Space News reports, “Airbus is expanding its partnership with in-orbit servicing venture Astroscale to explore ways to collaborate beyond potentially removing space junk and refueling satellites. The companies announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Aug. 12 — between Airbus Defense and Space and the Japanese venture’s British subsidiary — to focus on U.K.-based in-orbit servicing and manufacturing opportunities in particular.”
Full Story (Space News)
Tag: AIRBUS
Helicopter MRO Market Projected to See Steady Growth
Aviation Week reports, “Global helicopter MRO demand is projected to surpass $81 billion through 2033. The 2024 edition of the Aviation Week Network’s Commercial Aviation Fleet & MRO Forecast projects how the world’s aircraft fleet and aftermarket will evolve over the next 10 years.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Airbus Delivers 323 Aircraft in First Half
Reuters reports, “Airbus confirmed on Monday it had delivered 323 airplanes in the first half of the year, up 2% from 316 in the same period of 2023. The world’s largest planemaker also said in a monthly bulletin that it had won 327 gross orders in the first six months of 2024, or a net total of 310 after cancellations.”
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Airbus Unveils Completed CityAirbus NextGen Prototype
Aviation Week reports, “Network Airbus has unveiled the completed prototype of its CityAirbus NextGen electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing advanced air mobility aircraft. The fully assembled aircraft was displayed March 7 during the formal opening of the company’s new CityAirbus test facilities in Donauworth, Germany.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Video
CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL prototype
(Airbus Helicopters; YouTube)
Airbus Makes Advances in World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Commercial Aircraft
AIN reports “Airbus has set an ambitious target to bring to market the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035.” The company is currently looking into “the use of hydrogen fuel cells with a propeller propulsion system, which would generate nearly zero emissions.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
SAS, Airbus to Cooperate on Hydrogen Infrastructure at Nordic Airports
FlightGlobal reports that Scandinavian operator SAS “is to co-operate with Airbus and local partners to explore the feasibility of hydrogen infrastructure at Nordic airports.” The companies “aim to gain improved understanding of hydrogen aircraft operations, supply, and refueling requirements to develop the hydrogen ecosystem in Sweden and Norway.” It will also “look at selection procedures for determining which candidate airports could be chosen for initial hydrogen-aircraft operations.” The study, “in which Swedish and Norwegian airport operators Swedavia and Avinor will participate, will consider over 50 sites.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal – Subscription Publication)
Airbus Sets Sales Record in 2023
The Wall Street Journal reports Airbus set a record for the highest number of orders in a single year, with 2,319 gross orders last year, more than doubling its orders compared to 2022 and 29.1% higher than its 1,796 record set in 2014.
Full Story (Wall Street Journal – Subscription Publication)
Germany Orders 82 Armed H145 Twin-Engine Light Helicopters from Airbus
Aviation Week reports, “Germany has placed an order with Airbus Helicopters for up to 82 light-attack versions of the OEM’s H145 twin-engine light helicopter. In what is the largest order yet for the armed H145M, the new helicopters will be an interim replacement for the German Army’s troubled Tiger attack helicopters.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Airbus Creeps Towards Full-Year Delivery Goal with 18% Year-Over-Year Increase for October
Reuters reports that Airbus “needs to deliver 161 aircraft in the last two months of the year to reach its full-year delivery target, fractionally below the performance seen in the closing stages of last year.” Airbus’ monthly bulletin “confirmed it had delivered 71 aircraft in October, up 18% from the same month last year and bringing the total for the first 10 months to 559 jets.” In the final “two months of 2022, Airbus delivered 166 jets.” Agency Partners analyst Sash Tusa “wrote in a note that the company was not expected to change its full-year delivery target of 720 aircraft despite pressure on supplies of Pratt & Whitney engines.” Airbus last year “lowered and eventually abandoned its delivery goal due to supply constraints and started 2023 on a weak note, before deliveries accelerated over the summer.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Airbus Helicopters Opens 3D Printing Center
Aviation International News reports that Airbus Helicopters “has opened a new 3D printing center at its Donauwörth, Germany site, expanding in-house capacity for this technology.” The airframer now “operates three machines for components made of titanium, four for plastic, and one for aluminum.” Airbus is “using the process for serial production parts as well as for components for prototype aircraft such as the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL and the high-speed Racer experimental compound helicopter.” Airbus Helicopters Managing Director for Germany Stefan Thomé said, “Among other advantages, 3D printing can reduce the weight of aircraft components, which leads to less fuel consumption. Such potential can bring financial benefits and contribute to reducing CO2 emissions during operations.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)