UK cockpit crew representatives are seeking assurances on several aspects of the Boeing 737 Max’s redesign, including scenarios relating to the angle-of-attack sensors and the potential need for two pilots to turn the trim wheel if the jet is out of trim. Pilots union BALPA has formally responded to a US FAA notification detailing proposed changes to the Max intended to address design weaknesses linked to the fatal Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines accidents, weaknesses which subsequently led to the type’s grounding last year. Sourcing both angle-of-attack sensors, rather than one, to activate the MCAS system – which automatically pushes the nose down to avoid a high angle-of-attack situation – is “clearly an improvement”, says the union. But it argues that Boeing ought to have pursued a “preferable” three-sensor system, as used by Airbus A320s, which allows a computer to compare sensor data and eliminate, by ‘voting out’, a spurious sensor reading that does not match the other two. The Max redesign prevents activation of MCAS if the two angle-of-attack sensors disagree, but the union queries how the aircraft would respond if both sensors produced erroneous – yet insufficiently different – readings. “Is this viewed as an extremely improbable event?” it asks. One aspect which emerged during the inquiry into the Ethiopian accident was the crew’s difficulty in correcting the aircraft’s out-of-trim condition using the trim wheel at high airspeed. The FAA’s notification states that a revised checklist for manually trimming the horizontal stabiliser will note that a “two-pilot effort” may be used. “Requiring both crew members to turn the trim wheel simultaneously in a non-normal scenario is extremely undesirable,” says BALPA, adding that it “goes against all philosophies” of having flying pilot operating the controls and a non-flying pilot reading the quick-reference handbook. The union points out that the Max has a smaller-diameter trim wheel, which enables larger display screens in the cockpit, and wants “assurance” that a single pilot can still turn the wheel at airspeeds of perhaps 40kt beyond the maximum operating limit speed. It also suggests that Boeing should revisit procedures such as the “rollercoaster” manoeuvre to mitigate significant retrimming problems. This manoeuvre involves trimming nose-up by repeatedly pulling on the control column until the nose is far above the horizon, and trimming as column back-pressure is released – a similar principle to easing pressure on a fishing line while rapidly winding the reel in order to maintain a pull on the catch. BALPA uses the British Midland Boeing 737-400 accident at Kegworth in 1989 to underline some of its remarks about the Max redesign, notably regarding the reduced certification scrutiny associated with derivative developments. The Kegworth accident resulted from the crew’s responding to an engine failure by inadvertently shutting down the wrong engine. UK investigators noted the modernised aircraft featured solid-state electronic engine indicators, rather than the previous electromechanical hybrid displays, and remarked that the change would have required “different techniques” to interrogate the information – skills the pilots might not have acquired before being subjected to a stressful emergency in the cockpit. “It is strongly felt that all future substantial aircraft design changes should result in certification as a new type with a commensurate level of training required for pilots,” says BALPA in its comments to the FAA. The union adds that the Kegworth investigation highlighted the “importance of an ‘attention-getting’ facility”, and BALPA wants clarification as to whether Max pilots will receive an automated call-out alerting them to activation of MCAS, ensuring that they are aware of its being triggered. BALPA also says it “strongly supports” the proposed mandating of an ‘angle-of-attack disagree’ alert on the 737 Max, and argues that the optional angle-of-attack gauge should be a standard fit on the type.

Source: Cirium

Executives from various hub airports have reiterated calls on international governments to harmonise travel restrictions and Covid-19 testing protocols in order to facilitate an air transport recovery. During a 23 September panel discussion held as part of this year's virtual World Aviation Festival, Heathrow airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye said that consistency of health, travel and testing standards between countries, airports and airlines was "hugely important" to stop the health crisis from turning into an employment crisis. Heathrow has proposed that, ultimately, all passengers should be tested prior to departure – first before leaving home and, ideally, a second time at airports – to ensure potential quarantine requirements can be followed at the point of departure rather than destination. Holland-Kaye acknowledges that the proposed regime would be unlikely to involve fully-fledged PCR tests as currently conducted by health authorities, but would nonetheless provide a rapid indication of potential coronavirus infection which could subsequently be verified by a full test if there is a positive result. Noting the difficulty of reaching international agreement on such a regime, Holland-Kaye says testing passengers from risk countries on arrival could be an intermediate step, because that could be unilaterally implemented by local authorities without international consent. Holland-Kaye says Heathrow was in a comparatively fortunate financial situation going into the crisis in March. But noting the low level of flying, particularly in the long-haul segment, he warns that the current situation is not sustainable for a prolonged period, and that waiting for traffic to recover following arrival of a vaccination development is not a way forward. Airports are not sustainable "even at 20%" of pre-crisis operation, he says. Holland-Kaye's view was echoed by all other chief executives who participated in the panel discussion – Dubai Airports' Paul Griffiths, Spanish airport operator AENA's Maurici Lucena Betriu, Amsterdam airport parent Royal Schiphol Group's Dick Benschop, and the World Travel & Tourism Council's Gloria Guevara Manzo. Noting Dubai International airport's position of a purely international gateway, Griffiths predicts "quite a long, slow recovery". He says that a "lack of international co-ordination" and absence of aligned testing, quarantine and travel protocols is "really holding us back". Heathrow and Schiphol are each evaluating the possibility of establishing co-ordinated testing practices with New York JFK, to serve as pilot projects for implementation of wider, internally co-ordinated travel regimes. During the discussion, Griffiths and Holland-Kaye both expressed interest in establishing a similar pilot scheme between Dubai and London. All panelists concede that governments are occupied with handling the health crisis in their individual jurisdictions and currently have no capacity to concentrate on an international effort to facilitate an air transport recovery. Pilot projects to prove the viability of co-ordinated testing practices on selected routes were therefore all the more important, they argue. Guevara Manzo believes that if the EU, UK and USA agreed a joint approach other nations and regions could follow suit. Citing previous downturns following the SARS epidemic, 9/11 terror attacks and global financial crisis in 2008-09, Guevara Manzo says economies were able to recover quicker when governments worked together. Schiphol chief Benschop predicts that the present situation of government restrictions will – without the arrival and delivery of vaccines – continue for the next 12 months. "We have to take the initiative," he says. "It will be very difficult without any change."

Source: Cirium

A systematic pre-flight coronavirus testing regime for all international passengers is the only way to kick-start the airline sector’s recovery, according to IATA. Laying out its proposals for such a scheme today – which it says would be on a scale with the security measures introduced post-9/11 – the airline body suggests the initiative would replace the need for the quarantine requirements that are “killing the industry’s recovery”. “IATA is calling for the systematic testing of all international passengers before departure,” states director general Alexandre de Juniac. ”This will enable governments to safely open borders without quarantine”. Crucially, de Juniac continues, it will also ”provide passengers with the certainty that they will be able to travel without worrying about last-minute changes that could spoil their plans”, while giving them confidence that fellow travellers are Covid-free. He recalls the “dismally disappointing” figures for international travel in July, which were just 8% of year-ago levels, in explaining why drastic measures are needed. Noting that IATA ”did not come to this decision lightly”, de Juniac highlights potential hurdles such as “logistical challenges” around ”the integration of systematic testing to the travel process”. As a result, the scheme “needs manufacturers to develop a test that can be deployed that is fast, accurate, scalable, affordable and easy to operate”. “We expect a solution – or several solutions – to come to the market in the coming weeks,” de Juniac states. The scale of testing required – millions of passengers daily under pre-Covid levels of traffic – means non-medical personnel would need to deliver tests, he notes. At the same time, governments would need to agree to common standards on testing, so that there would be “mutual recognition” of the results. De Juniac suggests the standards should be agreed through ICAO. IATA will work with airports and other partners to implement the scheme, he states, partly informed by experiences already gained with limited testing at some airports. “Time is of the essence,” de Juniac concludes. “Our position today is setting a marker for everyone in the industry to aim for. Much will need to be done to achieve 100% testing of all passengers prior to departure. “We don’t see any alternative solution that would be less challenging or more effective.”

Source: Cirium