Qatar Airways prepared to take the Airbus legal dispute to trial

Qatar Airways is ready to see its legal dispute with Airbus over flaws with the protective skin of A350 wide-body jets through to trial, the Gulf carrier said on Tuesday, May 31.

Qatar Airways is suing the European planemaker in a UK court for USD 1 billion in damages after grounding about two dozen of its A350s experiencing the flaws, which it says raise safety concerns - something Airbus and European regulators deny.

ALSO READ - Qatar Airways takes Airbus to London High Court over A350 skin damage

Until now, Qatar Airways has appeared broadly isolated in the dispute as other airlines continue to fly the jets, though the Gulf carrier has won some public encouragement from global airlines association IATA and rival Gulf carrier Emirates.

Qatar Airways prepared to take the Airbus legal dispute to trial

A British judge last week rejected Qatar Airways' requests for a series of injunctions, clearing a path towards a full trial on the A350 surface problems and a related dispute over the planemaker's decision to revoke a contract for smaller jets.

ALSO READ - UK court denies compensation to Qatar Airways for cancelled A321neos order by Airbus

On Tuesday, May 31 the airline noted that a longer written version of the judge's decision reflected some arguments that it intends to make in the main trial, as it took the unusual step of reproducing lengthy extracts from the judgment.

Summarising evidence in preliminary hearings, Judge David Waksman noted that the problem that originally appeared in one plane in late 2020 could potentially affect all A350s because of the choice of materials, for which there was no simple fix.

Qatar Airways says it cannot know for sure whether it is a safety problem until Airbus provides a fuller explanation.

Airbus has acknowledged that such issues tend to affect carbon composite aircraft but maintains it is not a safety issue. Qatar Airways says it cannot know for sure whether it is a safety problem until Airbus provides a fuller explanation.

"Qatar Airways is ready to see this matter through to trial to ensure that its rights are protected and that Airbus is required to address an unprecedented and extremely unique and concerning defect impacting the A350 aircraft type, across the industry and multiple carriers," it said in a statement.

Airbus dismissed what it termed a misreading of last week's ruling, which had seen Qatar's procedural requests rejected while forcing the airline to pay most allowable Airbus costs.

Qatar Airways said it was “extremely concerned” about the precedent being set by Airbus in cancelling the A321 contract.  

"Airbus is surprised by Qatar's complete mischaracterisation of the UK High Court ruling which rejected all of Qatar's requests for injunctions," the planemaker said in a statement. "Airbus continues to favour engagement and an amicable solution to resolve the dispute," it added.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker told reporters in Doha last week, "I just hope that this dispute could be resolved outside the courts of law".

ALSO READ - Airbus responds to Qatar Airways’s A350 dispute by cancelling A321 Order

“Qatar Airways remains within its contractual rights to reject delivery of further A350 aircraft whilst the aircraft type suffers from a design defect which has now been acknowledged by the court, and for Airbus to abuse its strength in the market to terminate a separate and unrelated contract for another aircraft type is extremely damaging for our industry."Qatar Airways

The carrier also said it was “extremely concerned” about the precedent being set by Airbus in cancelling the A321 contract.  

ALSO READ - UK court orders Airbus to halt the cancellation of Qatar Airways’ A321neo

Barring a settlement, which the judge last week described as unlikely for the time being, the two sides are heading for a rare London court clash starting in June 2023.

(With Inputs from Reuters)

Buoyed by a strong recovery in travel demand in the Indian market, Singapore Airlines plans to increase the number of flights to India where the group is currently operating at around 75% of its pre-pandemic capacity.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group — comprising full-service carrier Singapore Airlines and low-cost airline Scoot — currently serves 13 destinations across India.

"The Indian market is recovering very strongly as well. We are seeing good load factors… we will be able to hopefully announce increases in flights over the next two schedules… whether it is for the winter schedule starting from October or even for next year."Lee Lik Hsin, Executive Vice President (Commercial), Singapore Airlines

On Monday, May 30 a senior Singapore Airlines executive said the carrier expects to announce more flights to India in the coming months.

At present, Singapore Airlines operates 73 weekly flights to Singapore from eight Indian cities — Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Hyderabad. Scoot operates 38 flights from six cities — Amritsar, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Tiruchirappalli, Trivandrum and Visakhapatnam.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group — comprising full-service carrier Singapore Airlines and low-cost airline Scoot — currently serves 13 destinations across India.

ALSO READ - Scoot commences daily flights between Thiruvananthapuram and Singapore

According to an airline spokesperson, SIA Group is currently operating around 75% of its pre-COVID capacity.

