األربعاء2015إبريل 1

Lufthansa’s chief executive faces a tough test after Germanwings crash

Crash in the French Alps happened while Lufthansa is trying to

halt declining ticket prices, expand low-cost operations, reduce

staff costs, and bring an end to a series of pilot strikes.

After an already troubled first year as CEO of Lufthansa, Carsten

Spohr must now deal with the aftermath of the Germanwings

disaster while making the airline group fit to compete for the

future.

The crash in the French Alps, believed to have been deliberately

caused by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, happened while Lufthansa is

trying to halt declining ticket prices, expand low-cost operations,

reduce staff costs and bring an end to a series of pilot strikes.

Spohr, a qualified pilot, has been trying to follow the example of

rival IAG, the parent company of British Airways, Iberia and

Vueling, by cutting staff costs to make Lufthansa more

competitive.

But the resulting strikes since April had already cost the airline

over 200 million euros ($216 million) in lost profit and distracted

management attention from restructuring measures.

Lufthansa says it needs to bring its costs down so it can

compete with short-haul rivals Ryanair and easyJet, as well as

the likes of Emirates and Turkish Airlines on lucrative long-haul

routes.

http://fortune.com

(Continue) But Spohr has said it is too soon to discuss strategy after last week’s crash,

which killed all 150 people on board a flight of Lufthansa’s budget subsidiary,

stressing that the airline’s focus is on taking care of the victims’ families and

friends.

Safety will continue to be paramount. “Our pilots are and will continue to be

the best in the world,” the visibly shaken CEO said after the revelations of

investigators last week.

Spohr, who joined Lufthansa as a manager in 1994 and ran its cargo and

passenger units before becoming CEO last May, drew condemnation on social

media for his initial refusal to reconsider cockpit regulations after the crash.

But since then the 48-year-old has mostly impressed with his honest,

measured comments.

Despite his background in management at Lufthansa, he has regular simulator

sessions to maintain his captain’s license for an Airbus A320, the type of

aircraft that crashed last Tuesday.

Independent aviation consultant John Strickland said this training, which he

shares with the ex-pilot boss of IAG, was relevant in such an event. “Like Willie

Walsh of IAG, this means he understands the technical procedures and

processes and it adds weight to his knowledge and gives him gravitas,” he

said.

Safety first

The tragedy sent shockwaves through a company that prides itself on the

rigorous selection and training of its pilots, and analysts said it is crucial for

Lufthansa to focus on its safety credentials as it tries to reassure customers.

Shares in Lufthansa hit four-month lows last Thursday after a French

prosecutor said Lubitz had locked the captain out of the cockpit and set the

plane on a course to crash into the mountainside.

But industry watchers note the disaster seems to have been caused by one

man, who prosecutors say hid his illness from his employer, rather than any

wilful negligence or technical failings on the part of the airline. This means the

reputation and image of Lufthansa shouldn’t take too much of a hit.

The pilots’ union strikes not only irritated customers, but also angered other

staff, who feel they have made sacrifices to bring costs down that the pilots

refused to accept.

http://fortune.com

(Continue) Gerald Wissel, head of the Hamburg-based Airborne consultancy, said

the catastrophe was bringing the 120,000-strong workforce together.

“Spohr could use the return of this solidarity to put Lufthansa on a new

footing, to put the focus back on traditional qualities such as safety,

quality and reliability,” he said.

The crash initially raised questions about whether Lufthansa should

continue with its budget expansion, which involved Germanwings taking

over short haul flights from all but its two main German hubs, Frankfurt

and Munich.

After determining costs at Germanwings are still not low enough to

compete, Spohr has decided to expand regional carrier Eurowings and is

even making a foray into low-cost long-haul.

Strickland said Lufthansa had to press on. “It was a big step to use

Germanwings for European short-haul flights outside of Frankfurt and

Munich and that commercial side of the business has to continue,” he

said.

Finances

Still, the financial consequences of the crash could add to difficulties for

Lufthansa, which has scrapped its dividend, capped investment budgets

and delayed taking new planes as it struggles to finance over 30 billion

euros’ worth of new orders.

