Airlines

EASA issues AD to address unsafe conditions with Airbus A350 lavatories

A potential safety concern with the Airbus A350’s lavatories was addressed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) through the release of an Airworthiness Directive (AD).

On A350 aircraft, corrosion has reportedly been discovered on lavatory floor fittings in a number of locations. If this situation is not identified and fixed, it could result in the lavatory module detaching, injuring passengers and/or cabin staff, and perhaps reducing the plane’s capacity for emergency evacuation. Airbus released the SB to provide inspection instructions in order to resolve this potentially dangerous situation.

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For the reasons mentioned above, this AD necessitates regular general visual inspections (GVI) of the affected parts and, depending on findings, the completion of appropriate corrective action. These inspection findings must also be reported, under AD.

The Airbus A350 must complete the GVIs within 36 months of the aircraft’s manufacturing date and 36 months of the latest accomplishment of the manufacturer’s Maintenance Review Board Report task 254000-00001-01M.

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The Airbus Service Bulletin (SB) A350-25-P208, published on January 31, 2023, must be consulted by airlines if any inconsistency is found. Even if no post-inspection corrective actions were necessary, carriers will still be obligated to disclose any findings to Airbus within 30 days of each GVI. The AD, which is valid for all Airbus A350-900 and A350-1000 models, will go into effect on May 31, 2023.

Airlines

Federal Court Imposes $100M Fine on Qantas for “Ghost Flights” Scandal

In a major ruling, the Federal Court has confirmed a hefty A$100 million penalty against Qantas for its involvement in the “ghost flights” scandal. As reported by FlightGlobal.

The court found that Qantas misled consumers by offering and selling tickets for flights that the airline had already decided to cancel. Adding to the controversy, Qantas failed to promptly notify ticket holders about these cancellations.

The penalty follows Qantas’ admission of violating the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The airline agreed with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the penalty amount, aiming to deter Qantas and other businesses from similar breaches in the future.

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The ACCC emphasized that this substantial fine sends a clear message: misleading customers will lead to serious consequences, regardless of a company’s size. In addition to the penalty, Qantas has committed to paying approximately A$20 million to affected passengers who unknowingly purchased tickets for canceled flights.

This compensation comes on top of any refunds or alternative flight arrangements already provided. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb praised the penalty, underscoring the importance of robust compliance programs red energy qantas in large corporations like Qantas.

She pointed out that Qantas has since made changes to its operating and scheduling procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.