The pilots of a doomed Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX scrambled through a handbook to understand why the jet was lurching downwards in the final minutes before it hit the water, people with knowledge of the cockpit voice recorder contents said. The investigation into the crash last October has taken on new relevance as the US FAA and other regulators grounded the model last week after a second deadly accident in Ethiopia. Investigators examining the Indonesian crash are considering how a computer ordered the plane to dive in response to data from a faulty sensor and whether the pilots had enough training to respond appropriately to the emergency, among other factors. Following the second fatal accident, US authorities are reviewing whether enough was done to ensure the plane was safe to fly. <br/>
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Norwegian Air Shuttle's reliance on the fuel-saving Boeing 737 Max to underpin its ultra low-cost trans-Atlantic strategy has exposed the loss-making carrier as the most vulnerable in Europe to the worldwide grounding of the plane. Norwegian was among the earliest adopters of the new narrow-body jet, using its extra range to launch services on Europe-US routes traditionally dominated by twin-aisle planes. But after the fatal crash in Ethiopia March 10 put the Max out of action, the airline has been forced to scrapped some flights and switch others to bigger aircraft, increasing costs and reducing competitiveness in an already cut-throat market. The groundings will “change the dynamics” of Norwegian Air’s operations but not the way it moves forward, according to a spokesman. <br/>
Frontier Airlines flight attendants celebrated a tentative contract with the carrier Wednesday, calling off a demonstration by attendants from 20 airlines in town for a union convention. The deal, reached Tuesday night with oversight from the National Mediation Board, will replace a 2011 agreement reached after the former owner of the airline declared bankruptcy and pushed for concessions. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said the deal includes significant pay increases, schedule flexibility and quality-of-life improvements and other benefits but declined to release details until union representatives review the details at a March 28 meeting. Local union president Jen Sala said it would put the airline on par with other major carriers. <br/>
An Iran Air Fokker F100 had to make a wheels-up landing in Tehran, after a reported hydraulic failure led to the main undercarriage legs failing to deploy. None of the 24 passengers on board were injured in the event, according to local reports. There was no news regarding the aircraft’s crew. The aircraft, with a 28-year-old airframe, was reported as performing domestic flight IR 215 from Qeshm Island to Tehran Mehrabad, the Iranian capital’s second airport, when both main gear struts failed to extend. Pictures posted on Twitter showed the aircraft apparently sliding along the runway with flashes and sparks coming from underneath its rear fuselage. Further tweets showed passengers apparently disembarking down the front passenger door’s airstairs and moving away across the runway as emergency services attended. <br/>
Virgin Atlantic is to enter the South American market with a new route from London to Sao Paulo next year. The carrier says it will offer a daily service between Heathrow and Guarulhos with a Boeing 787 in a 5-class configuration. Virgin Atlantic will compete with British Airways and LATAM on the route. Virgin Atlantic says Brazil has a "booming tourism industry" which complements a "lucrative" business market. Sister company Virgin Holidays also intends to launch a full product offer within the country for the first time, it adds. Describing Brazil as South America's number-one import and export market, Virgin Atlantic predicts that London-Sao Paulo will be a "popular cargo route" on which the airline will carry regular shipments of car parts, pharmaceuticals, food and agricultural products. <br/>