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France finally clears Charles de Gaulle airport rail link

France on Friday said it will build a high-speed rail link between central Paris and the Charles-de-Gaulle airport, ending decades of fruitless discussion on easing access to Europe's second-biggest airport. The "CDG Express" is to be completed by 2023, the government said in an announcement in the Official Journal, on a budget of 1.6 billion euros ($1.77 billion). The on...

Meet Tom Williams, Airbus's Mr Fixit

Airbus chief operating officer Tom Williams has a reputation as a troubleshooter and he's got the aircraft manufacturer's supply chain in his sights. Tom Williams is a man with a problem. Almost 7,000 of them, in fact, but all “good problems”, he insists. That is roughly the size of the order book – 6,818, to be precise – of pan-European plane-maker Airbus. As th...

Air France Is Finally Bringing In-Flight Wi-Fi to International Flights

The French, renowned champions of the work-life balance, are about to lose one of their last sanctuaries from the connected world: the aircraft cabin. Air France-KLM Group will finally introduce wireless Internet on international flights later this year, after about half of clients previously suggested they’d prefer to remain unplugged, Chief Executive Officer Alexandre de Juniac said Thu...

Airbus’ Asia-Pacific presence is reinforced with new agreements announced at the Singapore Airshow

Airbus underscored its strong Asia-Pacific presence with a high-level participation at this dynamic region’s largest aerospace exhibition – the Singapore Airshow – which brought a new customer for the A350 XWB, plus agreements to expand the company’s services footprint in the area. As the world’s fastest-growing market for new civil aircraft, Asia-Pacific repr...

Asia-Pacific is a key A380 market today, and for the future

The A380 has literally changed the shape of air transportation in Asia-Pacific, and will continue to play an important role as this region’s dynamic passenger traffic develops during the years to come. Asia-Pacific is a major “home” for the A380: almost half of the global customer base for Airbus’ 21st century flagship jetliner is located there, while all of the oth...

Airbus Patents Adjustable Seats For People Of Every Size

Airbus — the company that patented the concept of stacking passengers on top of each other in a crowded tube flying at hundreds of miles per hour thousands of feet above the ground — has recently applied for a pair of airplane seat patents that simultaneously look to increase customer comfort while stripping away what little room remains. Let’s deal with the more passenger-fri...

A positive kick-off for Airbus in 2016

Airbus got off to a good start in 2016, in particular for its best-selling wide body family with 16 aircraft orders booked in January, comprising 14 all new A330-900neo’s from an undisclosed customer and two A320ceo’s from fast growing Hong Kong based lessor, CALC (China Aircraft Leasing Company). The main highlight of Airbus’ deliveries in January 2016 was the very first A320...

A330neo passes detailed design review

Airbus’s re-engined A330neo has passed its detailed design review, some six months after concept freeze. The airframer embarked on detailed component design work for the Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-powered twinjet around mid-2015. Airbus disclosed during the Singapore air show that the aircraft had “successfully passed” the detailed design review in December, a few weeks after m...

Airbus widebody and single-aisle jetliners continue to make their mark in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region

This week’s Singapore Airshow is shining a spotlight on Airbus’ important commercial presence in the Asia-Pacific region – which is the fastest-growing market globally for new civil aircraft, as well as a key customer base for the company’s product line of modern widebody and single-aisle jetliners. Airbus entered this market in 1974 with a milestone A300B order from Kor...

ANALYSIS: Turbomeca spins up plans for high-powered future

“Project Jersey”, named after the Channel Island, is a curious title for an internal initiative – particularly one at a French manufacturer – but on closer inspection, there is sense behind it. For Turbomeca, the Bordes-based helicopter engine specialist, it signifies the process of absorbing the 50% of the RTM322 turboshaft project previously owned by UK firm Rolls-Royc...

Airbus A320neo's engine problems to be solved by April: Pratt CEO

Any technical problems with the engines of Airbus's A320neo jetliner should be solved in the coming weeks, the head of engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitneysaid. "By April, most of that will be solved," Robert Leduc said at a ceremony at which German flagship carrier Lufthansa took delivery of the first A320neo. Lufthansa stepped up to become the first airline to ta...

Aircelle appoints Philippe Couteaux as Vice President of Strategy

Philippe Couteaux has joined Aircelle in the roles as Vice President for Strategy, and Vice President of the company’s Customer Support and Services operation. Couteaux will direct Aircelle’s processes and innovation to expand and strengthen the company’s position in its core markets as Aircelle develops additional nacelle systems and ramps up their production. In relation...