IATA believes its billings and settlements plan (BSP) system that supports air travel industry transactions has held firm during the liquidity strain facing airlines and travel agents during the Covid-19 crisis. The association, which operates the industry’s financial settlement systems, says it typically processes $1.25 billion in industry funds on a daily basis. But the grounding of passenger flights have hit all players in the air travel sector. “It has been very difficult because everybody was facing the same problem, a shortage of cash,” IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac tells FlightGlobal. “It was true for the airlines, true for the travel agents. Everybody was very short of cash. We were facing also bankruptcies, so the strain on the system was extremely high. “But the system has been designed, not only for normal situations, but also to cope with crises. During the crisis we have also adapted the system to be able to face this new requirement and these new constraints, successfully. So we have accepted flexibility without comprising the interests of the participants. “I think the compromise has been okay. Up to now the system is working and I think it’s a good guarantee for everyone, that you have a reliable, solid and robust payment and settlement system to guarantee the flows of money are properly routed and managed.” He adds IATA has also been able to convince some governments to provide guarantees to airlines from their countries to ease the pressure. But he adds: “It’s a permanent concern. We are managing it every hour, every day of the week.”

Source: Cirium

The Federal Aviation Administration his finalised a rule requiring that operators inspect Boeing 737 Max wiring shields for issues that could, in extreme circumstances, cause dual-engine failures or erroneous engine data. The rule, made public 24 June, does not relate to the flight control system implicated as a factor contributing to two 737 Max crashes. The FAA’s airworthiness directive (AD) requires that 737 Max 8s and Max 9s be inspected for wiring shield issues prior to flight. Both models remain grounded following the crashes, and Boeing predicts regulators will clear the jet in time to allow deliveries to resume in the third quarter. Boeing itself addressed the wire-shield issue with a service bulletin released in December 2019. The FAA’s order follows reports that “exterior fairing panels on the top of the engine nacelle and strut… may not have the quality of electrical bonding necessary to ensure adequate shielding”. Specifically, operators must inspect thumbnail and mid-strut fairing panels for issues with an aluminium foil that shields aircraft wiring “from the electromagnetic effects of high-intensity radiated fields”, according to FAA documents. Such fields are caused by “electromagnetic energy from radar, radio, television and other ground-based, shipborne or airborne radio frequency transmitters”, according to earlier FAA materials. Those signals can affect modern aircraft that rely heavily on electric systems. In the case of the 737 Max, “cuts” in the aluminium foil can cause electromagnetic energy to affecting wiring in ways that “could potentially lead to a dual-engine power loss event and/or display of hazardously misleading primary propulsion parameters”, the AD says. Asked to comment, Boeing says it “recommended this action in December 2019 and has been working closely with our customers to ensure the 737 Max’s engine nacelles are fully protected from electrical energy. We support the FAA’s airworthiness directive, which makes our recommended action mandatory”. The FAA’s original proposed rule, released in February, also said the aluminium cuts made 737 Max more susceptible to risks caused by lightning strikes. But the agency removed mention of lightning from the final rule after Boeing objected. The airframer said that, even with cuts in the aluminium, the Max’s systems have sufficient margins to protect against lightning strikes. Boeing also asked the FAA to require that the inspections be completed before next “revenue” flight, rather than before non-revenue flights. The FAA declined that request. Boeing has told the FAA it will cover the cost of the work under 737 Max warranties.

Source: Cirium

Emirates will begin reactivating its Airbus A380 fleet in mid-July with the reintroduction of the superjumbo on flights to Europe. The Dubai carrier said in a tweet on 23 June: “The iconic Emirates Airbus A380 will return to the skies with flights to London Heathrow and Paris starting from 15 July.” The airline’s fleet of 115 A380s has been parked since late March in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Emirates operates the aircraft in various seating configurations, one of which is the densest A380 layout in service at 615 seats. The plan to reintroduce A380 services follows the announcement of new protocols which will enable Dubai to be open to business and leisure visitors from 7 July. These protocols for travel into and out of Dubai airports were announced under the directives of the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Emirates Airline president Tim Clark gave the double-decker his backing in a webinar interview earlier this month, amid speculation that the A380 would be a major victim of the crisis. He said it “would be folly to exclude large widebodied aircraft in the future. The A380 has proven to be a hugely successful aircraft and if fuel prices were forever to stay at today’s levels, this aircraft is hugely potent.”

Source: Cirium