Flight Safety Information - August 29, 2023 No. 167   In This Issue : Incident: Malta B38M at Thessaloniki on Aug 28th 2023, bird strike : Incident: ANA B772 near Nagoya on Aug 26th 2023, engine anti ice problem : Incident: United B763 at Chicago on Aug 27th 2023, rejected takeoff due to engine fire : NTSB Preliminary report released for fighter jet crash during Michigan air show : Pilots are exhausted. A new survey suggests 3 out of 4 European pilots dozed off over the course of a month while flying a plane. : US FAA names permanent aviation safety chief : FAA Issues Ground Crew Safety Alert : FAA Announces Further Measures to Reduce Close Calls : TSA PreCheck® program adds four new airlines : Alaska Airlines launches mobile passport verification : European carrier, Corendon Airlines is launching child-free zones on its flights for US$49 : U.S. Fines American Airlines $4.1 Million for Lengthy Tarmac Delays : Saudi Lessor AviLease Buys 167 Standard Chartered Aircraft For $3.6 Billion : Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 aircraft deemed airworthy by FAA Incident: Malta B38M at Thessaloniki on Aug 28th 2023, bird strike An Malta Air Boeing 737-8 MAX on behalf of Ryanair, registration 9H-VUQ performing flight FR-4690 from Thessaloniki (Greece) to Stockholm (Sweden), was climbing out of Thessaloniki's runway 28 when a bird impacted the aircraft prompting the crew to stop the climb at 7000 feet and return to Thessaloniki for a safe landing on runway 10 about 45 minutes after departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=50da474b&opt=0 Incident: ANA B772 near Nagoya on Aug 26th 2023, engine anti ice problem An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 777-200, registration JA717A performing flight NH-994 from Okinawa to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 408 people on board, was enroute at FL390 about 110nm southeast of Nagoya (Japan) when the crew decided to divert to Nagoya due to a problem with one of the engine (PW4090) anti ice systems. The aircraft landed safely on Nagoya's runway 18 about 30 minutes later. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 6 hours, then continued the flight and reached Tokyo with a delay of about 7 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=50da45e2&opt=0 Incident: United B763 at Chicago on Aug 27th 2023, rejected takeoff due to engine fire A United Boeing 767-300, registration N658UA performing flight UA-3 from Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) to Zurich (Switzerland), was accelerating for takeoff from Chicago's runway 09C when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed due to a right hand engine (PW4060) fire. The aircraft stopped on the runway, tower reported seeing smoke from the engine exhaust, emergency services responded and sprayed the engine extinguishing the fire. The runway was closed until the aircraft could be towed off the runway. The FAA reported emergency services sprayed fire suppressant on the engine, the Boeing 767-300 was safely towed to the apron. The FAA have opened an investigation. A replacement Boeing 767-300 registration N672UA reached Zurich with a delay of about 5.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Chicago about 17 hours after the rejected takeoff. https://avherald.com/h?article=50da28b4&opt=0 NTSB Preliminary report released for fighter jet crash during Michigan air show The fighter jet that crashed near an apartment complex in Van Buren Township has been removed for an investigation by the NTSB and FAA. Thankfully, no one was injured in the crash. A preliminary report found that the pilot of a fighter jet that crashed near Belleville during the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show was trying to land the plane when the backseater likely pulled the ejection handle. The report, which is from the National Transportation Safety Board, is preliminary, and the full report likely could take months to come out. According to the NTSB, the pilot of the privately-owned Russian fighter jet made. pass and "noticed that the engine afterburner did not ignite, and the airspeed began to decrease." The pilot then brought the wings into a fully forward position to troubleshoot the problem, according to the NTSB, when the backseat observer said they needed to eject. "The pilot reported that he was not ready to eject and was still troubleshooting the problem and maneuvering the airplane toward runway 27 at YIP when his ejection seat fired, and he was out of the airplane. He stated that if either occupant pulls the ejection handle, both seats eject," the report said. According to the backseat observer, the engine was not accelerating and said that he and the pilot had a discussion and determined they needed to get on the ground because of an engine problem. "He stated that they determined they did not have sufficient altitude to make it to a runway at the airport. He said they were compressed for time and needed to