CommercialDrunk passenger causes Virgin Australia hijack scareAn intoxicated passenger was apparently behind a hijacking scare aboard a Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800. The aircraft was operating service VA41 on the Brisbane-Denpasar route, and apparently close to landing when the aircraft's transponder started squawking the distress code for a hijacking. Sources at the Indonesian air force have told Flightglobal that the aircraft landed at approximately 14:00 at Denpasar Ngurah Rai International airport, where it was moved to a remote area and was being handled by security forces. Another observer noted that a "drunk Australian" passenger was removed from the aircraft, which remained stationery on the tarmac.
LinkBoeing claims Q1 setbacks on 787 nearly overcomeBoeing is close to overcoming two fresh setbacks discovered within the 787 production system during the first quarter as the manufacturer strives to stay on track with an ambitious set of production and delivery goals this year. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries notified Boeing in early March that a change in the Japanese supplier’s manufacturing process may have produced hairline cracks in a wing spar on 40 787s then on the assembly line. Boeing has inspected and fixed 37 of the aircraft covered by the MHI notice, says chief financial officer Greg Smith, speaking to analysts on a first quarter earnings conference call on 23 April. “As of last night, there were three airplanes left to go,” Smith says. “That’s behind us at this point.” The 787 production line also was slowed during the quarter by a new problem inside the centre fuselage assembly line in Charleston, South Carolina.
Link'New strategy' may be needed in MH370 searchGovernments involved in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200, flight MH370, have resolved to continue the task – but the Australian co-ordinators of the exercise have declared they may soon need a new strategy. Meanwhile, there have been no sightings of floating wreckage, and sheet metal flotsam washed up on the western Australian shore south of Perth has proven to be unconnected with the missing aircraft, according to the Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre. The visual search area is approximately 49,500km2, with its centre 1,580km (980 miles) northwest of Perth.
LinkMalaysia MH370 Search May Last For Years The search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is likely to drag on for years, a US military official said on Friday, as an underwater search for any trace of the plane's wreckage off west Australia appeared to have failed. The official, who declined to be identified because he is not authorized to comment on the search effort, said two weeks of scouring the Indian Ocean floor with a submersible drone had turned up no wreckage. He said the search for the airliner would now enter a much harder phase of scouring broader areas of the ocean near where the plane is believed to have crashed. "We went all in on this small area and didn't find anything. Now you've got to go back to the big area," the official told Reuters news agency. "And now you're talking years." The undersea drone Bluefin-21 is expected on Friday to finish what may be the last of its 16-hour trips to depths of more than 4.5 km (2.8 miles), searching a 10 square km (6.2 square mile) patch of seabed about 3,200 km (2,000 miles) northwest of the Australian city of Perth.
LinkUnited Posts Wider Loss On Weaker RevenueUnited Continental posted a wider quarterly loss on Thursday as expenses increased and revenue fell, hurt in part by flight cancellations tied to winter storms. The first-quarter loss came to USD$609 million, compared with USD$417 million a year earlier.
LinkUnited reports Q1 results after severe winter weatherUnited Continental Holdings reported its first-quarter results, which were dampened by the severe effects of harsh winter weather. United estimated the weather cut profits by $200 million. "This quarter's financial performance is well below what we can and should achieve," said CEO Jeff Smisek in a statement. "We are taking the appropriate steps with our operations, network, service and product to deliver significantly better financial results."
LinkAmerican Airlines posts record Q1 earnings after mergerAmerican Airlines Group, the parent company of American Airlines, reported record earnings for the first quarter of $480 million. "We are very pleased to report a record profit in our first full quarter as a merged company," CEO Doug Parker said. "Our team of dedicated professionals did an excellent job of taking care of our customers despite particularly difficult weather conditions throughout the quarter."
LinkSouthwest posts record profit, operating revenue for Q1Southwest Airlines reported a record profit of $152 million for the first quarter, compared to a profit of $59 million for the same quarter last year. "This outstanding performance was driven by record first quarter operating revenues of $4.2 billion, and a 1.2 percent year-over-year decline in total operating costs, excluding special items, driven largely by lower fuel prices and our ongoing fleet modernization," CEO Gary Kelly said in a statement.
LinkJetBlue Airways posts Q1 profit despite weatherJetBlue Airways reported a profit of $4 million for the first quarter, despite severe winter weather taking a toll its quarterly results.
LinkWinter storms drive up cost for UPS United Parcel Service Inc., the world’s biggest package shipping company, said its forecast for profit this year would be at the low end of its projection as harsh winter weather forced costs higher. Profit fell 12 percent to $911 million or 98 cents a share. That fell short of the $1.08 average from 26 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The Atlanta-based company said profit this year would be at the low end of its range of $5.05 to $5.30 a share. Analysts projected profit of $5.19. Winter storms that extended from January into March wreaked havoc across the transportation industry. At UPS, the unseasonably harsh weather caused operating profit to be trimmed by $200 million, it said in a statement today. UPS lost revenue and paid extra costs as its delivery networks were disrupted on more than half of the operating days during the quarter.
LinkAirbus starts re-certification with EASA for A320 with more seatsAirbus is working toward re-certification of its A320 with the European Aviation Safety Agency for an extra row of seats, bringing the total number of passengers to 186. EASA said "the process for this significant modification has started."
LinkBoeing outlines transition in production to 777X for 2020 Boeing CEO Jim McNerney seized the chance to impress upon securities analysts on Wednesday his confidence in his company’s ability to execute a smooth transition between production of the current 777 line and the 777X around the turn of the decade. Now delivering 8.3 of its flagship widebodies a month, Boeing expects some “feathering” of production once it approaches the point at which it fully integrates the 777X, said McNerney. Speaking during his company’s first quarter earning conference call, he also conceded the potential for some “pricing pressure” resulting from the introduction of the Airbus A350. Nevertheless, he stressed that the existence of a strong “pipeline” of what he called some of the biggest and most loyal customers in the Boeing stable will ensure that the manufacturer’s plan for the 777 will proceed with little or no interruption in the flow of deliveries.
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