Flight Safety Information - August 26, 2024 No. 170 In This Issue : Accident: Qantas B789 at Perth on Aug 24th 2024, burst tyres on landing : Accident: Ariana Afghan B734 at Khost on Aug 23rd 2024, overran runway on takeoff : Incident: Ryanair B38M at Birmingham on Aug 23rd 2024, tail scrape on departure : Incident: United B752 over Pacific on Aug 20th 2024, hydraulic failure : Pilots of LATAM Boeing 777 Which Suffered Extreme Tailstrike In Milan Input the Wrong Figures Into the Onboard Computer : Air India fined for flight with unqualified pilots : Ex-Boeing staff claims electrical faults 'concealed' : Gulf Air completes European Union Aviation Safety Agency audit process : Passenger Overload, Bad Weather and Poor Visibility Led to Crash of Bell 212 that Killed Iranian President Raisi : FAA Proposed $341,413 in Civil Penalties Against Drone Operators : BOC Aviation and Frontier Airlines sign purchase-and-leaseback deal for 15 Airbus A320neo aircraft : Honda Aircraft revises HondaJet maintenance schedule : How War In Ukraine Is Crippling Russia's Aeroflot : Calendar of Events Accident: Qantas B789 at Perth on Aug 24th 2024, burst tyres on landing A Qantas Boeing 787-9, registration VH-ZNC performing flight QF-6 (dep Aug 23rd) from Rome Fiumicino (Italy) to Perth,WA (Australia), landed on Perth's runway 24 but burst a number of tyres, fragments of which impacted and penetrated the underside of the wings. The aircraft rolled out without further incident and taxied to the apron. The onward sector to Sydney,NS (Australia) was cancelled. The ATSB is investigating. https://avherald.com/h?article=51cd674e&opt=0 Accident: Ariana Afghan B734 at Khost on Aug 23rd 2024, overran runway on takeoff An Ariana Afghan Airlines Boeing 737-400, registration YA-PID performing flight FG-403 from Khost (Afghanistan) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with 110 passengers and 9 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Khost's runway 24 when the aircraft overran the end of the runway and went through the airport fence before the aircraft became airborne. The aircraft diverted to Kabul (Afghanistan) for a landing on runway 29 without further incident. There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. According to information The Aviation Herald received, the aircraft sustained cracks/fractures to both mounts of the vertical stabilizer but maintained directional control and severe damage to the aft fuselage. The aircraft is still on the ground in Kabul about 45 hours after landing. No NOTAMs or Weather informations are available for Khost. Khost International Airport features a runway 06/24 of 8740 feet/2664 meters length. https://avherald.com/h?article=51cce64d&opt=0 Incident: Ryanair B38M at Birmingham on Aug 23rd 2024, tail scrape on departure A Ryanair Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration EI-IJA performing flight FR-2136 from Birmingham,EN (UK) to Paphos (Cyprus), was accelerating for takeoff from Birmingham's runway 33 when upon rotation the aircraft's tail skid briefly contacted the runway surface emitting a puff of white smoke. The aircraft climbed to FL370 and landed in Paphos without further incident about 4 hours later. The aircraft remained on the ground in Paphos for about 2.5 hours, then departed for its next sector with a delay of about one hour. The British Islands were battered by Storm Lilian at the time of departure. https://avherald.com/h?article=51ccdf38&opt=0 Incident: United B752 over Pacific on Aug 20th 2024, hydraulic failure A United Boeing 757-200, registration N12114 performing flight UA-1685 from Lihue,HI to Denver,CO (USA), was enroute at FL350 over the Pacific Ocean about 490nm northnortheast of Honolulu,HI (USA) when the crew decided to divert to Honolulu due to a hydraulic failure. The aircraft landed safely on Honolulu's runway 08R about 2:50 hours after departure. Passengers reported the aircraft had departed with a delay of several hours due to a failed fan in the cargo area, which was eventually repaired. Enroute about one to two hours into the flight the captain announced hydraulic system #1 had failed and they would divert to Honolulu, closest airport at that point, for a landing without nose wheel steering available. The aircraft remained on the ground in Honolulu for 43 hours, then positioned to Denver but has not yet returned to service about 5 hours after landing in Denver. https://avherald.com/h?article=51cc34da&opt=0 Pilots of LATAM Boeing 777 Which Suffered Extreme Tailstrike In Milan Input the Wrong Figures Into the Onboard Computer The pilots of a LATAM Boeing 777-300 which suffered an extreme tailstrike as it was departing off from Milan Malpensa Airport last month apparently input the wrong figures into the onboard computer, causing the plane to try to takeoff at the wrong speed, according to a preliminary accident report. The accident occurred on July 9 when the 11-year-old aircraft LATAM Brasil Boeing 777 with 398 passengers and crew onboard was departing Milan Malpensa bound for Sao Paulo. Surveillance video caught the moment the aircraft started to blow up dust and smoke as its tail dragged along the runway for around 720 meters before the airplane eventually got airborne. Once in the air, the pilots quickly stopped the climb at around 6,000 feet and started to dump fuel before making an