Flight Safety Information - July 3, 2025 No. 132 In This Issue : Incident: THY A21N at Dublin on Jul 1st 2025, tail scrape on go around : Incident: GoJet CRJ7 at St. Louis on Jul 1st 2025, smell of smoke : Incident: Spring Japan B738 near Osaka on Jun 30th 2025, loss of cabin pressure : Snake found on passenger jet in Australia, delaying flight 2 hours: "It looked very dangerous to me" : Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 faces mid-air scare, plane loses part of its wing flap : IATA’s I-ASC Light Assessment Helps Kenya Airways Elevate Safety Culture : Expert Panel Validates Criticism Of FAA Evacuation Study : US-bound Air India flight grounded in Vienna after issue detected during fuel stop : American Airlines Passenger Fined $60,000, Philadelphia Flight Canceled : Iraqi Airways completes 70% of safety standards to lift EU ban : Lufthansa Munich-Washington Flight Diverted After A380 Ran out of Fuel : Alaska Airlines to Exercise Option for Five Boeing 787-9 : Resonant Sciences Selects JDA for Part 145 Certification Support : Embraer delivered 61 new aircraft in 2Q25, up 30% over 2Q24 : Embry Riddle Student Wins $100,000 in Flexjet’s Private Jet Interior Design Contest : Calendar of Events Incident: THY A21N at Dublin on Jul 1st 2025, tail scrape on go around A THY Turkish Airlines Airbus A321-200N, registration TC-LTG performing flight TK-1973 from Istanbul (Turkey) to Dublin (Ireland), was landing on Dublin's runway 28L when the crew initiated a balked landing and went around, however, the tail contacted the runway surface. The aircraft climbed out to safety, positioned for another approach and landed on runway 28L without further incident about 15 minutes later. The aircraft is still on the ground in Dublin about 44 hours later. https://avherald.com/h?article=529d2f34&opt=0 Incident: GoJet CRJ7 at St. Louis on Jul 1st 2025, smell of smoke A GoJet Canadair CRJ-550 on behalf of United, registration N548GJ performing flight UA-4423 from St. Louis,MP to Chicago,IL (USA), was climbing out of St. Louis' runway 30L when the crew stopped the climb at 5000 feet due to the smell of smoke on board. The aircraft returned to St. Louis for a safe landing on runway 30L about 10 minutes after departure. The aircraft was evacuated. The airline reported the crew returned to St. Louis due to a lavatory smoke indication. A replacement CRJ-550 registration N566GJ reached Chicago with a delay of about 4 hours. Passengers reported after landing flight attendants instructed the passengers at the exit doors to open the doors. https://avherald.com/h?article=529cc56b&opt=0 Incident: Spring Japan B738 near Osaka on Jun 30th 2025, loss of cabin pressure A Spring Airlines Japan Boeing 737-800, registration JA06GR performing flight IJ-4/JL-8696 from Shanghai Pudong (China) to Tokyo Narita (Japan), had been enroute at FL370 and was step climbing to FL390 near Osaka (Japan) when the crew initiated an emergency descent from about FL386 due to the loss of cabin pressure, passenger oxygen masks deployed. The aircraft diverted to Osaka Kansai (Japan) for a safe landing on runway 24L about 55 minutes later. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported a pressurization system failure. https://avherald.com/h?article=529cc3c5&opt=0 Snake found on passenger jet in Australia, delaying flight 2 hours: "It looked very dangerous to me" An Australian domestic flight was delayed for two hours after a stowaway snake was found in the plane's cargo hold, officials said on Wednesday. The snake was found on Tuesday as passengers were boarding Virgin Australia Flight VA337 at Melbourne Airport bound for Brisbane, according to snake catcher Mark Pelley. The snake turned out to be a harmless 2-foot green tree snake. But Pelly said he thought it could be venomous when he approached it in the darkened hold. "It wasn't until after I caught the snake that I realized that it wasn't venomous. Until that point, it looked very dangerous to me," Pelley said. Most of the world's most venomous snakes are native to Australia. When Pelley entered the cargo hold, the snake was half hidden behind a panel and could have disappeared deeper into the plane. Pelley said he told an aircraft engineer and airline staff that they would have to evacuate the aircraft if the snake disappeared inside the plane. "I said to them if I don't get this in one shot, it's going to sneak through the panels and you're going to have to evacuate the plane because at that stage I did not know what kind of snake it was," Pelley said. "But thankfully, I got it on the first try and captured it," Pelley added. "If I didn't get it that first time, the engineers and I would be pulling apart a (Boeing) 737 looking for a snake still right now." Pelley said he had taken 30 minutes to drive to the airport and was then delayed by security before he could reach the airliner. An airline official said the flight was delayed around two hours. Because the snake is native to the Brisbane region, Pelley suspects it came aboard inside a passenger's luggage and escaped during the two-hour flight from Brisbane to Melbourne. For quarantine reasons, the snake can't be