Boeing 787 Woes Continue With Missing Panel

Boeing has stated a panel from an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner had fell off during a commercial fight on Saturday, this comes off the continuing issues that Boeing has encountered with the Dreamliner.

The jet was carrying 148 people, including crew, on a flight from Delhi to Bangalore, The Times of India newspaper reported. The pilots did not realise the eight-by-four-foot panel was missing until after the flight landed, the newspaper said, adding that India's aviation authorities are investigating.

Air India has since replaced the panel with one of the newly delivered Boeing 787s and Boeing is investigating the cause of this issue.

Brisbane Airport Starts Construction for Second Parallel Runway

Brisbane Airport is going to continue to grow with the new development of a second parallel runway with a cost 1.3 billion and a time frame of 6 years until completion.  The estimates of this second runway will grow the passenger annual traffic from 20 million to 45 million by 2029.

The construction will start within the next coming weeks as workers will start dredging from Moreton Bay, as they start laying the foundation of the runway. Once the foundation of the runway is completed around 2016-2017, we will see the pavement of the 3.3 km runway continue to develop.

Brisbane Airport Corporation will increase its finance to fund this 1.3 billion dollar project and also has said it may increase landing fees for airlines. This may affect the ticket prices for Brisbane Airport flights in the next few years.

The project will help the continuous delays and holding patterns aircrafts are regularly incurring when landing at Brisbane Airport.

Japan Airlines Purchase 31 Airbus A350s

Japan Airlines is finalizing its first ever Airbus order as they have purchased 31 Airbus A350s with an option for a further 25 aircraft.

Japan Airlines 31 aircraft includes 18 A350-900s and 13 1000 type. The airline is predicted to receive its first order in 2019 to replace the aging Boeing 777 fleet.

The order is a massive win for Airbus as its the first ever order within Japan. This comes off the continuing Boeing 787 Dreamliner issues that keep arising around the world.

Air New Zealand Increases Stake In Virgin Australia

Air New Zealand will increase its stake in Virgin Australia to 25.9 percent from its current 22.9%. Air New Zealand wants to increase the competitiveness within the Australian market and have more of a control after Etihad increased its stake to 13.4% last month.Virgin Australia's other major shareholders are Singapore Airlines (19.9 per cent) and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group (12.47 per cent). 

Air New Zealand will continue to become competitive across the Transtasman route as they compete against Qantas and Emirates.

Aer Lingus Passenger Numbers Down 4.6 Percent

Aer Lingus short-haul passenger numbers fell 6.5 percent in September, this is compared with a year ago figures, after rival airline, Ryanair promised aggressive pricing wars to maintain passenger load factors.

Are Lingus passenger load factor fell by 2.7 percent from a year earlier to 81.7 percent. The total passenger numbers including long-haul were down 4.6 percent in September.

Frontier Airlines Sold At Discount

Indigo Partners LLC is buying Frontier Airlines from Republic Airways Holdings Inc for $36 million in cash and $109 million in assumed debt. This is a sheer discount from the $1.1 billion in cash and assumed debt that Republic Airways Holdings paid for the carrier in 2009.

Frontier passengers will expect less leg room and more fees when flying Frontier in the future. Also it is expected that Frontier will change to an ultra-low cost business model.
Those strategies have been the significant of success in Europe and Southeast Asia with Ryanair and Air Asia X. Its becoming the momentous part of fastest growing Airline strategies for success in the recent decade.

Bill Franke is expected to reinvest Frontier to expand the airline for future growth. Frontier Airlines holds roughly 1.5% of the market in the US, he is expected to expand Frontier as it will take delivery of 80 Airbus A320neo between 2016 and 2021, as Mr Franke brought the rights from Republic.

Alitalia Airbus A320 makes safe emergency landing in Rome

Ten people have been injured after an Alitalia Airbus A320 crashed and skidded off the runway at Rome's Fiumicino Airport.

Officials have stated that the pilot was coming into land and realised its right landing gear had failed to deploy, causing the Airbus A320 to land on its right wing and tail.

The Airbus A320 had 151 passengers and 5 crew on board.

Virgin Australia Executives Don't Receive Pay Rise for 2013-2014.

Virgin Australias chief executive John Borghetti's remuneration fell last financial year as he missed out on long-term incentives worth almost $1 million because of the airline's $98m annual loss. Also Virgin Australias executives will stay on their 2012 fixed pay rates after the airline's board decided it was "not appropriate" to review them this year in the wake of last year's $98 million annual loss.

(The Australian 2013)

CASA briefs on new licence regulations for December

Civil Aviation Safety Authority will hold briefings next month to focus on new licensing regulations due to take effect from December 4.

The briefings will be on the new Part 61 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations that will cover the content of the new pilot licensing rules for pilots within Australia, the briefing will go into detail of what they mean for each category of pilot and how new licences will be issued.

The briefings will be held simultaneously between 6pm and 9pm in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. CASA says pilots will be moved across to the new Part 61 licences over four years and new licenses will be issued when a pilot updates their qualification, but not when a medical is renewed. There is no charge to existing licence-holders and pilots will retain their current flying privileges post-December 4.

Many pilots are still unsure how this will affect them with licencing of Recreational Aviation and General Aviation, hopefully these briefings will clear all questions in regards to the new licencing regulations that will be in place this December.

TigerAir Australia Launching Sydney to Perth Service

The newly branded TigerAir Australia is launching their Sydney to Perth service in its first strategic move since Virgin Australia took majority control this year.

The airline will announce today that it will fly up to six weekly return services on the trans-continental route in time for the Christmas peak season, with sale fares starting at $109.95 each way available from today. The kicker is the fares are available for the February and March low season and not during the more expensive school holidays.

TigerAir has announced that it will fly up to six weekly return services on the trans-continental route before Christmas holiday peak, with sale fares starting around the $109 figure for a one way ticket. The downfall for this sale is that they will be available for the February to Market season and not during the school holiday period.

The new service, to begin on December 19, is the sixth launched this year and will complement the low-cost carrier's existing three-time weekly Melbourne to Perth service. The other new routes were Sydney-Coffs Harbour, Sydney-Cairns, Sydney-Alice Springs, Melbourne-Alice Springs, and Melbourne-Sunshine Coast.

The Sydney-Perth route comes as the airline is looking to expand its fleet and its footprint as part of the expanded Virgin Australia group. It currently has 11 Airbus A320 aircraft but has indicated it plans to at least double its fleet to 22 aircraft by 2018.

TigerAir chief executive Rob Sharp said the airline had been co-ordinating activities with Virgin, which has also been boosting its trans-continental routes using new widebody Airbus A330s with a business class and revamped cabin service.

The airline is continuing to work on its on-time performance, which was hit heavily by weather and airport congestion in Sydney and Brisbane in July.


As Tiger continues to grow with Virgin as its majority holder, its close competition JetStar Australia will receive its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner within the next month.

Lufthansa Confirms $10 Billion Order For Airbus A320s

The Lufthansa Group has firmed up a previous Supervisory Board decision from March this year and signed for 100 A320 Family aircraft (35 A320neo, 35 A321neo and 30 A320ceo with Sharklets) at the Paris International Airshow in Le Bourget, France.


The Lufthansa Group has been operating the A320 Family since October 1989.  They were the launching customer for the A321 and belonged to the first operators of the A319 and A320.  The new order confirms Lufthansa’s leading position as the largest Airbus airline customer and operator in Europe, increasing its order for the A320 type to 299.

Ever Wanted To Fly In A Private Jet At A Discounted Price?

There are so many different ways to travel now and travel by private jet is becoming more popular within the United States. But how does the average income worker afford such luxury?
I have done a lot of research of different ways to fly at a discount, but still have the first class experience and the possibilities are quite limited unless you wanted to spend large amounts of your hard earned cash.

After researching the possibilities, I have come across a company in the United States and Australia. The company is called Empty Jets, they connect you with hundreds of empty charter flights available throughout Australia and beyond, at a fraction of the regular charter price.

The reason why these flights are cheap is because you are purchasing the "dead leg" of the flight. What I mean by the "dead leg" is that an aircraft has been purchased to fly to the destination the first passenger required, therefore the aircraft needs to head back to the original destination, which is where the aircraft will become unoccupied (dead leg).

Empty Jets
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Often the departure times are flexible and can be tailored to suit you, giving you even more convenience and freedom, unlike regular scheduled flights offered by airlines.
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Boeing Set To Confirm Plans For Larger 787

Boeing is poised to launch a larger 787 Dreamliner to meet demand for long-haul travel within Asia and other long-haul routes, sources told Reuters news agency on Thursday.
Long-discussed plans for a 323-seat version of the 787 are likely to be formally announced at next week's Paris Airshow, the sources said, confirming a Wall Street Journal report.
"We have no comment on the report but we are engaged in discussions with customers on a potential new member of the 787 family," a Boeing spokesman said.
The arrival of a new 787 version has been well anticipated, especially after Singapore Airlines recently made a provisional commitment to buy the new USD$300 million plane if Boeing decided to go ahead and build it.
Boeing's plans attracted attention on the eve of the first flight of the Airbus A350, which will compete for many of the same buyers. Both aircraft are made of lightweight carbon composites to help airlines save fuel. The A350 is expected to take to the skies in Toulouse, southwestern France on Friday.
British Airways parent IAG has an option to buy more 787s and there has been speculation it will use some of these to buy the larger version, known as the 787-10.
US lessor Air Lease has been offering suggestions on the design and has publicly expressed interest in the 787-10. United Airlines has also backed it.
The sources, who asked not to be named, said other airlines could also be part of an early pool of buyers to give the plane a commercial boost. Later, Lufthansa is expected to look closely at the plane, they said.
The "stretched" 787-10 will have a longer fuselage and carry more passengers than the two Dreamliner models currently on the market, but offer less range. Boeing says that will suit airlines flying regional traffic across Asia or serving many points between continents.
Offering more seats without making airlines pay for range they do not need can make an aircraft more economical to run.
The plane has been discussed for several years but took time to come to fruition as Boeing faced production delays on smaller models and a three-month grounding of its 787 fleet earlier this year due to battery problems.
Airbus and Boeing have clashed about the 787-10 even before the air show starts.
Airbus officials say stretching the 787 will force the aircraft to sacrifice too much range, repeating the fate of a previous-generation model, the 767-400ER, which failed to attract significant orders.
Boeing executives say the 787's base model starts with a much longer stride, having exceptional range due to its lightweight structure.
Growing competition for the next generation of wide-body jets is expected to dominate the show, which starts on Monday.

Continue reading: http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1371184275.html

Airbus A350 First Flight Set For Friday

Airbus has chosen Friday for the first flight of its A350, the European plane maker said.
The flight will take place at 10:00 am local time from Airbus's Toulouse headquarters in southwest France.
The first sortie of Europe's newest passenger plane follows seven years of development costing an estimated USD$15 billion.
It will set the stage for fierce competition for big jet orders just three days before the June 17-23 Paris Airshow.
Airbus hopes its first aircraft built mainly from lightweight carbon composites will reduce US rival Boeing's lead in the market for long haul, wide-bodied jets where it offers the 787 Dreamliner which uses similar technology.
Both planes mark the shift to a new generation of fuel-efficient, carbon-composite airliners designed to reduce airline fuel bills, which make up about a third of the industry's costs.
The world's dominant plane makers are competing for a segment of the market that Boeing estimated on Tuesday to be worth at least USD$1 trillion over the coming two decades.
French transport sources said on Monday preparations had been marred by an air traffic controllers' strike that forced Airbus to delay the historic flight to Friday.

Couple Ends Up On Wrong Continent After Airline Error

Two US holidaymakers found themselves a long way from their intended destination after an airline confused two airport codes.
Sandy Valdiviseo and her husband Triet Vo were intending to fly from Los Angeles to Dakar in Senegal with Turkish Airlines. However, instead they ended up about 11,000km away – on an entirely different continent – in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, after the airport codes were mixed up, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The airport code for Dakar, the capital of Senegal, is DKR, while the code for the airport in Dhaka, which is the capital of Bangladesh, is DAC.
After arriving in Istanbul, the couple had boarded a connecting flight. It was only after seeing the route map of the flight’s progress, which showed the plane over the Middle East, that they realised the error.

“When the flight attendant said we were heading to Dhaka, we believed that this was how you pronounced ‘Dakar’ with a Turkish accent,” Ms Valdivieso said.
When they arrived in Bangladesh, the pair informed Turkish Airlines about the mistake, and tried to arrange a transfer to Senegal.
According to reports, the airline insisted on tracking down the recording of the initial booking before acknowledging the error and installing the couple on flights to West Africa, 12 hours after their arrival in Bangladesh. Their baggage arrived in Senegal two days after they did.
The incident happened in December last year, but has only just been reported after the couple’s long battle to obtain compensation.
“I have called them [Turkish Airlines] every Friday for the past four months,” said Ms Valdivieso. “They told me each time that they will review my case and get back to me. But they never do.”
“We are very, very sorry that this happened,” a Turkish Airlines spokeswoman said. The couple have since been offered two free economy-class tickets to anywhere on the airline’s flight network.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/couple-ends-up-on-wrong-continent-after-airline-error-20130520-2jvis.html#ixzz2ToPHMBxJ

Rolls Royce Will Replace One Of The Engines Of A LOT Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Rolls Royce will replace one of the engines of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Polish carrier LOT and grounded in Chicago, LOT's spokesman said on Monday, citing a technical issue.

"One of the engines will be replaced by Rolls-Royce. We are running checks on all four engines in our (two) Dreamliners," the spokesman said.

"The engine will be replaced by Wednesday. We expect both our Dreamliners to be operational by the end of May and confirm that they will be reinstated in the fleet on June 5," the spokesman said.

LOT said it expected to resume normal 787 flights to Chicago and Toronto on June 5.

Airbus Hits 514 Aircraft Orders Jan-April 2013

Airbus won 514  aircraft orders in the first four months of the year, increased by an order for narrow-body A320 aircrafts from Turkish Airlines.

Airbus said it delivered 202 aircraft to customers during the period, including four A380.

WestJet To Reduce The Number Of Flight Attendants On Flights

Canada's aviation regulator will allow WestJet Airlines an exemption of an increased ratio of passenger to flight attendant ratio. Currently its a 40:1 and this will be increased to a 50:1 and the change will bring WestJet in line with US and other foreign airlines that fly to and from Canada that have a ratio of one F/A for every 50 passengers, Transport Canada said. 


WestJet is expected to report first-quarter results on Tuesday.

787s Grounding Costs Qatar Airways USD$200m

Qatar Airways had to forego USD$200 million in lost revenue up until April 2013 because of the grounding of its Boeing 787s, the airline's CEO Akbar Al Baker said on Monday.

The airline has said it will receive compensation from Boeing after US regulators ordered the grounding of the 787s on safety concerns.
Qatar Airways has now returned the aircraft to service after grounding for three months.

747 Crashes at Bagram Airfield killing 7 US citizens

Video footage has emerged purportedly showing a civilian cargo plane crash in Afghanistan which killed all seven crew members on board.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene after the 747 crashed inside the boundaries of Bagram airfield, a US-run base which is a key transport hub for US-led military operations in Afghanistan.
The purported footage shows the plane in a steep climb before it suddenly plummets back down to the ground.
The ABC accessed the footage through social media curators Storyful, who are 90 per cent confident of its authenticity.
The flight out of Bagram, located 50 kilometres north of Kabul, had been operated by the US-based National Air Cargo company.
"At approximately 7am EST, National Flight NCR102 from Bagram to Dubai, UAE with seven crewmembers on board, crashed on take-off," National Air Cargo said in a statement on its website.
"National will release additional information as it becomes available, in cooperation with government authorities."
It added that the cause of the crash remains unknown.
"Safety is always our top priority at National Airlines," National Airlines president Glen Joerger said.
"This is a devastating loss for our family and we'll work diligently with authorities to find the cause.
"Most importantly, our thoughts and prayers are with our crewmembers and their families."
A spokesman for the NATO military coalition said there was no reported insurgent activity in the area at the time.
Aircraft crashes are fairly frequent in Afghanistan, where the 100,000-strong international military mission relies heavily on air transport as it battles the Taliban insurgency across the country.
A NATO plane crashed in the south on Saturday, killing four US service members in another incident that the coalition said was not due to insurgent fire.
The NATO-led mission to Afghanistan is winding down before a deadline at the end of next year when all foreign combat deployments will finish, but airbases such as Bagram still support a huge multi-national military operation.
Afghan police and soldiers are taking over responsibility for fighting the Taliban, but there is growing concern over the war-torn country's prospects after 2014.

IAG Airbus A350 Orders

International Airlines Group (IAG) is ordering Airbus A350 aircraft for the group's longhaul fleet.
For British Airways, there are 18 A350-1000 firm orders, plus 18 options. These are in addition to 18 Boeing 787 options which IAG announced previously that it plans to convert into firm orders.

The A350 and Boeing 787 firm orders will be used to replace 30 Boeing 747-400 aircraft between 2017 and 2023 while the options can be used to replace aircraft or provide opportunities for growth.
For Iberia, IAG has also reached agreement with Airbus as well as Boeing to secure commercial terms and delivery slots that could lead to firm orders for A350s and/or Boeing 787s. Firm orders will only be made when Iberia is in a position to grow profitably, having restructured and reduced its cost base.

The A350 will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. The order includes a comprehensive maintenance package with total care agreement.
Willie Walsh, IAG chief executive, said: "The A350-1000 will bring many benefits to our fleet. Its size and range will be an excellent fit for our existing network and, with lower unit costs, there is an opportunity to operate a new range of destinations profitably. This will not only bring greater flexibility to our network but also more choice for our customers.

"Both aircraft will provide further cost efficiencies and environmental benefits with fuel cost per seat improvements of more than 20 per cent.
"This order will also secure jobs in Britain and Spain. The A350's wings are made in Britain while its horizontal tail plane, horizontal tail plane boxes and lower wing covers are made in Spain. Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines are assembled in Britain".
The fleet order is subject to approval by IAG shareholders.

Nepal Airlines commits to purchasing two Airbus A320s

Nepal Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to buy two Airbus A320 aircrafts in a deal that would be worth around USD$180 million.

"Adding the A320 to our fleet, will help us to capitalise on tourism growth and to enhance our network," said Madan Kharel, Managing Director, Nepal Airlines.

Finnair records a loss in the first quarter

Finnair reported a loss in the 2013 first quarter, disappointed investors' hopes for a quicker solution after cost cuts and profitable long haul routes to expand.
Finnair posted a first-quarter underlying loss of EUR€17.7 million, compared with a EUR€24 million loss in the same period the year before.

Finnair needs to cut costs to ensure that there is growth within the next quarter, unions will have great pressure on the company if these steps did take place.

Deputy chief executive Ville Iho said on Friday the airline would try to curb costs by trimming wages and working hours.

JAL to commence 787 flights in June

Japan Airlines is trying to commence the Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets to commercial flights in June, the company said in a statement on Friday.
Japanese authorities gave Japan Airlines authority to fly the 787 Dreamliners earlier on Friday following FAA approval, after the 787s were grounded since mid-January due to lithium-ion battery problems.

Poland carrier LOT to resume normal flights of the Boeing 787 in June

Poland's flag carrier LOT expects to restart Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights to Chicago and Toronto on June 5, the company said on Thursday.

LOT the first European country to take delivery to the Boeing 787 will also receive another 787 around the time it resumes normal flights of the 787.

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Etihad Agrees Codeshare Deal With Air Canada

Days after Etihad invests 9.9 pc into Indias Jet Airways, they have taken a step forward with Air Canada. They have agreed to a code-share and eased back on visa waivers after a dispute over landing rights in Canada.
Canada had put landing restrictions on the country for protection of their own airlines, but this agreement will allow for Etihad to sell into more destinations within Canada, as they only fly to  Toronto.

The codeshare is part of a series of partnerships for Etihad, as it pursues ambitious global expansion plans.

Boeing v Airbus - Which one do you prefer? Vote via our poll.

The Boeing v Airbus debate, which one do you prefer to fly in? Everyday many thousands of passengers board different types of aircrafts (long and short haul) with unique experiences, we would like to hear about your experiences and favourite aircraft.

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Etihad Confirms Jet Airways Investment

Etihad Airways confirmed it had invested 24 percent stake in India's Jet Airways for USD$379 million. Etihad Airways said in a statement it would subscribe to 27.3 million new shares at 754.74 rupees per share.
The deal would give Etihad Airways a larger market share in India, a fast-growing but challenging market. This challenging market could have a high potential of return and provide Etihad with steady amount of growth. Also it gives Jet Airways with the opportunity to hold cash to pay the required debt of the company.

"It's a game-changing opportunity for Etihad, and a game-changing opportunity for India," Kapil Kaul, regional head of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).

Etihad has negotiated stake purchases in four foreign airlines including Air Berlin, Virgin Australia, Aer Lingus and Air Seychelles.

Ethiopian To Be First To Resume 787 Flights

After the long waited inquiry into the batteries of the Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Ethiopian will be the forst company to resume normal flights.
"Ethiopian Airlines will be the first airline company to resume 787 Dreamliner flights in the world. Saturday's the date," a senior Ethiopian Airlines source said. "We're flying to Nairobi, Kenya on the normal flight schedule."
The US Federal Aviation Administration, which grounded the planes, is expected to issue an Airworthiness Directive on Thursday. This applies to US airlines, but other nations are expected to follow suit. Air India is expected to resume flights within a week or so.

Ethiopian Airlines previously said its fleet did not suffer any of the technical problems experienced by other Dreamliners, though it withdrew the planes from service to undergo inspection requirements mandated by the FAA.

Singapore Airlines invests another 9.9pc into Virgin Australia

Singapore Airlines invested another 9.9pc into Virgin Australia, tallying up to a shareholder percentage of 19.9pc, which is making the carrier its joint largest shareholder.

The airline has agreed to take another 9.9 per cent of Virgin Australia in a deal that will see it purchase 225 million shares at 48 cents from Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. The deal, which is still subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval, is valued at $122.6m

“Our partnership with Virgin Australia has been going from strength to strength, offering a wide range of consumer benefits,” said Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong.
“Increasing our stake in Virgin Australia is another example of Singapore Airlines’ deep commitment to the important Australian market. It also demonstrates our support for the ongoing transformation of Virgin Australia, which has created a more competitive aviation market in Australia."

Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia have had a marketing alliance since 2011 and has built up a reputable brand. Both airlines have stated that they have a good relationship with each other and Singapore is trying to keep its presence within Australia as they still are the major shareholder of Tiger Airways.

US Delays Plan To Allow Small Knives On Planes

Post September 11 2001 small knives have been banned by TSA as a carry on item within the US, this is soon to change with the ban to become uplifted. The TSA said that starting on Thursday (25th April 2013), it would allow folding knives with blades 2.36 inches (6 cm) or shorter, to be carried onto planes, as well as hockey sticks, golf clubs, ski poles and billiard cues.The US Transportation Security Administration delayed a controversial policy change as security heights are at large with the Boston bombings.

"The 90,000-member Flight Attendants Union Coalition, which has opposed the TSA's ill-advised plan from the start, remains resolute: no knives on planes ever again," the group said in a statement. This comes at a risk that flight attendants will be at risk if this ban is lifted following Thursday.

Many security risks have been changed since the September 11 attacks, such as the locking of cockpit doors during the entire flight, but the Flight Attendant Union Coalition still requires safety for all Flight Attendants.

The delay has slowed down the process and the Flight Attendant Union Coalition is requiring TSA to rethink the idea of this policy as its a massive risk.

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787s Could Fly In A Week As Battery Fix Begins

Boeing ] began installing reinforced lithium-ion batteries on five grounded 787 jets operated by launch customer All Nippon Airways, starting a process that should make the aircraft ready to fly again in about a week.

Boeing has grounded 787s since mid January because of overheating of the batteries. US regulators have just approved the new reinforced lithium-ion batteries which has cleared the way for installing.
 Grounding the Boeing 787s has cost Boeing around USD$600 million and halted the production, also forced some airlines to lease alternative aircrafts.  

"Our first priority is to get the existing fleet back into the air," Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager of the 787 programme at Boeing, told European reporters.
"We went to great lengths to question every assumption we made in the initial design and greatly expanded the thought process for what could be potential causes," Loftis said.

Boeing pilots will need to go back through training to renew the licence as its been 3 months since they have flown the Boeing 787. Boeing are hoping this will be the end of the drama as they plan to continue production.

Also Loftis said "We aren't changing forecasts for future (787) orders because of this incident," 

 

 

 

United Airlines jet hits aerobridge while parking at Melbourne Airport

A UNITED Airlines plane has clipped an aerobridge while parking at Melbourne Airport, leaving its wing with significant damage.
The plane was arriving from Los Angeles via Sydney crashed into an aerobridge while parking at Melbourne International Airport.

The Boeing 747 overshot the parking bay causing the aircraft to tear a 40cm hole in the wing.

"There were no injuries reported. The passengers and crew deplaned via stairs and our maintenance team is inspecting the Boeing 747 aircraft," the spokesman said. (Herald Sun 2013)

United Flight UA 840 was cancelled.