NewsBoeing Focused On Improving 787's ReliabilityBoeing acknowledged the reliability issues of its 787 Dreamliners on Monday, and said it is taking steps to make the new high-tech plane more dependable. "Today, the reliability of the 787 is better than 95 percent. It's not as good as we'd like to see it. It's not as good as our customers would like to see it. So we're looking at ways to improve that reliability over time," said Boeing commercial planes Marketing Vice President Randy Tinseth at a press conference in Chile's capital Santiago. "I would refer to the problems as teething problems, I don't think they're systemic," he said. The aircraft has suffered an assortment of electrical and safety issues, the latest of which were over the weekend when budget airline Norwegian Air Shuttle grounded a brand new 787 Dreamliner and demanded that Boeing repair it after it suffered repeated breakdowns.
LinkAmerican Air Plans To Recruit 1,500 PilotsAmerican Airlines plans to hire 1,500 pilots over the next five years as it expands international flying and takes delivery of new planes, the carrier said on Monday. The Fort Worth-based company said its plans call for hiring and training 40 to 50 pilots a month beginning this winter. The airline is also in the process of hiring and training 1,500 new flight attendants. The hiring reflects operational needs, projected retirements and new Federal Aviation Administration rules requiring increased experience and rest for pilots, American Airlines said in a statement. The planned merger has no bearing on the hiring plans, a spokesman added.
LinkNew EU Rules On Pilot Fatigue OpposedA European Parliament committee on Monday rejected planned new flight time limits for pilots, saying the proposals did not go far enough to eliminate the risk of air crew fatigue. The European Commission says the new rules will improve safety by enforcing best practice across the 28-nation bloc, but members of the parliament's transport committee urged the EU executive to present new proposals with shorter time limits. "The Commission has failed to provide sufficient scientific evidence to remove reasonable doubts about the risk for safety in the areas of night hours and sleep deprivation," the committee said in a resolution rejecting the proposals. Pilot fatigue has been blamed for air accidents and near misses in the United States and Europe, prompting implementation of more rigorous rules on rest periods. Campaigners say Europe is lagging the United States in adopting tougher standards.
LinkAlaska exercises orders for five more 737-900ERsAlaska Airlines has exercised an option to purchase five Boeing 737-900ER aircraft from the manufacturer in a deal valued at a list price of $481 million. The Seattle-based 737 operator will take two of the aircraft in 2015, two in 2016 and one in 2017, according to a media release from Alaska. "Today's announcement supports our goal of growing Alaska Airlines 4% to 8% a year, profits permitting," Mark Eliasen, vice-president of finance and treasurer at Alaska, says in the release. "The 737-900ER is a great aircraft, with the comfort, reliability and low operating costs needed for us to be successful in today's competitive marketplace."
LinkBeechcraft develops more powerful King Air 350ER for military marketBeechcraft has quietly developed and certificated a more powerful version of the King Air 350ER for military and other special missions customers. The upgrade to a higher-thrust version of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine is aimed at bolstering sales at a time when the US military is withdrawing troops – and dozens of King Air surveillance aircraft – from Afghanistan. Commercial customers of the King Air 350ER will continue to be offered the 1,050shp-class PT6A-60 engine, says Roger Hubble, Beechcraft’s senior product marketing manager, special missions, trainer and attack aircraft.
LinkAustralian scramjet bid ends with splash - in seaAustralia’s SCRAMSPACE bid to study hypersonic flight with an eye to informing development of Mach 5-plus scramjet-powered vehicles to orbit satellites has generated a big splash but little data – after a launcher failure left the 1.8m spacecraft too low achieve the gravity-powered M8 flight that was to have provided data on hypersonic physics, multi-Mach fuel injection and materials performance. As planned, the three-year, A$14 million project – whose funding included A$5m from the Australian government – will end this year. What bearing its failure to end with a data trove will have on Australian ambitions for scramjet flight remains to be seen, but the government’s space research programme office is billing it as “highly successful” in achieving its aim of building “human capacity and capability for Australia’s aerospace (especially space) sector”.
LinkFrance formally accepts A400M transportAirbus Military has ceremonially handed over the A400M tactical transport to the French air force, almost two months after lead aircraft MSN7 arrived at its Orléans air base. During ceremonies held at the manufacturer’s San Pablo final assembly site in Seville, Spain, and at Orléans on 20 September, the A400M was formally accepted by French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and air force chief of staff Gen Denis Mercier. “Alone, none of the countries could have done it, but with the A400M, we play in the top league of world defence,” says Airbus Military president Domingo Ureña-Raso. The company believes that a market exists to sell between 300 and 400 of the turboprop-powered type to international customers, beyond the 174 already on order for seven European launch customers and Malaysia.
LinkJapan eyes $950 million upgrade to E-767 fleetJapan has requested information about a possible $950 million upgrade for its four Boeing E-767 airborne early warning & control (AEW&C) aircraft. In a disclosure on its web site, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) says Japan’s mission computing upgrade (MCU) upgrade for its E-767s would include four electronic support measure systems, eight AN/UPX-40 Next Generation Identify Friend or Foe (NGIFF), eight Raytheon AN/APX-119 identification friend or foe (IFF) transponders, and four Raytheon KIV-77 cryptographic computers.
