An All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner equipped with Boeing’s updated lithium ion battery system experienced a minor electrical issue during a test flight earlier this month, Flightglobal.com reports.

The problem was traced to a loose fastener on an electrical distribution panel, not the new battery or its charging system.

The issue happened on a May 4 proving flight between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Chitose.  ANA is extensively testing the Dreamliners’ modified electrical systems before returning its 18 Dreamliners to commercial operations.

The airliner was carrying only a pilot and a co-pilot on the test flight.  The crew was alerted …

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In one of the last and largest moves in a terminal and gate realignment that began early this year at Sea-Tac Airport, United Airlines next week will move its ticket counter from the far north end of the terminal to the south end and move its gates from the North Satellite to Concourse A.

The move will enable the airport’s most popular airline, Alaska, to concentrate most of its gates in the North Satellite terminal.  Some Alaska flights will continue to depart from the C Concourse, and others will use D Concourse gates, but the airline’s use of that concourse …

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General Electric, maker of the engines on Boeing’s popular 777-300ER jets, has told airlines that a problem with 118 engines produced between last fall and early this spring have a problem that could cause the engines to be shut down.

Those engines have a faulty gearbox.  The engine maker said 25 jets built by Boeing have two engines with those potentially faulty gearboxes that should be fixed immediately.

Two 777s have suffered gear separation while airborne.  Both flights were able to continue flying on their single remaining engine to a nearby airport.

The 25 planes powered by two engines equipped …

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Southwest Airlines, Boeing’s biggest 737 customer,  today placed the first order for the smallest version of the new Max series of 737 aircraft.

Southwest converted orders for 30 737-700s to 737-7 Max aircraft.  Until the Southwest order, no airline had ordered the -7 version of the upgrade 737-Max aircraft.

Boeing has orders for 1,121 of the larger 737-8 Max aircraft and 164 of the largest aircraft in the 737 Max line, the 737 9 Max.

The Max series of 737s will include new engines and aerodynamic improvements to enhance fuel efficiency.  The first  737 Max is to be delivered in …

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The Boeing Co. today took another step in what is becoming an incremental withdrawal from the Puget Sound area telling its informational technology workers that its plans to cut 1,500 Puget Sound area IT jobs over the next three years and set up informational technology centers in St. Louis and Charleston, S.C.

The company is expected to some workers in Washington transfers to the new locations and others will be given the opportunity to retire or leave the company with a severance package.

The move is the latest Boeing adjustment designed to shrink its footprint in Western Washington.  The company …

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Canada’s WestJet has ordered 10 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft to replace 10 smaller 737-700 aircraft it plans to sell in the next two years.

At list prices, the 737-800s are worth $891 million.  The new aircraft will be delivered to Calgary-based West Jet in 2014 and 2015.

WestJet is headed by Gregg Saretsky, former senior vice president of marketing of Alaska Airlines.  Like Alaska, WestJet has an all-Boeing mainline fleet of 737s.  The airline is now creating a regional operation, Encore, which will operate Bombardier Q-400 turboprop planes just as Alaska Air Group’s Horizon Air uses.

The 737-800s will be …

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All Nippon Airways, which halted service from Sea-Tac Airport to Tokyo earlier this year when aviation authorities worldwide grounded Boeing Dreamliners, will resume Sea-Tac service beginning June 1.

That service, however, will be flown by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft at least until September, when Dreamliner service will resume.  ANA had initiated service to Sea-Tac last summer using the larger, 247-seat aircraft.  It began 787 Dreamliner service last fall. The Dreamliners ANA used on the Seattle-Tokyo route were equipped with 158 seats.

“We are pleased to announce the resumption of daily services between Seattle and Tokyo beginning in June,” said Osamu Shinobe, …

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Alaska Air Group, the SeaTac-based parent of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, saw its passenger traffic jump by 8.5 percent last month, the company reports.

The company’s capacity, however, grew at a slightly quicker rate than its actual passenger traffic resulting in planes that were slightly less full in April than a year earlier.  The two airlines combined filled 86.1 percent of their seats in April.

That figure compares with 86.4 percent in April 2012.

For the year through April,  Alaska’s passenger traffic was up 8.9 percent.

In a recent earnings call, Alaska said its traffic for May was trending …

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