The FAA said Friday it taking steps to address safety issues involving general aviation and business jets after a serious Feb. 25 near-miss incident in Chicago. The FAA said it will initiate safety-risk analysis of close encounters between pilots flying visually and pilots flying under air traffic control after holding a meeting Thursday with general and business aviation groups. Last month a Southwest Airlines flight was forced to abort a landing at Chicago Midway and narrowly avoided a collision with a business jet that entered the runway without authorization. Over the last two years, a series of troubling near-miss incidents has raised concerns about U.S. aviation safety and the strain on understaffed air traffic control operations. Several incidents have involved close calls with small planes. The FAA said it would take a series of steps to remind pilots to check notices for situations they can encounter during flight, be familiar with their destination airport, avoid complacency by paying attention to pre-flight checklists and pay close attention to onboard collision warnings. "Safety is a collective effort that requires constant, proactive collaboration among all stakeholders," said Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau. "Complacency is the enemy of safety and we need to be vigilant to address emerging risks before they become problems." Other incidents have raised concerns. On Saturday, three small airplanes violated temporary flight restrictions over Palm Beach, Florida where President Donald Trump was staying, prompting the military to respond with F-16 fighter aircraft. The North American Aerospace Defense command said the excessive number of incidents indicated pilots were not reading required notices before flying.<br/>
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Gulf Air, the National Carrier of Bahrain, has announced a strategic partnership with SalamAir, Oman's Low-cost carrier, formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MOU). This MoU will see Gulf Air provide SalamAir with a comprehensive suite of technical services encompassing line maintenance, base maintenance and specialised workshop support, Gulf Air said. This partnership not only offers SalamAir innovative operational solutions, it also positions Gulf Air as a key player in the regional MRO landscape, it said. Gulf Air Chief Technical Officer Mazin Saleh said: "This agreement with SalamAir is a significant step towards Gulf Air's vision to become a preferred provider of quality MRO services. By sharing our expertise and resources, we are fostering new avenues of growth for Gulf Air." <br/>
IndiGo will mark its foray into long-haul operations with the launch of European flights in July. The Indian operator on 6 March disclosed Manchester and Amsterdam as the first two cities it will be operating to with its fleet of damp-leased Boeing 787-9s. The two cities will see thrice-week flights from Delhi from July, with IndiGo stating that the frequencies “could further grow” when more leased 787s enter the fleet. The low-cost carrier has damp-leased up to four 787-9s from Norse Atlantic Airways, the first of which arrived in India in March and was deployed on flights between Delhi and Bangkok. IndiGo expects to receive the other three widebody aircraft in the second half of the year. The 787 lease is part of an “internationalisation strategy” ahead of its receiving long-range Airbus A321XLRs next year and A350s in 2027. IndiGo will be sole operator on the Delhi-Manchester route, while it will be competing with KLM and Air India - who both operate daily flights - on the Amsterdam route. IndiGo chief Pieter Elbers states: “India has strong ties both with the United Kingdom and the Netherlands for business and tourism; and there is a large Indian diaspora who live in these countries.” He adds: “These new IndiGo long-haul routes are steps towards inching closer to realising our shared vision to build India into a global aviation hub.” <br/>
A private placement to raise 1b ringgit ($226m) by Malaysia's Capital A, owner of budget airline AirAsia, was "done", Group CEO Tony Fernandes said on Monday, as the company edges closer to completing a reorganisation plan. "We have a 1b (ringgit) placement, where there has been various stories, but I can confirm that it's done," Fernandes said at a press conference on Monday, declining to comment further. Bloomberg last week reported Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund was set to invest $100m in AirAsia, with the firm also in discussions with potential investors from Singapore and Japan. AirAsia was founded in 2001 with two aircraft and has since become one of Asia's largest budget airline operators. Parent company Capital A was hard hit by pandemic travel restrictions and classified by Malaysia's stock exchange as PN17, or financially distressed. It is seeking to exit PN17 status to maintain its stock exchange listing. On Friday, Capital A said Malaysia's stock exchange had approved its plan to exit PN17 status, which Fernandes said on Monday could be achieved by May. That would allow the company to sell its AirAsia aviation business to long-haul unit AirAsia X, which it announced a year ago in a move to consolidate long and short-haul operations under a single AirAsia brand. Before that can be completed, Capital A's shareholders need to approve the plan to exit PN17 status and Malaysia's high court has to approve Capital A's planned capital reduction. Capital A also has to demonstrate two profitable quarters, Fernandes said.<br/>