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)
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A federal appeals court revived a lawsuit by Spirit Airlines passengers who said the low-cost carrier blindsided them by imposing unexpected carry-on bag fees on tickets bought through Cheapoair, Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said 22 passengers could sue for breach of contract because there was no evidence that Spirit promptly notified them about the fees, and there were “ambiguities” in the prices they would pay.
Spirit and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Compared with many carriers, Spirit relies more on ancillary fees to offset the financial drag from lower base fares.
The plaintiffs accused the Miramar, Florida-based carrier of knowing that its online travel agents hid the “gotcha” bag fees they would have to pay at the airport.
They said these fees often exceeded the cost of their tickets, and totaled millions of dollars a year.
Spirit countered that federal law precluded the lawsuit, and that its “contract of carriage” specifically provided that a passenger could take one carry-on bag into the cabin, for a fee.
The appeals court returned the case to U.S. District Judge William Kuntz in Brooklyn, who had dismissed it last November.
“This is a great victory for air travelers nationwide,” the plaintiffs’ lawyer John Hermina said in an interview. He said his clients will pursue their case in the district court.
On Tuesday, Spirit advertised carry-on bag fees for an Oct. 1 flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from New York’s LaGuardia Airport ranging from $28, if booked on its website, to $65, if paid at the gate. Base fares ranged from $26 to $121.99.
The case is Cox et al v Spirit Airlines Inc, 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 18-3484.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Richard Chang)
Airbus’ 1,000th Super Puma helicopter – A civil H215 to be operated by the German Federal Police
Marignane – Airbus Helicopters has delivered its 1,000th Super Puma helicopter: a twin-engine multi-role H215 assembled in Marignane, France, and handed over to the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei) to support the German Havarie Command, which manages maritime emergencies off of Germany’s coast.
This delivery completes the German Federal Police’s order for four H215s, the first three of which were delivered in December 2018, and increases the German Federal Police’s Super Puma fleet to 23, including 19 AS332 L1s, making the police force one of the largest operators of Super Pumas in the world today.
“The Super Puma family of civil and military helicopters has consistently performed well thanks to its ability to appeal to many different mission segments, whether you’re fighting fires, building power lines, transporting troops, or saving lives in extreme environments,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Thanks to our close partnerships with long-standing customers like the German Federal Police, who we are honoured will operate our 1000th Super Puma, we are able to continuously improve so that this important product continues to meet the evolving market needs for decades to come.”
Today, the Super Puma is operated by nearly 100 customers in 59 countries representing all regions of the world. The Super Puma family is composed of the H215 and H225 for the civil market, produced by Airbus Helicopters for law enforcement, aerial work, search and rescue, offshore transport and governmental missions, and appreciated for their versatility and ability to operate in extreme environmental conditions. In the military sector, Airbus Helicopters offers the H215M and H225M for search and rescue, troop transport, special ops and utility missions, among others.
Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2018, it generated revenues of €64 billion and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
BAE Systems has been selected by the vessel contractor to provide the German federal police force, Bundespolizei, with three 57mm naval guns for its three new 86m Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) built by Fassmer shipyard.
The gun systems, known as the Bofors 57 Mk3, will support the maritime arm of the Bundespolizei that monitors the country’s North Sea and Baltic coastlines. The 57 Mk3 is a flexible, highly versatile gun system designed to react quickly for close-to-shore operations.
“The Bofors 57 Mk3 is a versatile naval gun with firepower and range that exceeds expectations when compared with similar, medium calibre naval gun systems. That’s how our 57 millimeter system has earned its reputation as the deck gun of choice for ships operating in coastal environments,” said Ulf Einefors, director of marketing and sales for BAE Systems’ weapons business in Sweden. “This contract expands the number of European nations deploying the 57 Mk3 and reflects the growing interest we’re seeing in the region, where we look forward to supporting new opportunities in the near future.”
The 57 Mk3 naval gun is also in use with the allied navies and coast guards of eight nations, including Canada, Finland, Mexico, and Sweden, as well as the United States, where it is known as the Mk110 naval gun.
This contract also includes accompanying fire control systems as well as systems integration support. Work is expected to begin immediately and will be performed at the BAE Systems facility in Karlskoga, Sweden. The first unit is scheduled for delivery in 2020.
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.
MEXICO CITY, Aug 22 (Reuters) – Mexico’s competition regulator said on Thursday it fined the airport at tourist hot spot Cancun $3.7 million for blocking new taxi operators, which it said reduced competition and effectively overcharged millions of passengers.
Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR) , the Mexican company that runs the Cancun airport along with 15 others across Latin America, said it will challenge the ruling and the 72.5 million pesos fine.
The Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece) said that from 2010 to at least 2018, the airport gave mostly negative assessments to taxis wishing to operate at the Cancun airport, preventing them from receiving federal permits.
“By being the only entity that can lease and grant spaces for taxi access… (the airport) took various actions to prevent new participants from offering said service,” Cofece said in a statement.
As a result of the airport’s moves to limit the market, fares were marked up about 8% on average for several million trips.
The regulator did not name any of the taxi operators that were blocked from the Cancun airport.
($1 = 19.8203 Mexican pesos)
(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon Editing by Leslie Adler)
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)
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.
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.
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.
