Flight Safety Information - December 21, 2023 No. 244 In This Issue : Incident: Canada B789 near St. John's on Dec 2nd 2023, electrical burning odour on board : Incident: Virgin Atlantic A333 at St. Lucia on Dec 17th 2023, technical problem : Russia splashes $12 billion to keep aviation sector in the air : TSA officers catch passenger hiding bullets in a baby diaper at NY airport : Bird strikes forces Southwest flight from New Orleans to Tampa to turn around mid-air : Starlink Signs Major Airlines for In-Flight Connectivity in 2023 : High-Tech Recycling: How Airplane Parts End Up In Laptops : Unable To Afford Jet Fuel: Pakistan International Airlines Passengers Confront Staff Over Cancelled Flights : NASA Looking To Reinvent the Core of Jet Engines, Moves HyTEC Program Into Phase 2 : Graduate pilots help keep Hong Kong aviation sector recovery on course : Air Carrier JSX Places Order for Hybrid-Electric Planes : Southwest Airlines says pilot ‘résumé washing’ is new hurdle in talent war : Call for CFIs and Student pilots: Need your help to alleviate Pilot Fatigue! : GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Canada B789 near St. John's on Dec 2nd 2023, electrical burning odour on board An Air Canada Boeing 787-9, registration C-FGDX performing flight AC-824 from Toronto,ON (Canada) to Madrid,SP (Spain) with 177 people on board, was enroute at FL390 about 250nm southwest of St. John's,NL (Canada) when the flight crew noticed a burning electrical odour soon followed by a "RECIRC FAN UPPER" Caution indication. The crew declared PAN PAN and diverted to St. John's for a safe landing about 40 minutes later. The Canadian TSB reported the recirculation fan had a failed bearing. The fan was replaced. https://avherald.com/h?article=512a72c5&opt=0 Incident: Virgin Atlantic A333 at St. Lucia on Dec 17th 2023, technical problem A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330-300, registration G-VLUV performing flight VS-221 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Saint Lucia (Saint Lucia) with 187 people on board, was descending towards Saint Lucia when the crew requested priority due to a technical problem. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 10 and stopped on the runway. About 15 minutes after landing the aircraft vacated the runway. The airline reported the crew requested priority due to a minor technical problem. The aircraft remained on the ground for 52 hours, then positioned to London. https://avherald.com/h?article=512a474c&opt=0 Russia splashes $12 billion to keep aviation sector in the air • Russia has dipped into rainy day fund to support aviation sector • Airbus, Boeing halted services, key parts supplies in 2022 • Moscow faces daunting task to reduce foreign dependency • Putin: Russia will produce more than 1,000 aircraft by 2030 Dec 21 (Reuters) - Russia has handed out more than $12 billion in state subsidies and loans to keep its aviation sector afloat since Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine cut off supplies of key parts and maintenance services, a Reuters analysis shows. Dependent on foreign-made aircraft, Russia faces the daunting task of developing its aviation industry alone with domestically sourced parts, while buying aircraft from foreign lessors to avoid more of its fleet being seized. Western planemakers Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N) halted supplies of services and spare parts in March 2022 and dropped regular maintenance support for flag carrier Aeroflot (AFLT.MM) and other Russian airlines. Since then, Russia has spent 1.09 trillion roubles ($12.07 billion) supporting the civil aviation industry, including aircraft manufacturing and financial assistance for airlines, Reuters calculations show, based on data from the Ministry of Finance and the Accounts Chamber, which oversees budget execution. The spending is almost twice as much as 547 billion roubles in payments made in 2020-21, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused a drastic reduction in air travel, and highlights the scale of the Kremlin's effort to wrest control of a crucial industry. "Our fleet of aircraft is very overloaded ... with foreign-made planes," President Vladimir Putin said last week. "We plan to produce more than 1,000 aircraft by 2030, our own planes. Work is needed." According to Swiss aviation intelligence provider ch-aviation, Russian airlines currently operate 991 aircraft, including 405 made in Russia. But just 133 are Superjets made by state-owned producer United Aircraft Corporation (UNAC.MM). Other Russian-produced aircraft - Tupolev, Yakovlev and Ilyushin - are rarely used for commercial flights. Support for aircraft manufacturing, a key industry, will be maintained for years to come, the industry and trade ministry said in response to Reuters' findings. "The main emphasis is on supporting sales, expanding production capacity and creating a post-sales service system," the ministry said. The importance of a reliable air industry is particularly crucial for Russia, both for transporting people and goods across its enormous territory and to bolster Moscow's narrative that sanctions have had but a minimal impact. With voters heading to the polls in three months, the collapse of an airline could apply reputational and electoral pressure on Putin who is running again for president. As a key aviation power since Soviet times, Russia's technical ability is not in doubt. Western aviation analysts say the investments will at best keep the fleet flying but doubt its aircraft will return to Western markets any time soon, even if the conflict in Ukraine ends. That's because of the cost and bureaucracy involved in rebuilding a fleet with a clean and traceable safety record and approved parts. RAINY DAY FUNDS Russia has dipped into reserve funds, the data showed, spending 110 billion roubles in 2022 on compensating airlines for losses from a sharp rise in jet fuel costs. This year, the National Wealth Fund (NWF) has played a bigger funding role with Moscow drawing almost 400 billion roubles for aviation spending so far in 2023. The scale of spending in 2022-23 is equivalent to just under 1% of projected gross domestic product (GDP) for 2023. Russia has spent an additional 2.3 trillion roubles in 2022-23 on developing transport outside the aviation sector. The country's domestic air passenger traffic began to rebound in late 2022, as airlines found ways to import spare parts through a grey import scheme the government introduced. Russian airlines have kept their fleet of Western jets in the air, partly by importing spare parts via third countries without the manufacturers' - mainly Airbus and Boeing - consent. Passenger numbers are recovering but still lag pre-COVID levels. Meanwhile, the loss of foreign parts and maintenance expertise has raised concerns about aircraft safety. Some airlines have stripped airplanes for parts, aviation industry sources told Reuters last year. Moscow hurriedly localised the registration of its fleet and has used NWF funds to buy back aircraft from foreign lessors to avoid the risk of their confiscation when flying abroad. Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev said 300 billion roubles could be used for buying aircraft from foreign lessors in 2023. So far, 190 billion roubles has been spent, the data showed, with state-owned insurance company NSK holding aircraft on airlines' behalf. A government document setting out strategic spending plans for aviation, seen by Reuters last autumn, said that Russia would have to spend at least 711 billion roubles on "achieving technological independence from foreign suppliers". Aeroflot, the transport and finance ministries did not respond to requests for comment. ($1 = 90.2900 roubles) https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russia-splashes-12-bln-keep-aviation-sector-air-2023-12-21/ TSA officers catch passenger hiding bullets in a baby diaper at NY airport • The Transportation Security Administration says security officers found 17 bullets concealed inside a disposable baby diaper at New York’s LaGuardia Airport NEW YORK -- It was a loaded diaper, but not like you would think. Security officers found 17 bullets concealed inside a disposable baby diaper Wednesday at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, the Transportation Security Administration said. Officers pulled the otherwise clean diaper from a passenger's carry-on bag after it triggered an alarm in an X-ray machine at an airport security checkpoint, the TSA said. According to the agency, the passenger initially claimed he didn't know how the bullet-filled diaper ended up in his bag. Later he suggested his girlfriend put it there, the agency said. The TSA identified the passenger as a man from Arkansas who was ticketed for a flight to Chicago’s Midway Airport, but did not disclose his name. Port Authority police cited him for unlawful possession of the 9mm ammunition. Messages seeking details were left with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport, and the Queens district attorney's office. The diaper disguiser is just the latest LaGuardia passenger to be flagged for packing bullets — and sometimes heat. It's a problem that has cropped up at airports across the U.S. Last month, TSA officers found a .45-caliber pistol and a magazine loaded with six bullets concealed in a pair of Nike sneakers in a checked bag at LaGuardia. Firearms are allowed to be transported as checked luggage, but only in a locked, hard-sided container — not shoes. In January 2021, officers at a security checkpoint intercepted 13 bullets hidden in a Mentos chewing gum container inside a carry-on bag. The bullets were mixed in with pieces of gum, the TSA said. The passenger, who was charged with unlawful possession of ammunition, claimed the bag belonged to his son, the agency said. In April, officers pulled a loaded .22-caliber pistol and two boxes of ammunition — more than 100 bullets total — from a carry-on bag. That passenger claimed he had been at a shooting range and forgot to remove the gun and bullets before heading to the airport, the TSA said. He was still arrested. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/passenger-hid-bullets-baby-diaper-new-yorks-laguardia-105824515 Bird strikes forces Southwest flight from New Orleans to Tampa to turn around mid-air NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Tampa Bay made an abrupt turnaround after being struck by a bird on Wed., Dec. 20. According to a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, Flight 554 was struck by a bird on departure climb-out and was returned to the New Orleans International Airport (MSY). The aircraft was able to land normally and taxied to a gate under its own power. Southwest says it is working with the 164 customers on any impacts to their travel plans. The airline says it has arranged for a new plane to accommodate the affected passengers. “We place nothing higher than safety in every journey,” the spokesperson said. A spokesperson for MSY says the runways were briefly closed to allow crews to “clear up debris,” resulting in some delays and diversions. Normal operations have since resumed. https://www.fox8live.com/2023/12/20/bird-strikes-forces-southwest-flight-new-orleans-tampa-turn-around-mid-air/ Starlink Signs Major Airlines for In-Flight Connectivity in 2023 Travelers might be able to benefit from faster Internet connections while flying. In-flight internet connectivity is ready for its next phase, with Starlink going live with its satellite solution in 2023 and lining up airline contracts. In-flight internet connectivity has come a long way since 2003, when Connexion by Boeing launched and Lufthansa and British Airways became the first airlines to test it out. Airlines depended on ground stations that would relay signals when flying over land, switching to satellite connectivity when flying oceanic. It was slow. But over the past 20 years, in-flight internet service has been one of the fastest changing aspects of passenger experience. Now, we have a real possibility of getting blazing-fast internet on board. Enter Starlink Aviation SpaceX started to launch Starlink satellites in 2019 and now has over 5,500 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and an ability to bring online any part of the Earth that has an unobstructed line of sight to the sky. In October 2022, SpaceX rolled out Starlink products that could provide satellite internet connectivity to aircraft and branded them Starlink Aviation. At the time, SpaceX advertised global internet coverage, which would be possible by installing a small antenna atop the aircraft. It said that passengers could expect speeds of up to 350 megabits per second, making video streaming possible on board. Starlink’s website lists a monthly price of $25,000 to provide the service and an additional $150,000 for the hardware per aircraft. JSX, which operates over 40 Embraer Regional Jet aircraft in the United States with only 30 passenger seats, became the first airline to roll out connectivity using the Starlink Ku-band Low Earth Orbit connectivity solution in late 2022. Installing Starlink allows for connectivity from gate to gate, allowing passengers to stay connected for longer – unlike more conventional solutions, which require the aircraft to climb to 10,000 feet to enable a connection. In March 2023, JSX conducted a demonstration flight, where the attendees could usually get 100mbps download speeds. On the back of the high-speed connection, the airline could also offer video telephony and Voice over IP telephony, which the mainline carriers usually do not offer onboard aircraft. JSX has completed the implementation on its aircraft and currently offers it free to passengers. Starlink Aviation Goes Mainstream With Larger Airlines Starlink Aviation has had many wins since then. In 2022, Hawaiian Airlines became the first major airline to announce an agreement with Starlink. The airline intends to equip its Airbus A330 and A321neo aircraft and a fleet of incoming Boeing 787-9 aircraft with Starlink’s inflight connectivity from 2024 onwards. The airline will offer complimentary high-speed internet between the islands and continental U.S., Asia and Oceania. Latvian carrier airBaltic signed up in January to install Starlink across its A220-300 fleet, becoming the first European carrier to commit to it, with service now expected in 2024 after a brief delay due to the lack of certification by aviation regulators. This was followed by Zipair Tokyo, an all 787-8 low-cost operator that operates flights between Tokyo Narita, Southeast Asia and the U.S.. It is still waiting for a required certificate from regulators, expected in “2024 & Beyond,” according to Starlink. Qatar Airways became the largest carrier to sign up for the Starlink solution in late 2023. Qatar Airways currently uses Inmarsat to provide its Super Wi-Fi service, which powers connectivity on the airline’s 777, 787-9 and A350 jets, and SITA OnAir for the A380 and 787-8 aircraft. However, neither the airline nor Starlink provided a timeline for when the connectivity would go live. Starlink is currently only