NAS Daily 03 JUL 20

airtrainer 03 Jul 20, 00:11

News

Incidents/Accidents

F-16 Fighter Pilot Dies After Crash in South Carolina
A F-16 U.S. Air Force F-16CM fighter jet crashed at Shaw Air Force Base yesterday, killing the pilot. A video posted to social media showed a large fire on the runway, with base firefighters attempting to extinguish the blaze. The incident is the fifth crash of a U.S. military fighter jet since mid-May.
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easyJet A320 Returns To Berlin With Pressurisation Issues
An easyJet A320 returned to Berlin after facing cabin pressurization issues on its flight to Thessaloniki. The flight attempted to climb twice before it decided to return to Berlin, just 90 minutes after takeoff. The plane landed safely with no passenger injuries.
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Garuda Indonesia A330 Gets Stuck In The Mud At Makassar
A Garuda Indonesia A330-300 landing at Makassar found itself stuck in the mud on Wednesday evening. Substantial rains have fallen on the city in South Sulawesi since the weekend. On Wednesday, there was more rain and storms around Makassar. The A330 was turning on the runway, preparing for departure when its nose gear ended up in the mud.
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Global News

The UK Government Could Finally Reverse Quarantine - What To Expect
As the UK awaits news on travel corridors and air bridges, government sources have told British media that the entire plan could be ditched. Revealed this morning in various outlets, the new plan could see quarantine scrapped to as many as 75 different countries, mostly in Europe but also including Thailand, Australia and Turkey.
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Commercial

Farnborough Airshow Goes Virtual with FIA Connect
Organizers of the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) are staging a virtual version of the usual in-person event, which had to be canceled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. FIA Connect, which will be held during what would have been the week of the biennial show (July 20 to 24), will include a busy program of webinars and conference sessions.
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Think Trains Can’t Fly? Antonov’s An-124 Proves Otherwise
A groundbreaking train has taken to the skies, but perhaps not in the way you were hoping. The friction-free maglev train, built by German company Max Boegl, has been flown more than 7,500 km from Munich to Chengdu, aboard the inimitable Antonov AN-124 aircraft.
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The Reason Some Boeing 737 Cockpits Have Eyebrow Windows
The so-called “eyebrow windows” were eliminated from Boeing’s cockpit designs in 2004 after their function was made more or less obsolete due to the progress of modern avionics. But why exactly were they installed in the first place?
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Why The Boeing 787-10 Is Only Made In Charleston
Did you know that Boeing only builds the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner in its South Carolina production facility? Why doesn’t Boeing offer final assembly of its 787-10 at its facility in Washington state, and what is the history of the southern factory? Let’s explore.
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Broughton Airbus job losses a 'hammer blow' to the area
When the fortune of a town is so inextricably linked to one employer, any threat to jobs will have a "devastating" effect on the local community.
Airbus is to Broughton what Hoover once was to Merthyr Tydfil, Ford to Bridgend and Tata Steel still is to Port Talbot.
More people are employed at the Airbus factory than live in Broughton itself.
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Boeing Quietly Pulls Plug on the 747, Closing Era of Jumbo Jets
Boeing Co. hasn’t told employees, but the company is pulling the plug on its hulking 747 jumbo jet, ending a half-century run for the twin-aisle pioneer.
The last 747-8 will roll out of a Seattle-area factory in about two years, a decision that hasn’t been reported but can be teased out from subtle wording changes in financial statements, people familiar with the matter said.
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ATR To Cut Production by Half
Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR will cut production by 50 percent and reduce its workforce by 204 positions—including 186 in France—in response to Covid 19-related business pressures, the company said Thursday. ATR delivered 67 airplanes last year and now expects to ship between 30 and 35 this year. The company said a consultation process with unions has begun with a view to reaching agreements this autumn.
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FAA and Boeing Complete 737 Max Certification Flights
The FAA and Boeing flew the last of a series of certification flights with the 737 Max Wednesday, marking the completion of three days of tests to aid the evaluation of software changes to the airplane’s flight control system. While the completion of test flights marks a key milestone in the recertification process, a number of vital tasks remain, said the FAA, including evaluating the data the team of agency and Boeing engineers gathered.
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Boeing 737 MAX's Recertification Flights End After Just 10 Hours
The Boeing 737 MAX has completed its test flights under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing. A 737 MAX 7 aircraft, the smaller brother of the MAX 8 involved in the accidents, was put through its paces for a total of 10 hours over the course of three days this week.
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Why Boeing Has Winglets And Airbus Has Sharklets
If you have ever looked at an aircraft, you might have noticed a variety of designs on the end of aircraft wings. These are called Winglets on Boeing aircraft and Sharklets on Airbus aircraft, and both provide a significant role in reducing drag. How do they work, and what is the difference? Let’s explore.
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US Inspector General Report Finds Faults At Boeing And The FAA Over 737 MAX Debacle
A Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General (IG) report released on July 1st has thoroughly recounted the entire 737 MAX saga. One of the key findings in the report was that errors and faults occurred both at Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during the certification process of the aircraft leading up to the global grounding of the type.
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Airlines

Latin America's Big Three Airlines Are In Chapter 11 - What Now?
In a matter of months, the three leading Latin American airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcies in the US. LATAM Airlines Group, Avianca Holdings, and Grupo Aeroméxico are under restructuring phases, and we can expect significant changes in the companies. How will they look in the future?
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Flying First Class? Is It Worth The High Price ?
First class is the most luxurious way to fly. With access to the best airport facilities, the most spacious and private seating on board and fine dining, it is, of course, a fantastic way to travel. But with shockingly high prices the norm, it can seem out of reach for most travelers.
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Bankruptcy Isn't Always A Bad Thing For Airlines - Here's Why
With fifty years of experience in aviation crisis management, few people are better positioned to comment on the current state of affairs in the industry than David A. Banmiller. Simple Flying was fortunate enough to have an in-depth conversation with him on the future of the industry, what airline CEOs need to focus on in times of crisis, and why bankruptcy, when done right, is not necessarily a bad thing.
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Alaska Airlines Pushes Forward With oneworld Membership
CEO of Alaska Airlines, Brad Tilden, believes that COVID-19 may have accelerated Alaska’s plan to join the oneworld alliance. Alaska believes that, as a member of the alliance, it will be able to connect its customers to a broader market around the world where its passengers want to go – even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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US Carriers Set To Recieve Up To $25 Billion From Treasury Loans
Five US Airlines are set to receive combined assistance of up to $25 billion from the United States Treasury. The loans would be provided to American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Sky West Airlines, and Spirit Airlines under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
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JetBlue Ups Domestic Offering With 30 New Routes
JetBlue Airways announced recently that it would be adding 30 new routes on its domestic network over the summer months. The airline believes its domestic offering is secure and that the new routes will allow it to operate at around half its usual capacity over the coming months. The airline is focussing on leisure travel as experts believe this area will rebound much faster than business travel.
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State Set To Take A Stake In TAP Air Portugal
The Portuguese government is set to take a larger stake in TAP Air Portugal as it avoids nationalization. The state will increase its share in the financially compromised airline by 22.5% as Brazilian-American entrepreneur David Neeleman backs out.
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UK Ryanair Pilots Vote Overwhelmingly For A 20% Pay Cut
Ryanair pilots in the United Kingdom have voted overwhelmingly for pay cuts to protect jobs. Just yesterday, the airline’s CEO warned that up to 3,500 jobs across the airline could be cut as a result of the current pandemic. He, himself, has taken a 50% pay cut through March 2021.
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China Airlines’ Newest A330 Route Doesn’t Leave The Airport
With global travel bans making it difficult for travelers to satisfy their wanderlust, one Asian airline has come up with a novel solution. Taiwanese China Airlines, in partnership with Taipei’s Songshan Airport, has laid on a flight on its Airbus A330 for travel-hungry locals, with just one small catch – it doesn’t leave the airport.
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Not Wearing A Mask Could Land You On JetBlue's No Fly List
If you are not a fan of wearing face masks, you should skip booking flights on JetBlue. The airline’s COO says all passengers need to wear a face mask while flying on the airline. Flight attendants cannot physically make you, but if refuse to comply, you’ll find yourself on JetBlue’s no-fly list.
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Airports

Virtual help desk at LAX provides passengers with remote assistance
Individuals within Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) now have access to Guest Experience Members (GEMs) via a two-way video monitor. This innovation is part of a pilot programme to bring virtual help to the airport’s information booths.
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New cleaning innovations enhance passenger safety at Changi
Changi Airport has begun to transform the airport terminal with new contactless and cleaning innovations for a safer airport journey.
These measures are to be rolled out airport wide in preparation for when air travel into and out of Singapore gradually resumes.
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Budapest Airport boosting Middle East market
Budapest Airport has celebrated the significant launch of Wizz Air’s inaugural flight to Abu Dhabi. Welcoming the Hungarian gateway’s first non-stop route to the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, the twice-weekly service cements Budapest’s point-to-point market in the Middle East which has witnessed a strong 15% annual growth since 2015.
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Military

Reports Say China Has a New Jet Fighter in the Works. Here's What We Know.
Reports indicate China is set to show off a new fighter jet next year, though it will likely be a familiar sight to Chinese military watchers. Growing indicators point to a fighter jet, likely a revamped, combat-ready version of the FC-31 fighter plane, making an appearance in 2021.
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Aviation Quote

Strategic air assault is wasted if it is dissipated piecemeal in sporadic attacks between which the enemy has an opportunity to readjust defenses or recuperate.

- General H. H. 'Hap' Arnold, USAAF.