The flight crew on a Southwest aircraft that took off from a closed runway in June overlooked a key notice warning of the closure, US safety investigators said in a preliminary report. Flight 4805 departed on June 25 from the closed runway in Portland, Maine, just before 5:45 a.m. Prior to takeoff, the crew reviewed an electronic weather packet that included 32 notices to air missions, or NOTAMs, which alert pilots to changes that may affect operations. The crew noticed one document warning that runway 29 would be closed during certain times on Saturdays and Sundays, but missed a separate brief addressing closures on other days of the week, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report. The crew also didn’t see a message about a different runway that detailed the procedures for all flights departing before 5:45 a.m. The plane carrying 136 passengers and crew arrived safely at its destination in Baltimore, but the mishap was serious enough to draw the attention of both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, which is also investigating the event. According to the NTSB, the captain and first officer said they received information from software applications that appeared to indicate the runway was open. The first officer also announced several times, including on the universal communication frequency, that they planned to take off from runway 29. The Portland air traffic control tower was closed at the time of the departure so the pilots had to communicate with the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center, which gave them a clearance and flight instructions, according to the report. The pilots said that prior to takeoff they saw a truck exit the runway but made sure it had moved out of the way before applying power. They also said they didn’t see any signs or indications that the runway was closed when they departed. <br/>
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Aer Lingus schedules return to normal on Wednesday as the carrier halts cancellations after pilots’ suspended industrial action over pay last week. The airline also slashed up to 25 per cent from European airfares and announced US ticket prices from €199 to lure customers back following cancellations that affected almost 86,000 people’s travel plans. Aer Lingus last week cancelled 25 flights over this Monday and Tuesday as it feared a work to rule by members of the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) could continue, bringing the total number of services axed as a consequence to 573. The union suspended industrial action on Wednesday night as its executive recommended a Labour Court proposal that pilots receive 17.75 per cent pay boost over 3½ years to July 2026. Ialpa members will begin voting on the proposal on Thursday, July 18th with the ballot closing the following Tuesday. Aer Lingus said it would accept the Labour Court’s recommendation shortly after it was issued on Monday last week. A vote in favour by pilots would end a dispute that has been brewing since Ialpa lodged a pay claim in October 2022. Their industrial action, including an eight-hour strike, ran for two weeks. Meanwhile, Aer Lingus said it would cut up to 25 per cent off fares to European destinations for people travelling between July 20th and September 30th, on bookings up to July 18th. The carrier will offer flights to North America from €199 each way as part of a return trip from August 1st to October 6th.<br/>
Libyan authorities on Monday ordered the arrest of an airline official on charges of helping to illegally transport migrants to the United States via Nicaragua. The commercial director of Ghadames Air was under investigation for "committing an activity harmful to the interests of the country," said a statement from the Tripoli-based Attorney General's office, which did not name the suspect. It said Ghadames Air had transported hundreds of people to the Central American country of Nicaragua, who intended to then illegally enter the United States. Ghadames Air is a private airline founded in 2021 and headquartered in Tripoli, according to the company's website. The carrier could not immediately be reached for comment. "The company had engaged in an activity ...operating flights carrying hundreds of people from East Asian countries without taking into account the obligations of the air carrier and national legislation related to immigration," the Attorney General's office statement said. It gave no further details on the origin countries of the migrants. Oil-rich Libya plunged into chaos following the toppling of long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. It has since become the main gateway for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. REUTERS<br/>
Indian budget carrier SpiceJet Ltd. reported a six-fold jump in fiscal fourth-quarter profit after it settled borrowings worth $90.8 million from Canada’s export development agency at a discount. Net income was 1.19b rupees ($14.1m) in the three months ended March 31, compared with 169m rupees a year earlier, it said Monday. The airline reported delayed results for the third and fourth quarters of the financial year ended March 31. Companies in India are typically reporting results for the three months through June. SpiceJet didn’t respond to an email seeking an explanation for the delay. Revenue fell 23% to 15.7b rupees, while total costs fell 10%. The company recognized a gain of 5.7b rupees after it settled borrowings from Export Development Canada for a lower amount. The earnings come as a boost for the distressed airline, which is trying to bolster its balance sheet by cutting costs and protect its share in India’s highly competitive aviation market. The firm slashed jobs, settled disputes worth over $50m and raised about $45m in fresh capital during the quarter. It also leased 10 new planes to increase capacity ahead of the peak summer travel season. “We are exploring opportunities to raise fresh funds to further bolster our growth plans and take advantage of the burgeoning demand in the Indian aviation market,” Chairman Ajay Singh said. The low-cost carrier had a 5.4% share of India’s air travel market in the quarter, down from 6.9% a year earlier, according to data from the nation’s aviation regulator. <br/>