Boeing 737 MAXSouth Seas Aviation

Boeing 737 MAX program loses its manager

Eric Lindblad, Vice President and General Manager of the 737 program, which includes the MAX, is leaving Boeing in the middle of a crisis lasting since mid-March following two crashes that killed 346 people.

Lindblad is the first top manager to leave the aircraft manufacturer since the global grounding of the entire 737 MAX fleet. In an internal memo sent to Boeing employees, the head of the civil aviation division Kevin McAllister announced on July 11, 2019, that Lindblad decided to retire after 34 years working for the manufacturer.

Lindblad had been at the helm of the Boeing 737 program for only a year. According to McAllister, the departure had been planned since 2018.

Mark Jenks, who was previously Vice President for the New Mid-Market Airplane Program, should take over as 737 Program Manager in the coming weeks. He should also be in charge of the Renton plant near Seattle, where 737 MAXs are assembled.

Jenks will now have to manage the ever-increasing stock of undelivered 737 MAX and revive the production of the aircraft. With the deliveries suspended, Boeing had reduced the production of the 737 MAX by about 20%, with a monthly output of 42 aircraft, against 52 previously. Jenks will also have to supervise the final development of the 737 MAX 10, the largest aircraft of the family.

A second reshuffle

Prior to his role in the NMA program, Jenks was Vice President and General Manager of the Boeing 787 program, when the aircraft went through a crisis related to its batteries.

While Lindblad is the first to leave the company, it is not the first reshuffle of management for Boeing since the beginning of the 737 MAX crisis. In March 2019, John Hamilton stepped down as Vice President of commercial aviation division to remain solely chief engineer.

Hamilton had previously served as Boeing Vice President of Safety, Security and Compliance. In this position, he oversaw the Commercial Airplanes Organization Designation Authorization, a certification program on behalf of the FAA. He held that position from July 2013 to March 2016, a period during which the Seattle Times says the FAA delegated to Boeing engineers the certification of the MCAS, the system blamed for the crash of both Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2Jxi96m

Image: Marco Menezes

Boeing 737 MAXSouth Seas Aviation

EASA pinpoints new Boeing 737 MAX problem

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency sent a list of five changes to be made for the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again in the European skies. While most of the corrections align with FAA’s recommendations, one of them related to the autopilot might have never been raised before.

Boeing is currently working to fix the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). But another element of the aircraft has come under the attention of European regulators. The EASA fears that the autopilot does not always disengage properly in certain emergency situations requiring the crew to take over the aircraft, sources close to the investigation told Bloomberg, adding that pilots may not have time to prevent the plane from stalling.

A change to the autopilot could potentially further delay the re-entry of the Boeing 737 MAX into the market. On June 26, 2019, Boeing announced it was working on an additional flaw to the MCAS software found by the FAA. “Boeing agrees with the FAA’s decision and request, and is working on the required software,” the manufacturer said in a statement, adding “addressing this condition will reduce pilot workload by accounting for a potential source of uncommanded stabilizer motion”.

This new detail illustrates how operators from around the world may have to wait even longer than their U.S. counterparts, as the main regulators (European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Transport Canada…) have all announced their decisions to conduct individual reviews of the Boeing 737 MAX update. An individual regulator may come up with a specific requirements that the manufacturer will have to fulfill if it wants its plane to operate again globally.

The situation could not only damage Boeing’s relationship with the 737 MAX operators, but also the credibility of the FAA. The latter has repeatedly called for a resumption of the former situation of reciprocity where its judgment would be taken at face value by other regulators. “If [the other regulators] could lift the ban shortly after us, I think it would be good for the public’s trust,” said Dan Elwell, acting chief of the FAA during a meeting between the main civil aviation regulators on May 23, 2019.

