- Full Implementation Of The Few Remaining Recommendations & Rulings Following EU Success On WTO Appeal In May 2011
- Airbus And Its Government Partners Committed To WTO Compliance
- Airbus Looks To Boeing To Live Up To Previous Rhetoric On WTO Compliance Next Year
December 1, 2011 – Europe has implemented the WTO findings and thus brought the parties into full conformity with WTO obligations. In May this year, the World Trade Organization (WTO) report resulted in a decisive victory for Europe, confirming that European partnership with Airbus is legal and that government support to Airbus did not cause material injury to Boeing. Whilst pleased with the WTO’s substantial affirmation of the European position in the decision, Airbus respects that the decision did contain limited findings of subsidy effects requiring action within six months of the decision.
“We only needed to make limited changes in European policies and practices to comply with the Appellate Body’s report; we did what we needed to do and we did it in the agreed timeframe,” said Rainer Ohler, Airbus’ Head of Public Affairs and Communications. “Today, we call on the US and Boeing to do the same next year. We realize that this will mean substantial sacrifice for Boeing due to the far broader scope and scale of WTO findings of US subsidy to Boeing”.
Following a review with independent experts of what obligations resulted from the WTO’s ruling, Europe has adopted a course of action. This addresses all forms of adverse effects, all categories of subsidies and all models of Airbus aircraft covered by the WTO report. As a result, Europe has ensured full implementation of the WTO recommendations and rulings. The WTO will publicly disclose information regarding these measures at a later stage. Airbus calls on all parties to recognize that Europe has implemented in good faith, and to return to vigorous marketplace competition rather than further attempts to stifle competition through unjustified legal processes.
Airbus calls for a show of similar good faith in the implementation of the judgment of Boeing aid coming early next year. Airbus remains concerned that recent media reports of massive federal tax subsidies for Boeing suggest that it will continue to flout the rules of the game. Airbus will carefully follow this separate case to ensure that the playing field remains fair on both sides of the Atlantic.
More information about the WTO cases: www.airbus.com/presscentre/hot-topics/wto
Flight CO2 Emissions Halved
October 13, 2011 – Air France and Airbus have completed the world’s greenest commercial flight by combining the latest fuel and air traffic management technologies. The flight from Toulouse-Blagnac to Paris-Orly using an Airbus A321 has been able to demonstrate the cutting in half of CO2 emitted compared to a regular flight.
The (AF6129) commercial flight combined for the first time the use of bio-fuels (50 per cent in each engine), optimised air traffic management (ATM) and efficient Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) to minimise CO2 emissions.
Combining these technologies helped half the overall CO2 emissions to 54 grams per passenger and kilometre. This is equivalent to a fuel efficiency of 2.2 litres of fuel per passenger and 100 Kilometres.
“We are proud of the success achieved by this innovative project, which is a synthesis of our many initiatives in the area of sustainable development. This fully-optimised green flight is another proof of Air France’s commitment to combine air transport growth with controlled CO2 emissions.” said Bertrand Lebel, Air France Executive Vice President Organisation and Corporate Social Responsability.
“This flight is the perfect example of Airbus global approach towards continuously reducing aviation’s CO2 footprint” said Andrea Debbane, Airbus Head Environmental Affairs. “This is not just a bio-fuel flight but the first flight that really puts into practice elements in the Airbus roadmap: bio-fuels, optimised ATM, green navigation.”
Bio-fuel is one solution for reducing overall CO2 emissions. Airbus’ alternative fuel strategy is to speed up its commercialisation through sustainable bio-fuel value chains. Thanks to several test flights and collaboration with the fuels standards bodies (ASTM and DefStan), today the use of 50 per cent bio-fuel blends are authorised in commercial flights.
A more efficient ATM system could also help reduce the amount of fuel burned by aircraft and therefore the CO2 emitted. Airbus strongly supports the streamlining of ATM and has launched a new subsidiary company, called “Airbus ProSky”, dedicated to the development and support of modern air traffic management (ATM) systems to achieve the highest operational efficiencies with more direct routings resulting in around 10 percent less aircraft fuel consumption, as well as significant reductions in CO2 and noise emissions.
CDA is becoming more widespread as a way to reduce fuel burn. During a CDA procedure, the aircraft descends continuously, avoiding level flight prior to the final approach and requires significantly less engine thrust and therefore less fuel burn.
Nairobi, Kenya bound A340 to deliver 41 tons of food
September 2, 2011 –An Airbus flight on behalf of the International Red Cross took off this morning on route to Nairobi, Kenya, to help support hunger relief efforts in Somalia. This flight carrying 41 tons of high energy food is the second Airbus relief flight following an earlier one in early August this year.
The A340 test aircraft was loaded in Toulouse by Airbus volunteers and left for Nairobi at 6:30 Piloted by Captain Jean-Michel Roy, the flight is scheduled to arrive in Nairobi around 15:30 local time.
The aid flight mission arranged between the Federation of International Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Airbus Corporate Foundation follows an appeal by the United Nations to private companies to provide logistical help to deliver aid to people in areas of Southeast Africa.
The IFRC is the world’s largest emergency aid agency, providing relief to over 190 countries. The Horn of Africa is afflicted by a severe drought and is facing one of the worst humanitarian hunger crises in years with over 12 million people affected.
Since its launch in December 2008, the Airbus Corporate Foundation, has completed some 20 relief flights to several destinations all over the globe.
Ok readers, time to get your technical groove on because this week we deal with an old technology within a new application – Time Domain Reflectrometry (TDR). Firstly, the TDR technology is the science of sending pulses of electrical energy down lines to “see” the condition of the lines themselves by looking at the “reflected” energy pulses that are returned from conditions like line-breaks, shorted wires, and the characteristics of “stuff” that is electrically hung on the end of the lines themselves. In this game, returned pulse shape is everything, and the speed of the return locates the potential discontinuity, or whatever. Thus, the word “time” in TDR. Used in places like aircraft wings where it is challenging to inspect every foot, of every wire in every bundle. Notably, this technology has been around for years and was pioneered by the telephone folks. Now, add the difficulty of finding faults in fiber optic lines where the signal energy is made up of light and you have one tough job. That’s where we came a cross a slick new fiber optic test product from JSC Aeroptics in Britain. They have developed a new product that addresses the problem…specifically on, but not limited to, aircraft. JSC Aeroptics told us:
“Regarding the Luciol LOR-220 it has been demonstrated to a number of aircraft manufacturers, including Airbus and Boeing, and has been shown to audiences at both the ARINC and SAE fibre optic committees plus the US AVionics Fiber Optics & Photonics (AVFOP) and UK Fibre Optics in Harsh Environments conferences (FOHEC). The very nature of its technology makes it an ideal tool for use with short haul fibre optic installations of less than 300 metres in length (a typical commercial aircraft link would be in the region of a maximum of 150 to 200 metres) Regarding the Luciol LOR-220 it has been demonstrated to a number of aircraft manufacturers, including Airbus and Boeing, and has been shown to audiences at both the ARINC and SAE fibre optic committees plus the US AVionics Fiber Optics & Photonics (AVFOP) and UK Fibre Optics in Harsh Environments conferences (FOHEC). The very nature of its technology makes it an ideal tool for use with short haul fibre optic installations of less than 300 metres in length (a typical commercial aircraft link would be in the region of a maximum of 150 to 200 metres).”
After a discourse with Marketing Director John Cotterill and CEO Bruno Huttner, IFExpress decided to let them have a go at describing their latest Optical TDR test product with an interesting smattering of TDR history. Used now by Boeing and Airbus, the LO-220 write-up they provided is an interesting read and we thought you might like to enjoy the fruits of their labor in it’s entirety. Lastly, here is a link to their latest press release.
Earlier this week someone asked us if an 802.11N aircraft router was in existence. Yep, and VT Miltope has one newly developed, approved, and ready for service…it is called the nMAP. Contact Bob Guidetti if you need more information (rguidetti@miltope.com). Check out the PDF data sheet below.
Airbus told us that they are going to raise prices this year by an average of 5.8% and it applies to all new aircraft sales beginning in 2010. This is the first price rise in two years. The price increases were calculated according to the Airbus standard escalation formula over the January 2008 to January 2010 period. “We have tried to keep prices down for as long as we can,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “However, even with record aircraft deliveries and impressive orders in recent years, the continuing strength of the Euro against the US Dollar and the ongoing financial challenges ahead have forced us to take action.” An ongoing US Dollar weakness, an increased cost of materials as well as commodities are all factors in the decision.
Here are a couple more tasty bits: You probably remember the story we broke a couple weeks ago about AeroMobile filing under “administration”, well now it seems that AeroMobile has finalized a deal in which it will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Telenor Group. The deal will enable AeroMobile to emerge from “administration”, where it has been since late last year. On the airborne Wi-Fi front, Southwest Airlines is to begin installing equipment in an agreement with Row 44. The Ku Band solution will be installed on the Southwest fleet beginning in the second quarter 2010. The airline plans to install at a rate of 15 aircraft per month, accelerating to 25 per month later, with all installations complete by 2012.
We have been expecting a YouTube video chronicling the Airbus/Boeing subsidy struggle. You will find it in a link called Launch Aid below.
A long-time reader sent us pictures of a new South African regional carrier…”if these folks have a sense of humor on their livery, I’m flying with them the next time I am in South Africa.” Check out the detail, it is hilarious. We need more of this stuff! See the link below.
Like the little boy digging enthusiastically in a large pile of manure and exclaiming, “There must be a pony in here somewhere…”, we faced a daunting task again this week (plainly visible) as bits and pieces of inflight entertainment and aviation news came dribbling in to our offices. Not necessarily news, recent events on the supply chain front also piqued our interest. Both Boeing and Toyota have brought some new focus to the supply chain, and from our perspective, some overreaching in the value side of the supply chain is at issue here. This focus will no doubt, come into play on the airline side as well, but are by their nature, a bit less immune. As you may know, the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg is May 18 thru 20, 2010, and it looks like the supply chain is an issue here as well. “For this reason an important theme at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo will be how the cabin interiors supply chain can prepare for the expected upturn, while recognizing that conditions are still challenging. ‘Airlines are looking for a changing mix in the cabin – some will look to change the cabin interior to be able to fine tune to meet both demand and current capacity,’ said Ian Crawford, Group Exhibition Director at Reed Exhibitions.” We found a good accounting of a real world Boeing fastener problem that has to be a classic in the fastener SC…it’s in the links below. Also included are a couple other supply chain finds that may help you in your next meeting. As Boeing will no doubt tell you, tackling supple chain value is not without attendant risk.
Links:
- VT Miltope nMap data sheet (readers should note that the reference to DO-160D should be DO-160E)
- Launch Aid
- Kulula Aircraft PDF
- Supply Chain Links
New Airbus customer boosts A350 XWB orders beyond 500
Ethiopian Airlines has today ordered 12 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, bringing total orders for the A350 XWB family to 505, not even three years after launch of the programme.
In selecting the A350-900 to operate from their hub in Addis Ababa on routes to Europe, the US and Asia, Ethiopian Airlines becomes a new member in Airbus’ family of over 300 customers.
“We are committed to investing in industry leading technology to maintain our unrivalled reputation in Africa whilst continuing to grow” said Mr Girma Wake, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines. “The A350-900 uses new technology to bring superior passenger comfort and a step change in fuel efficiency to our rapidly expanding operations.”
“The A350 XWB’s extra efficiency and cabin-comfort will strengthen Ethiopian Airlines’ position as a leader and benchmark in African aviation” said Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO. “More than 500 orders from 32 customers is a clear endorsement that the A350 XWB is shaping the future of air travel.”
The A350 XWB Family is Airbus’ response to widespread market demand for a series of highly efficient medium-capacity long-range wide-body aircraft. With a range of up to 8,300 nm / 15,400 km, it is available in three basic passenger versions.
The A350 XWB has the widest fuselage in its category, offering unprecedented levels of comfort, the lowest operating costs and lowest seat mile cost of any aircraft in this market segment. Powered by two new generation Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines, the A350 XWB Family is designed to confront the challenges of high fuel prices, rising passenger expectations, and environmental constraints.
