Flight Safety Information - December 2, 2024 No. 239 In This Issue : Incident: Brussels A319 at Brussels on Dec 1st 2024, locked flaps : Incident: ANZ A20N near Wellington on Dec 1st 2024, engine shut down in flight : Incident: Malta Air B38M at Turin on Nov 20th 2024, loss of communication : Qantas jet flies for months with massive tool stuck in engine, and nobody noticed : Flight aborted in midair after pilots missed cabin pressure error, investigation finds : Two Delta Flight Attendants Found Drunk at Amsterdam Airport : A woman bypassed multiple security checkpoints to get on a Delta flight to Paris. Here’s what we know : Flight Attendants On Delta Air Stowaway Flight Were Meant to Check the Toilets For Hitchhikers Before Plane Pushed Back From the Gate : United Airlines Hires 26-Year-Old Captain : EU safety agency lifts ban on Pakistan national airline after four years : Thailand Regains Trusted Safety Rating By FAA, New Direct U.S. Flights On The Horizon : Calendar of Events Incident: Brussels A319 at Brussels on Dec 1st 2024, locked flaps A Brussels Airlines Airbus A319-100, registration OO-SSB performing flight SN-2712 from Geneva (Switzerland) to Brussels (Belgium), was on final approach to Brussels' runway 25L when the crew selected the flaps from position 1 to 2 but received a locked flaps indication and initiated a go around. The aircraft climbed to 5000 feet, positioned for another approach and landed on runway 25L about 20 minutes after the go around. The aircraft is still on the ground in Brussels about 11 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=521050bf&opt=0 Incident: ANZ A20N near Wellington on Dec 1st 2024, engine shut down in flight An ANZ Air New Zealand Airbus A320-200N, registration ZK-NHA performing flight NZ-249 from Wellington (New Zealand) to Sydney,NS (Australia), was enroute at FL360 about 280nm northwest of Wellington when the crew needed to shut one of the engines (PW1127G) down, drifted down to FL230 and diverted to Auckland (New Zealand) where the aircraft landed on Auckland's runway 05R safely about 90 minutes after departure. The aircraft is still on the ground in Auckland about 10 hours after landing. The airline reported about one hour into the flight the crew experienced an issue with one of the engines, followed procedures, shut the engine down and diverted to Auckland. https://avherald.com/h?article=52102bc5&opt=0 Incident: Malta Air B38M at Turin on Nov 20th 2024, loss of communication A Malta Air Boeing 737-8 MAX on behalf of Ryanair, registration 9H-VVM performing flight FR-937 from Turin to Lamezia-Terme (Italy), was climbing out of Turin's runway 36 when the crew stopped the climb at about 5000 feet and set the transponder for loss of communication. The aircraft entered a hold for about 20 minutes, then positioned for an approach to runway 36 and landed back without further incident about 45 minutes after departure. The aircraft was able to depart again and reached Lamezia-Terme with a delay of about 3:15 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=5210292d&opt=0 Qantas jet flies for months with massive tool stuck in engine, and nobody noticed Occasionally, you hear stories about surgeons who leave sponges or surgical implements inside patients before sewing them up. Here's a similar tale involving a Qantas A380, which flew on several international trips with a 1.25 m nylon turning tool left inside an outboard engine. During routine maintenance at Los Angeles International Airport in December 2023, workers misplaced the turning tool — used for internal engine inspections — and despite protocols designed to prevent such occurrences, the aircraft was cleared for service. Leaving a tool inside a jet engine is bad enough, but even worse were all the missed opportunities to correct it. The tool was reported missing, yet multiple checks failed to locate it. Worst of all, someone even entered false information into the maintenance system to indicate the tool had been found. Qantas's head of safety Mark Cameron insisted the tool "could have easily dislodged and fallen out on the ground. It wouldn't have caused any impact to the engine itself." Australia's transport safety regulator disagreed. "Doesn't matter whether it's the tip of a screwdriver or a one, one-and-a-quarter-metre-length nylon tool, regardless of what was the makeup of the tool itself doesn't make it any higher or lower risk," said the ATSB's chief commissioner. https://boingboing.net/2024/11/29/qantas-jet-flies-for-months-with-massive-tool-stuck-in-engine-and-nobody-noticed.html Flight aborted in midair after pilots missed cabin pressure error, investigation finds A Tui passenger flight from the UK to Greece had to be aborted after cabin failed to pressurize. A flight packed with vacationers had to be aborted in midair because a technical mistake meant the aircraft failed to pressurize. An official report into the incident last year found that the 193 people on board the Tui Airways flight from Manchester Airport in the United Kingdom to Kos in Greece “were exposed to the risk of hypoxia.” A cabin altitude warning was activated in the Boeing 737-8K5 on October 17, 2023 as the plane flew over Lincolnshire in eastern England. The plane returned to Manchester and there were no injuries but the report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said that those on board were likely to have been at risk of dropping oxygen levels during the incident. The investigation revealed that switches that regulate the air pressure inside the plane, known as bleed air switches, were turned off during maintenance work carried out on the air conditioning system before takeoff. This error was not picked up by the crew in their pre-flight safety measures. One of the engineers who carried out the maintenance work on the plane told investigators that he believed the switches had been “returned to their original position” after checks on the jet’s air conditioning system. A second engineer failed to spot that they were, in fact, in the off position. The oversight was also not detected by the pilots, either before takeoff or during “after takeoff checks,” the report found. Once the error emerged, the pilots turned the switches back on but the report found that the crew failed to take other actions set out in the Quick Reaction Handbook (QRH) in response to the warning. These would have included donning oxygen masks. The report suggested the pilots thought that turning the switches on was sufficient to correct the issue and that other measures would have been “disproportionate.” “However, donning the oxygen masks as an immediate action would have given both pilots immediate protection from any hypoxia risk and allowed them to clarify the situation with the highest risk removed,” the report said. Once the switches were turned back on the plane continued to climb, but the warning sign remained on for 43 minutes before action was taken to stop and consult with the Tui maintenance team at Manchester Airport, the report stated. The captain then made the decision to return to Manchester. Cerebral hypoxia – which is when the brain is deprived of oxygen – can happen if a plane reaches too high an altitude or if there is a loss of cabin pressure. It can also be the result of carbon monoxide poisoning or breathing in too much smoke from a fire. Every pilot’s reaction to hypoxia is different, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. But is extremely hard for a person to tell when it is happening to them because the onset of symptoms is subtle. https://www.yahoo.com/news/flight-aborted-midair-pilots-missed-150944588.html Two Delta Flight Attendants Found Drunk at Amsterdam Airport Delta Air Lines responded swiftly to the incident, suspending both flight attendants and indicating potential termination proceedings. AMSTERDAM- Delta Air Lines (DL) confronted a serious safety incident involving two flight attendants who failed breathalyzer tests moments before a long-haul international flight from Amsterdam (AMS) to New York (JFK) on Friday morning (November 29, 2024), resulting in their immediate arrest and suspension. The two crew members—one male and one female—were discovered to be intoxicated during their Thanksgiving layover in Amsterdam, dramatically compromising the potential safety of hundreds of passengers. Dutch police conducted breathalyzer tests that revealed substantial alcohol consumption well above legal limits for aviation personnel. The female flight attendant tested seven times over the legal alcohol limit for aircrew, resulting in a substantial fine of €1,900 (approximately US $2,000). Her male counterpart was fined €275 after marginally failing the breathalyzer test by 0.02, demonstrating the severity of alcohol consumption regulations in aviation. Delta Air Lines responded swiftly to the incident, suspending both flight attendants and indicating potential termination proceedings, PYOK reported. Delta flight DL49 demonstrated operational resilience by departing Amsterdam Schiphol with merely a 20-minute delay and ultimately arriving in New York ahead of schedule, despite the last-minute removal of two flight attendants from duty. The incident occurred during a comprehensive joint law enforcement operation at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, where local and national police conducted breathalyzer tests on 445 pilots and flight attendants within a three-hour window on Friday morning. The female Delta flight attendant’s blood alcohol level measured 1.43 grams per liter, dramatically exceeding the European aviation regulatory maximum of 0.2 grams per liter. Her male colleague registered 0.24, further underscoring the significant alcohol consumption before the scheduled flight. European aviation regulations mandate stringent alcohol consumption restrictions for aircrew. The Netherlands specifically prohibits pilots and flight attendants from consuming alcohol within 10 hours of a flight. However, the European Air Safety Agency (EASA) cautions that merely adhering to a “bottle to throttle” time restriction does not guarantee compliance with legal blood alcohol concentration limits. Since February 2021, European countries have been required to implement random alcohol breath tests for aircrew. Foreign aviation personnel are subject to these tests through the Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) inspection program, reflecting a comprehensive approach to ensuring international aviation safety standards. Similar Incidents A veteran Delta Air Lines pilot was sentenced to 10 months in jail in the United Kingdom after pleading guilty to reporting for duty while alcohol-impaired in March 2024. The case underscores the severe legal consequences of compromising passenger safety through alcohol consumption. Captain Lawrence Russell, 63, was arrested in June 2023 and sentenced in Edinburgh after testing 49 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood—substantially exceeding the United Kingdom’s 20-milligram legal limit. Security officers initially became suspicious after discovering a half-consumed bottle of Jägermeister in his carry-on luggage. Prosecutors characterized Russell’s actions as demonstrating a “reckless disregard for the safety of his passengers and crew,” highlighting the potentially catastrophic consequences of pilot intoxication. The sentencing reflects the aviation industry’s zero-tolerance approach to alcohol-related safety breaches. The incident at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport further illuminated the persistent challenges of alcohol consumption among aviation personnel. During a comprehensive spot-check operation, a third crew member from an unnamed airline was found over the alcohol limit, with a female flight attendant registering 1.30 grams per liter of blood, and subsequently fined €1,800. https://aviationa2z.com/index.php/2024/12/01/delta-flight-attendant-found-drunk-at-amsterdam/ A woman bypassed multiple security checkpoints to get on a Delta flight to Paris. Here’s what we know Investigators are trying to determine how a woman got past multiple security checkpoints this week at New York’s JFK International Airport and boarded a plane to Paris, apparently hiding in the aircraft’s bathrooms during the flight. The stowaway didn’t have a boarding pass but completed a security screening and bypassed two identity verification and boarding status stations to board a Delta Air Lines aircraft, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The Tuesday incident happened on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Nearly 2.7 million passengers traveled on airplanes that day, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, according to TSA data. Here’s what we know: ‘Exhaustive investigation’ underway The stowaway was not carrying any prohibited items, according to a TSA spokesperson. It’s unclear how the individual was able to bypass boarding stations before getting on the plane. Delta said it is working with law enforcement and conducting an investigation of its own. “Nothing is of greater importance than matters of safety and security,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement. “That’s why Delta is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred and will work collaboratively with other aviation stakeholders and law enforcement to that end.” CNN has reached out to the FBI and Customs and Border Protection for more information. Stowaway is a US green card holder The stowaway is a woman between 55 and 60 years old and has a Russian passport, according to an airport official in Paris. She will soon be sent back to the United States, the official said. The woman was placed in a waiting zone at Charles de Gaulle airport - known as ZAPI - for people awaiting deportation, as she does not meet the conditions for entering Europe. The woman applied for asylum in France a few years ago, the official told CNN. When asked, the source did not address the woman’s mental state. When the woman is sent back to the US, the TSA could issue a civil penalty and New York authorities could arrest her, although they are not currently involved, a federal official familiar with the investigation told CNN. The TSA is conducting its own investigation of the incident, the official noted. Pilot made an announcement about ‘a serious security issue’ New York City real estate broker Rob Jackson was on the Delta flight when the stowaway was discovered and told CNN that passengers were told to stay seated after landing so police could board the plane. Stowaway flew aboard Delta flight from New York to Paris after evading airline checkpoints at JFK “I didn’t actually see the person in question. Apparently she hid in a lavatory all the way at the rear of the aircraft when we departed JFK,” Jackson said. “The first announcement to passengers that there was a problem was when we parked at the gate and they instructed us all to remain seated because French police were going to board the aircraft to deal with ‘a serious security issue.’” Jackson recorded a video in which the flight captain can be heard saying: “Folks, this is the captain, we are just waiting for the police to come on board. They may be here now and they directed us to keep everyone on the airplane until we sort out the extra passenger that’s on the plane.” The flight was full and there were no extra seats for the stowaway, Jackson said. “I overheard the flight attendants talking about it with the pilots – they said this person was in one lavatory and then would exit and walk to a different lavatory and go in there for a long time,” he said. https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/29/us/delta-stowaway-paris-flight/index.html Flight Attendants On Delta Air Stowaway Flight Were Meant to Check the Toilets For Hitchhikers Before Plane Pushed Back From the Gate Flight attendants on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York JFK to Paris Charles de Gaulle, which was discovered to have a stowaway onboard just minutes before the plane was due to land in France, were meant to have checked the toilets for hitchhikers before the aircraft pushed back from the gate. The female stowaway managed to remain undetected aboard Delta flight DL264 for most of the seven-hour transatlantic crossing despite the fact that there wasn’t a spare seat aboard the plane. It is currently believed that the stowaway went from toilet to toilet for most of the flight, and flight attendants didn’t grow suspicious until the flight was near its conclusion. The flight departed New York JFK at around 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday night and landed in Paris on Wednesday morning. Local law enforcement was called to take the woman into custody. Most commercial airlines have specific procedures in place designed to prevent precisely this kind of scenario whereby a ticketless passenger hides in an onboard lavatory before departure. In the case of Delta Air Lines, flight attendants are expected to check the toilets just before the plane pushes back from the gate to ensure there aren’t any passengers or stowaways in the lavatories as the plane is taxiing for takeoff. Some airlines also require flight attendants to lock the bathrooms off until the aircraft is airborne, although this is not a standard operating procedure at Delta. Given the gravity of this major security lapse, Delta says it is conducting an “exhaustive investigation” to get to the bottom of how the stowaway first managed to evade detection of gate agents to board the plane without a boarding pass and then remain onboard a packed plane, out of sight of the flight attendants. A spokesperson for Delta said the airline is urgently working with “other aviation stakeholders and law enforcement” to get to the bottom of the stowaway mystery, although the TSA reassured worried travelers that the ticketless passenger underwent standard security screening so would not have been able to board the plane with any prohibited items. How flight attendants failed to spot the stowaway despite standard operating procedures requiring them to check the onboard bathrooms prior to pushback will likely be a major focus of the investigation. That being said, it’s not uncommon for ticketed passengers to be in the bathrooms just at the point that flight attendants carry out these stowaway checks. It could be that a flight attendant forgot to recheck the bathroom or was otherwise distracted. The late departure time could also be a contributing factor due to flight attendant tiredness. In March, a 26-year-old man managed to sneak onboard a Delta Air Lines flight in Salt Lake City without a ticket after he surreptitiously took a photo of a young girl’s boarding pass using his mobile phone and then used the barcode to scan himself through the boarding gate. Wicliff Yves Fleurizard boarded the plane and immediately hid in an onboard lavatory, hoping that once everyone had finished boarding, he could leave the lavatory and take the first spare seat he spotted. Unfortunately for Fleurizard, the flight was fully booked, and flight attendants became suspicious when he walked up and down the aisle looking for a spare seat to jump in. Fleurizard was charged with a national security crime and faces a potential maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Whether or not the flight attendants on Delta flight DL264 face disciplinary action will likely depend on whether investigators decide that their actions were wilful or not. In the aviation industry, many airlines operate what is referred to as a ‘just culture’ in which staff are permitted to admit honest mistakes without fear or reprisal. A just culture does not, however, let deliberate wrongdoers off the hook. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/12/01/flight-attendants-on-delta-air-stowaway-flight-were-meant-to-check-the-toilets-for-hitchhikers-before-plane-pushed-back-from-the-gate/ United Airlines Hires 26-Year-Old Captain United Airlines has welcomed 26-year-old Jordan Wright as one of its youngest captains. Hailing from El Paso, Wright has nurtured a passion for aviation, amassing a range of industry experience despite his young age. Early passion takes flight The newly hired Wright has been introduced to the world of flying through family friends who were pilots, according to his interview with KFOX14. In his senior year at Coronado High School, he visited the Santa Teresa Airport, home to the Red Arrow Flight School, where he caught a flying bug. After graduating from college, United's new Captain began his aviation career piloting small planes at Red Arrow before transitioning to flying cargo planes for Sierra West Airlines. From there, he advanced to ATI Jet, an El Paso National-based company, and later took to the skies with low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines. After serving as a First Officer, Jordan earned a promotion to Captain in just two years. It is currently unknown which type of aircraft Jordan will operate or from which base he will fly. United's recruitment surge United Airlines has recently been on a pilot hiring spree. The Chicago-based airline aims to hire more than 10,000 pilots over the coming decade to keep up with increases in travel demand and replace those who are due to retire. Since 2021, the airline has hired more than 6,000 pilots. According to the carrier's Corporate Responsibility Report, United had a total of 103,218 staff members in 2023, including 15,445 pilots. The carrier's Aviate program is designed to offer aspiring pilots the most secure pathway to a United Airlines flight deck. Upon successful completion of the program, pilots can be based at one of the airline's eight hubs or three crew bases: • Denver International Airport (DEN) • Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) • Guam International Airport (GUM) • Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) • Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) • Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) • Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) • San Francisco International Airport (SFO) • Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) - crew base • Orlando International Airport (MCO) - crew base • Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) - crew base. • The airline operates approximately 4,000 flights per day on average and serves 60 countries worldwide. According to ch-aviation data, the airline has a fleet of 984 aircraft. United is eager to expand as it awaits the delivery of 694 aircraft, which will require additional pilots and cabin crew. The aviation sector has been facing a pilot shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a massive wave of layoffs, rapid growth in air travel demand, and high costs and significant barriers to becoming a pilot. According to Boeing's 2024 Pilot and Technician Outlook (PTO), the industry will need nearly 2.4 million new commercial pilots, technicians, and cabin crew members. Of 2.4 million new professionals, it is estimated that 674,000 pilots will be required through 2043. https://simpleflying.com/united-airlines-hires-26-year-old-captain/ EU safety agency lifts ban on Pakistan national airline after four years ISLAMABAD, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has lifted its bar on Pakistan International Airlines from operating in the bloc, it said on Friday. EASA suspended PIA's authorisation to operate in the EU in June 2020 over concerns the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to ensure compliance with international aviation standards. The suspension came days after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilots' licenses issued in the country following a PIA plane crash that killed 97 people. "EASA has now re-established sufficient confidence in the PCAA oversight capabilities," an EASA spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Reuters. It said that the decision to authorise PIA to perform commercial air transport operations to, from and within the EU was based on the "significant efforts" made by the PCAA. Pakistan had grounded 262 of the country's 860 pilots, including 141 of PIA's 434, whose licences the then aviation minister termed "dubious". The investigation ultimately did not reveal any major concerns, but the suspension remained in place. PIA in a statement also welcomed the announcement, vowing to abide by EASA regulations. Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, while speaking to local broadcaster Geo News, said the lifting of the ban would revitalise the debt-ridden national flag carrier and the effort to privatise it. The ban was costing PIA nearly 40 billion Pakistani rupees ($144 million) in revenue annually, according to government records presented in parliament. PIA and the government had been pressing EASA to lift the ban even provisionally. The government's attempt to privatise the airline fell flat when it received only a single offer, that too well below its asking price. "Wonderful news of lifting of the ban on PIA flights in the entire European Union," Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a post in social media platform X. ($1 = 277.7200 Pakistani rupees) https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/european-aviation-safety-agency-lifts-pakistan-airlines-ban-minister-says-2024-11-29/ Thailand Regains Trusted Safety Rating By FAA, New Direct U.S. Flights On The Horizon There has been a very positive development in the Thai aviation sector as the country has passed its FAA safety evaluation and is back in Category 1, which allows for the filing of new direct/nonstop flights between the U.S. and Thailand. Many years ago there were direct flights between Bangkok and Los Angeles as well as JFK before that on THAI but these flights were discontinued as TG dropped the route for profitability reasons. While I don’t see Thai Airways returning its U.S. flights anytime soon, it was already rumored that United Airlines is planning a nonstop flight to Bangkok, and this could now gain traction as the safety evaluation and recertification for Thailand were completed successfully. As the Bangkok Post reports, the certification will come into effect in February of 2025: Thailand and the United States are expected to resume direct flights in February of next year when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US Department of Transportation upgrades Thai aviation safety from Category 2 to Category 1, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit. Mr Suriya recently announced the significant progress in Thailand’s aviation safety standards following an inspection by the FAA between Nov 11 and 15, with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) receiving favourable evaluations. He said while some minor issues remain, they are not expected to impact the final decision, adding that Thailand is projected to regain its Category 1 (CAT 1) safety rating by February next year, marking a major milestone for the country’s aviation sector. Thailand’s downgrade to Category 2 (CAT 2) in December 2015 followed a reassessment by the FAA, citing non-compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. In 2015, the ICAO found a conflict of interest in that the department is both the regulator and the operator of provincial airports in the country. It also warned of insufficient personnel inspection and leniency in issuing air transport licences. Transport Permanent Secretary Chayatan Phromsorn assured that the CAAT has worked diligently to address safety issues and meet the standards since the downgrade. The recent five-day audit by the FAA revealed that major concerns have been resolved, with only minor adjustments pending, he said. Next, the FAA will finalise its report and conduct a final discussion. It is expected to make an official announcement about the upgrade in late February. The CAT 1 designation confirms that a country’s civil aviation authority complies with ICAO standards, enabling airlines to establish or expand operations to the US. Thailand’s regaining of its CAT 1 status will allow Thai airlines to operate direct flights to the US, benefiting the country’s aviation industry. … Thailand has made significant improvements in airports, immigration controls, and aviation regulation by the CAAT. Screening has also gone up, and there are (apparently) no longer bypass doors. Is Thailand significantly more unsafe than other countries airports from where flights depart to the U.S. on a daily basis? I’d say no but the FAA disagreed over the last 9 years. I first wrote about this in the wake of Thailand’s first downgrade to a Cat 2 in the 2014/2015 inspection and subsequent audit failure: The reasons Thailand lost its Cat 1 certification are multifaceted. For one, there was a military coup shortly before this inspection, and the U.S. government was absolutely not a fan of that. In fact, there were quite a few ugly scenes in front of the U.S. Embassy with radical coup supporters at the time. I’m convinced there was a punitive factor in the decision-making process. And let’s not forget the crazy case of the Thai Police General, a former Metropolitan Police chief, who was detained by Japanese authorities at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport for having a gun and ammunition in his possession. The firearm passed through Bangkok Airport on the way to Japan without being detected (or he wasn’t screened in the first place). He said that it was his duty weapon, and he simply forgot it was still in his baggage. This might very well be true and an honest mistake, but it also highlighted severe security lapses at Suvarnabhumi. The inspectors then found many legitimate reasons for significant problems with Thailand’s aviation sector. The regulatory agency was one of them, and to the government’s credit, it reacted and created the CAAT as a separate entity that (at least in principle) acts independently. Airport security has been approved, and while no security anywhere in the world is 100% perfect (especially not in the U.S. itself, given the annual report about the TSA’s own security errors and missed contraband). Still, since then, a decade has passed, and we’re finally back to square one so that U.S. airlines can fly back into Thailand and put codeshares on Thai Airways flights. Conclusion Thailand has passed an inspection by FAA regulators which ranks countries worldwide in terms of aviation safety and these ratings decide if flights/routes can be established between the two countries and which airlines are allowed to file for new routes. Thailand lost this rating almost a decade ago, and since then, there have been no direct flights between Thailand and the U.S. Thai Airways used to operate Airbus A340-500 on routes to LAX/JFK but eventually stopped these flights and mothballed the planes, citing their unprofitability. Is a nonstop flight between the U.S. and Thailand something to look forward to? I flew the Air Canada nonstop between Vancouver and Bangkok once – never again. It was brutal even in Business Class. I rather break it up and stop along the way, either in Korea or Japan. Let’s see if United follows through and opens a nonstop route from San Francisco or (more likely) Los Angeles as there were some rumors swirling around in early October. https://loyaltylobby.com/2024/12/01/thailand-regains-cat-1-safety-rating-by-faa-new-direct-u-s-flights-on-the-horizon/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS • Sponsor the 2025 Fuzion Safety Conference! March 4 & 5, 2025 (Orlando) • Annual Women in Aviation International Conference, Gaylord Rockies Resort & Conference Center | Denver Colorado, March 27-29, 2025 • 59th Annual SMU Air Law Symposium is scheduled March 31 - April 2, 2025 • Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) Safety Symposium April 7-9, 2025 • AIA Conference: The Aviation Insurance Association's annual conference in Orlando, Florida from April 25–28, 2025 • Sixth Edition of International Accident Investigation Forum, 21 to 23 May 2025, Singapore • The 9th Shanghai International Aerospace Technology and Equipment Exposition 2025; June 11 to 13, 2025 Curt Lewis