NewsCommercial
Boeing could further increase production of 737, exec says
Ray Conner, CEO of commercial airplanes at Boeing, said the aircraft manufacturer may ramp up production of its 737. "There's incredible pressure to go higher," Conner said. Boeing produces 737s at a rate of 42 per month, and plans to increase production to 47 per month in 2017.
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Ceasefire could allow MH17 team to return to crash site
Ukraine’s deputy prime minister says the ceasefire with the separatist movement could permit further detailed investigation of the crashed Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777’s wreckage. Vladimir Groisman, who heads the Ukrainian side’s inquiry commission, spoke as the Dutch Safety Board released its initial findings into the 17 July loss of flight MH17. He said the ceasefire provides an “opportunity” to revisit the site at Hrabove in eastern Ukraine.
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Inquiry confirms MH17 was flying offset from airway
Dutch investigators have confirmed that Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 had been flying an offset course from its airway before the Boeing 777 broke up after sustaining multiple high-energy impacts. The crew had requested to fly 20nm (37km) to the left of airway L980 about 20min before the loss of the aircraft. It has previously been reported that surveillance data had indicated evidence of a possible deviation due to weather as the aircraft passed Dnipropetrovsk. The Dutch Safety Board has also disclosed that, a few minutes before, the crew of MH17 initially declined to climb from 33,000ft to the aircraft’s planned cruising altitude of 35,000ft. Dnipropetrovsk area control centre had inquired whether MH17 could execute the climb, in order to avoid a traffic conflict with another 777 which was approach from behind at the same altitude.
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NTSB Blames Pilot Errors, Fatigue For 2013 UPS Crash
The fatal crash of a United Parcel Service cargo plane at an Alabama airport last year resulted from pilot errors that caused it to clip trees and hit the ground just short of the runway, the NTSB said on Tuesday. Pilot fatigue also appeared to be a factor in the early morning crash, the National Transportation Safety Board said, noting that both pilots discussed tiredness in the cockpit before the crash. UPS disagreed with that part of the agency's findings, saying the two pilots had ample time to rest. Numerous issues contributed to the crash, NTSB acting Chairman Christopher Hart said at a hearing. "But ultimately... this airplane was on an unstabilised approach." The Airbus A300-600 crashed less than a mile short of the runway at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport on August 14, 2013, at about 5 am, killing both people on board, pilot Cerea Beal, 58, and copilot Shanda Fanning, 37.
LinkAirlines
Air France-KLM To Invest EUR€1 Bln Into Low-Cost
Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM plans to invest EUR€1 billion (USD$1.3 billion) in growing its Transavia low-cost unit in Europe. The plan will create up to 250 new pilot jobs by 2019 and grow Transavia's fleet to over 100 aircraft, chief executive Alexandre de Juniac was quoted as telling French daily Les Echos. A spokesman for Air France-KLM confirmed the report. Europe's second-largest traditional carrier by revenue said last week its board had approved a plan to open new bases under the Transavia brand in Europe in a bid to recapture market share from both low-cost carriers and fast-growing Middle East rivals.
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China Eastern unveils new logo
China Eastern Airlines has unveiled a new logo, its first change in over 30 years. The new design retains the distinctive swallow image as well as the red and blue colours on the carrier’s original logo. The airline says it will introduce a new livery with the re-designed logo painted on the tail fin of its incoming Boeing 777-300ER this month. The fuselage of the new aircraft will be painted white, without the red and blue lines that span the aircraft's length now.
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Frontier rolls out new livery in Denver
Frontier Airlines has unveiled a new livery as part of its ongoing effort to redefine itself as an ultra-low-cost carrier. The new look “pays homage” to the Denver-based carrier's history by including aspects of the brand that date to the 1950s, when it operated Douglas DC-3 aircraft, it says in an announcement today. The new livery still includes the entire word “Frontier” on the side of the aircraft and various animals will still adorn the aircrafts’ tails. Frontier is debuting the new livery during an event at its hanger at the Denver International airport.