Firm orders for the A350 XWB now stand at 505 from 32 customers worldwide.
3 November 2009 – Following an intensive and robust evaluation process, Air New Zealand has ordered 14 Airbus A320 aircraft to replace its existing domestic fleet of 15 Boeing 737-300s. The aircraft will be powered by IAE engines.
The A320, which is larger than the aircraft type it will replace, will enable Air New Zealand to increase capacity on routes that are starting to face capacity constraints at some airports during peak times. Air New Zealand has also placed purchase options for a further 11 A320 aircraft, including the possibility of selecting the larger A321.
“Our 12 Airbus A320s already deployed on short haul international routes are performing well, and moving to one single-aisle aircraft type for both domestic and short haul international routes will immediately deliver added efficiencies in maintenance, crew training, and overall fleet simplification,” said Bruce Parton, Air New Zealand General Manager Short Haul Airline.
The A320 has the widest fuselage of any single-aisle aircraft and is a significant factor in added passenger comfort. A new cabin design offers a significant increase in overhead stowage, dramatic ambience lighting options and noticeable noise reduction.
Enhanced aerodynamics, engine enhancements and improved navigation technology such as “continuous descent approach” keep the A320 the most eco-efficient aircraft in its class.
“Air New Zealand will reap the benefits of selecting a common family of aircraft across their domestic and short haul single-aisle fleet. The A320 prevailed in the stiffest of competitions to show once again, that it is the single aircraft of choice bar none. We are delighted to build on our already close relationship with Air New Zealand with this announcement,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers.
The A320 Family, which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. Each aircraft features fly-by-wire controls and all share a unique cockpit and operational commonality across the range. More than 6,400 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been sold to more than 300 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world’s best selling commercial jetliner ever. With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single-aisle aircraft. Uniquely, the A320 Family offers a containerised cargo system, which is compatible with the world wide standard wide-body system.
Neuilly-sur-Seine, October 30, 2009 – Air France today took reception of its first A380 aircraft, the largest passenger jet in the world. This super-sized aircraft – capable of carrying 855 passengers, but carrying only 538 in the Air France version – is at the forefront of innovation in aviation, displaying a superior design that combines unparalleled size and might with aesthetics and grace.
The wings alone on this record-breaking super jet each measure 845m². The A380 also boasts 50 percent more floor surface than any other high capacity aircraft, giving passengers space to relax in what is the quietest cabin of any airliner currently in service.
Thales is a long-standing Airbus partner, and the main supplier of the A380’s cockpit display systems – its technology can be found throughout the aircraft’s avionics system, covering navigation, flight controls, electrical power systems and utilities such as braking systems and door management* systems. The A380’s passenger doors are for the first time ever electronically controlled instead of mechanically operated. Within the cabin, the company provides state-of-the-art lighting systems and Inflight Entertainment systems.
Thales systems comprise a significant percentage of the electronics onboard the A380 and as such the company plays a significant role in bringing the aircraft to market. An average of 350 Thales employees per year worked on developing systems onboard the A380 over a period of five years.
Thales in addition supplied the A380 with a state-of-the-art full flight simulator for crew training. Innovative Thales solutions give crews on the A380 all the onboard intelligence they need for flying the aircraft, and the company’s expertise in simulation and air traffic management provides the breadth of vision required to further develop optimum solutions for this aircraft of the future.
Innovation for the Pilot
The A380 cockpit contains completely new technology, such as the Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) suite, never before seen on an aircraft. With an eye on the future, the cockpit has been designed in a way that will reduce training costs and optimise use of airline resources. Namely, an A380 pilot will need just minimal amounts of training to be able to transfer to the new layout and functions of the next generation A350 XWB.
Innovation and IMA
The A380 is the first aircraft ever to be fitted with the Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) suite, a major technical evolution of global importance for airlines and operators. Designed by Airbus and co-developed with Thales and Diehl Aerospace, the IMA is a leap-ahead technological innovation, with all onboard computing modules networked and able to support different applications. The result is a substantial improvement in computing power, reliability, maintainability, volume, weight and scalability.
Through its IMA platform, Thales has halved the number of parts required, leading to significant gains in direct maintenance costs as communication between the different systems is optimised. The principles of standardisation and the multiple use of function units are applied by combining computing as well as input and output functions in standardised computer platforms.
The IMA solution maximises the benefits of reuse developed for the Airbus A380 and specific requirements of the A400M, the Airbus military transport aircraft currently under development. For the A400M, the IMA has been adapted to meet military requirements for resistance to higher vibration levels, higher electromagnetic compatibility and necessary lightning protection system.
Innovation and the Onboard Airport Navigation System
Thales is providing the world’s first Onboard Airport Navigation System (OANS) within the A380 cockpit, providing crewmembers with improved situational awareness on airport surface manoeuvres. OANS allows the flight crew to more efficiently navigate at airports, which have become increasingly congested.
The OANS draws on an Airport Mapping Database (AMDB) to dynamically display the aircraft position on high-resolution geo-referenced airport maps. This information is presented to pilots via a large format liquid crystal display (Navigation Display).
On ground, the function displays high-resolution airport moving maps that depict the aircraft’s position in relation to airport surface features for taxiing operations from and to the gate. The system and database are designed with commonality for Airbus aircraft, first deployed on the A380, and then on A330/A340, A320 families, as well as on the future A350XWB.
Innovation and Head-Up Display
The Head-Up Display (HUD) is making its first appearance on an A380 aircraft with the entry into service of the A380 with Air France, the first airline to select the Thales HUD (in dual configuration) for this aircraft type. The European Aviation Safety Agency certified the Thales HUD on the A380 in both single (left seat only) and dual (left and right seats) configurations. Other Thales A380 HUD customers include China Southern Airlines and Korean Air.
The HUD increases pilot situational awareness by creating the conditions for a smoother transition from head down to head up. This feature is particularly advantageous during approach and landing phases, when it displays trajectory related symbols superimposed on the pilot’s actual external view.
The new Thales HUD is based on innovative and proven technologies and is already available as a catalogue option on Airbus Single Aisle and A380 aircraft families in current production.
Innovation for the Passenger
Innovation and Inflight Entertainment
Air France is equipping all of its A380 fleet with the advanced Thales TopSeries Inflight Entertainment (IFE) system. This system provides high-speed delivery of onboard services with large, widescreen displays at every seat. Air France A380 passengers can access a broad range of entertainment that includes approximately 100 on-demand movies, 300 audio CDs, 26 games, live camera, flight information map, in-seat chat and a customised menu option for children.
Air France is the first airline to equip each seat in the Affaires and Voyageur cabins with a USB socket, enabling passengers to download content such as flight schedules, information on Air France, destinations guides, games for children, as well as relaxation videos and podcasts. Passengers select the “Forum” programme from the list, which automatically disconnects when another application is selected.
The TopSeries IFE system is the first passenger system of its type to integrate on-demand entertainment and in-seat power to accommodate personal electronic devices. With a growing market share that today exceeds 40%, this web-based system is scalable to any aircraft and has been selected by more than 50 airlines worldwide.
Innovation and Cabin Lighting
Thales and Diehl’s joint venture company Diehl Aerospace, the world leader in cabin mood lighting, supplies the general cabin lighting system onboard the A380. This solution consists of the very latest technology for cabin lighting installations on commercial airliners in service.
The system enhances passenger relaxation by means of innovative ceiling mood lighting throughout cabin, creating restful day and night ambiences. These lighting innovations contribute to diminishing the effects of jet lag.
The so-called mood lighting effect is created by the Hybrid Integrated Ballast Unit (HIBU) system, by means of which LED elements complement conventional fluorescent light tubes. The HIBU system is superior to previous cabin lighting installations on long-range aircraft, because its MELODY (Modular Enhanced Low Dimming) technology allows for more variation than ever before in lighting scenarios.
MELODY means that cabin light on the A380 can be dimmed down to 0.1 per cent, and the technology is particularly effective for simulating a gradual increase of light again. As such, day and night effects can be simulated very subtly.
Thales is very proud to be onboard the A380 and to have worked alongside Airbus to tailor the very latest technological innovations to meet the needs of this superior aircraft.
Nuremberg, November 13, 2008. Airbus has awarded Diehl Aerospace a contract to realise the entire cabin and cargo lighting package for the aircraft of the new A350 XWB family. This order expands the company’s market leadership in the segment of cabin lighting.
The entire package includes lighting of the cargo area next to cabin lighting and the emergency lighting system. For the first time, Airbus is handing over responsibility for the entire lighting system to an individual system supplier. This step aims at reinforcing the successful cooperation of both companies.
The cabin lighting of the A350 XWB is characterized by new accent lights as well as the employment of innovative and filigree strip lights. Thanks to these individually manageable segments with LEDs in the colours red, green, blue and white, new light scenarios can be produced in the cabin. Apart from harmonious colour transitions and situational atmospheric colours, the light effects are capable of generating flowing movements as well. As a whole, Diehl Aerospace’s technology contributes decisively to the appearance of the aircraft cabin.
This success enables Diehl Aerospace to expand market leadership in cabin lighting in the long-range aircraft segment. Moreover, it strengthens the company’s position as an efficient first-tier Supplier of the aircraft industry.
Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 12 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, becoming a new Airbus customer. The airline has selected the A350-900, and will operate the aircraft from their hub in Addis Ababa, linking Africa with Europe, the US and Asia.
“The A350-900, with its high levels of passenger comfort combined with unbeatable economics perfectly fits our future fleet requirements,” said Mr Girma Wake, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines. “The A350-900 will bring increased capacity and range to our rapidly expanding network.”
“We are delighted to welcome Ethiopian Airlines as a new Airbus customer,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The A350 XWB will shape new levels of efficiency for medium and long haul operations, allowing Ethiopian Airlines to continue its impressive growth.”
The A350 XWB Family is Airbus’ response to widespread market demand for a series of highly efficient medium-capacity long-range wide-body aircraft. With a range of up to 8,300 nm / 15,400 km, it is available in three basic passenger versions.
The A350 XWB has the widest fuselage in its category, offering unprecedented levels of comfort, the lowest operating costs and lowest seat mile cost of any aircraft in this market segment. Powered by two new generation Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines, the A350 XWB Family is designed to confront the challenges of high fuel prices, rising passenger expectations, and environmental constraints.
Firm orders for the A350 XWB now stand at 493 from 31 customers worldwide.
2 July 2009 – Airbus has launched a study for reinforcing flight data recovery, including, but not limited to, extended data transmission for commercial airliners, so that in the event of accidents, critical flight information can still be recovered and released to the investigating authorities.
Tom Enders, President and CEO of Airbus commented: “Gathering information from accidents is vitally important to further improve the safety of flying. Various technical means for reinforcing flight data recovery and data transmission to ground centres are principally available. We will now study different options for viable commercial solutions, including those where our experience with real-time data transmission from our own test aircraft could support the further development of such solutions.”
The study will be conducted by Patrick Gavin, Head of Airbus Engineering, and Charles Champion, Head of Customer Services, and will need to address technological issues as well as data protection and privacy concerns. Airbus will include industrial partners, research institutions, and international airworthiness and investigation authorities in this study.
23 June 2009 – Airbus today delivered the first A320 aircraft assembled at its Final Assembly Line China (FALC) in Tianjin. At a grand ceremony, the aircraft was handed over by Airbus President and CEO, Tom Enders, to the Chairman of Dragon Aviation Leasing, Li Hai. The aircraft will be leased to and operated by Sichuan Airlines.
Tianjin Party Secretary Zhang Gaoli, Mayor of Tianjin, Huang Xingguo, as well as German State Secretary (Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology) Hartmut Schauerte and the President of Sichuan Airlines, Lan Xinguo were present at the ceremony attended by more than 1000 guests.
“The highly reliable and efficient Airbus aircraft are very valuable assets of aircraft leasing companies. As a China-based company, Dragon Aviation Leasing is proud to take delivery of the first Airbus aircraft assembled in China,” said Li Hai, Chairman of Dragon Aviation Leasing.
“Sichuan Airlines was the first Chinese airline to introduce the A320 Family aircraft in China in 1995. Today, we are proud to become the operator of the first A320 assembled in China. We believe that the Airbus aircraft further enhances our profitability and competitiveness with low operational costs and high reliability,” said Lan Xinguo, President of Sichuan Airlines.
