and asking UN field entities to “prioritize and sequence” their needs if Russia does not remedy the ICAO warning.

The agency’s response to Russia, however, is more straightforward. If by Sept. 14 the situation is unresolved, then ICAO, according to the Aug. 2 memo, will publish the SSC on its website, making Moscow’s failure to comply public and sending a message to the international aviation community that standards for safe air operations and oversight have been compromised.

What Russia will do about the ICAO warning is unclear. One way for Moscow to return to compliance with the agency would be to try to negotiate the status of the original registrations of the plane.

A spokesperson for the Russian mission to the UN said in a message that the 24-hour “deadline” for a comment for PassBlue on the situation “is too tough.” He added, “We will not be able to make a comment anyway.”

In a text message to PassBlue, a source close to the matter who asked for anonymity, given the sensitivity of the situation, said that negotiations in the UN among the relevant parties have hit a wall. According to the source, pressure from Khare to continue business with Russia is making it difficult for UN aviation experts to proceed on finding an alternative solution.

The WFP, led by Beasley, however, has taken a “much stricter” stance, the source said, wanting to replace Russian aircraft it uses for its work. PassBlue was unable to verify any of this information. But a response for comment by the WFP said that “your best bet is to go to directly to ICAO.”

Beasley has headed the food program since 2017, when he was recommended for the post by the United States ambassador at the time, Nikki Haley. Under his leadership, the agency was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, in 2020. Before working for the UN, Beasley had been a governor of South Carolina, as was Haley, from 2011-2017.

Khare, who did not respond to PassBlue’s request for comment, has led DOS since Jan. 1, 2019, as an under secretary-general. He previously held that title for UN field support operations. He has also served as an assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations. He began life as a diplomat with the Indian foreign service.

Russia’s position on the ICAO warning may be clear by Sept. 14, but the burning question is how will Guterres, Khare and Beasley respond? As the Aug. 2 memo says, the choices are critical, given that the UN aviation program relies on countries to be “in good standing with ICAO” and in accordance with the Chicago Convention to ensure “regulatory legitimacy . . . safe air operations and the security of United Nations staff.”

https://www.passblue.com/2022/08/16/russias-violations-of-global-aviation-rules-could-leave-the-un-with-tough-costly-choices/

 


TSA agents find pen gun inside passenger’s luggage at Logan Airport

A TSA spokesperson said the gun “folds open like a ‘Transformers’ toy” to reveal a small trigger.

BOSTON — A covert pen gun was found inside a passenger’s luggage at Logan Airport on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration said the unloaded .22-caliber gun was inside the luggage of a passenger traveling to Oregon. The item was discovered around 1:30 p.m. Saturdya during a routine screening of carry-on luggage.

TSA notified Massachusetts State Police, which responded to the security checkpoint and interviewed the traveler. The man was ultimately allowed to continue to his flight.

I can confirm that on Saturday, August 13 around 1:30 p.m., TSA officers discovered an unloaded .22 caliber pen knife firearm in the carry-on luggage of a male passenger ticketed for travel to Portland International Airport in Oregon. The item was discovered during the routine X-ray screening of carry-on luggage.

Lorie Danksers, a TSA spokesperson, said the gun is a single-shot pistol, which “folds open like a ‘Transformers’ toy” to reveal a tiny trigger.

“Kudos to the TSA officers on duty who spotted this image on the X-ray screen, ensuring this potential security threat did not make it onboard the aircraft,” Dankers said in a statement.

https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/tsa-agents-find-pen-gun-inside-passengers-luggage-logan-airport/QEDRUPDNMJHT3HEKIDOPTJZFPM/

 


Mexican Government Suspends Commercial Activity With Regional Carrier Calafia Airlines For Six Months

The regional carrier faces several economic issues.

The Mexican carrier Calafia Airlines (A7) could be on the brink of collapse. On Monday, the local government released a statement communicating that all State entities to abstain from accepting commercial proposals with the airline for the next six months. It also issued a fine on the carrier.

Calafia Airlines is in deep trouble
The regional carrier, Calafia Airlines, based in San José del Cabo International Airport (SJD), is the smallest Mexican airline, only carrying 72,491 passengers between January and June 2022. It has a fleet of six Embraer aircraft, including two EMB-120ER, and four EMB-145, according to data by ch-aviation. It operates regional flights mainly in the north of the country, with around 91 weekly flights on 16 routes, none of which goes through Mexico City International Airport (MEX). Instead, its fleet can often be seen at Tijuana International Airport (TIJ).

