FAA administrator Steve Dickson sounded a positive note on the Boeing 737 MAX recertification process, telling reporters the agency is “narrowing the issues” leading to an upcoming certification flight.
Icelandair estimates the Boeing 737 MAX grounding has cost the airline $100 million to date as the all-Boeing operator plans to reduce capacity for summer 2020.
Canadian pilot training specialist CAE expects increasing demand for its simulators for Boeing 737 MAX and continues to make so-called “white tail” systems ahead of actual orders.
The Boeing 737 MAX production halt is a catalyst for Triumph Group to further consolidate its interiors and Mexican operations, top executives said Feb. 6, adding more divestiture announcements should be expected this year.
Despite economic uncertainty, trade tensions and headwinds compounded by the Coronavirus outbreak, the Asia-Pacific region—and China in particular—remains pivotal to Boeing’s fortunes and the best hope for offsetting the commercial slowdown, a company executive said.
Boeing continues to refine its updated 737 MAX fight control computer (FCC) software and proposed simulator training, addressing new issues that have cropped up in testing and pilot evaluations and analyzing the risks of a wiring issue that may require modifications.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson has hinted of a new regulatory regime around aircraft certification leaning on lessons learned from the ongoing Boeing 737 MAX debacle.
Wall Street remains dubious that aircraft subsystems provider Woodward and composites supplier Hexcel can provide one of the main benefits they promised from their recent merger, particularly as the commercial aviation sector reels from the Boeing 737 MAX production halt and both companies lower their 2020 guidance as a result.
In-seat system provider Astronics on Feb. 4 warned investors over financial effects of the Boeing 737 MAX production halt, as well as other “unfavorable” developments including a negative court ruling and ongoing restructuring charges.
United Technologies Corp. (UTC) says its commercial aftermarket business is being hit by ramifications from the Boeing 737 MAX grounding and could see additional headwinds linked to the coronavirus outbreak, but executives are confident that any dip will be short-lived.
Boeing executives believe customer sentiment toward the 737 MAX remains strong, insisting that airlines still want the grounded model even amid rising operating costs linked to simulator training and the risk that passengers may shy away from the aircraft once it returns.
Boeing does not see simulator capacity as an issue that will delay the 737 MAX’s return to service (RTS) and is working with operators to develop plans for training MAX pilots under the assumption that immediate simulator time will be mandated.
Last year turned out to be the ugliest for Boeing’s finances in a generation, with the Chicago-based manufacturer of the 737 MAX and other aerospace and defense products reporting a net loss of $636 million.
Aerospace suppliers are taking different approaches on whether to cut employees as they wrestle with the fallout of the Boeing 737 MAX production halt, with some already doing so while others announce they will not.
Adding simulator training to Boeing’s latest projected 737 MAX certification time frame could push Southwest Airlines’ next MAX revenue flights into the 2020 fourth quarter, estimates laid out by the airline’s executives show.
American Airlines’ fleet of 20 Embraer E190s will be completely retired by mid-summer, regardless of the timing of Boeing 737 MAX recertification, American president Robert Isom said Jan. 23.
As the one-year mark of the Boeing 737 MAX grounding nears, airlines and lessors have to decide whether they want to make use of an upcoming opportunity to cancel orders for the aircraft.
Boeing plans to re-start 737 MAX production “months” before the FAA approves it to fly again, which could be as soon as early spring based on the company’s newest estimate, Boeing president and CEO Dave Calhoun said.
