Airlines, Airports and Airliners 27 April 2023Google Banner Ad This Week in Airlines, Airports and Airliners ICAO - Safety, security, and sustainability of air transport success in South America. ICAO Secretary General updates the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN Security Council on collaborative effort to confront terrorist threats to international civil aviation. IATA disappointed with Canada's 2023 Federal Budget. Airlink codeshare partnership with British Airways to boost flight connectivity. RwandAir to start its first-ever direct flights to Paris. Emirates' A380 lands in Morocco. A year of progress recorded for Heathrow's sustainability strategy. Delta Sky Club raises the bar with nature-inspired third lounge at MSP Airport. Worldwide incidents and accidents. Bonus Video - Ford Tri Motor Flight 2009. SAFETY, SECURITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AIR TRANSPORT SUCCESS IN SOUTH AMERICA  The safety, security and sustainability of air transport regionally and globally were carried forward during a recent mission by ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar to Chile, at the occasion of the Seventeenth Meeting of Civil Aviation Authorities (RAAC/17), which took place in Santiago from 11 to 14 April 2023. The RAAC/17 meeting addressed themes around the governance of civil aviation authorities (CAA), competitiveness, human resources, environmental sustainability, innovation and the effectiveness of the aviation plans. It resulted in the RAAC/17 Civil Aviation Declaration for South American Region, whereby the participants committed themselves to working collaboratively on these topics, "with all stakeholders to achieve our shared goals of a safe, secure, efficient, sustainable, and thriving aviation industry in South America." The meeting also comprised a presentation on the promotion of ratification of international air law treaties, urging those States that have not done so to ratify them. In addition to contributing to this pivotal event during his mission, the Secretary General also held bilateral meetings with Chile's Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Mr. Juan Carlos Muñoz Abogabir; Minister of Defence, Mrs. Maya Alejandra Fernández Allende; Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Gloria de la Fuente González; and with the Secretary General of the Civil Aeronautics Board (JAC) and the Director General of Civil Aeronautics of Chile, Mr. Martin Mackenna and General Raúl Jorquera Conrads, respectively. At these meetings and activities, the Secretary General expressed ICAO's gratitude to the Government of Chile for its continuous efforts to support the organization's safety, security, and sustainability strategic objectives, as illustrated by its efforts to heighten the implementation of ICAO's technical guidance and planning and the leadership role it plays in advancing the sustainable development of aviation in the region. Mr. Salazar congratulated Chile for its establishment of mechanisms that contribute to the development, production, and implementation of use of alternative fuels (SAF). He also formalized a new agreement with Chile's Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications on the undertaking of activities to support the ICAO Assistance, Capacity Building and Training Programme for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) initiative. Other meetings with airlines and fuel producers focused on avenues for expanding cooperation with ICAO, as did several meetings with various aviation authorities from the region. Meetings with regions' regulatory authorities reinforced ICAO's commitment, motivation and initiatives toward the transformation of the Organization itself, with a view to better serving them and the region generally. Throughout his mission, Mr. Salazar was accompanied by ICAO's Director of the Technical Cooperation Bureau, Mr. Jorge Vargas, the Director of the Legal Affairs and External Relations Bureau, Mr. Michael Gill, the Regional Director for South America, Mr. Fabio Rabbani, as well as the Acting Regional Director for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. SAM region en route to "NetZero" target by 2050 While in Chile, the Secretary General also addressed a special ICAO Seminar on long-term global aspirational goal (LTAG) for international aviation of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The event, which brought together a wide variety of stakeholders - including aviation and clean energy innovators, aircraft manufacturers, industry operators and fuel producers - provided a platform to review their achievements to date and identify new avenues for carrying forward progress towards their long-term goals for carbon neutrality. The seminar was opened by the Minister of Transport and Telecommunications of Chile, the Director General of the DGAC of Chile, and ICAO's Secretary General. Google Banner Ad  At a closed briefing yesterday to the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar underscored the important progress being achieved to address terrorist threats to international civil aviation. He emphasized the improved coordination established between ICAO, the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), and the continued importance of their combined efforts. "Terrorism is still one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, civil aviation is still seen as an attractive target, and the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly highlighted both the critical importance and persisting vulnerabilities of the global aviation system," he underscored in his introduction. High priority aviation security risks are identified in ICAO's Aviation Security Global Risk Context Statement, the latest update of which takes note of the recurrent threat of improvised explosives devices, increased concerns relating to insider threats, the misuse of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), risks to civilian aircraft over or near conflict zones, and system vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks. UAS in particular are becoming more advanced and more accessible, with terrorist groups and organized crime demonstrating an increased consideration for deploying this attack vector in civilian environments. With regard to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2309 (2016), the ICAO Secretary General confirmed that much has been accomplished. This includes two amendments to Annex 17 to the Chicago Convention to help improve the global detection of explosives in airport screening operations, better address insider threats, and to encourage and promote a robust global aviation security culture, among other objectives. Mr. Salazar underlined recent ICAO contributions to address these priorities via the establishment of its specialized Cyber-Security and aviation Trust Framework panels, as well as its comprehensive Year of Security Culture initiatives. ICAO also provides important contributions to the Counter Terrorism Committee Country assessments led by CTED, and the development of global reference documents on biometrics, critical infrastructure protection, and preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons. Referencing the results being achieved through the Global Counter Terrorism Coordination Compact led by the UNOCT, Mr. Salazar drew attention to the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Programme, and newly implemented Threat Assessment Models programme. The Secretary General expressed his "deep appreciation to the Counter Terrorism Committee for its continuing interest and support toward the protection of civil aviation against terrorism," appreciating the trust now being placed in ICAO's expertise in support of the CTC's global efforts. Mr. Salazar's remarks were echoed by Ms. Natalia Gherman, the Assistant Secretary General and Executive Director of CTED, who commented that "CTED remains committed to working closely with ICAO and UNOCT on our ongoing work and developments related to the full breadth of civil aviation." Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, reiterated UNOCT's commitment to strengthening global cooperation to deter and prevent terrorist threats to civil aviation, alongside Global Counter-Terrorism Compact partners, including ICAO. He outlined the achievements of joint programmes such as the Programme on Threat Assessment Models for Aviation Security and United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel Programme. Google Banner Ad IATA DISAPPOINTED WITH CANADA'S 2023 FEDERAL BUDGET  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expressed disappointment at the lack of positive measures to strengthen and enhance Canada's air transport system and global competitiveness in the country's 2023 Federal Budget. "IATA was hopeful that the Federal Budget would include measures to support the recommendations from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Unfortunately, that was not the case," wrote Willie Walsh, IATA's Director General, in a letter to Canada's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and to the Minister of Transport. In his letter, Walsh welcomed the proposal to provide C$1.8 billion over five years to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to maintain and increase its level of service, reduce passenger screening wait times and strengthen security measures at airports. "However, this has come with a proposed 33% increase in the Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC). This makes air travel even less affordable for all Canadians," wrote Walsh. Walsh also expressed concern over the proposal to strengthen the authority of the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) and make airlines more accountable for service failures and disruptions regardless of who is at fault. "We strongly encourage the Government to share these accountabilities across all components of the commercial air system involved in supporting smooth airline operations and a positive traveller experience. These includes airlines, airports, CATSA, CBSA and Nav Canada." Walsh pointed out that imposing a regulatory charge on airlines to recover the costs of dealing with passenger complaints adds to the high-cost burden of airlines operating in Canada. Walsh urged the Canadian Government to support the aviation industry's efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. He called on the Government to open immediate consultations with the industry on the C$15 billion in funds meant to incentivize alternative fuel development in Canada. Walsh emphasized that a healthy, sustainable aviation sector makes an enormous contribution to the country's wellbeing. Pre-COVID, Canada's aviation sector contributed C$51.4 billion to the country's GDP and supported some 633,000 jobs. "Commercial aviation is a powerful economic engine for Canada. We urge the Government of Canada to take steps to remove barriers to the continued growth of this sector, and make it more competitive globally," wrote Walsh. Google Banner Ad CODESHARE PARTNERSHIP WITH BRITISH AIRWAYS TO BOOST FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY  British Airways has announced a codeshare partnership with Airlink, improving connectivity between the UK, Europe, North America and more than 15 destinations in Southern Africa. The agreement means British Airways' customers travelling, for example, from Cape Town or Johannesburg to, or transiting through, London (or vice versa) will be able to connect to their final destination on a single ticket. This will offer more choice and flexibility for those travelling from one of 18 towns and cities, such as Windhoek in Namibia and Durban in South Africa. British Airways currently flies twice daily between Johannesburg and London Heathrow with A380 aircraft, twice daily between Cape Town and London Heathrow with B777 and A350 aircraft and three times per week between Cape Town and London Gatwick with B777 aircraft. Members of British Airways' loyalty programme, the Executive Club, can earn Avios when flying on Airlink flights on a British Airways' codeshare journey. Avios is the programme's currency, which can be used as part-payment towards Reward Flights or upgrades, as well as hotel stays, car hire and more Neil Chernoff, British Airways' Director of Network and Alliances, said: "Our flights to Cape Town and Johannesburg continue to be as popular as ever with our customers, so we're pleased to be able to open up more options in the Southern African region. Our partnership with Airlink means that customers will be able to book a full journey on one ticket, allowing seamless travel all the way from London to their final destination." Airlink's CEO and Managing Director, Rodger Foster, said: "This is an important next step in our partnership with British Airways, which has a phenomenal global reach into the most important markets for our region. The marriage of our two networks will benefit both British Airways' and Airlink's customers, giving them even more choice with a wide range of itinerary options and connectivity possibilities." In total, 18 destinations are available as codeshare options when travelling from Heathrow via Johannesburg and Cape Town. Examples include: • London Heathrow to Durban via Johannesburg • London Heathrow to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, via Cape Town or Johannesburg • London Heathrow to Skukuza, South Africa via Cape Town or Johannesburg • London Heathrow to Windhoek, Namibia via Cape Town or Johannesburg • London Heathrow to Walvis Bay, Namibia via Cape Town or Johannesburg Codeshare tickets are now available to book on www.ba.com, for travel from 15 February 2023 onwards. Other Southern Africa destinations are pending government approval and might join the codeshare agreement at a later date. Google Banner Ad RWANDAIR TO START ITS FIRST-EVER DIRECT FLIGHTS TO PARIS  RwandAir is scheduled to launch new direct flights to the dazzling French capital of Paris for the first time on 27 June 2023. Customers can fly with RwandAir on the only direct service between Rwanda and France as the airline accelerates its ambitious growth strategy and adds a 25th destination to its route map. Flight WB700 departs Kigali each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 12:30 am, arriving at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 9:30 am the same morning. The returning flight WB701 leaves Paris at 9:30 pm each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving at RwandAir's home hub at 6:00 am the following morning. Yvonne Makolo, RwandAir CEO, said: "The launch of our first-ever flights to Paris is an exciting development in RwandAir's continuing expansion and a testament to the importance of French-Rwandan relations. "France is a major market for RwandAir as we connect the continents of Africa and Europe through our home hub in Kigali with this new direct service to Paris, one of the world's top tourism destinations. "French travellers can look forward to a warm welcome onboard on our inaugural flight today and for many more years to come as we deepen the ties of friendship and fraternity between France and Rwanda." Customers flying to France from Africa will now be able to reach Paris via Kigali in under 8 hours and 30 minutes, giving them more time to explore the city's incredible atmosphere, amazing culture and iconic sights. The new three times a week service will also open access for travellers from France directly to the heart of Africa to explore Rwanda's magnificent scenery and wildlife, including its beautiful national parks and world-famous mountain gorillas. RwandAir's Kigali hub also provides quick connections to its extensive network of flights reaching across Africa to countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The airline is renowned for its excellent on-time performance, customer service and safety. It also has one of the youngest fleets on the African continent with 13 aircraft including three wide-body Airbus A330s. RwandAir has ambitious plans to double its fleet over the next five years and move to its new home at Bugesera International Airport, which is being built to handle one million passengers and 150 million tonnes of cargo a year during its first phase of operation. Google Banner Ad EMIRATES' A380 LANDS IN MOROCCO  Emirates' iconic flagship A380 today landed at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, signalling a better way to fly between Dubai and Casablanca, as well as increasing travel demand in and out of Morocco. Passengers onboard the first A380 to Morocco were in for an extra tinge of excitement as the superjumbo was dressed in a special livery marked for the occasion. The aircraft sported the Museum of the Future Livery, Dubai's newest definitive marvel, architectural icon and centre for pioneering concepts and ideas. The daily A380 service replaces the existing Boeing 777-300ER aircraft currently used between Dubai and Casablanca. Emirates flight EK 751 takes off from Dubai International Airport at 07:30hrs and lands in in Casablanca at 11:55hrs. EK 752 departs Casablanca at 1445hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0115hrs the next day. The aircraft was received by Khalfan Al Salami, Country Manager, Morocco, along with a host of dignitaries including Alasri Al Dhaheri, the UAE ambassador of Morocco, Omar Abdulrahman Al Tunaiji, UAE Consul General of Morocco, Alarby Bin Ebrahim, Public relations Manager, and Abdalhaq Mazrour, Airport Director, Morocco. Emirates has been flying to Morocco for 21 years and the return of A380 services underscores its long-standing commitment to the country, boosting inbound traffic and supporting the tourism recovery of the country. Casablanca continues to be a popular leisure destination on the Emirates' net, and the upgrade of services to an A380 will provide travellers more opportunities to connect to the Moroccan capital, as well as provide customers more connectivity to Dubai and beyond to cities through Emirates' extensive global network. Passengers travelling on the first A380 are coming from the Middle East, South and South East Asia, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Travellers flying from Casablanca to Dubai served by the A380 can enjoy seamless connectivity to its global network of 140 destinations. First and business class customers can also take advantage of the recently launched Chauffeur Drive services launched in Morocco to enjoy a smooth, seamless, door-to-door experience in an immaculately presented vehicle with total comfort and privacy. The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after by travellers offering 14 First Class suites and 76 lie-flat seats in Business Class. Customers travelling to and from Casablanca can look forward to enjoying its spacious and comfortable cabins, signature products that offer travellers the best experiences in the sky like the Onboard Lounge, First Class suites, Shower Spa and an award-winning inflight entertainment system that includes more than 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment. The airline has been accelerating the deployment of its flagship A380 aircraft in line with growing demand for air travel. Currently, Emirates' A380 is deployed to 43 destinations including Dubai with plans to expand to several other cities in the coming months. Google Banner Ad  A year on from the launch of its refreshed sustainability strategy, Heathrow 2.0: Connecting People and Planet, Heathrow's 2022 Sustainability report updates on the airport's progress. Over half of the commitments towards net zero aviation and making Heathrow a great place to live and work have been marked as 'on track' or 'progressing.' In 2022, Heathrow's world leading SAF incentive scheme was launched. Airlines representing 76% flights at the airport have made a commitment to at least 10% SAF usage by 2030. This year, Heathrow's SAF incentive is expected to save over 81,000 tonnes of CO2. On the ground, numbers of passengers using public transport to get to the airport has steadily improved to 43% in Q4 2022. The upward trend should be supported by completion of the Elizabeth Line with direct services from East London during 2023. Heathrow 2.0 is an umbrella strategy that brings together sustainability goals from across the airport, aiming to reduce emissions in the air and on the ground, while delivering for the local community as a responsible neighbour. Focus in the community continues to be on sharing the benefits of living close to the UK's largest single site employer. Over 100 local SMEs attended Heathrow's annual Business Summit, already delivering against the target of over 50% of the local supply chain being small or medium businesses. Heathrow is pleased to have achieved science-based validation from the SBTi for its 2030 carbon reduction goals, confirming they are consistent with a 1.5-degree carbon reduction trajectory. Heathrow is the first airport to achieve this status with SBTi's updated 1.5 degrees standard. This year, Heathrow will be focused on developing nature positive and zero waste strategies. The progress made in 2022 on Heathrow 2.0 demonstrates the incremental change required to reach its overarching carbon goals - 15% cut in carbon from flights and at least 45% carbon cut on the ground by 2030, whilst remaining a responsible neighbour. Becky Coffin, Director of Sustainability and Communities said: 'I am pleased with the achievements we have made during 2022, launching the Giving Back Programme, pledging to support one million people by 2030 whilst bringing more local businesses into our multi-million-pound supply chain. The progress achieved gives us a strong platform to build on as we deliver on our promise to do right by our neighbours.' Matt Gorman, Director of Carbon said: 'A year on from the launch of Heathrow 2.0. I am thrilled our 2030 carbon reduction goals have achieved SBTi validation and are consistent with a 1.5-degree carbon reduction trajectory. We still have a long way to go, but our world-leading SAF incentive programme demonstrates that greener, cleaner flying is possible.' Google Banner Ad  Delta's third Sky Club at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) is by far the largest at Delta's Minneapolis hub, with seating for more than 450, a first-of-its-kind Sky Deck and more. Recent renovations to Gates G18-G22, including relocated and enlarged restrooms, expanded gate seating areas and new concessions, laid the groundwork for this new Club. The airport's third Club adds more than 21,000 square feet of premium space to Delta's lounge portfolio, making it by far the largest at Delta's Minneapolis hub. The MSP-G Club is the second lounge opened this year, and the third successive new location in the Midwest (following Chicago and Kansas City). With seating for more than 450, customers visiting MSP-G Club will have ample space whether they're looking to work, socialize or simply take in the views of the airfield. Eco-conscious guests can feel good about the Club's environmental impact: the Club is moving to over 90% waste diversion, meaning a large majority of Club waste is diverted from landfills via recycling or composting. Inspired by Minnesota's designation as the "land of 10,000 lakes," the MSP-G Club's design concept features a rich colour palette evoking summer sunsets at the lake - earth tones like sage greens paired with warm copper and amber hues. The Club includes a year-round, all-weather Sky Deck® with seating for 110 guests. This first-of-its kind Sky Deck is bookended by two completely open-air elements - one of which features a living plant wall, with seasonal foliage refreshed three times annually-and is suffused with natural light streaming from the overhead skylight. Guests unwinding in this unique space can also enjoy a drink from one of the Club's premium bars, located on the deck. Additional amenities of the Club include: Three kiosks for quick and easy self-check-in. A full buffet. Two premium bars and hree soundproof booths for quiet work. In addition to the regular menu rotation featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients and a wide variety of cuisines, the MSP-G Club will highlight recipes from Bravo's Top Chef alum Justin Sutherland as part of Delta Sky Club's Local Flavour program. Local Flavour showcases hometown chefs on a quarterly rotating basis, highlighting some of their most popular recipes for visitors passing through. A Twin Cities native, Justin specializes in contemporary Southern cuisine. Delta is the official airline sponsor for the milestone 20th season of Bravo's "Top Chef World All-Stars"; thanks to this partnership, guests of the MSP-G Club will be able to enjoy Justin's take on classics like chicken and andouille gumbo, shrimp and grits, pimento cheeseburger sliders and banana pudding through mid-July. Google Banner Ad  Guatemala: Mundo Maya International Airport, Flores: A TAG Airlines flight TGU211, a Saab 340A, TG-TAI, suffered a runway excursion during a landing attempt at Mundo Maya International Airport (FRS/MGMM), Flores, Guatemala. The seventeen passengers and crew were not injured. The private passenger flight departed Cancun International Airport (CUN/MMUN), Mexico, about two hours earlier. Preliminary information indicates the airplane landed on runway 10 at Mundo Maya and veered off the left side of the runway. A piece of the aircraft was found on the runway. Mexico, Mexico City International Airport: A Delta Boeing 757-232(WL) was hit by an Aeromexico Boeing 737-852 registered XA-AMO and sustained damage. Indonesia, Timika-Moses Kilangin (Tembagapura) Airport: An Indonesian Air Force Boeing 737-2Q8 Adv. skidded when landing at Mozes Kilangin Airport (TIM/WAYY), Timika, Central Papua, and overshot the runway. The aircraft received substantial damage as the nosewheel collapsed. All occupants were evacuated and no reported injuries. USA, Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, NV: An Allegiant Airlines Airbus A319-111, N314NV, was parked and inactive at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS/KLAS), Las Vegas, Nevada, when the nose gear collapsed, resulting in damage to the nose gear, engine nacelles and passenger door. There were no injuries.  Ford Tri Motor Flight 2009 Google Banner Ad  |
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