“Our Final Assembly Line here in Tianjin and this first aircraft delivery outside Europe mark an important milestone in our strategic long-term partnership with China and the Chinese industry,” said Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO. “This FAL is state of the art, second to none in the world. And so are the aircraft manufactured here in Tianjin. I would like to thank all our partners and employees who worked very hard during the last three years to make this happen.”
The Export-Import Bank of China, a strategic long term partner to Dragon Aviation Leasing, has been supporting the financing for the purchase of the aircraft. The A320 to be operated by Sichuan Airlines will be in a two-class configuration, with eight first class seats and 156 economy seats. The aircraft will be deployed on domestic trunk routes between the airline’s base of Chengdu to such major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. It will enter into service on 24th June on the route from Chengdu to Beijing. The aircraft will join the existing fleet composed of 40 Airbus single-aisle aircraft.
If you have not seen the latest airliner sales projections from Boeing you might want to first check out their web offering of the Current Market Outlook (vs Airbus). As one might expect, both Boeing and Airbus see growth in the short term time frame, the current market conditions might temper their estimates later this year. Airbus calls an average growth of 4.9% per year while Boeing sees a 5% growth annually. While most Inflight Entertainment Marketing troops abide by this data, aircraft vendor backlog is just as important.
Both Boeing and Airbus ooze optimism with Airbus seeing some 24,300 new planes in the next 20 years and Boeing looking toward 29,000.
Why the difference? As can be expected, they differ in the following ways:
| Single-Aisle | Twin-Aisle | Very Large | |
| Airbus | 55% | 35% | 9% |
| Boeing | 71% | 25% | 4% |
The A380 bias is at work here (2% so far this year) and the IFE crowd needs to get it straight for future production planning purposes. Wouldn’t it be great to develop a scalable system whereby one size fits all…just more of it?
With an average from the producers of 799 aircraft per year, it will be interesting to see what 2010 brings. As airline analysts are now talking about a worldwide loss of $10.4B, this average is hard to imagine in the short term and this must mean order delays/cuts. The economy is the driver here but with airlines like JAL cutting service and looking at $1B – $2B yen loans, the uptick is not here.
From a future planning point of view, Boeing sees growth percentages in the single-aisle market and declination in the “Very Large” category (surprise). Airbus, on the other hand, sees 68% of the next 20 years worth of planes being single-aisle while Twins occupy some 25%. This leaves a 20 year estimate for “Very Large” planes at 9%. A lot certainly depends on the A350 and B787. Growth in the regional sector might also challenge some vendors of IFE as smaller, cheaper, and lighter are becoming the IFE of the future. With China seeing growth almost 30% beyond the world economy, IFE content better include Chinese subtitles.
19 June 2009 – Airbus announced commitments during the 2009 Paris Air Show for 127 aircraft, valued at some US$12.9 billion. These commitments include firm orders for 58 aircraft worth almost US$6.4 billion, plus ‘Memoranda of Understanding’ (MoU) agreements for a further 69 aircraft totalling US$6.5 billion.
Firm Orders: 58 aircraft worth US$6.4 billion
The firm-order highlights of the show were three large orders from carriers in the Middle East and Asia. Qatar Airways placed an order for 24 single-aisle aircraft valued at US$1.9 billion, comprising the purchase of 20 A320s and four A321 aircraft. Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines signed a US$1.4 billion firm order for 16 A321s. In addition, Air Asia X expressed confidence in Airbus’ newest aircraft product with a firm order for 10 A350-900s valued at US$2.4 billion.
Other firm airliner orders made during the show include: Cebu Pacific, which ordered five A320s; Aigle Azur for one A319; and Zest Air of the Philippines which became a new Airbus customer with an order for one A320. It is also worth mentioning an order for one Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) A320 Prestige from a private customer.
MoUs: 69 aircraft worth US$6.5 billion
Moreover, as a further indication of the industry’s forward planning at the show, Airbus received MoU commitments for a further 69 aircraft. These MoUs comprised: 50 A320s for Wizz Air worth US$3.8 billion; 10 A321s for Indian based Paramount Airways worth US$900 million; two A330-200s plus five A330-300s for Turkish Airlines together worth US$1.4 billion; and two A350-900s for Vietnam Airlines worth US$480 million.
John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers commented: “Airbus’ commercial performance shows that the airline industry continues to invest in the most fuel-efficient and environmentally-friendly aircraft. Our customers are addressing both the long-term industry growth as well as the necessary replacement of older less efficient aircraft.”
Airbus’ success is founded on innovative design, which has given it the world’s most modern aircraft family in every category from 100 to 525 seats. Airbus is also unique in offering airlines a common cockpit in every single passenger aircraft that it produces today, which makes it easier and quicker for pilots to switch between aircraft types during their career – while saving airlines time and money.
Paris Air Show, 16 June, 2009 – Thales, a leader in inflight entertainment systems,
is pleased to announce that Qatar Airways has selected the Thales TopSeries
system for its fleet of 30 Airbus single aisle aircraft. The airline will provide its
passengers a comprehensive audio and video on-demand entertainment and
information experience in all classes of service with first aircraft delivery scheduled
for November 2009.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Office Akbar Al Baker said the new system would give
passengers unprecedented entertainment options on its narrow body fleet. “Seatback
screens and audio video on demand are new to our single aisle fleet and we
wanted to be ensure that our IFE offering was of the highest standards, Qatar
Airways believes the Thales system offers the product features and reliability our
passengers and crews will appreciate. We look forward to offering our customers
compelling entertainment system.”.
Retrofit and line-fit installations are part of the program requirement, and the airline
has included the option for an additional 10 aircraft. “We are very pleased to be
working with Qatar Airways and share their vision to provide passengers a wide
range of entertainment choice,” said Alan Pellegrini, Vice President and General
Manager of Thales’ Inflight Entertainment Systems business. Thales continues to
grow its presence in the Middle East with now over 200 aircraft in the region
committed to flying with the TopSeries system.
