Flight Safety Information May 27, 2020 - No. 106 In This Issue Accident: Aeronav L410 at Qansax Dheere on May 25th 2020, aircraft being shot at managed to land Incident: Asia India A320 near Hyderabad on May 26th 2020, engine shut down in flight due to fuel leak Airbus experts probe plane crash that killed 97 in Pakistan Delta Boeing 777 Flight Forced To Divert As Pilot Gets Incapacitated Oman Air takes additional pandemic safety measures Deadly Air-Ambulance Crash Revealed Widespread Safety Lapses Authorities yet to find cockpit voice recorder of crashed PIA aircraft Investigators Reviewing Crashed Pakistan Airlines A320 Flight Data Recorder in Karachi FedEx MD-11F, Hong Kong Airlines A330 in airprox incident ICAO calls for aviation personnel to be considered key workers Hainan cancels planned transfer of nine aircraft New Airline StarLux Recruits Pilots Amid the Pandemic Three European air forces approve performance benchmarks for next-gen fighter jet Boeing set to announce significant U.S. job cuts this week - union NASA and SpaceX confirm SpaceX's first ever astronaut launch is a 'go' GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Accident: Aeronav L410 at Qansax Dheere on May 25th 2020, aircraft being shot at managed to land A Aeronav/Kenya School of Flying Let L-410, registration 5Y-VVA performing a freight flight from an unknown point of origin to Qansax Dheere (Somalia) carrying medical supplies (Covid-19), was on approach to Qansax Dheere about 3.8nm before landing when a number of bullets hit the aircraft. The crew continued for a landing at Qansax Dheere without further incident. All occupants disembarked uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage by gun bullets penetrating wings and cabin. Somali media claim citing unconfirmed reports the crew was arrested after landing and their mobile phones were confiscated by Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). The mayor of Qansax Dheere reported the aircraft was about 7km from Qansax Dheere airfield when the aircraft was hit by a number of bullets. He suspects militants from Al Shabaab to have used motor cycles to get close to the airfield and attack the aircraft. This aircraft had been the second aircraft to land that day, the first aircraft landed without incident around 09:00L, the second aircraft, 5Y-VVA, was on approach at about 11:00L when it was being shot at. Local media however rule out Al Shabaab stating that there had been no activity in the region by Al Shababb for years. Media claim Ethiopian troops again misidentified an aircraft and opened fire onto the aircraft. Qansax Dheere airfield, just like Berdale, is being controlled by Ethiopian National Defense Forces (EDNF). Their Berdale commander had admitted to have shot down another Kenyan aircraft about 3 weeks earlier, see Crash: East African Express E120 at Berdale on May 4th 2020, aircraft shot down by Ethiopian troops. 5Y-VVA used to operate for Blue Bird Aviation, however, according to local sources was recently sold to Aeronav/Kenya School of Flying. The paint scheme matches Kenya School of Flying, the school however does not list the aircraft as part of their fleet. The School however had acquired a full motion simulator of a Dash 8-400 in 2019. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d7da1b4&opt=0 Back to Top Incident: Asia India A320 near Hyderabad on May 26th 2020, engine shut down in flight due to fuel leak An Air Asia India Airbus A320-200, registration VT-IXC performing flight I5-1543 from Jaipur to Hyderabad (India) with 70 passengers and 6 crew, was descending towards Hyderabad when the crew reported a fuel leak and shut one of the engines (CFM56) down. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on runway 09R The airline reported a techncial snag and confiemed one of the engines was shut down as a precaution. A replacement A320-200 registration VT-AMD continued the next sector to Bangalore and reached Bangalore with a delay of 2:15 hours. http://avherald.com/h?article=4d7d87c7&opt=0 Back to Top Airbus experts probe plane crash that killed 97 in Pakistan KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan announced Tuesday that Airbus experts have opened a probe into last week's plane crash that killed 97 people when an Airbus A320 went down in a crowded neighborhood near the airport in the port city of Karachi. Initial reports have said the Pakistan International Airlines jet crashed after an apparent engine failure. Pakistani aviation authorities said Tuesday they have shared their initial findings with the visiting 11-member team from the European plane maker. The Airbus experts and engineers are also to visit the crash site, according to Abdul Hafeez, a spokesman for PIA. "We are providing all possible assistance to the technical experts of Airbus," he said. Only two people on board survived the crash, including Zafar Masood, a bank executive. Flight PK-8303 took off from the eastern city of Lahore and crashed on Friday while trying to land at the Karachi airport, Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Abdul Sattar Kokhar said. On the ground, 18 homes were damaged but no one was killed, mainly because the local residents were gathered at nearby mosques at the time, officials had said. Eight people on the ground were injured. So far, Pakistan