A350 sneak preview
TOULOUSE, FRANCE, 15 May 2013: French aerospace giant Airbus offered a sneak preview of its latest long-haul carrier, the A350, on Monday, rolling out a first model in front of hundreds of staff at its assembly plant in south-western France.
Reporters and photographers were not invited to the event near the city of Toulouse, but still got a brief glimpse of the blue-tailed aircraft from outside the fenced-off area, as it rolled out from the paint shop.
The A350-900 model is due for its first take-off this summer, with the first deliveries to airlines scheduled at the end of 2014.
Airbus takes the lead
PARIS, 8 May 2013: French aerospace giant Airbus has shot ahead of US group Boeing in terms of net orders booked in the first four months of the year, taking almost twice as many, company data showed Tuesday.
Airbus, given a big boost by a deal last month with Turkish Airlines, said in a statement that it recorded 493 orders between January and April, compared with the 255 announced on Boeing’s website.
The orders represent seven years of production, Airbus said.
Sri Lanka buys aircraft
April 29, 2013 by AFP
Filed under Aviation, News, South Asia
COLOMBO, 29 April 2013: Sri Lanka is set to re-fleet its loss-making national carrier with 10 new Airbus aircraft in a deal that could be worth over US$2.5 billion, a government official and a media report said on Sunday.
SriLankan Airlines will also secure an aircraft maintenance facility at the country’s newest international airport in the south of the country as part of the deal with Airbus, the official said, asking not to be named
“There would be a financing package that will go along with this re-fleeting,” said the official. “The aircraft would be acquired over the next seven years.”
Lion roars for Airbus
JAKARTA, 19 March 2013: Lion Air, a little-known carrier launched 13 years ago with just one plane, has struck two of the world’s largest aircraft orders in a staggering US$46 billion bet on Indonesia’s air transport boom.
France announced Monday that Indonesia’s fastest-growing airline had agreed to buy 234 medium-haul A320 jets worth US$23.8 billion (18.4 billion euros) from European aerospace giant Airbus.
French President Francois Hollande described the “historic” deal as the biggest in the history of civil aviation.
Turkish builds fleet
ISTANBUL, 19 March 2013: Turkey’s national carrier Turkish Airlines said on Friday it would buy up to 117 planes from the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, with deliveries scheduled between 2015 and 2020.
“The airline’s board of directors announced 117 aircraft will be joined to the existing fleet,” the airline said in a statement announcing the deal estimated to be worth US$9.3 billion at catalogue prices.
The order centres on Airbus’ A320 medium-haul family and includes firm orders for 82 planes and an option for 35 additional planes. The plane maker said engine selection would be made at a later date.
Massive growth in aircraft demand
September 7, 2012 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under Aviation, Europe, News
TOULOUSE, 7 September 2012: Airbus’ latest Global Market Forecast claims 28,200 passenger (100 seats or more) and freight aircraft will be needed between 2012 and 2031 worth nearly US$4.0 trillion, reconfirming an upward trend in the pace of new aircraft deliveries. Of these over 27,350 will be passenger aircraft valued at US$ 3.7 trillion.
Passenger traffic will grow at an average annual rate of 4.7% in the next 20 years, during which some 10,350 aircraft will be replaced by new efficient models.
By 2031 the world’s passenger fleet will have expanded by 110% from slightly over 15,550 today to over 32,550. In the same period, the world’s freighter fleet will almost double from 1,600 to 3,000 aircraft.
HK airline may ditch A380 order
August 17, 2012 by AFP
Filed under Aviation, News, North Asia
HONG KONG, 17 August 2012: Hong Kong Airlines said Thursday it was considering cancelling a US$3.8 billion order for 10 Airbus A380 superjumbos, which would deal a blow to the under-pressure European airplane maker.
“There are no firm decisions at this point. It will depend on how the business and the external environment evolves in the future,” a Hong Kong Airlines spokesman told AFP.
Cancellation of the order would be a blow to Europe’s Airbus and its parent company, EADS, following the discovery of cracks in the wings of several of the A380s.
AirAsia X expands fleet
KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Aug 2012: The long-haul arm of budget carrier AirAsia said Thursday it would add six leased aircraft to its growing fleet as it pushes to build up its presence in Asia.
AirAsia X, which this year slashed routes to Europe and India to refocus on the Asia-Pacific, said it would lease the six Airbus A330-300s from US-based International Lease Finance Corp. in a deal worth approximately US$500 million.
The carrier currently operates nine Airbus A330-300s and two A340-300s. It is already awaiting delivery of 17 other aircraft it has purchased from Europe’s Airbus.
CX orders more aircraft
FARNBOROUGH, 11 July 2012: Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific has ordered 10 of the future Airbus long-haul A350 planes worth US$3.2 billion (2.6 billion euros), the firms announced on Tuesday.
“This is an important and strategic development for Cathay Pacific. The A350-1000 aircraft will bring us world-beating fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness” the airline’s chief executive John Slosar said.
Cathay has also agreed to convert 16 of its existing orders for the A350-900 to the larger A350-1000, earning Airbus an additional US$1.0 billion at list prices.
Airbus sells neo planes
Farnborough, 10 July 2012: European planemaker Airbus announced here on Monday that Arkia Israel Airlines had agreed to buy four of its upcoming single-aisle neo passenger planes.
Airbus did not disclose the deal amount for the four A321neo aircraft, which have a combined list price of US$453 million (369 million euros).
“Arkia Israeli Airlines, the second biggest Israeli airline signed today a purchase agreement for four A321neos at the Farnborough International Airshow.
