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CHICAGO, — United Airlines today became the first U.S. airline to offer customers the ability to scan their passports to check in for international flights via their iOS and Android mobile devices. United is offering customers the opportunity to use passport scanning functionality on the airline’s mobile app as the carrier completes testing.

Customers may access the passport scanning feature when checking in for international flights in the 24 hours before departure. After initiating the app’s check-in feature, customers will have the option of verifying their existing stored passport data or scanning their passport. The app uses the mobile device’s camera feature to capture travelers’ passports, similar to a mobile banking deposit. Jumio Inc., a credentials management company, will then verify the passport for additional security. Once the verification process is complete, customers may obtain a boarding pass. Customers requiring additional travel documentation, such as visas, will continue to check in at the airport.

“We are focused on building the most useful travel app in the industry for our customers,” said Scott Wilson, United’s vice president of merchandising and ecommerce. “The new passport scanning feature saves valuable time and provides customers with more options to control their travel experience.”

United will collect feedback during the testing phase of passport scanning functionality with the goal of further improving the product and launching additional customer-friendly features utilizing this technology.

Last year, United launched its all-new mobile app, and since then more than 13 million customers have downloaded it. CIO Magazine recently selected United as a recipient of its prestigious CIO 100 Award, recognizing the airline’s commitment to improving the customer experience with mobile technology. Later this year, United will begin to introduce its all-new united.com website, providing customers a simplified, clearer and faster user experience.

In 2007, United became the first U.S. airline to introduce mobile boarding passes, and it is the first U.S. carrier to offer mobile boarding at all 214 domestic airports it serves. United currently offers mobile boarding at 54 international airports, more than any other U.S.-based carrier.

About United
United Airlines and United Express operate an average of more than 5,200 flights a day to 374 airports across six continents. In 2013, United and United Express operated nearly two million flights carrying 139 million customers. With hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates more than 700 mainline aircraft and, in 2014, will take delivery of 35 new Boeing aircraft, including the 787-9 as the North American launch customer, and will welcome 32 new Embraer 175 aircraft to United Express. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 192 countries via 27 member airlines. More than 85,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United’s parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today issued new standards to strengthen safety conditions for the shipment of lithium cells and batteries. These changes, some of which focus specifically on shipments by air, will better ensure that lithium cells and batteries are able to withstand normal transportation conditions and are packaged to reduce the possibility of damage that could lead to an unsafe situation.

“Safety is our number one priority, and this rule provides an additional layer of protection to the shipment of lithium batteries, which we all depend on daily to power our phones and our laptops,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Today’s standards are part of our ongoing work to improve safety for all travelers, including those who travel with or ship lithium batteries.”

The Department’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) developed this rule in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Voluntary compliance is encouraged upon publication of the final rule; however mandatory compliance is effective six months after publication.

The rule will also provide a greater level of consistency with international standards, including the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by air.

“Our continuing efforts to harmonize U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations with international standards improve consistency in procedures and terminology when shipping lithium batteries around the globe,” noted PHMSA Administrator Cynthia L. Quarterman.

The final rule will:
Enhance packaging and hazard communication requirements for lithium batteries transported by air;
Replace equivalent lithium content with Watt-hours for lithium ion cells and batteries;
Adopt separate shipping descriptions for lithium metal batteries and lithium ion batteries;
Revise provisions for the transport of small and medium lithium cells and batteries including cells and batteries packed with, or contained in, equipment;
Revise the requirements for the transport of lithium batteries for disposal or recycling;
Harmonize the provisions for the transport of low production and prototype lithium cells and batteries with the ICAO Technical Instructions and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code; and
Adopt new provisions for the transport of damaged, defective, and recalled lithium batteries.

PHMSA develops and enforces regulations for the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation’s 2.6 million mile pipeline transportation system and the nearly one million daily shipments of hazardous materials by land, sea, and air. Please visit www.phmsa.dot.gov for more information.

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOW, ENGLAND – Bell Helicopter and TRU Simulation + Training, both Textron Inc. companies, (NYSE: TXT), announced an agreement for TRU to complete the design, development, manufacturing, installation, testing and certification of the Bell 525 Level D Full Flight Simulator (FFS).

The FFS will be certified to FAA Level D, as well as EASA/JAA Level D. TRU will employ its ODYSSEY™ H FFS simulator product, which utilizes TRU’s state-of-the-art Ultra High Definition Visual System with 240 degree horizontal by 80 degree vertical field of view Visual Display, in the design and development of the Bell 525 FFS. The ODYSSEY H is capable of meeting EASA and FAA Level D helicopter certifications. The simulator is designed especially for the unique training requirements and needs of the helicopter pilot.

“Our company includes service as a trusted high fidelity rotorcraft simulation and training partner to the military for more than two decades,” explained TRU Simulation + Training President and CEO Jim Takats. “It’s exciting for our team to apply that expertise to the civil market by meeting the training needs of operators of this game-changing Bell Helicopter platform.”

TRU will use the Bell 525 design and components to develop and deliver a flight compartment which is an exact duplicate of the Bell 525 cockpit, forward of the anti-torque pedals to aft of the pilots’ seats. All controls, panels, instruments, avionics, equipment and furnishings will be identical in appearance, feel, location and operation to those of the actual aircraft. It will respond exactly like the aircraft in all flight conditions, as well as accurately simulate instrument readings and malfunctions and enable them to be addressed through normal and emergency procedures.

“We are pleased to be collaborating with TRU in the development and production of the Bell 525 FFS,” said Eric Cardinali, executive vice president, Bell Helicopter Customer Support and Services. “Their expertise in aviation simulation and training solutions is a perfect complement to Bell Helicopter’s own industry-leading training capabilities.”

The simulator will be built at TRU’s facility in Tampa, Fla., and is expected to be fully operational in Q1 2016, to coincide with the certification timeline for the actual aircraft.

“We have kept the customer in mind throughout the FFS development process,” continued Cardinali. “The timing of the simulator installation and certification is such that operators can enroll in training and be certified to fly the aircraft by the time they take delivery.”

