A British Airways crew has been accused of lying to police about being the victims of an armed robbery to cover up a drugs and alcohol-fuelled night of mayhem in Rio De Janeiro. Passengers were left stranded in the Brazilian city for 24 hours after three workers reported being “too traumatised to work” after becoming victims of a robbery on 5 September. British Airways, who say the staff weren’t due to work the next day, were reportedly forced to postpone flight BA248 back to Heathrow Airport for 24 hours. Now the unnamed Britons have been accused by police of “inventing” the armed robbery to avoid being punished by bosses after allegedly finding inconsistencies in their stories. The authorities in Brazil say only one of a number of crimes the trio reported actually happened, and said the group went to an abandoned petrol station, close to a community in Rio, to take drugs. The Civil Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro told The Independent: “After field investigation and intelligence work, data crossing and image analysis, the Special Tourism Support Delegation (Deat) found that three flight attendants from an English company, who reported having been robbed in September this year lied in their testimony when recording the incident. “According to Deat, of the various crimes reported by the trio, only one occurred, after a late night in which they consumed drugs and alcohol and went to an abandoned gas station, close to a community in Rio, where they continued their drug use. “The trio are being investigated for falsely reporting a crime.”<br/>
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Japan Airlines is courting a trio of advanced propulsion developers at it explores the possibilities of hydrogen-powered regional aviation. The Tokyo-based airline said on 16 November that it has “basic agreements” with H2FLY, Universal Hydrogen and ZeroAvia, and that it is working with the three competing hydrogen propulsion start-ups “to study the safety, economic feasibility and maintainability for bringing hydrogen-fueled, next-generation aircraft” to Japan. The deals were confirmed by the start-ups, all of which are developing hydrogen-electric propulsion systems for regional aircraft. Such systems use hydrogen in fuel cells to make electricity and power electric motors. The technologies are still under development, though all three companies achieved milestone flights in 2023 and ZeroAvia is preparing to submit a certification proposal for its ZA600 powertrain to UK aviation regulators. ZeroAvia is also advancing its second engine platform, the ZA2000, which is a hydrogen-electric propulsion system designed for 40-90 seat regional aircraft that it plans to enter into service in 2027. That platform will be well-suited for 48-seat ATR 42s and 70-seat ATR 72s operated by Japan Air Commuter, which operates under the wing of JAL. “As part of the agreement, Japan Airlines and ZeroAvia will collaborate on assessing operational parameters for retrofit hydrogen-electric aircraft for existing and prospective routes, as well as collaborating to define pathways for regulation, retrofit operations, hydrogen fuel infrastructure and engine maintenance, repair and overhaul,” ZeroAvia says.<br/>
Malaysia Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max 8 – its first new aircraft type in over five years – after a reported two-month delay. The aircraft (9M-MVA) arrived at Kuala Lumpur on 16 November on a delivery flight from Boeing’s Seattle facility, kickstarting the Oneworld carrier’s narrowbody fleet renewal plans. Malaysia Airlines says it will deploy the first example on domestic flights, with its launch route set to be from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu in east Malaysia on 20 November. The aircraft is the first of 25 737 Max 8s ordered on operating lease from lessor Air Lease Corporation. Malaysia Airlines expects the remaining 24 examples to be delivered through 2026. The airline’s first 737 delivery was reportedly delayed for at least two months owing to defective parts, according to local media reports, citing unnamed sources. The jet was to have been handed over to Malaysia Airlines in late August, days after Boeing discovered fuselage issue on the 737 Max that could delay deliveries.<br/>