NewsBoeing 'confident' of returning 787 to service soon Boeing is confident that a 787 battery fix it proposed to US regulators will get the grounded aircraft back in the air soon. "We are very close... and we are very confident in the solution we are testing right now with the FAA," says Boeing chief executive James McNerney at the US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit today in Washington. "It will be sooner rather than later," he adds, saying that a test flight will take place in "several days". Boeing is expected to conduct a certification test flight of the 787 by the end of the week, after completing a functional check flight on a LOT-ordered 787 on 25 March.
LinkBoeing CEO Urges FAA To Let 787 Fly AgainBoeing chief executive Jim McNerney has urged US regulators reviewing battery problems on the grounded 787 to allow the plane back into service, saying he was confident the redesigned battery was safe. He would not specify when he expected the jet to be flying customers again other than saying "sooner rather than later." Separately, leasing company ILFC said it expects its first delivery of the high-tech jet to be delayed to summer from spring, but that getting the plane restored to service will "go quickly."
LinkUSMC extends K-Max mission in AfghanistanThe US Navy has amended a contract with Lockheed Martin to provide continued in-service support for a pair of Kaman K-Max unmanned helicopters deployed with the US Marine Corps in Afghanistan. Worth almost $6.7 million, the modification is related to two aircraft which have been used in the unmanned cargo resupply role in the country since November 2011. They had flown more than 1,000 missions by earlier this year, Lockheed says.
LinkAusterity Threatens EU Competitive PositionAusterity is threatening the EU’s competitive edge and the region could fall behind other areas of the world if spending is not kept up on key infrastructure projects including aviation. Company executives, trade groups and even European Union officials themselves say the region is in danger of falling behind competitors, with possibly irreversible consequences. European infrastructure spending rose just 1.5 percent last year to USD$741 billion, compared to global growth of 4.5 percent and a 7.1 percent rise in Asia-Pacific, according to data compiled by Marketline, a business information provider.
LinkSolar Plane To Attempt To Cross US In MayThe first crossing of the United States by a solar-powered plane is expected to start in just over a month, its creators said on Thursday, as they make final preparations for an attempt two years from now at the first round-the-world flight without any fuel. Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard and project co-founder and pilot Andre Borschberg, whose Solar Impulse made its first intercontinental flight from Spain to Morocco last June, aim for their plane to take off from near San Francisco in early May and land at New York's John F. Kennedy airport about two months later. With the wingspan of a jumbo jet and weighing the same as a small car, the Solar Impulse is just a test model for the team as they build a new aircraft they hope will circumnavigate the globe in 2015.
LinkSan Miguel, Tan Expand Partnership In Airport BidMajor conglomerate San Miguel is expanding its partnership with tycoon Lucio Tan to pursue a joint venture for the PHP17.5 billion peso (USD$429 million) Mactan-Cebu International Airport project, according to a report in The Philippine Star. The report said San Miguel had informed the Philippines Stock Exchange that it was forming a consortium with the Lucio Tan Group of companies to bid for the project.
LinkUnited Airlines, Aer Lingus widen code-share dealUnited Airlines and Ireland's Aer Lingus have signed a deal to expand their code-share agreement. "Our 18 peak-season departures per day to the U.S. from London Heathrow, where the majority of our operations are co-located with Aer Lingus in Terminal 1, connect well with Aer Lingus flights from the island of Ireland," said Jim Compton, vice chairman and chief revenue officer for United.
LinkFAA has ability to establish rigorous safety standards, experts sayWhile safety advocates call for the aircraft certification process to be modernized, Federal Aviation Administration officials said the agency takes its role in certifying aircraft very seriously. "Some have asked the question whether the FAA has the expertise needed to oversee the Dreamliner’s cutting edge technology," the agency said. "The answer is yes, we have the ability to establish rigorous safety standards and to make sure that aircraft meet them."
LinkBoeing patents - Quiet, Electric, and BigThere is a lot of conceptual design work being done on aircraft configurations that use airframe shielding of engine noise to reduce sound levels at airports, particularly for airliners powered by fuel-miserly open-rotor engines. Ideally, notes a new US patent granted to Boeing, the reduction in noise would be achieved without adding non-aerodynamic surfaces to the aircraft and without increasing the size or quantity of existing aerodynamic surfaces to provide noise shielding.
LinkFAA releases guidance for tower closures at 149 airportsThe Federal Aviation Administration has issued guidance for closing 149 air-traffic control towers due to budget cuts from sequestration. The towers will be closed in three phases during April and May. "While we regret the need to cease FAA funding of these towers, we have worked to ensure that the airport environment remains safe as we make the transition," the guidance said. NextGov (3/27)
LinkTSA expedites screening for wounded warriorsThe Transportation Security Administration announced plans to expedite airport security screening for wounded warriors at airports nationwide. "In recognition of the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, we have revised our screening requirements to allow expedited screening for this trusted group of citizens," said John Halinski, TSA's deputy administrator and a 25-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran, in a statement.
LinkMemphis airport participates in TSA PreCheckThe Transportation Security Administration has launched its PreCheck program at Memphis International Airport in Tennessee. PreCheck allows expedited security screening for select travelers and frequent fliers. By April 1, the TSA said 40 U.S. airports will be participating in PreCheck.
LinkUS Airways enables real-time baggage trackingUS Airways introduced passenger access to real-time baggage tracking on March 19. Passengers can type in a number from their baggage-claim ticket at the US Airways website or via a mobile application to find the location of luggage. "A lot of customers feel more at ease and empowered with the information because they know where the bag is," said Melody Andersen, director of customer strategy at US Airways.
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