Flight Safety Information - March 16, 2023 No. 052 In This Issue : Incident: Skywest CRJ9 at Salt Lake City on Mar 14th 2023, the revenge of the landing light : Incident: Republic E175 at Washington on Mar 7th 2023, runway incursion : Incident: Jet2 B738 near Manchester on Mar 15th 2023, cabin did not pressurize : Incident: Transat A332 near Nassau on Mar 4th 2023, overheating cabin floor and burning odour : SpiceJet: India pilots grounded for coffee cup in cockpit : Canadian Investigators Call For Mandatory Heart Screening For Half Of Pilots : After Scares, Airline Safety Demands Quick Action : Readout from the FAA Aviation Safety Summit Breakout Panels : Black-Box Recordings In Runway Near-Misses Were Overwritten, Say Investigators : NTSB: Wing parts from air ambulance fell far from wreckage : IATA Signs Deal To Enhance Ground Safety At Mauritanian Airports : Airlines Scale Back Pakistan Flights Amid Dollar Repatriation Challenges : FAA Reduces Time Allotted for Knowledge Tests Incident: Skywest CRJ9 at Salt Lake City on Mar 14th 2023, the revenge of the landing light A Skywest Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N823SK performing flight DL-4231 from Saint George,UT to Salt Lake City,UT (USA), touched down on the threshold of Salt Lake City's runway 16R and balked the landing. The aircraft went around, positioned for another approach this time to runway 16L and landed without further incident. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT COMING INTO LAND AND STRUCK A LANDING LIGHT, BROKE THE LIGHT AND THEN THE LIGHT BOUNCED AND HIT THE AIRCRAFT LEAVING A SMALL DENT IN THE FUSELAGE, SALT LAKE CITY, UT.", stated the damage was UNKNOWN and rated the occurrence an incident. The aircraft is still on the ground about 20 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=5067d2b9&opt=0 Incident: Republic E175 at Washington on Mar 7th 2023, runway incursion A Republic Airways Embraer ERJ-175 on behalf of American Airlines, registration N401YX performing flight AA-4736 from Washington National,DC to Raleigh/Durham,NC (USA), was taxiing for departure from runway 01 along taxiway J and still on ground frequency was cleared to cross runway 04 on taxiway J straight ahead of them, the crew correctly read back that taxi and crossing clearance, however, turned left onto taxiway F and crossed runway 01 instead. About 10 seconds earlier a United Airbus A319-100, registration N819UA performing flight UA-2003 from Washington National,DC to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA), had received takeoff clearance from runway 01 and was accelerating on the runway, when tower instructed the aircraft to cancel takeoff clearance. The crew rejected takeoff at very low speed (below 20 knots over ground) about 600 meters/1980 feet short of the intersection of runway 01 with taxiway F. The Airbus vacated runway 01 via taxiway A about 520 meters/1700 feet short of the intersection with taxiway F, returned to the holding point runway 01 and departed about 8 minutes after the rejected takeoff. The Embraer subsequently taxied to the holding point runway 33 and departed about 15 minutes later. The FAA opened an investigation into the occurrence and has called for a safety summit as result of the recent frequent similiar occurrences. https://avherald.com/h?article=5067c7a6&opt=0 Incident: Jet2 B738 near Manchester on Mar 15th 2023, cabin did not pressurize A Jet2.com Boeing 737-800, registration G-JZBR performing flight LS-715 from Edinburgh,SC (UK) to Las Palmas,CI (Spain), was climbing out of Edinburgh when the crew stopped the climb at FL250 due to problems with the cabin pressure. The aircraft diverted to Manchester for a safe landing on runway 23R about 90 minutes after departure. The airline reported a minor fault indication. A replacement Boeing 737-800 registration G-JZBF is estimated to reach Las Palmas with a delay of about 2.5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=5067acfd&opt=0 Incident: Transat A332 near Nassau on Mar 4th 2023, overheating cabin floor and burning odour An Air Transat Airbus A330-200, registration C-GUBH performing flight TS-357 from Holguin (Cuba) to Montreal,QC (Canada), was reaching the top of climb at FL340 when cabin crew informed the flight crew that the cabin floor seemed to overheat and there was an electrical burning smell. The crew declared PAN PAN, worked the smoke/fumes checklists and diverted to Nassau (Bahamas) for a safe landing on runway 14 about 25 minutes after leaving FL340. The aircraft remained on the ground in Nassau for 24 hours, then continued the journey. https://avherald.com/h?article=50678b17&opt=0 SpiceJet: India pilots grounded for coffee cup in cockpit The incident took place on board a SpiceJet flight A private Indian airline has grounded two of its pilots for allegedly having coffee and sweets inside the cockpit of a flight