An American Airlines Group Inc. 737-800 went off the runway last month after a brake failure linked to maintenance performed on the plane, US investigators said Thursday. The Boeing jet touched down normally at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport but the plane’s brakes wouldn’t work, and it rolled off the end of the runway before coming to a stop, the National Transportation Safety Board said. Investigators found that hydraulic lines in the brake system had been improperly connected in addition to problems with wiring, according to a preliminary report by the agency. The incident is one of the more serious examples in a recent spate of airline mishaps that have received widespread media attention. None of the 104 people aboard were hurt. Pilots were able to slow the plane partially with the plane’s so-called thrust reversers, which use engine power to decelerate. American Airlines had no immediate comment on the NTSB’s report.<br/>
oneworld
Two British Airways cabin crew have been fired after sharing a racist video of them “imitating Asian passengers” to their Instagram stories. In a screen recording posted to TikTok by @jadenguyen_2, Holly Walton was filmed by Lauren Bray making slant-eyed gestures and using a Chinese accent to say “Give me wine”. The footage from September 2022 was originally posted from Antigua with the caption “2 weeks in a row with this d***head” following a shift on flight BA2157 from Gatwick. The two were drinking at the Trade Winds Hotel in Antigua during the layover when the video was filmed. Colleagues expressed outrage over the clip and said that it targeted a Chinese family who had struggled to order drinks in English during the long-haul flight. Since the TikTok was posted on Saturday it has been viewed over 1.1m times, alerting members of British Airways staff and management to the offensive content over the weekend. Bray’s Instagram account has been deactivated following the incident. A fellow British Airways crew member told The Sun: “This recording is obscene. For anyone to have such racist thoughts, to then film them and share it with the world, is shocking and dumb in equal measure. This is hugely damaging for the airline and they deserved the axe.” The pair were sacked earlier this week with Walton reportedly called back from a work trip to Cancun to face airline executives, and Bray seen in “floods of tears” following the meeting.<br/>
British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines Group said that personal data of Air Europa's customers had been compromised due to a security incident that was discovered in October, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. IAG said in an email to Spanish airline Air Europa's customer base that the data breach exposed details such as identity cards or passport information, names, birthdays, phone numbers and nationalities of customers, according to the report. There was no evidence of fraudulent use of the data, it added. IAG and Air Europa did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Madrid-based Air Europa in October suffered a cyber attack on its online payment system that left some of its customers' credit card details exposed. The carrier at the time said no other information was exposed without specifying the number of customers affected.<br/>
JAL will buy 42 new Boeing and Airbus jets in a multibillion dollar order to expand its international network amid rising demand, with the European planemaker winning the larger share of the spoils. The Tokyo-based airline is purchasing 21 Airbus 350-900 and 10 Boeing 787 widebody jets, it said in a statement Thursday. Significantly, JAL will buy 11 A321neos, breaking Boeing’s exclusive hold as the sole single-aisle jet supplier amid its ongoing production troubles and quality issues exposed by the Jan. 5 accident on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max jet. “We are seeking further business growth by introducing new fleets,” while providing a “safe” travel experience to the customers, incoming President Mitsuko Tottori said during a press conference as the company announced its 2024 rolling plan ahead of its mid-term plan ending in 2025. The announcement will help Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who’s set to pay an official visit to the US next month, where he will be anxious to underscore the merits of bilateral business ties in talks with President Joe Biden. With a US election looming, Japan and other allies are preparing for a potential return to power by Donald Trump, who has been fiercely critical of Japan’s trade surplus with its second-largest trading partner, and threatened to impose a 10% universal tariff. “These new aircraft introductions aim to enhance and expand the capacity of JAL’s international operations, with a primary focus on regions such as North America, Asia and India where future growth is expected,” the carrier said in the statement. The new planes will be introduced over six years, starting in fiscal 2027.<br/>
Malaysia Airlines reported its first annual profit in over a decade as strong demand and elevated airfares propel a rebound for the troubled airline. The carrier’s parent, Malaysia Aviation Group, posted a 766m ringgit ($163m) profit, from a 344m ringgit loss a year earlier, it said Thursday. That was helped by a strong performance for the airline unit, which disclosed an operating profit of 1.1b ringgit. The unit report its first profit since 2010. The bottom line was helped by factors including robust passenger traffic from the premium segment and increased international networks, Izham Ismail, MAG’s managing director, said at a briefing. That outweighed higher operational and labor costs, a weaker ringgit and supply-chain challenges, he said. The airline carried 14.5m passengers in 2023, up 46% from a year earlier. It reached 86% of pre-pandemic capacity by December, and expects a full recovery in Q2 2024. “While 2023 marked a remarkable resurgence, 2024 is poised to be the year where we solidify our credibility” Izham said. The group will add 12 new aircraft to its fleet in 2024, and wants to operate 100 by 2033. Malaysia Airlines has been mired in turmoil for the past decade after enduring double tragedies in 2014, with the disappearance of MH370 and the downing of MH17 over Ukraine. The incidents deepened its financial losses, drove a share price slump and eventually saw the company delisted from Malaysia’s stock exchange.<br/>
Malaysia Airlines is to begin a campaign for 25 new narrowbody aircraft “soon” and will make its decision by the middle of the year. Izham Ismail, managing director of parent company Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), says the airline is manufacturer “agnostic”, but that the right aircraft will have to “fit our future network plan and be commercially viable in the long run”. Izham, who was speaking at the group’s annual results briefing on 21 March, added: “We are cognisant [that] at a marketplace, or at the [manufacturer] level, slots are diminishing very, very fast. So time is against us, and we will make sure that we complete this exercise in a timely manner.” He does not rule out commitments for narrowbodies from Boeing, Airbus, or even Chinese airframer Comac – whose C919 visited Malaysia on a region-wide tour in March – as long as the aircraft fits the airline’s operating model. MAG strategy chief Bryan Foong adds that the airline has not decided if it will commit to orders for a single type, or a mixture. Malaysia Airlines has existing orders for 737 Max 8s, and so far has four examples in its fleet. However, the delivery timeline has been hit by delays amid quality control and supply chain issues at Boeing. Izham had floated the prospect of 25 more narrowbodies as far back as late 2022, as it works towards its long-term goal of having a 50-strong narrowbody fleet. <br/>
In a significant move to enhance its global reach, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has inked a strategic, multi-year partnership with the Manchester United (Man Utd) football club as its Official Commercial Airline to tap into its vast community of more than 1.1b fans and followers worldwide. In making the announcement, Malaysia Aviation Group group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said the collaboration brings together two global icons, Malaysia Airlines and Man Utd, and will create unforgettable experiences for its fans and customers. "Aligning with a globally recognised club like United places Malaysia Airlines in front of a massive worldwide audience, significantly boosting brand recognition, especially in Europe and South-East Asia where United has a large fanbase,” he said at a press conference here Friday. Izham said MAS looks forward to the exciting opportunities this collaboration brings and the joy it will bring to football enthusiasts worldwide.<br/>