The plant which cost €800 million plant, will produce the company’s A320 aircraft. It is expected to deliver its first completed craft next summer, and to be producing four planes a month by 2011.

Airbus chief executive Tom Enders described the new plant as a ‘‘key pillar of the internationalisation strategy of Airbus’’, and said that it would help the company gain a foothold in ‘‘one of the most important aviation markets today and certainly tomorrow’’.

While Airbus’s traditional customer base in Europe and the US is hobbled by rising oil prices and lower passenger numbers, with many airlines lurching towards bankruptcy, Airbus executives are looking to exploit a rich stream of potential revenue in China’s booming air industry.

They estimate that China will need 3,000 new aircraft by 2025, and that up to one in five Airbus orders could come from China in the years ahead,.

Earlier this year, the Chinese government earmarked 450 billion yuan for the construction of 97 new airports by 2020,with half of those due for completion within just two years. China had just 145 airports at the end of 2006.

Tags: Aircraft, Airbus news, Aviation News

Nancy first learned to fly in 1933 at just 17 years of age. She was Australia’s first woman to receive a commercial license as a pilot.

A 92-year-old Australian aviation pioneer Tuesday christened a huge new Qantas Airbus A380 which the airline named in her honour, saying she had made sure she lived long enough to enjoy the moment.

Nancy-Bird Walton, who learnt to fly in 1933 when she was just 17 and became the nation’s first woman to be licensed as a commercial pilot, made the comment at a ceremony in her honour at Sydney Airport.

At a function in her honour in Sydney she said “Qantas first asked if they could name this magnificent plane after me at my 90th birthday three years ago and I made it my decision to stay alive — and I’ve made it.”

“It is my greatest pleasure to name this aircraft Nancy-Bird Walton.”

Nancy-Bird Walton flew for a medical service in outback Australia and in 1950 founded the Australian Women Pilots Association. She was also appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia on January 26, 1990 for her service to aviation, particularly the participation of women in aviation.

Outgoing Qantas Chief Geoff Dixon said “Nancy-Bird Walton, your courage, resilience and optimism represent the very best of Australia”.

“We are so delighted you agreed to have this plane named in your honour.”

Nancy and other guests were treated to a flight up Australia’s coast after the naming ceremony.

Tags: Aircraft, Airbus news, Aviation News

In an estimate last week, Dixon had said that rising fuel costs had added two billion Australian dollars (1.94 billion US) to Qantas’ fuel bill this year. Qantas also last week cut its estimated capacity growth for 2008-09 from eight percent to zero and announced it would retire up to 22 older aircraft from its fleet.

Speaking at a business luncheon in Sydney today, he referred to airlines around the world resorting to cutting routes and capacity, grounding and retiring aircraft in a bid to manage the rising fuel costs. He said that rising fuel costs were likely to change the economics and mechanics of the industry for ever.

“The global aviation industry faces not just a shock or indeed a blip or indeed a crisis really but a permanent transformation,” he said.

Dixon believed that the United States would eventually ease restrictions on foreigners owning more than 25 percent of the voting stock in US airlines, sparking a new wave of consolidation in the industry.

He predicted long-established airline brands would remain but that the number of airline owners in the market place would dwindle.

Read more about this story here.

Tags: Aircraft, Airbus news, Boeing News, Aviation News

One was the change in its logo. The logo was adapted to fit the tail of the new A380 aircraft, as well as to reflect the airline’s contemporary design focus.

Old qantas logo on the left, new one on the right. Photo credits: Qantas & the Sydney Morning Herald.

Qantas today also revealed the new Premium Economy cabin and seating to be offered progressively on its international Boeing 747-400 aircraft from February 2008 and on its fleet of new A380 being delivered from August 2008.

Qantas Executive General Manager John Borghetti said the airline’s Premium Economy cabin would appeal to Economy travellers seeking more space, comfort and an enhanced level of service.

Mr Borghetti said that the premium economy seat was designed by Marc Newson & manufactured by Recaro which makes seats for luxury auto brands such as Aston Martin, Audi and Porsche
“The Premium Economy seat was designed by Marc Newson - the designer of our award winning Skybed sleeper seat - and manufactured by Recaro, which makes seats for luxury auto brands such as Aston Martin, Audi and Porsche,” Mr Borghetti said.

“The seats offer extra width and recline, more legroom, and an in-arm digital wide screen television monitor, as well as laptop power connection.

“Premium Economy will also include a self-service bar offering a selection of refreshments throughout the flight, in addition to the regular choice of meals designed by Neil Perry’s Rockpool Group, premium wines, superior tableware and soft furnishings.”

