Flight Safety Information - June 13, 2024 No. 118 In This Issue : Incident: Cathay A333 at Hong Kong on Jun 11th 2024, hydraulic problems : Incident: Jazz CRJ9 at Sacramento on Jun 11th 2024, engine shut down in flight : Incident: United B772 near Gander on Jun 9th 2024, hydraulic leak : Incident: Atlas B744 at Seoul on Jun 11th 2024, hydraulic failure and tyre damage on departure : It only takes 5 seconds of hail to damage an airplane mid-flight, expert says : Boeing charts new course in aviation with safety-focused aircraft launch : FAA Reauthorization Act may upgrade airplane medical kits for anaphylaxis : FAA to maintain increased in-person oversight of Boeing : An investment firm has taken a $1.9 billion stake in Southwest Airlines and wants to oust the CEO : The last of 70 Cathay Pacific aircraft stored in Australia returns to Hong Kong : Boeing Received Only Four Aircraft Orders In May : Judge Rules Ukraine International ‘Negligent’ In Tehran Shootdown : CALENDAR OF EVENTS Incident: Cathay A333 at Hong Kong on Jun 11th 2024, hydraulic problems A Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300, registration B-LBF performing flight CX-767 from Hong Kong (China) to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), was climbing out of Hong Kong's runway 25L when the crew stopped the climb at 5000 feet reporting they probably needed to return to Hong Kong and entered a hold for troubleshooting. Subsequently the crew advised they had hydraulic problems and decided to return to Hong Kong for a safe landing on runway 25R about one hour after departure. A replacement A330-300 registration B-HLU reached Ho Chi Minh City with a delay of about 4.5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=519d0099&opt=0 Incident: Jazz CRJ9 at Sacramento on Jun 11th 2024, engine shut down in flight A Jazz Canadair CRJ-900, registration C-FJJZ performing positioning flight QK-7121 from Sacramento,CA (USA) to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 4 crew, was climbing out of Sacramento's runway 35R when the crew stopped the climb at 15,000 feet due to the failure of the left hand engine (CF34) and shut the engine down. The aircraft returned to Sacramento for a safe landing on runway 35L about 43 minutes after departure. The airport reported the aircraft had a mechanical problem over night and was to be flown to Vancouver for a maintenance check. Flight AC-8595/QK-595 was cancelled. The aircraft is still on the ground in Sacramento about 28 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=519cfeac&opt=0 Incident: United B772 near Gander on Jun 9th 2024, hydraulic leak A United Boeing 777-200, registration N794UA performing flight UA-915 from Washington Dulles,DC (USA) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (France), was enroute at FL380 about 400nm east of St. John's,NL (Canada) when the crew decided to divert to Gander,NL (Canada) due to a hydraulic leak. The aircraft landed safely on Gander's runway 21 about 90 minutes later. A passenger reported the crew announced a hydraulic leak as cause for their diversion. The airline reported a technical issue with the aircraft. A replacement Boeing 777-200 registration N204UA reached Paris with a delay of about 17 hours. The occurrence aircraft remained on the ground for about 43 hours before positioning back to Washington and resuming service. https://avherald.com/h?article=519cd628&opt=0 Incident: Atlas B744 at Seoul on Jun 11th 2024, hydraulic failure and tyre damage on departure An Atlas Air Boeing 747-400 freighter, registration N429MC performing flight 5Y-8692 from Seoul (South Korea) to Anchorage,AK (USA), departed Seoul Incheon's runway 16L but stopped the climb at 10,000 feet due to a hydraulic failure. The aircraft entered a hold at 7000 feet to dump fuel and returned to Seoul for a landing on runway 15R without further incident about 90 minutes after departure. Three tyres of the left body gear were damaged, the aircraft was disabled on the runway. The aircraft had already suffered tyre damage on the left body gear 9 days earlier, see Incident: Atlas B744 at Los Angeles on Jun 2nd 2024, tyre damage. The aircraft had diverted to Seoul the day before on Jun 10th 2024 for so far unknown reasons on its flight from Hong Kong (China) to Anchorage. On Jun 13th 2024 The Aviation Herald learned that upon rotation for departure from Seoul the treads of two tyres separated cutting a hydraulic line. As result hydraulic system #1 was lost prompting the return to Seoul. On landing a third tyre blew. https://avherald.com/h?article=519cc3b3&opt=0 It only takes 5 seconds of hail to damage an airplane mid-flight, expert says. . An Austrian Airlines flight went viral this week after it flew through a hailstorm on Sunday that ripped