Flight Safety Information - January 6, 2025 No. 004 In This Issue : Incident: Etihad B789 at Melbourne on Jan 5th 2025, rejected takeoff : Incident: ETF B738 near Sharm el Sheikh on Jan 4th 2025, LED light bar catches fire : The Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) Announces Newly Appointed Chief Operating Officer Jason Starke : Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 near Porto on Jan 4th 2025, possible engine failure : Incident: BA Euroflyer A321 enroute on Jan 4th 2025, smoke in cabin : Incident: Azores A320 at Ponta Delgada on Jan 2nd 2025, bird strikes into both engines : Boeing 787 Dreamliner aborts takeoff from Australia airport at last minute for 'technical reasons': reports : 2 engines of crashed Jeju Air jet moved to hangar for investigation : Pilot at airport of South Korea’s Jeju Air crash says he ‘assumed’ concrete mound was dirt : Russia's St Petersburg airport suspends flights to ensure safety, aviation watchdog says : Airbus falls short of 2024 target for ‘around 770’ aircraft deliveries: reports : Pilot Shortage: KLM Will Struggle To Operate All Its Long-Haul Flights This Summer : A year ago today, things went from bad to worse for Boeing : Alaska Airlines Says it Sends its Own Inspectors to Boeing’s 737MAX Factory Five Days a Week to Make Sure Production Standards Don’t Slip : Alaska Airlines names new vice president of maintenance and engineering : Calendar of Events Incident: Etihad B789 at Melbourne on Jan 5th 2025, rejected takeoff An Etihad Boeing 787-9, registration A6-BLN performing flight EY-461 from Melbourne,VI (Australia) to Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) with 289 people on board, was accelerating for takeoff from Melbourne's runway 34 when the crew rejected takeoff at high speed (about 150 knots over ground). The aircraft slowed safely and stopped on the runway, smoke was observed from the landing gear, emergency services responded, tower advised emergency services of hot brakes, emergency services sprayed the landing gear. There were no injuries. The airline reported the crew rejected takeoff due to technical reasons and burst two tyres as result of the rejected takeoff. The aircraft remained on the runway for replacement of the tyres. https://avherald.com/h?article=52272a7f&opt=0 Incident: ETF B738 near Sharm el Sheikh on Jan 4th 2025, LED light bar catches fire An ETF Airways Boeing 737-800, registration 9A-ABC performing flight NO-6243 from Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt) to Rome Fiumicino (Italy), was climbing out of Sharm el Sheikh's runway 04L when the crew stopped the climb at FL120 and entered a hold. A LED lightbar in the overhead lockers had caught fire, flight attendants extinguished the small fire with a fire extinguisher. The aircraft returned to Sharm el Sheikh for a safe landing on runway 04L about 30 minutes after departure. The lightbar was repaired, then the aircraft departed again and reached Rome with a delay of about 4 hours. A passenger reported the captain explained a LED lightbar, that had been installed recently, had caught fire. The entire lighting was isolated and they were safe to fly again. https://avherald.com/h?article=52272578&opt=0 The Business Aviation Safety Consortium (BASC) Announces Newly Appointed Chief Operating Officer Jason Starke Industry icon formally joins the BASC Leadership Team to help steer the premiere SMS Verification/SMS Excellence provider! Jason Starke has been named the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Business Aviation Safety Consortium. With BASC's continually growing membership, outreach and influence, industry standing, subject matter expertise, and ever-changing playing field, it was becoming ever more apparent that there was a need to create and fill a new leadership role in the organization. The moment Jason became available, the discussions began on how best to partner to keep BASC as the premiere SMS Verification and Operational Excellence Partner. Jason has been a raving fan of BASC since its inception and has communicated regularly with the BASC team and Clients over the past eight years. Rick Malczynski, Founder and President of BASC, has personally known Jason for almost fifteen years and has more closely interacted with him over the past ten years. Jason has acted as a BASC Facilitator/Auditor, and has been the IEP Review Team Lead for the past year, and will continue to fulfill those roles. He was recently appointed as Chairman of the BASC Standardization Board. Jason Starke’s professional journey began in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a satellite systems operator. He earned his B.S. in Meteorology from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Aviation Science from Everglades University. He also holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from North Central University. Prior to joining BASC, Jason held leadership positions at Baldwin, International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), and Universal Weather and Aviation. Operational highlights include the Director of Safety at Priester Aviation and as a Flight Safety International instructor. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and is rated in the CE-500, CL-600, and HS-125. He also holds a 14 CFR 107 remote pilot in command license for UAS operations. Jason has served on the Safety Management and Flight Operations panels at ICAO and has been an active member of the NBAA Safety Committee since 2013. Additionally, he serves as an instructor at the University of Southern California, Viterbi School of Engineering, in the Aviation Safety Management System course. Jason, Crystal, and their two teenage sons reside in Houston, Texas. Rick Malczynski will continue in his role as Founder and President. ### About the Business Aviation Safety Consortium (AviationConsortium.com, LLC or BASC): Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, BASC serves as a logical partner for SMS, regulatory, and operational excellence verification for high performing business aviation organizations. BASC was founded in 2016 and accepted the first member in January of 2017. For more information, visit http://www.aviationconsortium.com Incident: Easyjet Europe A320 near Porto on Jan 4th 2025, possible engine failure An Easyjet Europe Airbus A320-200, registration OE-IJZ performing flight U2-1851 from Bordeaux (France) to Tenerife South,CI (Spain), was enroute at FL370 about 130nm east of Porto (Portugal) still in Spanish Airspace when the crew decided to divert to Porto declaring PAN PAN and advising of a possible engine failure. During the descent the crew advised they would need a ground power unit for not having a working APU. The aircraft entered three holding circuits before commencing their approach to runway 17 and landing safely about 40 minutes after leaving FL370. According to information The Aviation Herald received the aircraft had been dispatched under minimum equipment list requirements with their APU inoperative. https://avherald.com/h?article=5226b1c4&opt=0 Incident: BA Euroflyer A321 enroute on Jan 4th 2025, smoke in cabin A BA Euroflyer Airbus A321-200, registration G-EUXF performing flight BA-2670 from London Gatwick,EN (UK) to Palma Mallorca,SP (Spain), was enroute at FL350 near Le Mans (France) when the crew decided to turn around and return to Gatwick reporting smoke in the cabin. On approach to Gatwick the crew requested a remote stand to deboard the passengers as quickly as possible describing the smoke was still an "ongoing situation". The aircraft landed safely on runway 26L about 65 minutes after departure. Local Authorities reported the aircraft was met by fire services and ground crews and taxied to the apron. The runway was inspected. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground at Gatwick about 32 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=52268d2f&opt=0 Incident: Azores A320 at Ponta Delgada on Jan 2nd 2025, bird strikes into both engines An Air Azores Airbus A320-200, registration CS-TKP performing flight S4-124 from Ponta Delgada to Lisbon (Portugal), was climbing out of Ponta Delgada's runway 12 when the crew stopped the climb at 2500 feet after flying through a flock of gulls causing multiple impacts and returned to Ponta Delgada for a safe landing on runway 12 about 10 minutes after departure. A ground observer reported the birds had been sitting on the runway and flew up when the aircraft departed and collided with a number of them. Passengers reported that just after having become airborne three or four bangs were heard in rapid succession from both the left hand and right hand engines each, subsequently the engines sounded strange and there were vibrations in the cabin. A post flight inspection revealed both engines had been affected. A replacement Airbus A321-200N registration CS-TSF reached Lisbon with a delay of about 2:15 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Ponta Delgada about 25 hours after landing. According to information The Aviation Herald received, the Gaivotas (Portuguese for Gulls) struck the right main landing gear, belly and both wings, a gull and feathers was stuck at the left hand slats, the right hand engine fan blades need replacement. https://avherald.com/h?article=5225d99c&opt=0 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aborts takeoff from Australia airport at last minute for 'technical reasons': reports An Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aborted its takeoff from Melbourne Airport in Australia on Sunday for technical reasons, according to reports. Etihad Airways Flight EY461 from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi began its acceleration on the runway just at around 7 p.m. before slamming on the brakes and coming to a stop. "The flight crew decided to halt the take-off for technical reasons, the aircraft was safely brought to a stop on the runway and emergency services attended as a precaution," Etihad Airways told UAE state-owned newspaper The National. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a passenger on the plane said two tires burst after the landing gear caught fire. Boeing Investigating Quality Issue On Undelivered 787 Dreamliner Planes Etihad did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment. A Melbourne Airport spokesperson told FOX Business that emergency crews responded to the aircraft and deployed firefighting foam as a precaution. "All 289 passengers safely disembarked the aircraft and were bused to the terminal yesterday evening," the spokesperson added. Once passengers were off the aircraft, it was towed off the runway. The incident forced officials to shut down the runway, which did not reopen until Monday morning local time after all inspections of the runway had been completed. Etihad Airways told airport officials it was re-booking passengers on future flights. Faa Won’t Approve Increased 737 Max Production In Near Future The flight tracking site FlightRadar24.com shows the aircraft’s track from the terminal to the runway, where data shows it reached around 170 miles per hour before coming to a stop. The manufacturer of the plane, Boeing, was plagued with crisis after crisis in 2024 after a door flew off a Boeing 737 Max operated by Alaska Airlines. Investigators found that four key bolts had been missing from the door plug to the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft when it took off from Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 5, 2024. The panel blew off at 16,000 feet, which caused the cabin to depressurize before the flight returned safely to Portland International Airport. Boeing Employees’ Safety, Quality Concerns Surge Dramatically Boeing also launched an investigation into whether some of the fasteners on its undelivered 787 Dreamliner planes were incorrectly installed. The Federal Aviation Administration told FOX Business last year that "Boeing disclosed that it may have improperly installed fuselage fasteners on some 787 Dreamliner aircraft. https://www.yahoo.com/news/boeing-787-dreamliner-aborts-takeoff-011255404.html 2 engines of crashed Jeju Air jet moved to hangar for investigation South Korea's transport ministry said Sunday that authorities have moved two engines from the Jeju Air jet involved in a deadly crash last weekend to a hangar for a full-scale investigation, Azernews reports, citing Yonhap. The Jeju Air plane, with 181 people onboard returning from Bangkok, crashed while landing at Muan International Airport in the southwestern county of Muan on Dec. 29, killing all but two aboard. One of the engines was transported to the hangar Friday, while the other was moved the previous day, the transport ministry said. Authorities have also completed transcribing the two-hour audio recorded in the cockpit voice recorder, which may provide more clues about the cause of the accident. The ministry said two aviation investigators plan to take the flight data recorder to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board on Monday for analysis. South Korea will also carry out a special investigation into 101 B737-800 planes, the same model of the crashed jet, currently operated by six South Korean air carriers, through Friday. https://www.azernews.az/region/236084.html Pilot at airport of South Korea’s Jeju Air crash says he ‘assumed’ concrete mound was dirt The jet’s collision with the structure at Muan airport during its belly landing is thought to have triggered the catastrophic explosion A pilot with seven years of experience at South Korea’s Muan International Airport testified that he had never been informed about the existence of a concrete mound housing a localiser on the airport’s runway, nor had he been able to distinguish it from a dirt pile. The concrete structure is believed to have significantly exacerbated the severity of the accident, as the aircraft’s collision with the solid mound during its belly landing is thought to have triggered the catastrophic explosion. Pilot and flight instructor A, who has used Muan airport for seven years, told Yonhap News on Thursday, “I’ve seen the mound from the air during countless take-offs and landings and assumed it was a dirt pile. It never occurred to me that it was made of concrete.” He said, “There was no indication in the airport charts or separate guidance mentioning that the mound was a 2-metre-high, 4-metre-thick concrete structure. Other pilots were also unaware of its true nature.” Families of Jeju Air crash victims ask South Korean government to recover bodies faster He also addressed the bird strike issue, which has been suggested as a possible cause of the accident. He said pilots regularly monitor bird activity using the Airport Terminal Information Service (ATIS). “In my experience, bird strikes happen roughly once a year, typically affecting the wings. We always check weather conditions via frequency transmissions, and Muan airport has been issuing daily bird activity advisories lately, with air traffic controllers notifying us if birds are on the runway,” he said. The Jeju Air accident occurred on December 29 at 8:57am. The control tower had issued a bird strike warning just before the aircraft attempted a belly landing. During the landing, the aircraft collided with the localiser’s concrete mound, leading to an explosion. The crash resulted in the deaths of 179 passengers and injuries to two crew members. https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3293238/pilot-airport-south-koreas-jeju-air-crash-says-he-assumed-concrete-mound-was-dirt Russia's St Petersburg airport suspends flights to ensure safety, aviation watchdog says Jan 4 (Reuters) - Russia's Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg temporarily halted flight arrivals and departures from 7:45 a.m. (0445 GMT) on Saturday to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft, Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said. It did not specify a reason for the decision to halt flights, but Russian airports have previously closed when there is a risk of Ukrainian drone strikes in the area. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of the northern Leningrad region containing St Petersburg, said Russian forces had shot down two drones near Luga Bay in the gulf of Finland. Advertisement · Scroll to continue "The airport is temporarily not accepting or dispatching flights," a Rosaviatsia representative wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Aircraft crews, air traffic controllers and airport services are taking all necessary measures to ensure flight safety - this is the top priority." https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-st-petersburg-airport-suspends-flights-ensure-safety-aviation-watchdog-2025-01-04/ Incident: Westjet B38M enroute on Dec 4th 2024, first officer incapacitated By Simon Hradecky, created Friday, Dec 20th 2024 19:32Z, last updated Friday, Dec 20th 2024 19:32Z A Westjet Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration C-FXYK performing flight WS-129 from Calgary,AB to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 175 people on board, was enroute when the first officer became ill and was unable to continue duties. Another Westjet pilot travelling as passenger replaced the first officer, the aircraft continued to destination for a safe landing. The Canadian TSB reported: "During cruise, the first officer reported feeling ill and was unable to continue their duties. One of the passengers on board was a Westjet pilot who was able to assume the first officer's duties. The incapacitated first officer sat in the cabin for the remainder of the flight. The flight crew did not declare an emergency or request a priority handling. The aircraft landed without further incident." https://flightaware.com/live/flight/WJA129/history/20241205/0325Z/CYYC/CYVR Incident: Westjet B38M enroute on Dec 4th 2024, first officer incapacitated Airbus falls short of 2024 target for ‘around 770’ aircraft deliveries: reports Airbus has fallen short of its 2024 target to complete “around 770” aircraft deliveries, despite a busy December trying to achieve its goal, according to Bloomberg. To hit Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury’s delivery target for the year, the planemaker would have needed to deliver around 127 aircraft in December 2024. However, insiders told Bloomberg that the total aircraft deliveries by the end of 2024 only reached around 760, with close to 120 planes being delivered in December. During 2023, in order to reach its yearly target of “around 720” deliveries, Airbus only needed to deliver 97 aircraft in the final month of the year. Ultimately, it delivered 112 aircraft to 51 customers. If insiders are correct, though, Airbus still pulled off an incredible achievement by delivering close to 120 planes in December 2024. Official Airbus statistics revealing orders and deliveries for 2024 are expected to be published on January 9, 2025, according to Bloomberg. In July 2024, Airbus reduced its delivery target for the year from 800 planes to around 770, citing the shortage of engines and other key components. What is certain, however, is that Airbus is dead set to beat its rivals Boeing for aircraft deliveries during 2024. The US planemaker faced a turbulent production year, with strikes and manufacturing restrictions put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following the Alaska Airlines door plug incident. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/airbus-deliveries-december Pilot Shortage: KLM Will Struggle To Operate All Its Long-Haul Flights This Summer KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is one of the oldest airlines still operating today. Based in Amsterdam, the carrier strives to connect the Netherlands with the rest of Europe and the world. Having merged with Air France in 2004, the combined carrier has become a powerhouse in European aviation. However, despite the airline’s impressive scale and predominance in many European markets, KLM is facing some daunting challenges due to its ongoing pilot shortage. With the busy summer season approaching, the airline might have to scale back its long-haul flying. KLM’s pilot deficit KLM is facing the reality that part of its fleet might have to be grounded because it does not have enough pilots to staff its aircraft. This is a unique challenge, especially considering the Dutch carrier has more pilots than ever before. However, the nature of its pilots' jobs results in serious problems for KLM. According to NL Times, sick leave and part-time workers have increased significantly for the airline in the past couple of years. Put simply, many of KLM’s pilots are not working enough to keep its fleet flying. The airline claims it has been losing 50 full-time jobs annually to part-time work, and because part-time work is a legal right, there is little the airline can do to encourage pilots to return to the cockpit. At least, that doesn’t come at further expense to the airline. The shortage is already costing KLM millions, as parts of its widebody fleet are currently grounded due to a lack of proper staffing. To make matters worse, in late 2024, the airline introduced the first of many Airbus A321neos into its fleet. These next-generation narrowbody aircraft will replace KLM’s existing short-haul fleet of Boeing 737s. The switch will require extensive training as pilots learn to fly the new aircraft-training that takes pilots out of service for extended periods. The new Airbus jets are a 10 billion euro investment. The success of this new aircraft type is contingent on having enough pilots to implement the new aircraft into daily operations successfully. KLM has ended the year on a high, with its announcement that it has completed the installation of premium economy seats onboard all of its Boeing 777 and 787 'Dreamliner' family widebody twinjets. The ongoing process took two years to complete, and will allow passengers to enjoy a bit of extra luxury onboard without having to splash out on a business class flatbed. Known as Premium Comfort, these seats are available on a grand total of 54 aircraft, and offer passengers an additional seven inches of legroom compared to the standard offering in economy class. On the Boeing 777s, the Premium Comfort cabin consists of 24 seats, whereas KLM's 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft have 21 and 28 seats in this section respectively. While I have yet to try this product by myself, I would not hesitate to do so if the price was right. Having already flown in KLM's Economy Comfort seats (economy class with extra legroom but no further bells and whistles), I know how much more comfortable those extra few in Impacts on KLM’s operations KLM has a robust short-haul network across Europe. However, according to De Telegraaf, a leading Dutch newspaper, its most profitable routes are long-haul trips from its Amsterdam hub. Thus, addressing the pilot shortage and adding more long-haul trips is important to increasing the airline's profitability. However, as KLM works with its pilot group, the Dutch Airline Pilots Association (VNV), to add more long-haul flying, the two sides can’t seem to agree. The pilots' group has criticized the airline’s approach to the challenges, claiming they have not done enough to address their mistakes. Vice Chairman of VNV Ruud Stegers explained: "Reflection on their own performance is completely missing. The only thing that follows is a finger pointing at the pilots if we do not want to solve the problems for peanuts." He went on to point to other strategies that have been suggested to encourage pilots to increase their flying. These include a 10% increase in salary and an additional raise for 10% more flying. KLM refuted its pilots' criticism, claiming they fully understand the airline's challenges and the best course of action to resolve them. It encouraged VNV to work with its management team to create a solution that is in the best interests of the members it represents. Addressing the most urgent challenges KLM's clock is ticking—it needs to maintain its long-haul schedule. Beyond the profitability of these routes, if KLM cuts service to certain distant destinations, it could risk losing landing rights. This could create significant entry barriers if the airline decides to return to a market later. To address this problem, KLM has considered hiring outside pilots and aircraft with crew. While the airline would still have a deep and systemic staffing problem, this would allow it to maintain long-haul flying until a more holistic solution is created. But regardless, the airline must decide soon to preserve its position in the market. https://simpleflying.com/pilot-shortage-klm-long-haul-flights-summer/ A year ago today, things went from bad to worse for Boeing At 5 p.m. PT on January 5, 2024, Boeing seemed like a company on the upswing. It didn’t last. Minutes later, a near-tragedy set off a full year of problems. As Alaska Airlines flight 1282 climbed to 16,000 feet in its departure from Portland, Oregon, a door plug blew out near the rear of the plane, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage. Phones and clothing were ripped away from passengers and sent hurtling into the night sky. Oxygen masks dropped, and the rush of air twisted seats next to the hole toward the opening. Fortunately, those were among the few empty seats on the flight, and the crew got the plane on the ground without any serious injuries. The incident could have been far worse — even a fatal crash. Not much has gone right for Boeing ever since. The company has had one misstep after another, ranging from embarrassing to horrifying. And many of the problems are poised to extend into 2025 and perhaps beyond. The problems were capped by another Boeing crash in South Korea that killed 179 people on December 29 in what was in the year’s worst aviation disaster. The cause of the crash of a 15-year old Boeing jet flown by Korean discount carrier Jeju Air is still under investigation, and it is quite possible that Boeing will not be found liable for anything that led to the tragedy. But unlike the Jeju crash, most of the problems of the last 12 months have clearly been Boeing’s fault. And 2024 was the sixth straight year of serious problems for the once proud, now embattled company, starting with the 20-month grounding of its best selling plane, the 737 Max, following two fatal crashes in late 2018 and early 2019, which killed 346 people. Still the outlook for 2024 right before the Alaska Air incident had been somewhat promising. The company had just achieved the best sales month in its history in December 2023, capping its strongest sales year since 2018. It was believed to be on the verge of getting Federal Aviation Administration approval for two new models, the 737 Max 7 and Max 10, with airline customers eager to take delivery. Approvals and deliveries of its next generation widebody, the 777X, were believed to be close behind. Its production rate had been climbing and there were hopes that it could be on the verge of returning to profitability for the first time since 2018. Today it faces another difficult year ahead. Lingering problems Approval of those three models is still uncertain. Boeing has warned investors that losses are likely to continue through 2025. It is on the verge of having its credit rating downgraded to junk for the first time in its history, and it could end up being booted from the Dow Jones industrial average, where it has resided as one of the nation’s most significant companies since 1937. Boeing’s (BA) stock plunged by about a third in 2024, after closing down more than 2% on Monday following the Korean crash. Its previous CEO and several other prominent executives were ousted. And its seemingly unending string of bad headlines raised serious questions about the company’s ability to get its safety and quality problems under control. Soon after the Alaska Air incident, the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary investigation found that the plane had left a Boeing factory two months earlier missing the four bolts needed to hold the door plug in place. The incident led to numerous federal investigations, not just by the NTSB but also by Congress, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Justice Department. The FBI notified those on the plane that they might be considered crime victims, and the FAA’s probe led to increased oversight of Boeing by the agency, including limits on how many of the planes it could produce. Here’s a rundown of the other problems it experienced in the last year. Pleading guilty The Alaska Air incident reopened Boeing to new prosecution in a case it had agreed to settle three years earlier. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to federal charges that it had deceived the FAA during the initial certification process for the 737 Max. Under the deal, it agreed to pay up to $487 million in fines, double what it originally paid under a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement. The most serious consequence for Boeing was an agreement to operate under the oversight of a new government-appointed monitor. But in October, a federal judge rejected the plea partly because of questions about how a government-appointed monitor would be selected, leaving the ultimate punishment still uncertain. Stranded astronauts In June, Boeing finally launched a crewed mission with its Starliner spacecraft, taking NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station. The mission was long overdue, after years of development and test flight problems left it far behind rival SpaceX in carrying astronauts to the ISS. But the success proved short-lived: Soon after the Starliner’s arrival, NASA disclosed that helium leaks and thruster outages meant it wasn’t safe for the spacecraft to return the two astronauts to Ea rth after eight days as originally planned. The Starliner eventually returned to Earth without anyone aboard, and Wilmore and Williams are still waiting for a ride home on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft sometime in early 2025. When Boeing’s Starliner will again be able carry astronauts and fulfill the company’s contract with NASA remains unknown. Crippling strike In September, 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists started a strike that halted production of the 737 Max and the company’s freighter aircraft. Union members had voted nearly unanimously to reject a tentative agreement that had been reached between the company and union leadership about a week earlier. Many union members were still angry over the loss of a traditional pension plan 10 years earlier, and they stayed on strike nearly two months. They rejected a subsequent offer before finally voting in favor of a third offer that gave them an immediate raise of 13% and raises of 9% for each of the next two years and then another 7% in the fourth and final year of the contract. Combined, that raised hourly pay by 43% over the life of the contract. Beyond the cost of the new labor deal, the work stoppage was the most costly American strike of the 21st century, costing the company, its workers and its suppliers more than $11.5 billion, according to Anderson Economic Group, a Michigan research firm with expertise in estimating the cost of work stoppages. experts. And it took Boeing about a month to resume production once the strike ended. During the strike, Boeing announced it would be forced to cut 10% of its global workforce of 171,000 employees in a cost-saving move to limit losses going forward. Mounting losses In October, Boeing announced one of its worst financial quarters in years, with its core operating loss surging to $6 billion in the third quarter. It is poised to report its biggest annual loss since 2020, when it was dealing with both the Max grounding and the Covid-19 pandemic, which sparked massive losses across the global airline industry. Quarterly losses resulted not just from the strike, which only affected the last two weeks of the period. The loss included a $3 billion pre-tax charge for further delays in the 777X program. With the company not restarting production of the 737 Max or freighters until early December, the fourth quarter is certain to bring a new massive loss. The company has lost $39.3 billion since early 2019 and has reported losses in virtually every quarter since then. Jeju Air crash Boeing’s year ended in tragedy. The Jeju Air plane’s landing gear appeared not to be extended as it attempted to land. There were also reports of a bird strike causing the plane’s pilots to issue a distress call as it upon approached the airport in Muan, South Korea. The plane, a 737-800, has a very strong safety record, unlike its successor 737 Max model. Data from Boeing shows that the 737-800 has had one of lowest rates of fatal accidents in the industry when compared to the number of flights flown. A 15-year-old plane, like the one that crashed Sunday, is unlikely to have problems caused by a design flaw or production problems attributed to Boeing. But it is too soon to say why the Jeju Air plane crashed. https://www.yahoo.com/news/ago-today-things-went-bad-100047122.html Alaska Airlines Says it Sends its Own Inspectors to Boeing’s 737MAX Factory Five Days a Week to Make Sure Production Standards Don’t Slip Alaska Airlines also says it will soon send its on-site inspection and compliance team to Boeing's Charleston, North Carolina, factory to oversee the production of 787 Dreamliners destined for Hawaiian Airlines. Alaska Airlines says it has been forced to station its own team of inspectors at Boeing’s 737MAX factory in Renton, near Seattle, to ensure new airplanes destined to join the carrier’s fleet are up to standard. The admission came nearly 12 months to the day that Alaska Airlines flight 1282 to Ontario, California, experienced an explosive blowout of a mid-cabin exit door plug as it was climbing out of Portland Airport on January 5, 2024. On the eve of the accident’s one-year anniversary, Alaska Airlines said a team of three Aircraft Acquisition Representatives now spend five days a week on-site at the Boeing factory in Renton, which built the 737MAX-9 aircraft that suffered the decompression. Alaska Airlines also said that it had ‘augmented’ with three specialist Maintenance and Engineering employees to improve oversight of Boeing’s production processes and that team members work different shifts and are available on-call at short notice should any concerns be raised about what is happening at the Boeing Renton facility. In addition, the Seattle-based carrier has hired Ausgael Aviation Services to provide additional inspection and audit service at the Renton factory seven days per week. If that weren’t enough, Alaska Airlines has tasked three of its own engineers to oversee test flights and carry out final inspections before any Boeing 737MAX produced in Renton is delivered to the carrier. Despite all the extra scrutiny that Alaska Airlines has been giving Boeing and suppliers like Spirit AeroSystems, which produced the faulty exit door plug, the carrier says it is “optimistic about Boeing’s dedication and positive momentum in making significant improvements.” “Looking ahead, we have planned several visits to Boeing in 2025 to ensure our teams and Ausgael are inspecting our aircraft thoroughly and to observe Boeing’s continued process and cultural improvements firsthand.” Alaska Airlines has orders for 74 more Boeing 737MAX jets to be delivered, so the airline and its team of inspectors and auditors could be regular visitors to Boeing for a number of years to come. And given the fact that Alaska Airlines now owns Hawaiian Airlines, the carrier says it now plans to extend its on-site oversight activities to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Charleston, North Carolina. Hawaiian Airlines has just seven more Dreamliners to be delivered, although a new order could be on the cards, given the Alaska Airlines Group’s ambitious plans for the brand. Over the course of the last 12 months since the incident aboard Flight 1282, Alaska Airlines says it has seen improvements in work processes at Boeing, as well as a renewed emphasis on promoting safety, compliance and voluntary reporting. Commenting on Flight 1282, a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines said: “It’s fair to say this event changed our airline and our industry. We continue to extend our sincere gratitude to our crew for their exceptional skill, courage and professionalism in ensuring the safe return of everyone to Portland. ” On the anniversary of the accident, the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) which represents crew members at Alaska Airlines, praised the flight attendants and pilots who were onboard Flight 1282, for working “quickly and heroically to ensure everyone made it to the ground safely.” “Over the last year, our union has worked closely with the FAA and NTSB to ensure the failures that led to this incident are not repeated,” a statement from the union continued. “No cutting corners in the name of profits. Safety first always.” Last April, Boeing agreed to pay Alaska Airlines an initial compensation sum of $160 million to cover the cost of lost revenues from flight cancellations when similar planes with an exit door plug had to be grounded. Several months later, it was revealed that Boeing had bought back the nearly-new plane (registration: N704AL) from Alaska. All 171 passengers and six crew members survived the accident, but several people suffered minor injuries as the exit plug was ripped out and debris flew through the cabin. Some of the passengers aboard Flight 1282 are pursuing a lawsuit against Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2025/01/06/alaska-airlines-says-it-sends-its-own-inspectors-to-boeings-737max-factory-five-days-a-week-to-make-sure-production-standards-dont-slip/ Alaska Airlines names new vice president of maintenance and engineering Alaska Airlines has named John Wiitala as its new vice president of maintenance and engineering. In this principal leadership role, Wiitala will lead professionals throughout the division who maintain the highest levels of safety and compliance with more than 237 mainline Boeing aircraft across multiple maintenance bases. Executive John Wiitala joins Alaska with more than 34 years of airline experience Alaska Airlines has named John Wiitala as its new vice president of maintenance and engineering. In this principal leadership role, Wiitala will lead professionals throughout the division who maintain the highest levels of safety and compliance with more than 237 mainline Boeing aircraft across multiple maintenance bases. Wiitala joins Alaska after 34 years with United Airlines, most recently as vice president and chief engineer of tech operations, safety and compliance, where he was responsible for the United fleet. Prior to that role, he was vice president of technical services. Wiitala joined United in 1992 and held other engineering jobs throughout the organization including director of engineering and managing director of project engineering. His responsibilities at Alaska will include line maintenance operations; maintenance of airframes, components and engines; stores and distribution; quality assurance; maintenance planning; engineering and reliability; and fleet projects. Among his accomplishments at United, he expanded the scope of operations of the airline, which grew from under 450 aircraft to 944. He was on board during the United-Continental merger, helping the airline successfully navigate integration and grow its multi-fleet operations. With over three decades in technical operations’ leadership roles to include both narrow and widebody aircraft, I welcome John’s expertise, leadership and vision as Alaska becomes a global airline. John will lead our team to uphold the highest standards of safety, quality and compliance for Alaska’s fleet while combining operations with Hawaiian Airlines.” – Constance von Muehlen Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Alaska Airlines Wiitala began his aviation career in 1988 in project engineering at Aircraft Modular Products in Miami. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa and has served on the board of Argonaut/Davis High School, a Cleveland-based school that empowers youth to pursue pilot and technician certifications. https://news.alaskaair.com/company/alaska-airlines-vice-president-of-maintenance-and-engineering-john-wiitala/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS · Sponsor the 2025 Fuzion Safety Conference! March 4 & 5, 2025 (Orlando) · · "Automation in Transportation: Lessons for Safe Implementation," on March 11-12, 2025, in Washington, DC. · 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