Major US airlines have promised to refund the cost of tickets for passengers denied boarding because of elevated temperatures, which could be a symptom of coronavirus. The announcement by trade organisation Airlines for America (A4A) on 25 June comes as carriers are desperately trying to win back the confidence of the travelling public as the global pandemic wears on. A4A represents 11 major US passenger and cargo carriers. Industry critics say airlines have been slow to implement recommendations by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and have introduced a patchwork of measures rather than a uniform code to keep crew and passengers safe through the crisis. They have also been criticised for not promptly offering refunds to customers when a flight is cancelled, or a travel itinerary is interrupted for coronavirus-related reasons. The airline trade group reiterated its call on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to begin conducting temperature screenings at the more than 450 airports it services as long as is necessary during the public health crisis. “Temperature checks are one of several public health measures recommended by the CDC amid the Covid-19 pandemic and will add an extra layer of protection for passengers as well as airline and airport employees,” the industry organisation writes. “Temperature checks also will provide additional public confidence that is critical to relaunching air travel and our nation’s economy.” The FAA has not mandated industry-wide standards related to aircraft sanitation, or how passengers should protect themselves and others while travelling by air. That said, many airlines and airports across the US have mandated face-coverings for passengers. Last week, most airlines strengthened their anti-coronavirus response by announcing sanctions against passengers who refuse to wear face coverings. Some have also introduced health questionnaires and their own temperature checks, and extended the time frame during which they will keep middle seats open to allow passengers more personal space. The TSA says it screened more than 494,000 passengers on 24 June, down from more than 2.5 million on the same day in 2019.

Source: Cirium

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