Air France pilots suspended after a mid-flight fight in the A320 cockpit

Radhika Bansal

29 Aug 2022

Two Air France pilots were suspended after coming to blows in the cockpit of an Airbus A320 jetliner during a flight between Geneva and Paris, the latest safety issue to plague the airline.

The mid-air dispute occurred in June, according to a spokeswoman for the carrier who confirmed a report by La Tribune newspaper. The incident was resolved quickly, and the flight proceeded normally, the pilots are awaiting a decision by management on their "totally inappropriate behaviour."

The carrier responded with a pledge to carry out a safety audit and beef up post-flight analyses.

Air France pilots were suspended after a mid-flight fight in the A320 cockpit

The revelation of the physical altercation comes on the heels of a report published by France's civil aviation safety investigation authority, the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses, concluding that a series of lapses at the French arm of Air France-KLM pointed to "changes and even violations" of procedures leading to a narrowing of safety margins.

The Skyteam Alliance carrier confirmed the dispute and exchange of inappropriate gestures without further revealing the altercation's specifics. The source of the disagreement was not readily apparent and may be either a personal reason or a professional cause, such as the co-pilot's refusal to follow instructions.

In the June incident, a dispute between the pilot and co-pilot turned physical shortly after takeoff as the plane gained altitude, with the men taking each other by the collars after one possibly hit or slapped the other, according to the newspaper report.

The carrier responded with a pledge to carry out a safety audit and beef up post-flight analyses.

Cabin personnel heard a noise in the cockpit, intervened and one member spent the rest of the flight on the flight deck. The BEA said it wasn't notified of the incident because there were no consequences for the flight.

The report centred on a December 2020 flight from Brazzaville, in the Republic of Congo, to Paris, when the crew rerouted the plane to Chad and landed after discovering a fuel leak, but didn’t cut the engine or land as soon as possible, per leak safety procedures, which could have resulted in the engine catching fire.

The report cited three similar cases between 2017 and 2022, noting that pilots seem to be acting based on what they think is the best versus established safety protocols.

The BEA in April also opened an investigation into the cause of another Air France inflight incident it called "serious."

The crew skirted safety procedures and increased risks of a fire -- midair or on landing -- by not shutting down the leaking engine or opting to touch down at the closest airport, the report concluded. The aircraft landed safely.

The BEA in April also opened an investigation into the cause of another Air France inflight incident it called "serious."

ALSO READ - French investigators release an update on the Air France B777 approach incident

Pilots of a Boeing 777 airliner aborted a landing at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport after telling air traffic controllers the plane was unresponsive at the approach when a pilot was heard saying it was "going nuts." The flight from New York landed safely on its second attempt.

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Aviation Ministry to develop a helicopter emergency medical service at AIIMS Rishikesh

Radhika Bansal

29 Aug 2022

The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has planned to develop a helicopter emergency medical service (EMS) to provide speedy treatment to needy citizens.

The Ministry believes that helicopters in an EMS role can provide a crucial service that can deliver emergency care quickly within the 'golden hour'.

In EMS parlance, the golden hour is the period where access to definitive care within an hour of the occurrence of life-threatening trauma can make all the difference between life and death.

"Helicopters in EMS role can greatly expand the capability by expeditiously enlarging the medical outreach. It is later envisioned to incorporate a larger network to augment the land-based ambulances to increase the accessibility of trauma care services to a wider population base across the country.MoCA proposes to seek an Expression of Interest (EoI) from air operators who can offer one single-engine or twin-engine helicopter in an air ambulance role with EMS capability for six months based out of a helipad at AIIMS Rishikesh."Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA)

While issuing an expression of interest, the Ministry said that it intends to undertake a pilot project implementation of utilizing helicopters in the EMS role to explore the viability, benefits and risks, if any, to define the approach that can be adopted before larger resources are committed.

Interested air operators have been asked to submit their responses to this EoI by September 15, 2022. A certified air operator with at least one helicopter registered in its air operator permit can apply for the same.

Aviation Ministry to develop a helicopter emergency medical service at AIIMS Rishikesh

As per the document, the project would be located at AIIMS Rishikesh for six months which may be extended on a mutual consent basis.

