Flight Safety Information - November 13, 2023 No. 220 In This Issue : Incident: Cally B733 at Abuja on Nov 12th 2023, runway excursion on vacating the runway : Incident: Frontier A20N at San Antonio on Nov 9th 2023, fumes in cabin : Incident: Contour E135 at Charlotte on Nov 10th 2023, smoke in cockpit : Incident: Lufthansa A319 near Amsterdam on Nov 10th 2023, both generators temporarily failed, RAT deployed : Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk - Fatal Accident (Mediterranean Sea) : Frontier Airlines Flight Met By Hazmat Team Due To Fumes In Cabin : What Are Fume Events & How Are Aircraft Designed To Eliminate Them? : The Reason Airplane Passengers Are Called 'Souls' Onboard : What Are Sterile Cockpits & Why Are They Important For Aviation Safety? : Iceland evacuates town and raises aviation alert as concerns rise a volcano may erupt. Authorities also raised their aviation alert to orange. : New York City remembers victims of American Airlines Flight 587 crash 22 years later : United Airlines said planning to restore some flights to Israel : Boeing Predicts Demand Of 3K Aircraft in Middle East: How Many Will Come From Dubai Airshow? : China may end long-running suspension of Boeing 737 Max aircraft: report : SunExpress jump starts Dubai Airshow with Boeing jet order : Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9 Diverts During Customer Acceptance Flight : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Cally B733 at Abuja on Nov 12th 2023, runway excursion on vacating the runway An Cally Air Boeing 737-300 on behalf of Aero Contractors, registration 5N-BYQ performing flight N2-119 from Lagos to Abuja (Nigeria), landed on Abuja's runway 22 at 11:46L (10:46Z) and slowed to taxi speed. While attempting to vacate the runway via taxiway A4 the aircraft's nose gear went off the paved surface of the runway, the aircraft became disabled on the runway. The aircraft needed to be towed off the runway. https://avherald.com/h?article=5110990b&opt=0 Incident: Frontier A20N at San Antonio on Nov 9th 2023, fumes in cabin A Frontier Airlines Airbus A320-200N, registration N303FR performing flight F9-990 from Denver,CO to San Antonio,TX (USA), was descending towards San Antonio when the crew reported a fume-like odour on board. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on San Antonio's runway 04. San Antonio Fire Department reported four members of the crew were examined for nausea following fume-like odour on board, were in stable condition and were released. The airline reported there was a fume-like odour in the back of the cabin with no passengers being affected. The aircraft remained on the ground in San Antonio for about 25 hours, then positioned to Denver and resumed service about 39 hours after landing in San Antonio. https://avherald.com/h?article=5110a55f&opt=0 Incident: Contour E135 at Charlotte on Nov 10th 2023, smoke in cockpit A Contour Aviation Embraer ERJ-140, registration N809AE performing flight LF-3402 from Charlotte,NC to Beckley,WV (USA), was climbing out of Charlotte when the crew stopped the climb at FL230 reporting smoke in the cockpit and returned to Charlotte for a safe landing on runway 18R about 37 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Charlotte about 4 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=510f4321&opt=0 Incident: Lufthansa A319 near Amsterdam on Nov 10th 2023, both generators temporarily failed, RAT deployed A Lufthansa Airbus A319-100, registration D-AIBG performing flight LH-986 from Frankfurt/Main (Germany) to Amsterdam (Netherlands), was descending towards Amsterdam when the crew declared Mayday reporting both generators had failed, both engines (CFM56) were running, the RAT (Ram Air Turbine) had deployed. The generators were eventually recovered. The aircraft positioned for an ILS approach to runway 27 and landed without further incident and taxied to the apron. The return flight was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Amsterdam about 12 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=510f3845&opt=0 Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk - Fatal Accident (Mediterranean Sea) Date: Friday 10 November 2023 Time: Type: Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk Owner/operator: US Army Registration: MSN: Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Category: Accident Location: SE off Cyprus - Mediterranean Sea Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) Nature: Military Departure airport: Destination airport: Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A US special operations helicopter crashed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea during mid-air refueling. The aircraft was conducting training operations at the time. All five crew members perished in the crash. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/347797 Frontier Airlines Flight Met By Hazmat Team Due To Fumes In Cabin The flight landed in San Antonio and was immediately met by the local fire department. SUMMARY • Fumes and a foul odor resulted in crew members feeling sick on Frontier Airlines flight F9-990, prompting an emergency response team to meet the plane upon landing. • Despite a thorough investigation, no toxic fumes or odor were found on the aircraft, prompting the team to clear the plane for passengers without incident. • The Airbus A320 aircraft in question is being evaluated by the maintenance team to determine the cause of the odor, and it has since resumed its regular flight schedule. • On Thursday, November 9, a Frontier Airlines flight landed with a complaint of fumes throughout the cabin. The flight, which was registered as F9-990, had crew members stating that they felt nauseous from fumes with an odor. The smell was potent enough that when the aircraft landed at its destination, the local fire department met the plane to test for poisonous or toxic gases. Incident of fumes The flight departed Denver International Airport (DEN) at approximately 10:50 local time, approximately 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. Shortly after the plane's departure, flight attendants in the rear of the cabin began complaining about the odor and started to feel sick. The crew members told the captain, but the aircraft continued to its scheduled destination. No passengers were affected by the fumes, only crew members and the fumes were contained to the back of the aircraft. Just under two hours later, the aircraft landed at San Antonio International Airport (SAT), which was approximately 13:51 local time. Upon arrival of the aircraft in San Antonio, an emergency response team led by the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) began investigating the aircraft. The rescue team included a hazmat team, in case any fumes that were found turned out to be toxic. The SAFD Public Information Officer, Joe Arrington, spoke about the incident in a statement to My San Antonio. Arrington said, "Originally, we were called for a strange odor on a plane and people feeling bad, so we sent a whole lot of people — hazmat, rescue, airport rescue, all these things out there — but once the plane landed, we realized there was no odor." The response team began testing the aircraft for toxic fumes but did not detect any odor. Shortly after arriving, the hazmat team cleared the plane. This was completed by an emergency team wearing hazmat suits utilizing various monitoring tools to detect any dangerous fumes. Four of the crew members were evaluated by medical personnel but were not transported to the hospital. All passengers deplaned safely, and no injuries were reported. Arrington also stated, "As a precaution, we responded because it came in to us as a foul odor on a plane, so that ramps up our response. But once we got everyone down, there were no negative readings of anything on the plane." The aircraft in question Frontier Airlines said that the aircraft in question was being evaluated by the maintenance team in order to determine what possibly caused the odor in the back of the aircraft. The aircraft was an Airbus A320 registered as N303FR. The plane was received by Frontier Airlines in October 2016 and is just seven years old. It is also painted in the Poppy the Prairie Dog Livery. After the aircraft landed in San Antonio, it was kept there overnight for further evaluation. The next day, on November 10, N303FR flew F9-9203, which is a scheduled route from SAT to DEN. On November 11, the aircraft returned to its regular schedule, conducting five flights throughout the day across the continental United States. https://simpleflying.com/frontier-fume-event-hazmat-san-antonio/ What Are Fume Events & How Are Aircraft Designed To Eliminate Them? Toxins from various sources feeding into the cabin air supply can be very dangerous - particularly over the long term. SUMMARY Fume events on aircraft can be dangerous and pose serious health risks, especially for exposed crew over the long term. Fume events are not rare, with around 1 in every 5,000 flights being affected. Regular exposure to toxic fumes can have long-term detrimental effects. The Boeing 787 eliminates the risk of fume events by using an electrically operated system instead of bleed air, offering fuel savings and increased efficiency. A fume event is a dangerous occurrence on an aircraft. This is when dangerous fumes mix with aircraft's internal cabin air. This can potentially create serious health risks - particularly over the long term for exposed crew. The Boeing 787 is the first aircraft to remove the risk of this, by not using bleed air for the cabin. What is a fume event? A fume event is an incident in which the cabin air of an aircraft is contaminated by fumes from various sources, including engine oil, hydraulic fluid, anti-icing fluid, or other chemicals. These are generally released following some sort of fault or failure in an aircraft system - such as hydraulic fluid leaks, oil seal failures in parts of the aircraft engine, or leaks in the aircraft anti-icing systems or air-conditioning systems. These failures on their own are hopefully small enough not to cause any major aircraft emergency, but the resulting leaks can be dangerous. In particular, they can get into the cabin air supply via the engines. In most aircraft, the cabin air and pressurization systems operate using engine or APU bleed air (compressed air taken from the aircraft engines to use elsewhere). Fume events are a serious problem Fume events are not theoretical or rare events. They happen often - although thankfully not always at a high level. A 2015 study by the FAA found that fume events affected about 1 in every 5,000 flights. Just in October 2023, Simple Flying reported on three fume events on British Airways aircraft - including an A320 bound for Munich, another A320 flight from Barcelona to Heathrow, and a Euro-flyer-operated A321 flight to Malta Luqa International Airport (which had to return to Gatwick). The most serious events can immediately impact passengers. But over the longer term, regular exposure can be very dangerous for cabin and flight deck crew. Long-term exposure (even to low dose levels of some chemicals) can be very dangerous. An interesting recent study published in the Environmental Health Journal looked into these long-term problems. As just a summary of the impact, it stated: "Inhalation of these potentially toxic fumes is increasingly recognized to cause acute and long-term neurological, respiratory, cardiological and other symptoms. Cumulative exposure to regular small doses of toxic fumes is potentially damaging to health and may be exacerbated by a single higher-level exposure." Of course, efforts are made to minimize the risk or impact of fume events. As they usually occur following component failures leading to leaks into the air system, checks, and maintenance are the best prevention. Adequate training to recognize and respond to problems, plus appropriate breathing equipment, help to lessen the impact - particularly for crew. Aircraft are not usually fitted with sensors to detect fume events (this is complicated as so many possible sources could be involved). The Boeing 787 removes the risk of fume events Boeing made many changes in its clean-sheet design of the Boeing 787. One of the most important is the shift to a 'no-bleed architecture.' All jet aircraft use bleed air from the engines for a number of different functions. With the 787, instead of using bleed air from the engines, electric power is used in many areas. This offers overall fuel savings of around three percent, and increased efficiency. 5 Things To Know About The No-Bleed Architecture On The Boeing 787 One of the systems to move away from bleed air is cabin pressurization and environment. Instead of using pressurized bleed air for the cabin air supply, the air is taken directly from separate external air intakes and then processed using electrically operated systems. With no involvement of bleed air, there is no risk of contamination or fume events. https://simpleflying.com/fume-events-guide/ The Reason Airplane Passengers Are Called 'Souls' Onboard The passenger count is one of the more apparent things pilots must know before a flight. Some airlines require passenger counts before leaving the gate, while others allow the final numbers to come through during taxi. Regardless, pilots need an accurate count of passengers for determining weight and balance, performance, security, and advising ATC in an emergency. Here's an explanation of why people on a plane are called "souls." What is a "soul onboard?" "Souls onboard" seems to be used in America and a few other places. Aviation workers from Europe to Australia refer to "people onboard" rather than "souls," but there's no definitive list of how people on a plane are referred to around the world. For its part, the American Federal Aviation Administration refers to "people onboard," but US controllers use the word "souls" when querying how many people are onboard an aircraft in an emergency situation. Pilots working in the cockpit. Photo: Skycolors I Shutterstock Another tidbit worth pointing out is that everyone on the plane is counted in the total number of souls onboard an aircraft. The phrase commonly evokes the idea of just passengers, but the term includes pilots, flight attendants, and jumpseaters. Additionally, some airlines don't count infants for weight and balance calculations since they weigh so little. Infants need to be counted back into the total number to determine souls onboard. Origins It's thought that the origin of using the term "souls" to describe the number of people has naval derivatives, like so many other items in aviation. Examples include "port and starboard," the wingtip light colors associated with them (red and green), the use of knots, and the pilot uniform. It's commonly thought that ships on long voyages would report the number of souls onboard to distinguish between the living and dead since bodies in caskets were commonly transported below deck. The line of thinking is that since a soul can only occupy a living body, "souls onboard" was a quick and accurate way of reporting the number of living people. In modernity, it seems that "people onboard" suffices. One further point is why controllers ask pilots for the number of souls onboard after an emergency declaration. The reason for this is the same as why they ask for the fuel remaining in the same question: ATC needs to pass along the information to first responders. If an accident occurs, emergency workers need a precise count of how many people should be accounted for. The airline can provide this information, but the pilots are the most direct point of contact when time is of the essence. Final thoughts Whether or not the