FAA poised to delay 737 Max 7 and Max 10 certification
December 16, 2022
Boeing is pitching US lawmakers to extend a federally-mandated deadline of 27 December to install flight crew alerting systems on the in-development 737 Max 7 and -10, while the US Federal Aviation Administration intends to pause the two variants' certification after the deadline. The US airframer for months made efforts to insert an extended deadline into House or Senate legislation. A final bid to insert an extension into a federal spending omnibus bill seems unlikely. The FAA says that if Boeing has not installed new alert systems the agency “will cease work on reviews related to the crew alerting system for the 737 Max 7 and 10 in accordance with our congressional mandate”. All aircraft facing FAA certification after 27 December must have cockpit alert systems installed, as mandated by a law enacted in 2020, after the House and Senate in the wake of two fatal Max crashes each spent 18 months investigating the FAA certification of those aircraft. The alert systems regulation was intended as a means to prevent potential confusion of pilots during in-flight emergencies. The FAA mandate does not impact certificated aircraft. Boeing declined to comment. A pause in FAA certification for the Max 7s and Max 10s could further prolong delays that Boeing has forecast for the variants. 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. Boeing previously had a target of certificating the Max 7 by the end of 2022. In November, Boeing efforts failed to insert an extension into a defense spending bill. Washington state representative Rick Larsen, who advocated an exemption, tells Cirium: “The women and men make this airplane and live and work and go to school in my district and they’re the folks who are going to be on the short end of the stick if orders don’t get done.” In April, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair Peter DeFazio opposed extending the cockpit safety installation deadline for Boeing, stating that such equipment “became an industry standard in 1982 and is on every current Airbus and Boeing model under production except for the 737s”. The Allied Pilots Association union that represents pilots at American Airlines opposes granting Boeing an extension.
Embraer gains E2 approval from Canadian regulator
December 16, 2022
Embraer has received type certification from Transport Canada Civil Aviation for its E195-E2 and E190-E2. The Brazilian manufacturer says that Canadian carrier Porter Airlines will receive the first of 50 on-order E195-E2s from the airframer's assembly line in Sao Jose dos Campos in the coming days. It will be the first E195-E2 to operate in North America, the airframer notes. In addition to the on-order aircraft, Toronto-based Porter Airlines has options for a further 50 E195-E2s. Data shows that Canadian carrier Jazz has 25 E175s. One of these aircraft is listed in storage. Calgary-based Avmax Aircraft Leasing has two ERJ-145s in storage.
Delta foresees significant year-on-year revenue growth in 2023
December 15, 2022
Delta Air Lines expects that its 2023 revenue will be 15-20% higher than this year's. "Demand for air travel remains robust as we exit the year, and Delta's momentum is building," states chief executive Ed Bastian. The US carrier has also adjusted its revenue forecast for 2022's fourth quarter, to a 7-8% increase versus the pre-pandemic fourth quarter of 2019 from a previous 5-9%. Atlanta-based Delta generated $14 billion in operating revenue in the third quarter, up 11% compared with the same period three years ago, despite reducing capacity 17%. The US major expects to fully restore its network to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, and foresees a 5-7% reduction in non-fuel unit expenses.