Latest news with #Boeing737Max
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Air India flight cuts: How many have been axed and what are your rights?
In the wake of the deadly crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad on 12 June, the Indian national airline has cancelled dozens of flights over the next 25 days – with a warning that cuts could continue beyond that. At least 275 people died when the Boeing 737 Max came down moments after take-off on a flight to London Gatwick. Air India has axed 15 per cent of its international wide-bodied schedule between 21 June and 15 July. Links from Amritsar and Goa to London Gatwick have been suspended, while there will be fewer flights on routes to and from London Heathrow and Birmingham airports. These are the key questions and answers. What's the background? Air India 's chief executive, Campbell Wilson, told passengers: 'Arising from this tragedy, and as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), we have been conducting thorough safety inspections on our 33 Boeing 787 aircraft. So far, inspections have been completed on 26 and these have been cleared for service. The remaining aircraft are currently in planned maintenance and will have these additional checks done before being released into service. 'Following the review, the DGCA has confirmed that our Boeing 787 fleet and maintenance processes fully meet safety standards. 'Regrettably, the time required to perform these enhanced safety checks, along with the application of extra caution, external factors like airspace closures in Iran and the Middle East as well as night-time restrictions at some international airports, along with normal airline technical issues, has led to a higher-than-usual number of cancellations on our long-haul network in the past few days. We know these disruptions have been frustrating, and we're truly sorry for the inconvenience.' What is being done? The Air India boss said: 'As a confidence-building measure, we have elected to continue enhanced pre-flight safety checks on our Boeing 787 fleet and, as an added measure, our Boeing 777 aircraft, for the time being. 'Given the time these additional checks will consume and the potential impact on schedules, we have decided to reduce our international wide-body flights by around 15 per cent.' He said the cancellations would continue "through to at least mid-July', suggesting there could be further disruption. 'This will also allow us to have more backup aircraft ready to handle any unexpected issues,' he said. Which UK routes are affected? Cancelled until 15 July (or later): Amritsar and Goa to London Gatwick, due to be flown three times a week on each route. Reduced frequencies Delhi- London Heathrow: Two of the 24 flights each week cancelled. Bengaluru-London Heathrow: One of the daily flights cancelled. Amritsar-Birmingham and Delhi-Birmingham: One of the three-a-week flights cancelled on each route. Any impact further afield? Yes. Connecting flights from Delhi to Melbourne, Sydney, Seoul and Tokyo have had frequencies reduced, making onward connections more difficult. What does the airline say? 'Air India apologises to the passengers affected by these curtailments, and is proactively contacting affected passengers to offer a choice of: 'Re-accommodation on alternative flights "Complimentary rescheduling 'Full refunds' It appears that the first two options are basically the same. There is no clarity about whether alternative flights will be on Air India only, or on other airlines. I have a booking for the summer. What are my rights? It depends on whether you are flying from the UK (or elsewhere in Europe) to India, or in the opposite direction. Starting in Europe, you are covered by air passengers' rights rules that insist in the event of a cancellation, you should be offered the best available alternative – including on another airline if that is the optimum way to get you to your destination on schedule. You should also be provided with meals and, if necessary, accommodation until you reach your destination. Some passengers may request compensation of £520 if the cancellation is notified less than two weeks in advance and significantly disrupts their travel plans. Flying from outside the UK/EU on a non-European airline like Air India, you have no such rights. You may be restricted to Air India, or fellow airline members of the Star Alliance. You are not automatically entitled to meals and accommodation. Anything more? Airline boss Campbell Wilson says: 'This is a challenging time for all of us. We are grateful for your support, and your understanding that safety must always come first. Your trust means everything to us, so if you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us through our customer support channels.'
Economic Times
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Economic Times
US govt's accident investigation agency issues an urgent warning for Boeing, Airbus planes
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation, has issued an urgent safety alert concerning certain engines used in Boeing and Airbus aircraft, warning of a risk that smoke could fill the cockpit and passenger cabin during warning applies specifically to CFM International's LEAP-1B engines, which are used on Boeing 737 Max and some Airbus A320neo aircraft. The NTSB says a safety feature called the load reduction device—designed to limit vibrations if an engine is damaged—can accidentally interfere with the engine's oil system, allowing hot oil fumes to leak into the plane's ventilation.'Such a condition can allow smoke from hot oil to enter the ventilation system and ultimately the cockpit or passenger cabin,' the NTSB advisory follows a series of smoke-related incidents, including one on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max in December 2023, when the jet's left engine ingested a bird shortly after takeoff from New Orleans. The cockpit filled with thick, 'acrid white smoke,' forcing the crew to wear oxygen masks and return to the airport. A similar event was reported on another Southwest flight out of Havana earlier that no injuries were reported in either case, the NTSB is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require airlines to inform flight crews if their aircraft are equipped with the affected engines. Boeing has already updated its flight manuals to help pilots manage such NTSB also called on aviation regulators in Europe and China to evaluate whether other variants of the CFM LEAP engine might face similar problems. In addition, the agency is recommending that both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandate new software modifications developed by CFM and Boeing to prevent future smoke incidents.'We are aligned with the NTSB's recommendations, and work is already underway in close partnership with our airframers,' a CFM spokesperson told The warning comes amid growing scrutiny of U.S. aviation safety, following several recent incidents—including a deadly plane crash in Philadelphia and a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C.—that have raised alarm across the airline industry.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
US govt's accident investigation agency issues an urgent warning for Boeing, Airbus planes
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation, has issued an urgent safety alert concerning certain engines used in Boeing and Airbus aircraft, warning of a risk that smoke could fill the cockpit and passenger cabin during flight. The warning applies specifically to CFM International's LEAP-1B engines, which are used on Boeing 737 Max and some Airbus A320neo aircraft. The NTSB says a safety feature called the load reduction device—designed to limit vibrations if an engine is damaged—can accidentally interfere with the engine's oil system, allowing hot oil fumes to leak into the plane's ventilation. 'Such a condition can allow smoke from hot oil to enter the ventilation system and ultimately the cockpit or passenger cabin,' the NTSB said. The advisory follows a series of smoke-related incidents, including one on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max in December 2023, when the jet's left engine ingested a bird shortly after takeoff from New Orleans. The cockpit filled with thick, 'acrid white smoke,' forcing the crew to wear oxygen masks and return to the airport. A similar event was reported on another Southwest flight out of Havana earlier that year. While no injuries were reported in either case, the NTSB is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require airlines to inform flight crews if their aircraft are equipped with the affected engines. Boeing has already updated its flight manuals to help pilots manage such scenarios. Live Events The NTSB also called on aviation regulators in Europe and China to evaluate whether other variants of the CFM LEAP engine might face similar problems. In addition, the agency is recommending that both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandate new software modifications developed by CFM and Boeing to prevent future smoke incidents. 'We are aligned with the NTSB's recommendations, and work is already underway in close partnership with our airframers,' a CFM spokesperson told The Independent . The warning comes amid growing scrutiny of U.S. aviation safety, following several recent incidents—including a deadly plane crash in Philadelphia and a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C.—that have raised alarm across the airline industry. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Mint
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Mint
Boeing 737 Max engine issue can cause smoke in the Cabin, warns NTSB
