Running to the tail of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is an umbilical cord carrying a rapid play-by-play of virtually every flight feature. The data, which totals more than a thousand parameters, is swiftly saved electronically into the flight data recorder (FDR), one of the so-called black boxes that aviation safety investigators say offers critical facts when piecing together an incident, like the mid-air plunge on LATAM Airlines flight 800 earlier this week that injured 50 people. The FDR and cockpit voice recorder from the LATAM flight should provide evidence to prove or refute the pilot’s initial explanation, as relayed by a passenger who spoke to CNN: that cockpit displays briefly went blank and the pilot lost control of the plane. It could also show whether the yoke was pushed forward, sending the plane rapidly downward — a scenario The Wall Street Journal reported the investigators are probing, and which may have involved a flight attendant hitting a switch while serving pilots a meal. “There’s absolutely no way this will be a mystery,” said Peter Goelz, who led investigations as managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board, and is now a CNN aviation analyst. “The recorder will indicate if something was starting and what happened.” Regardless of what the FDR shows, the contents of the orange steel box with reflective tape typically mounted in the rear of the plane, which is meant to reduce the risk of damage in a crash, have proven pivotal in past airplane investigations.<br/>
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A tribunal has ordered Flair Airlines to fork over hundreds of dollars in compensation to a man whose crab meat and fish cakes went bad in his luggage when it was delayed for several days. The discount carrier must pay Brian Vu $780 for the spoiled items as well as baggage fees, interest and legal costs, according to a ruling Thursday from the B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal. Vu flew from British Columbia to Ontario on Nov. 6, 2022, paying $72 to check a pair of bags, one of which did not arrive until Nov. 10. The tardy luggage contained sea cucumbers — leathery marine animals — and dandelion root as well as the crab and fish, all of which went bad, amounting to a loss of $522, the traveller said. Flair argued it was not liable because its actions did not cause the spoilage; "rather, the items spoiled on their own," wrote tribunal member Peter Mennie, paraphrasing the airline. Flair also said its contract with passengers bars them from packing perishable items in checked bags. However, the tribunal said carriers are responsible for suitcases once they are checked, regardless of whether they contain items they shouldn't. "The Canadian Transportation Agency has repeatedly held that if an airline accepts checked baggage then the airline assumes liability for the baggage even if the airline has not agreed to transport certain items," Mennie wrote.<br/>
AJet has unveiled its standalone website and has begun selling tickets under its own brand ahead of its launch planned for March 31. The carrier formerly known as AnadoluJet, a division of Turkish Airlines, has already obtained its AOC and inducted its first two B737-800s. However, it continues to operate under its parent's 'TK' code for now. The B737s have operated under AJet's 'VF' code but solely for proving flights and have yet to return to commercial operations following their transfer from Turkish Airlines. According to its newly launched internet booking engine, the airline will fully transition to its own 'VF' code at the end of the month. It has yet to file schedules for those flights, however. Still operating as Anadolujet, the carrier currently operates 73 aircraft under the Turkish Airlines' AOC: nine A320-200Ns, fourteen A321-200NX, seven B737-8s, and forty-three B737-800s.<br/>
Air Serbia is claiming a full-year profit of E40.5m ($44.1m), adding that it almost doubled the previous figure. The airline says it achieved the result on revenues of nearly E628m – the highest level in its decade of operations. Air Serbia attributes the performance to introduction of 23 additional destinations and a “significant” rise in passenger numbers. It says the profits this year, and last year, were achieved without any state subsidies. Air Serbia transported almost 4.2m passengers, and increased its share of transfer traffic. “Intensive growth in 2022 and 2023 was inevitable for us to meet the increased demand and achieve the critical mass and market presence necessary for further business development,” says CE Jiri Marek. “As we reach [that] critical mass…we will work on further operations stabilisation, network expansion, and improving the services provided to passengers.”<br/>
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is in early talks to acquire the kingdom’s flagship carrier as it looks to pour billions of dollars into turning the country into a tourism hotspot. The Public Investment Fund is considering a deal that would see it add the 80-year old Saudia to its growing portfolio of aviation assets as soon as next year, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. The PIF would be taking over ownership of the airline from the government with a view to improving efficiency and profitability, the people said. The carrier could then be privatized or merged with Riyadh Air, which the wealth fund is currently setting up, they said. It’s unclear how Saudia would be valued by the PIF, which has in the past received assets from the government without having to pay in order to prepare them for privatization. The carrier has a fleet of over 142 aircraft and flies to more than 90 destinations around the world. No final decisions have been made. Talks are still at an early stage and the plan may be delayed or abandoned, the people said. Representatives for Saudia and the PIF declined to comment. Saudi Arabia aspires to turn Riyadh into a powerful business hub and compete with larger Gulf airlines for global transfer traffic. <br/>
G7 nations are prepared to respond with severe new penalties that could include a ban on Iran Air flights to Europe if Iran proceeds with the transfer of close-range ballistic missiles to Russia, a senior U.S. official said on Friday. The official commented as the United States joined its six G7 allies in issuing a statement warning Iran against sending the missiles to Russia or else face the consequences. "Were Iran to proceed with providing ballistic missiles or related technology to Russia, we are prepared to respond swiftly and in a coordinated manner including with new and significant measures against Iran," the G7 statement said. The United States has been increasingly aggressive at responding to what Washington considers belligerent behavior by Iran, such as its support for Iran-backed militias in the region who are launching attacks on U.S. bases and Tehran's alleged hacking of US infrastructure. The G7 move came in the aftermath of a Reuters report that said Tehran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles for use in its invasion of Ukraine. The senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one option under consideration by the G7 "would have the effect of ending flights from Iran Air, its flagship state-owned carrier, into Europe - point being, this is not business as usual."<br/>
A cabin crew working with Pakistan International Airlines flew from Islamabad to Toronto without her passport, prompting the Canadian authorities to slap a fine of 200 dollars on her, according to a media report on Sunday. The incident happened on March 15 after she forgot to carry her passport while on duty on flight PK-781, bound for Toronto, and had to board the plane on the general declaration documents, Geo News reported. "An air hostess of the PIA travelled from Islamabad to Toronto without a passport. She was fined by the Canadian authorities 200 Canadian dollars (approximately PKR 42,000) after the negligence was discovered once the flight landed," the report said. Responding to the matter, the PIA confirmed the incident and that a fine was slapped on the cabin crew who travelled without her passport. The spokesman for the national flag carrier, while keeping the flight attendant's identity secret, said that she had left her passport at Karachi airport, according to the report.<br/>
A failure by financial institutions to respond en masse to its January 2024 request for expressions of interest (EOIs) to lend it more than US$1b has caused Nepal Airlines to reissue the EOI. "The notice has been reissued, while all the previously received sealed EOI documents have been kept unopened," the cover note accompanying the reissue reads. As ch-aviation previously reported, Nepal Airlines is seeking around US$415m to cover existing loan liabilities, US$565m to acquire new aircraft, and US$38m to construct a hangar. The total sought is US$1.018b, and the airline notes that the spending on the three items remains subject to approval from the Nepalese government and other relevant authorities. The EOI documents, which remain unchanged from January, reveal the airline is looking for a 25-year loan with the option to extend, a fixed interest rate regime for the duration of the loan, and an agreement to make quarterly repayments in line with the local calendar. The documentation suggests lenders secure their loans with liens over the resultant new assets and infrastructure.<br/>
Singapore Airlines’ budget carrier, Scoot, is ramping up services across South-East Asia as the airline looks to win market share in the post-Covid-19 recovery in regional tourism. Scoot will add two destinations to its current regional network, including the Thai tourist hotspot of Koh Samui, and increase the number of flights to four other cities across Thailand and Malaysia it already services, it said. The airline said it expects to take delivery of the first of nine E190-E2 jets from Embraer SA in April, allowing the expansion of services in May and June. The deal to acquire jets from the Brazilian planemaker has added a third manufacturer to Singapore Airlines, diversifying a fleet built around Boeing and Airbus aircraft. It also offers the carrier more nimble jets that are better suited to catering to fast-growing markets across South-East Asia amid bets tourism is set to recover from its pandemic-era doldrums.<br/>
AirAsia Malaysia has begun flying from its Kuala Lumpur hub to Perth, marking the first time the carrier has operated direct flights to Australia. The daily flights utilise the longer range of its Airbus A321neos and are in addition to the existing service of sister medium-haul unit AirAsia X, which it flies daily using A330s to the Western Australia city. AirAsia Aviation chief Bo Lingam says: “Thanks to the addition of the new model A321neo aircraft with longer range capabilities spanning over five hours and numerous operational efficiencies, we are able to make these new services a reality on a narrowbody aircraft from Kuala Lumpur so that more of our guests can travel to Australia affordably.” The airline is also set to resume operations to Pattaya in Thailand, with thrice-weekly flights to commence 17 June. The route is AirAsia’s seventh link between Thailand and Malaysia, with other points including Bangkok Don Mueang, Hat Yai and Chiang Mai. Separately, Taiwan’s two largest carriers have also disclosed plans to expand their networks. China Airlines will start flights to Seattle from 14 July, with five weekly flights operated by A350-900s. Seattle is the SkyTeam carrier’s sixth North American point. It serves New York, Los Angeles, Ontario and San Francisco in the USA, and Vancouver in Canada. China Airlines’ launch of direct flights between Taipei and Seattle means the route will be operated by all three Taiwanese carriers. EVA Air already flies daily between the two cities, while Starlux Airlines is looking to launch flights in August. <br/>
Virgin Australia has officially pushed back its aircraft delivery timeframes due to production hurdles at global manufacturing giant Boeing, joining US giants United, Alaska and Southwest, which have all confirmed their orders will not arrive on time. The airline told staff on Friday that 31 of the Max aircraft it has on order would not arrive on time, despite insisting in January that it would not be affected by the increased production timeframes imposed on Boeing after a door plug on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max-9 fell off mid-flight. The carrier business ordered 14 737 Max-8s in total, with the bulk of this order originally due to arrive by the end of this year and four already in service. The group now expects just four Max-8s to be delivered this year in light of the production delays, with the remaining six not expected until 2025. Virgin had originally expected one Max-8 to arrive every month for the rest of this year. Virgin’s order of 25 Boeing 737 Max-10s were due to begin arriving next calendar year. The airline has pushed back its delivery timeframe to FY26. The delivery blowout is the latest in a string of setbacks for Virgin, which has been grappling with poor on-time performance and above-average flight cancellation rates all year due to internal supply chain challenges– including a lack of spare aircraft and crew– as well as external factors including air traffic control staffing issues and weather.<br/>