Privacy & Cookies

Search this blog

Subscribe by E-mail

Archives

Recent Entries

Recent Comments

Flightglobal Blogroll

Technorati

Technorati search
  Privacy & Cookies

» Blogs that link here

Categories

June 2011 Archives

Final tally of Paris air show orders #PAS11

By
Will Horton
 on June 23, 2011 3:57 PM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
We're wrapping up the Paris air show and bar any successful last-minute negotiation, we think we've managed to list all of the commercial orders for 100 seats or more that were announced (either firm, MoU, or announced but previously disclosed) at the 2011 Paris air show.

(If the jet fuel is getting to us and we missed any orders, leave a comment.)

PAS11 orders total-1.jpgPAS11 orders total-2.jpg


Photo collage of neo galore orders during the last week #PAS11

By
Will Horton
 on June 23, 2011 1:10 PM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
The last week has seen an onslaught of orders for the Airbus A320neo family, most placed during this week's Paris air show. Here's a visual representation of all of the orders (a caveat: Air Lease and Alafco were left out as no visual renderings were released with their purchase).

Neo orders June 2011_2.jpg

Caption this photo: Airbus gives Embraer A380 model after wingtip incident #PAS11

By
Will Horton
 on June 23, 2011 12:04 PM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
Airbus says that chief executive Tom Enders gave his Embraer counterpart, Fred Curado, a model of an A380 as a "piece" offering after the wing of Airbus's demonstration A380 hit Embrarer's building at Le Bourget airport on the Sunday before the Paris air show. (See photos of the damage here.)

What caption do you have for this photo?

Airbus Embraer A380.jpg

Paris air show day four orders so far #PAS11

By
Will Horton
 on June 23, 2011 9:33 AM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
Here is the latest--and likely final--order tally for Thursday of the Paris air show.

Notes: the AirAsia A320neo order did not include any options in the final signed contract. Although Airbus announced the order of 10 A380 aircraft was from an undisclosed customer, it is to our understanding the order is from Hong Kong Airlines.

PAS11 orders Thurs 130pm.jpg

#PAS11 day three orders so far

By
Will Horton
 on June 22, 2011 12:41 PM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
For aircraft above 99 seats:

PAS11 orders Weds 530pm.jpg

Witticisms from John Leahy during the Paris air show #PAS11

By
Will Horton
 on June 21, 2011 4:00 PM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
Leahy.jpg
Photo: Sipa Press/Rex Features

Airbus chief salesman John Leahy is known for his wit and goading, and day two of the Paris air show did not disappoint.

The company's second order announcement press conference was delayed when the anonymous airline customer was involved in a minor road incident, we were told. Although they were fine, they would be a bit late navigating the chalet line. Shortly thereafter an Airbus spokesman told us the customer was going to be too late. "So we'll have to delay the Garud--oh sh..." the spokesman said, realising he had given away Garuda Indonesia as the customer.

Quick on his feet, Leahy asked, "Oh you mean the Garuda order for 25 A320s?" He thus turned the situation comical and avoided speculation, even showing the press audience the decorative poster contracts Airbus had drawn up for the signing.

The third order press conference, for jetBlue's signing of A320 and A321s, featured another slip-up when Airbus sent distributed a press release saying the manufacturer was studying whether to offer its A320 Sharklet as a retrofit, despite Leahy's comments Airbus would definitely offer it. Quizzed on the contradiction, Leahy proclaimed, "We did a sloppy press release." He then said of the press release's writer, "they should get a job working for Bombardier."

The jetBlue presser soon after concluded, but not before a spokesman told us he didn't need to dust off his resume.

Parisian parking lessons, widebody aircraft style #PAS11

By
Will Horton
 on June 21, 2011 8:08 AM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
The 20111 Paris air show is offering some valuable lessons in aircraft parking skills.

First on Sunday was the now infamous incident of Airbus's demonstration A380 that hit a building while taxiing at Le Bourget and subsequently lost its starboard wingtip fence, and became an Airbust. Korean Air permitted Airbus to perform with its A380, in town to show off its interior, saving the air show from lacking an A380 flying display.
Paris 2011 A380 damage.jpgLater that day Boeing demonstrated parking prowess when a Qatar 777-200LR cosied up on the static display to its big sister, the 747-8 Intercontinental, leaving less than two feet of clearance between its raked winglet and the 747's forward fuselage. As a bonus, the 777's wing has been providing rain cover to 747 visitors. (Rain at an air show? Sacré bleu!)
747 and 777 Paris 2011-1.JPG747 and 777 Paris 2011-2.JPGNot to be outdone, yesterday Airbus showed an A380 can, in fact, taxi without hitting a building or CRJ. The Korean Air A380 traversed along a taxiway so narrow its outer wing barely cleared an observation tower after passing over our very own Mary "Runway Girl" Kirby who happened to be in the area recording a video.
KAL A380 taxi Paris-1.JPGKAL A380 taxi Paris-2.JPGKAL A380 taxi Paris-3.JPGOne question: when Korean Air permitted Airbus to perform the flying demonstration with its A380, did Korean stipulate its pilots would be doing the parking?

Comac brings C919 cabin mock-up to Paris #PAS11

By
Will Horton
 on June 20, 2011 2:28 PM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
Comac has brought to the Paris Air Show the cabin mock-up of its planned indigenous narrow-body aircraft, the C919.

The mock-up was first shown at last November's Zhuhai air show, where the aircraft secured its first orders.