LinkSpaceX launches new rocket successfullySpaceX has successfully launched a new version of the Falcon 9, dubbed the v1.1. The flight marks a number of firsts, including the first launch of the v1.1 – a substantial modification of previous Falcon 9s – the first launch from SpaceX’s new pad at Vandenberg AFB, California, and the use of a larger nosecone capable of carrying bulkier cargo. The flight successfully placed Canada’s Cassiope satellite into orbit, but failed to accomplish the secondary objective of re-igniting core stage engines after second stage separation.
LinkOrbital Sciences' Cygnus docks with ISSOrbital Sciences successfully docked its Cygnus cargo capsule with the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time on 29 September, becoming only the second company to do so. The docking was delayed several days following a minor Global Positioning System data mismatch between Cygnus’ and ISS’ onboard computers. A software patch to Cygnus resolved the situation, but a further hold was imposed while astronauts focused on docking a Russian Soyuz resupply capsule. The capsule will remain attached several days as astronauts unload the roughly 1,300lb of supplies, before detaching and burning up during reentry to Earth’s atmosphere.
LinkJetBlue to introduce "Mint" premium service in 2014JetBlue Airways plans to launch premium service next year called "Mint." The premium cabin will feature lie-flat seats and a tapas menu, as well as amenity kits for travelers. "The reason we're doing this is our travelers were migrating over to American, over to United, over to Delta, over to Virgin America — (airlines) who had a premium cabin experience," said CEO Dave Barger.
LinkDelta, Virgin align NY-London routes with joint ventureDelta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic are aligning routes after their joint venture was approved by government regulators. "The freedom to cooperate fully with Virgin Atlantic will initiate a new era of greater competition in the New York to London market -- where it is much needed," said Ed Bastian, president of Delta.
LinkRep. Miller supports travelers in border security effortsU.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, introduced legislation to address the visa exit system and accomplish national security objectives while ensuring that air travel remains efficient for customers. Airlines for America commended the efforts of Miller and her colleagues on the House Homeland Security Committee, for what it called "their bipartisan efforts to put forward an effective exit program that minimizes disruption and delay for traveling Americans."
LinkBoeing receives recognition for environmental effortsA nonprofit organization has recognized Boeing for the manufacturer's efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The Carbon Disclosure Project has included Boeing on its list of companies that demonstrate leadership in reducing emissions. "Year-over-year, we have made measurable environmental improvements through the actions of our innovative and engaged employees," said Kim Smith, vice president for environment, health and safety at Boeing.
LinkNTSB issues report on 2011 737 incident A National Transportation Safety Board report blames shoddy workmanship for an in-flight tear in the roof of a Southwest Airlines plane in 2011. The Boeing 737-300 was en route from Phoenix to Sacramento, Calif., on April 1, 2011, when a 5-foot-long gash opened in the fuselage. Air rushed in, oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling and a flight attendant fainted, breaking his nose, as the pilots made a rapid descent and an emergency landing at Yuma International Airport.
LinkN.J. governor, United discuss improving air serviceN.J. Gov. Chris Christie and United Airlines are discussing ways to improve air service. Christie said the state could expand the PATH train route to serve Newark Liberty International Airport. In exchange, sources say, the governor wants United to boost flights at the airport in Atlantic City, N.J.
LinkTSA to expand PreCheck program in Seattle before holidaysThe Transportation Security Administration plans to expand its PreCheck program ahead of the busy holiday season. The TSA plans to open additional PreCheck lanes at the Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle before Thanksgiving. The program is in force at 40 airports across the U.S.
LinkPassport machine to cut customs wait times at JFKDelta stepped up to purchase automated-passport technology on the way for John F. Kennedy International Airport. The new system could slash wait times by up to 40%, according to Kevin McAleenan, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official. It is already available -- and has gotten rave reviews -- at Chicago's O'Hare airport.
LinkAirlines offer optional services to enhance flightsAirlines are offering optional services to make traveling more comfortable, such as iPads loaded with movies or first-class meals served in coach. "We've moved from takeaways to enhancements," said consultant John F. Thomas "It's all about personalizing the travel experience."
LinkSurvey: Most travelers want more charging stations at airportAccording to a survey by FlightView, 87% of travelers want more charging stations at airports. "If you want people to come back to the airport, make them comfortable," said Mike Benjamin, FlightView CEO. The Los Angeles International Airport recently unveiled improvements at its international terminal that included electrical outlets at half its seats.
LinkDelta to issue Surface 2 tablets to pilots In an unexpected turn, Delta has informed employees that it will be issuing a Surface 2 running Windows 8.1 RT to every pilot over the next two years. The airline ran an Electronic Flight Bag pilot program with iPads back in 2011, but for reasons unknown, that popular slate has since been scrapped. According to WindowsITPro, Delta had since planned to move forward with Nokia's rumored tablet, but has opted for the Surface 2 instead. The decision follows a move to equip flight attendants with Lumia 820 handsets, which will be used for processing payments and tracking passenger information. Considering the importance of a reliable cockpit device, however, this Surface 2 news is arguably far more significant.
Link 
