Flight Safety Information - March 4, 2024 No. 046 In This Issue : Incident: Breeze BCS3 near Albuquerque on Mar 1st 2024, battery thermal runaway : Incident: Belgium A332 over Atlantic on Feb 28th 2024, loss of cabin pressure : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London : Incident: Gol B38M at Belem on Feb 28th 2024, electrical failure : Malaysia likely to renew search for MH370, 10 years after plane vanished : US Military to resume V-22 Osprey operations after safety grounding : I want to get off the plane.’ The passengers refusing to fly on Boeing’s 737 Max : Two Qantas planes collide on tarmac at Aussie airport : Global Aircraft Insurance Market Set to Soar to $15.95 Billion by 2030 Amid Rising Air Travel : Taiwan military shuts down rumors of impending wave of retiring pilots : 3 passengers on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 where door plug blew out sue the airline and Boeing for $1 billion : United Airlines flight from London diverts to Maine over two 'intoxicated' passengers : FAA To Let New ATC Skip Academy In Bid To Boost Staff Members : A High-level Call to Action on Aviation Safety : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Breeze BCS3 near Albuquerque on Mar 1st 2024, battery thermal runaway A Breeze Airways Bombardies C-Series CS-300, registration N227BZ performing flight MX-555 from Los Angeles,CA to Pittsburgh,PA (USA) with 88 people on board, was enroute at FL370 about 150nm northwest of Albuquerque,NM (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Albuquerque reporting a passenger's laptop had caught fire due to thermal runaway of its Lithium Ion Battery. Cabin crew extinguished the fire and secured the laptop. The aircraft landed safely on Albuquerque's runway 08 about 25 minutes after leaving FL370. The owner of the laptop was checked by paramedics at the airport and released. The aircraft remained on the ground in Albuquerque for about 23 hours, then continued the flight as MX-8555 and reached Pittsburgh with a delay of about 23.5 hours. The FAA reported they are going to investigate the occurrence. https://avherald.com/h?article=515ad71a&opt=0 Incident: Belgium A332 over Atlantic on Feb 28th 2024, loss of cabin pressure An Air Belgium Airbus A330-200 freighter, registration OE-LAL performing flight KF-278 from Brussels (Belgium) to Cincinnati,KY (USA), was enroute at FL360 over the Atlantic Ocean about 290nm northwest of Shannon (Ireland) when the crew donned their oxygen masks and initiated an emergency descent to FL100 due to the loss of cabin pressure. The aircraft turned around to return to Brussels, over Ireland exited controlled airspace to maintain FL100 (bottom of controlled airspace at FL120), entered a hold at Brussels to burn off fuel and landed safely on Brussels' runway 25R about 6:45 hours after departure and about 4:45 hours after leaving FL360. The aircraft remained on the ground in Brussels for about 65 hours, then departed again and reached Cincinnati with a delay of about 72 hours (3 days). https://avherald.com/h?article=515ac501&opt=0 Incident: Gol B38M at Belem on Feb 28th 2024, electrical failure A Gol Transportes Aereos Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration PR-XMB performing flight G3-1833 from Belem,PA to Brasilia,DF (Brazil), was climbing through about FL180 out of Belem when the crew decided to return to Belem's runway 06 due to electrical problems. The aircraft landed safely on Belem's runway 06 about 30 minutes after departure. Brazil's CENIPA reported: "During cruise phase the aircraft experienced an electrical failure in the generators. After carrying out the related procedures the aircraft returned to the aerodrome of origin." https://avherald.com/h?article=5159b2c5&opt=0 Malaysia likely to renew search for MH370, 10 years after plane vanished Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Malaysia is pushing for a renewed search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the transport minister said on Sunday, as the 10th anniversary of its disappearance in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries approaches. A visitor looks at the wreckage of an aircraft believed to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 during a remembrance event (REUTERS) A visitor looks at the wreckage of an aircraft believed to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 during a remembrance event (REUTERS) Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Malaysian investigators initially did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft had been deliberately taken off course, and debris, some confirmed and some believed to be from the aircraft, has washed up along the coast of Africa and on islands in the Indian Ocean. Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said U.S. seabed exploration firm Ocean Infinity had been invited to discuss its latest search proposal after two previous failed attempts. "The Malaysian government is committed to the search (for MH370) and the search must go on," Loke said at a remembrance event on Sunday. Malaysia engaged Ocean Infinity in 2018 to search the southern Indian Ocean, offering to pay up to $70 million if it found the plane. Malaysia, China and Australia earlier had ended a fruitless two-year, A$200 million ($130.46 million) underwater hunt in January 2017. Loke said Malaysia would talk to Australia about cooperation in resuming the search once Ocean Infinity's proposal is approved by Malaysia's cabinet. V.P.R. Nathan, whose wife Anne Daisy was onboard the flight, said Ocean Infinity's proposal, which includes a "no find, no fee" option, was welcome. "We want the search to carry on but we also have to be realistic. We cannot expect the government to spend billions (on the search)," Nathan said. Jiang Hui, a Chinese national whose mother was a passenger on MH370, called on Malaysia to provide relatives with the latest information it receives. "As long as there is communication, we can avoid misunderstanding," said Jiang, who is among family members who filed a lawsuit in China demanding compensation over the plane's disappearance. A Beijing court began compensation hearings in November. More than 150 Chinese passengers were on the flight, with relatives demanding compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce and the Allianz insurance group among others. https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/malaysia-likely-to-renew-search-for-mh370-10-years-after-plane-vanished-101709520843215.html US Military to resume V-22 Osprey operations after safety grounding Safety concerns have kept the military's fleet of around 400 aircraft grounded for nearly three months. The U.S. military will take its first step in getting its V-22 Osprey back in the skies. The news comes after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin endorsed a plan for a measured return to operations. Safety concerns have kept the military's fleet of around 400 aircraft grounded for nearly three months following a deadly crash in Japan that killed eight U.S. servicemembers. From March 2022 to November 2023, 20 U.S. servicemembers have died in four Osprey crashes. “We don't actually know the exact reasons why a number of these have crashed just because we haven't seen the investigation reports,” said Dan Grazier. Grazier is a former Marine and defense analyst at the nonprofit watchdog dog group “Project on Government Oversight.” He says that until comprehensive accident reports are released about these mishaps and tragedies, it'll be difficult to pinpoint a root cause. However, he says, upon studying previous reports, he did notice something of concern. “I read a report from just about two years ago that air force pilots were averaging just a little bit over 10 hours a month, which is a big problem, and going back and looking through some of the older investigation reports from earlier crash incidences, you find out that the pilots involved had actually less than 10 flight hours in the months preceding those crashes,” said Grazier. Grazier also says military aircraft like the Osprey, which can take off like a helicopter and fly like an airplane, may be too sophisticated. At least one person is dead; the status of the five others on the aircraft was not immediately known. LEARN MORE “It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that the more gadgets that you bolt onto an aircraft, the