The US NTSB is investigating another runway incursion, this one involving a Swiss Airbus A330 and four other jets at New York’s John F Kennedy International airport on 17 April. A preliminary NTSB report released on 18 June says a JFK controller cleared the Swiss aircraft to take off from JFK’s runway 4L at about 16:46 local time. Moments later another controller cleared four other jets to cross the same runway. Those other aircraft included an American Airlines Boeing 737, a Republic Airlines Embraer 175 and two Delta Air Lines jets, a 767 and A220. The Swiss pilots avoided collision by rejecting their take-off, the NTSB says. The aircraft had been operating Swiss flight 17 to Zurich. JFK is equipped with airport surveillance detection equipment – technology that alerts air traffic controllers of possible runway conflicts. The system presents the location of aircraft and other vehicles on colour displays and issues visual and aural alerts to controllers when detecting possible conflicts, the NTSB notes. The system did not alert controllers to the 17 April runway event because the Swiss jet had not yet accelerated enough to be classified by the technology as in “departure state”. The NTSB has not released further details. The event is among several close calls involving commercial aircraft at US airports in recent years. The NTSB recently said it has been investigating more than 10 such events. Those include a near-disaster at Austin in February 2023 that involved FedEx 767 that, while attempting to land at Austin on a foggy morning, nearly descended onto a Southwest Airlines 737 taking off from the same runway. That event resulted from errors by an air traffic controller, the NTSB said.<br/>
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Croatia Airlines has shown off its initial Airbus A220-300, which has been undergoing painting at the Montreal manufacturing facility. The twinjet (9A-CAE), powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engines, is the first of up to 15 A220s the flag-carrier plans to introduce, as it shifts to having a single-type fleet. Croatia Airlines’ A220 features a slightly modified colour scheme compared with that of previous promotional material. While it retains the red-and-blue squares design on the fin, the motif also features prominently on the forward fuselage, replacing the red-and-white chequered triangle. The A220’s fuselage is also white, without the blue underside seen on some Croatia Airlines aircraft. Director of commercial affairs Slaven Zabo says the livery “continues to be guided by the symbols of Croatia’s national identity”. Croatia Airlines is taking the first A220 through US lessor Air Lease.<br/>
Air India is rolling out a premium economy class for the first time on its narrowbody aircraft, as it seeks to bolster its sagging market share ahead of sector leader Indigo’s plans for a new premium product later this year. The former state-owned airline, which was acquired by the Tata Group in 2021, is revamping its fleet to have a three-class configuration, offering business, premium economy and economy seats, it said Wednesday. The flights will operate from July 1 on routes between New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chandigarh. Air India has refitted two of its new A320neo jets, which will fly on domestic and short-haul international routes, it added. The carrier plans to add this new cabin class to the entire fleet over the next year. The announcement shows intensifying competition in Indian skies with Indigo slated to announce the details of its first-ever premium offering in August, which aims to woo aspirational travelers keen to try business class travel. It also underscores efforts to improve its customer service after facing mounting complaints in the past few months. Air India, whose domestic market share fell to 13.7% in May versus 14.2% in the preceding month, is also in the midst of a massive merger with Vistara that’s expected by the end of this year. Vistara, a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines Ltd., already has the same three-class structure in its fleet. <br/>