NewsUS NTSB Orders Scans Of Boeing 787 BatteriesThe lithium-ion batteries used in Boeing's 787 Dreamliner are to be x-ray scanned to help investigators determine what caused them to overheat and in one case catch fire. The scans, scheduled to start this week, are not expected to delay the resumption of passenger flights on the high-tech jet. Airlines are phasing the 787 back into schedules over the next six weeks after the failure of two batteries grounded the fleet in January. The National Transportation Safety Board has hired a Maryland contractor to work weekends to scan up to six batteries in an effort to "avoid potential future accidents involving this type of aircraft battery," the agency said. The batteries have not been installed in aircraft and must be shipped to the company as hazardous materials.
LinkPaint Job But No Party For Airbus A350Airbus has started painting the A350, a sign it is approaching its first flight, but has bowed to the industry's increasingly pragmatic mood by deciding against a traditional rollout for its newest jet. Eight years after the spectacular launch of the A380 superjumbo, the A350 will prepare to leave the nest with less fanfare in an industry sobered by delays and technical issues. The first coat of paint in Airbus livery should be ready on the A350 next week, people familiar with the project say. After that, the high-tech carbon-composite jet will be dressed ready for the first flight, which most industry sources expect in late June or early July.
LinkArrests Made Over Brussels Airport Diamond HeistCoordinated police raids in Belgium, France and Switzerland have seen 31 people arrested in connection with a USD$50 million Brussels Airport diamond robbery. Belgian prosecutors say that the arrests had recovered part of the haul of diamonds taken in the heist at Brussels Airport in February. In the robbery a gang cut through the airport’s perimeter fence and broke into the cargo hold of a Swiss plane waiting to take off. The raid conducted by robbers who prosecutors described as "professionals" netted rough stones being transported from Antwerp to Zurich.
LinkVolcanic Ash Suspends Flights At Mexican AirportFlights to and from Puebla airport, southeast of Mexico City, were halted on Wednesday morning as ash from the nearby Popocatepetl volcano covered the runway, a state government official said. "It'll be closed until further notice," said Irving Gonzalez, a spokesman from the state government. The 5,450 meter {17,900 foot) Popocatepetl, which lies about 80 km (50 miles) southeast of the capital, closed Puebla airport in May last year when it spewed an ash cloud.
LinkCFM aims for smooth Leap into service Design freeze of the CFM Leap-1B for the Boeing 737 Max means that all three versions of the single-aisle powerplant have formally entered the assembly stage. CFM's latest schedule indicates that 12 Leap-1B test engines will form part of the development programme, complementing 13 Leap-1As for the Airbus A320neo and three Leap-1Cs. Testing of the -1C, for Comac's C919, will benefit from -1A commonality. Over the next six months the manufacturer will release detailed engineering schematics which will allow the production of components in time for the first full -1B for testing to emerge in mid-2014. It will be the exclusive powerplant for the 737 Max which enters service in 2017. Flight testing will begin in 2015 ahead of certification in 2016.
LinkEglin AFB receives its first Block 2A F-35 The US Air Force's 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida, received its first Block 2A configuration Lockheed Martin F-35A on 6 May. Another similarly configured aircraft is scheduled to arrive at the base later in the month. This aircraft called, AF-25, is equipped with an initial version of the Block 2A configuration, but Eglin AFB will receive aircraft with a more advanced version of the software package later in the year, says Lt Col Lee Kloos, commander of the wing's 58th Fighter Squadron.
LinkUS Airways looks at refinancing optionsUS Airways Group is looking to refinance $1.6 billion in debt through two separate term loans, sources said. The banks arranging the loans include Citigroup, Barclays, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group.
LinkDelta Air Lines to pay quarterly dividendDelta Air Lines announced the carrier will pay a quarterly dividend to shareholders starting on Sept. 10. The last time the carrier paid a dividend was in 2003. Delta also plans to buy back $500 million in stock over the next three years.
LinkDelta To Return USD$1 Bln To ShareholdersDelta Air Lines plans to return USD$1 billion to shareholders over the next three years, starting with its first dividend in a decade and a USD$500 million share buyback scheme, the company said on Wednesday. The initiatives are part of a five-year plan that seeks to generate USD$5 billion in value for investors, the carrier said in a statement. The move shows that airlines, which weathered a tough decade after the September 11, 2001, attacks, have gained more solid financial footing and are now focusing on improving their investment potential. "With the Delta announcement here, it's going to signal that the industry has indeed changed," said Chris Terry, an analyst with Hodges Capital Management in Dallas. "Profitability seems sustainable, and I think it's just going to open up the industry to more investors."
LinkSouthwest, United report April traffic numbersSouthwest Airlines reported a 1.5% increase in passenger traffic in April on a year-over-year basis. The carrier also boosted capacity by 4.1% for the month. Meanwhile, United Continental Holdings' consolidated traffic dropped by 3.8% in April, compared with the same month last year.
Link2 unions compete to represent US Airways mechanicsTwo unions are vying to represent mechanics at US Airways ahead of the carrier's proposed merger with American Airlines. The Teamsters are trying to replace the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which currently represents mechanics at US Airways.
LinkFAA considers paying furloughed air traffic controllersThe Federal Aviation Administration could pay air traffic controllers who were forced to take unpaid leave for a furlough day. "The FAA is still reviewing its options for guidance to employees who were furloughed for one day," spokeswoman Laura J. Brown said. The agency also could allow employees to substitute one day of paid leave for the furlough day.
LinkEasyJet tests detection technologyEasyJet is testing its volcanic ash detection technology, known as AVOID. "The threat from Icelandic volcanoes continues and so finalising the approval of the AVOID technology is as crucial now as ever to ensure we never again see the scenes of spring 2010 when all flying ceased for several days," said Ian Davies, easyJet's engineering director.
LinkU.S. citizens can enter country with kiosk at O'HareU.S. passport holders flying into Chicago O'Hare International Airport will be able to enter the country through an automated kiosk. The airport is the first U.S. airport to feature the Automated Passport Control computer program from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
LinkAverage airfares dropped in Q4 by 0.2%Average domestic airfares in the U.S. dropped by 0.2% to $374 in the fourth quarter, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. When adjusted for inflation, airfares have dropped 13.1% since 1995.
LinkBig Data analysts craft new algorithm for flight arrivalsAlaska Airlines and General Electric sponsored a contest to come up with an algorithm to better predict flight arrival times. A team of analysts at the Institute for Infocomm Research in Singapore took home the $100,000 prize for its work.
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