May 17, 2023 - No. 020 In This Issue : Stratolaunch Talon Separation Test Paves Way For Hypersonic Flight : Why Did Boeing Fill A Passenger Jet With Potatoes In 2012? : Boeing 737 Max deliveries could be delayed due to parts issue : Alaska Airlines plane to be retrofitted with hydrogen-electric propulsion system : CATL’s new battery tech could inch electric planes closer to reality : Sikorsky Celebrates 100 Years Of Innovation : Russian Airlines Contend With Worsening Spare Parts Shortage : AIESL MRO Gets the US FAA Approval for A320 Maintenance | Exclusive Stratolaunch Talon Separation Test Paves Way For Hypersonic Flight Guy Norris May 13, 2023 COLORADO SPRINGS—Hypersonic test developer Stratolaunch successfully completed a key separation test of its Talon vehicle from the Roc carrier aircraft over Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Western Range off California’s central coast on May 13, clearing the way for the first powered hypersonic flight attempt later this summer. The long-anticipated milestone mission, which was the fourth captive-carry flight of the unpowered Talon TA-0 drop test vehicle, “accomplished a number of primary and secondary objectives, including a clean release, stabilized flight all the way to flare and landing in the water,” says Zachary Krevor, CEO and president of Stratolaunch. The Mojave Air & Space Port-based company originally planned to conduct the separation test months ago but was forced to delay because of range time restrictions compounded by successive bouts of bad weather. Stratolaunch also hoped to release TA-0 on the last flight of the Roc carrier aircraft on April 1, but despite reaching the correct separation conditions controllers called it off after seeing what appeared to be off-nominal reaction loads data on the Talon. Post-flight mission analysis showed the April release attempt would have worked, but the company said the flight was valuable as a practice run. It also was the first opportunity for Roc to fly within the targeted drop area with all systems operating and interacting with the Pacific test range telemetry systems. Other than ballast to represent the weight of the vehicle’s standard Ursa Major Hadley rocket engine, the 28-ft.-long Talon was “representative of a full hypersonic vehicle” for the May 13 separation test, Krevor says. Weighing around 7,000 lb., the 14-ft.-span delta winged TA-0 was released by the Roc’s crew on the second pass along a northwest-southeast racetrack pattern aligned parallel to the coast. Stratolaunch declines to specify the separation conditions but says they represented the exact speed and altitude target "release box" parameters that will be used for the first hypersonic flight test with the second vehicle, TA-1, now expected in late summer. According to flight data from Flightradar24, Roc was flying at around 21,650 ft. at a speed of around 240 kt. at the time of the release, which occurred at 11:14 a.m. PDT, or just past the halfway point of the 4 hr. 8 min. flight. Following separation, the Talon vehicle glided for 2.5 min. before impacting in the ocean in a stable landing attitude. Telemetry data indicated the fully autonomous vehicle's handling qualities were as predicted, matching aerodynamic and performance forecasts derived from earlier wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamics analysis, Krevor says. “We activated the vehicle propulsion ignition systems, and flared for landing and checked angle of attack, flare and landing speeds, all of which were good,” Krevor says. The vehicle landed intact but sustained damage on impact with the waves. Stratolaunch recovery crews were still hoping to salvage parts of TA-O for later analysis. The carrier aircraft, which was flown by pilots Evan Thomas and Dave Fedors with Brad Schab as flight engineer, returned to land at Mojave at 1:10 p.m. PDT. Stratolaunch now is focusing on preparations for the start of hypersonic flights with TA-1, which is undergoing vehicle-level testing before upcoming integration tests with Roc. Hot-fire ground runs of the Hadley engine also are continuing at Stratolaunch’s Mojave test site. Following these tests the same engine will be integrated into TA-1. Assembly work on follow-on vehicles TA-2 and TA-3 also is underway. Both of these are reusable and are designed to recover for landing at Vandenberg SFB after Mach 5-plus flights. TA-2 is fully assembled and undergoing integrated systems tests while the structure of TA-3 is now being completed, Krevor says. Rehabilitation work on runway 12-30, the longest of Mojave’s main runways and the one used for Roc operations, is meanwhile due to begin at the end of May and continue through early July. The airport’s current schedule will see the runway closed for 42 days. Limited closures of the airport’s other runways, 8-26 and 4-22, also will occur throughout the same overall period. Runway 12-30 will close again for another week in early August while new pavement markings are applied. Stratolaunch Talon Separation Test Paves Way For Hypersonic Flight Why Did Boeing Fill A Passenger Jet With Potatoes In 2012? By C.A. Pinkham The history of food is filled with all sorts of weird stories. Thanks to an odd arms-for-soda deal with Russia, Pepsi once (briefly) possessed the world's sixth-largest navy. Popsicles were created by an 11-year-old kid who accidentally left a sugary drink mix outside overnight. In 