Zodiac interiors division showing gradual financial improvement

Zodiac Aerospace's troubled seating business is showing signs of recovery despite sales over the first half deteriorating by more than a quarter.

The company says sales for its seats branch – part of its aircraft interiors division – were down by 26% to €449 million ($548 million). This included an organic decline of 21.8%.

Zodiac says it had been expecting the slump, because the figures were affected by commercial impact from "previous design and execution issues".

The company had been forced to take action after serious production problems emerged in 2015.

But Zodiac, which was taken over by French aerospace firm Safran earlier this year, says the seats branch "contributed positively" to the first-half operating income of the interiors division.

It says operational changes led to a "better performance", particularly at its Seats UK and Seat Shells arms.

While the interiors division turned in an operating loss of €97.3 million, this amounted to a €31.6 million improvement.

Zodiac says the result is partly due to cost-reduction initiatives on programmes including the Airbus A350, the A320 Space-Flex modules, and the Bombardier CSeries, although the division was affected by lower volumes and "persistent" delays to VIP and business jet programmes.

Overall aircraft interiors sales were down by nearly 20% to €1.13 billion, of which almost 14% was organic.

Zodiac's aerosystems division performed better, with increased profits over the first half, which enabled Zodiac Aerospace as a whole to turn in a small operating profit of €35 million, in contrast to last year's interim loss of €11.5 million.

It is forecasting a "significantly stronger" performance in the second half in terms of revenues, operating income and cash generation.

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SyberJet readies SJ30i for third-quarter maiden flight

SyberJet Aircraft has begun ground functional testing on the SJ30i, in preparation for the revamped, light business jet's first flight early in the third quarter.

Mark Fairchild, general manager and director of sales for the Cedar City, Utah-headquartered company, says the test aircraft's systems are being "rigorously evaluated". These include the hydraulics, avionics, electrical power generation, pressurisation, engines, fuel system, landing gear and flap/slat actuation, as well as flight control and engine rigging, he says. "We want to make sure everything is in order before we fly it."

The $8.3 million, Williams International FJ44-2A-powered SJ30i is an upgraded version of the SJ30-2, which was certificated in 2005 by its former owner, Emivest Aerospace. Four examples were delivered and remain in service.

The programme was acquired in 2011 by SyberJet’s parent company MTI, whose subsidiary, Metalcraft Technologies, was the aft fuselage supplier for the aircraft.

The main feature of the 2,500nm (4,630km)-range SJ30i is a new avionics suite called SyberVision. Based on Honeywell’s Primus Epic 2.0 system, it comprises four 12in displays and a host of features including SmartView synthetic vision, a moving map display system, electronic charts, TCAS II, dual flight management systems, graphical flight planning and onboard weather radar. It is also meets US and European automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) requirements.

SyberJet has also upgraded the layout of the cockpit to boost its functionality and ergonomics and has added a sixth window on both sides of the fuselage to increase light in the cabin.

The interior will undergo a redesign in the coming months "to give it a more high-end, automotive look", says Fairchild. "These changes, along with improvements in the manufacturing process, and the use of lighter-weight materials, will reduce the aircraft's empty weight by about 200lb (108kg), and help boost its range," he adds.

The SJ30i's flight-test campaign is expected to take a year to complete, and will involve around 250h of flying. "We hope to get an amendment to the type certificate in mid-2019 and deliver the first aircraft soon after," says Fairchild.

The SJ30i fleet will consist of the five unsold and incomplete units – serial numbers 9, 11, 12, 13 and 14 – that MTI acquired from Emivest. SyberJet is also offering the i-series retrofit to current SJ30 owners.

Serial number 15 will be the first aircraft to be wholly produced by SyberJet, and the initial example of the airframer's new baseline model – the SJ30x – featuring more fuel-efficient, higher-thrust FJ44-3AP-25 turbofans. First flight of the $8.8 million aircraft is scheduled for mid-2020, leading to certification and service entry in 2021.

Fairchild says there is a lot of interest in the i and x variants from former SJ30 position holders and operators. However, SyberJet will not actively market the pair, he adds, "until we are on a solid path to certification".

"MTI’s plan from the beginning was to bring the aircraft to market without incurring any debts," says Fairchild. "It has taken a while to get to this stage, but the strategy is paying off. We have a great product with a great future."

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Safran rules out single-aisle rate hike proposals until 2019

A key engine supplier for Airbus and Boeing will not entertain until after January any proposal to further increase production rates for single-aisle aircraft engines beyond planned increases through 2019.

An analyst on a first quarter earnings call on 25 April questioned whether another round of production volume increases was coming, but Safran chief executive Philippe Petitcolin dismissed the idea completely.

Safran forms half of the ownership of CFM International, which is already six weeks behind committed production volumes on the Leap engines that power Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A320neo aircraft.

“We think that at the level we are today it would be crazy to accept additional quantities when I just told you we are six weeks late,” Petitcolin says.

CFM’s owners, Safran and GE Aviation, secured an agreement with Airbus and Boeing last year to hold off on further production rate increases until at least the end of next year.

“We’re not ready and we are not going to negotiate anything,” Petitcolin adds. “We want to stick to what we said 12 working months ago.”

Petitcolin’s response came only hours after Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg repeated a familiar company line during his company’s first quarter earnings call with analysts.

“We continue to assess upward market pressure on the 737 production rate,” Muilenburg says.

Only months after making a similar comment in a 2015 earnings call, Boeing announced a plan to raise 737 production to a monthly rate of 57 by 2019. Boeing is already preparing to increase monthly output from 47 to 52 on the 737 line later this year.

In February, Airbus executives also acknowledged interest in increasing A320 production past a planned hike to 60 per month next year.

Those plans by Airbus and Boeing are straining an already tenuous situation for certain suppliers. Spirit AeroSystems acknowledged falling behind on deliveries of 737 fuselages to Boeing’s final assembly centre in March.

But CFM has one of the hardest challenges in the industry. The company’s members plan to deliver 1,000 CFM56 engines for 737NG and A320s, plus another 1,100 Leap engines for the 737 Max and A320neo.

As CFM56 deliveries ramp down and Leap production ramps up, CFM has fallen behind schedule. Leap engine production rates are continuing to grow almost every week, but not as quickly as the joint company had committed to customers for the A320neo and 737 Max, Peititcolin says.

Safran and GE are both dealing with a shortage of castings and forgings, he says, but they’re on track to recover by the third quarter. Safran expects to be caught up on parts by the end of June and CFM follows behind in the third quarter, Petitcolin says.

Meanwhile, GE also is implementing a solution to a technical glitch that appeared on Leap engines last year. A new ceramic matrix composite coating within the engine was wearing out faster than expected. CFM has developed a new coating that restores the engine’s durability, Petitcolin says.

“We are back to normal in terms of performance we are expecting on this part,” he adds.

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Hybrid geared-fan and piston concept could slash fuel-burn

German aerospace researchers are showing off a high-efficiency powerplant concept which combines geared-fan architecture with a piston-engine core.

While unlikely to enter service before 2050, the concept – described as a composite cycle engine – is potentially capable of halving fuel-burn compared with turbofans from 2000.

The low-pressure section takes advantage of geared-fan technology which ensures that the rotating sections spin at individual optimal speeds.

It has a 16-blade fan with a diameter of 2.87m compared with 2.06m for the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G on the Airbus A320neo.

But the high-pressure shaft is driven by a piston-engine assembly, with two banks and a total of 20 pistons arranged in a V-formation around the centreline of the powerplant.

The piston engine, through the high-pressure spool, powers the axial high-pressure compressor – there is no high-pressure turbine.

Munich-based research institute Bauhaus Luftfahrt, which is presenting the concept at the ILA Berlin air show, says the 5.88m engine length amounts to "only slight enlargement" – some 0.54m – compared with the current geared turbofan.

"The piston engines increase thermal efficiency by using non-stationary isochoric-isobaric combustion," it says.

"[This] enables higher peak pressures and temperatures within the core engine."

The engine would provide thrust of 11,200lb (49.7kN), typical of power levels for current regional jets in the 50-seat sector.

Bauhaus Luftfahrt says the design enables the engine to capitalise on "outstanding" power-to-weight ratio of low-pressure turbines while achieving an "ultra-high" bypass ratio of 33.7.

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Fokker Techniek wins first ACJ319neo completion

Dutch maintenance, repair and overhaul company Fokker Techniek has secured the first VIP completion contract for the Airbus ACJ319neo, following its appointment by German charter operator K5-Aviation to design and outfit a re-engined narrowbody on behalf of its unnamed owner.

The airliner will arrive at Fokker's facility in Woensdrecht in May 2019 for redelivery in early 2020.

The ACJ319neo will join K5's fleet of managed, high-end aircraft, which includes three current-generation ACJ319s – two completed by Fokker in 2008 and 2016, and a third outfitted by Airbus in 2012 – and a pair of long-range Bombardier Global Express/XRS business jets.

K5 also has an ultra-long-range Global 7000 on order, scheduled for delivery in 2019.

Airbus says it has sold nine ACJ320neo-family aircraft to date – three ACJ319s and six ACJ320s.

The first example of the latter variant will be delivered to Swiss completion house AMAC Aerospace later this year, for redelivery to its UK owner, Acropolis Aviation, about 12 months later.

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DARPA approval clears Boeing's transition to new air taxi approach

Virginia-based Aurora Flight Sciences is now poised to transition an all-electric version of the XV-24A Lightning Strike to the commercial air taxi market.

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has agreed to allow the newly-acquired Boeing subsidiary to transition government-funded technology - such as an electric-powered distributed propulsion system – for commercial applications, Aurora announced on 24 April.

The announcement comes a week after Aurora founder and chief executive John Langford acknowledged the company was moving away from the lift-and-cruise-configured prototype demonstrated in flight tests last year.

“What we are doing is somewhat related to those things but not exactly identical,” Langford said on 17 April, addressing a luncheon of the National Aeronautics Association in Washington DC.

For several years, Aurora has invested heavily in autonomy, electric propulsion and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft designs, which are three technologies that form the heart of a global race to develop a new class of electric air taxis.

If the economic, technological and regulatory barriers can be overcome, the market opportunity is vast. A recent Goldman Sachs market forecast cited by Langford included an optimistic scenario with demand for air taxis worldwide amounting to $70 billion annually by 2035, requiring overall production capacity of 50,000 new aircraft a year.

“You have to go back to World War II to see [aircraft] production numbers like this,” Langford says.

To prepare for the market, Aurora has pursued two different options. Last year, the company unveiled a prototype air taxi in a lift-and-cruise configuration, meaning upward-facing rotors used for vertical flight and fixed propellers facing forward for cruise flight.

Separately, Aurora also completed testing of a subscale prototype of the tilt-wing XV-24A. DARPA’s schedule calls for beginning flight tests of the full scale, hybrid-electric XV-24A next year, according to budget documents. The 4,540kg (10,000lb) XV-24A is far too large to operate as an air taxi, but the 136kg subscale prototype offers a more representative platform.

Aurora plans to deliver a “minimum viable product” by 2020 for a large-scale demonstration, involving multiple vehicles and controlled centrally by a command centre. If the technology proves feasible, Aurora could deliver a viable, piloted air taxi by 2023, but autonomous functions would come later as they are approved by regulators, Langford says.

Although that ideal progression may not go exactly as planned, Aurora’s staff feels prepared financially for the long-haul with Boeing’s support.

“This is not a market that a Silicon Valley startup is going to be se able to see through in my humble opinion,” Langford says. “That is partly why we threw in with Boeing.”

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Boeing’s HorizonX fund invests in 3D printing startup

Boeing’s HorizonX venture fund has invested in Morf3D, a California-based company specializing in the additive manufacturing of aerospace parts.

Boeing says that HorizonX co-led the 'Series A' funding round for Morf3D, but did not disclose the amount of investment, or the size of the stake it obtained.

Established in 2015, Morf3D already provides printed parts for Boeing’s satellites and helicopters. Boeing and Morf3D will look for ways to further develop additive manufacturing and engineering capabilities.

"Developing standard additive manufacturing processes for aerospace components benefits both companies and empowers us to fully unleash the value of this transformative technology," says Kim Smith, vice president and general manager of fabrication for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

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Boeing raises guidance on 'strong' first-quarter results

A push to improve productivity paid off for Boeing in the first quarter as operating profits rose 30% compared with the same period a year ago on only a 6% improvement in revenues.

As operating profits jumped to $2.88 billion in first quarter, Boeing’s net earnings showed even greater improvement, rising 57% to $2.48 billion.

The results helped Boeing inch closer to a targeted operating margin in the mid-teens by the end of next year. The critical ratio of operating sales to costs improved by 2.3 percentage points to 12.3% compared with the first quarter of last year.

As a result, Boeing provided more optimistic guidance for the full year. The company now predicts a full-year operating margin of about 11.5%, or half a percentage point higher than predicted at the end of January. The company’s guidance for operating cash flow also improved from $15 billion to a range up to $15.5 billion for the full year.

“Our team’s strong first-quarter performance, combined with the positive market outlook across our businesses and our confidence in executing on our production and development programmes, gives us a solid foundation to raise our guidance for the year,” says Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg.

A year ago, Boeing Commercial Airplanes reported sluggish performance, as a backlog of undelivered 737s dipped ahead of the entry into service of the 737 Max 8. By contrast, the company’s performance in the first quarter of this year showed significant improvement. Commercial aircraft deliveries improved by 9% to 184, as operating earnings leaped by 73% to $1.59 billion on a 5% growth in revenues to $13.7 billion.

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ANA to equip A380s with 520 seats

All Nippon Airways (ANA) will equip its three on order Airbus A380s with 520 seats, the second highest seat density deployed on the type.

The four class configuration includes 383 economy class seats on the main deck, says ANA. The upper deck will have 137 seats with eight in first class, 56 in business, and 73 in premium economy.

Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that this will be the world's second densest A380 configuration. Emirates has 13 A380s equipped with 615 seats. The average seat count across the world's 221 in-service A380s is 496.

ANA says that Jamco produced the first class seats, Zodiac Aerospace the business class seats, and ZIM both economy and premium economy.

ANA will commence service with the type in spring 2019, and will operate on the Tokyo-Honolulu route. ANA's A380s will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. Its first A380 entered final assembly in Toulouse this month.

"This marks the first time ANA has offered first class on this resort route, and its aim is to provide passengers with a luxurious onboard experience. Each seat features its own door and provides passengers with the privacy they need to enjoy their personal space."

Acknowledging that the Honolulu route is popular with couples, including newlyweds, business class offers several rows of seats directly next to each other, dispensing with the fishbone configuration found in many business classes.

In addition, economy class includes 60 "couch seats."

"This makes ANA the first in Japan to introduce a couch seat concept," it says. "Each couch is comprised of three or four seats and passengers are able to lie on the seats by folding up the leg rests. In addition, passengers will receive a dedicated mattress that will provide them with further comfort."

The carrier expects the couches to be particularly popular among families travelling with small children.

In addition, the three aircraft will have unique, Hawaii-themed liveries. These are designed to symbolise the sky, ocean, and sunset.

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Japanese Coast Guard orders single H225

The Japanese Coast Guard has ordered an additional Airbus Helicopters H225 rotorcraft.

The new order will see the coast guard's fleet of Super Puma family helicopters reach 13 by 2021, says Airbus Helicopters.

It now operates three AS332s and five H225s, with five H225s on firm order.

The coast guard uses the 11t H225 for security, coastal activities, and disaster relief missions.

Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Japan's Coast Guard operates 45 helicopters and 25 fixed wing aircraft. Key types include the AgustaWestland AW139, Sikorsky S-76, and Beechcraft King Air 350.

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Tecnam nears assembly of first customer-owned Travellers

Italian airframer Tecnam is building the parts for the first customer-owned P2012 Travellers, and says it will begin assembling the all-metal piston-twins in mid-May, ahead of initial deliveries in early 2019.

"We are preparing the production line in Capua [near Naples] now, and plan deliver the first Travellers shortly after US and European certification, which is on track for the end of the year," says Tecnam global sales and marketing director Walter Da Costa.

US regional airline Cape Air is the launch customer and co-developer of the 11-seat, 375hp (280kW) Lycoming TEO-540-C1A-powered Traveller. The Hyannis, Massachusetts-based carrier has ordered 100 aircraft to replace its fleet of ageing Cessna 402C piston-twins, and will take delivery of the first 10 units in 2019, says Da Costa.

