NAS Daily 03 MAY 21

airtrainer 02 May 21, 22:39

News

Accidents/Incidents

Smuggler caught with 35 live finches at JFK Airport
A man was arrested at New York’s John F Kennedy Airport last week after customs agents found he was trying to smuggle 35 live finches into the US.
Federal prosecutors said the man, Kevin Andre McKenzie, stuffed the tiny birds inside hair curlers hidden under his jacket and ankles in a special cylindrical container.
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Boeing fired 65 employees and disciplined 53 the company says
CEO Dave Calhoun implemented a “zero tolerance” policy following the May 2020 death of George Floyd.
Since June of last year, aerospace company Boeing has fired 65 employees and disciplined 53 others over behavior described as racist, discriminatory and hateful, according to a new company report on diversity.
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The left winglet of TAP Airbus A330neo collided in a lamp post
A TAP Air Portugal Airbus A330-900neo suffered damage to its winglet at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport in Guinea Bissau on Saturday morning.
The A330neo, with registration CS-TUJ, was performing flight TP1477 from Lisbon to Guinea with 232 passengers on board. The aircraft was moving to the apron when its left winglet collided in a lamp post and got detached from the wing.
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El AL Boeing 787 has been escorted by fighter jets over Europe
An El Al Boeing 787 Dreamliner was escorted by fighter jets over Europe after the pilot raised the alarm on Friday. The pilots raised the alarm after they suspected a bomb on board.
The Boeing 787-9 was performing flight LY2 from New York JFK to Tel Aviv. The aircraft took off from JFK at 16:18 local time on Thursday, April 29th.
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South Korean Airlines CEO fined for refusing menstrual leave for flight attendants
A court in South Korea fined a former Asiana Airlines CEO almost $1,800 (£1,300, 2m won) for refusing female staff members to take menstrual leave.
Kim Soo-Cheon refused 138 requests from 15 flight attendants to take menstrual leave between May 2014 and June 2015. He claimed the flight attendants did not provide sufficient proof of menstruation.
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ALERT 58 travellers caught with false Covid-19 test certificate at Brussels Airport
During the past week, from 19 to 25 April, 58 people were caught with false Covid-19 test certificates at Brussels Airport.
They were mainly Belgium residents who wished to travel abroad. Last week, 29,000 people travelled abroad from Brussels Airport.
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Commercial

Embraer wins new order for 30 jets valued at $2.2 billion
An undisclosed customer has boosted the Embraer backlog with a firm order for 30 E195-E2 medium-range jet airliners. The Brazilian aerospace manufacturer disclosed that the new order is set for delivery from 2022 and has a potential list price value of up to $2.2 billion.
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Stratolaunch, the world’s biggest plane, takes off for its 2nd flight
Stratolaunch, the world’s largest aircraft by wingspan, performed its second test flight after a two-year-long grounding.
The airplane took off on April 29, 2021, from Mojave Air and Space Port in California, and spent three hours and fifteen minutes in the air.
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Airlines

The first aircraft for Canarian Airways is painted
Canarian Airways’ first aircraft, the pictured ex-Atlantic Airways Airbus A319-115 OY-RCG (msn 5079), has been painted at Southend, albeit minus titles (for now). Presumably titles will be added later. The airframe will become EC-NMO on delivery.
The tail logo has been altered from the original concept drawing below.
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A new colorful version of Ecuatoriana is planning to launch operations later this year
Ecuatoriana Airlines (2nd) is a prospective new airline in Ecuador. The company unveiled its plans on April 29, 2021.
The new airline is planning to launch scheduled passenger operations in October 2021 on domestic routes including the important Quito – Guayaquil route with Dash 8-400s.
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AeroMexico receives court approval for its new Boeing order
Grupo Aeroméxico, S.A.B. de C.V. has announced that following the information disclosed on April 23, 2021, regarding (i) Aeromexico’s agreement to increase its fleet with twenty-four (24) new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, including Boeing 737-8 and Boeing 737-9 MAX and four (4) 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft as part of its restructured agreements with the manufacturer and certain lessors and (ii) Aeromexico’s related agreements with other suppliers and financial entities ((i) and (ii) collectively, the Company informs that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, presiding over Aeromexico’s Chapter 11 voluntary financial restructuring process, has approved Aeromexico’s entry into the Transactions.
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South African Airways exits from bankruptcy protection
South African Airways today exited from bankruptcy protection, referred to as “business rescue” in South Africa.
The flag carrier issued this short statement after submitting a business rescue plan:
The administrators have effectively discharged the business rescue and handed over the operations of SAA back to its board and executive team with immediate affect.
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Brussels Airlines reports a loss of 70 million euros in first quarter
As a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, Brussels Airlines reported an adjusted EBIT of EUR -70 million for the first quarter, only a 9% decrease compared to the same period last year, which included January and February 2020, two “normal” months before the Coronavirus reached Europe. The first quarter is traditionally the lowest performing one of the year in the aviation industry.
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Virgin Atlantic eyes transatlantic service return, posts £659 million loss
On April 30, 2021, British air carrier Virgin Atlantic released its annual financial results for the year of 2020, displaying financial difficulties brought by the ongoing pandemic and international travel restrictions.
In a statement, Virgin Atlantic disclosed that the airline suffered a pre-tax loss of £659 million ($916 million). Virgin (VAH) also noted that the passenger numbers fell by 80% compared to pre-pandemic figures in 2019 due to “the ongoing travel restrictions, border closures, country-wide lockdowns” and grounded aircraft.
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Airports

London City Airport introduces remote ATC tower
London City Airport (LCY) took a step forward in global air traffic management and became the first major international airport in the world to fully implement a remote digital air traffic control tower.
According to the airport statement released on April 30, 2021, the new remote digital air traffic control tower is equipped with 16 high-definition cameras and sensors which capture a 360-degree view of the LCY airfield.
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Overview: India’s busiest airports
The aviation sector is one of the fastest growing industries in India. The country has also become the third-largest domestic civil aviation market in the world. Here, we take a look at the situation across India’s leading airports.
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Aeroporti di Roma successfully secures €500 million Sustainability-Linked Bond
Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) – operator of Rome Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) and Rome Ciampino-G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA) – has announced that it has secured a €500 million Sustainability-Linked Bond (SLB).
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Kansai Airports signs contract for renovation of KIX Terminal 1
Kansai Airports and the Obayashi Corporation have announced that they have signed a contract for the Kansai International Airport (KIX) Terminal 1 (T1) Renovation Project.
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Military / Space

Crew-1 Astronauts Safely Splash Down After breaking a record since 1974
Four astronauts splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, completing NASA’s first commercial crew, long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station.
The return comes nearly six months after the crew members arrived at the microgravity laboratory and also marks the longest-duration mission of a crewed American spacecraft to date.
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Top 10 failed fighter jets
The success of a fighter jet can be measured by many things – its performance, its sales, its combat effectiveness, to name a few. But to demonstrate success in those areas, a jet has to be accepted into service first. Thus, it is only natural that the most unsuccessful fighter jets are the ones that never left the drawing board or went beyond the prototype stage.
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Safran, MTU and ITP finalize future European fighter engine agreement
The French Safran Aircraft Engines, German MTU Aero Engines, and Spanish ITP Aero engine manufacturers announced they reached an agreement to jointly develop and build the engine of the New Generation Fighter (NGF), the centerpiece of the Future Combat Air System program.
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Aviation Quote

When I'm up in the air, it's like I'm closer to heaven; I can't explain the feeling.

- First Officer Jeffrey Gagliano, who died on AA 4184.