Latest news with #Flight5342
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's FAA Nominee Lied About Having a ‘Commercial' Pilot License
Bryan Bedford, Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has misled the public, claiming to have a 'commercial' pilot license that he does not hold, Politico reported. Bedford, who serves as president and CEO of Republic Airways, was listed on the airline's website as holding 'commercial, multi-engine and instrument pilot ratings' as recently as Thursday, according to Politico. But after the outlet inquired about Bedford's credentials, the airline removed 'commercial' from the webpage on Friday, the publication reported. According to Politico, Bedford does not have a commercial pilot's license listed in the FAA registry. But Bedford has claimed since at least 2010 to have that kind of license according to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine records of Republic Airways' website. Bedford does have a private pilot's license, including credentials that he can fly multi-engine planes and fly in bad weather and at nighttime. The Department of Transportation (DOT) told Politico that Bedford has passed 'written and oral exams' to fly commercial aircraft. The department additionally said that Bedford had not 'personally nor publicly claimed to be a commercial airline pilot.' 'Bryan never misrepresented his credential; it was an administrative error that was immediately corrected,' DOT said in a statement. As Politico noted, The Air Current in an April 2025 article about Bedford also pointed out that the CEO is not a commercial pilot. 'Bedford is a pilot himself, although not a commercial pilot, as he has sometimes claimed to be,' The Air Current wrote. Given recent events, including the Jan. 2025 collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 over the Potomac River near Washington-Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people, many are looking to the FAA to improve the air traffic control system. Elon Musk, while leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, tried to lay off swaths of air traffic controllers but was stopped by the DOT. Trump blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices for the crash. Bedford faced questioning last week from the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee as part of his nomination process. Members of the committee grilled him about how his company tried (and failed) to certify pilots who only met half of the federally required flight hours. When questioned by Sen. Tammy Duckworth about whether he would keep the number of required hours to 1,500, Bedford would not give a straight answer. 'It doesn't sound like a yes,' Duckworth said. 'It sounds like you're leaving the door open to reduce the number of flight hours below 1,500.' 'What I'm saying is I don't believe safety is static,' Bedford responded. More from Rolling Stone Trump Parade Turnout Swamped by Millions Who Protested at 'No Kings' Rallies 'Chicago Is Next': Team Trump Plots Another Militarized Crackdown Tear Gas, Human Stampedes, and ICE Raids: 100 Hours in L.A. Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Economic Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Social media users allege Air India CEO's post-crash speech was plagiarised
As the nation mourns the devastating loss of 270 lives in the Air India Flight AI-171 crash, the airline is now facing criticism on another front—this time concerning the remarks made by its CEO. Campbell Wilson, CEO and Managing Director of Air India, released a video statement following the tragic crash in Ahmedabad last Thursday. His delivery was solemn, and the message appeared sincere. However, social media users have alleged that the speech was largely copied from American Airline CEO's statement earlier this year. As per social media reports, the Air India CEO's speech was nearly identical to one given by American Airlines CEO Robert Isom earlier this year, following a fatal crash in the United States. — beastoftraal (@beastoftraal) Isom had spoken in response to a January 30, 2025 mid-air collision near Washington D.C., where a commercial jet collided with a military helicopter, resulting in the deaths of at least 67 people. Alleged Copying of Statement Some social media users have alleged that Wilson's statement included lines such as: 'This is a difficult day for all of us... Our efforts are now focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families, and loved ones.' These exact phrases—and the broader structure—mirror those used by Isom in his address after the American Airlines Flight 5342 accident, in which a Bombardier CRJ700 collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. While Isom's message was widely praised at the time for its emotional sincerity, the repetition of those words in a different context has led to public backlash against Air India, with critics accusing the airline of insincerity and lack of originality in its crisis communication. One online comment read: 'Not ideal to see a copied message after such a tragic event.' India's Worst Aviation Tragedy in Years The crash of Air India Flight AI-171 marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Indian history. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. There were 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board, including nationals from India, the UK, Portugal, and aircraft tragically came down inside the BJ Medical College campus, causing further devastation. Many of those who lost their lives were not passengers, but rather students, medical staff, and local residents in the Meghaninagar area surrounding the crash site. Air India and its parent company, Tata Group, will jointly provide over ₹1.25 crore in financial assistance to the families of those killed in the Ahmedabad air disaster. This includes ₹1 crore from Tata Sons and an interim ₹25 lakh from the airline itself. Disclaimer: This article is based on a user-generated post on X. has not independently verified the claims made in the post and does not vouch for their accuracy. The views expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of . Reader discretion is advised.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: Social media users allege Air India CEO's post-crash speech was plagiarised