more things that can break and keep that aircraft grounded,” said Grazier. For the loved ones of servicemembers killed in military training accidents, answers can’t come soon enough. "There were sometimes he had to do emergency landings. There was one time in particular when he was deployed; he had to do an emergency landing in Syria because of an engine failure,” said Kelsey Hancock. Hancock’s fiancée, Captain Nick Losapio, flew Ospreys for the Marines. She says he was hailed as a once-in-a-generation pilot but also experienced mechanical issues while flying the Osprey. That was before the March 2022 training exercise that claimed his life. He was one of five Marines killed in a training incident on a V-22 Osprey in the California desert. “I had heard people say things like the Osprey is a widowmaker. But I trusted in his ability. I knew he was very diligent and smart, and he studied constantly,” said Hancock. The grounding of the Ospreys has had the deepest impact on the Marines, which use over 300 Ospreys to carry out a variety of missions. The presidential fleet also uses ospreys to transport White House staff and reporters. While the U.S. military is set to lift the ban on the Ospreys, it still remains unclear when they’ll be commandeered back into the skies. “Now, the fact that the Osprey fleet remains grounded certainly suggests that whatever has caused these problems means that it's a fleet-wide issue, and commanders don't yet know how to mitigate that issue to make the Osprey safe to fly again,” said Grazier. According to the Flight Safety Foundation, there have been more than 40 accidents involving Ospreys worldwide since the aircraft entered into service in 2007, resulting in more than 30 deaths. https://scrippsnews.com/stories/us-military-to-resume-v-22-osprey-operations-after-safety-grounding/ I want to get off the plane.’ The passengers refusing to fly on Boeing’s 737 Max — Ed Pierson was flying from Seattle to New Jersey in 2023, when he ended up boarding a plane he’d never wanted to fly on. The Seattle resident booked with Alaska Airlines last March, purposefully selecting a flight with a plane he was happy to board – essentially, anything but a Boeing 737 Max. “I got to the airport, checked again that it wasn’t the Max. I went through security, got coffee. I walked onto the plane – I thought, it’s kinda new,” Pierson told CNN. “Then I sat down and on the emergency card [in the seat pocket] it said it was a Max.” He got up and walked off. “A flight attendant was closing the front door. I said, ‘I wasn’t supposed to fly the Max.’ She was like, ‘What do you know about the Max?,’” he said. “I said, ‘I can’t go into detail right now, but I wasn’t planning on flying the Max, and I want to get off the plane.’” Pierson made it to New Jersey – after some back and forth, he said, Alaska’s airport staff rebooked him onto a red-eye that evening on a different plane. Spending the whole day in the airport was worth it to avoid flying on the Max, he said. Pierson has a unique and first-hand perspective of the aircraft, made by Boeing at its Renton factory in the state of Washington. Now the executive director of airline watchdog group Foundation for Aviation Safety, he served as a squadron commanding officer among other leadership roles during a 30-year Naval career, followed by 10 years at Boeing – including three as a senior manager in production support at Renton itself, working on the 737 Max project before its launch. But he’s one of a number of travelers who do not want to board the aircraft which has been at the heart of two fatal crashes, as well as the January 5 incident in which part of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane blew out mid-air. The part – a door plug – was found to be missing four bolts that should have held it in place. Further reports of “many” loose bolts and misdrilled holes have emerged from the subsequent investigations into the Max 9 model after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding of 171 Max 9 aircraft with the same door plug. Experts agree that the Alaska incident could have been worse, and the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has warned that “something like this can happen again.” The previous model, the Max 8, was involved in two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed a total of 346 people. The crashes were widely attributed to the malfunctioning of MCAS, an automated system in the Max designed to stabilize the pitch of the plane, overriding pilot input in some circumstances. Boeing accepted its liability in 2021 for one of the crashes. "We caused the problem, and we understand that," Boeing CEO David Calhoun has said of the January 5 Alaska Airlines incident. Weeks after the Alaska incident, Boeing CEO David Calhoun told investors on a quarterly call: “We will cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA at every turn… This increased scrutiny, whether it comes from us or a regulator or from third parties will make us better.” “We caused the problem, and we understand that,” Calhoun said. “Whatever conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened. Whatever the specific cause of the accident might turn out to be, an event like this simply must not happen on an airplane that leaves one of our factories. We simply must be better.” In February, in the wake of the Alaska incident, the company removed the head of the Max program from his position and reshuffled other senior management figures. The move comes as critics have repeatedly said that the aircraft manufacturer is prioritizing profits over safety. Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 aircraft grounded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in Seattle, Washington, US, on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024. Alaska Airlines will ground its entire fleet of Boeing Co. 737 Max-9 aircraft after a fuselage section in the rear part of the brand-new jet blew out shortly after takeoff. Boeing 737 Max 9’s: What travelers need to know The FAA is now “taking a holistic look at the quality control issues at Boeing to ensure safety is always the company’s top priority,” a spokesperson for the government agency told CNN. Representatives are on the ground assessing the production lines at Boeing’s Renton factory and Spirit AeroSystems, whose Wichita, Kansas factory made the door plug that blew off mid-flight in the Alaska incident. On February 28, the FAA gave Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to address quality and safety issues. A spokesperson for Boeing told CNN: “Every day, more than 80 airlines operate about 5,000 flights with the global fleet of 1,300 737 MAX airplanes, carrying 700,000 passengers to their destinations safely. The 737 MAX family’s in-service reliability is above 99% and consistent with other commercial airplane models.” Of course, many thousands of people board Max aircraft with no concerns. But do other passengers care? It appears that enough do. Mixed impressions The last time the Max was grounded – for 20 months, following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 on a Max 8 in March 2019 – 25% of the 1,005 Americans questioned in a Reuters/Ipsos poll said that they had “not a lot” or “no” confidence in the aircraft – compared to 31% who did, and 44% who were unsure. The poll was taken in December 2020, shortly before the aircraft’s return to the skies. After being “told about the aircraft’s safety issues,” a further 57% said they would be somewhat unlikely or not likely to fly in a Max, according to the report. Nearly half – 45% – said that they would still be somewhat unlikely or not very likely to fly in it after it had been back in the air for six months. And 31% of all respondents said that they had little to no confidence that the Federation Aviation Administration (FAA) “puts passenger and crew safety first when determining whether an aircraft is fit to fly.” Most countries cleared the Max 8 to fly again by 2021, but three years on, there still appears to be negative public opinion about the Max. “It’s unsettling that there have been so many issues with this specific type of plane,” Stephanie King, a passenger on the affected Alaska Airlines flight, told CNN in January. “I hope something is done so that this doesn’t happen again.” Then there’s flight booking site Kayak, which has seen usage of its filter to deselect Max aircraft (models 8 and 9) during the booking process increase 15-fold since January, the company told CNN. The site introduced the filter in March 2019, after the Ethiopian Airlines crash. Doubts have also remained across the industry as a whole. Following the Alaska incident, a February AP-Norc poll regarding air travel safety found nearly a third of Americans surveyed answered “not at all” or “a little” when asked if they believe that airplanes are safe from structural faults. While planes were generally viewed to be as safe as cars or trains for means of transportation, fewer than two in 10 surveyed strongly agreed that planes are fault-free. If it’s Boeing, ‘I ain’t going’ Belén Estacio has boycotted the Max since the January incident. Shortly after the Alaska Airlines fuselage blowout, she was scheduled on a Max for a work flight. “My boyfriend didn’t want me to fly on it so I changed my travel plans to make sure I wasn’t flying on any type of Max,” she said. “It doesn’t matter which model, I don’t want to fly them.” To her, she said, “The Alaska incident was further confirmation that Boeing is still not being thorough and not fixing its issues.” Florida-based Estacio, who works in marketing, now checks the aircraft type before booking any flight. She’s made two trips since January. “The whole thing of, ‘If it’s not Boeing I ain’t going,’ it’s totally the opposite now,” she said. “I’m very happy when I’ve seen I’ll be flying an Airbus.” She says she’s not the only one in her circle, and says she knows people employing both “soft” and “hard” boycotts. “Some say, ‘Absolutely not,’ others say, ‘If I can change it, I will; if not I’ll just go on it.’” ‘Not an aircraft I’d want to fly’ UK-based communications consultant Elayne Grimes is another with a personal boycott. Grimes, who travels regularly for work, was worried following the Max 8’s first crash in October 2018: Lion Air flight 610, in Indonesia, which killed all 189 onboard a plane in service for less than three months. Grimes – who’d previously worked in emergency crisis management – was immediately concerned about Boeing’s new aircraft, which had launched to great fanfare in 2017. “I actively sought out airlines that didn’t have the Max,” she said. When Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed in March 2019, killing another 157 people, it confirmed her resolve. In 2022, Grimes watched “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing,” a Netflix documentary directed by Rory Kennedy, which looked at the two tragedies and flagged concerns about the working environment at Boeing. “I watched that and thought [Boeing] was an organization putting profit before people, and thought, ‘That’s not for me.’ I don’t see myself flying one in the near future,” she said. While the FAA has cleared the Max to fly once more, Grimes believes that “its issues are not resolved.” “When the door came off and they called [the planes] in and found other aircraft with issues, I thought ‘Hmm,’” she said. “It’s just not an aircraft I’d want to fly.” Grimes is a self-declared “avgeek,” or aviation fanatic – and she’s not the only one monitoring the industry closely to have reservations. Elliot Sharod, who says he took 78 flights last year, is on the fence. “I wouldn’t exactly refuse to fly it, but I’d ideally fly an Airbus if given the choice,” he said. The Alaska Air flight was terrifying. It could have been so much worse A former aviation journalist, who wished to remain anonymous for professional reasons, says they lost trust after the second crash. “After the first one, the predominant talking points were, ‘Oh, it’s got to be pilot error, or the weather – it can’t be the plane,” they say. “It was Boeing. I believed that everything coming out of Boeing had been tested and retested – it had to be something else. “Then the Ethiopian crash happened, and there was a bit of the same messaging, but finally it came out that actually it was the plane. I lost all trust at that point in the Max.” They say they still love flying the “older style of Boeings – the 777s and the original 737s.” “They were all designed back in the days when engineers ruled Boeing,” they say. “I feel I can trust them more than the Max.” ‘Piss poor design’ “Would you put your family on a Max simulator trained aircraft? I wouldn’t.” They sound like the words of an anxious passenger in 2024. In fact, they were written by one Boeing employee to another in February 2018 – eight months before the Lion Air crash. (In the internal communications, their co-worker replied, simply, “No.”) In April 2017, in internal messages by Boeing employees working on the soon-to-be-released Max, another employee wrote, “This airplane is designed by clowns, who in turn are supervised by monkeys.” The same exchange included a reference to the aircraft’s “piss poor design.” A design tweak was labelled as “patching the leaky boat.” These internal communications were released as part of the 18-month investigation into the Max by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In a 238-page report, released in September 2020, the committee outlined “the serious flaws and missteps in the design, development, and certification of the aircraft.” The report highlighted five key themes, including “production pressures that jeopardized the safety of the flying public” and a “culture of concealment” at Boeing. At the time, Boeing said that the communications “do not reflect the company we are and need to be, and they are completely unacceptable.” The company issued a statement acknowledging the committee’s findings and saying that the victims of the crashes were “in our thoughts and prayers.” The Max is made at Boeing's Renton factory. FAA representatives are now investigating the production process. Boeing said that when the Max 8 returned to service it would be “one of the most thoroughly scrutinized aircraft in history, and we have full confidence in its safety.” It added: “We have been hard at work strengthening our safety culture and rebuilding trust with our customers, regulators, and the flying public… We have made fundamental changes to our company… and continue to look for ways to improve.” The House Committee report also included concerns about the FAA and its “grossly insufficient oversight” over Boeing during the Max design process and in the period between the two crashes. The report said that “gaps in the regulatory system at the FAA… allowed this fatally flawed plane into service.” A spokesperson for the FAA told CNN: “The FAA made significant improvements to its delegation and aircraft certification processes in recent years and took immediate action following the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines door plug incident to address concerns about the quality of aircraft that Boeing and its suppliers produce.” ‘Vindicated’ after safety failure Rory Kennedy followed the investigation from start to finish. The director of “Downfall” told CNN she didn’t have a “strong opinion” on the plane until she started making the documentary in early 2020. But, she said, “I was shocked by what we discovered… [it] was really disturbing.” Her film is a forensic investigation of the two crashes. “Downfall” interviews ex-Boeing staff and concerned pilots, who paint a picture of an accident waiting to happen. It follows the congressional hearings held as part of the House investigation, and interviews the victims’ families. Kennedy says that during the design process Boeing “went to great pains to hide [MCAS] and how powerful it was.” The stabilizing system was designed specifically for the Max, since the fuel-efficient engines being added to the 1960s-designed plane affected the trim. The House committee found that Boeing concealed its existence from the FAA, airlines and pilots. Additionally, after the Lion Air crash, FAA analysis in December 2018 predicted that without a software fix, a Max could crash on average once every two years over the course of its usage. Yet the plane was not grounded at the time. “Boeing and FAA both gambled with public safety,” House committee chair Peter DeFazio said in a 2020 statement. In September 2020, after an 18-month investigation, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure found that Boeing had made "serious flaws and missteps in the design, development, and certification of the aircraft." “We are already undertaking important initiatives based on what