Flight Safety Information - May 9, 2023 No. 089 In This Issue : Rising number of lithium battery incidents on airplanes worry pilots, flight attendants : Sizing Up The SMS Proposed Regulation, Part 1 : ‘Broken’ FAA Is Two-And-A-Half Years Behind In Approving Drone And Jet Operators To Fly : FAA Announces UAS Rulemaking Committee Members : Emirates taps Kalitta Air to fly rented 747 freighters : GE Digital Asset Transfer Software Implemented by World’s Largest Aircraft Lessor : Republic Airways To Issue $100,000 Fine If Pilots Quit Within First Three Years : Himalaya Jet: Strange New Long Haul Airline Startup : Boeing Wins Landmark Order from Ryanair for 300 737 Max 10 Jets : NTSB To Host Runway Incursion Roundtable : NTSB Webinar - Implementing an SMS in Small to Midsized Aviation Operations : AIRBUS - Position Available: Aviation Safety Officer : Graduate Research Survey Incident: Max B734 at Yola and Abuja on May 7th 2023, burst tyres on departure, small gear fire on landing A Max Air Boeing 737-400, registration 5N-MBD performing a flight from Yola to Abuja (Nigeria) with 144 passengers and 6 crew, burst at least one tyre on departure from Yola and performed an emergency landing into Abuja. The aircraft came to a stop with both left hand main gear tyres burst. The aircraft became disabled on the runway, a small gear fire ensued which was extinguished by airport fire services. https://avherald.com/h?article=508ca94b&opt=0 Incident: PIA B772 at Lahore on May 6th 2023, burst tyre on landing A PIA Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777-200, registration AP-BGK performing flight PK-248 (sched. dep May 5th) from Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to Lahore (Pakistan), landed on Lahore's runway 36R but burst a tyre on landing. The aircraft rolled out safely. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 13.5 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=508c0367&opt=0 Rising number of lithium battery incidents on airplanes worry pilots, flight attendants Saindy Pyles thought she was going to die with her baby son, Liam, clutched to her chest as she flew home to Wichita from Miami after photographing a wedding. Midway through the flight Pyles said smoke filled the cabin after she saw sparks and fire burst from a bag in the seat directly behind her. "Honestly, I thought we were going to die," she said. "I looked and all I saw was flashes, just like flashes. I'm like, 'Oh my God, like, what is that?' And [the owner of the bag] is like, 'I don't know. I don't know.'" "Then I took my baby and I ran to the first class. I don't know how I got there. I think I hurt my arm." Quick action by the flight crew contained the smoky flashing lithium battery, which had begun smoldering in a carry-on bag right behind the seats where Pyles, her son and mother-in-law had been sitting. Airport fire trucks met the plane on the runway and everyone evacuated safely. However, it's an experience Pyles said she'll never forget, one she shared on social media to make others aware. A CBS News Investigation has discovered similar incidents have been happening much more frequently in the skies over the United States. The FAA verifies the number of lithium-Ion battery fires jumped more 42% in the last five years. A CBS News analysis of the FAA's data found that since 2021 there's been at least one lithium battery incident on a passenger plane somewhere in the US, on average, once every week. To see just how dangerous a lithium-ion battery can be, CBS News went behind the scenes at the lab operated by the University of Texas Fire Research Group (UTFRG) in Austin. For eight years, engineering professor and UTFRG director "Deke" Ezekoye and his team have been testing everyday devices like cellphones, laptop computers, hoverboards and power tools that run on lithium-ion batteries. They do this to study how these batteries in all their different forms interact, overheat, catch on fire and explode. "As the failure (of the battery) occurs… all of those things will start heat generation within the cell as the heat generates," said Ezekoye. "Within the cell, there's a process called 'thermal runaway' that occurs." The team showed CBS News how the batteries, as designed, supply their own oxygen when they burn, and how the characteristics of the batteries can add to the volatility of the devices. In in one demonstration, the burning lithium-ion battery supplied its own fuel to the flames as the cell burns out of control — underwater! "You can't put it out. It's a fire within the cell," Ezekoye said. "So, you've got fuel, oxygen, heat in the cell, all." That can become a big problem on an airplane 35,000 feet in the air. "It can cause an accident that the aircraft crew and the airplane cannot manage," Exekoye said. "I saw smoke," flight attendant Christopher Lee said of another incident involving a lithium-ion battery on a flight he was working a couple of months ago. Lee spoke to CBS News as a representative of his union, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. "I thought to myself, 'I know someone is not smoking on this aircraft.' That was my initial reaction," Lee said. "Smoke filled the cabin. I saw the sparks. I saw the flames." Lee rushed to fight the smoldering fire, which had started in a lithium battery contained in a vape device that had been placed a bag in the overhead bin on the March 1 Spirit Airlines flight between Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and Orlando, Florida. Lee, with the help of fellow flight attendants and passengers, put it out with a fire extinguisher. Lee says he worries about what might have happened had he not acted so decisively. "Fear didn't kick in until after it was all over with," Lee said. "And I think that I will say, thanks to the training that we receive" from the airline, it all worked out. Otherwise, he said, "We could have had a bad situation." Pilots are acutely aware that this is a serious issue in stored or checked bags. Some say passenger education about the dangers of things such as lithium-ion batteries could be a matter of life or death. "It's the difference between being kept safe or being harmed," said Captain Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, the union for American Airlines' pilots. "When folks check in their bags, they're asked, 'Do you have any lithium batteries or e-cigarettes?' And that's just one of the dangerous goods that we're concerned about." CBS News analyzed a decade's worth of hazardous materials incident data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration. According to the analysis, the most common hazmat incidents (29.06%) involve lithium-ion batteries. The rest involved other hazardous materials such as aerosols, live ammunition, paint and poisons. According to the PHMSA data, from March 2018 through March 2023, there were 5.319 incidents on all airplanes, including cargo planes, in the United States. Almost 700 of those (695) occurred on passenger planes. That averages out to be one hazmat incident on a passenger plane every two and a half days. The Federal Aviation Administration allows the transportation of certain hazardous materials, or "dangerous goods," as cargo on passenger planes, but federal law requires that the airline and pilot be notified. But CBS News has discovered that notification doesn't always happen. CBS News reviewed the last five years of data in NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System, which includes 879 anonymous reports of in-flight hazmat incidents on passenger planes. The data shows that neither pilots nor the airlines were told the hazardous materials were even on board their planes in 62% of those cases, even though notification is required by law. Captain Tajer said he's never encountered this problem with his employer. "That doesn't happen on American Airlines," Captain Tajer said. "There's a procedure when they have cargo and there are things shipped, that box is checked and there are rules to be followed." When asked about other airlines where the data shows it does happen, Tajer was blunt. "I'm concerned," Tajer said. "[If I were the pilot on one of those flights] I'd be enraged. How dare you not follow the procedures and let me know what's on the airplane?" Tajer said the FAA should be paying close attention to the issue of safe transport of hazardous materials on airplanes. "And why do I render that judgment? Not because I don't think the FAA is doing its job, but because this is so impactful to the safety of passengers in our industry. That oversight is key." CBS News asked that same question of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, whose office oversees the FAA. "Well, the FAA is constantly revising and updating its rules," Buttigieg said. "I think as we go into this year, where the law authorizing the FAA comes up, what we need to look at is not just the passenger side but also the goods and material side and see if we've got everything in line (regulated) that we need to." "Clearly, (what happens in) the 2020s are not like things were when we were at the dawn of commercial aviation, or even five or ten years ago," Buttigieg said. "And we do need to do more." One group is trying to do more by doing something different when it comes to lithium batteries. A startup called Pure Lithium has developed a new battery that the company says won't burn because they changed the chemistry of what makes the battery work. The invention is the brainchild of Pure Lithium cofounder Donald R. Sadoway, an MIT emeritus professor of materials chemistry. "My approach is to invent a battery chemistry that cannot burn," Sadoway said as he showed CBS News around his company's lab. "And that's what is going on here. It's the pursuit of a battery that has high energy density," Sadoway said. "But you can take a blowtorch to it. It will not catch fire." The battery is made of lithium metal, not lithium ion. Sadoway's team demonstrated how the battery can already power a small portable video game. "It could start off large enough to power a phone," Sadoway said, "but ultimately, it may be large enough that we can stack these together and power an automobile." "We have stretched this (lithium-ion) chemistry to the maximum capacity that we can get out of it safely" in batteries, said Pure Lithium's co-founder and CEO Emilie Bodoin. "We're in love with batteries as a world, but we need new batteries," Bodoin said. "To invent this next-generation battery that won't burn requires a completely different paradigm shift." Bodoin and Sadoway said while they've been able to build this battery that won't burn, they now have to develop it for the mass market and scale up production — no small task. "While we can sit here and be very confident that we will beat the market in the earliest somewhere between seven and 10 years, I would like to honestly under-promise and over-deliver," said Bodoin. "So, you may see it (the non-flammable battery) sooner, but hard tech takes a long time and we're doing something incredibly, incredibly radical." While we wait for safer batteries to be mass produced, some airlines are taking action to control the growing number of fires. They are using specialized "thermal containment" bags designed for flight crews to use if a lithium battery starts heating up to the point where it's smoking or burning. Mechanical engineers at the University of Texas at Austin say the bags can effectively contain fire and keep it from spreading, but don't extinguish it. Christopher Lee says those bags weren't available on the flight he was working. And CBS News found that some airlines don't use them at all. There's also some confusion regarding FAA policy. One regional commuter airline told CBS News it "has FAA approved containment bags installed on each aircraft." They may have the bags, but the FAA offers no such approval. According to a March 16, 2023 Advisory Circular the agency shared with CBS News, while "the FAA has no objection to the use of the various commercially manufactured containment products" … "no FAA test standards exist for these containment products nor does the FAA have a mechanism in place for the approval of these products." When asked if he would have liked to have access to such a specialized bag with on his airplane, flight attendant Christopher Lee didn't hesitate. "They would be very helpful to have," Lee said. "Just another tool to use." CBS News asked Secretary Buttigieg whether they should be required by the FAA. "Well, that's exactly what we're working on right now," Buttigieg said. "Any time we're going to impose by law a certain technology or a certain strategy, we need to make sure that it is appropriate, that it's informed by the right data. But clearly, we need to make sure that we continue taking steps that are going to contain any kind of hazard here." Buttigieg joined with several other experts who told CBS News that public awareness among travelers is crucial and that travelers should always follow the directions given by airline staff regarding lithium-ion batteries and battery-powered devices. FAA guidance published on its website includes: Spare (uninstalled) lithium-ion and lithium metal batteries, including power banks and cellphone battery charging cases, must be carried in carry-on baggage only. When a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or at planeside, all spare lithium batteries and power banks must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin. Damaged or recalled batteries and battery-powered devices, which are likely to create sparks or generate a dangerous evolution of heat must not be carried aboard an aircraft (e.g. carry-on or checked baggage) unless the damaged or recalled battery has been removed, or otherwise made safe. Airline passengers should also follow directions from flight crew about turning off laptops and unplugging chargers during take-off and landing, and travelers should ask a flight attendant for help in retrieving cellphones that fall between their seats. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hazardous-materials-airplanes/ Sizing Up The SMS Proposed Regulation, Part 1 Small companies that make money operating aircraft and helicopters face the prospect of airline-style regulation as the FAA’s long-anticipated Safety Management System (SMS) rule for Part 135 and 91 operators advances through the federal rulemaking process. In January the FAA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to update and expand its Part 5 requirement for SMS implementation beyond airlines to include Part 135 charter operators, Part 91.147 air tour operators and certain Part 21 type certificate and production certificate holders. At the request of business aviation associations, the agency postponed an earlier comment deadline it had scheduled to April 11. If adopted as proposed, the rule would affect about 2,600 charter and air tour operators of all sizes, requiring them to establish formal SMS programs to identify, assess and manage safety risks. Tasks would include developing a code of ethics specifying safety as the highest priority, a confidential employee reporting system, associated documentation and a means to store records. Companies ranging from fleet operators to single-pilot, single-aircraft enterprises would have one to two years after a final rule is published to introduce their programs. The FAA addresses the issue of scaling the regulation to small operators in the draft rulemaking, seeking feedback on whether the mandate should be limited to a certain subset of operators. It acknowledges that some Part 91.147 operators conduct relatively few flights—the agency had considered exempting those with fewer than 100 flights per year—and that some Part 135 operators use only one pilot-in-command. A review of NTSB reports from 2015-20 shows that Part 135 companies employing a single pilot were involved in five accidents resulting in a fatality or serious injury, the FAA says. There was one accident involving fatalities of a Part 91.147 operator with fewer than 100 flights per year. On March 11, 2018, the pilot of a Liberty Helicopters’ AS350-B2 Ecureuil ditched the helicopter in the East River in New York City after the front-seat passenger’s harness tangled with and activated a floor-mounted engine fuel shutoff lever. The pilot was able to escape from the helicopter, but his five passengers drowned. “As a fundamental matter, the flying public expects safe carriage from operators offering flight services for hire,” the FAA states in the NPRM. “Irrespective of whether an operator employs one pilot or a thousand, that company has the same responsibility to conduct safe operations.” A Fait Accompli Part 121 airlines have been required to have SMSs since 2018, based on a final rule the FAA published three years earlier. That smaller operators will be required to implement SMS programs is considered a fait accompli; bizav associations have focused their response to the NPRM on ensuring that the eventual regulation is scaled, or right-sized, to the resources of the companies they represent. During industry forums designed to generate feedback from the operator community, concerns have been raised (as expected) over the cost of the approaching mandate, but also over the applicability of safety measures that companies have implemented on their own or through voluntary programs. “We take safety very seriously—we haven’t implemented a formal SMS due to the cost of doing so,” said one operator who spoke during a National Air Transportation Association (NATA) webinar in February. NATA, which represents aviation businesses including Part 135 certificate holders, says 95% of those operators have fewer than 100 employees. The operator asked: “Am I going to have to hire a compliance person? I’ve got myself as DO (director of operations) and my chief pilot and four or five pilots underneath us. We don’t need a 200-page SMS. How is the FAA going to scale its requirements to take into account the fact that I can’t pay a $60,000 salary to a compliance officer to make sure that we’re meeting what the FAA wants us to do.” Another operator asked if the safety practices his company already follows will be satisfactory to the FAA. “We’re a small company,” he explained. “We’ve morphed over the years, but we’re three aircraft [and] eight pilots right now. We do everything on pen and paper. We don’t do any kind of electronic risk [analysis] or any of that. Is that good enough?” In the NPRM, the FAA says it “does not anticipate that small organizations will need additional management and staff to satisfy the requirement elements of safety risk management. For example, smaller organizations, with few aircraft operating in a limited geographic area, might record and track the results of the safety risk-management process with paper records or digital files using common word processing or spreadsheet applications.” In Part 2 of this article, we discuss the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations and NTSB safety recommendations. https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/safety-ops-regulation/sizing-sms-proposed-regulation-part-1 ‘Broken’ FAA Is Two-And-A-Half Years Behind In Approving Drone And Jet Operators To Fly In 2020, Ramon Pagan, an operator of aerial-mapping drones in Puerto Rico, thought he had an idea that would be good for his business, Caribe Drones, as well as for the welfare of the island, which imports over 80% of its food. He spent about $20,000 to buy two DJI agricultural drones capable of spreading herbicides, fertilizers and seeds. He needed certification from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate them, so he applied. And he waited. And waited. Every couple of months, he received a letter from the FAA telling him that there were hundreds of others ahead of him to be processed before his application would even be reviewed. In late April, after about two-and-a-half years, he finally cleared the last major step: FAA inspectors traveled from Texas to evaluate how he operated the drones. Pagan says the FAA staffers were apologetic, but told him that some applicants seeking approval for businesses using manned aircraft have had even longer odysseys. “They were saying, you should feel okay because the wait wasn’t four years, it was just two,” Pagan told Forbes. “I was in shock.” Pagan is just one of hundreds of aviation entrepreneurs whose businesses have been held up on the runway by the FAA’s struggles with a rising number of applications for certification to operate. A prime contributor to the delay is the spike in the number of people, including individual farmers, applying to use agricultural drones. The FAA is also seeing more applicants looking to hire out private planes for charter service, a practice that’s surged in popularity since the pandemic raised anxieties about commercial flights. The same workers who handle those applications at the agency’s network of over 80 local Flight Standards District Offices also oversee private flight schools, which are complaining it’s taking too long to get certification for their curricula, which allows the schools to enroll foreign students and military veterans, some of whose expenses are covered by the government. With demand booming amid a pilot shortage, flight school certification is taking two to three years, according to Bob Rockmaker, head of the Flight Schools Association of North America. Exacerbating the pilot shortage, student pilots and pilots seeking new ratings are also facing serious delays in scheduling flight tests with FAA-approved pilot examiners, outside contractors who are also overseen by the flight standards offices. It can take eight to 12 weeks, Rockmaker says. Pilot examiners are in short supply after some retired during the pandemic; others have been lured to airlines by higher pay. Examiners have also faced delays in getting FAA staff to conduct the periodic recertification flights they themselves have to pass, Rockmaker says. It’s the latest sign of dysfunction at the agency. Over the past four years, the FAA’s ability to assess the safety of new aircraft has been called into question following the crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX planes. More