get out. When asked if he had pulled the ejection seat handles, he stated that he could not specifically remember but thinks that he would have pulled them," the report reads. Both the pilot and the passenger suffered minor injuries in the ejection. The report also cites video evidence showing the plane was in a left bank when the ejection seats were fired, and it continued into the left bank and descended into the ground about 10 mile south of the approach end of the runway at Willow Run Airport. "There was a postimpact explosion and fire. The fuselage section that contained the tail surfaces and engine came to rest adjacent to an apartment building. The remainder of the airplane was fragmented and distributed along the wreckage path," the report reads. The MiG-23 Russian fighter crashed and came to a stop about 20 feet from a building at the Waverly on the Lake Apartments. The NTSB said once the Russian fighter jet initially hit the ground, it then traveled about 500 more feet and crashed into trees and unoccupied vehicles before coming to a rest about 20 feet from the apartment building. According to the Air Show's website, the plane was piloted by Dan Filer, who is from Texas. Last year, KTBS, the ABC station based in Shreveport, Louisiana, profiled Filer as part of a "Hometown Patriot" segment. According to KTBS, Filer collects Soviet-made fighter jets and is a retired U.S. Navy lieutenant commander. "It's the only privately owned flying MiG 23 in the world," Filer told KTBS last year. The TV station also reports that he has two other MiG fighter jets that he's restoring and a training jet. https://www.wxyz.com/news/preliminary-report-released-for-fighter-jet-crash-during-michigan-air-show Pilots are exhausted. A new survey suggests 3 out of 4 European pilots dozed off over the course of a month while flying a plane. Pilots said their airlines didn't manage fatigue risk well and it was difficult to file fatigue reports. Some European pilots are suffering from exhaustion and taking "microsleeps" while operating aircraft to cope, a new survey reveals. Around 75% of the respondents said that they had had at least one microsleep while operating an aircraft in the four weeks prior, according to a July survey conducted by Baines Simmons, an aviation safety consultancy, for the European Cockpit Association. One-quarter of respondents said that they'd had five or more microsleeps, defined as "brief uncontrolled periods of sleep" that can happen with their eyes open or closed, in the four weeks prior to them completing the survey. The report highlights concerns about pilots' fatigue levels and says that airlines should be doing more to manage this, such as making fatigue reporting easier, changing schedules to provide them with more rest time between duties, and improving hotel accommodation if the crew can't sleep well. "The cause of this fatigue may be within (e.g. due to rosters) or outside (e.g. due to poor sleep at home) the operation, but the risk sits within the operation, and therefore must be managed," Baines Simmons wrote in its report. The survey included pilots flying passenger, cargo, and charter flights. Less than a quarter of the survey's nearly 7,000 respondents said that fatigue risk was "very" or "mostly" well managed at their airline. Nearly a third said that fatigue risk was not managed well, with pilots flying for UK and Ireland-based airlines most likely to say this. "These are worrying signs and clear indications that fatigue safety risks are not well managed in many European airlines," ECA President Otjan de Bruijn said in a statement. "If these are the results we are seeing already in June and July, fatigue levels in August can have gone only one way – upwards." The European Union Aviation Safety Agency warned of fatigue concerns in a June safety information bulletin, which noted that staff shortages could lead to crew members experiencing fatigue and potentially cause safety problems. 82% of the ECA survey's respondents said they they knew how to submit a fatigue report to their airline, but only 44.1% said the system was easy to access and just over a quarter said they were "quick and easy" to complete. Only 10% of respondents said that fatigue reports "have led to operational changes to improve safety." The survey showed huge differences in pilots' attitudes towards fatigue reports between countries where airlines were based, with Irish and Maltese airlines faring the worst. "Without an effective reporting system, the airline is unlikely to have an accurate picture of fatigue in the operation, limiting their ability to manage fatigue risk by implementing effective mitigations," Baines Simmons wrote in its report. Nearly three-quarters of pilots who responded to the survey said that they had "always," "usually," or "sometimes" had insufficient rest to allow them to recover from fatigue between duties over the previous four weeks, which covered the buildup to peak summer