Flight Safety Information - January 17, 2024 No. 013 In This Issue : Incident: United A319 at Chicago on Jan 13th 2024, bird strike : Boeing 737-8K2 (WL) - Runway Excursion (Sweden) : American passenger bites flight attendant forcing plane to return to Tokyo, airline says : Fatal Business Jet Accidents Climbed Steeply in 2023 : Better prepared than sorry: 4 tips for a safe airplane evacuation : Boeing Names Independent Quality Review Leader As 737-9 Crisis Expands : Japan Airlines names former cabin attendant as first female president : Judge Blocks JetBlue’s Proposed Acquisition of Spirit Airlines, Sending Share Price Tumbling : Quantum computing and machine learning enhance airplane performance and safety : Cryo-compressed hydrogen: A 40% aircraft range boost over liquid H2 : Personal use of corporate jets has soared 50% as companies spend $65M on perk for execs : ISASI 2024 Call for Papers : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: United A319 at Chicago on Jan 13th 2024, bird strike A United Airbus A319-100, registration N896UA performing flight UA-1301 from Charlotte,NC to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA), departed Charlotte's runway 36C, climbed to FL360 enroute, landed on runway 28C and taxied to the apron. The FAA reported: "AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD AND POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF RIGHT WING, CHICAGO, IL." The aircraft is still on the ground in Chicago on Jan 16th 2024 about 45 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=513c2842&opt=0 Boeing 737-8K2 (WL) - Runway Excursion (Sweden) Date: Wednesday 17 January 2024 Time: 05:23 UTC Type: Boeing 737-8K2 (WL) Owner/operator: KLM Registration: PH-BXM MSN: 30355/714 Year of manufacture: 2000 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 130 Aircraft damage: None Location: Göteborg-Landvetter Airport (GOT) - Sweden Phase: Taxi Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Göteborg-Landvetter Airport (GOT/ESGG) Destination airport: Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport (AMS/EHAM) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: KLM flight KL1152, a Boeing 737-8K2, suffered a taxiway excursion at Göteborg-Landvetter Airport (GOT) and came to a stop with the nose landing gear in the grass. The aircraft was taxing to runway 21 for departure when the incident happened. ADS-B data suggest that the aircraft took taxiway Y and continued straight ahead instead of turning left to the runway 21 threshold. Weather data show it was snowing around the time of the incident. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/349965 American passenger bites flight attendant forcing plane to return to Tokyo, airline says An American airline passenger allegedly bit a female cabin crew member mid-flight on Tuesday, forcing an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight bound for Seattle to return to Tokyo, an airline spokesperson said. Flight ANA 118 departed Tokyo’s Haneda Airport at 9:47 p.m. local time and turned around a little over an hour into its journey, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. An ANA spokesperson told CNN that the male passenger was detained by police after the plane landed in the Japanese capital. They did not name him. The female flight attendant sustained minor injuries, the spokesperson said. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department declined to provide further details on the case. It’s not the first case of alleged mid-air biting. In 2022, two passengers were given hefty fines for hitting and biting crew and other passengers on separate flights with US carriers American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. They were fined $81,950 and $77,272 respectively – the two largest penalties ever levied by the Federal Aviation Administration against individual passengers for acting out on aircraft. Several incidents have been reported this month of bad behavior and aggression from passengers – including an American Airlines flight that was diverted to a Texas airport on January 3 after a passenger allegedly punched a flight attendant and assaulted at least one police officer. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/american-passenger-bites-flight-attendant-074011395.html Fatal Business Jet Accidents Climbed Steeply in 2023 • Fatalities soared for U.S.-registered jets but decreased for non-U.S.-registered ones Six accidents involving U.S.-registered business jets killed 23 people in 2023 versus zero fatalities in 2022, according to preliminary statistics gathered by AIN. Five occurred under Part 91, killing 15, and one charter accident accounted for eight fatalities last year. Interestingly, the number of 2023 fatal accidents and fatalities was identical to those of 2021. Three fatal accidents of non-U.S.-registered business jets killed nine last year, down from four such accidents and 17 fatalities in 2022. Meanwhile, the number of U.S.-registered business jet nonfatal accidents decreased by more than half—11 in 2023 versus 26 in 2022. There were no nonfatal mishaps involving Part 135 operations last year, compared with five in 2022. One 2023 nonfatal accident involved a Part 91K operation—the first U.S. fractional operator accident recorded since November 2021. Nonfatal accidents of non-U.S.