Passenger Jet

United Airlines said Tuesday that it has asked Boeing Co. to study making a new 650-seat passenger jet that would be the world's largest commercial airplane. The plane would be ideal for long-haul travel, a lucrative area where carriers are jockeying for dominance. United's interest would also provide a boost to Seattle-based Boeing, already flooded with orders as the world's carriers rebuild their aging fleets.

Mineta San Jose International Airport officials are urging the city to approve construction of an $82 million facility that would house jets flown by Google executives. The proposed 29-acre facility would sit on the airport's west side and accommodate Google's and other clients' jets. It would be developed and managed by Signature Flight Support. The facility would include an executive terminal, hangars, ramp space and aircraft servicing facilities. According to a San Jose Mercury News story, Google's top three executives have at least eight jets, including a twin-aisle Boeing 767 passenger jet that is commonly used by airlines for transcontinental flights.

Federal Aviation Administration officials searched Friday for the pilot of a small plane that came within 50 feet of a passenger jet preparing to land at Midway Airport. The pilot of the Southwest Airlines jet, which was carrying 62 people, had to veer sharply Thursday as it neared the airport, an agency spokesman said.

Air Lease Corp., the Century City aircraft-leasing firm, has placed a $9-billion order for Airbus jetliners. The deal, based on aircraft list price, includes an order for 25 A350 XWB wide-body passenger jets, which compete with Boeing Co.'s grounded 787 Dreamliner. Air Lease also ordered 14 smaller A321neos. Airbus announced the deal Monday. "The A350 XWB family is becoming the industry benchmark for efficiency in the long haul segment, and the A320neo family is ideal for airlines operating short-to-medium-haul missions," Air Lease Corp.

Boeing said it will assemble its new 7E7 passenger jet within the United States, but the plant location will depend on factors such as taxes, construction costs and the support of local leaders. Boeing, which has assembled nearly all of its passenger planes in the Seattle area, briefed congressional, state government, labor and other leaders on its 7E7 site selection criteria.

And you thought a six-hour flight delay was bad. Aerospace giant Boeing Co. said Wednesday that it would be six months late delivering its new 787 Dreamliner to airlines. In an embarrassing setback, Boeing said carriers wouldn't be able to start flying the highly touted Dreamliner until the end of 2008 instead of next May as originally scheduled. Most carriers won't see the plane until 2009 or later, Boeing said.

On a rainy and blustery day at Boeing Co.'s facilities in Everett, Wash., the aerospace giant formally delivered the world's first passenger-ready 787 Dreamliner to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways Co. Standing shoulder to shoulder, a crowd of about 500 employees, local politicians and aviation industry insiders gathered on a wet tarmac to see Boeing hand over the ceremonial key for the new aircraft to All Nippon. Depending on how individual airlines configure the new planes, they hold the prospect of being faster, more fuel-efficient and having more legroom and overhead space for baggage.

At long last, Boeing Co.'s 787 passenger jet took to the skies Tuesday, making its maiden test flight and marking a major milestone in commercial aviation. Thousands of Boeing workers and journalists were on hand at Paine Field just north of Seattle to witness the takeoff of the Dreamliner, a 250-seat jetliner that promises to burn less fuel and last longer than other aircraft flying today. "This was a big step for Boeing," said aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia of Teal Group Corp.

WASHINGTON - The FBI is analyzing a sophisticated explosive device, similar to the underwear bomb used in an attempt to blow up a passenger jet over Detroit in 2009, that U.S. officials believe was built by Al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen in an effort to target Western aircraft. U.S. officials said Monday that no one was captured by U.S. agencies as part of the operation. The officials emphasized that they found no sign of an active plot to use the new bomb design against U.S. aviation or U.S.-bound jetliners.

Airline passengers will get their first chance to fly out of Los Angeles on Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner in January, when United Airlines begins daily nonstop flights to Narita, Japan. United, the first U.S. carrier to operate the twin-aisle aircraft, announced Thursday its first routes for the massive plane. Its flights using the 787 from Los Angeles International Airport will begin Jan. 3 with daily, nonstop trips to Narita and to Shanghai starting March 30, United said. Although the aircraft can hold up to 290 passengers, the configuration United will use for these flights will carry a maximum of 219. "The 787 is the right aircraft for these routes because of its many passenger-friendly amenities and superior operating economics," said Greg Hart, United's senior vice president of network.

