Air Transport

In Paris air show history, 2005 may go down as a vintage year. Although the predicted subsidies war did not break out – Airbus heading off confrontation by delaying the A350 launch – the big two were in buoyant mood: Airbus enjoying the A380’s halo effect and, thanks to the 787, Boeing edging ahead in orders for the first time in years. There were debuts from the Dassault Falcon 7X and Aermacchi M346, an out-of-the-blue new utility jet from Grob, and the unveiling of Europe’s Neuron unmanned combat air vehicle concept. The engine-makers were also bullish about their prospects for powering the next generation of narrowbodies. Over the next 10 pages, our journalists pick out some of the highlights and key trends from an eventful week.