Flight Safety Information - January 6, 2023 No. 005 In This Issue : Incident: China Express CRJ9 at Hangzhou on Jan 3rd 2023, bird strike breaks windshield : Incident: Canada A321 at Calgary on Dec 25th 2022, cabin pressure problem : Russian MRO Set to Make Parts for Western Aircraft : U.S. FAA names experts to review Boeing safety culture after fatal crashes : What To Expect From Airbus In 2023 : IBAC Brings ICAO Rep Claude Hurley on Board : Delta Makes In-Flight Wi-Fi Free on Viasat-Equipped Aircraft : US barring Israeli pilots with foreign passports from F-35 aircraft - report Incident: China Express CRJ9 at Hangzhou on Jan 3rd 2023, bird strike breaks windshield A China Express Air Canadair CRJ-900, registration B-3298 performing flight G5-4064 from Hangzhou to Baotou (China), was climbing out of Hangzhou when the aircraft received a bird strike cracking one of the windshields prompting the crew to stop the climb at 1600 meters/5300 feet and return to Hangzhou for a safe landing on runway 06 about 90 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Hangzhou about 36 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=503475dc&opt=0 Incident: Canada A321 at Calgary on Dec 25th 2022, cabin pressure problem An Air Canada Airbus A321-200, registration C-GJVX performing flight AC-132 from Calgary,AB to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 198 people on board, was climbing out of Calgary when the crew received numerous nuisance ECAM messages followed at FL250 by a system #1 cabin pressure fault and an excess cabin pressure warning. The crew declared PAN PAN, descending to FL090 and returned to Calgary for a safe overweight landing about 75 minutes after departure. The Canadian TSB reported the cabin pressure controller was replaced. https://avherald.com/h?article=50347933&opt=0 Russian MRO Set to Make Parts for Western Aircraft Aeroflot’s need to maintain its Boeing and Airbus fleets while Russia remains subject to sanctions imposed for its invasion of Ukraine has prompted the transfer of the airline’s production facilities and human resources to MRO provider A-Technics, underscoring the country’s intention to retain possession of the Western-owned airplanes for the long term. The Russian flag carrier began the process of transferring line stations, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance facilities, and component MRO in July, a month after A-Technics obtained a certificate for design and manufacture from Russian aviation regulator Rosaviatsiya. In late September, Russian authorities extended the certificate, allowing A-Technics to design and authorize documentation for the structural repair of Western-built aircraft. Components in question include air conditioning systems, lighting equipment, windows, doors, braking devices, thrust reversers, fuselage skins, and fairings. The company also gained approval for developing documentation for production and modifications of Level III components such as parts of galleys, passenger cabins, and flight decks. “To ensure further sustainable sovereignty in continued airworthiness of the active aircraft fleet in the situation of Western OEMs being unable to provide support to Russian operators, Aeroflot will proceed with building its own competencies in developing design solutions for aircraft,” the airline said in a statement. “It intends to create a national center of competencies, which will support the wide range of customers in operating Western-built aircraft. Aeroflot’s board of directors has approved the creation of a department for developing design solutions and has taken steps towards its certification.” Not only has the plan affected Airbus’s and Boeing’s aftermarket revenue streams, the use of non-authorized parts on the airplanes—which Russia effectively confiscated upon the start of the sanctions—severely compromises the value of the aircraft because it invalidates their airworthiness under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) conventions and effectively renders them unusable outside the Russian Federation. During its general assembly last October, ICAO passed a resolution “strongly condemning” Russia’s infractions of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Specifically, it cited Russia’s move to place the airplanes, most owned by Western lessors and banks, under its own civil aviation register and, in turn, allow for their operation without valid airworthiness certificates. “The resolution…urgently calls upon the Russian Federation to resolve the issues related to the leased aircraft registered in other contracting states that have been re-registered in the Russian Federation and to prevent the operation of those aircraft without valid certificates of airworthiness, so as to remedy the infractions of Articles 18, 19, 29 and 31 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation,” said ICAO. Unfortunately for Western interests, no international mechanism exists to