mid-journey. The incident came to light after a purported photo of an open cup placed on the control panel of a SpiceJet aircraft went viral earlier this week. Reports said the flight was cruising at 37,000ft at the time of the picture. The photo sparked outrage, prompting India's aviation regulator to issue a warning to the airline. SpiceJet on Wednesday said it was looking into the matter and had taken two pilots, who allegedly took the picture, off-duty. "Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against them upon completion of an investigation," an airline spokesperson told The Times of India newspaper. Indian aviation rules allow pilots and crew to have food and beverages inside the cockpit but under strict guidelines. For instance, all cups need to have lids and be carried on a tray to avoid spillage. The latest incident reportedly took place on board a flight flying from Delhi to the north-eastern city of Guwahati on 8 March, the day of the Hindu festival of Holi. The photograph showed an uncovered coffee cup, which had the airline's logo, dangerously placed on a start lever of the aircraft, while the pilots, who are not visible in the picture, had gujiyas - a sweet fried pastry traditionally had on Holi. The post vent viral and sparked anger on social media, with people criticising the pilots for their reckless behaviour. "Even the slightest turbulence and coffee spills on to the electronics, it will foul the systems. This is a criminal act," said aviation expert Mohan Ranganathan, who reportedly first shared the picture on Twitter. On Tuesday, India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, took note of the photograph and asked SpiceJet to immediately identify the crew members. While two pilots have been grounded since then, a SpiceJet spokesperson told The Hindu newspaper that they were still trying to ascertain the exact timeline of the incident. "It is not clear from the post when was the photograph taken, whether it is recent or old, the sector being operated or the crew or even the aircraft in question. We are trying to ascertain these details," the airline said. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64948054 Canadian Investigators Call For Mandatory Heart Screening For Half Of Pilots Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is calling for mandatory cardiac risk assessments for all pilots older than 40 following a 2021 crash that may have been related to the pilot suffering a heart attack. Such a move would affect about half of the 33,000 licensed pilots in Canada. The TSB says Transport Canada medical examiners are not required to conduct blood lipid screening tests that might have found risk factors in the pilot of the 2021 crash. The ATP-rated pilot died after the homebuilt Cavalier he was flying stalled and spun while on a sightseeing flight in Alberta. His passenger was seriously injured. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma but “with cardiovascular disease as a significant contributing factor,” the TSB report said. Due to COVID restrictions, the pilot’s most recent medical had been done virtually and involved an attestation that he was fit to fly. The board said it’s the eighth crash in the last 20 years in which undetected or unreported heart issues were raised in an investigation. The board’s official recommendation to Transport Canada is that its guidance to medical examiners “contains the most effective screening tools for assessing medical conditions such as cardiovascular health issues.” https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/canadian-investigators-call-for-mandatory-heart-screening-for-half-of-pilots/ After Scares, Airline Safety Demands Quick Action Increasing demand for air travel is straining the system, former pilot writes An American Airlines aircraft is damaged after a collision with a passenger bus last month at Los Angeles International Airport, in Los Angeles. (KABC via AP) Usually, when there's an accident or near accident involving a commercial airliner, everyone waits for investigations to be completed, consider the findings, and discuss ways to avoid the problem in the future. But there have been too many scares and failures recently to allow for the usual methodical approach, Lee Moak, a former Delta Air Lines pilot, writes in an opinion piece in the Washington Post. "We cannot wait for our aging and understaffed aviation infrastructure to break, and a tragedy to occur, to demand action," he says. Solutions must be found now. The causes aren't a secret to people who work in commercial aviation, writes Moak, a past president of the Air Line Pilots Association. After the drastic slowdown early in the pandemic, the industry is trying to meet demand that's increasing faster than it was prepared for. That's affecting airlines, regulators, pilots and flight crews, controllers, and