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Doomed Boeing Jets Lacked 2 Safety Features That Company Sold Only as Extras
As the pilots of the doomed Boeing jets in Ethiopia and Indonesia fought to control their planes, they lacked two notable safety features in their cockpits.
One reason: Boeing charged extra for them.
For Boeing and other aircraft manufacturers, the practice of charging to upgrade a standard plane can be lucrative. Top airlines around the world must pay handsomely to have the jets they order fitted with customized add-ons.
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Boeing developing service bulletin for 737 Max operators: FAA
Boeing is developing a service bulletin for 737 Max operators for the installation of new flight computer software, says the US Federal Aviation Administration.
The airframer has also developed flight crew training in relation to the software, adds the FAA in an update on the 737 Max grounding today.
LinkAirlines
Indonesia's Garuda asks to cancel $6 billion 737 MAX order, considers other Boeing jets: CFO
JAKARTA (Reuters) - National carrier Garuda Indonesia has sent a letter to Boeing Co asking to cancel an order for 49 737 MAX 8 narrowbody jets, Garuda Chief Financial Officer Fuad Rizal said on Friday.
The airline could switch the order, valued at $6 billion at list prices, to other Boeing models, Rizal told Reuters. He said negotiations with Boeing were ongoing and Airbus SE jets were not under consideration.
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Hydraulic failure preceded Iran Air Fokker gear-up landing
Iranian investigators probing a gear-up landing involving an Iran Air Fokker 100 believe a failure in one of the aircraft’s two main hydraulic systems led to the accident.
The aircraft had been operating flight iR215 from Qeshm on 19 March, and had been conducting an approach to Tehran Mehrabad at around 19:07 when the crew discovered that the landing-gear would not deploy.
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PICTURES: British Airways 747-400 in Negus retro-livery
British Airways has unveiled its fourth and final retro-livery – a Boeing 747-400 in the airline’s original red, white and blue design dating from 1973.
The 747-400 (G-CIVB) is adorned with the airline’s original “Negus” livery, featuring full “British airways” titles, which was employed until 1980. This scheme was adopted in 1973/74 when BA was created, following the merger of BOAC and BEA. A later iteration featured simple “British” titles.
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EasyJet CEO: Alitalia deal did not make business sense
EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren is not actively looking at any other acquisitions after withdrawing from the Alitalia sale process. He also ruled out a shift to a group structure, as rival LCC Ryanair plans, or branching out into long-haul, low-cost operations.
On March 18, easyJet announced that it had withdrawn from the running to invest in Alitalia, after previously weighing a joint investment in the airline with US carrier Delta Air Lines and Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato.
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PAL delays launch of New Delhi route
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is postponing the launch of its planned Manila-New Delhi route because political tensions between India and Pakistan have reduced demand.
PAL said it was forced to take the step “as news of the India-Pakistan border tensions has prompted many travelers to cancel bookings and defer their travel plans.” The route, scheduled to launch in April, will be suspended “until further notice,” the airline said.
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More Chinese airlines apply for Paris-Beijing service rights
More Chinese airlines are applying for more service rights to Paris from Beijing, raising the total of recent proposals to 31 weekly flights.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) must now decide how much additional capacity to allow on the route and which airlines will be allowed to provide it.
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Al Baker: Qatar hopes to be first to fly the 777X
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker anticipates that deliveries of the Boeing 777X will be on time and hopes the airline will be the first to fly the new long-haul aircraft. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2020. The 777X has 358 orders, the latest coming from British Airways, which announced 18 firm orders plus 24 options for the 777-9 on Feb. 28.
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Reports: Lion Air plans to raise up to $1 billion in IPO
Indonesia LCC Lion Air is preparing to hold an initial public offering (IPO), according to multiple media reports. The privately run airline is reportedly targeting to raise about $1 billion in funds when listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange.
The listing is expected to be completed either after the Indonesian presidential elections in April or after the release of the JT610 final report on the cause of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 crash in October 2018, which killed all 189 passengers and crew as the aircraft plunged into the sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta. The final report is expected around August.
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Atran Airlines takes Russia’s first 737-800 converted freighter
Russia’s Atran Airlines, an air express subsidiary of Volga-Dnepr Group, took delivery of its first Boeing 737-800BCF March 20, becoming the first operator of the type in the country. Atran leased two 737-800BCFs from GE Aviation Capital (GECAS) in October 2018.
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Wizz Air to add a third Airbus A321 to Krakow base
Central and Eastern European LCC Wizz Air has accelerated the expansion of its base in Krakow, Poland, adding a third Airbus A321 and six new routes.
Krakow is a new Wizz Air base, which was announced in November 2018. At the time, the LCC said it planned to station two A321s at the airport, with the first arriving in May, followed by the second in September.
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PODCAST: Airline Business team on 737 Max, KLM, Saudia and A380
The new edition of the Airline Business Podcast is now available.
Join premium news editor Graham Dunn and Airline Business managing editor Lewis Harper as they discuss the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max, the biggest talking points from the A4E Aviation Summit – including Air France-KLM tensions – and Etihad's latest financial results.
LinkAirports
Virgin Trains plans airline partners for Orlando airport link
Virgin Trains USA plans to partner with airlines to offer seamless connections to travellers when its extension to Orlando International airport opens, the country's first in-terminal long-distance rail connection at an airport.
The private rail operator, previously known as Brightline, plans to enter into interline agreements with JetBlue Airways and other major airlines via Orlando to facilitate transfers, Virgin Trains chief commercial officer Ravneet Bhandari said in a roadshow presentation for a $1.5 billion bond to partially fund the project on 20 March.
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Donegal retains top spot as the World's most scenic Airport
Donegal Airport has the most scenic approach of any airport in the world, according to PrivateFly's annual Scenic Airport Poll.
The Irish gateway beat the likes of Nice Côte d'Azur, Queenstown and St Maarten to win the accolade.
Describing the approach to Donegal, one voter said: "The view is spectacular! Mountains on one side and a beautiful rugged coastline dotted with islands and golden sandy beaches running adjacent to the runway."
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Cork Airport introduces new scheme for people with hidden disabilities
A new lanyard system at Cork Airport is hoped to allow people with hidden disabilities to gain the help they need to better navigate the airport.
Cork Airport is the first airport in the Republic of Ireland to roll-out the sunflower lanyard initiative which supports passengers with hidden disabilities. The discreet identification scheme, recognised in key global airports including London Heathrow, provides those with hidden disabilities the opportunity to avail additional support.
LinkMilitary
Anglo-French cruise missile project hits latest target
MBDA has cleared a key milestone on its path to developing an Anglo-French successor for its current Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missile and AM39 Exocet anti-ship weapon, with the receipt of bilateral approval to advance into its definition phase.
Dubbed the future cruise/anti-ship weapon (FC/ASW), the effort is the result of a joint project involving the company, France's DGA defence procurement agency and the UK's Defence Equipment and Support organisation.
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C295 purchase to bolster Kazakhstan defences
Airbus Defence & Space has been awarded a contract to produce a single C295 medium transport for Kazakhstan's border service.
Announcing the commitment on 21 March, the European airframer says the asset will be employed for duties including "border control activities and homeland security operations". A delivery schedule has not been revealed.
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Meteor, Spear additions to give UK F-35s added punch
Weapons integration activities on the Lockheed Martin F-35B are to be expanded for the UK, with the pending addition of MBDA's Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile and in-development Spear ground-attack system.
Announced on 18 March and placed by Lockheed as "an initial funding award", the integration activity will be conducted by a team including the airframer and European guided weapons specialist, along with BAE Systems.
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Taipei stepping up efforts to buy new fighters
The leadership of Taiwan has recently stepped up efforts to obtain a new American fighter aircraft to urgently recapitalise its aging air force.
Media reports indicate that president Tsai Ing-wen has publically confirmed that a request for new fighter aircraft has been made to Washington.
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Boeing in $4 billion deal for F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornets
Boeing has secured a three-year contract for 78 F/A-18E/F Block III Super Hornets, with a total contract value of approximately $4 billion.
“Boeing will begin converting existing Block II Super Hornets to Block III early in the next decade,” says a company statement. “The fighter’s life also will be extended from 6,000 hours to 10,000 hours.”
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Aviation Quote
Deftly they opened the brain of a child, and it was full of flying dreams.
- Stanley Kunitz, My Surgeons..
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Trivia
Who Am I
1. I was born in Russia and emigrated to the United States. I was always tinkering with machines. I developed an aerial vehicle that was the first successful design in its class. With some assistance from fellow émigrés I started my company that began building flying boats. During WW2 I designed the first practical helicopter for the Department of War. My company still exists today as part of the United Technology Group. Who am I?
2. I was born the day after Pearl Harbor got bombed by the Japanese. I started my higher education at a Teacher’s college then transferred to the U of Missouri. I joined the US Navy in 1967 and was one of the first graduates of Top Gun. I was also the only Navy ace of the Viet Nam war. Who am I?
3. I was born in 1897, in Atchinson, KS. In December of 1920 I was given a ride that would change my life forever. I was the 16th woman to be issued a pilot’s license. In my second attempt to circle the globe, my airplane disappeared, no remains ever to be found. Who Am I?
4. I was born in 1914, and died in 1998. I started flying at an early age and grew up to be a test pilot for one of the industry’s leading manufacturers. Under the guise of selling airplanes, I barrel rolled a four-engine transport aircraft over Lake Washington. Who am I?
5. I was born in 1922 in Germany. I have had several nicknames, like “Bubi” or “The Black Devil.” As a fighter pilot I left a record that will never be broken; yes, I said never. I shot down 352 enemy airplanes. Who am I?
