American aviation regulators are urging their counterparts around the world do more to ensure that airline pilots are trained in manual emergency procedures that could have prevented 2 deadly crashes of 737 Max airliners. The FAA is presenting a paper this week it wrote in conjunction with Canada and other nations urging the ICAO to study training needs and how to improve minimum standards. The paper, which is being considered at the ICAO’s 40th Assembly this week, doesn’t mention the crashes that led to the grounding of the 737 Max in March. But newly installed FAA administrator Steve Dickson has made the connection. The paper cites studies showing a high percentage of crashes around the world were due at least in part to manual-flight errors and those mistakes tend to occur as a result of inadequate training. <br/>
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Some operators of Engine Alliance GP7000-series powered Airbus A380s face more stringent engine fan hub assembly inspections after examination of the hub that separated during an uncontained failure two years ago pointed to higher risk of cracks. The FAA Sept 24 will issue a new airworthiness directive that lowers initial-inspection thresholds for the entire first-stage low-pressure compressor rotor, or fan hub, assembly and adds repetitive inspections for fan hub blade slot bottoms and blade slot front edges. Global regulators are expected to follow suit. The revised inspection protocols supersede ones mandated by the FAA and EASA last month. Inspections conducted by the manufacturer since those directives were issued “identified a fatigue crack originating inboard of a blade slot,” FAA said. <br/>
The US DoT has named 19 members to the new Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) Advisory Committee, which will advise the Transportation secretary on issues relating to the needs of disabled air travellers. DoT said that the committee will “identify and assess disability-related access barriers encountered by air travellers with disabilities, evaluate the extent to which DoT’s programs and activities are addressing these disability-related access barriers and recommend actions to improve the air travel experience of passengers with disabilities.” The committee will have until Nov 2020 to submit a report to the DoT secretary and Congress assessing current regulations with respect to ticketing practices, pre-flight seat assignments, access to bulkhead seating and stowing of assistive devices for disabled passengers. <br/>
Airlines operating in Hong Kong are urging the govt to implement temporary policies to offset damage to their business as months of pro-democracy protests have disrupted operations and hurt visitor numbers. In a letter to the Secretary for Transport and Housing, the Board of Airline Representatives, which represents 70 carriers operating in Hong Kong, asked for short-term measures including a waiver of landing and parking fees at the city’s airport. “It would definitely help if the govt could temporarily waive these operating expenses so that airlines operating in Hong Kong can remain commercially viable,” the board’s chairman, Ronald Lam, wrote in the letter, dated Sept 16. “Many airlines have already reduced or cut their services to and from Hong Kong as many routes have become unprofitable.” <br/>