-registered business jets ticked up by one, to six, from a year earlier. The number of nonfatal and fatal accidents changed little over the last two-year period for U.S.-registered turboprops, but fatalities decreased from 37 in 2022 to 25 last year. All but one of the 10 fatal accidents last year involved Part 91 operations. Five people were killed in a single Part 135 crash in 2023. Fatalities increased in non-U.S.-registered turboprop accidents, from 26 in 2022 to 46 last year. Runway excursions continued to be the most common type of incident or accident, with 71 recorded by turbine business aircraft last year. Turboprops were involved in 32, of which 12 were classified as accidents. Of the 39 excursions by business jets last year, 16 were classified as accidents, one of which was fatal to all four aboard the non-U.S. charter flight. The August crash in Russia of a privately-operated Embraer Legacy 600 that killed all 10 on board is currently not included in our charts because it is believed the twinjet was downed by an air-to-air missile. Also not included in our charts is a U.S.-registered, privately-operated Gulfstream III that disappeared on December 12 shortly after taking off from Grenadine. At press time, there is no evidence indicating that the GIII was actually involved in an accident. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-01-15/fatal-business-jet-accidents-climbed-steeply-2023 Better prepared than sorry: 4 tips for a safe airplane evacuation What a year 2024 has already been for aviation. In just the first two weeks of January, we saw two major incidents: a Japan Airlines jet that struck a Japanese Coast Guard plane on the runway at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, and an explosive decompression on an Alaska Airlines flight that resulted in many 737 Max 9s being grounded worldwide. Despite two high-profile and admittedly scary incidents, I’d argue that it’s been a positive year for commercial aviation safety in at least one key way: no airline passengers died. That speaks well about safety protocols but also underscores how important it is to know what to do when something goes wrong. So, if God forbid, you ever have to evacuate an airplane, here are four things the experts told me you need to know. 1. Leave everything behind Two experts, two versions of the same advice: do not take your stuff with you if you’re evacuating an airplane. “During an evacuation, seconds matter. The time you take to grab something from in front of you or from the overhead compartment, it’s wasting time, and that time could result in a fatality,” Anthony Brickhouse, director of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Forensic Lab told me. “It creates clutter, and it could damage the slide, which can make it inoperable … The most important thing is to get yourself out of that aircraft as quickly as possible.” Although the formal investigation of the Japan Airlines incident is still underway, many observers noted in the immediate aftermath that none of the passengers appeared to take their belongings with them, and lots of experts said that was likely a significant factor in the survival rate of that crash. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, said airlines have some leeway over the exact contents of their inflight safety briefing. Still, they all include an instruction to leave your belongings behind, which shows how crucial it is. “The fact that the FAA and regulatory bodies around the world have made this a part of the flight attendant demands shows you how important this is,” she told me. “It’s a very serious issue and we’ve seen people die because of it.” Leave your stuff behind if you ever have to evacuate a plane. 2. Listen to the safety briefing I had the chance to interview Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, for the 15th anniversary of his miraculous landing on the Hudson River, and he said that he still listens to the safety briefing whenever he flies. He said that doing so is “cheap insurance” and you’ve “armed yourself with the knowledge and the ability to save your own life.” Nelson said flight attendants are there for passenger safety above everything else, and it’s crucial to listen to their instructions. “It’s important, no matter how many times you fly, to spend three minutes to put your phone aside, stop your conversations and other distractions and listen to the safety demonstration,” she said. 3. Be aware of your surroundings It’s a good idea to get a basic sense of the layout of the plane you’re traveling on and have a path to the nearest exit in mind on every flight. “When you sit down, take note of where the emergency exits are. Keep in mind that the closest exit may be behind you; it may not be the door you came in through,” Brickhouse said. As you’re settling in, try to keep distractions to a minimum until the flight is well underway. “A lot of people get onboard that aircraft and it’s all about comfort and inflight