Colombo: Clearing the diplomatic confusion over the halting of a Russian airplane carrying nearly 200 passengers on Thursday, Sri Lanka said on Friday that the government was not involved in grounding the Russian aircraft. A Russian Aeroflot Airbus SU 289 from Moscow, which landed on Thursday with 191 passengers and 13 crew members onboard, was stopped from leaving the Colombo International Airport following an order obtained from the Colombo Commercial High Court by Irish aircraft leasing company, Celestial Aviation Trading.The court order to ground the Russian passenger aircraft was obtained over a commercial dispute with the Irish aircraft leasing company which leased the aircraft to Aeroflot. The passengers and the crew had been diverted to local hotels. Following tough Western sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s flagship carrier had suspended all international flights in March but had resumed operations to Colombo in April. With the sanction, Russia had instructed its airlines operating rental planes registered in foreign countries cease flights abroad, to avoid the seizure of the planes in connection with the sanctions.When the case resumed on Friday, Sri Lanka’s Attorney General through Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sumathi Dharmawardena informed the court that the Sri Lankan government had no direct connection with the civil suit between the Russian and Irish companies, and it was not involved in grounding of the aircraft. ASG Dharmawardena informed the court that the enjoining order was not against Sri Lanka’s Airport and Aviation Services which was made a defendant in the case. The ASG complained that the Irish company had obtained the order to ground the Russian flight, misleading the courts. Aeroflot told the court that the issue had already created a serious national and international embarrassment with foreign media reporting it. It stated that the issue came up at a time when Sri Lanka has given an assurance and there is a state guarantee to Russia that its aircraft could be flown to the country.The Russian national career told the court that the grounding of its flight cost it nearly $1 million in daily costs with Special Drawing Rights (SDR) amounting to $5600 per passenger per day.While European Union leaders are in talks to impose fresh round of sanctions against Russia over the attacks on Ukraine, Sri Lanka, facing a power crisis with the worst ever post-independent economic crisis, is in talks with Russia to obtain fuel. The island nation is awaiting a 90,000-tonne consignment from Russia to restart the country’s only oil refinery, which has been closed since March 25 with no oil.—IANS

Clearing the diplomatic confusion over the halting of a Russian airplane carrying nearly 200 passengers on Thursday, Sri Lanka said on Friday that the government was not involved in grounding the Russian aircraft.

SL Govt Had No Role In Grounding Russian Flight At Colombo Airport: AG Tells Court

New Delhi, Jul 23 (IANS):&nbsp;The IATA chief recently warned that the prices of airline tickets will go up "without doubt" as fuel costs rise. Oil prices have jumped as economies recover from the Covid pandemic and also due to the war in Ukraine.These costs will be passed on to consumers, Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said, reports BBC. "Flying will be more expensive for consumers, without doubt", he said, adding that the "high price of oil" will be "reflected in higher ticket prices".Due to the rise in fuel prices, domestic and international air fares in India have witnessed a surge by up to 50% in the last few months.Air fares at American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines - the three largest US domestic carriers - shot up nearly 50 per cent for the week ending May 23 compared to a year ago, according to an analysis by Cowen, a financial services firm. Cowen tracked nearly 300 routes across four different fare categories for the carriers using data from New York-based Harrell Associates, which tracks airline pricing trends, CBS reported.A 0.3% MoM decrease was registered in India in May, in YoY terms traffic increased by 405.7% in this domestic market, as per IATA.Oil prices were already rising as demand picked up again in economies that had started recovering from the Covid pandemic.The fallout from the war in Ukraine has pushed prices up further. The US has announced a complete ban on oil imports from Russia, while the UK is to phase out Russian supplies by the end of the year, BBC reported.European Union leaders have said they will block most Russian oil imports by the end of 2022.This means demand for oil from other producers has increased, leading to higher prices.Walsh said fuel prices were at record highs, and that "oil is the single biggest element of an airline's cost base", BBC reported."It's inevitable that ultimately the high oil prices will be passed through to consumers in higher ticket prices."International revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) continued to drive the global industry's recovery in May while the global domestic market trended sideways, IATA said. Several major international route areas overperformed 2019 levels while many others likely reached pre-pandemic RPK levels in June.The global industry's recovery accelerated and global international RPKs are now at 64.1% of pre-crisis levels. Global domestic RPKs reached 76.7% of the 2019 level in May. Compared to April 2022, global RPKs grew 10.7% month-on-month (MoM).The rebound continues despite inflation, high jet fuel prices and low consumer confidence. International bookings briefly exceeded domestic bookings in May, confirming that a high willingness to travel abroad persists, IATA said.—IANS