As the nation mourns the devastating loss of 270 lives in the Air India Flight AI-171 crash, the airline is now facing criticism on another front—this time concerning the remarks made by its CEO. Campbell Wilson , CEO and Managing Director of Air India, released a video statement following the tragic crash in Ahmedabad last Thursday. His delivery was solemn, and the message appeared sincere. However, social media users have alleged that the speech was largely copied from American Airline CEO's statement earlier this year. As per social media reports, the Air India CEO's speech was nearly identical to one given by American Airlines CEO Robert Isom earlier this year, following a fatal crash in the United States. — beastoftraal (@beastoftraal) Isom had spoken in response to a January 30, 2025 mid-air collision near Washington D.C., where a commercial jet collided with a military helicopter, resulting in the deaths of at least 67 people. Alleged Copying of Statement Some social media users have alleged that Wilson's statement included lines such as: Live Events 'This is a difficult day for all of us... Our efforts are now focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families, and loved ones.' These exact phrases—and the broader structure—mirror those used by Isom in his address after the American Airlines Flight 5342 accident, in which a Bombardier CRJ700 collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Asian Chronicle (@theasianchronicle) While Isom's message was widely praised at the time for its emotional sincerity, the repetition of those words in a different context has led to public backlash against Air India, with critics accusing the airline of insincerity and lack of originality in its crisis communication. One online comment read: 'Not ideal to see a copied message after such a tragic event.' India's Worst Aviation Tragedy in Years The crash of Air India Flight AI-171 marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Indian history. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport. There were 230 passengers and 12 crew members on board, including nationals from India, the UK, Portugal, and Canada. The aircraft tragically came down inside the BJ Medical College campus, causing further devastation. Many of those who lost their lives were not passengers, but rather students, medical staff, and local residents in the Meghaninagar area surrounding the crash site. Air India and its parent company, Tata Group , will jointly provide over ₹1.25 crore in financial assistance to the families of those killed in the Ahmedabad air disaster. This includes ₹1 crore from Tata Sons and an interim ₹25 lakh from the airline itself. This article is based on a user-generated post on X. has not independently verified the claims made in the post and does not vouch for their accuracy. The views expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of . Reader discretion is advised.
Hindustan Times
14-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Insurance premiums to rise in bad year for aviation, say experts
New Delhi It's a payout no one -- neither airliners nor passengers -- hopes would ever come to pass, but aviation insurance is set to get costlier amid rising risks and air fatalities, experts say. Mishaps and war have already ratcheted up the stakes, capping a dream run of low, stable premiums, which are poised to jump this year. The lumbering Russia-Ukraine conflict, a spate of air accidents and the apparent start of an Israel-Iran clash have added significantly to those risks, an industry executive said, requesting anonymity. Earlier this month, a UK judge ruled that insurance companies must compensate aircraft lessors and airliners for planes seized by Russia as part of its counter-sanctions reprisal, adding a new dimension to aviation insurance. The year 2025 was already beginning to prove to be a tipping point with the Potomac River mid-air collision in the US this January. It shattered the calm of 2023 when no large plane was involved in a fatal accident, according to aviation groups. The encounter between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an army helicopter near Washington was the deadliest US disaster in over a decade. 'This changed sentiments dramatically in New York and London, two financial centres where the largest aviation reinsurance businesses are concentrated,' said Mathew Pannerselvam of Troth Broking Ltd. The crash of Air India AI 171 outside Ahmedabad's airport on Thursday has already made 2025 the deadliest in a decade globally with over 480 fatalities, according to figures from the Virginia-based Flight Safety Foundation. The London, Gatwick-bound Boeing 787 jetliner crashed moments after taking off, unable to power its initial climb and barely able to clear a neighbourhood just outside the runway. Insurance payments to follow from the Air India crash are likely to be the costliest in Indian aviation history because of the extent of damages, including to properties on the ground and non-passenger fatalities, the executive cited in the first instance said. The accident resulted in the complete destruction of the aircraft and the death of all but one passenger. The payouts could potentially reach nearly $100 million if the totality of liabilities is taken into account, said a second executive from Marsh India, an investment advisory firm, requesting anonymity. The main insurer of the Air India Dreamliner was TATA AIG while several other firms underwrote part of the liabilities, including National Insurance and Oriental Insurance, a third industry analyst said, asking not to be named. Most large insurers opt for reinsurance, an arrangement where the original insurance firms protect themselves against losses by transferring their own risks to a reinsurer at a cost. 'In aviation, this is the norm and very little risks remain with the original insurers,' one of the industry executives cited above said. In the case of the AI 171 flight too, just about 10% of the liability will have to be borne by Indian insurers, whose aviation businesses are covered under a global reinsurance programme, the third analyst cited above said. Aviation insurance is never a single product, analysts said. A commercial plane typically is covered by several types of risk packages. The most critical ones include cover for hull losses during flight and taxiing, as well as when an aircraft is stationary. Passenger liability covers allow airliners to compensate the next of kin in case of fatal accidents. Tata Sons, the conglomerate that owns Air India, on Thursday announced that it would pay ₹1 crore to the next of kin of each passenger on board the fatal flight. Airliners also need to take out a public liability policy for third-party compensation, just as in car insurance, to pay for damages caused to other aircraft, objects or people. Insurance premiums make up no more than 1.5-2% of airlines' costs, very little compared to spending on fuel or maintenance, and premiums can range from $45000 to $150,000, depending on aircraft type, age and routes travelled, among other parameters, according to data from AerCap Holdings NV. The insured value of a commercial jetliner can range from $112 million to $230 million. The insurance industry is 'good at adapting to changes' and risks from emerging wars were earlier considered 'second-order risks', Bruce Carnegie-Brown, the chairman of Llyod's of London, one of the largest aviation insurers, told Bloomberg last month.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
One Soldier Dead, Another Injured in Fort Campbell Helicopter Training Crash
A soldier was killed and another injured during an aviation training mission Wednesday evening at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the service announced. The incident occurred at 7 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the 101st Airborne Division. Emergency responders confirmed one fatality at the scene. The second soldier was evacuated to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital in Clarksville, Tennessee, where they were listed in stable condition. The helicopter involved was carrying only two personnel -- the pilot and co-pilot -- at the time of the accident, according to the service. Officials did not release the names of those involved or specify which crew member died. Identities are commonly withheld until notification of the next-of-kin. Read Next: Army Officials Pushed Back on Pop-Up MAGA Shop Ahead of Fort Bragg Trump Speech The division did not release further details on what led up to the crash or the nature of the training exercise. An investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing. The fatality comes just weeks after another deadly incident involving a 101st Airborne soldier. Sgt. Aaron Cox died during a vehicle training exercise near Camp Croft, Hungary, in early June while assigned to the division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team. The Army has grappled with a series of high-profile aviation mishaps, particularly involving Black Hawk helicopters. Despite the frequency and severity of these incidents, Army officials have not publicly indicated whether the accidents stem from aircraft design flaws, training protocols, or systemic oversight gaps. In January, a Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., killing all 64 people aboard the commercial jet and the three-soldier military crew. That incident followed a deadly 2023 crash in which nine soldiers died during a nighttime training flight when two HH-60 Black Hawks collided near Fort Campbell. It was one of the most serious non-combat aviation accidents in Army history. Just weeks later, three soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska were killed when two Apache helicopters collided during a training mission. The back-to-back incidents triggered a force-wide stand-down to review flight safety procedures. Fort Campbell, encompassing more than 106,000 acres, is home to several key Army units, including the 101st Airborne Division, 5th Special Forces Group and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The base serves as a critical hub for air assault and special operations. Related: Route Used by Army Black Hawk During Deadly Collision Was Far Too Risky, Safety Officials Say