entertainment and things like that,” Brickhouse added. “I fly with my noise-canceling headphones, but I literally do not put them on until we’re above 10,000 feet and you get that ding.” Being aware of your surroundings includes listening to flight attendant instructions, too. “When flight attendants are preparing the cabin, putting your seatbacks up, putting your tray table up, all of those things are preparing for the worst possible scenario, giving you the best chance to get out,” Nelson said. Sure, it can be annoying to have to put your laptop away if you have a few minutes left in a movie or put your seat back upright if you’re still having a nice little nap, but everything that’s done in preparation for landing is about making an evacuation easier if the worst happens. 4. Leave your shoes on for takeoff and landing Takeoff and landing are the most dangerous phases of any flight. Obviously, tens of thousands of flights take off and land safely every day, but it’s still a good idea to be ready if something goes wrong. “At a minimum, you want to have those shoes on, especially for takeoff and landing, because that’s most likely when an incident like this is going to occur,” Nelson said. Brickhouse agreed. “We had a crash in Dubai a few years ago. It was well over 100 degrees and a lot of people had their shoes off, relaxing. They had to evacuate that aircraft without their shoes. They survived, but now they’re standing on that tarmac, and it’s over 100 degrees and you’re barefoot,” he said, adding that it’s a good idea to plan your outfit for an evacuation in general. If you’re in a fire incident like the passengers on Japan Airlines were, you’ll want to be wearing less flammable clothing made of natural fibers. Brickhouse also said it’s a good idea to keep a form of identification on you, rather than in a purse or another bag you might not have access to in an evacuation, and to eat a meal before every flight in case you wind up in a remote area awaiting rescue. Despite the warnings, flying remains safe I know this advice can make travelers imagine the worst, so I want to emphasize again that flying is still an extremely safe way to travel. That said, although I was never a Boy Scout, I know it’s good to be prepared for things to go wrong. “People don’t get onboard an aircraft thinking they could crash,” Brickhouse told me as our conversation wrapped up. “I’m not saying I want flyers to be paranoid, but you do need to (take) a couple of seconds and think about your personal safety in case something does happen.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/2024/01/17/airplane-evacuation-tips-cruising-altitude/72232152007/ Boeing Names Independent Quality Review Leader As 737-9 Crisis Expands Boeing has tapped retired U.S. Navy Admiral Kirk Donald, a former director of the branch’s nuclear propulsion program, to lead an independent review of the company’s quality system and supplier oversight. The review, announced Jan. 15 in a company-wide message from Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Stan Deal, will examine Boeing’s commercial airplane quality management, including “quality programs and practices in Boeing manufacturing facilities” as well as its supplier quality oversight. The team’s report and recommendations will go to Boeing’s top management and board, the company said. Donald is no stranger to high-profile investigations. During his tenure as Director of Navy Nuclear Propulsion, he was tasked with leading a 2008 U.S. Defense Department probe into the mistaken shipments of four Tomahawk missile nose cones to Taiwan. The Donald-led review is one of several steps Boeing is taking to ease both customer and regulatory concerns in the wake of the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines 737-9 in-flight loss of an exit door plug and subsequent grounding of similarly configured 737-9s. Boeing will also bring customers in for inspections of its 737 production process, both at Boeing and major supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which builds the 737 fuselage sections and exit door plugs. While the NTSB has yet to release any information to explain the Jan. 5 occurrence, statements out of Boeing and the FAA suggest both believe mistakes by Spirit that led to the broader 737-9 groundings may have played a role in the Alaska accident. Boeing also is stepping up its own quality inspection efforts, both internally and at Spirit. A separate review of Spirit’s exit door plug work is also underway, as is scrutiny of “more than 50 other points in Spirit’s build process,” Deal wrote, with special attention being paid to “assessing their build plans against engineering specifications.” As part of the increased focus on Spirit, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will head to Wichita to join Spirit AeroSystems CEO Pat Shanahan and other Spirit executives in a meeting with 737 program employees Jan. 17. The event will include Boeing employees who work in Wichita or are assigned there as part of the stepped-up scrutiny, sources with knowledge of the plans confirmed to Aviation Week. Boeing’s moves come on the heels of FAA’s stepped-up scrutiny of the 737-9 program. The agency on Jan. 12 said it would audit the 737-9 production line and suppliers “to evaluate Boeing’s compliance with its approved quality procedures.” The findings “will determine whether additional audits are necessary,” the agency said. It is also stepping up monitoring of 737-9 in-service events. Bigger picture, the agency said it will consider whether certain aspects of Boeing’s delegation program and quality oversight granted by the FAA would benefit from being under “independent, third-party entities” instead of agreed-upon leaders within Boeing and other applicants. “It is time to re-examine the delegation of authority and assess any associated safety risks,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said. “The grounding of the 737-9 and the multiple production-related issues identified in recent years require us to look at every option to reduce risk. The FAA is exploring the use of an independent third party to oversee Boeing’s inspections and its quality system.” Meanwhile, the FAA and Boeing will evaluate inspection results from 40 737-9s to determine what steps operators must take to ensure door plugs are safe to operate. It is not clear when the inspections and review will be done or when affected 737-9s will be cleared to return to service. “After reviewing Boeing’s proposed inspection and maintenance instructions, the FAA determined it needed additional data before approving them,” the agency said as part of announcing its plan to evaluate data from the 40 checks. “The FAA is encouraged by the exhaustive nature of Boeing’s instructions for inspections and maintenance. However, in the interest of maintaining the highest standard of safety the agency will not approve the inspection and maintenance process until it reviews data from the initial round of 40 inspections.” https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/boeing-names-independent-quality-review-leader-737-9-crisis Japan Airlines names former cabin attendant as first female president TOKYO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Japan Airlines (9201.T), opens new tab named its first female president on Wednesday, a former cabin attendant who rose through the ranks to senior management, taking a deeply symbolic step in a country struggling to close a vast gender gap at work. Mitsuko Tottori, a senior managing executive officer who joined JAL in 1985, the year it suffered one of the worst crashes in airline history, will become president from April 1, it said in a statement. The appointment comes as Japanese companies face increasing pressure to boost gender diversity and tackle a gender pay gap that is the worst among the Group of Seven nations and almost double the average of the OECD grouping of advanced economies. "There are female employees out there who are struggling with their career steps or going through big life events," Tottori told a news conference. "I hope my appointment as a president can encourage them, or give them the courage to take the next step." The change comes as the airline seeks to recover from the pandemic-era downturn and tourists flock back to Japan. Airline safety is under a fresh spotlight after a collision between a JAL plane and a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo's Haneda airport this month. All 379 people aboard the airliner escaped as it burst into flames. JAL has said Tottori acquired a "high level of insight and field experience" in safety operations and service. The current president, Yuji Akasaka, will become chairperson while continuing to hold a representative director title, the airline said in its statement, opens new tab. Yoshiharu Ueki, the current chairman, will retire from his post in April and leave the director position upon shareholder approval in June. JAL has set itself a target for women to make up 30% of managers across the group by the end of the fiscal year to March 2026. By the end of March 2023, the corresponding figure was 22.8%. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/japan-airlines-says-board-member-tottori-become-president-2024-01-17/ Judge Blocks JetBlue’s Proposed Acquisition of Spirit Airlines, Sending Share Price Tumbling AUS District Judge has blocked JetBlue’s proposed acquisition of Spirit Airlines in a crushing verdict for the two companies that sent share prices in Spirit tumbling on Tuesday. Judge William Young said in his 113-page judgement that the acquisition of Spirit would harm consumers who relied on the ultra-low-cost carrier’s basket basement fares to see friends and family. The verdict marks a major win for the Biden administration’s Department of Justice, which brought the antitrust case against JetBlue in a Boston courthouse last September, fearing that the merger would harm airline consumers and drive up airfares. JetBlue had fought and won a bitter battle with Frontier Airlines to acquire Spirit in a bid to get its hands on the carrier’s fleet of Airbus A320 series aircraft and assimilate them into its own brand – one which doesn’t promise low fares. Those expansion plans, as well as the very future of Spirit Airlines, now look to be in serious jeopardy. “In sum, the Court has made its best attempt, applying the law to the evidence in this case, to predict the future of a dynamic market recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, in markedly uncertain times,” the judgement reads. “For the reasons set forth above, therefore, the Court rules that the proposed acquisition violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act.” “Spirit is a small airline. But there are those who love it. To those dedicated customers of Spirit, this one’s for you. Why? Because the Clayton Act, a 109-year-old statute requires this result –- a statute that continues to deliver for the American people,” Judge Young concluded. In a statement, JetBlue said it disagreed with the court’s ruling and would be evaluating its next steps. In a bid to assuage antitrust concerns, the airline noted that it had terminated its ‘Northeast Alliance’ with American Airlines following another DOJ court victory against JetBlue. The airlines can appeal the verdict and JetBlue says it is already reviewing the judgement. Judge Young also dismissed a request from the US government to bar JetBlue and Spirit from proposing a merger at any point in the future. “Defendant Airlines and others in the market, in the context of the unique and dynamic market forces of the airline industry, may decide to take another run at a merger at any time,” the verdict explained. “Of course, while the Court always encourages parties to resolve their differences without judicial intervention, the courthouse doors remain open should the Defendant Airlines decide to try again, and the Government then wishes to prevent such an attempt.” Cash-strapped Spirit has been keen to find a buyer, but last year, shareholders rejected a takeover bid from fellow ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier in favour of JetBlue’s more generous terms. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/01/16/judge-blocks-jetblues-proposed-acquisition-of-spirit-airlines-sending-share-price-tumbling/ Quantum computing and machine learning enhance airplane performance and safety In the quest to enhance airplane safety and performance with quantum computing, understanding the behavior of air over wing surfaces, known as airfoils, is crucial. This is particularly true when it comes to preventing stalls, a scenario where an airplane loses the lift necessary to maintain flight. Recently, a novel approach to this challenge emerged from the labs of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where researchers Xi-Jun Yuan and Zi-Qiao Chen have turned to the burgeoning field of quantum computing. Fusion of quantum computing and machine learning Quantum computing, when fused with machine learning, has opened new vistas in various scientific domains. In the realm of airplanes and aerodynamics, the quantum realm offers a more precise and efficient way to solve complex problems, especially those related to fluid dynamics. The team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has pioneered the use of a quantum support vector machine, a tool far superior to its classical counterpart. In their research, the use of this quantum method resulted in a significant increase in predictive accuracy. The classification accuracy for detecting flow separation on airfoils jumped from 81.8% to 90.9%. Similarly, the accuracy in determining the angle of attack — a critical parameter in aircraft performance — saw an improvement from 67.0% to 79.0%. Quantum applications beyond airplane design The implications of these findings are vast. Quantum computing’s ability to handle large datasets with greater speed and accuracy makes it an ideal candidate for tackling complex fluid dynamics problems, such as those involved in airplane performance. Beyond aircraft design, this technology has potential applications in fields like underwater navigation and target tracking. Task one: Binary classification Delving into the specifics, the researchers conducted two sets of classification tasks. The first involved a binary classification using a small dataset, aimed at detecting the presence or absence of flow separation. This choice of a small dataset highlighted the challenge of achieving high accuracy in limited data scenarios. The data were gathered using pressure sensors on an airfoil in a wind tunnel, under varying airspeeds and angles of attack. This dataset, comprising 45 multidimensional points, was split into two parts for training and testing purposes. Task two: Complex classification of angle of attack The second task was more intricate, focusing on classifying the angle of attack post-flow separation into four distinct categories. This involved breaking down the problem into four separate binary classification problems, each determining whether the angle of attack fell into a specific class. Simulation-generated data formed the basis of this dataset, which consisted of 63 multidimensional points. Quantum computing, airplanes, and fluid dynamics The research team employed a quantum-annealing-based support vector machine for these tasks, using the D-Wave Advantage 4.1 system. Quantum annealing, an optimization process that leverages quantum fluctuations, proved more effective than traditional optimization algorithms. It offered a higher likelihood of finding the global minimum among potential solutions, thereby enhancing accuracy. In summary, this study demonstrates the superior performance of quantum annealing implementations over classical methods, while also underscoring the potential of quantum computing in transforming how we solve complex real-world problems. As quantum technology continues to evolve, its applications could redefine the frontiers of various scientific and technological fields, with aerodynamics being just the beginning. The full study was published in the journal Intelligent Computing. https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computing-and-machine-learning-enhance-airplane-performance-and-safety/ Cryo-compressed hydrogen: A 40% aircraft range boost over liquid H2 ZeroAvia is working with San Francisco startup Verne to bring an even more energy-dense form of hydrogen to the clean aviation space. Cryo-compressed H2 could reduce costs, speed up fueling, and unlock 40% more flight range than cryogenic liquid H2. Hydrogen is a pain in the butt. It's hard to store and transport, requiring either ultra-cold temperatures, or energy-hungry compression to get it into a useful volume. It's energy-inefficient to make, and there's no distribution network for it per se. But if you want to decarbonize aviation, it's one of your only real fuel options. It might not carry as much energy as jet fuel, but it gives you a huge energy density boost as compared with lithium batteries. Hence, companies like ZeroAvia are working around the clock to get it tested and validated for use in commercial aircraft. Gaseous hydrogen fuel cell test flights are already well and truly underway – even at small airliner scale – and last year saw the first ever manned flight of an aircraft running on liquid hydrogen – a next-gen solution that should boost range significantly. Now, ZeroAvia is looking to bring a third form of hydrogen fuel into the conversation, capable of carrying even more energy. The idea of cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH2) has been around for more than 25 years. It was first proposed as a high-density energy medium by Salvador Aceves at Lawrence Livermore National Labs, BMW created prototypes of a CcH2 system for passenger cars more than 10 years ago, and Cryomotive is one of a number of companies now looking to bring its benefits to long-haul trucking, promising the range and quick fueling time of diesel in a zero-emissions fuel that stores more than 3,000 Wh/kg. So what is it? CcH2 effectively combines the cryogenic cooling used to liquefy hydrogen with some of the compression used to store gaseous hydrogen. Where liquid hydrogen requires temperatures under 20 K (−253 °C/−423 °F) at ambient pressure, and gaseous hydrogen tends to be compressed into the 700 bar range at ambient temperatures, CcH2 shoots for a practical point in between, and can deliver significantly higher storage densities. Say you keep the hydrogen at 20 K, then compress that to 240 bar. According to Langmi et al, the volumetric hydrogen storage increases from 70 g/liter to 87 g/liter. But you also greatly reduce, or potentially even nearly eliminate, the boil-off losses endemic to liquid H2 storage. And you can refill at the speed of liquid transfer, without needing millions of dollars' worth of compressor equipment at every fueling station. As Composites World explains, you can also use much lighter tanks, or build them from cheaper materials, because you don't need to handle 700 bar pressure levels. And you don't need to supply active cooling in your vehicle; the insulated tank maintains its cryogenic temperature by itself, since every time you use fuel, the remaining fuel expands into the tank and thermodynamics lowers the temperature. And thus to ZeroAvia's new MOU with Verne. Verne worked with Lawrence Livermore National Labs last year to demonstrate a CcH2 system running at undisclosed pressure and temperature levels, but capable of storing 27% more hydrogen than the same size liquid H2 system. Verne believes it can get its CcH2 technology up to a "40 percent greater usable hydrogen density than liquid hydrogen," and it's now working with ZeroAvia to "jointly evaluate the opportunities" for CcH2 in aviation, as well as investigating the ground-based infrastructure required for fast refueling at airports. It'll be interesting to see where this goes. In a Composites World interview, Cryomotive's Tobias Brunner explained that his company believes its CcH2 storage could be "a good fit for aviation" – but only in smaller planes, since once you move to very large tanks holding hundreds or thousands of kilograms of fuel, liquid hydrogen takes back over as the more lightweight solution at the system level. We wonder if Verne has a different approach to try. https://newatlas.com/aircraft/cryo-compressed-hydrogen-zeroavia-verne/ Personal use of corporate jets has soared 50% as companies spend $65M on perk for execs Executives using corporate jets for personal