CommercialAsiana 767 crew grounded after flying on one engineSouth Korean regulators are investigating Asiana Airlines following a 19 April incident in which the crew of a Boeing 767-300 aircraft did not divert after they observed a warning with the aircraft’s port-side engine. One hour into a Seoul Incheon-Saipan flight, the crew observed a warning light relating to one of the aircraft’s two General Electric CF6 engines, says a statement from South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. The crew reduced the engine’s power, but the warning light remained on. Rather than divert to an airport in Japan, the crew elected to fly on, eventually landing in Saipan four hours later on a single engine. Maintenance personnel in Saipan later discovered “metal particles” – apparently caused by abrasion – blocking an engine oil filter. According to South Korean official news agency Yonhap, a replacement engine had to be flown to Saipan.
LinkAir Canada expects first 787 in MayAir Canada expects to take delivery of its first Boeing 787 aircraft “around May 18," says a spokesman for the airline. The carrier will fly the 251-seat 787-8 between Toronto Pearson International airport and Tokyo Haneda International airport starting 1 July, as well as between Toronto and Tel Aviv. Air Canada plans to receive three 787s in the second quarter. The airline says it will temporarily fly them on other transatlantic and domestic routes to introduce passengers to the service before the dedicated routes begin.
LinkSearch For MH370 To Enter New PhaseThe chance of finding floating debris from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has become highly unlikely, and a new phase of the search will focus on a far larger area of the Indian Ocean floor, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Monday. The search effort has so far failed to turn up any trace of wreckage from the plane. Given the amount of time that has elapsed, Abbott said that efforts would now shift away from the visual searches conducted by planes and ships and towards underwater equipment capable of scouring the ocean floor with sophisticated sensors. He admitted, however, that it was possible nothing would ever be found of the airliner. "We will do everything we humanly can, everything we reasonably can, to solve this mystery," he told reporters in Canberra.
LinkAirAsia X Signs USD$1.5 Bln GE Engine DealAirAsia X, the long-haul arm of Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia, has signed a USD$1.5 billion deal with GE Aviation for the supply of engines for up to 28 new aircraft. GE Aviation will supply CF6-80E1 engines for the airline's order of 25 A330-300 aircraft from Airbus, AirAsia X said in a statement on Monday.
LinkNorwegian Air Suspends Talks To Buy 20 Boeing 787sNorwegian Air has put on hold talks to buy 20 new 787 Dreamliners from Boeing because of a delay in receiving US Department of Transportation approval for its long haul plans, chief executive Bjoern Kjos said in a letter. The low-cost carrier has launched flights from Europe to Asia and the US based on a license issued by non-EU Norway, but has applied to fly to the US on an Irish license, wanting to take advantage of wider traffic rights offered by the so-called open skies agreement between the EU and the US. American unions and competing airlines have voiced strong opposition to the plan, which in part cuts costs by using Asian crews, and the US Department of Transportation has yet to decide on Norwegian's application.
LinkJapan To Retain Share Of 777X ProductionBoeing has lined up Japanese companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to build one-fifth of its new 777X, retaining Japan as its key Asian partner in commercial airliners, two people with knowledge of the plans said. This would give the Japanese companies a share of work on the new plane that is on par with the 21 percent of the 777 they have been making for two decades. But because Boeing plans eventually to build more planes per month, there should be a greater volume of work for the Japanese suppliers, one of the sources said. Boeing's current production rate for the 777 is 8.3 a month. A Boeing spokesman in Tokyo declined to confirm the information. "Supply chain partnerships and production system decisions will be addressed at the appropriate time," the spokesman said.
LinkEtihad Urges Speedy Air Berlin RestructuringAbu Dhabi's Etihad Airways has called for an "accelerated and fundamental restructuring" of Air Berlin, after the German airline's largest shareholder injected cash into the loss-making carrier. Air Berlin said late on Sunday night Etihad has subscribed to a convertible bond worth EUR€300 million (USD$415 million) and the Gulf airline has also agreed to extend a USD$255 million loan by another five years. "The airline is clearly in a very challenging position," Etihad's chief executive James Hogan said in a statement following Air Berlin's announcement. "However, we are confident the business is moving in the right direction, and can be turned around but it needs an accelerated and fundamental restructuring." Air Berlin on Sunday named Marco Ciomperlik, currently its chief maintenance officer, to its management board to oversee a restructuring of the airline.
LinkSmoking bag delays Fiji Airways flightDangerous goods in a passenger’s bag are believed to be behind a minor incident where smoke was detected in the baggage hold of a Fiji Airways Boeing 737-800 while on the ground at Melbourne airport on 26 April. The airline told Flightglobal that baggage handlers noted smoke emitting from a piece of baggage while it was being loaded onto the aircraft, and alerted airport firefighters and security personnel. The airport has confirmed that the aircraft, which only had the pilots and some cleaners on board at the time, was evacuated and firefighters attended to and offloaded the bag.
LinkCobham BAe 146 makes emergency landing after engine fireA British Aerospace 146 aircraft operated by Cobham Aviation Services had to make an emergency landing in Perth after the aircraft’s No. 2 Honeywell ALF 502 engine caught fire. “The aircraft was climbing after take-off when the fire occurred in engine No. 2, which is on the port side of the aircraft,” says a company spokesman. “When the fire was detected, the engine was shut down and the fire extinguished.” The aircraft, which was operating a fly-in, fly-out charter service to Barrow Island, landed safely, and all 92 passengers and five crew disembarked.
LinkAlaska Airlines shifts capacity in SeattleAlaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden said the carrier is reallocating capacity from Seattle to other cities. During a conference call to discuss quarterly earnings, Tilden said "we'll come through this as a stronger company."
LinkAmerican Airlines chairman to depart on June 3Tom Horton, the chairman of the American Airlines Group, plans to leave his position on June 3, the day prior to the American Airlines annual meeting. After Horton's departure, CEO Doug Parker will assume the role of chairman of the board. "We believe that Mr. Horton’s leadership as chairman of the board of directors has allowed the board of directors and management to benefit from Mr. Horton’s considerable expertise and familiarity with AMR during the initial transition period between the closing of the merger and the annual meeting," the company said in its latest filing.
LinkChattanooga unveils terminal upgrade, plans more workA newly upgraded passenger terminal at Chattanooga's Lovell Field is just the start of changes for the airport, officials say. The $7.2 million terminal renovation includes new restaurants, an improved escalator system and updated seating, as well as additional parking and key infrastructure upgrades.
LinkBloody Mary beats out other drinks for in-flight tasteA scientist has determined that the umami-rich flavor of a Bloody Mary is the best cocktail choice for air travelers.
LinkColumn: Top 14 airport restaurants across the globeFrom boxed sandwiches and salads in plastic tubs to fine dining. The world's gastronomic masters are now using airports for their new restaurant openings. Heston Blumenthal is the latest big name chef to open an air hub establishment. The Perfectionist's Café will open at London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2 on June 4. While Blumenthal is best known for molecular gastronomy, his new diner with a wood-fired oven makes it the first British airport kitchen with an open flame. Fire safety and security are just two major hurdles for the potential airport restaurateur.
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