monitor or police the whereabouts and production of counterfeit parts, leaving condemnation by ICAO and isolation by the international community as the only measures to penalize Russia, which appears unfazed by the pressure. Airbus, for one, conceded as much in a statement to AIN. “Airbus continues to monitor sales of genuine parts and provision of services to ensure they are not in violation of sanctions or export control laws,” it said. “However, these sanctions and export control laws can only be enforced in jurisdictions that comply with international laws, resulting in the isolation of regimes targeted by the international community.” For its part, Boeing said it ceased supporting Russian airlines and maintenance providers early last year. “In early 2022, Boeing suspended providing parts, maintenance, and technical support for customers and maintenance service providers in Russia, which includes A-Technics," it confirmed. "We continue to adhere to U.S. sanctions and global laws and regulations.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2023-01-05/russian-mro-set-make-parts-western-aircraft U.S. FAA names experts to review Boeing safety culture after fatal crashes WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Thursday it had named 24 experts to review Boeing’s safety management processes and how they influence Boeing’s safety culture after two fatal 737 MAX crashes killed 346 people. The panel, which was required by Congress under a 2020 law to reform how the FAA certifies new airplanes, includes MIT lecturer and aerospace engineer Javier de Luis whose sister was killed in a MAX crash, as well as experts from NASA, the FAA, labor unions, Airbus, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, GE Aviation, FedEx Express and Pratt & Whitney. The panel will convene in the coming weeks and have nine months to complete its review and issue findings and recommendations, the FAA said. Congress directed the agency to appoint a panel by 2021, but the FAA missed that deadline. A September 2020 House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee report said the MAX crashes "were the horrific culmination of a series of faulty technical assumptions by Boeing's engineers, a lack of transparency on the part of Boeing's management, and grossly insufficient oversight by the FAA." Boeing did not immediately comment Thursday, but has previously emphasized it has made reforms to its safety culture that cost the company billions of dollars. De Luis, a lecturer in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering, told Congress in 2020 that "Boeing cannot be allowed to continue to certify its own designs, especially those systems that directly impact vehicle safety, with little to no outside review." Last month, Congress voted to lift a Dec. 27 deadline imposing a new safety standard for modern cockpit alerts for two new versions of the 737 MAX aircraft that could have put the sale of those new models at risk. In September, the FAA finalized a policy to protect aviation employees who perform government certification duties from interference by Boeing and others. In May, the FAA opted to renew Boeing's Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program for three years rather than the five years Boeing sought. The FAA continues to subject Boeing to enhanced oversight, inspecting all new Boeing 737 MAXs and 787s before they can be delivered. In November, the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General said it would audit the FAA's oversight of the MAX. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/u-faa-names-experts-review-184415879.html What To Expect From Airbus In 2023 Let's gaze at the horizon and see what is in store for the European aerospace giant in the 12 months ahead. European aerospace giant Airbus is leaving an eventful year behind - and looking ahead to a new one still characterized by some uncertainty but also a whole heap of innovation and other new developments. Follow along as we attempt to glance into the aviation crystal ball for the 12 months ahead and see what Airbus is getting up to in the year to come. We look at developments in decarbonization and new aircraft technology, production rates, the implementation of the world's largest aircraft side cargo door, and the next chapter in the bitter A350 feud with Qatar Airways. New technology in support of decarbonizing aerospace Airbus has long prided itself on being a pioneer in aviation and takes great effort to maintain and cultivate the pioneering spirit despite having attained and established leadership as one of the aerospace industry's two behemoths. And as aviation readies itself for the greatest transitional challenge it has ever faced (apart from actually taking off from the ground for the first time), Airbus, it would seem, is doing its best to live up to those intentions. The introduction of new propulsion technology is not something that happens overnight. As