Boeing 737 MAX

By Michael Bruno
Impresa Aerospace, a supplier to OEMs and Tier 1 military and commercial aircraft manufacturers, has entered U.S. bankruptcy protection and could be taken over by its predominant private equity owner, Twin Haven Capital Partners, according to a Sept. 24 court filing.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Sean Broderick, Helen Massy-Beresford
EASA expects to clear the Boeing 737 MAX to return to service by year-end after securing commitments from Boeing to address specific safety issues the agency found in its review of the model, including adding a third source for measuring a key flight parameter.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
Pilot groups and at least one regulator have raised concerns about several non-normal pilot procedures being changed following a review of the grounded Boeing 737 MAX that also apply to older versions of the venerable narrowbody.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Sean Broderick
Calls for an additional angle-of-attack indicator and concerns over the flight crew’s ability to manually trim the aircraft in an emergency are among the issues highlighted in the initial set of comments on the FAA’s proposed requirements to approve the Boeing 737 MAX’s service return.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Sean Broderick
American Airlines has issued a tentative 737 MAX pilot instruction schedule that would have computer-based lessons begin in five weeks, simulator sessions starting in November and all 4,200 of its 737 pilots trained by February 2021.
Airlines & Lessors

By Sean Broderick
WASHINGTON—A U.S. Congressional report on the Boeing 737 MAX reveals that while Boeing learned during the model’s development that pilots might not
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Sean Broderick
EASA has completed Boeing 737 MAX flight testing, clearing the way for joint regulatory agency evaluations of the grounded model’s updated training later in September.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Ben Goldstein
American Airlines is in talks with Boeing to potentially defer 18 737 MAX aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2021, as the airline looks to conserve cash amid the extended industry downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Airlines & Lessors

By Kurt Hofmann
A lack of “clear information” from Boeing on the return of the 737 MAX is hampering Ethiopian Airlines’ ability to make decisions on its future narrowbody fleet as it studies the Airbus A220, according to the flag-carrier’s CEO Tewolde Gebremariam.
Airlines & Lessors

By Aaron Karp
Air Lease Corporation chairman Steven Udvar Házy is encouraging Boeing to publicly refer to the 737 MAX by its more formal numerical designations, such as the 737-8 and 737-9, calling the name “MAX” a “clear liability.”
Airlines & Lessors

By Jens Flottau, Sean Broderick
EASA plans to start Boeing 737 MAX test flights on Sept. 7 in Vancouver, Canada in what is a key milestone for the aircraft to be recertified in Europe.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Ben Goldstein
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
Airlines & Lessors

By Sean Broderick
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.
Program Management

By Kurt Hofmann
Icelandair said it has completed agreements with all its creditors and reached a final settlement with Boeing on the impact of the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX.
Airlines & Lessors

By Kurt Hofmann
Icelandair said that negotiations with Boeing regarding additional compensation for its grounded 737 MAX fleet and deferrals are at an advanced stage.
Airlines & Lessors

By Sean Broderick
The 737 MAX is the only Boeing commercial program slated to see its monthly production rate increase during the next few years.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Bill Carey
The FAA will issue a draft airworthiness directive (AD) with proposed design changes and crew procedures for a recertified Boeing 737 MAX, even as it continues working on requirements to return the airliner to service.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Helen Massy-Beresford
Norwegian Air Shuttle has accused Boeing of “gross negligence” and “clumsy production” in a lawsuit in which the LCC is claiming damages to compensate for the grounding of the 737 MAX and 787 engine troubles, Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv has reported.
Airlines & Lessors

By Sean Broderick
Regulators have banned the use of Dupont’s Kathon FP 1.5 biocide in Boeing 737 MAXs, the first of what is likely to be a series of mandates to protect fuel systems from in-service incidents linked to the anti-microbial fuel system additive.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Sean Broderick
Updated pilot training to support the Boeing 737 MAX’s return to service incorporates human factors lessons learned from the model’s two fatal accidents and related probes, providing pilots with more and clearer information on systems and emergency scenarios, pilots who have reviewed the draft material tell Aviation Week.
Program Management

By Sean Broderick
WASHINGTON—A U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on the Boeing 737 MAX’s certification underscores the inadequacy of communication between Boeing and the FAA that helped set the stage for two fatal accidents and the model’s ongoing grounding.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Alan Dron
ULCC Norwegian has issued notice to Boeing of its intention to cancel orders for 92 737 MAX and five 787s, together with the GoldCare service agreements accompanying all of the aircraft.
Airlines & Lessors

By Bill Carey, Guy Norris
The FAA has authorized Boeing to begin certification flight testing of the grounded 737 MAX with an updated flight-control system.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Michael Bruno
Boeing has told its primary 737 supplier Spirit AeroSystems to produce only 72 shipsets this year.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain

By Sean Broderick
A bipartisan U.S. Senate bill targeting FAA certification improvements places substantial emphasis on human-factors research and funding, echoing several reports produced in the wake of the Boeing 737 MAX accidents and subsequent grounding.
Safety, Ops & Regulation