NewsCommercial
Boeing system triggered repeatedly in Ethiopian crash: sources
SEATTLE/PARIS/ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Boeing anti-stall software repeatedly forced down the nose of a doomed Ethiopian jet after pilots had turned it off, sources told Reuters, as investigators scrutinize the role played by technology and crew in the fatal March 10 crash.
A preliminary Ethiopian report into the disaster is due to be published within days and may include evidence the software system kicked in as many as four times before the 737 MAX dived into the ground, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
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TSA urged to improve officer hiring, training
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) could boost retention and morale of its 34,200 entry-level officers by making key changes in hiring and training efforts, according to an audit by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG).
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AIX Hamburg 2019: Honeywell ready to move data expertise to airliners
Honeywell is seeking to translate its experience of high-speed inflight Wi-Fi in the business aviation market into the airline sector, as carriers seek more uses for the greater connectivity now available from the new generation of satellites.
Honeywell launched its JetWave high-speed satellite communications hardware around two years ago and it has become the most successful launch of such a system in the market, according to Honeywell VP & GM-software and services John Peterson.
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AIX Hamburg 2019: Full Atmosphère cabin unlikely in early CRJ550s
Bombardier is prepared to offer the full Atmosphère cabin for new-build aircraft of its recently announced CRJ550 regional jet, a senior executive said April 3, but because initial examples of the new model are conversions from existing CRJ700s, most users are likely to shy away for cost reasons.
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AIX Hamburg 2019: Airbus continues to promote lower-deck cabin module
Airbus has yet to find a customer for its lower-deck cabin module, but promoters have clearer ideas on how to market and certify it.
The “lower-deck passenger experience module,” designed as extra space passengers may book for part of the flight, would better sell as a sleeping area, Airbus VP-cabin marketing Ingo Wuggetzer said.
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US Senate to investigate certification of FAA safety inspectors
Federal lawmakers in the US are examining training standards of FAA Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI) who may have participated in the development of Boeing’s 737 MAX 8, adding to the overlapping list of federal and congressional probes into the jetliner’s development and certification.
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Report that crashed 737 crew shut off MCAS raises new questions
A report that pilots of the crashed Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max followed procedures that Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration said would address a software issue has raised new questions about circumstances that preceded the deadly crash.
The 3 April report in the Wall Street Journal, which cites unnamed sources, has led to questions about other factors that might have played a role.
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Piper launches 'value-priced' training aircraft
Piper has launched a pair of "value-priced" entry-level trainers, which are designed to plug a gap in the market from the growing training school sector for aircraft with "optimal acquisition and operating costs and economics".
The Pilot 100 and 100i are trimmed-down derivatives of the PA-28 Archer TX and feature a 180hp Continental Prime IO-370-D3A piston engine and Garmin G3X Touch Certified avionics.
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AIX: SKYDeals reinvents in flight shopping
Inflight Shoppertainment really has taken off since SKYDeals demonstrated the concept at AIX 18. The idea of making shopping entertaining and fun for passengers has been adopted by Air France, SKYDeals’ chief executive officer Julien Sivan reports.
“In January this year, Air France launched the product on long-haul flight and has since introduced it on medium- and short-haul sectors,” Sivan says. “It has been interesting to watch the passengers’ responses to it.
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AIX: LED light technology to purify water on airliners
Improving water quality on board aircraft and managing its storage to avoid excessive weight is the mission of Canadian specialist International Water Guard.
The company, based near Vancouver, produces UV light systems that sterilise water on board business jets, ensuring that the water from the aircraft’s taps is potable.
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AIX: Gentex to supply third-generation dimmable windows
In the future, it’s is going to be much, much darker – at least inside the cabin of some Boeing 777Xs. Gentex, the supplier of the electrochemically dimmable windows (EDWs) for the 787, is going to supply Boeing with a third-generation of its light-to-dark glass, which gets far darker – and transitions far quicker – than the earlier versions used on the aircraft.
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AIX: Avio Interiors pioneers slim seat design
Avio Interiors new ESP seats – Economy Slim Platform – were created “not by a designer, but by the specifications”. And, adds engineering advisor Gaetano Perugini, pictured, the result satisfies all eight standards in the Boeing Comfort Guidelines while exceeding the CAA’s demanding CAP 747 standards for passenger space in a 28in pitch installation.
LinkAirlines
Jet Airways continues to ground aircraft despite bailout deal
Indian airline Jet Airways is still grounding aircraft because of lease payment defaults, even though the first parts of a bailout plan have been put in place. The airline confirmed in a stock exchange filing that another 15 aircraft have been grounded as of April 2. This represents the 13th—and largest—notice of aircraft groundings that Jet has issued since early February. Adding up these filings gives a total of 65 grounded aircraft.
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Faulty 737 Max sensor from Lion Air crash is linked to a Florida repair shop
A faulty sensor on a Lion Air 737 Max that’s been linked to the jetliner’s deadly crash in October and a harrowing ride the previous day was repaired in a U.S. aircraft maintenance facility before the tragedy, according to investigative documents.
Accident investigators in Indonesia, home of Lion Air, and the U.S., where Boeing Co., the plane’s manufacturer, is based, have been examining the work that a Florida repair shop previously performed on the so-called angle-of-attack sensor, according to briefing documents prepared for Indonesia’s parliament.
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Adria Airways deal for 15 SSJ100s collapses
Slovenian flag carrier Adria Airways and Russian manufacturer Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Co. (SCAC) have failed to convert the airline’s November 2018 letter of intent to acquire 15 Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) regional jets into a firm order after they were unable to reach an agreement on contract terms.
In an April 2 statement announcing the end of the arrangement, Adria said that it had been “intensively preparing for the arrival of the aircraft” and in February was advertising for flight crews for the planned SSJ100 fleet.
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Nigeria’s Air Peace orders up to 30 E195-E2s
Nigeria’s Air Peace ordered 10 Embraer E195-E2s and took purchase rights on 20 more, becoming the first E2 operator in Africa. The contract, with a list-price value of $2.12 billion, was announced April 3 at an Embraer airline seminar in Mauritius. The first aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2020. The E2s will be used to address the significant untapped demand in the African market.
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China Eastern’s 2018 net profit down 57% as capacity slows
China Eastern Airlines posted a 2018 net profit of CNY2.71 billion ($394 million), down 57.4% compared to CNY6.35 billion achieved in 2017. Total revenue for the year was CNY114 billion, up 13% year-over-year (YOY).
China Eastern’s passenger traffic (RPKs) rose 10% YOY; domestic and international RPKs were up 10.2% and 9.6%, respectively. Capacity (ASKs) grew at a slower pace of 8.3% YOY; international capacity grew 6.9% YOY. As a result, total load factor was up 1.23 points to 82.3%.
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AirBaltic 2018 net profit up 46% on revenue, traffic growth
Latvian carrier airBaltic reported a 2018 net income of €5.4 million ($6.04 million), a 46% increase from €3.7 million in 2017.
Annual revenue was up 18% to €408.7 million, compared to €347.7 million in 2017.
The Riga-based airline carried 4.1 million passengers in 2018, a 17% year-over-year (YOY) increase.
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Air Astana LCC FlyArystan set for May 1 launch
Air Astana’s new LCC FlyArystan is set to begin operations May 1 with domestic routes in Kazakhstan.
FlyArystan announced inaugural domestic routes from Almaty International Airport to Taraz and Uralsk. The carrier will begin operations with four Airbus A320s configured with 180 economy-class seats and expects to have at least 15 aircraft by 2022. The airline eventually plans to add regional international routes.
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Royal Jordanian posts 2018 loss on Royal Wings shutdown, exchange rates
Royal Jordanian reported a 2018 net loss of JD5.9 million ($8.3 million), compared to a net profit of JD274,000 in the previous year, with the shutdown of its Royal Wings subsidiary and shifts in exchange rates contributing to the weak performance, the airline said.
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Flybe fleet reduction plan includes some UK base closures
UK regional airline Flybe said it was ending jet operations at several UK airports as part of a previously announced fleet reduction plan, on the same day that it was forced to cancel dozens of flights in what it said was an unrelated issue. Flybe was taken over by Connect Airways, a consortium made up of Virgin Atlantic, Stobart Group and Cyrus Capital, earlier this year after high fuel costs, currency fluctuations and Brexit uncertainty led to financial difficulties.
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Wizz Air considers investing in future aircraft
Wizz Air CEO József Váradi said the Central and Eastern European LCC is considering investing in aircraft and is studying several options. Wizz Air is an all-Airbus operator with more than 100 leased A320-family aircraft in its inventory and 261 more scheduled to be delivered. “All the existing aircraft are on lease; however, going forward we will decide on what the market offers and whatever best suits our interest,” he said.
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Osaka-bound Jetstar 787 lost thrust in both engines
Japanese investigators are proving a loss of thrust in both engines on a Jetstar Boeing 787-8 during its approach to Osaka’s Kansai airport.
The aircraft had departed Cairns on 29 March and was descending through 4,900m (16,100ft) at around 18:50 when the starboard engine’s indicated readings became “unstable”, says the Japan Transport Safety Board.
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WTCE: WestJet takes on cruelty-free onboard image
WestJet has selected Canadian firms to supply and produce the new amenity kits that will be carried onboard its new fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, adding to the strong domestic brand image.
The airline has contracted Formia to provide the kits, which in turn has teamed with Matt & Nat for the bags and Province Apothecary for the cosmetics – both of which are Canadian brands that focus on cruelty-free manufacturing.
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AIX: KLM to install AirFi wireless IFE on 747s
KLM has selected AirFi latest-generation portable wireless IFE for its Boeing 747 fleet.
It will be AirFi's first deployment alongside installed seatback IFE screens.
Thirteen 747-400s are being fitted with the AirFi system, launch of which will occur simultaneously fleet-wide in April 2019.
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Flybe blames cancellations on pilot shortage and base rejig
UK regional operator Flybe is attributing cancellation of multiple domestic and international flights from various airports to several factors, including a shortage of pilots and restructuring of bases.
The carrier claims it is operating 95% of services.
LinkAirports
Miami debuts nonstop flight to Morocco, first to Africa in two decades
The walled cities, souks and garden courtyards of Morocco are now a non-stop flight away.
Beginning Wednesday, April 3, Royal Air Maroc will operate three weekly flights from Miami International Airport to Casablanca. (Marrakesh, Fes and Tangier require a connecting flight or train ride.)
The new service marks the first nonstop flight from Miami to the African continent since 2000.
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First phase of £1 billion transformation project at Manchester Airport opens
As the first phase of the £1 billion transformation programme at Manchester Airport, the opening of Pier One marks the beginning of big changes scheduled at the airport.
Passengers flying out of the UK’s third largest airport will now be welcomed onto a giant new pier, which connects to Terminal 2, for the first time.
LinkMilitary
US Air Force practices Lockheed Martin F-35A hot crew swap
US Air Force pilots and maintainers at Hill AFB in Utah completed the first operational hot crew swap exercise with the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II.
Also, called a “rapid” crew swap, during the operation a pilot takes off, completes his mission, lands and refuels the aircraft, while another pilot takes over the cockpit of the same fighter. The process cuts down on the number of required maintenance activities and reduces the time it takes to launch new sortie by up to 2h, says the USAF.
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USA clears India’s purchase of 25 MH-60Rs
The US State Department has cleared the sale of 24 Lockheed Martin MH-60R anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters to India.
The deal is work $2.6 billion and follows a request from New Delhi for the acquisition, says the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).
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First ROKAF F-35As arrive in South Korea
The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) has received its first pair of Lockheed Martin F-35As in South Korea.
Seoul’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) confirms that the two aircraft arrived on 29 March, landing at Cheongju air base at 14:00 local time.
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Aviation Quote
It is probable that future war will be conducted by a special class, the air force, as it was by the armored Knights of the Middle Ages.
- Brigadier General William 'Billy' Mitchell, 'Winged Defense,' 1924.
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