US aviation regulators ordered emergency inspections of one of the world’s most popular jet engines after the fatal accident this week on a Southwest jet. The FAA order covers an estimated 352 CFM International engines in the US that have made at least 30,000 flights, the agency said Friday. The emergency order is effective immediately, and inspections must be completed within 20 days, the FAA said. The European Aviation Safety Agency is adopting similar requirements, said a person familiar with the matter. There are 681 of the engines worldwide with that many flights and regulators in other nations generally follow the FAA’s lead. The inspections aren’t expected to disrupt travel, although they will create logistical headaches for airlines with large fleets of Boeing 737s, most of which are powered by the affected engine, said aviation consultant Gary Weissel. The largest American carriers should be able to schedule aircraft for checks for microscopic cracks during overnight stays at maintenance hubs. Their biggest challenge will involve quickly getting a sufficient number of mechanics and ultrasound scanners in place, Weissel said. “An airline is going to do absolutely everything it can to not take a plane out of service,” he added.<br/>
general
Are you in the market for several baggage claim carousels, escalators, murals, check-in counters, clocks, not-quite-comfortable chairs, passport scanners and signs that declare “Nothing to declare”? Then an auction of the entire contents of London Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 1 may appeal to you. Everything — every chair, every door, every single thing — is on sale to the highest bidder starting on Saturday. When Queen Elizabeth II formally dedicated Terminal 1 in 1969, it was among the biggest and most modern in Europe. Called “a beacon of British innovation” by the organizer of the sale, CA Global Partners, it was capable of shepherding nine million passengers a day, during a time when romantic notions about air travel were at their peak. But now, the terminal, which shut down 2015, is set for demolition as part of an upgrade project. Daniel Gray of CA Global Partners told the BBC that “a sale comprising the entire contents and infrastructure of an entire major airport terminal is unprecedented.” The first in a series of auctions will take place this weekend. On the block will be objects that may have once evoked pleasant memories — like a Sega arcade game console — and some that may have inspired fury and frowns, like the clocks that could tell passengers how late their flights were taking off. Bids can be placed online or at the auction, to be held at the Aviation Suite at the Thistle London Heathrow Terminal 5 Hotel.<br/>
The operator of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is mulling how to speed up key aspects of its expansion to increase flights and use three runways before the project’s 2024 completion date. The Hong Kong Airport Authority’s options are focused on the closure of the northern runway in 2022 for about two years to allow for tunnelling work to create a road access for airport vehicles to cross the live runway safely without delaying or endangering aircraft. Aircraft would start using the new third runway before the existing runway closed, so flights would not be affected, but tunnelling work under the current northern take-off and landing strip could be sped up to shorten the 24-month closure. The expansion project, which includes a new passenger concourse and expanded terminal building, land reclamation and a new airport-based train and baggage system, is set to cost US$18b. HKIA handled 420,000 flights and 72.9m passengers last year, well above forecast, but there is little room for airlines to add new flights until after the completion date. The airport is also the world’s busiest for cargo.<br/>