general

Rolls-Royce is expecting a sharp increase in the number of Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes that will have to be grounded because of faults with the Trent 1000 turbine. The spike will occur ahead of a deadline next month for mandated inspections forced by durability problems, Rolls said. The number of parked Dreamliners is expected to peak at about 50 from the current level of 35, a person familiar with the matter said, as the aircraft await repairs. About 80% of the Package C engine variant, which debuted with Boeing’s marquee 787-9 jetliner, have undergone initial checks for cracking or signs of wear and tear on turbine blades, the person said. Just under a third of those engines have failed the initial checks required by regulators for planes that fly more than 2 hours and 20 minutes from the nearest diversionary airport. <br/>

European air traffic management organisation Eurocontrol will work with technology provider Thales to protect against cyberthreats and digitalise air traffic services in Europe. The two contracts are aimed at modernising Eurocontrol’s information systems to keep pace with traffic growth, as ATM becomes increasingly data-driven and cyberthreats become more sophisticated. Eurocontrol’s network manager, which is responsible for ATM across 43 countries, has therefore brought in Thales to help with cyberattack detection and cyber-risk management. Thales’ cyberlab in Belgium will replicate Eurocontrol’s networks and IT systems to test their resilience to cyberattacks. The contract also includes cyber-crisis management training to ensure that operations continue in the event of an incident. <br/>