Boeing’s beleaguered 737 Max has taken a big step towards recertification more than 15 months after it was grounded, as it launched on its first official recertification flight. The aircraft, operating as flight number BOE701, took off from Seattle’s Boeing Field on 29 June, and headed to Moses Lake, Washington, about 120nm (216km) to the southeast, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the flight, and said it would take 'several hours'. “The FAA and Boeing are conducting a series of recertification flights this week to evaluate Boeing’s proposed changes to the automated flight control system on the 737 Max,” the FAA writes in a statement. “The certification flights are expected to take approximately three days. They will include a wide array of flight maneuvers and emergency procedures to assess whether the changes meet FAA certification standards. The tests are being conducted by test pilots....
Airbus is set to cut its workforce by 15,000 personnel by summer next year, as part of its response to the downturn in the air transport sector. These cuts will include 5,100 positions in Germany, another 5,000 in France, and 1,700 in the UK. The measures affect subsidiaries including Premium Aerotec – which had already been undergoing a restructuring exercise, affecting 900 jobs, before the crisis – and Stelia. Airbus also intends to cut 900 jobs in Spain and 1,300 from other facilities worldwide. The airframer says the 'necessary reduction' is the subject of consultation processes with social partners, which aim to reach implementation agreements from autumn this year. Airbus states that commercial aircraft activity has fallen by nearly 40% as a result of the coronavirus crisis. It has already slashed single-aisle and twin-aisle production. But it does not expect air traffic to recover to pre-crisis levels until at least....
A Lockheed Martin PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor successfully detected, tracked and intercepted a tactical ballistic missile target today in a test at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Today’s test verified missile software and hardware component upgrades that enable future performance of the PAC-3 MSE interceptor to keep pace against expanding threats of today and tomorrow. "We are continuously looking for ways to improve the PAC-3 missile, increase its capabilities and expand the missile's ability to defend against the growing number of potential threats,” said Brenda Davidson, vice president of PAC-3 Programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Flight tests like this demonstrate Lockheed Martin’s commitment to increasing the performance of PAC-3.” The PAC-3 family of missiles are the only combat proven Hit-to-Kill interceptors that defend against incoming threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft. Ten nations – the United States, Qatar, Japan, Romania, Poland, the United....
India will restart international flights only once its domestic traffic reaches 50-60% of pre-Covid-19 levels, and that other countries loosen travel restrictions, India’s civil aviation minister has said. “We can start regular international flights when our domestic traffic reaches about 50-60%, [and] other countries open up to international traffic without present conditionalities,” said Hardeep Singh Puri in a 21 June tweet. “Once the situation evolves in that direction we will consider a calibrated opening.” The Indian government currently restricts airlines to operating at up to 30% of pre-pandemic capacity. In a CNBC-TV18 interview that was published on 15 June, Indian budget carrier IndiGo’s chief executive Ronojoy Dutta urged the government to “move that 30% cap up to 50%”. He added that it is “time to reduce the international restrictions”. Civil aviation minister Puri also tweeted that on 20 June, the 27th day since domestic operations restarted in India, the country’s airports....
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions plans to offer $209 million in common stock for sale to fund general corporate purposes, including the acquisition of other companies. The company is to offer 13.5 million shares of its common stock in a public offering at a price of $16.25 per share, it says on 18 June. The firm’s stock closed at $16.20 per share on 19 June. “Kratos expects to use the net proceeds from this offering for general corporate purposes, including for potential strategic ‘tuck-in’ acquisitions, to further position the company for projected growth from new and anticipated increased production and to facilitate its long-term strategy,” the firm says. The company has acquired several businesses in recent years including satellite antenna manufacturer ASC Signal, as well as small jet turbine manufacturers Technical Directions and Florida Turbine Technologies. Kratos Defence makes a variety of military products including unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), target....
Honeywell Aerospace has unveiled a lightweight, low-maintenance cooling system for developers of urban air mobility (UAM) and electric aircraft, and has named the Eviation Alice as launch platform for the energy-efficient feature. The company’s micro vapor cycle system (MicroVCS) will be incorporated into the nine-seat, all-electric commuter aircraft in July, in preparation for the prototype’s first flight later this year. Honeywell describes the MicroVCS as a thermal management system that uses advanced technology “to generate cold air or liquid to cool cabins, electronic components and batteries”. The equipment is lighter than comparable vapour cycle systems, it says, “and completely oil-free, with fewer moving parts, so it needs virtually no maintenance over the life of the system”. Tom Hart, Honeywell Aerospace’s vice-president and general manager for air and thermal systems, says aircraft in the emerging UAM and electric air taxi categories will need to be lightweight and avoid significant downtime for....
A Federal Aviation Administration report completed in April establishes broad timelines for when the agency expects to implement a number of oversight changes, including creation of a safety management system (SMS) rule. FAA administrator Steve Dickson mentioned that rule on 17 June, calling it the most-critical means by which aerospace manufacturers can improve safety. The rule would require aerospace designers and manufacturers have SMS, which are companywide safety management programs. In its April report, issued in response to recommendations stemming from two Boeing 737 Max crashes, the FAA says it will propose the rule by December 2021, though it may not be final for another two to four years. The SMS rule is among several FAA actions outlined in the 35-page report. The agency also pledges to address certification issues related to pilot-aircraft interactions, pilot proficiency, certification of updates to older aircraft, and the FAA’s Organisation Designation Authorisation (ODA), under....
HAECO’s cabin solutions unit has rolled out a suite of hands-free devices that can be fitted into existing aircraft lavatories, amid growing scrutiny of onboard sanitation during the coronavirus outbreak. The solutions include an electric, foot-controlled switch to flush toilets; an infrared, sensor-based waste basket lid; and a refillable hand sanitiser dispenser, which HAECO says will eliminate the need for wipes and paper towels. The company adds that the dispenser can be fitted around an aircraft’s interior. It will offer the products individually, “to allow airlines to choose the device or devices that would provide them with the greatest value”, HAECO Cabin Solutions says. President and group director at HAECO Cabin Solutions Doug Rasmussen says: “In our current environment and expectations for the future, passengers would greatly benefit from these enhancements to on-board sanitation. These devices are already familiar to consumers, and we can certify their use in aircraft for....
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has shown that common ground heaters could be used to raise the temperature of aircraft interiors to levels sufficient to kill the coronavirus and other biological contaminants. In two tests conducted in May 2020, the interior of a Boeing C-17 cargo aircraft was sealed using materials common to military installations and was heated to 27°C (50°F) above ambient temperatures over a six-hour period, says the AFRL on 9 June. The heaters used in the experiment are found at all military bases, and are commonly used by maintenance crews to keep warm or to heat equipment. “Our goal with this test was to demonstrate the ability for any Air Force base to assist with aircraft disinfection utilizing only commonly available equipment and materials,” says Doug Lewis, team lead of the 711th Human Performance Wing Protection Systems, which is leading the effort. “We knew that....
The aviation industry was flourishing fuelled by global economic growth and business and leisure travel before the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus outbreak, however, brought the global aviation industry to a grinding halt as countries closed borders and temporarily closed their skies for international air passengers. More than 70% of global aviation fleet is grounded due to the coronavirus outbreak measures implemented worldwide. Aviation experts note that the industry may take up to five years to return to levels witnessed before COVID-19, as quoted by Airbus. Verdict has conducted a poll to assess whether the recovery of civil aviation will be V, U or L-shaped, when it recovers. Analysis of the poll results shows that the recovery could be U-shaped as opined by a majority 45% of the poll respondents. While 28% of the respondents voted that the recovery would be L-shaped, a similar number of 27% felt the recovery would....
Boeing 737 flies off on its first official recertification flight
Airbus to downturn its air transport sector by summer next year
Lockheed Martin’s MSE interceptor achieves test success
India puts forward conditions to restart international flights
Kratos to fund general corporate purposes
Honeywell Aerospace unveils lightweight, low maintenance cooling system for UAM and electric aircraft
FAA to implement safety management system (SMS) rule
HAECO rolls out hands free devices for aircraft lavatories
Aircraft interiors could kill covid-19 says, AFRL
Aviation industry may take up to 5 years to return to levels witnessed before COVID-19, quotes Airbus
Subscribe for your weekly updates
