The Wall Street Journal reports, “Southwest Airlines is adding a new cockpit-alert system to help its pilots avoid dangerous situations, after carriers navigated a series of close calls at U.S. airports in recent years. The Honeywell-designed system delivers verbal warnings and text alarms if a pilot is about to use the wrong runway, for example, or take off from or land on a taxiway. The Dallas-based carrier said the system has been added to nearly all of Southwest’s approximately 800 aircraft.”
Full Story (Wall Street Journal – Subscription Publication)
Tag: Commercial Aviation
Boeing Books 303 New Orders in May in One of Highest Monthly Order Tallies in Company History
Reuters reports, “Boeing heads into the Paris Air Show after a blockbuster May that included booking 303 new orders and rolling out 38 new 737 MAX jets, a production rate it has been working to reach for more than a year. The company also delivered 45 aircraft last month, it said Tuesday. It was the sixth-highest monthly order tally in Boeing’s history, according to company data.”
Full Story (Reuters)
U.S. Pauses Sale of CFM Aircraft Engine to China
Flying Magazine reports, “The U.S. Commerce Department has paused the sale of some American-made aviation equipment to China, including CFM International’s LEAP 1-C engine, which Chinese airplane maker Comac uses to power its narrowbody C919. The New York Times first reported the export block on Wednesday, citing officials with knowledge of the matter. The department largely confirmed the newspaper’s reporting to Reuters, saying in a statement that it is reviewing “exports of strategic significance to China” and suspending export licenses for certain technology as that review continues.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Korean Air, Boeing Finally Sign Off on Order for 50 New Jets
Aerotime reports that Korean Air and Boeing have finally signed off on a long-anticipated order for up to 50 brand-new widebody jets worth $24.9 billion. “The finalized order, announced on March 26, 2025, includes 20 Boeing 777-9s and 20 787-10s, with options for 10 additional 787 Dreamliners in the future.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Supply Chain and Labor Challenges Continue in High-Demand Commercial Market Forecast
Aviation Week reports, “Demand is surging across commercial aviation even as an imbalance persists between supply and demand, according to the Aviation Week Network 2025 Commercial Fleet & MRO Forecast presented at the Aero Engines Americas conference on Jan. 28. Hamstrung by supply chain and labor challenges, deliveries by major aircraft OEMs in the fourth quarter of 2024 were down 17% over 2023 and 20% over 2019. Overall, in 2024, deliveries in 2024 fell 10% on an annual basis.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
First-Quarter Outlook for United Beats Estimates After Profits Climb to End 2024
CNBC reports, “United forecast first-quarter earnings that surpassed analysts’ estimates as the carrier seeks to grow earnings again in 2025 thanks to strong travel demand. The airline said Tuesday that it expects to earn an adjusted 75 cents to $1.25 in the first three months of the year, above the 54 cents analysts had expected, according to LSEG estimates.”
Full Story (CNBC)
Boeing Resumes 777X Test Flights
Reuters reports, “Boeing resumed testing for its long-delayed 777X widebody jet on Thursday, with the first flight since the U.S. planemaker grounded the test fleet in August due to the failure of a key engine mounting structure. The grounding came just five weeks after it had started certification flights for the 777-9 with officials from the U.S. aviation regulator onboard.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Airline Industry Revenue to Reach $1 Trillion in 2025 Per Avolon Report
Aerotime reports, “Dublin-based aircraft leasing company Avolon has published a new market outlook report, predicting that the global airline industry will reach US$1 trillion in revenue for the first time ever during 2025. According to this analysis, the main driver behind this growth is the Asia-Pacific region, which will be adding more capacity than all other regions of the world combined.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Post-Strike, Boeing Focusing on Production Output
Aviation Week reports, “New fuselages moving into the first Boeing 737 MAX final assembly line positions Dec. 6 signaled day-to-day work on the company’s most important product was back underway following the end of the machinists strike in early November. Boeing’s new priority is ramping up production and factory capacity across its commercial programs while staying true to its pledge to maintain quality.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Airbus A321XLR GTF Engine Receives FAA Certification
Flying Magazine reports, “Pratt & Whitney has received FAA certification for the GTF engine that will power the Airbus A321XLR. According to a Monday news release from Connecticut-based RTX—Pratt & Whitney’s parent company—the engine type certificate was updated to include the A321XLR after being granted Thursday for the PW1100G-JM engine.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)