safety experts. The Federal Aviation Administration doesn't even have a permanent administrator, and the agency is underfunded, Moak says. The close calls of the past three months, he writes, "suggest that the safety systems, which served the nation well enough before and during the pandemic, might not be sufficiently robust for normal operations in 2023 and beyond." https://www.newser.com/story/332744/after-scares-airline-safety-demands-quick-action.html Readout from the FAA Aviation Safety Summit Breakout Panels More than 200 safety leaders from across the aviation industry met in specific breakout sessions Wednesday afternoon to discuss ways to enhance flight safety as part of the FAA’s Aviation Safety Summit in McLean, Virginia. The sessions focused on commercial operations, the air traffic system, airport and ground operations, and general aviation operations. Each group was facilitated by a member of industry and an FAA subject matter expert. During his opening remarks to a plenary session that was open to a broad audience, Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen urged the industry to look at all aspects of their operations with fresh eyes and to “question conventional wisdom” while examining ways to further enhance aviation safety. “There is no question that aviation is amazingly safe, but vigilance can never take the day off,” Nolen said. “We must ask ourselves difficult and sometimes uncomfortable questions, even when we are confident that the system is sound.” Nolen called Wednesday’s summit to focus the industry following a string of recent safety incidents, several of which involved airplanes coming too close together during takeoff or landing. After the morning plenary session, Nolen urged the attendees to discuss specific steps they could take in their respective areas to further tighten the U.S. aviation industry’s already strong safety net. During their breakout sessions, the industry groups focused on the recent string of incidents for ways to address areas where the existing safety system could be tightened to prevent future occurrences. Below is a brief synopsis of each group’s discussions: Commercial Operations Pursue more efficient methods of sharing safety information in near real-time at all levels of the aviation industry, including frontline workers. The FAA will urge the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) team to set a new goal of eliminating serious incidents such as runway incursions and close calls. Continue to refine the data being collected by the Aviation Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system to include a broader range of factors that will help identify precursors to incidents. Pilots and flight attendants expressed concerns that they continue to feel stress in the workplace, including long work hours under adverse conditions. The group acknowledged that risk models should also incorporate human factors. Air Traffic System Re-examine runway incursion data to identify underlying factors that led to these incidents and identify remedies. The FAA issued a call to industry to help identify technologies that could augment existing capabilities of surface surveillance equipment and deploy this technology to all airports with air traffic control services. Airport and Ground Operations A primary concern was workforce experience and attrition. Airport operators, airlines, workers, and the FAA discussed sharing the best practices of training programs among airport tenants and other stakeholders operating at airports. Airlines that operate regularly at specific airports said the industry could explore airfield familiarization training for employees. The attendees discussed how to effectively implement Safety Management Systems (SMS) at more than 200 of America’s busiest commercial airports. The FAA recently published a final rule that requires those airports to develop and adopt SMS programs within five years. The FAA will host a collaborative workshop on March 30. General Aviation Operations Attendees discussed preliminary data from recent fatal accidents as part of their ongoing efforts to reduce the fatal accident rate in this sector. The group discussed ways to promote the sharing of General Aviation flight data in the ASIAS database to improve safety decision-making. On March 22, the FAA will broadcast its annual From the Flight Deck Live virtual event for pilots. Topics will include preflight planning, wrong surface risk and human factors (runway safety), and airport signs, markings and lighting (airports). GA pilots who attend will earn WINGS continuing education credits. Nolen said he expects the conversations begun during Wednesday’s safety summit will continue in the coming weeks and months, particularly as spring and summer travel demand rebounds from the recent coronavirus pandemic. In addition to asking industry stakeholders