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France aviation news

Boutique airline launches unlimited one-year flight pass for $35,000

A boutique airline has launched an all-you-can-fly pass for travelers who make frequent trips between New York, Paris and London. It’s kind of like an all-you-can-eat buffet for frequent fliers: For $35,000, travelers can purchase the L’Unlimited flight pass on the all-business-class carrier La Compagnie for unrestricted travel on routes between New York and Paris and New York and L...

French probe VIP 777 wing-strike at Le Bourget

French investigators have detailed a serious incident involving a Boeing 777-200ER which suffered a wing-strike and tail contact while attempting to land at Le Bourget airport outside Paris. The privately-operated aircraft (N777AS) had been conducting a positioning service from the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on 5 June. French investigation authority BEA says the General Electric GE90-power...

Airbus Helicopters completes first firing campaign with HForce system

Airbus Helicopters has recently completed a first round of firing tests with HForce, a generic weapon system in development for the company’s commercial helicopter range. The innovative system, which includes a central core unit, Thales’ Scorpion monocular helmet mounted sight display (HMSD), an electro-optical system (EOS) from Wescam as well as gunner armament weapon grips and weapon...

Plane-Seat Supplier Zodiac Jumps as Airbus A350 Logjam Eases

Zodiac Aerospace shares rose as much as 13 percent Wednesday after the biggest supplier of seats to Airbus Group SE said a logjam in the production of premium berths for the manufacturer’s latest A350 model is beginning to ease. Zodiac, which has struggled to meet Airbus and Boeing Co. delivery schedules for two years after taking on too much work, has achieved certificatio...

Air France says French pilots strikes cost more than 40 millon euro

Air France said on Tuesday the last four days of strikes by French pilots would cost the airline more than 40 million euros.  A spokeswoman for Air France, who confirmed comments given by chief executive Frederic Gagey to AFP, said the company plans to meet unions by the end of the week. "Air France managed to conduct 80 percent of flights," the spokeswoman said. Air France...

Airbus silences the A320's 'barking dog'

Airbus has modified its A320neo to eliminate the characteristic ‘barking dog’ noise generated by the A320’s power transfer system during ground manoeuvring. The noise has been a familiar feature of the A320 family and originates in the power-transfer unit, a bi-directional device enabling the green and yellow hydraulic systems to pressurise one another. It typically activat...

Chinese consortium acquires 100 H135s from Airbus Helicopters

A Chinese consortium made up of China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS), Qingdao United General Aviation Industrial Development Company (Qingdao United) and CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co. Ltd (COHC) has ordered 100 H135 light-twin helicopters, becoming China’s first customer to form an industrial partnership to launch a H135 final assembly line (FAL) in Qingdao, Shandong province. This...

Counting the cost of H225 grounding

How do you calculate the cost of an accident? Beyond, that is, the simple, unquantifiable human tragedy of the event. But as more details emerge on the fatal April crash of an H225 helicopter on Norway’s west coast, some of those costs are also becoming clear. With the Super Puma fleet now grounded for safety reasons, operators are faced – again – with a potentially long-te...

Air France pilot strike causes flight cancellation for Irish fans heading to Paris

AN AIR FRANCE flight from Dublin to France has been cancelled tomorrow, leaving some Irish football fans with no flight to get to Euro 2016. The cancellation is due to an internal conflict within the airline which has caused Air France pilots to go on strike. The Air France website states that flight AF 1617 leaving Dublin at 9.10am and arriving at Charles de Gaulle at 2.45pm has been cancel...

Airbus under new pressure over A400M as deliveries slip

Airbus Group (AIR.PA) faces renewed pressure from France and other European buyers to meet performance and delivery pledges for its A400M military transport plane but is struggling to meet the deadlines, people familiar with the matter said. After partly successful efforts to overcome delays on Europe's largest defense project, the A400M has been plunged into uncertainty again, especially d...

Air France: Pilots' strike to hit Euro 2016

Pilots at the French national airline have started a four-day strike that could disrupt plans for thousands of football fans on the second day of the Euro 2016 competition. Air France has cancelled up to 30% of its flights on Saturday. Pilots at the French national airline have started a four-day strike that could disrupt plans for thousands of football fans on the second day of the Euro 201...

Airbus raises $2.69 bln from Dassault stake sale

Airbus Group SE Friday said it raised EUR2.38 billion ($2.69 billion) through the sale of its remaining 23.6% stake in French Rafale combat jet maker Dassault Aviation SA. For over a year Airbus has been reducing its stake in Dassault Aviation, which it held as part of the formation of the European plane maker. It began the gradual disposal in 2014 and sold an 18.75% holding last year, leaving...