Airlines

Boeing Spotlights the Best in the Industry with 2023 Supplier of the Year Awards

At the 2023 Supplier of the Year ceremony, Boeing honoured 12 of its top-performing global suppliers. Suppliers were recognized for driving a stable, predictable production system that contributes to Boeing’s safety, quality, sustainability, and delivery obligations to customers.

Boeing honours India’s Tata Advanced Systems as its best supplier.(Opens in a new browser tab)

William Ampofo, vice president of Parts and distribution Services and Supply Chain for Boeing Global Services and chairman of Boeing’s Supply Chain Operations Council, praised the Supplier of the Year awardees for being proactive, open, and trustworthy in a difficult climate. “Their cooperation and dedication to safety and quality was the benchmark to help us drive stability in our supply chain and consistently deliver for our customers.”

Boeing’s 2023 Supplier of the Year winners are:

Outstanding Performance:
- Commercial Airplanes – Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, Inc. of Dickinson, N.D.
- Defense, Space & Security – Dynamatic Technologies Limited of Bangalore, India
- Global Services – C.E. Machine Company, Inc., of Wichita, Kan.
- Indirect Supply Chain – Microsoft of Redmond, Wash.
Alliance Award: Toray Composite Materials America, Inc., of Tacoma, Wash.
Collaboration Award: Janicki of Sedro-Woolley, Wash.
Pathfinder Award: CSIRO of Clayton, Victoria, Australia
Safety & Quality Award: KF Aerospace of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Supplier Diversity Award: Indigenous Defence & Infrastructure Consortium Pty Ltd of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Supply Chain Visibility Award: ValStream of Dallas, Texas
Support & Services Award: Harper Engineering Co. of Renton, Wash.
Sustainability Award: EPIC Fuels of Irving, Texas

The world’s top-performing airports in 2022(Opens in a new browser tab)

Boeing spends more than $34 billion annually on more than one billion parts and works with more than 11,000 active suppliers globally. An industry-pioneering awards programme that recognises the accomplishments of Boeing’s top-performing suppliers is called the Supplier of the Year Award programme.

Airlines

DOT Proposes New Passenger Compensation Rules for Flight Disruptions

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has unveiled a major initiative to enhance protections for air travelers affected by flight cancellations or significant delays caused by airlines.

Top 10 Best Airlines in the World by AirHelp Survey

This Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeks public feedback on new measures that could require airlines to compensate passengers and provide necessary services automatically.

Key Proposals by the DOT:

Cash Compensation for Airline-Caused Disruptions
- Airlines may be required to pay passengers at least $200 in cash for flight disruptions caused by circumstances under their control, such as mechanical issues or IT failures.
- A tiered compensation system is being considered:
  - $200–$300 for domestic delays of 3–6 hours.
  - $375–$525 for delays lasting 6–9 hours.
  - $750–$775 for delays exceeding 9 hours.
- The DOT is exploring whether smaller airlines should have different compensation thresholds and whether compensation is needed if passengers are notified weeks in advance of a disruption.
Free Rebooking on the Next Available Flight
- Airlines may be obligated to rebook passengers at no extra cost if a flight is canceled or delayed by at least 3 hours domestically or 6 hours internationally.
- Rebooking options may include:
  - Flights operated by the airline or its codeshare partners.
  - Flights on other carriers with which the airline has a commercial agreement if no suitable options are available within 24 hours.
Provision of Meals, Lodging, and Transportation
- Airlines may need to cover meals, overnight accommodations, and transportation for stranded passengers.
- Minimum reimbursements could be established when services aren’t provided upfront, ensuring passengers can recoup costs even without submitting receipts, up to a defined limit.

The DOT’s proposals draw inspiration from consumer protection frameworks in countries like Canada, Brazil, the UK, and the European Union. Research suggests that EU compensation requirements have successfully reduced the frequency and length of delays, demonstrating the effectiveness of such measures.

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Passengers currently face numerous hurdles when seeking compensation or services, including vague policies, lack of upfront communication, and reliance on in-person requests at airports. The new rulemaking aims to close these gaps by establishing clear, enforceable standards for airlines.

Public input on the proposed measures will shape the final rules. The DOT hopes these changes will create a more accountable and passenger-friendly system, ensuring travelers are better supported during disruptions.

With these proposed rules, the DOT seeks to make airline travel more reliable and fair, setting a new standard for passenger rights in the United States.