Aviation

Qatar Airways signs World Cup sponsorship deal with FIFA

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Qatar Airways said on Sunday it has signed a deal with global soccer body FIFA to be one of the official sponsors and the official airline of the next two World Cups, in Russia and Qatar.
The state-owned carrier did not disclose the value of the deal, which it said would cover the Confederations Cup 2017, the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Club World Cup and the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The airline joins Coca-Cola, Gazprom, Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group, Adidas, Visa and Hyundai as official partners of FIFA, the highest of the three tiers of FIFA sponsorship.
Rival Middle East carrier Emirates was a FIFA sponsor until 2014 when it said it would not renew its contract following months of calls for sponsors to respond robustly to allegations of bribery to secure the 2022 World Cup for Qatar.

Dubai-based Emirates said in 2015 it could be interested in renewing a deal to sponsor the World Cup in the future.
FIFA said in a statement that the deal “represents one of the biggest sporting sponsorships in the world and the largest in the history of Qatar Airways.”
Qatar Airways is a major sponsor of Spanish football team Barcelona, and sponsors other sporting teams and events.
Swiss-based FIFA, whose reputation has been tarnished by the worst corruption scandal in its history, still has a large number of vacant slots for its second tier World Cup sponsors and third tier regional supporters.

FIFA made a loss of $391 million in 2016, which it blamed partly on increased legal costs following the scandal, and has forecast a $489 million loss in 2017 but then expects to turn a $1.07 billion profit in 2018 when the World Cup is held in Russia.

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”