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Airbus has opened an assembly line in the Chinese port city of Tianjin. This is the first time that Airbus has opened an assembly line outside Europe.

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.

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Qantas today named the new Qantas Airbus A380 after 92 year old Australian Aviation pioneer, Nancy-Bird Walton.

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.

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Air New Zealand on September 12th conducted what has been hailed ‘the perfect flight’ from Auckland to San Fransisco.

Taking advantage of optimal flying conditions and the help of aviation authorities in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, the flight saved an estimated 4600 litres of aviation fuel. From a carbon emissions perspective this meant 9 tonnes (11,500kg) less carbon dioxide was emitted into the atmosphere. The flight across the Pacific normally produces 290 tonnes of C02.

he normal commercial flight NZ8, dubbed ASPIRE 1 (Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions) is the first tailored test flight on the Pacific using technology and cleared gates at each end, eliminating air traffic congestion to test flight and fuel efficiency. It is part of a worldwide drive to make the aviation industry more environmentally friendly.

The aircraft sourced power from Auckland Airport’s supply while still on the tarmac instead of burning its own fuel to drive electricity while boarding passengers.

Six hourly updated weather reports sent electronically using GPS-based navigation to on-board computers meant the pilots could change their flight path to avoid bad weather.

The aircraft, which was a Boeing 777, used maximum thrust during take off to reach optimum altitude as soon as possible and a gradual, slow descent on landing instead of the usual rev up and rev down procedure, all contributing to the fuel savings.

Qantas and United Airlines are set to follow suit with gate to gate tests in flights across the Pacific.

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Everyone seems to be turning to media and advertising as a source for generating new revenue. The airlines industries are no exception.

In a bid to combat rising fuel costs, some US airlines are beginning to sell advertising to passengers.

Examples include displaying ads to passengers who check in electronically, either from home or at the airport. Boarding passes with ads on the flip side are quite common. Other examples are ads on the drink tray tables, as well as flight attendants offering application forms for airline branded Bank of America credit cards.

Other opportunities are using the TV screens at the back of the seats, to provide more advertising to passengers.

Read more about this here.

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Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon predicted rising aviation fuel prices in the industry could lead to a massive restructuring of the industry. He said that up to 100,000 jobs could be at risk, worldwide, by the end of the year. Qantas announced last week that it would shed over 1500 jobs in Australia and forego hiring another 1200.

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.

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This Sunday will see Boeing unveil the much anticipated Dreamliner 787 in Seattle.

Photo Credit: Boeing Images

It does look very good and is Boeing’s first new model in 13 years.

It could be a game changer in the airlines industry, but not just for its good looks.

It is supposed to be much more fuel efficient than its competitors. The mid-sized plane, which seats up to 330 passengers and is capable of flying long-haul routes using up to 20 per cent less fuel while pumping out fewer greenhouse gases.

This is achieved using several revolutionary design features, most notably the use of high-tech plastic composites instead of aluminium.

Composites such as carbon-fibre will make up to 50 per cent of the primary structure of the plane - including the fuselage and wing.

“By manufacturing a one-piece fuselage section, we are eliminating 1,500 aluminum sheets and 40,000 - 50,000 fasteners,” Boeing said in a statement.

The composites used in the Dreamliner are also stronger and lighter than traditional materials, allowing the plane greater fuel efficiency.

The advantage in fuel efficiency is of course, a key competitive factor. It will allow an airlines company to potentially offer lower prices than its competitors who do not have a 787.

So far 634 orders have been placed for the Dreamliner, which has a price-tag of between $US146 million and $US200 million

You can watch the roll out of the 787 Dreamliner on the 8th of July at the Boeing webcast site here

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Here are some stunning photos from the Paris Airshow 2007.

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.

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Here is a video of the Airbus A 380 at the Paris Air Show, from YouTube. Looks like the video was from a hand held camera.

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

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