Mr Borghetti said other key features of Premium Economy included:

* the world’s best Premium Economy recline and leg room - nine inch seat recline and up to 42 inch seat pitch;
* extra wide, 19.5 inch seat width;
* ergonomic cushioning;
* larger, in-arm touch screen video monitor;
* multiport jack with USB (A380 only) and RJ45 ports;
* a six-way adjustable headrest;
* an integrated leg rest with fold-out footrest; and
* a wide centre console with a fixed cocktail table and in-arm meal table.

“Premium Economy customers will also have a dedicated check-in area,” Mr Borghetti said.

He said the Premium Economy cabin would be available gradually on B747 services to London, Hong Kong and Johannesburg from February 2008 with further routes being added following the introduction of A380 aircraft.

Premium Economy will be located on the main deck of B747 aircraft with 32 seats in a two-four-two configuration. On the A380, the cabin will be located on the upper deck with 32 seats in a two-three-two configuration.

You can also view the interior of the premium economy seats A380 Superjumbo at the Sydney Morning Herald site here.

Overall, sounds like good news for Qantas passengers in the future.

Tags: Aircraft, Business Jets, Airbus news, Boeing News, Aviation News

The fleet of the merged Air India-Indian Airlines entity is aging and needs new aircraft in order to compete. They have already placed an order for 111 planes worth over $10 billion. However, new analysis suggests that they may need 60 more aircraft.

Of these, at least 30 are likely to be wide bodied aircraft for which the options are Boeing 747, 777 and 787 apart from the Airbus A310 and Airbus 330s. For the narrow bodied aircraft, the options are Boeing 737 and the Airbus 320 family.

Either way, this is good news for both Boeing and Airbus, and of course the air traveller’s in India.

Tags: Aircraft, Airbus news, Boeing News, Aviation News

These photographs are from Royisher’s collection at Flickr.

This is the Raytheon Hawker 4000 at the airshow.

The fabulous Airbus A380 flying at the Paris Airshow

The Alenia-C27J at the Paris Air Show

For all you aviation fans, I would encourage you to view Royi’s 2007 Paris - Le Bourget - Air Show album.

They are truly fabulous.

Tags: Aircraft, Business Jets, Airbus news, Aviation News

Boeing’s count for firm booking’s at this stage seems to be 66 jets.

Airbus secured agreements for 728 aircraft during the Paris Air Show after landing firm orders for 425 and commitments for a further 303, eclipsing Boeing’s firm booking of 66 jets.

Airbus has tended to reserve order declarations for the flagship French show, and the company has been particularly keen to offset last year’s poor publicity regarding delays to its A350 and A380 projects.

Get more details about the break up of the orders by customer base and aircraft type here

Tags: Aircraft, Airbus news, Boeing News, Aviation News

The commentary in the background appears to be in French, I did not understand it.
Anyway, here is the video.

Tags: Aircraft, Airbus news, Aviation News

KLM put in an order of 7 of Boeing’s single aisle 737-700 planes.

The total deal is worth around $2.7 billion at list prices.

Meanwhile, rival Airbus announced that it had received a significant order from Russian airline Aeroflot for 22 of its A350 XWB aircraft.

It will be interesting to see which aircraft manufacturer ends up with the largest amount of sales, both in terms of the revenue from sales and number of airplanes sold, by the end of this year.

Tags: Airbus news, Boeing News, Aviation News

Airbus said it is back in business today as it announced both of its flagship aircraft programmes were on track.

President and chief executive Louis Gallois said: ‘I can tell you with full confidence that Airbus is back.’

Gallois told a press conference at the Paris Air Show that Airbus is on track to deliver its first A380 to Singapore Airlines in October.

He also said the development of A350 XWB, which has reportedly caused some uncertainty in the market, is also on schedule.

Read more from Forbes here

Delta Airlines talked about the need to replace its widebody fleet and of putting in some big orders, but were still undecided on whether to go with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner or the Airbus A350XWB.

“We do need to make a decision really by the end of this year on the 767 replacement, because we will need to start taking those in 2013-2014,” said Jim Whitehurst, Delta’s chief operating officer, in an interview at the Paris Air Show.

Read more about this story from Reuters here.

Finally Bomarbier sees more demand for business jets in the near future. Tighter airport security and healthy corporate profits worldwide are driving demand for Bombardier’s “flying boardrooms,”

Read more about this story from CNN here.

Tags: Business Jets, Bombardier News, Airbus news, Boeing News, Aviation News