Flight Safety Information - August 5, 2024 No. 155 In This Issue : Incident: Delta BCS3 at Minneapolis on Aug 2nd 2024, smoke in cabin : Incident: Finnair A333 at Helsinki on Aug 3rd 2024, odour on board : Incident: Tassili DH8D at Rouhrde Ennous on Aug 3rd 2024, burst tyres on takeoff : Incident: Swiss A320 near Athens on Aug 3rd 2024, smoke detection fault : Incident: Swiss A333 at New York on Aug 2nd 2024, gear problem on departure : Pilot's arrest forces cancellation of Frontier Airlines flight from IAH to Dallas on Thursday: HPD : Stepping Up Safety with Competency-based Training : No passports needed: Singapore launches biometric immigration processing at Changi Airport : International Delta flight to Rome diverted back to Boston after being struck by lightning: FAA : Women airline pilot numbers stay low. Aspiration and career structures are key : CrowdStrike tells Delta not to blame it for flight chaos : Calendar of Events Incident: Delta BCS3 at Minneapolis on Aug 2nd 2024, smoke in cabin A Delta Airlines Bombardier C-Series CS-300, registration N305DU performing flight DL-2683 from Minneapolis,MN to Houston Intercontinental,TX (USA) with 122 people on board, was climbing out of Minneapolis' runway 30L when the crew stopped the climb at 6000 feet reporting smoke in the cabin. The aircraft returned to Minneapolis for a safe landing on runway 30L about 20 minutes after departure and taxied to the apron. The airline reported a mechanical problem with the aircraft. The aircraft is still on the ground about 38 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=51bfc669&opt=0 Incident: Finnair A333 at Helsinki on Aug 3rd 2024, odour on board A Finnair Airbus A330-300, registration OH-LTO performing flight AY-15 from Helsinki (Finland) to New York JFK,NY (USA), was climbing out of Helsinki's runway 04R when the crew stopped the climb at about 4000 feet due to an odour on board. The aircraft positioned for a return to runway 04R and landed safely on that runway about 20 minutes after departure. A passenger reported they soon noticed they were returning to Helsinki, there was rumour amongst the passengers about smell of smoke on board. During the approach a pungent sort of bitter odour became noticeable throughout the aircraft. The airline reported the aircraft returned due to a technical fault. The aircraft is still on the ground in Helsinki about 24 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=51bfbdf7&opt=0 Incident: Tassili DH8D at Rouhrde Ennous on Aug 3rd 2024, burst tyres on takeoff A Tassili Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-400, registration 7T-VCL performing a charter flight from Rouhrde Ennous to Oran (Algeria), burst a number of right hand main tyres on takeoff from Illizi. The aircraft returned to Illizi for a safe landing but became disabled on the runway with both right hand main tyres deflated. There were no injuries. The airline reported the aircraft burst a tyre on takeoff from Rouhrde Ennous next to the gas field of the same name carrying workers, no further incident was recorded on the return to Rouhrde Ennous. https://avherald.com/h?article=51bf4ee6&opt=0 Incident: Swiss A320 near Athens on Aug 3rd 2024, smoke detection fault A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration HB-IJO performing flight LX-1843 from Athens (Greece) to Zurich (Switzerland), was enroute at FL320 about 140nm northwest of Athens when the crew decided to return to Athens due to a fault with the smoke detection. The aircraft safely landed back at Athens about one hour after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 3:40 hours, then departed again and reached Zurich with a delay of about 4:50 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=51bfa881&opt=0 Incident: Swiss A333 at New York on Aug 2nd 2024, gear problem on departure A Swiss International Airlines Airbus A330-300, registration HB-JHK performing flight LX-15 from New York JFK,NY (USA) to Zurich (Switzerland) with 232 people on board, was climbing out of JFK's runway 22R when the crew declared PAN PAN reporting a problem with the landing gear. The aircraft stopped the climb at 5000 feet and entered a hold to troubleshoot the problem repeatedly trying to retract the landing gear. The aircraft subsequently burned off fuel and returned to JFK for a safe landing on runway 31L about 1:50 hours after departure. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 23 hours after landing back, then departed for the next day's flight LX-15. According to information The Aviation Herald received, the airline originally believed a bird strike had disabled the landing gear. Upon inspection the landing gear pins were found installed however. https://avherald.com/h?article=51bfa6f3&opt=0 Pilot's arrest forces cancellation of Frontier Airlines flight from IAH to Dallas on Thursday: HPD HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Frontier Airlines pilot was reportedly taken into custody on the tarmac just before the Dallas-bound aircraft was getting ready to depart from George Bush Intercontinental Airlines, according to airline officials. The Houston Airports System confirmed that the Houston Police Department conducted an arrest warrant on the Frontier Airlines aircraft at approximately 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1. HPD confirmed the pilot, identified as Seymour Walker, was wanted on an assault family violence warrant from the Department of Public Safety. The airline said the flight was immediately canceled due to a replacement crew member being unavailable. Passengers could get a full refund, credit, or a reservation on the next available flight. Additionally, the airline provided hotel accommodations, if necessary and a $100 flight voucher. Houston police said that once all passengers had deplaned, Walker was arrested without incident. https://abc13.com/post/frontier-airlines-pilot-arrested-tarmac-bush-international-airport-due-open-warrant-hpd-says/15140555/ Stepping Up Safety with Competency-based Training While taking root with airlines, competency-based training is relatively novel in the business aviation sector Despite improvements in aircraft, technologies, and safety systems, there was a noticeable uptick in fatal accidents involving business jets and turboprops during the first three months of 2024. Globally, 12 business aviation accidents resulted in 43 fatalities in the first quarter of this year. During the same period in 2023, there were seven accidents and 19 fatalities. In each of these accidents, a pilot or crew was legally trained, qualified, and proficient, but found themselves in a situation that led to an undesirable aircraft state that ended in a catastrophe. Often these accidents involve an unexpected condition or threat that was not encountered during an initial or recurrent training event. Reviewing each accident case presents ample learning opportunities to improve safety. Unfortunately, traditional training programs are too rigid and cannot easily adapt to change. Most business aviation training programs employ a model that “trains a task and checks a task”—this is largely unchanged from the way the Wright Brothers taught people to fly in the early 1900s. Each training task satisfies a regulatory requirement, often accomplished in a time-compressed, box-checking exercise that ensures compliance, without any consideration for operational context. For the business aviation pilot, the FAR 61.58 PIC proficiency check is a great example of the “train a task, check a task” model where a pilot visits a training provider to fly the same approaches, stalls, steep turns, and engine failures-at-V1 maneuvers year-after-year. It is widely acknowledged that these maneuvers-based training programs are unpopular with business aviation pilots and safety advocates, alike. For decades, the NBAA safety committee has recommended ditching these “cookie cutter” training and checking events in favor of scenario-based training sessions tailored to meet the specific needs of a business aviation operation. A Better Way However, there is a novel and improved approach to training called competency-based training and assessment (CBTA) that will produce higher-performing and more resilient flight crews, according to Farnborough, UK-based FlightSafety International (FSI) regional director Fernando Sanchez. “Traditional pilot training focuses more on execution of maneuvers to ‘proficiency,’ which is measured against published tolerances. However, CBTA permits the use of focused training elements within a scenario to meet or exceed a particular standard.” The International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) definition of CBTA is “training and assessment that are characterized by a performance orientation, emphasis on standards of performance and their measurement, and the development of training to the specific performance standards.” Sanchez summarizes this by saying, “In practical terms, this means pilots are trained according to predefined standards, which have a direct relation to safety and operational effectiveness.” Scheduled airlines are leading the way in adopting CBTA as a training methodology. Boeing, through its global Heads of Training CBTA workshops, has been able to introduce CBTA to more than 100 customers and 20 regulators. Since implementing CBTA methodology within its curricula, Boeing has seen an increase in requests for guidance from its dedicated global CBTA deployment team to actively support its customer airlines. Boeing Global Services senior manager of airline training deployment Stuart Gruber explained: “CBTA is an integrated and outcome-focused training program aimed at providing pilots with the competencies to be resilient, safe, and highly effective in the performance of their duties.” Gruber highlighted some key improvements, saying: “CBTA is a significant shift in training, which identifies, develops, and evaluates the competencies required by pilots to operate safely, effectively, and efficiently in a commercial air transport environment. While most traditional training methods rely primarily on historical accident and incident data, there is a wealth of additional data about what highly successful pilots do that can be analyzed to enhance operator safety.” Two years ago, CAE introduced a new enhanced recurrent training option for business aviation that leveraged modern competency and evidence-based training philosophies. Developed to improve the PIC proficiency check (61.58) experience for its customers, CAE’s Scenario-based Enhanced Recurrent training program includes human-factors-based scenarios and uses data to reduce risk by continuously evolving recurrent training sessions to improve pilot competency and resilience. CAE continues to innovate and is adopting CBTA philosophies throughout its curricula. According to CAE chief learning officer for commercial aviation training, Civil Aviation Services Christopher Ranganathan, “Traditional training and checking are based on curricula designed to ensure reliable crew performance in routine (foreseen) line operations, and in response to lessons learned from previous accidents.” He adds, “…[this] assumes that teaching pilots to avoid errors made by crews in these previous accidents…will prevent the next accident." A key safety driver, according to Ranganathan, is to ensure effective threat and error management (TEM). “Traditional training programs normally address this requirement through separate training modules for ‘technical skills’ (e.g., systems and procedures knowledge, procedures application, flight path control) and ‘non-technical (CRM) skills’ (e.g., communication, leadership, situation awareness, decision making).” Defining Competencies Ranganathan further describes how CBTA can better prepare pilots for unexpected threats. “CBTA considers that given the complexity of humans and the general aviation environment, it is very unlikely the conditions likely to cause the next accident will be like something the pilot has been exposed to in training that is based on historical precedent only,” he said. “Instead, it seeks to provide the pilot with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes, described in terms of observable behaviors, that a trained crew can apply in a manner that will allow them to perform both routine tasks required in day-to-day operations and to mitigate the effects of threats yet unforeseen. For ease of use, these observable behaviors are grouped or organized into a set of competencies.” According to Ranganathan, “A competency is a dimension of human performance that is used to reliably predict successful performance on the job. A competency is manifested and observed through behaviors that mobilize the relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes to carry out activities or tasks under specified conditions.” Ranganathan continued, “In CBTA program design, ‘events’ are introduced into training programs as vehicles to train the required observable behaviors, with the application of these observable behaviors serving as TEM countermeasures. Competencies are developed methodically through: (i) the introduction of training events that progressively require the application of an increasing number of the full set of observable behaviors; (ii) by progressively increasing the complexity of the simulated operational and environmental condition (threats); and/or (iii) progressive withdrawal in the amount of instructional intervention.” UK-based Skyborne Training Academy offers flight training services for some of the largest airlines. Students are immersed in airline-style training at modern training centers located in the U.S., UK, and Europe. Skyborne manager of multi-pilot training Nick Heard, as a company subject matter expert, is keen on developments in the flight training industry and added to the discussion on CBTA benefits. “CBTA is a system of defined pilot training which requires trainees to achieve proficiency in knowledge, skills, and attitude within nine technical and non-technical competencies. It provides extremely detailed analysis of pilot development by assessing so-called ‘observable behaviors’ within the nine competencies and the many sub-competencies within them.” He added: “CBTA ensures more detailed analysis of pilot proficiency than traditional training as it provides a broader observational platform for training data scrutiny, which encompasses both technical and non-technical data.” Origins of CBTA Heard pointed out that CBTA is not new and is linked to evidence-based training (EBT). “CBTA was developed for the aviation industry in the 1970s, gaining most ground in the last 20 years,” he said. “EBT sits within CBTA. Arguably, all pilot training is evidence-based. However, modern EBT can be seen as a refinement of CBTA to incorporate changing data (i.e. evidence) into training system design.” Heard drew some comparison to advanced qualification programs (AQP) employed by major airlines. “This is employed by airlines, which modify traditional recurrent training in response to internal or external safety data trend analysis to prevent potentially serious incidents.” An example cited by Heard is the use of flight data monitoring (FDM) information to highlight an adverse trend in unstable approaches. FlightSafety International’s Sanchez further explained the differences between EBT and CBTA. “EBT and CBTA are related but are not the same. EBT has been around for a while and it used elements of the real-world operation, usually detected by data gathering and analysis, to guide training needs,” he said. “The novelty of the approach is that this data analysis can highlight areas where pilot competencies could be trained for improvement, rather than specifying training events or maneuvers training only. “For instance, data could show that multiple issues could be traced to deficiencies in SOP compliance by crews operating in situations of high workload. An EBT program would produce training that focuses on the pilot competencies of application of procedures and workload management. A competency-based program would focus on the crew behaviors as they manage through the situation.” CBTA Benefits According to Boeing Global Services Stuart Gruber, implementing CBTA will improve flight crew performance, and make the training process more efficient and effective. “The change to CBTA methodology in pilot training focuses on developing and evaluating skills, knowledge, and behaviors essential for pilots to operate safely and efficiently in a commercial air transport environment. The benefit to individual pilots with CBTA training is a more tailored and relevant learning experience.” Gruber added, “Boeing’s implementation of CBTA leverages digitally advanced tools and fleet operations data to customize training to each individual airline, and helps pilots efficiently respond to in-flight challenges. It is this evidence, both within training and from operations, which informs unique training requirements, enabling the development of a more competent pilot.” CAE’s Ranganathan understands the merits and supports the implementation of CBTA programs., “Given the fundamental CBTA ethos of preparing a pilot for the routine (foreseen) and the unforeseen (unexpected threats), CBTA should result in a pilot who is more resilient.” Ranganathan is also sold on the data collection aspects of the program. “CBTA requires the monitoring and analysis of standard training metrics. Sharing of this standardized data allows for benchmarking.” Fundamentally, Ranganathan said, “The key to the quality in any training program is the instructor. CBTA has defined a global pilot instructor-evaluator competency framework that addresses TEM in the context of instruction. In CBTA, instructor-evaluator competence is also assessed, paying equal emphasis on the process of instruction (a documented set of instructor-evaluator behaviors) as it does on the outcome (quality of training delivered). The application of CBTA thus facilitates an objective measure of instructor-evaluator competence.” Skyborne Training Academy’s Heard agreed. “Training for instructors using CBTA is essential to ensure standardized assessment of the observable behaviors, which form the lynchpin of CBTA. Without instructor training, data may become skewed, leading to incorrect analysis of proficiency.” According to Ranganathan, CBTA is scalable and can complement an operator’s safety management system. “With EBT, every operator can benefit from 'best in class' recurrent program analysis and design, by direct adoption of the 'baseline EBT' program from ICAO Doc 9995 relevant to the generation of aircraft in their fleet. After a period of maturity in EBT, an operator may elect to enhance their EBT through incorporation of insights from their safety management System (SMS).” Ranganathan further explained, “For the individual operator, the best measure of the efficacy of a training program is obtained through the analysis of operational outcomes. Modern safety management systems use a TEM lens to determine the current level of safety performance, seeking data to implement predictive safety intervention, if possible; proactive intervention if this is not possible; and then at least reactive actions. The safety performance measurement tools include flight data analysis, crew-generated occurrence/hazard reports, results of safety investigations into line events and the line operational safety audit (LOSA). Of these, FDM, crew occurrence reports, and safety investigations provide reactive opportunities, while insights from FDM, crew hazard reports, and LOSA can provide proactive safety opportunities.” He added, “The assessment of crew competence in CBTA is framed in the context of TEM performance and so allows a ready comparison with LOSA outputs and safety investigations that are conducted using the pilot competency framework to describe crew behavior. This facilitates predictive safety management. “The robust methodology required by CBTA for general training program design, allows the creation of consistent training programs, targeted to the pilot demographic and addressing relevant operational threats," he concluded. “The main benefit of CBTA," said FlightSafety International’s Sanchez, "is that the training focuses on transferable behaviors represented by relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Transferable means that the training is not aimed at dealing with events ‘like the last one.’ Rather the training is to improve the related pilot competencies that would allow pilots to deal with any future events where the competencies may be required.” For the pilot, Sanchez explained, “CBTA is about achieving competency standards that permit pilots to deal with unknown and novel situations. For instance, when dealing with complex aircraft systems failures in challenging environmental conditions, pilots require a set of well-trained competencies, regardless of the system that failed (hydraulic, electrical, etc.) or the environmental conditions of the flight (cold weather, stormy conditions, limited radar coverage, etc.).” Implementation of CBTA is an important step, according to Skyborne Aviation Academy’s Heard. “Many commercial airlines are already proactively using CBTA within their initial and recurrent training programs. Other airlines may need to see further evidence of the cost-benefit before investing in CBTA programs. Along similar lines, the business aviation industry may still need to be convinced of the benefits of CBTA, through clear evidence of improved safety and efficiency.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2024-08-01/stepping-safety-competency-based-training No passports needed: Singapore launches biometric immigration processing at Changi Airport From Monday, some passengers arriving in Singapore’s Changi Airport won’t need to show their passports to clear immigration. As part of a trial, Singapore residents arriving in Terminal 3 who use the lanes designated for the country’s new “token-less clearance” program can enter the country using eye and facial biometric processing, rather than passports, according to the country’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. “Residents” as defined by the program include citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders. The program will be rolled out to all terminals at Changi Airport by September, as well as Singapore’s Seletar Airport and Marina Bay Cruise Centre by December 2024, according to Singapore authorities. Who is eligible? Under the new passport-less immigration program, Singapore residents will not need to show their passports to arrive and depart at air and sea checkpoints. Singapore launches passport-free immigration processing at Changi Airport Foreigners are also eligible for the program, but only when leaving Singapore. Foreign travelers must also enroll their iris, facial and fingerprint biometrics at manual immigration counters, according to Singapore’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority. However, children under six years old cannot use biometric clearance, or automated lanes at all, to clear immigration, according to authorities. A ‘paradigm shift’ at the borders Passport-less immigration clearance is part of Singapore’s broader “New Clearance Concept” announced in May, which aims to modernize and automate immigration services in the country. The concept, which authorities called a “paradigm shift in border clearance,” effectively ends the era of human-led passport checks, a process the city-state has been progressively moving away from for years. By early 2026, Singapore immigration officials expect 95% of travelers will be able to clear immigration via automated lanes. The remaining 5% are those ineligible, such as young children. Though biometric processing is resisted by some, it is part of Singapore’s efforts to strengthen its border security while also elevating travelers’ experiences, according to authorities. Biometric processing is expected to reduce immigration wait times by 40%, according to immigration officials. Some 85% of airports will use some form of biometric processing in the next three to five years, Sumesh Patel, Asia-Pacific president of SITA, told “Squawk Box Asia” in March. Two types of passport-free clearances The launch of biometric-only processing is the second form of passport-less immigration clearance now available in Singapore. In May, the island began allowing travelers to use self-generated QR codes to enter and exit Singapore at two land checkpoints that connect Singapore and Malaysia. A token — such as a QR-code — is necessary at land borders, authorities said, because they do not have advance notice of who plans to enter or leave Singapore. Both programs are part of a larger push to modernize border control procedures in the city-state to manage higher traveler volume amid the crunch of its aging workforce. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/05/no-passports-needed-singapore-launches-biometric-processing-at-airport.html International Delta flight to Rome diverted back to Boston after being struck by lightning: FAA The flight was diverted back to Boston 'out of an abundance of caution.' International Delta flight to Rome diverted back to Boston after being struck by lightning: FAA The FAA said it would investigate and noted that regulations require that commercial aircraft be designed to withstand lightning strikes. BOSTON -- A Delta Air Lines flight headed to Rome, Italy, from Boston, Massachusetts, on Sunday, was struck by lightning while in the air, according to the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The flight was diverted back to Boston Logan International Airport "out of an abundance of caution" after the crew reported a lighting strike after departure, according to a statements from Delta and the FAA. The plane landed back in Boston at 7:20 p.m. ET "safely and without further incident," the airline said. The commercial passenger aircraft was an Airbus A330, according to the FAA. Delta apologized to travelers for the delay and said they are "working to get our customers to their final destination as quickly as possible." The FAA said it would investigate and noted that regulations require that commercial aircraft be designed to withstand lightning strikes. https://abc7ny.com/post/international-delta-airlines-flight-rome-diverted-back-boston-after-being-struck-lightning-faa-says/15145471/ Women airline pilot numbers stay low. Aspiration and career structures are key The UK's female pilot population is growing faster than total pilot numbers. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has reported a 26% increase in all pilot licences (not just airline pilots) issued to women in the UK between 2019 and 2023. This compares with a 15% increase in total pilot licences issued. However, the proportion of women pilots flying with airlines in the UK, and in the US, is still only around 5%. Globally, this share is in the region of 4% to 6%, although comprehensive and up-to-date figures are hard to find. Although female cockpit crew numbers are growing, these percentages show that pilot gender equality still has a massive mountain to climb. The debate has moved on from unfounded questions of competence to challenges surrounding aspiration and career structures. Meeting these challenges and growing women pilot numbers would help to ease the global pilot shortage and diversify perspectives in a key part of the aviation workforce. As a very basic starting point, all airlines should be required to publish the gender breakdown of their pilot numbers. Summary • The percentage of UK pilot licences held by women is growing, but is still single digit. • US women airline pilot numbers grew by 11% in 2023 versus 4% for all airline pilots, but women are still only 5% of airline pilots and 10% of all pilots. • Globally, women account for between 4% and 6% of airline pilots. • The debate has moved on from unfounded questions of competence to challenges surrounding aspiration and career structures. • The percentage of UK pilot licences held by women is growing, but is still single digit • The number of all UK pilot licences issued to women increased from 239 in 2019 to 310 in 2023, according to a press release from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on 24-Jul-2024. From the data in the press release from the UK regulator, it can be calculated that the proportion issued to women last year increased from 7.3% in 2019 to 8.0% in 2023. Although it did not give the cumulative share of all current licences that are held by female pilots, the CAA said licences for women remained under 10% cent of the total. This puts it lower than the 10.3% reported in the US (see below). Focusing on airline pilot licence holders, CAPA - Centre for Aviation calculations from CAA data indicate that women accounted for 5.2% of the total in the UK in 2023 (similar to the percentage reported in the US). The UK figure was up from 4.3% in 2016 and 4.9% in 2021. The CAA said that it continues a "big push for more women in aviation". In the US, women airline pilot numbers grew by 11% in 2023… In the US, which has the most comprehensive dataset on pilot numbers, 9,071 women held US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificates as airline pilots at the end of 2023. This was 11% more than in 2022 and an increase of 87% compared with 2003, 20 years earlier. US: number of FAA airline pilot certificates held by women, 2003 to 2023* …compared with a 4% increase in all airline pilots… The total number of licensed airline pilots, men and women, was 174,113 in 2023. This was 4% more than in 2022, and 21% more than in 2003, slower growth than for women pilots. …but women are still only 5% of US airline pilots… As a result, women's share of US airline pilot licences has grown over 20 years, rising from 3.4% in 2003 to 5.2% in 2023. Women's share of all FAA pilot licences in the US, including students, recreational, sport, private and commercial as well as airline transport, is higher than this, and has risen more steeply in recent years. …and 10% of all US pilots It was 6.0% in 2003 and 10.3% in 2023, having risen sharply from 6.7% as recently as 2016. The number of women holding FAA student pilot certificates increased almost five times, from 9,897 in 2003 to 49,286 in 2023. As a share of all student pilots, the figure increased from 11.3% in 2003 to 15.6% in 2023. This indicates a growing interest among women in qualifying as cockpit crew (but these numbers include all categories of student pilots, not only those training to be airline pilots). Globally, women account for between 4% and 6% of airline pilots Data on the global share of female airline pilots, which have not been updated since 2021, vary in a range of 4% to 6%. At the higher end of this range, a survey published by the International Society of Women Pilots (ISWAP) put the global share at 5.2% in 2018 and 5.8% in 2021. The ISWAP survey covered only 20 airlines in 2021, so was far from comprehensive. It is possible that may have contained self-selection bias, since airlines responding may be more likely to have a higher ratio of women pilots than those not participating. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the female cohort of airline pilots increased from 3.6% in 2016 to 4.0% in 2021. This was highest in North America, at 4.6%, followed by Africa with 4.1%, and Europe with 4.0%. The debate has moved on from unfounded questions of competence… Although women pilots often report that they still experience some surprise when they announce themselves to passengers, the debate is no longer stuck on the unfounded question of competence. In the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond, there was a commonly held view that women were not physically or temperamentally suited to flying aeroplanes. This view persisted, in spite of the fact that the Frenchwoman Baroness Raymonde de Laroche became the first licensed female pilot as long ago as 1910. While ignorance and subconscious bias remain challenges, there is no longer any serious question about the ability of women to pilot aircraft. Moreover, many airlines seek to encourage women pilots to join the workforce. This is leading to growth in female cockpit crew numbers, but women's share remains extremely low. …to challenges surrounding aspiration and career structures The challenges to growing this share to more meaningful levels lie in the aspirations of girls and young women, and in pilot career structures and working patterns. This starts with increasing the visibility and attractions of flying as a potential career path to girls. As more women become pilots they become role models, a process that airlines can encourage by sending female cockpit staff into classrooms to inspire the next generation. There is also a broader societal issue in encouraging girls' academic performance in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, where aptitude is necessary to qualify as a pilot. Girls and young women also need to see that a career as a pilot can adapt to their changing life plans. This is particularly important for women if they wish to combine working as a pilot with having children. Flexible working patterns, including the option to work less than a full roster, can allow pilots, both female and male, more time at home with children. Growing women pilot numbers add to the recruitment pool and diversity The role of women as airline pilots is just one part of the gender agenda in aviation. According to ICAO, female aircraft technicians were only 3.0% of the global total in 2021. Female air traffic controllers were 20.6% - much higher than for pilots and aircraft technicians, but still a low figure. Women are also under-represented in the senior ranks of airline management. On the other hand, over-represented among flight attendants (79% in the US in 2023). However, flight attendants are typically at the lower end of the salary range in aviation. Pilots are the highest paid staff group in aviation and probably the most high profile. Increasing the number of women airline pilots sets an example across aviation. It is also helps to meet important business needs. Firstly, it grows the recruitment pool at a time when aviation faces a pilot shortage. Secondly, adding to the population of women pilots brings a more diverse range of outlooks, skills and talents. https://centreforaviation.com/analysis/reports/women-airline-pilot-numbers-stay-low-aspiration-and-career-structures-are-key-692356 CrowdStrike tells Delta not to blame it for flight chaos The cybersecurity firm said Sunday it had minimal legal liability over the disruption in mid-July. Thousands of flights were cancelled after a faulty software update from the firm caused computers around the world to crash. Delta Air Lines chief Ed Bastian has said the outage cost his firm $500 million, and promised legal action to get compensation. The airline canceled more than 6,000 flights over a six-day period, affecting more than half a million passengers. Over the weekend, CrowdStrike reiterated its apology. But in a letter from a lawyer, it also said it was disappointed by any allegation that it was negligent. The firm says it reached out to Delta to offer assistance when the outage occurred, but never heard back. Now it says the carrier should explain why it turned down free onsite help, and why rival airlines were able to get their systems back online much more quickly. A CrowdStrike spokesperson said Delta should stop what it calls “posturing” about a “meritless” potential court case. There was no immediate response from the airline. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/video/crowdstrike-tells-delta-not-blame-062902221.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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 • DEFENCE AVIATION SAFETY 2024 - 2 OCTOBER - 3 OCTOBER 2024 - LONDON • 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 • Safeskies Australia Conference, Canberra Australia - 16th and 17th of October 2024 - www.safeskiesaustralia.org • 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