A Russian aircraft leasing company is suing Boeing for breach of contract in connection with its grounded 737 Max in what is the first lawsuit brought against the manufacturer by a customer over the safety crisis. Avia Capital Services, a subsidiary of Russian state conglomerate Rostec, claims 2 deadly crashes were due to the “negligent actions and decisions of Boeing” not just in designing a plane that was “defective” but also in “withholding critical information” from the US aviation safety regulator during certification. The complaint, which was filed in Chicago Monday, claims that Boeing “intentionally” failed to disclose information about the airworthiness of the Max to its customers, including Avia, in order to induce them to buy the aircraft. <br/>
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European govts have agreed to scrap restrictions on foreign airlines leasing planes and crews from US carriers under a deal reached with the EU, Iceland and Norway, the US said Tuesday. The EU in May 2017 agreed to open talks with the US on the issue. The US State Department said the deal signed in Brussels would "remove one-sided time constraints on US air carrier leases of aircraft with crew in the lucrative US-EU air transport market." The US DoT said these leases "can represent an important revenue source to the carrier providing the aircraft and crews." "US carriers will now be able to compete fairly in the marketplace, more broadly offering their services in worldwide markets, and gaining a valuable chance to benefit from the new commercial opportunities," it added. <br/>
When cyclist Anna Hughes stopped flying 10 years ago, it seemed like a radical idea. But now the founder of Flight Free UK has convinced thousands to join her to mitigate the climate impact of air travel. Her campaign is just one part of a no-fly movement that is spreading rapidly across Europe and has given birth to a new phrase: flygskam, or Swedish for flight-shame. The awareness is growing fast, as climate concerns have sparked a public backlash against flying that would have been almost unthinkable even a year ago. For airlines, the sudden take-off of this movement presents a potentially dangerous challenge. Passenger growth shows signs of weakening in countries where flygskam is catching on. There was a 3% fall last year in the number of passengers for domestic flights going through 10 of Sweden’s state-owned airports. <br/>