New Airliners Take Flight, Are Certified During The Year

The airline industry saw first flights of multiple new airplanes, and the certification of the latest single-aisle offering from Airbus ... the A320neo. Bombardier also got Transport Canada's approval for its new single-aisle airplane, and orders for new airplanes continued to be strong. Meanwhile, the fate of Malaysia Airlines MH370 remains a mystery. Here are some of the top stories from the commercial airline industry from 2015.

January

A Continental Airlines First Officer was  featured on a segment on television station KTRK called "Closer Look".
 

For several years, the FAA has used the results of an airport capacity tool called the runway Simulator model that was developed by MITRE to efficiently evaluate an airport’s capacity.

The FAA proposed a $317,500 civil penalty against United Airlines, Inc. of Chicago, IL for allegedly operating an aircraft that was not in compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations.

After AirAsia Flight 8501 went down December 28 in the Java Sea, the Indonesian government is examining the licenses and schedules of all Indonesian airlines to be sure they are not violating any rules and have proper paperwork for the routes they fly.

Airbus exceeded its targets for 2014, achieving a new record of 629 aircraft deliveries for 89 customers of which eight are new, comprising 490 A320 Family aircraft, 108 A330s, 30 A380s and also our first A350 XWB.

A number of leadership changes have been announced by Boeing related to the 737 and 767 commercial airplane programs, as well as the Renton, WA and North Charleston, SC sites.

The loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was an "accident", according to an official declaration made by the Malaysian government.

Boeing and All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced the airline’s intent to purchase three 787-10 Dreamliners. In addition, ANA announced an order for five Next-Generation 737-800s to bolster the airline’s growing narrow-body fleet.

February

A new five-year contract between the Allied Pilots Association (APA) and American Airlines was ratified by the union membership.

The first Dreamliner for Singapore-based Scoot Airline was delivered by Boeing.

An ATR 72-600 operated by Taiwan's TransAsia Airways was involved in an accident near Taipei Songshan airport (Taiwan).

Avianca Holdings S.A. signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for 100 A320neo Family aircraft.

Member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommended the adoption of a new 15-minute aircraft tracking Standard, during discussions amongst the over 850 participants to the UN aviation body’s 2015 High Level Safety Conference.

The man who has led Bombardier for the past six and a half years stepped down as president and CEO to become Executive Chairman of the board after the company posted a net loss of $1.6 billion for the fourth quarter of 2014.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report (A13O0098) into a May 2013 hard landing and tail strike involving a Porter Airlines Inc. aircraft at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport in Ontario.

Marion C. Blakey was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce North America and chair of the Rolls-Royce North America Board of Directors, replacing James M. Guyette who will be retiring in May.

March

Airbus decided to further increase the production rate for its very successful A320 Family to 50 aircraft per month from Q1 2017, matching market demand.

A Delta Airlines MD-88 with 127 passengers and five crew on board arriving from Atlanta skidded off the runway at LaGuardia Airport after landing on a snow and sleet-slicked runway.

Southwest Airlines agreed to remove a disciplinary action from the file of a mechanic who reported finding cracks in the fuselage of a Boeing 737 airplane, and will pay the mechanic's legal fees.

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft and Fly Mojo Sdn Bhd have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the sale and purchase of 20 CS100 aircraft with options for an additional 20 CS100 aircraft.

The FAA granted 330-minute Extended Operations (ETOPS) approval to Boeing for its 747-8 Intercontinental. It is the first time a four-engine airplane has received this type of design approval.

The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) appointed  Dr. Fang Liu of China as the new Secretary General of the Organization for a three-year term, beginning August 1st,  2015.

A Germanwings A320 on a flight from Barcelona, Spain to Dusseldorf in Germany went down in the mountainous region of southern France carrying 142 passengers and six crew. French officials say there are no survivors from the accident.

During a search of the home of Andreas Lubitz, German prosecutors say they found  found a torn-up note from a doctor indicating he should go on medical leave for an unspecified reason.

Lufthansa Group said in a statement Friday that it is adopting a “rule of two” for aircraft cockpits across all of its carriers.

April

Lufthansa's investigation of Germanwings Flight 9525 has uncovered emails that were exchanged between Andreas Lubitz and Lufthansa in 2009 which included medical documents that Lubitz had submitted when he resumed his flight training. The documents indicate that Lubitz had a "previous episode of severe depression."

Boeing and Air India celebrated the airline's milestone delivery of its 20th 787 Dreamliner from Boeing's final assembly facility in North Charleston, SC.

The latest variant of the highly successful A330 – the new 242 metric ton A330-300 – achieved certification from EASA following a 100 hour flight-test campaign.

Lufthansa sequestered some $300 million it says will cover "all costs arising in connections" with the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525.

Two NASA experiments designed to help reduce fuel consumption and emissions will fly this spring on a specially outfitted Boeing 757 airplane called the ecoDemonstrator.

A Government Accountability Office report says that some aircraft, such as Boeing's Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 and A380, may be vulnerable to cyber attacks because their cockpits are connected to the same Wi-Fi routers accessible by passengers.

Boeing was notified that the International Association of Machinists (IAM) had withdrawn its petition to unionize the company’s North Charleston, S.C., facilities.

The Airbus Training Center (ATC) in Miami, Florida signed a three-year agreement with FlightSafety International to provide an integrated, “ab-initio” training solution to airline customers and aspiring pilots at FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida.

American Airlines pilots using iPads loaded with Jeppesen EFB software were grounded for a brief time when problems arose with the software loaded on the devices.

May

Andreas Lubitz, the copilot of a Germanwings flight which he allegedly deliberately flew into a mountainside in the French Alps, was nearly denied a U.S. pilot certificate in 2010, according to documents released by the FAA.

Boeing and Cathay Pacific Airways celebrated the delivery of the airline's 50th 777-300ER (Extended Range).

The NTSB issued two safety recommendations dealing with ways to prevent wrong-airport landings.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the publication of new training requirements for airline pilots to prevent loss of control situations.

NASA has awarded a two-year contract to Rockwell Collins to develop a conceptual cockpit display that will provide a visual representation of sonic booms over the Earth’s surface to mitigate impact on populated areas.

The FAA recently added six new accident modules to the agency’s one-of-a-kind “Lessons Learned” online and publicly available safety library.

A six month investigation by Fox Business asserts that the FAA's new hiring practices for Air Traffic Controllers may be putting the flying public at risk, and alleges that some were given assistance in passing a test that led to a job as an air traffic controller.

The FAA is working with the commercial aviation and medical communities to study the emotional and mental health of U.S. commercial pilots.

June

Malaysia Airlines CEO Christoph Mueller said in an interview with a Malaysian newspaper that employees were at least in part to blame for the airline's financial difficulties, leading to a reorganization that may cost thousands their jobs.

The City of Phoenix, AZ filed a lawsuit against the FAA in an effort to resolve noise issues that have cropped up after the agency re-routed airplanes departing from and arriving at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The TSA Office of Inspector General prepared a report that indicates widespread failures in the security apparatus at U.S. Airports.

Boeing  employees in Renton, WA started building the first 737 MAX on schedule. Employees started to assemble the wings for the first 737 MAX flight test airplane.

The International Air Transport Industry (IATA) advocated for an even deeper partnership with governments based on global standards in the critical areas of safety, infrastructure, security, regulation, and environment.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to find under the Clean Air Act that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from commercial aircraft contribute to the pollution that causes climate change endangering the health and welfare of Americans.

Space Subcommittee Chairman Brian Babin (R-TX) (pictured) held a hearing titled "Transforming America’s Air Travel" reviewing research programs within NASA and the FAA. The hearing also reviewed challenges within the FAA’s NextGen system, including cyber security concerns.

Embraer has released its 2015-2034 Market Outlook which details forecasted deliveries of new aircraft over the next twenty years.

Boeing outlined its strategy as the company targets a second consecutive year of record commercial airplane deliveries on Tuesday during a briefing at the Paris Air Show.

July

The U.K. Airports Commission has published its Final report, which sets out its recommendations to government for expanding aviation capacity in the UK.

Airbus and its Chinese partners the Tianjin Free Trade Zone Investment Company Ltd. (TJFTZ) and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), have signed a framework agreement on setting up an A330 Completion and Delivery Center (C&DC) in Tianjin, China.

China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS) has signed with Airbus a General Terms Agreement (GTA) for 45 A330 Family aircraft and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  for options for 30 A330s.

Over 30 local and regional airports have joined a growing coalition that is calling on the U.S. government to open consultations with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to address $42 billion in subsidies and other unfair benefits that the Gulf nations have provided to their state-owned airlines, violating Open Skies policy and threatening hundreds of thousands of American jobs.

FedEx Express announced it had agreed to purchase 50 additional 767-300F aircraft from The Boeing Company as it continues to modernize its aircraft fleet.

Boeing released a new forecast showing continued strong demand for commercial airline pilots and maintenance technicians as the world's airlines add 38,000 airplanes to the global fleet over the next 20 years.

Debris that could be from a Boeing 777 was found off the coast of Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, raising speculation that it could be from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing in March of 2014.

August

As UPS pilots marked the second anniversary of the crash of Flight 1354 on approach to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, they are again calling for an end to the carve-out of all-cargo airline operators from new, science-based pilot rest rules.

Resident of Portola Valley and Palo Alto, CA filed a lawsuit against the FAA over jet noise from aircraft approaching San Francisco International Airport (KSFO).

Two regional carriers in Europe united under a single holding group run by CEO Peter Simpson.

Airbus received a U.S. Patent on what it calls an "Ultra-Rapid Air Vehicle" which would be "propelled by a system of motors formed by turbojets, ramjets and a rocket motor."

Representatives from the Malaysian government went on television and announced that the debris that had been found on a beach on Reunion Island had been positively identified as being from MH370.

A lawsuit was filed against the FAA by the leaders of the homeowners associations for several historic neighborhoods in Phoenix, AZ following changes in flight paths, particularly departure corridors, over the city.

The FAA Inspector General's office has released a report requested by the leadership of the House Transportation Committee indicating the Agency has not done enough to emphasize the significance of obtaining comprehensive pilot records, and still has considerable work ahead in developing a centralized database.

