Flight Safety Information - February 21, 2025 No. 038 In This Issue : Incident: Azul AT72 at Sao Jose do Rio Preto on Feb 16th 2025, engine failure : Incident: UPS B748 at Louisville on Feb 18th 2025, cargo fire indication and smell of smoke on board : Incident: Biman B773 near Nagpur on Feb 20th 2025, cargo smoke indication : Delta releases info about crew for flight that crashed, flipped in Toronto : JetBlue pilot arrested in Boston at Logan Airport before flight to Paris : Federal Aviation Administration withdraws from Alaska groups that work on safety : Delta Junction woman sentenced for pointing laser at military aircraft, causing eye injuries : Aircraft Owners Risk UK Bans for Flying Illegal Charters : Duckworth Demands More Detailed Explanation of Mass FAA Layoffs in the Wake of Multiple Deadly Crashes : EASA certifies Airbus A321XLR aircraft powered by RTX's Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines : Airbus to sign deal with Spirit Aero in weeks: CFO : Riyadh Air CEO says airline supply chain issues starting to improve : Spirit Airlines gets court approval for $795 million debt deal : Aviation Coalition Calls For Urgent ATC Staffing And Modernization Efforts : Calendar of Events Incident: Azul AT72 at Sao Jose do Rio Preto on Feb 16th 2025, engine failure An Azul Linhas Aereas Avions de Transport Regional ATR-72-212A, registration PR-TKL performing flight AD-4111 from Sao Jose do Rio Preto,SP to Sao Paulo Viracopos,SP (Brazil), was climbing out of Sao Jose's runway 07 when the crew received indication of a malfunction of the left hand engine (PW127M), stopped the climb at 5000 feet and returned to Sao Jose for a safe landing on runway 07 about 18 minutes after departure. Brazil's CENIPA reported: "The aircraft took off from Professor Eriberto Manoel Reino Airport (SBSR), São José do Rio Preto, SP, bound for Viracopos Airport (SBKP), Campinas, SP, in order to perform regular public air transportation. During the climb phase, the aircraft displayed a malfunction message for engine #1. The scheduled procedures were executed and the flight returned to the originating aerodrome. The landing occurred normally and there were no further incidents." The aircraft returned to service about 32 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=52456849&opt=0 Incident: UPS B748 at Louisville on Feb 18th 2025, cargo fire indication and smell of smoke on board A UPS United Parcel Service Boeing 747-8, registration N612UP performing flight 5X-752 from Louisville,KY to Dallas Ft. Worth,TX (USA) with 3 crew, was climbing through about 3000 feet out of Louisville's runway 35L when the crew declared Mayday reporting they had a aft cargo fire indication. The aircraft stopped the climb at 4000 feet, the crew advised they also had a smell of smoke on board, requested a left hand pattern back to runway 35L, and landed safely on runway 35L about 15 minutes after departure. The aircraft vacated the runway and stopped on the parallel taxiway for inspection by emergency services. The crew advised emergency service they had had an aft cargo fire indication and a burning odour on board. Following the inspection the aircraft taxied to apron. The aircraft remained on the ground for about 37 hours before returning to service. https://avherald.com/h?article=52456006&opt=0 Incident: Biman B773 near Nagpur on Feb 20th 2025, cargo smoke indication A Biman Bangladesh Boeing 777-300, registration S2-AFO performing flight BG-347 from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with 396 passengers and 12 crew, was enroute at FL320 about 130nm north of Nagpur (India) when the crew diverted the aircraft to Nagpur reporting an aft cargo smoke indication. The aircraft landed safely on Nagpur's runway 32 about 35 minutes after leaving FL320. Attending emergency services unloaded the aft cargo bay but found no trace of fire, heat or smoke. The airline reported a technical signal prompted the diversion to Nagpur. A replacement aircraft is being dispatched to Nagpur and will take the passengers to Dubai. https://avherald.com/h?article=52455980&opt=0 Delta releases info about crew for flight that crashed, flipped in Toronto Delta Air Lines has revealed information about the crew on board a flight from Minneapolis that crashed and flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday. Officials say the captain was hired by Mesaba Airlines in October 2007, which merged with Pinnacle Airlines in 2012 to form Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta. Additionally, he has served as an active duty captain and in pilot training and flight safety capacities. CBS News learned the first officer graduated from a university with an accredited and well-respected aviation program, and so was able to start working with fewer than 1,500 hours under a Restricted Air Transport Pilot certificate. She crossed the 1,500-hour mark and earned her full ATP certificate in January 2023, which is the highest-level pilot certification in the U.S., before completing training last April, and has been flying for Endeavor since then. Delta says her flight experience "exceeded the minimum requirements" set by federal regulations. She passed all of her check rides and there were "no red flags" about her pilot skills, a source familiar told CBS News. Delta added that claims spreading online alleging the captain and first officer had failed training events were false, and both crew members are Federal Aviation Administration certified for their positions. "All these pilots train for these conditions," Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said in an exclusive interview with CBS Mornings. "They fly under all kinds of conditions at all the airports in which we rate, so there's nothing specific with