to develop specific short-term actions, the overall task of pursing further safety improvements will be the subject of upcoming industry safety meetings such as InfoShare and CAST. Nolen said in late February that he also planned to appoint a special panel to evaluate the nation’s air traffic system and the FAA’s safety oversight. The members of that panel, as well as further details about the scope of their work, will be announced soon. In addition to FAA senior leaders, the facilitators for the breakout sessions included Yvette Rose, Senior Vice President, Cargo Airline Association; Pete Bunce, President & CEO, General Aviation Manufacturers Association; Hassan Shahidi, President & CEO, Flight Safety Foundation; and Christopher Oswald, Senior Vice President, Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Airports Council International- North America (ACI-NA). https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/readout-faa-aviation-safety-summit-breakout-panels Black-Box Recordings In Runway Near-Misses Were Overwritten, Say Investigators Ground Control: According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there are 1,500 to 1,700 runway incursions in the U.S. per year. Ata rare safety summit held by the Federal Aviation Administration in Virginia on Wednesday, the chair of the government agency investigating a string of near-collisions in recent months noted that all the incidents had one thing in common. In every instance, the cockpit voice recording (CVR) in the plane’s so-called “black box” had been overwritten, making it much more difficult for investigators to do their job. “Right now, CVRs only need to record two hours of audio before they’re overwritten,” says Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, noting that her agency has been recommending that the United States adopt a 25-hour standard for the past five years. “This was the recommendation we made back in 2018 based on an almost-tragic near-miss,” she says, referring to an incident at San Francisco International Airport where an Air Canada plane came within 60 feet of four aircraft waiting to take off. “So we didn’t end up with a tragedy that very nearly could have resulted in 1,000 people.” “Europe has mandated 25-hour CVRs in new aircraft for over a year, and we should do the same,” Homendy adds. “I don't understand why it’s so controversial.” When investigating any incident, NTSB investigators want to listen to the audio from the cockpit to try to glean clues from verbal communication or sounds, such as mechanical noises or alarms that might be overheard. But too often that audio is not preserved for investigators, making it much harder to get to the bottom of what happened. The NTSB argues that holding onto data for 25 hours gives investigators a much better chance of salvaging the most pertinent information. According to Homendy, the FAA has historically pushed back on this change. “Cost has come up,” she says. “There is nothing preventing the industry from upgrading their cockpit voice recorders,” the FAA said in a statement to Forbes. “The FAA is working on a rule to require it.” But the agency declined to answer Forbes’s questions regarding a possible timetable. “These recent incidents must serve as a wake-up call before something more catastrophic occurs.” Airlines for America (or A4A), an industry lobby group representing major North American airlines, says it backs the NTSB’s recommendation, at least in theory. “A4A is supportive of transitioning from 2-hour CVRs to 25-hour CVRs in coordination with its federal partners and other industry stakeholders,” the organization said in a statement to Forbes. Like the FAA, the airline lobby group was non-committal regarding timing. “There are many details and considerations that need to be addressed with such proposals, and carriers are committed to working through those issues as legislative proposals are considered,” concludes A4A’s statement. “What else has to be done?” Homendy asks of the dawdling. “It’s been implemented all across Europe, and other countries outside of Europe have also implemented it. And [the International Civil Aviation Organization] has actually recommended 25 hours.” One group currently opposed to changing the CVR regulations are pilots, according to several industry sources who requested anonymity. “Voice and flight data recorders become critically important in the event of a catastrophic accident, which fortunately is very rare in U.S. aviation,” says Captain Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), whose 67,000 members make up the largest pilot union in the country. “Current law requires the NTSB to protect the privacy of the data contained on the flight deck voice recordings, but does not prevent airlines or others from disclosing that information and additional safeguards need to be put into place to keep them from doing so.” “The pilot community does have concerns about whether the information could be publicly released,” acknowledges Homendy. “I will tell you, in our investigations, none of that has ever occurred.” Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Better Safe: Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, wants cockpit voice recordings extended to 25 hours. PHOTO BY TOM WILLIAMS For Homendy, the lack of action from the FAA is particularly frustrating, given her recollection of a similar industry forum in 2017. “On runway incursions, the FAA, industry and labor all made wonderful presentations,” she says. “We came out of that forum with everyone calling for better data and implementation of technology that would prevent runway incursions. So where are we six years later?” “What’s happened is that we have the data,” she continues, answering her own question. “There are about roughly 1,500 to 1,700 runway incursions annually. We know the vast majority of those are low to no risk, but there are some that are risky.” Among the six runway incursions currently under investigation from earlier this year is a near-miss at Austin Airport in early February, when two planes came within 100 feet of each other, “endangering the lives of 131 people on board two aircraft,” says Homendy. Later in February, she added, two planes came within 300 feet of each other at Hollywood Burbank Airport. “These recent incidents must serve as a wake-up call for every single one of us before something more catastrophic occurs before lives are lost,” Homendy says. “Now, I often hear that in 10 of the last 12 years there have been no airline passenger fatalities. That’s true, but the absence of a fatality or an accident doesn’t mean the presence of safety. There’s always more we can do to improve safety and we can't forget that.” “What keeps me up at night is the next family that I have to talk to when we go on scene to investigate an accident,” she says. “It’s also the investigators that I talk with on scene who say, ‘We’ve seen this before. We've issued recommendations on this. They haven’t been acted upon those recommendations that could have prevented this.’” https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2023/03/16/black-box-runway-incursion-faa-ntsb/?sh=402666e2a051 NTSB: Wing parts from air ambulance fell far from wreckage LAS VEGAS – A new federal report says parts of the right wing on a medical transport plane that crashed last month in rural Nevada, killing all five people aboard, fell far from the main wreckage site. The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary findings released Wednesday could support the agency's initial theory that the aircraft had broken apart before hitting the ground. NTSB is expected to release its final report with a probable cause within two years. The agency says parts of the plane's right wing were located as far as three-quarters of a mile (1.1 kilometers) from where the single-engine Pilatus PC12 crashed in Stagecoach, Nevada, a rural community of about 2,500 residents outside of Reno. Authorities have said the Care Flight piloted by Scott Walton, 46, was headed from Reno to Salt Lake City when it crashed around 9:15 p.m. on Feb. 24 amid a winter storm. Care Flight is a service of REMSA Health, and its aviation vendor is Guardian Flight. Guardian Flight said in a statement Wednesday it was reviewing the report and assessing ways to strengthen its safety protocols. “The safety and well-being of our patients and crew is our utmost priority and we will continue to make significant investments to bolster our commitment," the company said. The other victims also included 69-year-old patient Mark Rand and his 66-year-old spouse Terri Rand, as well as two medical crew members, Edward Pricola, 32, and Ryan Watson, 27. Walton contacted air traffic control minutes before the crash to report that the plane was climbing past 15,400 feet (4,694 meters), according to the report. But no further radio transmissions came in from the pilot, the report states. Just minutes later, the plane began to fall — dropping about 8,000 feet (2,440 meters) in 30 seconds — before the aircraft's navigation tracking system went dark, according to the report. Dan Rose, an aviation attorney retained by relatives of the Rands, told The Associated Press that they hope NTSB will investigate Guardian Flight’s decision to fly instead of waiting for the winter storm to pass. Rose also said Mark Rand’s condition wasn’t life-threatening at the time. “I know the family would want the NTSB to look carefully at the two issues,” Rose said Wednesday. “They’re really intertwined.” The National Weather Service said it was snowing steadily when the flight left Reno, with winds around 20 mph (30 kph) and gusts up to 30 mph (50 kph). Visibility was under 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) with a cloud ceiling about 2,000 feet (600 meters). https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/national/2023/03/15/ntsb-wing-parts-from-air-ambulance-fell-far-from-wreckage/ IATA Signs Deal To Enhance Ground Safety At Mauritanian Airports IATA and Afroport Mauritanie sign an agreement to promote global safety standards. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Afroport Mauritanie yesterday signed an agreement to enhance the safety of ground operations in Mauritania. The agreement is aimed at two critical global standards; the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) and the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO). The agreement was signed by Kamil Alawadhi, IATA's Regional Vice President, Africa and the Middle East, and Ahmed Al Hadabi, Group CEO of Terminals Holding, the parent company of Afroport Mauritanie. Promotion of critical global standards Afroport Mauritanie offers commercially viable services to various stakeholders within the aviation industry. It is the operator of Nouakchott-Oumtounsy International Airport, Mauritania's main airport, and a hub for Mauritania Airlines. The collaborative network with IATA will allow Afroport Mauritanie to promote the adoption of IGOM by Ground Handling Service Providers (GHSP). Afroport Mauritanie will also recognize ISAGO as an acceptable means of compliance for airport oversight activities and make ISAGO registration and station accreditation a condition for GHSPs to operate at the airport. The two will monitor safety performance at the airport while aiming to identify opportunities for scaling and improving ground handling. Global standards, such as IGOM and ISAGO, play a significant role in ensuring safety in aviation. Alawadhi said in a statement; "The commitment of Afroport Mauritanie to IGOM and ISAGO will help further Mauritania’s social and economic development with safer ground operations. Lower adoption rates for global standards rank high among the factors limiting the benefits that aviation could deliver in Africa. This agreement is a great example for airports across the African continent to follow." IATA's commitment to African aviation Aviation has the potential to make an essential contribution to the economic growth and development within Africa. It is crucial now more than ever as the aviation industry has almost fully recovered from the pandemic and as stakeholders campaign for the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). While promoting the development of aviation, it is critical to keep safety and global standards in mind. About the agreement between IATA and Afroport Mauritanie, Ahmed Al Hadabi said in a statement; "Our goal in partnership is to support the development of a strong aviation sector with global standards and best practices at its heart. The agreement with IATA is a significant step towards achieving standardized, sustainable operations on the ground." Earlier this year, IATA was in Somalia to expand its presence in the East African nation and develop its aviation industry. The air transport association signed a cooperation agreement with the Somali government to strengthen the state's socio-economic benefits from air travel. Ethiopian Airlines ground services at Addis Ababa International Photo: Andrzej Lisowski Travel/Shutterstock Furthermore, from June 2023, RwandAir CEO Yvonne Manzi Makolo will be Chair of the IATA Board of Governors. This will make her the first female and African to be granted this position, which is a significant opportunity for developing the underserved areas in Africa's aviation industry. All these agreements, including yesterday's with Mauritania, further authenticate IATA's work in Africa to create a safe, efficient, sustainable, and economical air transport sector. This will generate growth and employment, and facilitate international trade and tourism, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals through global connectivity. https://simpleflying.com/iata-enhance-mauritanian-airports-ground-safety/ Airlines Scale Back Pakistan Flights Amid Dollar Repatriation Challenges A foreign reserve crisis makes serving the country increasingly difficult. Carriers are growing wary about serving Pakistan with flights amid the country's worsening financial and foreign reserve crisis. Foreign airlines are contending with significant delays in repatriating cash and many have already cut back on flights. Airlines reluctant on Pakistan flights According to a report from the Financial Times, international carriers are looking at reducing or entirely scrapping flights to Pakistan as it grows increasingly difficult to repatriate funds. The country's dwindling foreign reserves are becoming a major headache for foreign companies operating in Pakistan, with airlines impacted particularly severely given their reliance on the US dollar to pay for essentials like fuel. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said that around $290 million is trapped in the country, the second-highest amount in the world behind Nigeria, with some airlines still unable to access cash from ticket sales made last year. The situation has led some carriers, notably Emirates and Turkish Airlines, to stop working with or undercut local travel agents in an effort to get passengers to pay with credit cards. Philip Goh, IATA’s Asia-Pacific head, commented, "Airlines are facing long delays before they are able to repatriate their funds. Some airlines still have funds stuck in Pakistan from sales in 2022." How are airlines responding? A look at Cirium data from March 2023 and March 2019 shows that several international airlines have scaled back services to Pakistan, including Emirates flights down by 24% and Saudia flights by 17%. A comparison of April 2023 and April 2019 reveals a similar story, with four of the five leading foreign carriers (Saudia, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Air Arabia) operating fewer flights than in pre-pandemic times. Bucking that trend is flydubai, which has increased flights by over 10% - the airline's low-cost model is perhaps better suited to the low-yield VFR (visiting friends and relatives) market that dominates international Pakistani services. It remains to be seen if airlines will suspend or cancel flights to the country entirely - if the situation does worsen we could see airlines pulling out, much like what Emirates did in Nigeria after repeatedly facing problems repatriating funds. Philip Goh added, "If conditions persist that make the economics of operation to a country unsustainable, one would expect airlines to put their valued aircraft assets to better use elsewhere." In February, Virgin Atlantic announced it would be withdrawing from Pakistan entirely at the end of April just two years after launching flights. While the airline did have considerable difficulties in withdrawing its funds, a source familiar with the decision said it was more to do with the route not being economical. Discover more aviation news with Simple Flying. A growing global problem According to IATA, there was roughly $2 billion in airline funds trapped by governments around the world at the end of 2022, with Nigeria and Pakistan leading the way - this amounts to a 25% or $400 million increase from six months prior. Pakistan's foreign reserves are said to stand at around $4 billion, which would only last for a month's worth of imports. The country is seeking a $7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and recently lifted its tight currency restrictions to boost its chances with the IMF. https://simpleflying.com/airlines-pakistan-dollar-repatriation-challenges/?newsletter_popup=1 FAA Reduces Time Allotted for Knowledge Tests The changes in testing procedures affect private and commercial applicants. FAA Reduces Time Allotted for Knowledge Tests Applicants taking the 60-question Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) exam will have 120 minutes, down from 150. Applicants slated to take the FAA’s private pilot-airplane rating (PAR) or commercial pilot-airplane rating (CAX) knowledge exams will soon have less time to take the tests. According to the Airman Testing Community Advisory committee, the publication of the FAA’s Airman Testing Standards Branch, the decision to reduce the test time was made by the FAA and PSI Services LLC, the FAA’s sole provider for FAA knowledge exams, after they performed what has been described as “a scientific assessment of the knowledge tests.” Applicants taking the 60-question Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) exam will have 120 minutes, down from 150, and applicants for the 100-question Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX) exam will have 150 minutes, down from 180. The change goes into effect on April 24, 2023. “The PAR and CAX test topics and subject matter did not change as a result of the assessment process,” the ATAC noted, “However, there have been changes made to existing test questions on the PAR and CAX tests to assure they are aligned with the ACSs [airman certification standards] and reference an existing FAA handbook.” It was noted that the testing supplements for both tests have not changed, nor has the price of the exams, which remains $175. The third-party vendors which operate the testing centers have no say in the cost of the test or the amount of time the applicants have to perform the test. According to a spokesperson from the FAA, “The FAA and the industry analyzed the tests as part of the FAA’s efforts to enhance their quality. The changes assure they are aligned with the airman certification standards and FAA handbook.” https://www.flyingmag.com/faa-reduces-time-allotted-for-knowledge-tests/ Curt Lewis