Neither China Airlines (CAL) nor EVA Airways have Boeing 777-200 planes in their fleets, the two airlines said yesterday.
The airlines told reporters that they do not have Boeing 777-200 aircraft in their fleets, adding that none of the aircraft they own use Pratt & Whitney PW4000-series engines either.
Their Boeing 777 aircraft are Boeing 777-300ER models, they said.
Photo: Hayden Smith / EPA-EFE
They clarified the models in their fleet after United Airlines Flight UA328 to Honolulu experienced engine failure soon after departing from Denver International Airport on Saturday afternoon, with broken engine parts raining down on suburban neighborhoods.
The flight landed safely at the airport in Denver, and no one was hurt.
Passengers on board told reporters that they had heard a loud explosion soon after takeoff, with one of them posting a video online showing the engine on fire after the explosion.
The incident prompted the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue an “emergency airworthiness directive” on Sunday, requiring “immediate or stepped-up inspection of Boeing 777 airplanes equipped with certain Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines,” FAA administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement posted on the agency’s Twitter account.
“This will likely mean that some airplanes will be removed from service,” Dickson said.
“We reviewed all available safety data following yesterday’s incident. Based on the initial information, we concluded that the inspection interval should be stepped up for hollow fan blades that are unique to this model of engine, used solely on Boeing 777 airplanes,” he added.
On Sunday, the Japanese government banned Boeing 777 aircraft equipped with PW4000 engines from departing or landing at Japanese airports or flying through the country’s airspace.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in