Flight Safety Information - January 16, 2025 No. 012 In This Issue : Airbus A320-214 (WL) - Taxiway Excursion (Finland) : Southwest Airlines pilot accused of DUI is arrested at Georgia airport before flight : Decoding black box from Korea’s crashed airplane : Mokulele Airlines grounds fleet over maintenance issue : Airbus CEO confident about 75 aircraft a month target : Applicants wanted: China’s C919 to benefit as Beijing bankrolls ‘large aircraft’ research : Vietnam considers removing barriers for China-made COMAC aircraft to operate in country : The banned airlines deemed unsafe to fly in the UK : ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025, DENVER, COLORADO CALL FOR PAPERS : Volunteers needed for Greenwich led aeroplane evacuation trials : Calendar of Events Airbus A320-214 (WL) - Taxiway Excursion (Finland) Date: Wednesday 15 January 2025 Time: 16:03 UTC Type: Airbus A320-214 (WL) - Taxiway Excursion (Finland) Owner/operator: Lufthansa Registration: D-AIZN MSN: 5424 Engine model: CFMI CFM56-5B4/P Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 63 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: None Location: Oulu Airport (EFOU) - Finland Phase: Taxi Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Oulu Airport (OUL/EFOU) Destination airport: München-Franz Josef Strauss Airport (MUC/EDDM) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: Lufthansa flight LH2491, an Airbus A320, veered off the taxiway at Oulu Airport (EFOU). https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/471425 Southwest Airlines pilot accused of DUI is arrested at Georgia airport before flight A TSA officer smelled alcohol on the pilot and informed law enforcement officials, a source said. A Southwest Airlines pilot was arrested at a Georgia airport and accused of DUI on Wednesday. A Transportation Security Administration officer smelled alcohol on the pilot and informed law enforcement officials, who arrested him at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, a source familiar with the situation told NBC News. "We’re aware of a situation involving an employee on Flight 3772 this morning from Savannah. The Employee has been removed from duty," the airline said in a statement. "There’s nothing more important to Southwest than the safety of our employees and customers.” The flight, which was headed to Chicago, was delayed by five hours, according to flight records. The airline apologized for the disruption and said customers were accommodated on other flights. Federal Aviation Administration regulations "prohibit pilots from using alcohol while on duty or from flying, or attempting to fly, an aircraft within eight hours of consuming alcohol or if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04% or greater," the agency said in a statement. Chatham County sheriff's records indicate airport police arrested David Allsop, 52, on a charge of driving under the influence. He was being held on $3,500 bond, according to sheriff’s records. It was not immediately clear Wednesday night whether Allsop had an attorney. His family could not be reached for comment. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/southwest-airlines-pilot-accused-dui-arrested-georgia-airport-flight-rcna187901 Decoding black box from Korea’s crashed airplane A joint investigation between Korea and the United States has been underway to figure out what caused the deadly Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crash that killed 179 passengers and crew at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province on Dec. 29 with only two survivors on board. Joint investigative team The two countries have put together a joint probe team of 12 investigators from Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board, one official from the US Federal Aviation Administration, three members of the US National Transportation Safety Board, six officials from Boeing and one from GE Aerospace. Retrieved black box Two black box recording devices have been recovered: - Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): The CVR contains a two-hour-recording of what was said by the pilots and any other sounds or noises such as warnings by the aircraft systems prior to the end of a flight operation or an accident. This record will help investigators understand what the pilots were hearing, seeing and doing in the final minutes leading up to the crash. - Flight Data Recorder (FDR): The FDR contains a 25-hour log of the aircraft’s flight path, flight controls, engine power systems, electrical and hydraulic systems, etc. prior to the end of a flight operation or an accident. The FDR has been sent to the US as it was missing a connector to extract the data. The Korean and US authorities have begun extracting the data from the FDR in the US, where the technology to methodically read the data is available. Missing data Investigative authorities found that the data of the final four minutes from both the CVR and FDR were missing as they stopped recording data after the pilot reported mayday, bird strike and go-around, which refers to a procedure to abort a landing and reattempt under safer conditions, at 8:59 a.m. The flight eventually conducted a belly-landing and collided with the localizer antenna and exploded at 9:03 a.m. What’s next The investigation could take months, especially in consideration of the crucial missing data from the final four minutes. Under Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Annex, a United Nations agency, a preliminary report of the Jeju Air crash should be submitted to the involved states and the ICAO within 30 days of the accident, which will be Jan. 27, followed by a final report issued within a year of the accident. https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10391173 Mokulele Airlines grounds fleet over maintenance issue Southern Airways Express LLC, doing business as Mokulele Airlines, has announced a temporary suspension of all flights, citing maintenance needs and an abundance of caution. The airline, which serves interisland routes across Hawaii, made the announcement this morning. Customers are encouraged to contact Mokulele’s customer service team at (808) 495-4188 or toll-free at 1-866-260-7070 for assistance with rebooking or refunds. The airline has not provided a timeline for the resumption of services. The suspension comes as Mokulele Airlines continues to face operational hurdles. In August 2024, the airline grounded several aircraft after Federal Aviation Administration inspections flagged maintenance issues. At that time, Mokulele said that the inspections, though routine, uncovered a compliance matter requiring immediate attention. The airline also received federal subsidies to maintain flights to Lanai under the Essential Air Service program, which supports routes vital to small or remote communities. The subsidies were awarded to ensure the continuation of service between Lanai and Honolulu amid concerns about Mokulele’s scheduling reliability. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2025/01/15/breaking-news/mokulele-airlines-ground-fleet-over-maintenance-issue/ Airbus CEO confident about 75 aircraft a month target LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The chief executive of Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab said he was confident the company would reach its target of manufacturing 75 single-aisle aircraft a month in 2027, given its investment, focus on its supply chain and the hiring of people ahead of time. "By 2027 we will be with the capacity rate 75 fully in place, and that's something we are very confident of," CEO Guillaume Faury told reporters on Wednesday. The European planemaker had in July cut its annual delivery target to "around 770" aircraft from 800 after Faury said he had been "blind-sided" by a drop in supplies from enginemaker CFM. But he called it a short-term issue that affected deliveries last year and would affect them this year but not beyond. "The CFM engine issues are absolutely not a problem to the rate 75," he said. As production ramps up towards target, Faury said Airbus was trying to ensure that each supplier has a plan in place to overcome potential issues. "We are going at the pace of the slowest of our suppliers," he said. Asked about whether Airbus was considering raising production beyond 75 per month in the years after 2027, he said that was not on the cards for now. "The plan is to go to 75 and stay at 75 for some years," he said. "This is a prudent level of production in terms of being sure that the demand will remain higher than the supply for quite a while." https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/airbus-ceo-is-confident-about-75-aircraft-month-target-2025-01-15/ Applicants wanted: China’s C919 to benefit as Beijing bankrolls ‘large aircraft’ research Capital grant funding will be doled out to worthy applicants as China rallies nation’s engineering brainpower to boost indigenous tech for home-grown planes China says progress is being made in its development of next-generation aircraft and frontier aviation technologies. A dedicated fund for state capital grants to supercharge breakthroughs in China’s aircraft-technology research will soon accept applications and identify recipients, as Beijing builds on the momentum of home-grown jets such as the C919 to develop domestic aviation solutions and components. The fund, established by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and National Natural Science Foundation in June, will bankroll “large aircraft” research programmes focusing on basic, forward-looking and innovative theories and technologies, according to an update on Tuesday. State media reported that each qualified project could receive an average of 2.6 million yuan (US$355,000) over a period of up to four years. Tuesday’s announcement said applications will be accepted from March 1-20, followed by a process to identify qualified recipients. The total size of the state research fund has not been disclosed, but industry insiders have put low-end estimates at several billion yuan. Beijing is rallying nationwide engineering brainpower to develop indigenous tech and critical parts, as Chinese passenger jets are delivered to more carriers and deployed on expanded routes, and with broader sights set on Western certification and more overseas sales in the near future. The C919 narrowbody plane, assembled by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) in Shanghai to rival popular single-aisle models from Boeing and Airbus, still relies on engines, avionics and landing gear from Western suppliers. Beijing’s self-sufficiency push, coupled with geopolitical and supply-chain vulnerabilities, has seen Comac and other manufacturers and institutions dialling up efforts to develop domestic alternatives, including engines. The self-reliance drive takes on more significance as Comac also strives to build widebody aircraft such as the C929 and C939. Comac has wrapped up detailed designs for the C929, China’s first attempt at building a commercial twin-aisle airliner, with Air China confirmed as its launch operator. The planemaker is also thrashing out specifications for the C939 jumbo model. Li Xiaojin, director of the Institute of Aviation Economics at the Civil Aviation University of China, said at an engineering conference in November that state backing, including direct funding, is sorely needed. “The value of parts that China can source domestically is not high enough in proportion to the total value of a plane [like the C919],” he said. “For instance, as we develop a Chinese aero-engine, we continue to grapple with the lack of tech and materials for engine blades. Breaking through these bottlenecks will be key to mass production, delivery, cost control and supply-chain security.” With funding and other support in place or in the works, progress is being made in China’s development of next-generation aircraft and frontier aviation technologies. Comac deputy general manager Wei Yingbiao said last month at an aviation forum in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, that more aviation advancements were coming. “The C919 is off to a good start,” Wei said. “We are eying C929 and C939 widebodies while envisioning new generations down the road, including electric, hydrogen and hybrid types.” Beijing is using state capital via special funds to mobilise talent, support enterprises nationwide and spur tech breakthroughs. China also has a deep funding pool for advanced-chip and semiconductor research. https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3294861/applicants-wanted-chinas-c919-benefit-beijing-bankrolls-large-aircraft-research Vietnam considers removing barriers for China-made COMAC aircraft to operate in country HANOI, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The Vietnam government said late on Wednesday that it will consider removing regulatory hurdles to allow aircraft manufactured by Chinese state-owned planemaker COMAC to operate in the country. COMAC is seeking to establish itself as an alternative to leading Western planemakers Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab and Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab. However, its two passenger plane models currently operate almost exclusively within mainland China, and the company seeks to expand its presence in international markets. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Before an airline can operate any aircraft model, it must receive approval from the national aviation regulator. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha assigned the transport ministry to review existing rules to remove regulatory hurdles to enable COMAC planes to operate in Vietnam, the government said in a statement, after a meeting in Hanoi between Ha and COMAC Board Director Tan Wangeng. COMAC has been eyeing Vietnam as a potential market for some time, and conducted a southeast Asia marketing tour last February, during which it flew two demonstration planes to the country. COMAC lacks benchmark certifications from the EU or the United States for its short-haul regional jet, C909, and its larger C919 model. Industry sources suggest that this is hindering the company's efforts to sell or lease to foreign airlines. Ha said as an initial step low-cost carrier VietJet (VJC.HM), opens new tab, Vietnam's leading private airline, may work with a Chinese airline operating COMAC planes to test aircraft on some routes. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-considers-removing-barriers-china-made-comac-aircraft-operate-country-2025-01-16/ The banned airlines deemed unsafe to fly in the UK At least 138 carriers are not compliant with international safety standards to fly in the UK At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Aviation industry regulations are as stringent as ever in 2025 – but passengers should still consider the safety of operations when choosing who to fly with. Failure to follow operational protocols and meet internationally agreed safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) can land airlines on the UK Air Safety List of carriers banned from operating. Following its departure from the European Union in 2020, the UK Government agreed on a Future Trade Agreement from 31 December 2020 to establish a new framework for air travel. Pakistan International Airlines is not permitted to operate in UK airspace despite the EU lifting its four-year ban Third-country operators are now required to hold a UK-Part TCO certificate and a Foreign Carrier Permit issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) before any commercial flight can travel to, from or within the United Kingdom. According to advice from the CAA and the UK Air Safety Committee, 138 named carriers are currently prohibited from operating commercial flights in UK airspace due to poor safety performance. Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, said: “In reality, there is no likelihood of the vast majority of these airlines ever flying to the European Union or the UK. But the list provides a handy guide of carriers to be wary of when travelling in the rest of the world.” Here are the airlines banned from taking off for the UK to protect and inform travellers. The airlines banned from operating in the UK Afghanistan All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Afghanistan are banned from operating, including: Ariana Afghan Airlines Kam Air Angola All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Angola are banned from operating, including: Aerojet Air Jet Bestfly Aircraft Guicango Heliang Sjl These two airlines are exempt from the restrictions: Taag-Linhas Aereas De Angola, S.A. dba Taag- Angola Airlines Heli Malongo Aviacao e Servicos De Angola, LDA dba Heli-Malongo Armenia All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Armenia are banned from operating, including: Aircompany Armenia Armenia Airways Armenia Helicopters Atlantis Armenian Airlines Atlantis European Airways Mars Avia Skyball Comoros One carrier with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Comoros is prohibited from operating commercial air services within the UK: Air Service Comores Congo (Brazzaville) All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Congo (Brazzaville) are banned from operating, including: Canadian Airways Congo Equaflight Services Equajet Societe Nouvelle Air Congo Trans Air Congo Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are banned from operating, including: Air Fast Congo Air Katanga Busy Bee Congo Compagnie Africaine D’Aviation (CAA) Congo Airways Kin Avia Malu Aviation Mwant Jet Serve Air Cargo Swala Aviation Mwant Jet Djibouti All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Equatorial Guinea are banned from operating, including: Daallo Airlines Equatorial Guinea All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Equatorial Guinea are banned from operating, including: Ceiba Intercontinental Cronos Airlines Eritrea All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Eritrea are banned from operating, including: Eritrean Airlines Nasair Eritrea Iran The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Iran is banned from operating: Iran Aseman Airlines Iran Air, with the exception of their Fokker 100 and B747 aircraft, is permitted to operate into, within or out of the United Kingdom. Iraq The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Iraq is banned from operating: Iraqi Airways Kyrgyzstan All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Kyrgyzstan are banned from operating, including: Air Company Air Kg Air Manas Avia Traffic Company Sky Kg Airlines Tez Jet Liberia According to the UK Air Safety List, “all air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Liberia are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the United Kingdom”. Libya All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Libya are banned from operating, including: Afriqiyah Airways Air Libya Al Maha Aviation Buraq Air Global Aviation and Services Libyan Airlines Libyan Wings Airlines Petro Air Nepal All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Nepal are banned from operating, including: Air Dynasty Heli. S Altitude Air Buddha Air Fishtail Air Guna Airlines Heli Everest Himalaya Airlines Kailash Helicopter Services Makalu Air Manang Air Pvt Mountain Helicopters Mustang Helicopters Prabhu Helicopters Nepal Airlines Corporation Saurya Airlines Shree Airlines Simrik Air Sita Air Summit Air Tara Air Yeti Airlines North Korea Airline Air Koryo is permitted to fly in the UK when operating TU-204 aircraft with registration P-632 or P-633. All other aircraft operated by Air Koryo are banned. Pakistan All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Pakistan are banned from operating, including: Airblue Limited AirSial Pakistan International Airlines SereneAir Private Ltd. Vision Air International (Private) Ltd. The Russian Federation All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of The Russian Federation are banned from operating, including: Airbridgecargo Airlines Limited Liability Company Air Company Aviacon Zitotrans Aircompany North-West Llc Air Company Sirius-Aero Ltd Air Company Sky Gates Airlines Llc Atran Llc Aviacompany Aviastar-Tu Azur Air Limited Liability Company Erofey Limited Liability Company Fsbi Aviation Rescue Company Of Emercom Of Russia Gazpromavia Aviation Company Limited Joint Stock Company Air Company Yakutia Joint Stock Company Air Management Group Joint Stock Company Alrosa Air Company Joint Stock Company Azimuth Airlines Joint-Stock Company Iraero Airlines Joint Stock Company Jet Air Group Joint Stock Company Nordstar Airlines Joint Stock Company Red Wings Joint Stock Company Royal Flight Airlines Joint Stock Company Rusjet Joint Stock Company Siberia Airlines Joint Stock Company Smartavia Airlines Joint Stock Company The 224-th Flight Unit State Airlines Joint Stock Company Ural Airlines Joint Stock Company Uvt Aero Js Aviation Company Rusline Jsc Yamal Airlines Limited Liability Company Aviaservis Limited Liability Company Aviation Technology Investment Service Llc Aircompany Ikar Llc Nord Wind Ltd I Fly Meridian Air Company Pobeda Airlines Limited Liability Company Rossiya Airlines Joint Stock Company Russian Airlines Aeroflot Severstal Aircompany Ltd Tulpar Air Ltd Turukhan Aviation Utair Aviation Utair Limited Volga Dnepr Airlines São Tomé and Principe All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of São Tomé and Principe are banned from operating, including: Africa’s Connection STP Airways Sierra Leone According to the UK Air Safety List, “all air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Sierra Leone are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the United Kingdom”. Sudan All air carriers certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Sudan are banned from operating, including: Alfa Airlines Sd Badr Airlines Blue Bird Aviation Eldinder Aviation Green Flag Aviation Helejetic Air Kata Air Transport Kush Aviation Nova Airways Sudan Airways Sun Air Tarco Air Suriname The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Suriname is banned from operating: Blue Wing Airlines Venezuela The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Venezuela is banned from operating: Avior Airlines Zimbabwe The following air carrier certified by the authorities with responsibility for regulatory oversight of Zimbabwe is banned from operating: Air Zimbabwe (PVT) https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/airlines-banned-uk-air-safety-list-b2680575.html ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025, DENVER, COLORADO CALL FOR PAPERS www.isasiannualseminar.com It is with great pleasure that the organizing committee invites expressions of interest to present a paper at the ISASI 2025 seminar which will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver, Colorado from September 29th through October 4th. Further information on the tutorials, main program, registration, and accommodation options will be provided in due course. The theme for ISASI 2025 is “Soaring to New Heights: A World of Innovation.” Denver is known for its picturesque and grand mountain ranges which soar high over the city. Additionally, we find ourselves in an ever rapidly evolving aviation ecosystem in which we now share portions of our airspace with the growing commercial space and UAS/UAV industries. Can we keep up with these advancements as investigators? What do we need to do in order to stay one step ahead of the next incident or accident? We invite abstract submissions which support this theme, including topics such as: • Commercial space development, technology, and mishap investigations • New, novel, and experimental investigative technologies in accident investigation • Research on notable technological safety improvements and their contribution to safety • Challenges in protecting the safety, security, and continuity of increasing amounts of flight data • Improvements and challenges in novel aircraft and engine designs • Uncrewed and autonomous vehicle investigations • Training of the next generation of aviation safety professionals with novel methodology • Accident or incident case studies involving technological advancements as contributing factors to the event, or their use during the investigation • Training of a new cadre of accident investigator in an increasingly safer operating environment as experienced investigators retire • The scope of the seminar is wide ranging. Papers are welcome from all aspects of safety investigation including operations, cabin safety, training, human factors, technology, family assistance, regulation and case studies. Papers should be supported by a 20-minute presentation with a further 10 minutes allotted for questions. Further details for the Call for Papers are available at www.isasiannualseminar.com. Please review the submission guidelines (available here and at www.isasiannualseminar.com). We look forward to seeing you at ISASI 2025! Abstract Submission Guidelines Please see the sidebar (for mobile phone viewing, bottom of this email) for the submission deadlines. • Submissions via www.isasiannualseminar.com • Use standard 1‐inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides • Please use a 12‐point font in Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial (in this order of preference) • Use single-spacing • The title should be boldface and centered at the top • Author name(s) should be boldface and set below the title. • Include your organization name and your title (if applicable) • Provide your abstract for your paper that adequately enables the Technical Program Committee to judge the merits of your paper based upon interest, contemporary or future thought, audience pertinence, wide application, technical merits of the paper, communication, and finally integration of the seminar theme to some level • New for 2025:To ensure the highest quality presentations, all interested presenters are strongly encouraged to submit a short video recording (less than 2 minutes) of themselves showcasing their abstract and the main themes of their presentation. General The term “paper” refers to the document that will be posted on the ISASI member website following the seminar and possibly reproduced in Forum magazine. The term “presentation” refers to the actual presentation made at the seminar which usually consists of PowerPoint slides. NOTE: All submissions (other than invited keynotes) require a paper and a presentation in accordance with the schedule. Consent for Email Use By submitting of an Expression of Interest and Abstract, you give the International Society of Air Safety Investigators permission to use your email address to communicate with you, and to provide access to the conference software where, if selected, you will upload your presentation materials. Contributor License Agreement Concurrent with the submission and acceptance of the technical presentation material, the contributor grants the International Society of Air Safety Investigators non‐exclusive, no‐ charge, royalty‐free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publish for consumption and distribute the contribution and such derivative works. This is a license agreement only; it does not transfer copyright ownership and does not change your rights to use your own Contribution for any other purpose. Permission to Publish in ISASI Forum Authors not wishing their papers to be considered for publication in the ISASI Forum should so indicate with the submission of their paper. The absence of such notification will be considered as permission to publish the paper as outlined above in the Contributor License Agreement statement. For ease of transfer, all papers should be submitted as attachments to an email or be placed on USB memory stick and mailed to the Technical Committee to be received 20‐days before the seminar (an upload option may be also be made available). PAPER DEADLINES www.isasiannualseminar.com Jan 31, 2025 Expression of interest (simply, "I am interested in presenting") Feb 28, 2025 Abstract, CV/resume/, professional biography Mar 31, 2025 Presenters notified Apr 30, 2025 Draft papers, including a refined abstract of three pages and outline are due Jun 30, 2025 Final papers and draft PowerPoint presentation due Jul 31, 2025 Final Powerpoint presentation due Aug 31, 2025 All presentation materials, bio, headshot photo uploaded to Speaker Resource Center Volunteers needed for Greenwich led aeroplane evacuation trials The University of Greenwich, with partners Cranfield University, will be running a series of evacuation trials in February 2025. These trials will investigate the decisions made by passengers when they’re evacuating a large Blended Wing Body aircraft BWB aeroplanes are cutting-edge concepts where there is no clear divide between the wings and the main body of the aeroplane, unlike current passenger aeroplanes which are essentially long tubes with two wings. Participants in these trials will be some of the first people to experience what the interiors of these ‘planes of the future’ will be like. This study will help to improve aeroplane evacuations and provide the aviation industry with valuable information about how people behave when evacuating these novel new concept aeroplanes. A series of trials are planned, requiring the participation of over 1500 volunteers between the ages of 18-65 years. Experts from the University of Greenwich will be designing the trials, as well as analysing the data. As part of the design process, the trials have been simulated using Greenwich’s own aircraft evacuation simulation software, airEXODUS, and so the in-person trials will also be used to further validate the predictions of that software. For the full-scale evacuation trials, a like-for-like mock-up of the BWB cabin interior is being constructed by Cranfield University at their Bedfordshire campus. Cranfield University is also managing the recruitment of the volunteers. During the trials, participants will board the BWB mock-up, receive a pre-flight safety briefing from cabin crew and then at an unspecified time there will be an instruction to evacuate due to an emergency. Everyone will be asked to quickly but safely make their way to an exit. Further details for volunteers to consider are: - The BWB cabin mock-up will be stationary at all times and is ground-based. There are no stairs to board or disembark. - Audio will be used in the cabin to simulate engines starting, taxiing and take-off. - Smoke will not be used in the cabin to simulate and emergency. - Emergency evacuation slides will not be used. - Each evacuation trial will involve a large number of people, so volunteers must be comfortable in crowded places. - Volunteers behaviour in the cabin will be recorded by overhead cameras. - Each participant will be involved in three evacuation trials during the day. After exiting the BWB mock-up, participants will complete a questionnaire about the choices they made during evacuation. Experts from the University of Greenwich will then analyse that information to help the aviation industry develop its aircraft designs and safety protocols. Professor Ed Galea, leading the University of Greenwich side of the project said, ‘BWB aircraft are an exciting concept for the future of passenger flight. There are several projects around the world pursuing this concept, driven by its potential to deliver significant aerodynamic efficiencies that will help in reducing fuel burn and the aviation industry’s contribution to global warming. However, a major challenge facing BWB concepts, given their cavernous interiors, is whether it is possible to safely evacuate everyone in less than 90 seconds, as required by international aviation safety regulations. Our advanced evacuation modelling using the air EXODUS software suggests that, with an appropriately designed cabin interior and evacuation procedures, it may be possible. This project will test the concept further with full-scale evacuation trials. It is an exciting opportunity for members of the public to contribute to the future of passenger aviation’ The trials are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays between February 4-21, 2025. They will take place on Cranfield University campus in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. If you’d like to take part in the trials, or want more information, please visit the main evacuation trials web page. 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