emergency return to Milan where the flight had to be scrapped due to the extensive damage to the airframe. The aircraft remained on the ground for several days before LATAM was able to fly it back to Sao Paulo empty where it has remained ever since so that repairs can be carried. While those repairs have been taking place, an accident investigation by Italy’s official air safety agency has been taking place and preliminary findings suggest that a simple error by the pilots was the cause of the accident. In order to calculate the correct takeoff speed, pilots have to input a number of parameters into the flight management computer. In this case, it appears that the pilots entered the so-called ‘zero fuel weight’ for the aircraft, rather than the actual fuel weight which meant that the computer calculated the takeoff speed at a much lower rate of knots than was actually required. What’s surprising about this incident is that there were actually three pilots on the flight deck at the time, including an instructor Captain who was training one of the other pilots. The same Boeing 777 was involved in a serious emergency landing in 2018 when it suffered a severe and widespread electrical fault as it flew across the Atlantic from Sao Paulo to London Heathrow. The electrical issue was so significant that an emergency Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was deployed to generate some electrical supply before it made an overweight landing in Belo Horizonte. The problems were so bad on LA8084 that passengers reported all the lights and power went out in the cabin, while the pilots could not dump fuel because of the electrical issues. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/08/25/pilots-of-latam-boeing-777-which-suffered-extreme-tailstrike-in-milan-input-the-wrong-figures-into-the-onboard-computer/ Air India fined for flight with unqualified pilots Regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation has hit Air India with a INR90 lakh ($108,000) fine for operating a flight with unqualified crew. The regulator also separately fined the airline’s Director of Operations and Director of Training. It said the flight was piloted by a ‘non-trainer line captain paired with a non-line-released first officer.’ The DGCA said this was a serous lapse in crew scheduling that could have had ‘significant safety ramifications.’ The airline self-reported the violation in July after discovering the error. It then audited the scheduling department. “Based on investigation, it was revealed that there are deficiencies and multiple violations of the regulatory provisions by several post holders and staff,” the regulator said. https://www.travelmole.com/news/air-india-fined-for-flight-with-unqualified-pilots/ Ex-Boeing staff claims electrical faults 'concealed' A US campaign group has accused Boeing of concealing information about electrical problems on a plane that later crashed. The Foundation for Aviation Safety claimed the aircraft, which went down in Ethiopia in 2019, had suffered a number of issues, including an "uncommanded roll" at low altitude. The organisation said more than 1,000 planes currently flying could potentially be at risk of electrical failures as a result of production problems. The foundation’s claims relate to an aircraft which hit the ground minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa in March 2019. The plane was a 737 Max, at the time a brand-new model. It was the second of its type to be lost, following a previous accident off Indonesia in late 2018. A Boeing spokesperson said that following the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accident in 2019, it "fully cooperated and provided relevant information to the investigation". "We defer to the investigative agencies for further information," they added. Both crashes were primarily attributed to a poorly designed flight control system, which activated at the wrong time due to a sensor failure. The foundation has published a number of documents on its website, which it says are build records for the aircraft involved in the Ethiopian accident, leaked by Boeing employees. The documents, which are highly technical, set out problems encountered during the construction process. The foundation claims they "paint a clear picture of the confusing and chaotic production operations going on at the 737 factory when this airplane was being manufactured." What's the right punishment for 'too big to fail' Boeing? Regulators push Boeing on plan for 'systemic change' According to the foundation, among the apparent issues indicated by the documents are a lack of electrical parts, missing and improperly installed wiring, and employees being placed under extreme pressure to rework defective parts. The foundation claims this connects to electrical issues it says were suffered by the plane in the weeks and months leading up to the crash. A further document allegedly describes an incident involving the same aircraft, three weeks after it had been delivered to its owner, Ethiopian Airlines. A record of communications between Boeing and the airline, it sets out how the plane suffered an "uncommanded roll" at low altitude while preparing to land. This was later attributed to an intermittent fault with wiring, according to the foundation. The Foundation for Aviation Safety claims these documents were