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May 25, 2021

Pilots Protest Belarus Hijacking Of Ryanair Flight 4978

"Calling For An Independent Enquiry Into This Occurrence"

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) and the European Cockpit Association (ECA) fully share the concerns expressed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the forced landing of Ryanair Flight 4978 in Minsk, Belarus, on 23 May. Pilots are concerned that the intervention of the Belarussian Air Force was enacted for political reasons, in contravention of the Chicago Convention, and amounts to an act of unlawful interference, bearing all the hallmarks of state-sponsored hijacking.

"Immediate Action Needed to Address Space Rocket Reentry Hazard"

Earlier this month, ALPA president Capt. Joe DePete sent a letter to ICAO secretary general Dr. Fang Liu calling attention to the threat posed by the reentry of debris from orbit. In the last two months, there have been two uncontrolled reentries of rockets, including a March 25 SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage that reentered over the northwest United States and southwest Canada, and the recent May 9 reentry of a Long March 5B first stage to which ALPA alerted members. In the Falcon 9 incident, debris as heavy as 300 lbs. (136.7 kg) survived to fall on Washington state and likely parts of Canada.

FAA Proposes More Fines Against 5 Passengers for Allegedly Interfering with Flight Attendants

Here we go again... The FAA has proposed civil penalties ranging from $9,000 to $15,000 against five airline passengers for allegedly interfering with and, in two cases, assaulting flight attendants who instructed them to obey cabin crew instructions and various federal regulations. The enforcement actions announced today are part of the FAA’s zero-tolerance policy for unruly and dangerous behavior by passengers. Since Jan. 1, 2021, the FAA has received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly behavior by passengers, including about 1,900 reports of passengers refusing to comply with the federal facemask mandate.