Bengaluru airport voted as best regional airport in India & Central Asia


Bengaluru airport voted as best regional airport in India & Central Asia

BENGALURU: Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport  was voted by customers as the best regional airport in India & Central Asia for the third time in four years at the 2020 World Airport Awards.

For an 11-year old airport, it’s a remarkable achievement, said MD and CEO of BIAL (Bangalore International Airport Limited), Hari K Marar.

“This award reaffirms our commitment to provide a world-class experience for our travelers at BLR Airport with a slew of pioneering technology and sustainability initiatives,” he was quoted as saying in a BIAL statement.

According to the statement, the World Airport Awards are the most prestigious accolades for the airport industry,

“At a time like this, when our industry is facing such challenges, this award has rejuvenated the morale of the team at BLR Airport,” Marar added.

According to the statement, the World Airport Awards are the most prestigious accolades for the airport industry, voted by customers in the largest, annual global airport customer satisfaction survey.

They are regarded as the quality benchmark for the world airport industry, assessing customer service and facilities across over 550 airports.

Safety Aspects-Commencement of Domestic Flight Operations

Safety Aspects-Commencement of Domestic Flight Operations

 

The much awaited news about the commencement of Domestic Flight Operations wef 25 May, after a long break, is a welcome development. The officials from MOCA, DGCA AAI and BCAS must have worked very hard notwithstanding the trying conditions created by COVID 19, to prepare and introduce various guidelines, rules and regulations to facilitate the commencement of the flight operations with safety and efficiency. It is a herculean and highly challenging task and the dedicated efforts of the Officials from all these departments, under unprecedented situation, are worthy of high praise.

The main concern of ASMSI is related to the Safety of the Domestic Flight Operations and we are sure that the concerned regulatory authorities and airlines must have given serious thought to safety aspects of operations.

The flying is commencing after a long break and the parked aircraft in the open skies must have been subjected to high temperatures, dust and water accumulation during thunder/ dust storms. This may have deteriorated or adversely affected the condition and performance of sensitive electronic equipment on board the aircraft, including alarm/warning systems and rubber seals etc.

Possibility of the rodents and reptiles entering some aircraft and birds, honey bees making nest/beehive on the aircraft, is another area of concern.

The adverse effect of parking of the aircraft for a long time may also lead to degradation of the material of tyres in contact with the surface and merits attention.

Aircraft with more than 20 years of life should be given special attention during inspection, maintenance, repairs and supervisors must be always very alert and vigilant to keep a close eye on the maintenance activities to ensure that there are no lapses.

The Flying, Maintenance and Air Traffic Controlling related currency  and recency aspect of the Pilots, Cabin crew, Engineers, Technicians, ,ATC staff, Dispatchers,Ops and Maintenance Staff, Ground Handlers, Drivers of the Airside vehicles etc. should attract the attention of the management of the airlines. Special emphasis should be laid on refreshing the skill and   knowledge levels of all these personnel lest the safety gets compromised.

The Pilots, Cabin Crew will be undertaking their task clad in PPE which may lead to restriction on the movement of their body parts to certain extent. Crew members need to be aware about the possibility of the distortions/inadequacy in communication due to PPE, Mask etc.

Cabin crew will have an important role to play in ensuring social distancing, use of masks, sanitisation and comforting the passengers. Some passengers becoming unruly due to psychological impacts of CORONA during the flight is a distinct possibility and may be factored by the airlines during the briefing.

Now onwards till September, the flying will be undertaken in very high temperature and active Pre monsoon/Monsoon conditions, with attendant risk related to this season. Pilots need to brush up their knowledge about their Aircraft,Systems,Avionics,Nav Aids,Radar,SOP’s,Procedures,Emergencies,Spatial Disorientation, Illusions, CFIT,Situational Awareness, Wind Shear, Hydroplaning and effect of high temperatures on performance.

In the interest of the Safety of the Operations, it would be essential to ensure dedicated involvement of the Top Management of the Airline and Airports, particularly Accountable Executives, Head of Safety,Operations,Maintenance and Training.

Thorough Pre Flight Briefing, Pre Descent and Approach briefing, Passenger briefing, Operation Risk Management, good CRM, Situational awareness and sound Decision Making are key to safe and efficient conduct of operations.

All the Operators are experiencing financial stress and may get in a great hurry to generate revenue and make up their losses. The tendency and temptation to take shortcuts in Operations, Maintenance and other related areas, compromise in compliance of rules, regulations and SOP’s etc. can be a serious hazards to safety. It is expected that all the stakeholders will adhere to the rules, regulations and will certainly involve themselves to measure up to the expectations of the Regulatory Authorities.

It has to be kept in mind that the Air, Ground, ATC Crew and supporting staff will be operating during adverse weather conditions experienced during extreme Summer, Pre monsoon and Monsoon months and they will be under great pressure to undertake the flights so as to generate revenue for the Company. Pilots, Engineers and other personnel operating under pressure conditions may pose major flight safety hazard and it needs to be addressed.

Further, the Air Crew as well as Ground and ATC crew will be operating under tough conditions due to lack of adequate suitable transportation,boarding,lodging facilities ,deduction in pay and allowances, perks and concern about their own and their family health. Psychological and fatigue factor of these personnel must be addressed and strict adherence to FDTL and FTL need to be ensured.

Due to disruption in manufacturing and supplies all around the world and massive orders backlog, the availability of spares and critical equipment will be a cause of great concern. So the Operators need to plan well in advance and should not pressurise Pilots and Engineers to make compromises on the airworthiness of the aircraft.

The Operators need to strike a healthy balance between Economic Revival, Viability and Safety of operations. Safety first and Safety Always should remain the motto if we are to make successful revival and economic viability.

It is also recommended that all the Operators conduct internal safety audit of their Ops,Training,Safety and Maintenance departments keeping the above aspects in mind, identify hazards in a Proactive manner and take prompt remedial measures.

Accountable Executives of the Operators should be impressed upon to fully involve themselves in ensuring high standards of safety in their respective organisations.

We are conscious of the fact that the Aviation Professionals from DGCA and Operators are highly knowledgeable and must be fully involved and already working on the lines which have been covered above.

Aviation Safety India will be more than willing to assist the Regulator and the Operators towards spread of knowledge and awareness, in conduct of audits and enhancing safety of Aviation Operations.

 

 

Proactive Hazard Identification, Reporting Hazards, Addressing and Eliminating Hazards are Key to Safe Conduct of Operations.

