The Airbus A320neo is set to make it’s first flight this Thursday (September 25), European airframer Airbus announced Monday. The maiden flight of the A320neo test aircraft is scheduled for 1030 local time in Toulouse, France (1400 IST), but will of course be subject to weather conditions. The test aircraft which bears the registration F-WNEO is powered by two Pratt …
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The first Airbus A320neo (new engine option) is making progress towards its first flight. The test aircraft airframe MSN 6101 (manufacturer’s serial number) test registered F-WNEO powered up its engines and performed taxi tests last week. You can see photos here, here and here Airbus is expecting this aircraft to perform its first flight some time later this month. READ …
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Airbus crossed an important milestone for its A320neo single-aisle family, 3,000 orders. With a 110 A320neo aircraft from Japanese controlled lessor SMBC Aviation Capital earlier this morning at the Farnborough air show 2014, the European airframer now has 3,083 A320neo family aircraft on order from 57 different customers which include Indian airlines like IndiGo and AirAsia India. The A320neo family …
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Future of A350-800 in doubt After much expectation, early this morning, European airframer Airbus has launched the A330-800neo and A330-900neo (new engine option) in ongoing its attempt to answer to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Deliveries of the A330neo are expected commence in the last quarter of 2017. The upgrade of one of the world’s most popular medium-range twin-jets, the A330neo …
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European airframer Airbus S.A.S. has completed assembly of the first A320neo. Fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM PurePower engines, MSN6101 will be the first A320neo to fly sometime in September 2014 ahead of its entry in to service by end 2015. The aircraft will soon start its ground tests as part of its preparation for first flight. MSN6101 will be …
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New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji airports have readied themselves to receive India’s first scheduled commercial A380 superjumbo service later this evening, operated by Singapore Airlines. DIAL the Delhi airport operator is running a special hashtag on Twitter #NamasteA380. The airframe manufacturer Airbus S.A.S. has released some factoids on the superjumbo. It is interesting to see how Airbus …
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May 10, 1974, European airframer Airbus Industrie delivered to launch customer Air France, the world’s first twin-engined wide-body commercial jetliner, the A300. The delivery was also the very first delivery of an aircraft by the fledgling manufacturer. At a time when wide-body meant three or four engines, Airbus took the risk of developing a two engined widebody aircraft. To reduce …
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Airbus’ newest aircraft the A350 XWB has successfully performed certification testing which demonstrates the aircraft’s ability to operate on wet runways. One of the flight test aircraft, MSN00 performed these tests at Istres in France. During the tests, the runway was modified by adding groves to the runway surface, and inserting rubber strips in the grooves to retain water. A …
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The first Airbus A320neo (new engine option), the first significant upgrade of the the best selling single aisle narrow-body jetliner of European airframer Airbus S.A.S., is progressing rapidly through the final assembly line in Toulouse, France. The first aircraft began its final assembly last month, with the join of the forward and rear fuselage sections. Next, major structures were mated …
Read More »European airframer Airbus has unveiled proposed cabin interiors for its latest aircraft, the A350 XWB. This cabin interior is installed on board ‘MSN002’ (manufacturer’s serial number) the flight-test aircraft which made its first flight on February 26, earlier this year In a counter to the 17 inch economy class seat widths offered in the 10 abreast seating on many Boeing …
Read More »At the recently concluded India Aviation 2014 show, European airframer Airbus forecast Indian carriers will require 1,290 new passenger aircraft valued at US$190 billion between now and 2032. 73% of these aircraft will be to accommodate growth and 27% will be used for replacement. Of the 1,290 aircraft, about 913 will be the single aisle narrow bodies of the A320 …
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European airframer Airbus has marked the start of manufacturing of the much awaited A320neo by performing the first ‘cutting of metal’, machining the first engine pylon component at the “Saint-Eloi” factory in Toulouse, France. The A320neo (new engine option) is slated to enter into service (EIS) from late 2015. Its key feature are the new generation CFM LEAP and Pratt …
Read More »A customer A380 as well as models of its full civil aircraft product range will be at the heart of Airbus’ presence at the An Emirates airline A380 superjumbo will be on static display for the first three days of the fourth India Aviation 2014 Airshow in Hyderabad between March 12th to 16th. Models of Airbus’ full aircraft product range …
Read More »The Toulouse based regional aircraft manufacturer ATR, a joint venture between the Airbus Group and Alenia Aermacchi (a Finmeccanica Group company), grew its revenues 13 percent in 2013 to $1.63 billion from $1.44 billion in 2012. The company also increased deliveries by 16 percent to 74 aircraft in 2013 compared to 64 in 2012 and up 37 percent from the …
Read More »The A350 XWB development aircraft, MSN3, is in Bolivia for a series of flight tests at the high altitude airfields of Cochabamba and the capital La Paz. Cochabamba is approximately 8,300 feet above sea level, and at 13,300 La Paz is one of the highest airports in the world. Operations at such high altitude airfields are particularly demanding on aircraft …
Read More »European airframer Airbus S.A.S. rolled out its third its third A350 XWB flight-test aircraft, MSN2 (manufacturer serial number 2), from the paint shop in Toulouse, France, featuring a special “carbon” livery which symbolises the extensive use of of carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) in the aircraft. 53 per cent of the A350 XWB’s airframe is made-up of composites including the airframer’s …
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Air Caraibes has signed a firm contract with Airbus S.A.S. for three A350-1000s, the largest member of Airbus’ new generation A350XWB Family. The airline will also lease three new A350-900s from ILFC. The aircraft will enter into service between 2016 and 2022. The Air Caraïbes’ A350-1000s will seat 439 passengers in three classes, and the -900 will seat 387 passengers. …
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Korea’s Asiana Airlines’ first A380 has successfully completed its maiden flight. The A380 flew from Airbus’ facilities in Toulouse, France to the aircraft manufacturer’s site in Hamburg, Germany, where it will undergo painting and cabin furnishing. Asiana Airlines will become the twelfth operator of the A380 when it takes delivery of its first aircraft in the second quarter of 2014. …
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AirAsia X, the long haul, low fare airline affiliate of the AirAsia Group has placed an order for 25 more A330-300s with European airframer Airbus. The order is valued at US$ 6 billion at list prices. This order increases AirAsia X’s total orders to 57 A330-300s, which are scheduled to be completed by 2019. Fifty-one direct on Airbus and six …
Read More »Late last month we reported on the Interglobe-CAE joint venture simulator training centre near New Delhi. Here is a video promotion of the same facility. With a hat-tip to @neelammathews
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