Boeing om B737 serien - Mye om Norwegian - AW&ST

Operators Exploit New Boeing 737 Range As MAX Deliveries Accelerate Guy Norris, Sean Broderick, Helen Massy-Beresford and Jens Flottau    With about 140 Boeing 737-8/-9s delivered to almost 30 operators since its commercial debut 13 months ago, the 737 MAX is quickly setting an industry record for the fastest introduction ever of a new jet transport. Much to the relief of Boeing and its customers, given the steep ramp-up, the swiftly expanding fleet is easing into operation with a relatively trouble-free track record since entry into service with launch carrier Malindo Air of Malaysia just over a year ago. When the first anniversary passed in late May, the fleet—which then numbered 130 aircraft—had already attained a dispatch reliability rate of 99.4%. ·         Operators highlight reliability, fuel-burn improvements ·         Norwegian grows transatlantic network using MAX ·         Deliveries have been challenging but largely on time However, there remains room for improvement, and the manufacturer has tackled a handful of “teething problems,” acknowledges Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Marketing Randy Tinseth. “There was no one thing in particular that was a big challenge, just small things across the board with systems we changed—fly-by-wire spoilers, the onboard network server [ONS] and new flat-panel displays.” Other key changes introduced with the MAX include the new CFM Leap 1B engine, a relofted low-drag tail cone, split winglets, extended nose gear, electronic bleed air system and updated electronic engine control software. As Boeing has experienced over the years, there are different challenges in introducing major derivatives versus all-new designs, and the fewer fundamental changes associated with the former do not necessarily mean a smoother entry into service. Consequently, as it ushered in the fourth distinct generation of the 737, the company was on the lookout for unexpected knock-on effects of overlaying new systems onto an existing platform. “I think the good thing is, as we looked at it, we don’t think the design changes impacted the other systems or the other parts of the airplane. . . . At 99.4% dispatch reliability we have nothing to apologize for,” says Tinseth, who adds that the fleet appears to be on track to hit a target of 99.7% by year-end. The reliability rate, which compares favorably with that of even the highly serviceable 737 Next Generation (737NG) at the same stage of its early revenue-earning life 19 years ago, reflects Boeing’s strategy of uncovering potential issues with the MAX ahead of delivery through a 787-like service-ready operational validation (SROV).

Boeing is on track to ramp up 737 assembly to 57 per month in 2019, but admits the supply chain supporting the production system is already “tight.” Credit: Boeing

The SROV, simulated regular operational flights with launch operator Southwest Airlines in late 2016, uncovered potential niggling issues with areas such as fault isolation manuals. Other risk areas, such as the ONS that monitors hardware and software for anomalies, were mitigated by introducing the server earlier on the standard 737NG. Now in operation with 28 airlines, the MAX is used on a wider variety of routes than any previous member of the 737 family. This is largely because operators such as Lion Air and Norwegian are taking advantage of its 20% fuel-burn and 500-nm-range improvement over the 737NG, particularly on longer routes not possible with the earlier generation. Yet, even though Boeing touted the extra range and endurance as a key selling point of the MAX, the manufacturer appears to have been taken aback by the speed with which some of the operators have pushed the 737-8, in particular, into service on extended missions. “I think the ability to use them over the North Atlantic, and how Norwegian has flown the airplane, has been a little bit of a surprise, as quickly as they’ve deployed it on a number of new routes,” says Tinseth. “What I was also a little surprised by, frankly, was how our customers in Southeast Asia have flown the airplane . . . opening up new markets in the Middle East, flying to Japan immediately. We are not six years into the program, and it has opened up 180 new routes, like the 787, but we are having some of that same kind of effect,” he adds. “We have over 4,500 orders and are fast approaching [our] 100th customer. We are at 98 and counting, so we are getting the depth and breadth of the market that we were expecting and, to some extent, I think we are exceeding our expectations,” says Tinseth. Of the airlines accepting the MAX, 28 are “first-of-kind” operators, representing an average new operator almost every two weeks. Norwegian is the one airline that is not only using the MAX to replace older aircraft but also to expand its business model. The carrier is flying the aircraft on transatlantic services between secondary cities. “The routes have been very well received by customers on both sides of the Atlantic,” says Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Ramdahl. “Not only is the experience of flying long-distance in a brand-new modern cabin appealing, but the efficiency of the MAX has allowed us to grow the operation. We are already increasing frequency on some routes this summer, including a new double-daily service from Dublin to New York in response to the strong demand seen on the route. We have already announced more 737 MAX flights from Edinburgh, [Scotland], and Shannon, [Ireland], this winter, too.” While Norwegian is increasing 737 capacity on transatlantic routes, it is also already changing its MAX route network. In the upcoming winter timetable, it is dropping routes from Shannon, Edinburgh and Cork, Ireland, to Providence, Rhode Island, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Bergen, Norway, to New York Stewart International Airport, and from Edinburgh to Hartford, Connecticut. It is moving capacity to the Dublin-New York, Dublin-Providence, Edinburgh-New York and Shannon-New York markets. The airline has not yet decided whether it will resume the dropped services next year. Ramdahl says that “despite taking delivery of the aircraft slightly later than planned, we have managed to successfully integrate the 737 MAX aircraft into our operation, and it continues to fly according to plan.” Norwegian has 110 737 MAXs on order and will use the aircraft on long- and short-haul routes. North American carriers that are longtime 737 operators are seeing benefits in their new MAX-family aircraft and taking advantage of them in their networks. United Airlines put its first 737-9s into service at the beginning of June, concentrating them on routes out of its Houston Intercontinental hub. Among the first United 737 MAX routes is its 2,340-nm Houston-Anchorage, Alaska, run, a seasonal market that formerly relied on Boeing 757s. The carrier has 161 MAX-family aircraft on order and has plugged in a 14% fuel savings over its 737NG fleet, which includes -700s, -800s, -900s and -900ERs. Air Canada is using some of its 737-8s to upgrade routes between Canada and several Hawaiian destinations from Boeing 767s flown by low-cost carrier subsidiary Rouge this winter. The carrier, which has 61 MAX-family aircraft on order—50 -8s and 11 -9s—also will use them in several international markets, including Keflavik, Iceland, Dublin and Shannon, this summer. The carrier in April announced a change in its 737 MAX-family delivery schedule, moving five deliveries to 2020 from 2021, and deferring 11 others “up to 36 months,” Chief Financial Officer Michael Rousseau says. Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu says the moves reflect the firming up of several uncertainties in place when it booked the 61-aircraft order. Among the changes since: an order for Bombardier CS300s and a decision to sell 25 Embraer 190s. “These changes are to give us maximum flexibility to bring the 737 MAXs in at a time [when] we can use them most effectively and we can drive the best business case,” Rovinescu says. “We don’t want to be inundated with aircraft at times [when] we can’t use them, and we don’t want to be short of aircraft at [high-demand] times.” Air Canada plans to be operating 18 MAXs by July 1. The carrier’s chief rival, Calgary, Alberta-based WestJet, will make the 737-8 the centerpiece of its narrowbody fleet. The carrier has committed to a total of 55 MAX-family aircraft, including a mix of -8s, -9s and 10s. It has six -8s in service, with the first joining its fleet last November. “Schedule reliability started off well with results being over our initial target line of 98.2%,” the carrier reports. Following a slight decline in early 2018, the fleet “is now back on target.” The fleet’s completion factor is “strong,” the carrier adds, “well above” its target of 98.9%. WestJet says Boeing’s aftermarket support has been generally solid, although spare parts inventory “in some case has been a challenge” due to limited initial availability. “Those challenges include where the manufacturer has deemed parts as ‘management controlled,’ where limited supplies were made available and additional inventory released when an aircraft is [on ground] (AOG),” or grounded while awaiting spare parts. Like other MAX-family operators, WestJet is using its newest 737s to stretch its network. Among the -8’s routes are Halifax, Nova Scotia-London Gatwick Airport, which started April 30, and Halifax-Paris, which launched May 31. “We are evaluating other longer-haul services enabled by the MAX and out of range of our existing NG fleet,” the carrier says. “The route performance has been as expected.” WestJet adds. “Feedback from pilots has been positive regarding low noise levels in the flight deck and cabin (which helps reduce fatigue) as well as increased fuel efficiency.” In Europe, TUI Travel is growing its MAX fleet rapidly. TUI has five 737-8s in service, the first of which arrived in January. Four more are due for delivery in November and December, and TUI plans to take an additional 14 before summer 2019. “Entry into service has been very smooth,” says TUI fleet planning director Tom Chandler. The delivery process itself was “less smooth than expected,” but ultimately all of the aircraft arrived as scheduled. The five MAXs burn about 16-17% less fuel per seat than the 737-800s the company has been flying on typical missions. Chandler has heard positive feedback from pilots about the good handling of the aircraft and the larger screens, although the engine start “is a little slower than on the NG,” Chandler says. Flight attendants appreciate the lower noise level in the cabin. The dispatch reliability is “very good,” and TUI has not had any serious issues, apart from a component failure that Chandler describes as “bad luck.” TUI’s airline affiliates operate the -8 in an 189-seat configuration; 42 seats have extra legroom at a 32- or 33-in. pitch. The aircraft therefore have the same capacity as the -800s they replace. But TUI also plans to use the MAX to replace its fleet of 221-seat 757-200s. For that purpose, it has converted the order to include 18 737-10s, which are to arrive from late 2020 onward. The 737-8s currently operate average sectors of little more than 3 hr., according to Chandler. They have not yet been deployed on longer routes than the -800, but TUI is looking at taking advantage of the additional range capabilities by adding more nonstop flying to the Cape Verde islands, sectors in excess of 6 hr. depending on the origin. While the 757s will leave the fleet when the -10s come in, TUI plans to operate a mixed MAX/NG fleet for the foreseeable future.

