Aviation

Southwest takes delivery of first 737 Max

Southwest Airlines has become the first U.S. airline to receive Boeing’s (NYSE:BA) 737 MAX 8 aircraft, the airline announced Wednesday.

The Dallas-based low-cost carrier, which served as the launch customer for the 737 MAX 8 after announcing its order for the aircraft in December 2011, is expected to take delivery of eight more of the new jets in the “coming weeks,” which plans to use the aircraft for revenue service beginning Oct. 1.

“The 737 MAX opens a new chapter of efficiency, reliability, and comfort to the Southwest fleet, and its increased range allows us to take our low fares even farther,” Southwest Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly said in a statement.

The airline’s version of the aircraft will feature 175 seats in a single-class cabin configuration, each with a 32-inch pitch. Southwest’s 737 MAX will feature new LEAP-1B engines made by CFM International—a joint venture between GE (NYSE:GE) and France’s Safran Aircraft Engines. According to CFM, the LEAP engine improves fuel consumption by 15%, compared to the CFM56 engine, which is used by more than 550 operators worldwide.

Southwest is the largest operator of the Boeing 737, which includes the 737-300, -500, -700 and MAX, for a total of 735 jets in its fleet. Earlier this month the airline announced it had begun to retire the 300 series aircraft, the oldest flown by the company, with last flight taking place in late-September. Southwest currently has an order for 200 of the 737 MAX and by the end of 2017, expects to have a total of 14 MAX aircraft in its fleet.

So far, Boeing has more than 3,800 orders for its 737 MAX family of aircraft. While demand for the MAX 9 jet have been weak compared to its direct competitor, Airbus’ A321neo, the Seattle-based airplane maker’s latest 737 model—the MAX 10—helped it win the race for airline orders at the 2017 Paris Air Show in June. Boeing won 571 net new orders and commitments valued at $74.8 billion (list prices), while Airbus said it totaled 326. Included in Boeing’s 571 total of new orders and commitments, 147 were for the MAX 10, while 214 were for conversions to the new jet from other models.

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.”