This week's cover of Flight International has the coverline STORM WARNING against a picture of a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 descending to London Heathrow. Although many nations are united in their opposition to Europe's plans to offset airlines' carbon emissions with a new tax levied on all aircraft flying into EU airports, it is China - rather than Singapore - that is causing the most concern. Airbus and others are worried that Brussels' intransigence over the Emissions Trading System might spark industrial retaliation by Beijing, not against Europe's airlines but against its major aerospace exporters, including Airbus. Our cover story and comment article look at where the row is heading.
Also in the issue, we preview the upcoming FIDAE air show in Chile with a look at South America's air defence procurement requirements, country by country, as well as an analysis of how the region's ambitious airlines are the new darlings of the main airframers.
We also look ahead to the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg with features on how cabin components manufacturers are rapidly shedding weight, the latest air systems technology to make the flying environment more pleasant for passengers and crew, and the trend towards passengers using personal entertainment and work devices on aircraft, and what the industry is doing to make money from it.
In news, we report from India Aviation in Hyderabad, have the latest on the World Trade Organisation transatlantic airliners subsidies spat, and explain why US senators are seeking to boycott Russian exports, including the Mil Mi-17 heavylift helicopter.
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