Alaska Boeing 737 MAX aircraft (Photo: Shutterstock | Wenjie Zheng)
The FAA has extended an agreement that allows Boeing to carry out certain agency functions, like safety inspections, on its behalf.
The arrangement, known as an Organization Designation Authorization, will officially renew on June 1 and continue for three years. It permits an independent ODA division within Boeing to inspect the company’s aircraft and components and issue certificates, responsibilities that would otherwise fall to federal regulators.
“Before making the decision, the FAA closely monitored specific criteria and saw improvements in most areas,” the agency said in a statement. “Criteria included implementing policies prohibiting interference with ODA unit members; assessing the ODA unit’s ability to effectively self-audit and ensure follow-through of post-audit activities; and monitoring the ODA unit’s ability to complete projects independently. The FAA will continue to closely monitor Boeing’s performance throughout its renewal period.”
The FAA is investigating an incident in which an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 lost a door plug in flight. (Photo: NTSB)
“We remain committed to working under the agency’s detailed and rigorous oversight,” a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill. “We have taken purposeful steps to strengthen our ODA program over the past three years in alignment with FAA requirements, and we will continue those improvements.”
The FAA faced scrutiny for allowing Boeing to carry out its own inspections in the wake of two 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed a combined 346 people. The company recently agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and compensation to victims’ families to avoid criminal prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice for alleged fraud in connection with the accidents.
In 2021, the FAA fined Boeing $1.2 million for improperly structuring its ODA unit and exerting “undue pressure” on ODA team members to expedite aircraft airworthiness approvals. The following year, the agency agreed to extend Boeing’s ODA, but by three years, not the five the manufacturer had originally asked for.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
Newark’s Third Runway to Reopen Sooner Than Expected
Officials announced Friday that a runway closed for construction at Newark Liberty International Airport will reopen on Monday, June 2.
The new deadline was made public Friday by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport.
The temporary reduction in available runways from three to two for the past two months has strained operations at Newark, which is also dealing with air traffic control outages and a shortage of air traffic controllers. The facility has been running on a reduced schedule since late April, when the first outage occurred.
Port Authority officials said they have brought in additional crews and expanded shifts to keep rehabilitation work on the runway going 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so it can be reopened to air traffic as soon as possible.
“I commend the crews who have worked tirelessly to get this critical project done ahead of schedule,” Murphy said. “I’m grateful for New Jersey’s partnership with the Port Authority and the FAA as we work to return to full capacity at Newark Airport.”
Even after Monday, though, the runway project will not be finished. State officials said the runway will need to be closed on weeknights through the end of the year, and on weekends from September to December, as rehabilitation continues.
The Path Forward
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has made ATC infrastructure a major focus largely due to the situation at Newark, also praised the Port Authority and called the planned reopening a “key milestone” on the path to reducing congestion at the airport.
“With the runway completed, we’ll continue our work to harden the telecoms infrastructure and improve the staffing pipeline for the airspace,” he said.
The 11,000-foot-long runway, 4L-22R, was shut down in March for milling and paving, which is normally carried out every 10 years. Work crews have also upgraded the site’s lighting, installed new underground electrical infrastructure, and improved drainage systems.
The Port Authority originally planned to finish the project on June 15, but the wave of flight delays and cancelations brought on by the ATC failures increased pressure to speed up construction.
Duffy announced earlier this week that Verizon has installed a new fiber-optic cable between New York and Philadelphia to replace the aging line that triggered Newark’s ATC outages. It should be connected and ready to use by July, the secretary said.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
Livery of the Week: China Southern
China Southern’s aircraft are distinguished by a livery that prominently features a red kapok flower on a deep blue tail fin.
A China Southern Airbus A380 on approach into Los Angeles.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is proud to present our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result.
Have an idea for a livery that we should highlight? Drop us a line.
China Southern’s aircraft are distinguished by a livery that prominently features a red kapok flower on a deep blue tail fin. The kapok flower is also recognized as the city flower of Guangzhou, where the airline is headquartered, adding a layer of local identity to its branding. The fuselage of the aircraft is typically a clean white, with “China Southern” titles displayed in both English and Chinese. A thin blue and red cheatline often runs horizontally along the fuselage, visually connecting the airline’s name with the tail design.
The core elements of China Southern’s livery have remained relatively consistent, emphasizing the red kapok flower and the blue and white color scheme. This design provides a readily identifiable look for the airline across its diverse fleet of aircraft. While the fundamental design is standardized, the airline has also featured special liveries on some of its aircraft to mark specific events, partnerships, or to highlight particular destinations.
A China Southern 787 in Beijing (Photo: Shutterstock)
One notable special livery within the China Southern fleet is the “Wings of Dreams” design, which is exclusively featured on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. This livery deviates from the standard with a more dynamic and artistic representation, incorporating flowing blue and white lines along the fuselage that evoke a sense of movement and aspiration, culminating in the traditional red kapok flower on the tail.
Looking for a new airplane model? Head over to our friends at the Midwest Model Store for a wide selection of airlines and liveries.
Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.
A Cape Air Cessna 402 taking off (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Joey Gerardi)
Massachusetts-based commuter airline Cape Air is adding new routes this summer and fall in a significant expansion of its network.
Most of the new flights are intended to improve connectivity across New England and New York.
“This is a significant moment for Cape Air,” said Aaron Blinka, the airline’s vice president of planning. “Each new route reflects our commitment to thoughtful, strategic growth — connecting more communities with smarter, more convenient travel options. Whether it’s streamlining access to major hubs like Boston, offering new links to the islands, or expanding our Caribbean presence, this is Cape Air building the future of regional air travel.”
The first two routes will come online July 3, when Cape Air begins flying between Islip, New York and Boston and between Norwood, Massachusetts and Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Airline officials said the Islip-Boston route, meant to better connect Long Island and New England, will operate four times a day using a Tecnam P2012 Traveller. The Norwood-Martha’s Vineyard-Nantucket service will run during the summer and early fall, ending after Columbus Day in October.
Cape Air will launch twice-daily service between New Bedford, Massachusetts and Boston on Sept. 29. The route will help residents of Massachusetts’ South Coast bypass Boston traffic, parking hassles, and TSA waits at Logan International Airport on their way to global destinations, the airline said, while opening up the South Coast to international tourism.
Cape Air’s newest special livery (Photo: Cape Air)
“By adding New Bedford to Boston, we’re putting global travel within 30 minutes of the South Coast,” said Cape Air CEO Linda Markham. “It’s a game changer.”
Caribbean Route
Finally, on Oct. 13, Cape Air will begin twice-daily service between St. Thomas and St. Barthélemy in the Caribbean. The airline said the route will help vacationers explore more of the region without having to book a private charter or use a ferry.
All of the new routes are now available to book.
Cape Air, which has its headquarters at Cape Cod Gateway Airport in Hyannis, flies to 34 cities in the U.S. and the Caribbean, with a fleet of 98 aircraft.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
NTSB Cites Hydraulic and Electrical Failures in FedEx 757 Gear Failure
On Oct. 4, 2023, FedEx flight 1376 experienced an “abnormal runway contact” when the flight crew was unable to extend the landing gear.
The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that a FedEx Boeing 757-200’s belly landing in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was caused by the failure of the alternate gear extension system, which prevented the landing gear from being lowered during an emergency.
On Oct. 4, 2023, FedEx flight 1376 experienced an “abnormal runway contact” when the flight crew was unable to extend the landing gear during the approach to Chattanooga’s Lovell Field.
Shortly after takeoff from Chattanooga, the captain called for gear up, and the first officer raised the landing gear control lever to retract the landing gear. Both the main landing gear and nose landing gear retracted to their up and locked position. Digital flight data recorder data showed that 22 seconds after gear retraction, the hydraulic fluid quantity and pressure in the left hydraulic system began to decrease.
After troubleshooting the hydraulic issue per procedures in the Quick Reference Handbook, the flight crew made the decision to return to Chattanooga. While preparing to land, the landing gear did not extend as expected when the landing gear control lever was positioned to its down position.
“Gear disagree. The gear is not coming down,” the first officer confirmed, according to cockpit voice recorder data documented by the NTSB.
Despite multiple attempts to deploy the landing gear using both normal and alternate extension systems, the crew was forced to perform a belly landing. The aircraft slid off the departure end of Runway 20 and impacted localizer antennas before coming to rest about 830 feet beyond the end of the runway.
