Rolls-Royce stuck to its profit and cash flow guidance for 2018, and said it was making progress with a plan to repair some problematic engines more quickly. While a long-term turnaround programme to improve the engine-maker’s profits is on track, difficulties with one of its aero-engines, the Trent 1000 which powers Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft, has caused setbacks. Turbine blades on some Trent 1000 engines have worn out sooner than expected, forcing airlines to disrupt their schedules to allow for the engines to be inspected more regularly. Rolls-Royce said Thursday that about two-thirds of the inspections had now been carried out, and the company was making “significant progress” in finding or developing new maintenance and repair facilities to enable it to fix engines and return them more quickly to airline customers. <br/>
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Aerospace suppliers are starting to explore blockchain technology to keep tabs on their supply chain, potentially tracking parts such as that at the centre of a Southwest Airlines accident last month. While blockchain is best known as the digital transactions technology that underpins cryptocurrency bitcoin, it can also be harnessed to track, record and transfer assets across all manner of industries, potentially smoothing operations, cutting costs and improving cash management. The challenge faced by the aerospace industry in keeping track of tens of thousands of different parts came to light when it emerged after last month’s fatal explosion that some airlines do not keep track of the history of each individual fan blade within an engine. <br/>
The TSA wants foreign airports to tighten screening of US-bound passengers' carry-on electronics and adopt US domestic security procedures instituted last year, according to officials and a memo to foreign airports. In July 2017, TSA began requiring domestic air travellers to remove all electronics larger than mobile phones including tablets, e-readers and video game consoles from carry-on baggage for screening. The new memo said the agency wants foreign airports now to adopt those procedures. Foreign airports are also being asked to adopt TSA policy, instituted in mid-2017, that passengers may be required to remove food, powders and other materials "that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine," the memo said. <br/>
India maintained double-digit growth in domestic air traffic for the 43rd straight month in March, growing by 27.9% against an average global domestic demand of 7.8% in the previous month, propelled by route network expansion by local airlines. Besides, India also reported the highest load factor among the 7 major global aviation markets at (87.8%, an increase of 6.7% over March 2017, IATA said Thursday. Overall air traffic (international and domestic) rose 9.5%, compared to the same period a year ago, the fastest pace in 12 months. Domestic demand rose 7.8% in March, which was a slight deceleration from 8.2% growth recorded in February, driven primarily by developments in the US market. International passenger demand during the month rose 10.6%. <br/>
Bombardier said Thursday it will stick by its remaining commercial aerospace programme after agreeing to sell its biggest land asset, as the company strives to raise cash to pay down its debt. The company, which has a long-term debt of US$9.1b and considered bankruptcy in 2015, sold its Downsview site in northern Toronto to the Public Sector Pension Investment Board for $635m. That facility is an assembly site for its Q400 turboprop passenger planes and is 1 of 4 final assembly sites it uses. Thursday's sale, combined with an equity raise of C$638.4m in March gives the company $1b in cash. "This (the Q400) is a product line we'll keep pushing," CE Alain Bellemare said. The company has up to 5 years to find a new assembly site for the plane. <br/>
China is pressuring airlines around the world to toe its political line. Qantas and American Airlines have confirmed they recently received a letter from China's CAA warning them to follow China's laws and change references to Taiwan as a country to a province of China. Taiwan's political situation is highly contentious as the democratic island is self-ruled, but Beijing considers it to be a province of China. The letter, according to Foreign Policy, was also received by United Airlines and said the companies would be referred to "the relevant cyber-security authorities" if they did not undertake the change. Earlier this year, the CAA demanded Delta Air Lines issue a public apology for listing Taiwan and Tibet as countries on its website. The airline responded and said it had made a "grave mistake". <br/>