The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) project is intended to replace the aging 1970s-era aircraft, which is approaching end-of-service life, a Air Force spokesperson said in a statement. To satisfy operational requirements, the weapon system will comprise of a commercial derivative jet hardened and modified to meet military requirements. Reuters in December reported that the U.S. Air Force eliminated Boeing from its competition to develop a successor to the E-4B Nightwatch.
The emergency exit slide fell off a Delta Airlines jet after taking off from New York en route to Los Angeles on Friday, Delta said. Delta said that crew on the flight, which had 183 people on board, declared an emergency and returned to John F. Kennedy International Airport, that it "supporting retrieval efforts." “As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, Delta flight crews enacted their extensive training and followed procedures to return to JFK," the airline said.
"We're making these adjustments now to ensure we're able to re-accommodate customers on affected flights," the company said. The move comes a day after peer Southwest Airlines said that it will shut operations at some airports as a result of the 787 delivery issues. Reuters reported earlier this month that the output of Boeing's 737 MAX had fallen sharply on increased production checks by U.S. regulators.