PERSPECTA

News from every angle

Results for “Airbus

55 stories found

Merz leaves China with ‘bargaining chips’ for looming Trump trade battle
PoliticsSCMP6d ago

Merz leaves China with ‘bargaining chips’ for looming Trump trade battle

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has concluded his first visit to China, hailing the “good cooperation” with Beijing as Berlin seeks to rebalance ties with its largest trading partner amid the unpredictability of the Trump administration. Merz characterised the visit as “worthwhile”, noting that China would buy up to 120 additional aircraft from Airbus SE. The company operates two assembly lines in the northern port city of Tianjin that primarily produce A320 jets for Chinese carriers. In his...

Airbus suggests split solution for Europe’s faltering fighter jet programme
BusinessThe Guardian13d ago

Airbus suggests split solution for Europe’s faltering fighter jet programme

Aerospace firm proposes two separate warplanes amid dispute over who leads €100bn project Airbus has suggested splitting Europe’s faltering future fighter jet programme into two separate warplanes, amid a dispute between manufacturers over who leads the €100bn (£87bn) project. The company’s defence arm – which represents Germany and Spain – and the French partner, Dassault Aviation, are locked in a battle over the jet part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a wide-ranging project that will also include autonomous drones and a futuristic “combat communications cloud”. Continue reading...

A startup wants to beat Airbus and Boeing with an ultra-wide 'flying wing' jet with massive cargo space
TechnologyBusiness Insider14d ago

A startup wants to beat Airbus and Boeing with an ultra-wide 'flying wing' jet with massive cargo space

