Boeing flags potential delays after supplier finds another problem with some 737 fuselages

Boeing reported another problem with fuselages on its 737 jets that might delay deliveries of about 50 aircraft in the latest quality gaffe to plague the manufacturer. Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal said in a letter to Boeing staff seen Monday that a worker at its supplier discovered misdrilled holes in fuselages. Spirit AeroSystems, based in Wichita, Kansas, makes a large part of the fuselages on Boeing Max jets. (es.finance.yahoo.com) Más...

Cockpit window crack forces ANA Boeing flight in Japan to turn back

An All Nipon Airways (ANA) plane, Japan's second largest airline, had to return to Sapporo airport after a crack was found in one of the windows mid-flight. The plane is a Boeing 737 but a different model than the one that lost part of the fuselage during a flight in Alaska. The Japanese plane was heading to the town of Toyama with 65 people on board (59 passengers and 6 crew) and, fortunately, no injuries were reported. As a result of last week's incident in Alaska, US authorities… (www.bbc.com) Más...

Boeing plane bursts into flames mid-flight

A United Airlines’ Boeing 737 plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Texas after its engine exploded and burst into flames mid-air. The flight, which was bound for Fort Myers, Florida had just set off from Houston on Monday when it was forced to make an emergency landing just minutes into the journey. (www.independent.co.uk) Más...

Record-breaking supersonic Concorde airplane floats down New York’s Hudson River

Concorde, the world’s fastest commercial aircraft, has been making a rare journey – floating down New York’s Hudson River. The British Airways Concorde, one of only 20 of the supersonic aircraft to ever fly, has been en route back to NYC’s Intrepid Museum after being sanded and recoated during several months of restoration. (edition.cnn.com) Más...

United flight goes off runway and rolls ‘on to the grass,’ forcing passengers to evacuate in latest Boeing drama

A United Airlines flight went off a runway at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Friday morning, forcing passengers to evacuate — in the latest drama involving a Boeing jet. The Boeing 737 MAX 8, which arrived from Memphis, “rolled onto the grass when exiting onto the taxiway around 8 a.m.,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. “The passengers deplaned on the taxiway and were bused to the terminal,” the FAA added. (nypost.com) Más...

Boeing 737 Max fallout could be a win for Airbus. Here's why airlines might eye the A321neoXLR.

Boeing is facing renewed scrutiny after an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 plane lost a part of its fuselage during a January flight — and it could prompt airlines to turn to European competitor Airbus. (news.yahoo.com) Más...

Nose wheel comes off Delta Boeing 757 shortly before takeoff

A Boeing 757 plane lost its nose wheel shortly before taking off at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to US aviation officials. The Delta Air Lines plane had been preparing to fly to Bogota, Colombia, on January 20 when the “nose wheel came off and rolled down the hill,” according to a preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (edition.cnn.com) Más...

Americans Will Soon Need Authorization to Travel to Europe

U.S. passport holders looking to take a trip across the pond in 2024 will need to take heed of this new travel requirement. Americans who previously did not need a visa to travel to Europe will now need to fill out an online application before visiting. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

Overweight British Airways Passenger Gets Stuck in First Class Seat on Lagos to London Flight

In an unusual incident on a British Airways flight, a passenger traveling from Lagos, Nigeria, to London found himself stuck in his first-class seat. The incident took place on July 29, 2023, during a 6-hour flight on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The passenger was seated in 1A, a spacious first-class seat with 78 inches of legroom and a seat width of 22 inches, according to Seat Guru. (www.airguide.info) Más...

Tennessee Lawmakers Propose Legislation Banning ‘Chemtrails’

The Tennessee Senate passed a bill prohibiting “the intentional injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight …” In other words, the bill would make it against the law to dispense “chemtrails” over Tennessee. (www.avweb.com) Más...

Is It Still Okay to Recline Your Seat?

Etiquette expert says now considered "rude" to recline any seat outside of First or Business class. But is it? The recline button is still intact in passenger jets...are we not supposed to use it? (www.seattletimes.com) Más...

Airbus and Dassault Pushes for Single-Pilot Operations Amidst Rising Automation

PARIS — As technology evolves, plane manufacturers like Airbus and Dassault in Europe are championing the concept of planes being flown with a single pilot during most of a long-haul journey. This idea has not yet received widespread endorsement from their airline clientele. However, it's causing a stir among pilot unions, which argue that having less than two pilots onboard is a perilous venture. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Más...

Miami’s Six Hour Immigration Line Disaster

Clearing immigration at Miami International Airport is usually not bad, but more and more instances have popped up where immigration line wait times are stretching beyond the two hour mark. (www.gatechecked.com) Más...

United Airlines will board passengers by window, middle, then aisle seats

Minutes count when you're trying to move hundreds of thousands of airline passengers every day. So United Airlines is switching up its boarding policy in hopes of speeding things up at the airport. Starting Oct. 26, basic economy ticket holders, window seat passengers will board first, then those in middle seats, followed by people in aisle seats. The change is estimated to cut boarding time by up to two minutes, United told NPR Thursday.The process for pre-boarding groups, such as… (www.npr.org) Más...

Air Force One debacle: Boeing has now lost more than $1 billion on each of the president’s two new jets

Boeing has been reporting losses on the planes for years, as CEO Dave Calhoun admitted last year that the company should never have signed the contract with the Air Force to produce the jets for $3.9 billion. Under pressure from then-President Donald Trump, who was threatening to cancel the contract for the planes, Boeing agreed to a fixed price contract on the two new jets. (www.cnn.com) Más...

TSA Intercepts Over 3,200 Firearms in First Half of 2023 at US Airports

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) captured 3,251 firearms at airport security checkpoints within the first half of 2023, averaging 18 firearms a day, with over 92% of them being loaded. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Más...

Delta Pilot Threatens to Shoot Captain Over Medical Diversion

Federal authorities in Utah have indicted a former Delta Air Lines pilot for allegedly trying to shoot his captain during a flight last year. Jonathan Dunn was indicted in a Utah District Court on October 18 for disrupting the crew's operations on a commercial flight. This incident, along with another one involving an Alaska Airlines pilot, signifies the importance of mental health in the aviation industry. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

787 Whistleblower in suit with Boeing found dead

A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the firm's production standards has been found dead in the US. In the days before his death, John Barrett had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company. (www.bbc.co.uk) Más...

Alaska Airlines flight forced to make emergency landing at PDX after a panel on side of the plane blew out

The flight, No. 1282, was heading from PDX to Ontario, California. Photos show that a panel on the back left side of the plane was jettisoned during the flight. (www.kgw.com) Más...

Boeings own records show they’re responsible for Alaska plug door failure.

The fuselage panel that blew off an Alaska Airlines jet earlier this month was removed for repair then reinstalled improperly by Boeing mechanics on the Renton final assembly line, a person familiar with the details of the work told The Seattle Times. (www.seattletimes.com) Más...

United Pilot Calls Out Air Traffic Control at SFO

A United pilot got angry and called out the air traffic controllers at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The aircraft was forced to go around twice due to a lack of spacing, which created an unnecessary 30-minute delay before being allowed to land. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

TSA Investigating Woman Who Boarded American Airlines Flight From Nashville to Los Angeles Without Ticket

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is investigating how a woman passed a security checkpoint and boarded a flight at Nashville International Airport (BNA) without a ticket or boarding pass. This incident is the third time in two months that a passenger flew between two destinations without any form of identification. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

Boeing Needs to Be Led by Engineers, Time is Not On Its Side, Emirates President Says

Boeing needs to be led by engineers if it wants to pull itself out of its current crisis, Tim Clark, the president of Emirates Airline, said Wednesday (www.cnbc.com) Más...

Climate Activists Spray-Paint Private Jet

German protestors belonging to the “Last Generation” climate change group spray-painted a private jet at Sylt Airport (GWT) over government inaction regarding climate change policies. (www.gatechecked.com) Más...

United Airlines Suspends Pilot for Israel-Hamas War Comments

United Airlines came under fire this week after one of its pilots expressed praise for the October 7 attacks in Israel. Although Mossallam created this post on October 7, his views were only well-publicized once Stop Antisemitism shared screenshots of his Facebook post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on November 20. On November 21, a spokesperson from United said that the pilot was removed from service with pay and the airline will look further into the situation (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

Ex-Boeing Employees Warn Against Flying on 737 MAX

Former Boeing employees, including a senior manager, express reservations about flying on the 737 Max, citing safety concerns stemming from alleged production pressures and compromised quality control. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Más...

American Airlines Pilot Gets Petty Over Radio Phraseology Reprimand

After being reprimanded by an air traffic controller over bad phraseology, an American Airlines pilot became very bitter and petty on frequency. (www.gatechecked.com) Más...

Airlines crackdown on what passengers can carry on flights

Passengers are often allowed a carry-on a bag and personal item for their flights, but airlines are looking to clarify and enforce their rules for what people can bring with them on board. NBC’s Sam Brock reports for TODAY. (www.today.com) Más...

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to Step Down; Board Chair and Commercial Airplane Head Replaced in Wake of 737 MAX Crisis

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will step down at the end of 2024 in part of a broad management shakeup for the embattled aerospace giant. (www.cnbc.com) Más...

Deadheading Pilot Stepped in After On-Duty Air Canada Pilot Incapacitated

In an extraordinary incident, the safe landing of an Air Canada commercial jet airliner was attributed to an off-duty pilot, who swiftly stepped in after one of the on-duty pilots was rendered incapacitated mid-flight. (www.airlinerwatch.com) Más...

Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. (www.nytimes.com) Más...

Japan Airlines Accident Highlights Importance Of Flight Attendants And Passenger Discipline

Evacuating 379 people from a burning jet is no small feat. On a day when so much went wrong, this article celebrates what went right on Japan Airlines 516 today. (avgeekery.com) Más...

Boeing and the Dark Age of American Manufacturing

Somewhere along the line, the plane maker lost interest in making its own planes. Can it rediscover its engineering soul? (www.theatlantic.com) Más...

American Airlines fined $15K after mom of 3 was ‘violently’ sucked into plane’s engine on New Year’s Eve

A regional subsidiary of American Airlines was hit with a $15,625 fine by federal safety regulators over the death of a ground crew worker who was sucked into the engine of a plane at an Alabama airport on New Year’s Eve. (www.newsbreak.com) Más...

Emirates Successfully Flies Damaged Airbus A380 from Moscow to Dubai, Circumventing Western Sanctions

Emirates airline has ingeniously circumvented Western sanctions on Russia by flying a significantly damaged Airbus A380 back to Dubai. The aircraft encountered an unusual accident at Moscow Domodedovo Airport last Wednesday, where it was hit by a service truck, causing substantial damage to its undercarriage just before a scheduled flight to Dubai. (www.airguide.info) Más...

Qatar Airways Under Fire For Banning Famous Aviation YouTuber Josh Cahill

Qatar Airways, commonly praised for being among the world's best airlines, has recently come under negative spotlight over its reaction to a flight review posted on YouTube. Josh Cahill, a popular aviation YouTuber specializing in airline reviews, published a video titled "The Shocking Decline of Qatar Airways" in August 2023. Qatar Airways reacted furiously to Cahill's video by banning him from the airline and allegedly firing the cabin crew who operated that flight. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

Alaska Airlines Embraer E175 Diverts After Cockpit Jumpseat Passenger Tries To Shut Down Engines

An Alaska Airlines Embraer E175 was forced to divert from its flight path, as a person sitting in the flight deck jump seat attempted to shut down the aircraft's engines. The flight, operated by Horizon Air, safely diverted to Portland International Airport (PDX) on October 22, 2023. According to Flightradar24, Horizon Air flight AS2059 was a regularly scheduled flight between Seattle Paine Field International Airport (PAE) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Less than an hour… (simpleflying.com) Más...

United And Alaska Airlines Aborted Landing In San Francisco To Avoid Hitting Southwest Airlines Jet

On May 19, a United Airlines flight was forced to abort landing in order to avoid a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 on the runway. Then an Alaska Airlines jet aborted its landing, too. Air traffic control called out the Southwest pilot – “you shouldn’t be on the runway” – yet the FAA dismisses this in a statement to the San Francisco Chronicle saying that there was no runway incursion (because of the aborted landings!) and that they “looked into the incident and determined the appropriate steps… (viewfromthewing.com) Más...

GPS Spoofing: Why are Planes Getting Hacked in the Middle East?

In a recent development that has raised alarms among aviation experts, dozens of commercial airliners flying over parts of the Middle East have reported experiencing GPS spoofing attacks in recent months. These attacks involve the transmission of false GPS signals, effectively tricking aircraft navigation systems into believing they are in a different location than their actual position. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

Before GPS: How Did Pilots Navigate in the Early Days of Aviation?

