JetBlue Undercuts Delta and American, Software to Prevent Dangerous Airport Landings, and More
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Here are the exciting aviation industry updates for today. Let’s get started.
Fly to Paris for less: JetBlue undercuts Delta and American airlines
JetBlue is expanding its transatlantic service with a new New York to Paris route starting in June, offering tickets starting at $479, undercutting both Delta and American airlines.
The move follows Norwegian low-cost start-up Norse Atlantic's announcement of $159 one-way tickets to Paris.
JetBlue debuted its London service in 2021, and its Paris route is part of a broader plan to expand into Europe. The expansion is possible due to the airline's use of the Airbus A321 Long Range, a narrowbody and more efficient aircraft. Read more
Software aims to prevent dangerous airport landings
A software called ASDE-X Taxiway Arrival Prediction (ATAP) has been installed at 43 major airports across the US to prevent planes from landing on taxiways instead of runways, which can be a major safety hazard.
The software uses radar and other sensors to automatically alert air traffic controllers if an inbound aircraft is lining up to land on a taxiway.
The software has already helped prevent over 50 wrong-surface taxiway landings since its implementation in 2018. Despite most wrong-surface events involving general aviation aircraft, the software is expected to improve safety for all aircraft. Read more
Southwest Airlines taps into AWS cloud technology for next-generation customer service
Southwest Airlines has chosen Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider as part of its digital transformation initiative to optimize its operations and infrastructure costs, and advance its digital customer experiences.
The airline plans to use AWS to create improved digital solutions, responsive customer support, and streamlined operations. It also aims to leverage AWS technologies, such as analytics and machine learning, to improve the speed to market of new digital innovations. Read more
FAA to increase oversight of Boeing, plans to hire nearly 300 staff
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is increasing its oversight of Boeing. It intends to hire almost 300 employees for its safety office in the wake of two fatal 737 MAX crashes in recent years.
The FAA is expanding its oversight team with 35 full-time employees to support oversight activities. The FAA continues to inspect each 737 MAX and 787 aircraft before issuing an "airworthiness certificate and cleared for delivery."
The FAA currently has 107 full-time staff members providing regulatory oversight on Boeing. Read more
Indian airline Go First considers lawsuit against engine maker Pratt & Whitney
Indian airline Go First is considering legal action against Raytheon Technologies, maker of Pratt & Whitney engines, due to reliability issues.
Half of Go First's fleet has been grounded due to PW-1100G geared turbofan (GTF) engine malfunctions. As per reports, Go First asked for compensation from the engine manufacturer, but it was refused.
The airline signed a billion-dollar deal for PW engines for its A320neo aircraft in 2019, with a service agreement that covered compensation for maintenance issues.
The months of April to June are usually busy for airlines, and engine issues may result in revenue loss. Read more
Bumpy skies ahead: Is air turbulence on the rise due to climate change?
Several recent incidents of in-flight turbulence causing injuries and even death have raised concerns about the impact of climate change on aviation.
As extreme weather becomes more frequent, weather-related turbulence is expected to increase, while changes in the jet stream and high-altitude wind speeds could also be contributing to bumpier rides.
Specifically, flights are increasingly encountering "clear-air turbulence," which is invisible and, therefore, particularly dangerous.
Research predicts that by 2050, pilots can expect to encounter twice as much severe clear-air turbulence. Turbulence accounted for more than a third of accidents between 2009 and 2018. Read more
FAA deadline for airline 5G retrofit draws near, many airlines at risk of missing it
US Senators Blackburn and Lujan have asked for information on airlines that may miss deadlines to retrofit planes and avoid 5G interference.
The action came following concerns that many operators will not meet the proposed July 2023 deadline due to supply chain issues and certification delays.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration has proposed requiring planes in the US to have 5G C-Band-tolerant radio altimeters or approved filters by early 2024. Read more
Airports and airlines required to boost cyber security with new TSA guidelines
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued a set of cybersecurity requirements for airport and aircraft operators in response to persistent cybersecurity threats against US critical infrastructure.
The new rules demand that TSA-regulated organizations must develop and assess "an approved implementation plan that describes measures they are taking to improve their cybersecurity resilience and prevent disruption and degradation to their infrastructure."
The guidelines come as part of a broader government effort to increase cyber resilience across critical industries, following the White House's National Cybersecurity Strategy published on 2nd March.
Researchers welcomed the rules but pointed out that they largely reiterate existing best practices. Read more
FAA certification delays push back deployment of Boeing MAX 7 for Southwest
According to its CEO, Bob Jordan, Southwest Airlines does not expect to use Boeing MAX 7 planes in 2023 due to delays in certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Jordan stated that Southwest is dependent on Boeing, with the airline not expecting the MAX 7 in service until early 2024.
Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen declined to comment on when the FAA will approve the MAX 7. Boeing said it continues to work with regulators to meet certification requirements.
According to Jordan, Southwest expects to receive additional MAX 8 planes this year if the MAX 7 is delayed. Read more
GE Aerospace to invest $335M in US manufacturing facilities, $32M in Evendale
GE Aerospace is investing $32 million in its Evendale-based facilities for assembly capacity expansion and maintenance.
More than $17 million of the investment will go to GE Aerospace and Aero Engine Operation. The latter produces aeroderivatives used for generating electricity and propelling ships.
The investment is part of GE Aerospace's plan to invest $335 million in its US manufacturing facilities in 2023. Read more
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