Boeing is trying to assuage 737 Max customers concerned about a little-known anti-stall feature that has emerged as a focus of investigators probing a crash in Indonesia last month that killed 189 people. Southwest, the largest 737 Max operator, American Airlines and United are among the carriers globally pressing Boeing for details of the formerly obscure system, representatives of the airlines say. The aircraft manufacturer first disclosed the possible link to the Lion Air crash on Nov. 7 and has been working with the FAA to figure out the appropriate remedies, from updating software to improving pilot training. But as more becomes known about the feature, some US pilots flying the Boeing 737 Max seem increasingly confident that they are suitably trained to disable the automated trim system. Even so, leaders of the three US pilots unions continue to pressure the manufacturer and US regulators for more details about its design -- and why it was omitted from pilots’ flight operating manuals. Before the Oct. 29 crash near Jakarta, Boeing hadn’t widely disclosed that the so-called Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System would, in limited circumstances, lower the jet’s nose without any input from pilots. The company in recent days has provided assurances that other crucial changes to the upgraded 737 weren’t similarly overshadowed.<br/>
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The FAA is preparing to require airlines to inspect fuel nozzles on some Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines in response to several engine fires. The agency has written two proposed rules addressing the risk, including one that would require engines be inspected before further flights. The proposals mark the FAA's response to reports of fuel nozzle manifold cracks in some PW4000 engines, and to several instances of fuel leaks and PW4000 engine fires. The rule targets several PW4000 variants that power Airbus A300s, A330-200s and A330-300s. It applies to 186 engines in service with US airlines, though some 600 such engines are in service worldwide. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, FedEx and UPS Airlines operate PW4000 variants named by the FAA.<br/>
China’s state planner on Monday approved a 42.1b yuan ($6.06b) airport expansion project in Urumqi, capital of the western region of Xinjiang, a key hub in China’s Belt and Road initiative. Construction will run through 2030 when the expanded airport is expected to handle 63m passengers and 750,000 tonnes of cargo a year, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The expansion includes construction of two additional runways. The investment value is over half of what China is spending on Beijing’s new mega-airport project - Daxing International Airport - that costs 80b yuan and will serve 72m passengers a year by 2025. Xinjiang has seen infrastructure construction spring up across the region in recent years as it is considered by China to be a key node in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative. The Urumqi expansion is aimed at accommodating the rapid aviation growth in Xinjiang and spurring the growth of an international aviation hub in city, according to the NDRC. China is planning hundreds of airports across the country to serve a market boosted by rising business travel and tourism fueled by a growing middle class.<br/>
Munich Airport has received approval from the local government of Upper Bavaria for the extension of its Terminal 1. Preparatory construction work on the apron will start this year, with commissioning of a new pier expected in 2023, the airport said. The extension will accommodate up to 12 aircraft, with the new gates connected to the terminal’s existing modules A and B, which will be extended more than 320 metres to the western apron. “This leap in quality will be achieved through a modernized terminal adapted to the specific requirements of tomorrow's aviation, with centralized security check areas, high-quality retail and restaurants, and additional lounges, thus strengthening the development prospects for the entire airport," airport operator FMG CEO Michael Kerkloh said. The total area of the extension, including renovation work on the existing arrival section in Module B, is approximately 95,000 sq. m. Total project costs are approximately E455m, which FMG will raise from its own resources. Munich´s Terminal 1 is mainly used by airlines that are not Lufthansa Group or Star Alliance members, such as Emirates Airline, LCCs or carriers from the oneworld and SkyTeam alliances. Terminal 2 is a joint venture between FMG and Lufthansa. <br/>
Local authorities have approved London Stansted Airport’s plans to increase passenger capacity to 43m annually, allowing 23% growth from the current 35m limit. Stansted Airport, which handles 27m passengers annually, said Nov. 14 that its planning application had been granted by Uttlesford District Council. “Today’s decision offers London Stansted and its airline partners the long-term clarity we need to make further investment decisions at the airport, but also importantly provides the local community with the assurance that our future growth will be delivered in a measured and sustainable way,” London Stansted CEO Ken O’Toole said. The proposal only applies to passenger numbers, O’Toole said. The airport did not seek an increase in the number of flights and the growth will be delivered within existing noise limits. “This will boost our region’s economic growth and deliver 5,000 additional jobs at London Stansted Airport,” he said.<br/>