Airbus

[iuli]

Delta gets first '242-ton' variant of the Airbus A330

Airbus delivered its first 242-ton variant of the A330-300 to Delta Air Lines Thursday evening at the jetmaker's headquarters in southern France.

The plane is Airbus' latest version of its A330 long-haul widebody jet, capable of flying farther and taking off with more weight than prior versions of the jet. Delta is the launch customer.

"We are very pleased to be taking delivery of the A330 242T", President Ed Bastian said during brief remarks at a press conference.

Delta says it will use the jet on both trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific routes, taking advantage of the 242T's expanded cargo-capacity and range.

Part of an order announced by the airline in September, 2013, nine more of the new-variant A330s will come to Delta during the next two years. The aircraft will be used in part to replace the carrier's aging Boeing 747 fleet.

They'll join the Delta's existing fleet of 32 A330 -200s and A330-300s, acquired in 2009 when it merged with Northwest Airlines.

Delta also has 25 next generation A330neo aircraft on order, with the first expected to deliver in 2019.

So far, Airbus says 11 airlines have ordered the 242T.

The airplane will expand the aircraft's range by up to 500 nautical miles, enabling flights up to 15 hours. Airbus says the modifications will result in up to 1% fuel burn savings over current models. And Delta adds that it expects its new A330-300s to be 15%-25% more fuel efficient per seat than the Boeing 767-300s and 747-400s they will replace.

As for the 242T variant of the A330, the incremental variant will likely be the last to be introduced on the A330, which debuted in 1994. The current generation of A330 will be replaced in late 2017 by a next-generation version of the plane, dubbed the "A330neo."

Until the introduction of the neo, however, Airbus faces a worrisome production gap for its A330 assembly line. Already, Airbus has lowered production rates for its "A330 classic" models several times -- most recently to six per month from nine. That comes as the jetmaker tries to prevent a potential stoppage in the line by delivering all of the "class A330s" that have been ordered before the "neos" come online.

Incremental improvement packages, such as the 242T, have been aimed at extending airlines' interest in the classic A330s while Airbus readies for A330neo production. So far, results to date have been mixed.

The company has also launched an A330 "regional" in 2013. That A330 variant is aimed at the rapidly ballooning Chinese domestic market, though the airplane has not yet won Airbus any orders. Executives initially said it expected as many as 200 orders, though CEO Fabrice Bregier said on Thursday that he remains confident the market will develop.

Airbus executives suggested that several A330 classic orders could be on the horizon for the upcoming Paris Air Show, set for mid-June.

Sursa: USA Today

[iuli]

Garuda Indonesia signs LOI for 30 A350 XWB

Garuda Indonesia has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Airbus for the purchase of 30 A350 XWB aircraft. Garuda Indonesia plans to use the A350 XWB to develop its medium and long haul network, with the aircraft offering the ability to fly non-stop from Jakarta or Bali to Europe.

"Following our success in revitalising our regional operation in Asia and the Pacific, the development of our long haul network will be a priority in the coming years," said Arif Wibowo, CEO of Garuda Indonesia. "With its reduced fuel consumption, range capability and extra wide cabin, the A350 XWB will be one of the options for us to reposition ourselves as a leading premium carrier in the competitive long haul market out of Asia."

"We are pleased to welcome Garuda Indonesia as the latest airline to commit to the all-new A350 XWB," said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. "The aircraft has set the new standard for the larger segment of the mid-size widebody market and is already proving to exceed expectations in service with its first operator. We look forward to seeing the A350 XWB flying in the colours of Garuda Indonesia as it extends its reach to more destinations across the world."

The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. For passengers, it brings new levels of in-flight comfort, with an extra-wide cabin offering more personal space in all classes, including 18 inch wide seats as standard in economy class.

The A350 XWB has been especially successful in the Asia-Pacific region, where airlines have ordered a total of 244 aircraft, representing almost a third of the 780 orders recorded so far worldwide.

Sursa: Airbus

[iuli]

EFW, ST Aerospace and Airbus to launch A320/A321P2F freighter conversion program

Airbus (Toulouse) has signed an agreement with ST Aerospace (Singapore) to offer passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion solutions for its A320 / A321 aircraft.



The agreement was signed today (June 17) at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport by Harald Wilhelm, Chief Financial Officer of Airbus Group and Airbus, Serh Ghee Lim, President of ST Aerospace, Andreas Sperl, CEO of EFW and Tom Williams, Airbus Chief Operating Officer.

