Flight Safety Information - January 4, 2023 No. 003 In This Issue : Incident: Ryanair UK B738 at Podgorica on Jan 1st 2023, flaps asymmetry : Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 at Milan on Dec 28th 2022, rejected takeoff due to cargo door warning : Accident: Indigo A21N at Dhaka or Kolkata on Jan 2nd 2023, tail strike : Incident: Gofirst A20N at Patna on Jan 3rd 2023, bird strike : Incident: HK Express A321 at Hong Kong on Jan 3rd 2023, loss of cabin pressure : Incident: Indigo A21N at Delhi on Jan 3rd 2023, hydraulic failure : Incident: Frontier A20N at Orlando on Jan 1st 2023, bird strike : Delta jet runs off the end of a taxiway amid icy conditions at Minnesota airport : Brevard sheriff: Man with laser temporarily blinded chopper pilot : 2020 plane crash near Telluride that killed newlyweds likely caused by pilot flying too low in mountains, NTSB says : Southwest pilots union writes scathing letter to airline executives after holiday travel fiasco : GE Aerospace gets hefty Air Force contract for engine work : Plane Lessor Sues Insurers For $28M Over Jet Held In Russia : Pilots Balk As American Airlines Enforces New Cockpit Procedures : Afraid of flying? These are officially the world’s safest airlines : Lion Air Group May Add 80 New Aircraft In 2023 : First gun of 2023 confiscated at Pittsburgh International Airport Incident: Ryanair UK B738 at Podgorica on Jan 1st 2023, flaps asymmetry A Ryanair UK Boeing 737-800, registration G-RUKE performing flight RK-1366 from Podgorica (Montenegro) to London Stansted,EN (UK), was climbing out of Podgorica when the crew stopped the climb at 9500 feet, declared PAN PAN and decided to divert to Sofia (Bulgaria) due to a flaps asymmetry. The aircraft climbed to FL210 maintaining a relatively low speed (maximum 320 knots over ground), entered a hold near Sofia and landed safely on Sofia's runway 27 about 95 minutes after departure. A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 registration EI-EVN positioned from Stansted to Sofia, continued the flight as RK-136 and reached Stansted with a delay of about 9.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 12 hours, then positioned to Stansted. https://avherald.com/h?article=50344dc5&opt=0 Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 at Milan on Dec 28th 2022, rejected takeoff due to cargo door warning An Easyjet Europe Airbus A320-200, registration OE-IJV performing flight U2-2713 from Milan Malpensa (Italy) to Lisbon (Portugal), was accelerating for takeoff from Malpensa's runway 35R when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed (about 80 knots over ground) due to a cargo door open warning. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. The aircraft was able to depart about 3 hours after the rejected takeoff and reached Lisbon with a delay of about 5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50344aac&opt=0 Accident: Indigo A21N at Dhaka or Kolkata on Jan 2nd 2023, tail strike An Indigo Airbus A321-200N, registration VT-ILR performing flight 6E-1859 from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Kolkata (India), departed Dhaka's runway 14 at 16:42L (10:42Z), climbed to FL180 and landed on Kolkata's runway 01R at 16:50L (11:20Z) about 38 minutes after departure. A post flight inspection revealed substantial tail strike damage. The aircraft is still on the ground in Kolkata about 33 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5033cc35&opt=0 Incident: Gofirst A20N at Patna on Jan 3rd 2023, bird strike A Gofirst Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-WDA performing flight G8-274 from Bangalore to Patna (India) with 142 passengers and 6 crew, was on approach to Patna's runway 25 when the aircraft received a bird strike. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 25. The airline reported a post flight inspection found a dent in the right hand wing of the aircraft following the bird strike shortly before landing, the aircraft was deemed unfit to continue flying. A replacement A320-200N registration VT-WJD performed the return flight G8-273. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 12.5 hours after landing in Patna. https://avherald.com/h?article=5033cf3c&opt=0 Incident: HK Express A321 at Hong Kong on Jan 3rd 2023, loss of cabin pressure A Hong Kong Express Airbus A321-200, registration B-LEE performing flight UO-600 from Hong Kong (China) to Fukuoka (Japan), had just reached the top of climb at FL370 out of Hong Kong about 30 minutes into the flight when the crew initiated an emergency descent to 10,000 feet and returned to Hong Kong for a safe landing on runway 07L about 90 minutes after departure. A replacement A321-200 registration B-LEK reached Fukuoka with a delay of about 2.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground about 10.5 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=5033882b&opt=0 Incident: Indigo A21N at Delhi on Jan 3rd 2023, hydraulic failure An Indigo Airbus A321-200N, registration VT-ILM performing flight 6E-1763 from Delhi (India) to Phuket (Thailand), was climbing out of runway 28 when the crew stopped the climb at FL290 due to the failure of the green hydraulic system and decided to return to Delhi for a safe landing on runway 28 about 55 minutes after departure. India's DGCA reported the crew received a green hydraulic reservoir low indication, a pump low pressure and a system low pressure indication. A replacement A321-200N registration VT-ILS reached Phuket with a delay of about 4.