NCA temporary stop of OPS ?
 

NCA - Nippon Cargo Airlines | Temporary Suspension of All Our Aircraft Operation

June 16, 2018

Temporary Suspension of All Our Aircraft Operation

Nippon Cargo Airlines will temporary suspend all aircraft operations as we found one inappropriate maintenance record concerning the lubricating oil supply to the aircraft parts (for JA14 KZ) at Narita airport on April 3, 2018.

In an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety of our operation, we decided to temporarily ground all aircraft until all maintenance records have been confirmed appropriate. (Flight stops starting from Narita airport departure flight on June 16, 2018 Japan time)

Details are under investigation, and we expect at least about one week to confirm the aircraft safety.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and worries we caused our customers. We will do our utmost effort to check safety for resuming operation as quickly as possible.

Does NCA do contract maintenance for any other airlines?

Through the grapevine, MX issues have been going on 2 years now. Apparently they can't hold on to MX staff and don't follow prescribed Boeing MX schedules. Word is, the JCAB has been all over the place for all of the mistakes and the pressure has convinced their inexperienced management to call a time out. They have been giving AC away to other carriers to fly and decreasing their schedules for a while now.

I worked in Japan, and those preconceived notions of efficiency and no mistakes are far from reality. If they are taught the wrong procedures and reasoning to begin with, and not following the manufacture's prescribed MX, then they will drive themselves off a cliff, which appears to be the case. Another problem they have in Japan, is that they tend to rotate people in and out of all the jobs company has to offer about every 3-5 years. This includes MX and flight operations. So as soon as someone is getting good at their job, they are moved to a different department.

Too bad, as one of the best kept secrets in the contract world back in the early to mid 2000s, seems to be deteriorating pretty quickly. Good luck gents!

looks like a "soft start" again today after almost two weeks on the ground

NCA - Nippon Cargo Airlines | Resumption of the First Aircraft Operation (Updated July 4, 2018)

July 4, 2018

Resumption of the First Aircraft Operation (Updated July 4, 2018)

NCA would announce the update about temporary suspension of our aircraft operation.

While NCA is doing our effort to confirm all our aircraft safety, the investigation of the first aircraft (JA18KZ) will be completed by today and JA18KZ will resume the operation between NRT and PVG on July 5, 2018.

The rest of the aircraft operation will resume in sequence as soon as the aircraft safety is confirmed.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and worries that we caused our customers. We will do our utmost effort to check safety for resuming operation as quickly as possible.

sI have to admit that the thought has crossed my mind after seeing some of the scandals in the aviation industry. Most recently is Boeing being affected by flase certification by Kobe steel....

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-k...-idUSKBN1CI05P

...and the screw-ups on the Mitsubishi MRJ certification seems to be above and beyond anything that has happened to other manufacturers over the years.

looks like it will take a bit longer

NCA - Nippon Cargo Airlines | Business Improvement Order from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism. (MLIT)

July 20, 2018

Business Improvement Order from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism. (MLIT)

Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA), today received a Business Improvement Order (“Order”) from the MLIT due to violations of Article104 Paragraph 1, Article76 Paragraph1, and Article 20 Paragaph2, of Civil Aeronautics Law of Japan, which are (a) inappropriate maintenance for the aircraft structure, (b) the report delay to the MLIT, and (c) organized manipulation and concealment of corresponding maintenance records.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that we caused our customers as NCA was grounding all aircraft from 17June through 4July, 2018 to confirm aircraft safety for above mentioned violations. While 2 aircrafts (JA18KZ and JA05KZ) started operation, most of our services are still suspended.

We are re-evaluating our internal processes and controls since our analysis and preventive measures for the “Written Warning” NCA received from the MLIT on 5 October, 2016 did not prevent these same types of discrepancies in our operation.

NCA is utilizing a third party company to assist in evaluating the root causes of our failure and examine preventive measures immediately, and report it to the MLIT by a date.

All aircraft currently operating have been confirmed to be airworthy and safe. The remainder of the fleet is undergoing the same inspection, and we will inform the schedule updates as soon as it is decided.

NCA will unite and make every possible effort toward re-starting a safe operation with a feeling “reproduce company from ZERO”.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and worries that we caused our customers. We will do our utmost effort to conclude the safety checks for resuming the operation as quick as possible.