Lufthansa is evaluating a temporary grounding of its entire Airbus A380 fleet as part of capacity cuts in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The airline says it may reduce capacity by up to 50% over the coming weeks – more than previously planned – as a result of a "drastic decline" in bookings amid "exceptional circumstances" Capacity cuts will be made at all passenger airlines across the group, it indicates. Lufthansa has 14 A380s, stationed in Frankfurt and Munich. The aim of any temporary grounding would be "to reduce the financial consequences of the slump in demand", says the carrier. "The company is in talks with its operating partners and trade unions in order to avoid dismissals… by means of various part-time models," adds Lufthansa, which in February introduced a recruitment freeze and multiple other cost-saving measures, including voluntary unpaid leave. Lufthansa has for a limited period waived change fees on existing and future bookings in a bid to stoke demand by offering passengers flexibility.

Source: Cirium

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $19.7 million fine against Boeing for regulatory violations related to sensors on nearly 800 examples of the 737NG and 737 Max. In a 6 March enforcement letter to Boeing, the FAA says sensors that feed head-up guidance systems made by Rockwell Collins, now Collins Aerospace, were not approved to work with those guidance systems. Chicago-based Boeing says the FAA’s findings “do not involve a safety issue” and that the company has cooperated with the FAA’s investigation. Asked if it might need to modify affected 737s, Boeing says it believes “there are no issues with the physical units” and that the fine relates only to documentation. “Boeing certified on applications for airworthiness certificates that [the aircraft] were airworthy, when the aircraft contained sensors that were not” approved, says the FAA’s letter, addressed to Boeing vice-president of engineering for commercial airplanes Lynne Hopper. The proposed fine applies to sensors feeding Collins’ 4000 series head-up guidance systems on 618 737NGs and 6000 series systems on 173 737 Max, the letter says. “Boeing failed to verify whether the installed sensors were listed on the applicable sensor interchangeability document,” the FAA says. “Boeing presented the… 791 aircraft for airworthy when the aircraft were un-airworthy.” Boeing says the FAA’s “findings relate to insufficient documentation to validate that improved parts that provided input to the [head-up system] complied with the Collins… certification documentation”. “A detailed review of the… installation found the parts met or exceeded all original requirements,” it adds. “The original certification documentation was not properly updated to reflect the improved parts installed by Boeing.” Collins declines to comment. The FAA has given Boeing 30 days to respond.

Source: Cirium

Airbus delivered 55 aircraft last month but, after starting the year with a surge of orders, recorded no new activity during February. Net orders stayed at 274 aircraft. Airbus handed over nine A350s, comprising seven -900s and two -1000s, to customers in the course of the month, as well as a pair of A330s. It also delivered 40 A320-family jets, all but three of them re-engined variants, and four A220s. Airbus's total deliveries for the first two months of 2020 reached 86 aircraft, comprising 72 single-aisle and 14 twin-aisle jets. Aeroflot received its first A350 while Saudi Arabian budget airline Flyadeal took its initial A320neo from lessor Avolon. EgyptAir and Swiss also became new A320neo operators.

Souce: Cirium