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JetBlue to receive boost from A321s
JetBlue Airways is adding Airbus A321s to its fleet, which analysts say will help boost efficiency and cost savings. The Trefis Team writes that the cost savings will help keep airfares low. "Higher passenger traffic driven by these lower fares will help JetBlue to continue to grow its market share, revenues and profits," the team writes.
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Jiuyuan Airlines takes first two 737s
Chinese low-cost start-up Jiuyuan Airlines has taken delivery of its first two aircraft, as it gears towards launching operations. The Juneyao Airlines’ subsidiary took delivery of its first Boeing 737-800, registered B-1715 on 30 August. Its second 737, registered B-1719, landed at Guangzhou Baiyun International airport on 9 September.
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Lufthansa Pilots To Strike In Munich On Wednesday
Lufthansa pilots will hold an eight-hour strike at Munich airport on Wednesday, the Vereinigung Cockpit union said on Tuesday, the third strike by the German airline's pilots in two weeks. The pilots are seeking to increase the pressure on Lufthansa in negotiations over an early retirement scheme. They held a strike at its budget carrier Germanwings at the end of August, followed by a walkout at Frankfurt last week.
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Lufthansa To Make Striking Pilots An Offer
Lufthansa said it would offer pilots more definite details of an early-retirement package as it seeks to avert further costly strikes after three walkouts in the space of two weeks. "We want to provide the pilots with a more concrete offer, which we will work on over the next few days," Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr told reporters. "This offer will be communicated at the start of next week." Earlier on Tuesday, Lufthansa said it was canceling 110 Munich flights on Wednesday, affecting thousands of passengers, after pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit called for a third strike at the airline in two weeks.
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Southwest: We have improved on-time arrivals
Southwest Airlines has taken steps to address a drop in on-time arrivals, recently reaching an on-time rate of around 84%. "We're not going to stop tweaking the schedule, tweaking our operation, getting better at turning airplanes," said Greg Wells, senior vice president of operational performance for the carrier.
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United passenger traffic remained stable in August
United Airlines reported a 0.1% increase in passenger traffic for August on a year-over-year basis. United also reported a load factor of 87.3% for the month, compared to 87.4% in the same month of last year.
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US Airways, American to integrate ticket counter at Chicago O'Hare
The merger of American Airlines and US Airways will be more visible to Chicagoans next week when US Airways customers will begin checking in at the American Airlines lobby in Terminal 3 at Chicago O’Hare airport. The change will happen on Tuesday, Sept. 16, a spokeswoman said. The merger between the airlines last December created the world’s largest airline, and they are continuing to integrate.
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Airlines upgrade amenities to attract premium passengers
Airlines are continuing to improve the flight experience for premium passengers, offering posh seating, amenity kits and specially created meals.
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Unruly passengers incidents dropped this year
In the U.S., unruly passenger incidents are on the decline, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration. Last year, when airlines carried 826 million passengers in the country, there were 167 reports of unruly passengers, the agency says. That is down from 211 the previous year, and 330 in 2004. "For the most part, people are really well behaved on airplanes," said Temple Grandin, a professor at Colorado State University.
LinkMilitary
Fix found for F-16 longeron cracks
The US Air Force and Lockheed Martin have identified a fix for fatigue cracks found in more than 80 of its two-seated F-16D fighter jets. The air force in August grounded a portion of the 969-aircraft fleet when an immediate time action compliance technical order (TCTO) found structural cracks in the canopy sill longerons between the front and rear pilot seats. The cracks were found exclusively in the F-16D variant, of which 82 were eventually grounded until repairs could be made. The anticipated permanent repair will involve installing a strap over the cracked longeron, rather than replacing them, according to Sue Murphy, a spokeswoman for Air Force Materiel Command.
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Turkey receives penultimate AEW&C 737
The Turkish air force has received its penultimate 737-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system aircraft from Boeing, following its conversion by in-country partner Turkish Aerospace Industries. Boeing says the third aircraft to have been delivered via Ankara’s Peace Eagle programme was delivered “on schedule” on 4 September at the air force’s Konya air base. The company is due to deliver its fourth and last example in 2015, it says.
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US Navy already looking beyond carrier-based F-35
More than four years before the aircraft is scheduled to enter service, the US Navy already is considering modifying the Lockheed Martin F-35C to perform future missions beyond 2030. Navy officials announced on 9 September that an analysis of alternatives (AoA) for the FA-XX aircraft would begin in calendar year 2015 and will consider modifying both the F-35C and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, as well as building a new aircraft to fulfil the requirement. In the meantime, the Navy will host a series of technical interchange meetings (TIMs) with contractors “for the purposes of trade space refinement as a precursor” to the AoA.More than four years before the aircraft is scheduled to enter service, the US Navy already is considering modifying the Lockheed Martin F-35C to perform future missions beyond 2030. Navy officials announced on 9 September that an analysis of alternatives (AoA) for the FA-XX aircraft would begin in calendar year 2015 and will consider modifying both the F-35C and the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, as well as building a new aircraft to fulfil the requirement. In the meantime, the Navy will host a series of technical interchange meetings (TIMs) with contractors “for the purposes of trade space refinement as a precursor” to the AoA.
LinkCorporate
Cessna Citation X+ is faster and more pleasurable to fly
Flying magazine editor in chief Robert Goyer writes about flying Cessna Aircraft's new Citation X+. The airplane is a completely new design, not a makeover of the former model, he writes. The clean and well-set-up cockpit features a Garmin G5000 avionics and is certified to fly up to Mach 0.935. "Slow to fast, the control feel is very consistent," writes Goyer. "It's a very pleasing airplane to hand-fly."
LinkGeneral Aviation
FAA selects 4 unleaded fuels for testing
The Federal Aviation Administration has selected four unleaded aviation fuels to undergo initial testing at the agency's William J. Hughes Technical Center. Two fuels developed by Swift Fuels and one fuel each developed by Shell and TOTAL will undergo laboratory and rig testing beginning this fall and concluding in fall 2015.
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Aviation Quote
This is a nasty, rotten business.
— Robert L. Crandall, CEO & President of American Airlines.
On This Date
---In 1956…First flight of the North American XF-107A Ultra Saber.
---In 1981…British Airways CEO Roy Watts announces a financial crisis for the airline. He states that the company is losing £UK 200 per minute.
---In 1993... Boeing finishes production of their 1,000th 747 airplane, 26 years after the 747 program was launched.
Daily Video
Editor’s Choice
Humor
St. Peter
So... this old pilot dies and is met at the pearly gates by St. Peter.
"OH! I see you were a pilot", says St. Peter... "Follow me."
St. Peter takes the pilot to a beautiful celestial airport with perfect smooth runways of all descriptions and hangar after hangar filled with the most wonderful aircraft ever made.
"The keys are in them, fly anything you want. Fuel is no issue, they don't ever run out".
Then he takes him over to a classy little joint at the FBO and brings him inside. There's a buffet with all the best food and a fully stocked open bar with nothing but top shelf liquor. Sitting around the tables are some of the finest pilots that ever lived. St. Peter introduces him to a few and sits down to have a drink with him.
"Man! This really is heaven?" says the pilot, "Certainly not what I was expecting, this is wonderful!"
St. Peter just smiles and nods and pours him another drink. After sitting and drinking and reveling in it all for awhile, the pilot recognizes an old familiar sensation. Tentatively he asks, "Uhm, St. Peter? Uh... I sure wasn't expecting this with this here brand new heavenly body, but I do believe I need to go find a rest room to uh... go relieve myself. I don't see any of the usual signs on doors, where should I go?"
"Oh, no problem", says St. Peter, "Just follow me".
St. Peter takes him out back and shows him to the edge of a little hole in a cloud.
"Just go right there".
The pilot walks over to the edge of the hole in the cloud and looks down over the edge.
"Uh, St. Peter? There appears to be some people down there... "
"Oh that's OK", says the wise old Saint, "They're all from the FAA"
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