Flight Safety Information - October 23, 2025 No. 212 In This Issue : Incident: Indigo A20N near Varanasi on Oct 22nd 2025, fuel leak : Bombardier DHC-8-402CC dash 8Q - Windshield Cracking (Japan) : ACSF- industry audit standard lite : NTSB preliminary report says pilot declined go-around twice before jet overran Roanoke runway : Nouvelair A320 may have overflown EasyJet aircraft by less than 10ft during wrong-runway landing : Spirit Airlines confirms merger talks, outlines postbankruptcy plan : India Complaints to ICAO over Hiring of Pilots, Engineers by Foreign Airlines : Embraer breaks ground on new Fort Worth MRO facility : Calendar of Event Incident: Indigo A20N near Varanasi on Oct 22nd 2025, fuel leak An Indigo Airbus A320-200N, registration VT-ITR performing flight 6E-6961 from Kolkata to Srinagar (India) with 166 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 20nm northeast of Varanasi (India) when the crew decided to divert to Varanasi reporting a fuel leak. The aircraft landed safely on Varanasi's runway 27 about 20 minutes later. Local police reported all occupants were safely evacuated. The airline reported the aircraft made a precautionary landing due to a technical issue. A replacement aircraft has been dispatched. A replacement A320-200 registration VT-IAS reached Srinagar with a delay of about 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Varanasi about 8.5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=52eb4eb0&opt=0 Bombardier DHC-8-402CC dash 8Q - Windshield Cracking (Japan) Date: Wednesday 22 October 2025 Time: c. 08:50 Type: Bombardier DHC-8-402CC dash 8Q Owner/operator: Ryukyu Air Commuter Registration: MSN: Engine model: P&W Canada PW150 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 20 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Minor Category: Incident Location: c. 20 km east of Naha Airport (OKA/ROAH) - Japan Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Okinawa-Naha Airport (OKA/ROAH) Destination airport: Minami Daito Airport (MMD/ROMD) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A DHC-8-Q402 Cargo Combi of Ryukyu Air Commuter operating flight RAC/NU861 took off from Okinawa/Naha at c. 08:25 and was bound for Minami-Daito. While flying at FL170, c. 20 km east of Naha, the outer layer of the left side windshield suffered cracked. The flight returned to Naha where a safe landing was carried out at c. 09:30. No injuries were reported among four crew and 16 passengers. The flight was terminated. Ryukyu Air Commuter owns five DHC-8-Q402CCs, i.e JA81RC thru JA85RC. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/553023 Nouvelair A320 may have overflown EasyJet aircraft by less than 10ft during wrong-runway landing French investigators have revealed that a Nouvelair Airbus A320 may have passed less than 10ft above a waiting EasyJet A320 during the recent landing conflict at Nice, after conducting its approach to the wrong runway. The inquiry into the extraordinary 21 September incident states that the Nouvelair A320 did not actually touch down on runway 04R after overflying the EasyJet aircraft, although its crew received an automated 20ft height callout before climbing away for a go-around. French investigation authority BEA has confirmed, in preliminary findings, that the Nouvelair crew had been cleared to land on runway 04L but instead lined up with the parallel 04R. BEA says the approach was conducted in darkness and it has highlighted a significant difference in illumination between the runways, stating that 04R’s lights are “much brighter” at night than those for 04L. BEA found the Nouvelair A320’s radio altimeter reading dropped from 39ft to 10ft as it passed over the waiting EasyJet flight Arriving from Tunis, the Nouvelair crew was cleared directly to the BISBO waypoint, south of the airport, to avoid weather. They opted then to use a slightly different RNP approach to 04L. The EasyJet crew, at the same time, had been cleared by the ground controller to taxi and hold short of 04L, in preparation to cross it to reach the departure runway 04R. BEA says the crew had remarked about poor visibility conditions on the ground. Just after the tower had cleared the Nouvelair crew to begin their RNP approach to 04L – an instruction read back correctly – the EasyJet crew switched to the tower radio frequency and was cleared to cross 04L. “The [EasyJet] crew checked that there was no aircraft on final [to 04L] before crossing,” says BEA. Although the crew, after crossing 04L, was cleared to line up on 04R they asked to wait at holding point W3 because the cabin was not fully prepared. Some 3min later the tower controller cleared the Nouvelair crew to land on 04L, and this was also read back correctly. After heading north to the airport from BISBO, the jet descended through the missed-approach point at 2,000ft and commenced a right turn to 040° to align with the runway heading. The captain, who was flying, reported having the runway in sight. As the aircraft turned, passing through 1,000ft, the tower controller instructed the EasyJet flight – now ready to depart – to line up and hold on 04R. Around 40s later the Nouvelair jet aligned with the axis of 04R, descending through 527ft at 1.8nm from the threshold. As the EasyJet aircraft moved into its path on 04R, it triggered an initial runway incursion alert in the tower from the Nice surface-movement system. BEA says a second, more urgent, alert sounded about 15s later when the Nouvelair A320 was 1nm from the runway. As the EasyJet crew turned left onto the threshold stripes of 04R, the first officer noticed the Nouvelair jet on final. “He expressed his surprise at the perceived flightpath,” says BEA. “However, the crew did not identify any conflict.” The tower controller contacted the Nouvelair flight to confirm runway 04L, and received a confirmation from the crew who reported that they were on short final for 04L. The controller then cleared the aircraft to land. At the time, however, the inbound jet was actually 0.7nm from 04R and descending through 200ft. BEA says the crew received automatic height callouts for 100ft, 50ft, 40ft and 30ft. The inquiry states that the aircraft’s radio altimeter reading suddenly dropped from 39ft to 10ft, before reverting to 24ft. BEA believes this interruption represents the moment that the descending A320 overflew the EasyJet aircraft, which was stationary and aligned with the 04R centreline. Airbus data shows the fuselage height of an A320 is just under 20ft while that of the vertical fin is about 39ft – indicating extremely close margins between the two aircraft. The 20ft callout and thrust ‘retard’ instruction also sounded as the tower controller ordered the Nouvelair crew to conduct a go-around. BEA says the main landing-gear of the jet “did not touch the runway” before it climbed away. It says the EasyJet crew requested to return to the apron, while the Nouvelair crew was vectored for an approach to 04L where the A320 landed about 16min after the go-around. BEA is still probing the circumstances of the conflict. It has noted that Nice’s runway configuration – using the northern runway for landing and the southern for take-off – is one which “differs from the current practice” of using the runway adjacent to terminal buildings for departures. “This choice of reversing the direction of the two runways reduces the impact of noise pollution from departing flights over urban areas,” it states. BEA will assess the lighting levels of the runways but has already pointed out that the lights for 04R appear much brighter than those for 04L at night. It adds that the precision-approach path indicator lamps for 04L are situated on the right-hand side of the runway, differing from the typical left-hand PAPI installation. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/nouvelair-a320-may-have-overflown-easyjet-aircraft-by-less-than-10ft-during-wrong-runway-landing/165003.article Spirit Airlines confirms merger talks, outlines postbankruptcy plan The Dania Beach, Florida-based discounter told investors earlier in October that it is "actively engaged in discussions with a number of interested counterparties." In non-Wall Street speak: Spirit is talking to other companies about a potential merger or takeover. A merger or sale of Spirit's assets has widely been discussed as potentially the best outcome for the airline since filing for its second Chapter 11 reorganization in less than a year in August. The carrier has struggled to grow revenues faster than costs since the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving a trail of red ink in its wake. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Wall Street analysts estimate that Frontier Airlines and JetBlue Airways would be the biggest beneficiaries of Spirit disappearing from the market. Other carriers, notably Southwest Airlines, would also gain. Spirit has made several failed attempts since 2022 to merge with Frontier and JetBlue. The investor disclosure filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Oct. 14 also details Spirit's plans if it does emerge from bankruptcy as its own airline. First, Spirit plans more schedule cuts. The carrier estimates that it will be about 20% smaller in 2026 than it is this year. And those reductions would be on top of the cuts it has already made; Spirit seats are already forecast to drop 24% in 2025, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows. Spirit hopes to resume "modest growth" in 2027, and then grow at an average annual rate of around 9% thereafter. Second, Spirit plans to shrink its fleet to just reliable Airbus A320 and A321 planes. That means it will get rid of all of the new-technology A320neo and A321neo planes in its fleet that are plagued with Pratt & Whitney engine issues. The carrier had 38 A320neo-family planes grounded for engine issues in September and another 20 aircraft parked ahead of sale. It has already requested court approval to return more than 100 of its 214 planes to lessors. And third, in what may be the biggest leap for Spirit, is repositioning its brand upmarket. The investor document outlines a target to shift its bare-bones, no-frills image to one catering to a "value-seeking audience." Shifting Spirit's brand upmarket in the eyes of consumers will be a challenge, given the airline's history as being an unpopular but affordable travel option, especially where competitors can offer a better product at a similar price. Ahmed Abdelghany, an associate dean and professor in the business school at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, believes that the preference of travelers in the U.S. has shifted since the late 2010s, when Spirit was a fast-growing, profitable carrier. "Many people have experienced [ultra-low-cost carrier] service and know what it means versus the full-service carrier," he said. That shift is benefiting full-service carriers like Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, and is driving the premiumization of airplane cabins in the U.S. Spirit itself has upgraded its Big Front Seat into "business class," and installed extra-legroom premium economy seats on its planes to cash in on this trend. Overarching Spirit's stand-alone plan is a promise to cut the costs that have climbed rapidly since the pandemic. In addition to shrinking its fleet, the airline has already issued furlough notices to hundreds of pilots and flight attendants, and slashed more than a dozen unprofitable destinations from its route map. https://thepointsguy.com/news/spirit-airlines-bankruptcy-plan/ India Complaints to ICAO over Hiring of Pilots, Engineers by Foreign Airlines As foreign airlines recruit more Indian pilots, a government proposal to curb talent outflow meets global resistance. DELHI- India’s aviation industry is growing rapidly, with airlines like IndiGo(6E) and Air India (AI) investing billions in new aircraft and infrastructure. However, the problem of large-scale recruitment of Indian pilots and engineers by foreign airlines, particularly those in the Gulf, has emerged. Speaking to The Hindu, IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers recently said that the mass poaching of Indian aviation professionals would be “disturbing” at a time when both public and private players are working to build a stronger aviation ecosystem. Elbers explained that while some movement of talent is natural, large-scale losses could hurt long-term planning for airlines that are investing for the next two decades. India Complaints to ICAO To address this issue, the Indian government submitted a working paper to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in August. The paper, titled “Practices Impacting Orderly Conduct of International Civil Aviation,” urged ICAO member states to consider a code of conduct to manage cross-border hiring. The document argued that aggressive recruitment by foreign carriers disrupts the growth of Indian airlines by taking away skilled workers like pilots, technicians, and maintenance engineers. It also pointed out that training replacements for such roles can take months or even years, leading to operational and financial strain on domestic airlines. India’s submission claimed this practice created an “unfair competitive disadvantage,” as Indian airlines effectively subsidize the training costs of foreign carriers when their staff leave for better-paying jobs abroad. India Complaints to ICAO over Hiring of Pilots, Engineers by Foreign Airlines Pushback at ICAO Despite India’s efforts, the proposal received little support at ICAO’s General Assembly in late September. Most member countries felt the proposed measures could interfere with the principles of free labor movement and open market competition. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA) also submitted a counter-paper, emphasizing that restricting pilots from seeking jobs abroad could violate basic labor rights. Pilot groups argued that instead of focusing on foreign recruitment, India should examine why aviation professionals are choosing to leave in the first place. Many pilots have cited dissatisfaction with working conditions, pay disparities, and limited career growth opportunities as major reasons for moving to Gulf carriers, where tax-free salaries and better benefits are offered. Some have also reported delays in getting official clearances from Indian authorities when switching jobs, which they say hints at hidden resistance to international mobility. A Limited Domestic Market The collapse of Jet Airways and Go First has further limited career options for Indian pilots. With IndiGo and Air India now controlling over 90% of the domestic market, pilots often find themselves stuck between two dominant employers with little room for negotiation. Pilot unions have warned that imposing hiring restrictions could lead to “bonded labor” conditions, where pilots are tied to one airline without fair terms or pay progression. They argue that any sustainable solution must come from improving local job satisfaction, not by blocking overseas opportunities. Bottom Line India’s call to regulate the poaching of aviation talent highlights a genuine concern — the need to balance rapid industry expansion with workforce stability. Yet, the rejection of its proposal by ICAO shows how complex the issue is in a globalized labor market. For now, the onus remains on Indian airlines and regulators to make domestic aviation jobs more appealing. Better working conditions, transparent contracts, and clear career paths could help retain talent without restricting individual freedom — ensuring that India’s skies remain both ambitious and fair. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2025/10/23/india-complaints-to-icao-over-hiring-of-pilots-by-foreign-airlines/ Embraer breaks ground on new Fort Worth MRO facility Embraer has begun construction on a new MRO facility for commercial jets at Perot Field Alliance Airport in Fort Worth. The ground-breaking ceremony gathered local leaders, Embraer executives, and partner representatives to celebrate this major step forward. The new hangar, designed with the latest technology, is due to open in 2027. Once operational, it will boost Embraer’s capacity to serve E-Jet customers across the United States by 53%. The project involves an investment of up to US$70 million and will create around 250 skilled aviation jobs in Texas. In partnership with the City of Fort Worth, Denton County, and the State of Texas, Embraer began operations at Alliance Airport earlier this year using an existing hangar. This collaboration reflects the company’s growing presence and confidence in the region’s aerospace industry. Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer, said the expansion marked an important milestone. “We are honoured to be here in Fort Worth – a city that represents innovation, resilience, and opportunity – to celebrate the start of our new MRO facility at Perot Field Alliance Airport. This moment marks a new chapter in Embraer’s journey in the United States, a country where we’ve been for more than 46 years. With an investment of up to US$70 million and the creation of 250 new skilled aviation jobs, this facility symbolises our long-term commitment to the U.S. market.” The new Fort Worth service centre will join Embraer’s global network of more than 80 authorised service centres and 13 Embraer-owned service centres worldwide. It will strengthen the company’s maintenance footprint and support continued growth in North America. https://avitrader.com/2025/10/23/embraer-breaks-ground-on-new-fort-worth-mro-facility/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS . Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC™) - 2025 – October 27-29th (Omaha, Nebraska) . 78TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT (IASS) - Lisbon, November 4–6 . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada . 2026 ACSF Safety Symposium; April 7-9, 2026; ERAU Daytona Beach, FL . 2026 NBAA Maintenance Conference; May 5-7, 2026; New Orleans, LA . BASS 2026 - 71st Business Aviation Safety Summit - May 5-6, 2026 | Provo, Utah . The African Aviation Safety & Operations Summit - May 19-20 | Johannesburg, South Africa . Safeskies Australia - Australia’s renowned Aviation Safety Conference - Canberra Australia 20 and 21 May 2026 . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis