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Flawed analysis, failed oversight: How Boeing, FAA certified the suspect 737 MAX flight control system
Federal Aviation Administration managers pushed its engineers to delegate wide responsibility for assessing the safety of the 737 MAX to Boeing itself. But safety engineers familiar with the documents shared details that show the analysis included crucial flaws.
As Boeing hustled in 2015 to catch up to Airbus and certify its new 737 MAX, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) managers pushed the agency’s safety engineers to delegate safety assessments to Boeing itself, and to speedily approve the resulting analysis.
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DOT investigating FAA certification of 737 MAX
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) is investigating FAA’s certification process for Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft, adding to mounting pressure on the agency and the manufacturer following the March 10 crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302.
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EASA to analyze Boeing software changes before MAX flies again in Europe
The Boeing 737 MAX will not fly again in Europe until the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) completes an in-depth analysis of the software changes Boeing is developing for the aircraft, according to EASA executive director Patrick Ky. During a hearing before the European Parliament, organized by the Committee on Transport and Tourism, Ky promised EASA will not just rely on assessments made by FAA in the US.
LinkAirlines
Unluckiest Airline Ever? Norwegian Air Has Had Non Stop Problems With Boeing Aircraft
Norwegian Air hasn’t had an awful lot of luck lately. The airline operates a fleet of Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. As such, there have been a number of problems with Boeing aircraft as of late which have seen their aircraft stuck on the ground.
Having aircraft sitting on the ground is not good, especially for Norwegian. When aircraft are sitting on the ground, they are not making money. While this is never good, it is doubly so for Norwegian as the airline is coping with its own financial issues.
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British Airways unveils new business-class cabin
British Airways (BA) has provided the first glimpse of its new Club World long-haul business-class cabin as it prepares for a public unveiling at London Heathrow Airport March 19.
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EasyJet withdraws from Alitalia investment talks
UK LCC easyJet has taken itself out of the running to invest in Alitalia—the latest twist in the long-running rescue process for the bankrupt Italian carrier.
Following talks with Delta Air Lines and Italian railway company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) Italiane about forming a consortium to jointly invest in Alitalia, “easyJet has taken the decision to withdraw from the process,” the carrier said in a March 18 statement.
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Air Belgium cancels plan to resume Charleroi-Hong Kong service
Air Belgium said it would not be resuming scheduled flights from Brussels Charleroi Airport to Hong Kong by March 31 as expected, in a setback to the startup airline’s expansion plans, which also include offering flights to mainland China.
“A painful decision, but reasonable given the current market conditions,” the airline said in a March 14 statement. “However, Air Belgium will carry on with its development projects to China and to the Americas.”
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IATA WCS19: Cathay Pacific joins Pharma.Aero
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways has joined the pharmaceutical-shipper collaboration, Pharma.Aero. The announcement was made at the IATA World Cargo Symposium (WCS) 2019 held in Singapore March 14.
According to Cathay Pacific, the agreement was signed in early 2019.
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Intro Aviation to acquire majority stake in TUI’s Corsair
German tourism specialist TUI Group has agreed to sell a 53% stake in French long-haul carrier Corsair to German investor Intro Aviation for an undisclosed sum.
Intro will acquire the majority stake “as a first step,” TUI said March 18.
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Jet Airways grounds more aircraft as restructuring talks continue
India’s Jet Airways has grounded more aircraft because of lease payment defaults, as the carrier remains in financial limbo awaiting a restructuring deal.
The airline issued another update on its grounded aircraft total, its 11th such update since early February. It added four more to the total, which is now more than 40.
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Southwest Airlines, mechanics agree on tentative labor contract
Southwest Airlines and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) have agreed to terms on a new contract that, if ratified by mechanics, would end more than six years of often-contentious talks. The Agreement in Principle (AIP), reached March 16 after a week-long round of negotiations, includes a 20% raise for mechanics effective April 1, and 3% base-rate bumps annually from 2019 through 2023.
LinkAirports
Court gives final approval for third runway at Vienna Airport
Austria’s Supreme Administrative Court has granted permission for Vienna Airport to add a third runway.
The airport, which has been considering a third runway since 1999, will now analyze the court decision and provide information about the next steps soon, airport operator Flughafen Wien AG said.
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France moves closer toward Paris airports privatization
The French parliament has approved a law governing the plan to reduce the state’s majority stake in Groupe ADP, bringing privatization of the Paris airports operator a step closer.
The privatization of Groupe ADP, which operates Paris’ Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Le Bourget airports, and holds stakes in other airports around the world, is a key part of French president Emmanuel Macron’s plans to reduce national debt.
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LAX reveals new retail opportunities for midfield satellite concourse
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Airports claim to be taking an innovative, inclusive approach to the Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP) for the 750,000-square-foot Midfield Satellite Concourse at LAX – slated to open to the public in 2020.
The CEP will be open for 27 dining, retail and amenity opportunities in the new concourse, encompassing 28,000 square feet of dining and retail space.
LinkMilitary
Serbia to acquire H215 helicopters
Serbia intends to acquire three Airbus Helicopters H215 heavy-twins for operation by its interior ministry.
Deliveries will begin in 2021, running until the following year, says interior minister Nebojsa Stefanovic.
Belgrade has existing commitments for nine H145M light-twins, split between its air force (five) and interior ministry (four); an initial aircraft was handed over in December.
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OPINION: The F-15's unlikely renaissance
Not too long ago, the Boeing F-15's days looked numbered.
First flown in 1972 - back when the Vietnam War was still raging and President Nixon remained in office - the "Eagle" had lately seemed too old, too last-century, to compete for sales against modern counterparts, notably the Lockheed Martin F-35.
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Australia to obtain four G550s equipped for EW mission
Canberra will obtain four modified Gulfstream G550 business jets that will be modified for the electronic warfare (EW) mission in the USA.
The aircraft will be designated the MC-55A Peregrine, says a joint statement from Australia’s defence minister and the country’s minister for defence industry. The deal is worth A$2.46 billion ($1.7 billion).
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Aviation Quote
The Air Corps . . . does not, at this time, feel justified in obligating . . . funds for basic jet propulsion research and experimentation.
- Brigadier General George H. Brett, Chief of Material, U.S. Army Air Corps. Letter to Professor Robert Goddard regards the rejection of rocket research proposals. 1941.
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Trivia
General Trivia
1. A British pilot holds the world record for having flown the most different types of aircraft, 487. He also holds the world record for having made the greatest number of carrier landings, 2,407. Unfortunately, not enough pilots know this remarkable pilot's name. What is it?
2. A pilot knows the maximum cruise speed and climb performance of his airplane when flown at maximum gross weight. He is curious to know, however , how this performance could be affected if the gross weight by 25 percent. How can her determine this during flight without actually overloading the airplane?
3. What is the largest, heaviest, most-powerful, piston-engined airplane ever produced?
4. A pilot over the 48 conterminous states flies along a parallel of latitude until he reaches his destination, which is 10degrees of longitude east of his departure point. If the time of sunset at the departure airport is 0020 UTC, what is the time of sunset at the destination airport?
5. True or False, each of two major US airlines have had well-publicized, major accidents involving the same type of airliner on the same day?
6. A most inspiring radio report was transmitted by a World War 2liaison pilot on 23 FEB 45. He transmitted matter-of-factly, "Target Area One Two Three Peter. One flag. Red, white and blue." Where was this target area?
