Flight Safety Information - September 7, 2023 No. 173 In This Issue : Incident: Lufthansa A343 at Frankfurt on Sep 6th 2023, gear problem : Incident: LATAM Chile A321 at Sao Paulo on Sep 4th 2023, rejected takeoff due to engine malfunction : Incident: Canada BCS3 at Toronto on Aug 24th 2023, smoke and fumes on board : Flight from Tel Aviv to London grounded in Serbia after onboard attack : FAA EASES BURDEN FOR MANY PILOTS WITH ADHD HISTORY : Mexican, US aviation bodies meet to discuss Mexico's air safety rating : White House expected to nominate new leader for FAA : Marines to appoint a safety general : AerCap Receives $645 Million Settlement For Aircraft Stranded In Russia : Qantas makes 78-year-old man give up business class seat for off-duty pilot on flight : Australian and International Pilots Association says low pay is driving pilots away from Qantas : Thai Airways in talks to buy up to 95 new jets, industry sources say : Honeywell debuts device to limit 5G interference onboard aircraft : EASA warns of storage-related battery drain on all Airbus aircraft : GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST Incident: Lufthansa A343 at Frankfurt on Sep 6th 2023, gear problem A Lufthansa Airbus A340-300, registration D-AIGN performing flight LH-433 (dep Sep 5th) from Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA) to Frankfurt/Main (Germany), was on final approach to Frankfurt's runway 07L when the crew initiated a go around at low height (about 200 feet AGL, 800 meters/0.45nm before the runway threshold) due to a problem with the landing gear. The aircraft climbed to FL070 while troubleshooting the problem, the crew declared emergency and landed safely on runway 07R about 32 minutes after the go around. A passenger reported the crew announced they had a problem with the landing gear. They were instructed to assume the brace position for landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=50e0c2f8&opt=0 Incident: LATAM Chile A321 at Sao Paulo on Sep 4th 2023, rejected takeoff due to engine malfunction A LATAM Chile Airbus A321-200, registration CC-BEK performing flight LA-751 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP (Brazil) to Santiago (Chile), was accelerating for takeoff from Guarulhos' runway 09L when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 98 knots over ground) due to an engine (CFM56) malfunction. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron. The aircraft returned to service about 36 hours after the rejected takeoff. https://avherald.com/h?article=50e0c094&opt=0 Incident: Canada BCS3 at Toronto on Aug 24th 2023, smoke and fumes on board An Air Canada Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration C-GNBN performing flight AC-447 from Ottawa,ON to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 130 people on board, was on final approach to Toronto's runway 05 when the crew declared emergency reporting smoke and fumes in cockpit and cabin. The aircraft continued for a safe landing and was inspected by emergency services. The Canadian TSB reported a post flight maintenance inspection revealed an issue with the right hand pack. https://avherald.com/h?article=50e0ce4e&opt=0 Flight from Tel Aviv to London grounded in Serbia after onboard attack This is the second emergency landing a flight to or from Israel has had to make in recent weeks. A London-bound flight from Tel Aviv operated by Wizz Air made an emergency landing in Belgrade, Serbia after a passenger caused a scene, attacking crew members and attempting to open the emergency exit door while in flight, JNS reported. Though the flight left Israel on Monday, passengers spent the night in Serbia while they awaited a new flight to Israel, Israeli media outlet N12 reported Tuesday. How did Wizz Air respond to the incident? “The company is dealing with the onward flight of all customers to London. The safety and security of passengers and crew are the company’s top priority. The company regrets the inconvenience caused by this unexpected incident,” Wizz Air said in a statement. Last week, an Air Seychelles flight with 128 aboard made an unplanned landing in Saudi Arabia, leading them to spend a night in the port city of Jeddah in the Mecca province. The passengers spent a night at an airport hotel before returning to Israel on a flight the next day. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-757740 FAA EASES BURDEN FOR MANY PILOTS WITH ADHD HISTORY AVIATION MEDICAL EXAMINERS RECEIVE NEW GUIDANCE A recent change to the FAA policy regarding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will ease the medical certification burden for many pilots with a history that includes this diagnosis. The new guidance from the FAA to aviation medical examiners now identifies certain histories of ADHD diagnosis and/or medication usage for which AMEs can issue medical certificates. Virtually all applications for a medical certificate (FAA Form 8500-8, also known as MedXPress) that included any ADHD history previously required an extensive, expensive, and time-consuming review process typically handled by FAA staff in Washington, D.C. AOPA for many years has advocated for a more practical and reasonable approach to medical certification, including ADHD reform and also with BasicMed. More than 80,000 pilots have now qualified for BasicMed privileges since the program's inception in 2017. AOPA also continues to educate pilots about the medical certification process, providing pilots with information and advice that can reduce the waiting time for a medical certificate to be issued. The new FAA guidance to AMEs recognizes that not all applicants who report a history of ADHD diagnosis or treatment with medications necessarily require the extensive evaluation that previously applied to anyone reporting that history on the medical certificate application. This is the result of a comprehensive review of literature by the FAA as well as case history experience from the large number of applications submitted to the FAA over the past few years. The guidance also includes key documents to assist the applicant and the AME in determining if a medical certificate can be issued at the time of examination rather than being deferred to the FAA for further review. The key elements include all of the following: No treatment or use of ADHD meds for any reason in the past four years. No symptoms in the past four years. Detailed records showing no instability in academic, occupational, or social functioning within the past four years, and no other psychiatric conditions or diagnosis. If an applicant doesn’t meet those specific criteria, the case will still be deferred by the AME to the FAA for evaluation using the existing protocol that requires psychological and neuropsychological evaluation to identify the presence of “aeromedically significant” ADHD. For the standard track, ADHD medications must be discontinued for 90 days prior to the required evaluations that include evaluation by a Human Intervention Motivation Study psychologist or HIMS neuropsychologist. These reviews will take months as most cases are evaluated by the FAA in Washington. With the new procedures in place, many applicants who meet the qualifications for the immediate issuance will save thousands of dollars and many months of waiting for a response. This change represents the FAA’s ongoing commitment to finding the proper balance between aviation safety and providing as many people as possible the opportunity to fly. The process is bureaucratic to be sure, and it does take time and money in many situations, but persistence and patience will pay off in the majority of cases. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2023/september/06/faa-eases-burden-for-many-pilots-with-adhd-history Mexican, US aviation bodies meet to discuss Mexico's air safety rating MEXICO CITY, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The Mexican government announced on Wednesday that officials from its civil aviation agency and its counterpart in the United States held a meeting to discuss the recovery of Mexico's airspace safety rating from its northern neighbor. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mexican-us-aviation-bodies-meet-015015026.html White House expected to nominate new leader for FAA Mike Whitaker, a former FAA deputy administrator and former executive at United Airlines, has been the subject of months of speculation that he would get the nod. Mike Whitaker has experience both with the private sector and at the FAA, but must convince senators that his skills are right to guide the agency through an especially fraught time. | David J. Phillip/AP Photo The White House plans to nominate veteran regulator and airline executive Mike Whitaker as the next leader of the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency that hasn’t had a Senate-confirmed chief for more than a year and a half during a time of significant strain on air travel. President Joe Biden plans to nominate Whitaker as soon as Thursday, according to five lobbyists from various sectors of aviation who are close to Whitaker, who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Whitaker, a former FAA deputy administrator and former executive at United Airlines, has been the subject of months of speculation that he would get the nod. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Whitaker’s confirmation by the Senate probably isn’t assured, considering that Biden’s prior pick for the job, Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington, withdrew in March amid tepid support from Democrats and GOP criticism over his lack of aviation experience. Washington’s chief critics included Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, which will vet Whitaker’s nomination. Whitaker has experience both with the private sector and at the FAA, but must convince senators that his skills are right to guide the agency through an especially fraught time for an aviation system still bouncing back from the pandemic — marked by repeated flight delays, a surge of near-misses earlier this year, and fights in Congress over a bill that would reauthorize the agency, which is due at the end of September. If confirmed, Whitaker would have to navigate those challenges while ensuring the United States maintains its record on aviation safety, with more than 10 years since the last fatal airliner crash inside the country. That record, though, has been marred by questions around whether the FAA adequately oversaw