Embraer and Boeing continue to progress toward closing proposed joint ventures, with a top executive describing the regulatory approval process as time-consuming but on track. The companies have said that by the end of the year they expect to close the deal where Boeing will acquire 80% of Embraer’s commercial aircraft division and 49% of Embraer’s KC-390 heavy-lift military aircraft programme. “Everybody wants to get this transaction done by the end of the year… I’m hopeful that process will go as expeditiously as possible,” Embraer’s president of commercial aircraft John Slattery says. “We are not seeing any negative surprises. It’s just a big body of work.”

USA based airline, United Airlines is seeking authority to begin seasonal service to Cape Town, South Africa, from its Newark hub in December. The Star Alliance carrier is planning to operate thrice-weekly service with a Boeing 787-9 through the end of March 2020, it said on the 15th of April 2019. The route is undergoing approval processes from the US Department of Transportation."We are always looking at ways to expand our industry-leading international route network to offer our customers more convenient options," says Patrick Quayle, vice-president of international network at Chicago-based United. "We're thrilled to announce the addition of Africa to our global route offering."

The Federal Aviation Administration called a 3 hour meeting in Washington DC to review three items: preliminary reports into the two Boeing 737 Max 8 crashes, Boeing’s anticipated update to the 737 Max’s flight control software and pilot training, says the agency. FAA acting administrator Dan Elwell was given an opportunity to “hear from the participants for a fuller understanding of the safety issues of the Boeing 737 Max”. Attendees included representatives from three US airlines and their unions who has operated 737 Max before the global fleet was grounded in March. “Geopolitical issues continue in their complexity and they will intertwine with everything from crew training and experience to the pilot supply/demand equation, to codeshare agreements and subsidies, and much more,” Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) president Jon Weaks says in a letter published to union members immediately after the meeting. “The FAA flight safety board is continuing to evaluate Boeing's proposed software changes, and the FAA, as well as SWAPA, are still waiting on a final proposed training product from Boeing,” says Weaks’ letter. “Boeing will, and should, continue to face scrutiny of the ill-designed MCAS and initial non-disclosure of the new flight control logic.”