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Virgin Galactic receives FAA license to fly passengers to area

Virgin Galactic receives FAA license to fly passengers to space

Virgin Galactic announced Friday that the Federal Aviation Administration granted the company the license it needs to fly passengers on future spaceflights, a key hurdle as the venture completes development testing.

“The commercial license that we have had in place since 2016 remains in place, but is now cleared to allow us to carry commercial passengers when we’re ready to do so,” Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier told CNBC. “This is obviously an exciting milestone and a huge compliment to the team.”

Virgin Galactic’s stock jumped 38.9% in trading on Friday, its largest ever rise in a single trading day, to close at $55.91. Shares had tumultuous start to the year, with the stock climbing above $60 in February and then plummeting to a low near $15 last month before rebounding.

While the FAA previously gave Virgin Galactic a launch license to conduct spaceflights, the license expansion allows the company to fly what the regulator calls “spaceflight participants.” The company completed a 29 element verification and validation program for the FAA, clearing the final two FAA milestones with its most recent spaceflight test in May. Colglazier noted the last two milestones were specific to the spacecraft’s flight-control systems and inertial navigation systems.

Notably, Virgin Galactic chief astronaut trainer Beth Moses is the only nonpilot to fly on one of the company’s spaceflights. To date, five Virgin Galactic employees, including four pilots, have become FAA-recognized astronauts – as the U.S. officially views an altitude of 80 kilometers (or about 50 miles) as the boundary to space.

Virgin Galactic’s spacecraft Unity is designed to hold up to six passengers along with the two pilots. The company has about 600 reservations for tickets on future flights, sold at prices between $200,000 and $250,000 each.

Next spaceflights TBD

With three spaceflight tests completed to date over the last two years, Virgin Galactic now has three more spaceflight tests planned before it completes development. The company previously announced its next spaceflight would carry four passengers to test the spacecraft’s cabin, its second would fly founder Sir Richard Branson and the third will carry members of the Italian Air Force for professional astronaut training.

Sir Richard Branson, left, and CEO Michael Colglazier celebrate the company’s third spaceflight test on May 22, 2021.

Virgin Galactic

However, a report earlier this month by a blogger based in Mojave, California – where Virgin Galactic manufactures its vehicles – said the company is considering reorganizing its flight schedule to launch Branson next over the July 4 weekend. The report came shortly after Jeff Bezos announced he would fly on Blue Origin’s first passenger spaceflight, planned to launch on July 20 – suggesting Branson may yet try to beat Bezos in personally flying to space.

Colglazier said the FAA approval means “the flight test program shifts now” to demonstrating “the cabin experience” of the spacecraft.

“I know there’s a lot of interest and speculation out there but we have not announced either the date nor the people that would be on those,” Colglazier said. “We approach this very methodically, with safety as the first consideration, and when we have all those boxes checked and all the steps in place – that’s when we can move forward and announce.”

Development delays have pushed back the company’s promised beginning of commercial service from mid-2020 to early 2022.

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U.S. Home lawmakers search Boeing, FAA data after manufacturing issues

U.S. House lawmakers seek Boeing, FAA records after production problems

A Boeing logo is on the fuselage of a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft manufactured by Boeing Co. on display ahead of the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, UK on Sunday 13 July 2014.

Simon Dawson / Bloomberg

Two key House Democrats are soliciting records from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration after discovering production problems with the company’s 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., Chair of the Transportation Committee, and Rick Larsen, D-Wash., Chair of the Aviation Sub-Committee, requested a list and descriptions of FAA inspections at the 737 manufacturing facility in Renton, Wash., Since 2017 and the Dreamliner South Carolina factory since 2015, according to a letter they sent to Dave Calhoun, CEO of Boeing, Tuesday that has been audited by CNBC.

Among other things, they requested records of supervision, the results of audits and the number of Boeing employees assigned to perform supervisory tasks at each location.

“While it is important that Boeing continue to voluntarily report such issues to the FAA, we are concerned that even after the longest civil airliner establishment in history, persistence of quality control and manufacturing defects – in two different cases – aircraft programs – remain “wrote the legislature. “This naturally raises questions about whether the FAA adequately oversees Boeing’s commercial aircraft programs, as well as Boeing’s internal quality controls and safety culture.”

The request comes less than a year after a report by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure informed Boeing about the design and development of the 737 Max and the FAA for oversight failures. Two of these planes crashed between October 2018 and March 2019, killing all 346 people on the flights.

Boeing said last year it found the wrong clearance in some areas of the 787 fuselage. After inspections and a five-month break, delivery of the wide-body aircraft resumed in March. Regardless, an electrical issue with Boeing’s best-selling 737 Max grounded more than 100 aircraft in April, despite the FAA approving a solution last week.

Legislators asked for replies by June 8, but said that “continued production of these records will be considered if you cannot fully complete your answer by that date”.

A Boeing spokesman said the company is looking into the request.

The FAA did not respond immediately.

The agency announced last month that it was reviewing Boeing’s process for minor design changes, as well as the causes of the electrical problem on the 737 Max. This problem is not related to the system involved in the two major crashes.

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Business

Pratt & Whitney Engines Should Be Inspected Earlier than Flights Resume, F.A.A. Says

F.A.A. Orders Inspections on Boeing 777 Jets After Engine Failure

The Federal Aviation Administration announced late Tuesday that Pratt & Whitney engines on Boeing 777 aircraft must be inspected before the jets can fly again in the United States.

On Saturday, one of the engines caught fire during a United Airlines flight and covered Colorado in debris, the latest episode of its kind to involve this engine family in recent years.

United is the only American airline to operate Boeing 777s equipped with the PW4000 series of engines, and the airline announced on Sunday that it has grounded those 24 aircraft in its active fleet while waiting for the FAA leadership. In December, a similar Pratt & Whitney engine failed aboard a Japan Airlines 777.

United said it would ensure those two dozen planes and 28 more in the warehouse comply with FAA regulation. Pratt & Whitney said in a statement that the safe operation of the fleet is “a top priority”.

Before the jets can fly again, the large titanium hollow fan blades on the front of each engine must be removed and shipped to a Pratt & Whitney facility for a “thermoacoustic image” inspection under this technique, according to the FAA, a fan blade bombarded with high frequency vibrations, which increases its temperature. A thermal image of the blade is then recorded and analyzed for any unusual readings that could indicate a possible crack.

In 2018, a United flight on the same aircraft and engine combination suffered a similar failure, prompting the FAA to order engine inspections every 6,500 flights. In its statement on Tuesday, the agency said it may adjust this inspection frequency.

Also on Saturday, a Boeing 747 equipped with a relative of this engine suffered a similar fate and lost parts in the Netherlands. The European Aviation Authority has said it does not believe the episode is related to the other errors. None of the four engine failures resulted in death. Two people are said to have suffered minor injuries in the Netherlands.

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FAA orders inspections of Boeing 777s after engine failure on United flight

FAA orders inspections of Boeing 777s after engine failure on United flight

Residents take photos of debris that fell from the engine of a United Airlines aircraft in the Broomfield neighborhood outside of Denver, Colorado on February 20, 2021. A United Airlines flight suffered a fiery engine failure shortly after taking off from Denver on Feb. 20 en route to Hawaii, where massive debris is falling on a residential area before a safe emergency landing, officials said.

Chet Strange | AFP | Getty Images

United Airlines announced on Sunday that 24 of its Boeing 777s will be temporarily decommissioned after one of the aircraft suffered an engine failure over the weekend.

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Sunday that the agency would order the inspection of some Boeing 777 jetliners powered by the same Pratt and Whitney engine, the PW4000.

The Japanese aviation authority has ordered airlines to suspend flights from aircraft with this type of engine until further notice, according to the FAA. United is the only US airline with this type of engine in its fleet, the agency added.

United Flight 328, a Boeing 777-200 bound for Honolulu, landed at Denver International Airport shortly after take-off on Saturday afternoon after the right engine failed.

No one was injured in the flight, which carried 229 passengers and 10 crew members, but debris, including part of the engine cover, fell in nearby Broomfield, Colorado.

Federal investigators said their initial investigation found two of the correct motor’s fan blades were broken.

The National Transportation Safety Board said one of the engine’s fan blades broke near its root, while another broke halfway. Other engine fan blades were also damaged, the NTSB said in an initial report late Sunday.

“We checked all available safety data after yesterday’s incident. Based on the initial information, we concluded that the inspection interval for the hollow fan blades, which applies only to this engine model, which is only used in Boeing 777 aircraft, has been extended should be, “FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement.

United has another 28 of these aircraft in its fleet that are currently in storage. Airlines parked or retired dozens of planes after demand plummeted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Engine makers Pratt and Whitney, a unit of Raytheon Technologies, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Similar incidents

Such incidents are rare but have occurred in recent years.

In February 2018, another United Airlines 777-200, equipped with Pratt and Whitney PW4077 engines, suffered an engine failure over the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii after a fan blade broke. This comes from an NTSB report published in June. The flight made it safely to Honolulu with 364 passengers and 10 crew members.

In April 2018, a passenger was killed when a fan blade broke off the engine of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737, broke a window and briefly sucked the passenger outside.

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F.A.A. Orders Inspections on Boeing 777 Jets After Engine Failure

F.A.A. Orders Inspections on Boeing 777 Jets After Engine Failure

The chief of the Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday that one day after a dramatic engine failure over Colorado, he is calling for “immediate or intensified inspections” of all Boeing 777 aircraft with a particular Pratt & Whitney engine model.

Also on Sunday, United Airlines, the only American airline affected by the FAA regulation, announced that they are currently temporarily putting on the ground the 24 Boeing 777 aircraft currently in service in their Pratt & Whitney-powered fleet will.

The FAA’s announcement came shortly after its counterpart in Japan ordered the airlines there not to fly the aircraft, which affected 32 jets operated by All Nippon Airways and Japan Airways. Both Japanese and American orders are only for Boeing 777s with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines.

“We reviewed all available security data following yesterday’s incident,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement. “Based on the initial information, we came to the conclusion that the inspection interval for the hollow fan blades, which apply only to this engine model and are only used in Boeing 777 aircraft, should be extended.”

The Colorado episode that involved United Airlines Flight 328 on Saturday resulted in no reported injuries, but the plane threw debris over three neighborhoods before safely landing in Denver.

In a statement on Sunday, United said: “Safety remains our top priority – for our employees and our customers.” It went on, “This is why our pilots and flight attendants receive extensive training to prepare and manage incidents like United Flight 328. We continue to pride ourselves on their professionalism and unwavering commitment to safety in our daily operations and in emergencies that happen. “

Mr. Dickson said the FAA is working with its counterparts around the world and that its security experts meet with Pratt & Whitney and Boeing “late into the evening” to complete details of the required inspections. According to the agency, only airlines in the USA, Japan and South Korea operate Boeing 777s with the affected Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engine model.

A spokesman for Japan Airways said the airline stopped using the 13 engine-equipped Boeing 777s in its fleet before the aviation authority issued its policy. Only three scheduled flights were affected. The airline announced last year that it would remove all 13 aircraft from its fleet by early next year.

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FAA chief Steve Dickson sees ‘disturbing enhance’ in flight disruptions

FAA chief Steve Dickson sees 'disturbing increase' in flight disruptions

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration told CNBC on Thursday that there had been a worrying spike in disruptions on commercial flights in recent days, prompting the regulator to put in place a tougher enforcement policy.

“In the past few days, there have been an increasing number of incidents on board where passengers have disrupted flights due to their behavior,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson told Squawk on the Street.

He said the episodes were partly due to leaflets violating face mask guidelines implemented during the coronavirus pandemic and also after Trump’s deadly uprising in the U.S. Capitol last week.

The FAA’s new enforcement policy comes from airlines and airports improving security ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week.

For example, American Airlines will pause alcohol service on flights to and from Washington and Baltimore from Saturday to Thursday. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline also implemented this suspension following the Capitol uprising last week.

