Flight Safety Information - June 20, 2023 No. 118 In This Issue : Incident: Scoot B789 at Taipei on Jun 19th 2023, dropped nose wheel in flight : Incident: Sprint SF34 at Osijek on Jun 18th 2023, runway excursion on landing : Airbus A320-232 - Smoke in the Cabin (Nebraska) : France's aviation authority to help enhance Nepal's air safety : Helicopter crash inquest ends with calls for equipment, training changes : Safer Skies Initiative Integral to Prevent Shooting Down of Civilian Aircraft : Largest-ever deal: IndiGo orders 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft worth $50 billion : Boom Supersonic Announces Significant Overture Program Advances : Lockheed Martin Says It Is on Standby To Train Ukrainian Pilots on F-16s : Pratt & Whitney to ramp up jet engine program, potentially adding hundreds of jobs in North Berwick : South Korean man attempted to open plane door mid-flight. Luckily, he failed Incident: Scoot B789 at Taipei on Jun 19th 2023, dropped nose wheel in flight A Scoot Boeing 787-9, registration 9V-OJF performing flight TR-897 from Seoul (South Korea) to Taipei (Taiwan), landed on Taipei's runway 23L at 00:02L (16:02Z Jun 18th) and taxied to the apron seemingly without incident. A post flight inspection revealed however that the left hand nose wheel was missing from the nose gear. The aircraft is still on the ground in Taipei about 23 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50aa80cb&opt=0 Incident: Sprint SF34 at Osijek on Jun 18th 2023, runway excursion on landing A Sprint Air Saab 340A on behalf of Trade Air, registration SP-KPL performing flight C3-814 from Zagreb to Osijek (Croatia) with 1 passenger and 3 crew, landed on Osijek's runway 11 at 21:36L (19:36Z) and slowed to taxi speed, but then veered right and went off the runway. Trade Air reported: "during landing of the aircraft on a flight C3 814 from Zagreb to Osijek an aircraft operating on behalf of Trade Air experienced a technical issue with the braking system of the aircraft which caused lateral runway excursion from the landing runway at low speed. ... There were no casualties nor visible damage on the aircraft." https://avherald.com/h?article=50aa7ea2&opt=0 Airbus A320-232 - Smoke in the Cabin (Nebraska) Date: 19-JUN-2023 Time: 18:05 UTC Type: Airbus A320-232 Owner/operator: Spirit Airlines Registration: N607NK MSN: 4595 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 188 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: near Lincoln, NE - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Detroit-Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, MI (DTW/KDTW) Destination airport: Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: Spirit Airlines flight NK706, an Airbus A320-232, diverted to Lincoln Airport, NE (LNK) due to a smoke indication while en route at FL360. http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/315490 Engine Mix-up Led To 737 Ditching The NTSB says the crew of a first-generation Boeing 737 that ditched in the ocean off Honolulu on July 2, 2021, mixed up which engine was underperforming on the plane and steadily reduced power to the good engine while trying to coax more out of the damaged one. The aircraft went down a few miles offshore and both pilots survived. According to the final report, the Transair cargo flight had just taken off from Honolulu with the first officer flying when they heard a thud and the pilot flying correctly assessed that the right engine had lost some power. As the crew worked the problem, the first officer reduced power on both engines to slow the plane to a target speed of 220 knots and subsequently mixed up the engines and told the captain it was the left engine that was affected. “The captain accepted the first officer’s assessment and did not take action to verify the information,” the report said. The captain took control but remained under the incorrect assumption that the good engine was on the right. He added throttle to the damaged engine and it responded somewhat but not enough to keep the plane in the air. Meanwhile, the undamaged left engine was near idle and he did not adjust the left throttle. There wasn’t enough power to keep the plane in the air and he ditched in the ocean. The report says the failure to verify which engine was affected was “likely the result of the captain’s high workload and stress.” https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/engine-mixup-led-to-737-ditching/ France's aviation authority to help enhance Nepal's air safety KATHMANDU, June 20: An agreement has been reached between the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and the Civil Aviation Authority of France with the aim of enhancing the air safety system of Nepal. A four-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) for technical and human resource management and development was signed today in Paris, the capital of France, between the aviation regulatory bodies of the two countries. The MoU was signed by Director General of CAAN Pradeep Adhikari and Damien Caze on behalf of the French civil aviation authority, according to CAAN. As per the agreement, work will be done to improve quality of air safety including technical capacity building and training. https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/france-s-aviation-authority-to-help-enhance-nepal-s-air-safety/ Helicopter crash inquest ends with calls for equipment, training changes 4 Hydro One workers were killed in 2017 in Tweed, Ont. The inquest into the fatal December 2017 helicopter crash north of Belleville, which is mandatory under provincial legislation, was held from June 5 to 14. Jurors at the inquest into a fatal eastern Ontario helicopter crash that killed four Hydro One workers in 2017 have issued 16 recommendations to prevent similar deaths. James Baragar, 39, Jeffrey Howes and Darcy Jansen, both 26, and Kyle Shorrock, 27 were killed when their helicopter crashed in Tweed, Ont., north of Belleville, on Dec. 14, 2017. The four workers were doing routine maintenance on a hydro line and transmission tower when their helicopter went down. Thirteen of the jury's recommendations were for Transport Canada, including amending a section of the Canadian Aviation Regulations to require approval before installing any equipment to the outside of a helicopter. In a previous investigation, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said an improperly secured equipment bag on the outside of the helicopter came loose and stuck the tail rotor of the helicopter, likely causing the crash. It also found two of the three passenger seatbelts were not fastened. Calls for more proactive inspections, safety training The jury also recommended Transport Canada better inform safety inspectors, engineers, air operators and managers about what types of equipment modifications and activities need its approval. Transport Canada should also introduce enhanced safety inspections, the jury said, by increasing onsite inspections, performing more proactive and unannounced inspections and attending training sessions put on by air operators. Fatal Hydro One helicopter crash shows need for clearer safety belt rules, says TSB The other three recommendations were for Hydro One. Among them was ensuring that a 30-minute helicopter safety video is mandatory for any employee flying on Hydro One helicopters and is reviewed by air operators every year or after long periods of flying inactivity. The jury also said Hydro One should periodically reassess its policy and procedures and "not to assume it is safe because it has been in use for a number of years." The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says a white canvas bag, came loose from the fuselage of a helicopter that crashed and struck the aircraft's tail rotor, at right. (Transportation Safety Board) Alongside witnesses, including Hydro One workers who were present on the day of the crash, the inquest heard statements from the family members of the workers who were killed. The jury also found their deaths were an accident. The inquest, which is mandatory under provincial legislation, was held from June 5 to June 14. Jury recommendations from a coroner's inquest are not legally binding. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/fatal-helicopter-crash-tweed-inquest-hydro-one-1.6881962 Safer Skies Initiative Integral to Prevent Shooting Down of Civilian Aircraft Canada’s Safer Skies initiative was launched as a direct response to the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS 752. Canada’s Safer Skies initiative is crucial to avoiding repeats of the shooting down of civilian aircraft, ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano advised delegates at a recent forum on the topic, but States must ramp up the political momentum around implementation and exchange of expertise. The Third Safer Skies Forum was convened by the Governments of Canada and the Netherlands in support of progress “towards preventative conflict zone risk management practices,” and took place in Rotterdam and the Hague on 5 and 6 June. It was attended by ministers, diplomats, and other delegates, who represented Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Kenya, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and the United States. Operators and labour were also represented through the attendance of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA), and the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations (IFATCA). Expressing ICAO’s gratitude to Canada and the Netherlands for the organization and hosting of the event, Mr. Sciacchitano remarked that “at this event we have an exceptional and crucially important opportunity to ramp up the political momentum and enhance exchanges of technical expertise fostering the global cooperation that will underpin the implementation of the Safer Skies initiative.” He highlighted that “the downing of an aircraft with innocent passengers and crew on board is absolutely unacceptable, the result of ineffective civil-military coordination, limited exchange of information, including a lack of intelligence information, and ultimately human error.” The President also focussed on the high importance ICAO places on addressing the risks that conflict zones pose to civil aviation, which must be assessed by both States and operators, and expressed the organization’s “full and unwavering” support for their activities in this area. Canada’s Safer Skies initiative was launched as a direct response to the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS 752, bound for Kyiv on 8 January 2020 shortly after take-off