Boeing 737 Max: US safety investigators have called for urgent action regarding an engine issue on the Boeing Co. 737 Max aircraft that could fill the cockpit and cabin with smoke. The National Transportation Safety Board's recommendation comes after two such incidents were reported in which planes were filled with smoke after large birds struck their engines. Both incidents involved 737 Max aircraft flown by Southwest Airlines and powered by Leap-1B engines made by CFM International, which is a joint venture of GE Aerospace and Safran SA. The NTSB connected the incidents to a malfunction with one of the engine's key safety features. In both cases, damage to the fan blades following the bird strikes activated a safety feature known as the load reduction device in the Leap-1B engines. This device is meant to protect the aircraft from heavy vibrations that can cause further problems. However, in those incidents when the system activated, there was a malfunction that led to oil leaking into the hot section of the engine, causing smoke to enter the cockpit or cabin and posing a potential safety risk. The safety agency on Wednesday urged the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure flight crews are alerted to the problem and to emphasise revisions Boeing has made to flight manuals detailing steps pilots should take if they come across any issues, Bloomberg reported. It also asked the FAA, as well as other aviation authorities in the European Union and China, to determine whether the same issue exists in other variants of the Leap engine used by Airbus SE and Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd., known more commonly as Comac. The FAA said that both the regulator and Boeing have alerted operators to the issue. 'We advised operators to evaluate their procedures and crew training to ensure they address this potential issue'. 'When the engine manufacturer develops a permanent mitigation, we will require operators to implement it within an appropriate timeframe,' the news agency reported. A spokesperson for CFM said that work is already underway to address the smoke risk. This includes a software update for the Leap-1B and assessments to determine whether other variants have a similar issue. According to Bloomberg, Boeing also responded by stating that it has been working with CFM on the software update and supports the NTSB's recommendation. 'We're reviewing the recommendations and have mitigation procedures currently in place,' Southwest said in a statement. The carrier said it is in close contact with the FAA, Boeing and CFM on the issue and on identifying a permanent solution. Southwest also said it notified its flight crews about the potential effects of some bird strikes following the incidents, which both occurred in 2023. The NTSB announced in November that it was investigating one of the 2023 occurrences. Bloomberg said that decision came after the FAA said it would hold a Corrective Action Review Board to evaluate internal recommendations compiled by a small group of the regulator's investigators that had leaked to the public. The recommendations included a short-term fix that would require pilots to temporarily alter takeoff procedures while Boeing worked on a more permanent solution. However, the FAA's Aircraft Certification Service determined that the short-term change wasn't necessary and instead proposed mandating a longer-term fix to update the engine software, according to a memo from the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General, the new agency reported.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NTSB issues urgent safety bulletin about engines found in some Boeing 737 Max jets
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an urgent safety recommendation Wednesday to modify jet engines on Boeing's 737 Max airplanes to prevent smoke from entering the cockpit or cabin in certain scenarios. The warning comes after two incidents involving Southwest Airlines planes equipped with CFM International LEAP-1B engines that experienced bird strikes in 2023. The NTSB said that these CFM engines have a safety feature, called a load reduction device, that can inadvertently damage the oil system of the engines once it activates after a bird strike. The damage can result in smoke forming from hot oil released into the engine and entering the ventilation system and ultimately the cockpit or passenger cabin. The NTSB investigated an incident in December 2023 involving a Southwest Airlines plane that struck a bird while taking off from New Orleans. The plane landed quickly after "acrid white smoke" filled the cockpit and was so thick that the captain said it was hard to see the instrument panel. Southwest Adds 'Powerful' Cockpit Alert System To Detect Runway Danger Another incident nine months earlier involving similar engine damage happened on another Southwest flight from Havana, Cuba, after birds were ingested into an engine shortly after takeoff, resulting in smoke filling the cabin. Read On The Fox Business App In both cases, the flights landed safely, and no one was injured. The NTSB also recommended evaluating the potential for the same issue with CFM's LEAP-1A and LEAP-1C engines, which are used on some Airbus A320neo planes and C919 jets made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. CFM is owned by GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. Boeing Shares Slide After Air India Crash The Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing both said they agreed with the NTSB recommendations and have already warned airlines and pilots about the problem. "We advised operators to evaluate their procedures and crew training to ensure they address this potential issue," the FAA said. "When the engine manufacturer develops a permanent mitigation, we will require operators to implement it within an appropriate timeframe." Boeing said that CFM and Boeing "have been working on a software design update." Reuters contributed to this article source: NTSB issues urgent safety bulletin about engines found in some Boeing 737 Max jets