The air operations would be governed by DGCA regulations and the requirements of CAR Section 8 Series S Part VII - Operation of Aeromedical Transportation (AMT) will be complied with for air ambulance operations.

The service will have one single-engine helicopter with the capacity to carry a single patient on a stretcher, one medical personnel inside the cabin and one pilot with carry-on medical equipment as required, and should be able to fly to a distance of 300 km without refuelling.

In EMS parlance, the golden hour is the period where access to definitive care within an hour of the occurrence of life-threatening trauma can make all the difference between life and death.

Since the area of operations includes mountainous terrain, the air operator should be able to provide a trained crew for the operations.

The helicopter will be based at the AIIMS Rishikesh helipad for the duration of the project and the air operator should make provision for necessary logistics.

It would be on daily stand-by service from sunrise until sunset with 20 minutes response time. The minimum assured hours of helicopter utilisation would be 45 hours per month.

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Akasa Air targeted by hackers; suffers data breach; reports CERT-In

Radhika Bansal

29 Aug 2022

Akasa Air informed on August 28 that it has suffered a data breach resulting in unauthorised individuals gaining access to user information. The airline, which started operations on August 7, has apologised to its customers and has “self-reported the incident” to CERT-In, according to a communication.

Apart from notifying the CERT-In, Akasa Air also sent emails on Saturday and Sunday to its passengers who had registered with the airline and shared their personal details.

Earlier, login and sign-up services were stopped by Air Akasa during the breach period, but they have resumed again to be available to new users.

Akasa Air operated its inaugural flight on August 7 from Mumbai to Ahmedabad.

The airline's communication on its website wrote: “A temporary technical configuration error related to our login and sign-up service was reported to us on Thursday, August 25, 2022.”

“Due to this configuration error, some Akasa Air registered user information limited to names, gender, email addresses, and phone numbers may have been viewed by unauthorised individuals. We can confirm that aside from the above details, no travel-related information, travel records, or payment information was compromised.”

“At Akasa Air, system security and protection of customer information is paramount, and our focus is to always provide a secure and reliable customer experience. While extensive protocols are in place to prevent incidents of such nature, we have undertaken additional measures to ensure that the security of all our systems is even further enhanced.We will continue to maintain our robust security protocols, engaging wherever applicable, with partners, researchers, and security experts from whom we can benefit to strengthen our systems."Anand Srinivasan, Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer, Akasa Air

After the incident, the following steps were taken by Akasa Air to mitigate risks for current and future scenarios:

To begin with, on being made aware of the data breach, the airline immediately stopped the unauthorised access by completely shutting down the associated functional elements of their system. Only after adding additional controls to address this situation, the login and sign-up services were resumed.

Akasa Air informed on August 28 that it has suffered a data breach resulting in unauthorised individuals gaining access to user information.

Akasa Air, which operated its inaugural flight on August 7 from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, said it immediately stopped the unauthorised access by completely shutting down the associated functional elements of its system.

“We self-reported the incident to CERT-In (which is the Government authorised nodal agency tasked to deal with incidents of this nature). We have also notified the affected users of the above, have informed such users that this matter has been reported to CERT-In (which is the Government authorised nodal agency tasked to deal with incidents of this nature), and have advised users to be conscious of possible phishing attempts.We would like to clarify that basis our records there was no intentional hacking attempt, but that a research expert reported the situation through a journalist for which we are grateful. As a part of our commitment to being always transparent, we proactively shared this information with our customers who could have been potentially impacted."Akasa Air

This is not the first time when an airline has faced a data breach. Indian carriers like IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet have also seen their database being hacked in the last few years. 

ALSO READ – SpiceJet under attack by ransomware; morning flights affected

In May, SpiceJet was hit by a ransomware attack that significantly impacted its operations, leading to several flight cancellations and many more delays.

Air India suffered a major cybersecurity attack in 2021, affecting around 4.5 million passengers. On that occasion, critical information stored since 2011, such as credit card and passport details, was accessed by hackers.

Cover Image - Ishaan Wadhwa

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SpiceJet likely to de-register 2 more Boeing 737s

Jinen Gada

29 Aug 2022

Lessors of two more aircraft currently with SpiceJet have approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to de-register their planes rented to the airline.

These latest requests come after similar pleas for de-registering four Boeing 737s leased to the low-cost carrier in the last month which were then re-possessed by the lessors. An Ireland-based lessor filed the latest requests on August 25 for two B737s, VT-SPU and VT-SGQ.

ALSO READ - Lessor wants 3 SpiceJet aircraft deregistered over unpaid dues

All these requests have been made under the provisions of Irrevocable De-registration and Export Request Authorisations (IDERA) which is a part of the Cape Town Convention and provides for the owner of an aircraft to get an aircraft de-registered from the name of a third party in cases like the default of lease rentals. The regulator has to decide on the lessors’ IDERA request within five days.

SpiceJet will likely lose two more aircraft to another lessor.

About the earlier requests for de-registering four B737s, the airline had essentially said it is phasing out the old fuel-inefficient planes and will add the frugal B737 MAX to its fleet.

ALSO READ - Spicejet looking for a “knight in shining armour” to help with financial distress

SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh is scouting for funds from external parties, including airlines, through a stake sale to the carrier afloat. The shareholders of SpiceJet, which is a listed company, have approved fundraising of Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 crore, and some of the amounts have already been raised, Singh had recently said.

The DGCA has since last month limited the cash-strapped airline’s operations to 50% of its schedule and will allow an increase in flights only if it can prove to have “sufficient, technical support and financial resource to safely and efficiently undertake such enhanced capacity.”

After 4 planes, the Irish firm asks DGCA to de-register 2 more Boeing 737s leased to Spicejet.

SpiceJet has begun searching for investors to fund the airline. The airline needs to raise millions to build a financial foundation that is strong enough to convince the DGCA that SpiceJet is ready to return to operating its full schedule. 

The airline, which currently has 60 operational planes, hopes to add at least seven more by the year-end.

With inputs from TOI.

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Indian tourists shift focus to countries in the east amidst sky-high airfares & visa delays

Jinen Gada

29 Aug 2022

For budget-conscious Indian tourists, the east has emerged as the most viable option due to sky-high airfares to the west and visa delays for the US, Canada, UK and Schengen nations of Europe.

Nations like UAE, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Maldives have become go-to destinations for budget travellers.

Value-for-money tourists have little option but to go east. Apart from prolonged visa delays, airfares to the west are at unheard-of levels. One-way economy fares on Delhi-Milan and Delhi-Vancouver routes on September 5 are Rs 1.1 lakh and Rs 2.2 lakh, respectively, due to the student rush. Average return fares from India to New York and London are starting at Rs 1.5 lakh.

Common return fares from India to New York and London are beginning at Rs 1.5 lakh. 

A Canadian visa is still taking almost six months to be processed, while the US is allowing travellers to only book visa appointment slots starting next year. UK visas are taking around six weeks, and people have the option of fast-tracking their applications by paying an additional fee.

”Average airfares to Canada, US and UK have increased by a minimum of 70% (August 2022 over January 2020) while short-haul destinations like UAE, Thailand, Singapore and Maldives have seen a much subdued increase, ranging from 16-40%, over the same time period. Airfare is one of the many factors that influences a traveller’s decision. Other factors include expenses at the destination and ease visa availability. We have observed that recovery for key short-haul destinations versus pre-Covid like UAE, Maldives and Saudi Arabia is 15% higher than the recovery of top long-haul destinations (US, UK and Canada). Within short-haul destinations, Maldives, UAE and Saudi Arabia are witnessing strong recovery in the range of 80%-110%." Saujanya Shrivastava, MakeMyTrip COO 

While an all-inclusive 5-6 day trip to Thailand and Vietnam will cost less than Rs 1 lakh, Singapore and Malaysia will cost a little more, say, travel agents.

Visa delays and excessive fares push Indian vacationers to shift focus.

Indian tourists are being assiduously wooed by tourism boards of almost all countries as they look for a post-Covid recovery of fortunes. Now countries that offer easier access are seeing more footfalls from India. 

Airfare is one of the many factors that influence a traveller’s decision. Other factors include expenses at the destination and ease of visa availability.

(With Inputs from The Times of India)

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Soaring rents hit the aircraft market as travel demand returns amidst a tight supply of aircraft

Radhika Bansal

29 Aug 2022

Passengers aren’t the only ones paying more to fly this year. A tight supply of aircraft is driving up the price airlines pay to rent planes, just as travel demand returns.

The rent on a new Boeing 737 Max rose more than 20% between April 2020 and this July to USD 316,000 a month, estimates aviation advisory firm IBA Group.

ALSO READ - Boeing considering recycling stored 737 MAX engines for new aircraft

The competing Airbus A320neo climbed to USD 324,000 a month, up more than 14% from April 2020, and the highest price since before the Covid pandemic. The larger version, the A321neo, was going for USD 375,000 per month in July.

Soaring rents hit the aircraft market as travel demand returns amidst a tight supply of aircraft

The world’s largest aircraft leasing firms, like Air Lease, Avolon and AerCap, which acquired GE’s airplane leasing business last year, are reaping the benefits.

More than 51% of the world’s nearly 23,000 single- and double-aisle jetliners are owned or managed by leasing firms, according to aviation consulting firm Cirium. While many airlines do own their aircraft, some carriers choose to rent planes instead or combine the two.

Reasons for leasing vary and include weak credit ratings that drive up borrowing costs, and the desire, or need, to conserve cash, rather than shelling out to buy new planes, which can run more than USD 100 million apiece at list prices.

The larger version, the A321neo, was going for USD 375,000 per month in July.

The higher costs come as airlines are already facing high inflation, resulting in expenses that usually get passed along in fares. Aircraft rents are approaching or in some cases surpassing 2019 prices, and they’re set to go even higher. This year’s surge in oil prices makes newer, fuel-efficient planes more attractive than older ones, and higher interest rates could also drive up lease rates.

“You have the rising interest rates and higher cost of capital,” said Mike Yeomans, director of valuations and consulting at IBA. “That will push lease rates higher through the rest of the year.”

Leasing firm executives told CNBC that many of their customers are extending leases, with new planes hard to find.

The higher costs come as airlines are already facing high inflation, resulting in expenses that usually get passed along in fares.

Steven Udvar-Hazy, executive chairman of Los Angeles-based Air Lease, said that the company’s lease extension rate is nearing a never-before-seen 90% and that it usually runs about 65% to 75%.

“We’re seeing a lot of lease extensions on planes that a year ago we projected that we would have to remarket,” said Udvar-Hazy. That means the company doesn’t have to worry about transition costs and it gives the lessor a steady stream of income.

The trend is the result of a resurgence in airline bookings while Boeing and Airbus – still recovering from a demand and production lull during the earlier days of the pandemic along with supply chain issues – are unable to ramp up production as much as they would like to.

The trend is the result of a resurgence in airline bookings while Boeing and Airbus – still recovering from a demand and production lull during the earlier days of the pandemic along with supply chain issues

Global passenger traffic rose by 76% in June from a year earlier, but is still down about 29% compared with before the pandemic, according to the International Air Transport Association’s latest available data. Hazy said interest rates would have to climb higher and remain elevated to significantly dent travel demand.

For now, airlines are “now looking at a world where they can actually deploy more aircraft,” said Andy Cronin, Dublin-based Avolon’s CEO designate. “We’re definitely seeing a shortage of aircraft and accelerating demand over and above what we would have expected at this stage.”

Cronin said lease rates for Boeing Maxes and Airbus A320neos have risen by 10%-15% so far this year.

Global passenger traffic rose by 76% in June from a year earlier but is still down about 29% compared with before the pandemic

Supply chain problems and labour constraints have challenged manufacturers from increasing production. Part of the issue stems from sanctions on Russia that have crimped titanium supplies since that country invaded Ukraine in February.

Raytheon’s CEO, Greg Hayes, last month acknowledged that some customers would feel the impact of supply shortages. “Now we’re not talking about dozens and dozens of aircraft, but you’re talking five to 10 airplanes ... that are going to be without engines because we don’t have the titanium forgings that we had expected to get this year,”

Hayes said on an earnings call last month, referring to the conglomerate’s Pratt & Whitney engine unit. “We’ll work through it, but it’s not going to be without a little bit of pain to our customers.”

(With Inputs from CNBC)

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