from Tehran, which resulted in the loss of 176 lives. The initiative has been welcomed and appreciated by the ICAO Council and subsequently endorsed by the ICAO Assembly. “Commitment is of course key to the prevention of a similar event from ever happening again,” Mr. Sciacchitano declared, noting that “the shooting down of flight PS 752 was very regrettably not the first or only instance of its kind.” The President recalled that Korean Airlines flight 007, with 269 passengers and crew on board, was shot down on 31 August 1983 by a military aircraft of the former Soviet Union. He noted that in the aftermath of this event, the ICAO Assembly amended the 1944 Chicago Convention to provide that every State must refrain from the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight, but that “notwithstanding this almost forty-year-old commitment by States, we continue to see instances involving the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight.” ICAO’s guidance to States and operators has evolved continuously following the recommendations of States following their investigations into the series of events that have occurred. The Dutch Safety Board’s Final Report into the shooting down of MH 17 contained a number of safety recommendations. One of the most tangible outcomes of these is the production of the Risk Assessment Manual for Civil Aircraft Operations Over or Near Conflict Zones (Doc 10084), which was developed by ICAO with the pivotal support and contribution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Similarly, several safety recommendations addressed to ICAO were contained in the Final Report prepared by the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran into the loss of flight PS 752, which was published in March 2021. Those related to risk assessment and issuance of NOTAMs for flights in conflict zones, prioritization of States having potentially hazardous military activities for safety and security audit activities, and enhancement of the available guidance material, and were all addressed by ICAO. In addition to these recommendations, other States affected by these tragedies have made proposals for enhancing international civil aviation safety and security. Following these proposals, the ICAO Accident Investigation Panel has been working on concerns expressed about investigations on the downing of aircraft, particularly when the independence of the Accident Investigation Authority and credibility of the investigation could be challenged. Most recently, the 41st Session of the ICAO Assembly, which took place in September and October 2022, also resulted in States requesting a prioritized review of the Risk Assessment Manual. To this end, ICAO solicited feedback from Member States, and several substantive inputs from States and Industry Organizations have been received. These are under review and analysis, in close coordination with the Safer Skies Committee. ICAO plans to issue a third edition of the Risk Assessment Manual taking into account these contributions by the end of this year, along with a programme to develop and roll-out a dedicated workshop. “Flight safety has reached outstanding levels in recent decades. However, one single accident is one too many,” Mr Sciacchitano noted. https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/transportation/safer-skies-initiative-integral-to-prevent-shooting-down-of-civilian-aircraft/ Largest-ever deal: IndiGo orders 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft worth $50 billion NEW DELHI: IndiGo co-founder Rahul Bhatia on Monday made history by placing the largest order ever by an Indian airline — for 500 Airbus A320 family single aisle aircraft — at the Paris Air Show where exactly 18 years ago he had ordered the airline’s first 100 A320s. Worth almost $50 billion at list price, though IndiGo would have got a hefty discount thanks to the scale and the airline’s impeccable credentials, the latest order is also the largest-ever single aircraft purchase by any airline globally with Airbus. India’s largest budget airline has 480 planes yet to be delivered from previous orders which will be delivered end of this decade. The latest order for another 500 on top of them “will provide a further steady stream of deliveries between 2030 and 2035,” says the airline. The “historic” purchase agreement was signed by an IndiGo team led by promoter & MD Rahul Bhatia with Airbus brass led by CEO Guillaume Faury at the ongoing Paris Air Show 2023. It eclipses Air India’s recent order for 470 aircraft, including 70 twin aisles, worth $70 billion in terms of number of planes. Since its inception in 2006, IndiGo has so far ordered a total of 1,330 Airbus aircraft. Currently operating nearly 310 aircraft and enjoying over 60% domestic market share, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers says the airline will double its fleet size by 2030. Its large orders (see box) help it have a young fleet of fuel-efficient planes through continuous replacements alongside fleet augmentation, a process slowed by current supply chain constraints. IndiGo’s order book, comprising a mix of A320neo (new engine option), A321neo and A321XLRs (extra long range), has almost 1,000 aircraft yet to be delivered well into the next decade. “Placing an order so well