Latest news with #AndrewWatterson
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First Post
3 days ago
- Business
- First Post
Close calls and hard lessons: A wake-up call for global aviation
In the wake of multiple air incidents, the global aviation industry faces mounting pressure to modernise safety systems and restore public trust read more The remains of Air India plane that crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport. CISFHQrs/PTI In an era of growing global air traffic, aviation safety is facing unprecedented scrutiny. A series of incidents—from the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash to near-misses and mid-air emergencies—has triggered urgent conversations across the industry. While some airlines respond with heartfelt resolve, others are turning to cutting-edge technologies. Together, these developments point to a critical inflection point for aviation: a comprehensive, technology-enabled and emotionally intelligent approach to airline safety. Close calls and hard lessons Recent events have thrown a spotlight on the fragility of aviation safety systems, particularly when high volume, human error or unforeseen technical failures come into play. Air India Flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed on June 12, killing 279 people including 241 passengers. The tragedy has not only sent shockwaves through the Indian aviation sector but also deeply shaken Air India's workforce. Air India chairman N Chandrasekaran, in an address to 700 employees, described the crash as 'the most heartbreaking' incident of his career. While commending staff for their courage, he urged them to stay strong amid mounting criticism, noting, 'We need to use this incident as a driving force to create a safer airline.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He emphasised that aviation is a complex system filled with layers of checks and balances—and even so, accidents can still occur. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Southwest Airlines is demonstrating a different approach—investing in prevention rather than responding to crisis. The role of technology Reports say Southwest Airlines has begun installing a new Honeywell-designed cockpit alert system—Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS)—across its all-Boeing 737 fleet. The system delivers verbal and text alerts to warn pilots when they are attempting to take off from a taxiway or are approaching a runway incorrectly, thereby addressing a range of situational hazards. This move follows a March 20-incident at Orlando International Airport, where a Southwest plane mistakenly began takeoff from a taxiway instead of a runway. An air traffic controller caught the error in time, averting a potential disaster. Had the Honeywell system been active, the pilots would likely have received an automated warning—'On taxiway! On taxiway!"—that could have corrected their course even earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported. As Southwest COO Andrew Watterson told the Wall Street Journal, the system acts as a critical safety layer: 'It is a really powerful tool… to add more barriers to potentially bad outcomes.' Systemic overload: A crisis-filled weekend in Indian skies While Southwest's approach showcases safety innovation, the Indian aviation sector endured a barrage of operational crises following the Air India crash. Within just 36 hours, four separate in-flight emergencies were reported, raising widespread concerns about preparedness and safety culture. On June 16, an Air India Express flight to Ranchi returned to Delhi after technical issues were detected shortly after takeoff. That same day, an Air India flight from Hong Kong to Delhi had to turn back due to a suspected technical snag. Air India later confirmed the Boeing 787 aircraft landed safely and was being inspected as a precaution. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In yet another episode, a Lufthansa flight enroute to Hyderabad from Frankfurt turned back after a bomb threat was received mid-air. Passengers were safely screened upon return and investigations are underway. Meanwhile, a British F-35 fighter jet made an emergency landing in Kerala due to low fuel—prompting full emergency protocols at Thiruvananthapuram Airport. Although none of these incidents resulted in injuries, the sheer number and timing have amplified public anxiety and tested the resilience of operational frameworks. Merging human vigilance and technological precision The need for real-time, fail-safe cockpit interventions has never been more urgent. As Thea Feyereisen, a senior aerospace engineer at Honeywell, told the Wall Street Journal, these near-misses 'happen more than we want to think that they happen.' Honeywell's RAAS has been praised for preventing runway misidentifications, including those at major US airports like San Francisco, where an Air Canada jet nearly landed on a taxiway lined with four other aircraft in 2017. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded in 2018 that Honeywell's alert system could have warned the Air Canada pilots in time to avoid the near-tragedy. At Southwest, even pilots who initially worried that the alerts might become distracting have since embraced them. Captain Jody Reven, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, stated: 'It gets your attention. It's not so important in Midland, Texas, but when you're in Philly or L.A., it's a great added tool' (Wall Street Journal, June 17). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, these technological upgrades are only as effective as the culture that surrounds them. Chandrasekaran's message to Air India employees—stressing unity, accountability and emotional resilience—reflects the human side of the safety equation. He emphasised that while nothing could undo the pain of the lost lives, employees must channel their grief into purpose and action. Regulation, retrofitting and the policy vacuum Despite growing evidence that cockpit alert systems like RAAS can save lives, their adoption remains inconsistent. In August 2024, an FAA advisory panel recommended that such systems be required on newly produced aircraft—but stopped short of calling for retrofitting older fleets. An FAA spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that the agency is still reviewing the proposal. That ambiguity leaves safety as a matter of airline discretion. While some like Southwest and Alaska Airlines are investing in the Honeywell system, others may delay due to costs, operational disruptions, or competing priorities. Yet, as history shows—from the 2006 Comair crash in Lexington, Kentucky, to the 2017 San Francisco near-miss—errors in runway navigation are a long-standing risk. Proactive or reactive? A defining moment for aviation safety Whether it's a pilot hearing 'On taxiway!' before a fatal mistake, or a CEO urging staff to endure amid public grief, the message is the same: safety must evolve from a reactive practice into a predictive science. Technology, when paired with training, awareness, and institutional transparency, can shift aviation toward that future. As air travel booms and operational pressures increase, both governments and airlines must ask a critical question: do we wait for accidents to teach us, or do we prevent them with every tool we have?