1981, the Reagan administration tried to classify ketchup as a vegetable as a workaround to nutritional requirements for school lunches. Chocolate was once used as currency in the Aztec Empire. Buffalo wings were created because a restaurant owner received sent a huge delivery of chicken wings by mistake. After people spent hundreds of years thinking they were poisonous, the Supreme Court had to rule in 1893 in Nix v. Hedden on whether tomatoes were a fruit or vegetable for tariff purposes (vegetable won it in a shutout, 9-0). One time, Boeing loaded a large number of potatoes on a passenger jet and flew it up in the air as a part of a very critical test. As strange as it sounds, much of it had to do with potatoes' relation to humans in terms of water content. As bizarre as it might sound, there's actually a good reason Boeing did this. In addition to their deliciousness quotient, potatoes have an odd quality — as USA Today explains, they absorb and reflect Wi-Fi signals in the same way humans do, thanks to their high water content. In 2012, Boeing needed to test the effectiveness of its onboard Wi-Fi signal. In order to do so, it needed planes to be full of people over a significant period of time — Boeing knew this wasn't reasonable, but the engineers found a workaround with potatoes. They loaded huge piles of potatoes in every seat on the plane and sent them up into the sky. It worked perfectly, leading to significant advances in the viability of airborne Wi-Fi. They also called the project, Synthetic Personnel Using Dialectic Substitution (SPUDS), as a nod to the potatoes used in the experiment. Strangely enough, this isn't the only bizarre story from the history of the potato (even if the story about the creation of the potato chip is probably made up). The humble tubers were once believed to cause syphilis, leprosy, nymphomania, narcosis, and sterility because Europeans believed they resembled the body parts impacted by those diseases. There was actually an edict issued in France at one point that levied fines on anyone who cultivated potatoes. Russian peasants were also once so superstitious about the potato that they starved rather than cultivate it. They believed that the "eyes" on potatoes were unnatural and a sign of evil, abetted by the fact potatoes bud rather than require fertilization. The weirdness extends to both negative and positive history, however. The Incas revered the potato so much that they worshipped them in the form of the goddess Axomamma. They also buried potatoes with the dead so they'd have something to eat on the journey to the afterlife. Read More: https://www.thedailymeal.com/1266339/boeing-fill-passenger-jet-potatoes/ Read More: https://www.thedailymeal.com/1266339/boeing-fill-passenger-jet-potatoes/ Why Did Boeing Fill A Passenger Jet With Potatoes In 2012? Boeing 737 Max deliveries could be delayed due to parts issue Boeing said the supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, used a “non-standard manufacturing process” during installation of fittings near the rear of some 737s. Author: Associated Press Published: 5:48 PM PDT April 13, 2023 Updated: 5:48 PM PDT April 13, 2023 EVERETT, Wash. — Boeing said Thursday that production and delivery of a “significant number” of its 737 Max planes could be delayed because of questions about a supplier’s work on the fuselages. Boeing said the supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, used a “non-standard manufacturing process” during installation of fittings near the rear of some 737s. Aircraft parts must be produced and installed to meet exacting federal standards. The company said the situation is not an immediate safety issue and planes already flying “can continue operating safely.” But, Boeing said, it notified the Federal Aviation Administration about the matter and is working to inspect planes and replace fittings when necessary. he FAA said that “based on the facts and data Boeing presented, the FAA validated the company’s assessment that there is no immediate safety issue." The parts issue is the latest setback for Boeing. All Max planes were grounded worldwide for nearly two years after a pair of deadly crashes, and production flaws halted deliveries of the larger 787 jetliner several times in the past three years. Spirit provides fuselages for all Max jets, but it is not the only supplier for the fittings. For that reason, production of one model, the Max-9, is not affected by the current situation. Spirit, which is based in Wichita, Kansas, said it “identified a quality issue” on the rear section of some Max fuselages and told Boeing. “We have processes in place to address these of types of production issues upon identification, which we are following,” the company said. A Boeing spokesperson said Thursday that the company could not say exactly how many planes are affected because the issue was just discovered. Shares of Arlington, Virginia-based Boeing fell more than 5% and Spirit tumbled about 7% in after-hours trading. Boeing 737 Max deliveries could be delayed due to parts issue Alaska Airlines plane to be retrofitted with hydrogen-electric propulsion system The future of aviation may hinge on hydrogen, a new fuel source that is now closer to consumers. Author: Kristin Goodwillie Published: 5:43 PM PDT May 1, 2023 Updated: 5:43 PM PDT May 1, 2023 Note: See video in the original article. SEATTLE — The future