in advance gives us the flexibility to decide between the mix of A320/321neo and A321XLRs as we approach the end of this decade depending on the demand then. It also helps us prepare for the fleet augmentation in all terms, including pilots,” Elbers said. Air India had this February ordered 470 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus with 400 single aisles and 70 wide bodies including A350s, Boeing 787s and B777X valued at $70 billion at list price. IndiGo’s current order book is for all single aisles and the airline has kept the option for having wide bodies in its fleet open. It has wet leased (hired with operating crew) two wide bodies of Turkish Airlines which are deployed on Delhi-Istanbul and Mumbai-Istanbul routes. IndiGo will decide the engines — with Pratt & Whitney & CFM being the two options — “in due course” along with the “exact mix of A320 and A321 aircraft.” Boeing had also made a strong pitch for its single aisle B737MAX. “The fuel-efficient A320neo family aircraft will allow IndiGo to maintain its strong focus on lowering operating costs and delivering fuel efficiency… This year IndiGo expects to welcome 10 crore customers on board... IndiGo is amongst the fastest growing airlines in the world and this order will allow it to continue this growth for many years to come,” the airline said in a statement. Elbers said: “It is difficult to overstate the significance of IndiGo’s new historic order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft. An orderbook now of almost 1,000 aircraft well into the next decade, enables IndiGo to fulfill its mission to continue to boost economic growth, social cohesion and mobility in India. At IndiGo, we take pride in being India’s preferred airline for connectivity in and with India; and by doing so, being one of the leading airlines in the world.” https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/indigo-places-mega-order-for-500-airbus-a320-planes/articleshow/101112514.cms?from=mdr Boom Supersonic Announces Significant Overture Program Advances • Selects key tier-one structure suppliers for Overture's wing, fuselage, and empennage; reveals Overture systems configuration • Accelerates Symphony™ design and development with engine architecture unveil and signing of initial production partner PARIS, June 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boom Supersonic, the company building the world's fastest airliner, announced today at the Paris Air Show significant advances on Overture, its sustainable supersonic aircraft, including milestones for its Symphony™ engine. Overture will fly at twice the speed of today's airliners and is designed to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Boom announced at the Paris Air Show significant advances on Overture, its sustainable, supersonic aircraft, including milestones for its Symphony engine. Pictured is an image of Overture at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Boom signed structural supplier agreements with Aernnova for Overture's wings, Leonardo for the fuselage and wing box, and Aciturri for the empennage. The three aerospace leaders join Boom's growing network of global suppliers which includes Safran Landing Systems, Eaton, Collins Aerospace, Flight Safety International, FTT, GE Additive, and StandardAero. Boom also revealed today, for the first time, Overture's full systems configuration as the aircraft program advances toward production. "We are incredibly proud of the progress with Overture and Symphony from our global team of partners and suppliers who continue to operate at an accelerated pace toward the future of sustainable supersonic flight," said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. Boom's commercial order book stands at 130 aircraft, including both orders and pre-orders from major airlines such as United, American and Japan Airlines. Boom continues to advance with Northrop Grumman on a defense variant of Overture that will expand the total addressable market for supersonic aircraft. Overture systems configuration revealed Boom also revealed a comprehensive look at the systems configuration for Overture. The schematics shared today highlight key systems inside Overture, including avionics, flight controls, hydraulics, fuel systems and landing gear—all designed and developed for optimal performance, efficiency, and safety. Among the major systems highlighted, Overture's fuel systems provide center of gravity control during subsonic and supersonic operations, enable sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) compatibility and supply fuel to the engines. Triple redundant hydraulic systems provide reliable power for flight controls and mechanical systems, and Overture's landing gear is compatible with international airport runways and taxiways—designed for takeoff and landing on over 600 routes around the world. The all-composite aerostructures support Overture's contoured fuselage and gull wings for enhanced aerodynamic efficiency. Key systems leverage certified technologies, reducing program risk and maturing Overture through aircraft systems development. The company is on track to secure suppliers for the majority of major systems by the end of this year. Aernnova selected as Overture wing supplier Spain-based Aernnova, one of the world's