Tag: Boeing

SpaceX to return Boeing’s Starliner astronauts from space next year, NASA says

By Joey Roulette WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Two NASA astronauts who flew to the International Space Station in June aboard Boeing’s faulty Starliner capsule will need to return to Earth on a SpaceX vehicle early next year, NASA officials said on Saturday, deeming issues with Starliner’s propulsion system too risky to carry its first crew home as planned. Veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, both former military test pilots, became the first crew to ride […]

Boeing will try to launch its first crew on Starliner, again

By Gianrigo Marletta with Issam Ahmed in Washington CAPE CANAVERAL, June 1, 2024 (AFP) – Troubled aerospace giant Boeing will try once more to fly its first crew to the International Space Station aboard a Starliner spaceship on Saturday, after the last attempt was scrubbed hours before liftoff. Following checks by engineering teams, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are “go” for launch atop a United Launch Alliance rocket at 12:25 pm (1625 GMT) […]

First crewed flight of Boeing Starliner postponed again

WASHINGTON, May 17, 2024 (AFP) – The first crewed launch of Boeing’s Starliner to the International Space Station has been delayed again due to a technical issue, NASA said Friday. The launch in Florida was scheduled for Tuesday but NASA said it is now planned for May 25 to allow teams to further assess a helium leak linked to the service module, which sits on top of the rocket. Earlier this month, a Starliner launch […]

Boeing Starliner crewed mission postponed shortly before launch

By Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo with Issam Ahmed in Washington CAPE CANAVERAL, May 7, 2024 (AFP) – The first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spaceship was dramatically called off around two hours before launch after a new safety issue was identified, officials said Monday, pushing back a high-stakes test mission to the International Space Station. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were strapped in their seats preparing for liftoff when the call for a “scrub” […]

US astronauts prep for first crewed flight on Boeing’s Starliner

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, United States, April 25, 2024 (AFP) – Two US astronauts arrived Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ahead of their launch aboard the Boeing Starliner’s first crewed mission next month. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will blast off on the years-delayed flight on May 6 for a weeklong stay on the International Space Station (ISS). “We’re about to launch on Boeing Starliner and broaden the capability to and from Space […]

Whistleblower claims Boeing prioritized profit over safety in 787 Dreamliner production

NEW YORK, April 10, 2024 (AFP) – Federal aviation authorities are investigating claims by a Boeing engineer that the 787 Dreamliner suffers from assembly defects that threaten safety, US officials said Tuesday. Attorneys for the whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, accuse the company of putting profit over safety — and retaliating against him after he raised concerns by “involuntarily” transferring him to the 777 program. At the 777 program, he raised more issues, for which his attorneys […]

Boeing plane makes emergency landing after engine cover falls off

  LOS ANGELES, April 8, 2024 (AFP) – A Southwest Airlines flight returned to Denver after an engine cowling fell off during takeoff on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration said, the latest in a spate of safety incidents involving Boeing planes. The FAA said in a statement that Southwest Airlines Flight 3695, a Boeing 737-800 passenger jet, landed back at Denver International Airport “after the crew reported the engine cowling fell off during takeoff and […]

US-to-Japan Boeing passenger jet loses wheel during takeoff, makes emergency landing in LA

  LOS ANGELES, March 8, 2024 (AFP) – A Boeing 777 jetliner bound for Japan had to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff Thursday, after a wheel fell off and plunged into an airport parking lot. Video posted online shows the wheel dropping seconds after the United Airlines plane gets off the ground at San Francisco International Airport. The wheel bounced into a car park used by airport employees, the local KRON4 outlet reported, […]

Boeing 737 MAX program chief departs months after Alaska Airlines’ mid-air scare

NEW YORK, Feb 21, 2024 (AFP) – Boeing announced Wednesday that the head of its 737 MAX program is departing the aviation giant less than two months after a major safety incident temporarily grounded 171 planes. Ed Clark, an 18-year Boeing veteran is “leaving the program,” Boeing Commercial Aviation (BCA) chief Stan Deal said in a memo released by the company. Katie Ringgold has been named as his replacement. The move comes after a 737 […]

Vietjet inks deal for 20 Airbus A330-900s, modernizing fleet and expanding network

SINGAPORE, Feb 22, 2024 (AFP) – European aviation giant Airbus said Thursday that Vietnamese airline Vietjet Air has agreed to buy 20 of its A330-900 planes. Vietjet signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for the widebody aircraft, which will replace its current fleet of leased A330-300 planes, Airbus said in a statement. “We are excited to work with Vietjet on the next phase of the carrier’s expansion,” said Christian Scherer, chief executive of Airbus’s […]

US approves inspection program to return Boeing 737 MAX to service

By John BIERS NEW YORK, Jan 25, 2024 (AFP) – US regulators approved a detailed inspection framework that would allow the return to service of Boeing 737 MAX planes grounded after an emergency landing earlier this month, officials said Wednesday. Shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration announced inspection protocols on the Boeing 737 MAX 9, United Airlines said it expects grounded aircraft to return to service starting Sunday. “We will only return each MAX 9 […]

United, Alaska Airlines report loose hardware on 73

By John BIERS NEW YORK, Jan 9, 2024 (AFP) – United and Alaska Airlines both reported on Monday that loose hardware had been discovered on some of their Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes during preliminary inspections after a dramatic mid-flight incident last week. The disclosures come as US federal transportation inspectors probe what caused a so-called door plug component to blow out last Friday on an Alaska Airlines passenger plane, forcing it to make an […]