FlightLines

Air Europa picks up first 787 in N. Charleston

Spanish carrier Air Europa has ordered 22 Dreamliners to date. (Photo/Boeing)

Spanish carrier Air Europa took delivery of its first 787 Dreamliner from Boeing’s North Charleston final assembly site on Tuesday, according to a news release.

The airline flew the plane nonstop from Boeing South Carolina’s campus to Madrid — some 4,100 miles — arriving today.

Air Europa has leased the jet through an agreement with SMBC Aviation Capital. The delivery is also the first Dreamliner to SMBC Aviation Capital.

“The state-of-the-art 787 Dreamliner will provide us with significant operational advantages as we aim to expand our footprint around the globe,” said Juan Jose Hidalgo, president of Globalia, the airline’s parent company. “Additionally, it is an airplane that will offer our passengers an unrivaled on-board experience, and arrive at their holiday destination feeling refreshed.”

Air Europa announced an order for 14 787-9 Dreamliners in 2015, the largest ever Boeing widebody order from a Spanish carrier, the release said.

The airline now has a combined total of 22 787-8s and 787-9s on order.

Boeing tests self-cleaning airplane bathrooms

Boeing workers are studying a UV light that cleans airplane bathrooms after each use. (Photo/Boeing)

Airplane bathrooms could be about to get a whole lot cleaner.

Boeing engineers and designers have developed a self-cleaning bathroom prototype that disinfects all surfaces in three seconds. The cleaning system uses ultraviolet light to kill 99.99% of germs after every use.

It isn't a done deal yet, though. Boeing has filed for a patent on the cleaning system concept. Further study is required before it can be offered to airlines, according to a news release from Boeing.

Here's how it works: When the bathroom is unoccupied, the system’s Far UV light comes on and cleans the space. The toilet seat lifts and closes on its own so all surfaces are exposed. Side note: This UV light is different from harmful UVA or UVB light found in tanning beds.

The best perk for travelers? The bathroom's features are hands-free. Passengers can use the faucet, soap dispenser, trash flap, toilet lid, toilet seat and hand dryer — all without touching them.

Studies are underway to incorporate a hands-free door latch and a vacuum vent floor system as well.

The impetus for the technology is to potentially minimize the growth or transmission of microorganisms. What does that mean in less jargon-like speak? Travelers could be less likely to pick up the flu from the last passenger to use the lavatory.

“We’re trying to alleviate the anxiety we all face when using a restroom that gets a workout during a flight,” Jeanne Yu, Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ environmental performance director, said in a news release.

Engine fire delays 787 delivery, blogger says

Aviation blogger Uresh Sheth posted over the weekend that a Virgin Atlantic 787-9 is delayed in final assembly at BoeingSC as a result of an engine fire during a test on the flightline. (Photo/Kim McManus)

Delivery of a 787-9 Dreamliner to Virgin Atlantic has been delayed after an engine fire reportedly damaged the wing area, according to a blog post by aerospace analyst Uresh Sheth.

The jet has spent the past few weeks undergoing repairs inside the final assembly building, known as building 88-30, at Boeing South Carolina, said Sheth, who tracks Dreamliner production rates and deliveries on his “All Things 787” website.

“Apparently the wing was damaged by an engine fire while the engine was running during a test on the flightline at Charleston,” Sheth said. “I don’t have details about what started the fire, the extent of the damage or any NTSB/FAA investigation, if any.”

Requests for comment have been made to spokespeople with Boeing, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

In an updated post, Sheth said the plane will be in the final assembly building until March 6, and it will likely undergo “a mini gauntlet” of tests “prior to conducting a functional check flight (FCF) on March 11 and a C-2 flight on March 12. The new tentative delivery date to Virgin Atlantic is now March 17.”

 

Wyse: Boeing to focus on staying competitive

Beverly Wyse, Boeing South Carolina's general manager and vice president, speaks to employees last week at the rollout of the North Charleston facility's 100th Dreamliner. (Photo/Kim McManus)

Recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce, focusing on aerospace innovation and producing planes efficiently and cost-effectively are key to Boeing's remaining competitive, Beverly Wyse, head of Boeing South Carolina, said in a news release.

During her keynote address at the 127th annual meeting of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce Tuesday night, the Boeing S.C. vice president and general manager said:

“Boeing is one of the few American companies that employs large numbers of people in this country to build things sold in large numbers outside this country. At Boeing we never gave up — and never will give up — on American manufacturing. Even at the depths of the last recession, Boeing actually added thousands of U.S. manufacturing jobs — most notably in South Carolina. But the investment that Boeing and other aerospace companies are making here and around the country can only be sustained if we can continue to sell our products effectively — and fairly — in a highly competitive global market.” 

Boeing announced plans earlier this month to make an unspecified number of job cuts in its Commercial Airplanes program in an effort to remain competitive and cut costs.

The company plans to first look to executives and managers, followed by voluntary layoffs, attrition and involuntary layoffs. No word yet on what sites or programs will be affected, including whether cuts will occur in the 787 Dreamliner program.

A week after that news came out, Boeing South Carolina rolled out its 100th S.C.-built 787 Dreamliner from final assembly in North Charleston. American Airlines took delivery of that plane, a 787-8.

During her keynote, Wyse also highlighted how the aerospace giant’s expanding Lowcountry campus has partnered with companies and leaders throughout the state. Last year, the company spent $350 million with S.C. suppliers and invested more than $7 million in nonprofits.