concealed from "government authorities, law enforcement, airline customers, victim families, and the public". It suggests that as a result, systemic production quality problems at Boeing’s factory were allowed to persist, leading to issues such as the blowout that affected an Alaskan Airlines flight at the beginning of this year. The foundation is led by Ed Pierson, a former manager at Boeing’s 737 factory in Renton, Washington State. He became a prominent figure in the wake of the two 737 Max accidents, testifying before US lawmakers on a number of occasions. Mr Pierson has consistently maintained that serious production issues at the factory played a key role in the two crashes - a claim Boeing has repeatedly denied. The official investigation into the Ethiopian accident, carried out by the country’s Accident Investigation Bureau, appeared to back up this view. It suggested production-related defects were responsible for the sensor failure that ultimately triggered the crash. However, this version of events was rejected by the US agency the National Transportation Safety Board, which said there was no evidence for it, and attributed the sensor failure to an impact with a foreign object, probably a bird. Company insiders at Boeing also reject the claim that documents have been concealed, and maintain that multiple investigations have not validated Mr Pierson’s allegations. Earlier this month, Boeing’s new chief executive Kelly Ortberg said he planned to focus on restoring trust in the business. He added he would base himself in Seattle, in order to be close to the factories, rather than in the company’s Arlington headquarters. The company has been ordered to carry out a "corrective action plan" by US regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to improve safety and quality control. But during a call with journalists, Mr Pierson said reports from people within the factory alleged that efforts to improve conditions on the production line had so far been "woefully inadequate" – largely because FAA inspections were known about well in advance and could be prepared for. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3lxqlwl1o Gulf Air completes European Union Aviation Safety Agency audit process This audit, conducted by EASA authorizes Gulf Air to perform maintenance on its Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 fleet Muharraq, Bahrain: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has successfully completed the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) audit, reaffirming its commitment to the highest safety and quality standards. This audit, conducted by EASA – the agency responsible for civil aviation safety in the European Union, authorizes Gulf Air to perform maintenance on its Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 fleet. This includes engines and various other related components. Furthermore, the certification allows the airline to expand its maintenance capabilities to include a wider range of regional and European airlines operating through Bahrain International Airport (BIA), further solidifying its position as a leading aviation hub. The biennial EASA audit ensures that Gulf Air's aircraft, engines, systems, and component maintenance activities comply with European civil aviation regulations and standards. It also verifies compliance with additional requirements specifically tailored for organizations operating outside the European Union, ensuring alignment with the highest global safety and quality benchmarks. The rigorous process validates that Gulf Air's maintenance activities are carried out in accordance with its own internal policies and procedures, all of which have received prior approval from EASA. The two-day comprehensive review focused on Gulf Air's technical department, including inspections of the airline's processes, procedures, and overall workforce competency. It also assessed the adequacy of experienced personnel, including the management team, facilities, environment, and the availability of equipment, tools, materials, techniques, and comprehensive documentation required to maintain the specific aircraft, engines, and components within Gulf Air's expanded scope of authorization. EASA officials, in the presence of Gulf Air representatives, commended the airline for successfully completing the audit, a process Gulf Air has consistently undertaken since 2005. This achievement serves as a testament to Gulf Air's dedication to ensuring highest safety and quality standards across its operations. About Gulf Air Gulf Air commenced operations in 1950, becoming one of the first commercial airlines established in the Middle East. The airline operates scheduled flights from its hub at Bahrain International Airport to over 40 cities in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Indian sub-continent and the Far East. For more information, visit gulfair.com, Instagram: @gulfair LinkedIn: Gulf Air, Twitter (X): @GulfAir https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/companies-news/gulf-air-completes-european-union-aviation-safety-agency-audit-process-m5wkxjvy Passenger Overload, Bad Weather and Poor Visibility Led to Crash of Bell 212 that Killed Iranian President Raisi A preliminary probe into the crash that killed the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has completely