we have learned… these initiatives are focused on advancing overall aviation safety by improving our organization, process and culture,” the FAA said in a statement following the committee’s report. “[They] decided to keep the plane in the air, to save money and try to have a fix before the next plane crashed,” said Kennedy. “I interviewed [family members of the victims] as they were understanding that they knew this. Can you imagine?” “I would absolutely not fly that plane,” she told CNN. “I’ve not noticed the culture of Boeing has shifted from one that prioritizes finances over safety.” She says that one of the factors that pushed her to make the documentary, was “talking to pilots who were telling me, ‘Absolutely don’t get on that plane.’” And while she initially received pushback about the film, including from family and friends, “When the door ripped off the airplane, people said, ‘You’re so vindicated.’” Her research also highlighted production issues in the 787 Dreamliner – Boeing’s flagship long-haul aircraft, which debuted in 2011. As a result, she avoids that, too – and suggests that instead of confining their investigations to individual planes, the FAA and NTSB should be investigating Boeing as a whole. A Boeing 737 Max airplane sits parked at the company's production facility on November 18, 2020 in Renton, Washington. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today cleared the Max for flight after 20 months of grounding. The 737 Max has been grounded worldwide since March 2019 after two deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Boeing was once known for safety and engineering. But critics say an emphasis on profits changed that A spokesperson for the FAA said that it has blocked production expansion of the Max, and “is conducting enhanced oversight of Boeing and its suppliers. The agency is examining all aspects of Boeing’s three manufacturing lines and Spirit AeroSystems’ supplier activities. A dedicated team of approximately two dozen aviation safety inspectors is conducting these reviews at the Boeing 737 MAX facility in Renton, Washington, and at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas.” Kennedy wants a “proper hearing” in Congress – similar to the one that investigated the Max crashes. “To me, what you really need is an investigation into the culture of Boeing, what’s happening at board level, and what kind of decisions are being made to continue to prioritize financial interests over the safety of consumers,” she says. ‘Their numbers game cost me my friend’ Critics say that Boeing’s 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas saw the culture change from one that emphasized engineering prowess to one intent on watching the bottom line. Damning its “broken safety culture,” DeFazio said after the 2020 investigation that “Boeing – under pressure to compete with Airbus and deliver profits for Wall Street – escaped scrutiny from the FAA, withheld critical information from pilots, and ultimately put planes into service that killed 346 innocent people.” In 2021, Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle criminal charges that the company defrauded the FAA when the Max was first certified. “The reason that [Boeing’s] culture is so damaging is because they are in a numbers game, and they want to make as much profit as possible at any cost. And for me, that cost me my friend,” says Deveney Williams. “I avoid Boeing as much as possible – I try to get on an Airbus even if it costs more or is a different route,” said Williams. “I never knew about plane models prior to this, but I’ve educated myself onto how to see the model when buying a ticket. I’ve got friends who ask how they can switch flights, or figure out how to avoid flying on this. I’ve learned a lot – I don’t want this happening to anyone else.” For Williams, the Alaska incident was a “weird relief” – because it happened in the US. The aspersions that were cast on the pilots of the two crashes didn’t happen in January. “This time, it’s on American soil, I’m presuming it was an American pilot – so they don’t have any other fingers to point.” ‘Airlines don’t make it easy to switch’ Torleif Stumo – Samya’s brother – had a similar incident to Ed Pierson, in which he says his plane was switched to a Max at the last moment. Like Pierson, he only noticed when he saw the safety card in the seat pocket of his flight from Panama City to Bogotá in August 2023. “I don’t really have anxiety, I’ve never had panic attacks but that was one of the closest times I ever came,” he says. “The crew were amazing. They had disconnected from the jetway and initially offered to change my seat to first class. But then I told them why I wanted to get off. They immediately understood and brought the plane back [to the gate].” Stumo ended up spending the night at an airport hotel. The airline he was traveling with agreed to rebook him fee-free having listened to a phone call he’d made to customer services when originally buying the ticket. In it, he’d been assured that he wouldn’t be on a Max. Williams and Kennedy both say they’ve had similar experiences with their aircraft switched to a Max at the last minute. Stumo believes that it’s not easy enough for consumers to tell whether they’ve been booked onto a Max. Michael Stumo, Samya and Torleif’s father, wants aircraft types to be “prominently displayed” during the booking process, he tells CNN. Following the January 5 incident, Alaska and United – the US carriers which use the Max 9 – issued waivers allowing passengers unwilling to fly the Max flexibility. These have now expired, but Alaska told CNN that concerned passengers can be rebooked onto a different aircraft for free, by calling reservations. “We have complete confidence in the safety of all our aircraft,” they added. A spokesperson for United said the airline “has no change fees on most tickets. We’re happy to work with customers with concerns to find a solution that works for them.” Pierson’s Foundation for Aviation Safety – established in 2023 as a watchdog for both the aviation industry and the government entities that regulate it – added a page to their website in February for passengers reluctant to fly on the plane. It explains how to check the plane assigned for one’s flight before booking, refusing to board, and rebooking at the airport. Pierson says the foundation gets many requests from the public asking whether it’s safe to fly the Max. In this National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) handout, NTSB Investigator-in-Charge John Lovell examines the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX on January 7, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. A door-sized section near the rear of the Boeing 737-9 MAX plane blew off 10 minutes after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, Oregon on January 5 on its way to Ontario, California. The former Boeing employee has been critical of Boeing company since the aircraft was first on the production line. Over the summer of 2018, he sent several messages up the chain at Boeing, having noticed what he now says was an “unstable production line.” In emails which he has since shared publicly, Pierson warned of his concerns that the intense pressure to get planes out of the factory was leading exhausted workers to cut corners. He feared that it could end in tragedy, he wrote. Having taken early retirement in August 2018 – “I knew it was an unhealthy working environment and couldn’t support the leadership anymore,” he told CNN – he wrote again to the board of Boeing, as well as to the FAA, after the Lion Air crash, and then again after the Ethiopian Airlines crash. He later testified at the congressional hearing. “I would definitely not fly that plane,” he says now. “The same problems that I saw in 2017 and 2018 have not been resolved. The factory is still putting huge amounts of pressure on employees that build the planes, and they’ve had many production quality defects that just came to light.” ‘We want no third crash’ Although the Max is flying once more, its future appears to be up in the air. The FAA has capped production of new aircraft, and launched an investigation “into whether Boeing failed to maintain their quality system in accordance with federal regulations.” It has also launched an analysis of “potential safety-focused reforms around quality control,” a spokesperson told CNN. As part