Weeks after a Lion Air jet crashed in the Java Sea, killing all 189 aboard, an airline employee gave investigators photographs meant to show that a crucial repair had been properly performed the day before the disaster. Yet the pictures may not show what was claimed. The time displayed in photos of a computer screen in the cockpit of the Boeing 737 Max indicated they had actually been taken before the repair was performed, according to a draft of the final crash report being prepared by Indonesia’s NTSC. Investigators were similarly unable to confirm the authenticity of other pictures in the packet, which were supposed to show how a piece of equipment near the jet’s nose had been calibrated. There were indications that the pictures depicted a different plane, according to people familiar with the investigation. <br/>
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Former Thomas Cook Group CE Peter Fankhauser has told a UK cross-party parliamentary select committee that interest in the tour operator's UK carrier waned as the European air transport industry came under financial pressure. Fankhauser faced aggressive questioning from the business, energy and industrial strategy committee Oct 15 after an inquiry into Thomas Cook Group's collapse opened. Challenged by the committee as to why the company did not divest the profitable Thomas Cook Airlines operation sooner, to help relieve its financial burden, Fankhauser said: "In hindsight you're always much wiser. It could have been an opportunity." He explained that the company had spent several years working to reduce the carrier's dependency on the tour operator, by developing its seat-only business. <br/>
EasyJet is calling on maintenance providers to take a more proactive approach to technical disruptions, which can trigger huge passenger compensation bills, directly impacting airline financial results. Speaking at MRO Europe in London Tuesday, EasyJet engineering and maintenance director Brendan McConnellogue highlighted the importance of making operational reliability a strategic priority. Under European passenger compensation rules, known as EU261, a technical delay is controllable, and the airline is liable. “Instantly, at the point it passes 3 hours, every person on that aircraft is entitled to claim E350—not off the MRO, but off the airline. That’s E44,600 straight away that EasyJet is going to be paying for the delay,” McConnellogue said. “It’s an issue; a huge issue." <br/>
Transavia has appointed Air France-KLM cargo chief Marcel de Nooijer as its new CE from Jan 1, 2020, succeeding Mattijs ten Brink, who left at the end of September. KLM CE Pieter Elbers said: “In recent years, Marcel has led the freight division of Air France-KLM, with a successful digital transformation and improvement of operational results at KLM Cargo. We are happy that we have a new Transavia CE with Marcel, who can continue to build on Transavia in the coming years.” The Netherlands-based unit also said that Erik-Jan Gelink, the airline’s commercial director, will leave Transavia at the end of the year. The move comes as Transavia’s sister Transavia France moves ahead with plans to expand with pilot union’s recent approval of management plans to remove a cap limiting its fleet to 40 aircraft. <br/>
Jazeera Airways will mark the launch of the Middle East’s first long-haul, low-cost route later in October with the introduction of a premium economy class on board its new Airbus A320neos. Unusually for an LCC, the carrier will operate the aircraft in a 3-class configuration when it starts the Kuwait-London Gatwick service as the northern hemisphere winter season gets underway Oct 27. The airline will operate its premium economy cabin in a standard 3-3 single-aisle layout. Although, as with its business class cabin, the centre seat in each row of 3 will be blocked to give premium passengers more living space and privacy. Jazeera will set its premium economy seats at 31-inch pitch. This compares with 33 inches in its business cabin and 29/30 inches in economy. <br/>
UK regional carrier Flybe will be rebranded as Virgin Connect, reflecting its new ownership. The carrier was bought earlier this year by Connect Airways, an acquisition vehicle made up of Cyrus Capital (40%), fellow UK regional airline Stobart Group (30%) and Virgin Atlantic (30%). Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, has a fleet of 70-plus aircraft largely based around 54 De Havilland Dash 8-400 plus 5 ATR 72 turboprops, together with 6 Embraer E195 and 11 E175 regional jets. Virgin Connect says it aims to improve the passenger experience; this will likely draw on Virgin Atlantic’s on-board service standards. Details of the rebranding were not revealed, although it is known the company’s aircraft will switch from their current distinctive purple colour schemes to the red of Virgin Group companies. <br/>