off part of the plane's nose and shattered its cockpit windows. And one expert tells CBS News that while incidents like this are rare, they can happen very easily — and very fast. The incident involved Austrian Airlines flight OS434, en route from Palma de Mallorca to Vienna, the airline told CBS News. As seen in photos shared by passengers and passersby, the airline also confirmed that the two front cockpit windows and the aircraft nose, also known as the radome, were damaged, as well as "some coverings." An investigation is now underway. This Austrian Airlines plane was left heavily damaged after it suddenly encountered hail while flying into Vienna on June 9, 2024. "Due to the damage, a Mayday distress call was made," an airline spokesperson said. "The aircraft was able to land safely at Vienna-Schwechat Airport. All passengers on the flight were unharmed." The spokesperson also confirmed that "the incident lasted only a few seconds." According to meteorologist Renny Vandewege, general manager of weather and climate intelligence at DTN, that's all it takes to cause damage. He told CBS News that "because of an airplane's high speed, hail doesn't have to be all that large to wield damage to an aircraft." "The radome, at the nose of the plane, is particularly vulnerable because of the thin material used on that part of the plane," he said. "Because of the aircraft speed, only as little as a 5-second exposure to a hail shaft can shatter noses and cockpit windows." The nose of an Austrian Airlines flight was left shredded on June 9, 2024 after the flight encountered a sudden hail storm. However, he added that few airplanes ever get caught in hail shafts because of the onboard radar systems. In most situations, these kinds of weather systems are avoided, he said. Austrian Airlines told CBS News that Sunday's situation happened after the plane encountered a thunderstorm cell while it was approaching Vienna, and that "according to the cockpit crew, [it] was not visible on the weather radar." Single-cell thunderstorms, according to NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory, are "small, brief, weak storms that grow and die within an hour or so" and are known to produce brief heavy rain and lightning. It's the thunderstorm core where things can be particularly dangerous, Vandewege said, as that's where the updraft is at a maximum. "It is the input of the energy source of the storm originating at the surface where the storm ingests warm moist air," he said. "...These updrafts are what enables storms to produce hail because they can circulate ice up and down with the storm until it is too heavy to circulate. Therefore, the storms with the strongest updrafts can produce the largest hail." An Austrian Airlines flight was left with shattered cockpit windows and a torn-apart nose after it encountered a hail storm on June 9, 2024. As global temperatures rise, so does the frequency and intensity of extreme weather, including thunderstorms. And while flying through hail can quickly become damaging, Vandewege said that it doesn't mean flying isn't safe. He told CBS News that building materials "are ever evolving" to make aircraft "lighter and tougher," and that the information and technology used to avoid hail shafts is also undergoing substantial advancement. "Of course, keeping your seatbelt on, light or not, is also recommended," he said. "...Considering the level of advancement of avoidance technology, I don't think there is any more reason to fear safety from thunderstorms than before. In fact, the past was more dangerous from relying on weaker technology for avoidance." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/austrian-airlines-hail-damage-photos/ Boeing charts new course in aviation with safety-focused aircraft launch Boeing creates a unique chapter in aviation Refreshing news from the aviation quarters! Boeing has announced the introduction of a new plane into its fleet, aimed at mending the company’s reputation following issues with the 737 Max. The corporation’s turnaround strategy is focused on ensuring passenger safety and confidence while aiming to regain its lost market share. Let’s delve into this interesting development. A focus on safety and technological advancements It’s no secret that the aviation industry has endured a rocky period in recent years, significantly affected by the unforgiving circumstances the 737 Max faced. Today, Boeing takes a dramatic step forward, developing a new airplane that not only wants to correct past mistakes but also set new standards for safety in the industry. The company’s inclusion of advanced technology integrations and safety features in its design process is worth noting. This new plane represents an open commitment by Boeing to prioritize the safety of its passengers more than ever. It is an appreciation for the fact that public confidence, once lost, can only be redeemed by a transparent commitment to enhanced safety measures. A chance for market share recovery By unveiling this state-of-the-art airplane, Boeing hopes to reclaim its former dominant position in the market. Recent years have seen a shift in preference towards other manufacturers due to concerns over Boeing’s safety protocols. This new plane, however, could mark Boeing’s much-awaited comeback. Equipped with advanced features, passenger-centric designs, and a vow of ensuring unsurpassed safety, this venture puts Boeing back in the competition. Winning the confidence game Rebuilding consumer confidence is no easy task, especially in an industry like aviation, where safety is paramount. For Boeing, the introduction of this new plane is about much more than recovering lost market share. It is about proving to the world that they had learned their lessons and are committed to doing better. It is encouraging to see Boeing taking a step towards regaining customer trust. Indeed, the corporation has been working hard to enhance their safety protocols and reduce reliance on computer systems for flight control—a primary concern in the 737 Max incidents. It is a journey to build back confidence, and every mile counts. Only time will tell how successful this move will be in regaining public trust and reinstating Boeing’s dominance in the aviation market. However, for now, it seems like a step in the right direction. In the end, it’s important to remember that industries learn and progress through their challenges and shortcomings. The aviation industry is no exception. With the arrival of Boeing’s new plane, let’s look forward to a safer and more reliable journey through the clouds. https://www.thenational-somaliland.com/boeing-charts-new-course-in-aviation-with-safety-focused-aircraft-launch/ FAA Reauthorization Act may upgrade airplane medical kits for anaphylaxis • The bill includes a clause that the FAA must reconsider medications and protocol for treatment of anaphylaxis on board airplanes. • The FAA has 2 years to develop a new set of rules. • The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 includes a call for updated rules on airplane medical kits and staff training in regard to anaphylaxis-related emergencies. The bill, also known as H.R. 3935, or the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, was sponsored by Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and includes many updates on aviation safety, advancing technology and innovation as well as growing an aviation safety workforce, among other things. Jason Linde FARE H.R.3935 includes a clause to update airplane medical kits. But allergy advocacy organizations such as Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), along with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), emphasized the urgent need of including epinephrine autoinjectors in airplane medical kits as an important clause of the bill. “It’s a huge step forward for the food allergy community, whose greatest fear is the fear of suffering anaphylaxis while on a trip,” Jason Linde, MA, senior vice president of advocacy for FARE, told Healio. “Right now, emergency medical kits require a doctor on board to provide lifesaving medicine, and we don't believe that’s the way 33 million Americans should be treated.” Section 368 of the bill cites that the FAA will have 2 years to “issue a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding first aid and emergency medical kit equipment and training required for flight crewmembers.” This includes the consideration of the benefits and costs of new medications or equipment in medical kits to address instances of anaphylaxis, specifically ones that can be administered by the flight crew without the need for a medical professional. Linde said that FARE has discussed anaphylaxis training with the flight attendants’ union and that its members have been supportive. “But a lot of times, flight attendants are not trained in how to use an epinephrine autoinjector,” he said. “We are hopeful that this new proposal will provide them with the training for them to administer it. It’s really easy. It can be learned in less than 20 minutes.” While these rules are not yet finalized, allergy advocates and lawmakers will now have to push for their enactment, Linde continued. “I just want to make sure people realize that it’s now our job to hold the FAA accountable and that within 2 years we will speak with a loud voice to ensure that the easiest epinephrine delivery devices are in those emergency medical kits,” Linde said. “That’s now on all of us to ensure and work towards that.” https://www.healio.com/news/allergy-asthma/20240611/faa-reauthorization-act-may-upgrade-airplane-medical-kits-for-anaphylaxis FAA to maintain increased in-person oversight of Boeing Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday that the agency will maintain its increased on-site presence at Boeing and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems “for the foreseeable future.” WASHINGTON >> The head of the Federal Aviation Administration will tell the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday that the agency will maintain its increased on-site presence at Boeing and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems “for the foreseeable future.” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker will tell senators the agency’s decision to boost inspections after the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 in-flight emergency is now permanent, according to a copy of his written testimony seen by Reuters. Whitaker will say the FAA has added “additional inspections at critical points of the production process.” Whitaker will also say that, following lessons from the Jan. 5 incident, “the FAA changed its oversight approach and those changes are permanent. We have now supplemented our audits with more active, in-person oversight — the ‘audit plus inspection’ approach.” Boeing did not immediately comment. On May 30, Boeing delivered a comprehensive quality improvement plan delivered to the FAA after Whitaker in late February gave Boeing 90 days to develop a comprehensive plan to address “systemic quality-control issues.” Whitaker said in his testimony “there must be a shift in the company’s safety culture in order to holistically address its systemic quality assurance and production issues.” He added the FAA wants “to make sure Boeing implements the necessary changes and has the right tools in place to sustain those changes in the long term.” Whitaker said Boeing committed to boosting employee training, encouraging employees to speak up without fear of reprisal, boosting supplier oversight and “increasing quality oversight at every step of the production process.” Whitaker said FAA “aviation safety inspectors will also monitor each of Boeing’s sub-teams tasked with implementing the key focus areas of the plan.” Whitaker in February barred Boeing from boosting production of its best-selling plane after a door panel blew out during the Jan. 5 flight. He said last month he did not expect Boeing to win approval to increase production of the MAX “in the next few months.” Whitaker also said Boeing had agreed to bring “state-of-the-art technology to Boeing tool and parts management.” https://www.staradvertiser.com/2024/06/12/breaking-news/faa-to-maintain-increased-in-person-oversight-of-boeing/ An investment firm has taken a $1.9 billion stake in Southwest Airlines and wants to oust the CEO DALLAS (AP) — Activist shareholder Elliott Investment Management has bought a $1.9 billion stake in Southwest Airlines and is seeking to force out the CEO of the airline, which has struggled with operational and financial problems. Shares in the airline rose 7% Monday, their second-best day since 2020. In a letter to Southwest’s board, the investment firm complained that Southwest’s stock price has dropped more than 50% in the last three years. Elliott said Southwest has failed to evolve, hurting its ability to compete with other carriers. The firm blamed the Dallas-based carrier’s massive flight cancellations in December 2022 on what it described as the airline’s outdated software and operational processes. “Poor execution and leadership’s stubborn unwillingness to evolve the Company’s strategy have led to deeply disappointing results for shareholders, employees and customers alike,” the investment firm said in the letter, dated Monday. Southwest CEO Robert Jordan “has delivered unacceptable financial and operational performance quarter after quarter,” the letter read. It said Jordan and former CEO Gary Kelly, now the airline’s executive chairman, “are not up to the task of modernizing Southwest.” Southwest Airlines CEO says he won’t resign. A hedge fund is trying to get him fired Elliott is calling for executives from outside the company to replace Jordan and Kelly, and for “significant” changes on the board, including new independent directors with experience at other airlines. Southwest said it was contacted by Elliott on Sunday and looked forward “to better understanding their views on our company.” “The Southwest Board of Directors is confident in our CEO and management’s ability to execute against the company’s strategic plan to drive long-term value for all shareholders, safely and reliably serve our customers and deliver on our commitments to all of our stakeholders,” a spokesperson said in a statement. For years, Southwest appealed to cost-conscious flyers by not charging fees for a checked bag or changing a reservation. Its planes don’t have a premium cabin. Its closest rivals dropped change fees during the pandemic, however, and they are winning over upscale travelers with better seats and amenities. In April, when Southwest reported a $231 million first-quarter loss, Jordan seemed to bend to those market pressures by announcing that Southwest was considering changes to its boarding and seating policies. The airline even took the rare step of dropping four cities from its map. Savanthi Syth, an airline analyst for Raymond James Financial, said Elliott was likely attracted by Southwest’s well-known brand, leading position at many airports and strong balance sheet, among other attributes. She suggested that necessary changes shouldn’t be that hard to achieve. Southwest grew rapidly coming out of the pandemic, adding service to 18 more cities. Syth said Southwest has recognized the need to scale back growth, although six or eight months too late, resulting in higher costs. The airline had little choice in trimming its growth: It can’t get all the jets it ordered because of production cutbacks at Boeing since a door plug blew out of a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Southwest carries the most passengers within the United States, but Delta, United and American — all of which have more extensive international routes — are much larger by revenue. Southwest earned a profit for 47 straight years — an unmatched record in the airline business — until the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020. Southwest reported record revenue of $26.1 billion last year, but its $465 million profit was down from the previous two years and about one-tenth of Delta’s profit. Delta and United have emerged from the pandemic as by far the most profitable U.S. airlines, and that shows up in their relative stock performance. At the close of trading Friday, Southwest shares were down 52% from three years earlier – about the same as American. But Delta shares gained more than 9% in that span, while United shares dipped but only around 7%. The Wall Street Journal first reported Elliott’s stake in Southwest. https://apnews.com/article/southwest-airlines-elliott-management-investment-0fb6de334552718769677d77f03a64ee The last of 70 Cathay Pacific aircraft stored in Australia returns to Hong Kong Cathay Pacific has just flown its last remaining plane stored in the Australian outback to Hong Kong. The airline had placed much of its aircraft fleet into storage at various locations around the world following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The aircraft, an Airbus A330-300 registered B-HLV, left Alice Springs Airport (ASP) in Australia’s Northern Territory and headed home to Hong Kong via a stop in Darwin on June 6, 2024. The plane had been in Alice Springs since September 2020. With its arrival back at its home airport, the ferry flight marked the end of a four-year-long saga that saw much of the carrier’s fleet mothballed. In all, 70 aircraft were sent by the carrier to be stored in the dry, arid conditions of the Australian desert. These included types such as the A330, A321, and the Boeing 777-300ER and also included aircraft from the airline’s now-fully absorbed subsidiary, Cathay Dragon. Before the pandemic, Alice Springs Airport saw just a handful of flights each day operated by narrowbodied turboprops and Boeing 737s or Airbus A320s. That was until the first few weeks of 2020 when dozens of Cathay planes arrived at the small regional airport located in Australia’s ‘Red Center’. The rows upon rows of green and white planes changed the landscape completely for those living close to the airport – a scene that has slowly diminished over the last two years as the carrier has continued its recovery in the post-pandemic world. The location of Alice Springs lends itself to long-term aircraft storage. With the area enjoying relatively consistent dry weather conditions and low humidity, the climate is almost ideal to preserve expensive aircraft in the open air, rather than storing them in expensive hangars. However, even storing planes in such conditions involves a hugely intensive maintenance program so that the airframes and engines can be revived, and the aircraft flown out again when the time is right. For example, every windowpane, external sensor, landing gear set, and engine must be covered in plastic sheeting to protect them from dusty conditions and from being inhabited by local wildlife. Additionally, each aircraft underwent a cycle of periodic maintenance checks performed every seven, 14, and 30 days, involving an army of on-site engineers. According to Cathay Pacific, throughout the time that its aircraft were in Alice Springs, over 16,000 checks of this type were carried out, representing over 800,000 hours of labor in total across the stored fleet. “An incredible amount of work goes into keeping an aircraft safe and protected when it isn’t flying, and to then reactivate it for entry back into regular service,” said Alex McGowan, Cathay Pacific’s Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer speaking to Executive Traveller magazine. “To do this for more than 85 aircraft long-term parked overseas, as well as to manage the large number of aircraft that were parked in Hong Kong, is a phenomenal achievement.” Fleet fully restored With a fleet of 185 aircraft now fully operational, the airline is well on its way to recovery, having been one of the world’s major international airlines most affected by the travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Passenger figures have rebounded, while the carrier’s month-on-month revenues continue to show consistent rises. The airline has also unveiled plans for its new business-class product and a revamp of its premium economy cabins. The aircraft also has a further 70 aircraft on order including Airbus A321neos, A350F freighters, and Boeing 777-9s when that type finally receives certification. The carrier is also eyeing further expansion in its core long-haul markets of Europe, North America, and Australia. As for B-LHV, following its four-year hiatus from commercial service, the aircraft is undergoing further re-entry into service checks with Cathay Pacific at the carrier’s Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International Airport (HKG) headquarters before it returns to flying fare-paying passengers around Asia once more. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/cathay-final-stored-plane-leaves-australian-desert Boeing Received Only Four Aircraft Orders In May The stock of Boeing Co. (BA) is down 3% on reports that the troubled company received only four aircraft orders during the month of May. In comparison, Boeing received 69 airplane orders in May 2023. For the second month in a row, none of the aircraft orders placed with Boeing were for its 737 MAX planes that have struggled with safety issues. Production at Boeing has slowed significantly after an emergency door plug blew off a 737 MAX aircraft midflight at the start of this year. The incident has resulted in strict regulatory oversight of the company and its manufacturing process by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The current situation has caused major headaches at airlines around the world as Boeing is one of only two commercial aircraft manufacturers along with Europe’s Airbus SE (AIR). Boeing said that in May it delivered a total of 24 aircraft, including 19 of its 737 MAX planes. That’s less than half the 50 planes delivered a year earlier. Boeing has said that it is on track to deliver a total of 72 aircraft in the current second quarter. Wall Street analysts expected Q2 deliveries of 91 airplanes. The company currently has 6,200 unfilled orders, representing more than a decade of demand at current build rates. Boeing’s stock has declined 26% so far in 2024 and currently trades at $185.50 U.S. per share. https://www.baystreet.ca/stockstowatch/18226/Boeing-Received-Only-Four-Aircraft-Orders-In-May Judge Rules Ukraine International ‘Negligent’ In Tehran Shootdown A Canadian judge has found Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) liable for the deaths of 176 passengers and crew on board a flight shot down by Iranian surface-to-air missiles. The airline now faces unlimited compensation for those killed. The case was held in Canada as many Canadians of Iranian origin were on board the stricken aircraft. The judgment followed an 18-day trial in Toronto that ended in January. The Ontario Superior Court held that UIA was negligent in allowing flight PS752 to depart Tehran on Jan. 8, 2020, at a time of international tension. Days before, the U.S. had assassinated the commander of Iran’s Qods Force—the overseas arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani. In turn, on Jan. 8, Iranian forces launched multiple ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases at which U.S. troops were stationed, seriously wounding several service personnel. Iran was thus on high alert for U.S. retaliatory strikes. UIA flight PS752, operated by a Boeing 737-800, took off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport at 6:12 a.m. local time. Minutes later, the aircraft was hit by two missiles from an Iranian air defense unit operated by the Revolutionary Guard Corps and crashed, with the loss of all on board. Justice Jasmine Akbarali noted that, according to Iran’s investigation into the tragedy, PS752 was deconflicted and permission was obtained from the Iranian military to allow it to depart. The judge noted that “There was absolutely no reason that PS752 should have been taken [by the air defense unit] to be anything other than a commercial jet airliner. It was flying away from Tehran, gaining altitude, flying at a speed that was expected for a commercial airliner but not for a missile, at an altitude that was not consistent with a missile, and with a working transponder system that, were secondary radar surveillance in use, would have provided the Iranian military with information about the commercial aircraft if they interrogated it.” Akbarali said that UIA did not routinely undertake security assessments with respect to its flights. Instead, the route between Kyiv and Tehran underwent four separate security assessments, from the inception of the route some years before up to Jan. 8, 2020, the last of these just hours before the flight took off from Tehran. “The sufficiency of these aviation security assessments is hotly contested,” the judge noted. UIA’s director of aviation security reassessed the security situation on hearing of the Iraqi missile strikes on U.S. troops, but concluded that, while tension in the region had ratcheted up, it was still within acceptable limits for PS752 to return to Kyiv. The court considered whether UIA breached the standard of care necessary to ensure the safety of the flight and, if so, whether that led to the loss of lives on board PF752. UIA argued that the Tehran Flight Information Region (FIR) was not deemed to be a conflict zone, “which seems to hinge on the notion that a conflict zone must be officially declared in order to exist” the judge said, and that expert witnesses testified that Tehran FIR was, in fact, a textbook example of a conflict zone. The judge said that “the risk assessment conducted on Jan. 8, 2020, failed to meet the standard of care required of UIA and its employees in a number of ways.” These included a lack of information about the prevailing situation in Tehran FIR “that was reliable in breadth and in depth.” UIA also failed to take into account ICAO documents that set out “key risk factors to consider when flying over or near conflict zones” where one of the parties engaged in the conflict has access to SAMs. The UIA staff member responsible for the security assessment failed to find open-source material that would have alerted him to several factors, including the fact that Iran had “an aggressive shoot-down policy.” These were among several factors that “reveal UIA’s lackadaisical approach to security,” the judge said. She concluded that “UIA breached the standard of care by failing to consider, or even attempting to consider” information identified by ICAO relating to conflict zones “and failing to seek information from all the recommended sources.” “This is an important result for our clients who lost loved ones in the downing of Flight 752,” CFM Lawyers LLP spokesman Joe Fiorante, whose company helped represent the families of 21 of those killed in the shootdown. “For the first time, the families now have complete answers to UIA’s role in this horrible tragedy.” The judgment means that under the Montreal Convention, the international law which governs the international carriage of passengers, UIA will not be able to limit the compensation payable to the families to $180,000 per passenger, but instead will be now obligated to pay full compensatory damages arising from the fatalities. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/judge-rules-ukraine-international-negligent-tehran-shootdown CALENDAR OF EVENTS • (APTSC) Asia and Pacific Turboprop Safety Conference - June 26 - 27, 2024 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Airborne Public Safety Association, Inc. (APSCON 2024) - July 29 - August 3; Houston TX • Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety (AP-SAS 2024), Aug. 13-15, Beijing, China. • Asia Pacific Airline Training Symposium - APATS 2024, 0-11 September, 2024, Singapore • Aircraft Cabin Air International Conference - 17 & 18 September - London • 2024 Ground Handling Safety Symposium (GHSS) - September 17-18, 2024 - Fort Worth, TX • 2024 ISASI - Lisbon, Portugal - September 30 to October 4, 2024 • International Congress of Aerospace Medicine ICAM 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal, 3 - 5 October 2024 • Aviation Health Conference back on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th October 2024 • 2024 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition - Oct. 22-24 (Vegas) • Sixth Edition of International Accident Investigation Forum, 21 to 23 May 2025, Singapore Curt Lewis