American Airlines expects a negative impact of $185m to its Q2 pre-tax income from cancellation of Boeing 737 Max flights. The carrier scrapped 7,800 flights in Q2 and has removed all 737 Max-operated flights from its schedule through 3 September. It expects to provide an update on the full-year impact from the cancellations in its Q2 earnings call, expected to take place later this month. American had operated a fleet of 24 737 Max aircraft before US regulators grounded the aircraft on 13 March. The 737 Max cancellations are only one part of an operationally challenging Q2 for the carrier, which in May sued two mechanics' unions in an effort to halt an alleged work slowdown the airline said delayed or forced cancellation of more than 1,000 flights. A temporary restraining order to end the slowdown was granted by a federal court in June. "That slowdown has significantly impacted the company’s operation and caused a significant number of flight cancellations and delays in the second quarter," said American in an investors update. As a result of the flight cancellations, the carrier operated 72.3b available seat miles in the second quarter, or 1.1b fewer than previously guided.<br/>
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The wings of six Qantas A380s will be inspected after small cracks were found on some early models of the superjumbo jets. Airbus has detected small cracks on the outer rear wings of early A380s, with 25 aircraft affected globally. Qantas’s head of engineering, Chris Snook, said inspections for the six Qantas jets are being done “well in advance” of the required timeframes, with two inspections already completed. “We have completed inspections on two aircraft and there were no concerns with the structural integrity of the wing,” Snook said Wednesday. Airbus said the safety of the aircraft was not affected and the repairs must be carried out within 15 years of the initial wing box assembly. “We have identified the issue and designed an inspection and repair scheme,” an Airbus spokesperson said. The European Aviation Safety Agency said the cracks, if not detected and corrected, could reduce the structural integrity of the wing. The other airlines requiring A380 inspections include Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Air France and Lufthansa.<br/>
BA is going all-in on Beijing's massive new airport in a bid to increase its foothold in China's fast-growing aviation market. The UK carrier Wednesday announced it would be the first international airline to move its Beijing base to the new Daxing airport, slated to open in September. Daxing expects to handle 100m passengers a year by 2040. China is set to overtake the US as the world's largest aviation market by the mid-2020s as consumers become wealthier, according to a forecast last year by the IATA. The total number of air travelers in the country could jump to 1.6b a year by 2037, from 600m in 2017. China is responding to the rising demand by building hundreds of new airports. Government officials estimate China will need 450 over the next 16 years, up from 235 at present. Beijing's Daxing airport is one of the most high-profile projects. The new airport in China's capital city aims to take some of the pressure off Beijing Capital International Airport, which was built with a capacity of 82m passengers but regularly handles 100 million. BA will move all operations to Daxing soon after the airport is up and running, starting with direct flights between Beijing and London's main airport, Heathrow, from October 27. The airline said the move will help it increase air travel between the UK and China. Its local codeshare partner, China Southern Airlines — China's biggest state-owned carrier — is also planning to move to Daxing. Other foreign carriers have already committed some operations to Daxing, with Finland's Finnair and Poland's national carrier LOT Polish Airlines both announcing new flights to the hub in recent weeks. Chinese state-run carriers Air China and China Eastern will also operate from both Beijing airports.<br/>