The US Federal Aviation Administration has proposed an airworthiness directive intended to reduce the risk of fuel-tank explosions on Boeing 777s. The AD, disclosed by the FAA on 26 July and prompted by Boeing’s own fuel-system reviews, would require, depending on the aircraft configuration, installation of Teflon sleeves, cap sealing of fasteners, detailed inspections and corrective actions. The FAA states in the proposed AD that it has "examined the underlying safety issues involved in fuel-tank explosions on several large transport airplanes, including the adequacy of existing regulations, the service history of airplanes subject to those regulations, and existing maintenance practices for fuel tank systems". It adds that it has "determined that the actions identified in this proposed AD are necessary to reduce the potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapours, could result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane". The agency in June 2017 issued an AD applying to certain 777s which was intended to prevent arcing inside the main and centre fuel tanks in the event of a fault current or lightning strike, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapours, could result in a fuel-tank explosion. Additionally, the June 2017 AD required inspections for certain aircraft, corrective actions if necessary, and installation of Teflon sleeves under certain wire bundle clamps. Since the issuance of that AD, it emerged that more 777s were affected by the identified unsafe fuel-tank condition and that “additional work is required”. In September 2020, US safety regulators adopted a rule aimed at modifying early 777s to reduce the risk of a centre fuel-tank explosion, part of a long-running FAA effort to reduce the risk of fuel-vapour explosion across a range of aircraft types. The rule modified the fuel-quantity indicator system of 777-200s and -300s. The FAA will accept comments on the newly proposed AD through 9 September.

Ryanair group chief executive Michael O'Leary has expressed concerns about Boeing's ability to deliver 737 Max 8-200s as scheduled. Briefing analysts on 25 July, O'Leary referenced Boeing's "mumbling" about possible delays to some 50 Max 8-200s due for delivery between now and April 2024. "We are concerned about Boeing's ability to make those deliveries on time," says O'Leary. "They are already kind of mumbling about delivery delays, which we don't understand and won't accept, given that Boeing have already confirmed they are producing 31 aircraft a month from June of this year, so they will produce 200 aircraft between now and the end of the year." Ryanair expects delivery of 21 Max jets before Christmas and another 30 between January and April. These aircraft would allow the group to grow capacity 9-10% in the summer of 2023. O'Leary says he holds Boeing chief executive David Calhoun in "high regard" but has "very little confidence" in Boeing management in Seattle, and continues to be a "worrier" about delivery issues. The Ryanair supremo recalls that Calhoun and Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Stan Deal assured the airline during a meeting in Dublin in May that it would be prioritised for deliveries, but says that in subsequent letters the airframer has sought to backtrack on those assurances. He accuses Boeing of being "long on talk and short on deliveries". Another source of concern for O'Leary is that previous deliveries of Max jets to Ryanair had come from already built inventory but now Boeing needs to build aircraft to be handed over. He points out, however, that thanks to its currency hedges the airline group is paying about a third less for its 737 Max deliveries than if it was not hedged.

Embraer delivered 11 commercial aircraft and 21 executive jets during the second quarter. The firm order backlog stood at $17.8 billion at 30 June, up 12% year on year and at its highest level since 2018, driven by new sales of aircraft and services, the Brazilian airframer says. In June, Embraer signed its first firm contract for the conversion of E-Jets, with an undisclosed customer. Under another contract, Nordic Aviation Capital agreed to take up to 10 conversion positions for E190F/E195F jets. At the Farnborough air show this month, Embraer disclosed an order for 20 E195-E2 jets from Porter Airlines, which will be included in the firm order backlog for the third quarter. The airframer also revealed a firm order from Alaska Air Group for eight additional E175 jets, included in the second-quarter backlog. During the quarter, Sky High joined Embraer's family of E-Jets operators with an agreement for two E190s. At 30 June, Embraer had delivered a total of 46 aircraft this year, comprising 17 commercial and 29 executive jets, it says.