general

Boeing hopes to deliver 737 MAX aircraft to airlines before the end of the year even if regulators haven’t approved related pilot training, people familiar with the matter said. As the plane maker prepares for the FAA to lift a MAX flight ban as soon as December, Boeing is discussing with regulators whether it can deliver the aircraft before airline pilots have undergone required training needed to fly the jet, these people said. The emerging plan comes amid increasing signs there will be lag between an FAA’s lifting of a flight ban and its approval of new training for pilots. Delivering aircraft before all the regulatory approvals are complete would relieve pressure on the manufacturer as it contemplates further cutting or halting MAX production amid the protracted grounding. <br/>

Nine European finance ministers have called on the incoming EC to make progress on a European aviation tax as part of efforts to reduce the airline industry’s environmental impact. The finance ministers of Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden urged the commission to propose an EU initiative to raise the price of commercial aviation. “Compared to most other means of transportation, aviation is not sufficiently priced,” the ministers said. “Aviation transport is exempted from excise duties, no VAT is levied on international flights, there is no coordinated ticket tax, and economic instruments to curb greenhouse gas emissions can be strengthened in the aviation sector.” <br/>