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☆ The FAA is taking action after multiple serious safety incidents among US airlines: 'Now is the time'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Billy Nolen, the Federal Aviation Administration's acting administrator, is creating a safety review committee. The group will assess recent incidents and determine if there are any emerging trends. "Recent events remind us that we must not become complacent. According to the FAA, the CAST has been a vital group in proactively identifying aviation safety risks and addressing them before an accident occurs. Three weeks later, a FedEx Boeing 767 nearly landed on top of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 in Austin, Texas.

☆ FAA chief tells Senate that new procedures will avoid repeat of outage that halted U.S. flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Senate Commerce Committee hearing comes amid growing safety concerns about aviation safety after several close calls involving major U.S. airlines. The system failed when a contractor unintentionally deleted files during an update, the FAA has said. "After the incident, we implemented a synchronization delay to ensure that bad data from a database cannot affect a backup database," Nolen said in prepared remarks ahead of the hearing. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the committee's highest-ranking Republican, pressed Nolen on improvements to the NOTAM system: "Can a single screwup ground air traffic nationwide?" Nolen replied: "Could I sit here and tell you there will never be an issue on the NOTAM system?

☆ FAA to conduct sweeping safety review after multiple incidents
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Greg Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Citing a series of recent aviation safety incidents, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a sweeping review of the agency. “We are experiencing the safest period in aviation history, but we cannot take this for granted,” Billy Nolen, the acting FAA administrator, wrote in a memo. One focus of the safety review team will be determining “whether there are other incidents that resemble ones we have seen in recent weeks.” It will also look at ways to better integrate the FAA’s air traffic control arm into the agency’s broader safety efforts. The review will include participants from the industries that are regulated and served by the FAA, Nolen wrote. “We know that our aviation system is changing dramatically.

☆ NTSB subpoenas American Airlines flight crew in JFK runway incursion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Ross Levitt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating a near miss incident on the JFK runway last month, has issued a subpoena for the testimony of the American Airlines pilots involved. “American Airlines cleared the flight crew’s schedule to ensure their availability; however, the flight crew refused to be interviewed on the basis that their statements would be audio recorded for transcription,” the NTSB preliminary report says. “As a result of the flight crew’s repeated unwillingness to proceed with a recorded interview, subpoenas for their testimony have been issued.”The NTSB report says the American Airlines 777 crossed an active runway without clearance from air traffic control, causing a Delta 737 to abort its takeoff. Investigators have accepted written statements from the Delta crew and determined that they contain “sufficient information.”As CNN has previously reported, the American Airlines flight continued on to London’s Heathrow airport. The NTSB says the American crew, through their union, the Allied Pilots Association, would not consent to the interview.

☆ U.S. lawmakers focus on aviation safety after 2 near-miss crashes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress needs to address serious concerns about the country's aviation system after recent incidents including two near miss crashes and the failure of a key pilot computing system, lawmakers said on Tuesday. "Right now the alarm bells should be going off across the aviation industry -- our system is stretched and stressed," Representative Garret Graves, the Republican chair of a subcommittee on aviation, said at a hearing. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure committee chair Sam Graves, a Republican, said the incidents showed the aviation system is in need of "urgent attention." David Boulter, the Federal Aviation Administration's acting head of aviation safety, said the two recent events were serious. The FAA has hired 200 new aviation safety employees in the last year and about 200 the year before, Boulter said.

However, Boiardi said an earlier proposal from the industry for totally single-pilot flying by 2030 was "absolutely not realistic", because automation had not advanced far enough and solo flying required a level of safety equivalent to existing operations. Solo flying, even in cruise, needs approval from the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization, individual airlines and their pilot unions. Even limited solo flying, however, is dividing airlines and raising public fears, while sparking a growing backlash among pilot groups like the European Cockpit Association. Airbus said in a statement it was studying the concept of a single pilot in the cruise phase but not wholly single-pilot flights. Consumer resistance, however, could result in single-pilot flying starting with cargo flights, industry officials said.

☆ U.S. aviation safety concerns need attention -- lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers said Tuesday recent incidents in the U.S. aviation system -- including two near miss crashes and the failure of a key pilot computing system -- raise serious concerns that need to be addressed. House Transportation and Infrastructure committee chair Sam Graves, a Republican, said at a hearing on aviation safety the incidents showed the aviation system is in need of "urgent attention." Representative Garret Graves, the Republican chair of a subcommittee on aviation, said "right now the alarm bells should be going off across the aviation industry -- our system is stretched and stressed." Reporting by David ShepardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FAA hits United with $1.1 million proposed fine stemming from allegations that the airline shirked a required fire safety check for years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FAA proposed a $1.1 million fine against United Airlines on Monday. The regulator alleged that United missed a required safety check for nearly three years. The airline said in a statement that the safety of its flights was "never in question." The removal of the fire system check from United's pre-flight routine resulted in the airline failing to perform mandatory safety inspections, the air-safety regulator said. In a statement to Insider, a United spokesperson said safety is the highest priority to the airline.

☆ Two United aircraft collided at Newark Liberty Airport and now the FAA is investigating
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two United Airlines aircraft collided at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Friday. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyTwo United Airlines aircraft collided at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday morning, the airline confirmed to Insider. "The left wing of United Airlines Flight 2135, a Boeing 757-200, was struck by a Boeing 787 aircraft around 8:45 a.m. Friday, at Newark Liberty International Airport," the FAA said in a statement to Insider. The Orlando-bound passengers, who were on the jet at the time of the event but were uninjured, were deplaned and rebooked on different aircraft, United told Insider. Friday's event comes three weeks after a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 and an American Airlines Boeing 777 narrowly avoided a collision at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport.

☆ U.S. House committee to hold aviation safety hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A Federal Aviation Administration safety official, National Transportation Safety Board chair and head of the largest pilots union are among those who will testify on Feb. 7 before Congress. Associate FAA Administrator for Aviation Safety David Boulter, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, Air Line Pilots Association President Jason Ambrosi, National Business Aviation Association CEO Ed Bolen and General Aviation Manufacturers Association CEO Pete Bunce are among the witnesses, the committee said Wednesday. Billy Nolen, the head of aviation safety, has been acting FAA administrator since April 1 when Steve Dickson left halfway through his five-year term. The Senate Commerce Committee has yet to schedule a hearing on President Joe Biden's FAA nominee who has drawn fire from Republicans. Last month, the FAA named two dozen experts to review Boeing’s safety management processes and safety culture.

☆ Amazon has gutted the safety teams for its ambitious drone delivery program, as employees warn of stepped-up pressure to meet delivery goals
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Amazon launched its Prime Air drone delivery program ten years ago. Prime Air's safety teams have been hit hard by Amazon's far-reaching layoffs, employees said. The drone safety team cuts, combined with stepped-up pressure to meet delivery targets, have generated new concerns about the potential dangers the program poses and thrown into question Amazon's stated commitment to safety, the employees said. Prime Air has previously faced criticism from employees who say the pressure from executives to meet ambitious goals for drone delivery has at times superseded safety considerations. Even before the layoffs, Prime Air was struggling, this employee added.

☆ U.S. Lawmakers press FAA chief on computer outage, nationwide ground stop
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Wednesday, the FAA told lawmakers it had revoked access to a pilot messaging database by contractor personnel involved in a file deletion that disrupted more than 11,000 flights on Jan. 11. FAA plans to respond by Friday to a detailed letter lawmakers sent earlier this month asking questions about the investigation, Larsen said. The FAA identified to lawmakers the contractor involved as Bethesda-based Spatial Front. "All personnel from Spatial Front directly involved in the deletion have lost access to FAA buildings and systems while we complete our investigation," the FAA email said. The FAA said the deletion had occurred while personnel were working "to correct synchronization between the live primary database and a backup database."

☆ Boeing pleads not guilty to fraud charge in 737 Max arraignment
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Family members hold photographs of Boeing 737 MAX crash victims lost in two deadly 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people as they arrive for Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg's testimony before a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on “aviation safety” and the grounded 737 MAX on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 29, 2019. Boeing pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a 737 Max fraud conspiracy charge felony charge after families objected to a 2021 Justice Department agreement to resolve the investigation into the plane's flawed design. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor last week ordered Boeing to appear to be arraigned after he ruled that people killed in the two Boeing 737 Max crashes are legally considered "crime victims." The Justice Department in 2021 agreed to seek dismissal of the charge after the three-year agreement if Boeing complies with all terms. Lawyers for the victims said Boeing admitted under the agreement "that the 737 Max had an unsafe condition, and that it will not attempt to blame anyone else" for the crash.

☆ European regulator sees progress in talks on Boeing 777X
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The Boeing logo is seen on the side of a Boeing 737 MAX at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File PhotoJan 24 (Reuters) - Europe's chief aviation regulator pointed on Tuesday to a narrowing gap in talks with Boeing (BA.N) over cockpit design requirements for the future 777X airliner. "We are hopefully converging," Patrick Ky, executive director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) told Reuters, when asked about the progress of ongoing discussions on the 777X. Ky's remarks come shortly after industry sources said EASA held talks earlier this month with Boeing and the FAA to review certification expectations for the delayed jet. U.S. executives argue the 777 jet, which is being upgraded to create the 400-seat 777X, is one of the industry's safest.

☆ Thai AirAsia readies personnel as China travel resumes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A flight attendant participates in an annual aviation safety & emergency course as China reopens its borders, at Asia Aviation Academy in Bangkok, Thailand January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Chalinee ThirasupaBANGKOK, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Budget carrier Thai AirAsia (AAV.BK) is preparing its pilots and cabin crew for the return of Chinese tourists, previously its largest customer group, as the airline resumes routes across China. The airline plans to restart flights to eight Chinese cities including Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Wuhan, for which cabin crew are undergoing refresher training courses. "In the flight, we should have at least one cabin crew who can speak Mandarin to communicate with passengers," said cabin crew member, Sakuna Puangpipat. Reporting by Napat Wesshasartar; Writing by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Agencies investigate averted plane crash at New York's JFK airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Brian Heale, a passenger on the Delta flight, said at first he thought the abrupt stop was a mechanical issue. “There was this abrupt jerk of the plane, and everyone was sort of thrust forward from the waist,” he recalled. The Delta plane stopped about 1,000 feet (about 0.3 kilometers) from where the American Airlines plane had crossed from an adjacent taxiway, according to the FAA statement. The plane returned to the gate, where the 145 passengers deplaned and were provided overnight accommodations, a Delta spokesperson said. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay of their travels,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement.

☆ At least 40 killed in Nepal's worst air crash in nearly five years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Crowds gather at the crash site of an aircraft carrying 72 people in Pokhara in western Nepal January 15, 2023. Sagar Raj Timilsina/Handout via REUTERSKATHMANDU, Jan 15 (Reuters) - At least 40 people were killed on Sunday when a domestic flight crashed in Pokhara in Nepal, a Nepal aviation authority official said, in the small Himalayan country's worst crash in nearly five years. Local television showed thick black smoke billowing from the crash site as rescue workers and crowds of people gathered around the wreckage of the aircraft. The plane was 15 years old, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called an emergency cabinet meeting after the plane crash, a government statement said.

☆ At least 16 killed in Nepal's worst air crash in 30 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rescuers and onlookers gather at the site of a plane crash in Pokhara on January 15, 2023. An aircraft with 72 people on board crashed in Nepal on January 15, Yeti Airlines and a local official said. At least 16 people were killed on Sunday when an aircraft crashed in western Nepal's Pokhara, an army spokesman said, in the small Himalayan country's worst crash in more than 30 years. Yeti Airlines has a fleet of six ATR72-500 planes, according to its website. Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called an emergency cabinet meeting after the plane crash, a government statement said.

☆ Boeing's long road to the 737 MAX's return in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A China Southern Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is seen grounded at a storage area in an aerial photo at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, July 1, 2019. AUG. 11 - A Boeing MAX test plane flies in China as the manufacturer works with the regulator on its return. JUNE 15 - A China Southern MAX conducts test flights for the first time since March. SEPT. 14 - China's aviation regulator meets with Boeing about the MAX's return. 2023JAN. 11 - China Southern schedules commercial flights with the MAX for Jan. 13JAN. 13 - A China Southern MAX flies from Guangzhou to Zhengzhou, marking the model's return to Chinese passenger service.

