Data from the jetliner that crashed into the Java Sea last month shows the pilots fought to save the plane almost from the moment it took off, as the Boeing 737’s nose was repeatedly forced down, apparently by an automatic system receiving incorrect sensor readings. The information from the flight data recorder, contained in a preliminary report prepared by Indonesian crash investigators documents a fatal tug-of-war between man and machine, with the plane’s nose forced dangerously downward over 2 dozen times during the 11-minute flight. The data is consistent with the theory investigators have been most focused on: that a computerised system Boeing installed on its latest generation of 737 to prevent the plane’s nose from getting too high instead forced the nose down because of incorrect information it was receiving from sensors. <br/>
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Israeli investigators have determined that a 40t weight error in take-off performance calculations caused an El Al Boeing 787-9 to struggle to become airborne from Tel Aviv. Analysis of the preparations for the March 29 flight to Newark found that the captain had entered a zero-fuel weight of 128t, some 40t lower than the actual figure of 168t. The twinjet rotated at 154kt, less than its minimum-unstick speed, when it would otherwise have been travelling at around 175kt. Israel’s air accident investigation authority states that the rotation speed was roughly that of the 787’s stall speed. As a result, it says, the aircraft responded “lazily” to the rotation command and failed to lift off until its speed increased. The geometry of the situation caused a tail-strike protection system to activate. <br/>
Norwegian Air plans to start flights between London and Rio de Janeiro in March to break what it said was a "monopoly" enjoyed by British Airways between the two cities. The route from London Gatwick to Rio de Janeiro will start March 31 and have 4 weekly flights, with fares starting at US$307.72 one way. British Airways currently operates the Rio route without competition and shares the London to Sao Paulo route with LATAM. Norwegian CE Bjorn Kjos said the airline might explore flights from Sao Paulo to London in the future. "That would be our next city.” He added that the airline is not currently seeking to become a player in the domestic flight market within Brazil. Brazilian Tourism minister Vinicius Lummertz said in September that Norwegian was interested in operating in the domestic market. <br/>
Wow Air has returned 4 aircraft to lessors as its financial position continues to erode. The carrier returned 2 Airbus A320 family aircraft and 2 Airbus A330-300 aircraft to their respective lessors, Wow said Monday. It calls the move part of a "necessary restructuring". The airline's fleet reduction follows a rapid deterioration of Wow's financial position since a Sept 24 bond issue, the airline says. Wow is actively seeking long-term funding to continue operations, a move that it says is a "necessity for the business". Icelandair Group announced plans to acquire Wow in early November, in a move seen as a way to shore up the two carriers that have engaged in a head-to-head battle on transatlantic routes in recent months. However, the airline needs both shareholder and regulatory approval for the deal. <br/>
Southwest Airlines sees a risk that cost pressures will linger beyond next year as it struggles to rein in an unexpected jump in expenses. The carrier can’t yet say whether efforts to control spending and boost sales will ease the drag on profits after next year, CE Gary Kelly said. Southwest is still trimming the 2019 budget and working on a “fairly significant initiative” to increase revenue and improve efficiency at the carrier, which counts labour as its biggest expense. Southwest, which has been investing in technology upgrades, new planes and expanded airport facilities, is drawing heightened scrutiny on expenditures after forecasting last month that costs for each seat flown a mile will increase at least 3% next year even after excluding fuel and certain other items. <br/>