United News of Bangladesh

A year after a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during flight, the nation’s top aviation regulator says the company needs "a fundamental cultural shift” to put safety and quality above profits. Mike Whitaker, chief of the Federal Aviation Administration, said in an online post Friday that his agency also has more work to do in its oversight of Boeing. Whitaker, who plans to step down in two weeks to let President-elect Donald Trump pick his own FAA administrator, looked back on his decision last January to ground all 737 Max jets with similar panels called door plugs. Later, the FAA put more inspectors in Boeing factories, limited production of new 737s, and required Boeing to come up with a plan to fix manufacturing problems. “Boeing is working to make progress executing its comprehensive plan in the areas of safety, quality improvement and effective employee engagement and training,” Whitaker said. “But this is not a one-year project. What’s needed is a fundamental cultural shift at Boeing that’s oriented around safety and quality above profits. That will require sustained effort and commitment from Boeing, and unwavering scrutiny on our part.” 2 dead and 18 injured in Southern California plane crash Boeing on Friday issued an update on steps it has taken to improve safety and quality, including addressing concerns raised by employees and reinforcing their confidentiality protection. Boeing, which couldn’t build new 737s during a seven-week strike by machinists last fall, said it has strengthened training for mechanics and quality inspectors. The company said it updated a system to display the names of employees who perform metal-stamping work. The company also said it has “significantly reduced defects” in 737 fuselages built by Spirit AeroSystems, but it declined to provide numbers. Spirit is a key supplier that Boeing is in the process of buying for $4.7 billion. The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Max jet. Despite a gaping hole in the side, pilots landed the plane safely in Portland, Oregon, and no serious injuries were reported. A month after the accident, investigators said in a preliminary report that bolts used to help secure the panel were not replaced after work in a Boeing factory. SKorea to inspect Boeing as it struggles to find cause of plane crash Whitaker said the FAA will review any recommendations that the safety board makes to improve FAA's oversight work. Last summer, he admitted that FAA's scrutiny of Boeing wasn't good enough.

South Korea will conduct safety inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country’s airlines following a deadly crash on Sunday that killed 179 people. The crash, which is South Korea’s worst aviation disaster in decades, has raised national concerns as the government struggles to address the situation amid a leadership vacuum. New acting President Choi Sang-mok led a task force meeting on Monday, instructing authorities to review the country’s aircraft operations systems. “The essence of a responsible response would be renovating the aviation safety systems on the whole to prevent recurrences of similar incidents and building a safer Republic of South Korea,” Choi, also the finance minister, said. The Boeing 737-800, operated by Jeju Air, had aborted its first landing attempt for unclear reasons. During its second attempt, it received a bird strike warning before the pilot issued a distress signal. The plane landed without its front landing gear deployed, overshot the runway, hit a concrete fence, and burst into flames. Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines, stated the Boeing 737-800 is a “proven airplane,” unlike the Boeing 737 Max, which was linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. South Korea's Transport Ministry announced it would inspect all 101 Boeing 737-800s in the country, focusing on Jeju Air, which operates 39 of these planes. Representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board and Boeing are set to join the investigation. Officials are also reviewing the design of Muan airport's localizer, a concrete fence with antennas meant to guide planes during landings. The Transport Ministry confirmed similar structures exist at other airports in South Korea, as well as in the US, Spain, and South Africa. Warrant to detain impeached South Korean President Yoon sought Video footage of the crash indicated a possible hydraulic failure, with the pilots failing to deploy flaps or slats to slow the plane. Retired pilot John Cox said the aircraft was still under control, and the close proximity of the barrier likely worsened the damage. Another Jeju Air 737-800 experienced a landing gear issue earlier on Monday but returned to Seoul as a precaution. Authorities are also investigating potential communication problems between the pilot and air traffic controllers during the crash. The crash, which is South Korea’s deadliest since 1997, has prompted a seven-day national mourning period. The Transport Ministry has identified 146 bodies and continues to collect DNA and fingerprint samples from the remaining 33 victims.

Boeing has proceeded with further layoffs in Washington state and California, cutting hundreds of employees as part of its previously announced workforce reductions aimed at trimming approximately 17,000 jobs, report AP. According to reports on Monday, nearly 400 employees in Washington and over 500 in California were let go by the aerospace company. These layoffs are part of a broader plan to reduce Boeing's workforce by 10% in the coming months, as the company strives to address financial and regulatory challenges, along with recovering from a nearly two-month machinists’ strike. Boeing issues layoff notices to 400-plus workers as it begins drastic cuts CEO Kelly Ortberg clarified that the layoffs were not related to the strike but were instead due to overstaffing. The company began notifying affected workers in November. Notices to state employment agencies revealed that the initial round of layoffs affected around 3,500 employees across the U.S., according to The Seattle Times. These cuts impacted employees in various roles, including engineers, recruiters, and analysts, across Boeing’s commercial, defense, and global services divisions. The company stated that most laid-off employees would remain on the payroll for about two months and would receive severance packages, career transition support, and subsidized health insurance benefits for up to three months. “As announced in early October, we are adjusting our workforce levels to align with our financial reality and a more focused set of priorities,” Boeing representatives reiterated regarding the layoffs. The head of Boeing's defense and space business is out as company tries to fix troubled contracts Based in Arlington, Virginia, Boeing has been facing financial difficulties since two crashes of its 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019 claimed 346 lives. The company’s reputation and finances were further damaged after an Alaska Airlines plane experienced a fuselage panel detachment in January.

Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two crashes of 737 Max jetliners that killed 346 people after the government determined the company violated an agreement that had protected it from prosecution for more than three years, the Justice Department said Sunday night. Federal prosecutors gave Boeing the choice last week of entering a guilty plea and paying a fine as part of its sentence or facing a trial on the felony criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prosecutors accused the American aerospace giant of deceiving regulators who approved the airplane and pilot-training requirements for it. The plea deal, which still must receive the approval of a federal judge to take effect, calls for Boeing to pay an additional $243.6 million fine. That was the same amount it paid under the 2021 settlement that the Justice Department said the company breached. An independent monitor would be named to oversee Boeing's safety and quality procedures for three years. The deal also requires Boeing to invest at least $455 million in its compliance and safety programs. The plea deal covers only wrongdoing by Boeing before the crashes, which killed all 346 passengers and crew members aboard two new Max jets. It does not give Boeing immunity for other incidents, including a panel that blew off a Max jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January, a Justice Department official said. The deal also does not cover any current or former Boeing officials, only the corporation. In a statement, Boeing confirmed it had reached the deal with the Justice Department but had no further comment. In a court filing Sunday night, the Justice Department said it expected to file the written plea agreement with the court by July 19. Lawyers for some of the relatives of those who died in the two crashes have said they will ask the judge to reject the agreement. “This sweetheart deal fails to recognize that because of Boeing’s conspiracy, 346 people died. Through crafty lawyering between Boeing and DOJ, the deadly consequences of Boeing’s crime are being hidden,” said Paul Cassell, a lawyer for some of the families. Federal prosecutors alleged Boeing committed conspiracy to defraud the government by misleading regulators about a flight-control system that was implicated in the crashes, which took place in Indonesia in October 2018 and in Ethiopia less five months later. As part of the January 2021 settlement, the Justice Department said it would not prosecute Boeing on the charge if the company complied with certain conditions for three years. Prosecutors last month alleged Boeing had breached the terms of that agreement. The company’s guilty plea will be entered in U.S. District Court in Texas. The judge overseeing the case, who has criticized what he called “Boeing’s egregious criminal conduct,” could accept the plea and the sentence that prosecutors offered with it or he could reject the agreement, likely leading to new negotiations between the Justice Department and Boeing. Read more: What do we know so far about the helicopter crash that killed Iran’s president and others? Relatives of the people who died in the crashes were briefed on the plea offer a week ago and at the time said they would ask the judge to reject it. U.S. agencies can use a criminal conviction as grounds to exclude companies from doing business with the government for a set amount of time. Boeing is an important contractor of the Defense Department and NASA. The case goes back to the crashes in Indonesia and in Ethiopia. The Lion Air pilots in the first crash did not know about flight-control software that could push the nose of the plane down without their input. The pilots for Ethiopian Airlines knew about it but were unable to control the plane when the software activated based on information from a faulty sensor. The Justice Department charged Boeing in 2021 with deceiving FAA regulators about the software, which did not exist in older 737s, and about how much training pilots would need to fly the plane safely. The department agreed not to prosecute Boeing at the time, however, if the company paid a $2.5 billion settlement, including the $243.6 million fine, and took steps to comply with anti-fraud laws for three years. Boeing, which blamed two low-level employees for misleading the regulators, tried to put the crashes behind it. After grounding Max jets for 20 months, regulators let them fly again after the Boeing reduced the power of the flight software. Max jets logged thousands of safe flights and orders from airlines picked up, increasing to about 750 in 2021, about 700 more in 2022 and nearly 1,000 in 2023. The company based in Arlington, Virginia, has dozens of airline customers spanning the globe. The best customers for the 737 Max include Southwest, United, American, Alaska, Ryanair and flydubai. That changed in January, when a panel covering an unused emergency exit blew off a Max during the Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon. Pilots landed the 737 Max safely and no one was seriously injured, but the incident led to closer scrutiny of the company. The Justice Department opened a new investigation, the FBI told passengers on the Alaska plane that they might be victims of a crime and the FAA said it was stepping up oversight of Boeing. A criminal conviction could jeopardize Boeing’s status as a federal contractor, according to some legal experts. The plea announced Sunday does not address that question, leaving it to each government agency whether to bar Boeing. The Air Force cited “compelling national interest” in letting Boeing continue competing for contracts after the company paid a $615 million fine in 2006 to settle criminal and civil charges, including that it used information stolen from a rival to win a space-launch contract. The company has 170,000 employees and 37% of its revenue last year came from U.S. government contracts. Most of it was defense work, including military sales that Washington arranged for other countries. Even some Boeing critics have worried about crippling a key defense contractor. “We want Boeing to succeed,” Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, said during a Senate hearing last month on what he termed the company’s broken safety culture. “Boeing needs to succeed for the sake of the jobs it provides, for the sake of local economies it supports, for the sake of the American traveling public, for the sake of our military.” Relatives of the Indonesia and Ethiopia crash victims have pushed for a criminal trial that might illuminate what people inside Boeing knew about deceiving the FAA. They also wanted the Justice Department to prosecute top Boeing officials, not just the company. “Boeing has paid fines many a time, and it doesn’t seem to make any change,” said Ike Riffel of Redding, California, whose sons Melvin and Bennett died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash. “When people start going to prison, that’s when you are going to see a change.” Read more: A military training plane crashes in central Turkey, killing its 2 pilots At a recent Senate hearing, Boeing CEO David Calhoun defended the company’s safety record after turning and apologizing to Max crash victims’ relatives seated in the rows behind him “for the grief that we have caused.” Hours before the hearing, the Senate investigations subcommittee released a 204-page report with new allegations from a whistleblower who said he worried that defective parts could be going into 737s. The whistleblower was the latest in a string of current and former Boeing employees who have raised safety concerns about the company and claimed they faced retaliation as a result.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines could be expanding its fleet with new aircraft from Airbus. Outgoing Managing Director and CEO of the national flag carrier, Shafiul Azim, made the indication during a views exchange meeting with the Aviation and Tourism Journalists’ Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) today (May 29, 2024). The meeting, held in Dhaka, saw the participation of ATJFB members led by their president, Tanzim Anwar. Addressing the forum, the outgoing Biman MD said that Airbus had proposed two offers to Biman for aircraft procurement. “Initially, Airbus offered us two cargo planes, but we decided we do not need them at the moment. Instead, we expressed our interest in expanding our passenger fleet. Subsequently, Airbus proposed four passenger aircraft, which was a better offer. This proposal has been evaluated by the committee and forwarded to the board for approval,” Azim explained. He emphasized the importance of diversifying their fleet, noting that currently, 16 out of 21 large aircraft in Biman’s fleet are from Boeing. “We are considering Airbus’s offers seriously. Diversifying our aircraft will not only mitigate risk but also appeal to passengers who appreciate newer models,” Azim said. Airbus leading in Bangladesh’s aircraft purchase consideration over Boeing? Regarding Boeing, Azim mentioned that they also received an offer from Boeing, which will be evaluated. “We have a longstanding relationship with Boeing, not just in terms of aircraft procurement but also their technical support and credit facilities. We are working well together,” he added. Azim highlighted Biman’s advantageous position due to the competitive proposals from both Airbus and Boeing. He assured that regardless of the manufacturer chosen, Biman stands to benefit as a customer. When asked about the financial status of Biman, Azim confidently stated that Biman has been “profitable for eight out of the last ten years.” The two years of losses included one year heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and another due to significant payment obligations. “Despite challenges such as dollar shortages and ongoing global conflicts, we have remained profitable,” the Biman MD said. He further defended Biman’s financial health, pointing out that regular audits have confirmed their profitability. “We continue to hire, pay salaries and bonuses, including profit bonuses. If Biman wasn’t profitable, where would this money come from? To those who doubt our success, I pray they find guidance,” he remarked. PM’s likely Visit to Paris: France hopes significant progress on purchase from Airbus, satellite Reflecting on his tenure, Azim expressed satisfaction with his management approach. “During my time, I never hesitated to reward deserving employees or to impose necessary disciplinary actions. I have used my authority to the fullest and believe that with effort, Biman can compete with the world’s leading airlines,” he stated. Addressing the frequent changes in Biman’s leadership, Azim underscored the need for a stable management system. “Our human and technical resources are competent. If systems and structures are in place, the organization won’t rely on any single individual. I have focused on establishing these systems,” he noted. He also recommended retaining experienced personnel in technical fields, regardless of age, as experience grows with time. “Biman should not function with the mindset of a government office; it is a commercial entity and should be managed commercially,” Azim advised. He expressed a slight regret, wishing that four new aircraft could have been added to Biman’s fleet during his tenure. Read more: Jahidul Islam Bhuiyan appointed as MD of Biman On May 26, the Ministry of Public Administration announced Md. Jahidul Islam Bhuiyan as the new Managing Director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. In a separate announcement, Shafiul Azim was promoted to Secretary of the Election Commission.

US aircraft manufacturer giant Boeing has predicted that air travel in Bangladesh will double in the next decade – driven by the country’s growing population, expanding economy and the middleclass. Boeing provided details about the increasing demand and capacity for air travel in Bangladesh in a briefing today in Dhaka, on its Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), a yearly forecast of global and regional demand for aircraft. Through 2032, Bangladesh is expected to achieve an annual economic growth rate of more than 5% -- double the global average, supporting air traffic growth at nearly 8.5% annually, according to Boeing. Read More: NOVOAIR launches direct flight on Jashore-Cox’s Bazar route “As travel restrictions were relaxed over the past year, capacity growth in Bangladesh has increased by 11% year-over-year,” said Dave Schulte, Boeing Commercial Marketing Managing Director for Asia Pacific and India, on Wednesday (May 10, 2023). Led by regional traffic to the Middle East and India, Bangladesh’s air travel could double over the next 10 years, he said. To meet strong demands in passenger travel and air cargo, Boeing anticipates South Asia’s carriers will need more than 2,300 new commercial airplanes over the next 20 years, more than tripling South Asia’s current in-service fleet of 700 airplanes. Read: US-Bangla Airlines to operate Boeing 737 Max 8  “We see tremendous opportunity in South Asia, with more than 80% of new deliveries supporting air travel growth and 20% replacing older, less fuel-efficient airplanes,” said Schulte. Single-aisle airplanes like the Boeing 737 family will make up nearly 90% of South Asia’s future fleet, while 10% of the regional fleet will be widebody airplanes like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Both airplane models are currently in operation with Biman Bangladesh Airlines and US-Bangla Airlines. “Boeing airplanes have played a tremendous role in the rapid growth of commercial aviation in Bangladesh. Commonality across the fleet will continue to play a major role in furthering growth, especially as it enables our airline customers to reduce operating costs and expenditures associated with training and maintenance,” added the Boeing Commercial Marketing Managing Director for Asia Pacific and India. Read More: Target trade-based capital flight, not genuine consumption through imports: Economists

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended its principal engineer and four other officials as two of the carrier's Boeing aircraft recently suffered damage after a collision in a Dhaka airport hangar. The decision was taken based on the report of the investigation committee formed by the civil aviation and tourism ministry, said Dr Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, Biman's managing director and CEO. The five officials include Principal Engineer Mohammad Badrul Islam, three engineer officers, and a ground support equipment operator. They were held responsible for violating section 55 of the service rules of Bangladesh Biman Corporation Employees (1979) Regulations, a punishable offence, according to the report. On April 10, a Boeing 737 collided with Boeing 777 while exiting the hangar. The radome and front bulkhead of the 777 aircraft and the horizontal stabiliser on the left of the 737 aircraft were partially damaged. This was the third accident to befall the Biman fleet since mid-February this year. After undergoing repairs, both aircraft returned to service. Clashes like this usually occur due to the carelessness of tow truck operators or ground teams. Also read: Collision between two Biman planes at Shahjalal Int’l Airport

US-Bangla Airlines has included two Boeing 737-800 aircraft to its fleet. With the inclusion of two Boeing 737s, the number of US-Bangla aircraft rose to 16. Two Boeing 737-800 aircraft reached Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:00 PM and 11:30 PM on Friday. Also read: US Bangla launches Dhaka-Male-Dhaka direct flights These two aircraft from Jordan has 189 economy class seats. US-Bangla is also going to start flights from Dhaka to Colombo, Sharjah, and Delhi route with this aircraft, said a media release. Business development director of  US-Bangla Airlines Capt. Lutfor Rahman and other officials of Civil Aviation Authority and US-Bangla Airlines  were present at the at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while receiving the aircraft. Also read: Coronavirus: US Bangla to provide PPE to medical college hospitals free of cost

Boeing is lowering its expectations around demand for new planes over the next decade as the coronavirus pandemic continues to undercut air travel.

Boeing sold no new airline jets in January, and now the company is worried that the virus outbreak in China could hurt airplane deliveries in the first quarter.