Nonetheless, the airline has been plagued with economic issues and faces a crisis that goes way back before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the airline lost a Cessna 208 Caravan in an accident while flying between Hermosillo and Guerrero Negro.

This has prompted the Mexican government to stop dealing with the airline for the next six months and impose an undisclosed fine on the management.

No business
On Monday, the Mexican government released a statement asking all federal and regional entities to abstain from “accepting proposals or celebrating contracts with the company Aéreo Calafia.” According to the government, the State-run entities,


“Shall refrain from receiving proposals or entering into any contract regarding acquisitions, leasing, services, public works, and related services with said legal entity, directly or through an intermediary, for a period of 06 (SIX) MONTHS; in the event that on the day on which the disqualification period expires, the company AÉREO CALAFIA, S. A. DE C.V. has not paid the fine imposed through the aforementioned resolution, the disqualification will subsist until the corresponding payment is made.”

The airline has not released a statement regarding this announcement made by the Mexican government.

Economic issues
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, several Mexican airlines are facing economic issues and could possibly disappear. Last week, we wrote about the uncertain future of Aeromar, a regional carrier employing ATR aircraft.

Calafia Airlines faces a grim future, and the other regional carriers face different issues. These carriers are Magnicharters and Transportes Aéreos Regionales. Unlike their bigger counterparts, Volaris, Aeromexico, and Viva Aerobus, these regional carriers are still profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Between the four, they carried 602,729 passengers, a 53% recovery compared to their pre-pandemic traffic levels. Instead, the big three have fully recovered from the crisis and increased their traffic figures.

These regional airlines simply don’t have the capacity to compete against the biggest, more established, and well-known carriers. Moreover, while they serve smaller regional cities, some of these airports are being explored by the successful ultra-low-cost carriers Volaris and Viva Aerobus, providing more options to the flying public.

If Calafia Airlines or Aeromar were to disappear, they would become the second, or even third, carrier to cease operations in the Mexican market following the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2020, Interjet folded after a years-long crisis that was exacerbated by the pandemic.

https://simpleflying.com/mexican-government-calafia-airlines-6-month-suspension/

 


Malaysia Airlines To Retire Airbus A380 Fleet By End 2022, So Why Are They All Still Flying?

All Malaysia Airlines A380s have been undertaking short flights once every three months.

Malaysia Airlines has made no secret of its desire to be rid of the Airbus A380. But many airlines have reneged on their initial instincts to remove the type from service as travel demand comes surging back. Perhaps there is still hope?

Speaking to Simple Flying, Capt. Izham Ismail, Group Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Aviation Group, reiterated that there is no plan to bring back the A380. Indeed, by the end of this year, it is hoped all six will leave the fleet. He commented,

“At the moment, we have no plans to restore service for the A380s and are still targeting to exit the A380 fleet by the end of 2022.”

It seems that Malaysia Airlines will not be joining the likes of Lufthansa and Qatar Airways in undoing its decision to remove the A380 from its fleet. So why can we still see all six somewhat regularly in the sky?

Those local to KLIA might have spotted the odd A380 doing the rounds. 

Malaysia Airlines A380s are still flying regularly
With such a firm decision to remove the type from its fleet in a matter of months, one would expect the A380s in MAB livery to be mothballed somewhere, resting their wings in the sun. But that’s not the case.

According to data from FlightRadar24.com, all six have been undertaking regular flights to nowhere, approximately once every three months, from their parking spots at Kuala Lumpur Airport. 9M-MNA last flew commercially in February 2020, arriving in KLIA from Jeddah. It has since flown at least nine times, with the last flight on June 3rd this year.

MNB flew in from Medina on March 6th, 2020, and has flown 10 times since, the last on August 3rd. The story is the same for the other four, MNC to MNF. All were parked sometime in early 2020, but have been flying short trips of 20 minutes or so every three months since. Why?