TRU Simulation + Training was formed in April out of three legacy companies – Mechtronix Inc. and OPINICUS Corporation that were acquired by Textron late last year, and a portion of the former AAI Logistics & Technical Services.

About TRU Simulation + Training Inc
TRU Simulation + Training Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, delivers innovative solutions to the civil and military markets while providing the superior technical support and customer service. Headquartered in Goose Creek, S.C., the company is known for its Air Transport Simulation, Business & Military Simulation, Mission & Maintenance Training, and Training Centers & Services.

About Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell’s global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.

About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit http://www.textron.com.

ATLANTA, — Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced it will begin offering free entertainment options on all of its domestic aircraft and two-cabin regional jets beginning on Aug. 1.

The move is the most far-reaching effort by an airline to provide hit movies, popular television shows, music and video games for free. With the introduction of Delta Studio and the airline’s investments to update the interiors of its aircraft, Delta is setting the standard for customers when it comes to free entertainment across more than 1,000 aircraft.

All Delta customers, in every class of service on flights longer than one and a half hours, will have access to a selection of free entertainment options, either at their seat or through their laptops, mobile and tablet devices. Free entertainment options are available on flights with seat-back entertainment systems or on demand video streaming onboard Delta’s Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft.

“Through the introduction of Delta Studio our customers have yet another reason to choose Delta and a different travel experience,” said Tim Mapes, senior vice president – Marketing. “Delta continues to be driven by customer feedback which has consistently placed the desire to be entertained at the top of the list of ways to improve our customers’ time in the air.”

Delta customers seated in BusinessElite, First Class and Economy Comfort will have free, unrestricted access to in-flight entertainment on all international flights worldwide. Customers traveling in economy on all international flights will also have access to free content. Delta completed installation of seat-back entertainment systems on its international fleet in 2013.

Customers traveling on domestic flights in BusinessElite, First Class and Economy Comfort will have free access to all in-flight entertainment. Domestic economy customers will have access to free content which includes all of Delta’s live satellite TV channels, music selections and game options through seat-back entertainment systems as well as movie or TV selections such as ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ or ‘Frozen’ on seat-back systems in August as well as streaming content through in-flight Wi-Fi.

Additional premium content will be available for purchase in economy including the latest movie titles such as ‘Need for Speed’ or ‘Rio 2,’ HBO and SHOWTIME programming as well as on-demand TV shows like ‘About a Boy’ or ‘The Middle.’ Delta’s full entertainment line-up for the month of August is available in Sky magazine.

Seat-back In-flight Entertainment
Delta offers 18 channels of live satellite TV on select aircraft and up to 250 movies, hundreds of TV shows, 2,300 songs and a selection of games on aircraft with seat-back entertainment systems. Delta is the only U.S. carrier to offer personal, on-demand entertainment at every seat on all long-haul international flights.

Delta has 140 domestic aircraft with seat-back entertainment systems installed and recently announced that it will be updating more of its domestic narrowbody aircraft through 2016. These fleet interior modifications will add seat-back entertainment to 56 Boeing 757-200, 43 Boeing 737-800s and 57 Airbus A319 aircraft. Additionally, more than 100 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft are already scheduled to be delivered with seat-back entertainment through 2018.

In-flight streaming through onboard Wi-Fi
Customers traveling on any domestic Delta or Delta Connection two-cabin aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi will be able to stream free movies and TV options directly to their mobile devices while in flight by using Gogo’s video player app. The Fly Delta app will include an integrated player for iOS devices. Customers who have downloaded the app before their flight can easily access streamed content from Delta aircraft for playback while in-flight.

With more than 900 domestic and international aircraft equipped with in-flight Wi-Fi, Delta operates the world’s largest fleet of internet connected aircraft available to more than 400,000 customers on more than 4,000 flights daily. Delta’s in-flight connectivity continues to expand with the installation of the service on its international fleet. All Boeing 777, 767, 747, Airbus A330 and transoceanic Boeing 757 aircraft are scheduled for completion by the end of 2015, bringing the total number of Wi-Fi connected aircraft in Delta’s fleet to more than 1,000.

Artist Spotlight and Billboard Partnership
In June, Delta also launched its new music discovery platform for popular and emerging artists called Delta Artist Spotlight. The monthly program kicked off with newcomer Sam Smith and his debut album, ‘In The Lonely Hour’ by introducing his music to millions of passengers through overhead music during boarding and deplaning as well as offering custom content selections for aircraft equipped with seat-back entertainment systems. July featured Scottish electronic band Chvrches and Canadian-born songstress Kiezsa will be highlighted in the month of August.

Delta launched an industry-first partnership with Billboard in July to provide new ergonomically designed earbuds on flights more than 250 miles that feature seat-back and overhead entertainment. As one of the world’s most influential music brands, Billboard brings a new level of expertise to the redesigned earbuds resulting in better sound quality and improved comfort. The earbuds are complimentary for all customers traveling on all international flights as well as flights between New York and Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle. Customers seated in domestic economy or Economy Comfort can purchase the earbuds for $2.

Images of Delta’s in-flight entertainment systems are available at news.delta.com:

A330 Economy In-Flight Entertainment
747 Economy In-flight entertainment
737 Economy In-Flight Entertainment
777 BusinessElite In-flight Entertainment
Delta has invested billions of dollars in the customer experience, including updating interiors with more baggage space and access to power on 225 of its domestic narrowbody aircraft and building a new Terminal 4 at New York-JFK and the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal in Atlanta. Delta has also spent more than $100 million to expand, renovate and consolidate terminals C and D at New York-LaGuardia Airport and opened a Sky Deck at Delta Sky Clubs in New York-JFK and Atlanta in 2013. Additionally, customers have seen Delta’s investment in its more than 45 Delta Sky Clubs throughout the system, power recharging stations at dozens of airports, and continued updates to the Fly Delta app including features such as integrated baggage tracking and mobile check-in. Customers can see a complete overview of Delta’s ongoing updates to its products with the Delta Fleet Sheet on Facebook.

