Washington Considering that some form of new mandate was unavoidable, the vast majority of those affected by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) long-awaited repair station security rule couldn't be more pleased.
For Southwest Airlines, there are no replacement plans—at least for now—for the electromechanical cockpits on the 130 Boeing 737-300s and -500s it still flies. “We are always evaluating the future of our 737-300s and -500s, which includes possible cockpit modifications as fleet planning warrants,” says Kent Horton, Southwest's director of engineering.
The last year has provided some much-needed positive news for Airbus's A380 program, including a milestone 100th delivery and a major deal that pushed the program's languishing orderbook beyond 300. Whether the solid run is a precursor of things to come or an anomalous blip on a radar screen full of challenges is up for debate.
Washington A recently released audit lauds the FAA's Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (Asias) effort for its growth, but urges the agency to boost the program's effectiveness by putting more of its data into the hands of safety inspectors. The FAA, straddling a fine line, says it is trying.
Last year was a good year for the commercial aftermarket, which saw an uptick “as the period of spares destocking and maintenance deferral by the airlines draws to a close,” according to RBC Capital Market analysts.
Europe The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has proposed beefed-up standards and maintenance practices for aircraft flight and data recorders. Among the changes: Cockpit voice recorders (CVR) on large aircraft—having a maximum takeoff weight of at least 27,000 kg—would need recording durations of 15 hr. by January 2019. EASA also proposed that, by 2020, CVRs and flight data recorders have underwater location devices that broadcast for at least 90 days.
Europe A U.K. Aviation Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) call to have Boeing 777 interior lighting crashworthiness improved has been rejected by the U.S. FAA, but Boeing addressed the matter well before an accident brought the issue to light, AAIB's latest annual safety report reveals.
The following companies' products and services in MRO Links garnered the most interest from the industry. To access more information about the following, go toAviationWeek.com/mrolinks and enter the link number. 1. Commercial Aerospace Solutions Company: AAR Corp. Services: AAR provides heavy maintenance checks, modifications, component repair, landing gear overhaul and engineering services to support airline and government fleets. www.aarcorp.com Link 600
A recent report from the U.S. Transportation Department's Inspector General sheds some light on the impact of sequestration on FAA's certification efforts and related delays. Top FAA executives have said a hiring freeze put in place late last year has forced the agency' s Aviation Safety (AVS) branch to allocate more of its limited resources to immediate safety issues. The loser has been certification projects that are either resource-intensive or simply new.
An FAA rulemaking advisory committee's recommendations on improving the consistency of rules interpretations is starting bear fruit in a much-needed area: the guidance behind regulations. Dorenda Baker, FAA's director of Aircraft Certification Services, says the agency is tackling the committee's most pressing recommendations: conducting a review of existing guidance to eliminate duplicative, conflicting or irrelevant guidance; and ensuring the rest is available in an electronic database.
Can you pinpoint one or two industry trends that emerged in 2013? One could argue that the debates about OEMs' increasing penetration of the aftermarket became more vociferous this year. But did they? While safety issues will be mainly black or white, many MRO issues have shifted to shades of gray.
When Northern European and North Atlantic air traffic came to halt in 2010 following the eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) continued to serve its customers by shipping parts and components from its operations in Miami and Kuala Lumpur. This is one example of the risk-management initiative supporting its supply chain operations, say Benjamin Moreau and Harmen Lanser, members of the component services team.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) are harmonizing their approaches to inspecting foreign aircraft under the European Union's Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) program.
1. Growing Stronger Supplier: Aeroxchange Offering: Founded in July 2000 by 13 airlines to create a global, neutral eCommerce platform to support the aviation supply chain, Aeroxchange is still going strong. It allows users to outsource their electronic data interface strategy, providing a seamless connection among trading partners. www.aeroxchange.com Link 605 2. Straight From The Source Supplier: Flatirons Solutions