Doha-based national carrier, Qatar Airways, has signed a firm contract for 24 Airbus A320 Family aircraft. The agreement includes the firming up of a contract for four A321 aircraft announced at the Farnborough Air show in July 2008.
Qatar Airways currently operates 19 A320 Family aircraft, the Middle East’s largest fleet. The new aircraft configured with a two-class cabin will be deployed to enhance and expand services on regional, Eastern European and south west Asia services.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “The additional Airbus A320s and A321s give Qatar Airways a firm footing in the rapid development and expansion of our regional network. Qatar Airways is determined to grow with the world’s best aircraft at the heart of a modern and fuel efficient fleet, and this A320 Family order will ensure that our narrow-body fleet is the youngest and best equipped in the region.”
In addition to 19 A320 Family aircraft, Qatar’s current in-service fleet includes four A340-600s and the region’s largest fleet of 29 A330s.
“Qatar Airways’s partnership with Airbus dates back to the early 1990’s, and we take great pride that it is stronger today than ever before. Qatar already operates a modern fleet of eco-efficient Airbus’ and we are delighted that with the equally efficient A320, Airbus is forming the backbone of Qatar’s modern fleet,” said Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO.
Qatar Airways is one of the world’s leading airlines, with a fleet that includes A320s, A300Fs, A330s and A340 aircraft including the ACJ corporate jet. Qatar Airways is also a customer for the 21st Century flagship, the A380 and is the largest customer for the A350 XWB.
The A320 Family, which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, is recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. Each aircraft features fly by wire controls and all share a unique cockpit and operational commonality across the range. Over 6,300 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been sold and almost 3,900 delivered to more than 300 customers and operators worldwide, making it the worlds best selling commercial jetliner ever.
With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single aisle aircraft. Uniquely, the A320 Family offers a containerized cargo system, which is compatible with the world wide standard wide-body system.
29 May 2009 – Airbus is proud to mark the 100th anniversary of Le Bourget Air Show by demonstrating break-through technologies, top-end innovations and Airbus “Firsts” from the company’s own 40 year history. Visitors can see, feel, and touch aircraft and many items, which have revolutionised aviation and have led to today’s Airbus global leadership position. This also includes flying displays by the world’s most modern and eco-efficient airliner, the A380.
Airbus will be present at the EADS Pavilion (Row A-418). The Press Chalet is located at Row A 415-417. For the first time since it became an integrated civil and military aircraft company, Airbus will exhibit its full aircraft portfolio at the EADS stand in Hall 2A-151. They will include a full size cross section of an A400M with 1:50 scale models of the A400M and MRTT. It also includes a full size mock-up of the A350 XWB’s upper section housing an audio-visual theatre showing Airbus’ latest products and innovations that are shaping efficiency. Cut-away models of the A380 and the A350 XWB are also on display, as well as an interactive video learning tool featuring all Airbus aircraft family products, including Airbus Military. Airbus experts and specialists will be available to discuss innovations at the Forum on the stand.
For the latest update on market trends, on Tuesday, 16th June, Airbus will hold a press conference starting at 10.30, at the Le Bourget Air Show Press Centre (Auditorium). Commercial announcements are expected to take place during the course of the week.
Media visits to static aircraft displays will take place between 09.30 and 10.30 every morning. These include an A321 and an A380 (MSN001), famous for making the first groundbreaking flight by an A380 on 27th April, 2005. An Airbus Military maritime patrol aircraft CN-235 will also be on show.
On Wednesday 17th June, Airbus celebrates 40 years of innovation with the first full aircraft family flying display, demonstrating the full scope of Airbus’ history of ongoing innovation and technology leadership. These include, an A300B (MSN003) the world’s first ever wide-body twin-engine jet, an A320 (MSN001) representing the first all fly-by-wire passenger aircraft, an A340 (MSN001) representing the first truly very long haul aircraft, and an A380 (MSN001) the most modern and eco-efficient aircraft flying today. Pioneering Airbus engineers and pilots who took part in the development of these aircraft will also be present during the day.
On Friday, 19th June, at 10.30, witness the possible future of eco-efficient air travel, when the winners of Airbus’ worldwide university contest “Fly Your Ideas” are announced at an awards ceremony in the EADS press chalet. The contest has encouraged students to develop creative ideas to further enhance the environmental performance of aviation. Overall, more than 2,350 students from over 80 countries have taken part.
1st June, 2009 – Emirates scored a double whammy today as two of its A380 super jumbos jetted off from Dubai to the opposite ends of the globe, marking the aviation world’s first A380 commercial services to Bangkok and Toronto.
The launch of Emirates’ A380 operations – daily from Dubai to Bangkok, and thrice weekly from Dubai to Toronto – signals a new era of luxury air travel to Thailand and Canada, and represents yet another milestone in the airline’s A380 programme.
Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline said: “Emirates is delighted to celebrate its inaugural A380 services to Thailand and Canada today. The aircraft with its large capacity and excellent operating economies is a pillar of growth, both for the airline and the destination. In Thailand, the introduction of the super jumbo will support the local government’s multi-million dollar promotional drive to boost tourism arrivals from the high-yield Middle East region. At the same time the higher-capacity A380 will help address the strong demand for passenger and cargo services on the Dubai-Toronto route which is currently restricted by the bi-lateral agreement to three flights per week.”
Mr. Clark added: “With air travel due to triple in the next 18 years and constraints on traffic rights and airport slots to continue, larger capacity aircraft such as the A380 are key to Emirates’ plans to meet increasing passenger demand. We have ordered 58 A380s and each one of these has been carefully planned for our present and future requirements. Our next A380 destination will be Seoul on 1st December, and will represent Emirates’ first A380 service to North East Asia.”
The A380 has 35 per cent more seats than its closest rival. It is the most environmentally-advanced commercial aircraft in the sky today, offering better fuel economy than most hybrid passenger cars. The A380 burns up to 20 per cent less fuel per seat than today’s next largest aircraft, and is quieter, generating less than half the noise of other aircraft on takeoff.
