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Putzger Perspective: Aircraft production speed bumps

The US aviation sector is chomping at the bit, impatient to speed up approval processes and aircraft production. US Transportation Secretary Duffy is bent on slashing the time required to certify an aircraft, blaming the lengthy process for lack of innovation and investment in the aerospace sector. Without a change in pace, the US would be beaten by China, he warned. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been working on plans to streamline the process. Approving a new plane can take five or more years, during which it undergoes extensive testing and documentation. It took Boeing over eight ⁠years to get its 737 MAX 7 certified, and the certification of the 777X is nearly seven years behind Boeing's original schedule. Suppliers to plane manufacturers are also under the gun to up the tempo. At an industry event last month, Boeing's chief technology officer Lane Ballard urged suppliers in the aerospace sector to ramp up automation as the industry is moving away from the traditional "craftsman business" model. "Suppliers need to understand we've got to move away from craftsman thinking," he stressed. This comes from the company that gave the world the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System without telling anybody about it until it was found to have caused two Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people altogether. This was the reason why the FAA's approval process for Boeing's processes and aircraft slowed down sharply. Interestingly, Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg recently said the manufacturer needed more time to stabilise 737 output at 47 planes per month, noting that in-house wing production presented challenges. According to Ballard, the industry will need approximately 40,000 commercial aeroplanes over the next 20 years, which explains his sense of urgency. Boeing and Airbus are hobbled by extensive backlogs caused in large part by bottlenecks in critical component supplies, especially aircraft engines. The Wall Street Journal reported in late September that Boeing had identified a previously undisclosed 737 MAX software glitch that could cause an automated navigation feature to fail during landing. In the same month, Airbus revealed a "quality issue" in the fuselage structure of its A321neo affecting about 500 planes, stressing that it did not constitute a safety issue. During the summer, the plane maker slowed down output of its A330neo after a tool had been found in a plane's tail structure. Perhaps the industry should hang on to its "craftsman thinking" a bit longer.

Air France KLM Martinair to add Cairo as freighter link this winter

Announcing its 2026-27 winter network, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) is to serve a total of 14 freighter destinations, as well as fly cargo to 112 cities - including those offered by partner Delta - across the joint Franco-Dutch flag-carrier's passenger network during the Northern Hemisphere winter months. The group announced it is adding a new freighter connection to Cairo in Egypt, as well as introducing Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Malé in the Maldives as widebody bellyhold cargo connections to its winter network, which extends from 25 October to 27 March next year. The freight network is based on the carrier's two hubs at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The Egyptian capital will be served three times a week by Boeing 777F aircraft. And in another change to the all-cargo network, an Air France freighter will this winter fly to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI) instead of Mumbai (BOM), the connection operated by twice-weekly 777F flights. Meanwhile, the KLM/Martinair Boeing 747 freighter network will link Amsterdam to key markets across the Americas, Africa and Asia. In one change this winter, services to and from Seoul from/to Schiphol will operate three times a week, made up of one direct connection and two flights offering a Hong Kong link. Changes to the AFKLMP Cargo bellyhold network this winter from Paris Charles de Gaulle will see Punta Cana served three times a week by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from November, and Malé twice a week by Airbus A350-900 from December. Plus, seasonal services to Ottawa, Canada, and Barbados will also be restored. Joint venture partner Delta Cargo meanwhile offers cargo capacity on North Atlantic services to and from Europe. 'Demanding season' Said Pierre-Olivier Bandet, executive vice president cargo at Air France-KLM: "Winter is a demanding season for our customers, from the year-end peak to the flower season in the run-up to Valentine's Day. "We combine dedicated maindeck capacity with the reach of our widebody and European belly networks via Paris and Amsterdam." In addition, Bandet noted: "With our new services to Cairo, Punta Cana and Malé, we offer our customers reliable capacity, flexibility and more choice throughout the season." In other recent news from AFKLMP Cargo, it was confirmed last month (September) that the carrier had launched a vacuum lifting aid in its build-up and break-down operation at the KLM Cargo Hub at Schiphol in an effort to make cargo handling less physically demanding. The vacuum lifting aid from Swedish company LiftsAll supports employees in handling individual cargo boxes when breaking down pallets, significantly reducing the physical effort involved in lifting and moving cargo.

Suez return a major threat to carrier efforts to halt transpac spot rate slide

Teu-mile demand growth has regressed for the first time since January, reflecting a combination of blanked sailings by major carriers during China's Golden Week, increased newbuild vessel deliveries, and more ships returning to the Suez Canal on Asia-Europe routes. According to container shipping consultancy Linerlytica, several long-haul services have been cancelled in response to weaker Chinese export volumes during the week-long holiday that began on 1 October. The blanked sailings are concentrated on Asia-US East Coast and Asia-Europe trades. Linerlytica said: "The return to the Suez route poses the biggest threat to carrier efforts to reverse the rate slide on the Asia-Europe route that have persisted for the past three months. "All carriers are making a concerted rate push from the end of October, with MSC among the latest to announce new Asia-North Europe FAK (freight all kinds) rates from 19 October of $3,150 per teu and $4,500 per 40ft." Rates on that trade have fallen around 60% since July as the early peak-season momentum faded. On 2 October, the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index showed prices at $2,199 per teu, and $3,378 per 40ft. Meanwhile, deliveries of new container vessels have accelerated after the usual summer lull. Nearly 200,000 teu of new capacity arrived last month, against no vessels demolished, adding further pressure to market capacity. Linerlytica said its market barometer had now moved into negative territory, with shipping activity expected to remain subdued over the next two weeks. The faster-than-expected resumption of Suez Canal transits, however, remains the biggest obstacle to carrier efforts to support and increase freight rates. ONE has become the latest major carrier to resume Suez Canal operations, following CMA CGM, Maersk, MSC, Hapag-Lloyd, and Cosco/OOCL. The 8,110 teu ONE Continuity, on the Japanese carrier's South-east Asia-North Europe service, is scheduled to transit the Suez Canal later this month, after leaving Thailand's Laem Chabang Port on 17 October. Other members of the Premier Alliance have yet to follow, still citing security concerns. At the same time, cargo demand continues to weaken, adding further pressure to an already challenging container shipping market.