NewsAirbus A350-900 ultra long-range aircraft makes maiden flightThe Airbus A350-900 ULR (ultra long-range) made its first flight on April 23, starting a short flight test program ahead of its first delivery in the second half of 2018. The aircraft, MSN 216, will be the only one involved in the test campaign that, according to A350 head of marketing Marisa Lucas-Ugena, will take only weeks to complete.
LinkUnited to invest in 20 used Airbus A319s, lease buyoutsUnited Airlines signed a deal to add 20 used Airbus A319s and moved another 23 aircraft it operates from leases to its own balance sheet, continuing its trend of re-shaping the capital costs of its operating fleet.
LinkWestJet LCC Swoop has enough pilots for June launchSwoop, the standalone ultra-LCC subsidiary of Canada’s WestJet, has adequate pilot staffing to launch operations as scheduled in June even if WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) fail to reach an agreement.
LinkTwo Air New Zealand 787s grounded after engine inspectionsAir New Zealand grounded two of its Boeing 787-9s April 21 for what could be an extended period after some of the 787 fleet’s engines failed inspections directed by safety regulators. Four of the carrier’s Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines have had to be sent to a Rolls facility in Singapore for repairs, an airline spokesperson told ATW’s sister publication Aviation Daily. After swapping some of the Trent 1000s within the fleet, two of the carrier’s 11 787-9s will be left without engines.
LinkTrent troubles force Air NZ 787-9s to make refueling stopsAir New Zealand’s services to the United States and Japan have been affected by issues with some of its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on its Boeing 787-9s. “Weight restrictions included in an FAA directive issued last week mean some Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights to Asian destinations will be required to make refueling stops,” says the carrier.
LinkMCO invests in facial recognition technologyThe Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Board in Florida has approved $4 million in funding for a passenger processing system with facial recognition technology to be installed at international gates at Orlando International Airport. "With a faster and more secure clearance process, airlines, airports, and travelers will benefit from shorter processing times and standardized arrival procedures," said authority CEO Phil Brown.
LinkUnited touts efficiency with first 737 Max deliveryUnited Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max 9, marking the stretched Max variant's debut at a US carrier. The aircraft (MSN 43430) was handed over to the Chicago-based airline at Boeing's Seattle delivery centre today, United says.
LinkBA imbued with ambition to grow long-haul network: CruzBritish Airways is imbued with a "sense of ambition" when it comes to adding new long-haul routes from London's airports, despite the slot constraints faced by the UK carrier, chief executive Alex Cruz discloses. Speaking at Routes Europe in Bilbao today, Cruz says that over the last few years the British flag carrier has managed to add new short- and long-haul routes despite the "completely slot-constrained environment" at London Heathrow.
LinkATC oversights led to Scoot 787, Emirates A380 prangImproper instructions from air traffic control personnel at Singapore's Changi Airport led to the wing-to-wing collision between a Scoot Boeing 787 and an Emirates Airbus A380 on 30 March 2017. In its final report, the Singapore Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) classified the incident as serious, and identifies 787 as 9V-OJA and the A380 as A6-EUB.
LinkEdinburgh bemoans 'short-sighted' delay to cutting Scottish APDEdinburgh airport chief executive Gordon Dewar has described the Scottish government’s decision not to reduce air passenger duty (APD) as a "short sighted" move, which contributed to Norwegian’s decision to cut two routes from the gateway this winter. Speaking at the Routes Europe conference in Bilbao on 22 April, Dewar described the decision by the Scottish executive not to go ahead with plans to replace ADP with a new lower air departure tax in April 2018 as "unfortunate".
LinkSriwijaya, Korean LCCs exposed to new CFM inspection regimeAsia-Pacific airlines operate 2,316 Boeing 737s powered by CFM56-7B engines, but most of these aircraft are below the cycle threshold required by a new inspection protocol. CFM International has recommended ultrasonic inspections on fan blades within the next 20 days for CFM56-7Bs with more than 30,000 cycles since delivery. For engines with 20,000 cycles or more, CFM recommends inspections by August. When engines hit 20,000 cycles, they should receive the inspection, which should be repeated every 3,000 cycles, representing roughly two years of service.
LinkBoeing requests waiver to avoid 787-10 certification delayA software bug that shut-down one engine on a GE Aviation-powered 787 last July has prompted Boeing to ask the US Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily exempt the 787-10 from a safety requirement. Boeing plans to certificate the GEnx-1B-powered version of the 787-10 in September, but the fix for the software bug won’t be ready until 20 December 2019, Boeing says in the filing.
LinkTokyo eyes multiple routes for new fighter jetJapan’s Acquisition, Technology, & Logistics Agency (ATLA) continues to weigh ideas for a futuristic fighter to replace the nation’s Mitsubishi F-2 aircraft. “We have been doing the RFI process continuously, and our questions have been changing,” says an official familiar with the program to develop a new aircraft, likely to be designated F-3.
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