Airlines

U.S. judge: Passengers in fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes are ‘crime victims’

On Friday, a federal judge in Texas determined that the victims of two Boeing 737 MAX crashes are legally constituted “crime victims,” a designation that will determine what remedies should be enforced.

Some relatives of accident victims claimed in December that the US Justice Department breached their legal rights when it reached a deferred prosecution agreement with the planemaker in January 2021 over two disasters that killed 346 people.

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The families claimed that the government had “lied and violated their rights through a secret process” and asked U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor to revoke Boeing’s immunity from prosecution, which was a condition of the $2.5 billion deal and order the planemaker to be publicly arraigned on felony charges.

Attorney General Merrick Garland met with some of the families after they filed a lawsuit alleging that the Crime Victims’ Rights Act had been broken, but he maintained the plea agreement, which included a $244 million fine, $1.77 billion in airline compensation, and a $500 million fund for crash victims.

MCAS, a safety system related to two deadly crashes and intended to help mitigate the MAX’s propensity to pitch up, was built by Boeing but important information about it was withheld from the FAA. The Ethiopian and Indonesian pilots would have “received training sufficient to respond to the MCAS activation that occurred on both aircraft,” according to O’Connor, “had Boeing not committed its crime,” the judge decided.

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The crashes, which have cost Boeing more than $20 billion in compensation, production expenses, and fines and caused the best-selling airliner to be grounded for 20 months, forced Congress to approve laws changing FAA aviation certification.

Boeing is requesting that Congress extend the FAA’s certification deadline for the MAX 7 and MAX 10 beyond the legislation’s December deadline. All aircraft after that date must have contemporary cockpit alerting systems, which the 737 aircraft do not.

In order to resolve Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that it misled investors about the MAX, Boeing paid $200 million last month.

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Airlines

KLM Begins Testing Self Driving Crew Buses at Schiphol Airport

In a significant step towards modernizing airport operations, Schiphol Airport has launched the second phase of its trial for electric self-driving buses.

This initiative, in collaboration with KLM Cityhopper and KLM Ground Services, is aimed at enhancing efficiency and sustainability at one of Europe’s busiest airports. Following a successful initial trial with the self-driving buses from supplier Ohmio, the new phase is now underway.

This phase focuses on deploying the autonomous buses on a fixed, pre-programmed route that connects the apron to the terminal. The primary users of this service are the KLM Cityhopper crew, who will benefit from a streamlined shuttle between their aircraft and the terminal. best cabin crew skytrax

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The trial’s first phase centered on assessing the technical capabilities and user-friendliness of the buses. Now, the focus shifts to the apron—a bustling area characterized by high activity levels, including aircraft movements and ground handling operations. The autonomous buses will navigate this complex environment multiple times a day, ferrying KLM Cityhopper crew from Apron A to the terminal.

Equipped with advanced sensors, cameras, and GPS, the buses are designed to handle the dynamic conditions of the apron. They feature LIDAR technology, providing a comprehensive 360-degree view that enables them to detect and avoid obstacles up to 30 meters away. This cutting-edge technology ensures safe and efficient operation in the busy airport setting.

Schiphol Airport is committed to becoming one of the world’s most sustainable and high-quality airports by 2050. A core component of this vision is the transition to a fleet of autonomous, zero-emission vehicles.

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This shift is part of a broader strategy to automate ground operations while maintaining a vital human presence in a supervisory role. By doing so, Schiphol aims to reduce emissions and enhance the overall efficiency of its operations.

The integration of self-driving buses into the airport’s daily operations represents a major milestone in achieving these sustainability goals. As the trial progresses, Schiphol, KLM Cityhopper, and KLM Ground Services will continue to evaluate and refine the technology, paving the way for a more automated and environmentally friendly future in aviation ground services.