 

Brave new world of travel: How your experience of flying is likely to change forever

From mandated social distancing, to thermal scans and potentially higher fares, your journey is likely to get a whole lot more cumbersome.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Be prepared for a whole host of health and safety measures that could include temperature checks and individual health questionnaires
  • Airlines have made hygiene and safety of the aircraft their highest priority, with tray tables, seats, toilets, overhead nozzles and other commonly touched surfaces disinfected regularly
  • Depending on the airline you are flying, you may or may not be provided an in-flight meal.
  • The pandemic has had a considerable impact across all sectors but the airline industry has, without a doubt, suffered the greatest. With air travel demand unlikely to pick up anywhere close to pre-COVID-19 levels any time soon, CRISIL has estimated a total revenue loss of between Rs 24,000 to Rs 25,000 in the aviation industry this year. 70 percent of these losses will be borne by the airlines themselves, with airport retailers and airport authorities sharing in the remainder.India’s carriers are, arguably, facing their darkest moment since the birth of air travel itself, and in the absence of a vaccine or effective treatments for the infection, your average journey – something which you might’ve undertaken umpteen number of times – is set to undergo a radical transformation.

    You may notice the change while getting to the airport itself, and most certainly will if you’re travelling by taxi in Kerala. Taxi drivers, shuttling travellers to and from airports in the south Indian state, have begun installing fibreglass partitions between themselves and their passengers, in order to maintain social distancing. Everyone in the car is also mandated to wear masks, while the driver also wears gloves.

  • At the airport

    Having arrived at the airport, you will now have to adhere to markings on the passenger kerbside to ensure social distancing. These measures have already been instituted at the Indira Gandhi Delhi Airport, along with the appointment of queue managers to ensure people are keeping safe distance from each other. You are likely to see these markings throughout the airport, from self-check in kiosks, to security checkpoints, seating areas, boarding gates, food courts and lounges.

    Be prepared for a whole host of health and safety measures that could include thermal scans, temperature checks, and individual health questionnaires. These checks are expected to significantly increase wait times, so travellers are expected to arrive at the airport between two and three hours before their scheduled times of departure.

    The new airport experience will encourage minimum contact at every stage of a traveller’s journey from self check-in to seating. According to the guidelines issued by the Delhi airport, used trolleys will be sanitised via disinfection tunnels. Some airports are also discussing the idea of having travellers seated near security checkpoints, with individual names called for screening and checks, so as to avoid queues entirely. All passenger baggage will also have to be placed through ultraviolent disinfection tunnels.

    After you’ve passed through security, social distancing will still need to be maintained at food courts and retail shops. The Mumbai and Delhi Airport authorities are also encouraging cashless transactions. Stalls selling masks, gloves and personal protective equipment will also be common sights, with hand sanitisers provided by airport authorities.

  • On the aircraft

    While boarding the flight, you will notice all aircraft personnel including stewards and airhostesses wearing full PPE kits. Airlines have made hygiene and safety of the aircraft their highest priority, with tray tables, seats, toilets, overhead nozzles and other commonly touched surfaces disinfected regularly using international standard cleaning agents.

    In April, the civil aviation security bureau proposed that airlines should not sell the middle seat in passenger rows, while keeping the last three rows of an aircraft empty as well, in the event that a passenger needs to be quarantined mid-flight.

    However, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has since question the proposal calling to attention the already slim margins that airlines operate with, and the likely inability to break-even if an aircraft is flying with just two-thirds occupancy. In an environment where demand is likely to be severely dampened, such a measure, if mandated, may force airline operators to increase their fares significantly or scrap particular routes entirely.

    Depending on the airline you are flying, you may or may not be provided an in-flight meal. Indigo airlines, for instance, has already announced that it is scrapping its in-flight meal service for economy and premium economy travellers. In-flight reading material may also be a thing of the past.

    Once your flight has landed, you will have to undertake similar health and safety checks at your destination, before being permitted to exit the airport, all in all making the entire experience excruciatingly long and cumbersome.

The Offshore Helicopter Pilot’s Operating

The Offshore Helicopter Pilot’s Operating

Environment

Offshore flight operations are highly complex and specialised processes. It requires high levels of training, competence and skill to plan a flight, to land and take off from an offshore installation and to consistently execute the task safely and efficiently under ‘normal’, good weather flying conditions. When a task is carried out in adverse weather (e.g. poor visibility), during night flying and when other predictable and/or unpredictable factors routinely found in and around the environs of an offshore installation or vessel, the skills of flight crews can be stretched. Unlike pilots operating from onshore airfields, offshore helicopter crews have relatively little ground-based technology and fairly limited information to assist them as they commence their final approach for landing on an offshore helideck.It is much the same when taking off.

 

Despite the many advances in aircraft technology, navigation, landing and communications aids in recent years, there are currently no reliable and effective electronic landing aids available for use on offshore installations / vessels. Therefore, offshore helicopter crews have to rely heavily on their acquired skills and experience when approaching, landing and taking off from offshore

installations / vessels. It is not necessary or appropriate to review the whole scope of helicopter flying in these guidelines. However, it is essential to consider two important topics concerning flight crew activities performed within the offshore flight operations process. These two topics are:

(1) Pilot information.

(2) Approach, landing and take-off manoeuvres.

Aircraft Selection

During the contracting process selection of aircraft types for offshore support operations may appear to be a matter of customer choice but ultimately, it will depend on the composition of the aircraft operator’s fleet, type availability and duration of contract. A key economic consideration from the offshore oil and gas company perspective is to maximise aircraft payloads and thus avoid the high cost of wasted aircraft capacity. Helicopter operators can help to achieve this through aircraft selection; however to do this properly, oil and gas companies will need to provide prospective helicopter operators with a detailed and accurate forecast of aircraft utilisation throughout the contract term. In addition, they should contractually ensure that day to day aircraft utilisation is monitored and implemented to secure the most cost efficient helicopter service.

 

Long term contracts allow a helicopter operator to better meet customer demand particularly if new airframe types are the preferred option. When specifying helicopters for offshore helicopter support operations oil and gas companies should ensure that they are properly equipped for the type of operations to be undertaken. Offshore oil and gas companies should consider the above factors during the Invitation to Tender phase.

 

Minimum Equipment List (MEL)

Flight crews and maintenance personnel must always have available for reference an approved aircraft Minimum Equipment List (MEL) for the appropriate aircraft type.

 

 

 

Maintenance Requirements

All aircraft maintenance shall be carried out in accordance with the approved manufacturers’ instructions, service bulletins, airworthiness directives and inspection / replacement schedules as officially issued and amended from time to time.

