The flight data and cockpit voice recorders of the Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A320 that crashed on 22 May have been recovered. Media reports from Pakistan quote PIA as saying that both devices were found on Saturday 23 May, a day after the aircraft crashed in an urban area. The aircraft had operated flight PK8303 from Lahore and crashed while the crew attempted to conduct a go-around. Video images on social media purporting to show the aircraft’s final moments indicate that it descended into a built-up area with a high nose attitude and its landing-gear deployed. The aircraft bore the registration AP-BLD (MSN 2274), and 91 passengers and eight crew were aboard. Reports from Pakistan suggest that the death toll stands at 97. While some of those on the aircraft survived the disaster, there were fatalities on the ground. Fleet data shows that AP-BLD is managed by GECAS. It served with China Eastern Airlines from 2003 to 2014, when it moved to PIA. It was powered by a pair of CFM International CFM56 engines. Pakistan will lead the inquiry with assistance from Airbus through French investigation authority BEA. PIA and CFM will also support the probe.

Source: Cirium

Fifty firefighters and other emergency personnel in Belfast have attended a blaze at the Bombardier Aerospace facility, near the city’s airport, which has been brought under control. The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service says it received a call at 20:45 on 24 May alerting it to the incident. It states that it responded within two minutes to the occurrence, involving a “factory unit” on fire. Six firefighting pumping appliances and an aerial appliance, along with a high-volume pump, attended the scene. The fire service disclosed at about 23:00 that the situation was “under control” with operations being scaled back and turning to damping-down. No-one was injured. The function of the facility affected has not been specified. Bombardier Aerospace’s Belfast operation includes manufacture of a range of aerostructures including fuselage, stabiliser and nacelles for executive jets. It had also been the supplier to the commercial aircraft programmes, producing wings for the Airbus A220 – formerly the Bombardier C-series – before the production arm was sold to Spirit AeroSystems. Bombardier also produces fuselage sections for the CRJ regional jet programme, which is being divested to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. According to the fire service, the blaze “appears to have started in machinery” but the cause is still under investigation. It states, however, that the fire is “believed to be accidental”. The extent of damage, or any disruption to operations, is not clear.

Source: Cirium

Ryanair has welcomed new European Union guidelines aimed at minimising coronavirus transmission when flights resume, and has reiterated its opposition to proposals by the Irish and UK governments to introduce "ineffective and un-implementable" quarantine measures. The Irish budget carrier, which plans to reinstate 40% of its normal flying schedule across 90% of its network from 1 July, says the guidelines issued on 21 May by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will "allow Europe's tourism industry to restart in July and August". Ryanair praises EASA's decision to include the wearing of medical face masks by passengers throughout their journey as one of its recommended measures, noting that this reflects its own health protocols. The airline said earlier this month that temperature checks and face masks would be the "cornerstone" of a "healthy return to service". EASA also recommends physical distancing "wherever feasible", although it stops short of requiring airlines to leave middle seats vacant. Instead, the agency says that when it is not possible to keep passengers 1.5m apart, airlines should implement "additional risk mitigation measures such as hand hygiene [and] respiratory etiquette". Ryanair is urging the Irish and UK governments to abandon plans to introduce 14-day quarantine measures for international arrivals, which it describes as "ineffective and un-implementable". "Requiring international arrivals to quarantine only after they have used multiple public transport providers to get from the airport to their ultimate destination has no basis in science or medicine," states Ryanair Group chief executive Michael O'Leary. He adds: "We strongly urge Europe's governments, especially those in Ireland and the UK, to mandate the wearing of face masks for airline, train and London underground passengers, as this is the best and most effective way to limit the spread of Covid-19 in public transport environments where social distancing is not possible."

Source: Cirium