All three of Qantas' new A380 super jumbo jets are up, up and away once more after being grounded for 24 hours to deal with fuel tank and steering problems, the carrier said. The aircraft were grounded in London and Sydney to deal with issues the airline described as "teething problems". Two were out of service due to a fuel tank indication system problem and one experienced a nose wheel ground steering issue and an unrelated fuel leak issue, Qantas said in a statement. All the issues have been … [Read more...] about Qantas airbuses back in the air
Airbus
Airbus cuts production as global traffic plummets
As widely expected, Airbus has announced the first production cuts in response to the deepening recession which has sent the global aviation market into a tailspin. A growing number of airlines are seeking to defer or cancel aircraft deliveries, as they are forced to cut capacity to try to match falling demand for air travel and air cargo. Airbus and its rival Boeing are finding their record order backlogs no longer offer protection against the impact of the global recession, which is forcing … [Read more...] about Airbus cuts production as global traffic plummets
ILFC boss forecasts airframe production cuts
ILFC boss forecasts airframe production cuts International Lease Finance Corp (ILFC) chairman and CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy has projected that both Airbus and Boeing will cut production over the next two years by as much as 30-35 per cent. Airbus currently plans to produce close to 500 aircraft this year, while Boeing's target is 480-485 units, but just last week Airbus revealed that it had 12 order cancellations in January - three A318s, two A319s, three A320s and four A321s - while booking just … [Read more...] about ILFC boss forecasts airframe production cuts
Airbus tops Boeing deliveries in ’08 but predicts soft ’09
European aircraft maker Airbus once again took top spot in global airliner production for the sixth year running in 2008, with a 7 per cent rise in deliveries, to a record 483 planes. Deliveries comprised 386 A320 family aircraft, 85 A330s/A340s and 12 A380s. Its US rival, Boeing, delivered 375 planes in 2008 after a machinists' strike halted commercial aircraft production for 58 days. Airbus booked 777 net aircraft orders in 2008, down from 900 after 123 cancellations, topping Boeing's 662 net … [Read more...] about Airbus tops Boeing deliveries in ’08 but predicts soft ’09
Airbus tops Boeing deliveries in '08 but predicts soft '09
European aircraft maker Airbus once again took top spot in global airliner production for the sixth year running in 2008, with a 7 per cent rise in deliveries, to a record 483 planes. Deliveries comprised 386 A320 family aircraft, 85 A330s/A340s and 12 A380s. Its US rival, Boeing, delivered 375 planes in 2008 after a machinists' strike halted commercial aircraft production for 58 days. Airbus booked 777 net aircraft orders in 2008, down from 900 after 123 cancellations, topping Boeing's 662 net … [Read more...] about Airbus tops Boeing deliveries in '08 but predicts soft '09
EADS drops US acquisition to save money
European aerospace group EADS said it had abandoned a "significant" acquisition in the US in order to conserve cash and support Airbus plane sales to crisis-hit airlines. The Airbus parent company is under pressure to offer financing to buyers to ensure they honour contracts. Both Airbus and rival Boeing saw new plane business roughly halve last year after a record 2007 as airlines faced first a record spike in oil prices and then a slump in passenger and cargo demand. "We want to protect cash … [Read more...] about EADS drops US acquisition to save money
