Boeing is expecting “far reaching” changes to the way aircraft are certified safe across the global aviation industry, according to its lead director, as pressure builds on regulators to prevent further fatal accidents like the 2 recent Boeing 737 Max air disasters. David Calhoun, who is lead independent director on the board of aircraft maker, defended the role CE Dennis Muilenburg has played in the crisis provoked by the crashes. “I think our leader has done a really good job in keeping the company focused on delivering a fix to our part of this issue, and also to begin planning for long-term changes which I think are going to be quite far reaching and not just for Boeing but for the industry at large,” he said.“ I am confident that substantive things will happen. Nobody’s ducking anything." <br/>
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The DoT is soliciting nominees for a new Lithium Battery Safety Advisory Committee that will be housed within the Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. “The Department is seeking experts from diverse technical and transportation backgrounds to evaluate safety improvements for the transportation of lithium batteries,” DoT secretary Elaine Chao said. The committee’s membership will consist of representatives from manufacturers of lithium-ion cells, as well manufacturers of Li-ion-powered consumer goods and vehicles. It will also include commercial and cargo air carriers—as well as pilots—along with DoT employees. DoT said the committee will provide a forum to “solicit stakeholder input to continually strengthen the safety of multimodal lithium battery transportation.” <br/>
The backers of rival London Heathrow Airport expansion project “Heathrow Hub” are planning to appeal a High Court judgment that dismissed a series of legal challenges against the govt’s third-runway plans. In fall 2016, the UK transport secretary selected a third runway—situated to the northwest of the current two runways—as the preferred option for new airport capacity in southeast England. This decision was met with several legal challenges, which were all rejected during a High Court hearing May 1. One of those challengers was Heathrow Hub, an independent proposal that planned to double the length of the northern runway. In the wake of the High Court ruling, Heathrow Hub has launched an appeal, maintaining its call for a judicial review of the govt’s decision to go ahead with the third runway. <br/>
Long-awaited govt plans to shake up the Republic’s air travel regulators are set to move a step closer in coming weeks. Minister for transport Shane Ross wants to move responsibility for regulating air travel safety to the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) from its current overseer, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). His department confirmed at the weekend that it had almost completed a draft version of the Bill needed to make the proposed change in how the State regulates the industry. “Heads of a Bill are at an advanced stage of preparation,” a spokesman said. Ross has been planning the change in air travel regulation since 2017, following a review by consultants Helios, which recommended the move on the basis that most other EU member states take this approach. <br/>