travel season. https://www.businessinsider.com/fatigued-european-pilots-fall-asleep-microsleep-operating-flights-survey-eca-2023-8 US FAA names permanent aviation safety chief WASHINGTON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it was naming the acting head of aviation safety to the permanent job, as the United States grapples with a series of troubling air safety near-miss incidents. David Boulter, a long-time FAA official and pilot, has been tapped to serve as the FAA’s associate administrator for aviation safety. The FAA said Boulter "is well qualified to carry on the important work of protecting the traveling public as we continue the FAA’s mission to make the world’s safest form of travel even safer." The statement said that an increase in incidents "reminded us that we can never take our safety record for granted." https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-faa-names-permanent-aviation-safety-chief-2023-08-28/ FAA Issues Ground Crew Safety Alert The FAA has published a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) aimed at preventing injuries to ground personnel towing and guiding airliners. The agency recommended that operators ensure their towing and marshalling procedures require that chocks are installed whenever aircraft towing stops, all personnel to remain clear of an aircraft in tow until it has come to a complete stop, ground activities begin only after chocks are installed and all personnel remain clear of engines until they are shut down. According to the FAA, the SAFO (PDF) stems from two events that occurred during aircraft towing and ground handling operations. In one incident, a wing walker was seriously injured when they were struck by the trailing edge flaps of an aircraft being towed and subsequently run over by the main landing gear. During the second reported event, a ramp agent was killed when they were ingested by a running engine. The FAA emphasized that it has not seen proof of a systemic issue but issued the SAFO due to the severity of the incidents. https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/faa-regs/faa-issues-ground-crew-safety-alert/ FAA Announces Further Measures to Reduce Close Calls The FAA plans to hire 1,800 controllers in the coming year provided the agency receives the required funding to do so. On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement in response to a New York Times article which said close calls at airports happen far more than was previously known. Since then, the FAA has announced additional measures to reduce the number of close calls. One day after the New York Times article and subsequent statement, FAA said it will hold runway safety meetings at approximately 90 airports between now and the end of September. “Sharing information is critical to improving safety,” said Tim Arel, chief operating officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. “These meetings, along with other efforts, will help us achieve our goal of zero close calls.” During a Runway Safety Action Team meeting, airport stakeholders come together to identify unique risks to surface safety at that airport and develop plans to mitigate or eliminate those risks. Representatives from the FAA’s air traffic organization, airlines, pilots, airport vehicle drivers and others participate. Major airports with upcoming runway safety meetings include Ronald Reagan Washington National, La Guardia New York, Dallas-Fort Worth International, Cleveland Hopkins International, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Reno/Tahoe International and Birmingham Shuttlesworth International. A full list can be seen at the FAA. The meetings, held annually at each airport with a control tower, are the primary forum for pinpointing and addressing airport-specific risk in the surface environment. The product of the meetings is a Runway Safety Action Plan where stakeholders document and agree to pursue specific actions to improve surface safety. “These meetings will play a significant role in developing effective safety strategies and provide an opportunity for all in attendance to share both concerns and best practices,” Former Federal Security Director at Los Angeles International Airport and now Vice President of K2 Security Screening Group, Keith Jeffries told Homeland Security Today. “Open communication and collaboration are vital for ensuring success in reducing the number of near miss surface incidents.” On August 23, the FAA announced the award of more than $121 million to airports across the country to reduce the risk of runway incursions. Projects will reconfigure taxiways that may cause confusion, install new lighting systems and provide more flexibility on the airfield. “The FAA is serious about ending runway incursions and we are putting substantial resources behind our efforts,” said Associate Administrator for Airports Shannetta Griffin, P.E. “In some cases the best way to address safety risks is modifying or