The FAA is reinstating 132 employees who were fired on Feb 14 after a federal judge in Maryland ordered their return, a union said on March 17. The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union said the probationary employees who were fired as part of the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Mr Elon Musk, will receive back pay and should return to duty status on March 20. “This is a win for public safety and for a critical workforce dedicated to the FAA’s mission,” union president David Spero said. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in February that the FAA cut 352 probationary employees out of about 45,000 total, but said none were in “safety critical” positions. The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The US Transportation Department cut hundreds of other probationary workers across other agencies. The firings raised alarm after a series of plane crashes that have sparked concern about US aviation safety. US District Judge James Bredar in Baltimore directed the administration to reinstate tens of thousands of federal workers, saying 18 agencies that fired probationary employees en masse violated regulations governing the process for laying off federal workers. The government had claimed it fired individual workers for performance reasons. “There were no individualised assessments of employees. They were all just fired,” Mr Bredar said. The union said those who were fired in February included technical operations, mission support services, air traffic services and flight standards service.<br/>
general
President Trump on Monday chose Bryan Bedford, a longtime airline industry executive, to lead the Federal Aviation Administration. Since 1999, Bedford has been the president and CE at Republic Airways, which operates flights for the three largest U.S. airlines. In a statement on social media, Trump praised Bedford’s experience in aviation and executive leadership. “Bryan will work with our GREAT Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to strongly reform the Agency, safeguard our exports, and ensure the safety of nearly one billion annual passenger movements,” Trump wrote. The F.A.A. has been without a confirmed leader since Trump took office two months ago. The agency’s previous administrator, Mike Whitaker, resigned on Jan. 20, a little more than a year into his five-year term. Chris Rocheleau is the aviation safety agency’s acting administrator. If confirmed, Bedford would take the helm at the F.A.A. when it is still reeling from one of the deadliest U.S. commercial plane crashes since 2009. On Jan. 29, an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided near Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, killing 67 people. Bedford would also have a number of pressing concerns that have caught the attention of Trump and Duffy. Those include addressing the air traffic controller shortage and upgrading the outdated systems they use to do their jobs. Bedford’s appointment was welcomed within the industry.<br/>
Civil aviation regulators are highlighting that certain European Union procedures for radio communication failure, due to take effect from 1 May, are not being adopted in the UK. The EU published an amendment in April last year detailing the procedural revision. But the UK Civil Aviation Authority states that “no changes” are being made its own regulations, and says air traffic services personnel should be alert to the possibility that crews might mistakenly follow EU procedures within UK airspace. The CAA says there will be three main differences between the UK and EU procedures for radio communication failure. Under the EU rules, should the crew of such a flight operating under instrument rules encounter visual conditions – opts to continue flying visually – they will set a transponder code of 7601, rather than 7600. The aircraft label for flights transmitting a 7601 code will not flash on UK situation displays. If the crew in EU airspace has lost radio contact the aircraft will maintain last assigned speed and level – or minimum safe altitude, if necessary – for 20min after setting the 7600 transponder code, unless flying a standard instrument arrival or departure pattern. In the UK this period is 7min. A flight in the EU which has been directed to proceed offset using area navigation, without a specified limit, will rejoin the last received and acknowledged route no later than the next significant point. But in the UK it will continue in accordance with air traffic instructions last acknowledged for 3min only, and then proceed to rejoin the flightplanned route as directly as possible. According to a CAA safety notice on the changes, issued on 14 March, air traffic personnel should familiarise themselves with the differences.<br/>
An allegedly drunk passenger has gone on the rampage at Dublin Airport after he missed his flight. Video posted on social media showed the topless man throwing tables and chairs around the departure gate at Terminal 1 at the Irish airport. A Garda (police) spokesperson confirmed a man in his 20s had been charged “in connection with incidents of criminal damage”. The airport told the Irish Mirror the passenger had arrived at the airport “intoxicated” on Monday morning and had missed his flight. “(He) proceeded to cause significant damage to our airport. We hope the justice system deals with him appropriately and also that we never see him at Dublin Airport again." Irish carrier Ryanair has repeatedly called for airports to clamp down on passengers from drinking too much before their flights, saying it would help create a “safer travel experience for passengers and crews”. It has not been revealed whether this particular passenger had alcohol at the airport. The low-cost Irish carrier recently started legal proceedings against an alleged “disruptive” passenger who caused a flight to divert.<br/>
Russian aerospace firm United Aircraft’s new chief has underlined to the country’s prime minister the need not only to modernise equipment but overhaul the fundamental structure of civil aircraft production. Premier Mikhail Mishustin sought an update on civil aviation programme status from Vadim Badekha four months after he was put in charge of the company. Badekha told him, during the 14 March meeting, that United Aircraft aims to increase labour productivity by at least 30% by 2030. “Given the scale of the investment program being implemented, we believe it is right to set the goal of not only updating the equipment, but also moving to a new technological and production structure,” he said. This structure – achieved through automation and robotisation – will become the foundation of industrial development for the “next several decades”, he states, adding that the company considers a lean manufacturing approach to be “fundamental”. Badekha highlighted the government’s support of the domestic machine-tool industry, adding that aircraft manufacturers have been “among the first” with orders to the tooling producers owing to the impact of international sanctions on the aerospace sector. He points out that the Russian industry is developing all the materials, technologies and systems required for its civil aircraft, and has been working “shoulder to shoulder” with federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia. “Our industry has coped with the main task of import-substitution of systems and units,” he says. “All systems, all units, all necessary elements have been manufactured and are in the final stage of ground tests.”<br/>
The operator of the Indian capital's international airport, majority owned by GMR Airports, is suing the government for allowing commercial flights from a nearby defence aerodrome, flagging financial risks, legal papers showed. The airport in Delhi is one of India's busiest, with about 73.6m passengers last year, although it made a loss of $21m because of higher government fees. As more and more Indians fly, airports are a lucrative business for the likes of GMR and billionaire Gautam Adani who also operates in the sector. The Delhi airport will become "economically and financially unviable", after the government permitted commercial flights from the airbase, DIAL said in the March 10 lawsuit. In the lawsuit, which Reuters was the first to report, DIAL told the Delhi High Court that the government had breached aviation rules barring a new airport within an aerial distance of 150 km of an existing one, unless there was passenger demand. The Hindon Airport operates over 120 flights weekly, India's Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court on Monday as the judge asked the government to file written responses to DIAL's plea. India's civil aviation ministry did not respond to e-mails seeking comment. Shares of GMR Airports fell as much as 0.7% after the case was reported. The state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI), which operates the Hindon facility in Ghaziabad, also has a stake and three board seats in DIAL.<br/>DIAL said AAI had a conflict of interest as it was privy to confidential information on DIAL's business practices and strategies. DIAL wants the court to overturn the government's decision, citing media reports for its contention that flights by Air India Express began operating in March from the Hindon Airforce Station, about 30 km from the Delhi airport.<br/>
There are going to be some big changes at Auckland Airport duty-free as a new operator has been announced. Subject to Overseas Investment Office approval, French company Lagardère will take over the running of the stores from July 1. It already has 10 years’ experience at the airport, most recently as part of the joint venture company LagardèreAWPL, which trades as Aelia Duty Free and runs duty-free and stores in several New Zealand airports including Christchurch and Wellington. Lagardère is a separate entity to Lagardère AWPL. In an announcement to NZX on Tuesday morning, the airport said the eight-year deal to operate the four duty-free stores will bring “more magic to the traveller journey”. An “extensive suite of top global brands” is being promised by Chief Commercial Officer Mark Thomson, alongside a full refurbishment of all duty-free stores, including a major transformation of departures. “Over 9m international travellers flow through Auckland Airport every year and we know they’re looking for great prices, world-class brands, and quality retail experiences as part of their journey,” said Thomson.<br/>
Nelson Airport’s future runway extension hit some turbulence last week. The airport’s private plan change to enable the extension was appealed to the Environment Court by three Tāhunanui organisations, while an expectation that the airport improve its relationship with the surrounding community was debated by the region’s two councils. It was announced last Tuesday that the Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park, the Nelson Golf Club, and the Tāhunanui Business and Citizens Association have all separately appealed Plan Change 30. The operations of the holiday park and golf club would be severely disrupted by the airport’s plans, while the community association fears the impact the plan will have on the wider suburb. Holiday park CE David Pattinson said the plan change was “untenable” for the campground. The park has spent almost half a million dollars challenging the plan change and now will face additional costs appealing it. It cost community group Save the Maitai about $350,000 to appeal Private Plan Change 28 in the last Nelson-based Environment Court appeal. “I am extremely frustrated thinking about what I could have done with that money constructively for the park,” Pattinson said. “However, when you’re faced with an event that will terminate us, we’re left with no choice but to appeal.” He said new “onerous” building restrictions would make it “difficult, if not impossible” to develop the campground and would leave them unable to meet the future demands of visitors.<br/>
A federal judge has again granted Boeing and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) another four weeks to hammer out the terms of a possible guilty plea to fraud charges, but attorneys for crash victims are warning they will challenge any additional requests for extensions. The US manufacturer and the government have been negotiating a revised guilty plea since Judge Reed O’Connor with US District Court for the Northern District of Texas rejected their previous plea deal in December. Boeing had pleaded guilty last year to charges that it defrauded the Federal Aviation Administration during certification of the 737 Max. The DOJ said the company failed to inform the FAA about critical aspects of the jet’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System. That system contributed to two crashes that killed 346 people. In a 14 March order, Judge O’Connor granted a request by Boeing and the DOJ to extend to 11 April a deadline by which they must update the court about their negotiations of a revised plea agreement. It was the third roughly one-month extension approved by the judge, with Boeing and the government having argued for more time as they work with new leadership at the DOJ following the inauguration of President Trump. Attorneys representing families of those killed by the crashes have repeatedly criticised Boeing’s initial plea agreement for failing to recognise the crash victims. While those attorneys agreed to support the latest extension, they intend to fight any further requests by Boeing or the DOJ for more time to negotiate.<br/>
Bombardier CEO Eric Martel said on Monday he was concerned Washington could target the private planemaker's U.S. contracts if Canada cancels a C$19b deal for 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. Canada, locked in a trade war with the United States, is reviewing the contract for the jets. "Effectively, we could be targeted. This is my concern," Martel told reporters in Montreal after a speech hosted by the Canadian Club. In October, Montreal-based Bombardier announced the delivery of an eighth jet to the United States Air Force as part of a deal with a potential value of $465m. The aircraft carry specialized communications platforms. U.S. President Donald Trump doubled down on Monday, saying he would not give exemptions to broader steel and aluminum duties, and pledged to introduce fresh reciprocal and sectoral tariffs on April 2. Canada's Defense Ministry, acting on a request from new Prime Minister Mark Carney, said it has made a legal commitment of funds for the first 16 F-35 aircraft but cited "the changing environment" as the reason for the review. "I am there to defend Bombardier, but I understand why the new prime minister is asking these questions," Martel said. Martel's comments highlight the complexity of a trade war for the integrated aerospace sector, which risks getting caught up in an earlier threat by Trump to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico. It is unclear whether a U.S. exemption for Canadian and Mexican goods like Bombardier's planes that comply with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will be extended past April 2.<br/>