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Airbus A330neo operators have been included in a new European directive ordering inspections of intermediate pressure compressor shaft assemblies on Rolls-Royce Trent engines for the Boeing 787. The directive follows the discovery cracks in the front air seal of the shaft assembly during stripping of a flight-test powerplant. Inspection of other in-shop engines revealed 2 other instances of cracked seals, says EASA. The condition could potentially lead to intermediate pressure compressor shaft failure and in-flight shutdown. It is ordering repetitive on-wing inspection of an area between the rearmost seal fin of the assembly's front air seal and the compressor's stage one disc. If cracks are detected, the engine must be removed from service to undertake corrective measures developed by Rolls-Royce. <br/>

Europe’s airlines are coalescing around a 2-pronged response to a public backlash over carbon emissions. Carriers initially plan to extend the use of offsets like tree planting to compensate for greenhouse-gas output while also embracing sustainable biofuels, airline executives said at a conference in Berlin. That’s before a longer-term fix from the introduction of hybrid and fully-electric jetliners becomes available, most likely in the 2030s. Airlines are bracing for regulatory interventions aimed at slashing emissions as new EC president Ursula von der Leyen prepares to unveil a package dubbed the “Green New Deal.” So-called flight shaming is also taking root as a concern for carriers as campaigners including Greta Thunberg and groups such as Extinction Rebellion protest against air travel. <br/>