CommercialUK Agency Says Faulty Wiring Likely Caused 787 FireA fire that scorched the top of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at London Heathrow airport last summer was likely caused by faulty wiring in an emergency rescue beacon that led to "an uncontrolled discharge" from a lithium-ion battery, the UK aviation safety agency said on Wednesday. The agency also recommended five steps the US Federal Aviation Administration could take to ensure greater safety with lithium batteries on aircraft, echoing comments the US National Transportation Safety Board made last month. The battery likely discharged unevenly, causing one of its cells to deplete more than the other four, then reverse polarity and absorb energy from the others, the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said in a special report.
LinkFAA urged to tighten standards for lithium batteries in aircraftA short-circuit in a lithium-metal battery likely caused the fire that damaged an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787-8 last year and certification requirements must be improved, the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) says in a new special bulletin. The fire at London Heathrow airport on 12 July 2013 was probably the result of a botched electrical installation of the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT) - the Honeywell Rescu 406AFN . This led to short- circuiting, causing its battery to overheat and start a process known as thermal runaway, which generates intense heat. The fire spread in the aircraft’s rear upper fuselage while the aircraft was empty and unattended until the fire crews arrived, causing extensive damage to the 787’s composite materials hull.
LinkWhat to expect at this year's FarnboroughFarnborough air show boss Shaun Ormrod admits that hosting a major air show is harder than it used to be. A generation ago – with the industry concentrated in North America and western Europe and focused on a small number of events – the biennial UK gathering was a must-attend. Similarly, with fewer distractions, being able to lure families in their tens of thousands at the weekend to watch an air display and buy some ice cream was a given; it was the era before competition from theme parks, mega shopping malls and interactive video games.
LinkEtihad denies investment talks with MASEtihad Airways has denied that it has held talks with Malaysia Airlines over a possible investment in the Kuala Lumpur based carrier. “Etihad Airways would like to confirm that it is not in talks with Malaysia Airlines about the possibility of an equity investment in the carrier,” the carrier said in an emailed statement. The statement scotches recent market rumours that MAS recently informed the Oneworld alliance that it was discussing an equity partnership with the Abu Dhabi based carrier.
LinkA350 wraps up hot-weather test in UAEAirbus has completed hot-weather testing of its A350-900 following several days of flights at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered airframe, MSN3, had headed out to Al Ain late on 11 June, and subsequently carried out a number of test flights over the Persian Gulf. Airbus says the operation focused on engine behaviour and performance in high-temperature conditions, and checks on systems such as the cooling equipment. The tests included heat-soak, in which the A350 was parked in the sun for several hours.
LinkEurope Still Lagging In Lost Luggage StakesCramming clothes into carry-on bags may not appeal this summer, but the alternative could be worse, with checked luggage nearly three times more likely to arrive late in Europe than in the US. European airlines lost, damaged or had stolen about nine bags for every 1,000 passengers last year, SITA found in its 2014 Baggage Report. In contrast, about 3.22 bags per thousand travelers faced mistreatment on US domestic flights. The rate in Asia was just 1.96. Airlines worldwide have strived to improve baggage delivery in recent years, from speeding up security checks to identifying "hot bags" with short transfer times for immediate unloading. Still, despite reducing its rate of mishandling by 41.2 percent since 2003, Europe has lagged consistently behind other regions, just as Asia has remained on top.
LinkDispatchers ratify labor contract with UnitedMore than 300 dispatchers represented by two unions have ratified a joint labor contract with United Airlines. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Professional Airline Flight Control Association (PAFCA) both represent dispatchers at the carrier. United is also negotiating contracts with flight attendants and other workers.
LinkDelta offers slice of history at reopened museumDelta Air Lines reopened its museum at its Atlanta headquarters on Tuesday. The 68,000-square-foot museum houses the carrier's first Douglas DC-3 and first Boeing 767 jet. Delta offered its first passenger flight in 1929, and also flew crop dusters during the Depression.
LinkConsumer purchasing power increases with rise in airfareMany goods and services increased in cost and airfare grew nearly 6% in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "With the turmoil in the Middle East and Ukraine, oil and other energy costs may continue to rise, which will either eat into already slim airline profits or cause fares to rise further," said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. An Airlines for America spokeswoman said "consumers' purchasing power is actually increasing with gains in household net worth and disposable personal income."
LinkAirbus exec: Name change helps U.S. businessExecutives at the Airbus Group, formerly known as EADS, say the name change is helping to boost U.S. business for the aircraft manufacturer. "To be truthful, it was very difficult to explain European Aeronautic Defense and Space (EADS)," said Allan McArtor, chairman and CEO of the U.S. unit of Airbus Group. "It’s hard to build confidence in that brand."
LinkPilots love flying the Boeing 787 to China Dale Harlan, a United pilot for 27 years, wanted so badly to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that he gave up a dream job as a high-seniority 737 captain to fly as a first officer on the new airplane. That sacrifice got him a spot on a historic flight on June 9, when United Flight 9 became the first non-stop commercial flight ever from North America into the interior of China, perhaps the clearest indication since the 787 began flying for ANA in 2011 that the aircraft's highest and best use is to open new frontiers in air travel. For the moment, at 6,857 miles, San Francisco/Chengdu is the longest 787 flight to operate non-stop in both directions.
LinkSouthwest encourages creativity during safety briefingsWhile most carriers give flight attendants a script for safety briefings, Southwest Airlines encourages creativity in presentation. "As long as all of the Safety and regulatory requirements are met, our Flight Attendants are encouraged to make onboard Safety briefings engaging through the use of humor, song, or other individual twists,” said Elise May from Southwest's inflight aviation safety action program. Several videos of safety briefings by Southwest flight attendants have gone viral.
LinkGogo to test new satellite-based in-flight Wi-FiIn-flight Wi-Fi provider Gogo Inc. will partner with airlines to test its new satellite Wi-Fi service, which it says will provide faster downloads and reliable Internet connectivity. Japan Airlines and Air Canada will test 2Ku, Gogo's next generation satellite service and Virgin America will test Gogo's ground-to-orbit satellite service, or GTO.
LinkAmerican Airlines deploys beacon technology to update passengers Oneworld alliance member American Airlines intends to play a steering role in using beacon technology at airports in North America and ultimately across the globe, after announcing it will become the first carrier to use SITA’s Common-use Beacon Registry. This means passengers can look forward to getting up-to-date and relevant information on their mobile devices, such as indoor directions, walk times to gates, lounge access and alerts about boarding. Simply put, beacon technology is a way of providing proximity and context information to mobile devices. They transmit a signal using Bluetooth Low Energy -BLE for short – and the signal contains a unique identifier for that beacon. When a BLE-enabled device, such as a smartphone, moves within range of the beacon’s signal it can trigger an action, including displaying a contextually relevant message on the phone. Apple introduced its ‘iBeacon’ technology with iOS 7; this uses BLE and geofencing to trigger the display of location-relevant information.
LinkVideo: JetBlue boosts live TV channels to more than 100JetBlue did not invent inflight entertainment, but some say the carrier redefined what it meant to passengers after it launched operations in 2000. JetBlue has become widely known as the airline that offers the free live TV, but its IFE system has grown tired over the years. Finally, the airline has launched its new LiveTV LTV4 platform, initially available on the Airbus A321. While the system is far from revolutionary, it is an evolutionary step for the New York-based airline. The new, larger screens are quite attractive. In fact, they may be too attractive, as passengers’ first instinct will be to touch them. Unfortunately, there is no touch control offered just yet. JetBlue hopes to roll out this feature in the future, but it isn’t ready.
Link 
