Airlines Ordered to Replace Emergency Beacons in 787s

The US aviation regulator has advised airlines using Boeing's troubled 787 Dreamliner to remove the existing emergency beacons, following a fire on a flight at London's Heathrow airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published an airworthiness directive advising all carriers to inspect or replace the safety device, made by Honeywell.

The move comes after investigators examined the cause of a fire on an Ethiopian Airlines 787 in early July.

The directive goes farther than the FAA indicated last week, when it said airlines should inspect the units on 787s for pinched wires in the casing and evidence of heat or moisture.

In early January, a Japanese plane caught fire in Boston

Boeing advised airlines last week to inspect or remove the device, known as an emergency locator transmitter or ELT.

A team from Britain's Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) looked at a number of components during their examination of the plane at Heathrow.

The investigation included the ELT, which was positioned in the upper rear part of the aircraft, near to the spot where the fire broke out on July 12.

The fire on the Ethiopian plane was one of the most recent problems to occur for Boeing's flagship next generation aircraft.

Problems have plagued instrumentation, battery circuits and some engine items.

The January problems were centred on mysterious battery pack problems

The world's Dreamliner fleet was grounded earlier this year after lithium-ion batteries overheated on the planes.

Although it has spent thousands of man-hours investigating the cause, Boeing still has not pinpointed the problem.

The ELT overheating is unconnected to the lithium-ion battery woes.

Despite the problems with the Dreamliner, Boeing posted larger than expected second-quarter profits on Wednesday as deliveries of commercial planes such as the 737 and 777 rose.

Boeing's net income rose 13% to $1.09 billion (£711m), or $1.41 per share. During the same period last year it earned $967m (£631m), or $1.27 per share. Revenue rose 9% to $21.82bn.

Source: http://news.sky.com/

Oven on Air India 787 Catches Fire Mid-Flight

A fire broke out in the oven of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet in mid-flight Wednesday, scaring passengers but not causing any serious damage.

Mint, an Indian newspaper associated with the Wall Street Journal, reported the fire started on Flight AI-020, from Delhi to Kolkata, and that it did not affect areas outside the oven. The crew put it out with fire extinguishers.

The oven in question was removed after landing and the plane has returned to service, according to the Post and Courier.

"We are aware of the event and are working with the customer," a Boeing spokesperson said, declining to comment further.

This is a far cry from the very serious lithium-ion battery issues that plagued the Dreamliner earlier this year, and led federal aviation officials to ground the plane for several months.

Nor is it as worrying as the fire that broke out on an empty Dreamliner at London's Heathrow Airport on July 12. Investigators traced the flames to the plane's Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). Today, the FAA instructed airlines to remove or inspect ELTs on 787s.

Nonetheless, it's a good bet that Boeing is tired of seeing the term "fire" associated with its new plane.

Despite a spate of incidents involving Boeing planes, including the deadly crash landing of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco on July 6, the plane maker beat earning expectations and saw its stock jump when it released its Q2 financial results Wednesday.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/

Boeing 787-10 to be the Most Fuel-Efficient Jetliner in History

LE BOURGET, France, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] announced today at the 2013 Paris Air Show that it has launched the 787-10 Dreamliner, the third member of the super-efficient 787 family. Commitments for 102 airplanes from five customers across Europe, Asia and North America provide a strong foundation to support development and production of the newest Dreamliner.

Customer launch commitments for the 787-10 include Air Lease Corporation, with 30 airplanes; GE Capital Aviation Services, with 10; International Airlines Group / British Airways, with 12 subject to shareholder approval; Singapore Airlines, with 30 and United Airlines, with 20 airplanes.

The new 787-10 will fly up to 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km) — covering more than 90 percent of the world's twin-aisle routes — with seating for 300-330 passengers, depending on an airline's configuration choices. The second member of the family, the 787-9, is in final assembly in Everett, Wash., and is set to make its first flight later this year.

"The 787-10 Dreamliner will be the most-efficient jetliner in history. The airplane's operating economics are unmatched and it has all the incredible passenger-pleasing features that set the 787 family apart as truly special," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. "The 787-10 is 25 percent more efficient than airplanes of its size today and more than 10 percent better than anything being offered by the competition for the future."

Design of the 787-10 has already started at Boeing, and international partners will be involved in detailed design in the months ahead. Final assembly and flight test of the 787-10 are set to begin in 2017, with first delivery targeted for 2018.

"Our ongoing investment in the 787 family is well-founded," said Conner.  "With the 787-10, we've designed an exceptional airplane supported by an efficient and integrated production system that can meet increasing demands and create new opportunities for us. Our team and our customers are excited about growing the product line and expanding our presence with this family of airplanes."

The 787 family's unique interior offers passengers technologies that make their flights more enjoyable, including large, dimmable windows; cleaner air; higher humidity; lower cabin altitude; bigger stowage bins; soothing LED lighting and a smoother ride. The 787-10 will share a common type rating not only with the 787-8 and 787-9 but also with the popular Boeing 777, giving airlines additional flexibility in scheduling and training flight crews.

United 787 Forced to Make Emergency Landing in Seattle

A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Flight 139) from Denver to Narita, Tokyo made an emergency landing today at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) at about 4:15pm PST. The aircraft was met by fire crew, was inspected and allowed to park at the A-concourse. Fire crews determined the aircraft was safe and mechanics are in the process of repairing the aircraft after there was a reported issue with the oil filter.

“United flight 139 from Denver to Tokyo-Narita diverted to Seattle due to an indication of a problem with an oil filter,” stated an airline spokesperson via email. “The aircraft landed normally and without incident and we are working to reaccommodate customers.”

A photo taken from one of the passengers on the flight, Chris Seewald, was able to capture the Dreamliner dumping fuel before landing, which is standard procedure.  Multiple reports from the ground show that United will be bringing in a replacement aircraft tonight and passengers will continue their flight to Japan tomorrow morning.

Although this is a minor issue and airline diversions are made all the time, unfortunately, the world is currently watching the 787 Dreamliner closely. It seems that this incident shows more of the power of social media and sharing experiences almost in a live fashion than it does about safety/mechanical concerns of the 787 Dreamliner.

The United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner (N26906) involved in the emergency landing taken in November 2012. Photo by Andrew W. Sieber / Flickr CC.

GECAS announces order for 10 787-10X Dreamliners

LE BOURGET, France, June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric (NYSE: GE), announced today at the 2013 Paris Air Show a commitment to order 10 787-10X Dreamliners equipped with state-of-art GEnx engines, subject to the 787-10 program launch.

Boeing looks forward to working with GECAS to finalize the details of the agreement, at which time the airplanes will be posted to the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website as a firm order.

"We have studied the capabilities Boeing is developing for the 787-10X and anticipate strong demand from our airline customers for this airplane," said GECAS President and CEO Norman C.T. Liu. "The 787-10X will be a perfect complement to our broad portfolio of modern, fuel-efficient aircraft offering the lowest operating costs in the market."

Boeing has been working closely with airline and leasing customers to define the key capabilities and features of 787-10X, which would be the third and largest member of the 787 family. The 787-10X under consideration would add approximately 15 percent passenger capacity over the 787-9 with superior fuel efficiency to serve medium and long-haul markets.

"As a leader in commercial airplane leasing and financing, GECAS enjoys an outstanding reputation and its influence is substantial," said Ray Conner, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "When GECAS makes a decision about how to build its fleet, the industry takes note. Its commitment to the 787-10X is a strong statement about the capabilities of this highly efficient airplane."

Once finalized, these 787s will bring the total number of airplanes GECAS has ordered from Boeing to 598 since 1995, including 737s, 747s, 757s, 767s and 777s. To date, GECAS has taken delivery of 444 of the airplanes. 

Retrieved from boeing.com on June 18, 2013

ANA Resumes Dreamliner Service to North America

JA806A pulling into Gate 15 at San Jose Airport (SJC) – Photo: Mal Muir | AirlineReporter.com

A beautiful, clear, sunny day awaited guests as they checked in at San Jose’s Norman Y Mineta International Airport (SJC).  Saturday was the day a lot of people have been waiting for:  All Nippon Airways (ANA) is resuming their Tokyo flights into the Silicon Valley, providing a direct link from the bay area to northern Asia. I was lucky enough to be invited on this flight by ANA to help celebrate this re-introduction [ANA only flew the 787 for only a few days into SJC before the aircraft was grounded].

This flight into San Jose also sees the reintroduction of the 787 to international skies for ANA, who operate the world’s largest fleet of Dreamliners.  As NH1076 touched down at San Jose a few minutes ahead of schedule, the gate area was quiet, the staff scurried around preparing for the flights arrival.  This could’ve been any flight on any other day, but it wasn’t.

NH1076 touches down at San Jose after the 10 hour flight from Tokyo – Photo: Mal Muir | AirlineReporter.com

The local media, a few select aviation bloggers, a couple AvGeeks, and some passengers who did not know the significance of the flight were in attendance. JA806A arrived at San Jose with only 44 of the 156 seats on-board filled and would return to Tokyo’s Narita Airport as NH1075 with 110 passengers.

BONUS: Destination: Traveling to Tokyo, Japan. Photos, Tips and Hints.

The aircraft, configured with 110 seats in economy and 46 in business, utilizes the airline’s newest on-board product: “Inspiration of Japan.”

San Jose Airport & ANA Staff wave farewell to NH1075 as it departs for Tokyo – Photo: Mal Muir | AirlineReporter.com

“ANA is pleased to be back at Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport to operate the Boeing 787.  We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that we have caused to our customers while the grounding of the aircraft” said Yuji Hirako; Vice President of ANA Americas,  as  passengers were lined up to board the aircraft prior to departure.

BONUS: Flying on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for the First Time

The aircraft boarded quickly even though guests were snapping away, taking photos of the new composite wings, larger windows and signature Boeing Sky Interior.  As the aircraft pushed back from Gate 15, San Jose and ANA Ground staff lined the taxi way to wave us farewell.

As the aircraft leapt into the sky off runway 30R, it starts the beginning of an adventure for some of those on-board, but also sees a return to normal operation for a Dreamliner that has had a rough start in 2013.

Retrieved from http://www.airlinereporter.com/ on June 04, 2013

787 Showing Off New Liveries

Here we have the first installment of showing off the beautiful Boeing 787 Dreamliner liveries that have been seen at Paine Field and around the world. There have now been 22 different liveries on 15 different airlines and one aircraft manufacture (Boeing). Last update was from August 2012 and we have seen quite a few new ones since then.

Let me know in the comments: which 787 livery is your favorite? Your least favorite?

Aeromexico’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field. Photo by moonm.

Thomson Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Paine Field. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.

Norwegian Air’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Image from Norwegian Air.

British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner in full livery seen at Paine Field. Photo byBrandon Farris.

A Boeing 787 (L/N 86) painted in LOT livery takes off from Paine Field on April 5th, 2013. Image from Boeing.

LAN’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner next to the Future of Flight. Image by David Parker Brown.

A China Southern Boeing 787 Dreamliner with special livery lands at Paine Field. Photograph by Michael O’Leary. 

A China Southern Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the airline’s standard livery. Photo by David Parker Brown.

United’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner (N20904) seen at Paine Field in early August 2012. Photo by Mal Muir.

An Air India Boeing 787 at Paine Field. Photo by flyingAmelia.

Ethiopian’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner is delivered in Aug 2012. Photo by Boeing.

Qatar Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner seen at Farnborough in July 2012. Photo by David Parker Brown.

Japan Airlines (JAL) Boeing 787 Dreamliner taken in March 2012 at Paine Field.

JAL’s old livery on the 787 Dreamliner. Image by The Boeing Company.

ANA’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner to be delivered seen at Paine Field. Photo by Nicholas Smith.

ANA’s modified Dreamliner livery with the “787″ on the side. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.

ANA’s standard livery on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.

Royal Air Maroc Dreamliner at Paine Field. Photo by David Parker Brown.

This is ZA003 (N787BX) with a modified “Dreamliner livery.” Check the tail compared to the photo below. Image by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.

The original 787 – ZA001. Photo by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren.

ZA004 shows off the Dreamliner “light” livery, which saved Boeing time, money and weight, compared to the full “Dreamliner livery.” Photo by Brandon Farris.

Retrieved from http://www.aviationreporter.com/