of aviation may hinge on hydrogen. A Washington airline just handed over one of its planes in an effort to bring the project closer to fruition. “The world's largest hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft is being developed right here in the greatest, most innovative state: the state of Washington,” said Governor Jay Inslee. What started out as an idea over coffee two years ago is now a reality for Pasha Saleh who is the head of corporate development at Alaska Airlines. “What if we used the Q400?" Saleh asked. "It was just this crazy idea and we laughed about it and now here we are standing in front of it.” Alaska Airlines handed over the keys of one of its retired Bombardier Q400 regional turboprop planes to ZeroAvia. The plane will be retrofitted with a hydrogen-electric propulsion system, according to the company. “It’s going to make it economically possible to fly places that airlines wouldn’t consider serving today because there’s also an implied maintenance cost reduction with these motors,” said Saleh. ZeroAvia is a company specializing in hydrogen-electric aviation. The company has successfully flown three Hydrogen-electric prototypes, but nothing as big as the Q400. “This is of course the largest system that we’re putting together,” said ZeroAvia CEO Val Miftakohov. At this point, the engine technology to get Alaska’s 737 fleet to zero emissions doesn’t exist. “There are fundamental challenges, to de-carbonize the bulk of our fleet, the narrow-bodied planes, that’s going to require sustainable aviation fuel and that’s our primary focus,” said Saleh. The lasting impact of hydrogen-electric aviation goes beyond zero emissions. “Broader sustainability involves the noise, involves the ground pollution,” said Miftakohov. “And so we’re changing not only the environmental impact of flying, but we’re changing the economics of who is flying and who gets to fly,” said Saleh. The development is still in the early stages. The full process will take about five years. ZeroAvia plans to release a smaller zero-emissions plane in two years. Alaska Airlines plane to be retrofitted with hydrogen-electric propulsion system Electric airplane towing concept could mean longer zero-emission flights Magpie Aviation says it’s already conducted successful short-range tests. Will Shanklin|April 25, 2023 4:50 PM Magpie Aviation announced a novel new approach to electric airplanes on Monday. Today’s battery technology (including CATL’s new, more efficient one) severely limits the practicality of zero-emission aircraft, leaving clean-energy innovators with two incomplete options: flying a plane full of batteries or one full of people — but not both. So the California-based startup wants to tie them together, extending the rear plane’s range by hundreds of miles. Towing planes isn’t a new concept, with military use going back to World War II when aerial tows would pull smaller aircraft carrying troops and supplies. But applying it to the world of green transportation is new. Magpie Aviation’s concept uses one or more electric aircraft to act as a tractor plane towing a passenger (or cargo) aircraft using a long cable. The towed plane would have enough battery power for takeoff, landing and flying to alternate airports but not enough to fly the full distance on its own, as reported by AeroTime. The lead plane would take on the bulk of the traction, and when its battery is depleted, it could hand off towing duties to another electric towing aircraft to extend the rear plane’s range. Magpie CEO Damon Vander Lind summarized to Aviation Week, “You get towed until you’ve depleted down to your reserve in the lead aircraft, and then you swap in another tow aircraft.” Although it’s still a regional solution impractical for cross-country or international flights, Vander Lind says it could allow for a trip from San Francisco to Seattle — far beyond the sub-regional distances battery-powered passenger flights can travel on their own. Magpie says it’s conducted successful small-scale tests using a synthetic fiber rope around 330 ft. long; the company envisions a later commercial version to use nearly mile-long cables. The startup plans to scale up its testing gradually and believes it could be implemented commercially by 2030. It expects advances in battery tech to allow it to tow single-aisle airliners eventually. Magpie suggests that the concept, mainly targeting electric planes, could also work with hybrid, hydrogen and standard aircraft in low-power modes. Additionally, the company says it’s working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with an eye toward certification. CATL’s new battery tech could inch electric planes closer to reality Sikorsky Celebrates 100 Years Of Innovation by SOFREP Apr 18, 2023 Note: Please and videos see the photos in the original article. Sikorsky stands poised to take the next step in a journey that has already spanned a century./DVIDS Over the past 100 years, Sikorsky has been at the forefront of aviation innovation, producing helicopters that have transformed how we travel and transport goods. From its early days of building airplanes to its groundbreaking work on helicopter design and technology, Sikorsky, now a Lockheed Martin Company, has made countless contributions to the aviation industry. Throughout the decades, the iconic company has been instrumental in transforming how we travel and