More than 2 years after filing a complaint with the EC about the control that OEMs hold over the support and repair market, IATA has struck an agreement with a major engine supplier that it says will lead to greater competition for MRO work. IATA announced July 31 it had entered into an agreement with CFM International. Under the agreement, CFM has adopted a set of “conduct policies” that will enhance the opportunities available to third-party providers of engine parts and MRO services on the CFM56 and the new LEAP series engines that power Airbus A320neos, Boeing 737 MAXs and COMAC C919s. IATA also noted that GE has agreed to apply the conduct policies to other its own commercial engines. A GE spokesperson confirmed that it will apply the conduct policies to all of their commercial engines. <br/>
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The TSA said July 30 it plans to roll out computed tomography scanners (CT) at a host of airports in cities across the US. The agency predicted that using CT scanners at checkpoints would lead to fewer bag checks, and that passengers may also be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on luggage in the future. The 3D technology, which has long been used for medical imaging in hospitals, is intended to enhance detection capabilities of critical explosives and other threat items. The CT system uses advanced algorithms to detect explosives and constructs a 3D image that can be rotated 360 degrees and viewed on 3 axes by TSA officers. The scanners provide the agency with a clearer view than traditional X-ray machines. <br/>
The bill for the consequences of the Munich Airport security breach could total more than E1mi (US$1.2m), the airport chief said Monday. Passengers suffered from 2 days of flight cancellations and long delays at the weekend as a result of a security scare that forced the evacuation of Terminal 2. About 330 flights were cancelled and more than 32,000 passengers were left stranded from Saturday morning until Sunday afternoon after a woman entered the secure area of the airport without going through security. The entire terminal including departure lounges and its satellite terminal were evacuated, leaving thousands of passengers in the lurch. Flights remained grounded for 7 hours Saturday. Flights by Lufthansa and its partner airlines, and those carriers belonging to Star Alliance, were the worst affected. <br/>