At Zhuhai we got a peek inside the Boeing Sky Interior-meets-A350-style mock-up, which is here at Paris. See the video below:



New to the C919 programme? Here are some headlines to bring you up to speed:

#PAS11: Paris air show - live blog

By
Stuart Clarke
 on June 20, 2011 8:12 AM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
We bring you live coverage of the 2011 Paris air show:

South Korean soliders fire 99 rounds of bullets on Asiana A321

By
Will Horton
 on June 19, 2011 8:59 AM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
Asiana A321.jpgAn Asiana A321 with 119 passengers and crew members onboard is the latest jet to come under bullet fire as two South Korean soldiers fired 99 rounds from their K-2 rifles over ten minutes towards the jet last Friday, AFP reports.

The jet descending to Seoul's Incheon airport managed to escape any harm as it was too far away from the soldiers, who were stationed on Gyodong island, 1.7 kilometres south of the North Korean coast. They managed to mistake the A321 for a jet from North Korea, its northerly neighbor who it lacks peaceful relations with. South Korean soldiers had been alerted to possible provocative acts by North Korea and are reported to have rules of engagement that do not quire superior approval.

"When the plane appeared over Jumun island, soldiers mistook it as a North Korean military aircraft and fired," a Marine Corps official told Yonhap, the AFP says.

The aircraft was "flying normally" and following a normal route from Chengdu, China, an air traffic controller told the AFP.

An Asiana spokeswoman said the military checked-up with the airline after the incident, and confirmed to the AFP there was no damage.

The AFP adds that local newspaper Yonhap says the Marine Corps will step up training for soldiers to help them distinguish civilian aircraft from enemy jets.

In other aircraft shootings incidents, the military of the French overseas territory of Reunion needs no help distinguishing jets but does require help distinguishing blank cartridges from live ones after a counter-hijacking exercise used real bullets and left a hole in one of the carrier's Boeing 777-300ERs.

And then of course there was the 737 from US Airways Airlines that encountered a stray bullet in March.

ANA re-launches 787 delivery webpage - 'We fly 1st'

By
Will Horton
 on June 15, 2011 1:17 PM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
ANA 787 website.jpgANA today has re-launched its webpage dedicated to tracking the 787's delivery and entry into service. 787 launch customer ANA prominently features its slogan "We fly 1st", a date-neutral moniker unlike Singapore Airlines' now infamous A380 launch customer customer slogan "First to fly. Experience the difference in 2006." Entry into service, of course, slipped to 2007--not that the 787 has had its own delays, but the aircraft finally seems to be ready for delivery in August or September. Next month Boeing will bring a 787 to Japan for service ready, operation and validation tests.

"We fly with the Boeing 787 to the future," ANA's page says.

The new page has sections on the aircraft's concept, cabin, comfort, specifications, environmental impact, contribution of Japanese companies, images, and the aircraft's history--but most are still being developed and there are no visuals--yet--of ANA's cabin.

You can view the website here and also follow the airline's Facebook page here, where they are also providing 787 updates.

Boeing will also bring a 787 to the Paris Air Show, which officially kicks off next week although Flightglobal has been covering pre-show news. ANA is scheduled to make a 787-related announcement during the Paris Air Show. For all the Paris updates, follow our special section here.

Oman Air sponsors paraplegic microlight pilot flying the Kangaroo Route

By
Will Horton
 on June 6, 2011 8:44 PM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)
Dave.JPG

Airlines sponsor a lot of events and activities, but this occurrence really caught my attention.

Oman Air will sponsor Dave Sykes's record-breaking microlight flight in his P&M Aviation Quik microlight aircraft (above) from the UK to Australia, the so-called "Kangaroo Route" normally served by the likes of the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747.

Sykes, who is a paraplegic microlight pilot, left England's York on 28 April on a journey to mark the 80th anniversary of Amy Johnson's first-ever flight between the UK and Australia, Oman Air says.

Upon arrival in Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia, Sykes says he will be able to claim the Guinness Book of World Records title for a microlight flight from the UK to Australia by a paraplegic title. But it is not just bragging rights Sykes will achieve: he is also raising money Yorkshire Air Ambulance, a British charity which provides emergency services to remote and inaccessible areas in the north of England.

Sykes's journey to Australia will be 21,809km over which he will visit 20 countries, including Oman, where he landed last week and when Oman Air announced their sponsorship (photo, below).

Sykes started flying microlight aircraft in 2000 after a motorcycle accident in 1993 left him unable to use his legs, Oman Air says. Since then, he has flown extensively in Europe, using specially-adapted aircraft and clocking up nearly 50,000km in the air.

"Dave's courage and strength of character are a true reflection of the pioneering spirit of aviation, so it is particularly fitting that Oman Air is able to support him. As the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, we are committed to helping people achieve their full potential and Dave's determination to overcome the challenges that life has thrown at him is an inspiration to all, both within Oman and beyond," says Oman Air's chief of corporate affairs Philippe Georgiou.

Dave Sykes.JPG

Airbus presentation on revised stall recovery

By
David Kaminski-Morrow
 on June 4, 2011 12:40 PM | | Comments () | TrackBacks (0)

This presentation by Airbus test pilot Xavier Lesceu (click here), given before a performance and operations conference in Dubai in May 2011, contains a detailed explanation of the blanket revision of procedures for stall recovery adopted last year.

It's particularly interesting to read in light of the revelations about Air France flight AF447, notably the observation that the previous recovery procedure could result in "reluctance to apply nose-down input".

« May 2011 | Main Index | Archives | July 2011 »

Sign up to

© Reed Business Information 2011