Flight Safety Information - March 13, 2023 No. 049 In This Issue : Incident: Iceland B39M at Toronto on Mar 4th 2023, tail strike on balked landing : Incident: LOT B788 at Warsaw on Mar 12th 2023, could not retract nose gear : Incident: THY B738 at Erzurum on Mar 11th 2023, engine pod strike : Accident: Trigana B735 at Yahukimo on Mar 11th 2023, aircraft being shot at : Incident: LATAM A320 at Cucuta on Mar 10th 2023, rejected takeoff due to bird strike : Incident: United B739 at Newark on Mar 8th 2023, blew tyre on departure : Incident: Jet2 B738 at London on Mar 9th 2023, flaps problems on departure : Small jet slides off Salinas Airport runway : IATA Reveals A Yearly Increase In Airline Accidents : Toxic fumes on board airplanes? Airlines may finally have to do something about it : National Transportation Safety Board chair on airplane close calls : Lessor seizes four Flair Airlines B737 MAX : Air India pilots allowed to fly 2 aircraft types : United offers a training program to address the pilot shortage. Its first graduating class was 80% women or minorities. : Lockheed Martin unveils most advanced F-16 fighter jet in the world, delivering it to Bahrain : Saudi Arabia Announces New Airline and Possibly a Big Deal with Boeing : Airbus A350: EASA issues directive to fix gear door issue : EVA Air To Purchase 5 Boeing 787 Dreamliners : Two American Eagle Flight Attendants Get Into ‘Heated Argument’ Over Seat Assignments And Offload Themselves, Deserting Passengers Incident: Iceland B39M at Toronto on Mar 4th 2023, tail strike on balked landing An Icelandair Boeing 737-9 MAX, registration TF-ICA performing flight FI-603 from Keflavik (Iceland) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 177 passengers and 6 crew, was landing on Toronto's runway 33R, the next departure already received clearance to line up for departure, when the crew initiated a go around advising tower they had balked their landing to be safe. The aircraft climbed to 4000 feet and positioned for another approach to runway 33R. The aircraft landed without further incident about 13 minutes after the balked landing. A post flight inspection revealed the tail of the aircraft had contacted the runway surface. The Canadian TSB reported they are monitoring but not investigating the occurrence (class 5). The aircraft remained on the ground in Toronto until Mar 9th 2023, then positioned back to Keflavik. The aircraft returned to service on Mar 11th 2023. On Mar 13th 2023 the TSB added that the aircraft was on approach to runway 33R "when a glide slope fluctuation caused the autopilot to disconnect. The flight crew continued flying the approach manually. The aircraft deviated above the glide slope (GS) in the later part of the approach, as a result the pilot flying (PF) increased the rate of decent. Just prior to the point of flare, the flight crew increased the nose up pitch to slow the aircraft, but the aircraft touched down hard and bounced. The PIC called for a go around after the bounce and the aircraft was brought around for a second approach. The aircraft landed without further incident. The next flight crew noticed that the tail skid was damaged on their walkaround. Maintenance confirmed the tail skid crush cartridge needed to be replaced, there was no other damage to aircraft." https://avherald.com/h?article=5063b57f&opt=0 Incident: LOT B788 at Warsaw on Mar 12th 2023, could not retract nose gear A LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787-8, registration SP-LRB performing flight LO-1097 from Warsaw (Poland) to Seoul (South Korea), was climbing out of Warsaw's runway 33 when the crew requested to stop the climb at FL100 advising of a malfunction. The crew subsequently advised they could not retract their nose gear, climbed the aircraft to FL170 to dump fuel and returned to Warsaw for a safe landing on runway 33 about 100 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 787-8 registration SP-LRA departed Warsaw about 2 hours after landing and is estimated to reach Seoul with a delay of about 3:45 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50654d32&opt=0 Incident: THY B738 at Erzurum on Mar 11th 2023, engine pod strike A THY Turkish Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration TC-JFH performing flight TK-7072 from Ankara to Erzurum (Turkey), landed in Erzurum at 14:21L (11:21Z) but struck one of its engine pods onto the runway surface. The aircraft is still on the ground in Erzurum about 11 hours after landing. The airline confirmed the aircraft suffered a engine pod strike while landing in strong cross winds. https://avherald.com/h?article=5064ac77&opt=0 Accident: Trigana B735 at Yahukimo on Mar 11th 2023, aircraft being shot at A Trigana Air Boeing 737-500, registration PK-YSC performing flight IL-221 from Jayapura to Yahukimo (Indonesia) with 66 people on board, was on approach to Yahukimo's when 4 gun shots were heard. The aircraft landed without further incident. The aircraft turned around and performed the return flight IL-222 to Jayapura, when during takeoff 5 gun shots were heard. The aircraft continued to Jayapura for a safe landing on runway 30. Indonesia's police reported 4 gun shots were heard when the airplane landed arriving from Jayapura, 5 more gun shots were heard when the aircraft departed. A post flight inspection after landing back in Jayapura revealed a gun shot hole in the bottom of the fuselage, that also penetrated seat 7C. A passenger was injured by shrapnel from that gun shot. The police were able to chase the perpetrators and arrested seven people. Further investigation is underway. The aircraft is still on the ground in Jayapura about 14 hours after landing in Jayapura. The airline suspended flights to Yahukimo as result. https://avherald.com/h?article=50649c23&opt=0 Incident: LATAM A320 at Cucuta on Mar 10th 2023, rejected takeoff due to bird strike A LATAM Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration CC-BAT performing flight LA-4361 from Cucuta to Medellin (Colombia), was accelerating for takeoff from Cucuta's runway 34 when the left hand engine (CFM56) ingested a bird prompting the crew to reject takeoff at high speed (about 110 knots over ground). The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. The flight was cancelled. https://avherald.com/h?article=5063b35e&opt=0 Incident: United B739 