such, we will not see the Airbus A380 MSN001 multi-modal testbed aircraft launched into the skies with a hydrogen engine mounted to the fuselage in 2023 (despite the recent reveal of a hydrogen-electric fuel cell engine as a parallel pathway to direct combustion). However, Airbus will take several incremental and crucial steps on the way there. These include the launch of a series of tests across novel propulsion, including hydrogen and electric, and supporting technologies such as cryogenic superconductors in collaboration with CERN. The first test results of the SCALE (Super-Conductor for Aviation with Low Emissions) demonstrator are expected at the end of 2023 and will be the first step towards a long-term collaboration that will hopefully pave the way to superconducting power distribution for aircraft. In turn, this could revolutionize efficiency in airborne electric propulsion systems. Airbus has also intensified its efforts to obtain certification for a broad range of its products to operate on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In November 2022, the manufacturer operated an A330MRTT - the military variant of the Airbus A330 commercial jetliner - on 100% SAF in both engines in collaboration with the UK Royal Air Force and Rolls-Royce. Jesus Ruiz, experimental test pilot and Captain of the flight, commented on the results, “From the crew perspective, the SAF operation was ‘transparent’, meaning that no differences were observed operationally. The Test Plan was exhaustive and robust and has allowed us to compare SAF with JET1 culminating in a flight without a single drop of fossil fuel. Teamwork was a key contributor, harmonising experience from Airbus, Rolls-Royce and the RAF." The manufacturer has previously operated an A380 with one engine running on 100% SAF, as well as an A350 and an A319neo. With such a successful outcome with two engines from the RAF test, we are bound to see more 100% SAF tests in 2023 - most likely involving Airbus' commercial line of products, as well as helicopters. Especially since Virgin Atlantic intends to operate a Boeing 787 across the Atlantic on 100% SAF this year. Toward the end of 2022, Airbus also announced it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with leading sustainable fuel provider Neste to further work on the technical aspects of the challenge to reach the 100% SAF certification and, as such, jointly advance the production and uptake. What concrete steps this will mean will surely crystalize as the year unfolds. Get the latest aviation news straight to your inbox: Sign up for our newsletters today. A321XLR Airbus' extra long-range narrowbody flew for the first time in June 2022, and the test campaign now comprises three aircraft. As late as December, Airbus put the narrowbody jet through its paces with a 13-hour flight over Europe. The plane was originally intended to have entered service by now, but the project, like many other aircraft developments, has been delayed. While it has gotten some way on the path to certification, regulators are unconvinced about Airbus' proposed solution for the extra fuel tank needed to give the jet its intended "game-changing" range of 4,700 NM (8,704 km). Both the FAA and EASA are insisting that design changes be made to the Rear Center Tank (RCT) of the A321XLR, lest it potentially poses a fire hazard in the event of an otherwise survivable crash. In a document from December 8, EASA said that the tank should be put in a position “that is not likely to fail or rupture in a survivable crash condition exceeding the applicable existing emergency landing conditions.” The agency further recommended that Airbus consider including some additional fuselage design features that would mitigate the effects of potential impact and scraping. As such, we are likely to see the aerospace giant hunker down and get to work on a slightly different version of the A321XLR than it had originally intended, one that could potentially cost some of the range announced in a bid to gain regulatory approval. However, industry sources familiar with the process say that any design changes in search of regulatory approval would not detrimentally impact the unique characteristics of the much-awaited game-changer single-aisle jet. First deliveries are now expected to take place in 2024. Aircraft production rates In early December, Airbus stated it was no longer maintaining the predicted aircraft delivery target for 2022. However, production will see a ramp-up in 2023. This includes increasing the output for, in the words of former Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy, "nice little aircraft," the A220. Over the next couple of years, the manufacturer will increase the production rate for the inherited Bombardier C-series jet to 14 aircraft per month - ten of which will be produced on parallel lines in Mirabel, Quebec. This is part of an efficiency and cost-cutting drive for the A220, which, despite