The Hill
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Southwest Airlines adding cockpit safety alerts to detect runway hazards
Southwest Airlines has added a new cockpit safety tool to most of its fleet that could prevent the types of close runway calls that have raised concerns in recent years. The Honeywell-built 'SmartLanding' and 'SmartRunway' software will give verbal warnings and text alerts to pilots when they are about to use the wrong runways for taxiing, take-off or landing. It also signals when planes are moving too fast or at the wrong altitude, according to a news release from the North Carolina-based company. The system operates in addition to existing safety measures used by commercial aircraft. 'It is a really powerful tool, we believe, to add more barriers to potentially bad outcomes,' Southwest chief operating officer Andrew Watterson told The Wall Street Journal. Watterson told the Journal that the airline decided to add the Honeywell alerts as part of a larger effort to address emerging safety risks. 'Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Southwest,' he said in a news release from Honeywell. A Southwest flight nearly took off from a taxiway instead of a runway in Orlando, Fla., in March before an air traffic controller intervened. Months earlier, a plane operated by an American Airlines regional carrier landed on the wrong runway in Chicago, but no one was harmed.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Southwest Airlines makes major change to aircraft safety
Cars beep before a crash. Now, some of America's planes do too. Southwest, the nation's largest budget airline, has partnered with Honeywell, an airline technology firm. The partnership adds a suite of new safety alerts to most of Southwest's 800 Boeing 737 jets after a string of alarming incidents at international airports. 'It is a really powerful tool, we believe, to add more barriers to potentially bad outcomes,' Andrew Watterson, the airline's chief operating officer, told the Wall Street Journal. Honeywell's system issues alerts when pilots veer toward other planes or the wrong runway. It also pings the plane's controllers if the aircraft is going too fast, descending too quickly, or if the runway is unusually short. Southwest started launching the safety tech in its planes at the beginning of 2024, and Watterson said the tool is now active in nearly all of the company's jets. In an emailed statement to he said the new tech 'provides our pilots with enhanced situational awareness to ensure the highest level of safety.' The safety updates come as America's aviation industry has been tarred by a series of front-page stories, making consumers question the safety in the skies. Newark International Airport experienced a series of temporary outages for air traffic controllers. Airlines have reported terrifying near-misses . Multiple planes have crashed this year. In India last week, a Boeing-produced jet crashed briefly after taking off . So far, the crash has killed 279 people. The wave of incidents has shaken Americans' confidence in flying. A February AP-NORC poll found that only 64 percent of Americans thought flying was 'safe or somewhat safe.' That was a 7 percent decrease from last year. 'Today's pilots face increasing challenges, including unpredictable weather and dense traffic in limited airspace, forcing them to make split-second decisions during takeoff and landing,' Honeywell's president and CEO, Jim Currier, said. 'Fortunately, as the challenges evolve, so does the technology that provides the information they need in real time.' Airlines have been launching more safety backstops in response to slumping confidence: Boeing and Airbus are building redundant safety systems into their new planes. At the same time, Alaska Airlines has already introduced the same Honeywell tech on its jets. But the headlines have created a brutal storm for Airline CEOs, who largely swear that America's skies have remained safe . Despite the assurances, Americans are choosing to fly less, forcing companies to cut back on their domestic portfolios. In April, Southwest announced it was slashing US flights after noticing a downturn in interstate ticket sales. United Airlines also cut domestic flights from its portfolio after seeing a skid, while reporting a five percent uptick in international flights. Air Canada also said it was cutting US-destined flights. For Southwest, the slowdown in American ticket sales comes amid massive change for the brand. Last year, the company announced it would cut two of its most popular and unique programs: open seating and free checked bags . The changes, which are primarily attributed to the company's activist investor, Elliott Investment Management, have ruffled customers' feathers while increasing Southwest's stock performance.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Southwest Airlines makes major change to aircraft safety tech just as another plane crashes
Cars beep before a crash. Now, some of America's planes do too. Southwest, the nation's largest budget airline, has partnered with Honeywell, an airline technology firm. The partnership adds a suite of new safety alerts to most of Southwest's 800 Boeing 737 jets after a string of alarming incidents at international airports. 'It is a really powerful tool, we believe, to add more barriers to potentially bad outcomes,' Andrew Watterson, the airline's chief operating officer, told the Wall Street Journal. Honeywell's system issues alerts when pilots veer toward other planes or the wrong runway. It also pings the plane's controllers if the aircraft is going too fast, descending too quickly, or if the runway is unusually short. Southwest started launching the safety tech in its planes at the beginning of 2024, and Watterson said the tool is now active in nearly all of the company's jets. In an emailed statement to he said the new tech 'provides our pilots with enhanced situational awareness to ensure the highest level of safety.' The safety updates come as America's aviation industry has been tarred by a series of front-page stories, making consumers question the safety in the skies. Newark International Airport experienced a series of temporary outages for air traffic controllers. Airlines have reported terrifying near-misses. Multiple planes have crashed this year. In India last week, a Boeing-produced jet crashed briefly after taking off. So far, the crash has killed 279 people. The wave of incidents has shaken Americans' confidence in flying. A February AP-NORC poll found that only 64 percent of Americans thought flying was 'safe or somewhat safe.' That was a 7 percent decrease from last year. 'Today's pilots face increasing challenges, including unpredictable weather and dense traffic in limited airspace, forcing them to make split-second decisions during takeoff and landing,' Honeywell's president and CEO, Jim Currier, said. 'Fortunately, as the challenges evolve, so does the technology that provides the information they need in real time.' Airlines have been launching more safety backstops in response to slumping confidence: Boeing and Airbus are building redundant safety systems into their new planes. At the same time, Alaska Airlines has already introduced the same Honeywell tech on its jets. But the headlines have created a brutal storm for Airline CEOs, who largely swear that America's skies have remained safe. Southwest's CEO, Bob Jordan, recently announced a series of controversial moves for the budget airliner Despite the assurances, Americans are choosing to fly less, forcing companies to cut back on their domestic portfolios. In April, Southwest announced it was slashing US flights after noticing a downturn in interstate ticket sales. United Airlines also cut domestic flights from its portfolio after seeing a skid, while reporting a five percent uptick in international flights. Air Canada also said it was cutting US-destined flights. For Southwest, the slowdown in American ticket sales comes amid massive change for the brand. Last year, the company announced it would cut two of its most popular and unique programs: open seating and free checked bags. The changes, which are primarily attributed to the company's activist investor, Elliott Investment Management, have ruffled customers' feathers while increasing Southwest's stock performance. 'Every company is focused on the bottom line,' Eric Wein, a California-based communications executive, told about the company's switch away from free bags. 'But it's surprising that Southwest seemed to have lost sight of its customer loyalty and brand appeal in making some of these rather necessary financial moves.' The airliner's share price is up 13 percent in the past year.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Southwest adds cockpit safety alerts across nearly entire fleet of 800 planes
Southwest Airlines on Monday said it has added cockpit safety alerts to nearly its entire fleet of 800 aircraft. The safety alert system, designed by Honeywell, sets off verbal and text warnings if a pilot is about to use the wrong runway or approaches too fast for landing. It's like the alert systems used in many modern cars, dinging when a driver edges too close to another car, person or curb. Advertisement 3 A Southwest Airlines plane takes off from Las Vegas International Airport in February. REUTERS 'Honeywell's SmartRunway and SmartLanding software will provide our pilots with enhanced situational awareness to ensure the highest level of safety while operating on runways throughout the network,' Andrew Watterson, Southwest's chief operating officer, said in a statement. The technology is an attempt to avoid incidents like one that occurred on March 20, when a Southwest plane started taking off from a taxiway at Orlando International Airport instead of the runway running alongside it, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Advertisement Thankfully, an air-traffic controller intervened before take-off – helping to avoid a potential crash on a short taxiway or collision with another plane. But it's possible the Honeywell alert could have chimed in sooner, warning: 'On taxiway! On taxiway!' In 2017, an Air Canada jet nearly landed on a taxiway at San Francisco's airport – where four planes waited with 1,000 passengers on-board. The following year, the National Transportation Safety Board found that Honeywell's alerts might have been able to alert the Air Canada pilots of the mistake well before the near-miss. Advertisement Honeywell's alert system can also warn pilots when they are approaching a runway too fast, too high or if they're overshooting the runway for a 'long landing.' 3 The Honeywell alerts can alert pilots when they are approaching a taxiway instead of a runway, or flying too high or fast for a landing. AFP via Getty Images 'Honeywell systems and software onboard aircraft today help enhance situational awareness for pilots and flight crews — especially in low visibility flying conditions — to avoid wrong surface operations and runway excursions,' Thea Feyereisen, pilot and fellow at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, said in a note. 'We can't rely on just one system, as it could fail, and we need multiple ways to notify the pilots of a safety alert – sight, sound and sometimes tactile displays.' Advertisement Southwest decided to add the Honeywell alerts across its Boeing 737 fleet early last year to manage safety risks, according to Watterson. Last August, an advisory panel recommended the Federal Aviation Administration require new aircraft to come equipped with certain cockpit alerts. It did not extend this recommendation to older, existing planes. 3 An interior view of the cockpit of a Boeing 737 Max. Getty Images The FAA is reviewing this recommendation. In December, Southwest also instructed flight attendants to start cleaning up the cabin earlier in the landing process – around 18,000 feet instead of 10,000 feet – in an effort to reduce injuries among the crew. Other carriers like Alaska Airlines have added the Honeywell alerts to their planes, while manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing are working on their own runway alerts. Meanwhile, carriers are trying to ease fears of flying following several highly-reported crashes and near-misses. Some 64% of Americans said they believe air travel is very or somewhat safe – a drop from 71% the year before, according to a poll conducted by AP-NORC in February.
