House panel asks Boeing CEO to testify Oct 30 on 737 MAX

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee formally asked Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg on Tuesday to testify on the now grounded 737 MAX that has been involved in two deadly crashes since October 2018 that killed 346 people. (uk.reuters.com) More...

Indonesia to publish final report on Lion Air crash in November

The final report on the crash of a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet that killed 189 people last year will be published in the first half of November, Indonesia’s civil aviation authority said on Wednesday. (uk.reuters.com) More...

What Really Brought Down the Boeing 737 Max?

Malfunctions caused two deadly crashes. But an industry that puts unprepared pilots in the cockpit is just as guilty. (www.nytimes.com) More...

Airline customer-service agents report abusive customers

Airline customer-service agents say they often get verbal threats from passengers, and sometimes they turn into physical confrontations. The agents say alcohol, airline fees and long lines can anger passengers. The Government Accountability Office reported Tuesday that more than half the 104 agents it surveyed reported threats or other harmful action by customers in the past year. About 10% say they were physically assaulted. The congressional investigative agency says comprehensive figures on… (www.yahoo.com) More...

VietJet orders 15 Airbus A321XLR - sources

Europe's Airbus has sold 15 of its new A321XLR jetliner to Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet, bringing to almost 300 the number of its longest-range narrowbody models earmarked for customers since June, industry sources said. The deal was included in the most recent monthly Airbus order statement, but the name of the airline was withheld. Airbus declined comment. No immediate comment was available from VietJet. Asian demand has been propelling sales of the newest version of Airbus's… (www.yahoo.com) More...

Virgin Atlantic eyes over 80 new routes at expanded Heathrow

Virgin Atlantic is hoping to add over 80 new routes to its network after a third runway is built at London's Heathrow Airport including short-haul and domestic flights, the British airline said on Wednesday. Heathrow's expansion is due for completion in 2026 after lawmakers voted strongly in favour of the third runway in June 2018, although environmentalists and local groups are challenging the plans in court. Virgin Atlantic said it could serve up to 84 new locations from the expanded… (www.yahoo.com) More...

Boeing deliveries are at historical low

Boeing delivered only 18 aircraft in August 2019, keeping the commercial aircraft manufacturer on track for the lowest annual total in the last eight years. (airlinerwatch.com) More...

A flight in India was delayed when a swarm of angry bees covered the cockpit window and attacked staff who tried to remove them

A domestic flight in India was delayed by two hours after a swarm of bees settled on the cockpit window, obscuring pilots' vision and attacking staff who tried to remove them. The Air India flight was about to take off when the bees landed on the window. Staff tried fruitlessly to shoo them away and disperse them with the aircraft's windscreen wipers before calling the fire brigade. Firefighters then used a hose to blast the bees away with water. An airline spokesperson said bees could… (www.yahoo.com) More...

Ural Airlines’ second Airbus A320neo enters service

Russia’s Ural Airlines (U6) has enhanced its fleet with the arrival of a second leased Airbus A320neo. The aircraft, sporting tail number VP-BRZ, was delivered directly from the European aircraft manufacturer’s Toulouse base and will be operated under a lease agreement with CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of the China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co. The latest A320neo, which entered service on September 14 performing the Yekaterinburg-Sochi route, allows the airline to open… (www.rusaviainsider.com) More...

Airbus forecasts need for over 39,000 new aircraft in the next 20 years

The world’s passenger and freighter aircraft fleet is set to more than double from today’s nearly 23,000 to almost 48,000 by 2038 with traffic growing at 4.3% annually, also resulting in a need for 550,000 new pilots and 640,000 new technicians. (www.airbus.com) More...