Flight Safety Information - April 26, 2024 No. 084 In This Issue : Incident: Southwest B737 near Dallas on Apr 25th 2024, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Delta A339 at New York on Apr 21st 2024, nose wheel steering fault : Incident: France B772 near Baku on Apr 24th 2024, smoke on board : Incident: Condor A320 near Lausanne on Apr 21st 2024, hydraulic problem : Incident: United B763 near Providence on Apr 22nd 2024, suspected fuel leak : 24-year-old poses as Singapore Airlines pilot booked at Delhi airport : Cargo airline Amerijet warns of pilot furloughs amid downsizing : A Court Order After Go First Lessors Want 54 Aircraft Deregistered, Returned (India) : Which U.S. airlines have the oldest airplanes? : Nigeria’s aviation regulators corrupt, falsify airlines’ safety reports, approve shaky aircraft to fly: Keyamo : Airbus in talks on China jet order ahead of Xi visit, sources say : NATA’s June Air Charter Summit: Educating Operators, Elevating Standards : PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEYS Survey # 1 Survey # 2 : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Southwest B737 near Dallas on Apr 25th 2024, engine shut down in flight A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N793SA performing flight WN-4195 from Denver,CO to San Antonio,TX (USA), was enroute at FL410 about 130nm west of Dallas,TX (USA) when the crew initiated a drift down to FL330 reporting problems with the left hand engine (CFM56). The crew subsequently decided to divert to Dallas Love,TX (USA). While descending through 5000 feet the crew reported they were losing the #1 engine, actually they were just shutting it down. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Love Field's runway 13R about 35 minutes after the onset of trouble. A replacement Boeing 737-700 registration N494WN reached San Antonio with a delay of about 2.5 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground at Love Field about 7 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=517dad4b&opt=0 Incident: Delta A339 at New York on Apr 21st 2024, nose wheel steering fault A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-900, registration N404DX performing flight DL-49 from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to New York JFK,NY (USA) with 295 people on board, was on final approach to JFK's runway 22L when the crew went around from about 200 feet MSL reporting a nose gear steering fault. The crew worked the related checklists, requested the longest runway available and landed safely on runway 31L about 30 minutes after the go around. The aircraft returned to service about 3.5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=517d9bc4&opt=0 Incident: France B772 near Baku on Apr 24th 2024, smoke on board An Air France Boeing 777-200, registration F-GSPY performing flight AF-291 from Osaka (Japan) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France) with 280 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about 80nm north of Baku (Azerbaijan) when the crew initiated a rapid descent and decided to divert to Baku reporting smoke on board. The aircraft landed safely on Baku's runway 16 about 17 minutes later, stopped on the runway for an inspection by emergency services and subsequently taxied to a remote stand where the passengers disembarked via stairs. A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration F-GSPJ positioned from Paris to Baku and is currently on the ground in Baku waiting for departure estimated at about 22:00L (18:00Z) on Apr 25th 2024. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Baku about 26 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=517d8384&opt=0 Incident: Condor A320 near Lausanne on Apr 21st 2024, hydraulic problem A Condor Airbus A320-200, registration D-AICA performing flight DE-1412 from Munich (Germany) to Fuerteventura,CI (Spain), was enroute at FL340 near Lausanne (Switzerland) when the crew decided to turn around and divert to Frankfurt reporting a hydraulic problem. The aircraft landed safely on Frankfurt's runway 07C about one hour later. The airline reported there had been a problem with one of the valves, hence the crew decided to divert to Frankfurt where another aircraft was waiting. A replacement A320-200 registration D-AICE reached Fuerteventura with a delay of about 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service 97 hours (4 days and one hour) after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=517d93c6&opt=0 Incident: United B763 near Providence on Apr 22nd 2024, suspected fuel leak A United Boeing 767-300, registration N644UA performing flight UA-108 from Washington Dulles,DC (USA) to Munich (Germany), was enroute at FL330 about 30nm southeast of Providence,RI (USA) when the crew declared emergency reporting a fuel leak and requested to return to Washington Dulles. The aircraft landed safely in Washington about 80 minutes after declaring emergency. The aircraft is still on the ground in Washington about 66 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=517d9189&opt=0 24-year-old poses as Singapore Airlines pilot booked at Delhi airport • A 24-year-old person was booked for posing as a pilot with Singapore Airlines in front of CISF personnel at Delhi airport. The imposter, identified as Sangeet Singh, was found with a fake ID and uniform. The accused forged documents using online tools and deceived his family about his job. Case registered under IPC sections 420, 468, and 471. NEW DELHI: A 24-year-old was arrested for impersonating a Singapore Airlines pilot in the presence of CISF personnel, who are responsible for airport security throughout India. The person, who was apprehended for committing forgery, was observed roaming in the Metro Skywalk area of the Delhi airport, dressed in a Singapore Airlines pilot uniform and wearing a counterfeit ID around his neck. When stopped and questioned, the impersonator was identified as Sangeet Singh from Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. He was discovered to be carrying a Singapore Airlines ID for in-flight operations, which was later verified as fake upon inspection. Police reports indicate that the 24-year-old created the fake ID using an online app called Business Card Maker and acquired the uniform and accessories from Pilot 18, located in Sector 9, Dwarka, New Delhi. Additional investigation revealed that the impersonator had completed a one-year Aviation Hospitality course in Mumbai in 2020. However, he deceived his family and friends into believing that he had secured employment as a pilot with Singapore Airlines, according to the investigation. The accused, who has been taken into custody, faces charges under IPC sections 420, 468, and 471 for his actions. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/24-year-old-poses-as-singapore-airlines-pilot-booked-at-delhi-airport/articleshow/109613085.cms Cargo airline Amerijet warns of pilot furloughs amid downsizing Loss of US Postal Service contracts, other business add to financial pressure Amerijet International plans to furlough a number of pilots in the near future to shore up cash flow after the loss of major contracts with the U.S. Postal Service and other accounts, according to internal company communications. The number of pilots to be suspended depends on how many pilots accept offers to work less. The Miami-based cargo airline says it needs to reduce the pilot roster in line with lower customer demand. “If we do not have enough volunteers or an increase in business, we will be announcing furloughs in late May for a June reduction,” said Chief Operating Officer Craig Bentley in an April 23 memo addressed to pilots and obtained by FreightWaves. How many pilots could be affected by the workforce reductions is unclear. Amerijet has about 260 pilots on its rolls. Last year the Air Line Pilots Association’s website said there were 272 pilots. Pilots on chat boards and in interviews suggest Amerijet has a surplus of about 50 pilots. The roster has been declining because dozens of pilots have left in the past year to work for other airlines or retire at the same time Amerijet is not hiring. After few, if any, crew members agreed to take vacation or otherwise cut their work hours, Amerijet is asking them to take unpaid leave or agree to a one-month-on/one-month-off schedule, Bentley informed crew members on April 18. Final details had to be worked out with the Air Line Pilots Association before Wednesday’s message was issued. Experts in airline industry labor relations say furlough candidates will come from the bottom of the seniority list. They will retain some benefits and be the first called back when the company starts rehiring. Under a new collective bargaining agreement signed last summer, pilots are guaranteed a minimum of 74 paid hours even if they don’t fly that much. A series of cutbacks since early 2023 has not offset a sharp loss in business for the Miami-based cargo airline caused by the intersection of management missteps with a 16-month market contraction that stung the entire industry. Small and midtier carriers, like Amerijet, have not had as much financial flexibility to ride out the down cycle. The airline’s load factor, a measure of how full planes are, hit a three-year low of 29% in January. Cargo-revenue ton miles, which combines weight and distance pricing elements, fell 23.5% in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Amerijet currently employs about 887 people, down from a high of nearly 1,100 at the end of 2022 and 950 in January. Downward spiral Airfreight volumes are finally on the road to recovery in many global markets, but Amerijet’s situation has gotten worse with the recent loss of key customer accounts, forcing the company to downsize further and refocus on its core scheduled service in the Caribbean and Latin America. Amerijet is taking steps to address the pilot surplus after the U.S. Postal Service canceled contracts for three of four routes, which reduced monthly flight activity by 700 hours and the need for three Boeing 767 aircraft, Bentley said in last week’s memo. “Our company must adapt quickly to the changing market conditions,” he wrote. “It is not our intention or strategy to contract. However, we have to align our operations in the interim to the current conditions while we source and onboard new opportunities.” Two of the discontinued Postal Service routes connected Philadelphia to Sacramento and Ontario, California. The agency has not disclosed if the air cargo contracts have been awarded to another carrier. Since 2001 it has shifted regional air volume to less costly ground transportation as part of a transformation initiative designed to increase efficiency and save billions of dollars. But transcontinental lanes are areas where air cargo is still likely to be utilized because of the distance involved. Meanwhile, DHL Express has terminated long-term assignments to operate shuttle flights in its package network and reclaimed Boeing 767 freighters it lent Amerijet to operate on its behalf, FreightWaves previously reported. Amerijet also eliminated about 10 nonpilot positions in the past week, including in the flight operations department, according to two sources with intimate knowledge about the company who asked not to be identified to protect against potential retaliation. An Amerijet spokesperson did not respond by publication time to a request for additional details. The company has been in turmoil for years. The arrival of ex-Air Canada executive Tim Strauss as CEO three and half years ago divided many of the legacy staff who bristled at his management style and outside hires, many with backgrounds at passenger airlines. Motivated by skyrocketing airfreight demand during the pandemic and a desire to move up from a small regional operator to a midsize global carrier, management significantly expanded its fleet and entered new markets. But expansion coincided with a freight recession, meaning costs were rising as the company faced diminishing demand. A lengthy delay getting six Boeing 757 converted freighters certified and added to the fleet, partly due to internal compliance problems, proved costly when the planes were inactive but still required monthly lease payments. Steps to slow the hemorrhaging, including closing a small freight forwarding unit and offshoring accounting functions, culminated with Strauss’ termination in October and a January restructuring that resulted in the return of the six Boeing 757s to lessors and new investors putting up $55 million to support ongoing operations. In March, Chief Commercial Officer Eric Wilson was dismissed. Amerijet, as previously reported, lost $33 million in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation airline database. Aircraft tracking sites show Amerijet’s fleet, once as high as 22 aircraft, is down to 13 Boeing 767s. That’s one fewer than measured in early March, possibly related to DHL’s reclaiming one of its aircraft. Of the 13 freighters operated by Amerijet, three are owned and provided by customer Maersk Air Cargo. Shrinking puts more pressure on an airline’s unit costs and makes it hard to return to profitability. Costs go up with a smaller fleet as aircraft age and require more maintenance without the benefit of spreading fixed costs across new jets coming online. Also, the workforce gets more senior and more expensive without cheaper new employees lowering average costs. On the positive side, Amerijet’s revenue per block hour for the core business — regional scheduled service — has increased by double digits in the past year, and the company in March added 20 block hours per week to meet demand, Bentley told the pilots. He also said the airline is capturing significant amounts of flower business from Colombia and recently booked 50 extra trips to move flowers to the U.S. market ahead of Mother’s Day. One pilot who spoke on condition of anonymity said his trips to Colombia this spring are much higher than usual because the flower business is so brisk. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cargo-airline-amerijet-warns-of-pilot-furloughs-amid-downsizing A Court Order After Go First Lessors Want 54 Aircraft Deregistered, Returned (India) "DGCA shall forthwith and not later than five working days process the deregistration applications filed by the 54 aircraft," the court said. • A Court Order After Go First Lessors Want 54 Aircraft Deregistered, Returned • Go First Case: The high court said the process shall be done in not later than five working days. New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to forthwith process the applications filed by several lessors for deregistration of their 54 planes so that they could take them back from the crisis-hit Go First airline. The high court said the process shall be done in not later than five working days. Justice Tara Vitasta Ganju also restrained the resolution professional (RP) appointed under the insolvency law to manage the airline, and its directors from moving or taking away the planes or spare parts, documents, records and any other material. "DGCA shall forthwith and not later than five working days process the deregistration applications filed by the 54 aircraft," the court said. The high court said the DGCA, AAI and its authorised representatives shall aid and assist the petitioner lessors and grant them access to the airports. It said the lessors are permitted to export the aircraft as per the applicable rules and laws. "DGCA shall facilitate export of aircraft by providing export certificates and all other documents," it said. The high court pronounced the judgement on petitions by several lessors seeking de-registration of their planes by aviation regulator DGCA so that they could take them back from the airline. After pronouncement of the verdict, the counsel for some of the respondents urged the court to keep its directions in abeyance for a week. However, the judge refused to do so and said "you find another court to put my directions in abeyance". Several aircraft lessors of Go First had earlier approached the single judge seeking deregistration of their planes by aviation regulator DGCA so that they could take them back from the airline. Earlier, the NCLT-appointed resolution professional, tasked with managing Go First, had told the high court that returning aircraft to the lessors will render the airline, which has 7,000 employees to look after "dead". On May 10, 2023, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had admitted the airline's voluntary insolvency resolution petition and appointed an interim resolution professional to manage the carrier. With a moratorium in force on financial obligations and transfer of assets of Go First in the wake of the insolvency resolution proceedings, the lessors were unable to deregister and take back the aircraft leased to the carrier. The lessors had earlier told the court that denial of deregistration by the DGCA was "illegitimate". Some of the lessors who have approached the high court are: Accipiter Investments Aircraft 2 Limited, EOS Aviation 12 (Ireland) Limited, Pembroke Aircraft Leasing 11 Limited, SMBC Aviation Capital Limited, SFV Aircraft Holdings IRE 9 DAC Ltd, ACG Aircraft Leasing Ireland Ltd and DAE SY 22 13 Ireland Designated Activity Company. Besides, GY Aviation Lease 1722 Co Ltd, Jackson Square Aviation Ireland Ltd, Sky High XCV Leasing Company Ltd, Star Rising Aviation 13 Ltd, Bluesky 31 Leasing Company Ltd and Bluesky 19 Leasing Company Ltd have also approached the high court. Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com Go First stopped flying from May 3, 2023. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/a-high-court-order-after-go-first-lessors-want-54-aircraft-deregistered-returned-5529012 Which U.S. airlines have the oldest airplanes? HOUSTON – Safety in the skies is on a lot of passengers’ minds given recent incidents involving airplanes. Let’s be clear - flying is the safest form of mass travel. Southwest Airlines to stop flying out of 4 airports, including IAH, and limit hiring amid Boeing delays However, recent incidents including a door flying off of a Boeing jet, tires falling from planes taking off and even engine covers being torn off have travelers feeling a little unsteady in the sky. Now, airlines like Southwest say they’re seeing delays on orders for new jets. This means they have to keep flying older planes in order to keep up the same flight schedule. So, who has the oldest fleet of airplanes among the largest U.S. airlines? (in order of 2024 passengers carried) Airline Total Airplane Average Age American Airlines 945 12.8 years Delta Air Lines 932 15 years Southwest Airlines 814 11.7 years United Airlines 922 16.3 years Air Canada 190 10.5 years Alaska Airlines 231 9.9 years Spirit Airlines 199 6.8 years JetBlue Airways 286 12.7 years Volaris 114 5.8 years Frontier Airlines 131 4.2 Data from AirFleets.net shows that the oldest fleet of airplanes flying in the U.S. is United Airlines, which has a hub at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. United’s average aircraft age is 16.3 years old. Southwest Airlines perks amid problems: 45% off Rapid Reward points as it cuts service at IAH Southwest isn’t far behind with an average age of 11.7 years old. Southwest recently announced they’re pulling operations out of Bush Airport in Houston. They operate one of their hubs at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport. While delays on new aircraft is inconvenient for both the airlines and passengers, aviation experts reassure passengers that the older planes are still just as safe to fly. https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/04/25/which-us-airlines-have-the-oldest-airplanes/ Nigeria’s aviation regulators corrupt, falsify airlines’ safety reports, approve shaky aircraft to fly: Keyamo “Most of them don’t fly those airlines…they will tell their relatives ‘don’t fly that airline’ because they know the health status of those airlines,” Mr Keyamo Aviation minister Festus Keyamo has raised the alarm that Nigerians are in danger due to the nefarious activities of corrupt regulators who compromise to allow unhealthy aircraft to fly. Asked how airlines with unhealthy status are cleared to fly in Nigeria, Mr Keyamo cited corruption. He revealed that people’s lives were in danger because regulators compromised to clear unhealthy aircraft to fly. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to say this that there is deep complicity in the aviation sector,” Mr Keyamo said in an interview with Channels TV on Thursday night. “You’ll see regulators, who are supposed to be public servants, buying big houses and driving big cars. Because they are endangering the lives of Nigerians by cutting corners and falsifying reports.” Mr Keyamo said, “The truth of the matter is that there is falsification of reports in the system. Falsification of checks they do, falsification of training they do. It is a system of corruption we are fighting, and we are going to bring down that system. This sector is one of the most corrupt I’ve seen because people bypass regulations.” He added, “Most of them (corrupt regulators) don’t fly those airlines. After compromising, they will tell their relatives don’t fly that airline because they know the health status of those airlines. But innocent Nigerians will fly those airlines.” Peoples Gazette has contacted the regulators for comments. Mr Keyamo’s statement came after a Dana aircraft skidded off the runway at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on April 23. The minister had directed the NCAA to suspend Dana Airlines’ Air Operators Certificate on April 24. However, the Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative (ART) opposed the suspension of Dana Airlines operations and cautioned the ministry against interfering with the autonomy of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Meanwhile, the Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative (ART) has opposed the suspension of Dana Airlines operations and cautioned the ministry against interfering with the autonomy of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). “ART condemns the external interference demonstrated by the minister’s directive which serves to erode the institutional autonomy and jeopardises safety in the aviation sector. ART hereby reiterates its commitment to the non-negotiable autonomy of the NCAA as stated in Section 4 (3) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act,” the ART said in a statement. ART urged Mr Keyamo “to concentrate on policy issues that positively impact the airline industry” and “demands that other agencies be allowed to carry out their statutory obligations without interference, including the observed interferences at FAAN.” It also “requests that the minister move promptly to appoint the required boards to enable the smooth and properly guided operations of agencies.” https://gazettengr.com/nigerias-aviation-regulators-corrupt-falsify-airlines-safety-reports-approve-shaky-aircraft-to-fly-keyamo/ Airbus in talks on China jet order ahead of Xi visit, sources say PARIS/BEIJING, April 25 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab is in talks with China over a potentially major aircraft order ahead of a visit to France by Chinese President Xi Jinping, two people familiar with the matter said. The Chinese leader is due to make his first Europe trip in five years next month and diplomatic sources have said trade will be high on the agenda, amid mounting EU-China tensions. China has historically signalled large jet orders timed to coincide with state visits, but the negotiations between Airbus China's CASC buying agency are expected to go down to the wire and are not guaranteed to result in a deal, the people said. \ One of the people said a package could involve hundreds of jets, but the other cautioned talks are at a preliminary stage. Airbus declined comment and CASC could not immediately be reached for comment. In April last year, Airbus agreed to build a second Chinese assembly line or its A320neo narrow-body family during a state visit to China by French President Emmanuel Macron in a move to strengthen access to the world's second-largest aviation market. Airbus, which has overtaken Boeing as a supplier to China during a deepening rift between Washington and Beijing, also got the go-ahead to deliver 160 jets already sold, but European hopes of new orders did not materialise during that visit. Now, the parties are again involved in talks over a potentially large-scale order ahead of the return visit, with the results hinging in part on the political climate, the people said, asking not to be identified on confidential matters. The date of Xi's visit to France has not been confirmed but diplomatic sources have cited May 6-7. Macron was given an unusually lavish reception during his Beijing visit last year, viewed by analysts as a sign of China's charm offensive towards key nations from the European bloc to counter the United States. But since then, ties have been clouded by trade issues. Paris backed a European Commission anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicle imports, whose dominance in the EU market threatens European firms. France also introduced consumer subsidies for European-made EVs last December. Airbus says China's traffic will grow by 5.3% annually over the next two decades, outstripping a global average of 3.6%. In the past, China has tended to split jet purchases between Airbus and Boeing but deals with the U.S. planemaker have slowed significantly in recent years amid trade or political tensions. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/airbus-talks-china-jet-order-ahead-xi-visit-sources-say-2024-04-25/ PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY My name is Michail Karyotakis. I am a Research student at Cranfield University in the UK. Currently, I am working on my Research project, which is focused on Developing a Dynamic Safety Management Framework for Advanced Air Mobility Operations. The following Questionnaires serve the main purpose of data collection since data on the Research field is limited. The surveys are not affiliated with any airline, training organisation, or any other. Participation in the surveys is voluntary and anonymous (if desired by the participant). Each survey will take about 10 minutes to be completed. Thank you in advance for your time and patience. Your participation is highly appreciated. Please click the link below to enter the survey: https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1M8LnQdhnjnu0Jg (1) https://cranfielduniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dmoQJRGyrp9PUEK (2) Student email: michail.k.karyotakis@cranfield.ac.uk CALENDAR OF EVENTS • Blazetech - Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course June 4 - 7, 2024 • (APTSC) Asia and Pacific Turboprop Safety Conference - June 26 - 27, 2024 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • 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 Ground Handling Safety Symposium (GHSS) - September 17-18, 2024 - Fort Worth, TX • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • International Congress of Aerospace Medicine ICAM 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, 3 - 5 October 2024 • Aviation Health Conference back on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th October 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis