The EVA Air cabin crew strike will come to an end at midnight on 10 July, nearly three weeks on, as union members reached an agreement with airline management. The strike, which would have reached its 21st day on 10 July, has cost the airline about NT$3 billion ($96.2 million) in revenue losses. EVA says it is still estimating other impact costs. EVA has cancelled 681 flights since the strike began, and says in a stock exchange disclosure that it will work towards resuming normal operations by the end of the month. As part of the agreement reached in the latest rounds of negotiations, union members have agreed that they will not go on strike within three years. EVA has also promised its cabin crew a “flight safety bonus” of NT$300 for every round-trip short-haul flight and NT$500 for every round-trip long-haul flight.

Source: FlightGlobal

Analysis of the crew actions during a fatal Saratov Airlines Antonov An-148 flight last year shows the two pilots applied opposite inputs to the control column after a ground-proximity warning sounded. The twinjet's captain had pushed the aircraft into a 30° dive in response to an apparent dramatic loss of airspeed – a false indication owing to the icing of the aircraft's pitot-static sensors. Its ground-proximity warning system issued a "pull up" alert at about 1,500m (5,000ft) altitude, as the aircraft descended at more than 9,800ft/min. The first officer intervened as the jet passed 1,200m, pulling on the control column in a bid to bring the nose up. This meant the pilots' actions were "multidirectional", says the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee, with the captain pushing nose-down with a force of 412N while the first officer countered with a 382N nose-up command. It states that the opposite inputs effective cancelled, one another out, and the elevators "practically did not deviate" from their position. The An-148 remained in a dive. But at a height of 300-400m the flight-data recorder shows the two pilots both suddenly started pulling on the control columns. "Most probably, the aircraft emerged from the clouds at this time and the pilots realised the ground was rapidly approaching," says the inquiry. The sudden nose-up inputs generated a 4.2g load on the An-148 but was insufficient to arrest the descent in time, and the aircraft – still in a 30° dive and entering a 25° right bank – struck the ground at around 430kt, completely disintegrating with the loss of all 71 occupants.

Source: FlightGlobal

Qantas has selected Mackay, Queensland as the site of its second pilot academy, citing clear weather and access to airspace. "The Academy is part of the Qantas Group’s strategy to build a long-term talent pipeline for its own airlines and help the broader industry meet the increasing need for skilled aviators," says the airline "Estimates suggest that 790,000 more pilots will be required globally over the next 20 years with around one third of them in the Asia-Pacific." Other aspects in Mackay's favour were support infrastructure and the desirability of Mackay as place to live. Mackay is located near the sea in Australia's Queensland state. Mackay was selected from a short list of seven cities. Overall, 70 cities were interested in hosting a Qantas pilot academy. The first academy is set to open at Toowoomba's Wellcamp airport, with its first take intake of students in September.

Source: FlightGlobal