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Delhi about 9.5 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=50338623&opt=0 Incident: Frontier A20N at Orlando on Jan 1st 2023, bird strike A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration N352FR performing flight G9-1047 from Cleveland,OH to Orlando,FL (USA), was on approach to Orlando when the aircraft received a bird strike. The crew continued for a safe landing on Orlando's runway 17R. The FAA reported the bird strike damaged an engine (LEAP) cowling. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 50 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=5033d4eb&opt=0 Delta jet runs off the end of a taxiway amid icy conditions at Minnesota airport (CNN) — A Delta jet slid off the end of a taxiway at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport amid icy conditions Tuesday night, officials said. The Airbus A320 aircraft had just arrived from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and was taxiing when its nose gear went off the pavement around 6:40 p.m., according to a statement from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. None of the plane's 147 passengers were injured, airport officials said. Passengers were taken by bus from the jet to the gate, according to an FAA spokesperson. The nose gear of Delta Flight 1819 exited the taxiway while turning toward the gate "due to icy conditions," Delta Air Lines spokesperson Jess Merrill said Tuesday night. As a storm system barrels across Central US with tornadoes, flooding and snow, another threatens West Coast with more floods "Our customers have been deplaned and are being transported to the terminal, and we apologize for the delay in their travels," Merrill added. The National Weather Service reported the airport had been dealing with light freezing drizzle, snow and fog Tuesday night. "The aircraft's nose gear is approximately 30 feet off the pavement and stuck in the snow," Minneapolis-St. Paul officials said in their statement, adding that crews were working to move the aircraft and the incident didn't impact airport operations. The airport said crews had been working most of the day during the winter storm to clear and treat taxiways and runways, which were all closed a short time after the incident with the Delta jet. "Unrelated to the incident, all runways were closed due to an increase in freezing drizzle around 7:30 p.m.," airport officials said. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/minneapolis-airport-delta-jet-runs-off-taxiway/index.html Brevard sheriff: Man with laser temporarily blinded chopper pilot BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Brevard County Sheriff's Department says a man is in custody after shining a light at a law enforcement helicopter. On Sunday night, as a manhunt was underway on the ground, a Brevard County sheriff’s office helicopter was helping to track leads from the air. That was until someone aimed a laser at them. The pilot of the STAR helicopter could be heard on a recording of the incident given to WESH 2 News by the sheriff’s office. “A green laser beam now hitting us multiple times,” the pilot said. Sheriff Wayne Ivey says the incident endangered the pilot’s life by temporarily blinding him. The suspect Dean Beolet was tracked down and arrested by Palm Bay Police Department officers on the ground. He faces a felony charge. The Federal Aviation Administration keeps track of these “laser strikes” every year. The latest numbers from 2021 are the highest number ever recorded at 9,723. That’s up nearly 3,000 from the year before. “The FAA has made a concerted effort to report and track laser incidents. Because the incidences’ impact can be so severe,” Mike McCormick of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University said. As part of the FAA’s effort, messages have been sent out to pilots and air traffic control across the country to report all laser incidents. Any incident can be severe, but what happened on Sunday was even more dangerous. “The most recent activity with the sheriff’s deputy flying the helicopter was exacerbated by the fact that the pilot was wearing night vision goggles,” McCormick said. He meant that the pilot would lose complete visibility from the laser strike, but luckily the co-pilot was able to take over. The helicopter pilot Brandon McIntyre was given a medical check after the incident and was cleared to fly. https://www.wesh.com/article/brevard-man-laser-temporarily-blinded-chopper-pilot/42384561 2020 plane crash near Telluride that killed newlyweds likely caused by pilot flying too low in mountains, NTSB says Costas John Sivyllis, 30, and his wife, Lindsey Vogelaar, 33, died in the crash A single-engine Beechcraft crashed near Telluride on Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, killing both people aboard. An October 2020 plane crash near Telluride that left a young couple dead days after they got married was likely caused by the pilot’s decision to fly his single-engine propeller plane into an area with tall mountains before gaining enough altitude, according to federal air crash investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board, in