Malaysia Airlines regular A380 flights
All six of the A380s have been regularly flying 20-minute flights to nowhere from KLIA. 
Malaysia Airlines doesn’t want just to scrap its A380 fleet. After all, these planes are not leased – they are owned by the airline and are estimated to be worth some $240 million, according to ch-aviation.com. The airline has been attempting to sell the A380s for some time now (more than a year in fact), but has so far been unsuccessful in trying to find a buyer for six second hand superjumbos.

These regular, short flights keep the airplanes current. It prevents the need for costly return-to-service maintenance and ensures any buyer for the jets can take off right away. It won’t be the only maintenance MAB is undertaking – the airline will likely be busily running the engines every week, running major systems and doing all the pre-check flights that would normally be done if a plane was in regular use.

Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380 Parked at Kuala Lumpur Airport
While the A380s may be parked at Kuala Lumpur, they do move on a regular basis. 
This so-called ‘active parking’ means the A380s are ready to go, but with no buyer on the horizon for MAB, it does somewhat seem a case of throwing good money after bad. Surely it would be better to simply drain fluids, preserve engines and cover all the inlets until such time as someone shows an interest?

The A380 was too late for Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines ordered the A380 in January 2003, firming that order for six aircraft in December the same year. At the time, it was expected that the A380 would enter into service in 2006, and although Malaysia Airlines was a way down the queue to receive its order, it likely expected to get the first planes relatively soon after this.

The early 2000s were a challenging time for the aviation industry. Airports like Heathrow and Paris CDG were straining at the seams, and the business structure of the day was all about hub and spoke operations. The A380 made a lot of sense to airlines like MAB, or at least it did at the time of the order.

Malaysia Airlines Airbus A380
The A380 made sense when MAB ordered it. 
But Airbus had bitten off a little more than it could chew with the A380, and delay after delay was announced. The first airplane entered service in October 2007, with Singapore Airlines, and it would be the only one to do so that year. With production taking longer than expected, Airbus only managed to deliver 12 more A380s in 2008, and 10 in 2009. Malaysia Airlines ended up waiting until July 2012 to receive its first superjumbo.


In the meantime, airlines had shifted to preferring frequency over capacity. New airplanes like the 787 were entering service, and the business case for the A380 was getting weaker by the day. This reflects in the Airbus orderbook for the type, which saw sluggish orders from the launch of the type, compounded by huge cancellations just 12 years after the first airplane entered service.

The A380's use declined almost as soon as it arrived. 
For MAB, the A380 started strong, flying frequently to the likes of London Heathrow, Charles De Gaulle in Paris and, for a while, to Sydney. But capacity never lasted long, with the A380s use steadily declining throughout the 2010s. Now, there is just no place for the A380 in its fleet.

Malaysia Airlines has firmly staked its position this week, with an order for 20 A330neos announced. These will join the 24 A330 types already in its fleet, with its small population of six A350s taking care of the higher capacity routes. While a number of airlines have seen reason to bring back the A380 to service, for Malaysia Airlines, there is no room left for the superjumbo in its fleet.

https://simpleflying.com/malaysia-airlines-airbus-a380-still-flying/

 


Could Pakistan Soon Get An FAA Category 1 Safety Rating?

The FAA will send an inspection team to Pakistan soon.

Pakistan may soon be assigned a Category 1 safety rating from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after Joe Biden's administration agreed to operate direct flights to and from Pakistan. We take a closer look below.

New US-Pakistan flights
The FAA could upgrade Pakistan's safety rating as the US considers welcoming direct flights from Pakistan. There have been no direct flights between the two countries since 2017 due to concerns over Pakistan's aviation safety record.

Pakistani aviation has been blighted by a pilot license scandal. 
In a meeting at the US Department of State in Washington D.C, Pakistan's Head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms, Salman Sufi, discussed the possibility of opening up direct flight access with US officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of South and Central Asia, Elizabeth Horst.

The Embassy of Pakistan in Washington said,

"The US side conveyed its readiness to have technical discussions with Civil Aviation Authority and other relevant departments and undertaking necessary visits for resumption of direct flights."

Category 1 air safety record
Should Pakistan receive a Category 1 safety rating, Pakistani carriers would be able to launch new direct routes to the US and establish codesharing agreements with other airlines.

According to the FAA,

"A Category 1 rating means the country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards. This rating allows air carriers from that country to establish service to the United States and to carry the code of U.S. carriers through codesharing arrangements."