ruled out foul play, according to reports from Iran. The Bell 212 helicopter carrying late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, crashed owing to the poor visibility, bad weather conditions and exceeding its prescribed passenger capacity by two persons, security officials were quoted by Iranian semi-official news agencies. A preliminary report also ruled out foul play or attacks. Reports quoted Fars news agency, which cited unnamed sources saying “the investigation into Raisi’s helicopter crash has been completed… there is complete certainty that what happened was an accident.” However, Reuters later quoted the Armed Forces General Staff who defined the report about the investigation as “completely false.” Raisi, along with foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials were killed in the crash on May 19, 2024. The Bell 212 crashed in the foggy and mountainous regions near Tabriz in northwestern Iran near Azerbaijan. The crash Along with Raisi, Amir-Abdollahian and three flight crew, the helicopter was carrying the Governor-General of East Azerbaijan Malek Rahmati, the representative of the Supreme Leader for the region Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem and the head of the President’s security team, totalling eight persons. Iranian Security Services have now Completed their Investigation into the Helicopter Crash which caused the Death of Former President Ebrahim Raisi in May, with it determined that the Crash was not the result of any Malicious Action but instead an Accident… pic.twitter.com/7oq1oCS0Jv — MEHMET VEFA DAG (@AFRICANDEMOC) August 21, 2024 Following the crash, the Financial Times, quoting a study by Cirium, said the 1960s-era Bell 212 might have been acquired by the Iranian Air Force in 1994, based on its serial number C-9207. It is reported that the average age of the active aircraft in Iran’s passenger fleet is almost 28 years, more than double the global average. Some reports indicated that the Bell 212 might have been transferred from utility military to VIP transport role. US sanctions and the long-term unsustainability of sourcing aerospace components from the gray market and smuggling rings for its fleet of Western-origin aircraft, acquired before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, had greatly hurt Iran’s civilian and military aviation sector. Interestingly, former hardliner Presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Abolhasan Banisadr both survived their own helicopter crashes while in office. Weather and overload A preliminary probe immediately after the mishap had ruled out foul play or sabotage. Iran International said about this initial investigation that “no evidence of foul play or an attack was found.” The report also “noted that only 69 seconds elapsed between the last contact with the helicopter pilots and the crash, with no emergency status declared.” Iran has completed its investigation into the helicopter crash involving President Raisi. According to the state-run Fars news agency, the incident was determined to be an unfortunate accident: The helicopter was overloaded, preventing it from reaching the required altitude,… pic.twitter.com/EbGg0jHyq5 — Venik (@venik44) August 22, 2024 Shedding further light on the weather and overload, Tehran Times, citing unidentified officials in the country’s aviation sector, said that the meteorological department had provided timely updates on the “necessary weather information the night prior to the planned flight,” and that the helicopter pilots and crew were “instructed to complete the flight before 1 p.m.” This is when “two factors contributed to the crash.” The first was a “delay” in the flight’s departure owing to “Raisi’s meetings,” by when the “weather conditions deteriorated.” The other was the “helicopter’s excessive weight, which was exacerbated by the atmospheric pressure in the region.” “When the pilot encountered a dense fog and attempted to adjust the helicopter’s altitude, the aircraft lacked the necessary power,” owing to the two additional passengers. Eventually, the “limited visibility due to the fog ultimately led to a collision with a mountain.” ‘All other protocols followed’ Consistent with standard security protocols for presidential travel, “two different types of helicopters were used” and “these helicopters were deliberately not equipped with GPS systems,” to minimize the “risk of tracking or interference,” said the reports. The flight leaders were also “switched during both the outbound and return legs,” mitigating “any potential sabotage attempts.” “Extensive tests” were also conducted “and no traces of (chemical) substances were found,” which “dismisses any speculation” on the role of “chemical agents.” The source revealed that “30,000 individuals” were “subjected to rigorous security and intelligence” checks to investigate sabotage. The Aviationist had reported the acute airworthiness and safety issues in Iran’s aging civil aviation fleet, and how the crash occurred at a time when Tehran was on its way to purchase 12 units of the Mi-17V5 or Mi-171 emergency search and rescue helicopters in a $500 million deal with Russia that was not officially announced by either party. https://theaviationist.com/2024/08/23/raisi-crash-probe-iran/ FAA Proposed $341,413 in Civil Penalties Against Drone Operators WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed $341,413 in civil penalties against 27 people who violated federal drone regulations. The FAA issued the fines between October 2022 and June 2024. Drone operators who conduct unsafe or unauthorized operations face fines up to $75,000 per violation, an increase included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. The FAA also can suspend or revoke drone operators’ pilot certificates. “Violating the drone regulations puts lives at risk in the air and on the ground,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. “Flying a small drone means you are flying an aircraft, and unsafe behavior will cost you.” The FAA encourages people to report unsafe and unauthorized drone operations to their local Flight Standards District Office. The agency reviews all reports and investigates when appropriate. The FAA has resources here to help people fly safely. The FAA does not identify individuals against whom it proposes civil penalties. Among the enforcement cases are: $32,700 against a person who interfered with a law enforcement operation while flying an improperly registered and unlit drone on Sept. 22, 2021, in Wesley Chapel, Florida. The drone operator flew so close to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office helicopter that the pilot had to stop the search for a burglary suspect to prevent a mid-air collision. The individual operated at night without a Remote Pilot Certificate, did not have anti-collision lighting and flew the drone higher than the 400-foot limit. $18,200 against a person who operated an unregistered drone during the weekend of the Miami Grand Prix, a Formula 1 event, on May 7, 2022 in Florida. The operator disregarded a temporary flight restriction (TFR) and several FAA regulations, including operating in Class D airspace without prior authorization, not maintaining visual line of sight with the aircraft at all times and operating without a Remote Pilot Certificate. $16,000 and $4,000 against two people who operated drones near SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, while a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was in place for Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022. The airspace was classified as national defense airspace, the operators flew drones in Class B airspace without authorization, and neither possessed a Remote Pilot Certificate. $7,760 against a person who operated an unregistered drone using first person view inside Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 15, 2022. The operator flew over the crowd during an NFL game at night, did not have a Remote Pilot Certificate and flew beyond-visual-line-of-sight in a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) without an approved FAA airspace waiver. $5,000 against a person who created a collision hazard while flying a drone close to a helicopter in Little Rock, Arkansas on July 30, 2022. The drone crashed to the ground after experiencing rotor wash from the helicopter. The drone operator did not have a Remote Pilot Certificate. https://www.suasnews.com/2024/08/faa-proposed-341413-in-civil-penalties-against-drone-operators/ BOC Aviation and Frontier Airlines sign purchase-and-leaseback deal for 15 Airbus A320neo aircraft BOC Aviation has signed agreements with Frontier Airlines for the purchase-and-leaseback of 15 new Airbus A320neo aircraft, set for delivery in 2025 and 2026. This deal strengthens the two-decade partnership between BOC Aviation and Frontier, with the aircraft supporting Frontier’s growth as the largest A320neo operator in the U.S. BOC Aviation’s CEO, Steven Townend, highlighted how the transaction aligns with the company’s strategy to expand its fleet with next-generation aircraft, leveraging its liquidity and reinforcing its future revenue stream. https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/frontier-airlines/boc-aviation-and-frontier-airlines-sign-purchase-and-leaseback-deal-for-15-airbus-a320neo-aircraft/ Honda Aircraft revises HondaJet maintenance schedule Honda Aircraft Company implemented a series of updates to its HA-420 HondaJet Maintenance Program designed to enhance HondaJet operational efficiency and increase dispatch availability. These program updates are the result of aircraft testing and time studies undertaken by Honda Aircraft Company, and informed by feedback from HondaJet owners and operators, as part of Honda Aircraft Company’s ongoing commitment to the continuous improvement of the HondaJet ownership experience. These Maintenance Program improvements, collectively known as Revision J of the Airworthiness Limitation and Inspection Manual (ALIM), promise to decrease maintenance downtime for HondaJet aircraft. Revision J achieves this milestone by reducing necessary maintenance man-hours at the 600-hour maintenance interval, a key maintenance milestone for many HondaJet owners. Revision J went into effect July 31, 2024, and is expected to make operation of the HondaJet even more efficient than ever before. As a result of three years of testing, the Honda Aircraft Company engineering team, with the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration, has optimized the 600-hour maintenance interval task list in such a way as to reduce the planned maintenance workload. This reduction in maintenance time for aircraft is designed to increase the uptime of HondaJet aircraft in operation. Fleet operators of the HondaJet platform also stand to reap the benefits of this revision, as the increased aircraft uptime is aimed at further improving aircraft dispatch availability, increasing flexibility fleetwide to respond to customer demand in a timely manner. With the global HondaJet fleet continuing to grow, recently surpassing over 250 units, which have collectively flown over 230,000 hours, Honda Aircraft Company remains committed to improving customer satisfaction. https://aeronewsglobal.com/honda-aircraft-revises-hondajet-maintenance-schedule/ How War In Ukraine Is Crippling Russia's Aeroflot Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, national carrier Aeroflot has been in a crunch of declining revenues and rising costs. The pilots and passengers were in their seats; the planes ready for takeoff. But over 350 flights could not depart on schedule from Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport over two days in June. Aeroflot, Russia's state-owned flagship carrier, which claims to be one of the world's largest airlines, had run out of cabin crews. In late July, a shortage of pilots led to the cancellation of 68 Aeroflot flights out of Sheremetyevo, according to Aviatorshchina. Several other flights were postponed. RFE/RL confirmed these accounts of unprecedented shortages of pilots and crews with three Russian airline-industry sources, who, like other interviewed sources, requested anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. "At the peak of the season, when there's enormous demand and people are ready to spend money on tickets, we couldn't handle it," commented a Russian Airbus A320 copilot. "This is surprising and revealing," the copilot continued. "It's not the first summer (travel peak), and we always managed in the past." But the situation changed on February 24, 2022, with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Two and a half years later, hampered by sanctions that have increased costs and reduced revenues, Aeroflot cannot always find the planes, pilots, and crew it needs to operate efficiently, an investigation by RFE/RL's Russian Service found. 'No One Will Fly More' As of December 2023, the Russian government had spent 1.09 trillion rubles ($12 billion) since March 2022 to bolster the Russian airline industry with subsidies, loans, domestic-aircraft manufacturing, and the buyback of leased Boeings and Airbuses, according to Russian government data analyzed by Reuters. But these measures, focused on the short term, have not sufficed to ensure the supply of trained pilots and crews or well-serviced planes, experts say. When the 2020-21 COVID pandemic and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine cut into air travel, one airline-safety expert said, Russian airlines slashed pilot schedules, including for "expensive," experienced pilots, and reduced or eliminated training on the foreign planes that, according to the latest government data from April 2022, accounted for over two-thirds of Russia's civilian passenger planes. After Boeing and Airbus curtailed their business with Russian carriers, the government adopted a June 2022 program to supply Russian airlines with 1,036 domestically produced planes by 2030 that prompted companies to switch to training on Russian-made Superjets. A Sukhoi Superjet 100 at a Moscow air show in 2017 A Sukhoi Superjet 100 at a Moscow air show in 2017 But Aeroflot now says its passenger traffic has increased by 21.4 percent since the first half of 2023 to 25.4 million passengers over the first half of this year, according to the business daily Kommersant. Yet scheduling cuts and safety limits placed on pilots' and crews' flying time -- 90 hours per month is regulator Rosaviatsia's maximum -- mean that qualified flight teams are in short supply. "We cannot and do not want to fly more," commented one Aeroflot employee. "And no one will fly more. That's impossible and not acceptable." "But no one will go to management and tell them, ‘If you don't want to cut flights, you need to hire more pilots,'" the employee added. 'You Can't Do It Alone' Another challenge is finding adequately serviced planes for any new pilots to fly. Russia allotted 300 billion rubles ($3.5 billion) from its Sovereign Wealth Fund in 2023 to transfer the leases of 169 aircraft from Western lessors to an agency run by Rosaviatsia, the Interfax news agency reported. But sanctions that have complicated access to spare parts and skilled repairs mean that often foreign planes go without or rely on the "cannibalization" of parts for maintenance, RFE/RL reported in 2023. Patience is growing thin as authorities struggle to cope with thousands of people evacuated from Russian regions ahead of Ukraine's advances. SEE ALSO: Spinning Ukraine's Kursk Incursion, Kremlin Says Russia Is Conducting A 'Counterterrorism Operation' The promised Russian substitutes for these jets have not yet arrived. The state-controlled United Aircraft Corporation's deliveries of Superjets and MS-21s have been postponed from 2024 until at least 2025. Some experts doubt the planes will appear even then. "The global production of airplanes is built on complex international chains of cooperation. You can't do it on the spur of the moment and alone," commented one Russian airline industry source. That means that now not only are there not enough pilots overall, but "you have pilots for the promised Russian planes who have nothing to fly," the expert said. 'Pay Competitive Salaries' Those pilots who do have something to fly have not seen their wages indexed for inflation, which is now at 9.13 percent, according to the Central Bank of Russia. A Russian commercial pilot's salary tops out at 350,000 rubles ($3,800) per month, according to one Russian airline-security specialist. But that's the pay for "the captain of a big Boeing with long work experience and who flies the limit of 90 hours a month," the specialist said. "Everyone else, and they're the majority, receives less." Aeroflot's expenses for fuel, maintenance, repairs, and spare parts have more than tripled since the second quarter of 2023. Aeroflot's expenses for fuel, maintenance, repairs, and spare parts have more than tripled since the second quarter of 2023. That maximum salary ranks beneath the lowest annual salary ($50,000) included in a 2024 analysis of worldwide pilot salaries by Simple Flying, an aviation news site. To find better pay -- and better working conditions, with adequate time for rest and vacation -- both pilots and crews are leaving, industry employees said. Airlines in the Persian Gulf offer pilots salaries over twice as much as they can earn in Russia, noted the airline-security specialist. An Aeroflot flight attendant mentioned acquaintances who left Aeroflot and its discount airline Pobeda for the United Arab Emirates' budget carriers FlyDubai and Air Arabia. "Guys I know are flying in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, and a lot of other places," the flight attendant added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (foreground center) meets with G7 leaders at the group's summit in Italy in June. SEE ALSO: Wider Europe Briefing: Leveraging Russian Assets And Armenia's Road To Going Visa-Free One Aviatorshchina commentator observed that to get pilots to return to Aeroflot, the company needs "to pay them competitive salaries, and that means pay other employees too." Failing to do so, another commentator added, could mean that Aeroflot could by December run out of pilots who have not used up their maximum yearly quota of 900 flight hours. The Aeroflot employee cited above believes Russian carriers will hire new pilots to bolster the airline's "efficiency" but whether Aeroflot can afford to do so is uncertain. Sky-High Costs In July, Aeroflot announced its first profit since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine -- 42.2 billion rubles ($470 million) for the second quarter of the 2024 financial year, Kommersant reported. In a July 30 press release, Aeroflot attributed that profit to an increase in demand but conceded its expenses have also increased. Aeroflot's expenses for fuel, maintenance, repairs, and spare parts have more than tripled since the second quarter of 2023 to nearly 33 billion rubles ($367 million), according to Kommersant. Russian jet-fuel prices have increased by 30 percent since March 2022, SPIMEX, the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange, reported. Over the long term, flights to so-called friendly countries -- China, India, and Turkey, for instance -- cannot compensate for the revenues lost from more profitable long-haul routes to the United States or European Union that disappeared after February 2022, the newspaper Novaya Gazeta Europe reported in April. And the flyover fees that, before the pandemic, supplied Aeroflot with one-third of its annual pre-tax earnings -- some $500 million to $800 million, according to Novaya Gazeta Europe --have largely vanished. Higher ticket prices that are up by 25 percent since 2023 to the equivalent of $77 per 1,000 kilometers, according to the news site Vedomosti, cannot make up the difference. Meanwhile, the government's plans to boost domestic plane production may be reconsidered, Kommersant reported in early August. And the government has no plans to again purchase the leases of additional Western planes, Transportation Minister Roman said in late July, state-run RIA Novosti reported. Transportation Minister Roman Starovoyt (file photo) Transportation Minister Roman Starovoyt (file photo) "In the current situation, it won't be possible to maintain the flight readiness of Western airplanes for long," commented another airline-security specialist. Without enough flight-ready large airplanes and new aircraft, "even the mid-term outlook," he said, is "bleak." Aeroflot claims it will use its profits to cover its growing expenses, but it did not include higher salaries for pilots and crews among these outlays. Even if it opts for a major price hike -- an option downplayed by Transportation Minister Starovoyt in July -- "there will be no money left for higher pilot salaries and improving work conditions," the airline-security specialist warned. "So pilots will continue to flee." https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-aviation-aeroflot-business-sanctions/33088356.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS • 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 • Safety is not a Secret - September 27-28, 2024 - Seminar, JUNGLE AVIATION AND RELAY SERVICE • 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