has handed over 41 bodies to their families, Hafeez said, adding that DNA tests were underway to identify the remains of the other victims. The plane made failed attempts to land at the Karachi airport before the crash. Authorities found the plane's black box and have been guarding the crash site to facilitate the probe. The plane last received a government check last November. PIA's chief engineer signed a separate certificate on April 28, confirming all maintenance had been conducted. Airbus has said the two-engine plane had logged 47,100 flight hours and 25,860 flights as of last Friday. The crash took place days after Pakistan resumed domestic flights ahead of Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Many of the passengers aboard the flight were families returning home for the holiday. Pakistan has been in a countrywide lockdown since mid-March because of the virus, and when flights resumed last week, every other seat was left vacant to promote social distancing. Authorities have reported over 57,700 cases of the virus, including 1,197 deaths. https://www.yahoo.com/news/airbus-experts-probe-plane-crash-092244580.html Back to Top Delta Boeing 777 Flight Forced To Divert As Pilot Gets Incapacitated A Delta Boeing 777 made a rare appearance in Moncton, Canada, after the first officer became incapacitated midflight. The May 21st flight was one of Delta's special cargo-only flights operating between Frankfurt and Chicago. Shortly after the aircraft completed its transatlantic crossing, the incident occurred. Boeing 777 diverts due to an incapacitated pilot The Aviation Herald reports that the incident occurred on flight DL3343 from Frankfurt to Chicago on May 21st. Just after completing the transatlantic crossing, the first offer suffered a medical emergency while in the cockpit. The captain called in the relief first officer, and the aircraft diverted to Moncton. Once on the ground, the pilot was able to get to a hospital. It took 15 minutes to get the Boeing 777 on the ground in Moncton safely. This made for an incredibly fast descent that is acceptable in emergencies like this. In the meantime, the relief first officer and captain provided first aid to the first officer. Reportedly, this included the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) for stabilization. All of this in a span of 15 minutes would be an incredibly stressful experience. It takes a well-trained pilot and nerves of steel to be able to manage this kind of event. Delta Air Lines offered Simple Flying the following comment: "Last Thursday's cargo flight 3343 diverted to Moncton, Canada out of an abundance of caution due to a possible medical issue onboard. The safety of our crew is always our top priority." Medical emergencies inflight Flight crews are trained to handle inflight medical emergencies. And, in the case of serious incidents, crews are trained to divert to the nearest suitable airport. The use of an AED would mean that this could be a life-threatening emergency. At the end of the day, passenger and crew safety is at the top of any airline's list of priorities. Aircraft are equipped with medical equipment to handle acute problems inflight. However, it does not come even close to a hospital. Medical kits usually include basic first aid supplies, some common medications, protective equipment, and more. There are also ground-based services that a crew can talk to in case of advice. Or, if there are passengers onboard, the crew may make a cabin call asking for any physicians onboard to assist. The aircraft involved N702DN is a 12-year-old Boeing 777-200LR. The aircraft has a unique decal on the nose naming it "The Spirit of Atlanta." Atlanta is Delta's largest hub, and the -200LRs enabled incredible route expansions, including to Johannesburg, South Africa. This aircraft, in particular, was the second 777-200LR to enter the airline's fleet. The first, N701DN, is known as The Delta Spirit. However, by the end of this year, the 777s will completely exit the airline's fleet as Delta seeks to streamline operations. Delta cargo Cargo-only flights are helping the airline earn some revenue. Photo: Delta Air Lines In this case, Delta is flying cargo-only flights, so there were no passengers onboard the aircraft. The airline has turned to cargo-only flights as a means of earning some revenue while passenger bookings remain low. https://simpleflying.com/delta-777-pilot-incapacitated/ Back to Top Oman Air takes additional pandemic safety measures Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, is highlighting the extra safety measures it is taking during the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline says that it will provide cabin crew with disposable full-body personal protective equipment (PPE), including a mask, face shield and gloves, which they will wear over their uniforms. It has not, however, made any prediction as to when scheduled services will recommence. The airline says that crew members who operate flights will be closely monitored and quarantined upon arrival in Muscat. Crew on quarantine who reside in crew accommodations are moved to a designated building and provided with separate flats while those quarantined in their homes are monitored by the airline's welfare team and doctors to ensure both their well-being and their adherence to the quarantine requirements. Oman Air stresses that these policies "along with those that may be established in the future to ensure crew and guest safety, are created in accordance with directives from local and international authorities". The airline says that "In coordination with Ministry of Health, the Public Authority for Civil Aviation and authorities in other countries, the airline is continuously reviewing and revising policies and requirements relating to crew and guest safety to protect crew from Covid-19 and ensure the safety of guests who enter Oman, including transit guests who fly on to other destinations." https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2020/05/27/oman-air-takes-additional-pandemic-safety-measures/ Back to Top Deadly Air-Ambulance Crash Revealed Widespread Safety Lapses By Alan Levin An air-ambulance helicopter crash in Ohio last year that killed three crew members revealed sweeping safety lapses and rule violations, federal accident investigators concluded Tuesday. The Survival Flight Inc. copter slammed into a wooded hillside in southeastern Ohio during snow squalls on Jan. 29, 2019, because of the company's "inadequate management of safety," the National Transportation Safety Board said at a meeting to conclude its probe. Survival Flight didn't produce required risk analyses before each flight, didn't track whether other companies had rejected flying in deteriorating conditions and had a history of berating pilots who raised safety concerns, the NTSB concluded. NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt used unusually terse language to describe an interaction with company management shortly before the meeting. "It does bother me when people accuse us of having an agenda," he said. He urged the company to listen to the board's recommendations so that it could improve safety. Investigators were unable to determine whether the pilot on the helicopter got disoriented after entering snow showers or simply descended too low as she was attempting to turn back. But the findings painted a grim picture of Survival Flight's operations. The air-ambulance helicopter was on the way to pick up a patient despite the fact that two other competitors had declined the job due to bad weather. Senior officials at the company were accused of screaming at employees who raised safety concerns and former employees alleged they were fired for doing so. Employees reported they believed they were under pressure to fly in dangerous conditions. A review after the crash by U.S. regulators found the company violated multiple rules, according to the NTSB records. The company believes the crew was well trained and performed all required preflight checks, said spokesman Ryan Stubenrauch. "Nothing in the NTSB report says this was anything other than a tragic accident," Stubenrauch said, referring to preliminary information released by investigators. Addressing allegations that the managers pressured employees, he said: "We've always encouraged open communication and are confident that our employees discuss any issues or concerns with the appropriate staff." The pilot on the helicopter involved in the accident, Jennifer Topper, was just arriving to work before dawn when she accepted the flight, according to NTSB records. There was no evidence Topper checked the weather before taking off, according to NTSB records. Other officials at the company had earlier agreed to fly to a hospital to pick up an emergency room patient. Another pilot who had worked overnight said he had monitored the weather, but call records showed he'd spend only 28 seconds doing so. The helicopter, en-route to a hospital in Pomeroy, Ohio, crashed near the town of Zaleski. Two other air-medical helicopter operations had refused the request because of low visibility, snow showers and a forecast for possible dangerous icing conditions, according to NTSB records. Survival Flight wasn't aware of the other companies' decisions despite a requirement that it ask the hospital whether competitors had declined. Shortly before the end of the 22-minute flight, data records showed that the pilot turned right, then made a sharp left turn accompanied by abrupt maneuvers that would have bucked the aircraft. A cockpit recording captured Topper saying she wanted to change heading several minutes before impact, but the recording was of such poor quality most of her words couldn't be deciphered. The helicopter struck a wooded hillside and broke into pieces. The crash killed medical personnel Bradley Haynes, 48, Rachel Cunningham, 33, and Topper, 34. The helicopter twice flew through snow squalls shortly before the crash, an NTSB analysis found. While it's possible to fly legally in light snow, the company wasn't authorized to operate when its pilots couldn't see the ground or when heavy snow posed a risk of freezing to the copter. The lack of adequate oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration contributed to the cause of the crash, NTSB found. The FAA's inspector for Survival Flight wasn't experienced in helicopter operations and had signed off on procedures that weren't legal, NTSB said. A review of Survival Flight's operations by the FAA after the crash found the company's riskanalyses, required before each flight, weren't being done properly. The NTSB documented previous flights in poor weather that were apparently in violation of FAA regulations. If a pilot declined to fly, the chief pilot "would call within about 10 minutes and would cuss out our pilots and belittle them," the NTSB quoted one as saying. "He would yell so loud on the phone that you could hear it, just standing within earshot." Survival Flight is based in Arkansas and has bases there and in Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Oklahoma, according to its website. https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/midwest/2020/05/26/297261.htm Back to Top Authorities yet to find cockpit voice recorder of crashed PIA aircraft KARACHI: The cockpit voice recorder - a vital piece of equipment in aircraft crash investigation - of the ill-fated Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Airbus is yet to be found by the investigation team. However, according to PIA spokesperson, the flight data recorder, one of the other components of the aircraft's black box, had been recovered earlier. "Somehow, the voice recorder may have fallen into a house which investigators are working hard to obtain," the spokesperson added. PIA has also urged citizens not to keep any part of the wreckage and hand it over to the relevant authorities. A day earlier, an airbus investigation team completed its initial investigation of the crash. The probe team inspected the runway of the Jinnah International Airport. They also visited the air traffic control tower and radar control station. The specialists also visited the plane crash site area in Model Colony and provided technical assistance to their Pakistani counterparts to probe the reasons for the crash. The Airbus experts will take the aircraft's black box, which contains the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, and any other evidence that would help with the investigation. The PIA Airbus A320 crashed in the residential area of Model Colony near the Karachi airport on May 22, minutes before landing. The plane flying from Lahore to Karachi had 99 persons on board including passengers and crew. Only two people survived the tragic incident. Earlier, other victims of the crash were laid to rest in Karachi. The bodies of the deceased are being identified via DNA testing and the process will continue in the coming days, according to authorities. So far, 43 bodies have been identified and handed over to the next of kin. According to the national carrier's spokesperson, bodies of the victims are being taken to their homes on the special instructions of the prime minister. Four bodies have been delivered to Lahore and three to Islamabad. "It is inappropriate to determine liability based on limited information and a few videos," the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, PIA is carrying out its routine repatriation missions for stranded Pakistani nationals abroad. https://tribune.com.pk/story/2229352/1-authorities-yet-find-cockpit-voice-recorder-crashed-pia-aircraft/ Back to Top Investigators Reviewing Crashed Pakistan Airlines A320 Flight Data Recorder in Karachi An Airbus A320 operated by Pakistan International Airlines as flight PK8303 crashed just before reaching the runway at Jinnah International Airport. Accident investigators have recovered the flight data recorder (FDR) from the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-8303's Airbus A320 that crashed upon landing on May 22 near Jinnah International Airport. The airline has confirmed in a press release published to its website May 26 that 97 of the 99 flight crew and passengers onboard died in the crash, with just two of the passengers surviving. What caused the flight to crash is still under investigation, although the airline has provided what little details it knows so far about the fatal accident in statements published to its website and social media channels. According to PIA, PK8303 was an Airbus A320-214 airliner registered as AP-BLD that was operating a flight from Lahore to Karachi, Pakistan. The aircraft crashed "just before the runway" according to a statement published to PIA's Facebook page. "Preliminary reports reveal that it was an uneventful flight up till final approach when the pilot contacted air traffic controller and gave arrival report with everything normal. On short of landing, aircraft reported technical fault and informed that it is proceeding back. Shortly after that, contact was lost and later it was reported crashed," PIA said in the Facebook statement. PIA is also stressing that the any speculation or statements about what the technical fault was "can only be termed best as supposition without any factual cause" until investigators have had a chance to recover and analyze some of the critical aircraft parts and systems that may have been involved in or caused the crash to occur. In their May 26 press release, PIA also stated that a review of the A320's registration and maintenance records shows that it was "technically sound and all aircraft are checked and cleared by engineering before flight departures." "CEO PIA, requested Media not to rely on speculations made by some self-acclaimed aviation experts at this time of grief and sorrow and that inquiry will be held in due course by Independent Investigation Board constituted by the Government of Pakistan to ascertain the cause of the accident," the airline said. The Government of Pakistan has tasked its own Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) with investigating the crash as an independent board with completing a preliminary report by September. Experts from the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA), Airbus and Safran Engines also joined the investigation on May 26. BEA provided updates about their support of the investigation via their Twitter account May 26, stating that the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder still has not been recovered. The agency is participating in support of AAIB as an accredited representative of that state of design of the aircraft involved in the accident. "At this stage, Airbus has no confirmed information concerning the circumstances of the accident. The aircraft, registration number AP-BLD, Manufacturer Serial Number 2274, first entered service in 2004. It has been in operation with Pakistan International Airlines since 2014. The aircraft had logged around 47,100 flight hours and 25,860 flight cycles as of today. It was powered by CFM56-5B4/P engines," Airbus said in a crisis statement about the crash published to its website. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2020/05/26/investigators-reviewing-crashed-pakistan-airlines-a320-flight-data-recorder-karachi/ Back to Top FedEx MD-11F, Hong Kong Airlines A330 in airprox incident The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD) is investigating a loss of separation incident at Hong Kong International airport, involving a FedEx Boeing MD-11 freighter and a Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) Airbus A330-300. The incident occurred on the evening of 22 May at the airport's Runway 25L. The FedEx MD-11F, registered N595FE, was on final approach, operating flight FX9741 from Anchorage. Meanwhile, the HKA Airbus was on its take-off run when the loss of separation incident happened. The aircraft, registered B-LNM, was operating flight HX765 to Bangkok. The CAD notes that there were no passengers on board the aircraft. As the FedEx freighter was approaching Runway 25L, it noticed the that the HKA A330 "had not fully departed from the runway", and decided to execute a missed approach. "According to the preliminary information, when the FedEx freighter commenced the climb during the missed approach, the two aircraft were more than 1.7km (5,580ft) apart," the CAD states. The CAD, which has classified this as a serious incident, says the FedEx aircraft subsequently repositioned itself for approach and landed without incident. No-one was injured, and operations at the airport were not affected. Cirium fleets data indicates the FedEx freighter was delivered to the carrier in 2002, having began its life as a passenger aircraft with American Airlines in 1993. The HKA A330, meanwhile, was delivered to the carrier in 2012. https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/fedex-md-11f-hong-kong-airlines-a330-in-airprox-incident/138544.article Back to Top ICAO calls for aviation personnel to be considered key workers By making aviation personnel designated key workers, ICAO has outlined that essential global air trade capacities will be better maintained. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has joined the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to issue a new joint statement on the need to ensure 'key worker' designations for the millions of skilled personnel that are now maintaining essential global air and sea trade capacities. The call to global governments comes as COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines continue to curtail travel and restrict border movements, resulting in entire transport hubs being affected. The United Nations (UN) agencies are encouraging member states to ensure the key worker designation for aviation personnel, air cargo supply chain personnel, airport and port services personnel, seafarers, marine personnel, fishing vessel personnel and offshore energy sector personnel. [LIVE WEBINAR] Improving operational efficiency to reduce airport costs - 30 June 2020 at 15:00 BST As aviation enters a post-pandemic world and begins recovery, minimising costs wherever possible will be imperative to the bounce-back of airports. Therefore this webinar will look at the areas within airport operations that can be most easily improved in regard to efficiency, and the technologies available to help implement this. Signed on behalf of ICAO Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, and ILO Director General, Guy Ryder, the joint statement highlights that air transport moved approximately 4.5 billion passengers and 35 per cent of all global cargo combined by value in 2019, and that the total number of licensed aviation professionals - which include pilots, air traffic controllers and licensed maintenance technicians - was 887,000 in 2019, according to the most recent ICAO data. The statement outlines that, by making them designated key workers, personnel will be exempt from travel restrictions, ensuring their access to emergency medical treatment and, if necessary, to facilitate emergency repatriation. "We are seeking the support of governments to facilitate crew changes, operations essential to maintain the global cargo supply chains and operations related to humanitarian aid, medical and relief flights. For humanitarian reasons - and the need to comply with international safety and employment regulations - crew changes cannot be postponed indefinitely," reads the statement. To facilitate crew changes in airports in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the three organisations have outlined measures that they are encouraging governments and relevant national and local authorities to implement: • Designate aviation personnel, air cargo supply chain personnel and service provider personnel at airports, regardless of nationality when in their jurisdiction, as key workers providing an essential service • Grant personnel any necessary and appropriate exemptions from national travel-related, health-related or movement restrictions in order to facilitate their joining or leaving aircraft, airports and cargo facilities • Accept, inter alia, official air operator crew identity cards and Crew Member Certificates (CMC) as evidence of being aviation personnel, where necessary, for the purposes of crew changes • Implement appropriate approval and screening protocols for personnel seeking to disembark aircraft for the purpose of crew changes and repatriation • Provide information to aircraft and their crews on basic protective measures against COVID-19 based on World Health Organization (WHO) advice • Adhere to the relevant Annex 9 Standards intended to ensure sustainable air cargo operations and global air cargo supply chain • Implement a Public Health Corridor to protect flight crews of cargo operation • Expedite authorisation of repatriation flights and flights for the purpose of conducting crew changes during the COVID-19 pandemic • Ensure the avoidance of undue or inadvertent restrictions. https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/117905/icao-calls-for-aviation-personnel-to-be-considered-key-workers/ Back to Top Hainan cancels planned transfer of nine aircraft Hainan Airlines Holdings and its subsidiary airlines have cancelled the transfer of aircraft assets to a Hong Kong-based holding company. This encompasses four Boeing 737-800s and two 787-8s owned by Hainan Airlines Holdings, two Airbus A350-900s by Hainan Airlines, and one 737-800 with Grand China Air. The original transaction price on all the aircraft totals CNY4.54 billion ($635 million), the company says. The aircraft were to be transferred to HNA Aviation (Hong Kong) Holdings, following decisions taken last year. HNA Group has a 48.7% share in the entity, with the remainder held by a holding company under the HNA Tourism Group banner. In a previous transaction, Hainan Airlines Holdings transferred four A319s and eight 737-800s to the Hong Kong-based entity in June 2019. Valued at CNY2.76 billion, the transaction was in line with Hainan Airlines Holdings' plans to dispose of aircraft that are more than 10 years old. Cirium fleets data shows that the in-service and stored fleet of Hainan Airlines and its subsidiaries includes 205 737-800s averaging 6.5 years old, 10 787-8s averaging 6.4 years, and seven A350s averaging 1.4 years. The company says: "Due to the impact of the [coronavirus], the overall aviation industry has been adversely impacted. Following this cancellation of the transactions, the company will optimise and adjust capacity and the plan to sell aircraft assets in accordance with how the [outbreak] develops and the return of market demand." https://www.flightglobal.com/fleets/hainan-cancels-planned-transfer-of-nine-aircraft/138547.article Back to Top New Airline StarLux Recruits Pilots Amid the Pandemic After months of the global pandemic, the aviation industry is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Taiwan-based StarLux Airlines has announced the recruitment of new pilots amid the global pandemic. In the meantime, the airline is planning to hire retired military pilots later this year. According to Glenn Chai, General Manager of the airline, StarLux will reinforce its team amid the global pandemic and let the business get back on track after the pandemic. The airline was launched in January as the early phase of the coronavirus outbreak. StarLux provides services to Macau, Da Nang, Vietnam and Penang, Malaysia. In response to the suspension of the service in March, the airline converted its flights to cargo. According to the local media, StarLux employs over a thousand staff but no employee has been furloughed during the pandemic. Earlier, the new airline announced the service will be resumed in June, including Macau and Penang. However, the service to Da Nang will not be resumed until the end of June. The fourth destination of the carrier, Cebu, Philippines, is proposed to launch on July 1. In addition, according to the social distancing guidelines, the airline confirmed all middle seats on its aircraft will be blocked from passenger use. In the meantime, the pandemic hasn't stopped StarLux from expanding its route map. The airline is planning to expand its services to Japan, a favorite country for Taiwanese tourism. But the new route will only commence once conditions following the coronavirus outbreak are under control and the travel restrictions are lifted. It is revealed that Osaka, Fukuoka and Okinawa are the potential new destinations. StarLux owns three aircraft at the moment