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FAA targets late May, early June for MAX airworthiness approval
FAA is targeting late May or early June for approving Boeing’s proposed changes to the 737 MAX and issuing an airworthiness directive that would mandate the upgrades and clear the way for US MAX operations to resume, the agency told airline representatives April 12. The details were part of a three-hour meeting between FAA and representatives from the three US MAX operators—American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines—as well as three unions that represent the ...
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Muilenburg recounts Boeing response to 737 MAX crash, grounding
Boeing chairman, president & CEO Dennis Muilenburg described his response to the March 10 crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 and the subsequent grounding of the 737 MAX 8, as the US manufacturer finds itself scrambling to restore confidence in the type.
His remarks came during an April 11 speech at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.
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PICTURES: Stratolaunch becomes world’s largest aircraft to fly
The world’s largest aircraft, the Stratolaunch "Roc" air-launcher vehicle built by Scaled Composites, completed its maiden flight today from Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
The six-engined twin-fuselage all-composite design (registration N351SL) was created by Scaled Composites as a purpose-built air-launch vehicle for US-based Stratolaunch, which was set up by the late Paul Allen. Today’s first flight follows more than a year of ground testing, including high-speed taxi runs.
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FAA meets with airlines and pilots to discuss 737 Max
The Federal Aviation Administration briefed airline and pilot representatives on 12 April to review the state of the 737 Max grounding – a meeting sources say comes amid geopolitically-charged questions about pilot training and aircraft certification.
The FAA called the 3h meeting in Washington, DC to review three items: preliminary reports into two 737 Max crashes, Boeing’s anticipated update to the 737 Max’s flight control software and pilot training, says the agency.
LinkAirlines
American extends Boeing MAX ops freeze through mid-August
American Airlines has further extended its cancellations of Boeing 737 MAX 8 operations through Aug. 19, the airline announced Sunday.
The announcement follows a similar decision by Southwest Airlines, which announced April 12 that it had changed its schedule through Aug. 5 to account for not putting its 34 MAXs back into service before then.
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Jet Airways continues to cancel flights; waits for serious bidders
India’s Jet Airways continues to cancel all international flights for the near-term at least, as more aircraft are grounded for missing lease payments. The airline has been canceling many international flights and stopped nearly all of them April 12. As of 4 p.m. India Standard Time, Jet had not yet canceled its overnight flights from Mumbai to European destinations and said they would operate as scheduled.
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Southwest readjusts schedule through early August on MAX grounding
Southwest Airlines has revamped its schedule through Aug. 5 to account for not having its 34 Boeing 737 MAXs as the model’s grounding continues to keep operators shuffling their schedules and fleet plans.
“While the timing for the return to service of the MAX remains unclear, what is very clear is our commitment to operate a reliable schedule and provide the famous customer service you expect from us,” Southwest president Tom Nealon said in an update shared by the airline.
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Southwest readjusts schedule through early August on MAX grounding
Southwest Airlines has revamped its schedule through Aug. 5 to account for not having its 34 Boeing 737 MAXs as the model’s grounding continues to keep operators shuffling their schedules and fleet plans.
“While the timing for the return to service of the MAX remains unclear, what is very clear is our commitment to operate a reliable schedule and provide the famous customer service you expect from us,” Southwest president Tom Nealon said in an update shared by the airline.
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Juneyao 2018 net profit dips 7.7% on currency rates, high fuel costs
China’s Juneyao Airlines reported a 2018 net profit of CNY1.2 billion ($174.5 million), down 7.7% from CNY1.3 billion in 2017. This was the first time the company's profits have dipped since 2012.
After deducting non-recurring gains and losses, the net profit further fell 19.1% year-over-year (YOY) to CNY943.7 million.
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Qatar hits back against criticism from US over Air Italy stake
Qatar Airways issued a sharp rebuke to what it described as “false accusations” from US lawmakers and the Trump administration, saying that its investment in Air Italy is “fully compliant” with the US-Qatar Open Skies Agreement, as well as the January 2018 US-Qatar Understandings and an accompanying side-letter.
The Gulf carrier, in a statement posted on its website, pointed out that its 49% stake in the Italian carrier “is the same level that Delta holds in both Virgin Atlantic and Aeromexico, and that Etihad held in Alitalia.”
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Delta 1Q net income up 31% on strong revenue environment
Delta Air Lines reported its 2018 first-quarter net income jumped 31% to $730 million from $557 million in the year-ago quarter. Operating revenue was up 5.1% to $10.5 billion, a new first-quarter record.
Evidence of solid fundamental trends at Delta has the airline bullish about its full-year 2019 performance and should indicate positive momentum for some competitors as well.
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Fatalities after L-410 take-off excursion and collision
Three fatalities have been confirmed as a result of a departure accident involving an Aircraft Industries Let L-410 turboprop at Nepal’s Lukla airport.
The Summit Air aircraft (9N-AMH) veered to the right during its take-off roll, entering a parking apron and collided with at least one helicopter.
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Package of new/used A380s pitched to BA was uncompetitive: Cruz
An Airbus offer of new and used A380s to British Airways in its recent widebody competition "did not even come close" to the winning Boeing bid of 777Xs, the airline's chief executive Alex Cruz has revealed.
A key factor was the high cost of cabin reconfigurations on used A380s.
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PICTURE: Qazaq Air receives first purchased Q400
Bombardier has delivered the first of two Q400 turboprops ordered by Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air, a carrier that launched in 2015 using leased Q400s.
Qazaq's acting chief executive Adel Dauletbek accepted delivery of the aircraft in Toronto, saying the aircraft would help the carrier expand its network to more cities in Central Asia.
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SIA halts plans to transfer 737-800s to Scoot
Singapore Airlines has halted plans to transfer 14 737-800s from regional unit SilkAir to low-cost carrier Scoot following the worldwide grounding of 737 Max aircraft in March.
"As a result of the recent Boeing 737 Max 8 grounding, the 737-800 transfer plans are being suspended and the aircraft will remain with SilkAir until there is clarity on the Max 8 situation," says SIA.
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PICTURE: JAL's Zipair reveals livery
Japan Airlines' budget unit Zipair Tokyo has revealed the livery that its Boeing 787-8s will wear when it launches operations in 2020.
The livery includes its “Z_” logo mark on the tail, which the airline says combines the Z from its name with an “infinite blank” space in green. It says that this represents ”the trueness of the ever-changing times and customers, to continue being an airline aiming for the future of the ‘ultimate’.”
LinkAirports
Strikes in Spain to affect air travelers during peak Easter holiday
Passengers traveling to and from Spain during the busy Easter holiday season will need to expect delays as airport ground workers, security staff and pilots plan strike action.
Security staff of Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, Spain’s main airport and Iberia’s major hub, announced an open-ended strike from April 12, following the collapse of negotiations on working and contract conditions with airport operator Aena.
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Houston Airport system aiming to boost Cargo trade with Brazil
Houston Airport System and Cabo Frio Airport in Brazil have signed an agreement to create a pipeline of air cargo between two of the largest oil, gas and energy clusters in the Americas.
According to the Texas airport operator, the co-operation agreement with the first public airport under private management in Brazil will serve as the starting point to develop business opportunities that will increase air cargo flows between both airports and hopefully bring freighter service.
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New projects begin at San Diego International Airport's innovation lab
A second group of innovators have begun a 16-week accelerator programme to “field test” and develop their concepts in a real-world airport environment at San Diego International Airport (SAN).
The programme is hosted in the Airport Innovation Lab, located within the decommissioned Commuter Terminal.
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Adelaide Airport is trialling new 3D security scanners
Good news for travellers: New technology means laptops and other electronic devices no longer need to be removed from bags before they are screened.
Carry-on bags and other items will be screened using 3D x-ray scanners for the first time at Adelaide Airport’s main screening point as part of a trial of new security equipment.
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Real-time noise information now available to Gatwick Airport
In a UK-airport first, noise complaints can now be submitted via a mobile app, and airlines will use this information to improve flight performance and reduce noise.
Gatwick has invested nearly £1 million in new technology that dramatically improves the monitoring of aircraft flights and associated noise; enabling local residents to access data and generate reports on demand.
LinkMilitary
Presidential helicopter replacement cost to fall by $230m
Projected total costs for 23 new Sikorsky VH-92As, aircraft for the Presidential Helicopter Replacement programme, have declined $230 million from a previous estimate.
Sikorsky attributes the savings to several factors, including stable requirements, a low number of design changes, and programme efficiencies, says the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The projected total cost of the US Navy (USN) programme fell from $5.18 billion to $4.95 billion.
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ANALYSIS: Militaries have big interest in tiny drones
Long the plaything of hobbyists, small UAVs are fast becoming the latest gadget in military scouting.
In November 2018, the US Department of Defense (DoD) began accepting proposals for commercial UAVs to be used as the US Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SSR) unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The SSR is intended to be an inexpensive UAV that can be carried in a soldier’s backpack, assembled and launched in less than 2min.
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PICTURE: Dutch investigate F-16 damaged by own gunfire
Details have emerged of an incident early this year during which a Lockheed Martin F-16AM from the Royal Netherlands Air Force was damaged by its own gunfire during a training flight.
The 21 January mishap involved a formation of two Dutch F-16s using their M61A1 20mm cannons during a practice strafing run, firing at a target on the Vliehors range located on the island of Vlieland.
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Light helos target Australian special forces opportunity
Bell, Airbus Helicopters, and Leonardo are gearing up to address Canberra’s requirement for 20 special forces rotorcraft.
The requirement first emerged in a 2016 defence whitepaper, with a request for information (RFI) issued in September 2018.
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Aviation Quote
Being a stealth pilot is one of the most labor intensive and time constrained types of flying that I know. We have very strict timing constraints: to be where you are supposed to be all the time, exactly on time, and that has to be monitored by the pilot. For example, during a bomb competition in training in the US, I dropped a weapon that landed 0.02 seconds from the desired time, and finished third!
- Lt. Col. Miles Pound, USAF
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. There have been several British airplanes named after insects, such as the de Havilland Mosquito. How many American production airplanes have been named after insects?
2. Most pilots are familiar with the PBY, a twin-engine Consolidated Catalina flying boat used initially as a patrol bomber during World War II. What was a PBJ?
3. As any pilot who has studied a sectional chart knows, an RCO is a remote communications outlet used to communicate with distant facilities. What is a GCO?
4. What well-known civilian landplane may land with landing gear retracted during routine operations?
5. True or False, early Lear Jets have a "knife blade" down the center of the windshield. Its purpose is to dissect birds in flight.
6. True or False, After resigning from and selling his interest in TWA, Howard Hughes purchased another airline and named it after himself.
