Brussels International Airport will be the testing ground for a newly developed bird monitoring radar system. The US-built system will reportedly be capable of tracking and monitoring bird wild life at a range of 2.7 nautical miles (nm) and a height of 2 nm. The system will be operated for two weeks and aims to gather information regarding bird habits and behaviour in and around the airport’s airspace. This data will then be developed and implemented into the airport’s existing bird control strategies to reduce the risk of aircraft bird-strike occurrences.

Indonesia’s state carrier, Garuda, has reiterated its plans to launch flights to the United States, via Japan in 2017. Following Indonesia’s upgrade to a category 1 country within the Federal Aviation Administration’s IASA programme, all Indonesian carriers can now commence unrestricted flights to the US. Previously, carriers had been restricted from operating flights to the US due to a number of concerns regarding the safety of the aviation industry within Indonesia. The IASA programme examines critical aspects of a nation’s aviation industry including legislation, training, licensing, certification, airworthiness, security and maintenance.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has banned the retreading of Michelin aircraft tyres after an incident involving a Nepal Airlines Airbus A320 on 13th September 2016. The A320 aircraft had touched down at Kathmandu airport, when the inboard left main tyre burst and subsequently separated from the landing gear. Maintenance needed to attach a replacement tyre before towing the aircraft from the runway. The ban was imposed following an inquiry by the CAAN, as it was found the affected tyre had reportedly been retreaded three times prior to the occurrence.