term is outdated or cryptic, "souls onboard" is how pilots in the US and many other places report the total number of people on a plane. The phrase has simply been around aviation long enough in the US that few people stop to consider its relative inanity. https://simpleflying.com/the-reason-airplane-passengers-are-called-souls-onboard/ What Are Sterile Cockpits & Why Are They Important For Aviation Safety? A sterile cockpit is when pilots must be focused entirely on safety. SUMMARY • Sterile cockpit rules are crucial in aviation to ensure the pilots are completely focused on their job, as distractions can lead to deadly errors. • The FAA and EASA introduced these rules after incidents where distracted pilots made critical mistakes, causing accidents. • Sterile cockpit times include taxiing, takeoff, landing, and any operations below 10,000 feet, and airlines may have additional guidelines for sterile cockpit operations. While the word "sterile" has several meanings depending upon the context in which it is being used, it implies concentration when paired with the word cockpit. Even for a person who is not an aviator, it is easy to understand that mistakes are more likely to occur when a pilot is not focused solely on his job. Unlike a carpenter who might have made a wrong cut, an error by a pilot can put dozens of people's lives at risk. Up until the FAA and EASA published rules relating to a sterile cockpit, there had been numerous incidents when pilots failed to set the flaps correctly or forgot to lower the landing gear. Add to this the failure to monitor instruments accurately during an approach, and you can easily understand how not being focused on the job could be deadly. Chatting in the cockpit was responsible for a deadly crash An example of not operating a sterile cockpit was Eastern Air Lines Flight 212, which crashed short of the runway at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT) in 1974. While conducting an instrument approach in dense fog, the pilots of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 were busy talking about some unrelated matter. Unaware of their altitude and distance from the runway, the plane crashed into the terrain, killing 72 of the 82 people onboard. According to rules laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), it is a rule designed to prevent runway incursions. It is also any period of time when the crew must be focused solely on flying the aircraft. These times include: When the aircraft is taxiing. During takeoff. On the final approach. When landing. Any operations taking place at less than 10,000 feet, excluding cruising. A sterile cockpit is any period of time during a flight when the pilots need to be 100% focused on the job at hand. During periods in a sterile cockpit, the pilots are not to be disturbed except when it concerns matters critical to the safe operation of the aircraft. The FAA and the EASA introduced sterile cockpit rules In 1981, the United States Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) introduced a new rule following a series of mishaps and accidents by flight crews who were distracted from their duties. In other words, they were engaged in non-essential conversations during critical parts of the flight when they should have been solely focused on the job at hand. The FAA sterile cockpit rule, or to give it its official title FAR 121.542, states the following: No certificate holder shall require, nor may any flight crew member perform, any duties during a critical phase of flight except those duties required for the safe operation of the aircraft. Duties such as company-required calls made for such non-safety related purposes as ordering galley supplies and confirming passenger connections, announcements made to passengers promoting the air carrier or pointing out sights of interest, and filling out company payroll and related records are not required for the safe operation of the aircraft. No flight crew member may engage in, nor may any pilot in command permit, any activity during a critical phase of flight which could distract any flight crew member from the performance of his or her duties or which could interfere in any way with the proper conduct of those duties. Activities such as eating meals, engaging in non-essential conversations within the cockpit and non-essential communications between the cabin and cockpit crew, and reading publications not related to the proper conduct of the flight are not required for the safe operation of the aircraft. For the purposes of this section, critical phases of flight include all ground operations involving taxi, takeoff, and landing, and all other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet, except cruise flight. Note: 'Taxi' is defined as the "movement of an airplane under its own power on the surface of an airport." Overseas in Europe, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published a similar guideline to the FAA but not quite as specific regarding sterile cockpits. Airlines embrace sterile cockpit rules Besides the aviation safety body rules, airlines issue their own guidelines regarding sterile cockpit operations. Some airlines require sterile cockpit rules to be adhered to whenever an aircraft is flying