largest tier-one aerospace suppliers, will design and develop the wing structure for Overture. Overture's gull wings are shaped to enhance supersonic performance as well as improve subsonic and transonic handling. The wings are structurally thinner than typical subsonic wings to reduce drag, allowing the aircraft to efficiently travel at higher speeds. "Overture will be an extraordinary opportunity to provide our expertise in the design and development of aerostructures for the first sustainable supersonic aircraft," said Ricardo Chocarro, CEO of Aernnova. "We're thrilled to partner with Boom as its wing supplier and be part of the world-class network of suppliers supporting Overture's production." Leonardo selected as primary engineering lead for fuselage structural components integration, design and build partner for fuselage sections With long-standing leadership in structural composite components for commercial aircraft, Italian company Leonardo will support Overture as the primary engineering lead for major fuselage structural components. Leonardo was also selected as design and build partner for two major fuselage sections of Overture, including the wingbox. The proprietary design of Overture's contoured fuselage has a larger diameter toward the front of the aircraft and a smaller diameter toward the rear. Boom applied this design technique to minimize wave-drag and maximize fuel efficiency at supersonic speeds. "Leonardo has played an integral role in shaping the success and future of the aviation industry," said Stefano Bortoli, Leonardo's Aerostructures Division Managing Director. "We will build on that tradition and believe in Boom's continued, and impressive, progress toward bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to the skies." Aciturri selected as Overture's empennage supplier Boom selected Spain-based Aciturri, a tier-one leader across aerostructures and aeroengines components, to design and develop the empennage for Overture. Overture's empennage features a differentiated horizontal stabilizer that allows for greater control at subsonic speeds—particularly takeoff and landing. "Overture is a generation-defining project," said Alvaro Fernandez Baragaño, CEO of Aciturri. "We are bringing decades of aerostructures and aeroengines expertise to the future of sustainable supersonic flight with Boom." Symphony engine hits new program milestones Boom and engine design partner FTT continue to achieve key milestones across the design and development of Symphony. First, Boom shared the engine architecture and additional key specifications for Symphony. Reflecting this progress, Boom unveiled its 3D-printed ⅓ scale design model for Symphony at the Paris Air Show. The bespoke engine is optimized for sustainable supersonic flight and is designed to deliver 25% more time on wing and provide 10% operating cost savings to airline customers. Second, Boom announced today an expanded partnership with FTT to assemble the initial production units for ground test, flight test, and certification. Boom will leverage FTT's considerable experience with supersonic engines, ensuring seamless continuity as Symphony transitions from design to production. Boom has identified Jupiter, Florida as the base for initial production. "We believe there is large market potential for both Overture and Symphony, which will be transformational for the future of supersonic travel," said Stacey Rock, President of Florida Turbine Technologies. "The Symphony engineering team includes many of the best and most experienced engine designers on the planet, and we're thrilled to expand our role to include the initial assembly of engines for ground test, flight test, and certification." Symphony's technical specifications include: • Two-spool, medium-bypass turbofan engine, no afterburner • 35,000 lb thrust • Optimized for 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) • Single-stage 72" fan • Air-cooled, multi-stage turbine • Additive manufacturing enables lightweight, low part count, and reduced assembly costs • FAA Part 33 and EASA CS 33 compliant • ICAO Chapter 14 noise levels • Low-pressure compressor stages: 3 • High-pressure compressor stages: 6 • High-pressure turbine stages: 1 • Low-pressure turbine stages: 3 "Symphony is the key that will unlock Overture and make it a commercial and enduring success," said Ric Parker, Chair of Singapore Aerospace Programme & former Rolls-Royce CTO. "Boom's strategy with Symphony is very innovative. Their approach makes it compelling for top-tier suppliers to seek the opportunity to contribute their expertise and capabilities to this exciting, breakthrough, supersonic engine program." Boom and Northrop Grumman progress collaboration Today, Boom announced it will support Northrop Grumman on a NASA contract to deliver solutions for the "High-Speed Endo-atmospheric Commercial Vehicle Conceptual Design Study and Technology Roadmaps Development" program. The study for future research and development will identify technologies to continue the advancement of commercial supersonic flight efficiency. Initial technologies to be explored include mechanisms to increase aircraft efficiency and reduce emissions, net CO2 reduction, net non-CO2 reduction, and climate feedback loops. Boom and Northrop Grumman are also continuing