In the first public acknowledgment of error since the mid-air flight blowout on Alaska Airlines, Boeing's CEO Dave Calhoun said the company is working with regulators to ensure it "can never happen again." Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun took responsibility for last week's mid-air blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight, vowing "complete transparency" as the aircraft maker grapples with the fallout. "We're going to approach this (by) number one acknowledging our mistake," Calhoun told employees at a safety meeting on Tuesday. The statement is Boeing's first public acknowledgment of error since the incident. The company-wide meeting was called after a plug on an unused exit door seal blew off while the plane was climbing, depressurizing the aircraft at 16,000 feet (about 4.9 kilometers). The plane, with the 171 passengers and six crew members on board made an emergency landing back to the Portland International Airport with no serious injuries. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9 aircrafts for inspection, leading to hundreds of canceled flights.  Vow of transparency Calhoun committed to working with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is currently investigating the incident. "We're going to approach it with 100% and complete transparency every step of the way," Calhoun said, as per remarks released by the company. The NTSB is "as good as it gets," and "I trust every step they take, and they will get to a conclusion," he said. NTSB investigators on Monday, suggested that the part was not affixed adequately. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines — the only two carriers which use Boeing's 737 Max 9 planes — reported loose hardware on some of their Boeing 737 Max 9 planes during initial inspections. Working on detailed inspection The FAA on Tuesday said it was still working with Boeing to finalize the detailed inspection instructions for grounded planes. "Boeing offered an initial version of instructions yesterday which they are now revising because of feedback received in response," the FAA said. "Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing the FAA will conduct a thorough review." Calhoun said the aviation giant was working with both regulators and airlines to ensure such an incident "can never happen again."

The airline's pilot was forced to land the aircraft some 20 minutes after take off after a window blew out in flight. Boeing said it was gathering information and was ready to support the investigation. Alaska Airlines grounded all its Boeing 737-9 aircraft, after one of its flights was forced to conduct an emergency landing when a window and piece of fuselage blew out in midair on Friday. The hole in the aircraft was ripped open some 20 minutes after take off, causing the cabin to depressurize.   Oxygen masks were released and the plane safely landed soon after, with over 170 passengers and six crew members unharmed. "Following tonight's event on Flight 1282, we have decided to take the precautionary step of temporarily grounding our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft," Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement. The US National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration and Alaska Airlines each said they were investigating the incident, which is standard procedure for emergency landings. Difficult start in the skies for the latest 737s The Boeing 737-9 MAX just received its certification last October, FFA online records show. It has been on 145 flights since going into commercial service on Nov 11. Boeing said it was gathering more information and had a technical team ready to support the investigation. Alaska Airlines' Minicucci said the carrier was "working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred."   The twin-engine, single-aisle Max is the newest version of most-flown commercial series of aircraft in the world, Boeing 737s. In service since May 2017, it's frequently used on US domestic flights. Two Max 8 aircrafts crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people and prompting a worldwide grounding of all Max 8 and Max 9 planes that lasted nearly two years. In 2018, a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max plane in Indonesia crashed, killing 189 people. A year later, the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crashed soon after take off from Addis Ababa, killing 157 people.

The plane-maker said there was no "safety or flight" concern, but it is not the first time deliveries of the 787 have been paused. Boeing has suspended deliveries of the 787 Dreamliner following a new issue that was found in a part used near the front of the plane, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Thursday. Boeing is "conducting additional analysis on a fuselage component," the FAA said. "Deliveries will not resume until the FAA is satisfied that the issue has been addressed," it added. Boeing said the fault would lead to delivery delays but added there was no broader safety issue. "There is no immediate safety or flight concern for the in-service fleet," the company said. The problem stems from an analysis error by a supplier related to the 787's forward pressure bulkhead, the planemaker said. 787 Dreamliners deliveries suspended before Deliveries of the long-haul plane, which airlines mostly use on international routes, have been held up in the past. The company stopped supplying 787s to customers in May 2021 to allow Boeing to fix several production flaws. Deliveries resumed more than a year later, in August 2022, after the FAA found "Boeing has made the necessary changes." Boeing said it discovered the latest error in the past week. The company delivered 31 787s in 2022 and had expected to deliver up to  80 Dreamliners this year. However, the Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing has not handed over a plane from the production line since January 26. The company's reputation has been damaged by deadly crashes involving its 737 MAX airplane.

After Air India, India's flag carrier announced the signing of a letter of intent with Boeing to acquire modern fleet, the US aerospace company on Tuesday said that it will be the largest Boeing order in South Asia. In a statement, Boeing said that the agreement between Boeing and Air India includes options for 50 additional 737 MAXs and 20 787-9s. "When finalized, this will be the largest Boeing order in South Asia and a historic milestone in the aerospace company's nearly 90-year partnership with the carrier. The order will post to Boeing's Orders and Deliveries website when final," it said. Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD, Air India said that the acquisition of nearly 300, highly advanced Boeing jets is a core element of Vihaan. "AI, the comprehensive transformation and growth strategy we are pursuing at Air India," he said. "These new airplanes will enable us to dramatically expand our network, both domestically and internationally, and will come with a completely new, world-class onboard product enabling passengers to travel in the highest levels of comfort and safety," the CEO added. Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said that Air India's selection of Boeing's passenger jets shows their confidence in its products and services. "Their decision will support engineering and manufacturing jobs at Boeing factories in Washington state, South Carolina and across our supply base," Deal said. "With the industry-leading fuel efficiency of the 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777X, Air India is well positioned to achieve its expansion plans and become a world-class global airline with an Indian heart," the CEO added. Air India has also contracted with Boeing Global Services for lifecycle support services, including digital solutions, spare parts and landing gear exchange programs, pilot and maintenance technician training, aircraft modifications and other services. Boeing said that the 737 MAX will provide flexibility across Air India's domestic and international network while reducing fuel use and emissions by 20 per cent compared to the airplanes it replaces. "The 737-8, seating 162 to 210 passengers, depending on configuration, and with a range of 3,500 nautical miles, is the market's most versatile single-aisle airplane, capable of operating profitably on short- and medium-haul routes," the statement said. "The 737-10, the largest airplane in the 737 MAX family, offers the best per-seat economics of any single-aisle commercial jet, seating 188 to 230 passengers, depending on configuration with a range of 3,100 nautical miles," it added.  Source:  ANI

Boeing's new Starliner capsule went off course Friday during its first test flight, spoiling a crucial dress rehearsal for launching astronauts next year. The capsule will stay in orbit for a few days but won't dock with the International Space Station as planned. It will return to Earth as early as Sunday, landing in the New Mexico dessert, NASA and company officials said. They said the capsule was stable and safe. Friday's blastoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, went flawlessly as the Atlas V rocket lifted off with the Starliner capsule just before sunrise. But a half-hour into the flight, Boeing reported that the capsule didn't get into the right orbit. Officials said the spacecraft's timer didn't work properly and it burned up too much fuel to safely make the trip to the space station. This was Boeing's chance to catch up with SpaceX, NASA's other commercial crew provider that successfully completed a similar demonstration last March. SpaceX has one last hurdle — a launch abort test — before carrying two NASA astronauts in its Dragon capsule, possibly by spring. A successful Starliner demo could have seen Boeing launching astronauts by summer. But that might not be possible now. At a briefing, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said it was too early to know if another test flight would be needed before flying astronauts. "I'm not ruling it out," Bridenstine said on whether the next Starliner might carry crew or go empty. Had astronauts been on board, they may have been able to take over, correct the problem, and get the capsule to the space station, he said. It's been nearly nine years since NASA astronauts have launched from the U.S. The last time was July 8, 2011, when Atlantis — now on display at Kennedy Space Center — made the final space shuttle flight. Since then, NASA astronauts have traveled to and from the space station via Kazakhstan, courtesy of the Russian Space Agency. The Soyuz rides have cost NASA up to $86 million apiece. The space agency handed over station deliveries to private businesses, first cargo and then crews, in order to focus on getting astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars. Commercial cargo ships took flight in 2012, starting with SpaceX. Crew capsules were more complicated to design and build, and parachute and other technical problems pushed the first launches from 2017 to now next year. Last April, a SpaceX crew capsule exploded during a ground test. The U.S. needs companies competing like this, Bridenstine said Thursday, to drive down launch costs, boost innovation and open space up to more people. He stressed the need for more than one company in case of problems that kept one grounded. Thousands of spectators jammed the launch area Friday, eager to witness Starliner's premiere flight. The United Launch Alliance rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and was visible for at least five minutes, its white contrail a brilliant contrast against the dark sky. The mood quickly turned somber as news of the setback trickled out. All three astronauts assigned to the first Starliner crew were at control centers to watch the launch: NASA's Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann and Boeing's Chris Ferguson. Ferguson commanded the last shuttle mission. He's now a test pilot astronaut for Boeing and one of the Starliner's key developers.  "This is why we flight test, right?. We're trying to get all of the bugs removed out of the system," said Fincke at the briefing. "There's always something." Built to accommodate seven, the white capsule with black and blue trim will typically carry four or five people. It's 16.5 feet (5 meters) tall with its attached service module and 15 feet (4.5 meters) in diameter. For the test flight, the Starliner carried Christmas treats and presents for the six space station residents, hundreds of tree seeds similar to those that flew to the moon on Apollo 14, the original air travel ID card belonging to Boeing's founder and a mannequin named Rosie in the commander's seat. The test dummy — named after the bicep-flexing riveter of World War II — wore a red polka dot hair bandanna just like the original Rosie and Boeing's custom royal blue spacesuit. The flight was designed to test all systems, from the vibrations and stresses of liftoff to the touchdown at the Army's White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, with parachutes and air bags to soften the landing. Even the test dummy is packed with sensors. On the eve of the flight, Bridenstine said he's "very comfortable" with Boeing, despite the prolonged grounding of the company's 737 Max jets. The spacecraft and aircraft sides of the company are different, he noted. Boeing has long been involved in NASA's human spacecraft program, from Project Mercury to the shuttle and station programs. Boeing began preliminary work on the Starliner in 2010, a year before Atlantis soared for the last time. In 2014, Boeing and SpaceX made the final cut. Boeing got more than $4 billion to develop and fly the Starliner, while SpaceX got $2.6 billion for a crew-version of its Dragon cargo ship. NASA wants to make sure every reasonable precaution is taken with the capsules, designed to be safer than NASA's old shuttles. "We're talking about human spaceflight," Bridenstine cautioned. "It's not for the faint of heart. It never has been, and it's never going to be." Source: AP/UNB AH

A number of countries have grounded Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 medium-haul workhorse jet in response to the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board. The Nairobi-bound plane was the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew — and some officials have detected similarities between the two accidents. There are some 350 of the 737 MAX 8 planes currently in service around the world. While some countries and airlines have opted to ground the planes, others are continuing to fly the aircraft pending an investigation into the crash and possible guidance from Boeing itself. Boeing, which has sent experts to assist in the Ethiopia probe, says safety is its “number one priority”. – Countries that have grounded 737 MAX 8s – Singapore: Singapore’s aviation regulator Tuesday completely banned the use of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the country’s airspace. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said it was “temporarily suspending operation of all variants of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of Singapore” in light of the two recent accidents. China: Beijing Monday ordered domestic airlines to suspend operation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, citing the two crashes. Noting “similarities” between the two incidents, China’s Civil Aviation Administration said operation of the model would only resume after “confirming the relevant measures to effectively ensure flight safety”. China is a hugely important market for the US aircraft company, accounting for about one-fifth of worldwide deliveries of Boeing 737 MAX models. Indonesia: Indonesia said it was grounding its 11 jets of the 737 MAX 8 type. Inspections of the aircraft would start Tuesday and the planes would remain grounded until they were cleared by safety regulators, Director General of Air Transport Polana Pramesti told reporters. South Korea: South Korea’s transport ministry said Tuesday it had advised Eastar Jet, the nation’s only airline to operate Boeing 737 MAX 8s, to ground its two planes. The budget airline had agreed to suspend its use of the aircraft starting Wednesday, it added. Mongolia: The Mongolian Civil Aviation Authority said on Facebook it had ordered the state carrier MIAT Mongolian Airlines to ground the sole Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet. Australia: Australia on Tuesday barred Boeing 737 MAX planes from its airspace. Fiji Airways is the only 737 MAX operator affected by the Australian ban, according to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority, as Singapore-based SilkAir’s planes were already covered by a ban imposed by the city-state. – Airlines that have grounded jets – Ethiopian Airlines: Ethiopian Airlines said Monday it had grounded its Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet “until further notice”. “Although we don’t yet know the cause of the accident, we have to decide to ground the particular fleet as an extra safety precaution,” said the state-owned carrier, Africa’s largest. Comair: South African airline Comair said it had “decided to remove its 737 MAX from its flight schedule”. Cayman Airways: Cayman Airways CEO Fabian Whorms said it would suspend flights for its two 737 MAX 8 planes “until more information is received”. Gol Airlines: Brazil’s Gol Airlines said it was temporarily suspending its commercial operations with the plane. Aeromexico: Aeromexico, which has six 737 MAX 8s in its fleet, announced that it was grounding the aircraft. Aerolineas Argentinas: Argentina’s flagship carrier said late Monday that it had suspended the operation of its five 737 MAX 8s pending the result of investigations into the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines plane. Earlier its pilots had refused to fly the jet. – Countries still flying jets – US: Boeing, which has sent experts to assist in the Ethiopia probe, said safety is its “number one priority”. “The investigation is in its early stages, but at this point, based on the information available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators,” the US manufacturer said in a statement. The US Federal Aviation Administration said it would take “immediate” action if there were safety concerns. Southwest Airlines, which operates 34 of the 737 MAX 8 planes, said: “We remain confident in the safety and airworthiness of our fleet of more than 750 Boeing aircraft.” A person with knowledge of the matter told AFP that American Airlines planned to continue operating its two dozen 737 MAX 8s. Russia: Russian airline S7 said it was closely following the crash investigation and was in contact with Boeing, but had received no instructions to stop flying the 737 MAX 8. Turkey: The CEO of Turkish Airlines, which flies 11 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, said in a tweet that the carrier would fly the planes as scheduled, adding that the airline was in touch with Boeing and that passenger security was paramount. Italy: Air Italy said it would follow all directives “to ensure the maximum level of safety and security”. In the meantime, the planes remained in the air. Iceland: Icelandair operates three Boeing 737 MAX 8. Its operations chief told Frettabladid newspaper it would be “premature” to link the crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia together. This could change depending on the outcome of an ongoing probe but “for now, there is no reason to fear these machines”. Norway: Norwegian Air Shuttle, which operates 18 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, said it would keep them in the air. Dubai: Airline Flydubai said it was “monitoring the situation” and it was “confident in the airworthiness of our fleet”. Oman: Oman Air said it was in contact with Boeing “to understand if there are any implications for other airlines operating the same model”. India: India’s aviation regulator said Monday that it had imposed additional “interim” safety requirements for ground engineers and crew for the aircraft, but stopped short of ordering their grounding. Source: AFP AH