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Air Baltic are currently inviting applicants for Airbus A220-300 First Officer (TR/NTR) & Senior First Officer (TR/NTR) with fast track command to be based in Riga, Latvia.

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Senior First Officer (TR/NTR) with fast track command on Airbus A220-300⬇️
https://careers.airbaltic.com/en/vacancies/pilots/senior-first-officer-tr-ntr-with-fast-track-command-on-airbus-a220-300

First Officer (TR/NTR) on A220-300⬇️
https://careers.airbaltic.com/en/vacancies/pilots/first-officer-tr-ntr-on-a220-300

Attention drawn to pilot fatigue as Batik Air pilots reportedly nod off mid-flight. In Europe, pilot fatigue persists as a significant issue: A 2023 survey of 6,900 pilots revealed 72.9% feel they lack sufficient rest between shifts, with three-quarters experiencing microsleeps on duty in the last month. Gain deeper insights into this critical topic with our latest post, and don't miss the thought-provoking article linked below.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240314-the-drug-pilots-take-to-stay-awake

(Credit: Getty Images & BBC By Zaria Gorvett, Features correspondent)

EUROCONTROL’s Week 7
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👉 Week 7 saw a surge in European with over 24K daily flights ✈️, marking a ▲4% increase compared to Week 6.

Notably, easyJet experienced a remarkable 📈16% increase in flights, securing the Group's position as the 2nd busiest airline with 1,387 daily ✈️.

Despite challenges like Week 6's ground handling strike, Germany 🇩🇪 saw a solid ▲9% increase in traffic, closing in on Spain's daily flight count.

Significant growth was also observed at key airports and airlines:
- Frankfurt saw a ▲13% rise in daily flights, climbing to the 5th spot.
- Munich experienced a notable ▲22% increase, elevating its ranking to 7th.
- Lufthansa recorded a ▲22% uptick, maintaining its position as the 4th busiest airline.

Traffic to France 🇫🇷 surged by ▲9%, with notable increases in flights to/from Paris CDG and those operated by the Air France Group.

Week 7 also saw an improvement in network flight punctuality ⏰, reaching 83%.

Intra-European flights continued to drive the increase, contributing to 18,877 of the total 24,452 daily flights.

Moreover, compared to 2023, all top 3 market segments showed positive growth:
- ▲13% increase in mainline carrier flights
- ▲7% rise in low-cost carrier flights
- ▲5% uptick in regional carrier flights.

Credits: Eurocontrol for providing the video & data.

Discover how Etihad Airways enables its highly qualified flight crew to seamlessly operate both Airbus A350 and A380 aircraft, maximizing flexibility and efficiency.

Learn more about this groundbreaking aviation development here 👉🏼 https://aeronewsglobal.com/highly-qualified-etihad-flight-crew-now-authorized-to-fly-both-airbus-a350-and-a380-interchangeably/

Photo Credits: Aeronews - Etihad Airways - Airbus

EUROCONTROL’s Week 6
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European air traffic experienced a robust increase of 3.5% in Week 6, highlighting the resilience of the European aviation sector. With an average of 23,518 daily flights, the industry remained steady with a 7% increase compared to 2023.

Despite a slight dip in overall network flight punctuality to 78%, the majority of top 10 states, airlines, and airports saw increased activity. Intra-European flights notably surged by 4% week-on-week, reaching an average of 18,049 daily flights. Additionally, the third busiest flow, North Africa, experienced a remarkable 6% increase, totaling 960 daily flights.

Among the noteworthy developments, easyJet saw the largest network increase with a remarkable 37% surge to 1,191 daily flights, reclaiming the third position behind Turkish and Ryanair. Notable increases were also observed in Norway (18%), the UK (8%), and Switzerland (7%).

However, a ground handling strike in Germany on February 7th had notable impacts, resulting in a 3% reduction in traffic at Frankfurt and a 4% decrease at Munich. Lufthansa also reported an 8% decrease in daily flights, dropping to the fourth position.

Despite these challenges, overall traffic in Germany, Europe's third busiest state, increased by 1% compared to Week 5, totaling 3,665 daily flights.

