Europe's aviation regulator voiced concern Wednesday over the risk of battery fires in the cargo holds of passenger planes after US and British authorities banned certain electronics from passenger cabins despite US assurances that its agency had been thoroughly briefed on the proper handling of electronics. EASA said personal electronic devices carried a fire risk due to their lithium batteries and should preferably be carried inside passenger cabins so that any problems could be identified and dealt with. In regard to the European agency's concerns, the US TSA said it had "coordinated closely with the FAA" on the logistics of the ban and that the agency had provided information to airlines regarding appropriate handling of electronics and lithium batteries. <br/>
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The two airlines operating Bombardier CSeries are performing precautionary borescope inspections of the aircraft's Pratt & Whitney PW1500G geared turbofans – checks that follow reports of issues with related PW1100G engines, Bombardier confirms. The PW1500G inspections are purely preventative, and no problems have been found with PW1500Gs, Bombardier says. "As a cautionary measure, operators are conducting planned preventive maintenance, such as borescope engine inspections, on aircraft equipped with the PW1500 engine," Bombardier said. "These inspections are being conducted on the PW1500 earlier than planned based on the learning from the PW1100." <br/>
Airbus has created Airbus Interiors Services (AIS) to perform commercial aircraft cabin upgrade work, as a revamp of its former Airbus Corporate Jet Centre (ACJC) business. AIS, which is part of Services by Airbus, will support airlines with Airbus cabin upgrades under the parent manufacturer’s design organisation approval (DOA). “AIS will deliver upgrade solutions, tailored equipment and innovative products to Airbus standards,” Airbus said. The division is a reincarnation of Airbus corporate jet completions unit ACJC, which was formed in 2007. Unlike its predecessor, AIS will be dedicated to commercial aircraft work, subcontracting any business aviation refits to third-party providers. AIS’s specialisms will include the design and manufacture of tailored equipment, delivered either to Airbus or to airlines. <br/>
Four years after its founding, Zunum Aero is finally going public with a plan to build hybrid electric airplanes that could revolutionize service to regional airports in the 2020s. <br/> Zunum aims to develop 10- to 50-seat aircraft that can pave the way for what the founder and CE Ashish Kumar calls a “golden age of regional travel.” To follow through on that vision, the company has patented its concept and has won backing from the Boeing as well as from JetBlue Technology Ventures, a subsidiary of JetBlue Airways. The idea is to create aircraft that are well-suited for routes that have fallen into disuse due to trends that have dominated the airline industry over the past few decades Zunum Aero says the greater efficiencies of hybrid electric propulsion could reduce fares by 40 to 80% for routes ranging up to 1,000 miles. <br/>
Inflight connectivity provider Gogo sees good prospects for signing up more airline customers, in particular in the Middle East and Asia, after its selection as a lead supplier by Airbus and its deal with Virgin Australia. In the Middle East, many airlines that already operate “first generation” connectivity systems are likely to upgrade to 2Ku technology, Gogo COO John Wade said, while there are more prospects to sign up new users in Asia. “All those fleets are ripe for a refresh. We are going to see a lot of growth both in terms of upgrades and new users. There is a lot of pent-up demand for connectivity in Asia,” he said. Gogo expects to have its technology installed on approximately 600 aircraft by the end of this year and to fit around 700 in 2018. <br/>
Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a bill allowing Russia to join the Montreal Convention April 4. The law was adopted by the Russian parliament at the end of March. According to the Kremlin, it will bring air transport legislation in compliance with global standards as well as increase the responsibility of Russia’s airlines. The Montreal Convention was signed in 1999 to replace the Warsaw Convention and all its related instruments. The document introduces a modernised and uniform legal framework governing airlines’ liability in the event of damage caused to passengers, baggage or goods during international journeys. In 2016, IATA urged Russia to adopt several international agreements, such as the 1999 Montreal Convention to provide global standard risk coverage for passengers and shippers. <br/>