Boeing completed the firm configuration milestone for the 777-9, the first member of the 777X family to be developed.

September

French authorities confirmed what Malaysian officials had been saying since July; the flaperon that was found on a beach on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean is in fact part of the Boeing 777 that was operating as Malaysian Airlines flight 370 when it vanished on March 8, 2014.

Boeing was ordered to pay some $90 million to settle a 10-year-old class action lawsuit brought by SPEEA and two other unions over health benefits and pensions.

EASA certified the new 242 metric ton Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) version of Airbus’ A330-200 following certification in April 2015 of the 242t A330-300.

An engine fire on board a British Airways Boeing 777 forced the evacuation of 159 passengers and 13 crew members as the plane was preparing to depart from Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport (KLAS).

To fill a major order placed by FedEx Corp., Boeing said it will crank up assembly of 767s by 25 percent in 2017.

Boeing employees in Renton, WA started final assembly on schedule of the first 737 MAX 8, the first member of Boeing’s new, single-aisle family.

The Office of Inspector General initiated an audit of the FAA's oversight of the safety of commercial airline flight decks at the request of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).

Less than one year after delivering the first A350 XWB (-900), the first A350-1000 began taking shape with the start of assembly of the first fuselage major components at Airbus plants in Hamburg and Saint-Nazaire.

October

European pilots joined aviation stakeholders in signing the ‘European Corporate Just Culture Declaration’ at a High-Level Conference on ‘Saving lives with safety information’, in Brussels.

Ongoing collaboration and progress on a CO2 Standard for new aircraft was highlighted as an important contribution to aviation’s collaborative climate actions.

The FAA announced a $27 million Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant to the City of Williston, ND to purchase land to build a new airport and meet growing aviation demand by replacing Sloulin Field International Airport.

Russia's second-largest airline was expected to stop flying at the end of December due to a pending bankruptcy, and it could mean significant problems for Boeing.

A report from the Dutch Safety Board said that Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 was brought down by a Russian-made Buk missile, but does not say who might have fired the shot.

US Airways Flight 1939 departed from San Francisco. It was the last scheduled flight for US Airways in its own livery.

Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Exports in Quebec Jacques Daoust announced the signing of an historic partnership with Bombardier to form a limited partnership to complete the C Series program. After investing $1 billion (U.S.), the Québec government will hold a 49.5% stake in the new company.

A Russian A321 with 224 passengers and crew on board went down in a mountainous region of Egypt's Sinai peninsula.

November

To match ongoing high demand for its A320 Family, Airbus announced a further increase the production rate of the Single Aisle Family to 60 aircraft a month in mid-2019.

The board of directors of Airlines for America (A4A) voted unanimously to waive the notice period for Delta Air Lines to leave the association, effective immediately, shortening Delta’s announced intended departure date by six months.

The Pratt & Whitney PW1900G PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine for the Embraer E190-E2 and E195-E2 aircraft, successfully completed its first flight, initiating the engine's flight test program.

The membership of the Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association (SWAPA) has voted to reject a new contract with Southwest Airlines. After a 45-day education and voting period the membership voted 38.36 percent in favor and 61.64 percent against ratification of this federally-mediated agreement.

Boeing and India's Jet Airways announced an order for 75 737 MAX 8 airplanes at the 2015 Dubai Airshow.

The A350-1000’s new engine – the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 – successfully made its first flight-test aboard Airbus’ dedicated A380 “Flying-Test-Bed” aircraft.

Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) conducted the first flight of the first flight test aircraft for the MRJ (Mitsubishi Regional Jet), their next-generation regional jet.

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced that the CS100 aircraft has completed its certification flight testing, subject to Transport Canada's final review and acceptance.

The FAA and EASA jointly certified CFM International's advanced LEAP-1A engine, paving the way for entry into commercial service in 2016.

The FAA and EASA jointly certified the Airbus A320neo.

December

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released its updated passenger growth forecast, projecting that passenger numbers are expected to reach 7 billion by 2034 with a 3.8% average annual growth in demand (2014 baseline year).

Air traffic control should be removed from the auspices of the FAA and taken over by a not-for-profit corporation in an effort to stabilize its funding, according to a group of airline executives.

Boeing completed detailed design for the 787-10 Dreamliner, achieving another major milestone in the development of the newest and longest member of the 787 family.

Thousands of Boeing employees in Renton, WA celebrated the completion of final assembly of the first 737 MAX 8.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a letter she wrote to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriation Subcommittees with jurisdiction over aviation in a renewed effort to address late night and early morning airplane noise in the Palisades, Foxhall, other District of Columbia neighborhoods, and communities across the country.

Transport Canada certified the Bombardier's CS100 aircraft following a comprehensive and rigorous testing program, which included more than 3,000 flight test hours, the validation of thousands of test results and the authentication of extensive design and performance data.

 United States and Cuba reached a bilateral arrangement to establish scheduled air services between the two countries.

The FAA has come to a comprehensive settlement agreement with Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) that resolves multiple pending and potential enforcement cases.

FMI: www.aero-news.net