Category: Aviation

Emergency slide falls off Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport. Delta said that after takeoff the pilots got an alert about the emergency slide on the plane’s right side and heard an unusual sound coming from that area of the Boeing 767 jet, which is listed as having been manufactured in 1990.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew reported a vibration. Pilots declared an emergency so the flight could be be routed quickly back to the airport, and the plane landed and taxied to a gate under its own power, according to the airline. There were 176 passengers, two pilots and five flight attendants on board the flight, which was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles. Delta said it put passengers on another plane to California.

Delta said the plane was removed from service for evaluation and it was cooperating with investigators and supporting efforts to find the slide. “As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews enacted their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK,” the airline said in a statement.

Also Read: Boeing credit outlook gets gloomier as Fitch also turns negative

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Boeing credit outlook gets gloomier as Fitch also turns negative

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Fitch Ratings became the third major credit grader to turn pessimistic on Boeing Co. as the planemaker’s crisis brings scrutiny to its balance sheet.

The ratings company lowered the outlook on its BBB- rating to negative from stable, according to a statement on Friday. S&P Global Ratings did the same a day earlier, which followed Moody’s Ratings downgrading the aerospace giant to a step above junk Wednesday after it released first-quarter results.

Boeing said it burned through $3.9 billion of cash in the first quarter as it slowed 737 Max production in the wake of a near-disaster involving one of the planes in January. The company predicted another “sizable” use of cash this quarter.

Fitch said its negative outlook reflects “heightened execution risks” at Boeing the next year or two as it normalizes production, navigates seasonal cash-flow swings and repays debt, among other issues. The new outlook also incorporates Fitch’s view that Boeing could issue new debt to guard against early 2025 cash-flow risks.

Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West said during a Wednesday conference call that he intends to protect the company’s investment-grade rating, and that the company still has access to $10 billion in untapped credit lines. He added Boeing is monitoring its access to cash and believes it still has “significant market access” if it needs to supplement liquidity.

While downgrading Boeing to the brink of junk, Moody’s also put its outlook at negative, which it defines as meaning a company faces the chance of a ratings downgrade in the medium term. That’s commonly seen by market participants as 18 to 24 months.

Fitch said it could stabilize its outlook if Boeing delivers more than 100 of its already-built 737 Max from inventory and half of its inventoried 787 Dreamliners by early next year while boosting 737 production toward 38 jets per month.g

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IndiGo shares hit all-time high after placing order for 30 wide-body aircraft from Airbus

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Shares of InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., the parent of the country’s largest airline IndiGo, gained up to 4% on Friday to hit a record high of ₹3,958.80. This was after IndiGo placed its first-ever order for wide-body aircraft as the company intensifies its efforts to take a bigger slice of the international travel business from dominant Gulf airlines.

The low-cost carrier placed an order for 30 A350-900 aircraft and expects the deliveries to begin in 2027. It also has purchase rights for an additional 70 Airbus A350 family planes, according to a Reuters report.

While Airbus no longer publishes prices, its latest deal with IndiGo’s would be worth more than $9 billion, the report said quoting the last catalogue rates published in 2018. The report also added that airplanes in such bulk deals are sold for less than half of the official price.

“The exact configuration of the aircraft will be decided at a later stage, and the deliveries are expected to start from 2027,” IndiGo said in an exchange filing. The airline also said that it has Purchase Rights for an additional 70 Airbus A350 Family aircraft, at its discretion, for possible future needs under certain conditions.

“Fleet of 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft will allow IndiGo to embark on its next phase of becoming one of the leading global aviation players. This reaffirms IndiGo’s belief in, and commitment to, the growth of India, and in our strategic partnership with Airbus,” said Pieter Elbers, the chief executive officer of IndiGo.

IndiGo, which has a 60% share in the country’s domestic aviation market, is planning to double its total capacity by the end of the decade and expand its network in global markets.

The stock was trading 3.41% higher at ₹3,942.45 apiece on the NSE. IndiGo shares have risen 32% so far this year and are up 95% in a year.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IndiGo orders 30 wide-body aircraft from Airbus

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Exclusive | No data privacy concerns around DigiYatra: CEO 

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The DigiYatra Foundation has been facing a lot of questions from air travellers and experts on the privacy of the users data. The DigiYatra Foundation which runs the facial recognition tech across 14 airports in the country, recently also dropped it’s vendor, Dataevolve, after various reports pointed out an alleged data breach in which certain data of passengers was compromised. CNBC-TV18 exclusively spoke to Suresh Khadakbhavi, the CEO of DigiYatra foundation.

Q: There have been concerns around the Digi Yatra Foundation not having full control of the data since it’s inception, this has been flagged by many experts since the beginning. Who has the control over the data?

A: The fundamental construct of DigiYatra is privacy by design, the whole concept is based on this. We use a self sovereign identity which enables passengers to take charge of their data. Neither DigiYatra Foundation or service support partners have access to the data. The data is stored in a secure wallet in the users phone. There is no central storage of data. There is no chance of data leakage or threat.

Q: Dataevolve which is under investigation by the Andhra Pradesh police was handling the digital infra of the app, although the foundation has parted its ways with the company, but why did the DYF consider Dataevolve which was a single man-led company?

A: Dataevolve was selected through startup challenge by the Niti Aayog under Atal Innovation Mission. Under this initiative we wanted to build this ecosystem with the help of an Indian startup.

Q: A user on social media platform X pointed out that Dataevolve was sending data to the AWS server, whereas the foundation has always had this stance that no one has control over the data, what would you like to comment on this?

A: The whole fundamental connect of DigiYatra is privacy by design and self sovereign identity. This means there is no central storage of data by the DYF. There is no way that a leakage could have happened.

Q: As Dataevolve has been completely removed from DigiYatra, so are there no data privacy concerns now?

A: There have been no data leakage concerns and there’ll never be any concerns in the future. Even the foundation has no access to data. Whenever a passenger deletes the app, the entire data is deleted right from there. The data remains in the app and the passenger has full control over it.

Q: Why did DYF decide to come out with a new app instead of updating the old app?

A: We planned to come with a new app due to architectural changes. Architectural changes being made in sync with growth plans from 14 airports to 28 airports. New architecture comes with new features that will be revealed with time. New features to include passport based enrollment etc. New features required us to rearchitect the new app.

Q: While usage of DigiYatra is voluntary, however many users on social media have complained that they’re being forced to sign up for the app.

A: Don’t think anyone is being forced to download DigiYatra, you can always say no.

Q: What are the preparations for rolling out to other airports? How would you ensure complete safety of personal passenger data?

A: 14 airports currently live with DigiYatra. Recently we also completed Goa Manohar Airport & Chennai Airport. 13 airports will be added by the end of this month, everything is on track airport testing under progress.

Q: What is the Scope of the DYF, what are the other projects that you’re working on right now?

A: DigiYatra foundation is working on passport based enrollment, but nothing in the near future. This will enable international passengers to enroll under DigiYatra

Q: How many employees does the foundation have and what’s the revenue model?

A: DigiYatra Foundation is funded by the airports. This is an industry led initiative which enhances passenger experience at airport. DigiYatra optimises utilisation of the airport. DigitYatra trying to enhance efficiency of the airport.

Q: Do you accept that there have been data breaches in the past, how much data has been compromised?

A: We don’t store any kind of data, there is no possibility of data leak.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Former Boeing quality manager reveals all that went wrong in the company

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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US-based aerospace company Boeing’s former quality manager, Merle Meyers, has recently voiced his concerns about the company’s shift in focus from quality to speed.

Meyers, who worked at Boeing for around 30 years, expressed disappointment at the changes he observed over the years, as revealed by a The New York Times report. It added that Meyers had a deep connection with Boeing as both he and his mother were employed in the company.

Meyers’ mother, Darlene Meyers, joined Boeing in the early 1970s and her career there helped to lift them out of poverty. His career at the aerospace giant provided a comfortable life for his family and a good education for his children.

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According to the report, Meyers stated that quality was once the top priority at Boeing, but over time, the schedule took precedence. Despite the company’s reputation as an engineering and manufacturing powerhouse, recent years have seen a decline in its standing due to several incidents, including fatal crashes of the 737 Max 8 in 2018 and 2019, and a panel blowing out of a 737 Max 9 plane on January 5.

Boeing’s CEO Dave Calhoun announced his resignation last month and said he would step down by the year-end. The company has since taken measures to improve quality, including increasing inspections and pausing production to hear directly from workers.

Brian West, CFO of Boeing, at an investor conference last month, said the company had prioritised the movement of the aeroplane through the factory over getting it done right and that this needed to change.

Meyers, along with other current and former employees, has raised concerns about the company’s quality and stated that his decision to speak out was partly informed by his faith in and respect for Boeing employees.

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He began his career at Boeing in 1979, making overhead storage bins, and later oversaw quality at suppliers in Texas, England and France. He noticed a decline in the company’s high standards after its 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas when a stronger focus on profits emerged.

Meyers also expressed concern over the pressure on workers at Boeing’s Everett factory to keep production moving, leading them to find unauthorised ways to get the parts they needed.

He found that workers had used an unauthorised form to recover scrapped parts at least 23 times over 15 years. In 2021, his team identified multiple instances where employees removed parts from receiving areas before those components could be inspected.

Boeing stated that it takes such violations seriously and appreciates employees who raise their voices. However, Meyers felt that his concerns were not being taken seriously and that he might eventually be pushed out. He received a written reprimand last year and was offered a financial incentive to quit, which he accepted.

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Boeing retaliated against workers for raising concerns in 2022, Union says

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A union that represents Boeing Co. employees says the company retaliated against two engineers who raised concerns about its 777 and 787 jets in 2022.

The planemaker gave “identical” negative evaluations to the workers who had been designated as representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration after they asked Boeing to re-evaluate engineering work on the widebody jets to account for a new FAA advisory, the SPEEA union said in a statement. The two engineers prevailed after almost six months of debate and Boeing re-did the analysis, the union said.

“After an extensive review of documentation and interviewing more than a dozen witnesses, our investigators found no evidence of retaliation or interference,” Boeing said in an emailed statement. “We have determined the allegations are unsubstantiated.”

Boeing has come under increasing scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators following a near-catastrophic blowout of a fuselage panel on a 737 Max 9 during flight in early January. The FAA separately conducted an audit of Boeing’s production lines and found “multiple instances” of manufacturing lapses.

One of the two engineers left Boeing, while the other filed a formal retaliation complaint that Boeing was required to log with the FAA, the SPEEA statement said. The union — which represents engineers, scientists, pilots and technical workers — said it filed a National Labor Relations Board complaint on April 18 to get access to a report Boeing filed with the FAA.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Delhi Airport diverts 15 flights amid sudden rainy weather

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport diverted a total of 15 flights by 7 PM today, owing to a sudden onset of heavy rain earlier in the evening. The unanticipated weather conditions wreaked havoc on flight schedules, prompting airlines to take swift action to ensure passenger safety.

According to reports, nine flights were rerouted to Jaipur, two to Amritsar, two to Lucknow, one to Mumbai, and one to Chandigarh.

SpiceJet, earlier, issued a cautionary advisory on social media, alerting travelers about potential disruptions: “Due to bad weather (heavy rain) in Delhi (DEL), all departures/arrivals and their consequential flights may be affected. Passengers are requested to keep a check on their flight status.”

Eyewitnesses described the capital city being battered by heavy rainfall accompanied by high-speed winds, creating chaos across multiple areas. In response to the adverse weather conditions, flight operators such as IndiGo and Vistara swiftly issued advisories to passengers.

Vistara, a Tata-owned airline, notified its customers of diversions, stating, “Flight UK998 from Pune to Delhi (PNQ-DEL) has been diverted to Amritsar (ATQ) due to bad weather at Delhi airport and is expected to arrive in Amritsar (ATQ) at 1930 hours.”

Meanwhile, IndiGo urged travelers to stay updated on their flight schedules: “Due to unfavorable weather conditions in Delhi, request our customers to check their flight timings before heading to the airport.”

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Children below 12 years must be seated with one parent/guardian on flights: DGCA

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Air India averts turbulence as plane technicians call of Tuesday strike: Report

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India’s aviation sector averted travel chaos amid the country’s summer travel season as the workers at AI Engineering Services called off their planned strike, a Bloomberg News report said on April 22.

AI Engineering Services is a government-run repair and maintenance company and has domestic carrier Air India as its top client. The company said the strike has been cancelled after the management agreed to some of their demands. The strike was planned for April 23.

The staff of the maintenance company demanded revision in the workers’ salary and career progression opportunities as they claimed that the workers have not received any promotion in the past seven years, according to the report. Moreover, contractual workers, who form 75 percent of the company, complained of discriminatory work structure. They said their notice periods are longer compared to the permanent staff, apart from reduced employment benefits.

Another strike could have derailed several flights across the country, which could have pushed ticket prices further higher. In early April, the Tata-backed Vistara faced severe disruptions after its pilots decided to go on mass leave to protest tight schedule and salary reductions. The protest led to forced cancellation of over 100 flights and several cases of delays because of shortage of crew. Vistara had to cut 25 to 30 flights per day to ease the pressure and brought in bigger aircraft to accommodate more passengers.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow