Farnborough air show

Textron Aviation is in the final stage of the certification effort for its Cessna Citation Longitude, and expects to secure US approval and begin customer deliveries of the super-midsize business jet before the end of the second quarter. European validation is expected around six months later.

Whisper it, but the recent first flight of a second-generation Airbus A330, the re-engined -900, was tantalisingly close to the 25th anniversary of the twinjet s maiden sortie on 2 November 1992. Understandably, Airbus hasn t made much of this historic milestone, but the fact is that the aircraft s continuing appeal in a market of much younger competitors is a credit to the A330 s original concept which dates back to the 1980s.

The landmark delivery to Emirates of its 100th Airbus A380 this month marks a key milestone in a journey that has its roots at the very start of the superjumbo programme.