On a bright, clear morning in July 2018, three military helicopters traveling south along the Potomac River came seconds away from smashing into a plane that was arriving at Ronald Reagan National Airport. The air traffic controller had failed to warn the aircraft of the potential collision, and the helicopters had to maneuver abruptly to avoid a crash. The FAA documented the incident in safety reports and used it as a case study in a nationwide training course for air traffic controllers on how to issue precise warnings to pilots when they are in danger. But problems with air traffic around Reagan National persisted. Controllers, pilots and military officials were so worried about busy helicopter routes near the airport that they formed safety groups in attempts to prevent a crash, four people familiar with the discussions said. And after a series of incidents, an internal report in 2019 explicitly warned that recurring controller error increased “the risk of a collision and loss of life,” according to a copy reviewed by The New York Times. Despite these efforts, an Army Black Hawk helicopter slammed into American Airlines Flight 5342 two weeks ago at almost exactly the same location as the 2018 incident, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. The crash was the culmination of mounting warning signs at Reagan National, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former air traffic controllers, pilots and aviation safety experts, as well as federal safety reports and F.A.A. records reviewed by The Times. Federal investigators are still trying to piece together what caused the crash. <br/>
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A passenger plane that was running dangerously low on fuel with 300 people on board was made to wait while another aircraft was given permission to land, a report has found. The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) described how the TUI Boeing 787 eventually landed at Birmingham, having been diverted from Manchester in high winds, and then turned away from East Midlands Airport. Its first approach had to be abandoned because of high winds, meaning another plane was given priority to land. The aircraft finally touched down with less than two-thirds of its planned minimum fuel level. The aircraft was on an overnight flight across the Atlantic from Cancun, four days before Christmas 2023, with high winds forecast over northern England. Extra fuel was loaded to account for the possibility of a diversion. The flight should have landed at Manchester Airport, but after holding with seven others waiting for winds to subside, it was prevented from landing by bad weather. A diversion to East Midlands Airport in Leicestershire was unsuccessful because there was no room for the plane, so it went on to Birmingham instead. The first attempt there was aborted due to a windshear warning from the onboard equipment. Story has details.<br/>
Cargo coming into Gatwick could double if plans for expansion are approved, the airport has said. The West Sussex airport has submitted plans to bring its northern runway, normally a taxiway, into regular use for routine flights. An increase in cargo imports could generate 35,000 new jobs and add GBP2b to the economy every year, the airport said. Last month, a group of MPs called on the government to delay its decision on the expansion until noise levels were monitored.<br/>A final decision on the expansion is expected by 27 February. If approved, the plans could bring an additional 60,000 flights per year into the airport. The additional flights could see an increase to 161,500 tonnes of cargo by 2038 – more than double levels in 2019, the airport said.<br/>
The expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) is set to be completed in winter 2026 as it prepares to enter the second phase of work. The extension of the existing terminal is expected to be finished by summer 2025. The second phase of the development, which has just been granted permission, is the refurbishment of the current terminal by winter 2026. Vincent Hodder, CE of LBA said it was "the first major improvement to our terminal since its opening in1968 and is long overdue". He added: "It's vitally important to upgrade LBA to the world-class facility Yorkshire deserves." LBA also announced that the contract to complete the upgrade would be awarded to Northern Irish firm Farrans Construction. Cathal Montague, its regional director, said: "Leeds is an important region for our business. We are all frequent users of LBA and we are looking forward to working together with the airport's team on the successful delivery of the next stage of the project."<br/>
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday announced that he had asked the CE of Boeing, the nation’s largest plane maker, to come to Washington and update him on the company’s commitment to addressing its quality and safety issues. Duffy wrote on the social media platform X that following that meeting with Kelly Ortberg, the aerospace company’s CE, he planned to visit Boeing “to evaluate firsthand the measures being implemented to ensure its planes meet the highest safety standards.” When asked about Duffy’s post, Boeing deferred comment to the Transportation Department. During his confirmation hearing last month, Duffy said he would continue his department’s oversight of Boeing. The company came under an intense international spotlight during President Trump’s previous administration after a pair of Boeing Max plane crashes — a Lion Air flight in 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines flight in 2019 — killed a total of 346 people. The company was further thrust into crisis after a panel in the body of a 737 Max plane was blown out during an Alaska Airlines flight in January 2024. No one died in the incident, but the FAA increased scrutiny of the company’s manufacturing processes. The panel blowout put the aircraft manufacturer at the center of several federal investigations and prompted the Justice Department to re-examine a 2021 settlement it had reached with Boeing in relation to the Max crashes. Last year, Boeing gave the F.A.A. a plan to address systemic issues that had damaged the company’s reputation.<br/>
The CE of major Boeing customer Avolon said on Thursday he was really encouraged by progress being made by the U.S. manufacturer in stabilising production in the wake of a seven-week strike late last year. Boeing on Tuesday said it had delivered 45 airplanes in January, the most deliveries in a month for the U.S. planemaker since 2023. "The level of clarity and visibility on the ramp up of the production line is impressive ... we are really encouraged by what we are seeing there," Avolon CEO Andy Cronin said in an interview on Thursday, following a visit to production facilities in Seattle last month. Avolon is the world's second-largest aircraft leasing company. The sector is responsible for around half of Boeing and Airbus aircraft orders. "I think the first step in the journey is getting production stability, and I think Boeing are making enormous steps forward on that journey relatively quickly," Cronin said. Cronin warned, however, that a bumper fourth-quarter of production at Boeing rival Airbus had put strain on the supply chain since.<br/>
Aircraft lessor Avolon has booked $177m in proceeds from settlements of insurance claims in respect of aircraft stranded in Russia after Western sanctions in 2022 and does not expect additional recoveries. Avolon, the world's second -largest aircraft lessor, last week said it had discontinued court proceedings in Ireland after reaching commercial resolutions with its insurers. "We're not anticipating any material incremental recoveries from here on," Avolon CEO Andy Cronin told Reuters.<br/>
Air Lease Corp's CEO said on Thursday he expected lease rates and aircraft valuations to rise on a shortfall of commercial planes, after the company reported lower quarterly revenue primarily due to a decline in end-of-lease revenue. Aircraft lessors are benefiting from high rental revenue as airlines look for aircraft that are in short supply due to supply chain problems, along with lower production levels of Boeing's 737 MAX and engine snags. But lessors and airlines are still wrestling with delivery delays from planemakers Boeing and Airbus. Air Lease expects to receive airplanes worth $3b to $3.5b in 2025, with 80% coming from Boeing. Air Lease also expects to sign new leases at higher rates as lower-yielding leases agreed when the market was weak during the COVID-19 pandemic expire. Air Lease CEO John Plueger said he expected $5b of leases from that period to roll off over the next two years. Plueger also told analysts that demand for twin-aisle wide-body jets has surged faster than demand for single-aisle planes over the past six months, reversing a post-pandemic trend. Air Lease Executive Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy said demand for larger planes was underpinned by passenger demand for international travel, an aging fleet and shortfall in supply as Boeing and Airbus wrestle with production challenges on their 787 and A350 models.<br/>
Nashville’s honky-tonks are going to get a little busier in April. That’s when Aer Lingus launches its first nonstop flight to the country music capital from Ireland, a lesser-known hotbed of country music fans. The new flight to Nashville from Dublin is possible with a new, longer-range plane from Airbus: the A321XLR, or “Extra Long Range.” The derivative of the popular A321neo that debuted in 2017 can fly further than any other single-aisle plane on the market. Airbus also says it burns 30% less fuel per seat than previous-generation aircraft. “It allows us to go to cities that we would not be able to take the risk on with a wide-body,” said Reid Moody, chief strategy and planning officer at Aer Lingus, referring to the twin-aisle aircraft such as the Airbus A330 or Boeing 787 that are common on transatlantic flights. The Irish carrier already flies two A321XLRs and plans to add four more by the end of the year.<br/>
When aviation pioneer Bertrand Piccard a decade ago spearheaded a much-hyped flight around the world in a plane powered by sunlight, it raised awareness about climate change but held little promise of revolutionizing air travel. Now, the 66-year-old Swiss adventurer behind Solar Impulse is aiming higher, in hopes of heading toward greener commercial flight than that of fossil fuel-powered planes today — this time using super-cold liquid hydrogen. From a workshop on France's Atlantic coast, Piccard and partners are ramping up Climate Impulse, a project started last February to fly a two-seater plane around the globe nonstop over nine days fueled by what's known as green hydrogen. That's hydrogen split out of water molecules using renewable electricity through a process called electrolysis. The Climate Impulse team, whose backers include Airbus and a science incubator called Syensqo (pronounced “science-co”) born from Belgian pharmaceuticals company Solvay, presented its first-year progress to reporters Thursday in Les Sables d’Olonne, an oceanside town better known as host to the Vendee Globe round-the-world sailing race. When will Climate Impulse get off the ground? First test flights are planned next year, but the grueling round-the-world trip is set for 2028. Made with lightweight composites, the plane is dependent on several untested innovations and is far from a sure bet.<br/>