the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX. Two of those planes flown by foreign airlines crashed overseas in late 2018 and early 2019, killing a total of 346 people and leading to multiple probes into how and why the FAA green-lit the planes. Whitaker’s name has been circulating among lobbyists and congressional aides since May, when former acting Administrator Billy Nolen announced that he would return to the private sector. The FAA’s current acting leader is Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg, whose experience is primarily with transit and on Capitol Hill but who is a veteran in policy and the workings of Washington, D.C. Whitaker served as deputy administrator from 2013 to 2016, as well as chief of the agency’s air traffic control modernization effort known as NextGen, which has faced criticism over the years for delays and cost overruns. Before that, he spent decades in the airline industry, including 15 years leading international and regulatory affairs for United Airlines. Most recently, Whitaker has been chief operating officer of Supernal, an air taxi company. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/06/white-house-new-leader-faa-00106664 Marines to appoint a safety general After deadly crashes, acting commandant bumps Corps’ Safety Division up to one-star status. The Marine Corps will place a general officer in charge of the service’s Safety Division next summer, the acting commandant announced Wednesday in the latest response to two deadly aircraft crashes. The division is currently led by a colonel. (The Navy’s Safety Command is run by a rear admiral.) Bumping the Marine command up a paygrade will allow a one-star to “supervise it, to authoritatively direct it, and ensure that ruthless adherence to our culture of safety, that I think will matter,” Gen. Eric Smith told reporters on the sidelines of the Defense News Conference in Arlington, Virginia. “[H]aving that general officer in charge will help because general officers do matter. Because there's only 63 of us in service. And that means that they don't have to salute very many people and they don't take, frankly, any junk from anybody.” The officer will still be “reporting to the assistant commandant [of the Marine Corps] but we will have a general officer in charge of safety. It's that important to me, and I think it's time to do that,” Smith said. Like the other services, the Marine Corps is authorized a set number of general officers, so it's unclear at the moment where the general officer will come from to lead the division. Last week, Smith called for a service-wide safety review after the deadly crashes of an F/A-18D Hornet near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California and an MV-22B Osprey in Australia, which are both still under investigation. Units will review and discuss their safety procedures, and junior Marines are also asked to “provide honest feedback on perceived hazards; they should expect to do so without fear of reprisal.” That feedback is due to the Safety Division by Oct. 15. The Marine Corps’ Safety Division will grow with the new general officer, and while it will not be as large as the Navy’s, it will be a similar organization, Smith said. “[I]t's high time we did that. And that shines a spotlight on our culture of safety, which is an exceptional culture of safety. And when we have a deviation from it, it stands out like a sore thumb,” Smith said. “And again, what I owe is to every Marine and their loved ones the absolute clarity that I have driven risk down to the lowest possible level I can drive it to.” The division will also be “robust enough” to take the safety review’s findings from the junior Marines “and go out and either correct problems or reinforce good behavior in units that have exceptional safety records. To make sure that everything from weapons handling to vehicle maintenance to vehicle operation, to aircraft maintenance to aircraft operation, is exactly, as I always say, is ruthlessly adhered to,” he said. The recent Osprey crash and the aircraft’s ongoing clutch engagement problem have raised concerns about its safe operation. Smith still believes that the Osprey is safe to fly, highlighting that its safety record per 100,000 flight hours is the same as “all major platforms.” “If I thought for a nanosecond that the V-22 was an inherently unsafe platform, I would ground it. It's not. I am 100-percent convinced it's a safe platform, or I would have grounded it. And there's no evidence that tells me I need to do that,” he said. https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2023/09/marines-appoint-safety-general/390030/ AerCap Receives $645 Million Settlement For Aircraft Stranded In Russia The Irish leasing giant has agreed to the compensation package covering 17 stranded airframes. SUMMARY • AerCap has reached a $645 million settlement with Aeroflot regarding 17 planes and spare jet engines stranded in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. • The settlement allows Aeroflot to secure ownership of the planes at a potential discount while AerCap receives compensation for the lost assets. • Discussions for settlements with other Russian airlines, including S7 Airlines, Ural Airlines, and