a final report on the Oct. 5, 2020, crash that killed Costas John Sivyllis, 30, and his wife, Lindsey Vogelaar, 33, was probably caused by Sivyllis’ “loss of control during the climb” and “decision to not climb to a higher altitude before proceeding over high terrain.” The couple were traveling in a 1964 Beechcraft S35 Bonanza. The crash happened at an altitude of 11,823 feet on Black Bear Pass, which is just southeast of Telluride. “The surrounding terrain to the north, east, and south was higher than the accident site elevation, with peaks ranging from about 12,000 to 14,000 feet,” said the final NTSB report, which was issued Dec. 14. The NTSB said an analysis by its investigators found no precrash mechanical issues with the plane. “Postaccident examination found no preimpact anomalies with the airframe, engine, flight controls and propeller,” the report said. “Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces.” No distress call was received before the crash. The San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office said Sivyllis and Vogelaar, who had eloped in Telluride, were heading back to Florida at the time of the crash. They had taken off from Telluride’s airport shortly before the wreck. Sivyllis, a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, was a pilot for United Airlines, where Vogelaar, who was born in Denver, worked as a flight attendant. MLive, a news website in Michigan, reported the couple met on a flight to Europe in 2016. “Costas loved Lindsey with every fiber of his being and loved every aspect of Lindsey and her entire life,” Vogelaar’s family said, according to MLive. “They could’ve lived anywhere as long as they were together. They were citizens of the world. Lindsey’s home was wherever the plane landed. They had roots in Florida, but they were true citizens of the world. They were supportive of each other in every aspect of their lives.” A number of fatal plane crashes in Colorado’s high country have been blamed on pilots’ unfamiliarity with mountain flying in small aircraft. The NTSB nodded to that fact in its report. “Pilots with limited or no training in mountain flying can be surprised about their aircraft’s different performance at high density altitude, often leading to serious or fatal accidents,” the report said. “Wind and other weather phenomena interacting with mountainous terrain often lead unsuspecting pilots into situations that are beyond their capabilities.” https://coloradosun.com/2023/01/03/costa-sivyllis-lindsey-vogelaar-plane-crash/ Southwest pilots union writes scathing letter to airline executives after holiday travel fiasco • The group decried the airline's leadership as a "cult" and a "good old boys and girls network." The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association has published a letter denouncing the airline's leadership as a "cult" that they say has spent the past 15 years destroying the company's legacy, culminating in the 2022 travel meltdown that left thousands of holiday travelers stranded. The union, which remains locked in heated contract negotiations with Southwest Airlines, published the letter Dec. 31. It was signed by Capt. Tom Nekouei, a union vice president. Nekouei says systemwide meltdowns at Southwest Airlines have increased in frequency and magnitude over the past 15 years, citing not just the December failures that left Southwest passengers stranded nationwide, but also incidents from years past. Those include a series of “meltdowns” at Chicago Midway International Airport in January 2014, leading to 130 flights there being canceled; a router brownout issue in July 2016 that caused 2,300 flights to be canceled; and an October 2021 air traffic control problem in Jacksonville that led to 29% of Southwest’s flights being delayed or canceled. Nekouei laid the blame on Southwest chairman and former CEO Gary Kelly. Kelly served as Southwest CEO from 2004 until last February, and replaced Southwest co-founder Herb Kelleher as chairman in 2008. "Gary Kelly still reigns supreme on the board of this Company despite having overseen the decisions and setting the conditions that made this most recent fiasco possible," Nekouei wrote, adding that the airline's struggles are "not a Southwest Airlines problem. This is not an employees of Southwest Airlines problem. This is not an unprecedented weather problem. This is a Gary Kelly problem." Nekouei accused Kelly of staffing the company's senior leadership with individuals of similar backgrounds, namely holders of bachelor’s degrees in accounting from the University of Texas. "A recipe for operational ignorance and collective groupthink," Nekouei wrote. "A monetization of the once vaunted Southwest culture and instead turning it into a headquarters-centric cult. A good old boys and girls network indeed," he wrote. "While this would temporarily bode well for our shareholders for the last decade, it slowly eroded our Company from within to set the stage for our current and complete meltdown," Nekouei said. Staffing issues, Southwest's unique plane-routing regime, and outdated technology have all been put forward as reasons why Southwest was forced to cancel two-thirds of its flights over the holiday travel period that included the final days of Hanukkah leading into Christmas Day, and stranding nearly half a million