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Boeing begins production on single-aisle 737 MAX plane

US aerospace giant Boeing announced Tuesday the start of manufacturing of the 737 MAX, the latest version of the popular single-aisle aircraft, for which it already has more than 2,700 orders. 

PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

JUN 3, 20157:06 AM

[SEATTLE] US aerospace giant Boeing announced Tuesday the start of manufacturing of the 737 MAX, the latest version of the popular single-aisle aircraft, for which it already has more than 2,700 orders.

The company said it had begun building the wings for the first 737 MAX slated for flight-testing in its plant in Renton, Washington, south of Seattle.

"Achieving this milestone on schedule is a testament to the success of the 737 and our integrated design-and-build team," said Keith Leverkuhn, vice president and general manager.

The wings are to be attached to the first fuselage later this year, with the initial test flights taking place in 2016.

Meant for flying short and medium distance routes, the 737 MAX boasts 14 percent lower fuel per passenger consumption compared with current models due to more fuel-efficient engines and improved aerodynamics.

It is competitor to the A320neo that Boeing's European rival, Airbus, is scheduled to bring into service in 2017.

Since launching the 737 in the late 1960s, Boeing has delivered more than 8,500 planes and taken more than 12,700 orders. Today's production is 42 planes per month.

AFP

    
 

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US flights face bomb threats, no explosives found: media reports

JUN 3, 201512:28 AM

[NEW YORK] A bomb threat against a US Airways flight from San Diego to Philadelphia on Tuesday led authorities to search the plane and evacuate passengers, but no explosives were found, according to an airline official and media reports.

Police met US Airways flight 648, with 88 passengers and five crew on board, when it landed at Philadelphia International Airport due to a "possible security threat," said Victoria Lupica, a spokeswoman for US Airways' parent company, American Airlines A possible bomb threat prompted the search, Philadelphia's 6ABC television reported.

NBC and CNN reported that other US commercial flights received bomb threats on Tuesday: a United Airlines flight to Chicago and Delta Air Lines flight to Atlanta. The planes landed safely and were searched, and passengers were deplaned, CNN reported.

Officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation were not immediately available for comment. The Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration had referred queries to the FBI.

REUTERS