Aviation News

An Air New Zealand crew member was sacked after she attempted to board a rival company’s plane to have a look inside, then “spoke sarcastically” when she was denied. Helen Watson, a flight services manager with 26 years experience, was dismissed in August last year and has now launched a personal grievance case against her former employer.

Air New Zealand says it fired Watson after a disciplinary investigation found her actions amounted to serious misconduct. The airline alleges Watson, when waiting for the departure of her own flight to Rarotonga, saw an Emirates flight at an adjacent boarding gate using a Boeing 777-300 aircraft.

As Air New Zealand was due to get the same model of plane, she asked to have a look on board. According to Employment Relations Authority documents, what happened next is in dispute. Watson said she was told no and left.

But the gate agent complained she had gone down the bridge and picked up a document containing the Emirates crew list before leaving.

When approached a short while later by an Emirates representative who asked why she had attempted to go on the plane, Watson allegedly replied: “Curiosity, do you know how to spell it?”

She then accompanied the representative back to the aircraft where she spoke with the chief purser and captain and apologised. However, Emirates later complained to Air New Zealand, which began the investigation resulting in her dismissal.

Air New Zealand said Watson’s actions were partly responsible for the late departure of her flight, which she failed to disclose.

It also listed “speaking sarcastically” and “breaching security protocols” among its allegations. Following a meeting, Watson was dismissed by Air New Zealand performance and development manager John Flett on August 21 last year.

The grievance case was lodged on December 8. It will now be referred to a member of the ERA.

Jetstar Airways has been fined $6500 after a Melbourne check-in clerk altered a passenger’s nationality to allow visa-free entry to New Zealand. The Christchurch District Court in New Zealand heard today that the Chinese woman was allowed to board the flight and was eventually granted a visa.

The clerk’s actions have led to a prosecution by the Department of Labour under the Immigration Act. The airline has admitted a charge of failing to ensure the person did not board the aircraft after being notified on the computer system that she did not have a visa.

The department said the passenger intended to board a flight to New Zealand in Melbourne on January 27 last year.

She was a citizen of China and was required to obtain a visa beforehand.

When she went to the check-in, she provided her correct details and a message appeared on the computer system telling the clerk to contact Immigration New Zealand because the passenger did not have a visa.

The passenger’s nationality was then changed from China (CN) to Switzerland (CH) on the system, which allowed her to board because Swiss nationals can enter New Zealand without visas.

When asked for an explanation, the company replied by letter: “The check-in agent had received the directive but thought she had entered the incorrect country code, so she amended the country code to CH.”

The letter said the agent was remorseful and was aware of the seriousness of her actions.

Lawyer for Jetstar Michael Heron told the court that the airline had taken steps on retraining and instructions to staff.

Judge David Saunders said he would impose a fine that would “send the message that they need to be careful with the processing of passengers at overseas airports”.

The judge noted that Jetstar had no previous convictions and had carried two million passengers in the course of its operations.

Airbus A380

Bloomberg) — Airbus SAS’s flagship A380 superjumbo planes will require inspections after additional cracks appeared on structures inside the wings, the European Aviation Safety Agency said.

EASA plans to issue an airworthiness directive today advising airlines on procedures, Dominique Fouda, a spokesman for the agency, said by phone from Cologne, Germany, yesterday. The agency hasn’t yet determined how often the planes will need to be checked, Fouda said.

The planned safety ruling follows separate disclosures last week by Singapore Airlines Ltd. and Qantas Airways Ltd., which said they had found small cracks in parts known as wing-rib feet, which attach the rib, a vertical structure, to the cover of the wing. Airbus Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders said that while the cracks are “embarrassing,” they pose no dangers to passengers on the 525-seat planes.

“I can’t say I’m proud” of the situation, Enders said in an interview with CNN that aired late yesterday after EASA announced its intention to require inspections. “We’re obviously investigating how it happened. We think we have a good understanding but the investigation is ongoing.”

Airbus had initially advised on Jan. 5 that the faults, linked to a manufacturing issue, could be fixed during scheduled four-year maintenance checks and didn’t need immediate checks.

Applying a Fix

Airbus has developed a “repair solution” that can be applied if necessary, Enders said. He attributed the cracks to a “manufacturing process,” and said Airbus is applying a fix on aircraft being built.

“Safety is an absolute priority,” Enders said, adding that the defect wasn’t something that would show up on other models.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said in an e- mailed statement that its engineers are working with EASA on the issue. No U.S. airlines operate the jet.

A380 operators worldwide include Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, China Southern Airlines Co., Korean Air Lines Co., Deutsche Lufthansa AG, and Air France.

Engineers first discovered the cracks in the wing ribs of a Qantas A380 while they were repairing the aircraft, which was badly damaged after the mid-air explosion of a Rolls-Royce Plc Trent engine shortly after a takeoff from Singapore in November 2010.

Initially, engineers thought the cracks were related to the accident. Further inspections showed cracks on some other A380s in the fleets of Qantas and Singapore Airlines, leading Airbus to advise repairs during regularly scheduled four-year maintenance checks.

Lufthansa, Air France

Deutsche Lufthansa’s fleet of eight A380s is as yet unaffected by the cracks, Patrick Meschenmoser, a Frankfurt- based spokesman, said by phone.

Air France KLM Group, whose Air France unit operates four A380s, has been informed about the possibility of cracks and will take any necessary measures, Brigitte Barrand, a spokeswoman, said by telephone without indicating whether the airline had discovered any cracks.

Airbus has told Emirates, the biggest operator of the A380, that the cracks aren’t “a major issue of any sort,” said Nigel Page, Emirates’ director of commercial operations for the Americas region. In an interview from Seattle, he said he wasn’t aware if the airline had found any cracks.

Airbus is a unit of European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co.

–With assistance from Andrew Noel in London, Alex Webb in Frankfurt, Susanna Ray in Seattle and Alan Levin in Washington. Editors: Andrea Snyder, Bernard Kohn

source:  http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-19/airbus-a380-cracks-prompt-eu-safety-regulator-to-seek-inspection.html

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The 65-year-old lawyer was met by police officers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Judith Kenney was released later Wednesday, said her attorney, Dallas lawyer David Finn.

Kenney carries a handgun for protection but had forgotten that it was in a computer bag she carried on board the plane, he said. She has no criminal history, he said.

Screeners at a security checkpoint had detected a gun in a woman's carry-on bag but she "picked up the bag and left the checkpoint before the screening process was over," said Greg Soule, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, which operates the checkpoints.

When TSA screeners spot a gun in a bag, they are supposed to seize the bag and notify police, he said.

An airline spokesman said Wednesday that the plane was headed for the runway when it returned to the gate and was met by airport police.

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