A US startup wants to lure customers with lucrative cargo space unavailable on today's narrowbodies. Natlius US startup Natlius unveiled plans for a dual-deck blended-wing jet with a level for passengers and another for cargo. It's a familiar setup, but the ultra-wide jet would hold more freight than existing narrowbodies. The smaller, cargo-heavy plane could be built as a designated freighter and replace the Boeing 757. Airbus' CEO recently said the future of flying is a B2-bomber-shaped "blended-wing body" plane with passengers housed inside the plane's one giant wing for maximum efficiency. Aleksey Matyushev, the CEO of the US aerospace startup Natilus, told Business Insider that his company has taken that vision one step further by redesigning its proposed blended-wing plane, Horizon, with plans to offer more lucrative cargo space while still delivering the 50% lower operating costs and up to 250 seats previously promised. Instead of the single-deck seating layout originally planned, the newly unveiled Horizon Evo — which the company expects to enter service as soon as the early 2030s — reimagines what cargo-heavy passenger jets can look like by adding a "dual-deck" layout. So far, Natilus' blended-wing vision is just a sketch on paper, and a mini-sized prototype it's been flying; actually developing and certifying the new plane type and getting it into the air is a much longer road. The dual deck design would have cargo sitting below the passengers, as is the case with traditional airplanes. Natilus Still, the dual-deck idea should be familiar to regulators and airlines, as it is the configuration of traditional tube-and-wing jets where passengers sit in a single level above the cargo hold. When installed on an ultra-wide blended-body, it results in a very cargo-heavy plane. Evo is expected to boast 2,600 cubic feet of dedicated cargo space on the lower level. For context, most Boeing 737s or Airbus A320s, which are at least 10 feet longer but have a cabin roughly half as wide despite similar wingspans, offer between roughly 1,300 and 1,800 cubic feet of belly cargo space. This cargo focus comes at a time when belly freight has become one of the most reliable money-makers in aviation (e-commerce helped keep airlines afloat during the pandemic). The lure could help break the Airbus-Boeing duopoly while also addressing a projected shortfall of roughly 15,000 narrow-body aircraft over the next two decades. "The market has gravitated toward a single-deck [blended-wing] layout because it's simpler to design and build in many ways, but I just don't see it as operationally better," Matyushev said. Natilus said its futuristic Evo jet will fit into existing airport infrastructure. Natilus California-based competitor JetZero, for example, is developing a single-deck version. Company leaders have previously said there is a lower deck for the landing gear and some cargo containers, but it could move that floor up to create more space. Making a dual-deck layout in a blended-wing aircraft is challenging. Unlike conventional jets, the design spreads volume horizontally rather than vertically, and stacking passengers above a cargo deck in this uniquely triangular-shaped airframe requires careful structural and engineering solutions. Evo's cargo economics could shake up the market for freight-reliant carriers. With roughly 11,000 cubic feet of cargo space across its two levels, Matyushev said Evo could serve as a dedicated freighter — potentially replacing planes like the Boeing 757. "There's a huge product gap left behind by the 757; companies like UPS and FedEx heavily rely on that configuration," Matyushev said. "Evo has the same volumetric capacity as a 757 but in a smaller airframe." Beyond cargo, Matyushev said the plane's unique geometry would similarly enhance the customer experience: airlines could fit the wide upper level with unique living spaces, such as a playroom or mini-offices. Natlius envisions a 12-abreast economy cabin with the potential to also install unique spaces that are not practical on traditional jetliners. Natilus He added that the economy cabin would feature more overhead bins and three aisles for better comfort, door access, and safety during evacuations: "It'd have four sets of three seats across, which is close to the A380," Matyushev said, referring to the superjumbo's possible 11-abreast seats." We're thinking about it like a widebody layout in a narrow-body type of footprint." Matyushev also said that Evo would have windows — something Airbus' top executive warned could be absent from some blended-wing designs. A windowless passenger jet could create a claustrophobic environment, and flight attendants may struggle to see outside as easily during an emergency. Natilus doesn't have a prototype of Evo, but a subscale model of its blended-wing cargo plane, called Kona, has been test-flying since 2023. Kona has secured orders from companies like US-based Ameriflight and Canada-based Norlinor, while Indian carrier SpiceJet has signed a conditional deal for 100 Evos. The above rendering shows Natilus' proposed "privacy pods" onboard the wide BWB jetliner. Natilus Natilus has raised $28 million in Series A financing to support its first full-scale Kona prototype and further development of Evo. It typically costs billions of dollars to develop passenger-ready commercial jetliners, and Natilus has a long way to go. The 737 Max cost around $2 billion to develop (before safety issues and the subsequent global grounding forced Boeing to redesign the plane). It was built on an older airframe that cost around $1.1 billion, in inflation-adjusted dollars, to develop. Meanwhile, the Airbus A320neo cost just over $1 billion to develop; it was also built on an older airframe, that originally cost around $3 billion to develop. Natilus isn't the only company betting on a Jetsons-like blended-wing aircraft. United Airlines has tentatively committed to buying up to 200 of JetZero's "Z4," which it previously described to Business Insider as a "living room in the sky." Airbus has also been developing a commercial flying wing since 2017 as part of its ZEROe program, which aims to build zero-emission airlines powered by hydrogen rather than traditional jet fuel. That project flew a demonstrator in 2019 but has since been delayed at least a decade from its initial 2035 timeline. Read the original article on Business Insider

How airlines turn their planes into flying billboards: from painted Pokémon to a mural of 100,000 faces
BusinessBusiness Insider9d ago

How airlines turn their planes into flying billboards: from painted Pokémon to a mural of 100,000 faces

Turkish Airlines put 100,000 faces on an Airbus A350 to celebrate its 500th aircraft. Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines recently put 100,000 faces on a new Airbus using hundreds of pounds of stickers. Airlines use aircraft liveries as a flying billboard. The job can cost six figures, with painted liveries being heavier and more expensive. From tail stripes to full-body wraps, airlines have long turned their planes into flying billboards to showcase their brand, culture, and identity in the ...