Aerospace giant Boeing Co. said it is confident it will get to the root cause of the battery problems with its problem-plagued 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. The company's newest plane has been grounded since Jan. 16 by the Federal Aviation Administration after experiencing problems with onboard lithium-ion batteries. In a conference call announcing Boeing's fourth-quarter earnings, Chief Executive James McNerney said the company is working with customers and the regulatory agencies to get the matter resolved but is not permitted to comment directly on the ongoing investigations.

Plagued by one mishap after another, Boeing Co.'s much-heralded 787 Dreamliner passenger jet for the 21st century is feeling new heat from federal regulators. Days after one of the planes caught fire while parked in Boston and another experienced a fuel leak, the Federal Aviation Administration has launched an unusual "comprehensive safety review of Boeing 787 critical systems. " This includes a sweeping evaluation of the way that Boeing designs, manufactures and assembles the aircraft.

Days after a fire was discovered on a Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner that had just landed in Boston, U.S. regulators announced plans for a sweeping review of the plane's design and assembly processes. The announcement came Friday at a news conference in Washington held by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration chief Michael Huerta. "We are confident about the safety of this aircraft," Huerta said. "But we're concerned about these incidents and will conduct a review until we are completely satisfied.

A Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner passenger jet was found to be on fire 15 minutes after arriving at Boston's Logan International Airport from Tokyo, adding to the list of complications for the 17-month-old jet. The fire found smoldering Monday in the plane's underbelly after passengers had deplaned prompted the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to look into the incident. The Dreamliner program has had numerous problems over the years. The first large-passenger Dreamliner was delivered in September 2011, more than three years late because of design problems and supplier issues.

Aerospace giant Boeing Co. just can't seem to escape trouble with its new 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. More than three years late because of design problems and supplier issues, the much-anticipated plane has run into another bout of turbulence with fresh concerns about its safety. The Federal Aviation Administration this month ordered inspections of fuel line connectors on Dreamliners because of risks of leaks and possible fires. PHOTOS: Inside the Dreamliner On the same day, a United Airlines Dreamliner flight from Houston to Newark, N.J., was diverted to New Orleans after an electrical problem popped up mid-flight.

ANTAKYA, Turkey - A Syrian passenger jet forced to land in Turkey while on a scheduled flight from Moscow to Damascus was carrying ammunition and other items destined for the Syrian Defense Ministry, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday. The assertion was in line with Turkish allegations that the Syrian Arab Airlines craft - with a reported 37 passengers and crew members on board - was ferrying "inappropriate" material to Damascus, prompting Turkish F-16 fighter jets to force it to land Wednesday at Ankara's Esenboga International Airport.

An Irish passenger jet with 44 aboard made an emergency landing Wednesday at Stuttgart airport after an engine caught fire.

Aerospace giant Boeing Co. just can't seem to escape trouble with its new 787 Dreamliner passenger jet. More than three years late because of design problems and supplier issues, the much-anticipated plane has run into another bout of turbulence with fresh concerns about its safety. The Federal Aviation Administration this month ordered inspections of fuel line connectors on Dreamliners because of risks of leaks and possible fires. PHOTOS: Inside the Dreamliner On the same day, a United Airlines Dreamliner flight from Houston to Newark, N.J., was diverted to New Orleans after an electrical problem popped up mid-flight.

Airline passengers will get their first chance to fly out of Los Angeles on Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner in January, when United Airlines begins daily nonstop flights to Narita, Japan. United, the first U.S. carrier to operate the twin-aisle aircraft, announced Thursday its first routes for the massive plane. Its flights using the 787 from Los Angeles International Airport will begin Jan. 3 with daily, nonstop trips to Narita and to Shanghai starting March 30, United said. Although the aircraft can hold up to 290 passengers, the configuration United will use for these flights will carry a maximum of 219. "The 787 is the right aircraft for these routes because of its many passenger-friendly amenities and superior operating economics," said Greg Hart, United's senior vice president of network.