Smartavia, remain ongoing. AerCap has agreed a multimillion-dollar settlement with Russian airline Aeroflot over 17 passenger planes that it has been unable to recover following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Settlement reached Dublin-based aircraft leasing firm AerCap has announced that it has agreed to a $645 million settlement with Russian state state-controlled airline Aeroflot. The settlement covers 17 aircraft along with five spare jet engines that were leased to the airline when Russia invaded Ukraine at the start of 2022. AerCap, the world's largest aircraft lessor, previously said back in March of this year that it had been approached by representatives of Aeroflot and its insurers regarding a possible compensation package for the stranded planes. The deal has been agreed to by regulators monitoring sanctions imposed by the West following the invasion of Ukraine. In return for the full payment of the $645 being transferred to AerCap's bank account, Aeroflot (along with its subsidiary, Rossiya) secured the formal ownership of the 17 planes, potentially obtaining them at a significant discount on their true market values. Further background to the deal Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russian airlines were major customers for Western-based aircraft lessors. Hundreds of aircraft from Boeing and Airbus were leased to Russian carriers seeking to avoid stumping up the full purchase prices themselves and to maintain a degree of fleet flexibility. Following the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western sanctions forced lessors to cancel all of these leasing contracts. However, Moscow refused to allow the planes to leave and passed somewhat legally dubious legislation which stated that any leased aircraft re-registered on the Russian civil aircraft register became the outright property of the operating Russian airline. This action effectively stranded 400 planes, estimated to be worth around $10 billion, in Russia. While some have continued flying, many remain grounded due to the unavailability of spare parts due the international sanctions. Meanwhile. leasing firms say the new Russian laws contravened international aviation agreements and equated to theft. This, in turn, set off a blizzard of insurance claims over the multitudes of aircraft that Russia unilaterally took possession of under its new law. AerCap, the largest owner of commercial aircraft globally and the most active aircraft trader, with around 1,750 planes on its books, had over 100 aircraft placed with various Russian airlines at the time of the invasion. While a few were quickly recovered, most remain in Russia. What has AerCap said about the deal? Although it has been forced to effectively write off 17 passenger planes from its books, AerCap will benefit from the compensation package to a degree. But with demand for new and leased aircraft soaring worldwide, the value of these aircraft is likely to be substantially more than the $645 million being paid under the terms of the settlement. Aerial top view of Sheremetyevo airport terminal D building with Aeroflot Airbus Boeing passenger airplanes Photo: vaalaa / Shutterstock However, the company has clearly decided that this sum is better than nothing at all. In a statement issued to shareholders and stock markets, AerCap said, "On September 5, 2023, we received cash insurance settlement proceeds in the total amount of approximately $645 million in full settlement of our insurance claims under the Aeroflot group's insurance policies in respect of the 17 aircraft and five spare engines on lease to Aeroflot and Rossiya Airline. Effective upon receipt of these insurance settlement proceeds from the Insurance Company NSK [the airline's insurers], we have released our claims against NSK, Aeroflot, Rossiya, and their international reinsurers with respect to these aircraft and engines." In Summary AerCap announced as part of the statement above that it had received approval from the US Treasury and Commerce departments for the settlement with Aeroflot. But while AerCap will be pleased to settle this particular round of legal action against Aeroflot and its insurers, there is likely to be some distance left to run regarding the overall issue of leased aircraft stranded in Russia. The company said that settlement discussions were continuing with several other Russian airlines, namely S7 Airlines, Ural Airlines, and low-cost carrier Smartavia. At the time of the invasion, according to ch-aviation, S7 Airlines had 44 aircraft leased from AerCap worth $743 million, while Ural Airlines had 20 planes worth $350. Meanwhile, Smartavia operated 11 narrow-bodied Airbus and Boeing planes leased from AerCap. AerCap also added in its statement above that the company has an ongoing separate $3.4 billion claim against its own all-risk insurers under a 'contingent and possessed insurance' policy. However, this claim has consequently been reduced to approximately $2.75 billion due to the settlement reached with Aeroflot. https://simpleflying.com/aercap-aircraft-stranded-russia-settlement/ Qantas makes 78-year-old man give up business class seat for off-duty pilot on flight Experience of being downgraded was ‘unsettling’, said passenger A 78-year-old