Tag: administration (Page 8 of 11)

‘System is not Broken’ After 737 MAX Crashes

September 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FILE PHOTO: A Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is seen grounded at a storage area in an aerial photo at Boeing Field in Seattle

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration process for certifying new airplanes is not broken but needs to be improved, the chair of an international panel of air-safety regulators, tasked to review Boeing Co’s <BA> 737 Max, said on Friday.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event at a New York City college, Christopher Hart, chair of the multi-agency panel, said there was no need to question the agency’s overall way of certifying airplanes.

“The U.S. aviation system each day transports millions of people safely, so it’s not like we have to completely overhaul the entire system, it’s not broken. But these incidents have shown us that there are ways to improve the existing system,” Hart said, referring to fatal crashes of a Lion Air 737 MAX in Indonesia and an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX five months apart that killed a total of 346 people.

The MAX remains grounded and Boeing has not set when it will conduct a key certification test flight. Some in Congress and in aviation have criticized the FAA’s longstanding practice of delegating certification tasks to manufacturers.

Michael Perrone, who heads the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union, said at a House hearing in July that external entities designated by the FAA “are now performing more than 90 percent of FAA’s certification activities despite serious concerns that oversight is lacking.”

Hart, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and a licensed pilot, heads the Joint Authorities Technical Review, a panel including air-safety regulators from the United States, Canada, China, Indonesia, European Union and Brazil.

Reuters reported on Sept. 17 the review’s recommendations will include citing regulations that need to be harmonized internationally and where communications can be improved at the FAA and among international regulators, citing a person briefed on the matter.

Hart on Friday said the panel would release its recommendations to the FAA “shortly,” but declined to provide more details on the timeline. He said the panel’s goal was not for all of its members to agree, but to provide a wide range of opinions and recommendations to the FAA.

Hart spoke to students the Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in Queens. Asked by a student whether passengers can be expected to fly again on a 737 MAX, Hart said he predicted people would “sooner or later forget” about the crashes and investigations.

“This will be the safest airplane out there by the time it has to go through all the hoops and hurdles,” he said.

He also was optimistic when asked whether the deadly crashes would spell the end for Boeing’s 737 MAX programme.

“It will be a cold day in hell before Southwest starts moving away from 737s because that’s all they got,” Hart said, referring to Southwest Airlines Co <LUV.N>, which has cancelled flights into January because of the MAX grounding.

A Southwest Airlines spokesman declined to comment directly on Hart’s comments but said the airline has “no plans to veer away from our all-737 fleet.”

(Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York; Additional reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

FAA Requiring Inspections for Cracks on Some 737 NG Planes

September 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration late on Friday said it would require operators of some Boeing 737 NG jetliners to conduct inspections for structural cracks and make repairs as needed following the discovery of cracks on a small number of planes.

The FAA said Boeing notified it of the issue “after it discovered the cracks while conducting modifications on a heavily used aircraft.” Subsequent inspections “uncovered similar cracks in a small number of additional planes.” Boeing said on Friday it has been in contact with 737 NG operators about a cracking issue, but added that “no in-service issues have been reported.”

Neither the FAA nor Boeing immediately said how many planes were impacted by the required inspections.

The 737 NG, or Next Generation, was introduced in 1997 and is the third generation version of the best-selling Boeing airplane. The 737 MAX, which was grounded in March after two fatal crashes in five months, is not affected by this issue, Boeing said.

The FAA said it would ask operators of the NG to “report their findings to the agency immediately” after completing inspections. Boeing said “over the coming days, we will work closely with our customers to implement a recommended inspection plan for certain airplanes in the fleet.”

KOMO News reported on Friday the issue involved cracked “pickle forks” in some 737 NG jets. The pickle fork attaches the plane’s fuselage, or body, to the wing structure and manages forces. A failure of the part in flight could pose a serious risk. KOMO said workers found a severely cracked pickle fork on a Boeing 737NG earlier this month.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sandra Maler)

Alitalia Rescuers to Ask for Another Delay

September 5, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

MILAN, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Companies hoping to rescue Italian carrier Alitalia will ask for a deadline for presenting their plan to be extended as they are still negotiating key aspects, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Italian railway group Ferrovie dello Stato, which is leading an effort to take control of Alitalia, is expected to ask administrators running the carrier for a “substantial” delay to the Sept. 15 deadline, one of the sources said.