Quality Assurance

A key element of an effective SMS is the existence and application of a suitable Quality Assurance (QA) System that includes an internal audit program that is managed at the local operational level, and is subject to periodic management review. An air operator’s Quality Assurance system should cover the operations, maintenance and support organisations. The key elements of such a system should include the appointment of a Quality Manager, procedures for the operation of the system, an audit plan, record of audit findings, evidence of follow-up and close-out of findings, and an executive review process.

 

Aircraft Operator Auditing

An aircraft operators should be reviewed on a regular basis, at a frequency determined by risk, exposure, usage and performance of the air operation on the previous review. There is a distinct difference between commercial and technical / operational auditing. These guidelines do not cover commercial auditing so the following sections relate only to aviation flight, technical and support operations audits. Oil and gas companies should recall that offshore helicopter operators are highly regulated and are audited annually by the regulator/ or third competent party across their entire operation. Therefore, the frequency, style and manner in which customer flight, technical and support operations audits are conducted at the aircraft operator’s facility should be properly considered. The required audit frequency and reporting value to the oil and gas company / duty holder to assure proper management overview, due diligence and contractor compliance should be fully considered; along with the potential for creating significant interference with the aircraft operator’s day to day operations.

 

Aviation Auditing Principles

Aircraft operator flight, technical and support operations audits are required by oil and gas companies in order to determine initial suitability and capability for providing a safe offshore helicopter service and thereafter to assess ongoing contractual compliance and, where appropriate, to make recommendations for improvements. Aviation flight, technical and support operations auditing is a specialist area that requires trained and competent auditors and often, these individuals are not normally retained members of oil and gas company staff so they have to be outsourced.

 

Coordination of Audits

Audit visits must be planned in close co-operation with the aircraft operators and managed appropriately to reduce the impact that the potentially large number of audits can have on the helicopter company day-to-day operations. Where several companies use the same helicopter operator, consideration should be given to a ‘joint audit’ with a single audit team representation. Alternatively, oil and gas companies are encouraged to co-operate in a pooling arrangement for auditing that would see agreed periods where several aircraft company customers audit the aircraft operator at the same time but with their own audit teams.

 

 

 

Audit Frequency

The planned frequency at which audits are carried out by oil and gas companies is generally dependant on contractual requirements. Normally, these audits will be conducted on an annual or biennial basis. The oil and gas company initiates the audit process, with suitable advance notice, by arranging direct with the helicopter operators. Usually, a minimum of three months is required for scheduling audits. Audits shall be arranged at realistic intervals to minimise the operational impact on the helicopter operators. It should be noted that the average audit could take several people several man days for the aircraft operator to complete the whole process. This includes planning, time spent on pre-audit questionnaires, the audit itself at aircraft company head office and the operating base(s), the time needed with each nominated post holder and the time taken by the safety and quality representatives that accompany the audit team.

 

Minimum Auditor Qualification Standards

Personnel undertaking aviation flight, technical and support operations audits should be aeronautically trained and hold appropriate qualifications accompanied by several years’ relevant experience. Ideally, they should also have completed a recognised auditor’s course provided internally by the oil and gas company or by an organisation which is approved to supply auditor training to the International

 

Aviation auditors should also:

􀁸 keep their understanding of aviation systems, standards and audit procedures current and accurate;

􀁸 be able to properly collect information, evaluate evidence, make observations and draw together well founded conclusions;

􀁸 have at least four years’ of relevant aviation audit work experience;

􀁸 keep an open mind and fully understand that there are often many alternative means of compliance;

􀁸 be prepared to provide experience based practical suggestions / solutions to identified problems (if requested or challenged).

 

Auditor Independence and Credibility

Impartiality and objectivity of auditors are basic pre-requisites for an effective and consistent audit. A good audit will benefit both the auditor and the organization being audited by obtaining mutual agreement for ways to refine and improve the overall operation. The main principles for inspiring confidence are independence, impartiality and competence both in action and appearance. Training in audit and knowledge of the processes will ensure that an individual is competent to audit. However, since effective audit requires the full co-operation of the organisation being audited, the auditor must be credible. Individuals of sufficient authority and maturity who are not too closely associated with the organisation being audited should therefore be selected. Safeguards that mitigate or eliminate threats to auditor impartiality and therefore protect the interests of both parties should be introduced.

Auditors should not have:-

􀁸 a financial interest in the aircraft operator being audited;

􀁸 an emotional interest in the aircraft operator being audited i.e. if a relationship exists between auditor’s family members and an aircraft operator employee;

􀁸 been employed, in the previous 2 years, by the aircraft operator subject to audit;

􀁸 a particularly close or long-standing personal or professional relationship with the aircraft operator being audited;

In order to ensure independence, auditors shall not audit any processes they are directly involved in. Auditors must maintain an objective state of mind throughout the audit process to ensure that the audit findings and conclusions are only evidence based.

 

Developing Competence through Training

Identifying Competencies for Each Role

A Functional map should be developed summarizing the main functions and responsibilities which helideck crew would be expected to fulfill. Competence statements should be derived from the functional map. These statements describe the skills and knowledge necessary to perform the role of an HLO or an HDA.

 

Training the Individual to Achieve the Required Competence

The OPITO training programme contains full details of the onshore training requirements for each category of personnel, along with entry criteria, training outcomes, training programmes, practical exercises and further practice. It also sets out standards of qualification and experience for training assessment staff, instructor / delegate ratios, and specifications for training equipment, and facilities and details of training provider responsibilities.

 

Offshore Helicopter Operations Management

 

Irrespective of the specific operating purpose of the offshore installation or vessel or the frequency and extent of day-to-day helicopter operations, the same fundamental requirements for the receipt and dispatch of helicopters will apply. Nowadays, personnel involved in helideck operations have other primary duties and are not members of a full-time helideck crew. Therefore, special consideration should be given to the operating practices, procedures and continuing competence of the helideck crew. Irrespective of the frequency and volume of helicopter traffic, the level of preparedness and effectiveness of both personnel and equipment involved in helicopter operations needs to be to a single satisfactory standard. On facilities with infrequent helicopter operations, this may involve a significant commitment to ensure there are enough adequately trained personnel available for helideck duty. Such operations will require routine monitoring and testing to ensure proper standards are maintained.

 

Step Change in Safety – First-time Travelers

Checking in and flying offshore in a helicopter is invariably a bewildering and sometimes worrying experience for the first-time or infrequent traveler. Therefore, duty holders are encouraged to adopt appropriate procedures to identify and assist inexperienced individuals when they travel offshore in a helicopter, particularly for the first time. operators but the objectives should be the same and similar fundamental processes followed (e.g. a green armband policy).

 

Initial Identification of First-time Travelers

Prior to arriving at the heliport, all first-time travelers should be identified by the duty holder and employing companies (e.g. contractors, vendors and visitors). Ideally, this information should be readily available on the flight booking system at the heliport check-in desk (e.g. Vantage). In addition, attention should be drawn to the requirement that it is the individual’s responsibility to notify the check-in desk if they are a first-time or infrequent traveler.

Green Armband Policy

At the check-in desk, a first-time traveler to an installation or an infrequent visitor (more than 12 months since last flight) should be issued with a green armband and be given clear instructions to wear it in a visible location on the sleeve of the survival suit. Also, the individual should be advised that by wearing the armband they are easily identifiable to fellow passengers, the flight crew, heliport ground staff and helideck crews who can then ensure they are escorted and assisted throughout preparation and during their journey offshore.

 

 

Communications to Improve Workforce Confidence in the Safety of Helicopter Operations

Following the fatal accidents at Morecambe Bay in 2006 and during a return flight to Aberdeen in 2009 it became essential for industry to respond to workforce concerns and provide practical solutions for improving the confidence of passengers flying offshore. Solutions that are available include:

􀁸 Helicopter Operations Awareness Courses for safety representatives with a set syllabus provided by the helicopter operators that includes presentations to demonstrate the rigor and professionalism of the maintenance and operational controls, together with a tour of the operating base and other fixed elements.

􀁸 A DVD that covers similar elements with the addition of a Q & A where various individuals ask questions and to receive answers from specialists.

 

Providing Helideck Operating and Performance

Information for Flight Crews

 

Flight Planning Information

Helicopter flight crews have a vital need for accurate knowledge of the details of the helideck, available support facilities and surrounding operating environment. Therefore, installation operators and vessel owners should always provide with current drawings, specifications and relevant design reports (e.g. helideck model testing) for new or modified topsides and helidecks where the design and / or modifications have potential to degrade airflow characteristics at the helideck.

 

Flight Management Information

To enable flight crews to manage an offshore flight safely, an essential ingredient in the operational information flow is for them to receive accurate and up-to-date weather and installation / vessel operations data (e.g. vessel motions, number of gas turbines online, etc). Flight crew confidence in the quality of the information obtained onshore, transmitted from the installation / vessel whilst en route and at the destination helideck will be a key factor toward ensuring the flight proceeds safely and as planned.

 

Installation Identification

To avoid confusing helicopter flight crews and to reduce the potential for wrong deck landings, particularly where several installations of similar appearance and/or belonging to the same duty holder are in close proximity, it is essential to ensure that the installation identification boards, the helideck identification marking (i.e. the name) and the radio call sign are consistent. Refer CAP437.

Installation and vessel visual identifications should at all times be kept un-obscured, in clean condition and well illuminated at night or when there is limited visibility. It is also recommended that duty holders adopt a procedure whereby helicopters approaching to land on an offshore helideck are visually identified by the HLO and the correct helideck destination is confirmed verbally with the flight crew.

 

Installation / Helideck Safety Status Signals

 

Status Lights Protocol and Procedures

Installations and vessels (when appropriate to the type of operations being undertaken) should be equipped with a helideck status light system specified in accordance with Civil Aviation Publication (CAP) 437  or ICAO Annexure 14 Volume II..

 

Meteorology and Adverse Weather Procedures

 

Meteorology

A key component of aviation safety and flight planning is the acquisition and use of accurate weather information. Helicopter operators routinely obtain their regional and area weather forecasts and ‘actuals’ for flight planning purposes from official Met Office sources. However, an essential part of the management of offshore helicopter operations is to provide the helicopter operator and flight crews with up-to-date and accurate weather information for the destination installation or vessel. When providing destination weather information for an offshore installation and  vessel, onshore and offshore management should ensure that the necessary instrumentation is available (properly calibrated) and a competent person employed to make comprehensive and accurate meteorological observations and readings. The information should be recorded and then transmitted to the helicopter operators and / or flight crews in the correct format with the time of the observations clearly stated. It is worth noting that should a meteorological reading be in doubt due to instrument calibration or other problem, a gross error check can be made by cross-checking with other rigs and vessels in the immediate area. The ‘agreed’ best practice for met recording, reporting and met observer training and competence can be found in CAP437, Chapter 6, The safety of helicopter operations to moving helidecks on floating structures and vessels is also dependent on flight crews receiving accurate information about helideck motions.

 

it is strongly recommended that installations are provided with an automated means of ascertaining the following meteorological information at all times:

  1. a) Wind speed and direction (including variations in direction);
  2. b) Air temperature and dew point temperature;
  3. c) QNH and, where applicable, QFE;
  4. d) Cloud amount and height of base (Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL));
  5. e) Visibility; and
  6. f) Present weather.

 

Pre-Flight Weather Reports

The latest weather report from each installation should be made available to the helicopter operator one hour before take-off. These reports should contain:

  • The name and location of the installation;
  • The date and time the observation was made;
  • Wind speed and direction;
  • Visibility;
  • Present weather (including presence of lightning);
  • Cloud amount and height of base;
  • Temperature and dew point;
  • QNH and QFE;
  • SHR;
  • Pitch and roll; and

.

Adverse Weather Operations

They cannot be avoided. Therefore, access to up-to-date and accurate weather forecasting information is essential to allow advance planning of helicopter operations to take place.

The onset of adverse weather conditions offshore introduces a number of related factors that must be considered and closely examined by a duty holder’s operations management (on and offshore) in order to make prudent judgments as to whether routine offshore helicopter flights should continue, be delayed or curtailed altogether.

Note: Routine is defined as all flights with the exception of those for casualty evacuation, platform evacuation and marine Search and Rescue (SAR).

 

Control of Crane Movement in the Vicinity of Landing Areas

Cranes can adversely distract pilots’ attention during helicopter approach and take-off from the helideck as well as infringe fixed obstacle protected surfaces. Therefore it is essential that when helicopter movements take place (±5 minutes) crane work ceases and jibs, ‘A’ frames, etc. are positioned clear of the obstacle protected surfaces and flight paths. The HLO should be responsible for the control of cranes in preparation for and during helicopter operations.

 Emergency Response

In the event of an accident involving an offshore helicopter whether en-route or on or around an offshore installation, it should be understood by oil and gas duty holders that such an event will automatically involve the helicopter operator who, as the Air Operators’ Certificate (AOC) Holder has a legal responsibility to report an occurrence and have emergency response procedures in place under the Air Navigation Order (ANO).After the initial marine SAR emergency response, co-ordinated to recover casualties, AAIB will take the accident investigation lead as required under the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations The helicopter operator along with the helicopter manufacturer will become the primary focus for the AAIB Investigation whilst  regulating authority  will retain an oversight.

 

With offshore helicopter accidents, the above relationships are not readily recognised or acknowledged by media organisations so they will probably focus their immediate attention on the oil and gas operating company. When oil and gas operating companies are planning emergency responses that involve offshore helicopters it is therefore imperative there are well defined procedures in place to accommodate the interfaces with the helicopter operator to look after mutual interests and concerns.

􀁸 Protecting persons on the installation from fire and explosion

􀁸 Securing an effective emergency response offshore installation.

 

Emergency Response Planning

Airborne emergencies on offshore helicopters that result in a catastrophic fatal crash occur rarely. Unfortunately when they do happen, they instantaneously become the intensive and incessant focus of attention by the news media organisations – they are also global and this has a huge impact on crisis management for the oil and gas operating company, its contractors and the helicopter operators.

 

Passenger Management

To ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers travelling on offshore helicopters, it is essential that sound and consistent controls be employed.

 

Passenger Briefings

The helicopter operator is legally responsible for ensuring that prior to the departure of any flight all personnel travelling are given a thorough briefing on the safety instructions and emergency procedures for the type of aircraft to be flown and safety equipment in use. Where the flight involves travelling over water, all passengers should be given a comprehensive briefing on the survival suit and lifejackets to be worn, underwater Emergency Breathing System (EBS) and PLBs. A short, final departure brief should be given to passengers prior to boarding the flight The manner in which these briefings are accomplished offshore is the responsibility of the installation Operator, MODU or vessel owner.

 

Arrangements

Every aircraft operator is required by law to place flight safety information cards onboard an aircraft designed to carry passengers. These are usually placed in the seat pockets to allow free access for all passengers to study. Similarly, flight attendants, when they are carried, give a visual and verbal flight safety briefing to the passengers. Flight attendants are not normally carried onboard offshore helicopters.

 

Also, more comprehensive passenger briefings are required for travelers to offshore installations and vessels. The briefings are normally provided in video form in the ‘suiting-up area’ at the heliport and the offshore location. Generally, offshore installations, and vessels will provide a suitable area where passengers are shown a helicopter operator approved video briefing of the aircraft type including safety and emergency procedures and lifejacket operating instructions. Additional video briefing material covering procedures for the wearing of survival suits and using PLB and EBS devices will also be provided by the installation operator, or vessel owner. The video method is preferable to a verbal briefing. When updates and amendments to any briefings come into force, they should be made available, as soon as practicable, at all locations holding such briefing material.

 

Passenger Manifests

Correct manifesting by the onshore helicopter company staff and HLO of passengers, baggage and freight is essential to enable the flight crew to calculate the total weight accurately on the aircraft load sheet. Inaccurate weights on the manifest can result in adverse aircraft performance and centre of gravity limits being exceeded.

Note: The HLO should ensure that correct units of weight (e.g. lbs or kg) are used in accordance with the helicopter operators’ requirements. Incorrect use of units of weight can have a major impact on the safety of an aircraft. Manifests should be prepared in a legible fashion and sufficient copies provided for retention of records for every sector of the aircraft flight. They may be computer or manually generated.  For security reasons, all manifests should show the number of bags per passenger.

 

Passenger Baggage Weight Limits and Labelling

Offshore passenger baggage should not exceed 25 lbs (11.3 kg) per individual and should be contained in a properly secured, robust, soft-walled holdall. Baggage exceeding the weight limit or contained in large, hard-walled cases or cabin trunks should be despatched by an alternative shipping method. Baggage should be labelled with the correct destination on all flights. Such labels should be ‘airline type’ ensuring maximum integrity. Where a duty holder authorises (at the embarkation point) an individual’s passenger baggage limit to exceed 15 kg or the article is a large hard-walled case or cabin trunk, the helicopter crew and receiving location should be notified.

 

Helicopter Operations Support Equipment

Provision should be made for equipment needed for use in connection with helicopter operations including:

  1. a) chocks and tie-down strops/ropes (strops are preferable);
  2. b) heavy-duty, calibrated, accurate scales for passenger baggage and freight weighing;
  3. c) a suitable power source for starting helicopters if helicopter shut-down is seen as

an operational requirement; and

  1. d) equipment for clearing the helicopter landing area of snow and ice and other contaminants.Chocks should be compatible with helicopter undercarriage/wheel configurations.

Helicopter operating experience offshore has shown that the most effective chock for use on helidecks is the ‘NATO sandbag’ type. Alternatively, ‘rubber triangular’ or ‘single piece fore and aft’ type chocks may be used as long as they are suited to all helicopters likely to operate to the helideck. The ‘rubber triangular’ chock is generally only effective on decks without nets. For securing helicopters to the helideck it is recommended that adjustable tie-down strops are used in preference to ropes. Specifications for tie-downs should be agreed with the helicopter operators.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Build Situational Awareness:

Set specific objectives – Define flight targets and data gathering.

Set priorities – Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Prepare for anomalies – Consider visual illusions, missing information, etc.

Make risk assessments – Ask “what if?”

Manage workload – Shift tasks away from busy times, delegate, anticipate.

Maintain Situational Awareness

Communicate – Keep all crew members and external participants informed.

Manage attention – Set priorities, avoid distractions, adjust monitoring to the urgency of the flight phase

Seek Information – Use your senses.

Know WHAT is important, WHEN to seek it and WHERE to find it 9Validate your data.

Cross-check – Use multiple sources of information when available.

Use rules of thumb when data are not available

Check Your Understanding.

Check for contradictory elements in the real world 9Apply experience and lessons learned.

Think Ahead

Brief others on what you expect.

Compare projected situation with objectives.

Set markers for confirmation and information.

Compare actual situation with expectations and objectives.

Readjust your plan if required.

Detect Loss of Situational Awareness

Ambiguity – Unclear flight plans or ATC instructions

Fixation – Focusing on one thing to the exclusion of all else

Confusion – Uncertainty about or misunderstanding a situation or information.

Preoccupation – Everyone focusing on non-flying activities; no one flying the aircraft.

Unresolved discrepancies – Contradictory data or personal conflicts.

Expected checkpoints not met – Flight plan, profile, time, fuel burn.

Poor communications – Vague or incomplete statements.

Broken rules – Limitations, minimums, regulatory requirements, failure to follow SOPs.

No time – Falling behind the aircraft

Recover Situational Awareness

Go to the nearest SAFE, SIMPLE and STABLE situation

Follow rules, procedures and SOPs 9Change automation level.

Buy time.

Communicate

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

Recover the big picture.

Go back to the last thing you were sure of.

Assess the situation from different perspectives, with different sources.

Expand your focus to avoid fixation and tunnel vision.

Manage stress and distraction.

Take time to think / Use that time / Be willing to delay flight progress

QUALITIES OF ACCOUNTABLE EXECUTIVE, CEO

QUALITIES OF ACCOUNTABLE EXECUTIVE, CEO

 

Mindful of Danger. .

Top managers are ever-mindful of the human and organizational factors that can endanger their operations.

Acceptance of Setbacks.

Top management accepts occasional setbacks and nasty surprises as inevitable. It anticipates that employees will make errors and trains them to detect errors and recover.

Commitment

Top managers are genuinely committed to aviation safety and provide adequate resources to serve this end.

Regular Meetings

Safety-related issues are considered at high-level meetings on a regular basis, not just after a bad event.

Events Reviewed

Past events are thoroughly reviewed at top-level meetings, and the lessons learned are implemented as companywide reforms, rather than local repairs.

Improved Defence.

After a mishap, the primary aim of top management is to identify the failed system defences and improve them rather than divert responsibility to particular individuals.

Health Checks

Top management adopts a proactive stance toward flight safety. It does the following:

  • Takes steps to identify recurrent traps and remove them.
  • Strives to eliminate the workplace and organizational factors likely to provoke errors.
  • “Brainstorms” new scenarios of failure.
  • Conducts regular “health checks” on the organizational processes known to contribute to mishaps.

Institutional Factors Recognised

Top management recognizes that error-provoking institutional factors (e.g., under-manning, inadequate equipment, inexperience, patchy training, bad human machine interfaces, etc.) are easier to manage and correct than fleeting psychological states such as distraction, inattention and forgetfulness.

Data

It is understood that the effective management of safety, just like other management processes, depends critically on the collection, analysis and dissemination of relevant information.

Sampling of ‘Vital Signs

Management recognises the necessity of combining reactive outcome data (i.e., near-miss and incident reporting) with active process information. The latter entails far more than occasional audits. It involves regular sampling of a variety of institutional parameters (e.g., scheduling, budgeting, procedures and training), identifying which “vital sign” is most in need of attention and then carrying out remedial action.

Employees Attend Safety Meetings

Meetings relating to flight safety are attended by employees from a wide variety of departments and levels.

 

 

Career Boost

Assignment to a safety-related function (quality or risk management) is seen as a fast-track appointment, not a dead end. Such functions are accorded appropriate status and salary.

Money vs. Safety

Safety Acknowledgment that commercial goals and safety issues can come into conflict. Measures are in place to recognize and resolve such conflicts in an effective and transparent manner.

Reporting Encouraged

Policies are in place to encourage everyone to raise safety-related issues. (One of the defining characteristics of a pathological culture is that messengers are “shot” and whistle-blowers dismissed or discredited.)

Trust

The company recognizes the critical dependence of a safety management system on the trust of the work force, particularly in regard to reporting systems. (A safe culture — that is, an informed culture — is the product of a reporting culture that, in turn, can only arise from a just culture.)

Qualified Indemnity

Policies relating to near-miss and incident-reporting systems make clear that the organization’s stance includes qualified indemnity against sanctions, confidentiality and the organizational separation of the data-collecting department from those involved in disciplinary proceedings.

Blame

Disciplinary policies are predicated on an agreed (i.e., negotiated) distinction between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. All recognize that a small proportion of unsafe acts are indeed reckless and warrant sanctions, but the large majority of such acts should not attract punishment. (The key determinant of blameworthiness is not so much the act itself — error or violation — as the nature of the behaviour in which it is embedded. Did this behaviour involve deliberate and unwarranted risk-taking, or a course of action likely to produce avoidable errors? If so, then the act would be culpable regardless of whether it was an error or a violation.)

Non-Technical Skills

Line managers encourage their employees to acquire the mental (or non-technical) as well as the technical skills necessary to achieve safe and effective performance. (Mental skills include anticipating possible errors and rehearsing the appropriate recoveries. Such mental preparation at both the individual and organizational level is the one of the hallmarks of high-reliability systems, and goes beyond routine simulator checks.)

Feedback

The organization has in place rapid, useful and intelligible feedback channels to communicate the lessons learned from both the reactive and proactive safety information systems. Throughout, the emphasis is on generalizing these lessons to the system at large.

Acknowledgement of Error

The organization has the will and the resources to acknowledge its errors, to apologize for them and to reassure any victims that the lessons learned from such mishaps will help to prevent their recurrence.

 

 

 

 

Air travel won’t return to pre-crisis levels until 2023, IATA chief warns

Air travel won’t return to pre-crisis levels until 2023, IATA chief warns


  •     The trade group’s chief, Alexandre de Juniac, said that demand for air travel had dropped more than 90% in Europe and the U.S. since the start of the pandemic.
  •     He warned that recovery will be even slower if lockdowns and travel restrictions are extended.

Hoping to see inter-Europe flights resume this summer, IATA chief says

The impact on air travel from the coronavirus will be felt for many years to come, according to the International Air Transport Association, which estimates that passenger traffic won’t rebound to pre-crisis levels until at least 2023.

The trade association for the world’s airlines said that demand for air travel had dropped more than 90% in Europe and the U.S. since the start of the pandemic, and warned that recovery will be even slower if lockdowns and travel restrictions are extended.

“We are asking governments to have a phased approach to restart the industry and to fly again,” Alexandre de Juniac, the IATA’s director general and CEO, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Thursday. De Juniac is hopeful that some flying will resume by the summer.

“We are aiming at reopening and boosting the domestic market by end of the second quarter, and opening the regional or continental markets – such as Europe, North America or Asia-Pacific – by the third quarter, and intercontinental in the fall,” he said.

“So for summer we hope that you will see flights within Europe coming back, with I hope interesting prices and very safe processes of control.”

The European Union’s external borders remain closed to non-EU nationals until mid-June. The European Commission has recommended a phased approach for its member states to reopen borders that would start with countries with low levels of coronavirus infections.

Q2 will look ‘similarly bleak’ for Dubai Airports amid virus outbreak: CEO

The comments from the IATA com as travel groups are desperate to bring operations back to life and some are already rolling out plans to do so.

United Airlines has expressed its aims to schedule Europe and China routes in June, Dubai’s flagship Emirates Airline will recommence nine outbound routes starting May 21 and European low-cost carrier Ryanair expects to have 40% of its flights running by July 1. Budget carrier Wizz Air will restart routes from London’s Luton Airport starting June 16, Lufthansa is planning service expansion in June and IAG will resume some flights in July, among others.

Mandatory quarantine ‘useless’

But any hopes for a boost to the industry with some resumed travel will be dashed if governments institute mandatory 14-day quarantine periods for travelers upon arrival, de Juniac warned.

“We are advocating with governments not to implement quarantine measures that will retain people for two weeks that will arrive anywhere,” he said.

“We think that it is useless provided we have implemented the health and sanitary controls that we are discussing with governments. It is absolutely key for the tourist industry which is so important for so many countries in Europe.”

Scores of countries including Australia, New Zealand, China, Spain and potentially the U.K. are requiring international travelers to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, with varying degrees of enforcement: in Australia, arrivals are escorted to a hotel where they must remain for 14 days, while in other countries they are expected to “self-quarantine” at home. Hong Kong issued state-monitored tracking bracelets that arrivals must wear to ensure they do not leave their area of quarantine. Such policies will no doubt deter many people from wanting to travel.

De Juniac believes quarantine periods are simply not necessary as long as airlines and airports uphold stringent sanitation and monitoring practices.

“Is it possible to have an aircraft full and without risk of contamination? Our answer is yes,” de Juniac said, “provided we implement control and sanitary processes for passengers just before the flight – by asking for temperature control, by the obligation to wear a mask, by cleaning the aircraft properly and disinfecting properly, by limiting the distribution of food to prepackaged food, by limiting cabin luggage to one luggage to avoid disembarking and embarking process to be too overcrowded.”

With such a multilayered approach, he argued, “you limit the risk of contamination. … And then the quarantine is not useful from our point of view in this case.”

Looking at the nature of flying – numerous people packed into a tight space, loading and picking up luggage, using the airplane toilets – it’s hard to imagine that any sort of virus spread or contamination could be entirely avoided.

But the IATA chief was adamant, citing on-board studies carried out “that demonstrate that the risk of contamination is absolutely minimal even when you don’t have special equipment.”

He added that air filters in planes ensure safe ventilation, that sitting behind seat backs rather than face to face with other passengers reduces droplet spread and that mandatory masks will further reduce contamination.

“So if you have special equipment, special controls, special cleaning, you reduce the risk to something which will never be zero but will be negligible. That is our strong conviction based on studies, on the equipment we are using – and on something which is even more important, that is safety, which is the key priority of this industry,” he said.

De Juniac stressed that passengers’ safety came first, and that resumption of activity was ultimately up to government decisions.

“I think the travelers are expecting us to implement a safe process of sanitary and health control for passengers. We are working with governments on that,” he added.

“It will be possible to fly safely at least in Europe we hope, and then it depends on government decisions to lift travel restrictions and border closures.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/14/coronavirus-air-travel-wont-return-to-pre-crisis-levels-until-2023-iata-chief-warns.html

Airlines have instructed flight crews to not let masks lead to in-flight disruptions

Airlines have instructed flight crews to not let masks lead to in-flight disruptions

Passengers are required to wear masks during travel. But crew members are being told to avoid confrontation in the air.

U.S. airlines have all rolled out new policies requiring travelers to wear masks when they board and fly in an effort to keep passengers and employees as safe as possible from the coronavirus.

But crew members are being told to avoid escalating a situation once in the air if a passenger refuses to keep the mask on. There are exceptions for those who are very young or who have a medical condition.

In a memo sent to American Airlines pilots Monday, the day the mask policy went into effect, the carrier said enforcement of the requirement around face coverings would depend on where a customer is. At the gate, for example, travelers can be prevented from boarding if they are not wearing a mask.

“Once on board and off the gate, the face covering policy will become more lenient,” the communication says. “The flight attendant’s role is informational, not enforcement, with respect to the face covering policy. The flight attendants are instructed not to escalate the issue if the passenger refuses to wear a face covering and to consider options, such as reseating if other passengers are involved, to defuse the situation.”

Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots, said the policy undermines the airline’s mask requirement.

“‘Lenient’ and ‘mandate’ don’t go together; they’re not a pairing that survive,” said Tajer, a captain for the airline.

He said it may not always be possible to move a noncompliant passenger to a seat with space around it, and pointed out that in some cities, someone could be asked to leave a grocery store for not complying with mask rules.

“I can’t ask you to leave the airplane when we’re in flight,” he said.

United Airlines says its mandatory face-covering policy is enforced first at the gate when passengers board, then “flight attendants inform and remind customers of the policy during flight in ways that are similar to our other safety policies.”

Passengers who refuse to wear a mask at the gate will be pulled aside by a customer service agent to discuss options, including moving to a new seat where they can stay a safe distance from other passengers. An airline statement said an “isolated situation where a customer may be denied boarding as a last resort” could be possible.

The expectation is for passengers to continue wearing masks during the flight except while eating or drinking.

“If for some reason this policy causes a disturbance onboard, we’ve counseled our flight attendants to use their de-escalation skills, and they do have the flexibility to re-seat customers on the aircraft as needed,” the statement says.

In a statement to The Washington Post, JetBlue said that under the new policy, its crew members will be “sensitive to all situations, using their best judgement to maintain compliance while upholding our service standards and will try to de-escalate issues onboard to the best of their ability.” The statement also noted that customers who choose not to follow the mask policy will be reviewed for future travel on the airline.

And Southwest Airlines said in a statement that while workers would provide a mask to passengers and “strongly encourage” that they comply with the policy, the carrier was not in a position to deny boarding to someone solely because they refused to wear a mask.

“While our employees are not expected to control the personal behaviors of customers, employees and crews will respectfully request that customers abide by the policy, and we have existing guidelines for managing any issue that escalates,” the statement said.

Reuters first reported on the airline guidance to crews this week.

Unions for pilots and flight attendants have urged authorities such as the Federal Aviation Administration and lawmakers to mandate measures including wearing masks to make sure that rules are consistent across the industry – and to give airlines and their employees firmer ground to stand on if travelers don’t want to comply.

“We have called for federal guidance from the government so that this is clear and consistent across the industry and we set clear conditions for people who want to fly on airplanes right now,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents nearly 50,000 flight attendants at 19 airlines, told CNN. “The fact of the matter is that there is no way to appropriately socially distance on an airplane, and therefore everyone needs to be wearing masks.”

She said flight attendants are used to having to deescalate situations in the air all the time, so the airlines’ direction is not unheard of. In a separate statement, Nelson said that airlines were putting new policies into place “on the fly with essentially no coordination or direction from the federal government.”

“We need a federal plan of action to implement safety measures on masks, social distancing, cleaning, and more,” Nelson said in the statement. “Safety, health and our entire economy is on the line. We need federal requirements that mitigate risk during this pandemic and put the safety of crews and the traveling public first.”

The FAA said in a statement that it would keep engaging with partners in talks about protecting the health and safety of passengers and crew. The agency pointed to a recent safety alert that included guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on wearing cloth face coverings.

“Although the FAA’s statutory authority is to regulate the safe operation of civil aircraft, we are lending aviation expertise to federal public health agencies and airlines as they issue guidance for crew members, including health monitoring, screening protocols and aircraft cleaning,” the statement said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/05/14/airlines-have-instructed-flight-crews-not-let-masks-lead-in-flight-disruptions/

Face masks on the fly: Las Vegas airport adds PPE vending machines

Face masks on the fly: Las Vegas airport adds PPE vending machines


Travelers flying in and out of Las Vegas can pick up a variety of items including forgotten toiletries and designer cupcakes at two dozen vending machines scattered throughout McCarran International Airport.

New to the lineup this week: three machines selling personal protective equipment including face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and wipes.

The airport said it is the first in the U.S. to install the machines from vending machine operator Prepango, though Tulsa International Airport has added masks to existing vending machines and many airports are selling masks, sanitizers and related goods in their retail stores. The machines were installed in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

The move comes as all major U.S. airlines and an increasing number of airports now require passengers to wear masks or other face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic.

“With all the changes that have been happening rapidly … it’s not unthinkable that someone can show up at the airport and forget one of these items that are now almost essential for travel,” said Christine Crews, spokeswoman for McCarran.
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas has added vending machines selling personal protective equipment including face masks, gloves, sanitizer and wipes.

She said sample prices include $4.25 for 50mL (about 1.7 ounces) of liquid hand sanitizer, a 10-pack of alcohol wipes for $5.25 and $7.50 for a pack of three disposable masks or $14.50 for a reusable cloth mask.

Some airlines have said they will provide face masks to passengers who don’t bring their own. Allegiant, which is big in Las Vegas and is headquartered there, is handing out kits that include a mask and wipes.

Las Vegas, like airports around the country, has seen passenger traffic plummet since the coronavirus outbreak began earlier this year and travel came to a halt. In March alone, 2.3 million fewer passengers traveled through the airport, a 53% decline.

In 2019, more than 51 million passengers, a record, flew in and out of the gambling and entertainment hot spot.

The marquee attraction, casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, have been closed since mid-March. No reopening dates have been announced by casino operators, but most plan to gradually reopen their hotels, resorts and restaurants. MGM Resorts, which has a dozen properties on The Strip, has said passengers will be encouraged to wear masks.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/05/14/las-vegas-airport-adds-vending-machines-selling-face-masks-sanitizer/5194744002/

US pilot jailed in Singapore for breaking coronavirus quarantine

US pilot jailed in Singapore for breaking coronavirus quarantine

SINGAPORE – An American cargo pilot who admitted to “poor judgment” in breaking a quarantine order to buy medical supplies became the first foreigner imprisoned in Singapore for breaching its restrictions meant to curb the coronavirus, his lawyer said Friday.

FedEx pilot Brian Dugan Yeargan, 44, of Alaska, was sentenced to four weeks Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to leaving his hotel room for three hours to buy masks and a thermometer, defense lawyer Ronnie Tan said.

Singapore has one of the largest outbreaks in Asia, with 26,000 cases. More than 90% of those infected are foreign workers living in crowded dormitories, while the government recently began easing restrictions for the local population.

The tiny city-state has strict penalties for those who breach quarantine rules, don’t masks in public or fail to adhere to social distancing measures. Quarantine violators face up to six months in jail, a fine of up to Singapore $10,000 ($7,000) or both.

Tan said Yeargan and his two co-pilots were taken to an airport hotel to serve 14-day quarantines upon arriving from Sydney on April 3. It was required because they stated in their health declarations they had visited China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan and the United States in the two-week period before their arrival, Tan said.

Health officials checking on Yeargan found him missing from his room on April 5. Yeargan told the court he took the metro downtown to buy a thermometer and a few boxes of masks before he was to fly home on April 6.

Tan said Yeargan needed the items because they were in short supply back home and his wife has been ill. Yeargan’s wife had breathing difficulties but tested negative for the coronavirus in March, he said.

Tan said Yeargan lost his daughter in a tragic incident four years ago and the possibility of another death frightened him. Yeargan told the court his two co-pilots had flown out on April 6 as scheduled but he has been held back in his room. He also said he has to give up an assignment to fly a humanitarian aid mission to COVID-19-hit countries for the U.S. Air Force due to his blunder in Singapore.

“In his address in court, Yeargan said he was sorry, he made a poor judgment and that he shouldn’t have gone out,” Tan said. The American also said he has “the highest regard for the Singapore people and its laws,” Tan added.

The court said in its ruling Yeargan should have asked someone to obtain the items for him.

Tan said Yeargan was relieved as prosecutors had sought a sentence of up to eight weeks. He said he will apply for a remission for good behavior, which could see the American ending his sentence in three weeks.

The Anchorage Daily News reported Yeargan is from the Eagle River community and serves with the Alaska Air National Guard. It said he last spoke to his parents on Mother’s Day. “He’s taking care of himself,” Jim Yeargan was quoted as saying.

FedEx spokeswoman Davina Cole told the newspaper the company adhered to all regulations from government authorities related to containing the virus.

Yeargan was the first foreigner sentenced for violating quarantine orders, but several Singaporeans have been jailed for between five and six weeks for leaving their homes.

Singapore imposed a partial lockdown on April 7 and loosened restrictions Tuesday, with food manufacturers, barbers and laundry shops opening doors three weeks before the lockdown ends June 1.

https://nypost.com/2020/05/15/us-pilot-jailed-in-singapore-for-breaking-coronavirus-quarantine/