Boeing's global fleet of 737 MAX planes has been grounded since mid-March following two deadly crashes. (File photo: AFP/Jason Redmond) Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg has insisted there was "no surprise or gap" in the design of the top-selling 737 MAX aircraft, even as the company works to correct issues and persuade regulators that a software update should be enough clear the planes to fly again. The plane has been grounded worldwide since the Mar 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight plunged the company into crisis mode. It came on the heels of an October crash of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia, two accidents that claimed 346 lives. "We own it," Muilenburg has said of the crisis. But some aviation and public relations experts said the Boeing CEO has tried to walk back that buck-stops-here sentiment by blaming the crashes on a "chain of events" with "no singular" cause. "You can't follow one consistent train of thought on anything that's come out of Chicago," Jim Hall, former … [Read more...] about Boeing struggling with mounting PR challenge
Boeing 737 700
China, India nationals among passengers and crew killed in Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 crash
Eight Chinese, four Indians, an Indonesian and a Nepali were among the passengers and crew on board the crashed Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302, a flight manifest released by the airlines showed. Red Cross teams work through the debris of an Ethiopian Airlines plane which crashed shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 on board AFP/Michael TEWELDE The Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft “lost contact” six minutes after it took off from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa on Sunday (Mar 10) and came down outside the town of Bishoftu, killing all 157 people on board. A national day of mourning has been declared on Monday amid a stream of condolences for loved ones, many of whom gathered in tears at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. According to the flight manifest shared by Ethiopian Airlines' official Twitter account, the passengers and crew members who died came from 35 countries, including 32 Kenyans and 18 Canadians. There … [Read more...] about China, India nationals among passengers and crew killed in Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 crash
Boeing “deeply saddened” by deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash
US aerospace giant Boeing said on Sunday (Mar 10) that it was "deeply saddened" about the deaths of all 157 people aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and would provide technical assistance to find out why its aircraft crashed. A file photo of Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-700 aircraft, similar to the 737-800 which crashed outside Addis Ababa on Sunday with the loss of 157 lives. AFP/ISSOUF SANOGO The brand-new Boeing 737 - which was delivered just last year - was heading from Addis Ababa to Nairobi when it crashed after take-off. "Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane," the company said in a statement. "We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team," it said. "A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the … [Read more...] about Boeing “deeply saddened” by deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash
BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 8/11
Petrol prices see steep fall on November 6 The retail prices of petrol fell sharply from 3pm on November 6 following the latest adjustments by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Accordingly, the price of E5 RON 92 declined 1,082 VND to trade at a maximum of 19,600 VND per litre, and RON95 dropped 1,138 VND in its price to a maximum of 21,065 VND per litre. Meanwhile, the price of diesel 0.05S went down 67 VND per litre to 18,644 VND. The prices of kerosene and mazut 180CST 3.5S remain unchanged and should not be higher than 17,086 VND and 15,694 VND per litre, respectively. The Ministry of Industry said that RON 92 was sold at an average of 78.7 USD per barrel globally half month ago, down nearly 9 USD from the previous period. Those of RON95 and diesel 0.06S were 80.52 USD per barrel and 92.27 USD per barrel, respectively. The price of Ethanol E100, which is used as the basis to calculate the price of biofuel E5 RON 92 after the elimination of petrol RON … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 8/11
Social News 31/10
No Vietnamese citizens onboard crashed Indonesian plane No Vietnamese citizens were marked as onboard the Lion Air passenger plane of Indonesia, which crashed into the sea on the morning of October 29, the country’s Vietnamese embassy confirmed. Indonesia’s Tribunsemsel.com and several other local websites have announced a list of the passengers aboard the plane, on which there are no Vietnamese nationals. The plane lost contact with air traffic control just 13 minutes after takeoff. The jet, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was en route from Jakarta to Pangkakpinang in Bangka Belitung province off Sumatra island. The plane had requested the air traffic control to return to base before disappearing from radar, stated Bambang Ervan, a spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Transport. According to the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), the total number of people on the plane was 189, including two pilots and six flight attendants. Indonesia has opened a search and … [Read more...] about Social News 31/10
Bamboo Airways given approval for investment
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has approved Bamboo Airways’ investment project at Phu Cat Airport in the south central province of Binh Dinh. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has approved Bamboo Airways’ investment project at Phu Cat Airport in the south central province of Binh Dinh. The project aims to make Bamboo Airways one of Vietnam’s leading carriers with a total investment of 700 billion VND (31.4 million USD). The project plans to purchase ten Airbus 320 and 321 or Boeing 737 aircraft by 2023. It is permitted to operate for 50 years, starting from July 9, 2018. The Deputy PM asked the Ministry of Transport to verify the project and grant it an aviation business license, while the People’s Committee of Binh Dinh was tasked with supervising the implementation of the project. In May 2017, property developer FLC Group announced it would establish the Viet Bamboo Airways Company, a hybrid airline which will … [Read more...] about Bamboo Airways given approval for investment
One dead as jet engine fails on New York-Dallas flight
PHILADELPHIA — Catastrophic engine failure on a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Dallas killed one person and forced an emergency landing on Tuesday, the first fatal incident in US commercial aviation for nearly a decade. The Boeing 737-700 took off without incident but minutes into the flight, passengers heard an explosion in the left engine, which sent shrapnel flying through the window, shattering the glass and leading oxygen masks to drop, witnesses said. "We believe there were parts coming out of this engine," Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told a news conference, confirming engine failure but no fire. "There is one fatality," Sumwalt said. US media said seven people were slightly injured. The identity of the dead person was not immediately disclosed. "We are saying this is an engine failure," Sumwalt said. Southwest Airlines said flight 1380 had been en route from New York’s LaGuardia domestic airport to Dallas Love … [Read more...] about One dead as jet engine fails on New York-Dallas flight
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 9/1
Vingroup, T&T to develop urban railway projects in HanoiThe government of Hanoi City has proposed the Prime Minister allow Vingroup and T&T Group to develop three urban railway projects which the city plans to complete by 2025, Tuoi Tre newspaper reports.The two domestic investors will use their capital to make pre-feasibility studies for these projects.When the projects were announced, many investors expressed interest in Hanoi. However, only Vingroup and T&T Group have registered to take part.Both of them proposed implementing the projects in the build-transfer (BT) format. Particularly, Vingroup registered to build the 38.4-kilometer metro line No. 5 which connects Van Cao and Hoa Lac and metro line No. 2 from Tran Hung Dao to Thuong Dinh with a length of 5.9 kilometers. Meanwhile, T&T Group is keen on metro line No. 4 connecting Me Linh, Sai Dong and Lien Ha, and measuring 54 kilometers in length.The two investors said they would use their own finances to study the … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 9/1