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 165 million customers each year. This year, Delta was named the 2014 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine and was named to FORTUNE magazine’s 50 Most Admired Companies, in addition to being named the most admired airline for the third time in four years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 333 destinations in 64 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry’s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a newly formed joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta’s blog takingoff.delta.com.

FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom, — Boeing (NYSE: BA) marked 40 years as an exhibitor at the Farnborough International Airshow this week by highlighting its innovative, efficient commercial airplanes and its advanced defense capabilities.

Boeing announced a new 200-seat 737 MAX 8 option that will give airlines up to 11 more seats of revenue. This latest addition to Boeing’s comprehensive product and services line-up will deliver 20 percent fuel-consumption savings compared to today’s Next-Generation 737.

Boeing also announced new details about the interior of the 777X. The new model will build on the award-winning interior of today’s 777 and apply 787 Dreamliner cabin innovations: higher cabin humidity, windows more than 15 percent larger and a cabin that is 16 inches (40.6 cm) wider than the competition, allowing airlines a variety of economy class seat widths.

Boeing unveiled its new Maritime Surveillance Aircraft at Farnborough. The aircraft, based on a Bombardier Challenger 605 business jet, will provide customers with maritime and overland surveillance, anti-piracy, coastal security and search-and-rescue capabilities.

Boeing signed a memorandum of collaboration with Paramount Group to jointly develop defense and security opportunities in key international markets. Paramount Group is Africa’s largest privately owned defense and aerospace business.

Customers demonstrated their strong confidence in the family of Boeing commercial products, announcing orders and commitments for 201 Boeing airplanes valued at more than $40.2 billion at list prices. Additional orders announced this week will be posted today on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website, bringing the number of net orders for 2014 to 783.

“Over 40 years of exhibiting at Farnborough, Boeing has consistently demonstrated its commitment and drive to innovate and develop game-changing products, equipment and services across the commercial and defense sectors,” said Charlie Miller, vice president of International Communications. “Farnborough 2014 was filled with excitement and enthusiasm among our customers, partners and suppliers and strong endorsement of our product line with commercial orders that bring our tally this year to 783.”

Boeing products flying at the show include the new 787-9 Dreamliner, the P-8A Poseidon — a military derivative of the company’s Next-Generation 737-800 — and the multi-role F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter.

Two aircraft from the Boeing-Royal Aeronautical Society “Schools Build a Plane Challenge” will arrive at the show later today. This initiative provides young people in UK secondary schools with the opportunity to learn new skills by building an operational light aircraft from a kit. The two airplanes are scheduled to participate in the flying display on Friday and remain on static display for the public demonstration events.

www.boeing.com

The FAA has lifted its restrictions on U.S. airline flights into and out of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport by cancelling a Notice to Airmen it renewed earlier today. The cancellation is effective at approximately 11:45 p.m. EDT.

Before making this decision, the FAA worked with its U.S. government counterparts to assess the security situation in Israel and carefully reviewed both significant new information and measures the Government of Israel is taking to mitigate potential risks to civil aviation.

The FAA’s primary mission and interest are the protection of people traveling on U.S. airlines. The agency will continue to closely monitor the very fluid situation around Ben Gurion Airport and will take additional actions, as necessary.

The FAA initially instituted the flight prohibition on Tuesday, July 22, in response to a rocket strike that landed approximately one mile from the airport.

At 12:15 EDT on July 22, 2014, the FAA issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) informing U.S. airlines that they are prohibited from flying to or from Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport for a period of up to 24 hours. The notice was issued in response to a rocket strike which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport on the morning of July 22, 2014. The NOTAM applies only to U.S. operators, and has no authority over foreign airlines operating to or from the airport.
The FAA immediately notified U.S. carriers when the agency learned of the rocket strike and informed them that the agency was finalizing a NOTAM.
The FAA will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation. Updated instructions will be provided to U.S. airlines as soon as conditions permit, but no later than 24 hours from the time the NOTAM went into force.

The text of the NOTAM reads:
!FDC 4/3630 ZZZ PART 1 OF 2 SECURITY ISRAEL POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION—ISRAEL AIRSPACE DUE TO THE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION CREATED BY THE ARMED CONFLICT IN ISRAEL AND GAZA, ALL FLIGHT OPERATIONS TO/FROM BEN GURION INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LLBG) BY U.S. OPERATORS ARE PROHIBITED UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. A. APPLICABILITY. THIS NOTAM APPLIES TO ALL U.S. AIR CARRIERS OR COMMERCIAL OPERATORS, ALL PERSONS EXERCISING THE PRIVILEGES OF AN AIRMAN CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE FAA EXCEPT SUCH PERSONS OPERATING U.S.-REGISTERED AIRCRAFT FOR A FOREIGN AIR CARRIER, AND ALL OPERATORS OF AIRCRAFT REGISTERED IN THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT WHERE THE OPERATOR OF SUCH AIRCRAFT IS A FOREIGN AIR CARRIER. B. PERMITTED OPERATIONS. THIS NOTAM DOES NOT PROHIBIT PERSONS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH A FROM CONDUCTING FLIGHT OPERATIONS WITHIN THE TERRITORY AND AIRSPACE OF ISRAEL WHEN SUCH OPERATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED EITHER BY ANOTHER AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE FAA OR BY AN EXEMPTION ISSUED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR. 1407221615-1407231615EST END PART 1 OF 2

!FDC 4/3630 ZZZ PART 2 OF 2 SECURITY OPERATORS SHOULD CALL THE DOMESTIC EVENTS NETWORK (DEN) AT 202-493-5107 FOR AUTHORIZATION. C. EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. IN AN EMERGENCY THAT REQUIRES IMMEDIATE DECISION AND ACTION FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF AN AIRCRAFT MAY DEVIATE FROM THIS NOTAM TO THE EXTENT REQUIRED BY THAT EMERGENCY. THIS NOTAM WILL BE UPDATED WITHIN 24 HOURS, OPERATORS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR U.S. NOTAMS FOR CHANGES OR UPDATES. 1407221615-1407231615EST END PART 2 OF 2

Statement By Malaysian Prime Minister: Yesterday evening, I was informed of the terrible and deeply shocking news that a Malaysia Airlines jet went down in eastern Ukraine.

Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that the jet was Malaysia Airlines flight 17, which was on a scheduled flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

The flight departed Amsterdam at 12.15pm, local time. It was scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 6.10 am, local, Malaysian time.

The aircraft was a Boeing 777-200.

The aircraft’s flight route was declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

And International Air Transportation Association has stated that the airspace the aircraft was traversing was not subject to restrictions.

Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that the aircraft did not make a distress call.

The flight was carrying a total number of 295 people – comprising 280 passengers and 15 crew members.

Malaysia Airlines is in the process of notifying the next-of-kin of the passengers and crew. All possible care will be provided to the next-of-kin.

The Government of Malaysia is dispatching a special flight to Kiev, carrying a Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, as well as a medical team.

According to information provided by Kiev Air Traffic Control, the location of the plane’s emergency locator beacon is 48 degrees 7 minutes and 23 seconds North; and 38 degrees 31 minutes and 33 seconds East.

The Ukrainian authorities believe that the plane was shot down.

At this early stage, however, Malaysia is unable to verify the cause of this tragedy.

But we must – and we will – find out precisely what happened to this flight.

No stone can be left unturned.

If it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down, we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice.

Emergency operations centres have been established. In the last few hours, Malaysian officials have been in constant contact with their counterparts in Ukraine and elsewhere.

And I will be speaking to a number of world leaders over the coming hours.

I have had several conversations with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

I have also spoken to the President of Ukraine. He has pledged that there will be a full, thorough and independent investigation, and Malaysian officials will be invited to take part.

The Ukrainian president also confirmed that his government will negotiate with rebels in the east of the country, in order to establish a humanitarian corridor to the crash site.

Just now, I received a call from President Obama.

He and I both agreed that the investigation must not be hindered in anyway.

An international team must have full access to the crash site.

And no one should interfere with the area, or move any debris, including the black box.

This is a tragic day, in what has already been a tragic year, for Malaysia.

As we work to understand what happened, our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those onboard the flight.

I cannot imagine what they must be going through at this painful time.

The flight’s passengers and crew came from many different countries.

But today, regardless of nationality, we are all united in grief.

Malaysia Airlines confirms it received notification from Ukrainian ATC that it had lost contact with flight MH17 at 1415 (GMT) at 30km from Tamak waypoint, approximately 50km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Flight MH17 operated on a Boeing 777 departed Amsterdam at 12.15pm (Amsterdam local time) and was estimated to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 6.10 am (Malaysia local time) the next day.

The flight was carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew onboard.

With immediate effect, all European flights operated by Malaysia Airlines will be taking alternative routes avoiding the usual route.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was on a scheduled flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur went down in eastern Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines confirms that the aircraft did not make a distress call.

The usual flight route was earlier declared safe by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. International Air Transportation Association has stated that the airspace the aircraft was traversing was not subject to restrictions.

As opposed to the earlier statement, the flight was carrying a total number of 298 people – comprising 283 passengers including three infants of various nationalities and 15 crew of Malaysian nationality. Some of the nationalities of the passengers are yet to be determined.

List of number of passengers and crew according to nationality are as follows:-

Nationality

Total

Netherlands

154

Malaysia

43 (including 15 crew & 2 infants)

Australia

27

Indonesia

12 (including 1 infant)

United Kingdom

9

Germany

4

Belgium

4

Philippines

3

Canada

1

Unverified

41

Total

298

Malaysia Airlines is in the process of notifying the next-of-kin of the passengers and crew.

Our focus now is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilize its full support to provide all possible care to the next-of-kin. Malaysia Airlines is deploying its “Go Team” to Amsterdam with a group of caregivers and volunteers to assist the family members of the passengers.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members.

The airline will provide regular updates on the situation.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced a final rule that expands the Department of Transportation’s current requirement that air carriers report incidents involving the loss, injury or death of an animal during air transport to the Department. The rule will become effective on January 1, 2015.

“This rule will provide consumers with a fuller picture of an airline’s safety record when it comes to transporting animals,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Consumers deserve clear and accurate information when choosing among air transportation options.”

The final rule will expand the reporting requirement from U.S carriers that account for at least one percent of domestic scheduled passenger revenue to include all U.S. carriers that operate scheduled service with at least one aircraft with a design capacity of more than 60 seats. It will also expand the definition of “animal” to include all cats and dogs transported by the carrier, regardless of whether the cat or dog is transported as a pet by its owner or as part of a commercial shipment, such as being shipped by a breeder. The previous version of the rule did not apply to breeder shipments.

In addition, the revised rule will require for the first time that all covered carriers file a calendar-year report that will include the total number of animals transported in the calendar year as well as the total number of animals that were lost, injured, or died during air transport in the calendar year, if any.

DOT publishes the reports it receives on incidents involving the loss, injury, or death of animals during air transportation in its monthly Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR), which is publically available at www.dot.gov/airconsumer. The copies of the incident reports that appear in ATCR are redacted to remove identifying information about individuals, including the owner of the pet. DOT also forwards the reports to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which enforces the Animal Welfare Act.

The final rule is available at http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2014-15503_PI.pdf.

ATLANTA, – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today issued the following statement on the recent report by the Government Accountability Office on widebody aircraft financing by the U.S. Export-Import Bank:

“The GAO’s recent study illustrates why the Export-Import Bank is in need of reform: The Bank devotes too much of its funds to finance wide-body jets purchased by foreign competitors of U.S. airlines and supports too many foreign airlines that simply don’t need the help. As the GAO found, the Bank provides foreign airlines – many of which are owned by their host governments and can obtain financing on their own – with U.S. taxpayer funded subsidies totaling as much as $20 million per aircraft. That subsidy puts our own airline industry at a competitive disadvantage and it’s why Delta believes it’s now time to end the Bank’s practice of helping creditworthy, state-owned and -supported foreign carriers purchase wide-body aircraft at the expense of U.S. airlines and American jobs.”

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 165 million customers each year. This year, Delta was named the 2014 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine and was named to FORTUNE magazine’s 50 Most Admired Companies, in addition to being named the most admired airline for the third time in four years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 333 destinations in 64 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry’s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a newly formed joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta’s blog takingoff.delta.com.

BETHESDA, Md., – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that it will freeze its salaried defined benefit pension plan and transition employees to an enhanced defined contribution retirement plan. The change will take effect in a two-step approach, beginning on January 1, 2016 with the freeze of pay-based benefits and concluding with the freeze of service-based benefits on January 1, 2020. The company expects that the plan will be fully frozen effective January 1, 2020.

When the freeze is complete, the majority of Lockheed Martin salaried employees, including approximately 25,000 not in the pension plan, will have transitioned to a retirement plan that offers up to 10 percent of employees’ salary annually in company contributions.

While the salaried pension plan was closed to new participants in 2006, approximately 48,000 employees of Lockheed Martin’s 113,000 employees are participating. An additional 250,000 retirees and former employees are in the plan.

Retirees already collecting benefits and former employees with a vested benefit will not be affected by the change. Current and former employees will also keep all benefits already earned in their pension plan to date.
The company expects that these changes will have no impact on second quarter 2014 earnings results. Full year 2014 estimates for pension expense calculated under Financial Accounting Standards will be updated and communicated when the company reports second quarter results on July 22, 2014.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 113,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

Seoul, Korea, – The Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific/World Annual General Assembly (WAGA) 2014 concluded today in Seoul, Korea after three successful days that included a robust conference programme; a fully subscribed Safety Symposium; an at-capacity World Human Resources Forum; a lively exhibition; and ample networking opportunities at a variety of social events. Graciously hosted by Incheon International Airport, this year’s event set a record for the highest number of attendees at any WAGA outside of North America, underscoring its importance as the premier event of the calendar year for worldwide airports.

During the Annual General Assembly today, Director General of ACI World Angela Gittens noted the importance of this year’s theme, “Airports: Serving the customer and the community,” to the continued growth of airports specifically and the aviation industry in general. She noted that to achieve our collective goals, collaboration among industry stakeholders is key.

“Collaboration extends our reach and makes more progress possible,” Gittens said. “We are stronger together, but we would not be seen as valuable allies if we were not seen as capable of providing solutions—if we were not seen as having high standards and were not committed to achieving them. This is where the community of airports—the promotion of excellence—comes to the fore. A big advantage that we have as airport operators is the willingness to help each other, even in this era of more competition. We know that weakness anywhere hurts our system and ultimately hurts each of us.”

Gittens framed her discussion with an update on the state of the industry. In spite of worldwide economic uncertainty and political instability in many countries in 2013, airports accommodated over 6 billion passengers, with both passenger and cargo traffic growing at faster rates than the previous year, indicating signs of a subdued recovery. Passenger traffic grew at 4.8% versus 4.4% in 2012 and cargo, although still sluggish, nearly hit the 1% growth mark, at 0.9% versus 0.5% in 2012. Movements, on the other hand, grew at practically the same rate as the previous year at 0.7%.

“The Middle East and Asia took the lead in both passenger and cargo growth,” Gittens explained. “Although Asia-Pacific only grew 2.1% in cargo, it managed to pull the rest of the world into positive territory due to the fact that it handles 38% of the world’s total cargo throughput.”

The industry as a whole was profitable in 2013, posting a net profit margin of 13%. Nonetheless, industry profitability is primarily generated from the 20% of airports that carry the bulk of passenger traffic. In fact, 67% of airports globally operate at a net loss and 80% of airports with fewer than a million passengers posted an average net loss of 6%. Furthermore, airports with fewer than one million passengers had a return on invested capital of -1.1%.

Gittens then went on to outline the considerable advancements that ACI has made on behalf of airports over the past year:

A corner has been turned in ICAO relations
“At the ICAO Triennial Assembly, which was held in October of last year, ACI members and staff from all Regions contributed their time and expertise on the Working Groups, Panels and Conferences that constitute the ICAO policy-development process,” Gittens explained.

ACI has become a valued industry collaborator
“Other industry players increasingly see airports and ACI as valued collaborators,” Gittens said. “This philosophy culminated in our first-ever Memorandum of Understanding with the International Air Transport Association [IATA] last October. The MoU is followed by annexes in which ACI and IATA have agreed to work on specific activities, including cooperation on ground handling best practices; automated border control; improvement of existing passenger security processes; and the joint Smart Security initiative.”

Safety remains the top priority
“ACI has embraced the direct, hands-on approach embodied in the Airport Excellence [APEX] in Safety programme,” Gittens told attendees. “We have had airports go on to achieve certification after having had an APEX in Safety peer review. We have also had airports that are already certified request peer reviews on their journey of continuous improvement. It is a programme for all airports in all parts of the world.”

The importance of a sound environmental track record
“The ACI Europe Airport Carbon Accreditation programme now reaches three regions and covers 21% of worldwide passenger traffic and 76% of European passenger traffic,” Gittens said. “We can expect that the programme will ultimately be available in every region. We also hope to get data from the users of the Airport Carbon and Emissions Reporting Tool (ACERT), the Transport Canada-developed programme designed for smaller airports that can also serve as an entry level to the Carbon Accreditation programme.”

The ASQ programme continues a strong tradition
“ACI has selected a new service provider to operate the programme starting in 2015 and we have established an ASQ Programme Steering Group so that the programme stays in better touch with member needs as they evolve,” Gittens explained. “Passenger Service benchmarking is our longest-running programme, spanning ten years of objective customer service evaluation.”

