As Boeing’s 737 Max was about to enter service in 2017 it became the subject of an unusual diplomatic exchange.
Chinese officials, eager to enter the global aircraft manufacturing market dominated by Boeing and Europe’s Airbus, raised the prospect with their US counterparts of clearing Boeing’s aircraft for use in China in exchange for favorable treatment of jetliners it had under development.
The US Federal Aviation Administration refused when asked by US trade officials who were eyeing more American exports, including aircraft to the Asian nation, according to three people with knowledge of the talks. China certified the Max anyway.
In March, China was one of the first countries to ground the 737 Max after one of the planes crashed in Ethiopia. In October, a 737 Max crashed in Indonesia. China’s willingness to permit the jet to fly again will be closely watched, and could loom in the background of tense trade talks now under way with the US.
The aviation industry and regulatory framework in the US and China have had a complex and sometimes tense relationship for decades. In the 2000s, the FAA worked closely with China to help it set up a more mature regulatory oversight system. The result was a dramatically lower accident rate and closer relations.
But China has been frustrated with the US reluctance to certify its locally-made jets. While the Commercial Aircraft of China’s ARJ21 twin-engined regional jet entered service in China in 2014, it hasn’t been approved for commercial flights in the US.
Comac has also built a larger aircraft, the C919, which holds close to 200 passengers and is designed to compete directly against the Max as well as Airbus’ A320neo. The C919 first flew in May 2017, just after the FAA certified the Max. It isn’t expected to enter service for several years.
While Chinese officials made no overt demands on the US government during the 2017 period as the Max aircraft were being certified, their intentions were clear, according to people who participated or were briefed on the issue.
“That’s the opposite of safety,” said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with the Teal Group who has written that the grounding of the Max plays into China’s hands during the trade talks. He had no direct knowledge of the 2017 communications.
At the time, high-ranking Boeing officials contacted leaders of the FAA expressing concerns that China might be preparing to slow its approval of the new plane.
Similarly, US trade officials reached out to the FAA to ask whether the agency would be willing to move forward more quickly on approving Chinese aircraft. After FAA officials explained that aircraft were certified under complex, highly technical legal standards, the trade officials didn’t press for leniency for the Chinese, according to one of the people.
The FAA declined to comment on the issue. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Boeing declined to comment directly on the 2017 talks. “We continue to share information and work with global regulators and customers to return the 737 Max fleet to service,” it said in a statement.
Not all recent interactions between US and Chinese aviation regulators have been fraught. In October 2017, just before President Donald Trump visited China, the two nations signed a bilateral agreement to work more closely on certifying each others’ aircraft.
Boeing is developing a software fix for the 737 Max family of jets to modify a safety system implicated in the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a total of 346 people. In both cases, a malfunctioning sensor caused the system to repeatedly drive down the nose until pilots became overwhelmed and the planes crashed.
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jawan
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LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BRIEF SCORES
England 228-7, 50 overs
N Sciver 51; J Goswami 3-23
India 219, 48.4 overs
P Raut 86, H Kaur 51; A Shrubsole 6-46
England won by nine runs
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