Airbus foresees a significant market demand of more than 600 aircraft over the next 20 years for P2F aircraft conversions in the small freighter segment. The A320P2F, with eleven main-deck container positions, will be capable of carrying 21 metric tons of payload over 2,100 nm, while the A321P2F with 14 main-deck positions will be able to carry up to 27 tons over 1,900 nm.

The first converted A321P2F will be delivered in 2018.

The A320/A321 P2F converted aircraft will be marketed and managed by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) (Dresden). Airbus currently holds a majority stake at the freighter conversion specialist together with its partner and co-owner, ST Aerospace.

In order to implement the new business line for A320 / A321 P2F aircraft, ST Aerospace will provide its specially developed conversion technology and will obtain another 20 percent of EFW's shares, thus increasing its stake in EFW to 55 percent. Subsequently, Airbus Group will become a minority partner in EFW, reducing its shareholding to 45 percent.

The management team in Dresden will continue to be headed by President and CEO Andreas Sperl and will ensure sustainable growth of the Airbus P2F freighter family while strengthening EFW´s position as a global Airbus conversions supplier. In addition, the operation will secure value-adding jobs in the Dresden region.

Together with the larger A330F and A330P2F, the A320P2F and A321P2F will further complement the Airbus Freighter Family concept. Airlines will thus benefit from the flight-crew and operational commonality through Cross-Crew-Qualification and Mixed-Fleet-Flying across their Airbus freighter and passenger operations, leveraging on same cockpit and systems philosophies.

Sursa

[iuli]

A350-900 ultra long-haul vine in 2018

Singapore Airlines vrea sa recastige titlul "Cel mai lung zbor non-stop din lume" pe care l-a pierdut in 2013, asa ca a cerut un A350-900 capabil sa zboare, non-stop, intre Singapore si New York. Intrarea in serviciul comercial: 2018.

Intr-un interviu acordat Bloomberg, Kiran Rao, Vicepresedinte Executive Strategie & Marketing Airbus, a spus ca un A350-900 cu mai putine locuri decat layout-ul obisnuit – 325 de pasageri in 3 clase – ar putea zbura non-stop 19 ore intre Singapore si New York consumand cu 25% mai putin carburant decat A340-500. "Nu va pot preciza layout-ul la care s-au gandit cei de la Singapore Airlines, dar este unul premium". Acelasi oficial Airbus a declarat ca si alte companii aeriene sunt interesate de un asemenea A350-900.

Goh Choon Poon, CEO-ul SIA, vrea sa reinceapa zborurile spre Los Angeles si New York Newark, rute inchise in toamna lui 2013 (octombrie si noiembrie). Pana atunci, Singapore Airlines a zburat la Newark (si Los Angeles) folosind Airbus-uri A340-500 cu doar 100 de locuri (layout Business Class 100%), configuratie care nu s-a dovedit profitabila. Zborul Singapore – New York Newark era cel mai lung zbor non-stop din lume: 15.344 km parcursi in 18 ore si 50 de minute. Despre cele doua rute anulate am mai vorbit pe Aeronews.ro

Obiectivul CEO-ului Singapore Airlines este cu atat mai interesant cu cat Emirates a anuntat recent ca va opera cel mai lung zbor non-stop din lume: Dubai-Panama City, zilnic din 1 februarie 2016 cu 777-200LR (Longer Range). De ce nu ar putea modelul Boeing – avionul de pasageri cu cea mai mare autonomie a momentului – sa parcurga distanta intre Singapore si Newark? Boeing sustine ca poate, insa expertii in aviatie cred ca un 777-200LR nu ar "bifa" New York fara oprire, desi ar ajunge la Los Angeles. Motivele: pe langa conditiile meteo si directia vantului (care afecteaza autonomia unui avion), modelul Boeing este de generatie mai veche si ar consuma mai mult carburant decat viitorul A350-900 ultra lung-curier. 777-200LR a intrat in serviciul comercial in 2006, ultimul exemplar din cele 59 comandate fiind livrat in aprilie 2014.

Sursa: Aeronews

[igorashu]

De curiozitate,  un avion cam ce procentaj de combustibil trebuie să aibă ca rezervă?

[iuli]

Nu se calculeaza ca procentaj. Exista un sistem complex de calcul al combustibilului. Dar ca rezerva se ia in general in calcul in plus o ora de survol si distanta pana la aeroportul de rezerva, in general minim 100 de mile nautice. Introducand intr-un calculator (mai nou) toate detaliile, ruta, timpul de rulare pe cele doua aeroporturi (cam minim 20 de minute pe fiecare), complensarea vantului (fata sau spate), timpul de survol (in caz ca aeroportul de destinatie e prea aglomerat sau pot aparea probleme la aterizare si trebuie facut un go-around) si distanta pana la aeroportul de rezerva si, evident, greutatea avionului cu pasageri si marfa se obtine cantitatea de combustibil necesara pentru a se incarca. Aeronavele mai vechi au tabele de calcul si calculul se face prin formule matematice.

[igorashu]

Aham, mulțumesc

[iuli]

Pe 13 septembrie 2014, ‎Beluga‬ a sarbatorit 20 de ani de la primul zbor. In 2019 va intra in serviciu Beluga XL bazat pe Airbus A330.

[TibiV]

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/s/airbus-patents-way-to-board-planes-thats-straight-185537364.html

Ăştia de la Airbus parcă ar fi cercetători britanici...

[iuli]

TAM Airlines Airbus A350 flight test from Toulouse

https://www.youtube.com/v/4jeAdtdXbl0

[iuli]

THE MONTH IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 2015

Airbus logged 60 aircraft orders in December from across its commercial product lines, bringing the year's net orders to 1,036; while the 79 jetliners provided to customers during the month raised the 2015 total to a new annual record of 635 deliveries. 

Based on the orders and deliveries activity, Airbus achieved a year-end industry record backlog of 6,787 aircraft as of 31 December – representing a combined value of $996.3 billion at list prices, and providing a volume equivalent to 10 years of production at current rates.

The A320 single-aisle family paced December's new business activity, with 36 for the New Engine Option (NEO) versions of Airbus' A319, A320 and A321; along with three for the A320ceo (Current Engine Option) configuration.



This included the firming-up of a commitment by Turkish Airlines for 20 additional A321neo aircraft, adding to the 72 A321neo jetliners already on order by Turkey's flagship airline.  Ordering five A320neo aircraft each in December were British Airways, Iberia, and Vueling; while an unnamed private operator acquired an ACJ319neo corporate jet.

Completing the month's single-aisle transactions were the two A320ceo aircraft for China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited (CALC), and one A320ceo booked by Air New Zealand.

Among December's widebody orders were three for the 21st century flagship A380 from an unidentified customer, along with bookings from an unidentified customer for two A350-900 versions of the new A350 XWB.

Airbus' popular A330 Family converted an order from AirAsia X for 11 A330-900 aircraft in the A330's New Engine Option series, while South Africa Airways booked a conversion to five A330-300s in the Current Engine Option configuration.

Deliveries in December were composed of 55 A320 Family aircraft, 17 A330s, four A350s (including the initial A350-900 for TAM Airlines, which becomes the first A350 XWB operator in the Americas), along with three A380s. 

Taking December's results into account, the record 635 deliveries by Airbus during 2015 exceeded its targets for the year and also marked the 13th consecutive annual increase in output.

Sursa: Airbus

[iuli]

Airbus is Beating Boeing in This Key Area

But Boeing is delivering more airplanes than Airbus.

Airbus has sold more than 1,000 aircraft in the first 11 months of this year, making the European aerospace giant more or less a lock to win its annual order competition with rival Boeing  "BA" . But with deliveries lagging, Airbus will almost certainly fail to meet its production targets for 2015, letting Boeing hold onto the "world's largest plane maker" crown.

In terms of aircraft orders, Airbus outsold Boeing 1,007 to 568, excluding cancellations. Boeing, meanwhile, out-delivered Airbus by a wide margin, with 709 aircraft delivered over the same period. Airbus handed over the keys to just 556 aircraft in the first 11 months of the year, leaving it 74 aircraft short of its 2015 production target.

Given that Airbus is averaging 50 aircraft per month in 2015, it would have to lift production rates by roughly 50% to hit its end-of year target. Meanwhile Boeing is on target to produce the 750 to 755 aircraft it set out deliver this year, though it has some work to do if the company is going to fulfill its goal of selling as many aircraft as it produces in 2015.

While the lopsided order book suggests Airbus is trouncing Boeing sales, a deeper reading of the numbers tells a more nuanced story, says Richard Aboulafia, vice president for analysis at aerospace consultancy Teal Group.

"Boeing's actually a little bit ahead," he says. "The idea of looking at any one year—it's fun for bragging rights but otherwise it's completely meaningless when you've got an industry with 12,000 jets on backlog. What you've got is a situation where Airbus is a little ahead in number of tails, but Boeing is slightly ahead in value. Airbus has a better position in the narrow-body market, Boeing is ahead in wide-body, and together it works out to be about 50-50."