The Emirates’ A380 – with 14 First Class Private Suites, 76 Business Class and 399 Economy seats – represents the latest innovation and technology from a company recognized internationally for its in-flight amenities and services. Unique to the Emirates aircraft are its Shower Spas – two fully-equipped bathrooms in the First class cabins with shower facilities. Emirates A380’s ground-breaking in-flight product also features an Onboard Lounge for First and Business class passengers which includes a bar with a wide range of beverages and canapés as well as an exclusive space to socialise or simply relax.
A380 passengers enjoy an elaborate menu created by top international chefs and complemented by the finest beverages. Emirates’ award-winning ‘ice’ (information, communication, entertainment) in-flight entertainment system offers more than 1000 channels of on-demand entertainment, the largest programming currently available in the skies. Each cabin is equipped with an advanced mood lighting system, complete with a starlit sky, which adjusts throughout the flight to reflect the time at the destination and to help combat the effects of jet lag.
First class passengers relax in flat-bed, massage-equipped suites while Business class passengers enjoy a new generation of intelligent seating designed to ensure all 76 flat-bed seats have aisle access. Passengers in Economy will appreciate the straight walls throughout the cabin that lend to a more spacious ambience, enhanced further by generous seats and wider aisles.
About Emirates
Emirates operates 98 non-stop flights per week from the UK to Dubai – five services a day from Heathrow, three daily from Gatwick, two per day from Manchester and Birmingham, and daily services from Newcastle and Glasgow.
Emirates currently flies to more than 100 destinations in Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa, Indian subcontinent and Asia-Pacific.
For more information, visit www.emirates.com/uk
18 May 2009 – The first A320 aircraft assembled outside Europe in the Airbus Final Assembly Line China (FALC) successfully completed its first flight today. The aircraft took off from Tianjin International Airport at 10:42 am and landed at 14:56. The four hour and fourteen minute test flight was jointly captained by Harry Nelson, Vice President Production Flight Tests and by Experimental Test Pilot Philippe Pellerin. The other crew members were Senior Vice President Flight & Integration Tests Fernando Alonso and Zidan Ren, the first Chinese Flight Test Engineer trained by Airbus as well as Cabin Engineer Eric Garcia
“The flight was a complete success thanks to excellent teamwork,” said Fernando Alonso, Senior Vice President Flight & Integration Tests, Airbus. “I was delighted to participate in this historic flight. This A320 assembled in China unquestionably demonstrated the same quality and performance as those assembled and delivered in Hamburg or Toulouse.”
“I would like to congratulate and sincerely thank all those in China and in Europe who, through their dedication and hard work, have made the first Airbus Final Assembly Line outside of Europe a reality,” says Laurence Barron, President of Airbus China. “Our commitment is to provide the very best aircraft and services to our customers and operators in China, while applying the same rules, procedures and quality standards as for any other Airbus aircraft produced in Europe. It highlights our commitment to the development of a long-term strategic partnership with the Chinese aviation industry.”
This first aircraft will be delivered to Dragon Aviation Leasing in June from the Airbus Delivery Centre in Tianjin and will be operated by Sichuan Airlines. Chinese customers have ordered more than 700 aircraft from Airbus, the majority of which are from the A320 Family. Eleven A319/A320 aircraft are scheduled for delivery in Tianjin in 2009 and the FALC production rate will be ramped up to four aircraft per month by the end of 2011.
The A320 FALC is a joint-venture between Airbus and a Chinese consortium comprising Tianjin Free Trade Zone (TJFTZ) and China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC). Airbus China holds 51 per cent of the shares, while the Chinese Consortium holds 49 per cent. The FALC in Tianjin is based on the latest state-of-the-art Airbus single-aisle Final Assembly Line in Hamburg, Germany. FALC started work in August 2008.
The A320 Family, which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, is recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. Each aircraft features fly-by-wire controls and all share a unique cockpit and operational commonality across the range. More than 6,300 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been sold and more than 3,800 delivered to some 300 customers and operators worldwide, making it the worlds best-selling commercial jetliner ever. With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single aisle aircraft. Uniquely, the A320 Family offers a containerized cargo system, which is compatible with the world wide standard wide-body system.
22 April 2009 – Ten expert-jury from around the world to evaluate students’ eco-efficient ideas
Airbus, one of the world’s leading aircraft design and manufacturing companies, is pleased to announce the jury members for the final of its international student competition, “Airbus Fly Your Ideas.”
The competition was launched to challenge students from around the world, studying a bachelor’s degree, Masters or PHD in any academic discipline, to come up with and to develop innovative and eco-efficient ideas that could ultimately shape the future of aviation.
Since competition launch in October 2008, the university contest has proven to be a huge success with the participation of thousands of students around the globe. Over 2,350 students from 82 countries registered to take part in round one, and out of the initial 225 team proposals submitted, 86 teams were selected to further develop their ideas for the second round.
These second round proposals have now been submitted and are being assessed by Airbus experts from various fields. Five teams will be selected to continue to the live final in June 2009 at Le Bourget Airshow in Paris.
The five finalist teams will have the opportunity to finalise their proposal with the help of an Airbus coach, before presenting the result to the jury during Le Bourget, Paris Air Show, on 18th June 2009. This jury, consisting of a panel of five Airbus representatives, as well as five independent industry experts, will select the winning team and runner up. The winning team will receive €30,000.
The independent jury comprises the following industry experts:
Dato’ Dr Sheikh Muszaphar
Dr Sheikh was the first Malaysian to go into space when he took part in an international mission aboard a Soyuz TMA-10 in October 2007. Known widely as “the Angkasawan” (Malay for astronaut), Dr Sheikh’s achievements have inspired many young people from the region to show an interest in aeronautics. Originally trained as a medical doctor, Dr Sheikh is currently undertaking postgraduate studies in Orthopedic Surgery at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM). In 2008 Dr Sheikh was named a UN Ambassador for Global Peace .
Dr Donald Tambunan
Dr Donald Tambunan is Head of the Science and Technology Unit at the Jakarta-based headquarters of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). In this role he is responsible for coordinating the S&T cooperation in ASEAN covering a broad range of areas including biotechnology, materials science, space technology, non-conventional energy research, meteorology and geophysics. Dr Tambunan has a PhD from Massey University, New Zealand. He is the author of numerous academic publications ranging from agricultural issues to the development of science and technology policies within ASEAN.
Mr. Christer Haglund
Christer Haglund is Senior Vice President, Finnair Corporate Communications. In this role he is responsible for the Finnair Group’s internal and external communications and public and investor relations. Corporate responsibility is also included in his area of competence. Mr. Haglund is a member of the Finnair Group’s Executive Board and he has been employed by Finnair since 2000. Previously Mr. Haglund has worked for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and in various media positions in Finland, Sweden and the United States.
Mr. Manuel Toharia
As an expert on popularisation of Science, Mr Toharia is active in many areas linked to science, environment and youth development. Currently he is Scientific Director of the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia, Spain. Previously he was director of the Science Museum of La Caixa in Madrid and an active science journalist for national television, radio and newspapers. Mr Toharia is also on the Board of Directors of the “Airbus Corporate Foundation” which is a foundation aimed at facilitating charitable activities worldwide.
Professor William M. Banks
Professor William M. Banks is President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), one of the world’s leading engineering institutions which is dedicated to encouraging more young people into engineering. Prior to his appointment at IMechE, he was Chairman of Advanced Materials in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, UK. He is also a past Chairman of the Engineering Professors’ Council.Professor Banks graduated from Strathclyde University with a First Class Honours BSc Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1965 and an MSc Degree in 1966. He achieved his doctorate in 1977.
The Airbus Representatives in the jury are:
Mr. Patrick Gavin
Executive Vice-President of Engineering and member of the Airbus Executive Committee, Mr. Gavin is the patron of the Airbus “Fly Your Ideas” competition. Mr. Gavin benefits from his broad experience within the aviation industry. He began his professional career at Aérospatiale in 1973 and since then took leading positions within the industry until he joined Airbus in the year 2000. Born in Paris, Mr. Gavin graduated in 1972 as an engineer, with a major in electronics from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ENSAE) in Toulouse, France.
Mr. Christian Scherer
Christian Scherer was appointed Executive Vice President Strategy and Future Programmes in September 2007. As such, he is in charge of defining Airbus’ long term strategic objectives in different areas such as the analysis of the market environment and the research of trends and evolutions, the product policy and the development of future programmes, the industrial strategy, the international partnerships and the cooperation programmes. Christian Scherer joined Airbus in 1984, becoming successively Vice President Contracts for Airbus North America (based in the USA), Vice President Leasing markets, Vice President Contracts and Pricing Worldwide and permanent Deputy Head of Commercial in Toulouse. Born in Duisburg, Germany, Christian holds an MBA from the University of Ottawa in international marketing and graduated from the Paris Business School (ESCP).
Mr. Colin Stuart
Mr. Stuart, formerly Airbus Vice President, Marketing and now an Airbus senior ambassador, joined the Technical Marketing department at Airbus Industrie in 1979. He was appointed to the position of General Manager Product Marketing in 1986, heading the team responsible for technical marketing activities worldwide. In May 1996, Mr. Stuart was promoted to the executive position of Vice-President, Marketing, with the responsibility for managing both the development and implementation of customer and product marketing activities and related marketing support services for the complete Airbus range of commercial products.
Ms. Renée Martin-Nagle
Vice-President and General Counsel for Airbus Americas, Ms. Martin-Nagle joined Airbus in 1990 as the first in-house counsel for Airbus in the United States and Canada. She also serves as Corporate Secretary, Chief Compliance Officer and Head of Environmental Affairs. Besides pursuing her professional career in the aviation and aerospace industry, Ms Martin-Nagle has been a member of the “International Aviation Women’s Association” since 1991. She is also a member of the organization “Women in Aviation, International”, with the objective to encourage more women to seek opportunities in the aviation industry. In addition, Ms. Martin-Nagle is chair-elect of the American Bar Association Forum on Air & Space Law, which has over 1600 aviation and space lawyers as members. She is currently pursuing Master of laws degree in environmental law.
Ms Zhu Xia
Executive Assistant / Project Manager, Procurement, Ms. Zhu joined Airbus through its international young talent programme in 2006. Prior to joining Airbus Ms Zhu gained experience in Human Resources across the software and automotive industries. Within Airbus she worked in Recruitment & Mobility before moving to Procurement in 2008, where she leads projects in organisational change, process harmonisation, resource and competence management, etc. Ms. Zhu graduated in 2002 with an MBA in International Management from University of Applied Sciences, Berlin.
Pictures and information available on www.airbus-fyi.com/press
20 April 2009 – Zurich based Swiss International Air Lines has received its first new A330-300. The aircraft is the first of nine A330-300s ordered in September 2007 to expand the Swiss’ medium to long haul network.
Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 772B EP engines, the carrier’s first A330-300 is fitted in an all-new, comfortable three-class layout with a total of 236 seats (183 seats in Economy, 45 in Business Class and 8 in First Class).
“We are more than pleased to introduce the eco-efficient A330-300 into our fleet. Its true wide body cabin combined with our all-new, high-class product increases passenger appeal, comfort and style, while its outstanding performance strengthens our competitiveness and reduces the environmental impact at the same time,” said Christoph Franz, CEO of Swiss.
By adding A330-300s to its Airbus fleet, Swiss will fully benefit from the advantages of the unique Airbus commonality, allowing to use the same pool of pilots, cabin crews and maintenance engineers. This gives Swiss more operational flexibility and will result in significant cost savings.
“We are proud to see Swiss expanding their services with the unrivalled A330 aircraft. Through state of the art technology and outstanding economics, the A330 is a ‘first class’ aircraft for a ‘first class’ airline. Swiss and Airbus make a perfect fit,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers.
The ability to better match market requirements in terms of range and efficiency makes the twin engine A330 one of the most popular wide-body aircraft in service today. With over 11 million hours in operation the A330 has demonstrated its very low operating costs per seat and is proven to be the most efficient aircraft in its class. With a true wide-body fuselage the A330-300 is the most economic means of flying medium range routes whilst offering true long haul comfort. It has a range of up to 5,650 nm / 10,500 km with a full passenger load. Orders for the aircraft stand at more than 390 from 39 customers.
The new IFExpress website looks great!! What an improvement over the old site... it is like a whole new world. Cheers and kudos from New York City.”