at Newark on Mar 8th 2023, blew tyre on departure A United Boeing 737-900, registration N61898 performing flight UA-2317 from Newark,NJ to Miami,FL (USA) with 189 people on board, departed Newark's runway 04L when the crew reported still on tower they probably had blown a tyre on rotation and asked whether tower had seen anything, tower replied in the negative. The crew levelled off at 5000 feet and entered a hold, consulted with dispatch and subsequently decided to return to Newark. The crew declared emergency explaining they were doing an overweight landing. The aircraft landed safely on Newark's runway 04R about one hour after departure. A passenger reported the crew indicated they had blown a main tyre past V1 and returned to Newark, emergency services were meeting the aircraft. The aircraft stopped for a brief check, then was towed to the apron. https://avherald.com/h?article=5063adb1&opt=0 Incident: Jet2 B738 at London on Mar 9th 2023, flaps problems on departure A Jet2.com Boeing 737-800, registration G-DRTL performing flight LS-1465 from London Stansted,EN (UK) to Antalya (Turkey), was climbing out of Stansted Airport when the crew stopped the climb at FL150 due to a problem with the flaps. The crew subsequently decided to divert to Manchester,EN (UK), climbed to FL200 and landed safely on Manchester's runway 05R about 75 minutes after departure. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration G-GDFZ continued the flight and reached Antalya with a delay of about 3:50 hours. The airline reported a minor fault indication prompted the diversion to Manchester. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 9.5 hours, then performed a test flight and returned to service on Mar 10th 2023 about 23 hours after the occurrence landing in Manchester. https://avherald.com/h?article=50639fa2&opt=0 Small jet slides off Salinas Airport runway SALINAS, Calif. — A small jet slid off a runway at the Salinas Airport on Friday. According to the Salinas Fire Department, a Cessna jet departed Van Nuys Airport around 6:00 a.m. and arrived at the Salinas Airport at 7:00 a.m. Upon landing, the jet slid about 60 feet off the runway into a muddy field. A preliminary report speculated the jet's anti-skid function could have malfunctioned on the wet and rainy runway. Four people were on board the jet, including the pilot. No one was injured. https://www.ksbw.com/article/small-plane-slides-off-salinas-airport-runway/43277232 IATA Reveals A Yearly Increase In Airline Accidents The IATA released its annual airline safety performance The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its annual airline safety report. The safety report describes the aviation accidents and incidents throughout the entire year and compares those numbers to previous years. IATA is an association that represents over 300 airlines in the world, encompassing 83% of total air traffic. It partners with various other groups to focus on improving safety and reliability in the aviation industry. The IATA states that its mission is to represent, lead, and serve the airline industry and has been doing so for more than 70 years. The annual IATA Safety Report (ISR) has been released annually since 1964. It is the definitive source for tracking commercial aviation's safety performance and the industry's best safety practices. IATA uses a data-driven approach and data analysis to identify possible recurring safety issues. Using this data, the IATA can then validate accidents, assign contributing factors, and then develop recommendations. These recommendations are given through Detail Implementation Plans (DIPs) to address high-risk categories. Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General, spoke about this year's IATA Safety Report, saying, "Accidents are rare in aviation. There were five fatal accidents on 32.2 million flights in 2022. That tells us that flying is among the safest activities in which a person can engage. But even though the risk of flying is exceptionally low, it is not risk-free. "Careful analysis of the trends that are emerging even at these very high levels of safety is what will make flying even safer. Safety is aviation’s highest priority, and our goal is to have every flight take off and land safely regardless of region or aircraft type" Accidents slightly increase The IATA's annual safety report utilizes various metrics to convey how safe the industry is over the course of the year. IATA recorded 39 total accidents in 2022, up slightly from 2021 when only 29 were recorded. However, this is better than the 5-year average (2018-2022) in which 43 accidents occurred on average. The slight increase from 2021 is most likely due to the increase in total flights. 32.2 million flights were recorded in 2022. In 2021, only 25.7 million flights were recorded. These are both lower than the 5-year average, which is 34.4 million flights, although 2022 was on track to get back to that average. The IATA uses a metric called all-accident rate to also represent the safety of the aviation industry. The all-accident rate is measured by accidents per one million flights. The all-accident rate in 2022 was 1.21, which is equivalent to 1 accident in every 0.83 million flights. This is up slightly from 2021, in which the all-accident rate was 1.13 or 1 accident every 0.89 million flights.The all-accident rate is also lower than the 5-year average, which is 1.26 or 1 accident every 0.81 million flights. Additionally, the airlines that are members of the IATA experienced a much lower all-accident rate. In 2022, IATA members had an all-accident rate of 0.49 or 1 accident in every 2.1 million flights. This is down from 2021, which was 0.61 and lower than the 5-year average of 0.76. Fatal accident decrease The safety report also showed a decrease in fatal accidents. In 2022, there were five fatal accidents that involved the loss of life to the passengers and/ or crew of the flight. This is lower than the seven recorded fatal accidents in 2021 and lower than the 5-year average, which is also seven. Of the five recorded fatal accidents in 2021, four were turboprop planes, and one was a jet. In the five fatal accidents in 2022, there were 158 recorded onboard fatalities. This was a slight increase compared to 2021, which recorded 121 onboard fatalities. This is, however, still lower than