The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed fining Boeing a total of $1.25 million in civil penalties for several violations of rules that allow aircraft manufacturers to perform some FAA functions.

The regulatory body says on 5 August that the Chicago-headquartered airframer exerted “undue pressure or interfered with the work of FAA designees” at the company’s plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Both fines are for transgressions around the company’s Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program that allows aerospace manufacturers to perform some certification work on behalf of the FAA, in order to standardise processes and potentially save time.

The first fine, for $1,066,655 is for a series of violations that occurred between November 2017 and July 2019, where employees in two ODA units reported to managers who were not in approved ODA management positions, the FAA says.

“Boeing failed to ensure ODA administrators were in a position to effectively represent the FAA’s interests,” the FAA says.

Furthermore, between September 2018 and May 2019, “non-ODA Boeing managers exerted undue pressure or interfered with ODA unit members”.

The second fine, for $184,522, is in response to an allegation that in February 2020 Boeing “failed to follow its quality control processes and subjected ODA members to undue pressure or interfered with an airworthiness inspection of a Boeing 787-9”.

Boeing responds on 5 August that the penalties are “a clear and strong reminder of our obligations as an ODA holder”, and that “undue pressure of any type is inconsistent with our values and will not be tolerated”. The company says both allegations were appropriately reported and investigated, and that it fully cooperated with the FAA’s own independent inquiry.

”Boeing implemented corrective action in response to both incidents,” the airframer adds.

The outsourcing of duties as a part of the ODA process has long been under fire from critics, who describe it as being ripe for abuse and that it lacks oversight.

In a report issued in June in response to two fatal accidents involving the 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019, the FAA maintained ODA was “an effective and efficient method to enhance safety”, though it pledged improvements.

Just last week Boeing said that it would be cutting production of the 787 to six aircraft per month by 2021, and that it had embarked on a review of its 787 production footprint. This led to speculation that work on the widebody, which is currently built in North Charleston and also on a final assembly line at its Everett site in Washington’s Puget Sound region, will be consolidated to just one line. Analysts have said they see South Carolina as the future of the 787 partly because only that site produces the largest 787 variant – the 787-10. Though engineers developed the 787-10 in Everett, the jet’s mid-body fuselage is too large to be transported from South Carolina, where it is made, to Everett, for final assembly, Boeing has said.

Source: Cirium

Boeing’s third 777X airframe has launched on its maiden flight, less than a week after the airframer said its first delivery of the type would be pushed back to 2022. The aircraft, with the tail number N779XY, took off from Everett, near Seattle, shortly before 2pm local time on 3 August, and landed an hour later at Moses Lake, Washington before returning to Boeing Field. The 777X, which is a larger and more efficient version of the 777 currently flying, will be built in two variants, the 777-8 and the 777-9. ”We continue to execute our robust test program for the 777-9, which began flight testing in January,” the company says on 4 August. The Chicago-based airframer adds that it is “pleased with the progress” it is making with the test program, without publishing any further details. This airframe is slated to conduct tests related to the avionics system, auxiliary power unit, flight loads and propulsion performance, Boeing says. It is painted in Boeing’s new “light livery”, which the company adopted in 2018. On 29 July, the airframer said that its first 777-9 delivery is now “targeted for 2022”. Previously, Boeing had said it would begin deliveries of the first variant of the 777X family in 2021. That change marks another significant delay for the 777-9, as it continues its flight test program amid what analysts call the worst aviation downturn in history. The 777X program has already been delayed due to a design issue with the jet’s GE Aviation GE9X powerplants. The first flight of the first 777X airframe took place in late January, with the second following at the end of April. Boeing initially plans to flight test four examples of the 777X - all of the 777-9 variant.

Source: Cirium

Low-cost operator Tigerair Australia will cease operations owing to a lack of demand in the Australian market. Parent company Virgin Australia states that it is shutting its low-cost arm down as “there is not sufficient customer demand to support two carriers at this time”, in an oblique reference to rival low-cost carrier Jetstar. Tigerair Australia has been grounded since March. The move comes as Virgin Australia, itself exiting voluntary administration under new owners, outlines a leaner operation model that will also see it operate only Boeing 737 aircraft. However, Virgin Australia will retain Tigerair Australia’s air operator certificate, “to support optionality to operate an ultra-low-cost carrier in the future when the domestic market can support it”. Fleet data shows the low-cost carrier used to operate a fleet of 15 narrowbodies, comprising nine Airbus A320s, and six 737-800s. Virgin Australia says as part of streamlining measures, it will be disposing of the Airbus aircraft. It is unclear if the 737s will be moved to mainline operations. Tigerair Australia operated a domestic network, flying key trunk routes like Melbourne to Sydney, Brisbane, and Gold Coast. It was grounded in March as part of capacity cuts at parent Virgin Australia. The carrier also cited “expanded travel restrictions imposed by the federal and state governments and territories” to curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Separately, Virgin Australia says it will “review options” for its regional unit, Virgin Australia Regional Airlines, “including different operating models to support continued regional and charter flying”. The regional and charter fleet will remain in the interim while Virgin Australia weighs its options. Perth-based Virgin Australia Regional Airlines operates five A320s, with another in storage. It also has 11 Fokker F100s in operation, with two more in storage.

Source: Cirium