UK ‘not involved’ in Iran attack, aircraft reposition to Cyprus base
WorldNHK Worldstraits-timescyprus-mail+4DawnKorea Heraldarab-newskuwait-times4d ago7 sources

UK ‘not involved’ in Iran attack, aircraft reposition to Cyprus base

The United Kingdom has thus far not been involved in attacks carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran, according to reports on Saturday, though the country’s presence at its Akrotiri air force base in Cyprus is being bolstered. As of midday on Saturday, a Royal Air Force Airbus A400M military transport aircraft […]

Merz in Beijing as Europe deepens China outreach
Politicshelsinki-times5d ago

Merz in Beijing as Europe deepens China outreach

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Beijing on 24 February for a two day visit focused on trade, Ukraine and shifting global power balances. He travelled with more than 30 senior executives from Volkswagen, BMW, Siemens and Airbus. The trip marked his first to China since taking office in May 2025 and came amid strain in transatlantic trade relations.

I flew an Airbus A350 flight simulator in wind and turbulence to see how pilots train for emergencies and rough landings
TechnologyBusiness Insider11d ago

I flew an Airbus A350 flight simulator in wind and turbulence to see how pilots train for emergencies and rough landings

I flew an Airbus A350 flight simulator and experienced extreme conditions from turbulence to low-visibility landings. Taylor Rains/Business Insider I flew an Airbus A350 simulator at Turkish Airlines' training center in Istanbul. It mimicked anomalies like wind shear, extreme turbulence, and traffic avoidance. Simulators let airlines safely train pilots for rare but high-risk scenarios they may face. It takes airline pilots years to go from their first discovery flight to sitting in the coc...

Lufthansa can finally sell its tricky new Boeing 787 business class after months of flying it mostly empty
BusinessBusiness Insider15d ago

Lufthansa can finally sell its tricky new Boeing 787 business class after months of flying it mostly empty

Lufthansa's new Allegris business class has faced certification issues on the Boeing 787. It appears to have fixed the problem. MICHAELA STACHE/AFP via Getty Images Lufthansa's Boeing 787 business class debacle is almost over after a yearslong certification delay. The airline has been flying some Dreamliners with only four of the 28 high-dollar seats sold. Lufthansa expects to boost the number of sellable 787 business-class seats to 25 by mid-April. Lufthansa can finally start making money on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners after a certification debacle left one of its most lucrative cabins largely empty for months. The German flag carrier said on Monday that it will begin selling tickets for its Allegris business class on the 787. Allegris, Lufthansa's signature cabin concept, spans economy, premium economy, business, and first class, but the business class rollout has been particularly tricky. The program first launched on the Airbus A350 in May 2024, with the cabin spanning the entire plane. The first Allegris-equipped 787 followed in October 2025, but certification of business class dragged on due to the cabin's complexity: there are five staggered seat configurations in a single airplane cabin — some with doors or more legroom, others with extra-long beds. The middle front-row suite can be combined into a double bed. The first-row window seats have extra workspace. Lufthansa This is because the Dreamliner's geometry — including a slightly tighter usable footprint and different fuselage contouring compared to the A350 — made it harder to demonstrate to regulators that passengers could evacuate quickly from every seat, whether staggered, partially enclosed, or fully cocooned, in an emergency. The result? For months, only four of the 28 business class seats could be sold — the front-row Business Class Suites — leaving the remaining 24 empty. Business class is a cash cow for airlines, and by flying most of the cabin empty as competitors pour investments into their own premium seats, Lufthansa was essentially leaving money on the table. It has been a particularly costly headache for a carrier in the midst of a multi-year turnaround plan to restore profitability after years of financial pressure from frequent maintenance, aircraft shortages, rising operating costs, and labor strikes. Lufthansa even opted for an already-certified business-class seat to retrofit onto its Airbus A380s rather than risk another prolonged and costly certification process. But the saga is nearing the finish line. Beginning April 15, Lufthansa plans to carry passengers in 25 business-class seats on its 787s, with three remaining blocked in the second row of the cabin. