News within aviation and aerospace engineering has been quite prominent over the last month, in light of the Lion Air 610 and Ethiopian Airlines 302 crashes. Aside from the tragic circumstances surrounding these two crashes, the global orders of the Boeing 737 Max have been reviewed by many airlines. This has lead to some unknown direction in regards to the future of the new generation of fuel-efficient MAX aircraft from Boeing, in addition to the production of Airbus A320 aircraft.
To read more about the factors affecting the aircraft manufacturing industry, including trade wars, low-cost fuel and the uncertainty of Brexit, follow the link here.
In further news, a US Senate Committee is planning a hearing on the 27th March on aviation safety. The committee will also schedule a meeting with Boeing and other aerospace manufacturers. You can read more about this news here
Finally, Boeing has decided to delay its first uncrewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS) by at least three months. This was scheduled under NASA’s human spaceflight program. Reuters reported in February that NASA has warned Boeing and rival contractor SpaceX of design and safety concerns the companies need to address before flying humans to space.
Boeing’s first test flight was scheduled for April but it has been pushed to August. The new schedule means that Boeing’s crewed mission, initially scheduled for August, will be delayed until at least November. You can read more about this news here