The Ethiopian Airlines crash has driven a wedge between European and US aviation authorities, leading to the “dangerous” fragmentation of the international aviation safety system, according to a senior EU official. The FAA’s reluctance to ground the Boeing 737 Max 8 meant that the “golden era” when the US authority was “the beacon” for aviation security had ended, the official added. Its response had led to a splintering in the global system, the official said, as national authorities separately raced to ground the Max 8 instead of taking a unified global approach. “The system was based on trust and the trust has gone,” said the official, who declined to speak on the record. US officials have grown alarmed at some of the stronger statements made by other govts and regulators. <br/>
general
A Boeing software fix for the grounded 737 MAX will prevent repeated operation of an anti-stall system at the centre of safety concerns and deactivate it altogether if 2 sensors disagree too much, people familiar with pilot briefings said. Boeing has said it will outline a software fix in coming days aimed at addressing the situation faced by Lion Air pilots. Airline briefings started Saturday. Pilots have been told that the MCAS system - which forces the nose downwards to avoid a stall, or loss of lift - will only operate 1 time for each event rather than impose repeated corrections like those believed to have pushed the Lion Air jet into a dive, the people familiar with the briefings said. Additionally, MCAS will be disabled whenever 2 sensors that measure the 'angle of attack' differ too widely. <br/>
Boeing has started holding information sessions with pilots, technical leaders and regulators on the Boeing 737 Max as it works towards having the global grounding of the fleet lifted. The manufacturer confirms that it held a session March 23, and is planning a similar one for March 27 at Renton. “This is part of our ongoing effort to share more details about our plan for supporting the safe return of the 737 Max to commercial service,” the company said. Boeing adds that it is continuing to work closely with customers and regulators on the forthcoming software and training updates for the aircraft, which was flagged by the US FAA March 21. A service bulletin for the updated flight computer software and training is being developed, but it is unclear when it will be issued to operators. <br/>
Airbus has reached a general terms agreement covering the purchase of 300 aircraft by Chinese carriers. The agreement with the China Aviation Supplies Holding Company was signed in Paris during a visit by Chinese president Xi Jinping. Airbus says the agreement covers 290 A320-family jets – without a breakdown by variant – plus 10 A350s. No specific recipient carriers have been identified by Airbus. But the airframer says the agreement reflects “strong demand in all market segments” in China. “Our expanding footprint in China demonstrates our lasting confidence in the Chinese market and our long-term commitment to China and our partners,” says CE Guillaume Faury. Airbus puts the in-service fleet in China at around 1,730 aircraft with more than 1,450 of them from the A320 family. <br/>