But their call remains unanswered, and the EASA is now proceeding with its own investigation. A month ago, during the International Aviation Safety Conference in Cologne, EASA Director Patrick Ky reportedly said that the agency was considering additional flight simulator training for 737 MAX pilots, as well as possible design changes, as a requirement for the aircraft to operate again in the European airspace.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2G1jyzQ

Image: Oleg V. Belyakov

Boeing 737 MAXSouth Seas Aviation

FAA finds “potential risk” in Boeing 737 MAX update

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to evaluate Boeing’s efforts to return the 737 MAX back to the skies. However, the process appears to be going less than fluently for the plane maker, as the authority admits having “recently” found “a potential risk”.

FAA says it is still evaluating Boeing’s  Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) modification, along with creating training requirements and responding to recommendations received from the Technical Advisory Board (TAB). The process “is designed to discover and highlight potential risks”, as FAA puts it, ‒ and “risks” were found indeed.

“The FAA recently found a potential risk that Boeing must mitigate,” the authority admitted on June 26, 2019, without going into detail what those “potential risks” constitute of. However, it could be suspected that the issue is related to uncommanded or runaway stabilizer motion.

“Boeing agrees with the FAA’s decision and request, and is working on the required software,” according to the company’s statement on June 26, 2019. “Addressing this condition will reduce pilot workload by accounting for a potential source of uncommanded stabilizer motion”.

Boeing announced finishing the software update on May 16, 2019. At the time, the manufacturer also said it was providing FAA with information on how pilots interact with airplane controls and displays in different flight scenarios, and expected MAX re-certification to begin after addressing these FAA’s “requests”.

In early June 2019, another bump in the path of MAXs’ return to skies appeared. Boeing has found discrepant parts on some 737NG and 737MAX aircraft. Leading edge slat tracks on the planes “may not meet” strength and durability regulatory requirements, FAA said in a statement on June 2. The authority estimates that 133 NG and 179 MAX aircraft of the worldwide fleet are affected. The affected parts were manufactured by a Boeing sub-tier supplier.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2YsEDul

Image: PK-REN

BombardierSouth Seas Aviation

BREAKING | Bombardier sells CRJ program to Mitsubishi

Bombardier has entered into a definitive agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries regarding the sale of the CRJ regional aircraft program for $550 million.

Under the agreement, announced on June 25, 2019, the Japanese manufacturer will acquire maintenance, support, upgrade, marketing and sales activities for the CRJ Series aircraft, also including service and support network activities located in Montreal and Toronto, as well as in Bridgeport, West Virginia, and Tucson, Arizona. Mitsubishi will also take over liabilities amounting to approximately $200 million.

Bombardier will keep the CRJ production facility in Mirabel, Québec, and should continue to supply components and spare parts and build CRJ aircraft from the current order book on behalf of Mitsubishi. According to the Canadian manufacturer, CRJ production is expected to conclude in the second half of 2020, following the delivery of the current backlog of aircraft.

The sale of the CRJ program means that in a little bit more than a year, Bombardier has almost completely withdrawn from commercial aviation industry. Indeed, on June 8, 2018, the company sold the majority of its shares in the CSeries program to Airbus, which since renamed the aircraft A220. In November 2018, Viking Air, which had previously acquired Bombardier’s Amphibious Aircraft program in 2016, took over the Q400 for $300 million.

On October 19, 2018, Bombardier sued Mitsubishi Aircraft in the United States, accusing the Japanese company of illegally acquiring some secret documents by hiring former employees of the Canadian plane maker. The Japanese manufacturer counterattacked with its own legal action accusing its Canadian competitor of wanting to delay or even prevent the development and certification of its regional aircraft, the MRJ.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2ILYzTt

Image: Bombardier

BoeingSouth Seas Aviation

Turkish Airlines charms with new Boeing 787 Dreamliner interior

Turkish Airlines is getting ready to introduce the first Boeing Dreamliner to its fleet. While the airliner will officially take off on behalf of Turkish later on, in July 2019, the first photos already reveal what flyers can expect to find onboard.

The first flight of Turkish Airlines’ brand-new Dreamliner is expected on July 8, 2019, taking off from Istanbul to Antalya. The first international flight, from Istanbul to Denpasar, is to follow on July 17, 2019. All tickets have been sold out for the latter flight, Turkish Airlines website indicates.

Ahead of the upcoming first flight, Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Ekşi took to social media to share some sneak-peaks of the interior of the Boeing 787-9. “This plane is different,” Ekşi said about the newest member of Turkish Airlines fleet.

Turkish Airlines’ Dreamliner has seating capacity for 300 passengers, including 30 seats in the business class and 270 seats in the economy class.

Boeing and Turkish Airlines finalized a firm order for 25 Boeing 787-9s on March 10, 2018, Boeing announced at the time.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/31OEUd2

Image: Boeing

Rolls RoyceSouth Seas

Rolls Royce acquires Siemens e Aircraft

“We are at the dawn of the third era of aviation,” proclaims Rolls-Royce as it announces the acquisition of Siemens’ electric and hybrid-electric aerospace propulsion business, marking a clear step further into making greener engines.

The eAircraft is Siemens’ business branch which is developing all-electric and hybrid electric propulsion solutions for the aerospace industry. Rolls-Royce expects to finalize the acquisition of eAircraft in “late 2019”, depending on acquiring needed approvals.

The company broke the news on June 18, 2019, with high hopes the move will help the company to jump ahead of the competition of what it sees as a future for aviation. “We believe that pure electric, or all-electric, propulsion will power smaller aircraft in the foreseeable future, while larger aircraft will rely upon hybrid electric solutions that combine electrification with evolutions of the gas turbine,” explains Paul Stein, Rolls-Royce Chief Technology Officer.

“Electrification is set to have as dramatic an impact on aviation as the replacement of piston engines by gas turbines,” Rob Watson, Director of Rolls-Royce Electrical believes. “We are at the dawn of the third era of aviation, which will bring a new class of quieter and cleaner air transport to the skies”.

Rolls-Royce already collaborated with eAircraft (as well as Airbus) working on the E-Fan X demonstrator project. However, in June 2019, Siemens ended the collaboration after achieving agreed goals, Airbus explained at the time, while Rolls-Royce maintains simply that it was a “business decision” on Siemens’ part.

E-Fan X is a complex hybrid-electric aircraft demonstrator. In the test aircraft, one of four jet engines are replaced by a 2MW electric motor, roughly equivalent to that of 10 medium-sized cars, as Airbus explains it. “The electric propulsion unit is powered by a power-generation system and battery. When high power is required—at take-off, for example—the generator and battery supply energy together”. The first flight is expected for 2021.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2Y8cR64

Image: Airbus

Airbus A320 NeoSouth Seas Aviation

Airbus A320NEO: the big winner at Paris Air Show with 250+ orders

“NEO” has been the operating word for Airbus at the Paris Air Show 2019. Having launched its brand-new A321XLR jet, the longest range variant of the A320 Family, the company has not only racked up 226 demand for the new plane, but also expanded the A320 NEO orders and commitments to just over 250 worldwide.

The biggest deals and commitments

The biggest order for Airbus came on the very first day of the airshow, June 17, 2019, from Air Lease Corporation (ALC). The Los Angeles-based aircraft leasing company, signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for 100 Airbus jets, comprising of 27 A321XLRs and an incremental order for 23 A321neos. The company also ordered 50 A220-300s.

Also using the opportunities of the airshow, Saudi Arabian Airlines, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, expanded its existing A320neo Family order from 35 to 100 Neo aircraft, including 35 options. Saudia’s additional firm order for 65 A320neo Family planes incorporates 15 for the XLR version.

Then came the Arizona-based private equity fund Indigo Partners: the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to purchase 50 A321XLR. The deal includes new orders for 32 A321XLR jets and the conversion of 18 existing A320neo Family orders.

The new aircraft will be operated by Indigo Partner’s three of four low-cost airlines: Wizz Air (Hungary) will 20 XLRs; 18 will go to Frontier Airlines (U.S.); and to 12 to JetSMART (Chile). Indigo Partners also has ownership stakes in Volaris (Mexico). The four carriers operate a combined 295 Airbus planes, Airbus orders and deliveries log, ending May 31, 2019, shows.

