ARC NEWS
​Air Canada Rouge resumes operations
September 09, 2021
Air Canada Rouge resumed services on 7 September, operating flights between Toronto and Las Vegas, Orlando and Regina. This follows a temporary suspension of services in spring. The low-cost leisure subsidiary of Air Canada says it will introduce more destinations in September, including Cancun and Tampa. All flights are operated with Airbus narrow bodies, the leisure carrier says. Air Canada Rouge's 39-strong fleet includes nine Airbus A321's with updated cabin interiors. The first of these will re-enter service later this autumn.


Boeing board faces legal action by shareholders over Max crashes
September 09, 2021
Boeing shareholders can proceed with legal action against the airframer's board of directors over the two fatal 737 Max accidents that led to the model's grounding in 2019, a US court has ruled. The Court of Chancery in Delaware had deliberated over a claim by shareholders that a majority of Boeing's directors should face liability for the company's losses as a result of the accidents and temporary grounding. Morgan Zurn, the court's vice-chancellor, acknowledges that "it may seem callous" in regard to the accidents' victims and their relatives, but says corporate law recognises Boeing as a business and its shareholders as "another set of victims".
She notes: "The crashes caused the company and its investors to lose billions of dollars in value." Zurn in her 7 September ruling supported the shareholders' claim that Boeing directors "failed them in overseeing mission-critical airplane safety to protect enterprise and stockholder value". The judge accuses the directors in particular of having failed to establish a reporting system for aircraft safety and turning "a blind eye to a red flag representing airplane safety" after the Lion Air Max 8 crash – the first accident – in 2018. "The Lion Air crash was a red flag about [the aircraft's maneuvering characteristics augmentation system] MCAS that the board should have heeded but instead ignored," she says. International regulators grounded Max aircraft after the second accident – in March 2019, involving an Ethiopian Airlines 737-8 – in which the MCAS was again implicated. Max aircraft have resumed service since late 2020 as regulators gradually recertificated the model following modifications. Zurn dismissed other claims by shareholders, including one regarding Boeing's retirement and compensation package for former chief executive Dennis Muilenburg, who stepped down from his position during the Max crisis. Boeing states: "We are disappointed in the court's decision to allow the plaintiffs' case to proceed past this preliminary stage of litigation. We will review the opinion closely over the coming days as we consider next steps."


BA offers customers option to buy SAF
September 08, 2021
British Airways is offering travellers the opportunity to buy sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for their flights as part of its new environmental programme, in addition to the offsetting of their carbon emissions. Under the initiative, launched at Heathrow and named BA Better World, the IAG-owned carrier will use SAF for all of its flights between London, Glasgow and Edinburgh for the duration of the COP26 climate conference taking place over the first 12 days of November. BA says the programme will place sustainability "at the heart of its business", and redouble its efforts to reduce emissions and eliminate waste. “With BA Better World we're on our most important journey yet - to a better, more sustainable future and one which will ensure the long-term success of our business," states BA chief executive Sean Doyle. "We're clear that we have a responsibility to reduce our impact on the planet and have a detailed plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, including investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft, improving our operational efficiency and investing in the development of sustainable aviation fuel and zero-emissions aircraft." To publicise the launch BA has repainted one of its A320neos in a new colour scheme, as part of a collaboration with manufacturer Airbus.The plan to enable customers to purchase SAF will come into force immediately, it adds, via its not-for-profit organisation Pure Leapfrog. BA will work with energy firm BP to source SAF for the COP26 summit being held in Scotland. This will provide a lifecycle carbon reduction of up to 80% compared with traditional jet fuel. The initiative forms part of BA's long-term commitment to the development and use of SAF. Parent company IAG is investing $400 million over the next 20 years in development of SAF. Meanwhile, BA is forming partnerships with a number of technology and fuel companies to develop SAF plants and purchase the fuel, including with Velocys in the UK and LanzaJet in the USA. IAG has pledged to power 10% of its fuel requirements with SAF by 2030.



LOG ON

CONTACT
SGS Aviation Compliance
ARC Administrator
SGS South Africa (Pty) Ltd
54 Maxwell Drive
Woodmead North Office Park
Woodmead
2191
South Africa

Office:   +27 11 100 9100
Direct:   +27 11 100 9108
Email Us

OFFICE DIRECTORY
Find SGS offices and labs around the world.
The ARC is a mobile friendly website.