Reuters: FAA chief has no timetable for ungrounding Boeing 737 MAX

The acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday he does not have a specific timetable for when the agency may unground the Boeing 737 MAX that has been involved in two fatal crashes since October. “I’m not tied to a timetable,” Dan Elwell told reporters ahead of a meeting planned for Thursday with more than 30 international air regulators including China, the European Union and Canada. He said he plans to share the FAA’s safety analysis to date on Thursday, but said the… (worldairlinenews.com) Mehr...

airBaltic tentatively schedules the last Boeing 737 revenue flights

airBaltic, which had been aggressively replacing its older Boeing 737s with new Airbus A220-300s, has tentatively scheduled the last Boeing 737 revenue flights in the fall. According to Airline Route, the last Boeing 737-300 revenue flight is tentatively scheduled for October 26, 2019. (worldairlinenews.com) Mehr...

Fat Albert is retiring

After more than 30,000 flight hours, the C-130T known as "Fat Albert" is being retired. (www.pnj.com) Mehr...

Boeing's troubled 787 sees South Carolina VP leave

The executive in charge of Boeing’s troubled 787 Dreamliner factory in North Charleston, S.C., is leaving the company, according to an internal company memo reviewed by The New York Times on Wednesday. (www.nytimes.com) Mehr...

“We will not simply accept FAA’s word on MAX’s safety….” says European Pilots’ Group

“Simply accepting the FAA’s word on the Max’s safety won’t be enough,” the European Cockpit Association said in a statement. The European pilots’ group (ECA) urged the EASA to conduct its own thorough and independent review of the Boeing 737 Max before allowing the planes to fly again. “we will rely heavily on the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to scrutinise and explain the certification and the potential return to service of the MAX.” (newsinflight.com) Mehr...

Garuda closes routes, reduces flight frequencies in response to new airfare policy

Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to close a number of routes and reduce the flight frequencies to less lucrative destinations to cut losses after the government lowered the price ceiling by 12 to 16 percent on the highest ticket prices for economic class tickets for domestic flights. Garuda Indonesia commerce director Pikri Ilham Kurniansyah said recently that the fuel cost for flights to remote areas, which had low occupancy rates, was about 80 percent higher than flights to lucrative areas.… (www.thejakartapost.com) Mehr...

FAA will meet today with air safety authorities from 53 countries to talk about clearing Boeing 737MAX for flight

The Federal Aviation Administration is gathering dozens of the world’s top aviation officials in Fort Worth for a day-long conclave Thursday to talk about the Boeing 737 Max. The gathering in Fort Worth, Texas is expected to provide clues as to whether the aviation safety authorities will be willing to set aside any skepticism about the FAA, which has not yet given the green light for the 737 MAX to fly again. (www.airlive.net) Mehr...

Wizz Air celebrates 200 million passengers flown in 15 years

Wizz Air, the fastest growing airline in Europe, celebrated the 15th anniversary of its first flight as well as a remarkable milestone of 200 million carried passengers. The very first Wizz Air flight took off on May 19, 2004 from Katowice to London Luton. Since then the airline has grown its fleet to 112 Airbus aircraft, including the modern state-of-the-art A321neo aircraft powered by two Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines, representing the most efficient single-aisle aircraft in the… (worldairlinenews.com) Mehr...

European pilots call for overhaul of MAX certification process

The MAX groundings began after the March 10 crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, the type’s second fatal accident in five months—call into question the system for certifying aircraft. (atwonline.com) Mehr...

PICTURES: Albatross inspires Airbus flexible-tip demonstrator

Airbus has commenced testing of a scale model demonstrator intended to explore the benefits of hinged wing-tips to alleviate gust loads and consequently reduce aircraft structural weight. (www.flightglobal.com) Mehr...

People Express airline founder indicted on fraud charges in Newport News airport scandal

The former CEO of the defunct airline People Express, which briefly operated thanks to $4.5 million in secret financing from the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, has been indicted on 18 charges of fraud and tax evasion. Michael D. Morisi, founder of the airline, was charged with defrauding creditors of nearly $448,000, with most of that going to pay himself and other senior executives of the startup airline in the months after it ceased operations — while he was telling creditors… (www.dailypress.com) Mehr...

Boeing drops Embraer name from Brazil commercial jet division

Boeing Co on Thursday said that after taking over Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA's passenger jet unit, it will call the division Boeing Brasil - Commercial, dropping one of Brazil's most iconic company names. The name change comes after Boeing agreed to pay $4.2 billion to buy 80% of Embraer's operation making passenger jets with fewer than 150 seats. Embraer will retain a 20% stake. That division is still Embraer's most profitable and considered a gold standard of Brazilian… (www.yahoo.com) Mehr...

TAP Air Portugal reaches 100 aircraft

Portugal's flag carrier TAP Air Portugal achieved a historic milestone today with the delivery of a new Airbus A320neo. The numbers of aircraft in the airline's fleet reached 100 for the first time in the 74-year company history. The Portuguese flag carrier follows a comprehensive fleet renewal program of 71 aircraft, which will be completed by 2025. A significant part of the airline’s modernization plan relies on the latest generation aircraft, offering more seats and lower operating… (airlinerwatch.com) Mehr...

Chile's Supreme Court bars LATAM JVs with American and IAG

Chile's Supreme Court has struck down proposed joint ventures by LATAM Airlines with Oneworld partners American Airlines and IAG, siding with appeals filed against the deals last year by Chilean tourism and consumer organisations. Four judges behind the court's decision say that the proposed joint ventures will result in the airlines acquiring a market position that would be "difficult to challenge" in an industry that already has high barriers to entry. (www.flightglobal.com) Mehr...

Amazon to build major hub in Cinncinnati

Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky - American e-commerce giant Amazon is building a cargo facility at Cincinnati International Airport with a USD1.5 billion investment. The company plans to make Cincinnati a hub for its freighter operations. The facility will be built on 3 million square feet (280,000 square meters) field in total and will be completed in 2021. Amazon's new base at Cincinnati International will have parking places for up 100 freighter aircraft when completed. Amazon has leased… (airlinerwatch.com) Mehr...

Preliminary report into fatal Alaska plane crash prompts calls for new safety measures

The NTSB provided more details Wednesday about the Alaska plane crash that left six dead, including the paths of the two planes. (globalnews.ca) Mehr...

Azul announced Results by April 2019

"April was a great month and we continue to see a trend of positive demand in the Brazilian market. Our fleet transformation plan is evolving, "said John Rodgerson, Azul CEO. (cmsherbert.blogspot.com) Mehr...

U.S. airlines expect Boeing 737 MAX jets need up to 150 hours of work before flying again

Once regulators approve Boeing Co's grounded 737 MAX jets for flight, each aircraft will likely require between 100 and 150 hours of preparation before flying, officials from the three U.S. airlines that operate the MAX told Reuters. The estimate, provided to Reuters by American Airlines Group Inc, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines Co officials, is the first indication of the time needed to bring the jets out of storage following a worldwide grounding in March spurred by deadly crashes… (www.yahoo.com) Mehr...

Niki Lauda’s Lasting Aviation Legacy

Niki Lauda may have been more famous as a Formula One racing driver, but he left a lasting impression on the European aviation industry. “Running an airline is the most difficult job in the world. Racing was more dangerous for my life,” motorsport driver and aviation entrepreneur Niki Lauda, said in a 2009 interview. Lauda, who died on Monday at 70, was a rare example of someone who managed to succeed in two very different industries. Not only was he a three-time Formula One world champion — two… (skift.com) Mehr...

737 MAX lawsuit suggests parallels to 1990s crashes

“A lawsuit filed by the former inspector general of the Department of Transportation accuses Boeing in a new lawsuit of repeatedly concealing design flaws in its aircraft and blaming pilots in the aftermath of crashes. The suit, filed in federal court by former DOT inspector general Mary Schiavo on behalf of the estate of one of the victims in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, draws parallels between Boeing’s responses in the aftermath of the 737 MAX crashes in October and March and two crashes… (edition.cnn.com) Mehr...

Avianca Brazil grounded by regulator

Brazil’s civil aviation authority ANAC has suspended the operations of Avianca Brazil, dealing what could be the final blow to the airline which has operated under bankruptcy protection since December 2018. ANAC says in a statement that it has decided “to suspend all operations of Avianca Brazil as a precautionary measure”. It adds that all flights will remain halted until the carrier proves its ability to ensure safe operations. (www.flightglobal.com) Mehr...

Photos: Delta Welcomes First Airbus A330neo In Atlanta

Delta Air Lines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330-900neo aircraft, which departed Toulouse last night arriving into Atlanta at 02:00 am UTC. It is the first of 35 A330neo aircraft that the Atlanta-based carrier is expected to receive, and it marks a special occasion as the airline becomes the U.S launch customer of the re-engined variant. (airwaysmag.com) Mehr...