returned to the wild. The snake, which is a protected species, has been given to a Melbourne veterinarian to find a home with a licensed snake keeper. According to the Department of Biology at Lamar University, green tree snakes can live almost anywhere there is warm brush and shrubs. They eat frogs as well as lizards, small birds and eggs. Snakes have made cameos on Australian jetliners before. In 2013, stunned Qantas Airways passengers watched out their windows as a large python clung to a plane's wing during a two-hour flight from Australia's northeastern city of Cairns to Papua New Guinea. Snakes have been spotted on passenger jets in other countries. In 2022, a snake was discovered on board a United Airlines passenger flight from Tampa Bay, Florida, to Newark, New Jersey. The non-venomous snake was removed from the plane by airport staff after the flight landed in Newark. That same year, an AirAsia passenger plane was forced to divert and make an unscheduled landing after a snake was spotted slithering through the overhead lights. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snake-plane-australia-delayed-flight/ Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 faces mid-air scare, plane loses part of its wing flap According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, the flight was forced to land 55 minutes late at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport A Delta Air Lines jet avoided a major mishap and landed safely after it lost a part of its wing flap during a flight on Tuesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), reported the USA Today. The Delta flight 3247 was flying from Atlanta to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) when the incident took place. According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, the flight was forced to land 55 minutes late at RDU. The airline, however, did not attribute the delay to the incident but said its delays were a result of thunderstorms in the area, reported the media outlet. The plane was carrying 109 passengers and six crew members when the incident happened. There weren't reports of any injuries to anybody. "After the aircraft landed safely, it was observed that a portion of the left wing's trailing edge flap was not in place. Delta is fully supporting retrieval efforts and will cooperate with investigations as nothing is more important than safety," said a Delta spokesperson to USA TODAY. Meanwhile, the FAA is investigating the case to know the exact cause of the incident. They have also discovered an aircraft part on a driveway in Raleigh and are trying to determine whether it is the missing flap piece from the Delta jet. In another incident, 14 people were injured at a New Jersey airport following a skydiving plane crash on Wednesday (July 3). The incident happened while the plane was taking off from the airport. Officials stated that the plane, a Cessna 208B, was carrying 15 people, including the pilot, when it ran off the end of the runway and into the woods at Cross Keys Airport in Gloucester County around 5:30 p.m. Some of the injured passengers were taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, on stretchers, according to the hospital spokesperson. https://www.wionews.com/world/delta-air-lines-jet-faces-midair-scare-plane-loses-part-of-its-wing-flap-1751521792329 IATA’s I-ASC Light Assessment Helps Kenya Airways Elevate Safety Culture Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Kenya Airways is the first airline to have used IATA’s new Aviation Safety Culture Survey (I-ASC) Light. I-ASC Light is a support tool for airlines to improve safety performance by strengthening safety culture. The new module of I-ASC is an automated survey that evaluates nine key safety culture drivers*, provides detailed quantitative and qualitative results by function and organizational level, as well as expert analysis to guide improvements. Safety culture is the key focus of the IATA Safety Leadership Charter, to which Kenya Airways and 150 other airlines have made a formal commitment. A positive safety culture leads to better safety performance by supporting open reporting and learning, facilitating the effective management of safety risks and creating employee engagement based on trust. “Safety is our priority. It is ingrained in everything we do and is fostered through a culture of continuous improvement. This is where I-ASC Light is such a valuable tool. We were able to pinpoint key areas for improvement in a clear and structured way. During World Safety Day in April, we shared the results of the I-ASC survey across the airline, with each member of the senior management team signing their own safety charters committing to safety initiatives in the IATA Safety Leadership Charter, which we signed in 2024,” said Allan Kilavuka, Group Managing Director and CEO Kenya Airways. “The accessibility of I-ASC Light helps airline management teams quickly identify where they should focus in fostering a robust safety culture. As the global pioneer in using the new version of I-ASC, Kenya Airways is enabling concrete actions to meet their commitment to the IATA Safety Leadership Charter and to build a stronger safety culture across the airline,” said Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice President Africa and Middle East. https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-07-03-01/ Expert Panel Validates Criticism Of FAA Evacuation Study The FAA’s bottom-line conclusion from a series of evacuation trials that found current seat sizes are sufficient to ensure most of the U.S. population will not be impeded during an evacuation is not supported by the tests, an expert panel found. The conclusions from a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine peer-review of the FAA’s trials undercut a 2021 report developed in response to lawmakers’ claims that current seat dimensions are unsafe and need to be revised. The 2021 report was based on experiments and evacuation demonstrations conducted in 2019 and 2020 and overseen by the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI). The results led the FAA to conclude that current cabin seating requirements “can accommodate and not impede egress” for 99% of the general U.S. population. But that position “is not supported by the design and results of the research project,” the peer review group said in its report, made public July 1. “The committee finds that the key conclusion in CAMI’s report that current airplane seating configurations should not impede the evacuation of 99% of the general U.S. population is not supported by the design and results of the research project,” the peer review said. “To make such a definitive claim, CAMI would need to undertake an extensive series of additional evacuation trials or combination of seat row exit trials and computer-based evacuation that specifically take passenger body size into account as an independent variable.” Among CAMI’s shortcomings: evacuation demonstration participants were aged 18-60 and none had any acknowledged physical limitations. Anyone not meeting these criteria was excluded to ensure the trials would be as safe as possible—a move that was criticized in formal public comments on the final report. A more nuanced issue was CAMI’s emphasis on whether participants could sit in configurations of various dimensions, not whether the dimensions affect how quickly people could get out into the aisles. CAMI found that the smallest seats it used, with a 26-in. pitch, were too small for too many people. It settled on a 28-in. pitch for the trials. CAMI then focused on total evacuation times, not whether seat row dimensions affect those times. Its theory: most of an evacuation’s time is spent lined up to get out an exit. “CAMI reasoned ... that because all passengers onboard an airplane could get into their seats, they should be also able to get out of their seats, and that any additional time required to do so because of limited seat space should not affect the evacuation flow overall,” the committee report said. “In the committee’s view, the seat experiments represented a missed opportunity to learn more about the effects that seat pitch and width could have on a person’s ability to exit a seat and seat row.” While new trials are necessary to meet the original study’s objective, valuable information can be gleaned by additional analysis of CAMI’s current data. Among the recommendations: review the evacuation videos “to extract information about the time required for passengers with different body sizes to exit their seats and row, which could be useful to evacuation computer modeling,” the committee said. Congress in 2018 ordered the FAA to revisit cabin seating requirements and issue new, safety-based regulations, citing concern that the standards do not factor in growing average U.S. body sizes. The FAA responded with the CAMI trials and report. Congress repeated its call in 2024. Soon after, CAMI requested the peer review of its 2021 report. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/expert-panel-validates-criticism-faa-evacuation-study US-bound Air India flight grounded in Vienna after issue detected during fuel stop Routine checks during a planned Vienna fuel stop forced Air India's Delhi-Washington flight to stay grounded, The DGCA, following the AI171 crash, mandated enhanced safety inspections of all Dreamliner aircraft before takeoff and during transit. An Air India flight operating on the Delhi to Washington, DC route was grounded in Vienna on Wednesday after a routine inspection during a scheduled refuelling stop flagged an extended maintenance issue. Flight AI103, which departed from Delhi on July 2, landed in Vienna as part of a planned fuel halt. According to an Air India spokesperson, routine checks during the stopover revealed an issue that required additional maintenance work, forcing the airline to cancel the onward leg to Washington. "As a result, passengers were disembarked in Vienna. Those eligible for visa-free entry or holding valid Schengen visas were provided hotel accommodation until the next available flight. For passengers without entry permission, arrangements are being made in coordination with Austrian immigration and security authorities," an Air India spokesperson said. The disruption