Boeing released the following statement in regards to United Airlines Flight 328 which suffered an engine failure upon takeoff from Denver International Airport:
“Boeing is actively monitoring recent events related to United Airlines Flight 328. While the NTSB investigation is ongoing, we recommended suspending operations of the 69 in-service and 59 in-storage 777’s powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines until the FAA identifies the appropriate inspection protocol.
Boeing supports the decision yesterday by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, and the FAA’s action today to suspend operations of 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines. We are working with these regulators as they take actions while these planes are on the ground and further inspections are conducted by Pratt & Whitney.
– Air New Zealand is supportive of today’s news mandating the wearing of masks or face coverings on public transport, including aircraft, from Monday 31 August due to Covid-19
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says customers flying from Auckland have been required to wear masks while it has been at Alert Level 3 and it has been recommended for customers travelling from other ports.
“We will now start to review our domestic network and will be contacting customers who may be affected by the extension of current Alert Levels.
“We understand the impacts these disruptions cause to our customers and we’ll do our best to get our customers to where they need to be.”
Fare flexibility is still in place and the airline encourages those who no longer wish to fly to opt to hold their fare in credit through its online booking tool.
The airline has been operating a reduced domestic schedule to and from Auckland while it has been at Alert Level 3. The majority of the rest of Air New Zealand’s network has remained unchanged but with physical distancing in place.
DETROIT (Reuters) – Tesla Inc’s <TSLA> Model 3 and S sedans both regained “recommended” status in Consumer Reports magazine’s annual reliability survey, allowing the electric carmaker’s overall standing to rise slightly.
Tesla’s ranking improved four spots to No. 23 out of 30 brands in the U.S. market as it worked to resolve production problems with the Model 3, said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. Both the Model 3 and S raised their reliability ratings to “average.”
“People really like their cars,” he said of Tesla owners. “Hopefully, if that frantic rate of change can slow down a bit, they can maintain reliability.”
Tesla has touted the popularity of the Model S, listed in the top ranks of a different Consumer Reports survey, on owner satisfaction, every year since 2013 when the carmaker was first included.
Fisher cautioned he expected Tesla’s reliability to remain fluid given its inconsistent track record.
Tesla’s Model X SUV still ranks among the least reliable models, according to the annual survey released on Thursday.
The poll predicts which new cars will give owners fewer or more problems, based on data collected for more than 400,000 vehicles. Its scorecard is influential among consumers and industry executives.
Reliability rankings tend to suffer when automakers offer new or redesigned models, which dragged down Volkswagen AG’s <VWAGY> namesake and Audi brands. The VW brand slid nine spots to No. 27, while Audi fell seven spots to No. 14.
Brands with no major changes to their lineups, such as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ <FCAU> Dodge and Chrysler, made significant gains. Dodge was the highest ranked U.S. brand at No. 8, making the biggest gain of 13 spots. Chrysler rose seven spots to No. 19, while Jeep finished at No. 26.
Ford Motor Co’s <F> Lincoln and Ford brands were No. 15 and 16, while General Motors Co’s <GM> Buick, GMC, Chevrolet and Cadillac brands ranked No. 18, 22, 25 and last at 30, respectively.
The reliability of full-sized pickups, the most popular vehicles in the U.S. market, was weak. Ford’s F-150 and FCA’s Ram trucks were rated “well below average,” while GM’s pickups – the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra – both had “below average” reliability.
Toyota Motor Corp’s <TM> Lexus luxury brand finished atop the survey, followed by Mazda Motor Corp <MZDAY> and the Toyota brand.
(Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Richard Chang)