It would be the sixth delay since Ferrovie expressed its interest in investing in the carrier at the end of last year.

Ferrovie, infrastructure group Atlantia and U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines have been discussing a joint plan for Alitalia for nearly two months, but they are at odds over highly-profitable North American routes, three sources familiar with the matter said.

The Italian partners in the consortium want Alitalia to have more freedom to expand its North American routes compared to what Delta is currently offering under a new cooperation agreement dubbed Blue Skies that it has set up with Air France KLM and Britain’s Virgin Atlantic.

How Alitalia would share the revenue coming from North American routes with Delta and other partners in the Blue Skies alliance is also under negotiation.

“The role of Alitalia in the Blue Skies alliance is a point of contention,” one of the sources said.

Long-haul flights to the United States and Canada account for more than one third of Alitalia’s revenue and are considered key to reviving the Italian carrier, which was put under special administration in 2017 after workers rejected the latest in a long line of rescue plans.

Administrators appointed by Italy’s government have cut costs and renegotiated plane leasing contracts to make Alitalia more efficient, but the carrier still burns cash and had been kept afloat thanks to a 900 million-euro bridging loan granted by Italy’s treasury.

Alitalia had only 410 million euro left in its coffers in July and would need fresh funds by the end of the year when it is expected to post a loss, according to another source.

Delta and Ferrovie declined to comment. (Additional reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

Gulfstream Aerospace Expands Wisconsin Service Center

August 24, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Gulfstream’s expanded facility in Appleton, Wisconsin. The $40 million, 190,000 square-foot building can accommodate 12 Gulfstream G650ER aircraft and employs more than 100 people. (Gulfstream photo)

SAVANNAH, Ga., Aug. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced it has officially expanded its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations at Wisconsin’s Appleton International Airport with the opening of a newly built aircraft maintenance facility. The facility has been operational since Aug. 10.

The nearly 190,000 square-foot/17,652-square-meter building, northeast of the airport terminal, was constructed with an investment of approximately $40 million. The expansion to the Appleton service center includes 101,853 sq ft/9,462 sq m of hangar space, which will accommodate 12 Gulfstream G650ER or G650 aircraft. In addition to offices, back shops and general support space, the expansion adds a new sales and design center and increased customer access to Gulfstream’s design portfolio. The project, announced in February 2018, has resulted in nearly 100 new jobs at Gulfstream Appleton, with the potential for more in the next few years.

“This is a very exciting day for Appleton and the entire Fox Valley,” said Derek Zimmerman, president, Gulfstream Customer Support. “This beautiful facility represents the most significant expansion we’ve had in the 20 years we’ve been here. It is a tremendous asset to our site and the community. It will help us enhance the reliability of our growing fleet, support more customers and elevate their experience, continue to maintain a high level of safety and provide a world-class workplace for our employees.

“We are thankful to General Dynamics, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Regional Partnership, the Outagamie County Executive, the Outagamie County Board of Supervisors and the town of Greenville Board for their essential support.”

Gulfstream announced the maintenance facility opening before an audience of employees and state and local dignitaries, including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. The company will open four other expanded or new service centers in 2019 and 2020: Savannah, Georgia; Van Nuys, California; Palm Beach, Florida; and Farnborough, England.

Gulfstream Appleton is home to a service center and a large-cabin completions facility spread over approximately 500,000 sq ft/46,452 sq m. It offers customers a broad range of services, including major inspections, structural modifications, major avionics installations and safety upgrades. Its MRO operation is certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, European Aviation Safety Agency, Civil Aviation Administration of China and seven other civil aviation authorities worldwide. In 2018, Appleton had nearly 500 aircraft visits.

Gulfstream Appleton’s new facility has several sustainable features, including sensitive land protection, rainwater management system, enhanced control systems for heating and cooling, optimized energy performance and electric vehicle charging stations. It is expected to receive U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

FAA to Invite Global Boeing 737 MAX Pilots for Simulator Tests

August 23, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it would invite Boeing 737 MAX pilots from across the world to participate in simulator tests as part of the process to recertify the aircraft for flight following two fatal crashes.

Earlier, Reuters reported that the agency had asked the three U.S. airlines that operate the MAX to provide the names of some pilots who had only flown the 737 for around a year, including at least one MAX flight.

In a statement, the FAA said it had not specified the number of required hours of flight experience, but said the candidates would be a cross-section of line pilots and must have experience at the controls of the MAX.

Boeing Co’s latest 737 narrow-body model, the MAX, was grounded worldwide in March after two crashes within five months in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.

Boeing has been reprogramming software for a stall-prevention system at the center of both crashes, which the FAA must approve before the plane flies again commercially.

The FAA said it had not yet specified a firm schedule for the tests.

Boeing has said it is working toward getting the 737 MAX flying again commercially in the early fourth quarter. Reuters reported on Thursday that it had told suppliers it planned to ramp 737 production back up in February, sending its shares 4% higher.

The world’s largest planemaker slowed its 737 production rate in April because deliveries of the MAX, which makes up the bulk of its single-aisle production, were frozen under the grounding, hitting its supply chain and airline customers.

In the United States, MAX operators Southwest Airlines Co , American Airlines and United Airlines have had to cancel hundreds of daily flights as they wrestle with slimmer fleets at a time of strong domestic air travel demand.

The MAX is Boeing’s fastest-selling aircraft, with about 5,000 pending orders.

As part of its own testing process, Boeing has invited senior airline pilots to experiment with the software fix and use simulators to run scenarios similar to the ones that led to the two crashes.

But sources told Reuters that the FAA also wanted to observe newer 737 pilots. One source said the simulator tests were supposed to be conducted during the first week of September but had been pushed back to the middle of the month.

The FAA, which is working alongside global regulators, has said repeatedly it does not have a fixed time line to approve the grounded jets to fly commercially again.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and David Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Peter Cooney)

Textron Bell 407GXI Earns IFR Certification

August 18, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

FORT WORTH, Texas (15 August 2019) – Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Bell 407GXi. The certification is a requirement for the Navy Advanced Helicopter Training System competition, enabling the Bell 407GXi to replace the Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger as the US Navy’s training helicopter.

Bell’s replacement bid offers a unique combination of capability, ease of transition, and low sustainment costs, giving the best value to the Navy. Should the Bell 407GXi be selected for the US Navy Advanced Helicopter Trainer program, the company plans to conduct final assembly of the aircraft in Ozark, Alabama.

“The team did a great job ensuring the Bell 407GXi achieved the FAA’s IFR certification necessary to meet all of the Navy’s requirements,” said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO. “Bell is an instrumental part of the Navy’s training program and has been for more than 50 years, and we look forward to continuing the tradition for the next generation of Naval Aviators.”

A Bell to Bell transition offers low-risk to the Navy by streamlining instructor pilot and maintainer transition training as well as using common support equipment and infrastructure. The 407 airframe has already proven capabilities as the platform for the MQ-8C Fire Scout for the US Navy. Bell’s industry-leading customer service and support has established capability with cost-efficient and effective helicopter training solutions.

Bell proves its mature production and sustainment support capability every day by supporting more than 1,600 Bell 407s globally. These aircraft have nearly 6 million flight hours across the fleet and are actively performing flight training as well as military and para-public missions helicopter mission-set. The 407GXi’s Garmin G1000H™ NXi Flight Deck enhances situational awareness and reduces pilot workload by delivering easy-to-read information at a glance. The Bell 407GXi’s new IFR capability will allow all-weather operations while continuing to provide multimission capability safely, reliably, and effectively. The Bell 407GXi offers the lowest direct operating costs of any IFR-capable helicopter produced today. Combined with its proven performance, reliability, and ease of transition, the Bell 407GXi is the best value aircraft for US Navy helicopter training.

Successful Launch of Second SpaceDataHighway Satellite

August 12, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

The EDRS-C satellite, the second node of the SpaceDataHighway network (also known as EDRS, European Data Relay System), has been successfully launched into geostationary orbit at 31° East by an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana. After a test period, it will double transmission capacity of the system in order to serve two observation satellites simultaneously and provide redundant back-up for the SpaceDataHighway.

This second satellite is joining EDRS-A which transmits on a daily basis the images of Earth acquired by the Copernicus programme’s four Sentinel observation satellites. Since it entered service in late 2016, it has achieved more than 20,000 laser connections. The reliability rate has reached 99.5%, and these successful connections have downloaded more than 1 petabyte of data. Full operations including EDRS-C are expected by the end of 2019, when its inter-satellite link and end-to-end service will be tested and commissioned with the Sentinel satellites.

The SpaceDataHighway is the world’s first ‘optical fibre’ network in the sky based on cutting-edge laser technology. It is a unique network of geostationary satellites permanently fixed over a network of ground stations that can transmit data at a rate of 1.8 Gbit/s. It will be a key component of the Airbus Network for the Sky (NFTS) programme. NFTS combines various technologies – satellite and ground communications, air-to-ground, ground-to-air and air-to-air tactical links, 5G mobile communications and laser connections – in a resilient, unified, secure, highly interoperable, mesh network for aircraft, UAVs and helicopters.

SpaceDataHighway satellites can connect to low-orbiting observation satellites at a distance up to 45000 km, intelligence UAVs or mission aircraft via laser. From its position in geostationary orbit, the SpaceDataHighway system relays data collected by observation satellites to Earth in near-real-time, a process that would normally take around 90 minutes. It thus enables the quantity of image and video data transmitted by observation satellites to be tripled and their mission plan to be reprogrammed at any time and in just a few minutes.

“The SpaceDataHighway makes our data connections more secure, more stable, more reliable, with more bandwidth and in near real time. The launch of our second satellite is just the start, laser communication will be a revolution for many industries,” said Evert Dudok, Head of Communications, Intelligence & Security at Airbus Defence and Space.

A third communication node is to be positioned over the Asia-Pacific region by around 2024. Equipped with three laser terminals, EDRS-D will significantly increase the system’s communication capacity and considerably expand its coverage.

From 2021, the Pleiades Neo Earth observation satellites will begin to use the SpaceDataHighway. By the end of 2019, the system will also provide a fully European broadband communication service to the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS).

The SpaceDataHighway is a public–private partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus, with the laser terminals developed by Tesat-Spacecom and the DLR German Space Administration. Airbus owns, operates and provides commercial services for the SpaceDataHighway. The EDRS-C satellite platform supplied by OHB System AG is also carrying a payload for Avanti Communications.

Embraer Delivers 51 Total Jets in Second Quarter of 2019

August 1, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

Embraer delivers 26 Commercial and 25 Executive Jets in 2Q19

São José dos Campos, Brazil, July 30, 2019 – Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) delivered a total of 51 jets in the second quarter of 2019 (2Q19), of which 26 were commercial aircraft and 25 were executive jets (19 light and 6 large). As of June 30th, the firm order backlog totaled USD 16.9 billion compared to USD 16.0 billion at the end of 1Q19. Embraer’s 2Q19 backlog increase is largely due to continued market demand, mainly for the new family of Praetor jets in Executive Aviation. See details below:

In the second quarter, Embraer received the Type Certificate for the E195-E2 from three regulatory authorities: ANAC, the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil); the FAA (U.S. Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency). The E195-E2 is the largest of the three members of the E-Jets E2 family of Embraer commercial airplanes.

In the beginning of the 2Q19, Embraer signed a firm order for 10 E195-E2 jets with Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest airline. The contract includes purchase rights for a further 20 E195-E2s. With all purchase rights being exercised, the contract has a value of USD 2.12 billion.

During the 53rd International Paris Air Show, Embraer announced several sales contracts as follows. All values are based on Embraer’s current list prices.

United Airlines signed a contract for up to 39 E175s, comprising 20 firm aircraft and 19 options. The order has a value of USD 1.9 billion with all options being exercised. Binter, of Spain, confirmed the purchase rights for two additional E195-E2s from the original contract signed in 2018. The two new E195-E2s have a value of USD 141.8 million.

Embraer also announced KLM Cityhopper’s intention to purchase up to 35 E195-E2 jets, consisting of 15 firm orders with purchase rights for a further 20 aircraft of the same model. This intention to purchase, which still requires a Purchase Agreement, has a value of USD 2.48 billion.

Embraer announced during the Paris Air Show that it signed a contract with Japan’s Fuji Dream Airlines (FDA) for a firm order of two E175 jets. The order has a value of USD 97.2 million and was already included in Embraer’s 1Q19 backlog as “undisclosed.”

In the executive aviation segment, Embraer received the Type Certificate for the new Praetor 600 super-midsize business jet by the three main world regulatory agencies: ANAC, the FAA, and EASA. The first Praetor 600 was delivered in June to an undisclosed European customer.

Embraer Defense & Security and ELTA Systems Ltd (ELTA), a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), signed at the 53rd International Paris Air Show a Strategic Cooperation Agreement to introduce the P600 AEW (Airborne Early Warning). In this cooperation, Embraer is to provide the air platform, ground support, communications systems and aircraft integration while ELTA is to provide the AEW radar, SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) and other electronic systems and system integration.

Embraer Services & Support announced at the Paris Air Show a contract with Azul Linhas Áereas Brasileiras, S.A. for a long-term Flight Hour Pool Program agreement for the carrier’s brand new fleet of Embraer E195-E2 jets. The Company also announced pool maintenance and parts agreements with Helvetic Airways, from Switzerland, and Aurigny Air Services, from the Guernsey Island. During the MRO Americas event, in early April, Embraer also announced support contracts with Air Botswana, Binter, from Spain, and Mauritania Airlines.

Qatar Agrees to Buy U.S. Aircraft, Engines, Defense Equipment

July 9, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

(Bloomberg) — Qatar has made agreements with U.S. companies to spend billions on airplanes and jet engines and to develop a petrochemical complex, the White House said on Tuesday.

At least some of the deals were previously made but were publicly touted by the Trump administration Tuesday. Among them: Qatar Airways purchasing Boeing Co. 777 freighters and large-cabin aircraft from Gulfstream Aerospace, the private jet unit of General Dynamics Corp.

“They’re investing very heavily in our country,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They’re creating a lot of jobs. They’re buying tremendous amounts of military equipment including planes.

Qatar’s defense ministry committed to acquire Raytheon Co.’s NASM and Patriot Systems, according to the White House. In addition, a unit of Chevron Corp. entered into an agreement with Qatar Petroleum for the development, construction and operation of a petrochemicals complex in Qatar.

The agreements, whose total cost wasn’t disclosed by the White House, were announced during a visit to the White House by the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.

The deals come amid a two-year economic blockade of Qatar led by U.S. ally Saudi Arabia and supported by nations including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Trump initially appeared to support the Saudi move — echoing its assertions that Qatar supported terrorists — even though it put the U.S. in an awkward position because it has a major military base in Qatar.

But Qatar has looked to improve relations in the U.S., with the emir saying the country was committed to doubling the economic partnership between the two countries. Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud, who leads the Qatar Investment Authority, said earlier this year that the country’s sovereign wealth fund will look to increase its U.S. investment portfolio from around $30 billion to about $45 billion over the next two years.

The country has also made significant gestures toward increasing its spending on U.S. defense contractors, with the U.S. approving a large weapons systems purchase ahead of Sheikh Tamim’s last visit to the country. In 2017, the country signed a deal to spend $12 billion for the purchase of 36 F-15QA fighter jets.

And the U.S. has announced plans to expand and renovate the al-Udeid Air Base near Doha, which houses the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command and some 10,000 American troops. During a dinner with the leaders on Monday, Trump thanked Sheikh Tamim for Qatar’s $1.8 billion investment in the project which will be used to construct housing and entertainment facilities.

Several companies have released specifics of some of the agreements that were formalized on Tuesday.

Gulfstream said its deal is for $1 billion in corporate jets that General Dynamics announced in January without giving the customer’s name. Boeing said last month it made a deal to sell five 777 freighters at a list price of $1.8 billion.

Qatar Airways plans to use General Electric Co. jet engines for Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft, according to the White House.

A Chevron statement Tuesday said the company was signing a new agreement at the White House for a previously unannounced $8 billion U.S. Gulf Coast project. The White House statement mentions only a prior deal, announced last month, in which the company would join forces with Qatar Petroleum to build a facility in Qatar.

(Story by Justin Sink and Thomas Black, Edited by Alex Wayne, Justin Blum, and Larry Liebert)

Bamboo Airways Wants To Fly A380’s To The US

June 28, 2019 / WIL BALDWIN

You can file this one under… “what on earth?”

Bamboo Airways: Vietnam’s newest airline

Bamboo Airways is a new Vietnamese airline that commenced operations at the beginning of 2019. The airline currently has a fleet of about 10 Airbus A320 family aircraft, and has a further 76 planes on order, including 46 A321neo’s and 30 787-9’s.

Click the link below for the full story!

https://onemileatatime.com/bamboo-airways-a380/

Bamboo Airways: Vietnam’s newest airline

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