Airbus has enjoyed strong sales over the last several years, particularly for the latest iteration of its popular A320 narrow-body jet–the A320neo–which will begin commercial operation next month. But the company has had trouble keeping pace on the production side. Deliveries of its wide-body A350 lag 2015 projections, with just 11 of the jets delivered so far in 2015 (four short of the company's target). Airbus plans to deliver 30 A350s in 2016 even as Airbus CEO Fabrice Brégier has acknowledged that suppliers are already having trouble coping with Airbus's increased rate of production on the A350 line.

That could spell trouble for the company going into 2016, though there's plenty of good news for Airbus in the latest batch of industry numbers. Airbus's strong position relative to Boeing in the narrow-body jetliner market persists. As Boeing hosted media at its Everett, Wash., manufacturing facility on Monday and Tuesday for a public unveiling of its new 737MAX narrow-body airliner, numbers released by Airbus showed that it has grabbed 60% of the market for fuel-efficient, smaller-body jets.

That market segment that continues to boom thanks to demand for short-haul air travel routes in Asia and elsewhere. And with Boeing's 737MAX slated to enter service no sooner than 2017, Airbus has time to press its advantage. Boeing has sold just 292 jets in the 737MAX family thus far this year, compared with 781 in the same period last year. Airbus logged 825 orders for the A320neo, up from 782 the year before. All said, Airbus has 4,443 A320neos, while Boeing has just shy of 3,000 737MAX jets on order.

Whether or not Airbus can retain that market advantage will depend on several factors, not least each company's ability to execute its aggressive manufacturing programs. Both Airbus and Boeing are pushing manufacturing rates skyward as orders continue to swell. But from an investor standpoint, Aboulafia says, the factors that could have the biggest impact on the industry are completely out of their CEOs' hands: fuel prices and interest rates.

If oil prices remain low and the cost of borrowing inches upward, the industry could quickly find itself in trouble, he says. When fuel is costly and cash is cheap, it makes a lot of sense for airlines to look at replacing older, less efficient airplanes with newer, more efficient models. But if the environment changes, airlines may be less likely to buy new planes.

"We've been living in this incredibly perfect environment for seven or eight years now where cash is almost free and there's every reason in the world to replace your older aircraft," Aboulafia says. "One of those is changing and the other one could well change."

Sursa: Fortune

[Gendan]

De curiozitate,  un avion cam ce procentaj de combustibil trebuie să aibă ca rezervă?

Un pilot poate sa isi ia la bord cat combustibil doreste. Evident ca nu e deloc avantajos, va consuma combustibil ca sa care combustibil pe care nu il consuma.
Cantitatea toata de combustibil pentru un zbor se numeste Block Fuel. In asta intra taxi fuel, trip fuel, final reserve, alternate, extra fuel, additional fuel si contingency fuel, daca imi aduc aminte bine de la curs.

Taxi fuel e consumat pe aeroporturile de plecare si de sosire pentru a te deplasa de la parking position la pista si invers. Mai include si ce arzi pentru APU si deicing uneori;
Trip fuel e calculat pentru fiecare avion in parte si se cam calculeaza dupa ortodroma. In mare 
Final reserve fuel ar trebui sa iti ajunga sa stai in holding 30' la destinatie.
Alternate ar trebui sa iti ajunga sa faci un missed approach, climb, cruise si sa aterizezi la aeroportul de rezerva.
Extra fuel e ce iti ziceam mai sus, ca e la discretia pilotului.
Additional fuel iti trebuie cand se impun cerinte legale sau ale companiei. ETOPS, de exemplu.
Contingency fuel trebuie pentru ATM restrictions, vectorizari, vant... Neprevazut. De regula asta e cel mai mare dintre 5% din Trip Fuel sau 5' de holding.

[TibiV]

Arcul mic din cercul mare....

Ortodroma.

Nu am auzit niciodată termenul la TV sau în ziare...

Dar nu e doar ortodroma la calculul carburantului.
Este şi masa totală.
Arzi mai puţin gaz dacă avionul este pe jumătate gol.

[Io]

Scriu aici poate gasesc raspuns: asta vara in Pasul Bratocea pe sensul catre Brasov pe un TIR oprit erau amarate 4 piese metalice de motor cu reactie, nu stiu cum naiba sa le spun, sint primele piese din carcasa frontala, ca un soi de toroizi de tabla de vreo 2m diametru. Stateam mai multi si ne intrebam unde naiba le duce si unde a incarcat. Nu cred ca are importanta ca tara de inmatriculare era NL.