Once there were 3 on the flight deck. Then the number of flight crew fell to 2 when the Boeing 757 changed the way cockpit were designed in the 1980s. Now, jetmakers are studying what it would take to go down to a single pilot, starting with cargo flights. The motivation is simple: saving airlines tens of billions of dollars a year in pilot salaries and training costs if the change can be rolled out to passenger jets after it is demonstrated safely in the freight business. But with the disappearance of MH370 and a deliberate crash by a Germanwings pilot in the last few years, earning public trust and ensuring safety is key. The issues loom large as single-pilot flying concepts are fleshed out at the Singapore Airshow this week. It would take a "couple of decades" to persuade passengers to take a single-pilot jet, a Boeing VP said. <br/>
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Boeing has held preliminary talks with aircraft-parts supplier Woodward Inc. as it scouts potential targets to help build a new division into a US$50b behemoth, said people familiar with the talks. No deal is imminent from the discussions nor is there any guarantee Boeing would reach a final agreement with Woodward, said the people. Boeing has been looking to joint ventures and acquisitions as it works to beef up a new division, created last year, to provide maintenance, spare parts, retrofits and other services to airline and military customers. CE Dennis Muilenburg has set a target of expanding service division sales from US$14.6b to $50b over the next decade. The manufacturer has been taking over work previously performed by its suppliers as it builds a portfolio of spare parts to be sold to airlines on the aftermarket. <br/>
Bombardier could face a fresh threat from Boeing if it decides to appeal the decision by a US trade body not to impose high tariffs on sales of Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft or if Boeing raises further complaints, a UK House of Commons committee is warning. The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee has recommended that unless Boeing confirms it will abide by the International Trade Commission’s (ITC) decision – that imports of Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft do not harm the US domestic market – the UK govt should carry out a review of all of the contracts it currently holds with Boeing. The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is also advocating that the UK govt should rule that in future contract negotiations “the past behaviour of companies in relation to economic harm to the UK will be considered”. <br/>
Airlines bumped passengers off flights at the lowest rate on record last year after United Airlines was pilloried when a passenger was dragged off a full plane. The DoT said Thursday that airlines bumped about 1 passenger in every 29,000 in 2017, roughly half the rate of the year before. The figures don't count passengers who accept travel vouchers or other offers to voluntarily give up their seat on an oversold flight. Using those offers, airlines have been steadily reducing bumping rates for several years. Meanwhile, there were 117 long delays in December during which passengers were trapped in planes on the ground, unable to reach an airport terminal. A few planes were stuck up to 7 hours. Most occurred in Atlanta and involved Delta flights. <br/>