The United States is grappling with a shortage of maintenance workers in the aviation industry, with baby boomers retiring and others changing jobs during the pandemic. This comes as the global fleet of commercial aircraft is set to balloon a third by 2034, involving more than 36,400 vessels, according to a recent study by consulting firm Oliver Wyman. In its wake, spending in the maintenance, repair and overhaul market is projected to grow almost 20% by 2034. But the sector suffers from a shortfall of qualified manpower - and an inadequate pipeline of talent. It lacks some 24,000 aviation maintenance technicians in North America, a figure due to reach nearly 40,000 by 2028, Oliver Wyman notes. This gap is not one that the renowned Aviation High School in Long Island will be able to fill with its cohorts totalling 2,000 students. "I don't think the Aviation High Schools have enough capacity to train enough people," said Steven Jackson, principal of the Aviation High School in Long Island City. "We are one of the largest high schools and it would be hard to scale it up further," he added. The school is one of 28 certified by the US FAA, and trains future aviation maintenance technicians who can either enter the workforce after high school or further their studies in universities. "The job market is good and there is more money so, at the moment, more go straight to work than before," Jackson told AFP.<br/>
general
An expert panel appointed by the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday the agency should drop a requirement that airline pilots and air traffic controllers disclose talk therapy sessions. "The FAA should develop a non-punitive pathway for reporting previously undisclosed mental health conditions, treatments, or medications," said the panel whose members include aviation associations, pilot and air traffic controller organizations, academia, and medical professionals. The issue has taken on new urgency since an off-duty Alaska Airlines ALK.N pilot in October was charged with trying to disable the engines of a jet in flight and told police afterward he was suffering a nervous breakdown. Pilots should be able to attend a therapy session without disclosing it, the panel said, adding "it is indisputable that the requirement to disclose talk therapy leads to healthcare avoidance and/or non-disclosure." The FAA said Monday it was reviewing the recommendations "to help break down barriers that prevent pilots and air traffic controllers from reporting mental health issues." Pilots face strict rules and can be forced to stop flying for six months if they change antidepressant or anxiety drug dosage levels or medications for mental health issues. The report recommends that be dropped to two months. The panel also recommends the FAA reconsider its current policy that bars pilot or controllers from duty when being treated for ADHD or taking any ADHD medication. The FAA has said it would also work to address uncompleted recommendations from a July inspector general's office report on pilot mental health, which found the FAA’s "ability to mitigate safety risks is limited by pilots’ reluctance to disclose mental health conditions."<br/>
Airlines and marine shippers have asked Ottawa to beef up funding for sustainable transport, money they hope will flow toward green supply chains and upgrades to existing infrastructure. Tax credits, loans and grants are essential to help companies reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and keep pace with other nations' transportation networks, according to a pair of transportation groups ahead of the federal budget set to be tabled April 16. Investors and would-be suppliers need incentives to start churning out sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) — not a drop of which is produced domestically — to match new programs in the United States that aim to cut airplane pollution, the National Airlines Council of Canada says. "Airlines have sent very clear demand signals they will buy every drop of SAF produced, and yet what's missing from the equation is any sort of federal incentive or support, unlike most other western countries, including the US," CEO Jeff Morrison said. Typically derived from used cooking oils, animal fats or organic waste, green jet fuel shaves off about 80% of a plane's emissions. The federal government has set a goal of 10% green jet fuel use by 2030. Last year, it pledged $350m to support decarbonization of the aerospace sector, establishing a national network that backs research and development projects ranging from alternative fuels to aircraft design. But the blueprint offered none of the manufacturing carrots that carriers were demanding, Morrison said. Airlines have two main requests they believe will foster fuel-making factories and long-term output by producers: an investment tax credit at a rate of 50% on manufacturing facilities and a production tax credit with a 10-year horizon — on par with an incentive south of the border.<br/>
The Japanese government’s long-term plans for a new commercial airliner in the 2030s stem from challenges facing its aerospace industry, notably a relative lack of exposure to a key segment: narrowbodies. In presentations outlining the country’s new aerospace development strategy, announced in late March, the Japan Aircraft Development Corporation underlines the critical importance of aerospace to Japan’s economy and strategic position, observing that several of the country’s leading companies have significant involvement in the sector. JADC notes that Japanese Tier 1 suppliers such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and ShinMaywa are mainly involved with widebody programmes such as the Boeing 777 and 787. They have much less exposure to the narrowbody space, where JADC forecasts growth to be much stronger in the coming years as low-cost carriers – particularly those operating in the Asia-Pacific – use single-aisle aircraft for a greater variety of missions. Moreover, Japanese Tier 1 suppliers are involved in several other industries in addition to aerospace. JADC suggests that this places limits on their ability to focus sufficient investment in aerospace. The presentations also touch on Japan’s failed attempt to develop a regional jet, the Mitsubishi Aircraft SpaceJet. JADC attributes the programme’s failure to a lack of understanding about the increasingly complex certification environment, as well as the flawed assumption that US pilot scope clause rules would be relaxed, a key precondition for the 90-seat M90 – previously known as the MRJ90.<br/>
Indonesia's competition regulator is calling in seven locally-based airlines for discussions amid an investigation into rising ticket prices and suggestions of collusion. Indonesia's Tempo outlet names the carriers as Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, Sriwijaya Air, NAM Air, Batik Air, Lion Air, and Wings Air (Indonesia). ch-aviation does not suggest any of these carriers have engaged in misconduct, merely that a KPPU investigation is underway. The government agency enforces competition law in Indonesia, including investigating possible breaches. The increase in air fares across Ramadam and ahead of the Hajj season is generating headlines in Indonesia. The KPPU is interested in the number of tickets the carriers are allocating into different fare buckets and whether they are decreasing the number of tickets allocated into the lower-priced buckets and directing more into the higher-priced ones. The KPPU is also looking at whether there is/was an agreement among the carriers to do this in concert. "The KPPU has scheduled summonses for seven airlines and the government to gather information regarding the ongoing increase in airplane ticket prices," KPPU member Gopprera Panggabean told Jakarta-based media last week. "Agreements made by airlines do not always take the form of tariffs or through fixing ticket prices." "(The) KPPU will assess whether the increase in ticket prices is due to an increase in demand, an increase in jet fuel prices, changes in the rupiah exchange rate, or the prices of other cost components that cause changes in the total operating costs of airlines or due to alleged anti-competitive behaviour by airline companies."<br/>
The government will ask Laos and China to open more flight routes to Thailand over the next two years to help fulfil Thailand's ambition to become a regional aviation hub, spokesman Chai Watcharonke said on Monday. Chai said it is part of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's "Ignite Thailand" vision, which seeks to elevate Thailand's status to hubs in eight main industries, including aviation, by 2030. According to one recent forecast by the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai), Mr Chai added that air traffic between Thailand and the two countries would double if talks to increase flights prove fruitful. With this vision in mind, Chai said that the government is coming up with ideas to tighten up the domestic aviation industry so that it remains competitive and is able to grow no matter the economic climate. More capacity for flights into and out of the country would provide airlines with attractive options to fly to or stop over in Thailand, thereby creating economic opportunities and a brighter future for the aviation industry, Chai added.<br/>
Malaysia’s year-to-date air passenger traffic grew significantly by 21.4% to 15.3m as of February 2024, compared with 12.6m passengers recorded in the same period in 2023. The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) said its air passenger traffic forecast for this year would range between 93.9m and 107.1m passengers, underscoring the anticipated growth trajectory in the aviation sector. “The recovery momentum is further evidenced by February 2024’s passenger traffic reaching 95.4% of February 2019,” Mavcom said in a statement today. Mavcom said that in February 2024, the country witnessed passenger traffic attaining 8.1m, a substantial 12.6% month-on-month increase from January 2024, which recorded 7.19m passengers. This marked a substantial 34.8% year-on-year growth compared with February 2023, which recorded 6.01m passengers, it added. “Domestic and international passenger traffic contributed to 49.3% and 50.7% of overall traffic in February 2024, respectively, marking a 3.2 percentage point increase in domestic passenger traffic share compared with January 2024,” it said.<br/>
The Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) has identified aircraft delivery delays as a “pressing issue” for the country’s airline sector, as passenger traffic moves closer to a full post-pandemic recovery this year. In comments made alongside the release of traffic statistics for February, MAVCOM chair Saripuddin Kasim says the “current aircraft capacity” is an issue due to supply chain disruptions, causing delivery delays. “Therefore, it is imperative that airlines meticulously plan their network and allocate their resources efficiently,” Saripuddin adds. His comments come as Malaysian carriers anticipate deliveries of new aircraft: flag carrier Malaysia Airlines has Boeing 737 Max 8s and Airbus A330neos that will be delivered this year, while low-cost giant AirAsia is set to resume A321neo deliveries in the middle of the year. Malaysia Airlines has warned of delivery disruptions – especially on its Boeing narrowbodies – which has forced the airline to look at “adjusting our plans to match those disruptions”. The airline’s first 737 Max 8 was delivered late due to production delays at Boeing, and the airline has had to revise its delivery timeline for the remaining 24 examples it has on order. AirAsia’s plans to return all its parked planes to service has faced delays, amid the ongoing supply chain crunch. MAVCOM’s traffic statistics for February show a significant spike in demand, with passenger numbers up 12.6% compared to January, and almost 35% higher year on year, to 8.1m. Domestic passenger traffic rose the highest during the month, up 20.4% against January, while international traffic was up 5.9% across the same period. “This growth can be attributed to various factors, including the Chinese New Year festive period, the month-long school break, and the establishment of 30-day visa exemptions for tourists from China and India, which collectively stimulated travel demand,” states the agency. <br/>
Aviation firefighters will walk off the job amid revelations many of Australia’s airports, including the busiest in the country, are ill-equipped to handle emergencies. Leaked risk assessments carried out by Airservices Australia – the government body that provides air traffic control and airport firefighting services – reveal that Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide airports were found to be at extreme risk if there was a fire or aircraft incident because of a lack of firefighting resources. Sydney, Canberra and Hobart were deemed “high risk".The United Firefighters Union of Australia (UFUA) remains locked in tense enterprise agreement negotiations with Airservices Australia and the union has in recent months sought to sound the alarm over a range of issues, including claims that flights have been landing without fire crews – in breach of aviation laws. The fresh leaked internal documents were revealed by the UFUA, which has warned that its members will conduct a four-hour strike from 6am on 15 April as a result of safety concerns for the public. While the risk assessments were carried out between 2021 and 2022, the union believes the problems remain. Aviation leaders are concerned the industrial action could lead to disruptions for travellers, with 15 April coming at the end of the school holiday season. The Australian Airports Association CE, James Goodwin, said the aviation industry as a whole “urges the two parties to come to an agreement to resolve the situation”.<br/>