What’s the right size for a premium cabin on board? Breeze Airways CEO David Neeleman suggests the carrier will soon grow its “Ascent” cabin to 16 seats from the current 12 owing to strong demand.
FAA
FAA finally fixes no smoking sign rules
After decades of requiring airlines to file the additional paperwork based on operating policies from a bygone era, the agency is finally fixing its policies around “No Smoking” signs on board.
Boeing 737s to require passenger oxygen inspection
Operators of Boeing 737 NG and 737 MAX aircraft face a new potential problem after “multiple reports of passenger service unit (PSU) oxygen generators shifting out of position within their associated PSU assemblies because of a retention failure.”
JetBlue drops suite doors on some Mint flights
JetBlue will disable the Mint Suite doors on its A321neo fleet, reducing the number of flight attendants required to staff the aircraft.
JetBlue boosting crew on Mint A321neo planes
JetBlue is boosting staffing on its newest Mint-configured planes in a move that appears to be tied to the mini-suite doors and “regulatory clarification” from the FAA.
Apple Vision Pro: A new generation of inflight entertainment (with some safety concerns)
Apple Vision Pro will, of course, be part of the future airline passenger experience. But will passengers be fully immersed from take off to touch down? And how does it impact safety on board?
United A321s’ “no smoking” signs work too well
United Airlines cannot turn off the “no smoking” signs on its A321neo aircraft. This appears to have led to the fleet being temporarily grounded while an exemption is being processed by the FAA.
The MAX 9 is back, but a major question remains
Twenty days ago a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 MAX 9. The FAA now has allowed the type to return to service. Yet one significant question remains unanswered: Why were just some planes grounded?
Air France denied slot usage waiver at JFK
Air France is at risk of losing slots in JFK as the FAA denied a waiver request for reduced flights – something the FAA asked airlines to do – this winter.
Connect Airlines grounded as Waltzing Matilda Certificate Authorities revoked
After more than two and a half years of working towards certification, Connect Airlines is back to square one. The carrier’s Certificate Authorities for interstate and foreign scheduled passenger services have been revoked by the Department of Transportation for dormancy.