A focus on knowledge sharing
“Our training programme goes from strength to strength, and we now have 14 training centers; last year we delivered 124 classroom courses with over 2,000 students and nearly 12,000 hours of online coursework,” Gittens said. “Eight new courses were launched to meet a range of training needs for airports large and small, and we have increased our language capabilities.”

ACI Board approves resolutions conceived to help move the industry forward
Related to the above areas of concentration, the ACI Board of Directors approved resolutions related to continued cooperation with industry stakeholders; affirming the commitment to safety as airports’ top priority; the importance of promoting diversity to meet the demand for the next generation of airport professionals; the public affirmation of the community of airports concept and the airport industry’s commitment to help all airports achieve high standards of safety, security and sustainability; and ACI’s continuing provision of the data needed to assist airports in meeting and exceeding passenger expectations.

This news is courtesy of www.aci.aero

SÃO JOSÉ DOS CAMPOS, BRAZIL, – Boeing [NYSE:BA] today opened a new research and technology center to work with leading Brazilian researchers and scientists to develop aerospace technologies.
The new Boeing Research & Technology-Brazil (BR&T-Brazil) center is focused on sustainable aviation biofuel development, advanced air traffic management, remote sensing, advanced metals and bio-materials, and support and services technologies. The center is located in the São José dos CamposTechnology Park.

“As part of Boeing’s long-term commitment to Brazil, Boeing Research & Technology-Brazil will focus on collaborative R&D that will benefit Brazilian companies and the people of Brazil, while supporting Boeing’s technology development goals,” said Donna Hrinak, president of Boeing Brazil.

“Recognizing the talented and growing base of technology expertise and research capability in Brazil, we are excited to open the BR&T-Brazil research center,” said Al Bryant, vice president of Boeing Research & Technology-Brazil. “The center will strengthen our relationship with Brazil’s R&D community in ways that grow Brazil’s capabilities and meet the country’s goals for economic and technology development.”

The center’s staff will initially conduct and coordinate ongoing projects with the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and University of Sao Paulo (USP), companies such as Embraer and Brazil’s Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA) and National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
The new facility is Boeing’s sixth advanced research center outside of the United States, joining centers in Europe, Australia, India, China and Russia.

“BR&T-Brazil will connect research activity that we have underway throughout the world,” said Paul Pasquier, Boeing Research & Technology vice president of Global Technology. “Brazil has some of the most innovative technologists in the world, and this center will prove as a catalyst for enabling global collaboration that will mutually benefit Brazil and Boeing.”

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. Boeing’s history in Brazil dates back to 1932, when Boeing delivered 14 F4B-4 fighters to the Brazilian government. Boeing delivered its first commercial airplane to Brazil in 1960 and continues to deliver fuel-efficient products and services to Brazilian airlines TAM and GOL.In Brazil, Boeing has offices in São Paulo and Brasilia. Boeing Research & Technology collaborates with customers, suppliers, universities and research-and-development agencies throughout the world to provide a broad base of innovative and affordable technologies for Boeing’s business units. For more information, please visit www.boeing.com.br.

NEW YORK, NY and SINGAPORE — JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU), New York’s Hometown Airline™, and Singapore Airlines, one of the world’s most awarded airlines, have filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to enter into a bilateral codeshare agreement.

JetBlue and Singapore Airlines have been interline partners since 2011. The expanded partnership would provide customers seamless connections between the two airlines, combining flights on both carriers and easily facilitating one-stop ticketing and baggage check-in. Flights will become available for sale pending regulatory approval.

Under the proposed codeshare, JetBlue customers would have access to five new cities in Europe and Asia, while Singapore Airlines customers would have access to 16 destinations in the U.S.

“Singapore Airlines is a world-class airline renowned for its superior customer service and product offering. By expanding our partnership, JetBlue customers will have access to many more destinations around the globe, enjoying the ultimate service and comfort throughout their entire journey. This is another first-rate airline partner for JetBlue in a short time, which truly reaffirms our growing status among airlines globally,” said JetBlue President Robin Hayes.

“We are pleased with our new codeshare agreement with JetBlue Airways. This partnership is testament to our continuous commitment to expand our network and provide customers with more seamless travel options. The opportunities offered by our combined network also show how we can achieve more by cooperating with the right partners,” said Singapore Airlines’ Executive Vice President Commercial, Mr. Mak Swee Wah.

Under the proposed agreement, JetBlue would put its ‘B6′ code on Singapore Airlines’ flights to/from the U.S. including:

Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT) – Singapore (SIN)
New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Singapore (SIN)
San Francisco (SFO) – Hong Kong (HKG) – Singapore (SIN)
San Francisco (SFO) – Seoul (ICN) – Singapore (SIN)
In turn, Singapore Airlines would add its ‘SQ’ designator code on JetBlue-operated flights beyond its U.S. gateway at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to 16 key destinations:

Austin, Texas
Boston, Massachusetts
Buffalo, New York
Charlotte, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois (O’Hare)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Florida
Houston, Texas
Jacksonville, Florida
Orlando, Florida
New Orleans, Louisiana
Portland, Maine
Rochester, New York
Syracuse, New York
Tampa, Florida
Washington D.C. (Dulles)
West Palm Beach, Florida

About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York’s Hometown™ Airline and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), New York, Orlando and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 30 million customers a year to 85 cities in the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America with an average of 825 daily flights. New service to Hyannis, Mass. begins this summer. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, an overnight stay is never required and the first checked bag is free (subject to weight and size limits and exceptions for itineraries including flights marketed or operated by other airlines). For more information please visit JetBlue.com.

About Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines is committed to operating a modern aircraft fleet, offering world-class cabin products and top quality service provided by the iconic and elegant Singapore Girl. With Singapore as its main hub, the Airline operates services to 62 destinations in 34 countries. Singapore Airlines has more than 100 modern aircraft in its fleet, and created aviation history in October 2007 by becoming the world’s first airline to fly the largest commercial plane in the world, the Airbus A380. In July 2013, Singapore Airlines launched its next-generation cabin products in all three classes as well as the world’s most advanced in-flight entertainment system.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 20, 2014 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Samsung will collaborate on ways to incorporate the latest mobile technology into Boeing’s new Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft.

Under an agreement announced today at the 30th Space Symposium, Boeing and Samsung will start identifying how mobile technology can be used to improve CST-100 crew and mission operations. The initial results are expected to be outlined later this year.

“Just as they’ve done on Earth, mobile tools and devices will enhance the way we operate in space day-to-day, making mission operations more efficient,” said Chris Ferguson, director of crew and mission system for the Boeing Commercial Crew Program.

“Like any other person doing his or her work, an astronaut values connectivity and the ability to share experiences,” added Ferguson, who piloted the final space shuttle mission for NASA in 2011.
The Boeing CST-100 spacecraft was developed as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The CST-100 will accommodate up to seven passengers or a mix of crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit destinations.

Featuring an innovative weld-less design and a pressurized vessel that can be reused up to 10 times, the CST-100 capsule features Boeing’s LED “Sky Lighting.”

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world’s largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $33 billion business with 56,000 employees worldwide.

This news is courtesy of www.boeing.com

FORT WORTH, Texas, — American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and Finnair today celebrate a key milestone as US Airways joins the airlines’ trans-Atlantic joint venture. As part of the joint business, established by American, British Airways and Iberia in October 2010, the airlines can cooperate commercially on trans-Atlantic flights. The joint venture also includes a revenue sharing agreement in which member airlines have permission to coordinate schedules and pricing on North Atlantic routes. These benefits provide customers traveling between North America and Europe increased choices and access to a more comprehensive network.

US Airways brings 28 trans-Atlantic routes to the joint business including nonstop service from the United States to 18 European destinations including Munich, Athens and Amsterdam. Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C., will become oneworld’s largest East Coast gateways to Europe providing customers access to more than 100 destinations throughout North America with one-stop connections from these two airports. With combined operations, the joint business will serve 29 destinations in North America and 25 destinations in Europe, operating nearly 100 routes between the two regions.

Enhanced benefits for customers of the five airlines include:

Coordinated schedules on joint business routes, providing customers with better flight choices and more convenient schedules
Dedicated support teams for customers connecting at nine of the airlines’ hubs: Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, London Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, New York’s JFK and Philadelphia
Online check-in and boarding pass printing with either the airline operating the flight, or the website of the airline used to book travel
Lounge access and priority baggage privileges for loyalty program members
Increased opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer benefits on trans-Atlantic flights
More attractive corporate sales programs
US Airways will join the joint business as an affiliate member until it fully integrates operations with American Airlines as part of their merger to create the largest airline in the world.

US Airways also plans to implement extensive codeshare agreements with the other carriers in the coming weeks, providing easy access to the joint business’ combined global network.

“Bringing US Airways into the joint business network is an important step for us as we continue to advance our collaboration with alliance partners to increase growth, market share and competition,” said Doug Parker, chief executive officer – American Airlines. “Joining our entire merged company into this agreement creates a stronger and more competitive joint business, and will provide faster and easier connections for customers on hundreds of flights between North America and Europe.”

“The inclusion of US Airways will not only expand the network of our trans-Atlantic family, it will also broaden the appeal of our services to new and existing customers who will have even more flexibility, added convenience and improved rewards when traveling between Europe and North America,” said Willie Walsh, IAG chief executive. “This expanded partnership complements the recent inclusion of Finnair into the joint business between British Airways and Japan Airlines. It has never been a better time to plan your journey across the globe.”

“We at Finnair are very pleased to welcome US Airways into the trans-Atlantic joint business, which creates even more possibilities for Finns and others in Scandinavia and the Baltic Rim to connect seamlessly to dozens of destinations in North America,” said Pekka Vauramo, Finnair CEO. “Thanks to our participation in joint businesses with our oneworld partners, Finland has never been more accessible and open for business to global travelers. We welcome and invite all to come and discover our corner of the world.”

About American Airlines Group

American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL) is the holding company for American Airlines and US Airways. Together with American Eagle and US Airways Express, the airlines operate an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to 339 destinations in 54 countries from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. The American Airlines AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles programs allow members to earn and redeem miles for travel and everyday purchases as well as flight upgrades, vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays and other retail products. American is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, whose members and members-elect serve 981 destinations with 14,244 daily flights to 151 countries.

This news is courtesy of www.aa.com

SEOUL, Republic of Korea, – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] is expanding relationships with Korean universities to establish a local science, technology, and research investment fund to benefit students, universities, and industry in the region.

The Republic of Korea Science, Technology and Research (RoKST&R) program is now holding an open competition for proposals in the areas of aeronautics, space, sensors, flight sciences, modeling and simulation, training, and emerging technologies in renewable energy generation and nanotechnology. The deadline for submission is June 4, 2014.

“Entrepreneurship is a prerequisite to launch Korea’s creative economy,” said Dr. Ray O. Johnson, Lockheed Martin senior vice president and chief technology officer. “Through direct investment and hands-on mentoring, we want to inspire students and nurture university projects that could become the next generation of technological advancement and innovation.”

Universities and research institutions interested in submitting proposals should contact RoKST&R program chair, Dr. Kyung Kyu Kim, at RoKSTAR.proposals@lmco.com. More information about the program is available at www.lockheedmartin.com/rokstar.

Lockheed Martin has been a close partner with Korea for more than 20 years supporting major defense and civil priorities, including a strong Korean national defense system, modernized air traffic control systems and new space and telecommunications opportunities.

The corporation develops partnerships with world-class universities and industries to develop unique and rewarding combinations of invention, innovation, engineering, and systems integration to bear on problems of national importance.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 115,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

This news is courtesy of www.lockheedmartin.com

SEATTLE, — Boeing (NYSE: BA) today announced it is centralizing customer support for in-service airplanes at its Boeing Commercial Airplanes Engineering Design Center in Southern California, as the company continues to focus on increasing competitiveness while enabling continued growth of the global airline industry.

