Latest news with #Comac
Mint
16 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.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's C929 widebody passenger jet to make maiden commercial flight by 2035: source
The company developing China's first home-grown widebody passenger jet – the C929 – is aiming to see it make its maiden commercial flight by 2035, foreign partners have been told at this week's Paris Air Show, according to a person familiar with the discussion. Advertisement The time frame, although longer than previous estimates, was in line with the 'long-haul' one that Boeing and Airbus used when developing their first widebodies and reflected Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's (Comac) 'prudence' and emphasis on safety, the person, who requested anonymity, added. Comac told its partners this week that it expects the C929 – which is likely to resemble the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 series – to be certified in China by 2032. 'Currently we plan to achieve TC (type certificate) in 2032,' a senior Comac manager said during a presentation at the air show. 'The C929 has entered the detailed design phase ... this is our future. We would like to offer a new twin-aisle aircraft to our customers.' Advertisement The C919, Comac's first mainline narrowbody jet, went into commercial operation in China in May 2023, less than a year after it was certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China in September 2022. The widebody C929 will carry up to 440 people and have a maximum range of 12,000km – roughly the distance from Shanghai to New York.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's possible Israel-Iran peace role, robot firms' big salaries: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing China is expected to play an 'active' role in trying to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, but analysts warned there may be limits to what it could achieve. A week after the second round of high-profile trade negotiations between Beijing and Washington, analysts break down what happened before, during and after. The number of Chinese suppliers attending the Paris Air Show has more than doubled for this year's edition. Photo: Xinhua China's presence at the Paris Air Show – the globally renowned civil aviation expo – is usually reduced to Beijing's biggest names in the field. In particular, conversation tends to focus on the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), the maker of the C919 passenger jet. But things have changed this year. Dozens of lesser-known Chinese firms from across the supply chain have flocked to the European capital to showcase their products to Western buyers.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
At Paris Air Show, China's aviation suppliers circle for a landing
China's presence at the Paris Air Show – the globally renowned civil aviation expo – is usually reduced to Beijing's biggest names in the field. In particular, conversation tends to focus on the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), the maker of the C919 passenger jet But things have changed this year. Dozens of lesser-known Chinese firms from across the supply chain have flocked to the European capital to showcase their products to Western buyers. The number of Chinese companies attending the biennial show has more than doubled – from 29 in 2023 to 76 this year – according to GIFAS, the aerospace industry association organising the event. Enough Chinese exporters have attended and grouped together that the show now features a de facto country pavilion for the first time in its history. Many of these companies are making their first appearance in Paris as they vie for a place in the European market, with domestic profits plateauing amid a broader economic slowdown and cutthroat rivalries between firms. 'It's a well-known fact that our domestic market suffers from excessive competition ,' said Wang Junbo, assistant engineer at Baoti Huashen. His company specialises in titanium sponge, a crucial material for aerospace production. 'Our company is doing all right for now in terms of profit. I know some people that are doing a lot worse, but it's important to always be prepared,' he said at the show on Tuesday.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
China's C929 jet secures Western tech as manufacturer signs parts deals
China's chief civilian aircraft maker has secured deals to buy Western-made parts for its first widebody jet – expected to resemble the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 series – despite ongoing turbulence in trade and supply chains. Advertisement The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) reached an agreement to work with French aerospace firm Safran on the development of the widebody C929's brake controls, ice detection system, tyre pressure indicators and on-board oxygen system, according to reports from Chinese media outlets on Monday. Comac said on its website on Tuesday it had signed a 'memorandum of understanding' with Safran during this week's Paris Air Show. A photo from the event depicts a signing ceremony for the braking control and tyre pressure systems. The Shanghai-based plane manufacturer separately reached a deal to acquire aircraft cabin door sensors from the US-based Crane Aerospace and Electronics, the media reports said. Comac landed those deals despite slowdowns in global aviation supply chains and uncertainty fanned by US export controls. Advertisement