of its “enhanced oversight,” FAA teams are reviewing Boeing’s Max production system, and Spirit AeroSystems’ production system for the aircraft’s fuselage. It is also reviewing employee training and qualifications, increasing its onsite presence at Max manufacturing facilities, and looking at “how Boeing transfers unfinished work from suppliers to its production lines,” a spokesperson told CNN. Meanwhile, the NTSB’s investigation into what happened on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 continues. A preliminary NTSB report does not lay blame on Boeing nor find a probable cause, which is typically included in the NTSB’s final report which could take a year or more. Spirit said following the incident it was cooperating with the NTSB and added, “as a company, we remain focused on the quality of each aircraft structure that leaves our facilities.” For Michael Stumo, the Alaska incident proved his fears. “We have nine years of [Boeing] getting caught, promising to do better, and they don’t,” he said. “Now we have this: where they can’t even put plug doors in a plane, can’t fix bolts.” Stumo wants Boeing to “bring in people who know how to do complex manufacturing processes.” “These people exist. Boeing has a lot of money. Hire them,” he said. A Boeing spokesperson said the company has “invested heavily in our workforce over the last several years.” Engineering staff are up by 10% and manufacturing by 11%, they said, while they have “increased the number of Commercial Airplanes quality inspectors by 20%, and have said we will continue to hire.” “We have also invested in quality across the company, growing the number of quality employees by more than 25%, exceeding 2019 pre-pandemic levels,” they added. Stumo says the company needs urgent change. “The first crash shouldn’t have happened. The second they had full knowledge of [the MCAS malfunctioning] – it absolutely shouldn’t have happened. “We want no third crash. And we want Boeing transformed back into the superior aviation engineering company making amazing and safe products that it was.” https://www.cnn.com/travel/boeing-737-max-passenger-boycott/index.html Two Qantas planes collide on tarmac at Aussie airport Authorities say passengers felt 'a jolt' when the two aircraft made impact. Two Qantas planes briefly collided at Perth Airport overnight, with a flight landing from Canberra clipping the wing of another stationary aircraft on the tarmac. The Canberra flight landed just after 9pm and was pulling into the gate when the collision occurred. According to Qantas, the plane was approaching the gate at low a speed when the two aircraft, both Boeing 737-800s, accidentally made contact. Qantas confirms nobody injured during ordeal The awkward prang sent a "jolt" through the stationary aircraft, felt by passengers who captured photos of the scene. "While approaching the gate at low speed, the wingtip of one aircraft has come into contact with the wingtip of another stationary aircraft at the adjacent gate," a Qantas spokesperson said. Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies remembered for touching act of kindness Qantas baggage handler will 'never work again' for airline after crude note to passenger Qantas passenger's damaged luggage exposes little-known rule "Customers and crew who were disembarking the stationary aircraft felt a jolt when the wingtips made contact. After assessing the situation, the captain advised customers to continue to disembark as usual. "Engineers are inspecting both aircraft and an investigation is underway." Perth Airport said no passengers were injured, 9News reported, with Qantas confirming flight crew also disembarked unharmed. Qantas loses top spot as safest airline Qantas lost its crown as the world’s safest airline earlier this year. Air New Zealand beat Qantas by just 1.5 points to take the top spot in the AirlineRatings.com annual list with the age of its fleet to blame for the slide down the rankings to second place. It comes as Qantas had a tumultuous year in 2023 with former CEO Alan Joyce stepping down in September after the airline was accused of allegedly selling tickets for more than 8,000 flights that it had already cancelled. New boss Vanessa Hudson apologised for letting customers down and said the airline would work to rebuild the public’s trust. https://au.news.yahoo.com/two-qantas-planes-collide-tarmac-aussie-airport-211250654.html Global Aircraft Insurance Market Set to Soar to $15.95 Billion by 2030 Amid Rising Air Travel The Aircraft Insurance Market is set for significant growth, reaching $15.95 billion by 2030, driven by emerging technologies and increased demand. The Aircraft Insurance Market is on an upward trajectory, as highlighted by SNS Insider's latest report, with an estimation that it reached USD 12.52 billion in 2022 and is projected to surge to USD 15.95 billion by 2030. This growth, marked by a healthy CAGR of 3.07%, underscores the dynamic nature of the aviation insurance industry, driven by increasing aircraft values and a rise in aviation-related claims. Market Overview The aviation sector's insurance needs are evolving, with insurers adapting to new technologies such as drones and electric aircraft. This adaptation is crucial as these emerging technologies present unique insurance challenges. Additionally, the industry is moving towards more customized insurance solutions to meet the specific needs of individual operators, ensuring comprehensive coverage against a backdrop of complex risk landscapes. Market Dynamics The Aircraft Insurance Market is buoyed by several factors, including the construction of new airports, an increase in insurance claim frequency, and associated costs. Furthermore, the surge in air travel enthusiasts contributes significantly to the market's growth, presenting opportunities for both insurers and operators. The sector's resilience is further strengthened by the continuous expansion of the aviation fleet, necessitating higher insurance coverage as airlines and cargo operators invest in new, technologically advanced aircraft. Key Regional Insights North America leads the market, supported by major carriers and established insurance giants, while Europe benefits from the presence of influential aircraft manufacturers like Airbus SAS. The Asia-Pacific region is identified as the fastest-growing market, driven by increased air traffic in countries like India and China. Meanwhile, the Middle East and Africa are witnessing expansion, fueled by new airports and the burgeoning UAV manufacturing sector. As the Aircraft Insurance Market navigates through these developments, the sector remains poised for substantial growth. The interplay of new infrastructural developments and heightened insurance demands sets the stage for an industry that is resilient, adaptive, and ready for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. https://bnnbreaking.com/finance-nav/global-aircraft-insurance-market-set-to-soar-to-1595-billion-by-2030-amid-rising-air-travel Taiwan military shuts down rumors of impending wave of retiring pilots Defense ministry says numbers of retirees is normal TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) denied reports of a potential wave of retiring pilots on Saturday (March 2). In response to rumors that a potential wave of pilots would retire due to the expiration of contracts for continued service, the defense ministry said it had adjusted incentive pay for pilots in 2020. The number of pilots resigning and retiring has been normal, according to an MND press release. The ministry said that recruitment efforts for the aviation department of all three service branches have been successful in recent years. Personnel replenishment plans have been achieved based on aircraft types and projected attrition rates to ensure that the average level of manpower meets the operational needs of the branches, it added. The MND said that considering the widespread acceptance of the current policy among pilots, a balanced promotion of continued service incentive pay will be implemented before the contracts expire. The ministry said personnel eligible for signing or renewing contracts based on their seniority will be provided to encourage them to continue active service. The goal is to retain personnel for long-term service and maintain national defense, it added. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/5106524 3 passengers on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 where door plug blew out sue the airline and Boeing for $1 billion Three passengers on the Alaska Airlines plane that had to make an emergency landing after a door plug blew off mid-flight are suing the airline and Boeing for $1 billion, claiming negligence caused the incident. A complaint was filed Feb. 20 in Multnomah County, Oregon, on behalf of Kyle Rinker, Amanda Strickland and Kevin Kwok, all of whom were on board Alaska Flight 1282 when an unused exit door detached from the aircraft minutes into a scheduled trip from Portland to Ontario, California, in early January. Multnomah County includes Portland. The lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages, to be determined at trial, from Boeing, the corporate giant that manufactured the 737 Max 9 jet flown by Alaska Airlines. "As a direct result of the frightful, death-threatening failure of the Boeing aircraft, Mr. Kwok, Mr. Rinker, and Ms. Strickland suffered severe mental, emotional, and psychological injuries, including post-traumatic stress, and physical injuries," the lawsuit says, noting how the sudden pressure change inside the cabin "caused some passengers' ears to bleed." Jonathan W. Johnson, LLC, an aviation law firm based in Atlanta that filed the complaint on behalf of Kwok, Rinker and Strickland, said in a news release that it hopes "to hold Boeing accountable for its negligence which had caused extreme panic, fear, and post-traumatic stress." It called the blow-out on flight 1282 " a preventable incident" that not only threatened the lives of passengers and crew on board that specific plane, but others manufactured by Boeing that were found during subsequent investigations to have similar defects. The lawsuit alleges the incident on Flight 1282 is "just one terrible chapter in the evolving story of Boeing and Alaska Airlines placing profits above safety." Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland International Airport just before 5 p.m. PT on Jan. 5, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware, and returned safely to same origin spot as part of an emergency landing around 40 minutes later. The aircraft was about six minutes into its planned trip to California, and flying at 16,000 feet, when one of the exit doors came loose. Social media video obtained by CBS News at the time showed a gaping hole in the side of the plane, which at the time was carrying 174 passengers and six crew members. Although the plane landed safely back in Portland, several passengers suffered minor injuries and lost phones and other personal belongings that were sucked out of the hole in the aircraft. One passenger, a teenager originally seated with his mother in the row beside the affected door panel, had his shirt ripped off by the strength of the wind barreling through, another passenger, Kelly Bartlett, told CBS News senior transportation and national correspondent Kris an Cleave after it happened. Preliminary results of an investigation by the National Transportation and Safety Board into the incident found that four key bolts meant to hold the door plug in place were missing from the aircraft. The agency said in a report released in early February that "four bolts that prevent upward movement of the MED plug were missing before the MED plug moved upward off the stop pads." In the wake of the incident, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines canceled flights on Boeing 737 Max 9 planes as inspections got underway. Both airlines said they found loose hardware on grounded planes of that model. The Federal Aviation Administration ultimately ordered a temporary global grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9 jets for "immediate inspection," and is conducting an ongoing probe into the aircraft to figure out what went wrong on flight 1282, and whether Boeing "failed to ensure" that its aircrafts "were in a condition for safe operation in compliance with FAA regulations." "This incident should have never happened and it cannot happen again," the agency said in a statement in January. "The FAA is continuing to support the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the Jan. 5 door plug incident." Boeing is facing another class-action lawsuit brought by passengers on the Alaska Airlines flight, which alleges that the Jan. 5 incident "physically injured some passengers and emotionally traumatized most if not all on board." Alaska Airlines has not been named as a defendant in that suit. CBS News contacted both Boeing and Alaska Airlines for comment on the latest $1 billion suit. The airline said it could not "comment on pending ligation or the ongoing NTSB investigation," while Boeing said, "We don't have anything to add." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alaska-airlines-flight-1282-door-plug-blowout-1-billion-lawsuit-airline-boeing/ United Airlines flight from London diverts to Maine over two 'intoxicated' passengers The flight was operated by a Boeing 767 - similar to this one - which resumed its journey to Newark A flight from London to New Jersey was diverted and landed in Maine after two seemingly drunk passengers "became disruptive", United Airlines said. Flight UA883 left Heathrow on Friday morning and was due to land at Newark, but instead was diverted to Bangor International Airport. In an emailed statement to the BBC, United Airlines said police removed the two passengers after landing. The customers will be banned from future United Airlines flights. After a seven-hour journey across the Atlantic, FlightRadar shows flight UA883 on a path toward New York before making a sharp detour south-east toward Bangor. "United flight 883 landed in Bangor this morning after two passengers, who appeared intoxicated, became disruptive," the airline said in a statement. "Law enforcement officials removed the two passengers and the flight has already re-departed for Newark Liberty International Airport. The customers will be banned from future United flights while we review this matter." The flight - which had 150 people on board and 10 crew members - left London at 07:52 GMT and landed safely in Maine at about 10:00 local time (15:00 GMT), the Federal Aviation Administration added in a statement. It described what happened on board the Boeing 767 as a "passenger disturbance". Bangor Police Department said their officers assisted Customs and Border Protection and the FBI, who are now handling the investigation, in removing the two passengers. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68448386 FAA To Let New ATC Skip Academy In Bid To Boost Staff Members The ongoing ATC staff shortages could potentially worsen aviation safety. SUMMARY • FAA's new plan allows CTI students to bypass academy and go straight to on-the-job training. • Limited slots at the FAA academy restrict controller intake. • ATC staff shortage impacts aviation safety and growth, with nearly 1,000 fewer controllers in the past decade. • The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reportedly devised a new plan to boost the number of air traffic control (ATC) staff, according to a report by the think tank Reason Foundation. The news comes amid the country's struggle with a shortage of ATC controllers. Skipping academy According to the report, students from colleges and universities enrolled in the Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI), which aligns their controller training curriculum with the FAA academy, will bypass the academy. Instead, after passing the standard aptitude test, they will proceed directly to on-the-job training at an FAA operational facility. This is due not only to the shortage of ATC controllers but also to the limited capacity of the FAA training academy in Oklahoma City. According to a report by View From The Wing, the limitation of slots at the FAA's academy has restricted the number of controllers, achieving two objectives, including hiring qualified graduates for immediate experience and opening up academy slots to individuals without prior air traffic control training in colleges. This change can potentially double the yearly intake of air traffic controller trainees into on-the-job training, as per Reason Foundation. The shortage of ATC staff is a significant component of a broader issue, impacting both industry growth and aviation safety. In 2023, the FAA noted a rise in