“We’re creating a single location for customer support at the Southern California design center to ensure that we are well-positioned to support Boeing airplanes in service around the world as the market continues to grow,” said Lynne Thompson, vice president of Customer Support, Commercial Aviation Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We will be expanding our presence in Southern California to create a site dedicated to a superior customer experience. This move will allow us to tap into existing engineering talent in California to expand on our outstanding customer support and align resources in a single location.

“At the same time, we will focus our team in the Puget Sound area on helping customers introduce new airplanes – the 787 Dreamliner, the 737 MAX and the 777X – into their fleets,” Thompson added. “We are committed to making this transition seamless to our customers.”

In May 2013, Boeing established engineering design centers in South Carolina, Southern California and Washington state to add engineering capability and capacity as the company scales up to meet unprecedented demand for commercial airplanes and services. At that time, Boeing announced that support for out-of-production airplanes would be based at the Southern California center. Boeing continues to assess current and future work statement for each design center based on capability, capacity, competitiveness and optimization of the Boeing enterprise.

Customer support for the 707, 717, 727, 757, DC-8, DC-9, DC-10, MD-11 and MD-80/-90 models currently is based in Southern California. Customer support for the Next-Generation 737, 747, 767 and 777 models, as well as commercial product support for the KC-46 Tanker and P-8, will transition from Washington to California by the end of 2015.

“Our opportunity for future growth is unprecedented, and the engineering design centers help us be more competitive by building on our team’s talent and capability – across Boeing, the United States and globally,” said Mike Delaney, vice president of Engineering, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We are structuring Boeing’s engineering operations to support future growth, reduce business risks and consistently provide the products and services our customers expect.”

The Southern California Engineering Design Center currently employs about 1,800 people at the company’s Long Beach and Seal Beach sites. With this work placement, employment is expected to increase by approximately 1,000 positions during the next two years.
Of the affected employees in Washington, many will be offered positions with other programs in the Puget Sound area. In addition, employees will have opportunities to apply for new positions in California.

This news is courtesy of www.boeing.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I.– Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) today announced it has closed its acquisition of Beech Holdings, LLC, the parent of Beechcraft Corporation, and that it will bring together its Cessna business and Beechcraft to form a new segment called Textron Aviation. Cessna and Beechcraft together produced about $4.6 billion in revenues during 2013.

The acquisition brings together three iconic brands, each pioneering many of general aviation’s most notable advances in the past century. Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker bring 200-plus years of combined aviation experience to the market and an installed customer base of more than 250,000 airplanes worldwide. Going forward, Textron Aviation intends to share and leverage best practices across all operations to further its position as an aviation authority. Scott Ernest, who has served as Cessna’s President and CEO since 2011, will lead the Textron Aviation segment as CEO.

“Today’s announcement is a historic milestone for the aviation industry, and I congratulate the management teams of Beechcraft and Cessna for quickly bringing the merger to fruition,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly. “Uniting these brands creates a robust industry competitor, operating as one team with a common goal to serve customers everywhere our aircraft fly. Through Textron Aviation, we now offer a broader selection of aircraft for our customers and a greatly expanded service footprint. Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker owners will receive the high level of quality product and customer service that are the hallmarks of these brands — and our combined resources will enhance our ability to innovate and anticipate customer needs.”

Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker will each remain distinct brands to preserve their rich histories and respective strengths in the marketplace. Textron Aviation brings together a unique combination of businesses with class-leading, complementary general aviation products including Citation and Hawker business jets, King Air twin-engine turboprops, Caravan single-engine utility turboprops and a great line up of piston-engine aircraft representing the Cessna and Beechcraft brands. Customers will also benefit from the industry’s largest global service network featuring company-owned, authorized and mobile service solutions. In addition, Textron Aviation will be home to the Beechcraft T-6 trainer and AT-6 light attack aircraft.

“We expect the integration of Beechcraft and Cessna to be a seamless process that continues putting our customers first,” said Scott Ernest, Textron Aviation CEO. “Textron Aviation not only encompasses a world-class global customer service network and a strong portfolio of business and general aviation aircraft, but also a workforce with unparalleled industry expertise.”

Under the terms of the transaction, Textron purchased all outstanding equity interests in Beech Holdings for approximately $1.4 billion in cash. Textron financed the purchase of the equity as well as the repayment of Beechcraft’s working capital debt through a combination of available cash, the issuance of $600 million in senior notes and drawing $500 million under a new five-year term loan.

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.

About Textron Aviation

Textron Aviation is the leading general aviation authority and home to the iconic Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. Textron Aviation includes the businesses of Cessna Aircraft Company and Beechcraft Corporation, bringing together decades of unmatched experience in designing, building and supporting airplanes. It provides the most versatile and comprehensive general aviation product portfolio in the world through five principle lines of business: business jets, general aviation and special mission turboprop aircraft, high performance piston aircraft, military trainer and defense aircraft, and a complete global customer service organization. Its broad range of products include such best-selling aircraft as Citation and Hawker business jets, King Air and Caravan turboprops and T-6 military trainer aircraft, all of which are backed by the industry’s largest global service network.

This news is courtesy of www.textron.com

AKRON, Ohio, – The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s newest blimp took to the skies Monday for its maiden flight. The test flight is part of a comprehensive training program Goodyear pilots and crew will undergo over the next two months. The new blimp will officially be ready to begin travelling to cities around the United States after a formal christening ceremony this summer.

The blimp is an all-new, state-of-the-art version that is larger, faster, more maneuverable than previous models, and builds on the company’s legacy as the world’s leading builder and operator of airships. The blimp’s speed was on display Monday as the ship, aided by a tail wind, eclipsed 80 miles per hour.

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 69,000 people and manufactures its products in 52 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.

This news is courtesy of www.goodyear.com