After remaining suspended for a little over two years, scheduled commercial international passenger flights resumed to and from India on March 27 this year. Since then, there has been a strong demand for air travel.

The Singapore Airlines spokesperson said market feedback indicates that the current outbound traffic from India comprises primarily pent-up leisure traffic, while business travel will take longer to return to pre-pandemic levels.

Singapore Airlines intends to increase flights to India amid strong travel recovery

ALSO READ - Singapore Airlines resume services from Mumbai with Airbus A380 jumbo

Apart from resuming Airbus A380 plane services from Mumbai and Delhi, the airline in January launched its new Boeing 737-8 product from Hyderabad, Kochi, and Kolkata. This includes seats that recline into fully-flat beds in the business class.

Talking about overall travel demand, Lee Lik Hsin said there is a "very speedy recovery phase we are seeing right now”.

"We will put in a capacity of 61% by the end of June, 67% by the end of September… very very strong load factors for April,” he added. In April, SIA Group’s load factor rose 18%.

At present, Singapore Airlines operates 73 weekly flights to Singapore from eight Indian cities

To another query, Lee Lik Hsin said the rise in fuel costs is a concern for any airline. ”We try to exercise as much cost discipline as we can on other aspects in our control.

Fuel is one aspect that we do not control. We are hedged for this current year at 40%. We have some protection to that extent but the rest is (up to) market forces,” he noted.

On whether there could be a hike in fares considering the rising fuel prices, he said fares are a function of demand and supply.

The aviation regulator DGCA has imposed a fine of INR 10 lakh on SpiceJet for training its Boeing 737 Max aircraft's pilots on a faulty simulator as it could have adversely impacted flight safety, sources said on Monday, May 30.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had last month barred 90 SpiceJet pilots at a faulty facility at CAE Simulation Training Pvt Ltd (CSTPL), Greater Noida on March 30 from operating the Max aircraft after finding them not properly trained.

ALSO READ - 90 SpiceJet pilots barred from flying Boeing 737 Max planes by the DGCA

DGCA fines SpiceJet with INR 10 lakh for using the faulty simulator to train B737 Max pilots

After barring the pilots, the regulator had issued a show-cause notice to the airline, sources told PTI. The response sent by the airline was not found satisfactory.

"The training being imparted by the airline could have adversely affected flight safety and hence was nullified," one of the sources stated.

Therefore, the DGCA has imposed a penalty of INR 10 lakh on SpiceJet for using a faulty simulator to train their Max aircraft's pilots, sources mentioned.

Boeing was still in the process of installing its new updated MCAS system at the Noida training facility when the SpiceJet pilots were sent for training.

According to a senior DGCA official, when the 90 pilots were sent for training at the CAE Simulation Training Pvt Ltd in Noida, the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was not working properly on the simulator.

“A part of the MCAS system, the ‘stick shaker’ that vibrates the control column and makes a loud noise when the jet risks losing lift, was not working properly in the simulator at the time of training these pilots,” the official said.

Another industry insider aware of the matter said that at the time of training, Boeing was still in the process of installing its new updated MCAS system at the Noida training facility when the SpiceJet pilots were sent for training.

Boeing had opened this facility in 2020 for training pilots to operate the 737 Max. CSTPL has only approved the 737 MAX simulators in India.

This was installed by Boeing as part of a compensation package provided to SpiceJet due to the business loss caused by the two-year grounding of the aircraft.

Scheduled surveillance checks and surprise audits are done by the regulator to find inefficiencies in the safety system of airlines, airports, flying training organisations and simulators to find deficiencies and implement corrective measures.

SpiceJet is the only Indian airline that has the Max aircraft in its fleet.

The system was dysfunctional since March 17 due to a faulty component that CSTPL imports from abroad. Hence, all co-pilots who have done simulator training will have to undergo the extra two hours of training once again.

The DGCA official added that proper pilot training was part of the aviation regulator’s conditions for lifting the ban on the Boeing 737 Max in India after the planes were grounded in India on March 13, 2019, following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max aircraft near Addis Ababa.

Almost a year before the Ethiopian Airlines crash, a  Lion Air Flight from Jakarta to Pangkal Pinang also had crashed.

The ban on the planes was lifted in August 2021 after the DGCA was satisfied with the software upgrade implemented by Boeing in each of the Max aircraft.

ALSO READ – DGCA allows Boeing 737 Max to fly again

The ban on the planes was lifted in August 2021 after the DGCA was satisfied with the software upgrade implemented by Boeing in each of the Max aircraft. SpiceJet is the only Indian airline that has the Max aircraft in its fleet.

Akasa Air, the new airline backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and aviation veterans Aditya Ghosh and Vinay Dube, had in November last year signed a deal with Boeing to purchase 72 Max planes. Akasa Air has not received any of these planes as yet.

Aviation regulator DGCA has suspended an air traffic controller for three months for approving simultaneous departures of IndiGo flights at the Bengaluru airport on January 7 which led to them coming too close just after takeoff.

The two IndiGo flights -- 6E455 (Bengaluru to Kolkata) and 6E246 (Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar) -- averted a mid-air collision over the Bengaluru airport just after their simultaneous take off from the north runway and south runway, respectively, on January 7 morning.

DGCA suspends ATC for 3 months for near-miss mid-air collision between two Indigo flights

ALSO READ - At Bengaluru Airport, a mid-air collision between two Indigo flights averted

The incident was called "breach of separation", which happens when two aircraft cross the minimum mandatory vertical or horizontal distance in the airspace.

In a statement on Monday, May 30 the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said, "South tower controller gave departure to 6E 455 in coordination with Approach Radar controller and at the same time North tower controller gave departure to 6E 246 without prior coordination with south tower controller and Approach Radar controller."

The suspended controller has been charged with five counts

As both aircraft after departure were on converging heading (moving towards each other), the Approach Radar controller gave diverging heading to separate these aircraft, the regulator noted.

"At the closest point of conflict, the vertical and lateral separation between both aircraft was 100 feet (Standard 1000ft) and 0.9 NM (Standard 3NM)," it said. This entire matter was classified as a "serious incident" and was investigated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), it noted.

Based on the regulatory assessment, the DGCA has decided to issue a "warning letter to Tower supervisor for not monitoring the activities of the ATC (air traffic controller) tower and non-reporting of the incident", it said.

The two IndiGo flights -- 6E455 (Bengaluru to Kolkata) and 6E246 (Bengaluru to Bhubaneswar) -- averted a mid-air collision over the Bengaluru airport just after their simultaneous take off from the north runway and south runway

Also, the license of the "North tower controller who was also the watch supervisory officer (WSO) of the shift" has been suspended for three months as he did not follow procedures and rules regarding runway operations and he did not report the incident, the DGCA said.

The suspended controller has been charged with five counts, including not reporting the incident, violating the Aeronautical Information Publication (details of regulations, procedures) India for aircraft operation and failing to comply with coordination procedures during the change of runway operations from segregated mode to single mode.

Airbus has confirmed its plans of launching a Zero Emissions Development Centre (ZEDC), to be located in Bristol, that will support the airline’s plans to operate hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft prototypes.

The goal of the ZEDC is to achieve cost-competitive cryogenic tank manufacturing to support the successful future market launch of ZEROe and to accelerate the development of hydrogen-propulsion technologies.

The Airbus eXtra Performance Wing demonstrator on a CessnaCitation VII business jet platform | Representative | travelnewsasia

The ZEDC, which will be installed in Filton, Bristol, will be used to design and manufacture components for zero-emission flight technologies, with a specific focus on hydrogen. Reportedly, the facility is touted to develop cost-competitive cryogenic fuel systems, required for its ZEROe passenger aircraft by 2035. Additionally, it will also serve the dual purpose of accelerating UK skills in hydrogen-propulsion technology.

The tank is a safety-critical component, for which specific systems engineering is needed.

Establishing the ZEDC in the UK expands Airbus’ in-house industrial capabilities to design, develop, test and manufacture cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks and related systems for the ZEROe project across Airbus’ four home countries. This, coupled with our partnership with ATI, will allow us to leverage our respective expertise to realise the potential of hydrogen technology to support the decarbonization of the aviation industryAirbus’ chief technical officer Sabine Klauke said

The Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), back in September 2021, had identified liquid hydrogen as having ‘the highest potential’ as the future fuel in the aviation sector although it came with its own set of challenges with regards to surrounding storage and utilising cryogenic hydrogen on board. Furthermore, it also emphasized that liquid hydrogen had more potential when compared to battery and ammonia in aviation.

Representative | Composites World

LH2 can be more challenging than kerosene because it needs to be stored at -250 °C to liquefy-which is needed for increased density.

It was way back in 2020 that Airbus had first unveiled its futuristic designs for zero-emissions aircraft. The company also signed a partnership agreement earlier this year with CFM International-a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines, to collaborate on a hydrogen demonstration programme that will take flight around the middle of this decade.

While both ground and flight tests will be issued for hydrogen-fueled direct combustion engines, the demonstration will use the A380 flight testbed with liquid hydrogen tanks prepared at Airbus facilities in France and Germany.

This is the most significant step undertaken at Airbus to usher in a new era of hydrogen-powered flight since the unveiling of our ZEROe concepts back in September 2020. By leveraging the expertise of American and European engine manufacturers to make progress on hydrogen combustion technology, this international partnership sends a clear message that our industry is committed to making zero-emission flight a realitysaid Sabine Klauke

All three ZEROe concepts are hybrid-hydrogen aircraft.

Reportedly, Delta has become the first US-based airline to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus, as a part of the latter's efforts to commercialise the use of hydrogen for aircraft.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: Wings Magazine

Singapore, which has flung open its borders again, is hosting a two-day job fair through May 28 targeting everyone from graduates to mid-career professionals and former aviation workers who quit during the Covid crisis. Over 6,600 jobs are available at the country’s airport, often voted the world’s best.

As border curbs and mandatory quarantines fall away, a fresh challenge is emerging for global aviation -- rehiring staff fast enough to cope with a rebound in air travel that is already straining the industry.

The task is to lure people to work in an industry that’s been decimated by the virus. Job losses and pay cuts hit aviation workers hard, and many have taken up other, less volatile careers. That resulted in a lack of manpower to properly handle the recovery.

Thousands of aviation jobs are available as Singapore competes to recruit talent

Sydney Airport has struggled with queues and flight disruptions, while staff shortages at London’s Heathrow Airport hurt the earnings of British Airways Plc parent IAG SA.

“People may be thinking twice about returning to such a cyclical industry, especially with economic growth concerns on the horizon,” said Jason Sum, an analyst at DBS Bank Ltd.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., which saw its workforce shrink 37% from 2019 high to the end of 2021, sent out emails to hundreds of former cabin crew to gauge their interest in rejoining the company, according to a person familiar with the matter. It’s an uphill task for a carrier hit harder than most due to Hong Kong’s travel restrictions.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., which saw its workforce shrink 37% from 2019 high to the end of 2021

In its recently released 2021 sustainability report, Cathay said the number of permanent employees voluntarily leaving jumped to a record high of 17%. Two-fifths of all departures were aged under 30, a sign that younger people may have concluded that aviation isn’t a viable career.

In the US, which reopened quicker than in Asia, thousands of flights were cancelled by Southwest Airlines Co. and American Airlines Group Inc. last year partly due to crew issues.

Dutch airline KLM capped the sale of flights from its Amsterdam Schiphol hub due to an acute shortage of airport security staff.

Travel Strains

Airline passengers, having been starved of travel options for so long, are getting frustrated as the impact of staffing shortages becomes clear. According to SITA Baggage IT Insights, airlines mishandled 24% more bags in 2021 than in 2020, as international and long-haul flights resumed.

In India, 79% of customers said service and the behaviour of airline staff have deteriorated sharply since Covid

ALSO READ - Indian carriers not living up to the expectations of passengers – Survey

In India, 79% of customers said service and the behaviour of airline staff have deteriorated sharply since Covid, a survey undertaken for Bloomberg News shows.

Hiring at Singapore’s Changi Airport will be focused on front-line passenger-service positions, cargo, retail and cleaning, the airport operator said.

Before Covid, air transport and spending by foreign tourists arriving in Singapore by air contributed 11.8% to the local economy and supported 375,000 jobs, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Hiring at Singapore’s Changi Airport will be focused on front-line passenger-service positions, cargo, retail and cleaning.

A wide range of companies are looking for talent at the job fair, including Pratt & Whitney Engine Services Inc., duty-free operator Lotte Travel Retail Singapore and ground-handling and caterer SATS Ltd.

There are openings for service staff at check-in rows, food inspectors and emergency services, according to Changi Airport.

Singapore Rebound

Work has resumed work on Terminal 5 at Singapore’s Changi Airport after being halted two years ago, while there are also plans to reopen Terminal 2 this weekend. Passenger traffic at the airport has returned to close to 50% of pre-Covid levels from less than 20% in mid-March.

Work has resumed work on Terminal 5 at Singapore’s Changi Airport after being halted two years ago, while there are also plans to reopen Terminal 2 this weekend

“More flights and passengers mean more airport staff are needed to support this growth,” Changi said in a statement. “Airport partners are offering market-competitive salaries, incentives, and better career prospects.”

Among them, SATS was offering an SD 5,000 ($3,650) joining bonus for baggage handling and catering jobs that pay a maximum of SD 3,000 a month.

(With Inputs from Bloomberg)