its popularity and an orderbook for close to 800 units, has failed to reach profitability yet. Meanwhile, the first half of 2023 will see Airbus break ground on a new 350,000-square-foot facility in Mobile for an additional final assembly line for the A320 family. Planes are expected to roll out of the building for the first time in 2025. The expansion of Airbus' Alabama site will also feature a new paint shop, and there will be further modifications to the main hangar of the location. Airbus' FAL in Tianjin, China, has become A321 compatible and began assembling the first larger sibling of the A320 family in November 2022. The first A321 to be assembled in Tianjin is expected to be handed over to its customer airline during the first quarter of 2023. All of Airbus' A320 FALs globally can now also assemble the longer range, higher capacity A321. This is part of an industrial strategy to de-risk the production ramp-up and to meet the rising share of A321 production. Supply chain issues have caused delays in the delivery from both Boeing and Airbus over the past year, and are forcing the latter to delay the ramp-up of its A320neo output by about six months. This means that instead of rolling them out at a rate of 65 aircraft per month from next summer, this figure will be reached instead in early 2024. Airbus is also reportedly delaying the delivery of some 2023 A320neo deliveries as a result of the global shortages. However, despite the momentary delays in increasing production, the company remains confident it will hit a delivery rate of 65 A320 family jets per month in 2024, increasing to 75 by 2025. Aircraft manufacturers have seen orders begin to pour in again for single-aisle jets following the lull of the pandemic. Larger jets have, unsurprisingly, not seen the same bounce-back in demand. Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter are expecting to see a return to a more normal state of affairs for widebody orders in 2023 through 2024. The latest information is still that Airbus will increase its A350 production from about five currently to six in early 2023. Qatar Airways A350 conflict Speaking of widebodies, the highly infected dispute between Qatar Airways and Airbus over the paint quality control issues of the airline's A350s is set to take yet another turn in the new year. Technical experts will inspect aircraft in Doha in January, and British High Court Justice Waksman will travel to both Doha and Toulouse to look at the planes. A summit is scheduled for January 11 in Doha between the OEM and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), which we imagine will be a meeting of not insignificant tensions. The legal battle will most likely continue throughout the best part of the year, and the trial will be split into two parts. The first will take place in June and focus on liability. Meanwhile, a decision on the size of the damage claims will be decided on at a later date. Airbus has admitted to the quality issues but denies this is due to design. Furthermore, it says it has been prevented by the airline from accessing relevant information, among other complaints relating to millions of dollars in "purchase incentives." Qatar Airways, meanwhile, claims that Airbus has failed to provide technical information regarding the defect and that regulators at EASA had been influenced by the planemaker regarding the aircraft. The bitter legal proceedings and mutual vitriol are far from over and are set to continue for the remainder of the year and beyond. This is one instance we are not that excited to say, "watch this space." A350F livery design reveal and XL-MDCD implementation In October 2022, Airbus announced a competition where it invited people to submit designs for the livery of its forthcoming cargo widebody, the A350F. The last date for submissions was in November. Meanwhile, the winning design on the 1000m2 (622mi2) state-of-the-art freighter aircraft canvas will be revealed during the Le Bourget Paris Airshow, taking place in June 2023. The winner will also be presented with a model replica during the event. Furthermore, in the coming year, Airbus will be working on integrating the largest side cargo door for any airliner into its new widebody freighter. This design change follows continuous feedback and dialogue with customers, and the XL Main Deck Cargo Door (XL-MDCD) will now measure 175 inches in width instead of the 146.5 inches on the version initially announced. The manufacturer says it will be able to fit the Trent 7000 engine (which exclusively powers the A330neo) in one go. https://simpleflying.com/what-to-expect-from-airbus-2023/ IBAC Brings ICAO Rep Claude Hurley on Board Claude Hurley, a former Transport Canada official and permanent representative of Canada to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, has taken the role of director of environment and flight operations for the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). In