Flight Safety Information - September 21, 2022 No.182 In This Issue : Accident: Saeta JS32 at San Antonio el Estrecho on Sep 20th 2022, overran runway on takeoff : Incident: PSA CRJ9 at Norfolk on Sep 19th 2022, gear problem : Incident: Condor A321 at Vienna on Sep 16th 2022, hydraulic problem : Incident: Swiss A321N at Zurich on Sep 17th 2022, cargo smoke indication : Cessna 525B CitationJet CJ3 - Landing Accident/Fire (Washington) : Ethiopian Airlines Captain Flees Country After Falling Asleep On Flight : India's air safety watchdog extends restriction on SpiceJet : EASA Proposes Delay to ELT Distress Tracking Regulation for Passenger Jets : Passenger tries to break airplane window on Dubai-bound flight : United Airlines Grounds 25 Planes After Missed Inspections : Hackers accessed data on some American Airlines customers : Ranked: The Best And Worst Airports In America : SpiceJet Puts Pilots On Unpaid Leave To Trim Costs : China Preps To Launch Its First Big Passenger Jet. It’s No Threat To Boeing Or Airbus—Yet : Baldwin Adds NASA ASRS Reporting to Safety Module : Hong Kong has lost aviation hub status, airline body head says : FAA Extends Ban On U.S. Jets Flying Over Iran Over Fears Commercial Planes Could Be Accidentally Shot From the Skies : Soyuz Rocket Rolls Out For Launch Of Russian-American Crew To Space Station : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Accident: Saeta JS32 at San Antonio el Estrecho on Sep 20th 2022, overran runway on takeoff A Saeta Peru British Aerospace Jetstream 32, registration OB-2152 performing a flight from San Antonio el Estrecho [SPEE] to Iquito (Peru) with 15 passengers and 2 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from San Antonio el Estrecho's runway 31 (length 1205 meters/3950 feet) when the aircraft overran the end of the runway, crossed the airport perimeter, went across a road and came to a stop about 70 meters past the runway end with the gear collapsed. 15 passengers were taken to a hospital, one of them died in hospital care, 5 remained in hospital care, the others were released with minor injuries. The local hospital reported 6 persons were admitted to their hospital, one of them died, 5 others are being treated for injuries of varying degrees however in stable condition. https://avherald.com/h?article=4fe8ce41&opt=0 Incident: PSA CRJ9 at Norfolk on Sep 19th 2022, gear problem A PSA Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N557NN performing flight AA-5520 from Norfolk,VA to Washington National,DC (USA), was climbing out of Norfolk's runway 23 when the crew stopped the climb at about 16000 feet due to problems with the landing gear and returned to Norfolk for a safe landing on runway 23 about 45 minutes after departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=4fe8b865&opt=0 Incident: Condor A321 at Vienna on Sep 16th 2022, hydraulic problem A Condor Airbus A321-200, registration D-ATCA performing flight DE-1867 from Kos (Greece) to Vienna (Austria), was on final approach to Vienna's runway 34 descending through about 1000 feet AGL when the crew initiated a go around, climbed the aircraft back to 6000 feet, entered a hold and subsequently landed safely on runway 34 about 30 minutes after the go around, vacated the runway and taxied to the apron. A passenger reported the crew announced they had a hydraulic problem. https://avherald.com/h?article=4fe7179f&opt=0 Incident: Swiss A321N at Zurich on Sep 17th 2022, cargo smoke indication A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration HB-JPA performing flight LX-2119 from Malaga,SP (Spain) to Zurich (Switzerland), was descending towards Zurich when the crew declared emergency reporting they had a cargo smoke indication and requested emergency services on standby, they requested runway 14 (runway 28 active, winds from 270 degrees at 6 knots) and declined an offer for runway 34. The aircraft landed on runway 14 about 15 minutes later. On Sep 18th 2022 the airline reported a smoke detector caused the emergency, the aircraft was accompanied to the gate by emergency services. The cause of the smoke detector's activation is not yet known. https://avherald.com/h?article=4fe664c7&opt=0 Cessna 525B CitationJet CJ3 - Landing Accident/Fire (Washington) Date: 20-SEP-2022 Time: c. 07:09 LT Type: Cessna 525B CitationJet CJ3 Owner/operator: Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute Inc PC Registration: N528DV MSN: 525B0329 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 10 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Category: Accident Location: Tri-Cities Airport (PSC/KPSC), Pasco, WA - United States of America Phase: Landing Nature: Private Departure airport: Chehalis-Centralia Airport, WA (CLS/KCLS) Destination airport: Pasco-Tri-Cities Airport, WA (PSC/KPSC) Investigating agency: NTSB Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Cessna 525B CitationJet CJ3 jet, N528DV, was destroyed in a landing accident on Rwy 03L at Tri-Cities Airport (PSC/KPSC), Pasco, Franklin County, Washington. The ten people onboard were able to evacuate the aircraft safely. Preliminary information indicates that the aircraft landed gear up due to a malfunction. It caught fire and was destroyed. The accident closed the airport for several hours. ATC Audio starts at 21:00 on first clip and continues to the second. Crew never made any mentions of any malfunctions and proceeded a normal landing. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/283574 Ethiopian Airlines Captain Flees Country After Falling Asleep On Flight In mid-August, Ethiopian Airlines was in the news after both pilots fell asleep during a flight, causing them to miss their approach to Addis Ababa Airport. There’s an interesting update to this story. Basics of the Ethiopian Airlines incident where pilots fell asleep For those who didn’t see the story the first time around, this incident involves the August 15, 2022, Ethiopian Airlines flight ET343 from Khartoum, Sudan (KRT), to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ADD), operated by a Boeing 737-800. The 620-mile flight was blocked at 1hr50min. The flight climbed all the way up to 37,000 feet, but unfortunately things didn’t go so smoothly from there: Air traffic controllers attempted to reach the pilots multiple times, without response The plane continued on the approach course for runway 25L that was entered into the flight management computer (FMC); that means the plane made the correct approach, it just didn’t descend at all (since altitude adjustments have to be programmed separately) After overflying runway 25L at 37,000 feet (the runway is at an altitude of ~7,600 feet, so they were 29,000+ feet too high), the autopilot disconnected, and clearly that alarm woke up the pilots Ethiopian Airlines had released a statement at the the time indicating that an investigation would be launched, and that both pilots were temporarily suspended. There’s now an update. Ethiopian Airlines captain flees country after flight AINonline has an update regarding the pilots of this Ethiopian Airlines flight. After landing in Addis Ababa, the Bolivian captain of the flight (who had been at the airline for four years) decided to flee the country the same morning. Specifically, he took a connecting flight to Rio de Janeiro that same day, and then shortly thereafter submitted his resignation via email. He ended up being interviewed after the fact by phone, and sources suggest that he had a significant amount of off-duty hours prior to the flight. The young Nigerian first officer (who had been at the airline for one year) agreed to be questioned in person. He had arrived in Addis Ababa the day before his flight from Kigali, Rwanda, roughly 15 hours before the flight to Khartoum. He claimed that he had slept for around five to six hours during the day. He has now also been terminated from the airline. Ethiopian Airlines doesn’t exactly have the best reputation among ex-pat pilots, in terms of working conditions, pay, etc. While the captain should of course have been fired for this, I can’t say that I blame him for just deciding to leave the country and resign by email. I suspect another difference is that the Nigerian first officer actually lived in Addis Ababa, while the captain commuted. So presumably the first officer couldn’t just practically pack one suitcase and leave. Bottom line Both pilots of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 fell asleep on a short mid-August flight. It’s not surprising that both pilots ended up being fired, but what’s interesting is the different approaches the two pilots took. Both pilots were from other countries, yet one fled Ethiopian literally within hours of landing off this flight, and then submitted his resignation by email. Meanwhile the other pilot cooperated with investigators in-person, but still ended up being fired. https://onemileatatime.com/news/ethiopian-airlines-captain-flees-country/ India's air safety watchdog extends restriction on SpiceJet BENGALURU, Sept 21 (Reuters) - India's air safety watchdog (DGAC) on Wednesday said it was extending a restriction on Indian budget carrier SpiceJet Ltd's (SPJT.NS) flight departures until Oct. 29. The airline will be allowed to fly only 50% of scheduled departures until then. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/indias-air-safety-watchdog-extends-restriction-spicejet-2022-09-21/ EASA Proposes Delay to ELT Distress Tracking Regulation for Passenger Jets The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is proposing a delay to an upcoming ICAO GADSS-related ELT (DT) equipage requirement for aircraft manufactured and delivered after Jan. 1, 2023. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has proposed a two-year delay to its Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS)-inspired regulation requiring commercial passenger jets to be equipped with emergency locator transmitters of a distress tracking type (ELT (DT)), according to a draft rulemaking amendment released by the agency. EASA's proposed delay focuses on the autonomous distress tracking (ADT) portion of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) adoption of Amendment 39 to Annex 6 of its normal aircraft tracking standards and recommended practices (SARPs) in November 2015. The SARPs require operators to track aircraft operating under normal flight conditions every 15 minutes with an additional abnormal-event minute-by-minute tracking capability. The ADT requirement adopted by EASA applies to aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of over 27,000 kg (60,000 pounds) with an airworthiness certificate issued after Jan. 1, 2023, would have to autonomously transmit position information once every minute or less when that aircraft is operating under distressed conditions or those that could cause a diversion or accident. ICAO's GADSS initiative—implemented by civil aviation regulators on an agency-by-agency basis—was developed after the 2014 disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. In 2018, EASA adopted the ADT portion of ICAO's Standard 6.18.1 as "point CAT.GEN.MPA.210," or ‘Location of an aircraft in distress — Aeroplanes’ of Annex IV (Part-CAT) to Regulation (EU) No 965/2012. However, several factors summarized in their proposed amendment to CAT.GEN.MPA.210 have led EASA to seek a delay for the timing of the regulation due to delays aircraft manufacturers are experiencing in getting newly manufactured aircraft equipped with ELTs that meet the mandate’s performance objectives. According to EASA, in March 2022, the International Coordination Council of Aerospace Industry Associations (ICCAIA) sought a delay to ICAO's applicability of Standard 6.18.1 on behalf of the aircraft manufacturers it represents. Airbus simultaneously petitioned EASA for a similar delay to the applicability of CAT.GEN.MPA.210. A series of meetings held with groups representing airlines, EASA member states, and other stakeholders impacted by EASA's ELT DT regulation ultimately led to the agency deciding on implementing a delay. "The intelligence gathered through those meetings and discussions revealed that aircraft manufacturers are facing significant delays in certification due to the time needed to fit the aeroplanes concerned with the necessary equipment," EASA writes in the proposed delay. "The COVID-19 pandemic affected the planned delivery in 2022 of 700–1000 aeroplanes with an MCTOM of more than 27,000 kg, which had been designed and manufactured without the equipment needed to comply with point CAT.GEN.MPA.210 and Standard 6.18.1." There have also been delays in establishing the communications infrastructure necessary to process and transmit ELT (DT) signals to search and rescue (SAR) points of contact in the various European nations. Rescue coordination centers (RCC) will need additional time to adopt their procedures for handling information stemming from signals generated by an active ELT (DT), according to EASA. The majority of ELTs designed to meet the ADT performance requirements are able to capture abnormal events that occur within the aircraft and transmit a distress message to air traffic controllers, search and rescue agencies, and the aircraft operator’s ground-based personnel. This is a capability featured, for example, in the Ultima-DT selected by Airbus in 2020 as the new standard ELT featured on Airbus passenger aircraft manufactured after Jan. 1, 2023. Under EASA's proposed delay, the ELT (DT) equipage installation deadline moves from Jan. 1, 2023, to Jan. 1, 2024, with a new applicability date of Jan. 1, 2025. This option was found to be ideal because it "would keep the number of ADT-system-equipped aircraft largely at the 2023 baseline figures, while still providing industry with the two-year deadline extension that it requested," according to EASA. The draft rulemaking published by EASA seeking the delay on the ELT (DT) regulation is the latest sought by a civil aviation regulatory agency since the recent postponement of Canada’s ADS-B Out requirement published last month. An Aug. 2 update on the delay published by NAV Canada attributed the delay to "supply chain limitations and backlogs" associated with aircraft transponder equipment. EASA did not respond to an email from Avionics International seeking confirmation on when the draft rulemaking for the two-year delay will become official regulation. According to the draft rulemaking, the opinion on the amendment has been submitted to the European Commission, which is currently deciding on whether to officially adopt it. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2022/09/16/easa-proposes-delay-elt-distress-tracking-regulation-passenger-jets/ Passenger tries to break airplane window on Dubai-bound flight Cabin crew tied the passenger to his seat for the remainder of flight A passenger on a Pakistan International Airlines flight heading to Dubai attempted to break the window of the plane, an Airbus A320, on Wednesday, a video showed. The man turned violent after first laying down on the floor and reciting the call to prayer loudly. In the video, other passengers can be heard telling cabin crew that the man had been acting normally prior to take-off. Cabin crew on the flight were forced to tie the passenger to his seat for the remainder of the flight. Security services on the ground in Dubai were notified of the incident and later deported the man, The National reported, citing a PIA spokesperson. The flight had been heading to the UAE, with the incident taking place shortly after the plane took off from Peshawar, the spokesperson explained. The passenger was unable to damage the window of the plane. https://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/transport/passenger-tries-to-break-airplane-window-on-dubai-bound-flight United Airlines Grounds 25 Planes After Missed Inspections United Airlines canceled some flights this week after failing to do mandatory inspections of the front edges of 25 jets' wings. CHICAGO (AP) — United Airlines canceled about 18 flights this week when it realized that some of its Boeing 777-200 planes had not undergone required inspections of the front edges of the wings. The airline canceled flights Monday night and Tuesday morning, and said it's trying to rebook stranded passengers. The Federal Aviation Administration said United grounded 25 of the jets after discovering it had failed to inspect slats on the wing edges that are used during takeoffs and landings. The FAA said United reported the issue, and the FAA is reviewing circumstances that led to the missed inspections. United said late Tuesday afternoon that it had inspected 10 of the planes and was working with the FAA to return the others to flying in the next two weeks without causing additional flight cancellations. The matter was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. United’s Boeing 777-200s had been grounded until earlier this year by the failure of a Pratt & Whitney engine on one that caused parts of the housing to fall on the Denver area. The planes seat between 276 and 364 passengers, according to United’s website, and are mostly used on long international flights. https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2022-09-20/united-airlines-grounds-25-planes-after-missed-inspections Hackers accessed data on some American Airlines customers DALLAS — American Airlines says personal information of a "very small number" of customers and employees was compromised after hackers breached some employee email accounts. There is no indication that the attackers have misused any of the personal information, the company said. American notified customers last week that the breach was discovered in July, according to law enforcement officials in Montana. American said it locked down the breached accounts and hired a cybersecurity firm to investigate. American told customers that information in the compromised email accounts could have included their date of birth, driver's license and passport numbers and medical information they provided to the airline. Affected customers were offered two years of identity theft-protection coverage, American said. The airline declined to say how precisely how many people had their personal information exposed or the nature of that information. "American Airlines is aware of a phishing campaign that led to the