Southwest clashed with engine-maker CFM over the timing and cost of proposed inspections after a 2016 engine accident, months before the explosion this week of a similar engine on a Southwest jet that led to the death of a passenger, public documents showed. The proposed inspections would have cost $170 per engine for two hours of labor, for a total bill to US carriers of $37,400, the US FAA said in its August 2017 proposal, citing the engine manufacturer. The documents reveal that airlines including Southwest thought the FAA had “vastly understated” the number of engines that would need to be inspected - and therefore the cost. The FAA and engine maker CFM International made the inspection recommendations after a Southwest flight in August 2016 made a safe emergency landing in Florida after a fan blade separated from the same type of engine. Debris ripped a foot-long hole above the left wing. Investigators found signs of metal fatigue. The FAA is not bound by any specified time periods in deciding whether to order inspections and must assess the urgency of each situation. Southwest and other airlines in their responses in October objected to a call by CFM to complete all inspections within 12 months. The FAA proposed up to 18 months, backed by Southwest and most carriers. Southwest also told the FAA that only certain fan blades should be inspected, not all 24 in each engine. “SWA does NOT support the CFM comment on reducing compliance time to 12 months,” Southwest wrote in an October submission. Southwest said in its submission that the FAA’s proposal would force the carrier to inspect some 732 engines in one of two categories under review - much higher than the FAA’s total estimate of 220 engines across the whole US fleet. <br/>
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Being on an airplane more than six miles in the air when an engine blows up and sends shrapnel through a window is an experience so scary that aviation lawyers say it’s not just the family of the woman killed on a Southwest flight this week who could have a case. “All of the passengers here, and the crew, will likely have claims,” said Robert Clifford, founder of Chicago-based Clifford Law Offices, who’s been involved in every domestic commercial aviation disaster since the 1970s. “Even if these people were not physically injured,” he said, “many, many of them will experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.” The people who were sending “videos to their families, saying, ‘These are my last words to you,’ which is something that did occur in this incident, that kind of person will live with that for the rest of their life,” he said. The NTSB said it will take at least a year to pinpoint what caused the engine failure that led to the first fatality on a US-registered airline in more than nine years. In the meantime, several experts with knowledge of commercial airline disasters said that Southwest will likely lead the charge to work with passengers and their families.<br/>
Investigators believe the crew of a crashed Antonov An-148 did not carry out a crucial checklist which should have included a deferred confirmation that the pitot-static heating system was active. The Saratov Airlines aircraft came down a few minutes after departure from Moscow Domodedovo on 11 February. None of the 71 occupants survived the accident. Federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia has disclosed that the crew contacted apron control at 14:00 for permission to start engines. Story has details of what happened.<br/>
Alaska Airlines is the latest airline to change its policy for emotional support animals. The airline doesn't have an issue with service dogs, but the company is changing its rules for animals who fly for emotional support. About 150 emotional support animals travel every day on Alaska Airlines flights. Workers say the majority of those animals don't cause any problems, but they're seeing a troubling trend in the number of incidents involving animals that are not properly trained to be in a busy airport: urinating, biting or showing aggression. As of May 1, if you buy a ticket on Alaska Airlines and want to travel with an emotional support animal you must fill out three forms. You also need signed documentation from your doctor or mental health professional. The idea of the new rule is to increase safety for workers, passengers and service animals.<br/>
Emirates’ first class private suites on Boeing 777 jets are set to wow travel professionals and enthusiasts in Dubai this month. The new service enhancement, considered to be one of the most luxurious offerings in the sky, will be showcased at the upcoming Arabian Travel Market, which will run next week from April 22 to 25. Fitted with cutting-edge technology, the suites have floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, soft leather seating, high-tech control panels and mood lighting. They also feature a number of world-firsts, including virtual windows and and a personal video-call service. Each of the private suites with Mercedes-Benz style interiors offers 40 square feet of private space. The seat can be turned into a flat bed and comes with a “zero-gravity” position that creates a feeling of weightlessness.<br/>