Investigators believe debris found off Tanzania in June offers the best new clue to the final moments of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, including whether it was under pilot control. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, which has spent weeks studying the piece—a main flap from a Boeing 777, which experts say is “highly likely” to be from Flight 370—aims to complete its analysis in around two weeks. Its conclusions will be part of a broader report to be reviewed by experts, including from Boeing Co., before being released to the public. Authorities have long believed the plane wasn’t under human control at the time of its apparent crash, based on communications between the aircraft and an Inmarsat PLC satellite. That communications data suggest Flight 370 was plummeting at a rate of at least 12,000 feet a minute when it entered the water. However, another theory — that the plane was in a controlled glide following a loss of engine power — hasn’t been ruled out, though authorities consider it less likely. While either theory would lead to largely the same search area, the edges would vary; a simulation shows the aircraft, starting from 40,000 feet, could have gone an extra 140 miles if under control. Peter Foley, program director for the Operational Search for Flight 370 at the ATSB, said the main flap is particularly significant because damage analysis may determine how it broke off the plane. Unlike other parts recovered so far, such as the flaperon found on Réunion Island and being examined in France, the main flap is deployed manually. “It has to be deployed by a human, from the cockpit,” Foley said. “And you have to have hydraulic power to do so.”<br/>
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LATAM Airlines reported a wider-than-forecast net loss in Q2 of $92m, as it struggles to overcome tough economic conditions in its key markets.<br/>Analysts had expected a $20m loss, according to a Reuters forecast. The airline made a loss of $50m in the same period a year ago, a quarter that is traditionally weak for seasonal reasons. Sales for the second three months of 2016 were $2.1b, down from $2.4b a year ago. In the first six months, the airline made a $10m profit. LATAM has racked up repeated losses since it was formed in the 2012 merger of Chile's LAN and Brazil's TAM, hamstrung by Brazil's economic problems and negative currency effects. It has said that any recovery in its bottom line will depend on a turnaround in Brazil, currently mired in deep recession. The macroeconomic environment remained "challenging", the company said Thursday. <br/>
Qantas is gearing up for the rollout of free in-flight Wi-Fi on about 100 domestic aircraft, under a partnership with global broadband services provider ViaSat that will tap into the NBN network. The new service will feature speeds up to 10 times faster than conventional on-board wi-fi, meaning you can not only stream movies, TV shows, the latest news bulletins and live sports on domestic flights via the internet, but the Qantas Flight Operations and Engineering teams are looking at how they can use in-flight connectivity to help with turbulence, maintenance, medical emergencies and connections. In-flight trials are expected to begin with a single Qantas Boeing 737 aircraft in late 2016, retrofitted with equipment to enable high-speed Wi-Fi. A full roll-out across Qantas Domestic's fleet of A330s and B737s is planned from early 2017, with the aircraft to be fitted with modems and the advanced antenna that receives the satellite signal. But how can Wi-Fi help with turbulence? At the moment, pilots download the latest weather maps on their iPads just before takeoff. They also have on-board radar to help them track storms as well as getting any major updates via radio. Having internet in the cockpit takes this to the next level. Pilots would be able to stream richer information on real-time weather conditions expected along the flight path — using this to dodge areas of turbulence and make better use of tailwinds to reduce flying time.<br/>
An American Airlines flight attendant accused last year of attacking crew members and air marshals during a trans-Atlantic flight has been found not guilty by reason of insanity by a federal judge. Joanne Snow had faced charges of interference with flight crews and attendants, and with assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer or employee of the United States. This week, federal prosecutors reduced the charges to simple assault. In a Charlotte courtroom on Friday, both sides stipulated that the 67-year-old Snow had reacted badly to some prescription drugs taken before the flight, had been treated by a psychiatrist and was no longer a threat to the public. U.S. Magistrate Judge David Cayer agreed, and accepted the not-guilty plea recommended by attorneys.<br/>