the 5-year average of 231 fatalities. The majority of these fatalities were in a single aircraft accident in China that resulted in 132 fatalities. An additional accident occurred in Tanzania that resulted in 19 fatalities. The IATA also uses a metric called fatality risk to represent the risk of being involved in an accident that includes fatalities of the onboard passengers or the onboard crew. The fatality risk in 2022 was 0.11, which is lower than the 0.23 that was recorded in 2021 and also lower than the 5-year average, which was 0.13. The fatality risk of 0.11 in 2022 means that a passenger would have to take a flight every single day for 25,214 years to experience a 100% fatal accident. This is better than the 5-year average, where the passenger would have to fly for 22,116 years. Regional differences The IATA safety report also records the accidents that occur by region of the world. The regions are split up across the world and divided up between jet hull losses and turboprop hull losses. These are recorded as hull losses per one million departures. Of the eight regions that the IATA uses, five regions recorded zero jet hull losses. Those five regions were Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, and North America. The Commonwealth of Independent States had the highest recorded value, with 1.18 jet hull losses per one million departures. The global rate is calculated to be 0.17 jet hull losses per one million departures. The turboprop hull losses per one million departures value was much higher at 1.47. Six of the recorded regions, Asia-Pacific, Commonwealth of Independent States, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, North America, and North Asia, all had zero turboprop hull losses. Africa and Latin America each had a value greater than five turboprop hull losses, so the global value was brought up by those numbers. Turboprop flights represent just 10.6% of the total flights flown in the world. However, turboprops were involved in 36% of all accidents in 2022. This includes turboprops representing 80% of fatal accidents and 15% of all fatalities. The IATA uses regional information to give recommendations to these areas. Walsh spoke about this, saying, "Both sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America saw increases in turboprop accidents last year. Introduction and adherence to global standards (including IOSA) are key to reversing this trend. The priority for Africa continues to be the implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) safety-related standards and recommended practices (SARPS)." https://simpleflying.com/iata-increase-airline-accidents-2022/ Toxic fumes on board airplanes? Airlines may finally have to do something about it New legislation would require airplanes to be equipped with sensors to detect air contamination from heated engine oil or other mechanical failures. The airline industry would be forced to adopt new measures to protect passengers and crew members from toxic fumes on airplanes under a bill introduced in Congress this month. The legislation aims to address a basic fact of flying: The air you breathe on planes comes directly from the jet engines. Under normal conditions the air is safe, but if there’s a mechanical issue, heated jet engine oil and other aviation fluids can leak into the air supply, potentially releasing toxic gases into the plane. While homes and offices across the country are required to have carbon monoxide detectors, airplanes have no such requirement. “We all are breathing contaminated air,” said Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove), the bill’s sponsor in the House. Like many Congress members, Garamendi is a frequent flier, and he has long worried about his own cumulative exposure to toxic gases, he said. Often, “there’s a strong odor that you’re breathing something you shouldn’t,” Garamendi said. “Anyone who’s been on an airplane when they start the engine knows exactly what I’m talking about it.” The legislation would create new mandates for crew training and for reporting and investigating fume events. Planes would be required to be equipped with sensors to detect air contamination. Lawmakers cited a Los Angeles Times investigation that found that dangerous vapors contaminate the air supply on planes with alarming frequency, sometimes sickening passengers and crew and incapacitating pilots during flights. Over a two-year period, nearly 400 pilots, flight attendants and passengers reported receiving medical attention after these “fume events,” and four dozen pilots were described as impaired to the point of being unable to perform their duties, The Times found. “Our legislation takes action where the FAA and airline industry haven’t — requiring air detector and monitoring equipment, incident reporting, and investigations of these events to ensure a safer travel experience for all Americans,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the bill’s sponsor in the Senate, said in a statement. The bill is also co-sponsored by Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). Major unions across the industry representing pilots, flight attendants and mechanics are backing the legislation. “It is unacceptable that airline passengers and crewmembers may be exposed to toxins while flying — toxins that may lead to respiratory and neurological conditions, including breathing difficulties, headaches, and fatigue,” Transport Workers Union of America International President John Samuelsen said in a statement. Scientists have long warned of potential dangers from breathing heated jet engine oil, which contains tricresyl phosphate, or TCP, a highly toxic chemical that can damage the nervous system. TCP can have immediate effects such as headaches and dizziness, as well as longer-term effects such as tremors and memory problems, experts say. Some pilots and flight attendants have experienced serious health problems, including brain damage, after fume events, The Times found. The bill would require a major overhaul of current practices. No government agency tracks fume events or how often people become sick or impaired. Without sensors to measure air quality, planes rely on a low-tech method: the smell test. Internal documents from airlines and aircraft manufacturers provide detailed instructions for identifying oil and hydraulic