Responding to media speculation that its 787 program may suffer more delays because of the complex side-of-body modification, Boeing VP and GM-787 Dreamliner Program Scott Fancher issued a statement Friday claiming that the troubled aircraft is on schedule to fly this year.

"The design of the side-of-body solution is on track. Installations of the fittings are proceeding well and we are pleased with the progress we are making on this important effort. We continue to be on track to fly the 787 by the end of the year," Fancher said. The manufacturer will deliver a more comprehensive review of the program's status on Oct. 21 during its third-quarter earnings call.

Rectification following an article earlier today with regard to KLM suspectingly grounding its A330 fleet. Confirmed sources around the airline have told Worldwide-Aviation.net that all Airbus A330 in service of KLM are still in operation. Replacement of the pitot probes is an ongoing process and it is not expected that this would form a problem maintaining the current flight schedule.

Replacement of the pitot probes follows after an Airworthiness Directive (AD) publication by EASA stating that the currently installed probes from Thales should be replaced by those produced by Goodrich (at least two of three used on the A330). In response KLM has announced installation of the new tubes will be accomplished as soon as possible. In addition, KLM states that installation of the new probes is a preventative measure and that safety has never been, and will be, compromised in any way.

Fokker Services and FreeFlight Systems announce a partnership to provide air transport aircraft a low-cost means to modernize the airborne navigation system without replacing existing equipment or making extensive changes to the aircraft. This dual system with certification is about one-third of the cost of a new Flight Management System (FMS), and requires about 100 man-hours to install.

By the end of this month (June 2009) a revolutionary new aircraft will be presented that is powered by solar power. The aircraft, named the SolarImpulse, has a wing span similar to the A340 (some 180 feet), weighs some 1.600 kilograms, has an engine which is capable of delivering 40cc, and is planned to make its first flight in 2010.

The SolarImpulse has 11.628 solar cells across its wings, four propellor engines, and is able to stay airborne for 36 hours at a speed of 70 km/h. After five years of research and development, prototype HB-SIA will be revealed on June 26 at Dübendorf airport, near Zürich.