passengers. Nekouei argued that each explanation the airline gave for its problems shared the similar theme of underinvestment and refusal to update its operational resources. The union, Nekouei wrote, "has been beating this drum to management for nearly a decade pleading with them to spend the necessary capital to prevent the ultimate consequence someday." "As CEO, Gary Kelly made a conscious decision to make the less than necessary investments in tech upgrades in favor of maximizing shareholder return because, well, 'our tech’s been working OK for 20 years,'" he wrote. "While Gary’s financial acumen cannot be debated, his poor operational leadership and judgment have been demonstrated repeatedly with each meltdown and finally laid bare with the current situation we find ourselves in." In an emailed statement responding to the union's letter, Southwest said that "it has a more than 51-year history of allowing — and encouraging — its Employees to express their opinions in a respectful manner." https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/southwest-airlines-pilots-union-slams-company-executives-open-letter-rcna64121 GE Aerospace gets hefty Air Force contract for engine work Air Force Life Cycle Management Center contract has a ceiling of $203 million. GE Aerospace is getting an Air Force Life Cycle Management Center contract with a value of up to $203 million for work on new jet engine technologies, the Department of Defense said last week. General Electric has been issued an undefinitized contract action with a ceiling of $203 million for “technology maturation and risk reduction services,” and a $99.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for research and development, the DOD said. Air Force picks GE as one of five for $975M jet engine prototype work The contract seeks to advance adaptive engine technologies for a next-generation propulsion system in combat aircraft. The award came about four months after the Air Force picked five companies to develop prototypes of a next-generation fighter jet engine, with General Electric being among them at the time. GE’s iteration of the engine is the XA100. The company says it is engineered to switch between high-thrust and high-efficiency modes, allowing it to adapt to just about any situation a military jet could encounter. The engine has been designed for use in the Lockheed Martin F-35A and F-35C. GE’s engine is one of two in the program’s crucial testing phase, with Pratt & Whitney’s XA101. Basically, the award represents a continuation of the adaptive engine transition program, funding GE for 2023. Pratt & Whitney may get a similar award. Work will be performed in Cincinnati, and is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2024. A GE spokesman confirmed Tuesday that the adaptive engine program remains funded for the coming year, but declined to comment beyond that. The contract came from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. GE Aerospace is a big employer in Southwestern Ohio. Pre-pandemic, the company had about 1,500 employees working in four Dayton-area facilities, sites which saw a $1 billion total annual investment. About 9,000 Ohioans work for the company in total. Also last week: Air cargo carrier ABX Air Inc. in Wilmington received another military contract, named as one of the companies being awarded a modification to increase the program value of the “global heavyweight service” contract by an estimated $67,198,500. https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/ge-aerospace-gets-hefty-air-force-contract-for-engine-work/RDN2ITYOKZALPASD2WHL2NYD3Y/ Plane Lessor Sues Insurers For $28M Over Jet Held In Russia Law360, London (January 4, 2023, 12:08 PM GMT) -- An Irish aircraft leasing company has sued a Lloyd's of London syndicate and another insurer for $28.7 million in London to cover the loss of a plane detained in Russia following the country's war with Ukraine. The Russian government retaliated against aircraft leased from foreign companies after the West imposed sanctions. (iStock.com/miniloc) Fidelis Underwriting Ltd. and a specialist Lloyd's syndicate have refused to issue a reimbursement for the Airbus passenger jet after Russia moved to broadly ban leased planes from being returned, according to a lawsuit filed at the High Court on Nov. 30. The Russian government retaliated against aircraft leased from foreign companies after the West imposed sanctions on the Kremlin. Many commercial aviation lessors have been attempting to get insurers to pay out for the aircraft after months of failed attempts to get the lost assets returned. The Irish company suing the insurers, Zephyrus Capital Aviation Partners 1D Ltd., claims the regional Russian airline that leased the plane insured it locally, and that its policy was then reinsured by Fidelis and the Lloyd's syndicate. The terms included an "all-risks policy" and a "war and allied risks" section, which covers situations including war, hijacking, expropriation and nationalization, Zephyrus said. The Russian government's actions "constitute an insured peril" under the policy, according to the claim. Zephyrus is suing alongside Wilmington Trust SP Services (Dublin) Ltd., which owns the plane as trustee, and UMB Bank NA, a U.S. lender. The plane was leased from Wilmington by Joint-Stock Company Yamal Airlines in January 