The IATA chief recently warned that the prices of airline tickets will go up "without doubt" as fuel costs rise.

 Bad news for air travellers: Ticket prices to soar as fuel prices rise

Mumbai:&nbsp;Virtually written off following massive financial problems, Jet Airways is now ready for its reincarnation -- this time under a new management -- come September.Paving the way for the private carrier's revival, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted the revalidated Air Operator Certificate to the new owners, Jalan Kalrock Consortium (JKC), on May 20.The JKC fulfilled all the conditions laid down in the NCLT-approved resolution plan for the revival of the airline, founded in April 1992 and launched in 1993 by businessman Naresh Goyal, and shut after 27 years in April 2019.The Jet Airways now hopes to launch commercial operations in September with fresh funding of more than Rs 1,300 crore over the next couple of years, changed ownership with a new management, and a few other changes to re-capture its market.Though starting with a fleet of 11 aircraft of the Jet Airways that got transferred as assets to the kitty of the new entity, these planes are unlikely to be deployed for commercial operations, said official sources.However, the company is at an advanced stage of discussions with lessors and aircraft manufacturers before finalising its choice of aircraft and fleet plans -- a critical decision for any airline -- though officials remained tight-lipped."Jet Airways shall be a ‘smart' full-service carrier, with a two-class cabin configuration, including a world-class business class and an evolved economy class in tune with the demands of the ‘digital age' customers," explained an official spokesperson.A high-level source made it clear that Jet Airways will not be "a small or marginal airline, but will grow-to-scale", though he kept all plans secret for the carrier that once strutted with a fleet strength of 124 big and small, wide-body and narrow-body aircraft.Prior to suspension of operations over three years ago, Jet Airways had grabbed more than one-fifth of the country's aviation market, with 65-plus destinations in India and globally, as many others like Air India, Indian Airlines, or private competitors like East West, ModiLuft, Sahara, NEPC and more crash landed by the wayside.This time, the scenario is much different considering rising operational costs, wary customers just stirring out after a two-year Covid pandemic halt, the once floundering Air India now in the ‘safe arms' of Tata Group, and other airlines going determinedly for their share, etc.The revived Jet Airways has taken the first baby-steps of its ‘historic revival' with over 250 staffers, including nearly 75 per cent former employees, onboard, and now sifting through thousands of applications at various levels, with hiring of pilots, engineers, technicians, etc. to happen soon.The changes will continue with certain things undisturbed -- like the ‘Jet Brand', its globally recognisable ‘Flying Sun' logo, the familiar aircraft livery, the eye-catching cabin crew uniforms, etc., but the airline logo has been slightly tweaked "to reflect an evolved, modern Jet Airways that is prepared to win in the Digital Age".Officials concede that it will be a challenge as there are high ‘expectations' from the Jet Airways brand, and the airline would try to exceed the customer's hopes by attempting to excel in all departments.As Murari Lal Jalan, the new owner of Jet Airways and Lead Member of the JKC, remarked recently: "We are now at the brink of creating history by bringing India's most-loved airline back to the skies. We are committed to making this an extraordinary success story in Indian aviation."Recalling the tagline of Jet Airways – ‘The Joy of Flying' - the new CEO Sanjiv Kapoor declared that in its new avatar, it will not be a mere clone of other airlines, but actually offer something meaningfully different to lure, delight and win the customers."All of us are deeply committed and passionate about building the new Jet Airways into a modern, differentiated, people-focused airline for the digital age, combining the best of what it was known for with new ideas to set the bar even higher," assured Kapoor.—IANS

Virtually written off following massive financial problems, Jet Airways is now ready for its reincarnation -- this time under a new management -- come September.

