Flight Safety Information - July 11, 2023 No. 132 In This Issue : Accident: LATAM Cargo B763 at Manaus on Jul 6th 2023, ingested FOD into both engines on landing : Incident: Southwest B737 near Pittsburgh on Jul 9th 2023, suspected fuel leak : A business class passenger on a United flight threw a tantrum after finding out his meal choice was unavailable, forcing the airline to divert to Chicago : Pilot illegally lands helicopter in Grand Teton National Park : Gaps in the map: where aircraft aren’t found on Flightradar24 : Factbox-Deadly Aircraft Crashes Common in Mountainous Nepal : Passenger forced open aircraft hatch and jumped off wing to escape waiting cops : The Mexican Military Is Taking Control Of The Country's Airports : Nolen’s Next Move Is Air Taxi Safety : Southwest Airline’s Fleet Surpasses 800 Aircraft : TSA confiscates loaded 9mm at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint : Top 5: The Countries With The Most Airlines Banned In The EU Accident: LATAM Cargo B763 at Manaus on Jul 6th 2023, ingested FOD into both engines on landing A LATAM Cargo Boeing 767-300, registration PR-ABB performing flight M3-6562 from Sao Paulo Guarulhos,SP to Manaus,AM (Brazil), landed on Manaus' shortened runway 11 but ingested tarpaulins from work associated with the runway into both engines (CF6) during the landing roll resulting in damage to both engines, the fuselage and landing gear. The runway needed to be temporarily closed. The aircraft is still on the ground in Manaus 5 days later. https://avherald.com/h?article=50ba0182&opt=0 Incident: Southwest B737 near Pittsburgh on Jul 9th 2023, suspected fuel leak A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700, registration N218WN performing flight WN-3062 from New York La Guardia,NY to Denver,CO (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 70nm east of Pittsburgh,PA (USA) when the crew initiated a diversion to Pittsburgh due to a suspected fuel leak at the left hand tank. The aircraft landed safely on Pittsburgh's runway 28R about 30 minutes after leaving FL360. A replacement Boeing 737-700 registration N7867A continued the flight and reached Denver with a delay of about 5 hours. The occurrence aircraft returned to service about 21 hours after landing in Pittsburgh. https://avherald.com/h?article=50b9f9ff&opt=0 A business class passenger on a United flight threw a tantrum after finding out his meal choice was unavailable, forcing the airline to divert to Chicago A business class passenger disrupted a United flight because his meal choice wasn't available. The flight, bound for Amsterdam, was diverted to Chicago to offload the passenger. The plane had to dump fuel to be light enough to land. A United Airlines flight bound for Amsterdam was forced to divert to Chicago after a passenger disrupted the flight over his meal choice. The passenger, who was seated in business class, was upset the in-flight meal he wanted wasn't available, according to The Guardian. The flight took off from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston at 4:20 p.m. on Sunday, but ended up landing in Chicago's O'Hare Airport just two hours later, the report said. Photos posted on Twitter by Flightradar24 showed the United plane circling the airport and dumping fuel so it could land. Flightradar24's post noted that the flight was diverted to Chicago because of "an unruly passenger." Later that day, another Twitter user, XJonNYC, posted a photo of United's internal communications showing that there was a "threat level 1" on board. The Federal Aviation Administration defines this as the lowest level of threat on a flight, which constitutes "disruptive behavior" that's "suspicious or threatening." In the following posts, XJonNYC said the passenger was "livid over the fact his 1st choice of meal was not available," citing the passenger was seated in business class and was said to have also been intoxicated. United confirmed this to The Guardian in a statement, writing: "United flight 20 from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Amsterdam diverted to O'Hare International Airport and landed safely following a passenger disturbance. Law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate and escorted the passenger off the plane. The aircraft then continued to Amsterdam." ABC Chicago reported that the plane landed in Amsterdam on Monday. Flight diversions aren't uncommon. In November, a Jet2 flight to Manchester diverted to Bilbao in Spain so passengers could use the bathroom as lavatories on board were out of order. That same month, a Frontier flight was diverted to Atlanta after a passenger on board was caught threatening other people with a box cutter. The flight was bound for Tampa. https://www.yahoo.com/news/business-class-passenger-united-flight-073843908.html Pilot illegally lands helicopter in Grand Teton National Park DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado man is facing federal charges for landing a helicopter in Grand Teton National Park. Helicopter pilot Peter Smith, of Gunnison, faces two misdemeanors in the incident, according to the National Park Service. If convicted, he could owe $10,000 in fines and spend a year in jail. “The unauthorized landing of helicopters is prohibited on the lands and waters within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park in order to protect wildlife and other natural resources and to preserve the visitor experience,” the NPS said in a release. Smith is accused of illegally landing his helicopter at Moran Bay, on the west shore of Jackson Lake, on the afternoon of Saturday, June 24. A helicopter on the rocky shore of a mountain lake surrounded by evergreen trees and a mountain peak in the background The helicopter landed in an area inaccessible except by boat or by hiking at least 10 miles round trip. Park rangers who heard about the landing reached the site at the foot of the craggy Teton Range by boat. When park rangers arrived, they found Smith with a companion having a picnic by the lake, the NPS said. Reached on the phone by The Associated Press, Smith said bad weather forced him to land, and he was within his rights to do so under Federal Aviation Administration regulations. “We were trying to cross over the Tetons and we couldn’t, so we landed. We were not having a picnic. We were landing,” he told the AP. The Teton Range is “notorious for bad weather,” and his passenger was ill, he added. He declined to say where they were coming from and going to, and if it was a hired or personal flight. Smith is the owner of West Elk Air in Gunnison, according to the NPS. He is set to go before a federal judge next month in Jackson, Wyoming. Smith faces two federal counts: “operating or using aircraft on lands or waters other than at locations designated pursuant to special regulations” and “use of aircraft shall be in accordance with regulations of the FAA.” It’s not the first time Smith has gotten in trouble for flying at a national park. The National Park Service said he was cited in February for flying a fixed-wing aircraft below minimum safe altitude in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. He was fined $350. https://www.newsnationnow.com/travel/pilot-illegally-lands-helicopter-in-grand-teton-national-park/ Gaps in the map: where aircraft aren’t found on Flightradar24 On Thursday, 6 July we tracked the highest number of commercial flights ever, following more than 134,000. We posted the map below the following day to illustrate the busy skies and we received numerous questions about the blank areas on the map. Why are there big holes in places around the world? Geopolitics The most obvious “hole” in the Flightradar24 map of global air traffic at the moment is Ukraine. Following the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 in 2014, airlines began avoiding eastern Ukraine. When Russia began their full scale invasion in February 2022, all of Ukrainian airspace was closed to civil aviation. No aircraft inside Ukraine airspace as of July 2023. Also shown is the buffer zone mandated by Russian authorities for Russian aircraft flying near the border with UIkraine. The map above shows the entirety of Ukraine empty, but also the large buffer zone implemented by Russian authorities extending from the Ukrainian border. Conflict avoidance Civil aviation places safety above all else, meaning many of the most convenient international flight routes are avoided due to safety or security concerns. Often times it is not just a concern about overflying an area, but also “what happens if we need to divert here?” For quite a few years now, flights have routed around Libya, but recent fighting in Sudan has expanded the area aircraft avoid, extending flight routes from Europe and northern Africa to destinations south of Sudan. There are also areas around the world served by local airlines that are avoided by international carriers. Syria and Afghanistan still see regular commercial service, but those destinations are not served by large international airlines either due to governmental prohibition or the airlines’ own risk assessments. Geography The other main reason flights avoid a particular area is geography. Specifically, geography that makes the safe operation of commercial aviation difficult or near impossible. The most prominent example of this when looking at the Flightradar24 map is Tibet. On the map above, blue pins represent airports while the white and yellow lines represent available airways that aircraft can use to transit an area. Nearly all of Tibet is airway-free, but not because the terrain is too high to fly over. Even the tallest mountains in the world just to the southwest are easily traversed, however, safety is again the prime consideration. Aircraft operating at a normal cruising altitude of 35-40,000 feet are flying through air that is less dense and contains less oxygen than air lower in the atmosphere. At cruising altitude there is only about a minute of useful oxygen available before Hypoxia can begin affecting the brain. This is why airplanes are equipped with oxygen masks and why aircraft descend to 10,000 feet or lower in the event of a depressurization. The problem in Tibet is that much of the plateau is at or above 10,000 feet above mean sea level, making it impossible to descend to a safe altitude. Aircraft that do operate in this area follow special procedures and carry extra equipment to mitigate an emergency situation. For nearly all others, flying around is the easiest thing to do. Remote geography meets busy trade routes In eastern Russia the lack of flights is a combination of geopolitics and geography. There are few flights to begin with as there are not many cities in northern and eastern Russia that require large amounts of air service. But with the invasion of Ukraine came sanctions on Russia and prohibitions on aircraft from other countries operating in Russian airspace. This has resulted in even fewer flights over eastern Russian than at the beginning of 2022. Much of the world’s air cargo transits Anchorage, Alaska in between Asia and North America and the fastest route between those two places travels directly through eastern Russia. Prior to the Ukrainian invasion, international airlines would fly from Anchorage to cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Seoul via Russian airspace. With the imposition of restrictions all of that traffic no longer uses Russia and instead routes out over the Pacific Ocean. Flight planning is a balance of safety, security, and economics. Airlines will fly between two points as efficiently and as safely as they can. On some routes, that may mean taking a long detour to ensure the safety of their passengers. https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/gaps-in-the-map-where-aircraft-arent-found-on-flightradar24/ Factbox-Deadly Aircraft Crashes Common in Mountainous Nepal (Reuters) - Mountainous Nepal, where six people were killed in a helicopter crash on Tuesday, has a history of deadly air crashes. Below are details of plane and helicopter crashes this century in the Himalayan country, where several airlines fly to small airports in remote hills and mountains shrouded in clouds and cut off from roads. Before Tuesday's crash, 350 people had been killed in the country in 18 air crashes since 2000. JULY 11, 2023 Six people were killed in a helicopter crash in central Nepal. The chopper, which departed from Solukhunvhu district, home to Mount Everest and other high mountain peaks, had five Mexican nationals and one Nepali pilot onboard. JAN 15, 2023 A twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft carrying 72 people, operated by Nepal's Yeti Airlines, crashed in Pokhara, killing all onboard. It was the worst air crash in the country since 1992 when all 167 people aboard a Pakistan International Airlines plane were killed when it ploughed into a hill as it tried to land in Nepal's capital of Kathmandu. MAY 29, 2022 Sixteen Nepalis, four Indians and two Germans died on a De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter aircraft that crashed 15 minutes after taking off from Pokhara, 125 km (80 miles) west of Kathmandu. Operated by Yeti unit Tara Air, the aircraft made its first flight in April 1979, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. FEB 27, 2019 A helicopter crashed in bad weather in eastern Nepal, killing all seven people on board, including the tourism minister. MARCH 12, 2018 Fifty-one of 71 people on a Bangladeshi airliner operated by US-Bangla Airlines died when it crashed in cloudy weather as it came in to land at the Nepalese capital's hill-ringed airport. It was a Bombardier Q400 series aircraft. FEB 26, 2016 Two people were feared dead after a small plane crashed in western Nepal's Kalikot district. It was operated by Kasthamandap Airlines. FEB 24, 2016 A small plane crashed in bad weather, killing all 23 people on board. The Twin Otter aircraft, operated by Tara Air, was on a flight from Pokhara. FEB 16, 2014 All 18 people on a small plane that crashed in bad weather were killed. The Twin Otter aircraft was operated by state-run Nepal Airlines Corp. SEPT 28, 2012 A small propeller-driven Dornier aircraft struck a bird and crashed shortly after takeoff from Kathmandu, killing 19 people, including seven British and five Chinese passengers. SEPT 25, 2011 A small plane carrying foreign tourists to view Mount Everest crashed in bad weather near Kathmandu, killing all 19 people on board. The Beech aircraft was operated by private airline Buddha Air. DEC 16, 2010 A small plane crashed in the Himalayan foothills of remote east Nepal, killing all 22 people onboard. The Twin Otter aircraft was operated by Tara Air. AUG 24, 2010 Fourteen people - including four Americans, a Japanese and British national - were killed when their small plane crashed in bad weather in Nepal. It was operated by privately held Agni Air. OCT 8, 2008 A small Twin Otter plane crashed in the remote mountains of northeast Nepal, killing at least 18 people, mostly foreigners. MARCH 4, 2008 Four U.N. arms monitors were among at least 10 people killed in a helicopter crash in Nepal. JUNE 21, 2006 A Twin Otter passenger plane operated by Yeti Airlines crashed minutes before landing in the west of the country, killing all nine people onboard. MAY 25, 2004 A Twin Otter cargo plane crashed in the Mount Everest region, killing its three crew. It was operated by Yeti Airlines. AUG 22, 2002 Another Twin Otter plane, carrying foreign tourists, slammed into a mountain in bad weather in Nepal, killing all 18 people on board. It was operated by Shangrila Air. JULY 17, 2002 Four people were feared dead after a twin-engined aircraft crashed into a mountain in west Nepal minutes before it was due to land. JULY 27, 2000 A Canadian-built Twin Otter passenger plane crashed in western Nepal, killing all 25 people on board. It was operated by state-owned Royal Nepal Airlines. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-07-11/factbox-deadly-aircraft-crashes-common-in-mountainous-nepal Passenger forced open aircraft hatch and jumped off wing to escape waiting cops A passenger aboard a Sun Country Airlines flight was arrested after he tried to escape from waiting police at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) in the United States (US). According to reports, when the flight arrived from Orlando shortly after 11pm local time on Sunday, July 9, 2023, the man bolted out of an aircraft emergency hatch before officers could board the plane. The suspect then went onto the wing, jumped off and ran across the tarmac toward the airport terminal. World Aviation Festival In Article June 2023 The passenger was able to escape so quickly because he was reportedly seated in the exit row. It is understood that the man was found about 45 minutes later hiding in a LSG Sky Chef truck. “We take these incidents very seriously, and the crew called airport police who responded quickly,” Sun Country told FOX 9. “Fortunately, Passengers and crew are fine.” Sun Country Airlines describes itself as “a new breed of hybrid low-cost air carrier”. The airline has 42 passenger jets and 12 freighter aircraft. It operates over 118 routes and serves 94 airports. Its headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/passenger-escape-aircraft-hatch-police-minneapolis The Mexican Military Is Taking Control Of The Country's Airports Mexico will trust its Navy to solve corruption, smuggling, and mismanagement practices at several airports. When traveling by air, there are probably a lot of questions that cross your mind. However, few travelers ask themselves how the airports they are transiting through are managed. Although airfields are usually run by private companies, sometimes with a stake held by the government, there are exceptions to this rule. Mexico, for instance, is preparing to hand control of several airports to the military. Mexico's receipt of airports' successful management Airports are an extremely complex reality to manage. Being the doors to cities and countries, the levels of safety and security threats are among the highest you can find. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to come up with unorthodox strategies to ensure smooth operations and safeguard air travel. In Mexico, for instance, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has officially handed over control of Mexico City Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX) to the country's military to fight corruption and mismanagement practices that have been going on for long. Besides Benito Juarez International, the Mexican government is also planning to cede to the military control of about a dozen airports in the country, including Matamoros (MAM), across the borders with Texas, and Playa del Carmen (PCM) on the Gulf of Mexico. The handover process started approximately a year ago when the Mexican navy took control of Mexico City airport's security. Now, the military will progressively take charge of all other departments, from customs and immigration to baggage handling and cleaning. Military control to fight smuggling and organized crime at Mexican airports The main reason leading Mexico's president to hand over complete control of Benito Juarez International to the military is to successfully tackle the airport's problems of drug smuggling and illegal immigration. The management change also aims to improve the condition of the airport's infrastructure and traffic management, following a series of near-miss reported in recent years. With the military at the helm, President López Obrador hopes to improve the airport's reputation, which repeated episodes of stolen luggage, schedule disruptions, and corruption-threatened business have severely damaged. According to the airport's director, Carlos Velázquez Tiscareño, Mexico City International will become "a company within a naval military entity". However, the director is confident passengers will hardly notice the management change. Indeed, the only uniformed military will be the 1,500 marines responsible for safeguarding the airport's security. The rest of the personnel will be civilians, although led by stricter rules aiming for more order and discipline. To manage Mexico City International and the other Mexican airports, the navy will constitute a special company called Casiopea, which is expected to gain control of about a dozen airports by the end of 2024. The Mexican military also plans to start operating its own commercial airline by the end of this year. Is military-led management the correct answer for Mexican airports' issues? Following the announcement of the military takeover of Mexico City airport's management, aviation experts have started questioning whether this solution will be the right one to put a stop to the corruption and mismanagement issues experienced over the last few years. Corruption levels at Mexican airports have indeed reached such a level that coded messages are reportedly sent using airports' internal communication systems to prevent luggage from being held up for inspection, thus allowing drug shipments and smuggling of all kinds. For this and other reasons, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded the Mexican aviation safety rating in 2021, thus preventing carriers from further expanding their operations in the US. Since February 2022, the navy's takeover of Mexico City's security has led to the shutdown of several illegal businesses inside the airport and reduced the number of stolen luggage. However, according to front-line workers at the airport, passengers continue to complain about delays and lost luggage. Although a complete management takeover from part of the military could lead to significant improvements to the reputation of Mexico's airports, Rogelio Rodríguez Garduño, an aviation law expert at Mexico's National Autonomous University, underlined that the president's decision is against international aviation recommendations that draw a clear line between military and civilian. According to Rodríguez Garduño, Mexican aviation needs more funds, training, and inspections to position itself in the global competitive scenario. https://simpleflying.com/mexico-airports-under-military-control/ Nolen’s Next Move Is Air Taxi Safety Former Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen tells FLYING why he joined Archer Aviation and what the company has planned for the future. Billy Nolen has made quite the career out of safe flying, first as a safety officer for American Airlines, Qantas, and WestJet, and later as acting administrator of the FAA, a position he held for about 15 months before announcing his decision to step down in April. Now Nolen, a pilot of 42 years, has begun the next phase of his journey: ensuring the safety of aircraft that have never flown. In June, the former FAA head joined air taxi firm Archer Aviation as its chief safety officer, a position newly created by CEO Adam Goldstein. According to the company’s latest executive hire, certification of the company’s flagship Midnight air taxi is going smoothly—so much so that he expects it to fly globally within a decade. Here’s what else the former FAA head had to say. Why Archer? With the FAA, Nolen said he had three goals. Two of them were to invest in safety management systems (SMS) for major airline operations and to maintain U.S. global leadership in aviation. But the third was a bit more challenging: establishing the U.S. as the key enabler of advanced air mobility (AAM), electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), and other emerging technologies. “What really drew me to that was thinking there are already pieces of this in place,” Nolen recounted. “The FAA had the Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation (CECI). I think we need a forcing function, and that was Innovate 2028, which really was a catalyzing moment for the agency. It pulled a lot of these resources into really a focus on just how we go about enabling eVTOLs, UAS, etc.” Innovate 2028 is a program Nolen alluded to in a Wall Street Journal interview in May and again in an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” in June. Not much is known about the initiative, but the former FAA head said it will involve showcasing air taxis at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games—a demonstration Archer wants to be a part of. According to Nolen, the decision to join the air taxi firm was not necessarily an easy one. “Initially, I had lots of offers come in from all over the space. After nearly 20 years of government service (military, plus the FAA), I felt like it was the right time for me and my family to return to private industry,” he said. “I still have offers coming in today, to be quite honest.” At least for now, though, Nolen plans to stay put. While working with Archer in his capacity with the FAA, he developed an appreciation for the company’s “strong and robust safety culture.” He also sung the praises of Goldstein and the Archer team, whom he described as “extremely passionate.” “The thing I found compelling about Archer, one, was Adam Goldstein’s vision about that idea of ‘unlocking the skies,’ to allow us to reimagine how we move,” Nolen said. “That drew me to [Archer], and not only that. It was just a combination of the team of executives here and the 600-plus members.” He continued, “I felt very comfortable coming aboard Archer. It felt like it’s the kind of organization that I wanted to be associated with.” Having spent a year and change leading the FAA on an acting basis, Nolen also valued Archer’s longstanding relationship with the agency. The company just hosted more than 70 representatives from the freshly formed Federal AAM Interagency Working Group at its Salinas, California, test facility and has worked closely with the agency on certification for nearly half a decade. “There’s been this clear focus of saying, ‘The only way for us to get there, through the certification process and full-on commercialization, is to show ourselves as strong partners and prepared to go execute,’” he said. Nolen’s Big Plans While Nolen’s new job as chief safety officer will encompass several responsibilities, the former FAA head has one core goal. “The key thing will be that the public has to have this sense that it’s safe,” he said, referring to the company’s planned air taxi routes with Midnight. Midnight, Archer’s five-seat production eVTOL, recently began initial flight testing in Salinas. A winged aircraft supported by 12 propellers, the air taxi is expected to have a range of 100 sm (87 nm) but will be optimized for 20 to 50 sm (17 to 43 nm) urban trips, primarily to and from airports in the early going. Despite its novelty, Nolen believes the public will perceive Midnight as being as safe as a Boeing 787 or Airbus A350. “What I bring to this, given my three-plus decades of experience in safety and operations, is just making sure that there is no stone left unturned, that as we come to market, our SMS is par excellence,” he said. “I expect to play a major part in terms of ensuring that we have the absolute best SMS in the world.” What I bring to this, given my three-plus decades of experience in safety and operations, is just making sure that there is no stone left unturned. Billy Nolen, Chief Safety Officer, Archer Aviation Nolen cited collaboration with the FAA as key to Archer’s future success. In his view, the company’s goal of flying worldwide within a decade aligns with the agency’s own mission: to cement American leadership in AAM. “This is really about U.S. leadership in the world,” he said. “You’ve got other big regulators: [the European Union Aviation Safety Agency], Transport Canada, [National Civil Aviation Agency] in Brazil, [Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau], etc. But the U.S. has proven that it is the number one, that it will always be a global leader.” In March, Archer began construction on Phase 1 of its Covington, Georgia, production plant, which it expects to begin producing 650 units per year by mid-2024. By the end of Phase 2, it will be capable of churning out thousands of Midnight aircraft annually. But the completion of Phase 1, Nolen said, should align with Archer’s certification timeline, readying the company for a 2025 commercial launch. By the 2028 Olympic Games, he expects Archer and other key players—perhaps including rival Joby—to begin operating nationwide. “I expect that the major players, those who are successful and have been able to execute, will be at scale,” he predicted. “Focus on those companies that have a level of rigor, that are committed to a rapid approach to execution, getting through the regulatory hurdles that are thereby designed to give the public the sense that this is a safe mode of transportation.” Nolen’s projections will depend on a multitude of factors, from internal conflict within the FAA to the development of air taxi infrastructure to the success (or failure) of Midnight’s flight testing. But as the former FAA head charts the future of aviation with his new company, one thing is for certain—he’ll look really cool doing it. https://www.flyingmag.com/nolens-next-move-is-air-taxi-safety/ Southwest Airline’s Fleet Surpasses 800 Aircraft The airline's most recent delivery brings the total fleet to over 800 aircraft. The extensive Boeing fleet Since the airline's inception in March 1967, Southwest Airlines has almost exclusively flown variants of the Boeing 737. This was except for a brief period in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the airline leased variants of the Boeing 727s. The airline currently only operates Boeing 737 variants. As of July 10, Southwest Airlines now operates 804 total aircraft. Seven hundred seventy-three of the airline's aircraft are registered as currently being in service, while 31 aircraft are registered as parked. This includes 737-700s, 737-800s, and 737MAX-8s. Southwest Airlines currently operates 408 of the Boeing 737-700 variants. Three hundred eighty-five of these are operating, while 23 are parked. The airline operates 200 active 737-800s and has seven parked. Out of the 189 737MAX-8s, only one is parked, meaning the remaining are operative. Additionally, the oldest aircraft in Southwest's fleet is a Boeing 737-700 registered as N750SA. It was delivered in September 1999, which means it has an age of 23.9 years. Historically, the airline has also operated the 737-200, 737-300, and 737-500. These have all since been retired. Southwest Airlines had flown 62 total 737-200s, 195 737-300s, and only 25 737-500s. Additionally, the airline has several other variations of 737s on order from Boeing. It has 31 planned orders of the 737MAX-7 and an additional 33 737MAX-8s on order. Southwest Airlines grows its fleet despite other recent incidents In recent days a Southwest airplane hit a light pole while taxiing at Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). The aircraft had traveled from Houston Hobby International Airport (HOU) before running into an off-pavement light pole. None of the 172 passengers and six crew members aboard the flight were injured. Earlier this month, another Southwest Airlines aircraft suffered damage when it struck a bird while landing at Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). The airplane's nose sustained a dent from the collision before landing safely. No injuries were reported among the passengers or crew. Additionally, in mid-June, Southwest Airlines was struck with severe technical issues at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). The technical issues affected the ticketing process, which forced passengers to get stuck in long lines. This issue eventually led to Southwest Airlines apologizing to those affected, as delays spread across different flights. The airline stated on June 17, "Our Austin operations are back to normal after our Ground Operations Team worked through some minor challenges which affected Customers checking in this morning. Additionally, a technical issue affected the airport’s bag belt system and our Team’s ability to assist Customers in quickly checking their bags. We apologize to Customers for the inconvenience and appreciate their patience as we worked to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible." The airline had famously dealt with other severe technical issues that resulted in hundreds of delays and cancelations at the end of 2022. https://simpleflying.com/southwest-airlines-fleet-800-aircraft/ TSA confiscates loaded 9mm at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint Transportation Security Administration officers on Monday stopped a Washington County man who tried to bring a handgun onto a flight at Pittsburgh International Airport. It was the 22nd gun confiscated at the airport so far this year. TSA officers found a loaded 9mm gun in the Canonsburg man’s carry-on bag and alerted Allegheny County Police, spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. Farbstein said it is TSA policy not to identify passengers stopped with guns. County police did not return a message. The man could face a civil penalty of up to $15,000, TSA said. “We are starting to see the makings of an epidemic of guns showing up at our airport,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s federal security director at Pittsburgh International. “Our officers are doing a tremendous job staying vigilant while screening travelers during this peak summer travel period.” Passengers are permitted to travel with a gun only in checked baggage if it is unloaded and packed in a hard, locked case, Farbstein said. Then the locked case should be taken to an airline check-in counter to be declared. The airport is on pace to surpass the number of confiscated guns in each of the past two years. Officers confiscated 26 last year and 32 in 2021. https://triblive.com/local/tsa-confiscates-loaded-9mm-at-pittsburgh-international-airport-checkpoint/ Top 5: The Countries With The Most Airlines Banned In The EU The latest from the 42nd version of the European Union Air Safety List. Updated relatively frequently, the European Union Air Safety List - otherwise infamously known as the EU Flight Blacklist is a record of all the airlines that are banned from operating within Europe due to a lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities and the airlines themselves. While the previous version included nearly 120 airlines from 15 countries, the latest June version - the 42nd list update, consists of 128 airlines from the same 15 countries. With such a long list, here's a breakdown of the top five countries with the heaviest blanketed bans - another fancy term for the countries with the most banned air carriers. Russia Russia takes the throne with no surprise as the list includes 22 Russian air carriers banned from flying within Europe. These are Aurora Airlines, Aviastartu, Izhavia, Yakutia, RusJet, Uvt Aero, Siberia Airlines, SmartAvia Airlines, Iraero Airlines, Ural Airlines, Alrosa Air Company, Nordstar Airlines, Rusline, Yamal Airlines, Nord Wind. The list also includes Aircompany Ikar, I Fly, Pobeda Airlines, flag carrier Aeroflot, Rossiya Airlines, Skol Airline, and Utair Aviation. It has always been emphasized that the EU Air Safety List is never political. Banning so many Russian carriers is because of the unlawful re-registration of more than 500 aircraft. Due to the unlawful seizures and re-registrations, the aircraft no longer have a valid Certificate of Airworthiness, and the Russian authorities have been unable to guarantee their airworthiness, which renders any Russian airline operating any of these aircraft as considered unsafe. Nepal Up next in line is Nepal, as the list cautiously includes all airlines certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulator oversight. Effective since 2013, the European Union and other jurisdictions have deemed the local aviation authorities in Nepal to be severely lacking in safety oversight, making it necessary for all 20 Nepali carriers to be on the list. These include Air Dynasty, Altitude Air, Buddha Air, Fishtail Air, Summit Air, Heli Everest, Himalaya Airlines, Kailash Helicopter Services, Makalu Air, Manang Air, Mountain Helicopters, Prabhu Helicopters, flag carrier Nepal Airlines, Saurya Airlines, Shree Airlines, Simrik Air, Simrik Airlines, Sita Air, Tara Air, and Yeti Airlines. With nearly 30 crashes and hundreds of unfortunate fatalities in three decades, the country's track record of aviation accidents doesn't help bring much reassurance either. And although Nepal has appealed for as many years to have its blanketed flight ban lifted, such efforts remain unsuccessful. Kyrgyzstan Then in third place, there's Kyrgyzstan, with the inclusion of all its air carriers banned from operating in European airspace. The 16 airlines include Air Nomad Airlines, Aerostan, Air Company Air KG, AirCompany Moalem, Avia Traffic Company, Central Asian Aviation Services, FlySky Airlines, and Global 8 Airlines. There is also the inclusion of Heli Sky, KAP.KG, MAC.KG, Sapsan Airline, Sky Jet, Trans Caravan KG, and Tez Jet. Kyrgyzstan was first blacklisted in 2006 after audits found severe shortcomings in the country's aviation safety practices and regulations and when the airlines' fleets were in significantly poorly maintained states. And similar to the efforts of Nepal, Kyrgyzstan has also tried to appeal against the ban - with a handful of near-successful attempts in previous years that would have required the country to collaborate with IATA and other countries' aviation authorities to improve flight safety. Unfortunately, such attempts were never thoroughly followed through and fell short. Democratic Republic of Congo Following a similar trend of having all aircraft and airlines banned from operating in Europe is the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the list includes AB Business, Air Fast Congo, Air Kasai, Air Katanga, Busy Bee Congo, Compagnie Africaine D'Aviation, Congo Airways, Goma Express, and Kin Avia. Malu Aviation, Serve Air Cargo, Swala Aviation, and Tracep Congo Aviation are also included to complete the list of all 13 Congolese carriers. The Democratic Republic of Congo was one of the first few countries that received a blanket ban on all air carriers when the European Air Safety List was initially created and has never been close to being removed over the years. The ban on the country and its air carriers is because most aircraft were previously used during the civil war and were converted to passenger and cargo aircraft, failing to meet international safety standards. The in-country aviation safety practices were also found to be lacking, and although the country's share of global air traffic is less than 0.3%, it has accounted for more than 4% of total aviation accidents since 2010. Sudan And closing in this list of the most heavily affected countries is Sudan, as the blacklist bans all 12 Sudanese carriers, such as Alfa Airlines, Badr Airlines, Blue Bird Aviation, Eldinder Aviation, Green Flag Aviation, Helejetic Air, Kata Air Transport, Kush Aviation, Nova Airways, flag carrier Sudan Airways, Sun Air, and Tarco Air. The complete ban became effected in March 2010, with the European Transport Commissioner at the time citing reasons due to the poor safety performance of the Civil Aviation Authority of Sudan resulting from persistent and ongoing non-compliance with international standards in the area of oversight. When the ban was first announced, the interim Administration Director of the Civil Authority of Sudan at the time, Al-Hafiz Abdullah, immediately described the decision as entirely unprofessional. He emphasized that his agency continuously adheres to the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and has always been seeking new ways to improve its safety practices. Although viewed as unjustified, Sudan has remained on the blacklist since then. The violence within the country does not help matters either, as additional reasons for the continued ban were given as due to the volatile situation in Sudan caused by ongoing armed clashes, there presents a high risk to civil aviation due to potential misidentification, miscalculation, or collateral damage that would call for the possible use of anti-aircraft weaponry. https://simpleflying.com/countries-most-airlines-banned-from-eu/#nepal Curt Lewis