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Boeing 737 Max Unsafe to Fly: New Scathing Report by Pilot and Software Designer
A pilot with 30 years of flying experience and 40 years of design experience rips decisions made by Boeing and the FAA.
Gregory Travis, a software developer and pilot for 30 years wrote a scathing report on the limitations of the 737, and the arrogance of software developers unfit to write airplane code.
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Boeing suspends revenue forecasts as 1Q earnings show MAX impact
Boeing has posted its 2019 first-quarter results, which indicate the initial financial impact of the 737 MAX crashes and groundings as well as acknowledging continued uncertainty about the full cost.
The US manufacturer’s April 24 earnings release was the first quarterly posting since the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines MAX and the subsequent worldwide grounding of the new narrowbody.
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Boeing chief: MAX return has priority over NMA
Boeing says returning the 737 MAX safely to service is its first priority and with extra resources being channeled into this effort hinted for the first time this may impact the outline schedule for launching its next proposed airliner project, the new midsize airplane (NMA). Until the 737 MAX crisis struck, when the aircraft was grounded in March, Boeing’s expected plan was to marshal board approval for official authority to offer (ATO) NMA to airlines by mid-year and, assuming ...
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Boeing knows its hardest cost is restoring confidence
Boeing will have been glad to get today behind it, the latest in a series of grim days since the second 737 MAX crash and the new narrowbody was grounded.
The manufacturer posted its 2019 first-quarter earnings Wednesday, the first such posting since the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet. As expected, the results broke an 11-quarter-long trend line of exceeding Wall Street estimates. The company remains profitable and financially strong—it’s a cash-rich, $100 billion company with a diversified portfolio and a backlog of more than 5,600 airliners worth $399 billion.
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Cabin experts see ancillary potential in overhead bins
Aircraft cabin experts believe there could be scope to monetize overhead storage space, causing a ripple effect of customer service benefits. “‘We have a very full flight today and we’re not going to be able to fit everyone’s bags.’ What a horrible way to start a flight,” Safran Cabin ZEO EVP Scott Savian said at the recent Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg. “The stress level of passengers goes up.
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SITA report sees technology improving bag handling numbers
Airlines continue to improve their handling of checked bags, getting more bags to the right destination on time even as the number of airline passengers grows each year.
That was the key finding in SITA’s 2019 Baggage IT Insights report, released April 24. More bags are being checked in, but mishandled rates are remaining stable, showing the impact of improved bag-tracking throughout the passenger journey.
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ANALYSIS: 737 Max grounding costs Boeing $1 billion
Boeing is pulling its fiscal 2019 guidance and pausing share buybacks to save cash amid a dip in its first-quarter revenue, the worldwide grounding of the 737 Max and scrutiny of its safety processes.
The manufacturer generated $22.9 billion in revenue during the first quarter ending on 31 March, down 2% year-on-year as Boeing delivered 50 fewer 737 aircraft during the quarter than originally planned.
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P&W’s production capacity too pinched for further rate increases
Pratt & Whitney’s production capacity remains too tight to further boost geared turbofan output should demand for Airbus narrowbodies increase amid the Boeing 737 Max grounding, says the chief executive of P&W parent United Technologies.
“There are a lot of constraints out there,” UTC CEO Greg Hayes says during an earnings call on 23 April. “Additional capacity, it’s tough.”
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PICTURE: Airbus Helicopters delivers first H215 for China market
Airbus Helicopters has delivered an H215 to China’s State Grid General Aviation Company (SGGAC), the type’s first operator in the country.
SGGAC will use the helicopter to support construction and maintenance along high voltage power lines, says Airbus Helicopters.
LinkAirlines
PICTURE: United unveils blue take on globe livery
United Airlines has unveiled an updated version of its globe livery, the latest in a larger transformation of its product and services.
The livery, unveiled on a Boeing 737-800 in a ceremony at the carrier's Chicago base, features a white fuselage with a sans-serif "UNITED" emblazoned in blue over and above the window line. A blue swoosh, a design concept first introduced on the Boeing 787 in 2012, separates the white from a grey belly, and the tail features a blue-and-white version of the globe.
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Finnair posts 1Q net loss on excess A350 capacity
Finnair posted a €38.8 million ($43.6 million) net loss for the first quarter (1Q), marking a sharp decline from the record €13.4 million net profit it delivered in 1Q 2018, partly driven by excess capacity from the airline’s incoming Airbus A350 fleet.
During the three months ended March 31, Finnair’s passenger numbers rose 4.3% year-over-year to a record 3.1 million, growing revenue 5% to €672.9 million.
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Hawaiian’s 1Q net income up 27% despite revenue drop
Hawaiian Airlines reported a net income increase of 27% to $36.4 million in the first quarter compared to $28.5 million in the year-ago period, despite slightly lower operating revenue. Operating revenue for the quarter was $656.8 million—down 1.3% year-over-year (YOY) from $665.4 million. The income gain “reflects a solid start to 2019. ... Relative to the expectations we provided at the beginning of the period, we came in right in line—if not at the better end—in ...
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SAS pilots threaten strike after negotiations collapse
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) pilots threatened to go on strike after labor negotiations with the airline collapsed. Without a last-minute agreement, a strike could begin April 26.
The SAS Pilot Group called for the action after it said the two sides could not reach an agreement on predictable working hours and market-based salaries.
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Source: Malaysia Airlines issues RFPs for 30-40 regional jets
Malaysia Airlines issued RFPs in April to Airbus and Embraer for the acquisition of 30 to 40 regional aircraft as its looks to solidify routes within Southeast Asia, according to a source familiar with the carrier. Airline and Embraer representatives have met twice in the last two months, the source said. “Malaysia Airlines is currently evaluating several options for its future fleet plan,” the airline told ATW.
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SR Technics upgrades Virgin Atlantic A330-200 cabins
Swiss maintenance provider SR Technics has reconfigured the cabins of four Airbus A330-200s for Virgin Atlantic.
The project included installation of business and economy seats, in-flight entertainment equipment and a customised trolley stowage unit on each aircraft, says SR Technics.
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Air Italy to suspend three transatlantic routes over the winter
Air Italy will stop flying to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Toronto this winter in favour of serving what it terms "counter-seasonal" destinations: the Maldives, Mombasa, Tenerife and Zanzibar.
The carrier will continue to operate its transatlantic services to Miami and New York from Milan Malpensa.
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Atlantic Airways to serve New York from autumn
Faroese carrier Atlantic Airways is aiming to commence a seasonal transatlantic service to New York in the autumn of this year.
The airline had previous indicated ambitions to serve the US gateway.
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Two Cathay pilots suffer vision impairment during flights
In what Hong Kong’s aviation incident authority classified as “serious incidents”, two Cathay Pacific pilots suffered a loss of eyesight on two different flights a month apart.
Their co-pilots, both first officers, had to take control and subsequently landed the aircraft safely, says Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority says in a media statement.
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Cathay Pacific to increase seasonal Christchurch flights
Cathay Pacific will raise its seasonal Hong Kong-Christchurch service from thrice-weekly to four-times weekly, when the carrier resumes the route later this year.
Christchurch airport says the carrier will also commence the seasonal flights one month earlier, from November to February, instead of December to February it operated in the previous season.
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PICTURES: ANA reveals new A380 interior
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has revealed the cabin for its new Airbus A380, which will operate exclusively on the Japan-Hawaii route.
ANA’s three A380s will have 520 seats. The four class configuration includes 383 economy class seats on the main deck. The upper deck will have 137 seats with eight in first class, 56 in business, and 73 in premium economy.
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Biman resumes Dhaka-Delhi flights
Biman Bangladesh Airlines plans to resume Dhaka Delhi flights on 13 May, after a previous suspension.
The route will be operated thrice weekly using Boeing 737-800, says the airline.
Cirium schedules data shows that Biman will be the sole operator on the route.
LinkAirports
Salzburg Airport closes for five weeks for runway renovation
Austria’s Salzburg Airport shut down operations for five weeks beginning April 24 to renovate its 59-year-old runway. Aircraft operations are scheduled to resume May 28.
The runway work is part of a €60 million ($67.4 million) project, including water drainage,
“Over the past years, the runway had to be partly renovated over and over again, causing enormous costs. In 2015 we started with preparation works for the general refurbishment of the runway,” the airport said.
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One millionth passenger usés self service bag drop at BHX
Birmingham Airport (BHX) today welcomed the one millionth passenger to use its automated self-service bag drop technology since it was officially launched across the airport in January 2018.
Designed to reduce passenger check in times, the self-service bag drop (SSBD) technology allows passengers to print bag tags and boarding passes and inject their bag into the baggage system using a simple, customer friendly user interface.
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Airports are showing the world how smart gets done
The day after Edmund Hillary (not yet knighted) and Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953, the morning’s headline read, 'Hillary on Everest', writes Sam Kamel.
Despite Norgay’s critical role as the expedition’s lead sherpa, the British press had positioned him as 'second-fiddle' to Hilary.
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San Francisco International Airport invests in new fleet of electric buses
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has purchased six electric buses and three 60kw plug-in chargers, joining a growing list of airports across North Americat transitioning to electric buses for airport ground transportation.
The new battery-electric bus fleet, manufactured by Proterra, will reduce Bay Area emissions and support SFO's goal of carbon neutrality by 2021 while cutting its bus operating costs.
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Increased flight coverage at Helsinki as three new airlines start operations
Finavia is expanding the selection of flight routes available at its airports through the introduction of three new airlines during the summer of 2019.
It has been confirmed that Air Serbia, Tibet Airlines and Juneyao Air will start operations at Helsinki Airport in 2019.
LinkMilitary
Boeing Defense backlog hits $67bn on surveillance aircraft orders
Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s revenue in the first quarter of 2019 increase 2% to $6.6 billion year on year due to higher sales volume of satellites, weapons and surveillance aircraft.
The company’s first quarter profit increased 12.8% to $847 million.
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US Army awards five FARA prototype contracts
The US Army awarded five competitors contracts to design, build and test Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) prototypes.
The five teams who received Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contracts for the service’s scout rotorcraft programme are: AVX Aircraft, who is partnered with L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, Bell, Boeing, Karem Aircraft and Sikorsky.
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Aviation Quote
Up there the world is divided into bastards and suckers. Make your choice.
- Derek Robinson, Piece of Cake, 1983.
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Aircraft Names
Designation Provided, you provide the name…
1. XB-70
2. F-89
3. B-25
4. B-26
5. B-45
6. F-51
7. F-86
8. C-119
9. C-123
10. TBD