travel has soared 50% since the pandemic — a free perk that has cost their companies millions of dollars. Companies in the S&P 500 spent $65 million for their high-ranking execs to use corporate jets for personal travel in 2022, according to the Wall Street Journal. Early signs suggest the trend continued in 2023, a Wall Street Journal analysis found, though executive pay and perks aren’t typically reported until spring. Operating a private jet is a costly endeavor, running companies anywhere from $1,100 to $1,900 per flight hour, not including maintenance fees and costs associated with storage and crews, according to private jet charter company LunaJets. Despite the hefty bill, the number of big companies providing the perk has risen about 14% since 2019, The Journal reported. As of 2022, 216 companies listed on the S&P 500 were offering corporate jets for executives’ personal use, per the outlet, citing figures from executive data firm Equilar show. Companies in the S&P 500 spent $65 million for personal travel on corporate jets — a 50% increase since 2019, according to The Wall Street Journal. The number of executives receiving free flights also grew nearly 25%, to 427, year-over-year in 2022. Among the companies spending big bucks on corporate jets, Meta Platforms topped the list in 2022, spending $6.6 million on the perk for personal flights for its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his then-lieutenant, Sheryl Sandberg, The Journal found. The figure marks a 55% increase from 2019. Zuckerberg has been criticized for his company jet’s carbon footprint, though Meta has said that the private plane is necessary for “maintaining Mark’s safety while enabling him to go about his life with minimal disruption.” Casino giant Las Vegas Sands had the second-largest bill, spending $3.2 million on flights for four C-suite honchos — more than double its annual expense in any year since 2015, per The Journal. In addition, public utility company Exelon — owner of Chicago’s Commonwealth Edison utility — more than tripled its spending on freebie flights for executives since 2019. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta reportedly spent the most, or $6.6 million, on private plane trips for the CEO and his then-lieutenant, Sheryl Sandberg. Aerospace company Lockheed Martin, Modelo Especial parent Constellation Brands and Tyson Foods also paid out handsome sums for personal flights in company aircraft soar in 2022 — $2.1 million, $1.9 million, and $1.8 million, respectively, The Journal reported. These so-called “personal flights” reportedly include trips companies can’t classify as business-related, such as flights to board meetings for other companies or commuting from faraway residences. Some companies give their executives a fixed allowance for these flights, in hours or dollars — typically $25,000 per year — and require reimbursement beyond that threshold, according to the Journal. PepsiCo is one of the companies that uses this model. The number of executives being offered corporate plane use as a perk has grown nearly 25% year-over-year in 2022, The Journal reported. (Pictured: Zuckerberg's private plane) 3 The number of executives being offered corporate plane use as a perk has grown nearly 25% year-over-year in 2022, The Journal reported. The New York-based food and beverage corporation spent $776,000 on personal flights for five executives in 2022 — double what it paid in 2019, The Journal reported, though two-thirds of 2022’s trips were subsidized by CEO Ramon Laguarta. However, the sums have little financial impact on most giant corporations, the outlet said. For reference, Meta’s revenue in 2022 came in at $116 billion, meaning Zuckerberg and Sandberg’s $6.6 million worth of flights made a measly less-than-1% dent. There was only one company in The Journal’s analysis whose spending on corporate jets was whittled down to $0 in 2022: Match Group, which named a new CEO earlier this month as it struggles with a decline in paying users. Its most popular subsidiary, Tinder, has seen a churn in each of the last four quarters, which has cut into its bottom line. https://nypost.com/2024/01/16/business/personal-use-of-corporate-jets-has-soared-50-costs-companies-65m/ ISASI 2024 Call for Papers It is with great pleasure that the organising committee invites expressions of interest to present a paper at the ISASI 2024 seminar which will be held at the Marriott Hotel, Lisbon from 1 to 3 October 2024. Tutorial’s and the MASI meeting will take place on Wednesday 30 September 2024. Further details for the Call for Papers are available here: ISASI 2024 (esasi.eu) Further information on the tutorials, main programme, registration, and accommodation options will be provided in due course. We look forward to seeing you at ISASI 2024. 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) • SMU Air Law Symposium - March 21-22, 2024 ( Dallas, TX) • 2024 ACSF Safety Symposium – Air Charter Safety Foundation - April 1-3, 2024 • Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc. (APSCON 2024) - July 29 - August 3; Houston TX • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis