FAA administrator Steve Dickson called senior US airline officials Friday and told them the agency could approve the grounded Boeing 737 MAX's return to service before mid-year - a faster time frame than the planemaker suggested this week, people briefed on the calls said. Dickson's calls came as the FAA issued a statement Friday voicing progress on the 737 MAX, in a shifting tone that helped push the planemaker's shares higher even as concerns grew that it may cut production of another aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner. "While the FAA continues to follow a thorough, deliberate process, the agency is pleased with Boeing’s progress in recent weeks toward achieving key milestones," the agency said. A person briefed on one of Dickson's calls with the airlines said he told officials the Boeing mid-year timeline is "very conservative." <br/>
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Boeing is considering another cut to production of its marquee 787 Dreamliner as the aerospace giant contends with sluggish demand, people familiar with the matter said. Executives are studying whether to trim monthly output by 2 planes to 10 a month from a reduced pace that was announced in October, the people said. While no final decision has been made, a new production schedule for the twin-aisle jet could be announced as early as next week when the company reports earnings. Boeing is grappling with slowing sales for wide-body aircraft in a market glutted with used models. The manufacturer has struggled to persuade airlines to accelerate deliveries to fill empty production slots, said one of the people. The 787 accounted for about 40% of Boeing’s jetliner deliveries in 2019. <br/>
After 2 thwarted attempts, Boeing’s flight test 777X lifted off from Paine Field Saturday. The take-off commences the long-awaited start of the 777X’s delayed flight test programme – great news for Boeing, a company wracked in the last year by the 737 Max grounding. With the 777-9 airborne, the aircraft programme enters the critical flight-test phase. Boeing initially intended to begin flight testing in 2019 and to achieve certification in 2020, but an issue with the 777X’s GE Aviation GE9X turbofan last year pushed flight testing into 2020. Launched by Boeing at the Dubai air show in 2013, the 777X is an upgraded version of the 777, an extremely successful fly-by-wire airliner that some analysts and former Boeing engineers say represents the pinnacle of the company’s engineering might. <br/>
Rolls-Royce is investigating further operational issues with Trent 1000 engines, after instances of surges involving certain powerplants – a situation which has triggered a de-pairing order from European regulators. Trent 1000s, which are fitted to Boeing 787s, have already been the subject of several regulatory interventions, particularly as a result of problems with blade durability. But the surge occurrences appear to be a separate issue. “Investigation into the cause [or causes] of these events is ongoing,” says EASA. The engine surges have particularly affected engines which have accumulated a high number of cycles and flight hours. EASA is mandating this de-pairing scheme through an airworthiness directive which takes effect Jan 30.. <br/>
Supersonic aircraft developer Boom has partnered with US training support and services company Flight Research (FRI) to test its XB-1 technology demonstrator in a supersonic corridor stretching across the Mojave Desert. Construction of the XB-1 is now under way at Boom’s facility in Denver, Colorado, and flight testing is scheduled to begin later this year. The demonstrator will be used to test and refine the final design of Boom’s Mach 2.2 commercial aircraft, called Overture, which is expected to enter service in the mid-2020s. Boom will also create what it calls a “custom state-of-the-art space” at FRI’s Mojave base to support the XB-1. This includes a fully instrumented flight-test control room and an XB-1 simulator room. <br/>