Flight Safety Information - October 07, 2025 No. 200 In This Issue : Incident: Delta A339 near London on Oct 5th 2025, smoke in cockpit : Incident: Lift A320 at Cape Town on Oct 5th 2025, engine shut down in flight : Air Charter Safety Foundation - Industry Audit Standard Lite : Incident: Aero K A320 near Guangzhou on Oct 5th 2025, engine shut down in flight : FAA reports staffing issues at airports as government shutdown continues : Air India's midair emergency sparks new alarm over the safety of the Boeing Dreamliner : Korean Air and Asiana Align Pilot Training : Aspen airport sees more delays, cancellations in wake of new wind-reporting policy : Woman accused of hitting Southwest Airlines employee at Nashville airport : ICAO condemns Russia for GNSS interference, undermining global aviation safety : NBAA Lines Up Full Slate of Leaders for BACE Flight Deck : ARGUS TRAQPak reports a 7.5% monthly gain in September : Airbus A320 ousts Boeing 737 as most-delivered jet in history : Boeing's 777X was supposed to lead its comeback, but it has been delayed — again. This is why that's such a big deal. : Calendar of Event Incident: Delta A339 near London on Oct 5th 2025, smoke in cockpit A Delta Airlines Airbus A330-900, registration N411DX performing flight DL-59 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Boston,MA (USA) with 259 people on board, was enroute at FL360 about to enter Oceanic Airspace when the crew decided to turn back to London Heathrow reporting smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft landed safely back on Heathrow's runway 27L about 90 minutes after departure. The airline reported the aircraft returned due to smoke on board. The flight was cancelled. The aircraft remained on the ground in London for about 22 hours, then positioned to Boston. https://avherald.com/h?article=52e0a9af&opt=0 Incident: Lift A320 at Cape Town on Oct 5th 2025, engine shut down in flight A Lift Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration ZS-GAL performing flight GE-130 from Cape Town to Johannesburg (South Africa), was climbing out of Cape Town's runway 01 when the left hand engine (V2500) emitted a loud bang. The crew stopped the climb at 3000 feet, shut the engine down and returned to Cape Town for a safe landing on runway 01 about 25 minutes after departure. A replacement A320-200 registration ZS-GAS reached Johannesburg with a delay of about 2:45 hours. The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground in Cape Town about 33.5 hours after landing back. https://avherald.com/h?article=52e09120&opt=0 Incident: Aero K A320 near Guangzhou on Oct 5th 2025, engine shut down in flight An Aero K Airbus A320-200, registration HL8385 performing flight RF-532 from Da Nang (Vietnam) to Cheoungju (South Korea) with 133 passengers and 6 crew, was enroute at 10700 meters (about FL351) near Guangzhou (China) when the crew decided to divert to Guangzhou after an engine (CFM56) had emitted loud noises and needed to be shut down. The aircraft entered two holds and landed safely on Guangzhou's runway 02R about 75 minutes later. The aircraft is still on the ground in Guangzhou about 40 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=52e08b64&opt=0 FAA reports staffing issues at airports as government shutdown continues The Federal Aviation Administration was experiencing staffing issues or anticipating shortages at airports and other air traffic control facilities in the United States on Monday night. Reports of the staffing shortfalls came hours after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there has been a slight increase in sick calls since the government shutdown began on Wednesday. No air traffic controllers were expected at the tower at Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area for hours Monday night because of staffing issues, a source familiar with the situation said. The FAA’s website showed the staffing issue between 4 p.m. and 9:59 p.m. PT (7 pm. Monday to 12:59 a.m. Tuesday ET). The source told NBC News that some air traffic will be handled by San Diego terminal radar approach control at a much reduced rate — meaning arrival and departure delays are certain. A spokesperson for Hollywood Burbank Airport, a smaller airport in the Los Angeles area, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. The airport said Monday evening on X that it was still open. "Operations are continuing at Hollywood Burbank Airport," it said. "Please check with your airline — before arriving at the airport — for updates on possible delays or cancellations." Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Denver International Airport also experienced issues with air traffic control staffing Monday, according to the FAA’s website. A reason for the staffing problem at Hollywood Burbank was not clear. Because of the federal government shutdown, air traffic controllers were working without pay Monday. The shutdown is set to hit the one-week mark after the Senate again failed to pass legislation Monday night that would reopen the government. With no negotiations taking place between Democrats and Republicans, there are no signs of a breakthrough on the horizon. Duffy said earlier Monday that there has been an increase in sick calls since the government shut down and funding lapsed, but he said the increase was slight. “So we’re tracking sick calls, sick leave, and have we had a slight tick up in sick calls? Yes, and then you’ll see delays that come from that,” Duffy told reporters at the Newark airport. “Our priorities are safety. And so, if we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people,” he said. An FAA spokesperson referred to Duffy's earlier comments when asked about staffing at Burbank on Monday evening. "As Secretary Duffy said, there have been increased staffing shortages across the system. When that happens, the FAA slows traffic into some airports to ensure safe operations," the spokesperson said. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association union pointed to a national shortage of air traffic controllers. Officials have warned about the shortage since before the government shut down. "It is normal for a few air traffic controllers to call in sick on any given day, and this is the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals," the union said. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/faa-reports-staffing-issues-airports-004050965.html Air India's midair emergency sparks new alarm over the safety of the Boeing Dreamliner NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s leading body of pilots has asked the civil aviation regulator to inspect all Boeing 787 Dreamliners operating in the country for electrical issues after one of the planes abruptly deployed an emergency power system midair over the weekend. The device, a small propeller that acts as a backup generator and which is known as the ram air turbine, or RAT, normally would be activated when an aircraft's engines lose power, its hydraulic systems register critically low pressure or its electrical systems fail. However, the RAT engaged unexpectedly on Saturday aboard Air India flight 117 from the northern Indian city of Amritsar moments before it landed safely in Birmingham, England. The Federation of Indian Pilots, which represents about 6,000 pilots, asked for the investigation Sunday evening. Air India, owned by business conglomerate Tata Group, said in a statement that an initial inspection following the weekend incident found that “all electrical and hydraulic parameters were normal” and that the aircraft landed safely. The midair deployment of the emergency device has reignited concerns in India over the safety of the Dreamliner. In June, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London crashed in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad, killing 260 people including 19 on the ground, in one of India’s worst aviation disasters. A preliminary report into the June 12 crash found that the fuel control switches for the engines were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel. The RAT system activated as it was supposed to have done when the plane lost power and engine thrust, the report said. Charanvir Singh Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, said that he'd never heard of the RAT system being deployed even when there are no problems in the engines, hydraulics or electrical systems, as appeared to be the case over the weekend. "It’s a serious concern that warrants a detailed inquiry,” he said. Randhawa, whose career spans five decades in aviation, wrote an email to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Sunday, apprising it of the incident and urging an investigation into the electrical systems of all Boeing Dreamliners operating in India. A spokesman for India’s Civil Aviation Ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment, and a spokeswoman for Boeing India was not immediately available for comment. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/air-indias-midair-emergency-sparks-165638522.html Korean Air and Asiana Align Pilot Training Korean Air and Asiana Airlines held a joint instructors’ meeting and integration workshop to prepare for their planned merger at the end of next year. Around 150 instructors from both airlines attended, including line instructors, academic trainers, CRM instructors, and specialists in aircraft systems. The event focused on reviewing recent operational incidents, sharing fleet-specific training approaches, and aligning flight education systems between the two carriers. Korean Air has invested in modernizing training, including instructional videos for normal and abnormal procedures, a dedicated Flight Training Center site, and VR-based learning. Together with Asiana, the airlines developed a Full Flight Simulator program scheduled for next year to support standardized pilot education. https://www.halldale.com/civil-aviation/korean-air-and-asiana-align-pilot-training Aspen airport sees more delays, cancellations in wake of new wind-reporting policy ‘Abnormally windy’ summer also contributed A change from instantaneous wind-speed reporting to average wind-speed reporting aligned with a higher rate of flight delays, diversions, and cancellations this summer at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport. Following a safety investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration control tower at the Aspen airport reportedly offered pilots with average wind speed this summer — taking the mean of wind speed over a time period, including gusts and lulls — which affected delays, diversions, and cancellations, according to airport officials. In the past, the control tower offered instantaneous wind speed, or the speed at a single moment, in addition to average wind speed. Most aircraft have a “tailwind restriction” of 10 to 15 knots, which dictates the tailwind speed in which a pilot can safely take off or land. This restriction remains consistent regardless of the method of wind speed reporting, according to Bill Tomcich, consultant with Fly Aspen Snowmass and managing partner at Air Planners Inc. But the change from instantaneous to average wind speed reporting at the Aspen airport, combined with abnormal summer weather, contributed to delays and cancellations. “The abnormally high number of cancellations — diversions, delays, and cancellations — was because it was a combination of the higher winds that we had this summer along with the change in reporting of those wind speeds,” Tomcich said. Between June, July, and August of this year, planes had a completion rate — successfully completing a scheduled flight to or from Aspen — an average of 94.4% of the time. That’s compared to a completion rate of 97.5% in the four preceding years, with an average of 96.9% in 2024, 98.3% in 2023, 97.7% in 2022, and 97.1% in 2021, according to Tomcich. The change to the wind reporting comes after a private plane overran the end of the runway in a high tailwind while attempting to take off from Aspen in February 2022. According to an August 2024 National Transportation Safety Board investigation, “the flight crew … initiated the takeoff based on an unsolicited instantaneous wind report from the ASE ATC tower controller.” The report states that the flight crew interpreted the instantaneous wind speed of 10 knots as the constant wind conditions. “The instantaneous wind measurement was recorded by the airport’s standalone weather sensor during an apparent lull in the gusting wind conditions and was not representative of other wind reports the flight crew received during the 30-minute period before takeoff,” the report states. “These reports indicate wind speeds as high as 18 kts gusting to 30 kts.” Just before the tower controller provided an instantaneous wind speed report, it provided a two-minute average of wind speeds at 16 knots gusting up to 25 knots, according to the report. The pilot could not successfully get the aircraft to “rotate” — or to raise its nose — and overran the end of the runway, causing substantial damage to the aircraft, according to the report. None of the aircraft’s six occupants were injured. Following the August 2024 investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended the FAA “define the term ‘instantaneous wind’ and develop guidance for pilots on proper use of an instantaneous wind report in operational decision-making.” This summer’s change to Aspen airport wind reporting means airplanes must wait for an average favorable wind report before taking off or landing. Tomcich reiterated, however, that the abnormal weather was a major factor in the delays. “It wasn’t just because of the reporting of the wind speeds,” he said. “Meteorologically, it was a hot and windy summer, and so it was the fact that we had unusual weather combined with the change to ensure that the maximum tailwind component of all aircraft operating in or out of ASE is not exceeded.” https://www.aspentimes.com/news/aspen-airport-sees-more-delays-cancellations-in-wake-of-new-wind-reporting-policy/ Woman accused of hitting Southwest Airlines employee at Nashville airport The woman admitted to drinking wine before arriving at the airport, according to an arrest affidavit. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Nashville International Airport officers were called to gate C22 on Sunday for reports of a female passenger who had hit a Southwest Airlines employee. According to an arrest affidavit, Kathleen Loura, 64, smelled of alcohol when officers arrived at the gate to investigate what happened. Loura admitted to drinking wine before arriving at the airport, officers said. A woman is accused of hitting a Southwest Airlines employee at BNA on Sunday, Oct. 5. Officers stated in the arrest report that while speaking with the Southwest Airlines employee, Loura began ‘screaming’ and ‘coming towards’ officers. Officers stated they proceeded to place Loura in handcuffs but she tried to punch one of the officers in the face but missed, the affidavit states. The arrest report states that there was a ‘loud’ applause when Loura was placed in handcuffs. She was then walked out of the airport and into a patrol vehicle. While inside the patrol car, officers said Loura started kicking the door so they placed her in leg restraints. After arriving at the police station, Loura spit on the arm of one of the officers, according to the arrest report. Loura is charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest. assault on a law enforcement officer, and public intoxication. She was released from the Davidson County jail on Monday. https://www.wsmv.com/2025/10/07/woman-accused-hitting-southwest-airlines-employee-nashville-airport/ ICAO condemns Russia for GNSS interference, undermining global aviation safety On Friday, at its 42nd Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) passed a resolution condemning Russia for interfering with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals in Europe. The global aviation community stated that these actions harm the safety and security of international civil aviation, violate the principles of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, and must be stopped immediately. "Flight safety is a shared concern and responsibility of all countries. The global community has unequivocally stated that any interference with civil aviation is unacceptable. We collectively call on Russia to immediately cease such actions to ensure the reliable and safe operation of international aviation," says Juras Taminskas, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications. "The GNSS interference carried out by Russia poses a direct threat to flight safety. Lithuania, together with its partners, has affirmed that such activities cannot be tolerated in international aviation," adds Marius Baranauskas, Director of the Transport Competence Agency. The resolution emphasises that the jamming and spoofing of GNSS signals, originating from the territory of the Russian Federation, undermine the foundations of global aviation safety and violate the Chicago Convention, the founding treaty of ICAO. ICAO urgently calls upon the Russian Federation to strictly comply with its obligations under the Chicago Convention to prevent the recurrence of such GNSS interference activities. GNSS interference can affect aircraft navigation, especially during critical phases of flight such as take-off and landing, which are crucial for aviation safety. Furthermore, it poses a risk to air traffic control in challenging weather conditions, may cause deviations from planned routes, increase the risk of emergencies, and negatively impact the efficient use of airspace. Lithuania and other countries in the Baltic, Eastern and Northern European regions are experiencing deliberate interference with GNSS signals. The situation has become particularly worse since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In June this year, the ICAO Council regarded Russia’s actions as inconsistent with the Chicago Convention and international law, based on data from six countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland, and Sweden. Lithuania also initiated a joint letter from EU ministers to the European Commission, signed by 14 EU Member States. The ministers proposed strengthening radio frequency monitoring and expanding coordination mechanisms between EU and NATO member states for joint monitoring, data exchange, and responding to GNSS signal interference. ICAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations and the leading international civil aviation organisation, with 193 member states. It develops policies and standards for safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible international civil aviation. At the 42nd ICAO Assembly in Montreal (Canada), Russia was also not elected to the ICAO Council. https://www.baltictimes.com/icao_condemns_russia_for_gnss_interference__undermining_global_aviation_safety/ NBAA Lines Up Full Slate of Leaders for BACE Flight Deck Senior government officials and industry leaders will discuss safety, NAS, innovation NBAA is bringing back its Flight Deck stage during the 2025 edition of BACE with a broad slate of industry and government leaders who will address a range of pressing topics. Introduced at the 2024 BACE, Flight Deck discussions will take place in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. “The Flight Deck is where the industry’s most influential voices come together to explore the issues that matter most,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “These are the people whose perspectives are shaping the future of aviation, and this is the place where those conversations begin.” Planned sessions for the 2025 edition of Flight Deck will cover aviation breakthroughs and the vision for the future, safety against a backdrop of the high-profile accidents, what’s ahead on the regulatory front, latest trends of the preowned market, and the reshaping of the national airspace. The speaker lineup includes Michelle “Mace” Curran, former U.S. Air Force Thunderbird pilot and motivational speaker; National Air Traffic Controller Association president Nick Daniels; uAvionix president and CEO Jon Damush; jetAviva CEO Emily Deaton; Gregory Feith, aviation safety and security consultant and former NTSB senior air safety investigator; Archer Aviation CEO Adam Goldstein; Skyryse founder and CEO Mark Groden; NBAA board of directors chair emeritus Lloyd “Fig” Newton; and The Jet Business founder and CEO Steve Varsano. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2025-10-02/nbaa-lines-full-slate-leaders-bace-flight-deck ARGUS TRAQPak reports a 7.5% monthly gain in September The North American region recorded the largest non-COVID in private jet flight activity gain since January 2015. According to the September analysis of private jet flight activity by ARGUS TRAQPak, each private aviation category recorded year-over-year increases. ARGUS initially forecasted a 2.1% increase in North American private jet flight activity. However, in September, private jet flight activity in North America increased by approximately 7.5% compared to the same period last year. ARGUS analysts expect private jet flight activity growth to continue into October, specifically forecasting an increase of about 0.7%. ‘Far Exceeding Expectations’ ARGUS Senior Vice President Travis Kuhn spoke to Private Jet Card Comparisons about the success of the private aviation industry in September. Receive an apples-to-apples comparison of programs that meet your needs from more than 500 jet card and fractional options covering 65 points of differentiation and over 40,000 data points. Kuhn stated, ‘The activity levels in September far exceeded expectations, which has been the trend lately. We’re seeing strong demand essentially across the board, made evident by the fact that this is the strongest non-COVID percentage gain on record, dating back to January 2015.’ Compared to last September, North American private jet activity increased by about 7.5%. In terms of aircraft type, the largest increase was reported by small cabin private jets, which recorded a year-over-year increase of approximately 8.3%. Midsize private jets also recorded an 8.2% increase, while turboprops also saw a rise of 7.0%. The smallest gain was reported by large cabin jets, recording a 5.6% increase. Fractional Operators Compared to September 2024, fractional operators reported a staggering 13.2% increase in private jet flight activity. The largest gains were reported by the large cabin jet segment, which saw a 20.7% jump compared to last year. Small cabin jets also remained strong, increasing by about 19.3%. Turboprops and midsize cabin jets also saw gains. Each recorded year-over-year increase was 7.7% and 10.1%, respectively. Part 135 Operators In terms of Part 135 activity, Kuhn stated that ARGUS analysts recognized a small amount of weakness in the large cabin segment. Overall, large cabin flight activity in the Part 135 category decreased by about 0.4%. Even so, the rest of the Part 135 segment remained strong, recording a 7.3% year-over-year increase. This was mainly due to a 9.5% year-over-year increase in turboprop activity, an 8.2% increase in small cabin jet activity, and an 8.2% increase in midsize cabin jet flights. Part 91 Activity While ARGUS has reported slow gains and struggles for Part 91 operators over the years, Kuhn mentioned that the new gains will make Part 91 a segment to watch. The overall Part 91 segment reported a 5.4% year-over-year increase. The most significant gains were reported by large cabin jets and midsize cabin jets, which each saw an increase of 7.3% and 6.1%, respectively. However, turboprops also saw a 5.1% year-over-year increase, while small cabin jets saw the smallest gain, recording a 4.4% jump. https://privatejetcardcomparisons.com/2025/10/06/argus-traqpak-reports-a-7-5-monthly-gain-in-september/ Airbus A320 ousts Boeing 737 as most-delivered jet in history PRAGUE, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Europe's Airbus broke a major commercial barrier on Tuesday when its A320 family of planes overtook the Boeing 737 to become the most-delivered jetliner in history. Boeing's decades-old record fell as a jet was delivered overnight to Saudi carrier Flynas, bringing deliveries to 12,260 since the A320 began service in 1988, according to benchmark data from UK-based consultancy Cirium, used across the industry. Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the data, tracked by aircraft supply analyst Rob Morris. Between them Boeing and Airbus have delivered more than 25,000 such jets, originally designed to feed large hubs and later widely adopted by low-cost carriers, which Airbus courted after Boeing cut output during a downturn in demand post-9/11. Airbus is already the world's largest planemaker by total annual deliveries, but the shattered ceiling in the narrow-body market caps a 40-year transatlantic battle for market share after early disagreements over strategy and the share of jobs between partner nations, France, Germany, Spain and Britain.DECADES OF TRANSATLANTIC RIVALRY The A320 was launched in 1984 at a time when many questioned whether Airbus would last another decade after painfully launching two wide-body jets. It first flew three years later. Airbus engineers in Toulouse, France, gambled on introducing fly-by-wire computer controls for the first time to a mainstream airliner, a pioneering technology that faced resistance from unions and some carriers but later became widely accepted. Airbus is now expanding production in the U.S. and China. Boeing set the standard for narrow-body aircraft production with its popular 737, first introduced in the 1960s, but plunged into crisis following fatal accidents in 2018 and 2019. The company is gradually restoring output under regulatory limits. The two plane giants are expected to introduce new models sometime next decade but both told the ISTAT conference in Prague on Monday they were unlikely to start development any time soon as they wait for advances in engine technology. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/airbus-a320-ousts-boeing-737-most-delivered-jet-history-2025-10-07/ Boeing's 777X was supposed to lead its comeback, but it has been delayed — again. This is why that's such a big deal. Boeing's 777X — which was initially set to debut in 2020 — is delayed yet again, Bloomberg reported. The latest delay pushes the timeline to 2027 and is expected to cost billions. With about 600 orders from airlines like Lufthansa and Emirates, much is riding on the new widebody. A lot is riding on Boeing's new 777X, the world's largest passenger plane in production. But it has been delayed — again. On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that the revolutionary jetliner, featuring folding wingtips and increased fuel economy compared to competitors, is now targeting a 2027 entry to service. That's seven years later than its original 2020 timeline. The outlet said German flag carrier and launch customer Lufthansa was removing the 777X from its 2026 fleet plan to account for the new delay, citing sources familiar with the program. More than a dozen airlines have placed about 600 orders for the twin-engine 777X. Boeing told Business Insider that it is unable to comment due to its pre-earnings quiet period. Lufthansa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The report comes after Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said at a September Morgan Stanley conference that certification issues were pushing the 777X further behind schedule, but he did not give exact timing. "Even a minor schedule delay on the 777 program has a pretty big financial impact," he said. Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu said in a Sunday note shared with BI that the latest delay could result in a $4 billion charge. Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia told BI on Monday that the "good news" is that this delay does not appear to be due to another technical issue, which contributed to Boeing's 2024 decision to delay the plane to 2026. "A lot of it seems to be due to factors that aren't in their control; FAA bandwidth worsened by a government shutdown," he said. Still, the latest setback is another blow to a company still recovering from the 737 Max crisis and raises further questions about Boeing's ability to engineer and certify new planes — especially since the 777X was supposed to lead Boeing's comeback. It's the planemaker's only next-generation widebody plane in production, and Boeing needs to prove its modified design was the right strategy over building a jet from scratch. But every new delay adds financial strain, erodes customer, passenger, and investor trust, forces airlines to absorb the extra costs of operating older planes, and hands Airbus another edge in long-haul market share. Boeing needs to prove it can safely update an old aircraft Unlike Airbus' A350, Boeing based the 777X on its classic 777-300ER but modified it to be larger and more efficient. The 777-300ER is Boeing's best-selling 777 variant, selling over 800 units since 2000. Key differences between the two 777 types are the size, engines, and wings. The