NewsLOT 787 Dreamliner Forced To Land In IcelandA Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by LOT had to land unexpectedly in Iceland on Sunday due to a fault in its identification system, a spokeswoman for the airline said on Sunday. The plane was flying from Toronto to Warsaw when it was forced to land at the island's Keflavik airport, at Reykjavik. "The aircraft had to land due to an air identification system fault. The Norwegian authorities have refused permission to fly over its territory, even though other countries gave permission to fly over theirs," Barbara Pijanowska-Kuras said. Boeing said the diversion resulted from an "inoperative antenna" used to transmit the plane's identification information during flight. Flight is allowed with the antenna not working, but requires air traffic controllers along the route to pre-approve the flight, Boeing said.
LinkHalf Of British Pilots Admit Falling Asleep On FlightMore than half of British airline pilots say they have fallen asleep in the cockpit, a survey said, ahead of an EU vote on flying hours which a pilots' association said could affect flight safety. According to the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA), 56 percent of 500 commercial pilots admitted to falling asleep while on the flight deck and, of those, nearly one in three said they had woken up to find their co-pilot also asleep. Pilot exhaustion grabbed the headlines this week when a newspaper reported two pilots on a British long-haul flight fell asleep in the cockpit, leaving the jet unsupervised on autopilot. The survey, released by BALPA, came ahead of a vote in the European Parliament on Monday on new rules which could replace British regulations.
LinkMore Problems For Boeing As Norwegian Demands 787 RepairsThe brochure for Boeing's aircraft repair service makes a simple assertion: "No one knows Boeing airplanes better than Boeing." Now that claim is being put to a visible test as Norwegian Air Shuttle grounded a 787 Dreamliner over the weekend. The airline demanded Boeing fix the state-of-the-art jet, saying it needs repairs after less than 30 days in service. Investment analysts say the problem involving a hydraulic pump is minor and isolated, and it is unlikely to affect Boeing's stock price, which is towering at record levels.
LinkNorwegian takes one of its 787s out of serviceLow-cost carrier Norwegian is wet-leasing an Airbus A340 after deciding to take its second Boeing 787 out of service to settle recent operational difficulties. Norwegian took delivery of its first 787 in June to operate on its new long-haul services, later adding a second of the type. But it has since faced several instances of disruption to the carrier's long-haul services which, at times, have taken both of its 787s out of service, forcing it to lease capacity from other operators.
LinkUS, Europe poised to shake up upset trainingRegulators on both sides of the Atlantic are preparing to issue rules requiring airlines to provide upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) for pilots, according to US Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency speakers at the Royal Aeronautical Society’s UPRT conference in London. The FAA will issue a final rule in October requiring airlines to develop an approved UPRT program that will be operational within five years. Subsequently, in February 2015 it will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking requiring simulator manufacturers to extend the performance of their machines to represent – more accurately than they currently do – aircraft performance and behaviour close to the edges of the flight envelope. If the NPRM is approved it will become a rule the following year. One of the problems in reaching decisions on how simulation can be used for safe upset recovery training has been the fact that, carried out badly, it can have a negative effect on pilot ability to deal with upsets correctly.
LinkCessna completes wing mate on Latitude jetCessna has completed another step in the assembly of the first mid-size Latitude business jet by mating the wing to the fuselage. Although pictures of the aircraft released by Cessna show there is still a lot of work to be done, Cessna chief executive Scott Ernest says the program remains on track to complete first flight within five months. “We’re actually going to be flying that in February,” Ernest told an audience at the kick-off reception for the Kansas Aviation Expo. “We’re on track for that.” The 22m (72ft) wingspan of the Latitude includes Cessna’s first application of winglets, albeit curved upwards only moderately at the tip.
LinkBeechcraft reveals certification plans for new 'PD434' productBeechcraft is ramping up pre-launch development of a new product internally named the “PD434”, as the manufacturer hones its market strategy in on the increasingly competitive space for turboprop-driven aircraft in a price range of $2-4 million. A Beechcraft job posting released on 3 September suggests the team behind the PD434 program is already looking ahead to the airworthiness certification process. The position, which is assigned to the King Air department, seeks to recruit a project engineer to “lead the certification efforts on PD434”, among other duties.
LinkAbu Dhabi passenger numbers up a fifth in AugustPassenger numbers at Etihad's hub of Abu Dhabi International airport grew nearly a fifth in August over the same month last year to 1.54 million. The five busiest destinations from Abu Dhabi in August were Bangkok, London, Doha, Milan and Bahrain. Cargo traffic grew almost 30% at the airport in August.
LinkMPs highlight air defence fears for independent ScotlandA UK parliamentary committee has raised serious questions about the ability of an independent Scotland to finance and field a sufficient number of advanced fighter aircraft to provide “credible” air defence for the nation. In its report, The implications of a potentially independent Scotland, the House of Commons Defence Committee notes evidence from Keith Brown MSP that the Eurofighter Typhoons operated by the Royal Air Force “would be beyond the requirements of an independent Scotland.” “Obviously we have significantly contributed to their cost but there may be more suitable ways for us to provide air cover,” he says.
LinkPentagon finalizes deal with Lockheed for 71 F-35sThe Pentagon finalized a deal on 24 September to buy 71 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from Lockheed Martin. The aircraft will be part of the sixth and seventh low rate initial production (LRIP) lots for the stealth fighters. “Lockheed Martin is extremely pleased with the LRIP 6 and 7 contract signing, which represents a significant milestone for the F-35 program and its path to enhanced affordability,” says Lorraine Martin, Lockheed’s vice-president and general manager for the F-35 program. “With each successive production lot, unit costs have declined. That’s a trend we look forward to continuing as this program moves toward full rate production and operational maturity.” The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) also issued a statement in the same release hailing the deal. “These agreements are a significant milestone for the F-35 programme, and reflect cost reduction initiatives shared by government and industry,” the JPO says.
LinkU.S. supports ICAO proposal, but not exemptionsThe U.S. backs a proposal by the International Civil Aviation Organization to lower global aviation emissions that would take effect in 2020, but it does not support exemptions for other countries for interim measures. "If such a large set of countries can get a blanket exception on market-based measures, we are concerned that this could be a slippery slope to requests for exemption on other taxes and charges, and even safety and/or security measures," said Nancy Young, vice president for environmental affairs for Airlines for America.
LinkUnited, union reach tentative deal on contractUnited Airlines and the International Association of Machinists have reached a tentative deal covering more than 28,000 workers at the carrier. The union said the agreement includes "substantial" improvements in pension benefits. The must be approved by union members before it takes effect.
LinkAnalysis: Boeing shares outperform rivalsAlthough Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has shown some growing pains, the aircraft manufacturer's stock has outperformed rivals with price appreciation of around 40% in the past six months. For the first quarter, Boeing also reported EPS diluted quarterly growth of more than 18%.
LinkWestJet in deal for 65 Boeing 737 MAX planesWestJet has signed a deal to purchase 65 Boeing 737 MAX jets: 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes and 25 737 MAX 7 planes. The deliveries would start in 2017. To date, Boeing has had orders for 1,567 737 MAX aircraft.
LinkAirbus to end work-share practice, exec says Airbus SAS said it won’t return to a previous practice of apportioning work on new programs by national ownership structure, adding to signs that the European manufacturer is emancipating itself from political meddling. Airbus first dropped the practice on its A350 wide-body jet, where the fact that France got more work so riled the German government that it continues to withhold some financial aid. Even so, the Toulouse, France-based company will continue in its new vein, said Tom Enders, the chief executive officer of Airbus parent European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co. “We broke with previous decades’ practice of work-share being assigned according to an artificial kind of national split,” Ender told journalists in Paris. “It was the first program where we looked at what is the best, most competitive supplier, and that’s certainly something we’ll insist on going forward.”
LinkFAA considers expanding use of PEDs in-flightA Federal Aviation Administration advisory panel voted to recommend expanding the use of personal electronic devices in-flight. Specifically, the panel gave its blessing for FAA regulators to consider enabling customers to use portable electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, e-readers and other electronic gadgets during takeoffs and landings. The recommendations will formally be sent to the FAA on Monday.
LinkDOJ does not want airlines to see merger analysisThe U.S. Justice Department said American Airlines and US Airways should not see documents on the agency's internal analysis of previously approved airline mergers. The carriers requested that DOJ turn over documents from four mergers it approved over the past decade.
Link 
