The outgoing head of Europe's aviation regulator has issued a warning over resources and called for a bigger role as it grapples with "systemic risks" in the aviation ecosystem. The call comes as the 31-nation European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) looks to address recent safety concerns with far fewer staff and resources than its US counterpart, the FAA. "We are struggling," EASA Acting Executive Director Luc Tytgat said, weeks before his retirement. Europe's main regulator has a staff of some 800 and a budget of E248m for 2024. In contrast, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration employs over 40,000 and has a budget of nearly $20b. Its size partly reflects its responsibility for the world's busiest air traffic system.<br/>The two regulators have been shaping rules for new forms of aviation while addressing threats such as cyberattacks and increasing scrutiny of existing projects. "In seven years we haven't stopped re-inventing the wheel," Tytgat said. "And we have been able to grow in terms of tasks, but with the same level of resources," he said at the regulator's headquarters in Cologne overlooking the Rhine. The air safety veteran was appointed the agency's acting head last year, succeeding Patrick Ky, who was credited with boosting its influence during crises over Boeing crashes in 2018 and 2019.<br/>
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Transition to new leadership at the EASA will take place on 1 April, when Florian Guillermet formally takes up the post of executive director. Guillermet was identified as the successor to interim chief Luc Tytgat in December last year although a timeline had still to be confirmed. EASA states that he will take up the role on 1 April. Guillermet has been serving as director of air navigation services at the French air traffic control provider DSNA since June 2021. He also led the SESAR Joint Undertaking, which drives modernisation of European air traffic management, and previously held positions at pan-European air navigation organisation Eurocontrol. “My ambition is to take EASA to the next level, making it a modern organisation fit for the digital age, while ensuring the highest standards of civil aviation safety and environmental protection are met across the entire aviation ecosystem,” he says. Luc Tytgat had been acting executive director of EASA since September 2023, after the expiry of Patrick Ky’s mandate, which had lasted for 10 years.<br/>
A $10b battle between reinsurers and aircraft leasing companies seeking payouts for more than 200 jets stuck in Russia should be heard in London rather than Moscow, London's High Court ruled on Thursday.<br/>Aircraft lessors, including Ireland's AerCap and US-listed Carlyle Aviation Partners are pursuing insurers for losses after Russia's invasion of Ukraine grounded their jets in Russia. The lessors argued the legal case should be heard in London rather than Moscow, to avoid the risk of unfair hearings or inconsistent judgments. However, some major reinsurers including AIG, AXA and some Lloyd's of London syndicates, wanted the claims heard in Russia, arguing that the policies stipulate a dispute should be heard in Moscow. Not all reinsurers agreed – around 35 had accepted the jurisdiction of the English courts in the dispute, including heavyweights Swiss Re and Chubb. Judge Andrew Henshaw ruled the cases should continue in London, stating in a written ruling on Thursday that "the claimants are very unlikely to obtain a fair trial in Russia". A spokesperson for Carlyle Aviation Partners, one of the claimants, welcomed the ruling. "Without further delay, we intend to vigorously pursue our claims against all insurers who have failed to provide coverage for losses in the courts of London, as is the right and proper jurisdiction," Carlyle said. Hundreds of aircraft have been stuck in Russia since Western nations imposed sanctions on the country, prompting a wave of lawsuits against insurers. Thursday's judgment turned on "operator" policies, under which Russian airlines leased the jets through international lessors, insured them through Russian insurers, and reinsured those policies through the London market. Lessors are named as insured and can therefore also claim directly in some instances.<br/>
More than 600 UK Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport, Britain's busiest hub, will take strike action for four days from April 11 in a dispute over working conditions, the PCS trade union said on Thursday.<br/>The officers, who carry out immigration controls and passport checks on behalf of Britain's Home Office, or interior ministry, voted to take strike action last week over a new roster and changes to shift patterns.<br/>
Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind regenerative tourism destinations The Red Sea and Amaala, has announced it is preparing to welcome its first international flight to Red Sea International Airport (RSI). Operated by flydubai, the flight will arrive from Dubai International (DXB) on April 18, marking the start of a new twice-weekly route to The Red Sea destination. A regular schedule of domestic flights operated by Saudia have been servicing RSI since September 2023. With the launch of flydubai, there will now be eight flights per week to RSI. “Situated within three hours flying time of 250 million people, RSI will serve one million guests a year at full capacity. Our inaugural flight just six months ago was the start of our journey towards reaching that goal, and this first international flight is a further step in making Saudi Arabia one of the top tourism destinations globally. We are looking forward to truly opening up to the world and welcoming visitors from the UAE, wider Middle East region and beyond,” said John Pagano, Group CEO at Red Sea Global. “RSI is also essential for providing connectivity for our employees, partners, and the wider local community,” added Pagano. RSI was built to provide an easy route for guests travelling to The Red Sea. Today, two luxury resorts are open at the destination: Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, and St. Regis Red Sea Resort.<br/>
Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into a supplier of parts for Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc after what he said were recurring issues with certain of those parts, his office said on Thursday. On Monday, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced he would leave by the end of the year, following concerns from regulators and airline customers after a panel flew off a 737 MAX 9 jet in January.<br/>
The new head of Boeing's troubled commercial airplane unit said the planemaker faces a "pivotal moment" as it works to boost quality and address significant concerns from regulators and airline customers after a panel flew off a 737 MAX 9 jet in January. "This is a pivotal moment for us, and we have serious work ahead to build trust and improve our operations," said Stephanie Pope, who was named president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes on Monday, in an email to employees on Wednesday seen by Reuters. Pope was named COO in December and retains the title after holding a wide range of prior jobs at Boeing. On Monday, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced he would leave by the end of the year, while the company's long-time head of commercial airplanes, Stan Deal, retired effectively immediately and the board chair Larry Kellner stepped down and was replaced as chair by director Steve Mollenkopf. GE CEO Larry Culp, who has been touted by industry executive analysts as a possible replacement for Calhoun, said at an event in New York he was fully focused on GE Aerospace and would return to its headquarters in Ohio. "There's no better business. There's no better job," Culp said. He said Boeing's board would be focused on leadership qualities in its CEO search. "This is a big company going through tremendous challenge right now," Culp said, saying the planemaker must be thinking about long-term product and corporate strategy. "It won't be enough to get through the challenges of 2024."<br/>
In February last year, a new Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max plane was on one of its first flights when an automated stabilizing system appeared to malfunction, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing soon after they took off. Less than two months later, an Alaska Airlines 737 Max plane with eight hours of total flight time was briefly grounded until mechanics resolved a problem with a fire detection system. And in November, an engine on a just-delivered United Airlines 737 Max failed at 37,000 feet. These incidents, which the airlines disclosed to the Federal Aviation Administration, were not widely reported. There were no indications that anyone was in danger, and it was not clear who was ultimately responsible for those problems. But since Jan. 5, when a panel on a two-month-old Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet blew off in midair, episodes like these have taken on new resonance, raising further questions about the quality of the planes Boeing is producing. “There’s a lot of areas where things don’t seem to be put together right in the first place,” said Joe Jacobsen, an engineer and aviation safety expert who spent more than a decade at Boeing and more than 25 years at the FAA. “The theme is shortcuts everywhere — not doing the job right,” he added. Such reports, and interviews with aviation safety experts and more than two dozen current and former Boeing employees, paint a worrying picture about a company long considered to be at the pinnacle of American engineering. They suggest that Boeing is struggling to improve quality years after two crashes of Max 8 planes in 2018 and 2019 killed nearly 350 people. Some of the crucial layers of redundancies that are supposed to ensure that Boeing’s planes are safe appear to be strained, the people said. The experience level of Boeing’s work force has dropped since the start of the pandemic. The inspection process intended to provide a vital check on work done by its mechanics has been weakened over the years. And some suppliers have struggled to adhere to quality standards while producing parts at the pace Boeing wanted them. Story has more.<br/>