transport goods. From the early days of building airplanes to the groundbreaking work on helicopter design and technology, Sikorsky has made countless contributions to the aviation industry, becoming one of the world’s most respected and successful aviation technology companies. Today, Sikorsky continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in helicopter design and technology, and its legacy of innovation for the past 100 years will continue for many years. Sikorsky’s Early Days Sikorsky’s 100 years of rich history is woven into the fabric of modern aviation. The inventor of what would become the world-renowned Sikorsk aircraft, Igor Sikorsky, was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1889. From a young age, he was fascinated by aviation: so the young Sikorsky studied engineering in Russia, then moved to Paris to work on aviation projects. In 1913, he designed and built the world’s first four-engine airplane, the Russky Vityaz, which set several world records for altitude and distance. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Sikorsky emigrated to the United States, where he continued his work in aviation. By the year 1919, Sikorsky founded the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation. Initially, the company focused on developing airplanes, and in 1923, and began building airplanes for commercial and military use. Eventually, Sikorsky turned his attention to helicopter design and technology. His vision paid off, and Sikorsky’s helicopters became famous for various applications. The company proliferated in the 1940s and 1950s, receiving contracts from the U.S. military and the commercial sector. Over time, the company’s reputation grew, becoming a key player in the aviation industry worldwide. His passion for aviation and his unwavering commitment to innovation laid the foundation for the company that has become a byword for helicopter design excellence. Sikorsky’s helicopters have played a pivotal role in various conflicts and military operations, including in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But the company’s impact is not limited to the military alone. Its helicopters are used for search and rescue, offshore oil rig transportation, firefighting, and other applications. In 2015, Sikorsky was sold to Lockheed Martin. Sikorsky’s 100 Years Of Accomplishments In the mid-19th century, Igor Sikorsky shifted his focus from airplanes to helicopters. In 1942, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. created the world’s first helicopter to lift people and cargo vertically off the ground, called the R-4. This helicopter provided a revolutionary design and technology, becoming the prototype for today’s machines. In 1943, the National Aeronautic Association awarded Sikorsky the Collier Trophy for developing the R-4 helicopter, praising it as an “outstanding contribution to the progress of aviation.” Read Next: Sikorsky S-92 Fleet Achieves 2-million Flight Hour Milestone Sikorsky’s helicopters have also been used in several high-profile missions, such as the first-ever transatlantic helicopter flight and the rescue of hostages in Iran in 1980. The aviation powerhouse’s contributions to rotorcraft technology have helped develop medical and emergency services, military, and commercial sectors. Sikorsky has accomplished many things over the past century, with an array of milestones and most notable achievements: • Sikorsky has built more than 7,000 helicopters, which are used by customers all over the world. • Its helicopters have been used for various missions, including military operations, medical evacuation, search and rescue, and offshore oil rig support. • Sikorsky has won numerous awards and honors for its innovations in aviation, including multiple Collier Trophies, which are awarded annually for the most significant achievements in aeronautics or astronautics in America. • Sikorsky has been a leader in developing advanced technologies, such as fly-by-wire controls and advanced rotor designs, which have helped improve helicopter safety and performance. • In addition to its military and civilian helicopter designs, Sikorsky has also worked on other aviation projects, such as fixed-wing aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). • Sikorsky has also been involved in international collaborations, partnering with companies and governments worldwide to develop new helicopter designs and technologies. Sikorsky’s 100 years of accomplishments are well-known throughout the aviation industry. The company is behind some of the world’s most reliable and high-performance rotorcraft, including the Seahawk, the C-92, and the S-76D. With Sikorsky producing more than 7,000 helicopters over the years, these helicopters have logged millions of hours of flight time across various applications. Yet, its contributions to the industry continue. Sikorsky has also been at the forefront of several significant technological advancements, including developing fly-by-wire controls, advanced avionics, and composite materials. Milestones Over the years, Sikorsky has achieved many milestones in the aviation industry. Here are some of the most significant ones: • In 1923, the first Sikorsky-designed aircraft, the S-29-A, took its maiden flight. A decade later, the company introduced the VS-300, a breakthrough helicopter design that eventually led to the development of the modern helicopter. • In 1942, Sikorsky produced the R-4, which was the first helicopter to be used by the U.S. military. The R-4 was mainly used for medical evacuation during World War II. • In 1957, Sikorsky introduced the S-58, the first helicopter to fly nonstop across the United States. The S-58 was also used for various military and civilian applications, including search and rescue and offshore oil rig support. • In 1961, Sikorsky introduced the CH-53 Sea Stallion, the largest and most powerful helicopter. The CH-53 was used primarily by the U.S. Marine Corps for heavy lifting and transportation. • In 1972, Sikorsky introduced the UH-60 Black Hawk, which has become one of the most iconic helicopters in the world. The U.S. military uses the Black Hawk for various missions, including troop transport, medical evacuation, and special operations. • In 2005, Sikorsky introduced the CH-53K King Stallion, the U.S. military fleet’s largest and most powerful helicopter. The CH-53K is used primarily for heavy lifting and transportation. In recent times, Sikorsky has continued to innovate by developing the highly popular Black Hawk helicopter. In a tweet, Lockheed Martin Senior Vice President Dean Acosta proudly celebrated Sikorsky’s Black Hawk and its variants. “The Black Hawk and its variants deliver when reliability and performance are nonnegotiable.’ says Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo. Congratulations to our Sikorsky teammates for delivering the 5,000th Hawk helicopter.” Sikorsky helicopters continue to achieve significant milestones globally. In 2019, the company signed a contract with the Indian Navy to provide 24 Sikorsky MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters. In the same year, Sikorsky claims to have created the first ever digitally designed and built helicopter, the S-97 Raider. This technological breakthrough is expected to change how helicopters are designed, verifying their performance before a physical prototype is produced, set to become the fastest production helicopter ever built. A Sterling Legacy in Aviation Innovation As Sikorsky marks its 100th anniversary, its legacy of aviation innovation continues to inspire. From the early days of airplane design to cutting-edge helicopter technology, the company has remained at the forefront of the industry through its unwavering commitment to innovation, safety, and quality. Lockheed Martin proudly says on its website: “Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, celebrates 100 years of innovation.” “One hundred years ago, immigrant and aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky founded Sikorsky Aero Engineering Company on a chicken farm near Roosevelt Field, on Long Island New York. With a small team of engineers, many of whom who were also immigrants who fled the Russian Revolution, Igor established his new company and started work on development of a new fixed-wing aircraft, the S-29A.” Fast forward to today: Sikorsky stands poised to take the next step in a journey that has already spanned a century. Its exciting future is set to bring new innovations, milestones, and a continued legacy of excellence. Sikorsky Celebrates 100 Years Of Innovation Russian Airlines Contend With Worsening Spare Parts Shortage Aviation Week Network Staff April 28, 2023 Russia’s aviation industry continues to look for ways to substitute the Western-made aircraft spare parts and equipment that its carriers need to keep their fleets operational. More than a year has passed since Western sanctions were imposed that banned deliveries of commercial aircraft and provision of maintenance services to Russia, which came after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While the Russian government ordered local airlines to keep their fleets flying, the shortage of spare parts has become increasingly painful. A source from a Russian airline confirmed to Aviation Week earlier reports in Russian media that the industry’s local regulator, Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), had banned cleaning of fuel filters for SaM146 turbofan engines until the Russian manufacturer, UEC Saturn, conducts formal certification of the procedure. SaM146 engines equip Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional aircraft. Russian carriers now operate over 130 SSJ100s, which serve as workhorses not only for domestic services but also on an increasing number of international routes. The filter-washing process was approved by UEC Saturn in September 2022. It was seen as a temporary measure to keep the engines operational after SaM146 manufacturer PowerJet, a joint venture between UEC Saturn and France’s Safran, stopped supplying spare parts, including the filter. The filter was designed especially for SaM146 by Safran Filtration Systems, based in Nexon, France. The engine’s filter is usually changed every 2,000-2,500 flight hr. with the cleaning process intended to extend operations for only a few extra days. UEC told Aviation Week that the cleaning approval was likely to be certified by Rosaviatsiya imminently. Meanwhile, the manufacturer has tested a prototype of the Russian-made substitution for the fuel filters, parent Rostec Corporation reported in January. It promised that certification and first deliveries of the indigenous filter would start soon, but no further progress has been disclosed since. The lack of fuel filters is