Some recently manufactured Boeing and Airbus jets have components made from titanium that was sold using fake documentation verifying the material’s authenticity, according to a supplier for the plane makers, raising concerns about the structural integrity of those airliners. The falsified documents are being investigated by Spirit AeroSystems, which supplies fuselages for Boeing and wings for Airbus, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration. The investigation comes after a parts supplier found small holes in the material from corrosion. The F.A.A. said it was investigating the scope of the problem and trying to determine the short- and long-term safety implications to planes that were made using the parts. It is unclear how many planes have parts made with the questionable material. “Boeing reported a voluntary disclosure to the F.A.A. regarding procurement of material through a distributor who may have falsified or provided incorrect records,” the statement said. “Boeing issued a bulletin outlining ways suppliers should remain alert to the potential of falsified records.” The revelation comes at a moment of intense scrutiny of Boeing and the broader aviation industry, which is reeling from a series of mishaps and safety issues. In January, a door panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 jet while it was in flight, prompting several federal investigations. In April, Boeing told the F.A.A. about a separate episode involving potentially falsified inspection records related to the wings of 787 Dreamliner planes. Boeing reported to the F.A.A. that it might have skipped required inspections involving the jet’s wings and that it would need to reinspect some of the Dreamliners still in production. The use of potentially fake titanium, which has not been previously reported, threatens to extend the industry’s problems beyond Boeing to Airbus, its European competitor. The planes that included components made with the material were built between 2019 and 2023, among them some Boeing 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner airliners as well as Airbus A220 jets, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. It is not clear how many of those planes are in service or which airlines own them.<br/>
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Boeing has told suppliers it is delaying a key production milestone for its 737 jet family by three months, two industry sources said, as it continues to struggle with a crisis that is hurting output. A new Boeing supplier schedule communicated to the industry calls for 737 output to reach 42 a month in September, compared with a previous target of reaching that output in June, the sources said. Boeing was not immediately available for comment. Boeing's jet production has slowed sharply in the face of increased scrutiny from regulators, airlines and lawmakers following a January incident when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines jetliner while in mid-air. Boeing's supplier master schedule lays out expectations for when suppliers should be at a given production rate. Analysts say it does not necessarily reflect actual production which has been lagging due to a mixture of regulatory scrutiny and supply constraints. However, Boeing’s decision to push back the target is an indication that it believes supply pressures are not easing. Rival Airbus, the worlds largest planemaker, is also bracing for inceeased near-term disruption amid shortages of parts and labor, Reuters reported last month. The new supplier schedule calls for output to reach 47 a month in March 2025, compared with January of that same year. Output would reach 52 a month in September 2025, compared with June.<br/>
Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley said on Friday he is launching a new congressional oversight inquiry into the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing after a January mid-air emergency involving a 737 MAX 9. The probe is the latest in a series of investigations by lawmakers since a door panel blew out during a Jan. 5 flight on a new Alaska Airlines MAX 9, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing while passengers were exposed to a gaping hole 16,000 feet above the ground. Grassley, who first probed Boeing safety actions in the 1990s, said Boeing and the FAA "must explain how this happened and what is being done to ensure that it does not place the lives of Americans at risk again." He asked the FAA and Boeing to answer a total of 38 questions "requesting records of safety procedures, regulatory requirements, corrective actions (and) whistleblower protections." An FAA audit found serious issues at Boeing, while the FAA has capped the planemaker's production of its best-selling 737 MAX. The FAA said it would "respond directly to the senator." Boeing said it "will continue to be responsive and transparent with Congress." Outgoing Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will testify before the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on Tuesday after a series of incidents raised concerns about safety and quality, The committee's chair, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said earlier this month after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people, "Boeing made a promise to overhaul its safety practices and culture. That promise proved empty, and the American people deserve an explanation."<br/>
US and European aerospace partners are aiming to develop a new global air traffic surveillance system featuring a dedicated constellation of over 100 satellites. The companies – US-based space data specialist Spire Global, French firm Thales, and European Satellite Services Provider – intend to certify the service and commence operations by 2027. It will be based on collecting ADS-B transmissions from aircraft, and relaying this data back to ground stations. ADS-B provides a means of conveying a flight’s position when the aircraft is outside of conventional radar coverage, and space-based ADS-B expands its potential by removing need for line-of-sight communication. Spire Global will develop the space segment – focusing on satellite and payload manufacture, and data collection – while Thales will provide the ground-based segment of the air traffic management system. “Through our strategic partnership…we are poised to offer the first real alternative to the aging systems that exist today,” says Spire general manager of aviation Philip Plantholt. He describes the initiation of a dedicated air traffic satellite constellation as a “groundbreaking development” for the sector.<br/>
French and Saudi investors have put forward a revised offer to acquire additional shares in London Heathrow airport’s operator, after Spanish infrastructure firm Ferrovial and other shareholders opted to divest their interests. Ferrovial had revealed plans last year to sell its 25% shareholding in FGP Topco – the parent of Heathrow Airport Holdings – to French private equity firm Ardian and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. But a tag-along process meant a number of other FGP Topco shareholders took the chance to sell their interests as well. The parties have been “exploring different options” to satisfy conditions to sell these tag-along shares alongside Ferrovial’s stake. As a result, Ardian and the Saudi fund have offered to acquire a total 37.62% share in FGP Topco. Ardian will have around 22.6% with the Saudis holding about 15%. Ferrovial says this offer is worth just under GBP3.26b ($4.13b), up from the GBP2.37b originally agreed for the 25% share. Under the revised agreement, Ferrovial will retain a 5.25% stake in FGP Topco – part of a combined 10% interest with the tag-along shareholders. Ferrovial says the transaction is still subject to regulatory approval, and potential exercising of other shareholder rights.<br/>
As the public hearings for London Gatwick airport’s northern runway resume, researchers from the Netherlands have found greater inhaler use in children living near Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. Stand close to a large airport and, if the wind is in the wrong direction, each cubic centimetre of air that you breathe will contain tens of thousands of ultrafine particles (UFP). Air pollution measurement equipment was installed in three primary schools, each about a kilometre from the airport fence. The researchers took weekly measurements of the lung function of 161 children at the schools and 19 asthmatic children living near the airport. With schools to the north and south of the airport, the children experienced airport UFP at different times. The children were also taught how to take their own lung measurements at home in the mornings and evening. It was these records that revealed the most significant finding from the study. Prof Gerard Hoek of Utrecht University, who led the study, said: “On days with high aviation-related UFP, children experienced substantially more respiratory symptoms and used more symptom-relieving medication.” These symptoms included coughing, wheeziness and phlegm. Wind direction alone was not a good predictor of exposure to airport UFP so it is unlikely that parents or children will have known their day-to-day exposure. UFP and soot from traffic was also associated with symptoms and changes in morning lung tests.<br/>
Global airlines are launching new flights and expanding schedules in India, betting the South Asian giant will become one of the hottest travel markets over the next decade, airline officials and analysts say. India, among the fastest-growing major aviation markets, took centre stage at the industry's largest gathering of global airline CEOs and aircraft leasing companies in Dubai last week, with domestic and international air travel surging. The domestic air travel market in India is expected to double to 300m passengers from a record 152m in 2023, according to government data. International traffic is set to grow faster, reaching 160m passengers by 2030 from 64m last year, estimates from aviation research group CAPA India show. To tap that growth, Turkish Airlines is evaluating flights between its southern beach town of Antalya and India, chairman Ahmet Bolat said at The International Air Transport Association (IATA) summit. Turkish Airlines may run the route through Sun Express, a carrier it operates jointly with Lufthansa, or through its Indian codeshare partner IndiGo, he said. Hungary-based budget carrier Wizz Air is aiming to launch its first flights to the country next year, CEO Jozsef Varadi told Reuters at a separate aviation conference in New Delhi last week, organised by CAPA India. The strong outlook has prompted India's two biggest airlines - budget carrier IndiGo and Tata Group's Air India - to place record orders for hundreds of new planes, which will largely be delivered over 10 years.<br/>
The north runway at the Hong Kong International Airport has been forced to close for service after a cargo plane burst a tire during its emergency return journey, with the Airport Authority warning of possible flight delays. The closure followed an emergency landing by the plane at around 7.30 am. The reason for the emergency return remains unknown. The authority said only the south runway remained in operation for the time being, and flights schedules may be affected. “The plane is now staying on the north runway. We estimate that the north runway will not be able to operate in the coming few hours,” according to an authority spokesman. <br/>
A recovery in Chinese overseas travel from the COVID-19 pandemic is fading as rising costs and difficulties in securing visas cement a preference for local and short-haul destinations. The delay in a revival to pre-COVID levels by China's outbound travellers, the world's top spenders on international tourism and airlines, is hitting travel-related companies, hotels and retailers globally. Eighteen months after China dropped strict zero-COVID policies and reopened its borders, the recovery in overseas travel is lagging behind market expectations and the shape of Chinese travel is changing, with a surge in domestic trips. Pressured by a prolonged property crisis, high unemployment and a gloomy outlook in the world's second-biggest economy, Chinese consumers have become more frugal since the pandemic, prompting discount wars on everything from travel to cars, coffee and clothes. Chinese people took 87m trips abroad last year, down 40% from pre-COVID 2019, and industry observers say the pace has slowed since the Lunar New Year in February. China's travellers spent 24% less last year than in 2019, while U.S. travellers' spending was up 14%, according to U.N. Tourism data.The Chinese lag is bad news for countries like France, Australia and the U.S., which were among the top destinations for Chinese travellers before the pandemic.<br/>
As a Delta Air Lines jet began roaring down a runway, an air traffic controller at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport suddenly blurted out an expletive, then ordered the pilots to stop their takeoff roll. The controller saw an American Airlines plane mistakenly crossing the same runway, into the path of the accelerating Delta jet. JFK is one of only 35 US airports with the equipment to track planes and vehicles on the ground. The system alerted the airport control tower to the danger, possibly saving lives last year. The National Transportation Safety Board and many independent experts say pilots should get warnings without waiting precious seconds to get word from controllers. Just last week, the NTSB recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration collaborate with manufacturers to develop technology for alerting pilots directly. Honeywell International, a conglomerate with a big aerospace business, has been working on such an early-warning system for about 15 years and thinks it is close to a finished product. The company gave a demonstration during a test flight last week. As pilot Joe Duval aimed a Boeing 757 for a runway in Tyler, Texas, a warning appeared on his display and sounded in the cockpit: "Traffic on runway!” The system had detected a business jet that was just appearing as a speck on the runway about a mile away – ground the Boeing would cover in a matter of seconds. Duval tilted the plane's nose up and pushed the throttle forward into a G-force-inducing climb, safely away from the Dassault Falcon 900 below. Honeywell officials claim their technology would have alerted the Delta pilots who had the January 2023 near-miss at JFK 13 seconds before the air traffic controller screamed the expletive and told them to stop their takeoff. Merely removing the need for a controller to relay the warning from ground-based systems could be critical.<br/>