recently, the agency has gotten flak for its oversight of national airspace after several near collisions between airliners at airports, as well as for widespread flight delays during peak travel periods, which airlines have blamed on a shortage of air traffic controllers. The mounting backlog in certification applications has been causing more frustration with the chronically short-staffed and under-funded agency. Congress is weighing reforms this spring as part of a five-year reauthorization bill. “They’ve got all kinds of problems, the FAA, all kinds,” Rockmaker says. As of mid-March, there were over 700 applicants for operating certificates of various types waiting for the FAA to take up their cases, executives at the National Air Transportation Association say they were told by FAA staffers in a briefing that month. “For every one certificate that comes off their list, they get two added,” Alan Stephens, NATA’s vice president for regulatory affairs, says the FAA staffers told them. “They just can’t seem to get ahead of the game.” It’s taking the FAA from one-and-a-half to two years to clear new entrants to the air charter business, according to NATA, up from nine to ten months before the pandemic. Mike Rioux, a consultant who helps new airlines and charter operators navigate the FAA approval process, says it shouldn’t take more than two months to process the simplest type of air charter application, for single-pilot planes. “Something is broken,” he says. The FAA declined to answer questions from Forbes on the extent and causes of the backlog. The agency said in a statement that it is “taking concrete steps to speed up certification applications and reduce the backlog,” including establishing certification “tiger teams” to support local flight standards offices. The FAA is “reprioritizing work to address a significant portion of pending applications by the end of fiscal year 2023,” it said. The agency is also aiming to add about 100 designated pilot examiners this year. It had 935 in 2022. The certification delays are causing financial distress for some aircraft owners who are unable to make money on expensive assets but still need to keep current on loan payments. One plane owner who asked to remain anonymous because he’s worried about retaliation from the FAA said that in the nearly two-and-a-half years it took for the agency to issue him a charter certificate for a business jet, he burned through over $1 million, exhausting his retirement savings and forcing him to mortgage his home. As a requirement to win the certificate, he had to hire and pay a chief pilot and maintenance director. His plane, which sat idle, needed insurance, a hangar and scheduled maintenance. “It was a mounting load of stress,” he says. One of the biggest requirements of the certification process is to produce detailed manuals covering such things as how the business will operate its aircraft and train staff. He says in his case they totaled over 1,000 pages. An inexperienced inspector and a glacially slow revisions process were the biggest holdups, he says. “I would get an email about something needing to be changed and I would jump through hoops to get it back to them quickly,” he says. “I’d wait a month or six weeks for them to respond.” The skies are only going to get busier — and the FAA’s workload will only get heavier. More drone package delivery startups are expected to apply for certification as air carriers, and a slew of electric air taxi makers are hoping to launch passenger service starting in 2025. One reason for the delays is the FAA has lost many operations and safety inspectors who are experienced pilots to airlines. They process certification applications as well as oversee businesses after they’ve been approved. The agency is offering $25,000 hiring bonuses to try to fill those critical positions. An idea Rioux has advocated: the FAA could delegate to outside contractors the simplest charter certifications the same way it designates outside engineers to carry out large parts of the aircraft safety certification process. The FAA could also relieve pressure on itself by drafting new certification requirements for agricultural drones, according to people in the industry. Currently, the agency is applying standards designed for manned crop-spraying planes. Before drone operators’ certification applications are even considered, they have to get waivers from the agency for rules that don’t apply to drones, such as requirements to have seatbelts, fire extinguishers and flight manuals in the aircraft. Nathan Stein, an Iowa farmer who sells agricultural drones made by China’s XAG, is pressing members of Iowa’s congressional delegation to exempt farmers from much of the regulatory process so long as they operate drones on their own land at low altitude. “These things aren’t flying more than 15 feet off the ground,” says Stein. “My tractor’s sprayer boom is more than 15 feet off the ground and I don't have to have air clearance for that.” Jonathan Rupprecht, a Florida aviation attorney, says the FAA could automate parts of agricultural drone certification. He also proposes linking flight safety employees’ compensation to the number of applications processed, along with metrics that track safety outcomes. David Thirtyacre, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, submitted an application in June 2021 to start a course in how to use drones to precisely apply herbicides, insecticides and nutrients, which advocates say could revolutionize agriculture. Thirtyacre is worried his waivers will expire before the FAA gets to his case. “The unintended consequence of a two-plus-year waiting period in order to get certification is that the people who fly illegally are getting paid and building their businesses,” Thirtyacre says. “Those of us trying to follow the rules end up getting penalized.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2023/05/08/broken-faa-is-two-and-a-half-years-behind-in-approving-drone-and-jet-operators-to-fly/?sh=6cfb6fb769d3 FAA Announces UAS Rulemaking Committee Members Fifty-eight aviation stakeholders have been named members of the FAA’s unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) Detection and Mitigation Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee. Established last March, the committee is tasked with ensuring that “new technologies designed to detect and mitigate risks from errant or hostile UAS do not adversely impact the safe and efficient operation of the nation’s airspace.” According to the committee’s charter, the members (PDF) were selected based their familiarity with aircraft technology and operations, the national airspace system and aviation infrastructure, UAS detection and mitigation technology and operations, and existing FAA regulations and standards. “The FAA understands the potential risk posed by drones in the hands of unwelcome actors and we want to involve the entire industry in finding and using safe solutions,” said FAA Acting Associate Administrator for Security and Hazardous Materials Safety Tonya Coultas. The UAS Detection and Mitigation Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee is expected to begin work later this month. The committee will be co-chaired by Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) executive vice president Michael Robbins, Airports Council International-North America executive vice president Matt Cornelius and FAA Acting Executive Director of UAS Security Abigail Smith. A final report is slated to be published in early 2024. https://www.avweb.com/recent-updates/unmanned-vehicles/faa-announces-uas-rulemaking-committee-members/ Emirates taps Kalitta Air to fly rented 747 freighters Classic jumbo jets serve as fill-in capacity until new tranche of aircraft are delivered The air cargo division of Emirates has temporarily augmented its fleet with two older Boeing 747 jumbo jet freighters to meet expected demand while it waits for manufacturers to fill orders for new aircraft, the Dubai-based airline said Monday. The 747-400s are being wet leased — a rental bundled with crews that fly the aircraft — and are currently being deployed to Chicago three times weekly and to Hong Kong nine times weekly. Emirates did not identify who is providing the transportation service on its behalf, but a source with direct knowledge of the company’s operations said Michigan-based Kalitta Air is operating the 747s to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Aerotranscargo is the contractor for Hong Kong. Aerotranscargo, headquartered in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, has six 747-400s in its fleet, according to Flightradar24. The company is incorporated in Moldova as Aerotranscargo FZE, which holds its air operating certificate. The flight tracking site shows Aerotranscargo aircraft shuttling back-and-forth between Dubai and Hong Kong in recent days. Kalitta Air operates 25 Boeing 747-400 freighters, as well as four 777s. A factory-built 747-400 has a maximum payload of 249,000 pounds. Flightradar24 also shows one of its jets operating between Chicago-Brussels, Belgium, and Dubai. Emirates SkyCargo last utilized outsourced 747 freighters more than five years ago. Those planes were operated by TNT Airways, now part of ASL Airlines Belgium. The airline plans to double its cargo capacity over the next decade and add more than 20 destinations to its freighter network despite the slump in airfreight, which has seen volumes decline more than 5% from a year ago and freight rates tumble 40%. But several long-range forecasts project the air cargo market to grow at a compound annual rate of about 4%, with the express segment powered by e-commerce growing at closer to 5% per year. Emirates, the fourth-largest air cargo carrier by volume, operates 11 Boeing 777 cargo jets and has 15 new and used aircraft in the pipeline. In November, it committed to buy five 777 freighters from Boeing, with deliveries expected in 2024 and 2025. The airline last summer also announced plans to repurpose 10 777-300 passenger jets by sending them to an airframe maintenance facility for conversion into dedicated freighters. The retrofits are expected to roll out over the next five years, but the exact timing is uncertain because Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is still working to finish the licensing process. “While the current market volatility may cause others to hesitate, Emirates SkyCargo is pushing full steam ahead with our plans. The medium to long term projections for global air cargo show an upward trajectory of between 3% to 5%. Combine that with Dubai’s strategy to double its foreign trade where multi-modal logistics will play a big role, and the economic activity happening in markets around the Gulf, West Asia, and Africa, and the opportunity for Emirates SkyCargo is clear,” said Nabil Sultan, divisional senior vice president of Emirates SkyCargo. The fleet expansion will still not be sufficient to meet growth projections, he added. Etihad Engineering, part of the Etihad Aviation Group and also based in the United Arab Emirates, has an agreement with IAI to convert 777-300ER passenger planes into cargo aircraft and will handle the Emirates job. Sultan suggested Emirates is considering additional passenger-to-freighter conversions to support its strategic plans. Emirates SkyCargo also manages all the cargo carried on the airline’s massive widebody passenger network, which will also provide more cargo capacity as the airline begins to receive A350 long-haul jetliners from Airbus in the second half of 2024 followed by the arrival of Boeing’s next-generation 777-9. Emirates has 115 777-9s and 50 A350s on order. Emirates currently flies 252 large passenger aircraft, including about 90 A380 super jumbo jets, and plans to increase the fleet to more than 300 total aircraft within a decade. “The new aircraft mean we can expand our freighter network and amplify the connectivity with the main Emirates network,” Sultan explained. “The new fleet mix also gives us more flexibility to serve our different customers even better.” Emirates operates two modern air cargo terminals at its hub in Dubai. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/emirates-taps-kalitta-air-to-fly-rented-747-freighters GE Digital Asset Transfer Software Implemented by World’s Largest Aircraft Lessor • Ireland-based AerCap implements Asset Transfer System software for fleet of 1,740 aircraft, over 900 engines, 300 helicopters, and an order book for more than 400 new technology aircraft • ATS provides increased efficiency, enhanced collaboration for AerCap’s 300 customers • Implementation validates GE Digital as a software leader in aviation SAN RAMON, Calif. – MAY 9, 2023 -- GE Digital, an integral part of GE Vernova’s portfolio of energy businesses, today announced that AerCap, the world’s largest lessor of commercial aircraft, engines, and helicopters, has implemented its Asset Transfer System (ATS) software. The use of GE Digital’s ATS will modernize asset records management across AerCap’s fleet of 1,740 aircraft, over 900 engines, and 300 helicopters, providing increased efficiency and enhanced collaboration for their 300 customers. The use of GE Digital’s ATS by the largest commercial aircraft lessor validates GE Digital’s position as a software leader in the aviation space. Earlier this month, Norwegian, Norway’s largest airline, selected GE Digital’s ATS for its aircraft fleet. “We are thrilled that AerCap, the largest aviation lessor in the world, is using ATS to optimize operations across their global fleet of aircraft, engines, and helicopters,” said Andrew Coleman, General Manager of the GE Digital’s Aviation Software business. “Bringing increased efficiencies to aircraft transitions and maintenance record keeping is an important step forward in the aviation industry’s digital transformation journey. We are confident that AerCap’s customers will see a noticeable improvement in efficiency during transitions and maintenance record processing.” ATS is a highly collaborative tool designed to streamline and simplify airlines’ day-to-day records management activities, including the way asset documentation is managed between airlines, lessors, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) teams. This process is complicated, time-consuming, and inefficient without the help of software because throughout the life of an asset, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), MROs, and airlines generate large amounts of documentation that must be shared with each other for daily operation, recurring audits, and asset transitions. More information about GE Digital software for the aviation industry can be found here. https://www.ge.com/news/press-releases/ge-digital-software-implemented-by-largest-aircraft-lessor Republic Airways To Issue $100,000 Fine If Pilots Quit Within First Three Years The airline has received backlash from the union that represents its pilots. Republic Airways Embraer E175 tails. Photo: Republic Airways Regional carrier Republic Airways hopes its stern new controversial strategy will retain pilots amidst an ongoing pilot shortage in the US. The strategy, which is included in the airline’s eye-catching new employment contract, is also part of a pilot pathway program. The pilot shortage has impacted regional airlines such as Republic more than mainline carriers. As a result, Republic introduced a new pilot contract designed to keep pilots at the airline for longer than one year. Agreement details According to One Mile At A Time, Republic is seeking new pilots to fly exclusively under its new agreement, also known as the Republic Airways New First Officer Career Advancement Program. The somewhat unprecedented contract has some key stipulations: • Pilots must stay with the regional airline for at least three years • After one year, pilots may have the opportunity to graduate to the captain position but will need to fly as much as they can in order to do so • New hires are committing to being a captain for two years • Pilots who voluntarily break the agreement and leave the airline before the three-year mark are subject to a $100,000 fine • If a pilot resigns before the three-year mark, they are not allowed to work for any other competing airline within a year Any first officer who advances to becoming a captain within a year will also face low seniority and may have to commute to their base, which could be less ideal. Additionally, rather than Republic charging pilots who break their contract as a penalty, the airline reportedly refers to the offense as liquidated damages. Backlash and controversy In the last few years, regional airlines have increased the pay rate for pilots to retain as much as possible during the shortage. Republic has reportedly received backlash for its strict and steep policy. Teamsters, the union representing the airline’s pilots, filed a grievance against Republic last week. The union said the agreement is problematic in a memo to the airline obtained by Aero Crew News. “With the completion of the new Training Center, and after a brief hiatus of New-Hire classes to bring our Captain/First Officer ratio into closer balance, Republic Airways is beginning to bring in new First Officers for training. It has come to our attention that as a prerequisite for employment, New-Hire Pilots are required to enroll in the Republic Airways New First Officer Career Advancement Pathway Program Agreement (the “Agreement”). Your Executive Board believes that this Agreement is problematic for many reasons.” According to the agreement posted by a user on Reddit, Republic is mandating that new pilots will “aggressively pursue the path to Captain upgrade,” meaning the pilot would need to pick up extra flights in addition to their monthly schedule. In response, Teamsters said it plans to challenge the requirement, saying it undermines its collective bargaining agreement (CBA). “Forced upgrades and mandatory overtime have been rejected by Negotiating Committees over several negotiation cycles,” the union explained. “That the Company would impose them as a condition of employment is a circumvention of our CBA we will vigorously challenge.” Possible litigation? There is no word whether Republic will reevaluate its new employment contract. If the airline refuses, Teamsters said it would threaten litigation to settle it. “This Agreement is egregious, and we are hopeful the Company will reconsider its position before it needs to be settled via grievance, arbitration or litigation. [...] We believe this Agreement, even before we get into haggling over its enforceability, will have a chilling effect on the quantity and quality of the Pilots willing to choose Republic to begin their career.” Republic Airways operates a fleet of more than 200 Embraer E175 aircraft on behalf of the regional brands of American Airlines (American Eagle), Delta Air Lines (Delta Connection), and United Airlines (United Express). https://simpleflying.com/republic-airways-100000-fine-pilots-quit/ Himalaya Jet: Strange New Long Haul Airline Startup The basics of Himalaya Jet Himalaya Jet is a new premium long haul carrier that intends to connect cities of Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia, with point-to-point flights. Himalaya Jet’s website While the company is based in the UK, the investors are of Nepalese descent, and want to connect Nepal and India to the rest of the world. Specifically, the airline hopes to fly from Kathmandu, Delhi, and Mumbai, to London, Paris, and Sydney. The airline also hopes to fly to additional long haul destinations, including New York, Washington, Toronto, Zurich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Rome and Vienna. Himalaya Jet’s website The airline claims that it will launch in September 2023 (yep, in around four months) using leased Boeing 787s. British businessman Dipendra Gurung is behind the airline. He reportedly owns many luxury cinemas, as well as the Miss World pageant. Gurung describes himself as an entrepreneur, angel investor, philanthropist, former UN consultant, diplomat, and socialite. The Gurung family met with Boeing in Seattle recently, to discuss plans for the airline to launch. The company claims that it will lease two Boeing 787-8s for a period of three years, and hopes to operate 18 jets by its third year of service. For what it’s worth, the company has been registered in the UK with 800 million ordinary shares, valued at £2 each. What can I even say about this concept? There are different kinds of “airline startups,” ranging from legitimate airline startups founded by experienced industry executives, to fraudsters just looking to steal money from investors, without any plans to actually launch an airline. Where does Himalaya Jet fall? My initial read is that the people behind the airline are serious, and I don’t think this is a scam. Even so, this just seems like such an unrealistic business model. As much as I’m a huge avgeek, I can never wrap my head around why investors want to start new airlines. Could the industry use some innovation? Absolutely! Will an airline give you the highest ROI, compared to other investment options? If you ask me, you’d be better off going to a casino and putting all your money on a roulette table, as you have better odds of leaving rich. Point-to-point long haul airline startups almost never succeed, and that’s for good reason. The people behind them generally see that there’s a certain amount of demand between some markets, and then figure they can capture a big percentage of that. But that approach fails to consider just how hard it is to gain market share, especially profitably. Lastly, I just can’t understand why most airline startups seem to have such unrealistic launch timelines. The company expects to go from not even having signed a contract for planes, to launching operations, in just four months? That’s not how that works! Bottom line Himalaya Jet is the latest airline startup, which hopes to operate premium point-to-point long haul routes. While the company is based in the UK, it hopes to focus on the Himalayas (including India and Nepal), by operating service to everywhere from Asia, to Europe, to the United States, to Australia. Himalaya Jet claims