ANA said Wednesday it will replace all 100 Rolls-Royce engines on its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners following 3 engine failures this year caused by corrosion and cracking of turbine blades. ANA said all 50 of its 787s will receive engines fitted with new blades, a process that could take up to 3 years. ANA has 5 engines that currently need repairs, "but we will replace all the 100 engines for enhanced safety measures," the company said, adding that it had already repaired 3 engines. A Rolls-Royce spokesman said the engine maker would swap out existing blades for new ones on ANA's planes in the short term. Rolls-Royce has started production of a new blade design that will be ready by year end, he said. Wednesday, ANA said 4 787s remained grounded and that it had canceled 18 domestic flights due to the engine problem. <br/>
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Twelve people, including 3 children, have been injured after a transatlantic flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Ireland due to severe turbulence. Ten passengers and 2 flight crew were treated in hospital after the United Airlines flight from Houston, Texas to London Heathrow had to be diverted to Shannon Airport. The Boeing 767-300 jet, with 207 passengers and 13 crew on board, landed safely just before 6am and ambulance crews were on the runway to meet the flight. The injured passengers and flight crew were taken to University Hospital Limerick, where they were treated for soft tissue injuries, lacerations and minor head injuries. The airline plans to fly unaffected customers from Shannon to London Heathrow later Wednesday on an alternative aircraft. <br/>
Air China reported a 2016 first-half net profit of CNY3.46b (US$520m), down 12.4% compared to net income of CNY3.95b in the year-ago period, according to the carrier. First-half operating revenue rose 4.6% to CNY53.52b while operating expenses grew 2.6% to CNY41.16b. Industry analysts cited yuan depreciation and cargo market depression as the main reasons for the carrier’s profit decline. Air China reported a CNY1.7b loss in currency exchanges. Passenger boardings climbed 7.3% to 46.86m with an average load factor of 79.8%. Looking to the second half, Air China expects the domestic air passenger market to grow steadily with a continued high demand on outbound tourism. But the carrier also warns that intensified industry competition and exchange rate fluctuations will remain. <br/>
Crisis-hit SAA has been granted an extension in submitting its audited financial statements in Hong Kong, a move that could allow it to continue flying there. A SAA spokesman said that Hong Kong's registrar of companies had agreed to give the airline until Sept 30 to submit its financials. "This has given us more room to resolve outstanding matters," he said. SAA, which has not reported on its performance in 2 years, must get the Treasury to agree to a ZAR5b govt guarantee before auditors can finalise its annual financial statements. The statements were due to be submitted to the registrar in Hong Kong by Sept 6. Failure to submit them on time would lead to SAA being deregistered there. Banks and other creditors have told SAA that there will be no more loans until its audited financial statements are published. <br/>