collaboration on a special mission variant of Overture, after ongoing identification and investigation of use cases that will benefit the Department of Defense. About Boom Supersonic Boom Supersonic is transforming air travel with Overture, the world's fastest airliner, optimized for speed, safety, and sustainability. Serving both civil and government markets, Overture will fly at twice the speed of today's airliners and is designed to run on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The company has secured SAF offtake agreements from Dimensional Energy and AIR COMPANY, bringing its total to 10 million gallons of SAF for Overture's net zero carbon flight test program. Overture's order book, including orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines stands at 130 aircraft. Boom is working with Northrop Grumman for government and defense applications of Overture. Suppliers and partners collaborating with Boom on the Overture program include Aernnova, Leonardo, Aciturri, Safran Landing Systems, Eaton, Collins Aerospace, and the United States Air Force. Symphony™ is the propulsion system that will power Overture, a Boom-led collaboration with world-class partners including Florida Turbine Technologies (FTT), a business unit of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., GE Additive and StandardAero. For more information, visit https://boomsupersonic.com. Photos and video available at https://boomsupersonic.com/press Connect with Boom Supersonic on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube SOURCE Boom Supersonic https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/boom-supersonic-announces-significant-overture-program-advances-301854966.html Lockheed Martin Says It Is on Standby To Train Ukrainian Pilots on F-16s U.S. defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin is "standing by" to provide training for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets if the aircraft are sent to Ukraine. The company is ready to "backfill need as it arises with new F-16 builds," the company's chief executive, Frank St. John, told The Financial Times in an article published on Monday. Lockheed Martin would also be prepared to carry out "any modifications to F-16s as well as training, equipment and systems," he added. Ukraine has long called for its Western allies to provide advanced fighter jets, and experts, as well as political leaders, agree that American-made F-16s are the most likely choice to upgrade Kyiv's air force. They would be a significant step-up in capabilities for Ukraine, which currently operates an aging, Soviet-era fleet of aircraft. No country has taken the plunge to provide fourth-generation aircraft, but several nations have formed a "fighter jet coalition," with an agreement appearing to be on the horizon. The U.S. has signaled it will help train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16s, and that it would not prevent the third-party transfer of the jets to Kyiv. But any move to provide training would be led by discussions between Ukraine and its Western backers, St. John told The FT. "I am very confident that Ukrainian pilots are going to master the F-16 and be able to use it very effectively in short order," St. John continued. Earlier this month, NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, said the training of Ukrainian personnel on F-16s had begun, giving Western countries "the option to also decide to deliver the planes and then the pilots will be ready to fly them." Kyiv's allies have been hesitant so far to take the step to provide F-16s. Experts, military officials and diplomats say supplying the jets is a longer-term commitment to keeping Ukraine's military operational than sending equipment such as tanks. It also presents new challenges for supply chains, logistics, maintenance and making sure Ukraine has the infrastructure it needs to operate them. Having advanced fighter jets would not automatically grant Ukraine air superiority, experts have also warned. Ukraine has requested military assistance and equipment to help with its ongoing counteroffensive, but these jets, if promised, would not arrive in time to figure into this concerted push against Russian forces. There have also been fears that supplying jets would lead to an escalation in the conflict. In mid-May, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexander Grushko, said that Western countries furnishing Ukraine with advanced fighters would carry "enormous risks." "In any case, this will be taken into account in all our plans, and we have all the necessary means to achieve the goals we have set," he told Russian state news agency, Tass. Getting Ukrainian pilots up to speed on F-16s would be "retraining," rather than a process of learning the basics, Ukraine air force spokesperson, Yuriy Ihnat, told Ukrainian television earlier this month. Ukraine would need around 100 Western aircraft, most of which should be F-16s, Ukraine's Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said in late May. Experts previously told Newsweek that although "any F-16s will make a difference," Ukraine would need up to 100 well-operated F-16s to make a significant difference. https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-f16-fighter-jet-training-russia-lockheed-martin-1807762 