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Boeing 737 Max will have two computers because one is not enough

JC Torres | Aug 4, 2019

When one computer can't solve a problem, why not try to throw more computers at it? That is probably not the reasoning behind Boeing's rumored fix for its problematic 737 Max aircraft but it will probably one of the things that will come to people's minds. The plane's return was yet again delayed because of an apparent software flaw that could still pose problems for the plane's automated system. Now according to anonymous sources, Boeing's new software will be making two computers to make sure just one won't take the plane down.

Southwest cancels Boeing 737 Max flights until early November

Brittany A. Roston | Jul 18, 2019

Following similar recent announcements by United and American, Southwest Airlines has announced that its Boeing 737 Max flights have been cancelled until early November. This deviates from the estimate Southwest gave in late June, pushing the fleet's targeted return to November instead of October. The cancellations represent around 180 daily flights.

United Airlines cancels another 5,000 Boeing 737 Max flights

Brittany A. Roston | Jul 12, 2019

United Airlines has announced that it cancelled thousands of additional flights involving the Boeing 737 Max, covering around 2,100 flights that were scheduled for September and another 2,900 for October. The airliner has a fleet that includes 14 of these Boeing jets, which were grounded following two deadly crashes involving the 737 Max model.

Boeing 737 Max may have a different problem in Europe

JC Torres | Jul 7, 2019

Its own press releases have been unsurprisingly positive but Boeing might still be a long time before its beleaguered 737 Max can take flight again. It may be close to getting approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) but it is facing yet another hurdle in Europe. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has a list of changes it wants Boeing to make and one of them is reportedly about its autopilot system.

Boeing reveals $100m 737 MAX victim fund after 2018’s record $101bn revenue

Chris Burns | Jul 3, 2019

Today Boeing revealed that they would provide $100 million in funds to victims of the pair of crashes of Boeing 737 aircraft in the last year. Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 resulted in the loss of a total of 346 lives. Divided 346 ways, $100 million comes to $289,017 per person.

Another Boeing 737 MAX flaw tipped to delay upcoming test flight

Brittany A. Roston | Jun 26, 2019

The Federal Aviation Administration has identified another alleged risk with Boeing's grounded 737 MAX aircraft, a new report claims. This alleged additional risk will need to be fixed before the company can conduct a certification test flight, the sources claim, ensuring there aren't any future tragedies associated with the jets. Assuming the leak is correct, the test flight won't happen until July 8 at the earliest.

Boeing CST-100 Starliner crew capsule passes major propulsion tests

Brittany A. Roston | May 26, 2019

Boeing reports the successful completion of CST-100 Starliner propulsion tests, revealing that it proved the vehicle's ability to maneuver in space during its work on Friday. The testing took place at NASA's White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, where Boeing teams successfully fired the vehicle's thrusters more than two dozen times.

Boeing 737 MAX close to returning to service insists company

JC Torres | May 16, 2019

"Don't fix what ain't broke" is not an excuse not to try to innovate but neither is innovation an excuse to break things. That's true for foldable phones and even truer for airplane control systems. Unfortunately, Boeing learned its lessons at the expense of lives but it is persistently clawing at those problems. Now it seems to suggest that it is close to earning its wings back once the 737 MAX clears the last hurdles that the FAA has set up for its re-certification.

Boeing shares Starliner parachute test video ahead of summer launch

Brittany A. Roston | May 10, 2019

Boeing has shared new video clips of parachute tests related to its Starliner spacecraft, providing the public with a behind-the-scenes look at these various sessions. According to the company, the parachute test is part of the overall process to qualify the Starliner's full landing system. The company plans to conduct its first crewed launch later this year.

NASA delays and extends its Boeing Starliner crewed flight plans

Brittany A. Roston | Apr 3, 2019

NASA has announced that Boeing's first Starliner crewed test flight duration will be extended. According to the space agency, the extension will give researchers time to finish up more work on maintenance, research, and some other activities while the spacecraft is docked with the International Space Station. The decision follows an "in-depth technical assessment" of the Starliner system, NASA says.

Boeing 737 MAX MCAS update won’t be installed until FAA says go

JC Torres | Apr 1, 2019

With its entire 737 MAX fleet grounded across the world, Boeing is undoubtedly working around the clock and racing against time to earn back its wings. Last week it announced the availability of an update to the problematic MCAS that is the eye of this storm but, despite its wording, it's still waiting for FAA approval. Now the FAA has issued a statement that basically tells Boeing, "not so fast."

Boeing 737 MAX MCAS updated to prevent future crashes

JC Torres | Mar 27, 2019

One aphorism that should never be used in aviation is "better late than never". Considering the safety of hundreds of lives, plane makers and regulators have the legal and moral obligation to ensure that new technologies are error-free before they are used, not after they have cost lives. That's the tragedy that Boeing is hoping won't happen again after it rolls out an update to its MCAS on the 737 MAX, introducing checks that, in retrospect, should have probably been there right from the start.