it will launch operations in September 2023 using Boeing 787s. If we’re taking bets, I’m just going to go ahead and say I think that’s pretty unlikely… https://onemileatatime.com/news/himalaya-jet/ Boeing Wins Landmark Order from Ryanair for 300 737 Max 10 Jets (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. secured a landmark order from one of its most important customers, with Ryanair Holdings Plc agreeing to purchase as many as 300 of the company’s largest 737 Max aircraft in a bet on the post-pandemic travel recovery. The order, made up of 150 firm purchases and the same number of options, has a value of $40 billion, Boeing and Ryanair said in a statement today, though customers typically secure big discounts on major deals. Boeing shares jumped as much as 2.3% in premarket US trading. Ryanair advanced 2% in Dublin. The huge purchase of Boeing’s largest 737 variant marks an important endorsement from one of the US manufacturer’s most loyal customers and highlights how carriers are willing to splurge on fleet upgrades again as air travel rebounds. Ryanair said the deal is largest order ever placed by an Irish company for US manufactured goods. “In addition to delivering significant revenue and traffic growth across Europe, we expect these new, larger, more efficient, greener, aircraft to drive further unit cost savings,” Ryanair Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary said in the release. Deliveries will start in 2027 and 2033 and aim to replace many older 737NG aircraft. Ryanair said half or the order is earmarked for replacement of older aircraft while the other half is reserved for growth. By 2034, Ryanair will expand to carrying 300 million passengers, targeting market share in Europe of about 30%, O’Leary said. The airline will have about 550 aircraft by the middle of this year and expand that number to 800 over the next decade, he said. Biggest Buyer Ryanair is Boeing’s biggest buyer in Europe, having built its entire fleet of short-haul aircraft around the workhorse model. O’Leary said in late March that the airline had resumed talks with Boeing more aircraft. The Covid-era shutdown of some European carriers and scaling back at others has created openings for Ryanair. O’Leary has cited growth in Italy, where Alitalia was succeeded by the smaller ITA, in Portugal, where state-ward TAP is now up for sale, and markets in Ireland and Spain, where incumbents were slow to restore capacity, as providing Ryanair with ample opportunity for growth. The budget airline is among companies that have predicted a summer booking surge, particularly on shorter-haul routes to sunny destinations like Spain or Italy. British-Airways parent IAG SA raised its forecast for the year last week. Ryanair joins other airlines expanding their fleets, having repaired their balance sheets and repaid government loans. Deutsche Lufthansa AG said in March that it would buy 22 new widebody aircraft from Airbus SE and Boeing in an order valued at $7.5 billion at list price. A month earlier, Air India Ltd. announced a 470-plane order with the two manufacturers in what is the largest purchase in commercial aviation history to date. Some Delays The 737 Max 10 hasn’t been without hickups. Long delayed, Boeing now expects the US Federal Aviation Administration to begin certification flights for the aircraft this year, with the first deliveries expected in 2024. In December, US lawmakers struck a deal to exempt still uncertified Max 7 and 10 models from a a new cockpit requirement that would have taken effect at the start of 2023 and potentially caused more delays. Boeing CEO David Calhoun said on a presentation that he still expects certification of the aircraft in 2024. Airlines that have committed to the 737 Max 10 include Delta Air Lines Inc., United Airlines Holdings Inc. and IAG. The aircraft, which is still awaiting certification, competes with Airbus’s bestselling A321neo, as carriers move increasingly to the biggest versions of the most widely flown narrow-body jets. Ryanair previously topped up its order for the 737 Max 8 version with a special high-density configuration to a total of 210 aircraft. It has already received about 100 of the airliner. The airline has continuously bought larger aircraft to expand capacity, going from the 737-800 with 189 seats to the Max 200 with 197 to the Max 10, which will have room for 230. With its higher capacity 737 Max 8, dubbed the 8200, O’Leary claimed in January that there’s a widening cost gap between Ryanair and other European carriers. The even-larger Max 10 now gives him another weapon. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-closes-mega-ryanair-deal-175432945.html NTSB To Host Runway Incursion Roundtable A week after the FAA struck a committee to discuss the state of aviation safety, the NTSB has announced it will host a roundtable discussion on the spate of serious runway incursions that occurred in the first quarter of the year. The four-hour morning discussion will be hosted by NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy on May 23 at NTSB headquarters in Washington. The board said in a news release the meeting will be open to the public and streamed online. It will feature “safety experts from the aviation industry, labor, and government to discuss the current state of the runway incursion problem and possible solutions and next steps.” The release doesn’t name the experts. “I look forward to hosting a candid assessment of what’s been done to prevent runway incursions in the years since our last event on the topic—and to spur meaningful, immediate action on the areas where we’re stalled,” said Homendy. “By proactively looking for ways to make our skies safer, this event reflects our agency’s commitment to meeting the same high standards we ask of others.” In the first three months of the year, at least six runway incursions involving airliners that resulted in some kind of diversion or go-around occurred at U.S. airports. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/ntsb-to-host-runway-incursion-roundtable/ Position Available: Aviation Safety Officer Airbus is an international pioneer in the aerospace industry. We are a leader in designing, manufacturing and delivering aerospace products, services and solutions to customers on a global scale. We aim for a better-connected, safer and more prosperous world. A commercial aircraft manufacturer, with Space and Defense as well as Helicopters Divisions, Airbus is the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe and a worldwide leader. Airbus has built on its strong European heritage to become truly international - with roughly 180 locations and 12,000 direct suppliers globally. The company has aircraft and helicopter final assembly lines across Asia, Europe and the Americas, and has achieved a more than six fold order book increase since 2000. Position Summary: The Aviation Safety Officer (ASO) is a full time position within the Airbus Helicopters North America (AHNA) Aviation Safety. The ASO shall assists in the management of all aspects of the aviation safety function for the Grand Prairie Facility. The ASO is primarily responsible for managing internal aviation safety and ensuring compliance with applicable aviation safety regulations and policies. The ASO shall coordinate closely with the Senior Director, Safety Programs, Flight Safety Officers (FSO's), and other Airbus departments to