and two A321neo will be joined the fleet by the end of the year, the new aircraft will operate these future Japanese routes. Also, 12 aircraft, including A350 is expected to be delivered in the next year. https://airlinegeeks.com/2020/05/27/starlux-recruits-new-pilots-amid-pandemic/ Back to Top Three European air forces approve performance benchmarks for next-gen fighter jet COLOGNE, Germany - The air forces of Germany, France and Spain have agreed on a set of performance benchmarks to help their governments guide the development of a next-generation fighter jet set to fly in 2040, the German Bundeswehr announced on Tuesday. The document, approved earlier this month, is meant to help officials judge which features from a collection of currently 10 possible system architectures are worth keeping when the time comes to settle on path forward for the Next-Generation Weapon System. That system, with the manned next-gen fighter at its heart, is slated to become the central element of the Future Combat Air System, the most ambitious and expensive weapons program in mainland Europe. As envisioned, each jet would be accompanied by a small fleet of attack and surveillance drones, or "remote carriers," and all elements would be interlinked by an artificial intelligence-powered "combat cloud," according to a project description. The 10 different system architectures for NGWS currently in the mix lean lean in different directions when it comes to armaments, maneuverability and range of the main jet and its companion drones, for example, the Bundeswehr statement explains. The three air force top officials - Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz for Germany, Gen. Philippe Lavigne for France and Javier Fernandez for Spain - also agreed on a "Common Understanding Connectivity," a guide for connecting national systems into the future FCAS scenario. The document will enable the program partner nations to "synchronize" their respective development programs, according to the German statement. The German Defence Ministry has sent lawmakers new study plans for the Future Combat Air System, revealing that Spain has yet to be fully brought along to the next stage. The industry leads for the Future Combat Air System program, Airbus for Germany and Dassault for France, unveiled a mockup of the future fighter jet at the Paris Air Show last year. The plan is to begin testing a prototype in 2026. Earlier this year, France and Germany, formally kicked off the next phase of the overall program, with each government contributing with $85 million toward the development of technology demonstrators. German lawmakers, who fear an overtly strong French industry influence in the FCAS program, have linked the project to progress on the Main Ground Combat System, another highly visible bilateral program aimed at building a common battle tank. France has the lead on the next-generation fighter while Germany leads the tank project. The German Bundestag's strategy of keeping a close watch on the aerial program by approving only relatively small tranches of money has Dassault CEO Eric Trappier worried about being able to keep the schedule later on, French newspaper La Tribune reported last week. Speaking before a French Senate committee in mid-May, Trappier proposed a Franco-German programming law to ensure a more rapid development pace, according to La Tribune. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/05/26/three-european-air-forces-approve-performance-benchmarks-for-next-gen-fighter-jet/ Back to Top Boeing set to announce significant U.S. job cuts this week - union WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co is expected to announce U.S. job cuts this week after disclosing last month it planned to shed 10% of its worldwide workforce of 160,000 employees, people briefed on the plans and a union said. A spokesman for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) union that represents 17,600 Boeing employees told Reuters Tuesday the company informed the union it should expect layoff notices on Friday. Boeing declined to comment. In April, Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun said the company had "begun taking action to lower our number of employees by roughly 10% through a combination of voluntary layoffs, natural turnover and involuntary layoffs as necessary." Calhoun said in April Boeing will need to make "even deeper reductions in areas that are most exposed to the condition of our commercial customers - more than 15% across our commercial airplanes and services businesses, as well as our corporate functions." SPEEA said about 1,300 of its members applied to take voluntary layoffs. The Puget Sound Business Journal reported earlier that Boeing planned to layoff thousands of workers. A union official confirmed the newspaper's report that Boeing had told union leaders to expect cuts of between 15 to 20% of its membership, which represents engineers and technical workers in Washington State and southern California. Boeing is struggling as the worldwide airline sector has been rocked by the travel demand falloff from the coronavirus pandemic. In April, Boeing recorded zero orders for the second time this year and customers canceled another 108 orders for its grounded 737 MAX plane compounding its worst start to a year since 1962. The outbreak worsened a crisis following the second of two fatal crashes that led to the grounding of the 737 MAX in March 2019. Calhoun said on May 8 he expected to resume production of grounded 737 MAX jet this month. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-set-announce-significant-u-024930624.html Back to Top NASA and SpaceX confirm SpaceX's first ever astronaut launch is a 'go' NASA and SpaceX are closer than ever to a moment both have been preparing for since the beginning of the Commercial Crew program in 2010. SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon spacecraft are now set to fly with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken onboard, making a trip to the International Space Station, and both the agency and SpaceX announced today that they have officially passed the final flight readiness review, meaning everything is now a 'go' for launch. According to NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Kathy Leuders during a press conference on Monday, everything went well with all pre-launch flight checks thus far, including a full-length static test fire of the Falcon 9's engines, and a dress rehearsal of all launch preparation including strapping Hurley and Behnken into the rocket. The only remaining major hurdle for SpaceX and NASA now is the weather, which is currently only looking around 40% favorable for a launch attempt on schedule for Wednesday, May 27 at 4:33 PM EDT, though during today's press conference officials noted it is actually trending upwards as of today. SpaceX and NASA will be paying close attention to the weather between now and Wednesday, and since this is a highly sensitive mission with actual astronauts on board the spacecraft, you can bet that they'll err on the side of caution for scrubbing the launch if weather isn't looking good. That said, they do have a backup opportunity of May 30 in case they need to make use of that, as well as another window on May 31. Hans Koenigsmann, VP of Mission Assurance at SpaceX, noted that there were "no showstoppers" during the static test fire on Friday, and also commented that seeing the actual astronauts climb aboard the Crew Dragon during the dry dress rehearsal really drove home the seriousness and impact of this moment. It will mark the first ever human spaceflight for SpaceX, and the first time astronauts have launched from U.S. soil since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. Koenigsmann went through the schedule for launch day, which include Behnken and Hurley getting ready and suited up around 4 hours before, be drive over in the custom Tesla Model X astronaut transit vehicle at around 3 hours prior, and get into the capsule at around 2.5 hours before launch time. The rest from there is somewhat similar to other Falcon 9 launches, he said, with the exception of the escape system arming at 45 minutes prior to launch, and the arm retracting 10 minutes later, at which point the automated launch system takes over just like it does for other Falcon 9 flights. Post-launch, Behnken and Hurley will spend 19 hours on orbit, with orbit-raising burns and also a manual flight test (the rest of the time Crew Dragon should be under fully automated control) for around 30 minutes just prior to docking. Then, it'll dock and open the hatch around 2 hours later. The departure schedule for Behnken and Hurley to leave the ISS is in flux - NASA will provide that date, sometime between 6 weeks and 16 weeks from launch. The astronauts will then back into Dragon, suit up, undock from the station, and land in the Atlantic around two hours later for recovery. This is the culmination of many years' work, and will be the first human flight for the Commercial Crew program. If all goes well, SpaceX could then begin flying astronauts during regular operational missions for ferrying astronauts to and from the Space Station as early as later this year. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/nasa-spacex-confirm-spacexs-first-222745060.html Back to Top GRADUATE RESEARCH SURVEY Dear Participants, You are being asked to participate in a research study of your opinions and attitudes about stress and mental health. This research started almost two years ago. The purpose of this study is to examine mental health issues in aviation, specifically Part 121 airline pilots. During this study, you will be asked to complete a brief online survey about your opinions on various life circumstances, stress, and mental health topics. This study is expected to take approximately 15 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must possess an FAA issued Airline Transport Certificate (ATP) and you must also be currently working as a pilot for a Part 121 air carrier that is headquartered within the United States. Participation in this study is voluntary and data will be collected anonymously, stored confidentially, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and time to complete our study, as it is another small but important step towards increasing safety in aviation. Please click on the link below to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7ZG6M6L For more information, please contact: Tanya Gatlin - Student Researcher Gatlint1@my.erau.edu 281-924-1336 Dr. Scott Winter - Faculty Advisor winte25e@erau.edu 386-226-6491 Curt Lewis