All Ops & safety articles – Page 48
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NewsSerious TAP A320 incident involved thrust reverser deployment in flare
Danish investigators are probing an incident involving inadvertent thrust-reverser deployment on an Airbus A320 during a missed approach. The aircraft was being operated by TAP Air Portugal on a service from Lisbon to Copenhagen on 8 April. French investigation authority BEA, citing its Danish counterpart, says the captain decided to ...
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NewsUSA ditches mask mandate on aircraft and in airports
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will no longer enforce the federal face mask mandate, in place since January 2021, after a US judge struck down the order.
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NewsJudge strikes down federal mask mandate, masks still required for now
A federal judge in Florida has struck down the federal face-covering mandate that has been in effect since early 2021 but airlines are still requiring their passengers and employees to wear masks, at least for now.
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NewsFAA warns of in-flight turbofan failures following long-term storage
The Federal Aviation Administration is requiring inspections of two types of turbofans, saying corrosion caused by prolonged aircraft storage could cause in-flight engine failures.
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NewsEASA certifies A330-800 with 251t take-off weight
Airbus has secured formal certification of the 251t version of the A330-800, the highest weight variant available for the twinjet. The airframer had indicated in February that certification tests on the aircraft were complete and that European Union Aviation Safety Agency approval was likely in April. Airbus first flew the ...
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NewsOver 570 foreign aircraft moved to Russian registry: deputy prime minister
Russian authorities have transferred 571 foreign-built passenger aircraft to the domestic register, out of a total of 781, according to first deputy prime minister Andrei Belousov. Belousov disclosed the figure during a presentation on measures adopted by the government to stabilise the Russian economy in the face of sanction pressure. ...
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NewsUS government extends federal mask mandate for 15 days
The US government has extended its face-mask mandate for travellers by air and other forms public transportation for another 15 days, as a sub-variant of Covid-19 spreads across the USA.
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NewsPilots of 777s and 787s warned over pitch-guidance mode slip before take-off
US safety authorities have cautioned Boeing 777 and 787 operators over a potential mode confusion during take-off which can result in the aircraft departing with the wrong pitch-control guidance. Incidents have been recorded in which the ‘altitude hold’ mode of the autopilot flight-director system had been erroneously engaged before take-off. ...
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NewsCommission doubts Russian authority’s ability to cope with expanded safety oversight
European regulators have expressed doubts over Russian authorities’ ability to exercise sufficient safety oversight of the large number of leased foreign-owned aircraft seized by the government after sanctions were imposed on the air transport sector. The European Commission has detailed its reasons for blacklisting 21 airlines over their continued operation ...
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NewsRussian fleet will remain safe despite EU blacklisting: Rosaviatsia
Russian federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia insists the country’s foreign-owned fleet will be safely operated in spite of the European Commission blacklisting of several carriers over airworthiness concerns. Rosaviatsia says the Commission’s unilateral measure was “taken in absentia” and does take into account the actual technical condition of the leased ...
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NewsFAA imposes record $82,000 fine on unruly passenger
The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed an $81,950 fine against an airline passenger who allegedly disrupted a flight last year.
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NewsEASA will not extend temporary passenger-to-freighter conversion approval
European operators will not be permitted to use temporary conversions of passenger aircraft to freighters beyond the end of July. Approvals for the modification were introduced by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in 2020, as the pandemic led carriers to convert dormant passenger aircraft to address the demand for ...
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NewsEU blacklists Russian carriers over continued operation of grounded aircraft
All three Aeroflot Group carriers, plus S7 Airlines and Ural Airlines, are among 21 Russian operators blacklisted by the European Commission over safety concerns related to continued operation of aircraft seized by the Russian government. While Russian carriers are already barred from operating within the European Union, as part of ...
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NewsFaulty pitot system likely cause of Malaysia Airlines 737 altitude loss
A malfunction in the pitot-static system of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 is likely to have led to a “technical issue” which saw the aircraft pitch up and subsequently lose altitude.
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OpinionWhy a return to normality remains a work in progress for some flightcrew
Where did the last two years go? It seems only yesterday that we were talking about the discovery of a new virus in China. And while markets across the globe have since broadly re-opened, for Asia-based flightcrew like myself, Covid-19 and its disruptions to life are still an ever-present reality. ...
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NewsInquiry probes Air France 777-300ER control instability during Paris approach
French investigators are probing a flight-control instability involving an Air France Boeing 777-300ER during final approach to Paris Charles de Gaulle. The twinjet (F-GSQJ) had been arriving from New York JFK on 5 April, and had been aligned for approach to runway 26L. French investigation authority BEA states that the ...
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NewsUS investigators assist probe into China Eastern 737 crash
US investigators have arrived in China to assist an ongoing probe into the crash of a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800.
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NewsSeparate Qatari airspace plan advances despite challenges
ICAO Council representatives have agreed to proceed with plans to establish a specific airspace for Qatar, setting out a phased approach to creating a Doha flight information region. It will end the long-standing arrangement whereby Bahrain controls airspace over Qatar, one which began to fracture after Bahrain participated in a ...
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NewsUS team to visit China, assist with China Eastern crash investigation
US accident investigators and representatives from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration plan to depart this week for China, where they will assist with that country’s investigation into the 21 March crash of a China Eastern Airlines 737-800.
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NewsEASA refines fuel-carriage rules to take advantage of better risk analysis
Aircraft operators will be permitted to reduce the amount of fuel they carry during flight operations, under new rules put forward by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Carriage of fuel beyond that specifically required for the trip from origin to destination is governed by regulations over contingencies, such as ...