The crash caused it to halt a roadshow for a debut hybrid bond and

lawyers have warned that Lufthansa could be facing unlimited liabilities.

The carrier has already provided up to 50,000 euros per passenger in

immediate financial assistance, compared with the initial $5,000 provided

by Malaysian Airlines after the downing of MH17 over eastern Ukraine in

July last year.

While some of the families who have spoken to media say it is too early

to think about legal claims, lawyers say an out of court settlement is

likely.

German lawyer Elmar Giemulla said families in these cases typically

come together to negotiate with the airline.

“You can only achieve a settlement with negotiations and understanding

from the other side and I believe Lufthansa does have understanding for

the next of kin,” he said.

http://fortune.com

Air Canada flight 624: plane was airborne

again after initial impact at Halifax airport

An Air Canada flight from Toronto crash landed on a

snowy night in Halifax, with 138 people on board. As

Ross Lord reports, investigators are now poring over

the wreckage.

HALIFAX – Accident investigators continued to

Air Canada search Monday for the cause of Sunday’s

people to hospital.25 that sent crash624 flight

Transportation Safety Board investigators arrived

at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield,

N.S. on Monday along with investigators from the

airport, Air Canada, plane manufacturer Airbus and

federal regulators Nav Canada and Transport

Canada.

Mike Cunningham, TSB regional manager of air

investigations, said the investigation is going well so

far and everybody has been co-operative. He said a

key point will be determining why the airplane was so

low on approach.

“The big thing is the teams out on the runway to

continue to document the accident site, going right

back to the initial impact position and identifying all

the major components of wreckage we have between

that position and where the aircraft wound

up,”Cunningham said at the airport Monday.

http://globalnews.ca

(Continue) Airbus hit the 320 Aa.m. the landing gear of the 40 :12On Sunday at

part of the airport’s instrument landing – orange antenna array-bright

system – 335 metres short of the runway as it landed. A wing was

damaged and one engine was torn off the plane when its underbelly of

the plane hit the asphalt runway.

The plane, which was carrying 133 passengers and five crew members,

skidded for another 335 metres before coming to a stop.

Twenty-five people were taken to hospital where they were treated for

mostly minor injuries.

Cunningham said the TSB will “document everything and photograph

everything” as part of its investigation.

Investigators will also try to determine whether the snowstorm that

caused the flight to circle the airport for nearly a half hour before landing

had any effect.

A look at Air Canada’s safety record READ MORE:

“We’ll look at everything. We won’t leave any stone unturned,”

Cunningham said. “We’ll look at the weather, we’ll look at the operation of

the aircraft, we’ll look at the whole thing.”

In a statement issued Monday, the TSB said the plane became airborne

again after it initially touching down, leaving an extensive debris field

between the localizer antenna and the beginning of the runway.

“The initial impact was significant and caused substantial damage to the

aircraft,” the statement said. “During this impact, the aircraft collided with

a localizer antenna array – part of the instrument landing system – and

became airborne again, travelling forward on Runway 05.”

The board said the next steps of the investigation will include; continuing

to examine and photograph the wreckage, removing the aircraft from the

runway, gather Air Traffic Control voice and data recordings, conduct

witness interviews and gather weather information from the day of the

crash.

Klaus Goersch, the chief operating officer of Air Canada, insisted Sunday

that the weather was good enough to land, saying it was “safe to fly in

this weather.”

The plane’s cockpit voice recorder has been sent to Ottawa for analysis.

http://globalnews.ca

(Continue)

Cunningham said at a press conference Sunday evening

that everyone on board the flight was fortunate to have

survived.

“I’d say they’re pretty lucky,” he said.

Airport officials said Monday things are operating “as

close to normal as can be expected.”

The airport is conducting its own investigation into its

response to Sunday’s events, including why it took

nearly an hour to get passengers from the plane back to

the terminal.

“We do believe we can do it better, we do believe we can

do it faster and we believe it’s one of the key focuses in

our review,” said Peter Spurway, vice-president of

corporate communications for the airport.

http://globalnews.ca

British Airways Cyberattack:

Thousands Of Frequent Flyer

Accounts Hacked, Now Locked

Down By Airline

British Airways Cyberattack - British Airways announced on Sunday,

March 29 that it they have put on lock down thousands of frequent flyer

accounts after suffering cyber attack. The airline apologised to

customers for the inconvenience resulting from the British Airways

cyberattack.

Along with British Airways' air-miles accounts, coding site GitHub and

work chat service Slack have been attacked in this latest wave of cyber-

.reported the BBCattacks,

Share This Story

the British Airways cyberattack occurred as According to Tech Times,

the airline's systems have been attacked by an automated process over

the weekend. The hackers reportedly used information they obtained

outside in order to find vulnerabilities in online security.

The number of accounts affected by the British Airways cyberattack was

estimated to be in tens of thousands. However, the company assured

that no personal details, such as names, addresses and bank details,

were stolen in the British Airways cyberattack.

http://www.travelerstoday.com

(Continue) Owned by International Airlines Group (IAG), the airline said

people whose accounts were affected would not be able to use

their accumulated air miles for the meantime.

The company currently has millions of customers and they are

reportedly expecting to resolve the problems which arose from the

British Airways cyberattack within a few days.

"British Airways has become aware of some unauthorised activity

in relation to a small number of frequent flyer Executive Club

accounts," said a company spokesman in a statement sent to IB

Times UK. "We would like to reassure customers that, at this stage

we are not aware of any access to any subsequent information

pages within accounts, including travel histories or payment card

details."

"We are sorry for the concern and inconvenience this matter has

caused, and would like to reassure customers that we are taking

this incident seriously and have taken a number of steps to lock

down accounts so they can no longer be accessed," continued the

statement.

Meanwhile, the airline is urging holders of Executive Club

accounts to change their login details if they have used the same

ones for their frequent flyer miles accounts.

Lift of the suspension will be able to provide all customers with

access to their Avios accounts again. However, those with frequent

flyer miles were completely wiped, therefore they may be having a

harder time recollecting what was erased from after British

Airways cyberattack.

The hacker/hackers behind the British Airways cyberattack is/are

it According to the International Business Times,still unidentified.

is believed that the hackers were able to gain access to company's

computers through an automated computer programme searching

for vulnerabilities in online security systems.

http://www.travelerstoday.com

Jazeera Airways Group announces 2014 financial results

The board of directors of Jazeera Airways Group today recommended record

dividends and payments to shareholders totaling up to KD50 million in the form of

special dividends for 2014 and a share buyback program.

The board of directors of Jazeera Airways Group today recommended record

dividends and payments to shareholders totaling up to KD50 million in the form of

special dividends for 2014 and a share buyback program. All payments will be

executed separately in the next several months with the last payment expected to

take place in August 2015, pending regulator and shareholders approvals.

Jazeera Airways Group Chairman, Marwan Boodai, said: “Our recommendation

today to distribute up to KD50 million in shareholder payments reflects our strong

performance last year and the successful divestment of the leasing business. The

board is confident in the continued future cash flow and the growth of our airline.”

Board-recommended shareholder payments in 2015:

Special Cash Dividends for 2014:

- KD20 million, to be paid following shareholder approval by the upcoming Annual

General Meeting of Shareholders that is planned for mid-May 2015.

Shares buyback program payments:

- Up to KD 30 million, which include KD22 million for the purchase of 220 million

shares out of the total 420 million outstanding issued shares at the nominal price of

100 fils (KD0.1), and up to KD8 million in 2015 earnings and other reserves that are

required by law to be distributed prior to executing the planned share buyback

program.

Jazeera Airways Group’s share buyback program will be the first voluntary share

buyback program exercise in Kuwait based on the new share buyback procedures

by Kuwait’s new Commercial Companies Law (97/2013) and its executive

regulations. The board commits to executing the dividends and the payouts as

soon as shareholder and regular approvals are secured.

http://www.albawaba.com

(Continue) As of December 31, 2014, Jazeera Airways Group’s cash balance stood

at KD66 million. The company expects the cash balance to rise to above

KD80 million by end of 2015 - without taking into account the

shareholder payments recommended today. The company’s paid up

capital is KD42 million.

The high-level of cash is a result of retained earnings generated by the

company’s strong performance in recent years. The company’s cash

position will be further enhanced with the proceeds from the sale of 15

Airbus A320s for USD507 million (KD148.5 million) that was announced

last January as part of a strategic move to exit the aircraft leasing

business and focus on the Group’s star performer, the airline (Jazeera

Airways). Historically, the airline generated 80% of the Group’s net

profit.

Boodai said, “Our divestment from the leasing business came at the

right time for us and our buyers. Our fleet’s new owners are getting

modern assets that are already placed with airlines across the world and

generating revenue from day one. We are now focused on our star

performer, Jazeera Airways, which is now more nimble, asset-light,

cash-rich and debt-free to pursue new opportunities to serve our

customers”.

The fleet sale transaction is reflected in 2014’s financial accounts that

will be available next month. As a result of the fleet sale transaction,

Jazeera Airways Group will receive KWD148.5 million in cash. The

proceeds will be used to settle all of the company’s outstanding debt,

amounting to KD116.6 million as of end of 2014.

FY2014 Group Results

Jazeera Airways Group also announced the company’s financial results

for the year 2014 today. The company had a record Q4 performance,

earning pre-transaction net profit of KD3.8 million, an increase of 47%

from the same quarter last year. The company’s full-year revenue was

KD68.8 million, up 4.9% from last year, and its pre-transaction net profit

was KD17.4 million, up 4.4% from 2013. However, as a result of the fleet

sale, the company’s bottom line for 2014 was affected by a one-time

non-recurring loss leading to a net loss of KD2.88 million for the year.

http://www.albawaba.com

Andreas Lubitz: How do airlines screen pilots for mental illnesses?

The revelation that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz had been diagnosed with a mental

illness before he crashed the Germanwings jetliner Tuesday raises concerns

over how airlines screen pilots for mental health issues.

The crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, brought down by a pilot with

diagnosed mental illness, raises red flags about how airlines evaluate,

regulate, and address such issues among employees.

Andreas Lubitz, who was at the controls of the jetliner that crashed in the

was diagnosed with a people aboard, 150 French Alps Tuesday and killed all

that he kept hidden from his employers, according to psychosomatic illness

reports. Investigators had found notes from two doctors among other ripped

up medical documents attesting that Mr. Lubitz was unfit to fly the day of the

crash, German officials said.

and United Statesboth in the –While airlines and aviation regulatory agencies

abroad – have processes that examine pilots’ mental health for illnesses that

could affect their ability to fly a plane, these procedures rely heavily on pilots

.The New York Times reportedvolunteering information about any disorders,

How safe is flying? Take the aviation safety quizRecommended:

require Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)In the US, both airlines and the

pilots to undergo annual physical examinations, background checks, and

medical certifications. But tests focus largely on physical issues, with mental

illnesses identified only via the pilots’ own admission of the problem, or their

overt behavior.

“There’s no formal psychological testing that is done routinely,” Dr. James

told Vanderploeg, whose practice includes performing FAA examinations,

.Wired

, medical examiners are not required to perform FAA guidelinesAccording to

full psychiatric evaluations, but are expected to “form a general impression of

the emotional stability and mental state of the applicant.” Doctors are charged

with reviewing medical histories for any signs of depression, anxiety, suicidal

tendencies, or substance abuse, as well as gathering information that might

reveal the pilot’s state of mind through conversation.

http://news.yahoo.com

(Continue) for being denied an aviation license, which is why disclosure are groundsMental health issues

remains taboo among employees who fear discrimination or lack of trust from colleagues and

that the medical notes discovered in Lubitz’s apartment Rheinische Post reported Thebosses.

came from at least two doctors — suggesting he may have been shopping around for a

favorable diagnosis.

Some studies have shown that among adult Americans, 18 percent experience an anxiety

disorder in any given year, while 9 percent have symptoms consistent with major depression,

. Worldwide, according to the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Global Burden of leading cause of disability, the latest -depressive disorders are the second

.million people350 affects , and Disease study found

Having airlines require rigorous psychological testing of pilots is, however, considered by some

to be impractical. According to Wired, there are 50,000 airline pilots in the US and Canada alone.

Testing each of them annually simply is not feasible, says Dr. Diane Damos, who holds a

doctorate in aviation psychology and has been working on the pilot selection process since

1970. Having a tool that would reliably root out and prevent the exceedingly rare instance in

which a pilot might commit suicide by crashing a plane is “probably beyond our capabilities.”

If every pilot was tested rigorously, it would inevitably generate false positives, Damos says.

“You’re gonna flag a lot of people who are normal but for some reason or other, on that day,

give you a strange response.” You’d have to follow each one, check up on them, monitor them,

“and that’s a tremendous cost and effort.”

There is some self-policing among pilots when it comes to one another’s state of mind.

Members of a carrier’s pilot corps tend to take note when troubling events such as death,

divorce, or finances might affect a colleague’s performance or behavior, Dave Funk, a former

told Northwest Airlines captain now with aviation security consulting firm Laird and Associates,

.Air and Space magazine

“Before 1990, that was not the case,” Mr. Funk said. "But things like pilots flying drunk changed

all that. We’ve gotten very good working with management and senior management, and the

company [recognizes] that we’re people, not machines.”

had a 2012 like JetBlue captain Clayton Osbon, who in –Unfortunately, it seems that Lubitz

was among those who slipped between the – country flight-meltdown the middle of a cross

cracks.

chief executive Carsten Spohr told The New York Times Thursday that Lubitz LufthansaThough

“was 100 percent flightworthy” when he was hired in 2013, Mr. Spohr also noted that the pilot

that according Reuters reportedlong break from his training six years ago. -had taken a months

to German media, Lubitz had suffered from depression in the past. Germany's strict medical

privacy laws may have prevented Lufthansa from fully knowing about his health problems.

At the time of the crash, Lubitz was also being treated by neurologists and psychiatrists for his

, citing an unnamed source.Bloomberg reportedillness,

One solution appears to go back to the idea of encouraging employees to disclose their mental

disorders. Depression – or mental illness in general – needs to become something a pilot can

be open about, and receive treatment for, without fear of discrimination, Dr. Damos told Wired.

“[T]hat’s something we can encourage,” she said. “It incurs very few costs, and I think would be

very beneficial.”

http://news.yahoo.com

Oneworld, Star Alliance, SkyTeam frequent flyer status match deals

Take a Gold or Platinum frequent flyer card from one airline and, like a

magician's trick, a 'status match' deal will make a matching shiny card

from another airline appear in your wallet or purse.

If you've chosen your status match partner wisely, that new card will

unlock prized perks such as lounge access, priority check-in and higher

checked baggage allowance with not just one other airline but dozens of

them via the Star Alliance, Oneworld and SkyTeam groups of airlines.

Here are three current status match deals – one for each of those

alliances – so if you play your cards right, you'll quickly be a VIP traveller

on most of the world's leading airlines.

Airberlin Topbonus

The airline: German's Airberlin and its Topbonus frequent flyer scheme

The alliance: Airberlin is a member of Oneworld which also includes

Qantas, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines,

Qatar Airways and many more.

The status match: Airberlin is now offering Silver or Gold status – which

corresponds to Qantas Silver or Gold, which in turn equals Ruby and

Sapphire on Oneworld member airlines – although Gold is the one to get,

here as Silver doesn’t include lounge access.

What you need: To qualify for this status match you must hold Silver or

Gold frequent flyer status (or higher) with an airline outside the Oneworld

alliance.

That leaves Qantas off the list but opens it up to the likes of Singapore

Airlines KrisFlyer Gold or PPS Club, Emirates Skywards Gold or

Platinum, and many others.

Qantas and Virgin Australia frequent flyer cards have no weight here: the

former due to the airline’s Oneworld membership, the latter due to its

existing partnership with Airberlin.

(However, we've heard reports that Etihad Guest Gold and Platinum

members have been successful in securing a status match, despite

Etihad's partnership with, and financial stake in, Airberlin.)

Why you’d want it: In addition to instant Gold status with all Oneworld

airlines, Airberlin Topbonus also gives you similar Gold-grade perks with

Virgin Australia. That's unique among the airline world and makes this a

great card for Aussie frequent flyers to tuck away.

http://www.ausbt.com.au

(Continue) How it’s done: If you’re not already a Topbonus member, join for free on

, then send an email to statusmatch@topbonus.de Airberlin websitethe

with your Topbonus membership number and a scan, photo or copy of

your current Silver, Gold or Platinum frequent flyer card.

Free Airberlin Topbonus Gold status matchRead more:

Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles

The airline: Turkish Airlines and its Miles and Smiles frequent flyer

scheme

The alliance: Turkish Airlines is a member of Star Alliance Gold which

includes Singapore Airlines, United, Thai Airways, Air New Zealand,

Lufthansa and Air China.

The status match: Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles ‘Elite’ status is

equivalent to Star Alliance Gold status.

What you need: All you need to take advantage of this promotion is a

top-tier frequent flyer card from one of the ‘big three’ alliances – such as

Oneworld Emerald, Star Alliance Gold or SkyTeam Elite Plus.

That prestigious list includes Qantas Platinum/Platinum One (Oneworld),

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold/PPS Club (Star Alliance) and Delta

Gold, Platinum and Diamond Medallion (SkyTeam).

However, frequent flyer cards from non-alliance airlines aren’t accepted

– which rules out the likes of Virgin Australia, Etihad, Emirates and Virgin

Atlantic.

Why you’d want it: Priority check-in and boarding plus lounge access

across the breadth of the Star Alliance, the world's largest airline

alliance.

Turkish , then visit the Join the Miles and Smiles schemeHow it’s done:

to request your status match via the customer service Airlines website

form, where you'll need to attach a scan of your eligible frequent flyer

card along with a copy of your most recent account statement. Qantas

frequent flyers can obtain this by clicking ‘View activity statement’ on the

Qantas website.

http://www.ausbt.com.au

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http://www.ausbt.com.au

Czech Airlines OK Plus

The airline: Czech Airlines and its OK Plus frequent flyer

scheme

The alliance: Czech belongs to the SkyTeam alliance

The deal: Okay, this isn't a direct status match deal – but it's

a nifty shortcut to quickly gaining Elite or Elite Plus status

across all SkyTeam member airlines such as Delta, Air

France, Korean Air, KLM, Garuda, and China Southern.

What you need: Start with a Silver card (for Elite status) or

Gold or Platinum card (for Elite Plus status) from any other

airline – including Qantas and Virgin Australia – and book at

least one flight with Czech Airlines in either business class or

flexible economy. A short hop from Paris to Prague will do

the trick if you're already Europe-bound.

, book your Czech Airlines flight, Join OK Plus How it’s done:

kb] with your 416[PDF, this application form complete

membership and flight details, and email it to okplus@csa.cz.

Your Elite or Elite Plus card will be mailed to you after taking

the flight you nominated on the form.

Note that unlike Oneworld and the Star Alliance, SkyTeam

doesn’t provide lounge access on domestic flights unless

connecting to or from an international SkyTeam service.

Lower-level Elite members have no lounge privileges but

enjoy priority check-in, boarding and more with SkyTeam.

Two Planes of Foreign Airlines

Flying Over Arabian Sea Near

Mumbai Came Dangerously Close:

Sources

Mumbai: Two planes flying over the Arabian Sea

came so close to each other on Monday morning that

they were issued an emergency warning by the

planes' on board collision avoidance systems.

The matter was reported to the Mumbai Air Traffic

Controllers by the pilots.

"The incident took place over the oceanic airspace

over the Arabian Sea where we don't have radar

coverage. Whatever details we have is based on the

report by pilots," said one of the senior most officials

of the Airports Authority of India.

Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil

Aviation or DGCA is investigating the incident since

the airspace comes under Indian jurisdiction.

http://www.ndtv.com

(Continue)

The incident involved Emirates and Etihad Airways.

While one carrier was flying from Dubai to Seychelles,

the other was operating a return flight on the same

route.

Due to the closure of Yemeni airspace because of the

on-going civil war in the region, Emirates and Etihad

are operating to Seychelles using the airspace over the

Arabian Sea and Muscat airspace.

Safety is of paramount importance to Emirates and "we

will be cooperating fully with the Mumbai Air Traffic

Control in the subsequent investigation," the airline

said in a statement from Dubai.

Sources say the DGCA's investigation will reveal more

about the safety breach but guidelines require two

aircraft to maintain a bare minimum distance of 1000

feet between them. And horizontally, two planes must

have a flying time difference of a minimum 10 minutes

to avoid any possibility of a collision. "The moment any

of these guidelines is violated, the on-board computer

tells the pilot what to do or issues a resolution

advisory," said the senior Airports Authority of India

official.

http://www.ndtv.com

Germanwings crash: Aviation industry moves to reassure travellers

The CAA has tried to reassure air travellers that the

mental health of UK pilots is regularly assessed, following

the crash of the Germanwings flight last week.

The incident, which killed all 150 passengers and crew, has been

blamed on the “deliberate” actions of co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who

locked the captain out of the cockpit after he took a toilet break.

Lubitz is then believed to have purposely crashed the Airbus A320

into the French Alps.

Following the tragedy, both the CAA and the European Aviation Safety

Agency (Easa) issued new guidelines to airlines, asking them to

review “all relevant procedures”.

In a statement on Friday, after details of Lubitz’s alleged actions

emerged, Easa said: “The agency recommends operators reassess

the safety and security risks associated with flight crew members

leaving the flight crew compartment due to operational or

physiological needs during non-critical phases of flight.

“Based on this assessment, operators are recommended to

implement procedures requiring at least two persons… to be in the

flight crew compartment at all times, or other equivalent mitigating

measures to address risks identified by the operator’s revised

assessment.”

http://www.ttgdigital.com

The CAA added: “All UK airline pilots undergo extensive and regular

medical assessments to determine their fitness to hold a licence.

“As part of this, aeromedical examiners are required to assess a

commercial pilot’s mental health at each medical examination which,

for an airline pilot flying with at least one other pilot, is undertaken

annually.

“These detailed medical assessments are in line with international

aviation standards.”

Last week UK-based airlines including Thomson, Thomas Cook and

easyJet rushed to install new procedures to ensure two crew

members are always in the cockpit throughout an entire flight.

The only major UK carrier yet to confirm its cockpit arrangements

has been British Airways, which simply said: “We never discuss

security issues.”

Other carriers already operating a “two-person” policy in the cockpit

at all times include Flybe, Jet2, Monarch, Ryanair and Aer Lingus.

Virgin Atlantic said this policy had previously been common practice

on its flights and had now been formalised.

“We always ensure we have the highest safety standards and, while

it is our common practice to have two members of our crew in the

flight deck at all times, in light of recent events we are now in the

process of formalising this to be policy,” Virgin said in a statement.

The disaster sent shockwaves throughout the world, but travel

agents said it had not put clients off booking flights.

Kristina Hulme, co-founder of Cheshire-based Travel By Design, said

customers had not asked questions or raised the issue with her.

Phil Hindle, a personal travel agent with Midcounties Co-operative,

agreed, although he added: “I think it’s a good thing that airlines

have acted to provide some confidence about their processes.”

“It does seem a bit odd that one person can be left in charge of an

aircraft. In light of what happened, it’s probably the right thing to

do.”

(Continue)

http://www.ttgdigital.com

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