Navigation is something we do every day without even considering it. In its simplest terms, navigation is getting from point A to point B. It's fairly easy when the distances are short, and the environs are obvious. Finding your way to the kitchen in your own home, for example. But when the distances grow longer, and if the destination is unfamiliar, then the challenges increase. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

YouTuber who staged California plane crash gets 6 months in prison for obstructing investigation

Finally ... about time we saw something like this... (lasvegassun.com) Más...

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $76 Million in Grants from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Modernize Airports, From Runway Improvements to Better Facilities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding another $76.1 million from the previously allocated $9 billion, for 45 airport-related infrastructure projects in 22 states. The projects are funded under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) program, part of the $25 billion total included in the law for airport improvements, including front-of-house projects such as terminal expansions and baggage… (www.faa.gov) Más...

Video: Korea's Science Institute Introduces Robot that Flies Aircraft Safer than Human Pilots

SEOUL — Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) researchers are at the forefront of integrating AI and robotics. They're pioneering the development of Pibot, a humanoid robot, uniquely capable of flying aircraft without necessitating cockpit alterations tailored to robots. David Shim, a noted associate professor at KAIST, emphasized, "Pibot can navigate an airplane identically to human pilots, thanks to its proficiency in controlling cockpit instruments designed… (www.airlinerwatch.com) Más...

Air Canada Under Fire as Disabled Passenger Forced to Drag Himself off Aircraft

Air Canada has announced its plan to make significant changes to its operations following several high-profile incidents involving disabled passengers. Four people with disabilities revealed their poor experiences flying with Air Canada this year. These incidents involved the airline not accommodating disabled passengers who required extra assistance. In one case, the passenger was forced to drag himself to the front of the aircraft before being able to use a wheelchair. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

Lawmakers Urge FAA To Ease Path to Mental Health Care

U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee and aviation subcommittee members urged FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to take “decisive actions” that would encourage aviation professionals to seek mental healthcare. “We are concerned about the FAA’s approach to ensuring aviation professionals can obtain mental healthcare in a timely and efficient manner,” the lawmakers said in a joint letter sent last week. “It is clear to us that talented aviation professionals—our… (www.ainonline.com) Más...

Boeing’s Shift from Engineering Excellence to Profit-Driven Culture: Tracing the Impact of the McDonnell Douglas Merger on the 737 Max Crisis

Boeing’s journey, particularly with its 737 Max, reflects a dramatic shift in the company’s core values and operational philosophy, a change significantly influenced by its late-1990s merger with McDonnell Douglas. This pivotal event marked a departure from Boeing’s storied commitment to engineering superiority and a safety-first mindset, pivoting towards a business model heavily emphasizing cost efficiency and rapid production, often at the expense of product quality and safety. (www.airguide.info) Más...

Flight Attendant Threatens No-Fly List to Passenger Over Catering Mishap

A United Airlines elite frequent flyer was threatened by a flight attendant after an incident relating to an extra serving of Manicotti. (aeroxplorer.com) Más...

Can Boeing’s Misguided Leaders Be Stopped?

Can anything save Boeing from its management? The recent high-profile near-disaster involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX is just another small step in Boeing’s downward spiral, and it is far from clear what will arrest it. The safety concerns and manufacturing errors plaguing the company’s jetliner unit are just part of the problem. The production ramp-up has been a series of disappointments that will only worsen as regulators and customers scrutinize manufacturing and inspection… (aviationweek.com) Más...

LATAM Boeing 787-9 near Panama City, Captain Incapacitated

A LATAM Boeing 787-9 aircraft with registration CC-BGI was performing flight LA-505 from Miami, FL (USA) to Santiago de Chile (Chile). While cruising at FL370 approximately 120 nautical miles north of Panama City (Panama), the aircraft altered its course to divert to Panama City due to the reported incapacitation of one of the captains on board. (www.airguide.info) Más...

Extreme heat can snarl flights even without a cloud in the sky

“The weight at which you can operate (max gross takeoff weight) decreases as the temperature goes up,” explained Kathleen Bangs, a former airline pilot and current spokesperson for FlightAware, which tracks flight status in real time. “The hotter and more humid the surrounding air is, the more aircraft components and airfoil performance degrade.” (www.usatoday.com) Más...