man was forced to give up his business class seat on a recent Qantas flight so that an off-duty pilot could take his place. Stephen Jones was sitting in the business class lounge at Melbourne airport with his wife on 3 September when he heard his name over the tannoy, he told Australian radio station 3AW. When he went to the Qantas desk, Mr Jones was told he’d been “bumped” because his seat was required by an off-duty pilot, whose contract stipulated he was entitled to travel in business class. “It didn’t register at first,” he said. “I wasn’t quite sure what ‘bumped’ meant. She said, ‘I’ll have to reissue your ticket for economy class.’” While Mr Jones said he understood that pilots are “entitled to rest and comfort”, he added that he found the experience of being bumped “unsettling and made me a little irritable.” “I don’t think anything is going to change until there’s ramifications for Qantas when they upset their customers,” he added. Qantas confirmed to 3AW that the incident had taken place, and said Mr Jones had been downgraded as there were no spare business class seats. “We’ve apologised to the customer, and explained why the downgrade was necessary,” the Australian flag carrier said in a statement. “When this happens we provide customers with a partial refund.” Mr Jones said he’d also been offered 5,000 frequent flyer miles. It follows the news that easyJet prioritises its package holiday customers when selecting passengers to bump from an overbooked flight. The policy came to light after The Independent began to investigate an incident in which an extended family was split up at Liverpool John Lennon airport. An easyJet Holidays spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that “our ground staff are given guidance on which groups of customers to try and avoid selecting not to travel in the event where not enough volunteers come forward when an aircraft is downgraded, which includes a number of groups like those requiring special assistance and, where possible, easyJet Holidays customers.” The policy of prioritising easyJet Holidays customers increases the chances of flight-only passengers, or those booked with other tour operators, being denied boarding. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/qantas-business-class-seat-elderly-man-pilot-b2407002.html Australian and International Pilots Association says low pay is driving pilots away from Qantas Tony Lucas says pilots are "flocking" away from Australian airlines. Key points: • Qantas pilot Tony Lucas says it costs $150,000 to become a fully fledged pilot • Mr Lucas says junior pilots are often paid less than $35,000 per year • He says pilots are cautiously optimistic with the appointment of new Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson • And with the former chief executive Alan Joyce taking an early retirement following public pressure, Mr Lucas says pilots are turning to the new boss in hopes of change. The Australian and International Pilots Association president has been in cockpits for 28 years but said recently, industry conditions had deteriorated. Mr Lucas said it cost $150,000 to become a fully fledged pilot, and junior pilots were now be "lucky" to earn $35,000 in their first year. He said the rostering system was "fundamentally broken", with freshly minted pilots often working less than two hours per day. Mr Lucas said after three years or so, a junior pilot could go on to work for QantasLink as a first officer, where they would earn about $65,000 per year. "Smart young people look at that return on investment and think, 'It's not for me'," Mr Lucas said. "They can do better with their time, effort and energy in other industries, and that now means we're short of pilots. "What we've seen over the half-decade or so is an industrial regime that has treated pilots like a commodity rather than a valued resource." Qantas' new era begins With Alan Joyce announcing his abrupt departure from Qantas two months ahead of schedule, Vanessa Hudson is now in control of an airline with a reputation problem — and disgruntled customers say it will be tough to win them back. Incoming Qantas CEO says airline must work to regain trust He told ABC Brisbane that the pilot shortages were particularly dire in Qantas' subsidiaries companies, such as QantasLink, Network Aviation and National Jet Systems. However, he said it was an industry-wide problem, with pilots "flocking overseas" for jobs that were becoming more readily available and well-paid after the height of the pandemic than Australian alternatives. During COVID shutdowns, about 230 pilots took an early retirement or voluntary redundancy, and most of those roles were yet to be filled, Mr Lucas said. However, he said recruitment was proving challenging with pilots moving overseas and young people choosing not to join the industry in the first place. But with the appointment of Vanessa Hudson as chief executive, he said pilots were cautiously optimistic about the future. "We might feel deflated at the moment, but we're not defeated," he said. "We don't have rear vision mirrors in our aeroplanes, so we're always forward-looking. "We're looking forward to rebuilding the airline into the icon it should be so that it's known and loved throughout Australia as it has been in the past. Qantas chairman Richard Goyder said the new chief executive would have challenging work ahead to restore public faith in Australia's major airliner. "This transition comes at what is obviously a challenging time for Qantas and its people," Mr Goyder said. "We have an important job to do in restoring the public's confidence in the kind of company we are, and that's what the board is focused on and what the management under Vanessa's leadership will do." A Qantas spokesperson said the company paid pilots the highest rates in Australia. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-07/low-pay-behind-pilot-shortage-qantas/102816764 Thai Airways in talks to buy up to 95 new jets, industry sources say BANGKOK/WASHINGTON/PARIS :Thai Airways is in talks with Boeing and Airbus on a potential order of more than 90 jets as it pursues restructuring and gears up for booming travel markets, industry sources told Reuters. The Thai flag carrier, which is in the midst of a bankruptcy protected debt restructuring, has previously indicated a need for 30 or more jets but its latest request for bids opens the door to as many as 95 aircraft, the sources said. These would include 15 narrow-body jets and up to 80 wide-bodies, the sources said, marking one of the largest orders for big jets from Southeast Asia in recent years. Sector experts say such large orders are typically spread out over a decade or so. Boeing and Airbus declined to comment on any commercial discussions with their customers. In a statement to Reuters, the airline said it was at the "very early stage" of exploring the market for various studies. It added that no decisions had been made on long-term strategies, "most particularly the fleet", and no commitments had been made. In June Chief Executive Chai Eamsiri told Reuters that Thai Airways aimed to finalise a deal to buy 30 wide-body jets and an undisclosed number of narrow-bodies by the end of the year. The Southeast Asian carrier is looking to make the most of a post-pandemic travel boom by bolstering regional routes, but there have been concerns over the ability of planemakers Airbus and Boeing to ramp up output to meet surging demand. Thai Airways, which began the restructuring of debt worth 400 billion baht ($11.17 billion) in 2021, has a fleet of 20 Airbus A320 aircraft and has secured a dozen new A321neo jets on lease for delivery in 2025 and 2026. It also operates a mixed fleet of about 45 larger wide-body jets including the recent Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 and the older Boeing 777 and Airbus A330. In the short-term, the wide-body fleet will increase from 45 to 56 aircraft by the first quarter of next year through leases, Chai told Reuters in June. Those planes will be used on long-distance intercontinental routes to Australia and Europe, routes that have been recovering strongly. The airline has said that its pandemic-driven restructuring plan is on track and it aims to relist on the stock market by the first quarter of 2025. It swung to a net profit of 2.2 billion baht ($61.8 million)in the second quarter of this year, from a 3 billion baht loss a year earlier, having made a loss nearly every year from 2012 to 2021. ($1 = 35.6100 baht) https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/thai-airways-talks-buy-95-new-jets-industry-sources-say-3753141 Honeywell debuts device to limit 5G interference onboard aircraft The Type J DLNA device is designed to protect L-band satellite communications systems used on aircraft. Type Jdlna Header 2880x1440 PHOENIX - Honeywell in Phoenix has launched a product that can limit the effects of cellular interference on certain satellite communications (satcom) systems for aircraft communications. Honeywell’s Type J DLNA (Diple9xer/Low Noise Amplifier) was specifically designed as an upgrade for customers operating on Inmarsat’s L-band network. Honeywell’s Type J DLNA will prevent interference from Ancillary Terrestrial Component networks, which are under deployment in the continental United States as well as certain global LTE and 5G cellular networks operating in frequency bands adjacent to Inmarsat’s L-band network. With the Type J DLNA, aircraft operators using these satcom systems in the proximity of Ancillary Terrestrial Component networks in the continental United States and other globally deployed LTE and 5G ground stations will prevent service disruptions from cellular interference that can result in costly flight delays. “There has been growing concern globally that certain 5G services could interfere with some aircraft satcom systems, and the Type J DLNA can limit those effects,” said Steve Hadden, vice president and general manager, services and connectivity, Honeywell Aerospace. “With the upgrade, airlines and aircraft operators will continue to have access to Future Air Navigation System routes, which allow airplanes to fly at their optimum altitudes and burn less fuel. That creates a significant reduction in flight durations and fuel costs while improving overall flight safety.” The Type J DLNA is a single line-replaceable unit upgrade to existing L-band satcom systems operating on Inmarsat’s L-band network. It allows continued operation of an airline’s