also impacted the return service — Flight AI104 from Washington to Delhi via Vienna — which was subsequently cancelled. Air India said affected passengers have been rebooked on alternative flights or offered full refunds. The flight was a Boeing Dreamliner, a passenger jet that is in focus around the world following the crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad, which killed over 270 people. Air India and its low-cost arm Air India Express together operate more than 1,100 flights daily, carrying over 1,50,000 passengers. The airline asserted that it has stepped up pre-flight safety checks and temporarily reduced some services to ensure operational stability and minimise last-minute disruptions. The Tata Group-owned airline has come under intense scrutiny following the Ahmedabad crash and a series of mid-air technical glitches on other routes. In response, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered comprehensive inspections of all Dreamliners equipped with GenX engines. The safety audit covers critical components such as fuel parameter monitoring systems, cabin air compressors, engine control systems, and more. The airline has warned of delays due to the inspection and said that "some of these checks could lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays on certain long-haul routes". The airline added that customers will be duly notified about any delays and advised them to check flight status before heading to the airport. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/us-bound-air-india-dreamliner-flight-held-back-during-vienna-fuel-stop-after-check-throws-up-issue-2749913-2025-07-03 American Airlines Passenger Fined $60,000, Philadelphia Flight Canceled The unauthorized access forced American Airlines to cancel the flight and conduct a complete security sweep, costing the carrier $59,143 in direct losses. PHILADELPHIA— A man has been fined nearly $60,000 for bypassing security at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and illegally boarding an American Airlines (AA) flight without being screened. The offender, Jonathan Beaulieu, boarded the aircraft without Transportation Security Administration (TSA) clearance, triggering a major security breach that forced American Airlines (AA) to cancel the flight and absorb significant losses. American Airlines Passenger Fined According to court filings, the incident occurred just after midnight on June 26, 2024, at Terminal C of Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). Jonathan Beaulieu, a 32-year-old resident of Philadelphia, attempted to re-enter the secure airside area by claiming he had left his cellphone behind. When denied re-entry, he tried to bribe the security guard with a $50 bill and forced his way past her, bypassing TSA screening. Surveillance footage later confirmed that Beaulieu had boarded an American Airlines aircraft. By the time authorities reached the gate, the aircraft door had already been closed, and the flight was preparing for departure. The unauthorized access forced American Airlines to cancel the flight and conduct a complete security sweep, costing the carrier $59,143 in direct losses, PYOK reported. Beaulieu was apprehended shortly after the security breach and was charged with entering a secured airport area in violation of federal regulations. In a plea deal earlier this year, he admitted guilt. On July 1, 2025, U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Hey sentenced Beaulieu to pay $59,143 in restitution to American Airlines (AA) and placed him on probation for one year. No jail time was imposed, but the court emphasized the seriousness of his actions and their broader implications for airport safety. Breach Highlights System Vulnerabilities The case has raised concerns about how easily airport security measures can be compromised through deception and minor physical breaches. While PHL Airport security eventually located the intruder using surveillance, the fact that he successfully boarded an aircraft unscreened underscores the need for enhanced personnel training and stricter access control protocols. Airport officials have not confirmed whether any internal disciplinary actions were taken against security staff involved in the incident. However, the court’s decision aims to serve as a deterrent against similar violations in the future. Similar Incident A 27-year-old man has pleaded guilty to illegally boarding a Delta Air Lines (DL) flight at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) without a valid ticket. The incident involved bypassing security using a mobile boarding pass belonging to another passenger. The unauthorized boarding occurred on Delta flight DL1683 bound for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). The man, Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, used a photo of a young girl’s QR code to gain access to the aircraft. Fleurizard was arrested in March 2024 following his attempt to fly undetected as a stowaway. Surveillance footage at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) revealed that he mingled with legitimate passengers and discreetly took photos of their mobile boarding passes. He ultimately used the QR code of a young girl to pass through the gate undetected. Once onboard the Airbus A320 operating Delta Air Lines flight DL1683, he hid inside a rear lavatory while boarding was underway. His intent was to emerge after takeoff and occupy any empty seat. However, the flight to Austin (AUS) was fully booked, leaving him without a seat. Unusual Behavior Triggers Crew’s Suspicion Flight attendants noticed Fleurizard’s repeated movements between the lavatory and the cabin. His actions prompted one crew member to verify the passenger manifest using a mobile device. When his name was not found on the list of ticketed passengers, airline staff confronted him. During questioning, Fleurizard claimed he was trying to return to Florida. He was reportedly attempting to use non-revenue (non-rev) flight privileges extended to him by a friend employed at Southwest Airlines (WN). After failing to secure a seat on overbooked flights, he decided to board the Delta (DL) flight in hopes of continuing his journey from Austin (AUS). As part of a plea agreement, Fleurizard admitted to knowingly boarding an aircraft without authorization. Under U.S. federal law, being a stowaway on a commercial aircraft is a serious offense. He now faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/07/03/american-airlines-passenger-fined-60k-flight-canceled/#google_vignette Iraqi Airways completes 70% of safety standards to lift EU ban Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, announced on Tuesday that Iraqi Airways has completed 70 percent of the safety requirements needed by the European Union (EU). In a statement to the state-run news agency (INA), Al-Saadawi explained that Iraq’s national carrier had reached agreements with specialist foreign companies to help Iraqi Airways and the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) meet the EU safety requirements. The European Union’s ongoing embargo on Iraqi Airways’ aircraft has been a significant obstacle for the airline for almost ten years. The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) international aviation safety requirements were not met by the company, which is why it was banned. Following the invasion of Kuwait by the previous Iraqi regime and the application of international sanctions on Iraq, Iraqi Airways was banned by the European Union in 1991. Due to violations of air safety regulations, the ban was reinstated in 2015 after having been temporarily lifted in 2009. The issue continues despite Iraq’s multiple attempts to have the ban lifted, raising concerns about the underlying reasons for its persistence. According to experts, the primary cause of Iraqi Airways’ ongoing European ban is the airline’s noncompliance with the safety regulations set out by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). To enable Iraqi Airways to meet international standards, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, ordered the adoption of a new administrative organizational structure during a meeting with a delegation from IATA earlier in November. According to Maitham Al-Safi, the spokesperson for the Iraqi Transport Ministry, the prohibition is due to the company’s failure to comply with international safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Until Baghdad completes the safety standards required by the EU, the ban imposed on Iraqi Airways’ access to European airspace since 2015 is a significant obstacle for the Iraqi aviation sector. https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq/iraqi-airways-completes-70-of-safety-standards-to-lift-eu-ban/#google_vignette Lufthansa Munich-Washington Flight Diverted After A380 Ran out of Fuel The controller responded that all normal routing to Dulles was closed, and cleared the flight to proceed toward Boston. MUNICH— A Lufthansa (LH) transatlantic flight from Munich Airport (MUC) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) was forced to divert to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) due to fuel concerns after being rerouted mid-flight, on June 30, 2025. The Airbus A380-800, operating as flight LH414, encountered unplanned airspace routing over the northeastern U.S. that extended the flight path, leaving insufficient fuel to safely continue to Washington (IAD) under Lufthansa’s operational standards. Lufthansa Flight Diverted to Boston Flight LH414, operated by Lufthansa (LH) with an Airbus A380-841 (registration D-AIMM), departed Munich (MUC) en route to Washington Dulles (IAD) on June 30, 2025. Nearing New England airspace, the crew informed Boston Center that continuing on the assigned routing would result in a fuel-critical situation. LiveATC audio confirms that the crew reported, “if we continue this routing with the additional time, that basically leaves us with zero fuel,” prompting an immediate request to divert to Boston (BOS). The controller responded that all normal routing to Dulles was closed, and cleared the flight to proceed toward Boston. The aircraft subsequently landed safely at BOS, and no injuries or emergencies were reported onboard. Here’s the complete conversation between Pilot and Center: DLH1HT: Boston Center good afternoon, Lufthansa 1H Super flight level 400 Center: Lufthansa 1HT, Boston Center hello DLH1HT: And, 1HT we got a diversion Center: Lufthansa 1HT you said you have to divert? DLH1HT: Affirm, if we continue this routing with the additional time that basically leaves us with zero fuel for – *Stepped on by Southwest 3158 checking in* – we have to go to Boston unless you can find a shorter route to Washington Center: Lufthansa 1HT, yeah everything is uh… the normal routing is shutdown, that’s the only route to Dulles. Where you gonna divert to? DLH1HT: Boston Center: Lufthansa 1HT roger, fly your present heading I’ll have routing A Lufthansa (LH) transatlantic flight from Munich Airport (MUC) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) was forced to divert to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) due to fuel concerns after being rerouted mid-flight, on June 30, 2025. Routing Disruption and Operational Impact The A380’s diversion was triggered by congestion or airspace closures along the planned corridor to Washington. While the exact cause of the rerouting remains unclear, ATC noted that “the normal routing is shutdown,” implying airspace constraints over the eastern U.S. that required longer detours. Under Lufthansa’s strict fuel policies and international safety regulations, such scenarios trigger an automatic diversion if the aircraft cannot reach its destination with the required minimum fuel reserves. The delay would have also significantly impacted connecting passengers at Washington Dulles. The return flight LH415 from Washington to Munich was cancelled, as the aircraft remained in Boston. Passengers were reportedly rebooked or accommodated on alternative flights. Passenger Disruption For affected passengers, the diversion likely meant missed connections and unexpected overnight stays. However, Boston Logan’s connectivity made rebooking logistically manageable for Lufthansa staff. As the aircraft was not originally scheduled to terminate at BOS, handling crews had to improvise ground operations, including baggage and refueling logistics. A full recovery of the aircraft to Washington or Munich remains unconfirmed at the time of writing. However, Lufthansa is expected to reposition the aircraft promptly to resume its long-haul rotation. Similar Incident United Airlines (UA) flight UA83, operating from Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), Delhi to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) on December 11, 2024. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner made the unscheduled stop due to low fuel, prompting a mid-Atlantic diversion. The aircraft later continued safely to its destination in Newark (EWR) after refueling. Flight UA83 departed from Delhi (DEL) at 6:35 PM UTC using runway 29R/11L. Operated by United Airlines (UA), the aircraft was a Boeing 787-9 registered as N24979, equipped with GEnX engines, and approximately 4.7 years old. The nonstop service between Delhi and Newark covers about 11,786 km (7,324 miles), typically requiring around 16 hours of flight time. However, about 14 hours into the journey, while flying over the Atlantic Ocean near the eastern seaboard, the flight crew informed air traffic control of low fuel levels and requested a diversion. The aircraft landed at Boston Logan (BOS) around 10:00 AM UTC and taxied to Terminal E. Although connected to a jet bridge, passengers remained onboard during the refueling process, which lasted approximately three hours. Flight UA83 departed Boston at 1:12 PM UTC and landed at Newark (EWR) an hour later, at 2:11 PM UTC. The aircraft proceeded to Terminal B, and passengers disembarked without incident. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/07/02/lufthansa-munich-washington-flight-diverted-to-boston/#google_vignette Alaska Airlines to Exercise Option for Five Boeing 787-9 SEATTLE — Alaska Airlines (AS), now operating as Alaska-Hawaiian following the merger with Hawaiian Airlines (HA), is moving forward with plans to expand its wide-body fleet. According to sources familiar with the matter and confirmed via the Alaska Pilots Podcast, the airline is exercising options for five additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. While the move had been circulating internally, public confirmation came through the Alaska Airlines pilots' union podcast released on July 2, 2025. Along with the 787 order, the podcast also confirmed that Alaska-Hawaiian is firming additional options for the Boeing 737-10. The airline is also preparing to open a new 787 pilot base in Seattle. The base will initially accommodate 15 captains and 30 first officers, with training classes to be made available to current Alaska Airlines pilots. This development comes even though Alaska and Hawaiian pilots have not yet finalized a merged contract. The 787 expansion aligns with AS-HA’s broader strategy to grow its long-haul and transpacific footprint, leveraging Hawaiian’s established routes and Alaska’s West Coast hubs. In brief, here is the scope of Alaska Airlines's future operations with the Boeing 787: Seattle to Rome Route: Alaska Airlines will launch a new nonstop route between Seattle and Rome in May 2026, which will be operated by a Boeing 787-9. This is Alaska's first European destination and will mark a new chapter for their long-haul flying. Utilizing Hawaiian's Fleet: Prior to the merger, Alaska Airlines did not operate wide-body aircraft. The acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines gave Alaska access to a fleet of widebody planes, including the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Seattle as a Global Gateway: Alaska is developing Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) into a global hub, with plans to serve at least a dozen international destinations with wide-body aircraft by 2030. The Boeing 787 will play a key role in this expansion. https://www.airwaysmag.com/new-post/alaska-airlines-for-five-boeing-787-9 Resonant Sciences Selects JDA for Part 145 Certification Support OLNEY, MD – JDA Aviation Technology Solutions, a leader in aviation compliance consulting and certification support, announced today that it has been awarded a contract to assist Resonant Sciences, a Dayton, Ohio aerospace manufacturing company, in obtaining a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 145 Repair Station Certificate (RSC). Under the terms of the agreement, JDA will provide end-to-end certification support—including a Repair Station regulatory manuals, quality control system, training, and audit preparation for Resonant Sciences, a new entrant in the aviation maintenance sector. The FAA Part 145 certification is a critical credential for our company, said Josh Noble, Director of Quality Operations for Resonant Sciences. With JDA’s support we are expanding our services with delivery of high-quality MRO services in compliance with FAA requirements. "We are honored to be selected as a trusted partner for this important project," said Tom Stuckey, JDA’s Vice President of Business and Commercial Aviation. Achieving Part 145 certification is a significant milestone, and we look forward to working with Resonant Sciences Client through every phase of the process." To learn more about JDA’s 145, SAS and SMS support program contact Tom Stuckey at 301-941-1460 (ext 210) or 817-733-6808, or via email to tstuckey@jdasolutions.aero. # # # About JDA - For more than 31 years, JDA has been a leading aviation industry consultant, delivering innovative solutions for aviation client challenges in safety, compliance, certification, obstruction evaluation, technology infusion and airport support. JDA offers a wide range of certification and operations-related services and products including technology transfer, new carrier certification, obstruction evaluation, safety-based manual systems, SAS Conformance Audits, and Safety Management Systems. www.jdasolutions.aero Embraer delivered 61 new aircraft in 2Q25, up 30% over 2Q24 Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has revealed it delivered 61 aircraft in the second quarter of 2025 (2Q25) across all its business units. The result represents an increase of 30% compared to the same period in 2024, when 47 airplanes were delivered, and more than double (103%) the volume recorded in the first quarter of 2025. Breaking down the figure of 61 units further, the company delivered a similar number of commercial aircraft in 2Q25 as in 2Q24, totaling 19 aircraft. This figure included nine E175s, one E190-E2 (for Mexicana), and nine E195-E2 jets. Compared to 1Q24, deliveries for the period were up by an impressive 171%. So far in 2025, the company has delivered 26 commercial aircraft (the same as this point in 2024) and is aiming for 75 to 95 airframes for the 2025 year. In the business aviation sector, the company delivered four Phenom 100 and nine Phenom 300 light business jets during the period. These figures were up from two and 12, respectively, during the first quarter of 2025 and similar to 2024 when it delivered two and 18 of the types. In the midsize jets category, the planemaker delivered eight Praetor 500 and nine Praetor 600 business jets, up from three and six in 1Q25, plus three and four in 2Q24. The company has so far delivered 61 business jets in the first half of 2025 and is aiming to deliver in the range of 145 to 155 throughout the year. Lastly, in the defense sector, while Embraer did not deliver any of its C-390 Millennium, it made up for it on the last day of 2Q25 when the company delivered four A-29 Super Tucano training aircraft to the Paraguayan Air Force. These are the first four of the type to be delivered during 2025. At the Paris Air Show 2025, Embraer announced it had secured deals with SkyWest Airlines for the carrier to purchase up to 110 Embraer E175s, with 16 already allocated to operate for Delta Air Lines. Embraer and SkyWest announced on June 18, 2025, that the airline would purchase 60 aircraft with purchase rights on 50 extra planes in the future. SkyWest confirmed that 16 new E175 aircraft would operate under a multi-year contract for Delta Air Lines with deliveries set to begin in 2027. Then, on the same day, South Africa-based regional airline Airlink announced plans to lease 10 new Embraer E195-E2 twin-engine passenger aircraft from Azorra, an aircraft lessor based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As part of the agreement that will be finalized soon, Airlink will enhance its existing fleet of 68 aircraft with the new E2 aircraft, with deliveries from Embraer’s facilities in Brazil anticipated from later in 2025 until 2027. Embraer also announced that Bridges Air Cargo will be the launch customer of its new passenger-to-freight (P2F), E-Freighter E190F conversion. This was followed by the Ministry of National Defense of Lithuania announcing that the Embraer C-390 Millennium had been chosen as the country’s next-generation military transport aircraft. Most recently, on July 1, 2025, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) said it was ordering up to 55 Embraer E-195 E2 aircraft (45 firm orders and 10 options). E2 deliveries to SAS are expected to start in late 2027 and will be spread over four years, with the airline receiving approximately one new aircraft per month. The total order’s value is around US$4 billion. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/embraer-deliveries-2q25 Embry Riddle Student Wins $100,000 in Flexjet’s Private Jet Interior Design Contest Embry-Riddle student Woojae Sohn’s winning design for the Flexjet Project LXi - Design the Ultimate Private Jet Interior Contest Embry Riddle Aeronautical University student Woojae Sohn has been awarded $100,000 for his winning design in Flexjet’s Project LXi - Design the Ultimate Private Jet Interior Contest. Sohn, a first-year Aviation Business student and Air Force ROTC cadet, will also see the design, titled “Carolina,” installed on one of Flexjet’s Gulfstream G650 aircraft and become one of Flexjet’s LXi Cabin Collection of custom interiors. Sohn worked with his father, Youngmin, on the design, drawing inspiration from family vacations in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The pair’s winning concept features a brown, tan and cream interior. Design elements include dappled sunlight, flowing water and an outline of trees on the interior bulkhead’s veneer, representing a memorable grove from their past vacations. In choosing the design, Flexjet Chairman Kenn Ricci said he found the tufting proposed for the couch and ottoman, as well as the wood grain of the table, to be unique and something he had never seen before in an aircraft interior, according to a July 1 news release published by Flexjet. “Choosing the winner of Project LXi - Design the Ultimate Jet Interior was no easy task, but only one interior design incorporated nature, elegance and motion so gracefully,” Ricci wrote in a post on his Instagram account. Embry-Riddle student Woojae Sohn’s winning design for the Flexjet Project LXi - Design the Ultimate Private Jet Interior Contest A second rendering of Sohn’s winning design, which will be installed on one of Flexjet’s Gulfstream G650 aircraft and become one of Flexjet’s LXi Cabin Collection of custom interiors. (Photo: Flexjet) The contest, which launched in October 2024, drew more than 150 entries. A committee of Flexjet creatives and executives then selected 12 designs to be voted on by the public. The company’s engineers and designers created more precise visual renderings of the six designs that earned the highest vote totals. The team then sourced the materials needed to create the designs to assist Ricci in selecting the winner. During a video call from Flexjet’s global headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, Ricci informed Sohn that his design had won. “I want you to call your dad tonight and tell him we talked, and we decided to name it ‘Carolina’ and it’s our winner,” Ricci told Sohn, who was at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The elder Sohn is a design director, and the pair collaborated every weekend to craft the interior. “This contest created a stronger bond between me and my father,” Sohn told Ricci. The Sohns will be invited to tour Flexjet’s global headquarters to learn more about the installation process of the newest LXi Cabin Collection interior design. There will also be a formal awards presentation. “Flexjet will involve the Sohns in each step along the way in creating this interior,” the company said in its news release. Flexjet Chairman Kenn Ricci is an Embry Riddle trustee. https://news.erau.edu/headlines/embry-riddle-student-wins-$100000-in-flexjets-private-jet-interior-design-contest CALENDAR OF EVENTS . Airborne Public Safety Association -APSCON / APSCON Unmanned 2025 in Phoenix, AZ | July 14-18, 2025 . 3rd annual Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety (AP-SAS), July 15-17, 2025, Singapore, organized by Flight Safety Foundation and CAAS. . Asia Pacific Aviation Safety Seminar 2025; 10-11 September 2025; Manila, Philippines . 2025 PROS IOSA SUMMIT - SEPT 10-11 - Denver, CO · ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025'September 29, 2025 – October 3, 2025, DENVER, COLORADO . Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC™) - 2025 – October 27-29th (Omaha, Nebraska) . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada Curt Lewis