Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews March 2016 Asian Aviation

 by Neelam Mathews  - December 1, 2015, 10:00 AM Some Asian airlines have had their operations inhibited by restrictions imposed by U.S. and European authorities over concerns about alleged poor safety oversight by their national aviation authorities. [Photo: Neelam Mathews} As Asia Pacific airlines experience strong passenger growth, the region continues to face a host of diverse challenges, not least of which involves effective safety oversight. At the recent Association of Asia Pacific Airlines ( AAPA ) annual 59th Assembly of Presidents in Bali, delegates also called on governments to boost infrastructure investment, simplify passenger facilitation and moderate consumer rights legislation. But perhaps the foremost concern centered on what   AAPA   director general Andrew Herdman characterized as a heavy handed regulatory approach by world aviation bodies toward airlines whose countries’ aviation authorities do not meet international standards. A...

Neelam Mathews A lot of water has flown with speculations galore since the unfortunate crash of AirAsia A320-200 QZ8501, an airline with a decade-old accident-free record. However, it has stirred up long-standing issues that are unfortunately only raked up when attention is drawn by tragedies such as this. One such issue is the urgent need for tracking guidelines that seem to be caught in a quagmire of vacillation by world bodies responsible for aviation health. This nightmare has also exposed the insularity and arrogance of governments. Why, for instance, were SAR operations not started immediately once the plane went off the radar? Yes, the weather was bad and still is. As an aviation safety expert said,this attitude “is unpardonable.” Having faced the nightmare of MH370, one would have thought that as soon as contact was lost with the aircraft, there would be alarm bells ringing. Call it geo-politics or egos, everybody seemed to be waiting for the other to ask or offer hel...

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW  »  2014 by    NEELAM MATHEWS February 12, 2014, 10:50 PM Thai Civil Aviation Authority auditors have completed the appraisal of independent complete aircraft spares support specialist  AJW  Technique’s facility in Montreal. The audit comprised a review of quality systems and processes; no areas were in need of corrective action. Committed to an “evolving customer base in Southeast Asia,” the company’s  DCA  certification is the most recent in a list of regionally specific approvals that include  TCCA / FAA ,  EASA  and DGCA  Indonesia. In addition, approval by Brazil’s  ANAC authority is underway and is expected to be awarded imminently, said the company. “Concluding an approval process such as this without any minor procedural findings is testament to the quality of work we are driving at every level,” said Allan Pennycuick, engineering and quality manager. La...

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW  »  2014 by    NEELAM MATHEWS ATR’s EASA-approved training center in Singapore located at Seletar Airpark offers programs that include flight-crew type rating through recurrent training in an ATR 600 full-flight simulator that enables training for both ATR 44-600s and ATR 72-600s. February 12, 2014, 11:50 PM As demand for aviation in Asia Pacific continues to grow, so does the requirement for training. In addition, infrastructure in the region’s growing economies has not kept pace with expansion, creating colossal challenges for airlines–as confirmed by  Boeing’s Pilot  &  Technician Outlook  on Asia Pacific, which states that demand for pilots in the region will increase by 7 percent in the next two decades. The accelerating growth of  Asian budget carriers , with large fleet orders depleting the pool of trained pilots and maintenance engineers, is making many companies look ...

Peter Foster, President Almaty, 23rd March 2013 To misquote an old sporting cliché, 2012 was a year of two halves. The first half was seriously affected by sluggish demand and high fuel prices, causing year on year profit for the period to drop by 80%, in contrast to the second half which was our best on record, driven by demand recovery, non-fuel savings and greater efficiency of aircraft and crew utilisation. The full year net profit of $61.1 million was identical to that of 2011, marginally ahead of budget and in our view a good result given the pressures on the industry from high fuel prices and weak demand in Europe. Routes to and from the European Union make up 18% of the airline’s international capacity. Total airline revenues grew 15% to $875.5 million on capacity growth of 11%. We carried 3.3 million passengers, an increase of 10%. Whilst net margin slipped from 8 to 7%, it is likely that we will continue to place amongst the world’s 20 most profitable airlines, as we hav...

MEBA CONVENTION NEWS  »  DECEMBER 12, 2012 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Air Works recently commissioned a paint hangar under its Air Livery brand at the Bratislava airport in Slovakia. The facility is booked with work up to next May. December 11, 2012, 1:45 PM Business for general aviation providers in India is generally slow as the economy shows signs of slackening, yet 60-year-old Mumbai-based  Air Works Engineering  is looking at innovative ways to expand its business in India and abroad. “We are now looking at doing heavier checks in India–one of the first in the country–as we will get certification, one-by-one, for the Bombardier series, Bell Helicopters and Hawker Pacific,” managing director Vivek Gour told  AIN . The “deep level of heavy maintenance” will encourage customers to get 8-, 10- and 16-year checks in India rather than at facilities abroad, Gour said. While taxes in India are high, labor is che...

Neelam Mathews Nov 22, 2012 ATR's newest flight training center in Singapore is now officially approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and is ready to start training courses shortly. The center will provide a high level of training programs from flight crew type rating through recurrent training to differences courses. Strategically located in the Seletar Aerospace Park, a major hub for the Singapore aerospace industry, the center will officially be inaugurated mid-December this year. The EASA certification of the new ATR Training Center in Singapore gives way to a long term operational approval of the flight training equipment. It covers the Full Flight Simulator (FFS) for ATR -600 series, the maintenance/flight simulation training devices (MFSTD) and a brief/debrief station. This FFS is the second for ATR's -600 series program. The very first one is located at the main ATR Training Center in Toulouse, France, along with a Full Flight Trainer (FFT) fo...

Neelam Mathews Oct 3, 2012 The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has spoken out against an EASA proposal to change flight and duty time regulations for commercial pilots. Balpa says EASA is weakening Britain's safety rules in the name of EU-wide harmonization of rules. The plans are expected to be introduced by the end of 2015 subject to the approval of EU member states. EASA said the proposals were based on 50 scientific studies and consultation within the industry, including pilots. According to Balpa, the new rules could see pilots, being on duty 15% more over two weeks, flying longer than scientists say is safe, and spending  30%longer on standby before being called for duty ( as a result, they say they could be awake for over 24 hours). In an open letter to new Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, US businessman Maurer, whose daughter was killed three years ago, was quoted saying: "All of these proposals risk the safety of the flying public and...