"We plan to produce 20 Travellers in total next year, reaching production of between 25 and 30 aircraft in 2020," he adds.

Tecnam has an orderbook for over 130 Travellers, with charter operators accounting for the remainder. In early April, the company announced the sale of a single aircraft to Seychelles-based Zil Air, which will be delivered in July 2019. The operator is in discussions to acquire a second example, and Da Costa hopes to close the deal in the third quarter.

The Traveller was launched by Tecnam in 2011 and made its maiden sortie in 2016, with the second flight-test aircraft joining the certification campaign in December 2017. So far, the pair have flown over 300h, says Da Costa.

The Garmin G1000 NXi-equipped Traveller has a range of 950nm (1,750km), a cruise speed of 190kt (351km/h) and a maximum take-off weight of 3,600kg (7,930lb).

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Red Bull Air Race Debuts in Cannes

The Red Bull Air Race World Championships had its first competition in Cannes, France, over the weekend. But the three French competitors in the Masters Class: Mika Braegot, Nicholas Ivanoff and Francois Le Vot, got snubbed for the first opportunity to win on their home racecourse. Instead it was Australian Matt Hall who took home the trophy.

But Hall didn’t take the win for granted. “The way everyone is flying everyone can get on the podium and I believe there’s six people that could win consistently,” Hall said. “If you get four of those six in the Final 4 then any of them can win – every second counts, as you saw between me and Matthias.”

Matthias Dolderer from Germany finished second, inching out the winner from the Abu Dhabi race in February, Michael Goulian. While Goulian finished third, he remains the leader after the first two races in the eight-race series that is scheduled to end in November. Goulian holds 24 points, three more than Matt Hall.

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P&WC still working on nacelle for Gulfstream G500

Pratt & Whitney Canada is continuing to work on certificating the nacelle for the Gulfstream G500 large cabin business jet, but certification and entry into service are expected later this summer, United Technologies chief executive Greg Hayes says.

Gulfstream originally planned to certificate the G500 in 2018 when launching the programme more than three years ago, but then accelerated that schedule to the second half of 2017.

As the accelerated deadline came and went, Gulfstream explained that one supplier did not anticipate some of documentation requirements needed by the European Aviation Safety Agency. Gulfstream reset the entry-into-service for the G500 back to the original schedule of 2018.

UTC subsidiary Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) supplies the integrated propulsion system for the G500 to Gulfstream. The system includes PW800 engine and the nacelle.

“The engine is certified,” Hayes told analysts during a first quarter earnings call on 24 April. “”We’re still doing some work on the nacelle.”

Hayes adds that entry into service remains on track for later this summer. “I don’t think there’s any drama there,” he says.

In 2014, P&WC announced selecting Oklahoma-based Nordam to supply the inlet, nacelle and thrust reverser for the PW800. Earlier this year, Austria-based FACC Aerospace announced they had been selected by P&WC to supply hybrid metallic-composite fan cases for the engine.

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Global 7000 Wins Red Dot Product Design Award

Bombardier’s soon to be certified Global 7000 business jet was last week named a winner of the 2018 Red Dot Product Design award in Essen Germany. The Global 7000 was selected by the 39-person jury from more than 6,300 submissions nominated from nearly 60 countries competing in several categories. The Red Dot award honors innovation, concepts and visions. The strict judging criteria focused on the level of innovation, functionality, formal quality, ergonomics and durability, among others.

Brad Nolen, vice-president, Marketing and Product Strategy, Bombardier Business Aircraft said, “We like to refer to our clean-sheet Global 7000 aircraft as ‘the aircraft designed without compromise.’ The aircraft succeeds not only in elevating the overall in-flight experience, it also ups the ante for performance, speed and range, and it is clearly changing the game in the private jet industry.” When I speak about good design, I am referring to more than just an attractive product. All of the products are characterized by outstanding functionality.

Established in 1955, the Red Dot Design award is an international design competition and one of the most sought-after recognitions for design and innovation excellence worldwide. All laureates will be celebrated at the award ceremony in Essen’s opera house, the Aalto-Theater, on 9 July.

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Airbus Beluga XL’s First Flight Approaching

The first time I spied that chunky Beluga on the ramp at Toulouse France as I taxied out for takeoff, it was clear the converted Airbus A300 was created for a very special task, carrying large, oddly-shaped cargo. But there’s little denying the Beluga is also one of the homeliest airplanes I’ve ever seen, reminding me of a creature with a huge body matched with a tiny head. Ugly or exotic, Airbus found a market for the airplane 20 years ago, transporting some fuselage parts for the massive A380.

The Beluga fleet eventually grew to five aircraft, but the airplane by any standard is pretty long in the tooth having first flown in 1983. In addition to an aging airplane, Airbus envisioned a larger capacity platform and so the Beluga XL, based on the A330 platform, was born.

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United plans premium economy launch in 2019

United Airlines plans to launch its new premium economy class in early 2019, as it dribbles out details on the new product.

Sales of Premium Plus, the Chicago-based carrier's name for the product, will begin in the fourth quarter or in early 2019, for a first quarter 2019 launch, said Andrew Nocella, chief commercial officer of United, during an earnings call on 18 April.

However, the physical seats will begin to appear on aircraft this summer and will likely be sold as United's extra-legroom economy plus product initially, he adds.

"[Premium Plus] further pushes us down the road as segmentation, particularly with the mid-tier cabin," says Nocella. "We’re really confident in its ability to deliver value for the airline."

United aims to generate roughly $1 billion in additional revenue from segmentation, which also includes its new Polaris business class and basic economy fares, by 2020.

The airline released seat maps showing the new product on the Boeing 767-300ER, 777-200 and -300ER, and 787-10 to flight attendants earlier in April. It plans to install 22 premium economy seats on the 767, 24 on both 777 variants and 21 on the 787.

United has not said what aircraft will be the first with Premium Plus.

The carrier plans to have both its Polaris business seats and premium economy on all of its widebody aircraft by the end of 2020, says Nocella. It aims to introduce a retrofitted aircraft with both products, on average, every 10 days through the period.

Polaris, but not Premium Plus, is installed on 19 of the 767-300ERs and 777-300ERs in United's fleet, its website shows.

The airline operates 178 widebody aircraft, including 767-400ERs and 787-8s and -9s, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows.

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Trent troubles force Air NZ 787-9s to make refueling stops

Air New Zealand’s services to the United States and Japan have been affected by issues with some of its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on its Boeing 787-9s.

“Weight restrictions included in an FAA directive issued last week mean some Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights to Asian destinations will be required to make refueling stops,” says the carrier.

Routes affected include Los Angeles and Houston, services to Tokyo Haneda, and some trans-Tsasman and Pacific island flights.

“Depending on en-route weather conditions, some flights may not be able to depart with all the fuel they require, prompting the need for the fuel stop. Over the weekend, 787-9 flights made fuel stops at Sydney, Cairns, Darwin and Guam.”

David Morgan, chief operational integrity and standards officer, offered a positive assessment of the stops: “Having the flexibility to make a short fuel stop means we are more likely to be able to take a full contingent of customers and cargo. The alternative would see us potentially having to disappoint significant numbers of customers by moving them to later flights. We are committed to doing everything possible to avoid this, particularly during this busy school holiday travel period.”

Overall, 9000 passengers will be impacted by the refueling stop issue, which the carrier says is less than 3% of customers.

The carrier made the remarks in its fourth R-R engine update since 14 April, when it said it was working closely with the engine maker following a directive from EASA that detailed a new inspection regime for Trent 1000 powerplants as part of the effort to address intermediate pressure compressor blade durability. On 13 April, R-R had disclosed that Package C engines, which are used on the 787, are subject to greater scrutiny.

FligthMaps Analytics shows that Air New Zealand operates its 787-9s to four Asia-Pacific destinations: Bali, Singapore, Shanghai, and Tokyo. It also uses the type on its Auckland-Houston service.

On 16 April, Air New Zealand advised that nine of the Trent 1000 engines that power its Boeing 787-9s are affected by a recent airworthiness directive that reduced the inspection interval on certain compressor components.

One day later, the FAA said it will limit 787-8s and -9s with affected engines from flying on extended operations (ETOPS) routes longer than 140min flight time from the closest diversion airport.

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Sriwijaya, Korean LCCs exposed to new CFM inspection regime

Asia-Pacific airlines operate 2,316 Boeing 737s powered by CFM56-7B engines, but most of these aircraft are below the cycle threshold required by a new inspection protocol.

CFM International has recommended ultrasonic inspections on fan blades within the next 20 days for CFM56-7Bs with more than 30,000 cycles since delivery. For engines with 20,000 cycles or more, CFM recommends inspections by August. When engines hit 20,000 cycles, they should receive the inspection, which should be repeated every 3,000 cycles, representing roughly two years of service.

Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Indonesia’s Sriwijaya Air is most exposed, with 26 aircraft powered by CFM56-7B engines in its fleet. While aircraft ages range from 3.1 to 19.8 years, the average aircraft age is 14 years, equating to an average cycle count of 21,000.

Following Sriwijaya are three South Korean low-cost carriers.

Eastar Jet has 18 CFM56-7B powered 737s with an age range of 5.6 to 20 years, and an average aircraft age of 13.2 years, equating to an average of 19,800 cycles. Jin Air has 20 examples with an average age of 12 years, equating to 18,000 cycles, and Jeju Air has 33 examples with an average age of 11.7 years, equating to 17,550 cycles.

Other Asia-Pacific carriers with large numbers of 737s powered by CFM56-7B engines with an average aircraft age of ten years or older are Air Do (nine aircraft), Korean Air (36), and Qantas (70).

The biggest operators of CFM56-7B powered 737s in the region are China Southern Airlines (180 aircraft), Hainan Airlines (155), Xiamen Airlines (149), Air China (134), and Shandong Airlines (115). The average age of this fleet is 5.7 years, equating to 8,550 cycles.

The service bulletin came three days after a fan blade blew out of a CFM56-7B engine with 40,000 cycles on a Boeing 737-700 operated by Southwest Airlines. Pieces of the engine or cowling penetrated the wing and fuselage, blowing out a window and killing one passenger.

About 680 engines are covered under the 30,000-cycle inspection deadline and 2,500 engines fall under the August deadline, says CFM, a joint company formed by GE Aviation and Safran. Following CFM's service bulletin, the US Federal Aviation Administration mandated a one-time inspection of about 680 CFM56-7B engines to check for cracks in the fan blade dovetail by 10 May.

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New software flaw requires FAA intervention to avoid KC-46 schedule slip

A newly-discovered software flaw could trigger another schedule delay for the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus unless the US Federal Aviation Administration approves a temporary waiver from certification requirements.

In a document submitted to the FAA on 26 March, Boeing requests a time-limited exemption from the FAA’s supplemental type certification criteria for the 767-2C, the commercial aircraft model on which the KC-46A is derived.

If approved, the exemption would expire after 30 June next year, but by then Boeing plans to deliver a permanent fix for the software problem. Meanwhile, Boeing has proposed using a third crew member in the cockpit to mitigate any hazard from the problem while the exemption is in effect.

A “delay of FAA action on this petition” would put off the supplemental type certification of the 767-2C and “its entry into service”, Boeing says in the document.

The FAA responded to Boeing’s petition 19 days later, but did not immediately approve the exemption. Instead, Paul Siegmund, manager of the FAA’s airplane and flight crew interface section, asked Boeing to provide more details.

After Boeing provides those details, the FAA will publish Boeing’s petition in the Federal Register for a 20-day comment period.

Despite the need for an exemption, Boeing isn’t concerned about the impact on the schedule for the KC-46A.

“We are working this in concert with the USAF and are confident the FAA will grant an exemption,” Boeing tells FlightGlobal.

Boeing informed the USAF programme office of the new problem in February, the USAF says.

Since then, “the programme office has been working with Boeing to ascertain impacts and potential options” the air force adds, noting any extra costs caused by schedule delays are Boeing’s responsibility.

The software flaw affects the aircraft only when the KC-46A is on-loading fuel in-flight into the centre fuel tank.

In Boeing’s view, the problem is highly unlikely to cause a safety hazard. As fuel is onloaded into the tank, three separate functions embedded in a fuel flow controller must fail at the same time and continuously. If they do, however, an overpressure could develop in the centre fuel tank with catastrophic results, Boeing says.

But that discovery alone wouldn’t force Boeing to petition the FAA for an exemption. The certification problem for the 767-2C is based on a small detail. All three software functions that could fail operate on a single processor, according to Boeing.

The FAA’s certification rules mandate that such an aircraft use an automatic and independent system for monitoring fuel onloading to prevent an overpressure condition, Boeing’s document says.

Boeing now plans to develop, certificate and deploy such an automated monitoring system within a year. Until then, Boeing will require that the USAF assign a third crew member to monitor the fuel gauges when the aircraft is onloading fuel, according to the document.

The USAF accepts Boeing’s proposed mitigation as “manageable in the short-term”, the service tells FlightGlobal, adding, “the Air Force understands the timeline Boeing has presented to incorporate the necessary changes to remove the [proposed exemption]”.

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LHT to test new maintenance processes in Malta

Lufthansa Technik will trial at its Malta facility new-technology aids to shorten aircraft layovers for maintenance checks.

The MRO provider says it has established an “innovation bay” at the Malta site to test “state-of-the-art technologies for aircraft overhauls in the near future”.

Similar bays are planned at other facilities in an effort to roll out adopted solutions across the MRO specialist’s network.

Equipment to be tested in Malta will include mobile 3D scanners to assess structural damage, inspection drones and exoskeletons – strap-on body support aids that can “relieve employees of physically strenuous work”, LHT says.

The MRO provider notes it will test equipment from “both start-ups and established technology companies” and that the selection will be based “primarily on top trends” and day-to-day requirements.

Marcus Motschenbacher, chief executive of LHT’s Malta facility, states: “Our aim is to improve base maintenance processes and then use the improved processes across all our locations.”

This will guarantee coherent quality and standards throughout the MRO provider’s network, he says.

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First A350-900ULR starts flight-test campaign

Airbus has conducted the maiden flight of its A350-900ULR, the heavier and longer-range variant of the twinjet tailored to operate specialised long-haul routes.

The initial aircraft, MSN216, departed the airframer's Toulouse headquarters at around 10:45 on 23 April.

It features three primary modification aspects, of which two will be applied to all new-build A350-900s.

Airbus has hiked the maximum take-off weight to 280t, an increase on the previous figure of 275t. It has also incorporated a series of aerodynamic changes which, it says, will contribute to a 1% fuel-burn saving.

These include a further slight twist of the wing, a taller winglet, trailing-edge extension and clean-up of the upper wing fairing. All these adaptations will become standard on the -900.

"The importance of the modification is the increase of payload-range – it's up to the airline whether it wants range or payload," head of A350 marketing Marisa Lucas-Ugena tells FlightGlobal.

She says the higher-weight variant will need to be certificated but expects this to take only "a few weeks".

The ultra-long-range -900ULR will have dedicated changes, primarily a higher fuel capacity. The centre wing tank will not be increased in size but replumbing of interior installations will provide access to another 24,000 litres of existing volume.

"They're just minor changes to a few pipes," says Lucas-Ugena.

Airbus puts the reference range of the -900ULR at 9,700nm compared with the standard 8,100nm of the basic -900.

Singapore Airlines has ordered seven -900ULRs as part of a commitment to 67 A350-900s – of which 21 have been delivered.

It is set to take delivery of the first -900ULR this year, although Airbus declines to narrow the handover window beyond a second-half timeframe.

The aircraft will be capable of operating with a duration of 20h and Singapore Airlines intends to use it for a nonstop service to New York – the Rolls-Royce Trent-powered twinjet's test registration, F-WZNY, appears to allude to the US city.

Airbus aircraft interiors marketing director Florent Petteni tells FlightGlobal that the A350 cabin was designed with ultra-long-haul considerations from the outset.

"Everything is made to have a comfortable long-haul flight," he says, pointing out such features as the "fully dark" cabin to help passengers to sleep. He says this is "very important" for -900ULR operations.

"When you work in a loud environment it makes it very tiring for the cabin crew and passengers," he adds, stressing that the noise level of the A350 is "very low".

Petteni also highlights the A350's reduced-velocity air circulation, intended to avoid draughts, and its active humidification system.

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