unauthorized access to a limited number of team member mailboxes," American spokesman Curtis Blessing said. "A very small number of customers and employees' personal information was contained in those email accounts." Blessing said American is putting in place "additional technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future." https://www.npr.org/2022/09/20/1124098322/american-airlines-hack-data-breach Ranked: The Best And Worst Airports In America By all accounts, air travel hasn’t been easy lately, with crowded planes, flight delays, lost luggage and myriad other headaches. But what about the airport experience? J.D. Power has just released its 17th annual list of the best and worst airports in North America. The group’s Airport Satisfaction Study ranks the best and worst airports in three categories—Mega, Large and Medium—based on six factors including terminal facilities, airport arrival/departure, baggage claim, security check, check-in/baggage check and food/beverage/retail. The study also looks at the state of passenger satisfaction today. So what are the winners—and the losers? In the Mega airports category, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) ranks first. “Finishing internal construction projects helped MSP. They are #1 among Megas in terminal facilities, TSA, airport access and baggage claim. In a year that saw dramatic passenger volume increases, MSP handled the surge better than most,” says Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power. At the bottom of the Mega airport list: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). What went wrong? “Not so much has ‘gone wrong’ as is ‘hasn’t kept up,’” says Taylor. “EWR is being swamped by passenger volume and much of its infrastructure just hasn’t kept pace with that demand. It’s located in a heavy automobile traffic spot and that doesn’t help its access scores—and if passengers are stressed getting to the airport, they tend to stay stressed throughout the whole experience.” In the Large airports category, Tampa International Airport (TPA) is the winner. It’s the first time TPA has made to the top spot—and it got there thanks to strong scores across all factors. “They’ve spent years developing and finishing airport improvements (such as new food/beverage/retail) and developing space for passengers to enjoy those attributes,” says Taylor. “The ability for an airport to provide relaxation on premises is a real premium and TPA has been providing that better than most airports this past year.” On the opposite end is Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), which was named the worst Large airport in America. The problem: infrastructure. “PHL’s design [approach] has been [to] ‘add on’ to existing structures for the main terminal, and the front end of the airport just isn’t big enough to support the number of passengers who are going through TSA,” says Taylor. “Once through, passengers find the marketplace of food/beverage/retail fairly appealing.” Coming in at the top of the Medium airport list: Indianapolis International Airport (IND), which has been ranked near the top for three of the last four years (during Covid, J.D. Power didn’t declare a Medium category winner). “IND is one of the best-designed terminals in the U.S. (New Orleans MSY is another),” says Taylor. “On top of its easy access, its ability handle passenger traffic flow has helped it stay on top. IND really stepped up its food/beverage/retail services coming out of Covid as well.” The worst Medium airport in America: Hollywood Burbank (BUR). “BUR is a victim of its own success,” says Taylor, who points out that passenger volume has been running more than 5 to 6% above 2019 levels, while most airports are still down 9% versus 2019. “As we see in almost every airport, increases in passenger volumes create decreases in overall satisfaction,” says Taylor. “BUR has had a tremendous rebound in passenger volume and those numbers make for an overcrowded terminal.” Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport best airport Besides ranking the airports, J.D. Power’s Airport Satisfaction Study talks about air traveler satisfaction today. The bad news: Overall satisfaction is down 25 points (on a 1,000-point scale) this year. The problems: fewer flights, more crowded terminals and sparse food and beverage offerings. “The combination of pent-up demand for air travel, the nationwide labor shortage and steadily rising prices on everything from jet fuel to a bottle of water have created a scenario in which airports are extremely crowded and passengers are increasingly frustrated—and it is likely to continue through 2023,” says Taylor. So where are we headed? “Unfortunately, things are likely to get worse before they get better,” says Taylor. “Travel demand doesn’t appear to be easing up and that means more passengers accessing the airport. The reduced number of aircraft flying with a greater percentage of seats filled will mean more crowding at gates when people are flying.” Also contributing to the woes: “The labor shortage will continue to curtail the availability of food/beverage/retail accessibility at the airport… and inflation will also restrict satisfaction with those activities at the airport.” The only good news, according to Taylor: “Increasing demand for travel is a problem the industry wants to have. What’s needed now is better infrastructure development and an end to the labor shortage.” Read on to see the lists of the best and worst airports in America; you can also get more details on J.D. Power’s survey here. Newark worst airport in America Newark Liberty International Airport—named the worst Mega airport in North America. Ranked: Mega Airports Here is J.D. Power’s list of mega airports—from best to worst. Mega airports are defined as those with 33 million or more passengers per year. 1. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport 2. San Francisco International Airport 3. (tie) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport 3. (tie) John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City) 5. Harry Reid International Airport (Paradise, Nevada) 6. Orlando International Airport 7. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport 8. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport 9. Miami International Airport 10. Charlotte Douglas International Airport 11. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport 12. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport 13. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 14. Denver International Airport 15. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston, Texas) 16. Toronto Pearson International Airport 17. Boston Logan International Airport 18. Los Angeles International Airport 19. O'Hare International Airport 20. Newark Liberty International Airport Ranked: Large Airports J.D. Power’s list of large airports considers facilities that have 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year. 1. Tampa International Airport 2. John Wayne Airport, Orange County 3. Dallas Love Field 4. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport 5. Raleigh-Durham International Airport 6. Salt Lake City International Airport 7. Portland International Airport 8. William P. Hobby Airport 9. San Antonio International Airport 10. Sacramento International Airport 11. Vancouver International Airport 12. Nashville International Airport 13. Washington Dulles International Airport 14. San Diego International Airport 15. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport 16. Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport 17. Calgary International Airport 18. Oakland International Airport 19. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 20. Chicago Midway International Airport 21. San Jose International Airport 22. Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport 23. St. Louis Lambert International Airport 24. LaGuardia Airport (New York City) 25. Kansas City International Airport 26. Honolulu International Airport 27. Philadelphia International Airport Ranked: Medium Airports Medium airports accommodate 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year. 1. Indianapolis International Airport 2. Pittsburgh International Airport 3. Jacksonville International Airport 4. Southwest Florida International Airport 5. General Mitchell International Airport (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) 6. Albuquerque International 7. Sunport Palm Beach International Airport 8. Ontario International Airport 9. Buffalo Niagara International Airport 10. Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport 11. John Glenn Columbus International Airport 12. Edmonton International Airport 13. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport 14. Eppley Airfield (Omaha, Nebraska) 15. Bradley International Airport (Hartford, Connecticut) 16. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport 17. Kahului Airport (Hawaii) 18. Hollywood Burbank Airport https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2022/09/21/ranked-the-best-and-worst-airports-in-america/?sh=4c0987b7398d SpiceJet Puts Pilots On Unpaid Leave To Trim Costs The move does little to win back confidence in the airline's business. In another display of SpiceJet’s shaky finances, the airline has decided to put many of its pilots on unpaid leave in an attempt to rationalize costs. SpiceJet has been struggling for quite some time, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, which has put the spotlight on its dwindling finances and various operational shortcomings. The latest development is another blow to the overall image of the carrier, impacting its stocks even further. Pilots sent on leave This hasn’t been a good year for SpiceJet. The airline, which is already running at half the capacity, has been struggling with weak finances, impacting everything from operations to employee morale. And the latest development does very little to improve the situation. The budget carrier has sent around 80 pilots on leave without pay for three months to rationalize costs. According to some reports, 40 of those pilots are from its Boeing 737 fleet and the remaining half from the Dash 8 – Q400 fleet. 40 of the affected pilots are said to be from the Dash 8 fleet, and the remaining from the 737 aircraft. Naturally, the affected pilots are not happy about the situation and feel nervous about their prospects in the company. One of the pilots told the Press Trust of India, “The financial crisis of the airline was known to us but the suddenness of the decision has shocked many of us. There is also uncertainty about the company’s financial situation after three months. There is no assurance if those forced to go on leave will even be called back.” What is SpiceJet saying? The airline released a statement explaining how the grounding of the 737 MAX aircraft has given rise to the present problem. SpiceJet said that it had continued with its planned pilot induction program with the hope that the MAX would be back in service soon. However, the prolonged grounding of the MAX fleet resulted in a large number of excess pilots at the company. It further added that the temporary measure to put pilots on leave without pay is in line with SpiceJet’s “policy of not retrenching any employee, which the airline steadfastly followed even during the peak of the COVID pandemic.” The airline is blaming the delay in the supply of its 737 MAX aircraft for the current development. The airline said that during leave without pay, pilots will remain eligible for all other employee benefits as applicable, such as all opted insurance benefits and employee leave travel. It said that once more MAX airplanes join its fleet, the affected pilots will be invited back to join the workforce. Past troubles This is the latest in a series of troubles SpiceJet has gone through this year. From a spate of flight incidents to the DGCA ordering it to reduce its operations to 50%, SpiceJet has received intense media and public scrutiny in the last few months for all the wrong reasons. Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today. The airline’s stock opened 3.2% lower a day after the announcement and has declined 38% in 2022 so far and is down 47% in the last 12 months. It was also announced recently that SpiceJet is planning a stake sale to raise capital, but nothing has come of it so far. https://simpleflying.com/spicejet-pilots-leave-without-pay/ China Preps To Launch Its First Big Passenger Jet. It’s No Threat To Boeing Or Airbus—Yet China wanted its own large passenger jet. After spending decades fattening the pockets of overseas manufacturers BoeingBA +0.7% and Airbus, the Chinese Communist Party decided with its 2006 five-year plan to sink whatever resources it took to supply one of the world’s fastest-growing air-travel markets with homegrown planes. The result: Sixteen years and tens of billions of dollars later, a single-aisle airliner called the C919 sits on the runway, poised for Chinese regulatory approval to challenge the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo in the hottest part of the commercial jet market. One of the six test planes is expected to be put into service by China Eastern Airlines by the end of the year. The hitch: Because foreign suppliers were reluctant to provide state-of-the-art components due to fear that the Chinese would knock off their technology, the C919 isn’t the kind of cutting-edge product that’s keeping its Western competitors awake at night — at least not yet. “The C919 is yesterday’s technology available today,” aviation consultant Michael Boyd told Forbes. “Domestically, the open question is how much damage the [Chinese Communist Party] will do to Chinese carriers by forcing them to fly these things.” The Chinese government is believed to have sunk eye-popping sums of money into the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (Comac), which was tasked with developing the C919, as well as a smaller regional jet that’s already on the market and a wide-body plane in a partnership with Russia that’s made minimal progress. Scott Kennedy, an expert on the Chinese economy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, estimates Comac has received between $49 billion and $72 billion from its founding in 2008 to 2020. Six years past the date the C919 was expected to be in service, any commercial logic the project may have had initially has taken a back seat to politics and national pride, Western observers say. “Xi Jinping has basically attached himself to this plane,” Kennedy told Forbes. “Its price tag or time doesn’t really matter very much as long as they produce a plane.” While a Chinese flag may adorn the airframe and wings, which were made in China, what distinguishes planes nowadays is the technology inside them—and for that Comac has had to rely largely on foreign suppliers. Of roughly 80 primary suppliers listed on Airframer.com for the C919, just 7 are Chinese, while 7 are joint ventures between foreign and Chinese companies, Kennedy notes. While it’s not clear what grade of technology Western companies have supplied, it’s believed to have been tempered by reluctance to aid the growth of Chinese competitors and fears of intellectual property theft that were underlined by the federal prosecution last year of a Chinese spy who targeted aerospace companies. “A supplier would have to be out of their mind to provide the latest and best,” said Richard Aboulafia, a consultant with AeroDynamic Advisory. Perhaps the most important piece—the engines—comes from CFM, a joint venture of General ElectricGE -0.7% and France’s Safran. CFM says the C919’s engine is a variant of the company’s top-of-the-line LEAP engine. Aboulafia suspects it’s actually an upgraded version of the older CFM56. A state-owned Chinese company is also developing an engine for the C919. Partly as a result of second-tier technology, the C919 comes up well short in one of the key areas of performance: range. Comac says the airliner will be able to fly about 2,500 nautical miles, roughly a third less than the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 MAX. That rules out using the C919 on hundreds of routes around the world already being served by the A320 and 737 MAX, which Boyd said is a deal-killer for selling the plane overseas. The C919’s list purchase price may be lower—653 million yuan, roughly $90 million—but it’s expensive and time-consuming for airlines to train pilots and mechanics to switch over to a new aircraft type, said Boyd. “Without any corresponding reduction in operating cost or an advantage in performance compared to the A320 or 737, it makes zero business sense to acquire the C919,” he said. Comac has announced hundreds of domestic orders for the C919, but they’re skewed heavily toward Chinese financial institutions. “Those are meant to help the team,” Kennedy said. Observers doubt the solidity of many of the orders, as well as the ability of Comac to rapidly ramp up production. The aerospace consultancy Teal Group projects that it will produce 39 planes through 2029. The Chinese economy may be slowing and Covid restrictions are depressing travel, but in the long term many industry watchers still expect Chinese airlines will need a lot of Western planes. Boeing forecasts that China will take delivery of 8,485 passenger jets over the next 20 years, accounting for roughly 20% of the global market. The share Boeing might get of that is in doubt, with the Chinese government having frozen deliveries of the U.S.-based company’s planes in the country following the crash of two MAX jets and a U.S. trade war with China begun during the Trump Administration. That trade war has contributed to the delays in getting the C919 to the regulatory finish line. Since late 2020, the U.S. government has mandated that U.S. companies apply for special licenses to export to any entities linked to the Chinese military. A risk for the Chinese government is that if the U.S. grows frustrated over what it perceives as unfair competition—like, say, mandating that Chinese airlines buy domestic planes—it could shut off component sales entirely. A warning shot was Canada’s refusal last year to approve an export license for engines made by Pratt & Whitney Canada for an 80-seat turboprop plane under development by the Xi’an Aircraft Industrial Corp. It would take China 10 to 15 years to remake the C919 with all-Chinese content, Aboulafia estimates. The optimistic view is that the C919 is an expensive down payment on establishing a foothold in the aerospace industry that will lead to the development of better technology down the road, but the long development time lines in aerospace mean it won’t pay off anytime soon, Kennedy said, unlike China’s successful efforts to climb the value chain in faster-paced industries, like wireless telecom equipment. “This is going to look like a white elephant for quite a while.” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said last year that it will take time for Comac to demonstrate the reliability and maturity of the C919, but he expects it will take at least some market share. “We will go from a duopoly to a triopoly in one-aisle planes probably by the end of the decade," he said. Boyd believes the Chinese commercial aerospace industry is essentially still at square one. “China is not behind in regard to airliner programs,” he said. “Actually, they haven’t started.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2022/09/20/china-comac-c919-boeing-airbus/?sh=6adc08a533be Baldwin Adds NASA ASRS Reporting to Safety Module Baldwin Safety & Compliance has integrated NASA Aviation Safety Report System (ASRS) capabilities into its Baldwin safety reporting module. Baldwin Safety & Compliance customers can now seamlessly file NASA Aviation Safety Report System (ASRS) from within their Baldwin safety reporting module. This allows customers to complete one report in the portal and also submit it to the ASRS database. “We are always striving to streamline our safety information processes, therefore integrating NASA ASRS reporting capability into our reporting function is a great example,” said Baldwin director of safety Jason Starke. “I believe it will encourage more submissions because of the convenience and ultimately improve safety by sharing vital information with the aviation community. Plans are also underway to build an ASRS UAS form for drone operators to submit to the NASA database.” The ASRS database is a public repository that serves the FAA and NASA, as well as other organizations that are engaged in research and the promotion of safe flight. Under the ASRS, the agencies collect, analyze, and respond to voluntarily submitted aviation safety event reports to improve safety in the National Airspace System. We are committed to the future of aviation and are investing in programs and technologies that deliver lower-carbon solutions. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-09-20/baldwin-adds-nasa-asrs-reporting-safety-module Hong Kong has lost aviation hub status, airline body head says International Air Transport Association head says China’s pandemic policies have ‘devastated’ former British colony. International Air Transport Association director general Willie Walsh says Hong Kong has lost its status an aviation hub. Hong Kong has lost its position as a global aviation hub due to China’s ultra-strict “dynamic zero COVID” policy, the head of the global airline industry’s trade association has said. Speaking at an aviation conference in Qatar on Wednesday, International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Willie Walsh said China’s pandemic restrictions had “devastated” the international financial centre and hammered flagship carrier Cathay Pacific. “Cathay Pacific is a shadow of its former self as a result. Hong Kong has lost its position as a global hub and will struggle to regain it because other hubs have taken advantage of it,” said Walsh, who previously served as chief executive of British Airways and Aer Lingus. One of the world’s busiest gateways before the pandemic, Hong Kong International Airport handled just 591,000 passengers between April and June, compared with the 7.3 million passengers that passed through Singapore’s Changi Airport during the same period. Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world still adhering to strict COVID-19 curbs, as authorities try to align with mainland China’s zero-tolerance strategy aimed at stamping out the virus out at almost any cost. Under Hong Kong’s current rules, all arrivals are required to undergo three days of hotel quarantine followed by a four-day period of medical surveillance that prohibits them from entering venues such as bars and restaurants. The mandatory hotel quarantine period was seven days until last month and for a 14-month period during the pandemic stretched to as long as 21 days. The COVID-19 curbs, along with a Beijing-led clamp down on rights and freedoms in the former British colony, have driven an exodus of residents and businesses from the financial hub, which for decades has branded itself as “Asia’s World City.” More than 200,000 people left the city between 2020 and mid-2022, the biggest outflow on record. Hong Kong’s leader John Lee said on Tuesday his government was conscious of the need to reconnect with the rest of the world and was “actively exploring” changes to the controversial quarantine policy. Local media have reported that the government plans to scrap hotel quarantine in favour of seven days of medical surveillance, under which arrivals would still be restricted in their movements in the city. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/9/21/hong-kong-has-lost-aviation-hub-status-airline-body-says FAA Extends Ban On U.S. Jets Flying Over Iran Over Fears Commercial Planes Could Be Accidentally Shot From the Skies The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has extended a ban on U.S. jets flying through Iranian airspace for another two years, over fears that commercial passenger planes could be accidentally shot from the skies by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The ban, which is officially known as a Special Federal Aviation Regulation, has been extended without public consultation because the FAA still believes the airspace over Iran presents an “unacceptable risk to the safety of U.S. civil aviation”. Federal officials issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) prohibiting U.S. planes from overflying Iran just hours before a Ukraine International Airlines flight was shot from the skies moments after it had taken off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport on January 8, 2020. All 176 passengers and crew onboard the Boeing 737-800 were killed after Iranian air defense forces misidentified the aircraft as a missile and activated ground-to-air defense systems against the civilian airliner. The NOTAM was issued after heightened military activities following the assassination of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani several days earlier in a U.S. drone attack near Baghdad International Airport. A slew of other countries immediately issued similar NOTAMS following the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752, but most flight bans have now been lifted – either completely or partially. Canada continues to bar overflights of Canadian registered commercial jets over Iran, while the United Kingdom bars flights below 25,000 feet where the risk of misidentification could increase significantly. In effect, however, British airlines continue to skirt around Iran while airlines registered in other countries but flying the same routes make routine use of Iranian airspace. Emirates, whose hub in Dubai is only about 60 miles from the boundary of Iran’s airspace (formally known as a Flight Information Region or FIR), was forced to make refuelling pitstops in Europe after it temporarily avoided the Tehran FIR in January 2020. Like many airlines, Emirates now routinely overlies Iran. Explaining why the ban on U.S. aircraft flying through Iranian airspace will continue until October 21, 2024, at the earliest, the FAA says “heightened regional tensions remain” and that it hasn’t received any information that would indicate Iran “has implemented changes to its air defense command and control procedures”. The FAA also says it is concerned about Iranian ballistic missile launches and, as a result, the risk of a commercial plane being accidentally shot from the skies remains “unacceptably” high. On a practical level, the Special Federal Aviation Regulation will have little effect on U.S. commercial passenger flights because they don’t fly over the region, but it could pose some issues for United’s return to Dubai next year. The prohibition could also cause a headache for Emirates if it wants to start codesharing on flights with United. In 2020, the airline was slapped with a $400,000 fine by the U.S. Department of Transporation after it flew over prohibited areas of Iranian airspace during a 19-day period in 2019 when it was codesharing with jetBlue. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2022/09/20/faa-extends-ban-on-u-s-jets-flying-over-iran-over-fears-commercial-planes-could-be-accidentally-shot-from-the-skies/ Soyuz Rocket Rolls Out For Launch Of Russian-American Crew To Space Station Ground teams at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan rolled a Soyuz rocket to its launch pad Sunday, moving a step closer to liftoff Wednesday with a team of two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut heading for the International Space Station, the first flight of a U.S. crew member on a Russian spacecraft since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. NASA astronaut Francisco “Frank” Rubio will join Russian commander Sergey Prokopyev and flight engineer Dmitry Petelin for launch Wednesday at 9:54 a.m. EDT (1354 GMT) to begin a half-year on the space station. Rubio is preparing for his first flight to space after his selection to join the NASA astronaut corps in 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYbp61_0c5Y GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Pilots and Flight Attendants, Did you know that the difference between a 14-hour flight time and an 18-hour flight time is 28%, which means 28% more exposure by occupants to the cabin environment and other aircraft influences. Keeping this in mind, I am working on a new research study that aims to review current Health & Safety International and National Regulations and best practices for operating Ultra-Long-Range Routes (ULR). ULR operations refer to "An operation involving any sector between a specific city pair (A-B-A) in which the planned flight time exceeds 16 hours, taking into account mean wind conditions and seasonal changes. The scope of this study is to identify different health-related factors affecting Aircrew (Pilots & Flight Attendants) who operate these routes. Based on this review, a gap analysis will be conducted, and recommendations will be presented to mitigate health and safety-related impact factors on Aircrew. As a part of this study, a survey is designed for Aircrew (Pilots and Flight Attendants) who operate on ULR flights. This survey aims to learn about their experience and the different health and safety impact factors that Aircrew experience while operating these routes. Aircrew sought to participate in this study needs to meet the following criteria: - Employed (in the last 24 months) by an air carrier operating scheduled ULR flights (>16hrs); - Qualified as an aircrew member to operate ULR flights. During this study, you will be asked to complete a brief online survey about your opinions concerning health-related issues while operating ULR routes. You will answer several questions about different health-related factors and how it affects your lifestyle, including any prominent experiences you have encountered. The completion of the survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes. If you meet the criteria and are interested in helping, sign up for the study by clicking the link - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SV2D9KT You can also sign up by scanning the QR code below. Please let me know if you have any questions I can answer. Thank you for your participation Kind Regards, Aditya Rathi ISASI Robertson Fellow M.S. Safety Science '22 (Aviation Safety) Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott rathia@my.erau.edu | (928)-632-2707 Curt Lewis