Pratt & Whitney to ramp up jet engine program, potentially adding hundreds of jobs in North Berwick The company is more than doubling the size of its upgrade team in preparation to redesign the F-135 engine. The program currently supports 3,000 jobs in Maine. A multibillion dollar military contract to build fighter jet engines is on a trajectory to add hundreds of jobs at Pratt & Whitney’s sprawling plant in North Berwick. About $81 million is coming to Maine, or 4% of a $2 billion contract announced June 5 by the U.S. Department of Defense. An additional $7 million, or nearly 1%, of an $888 million initial award announced last week, already is heading to Maine. A branch of Raytheon Technologies Corp., Pratt expects to complete a preliminary design review for an F-135 engine upgrade and move into a detailed design phase in early 2024, company officials announced from the Paris Air Show on Monday. To meet that timeline, the company is more than doubling the size of its engine upgrade team, from 200 to 500 people, Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt’s military engines division, said in a written statement. When the contracted work will begin and how many jobs have been or will be created at the North Berwick plant is unclear. The F-135 program already supports 3,000 jobs in Maine, among 53,000 jobs across 36 states, including 27,000 in Connecticut. The contracted work at the 1 million-square-foot North Berwick plant is expected to be completed in December 2026, according to Defense Department announcements. Pratt was awarded a $115 million contract in December 2022 and additional funding was provided in the fiscal 2023 Defense Appropriations bill. In March, the Defense Department chose to upgrade the troubled F-135 engine rather than replace it entirely, possibly by another maker. The decision was revealed as part of President Biden’s 2024 budget proposal. “An upgrade will give the engine the capabilities it needs to meet and exceed the F-135’s growing requirements for power and thermal management while improving durability and restoring life to the engine,” Jen Latka, Pratt’s vice president for the F-135 program, said in a statement. The total contract will fund over 418 F-135 engines with options for the U.S. as well as international customers, Latka said. The contract also includes program management, engineering support, production support and tooling. As of December 2022, Pratt had delivered more than 1,000 F-135 engines. Since the program’s inception, the company says it has worked to drive production efficiencies, optimize its supply base and invest in strategic initiatives to reduce costs wherever possible. As a result, the company says it has reduced the average cost of an F-135 engine by more than 50%, contributing to an estimated $8.1 billion in cumulative savings over the life of the program. “This contract award enables us to continue delivering critical fifth-generation propulsion capability to the warfighter at a fair and reasonable cost for the taxpayer,” Latka said. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, Raytheon is the world’s largest aerospace and defense company, with 195,000 employees. Pratt & Whitney, based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines, and auxiliary power units. https://www.pressherald.com/2023/06/19/north-berwick-jet-engine-maker-will-ramp-up-with-300-more-hires/ South Korean man attempted to open plane door mid-flight. Luckily, he failed The passenger was stopped by flight staff when he tried to open the aircraft door. A 19-year-old Korean man tried to open a plane door mid-flight after complaining that he felt “pressure” on his chest, but luckily, the cabin crew stopped him. The passenger, who was on a red-eye flight from Cebu in the Philippines to Seoul, South Korea, was “acting strangely” about an hour into the flight, so he was moved to the front row of the plane close to the exit door where staff could monitor him, officials from Jeju Airlines said. After moving seats, the man suddenly ran towards the emergency door and tried to open, but he was “immediately subdued by the crew, who used a lasso rope and tie wraps to keep him controlled for the rest of the flight,” a Jeju Airlines official said. The door stayed closed and the plane was left undamaged, and none of the 180 passengers on board were harmed in the incident, the airline added. The passenger was handed over to police at Seoul’s Incheon Airport at 7:30 a.m. local after the plane landed on Monday, June 19. Police brought the man for questioning and he has so far not provided a motive for his actions, Incheon Airport Police told CNN. While the passenger’s attempt was foiled this time, the incident comes barely a month since someone actually opened a plane door on a Korean carrier. Last month, a man in his 30s managed to open an aircraft’s emergency door just before landing at Daegu, sending strong gusts of wind through the plane’s cabin as terrified passengers on the Asiana Airlines flight gripped their armrests. In 2016, low-cost Korean Air subsidiary Jin Air was forced to turn back 40 minutes into the flight after discovering one of the plane’s doors wasn’t completely shut. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/south-korea-jeju-air-door-intl-hnk/index.html Curt Lewis