Aircraft News - Europe

Airguide Online, June 25, 2007

Airbus, Bombardier

Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier is in talks with Airbus to supply parts such as fuselage and wings for the European group's new A350 jet, the head of its aerospace division told a French newspaper. "We would like to be suppliers of this (A350) program," Bombardier Aerospace President and Chief Operating Officer Pierre Beaudoin told La Tribune in an interview published on Wednesday. Beaudoin said Bombardier has been working with Airbus for about 10 years and its plant in Belfast, with 5,000 staff, was already supplying nacelles and other parts for the A320. The Canadian company is also a parts provider for the A330 and A340. Jun 20, 2007

Airbus, International Lease Finance Corporation, Rolls-Royce

International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) Chief Executive Steven Udvar-Hazy said on Tuesday that Airbus had frozen the basic design of its A350 model but he expected the plane maker to continue to optimize it. "I think the basic configuration is fixed and frozen but I think there is some optimization going on in the design and I think that will continue," Udvar-Hazy said at the Paris air show. "The engine is a big question" he said, referring to the fact GE Aviation was unwilling to offer an engine for the largest of the three versions, the A350-1000. Only Rolls-Royce is offering engines for the A350 currently. He also said the largest version of the plane would have "some different gear, engine and wing strengths" compared to the other two versions. "There will be some differences." ILFC is the world's largest aircraft lessor by fleet value and one of the largest buyers of wide-bodied planes. Jun 20, 2007

Airbus, OnAir

Airbus announced that EASA has certified OnAir, the onboard mobile phone and communications system it has developed in partnership with SITA. "The EASA airworthiness certification comes after successful tests were carried out by Airbus earlier this year and confirms the GSM onboard system's compatibility in the aircraft environment," the company said, adding that the OnAir service initially will be available on single-aisle aircraft operating short-haul flights in Western Europe. Jun 21, 2007

Airbus, TAP Portugal

TAP Portugal is negotiating with Airbus regarding its order for 15 A350s, President and CEO Fernando Pinto said at the Paris Air Show. The Portuguese carrier was one of the first to commit to the aircraft when it placed an order for 10 plus five options in November 2005 . Deliveries were scheduled to begin in 2013. "The 'old' version worked for us," Pinto revealed. "The XWB is a very different aircraft. We have to review if it fits in our fleet. We have to analyze, or better re-analyze, everything." He stressed that no decision has been made on whether to cancel the existing order or replace it with a commitment to the XWB. "The 'new' A350 might have some advantages over the 'old' one," he noted. "Yet it is also bigger. Maybe we don't need that. We will see." Jun 19, 2007

Boeing, Air France KLM

Boeing said it has won an order for 16 planes from Air France KLM worth a total of USD$2.7 billion at list prices. Air France ordered nine of Boeing's wide-bodied 777-300ER aircraft and took options on a further nine. The planes are being used to replace Air France's larger 747-400s. Air France already has a fleet of 46 777s and now has a total of 14 on order. General Electric is to supply the engines on the 777s, in a deal it said it was worth USD$450 million at list prices. At the same time KLM ordered seven of Boeing's single-aisle 737-700 planes. Both orders were already registered in Boeing's tally of firm orders, attributed to unidentified customers. Jun 20, 2007