Reuters
The U.S. Senate approved bipartisan legislation that would update mental-health guidance for pilots and air traffic controllers, with the aim of encouraging earlier disclosure and treatment. The measure addresses regulatory barriers that can discourage aviation professionals from seeking care while preserving focus on operational safety.
Aviation Safety & Regulation
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The FAA has withdrawn a proposed $15.7 million civil penalty against Aery Aviation after the company fought the enforcement action and elected not to settle. The withdrawal removes the agency’s proposed financial sanction, though the available reporting does not provide further details on the underlying allegations or rationale.
An ANA Boeing 737-800 returned to Okinawa after an engine shutdown at FL220 and was evacuated by slides, leaving three passengers with minor injuries. Separately, seven Alaska Airlines flight attendants reported illness after detecting an unexplained odor on a Los Angeles–Honolulu flight; the aircraft has returned to service.
Investigators determined that a U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16CM lost thrust during formation-flight practice over California after misaligned variable vanes disrupted airflow through the engine. The resulting compressor-blade fracture caused the pilot to eject and the aircraft to crash.
High activity
The FAA will stop granting waivers that allowed some Cessna aircraft normally requiring two pilots to operate with one. The agency cited several fatal accidents and widespread noncompliance with the rules governing exemption holders, tightening operating requirements for affected aircraft.
High activity
The U.S. Senate approved bipartisan legislation that would update mental-health guidance for pilots and air traffic controllers, with the aim of encouraging earlier disclosure and treatment. The measure addresses regulatory barriers that can discourage aviation professionals from seeking care while preserving focus on operational safety.
High activity
Airbus plans to fly the first A350F, MSN700, from Toulouse on September 29, subject to weather and technical conditions. The milestone follows completion of two high-speed rejected-takeoff tests and moves the delayed widebody freighter into a key phase of its development and certification campaign.
High activity
The UK Civil Aviation Authority will deliver an initial report to the government by the end of January on the recent NATS air traffic management outage. The investigation will examine the resilience of NATS’ systems, its modernization plans and lessons for preventing future operational disruption.
High activity
An Air New Zealand ATR 72-600 evacuation at Wellington took nearly three minutes after an engine fire on final approach—almost twice the benchmark—because passengers initially failed to perceive the threat and about half retrieved carry-on baggage. Investigators are examining the factors behind the delayed response.
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