near-misses, potentially linked to staffing challenges and the inexperience of airline pilots. Additionally, the surge in air traffic during the industry's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has placed additional strain on the system. In addition, the ATC shortages resulted in notable disruptions during the summer travel season, particularly along the East Coast. According to the Associated Press, employee levels in the New York City area reportedly operated at half-staff capacity. According to an FAA-commissioned report, the FAA has around 1,000 fewer certified controllers than it did a decade ago, while air traffic has increased significantly. The report indicates that staffing shortages are becoming increasingly hazardous for air travel, and such risk can be reduced by slowing down traffic. In November 2023, senators and aviation leaders warned that the persistent shortage of ATC staff in the United States is significantly compromising safety. During the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations, and Innovation session, witnesses from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), ATC personnel, and pilots emphasized the urgent need for government intervention to address the substantial rise in "near-miss" incidents over the past year and enhance aviation safety through the FAA Reauthorization bill. Addressing the matter, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy stated: "Air traffic controllers are being required to do mandatory overtime. It ends up leading to fatigue and distraction, which is exactly what we're seeing as part of these incident investigations. And it all just comes down to the shortage of staffing." https://simpleflying.com/faa-to-let-new-atc-skip-academy/ A High-level Call to Action on Aviation Safety • Top safety officials probed the issues that are causing an 'erosion of safety margins' A panel of safety experts established to address a series of serious runway incursions at U.S. airports has called for “urgent action” to improve safety in the national airspace system (NAS). Political gridlock, government shutdowns, inconsistent funding, air traffic controller shortages, and outdated technology are among the issues “rendering the current level of safety unsustainable,” the FAA’s NAS Safety Review Team (SRT) said in its final report. The confluence of these issues is eroding safety margins, according to the report. “Generally, the (FAA) Air Traffic Organization employs robust policies, procedures, and programs to manage safety risk and enjoys a just safety culture,” the report stated. “However, the FAA continues to be asked to do more with less in an already strained system, and the series of serious incidents in early 2023 illuminate significant challenges to the provision and safety oversight of air traffic services.” A major problem identified by the safety team includes a “dire shortage of air traffic controllers.” Overtime use is at an all-time high within the FAA; this leads to fatigue, more absenteeism, and lower productivity. “The lack of an adequate workforce is a problem 40 years in the making,” according to the report. “It has a trickle-down effect that creates several threats to the flying public.” Another daunting task, as recommended by the panel, is to provide more consistent funding to the agency and isolate it from government shutdowns. Almost as a testament to the SRT's concerns, the report came as Congress has been in the midst of a series of stopgap funding bills government-wide—including for the FAA, as well as temporary extensions of the agency’s authorization. Lawmakers are facing deadlines this month to either continue these temporary measures or to agree upon long-term FAA reauthorization and full fiscal year 2024 funding. The independent SRT was formed in April 2023 as part of a multi-pronged effort the FAA had undertaken to delve into a spate of high-profile close calls. The events became so pressing that the acting administrator at the time, Billy Nolen, assembled a rare industry-wide safety summit in March 2023. Over his five-year term as FAA Adminstrator, Michael Huerta has reshaped the U.S. aviation agency from being prescriptive and enforcement-based to one of collaboration, risk-based and compliance oriented. Led by former FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, the SRT also included Space Shuttle astronaut and former NASA administrator Charles Bolden, former National Transportation Safety Board chair Robert Sumwalt, former FAA chief operating officer David Grizzle, former National Air Traffic Controllers Association executive v-p Patricia Gilbert, and former Air Line Pilots Association president Tim Canoll. Huerta, who served as FAA administrator under presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, told reporters, “There are no short-term easy fixes to address many of these challenges; addressing risk in the NAS requires the FAA, the administration, Congress, and others across the industry working together collaboratively.” Huerta cautioned that progress would require significant patience, collaboration, and investment. “But I think it’s important to recognize that, for the most part, these are not silver bullets or quick fixes," he said. "What it really requires is a concerted effort on the part of all stakeholders to work together to provide the resources and to provide what the agency needs to carry out its critical safety mission.” A Roadmap for Change The published report provides a roadmap for current FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to make changes and improve the agency’s air traffic organization. Whitaker was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Oct. 27, 2023. The administrator position was previously vacant for 18 months. Whitaker served as the deputy FAA administrator from 2013 to 2016; he is no stranger to Washington D.C. or the agency. As the SRT’s report was published, he said, “Aviation is safe because we are continuously looking for ways to improve. The safety review team made some excellent recommendations, and we are adopting some of them immediately.” Whitaker continued by stating, “We appreciate the team’s time and expertise to help us pursue our goal of zero serious close calls.” True to his word, with the ink barely dry on the report, Whitaker and the FAA have taken immediate action to address air traffic controller staffing levels by providing additional support to collegiate training initiatives, more training slots at the FAA Academy, advanced training systems, and control tower simulators. Most importantly, the agency has taken steps to improve its safety culture by providing direct safety reporting from the Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service to the FAA administrator and aviation safety associate administrator. The safety panel identified this as a process integrity issue in its findings. Before the SRT report was issued, the agency did preemptively take some action to reduce the risk of runway incursions, including $200 million in funding to reconfigure taxiways and improve runway lighting at several large and small airports. Additionally, the FAA issued a safety bulletin to cockpit crews and airlines stressing the need for vigilance during departure, arrival, and taxiing. The safety review team’s final report contained 24 recommendations that are classified into four interrelated categories: process integrity; staffing; facilities, equipment, and technology; and funding. Funding: Follow the Money Several interrelated funding challenges, according to the safety panel, negatively affect the FAA’s ability to deliver critical air traffic services in an efficient and timely manner to the industry and the traveling public. The panel found that inadequate and inconsistent funding issues are impacting everything from staffing to facilities and affect nearly every other issue at the agency. The experts stress that aviation is still safe, but efficiency is suffering and making the system “unsustainable over the long-term.” The solution, according to the safety team, not only involves more money but more consistent funding to the agency, especially when faced with government shutdowns. In recent years, Congress has increased FAA funding, but much of it has gone toward airport improvements and not necessarily toward flight safety. Primary funding for the FAA is