Aircraft & Propulsion

Engine-makers adjust to changing post-pandemic priorities and consider accelerating efforts on advanced and disruptive technologies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on almost every aspect of the aviation sector, but the coronavirus does not appear to have dented the industry’s determination to drive down CO2 emissions and its desire for operations to be more environmentally responsible.

EASA plans to mandate Rolls-Royce-recommended on-wing inspections of certain Trent 900 interstage spacers to find cracked parts in the Airbus A380 engines before they trigger in-service incidents.

Boeing and the Seattle-area based machinists union that represent thousands of its factory workers have not held talks related to the company’s study

The Mitsubishi Aircraft SpaceJet regional jet program is focusing on reviewing flight-test data to prepare for an eventual return to flight. Planned

The General Electric-Safran joint venture has developed a checklist to help customers with aircraft service reentry.

Taking the helm amid the aviation industry’s worst crisis, Slattery is likely to take a fresh look at structures and strategies.

Concern over the threat of rogue drones disrupting airport operations seems almost quaint now during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UPS and the Kansas City Aviation Department have agreed to long-term leases that will see the air-cargo titan expand its Kansas City International Airport (MCI) operation.

The agreement to provide 25 million gal. per year of renewable hydrocarbons is the largest yet for Gevo and takes the Englewood, Colorado-based company to more than $1.5 billion in long-term contracts.

Renewable-fuels producer Gevo has signed a purchase agreement with commodities-trading group Trafigura that will make additional sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) available to end customers.

A commuter operator of Avic MA60 turboprop aircraft will soon begin flying after receiving approvals from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Austrian aerospace parts and services provider FACC expects further challenges in the supplier business in the wake of COVID-19 as it revealed plans to lay off 700 of its 3,700 employees.

Startup test-flying Cessna’s cargo feeder modified for lower-cost unmanned operations.

Up to the outbreak of COVID-19 this spring, flight simulators and pilot training were some of the hottest side-hustles that legacy aerospace manufacturers could play as they rode the historic updraft in airliner traffic.

Israel’s Urban Aeronautics has signed an agreement with U.S.-based emergency air transport provider Hatzolah Air to develop a version of its CityHawk air taxi for emergency medical service applications.

Florida’s aerospace and spaceport development authority Space Florida has agreed to invest in Aerion Supersonic in a deal aimed at supporting development of the high-speed aircraft manufacturer’s new production site in Melbourne on the state’s east coast.

Boeing has garnered its first new sale for the grounded 737 MAX this year, after Polish charter airline Enter Air placed a firm order for two MAX 8s

An additively manufactured bearing housing developed by Honeywell for the ATF3-6 turbofan has become what is claimed to be the first 3D-printed flight-critical engine part to be certified for service on an operational powerplant.

Qatar Airways, a five-star oneworld alliance airline, was among the first to operate all-cargo flights on passenger aircraft in the pandemic, as well as being among the first to restart routes and introduce additional hygiene measures on aircraft, including using ultraviolet cleaning and requiring face shields as well as masks.

Industry players and governments continue to push ahead toward environmental targets as they navigate the pandemic era. In the near term, airlines and

Boeing will seek more voluntary layoffs in its commercial aircraft, MRO services and corporate offices, the company’s chief executive revealed in an internal memo, as the giant airliner manufacturer tries to scale down its operations to meet a diminished marketplace in coming years.

Boeing’s detailed instructions for modifying 737 MAXs as part of the FAA’s planned requirements call for more than 200 work hrs. per aircraft, with most of the effort needed for addressing non-compliant wiring.

International Airlines Group (IAG) has phased out the last of Iberia’s Airbus A340s and begun retiring British Airways’ (BA) entire Boeing 747-400 fleet, the group reported Aug. 17.

Boeing has approved aircraft interiors provider Diehl Aviation to offer Buyer-Furnished-Equipment (BFE) products to airlines for installation on Boeing aircraft.