☆ Delta decided against using ‘fairly old’ backup system during FAA outage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Gregory Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Delta Air Lines has a backup to the federal aviation safety system that failed this week, but the airline decided against using it, CEO Ed Bastian said Friday. Bastian described the Delta’s secondary system as “fairly old backup technology” involving the notices known as NOTAMs distributed by the Federal Aviation Administration alerting pilots of obstacles, closures, and other information. Delta’s backup system collects data from the NOTAM database. But a new labor deal with its pilots union will trim profitability going forward. The main headwind: a new tentative labor agreement with its pilots union, reached a month ago, that will increase pay by 34% over the life of the contract.

The U.S. aviation warning system that crashed for more than an hour Wednesday traces back its origins to ocean-faring ships and has been under continuous reforms for years, experts say. At least one aviation industry group has called for it to be replaced altogether. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights blaming an unspecified failure in the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system. The White House also said it saw no signs that the NOTAM system was taken down as a result of a cyberattack. “Once again, we get to see how antiquated and vulnerable the Notam system is!” he said.

☆ U.S. FAA proposes requiring 5G safeguards on planes by early 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Octavio JonesWASHINGTON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday it is proposing a requirement that passenger and cargo aircraft in the United States have 5G C-Band-tolerant radio altimeters or install approved filters by early 2024. The proposed airworthiness directive, which would take effect in February 2024, is similar to one that took effect in December 2021, prohibiting passenger and cargo flight operations in the vicinity of 5G C-Band wireless transmitters unless the FAA specifically approved them. Some international airlines have privately expressed reluctance to install filters absent a legal requirement from the FAA, officials told Reuters. FAA acting Administrator Billy Nolen in October sought a delay in some 5G C-Band transmissions from smaller operators over aviation safety concerns. A deal struck shortly before a 2022 deadline did not prevent dozens of foreign carriers from canceling international flights to the United States.

☆ Volaris sees Mexico regaining aviation rating by end of next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Mexican low-cost airline Volaris (VOLARA.MX) expects the country to regain its U.S. aviation rating by the last quarter of 2023, it said in a presentation published ahead of its investors' day on Tuesday. The airline said in the presentation it had planning in place to move should Mexico recover the U.S.-issued Category 1 rating earlier, noting that Mexican government authorities had forecast that it could recover the rating as soon as April. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded Mexico's aviation safety rating in May 2021, saying it fell short of regulating its air carriers "in accordance with minimum international safety standards." The move bars Mexican carriers from adding new U.S. flights and limits the ability of airlines to carry out marketing agreements with one another. In October, Mexico's foreign ministry said it aimed to complete an action plan in December as part of its bid to recover the rating.

☆ U.S. Senate will not take up FAA nomination before 2023 -lawmaker
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The U.S Senate does not plan to take up President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) until next year, a key lawmaker said. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, who heads the panel that overseas the FAA, told Reuters late on Tuesday she planned to hold a hearing for Denver International Airport Chief Executive Phil Washington to head the FAA after the new Congress convenes in January. Cantwell said she plans to meet next week with Washington, who was nominated in July but not yet had a hearing. The Democratic lawmaker said she believes the White House will stand by Washington and renominate him next year. Washington, a former CEO of the Los Angeles public transport system, previously told Bloomberg News "all the allegations are false."

☆ 737 MAX crash victim families press U.S. on Boeing settlement
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Family members hold photographs of Boeing 737 MAX crash victims lost in two deadly 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people as they wait for Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg to testify before a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on “aviation safety” and the grounded 737 MAX on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 29, 2019. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Relatives of passengers killed in two Boeing 737 MAX crashes pressed U.S. Justice Department lawyers on Friday to unwind a 2021 deal that allowed the U.S. planemaker to escape criminal prosecution. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas ruled last month that people killed in two Boeing 737 MAX crashes are legally considered "crime victims" and said he would decide what remedy should be imposed. Both Boeing and the Justice Department oppose reopening the deferred prosecution agreement that included $500 million in victim compensation, a $243.6 million fine and $1.7 billion in compensation to airlines. The Justice Department said on Friday after the meeting it takes its obligations to victims seriously.

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