respect to experience that I'd look to." What caused Monday's crash remains under investigation by the Canadian Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration. On Tuesday, officials confirmed that the aircraft's black box has been recovered. The plane operated by Endeavor Air struck the landing strip as it arrived at Toronto Airport at about 1:15 p.m. CST, according to Delta. Images and video of the crash showed the CRJ-900 aircraft catching fire when it hit the pavement and proceeding to turn sideways while sliding across the airfield, losing its tail and both wings along the way. On Wednesday, a Delta spokesperson said the airline is offering $30,000 to passengers who were aboard the flight. A spokesperson for the company says the Delta Care Team is telling passengers that "this gesture has no strings attached and does not affect rights." As of Thursday, all 21 passengers injured in the crash have been released from the hospital. All of the 80 people on board Flight 4819 — 76 passengers and four crew members — survived the fiery crash. https://www.yahoo.com/news/delta-releases-crew-flight-crashed-025000464.html JetBlue pilot arrested in Boston at Logan Airport before flight to Paris A JetBlue pilot on a flight from Boston to Paris was arrested at Logan Airport Thursday night, sources tell WBZ-TV. Massachusetts State Police said there was a warrant out of North Carolina for Jeremy Gudorf's arrest. U.S. Customs and Border Protection asked troopers at the airport for help at about 8:40 p.m., State Police said. "In conducting their standard review of the manifest of a Boston-to-Paris flight, CBP identified an active North Carolina warrant lodged against a member of the flight crew who was detained," State Police said in a statement. Gudorf, a 33-year-old from Ohio, is expected to appear in East Boston District Court on Friday. No other information was immediately available. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/jetblue-arrest-boston-jeremy-gudorf/ Federal Aviation Administration withdraws from Alaska groups that work on safety On Feb. 5, one day before the crash of Bering Air Flight 445, the Federal Aviation Administration informed a group of Alaska air carriers that it would no longer be a member of two organizations that address safety and other issues. At the same time, the agency told the Alaska Air Carriers Association that the FAA’s regional administrator, Mike O’Hare, would not be speaking at the association’s annual convention in Anchorage this month. For convention organizers, the FAA’s withdrawal created a challenge in finalizing the agenda for the event, which is set to begin on Feb. 26. According to AACA Executive Director Will Day, he was told as an explanation that the FAA would no longer be participating “in any industry engagements.” When asked to comment on the series of withdrawals, an FAA spokesperson replied, without getting into specifics, that “FAA employees will continue to attend meetings and engage with stakeholders on safety-related matters.” O’Hare remains out of the convention however and a recent scheduled meeting of a group hosted by the agency — the FAA Alaska Industry Council — was cancelled. The Aviation Coordination Council, one of the groups the FAA announced it will no longer be a member of, dates back over 25 years, to the period when the FAA-funded Capstone program was deployed among commercial operators throughout several regions in the state. Designed to improve situational awareness, Capstone provided GPS-based maps in the aircraft for the pilot and another form of avionics technology, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, which broadcast the aircraft’s position out to other similarly equipped aircraft. The broad success of Capstone in reducing accidents in Alaska led to nationwide deployment of ADS-B technology. One of the areas of investigation for the recent Washington, D.C., midair collision involves the lack of ADS-B, either turned off or missing entirely, on the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with American Airlines Flight 5342. The council included various federal and industry representatives who worked on the Capstone rollout and then moved on to other issues impacting Alaska’s airspace, flight activity and flight safety. Adam White, the council’s current chair, described the group this week as a collaborative effort between the FAA and industry, which covers topics over a wide range of issues impacting those who fly. The council’s purpose, said White, “is to seek out frank and meaningful conversations.” Day described it as a place for “roundtable discussions with brainstorming on all kinds of issues.” The next Alaska Coordination Council meeting will be in March at the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities office in Anchorage. The other safety group that the FAA is leaving is the Aviation Weather Working Group. It was an outgrowth of a summit held last summer in Yakutat focused on aviation weather system failures in rural Alaska. Initiated by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the summit was scheduled after the state Legislature passed a resolution urging the federal government to address chronic, long documented outages with automated weather systems situated at airports statewide. The summit was an opportunity to organize communication between the many different stakeholders involved in overseeing that equipment. As funding for the systems was included in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act, momentum on the issue appeared to be strong. In Yakutat, Sen. Murkowski noted that, at any given time, typically 50% of the automated weather systems are either completely or partially not working. Following the meeting, which included representatives from government agencies, industry and general aviation groups, and telecom companies, the framework was expanded to form the Aviation Weather Working Group. According to Day, its first meeting is planned during the AACA convention. White has continued to engage on various matters with the regional FAA office in his separate capacity with the Alaska Airmen’s Association, a nonprofit membership organization that promotes general aviation. He does not believe the current disconnect is permanent and remains hopeful that FAA participation will return to normal soon. “This is not the first time something like this has happened with a new administration,” he said, while acknowledging the current break is more abrupt than in the past. For Day, the FAA’s withdrawal created a pressing issue. Convention organizers have moved a state transportation department presentation, providing an update on a plan for the statewide aviation system, to O’Hare’s scheduled position. Day notes that there is a panel discussion on the first day that O’Hare also was previously scheduled to be part of — its title is “The Future of Weather in Alaska.” Meanwhile, on Feb. 11, Alaska’s congressional delegation spoke to the press at a news conference with new U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. The group collectively voiced support for reliable weather information in Alaska and, echoing countless politicians, federal personnel, and state officials before him, Duffy said, “You have really rough weather in Alaska.” He then continued, “If you need good weather information in any place in the 50 states, you need it in Alaska.” U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan specifically mentioned two federal laws — the FAA Reauthorization Act and 2021’s Don Young Aviation Alaska Safety Initiative — as evidence of continued support of aviation safety. As it happens, those were the exact topics O’Hare was scheduled to discuss in his now cancelled speech before the Alaska convention. https://alaskabeacon.com/2025/02/19/federal-aviation-administration-withdraws-from-alaska-groups-that-work-on-safety/ Delta Junction woman sentenced for pointing laser at military aircraft, causing eye injuries FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU) - A woman in Delta Junction was sentenced on Thursday for pointing a high-powered laser at two military helicopters — interfering with joint military operations according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Alaska. On Feb. 11 of last year, Canadian Military Aircrews were flying near Delta Junction when the Anchorage Airport Traffic Control contacted the Alaska State Troopers, notifying them that one of the aircrew pilots reported that lasers were targeting his helicopter, as stated in the court documents. In the court documents, the pilot explained that his aircraft was above the minimum flight requirements and every time they would pass a certain cabin in the area, one of the crew would be targeted by the laser. The aircrews also reported they were hit with the laser once again during their descent to land at Allen Army Airfield. One of the aircrew members was able to pinpoint the location of the laser to the same cabin they previously flew near. Subsequently, as stated in the court filings, troopers responded to the cabin and communicated with 49-year-old Heide Goodermote, who told police that the aircraft made her angry so she pointed a laser at them. A few days later, police seized the laser from her cabin and identified it as a class IIIB laser — emitting between 5 and 500 milliwatts of power which can cause immediate eye damage or skin burns. As a result of Goodermote’s actions, several aircrew members reported eye injuries from the laser. “Ms. Goodermote wrongly believed the helicopters had no right to fly over her property and decided to take matters into her own hands by shining a dangerous laser at the helicopters and crew that could have caused serious damage,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn R. Vogel for the District of Alaska was quoted in the release. She later pleaded guilty in November 2024 to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting or impeding certain officers or employees engaged in performing official duties. Goodermote was sentenced to three years probation. https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/02/21/delta-junction-woman-sentenced-pointing-laser-military-aircraft-causing-eye-injuries/ Aircraft Owners Risk UK Bans for Flying Illegal Charters European charter operators are required to secure a flight permit before operating for-hire flights at UK airports. The British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) has warned non-UK charter operators they could face significant penalties if they operate for-hire flights without obtaining the required foreign carrier permit from the UK CAA. This week, the group presented the example of an undisclosed aircraft owner that is now barred from flying into the UK because the company managing the jet flew “an international celebrity” into the country without having the required clearance for a charter operation. According to BBGA, operators are finding that they cannot complete the process to secure a foreign carrier permit in time to meet short-notice request for charters. It said that some air operator certificate holders are trying to work around the rules by designating the flight as private, which is illegal, and are not informing either the charter client or the aircraft owner. In the case of the recent celebrity flight, BBGA said the CAA took “swift and efficient” action. The investigation resulted in the operator being barred from selling charter flights into the UK and the owner being blocked from flying the same aircraft into the country, even for private trips, "for a lengthy time." “Imagine through no fault of their own, the aircraft owner is denied access to the UK with their own business aircraft because the aircraft management company flouted permit rules,” commented Paul Cremer, chairman of the BBGA’s operations working group. Since the UK’s Brexit departure from the European Union on Jan. 31, 2020, European charter operators have not had automatic access to UK airports. UK operators face the same requirements to secure flight permits to fly into European airports, involving a burdensome process that has prevented charter flights from happening. As part of it efforts to confront the safety and competitive issues around illegal charter activity, the BBGA is working with The Air Charter Association and the UK Operations Managers Association to share intelligence with the CAA to support enforcement of the permit requirement. The groups have urged industry colleagues to use the CAA’s whistleblower process to report suspected illegal flights. “We urge all non-UK air carriers—including European Economic Area and European Free Trade Association operators that wish to undertake commercial services to, from or within the UK—to check all their documentation and credentials and to fully understand how the permit system works,” said Cremer, who is head of aviation delivery at Farnborough-based Gama Aviation. The BBGA’s Operations Working Group holds regular meetings at airports across the UK with participation by officials from the CAA and Department for Transport. The association will hold its annual conference in London on March 11 with a focus on collaboration and innovation. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-02-20/aircraft-owner-risk-uk-bans-flying-illegal-charters Duckworth Demands More Detailed Explanation of Mass FAA Layoffs in the Wake of Multiple Deadly Crashes WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the CST Aviation, Space and Innovation Subcommittee—is demanding a more detailed explanation from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau on why the FAA abruptly fired hundreds of employees in the wake of multiple deadly airplane crashes. In her letter, Duckworth is requesting multiple answers from the FAA by this Friday, February 21, regarding the reasoning behind these firings and the impact these firings will have on passenger safety and our ongoing aviation safety crisis. In the letter, Duckworth wrote: “I am alarmed about the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) abrupt firing of hundreds of FAA employees. In the wake of multiple deadly airplane crashes, Congress and the flying public need a more detailed explanation. At a minimum, we need to know why this sudden reduction was necessary, what type of work these employees were doing, and what kind of analysis FAA conducted – if any – to ensure this would not adversely impact safety, increase flight delays or harm FAA operations.” This letter comes after the Trump Administration assured that no air traffic controllers and no critical safety personnel were fired. Duckworth’s letter, however, raises her concerns that air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel cannot effectively do their jobs without certain systems and resources—many of which require maintenance by workers who may have been fired. Duckworth urges the FAA to remain focused on implementing the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act—which the Senator helped co-author—to help address the air traffic controller shortage and boost other critical parts of the aviation workforce, and questions whether firing hundreds of employes will help the FAA meet these goals. In her letter, Duckworth is requesting responses to the following questions: Why did FAA find it necessary to fire nearly 400 probationary employees? How does firing these nearly 400 probationary employees improve safety for the flying public? Please provide a breakdown of the types of positions the fired probationary employees held, including how many were fired from each type of position. How many of these terminations were performance-based? Did FAA conduct an analysis of the impact these firings would have on passenger safety, flight delays and FAA operations? If so, please provide the result of that analysis. If FAA did not conduct any such impact analysis, please so state. A copy of the letter is available on the Senator’s website and below: Dear Acting Administrator Rocheleau: I am alarmed about the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) abrupt firing of hundreds of FAA employees. In the wake of multiple deadly airplane crashes, Congress and the flying public need a more detailed explanation. At a minimum, we need to know why this sudden reduction was necessary, what type of work these employees were doing, and what kind of analysis FAA conducted – if any – to ensure this would not adversely impact safety, increase flight delays or harm FAA operations. A broad assurance that no air traffic controllers or critical safety personnel were terminated does not answer these questions. FAA’s mission is safety, and its critical safety personnel cannot do their jobs without proper resources. For example, air traffic controllers rely on systems to manage communications, monitor weather and conduct surveillance and navigation. Maintaining these systems is essential. Yet, according to a press report impacted FAA employees include individuals hired to work on, “FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance.”[1] Our Nation’s aviation system has struggled since the pandemic, when so much experience left our workforce. We saw a spike in close calls, in response to which FAA held a safety summit to try to figure out ways to build back our safety margin. Congress held hearings and passed a bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act to help address the air traffic controller shortage and boost other critical parts of the aviation workforce. The law also provides safety enhancements like airport surface situational awareness technologies. FAA should be laser focused on implementing this law, restoring our aviation system’s safety margin and preventing more tragic crashes. I do not understand how terminating these employees furthers this goal, and FAA has yet to provide an explanation. Please provide responses to the following by 12pm E.T. on Friday February 21, 2025: Why did FAA find it necessary to fire nearly 400 probationary employees? How does firing these nearly 400 probationary employees improve safety for the flying public? Please provide a breakdown of the types of positions the fired probationary employees held, including how many were fired from each type of position. How many of these terminations were performance-based? Did FAA conduct an analysis of the impact these firings would have on passenger safety, flight delays and FAA operations? If so, please provide the result of that analysis. If FAA did not conduct any such impact analysis, please so state. https://www.riverbender.com/news/details/duckworth-demands-more-detailed-explanation-of-mass-faa-layoffs-in-the-wake-of-multiple-deadly-crashes-79894.cfm? EASA certifies Airbus A321XLR aircraft powered by RTX's Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, today marks the certification of the GTF-powered Airbus A321XLR by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), preparing the way for entry into service. In support of the aircraft certification, updates were made to the PW1100G-JM engine's type certificates to include A321XLR, granted by EASA on February 7, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on December 12, 2024. "The GTF is the most fuel-efficient engine for single-aisle aircraft, and today's certification from EASA is a key milestone for the program," said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. "The GTF-powered Airbus A321XLR will provide longer range and higher payload capability, enabling new route options while reducing operating costs for our customers." According to Airbus, the A321XLR burns 30% less fuel per seat than previous generation aircraft. Globally, 13 customers have selected GTF engines to power 217 A321XLR aircraft, with Wizz Air expected to be the first operator. To date, more than 2,200 GTF-powered aircraft have been delivered to over 80 customers worldwide. The next configuration of the engine, the GTF Advantage, is particularly well suited for the A321XLR, delivering higher take-off thrust and offering even better operating economics. About Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. To learn more visit www.prattwhitney.com. About RTX RTX is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. With more than 185,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. Through industry-leading businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – we are advancing aviation, engineering integrated defense systems for operational success, and developing next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2024 sales of more than $80 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/easa-certifies-airbus-a321xlr-aircraft-080200267.html Airbus to sign deal with Spirit Aero in weeks: CFO (Reuters) - Airbus expects to firm up a deal to take over some of Spirit AeroSystems European operations in the next few weeks, the planemaker's CFO said on Thursday, as part of a transatlantic breakup of the aerostructures manufacturer. "We're making good progress. I think it would be realistic to expect that this will happen in the next weeks," Airbus CFO Thomas Toepfer told reporters in Toulouse, France, about a deal signing. Boeing has said it would buy back its former subsidiary Spirit Aero, which is a critical supplier to Boeing, for $4.7 billion in stock. Spirit Aero also produces key parts for some Airbus jets, and Airbus will take some of those activities in a deal expected to close by mid-2025. Toepfer said closing by July 1 was a "realistic assumption." Airbus reached a binding term sheet last year with Spirit Aero, but a formal agreement, initially expected last year, has not been concluded yet. Airbus will receive compensation because it will take on some loss-making operations. Sources told Reuters that talks have been challenging due to questions about how to divide intellectual property, along with the future of a Spirit Aero plant in Northern Ireland. Airbus is expected to take a part of the Belfast factory that produces wings for the planemaker's smallest A220 jet. The Airbus deal could exclude part of the plant that produces jet parts for Canada's Bombardier, which has said it is a potential buyer for that operation. Earlier this week, a union at the Spirit Aero plant in Belfast called for all operations to go to a single entity. The Boeing acquisition is important since Kansas-based Spirit Aero has said it has total financial liquidity of just $890 million but expects to burn $650 million to $700 million in free cash during the first half of 2025. Spirit Aero is critical for Boeing because it produces the fuselage for the planemaker's 737 MAX jet, its strongest-selling plane. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg on Thursday said Spirit Aero's production quality has improved since he joined the U.S. planemaker six months ago. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/airbus-sign-deal-spirit-aero-203921486.html Riyadh Air CEO says airline supply chain issues starting to improve MIAMI (Reuters) -Supply chains for major planemakers Boeing and Airbus are showing signs of moderate improvement, the chief executive of Saudi start-up Riyadh Air said on Thursday. Securing adequate parts, for both new and existing planes, has been a major problem for the airline industry in recent years. The causes ranged from general disruption emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic to industrial action at Boeing which caused a seven-week halt to most jet production last fall. "Are there big challenges out there - yes there definitely are. Is the supply chain stretched and under huge stress - yes, and yes," Tony Douglas told an FII Institute event in Miami. "But am I seeing signs of moderate improvement - I honestly have to say, yes I do." Douglas said one continued bottleneck was the suppliers that serve both Boeing and Airbus, which he described as being "one level down". He said Riyadh Air was working to overcome any challenges, without adding further details. Backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, Riyadh Air has been ordering planes from both manufacturers ahead of its launch. This includes 60 narrow-body A321-family jets from Airbus in October, as well as up to 72 Boeing 787 Dreamliners ordered in March 2023. The airline is currently engaged in a process to select extra wide-body jets, Douglas said, without elaborating further. Douglas told Reuters in October it was planning to talk to Airbus about A350-1000 aircraft and Boeing on its 777X jets. Riyadh Air is expected to start operations by the end of the year, Douglas told the event. In the October interview, Douglas had guided that it would begin flights in the second half of this year. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/riyadh-air-ceo-says-airline-231454197.html Spirit Airlines gets court approval for $795 million debt deal NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved Spirit Airlines' debt restructuring, clearing the budget airline to convert $795 million in debt to equity and emerge from bankruptcy as a private company. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane approved the airline's restructuring proposal at a court hearing in White Plains, New York. Spirit's bankruptcy plan cancels existing equity shares and hands ownership to Spirit's lenders, which include investment funds managed by Pacific Investment Management Company, UBS Asset Management and Citadel Advisors. Spirit's bankruptcy deal includes a proposal to raise $350 million in additional financing through the sale of new equity shares. The airline has said it expects to emerge from bankruptcy in the first quarter of 2025. "We will emerge as a stronger airline with the financial flexibility to continue providing guests with enhanced travel experiences and greater value," Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie said in a statement on Thursday. Spirit recently rejected a proposed acquisition by fellow budget airline Frontier Group, saying the proposed buyout offered less value for Spirit's creditors than the bankruptcy restructuring. Frontier’s latest offer would have allowed Spirit Airlines to retain 19% of the company’s equity. But Spirit said the offer carried additional financial costs, including costs associated with a longer stay in bankruptcy, and more risks, including the risk that U.S. regulators would reject the merger of the two airlines. Lane said on Thursday that he would issue a written decision overruling objections raised by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of the U.S. Trustee, which is the U.S. Justice Department's bankruptcy watchdog. The SEC and U.S. Trustee had opposed the way that Spirit's bankruptcy plan released shareholders' and creditors' legal claims against non-debtors, like Spirit's lenders and its executives. Spirit improperly assumed that the creditors gave their "consent" to the deal unless they returned a separate "opt out" form, according to the two government agencies. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/spirit-airlines-gets-court-approval-221721341.html Aviation Coalition Calls For Urgent ATC Staffing And Modernization Efforts Thirty-four groups urge Congress and the FAA to boost ATC staffing, technology, and funding while opposing privatization to maintain critical investments. On Wednesday, a coalition representing commercial and general aviation interests urged Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration to take immediate action to strengthen air traffic control (ATC) staffing and technology. In a Feb. 19 letter, the groups wrote, “we must support air traffic controller workforce hiring and training, modernize and deploy state-of-the-art air traffic control facilities and equipment.” Notably, the coalition made it clear that it is not pursuing privatizing U.S. air traffic control, arguing that such a move would divert attention from essential investments. Instead, the groups outlined key priorities including increased emergency funding for ATC infrastructure and workforce, modernization efforts, facility upgrades, financial reforms, and protections for FAA funding to ensure stability during government shutdowns. Signatories included representatives from airlines, airports, unions and advocacy associations, among others. The letter also stressed that the organizations were “united in grief” over recent aviation accidents and are committed to preventing such tragedies in the future. The groups concluded that they are ready to work with the FAA on the initiative. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/aviation-coalition-calls-for-urgent-atc-staffing-and-modernization-efforts/ 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