Delta Air Lines does not allow passengers flying to airports serving Washington to check firearms, CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC on Thursday.

Dickson said his new FAA command will temporarily bolster his longstanding approach to flight disruption.

Instead of issuing warnings or advice, the FAA intends to take legal action against “any passenger who attacks, threatens, intimidates or disturbs crew members,” a press release said. The order is valid until March 30th.

“I say inspectors, I tell my attorneys at the FAA law firm that we need to speed up fact-gathering on all of these subjects [incidents] and we will take immediate enforcement action in appropriate situations, “Dickson told CNBC.

In a letter viewed by CNBC on Monday, two key House Democrats urged the FAA to take action against unruly passengers. Lawmakers pointed to media reports of politically motivated disruptions in the days following the forcible seizure of the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Dickson agreed to the need to protect flight crews and passengers alike.

“Every time we see a trend like this, we need to take action because traveling on a commercial airline in the US is the safest form of travel in human history,” he said. “I want to make sure it stays that way.” “”

– CNBC’s Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.

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FAA chief points stern warning to vacationers after politically motived flight disruptions

Flight attendant unions raise alarms about disruptive travelers after pro-Trump riots at Capitol

A flight attendant collects trash on a flight aboard a Boeing 737 Max from Dallas Fort Worth Airport to Tulsa, Oklahoma, December 2, 2020.

Carlo Allegri | Reuters

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Saturday that travelers will face grave consequences for unruly behavior on airplanes. This is a stern warning following multiple incidents on board last week with pro-Trump chanting and passengers refusing to wear masks requesting to fly on U.S. airlines.

“The FAA will take tough enforcement action against anyone who threatens the safety of a flight. Penalties range from fines to imprisonment,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement.

Unruly passengers can face fines of up to $ 35,000.

Alaska Airlines said Friday it banned 14 passengers on a flight from Washington DC to Seattle. The travelers “were not mask-conforming, vocal, argumentative and harassed our crew members. Their behavior was unacceptable,” said Ray Lane, spokesman for Alaska Airlines. “We apologize to our other guests who felt uncomfortable on the flight.

Videos of multiple incidents were shared on social media. An American Airlines pilot on a Washington-to-Phoenix flight warned travelers that he would “park this plane and drop people off in the middle of Kansas” in order to convince passengers to “behave” on board.

“At American, we take our customers’ safety seriously and value the trust they place in our team to look after them throughout their journey,” American said in a statement. The pilot made an announcement emphasizing the importance of following the instructions of the crew members and complying with the mandatory guidelines on face covering. “

Earlier this week, some passengers sang “traitors” on a Delta Air Lines flight with Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah. Delta said his “crew got involved quickly and solved the problem”.

On another flight this week, American Airlines flight attendants turned on the lights and ordered passengers to take their seats after passengers yelled at and cursed each other. This comes from a video shared by Twitter user @MaranieRae who said she was on the flight.

“I expect all passengers to follow the instructions of the crew members for their safety and the safety of the flight,” said Dickson. “The FAA monitors and tracks all commercial passenger flights in real time, and there are reporting mechanisms in place for crew members to identify any number of safety concerns that may arise in flight.”

Dickson said unruly behavior could distract crews and compromise crew members’ ability to perform safety-related duties.

Dickson’s testimony comes after flight attendant unions this week raised safety concerns over politically motivated flight disruptions after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol and demanded that the presidential election results be overturned.

“The mob mentality behavior that occurred on multiple flights to the DC area yesterday was unacceptable and threatened the safety of every single person on board,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents approximately 50,000 flight attendants United, Alaska and more than a dozen other airlines said Wednesday.

The airlines had taken precautions and moved crews to airport hotels after the politically motivated uprising in the Capitol. American Airlines has stopped serving alcohol on flights to Washington DC.

“We should work harder to keep problems on the ground,” the AFA told flight attendants after the FAA warned on Saturday. “Make sure you strictly adhere to the masks before pushing back. Work as a crew, communicate, and bring your concerns to the flight deck and supervisors.”