Southern Air Transport Landing Causes Airport Closure

SEATTLE, Feb. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced that UPS will expand its Boeing’s Airplane Health Management (AHM) coverage to include its MD-11 Freighter fleet, in addition to the 747-400 Freighter fleet, which already utilizes AHM. AHM is an information-driven system that helps airlines better prepare and manage unscheduled maintenance events.

The expanded agreement covers 38 MD-11 Freighters and 13 747-400 Freighter and Boeing Converted Freighter airplanes.

“AHM allows aircraft maintenance personnel to be prepared to work unexpected aircraft exceptions when the aircraft arrives and will greatly streamline our operation,” said Warren Johnson, vice president, Maintenance and Engineering, UPS Airlines.
“This will help increase the fleet’s on-time performance which is a great benefit to our customers,” said Mitch Nichols, UPS Airlines president.

The large UPS freighters will feature the AHM Real Time Fault Management Module, which communicates in-flight information to ground stations for diagnosis and real-time operational decisions, using troubleshooting and historical fix success data. The airline uses this information to organize any needed maintenance operations and position the necessary people, parts and equipment.

“Airlines need to have their aircraft generating revenue, so maintenance efficiency is an important initiative,” said Dennis Floyd, vice president of Fleet Services for Commercial Aviation Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “AHM delivers relevant information whenever and wherever it is needed while the airplane is still en route.”
Airplane Health Management works through the MyBoeingFleet.com portal. Alerts and notifications are delivered to airline personnel through the Internet, fax, personal digital assistants, e-mail and pager services.

Airplane Health Management is a key component in Boeing’s larger vision of the e-enabled airline, where information technology, connectivity and strategic integration promise greater efficiency and improved airline operations.

UPS is the world’s largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain and freight services. With more than a century of experience in transportation and logistics, UPS is a leading global trade expert equipped with a broad portfolio of solutions. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and can be found on the Web at UPS.com.

SEATTLE, Oct. 27 — Boeing and Dubai-based flydubai today celebrated delivery of the first Next-Generation 737 with the new, passenger-inspired Boeing Sky Interior.

“The superior passenger experience of this exciting new interior is the result of many years’ work by Boeing employees and suppliers,” said Beverly Wyse, 737 vice president and general manager. “Our airline customers will draw value from the many practical improvements we have made in the new design.”

Since the Next-Generation 737 was introduced in 1997, customers have taken advantage of continuous improvements to this best-selling airplane that have made it ever more efficient, reliable and passenger-friendly. Boeing Sky Interior is the latest in a series of improvements to the airplane. The next to come will be a package of performance improvements that will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 2 percent – making the airplane a full 7 percent more efficient than the first Next-Generation 737 delivered. The performance improvements to the airframe and engine are beginning certification test soon, and will be fully in service by early 2012.

With the new 737 Boeing Sky Interior, airlines will welcome their passengers into a cabin featuring modern, sculpted sidewalls and window reveals. The ingenious design of the new, larger stow bins allows them to accommodate even more bags than before, while taking up less space in the cabin. The innovative assist mechanism of the new bins gives easy access, and as they pivot up and out of the way, there is much more headroom around the aisle seats and a greater sense of space in the cabin.

Airlines will select from different lighting schemes that range from a welcoming, soft blue overhead sky simulation to a calm, relaxing, pallet of sunset colors.

LEDs (light emitting diodes) are brighter and replace incandescent signage, attendant and halogen reading lights. With an estimated 40,000 hours between replacements, LEDs last 10 times longer than the previous standard of lights.

Other features that passengers particularly will appreciate are a quieter cabin, intuitive placement of switches and call buttons, and improved sound quality and clarity through new speakers in each passenger row.

“We are very proud to be the first to offer our passengers an enhanced onboard experience with the brand new Boeing Sky Interior,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai. “We have achieved much in our first 16 months of service and will continue to bring our passengers the best product offerings on one of the newest 737 fleets in service.” The airplane, a Next-Generation 737-800, will enter service in November.

A total of 46 airlines and leasing companies have ordered the 737 Boeing Sky Interior for more than 1,200 of their airplanes. flydubai is the first of five airlines that will receive Next-Generation 737s with the new interior this year.