Archive for January 2017
Airbus ‘in danger’ as Brexit trigger looms
The operations boss of Airbus says the European aerospace major is entering a “dangerous phase” because of Brexit, which could complicate its free movement of staff and products. Tom Williams, the chief operating officer and president of commercial aircraft at Airbus, made the comments before British policymakers on parliament’s powerful treasury select committee. The Airbus…
Read MoreBrexit and Trump mean ‘dangerous new phase’ for Airbus, says boss
Airbus has warned of a “dangerous new phase” as it faces the twin threat of Brexit and the policies of the Trump administration. Tom Williams, chief operating officer and president of commercial aircraft at the European company, told MPs on the Treasury select committee that it would be “pretty scary” if Airbus were no longer…
Read MoreBoeing’s automated 777 production system is back on track
The Boeing Co.’s radical revamp of how it makes its twin-aisle 777 has cleared early challenges that hampered airplane production for months. At the time, the company’s top executives publicly downplayed the issues, even as mechanics hustled to rework planes with hundreds of unfinished jobs. Those days are gone, and Boeing expects the new production…
Read MoreFirst low-cost Asian airline cleared for flights to the US
Get ready to squeeze on board for low-cost flights between the U.S. and Asia. Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia says it’s gotten the all clear from U.S. authorities to fly its jetliners to American airports — the first low-cost Asian airline to do so. Founded by charismatic businessman Tony Fernandes, AirAsia pioneered the low-cost model in…
Read MoreBoeing tops Airbus jet deliveries by $15B in 2016
Thanks to a large order from Iran booked in December, Airbus sold more airplanes than Boeing in 2016. But Boeing built more airplanes last year, especially the higher-value large jets. Airbus data released Wednesday reveal that the European jet maker booked a sale for 98 airplanes to Iran in December, which allowed it to outsell…
Read MoreRolls-Royce delivers a slice of history
The first of Rolls-Royce’s Trent 900 engines for Emirates Airline’s latest tranche of A380 super-jumbo airliners, ordered in 2013, have now been delivered to Toulouse for installation by makers Airbus. Geoff Thomas reports. Emirates picked Rolls-Royce to supply 217 engines, valued at $9.2 billion, for 52 Airbus A380s and says the UK manufacturer is in…
Read MoreATR chief says in no hurry to develop larger aircraft
Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR is likely to develop a larger version of its aircraft family in the future, but is in no hurry to act, its chief executive said. ATR is jointly owned by aerospace groups Airbus and Leonardo, which are seen as split over whether to focus on the existing family of two models…
Read MoreBoeing Set for New Organizing Battle in S.C.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes is preparing for a new battle with the International Association of Machinists, the labor union that represents hundreds of Boeing workers in Washington State. The union on January 20 petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a secret-ballot election for approximately 2,850 production workers to organize and affiliate with IAM…
Read MoreBoeing says aircraft orders ‘holding firm’ in Middle East
US aerospace company Boeing is not expecting any delays or cancellations to its orders in the Middle East, according to a senior company executive. In December 2016, the US aircraft manufacturer announced a $16.6 billion (AED61 billion) 80 aircraft deal with IranAir which includes 50 narrow-body 737 MAX aircraft and 30 long-haul 777s, split equally…
Read MoreBoeing 737 and Airbus A320 Production Increases Are Coming — Even With Slowing Orders
Orders are slowing for the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 jet families — but production growth is just getting started. Historically, commercial jet orders have been sharply cyclical, with boom times followed by big busts. In the past year or two, order activity has slowed significantly at Boeing and Airbus, indicating that the current cycle…
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