Air Transport Safety, Ops & Regulation
Mar 27, 2019
Key changes to the Boeing 737 MAX’s maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) will incorporate more redundancy into the aircraft’s much-scrutinized flight-control law and give pilots ultimate elevator authority by limiting the degree of nose-down stabilizer command the automated system can trigger.
Mar 27, 2019
Pilots of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 reported an emergency and returned to Orlando International Airport soon after takeoff March 26, the airline and FAA confirmed.
Mar 27, 2019
Identification of in-service issues with the Boeing 737 MAX maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) flight control law follows a common pattern for newly certified products, and does not signal errors made during the system’s design and risk analysis, FAA Acting Administrator Dan Elwell told a Senate panel March 27.
Mar 26, 2019
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has stopped issuing airworthiness certificates for Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
Mar 25, 2019
FAA does not want to be the first regulator to lift its Boeing 737 MAX operations ban and is working with other agencies to find consensus on joint approval of the model’s return to service, but the agency is prepared to act alone if the authorities cannot agree, sources with knowledge of the agency’s thinking tell ATW.
Aug 10, 2021
The FAA is closing in on its first special condition for type certification of an electric propulsion system, and acknowledges that amending requirements developed over decades for piston and turbine engines is proving challenging.
Aug 09, 2021
United Airlines became the first U.S. legacy carrier to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all employees, as the delta coronavirus variant sweeps through North America and threatens the ongoing recovery in air travel demand.
Aug 09, 2021
Copa Airlines will retrofit its Boeing 737s with Honeywell’s air separation module (ASM), becoming the first announced customer for the fuel tank safety system component.
Aug 06, 2021
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said that airports can help combat instances of unruly and intoxicated passengers by cracking down on concessionaires who sell “to-go” alcohol, which some passengers have been bringing on to flights.
Aug 05, 2021
South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority has granted the country’s flag-carrier a new air operator’s certificate (AOC), though a restart date for South African Airways (SAA) remains uncertain.
Aug 05, 2021
The FAA is ordering restrictions for Boeing 737 MAX and some 737 Next Generation models that would prohibit carrying freight in the aft cargo compartment if certain systems not critical for flight are malfunctioning.
Aug 04, 2021
U.S. Senate lawmakers are gathering information on how several carriers, including American, have managed workforce issues during the downturn while collecting payroll-relief funds.
Aug 03, 2021
Media reports suggest that the UK government has abandoned a planned ‘amber-watch’ category after protests from the aviation industry and wider travel sector, which had warned that introducing the new category would lead to another slump in bookings.