The FAA lowered Pakistan's safety rating on July 15th, 2020 after determining it was not in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program.

PIA 777 Kabul
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) estimated that around 40% of pilots had fake licenses. 

With its Category 2 safety rating, Pakistani airlines have restricted access to US airspace and cannot establish new routes or codeshares with US carriers.

Interestingly, before lowering Pakistan's safety rating, the US had given the green light for national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate 12 direct charter flights a month before revoking its decision over safety concerns.

Last year, Simple Flying explored what an FAA Category 2 safety rating means after the FAA downgraded Mexico's safety rating in May 2021.

FAA inspectors to visit
Inspectors from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will arrive in Pakistan soon to assess the country's airports and aircraft. The US Chamber of Commerce will also appoint a representative in Karachi.

Should the country's aviation sector pass the test, there is a good possibility Pakistan will receive a Category 1 rating.

https://simpleflying.com/pakistan-direct-flights-assessment-coming/

 


Barriers to Entry: FAA Proposes to Require Flight Deck Physical Secondary Barriers on New Aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to require that certain passenger aircraft be outfitted with “installed physical secondary barrier[s]” or “IPSBs” to further protect the fligh tdeck from unauthorized intrusion.

Following the 9/11 attacks, U.S. airlines implemented enhanced measures to prevent unauthorized flight deck access, which included the installation of reinforced flight deck doors. However, such doors must occasionally be opened in flight to provide for lavatory breaks and meal service. The NPRM is designed to further impede unauthorized access during the rare moments when the door must be opened in flight.

The NPRM – issued pursuant to a Congressional mandate, though nearly three years overdue – applies only to passenger-carrying operations under 14 CFR Part 121 (i.e., U.S. airlines). The FAA invites comment on several proposals airlines should pay close attention to, given the potential for unanticipated costs and added operational complexity.

Requirements
The FAA’s NPRM is composed of two elements.

First, the FAA proposes to require that U.S. airlines conducting passenger operations using transport category airplanes under 14 CFR Part 121 equip certain new aircraft with IPSBs. The FAA does not specify a particular IPSB that must be used; instead, it invites comment on proposed physical standards and capabilities of acceptable IPSBs, which would be incorporated into FAA aircraft airworthiness standards. Such capabilities include intrusion resistance, proposed load requirements, and visibility requirements, among others.

Second, the FAA recognizes that merely requiring airlines to “install an IPSB would not necessarily ensure that the IPSB is deployed.” Therefore, the FAA also proposes to require that airlines incorporate the use of the IPSB into their existing FAA-approved flightdeck door opening procedures already required under Part 121.

Timeline
Recognizing that it takes time to incorporate new aircraft airworthiness standards, the FAA proposes a two-year compliance timeline following the effective date of the final rule. After this time, any transport category aircraft manufactured and used in passenger-carrying operations under Part 121 would be required to be equipped with an FAA-compliant IPSB. Importantly, the proposed rule does not require retrofitting of existing aircraft.

Foreign Air Carriers 
Of note, the FAA’s proposed rule does not apply to foreign air carriers operating under 14 CFR Part 129. The FAA’s justification for this difference in treatment is that “the portion of the total fleet made up by airplanes that are both newly manufactured, and subject to part 129, is very small, so the difference in risk between the domestic fleet and the international fleet would not be significant under this proposal.” Additionally, unlike the requirement to reinforce flight deck doors following 9/11, “neither ICAO nor other countries are imposing an IPSB requirement.” Accordingly, an FAA requirement would be “unharmonized” with international standards. However, the FAA reserves the right to “reconsider its current position” regarding applicability to foreign carriers “should the fleet change or an IPSB requirement become[s] an international standard.”

Short Flights
The FAA proposes to apply the IPSB requirement to aircraft used for short-duration flights – even though it is more likely that the flight deck door may not need to be opened – on the basis that it is difficult to identify an airplane design parameter (such as passenger capacity or airplane gross weight) that correlates with short flights. Further, the FAA states that “the range of all the airplane models that would be affected … exceeds the maximum flight length at which opening the flight deck door is unlikely.” However, the FAA invites comment on whether it should limit the applicability of the IPSB requirement to certain flights based on an airplane’s size, range, or duration of flight.

Observations
While there is widespread agreement regarding the importance of securing the flight deck, airlines and aircraft manufacturers would be well advised to carefully review the contours of FAA’s proposal with the following issues in mind as they consider commenting on the FAA’s NPRM:

Airlines should evaluate the impact of the NPRM on operational, security, and flight training needs and determine whether changes to the NPRM could mitigate any unintended impacts. For example, because the rule does not contain a retrofit requirement, some flight crews at an airline will fly the same type of aircraft where only some aircraft are equipped with IPSBs, and thus the flight deck door opening procedures could vary flight-to-flight. Airlines may wish to consider whether to request that FAA allow for ample time to train crews on FAA-approved procedures relating to IPSB usage.
Airlines and aircraft manufacturers should assess the physical IPSB requirements and standards proposed by the FAA to determine whether they are problematic and whether certain revisions could enhance the passenger experience and avoid substantially interfering with existing flight attendant/pilot processes.

Foreign airlines should consider whether to proactively comment on the NPRM given that the FAA may “reconsider its current position” on applicability to such carriers in the event of “fleet change." As noted above, the NPRM does not apply the IPSB requirement to foreign air carriers because FAA believes the “difference in risk between the domestic fleet and the international fleet would not be significant under” the proposal (it is unclear at what point the risk would become “significant”).

Airlines should consider whether aircraft used for shorter stage lengths should be exempted from the rule, particularly since flight deck doors typically remain closed on such flights, potentially resulting in a different risk calculus. This analysis may include discussion with airline Corporate Security colleagues, given that the airline industry (and the Transportation Security Administration) have for years touted and adopted an information- and intelligence-driven, “risk-based” approach to aviation security.
Comments are due no later than September 30, 2022.  

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/barriers-to-entry-faa-proposes-to-6361360/

 


Amazon workers walk out over pay, safety concerns at major California air hub

•	Amazon workers at the company’s sprawling air hub in San Bernardino, California, walked off the job earlier this week.
•	Workers are calling for higher wages and safety improvements, citing “suffocating” temperatures inside the facility.

Amazon workers at the company’s largest air hub in California walked off the job earlier this week to demand higher pay and safety improvements.

The work stoppage on Monday was coordinated by a group of employees at the San Bernardino facility who are organizing under the moniker Inland Empire Amazon Workers United. The facility, known as KSBD, is one of the company’s sprawling air cargo hubs where Amazon-branded planes transport packages to warehouses across the country.

More than 150 workers participated in the walkout, The Washington Post reported, citing figures from organizers. Amazon countered that about 74 workers walked off the job out of the facility’s 1,500 employees.

The Inland Empire Amazon Workers United is calling for Amazon to hike the base pay rate to $22 an hour, up from $17 an hour.

More than 900 employees have signed a petition demanding pay raises, according to the Warehouse Worker Resource Center, a nonprofit that advocates for workers in the Inland Empire, a region located east of Los Angeles.

Amazon spokesperson Paul Flaningan said full-time employees at the facility can earn up to $19.25 an hour, depending on their shift.

The group also raised concerns about “suffocating” heat. There were 24 days last month where temperatures reached 95 degrees or hotter at the San Bernardino airport, the group said. Workers have previously spoken to managers at the facility about the high temperatures, which resulted in them creating additional rest areas.

The highest recorded temperature in the facility is 77 degrees, Flaningan said. He said the company respects its employees’ right to voice their opinions.

“While we’re always listening and looking at ways to improve, we remain proud of the competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and engaging, safe work experience we provide our teams in the region,” Flaningan said.

The Inland Empire has been a major focus of development for Amazon and other e-commerce companies. Warehouses and delivery hubs have rapidly sprung up in recent years, raising concerns about pollution and other environmental harms.

Amazon is the largest private sector employer in the region, the Inland Empire Amazon Workers United said in a statement.

The walkout comes as Amazon has faced a spike in organizing activity across its warehouse and delivery workforce. An Amazon warehouse on Staten Island voted in the company’s first U.S. union, while the results of an election at an Alabama facility remain too close to call. Workers also held protests to highlight safety concerns at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/16/amazon-workers-walked-out-over-pay-safety-fears-at-california-air-hub.html

 


American Airlines bets on supersonic travel with Boom jet deal

Aug 16 (Reuters) - American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O) on Tuesday agreed to buy up to 20 jets from aircraft maker Boom Supersonic, becoming the second major U.S. airline to bet on ultra-fast passenger travel in the last two years.

