Boeing now expects the US Federal Aviation Administration will certificate the 737 Max in the middle of 2020, marking another delay to the aircraft’s flight approval, which some industry observers had expected would come early this year.
“We are informing our customers and suppliers that we are currently estimating that the un-grounding of the 737 Max will begin during mid-2020,” Boeing says in a 21 January statement. “This estimate is informed by our experience to date with the certification process.” Until December 2019, Boeing had estimated regulators would clear the jet to fly before year end. But in December, FAA administrator Steve Dickson quashed Boeing’s plan when he said too much work remained unfinished for a 2019 sign off. Since then, Boeing has shied from providing a timeline. Some industry observers estimated certification would come early in 2020, perhaps in February, with a rolling reintroduction of the Max into passenger service. Now, the FAA’s sign off appears likely to come several months later. Boeing’s latest projection “accounts for the rigorous scrutiny that regulatory authorities are rightly applying at every step of their review of the 737 Max’s flight control system, and the Joint Operations Evaluation Board process, which determines pilot training requirements,” the Chicago-based company says. The Joint Operations Evaluation Board consists of pilots from multiple 737 Max operators and has been tasked with evaluating proper training for 737 Max pilots. The board’s work remains incomplete. When done, the FAA’s Flight Standardisation Board will use the findings to develop pilot training recommendations. Those recommendations will then be subject to a public review. The FAA says it has “set no timeframe for when the work will be completed”. “The agency is following a thorough, deliberate process to verify that all proposed modifications to the Boeing 737 Max meet the highest certification standards,” the FAA says. “We continue to work with other safety regulators to review Boeing’s work as the company conducts the required safety assessments and addresses all issues that arise during testing.” Boeing’s announcement of a mid-year certification follows reports last week that regulators, during a final review, found problems with software that, during start-up, monitors the performance of various aircraft systems. Experts have called that issue a relatively minor problem that should not significantly delay certification. “Returning the Max safely to service is our number one priority, and we are confident that will happen,” Boeing says. “We acknowledge and regret the continued difficulties that the grounding.”

Source: Cirium

South African Airways is maintaining operations for the time being, despite apparent increasing uncertainty over the ailing flag carrier's financing. The airline says it is "aware" of local media reports suggesting it is on the verge of ceasing operations. But it insists that flights to all destinations "continue as normal". Johannesburg airport's arrivals and departure information shows SAA services operating. It acknowledges that the network might be subject to "amendments" to the flight schedule. But SAA says it is "committed" to communicating "transparently" with its various stakeholders – including its customers – over the airline's situation, particularly regarding significant operational changes. SAA, which is undergoing a business rescue process, had been due to receive R2 billion ($137 million) in funding from the South African government as well as a further R2 billion from lenders. But the status of this funding programme is unclear. Local media reports indicate that intense discussions have taken place over 18-19 January with respect to the carrier's funding. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa insists that a capable nation must have state-owned companies which fulfil mandates "effectively". Ramaphosa says companies that "require continual bailouts – such as SAA – diminish the capacity of the state". "That is why a major focus of our work this year is to restore our [state-owned enterprises] to health," he says, in a statement on 20 January. "We will do this by appointing experienced and qualified boards and managers. We will be clarifying their mandates, and give them scope to execute those mandates."

Source: Cirium

Kazakhstan’s civil aviation committee has revealed a damning list of flaws in Bek Air’s flight operations and maintenance processes, to justify the carrier’s grounding. One of Bek Air’s Fokker 100s crashed on take-off from Almaty on 27 December, resulting in the enforced suspension of the airline’s operation – a measure which the airline had argued was illegal. it the committee states that Bek Air has not only suffered two major incidents in the past three years, but experienced a “significantly higher than acceptable” level of serious safety problems over this period. It adds that a detailed probe of the carrier was initiated after its suspension, during which “a number of violations” was uncovered. Two of these have raised particular concern with the committee. It states that Bek Air has not conducted full and proper accounting of maintenance processes, particularly regarding the transfer of components between its aircraft. This suggests there are uncertainties over the actual usage time of components compared with their recorded time in operation. “It also indicates the inability of Bek Air to obtain spare parts, owing to lack of funding or the difficulty of acquiring spare parts for old aircraft,” says the committee. Cirium fleets data lists Bek Air as having nine Fokker 100s, powered by Rolls-Royce Tay engines, with the airframes dating between 1989 and 1995. But the more serious finding, says the committee, centres on the removal of serial number data plates from aircraft engines. “The identification of the engines cannot be verified, nor can their actual hours and cycles be verified,” it states. “Several engines with such problems have been identified, casting doubt on the suitability of all of the aircraft engines operated by Bek Air.” Rolls-Royce has confirmed there is no procedure for removing the data plates, the committee says, and the manufacturer has not received any information about overhaul of the carrier’s Tay engines since they were put into operation in Kazakhstan. Bek Air’s flight operations have also raised concern. Icing remains a prime suspect in the Almaty accident and Fokker 100 procedures dictate that the wing surfaces must be specifically checked at three points for ice. But the committee says studies of video evidence at the airport indicates that Bek Air crews generally did not carry out these wing checks. It has identified shortcomings relating to documentation of training, and says there is no evidence of specific training for winter operations or icing risk management. “Given the nature of aircraft operation in the Kazakhstan winter, this is a serious safety issue,” it adds. Inspection of the carrier has also turned up other violations with life jackets, emergency locator transmitters, and a lack of fire protection in cargo compartments. “In general, the state of the fleet is unsatisfactory,” the committee says. Bek Air will be instructed, within 10 days of the inspection work concluding, to submit a corrective action plan to eliminate all the problems. If it fails to resolve the problems within six months, its certification – which has been indefinitely suspended – will be completely revoked.

Source: Cirium