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Countdown halted hours before liftoff in latest delay for long-planned flight, with no word on next attemptBoeing called off its first astronaut launch because of a valve problem on its rocket on Monday night.Two Nasa test pilots had just strapped into Boeing’s Starliner capsule when the countdown was halted, just two hours before the planned liftoff. A United Launch Alliance engineer, Dillon Rice, said...

Carrier says three-week grounding of 737 Max 9 planes after Alaska Airlines blowout cost it profitUnited Airlines has blamed a $200m (£161m) hit to its earnings in the first three months of the year on the mid-flight blowout that forced it to ground many of its Boeing planes.The US carrier said the three-week grounding of 737 Max 9 jets after a cabin panel blew...

Airline’s Perth-to-London flights will now stop over in Singapore to avoid Iranian airspace amid fears Tehran will strike IsraelGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastQantas has been forced to pause its non-stop flights from Perth to London to avoid Iranian airspace amid fears Tehran is planning an imminent attack on Israel.As the world braces for a potential flare...

Incident involving Southwest flight will add to pressure on plane maker as it shakes up leadershipUS airline regulators have launched an investigation after an engine cowling on a Boeing plane fell off during takeoff and struck the wing flap, the latest in a series of safety problems facing the aircraft manufacturer.The Southwest Airlines flight 3695 rose to about 10,300 ft (3,140 metres) before returning...

FAA investigating loss of panel before Boeing 737-800 landed safely in OregonThe US Federal Aviation Administration is investigating how a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 lost an external panel before landing safely in Oregon.United flight 433 landed at Medford airport at about 1.45pm on Friday carrying 139 passengers and six crew after departing from San Francisco, the FAA and airline said. Continue reading...

Seven people who allegedly suffered injuries after a door-sized panel blew off mid-air file suit against airline and manufacturerSeven passengers of the harrowing Alaska Airlines flight that had to make an emergency landing after a door-sized panel blew off the plane are suing the airline and the aircraft’s manufacturer Boeing.One of the plaintiffs is Cuong Tran, a passenger who was seated in a window...

United flight 821 from San Francisco to Mexico City landed at Los Angeles international airport after crew reported hydraulics issueUnited Airlines’ bad week for safety issues continued on Friday afternoon when a plane was forced to make an emergency diversion due to an issue with its hydraulic system.United flight 821 from San Francisco to Mexico City made an emergency landing at Los Angeles international...

Essex-based hub to pass into hands of private-equity firm after agreement on £194m debtSouthend airport is to pass into the control of the US private-equity group Carlyle after an agreement to settle a debt, in the latest takeover of a UK firm by a foreign company.The London-listed aviation group Esken, formerly Stobart Group, said it had reached a deal over the £193.75m debt that...

US justice department scrutinizing whether door blowout violated 2021 agreement with Boeing after two fatal plane crashesThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is giving Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality problems and meet safety standards for building new planes, as the justice department reportedly reviews whether a mid-flight plane door panel blowout in January violated a previous settlement agreement...

US regulator makes announcement hours after CEO says planemaker will only allow jets to fly when ‘100%’ certain of safetyThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved an inspection and maintenance process to allow grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 planes to return to service, following a cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight.“The exhaustive, enhanced review our team completed after several weeks of information...

Planes await inspection by aviation regulators after panel blowout on Alaska Airlines flight amid heightened safety concernsBoeing must acknowledge “our mistake”, its CEO has said, after the cabin panel of a 737 Max 9 jet blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight last week.Dozens of Max 9 planes have been grounded following the incident, awaiting inspection amid heightened concerns around safety. Alaska and United...

Aircraft model has been grounded after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated plane mid-flight on SaturdayUnited Airlines has found loose bolts and other “installation issues” on multiple 737 Max 9 aircraft, it said on Monday, referring to the Boeing model that has been grounded after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated plane mid-flight over the weekend.The industry publication Air Current reported that...