CommercialUnderwater vehicle to be deployed in MH370 searchThe search for wreckage related to the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER aircraft is set to enter a new phase as authorities switch its focus to an underwater search, amid concerns that batteries on the aircraft's flight recorders are expiring. Joint Agency Coordination Centre chief Angus Houston said at a press conference on the evening of 14 April that an underwater autonomous vehicle - the Bluefin-21- will soon be deployed. Ocean Shield meanwhile will pull up the towed pinger locater it has been relying on for signals from the recorders. The decision was made to switch the focus to an underwater search after four pings consistent with those from an aircraft's cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder were detected by Ocean Shield using the towed pinger locater. No further pings have been detected, which Houston says is likely due to batteries in the recorders expiring. “The four signals previously acquired taken together constitute the most promising lead we have in the search for MH370,” he adds.
LinkMH370 Search Zeroing In After Latest PingsThe international effort to find Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was zeroing on a small area of the Indian Ocean that officials now believe offers the best hope of solving the mystery. The Australian agency overseeing the search said it would use some of the most sophisticated resources at its disposal on the small search area after a new acoustic signal, that could be from the plane's black box recorders, was detected on Thursday. The latest signal, which was captured by a listening device buoy, seems to lend credence to four previous pings detected by a US Navy Towed Pinger Locator on Australia's Ocean Shield vessel. "The acoustic data will require further analysis overnight but shows potential of being from a man-made source," Angus Houston, head of the Australian agency co-ordinating the search, said in a statement.
LinkHong Kong's Metrojet authorised for Embaer Legacy 500 serviceHong Kong-based private aircraft charter and maintenance provider Metrojet has become the first authorised service centre for the Embraer Legacy 500 aircraft in the greater China region. At a press briefing before the annual ABACE private jet industry gathering in Shanghai, the two companies signed an agreement that expands the scope of the parties' previous authorised service agreement signed in 2011.
LinkDubai To Cut 26 Pct Flights During Runway WorkAirlines flying into Dubai are preparing for diversions and schedule changes as the emirate's main airport, a hub for tourism and trade in the region, plans to reduce the number of flights it handles during construction work on its runways. Dubai International, which handled 66.4 million passengers in 2013, making it the world's second busiest airport for international passenger traffic after London's Heathrow, will cut flights by 26 percent for an 80-day period, Dubai's airports authority said on Sunday. The cut-back will occur between May 1 and July 20 as first one runway and then the other is closed for resurfacing and other construction work, Dubai Airports said.
LinkSouthwest to upgrade seats on Boeing 737sSouthwest Airlines plans to feature wider seat berths on its Boeing 737 planes. Southwest Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven said the carrier has extra space because of slimmer seat frames. "We're going to have great comfort in those seats," Van de Ven said.
LinkAmerican to revamp 777-200ERs interiorsAmerican Airlines plans to reconfigure its fleet of Boeing 777-200ERs later this year, boosting the number of seats from 247 to 260. The carrier aims to enhance the overall travel experience for passengers by adding new seats, new configurations and new entertainment systems when the rework into a two-class configuration begins later in 2014. American said "our decision to move to a two-class configuration on our 777-200ERs allows us to better align ourselves with our competitors, many of whom offer a two-class configuration today."
LinkJetBlue posts increase in system traffic for MarchJetBlue Airways reported an increase in system miles for March, as compared to the same month last year. The carrier also boosted capacity by 3.7% for March on a year-over-year basis.
LinkAir safety had record year in 2013, ICAO saysAir safety improved to a new record in 2013, with a global accident rate of 2.8 accidents per 1 million departures for the year, a 13% decrease from 2012. The International Civil Aviation Organization said the accident rate for last year was "the lowest recorded since it began tracking the global accident rate."
LinkGogo, Boeing mull installing Wi-Fi technology during productionAircraft communications service provider Gogo and jetmaker Boeing are exploring the idea of installing inflight connectivity technology during the aircraft production process. Gogo already retrofits in-service aircraft with inflight Wi-Fi and wireless inflight entertainment. "As Gogo continues to retrofit aircraft with its various connectivity solutions, it's crucial to work towards line-fit of these solutions for all new orders so each aircraft comes off the line with Gogo connectivity already installed and ready for service from day one," Chief Executive Michael Small said.
LinkBoeing to relocate engineering jobs to Southern California Boeing told employees Thursday it will transfer 1,000 more engineering jobs from the Puget Sound area to Southern California by the end of next year. The move, rumored for months, is the latest in a series of engineering transfers out of state that now totals more than 4,300 Boeing jobs. In the latest blow, most of the engineering group that provides technical support to airlines flying Boeing jets will move to Seal Beach and Long Beach.
LinkAmerican to purchase A320s American Airlines Group said in a government filing it has exercised its option to purchase 62 Airbus A320 family aircraft scheduled for delivery starting in 2015. American had already planned to take delivery of the 62 aircraft between the 2015 first quarter and the 2017 third quarter, but was going to do so under a lease financing arrangement agreed to with Airbus in 2011.
LinkDelta protests U.S.-backed financing for foreign airlinesDelta Air Lines is lobbying for changes to how the Export-Import bank operates, saying the program unfairly benefits its foreign competitors, who can use it to purchase Boeing airplanes. Earlier this week, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) President Capt. Lee Moak sent a letter to the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, saying the "bank's unnecessary financing of wide-body aircraft" grants foreign carriers an "annual economic advantage" of $2 million for each aircraft.
LinkFedEx CEO comments on IATA safety initiative FedEx chairman and CEO Fred Smith has praised IATA for moving swiftly to establish a task force on aircraft tracking improvements in the wake of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Speaking Thursday at the International Aviation Club in Washington DC, Smith said it was “not acceptable to anyone to think that an airliner can go into the ether.” IATA DG and CEO Tony Tyler has called on the aviation industry to “make a safe industry even safer” by developing a better way to track aircraft following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 March 8. Earlier this month, Tyler announced IATA’s plan to convene a task force, including input from ICAO, to “examine all of the options available for tracking commercial aircraft against the parameters of implementation, investment, time and complexity to achieve the desired coverage.” The group will report its conclusions by December.
LinkUnited gives nod to British heritage at Heathrow loungeUnited Airlines is paying homage to London with a replica of Big Ben as a centerpiece of its new lounge at Heathrow Airport. The lounge features British touches such as a tea room, as well as a wine room and an a la carte menu for dining in the lounge.
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