Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Air France to cut 2,500 jobs next year


Air France on Wednesday confirmed its intention to cut around 2,500 jobs in 2014 as part of a wide-ranging restructuring drive that has already seen thousands take voluntary redundancy.

The airline has been struggling to cope with the rise of low-cost airlines and competition from Middle Eastern and Asian carriers.

A spokesman said the proposed cuts would be made without forced redundancies, saying the exact amount "will be discussed and quantified with unions this fall. It could be a little more than half of the redundancies identified in 2012."

The measure is part of a major restructuring drive called Transform 2015, which has already seen more than 5,000 employees take voluntary redundancy.

The news comes after the company's CGT union branch earlier Wednesday said management had broken the news to employee representatives at a works council meeting.

The restructuring drive has helped parent company Air France-KLM cut huge losses although it says more cost-saving is needed.

The group last week announced net losses of 793 million euros for the first half of 2013, against wider losses of 1.27 billion euros in the first half of last year.

Chief executive Alexandre de Juniac at the time welcomed improving results, but warned that further measures would be adopted to reduce costs, including staffing cuts.

SOURCE


Sunday, July 28, 2013

SIA cuts pilot training time


Singapore Airlines (SIA) has cut pilot training time by three months and will close one of its two facilities in Australia. Instead of 90 weeks, cadets will undergo a 78-week course - in Singapore and at SIA's Jandakot facility in Perth.

The school in Maroochydore, Queensland, which opened in 2002, will be shut down next March, said SIA spokesman Nicholas Ionides. The changes reflect developments in training technology and procedures, he added.

He told The Straits Times: "This is not intended as a cost-cutting measure and is not related to a surplus of pilots." There will be no impact on the quality of training, he stressed.

SIA froze cadet pilot recruitment about 18 months ago amid slower-than-expected growth, and has asked junior pilots to volunteer for unpaid leave. Its pilots are trained by its subsidiary, Singapore Flying College.

Before, a cadet would spend 34 weeks in Singapore, 44 in Jandakot and the last 12 weeks at the Maroochydore school where they undergo jet aircraft training in small planes. Today, state-of-the-art training devices are capable of replicating realistic operational scenarios, Mr Ionides said.

Cadets are also exposed to the jet environment and curriculum very early in their pilot training.

This negates the need for the specific jet exposure offered at Maroochydore, he said. Additional training modules have also been incorporated into the programme that new pilots undergo in Singapore before they become first officers.

At the Maroochydore facility, 12 out of 15 staff have left. The last few will stay until closing day, Mr Ionides said. The school's three flight simulators and four Cessna C510 Mustang aircraft will be sold.

Pilot training experts pointed out that increasingly, airlines are adopting programmes that aim to put new pilots into commercial jets with more relevant hands-on experience.

Instead of spending as much as 80 per cent of training time in a light aircraft, new pilots now make more use of flight simulators and techniques that build interpersonal and communication skills to prepare them to operate in a multi-crew environment.

The new multi-crew pilot licence programme is certified by global civil aviation bodies including the International Civil Aviation Organisation. It is also supported by the International Air Transport Association, the global voice of airlines.

SOURCE


Saturday, July 27, 2013

AirAsia Japan to cancel hundreds of flights


AirAsia Japan has said the budget carrier will cancel hundreds of flights over two months before it ceases operations under the current brand at the end of October.

AirAsia Japan, operated jointly by Malaysia-based AirAsia and major Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA), will suspend 14 daily flights from September 1 to October 26, according to a company statement.

The carrier said the cancellations, which will reportedly affect 14,000 passengers, was because of a lack of planes to service all its routes.

The affected routes include flights linking Seoul to the central Japanese city of Nagoya and Tokyo to the northern city of Sapporo.

The carrier will cease operations by the end of October, just over a year after it started flying out of Tokyo's Narita airport in August.

Announcing the dissolution of AirAsia Japan in June, the Malaysian carrier cited a "fundamental difference of opinion between its shareholders on how the business should be managed, from cost management to where the domestic business operations should be based".

ANA, however, said the venture dissolved because it was not well known in Japan and could not register profits.

The Japanese carrier plans to launch a new budget brand in November.

SOURCE

Friday, July 26, 2013

Tigerair's Q1 losses climb to $33m


Losses at Tigerair for the three months to June 30 more than doubled to about $33 million compared with the same quarter last year, dragged down by the performance of its associates in Indonesia and the Philippines as well as higher expenses.

This was despite the group reporting a much narrower operating loss from $11.8 million to $6.2 million during the quarter. Overall turnover grew 30 per cent to $236.2 million, as Tigerair carried more passengers in its key Singapore and Australian markets, the group said yesterday.

The airline comprises Tigerair Singapore and Tigerair Australia, and associates Tigerair Mandala (Indonesia) and Tigerair Philippines.

Group chief executive officer Koay Peng Yen said the improvement in operating performance was due to the Singapore and Australian markets recording "significant increases in traffic volume in spite of a traditionally weak quarter for the air travel industry".

Total spending rose for the first quarter by 25.5 per cent to $242.4 million. During the quarter, Tigerair flew close to two million passengers, or a 36 per cent increase from a year ago.

The pick-up in Australia was significant given the big hit the airline took in July 2011 when the Australian civil aviation authority grounded all its planes over safety concerns. Since then, Tigerair has restructured its Australian business and recently sold a 60 per cent stake to Virgin Australia.

Going forward, the airline will continue to expand its business in South-east Asia with new aircraft and new destinations flown from Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, Mr Koay said during a media teleconference yesterday after the numbers were released.

In Indonesia, the group will continue to build its market presence while the Philippine arm will focus on growth in potential markets such as China.

To grow market share and boost shareholder value, the group recently unveiled a new brand and look - ditching its leaping tiger icon and changing its name from Tiger Airways to Tigerair.

Mr Koay said: "The recent brand refresh marks a significant milestone." The new Tigerair will continue to invest in new initiatives to make travel "a stress-free affair" for customers, he said.

SOURCE


Thursday, July 25, 2013

Singapore Airlines Q1 net profit up 56%


Singapore Airlines (SIA) said Thursday its net profit in the first financial quarter rose 56 percent from the year before, mainly due to one time gains.

Net profit of S$122 million (US$96 million) in the April-June period was driven largely by proceeds from the sale of surplus aircraft and gains after it sold its stake in Virgin Atlantic to Delta Air Lines, SIA said in a statement.

Revenue climbed 1.7 percent to S$3.84 billion.

The Asian carrier received a net gain of S$336 million from the sale of its stake in Virgin Atlantic to the US carrier.

However, SIA said also suffered a "restructuring impairment cost" totalling S$293 million on four surplus freighter aircraft it removed from the operating fleet and marked for sale.

"The group's operating environment continues to be impacted by the uncertain global economic climate and high fuel prices," the airline said, commenting on the market outlook.

Forward passenger bookings are likely to be higher in the next few months but "yields are expected to be weaker as a result of the intense competitive environment".

Cargo demand is also forecast to "remain depressed", SIA said.

SIA is facing stiff rivalry from Middle Eastern and other Asian carriers as well as from budget airlines which have grown in number in Asia.

SIA reported a net profit in the year ending March of S$379 million, up 12.8 percent, boosted by surplus from the sale of aircraft, spares and spare engines.

Shares of SIA fell 0.58 percent to close at S$10.25 Thursday before the results were released.

SOURCE


Tigerair launches MPL program with CAE Oxford


The Tigerair Group has entered an arrangement with CAE Oxford Aviation Academy (OAA) to offer training for multi-crew pilot licences (MPL) in Melbourne and Singapore.

Under the agreement, the OAA will train new A320 first officers for the Singapore-based carrier in a competency-based MPL program to be conducted at training locations in Singapore and Melbourne. Following a joint CAE Oxford Aviation Academy and Tigerair assessment and selection process, an initial group of 10 cadets will enrol in the MPL program later this year.

In support of this program as well as other regional programs, CAE OAA plans to open an ab initio ground school training location within CAE’s new training centre in Singapore.

Following the delivery of the ground school training phase in Singapore, the Tigerair cadets will undertake the core and basic phases of flight training at CAE Oxford Aviation Academy’s flight school in Melbourne before returning to Singapore to complete the intermediate and advanced phases of the training on CAE’s A320 full flight simulator.

“Tigerair’s growth requires a steady supply of highly qualified and well-trained pilots. We look forward to partnering with CAE Oxford Aviation Academy, which offers the world’s premier MPL training curriculum, to produce the next generation of pilots,” said Ho Yuen Sang, managing director of Tigerair.

SOURCE


Details of Changi East developments out soon


Details of developments at Changi East will be made known to the public soon.

Some developments in the works include a mega-passenger terminal to cater to more passengers and a third runway for Changi Airport.

Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Mrs Josephine Teo, said the inter-agency Changi 2036 Steering Committee, has completed "a major part of its work".

Mrs Teo was speaking on the sidelines of the third Aviation Open House on Thursday morning.

The Changi 2036 Steering Committee is tasked with looking into Changi airport's future needs, including the masterplan for development at Changi East.

The work includes the scale and timeline of the development.

Channel NewsAsia understood details will likely be shared around the period when the National Day Rally speech is delivered.

Mrs Teo elaborated: "We have to study many things because it is not just building a terminal or just getting the runway ready. There are also things we have to consider, like the future availability of land, space for logistics players. Once you have logistics there, for the convenience of passengers, we have to think through vehicular access. Vehicular access is itself a very serious study. That part is more or less completed. We have arrived at some decisions."

To complement such developments, talent is key.

Mrs Teo said: "Today, the industry provides more than 50,000 core aviation jobs. There is already a wide spectrum of career options open to Singaporeans from diverse backgrounds. Given the plans we have set in motion for the development of Changi East, it is quite clear that Singapore Aviation will provide many more quality jobs in the future that will challenge the best of minds and those with passion."

The biennial Aviation Open House brings together more than 45 aviation-related organisations and educational institutions.

Divesh Singaraju, an aerospace engineering student at Singapore Polytechnic, said: "I was four years old when I took a plane to US with my parents. And from then on, my parents always said I would be very amazed by the way the plane flies. That really diverted me towards planes, but I was not sure whether to be a pilot or an engineer. As time went by, I realised that I was more of a hands-on guy so I went towards the engineering path."

Companies hope to attract aviation enthusiasts like Divesh to work in the sector.

Robert Mazurkivich, general manager of global services engineering (Asia) at Pratt & Whitney, said: "We typically recruit in Singapore at the major universities. We also would like to embellish the relationship with the polytechnics here and get in the ground floor and start to build relationship in the first and second year of schools.

"We have a lot of cyclical business and we also recruit for hiring needs to staff our current needs as well as our growing businesses. Some of the recruiting challenges we face today are finding skilled professionals in mechanical and aerospace engineering."

More than 8,000 visitors are expected at the event. As part of the three-day event, there will be a recruitment exercise on July 26.

Over 300 pre-selected job seekers will be interviewed by eight aviation organisations.

Collectively, these organisations have more than 200 job vacancies.

SOURCE


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Major delays at LaGuardia after Southwest plane's landing mishap


The front landing gear of a flight arriving at New York's LaGuardia Airport collapsed Monday right after the plane touched down on the runway, officials said, sending the aircraft skidding before it came to a halt.

Ten passengers were treated at the scene, with six being taken to a hospital with minor injuries, said Thomas Bosco, Acting Director of Aviation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the area airports. The six crew members were taken to another hospital for observation.

Dallas-based Southwest said there were 150 people on Flight 345 coming from Nashville, Tennessee, while the Port Authority said the total was 149.

Bosco said the nose gear of the plane collapsed when it landed at 5:40 p.m., and "the aircraft skidded down the runway on its nose and then veered off and came to rest in the grass area."

Bosco said there was no advance warning of any possible problem before the landing.

Emergency crews were seen spraying foam toward the front end of the Boeing 737-700 on the tarmac. The Port Authority said the passengers exited the plane by using emergency chutes.

The airport was temporarily closed, but one of two runways was operating shortly after 7 p.m. CBS New York reports dozens of departing flights have been canceled or delayed across the board. Passengers from various airlines were forced to rebook.
Bosco said the Port Authority was hoping to have the airport fully open by Tuesday morning.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating, as is the National Transportation Safety Board.

Richard Strauss, who was on a nearby plane waiting to take off for Washington, said the nose of the plane was "completely down on the ground. It's something that I've never seen before. It's bizarre."

A rear stairwell or slide could be seen extending from the Southwest aircraft, said Strauss, who owns a Washington public relations firm. His plane, which was about 100 yards (90 meters) from the Southwest flight, wasn't allowed to taxi back to the gate, he said.

Debbie Marsella told CBS New York her daughter was on the plane.

"It actually got where you could feel the heat inside the cabin, and the doors flung open, and the chutes came out," said Marsella, of Milford, Conn.

Marsella said she got a call that something went wrong. "She was like, 'Mom, the plane crashed, but we are OK,'" she said.

Bobby Abtahi, an attorney trying to catch a flight to Dallas, was watching from the terminal and heard a crowd reacting to the accident.

"I heard some people gasp and scream. I looked over and saw sparks flying at the front of the plane," he said.

The incident came 16 days after Asiana Flight 214 crash-landed at San Francisco's international airport on July 6, killing two Chinese teenagers; a third was killed when a fire truck ran over her while responding to the crash, authorities said. Dozens of people were injured in that landing, which involved a Boeing 777 flying from South Korea.

Longtime pilot Patrick Smith, author of "Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel. Questions, Answers, and Reflections" and AskthePilot.com, said landing gear incidents are not high on the list of worries for pilots.

"It doesn't happen very often but I need to emphasize just how comparatively minor this is and how far, far down the hierarchy it is," he said. From a pilot's perspective, this is nearly a non-issue. They make for good television, but this is far down the list of nightmares for pilots."

SOURCE


Ryanair offers to sell Aer Lingus stake


Greater London: Irish no-frills airline Ryanair on Tuesday said it was prepared to sell its minority holding in rival Aer Lingus to address "unfounded" British regulatory concerns.

Britain's Competition Commission watchdog in May called on Ryanair to cut its 29-per cent holding, arguing that the stake risked reducing competition on routes between Britain and Ireland.

Ryanair responded on Tuesday with as strongly-worded statement, in which it said it was willing to see if any airline would indeed be prepared to take over Aer Lingus, which it clearly doubted.

Ryanair's own attempts to buy out its competitor have repeatedly been blocked by the European Commission on grounds of competition, although the Brussels has not called upon Ryanair to sell its minority stake.

The situation changed in May however when the commission argued that Ryanair's stake gives it the ability to influence the commercial strategy of Aer Lingus.

It said also that against a background of consolidation in the airline industry, Ryanair's shareholding obstructs Aer Lingus's ability to merge or combine with another airline.

Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely described the watchdog's concerns as "imaginary", "non-existent" and "bogus".

He added in the statement: "The only remaining 'concern' they can now dream up is that Ryanair's 29 per cent stake might prevent another EU airline buying Aer Lingus; despite 6.5 years of evidence... that no other EU airline has any interest in acquiring Aer Lingus."

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, had in February barred Ryanair's third attempt since 2007 to take over Aer Lingus, citing concerns passengers would lose out badly.

Aer Lingus in any case snubbed all of Ryanair's takeover attempts, arguing that it is a strong stand-alone airline. The Irish government owns around 25 per cent of Aer Lingus and has refused to sell its stake to Ryanair.

SOURCE


Saturday, July 20, 2013

Firefighters caused death of Asiana crash victim: coroner


One of the victims of this month's Asiana Airlines jet crash in San Francisco survived impact but was killed on the tarmac when she was run over by an emergency vehicle, officials said on Friday.

Results of the autopsy on 16-year-old Chinese student Ye Mengyuan, one of three people killed in the July 6 disaster, had been keenly awaited after firefighters admitted a tarmac accident was possible.

The girl, who was "alive at the time," died due to "multiple blunt injuries that are consistent with being run over by a motor vehicle," San Mateo county coroner Robert Foucrault told reporters.

San Francisco fire chief Joanne Hayes-White offered her "condolences and apologies to the family... in light of the coroner's findings in this tragic accident."

"Obviously this is very difficult news for us -- we're heartbroken," Hayes-White said. "We're in the business of saving lives."

The city fire chief said the entire emergency operation was still under review.

"I continue to be very proud of all the men and women of our department. Many of our members risked their lives to save passengers and crews that day," she said, lamenting the "tragic accident."

A police inquiry found that Ye was hidden under a layer of white foam, used by firefighters as a flame retardant in the wake of the crash upon landing of Asiana Flight 214.

Hayes-White said the vehicle involved was likely "one of the specialized rigs at the airport," adding: "There were many surrounding the aircraft."

She said fire department personnel were cooperating with both a police probe and the one led by the US National Transportation Safety Board.

The two other people killed in the crash were also female Chinese youths.

More than 180 others injured in the crash of the Boeing 777, which had left Shanghai and made a stop in Seoul before heading to San Francisco.

Two of them were still in critical condition on Friday, with "spinal cord injury, abdominal injuries, internal bleeding, road rash and fractures," San Francisco General Hospital said in an update.

The passenger jet had 307 people on board, including 16 crew members. More than 120 people escaped unharmed.

The crash was the carrier's first passenger jet crash in 20 years.

According to preliminary findings from the NTSB, the plane crashed because it was flying too low and too slowly as it approached the runway.

The tail of the aircraft broke off as the plane clipped a seawall short of the runway, skidding out of control and quickly catching fire.

It has also emerged that the otherwise experienced pilot was undergoing his first major training on the Boeing 777, and it was his co-pilot's first time working as instructor.

Asiana has argued the pair were "competent" veterans with around 10,000 flying hours including dozens of flights to San Francisco.

Officials in South Korea have said that Asiana, the country's number two airline, will be subject to a weeks-long government investigation.

SOURCE

Not a nice thing to know when your motto is to save lives yet you caused the death of a young life. The white foam didn't help matters and in the chaotic scene after the crash, such an incident is unfortunate, my condolences to the girl's family.


Friday, July 19, 2013

Indonesian flying academies struggle to make up for pilot shortfall


It takes at least 18 months of training at a private flying academy before a trainee is issued a commercial pilot license, and that will make him employable by commercial airlines. Another six months of training would finally see the pilot fly a passenger aircraft.

In less than a year, 18-year-old trainee pilot Rizky Jasica could be flying a passenger airliner. "After graduation, I will apply to join a reputable Indonesian airline," she said.

However, Rizky would not have to wait until she graduates to get a job. Faced with a shortage of pilots, domestic airlines have resorted to hiring trainees while they are still in the academy.

Indonesia needs up to 800 new pilots annually as the country's aviation industry is growing at an unprecedented pace.

Captain Hassan Unang, deputy GM of the Bandung Pilot Academy, said: "Indonesian pilot schools can produce a maximum of 250 pilots a year. Normally, it is only 200."

There are about a dozen reputable private flying schools in Indonesia besides the government-run academy -- Bandung Pilot Academy, in West Java, is the latest.

Besides investing in the latest technology, the academy has to compete to get the best instructors who are highly sought after.

Endik Triwidarto, a Sukhoi-jet fighter instructor, was enticed to leave after more than 20 years in the Indonesian Air Force.

He said: "The difference is only in the uniform. The attitude, knowledge and skills remain the same. Maybe civilian flights are less complicated compared to military exercises. Not many manoeuvres compared to the military, but the basics are the same."

While waiting for these trainee pilots to graduate, local airlines have resorted to hiring foreigners to fly domestic routes. However, observers warn of the potential dangers.

Bambang Adisurya, director of the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations, said: "They might look for cheap pilots from countries whose economy has collapsed; their airlines grounded and pilots unemployed. They are asked to fly in Indonesia. This is dangerous because they have no flying time in Indonesia. They've never seen Indonesia. That's how there have been instances of wrong landings."

There are an estimated 600 foreign pilots employed in Indonesia and experts have called for a proper endorsement system.

Chappy Hakim, a former air marshal with the Indonesian Air Force, said: "Standardisation system, endorsement licence -- that needs its own mechanism. On the other hand, businesses want everything fast. That's probably why there are sub-standard pilots."

There is also the added problem of Indonesian pilots who leave to work overseas -- most are lured by better salaries.

SOURCE

Indonesia must be the best place to be now for wide-eyed aviator wannabes. Even before you attain the coveted pilot license you're already being poached by hungry airlines in the country. Just how safe is aviation in Indonesia when there is a lack of experienced pilots in the field?


Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo returns to Boston


A Japan Airlines Boeing 787 that left Boston for Tokyo on Thursday returned to Boston due to a possible pump problem, the company said, dismissing concerns of a new crisis for the planes.

Japan Airlines (JAL) has faced several problems with the new-generation Dreamliner plane since it resumed flying after four months of being grounded for serious battery problems.

The plane left from Boston at 12:57pm (1657 GMT) but returned to its airport of departure at around 6:00 pm.

"As a standard precautionary measure due to a maintenance message (fuel pump) indicator, JL007 bound for Tokyo-Narita decided to return to Boston Logan for check and landed safely," Carol Anderson, a US-based JAL spokeswoman, told AFP in an email.

Boston Logan International Airport said on its Twitter site that the 787 made "a precautionary return".

"Flight has landed and is taxiing to gate," it said.

JAL officials in Tokyo also confirmed the maintenance message but dismissed concerns that the return might signal a new problem for the plane.

"We decided to return for precaution... as a message showing a malfunction of a fuel pump at the right engine appeared in the cockpit," said a JAL spokesman.

Even if the pump was faulty, there was no safety risk as the engine has the function to suck fuel as a back-up option, he said.

"There's no emergency at all in this case. We just wanted to be on the safe side," the official said, adding "this has nothing to do with the battery system".

Last week, another 787 used by Ethiopian Airlines caught fire at London's Heathrow airport.

JAL and another Japanese airline ANA, which has the biggest fleet of the craft, have experienced around a dozen minor complaints with the 787 since it was allowed to resume flying after being grounded between January and April.

After months of investigations, US authorities in April formally approved Boeing's battery fix and Japanese regulators followed suit.

The battery supplier, Japan's GS Yuasa, has voiced confidence that the system will never cause similar problems again.

SOURCE

Fuel pump not working, plane returning as a precautionary measure, nothing to worry about. Maintenance issues will have to be ironed out. Every small little part of this plane is giving the airlines headaches.


Disable beacons, Boeing told after Dreamliner fire probe


British authorities recommended on Thursday that distress beacons onboard all Boeing Dreamliners be disabled, after identifying the devices as the likely cause of a fire on a 787 at London's Heathrow airport.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said that detailed analysis of the Honeywell emergency location transmitter system on the new generation plane "has shown some indications of disruption to the battery cells".

"It is not clear, however, whether the combustion in the area of the ELT was initiated by a release of energy within the batteries or by an external mechanism such as an electrical short," it said.

Pending further investigations, it recommended all Honeywell transmitters be removed from the Dreamliners and urged aviation regulators to review lithium-powered devices installed in other types of aircraft.

In a statement, Boeing said it supported the recommendations, "which we think are reasonable precautionary measures to take as the investigation proceeds".

Nobody was hurt when the fire broke out last Friday on an empty Ethiopian Airlines plane parked at Heathrow airport.

But the incident was a blow to Boeing, which withdrew from service its entire fleet of Dreamliners earlier this year due to separate concerns that lithium-ion batteries on board could cause fires.

A total of 68 Dreamliners have so far been delivered, and the AAIB recommended to the US Federal Aviation Administration that the transmitter systems in all of them be disabled.

It also recommended that the FAA and other regulatory authorities "conduct a safety review of installations of lithium-powered emergency locator transmitter systems in other aircraft types and, where appropriate, initiate airworthiness action".

-- 'We are confident the 787 is safe' --

The AAIB's report does not mean the Dreamliner fleet need be grounded.

All planes carrying passengers in the United States are required to have a distress beacon, and the devices are widely used around the globe.

But under US rules, operators can fly with inoperative transmitters for up to 90 days while they await replacement or repairs. Similar regulations apply in Europe and other parts of the world.

Boeing said it was working "proactively" to respond to the recommendations, and the report did not appear to worry investors. Boeing's shares in New York gained 2.84 percent to 107.7 dollars at 1605 GMT.

"We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity," the company said.

US authority the Federal Aviation Administration later issued a statement vowing a thorough review.

"Safety is our top priority," it said. "We are currently reviewing the AAIB's report and recommendations to determine the appropriate action.

"We will work closely with the AAIB, as well as Boeing and Honeywell, as the investigation into the cause continues," it added.

Thomson Airways, the first British airline to operate the Dreamliner, said it would remove the transmitters from its aircraft but would continue operating 787 flights.

"This is not a Boeing 787 technical issue, but an ELT issue which is manufactured by Honeywell," it said in a statement.

The AAIB said Honeywell Aerospace has produced about 6,000 transmitters of the type found on the 787, and the Heathrow fire was the only incident of its kind.

The US based company, which sent experts to London following the blaze, said it would support the recommendations.

"The investigation continues, and it's premature to jump to conclusions. Temporarily addressing the ELTs on Boeing 787s as a precautionary measure is prudent," a spokesman said.

The Dreamliner, which makes extensive use of lighter, carbon-based composite materials that reduce fuel consumption, came into service in September 2011.

Boeing issued a global grounding order in January after lithium-ion batteries overheated on two different jets.

The US aviation giant has not been able to identify the root cause of the earlier problems, much to its embarrassment, but it said its modifications would prevent the problems recurring.

However, the planes have been dogged by problems since they began flying once again in April, with a string of flights worldwide cancelled or diverted due to mechanical issues.

SOURCE

Honeywell beacons the culprit? Another temporary measure then, to remove the ELTs and then wait and see what happens next.


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Philippines expects to be lifted from US air blacklist


The Philippines expects to be removed from a US air safety blacklist this year, opening a lucrative market for its carriers, an aviation regulator said Thursday.

John Andrews, deputy director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), said he was very confident the upgrade would occur following a similar decision by the European Union last week.

"We're going to make it. (It's) as simple as that," Andrews told AFP in an interview.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said in 2008 that the Philippines was failing to comply with international safety standards, and banned its airlines from expanding services to the United States.

The European Union banned all Philippine carriers from flying to Europe in 2010 for similar reasons.

Reforms put in place since then, including a law creating a new aviation regulator, the CAAP, allowed the Philippines to satisfy the concerns of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in February.

This led to the EU's decision last week to allow Philippine Airlines to begin flying into its airspace. The EU said it was reviewing the case of other Filipino carriers.

Andrews said he expected US aviation regulators to make similar findings when it carried out an audit before the end of the year.

He said Filipino regulators had addressed safety concerns by physically tracking down every aircraft registered in the Philippines and getting their owners to submit documentation.

This was to make sure the CAAP stopped the illegal practice of cannibalising old aircraft to supply parts for planes of the same make that were still flying, he said.

He said the CAAP also had to update records on the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft serving Philippine airspace.

Andrews said the law that created the CAAP, also in 2008, allowed it to offer higher salaries than other government agencies to its air safety inspectors.

This was important so the inspectors, now being paid more than triple their 2008 salaries, could resist bribes to certify all aircraft as air-worthy.

Andrews said that apart from Philippine Airlines, other local carriers such as Cebu Pacific wanted to fly to the United States.

"They will all compete because it's a rich market," he said.

SOURCE

After the EU, PAL is hoping the US will also clear it to fly into their airspace when the audit is being carried out later this year. The next step for them is probably to purchase more aircraft to meet this surge in demand.


Indonesia needs to do more to improve aviation safety, say experts


In the history of Indonesia's aviation industry, Jakarta has never developed its own capability to fully investigate air accidents on its territory. However, that changed three years ago with a modest laboratory.

Indonesia took a major step in air accident investigation by setting up its own flight recorder laboratory. It now has the capabilities to retrieve, read and analyse flight data from what is commonly known as the "black box".

The Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) sent a handful of technicians overseas for training. Now, it has the expertise to retrieve flight data from all types of aircraft operating in Indonesia.

Andreas RH, a flight recorder technician, said: "We can now handle data from all types of aircraft operating in Indonesia. There's no need to send information overseas like before."

Fortunately though, Andreas has fewer black boxes to analyse this year, compared to last year.

In 2011, there were 32 air accidents. In 2012, that figure fell to 27.

It is a significant improvement, especially since the number of flights jumped last year. The rate of aviation accidents now stands at 1.43 per 100,000 flight hours.

Tatang Kurniadi, chairman of Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee, said: "For example, in 2007, our total flight time nationally was around 500,000 hours. Now it is more than 1.8 million hours. So if we compare the rate of accidents, it has dropped dramatically."

Still, Mr Tatang points out that the number of accidents remains at an average of 23 annually. He attributes this to a combination of factors.

He said: "It's a combination of new airports, new aircraft and new pilots flying the routes. These need attention."

Chappy Hakim, a former air marshall who chaired the special task force in 2007 on Indonesia's aviation safety, said business interests are compromising safety standards.

Mr Chappy said: "There are runways with restrictions. There are numerous reasons why a Boeing 737 cannot be fully-loaded or carry full capacity. It means there are restrictions. You can operate but with restrictions. But who are monitoring the restrictions?"

Indonesia has made tangible progress in the last five years to improve the standards of its aviation industry. That has led the European Union to lift its ban on a number of Indonesian airlines, including the national carrier Garuda.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done before Indonesia can reach international standards of safety.

Mr Chappy added: "We have progressed in many aspects but we have not yet improved on all the findings that ICAO reported in 2007. Up until this year, I don't think we will be able to move up from category two to category one."

Indonesia will need to hurry to get its aviation sector ready to meet the challenges of 2015 -- that is when the ASEAN open skies agreement will be implemented, which will see even more flights in and out of the country.

SOURCE

Open skies agreement in 2015, will Indonesia be ready for it? This is a tough call to make.


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Asiana drops lawsuit against TV station


Asiana said Wednesday it had decided not to file a lawsuit against a US television station which aired false and offensive names for the pilots involved in a fatal crash.

The South Korean airline had earlier said it was planning a defamation lawsuit against Fox network affiliate KTVU news Channel 2 in Oakland over its coverage of the crash in San Francisco earlier this month.

The TV station identified the pilots of the Asiana Boeing 777 as "Sum Ting Wong," "Wi Tu Lo," "Ho Lee Fuk," and "Bang Ding Ow."

KTVU cited the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as its source, but quickly realized the mistake and apologised.

Asiana also said it would sue the NTSB but on Monday backtracked, and on Wednesday it withdrew the same threat against KTVU.

"Asiana decided not to proceed with the suit," the airline said, citing an apology by the station.

Three people died when Asiana Airlines Flight 214 from Shanghai via Seoul crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport on July 6 and more than 180 were injured.

The jet clipped a sea wall with its tail as it came in to land at the US airport and skidded out of control before catching fire.

Two teenage Chinese girls died at the scene and another girl, also Chinese, died from her injuries.

Four pilots have been quizzed by US aviation officials over the deadly crash.

SOURCE

Sigh of relief for the TV station. One less thing to be preoccupied about for the airline. This is an honest mistake.


Aerospace giant EADS could change name to Airbus, its plane-maker


European aerospace giant EADS may decide to change its name to Airbus, its better-known plane-making subsidiary, by the end of July to simplify and strengthen the brand, a source said on Wednesday.

But executives are torn over how useful a name-change would be for the group, which makes helicopters, missiles, drones and satellites.

The Airbus commercial plane division accounts for more than half of annual sales.

The issue highlights the big risks and opportunities involved in choosing, or changing, the name of a company or brand.

"This topic is in more-than-serious discussions. It's very probable that the name change will happen," said a source close to the situation, who declined to be named.

"In any case, it should be on the agenda at the board meeting validating half-year results," the source added.

EADS is due to publish these results on July 31, and the board meeting will take place beforehand.

The name change would mean that Airbus -- maker of the A380 double-decker superjumbo airliner and an arch-rival of Boeing -- would now group both military and civilian products.

EADS was created in 2000 by a merger of leading German, French and Spanish aerospace companies.

The name change has been on the cards for a long time, since it was believed that EADS, standing for the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, suffered from weak brand recognition.

But a hugely-publicised failed attempt by EADS and Britain's BAE Systems to merge last year has boosted recognition of the EADS name, causing some executives to question any potential name change.

"When EADS wasn't known, it (a name change) was of real interest, it would definitely have been added-value for the group," said one top executive, who refused to be named.

"But today, studies show that EADS is known, people know what EADS is particularly since the aborted merger with BAE Systems last year."

Others believe that naming the whole group Airbus could lead to a slight loss of identity for the plane-making division.

According to French economic daily La Tribune, EADS chief Tom Enders has set up a working group to study the technical and judicial implications of a name change.

SOURCE

A good change perhaps? It is true that everyone recognises Airbus, but when probed with EADS, they start scratching their heads. It's going to be cute though, to have the name "Airbus" when you're also manufacturing flying machines for the military.


Indonesia to invest US$250m in air traffic management system


Indonesia's air space is getting busier. In 2012, there were more than 1.5 million flights in and out of the archipelago -- more than double the previous year.

It is a result of an unprecedented boom in air travel. The country saw double-digit growth in passenger volume over the last five years, but its aviation infrastructure has barely kept up.

The radar system, for example, has failed on several occasions at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport. Built more than 25 years ago, it was not designed to track 1,200 aircraft movements on a daily basis.

Captain Bambang Adisurya, a director at the International Federation of Airline Pilots Association, said: "This has been discussed many times at international forums. They've said the same thing.

"For example, their aircraft were put on hold upon entering Soekarno-Hatta airport. They've also lamented during our conversations that flying into Indonesia is always crowded."

Captain Bambang, who is also a pilot with Garuda Indonesia, felt that delays are inevitable -- a result of overcapacity at major airports.

Indonesia's are traffic controller has plans to ease the situation. It is investing US$250 million over the next three years for an air traffic flow management system.

It will help air traffic controllers compute, with precision, all aircraft movements in and out of Indonesia -- thus cutting down delays.

Amran, director of air traffic management at AirNav Indonesia, said: "In 2016, the time we implement initially the air traffic flow management, we aimed for a 15 minutes cut in delays for about 30 per cent of the total aircrafts. We expect that there will be 3,000 movements in that year. In 2017 for instance, our target is for aircraft to only face a two or three minute delay."

Indonesia used to have three air traffic control operators, each with its own system of traffic management. A series of air disasters five years ago led the International Civil Aviation Organisation to recommend that Indonesia use just one operator.

AirNav is now the only one managing Indonesia's air space. It is responsible for air traffic control in more than 150 airports across the country. That includes dozens of military air bases which are open for commercial use.

Captain Bambang added: "Jogjakarta airport is an example where it is also used by military planes for training. Its runaway and apron are quite narrow. When we fly into the airport, we've been regularly told to hold for up to 20 minutes because the air traffic is heavy due to military training."

Like several air bases in Indonesia, the one in Bandung, West Java, has been turned into an international airport. It now serves about 30 schedule flights a day -- in addition to military use and a private flying school.

The Indonesian government is rushing to upgrade existing airports and build new ones to accommodate over 70 million air passengers, a number that is still growing. This includes replacing out-of-date systems that could potentially cause accidents.

However, it require time and huge investments. So until that happens, travellers getting in and out of Indonesia can expect delays of at least 30 minutes, especially at major airports such as Jakarta.

SOURCE

About time they invest some money into the traffic system with the congestion and growth rate they're experiencing. However, how much of this money will really go into the improvement of the system awaits to be seen, if you know what I'm talking about. 


Asiana passengers file lawsuit against Boeing


A group of 83 passengers aboard an Asiana Airlines flight which crash-landed in San Francisco has filed a lawsuit seeking millions from the aircraft's manufacturer Boeing, their lawyers said Tuesday.

While a final determination of what caused the deadly crash of the Boeing 777 is years away,Chicago-based Ribbeck Law said initial reports indicate it could have been caused by a mechanical malfunction of the auto-throttle.

Boeing could also have been at fault for the design of sliding ramps which deployed inside the plane, "further injuring passengers and blocking their exit to safety," Ribbeck said in a press release.

There were also possibly problems with the seatbelts given that police officers "had to pass knives to crew members inside the burning wreckage" so they could cut passengers free," Ribbeck said.

The class action lawsuit was filed in Chicago, Boeing's corporate headquarters.

It will be expanded in coming days to include Asiana and several component part manufacturers "who may be responsible for this disaster," Ribbeck said.

The Asiana jet from Shanghai via Seoul clipped a sea wall with its tail as it came in to land at the US airport on July 6 and skidded out of control before catching fire, leaving three dead and more than 180 injured.

Zhang Yuan, who suffered severe spinal injuries and a broken leg, said it was important that victims protect their rights "immediately."

"It is terrible that the sliding ramps deployed inside the plane blocking our way to the exit door, trapping us inside the burning plane," she said in the statement.

"My husband, my daughter, other passengers and I would not have suffered such terrible injuries if the sliding ramps and the seat belts would not have trapped us in the burning wreckage."

Ribbeck filed a motion Monday seeking to require Boeing to provide details about the jet's design and maintenance and will seek access to all of the evidence discovered in the course of the investigation.

Swift legal action is "vital" for the victims and their families because international treaties prohibit US safety regulators from making determinations of liability or fault.

"Just compensation to these families cannot be provided under the law, until liability of all parties is established first," Kelly said.

"Ribbeck Law's independent experts will monitor the official investigation and will conduct our own investigation for our clients to assign fault to each of the responsible parties for this tragedy."

SOURCE

Now they start pointing fingers to the auto-throttle? Malfunctioning sliding ramps and seatbelts are now among the equipments hindering with rescue efforts? Boeing is in serious hot soup now. With the B787 still giving problems, this incident is one which they had hoped never occurred. In fact, we all do hope so.


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Asiana Pilots Fear Criminal Charges in San Francisco Crash


Pilots of the Asiana Airlines Inc. jet that crashed nine days ago fear they will face criminal prosecution in the carrier's home country of South Korea, said people familiar with their thinking, a prospect that alarms U.S. pilot-union leaders and air-safety experts.

The Korean pilots of the Boeing 777, which hit a sea wall after making a dangerously low and slow approach to San Francisco International Airport in good weather, returned to Seoul on Friday. Before leaving, the pilots told associates they are concerned that their government intends to hit them with criminal charges for lapses in the cockpit.

Unlike in the U.S., South Korean law and precedent make that a possibility. South Korean law allows prison sentences of up to three years in the event of pilot negligence.

The captain of a Korean Air DC-10 that crashed in 1989 in Libya went to prison, according to news accounts at the time.

The Asiana pilots told these associates that they didn't expect to face jail time immediately upon arriving home, but they received no such assurances for the long term, according to a person familiar with the details.

Efforts to reach the pilots directly were unsuccessful. The union that represents them, the Air Line Pilots Association of Korea, has criticized the scrutiny of the crew's actions before the crash, saying information released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has focused only on pilot error while neglecting possible contributing factors.

The South Korean transportation ministry on Wednesday is slated to kick off a four-week probe of the crash, said a senior official with the ministry. The agency plans to delve into pilot training, whether the pilots followed proper approach procedures and their prior experience landing in San Francisco.

The official said there were no current plans to charge the pilots criminally, though the final decision hinges on the probe.

The crash left three dead and dozens injured. It all but destroyed the jet, which had an estimated market value of $63.9 million, according to aviation-consulting firm Avitas.

In a meeting with Korean government officials Monday, Asiana said it would enhance its pilot training, update its data on airports with difficult approaches and move to ensure better cockpit communication with pilots.

The plan was presented as part of a session on risk management attended by eight Korean carriers, and an Asiana spokeswoman declined to elaborate. The airline previously said it planned to beef up certain kinds of training, though Asiana has repeatedly said the pilots on Flight 214 were highly experienced and their training met all domestic and international standards.

Many air-safety experts argue that making pilots criminally liable threatens to chill their voluntary reporting of hazards and prevent airlines from benefiting from other confidential safety information needed to eliminate budding dangers. And when prosecutors pursue prison terms after a crash, critics contend, it makes it harder to determine precisely what happened.

U.S. pilot-union officials and safety advocates have launched a behind-the-scenes effort to head off any criminal action, seeking support from U.S. government and airline officials.

"I am concerned about the issue," said Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, the largest pilot union in North America, which assisted the Asiana pilots during the crash investigation. Criminalization, he said, can end up "crippling the ability to learn from accidents so they can be prevented."

U.S. laws and tradition essentially preclude criminal charges even against pilots who cause fatal accidents, except when their actions are intentional, egregiously reckless or result from drugs or alcohol.

But from Asia to Europe to Latin America, judges and prosecutors over the years have filed criminal cases, typically over the strong objections of labor, independent air-safety groups and the International Civil Aviation Organization, an arm of the United Nations.

France, Spain, Brazil and Indonesia are among countries where air crashes have spurred criminal probes. The moves prompted ICAO to set up a special task force that recently submitted recommendations, which remain confidential, to prevent criminalization of accidents.

Kenneth Quinn, the task force's vice chairman and a partner in the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, said criminal action shouldn't follow a crash "unless there is evidence of willful misconduct or gross negligence." Mr. Quinn is general counsel of the nonprofit Flight Safety Foundation, which fights air-accident criminalization.

Some say moves to file criminal charges sometimes can be understandable. In countries where crash victims or their families "don't have a viable way to get meaningful compensation" through civil procedures, "it's natural for people look toward criminal prosecution," said James Kreindler, a plaintiffs' attorney with the New York law firm Kreindler & Kreindler LLP.

Meantime, there has been criticism over the NTSB's extensive, early disclosures of preliminary data from its investigation. Some of the pilots' backers feel the focus on apparent pilot error may provide ammunition for those inclined to pursue a criminal case.

Last week, ALPA criticized the safety board for "prematurely releasing" information from recorders aboard Asiana 214, before investigators fully interviewed the pilots. The union also complained that without providing the full context behind data that was made public, such disclosure "represents a potential detriment to flight safety."

An NTSB spokeswoman said "we routinely provide the public with factual information" about accidents. "For the public to have confidence in the investigative process," she said, "transparency and accuracy are critical."

SOURCE

This is sad isn't it? Errors of a pilot that is not being committed willfully being subjected to criminal charges in the country. From having one of the best jobs in the world, you ended up in a small prison cell for not doing your job fitting to expectations.


Monday, July 15, 2013

Asiana airlines faces government investigation


South Korea's Asiana airlines will be subject of a three-week government investigation after one of its passenger jets crash landed in San Francisco, officials said Monday.

The transport ministry also ordered all South Korean airlines to step up safety measures and provide additional training for their pilots and crew.

"South Korean airlines are required to strengthen safety measures in all areas, from flight operation, maintenance and their operation manuals to facilities," vice transportation minister Yeo Hyung-Koo said in a statement released by his office.

The order came Monday at talks between transportation ministry officials and executives from the country's eight carriers.

The probe into Asiana will investigate whether it violated any rules in its operation and training, the ministry said.

Four pilots from the Boeing 777 that crashed on July 6 will be questioned from Wednesday. The pilots returned home on Saturday after being quizzed by US aviation officials.

The Asiana jet from Shanghai via Seoul clipped a sea wall with its tail as it came in to land at the US airport and skidded out of control before catching fire, leaving three dead and more than 180 injured.

Two teenage Chinese girls died immediately after the accident and another girl, also Chinese, died from her injuries on Friday.

Asiana said Monday it would file a defamation suit against Fox network affiliate KTVU news Channel 2 in Oakland for mistakenly confirming and airing false and offensive names for the pilots.

It cited the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as its source, but quickly realised the mistake and apologised. The NTSB blamed the mistake on an intern.

"The KTVU broadcast has seriously undermined the honour of our company," the carrier said in a statement.

The ministry said it had received a message of regret from the NTSB over the report.

Two of the four Asiana pilots onboard were in the cockpit at the time of the crash.

Questions have been raised about whether their perceived lack of experience in flying the B777 played a role in the accident -- the carrier's first passenger jet crash in 20 years.

Lee Kang-Kuk, a pilot for 10 years, was at the controls and in the middle of training to fly the B777, which he had flown for around 40 hours previously.

Lee Jung-Min, acting as co-pilot and trainer, had received his teaching license for the aircraft a month before the accident and had flown the B777 for 3,200 hours before.

Asiana has argued the pair were "competent" veterans with around 10,000 flying hours including dozens of flights to San Francisco.

SOURCE

Even the government is concerned about the safety in training and now want some answers on how did the accident allow itself to happen. This must have all the airlines based in South Korea scrambling for details/procedures to provide for the ministry to vet through.


Sunday, July 14, 2013

Batteries not to blame for Dreamliner jet fire


Investigators said there was no evidence to suggest that a fire on-board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner parked at London Heathrow Airport was caused by the next-generation jet's batteries.

A team from Britain's Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) was deployed following the blaze on Friday on an Ethiopian Airlines plane, which was empty at the time.

The fire is a further blow for the jet, after Boeing temporarily withdrew all Dreamliners from service earlier this year due to concerns that batteries on board could cause fires.

However, the latest incident was not down to the batteries, said the AAIB, an agency of Britain's Department of Transport ministry.

Following Saturday's first stage of its probe, the AAIB found there was "no evidence of a direct causal relationship" between the batteries and the incident at Heathrow.

"The aircraft is currently located in a hangar at London Heathrow," the it added.

"There has been extensive heat damage in the upper portion of the rear fuselage, a complex part of the aircraft, and the initial investigation is likely to take several days," it said.

"It is clear that this heat damage is remote from the area in which the aircraft main and APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) batteries are located and at this stage there is no evidence of a direct causal relationship."

Television pictures showed burn marks on the top of the plane near the back, just in front of the vertical stabiliser.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said it had also sent an official to Britain to gather facts for its own regulatory body, the US National Transportation Safety Board.

A spokesman for Ethiopian Airlines said it was investigating the incident but had no plans to ground its fleet of four 787 Dreamliners.

"Ethiopia's Dreamliners will continue to fly," Hailu Teklehaimanot told AFP in Addis Ababa.

"The incident at Heathrow is not being treated as flight-related as the incident happened after being grounded for eight hours."

A global grounding order on the Dreamliner was issued in January after lithium-ion batteries overheated on two different jets, with one of them catching fire while the aircraft was parked.

The US aviation giant has since rolled out modifications it says will ensure the planes are safe.

Boeing's shares closed 4.7 per cent lower at $101.87 in New York trading on Friday, clawing back from a dive of more than seven per cent.

Heathrow, the world's busiest international passenger airport, shut down for 90 minutes following the incident, and there were still knock-on delays on Saturday.

A spokeswoman told AFP that about 40 flights had been cancelled throughout the day, largely due to aircraft being out of place, but said delays to other flights were "minimal".

In a separate incident on Friday, a Dreamliner flying from Manchester in northwest England to Florida was forced to turn back after experiencing a "technical issue" after take-off.

It was operated by Thomson Airways, which only three days earlier had become the first British airline to fly the plane.

The Dreamliner should have entered passenger service in 2008 but it was not until October 2011 that the first commercial flight was operated by Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways.

It has been marketed as a quiet, fuel-efficient aircraft carrying between 201 and 290 passengers on medium-range routes.

SOURCE

Not a direct relation to the battery but the burning spot is very near to the APU and batteries. Some food for thought here. We'll see what AAIB says after they have a conclusion with the investigations.


Saturday, July 13, 2013

US officials apologise for Asiana crash names gaffe


US officials apologized late Friday for mistakenly confirming false and offensive names identifying the pilots of the Asiana flight that crashed in San Francisco last weekend, leaving three dead and scores injured.

Fox network affiliate KTVU news Channel 2 in Oakland identified the pilots in their noon broadcast Friday as "Sum Ting Wong," "Wi Tu Lo," "Ho Lee Fuk," and "Bang Ding Ow."

KTVU cited the National Transportation Safety Board as their source, but quickly realized the mistake and apologized.

"These names were not accurate despite an NTSB official in Washington confirming them late this morning," KTVU said.

The NTSB later apologized for the "inaccurate and offensive names that were mistakenly confirmed" as those of the Asiana pilots -- and blamed the mistake on an intern.

"In response to an inquiry from a media outlet, a summer intern acted outside the scope of his authority when he erroneously confirmed the names of the flight crew on the aircraft," the statement read.

The NTSB "does not release or confirm the names of crew members or people involved in transportation accidents to the media," the board said.

"Appropriate actions will be taken to ensure that such a serious error is not repeated."

The NTSB told the San Francisco Chronicle that the offensive names "originated at the media outlet," and that the intern did not realize they were offensive and was "acting in good faith and trying to be helpful."

Three people died when Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport on July 6 and more than 180 were injured.

In Seoul, Asiana Airlines earlier identified the pilot flying the Boeing 777 that crashed as Lee Kang-Kuk, 46.

SOURCE


Not funny at all. And how did it even end up on the news is mind boggling. A total disrespect for everyone involved in the crash.


Third passenger dies of injuries in Asiana jet crash


A third girl, reportedly Chinese, died Friday of injuries sustained in the Asiana jet crash in San Francisco, as authorities confirmed that a firetruck ran over one of the other victims.

Two female Chinese teenagers died July 6 when Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport, with the accident leaving more than 180 others injured.

The third victim had been in critical condition and died early Friday, San Francisco General Hospital said in a statement, adding that the family had asked further details to be withheld.

China's official news service Xinhua, citing the hospital, described the victim as a female Chinese student.

The third death was confirmed shortly after San Francisco police told AFP that one of the teenagers who died in the crash "had been run over at least one time by a fire truck."

Police spokesman Albie Esparza said it is not yet clear whether or not the teen was already dead.

Firefighters, who raced to the scene shortly after the crash to help douse the flames blazing from the aircraft, had earlier told police of the "possibility" that one of their trucks ran had ran someone over.

The police investigation concluded that the accident occurred because firefighters had sprayed the immediate ground area with white foam, used as a flame retardant, Esparza explained.

"It's believed that the victim was on the ground, covered, and not seen by anybody," he added.

"So when the fire truck moved to reposition itself, that is when the body of the victim was discovered lying in the track of the fire truck."

Authorities are still conducting an autopsy to determine cause of death, Esparza added. The coroner's office could not immediately confirm when final autopsy results will be available.

Of the others who were injured when the plane crashed, two adults remain in critical condition, SFGH said, noting that the hospital is still caring for three other adults and a child.

According to preliminary findings from a US transport safety agency probe, the plane crashed because it was flying too low and too slowly as it approached the runway.

The tail of the aircraft broke off as the plane clipped a seawall short of the runway, skidding out of control and quickly catching fire.

The airplane pilot, 46-year-old Lee Kang-Kuk, was an experienced aviator but was undergoing his first major training on the Boeing 777, and it was his co-pilot's first time working as instructor.

The US National Transportation Safety Board has said analysis of cockpit voice recorders showed the pilots made no mention of the too-slow speed during the plane's doomed approach until it was 100 feet from the ground.

The NTSB had previously revealed the plane's speed had dipped to 103 knots three seconds before the crash -- sharply below the target landing speed of 137 knots at the threshold of the runway.

Asiana Flight 214, from Shanghai, with a stop in Seoul, had 307 people on board, including 16 crew members. Some 123 escaped unharmed.

There were 141 Chinese passengers on board the plane. As of Thursday, Xinhua reported that six of the Asian country's nationals remained in area hospitals.

SOURCE

A sad news to hear. Another young life lost due to the crash. Hopefully one of the casualties didn't die due to the fire truck running over her.


New incident forces Dreamliner to fly back to UK airport


A Boeing 787 Dreamliner had to fly back to Britain's Manchester Airport due to a "technical issue" after take-off on Friday, an hour after a fire on another Dreamliner shut down London's Heathrow Airport.

"Thomson Airways can confirm that flight TOM126 travelling from Manchester to Sanford, Florida, experienced a technical issue and the aircraft returned to Manchester Airport, as a precautionary measure," the airline said in a statement.

"Passengers have disembarked and our dedicated team of engineers are now inspecting the aircraft."

A spokesman for Manchester Airport in northwest England confirmed that the plane was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and said it had landed safely at around 1640 GMT.

Just an hour earlier, London's main airport Heathrow was forced to suspend both its runways after a parked Ethiopian Airlines 787 Dreamliner caught fire. No injuries were reported.

Heathrow was shut down for around an hour-and-a- half. The airport announced at 1700 GMT that services were resuming, but warned passengers to expect delays.

Television images showed the Dreamliner surrounded by pools of foam, with three fire engines on the scene.

The two incidents come after Boeing temporarily withdrew the Dreamliner from service earlier this year for modifications after concerns that batteries on board could cause fires.

SOURCE

A technical issue that isn't revealed, God knows what the Dreamliner has up its sleeves.


Mexican airport suspends operations due to volcano


A handful of US flights were cancelled at two Mexican airports on Friday after ash from a nearby volcano fell in central Mexico, authorities said.

Alaska Airlines voluntarily cancelled a flight from Los Angeles to Mexico City's international airport and the later trip back to California, airport spokesman Jorge Gomez told AFP. The rest of the airport, however, was operating normally.

The small airport of the central city of Puebla, located just 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the Popocatepetl volcano, suspended its operations as a safety precaution "due to the abundant presence of ash," the transportation ministry said in a statement.

This forced the cancelation of six flights, including a United Airlines flights to Houston, Texas, an American Airlines trip to Dallas, Texas, and four domestic routes operated by Mexican carriers Volaris and Aeromexico, it said.

Two cargo flights were also affected, the ministry said, adding that clean up crews were deployed to pick up ash from the runway and roads.

The Popocatepetl volcano has been rumbling periodically since May, spewing huge columns of ash that prompted several US airlines to cancel dozens of flights into and out of Mexico City last week.

Last Saturday, authorities raised the alert level around the volcano to Yellow Phase III, one notch below evacuations of residents who live near the 5,452-meter-high (17,887-foot-high) "Popo," as it is locally known.

The Mexican capital is only 55 kilometres (35 miles) from the snow-capped volcano.

In its latest bulletin, the National Disaster Prevention Centre reported that the volcano had spewed steam and ash accompanied by medium intensity explosions early Friday that blew glowing rocks up to two kilometres (1.2 miles) from its crater.

SOURCE

Volcanic ash is a pain in the butt for commercial aviation. It is highly damaging to jet engines and airlines will not want to risk flying in unsafe airspace. Flight cancellations will cause losses for them, but when safety is concerned, some profit will have to be compromised.


Friday, July 12, 2013

South Koreans dismiss cockpit culture as cause of crash


South Korean aviation officials on Friday dismissed any suggestion that a deferential culture in which junior pilots were afraid to challenge their seniors played a part in the crash of an Asiana jet in San Francisco.

Two people died and more than 180 were injured when a Boeing 777 crashed last Saturday after clipping a seawall short of the runway, skidding out of control, shredding the tail of the plane and catching fire.

An investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board is focusing much of its attention on Lee Gang-Kuk, who was landing the 777 for his first time, and his trainer Lee Jeong-Min.

"We're certainly interested to see if there are issues where there are challenges to crew communication," Deborah Hersman, head of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) which is investigating the crash, said Wednesday.

Aviation industry have been training pilots in order "to make sure that a junior pilot feels comfortable challenging a senior pilot and to make sure the senior pilot welcomes feedback in a cockpit environment from all members of the crew and considers it", she said.

But Chang Man-Heui, director of flight standards at the South Korean transportation ministry said it was "outrageous to suggest that traditional Korean Confucianist culture might have contributed to the accident".

"It's true that authoritarianism existed in the cockpit until the late 1990s (of South Korean flights) but we have now a completely different culture," he said, dismissing such a suggestion as "anachronistic".

One incident partly blamed on rigid relations between senior and junior pilots was the 1999 crash of a Boeing 747 Korean Air cargo shortly after takeoff from London.

The plane's captain, who had a malfunctioning cockpit indicator, censured his first officer who was communicating correct information to the control tower, according to British investigators.

Another accident linked to a deferential culture involved a Korean Air Boeing 747 that prematurely descended on an approach and slammed into a hillside short of the runway at Guam in 1997, killing 223 of 254 aboard.

The captain failed to respond to warnings from his junior pilot that they were flying too low, according to reports.

These crashes and other accidents sparked a hectic government-led campaign to improve cockpit environment as part of global efforts at better crew resources management, which have largely paid off, local experts said.

Professor Jung Yun-Sick at Jungwon University, a former Asiana pilot, noted drastic changes had occurred not only in aircraft cockpit but the South Korean society as well.

"I assure you that cockpit culture has undergone great changes and become as much democratic as other countries", he said.

"But this does not mean there should be no hierarchical order in the cockpit as aircraft, as well as ships, need a strict command and control", he said.

SOURCE

Ah, when such allegations surface it is of no surprise the airline will defend themselves fiercely. Who can blame the rumours when such occurrences did happen in the past and it can still exist in today's environment especially in the airline industry where seniority is very much emphasized. It is a very old fashion ay of doing things and it should have been abolished long ago.


EasyJet shareholders approve huge Airbus order


Shareholders in British no-frills airline EasyJet on Thursday voted in favour of its deal to buy 135 Airbus single-aisle A320 passenger planes, defying objections from founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou.

The carrier said in a statement that 57.3 per cent of shareholder votes cast at a general meeting backed the multi-billion-pound order, despite opposition from Haji-Ioannou whose family controls almost 37 per cent of EasyJet.

About 85 per cent of the company's shareholders cast their votes at the meeting at its headquarters in Luton, north of London.

However, just 43 per cent of those votes were cast against the plans to expand the fleet. That was short of the 50-percent level needed in order to overturn the plans.

"The vote in favour of our new fleet arrangements will allow EasyJet to continue its successful strategy of modest, profitable growth and sustainable returns for our shareholders," said Chairman John Barton in the statement.

Following the vote, Airbus confirmed that EasyJet had firmed up the purchase of the 135 Airbus A320 family aircraft.

John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer-Customers at Airbus said in a statement the company was "delighted".

However earlier this month, Haji-Ioannou had written to shareholders, arguing that the Airbus order was a "bad deal" owing to the high cost.

Back in June, EasyJet had unveiled the order for 35 current generation A320 planes for delivery between 2015 and 2017 and 100 new generation A320neo aircraft from 2017 until 2022.

The airline said at the time it had negotiated "very substantial" discounts on the combined list price of US$11.9 billion. Industry sources told AFP that EasyJet may end up paying only half the amount.

There is also an option to buy a further 100 Airbus planes as part of the deal.

SOURCE

The purchase will go ahead and Airbus is the happiest party in this deal. A win-win situation for both parties when the airline gets huge discount while the manufacturer continues to make profits and provide jobs for its employees.


Asiana pilots appeared unaware of speed until too late


The pilots of the Asiana Boeing 777 that crashed in San Francisco appeared to be unaware the plane was flying too slowly until just seconds before the aircraft slammed into the ground.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chief Deborah Hersman said Thursday that analysis of cockpit voice recorders showed no talk of speed during the plane's doomed approach until it was 100 feet from the ground.

Nine seconds before impact, a call was made to increase speed. Two different members of the cockpit crew then made separate requests to abort the landing, three seconds and 1.5 seconds before the crash, Hersman said.

"There is no mention of speed until about nine seconds until impact," Hersman told a news briefing.

The NTSB had previously revealed the plane's speed had dipped to 103 knots three seconds before the crash -- sharply below the target landing speed of 137 knots at the threshold of the runway.

Two people died and more than 180 were injured when Asiana flight 214 crashed on Saturday after clipping a seawall short of the runway, skidding out of control, shredding the tail of the plane and catching fire.

The NTSB has steadfastly shied away from apportioning blame for the crash, insisting it is too early to draw conclusions as it sifts through a mountain of recorded data and evidence gleaned from interviews with flight crew.

Hersman meanwhile confirmed Thursday that all of the aircraft's automated flight systems had been working correctly during the flight.

"There is no anomalous behaviour of the autopilot, flight director and auto-throttles based on the FDR (flight data recorder) data reviewed to this date," Hersman said.

The NTSB chief also played down suggestions that a mysterious "light" seen by the plane's pilot in the approach had played any part in the crash.

"The pilot flying told the NTSB that at about 500 hundred feet ... he observed a bright point source of light that could have been a reflection of the sun but he wasn't sure," Hersman said.

"The light source was straight in front of the airplane but not on the runway. He briefly looked away from the light and then he looked into the cockpit and he stated that he did not think that the light affected his vision because he could see the flight control instruments and he was able to look at the speed at that time.

"Neither of the other two flight crew members mentioned this light during their interviews. And in the review of the CVR (cockpit voice recorder), there is no discussion of the light."

SOURCE

This is quite a serious matter when pilots are unaware of something is amiss until the very last moments of the crash. Does this stem from the lack of experience or are they too preoccupied with other matters in the cockpit?


Wednesday, July 10, 2013

European Union lifts safety ban on Philippine Airlines


The European Union has lifted a three-year ban on Philippine Airlines flying into its airspace after the national carrier addressed safety concerns, the EU's ambassador to Manila said on Wednesday.

PAL will be allowed to fly into the 28-member bloc from Friday, which will spur tourism and business links, ambassador Guy Ledoux said.

"This is a tremendous achievement in such a short period of time," Ledoux said.

He added that the EU would conduct further reviews so other Philippine carriers would also be able to fly to Europe as well.

"This decision is very encouraging and is the first success of CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) and Philippine Airlines," he told reporters.

"EU-Philippines trade and investment relations will benefit from the lifting of the air ban," Ledoux added.

He remarked that even without direct flights, European tourist arrivals to the Philippines rose by about 10 percent last year to 349,000 and expressed hope that the lifting of the ban would boost this even further.

CAAP director-general William Hotchkiss said raising safety standards had required "superhuman effort" including recruiting veteran talent.

He also expressed confidence that by the end of the year, the US Federal Aviation Administration would lift a similar ban that restricts Philippine carriers from expanding operations to the United States.

PAL president Ramong Ang told reporters at a joint press conference with Ledoux that the carrier planned to begin flights to London, Paris, Rome and Amsterdam by September or October.

He said PAL could compete with lower-cost Mideast airlines in serving those routes because it would offer non-stop flights.

PAL is already entitled to seven flights a week to London and at least six flights a week to Paris, Ang said.

He said the airline would enter into negotiations for the other destinations.

Ledoux said the safety ban on other Philippine carriers may also be lifted amid a general improvement in the country's aviation standards and positive work by the CAAP.

However he said that the EU ban on Cebu Pacific, a second major Philippine carrier, had been maintained because of an incident last month where a Cebu Pacific plane skidded off a runway while landing in the southern Philippine city of Davao.

He said this "unfortunate recent accident in June... shows some weaknesses need to be addressed."

None of the 165 people aboard the plane were hurt but CAAP later suspended the two pilots involved and harshly criticised Cebu Pacific for safety lapses.

Ledoux said the European Commission was encouraged by the actions being taken by CAAP and Philippines air carriers to address outstanding safety issues and would continue to monitor the situation closely.

Cebu Pacific said in a statement that it hoped to take part in the next EU air safety commission meeting later this year and continues to look at opening services to "parts of Europe and the US".

The EU announced in March 2010 that it had banned all Philippine airlines from flying into Europe for "serious and persistent non-compliance" with the bloc's air safety rules.

The US issued its ban on the Philippines expanding its operations in 2008.

SOURCE

This is good news for PAL. They're now able to extend their network into EU airspace. However, the ban continues for Cebu Pacific after they failed to react adequately to a crash weeks ago.