Airbus in Talks with China Over Potential Aircraft Order Ahead of Xi Jinping’s France Visit

Airbus is reportedly in discussions with China regarding a potentially significant aircraft order ahead of an upcoming visit to France by Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Xi Jinping is scheduled to make his first trip to Europe in five years next month, with trade expected to be a key topic of discussion amidst growing tensions between the EU and China. (www.airguide.info) Altro...

Southwest Closes Four Stations Amid Ongoing Boeing Delivery Woes

The airline lost $231 million in the first quarter of 2024. (airlinegeeks.com) Altro...

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) Altro...

Hawaiian Airlines slowly adds freighters for Amazon business

Hawaiian has faced some delivery delays for its A330 cargo jets. (www.freightwaves.com) Altro...

India’s IndiGo orders 30 long-range Airbus A350 jets

The agreement follows Airbus and IndiGo’s record-breaking order at last year’s Paris Air Show, where they inked a deal for 500 aircraft from the A320neo family. (www.easterneye.biz) Altro...

FAA investigating near collision of two jets at Reagan National Airport

Two passenger jets came within 400 feet of each other before controllers took last-minute evasive action and immediately stopped the two planes. It’s not clear why the jets were authorized to be on the same runway at the same time. (wtop.com) Altro...

American Airlines Pilots Union Reports Surge in Safety Concerns

The pilots union at American Airlines has reported a concerning increase in safety and maintenance issues, which includes lax routines in aircraft inspections and shorter test flights for planes re-entering service after significant maintenance. According to the Allied Pilots Association, there have also been instances of tools and other items being improperly left in critical areas like wheel wells and around aircraft at gates. (www.airguide.info) Altro...

US FAA to mandate use of safety tool by charter airlines, manufacturers

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday said it is finalizing new rules requiring charter, commuter, air tour operators, and aircraft manufacturers to implement a key safety tool aimed at reducing accidents. The FAA is adopting a final rule mandating the use of Safety Management Systems (SMS), which are a set of policies and procedures to proactively identify and address potential operational hazards, after first proposing to do so in January 2023.… (www.reuters.com) Altro...

The New Boeing CEO Must Be an Airplane Geek, Not Just a Bean Counter

As Boeing prepares for a leadership change later this year, the incoming CEO faces an immense challenge: orchestrating a profound cultural shift within the company’s vast workforce of over 170,000 employees, a significant portion of whom are engineers. (www.airguide.info) Altro...

JetBlue's in-flight entertainment system just got a watch party feature

JetBlue is revamping its in-flight entertainment system, complete with a new branding. It’s now called Blueprint and brings several features that should make your next flight just a teensy-bit less grueling. The biggest news here is a watch party feature that lets customers view the same TV show or film with up to five other people. (www.engadget.com) Altro...

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) Altro...