 Grounded for three years, Jet Airways all set to soar under new management 

NEW DELHI: A Go First flight operating from Ahmedabad to Chandigarh was diverted to Ahmedabad after an incident of bird hit.As per the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), engine number 1 of the flight G8-911 is suspected to be hit by a bird and investigation has been initiated.Multiple incidents of technical snags and diversion of flights have been witnessed in the last few weeks. As per government data, a total of 478 technical snags related occurrences were reported in the planes in the last one year between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022."During operations, an aircraft may experience technical snags due to malfunctioning of components fitted on the aircraft which require rectification action by the airlines for continued safe, efficient and reliable air transport service. These technical snags are reported by the flight crew on receiving an aural/visual warning in the cockpit or an indication of an faulty system or while experiencing difficulty in operating the aircraft," said the ministry of Civil Aviation recently in a Parliament reply.—IANS

A Go First flight operating from Ahmedabad to Chandigarh was diverted to Ahmedabad after an incident of bird hit.

 Go First plane diverted after bird hit

Boston: According to a recent study, those who were exposed to even moderate levels of aircraft noise had a higher risk of not getting the minimum amount of sleep recommended each night. This risk was also higher for those who lived in the Western United States, close to a significant cargo airport, close to a sizable body of water, and for those without hearing loss. The Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Oregon State University have conducted a new analysis, which adds to a growing body of research on the harmful health effects of environmental noise, and found that exposure to even moderate levels of aeroplane noise may disturb sleep. Major airline officials predict another record summer air travel season. Findings of the study that was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, those who were exposed to aeroplane noise at levels as low as 45 dB had a higher likelihood of sleeping less than 7 hours every night. For reference, a whisper is 30 decibels (dB), a library is 40 dB, and an average home discussion is 50 dB. Sleep is essential to overall health and well-being, including daily physical and mental functioning, and a lack of adequate sleep can lead to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, depression, diabetes, cancer, and numerous other health conditions. Health experts state that most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night for healthy functioning. This study is the first large-scale analysis of aircraft noise and sleep duration that accounts for the disruptive effects of multiple environmental exposures in communities, such as greenery and light at night (LAN). Despite how common exposure to noise from aircraft is for many people, little is known about the health effects of aircraft noise, particularly in the U.S., according to study lead author Matthew Bozigar, assistant professor of epidemiology at OSU, and study senior author Junenette Peters, associate professor of environmental health at BUSPH. "This study helps us understand the potential health pathways by which aircraft noise may act, such as through disrupted sleep," Peters says. For the study, Dr. Peters, Dr. Bozigar and colleagues from BUSPH, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined airplane noise exposure and self-reported sleep disturbance among more than 35,000 participants living around 90 of the major US airports. The participants were selected from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), an ongoing, prospective study of US female nurses who have completed biennial questionnaires since 1976. The team examined aircraft noise levels every five years from 1995 to 2015, focusing on two measurements: a nighttime estimate (Lnight) that captures airplane noise occurring when people sleep, and a day-night estimate (DNL) that captures the average noise level over a 24-hour period and applies a 10 dB adjustment for aircraft noise occurring at night, when background noise is low. The DNL is also the primary metric that the FAA uses for aircraft noise policies, and the threshold for significant noise impacts is above DNL 65 dB. The team linked these measures at multiple thresholds with the nurses' geocoded residential addresses. After accounting for a range of factors, including demographics, health behaviors, comorbidities, and environmental exposures such as greenery and light at night (LAN), the results showed that the odds of sleeping less than seven hours rose as airplane noise exposure increased. Short sleep duration was also more likely among nurses who lived on the West Coast, near a major cargo airport or a large body of water, as well as among nurses who reported no hearing loss. "We found surprisingly strong relationships for particular subgroups that we are still trying to understand," Bozigar says. "For instance, there was a relatively strong signal between aircraft noise and both dimensions of disrupted sleep, short sleep duration and poor sleep quality, near major cargo airports. There is likely more going on to this story, as cargo operations tend to use larger, older, heavily laden, and therefore noisier aircraft that often fly through the nighttime hours. And the quantity of cargo shipped by air has been steadily increasing over the last couple of decades, possibly linked to more e-commerce. If the trends continue, it could mean more aircraft noise impacts to more groups of people." While the results suggested a clear link between airplane noise and sleep duration, the researchers observed no consistent association between aircraft noise and quality of sleep. "Though we cannot recommend policy changes from the results from a single study, our study around 90 U.S. airports did reveal a connection between aircraft noise and getting less than the recommended amount of sleep," says Dr. Bozigar. "Current gaps in knowledge could be filled in the future by including additional demographic groups--such as children, men, minority groups--and more detailed metrics of aircraft noise rather than a nightly or 24-hour average in studies. There are also more detailed ways of measuring sleep than from self-reports, such as wearable activity monitors, like a Fitbit, that researchers are incorporating more frequently in studies. And we still need to design studies that include other common sources of transportation noise, such as from cars and trains, to determine the impact of each type on health." —ANI

According to a recent study, those who were exposed to even moderate levels of aircraft noise had a higher risk

Exposure To Airplane Noise Increases Risk Of Sleeping Less Than 7 Hours: Study

Medak (Telangana) [India]: Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots were killed in action when their Pilatus trainer aircraft crashed at Toopran town in Telangana's Medak district on Monday morning, IAF officials said. According to officials, the crash took place at around 8:55 am during training at Air Force Academy near Dindigul district. The pilots include an instructor and one cadet.
SP, Medak, Rohini said that the aircraft crashed near Toopran. "It's a Training Aircraft from Dundigul airport. There were two people inside the aircraft, one trainer and a trainee. The airport staff and clue team are on the spot. The fire fighters doused the fire," SP Rohini said.  "They are trying to find out if there are any survivors. They are combing the area to find if there are body remains. Further details awaited," the SP added. The reason for the accident is yet to be known.
—ANI

Two Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots were killed in action when their Pilatus trainer aircraft crashed at Toopran town in Telangana's Medak district

Two pilots killed as Indian Air Force aircraft crashes in Telangana's Medak

Jan 06: The National Transportation Safety Board said late Friday it was investigating after an@bricaul Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 made an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Portland.
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which had been bound for Ontario, California, experienced an incident soon after departure and landed safely back at Portland at 5:26 p.m. Pacific Time with 174 passengers and six crew, about 20 minutes after takeoff, according to the airline and Flightradar24 data.  The new MAX 9 was delivered in late October to Alaska and certified in early November, according to FAA data.  "While this type of occurrence is rare, our flight crew was trained and prepared to safely manage the situation," Alaska said in a statement. "We are investigating what happened and will share more information as it becomes available."
Also Read: <a href="https://www.thehawk.in/posts/us:-alaska-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-landing-in-oregon's-portland" target="_self">https://www.thehawk.in/posts/us:-alaska-airlines-flight-makes-emergency-landing-in-oregon's-portland</a>&nbsp;
Boeing said in a statement that it was looking into the emergency landing.  “We are aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282," the company said in a statement. "We are working to gather more information and are in contact with our airline customer. A Boeing technical team stands ready to support the investigation.”  Social media posts showed a window and portion of a side wall missing on the airplane, and oxygen masks deployed. Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately comment. "Whenever you have a rapid decompression such as this, it's a major safety event," said Anthony Brickhouse, an air safety expert at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "I can't imagine what these passengers experienced. It would have been loud. The wind would be rushing through that cabin. It was a probably pretty violent situation and definitely a scary situation."  The incident shows the importance of passengers' keeping their seatbelts buckled while seated in an airplane, even if the fasten seatbelt light is off, Brickhouse said, noting that the oxygen mask system appeared to have functioned properly.  "This is a very, very serious situation and it could have been a lot worse," he said. "If someone had been sitting in that seat, and they weren't buckled in, it would have been a different situation."
—Reuters

The National Transportation Safety Board said late Friday it was investigating after an@bricaul Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 made an emergency landing

US safety board probing Alaska Airlines flight's emergency landing after social media posts show plane's window blown out mid air

Washington: US space agency NASA has proposed to develop a new mobility Mars exploration platform that will use solar energy to explore the Red Planet. The Mars Aerial and Ground Intelligent Explorer (MAGGIE) is a compact fixed wing aircraft with ultra-high productivity efficiency powered by solar energy to fly in the Martian atmosphere. It will have vertical take-off/landing (VTOL) capability, enabled by advanced deflected slipstream technology with CoFlow Jet (CFJ). "MAGGIE would be able to perform the first global-scale atmospheric mission at Mars and revolutionise our capability of exploring almost the entirety of the Martian surface. It is the first concept to enable ongoing exploration of this region of Mars and would provide a substantial leap in capability for NASA’s exploration of the Red Planet," the agency said in a statement. The attractiveness of airborne missions on Mars has been amply demonstrated by the Ingenuity helicopter, which landed on the Red Planet in February 2021 attached to the belly of NASA's Mars Perseverance rover. Originally tasked with only five test flights to prove its "pioneering" technology, Ingenuity helicopter exceeded all expectations with 72nd flights on the Red Planet. "MAGGIE would be similarly engaging to the public, both in its audacity, and in the variety of environments it could explore, study, and image. The technology would also enhance VTOL aircraft technology on Earth and other planets," NASA said. The aircraft will be able to overcome the low density of the Martian atmosphere with a magnitude higher than conventional subsonic aircraft. The range of MAGGIE for a fully charged battery per 7.6 sol is 179 km at altitude of 1,000 m. The total range of MAGGIE per Martian year is 16,048 km. The representative mission for MAGGIE presented would conduct three atmospheric and geophysical investigations. These include a study of the origin and timing of the Martian core dynamo from the weak magnetic fields found in the large impact basins, a regional investigation of the source of methane signals detected by the Tunable Laser Spectrometer on the Mars Science Laboratory in Gale crater, and mapping of subsurface water ice at high resolution in the mid-latitudes where it has been observed from orbit. The conceptual MAGGIE system study indicates that the concept appears to be feasible, but needs to be further investigated, designed, and verified under Martian atmospheric conditions in Phase I, NASA said. —IANS

 US space agency NASA has proposed to develop a new mobility Mars exploration platform that will use solar energy to explore the Red Planet

NASA Proposes New Solar Powered Airplane Concept To Explore Mars

Several people have died after a single-engine airplane crashed beside a highway in Nashville, the city's metro police department said in a post on social media platform X on Monday.
The plane crashed off the eastbound lanes past the Charlotte Pike exit, police said, adding it had not been determined where it had taken off.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MNPDNashville/status/1764850425101009258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1764850425101009258%7Ctwgr%5E3d8d3eed2723b0884569b02c5eeaafdde02d9a88%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.deccanherald.com%2Fworld%2Fseveral-people-dead-after-small-airplane-crashes-in-nashville-2922476" target="_self">https://twitter.com/MNPDNashville/status/1764850425101009258?</a>
The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
—Reuters

Several fatalities reported after a plane crashes beside a highway in Nashville, near Charlotte Pike exit.

The Hawk

Tag : Airplane

SL Govt Had No Role In Grounding Russian Flight At Colombo Airport: AG Tells Court

Karan

Tag : Airplane

SL Govt Had No Role In Grounding Russian Flight At Colombo Airport: AG Tells Court

Karan

More about Airplane