European regulators are cautioning that flight-management system databases and charts for western Russia might be outdated as a result of the data workload created by an extensive restructuring of the region’s airspace. The restructuring – which takes effect on 3 December – is centred on the Moscow flight information region but affects nine other surrounding FIRs. Overhaul of the airspace structure will result in major changes to standard departure and arrival procedures, introduction of new transitions, and adjustments to waypoints, navaids or descent profiles. “This created a substantial increase in the volume of aeronautical data that… providers have to code in their flight-management system navigational databases,” says the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in a 27 November bulletin. It says that data providers have informed the regulator that coding of all the necessary information “cannot be ensured in a timely manner”. Such data is regularly updated according to the Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control cycle, the latest of which is designated AIRAC 2013. EASA warns of a number of possible scenarios, such as charts being outdated as the flight-management system database is updated, or missing procedures in the database. Data providers including Jeppesen, Lufthansa Systems and Navblue have issued alerts to customers regarding the potential deficiencies. Jeppesen has produced a list of over 30 Russian airports, among them Moscow Zhukovsky, for which data is either fully or partially incomplete. “We strongly urge you to make this information available to appropriate crew members or customers immediately,” the company stated in a navigation data alert on 19 November. Lufthansa Systems has also transmitted a similar warning over the “unprecedented” amount of affected data, listing 22 airports for which it has been “forced to postpone” revisions until the next AIRAC cycle at the end of December. EASA is recommending that operators inform cockpit crews about the situation, to increase awareness, and notify them of any outdated charts or databases – as well as limitations in accepting approach or departure clearances, particularly for area navigation procedures. Operators should also evaluate, for each Russian airport affected by the airspace changes, the need for special briefings before flights to western Russia.

American Airlines will introduce pre-departure testing for passengers travelling between its Miami International airport hub and Santiago, Chile next week. In addition, the Fort-Worth-based airline will trial the VeriFLY health pass mobile app, which it says on 30 November is “designed to help travelers understand coronavirus documentation requirements and enable them to securely store and display their test results digitally”. The app and at-home pre-departure testing opportunity will be available for customers to and from the Latin American country from 7 December, the carrier says. “As we continue to reopen travel throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, we have been looking for ways to simplify our customers’ travel experience,” says Carlos Liscano, the airline’s vice-president of operations in Miami. In October, the carrier started offering testing for numerous leisure destinations including Belize, Grenada, St. Lucia and the Hawaiian Islands. After expanding the programme to Latin America, it will also introduce it for passengers to the US Virgin Islands on 9 November. American operates one daily flight between Miami and Santiago, operated on a Boeing 777-200ER.Earlier this month, American and British Airways also joined up to offer free pre-departure coronavirus tests on some flights between the USA and UK.

Comac has received the type inspection authorization for its C919 narrowbody programme, paving the way for final flight testing and certification. The authorisation – issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on 27 November – means that the aircraft design has been finalised and verified, and that no major changes can be made to its structure. The Chinese airframer also hopes to receive the C919’s airworthiness certificate from the CAAC by next year, allowing it to commence deliveries to Chinese carriers. The launch customer for the type will be Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines. Comac states that its fleet of six C919 prototypes are currently in various parts of China – including in Nanchang in Jiangxi province, Xilinhot in Inner Mongolia, as well as in Yanliang in Shaanxi province – conducting certification test flights. Moving forward, it notes that the test fleet will carry out “more intensive flight test missions” on its path towards certification. The authorisation marks a new chapter for the narrowbody programme, which Comac hopes will compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 family.