The government says October was the first month when no airplanes were stuck on the ground for more than three hours.
It’s the first month without tarmac delays since the government started collected data in 2008. Get the full story »
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Dec. 7, 2010 at 10:44 a.m.
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Filed under: Airlines, Airplanes, Airports, Transportation, Travel Government: No 3-hour tarmac delays in October
United postpones first 787 service
With another delay to Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner looming, United Airlines has postponed launching service from Houston to Auckland, New Zealand, the first North American flight slated to feature the ground-breaking jet
The new United had planned to launch those flights on Nov. 16, 2011, to be flown initially under the brand of merger partner Continental Airlines, said Julie King, spokeswoman for the Chicago-based carrier. But with uncertainty shrouding the 787’s commercial debut, the world’s largest airline decided to push back its New Zealand expansion effort to 2012. Get the full story »
Boeing puts 3-week hold on 787 assembly
Boeing Co. puts a three-week hold on assembling new 787s. Boeing said on Monday that the hold began late last month. It says it is not asking the companies that make parts for the 787 to slow or stop production. Get the full story »
Continental ordered to pay in Concorde crash
A French court has ordered Continental Airlines Inc. to pay Air France SA more than $1.3 million in damages over the crash of a supersonic Concorde jet outside Paris a decade ago that killed 113 people. The court, in a lengthy verdict Monday, also found a Continental mechanic guilty of manslaughter.
The presiding judge confirmed that titanium debris dropped by a Continental DC-10 onto the runway at Charles de Gaulle airport before the Concorde took off was to blame for the crash. Investigators said debris gashed the Concorde’s tire, propelling bits of rubber into the fuel tanks and sparking a fire.
Boeing supplier shifts workers away from 787
A key supplier for Boeing’s new 787 is shifting workers to other planes, in another sign that delays to the 787 are likely. Spirit AeroSystems says some of its workers in Wichita, Kan., will now work on Boeing’s 737. Some will keep working on the 787, but at a slower rate. Get the full story »
Unmanned Boeing spacecraft completes 7-month mission
An unmanned U.S. Air Force spacecraft made by Boeing, with a vaguely defined military mission, landed early Friday in California after a seven-month mission, officials said.
The X-37B, the U.S. Air Force’s first unmanned re-entry spacecraft, landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 3:16 a.m., according to an Air Force statement. The orbital spacecraft “conducted on-orbit experiments for more than 220 days during its maiden voyage,” the statement said. Get the full story »
Jet suppliers cite potential gain from Airbus move
Aircraft suppliers Rockwell Collins and Goodrich said on Thursday they could gain new business as a result of this week’s announcement that EADS unit Airbus would upgrade its A320 plane with better engines that offer 15 percent fuel savings.
Airbus, the world’s largest plane maker, said it would spend roughly $1.3 billion to improve efficiency of the narrowbody aircraft. Its main rival Boeing is also mulling whether to upgrade its competing 737 plane. Get the full story »
No quick decision in Boeing 737 engine debate
The waiting game is about to go into extra innings for the aviation world as Boeing Co. grapples with a tough decision on how to update its hot-selling single-aisle airplane, the 737.
Experts say an announcement on Wednesday by Boeing’s rival Airbus that it would update its competing A320 jetliner with a new engine starting in 2016 gives Boeing plenty of time to assess market needs and its own engineering capabilities. Get the full story »
Boeing defense unit expecting ‘flattish’ year
The defense arm of Boeing Co. is expecting a lackluster year followed by a modest pickup in 2012, the head of the unit said Wednesday. Get the full story »
Southwest Air pilots approve bigger Boeing jet
Southwest Airlines Co said its pilots approved changes to their labor agreement allowing the addition of a bigger-capacity Boeing Co 737 plane that will enable the carrier to transport more passengers as it expands.
The traditional low-fare airline, which is planning to buy rival AirTran Holdings Inc to bolster its presence in U.S. East Coast cities, said it would now move to finalize talks with Boeing on substitutions of 737-800 models for 737-700s. It added it expects delivery of its first 737-800 in the first quarter of 2012. Get the full story »
Boeing keeps options open on new aircraft
Boeing Co. Wednesday said it will keep its options open on whether it will follow rival Airbus’s footsteps, after the European manufacturer said it will replace the engines on its popular A320 family of aircraft in a bid to help airlines become more efficient and save costs. Get the full story »
Airbus to revamp aviation’s A320 workhorse
An Airbus employee works on the electrical wiring in a Airbus A320 aircraft at the Airbus SAS plant in Saint-Nazaire, France. (AP)
European planemaker Airbus plans to upgrade its best-selling A320 medium-haul jets from 2016 with new engines offering 15 percent fuel savings, as it fends off upstart competitors.
Airbus said on Wednesday it would invest just over $1.3 billion in the “A320neo” project to improve efficiency and cut harmful emissions and noise. Get the full story »
Repaired Boeing 787 flies back to Seattle
The Boeing 787 that made an emergency landing in Laredo, Texas, because of an electrical fire during a test flight is safely back in Seattle. Get the full story »
Airbus ready to upgrade A320, may say on Weds.
Airbus has virtually finalized a decision to upgrade its best-selling A320 passenger jet with new engines and the $1-2 billion project could be announced as early as Wednesday, two sources familiar with the matter said.
The project is designed to fend off competition from new market entrants like Canada’s Bombardier and shore up the European planemaker’s position against rival Boeing. Get the full story »
Continental Airlines in deal with Teamsters
Continental Airlines said Monday that it reached a labor contract with negotiators for about 7,000 union employees.
The fleet-service employees, represented by the Teamsters union, will hold a ratification vote in the coming weeks.
Terms were not disclosed. Get the full story »
