Air cargo carrier FedEx has revealed renderings of how one if its first Boeing  777F freighters will look when it departs the US for China on a special mission the morning of 4 February.

Dubbed the “Panda Express”, the 777F complete with a 149m2 (1,600ft2) panda decal on the nose section, will fly non-stop from Dulles International airport near Washington’s National Zoo, to Chengdu, China, with a small but significant payload – two giant pandas.

FedEx Panda Express 777 (FedEx)

A Boeing 777 made a safe emergency landing at Sea-Tac Airport after suffering an engine problem shortly after takeoff.

Asiana Flight 271 took off just after 3 p.m. bound for Seoul, South Korea. Several witnesses on the ground near the airport say as the plane was ascending, they heard several loud explosions and flames shooting out of the left engine.

Boeing has delivered the first 777 freighter to launch customer Air France Cargo.

The aircraft’s delivery was marked at a ceremony on the afternoon of 19 February at the Future of Flight Aviation Center and Boeing Tour near Paine Field.

Boeing 777 Freighter (Air France)

Incoming search terms:

• air france 777 (7)
• boeing air france (2)
• undefined (2)
• 777 air france (1)
• 777 freighter (1)
• air france engine (1)
• airfrance Boing777 (1)

A second engine power loss on a Boeing 777 following one that caused a crash in London has resulted in a stronger recommendation from the manufacturer to avoid icing in fuel lines in extremely cold conditions.

The fuel temperature in more than 200 777s with Rolls-Royce Trent 800-series engines should not be allowed to remain at 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius) or colder in flight after two hours, one hour less than previously advised, Boeing Co. told customers in a notice issued Jan. 29. After two hours, pilots are told to reduce altitude, which can result in slower air speeds and increased fuel consumption. No decision has been made on a mechanical fix or design change pending further investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and British authorities, Verdier said.

US National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating an incident last month in which a Delta Air Lines 777-200ER experienced an “uncommanded engine rollback in the cruise phase of an intercontinental flight.” DL Flight 18 was over Montana en route from Shanghai to Atlanta on Nov. 26 at about 12:30 p.m. MST when the incident occurred to the No. 2 engine. The aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 895s, the same type of engines that powered the British Airways 777 that crash landed at London Heathrow last January after it suffered a dual engine rollback on final approach.

According to NTSB, the crew of the DL jet descended to 31,000 ft. whereupon “the engine recovered and responded normally thereafter” and the crew elected to continue to ATL, where the aircraft landed without further incident. NTSB said flight data recorders and other applicable data and components were retrieved from the aircraft for testing and evaluation. Senior Air Safety Investigator Bill English, who is serving as the US Accredited Representative in the Heathrow accident investigation, is the investigator in charge of the Delta incident. The UK Air Accident Investigations Brach has assigned an Accredited Representative to the Delta case and “is working closely with the NTSB to determine if there are issues common to both events.”

Incoming search terms:

• trent failure (1)

A report released by the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch reported that ice in the fuel triggered the British Airways 777 accident.

The British Air Accidents Investigation Branch warned that “immediate action” must be taken out to assess whether the problem which caused the Boeing 777 accident could affect other aircraft.

It also demanded that Boeing put in place new safety measures to ensure that planes travelling at high altitude in temperatures far below freezing do not suffer a potentially disastrous build up of ice in their fuel systems.

The recommendations were made in a report into the crash in January in which a BA 777 flying from Beijing crash landed short of the runway with 136 passengers and 16 crew on board.

One passenger suffered a broken leg and 12 others minor injuries in the worst aviation accident at Heathrow in more than 30 years.

There are nearly 700 Boeing 777s in service and they are one of the workhorses of the skies for long-haul flights.

They include 220 planes powered by the Rolls Royce Trent 800 engine involved in the Heathrow accident, currently operated by 11 airlines, including British Airways.

A report released by the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch reported that ice in the fuel triggered the British Airways 777 accident.

Engine power loss appears to have been the cause of an accident at the UK’s London Heathrow airport, in which a British Airways Boeing 777 landed just inside the airfield boundary some 500m (1,640ft) short of the runway 27L threshold. The 136 passengers were evacuated via all eight slides, with three people suffering minor injuries, according to a statement by the airline’s chief executive Willie Walsh.

The Boeing Company recorded 1,413 net commercial airplane orders during 2007, reaching more than 1,000 orders for an unprecedented third consecutive year, and setting a Boeing record for total orders in a single year.
Boeing also set new order records for the 787 Dreamliner, the 737, and for Boeing freighters.

The 2007 total surpasses the previous Boeing records of 1,044 net orders in 2006 and the 1,002 orders set in 2005. Gross orders in 2007, which exclude cancellations and conversions, totaled 1,423. Boeing recorded 1,050 gross orders in 2006 and 1,029 gross orders in 2005. Unfilled orders for Boeing Commercial Airplanes is now over 3,400 airplanes.
“It has been another strong year for commercial aviation, and we are grateful for our customers’ trust in our team, and our products and services,” said Scott Carson, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and chief executive officer. “We deeply appreciate the role we play in our customers’ plans for growth and success, and we are focused on meeting our commitments.

“Clearly we’ve had our share of challenges during the past year, but our customers understand the issues, and market acceptance of our products and services has been nothing short of remarkable,” Carson said. “With a balanced base of customers from all regions of the world, from airlines with varied business models, and with strong orders across our product line, we are now focused on executing this strong backlog position.”
In total, 80 different customers ordered Boeing airplanes in 2007, including passenger airlines, cargo carriers, leasing companies, and unidentified customers.

The Boeing Company today delivered its 3,000th widebody airplane from its Everett, Wash., site. The airplane was a 777-200ER (Extended Range) model that was delivered to Korean Air.

The 3,000 airplanes built and delivered from the Boeing Everett factory include 747, 767 and 777 models. The site is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
“We are honored to receive the 3,000th airplane assembled at the Everett plant,” said J.H. Lee, president and COO, Korean Air. “Boeing Everett employees have made high-quality, reliable airplanes that have played a critical role in the success of our airline.”
The 3,000th airplane is joining the Korean Air fleet of 123 airplanes, which includes 13 777-200ERs, four 777-300s, 24 747-400s and 21 747-400 Freighters. Korean Air plans to use the new 777 for long-haul business routes to the Americas, Europe and the Middle East.
Korean Air also has 35 additional airplanes on order from the Everett programs including 777-300ERs, 777 Freighters, 747-8 Freighters and 787 Dreamliners. In addition, the airline has four 737s on order from the Boeing factory in Renton, Wash.

Incoming search terms:

• boeing 777 korean air (2)
• korean air planes (2)