reconfiguring existing airfields – these grants directly address those situations.” The projects announced on Wednesday include $44.9 million to simplify airfield layout at Boston Logan International Airport and $5 million to begin construction of new connector taxiways at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Then on August 24, the FAA announced it had hit its annual hiring goal for air traffic controllers, echoing one of the statements made earlier in response to the New York Times article. The FAA added that it plans to hire 1,800 controllers in the coming year provided the agency receives the required funding to do so. In its statement, the FAA said it now has approximately 2,600 controllers being trained at facilities across the country, and that “many of these controllers are already certified to safely work some air traffic positions as they continue training on others”. “Having 2,600 controllers in the training pipeline is significant,” Jeffries told us. “However, it will take some time for the results to be realized. The eventual impact will not only improve airport operations, but it will also make air travel safer and more efficient for the traveling public.” A recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit found staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities and also a lack of any plan to address this problem. In its June 21 report, OIG determined that 20 of 26 (77 percent) critical facilities are staffed below FAA’s 85-percent threshold, with New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) and Miami Tower at 54 percent and 66 percent, respectively. Having a reduced number of controllers frequently results in staff working longer hours, which could have an impact on mental acuity. New controllers start their career journey at the FAA’s academy in Oklahoma City. After graduating, they relocate to one of the FAA’s hundreds of air traffic facilities. There they begin training to become certified on specific airspace positions for that facility, Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) or en route center. Certification varies from 18 to 24 months depending on the airspace complexity. The FAA said more than 12,000 individuals applied to be an air traffic controller earlier this year. Those that meet the basic qualifications then take the Air Traffic Skills Assessment exam. High scorers are invited to attend the FAA’s academy. The COVID-19 pandemic meant that the FAA had to close its academy for six months in 2020 and pause on-the-job training at facilities for almost two years. https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/airport-aviation-security/faa-announces-further-measures-to-reduce-close-calls/ TSA PreCheck® program adds four new airlines Eligible passengers can use TSA PreCheck lanes when traveling from the United States on 90 airlines WASHINGTON – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced today the expansion of its TSA PreCheck® expedited screening program with the addition of Cayman Airways, French bee, Titan Airways and Zipair. With these additions, there are 90 TSA PreCheck participating domestic and international carriers. TSA PreCheck is an expedited screening program that enables low-risk travelers to enjoy a smart and efficient screening experience at more than 200 U.S. airports. TSA PreCheck passengers travel with ease and keep their shoes, belts and light jackets on and keep laptops, 3-1-1 liquids and food items in their bags. About 99% of TSA PreCheck passengers in dedicated lanes wait less than 10 minutes at airport checkpoints nationwide. Enrolling in TSA PreCheck is easy. Visit tsa.gov/precheck and pick one of the enrollment providers, Telos or IDEMIA, complete the online application in five minutes and schedule your 10 minute in-person appointment with your chosen provider to complete the enrollment. TSA PreCheck is available for eligible passengers when departing from a U.S. airport or when connecting on domestic flights, after returning to the United States. Travelers who are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and U.S. lawful permanent residents can apply for TSA PreCheck and can pick any enrollment provider based on cost, locations, and additional benefits. Costs for enrollment vary by provider. In May, the agency announced that teenagers aged 13-17 may now accompany TSA PreCheck enrolled parents or guardians through TSA PreCheck screening when traveling on the same reservation and when the TSA PreCheck indicator appears on the teen’s boarding pass. Children 12 and under may accompany an enrolled parent or guardian in the TSA PreCheck lanes without restriction. Once approved, travelers receive a unique “Known Traveler Number” (KTN) that, when added to an airline reservation, makes them eligible to use TSA PreCheck lanes at security checkpoints nationwide when traveling on any of the participating airlines. Most new enrollees receive a KTN within three to five days. Enrolled airline passengers should look for the TSA Pre✓® indicator (such as TSAPRECHK, TSA PRE, or TSA Pre✓®) on their boarding pass to know if they are eligible for TSA PreCheck screening before their flight. AskTSA is available for travelers needing live assistance from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. ET via Twitter or Facebook by messaging @AskTSA or by sending a text to “272872” (“AskTSA”). https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2023/08/28/tsa-precheckr-program-adds-four-new-airlines Alaska Airlines launches mobile passport verification Alaska Airlines international passengers can skip the airline’s line to verify passport by downloading an app, creating a digital ID and verifying their documents online. Alaska Airlines international travelers can now skip one check-in step at the airport: Having an airline agent verify their passports. Starting Tuesday, the SeaTac-based airline is introducing an app that allows travelers with U.S. and Canadian passports to create a digital identity and verify their documents virtually. The passport verification technology is part of a $2.5 billion three-year investment Alaska Airlines unveiled in April that promises to improve the airport lobby experience. In June, Alaska announced it was eliminating its check-in kiosks and replacing them with self-service bag-tag stations across the country also as part of the initiative. “The philosophy really is getting guests through the lobby and to security in five minutes or less,” said Tricia Bruckbauer, Alaska’s communications program manager. “We’re going to be relying on new cutting-edge technology and technology that uses biometrics to make that happen.” To use the mobile verification tool, Alaska passengers will have to download an app, Airside, and create a digital identity once during the life span of a passport. The process is simple: Take a face selfie, scan the passport photo page and hold the phone against the inside of the passport’s back cover to read the embedded chip. The verification, the airline says, happens by scanning the photo page and reading the embedded passport chip. The digital identity is then created, stored on the mobile device and ready to use for future travel. The selfie is an identifier that will serve other functions as more technologies become available. One example is using facial recognition as one of the tools to send travelers’ checked-in bags from the belt to the airplane. The bag drop-off service will be unveiled at hub airports in Seattle, Anchorage, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles in the spring of 2024. If travelers have an upcoming Alaska Airlines international flight, they can open the Airside app, and add the departure date, the location and the confirmation code. That leads to a one-time consent to use the user’s digital identity, so travelers don’t have to see an agent. Agents will be available for passengers who choose not to use the app. The data will remain encrypted on users’ apps and will only be accessible to Alaska when travelers give the one-time consent. The app vendor does not have access to the database, Bruckbauer said. Travelers who don’t have U.S. or Canadian passports will still have to see an agent in the lobby, as the technology relies on embedded chips. Mexico began issuing passports with embedded chips last year, so they aren’t as widespread yet, Bruckbauer said. Alaska has international flights to Canada, Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica. Starting in December, there will be services to Guatemala and the Bahamas. Alaska’s mobile passport verification isn’t comparable to programs such as TSA Precheck and Global Entry because it only eliminates the step of seeing an airline agent. Passengers still need to go through security and customs. “We’re looking at the entire journey that we have control over, streamlining where we can,” Bruckbauer said. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/alaska-airlines-launches-mobile-passport-verification/ European carrier, Corendon Airlines is launching child-free zones on its flights for US$49 Turkish-Dutch carrier, Corendon Airlines announced a new child-free area on its flight between Amsterdam and Curaçao Over 100 seats on the plane will be dedicated to passengers 16 and over, and will be sectioned off by walls How much would you be prepared to pay to ensure there are no screaming babies, tearaway toddlers or whining tweens on your next long-haul flight? One airline is testing the water, with a large adults only seating area on one of its key routes. Europe’s Corendon Airlines will pilot the no kids area on its 10-hour flights between Amsterdam and the Caribbean island of Curacao, charging passengers an additional 45 euros (US$49) for a standard seat or US$100 for an XL seat, for the privilege of sitting in the “Only Adult” zone. The Turkish-Dutch airline said that the first 12 rows of the Airbus A350-900 flying