new plane has wingtips that fold up to ensure it fits in the same gate space as the classic model. However, this makes safety testing highly complex and thorough — especially in a new regulatory era, where the FAA has tightened certification oversight and no longer allows Boeing to self-certify its planes as freely as it did before. Operationally, the 777X is similar to its predecessor — and that's by design. Its flight deck resembles that of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner — meaning pilots can jump between all aircraft with little extra training, and airports save on infrastructure costs. The 787 was Boeing's last completely new widebody plane, launched in 2004. While the Dreamliner is a cash cow with over 2,600 orders and about 1,200 delivered, the planemaker wasn't ready to invest in another challenging, time-consuming, and expensive clean-sheet widebody this time around. Still, the decision to maintain cockpit familiarity contributed to the failures of Boeing's 737 Max, as a new system that airlines were not clued into was responsible for crashing two planes in 2018 and 2019. Similar design flaws on its 777X could further jeopardize Boeing's chances of revival. The 777X needs the trust of key Middle Eastern customers Middle Eastern carriers Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad Airways make up the bulk of the 777X orders. Emirates has 205 on order, 35 of which are for the smaller 777-8 variant. Qatar and Etihad have ordered 124 and 25 777-9s, respectively. The 777X's size and efficiency make it a favorable choice for these carriers' strong hub-and-spoke networks, which rely on large planes to shuttle as many people as possible between cities at once. However, the ongoing 777X delays are bad for airlines relying on Boeing to fulfill their demand needs. The longer it remains in development, the longer these carriers have to fly old, costly widebodies — in Emirates' case, the Airbus A380 quad-jet. Emirates president Tim Clark has voiced his concern over the various 777X delays in recent years. He told BI in 2024 that the airline already made "significant and highly expensive" fleet adjustments to accommodate Boeing's "contractual shortfalls." However, Aerotime News reported that Clark told media at the 2025 International Air Transport Association Annual General Meeting in June that he was "cautiously optimistic" that Boeing would deliver its 777X to Emirates in "early 2027" and was pleased with Ortberg's "high degree of determination" in securing 777X certification. "The important thing is they get it out and it's certified to the rigours of the new Boeing approach to building aircraft, safety of operations, and all the quality controls that they were having difficulties with before that," he said. Aboulafia told BI on Monday that once the 777X hits the market, it will be a "nice enhancement to their financial picture." Boeing will continue to hand Airbus market share Another year's delay for the 777X means another year that Airbus can sell and deliver its rival A350. The popular plane, which was a clean-sheet design and outperforms the 777X in terms of price and range, has already secured over 1,400 orders from the likes of Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, and Singapore Airlines. It has delivered about 700. Emirates received its first A350 before its first 777X — a reverse of what was initially expected. Still, airlines appear to be willing to wait for the 777X. Despite being more expensive at up to $442 million, the Boeing widebody's cockpit familiarity and higher-capacity cabin are huge selling points against the A350. https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/boeings-777x-supposed-lead-comeback-220147080.html CALENDAR OF EVENTS . 2025 NBAA Single-Pilot Safety Standdown; Monday, Oct. 13 | 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; Las Vegas, NV . 2025 NBAA National Safety Forum, Tuesday, Oct. 14 – Wednesday, Oct. 15; Las Vegas, NV . Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC™) - 2025 – October 27-29th (Omaha, Nebraska) . 78TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT (IASS) - Lisbon, November 4–6 . 29th annual Bombardier Safety Standdown, November 11-13, 2025; Wichita, Kansas · CHC Safety & Quality Summit, 11th – 13th November 2025, Vancouver, BC Canada . 2026 ACSF Safety Symposium; April 7-9, 2026; ERAU Daytona Beach, FL . 2026 NBAA Maintenance Conference; May 5-7, 2026; New Orleans, LA . BASS 2026 - 71st Business Aviation Safety Summit - May 5-6, 2026 | Provo, Utah . The African Aviation Safety & Operations Summit - May 19-20 | Johannesburg, South Africa . Safeskies Australia - Australia’s renowned Aviation Safety Conference - Canberra Australia 20 and 21 May 2026 . 2026 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) Oct. 20-22, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV Curt Lewis