fluid contamination in the air supply by smells such as “dirty socks,” “musty” and “acrid,” The Times found. The legislation would require airplanes to have sensors that would “alert the pilot and flight attendants to poor air quality that is dangerous to human health,” and it would mandate that airlines and manufacturers develop procedures on how to respond to alarms. The proposed Cabin Air Safety Act is not the first time lawmakers have tackled the issue. Congress has twice held hearings on airplane air quality — in 1994 and 2003. Similar pieces of legislation have repeatedly languished in committee. Backers of the new bill hope that it can be included in the FAA Reauthorization Act — a potentially easier vehicle than passing a one-off piece of legislation. It’s unclear what opposition, if any, the bill may face. Aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus did not respond to questions about their positions on the legislation. “Mandated regulations and monitoring requirements are premature in the absence of scientific studies that validate a health concern, reliable and accurate sensor technologies, and detection standards,” Marli Collier, a spokesperson for Airlines for America, the air carriers’ lobbying arm, wrote in a statement. Studies on airplane air quality have looked only at normal flights in which no fume events were reported. No major research has ever measured the chemicals in fume events as they occur. In 2003, Congress ordered the FAA to measure the toxic chemical levels in such events, but the airlines refused to let flight attendants carry air samplers aboard, according to an FAA-funded research report. The FAA declined to comment on pending legislation. “Studies have shown cabin air is as good as or better than the air found in offices and homes,” the agency previously told The Times. “The cabin air inside Boeing airplanes is safe,” a spokesperson for Boeing previously wrote in a statement to The Times. “Due to the high air exchange rate and HEPA recirculation filtration system, air quality on Boeing aircraft compares favorably to other indoor air environments like schools, office buildings, and homes, as numerous impartial, third-party studies have found.” But HEPA filters can screen particles only above a certain size. They are not effective against gases. Boeing previously told The Times that scientific studies have not proved a link between fume events and health problems. The company previously said it has not equipped its planes with air sensors because suppliers have not “demonstrated the existence” of devices that could “reliably detect contaminated bleed air.” But the Times investigation found that Boeing managers had legal concerns that went beyond technological shortcomings. Senior Boeing engineers worried that data from sensors could prove damaging if used as evidence in lawsuits brought by sick passengers and crew members, according to internal emails and sworn depositions. An internal Boeing memo described it as a “risk” to give air sensors to even one airline, according to a deposition of a Boeing executive. “Flight attendant, pilot unions, and congressional supporters could use this effort as evidence that sensors are needed and ... to drive their agenda forward to have bleed air sensors required on all aircraft,” said the 2015 memo, which Boeing turned over in litigation. Garamendi, the bill’s sponsor in the House, noted that air monitoring equipment is “readily available.” “For the airlines, ignorance is money. If the toxic exposure were known, then you’d be looking at long-term health effects that may lead to workers’ compensation” claims, lawsuits and requirements that manufacturers change “the design of the airplanes,” Garamendi said. https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-03-10/heads-up-boeing-says-congressman-tackling-toxic-fumes-on-airplanes National Transportation Safety Board chair on airplane close calls Homendy discussed railroad and airplane safety. As the aviation system is facing questions after at least six "close call" incidents between airplanes since December, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy acknowledged risks while voicing confidence in the system. "We are still the safest aviation system in the world," Homendy told ABC "This Week" anchor Martha Raddatz on Sunday. "There are clearly risks that we need to evaluate, and this is why the NTSB is investigating several incidents so it doesn't become something more catastrophic." One of these incidents involved a United Airlines 777 aircraft apparently taking a nosedive after departing from Hawaii. The plane carrying hundreds of passengers from Maui to San Francisco went down to 775 feet above the Pacific Ocean before pilots could regain control. A formal investigation was not opened until two months later, as United reportedly did not report the incident to NTSB because they believed there was no need to as there were no passenger injuries or damage to the aircraft. "Should that criteria be changed?" Raddatz pressed. "The criteria for accidents and incidents is something that we will look at and constantly review," Homendy responded. "We didn't have a full investigation of it because it occurred on the same day as another very turbulent event in Hawaii. But it is something that we are investigating." Raddatz asked whether the aviation system is being pushed "too hard" following the immense toll the COVID-19 pandemic took on the industry. "I think it's a difficult time for the aviation industry," Homendy responded. "I think, you know, we saw a lot of layoffs. We saw a lot of employees retire, we have new employees coming on that are being trained. We have drones coming online, air taxis, so it's a difficult time and it's really a transitional time for the aviation industry." Homendy assured Raddatz that the National Transportation Safety Board is "very concerned" about these incidents, emphasizing the overall progress of aviation over the last several decades. "Can you confirm that these incidents, these very close calls are on the rise?" Raddatz asked. "They are on the rise," Homendy answered, adding that "the FAA needs to take action." Data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows the number of overall runway incidents at U.S. airports has increased, but the number of most serious close calls at U.S. airports has decreased over the last two decades. The NTSB chief also addressed concerns over railroad safety, particularly in the wake of the February train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Homendy on Sunday said the agency is not satisfied with new safety goals outlined by Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw. "They are not robust enough," Homendy told Raddatz. "I think we'll be looking at more recommendations as part of our investigation." Shaw testified in front of Congress this week as the town of East Palestine is still reeling from a toxic spill in early February. That and other incidents raised questions about overall transportation safety. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/national-transportation-safety-board-chair-norfolk-southerns-new/story?id=97791689 Lessor seizes four Flair Airlines B737 MAX A commercial dispute with lessor Airborne Capital saw the attachment of four of Flair Airlines' B737 MAX at the weekend, the airline confirmed to local media. A statement from the airline called the move by "a New York-based hedge fund" to take the aircraft "extreme and unusual." Calgary Sun newspaper reported the aircraft were seized in Toronto Pearson, Edmonton International, and Kitchener. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Flair leases six B737-8s from Airborne Capital. The ultra-low-cost carrier has a leased fleet of 19 of the type, as well as three B737-800s. ADS-B data shows that C-FLKA (msn 64943) was attached in Edmonton and C-FLKC (msn 61807) was attached in Toronto on March 11, but both are back in service, while FLKD (msn 61806) is still parked at Kitchener since March 10, as is C-FLKI (msn 64944) which has been parked at Edmonton since March 10. The company statement said Flair would use "additional fleet capacity" to lessen the impact on passengers, adding it did not foresee any major disruptions to its route map. Spokesman Mike Arnot confirmed to the newspaper that the lessor involved was Airborne Capital. He said several flights were cancelled on March 11, but the company had three spare aircraft to backfill those flights. He said passengers would either be accommodated on Flair flights or another airline at Flair's expense. Passengers could also rebook and receive reimbursement within seven days. A person familiar with the matter but who was not authorized to speak publicly about it said the payments for the affected aircraft were only a few days behind, and the amount owed was small relative to Flair's overall revenue. Neither Flair nor the lessor immediately responded to a request for comment from ch-aviation. Flair said the airline had been involved in "ongoing communications" with the leasing company, and "payment has been initiated." "Flair Airlines will continue to engage in a consensual mediation with the lessor to remedy the situation," the statement said. Flair Airlines launched in 2004 as a charter airline and began offering regularly scheduled service in 2018. The ultra-low-cost airline announced in September it planned to become Canada's third-largest domestic airline by this summer and would expand its fleet to 30 aircraft by the end of 2023, serving 70 routes. At a media briefing on March 7, Chief Executive Officer Stephen Jones told ch-aviation the airline had reduced the number of B737-8s to be delivered this year from eight to six, totalling twentyfive B737-8s, reflecting both its view of the market and aircraft and pilot availability. Flair previously expected delivery of eight more B737-8 MAX in the spring/summer of 2023 from early March to mid-June 2023. Jones said the airline still had an overall goal of getting to 50 aircraft by 2025. The airline last year faced a protracted battle with Canadian regulators over whether its relationship with US lessor and minority shareholder 777 Partners violated rules restricting foreign entities to no more than 49% ownership of a Canadian airline. The dispute ended when the Canadian Transportation Agency ruled the airline was Canadian and could keep its licence, following Flair's moves to rejig the composition of its board to ensure at least half the directors are Canadian and to end any unique shareholder rights by the investor. https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/125447-lessor-seizes-four-flair-airlines-b737-max Air India pilots allowed to fly 2 aircraft types The airline has welcomed DGCA nod to draw pilots from a common pool for Boeing 777 and 787 jets, but safety experts have underlined the need to exercise utmost caution while permitting flexibility in crew utilisation and demanded strict and third-party oversight on the exercise Acceding to a long-pending demand from Air India to allow it to use a common pool of pilots for different aircraft types, aviation regulator DGCA has allowed a small batch of its cockpit crew to interchange between Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft on a trial basis to enable the airline to use its crew optimally at a time it is staring at a widening shortage of pilots. Acceding to a long-pending demand from Air India to allow it to use a common pool of pilots for different aircraft types, aviation regulator DGCA has allowed a small batch of its cockpit crew to interchange between Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft on a trial basis to enable the airline to use its crew optimally at a time it is staring at a widening shortage of pilots. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Rmalingam Acceding to a long-pending demand from Air India to allow it to use a common pool of pilots for different aircraft types, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has allowed a small batch of its cockpit crew to interchange between Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft on a trial basis to enable the airline to use its crew optimally at a time of a widening shortage of pilots. The pilot fraternity and safety experts have, however, underlined the need to exercise utmost caution while permitting flexibility in crew utilisation, and demanded strict and third-party oversight on the exercise. In a letter to Air India on March 3, aviation regulator DGCA allowed mixed fleet trial operations, identifying eight pilot examiners (those who certify other pilots) to be part of the phase 1 of the trial. The pilots, some of whom fly Boeing 777s and others Boeing 787s, will undergo ground and simulator training for changeover from one type to the other. Following this, they will be able to fly a minimum of 150 hours on the new type, including a minimum of 10 landings. Trial period “This exercise will enable us to collect empirical data and decide the future course of action on scaling up the trial,” said a senior DGCA official on the condition of anonymity. The official added that 16 countries around the world allow interchangeability of pilots, but they too have done so in a phased manner. “The demand has been there for quite sometime, but such a decision involves extensive due diligence which is why it took time,” the official added. In an internal message to Air India employees, the airline’s CEO Campbell Wilson welcomed the decision as it would enable “captains on both fleets to operate either type, expanding their experience, professional development, variety and operating scope, as well as according the company more resilience and flexibility.” He said that the decision would make Air India the first and only airline in India to have this approval. Last month, Air India announced an order of 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, which includes 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777-9s. This means the airline now requires “7,000-8,000” pilots in the next 10 years which some within the airline describe as a “nightmare” situation given that the airline has seen some cancellations on long-haul flights to the U.S. due to existing crew shortage. The airline’s CEO acknowledged this and said that efforts to restore aircraft in disrepair had led to a mismatch. Need for caution Mohan Ranganathan, aviation safety expert and former instructor pilot of Boeing 737, has called for the need to exercise caution. “An airline’s commercial interests should not drive regulatory decisions,” he told The Hindu. On October 12, 1976, Captain K.D. Gupta, who was then the Operations Manager at Indian Airlines in Mumbai, flew a Boeing 737 from Delhi to Mumbai and after spending the remaining day finishing his office work had to step in to fly a Caravelle flight to Chennai because of non-availability of crew. During take-off, there was engine fire and he could not shut off the fuel supply because on a Caravelle plane, the pilot moves the switch down to turn it off, but on a Boeing plane, it is the other way around. “The last sentence recorded on the cockpit voice recorder was, ‘I am very very tired’,” recounted Captain Ranganathan. All onboard the Caravelle plane died. “When a pilot is fatigued, he or she will revert to old habits or recall steps to operate the old machine he is accustomed to,” he explained. “Therefore, if this is being done to meet crew shortage, the DGCA must ensure that there is an independent audit. Let’s not forget that many examiners at Air India are appointed not on the basis of competence, but because of their connections.” Even though Boeing 787s and 777s are aircraft by the same manufacturer, they have different cockpit instrumentation. https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/dgca-allows-air-india-to-use-pilots-interchangeably-on-different-aircraft-types/article66604634.ece United offers a training program to address the pilot shortage. Its first graduating class was 80% women or minorities. In response to the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and the subsequent increase in travel demand, airlines hired nearly 50,000 employees last year. But the industry is struggling to find enough qualified pilots. The pilot shortage has prompted United Airlines to take a new approach and organize its own training program for aspiring pilots. United Airlines launched its Aviate Academy in 2022 to address the shortage and diversify a workforce that is overwhelmingly White and male. The academy's first graduating class was 80% women or minorities. "It looks nothing like the industry. But guess what it does look like. It does look like the demographic we serve. It looks like our passengers," said Ricki Foster, an aspiring airline pilot who completed basic pilot training outside of Phoenix, Arizona. By some estimates, airlines worldwide could be 60,000 pilots short by the end of the decade. United Airlines anticipates that major U.S. carriers will have demand for 10,000 new pilots this year alone, but that only about 6,600 qualified candidates will be available. Despite the potential for a six-figure salary, the cost and years of training required to become an airline pilot discourage many people from pursuing the profession. Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, said United is the first major U.S. carrier to start its own flight school, which offers opportunities for individuals who lack a military background or the financial resources needed for training. "Basically, you either had to go through the military or you needed to have access to someone willing to give you a hundred, $150,000 to get through all the training," he said. "It's just a huge barrier to entry." Josh Azua left his job as a police officer in the Denver area to enroll at Aviate. He plans to work as a flight instructor, gain more flight experience and eventually join an airline. The Aviate Academy won't have an impact in the short-term, since aspiring airline pilots are still several years away from showing up for their first day in a United Airlines cockpit, Kirby said. "But it is the right kind of long-term answer to ... not just solving the pilot shortage, but creating good careers for people and giving people access to careers that can be life-changing for them, their families and their communities," he said. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-airlines-training-program-aviate-academy-pilot-shortage-graduating-class-women-minorities/ Lockheed Martin unveils most advanced F-16 fighter jet in the world, delivering it to Bahrain The jet was made in Greenville (S.C.) and will be the first of at least dozens to supply allied countries' air forces. Lockheed Martin called it the "falcon of the future," the most advanced F-16 fighter jet of all time. "I've been fortunate enough to fly the F-16 for 17 years," said test pilot Monessa Balzhiser. "And I can say without a doubt flying the Block 70 F-16 was one of the top highlights of my career." When the Kingdom of Bahrain contracted Lockheed Martin to make the F-16 Block 70, the company overhauled its assembly system during a pandemic, building the jet in three years and costing more than $50 million. Bahrain fought alongside the U.S. in the Gulf War and War in Afghanistan. Friday, their military officials became the first to own and operate the new weapon. "And when we need to fight with our allies, having common equipment makes us that much more effective," said test pilot Dwayne Opella. "And that's one of the main reasons we strive to put the F-16s in the hands of our strong allies so that we can be interoperable with them when we fight our conflicts." Greenville is one of only three places in the nation building fighter jets, and it's already contracted to build dozens more for allied countries. According to Lockheed Martin officials, the next one will be Slovakia. Ukraine has petitioned the U.S. government for F-16s in their war against Russia. While Bahraini and U.S. officials addressed the crowd, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham repeated his plea to President Biden. "It is in our interest to provide them the F-16. I believe that will be forthcoming," he said. "The pilots from Ukraine will take to them very quickly, and probably what will happen is you'll have NATO allies give their F-16s, and we will build new ones for them." Whether for Ukraine or allied countries, Greenville will be the builder and provider of the newest, most advanced fighter jet in the world, the F-16 Block 70. https://www.wyff4.com/article/lockheed-martin-unveils-most-advanced-fighter-jet-in-the-world-south-carolina/43276529 Saudi Arabia Announces New Airline and Possibly a Big Deal with Boeing Come fly the Saudi skies. On Sunday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced Saudi Arabia will launch a new state-run airline called Riyadh Air,... For more crisp and insightful business and economic news, subscribe to The Daily Upside newsletter. It's completely free and we guarantee you'll learn something new every day. Come fly the Saudi skies. On Sunday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced Saudi Arabia will launch a new state-run airline called Riyadh Air, and The Wall Street Journal reported the carrier will likely purchase a large order of Boeing jets. Air Riyadh The Middle Eastern nation already has another government-run airline – Saudia, which was founded in 1945 and travels to over 90 destinations across Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America. And it's not entirely clear why it needs a second, but party on! The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund says the new carrier is a way to diversify the nation's economy beyond its robust oil industry and enable "Riyadh to become a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism." For months, Boeing and Airbus have been competing for a deal with the Middle Eastern nation, the WSJ reported. But now it looks like the Saudi PIF has finally made a decision: The PIF is expected to spend $35 billion on roughly 100 or more Boeing planes, including wide-body jets fitted for international travel. News of the deal comes shortly after Air India made the largest airplane purchase in history: 470 jets from Boeing and Airbus for roughly $85 billion. To make a splash, the PIF also tapped Tony Douglas, who was the CEO of the United Arab Emirate's state-run airline for the past five years, to run Riyadh Air. Why Can't We Be Friends: If the deal with the US-based plane maker materializes, it'd be another signifier of easing tensions between America and Saudi Arabia. In January, the Biden administration announced they were no longer pursuing plans to retaliate against Saudi Arabia for cutting its oil production by 2 million barrels per day. Plus, the Saudis are now looking to ease tensions and reopen communications with Iran, after a round of peace talks orchestrated by China. https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/03/12/saudi-arabia-announces-new-airline-and-possibly-a/?source=eptyholnk0000202&utm_source=yahoo-host&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article Airbus A350: EASA issues directive to fix gear door issue EASA, the European Aviation Safety Agency, has issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) to rectify an issue with the Airbus A350-900 main landing gear door (MLGD). The AD, issued on 10 March 2023, refers to the discovery of the index washers at the main landing gear door hinges number 1 and 3 being inverted in production. I.e., the index washer for forward fitting was installed at the rear fitting and vice versa. An AD is a mandatory notification to an aircraft operator or owner to, as the UK CAA states, “address unsafe conditions” in the airworthiness of an aircraft. It is often associated with a Service Bulletin (SB) issued by an aircraft manufacturer. The AD states that the issue could cause “in-flight loss of an MLGD” if the issue is “not detected and corrected” through actions taken from the notification. The actions operators and owners must take to perform a one-time detailed inspection (DET) of the identified parts and areas once the aircraft has exceeded a determined amount of flight cycles or flight hours. Aircraft are placed in two groups, depending on their manufacturer serial numbers (MSN), with differing requirements on hours and cycle limits for inspections. Group 1 aircraft require inspections before exceeding 9,600 flight cycles (FC) or 46,900 flight hours (FH), whichever occurs soonest. And Group 2 aircraft is before exceeding 16,800 FC or 82,750. Following inspections, if found installed incorrectly, operators must replace the part within 500 FC or 3,500 FH, whichever occurs first. Qatar Airways was the only operator recorded as commenting on the proposal of the AD to EASA. The comment stated that two of its A350-900s, registrations A7-AMK and A7-AML, were “corrected before delivery” due to Airbus processes and therefore were excluded from the Airbus SB. It has been reported that some of the A350-900s with the highest flight hours are with the Doha-based carrier. The A350-900 with the highest flight cycles is with Vietnam Airlines. These will be issues that Airbus will want to rectify sooner rather than later, especially off