The deal brings Boom's orderbook to 130 airplanes, including options, valued at about $26 billion, Boom Chief Executive Blake Scholl said in an interview.

The return of interest in supersonic jets comes nearly two decades after Concorde, flown by Air France and British Airways, was retired following a deadly crash and high costs of fuel and maintenance.

Last year, United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O) agreed to buy 15 Boom Overture aircraft provided they meet certain safety, operating and sustainability requirements. A similar condition was part of the American Airlines agreement as well. read more

American also has an option to purchase 40 more of the jets, each of which can carry 65 to 80 passengers, the companies said.

The four-engine Overture jet can fly from Miami to London in just under five hours, cutting the nearly nine-hour flight time between the cities by about half.

American Airlines spokesperson Matt Miller said it was too early to discuss ticket prices, given the aircraft isn't expected to carry its first passengers until 2029.

Supersonic jets have come under criticism from environmentalists for burning more fuel per passenger than comparable subsonic planes.

The Overture jet, being designed to run fully on sustainable aviation fuel or a blend, will be rolled out of Boom's Greensboro, North Carolina factory in 2025, followed by test flights in 2026.

Third Bridge senior analyst Christopher Raite sounded a word of caution on Boom's delivery target, saying the delay in conducting test flights for Boom's other jet, the XB-1, signaled that delivery of the Overture will be delayed.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/american-airlines-buy-up-20-boom-supersonic-jets-2022-08-16/

 


 
 
 
 







Webinar: Airspace Integration, Sustainable Aviation Fuels with NBAA

Ed Bolen, President and CEO and Steve Brown, Chief Operating Officer of the National Business Aviation Association sit down with RTCA’s Terry McVenes to discuss airspace integration, infrastructure, workforce development and promoting sustainable aviation fuel. The speakers discuss the critical issues facing the business aviation industry and how NBAA is meeting the challenges through their new Owner Pilot Association Coalition, the Mentoring Network and their upcoming convention in October. Webinar runs 1pm-2pm ET and is free to attend. 

REGISTER https://bit.ly/3zWPIb3

 


 

GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 1

Hello! As part of an MIT survey, we are looking for experienced pilots to help evaluate past aviation convective weather interactions. Participants will be asked to evaluate flight segments which may (or may not) have deviated due to the tactical weather situation. Participation is entirely remote via email, and will take about 15-30 minutes, depending on the number of cases you wish to label. If you are interested in participating, please use the link at the bottom to read more about the study and let us know that you are interested!

Link: https://forms.gle/kzQLLUi26JkR2sap9

Rachel Price 
MIT - Aeronautics and Astronautics 

 


GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY - 2

Greetings,

My name is Nurettin Dinler, Research Scholar and PhD student at Department of Aviation Science, Saint Louis University working with Nithil Bollock Kumar, PhD Candidate, Gajapriya Tamilselvan, PhD, and Stephen Belt, PhD. We are working on a research project titled “Low-Cost Airline Pilots on Exercising Fuel-Loading Policies during Flight: A Phenomenological Exploration Study.”

I am writing this e-mail to invite you to participate in a research study that we are conducting at Saint Louis University. Your participation in this study will involve taking a semi-structured interview that lasts for about 30 minutes. During the interview, you will be questioned about your experiences with Low-Cost Airlines’ fuel-loading policies developed to minimize pilot discretionary (extra) fuel. 

There is no compensation provided for your participation in the study. However, your participation will be a valuable addition to our research and your findings could lead to greater understanding of risk management for pilots and the sources of stressors in commercial aviation. Participation is completely voluntary, and your participation will remain confidential throughout the process of research. 
If you are interested in participating in this research, please take a moment to complete the survey at the following link: https://slu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0l9Awl5UkXDiKRo
If you have any questions, please contact me at 321-245-8628 or nurettin.dinler@slu.edu.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Regards,

Nurettin Dinler, M.S.
Research Scholar
Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science 
School of Science and Engineering 
McDonnell Douglas Hall, Lab 1046
3450 Lindell Blvd., St Louis, MO 63103
nurettin.dinler@slu.edu
(321) 245-8628


Curt Lewis