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WTO ruling against Airbus may help Boeing tanker

A B-2 bomber gets refueled over the Pacific. (AP Photo/Master Sgt. Mark Sindiong.)

From Business Week | The WTO’s ruling Wednesday that European governments provided illegal subsidies to Airbus SAS, may make it easier for Congress to select Boeing Co.’s bid in the long-running fight for a $35 billion contract to build refueling tanker for the U.S. Air Force, some analysts have said.

Boeing agrees to acquire Argon ST

Boeing Co. said it agreed to acquire defense manufacturer Argon ST Inc. for about $775 million to expand its surveillance and intelligence offerings. The planemaker said it plans to fund the deal with existing cash and expects the acquisition to have an immaterial impact on its earnings. Get the full story »

Dubai may postpone Boeing, Airbus orders

Dubai’s financial woes may force majority state-owned Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to renegotiate some 220 aircraft orders with Boeing and Airbus, French daily Les Echos said on Monday. The debt-laden emirate has chosen to turn part of its deliveries into new contracts for airline Emirates, the paper said, without citing a specific source. Get the full story »

US: Boeing cockpit fire cause not fixed

U.S. federal aviation officials have known for years that cockpit window heaters in some Boeing planes catch fire. But they haven’t required airlines to fix the problem, even after dozens of incidents that unnerved pilots and, in some cases, forced emergency landings. Get the full story »

Trades that sent Boeing down 44% canceled

From Bloomberg News | Erroneous orders to trade Boeing Co. shares sent shares in the Chicago-based aerospace company down 44 percent to $38.77 this morning. NYSE Euronext and Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. canceled trades.

Airbus calls for trade talks as ruling nears

Airbus is calling for talks between the United States and the European Union to end the trans-Atlantic fight over subsidies to aircraft manufacturers. Airbus says it’s the only way to end the costly six-year dispute.

Boeing machinists pass contract, avoid strike

Boeing workers in St. Louis have agreed to a contract with the plane manufacturer, avoiding a strike that would have gone into effect today if the deal had been rejected.The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said the contract passed Sunday by a vote of 1,237 to 838. Get the full story »

United pilot detained for removing pants in Rio airport

A United Airlines pilot was briefly detained at the international airport in Rio de Janeiro after lowering his pants during a security screening, police said Saturday.

Pilot Michael D. Slynn, 49, was asked to remove his belt and shoes as part of a routine security screening Friday afternoon. In response, Slynn laughed at security guards and lowered his pants to his ankles, said a police spokesman who was prohibited by departmental rules from giving his name. Get the full story »

Boeing finds new 787 problem, grounds test fleet

A chase plane flies beside a Boeing 787 airplane on Dec. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, file)

Boeing Co. says it inspecting all of its 787 jets after finding that some have improperly installed parts in a section of the tail.

In a statement late Thursday Boeing said it had ”identified a workmanship issue” with the horizontal tail, also called a stabilizer. Shims and fasteners weren’t installed correctly, the aircraft maker said. The stabilizer, the smaller wing on the plane’s tail, is built by Italian manufacturer Alenia.

Boeing said inspections will take one to two days. Any work required will take up to eight days for each plane. Get the full story »

Boeing inks pact to sell 50 jetliners to Russia

A Russian state holding company plans to buy 50 Boeing 737 commercial jetliners in a deal worth up to $4 billion, President Barack Obama said on Thursday. State-owned Rostechnologii and Boeing signed a “proposal acceptance” with an option for the sale of 15 additional planes to the Russian national airline Aeroflot, the White House said. Get the full story »

Dreamliner reported in British air show lineup

The Boeing Co. (BA) 787 Dreamliner is likely to make an appearance next month at the Farnborough International Airshow, a biennial trade fair for some of the industry’s biggest suppliers and customers.

Though the Chicago company hasn’t made an announcement, industry insiders say they know of plans to fly the next-generation wide-body aircraft to Britain for the week-long event starting July 19. Get the full story »

Boeing workers in St. Louis to vote on strike

Boeing Co. workers at the company’s St. Louis military-aircraft facility will vote today on an amended contract offer, with union leaders recommending members reject the deal. Get the full story »

Boeing receives $216M contract to upgrade tankers

Boeing Co. said Wednesday it received a $216 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to upgrade the cockpits in 59 KC-10 tanker aircraft. The upgrades will outfit the aircraft with new communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic management systems.

FAA finds cracks on at least 2 AMR 767s

The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority Tuesday said it found structural cracks on at least two of AMR Corp’s American Airlines’ fleet of Boeing 767 wide-body planes during recent safety checks.

The FAA said cracks could have caused engines to fall from aircraft.

The cracks were discovered on engine pylons on three of American’s 73 767s. An AMR spokesman, however, said the cracks appeared on only two planes.
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Concerns about Boeing 767 cracks grow

Structural cracks discovered recently on at least two American Airlines Boeing 767 jetliners, including one jet that air-safety regulators believe could easily have lost an engine, are prompting concerns that some of the problems may turn out to be more widespread. Get the full story »