BEIJING/PARIS (Reuters) – Development of China’s C919 single-aisle plane, already at least five years behind schedule, is going slower than expected, a dozen people familiar with the programme told Reuters, as the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) struggles with a range of technical issues that have severely restricted test flights.
Delays are common in complex aerospace programmes, but the especially slow progress is a potential embarrassment for China, which has invested heavily in its first serious attempt to break the hold of Boeing and Airbus on the global jet market.
The most recent problem came down to a mathematical error, according to four people with knowledge of the matter.
COMAC engineers miscalculated the forces that would be placed on the plane’s twin engines in flight – known in the industry as loads – and sent inaccurate data to the engine manufacturer, CFM International, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. As a result, the engine and its housing may both have to be reinforced, the people said, most likely at COMAC’s expense – though another source denied any modification.That and other technical and structural glitches meant that by early December, after more than two and a half years of flight testing, COMAC had completed less than a fifth of the 4,200 hours in the air that it needs for final approval by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), two people close to the project told Reuters.
Boeing is recommending 737 MAX simulator training in addition to computer based training for all MAX pilots prior to return to service of the 737 MAX. This recommendation takes into account our unstinting commitment to the safe return of service as well as changes to the airplane and test results. Final determination will be established by the regulators.
“Safety is Boeing’s top priority,” said interim Boeing CEO Greg Smith. “Public, customer and stakeholder confidence in the 737 MAX is critically important to us and with that focus Boeing has decided to recommend MAX simulator training combined with computer-based training for all pilots prior to returning the MAX safely to service.”
A Boeing [NYSE: BA]-built satellite called JCSAT-18/Kacific1 will provide affordable internet access and other communications services to underserved parts of Asia and the Pacific islands.
The satellite launched today from Cape Canaveral, Florida at about 7:10 p.m. It will enter service several weeks after on-orbit tests and moving to its final geostationary orbit position over the Asia-Pacific region.
Built on Boeing’s 702 satellite platform, JCSAT-18/Kacific1 has two separate payloads for two customers, SKY Perfect JSAT of Tokyo and Kacific Broadband Satellites Group of Singapore. The satellite will deliver internet services to a potential market comprising hundreds of millions of people in more than 25 countries, including remote islands in the Pacific and the far eastern part of Russia.
“JCSAT-18/Kacific1 is going to make a difference in the lives of millions of people throughout the Asia Pacific region,” said Chris Johnson, president, Boeing Satellite Systems International. “We are proud to support SKY Perfect JSAT and Kacific as they seek to bring positive change through connectivity in regions that have been traditionally underserved.”
JCSAT-18/Kacific1 is the 13th satellite Boeing has built for SKY Perfect JSAT and the first satellite built for Kacific.
The first A220-300 for Air Canada has successfully completed its inaugural test flight from the Mirabel A220 final assembly line in Canada. The first of 45 aircraft for Air Canada is scheduled to be delivered to the Montreal-based airline in the coming weeks.
With its first A220 commercial flight in early 2020, Canada’s flag carrier will become the first airline in Canada to operate the Canadian-designed and -built A220. It will also become the first carrier in North America to fly the A220-300 variant.
Air Canada is planning to use the A220 on various domestic routes in Canada as well as to the United States. The A220’s unequalled performance and range capability will enable the airline to serve new markets, such as Montreal to Seattle and Toronto to San Jose, connecting the carrier’s main hubs to the West Coast, as of Spring 2020.
Benefitting from the latest technologies, the A220 is the quietest, cleanest and most eco-friendly aircraft in its category. Featuring a 50% reduced noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft, 20% lower fuel burn per seat and 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards, the A220 is a great aircraft for neighbourhood airports.
Around 100 A220s are currently flying with six operators on routes in Asia, America, Europe and Africa, proving the great versatility of Airbus’ latest family member.
Ultra-modern and high-tech manufacturing facility will be located at Toronto Pearson International Airport
Slated for completion in 2023, the one-million square-foot facility will be home to the most advanced aircraft manufacturing processes in the world
Strengthened commitment to Ontario’s aerospace industry, securing job growth and supporting economic development in the region for years to come
TORONTO, Dec. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bombardier is pleased to announce that it has signed a long-term lease agreement with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to build its new state-of-the art Global Manufacturing Centre located at Toronto Pearson International Airport. With preliminary site work underway in Mississauga and first production activities set to begin in 2023, the cutting-edge facility will optimize final assembly operations for all Global business jets, including the industry flagship Global 7500 business jet.
The Global Manufacturing Centre at Toronto Pearson International Airport, approximately 20 km from the current Global aircraft final assembly site at Downsview, will reinforce Canada’s leading position in the business aviation market.
“Today, I’m very excited to announce the relocation of our Global aircraft family production activities to a new, cutting-edge manufacturing facility at Toronto Pearson. This is a strategic move for Bombardier and a strong commitment to Ontario’s aerospace industry. It will allow us to offer world-class career opportunities and continue fueling the economic development of the region for years to come,” said Alain Bellemare, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bombardier Inc.
The one-million square-foot facility will combine thousands of highly-skilled employees with 21st century production and tooling innovation. Bombardier employs the highest caliber technology throughout the manufacturing process of the Global 7500 business jets, including a state-of-the-art automated positioning system that uses laser-guided measuring to ensure major aircraft structures, such as the wing and fuselage, are joined consistently and perfectly each time. Combining human ingenuity with the most advanced machines, the Global 7500final assembly line in Toronto is a testament to the industry’s most advanced business jet.
This strengthened commitment to the Greater Toronto Area will also leverage significant recent R&D investments and a continued collaboration with Ontario’s colleges and universities for world class training, research and development.
Bombardier also confirmed it will continue to support the aerospace heritage of the Downsview site with a multi-million-dollar contribution to the Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research Consortium (DAIR) to develop a visionary aerospace hub for academic research and training activities. The contribution includes $2.5 million CAD in capital funding to refurbish the historic Moth Building, where wartime Mosquito fighter bombers and Tiger Moth trainers were produced.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Thursday granted final approval for an expanded trans-Atlantic joint venture for Delta Air Lines Inc <DAL>, Air France KLM SA <AFLYY> and Virgin Atlantic.
Reuters first reported Chao’s planned tentative approval of the agreement in August. The expanded joint venture replaces two previously approved arrangements in the U.S.-United Kingdom and U.S.-Continental Europe markets and will allow for additional benefits such as more options on European flights, Chao said in a statement.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
A Delta Air Lines flight is pushed put of its gate at the airport in Salt Lake City
Chicago Midway Airport – Delta-C&S – Douglas DC-7 (1954)
Standing idle in the Arizona desert, a beloved historic airplane was prepped for its ultimate journey – one final flight back to where it all began. The recently discovered Ship 717, the last remaining Douglas DC-7B – last flown by Delta more than 50 years ago – drew the eye of the Delta Flight Museum as staffers worked with the plane’s owner to return the plane to its Atlanta roots.
During their heyday, Delta’s fleet of 10 DC-7Bs brought luxury to the skies, even including a lounge in the rear of the cabin. With more power and range than its DC-7 counterpart, the DC-7B was outfitted with four Wright Duplex Cyclone R-3350 engines, developed shortly before World War II before being improved and widely adopted in commercial flying. In 1968, as the aviation industry increasingly turned to newer jet engines as the preferred airplane power source, Delta said farewell to our last Douglas DC-7 type aircraft and piston-engine propeller planes – including the DC-6 and Convair 440 series.
Still in prime flying shape after its Delta career, Ship 717 finished its flying career helping to fight fires on the West Coast before enjoying a sunny desert retirement in 2008. When the Delta Flight Museum became aware of the classic plane several years ago, the museum jumped at the opportunity to make the purchase.
In quiet Coolidge, Ariz., where summer temperatures near 110 degrees, mechanics spent days and nights making repairs, running tests, making more repairs, replacing multiple engines and testing all four engines again – all with the goal of making this DC-7B ready to take to the skies for the first time in 11 years. The trip to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which included an overnight stop in Midland, Texas, was a flown at 9,500 feet in the now-depressurized aircraft for a combined 6.5 hours in the air.
“Saying goodbye to this beautiful airplane is truly a bittersweet moment for me,” said Woody Grantham, the longtime owner of this DC-7B and the founder of International Air Response. “Even as we fly on some of the latest and greatest new airplanes of today, I think it’s so important that we never lose our touch with history, and I can’t express how happy it makes me to see the DC-7B going home to be celebrated and immortalized at the Delta Flight Museum.”
Touching down in Atlanta at shortly after 5 p.m. EST Sunday and soon to be heading to Delta’s TechOps facility, the final chapter of this DC-7B’s story has yet to be written.
CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) issued the following statement regarding the release today of the final investigation report of Lion Air Flight 610 by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT):
“On behalf of everyone at Boeing, I want to convey our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in these accidents. We mourn with Lion Air, and we would like to express our deepest sympathies to the Lion Air family,” said Boeing President & CEO Dennis Muilenburg. “These tragic events have deeply affected us all and we will always remember what happened.”
“We commend Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee for its extensive efforts to determine the facts of this accident, the contributing factors to its cause and recommendations aimed toward our common goal that this never happens again.”
“We are addressing the KNKT’s safety recommendations, and taking actions to enhance the safety of the 737 MAX to prevent the flight control conditions that occurred in this accident from ever happening again. Safety is an enduring value for everyone at Boeing and the safety of the flying public, our customers, and the crews aboard our airplanes is always our top priority. We value our long-standing partnership with Lion Air and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”
Boeing experts, working as technical advisors to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, have supported the KNKT over the course of the investigation. The company’s engineers have been working with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other global regulators to make software updates and other changes, taking into account the information from the KNKT’s investigation.
Since this accident, the 737 MAX and its software are undergoing an unprecedented level of global regulatory oversight, testing and analysis. This includes hundreds of simulator sessions and test flights, regulatory analysis of thousands of documents, reviews by regulators and independent experts and extensive certification requirements.
Over the past several months Boeing has been making changes to the 737 MAX. Most significantly, Boeing has redesigned the way Angle of Attack (AoA) sensors work with a feature of the flight control software known as Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). Going forward, MCAS will compare information from both AoA sensors before activating, adding a new layer of protection.
In addition, MCAS will now only turn on if both AoA sensors agree, will only activate once in response to erroneous AOA, and will always be subject to a maximum limit that can be overridden with the control column.
These software changes will prevent the flight control conditions that occurred in this accident from ever happening again.
In addition, Boeing is updating crew manuals and pilot training, designed to ensure every pilot has all of the information they need to fly the 737 MAX safely.
Boeing continues to work with the FAA and other regulatory agencies worldwide on the certification of the software update and training program to safely return the 737 MAX to service.
Seville, 8 October 2019 – The first Airbus C295, purchased by the Government of Canada for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) programme, rolled out of the paint shop showing off its final livery at the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain. The aircraft will now go through the final preparation phase before its delivery to the customer, planned to take place in Spain before the end of the year.
The photo above shows the first Canadian C295, to be designated CC-295 by the RCAF, in its distinctive Search and Rescue colours.
The aircraft adopts the yellow paint scheme following the tradition defined in the 1970s for Search and Rescue aircraft, giving high visibility for those in the air and on the ground.
FWSAR program facts and figures
The contract, awarded in December 2016, includes 16 C295 aircraft and all In-Service Support elements including, training and engineering services, the construction of a new Training Centre in Comox, British Columbia, and maintenance and support services.
The aircraft will be based where search and rescue squadrons are currently located: Comox, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Trenton, Ontario; and Greenwood, Nova Scotia.
Considerable progress has been made since the FWSAR programme was announced two and a half years ago: the first aircraft is due to be delivered in Spain in the coming months; another six aircraft are either completing flight tests or in various stages of final assembly; and seven simulators and training devices are starting up preliminary acceptance tests.
The first RCAF crews started training in late summer 2019 at Airbus’ International Training Centre in Seville, Spain.
For more information about the FWSAR program click here
Fiji Airways’ first A350 XWB has rolled out of the Airbus paint shop in Toulouse featuring the airline’s signature livery. The aircraft, an A350-900 leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprises, will be the first of its type to be operated by an airline in the South-Pacific region.
The aircraft will now proceed to the final phase of the assembly process, with the installation of engines followed by ground and flight tests, before delivery to Fiji Airways in Q4.
The aircraft will be configured with 33 full lie-flat Business Class and 301 Economy Class seats. The aircraft will be deployed to enhance existing long-haul services from Fiji to Australia and the U.S., and to provide the opportunity to open additional routes.
The A350 XWB is the world’s most modern wide-body family and the long-range leader. It is the only all-new design aircraft in the 300-410 seat category, offering the lowest cost per seat of any large wide-body. The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments up to ultra-long haul (9,700 nm).
The A350 XWB is an all-new family of mid-size wide-body long-haul airliners shaping the future of air travel. The A350 XWB has the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fiber fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. At end of August 2019, Airbus has recorded a total of 913 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 51 customers worldwide.
