Boeing has ordered the inspection of all undelivered 737 Maxes, after it found debris in the wing fuel tanks of some of the grounded narrowbodies. The airframer states that it has also recommended 737 Max customers globally with aircraft in active storage for more than a year to inspect the fuel tank for foreign object debris (FOD). The company states it first discovered FOD while conducting maintenance on undelivered 737 Maxes in storage at its Renton facility. “That finding led to a robust internal investigation and immediate corrective actions in our production system. We are also inspecting all stored 737 Max airplanes at Boeing to ensure there is no FOD,” the airframer states. Boeing did not state if the latest issue would impact the 737 Max’s return to service. <br/>
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Boeing has asked for its tax breaks to be suspended amid an acrimonious and escalating trade war between the US and the EU, targeting its respective aircraft manufacturers, that threatens to play long-term havoc on aircraft deliveries on both continents. Lawmakers in the US state of Washington, where Boeing has a sizable presence, say they will introduce bills to stop giving the plane-maker preferential tax incentives, dating back to 2003, until the US and the EU resolve their trade disputes. The request is the latest move in an escalating trade dispute between US and European regulators. Last week, the Office of the US Trade Representative raised its tariffs on large European aircraft to 15%, up from the 10% levy implemented last October, in an ongoing disagreement over subsidies. <br/>
General Electric is looking for new business from Airbus, as the engine maker’s other big customer, Boeing, retrenches. GE is in talks with Airbus to design and sell an engine variant for Airbus’ latest wide-body, the A330neo, according to people familiar with the matter. The discussions come in the wake of Boeing’s decision to cut back production of that plane’s rival 787 Dreamliner, according to these people. The interest at GE in pitching for Airbus business comes amid a major shift in the aviation industry’s global supply lines, largely due to the prolonged grounding of Boeing’s 737 MAX. GE is one of the biggest suppliers for both Boeing and Airbus. The MAX grounding has cut into the company’s cash flow. <br/>
Airline travellers were a bit more likely to be delayed, and more often for longer spells, when flying around the US last year, according to a govt report issued Wednesday. Canceled flights were up, and so were the number of passengers bumped off overcrowded flights. But travellers apparently are learning to take it all in stride. The rate of complaints remained nearly unchanged from 2018. The DoT said that 79% of domestic flights last year arrived within 15 minutes of the airline’s schedule — the govt’s definition of being on time. That was down from 79.2% in 2018. The DoT said 302 domestic flights were stuck on the ground for 3 hours or longer, a 50% increase over 2018. Airlines reported another 26 international flights that were delayed on the ground by at least 4 hours, an improvement from 61 in 2018. <br/>
Foreign pilots at some Chinese airlines have returned to their home countries and are considering other jobs after being placed on unpaid leave as demand falls because of the coronavirus, affected flight crew told Reuters. Meanwhile, Chinese pilots with greater job security said their income has been sharply reduced because most of their pay is based on flying hours. Data firm OAG estimates about 80% of scheduled airline capacity to, from and within China has been cut this week because of SARS-CoV-2. Chinese airlines have been the hardest hit. Major employers of foreign pilots have acted swiftly to cut their losses, according to pilots and industry experts. "All the foreign pilots are on leave until the virus situation gets better," said an expatriate captain at China Southern. <br/>