through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF), which receives revenues from excise taxes paid by NAS users. The main contributors are taxes collected on airline passenger tickets, air cargo waybills, and aviation fuel purchases. Revenues deposited in the AATF are subject to congressional appropriations and are included in the federal budget. In addition to the AATF, FAA operations are supported by a general fund that traditionally is a small fraction of the contributions from the AATF. The SRT argues that revamping how the FAA’s primary funding source (the AATF) collects and distributes revenue is necessary. As an example, AATF tax rates have not been updated since 1990. Likewise, there has been a significant evolution in aviation business models; AATF does not collect excise taxes from commercial space, UAS, or advanced mobility operators. In addition, ancillary airline fees, such as those charged for checked baggage, ticket changes, and on-board food sales, are not subject to the tax. The most pressing issue related to the AATF’s output is that it is still subject to appropriations and to federal budgetary caps on government expenditures despite, according to the report, “being collected from, and intended for, aviation.” One solution, according to the safety team, is to have Congress exempt appropriations funded by the AATF for the FAA facilities and equipment and operations accounts from federal budgetary caps up to the amount of revenue received into the AATF the previous year. The operations account funds day-to-day work and should rely on aviation user fees and become a “self-sustaining government service.” Updating the funding sources for the AATF would ensure that the FAA is not affected by government shutdowns. The recurring gridlock on Capitol Hill—including in recent months surrounding appropriations and reauthorization—negatively affects FAA employees and aviation safety. The recurring government gridlock is making it harder for the FAA to do its job, and if this continues, the safety panel warns, it could have long-term repercussions and increased safety risks. The report states, “This stop-and-start process in Congress has resulted in the disruption of critical activities, notably the hiring and training of air traffic controllers. It has also slowed down the implementation of key technology modernization programs, delayed thousands of flights, and held up billions of dollars of airport infrastructure investments.” According to the safety experts, “This situation makes it extremely difficult for the FAA to effectively conduct long-term business planning and execution.” Case in point, air traffic controller staffing has been significantly impacted by government shutdowns. In 2013, sequestration cuts and a 16-day shutdown suspended hiring for 10 months. Training at the FAA Academy was suspended during the shutdown. In 2018 and 2019, a 35-day partial government shutdown led to the suspension of air traffic controller hiring and training. Combined with the pandemic, which closed the FAA Academy for four months, hiring and training for approximately two of the last 10 years has been lost, according to the report. “These hiring slots and positions (nearly 1,600 controllers) cannot be recaptured.” Staffing and Training Staffing made up nearly half of the safety review team’s recommendations. Today, the FAA has 1,000 fewer top-tier certified professional controllers (CPCs) than it had in 2012. This, according to the report, reflects no change in the number of air traffic facilities and an “increased complexity of the airspace.” The panel found this to be problematic: “If unaddressed, the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) will be unable to maintain current capacity, let alone expand and modernize the system. The understaffing that currently exists within the ATO places additional strain on the system, further eroding the margin of safety and increasing risks.” The staffing issue is partially attributed to a massive air traffic controller retirement wave that began in 2005. These individuals were mostly hired after the PATCO air traffic controller strike in 1981. This was most recently exacerbated by the previously mentioned government shutdowns and global pandemic as well as an increase in attrition in 2021 and 2022. The single FAA Academy in Oklahoma City has created a bottleneck in training enough controllers to address the shortage. The safety team has recommended increasing the throughput at the training center by expanding the capacity in Oklahoma City, adding more instructors, and revamping the coursework to eliminate outdated and unnecessary material. Administrator Whitaker and some lawmakers have suggested adding a second facility. Adding to the complexities of training new controllers is a failure rate of 30 percent at the academy. The safety team found that this contributes to the lower-than-ideal throughput and recommends, “The FAA should examine both how it selects candidates and the training they receive and make changes to help reduce the washout rate.” Certain efforts, such as the Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program, seem to hold some promise for increasing the number of qualified controller applicants. The report suggests that CPC training timelines could be reduced by 30 percent without reducing the quality of instruction if the academy expands the use of simulators and other state-of-the-art training devices. Facilities, Equipment, and Technology The report also found, “The age and condition of FAA facilities and equipment are elevating system risk to unsustainable levels, even before considering losses in efficiency from outdated technology.” As an example, surveillance radars in the U.S. have an average age greater than 30 years. There are more than 500 of these systems in operation at airports and en route locations. Aging infrastructure impacts nearly every air traffic control system in the FAA’s inventory. Many systems are nearing obsolescence since many manufacturers of the original equipment no longer exist or support those legacy systems. Technicians within the FAA are retiring and do not pass along knowledge to younger employees. According to the report, the equipment replacement backlog is valued at $5.3 billion. The safety team also identified other examples of aging infrastructure and under-utilization of new technology as two major facilities-related issues. According to the report, the ADS-B equipage effort fell short for several reasons. As an example, “The military in particular did not equip all of its aircraft.” This prevents the FAA from decommissioning older systems, which adds to the cost with minimal user benefit. Alarmingly, investments in overhauling FAA technology have worsened the agency’s technology, according to the safety panel. “Newer systems are layered on top of older systems, and few old systems have been decommissioned or replaced.” In many respects, the obsolescence of critical operational facilities is even more extreme. According to the report, the FAA’s 21 air route traffic control centers (ARTCCs), which control en-route aircraft, are in buildings that are between 56 and 64 years old. If one ARTCC was replaced every other year beginning in 2025, some facilities would be over 100 years old before being replaced. Building age is not trivial; low-tech issues such as water leaks and broken HVAC systems can cause a facility to go “ATC-zero,” meaning there are no ATC services. The FAA, in response to the SRT’s recommendations, said: “The independent safety review team completed a thorough assessment and presented its recommendations to the FAA, to enhance safety and reliability in the NAS. Accordingly, the FAA will review internal safety processes, staffing levels, as well as needs for the facilities and equipment and how the agency's air traffic budget is funded.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2024-03-01/high-level-call-action-aviation-safety CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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 • Blazetech - Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course June 4 - 7, 2024 • Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc. (APSCON 2024) - July 29 - August 3; Houston TX • Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium - APATS 2024, 0-11 September, 2024, Singapore • Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis