Airbus A350 at Singapore AirShow... http://news.yahoo.com/airbus-shows-off-a350-big-asian-airshow-091056241.html
Qatar Airways, the launch customer for the Airbus A350, expects to receive its first aircraft ahead of scheduled delivery in December 2014, the company's chief executive said on Wednesday. "They (Airbus) are well ahead of the test schedule," said Akbar Al Baker at the Singapore Airshow, adding that the aircraft could arrive a month or two early. The fast-growing Doha-based full-service carrier has 43 A350-900s and 37 A350-1000s on order. Al Baker added that patience was running thin with Bombardier's troubled CSeries aircraft. While Qatar has a requirement in the 120-160 seat category, the programme's delays and lack of orders could lead to the airline looking elsewhere. "We have told them that we will only be interested in talking to them again once they have sold 300 aircraft," said Al Baker. "People like us are not going to indefinitely wait for the aircraft programme to mature." He also said that the airline was not interested in Airbus's offer of a higher take-off weight "regional" A330, or Boeing's 787-10 or 777-8X. The airline also has 50 Boeing 777-9s on order, but it is not keen on the smaller 777-8, said Al Baker. (Reuters)
A look at what's happening Airbus-wise at the Singapore Airshow for today... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLw77_Rcbsg
From Colombia with love - Last week, 7.2 million kg of Valentines flowers were delivered by Avianca Cargo A330Fs.
Kuwait Airways has signed a contract with Airbus to buy 25 aircraft and lease 12 others, the state news agency said on Wednesday, firming up an order that was announced last year. In December, the carrier signed a provisional agreement with Airbus to buy 25 aircraft in a deal worth USD$4.4 billion at list prices. The order includes 10 A350-900 and 15 A320neo airliners. It was delayed after a parliamentary investigation was launched this month to investigate all contracts signed by state-owned Kuwait Airways. (Reuters)
Airbus announced an increase in airliner production as it unveiled higher 2013 net profit, up 22 percent to EUR€1.5 billion. Europe's largest aerospace group said it would raise output of its A320 family of small jets to 46 aircraft a month by the second quarter of 2016 from 42 now, echoing plans by rival Boeing to hit 47 a month by 2017. Plane makers are producing a passenger plane every few hours after a record surge in demand for fuel economies, pointing to rising revenues from mid-decade but putting unprecedented demands on a global network of suppliers. For 2014, parent Airbus Group forecast flat revenues and "moderate" growth in operating margin, which it still expects to reach 7-8 percent in 2015 compared with 6 percent in 2013. It had already reported that its Airbus plane-making subsidiary had beaten its gross order target of 1,200 planes with orders of 1,619 aircraft in 2013, outselling rival Boeing but failing to catch up in terms of jets delivered. Airbus said it was assuming "no major disruptions" to the world economy. It predicted 2014 deliveries in line with those of 2013, meaning it looks set to remain in second place behind Boeing on production this year, and reaffirmed it would deliver its first A350 to Qatar Airways by the end of 2014. Gross commercial aircraft orders should remain above the level of deliveries and revenue should be stable, it said. "There is maybe a slight disappointment with 2014 margin guidance but investors will be more focused on next year and 2016," said Societe Generale analyst Zafar Khan. A Paris trader who asked not to be named, called the outlook "too cautious" and expressed some disappointment in a lower than expected dividend 0.75 euros, up from 0.6 euros in 2014. Airbus Group shares have risen around 49 percent in the past 12 months, outrunning a 19 percent gain in French blue-chip shares over the same period. But in the past month it has lagged the French CAC 40 index by giving up 3 percent. A350 CHARGE Airbus Group's widely watched operating profit before one-off items rose 21 percent to EUR€3.6 billion (USD$4.95 billion) in 2013. Revenue rose 5 percent to EUR€59.3 billion. Net profit also rose 22 percent to EUR€1.5 billion after charges of EUR€434 million related to higher costs on the A350, and EUR€292 million driven mainly by restructuring of military and space activities. The results come two weeks after UK engine maker Rolls-Royce sent alarm through the aerospace sector by warning military spending cuts would halt its profit growth in 2014. In January, Boeing posted strong fourth-quarter profits but sent its shares sliding with more cautious-than-expected profit and cash-flow forecasts for 2014. Both Airbus and Boeing have bulging order books as airlines seek fuel savings by placing orders for the latest generation of jets or revamped versions of earlier models, but reduced military spending and a chill in emerging markets have dampened the sector. The Airbus commercial plane-making unit has been hinting at a possible production increase for some months as airliner demand rides out the recession, but there have been concerns whether an already tight supply chain could keep up. Airbus said it had carried out a "comprehensive assessment" of its suppliers before taking the decision to increase production. (Reuters)
Airbus announced an increase in airliner production as it unveiled higher 2013 net profit, up 22 percent to EUR€1.5 billion. Europe's largest aerospace group said it would raise output of its A320 family of small jets to 46 aircraft a month by the second quarter of 2016 from 42 now, echoing plans by rival Boeing to hit 47 a month by 2017. Plane makers are producing a passenger plane every few hours after a record surge in demand for fuel economies, pointing to rising revenues from mid-decade but putting unprecedented demands on a global network of suppliers. For 2014, parent Airbus Group forecast flat revenues and "moderate" growth in operating margin, which it still expects to reach 7-8 percent in 2015 compared with 6 percent in 2013. It had already reported that its Airbus plane-making subsidiary had beaten its gross order target of 1,200 planes with orders of 1,619 aircraft in 2013, outselling rival Boeing but failing to catch up in terms of jets delivered. Airbus said it was assuming "no major disruptions" to the world economy. It predicted 2014 deliveries in line with those of 2013, meaning it looks set to remain in second place behind Boeing on production this year, and reaffirmed it would deliver its first A350 to Qatar Airways by the end of 2014. Gross commercial aircraft orders should remain above the level of deliveries and revenue should be stable, it said. "There is maybe a slight disappointment with 2014 margin guidance but investors will be more focused on next year and 2016," said Societe Generale analyst Zafar Khan. A Paris trader who asked not to be named, called the outlook "too cautious" and expressed some disappointment in a lower than expected dividend 0.75 euros, up from 0.6 euros in 2014. Airbus Group shares have risen around 49 percent in the past 12 months, outrunning a 19 percent gain in French blue-chip shares over the same period. But in the past month it has lagged the French CAC 40 index by giving up 3 percent. A350 CHARGE Airbus Group's widely watched operating profit before one-off items rose 21 percent to EUR€3.6 billion (USD$4.95 billion) in 2013. Revenue rose 5 percent to EUR€59.3 billion. Net profit also rose 22 percent to EUR€1.5 billion after charges of EUR€434 million related to higher costs on the A350, and EUR€292 million driven mainly by restructuring of military and space activities. The results come two weeks after UK engine maker Rolls-Royce sent alarm through the aerospace sector by warning military spending cuts would halt its profit growth in 2014. In January, Boeing posted strong fourth-quarter profits but sent its shares sliding with more cautious-than-expected profit and cash-flow forecasts for 2014. Both Airbus and Boeing have bulging order books as airlines seek fuel savings by placing orders for the latest generation of jets or revamped versions of earlier models, but reduced military spending and a chill in emerging markets have dampened the sector. The Airbus commercial plane-making unit has been hinting at a possible production increase for some months as airliner demand rides out the recession, but there have been concerns whether an already tight supply chain could keep up. Airbus said it had carried out a "comprehensive assessment" of its suppliers before taking the decision to increase production. (Reuters)
Airbus A350 XWBs MSN2 and MSN4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7kOEQ2B3Io&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Airbus and more efficient Air Traffic management in Europe... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM39wEoei3E
Airbus says today... Our forecast predicts that 36% of India’s fleet will be wide-body aircraft by 2032, more than doubling today’s level.
Airbus says... They have teamed up with Indonesia’s Lion Group to provide flight training services – find out more here... http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/airbus-and-lion-group-partner-for-flight-training-services/
The continuation of a Story. From the A320's inception through to the present continuing evolution with the A320neo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaIchZxWVDk&list=UUkfZz95mfqPnzquatVpDTsQ
China is in talks to buy at least 150 Airbus passenger jets potentially worth USD$20 billion when Xi Jinping pays his first visit to Europe as president at the end of this month, people familiar with the matter said. In a broad-ranging deal that could help reset trade relations between China and Europe after a bumpy year, China is expected to buy more A330s as talks advance to open Airbus's second major factory in the country. The "cabin completion" plant for A330s would bolster Airbus's presence five years after the opening of its first final assembly plant outside Europe in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, where Chinese workers put together A320s. The deal could also involve a decision to unfreeze the purchase of 27 A330s blocked by China during a recent row with the European Union over environmental policies. "This visit to Europe by President Xi Jinping... will certainly beneficially promote the development of ties between China and the European Union," China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said when asked to confirm the aircraft order. "This will be an all-round development of relations." A spokesman for Airbus declined to comment. Spokespeople for major Chinese airlines including Air China, China Eastern and China Southern all declined to comment. Both France and Germany are anxious to establish good ties with China's leader and announcements on the Airbus deal package could be made in both countries, European officials said. The package could also include some A320 and A350 aircraft, people familiar with the matter said. The sources stressed that the final size of the deal could change and would depend on last-minute talks. Previous state visits have included tough negotiations on the sidelines. China remains the world's fastest-growing aviation market despite a recent slowdown in its economy, with a surge in outbound travellers fuelling the expansion. One in four people from China travelled by plane last year, with that number set to rise to virtually the whole active population in the next two decades, Airbus says. Airbus faces stiff competition from Boeing over the deals, especially for wide-body jets like the A330, an established model that Airbus is hoping to revitalise as Boeing increases output of its newer 787 Dreamliner. Both companies are offering their aircraft at steep discounts to win China's business, industry sources say. Airbus is promoting a new "regional" version of the A330 aimed at China's crowded domestic market, but Boeing hopes to persuade airlines to choose its alternatives. Boeing also appears to have deals with China for similar quantities of jets that are not yet announced, industry sources said. Beijing has tended in the past to balance purchases of aircraft from each of the two main foreign suppliers, especially when buying popular narrow-body models like the A320 and Boeing 737. Recently, China has shown signs of decoupling strategic items such as air transport from diplomatic visits, with more and more airlines announcing their deals separately and new Chinese leasing companies also making a significant mark. However, France has expressed optimism over its ties with China in nuclear energy and aerospace - diplomatic code for possible deals during the March 25-27 visit. "We will see how many aircraft Airbus sells at the end of the visit," a French official said this week. Xi plans to visit France and Germany, starting with France where other important industrial deals are expected to be signed, celebrating 50 years since President Charles de Gaulle became the first Western leader to recognise China. (Reuters)
Great news! India’s newest airline, AirAsia India has taken delivery of its 1st A320 equipped with Sharklets.