working on the required Supplemental Type Certificate for the Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft and not for the A350/A380 aircraft, which are a large part of the fleet for Qatar Airways. In what could be the last announcement for Starlink in 2023, it signed Air New Zealand to trial free internet onboard their domestic aircraft. Air New Zealand will install Starlink on its ATR turbo-propellor aircraft in late 2024 and a domestic jet (an A320). Air New Zealand hasn’t yet committed to a deal and said it would look to roll out Starlink internet on other aircraft in its fleet in 2025 after the trial. Starlink Is Competing With OneWeb According to The Future of In-Flight Connectivity – 2023 report, published by Valour Consultancy of UK, more than 22,000 aircraft are expected to have in-flight connectivity by 2032. As of 2022, only 10,000 aircraft had in-flight connectivity solutions installed. So, there is a large chunk of the market up for grabs. However, Starlink is not the only player in the LEO satellite internet space. As reported by Runway Girl Network, OneWeb has also entered the space, planning to launch its LEO service in 2024. OneWeb and its distribution partner Intelsat will provide Alaska Airlines’ feeder services Horizon Air and SkyWest with satellite internet connectivity starting in 2024. OneWeb will not directly deal with airline customers; it will provide the bandwidth to established service providers such as Intelsat, who will further power the airline connectivity solutions. It will be interesting to see which approach wins the market in the coming years, with Starlink going directly to the airlines. https://skift.com/2023/12/20/starlink-signs-major-airlines-for-in-flight-connectivity-in-2023/ High-Tech Recycling: How Airplane Parts End Up In Laptops • Old Boeing aircraft parts could be in your laptop right now! SUMMARY • Carbon fiber is a popular material in aircraft manufacturing due to its lightness and incredible strength. • Lenovo's latest laptop, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12, incorporates recycled carbon fiber from Boeing jets. • Recycling carbon fiber helps reduce the aviation industry's carbon footprint and promotes sustainability. Carbon fiber is one of the most popular materials in aircraft manufacturing today. Modern widebodies like the Airbus A350XWB and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner have taken advantage of the myriad benefits offered by this unique material. Carbon composites are significantly lighter than aluminum, which is more traditionally used to build aircraft fuselages and other parts. Such new composite materials are just as strong, if not stronger, and allow these jets to achieve impressive gains in fuel efficiency. However, the aviation industry does not uniquely desire carbon fiber composites, with the material being valuable for a range of uses. A recent piece from TechRadar demonstrated the unique interconnectivity between the computer industry and Boeing commercial aircraft. If you own a very recently purchased Lenovo laptop, this story might be about the device on which you are currently reading. Indeed, Lenovo's latest laptop has capitalized on recycled carbon fiber from former commercial aircraft. But how exactly does this work? Why do some of the most recent aircraft materials find their way out of the graveyard and into laptops? In this article, we will take a quick look at how a computer can double as a plane tag. A Boeing-Lenovo partnership At the end of an aircraft's service life, airlines are left with a few options as to what can be done with the plane. While many will opt to sell the aircraft to other operators or lease the jet to another company, some retired jets will simply be scrapped. Toray developed a recycled carbon fiber derived from the production process of the Boeing 787 components. The rCF, which is based on pyrolysis recycling process, has been integrated into the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12. When an aircraft goes through this process, its parts can end up in any number of places, with aircraft components and materials generally auctioned off and sold to the highest bidder. When it comes to many older Boeing jets, a small amount of carbon fibers have made their way into Lenovo's latest laptop, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12. Lenovo's new laptop chassis has been thoroughly redesigned to make it significantly more robust yet lightweight. After all, the laptop industry, much like aviation, is moving towards lighter-weight, stronger materials like carbon fiber. However, as carbon composite material is a challenging substance to come by, Lenovo had to get creative to find a supplier at a reasonable price. As a result, Lenovo found a perfect partner in Boeing, which has consistently supplied the computer hardware company with used aircraft materials to serve its various product needs. A victory for sustainability Sustainability continues to be a key focus for the aviation industry as it moves into the next decade, and regulators will continue to aim to reduce the industry's carbon footprint. By recycling carbon fibers, the industry can ensure that these materials, which have undergone a carbon-intensive manufacturing process, do not go to waste, and aviation can reduce its environmental impact over time. https://simpleflying.com/airplane-parts-in-laptops-guide/ Unable To Afford Jet Fuel: Pakistan International Airlines Passengers Confront Staff Over Cancelled Flights A viral video shows Pakistan International Airlines passengers angrily confronting staff after their flight was cancelled due to lack of fuel. Some want refunds, others want alternative travel arrangements. The world’s worst airline is facing its biggest crisis ever. The government oil company stopped supplying fuel because the government-owned airline stopped paying its fuel bills. They’re cancelling hundreds of flights each month. About 7,000 employees did not get paid in November. While the airline has 31 aircraft, including 12 Boeing 777s, 16 Airbus A320s, and 3 turboprops, they’ve been operating just half their fleet. When Pakistan International Airlines operates to Western countries, its flight attendants have been disappearing causing the airline to cancel return trips. I wouldn’t want to go back, either. Pakistan is desperate to privatize its loss-making national airline, and floated rumors that Qatar would take over the carrier along with the Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad airports. The problem is that the airline’s debts are five times greater than its assets, so any acquirer would need to leave the Pakistani government with significant liabilities. Past privatization efforts have led to violent protests and clashes with police but things are now so bad that the government’s oil company won’t provide fuel to the government’s airline unless they pay up front which they mostly cannot do. Pakistan International Airlines is best known for sacrificing a goat for safety and flying with more passengers than seats (and making customers stand for 1700 miles), the airline’s former CEO was actually detained as a result of his efforts to provide good seats and service by wet leasing aircraft from SriLankan. The airline is so bad that even operating on time creates problems: customers build failure into their expectations and don’t actually show up for flights when they’re scheduled to depart. Shortly before the pandemic PIA had one of its planes repossessed, while passengers were still on board. Nonetheless, the Pakistan market is a large one and one of the drivers behind the new United Airlines partnership with Emirates, and a significant market for the American Airlines partnership with Qatar Airways funneling traffic through Doha. A properly-run PIA could be profitable, but it’s been run as a political fiefdom and cookie jar for so long it’s unclear whether such a thing is possible. https://viewfromthewing.com/unable-to-afford-jet-fuel-pakistan-international-airlines-passengers-confront-staff-over-cancelled-flights/ NASA Looking To Reinvent the Core of Jet Engines, Moves HyTEC Program Into Phase 2 It's been a while since we've heard anything relevant happening on the HyTEC front, but the wait seems to have been worth it: NASA's effort to reinvent the core of jet engines got a major boost this week as the program moved into Phase 2. Turbofan jet engine combustor under HyTECTurbofan jet engine combustor under HyTECTurbofan jet engine combustor under HyTECTurbofan jet engine combustor under HyTECNASA HyTEC to make possible cleaner aircraft. HyTEC is the abbreviation for Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core, and the expanded name says it all about the program's scope, really: find ways to reduce fuel consumption in airplane jet engines, while at the same time maintaining the same levels of thrust we're used to. The idea first came into existence a couple of years ago, and has since burned through Phase 1. During that stage, Honeywell was selected to design an advanced low-pressure turbine for the HyTEC design, and later on Pratt & Whitney got on board to develop the combustor for the thing. Separately, GE Aerospace was tasked during Phase 1 with demonstrating turbofan power extraction. That seems to have gone pretty well for the company, as it was now selected for Phase 2 and tasked with maturing the core demonstrator, but also testing it, including by burning 100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Integration of hybrid systems also falls upon GFE Aerospace. NASA plans to have this first demo ready by the end of the decade. The main goal, at least for this phase, is to allow jet engines to cut their consumption needs by as much as ten percent. The space agency plans to achieve this with a smaller core that could increase the bypass ratio, which is the ratio of how much of the air drawn in by the fan is turned into thrust, and how much of it is used for combustion and to keep the fan operational. Presently, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the plane that has one of the best