Flight Safety Information - April 04, 2024 No. 069 In This Issue : Incident: Cathay Pacific B773 at Hong Kong on Apr 1st 2024, suspected hydraulic problem, air conditioning problem : Accident: JAL B788 near Tokyo on Apr 1st 2024, turbulence injures 4 flight attendants : Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London : Incident: France A318 at Nice on Apr 2nd 2024, burning odour in cockpit : Incident: JAL B738 at Miyazaki on Apr 3rd 2024, lightning strike twice and burning odour on board : Boeing 737-7CT WL) - Turbulence/Injuries (Gulf of Mexico, USA) : Duckworth calls for FAA to review Boeing's failure to disclose flight deck features : Pilot in deadly Arizona hot air balloon crash had elevated levels of ketamine, report says : Ex-Marine in Australia facing extradition to US says he wasn’t American citizen during China pilot training : Kazakhstan examines air safety to launch direct flights to the U.S. : Texas emergency management chief believes the state needs its own firefighting aircraft : Four Airbus A380s lined up to be scrapped, high demand for superjumbo parts : China's Hainan Airlines Expected To Order Up To 20 Airbus A330-900s : Suriya confident CAAT will win back FAA’s top aviation safety standard this year (Thailand) : (APTSC) Asia and Pacific Turboprop Safety Conference - June 26 - 27, 2024 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia : Call for Nominations For 2024 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Cathay Pacific B773 at Hong Kong on Apr 1st 2024, suspected hydraulic problem, air conditioning problem A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300, registration B-HNG performing flight CX-504 from Hong Kong (China) to Tokyo Narita (Japan) with 432 passengers and 15 crew, was climbing through FL230 out of Hong Kong when the crew decided to return to Hong Kong after reporting they suspected a hydraulic problem. The aircraft landed safely back on Hong Kong's runway 25R about one hour after departure. A replacement Boeing 777-300 registration B-HNV reached Tokyo with a delay of about 4:45 hours. A subsequent examination revealed the occurrence aircraft had suffered a problem with an air conditioning system. The airline reported the aircraft returned to Hong Kong due to a system anomaly after takeoff. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Hong Kong about 80 hours (3 days 8 hours) after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=516fe6d3&opt=0 Accident: JAL B788 near Tokyo on Apr 1st 2024, turbulence injures 4 flight attendants A JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8, registration JA843J performing flight JL-774 from Melbourne,VI (Australia) to Tokyo Narita (Japan) with 146 passengers and 11 crew, was descending through about FL170 towards Tokyo when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence causing injuries to 4 flight attendants. The aircraft continued for a safe landing on Narita's runway 16L about 35 minutes later. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported one flight attendant received a fracture of the lower right thigh, 3 others received sprains. The JTSB is investigating the occurrence. https://avherald.com/h?article=516f715d&opt=0 Incident: France A318 at Nice on Apr 2nd 2024, burning odour in cockpit An Air France Airbus A318-100, registration F-GUGO performing flight AF-7310 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Nice (France), was descending towards Nice when the crew requested priority reporting a burning odour in the cockpit. The aircraft continued to Nice for a safe landing on runway 22L. The airline reported a hot smell felt on board of the aircraft. The aircraft is still on the ground in Nice about 23 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=516f5e32&opt=0 Incident: JAL B738 at Miyazaki on Apr 3rd 2024, lightning strike twice and burning odour on board A JAL Japan Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration JA308J performing flight JL-694 from Miyazaki to Tokyo Haneda (Japan) with 113 passengers and 6 crew, was climbing out of Miyazaki's runway 27 when the aircraft sustained two lightning strikes. In the absence of any abnormal indication the crew continued the climb and levelled off at cruise flight level 390, when a burning odour became apparent on board of the aircraft prompting the crew to divert to Osaka's Kansai Airport (Japan) for a safe landing on runway 06L about 55 minutes after departure. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Osaka about 11.5 hours after landing. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported the aircraft was struck by lighting twice while climbing through about 4500 meters (FL150), subsequently a strange smoke like smell developed on board temporarily. There had not been any anomaly with any of the instruments in flight. https://avherald.com/h?article=516f705c&opt=0 Boeing 737-7CT WL) - Turbulence/Injuries (Gulf of Mexico, USA) Date: Wednesday 3 April 2024 Time: 12:23 UTC Type: Boeing 737-7CT WL) Owner/operator: Southwest Airlines Registration: N567WN MSN: 32747/1239 Year of manufacture: 2002 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Aircraft damage: None Location: over Gulf of Mexico - United States of America Phase: En route Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: New Orleans-Louis Armstrong International Airport, LA (MSY/KMSY) Destination airport: Orlando International Airport, FL (MCO/KMCO) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: Southwest Airlines flight WN4273, a Boeing 737-7CT, experienced turbulence while en route at FL370 over the Gulf of Mexico. Two occupants were injured and the flight diverted to Tampa, Florida. https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/385174 Duckworth calls for FAA to review Boeing's failure to disclose flight deck features Senator Tammy Duckworth is urging the Federal Aviation Administration to take a closer look at how it responds to what she says is a pattern by Boeing of failing to disclose flight deck features of the 737 Max to pilots, according to a letter to be sent Thursday and obtained exclusively by CBS News. Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois and chair of the Senate's Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation Subcommittee, is calling on FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to investigate why Alaska Airlines pilots were unaware the plane's cockpit door was designed to automatically open during a rapid depressurization — which is exactly what occurred on flight AS1282 when a door panel on a Boeing 737 Max 9 blew out mid-flight in early January. "Boeing's failure to disclose this feature is chilling given its history of concealing 737 MAX information from pilots," Duckworth writes. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters following a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on January 17 that the flight crew should have been told about the feature. "Nobody knew about it. So it was a complete surprise. And the flight crew needs to know," she said, adding, "knowing this could occur is pretty key to safety." In this National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) handout, an opening is seen in the fuselage of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX on January 7, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. A door-sized section near the rear of the Boeing 737-9 MAX plane blew off 10 minutes after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, Oregon on January 5 on its way to Ontario, California. / Credit: NTSB In this National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) handout, an opening is seen in the fuselage of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX on January 7, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. A door-sized section near the rear of the Boeing 737-9 MAX plane blew off 10 minutes after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, Oregon on January 5 on its way to Ontario, California. / Credit: NTSBMore Following the January 5 incident with the door panel, Boeing updated the Flight Crew Operating Manual to include that the cockpit door opens in order to equalize pressure between the flight deck and cabin in the event of a rapid depressurization of the passenger cabin. "We agree with Senator Duckworth. As a fellow pilot, she understands the importance of informing pilots about safety critical designs and systems." said 737 Captain Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilot Association, which represents American Airlines pilots. "This nondisclosure of the cockpit door design just adds to Boeing's rap sheet of withholding information from pilots. The FAA has got to stop this bad behavior before tragedy strikes, again." But NTSB investigators say it was not only the pilots of Alaska Airlines flight 1282 who were unaware of the cockpit door design to swing open during a depressurization. It caught the flight attendants off guard as well as they were responding to the emergency in the cabin. "When safety culture is broken down and the expediency of shoveling profits to Wall Street becomes the mission — this is what you get. It's not okay. It's not sustainable," Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing 50,000 flight attendants at 19 airlines including Alaska Airlines, told CBS News. "And we as a nation cannot allow this great American company to be torched by shareholder capitalism. We stand with the workers trying right now to take back the company they built." In her letter, Duckworth says the FAA needs to consider if any changes are required to the cockpit of the 737 in light of the door's design and that the regulator may need to consider taking action against the company. "This unknown, undisclosed feature resulted in the flight crew being surprised when the rapid depressurization event caused the cockpit door to slam open, sucking an emergency checklist out of the cockpit and removing one of the pilots' headsets," writes Duckworth. "As a pilot, I cannot convey strongly enough how critical it is for the flight crew to be fully informed of all features on the flight deck. Keeping pilots in the dark about features on the MAX has become a pattern at Boeing. This is the third time Boeing has failed to disclose a flight deck feature to 737 MAX pilots. This is dangerous, and FAA must not view this latest omission in isolation. Instead, FAA should consider regulatory action informed by Boeing's past pattern of deceptive conduct." Duckworth points to Boeing's decision not to include the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, in the flight manual for the 737 Max and its failure to inform pilots that the Angle of Attack (AOA) disagree alert aboard most Max 8 airliners was not functional. It was a design flaw with the MCAS system that led to the two deadly 737 Max 8 crashes that killed 346 people, and the AOA issue that was not disclosed until after the second Max 8 crash. The AOA sensor was a factor in both crashes. "While this was not a safety-critical feature, the manufacturer's brazen disregard for type design requirements and lack of candor with pilots is breathtaking," writes Duckworth. "Even more disturbing is FAA's failure to consider any kind of civil enforcement action. If Boeing faces no consequence from FAA when it engages in outrageously inappropriate conduct like this—what incentive does the company have to change its behavior?" Boeing said in a statement to CBS News late Wednesday that it is "committed to continued transparency and sharing information with our regulator and operators." In recent weeks, Duckworth has called on the FAA to deny Boeing a key safety waiver for the 737 Max 7 and Max 10 that would have allowed the planes to be certified for use despite an issue with the anti-icing system found on all Max engines. Boeing withdrew the request following her letter to the FAA and pledged not to seek certification of either airliner until a fix was developed. Those delays have resulted in key Boeing customer Southwest Airlines cutting its capacity of planes for 2024 and United pausing pilot hiring and encouraging some of its existing pilots to take unpaid leave as both carriers will receive fewer airplanes than expected. https://www.yahoo.com/news/duckworth-calls-faa-review-boeings-043238179.html Pilot in deadly Arizona hot air balloon crash had elevated levels of ketamine, report says PHOENIX — The pilot of a hot air balloon that crashed in Arizona and left four dead had elevated levels of ketamine in his system, according to an autopsy and toxicology report. Cornelius van der Walt, 37, of Eloy, Arizona, was piloting the aircraft when it fell in January. He and three other people — Chayton Wiescholek, 28, of Union City, Michigan; Kaitlynn Bartrom, 28, of Andrews, Indiana; and Atahan Kiliccote, 24, of Cupertino, California — died in the crash. One other passenger was seriously injured. The balloon, a Kubicek BB 85, was operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides and was manufactured in 2011. Van der Walt, originally from South Africa, was the owner of the company. The balloon had been carrying 13 people at takeoff. Eight of them were skydivers who had left the craft before issues arose. Those who knew van der Walt described him as experienced and safety-minded. But two toxicology panels — one conducted by NMS Labs on behalf of the Pinal County Medical Examiner's Office and another by the Federal Aviation Administration — found ketamine in his blood. Van der Walt didn't have a known ketamine prescription, and the drug wasn't used in resuscitation efforts at the scene of the crash, according to the report. A toxicology panel found his blood ketamine content was about 60 times the threshold established by the United Kingdom as being indicative of impaired driving. A threshold for impairment was not immediately available from a U.S. source. "In overdose, ketamine produces effects such as hallucinations, delirium, irrational behavior and vision and GI disturbances, progressing to cardiovascular and respiratory irregularities," NMS labs staffers wrote in their toxicology report. The rest of van der Walt's autopsy notes severe injuries he sustained during the hot air balloon crash. His head had "large scalp contusions," according to the report. He also suffered numerous rib fractures, muscle injuries, a brain hemorrhage, and abrasions all over his body. The autopsy states those combined injuries led to his death. Investigators are continuing to probe the incident. 'Balloon was descending with a deflated envelope' The balloon went down after an "unspecified problem" with its "envelope" — the large bag that fills with hot air to make the aircraft rise, according to a Jan. 15 statement from the National Transportation Safety Board. The federal agency on Jan. 25 released a preliminary report stating that before the balloon hit the ground, the craft was already deflated with the burner on. "A review of multiple mobile phone videos revealed that the balloon was descending with a deflated envelope trailing from above," the report read. "Additionally, at times the burner flame under the envelope was observed." The report also showed thermal damage near the mouth of the envelope. Sewn rim tape material at the top of the envelope was frayed and several panels were damaged. The NTSB says investigations can take one to two years before they're complete and a final report is available according to its website. What is ketamine? Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that can cause hallucinations, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The agency says the dissociative aspect comes from its ability to make users feel as though they’re detached from their pain and the environment around them. The DEA said that, unlike LSD or PCP, the hallucinatory effects of ketamine only last around 30 to 60 minutes rather than several hours. But Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder, or HPPD, has been reported by ketamine users several weeks after using the drug. Users typically feel its effects within minutes of taking ketamine, which can be taken in the form of powder that is ingested or snorted, or a liquid form that’s either injected or taken orally. The FDA approved ketamine to be used as a general anesthetic, but has been known to also be prescribed to treat depression, though that's an "off-label" use the FDA hasn't approved. The DEA says ketamine is also a popular "club drug" used by teens and young adults recreationally. According to American Addiction Centers, a nationwide network of rehab facilities, ketamine has a half-life — the time it takes for a drug in the body to be reduced by 50% — of about two and a half hours in adults. The majority of the drug is out of one's system after about 10 to 12 hours. The National Library of Medicine states ketamine prescriptions often include information warning users not to operate heavy machinery or perform potentially hazardous activities for 24 hours after taking the drug. Services suspended due to crash Ian Gregor, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson, said he was still working on finding out if the agency had any policies about ketamine use among pilots, but he cited regulations that stated crew members of a civil aircraft could not use any drug that "affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety." Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides could not be reached for comment. According to a statement on their website, services have been suspended due to the tragic crash. "Given the recent incident on 14 of January, we have abruptly halted all services, digital and physical. This has been nothing short of a shock for all those involved, so forgive us for not being able to process your requests in a more timely manner," the statement said. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/04/04/arizona-hot-air-balloon-crash-pilot-ketamine-toxicology-autopsy-report/73200298007/ Ex-Marine in Australia facing extradition to US says he wasn’t American citizen during China pilot training • Daniel Duggan was arrested in 2022 and was accused of breaking US law by training Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers • Duggan argued he renounced his US citizenship in 2012 and was not an American national at the time of the alleged offences A former US Marine Corps pilot facing extradition to the United States from Australia will argue he was no longer a US citizen at the time of two of the alleged offences, which include training Chinese pilots, a Sydney court heard on Thursday. Daniel Duggan, a 55-year-old Australian citizen, is facing extradition from Australia on charges including money laundering and breaking US law by training Chinese military pilots to land on aircraft carriers. He was arrested by Australian federal police in a rural town in New South Wales state in October 2022, shortly after returning from China, where he had lived since 2014. In the same week, Britain issued a warning to its former defence staff not to train Chinese People’s Liberation Army pilots at a South African flying academy where Duggan had also worked. Duggan, whose wife and six children are also Australian, has been held in a maximum-security prison since his arrest. His barrister Bernard Collaery told the court on Thursday that Duggan would argue he renounced his US citizenship in January 2012 and was not a US citizen at the time of two of the offences alleged in a US indictment. The US government has argued Duggan did not lose his US citizenship until 2016. Collaery told the court that Duggan’s family is seeking government aid to continue his legal defence, after spending A$800,000 on legal fees that could not be paid after the US government froze the sale of an Australian property owned by Duggan and his wife. Duggan’s previous lawyers are no longer acting in the case, the court heard, and Legal Aid was needed to pay fees for the new lawyers to prepare for a hearing on May 24, where Duggan’s response to the US extradition request will finally be made. Magistrate Daniel Reiss noted Duggan had already had 14 months to prepare for a hearing on his eligibility for extradition, and refused an application to delay the May 24 hearing. “I am satisfied there has been a reasonable opportunity to prepare for the hearing,” he said. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3257810/ex-marine-australia-facing-extradition-us-says-he-wasnt-american-citizen-during-china-pilot-training?campaign=3257810&module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article Kazakhstan examines air safety to launch direct flights to the U.S. Kazakhstan will participate in the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Program to obtain a special status necessary for direct air travel between Kazakhstan and the U.S. «A preliminary assessment under the IASA is crucial for obtaining a Category 1 status from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which would allow Kazakhstani airlines with necessary aircraft to launch direct air flights between Kazakhstan and the U.S.,» the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (AAK) said in a statement. The two agencies have already reached an arrangement on the assessment, as the FAA wants to see whether Kazakhstan follows the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Under these arrangements, Kazakhstan and the U.S. can share information and request technical assistance. The move is expected to facilitate the expansion of economic relations between the two countries. Kazakhstan plans to launch direct flights to the U.S. next year. Representatives of several American airlines have examined Astana and Almaty airports and concluded that they meet international standards. https://kz.kursiv.media/en/2024-04-04/kazakhstan-examines-air-safety-to-launch-direct-flights-to-the-u-s/ Texas emergency management chief believes the state needs its own firefighting aircraft PAMPA, Texas (AP) — Texas’ top emergency manager told a panel of lawmakers that the state should establish its own firefighting aircraft division after a series of wildfires, including the largest in state history, scorched the Panhandle region this year. But the local landowners tasked with helping the Legislature investigate the fires that were responsible for at least two deaths and burned through more than 1 million acres raised doubt during a Tuesday meeting in Pampa over the state’s ability to handle such catastrophes. “We don’t control our own destiny, and I want to control our destiny,” Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, told a crowd of more than 100 people at the MK Brown Heritage Room. Pampa, a town of about 16,000 in Gray County about an hour northeast of Amarillo, is closer to Oklahoma than the Texas Capitol. Lawmakers decided to hold the hearings there to make it easier for victims of the fire to attend. “This is not a Panhandle problem. This will have statewide effects,” Republican Rep. Ken King, the committee’s chair, told the mixed crowd of suits and cowboy hats. “We must do what we can to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” It will also examine the coordination between local, state, and federal government agencies regarding prevention, disaster preparedness and response and plans to publish its report by May 1. For days, ranchers and residents could only look to the sky and wonder where firefighting aircraft were as they watched the historic Smokehouse Creek fire rip across their land. The fire, ignited by power lines, killed at least two people and left a charred landscape as it burned nearly 1,700 square miles (4,400 square kilometers) and spilled into neighboring Oklahoma. Dozens of families were displaced after their homes and ranches were destroyed and their livestock killed. Without its own fleet of aircraft to fight fires, Texas relies on a series of contractors. Many of the planes were being serviced at the time the fires started in late February. “Did the federal government jump through hoops to catch up? Yes. But there was a delay,” said Kidd, who has led TDEM for more than 13 years. Kidd suggested Texas build its own firefighting air force with up to six aircrafts, costing at least $50 million. “It won’t be an easy venture to start with, and we will have to continue with contracts while this is built up and people are trained. It will take some time, ” Kidd said. He said the state would still need to utilize a mixture of private contracts and other options in the meantime. Emmet Webb, who owns of Brazos River Helicopters and assisted with aerial firefighting efforts using his private helicopter, said Wyoming has one state-owned fire fighting helicopter to quickly address wildfires in their state. The average cost of a firefighting helicopter is $1 to 2 million depending on the type, but once equipment is added the price can reach up to $40 million each. Landowner Jason Abraham said he was skeptical of a state owned firefighting air force. Throughout the day long hearing, Abraham, local fire chiefs and other first responders levied sharp criticism of the state’s response. “I am asking if we are sure we want Texas to be in charge of this because we have seen these guys in action. They do not have a good reputation,” Abraham said. Another issue raised was a lack of communication between Panhandle volunteer fire departments and state and federal agencies. Officials said communication was fractured due to different radio frequencies between volunteer fire departments and state agencies. “We have to get all on the same system statewide, but we can’t afford to upgrade to digital. All we can do is hope and pray a grant comes along until then we are staying with the system we have,” said Trent Price, Hoover Volunteer Fire Department Chief. https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-texas-panhandle-smokehouse-aircraft-15f65cd84bb050d3290b91c470f68d5e Four Airbus A380s lined up to be scrapped, high demand for superjumbo parts Aviation logistics firm VAS Aero Services and lessor Dr. Peters Group have signed a contract for the aircraft teardown and asset redistribution of four Airbus A380 aircraft. It is not the first time the two companies have worked together to scrap Airbus A380 aircraft and redistribute used serviceable material (USM). VAS and Dr. Peters partnered in the first dismantlement of an A380 ever to be designated for teardown. Following the first, three more A380s were consigned from 2020 through a contract between the two firms. “Our history of turning to VAS Aero Services to manage the teardown of sophisticated aircraft such as the A380 made this an easy decision for us. Their unique dismantlement capabilities and their worldwide aftermarket sales network offer unmatched value for organizations looking to remove aircraft from service,” Christian Mailly, Managing Director and Head of Aviation at Dr. Peters Group, said on April 3, 2024. Mailly added: “With the resurgence in the reliance on the A380 increasing the need for quality USM parts, the timing is right for retiring end-of-life A380 aircraft and monetizing the residual value of their serviceable parts.” VAS will manage the teardown of three of the aircraft through its partnership with Tarmac Aerosave, based in Tarbes, France, with parts made available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The fourth A380 will be scrapped by at Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage facilities in Alice Springs, Australia, providing VAS customers in Australia, Oceania and Southeast Asia regions with parts. “Having dismantled the very first A380 aircraft for the Dr. Peters Group, and managed the redistribution of its USM parts, VAS has enjoyed a long-standing consignment partnership with Dr. Peters. Their confidence in our ability to maximize the value of their end-of-service aircraft assets is truly appreciated,” Tommy Hughes, VAS Chief Executive Officer, said. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/airbus-superjumbo-scrap-parts-vas China's Hainan Airlines Expected To Order Up To 20 Airbus A330-900s SUMMARY • Hainan Airlines has entered into an agreement to purchase cabin kitchen equipment for the Airbus A330-900. • However, the airline has no A330-900 aircraft in its fleet, hinting a potential order for the type. • If the order goes through, it would be the first A330neo order in 2024. A stock exchange filing might have spoiled the fact that China-based Hainan Airlines could be ordering up to 20 Airbus A330-900 aircraft with no set delivery date. The filing said that the carrier’s board of directors approved the purchase of aircraft kitchen equipment for the A330-900. No operating A330-900s The company filed the document on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) on March 30, 2024. As first reported by ch-aviation, the filing said that the airline’s board of directors approved the purchase of 20 aircraft cabin kitchen equipment sets from Safran Cabin Germany during its 20th meeting of the 10th board of directors. According to the airline, the kitchen equipment will be used to assemble the airline’s aircraft, with the transaction for the 20 sets amounting to no more than $23.5 million. All 12 directors approved the measure, with the filing adding that the final transaction price would be negotiated between the parties. No set delivery date In another filing detailing the equipment purchase, Hainan Airlines reiterated that the purchase price of the sets is at most $23.5 million, with no concrete delivery dates for the items. However, the buyer – Hainan Airlines – will issue a written purchase order for each set of kitchen equipment with the delivery date. Hainan Airlines currently has no Airbus A330-900 aircraft in its fleet, having never ordered the type. Still, the Chinese carrier has 29 Airbus A330s, split between the A330-200 (four active, five inactive) and the A330-300 (all 20 active), ch-aviation data showed. It has previously operated the Airbus A350-900. However, when its former parent company, HNA Group, entered financial hardship that culminated in the dissolution of the conglomerate in December 2021, the airline phased out eight A350-900s between January 2019 and August 2023. A sole A350-900, registered as B-308G, remains in the airline’s fleet, with planespotters.net data showing that the aircraft should be delivered to Thai Airways International (THAI). Kick-starting A330neo orders in 2024 If Hainan Airlines were to confirm an order for up to 20 Airbus A330-900 aircraft, which could be much less since, for example, Delta Air Lines has configured its A330-900s with seven galleys, according to the carrier’s site, it would be the first A330neo order in 2024. So far in 2024, Airbus has only added three Airbus A350 orders to its official backlog: one Delta Air Lines purchase agreement for 20 A350-1000, an Ethiopian Airlines order for 11 A350-900, and an undisclosed customer buying two A350-900 aircraft, as of February 29, 2024. The European plane maker announced several orders from different airlines, including American Airlines, Breeze Airways, EVA Air, Korean Air, Vietjet, and STARLUX, in 2024. However, Breeze Airways’ order for ten A220-300 aircraft could have been disclosed in December 2023 under an unidentified customer, as was EVA Air’s order, which was assigned to the airline when Airbus disclosed its last year’s orders & delivery numbers. Meanwhile, Vietjet only signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 20 A330neo aircraft, which must still be firmed up. Korean Air affirmed its order for 33 Airbus A350 family aircraft on April 2, meaning that the order will not be visible in the manufacturer’s filings in due time. At the same time, Airbus booked 37 orders for the A330neo, split between one for A330-800 and 36 A330-900. However, customers canceled 29 orders for the A330-900, leaving the manufacturer with only two aircraft of the type being added to its backlog. Ch-aviation data showed that there are 19 lessors that own and/or manage Airbus A330-900 aircraft, including BOC Aviation, a subsidiary of the Bank of China group. BOC Aviation has seven delivered A330-900s, with no additional orders for the widebody aircraft. However, there are 54 unassigned A330-900s that have not been delivered to carriers, meaning that some lessors still have spare delivery slots for airlines to take over, possibly hinting that Hainan Airlines could also turn to an operational lease to get its hands on Airbus A330-900 aircraft. https://simpleflying.com/hainan-airlines-order-airbus-a330-900s-expected/ Suriya confident CAAT will win back FAA’s top aviation safety standard this year (Thailand) The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) will win back safety endorsement of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this year, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said on Thursday. Suriya said the CAAT was now ready for the FAA to check its oversight system and whether it was compliant with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The CAAT would coordinate with the FAA to check the oversight system of Thailand within this year so that airlines from the kingdom could resume flights to the United States, Suriya said. In 2015, the FAA reduced CAAT’s safety rating from FAA’s Category 1 (CAT1) to Category 2 on grounds that the CAAT did not address 36 flaws based on the ICAO standards. Apart from having the CAAT meet the FAA’s CAT1 safety standard, Suriya said he had also instructed Airports of Thailand Plc, the Department of Airport, the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand and the CAAT to integrate efforts to increase the standing of Thailand’s aviation industry so that the kingdom could reach its goal of becoming an aviation hub in the region. Suriya said the AOT and the CAAT would speed up operations to increase the capacities of airports and the master plan for Suvarnabhumi Airport would be revised so that the airport could cope with some 80 million passengers a year within the next few years and 150 million in the long term. The two agencies would have to work out how to draft tangible plans for building two more airports in the North and in the South, Suriya added. He said the CAAT would also have to plan air traffic and flight slots to make them enough to cope with the rising number of flights. Meanwhile, CAAT director-general Suttipong Kongpool said the authority had resolved key concerns on safety raised by the FAA. He said he was confident the CAAT could pass the FAA’s safety assessment to win back the CAT1 standard within this year. Suttipong added the CAAT was now progressing well in addressing other less serious issues. “We’re confident we can receive the reassessment by the FAA this year and our level will be moved up from CAT2 to CAT1,” Suttipong said. Once the CAAT is elevated to CAT1, airlines registered in Thailand would be able to resume flights to the US, he added. https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/economy/40036986 Call for Nominations For 2024 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award, honoring a leader in global aviation safety. The Award will be presented during the 77th Annual International Air Safety Summit, taking place November 5 – 7 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Presented annually since 1956, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award recognizes notable achievement in the field of civil or military aviation safety in method, design, invention, study, or other improvement. The Award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities." Mechanics, engineers, and others outside of top administrative or research positions should be especially considered. The contribution need not be recent, especially if the nominee has not received adequate recognition. Nominations that were not selected as past winners may be resubmitted for consideration in subsequent years. Please note that self-nominations will not be considered. The Award Committee, composed of leaders in the field of aviation, meets each year to conduct a final review of nominees and selection of the current year's recipient. Please help us identify and honor this year's most deserving recipient. Nominations, including a 1-to-2-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber Barbour Foundation website at http://ltbaward.org/the-award/nomination-form/. Nominations will be accepted through June 2, 2024. For more information, including a complete history of Award recipients, see www.ltbaward.org. About the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Award The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award's story dates back almost 80 years. On April 14, 1945, after visiting family in Pittsburgh, Laura Taber Barbour was aboard a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 when it crashed into the rugged terrain of Cheat Mountain near Morgantown, West Virginia. All passengers and crew were killed. In 1956 her husband, Dr. Clifford E. Barbour and son, Clifford E. Barbour, Jr., in close association with The Flight Safety Foundation, established the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award in her honor. For the past 68 years, this distinguished award recognizing outstanding achievements in aviation safety worldwide has been presented at Flight Safety Foundation’s International Aviation Safety Summit. In 2013, The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation was formed as an independent non-profit charitable organization composed of members of the Award Board, the aviation community, and the Barbour family. In addition to the annual presentation of the award, in 2019 the Foundation initiated a scholarship program that supports worthy students pursuing professional aviation studies. As the Foundation broadens its scope, the Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award will continue to recognize those who significantly contributed to aviation safety. For more information on the Foundation, the award, and past winners, visit http://LTBAward.org CALENDAR OF EVENTS • Blazetech - Aircraft Fire Hazards, Protection, and Investigation Course June 4 - 7, 2024 • (APTSC) Asia and Pacific Turboprop Safety Conference - June 26 - 27, 2024 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc. (APSCON 2024) - July 29 - August 3; Houston TX • Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium - APATS 2024, 0-11 September, 2024, Singapore • Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London • 2024 Ground Handling Safety Symposium (GHSS) - September 17-18, 2024 - Fort Worth, TX • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • International Congress of Aerospace Medicine ICAM 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, 3 - 5 October 2024 • Aviation Health Conference back on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th October 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) Curt Lewis