general

Reports of unapproved repairs has led the FAA to require airlines replace high-pressure turbine cases in some CFM International Leap-1B engines, which power Boeing 737 Max. An airworthiness directive made public Nov 29 targets only some derivatives of Leap-1B turbofans and applies to just 13 engines worldwide, including 2 engines in the US fleet, according to CFM and the FAA. Airlines must replace so-called "stator cases", which surround the high-pressure turbine, within 200 cycles following Dec 15, when the directive takes effect, the order says. The issue has caused no engine failures and will not cause widespread fleet disruption nor slow CFM's deliveries of Leap-1Bs to Boeing, CFM stresses. Stator cases on 4 of the 13 affected engines have already been removed, it adds. <br/>

What if airlines could do almost anything they wanted, knowing that they would probably get away with it? As 2018 comes to a close, critics say that’s already the case. The reason? Lax govt regulation. The Aviation Consumer Protection Division of the DoT, which enforces federal consumer protection regulations, has issued only 16 consent orders totaling US$1.8 m in civil penalties this year. This compares with 18 consent orders totaling $3.1m in civil penalties by this time in 2017, which, in turn, was less than half the dollar amount of fines issued in 2016. “The DoT has turned its back on complaints that most Americans find meritorious,” says Ben Edelman, a Harvard Business School professor and aviation rights activist. The govt is on track to issue the lowest number of fines in a decade. <br/>