TALKING DIVERSIFICATION WITH ISMAIL MOKABEL

Reliability is the backbone of aviation industry standards. Passengers, airlines, manufacturers, and maintenance providers benefit from great teamwork and collaboration, leading to consistent and reliable aircraft service. This kind of excellence doesn’t go unnoticed.

World-class teamwork merits world-class recognition. And that’s exactly why MHIRJ is excited to announce the 2022 Airline Reliability Awards recipients once again this year. Without further ado, here are this year’s winners in their respective categories and locations:
 

CRJ700/900/1000 Product Category

North America

Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta Airlines, has secured the 2022 Reliability Award for North America, reaffirming its commitment to operational excellence in its category. As the largest CRJ900 operator, managing a fleet of over 120+ aircraft is no easy feat. Their exemplary track-record this year resulted in a dispatch reliability of 98.90%.

Europe

Lufthansa CityLine proudly received the 2022 Reliability Award for Europe, achieving a dispatch reliability of 99.55%. Lufthansa CityLine, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, provides an essential role in connecting communities to and from major hubs in Munich and Frankfurt, in addition to numerous destinations throughout Europe.

Asia Pacific                              

IBEX Airlines was named the winner for Asia-Pacific with its dispatch reliability overall score of 99.79%. IBEX was founded in 1999 and started operations on a Sendai-Kansai Route in 2000 with a CRJ200. Today, they connect ten domestic airports in Japan in Code Share partnership with All Nippon Airways (ANA) and are a significant contributor to the revitalizing regional economies in Japan.

CRJ100/200 Product Category

Europe

Air Nostrum won the 2022 Reliability Award in the CRJ100/200 product category with its reliability score of 99.26%. Air Nostrum has won the award 10 times for the European region for both the CRJ100/200 and the CRJ700/900/1000 categories. This achievement makes Air Nostrum stand out as a regional champion, continually leading the way for the European regional aviation market by consistently exceeding expectations.

The importance of dispatch reliability

Dispatch reliability is a critical factor in aircraft operation. If the aircraft is not available, even for a short period, the consequences can be significant. Safely and efficiently transporting 99% or more of an airline’s passengers in a year is nothing short of incredible. When considering candidates for the Dispatch Reliability Award, MHIRJ focuses on product performance, airline support, and customer focus. These three pillars support the passenger experience and define how successful an airline is at transporting passengers from point A to point B.

Worldwide recognition

Established in 2009, the Dispatch Reliability Award recognizes worldwide operators of CRJ Series regional jets who have achieved industry-leading dispatch reliability rates of 98.9% or better.

How award winners are identified

To identify award winners, the aircraft dispatch reliability of airlines is monitored through a data system called FRACAS (Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System). This reporting system is used by aviation companies to detect, assess, and correct failures in flight dispatch—streamlining flight processes through adaptive correction. MHIRJ has its own FRACAS database through which CRJ Series aircraft in service around the globe are monitored, allowing for accurate and consistent comparative data on all CRJ Series aircraft in service.

In addition to recognizing operators for their success, the awards showcase airlines that achieve world-class performance reliability, and strive to promote a commitment to safety, consistency, and best practices. Congratulations to the recipients, and thank you for your stellar service!

We are all familiar with the impacts of the pilot shortage in recent years, but did you know that there is also a labor shortage that extends behind the scenes? As the airline business continues to soar, so does the need for qualified technicians to support it. 

The regional aviation industry has had its fair share of challenges with the pilot shortage, but with growing attention to this problem, and some measures being debated including the Let Experienced Pilots Fly legislation, there is hope that the industry will begin the long healing process. However, there still remains a much less discussed, and yet equally significant shortage of aircraft technicians to support the industry.
 

This presents a new world of opportunity for the next generation to pursue fulfilling careers in aviation. But it also requires more promotion of the industry and the benefits that come along with it, as well as ample funding for training. We had a conversation with Ross Mitchell, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at MHIRJ to talk about the viable solutions that are on the table:

 

 

Look out for more on the labor shortage and other industry news on WINGSPAN.

As the need to ramp up the aviation workforce continues, efforts are being made to lessen critical industry labor shortages. From increasing access to funding to improving training, the 2023 FAA Reauthorization Bill aims to make effective changes with a long-lasting impact.

Pilot and technician shortages, service interruptions, and other recent obstacles have put a spotlight on the need for policy changes within the industry. That’s why the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act aims to put measures into place that will help alleviate the challenges, improve safety and service, and provide funding to hire more pilots, technicians, and air traffic controllers, as well as implement the latest safety technology.

Every 5 years, the funding and mandate of the FAA are defined by Congress through the FAA Reauthorization Act, and 2023 is such a year when the future course of aviation in the U.S. will be set with the passage of the Act. This year, it’s more important than ever to make effective changes that will change the course of the future of the industry.

"The labor shortage in the aviation industry translates into parked aircraft and canceled flights. The industry needs more pilots and more aircraft technicians to keep communities connected and protect air service from getting interrupted across the United States,” said Ross Mitchell, Vice-President, Strategy and Business Development, at MHIRJ.

SUPPORTING EDUCATION AND RECRUITMENT

In order to meet workforce demands, part of this bill focuses on increasing funding for the FAA’s Aviation Workforce Development Grant Program. This program is designed to grow the aviation workforce pipeline by supporting the education and recruitment of pilots, maintenance technicians, and aircraft manufacturing technical workers. It also calls for the FAA to develop a national plan to address the critical shortages being felt across the industry.

While it’s imperative to address current workforce challenges, it’s also necessary to remove the barriers that prevent the next generation of professionals from pursuing a career in aviation. The extremely high cost of training limits access to education and training for many, so increasing funding will open the doors to opportunity for a far more diverse group of people, thus building a larger workforce in less time.

CHANGING THE EXISTING LANDSCAPE

One of the solutions to the pilot shortage that has been receiving the most attention is changing the mandatory retirement age for pilots. This latest bill finally looks to increase the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from the current 65 to 67. The majority of the pilot workforce is still healthy, capable, and wanting to continue their careers past the age of 65, so this change will reduce the shortage being felt today by allowing the most experienced pilots to continue flying. This will positively impact the availability of pilots, helping close the gap while new pilots complete their training.

Another notable change presented in the bill is allowing pilots to complete a portion of their training hours in simulators. These simulators are an incredible tool with state-of-the-art technology designed to mimic real-life aircraft and prepare pilots for situations that cannot be simulated on actual training aircraft. From engine failure to hazardous wind shear, experience is everything when it comes to safety training—and that’s where technology comes in. Modernizing training requirements and leveraging modern simulators can help get pilots accredited and in the air faster, helping to close the pilot shortage gap. This would be a significant improvement from the traditional flight training that requires accumulating flight hours on a single-engine aircraft.

We look forward to seeing these changes take action and bring the aviation industry into a great new era. Full details on what the 2023 FAA reauthorization bill brings to the table can be found on the U.S. Senate website.