Credits: Eurocontrol (video and data)

Attention Rated and Non-Type Rated Captains and First Officers!

Are you ready to elevate your career? Join the CityJet team and explore the vast Nordic skies!

Be prepared, train for your grading and ace it! Pair up with another candidate and share the simulator rental cost! Register on Sim-Buddy.com.

Discover the Benefits:

- Base locations in the Nordic region
- Secure permanent contracts
- Enjoy 25 days of annual vacation
- Flexible roster patterns tailored to your needs
- Access to ID travel perks
- Comprehensive pension, LOL, and Health Insurance coverage

Requirements:

- Maintain ICAO English level 4 proficiency
- Recent flight experience within the last 2 years
- EU residency and work authorization
- Hold a valid EASA Airline Transport Pilot License

Ready to embark on this exciting journey? Explore available opportunities now:

Non-Type Rated Captain: https://www.cae.com/civil-aviation/aviation-jobs/find-a-job/nontype-rated-captaincopenhagen-25730?utm_source=linkedin_facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nontype-rated-captaincopenhagen-25730

Non-Type Rated First Officer: https://www.cae.com/civil-aviation/aviation-jobs/find-a-job/nontype-rated-first-officer-copenhagen-27151?utm_source=linkedin_facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nontype-rated-first-officer-copenhagen-27151

CRJ-900 Captain: https://www.cae.com/civil-aviation/aviation-jobs/find-a-job/crj900-captain-copenhagen-25682

CRJ-900 First Officer: https://www.cae.com/civil-aviation/aviation-jobs/find-a-job/crj-900-first-officer-copenhagen-25681?utm_source=linkedin_facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=crj-900-first-officer-copenhagen-25681

Check out this compelling piece by Jop Dingemans on Sim-Buddy.com. Recent studies reveal that 78% of pilots experience anxiety when seeking medical care, fearing its impact on their flying career. Additionally, 42% admit to withholding information during medical exams for similar reasons. But merely relying on the IMSAFE checklist and blaming pilots won't cut it anymore.
Jop delves into the root causes of this issue and offers solutions.

Dive into the discussion here 👉🏼 https://pilotswhoaskwhy.com/2024/02/12/fit-to-fly-why-so-many-pilots-hide-their-physical-and-mental-health-struggles/

Credit to William Hoffman, MD for his excellent research on this topic and Jop Dingemans for pointing it out.

EUROCONTROL’s Week 5
Go direct to the video👇🏼

Week 5 witnessed a gentle uptick in traffic ✈️ across the European network, rising by 0.6%.

👉 With an average of 22,714 daily flights, traffic showed a notable increase of 7% compared to 2023.

The majority of top 10 States, , and experienced heightened activity, accompanied by improved flight punctuality, with 82.8% of flights landing on time (up from 80.3% in Week 4).

Key highlights of the week include:

⬆️ A 4% increase in flights to the Middle East (1,229 daily flights).
⬆️ A 6% rise in traffic at Amsterdam (1,180 daily flights).
⬆️ An 8% surge at KLM (759 daily flights), marking the 2nd largest top 10 airline increase and a climb from 8th to 6th position.
⬆️ A remarkable 10% growth at easyJet (868 daily flights), the most significant percentage increase of the week.

Notable shifts in rankings include:

📌 Madrid Airport ascending to 4th place (1,027 daily flights & up by 1%), surpassing Frankfurt Airport (1,015 daily flights & down by 1%).
📌 Spain 🇪🇸 reclaiming 2nd place (3,648 daily flights & up by 2%), pushing Germany 🇩🇪 back to 3rd (3,611 daily flights & unchanged).

In terms of sectors, compared to 2023:

✈️ Mainline sector experienced the highest increase at 7%.
✈️ Low-cost carriers recorded a notable 6% rise.
✈️ Regional flights witnessed a decrease of 3%.
✈️ All-cargo operations also saw a decline of 3%.

Credits data & video: Eurocontrol

EUROCONTROL’s Week 4
Go direct to the video👇🏼

Sim-Buddy.com witnessed improved winter weather in Week 4, resulting in a notable boost in on-time flights by 3% compared to Week 3.

Arrival punctuality surged to 80.3%, a significant increase from 69.5% in Week 3, with 22,571 daily flights – reaching 89% of 2019 levels for the week, 90% for January, and a remarkable 7% increase compared to 2023 traffic.

Flight activity soared across various States, airlines, and airports, especially in Germany, which rebounded from the impact of heavy snowfall in Week 3:
- 9% increase at the State level (3,600 daily flights), securing the #2 spot ahead of Spain.
- Lufthansa, the third busiest carrier, experienced a 19% rise with 981 daily flights.
- Frankfurt Airport witnessed a 17% increase, reclaiming the #4 position with 1,029 daily flights.

Nine out of ten top airlines expanded their flight offerings compared to Week 3, with Ryanair leading the pack, boasting a 1% increase to 2,257 daily flights.

In Europe's leading airports, iGA Istanbul maintained its top position with 1,308 daily flights, remaining unchanged as a percentage compared to Week 3. The UK retained its status as the busiest State with 4,203 daily flights, marking a 3% increase.

The most remarkable growth rates were observed in the bustling South-East Axis:
- 58% increase in flights to Albania 🇦🇱.
- 34% increase in flights to Georgia 🇬🇪.
- 25% increase in flights to North Macedonia 🇲🇰.
- 24% increase in flights to Slovenia 🇸🇮.

Credits data & video: Eurocontrol

Commercial jet orders soared in 2023, breaking records as travel demand surged. Notably, IndiGo in India placed a substantial order for 500 jets in June, valued at around $55 billion. Meanwhile, Air India followed suit with an order for 470 jets. This level of ordering hadn't been seen since 2011 when American Airlines purchased 460 aircraft.

A graphic outlines the significant aircraft orders globally in 2023, highlighting the dominance of the Boeing-Airbus duopoly in the industry, where a single commercial jet costs over $100 million.

India, the world's third-largest domestic aviation market, is poised for exponential growth, with projections indicating a market five times larger than 2019 levels by 2042. Discretionary spending in the country has also risen, constituting 24% of household consumption in 2020, up from 13% in 2000.

In the U.S., Southwest Airlines and United Airlines each acquired over 100 jets, aligning with a record-breaking year of 16.3 million flights. Additionally, Saudi Arabia's new airline, Riyadh Air, invested in 39 jets, backed by the substantial Saudi sovereign wealth fund, contributing an estimated $20 billion to the economy.

However, safety concerns loom large in the industry, notably with the temporary grounding of nearly 200 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes following a window incident. The two American operators of Max 9, Alaska Air and United Airlines, are affected. This setback comes after previous delays in Max 9 deliveries due to potential manufacturing flaws, and the Max 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019 resulted in a two-year grounding and a significant $20 billion in settlements and fines for Boeing, including a $2.5 billion criminal investigation settlement.

Image credits: Visual Capitalist
Data Sources: Airbus, Boeing, Reuters

Fatigue is a critical issue affecting aviation, influencing reaction times, situational awareness, motor skills, focus, concentration, and problem-solving. It also significantly impairs communication. When excessively tired, speech may become slurred, pronunciation challenging, and the ability to adjust speaking to others' needs diminished. Listening skills suffer, affecting cognitive processing, concentration, and empathy. Stress from fatigue accelerates speech, leading to misunderstandings and errors.

Meanwhile, nutrition remains an often-overlooked aspect of the flight crew lifestyle, encompassing both pilots and cabin crew members. On the road, securing nutritious food is challenging, with many restaurants offering carb-loaded, unhealthy options. Hotels may provide sugary meals, and crew meals can be high in salt and preservatives. Neglecting proper nutrition impacts overall health, hindering the ability of the entire flight crew to make quick, accurate decisions, and perform optimally.

Recognizing the need for a balanced diet and adequate rest is crucial for combating fatigue, a shared concern among pilots and cabin crew. Unfortunately, nutritional awareness is absent from training and checklists. Let's prioritize addressing fatigue and nutrition for safer skies and the well-being of the entire flight crew.

Credits and thanks to Paul Stevens and Benevolentia Wandana for highlighting the impact of fatigue and nutritional choices in aviation.

Image credits: Halldale Group