or operator’s mission-critical satcom networks and allows customers to replace their existing DLNAs without requiring changes to aircraft wiring, connector interfaces or mounting provisions and without replacing their existing satcom terminals and antennas. The upgrade is available to all operators using Class 6 or 7 satcom systems in commercial, defense, business and general aviation and ATR segments in both retrofit and line-fit scenarios. The Type J DLNA is fully compliant with the Type J DLNA specifications in ARINC Characteristic 781-8 and RTCA DO-262F. https://www.militaryaerospace.com/commercial-aerospace/article/14298613/honeywell-debuts-device-to-limit-5g-interference-onboard-aircraft EASA warns of storage-related battery drain on all Airbus aircraft EASA's directive is looking into the batteries of stored Airbus aircraft The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an airworthiness directive (AD) addressing a storage-related battery problem on all Airbus aircraft. The proposed AD, which is still open to comments from stakeholders, was issued following an investigation by Airbus and the unnamed manufacturer of the Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery. The two companies determined that “repetitive disconnection and reconnection of batteries during aeroplane parking or storage” carried out according to the aircraft’s maintenance manual, could result in the loss “of the capacity of those batteries”. “This condition, if not corrected, could lead to reduced battery endurance performance, possibly resulting in failure to supply the minimum essential electrical power during abnormal or emergency conditions,” EASA stated in the proposed AD. The potential unsafe condition was first addressed by Airbus issuing respective Alert Operators Transmissions (AOT) for A320, A330 and A340, and A380 aircraft “to provide maintenance instructions to restore an aeroplane to an airworthy condition and to preserve battery capacity during an aeroplane parking or storage period”. The AOT resulted in EASA publishing an AD in December 2020, which required operators of A320, A330 and A340, and A380 family aircraft to replace affected Ni-Cd batteries. However, now both Airbus and the battery manufacturer have determined that “the on-wing preservation procedures originally” in the AOT, as well as recommendations outlined in Airbus Operators Information Transmission (OIT) for A350 and A300/A310 family aircraft “did not ensure the expected preservation of the battery capacity”. As a result, the proposed AD will supersede the December 2020 directive, extending the applicability to the A350 and A300/A310 aircraft families and will require the replacement of the affected batteries on all Airbus aircraft. Replacing Airbus aircraft batteries For operators to comply with the latest directive, EASA outlined time limits for different Airbus aircraft families. For the Airbus A320 aircraft family, including the A318ceo, A319ceo and A319neo, A320ceo and A320neo, and A321ceo and A321neo, the batteries must be replaced before they reach six months of being on-wing during storage before the aircraft can be released back into service. The same six-month timetable applies to all Airbus A330 (A330ceo and A330neo) and A340, as well as Airbus A300/A310 family aircraft. For the Airbus A350 and A380 aircraft families, the batteries have an on-wing battery storage time limit of 12 months. However, the battery part numbers (P/N) differ, as defined by EASA’s AD. Stakeholders are invited to comment on the changes until October 2, 2023, with EASA planing for the directive to come into effect 14 days after that date, per the standard procedure. EASA's latest directive addresses a potential main landing gear (MLG) failure https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/easa-warns-of-storage-related-battery-drain-on-all-airbus-aircraft GRADUATE RESEARCH REQUEST I started my academic career with a BSc. in Aviation Management at Florida Institute of Technology and graduated in 2005. After relocating to Europe and completing the ATPL training, I started flying the B737NG for a scheduled low-cost carrier for four years. Afterwards, relocating to Dubai to fly for a major long-haul airline on the B777 for 8.5 years. In 2020 relocated to the UK to fly for a British long-haul airline. During Covid while there wasn't any flying, I started the MSc. in Aviation Safety, Risk Management and Regulation studies with Cranfield University and I am currently working on my thesis to complete the master's program. My thesis looks at Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) and the overall effectiveness that FRMS has achieved so far. It intends to focus on organisational factors within the operators and regulators to identify those factors that contribute to implementing an effective FRMS. The survey is targeted for pilots that are actively flying (either long or short-haul) and would like to share their experiences with the FRMS within their organisation. It is a short survey and should take no longer than two to three minutes of your time. I will hugely appreciate everyone's feedback. Survey Link: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4UdHcIxHD4Wweb4 Kind regards, Erdem Serifoglu Curt Lewis