TOKYO/LONDON: Japanese carrier ANA Holdings needs to replace damaged compressor blades in the Rolls-Royce engines powering its Boeing 787s, it said on Thursday, forcing it to cancel some Dreamliner flights over the coming weeks.
The carrier said that under certain flying conditions the compressor blades in the engine’s interior showed corrosion. It said it will cancel nine domestic 787 flights on Friday, with other cancelations likely in the coming weeks.
ANA’s Dreamliners are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The Japanese airline is the biggest operator of the Boeing model with some 49 aircraft, or around a tenth of the global fleet. Of the 445 Dreamliners in operation worldwide, 168 use the Rolls-Royce engines, according to Boeing’s website.
“We are aware of the situation and are working with Rolls-Royce and ANA to resolve any issues impacting the airplanes in service,” a spokesman for Boeing in Tokyo said.
Rolls-Royce Holdings said in an e-mailed statement it was “working closely with ANA to minimize the effect on aircraft service disruption.”
It did not say whether the problem had been found in 787 engines on aircraft operated by other airlines, but when asked about any requirement to take additional action a spokesman said the issue was limited to a small proportion of the ANA fleet.
Airlines that order the Dreamliner can choose either the Rolls-Royce engines or General Electric Co’s GEnx engines for their aircraft.
ANA said vibrations resulting from the problem with the compressor blades had occurred on a flight from Japan to Malaysia in February and on one to Vietnam in March. A 787 traveling on a domestic route on Aug. 20 had also experienced trouble, it said.
Rolls-Royce is in turnaround mode after a tough 18 months after being hit by a low oil price and lower demand for servicing of some of its older engines. It has a plan to cut costs by 150 million to 200 million pounds by the end of 2017.
In a note, Morgan Stanley analysts pointed out that a previous corrosion issue on the Trent 1000 gearbox in 2012 was quickly resolved and the then chief executive said the financial consequences were not material.
All Nippon Airways cancels flights over Dreamliner engine problem
All Nippon Airways cancels flights over Dreamliner engine problem
Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector is a new economic engine between Riyadh and Paris, says ambassador
RIYADH: Culture has become a fundamental pillar in bilateral relations between France and Saudi Arabia, according to the French Ambassador to the Kingdom, Patrick Maisonnave.
Maisonnave noted its connection to the entertainment and tourism sectors, which makes it a new engine for economic cooperation between Riyadh and Paris.
He told Al-Eqtisadiah during the opening ceremony of La Fabrique in the Jax district of Diriyah that cultural cooperation with Saudi Arabia is an important element for its attractiveness in the coming decades.
La Fabrique is a space dedicated to artistic creativity and cultural exchange, launched as part of a partnership between the Riyadh Art program and the French Institute in Riyadh.
Running from Jan. 22 until Feb 14, the initiative will provide an open workspace that allows artists to develop and work on their ideas within a collaborative framework.
Launching La Fabrique as a space dedicated to artistic creativity
The ambassador highlighted that the transformation journey in the Kingdom under Vision 2030 has contributed to the emergence of a new generation of young artists and creators, alongside a growing desire in Saudi society to connect with culture and to embrace what is happening globally.
He affirmed that the relationship between the two countries is “profound, even cultural par excellence,” with interest from the Saudi side in French culture, matched by increasing interest from the French public and cultural institutions unfolding in the Kingdom.
Latest estimates indicate that the culture-based economy represents about 2.3 percent of France’s gross domestic product, equivalent to more than 90 billion euros ($106.4 billion) in annual revenues, according to government data. The sector directly employs more than 600,000 people, making it one of the largest job-creating sectors in the fields of creativity, publishing, cinema, and visual arts.
Saudi Arabia benefiting from French experience in the cultural field
Maisonnave explained that France possesses established cultural institutions, while Saudi Arabia is building a strong cultural sector, which opens the door for cooperation opportunities.
This comes as an extension of the signing of 10 major cultural agreements a year ago between French and Saudi institutions, aiming to enhance cooperation and transfer French expertise and knowledge to contribute to the development of the cultural system in the Kingdom.
He added that experiences like La Fabrique provide an opportunity to meet the new generation of Saudi creators, who have expressed interest in connecting with French institutions and artists in Paris and France.
La Fabrique encompasses a space for multiple contemporary artistic practices, including performance arts, digital and interactive arts, photography, music, and cinema, while providing the public with an opportunity to witness the stages of producing artistic works and interact with the creative process.
