Aviation

Spice Jet suffers 7 emergency landings in 17 days, trouble brewing for airline.

A Spice Jet B737 Max made an emergency landing in Karachi, Pakistan.

On Tuesday, a Spice Jet flight from Delhi to Dubai suffered a fuel indication malfunction in the air and had to be diverted to Karachi. At a height of 23,000 feet, the windshield of another Spice Jet started to break, necessitating an urgent landing in Mumbai. The budget airline suffered two defeats in a single day, bringing the total number of technical fault issues involving Spice Jet aircraft to seven during the previous 17 days. Although neither of the two parties in this case has made a statement, officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) claim that the aviation regulator of India is looking into each of the seven events and may take actions against the airline if it determines that it is at fault.

Regarding the seven incidents, six were domestic flights and one was an international flight. On June 5 in the early morning, a Spice Jet Boeing 737 Max carrying about 150 passengers on a trip from Delhi to Dubai was reported to have an international flight incident when it made an emergency landing in Karachi, Pakistan. While in the air, the plane began to exhibit an odd fuel quantity reduction from its left tank, which caused it to be redirected to Karachi.

When an inspection was done at the Karachi airport, no visual leak was observed from the left tank, they added. Spice Jet deputed another aircraft from India in the evening and by 10 PM in the night, all passengers left for Dubai again, spending 12 hours in Pakistan.

In the second incident, the Q400 plane’s windshield cracked at a height of 23,000 feet, forcing the pilots to make a quick landing at the Mumbai airport, according to DGCA officials. It was not immediately known how many people were travelling on the 78-seat Q400 aircraft on the Kandla-Mumbai journey. According to them, the aircraft had no problems with cabin pressurization. “Spice Jet Q400 aircraft was flying SG 3324 on July 5th, 2022. (Kandla-Mumbai). At FL230 (23,000 feet above sea level), the P2 side windshield outer pane cracked. It was noted that pressurization was typical. The plane touched down safely in Mumbai “In a statement, Spice Jet said.

On June 19, the carrier’s flight bound for Delhi with 185 passengers experienced an engine fire shortly after departure from Patna airport and necessitating an emergency landing. Because of the bird strike, the engine broke down. The plane’s pilot, Monica Khanna, is given credit for a successful landing after one of the most significant occurrences in recent days.

In another incident on June 19, a flight for Jabalpur had to return to Delhi due to cabin pressurization issues. Fuselage door warnings lit up on two separate planes while taking off on June 24 and June 25, forcing them to abandon their journeys and return.

On July 2, a flight to Jabalpur made a turn back to Delhi when the crew noticed smoke in the cabin at a height of about 5,000 feet.

One more on 5th of july, Due to a malfunctioning weather radar, a Spice Jet cargo flight headed for China made a Tuesday return to Kolkata. The Spice Jet cargo Boeing 737 was supposed to fly from Kolkata to Chongqing, however the spokesperson said that after takeoff it was discovered that the weather radar was inoperable. The pilot-in-command made the decision to return to Kolkata and successfully touched down there.

Dawal

He is an aviation journalist and the founder of Jetline Marvel. Dawal gained a comprehensive understanding of the commercial aviation industry. He has worked in a range of roles for more than 9 years in the aviation and aerospace industry. He has written more than 1700 articles in the aerospace industry. When he was 19 years old, he received a national award for his general innovations and holds the patent. He completed two postgraduate degrees simultaneously, one in Aerospace and the other in Management. Additionally, he authored nearly six textbooks on aviation and aerospace tailored for students in various educational institutions. jetlinem4(at)gmail.com

Aerospace

India is set to build a central command for the Air Traffic Control system, called ISHAN

Coutresy : Boeing planes

India’s air traffic growth has led to increased responsibilities for air traffic control. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is considering centralizing air traffic control for aircraft, dividing the country into four regions. The goal is to consolidate India’s segmented airspace into a single entity to improve air traffic management (ATM) efficiency, safety, and smoothness.

Recently, the AAI invited expressions of interest to develop a detailed project report for the Indian Single Sky Harmonized Air Traffic Management (ISHAN) initiative in Nagpur. Under this plan, air traffic controllers in Nagpur would handle domestic flights flying above 25,000 feet, eliminating the need for coordination among controllers in different regions.

For domestic regional flights operating above 25,000 feet, control would shift to the central command in Nagpur. This consolidation aims to enhance airline operations, increase flight handling capacity, and reduce congestion and flight times for passengers.

Currently, the AAI provides ATM services over Indian airspace and adjoining oceanic areas, covering over 2.8 million square nautical miles. This airspace is divided into four flight information regions (FIRs) in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, along with a sub-FIR in Guwahati.

FIRs are responsible for providing air traffic services, including weather information, visibility, and search and rescue assistance. The proposed unification under the ISHAN initiative aligns with the projected growth of the aviation industry, which anticipates a doubling of domestic passenger traffic by 2030.

Aviation

Airbus is set to increase the production rate for the A350 as demand surges

Airbus SE is set to boost production of its advanced A350 widebody jet as it capitalizes on rising demand for long-distance travel and wide-body aircraft, amidst the ongoing crisis affecting its competitor Boeing due to issues with the B737 Max.

The surge in orders for Airbus’s A350 aircraft has instilled confidence in the company, prompting them to ramp up production rates. This move is particularly advantageous as Boeing continues to grapple with production quality issues surrounding its 787 and 777x aircraft.

In 2024 alone, Airbus has received 137 orders for the A350, signaling a need to expand manufacturing capabilities to meet customer demands. With 1,277 orders received and 592 aircraft delivered as of April 2024, Airbus is poised to fulfill pending deliveries efficiently.

The European aircraft manufacturer announced plans to increase production of A350 jets to 12 per month by 2028, surpassing earlier projections aiming for 10 per month by 2026. This decision was disclosed alongside the company’s first-quarter figures.

The Asian market is proving lucrative for the A350, with significant orders from airlines like Indigo and Air India, totaling nearly 70 aircraft commitments for the future. Meanwhile, Airbus is progressing with its A220 and A320 programs, aiming for a monthly production rate of 14 and 75 aircraft, respectively, by 2026. Additionally, the long-range A321XLR is anticipated to commence service in the third quarter of the current year.

In contrast, Boeing has been compelled to scale back production due to regulatory pressures aimed at enhancing factory processes. While Airbus anticipates a positive market outlook, Boeing continues to face challenges with FAA certification and quality approvals, resulting in ongoing delays for its 737 Max and 777x models.

Financially, Boeing reported a significant cash burn of $3.9 billion in the first quarter, leaving it with $7.5 billion in cash and short-term securities by the quarter’s end, down from $16 billion at the beginning of the year. Consequently, Boeing’s stock has plummeted by 38% in the year so far, contrasting with Airbus’s 14% gain, marking Boeing’s lowest performance in over a year.

For a full listing including details on customers and regions, as well as historical data for the previous year, go to the download section below.

March 2024 deliveries: 63 deliveries to 32 customers
March 2024 gross orders: 137
2024 deliveries to date: 142 deliveries to 45 customers

	Single-Aisle	A300/A310	A330	A340	A350	A380	TOTAL
Total Orders	19470	816	1774	377	1277	251	23965
Total Deliveries	11705	816	1598	377	592	251	15339
Aircraft in Operation	11007	271	1482	202	591	234	13787

Aviation

All passengers killed in plane crash, after pilot let his children to control the plane

When boarding a plane, passengers entrust their safety to the skilled hands of the pilot. However, tragedy struck when one of the flight ended in disaster as all passengers lost their lives in a horrific plane crash.

In 1994, during a flight from Moscow to Hong Kong, tragedy struck as an Aeroflot relief pilot made a fateful decision. In a move that would have devastating consequences, the pilot invited his own children into the cockpit to play with the controls. Little did anyone know, this seemingly innocent gesture would lead to the loss of all 75 lives aboard the aircraft.

It was a seemingly innocent act that led to catastrophic results. The relief pilot, Mr. Kudrinsky, invited his two children, Yana, 12, and Eldar, 15, into the cockpit during the late hours of the night. Little did anyone know, this simple gesture would set off a chain of events that would end in tragedy.

Once in the cockpit, the children were allowed to sit in the captain’s chair and play with the controls, unaware that they should have been disabled as the plane was in autopilot mode.

Eldar, perhaps in a moment of curiosity or innocence, held the control column down for a mere 30 seconds. Yet, in those brief moments, the autopilot disengaged, thrusting the aircraft into manual control.

By the time the pilots regained their seats and attempted to regain control, it was too late. Despite their efforts to pull the plane out of a dive, they overcorrected, causing the flight to climb almost vertically, ultimately stalling it.

Final moment Flight 593 crash

In the final moments, as the pilots struggled to stabilize the aircraft, Flight 593 crashed into the Kuznetsk Alatau Mountain range in southern Russia, completely obliterating the plane and claiming the lives of everyone on board.

Investigations revealed a chilling truth: there was no evidence of technical failure. Instead, the crash was attributed to the unthinkable decision to allow inexperienced hands to manipulate the controls of a commercial aircraft.

The black box recording captured the harrowing sequence of events, providing a grim reminder of the human cost of a lapse in judgment. In just over two minutes, the lives of all on board were tragically short, leaving behind a legacy of sorrow and unanswered questions.