Southwest Airlines’ pilots union stepped up its criticism of Boeing, saying the planemaker may be trying to rush the return to service of its grounded 737 Max. In a message to members, the head of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said Boeing should never be given the benefit of the doubt again and criticised the manufacturer’s “arrogance” over the development and certification of the Max. Union president Jon Weaks also threw his support behind Southwest’s decision to consider flying planes made by a company other than Boeing. The letter deepened the tension between Boeing and the pilots of the largest operator of the Max as the aircraft’s flying ban hits the 8-month mark. Southwest has pulled the Max from its flight schedule through March 6. <br/>
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The European Cockpit Association (ECA) pilot group has urged regulators to take action over what it described as a "safety hazard" caused by Ryanair's approach to flight crews' sick leave, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The carrier has spent the last 2 years negotiating improved pay and conditions with its pilots and cabin crew after a revolt by some staff forced it to recognise trade unions for the first time. The ECA said Ryanair adopts a practice of systematically questioning absences due to certified sickness, leading to investigative and disciplinary meetings where staff are threatened with potential dismissal. A Ryanair spokeswoman said the airline operates "a standard sick pay scheme, and like all employers, manages absenteeisms". <br/>
Virgin Australia won't say if it will match rival Qantas' pledge to eliminate long-term emissions but co-founder Richard Branson has admitted airlines must reduce their carbon footprints or risk a backlash from passengers. Branson, who owns 10% of Virgin Australia and is also behind Virgin Atlantic, said sustainability should be the number one priority for every airline and every company. "If any industry doesn’t get their act together on carbon, there is the risk that consumers will act badly against them – and they deserve to be acted badly against," Branson said Thursday. "It’s up to us companies to get our footprint down and down and down, so people don’t feel guilty," he said. <br/>
A plane crash that killed all 50 people on board at Russia's Kazan Airport in 2013 was the result of errors made by 2 pilots, including one who got his license using falsified documents, Russian investigators said Thursday. The Boeing 737-500 aircraft was operated by the now-defunct Tatarstan Airlines, which later had its license revoked by Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya. The plane from Moscow had been trying to abort its landing when it nose-dived into the runway and burst into flames. All 44 passengers and 6 crew members were killed. Russia's Investigative Committee said the aircraft's commander, Rustem Salikhov, did not have sufficient piloting skills and had obtained his pilot's license using falsified documents. <br/>
Eastern Libyan authorities forced a civilian flight to land for security checks soon after it had taken off from a city controlled by their rivals in the Tripoli govt Thursday, authorities said. The 90-minute stoppage of the Libyan Airlines flight underlined the warring sides' competition for control of Libya's institutions and infrastructure - part of a rift that has frustrated UN-led peace efforts. The flight took off from the western city of Misrata and was ordered to land at Benina airport in the eastern city of Benghazi. It was then allowed to fly on to Jordan, he added. The General Secretary of Transportation in Eastern Libya had ordered stoppages and checks on all flights traveling over eastern territory from either Misrata or Tripoli's Mitiga airport to Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, the airport official added. <br/>
A union representing Jetstar pilots is asking regulators for permission to ballot its members to gain approval for strike action. The Australian Federation of Air Pilots has submitted a request to the Fair Work Commission for an industrial action vote. Jetstar has until Nov 15 to submit any objections to the request, then the commission will decide if the vote can go ahead. The industrial action being proposed by the union includes work-to-rule and strikes of up to 24 hours. Negotiations for a new contract began in January, but the two sides have reached an impasse regarding compensation increases. The union has said it applied for the strike vote because negotiations stalled. However, a Jetstar spokesman said the move is “disappointing…given we have been in constructive discussions” regarding the contract. <br/>
Wizz Air is not interested in expanding through acquisition of other businesses, the carrier's CE has declared. Jozsef Varadi, speaking during an interim results briefing Wednesday, said that consolidation in the market would take place. "It's not [as] predictable as many people would have thought," he says. "But it's happening." Varadi insists that Wizz Air is a "not interested" in buying other businesses, because it would "just create complexity" for the company. "We're not going to acquire anyone," he states. But he indicates that the carrier could be encouraged to acquire certain assets, notably airport slots. "Western Europe is becoming increasingly tight," he says. "We want to make sure we can position ourselves versus those consolidation events and we have sufficient resources to mobilise". <br/>