bypass ratios in the industry, nine. HyTEC however plans to take that to as much as 15, which would mean 15 times more air will be used for thrust than for combustion. Doing so would mean the engine would burn less fuel, while keeping the same thrust levels as before. The idea seems simple enough, but for it to be achieved the core of the jet engine would have to be downsized, and that's not as easy as it sounds. A smaller core translates into more internal pressure and higher temperatures, to levels that are difficult to sustain by present-day materials. On top of that, a smaller core would also mean a significant change in design ratios and even aerodynamics. You might have noticed that the HyTEC program is about hybridization too. What that means is that NASA plans to also pull more electrical power from the engine to power the airplane's system. Engines already do that, but presently only about five percent of an engine's power goes to generating electricity. The target in the HyTEC is 20 percent, a huge jump from present-day levels. If everything goes according to plan, NASA should have a design ready by the end of this decade, and some of these new engines should be in the air by the middle of the next one. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/nasa-looking-to-reinvent-the-core-of-jet-engines-moves-hytec-program-into-phase-2-226441.html Graduate pilots help keep Hong Kong aviation sector recovery on course First batch of second officers under Cathay Pacific initiative will lift city as it returns to its pre-pandemic status Hong Kong’s dream of returning to pre-pandemic status as a global aviation hub has moved closer to reality with a graduation ceremony for the first group of pilots trained under a novel integrated programme set up by Cathay Pacific Airways. The city’s flag carrier hired the 21 graduates as second officers, taking a small but significant step towards its ambitious goal of recruiting 800 cadet pilots in 2023 and 2024. The 19 men and two women who earned their wings underwent about seven weeks of simulator training, studying theory at Polytechnic University and practising in skies over the United States and Australia. Captain Chris Kempis, director of flight operations at Cathay Pacific, said the integrated pathway made better use of the city’s “magnificent facilities and talent training”. Running simultaneously with the pathway, Cathay’s legacy cadet programme, conducted entirely in the Australian city of Adelaide, continues. Aviation officials have also been working to expand the pool of pilots by initiating collaboration on flight training between Hong Kong and the mainland. Cathay’s immediate goal was “definitely a challenge”, admitted Captain Ron Chan, the carrier’s deputy chief pilot for Boeing aircraft. Under its legacy cadet programme launched 35 years ago, the airline has trained about 1,000 pilots. Graduate cadet pilots attend the Cathay Pacific Cadet Graduation Ceremony at Cathay City, Tung Chung. The carrier has welcomed its first batch of cadet pilots to graduate from its integrated training programme. Photo: Yik Yeung-man Now, it aims to prepare about 80 per cent of that number in just two years. However, Chan said recruitment was “on target” with more than 400 cadets already lined up this year. The alternative training mode may help attract local recruits to join a workforce that must expand so Hong Kong can develop as an international aviation hub as designated in the national 14th five-year plan and outline development plan for the Greater Bay Area. The city has taken steps to strengthen cooperation for cargo and passenger traffic between Hong Kong and cities in the bay area that Beijing plans to develop into an integrated economic and business hub. In August, the city connected passengers in Macau to the airport’s restricted area directly by bus via the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge. It is also ramping up aviation-related conferences in the coming months. Such initiatives have led to a “stronger than expected” recovery for the Hong Kong aviation sector, according to Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association. In July, the association revised its own projections to forecast the city would reach pre-pandemic passenger levels by the end of next year. https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245796/graduate-pilots-help-keep-hong-kong-aviation-sector-recovery-course Air Carrier JSX Places Order for Hybrid-Electric Planes Dallas-based jet carrier JSX has placed orders for up to 300 hybrid-electric aircraft that can carry up to 30 passengers. The orders were placed with three manufacturers: Electra, Aura Aero and Heart Aerospace. (TNS) — Dallas-based “hop on” jet carrier JSX is plotting a step into the future with the order of up to 300 hybrid electric aircraft that carry from nine to 30 passengers. It would be a major addition for the point-to-point plane service company, which uses 50-seat jets to carry 30 or fewer passengers and operates from private terminals. Orders for the gas-electric hybrid aircraft are with three different manufacturers: Electra, Aura Aero and Heart Aerospace. All the jets are propeller aircraft that are set to enter the market in the coming years. JSX CEO Alex Wilcox said the new stable of jets will allow the company to expand its reach to smaller airports for regional flying, which will give it greater access to underserved markets in areas such as Texas and California. “It’s less replacing airplane travel and more of a replacement for driving,” Wilcox said. JSX now operates about 45 Embraer 135 and 145 jets, which can travel about 1,500 to 2,500 miles. The new planes will reduce fuel usage by about 50%, he said, enabling the company to cut the cost of flying by 10 to 15% on energy costs alone. They are also quieter than the current generation of jet aircraft. JSX has firm orders for 32 jets from Electra along with options for 50 more. The nine-seat Electra aircraft has a range of about 500 nautical miles and can land and take off in less than 150 feet. Aura will supply as many as 150 of its 19-seat Aura Aero Era planes that can travel about 900 miles using all-electric propulsion for takeoff. JSX has 50 firm orders with 100 options for the Aura Aero aircraft. JSX’s order with Heart Aerospace includes another 50 firm orders and 50 options for its 30-seat planes that have a 500-mile range. This isn’t JSX’s first foray into hybrid jets. In 2018, the company put in orders with Boeing-backed Zunum Aero for hybrid-to-electric planes, a plane design that could theoretically travel 1,000 miles. But that company folded in 2019. Other airlines such as Fort Worth-based American Airlines and Chicago-based United have put in speculative orders for electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, but those designs are also years away. DFW International Airport recently announced a partnership to test the concept with an air taxi manufacturer. Wilcox said the new planes with 19 or fewer passengers could operate without a flight attendant and any of the planes could operate in the future with just one pilot due to coming technology improvements, which is not allowed now. JSX has already drawn the ire of the traditional airline industry for skirting federal guidelines to operate a scheduled service without having to use TSA or having some of the same oversight as bigger carriers such as American and Dallas-based Southwest. https://www.govtech.com/fs/air-carrier-jsx-places-order-for-hybrid-electric-planes Southwest Airlines says pilot ‘résumé washing’ is new hurdle in talent war Six figures bonuses and the lure of larger lifetime earnings are giving early-career pilots reason to hop from carrier to carrier. Pilots from smaller carriers are applying for jobs at Southwest Airlines only to leave months later to work for bigger rivals, the latest salvo in the U.S. aviation industry’s war for talent. The process, which Southwest’s chief operating officer Andrew Watterson called “résumé washing,” is a way for ambitious pilots to sidestep policies he said large U.S. carriers put in place to protect staffing for their associated regional airlines. Pilots normally take jobs at those smaller airlines to build enough flying hours to apply at bigger ones through agreements between the carriers. But some aviators can see their careers stalled if the larger rivals slow or stem that hiring process. Pilots stuck at these airlines have been frustrated to see major carriers reportedly use six-figure bonuses to lure pilots from cargo carriers like United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. So they are increasingly looking to be hired at a low-cost carrier like Southwest, then leaving within a year to secure a job at Delta Air Lines or United Airlines. Regional pilots “know that if I get Southwest or another airline on my résumé, I can get to where I want to go,” Watterson, the Southwest COO, said in a Dec. 13 interview in New York. “So they use us as a premeditated way station. They come to Southwest, get hired, trained, spend six months and then they flip their résumé and apply somewhere else.” Spokespeople for Delta and United pushed back by saying they still hire directly from regional carriers, though United said it does pace the number of those recruits. American Airlines Group Inc. said it hires from regional carriers and has long-standing agreements to accept a certain number of pilots from those that are wholly owned. Pilots who aim to fly wide-body aircraft on international routes at the industry’s best salaries can’t do that at Southwest. The Dallas-based carrier flies only single-aisle Boeing Co. 737s domestically and to nearby countries like Mexico, Costa Rica and Aruba. All that coming and going led to a temporary uptick in Southwest’s pilot attrition rate, particularly for younger first officers, CEO Bob Jordan said during the December interview. This was an “anomaly” for the nation’s fourth-largest airline and hasn’t held up hiring efforts, he said. Southwest prides itself on its employee-friendly culture and claims to have never involuntarily furloughed a single worker in its 52-year history. Kit Darby, who runs an aviation consulting firm, said that job-hopping can pay off in the long run for pilots with low seniority. A 40-year career as a pilot at United or American is worth about $22 million in pay, benefits and retirement packages, Darby has found, compared with $16.3 million at Southwest. “It’s great for pilots to have a choice,” Darby said in a phone interview. “In the old days, you were lucky to get a single job.” The U.S. airline industry’s pilot shortage intensified as the pandemic waned, prompting airlines to step up training programs, recruit foreign pilots and even replace planes with buses. To help find more pilots this year, Southwest reduced by half the amount of experience prospective pilots needed flying jet or turboprop aircraft. Asked what Southwest could do to address the resume-washing practice, Watterson shrugged: “It’s literally impossible.” But Southwest was currently “having no trouble getting pilots,” he said. Southwest and the union for its pilots reached a preliminary agreement for a new five-year contract Tuesday. Pilots at American Airlines, United and Delta all have reached new multibillion-dollar contracts this year. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2023/12/20/southwest-airlines-says-pilot-resume-washing-is-new-hurdle-in-talent-war/ Call for CFIs and Student pilots: Need your help to alleviate Pilot Fatigue! CFIs and Flight Students, Greetings from Oklahoma State University! My name is Md Mijanur Rahman, and I am a graduate student working under the supervision of Dr. Nicoletta Fala at the Aviation Engineering Operations Analysis (ÆON) lab in the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology. We are conducting research to understand and alleviate the impact of fatigue on the quality and safety of flight training from a CFI and student perspective. This research could help the flight training industry improve the work environment of the CFI, improve safety, and raise the quality of training provided to student pilots. As a part of this research, we are seeking your voluntary participation in an online survey regarding work-induced fatigue in a flight training environment. This survey will take anywhere from 15 mins (Student Pilots) to 30 mins (CFIs) depending on your role. Your responses will allow us to elicit information and perceptions on the organization of work and the factors that contribute to fatigue and burnout at collegiate and independent flight schools. To compensate you for your time, you will be entered into a drawing to win one of ten $50 gift cards. We will ask you to provide your contact information in a second survey if you wish to participate in the drawing to maintain anonymity in your responses. If you are interested, please click here or copy and paste the following link in your browser’s address bar: https://okstate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0wyWrqmHNsMJfy6 We would also like your help in recruiting qualified CFIs and Students as research participants. To help us in this effort, please forward this email to friends and colleagues. We appreciate your time and willingness to help. GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY I am a professional pilot with 16 years of experience, flying the B777 for a major Middle Eastern airline. Concurrently, I'm pursuing an MSc in Air Transport Management at City University, London. My journey in aviation has been defined by a commitment to excellence and a passion for continually exploring new horizons within the industry. My research: I am conducting research for my MSc final project titled "Policy Drivers for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Adoption: Case Study India." The research aims to explore the policy mechanisms required for SAF adoption/deployment in the Indian aviation industry. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is an eco-friendly alternative aviation fuel derived from sustainable sources, proven to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent over its lifecycle. However, these fuels cost 2-4 times more than conventional jet fuels. This survey investigates the public perceptions and attitudes towards SAF and its potential implications for air travel. Valuable insights gained from this study will advance the understanding of public attitudes and perceptions of SAF adoption in the aviation industry. The perspectives shared will contribute to developing effective policy mechanisms for SAF deployment, assisting policymakers in aligning the aviation industry with sustainable practices. This is an anonymous survey targeted at air travelers and is designed to be completed in about 10 to 12 minutes. Link to the survey: https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5cGRH3H5CPfX1HM Kind regards, Deepak Nalla CALENDAR OF EVENTS • SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 2024 - February 20 - 25 • HAI Heli-Expo 2024 - February 26 - 29 - Anaheim, CA • 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