identify, investigate and manage aviation safety hazards; coordinate and carry out actions to manage or mitigate risk; and provide support of AHNA's Safety Management System (SMS). Primary Responsibilities: 1. Internal Flight Safety: 50% · Serve as the Grand Prairie facilities focal point for aviation safety matters and safety promotion activities · Monitor aviation production, maintenance, and flight operations to identify hazards. · Maintain an internal aviation safety incident reporting system, manage investigation of internal aviation incidents, and initiate corrective action(s) as necessary. · Engage in continuous feedback and communication for all safety report submitters · Monitor and evaluate the results of corrective actions; ensure that the feedback loop and control measures are in place and working efficiently. · Maintain the facilities flight line safety program to include providing training and administering access control of the flight line. · Participate in Flight Test development pre-Type Inspection Authorization meetings and Safety Review Boards to identify and mitigate flight risks. · Represent Aviation Safety at operational departmental meetings to raise awareness to safety hazards, initiatives, and other safety information. 2. Company SMS: 40% · Assist the Manager, Safety Management System with the development and implementation of AHNA's Safety Management System (SMS) for the Grand Prairie facility. · Organize and facilitate the Safety Action Group (SAG) for the Grand Prairie facility and where necessary escalate risk to the Safety Review Board (SRB) · Responsible for the development and management of facilities Emergency Response Plan (ERP) for aircraft accidents. · Facilitate Safety Risk Management activities with other stakeholder to identifying, assessing, analyzing, and mitigating aviation safety risks · Ensures accurate and timely delivery of required safety reports, including monthly and quarterly summary reports, as well as ad hoc queries. Provides weekly/monthly management reports on safety goals and objectives as required. · Oversee the development, delivery and maintenance of SMS training to ensure employees possess the competencies appropriate with their role in aviation safety. 3. Accident Investigation: 10% · Participate and provide technical expertise regarding accidents investigations as requested by AHNA's Senior Director, Safety Programs and/or Manager of Accident Investigation. Additional Responsibilities: · Other duties as assigned. Qualified Experience / Skills / Training: Education: Required: · Bachelor's Degree in aviation, safety or a related field; or equivalent experience Preferred: · Master's Degree preferred Experience: Required: · Minimum of seven (7) years' experience in flight operations and/or aviation safety. Preferred: · Experience as a fleet operator and/or certified instructor. · Accident investigation experience. Licensure/Certifications: Required: · Formally trained in SMS and accident investigation Preferred: · FAA commercial/instrument pilot or equivalent with rotorcraft-helicopter rating and/or A&P certificate strongly preferred. Knowledge, Skills, Demonstrated Capabilities: · Broad knowledge of aviation safety programs, technical publications, aircraft systems, helicopter aerodynamic principles, FAA operational and safety management regulations, and other fields relating to conduct of flight programs. Communication Skills (Spoken, Written, Influencing, Proficiency in Other Languages): · English proficiency required. · Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in written form required. · Ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with governmental and civilian representatives and customers. Technical Systems Proficiency: · Proficiency in GSuite and Smartsheet · Technical working knowledge of Flight Data Monitoring systems with associated software. · Technical knowledge of Helicopter Usage and Monitoring Systems (HUMS). Travel Required: · 30% Domestic and International. Citizenship: · US Person under ITAR definition (U.S. Citizen, green card holder or person covered under our existing ITAR license) Clearance: · None Decision Making, Complexity: · Responsible for assisting to develop internal processes and protocols. · Responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable safety procedures, rules, and regulations. Organizational information: Direct Reports : · Exempt : 0 · Non-exempt : 0 Job Dimensions, Contributions to Success: · Integral in maintaining a safe aviation organization and compliance with applicable safety procedures, rules, and regulations. Nature of Contacts: · Involved Communication on a daily Basis with internal and external parties Physical Requirements: · Onsite: 70% · Vision: able to see and read computer screen and other electronic equipment with screens, able to read documents, reports and engineering drawings on daily basis. · Hearing: able to hear to participate in conversations in person and via teleconference or phone and to hear sounds on production floor including safety warnings or alarms on a daily basis. · Speaking: able to speak in conversations and meetings, deliver information and participate in communications on a daily basis. · Equipment Operation (personal computer, telephone, copies, fax machine, and related office equipment and using electronic identification card to enter building floors and internal doors): able to operate most office and personal electronic equipment and some basic tools. Daily · Carrying: able to carry documents, tools, drawings, electronic equipment up to 30lbs/14kgs several times a week. · Lifting: able to lift documents, tools, drawings, electronic equipment up to 30lbs/14kgs several times a week. · Pushing / Pulling: able to push and pull small office furniture, aircraft systems and equipment several times a week. · Sitting: able to sit for long periods of time in meetings, working on computer several times a week. · Squatting / Kneeling: able to squat or kneel to retrieve or replace items stored on low shelving. · Standing: able to stand for discussions in offices or on production floor several times a week. · Travel: able to travel independently and at short notice. · Walking (include routine walking such as to a shared printer to retrieve documents): able to walk through office and production areas including uneven surfaces several times a week. · Personal Protective Equipment required: Required PPE includes, but is not limited to, Safety Shoes, Safety Glasses, Hearing Protection, Respirators/Masks, and/or Protective Gloves as required by site and/or customer site · Equal Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or other legally protected status As a leader in our field, Airbus Helicopters, Inc. provides relocation assistance for qualified positions and a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. As a matter of policy, Airbus Helicopters, Inc. does not sponsor visas for US positions unless specified. Only applicants with current work authorization will be considered. Airbus Helicopters, Inc. does not offer tenured or guaranteed employment. Employment with Airbus is at will, meaning either the company or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. NOTE: Airbus Helicopters, Inc. reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the need arises. This position description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. Curt Lewis