Embraer-backed Eve Air Mobility has secured two distinct credit lines, totalling $92.5 million, from Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) to support its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft development efforts. The first credit line is expected to be granted by the Climate Fund, while the second line of credit is expected to be granted by the Innovation Finance, the Brazilian airframer says. Both credit lines are expected to offer beneficial terms and conditions to Eve with a 12-year maturity and amortisation grace period. The financing is subject to the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements between Eve and BNDES in connection with such credit lines, as well as the satisfaction of certain conditions to be set forth in such definitive agreements.

The US House of Representatives has voted to pass a $1.7 trillion federal spending bill, clearing the way for president Joe Biden to enact a law to both avoid a federal shutdown and to grant Boeing an extension to avoid certification delays for 737 Max 7 and -10 aircraft. The forthcoming legislation is the result of lobbying efforts by the Arlington, Virginia-based airframer to extend a federally mandated deadline of 27 December for all aircraft facing certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration to install cockpit alert systems for flight crews. The FAA mandate does not impact certificated aircraft, but the agency has said it would “cease work on reviews related to the crew alerting system for the 737 Max 7 and 10” if Boeing misses the deadline without an extension. The spending bill exempts the flight crew alert deadline for “an original or amended type certificate that was submitted” to the FAA prior to 27 December, including the two Max variants. Boeing in exchange for that exemption must upgrade all Max aircraft with FAA-approved safety enhancements one year after the certification of Max 10 jets. The airframer would also have three years after the certification of Max 10 aircraft to retrofit all Max jets with a “synthetic enhanced angle-of-attack system and means to shut off stall warning and overspeed alerts” to maintain airworthiness certificates for all Max aircraft. The FAA mandate enacted in 2020 was intended as a means to prevent potential confusion of pilots during in-flight emergencies by requiring a cockpit alert system that “displays and differentiates among warnings, cautions, and advisories; and includes functions to assist the flightcrew in prioritising corrective actions and responding to systems failures”. That mandate became law after the House and Senate in the wake of two fatal Max crashes each spent 18 months investigating the FAA certification of those aircraft. Modifications required by the exemption are intended to avoid problems that flight crews faced with the automated flight controls and confusion with the cockpit alerts of Max aircraft during the two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. Any safety enhancements, the bill states, must be approved by the FAA administrator, who may also propose additional retrofits as they deem necessary. Boeing would have to pay for all retrofits mentioned in the bill. Former American Airlines pilot Billy Nolen is the acting FAA administrator, who has yet to be confirmed by the Senate for the full-time post. The FAA administrator, the bill states, would also be required to brief Congress “not later than 1 March 2023, and on a quarterly basis thereafter” about the process to certificate Max 7 and -10 aircraft. These briefings would include details about “any design enhancements, pilot procedures, or training requirements resulting from system safety assessments”. Certification of Max aircraft could have taken even longer than previously forecast if not for this extension. During an investor briefing on 2 November, Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Stan Deal pushed expectations for the Max 10’s certification until “late 2023 or early 2024”. Max 7 certification could take until early 2023, he says.

Some US airlines have reduced their schedules, prepared for further cancellations and waived certain last-minute flight-change fees in reaction to a winter storm that is moving through the US Midwest and Northeast. American Airlines has issued travel alerts for 87 airports in the Midwest and Northeast, enabling passengers whose travel plans are affected by winter storm Elliott to rebook their flights without change fees. American says that if a passenger chooses not to fly to or from an airport covered by the current waiver, the Fort Worth-based carrier will waive change fees for future travel. Noting that snow, wind and frigid temperatures have hit the northern plains in the USA, including its hub at Minneapolis-St Paul International, Delta Air Lines said on 21 December that it expected "limited" flight cancellations. Like American, Delta has issued weather advisories, allowing customers to rebook their travel for a later date. "The decision to cancel flights is never one Delta takes lightly, especially during the holiday travel season," the Atlanta-based carrier states. "But the safety of our customers and our people is paramount." Southwest Airlines says that it has reduced operations at some airports it serves, primarily Denver and Chicago Midway. As of 21 December, Southwest has cancelled approximately 500 of the nearly 4,000 flights scheduled to depart on 22 and 23 December.