Aviation

Boeing completes Dreamliner family with first 787-10 delivery

Boeing completes Dreamliner family with first 787-10 delivery : According to Reuter Boeing Co (BA.N) delivered its first 787-10 Dreamliner to Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI) on Sunday, rounding out a family of lightweight jets on which the U.S. planemaker is betting its future.

The 787-10’s range is 6,430 nautical miles (11,910 kilometers). At 223 feet long (68 meters), the aircraft is 18 feet (5.5 meters) longer than the 787-9 and seats around 330 passengers, 40 more than the 787-9 and 88 more than the 787-8.

Europe’s Airbus (AIR.PA) competes against the 787-10 with its A330neo, an upgraded version of its most-sold wide-body aircraft with fuel-efficient engines and a new cabin. Both jets are designed for shorter flights compared with other mid-size wide-body planes, tapping into the rapid growth of trade within Asia as well as across other regions. But after brisk initial sales, orders for both models have slowed, with Airbus selling 214 of its A330neo.

The 787-10 has 171 orders, about 13 percent of the total of firm orders for the 787. The mid-sized 787-9 is the most popular variant and competes mainly with Airbus’s new-generation carbon-composite A350. The 787 and A330neo are locked in a fierce battle for sales and profits in the market for jets with around 300 seats.

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Perth Second Destination To Be Served By Singapore Airlines’ New 787-10s

The 787-10s will feature Singapore Airlines’ new regional cabin products and will seat 337 customers in two classes, with 36 Business Class and 301 Economy Class seats. Prior to the launch of services to Perth, the 787-10s will be operated on selected flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for crew training purposes, before the first scheduled service to Osaka in May 2018.

The first aircraft in Singapore Airlines’ livery completed its flight testing at Boeing’s North Charleston, South Carolina production facility on 9 February 2018.

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”