this position, Hurley will lead IBAC’s environmental initiatives, including efforts to raise awareness of sustainable aviation fuel and other measures to reduce business aviation’s environmental footprint. In addition, he will represent IBAC at key ICAO bodies that set standards and guidance on environmental and operational safety matters. “We are honored to have Claude join the IBAC team," said IBAC director general Kurt Edwards. “Given his respected work at ICAO as Canada’s representative to the council and as an air navigation commissioner, his regulatory experience at Transport Canada, and his flying assignments around the world, he brings a depth of understanding of the environmental and operational complexities facing international business aviation.” As the permanent representative of Canada to ICAO, Hurley has held key roles at the international body over the past nine years, including two terms as president of the Air Navigation Commission. He also worked on a range of environmental, safety, security, new entrants, and pandemic-related issues. A former officer and pilot in the Canadian Armed Forces, Hurley joined Transport Canada in 2010, leading aviation safety oversight teams. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-01-05/ibac-brings-icao-rep-claude-hurley-board Delta Makes In-Flight Wi-Fi Free on Viasat-Equipped Aircraft Delta CEO Ed Bastian was the keynote for the CES C Space program in Las Vegas on Jan. 5. Photo: Rank Studios for Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines is offering free in-flight connectivity (IFC) on Viasat-equipped aircraft this year, a major vote for free IFC service from one of the top U.S. airlines. Delta announced Thursday it is making Wi-Fi free through a partnership with T-Mobile for all customers on board most domestic mainline flights beginning Feb. 1. The airline will offer the service on more than 700 Viasat-equipped aircraft by the end of the year, and on international and regional aircraft by the end of 2024. T-Mobile customers already had access to free in-flight Wi-Fi and now that will expand to all customers. This follows after a Viasat IFC deal with Delta in 2021. Delta is pitching this as a “core element of its customer experience.” “At work, at home and everywhere in between, connectivity is essential to daily life, and your journey on Delta should be no different,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said at CES on Thursday. “Our vision has long been to deliver an experience at 30,000 feet that feels similar to what our customers have available on the ground.” Don Buchman, vice president of Commercia Aviation for Viasat said the company is support to the free Wi-Fi. “Viasat’s system – from the satellites to how we manage bandwidth — has been designed over many years to enable consistent, high-quality Wi-Fi at scale for customers like Delta, so those traveling on Viasat-equipped Delta aircraft can enjoy their favorite content — similar to how they would at home,” he said. https://www.satellitetoday.com/mobility/2023/01/05/delta-makes-in-flight-wi-fi-free-on-viasat-equipped-aircraft/ US barring Israeli pilots with foreign passports from F-35 aircraft - report This move by the US stems from an increasingly expanding focus on information security and safeguarding US interests. The US Defense Department and intelligence authorities are barring Israel Air Force (IAF) pilots with foreign passports from flying F-35 fighter jets, in fear of information security and technology leaks. This move by the US stems from an increasingly expanding focus on information security and safeguarding US interests. As a result, sources claim the IAF accepted this stipulation and gave up assigning pilots to F-35 Adir aircraft. What is the F-35 Adir fighter jet? The Adir fighter jet is a single-seater aircraft, a multi-mission stealth plane that can be used for intelligence gathering and attack missions. It is also the only fighter jet with a compartment for storing untraceable weaponry. Each F-35 Adir fighter jet costs between $85 million and $100 million. It can fly as fast as Mach 1.6 with a range of 2,200 kilometers. Israel has already purchased 50 of these aircraft from the US, with the possibility of buying 25 more in the future. In total, the IAF will have three operational IAF squadrons within a decade. Meanwhile, in an unrelated develpment, US government officials recently reached out to the IDF and expressed concern about the fact that the Israeli military has cars made in China that are used by IDF officers. The US expressed worries that Chinese cars with advanced multimedia systems could tag sensitive information from IDF officers' cellphones and store them in a Cloud network for Chinese intelligence. However, a compromise was found on this issue, with sensitive information being transferred to a protected and secure Israeli Cloud system. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-726853 Curt Lewis