below 18,000 feet. Others require sterile cockpit operations from the top of the climb en-route checklist and from the pre-decent checklist. https://simpleflying.com/sterile-cockpit-safety-guide/ Iceland evacuates town and raises aviation alert as concerns rise a volcano may erupt. Authorities also raised their aviation alert to orange. LONDON -- Residents of a fishing town in southwestern Iceland left their homes Saturday after increasing concern about a potential volcanic eruption caused civil defense authorities to declare a state of emergency in the region. Police decided to evacuate Grindavik after recent seismic activity in the area moved south toward the town and monitoring indicated that a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, now extends under the community, Iceland’s Meteorological Office said. The town of 3,400 is on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik. “At this stage, it is not possible to determine exactly whether and where magma might reach the surface,” the Meteorological Office said. Authorities also raised their aviation alert to orange, indicating an increased risk of a volcanic eruption. Volcanic eruptions pose a serious hazard to aviation because they can spew highly abrasive ash high into the atmosphere, where it can cause jet engines to fail, damage flight control systems and reduce visibility. A major eruption in Iceland in 2010 caused widespread disruption to air travel between Europe and North America, costing airlines an estimated $3 billion as they canceled more than 100,000 flights. The evacuation comes after the region was shaken by hundreds of small earthquakes every day for more than two weeks as scientists monitor a buildup of magma some 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) underground. Concern about a possible eruption increased in the early hours of Thursday when a magnitude 4.8 earthquake hit the area, forcing the internationally known Blue Lagoon geothermal resort to close temporarily. The seismic activity started in an area north of Grindavik where there is a network of 2,000-year-old craters, geology professor Pall Einarrson, told Iceland’s RUV. The magma corridor is about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) long and spreading, he said. “The biggest earthquakes originated there, under this old series of craters, but since then it (the magma corridor) has been getting longer, went under the urban area in Grindavík and is heading even further and towards the sea,” he said. https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iceland-evacuates-town-raises-aviation-alert-concerns-rise-104818504 New York City remembers victims of American Airlines Flight 587 crash 22 years later NEW YORK -- A memorial was held Sunday to mark 22 years since 265 people were killed in the American Airlines Flight 587 crash. The plane went down in Belle Harbor, Queens, on Nov. 12, 2001. Sunday's service was held at the Flight 587 Memorial wall in Rockaway Park. "Watching the emergency vehicles make their way to the scene, 9/11 was fresh on our minds. My heart breaks and bleeds for you. But as your mayor, I stand here and tell you you have my deepest, deepest condolences," Mayor Eric Adams said. Flight 587 spiraled out of control after taking off from John F. Kennedy International Airport en route to the Dominican Republic. Federal investigators determined the crash was caused by the co-pilot's overuse of rudder controls in response to turbulence from an aircraft in front of the plane. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/new-york-city-remembers-victims-of-american-airlines-flight-587-crash-22-years-later/ United Airlines said planning to restore some flights to Israel America’s United Airlines is planning to resume flights to Israel next week, the Kan public broadcaster reports. United was one of several airlines that ended flights to Israel as war broke out after the October 7 Hamas assault. The report says flights will be reintroduced gradually and the routes and schedules will be announced in the next few days. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/united-airlines-said-planning-to-restore-some-flights-to-israel/ Boeing Predicts Demand Of 3K Aircraft in Middle East: How Many Will Come From Dubai Airshow? It seems like the big orders at this year's Dubai Airshow will start as early as tomorrow with a major deal for Boeing. SUMMARY • Boeing reiterates its forecast from the Commercial Market Outlook, predicting that the Middle East will require 3,025 new commercial aircraft by 2042, with nearly half of them being widebodies. • Middle Eastern, Central European, and South Asian airlines are increasingly making large aircraft orders at the Dubai Airshow, potentially upstaging other major airshows like Paris and Farnborough. • Newcomer Riyadh Air is rumored to be placing an order with Boeing for up to 100 737 MAX narrowbodies, as it aims to challenge Emirates and Qatar Airways and establish Riyadh as a major transit hub. Emirates is also considering increasing its cargo capacity and may convert some of its 777 passenger aircraft into freighters. • On the eve of the 2023 Dubai Airshow, which opens on Monday, Boeing has today reiterated forecasts from its 2023-2042 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO). With the aviation world focused on the Middle East this week, Boeing has highlighted that between 2023-2042, there will be 3,025 new commercial aircraft delivered to the region, with close to half being widebodies. There was a time when major airline orders were predominantly announced at either the Paris or Farnborough Air Shows, with some emerging at the Singapore Airshow which is held in February. It seems that perhaps the Dubai Airshow will now upstage them all as more and more of the showstopping large orders come from Middle Eastern, Central European, and South Asian airlines. A fertile area for new aircraft orders In the CMO, Boeing forecasts that global airlines will need 42,595 new aircraft by 2042 as the total fleet grows to 48,575. Middle East-based airlines will need 3,025 new aircraft, and 45% of those deliveries are forecast to be for widebodies, meaning an influx of 1,350 new widebody passenger and freighter airplanes. The balance of expected new deliveries includes 35 regional jets, 1,570 single-aisle aircraft, and 70 dedicated freighters. The number of dedicated freighters in the Middle East is projected to more than double to 180 by 2042. Boeing Vice President Commercial Marketing Darren Hulst said that airlines in the Middle East have increasingly transformed the region into an international air transit hub. "Air travel and cargo demand continue to gain momentum, driven by significant economic growth and national development plans. As airlines in the region will require efficient and versatile fleet solutions, Boeing products will be ready to meet market demands." Which ME airlines are in the market? The whispers are getting louder about newcomer Riyadh Air placing an order with Boeing for up to 100 737 MAX narrowbodies. Yesterday, Bloomberg reported Riyadh Air is keen to add short-haul aircraft to its fleet and that the airline is considering firm orders for 50 737 MAXs along with another 50 options, with an announcement likely to come as early as tomorrow. The actual numbers are part of ongoing discussions between the parties, and they may change slightly when the deal is announced. The report said that Riyadh Air wants to challenge Emirates and Qatar Airways by building up its network and turn Riyadh into a major hub in competition with the larger Gulf airlines for transit traffic. This would align with Saudi Arabia's initiative to reduce the nation's reliance on oil production. Riyadh Air has already signed a deal with Boeing for up to seventy-two 787 Dreamliners, and the report said it went with Boeing again because Airbus does not have any available delivery slots that match the airline's plans. It would not be the Dubai Airshow without any significant and bold news from Emirates, and a separate Bloomberg report last week said the airline was in the market for more cargo capacity. It said that Emirates wants to double its freight capacity in the next decade but has not decided between Airbus A350Fs or Boeing 777-8 freighters, and that decision could be more than four years away. Bloomberg quotes that Emirates cargo chief Nabil Sultan said the company will evaluate, hopefully by 2027, whether it requires a different mix from what it has already. Emirates currently has an all-Boeing cargo fleet and may look at converting some of its more than 100 777 passenger aircraft into freighters. Emirates SkyCargo operates a fleet of 11 dedicated freighters, and during COVID-19, it wet-leased two Boeing 747 cargo planes. The airline previously ordered five new Boeing freighters a year ago and is now converting 10 777-300ER passenger planes to freighters. It will be interesting this week to learn where the orders are both coming from and which OEM they are going to. Neither OEM has regained complete control of their supply chains or production rates, but with slots on the assembly line at a premium airlines are queueing up to get some deals done, and Dubai is certainly a place for doing deals. https://simpleflying.com/middle-east-aircraft-demand-dubai-airshow/ China may end long-running suspension of Boeing 737 Max aircraft: report China could reportedly lift a commercial freeze on the aircraft this week, Bloomberg reports. The Chinese government may be close to lifting a commercial freeze on Boeing Co.’s 737 Max jetliner, with an announcement possible at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in San Francisco this week. The deal could be announced to time with Wednesday’s meeting of President Joe Biden and China’s president Xi Jinping at the APEC meeting, in a show of improved relations between the countries, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The potential deal is still being discussed and may not happen, those sources added. As well, Xi is not expected to announce a formal order for those planes, they added. Boeing BA, +1.72% hasn’t logged any major sales of the 737 Max in China since 2018. The aircraft was grounded globally after two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019, and the Federal Aviation Administration didn’t approve changes in the design and allow it to fly again until nearly two years later. Tensions between the U.S. and China have also weighed on Boeing’s efforts to revamp sales in the country. A spokesman for Boeing declined to comment on the report. MarketWatch has also reached out to China’s Foreign Ministry for comment. In late August, Bloomberg reported that two 737 Max aircraft slated for China had been removed from storage and readied for delivery, citing sources who had expected handovers “within weeks.” As of end July, Boeing had 118 unfilled Max orders all destined for China, 34 of those for China Southern, with orders for 25 wide-body 777 jets as well as 11 “Dreamliner” 787 models from Chinese airlines, according to BC Capital analyst Ken Herbert. Boeing’s 2023 guidance and further out doesn’t include any China sales, he said. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-may-end-long-running-suspension-of-boeing-737-max-aircraft-report-c0fd8296 SunExpress jump starts Dubai Airshow with Boeing jet order DUBAI, Nov 13 (Reuters) - SunExpress Airlines, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines (THYAO.IS) and Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), placed the first order at the Dubai Airshow on Monday and used the spotlight to remind Boeing (BA.N) to deliver on time after a series of industry delays. The budget carrier said it was placing a firm order for 45 narrow-body 737 MAX jets to be delivered between 2029 and 2035, with options or purchase rights for another 45. The roughly $5 billion-deal at list prices unexpectedly kicked off the aerospace jamboree as the schedule for big-ticket purchases expected from regional heavyweights such as Emirates and Turkish Airlines slipped amid last-minute negotiations. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/sunexpress-orders-45-boeing-737-max-jets-2023-11-13/ Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9 Diverts During Customer Acceptance Flight A Boeing 787-9 built for Qatar Airways, operating its customer acceptance flight, was noted as having diverted due to problems. SUMMARY • A Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9 test flight was listed as having diverted due to problems during its customer acceptance flight. • The aircraft took off from PAE and flew a figure-eight pattern, reaching a maximum altitude of 26,000 feet. • This is a rare occurrence as customer acceptance flights usually take place without issue. Upon delivery, the aircraft will be Qatar Airways' 15th Boeing 787-9. A Qatar Airways Boeing 787-9 conducting its customer acceptance flight on November 10th was listed as having diverted due to problems. The aircraft, assembled in 2020, was taking its 8th test flight in advance of being delivered to the Middle Eastern carrier. Flight and aircraft details As per data from the website Aviation Flights, the Boeing 787-9 with Qatari registration A7-BHK was on its customer acceptance flight when it "diverted back to PAE due to problems." PAE is the IATA code for Paine Field in Everett, also known as Seattle Paine Field International Airport. Flightradar24 shows that the aircraft took off from PAE at 11:33 local time and landed back at the airport at approximately 12:12. The jet flew a large figure-eight pattern, getting as far as Olympic National Park. It reached a maximum altitude of 26,000 feet (FL260). The aircraft has the manufacturer's serial numbers (MSN) 64221 and Line Number 1063 and took its first test flight in October 2020. It was then ferried to Victorville for storage and remained there until April 2023, at which point it returned to Paine Field. After six months on the ground at PAE, it conducted a functional check flight on October 11th before flying to Portland (PDX) to be painted several days later. A rare occurrence Tracking pre-delivery activity with Aviation Flights, this type of status is undoubtedly a rare occurrence. Typically, customer acceptance flights take place without issue and are eventually followed by a delivery flight to the airline customer. While it's rare to see Aviation Flights mark a flight as having diverted due to problems, test flights are often marked as 'diverted' on flight tracking platforms like Flightradar24. This is due to the non-public nature of test flights and information being logged in a certain way due to automation. For example, a Gulf Air 787-9 customer acceptance flight on November 10th took it from Paine Field to Moses Lake and back to Paine Field. Aviation Flights logged these take-offs and landings as a single test flight event, while Flightradar24 lists the flight as having 'diverted' to Moses Lake. Qatar Airways' 45th 787 Whether or not problems actually exist, the jet is set to be Qatar Airways' 15th Boeing 787-9 and its 45th 787 overall. In recent months, 787-9 deliveries have been trickling into Qatar Airways as Boeing works through its backlog of undelivered aircraft. Two jets arrived in September 2023, and one was delivered in August 2023. At this point, the aircraft are between two and three years of age. https://simpleflying.com/qatar-airways-787-9-divertsion-customer-acceptance-flight/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 2024 Women in Aviation International Conference - March 21-23 (Orlando) • 2024 ACSF Safety Symposium – Air Charter Safety Foundation - April 1-3, 2024 • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis