Flight Safety Information - February 18, 2025 No. 035 In This Issue : Accident: Endeavor CRJ9 at Toronto on Feb 17th 2025, flipped over on landing : Airbus A321-271NX - Bird Strike (Brazil) : 'Hanging...like bats': Toronto plane crash survivor speaks out after aircraft flips on runway : Hundreds of United Passengers Stranded on Snowy Island for Days : Hundreds fired at aviation safety agency, union says : A look at recent aviation disasters in North America : Airbus Starts Year With $5 Billion In Airplane Orders : Boeing's Air Force One program could be delayed until 2029, or later, White House official says : Global aerospace firms turn to India amid Western supply chain crisis : Middle East Airlines Are Set to Revive an Aircraft Buying Spree : Southwest Airlines is cutting 15% of its workforce in its first-ever mass layoff. Read the CEO's full memo to employees. : Boeing Aims to Shut Down ‘Shadow Factories’ : Calendar of Events Accident: Endeavor CRJ9 at Toronto on Feb 17th 2025, flipped over on landing An Endeavor Airlines Canadair CRJ-900 on behalf of Delta Airlines, registration N932XJ performing flight DL-4819 from Minneapolis,MN (USA) to Toronto,ON (Canada) with 76 passengers and 4 crew, landed on Toronto's runway 23 at 14:12L (19:12Z) but came to a stop on the runway inverted, both wings, both main gear and the tailplane separated from the airframe. There were no fatalities, however, one person was critically injured, 7 others received minor injuries. Toronto Airport reported all people on board have been accounted for. Emergency services reported one person is in critical condition, 7 others have received injuries. The Canadian TSB reported: "TSBAir is deploying a team to investigate an aircraft accident at Toronto / Lester B. Pearson International Airport, ON. The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence." The NTSB reported: "The NTSB is leading a team of U.S. investigators to assist the Transportation Safety Board of Canada with their investigation of today’s accident of a Delta Air Lines Bombardier CRJ900 at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Per international protocols under the International Civil Aviation Organization's Annex 13, any information about the investigation will be released by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada." https://avherald.com/h?article=52439b47&opt=0 ********************** Date: Monday 17 February 2025 Time: c. 14:13 LT Type: Bombardier CL-600-2D24 Regional Jet CRJ-900LR Owner/operator: Delta Connection, opb Endeavor Air Registration: N932XJ MSN: 15194 Year of manufacture: 2008 Engine model: GE CF34-8C5 Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 80 Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Destroyed Category: Accident Location: Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ/CYYZ), Toronto, ON - Canada Phase: Landing Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, MN (MSP/KMSP) Destination airport: Toronto-Pearson International Airport, ON (YYZ/CYYZ) Investigating agency: TSB Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: A Delta Connection Bombardier CL-600-2D24 Regional Jet CRJ-900LR, flight EDV4819 operated by Endeavor Air, was destroyed following a landing accident on runway 23 at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ/CYYZ), Toronto. Ontario. The four crew members and seventy-six passengers survived, but eighteen were injured, three of them seriously. Several videos captured the accident sequence. On touchdown, the right hand main gear collapsed, causing a fire and the right wing to contact the ground. The wing dragged along the runway surface for about 3 seconds before the aircraft flipped inverted. A post crash fire ensued which was (mostly) contained by airport emergency services. Photos from the scene shows that the right wing had separated and the aircraft came to rest inverted. The main gear and tail control surfaces were impact damaged and separated as well. The left wing and nose gear remained attached to the airframe. At 1400 LT, about 12 minutes before the accident, the YYZ automated surface observing system reported winds from 270 at 28 knots, gusting 35 knots, 6 miles surface visibility, blowing snow, 3,400ft AGL ft above ground level (agl) broken cloudlayer, temperature -9°C, dew point -14°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.93 inches of mercury (1014hpa). At 1432 LT, about 20 minutes after the accident, the YYZ automated surface observing system reported winds from 270 at 20 knots, gusting 32 knots, 6 miles surface visibility, blowing snow, 3,000ft AGL ft above ground level (agl) broken cloudlayer, temperature -8°C, dew point -13°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.94 inches of mercury (1014hpa). METAR: CYYZ 171932Z 27020G32KT 6SM R24L/2600VP6000FT/D BLSN BKN030 M08/M13 A2994 RMK CU5 ACCIDENT REPORT SLP151 CYYZ 171900Z 27028G35KT 6SM R24L/3000VP6000FT/U BLSN BKN034 M09/M14 A2993 RMK CU6 SLP149 https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/478376 Airbus A321-271NX - Bird Strike (Brazil) Date: Monday 17 February 2025 Time: 19:53 UTC Type: Airbus A321-271NX Owner/operator: LATAM Registration: PS-LBJ MSN: 11723 Year of manufacture: 2024 Engine model: P&W PW1133G-JM Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: Other fatalities: 0 Aircraft damage: Unknown Category: Incident Location: Fortaleza-Pinto Martins Airport, CE (FOR/SBFZ) - Brazil Phase: Initial climb Nature: Passenger - Scheduled Departure airport: Fortaleza-Pinto Martins Airport, CE (FOR/SBFZ) Destination airport: São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, SP (GRU/SBGR) Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources Narrative: LATAM flight LA3319, an Airbus A321-271NX, suffered a bird strike on departure from Fortaleza-Pinto Martins Airport, CE (FOR). The flight entered a holding pattern to burn fuel and returned to land back at FOR. https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/478466 'Hanging...like bats': Toronto plane crash survivor speaks out after aircraft flips on runway “It all happened pretty, pretty fast," one survivor told ABC News. In the video -- obtained exclusively by ABC News -- passengers can be seen hanging upside down in the cabin, being held into their seats dangling only by their seatbelts. There were no warning signs for the passengers aboard Delta Flight 4819, as the 76 passengers and four crew approached a snowy Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday afternoon, according to passenger John Nelson. “The winds were whipping pretty hard and the runways were snow covered,” Nelson recounted to ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “There was no warning.” As the plane’s wheels touched the tarmac, Nelson described hitting the runway “extremely hard,” the aircraft popping slightly into the air, and the entire plane learning to the left. “It was just incredibly fast. There was a giant firewall down the side. I could actually feel the heat through the glass,” Nelson recounted.“Then we were going sideways. I'm not even sure how many times we tumbled, but we ended upside down,” he said. When the plane finally came to a stop, Nelson recounted that the cabin was suddenly quiet before the 80 people onboard -- most of whom were hanging upside down bats in the cabin – attempted to “make a sense of what just had happened.” “We released the seat belts. I kind of fell to the floor, which is now the ceiling, and helped the lady next to me get out of her seat belt,” Nelson said. According to Nelson, the flight attendants immediately took control, directing passengers to exit the cabin and opening the emergency doors. “You heard the flight attendants yelling, ‘Open the door. Everybody, take your stuff and get out now,’” he recounted. “We all worked together and got out of there as quickly as we could.” According to Nelson, the scene was surprisingly “calm” as passengers assisted each other to crawl out of the plane and find their phones. When he made it out the plane, Nelson took out his phone to capture the moment as every passenger and crew on the flight made it out alive. “We’re in Toronto. We just landed. Our plane crashed. It’s upside down. Fire Department is on site. Upside down. Most people appear to be okay, we’re all getting off,” he said while shooting the video, which has been seen by millions over the last 24 hours. “What was going through your mind? Could you believe you'd survived a crash?” Stephanopoulos asked. “No, it's something that I don't think you can ever even really prepare for,” Nelson recounted. “As we were tumbling … I tried to just keep from hitting my head right, and just trying to protect myself and my body. I was trying to, just to do the best to make it through it.” Peter Koukov, who was also able to shoot video as he crawled out, said he didn’t know something was wrong until they hit the ground. “We hit the ground and we were sideways, and then we were hanging upside down like bats,” Koukov told ABC News. “It all happened pretty, pretty fast. The plane was upside down, obviously, some people were kind of hanging and needed some help being helped down.” The flight crew can be seen standing on the ceiling helping passengers scramble to escape in the video. “The one minute you're landing and kind of waiting to see your friends and your people and the next minute you're physically upside down and just really turned around,” Pete Carlson, a passenger on the plane, told ABC News. “It sounded, I mean, it was just cement and metal, you know.” The Delta regional jet, a CRJ 900 aircraft operated by Endeavor Air, departed from Minneapolis on Monday afternoon, heading to Toronto with 76 passengers and four crew landing just after 2 p.m. local time. “All of a sudden the fire trucks and helicopters, you know, pushed out on a trolley and thought there was something wrong,” said Ron James, an eyewitness who saw the smoke right before he was supposed to board his flight at a nearby terminal. “Then we were going to get on the plane and they said no you’re not going anywhere.” At least 18 passengers were taken to hospitals, airport officials said in an update Monday evening. Peel Regional Paramedic Services said none of the injuries were considered to be life-threatening. Three people suffered critical injuries -- one child, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 40s -- according to Ornge, which provides medical transport. The child was transported to the Hospital for Sick Children and is listed in good condition, the hospital said Monday evening. Among the others, 12 people have mild injuries, Peel Regional Paramedics Services said. “Airport emergency workers mounted a textbook response, reaching the site within minutes,” said Deborah Flint, president and CEO of Toronto Pearson International Airport. “This outcome is in due part to their heroic work, and I thank them profusely.” At the time of landing, winds were gusting up to 40 mph but the cause of the crash is still under investigation. “This is an active investigation. It's very early on,” said Todd Aitken, fire chief at Toronto Pearson International Airport. “It's really important that we do not speculate. What we can say is the runway was dry and there was no crosswind conditions.” https://abcnews.go.com/International/hanging-bats-toronto-plane-crash-survivor-speaks-after/story?id=118917023 Hundreds of United Passengers Stranded on Snowy Island for Days A United Airlines flight from the U.S. to Ireland had to turn back three hours into the journey because of a medical emergency, meaning hundreds of passengers and crew were stranded in Canada for days. The Boeing 777 destined for Dublin took off from Newark, New Jersey, on Thursday but didn’t make it to the Irish capital until Sunday. Twelve crew and 259 passengers, including America’s top Catholic, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, were rerouted to St. John’s International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada. While the ill passenger was whisked off to a hospital, Dolan and co. were stranded without their baggage, due to staffing issues meaning it couldn’t be accessed. The plot thickened when inclement weather conditions meant it was unsafe to fly until Sunday. But in the interim, the archbishop made the most of the hand he was dealt and even said Mass in a local church. “We left Newark, New Jersey, Thursday on our way to Dublin... and we ended up here with you and we’re still. We are unable to get out due to inclement weather,” Dolan said Saturday during Mass at the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. He later thanked the people of Newfoundland for their hospitality. “Thank you to the gracious people of St. John the Baptist in St. John’s, Newfoundland, who took me in after my flight to Ireland was grounded,” the 75-year-old said on X. “It was my joy to offer Mass in the cathedral that it’s said inspired Archbishop John Joseph Hughes to build @StPatsNYC,” he wrote, referring to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. “While high winds kept the aircraft grounded, we provided hotel accommodation and meal vouchers for our customers,” United said in a statement shared with Mail Online. “With the weather improved, the flight departed Sunday morning from St. John’s to Dublin and arrived at 4:18pm (local time).” The St. John’s airport welcomes rerouted flights from time to time, as it’s on a flight path over the Atlantic. It is also not unusual for passengers to get stranded for a time due to the weather. https://www.yahoo.com/news/hundreds-united-passengers-stranded-snowy-181821682.html Hundreds fired at aviation safety agency, union says The Trump administration has begun firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, according to the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union, weeks after a fatal mid-air plane collision in Washington DC. Several hundreds of the agency's probationary workers - who have generally been in their positions for less than a year - received the news via email late on Friday night, a statement from PASS's head, Alex Spero said. It is a part of a cost-cutting drive, driven by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), that aims to drastically cut the federal workforce. Spero called the firings "shameful" and said they "will increase the workload and place new responsibilities on a workforce that is already stretched thin". The BBC has contacted the FAA and department of transport for comment. According to Spero's statement, workers affected include systems specialists, safety inspectors, maintenance mechanics and administrative staff, among others. Criticising the move, Spero said the FAA is "already challenged by understaffing", and that the decision to cut staff was "unconscionable in the aftermath of three deadly aircraft accidents in the past month", including the crash near Washington DC's Ronald Reagan airport, in which 67 people were killed. Jason King, who is among those laid off, said he was worried about how the move would impact on aviation safety. He told WUSA9, an affiliate of the BBC's US partner CBS, firing people directly involved with air safety is "concerning for public safety in our national airspace." Mr King, whose work at the FAA involved directly addressing safety concerns, said the move "threatens public trust and increases the likelihood of future accidents". "Aviation safety should never be treated as a budget item that can just be completely cut," he added. On Monday, a team from Elon Musk's SpaceX was set to visit the FAA to suggest improvements to the US's air traffic control system, following the Washington DC plane collision in January. Though the National Transport Safety Board has not yet determined the cause of the collision, staffing levels in air traffic control at the airport, were reportedly below normal levels on the evening of the crash. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said the SpaceX team's visit to the FAA would give them a "first-hand look at the current system", and would allow them to figure out how they make "a new, world-class air traffic control system that will be the envy of the world." He added that he plans to visit the FAA Academy - which provides training for the organisation's workforce - later this week, to learn more about staff member's education "and how we can ensure that only the very best guide our aircraft". President Donald Trump caused controversy last month when he suggested diversity programmes supported by his predecessors had lowered hiring standards that could have affected the Washington DC plane crash. 'We were blindsided': Federal workers react to buy-out offer The Trump administration has ordered government agencies to fire nearly all of their probationary employees, who have not yet earned job protection. It is a move that could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of people. Among those losing their jobs in Friday's cuts were half of the Centers of Disease Control's so-called "disease detectives", multiple health officials told CBS. The researchers - officially officers serving in a two-year programme in the organisation's Epidemic Intelligence Service - are often deployed on the front lines of major disease outbreaks. Many members of the scheme have gone on to rise in the agency's ranks. President Trump has also asked the Supreme Court to allow him to fire the head of an independent ethics agency that protects whistleblower federal employees. Hampton Dellinger, the head of the US Office of Special Counsel, sued the Trump administration after being fired last month. It is thought to be the first case related to Trump's series of executive actions to reach the country's highest court. Since taking office, the president has cut more than a dozen inspectors general at various federal agencies. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly9y1e1kpjo A look at recent aviation disasters in North America The crash of a Delta Air Lines plane in Toronto is the fourth major aviation disaster in North America in the last month. Here’s a look at each of the crashes. Passenger plane flips during landing in Toronto A Delta plane arriving Monday at Toronto’s Pearson Airport from Minneapolis flipped and landed on its roof, injuring at least 17 people. The airport confirmed that an “incident” occurred Monday with the Delta flight and that all 80 passengers and crew are accounted for. Ornge air ambulance said it was transporting one child to Toronto’s SickKids hospital and two adults with critical injuries to other hospitals in the city. Video from the scene showed the Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR upside down on the snowy tarmac as emergency workers hose it down. According to the Meteorological Service of Canada, the airport was experiencing blowing snow and winds of 32 mph (51 kph) gusting to 40 mph (65 mph). The temperature was about 16.5 degrees (minus 8.6 Celsius). Endeavor Air, based in Minneapolis, is a Delta subsidiary and the world’s largest operator of CRJ-900 aircraft, a popular regional jet developed by Canadian aerospace company Bombardier. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the Transportation Safety Board of Canada will head up the investigation and provide any updates. Commuter plane crashes in Alaska, killing all 10 aboard A small commuter plane on its way to Nome crashed on Feb. 6, killing the pilot and nine passengers. The Bering Air single-engine turboprop Cessna Caravan was traveling from Unalakleet when it disappeared about an hour after taking off. The Coast Guard said the aircraft went missing about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Nome. After a wide search, the plane’s splintered body and debris were found the next day on the sea ice. The day of the crash there was light snow and fog, with a temperature of 17 degrees (minus 8.3 Celsius). The commuter flight was part of a workhorse network of short-hop flights that people in the immense and rugged state rely on to get to medical appointments, attend work meetings, buy essential supplies or even travel to away sports games. The victims included two men who were on a work trip to service a heat recovery system vital to a community’s water treatment plant, a retired teacher who was on a trip mentoring other teachers, and another person who was flying for a doctor’s appointment. Air ambulance crashes onto busy Philadelphia street, killing seven A medical transport jet with a child patient, her mother and four others aboard crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood on Jan. 31, exploding in a fireball that engulfed several homes. The crash killed seven people, including all those aboard, and injured 19 others. The Learjet 55 took off and then plummeted in a steep descent, crashing less than a minute after takeoff from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport. The plane hit the ground during a busy Friday evening less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the airport, leaving a crash scene of at least four blocks. A father who was inside his car when the small plane crashed was among those killed. The plane operated by Jet Rescue Air Ambulance was on its way to Mexico, returning the child, who had spent months in treatment at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia hospital. Jet Rescue is based in Mexico and has operations both there and in the U.S. Helicopter and plane collide near Washington, killing 67 A midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight about to land at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29 killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft. It was the country’s deadliest aviation disaster since 2001. The regional jet out of Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew and preparing to land when the helicopter apparently flew into its path, causing a collision that sent both aircraft into the icy waters of the Potomac River. The UH-60 Black Hawk, based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was on a training exercise and carried three soldiers. Among those killed were members of the Skating Club of Boston who were returning from a development camp that followed the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. The victims also included a group of hunters returning from a guided trip in Kansas, four members of a steamfitters’ local union in suburban Maryland, nine students and parents from Fairfax County, Virginia, schools and two Chinese nationals. https://apnews.com/article/recent-plane-crashes-us-canada-delta-toronto-1d6e07a4bed5e229cdd1d8c415e955e5 Airbus Starts Year With $5 Billion In Airplane Orders Summary • Airbus delivered 766 airplanes in 2024, narrowly missing its target but showing strong performance in the final months, signaling a positive outlook for 2025. • Airbus started 2025 with $5.7 billion in orders, including 55 airplanes, despite four cancellations, reflecting strong demand across single aisle, wide body, and freighter segments. • January saw a decline in deliveries to 25 airplanes, valued at $1.5 billion, but this is typical due to seasonal factors and not indicative of annual performance. Airbus (OTCPK:EADSF) (OTCPK:EADSY) delivered 766 airplanes in 2024. The year marked another challenging year for the European jet maker, but the company increased deliveries in the final months and came extremely close to the delivery target, while for a long time, it did not seem like the company would even get close to its delivery target. That is an encouraging sign for 2025. The company recently shared its order and delivery numbers for 2025, which I will discuss in this report. Airbus Starts Year With $5.7 Billion In Airplane Orders For this analysis, I am using a data, visualization and intelligence tool developed by The Aerospace Forum aiming to make the complexities of the commercial airplane manufacturing industry better understandable. This image shows the Airbus airplane orders and deliveries. The Aerospace Forum In January, Airbus booked 55 orders valued at $5.7 billion, consisting of 26 single aisle orders and 29 wide body orders: An unidentified customer ordered one Airbus A321neo. A second unidentified customer ordered 10 Airbus A330-900s. A third unidentified customer ordered three Airbus A350Fs. A fourth unidentified customer ordered six Airbus A350-900s. Lufthansa (OTCQX:DLAKF) ordered 25 Airbus A320neos. Starlux ordered 5 Airbus A350Fs. During the month, the following order book changes and mutations took place: A government or private/executive customer cancelled an order for one Airbus A220-100. An undisclosed customer cancelled orders for three Airbus A320neos. AerCap (AER) converted an order for one Airbus A321neo to an order for one Airbus A320neo. JetSmart took over a delivery slot for one Airbus A320neo from BOC Aviation. Malta MedAir was identified as the customer for one Airbus A320neo. In January, Airbus booked a flurry of unidentified customers. While not all airplane programs received orders, we saw continued interesting for the single aisle, wide body and freighter line up. In total, 55 airplanes, which after processing four cancellations left Airbus 51 orders valued $5.5 billion. In the same month last year, Airbus booked 31 orders and no cancellations, bringing net orders to 31 airplanes valued at $5.1 billion. So, year-on-year we do see an increase in net orders as well as net order value, but the orders were exclusively wide body airplanes in the comparable period last year providing a higher average value per airplane. Airbus Starts Year With Declining Airplane Deliveries Airbus delivered a total of 25 airplanes in December, valued at $1.5 billion: Airbus delivered three Airbus A220s, which were all for the bigger and more popular -300 model. A total of 20 Airbus A320neo airplanes were delivered, including two Airbus A319neo airplanes, seven Airbus A320neo airplanes and 11 Airbus A321neo airplanes. There were no Airbus A330 deliveries during the month. There were two Airbus A350 airplane deliveries, one for the -900 model and one for the -1000 model. During the same month last year, Airbus delivered 30 airplanes valued at $1.7 billion. So, year-on-year Airbus saw deliveries be somewhat lower, but there is no reason to project the airplane deliveries in January forward or assume that the year-on-year decline is reflective of the full year. January is a month with low airplane deliveries due to seasonality. The book-to-bill ratio was 2.2x in terms of units and 3.7x in terms of value. This reflects continued strong order inflow with a richer mix of wide body airplanes against a naturally slow start to the year in terms of airplane deliveries. Conclusion: Airbus Starts Year On A Low Note As is always the case with the first two months for Airbus, January deliveries were soft, but there is no indication whatsoever that the year-on-year decline is going to be reflective of the delivery efficiency in the balance of the year. In fact, I would be surprised if that were the case. Generally, there is still some pressure from the aerospace supply chain especially on turbofans for wide bodies, but we are also seeing positive indications from suppliers that things are better under control for the aerospace supply chain which should be a positive sign for airplane deliveries in 2025. In terms of orders, Airbus had yet another good month, and that means that the company’s backlog keeps growing. I am maintaining my buy rating for Airbus as I believe its commercial airplane business will see yet another strong year in terms of orders and deliveries. https://seekingalpha.com/article/4759108-airbus-starts-year-with-5-billion-airplane-orders Boeing's Air Force One program could be delayed until 2029, or later, White House official says Summary • Supply chain issues and changing requirements cause delays • Boeing faces over $2 billion in costs due to fixed-price contract • Trump's involvement may lead to further Boeing challenges WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The Air Force One program may be further delayed until 2029 or years later, a senior administration official said, citing supply chain issues and changing requirements, after the White House said the project failed to deliver a new plane on time over the weekend. The delays are frustrating, but not much can be done to speed delivery, the official told Reuters, noting that Boeing faced problems getting components since some manufacturers had gone out of business. Some requirements for the aircraft had also changed, given evolving potential threats, the official said. Boeing referred questions about the schedule of the program, known as VC-25B, to the U.S. Air Force which was not immediately available for comment. "Clearly, the president would like the airplane earlier, and so we're working to see what could be done to accomplish that," Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told Reuters in January. The first aircraft was slated for delivery in December 2024, but Boeing has pushed its delivery off until at least 2027 or 2028 - towards the end of Trump's second term in office. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Digital magazine Breaking Defense in December reported that the presidential aircraft program faced new delays that could push delivery of the first jet to 2029 or later. Asked about the report, the administration official acknowledged the fresh delays and the delay could stretch "years beyond" 2029. U.S. President Donald Trump has been deeply engaged with the program since his 2016 presidential campaign, extracting a promise from then-Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg to cap the program's cost at $4 billion. Those fixed-price contract terms, questioned by analysts at the time and finalized in 2018, have cost Boeing over $2 billion so far. Trump's renewed engagement could signal further problems for Boeing, whose current Ortberg said the company was meeting with Trump's billionaire cost-cutting ally Elon Musk to get the plane updated quicker, analysts said. "The president wants those planes sooner so we're working with Elon to see what can we do to pull up the schedule of those programs," Ortberg told CNBC on Jan. 28. Boeing leaders have said that production has been slowed by supply chain issues, high costs and the complexity of the planes that are intended to be an airborne White House. Trump waded back into the issue on Saturday when he toured a 12-year-old 747-8 aircraft at Palm Beach International Airport, near his Florida vacation home, to get a better understanding of the configuration of the two new presidential transport aircraft, according to the White House. The 747-8 aircraft Trump toured was formerly owned by Qatar but has since been rebuilt and now operates as a charter. “He saw how everything was configured. It’s a bigger space,” the official said, adding that the current Air Force One aircraft were relatively small. The new airplane would accommodate more people, including media, the official said. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeings-air-force-one-program-could-be-delayed-until-2029-or-later-senior-2025-02-17/ Global aerospace firms turn to India amid Western supply chain crisis BENGALURU (Reuters) - Airbus, Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce are expanding parts sourcing from India, driving growth in the country's emerging aerospace sector and pushing local firms to elevate their games, industry insiders say. Bengaluru-based Hical Technologies and JJG Aero are among those riding the wave. Hical, a supplier to Raytheon Technology and Boeing among others, aims to double revenue to 5 billion rupees ($57.57 million) from its aerospace division in three years, said Yashas Jaiveer Shashikiran, joint managing director. JJG Aero, also in Bengaluru’s industrial hub, took 12 years to hit $2 million in revenue but soared to $20 million in the last six, said CEO Anuj Jhunjhunwala. The growth is part of an Asia-Pacific aerospace surge, with 2024 revenue projected to be 54% above 2019 levels, while North America and Europe remain 3% and 4% lower, according to Accenture Research. “Earlier, we were chasing customers. Now, they are equally interested in evaluating Indian machine shops,” Jhunjhunwala said, adding that contracts were being signed more quickly and onboarding processes being done much faster than ever before. The companies produce parts for landing gear, wings, fuselage, electrical switches and motion control systems essential for flight safety and performance. Leading Western plane and engine manufacturers, whose output has been constrained by strikes, production caps, and parts and labour shortages since the pandemic, say they want to source more from India to meet rising demand for air travel. "India is the best solution to supply chain challenges,” Huw Morgan, senior vice president for aerospace procurement at Rolls-Royce, said last week at an industry event. "Our engine volumes are growing at around 20% and the traditional supply chains are just not able to support it," Morgan said. "India is ... the best cost market." The British company plans to double sourcing from India within five years. The country is among the biggest aircraft buyers in the world, yet accounts for only 1% of the global supply chain market, according to the recently formed Aerospace India Association. "Post-Covid, the global aerospace industry has reached an inflection point. While this shift began in 2020, aerospace is a slow-moving industry — it takes time for changes to materialise," said Aravind Melligeri of supplier Aequs. MORE PLANES, MORE PARTS India, the world's third-largest domestic aviation market by seats, is also among the fastest-growing, driving demand for maintenance services and parts. Massive aircraft orders from IndiGo and Air India are fuelling growth across the aviation ecosystem, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson told Reuters. Although Indian firms have long supplied the $180 billion global aerospace industry, they are now moving beyond basic manufacturing to higher-value work such as design, engineering, and system integration. Airbus in 2024 awarded its second aircraft door contract within a year to Indian suppliers. "India is contributing more than 1 billion euros currently in the overall Airbus supply chain and we expect to double that. Every commercial aircraft of Airbus today has some part or component that is made in India," said Michel Narchi, head Of international operations at Airbus said. INDUSTRY EFFORTS India’s civil aviation ministry held a meeting last week with industry leaders about boosting component manufacturing, said AIA Director General Srinivasan Dwarakanath. The association represents both Indian and global firms. He said a key step towards real value addition would be the local sourcing of raw materials such as aluminium, steel, and titanium, eventually leading to certification of designs made by Indian suppliers. The AIA estimates that India's aerospace industry will capture 10% of the global supply chain market within a decade, with the global market projected to reach $250 billion annually by 2033. "India also had the initial challenges of being physically farther away from the main markets of the U.S. and Europe. Engineering approvals, qualification timings, raw material sourcing - it took some time to build the ecosystem, but now India is all set," said Hical's Yashas Jaiveer. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/global-aerospace-firms-turn-india-091155305.html Middle East Airlines Are Set to Revive an Aircraft Buying Spree (Bloomberg) -- After largely sitting out last year’s flurry of aircraft orders, some of the biggest airlines in the Middle East are now preparing to replenish their fleets, with hundreds of planned purchases set to cement the region as key growth driver for Boeing Co. and Airbus SE. Among the carriers set to add planes is Flydubai, which is looking to purchase at least 200 narrowbody jets plus 100 options, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Neighboring Etihad Airways is meanwhile in talks for as many as 40 widebody aircraft, said the people who asked not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations. Joining the fray is Qatar Airways, which is closing in an order for about 230 twin-aisle aircraft in coming months, while Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, is in talks for about a dozen widebody jets, the people said. Add to that the 50 long-range planes that Riyadh Air is looking to buy, and the duopoly made up of Airbus and Boeing stands to pull in at least 500 orders from the region this year. Such a haul would solidify the Middle East as a major source of business for the two planemakers, as carriers expand and renew their fleets and locations like Dubai morph from transfer hubs into tourism destinations in their own right. While North America is still the largest profit contributor to the global aviation industry, the Middle East has enjoyed the strongest financial performance. It was also the only region last year where passenger yields jumped, thanks to strong demand for premium long-haul travel. Some of the biggest deals in recent years came from India and Turkey, which are seeking a larger slice of the global transfer market and — in the case of India — are catering to a more affluent middle class seeking to travel in the country and abroad. Given the near-record demand for new jets, airlines are clamoring to lock in delivery slots now stretching into the next decade for both single-aisle and twin-aisle aircraft. Airbus and Boeing have also struggled to ramp up production, partly because of still-constrained supply chain and engine maintenance issues. Boeing deferred to customers, while Airbus, Etihad and Qatar Airways declined to comment. Gulf Air didn’t reply to a request for comment. “We are in constant discussions with the aircraft manufacturers regarding future aircraft orders to support flydubai’s growth trajectory,” Flydubai Chief Executive Officer Ghaith Al Ghaith said in response to a request for comment. “We are currently assessing our requirement for narrow-body aircraft and any decision will be announced once it is finalized,” he said. Some carriers, including Flydubai, have had to cancel flights and readjust their route plans after Boeing and Airbus failed to deliver their jets on time. Flydubai is evaluating the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320 family, and while the airline operates an all-Boeing fleet for now, significant delays and cancellations with the US planemaker are prompting a rethink of that exclusive arrangement, Al Ghaith told Bloomberg at the Farnborough Air Show last year. Etihad, which is planning an initial public offering, has about a 100 narrowbody and widebody jets and is considering the Boeing 777X and 787 and the Airbus A350 as part of a five-year plan to double its fleet. Qatar Airways, meanwhile, is looking at widebody models offered by the planemakers and could place an order as soon as April, the people said. Newcomer Riyadh Air has around 100 jets on order and is considering firming up 33 options for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners, said one of the people. The carrier, owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, is looking to get as many as 50 Airbus A350-1000 or Boeing 777X, Bloomberg previously reported. The airline didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. Gulf Air flies about 40 aircraft and is considering around 10 Boeing 787s to add to its fleet as it looks to grow and turn a profit under new management. The 787 Dreamliner is the only twin-aisle jet the carrier operates, and troubles with the Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc engine are likely to prompt a switch to General Electric Co. on any new purchases, said the people. Emirates, the biggest airline in the region and the operator of the world’s largest longhaul fleet, hasn’t said if it needs more planes. The company has more than 200 Boeing 777X planes on order, but the aircraft is years behind schedule as certification for the new jet lags. Bloomberg reported this month that the Dubai flag carrier now expects its 777X deliveries to be pushed back until at least the second quarter of 2027. The carrier bought a small batch of Airbus A350-900 planes at the Dubai Air Show in 2023 and hasn’t announced any purchases since. Many airlines seek to couple their order announcements with major aviation events, such as the alternating Farnborough and Paris air shows, or the biennial Dubai expo, which occurs again this year in November. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/middle-east-airlines-set-revive-073710896.html Southwest Airlines is cutting 15% of its workforce in its first-ever mass layoff. Read the CEO's full memo to employees. Southwest Airlines is cutting 15% of its corporate workforce, or 1,750 employees, the carrier said. They're the first major layoffs in Southwest's 53-year history and come amid profitability woes. Read the CEO Bob Jordan's full message on Monday to employees. Southwest Airlines said on Monday that it is slashing 15% of its corporate workforce, or 1,750 employees. The cuts are the first major layoffs in Southwest's 53-year history and the airline's latest response to the company's financial woes as its profits plunge. The carrier said the layoffs will help the company save about $210 million in 2025 — excluding severance packages and post-employment benefits, which could cost the company $60 to $80 million — and around $300 million in 2026. Southwest president and CEO Bob Jordan said the severances would take effect in late April and that impacted workers would keep their pay, benefits, and bonuses until then. Elliott Investment Management, an activist firm that took a stake in Southwest in June, has been pushing for changes at the carrier, including a restructuring of its board and updates to its business model. Southwest said in July that it plans to end its long-standing open-seating policy to generate more seating revenue. The company also reduced flight crew positions in Atlanta last year to cut costs. Southwest isn't the only budget airline to take cost-cutting measures in a changing industry. Spirit Airlines, for example, said in July it would start bundling previously a-la-carte items like snacks and checked bags to target premium passengers. JetBlue Airways said the same month that it would delay delivering more than 40 jets to the airline's fleet until 2030 or later. Low-cost competitor Frontier Airlines has similarly made changes, like adding a new business-class-like cabin with a blocked middle seat to lure in more customers. Read Southwest CEO Bob Jordan's full message to employees on Monday: Southwest Team: We are at a pivotal moment as we carry out our three-year business plan to transform Southwest Airlines. Our transformational plan is the largest and most comprehensive in our 53-year history, and it focuses on three simple but powerful objectives. First, boost revenues and loyalty by offering our Customers the experience they want; second, maximize efficiencies and minimize costs; and third, make the most of our investments. As we continue to work together to transform our Company, an area of intense focus will be maximizing efficiencies and minimizing costs. We must ensure we fund the right work, reduce duplicative efforts, and have a lean organizational structure that drives clarity, pace, and urgency. Improving how we work together and how we get work done has a tremendous impact on our efficiency as a Company and how we deliver against our plan. We have made the very tough decision to move forward with a reduction in our workforce, focused almost entirely on Corporate and Leadership positions. This reduction affects approximately 1,750 Employee roles, or 15% of Corporate positions. Separations do not begin until late April. Until then, most Employees who are notified of their displacement will not work but will continue to receive their salary, benefits, and bonus, if eligible. This is a very difficult and monumental shift, and I arrived at this decision after careful and thorough reflection, knowing how hard it will be to say goodbye to Cohearts who have been a significant part of our Culture and our accomplishments. We are dedicated to operating safely and reliably for our Customers every single day. The fundamental objective of Leadership and Noncontract roles is to support our Frontline Employees as efficiently and effectively as possible. With the best intentions, the growth of our Leadership and Noncontract functions have outpaced our operation's growth for many years. Now, this group must become more lean, efficient, and agile to better serve our Frontline Employees in our shared mission of serving our Customers. What to Expect This will be hard, and we will treat our People with the care and respect they have earned and they deserve. Impacted Employees will receive severance and will be offered resources to provide an opportunity to ask questions and prepare for the future, like sessions with Human Resource Business Partners, a dedicated Offboarding Support Team, and outplacement services. Moving Forward Together This was an extremely difficult decision to make because of its impact on our People—both those who will be directly impacted and those who will remain. Changing how we work is an essential part of becoming a more agile Company, and it will be a journey. We are building a leaner organization with increased clarity regarding what is most important, quicker decision making, and a focus on getting the right things done with urgency—not unlike our entrepreneurial founding spirit of the 1970s. As we focus on delivering on our plan, our future will be built upon the actions we take today to ensure an even brighter future. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/southwest-airlines-cutting-15-workforce-234617333.html Boeing Aims to Shut Down ‘Shadow Factories’ Boeing admitted that its production cannot keep up with its aircraft sales. However, the aircraft manufacturer aims to restore jet production to the pre-crisis levels it achieved before deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019 and last year’s midflight door plug detachment. To accomplish this, the Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing wants to empty the aircraft stored in its shadow factories. The company defines a shadow factory as a production line where mechanics and engineers fix, maintain, and update planes rather than build new ones. Boeing uses shadow factories in Moses Lake and Everett, Washington, to work on its 737 MAXs and 787 Dreamliners, respectively. A year ago, the company estimated that it housed approximately 225 jets in shadow factories. It claims that number dropped to 115 by 2025. The MAXs are reportedly mostly from the global grounding that followed the crashes. The 787s are awaiting checks to confirm that the aircraft parts receive proper assembly after concerns regarding the production process. According to the Wall Street Journal, the shadow factories often demand Boeing’s most seasoned workers. Additionally, reworks and inspections can sometimes take longer than the initial production. This desire to clear out the shadow factories comes after Boeing posted a 14% decline in full-year revenue from 2023. The company also stated that its total backlog increased to $521 billion, including more than 5,500 commercial aircraft, attributed to slowed production and a nearly two-month machinist strike. The Wall Street Journal reported that CEO Kelly Ortberg hopes to reach a monthly production rate of 38 737 MAXs and shut down the shadow facilities by midyear. Early analyst estimates indicate that the company made 20 of the aircraft in January. As for its customers, Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan reportedly acknowledged progress at Boeing but noted that his company does not expect to receive the amount of jets originally promised for 2025. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeing-aims-shut-down-shadow-152641604.html 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 · Flight Safety Foundation - Aviation Safety Forum June 5-6, 2025 - Brussels · · The 9th Shanghai International Aerospace Technology and Equipment Exposition 2025; June 11 to 13, 2025 · ISASI ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025'September 29, 2025 – October 3, 2025, DENVER, COLORADO · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada Curt Lewis