The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has completed its test flights of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft ahead of its possible recertification and return to service later this year. The test flights took place over the course of three days this week in Vancouver, Canada, due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions, the European regulatory agency says on 11 September. EASA did not say how many flights took place during that time, or what scenarios were tested. “EASA has been working steadily, in close cooperation with the FAA and Boeing, to return the Boeing 737 Max aircraft to service as soon as possible, but only once we are convinced it is safe,” EASA says. The Federal Aviation Administration completed its own flight tests of the type on 1 July, but there is still no indication of when the jet will be released to fly again in revenue service. The aircraft’s recertification flights were an important milestone in the process to bring the troubled aircraft back, but numerous steps are still required. EASA says it is now analysing the data collected during the flights ahead of the Joint Operations Evaluation Board (JOEB), scheduled to begin in London next week. The JOEB is composed of pilots from US and international 737 Max operators and is tasked with evaluating 737 Max pilot training. It will send information and data to the FAA’s Flight Standardisation Board, which will make the FAA’s final training recommendations. The 737 Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two separate accidents killed 346 passengers and crew. The aircraft’s new Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was at fault in both crashes. In August, the FAA suggested four key design changes to the beleaguered aircraft in order to address the safety issues that led to the crashes. The proposed Airworthiness Directive (AD) includes proposals that will enhance the safety of the aircraft as well as the ability of the cockpit crew to deal with potential issues. The public comment period for the proposed AD ends later this month. Boeing also said in August that it intends to deliver a majority of its 450-strong 737 Max stockpile within one year of resuming deliveries of the still-grounded jet. Boeing accumulated those aircraft because it continued manufacturing the Max through most of 2019 despite being unable to deliver the jets due to the worldwide grounding.

Source: Cirium

Passenger numbers at Amsterdam Schiphol airport declined in the second half of August as a recovery in travel demand appeared to run out of steam. During the first half of August, 60-70,000 passengers travelled through the Dutch hub per day. But that number declined to 50-60,000 during the second half. "While the number of fights remained steady, there was a drop in the number of passengers from mid-August onwards," says Schiphol. "A decline in traveller numbers is a normal occurrence at the end of the summer holidays, but now at a lower level than usual." The airport suggests that increased infection rates and travel restrictions across Europe will hinder a recovery during September. "We expect the amount of daily flights to vary between 700 and 900, and the number of passengers to decrease to between 35,000 and 60,000 per day." The total number of aircraft taking off and landing at Schiphol during August decreased 49% compared to last year, to 23,125 flights. By passenger numbers, the decline was greater –1.85 million passengers travelled through the airport compared to 6.81 million a year prior, a 73% decline. Long-haul traffic has seen a greater decline and shallower recovery than for European flights, a development that tallies with other airports across Europe. Cargo flights increased over August to 2,188 – an 83% increase – although tonnage declined 8%. August’s traffic figures mean that Schiphol processed more passengers than London Heathrow or Frankfurt airports during that month Heathrow and Frankfurt reported 1.4 million and 1.51 million passengers in August, respectively.

Source: Cirium

South African Airways' rescuers have agreed to terminate the leases on 33 of the carrier's 40 leased aircraft, and aim to finalise terminations on the rest by the end of the month. In a notice to affected persons, SAA's business rescue practitioners state that if lease termination agreements cannot be reached on the remaining seven aircraft by the end of September, "the company will have to institute legal proceedings to cancel the onerous aircraft leases". In a draft rescue plan drawn up by the rescuers in June, it was revealed that leases were being terminated on nearly half of SAA's 40 leased aircraft another 15 have been undergoing renegotiation. The plan showed the termination of leases was being carried out on six Airbus A330-200s, three A340-300s, three A340-600s and seven A319s, while two Boeing 737-300SF freighters had reached the end of their leases. Five A330-300s and 10 A320s were listed as having been the subject of renegotiation of their lease agreements, to reduce rental costs. SAA had also introduced four A350-900s, two of which were subleased from Air Mauritius and two from Avolon, subleased through Hainan Airlines. At the time, the plan indicated that retention of the A350s would depend on the future route network of SAA. However, it now appears that none of SAA's leased aircraft will remain in its fleet. Fleets data shows that SAA currently has six aircraft in service and 27 in storage. Data shows that the aircraft not owned by the airline are leased from a range of lessors, including Castlelake, Goshawk, GECAS and Standard Chartered Aviation Finance.

Source: Cirium