the route will comprise 93 standard seats and nine extra-large seats, curtained off from the rest of the aircraft. The adults only section will be dedicated to passengers 16 and over. “This zone in the aircraft is intended for travelers traveling without children and for business travelers who want to work in a quiet environment,” the airline said in a press release. “On board our flights, we always strive to respond to the different needs of our customers,” Atilay Uslu, the founder of Corendon, said in a statement shared on the airline’s website. He added that Corendon, which is the first Dutch airline to introduce a child-free zone, is “trying to appeal to travellers looking for some extra peace of mind during their flight.” “We also believe this can have a positive effect on parents travelling with small children,” Uslu also said in his statement. “They can enjoy the flight without worrying if their children make more noise.” Other airlines to have introduced similar initiatives in recent years include AirAsia X, which has quiet zones on its flights with entry barred to the under 10s, and Singapore carrier Scoot’s Scoot-in-Silence zones for the over 12s. Corendon flights with the Only Adult zone start on November 3. https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3232694/european-carrier-corendon-airlines-launching-child-free-zones-its-flights-us49 U.S. Fines American Airlines $4.1 Million for Lengthy Tarmac Delays In 43 instances in recent years, the airline kept passengers stranded on the tarmac for hours in violation of federal rules, the Transportation Department said. For domestic flights, airlines are not allowed to keep passengers sitting on the tarmac for more than three hours without giving them a chance to deplane.Credit...Joe Raedle/Getty Images The Transportation Department fined American Airlines $4.1 million on Monday, saying the carrier violated federal rules by keeping passengers stranded on airport tarmacs for hours on dozens of occasions in recent years. The agency said the fine was the largest penalty it had ever doled out for tarmac delays. The violations stem from 43 domestic flights between 2018 and 2021 in which passengers were stuck on the tarmac for more than three hours without being given a chance to deplane, according to the department. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/28/us/politics/tarmac-delays-american-airlines.html Saudi Lessor AviLease Buys 167 Standard Chartered Aircraft For $3.6 Billion SUMMARY • AviLease is set to acquire the aircraft leasing business of Standard Chartered, boosting its growth in the industry. • The acquisition will bring together AviLease and Standard Chartered Aviation Finance, providing global diversification and opportunities to leverage Standard Chartered's capabilities. • This purchase aligns with Saudi Arabia's goal to become a global trade and tourism hub, supporting the country's vision of diversifying the economy and creating employment opportunities. Since being established last summer, the relatively new and Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed AviLease has grown extensively in the aircraft leasing sector. For its latest development, the rising global aircraft lessor has today entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the aircraft leasing business of Standard Chartered Bank, which includes Dublin-based Pembroke Group. Climbing higher in the industry Earlier this year, Standard Chartered earmarked its aviation business - known as Standard Chartered Aviation Finance, for sale and hired numerous advisors for a smooth process. While there were undoubtedly many interested, AviLease eventually came out on top and is preparing to purchase the aviation finance business for $3.6 billion, a slight increase from the initial expected deal of nearly $3.5 billion. With this purchase agreement, AviLease and Standard Chartered Aviation Finance will be brought together as two strategically complementary businesses that will give the Saudi aircraft lessor scale, global diversification, and significant opportunities to leverage Standard Chartered's experienced team and operating capabilities. If anyone thought AviLease's growth within the year was already rapid, its expansion is about to accelerate further. Chief Executive Officer of AviLease, Edward O'Byrne, could not agree more as he highlights: “This acquisition is a fantastic next step in AviLease’s young existence. The transaction accelerates our fleet's scale-up and lessee diversification, demonstrating our ability to execute our investment strategy. Equally important is the ability to combine forces and leverage the high-quality capabilities of the Standard Chartered platform. We are ambitious to become a top-10 global aircraft lessor, and this acquisition brings us one step closer.” The acceleration comes as part of this massive acquisition, which will see AviLease obtaining a portfolio of 100 narrowbody aircraft and becoming a servicer for another 22 aircraft. The combined platform will own and manage a total of 167 fuel-efficient aircraft. Of the 167, 145 of the aircraft have an owned value at an estimated $6 billion and 22 of the managed aircraft are valued at around $800 million, all of which are leased out to 46 airlines worldwide. Contributing to a growing ecosystem Besides allowing AviLease to expand beyond measure, this new acquisition is also part of an ongoing push by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to become a thriving global trade, logistics, and tourism hub, as emphasized by AviLease Chairman, Fahah Al-Saif: "This acquisition will propel AviLease and will in turn support Saudi Arabia’s aviation ecosystem on our path to help realize the Saudi Vision 2030’s objective of diversifying the economy and adding high-value employment opportunities for Saudi citizens.” With the soon-to-be expanded aircraft portfolio and sped-up growth through the ranks of the aircraft leasing industry, AviLease seems to be on track to become the potential lessor of choice for more airlines outside Saudi Arabia as well. The company is even marketing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) contracts to its airline customer base worldwide, further increasing its competitiveness. Concerning the transactions for this new purchase agreement, AviLease arranged an estimated $2.1 billion of competitive bridge financing commitments from four different banks, primarily Citibank North America, BNP Paribas, MUFG Bank, and HSBC Bank Middle East. This deal is expected to close before the end of this year, although no specific deadline has been set as yet. Bottom line The post-pandemic era has seen a tremendous jump in the number of aircraft lessors worldwide as new entrants pounce on the opportunity to meet airlines' demands for new fleet additions. While there were plenty of new entrants, such as Griffin Global Asset Management, SKY Leasing, and Sirius Aviation Capital, AviLease has shown the fastest and most significant growth - especially now that its portfolio will soon include over 150 aircraft from this acquisition. https://simpleflying.com/avilease-busy-standard-charter-lease-portfolio/ Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 aircraft deemed airworthy by FAA The US-based company will use the aircraft to display the technology that will later be used in its Overture supersonic airliner. Boom Supersonic will conduct the first test flight of the XB-1 over the Mojave desert. Supersonic airliner manufacturer Boom Supersonic has received an experimental airworthiness certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its technology demonstrator aircraft the XB-1 as it continues ground testing. The company is hoping to build the world’s fastest airliner, the Concorde-like Overture, and is using the XB-1 aircraft to demonstrate the tech that will be used when building the final airliner. In addition to receiving the FAA certificate, the XB-1 has begun taxi testing at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California and recently received letters of agreement from the relevant airspace authorities for flights over the Mojave desert and letters of authorisation for its two test pilots. Founder and CEO Blake Scholl said: “The recent progress made towards XB-1’s first flight reflects the team’s collective efforts to build and safely fly the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet.” The smaller demonstration aircraft is 71 feet long with a carbon composite and titanium fuselage housing three General Electric J85 engines capable of a combined maximum thrust of 12,300 pounds. Boom Supersonic has been taxi testing the XB-1 ahead of its first flight First rolled out in October 2020, the XB-1 has since been moved from Boom’s hangar in Centennial, Colorado for testing in Mojave, CA where Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker and test pilot Tristan “Gepetto” Brandenburg are also expected to fly it for the first time. Shoemaker said he was looking forward to flying the aircraft at the historic site: “It’s fitting that XB-1 is now progressing toward first flight at the Mojave Air & Space Port, home to more than 50 first flights and other significant aviation events.” Upgraded landing gear and supersonic engine intakes have been installed on the aircraft since it was first unveiled in Colorado. News of the XB-1’s progress comes only a few months after the US company confirmed a number of key suppliers for the Overture aircraft, including Spanish manufacturers Aernnova and Aciturri who will work on the wing structure and empennage respectively. Despite not yet constructing the aircraft, Boom Supersonic has already received backing from major players in the aviation industry with American Airlines, United, and Japan Airlines all placing pre-orders for the Overture aircraft. https://www.airport-technology.com/news/boom-supersonic-xb-1-airworthy-faa/?cf-view Curt Lewis