not the only problem that SSJ100 operators face. Developed in the early 2000s, the 100-seat aircraft program was led by Sukhoi but leveraged technologies from leading global suppliers. A report by Russian business newspaper RBK Daily in March cited six Russian airlines warning about the shortage of SaM146 igniter plugs. The igniters and exciters for the powerplants were supplied by Jacksonville, Florida-based Unison Industries, a subsidiary of GE Aerospace. While the Russian carriers reportedly still have some spare plugs, if no domestic substitution is found soon, they will have to cut back on SSJ100 operations. Rostec previously reported that UEC is also working on the Russian-made igniters for SaM146 and planned first deliveries before the end of the year. While the lack of foreign-made spares has had an impact on operating Russian-built aircraft, the shortage is more acute when it comes to flying the more than 600 Western-made commercial aircraft in Russia. Most of these were seized from international lessors following the invasion of Ukraine and have been transferred to the local registry, while Rosaviatsiya formally charged local MRO providers with maintaining this fleet. Sources from the country’s aircraft industry tell Aviation Week that while some Western aircraft spares are still being channeled into Russia through places such as Turkey and Southeast Asia, these inflows have gradually been shut down. Larger components, such as engines and landing gears, have been particularly difficult to get hold of. Dmitry Kudelkin, the head of Russia’s second largest airline operator, S7 Group, was quoted by Russian media on April 25 admitting that the supply of spare parts had become even more challenging. The carrier operates 100 passenger jets, including Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and Embraer E170 aircraft. S7’s fleet is maintained by its subsidiary, S7 Technics, which is one of Russia’s largest MRO providers. In March, S7 Technics acquired a majority stake in Berdsk Electromechanical Plant (BEMZ), a Russian manufacturer of components for commercial and military aircraft. According to BEMZ director Vasily Yurchenko, S7 plans to use the facility to test and manufacture aircraft parts. S7 Technics had secured EASA Part 21G and J approvals which allowed it to make interior modifications and manufacture some interior design components. But EASA suspended all Russian-related certificates a year ago. The company now works only under a similar Russian FAP-21J document. However, there are doubts about the viability of this strategy. The manufacturing of spare parts for Western-made jets is not permitted without the approval of the OEMs, says Seattle-based aviation consultant Boris Rybak. He notes that while Russian MRO providers earned significant expertise in the base maintenance of Western narrowbody aircraft over the past decade, they had only just started to develop similar capabilities for widebodies. “About 70% of total maintenance work with the Russian-operated aircraft has been done outside the country,” Rybak says. Russian carriers were particularly relying on foreign MROs for the repair of aircraft engines, avionics, hydraulics, landing gear and other components. While these systems used to be sent abroad for maintenance, they are now swapped with those on grounded aircraft. “All maintenance on Western-made aircraft in Russia is now entirely illegal since the approvals from Russian authorities for these services are merely pieces of paper, not approved or accepted by either OEM or international authorities,” Rybak concludes. Russian Airlines Contend With Worsening Spare Parts Shortage AIESL MRO Gets the US FAA Approval for A320 Maintenance | Exclusive BY BHAVYA VELANI May 9, 2023 in Indian Aviation News, News, Quick Updates The AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), formerly Air India Engineering Services Limited, has received approval from the United States Aviation Regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Airbus A320 Maintenance at its Mumbai facility. In 2013, the company was founded as part of Air India Limited’s turnaround plan. Which involved dividing Air India’s engineering and ground handling services into two wholly-owned subsidiaries – AIESL and Air India Transport Services Limited (AITSL). AIESL is treated as a separate profit center. It provides maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) services for Air India and other airlines before its privatization with Tata Group. AI engineering Services Limited (AIESL) AIESL MRO Gets FAA Approval AIESL MRO announced the feat this week on Thursday (May 4th, 2023). Further, they wrote, “AIESL adds Laurel into its Approval Kitty, Proud to Announce that AIESL Facility at OAP, Mumbai has received FAA Approval. For carrying out base Maintenance activity on Airbus A320 family aircraft. It has lots of approval from various international aviation regulatory bodies. But not for all the bases and for all aircraft. They already had the FAA Approval but for other services. The Mumbai AIESL MRO Base is approved to carry out All Maintenace checks from A to D. They have approval from US FAA, Europe’s EASA, India’s DGCA, Qatar, Kuwait, GACA (UAE), CAA Singapore, CAA Srilanka, CAA Nepal, CAA Thailand, CAA Malaysia, CAA of Bangladesh and PACA Oman. AIESL MRO Gets the US FAA Approval for A320 Maintenance | Exclusive Curt Lewis