Joining in on the hype surrounding the A321XLR, U.S. giant American Airlines also inked a deal to acquire 50 of the newly-launched aircraft. The purchase agreement includes the conversion of 30 of American’s existing A321neo orders to the new XLRs as well as incremental orders for additional 20 XLR jets.

Meanwhile, the biggest conversion deal was signed with Air Asia (Malaysia) – the carrier decided to convert its 253 outstanding A320neo orders to the larger A321neo version. With that, the airline becomes the world’s largest customer for the A321neo: in total, AirAsia has placed orders for 592 A320 Family planes and taken delivery of 224 of them.

Keeping up with the big boys

Lebanese flag carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA), was quick to place a firm order for four XLRs on the first day of the airshow, becoming the launch airline customer for the new aircraft for now.

The following day, Philippines-based Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Cebu Pacific became another launch customer for the new aircraft by signing a MoU for 31 Airbus planes: 16 A330neos, 10 XLRs and five A320neo jets.

Also at the Paris Airshow was the Qantas Airways, which stepped in with a deal for 36 XLR jets: the Australian carrier decided to convert 26 of its existing A320neo Family orders and place a new firm order for 10 XLRs.

China Airlines (CAL) opted for 25 A321neos, signing a MoU for 11 of these jets; the other 14 will be added on lease. Similarly, the Dublin-based leasing company Accipiter Holdings signed a purchase agreement to acquire 20 A320neos.

At Le Bourget, JetBlue Airways decided to add the XLR and increase its existing order for A220s: the U.S. low-cost carrier will convert 13 current A321neo orders into firm orders for the new XLR version; the airline also firmed up an order for an additional 10 A220-300 aircraft from existing options.

Aside of announcing intent to buy 200 Boeing 737 MAX, on the very same day, International Airlines Group (IAG) also placed a firm order for 14 A321XLRs. The planes are destined to go to the group’s subsidiaries: eight planes for Iberia (Spain) and six for Aer Lingus (Ireland).

Following Saudia’s order, Flynas, Saudi Arabia’s first low-cost airline, inked a MoU for 10 XLRs. The airline will also upsize 10 of the A320neo it currently has on order to the A321neo. Aiming modestly, Atlantic Airways, Faroe Islands flag carrier, closed a purchase agreement for two A320neo jets.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2IUylNu

Image: Gyrostat (Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0)

AirbusSouth Seas Aviation

American, Qantas deals lift Airbus A321XLR to 191 orders already

Three days after it was officially presented to the public at Paris Air Show, the A321XLR already racks up 191 orders.

Qantas was the first to place an order on June 19, 2019, for 36 A321XLR, including 26 as a reconversion of an existing order of A321neo. In total, the Australian company has an ongoing order of 45 A320neo, 28 A321LR and 36 A321XLR with Airbus.

On the same day, the youngest member of Airbus’ family has convinced another company. Indigo Partners group announced it would convert 18 of its previous A320neo order into A321XLR, and add another 32, for a total order of 50 of the new aircraft. Twenty of the A321XLRs should be allocated to Wizz Air, 18 to Frontier, and 12 to JetSMART. Including the latest deal, Indigo Partners has 636 aircraft on order with Airbus.

Finally, American Airlines also converted an existing order for 30 A321neo into A321 XLR and 20 additional orders. American, the largest Airbus operator in the world with 422 aircraft, has now ongoing orders for 65 A321neos and 50 A321XLRs from Airbus.

Airbus presented the A321 XLR, new version of the A321, on the first day of Paris Air Show, on June 17, 2019. This single-aisle aircraft with an extended range is able to operate many long-haul routes and is designed to appeal to low-cost airlines wishing to develop their business on the long haul.

In the first two days, it accumulated 27 orders from Air Lease Corporation, 4 from Middle East Airlines, 10 from Cebu Pacific and 14 from International Airlines Group. In total, 191 A321XLRs were ordered in the first three days of Paris Air Show.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2x6h52l

Image: Airbus

Korean AirSouth Seas Aviation

Korean Air to acquire 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners

Boeing, Korean Air and Air Lease Corporation announced on June 18, 2019, at the Paris Air Show the airline plans to add 30 new 787 Dreamliner airplanes to its fleet, with a commitment to purchase 10 new 787-10s and 10 additional 787-9 airplanes valued at $6.3 billion at current list prices.

As part of this agreement, Korean Air will also lease 10 787-10s from ALC.

The airline will introduce the larger 787-10 to complement its long-haul fleet of 787-9 and 777 airplanes.

With this order, Korea’s flag carrier will quadruple its 787 fleet to 40 airplanes as it looks to strengthen its long-haul fleet.

The 787-10 is the largest member of Dreamliner family. At 224 feet long (68 meters), the 787-10 can serve up to 330 passengers in a standard two-class configuration, about 40 more than Korean Air’s existing fleet of 787-9 airplanes.

The Korean national carrier operates a fleet of 96 Boeing passenger airplanes, including the Next-Generation 737, 747, 777 and 787 airplanes. The airline also operates an all-Boeing cargo fleet with the 747-400, 747-8 and 777 Freighters.

Korean Air selected the GEnx engine to power its 30 additional Boeing 787 Dreamliners. This selection will increase Korean Air’s GEnx-powered Dreamliner fleet to 40 aircraft.

With a fleet of 168 aircraft, Korean Air serves 126 destinations in 44 countries worldwide. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance and recently formed a Joint Venture partnership with Delta Air Lines.

In addition to supporting Korean Air, ALC committed to purchase an additional five 787-9 Dreamliners, valued at $1.5 billion at list prices, during the Paris Air Show.

“Demand for reliable, versatile, and fuel-efficient airplanes is at an all-time high,” said Steven Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “These five Boeing 787-9 aircraft are required by our airline customers to satisfy strong ALC lease placements of the 787.”

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2IYdN6z

AirbusSouth Seas Aviation

Airbus steals the show with 118 orders on first day

Half a day after the opening of the Paris Air Show, Airbus already accumulates three orders for its aircraft, including the launch customer for its newly-launched A321XLR, the long-range version of its best-selling A321neo.

Air Lease Corporation reiterates its commitment to Airbus

Air Lease Corporation signed a letter of intent to purchase 100 Airbus aircraft during the Paris Air Show, on June 17, 2019.

This order includes 50 A220-300s and 27 of the newly-launched A321XLRs as well as an incremental order for an additional 23 A321neos.

The aircraft should be delivered between 2021 and 2026. This contract brings cumulative orders of Air Lease Corporation to 387 planes, making it Airbus’ third largest lessor customer. At list price, the order amounts to more than $10 billion.

Virgin Atlantic selects Airbus to renew its wide-body fleet

Virgin Atlantic has selected 14 A330-900s to replace its A330ceos from 2021, with options to further expand its fleet of wide-body aircraft. The firm order for eight aircraft and six additional on lease from Air Lease Corporation was signed at the Paris Air Show.

Virgin Atlantic currently operates a fleet of 40 wide-body aircraft and will soon take delivery of its first of 12 A350-1000s.

Airbus could expect more than 200 orders for its A321XLR this week, including from Norwegian and JetBlue Airways.

The A321XLR found its launch customer: Middle East Airlines

Middle East Airlines (MEA), the flag carrier of Lebanon, has signed a firm order for four A321XLRs, thus becoming the launch airline customer of Airbus latest evolution of the A321neo family.

The agreement takes Middle East Airlines’ cumulative single-aisle orders with Airbus to 15 A321neo family aircraft, including 11 A321neos and 4 A321XLRs with deliveries starting in 2020. MEA will use the A321XLR to strengthen its network in Africa and Asia.

 

Source: https://bit.ly/2FwSqsv

Image: Virgin Atlantic