the back of Airbus settling with Qatar Airways over quality issues on the aircraft. The agreement means both parties will now avoid a court case worth over $2 Billion in what is being earmarked as an unprecedented public rift. In total, up to 29 Airbus A350 aircraft were grounded over the heat sync issues. It remains clear that such issues surrounding the A350 are ongoing, but the credit goes to Airbus for rectifying fixes as quickly as possible. Looking ahead, Airbus will be wanting to utilize this quick action in safety as a selling point as we get closer to the Paris Air Show. But for now, all eyes are on Airbus to see whether the A350 will suffer any more issues or whether the rest of the problems have now been ironed out. https://aviationsourcenews.com/manufacturer/airbus-a350-easa-issues-directive-to-fix-gear-door-issue/ EVA Air To Purchase 5 Boeing 787 Dreamliners The Taiwanese carrier continues to grow its Dreamliner fleet. EVA Air today announced that it will acquire five Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The Taiwanese airline already holds 10 units of the widebody type in its fleet. Ever-growing family According to Reuters, the deal between EVA Air and Boeing is worth $1.78 billion at list prices. Nonetheless, commercial airlines rarely pay the full list rate. The carrier currently holds four 787-9s and six 787-10s in its fleet. Between them, they offer a capacity of 7,030 seats. According to ch-aviation.com, the firm already expects another 11 Dreamliners to be delivered. The first 787 that joined EVA's fleet was registration B-17881 in September 2018. This unit arrived as part of a lease agreement, along with another five aircraft. Four units aren't on lease, including the most recent arrival, B-17807, which joined in September 2020. The 787 isn't the only widebody in the fleet. A total of 42 777s and 12 Airbus A330s are also part of the pack. Moreover, 19 A321s represent the narrowbody operation. The right time We reported earlier today about the strong revenues Taiwanese carriers have been reporting. With Taiwan's air travel market opening up in 2022 and mainland China relaxing restrictions at the turn of the year, it's full steam ahead for the likes of EVA. As Taiwan's second-largest carrier, it posted NT$12.88 billion ($420 million) in consolidated sales in February. This figure is an increase of approximately 48.3% in the same period last year. Altogether, EVA's yearly passenger revenue rose by more than 1,120% to NT$8.06 billion ($263 million). European and North American routes significantly supported this skyrocketing. Subsequently, it’s not a surprise that EVA Air is keen to invest in modern long-haul aircraft to optimize intercontinental services. Future-proof equipment The airline previously shared the following statement about the 787 Dreamliner: “Fuel efficiency and cabin comfort are two key factors that determine a commercial jetliner’s competitiveness in the global aviation market. The Boeing Dreamliner’s reliable performance and advanced aviation technologies make it an excellent choice for the aircraft we need to continue growing our route network and providing our passengers with safe, comfortable flights.” As per data provided by Cirium, 787 accounted for approximately a quarter of EVA's widebody flights from Taipei last week. It was deployed mostly to Hong Kong, Seoul, Bangkok, and Tokyo. However, it was also heavily active on flights to Seattle, Vienna, Munich, and Milan. The 787 is a staple among long-haul carriers across the globe. It will remain a mainstay in modern widebody fleets alongside the A350 in this next chapter. While the 777X will put a spanner in the works, the Dreamliner has been praised for its flexibility in bringing excellent range and speed to the middle market. Simple Flying reached out to EVA Air about this report. We will update the article with any further announcements from the company. https://simpleflying.com/eva-air-to-purchase-5-boeing-787-dreamliners/ Two American Eagle Flight Attendants Get Into ‘Heated Argument’ Over Seat Assignments And Offload Themselves, Deserting Passengers Two flight attendants working a flight on behalf of American Eagle allegedly got into such a heated fight over seat assignments that they then refused to work with one another resulting in the flight being delayed by around two hours. The incident was documented by ESPN reporter Ashley Brewer who was a passenger on the plane flying to visit her fiance. “My flight can’t take off because two flight attendants got in a fight and now are REFUSING to work together,” Ashley wrote on Twitter. Explaining what led to the row, Ashley wrote: “A lady in first class asked to switch seats with a guy in coach so she could sit by her husband. One attendant said yes, other said no not allowed. Turned into a heated argument. SO DUMB”. In an accompanying TikTok video, Ashley documented the resulting fallout as ground staff boarded the plane in an attempt to mediate the situation. With all the passengers still sitting on the plane, Ashley says one of the two flight attendants aboard the small regional jet got his luggage together and suddenly deplaned in front of them all. Ashley and the other passengers were then forced to wait for an hour while a replacement crew member was found, only for the second crew member who had been involved in the altercation to then deplane herself. There was a second frustrating wait while another replacement flight attendant was found, and in the end, the flight departed around two hours late. “Screwing customers over because of their own personal emotions affecting their work,” Ashley wrote in response to one of her followers. “Most unprofessional thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life”. The flight appeared to be operated by Utah-based Skywest Airlines, which has contracts with some of the biggest airlines in the U.S., including American Airlines and Delta Air, for regional services. Skywest operates a fleet of Embraer E jets and Bombardier CRJ aircraft with a capacity of between 50 and 76 passengers. All of Skywest’s flights are operated with just two flight attendants. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2023/03/13/two-american-eagle-flight-attendants-get-into-heated-argument-over-seat-assignments-and-offload-themselves-deserting-passengers/ Curt Lewis