Southwest Closes Four Stations Amid Ongoing Boeing Delivery Woes

The airline lost $231 million in the first quarter of 2024. (airlinegeeks.com) More...

Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. (www.nytimes.com) More...

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $76 Million in Grants from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Modernize Airports, From Runway Improvements to Better Facilities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding another $76.1 million from the previously allocated $9 billion, for 45 airport-related infrastructure projects in 22 states. The projects are funded under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) program, part of the $25 billion total included in the law for airport improvements, including front-of-house projects such as terminal expansions and baggage… (www.faa.gov) More...

US FAA to mandate use of safety tool by charter airlines, manufacturers

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday said it is finalizing new rules requiring charter, commuter, air tour operators, and aircraft manufacturers to implement a key safety tool aimed at reducing accidents. The FAA is adopting a final rule mandating the use of Safety Management Systems (SMS), which are a set of policies and procedures to proactively identify and address potential operational hazards, after first proposing to do so in January 2023.… (www.reuters.com) More...

Pima Air and Space Museum Acquires Iconic Philippine Mars

The Pima Air and Space Museum (PASM) made public via Facebook its acquisition of the Philippine Mars. Coulson Aviation published a press release announcing that the Philippine Mars will soon find its “forever home” at the PASM in Tucson, Arizona this year. The Philippine Mars is one of only seven Martin JRM Mars flying boats produced. (vintageaviationnews.com) More...

FAA investigating near collision of two jets at Reagan National Airport

Two passenger jets came within 400 feet of each other before controllers took last-minute evasive action and immediately stopped the two planes. It’s not clear why the jets were authorized to be on the same runway at the same time. (wtop.com) More...

Boeing and the Dark Age of American Manufacturing

Somewhere along the line, the plane maker lost interest in making its own planes. Can it rediscover its engineering soul? (www.theatlantic.com) More...

Airbus in Talks with China Over Potential Aircraft Order Ahead of Xi Jinping’s France Visit

Airbus is reportedly in discussions with China regarding a potentially significant aircraft order ahead of an upcoming visit to France by Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Xi Jinping is scheduled to make his first trip to Europe in five years next month, with trade expected to be a key topic of discussion amidst growing tensions between the EU and China. (www.airguide.info) More...

Hawaiian Airlines slowly adds freighters for Amazon business

Hawaiian has faced some delivery delays for its A330 cargo jets. (www.freightwaves.com) More...

The New Boeing CEO Must Be an Airplane Geek, Not Just a Bean Counter

As Boeing prepares for a leadership change later this year, the incoming CEO faces an immense challenge: orchestrating a profound cultural shift within the company’s vast workforce of over 170,000 employees, a significant portion of whom are engineers. (www.airguide.info) More...