JetBlue to fix E-190 software issues

[moose135]

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzje ... -headlines

JetBlue will briefly sideline new jets for software fix
BY JAMES BERNSTEIN
[email protected]
March 6, 2007, 3:05 PM EST

JetBlue Airways Corp., still smarting from its poor performance at Kennedy Airport after a Valentine's Day ice and snow storm, said Tuesday it will begin briefly sidelining its new 100-seat Embraer jets to fix software problems.

Todd Burke, a spokesman for Forest Hills-based JetBlue, said that the software problems do not interfere with the safe operations of the Brazilian-built E-190s, short-to-medium haul passenger jets.

JetBlue has 25 E-190s and others on order.

Burke said that the software fixes will be made beginning this week and continue into April.

No flight cancellations or delays are anticipated, Burke said.

The software problems will be fixed at a JetBlue maintenance facility in Nashville when each E-190 comes is in for routine maintenance work anyway.

JetBlue has contracted with ExpressJet Holdings Inc. for four 50-seat aircraft to replace the E-190s as they are fixed two at a time, Burke said. "We have seen a pattern of software issues with the plane and we're taking proactive steps" to deal with the matter, Burke said. "We're trying to get ahead of this."

Burke stressed that the planes are not going out of service, but each will be worked on at Nashville for 24 to 48 hours and then resume flying. Burke declined to discuss the nature of the software problems, but Bloomberg news reported that the difficulties involve some incorrect instrument readings.

JetBlue had ordered 100 Embraer aircraft to compliment its fleet of 99 Airbus planes. Burke said that future deliveries of Embraers will come with the software modifications.

After the Valentine's Day snow and ice storm, JetBlue canceled 1,102 flights, stranding thousands at Kennedy, some on grounded planes for as long as 10 hours. The airline repeatedly apologized for the episode and has offered vouchers to affected passengers.

It has also adopted a Customer Bill of Rights to help make sure nothing like the Valentine's Day meltdown ever occurs again.

[Iberia A340-600]

There is talk over at Airliners that Expressjet will fly a couple of ERJ-145's for jet Blue while this is happening.

[nwafan20]

JetBlue has contracted with ExpressJet Holdings Inc. for four 50-seat aircraft to replace the E-190s as they are fixed two at a time, Burke said. "

According to the article, that is correct.

[Iberia A340-600]

JetBlue has contracted with ExpressJet Holdings Inc. for four 50-seat aircraft to replace the E-190s as they are fixed two at a time, Burke said. "

According to the article, that is correct.

Hah, whoops did not see that.

[nwafan20]

No problem! We all miss things sometimes.

[Novanglus]

These two were at the remote B6 terminal this morning:

[RDU-JFK]

Will they contact customers if their flight will be affected? How can we find this info out?

[Ari707]

how do you replace a 100 seat plane with a 45 seat plane??? 2 flights for every one?

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

Good Question. Looks like lots of people will be bumped if not! So how long are the EMB 190s supposed to be sidelined for?

[Alex T]

Yes, two RJ per 190, and each person traveling on the RJ will be getting a 25 dollar voucher for loss of TV on board.

Alex

[PhilDernerJr]

Good Question. Looks like lots of people will be bumped if not! So how long are the EMB 190s supposed to be sidelined for?

As it said earlier in the article, each one will be out of service for 2 days at a time.

[hiss srq]

I was waiting for this. Regionals and earlier operators of the 170 and 190 fleet have already started this progress abait without publicly telling. The 170 and 190 have a lot of bugs in several systems. A big one being the nose gear steering systems and microswitches related to them. Another one is Temp. related false readouts from what I understand.

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

And how long will they be doing these improvements on the E190s? They will each take two days but how long will it take to get all of them done?

[Tom_Turner]

Ah, this is where I read the news. About a week or so at JFK I noticed an Express Jet on approach. Happy to see it, but didn't wonder too much what it was doing there - after all it IS JFK.. nearly everything will show up there sooner or later - especailly as a one off. But then a half hour later theres another!!

The Express Jet colors look pretty good in person...better than what we're used to on these types anyway.

Tom

[hiss srq]

Jetaquafresh!