Findings
Postaccident inspections of the landing gear system found that hydraulic fluid was leaking from the left landing gear door actuator retract hydraulic hose. Inspections also found that the engine indication and crew alerting system showed the left hydraulic system had only 32% fluid quantity remaining after the main landing gear door retraction shortly after takeoff, which is considered fully depleted.
Analysis of the failed hydraulic hose revealed multiple broken wire strands along its length and a rupture in its inner liner. The cause of the broken wire strands most likely originated from an overload event as evidenced by the necking down of the wire strands and a reduction in their area, investigators shared.
More critically, electrical system inspections of the alternate extension system found no electrical continuity between the alternate gear extend switch and the alternate extension power pack. A visual examination revealed a break in a wire between the circuit breaker and the alternate gear extend switch, which prevented the system from functioning as a backup.
“Analysis of the wire’s fracture surfaces showed a reduction in area and circumferential cracking of the coating, consistent with tensile loading,” the final report stated. “No obvious defects or anomalies were observed on the fracture surfaces.”
Evacuation Issues
The investigation also identified issues with the aircraft’s evacuation equipment. After the airplane came to a stop, the jumpseat occupant attempted to open the L1 door, which only rotated halfway open and would not fully deploy. The R1 door also became lodged on the slide pack before the jumpseat occupant used force to open it.
Investigators found that the R1 door’s bannis latch did not conform to the configuration required by an FAA Airworthiness Directive from 1986, which caused the slide pack to jam during evacuation.
The NTSB determined the probable cause of this accident to be “the failure of the alternate gear extension system, which prevented the landing gear from being lowered. The cause of the system failure was a broken wire, due to tensile overload, between the alternate gear extend switch and the alternate extension power pack, preventing the AEPP from energizing and supplying hydraulic fluid to the door lock release actuators for the nose landing gear and main landing gear.”
FedEx 757 gear-up landing (Photo: NTSB)
Contributing to the accident was “the loss of the left hydraulic system due to a ruptured left main gear door actuator hose from fatigue, which prevented normal landing gear operation.”
The NTSB noted that the crew of FedEx flight 1376 demonstrated good Crew Resource Management during the emergency, remaining calm and professional throughout the accident sequence. They displayed effective workload management by distributing tasks among themselves, with the captain flying and the first officer working to resolve the issue with air traffic control.
“The crew maintained clear and concise communication between all crewmembers to include a jumpseat occupant, and with ATC, actively soliciting feedback and input, and crosschecking with one another to ensure everyone was working with the same mental model,” the report stated.
As a result of this investigation, the NTSB issued four new safety recommendations to the FAA and three new recommendations to Boeing on March 27, 2025. These recommendations address the need to inspect and modify bannis latches on Boeing aircraft doors and update aircraft maintenance manuals with correct configurations.
Following the accident, FedEx implemented a 275-flight-hour check on the alternate extension system, including performing a general visual inspection while the nose landing gear and main landing gear doors are open while on the ground.
Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.
Workers at Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow Airport in Scotland have rejected contracts offered by their employer, Menzies Aviation, raising the prospect of a strike in the coming weeks.
A Norwegian 737 MAX 8 at Edinburgh Airport. (Photo: Norwegian)
Scotland’s two largest airports are facing a potential strike ahead of the summer travel season.
The BBC reported this week that around 300 workers at Edinburgh Airport and a similar number at Glasgow Airport turned down labor agreements offered by their employer, Menzies Aviation, which provides aircraft and ground handling services at both facilities.
The staff includes dispatchers, allocators, and flight manifest controllers, among others.
Unite, the union representing the workers, told the BBC it could hold a vote on a strike unless Menzies put forward a better offer.
“Summer strike action looms over Edinburgh and Glasgow airports because the pay offers on the table from Menzies Aviation aren’t good enough,” said Unite industrial officer Carrie Binnie. “Menzies Aviation has the ability to improve its offers and they can easily resolve this pay dispute without any disruption to the traveling public. If the company fails to table a better offer to our members, Unite will have no option but to ballot our members for strikes over the summer holidays.”
According to the BBC, the workers at Edinburgh rejected a proposed raise of 4%, while the workers at Glasgow turned down a 4.25% raise.
Phil Lloyd, UK senior vice president at Menzies, said the company has invited Unite members back to the negotiating table and wants to work out a new deal.
Edinburgh Airport is the busiest airport in Scotland and the sixth-busiest in the U.K. It served about 15.8 million passengers in 2024. The airport has added new routes ahead of this summer, including a JetBlue service to and from Boston and an Emirates flight linking Edinburgh and Dubai.
Glasgow Airport is the second-busiest airport in Scotland. It saw about 8 million passengers last year.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
DOJ Motions to Dismiss 737 MAX Lawsuit
The Department of Justice has motioned to dismiss a criminal lawsuit against Boeing over two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.
The DOJ confirmed these reports on Thursday by filing a motion to dismiss the case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. According to the motion, Boeing will fulfill several obligations to secure accountability and provide public benefits in exchange for the dismissal of charges.
Boeing’s Obligations Under the Agreement
Per the agreement, Boeing has agreed to the following:
Pay a criminal monetary penalty of $487.2 million, which is the statutory maximum fine.
Contribute $444.5 million to a Crash-Victim Beneficiaries fund to compensate the victims’ families.
Invest $455 million to enhance its compliance, safety, and quality programs.
Implement and maintain an improved anti-fraud compliance and ethics program, subject to reporting by an independent compliance consultant to the government.
Boeing’s Board of Directors will meet with the families of the crash victims to discuss the impact and the company’s current programs.
Maintain cooperation with any investigations conducted by the Department of Justice or other authorities.
“Many Family members want the Government to go to trial regardless of the litigation risks,” the motion stated. “But at the core of their objection to the [non prosecution agreement], and the proposed plea agreement before that, is the presumption that the Government would present a more expansive case at trial (or at sentencing post-trial) that reveals a criminal conspiracy that reached to the highest levels of the Company, and proves that Boeing is criminally responsible for the deaths of their loved ones.”
“But the reality presented by the evidence and the law is that the Government could not, consistent with Department policy and its ethical and professional obligations, put on such a case,” the motion continued. “The testimony and evidence the Government can seek to introduce against Boeing would track the Statement of Facts accompanying the Agreement and overlap to a substantial degree with the testimony and evidence the Government introduced in the trial of Boeing’s former Chief Technical Pilot.”
A Boeing 737 MAX tail in Renton (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
Attorney Erin Applebaum, who represents the families of victims who were aboard 2019’s Ethiopian crash, stated last week that the DOJ was “prepared to let the company walk away, again, with no more than a financial penalty.”
“This isn’t justice. It’s a backroom deal dressed up as a legal proceeding, and it sends a dangerous message: in America, the rich and powerful can buy their way out of accountability,” she told AirlineGeeks in an emailed statement last Friday.
The motion requested that the lawsuit be dismissed and Boeing’s pretrial deadlines be terminated. Judge O’Connor has yet to make a ruling on the motion.
AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.
A 777X test aircraft. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Katie Zera)
Airline mechanics and engineers got an early look at a Boeing 777X recently as part of the company’s efforts to prepare crews for maintaining the largest twin-engine passenger jet in the world.
Boeing invited over a dozen specialists from eight major airlines – including international carriers British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, and Lufthansa – to its maintenance demo hosted in Everett, Washington.
According to an article from Boeing, the event dubbed “Maintain Like an Airline” allowed airline mechanics to observe, ask questions, and offer suggestions ahead of the first expected 777-9X delivery in 2026.
The article stated that maintenance technicians were able to interact with the new aircraft’s folding wingtips and engines during the event.
On Wednesday, Boeing posted a video on X showcasing the event and speaking with mechanics about the experience.
Expertise + innovation! ?
At our “Maintain Like an Airline” event, @British_Airways, @Emirates, @Lufthansa mechanics and others saw up close how a 777-9 is maintained. This is one way we’re working with customers before the airplane joins their fleet.
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) May 28, 2025
“This is fantastic for us because it’s actually getting to see the aircraft,” said John Stoner, a British Airways licensed aircraft engineer, in the release. “Having the [Boeing] mechanics here showing us the tasks alleviates so much of the anxiety of how the new aircraft’s going to fit in. This is more than I was expecting.”
Jim Freitas, senior director of Boeing customer support and services, said that events like this one help prepare the aircraft, customers, and the Boeing team for a smooth entry into service.
“We’re working together with our customers to get their input early, making improvements to the airplane and our procedures before it enters their fleets,” Freitas said in the release.
Emirates mechanics look at a Boeing 777X (Photo: Boeing)
“We understand that trying to learn the airplane while it’s in service can be challenging, and time is very valuable for the airlines,” added Jose Santiago Rivera, Boeing’s 777-9X chief mechanic in customer support. “If we can do as much practice as we can before the airplane goes into service, it really helps our customers.”
Boeing has recently developed a fix for cracks in the aircraft’s engine thrust links that temporarily suspended testing of the 777X during its initial certification last August.
AirlineGeeks.com was founded in February 2013 as a one-person blog in Washington D.C. Since then, we’ve grown to have 25+ active team members scattered across the globe. We are all here for the same reason: we love deep-diving into the fascinating realm of the airline industry.
A Korean Air A380 in Seoul. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Ben Suskind)
South Korean regulators have fined three airlines a total of $2.6 million over safety violations.
Korean Air, Jeju Air, and T’way Air, all based in South Korea, violated the country’s Aviation Safety Act, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported Tuesday, citing a statement from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. As part of the penalty, eight aircraft maintenance workers employed by the airlines had their licenses suspended.
T’way, a low-cost carrier based in Seoul, incurred the heaviest fine, equivalent to $1.9 million. The airline was found to have conducted inspections at arbitrary intervals, skipped hydraulic fluid tests, and failed to replace and in some cases reused hydraulic filters. T’way also altered and deleted maintenance records when defects were found during inspections.
Korean Air and Jeju received smaller fines.
A Korean Air 787-9 being delivered at Boeing’s North Charleston, S.C. facility (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Hisham Qadri)
Regulators said Jeju failed to follow standard engine troubleshooting steps and did not conduct required flight checks for two aircraft, both Boeing 737-800s, within a mandated 48-hour period.
Korean Air, South Korea’s largest airline, was cited for improper maintenance of flap systems on its Airbus A330-300s.
South Korean aviation standards have been under scrutiny since the fatal crash of a Jeju flight in December.
The aircraft used to operate the flight, a 737-800, was approaching Muan International Airport in Muan County, South Korea, when a bird strike occurred. Landing gear failed to deploy, and the aircraft hit the runway at high speed and slid on its belly into a concrete wall and exploded.
The collision instantly killed 179 people. There were two survivors, both members of the cabin crew.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
Airbus Warns Delays Will Last Through 2028
Reuters reported Airbus is telling customers that delays in aircraft deliveries will persist for another three years as it works through supply chain issues.
Airbus is telling customers that it expects delays in aircraft deliveries to continue for another three years, Reuters reported this week.
The European manufacturer laid out the timeline at a recent customer gathering in Toulouse, France, and it largely matches what Airbus has told airlines and leasing companies one-on-one, the outlet said.
“Airbus is talking about delays in aircraft in both 2027 and 2028,” an unnamed senior airline executive told Reuters.
“There is no real sign of improvement,” another source said.
Los Angeles-based Air Lease Corp. went on the record to say it was notified by Airbus about delays in the delivery of A320neos and A321neos in 2027 and 2028.
In a statement, Airbus said it is “working together with suppliers to mitigate the impact of the current situation on our customers.”
Company officials have blamed production delays on supply chain problems, specifically shortages of key components like engines and avionics, as well as labor constraints.
Airbus’ monthly output varies, with 40 aircraft delivered in February, 71 delivered in March, and 56 delivered in April. According to Reuters, it has delivered 32 aircraft so far in May. The manufacturer is targeting 830 deliveries for the entire year, up from 766 in 2024.
At the start of the year, CEO Guillaume Ferry reiterated the company’s goal of producing 75 single-aisle aircraft per month by 2027 and sustaining that rate for several years.
Zach Vasile is a writer and editor covering news in all aspects of commercial aviation. He has reported for and contributed to the Manchester Journal Inquirer, the Hartford Business Journal, the Charlotte Observer, and the Washington Examiner, with his area of focus being the intersection of business and government policy.
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