Given the rapid expansion of the customer base and the accelerating delivery numbers to support it, there is strain on the Renton, Washington, assembly line. “The production system has been tight, especially as we’re producing at these higher rates,” says Tinseth. “The only thing we can do is keep in close contact with all our supply base. But at this point the program continues to be on track, deliveries are on time. But I will tell you that the supply chain is tight.” The strain on the 737 production system began to grow significantly in 2017 as the rate increased to 47 a month from 42; evidently, the growth is continuing and will level off at 52 over the coming weeks. The system will face further pressures next year: An increase to 57 per month is planned for mid-2019, in the middle of which Boeing will also initiate deliveries of the shorter-bodied 737-7; certificate the higher-capacity, 200-seat 737-8 derivative and introduce the first 737-10 test aircraft onto the production line. This all means the number of 737s coming into service will also continue to grow significantly in 2018 and 2019. In 2017, 529 737s were delivered, of which 74 were 737-8s. Some estimates suggest total 737 deliveries could exceed 580 in 2018, of which 40-45% will be MAX models. Production of the final 737NG models is meanwhile expected to be completed by late 2019 or early 2020, with production then switching entirely to the MAX variants with the exception of military derivatives. For engine manufacturer CFM International, a General Electric-Safran joint venture, the in-service experience has also been relative painless, allowing it to focus predominantly on catching up on its lagging production plan. “It has been, frankly, a pretty smooth entry into service and we have had no significant events on the engine,” says CFM Executive Vice President Allen Paxson. By the end of the first year in service, the 260 installed Leap 1B engines in the fleet had amassed 270,000 hr. and 100,000 cycles. “The operators are taking the aircraft and flying them right away, and the early data says they are flying them on the same routes or longer than they flew their 737NGs, which means they have a great deal of confidence in the new product and are putting them to work right away,” Paxson adds. The shift to using the new aircraft on longer routes is “a pretty solid trend,” says GE Leap 1B product leader Kris Shepherd. “All these fuel savings are on the longer routes where they get more of a bang for the buck,” he adds. Although CFM acknowledges a handful of minor issues such as faulty sensors and fuel tube leaks, “there is nothing across the fleet,” says Paxson. However, a more serious long-term challenge is the emergence of the same erosion in exhaust gas temperature (EGT) margin CFM has seen on the Leap 1A powering the Airbus A320neo. The issue, reported on the Leap 1A in 2017, is caused by premature loss of the protective coating on the high-pressure turbine shrouds and results in a shorter time on wing before removal. “We are experiencing that on the Leap 1B as well,” says Paxson. The base engine has 50-60F EGT margin, and CFM is adding an additional 25F through a software update to mitigate the impact. “So there is plenty of margin, but we have seen this shroud spall cause some shift in this engine EGT as well, and that’s likely to be what drives them off-wing first for a refresh. However, we have had no removals due to that to date,” he adds. The EGT margin erosion is “easy to predict, so we can prepare ourselves and refresh the shrouds in less than 30 days,” says Paxson, who calls it “a very manageable condition.” A revised shroud configuration is in production and “flying away on the latest engines, and we have them ready for the refresh of the shrouds when they come in to the quick-turn sites," he says. "We have not had any of those done on the Leap 1B for the MAX yet. We don’t expect to have those until a year from now, or more, but we are ready.” CFM also hopes to catch up with its Leap 1B engine deliveries “with buffer” by the third quarter this year. “We are still behind our commitments to Boeing in production, and the good news is we are not any further behind. But we have not caught up as quickly as we had hoped,” says Paxson. The engine-maker, which last year acknowledged it was 28-30 days behind, has closed the gap to about 26 days. “We were still about there. Yes, we are closing slower than we had hoped but we are still closing it,” he adds. Although the disruption in early 2017 caused by the recall of 30 engines to inspect and replace low-pressure turbine discs has been overcome, the fallout partially persists as CFM is still behind schedule in its efforts to ramp up additional suppliers. “Our efforts to bring on second and third sources earlier has been slower than we hoped for as we come down the learning curve for new suppliers,” says Paxson. The compensating element of this drive for a more robust supplier base is that none of the holdups have been related to new technology components, such as the composite blades, fan case or additive fuel nozzles. “It’s the standard forging and casting parts that are pacing us right now. The ‘dual-tri’-sources strategy is a great risk-abatement policy but it adds complexity to the ramp-up because on any one part we don’t have one process,” he adds. “To get up the ramp rate, we have to have two or three suppliers or shops doing it at the same time. Getting to that rate with all those supply streams is doubly difficult, but it will be worth it eventually,” Paxson concludes.