2019. Zephyrus later bought a beneficial interest in the plane. Zephyrus issued a default notice on Yamal on March 4, 2022, which required the airline to deliver the aircraft to Istanbul international airport in Turkey the next day. Yamal failed to return the plane following measures by the Russian government to ban the "export" of some assets abroad, according to the claim. Yamal claimed that returning the plane could violate Russian law, and attempts to negotiate the aircraft's return have failed, Zephyrus said. The plane has since been registered for flights inside Russia. The cost of making the plane airworthy would exceed its value even if it was eventually delivered, according to the lawsuit. The case is one of many filed by aircraft lessors against insurers for indemnification after Russia invaded its European neighbor. The world's largest aircraft lessor, AerCap, also sued Lloyd's and AIG in June for up to $3.5 billion after they refused to indemnify a range of aircraft and engines that the Irish aviation giant had leased to Russian airlines. In that case, the insurers have argued that they don't have to pay out because the planes might be returned. Another lessor, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, has written off almost $598 million worth of planes tied to Russian customers. It sued Lloyd's of London and other insurers for up to $875 million in October as it sought to cover the loss of its fleet. Lloyd's and Fidelis did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The claimants are represented by Tom Weitzman KC and Kate Holderness of 3VB, instructed by Peter Sharp and Paul Mesquitta of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP. Counsel information for the defendants was not available. The case is Zephyrus Capital Aviation Partners 1D Ltd. and others v. Fidelis Underwriting Ltd. and another, case number CL-2022-000637, in the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. https://www.law360.com/internationalarbitration/articles/1561101/plane-lessor-sues-insurers-for-28m-over-jet-held-in-russia Pilots Balk As American Airlines Enforces New Cockpit Procedures This story was updated Wednesday to include details of a disciplinary action involving a Charlotte captain. American Airlines on Tuesday implemented new cockpit procedures including changes to cockpit communications during critical events such as low visibility landings, prompting pilots to charge that implementation has been overly hasty. Allied Pilots Association said the implementation involves an attempt to alter critical procedures through a 35-page bulletin and changes in a 65- page manual rather than through in person training. “A reading assignment is not training,” APA spokesman Dennis Tajer said Tuesday. APA, which represents 15,000 American pilots, said it does not oppose the changes if they are properly implemented. “APA Supports Pilots Not Management Intimidation” was the headline on a letter to pilots Tuesday afternoon. It came after several incidents in Charlotte and Philadelphia when pilots delayed takeoffs as they sought to confer on the new procedures. An airline spokesperson said the delays were all less than 10 minutes. But at least one Charlotte pilot was disciplined. “We have received word that management representatives have been attempting to intimidate pilots who are complying with their obligations to take the time necessary to review new (aircraft operating manual) procedures” the letter said. “APA leadership stands by its pilots as they take all necessary steps to ensure that they are fully prepared to operate their flights safely.” Tajer said, “We’ve had several pilots removed at the gate in Charlotte and Philadelphia as they were trying to make sure they got the new procedures done correctly and safely.” The letter said some pilots had been threatened with “missed trip” removal from their flights. In Charlotte, a captain was removed from his flight by the chief pilot, according to a letter to Charlotte pilots from domicile leaders. “Our captain was ensuring that he and his crew were fully briefed and in compliance with the new (aircraft operating manual) requirements that became effective today,” the letter said. The captain was initially disciplined with a missed trip designation. But then, after discussions between airline and union officials, it was altered to a general removal code that is pay protected. “We will not push off the gate until we feel prepared,” Tajer said. “This is fixable if management would back off the unnecessary immediate changes. We want this to work but we demand training.” American said Tuesday, “These changes represent industry best practice and ensure improved crew coordination and consistency across fleet types so that our pilots can easily transition across different aircraft if they choose. “These updates have been underway since 2021 and have been a coordinated effort with APA’s training committee,” the carrier said in a prepared statement. “Additionally, the approach to familiarizing our pilots has been approved by the FAA. “Our commitment to safety is unwavering, which is why we regularly update our Aircraft Operating Manuals to ensure they represent the latest and safest information for our pilots,” American said. Tajer said APA has appealed the approval by the FAA’s Dallas-based principal operations inspector for American Airlines. American introduced the changes Dec. 5 as an effort to harmonize cockpit procedures in its Airbus and BoeingBA +2.6% fleets. In a bulletin to pilots, the airline said, “Using American Airlines and industry best practices, callouts for all phases of flight have been standardized.” Among the tasks with new procedures are setting thrust, controlling exterior lights and sounding the chimes that signal to flight attendants. “When setting thrust on takeoff, Airbus may call out “Flex.” This callout is not applicable on Boeing fleets,” the bulletin noted. Tasks such as controlling exterior lights, formerly assigned to the captain have now been assigned to the pilot flying the aircraft, and the use of chimes has been synchronized between aircraft types. Regarding critical tasks such as landing with low visibility, these often involve the captain viewing a display panel while the first officer monitors other displays. Both pilots have typically remained silent as long the readings are within safety limits. “Now the airline has inserted a series of statements from the first officer and required responses from the captain,” Tajer said. On Monday, in a letter to pilots signed by all 20 of its top officers (including the top two officers from each domicile) APA said “American Airlines flight operations management is attempting to circumvent robust safety-related pilot training by unilaterally imposing operational changes via bulletin. “While APA does not oppose fleet harmonization, we are steadfast in our commitment that pilots must be properly trained before operating with passengers,” the letter said. “This attempt to train by bulletin, while ignoring serious safety concerns and well-established best practices, runs the risk of dramatically eroding margins of safety,” the letter said. “(The changes) alter how pilots communicate, coordinate, and execute flight safety duties at some of the most high-threat times of flight. These high-threat times include, but are not limited to, rejected takeoffs, low visibility approaches, and go-arounds.” In a letter to pilots on Sunday, Jan. 1, three management pilots wrote that while the policy change “bring new callouts and changes within some of our procedures, it is important for you not to feel undue pressure on Jan. 3 or during your next several trips after Jan. 3. “Our safety management systems process considered that it could take us several weeks to be comfortable with the (aircraft operating manual) changes, and it also considered that, during this learning period, the changes are small enough that mixing the new with our current callouts and procedures would not bring undue risk,” the letter said. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tedreed/2023/01/03/pilots-balk-as-american-airlines-imposes-new-cockpit-procedures/?sh=c4d69dd3a87d Afraid of flying? These are officially the world’s safest airlines Last year, many people took their first flights after the pandemic travel haitus, while for some 2023 will be the year they get back on board. But if taking a break from flying means you’re feeling more nervous than usual about jetting off, booking with one of these airlines may reassure you. AirlineRatings.com have analysed 385 different air travel companies to find the 20 safest in the world. In a separate poll, they’ve also pulled together the top 10 budget airlines too. So whether you’re flying first-class or economy, you’ll know you’re in safe hands. To work out their top 20, AirlineRatings.com looked at a range of factors, including serious incident records for the past two years, government audits, fleet age and of course, COVID-19 safety protocols. Which is the safest airline to fly with in 2023? Qantas came top of the table thanks to "an amazing record of firsts in operations and safety" leading it to be "accepted as the industry’s most experienced airline," according to the air safety rating site. Australia's flagship airline has frequently topped the safety charts. It missed out on the top spot last year, though, due to an incident at Perth Airport in 2018. The event saw a 737 crew, which had just exited a runway, taxi past stop bars and almost collide with another 737 which was in its take-off roll. The report for this incident wasn’t filed until 2020 meaning it affected the 2021 safety rankings, with Qantas dropping to number seven. What other airlines made the top 20? Air New Zealand, who were last year's winners, came in second this year. The UAE’s Etihad Airways comes in third, while Qatar Airways makes it to number four. "These airlines are standouts in the industry and are at the forefront of safety, innovation, and launching of new aircraft," AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said of website's ranking. “Our top 20 safest airlines 2023 are always at the forefront of safety innovation, operational excellence, and the launching of new more advanced aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787.” The rest of the top 20 are: 5. Singapore Airlines 6. TAP Air Portugal 7. Emirates 8. Alaska Airlines 9. EVA Air 10. Virgin Australia/Atlantic 11. Cathay Pacific Airways 12. Hawaiian Airlines 13. SAS 14. United Airlines 15. Lufthansa/Swiss Group 16. Finnair 17. British Airways 18. KLM 19.American Airlines 20.Delta Air Lines Which are the safest budget airlines in 2023? The ratings website also picked ten of the safest budget airlines for travellers too. Though they’re not ranked in any particular order, these are the safest low-cost airlines to fly with this year: Air Arabia, easyJet, Frontier, Jetstar Group, Jetblue, Ryanair, Vietjet, Volaris, Westjet, and Wizz. And if the thought of flying still makes you nervous, remember that air travel is regarded as the safest form of long distance travel. According to IATA, in 2018, 4.3 billion passengers flew safely on over 46 million flights. https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/01/04/afraid-of-flying-these-are-officially-the-world-s-safest-airlines Lion Air Group May Add 80 New Aircraft In 2023 The airline group needs more planes for its network expansion plans. The Lion Air Group will significantly increase its fleet size this year as it plans to open several new routes in South Asia. The group has orders of the latest generation narrowbody planes from both Airbus and Boeing as it looks to scale up operations after the pandemic. New planes in 2023 Lion Air Group added more than 40 airplanes in 2022, but at a conference in Jakarta on December 28th, a senior executive from the Lion Air Group, Daniel Putut Kuncoro Adi, said that those planes comprised just half of what the group needs. The airline group is expecting to expand operations in South Asia, namely countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Per ch-aviation, the group’s airlines, which include Lion Air, Wings Air (Indonesia), Super Air Jet, Batik Air, Batik Air Malaysia, and Thai Lion Air, collectively operate 317 airplanes. Most of these aircraft are based in Indonesia, with Lion Air accounting for more than 110 planes. Apart from the planned new routes in South Asia, the group will also increase frequencies to high-demand destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang. Investor.id recently quoted Kuncoro Adi as saying, “We are adding several routes, especially to South Asia. We are still in talks with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan. We have explored them. Hopefully, in 2023, additional international routes will be implemented.” Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today. Committed to 737 MAX The latest data from ch-aviation reveals that Lion Air Indonesia has more than 110 A320neos and A321neos on order from Airbus. But it will also receive 230 737 MAX airplanes from Boeing. A major trend in Indonesian aviation is the rise of low-cost carriers, and Lion Air is at the forefront of the change, commanding a sizable portion of the market. For a bulk of its short-haul operations, Lion Air depends on the Boeing 737 aircraft series. Sadly, Lion Air was also one of the two carriers involved in the fatal Boeing 737 MAX planes a few years ago. But with the type undergoing software adjustments and receiving safety certification from independent aviation authorities the world over, Lion Air is willing to give the plane another chance. In July 2022, the airline confirmed that the 737 MAX is still central to the group’s plan and that it stands by the type’s order. Terminal change Ahead of its 2023 expansion plan, Lion Air Group’s international flights also moved to Terminal 2F at Jakarta’s Soekarno–Hatta International Airport on December 16th. Lion Air and Batik Air collectively enjoy more than 40% seat capacity and flight frequencies out of Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta, most of them on their domestic network. The recent terminal switch of the group’s international operations was part of a capacity balancing program at the airport. https://simpleflying.com/lion-air-group-add-nearly-80-aircraft-2023/ First gun of 2023 confiscated at Pittsburgh International Airport An Ohio woman was caught with a loaded handgun inside her makeup bag at Pittsburgh International Airport on Monday. It was the first gun of the new year found at the airport after 26 guns were caught at Pittsburgh Airport checkpoints in 2022. In this case, it was a loaded handgun tucked inside a backpack that the woman carried to the security checkpoint. Transportation Security Administration officers detected the .380-caliber handgun, which was loaded with six bullets, when the woman entered the checkpoint X-ray machine. When the gun was spotted, TSA officers notified the Allegheny County Police who confiscated the weapon. The woman told officials that she did not realize she had her gun with her and thought it was at home. “Forgetting that you are carrying a loaded handgun is irresponsible,” TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport Karen Keys-Turner said. “If you own a firearm, you need to take responsibility for knowing where it is at all times. This individual has gotten off to a very poor start to the new year. Even if someone has a permit to carry, they are still not permitted to bring a gun onto a flight.” The woman faces a civil penalty that was recently increased to up to $15,000 for a weapons violation at an airport. Even though a gun owner might have a concealed carry weapons permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane. When a traveler brings a gun to the airport, local county sheriffs are told to take that person’s concealed carry license. https://triblive.com/local/first-gun-of-2023-confiscated-at-pittsburgh-international-airport/ Curt Lewis