Business
Airbus: Flights resume as normal after software update warning
NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThousands of Airbus planes are being returned to normal service, officials say, after being grounded for hours due to a warning that solar radiation could interfere with onboard flight control computers.
The aerospace giant – based in France – said around 6,000 of its A320 planes had been affected with most requiring a quick software update. Some 900 older planes need a replacement computer.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the updates “went very smoothly” for more than 5,000 planes.
“Fewer than 100 aircraft” still needed the update, Airbus had told him, according to local media.
“Software updates were already rolled out overnight on virtually all devices,” Tabarot explained.
On Saturday morning, Air France appeared to be experiencing some disruption, with several flights in and out of Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport delayed or cancelled.
But while flights saw limited disruptions, he said it was more “complicated in other countries”, such as the US, where the issue emerged on the same weekend as Thanksgiving – one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
American Airlines said 340 of its planes were affected and that it expected “some operational delays”, but added the vast majority of updates were being completed on Friday or Saturday. Delta Airlines said it believed the impact on its operations would be “limited”.
In the UK, disruption at airports has been limited. London’s Gatwick Airport reported “some disruption”, while Heathrow said it had not experienced any cancellations. Manchester Airport said it did not anticipate significant problems.
British Airways and Air India are understood not to be heavily impacted by the issue.
On Saturday, Easyjet said it had completed the update on a “significant number” of its aircrafts, and plan to operate as normal.
Wizz Air is also running as normal, having rolled out updates overnight.
In Australia, budget airline Jetstar cancelled 90 flights after confirming around a third of its fleet was impacted, with disruption expected to continue all weekend despite the majority of aircraft having already undergone the update.
Airbus discovered the issue after a JetBlue Airways plane flying between the US and Mexico suddenly lost altitude and emergency landed in October. At least 15 people were injured.
The firm identified a problem with the aircraft’s computing software which calculates a plane’s elevation, and found that at high altitudes, data could be corrupted by intense radiation released periodically by the Sun.
As well as the A320, the company’s best-selling aircraft, the A318, A319 and the A321 models were also impacted.
While approximately 5,100 of the planes could see their issues resolved with the simple software update, for around 900 older planes, a replacement computer would be needed.
These planes would need to be grounded until resolved.
The length of time that takes will depend on the availability of replacement computers.
The government on Thursday kept petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices unchanged at Rs253.17 per litre and Rs257.08 per litre respectively, for the coming fortnight, starting from January 16.
This decision was notified in a press release issued by the Petroleum Division.
Earlier, it was expected that the prices of all petroleum products would go down by up to Rs4.50 per litre (over 1pc each) today in view of variation in the international market.
Petrol is primarily used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws, and two-wheelers, and directly impacts the budgets of the middle and lower-middle classes.
Meanwhile, most of the transport sector runs on HSD. Its price is considered inflationary, as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains, and agricultural engines such as trucks, buses, tractors, tube wells, and threshers, and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables.
The government is currently charging about Rs100 per litre on petrol and about Rs97 per litre on diesel.
One of Britain’s most prolific rail fare dodgers could face jail after admitting dozens of travel offences.
Charles Brohiri, 29, pleaded guilty to travelling without buying a ticket a total of 112 times over a two-year period, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
He could be ordered to pay more than £18,000 in unpaid fares and legal costs, the court was told.
He will be sentenced next month.
District Judge Nina Tempia warned Brohiri “could face a custodial sentence because of the number of offences he has committed”.
He pleaded guilty to 76 offences on Thursday.
It came after he was convicted in his absence of 36 charges at a previous hearing.
During Thursday’s hearing, Judge Tempia dismissed a bid by Brohiri’s lawyers to have the 36 convictions overturned.
They had argued the prosecutions were unlawful because they had not been brought by a qualified legal professional.
But Judge Tempia rejected the argument, saying there had been “no abuse of this court’s process”.
JSW Jetour T2 Launch: JSW Motors Limited, the passenger vehicle arm of the JSW Group, is reportedly preparing to enter the Indian car market this year. It has partnered with Jetour, a China-based automotive brand owned by Chery Automobile, and the Jetour T2 SUV could be the company’s first product, according to the reports.
Media reports suggest that the launch will happen independently and not under the JSW MG Motor India joint venture. The SUV will wear a JSW badge and name, instead of the Jetour branding. The upcoming SUV will be assembled at JSW’s upcoming greenfield manufacturing facility in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra.
According to the reports, the company plans to have the vehicle on sale by the third quarter of this year. With this move, JSW aims to establish itself as a standalone carmaker in India.
Expected Powertrain
The SUV is likely to arrive with a 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid setup. Internationally, this hybrid powertrain is offered with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options. It is still unclear which version will be introduced in India.
Design
In terms of design, the T2 is a large and rugged-looking SUV. It has a boxy and upright stance, similar to vehicles like the Land Rover Defender. Despite its tough appearance, it uses a monocoque chassis instead of a ladder-frame construction.
Size
The SUV measures around 4.7 metres in length and nearly 2 metres in width. This makes it larger than the Tata Safari, even though it is a five-seater. A longer 7-seat version is also sold in some markets.
Price
Pricing details for India are yet to be announced. For reference, the front-wheel-drive five-seat T2 i-DM is priced at AED 1,44,000 (around Rs 35 lakh) in the UAE.
Jetour
Jetour is a brand owned by Chinese automaker Chery. Launched in 2018, it focuses mainly on SUVs and is present in markets across China, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Xreal files patent suit against rival smart glasses maker Viture
Princess Kate crowned England’s Great with fiery Lioness spirit
Soshiotsuki wows with international debut at Pitti Uomo 109
-
Politics1 week agoUK says provided assistance in US-led tanker seizure
-
Entertainment1 week agoDoes new US food pyramid put too much steak on your plate?
-
Entertainment1 week agoWhy did Nick Reiner’s lawyer Alan Jackson withdraw from case?
-
Business1 week agoTrump moves to ban home purchases by institutional investors
-
Sports5 days agoClock is ticking for Frank at Spurs, with dwindling evidence he deserves extra time
-
Sports1 week agoPGA of America CEO steps down after one year to take care of mother and mother-in-law
-
Business1 week agoBulls dominate as KSE-100 breaks past 186,000 mark – SUCH TV
-
Sports6 days ago
Commanders go young, promote David Blough to be offensive coordinator