Supersonic Mach 4.5 Aircraft According to Airbus – just hold your breath for 30-40 years.

Over the past week, there has been a lot of press about a new Mach 4.5 supersonic aircraft, invented by Airbus, that will fly from London to NYC in one hour.  Mach 4.5 translates to a speed of over 3,000 mph (at 50,000 ft), which means you could fly from NYC or London to Shanghai in just over two hours. That means getting fresh dumplings in Shanghai can be a wonderful Sunday brunch.

Read more at: Supersonic Mach 4.5 Aircraft According to Airbus – just hold your breath for 30-40 years. – Spike Aerospace

EU-US Relations: U.S., EU agree to end tariff turbulence over Boeing, Airbus

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the U.S. and the EU have come to terms on a five-year agreement to end their dispute over aerospace sector subsidies. (Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg)
The deal the United States and the European Union reached Tuesday to end their long-running dispute over subsidies to Boeing and Airbus will mean the phase-out of billions in punitive tariffs. It will ease transatlantic tensions, and it will allow the two sides to focus on a common economic threat: China.

But the breakthrough leaves other trade frictions between the U.S. and the EU unresolved. Most prominently, the import taxes that then-president Donald Trump imposed on European steel and aluminum three years ago have been left in place by President Joe Biden. Whether progress on that vexing issue can be resolved soon remains unclear.

Read more at: U.S., EU agree to end tariff turbulence over Boeing, Airbus | CBC News

EU aircraft Industry: Airbus reports €1.1 billion in losses due to COVID-19 pandemic

Airbus lost €1.1 billion in revenues due a slump in global travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the company said its 2020 full-year results.

CEO Guillaume Faury said on Thursday that the company's aircraft deliveries were "far lower" than what they had expected this year due the the pandemic, which caused amid travel restrictions.

Read more at: https://www.euronews.com/2021/02/18/airbus-reports-1-1-billion-in-losses-due-to-covid-19-pandemic#

Aircraft Industry: Airbus displaces Boeing as aerospace’s biggest company

 Airbus has ousted Boeing as aerospace’s biggest business after a year in which the 737 Max crisis led to the US manufacturer’s revenues plunging by a quarter.

FlightGlobal’s latest Top 100, based on 2019/20 financial year figures, before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, show Boeing’s annual sales at $76 billion, down from $101 billion the previous year.

Read more at: 
Airbus displaces Boeing as aerospace’s biggest company | Analysis | Flight Global

European Aircraft Industry: Airbus A380F: Which Airlines Ordered The Cargo Airbus A380?

Airbus announced its intention to develop a high capacity aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow in 1990. It would take on Boeing dominance of the market, promising a 15% lower operating cost than the Boeing 747.

The project was originally known as the A3XX. After consideration of several options (including one based on two A340 fuselages combined), a two-deck aircraft was chosen and became known as the A380.

Airbus proposed a passenger version and a freighter version, the A380 and the A380F. The freighter version would have used the same fuselage, wings (with additional internal strengthening), and engines as the passenger version. Capacity would have been up to 150 tonnes, and it would offer a range of 10,400 kilometers.

This would have made it the largest commercial cargo plane on offer, apart from the one-off giant Antonov An-225 aircraft. For comparison, the new 747-8F carries 137.7 tonnes with a range of 7,630 nautical miles.

Read more at:
Which Airlines Ordered The Cargo Airbus A380? - Simple Flying

Airbus: Meet "Merkel One": The New German Air Force Airbus A350 - by Chris Loh

The Executive Transport Wing of the German Government (Flugbereitschaft) will soon have one of three Airbus A350s. These aircraft would be considered the German equivalents to Air Force One. According to FlugRevue, the first Airbus A350 has already been painted. Last week, the aircraft rolled out of the paint shop at the Airbus facility in Hamburg-Finkenwerder – only to fly back to Toulouse shortly after.

We reported just over a year ago that the government of Germany was ordering three Airbus A350 aircraft to replace its aging Airbus A340 aircraft. Reportedly, the German Government was trying to decide between the A330 and the A350.

Over a month ago, the first A350 ordered by the Flugbereitschaft took its maiden flight in Toulouse. At the time, however, it was without its distinctive governmental livery. Now we have a glimpse of the new aircraft “fully dressed” and it looks great! Below is some rare video of the new bird: (to view the video clich on the link below.

Read more at: Meet "Merkel One": The New German Air Force Airbus A350 - Simple Flying

European Aircraft Industry: Airbus cancels €1.5 billion in dividends over coronavirus

European planemaker Airbus is canceling a stakeholder payment to cope with the financial stress of the global coronavirus outbreak. The manufacturer called for federal support as it is hit by travel restrictions.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/airbus-cancels-15-billion-in-dividends-over-coronavirus/a-52884866

European Aircraft Industry: Airbus reveals futuristic blended wing aircraft design

The French aircraft maker Airbus rolled out a model of the small-scale, remote-controlled aircraft demonstrator it's been using to test the design at the Singapore Air Show 2020 on Tuesday.

This "blended wing body" demonstrator is called MAVERIC -- which stands for Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovative Controls -- and is two meters long and 3.2 meters wide.

Testing has reportedly been underway since June 2019 but the project, which launched in 2017, was kept under wraps until this month.

According to Airbus, MAVERIC helps accelerate understanding of new aircraft configurations and matures the technology necessary to fly such a radically different aircraft.

What's so special about this aerodynamic "blended wing body"? In addition to the environmental benefit -- approximately 20% less fuel burn compared to current single-aisle models with the same engine -- Airbus says the plane's unusual and spacious configuration opens up new possibilities for cabin design.

To prove this point, it also released a series of design renderings showing what passengers onboard a blended wing aircraft might be in for. Noise would likely be reduced too, due to the plane's "shielded" engine, which is mounted above the central body.

Read more at: Airbus reveals futuristic blended wing aircraft design | CNN Tr

Aircraft Industry: Bombardier exits the commercial plane business, sells remaining A220 stake to Airbus

Quebec's Bombardier has reported a oss of $1.6 billion US for 2019, and also announced it's leaving the commercial aviation business.

Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bombardier-financial-results-airbus-c-series-1.5462182

Crumbling Apart - the Atlantic Alliance: How Boeing vs. Airbus Became Trump vs. Europe - by David Gelles

Donald Trump retaliates
 against Europe 

Just weeks after his inauguration, President Trump toured Boeing’s factory in North Charleston, S.C., holding a rally with workers, admiring a new 787 Dreamliner and calling on the company to bring down the cost of new Air Force One planes.

But Boeing wanted something from Mr. Trump, too.

During a private conversation at the event, Boeing’s chief executive, Dennis A. Muilenburg, talked to Mr. Trump about a long-running trade dispute between the United States and the European Union that had its roots in the pitched rivalry between Boeing and Airbus, according to three people familiar with the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a delicate matter.

The case, which centered on subsidies that Europe provides Airbus, had been working its way through the World Trade Organization for years, but an end was finally in sight. In the event that it was settled on Mr. Trump’s watch, Mr. Muilenburg urged the president to enforce the ruling, which would mean levying tariffs on European goods.

On Wednesday, Boeing got its wish. After an announcement by the World Trade Organization, the Trump administration said it would tax as much as $7.5 billion of European exports annually.

It was the largest-ever authorized retaliation in the organization’s history, adding another layer of complexity to a global economy already rattled by brewing trade wars and further straining relations between the United States and the European Union. And it was the government’s boldest-ever step to protect Boeing, America’s largest manufacturing exporter.

“All of those countries were ripping off the United States for many years,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday at a news conference with the president of Finland, a European Union member. “They know I’m wise to it. We’ve had a lot of wins. This was a $7 billion win. Not bad".

Read more at: How Boeing vs. Airbus Became Trump vs. Europe - The New York Times

Aircraft Transportation Industries - Voom: Airbus launches Voom helicopter service to compete with Uber, Blade

Voom, a consumer-facing helicopter charger service that's been active in Latin America for three years, launched this week in the San Francisco Bay Area, shuttling wealthy travelers between the region's airports, Silicon Valley, and Napa's wine country.

"We want to offer a better alternative to ground transportation to people living in an urban environment," Clément Monnet, the company's chief executive, told Business Insider in an interview.

Like Uber and its older competitor Blade, business travelers and their corporate credit cards are the first target for Voom as it launches in the US.

Prices start at $245 for a flight from Oakland to San Jose and climb as high as $425 from San Francisco International Airport to Napa.

Read more: Airbus launches Voom helicopter service to compete with Uber, Blade - Business Insider

Aircraft Industry: Why the age of electric flight is finally upon us - by Tim Bowler

Aerospace firms are joining forces to tackle their industry's growing contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, with electric engines seen as one solution. But will this be enough to offset the growing demand for air travel?

The Paris Airshow in July this year saw the launch of the world's first commercial all-electric passenger aircraft - albeit in prototype form.

Israeli firm Eviation says the craft - called Alice - will carry nine passengers for up to 650 miles (1,040km) at 10,000ft (3,000m) at 276mph (440km/h). It is expected to enter service in 2022

Read more at: Why the age of electric flight is finally upon us - BBC News

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EU-US Relations:EU executive eyeing retaliation against U.S. over aircraft subsidies - by Philip Blenkinsop

 The European Commission has begun preparations for possible retaliation against Boeing subsidies, the EU executive said on Tuesday, a day after Washington drew up a list of EU imports to hit with tariffs over subsidies given to Europe's Airbus.

"The Commission is starting preparations so that the EU can promptly take action based on the arbitrator's decision on retaliation rights in this (Boeing) case," a Commission spokesman said.

"The European Union remains open for discussions with the United States, provided these are without preconditions and aim at a fair outcome," he continued.

 Read more at: EU executive eyeing retaliation against U.S. over aircraft subsidies

European Aircraft Industry: Airbus boss slams UK over disgraceful lack of clarity on Brexit

Brexit Brief: Airbus boss slams U.K. over ‘disgraceful’ lack of clarity for business -

Read more at:
https://on.mktw.net/2RKU4ig

European Aircraft Industry: Major fire to delay Airbus production

Major fire to delay Airbus production - SamChui.com:

A major fire in one of Airbus' facilities has left the company in a complicated situation as they struggle to meet delivery targets.

Aircraft Industry - Alternative Energy: Electric flying taxi service - Lilium poaches key hires from Audi, Airbus - by Jonathan Shieberby

Major Changes Are Coming In The Aircraft Industry

Lilium, the developer of a new electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle for a novel flying taxi service, has poached some pretty big former executives from Airbus and Audi as it builds out its technology and gets ready to bring its service to market.

Mirko Reuter, the former head of automated driving at Audi, has come on board as the head of autonomous flight at Lilium. Jakob Waeschenbach, who worked as the head of equipment installation at Airbus, and Rochus Moenter, former vice president of Airbus’ finance and leasing group, have joined Lilium as head of aircraft assembly and general counsel and head of legal, respectively.
 

Co-founded in 2015 by Daniel Wiegand, Sebastian Born, Patrick Nathen and Matthias Meiner, 

Lilium’s vision is to create a network for its proprietary vertical take-off and landing vehicles that will slash the costs of air travel and can ostensibly take a passenger from Paris to London in about an hour.

Read more: Electric flying taxi service Lilium poaches key hires from Audi, Airbus | TechCrunch

Canadian - EU Aircraft Industry Cooperation: ‘Godfather’ of aircraft leasing takes second look at post-Bombardier A220

Steven Udvar-Hazy, Air Lease Corp.’s founder and chairman, is studying his first potential orders of the Airbus SE A220 now that the European planemaker controls the single-aisle jetliner.

Airbus’s sales and engineering expertise brings greater potential to the aircraft, Udvar-Hazy said Sunday. The program was developed by Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. and formerly known as the C Series before Airbus took over a majority stake July 1.

“It’s a more attractive prospect,” Udvar-Hazy said in an interview in London ahead of the Farnborough air show. “This has changed the whole landscape in terms of its credibility.”

An order from Air Lease would provide the A220 with a seal of approval from one of the world’s most closely watched jet purchasers. Udvar-Hazy has been nicknamed the “godfather” of aircraft leasing for his role in founding the industry.

Airbus, which last week won a A220 deal from JetBlue Airways Corp., is trying to quickly build an order book for the plane, while also seeking to make the aircraft more viable by squeezing supply-chain costs. JetBlue’s 60-jet order was valued at $5.4 billion based on list prices. Delta Air Lines Inc. is also a buyer of the plane.

Read more: ‘Godfather’ of aircraft leasing takes second look at post-Bombardier A220 | Montreal Gazette

Aircraft Industry: Airbus lands massive order; Alabama will help fill it - by Lawrence Specker

Airbus has landed a massive order for more than 400 new jets, and indications are that at least some of them will be made in Alabama.

In Germany, Der Spiegel took notice of the news as the largest single deal in the company's history. In the U.S., Kristi Tucker, director of communications for Airbus Americas, said that the arrangement struck at the Dubai Air Show had a definite connection to Airbus' Final Assembly Line in Mobile.

According to the report in Der Spiegel, the U.S.-based investment company Indigo Partners will buy 430 medium-range jets. The plan is to purchase 273 A320neo jets and 157 A321neos. They'll go to four airlines owned by Indigo: Frontier Airlines in the U.S., Chile-based JetSmart, Mexico-based Volaris and Hungary-based Wizz Air.

Airbus builds its A320-family jets at four locations in Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; Tianjin, China; and Mobile. The company is often coy about saying exactly which plant will build the jets in a given order. However, the Alabama FAL was built primarily to serve customers in North and South America, where most of the jets ordered by Indigo Partners will be flown.

Read more: Airbus lands massive order; Alabama will help fill it | AL.com

European Aircraft Industry: Airbus A380 upgrade waits in the wings at Paris Airshow

The Airbus A-380

Airbus is preparing to roll out a novel A380 wingtip design to rally support for the world's largest passenger jet by improving its fuel efficiency, according to a prototype seen on Saturday.

A Reuters photographer got up close to the roughly three-meter-high split wingtip which has been installed on an A380 belonging to the Air and Space Museum at Le Bourget airport, where the Paris Airshow opens on Monday.

It confirms an upgrade reported by Reuters and Usine Nouvelle on Friday. Airbus declined comment.

Drag-reducing 'scimitar' split wingtips have been used on Boeing's medium-haul Boeing 737 MAX, but never on a jetliner the size of the A380, which has a 79.9-metre (262-foot) wingspan.

The aircraft sporting the prototype 'winglet' will be towed out to join others on display at the June 19-25 air show, giving airlines a glimpse of an improvement that Airbus hopes will turn around the present weak sales of its flagship double-decker

Read more: Airbus A380 upgrade waits in the wings at Paris Airshow | Reuters

Europe's largest passenger plane makes maiden flight

The Airbus A350-1000 is seeking to hog the limelight from Boeing’s popular 777.

It is a larger cousin to the new-generation A350-900, which entered service last year.

Both are built from similar materials to Boeing’s mid-sized 787 Dreamliner.

The lightweight, carbon-fibre A350-1000 is seven metres longer than the A350s already in service.

It has 366 seats and can carry 40 more people.

Read more: Europe's largest passenger plane makes maiden flight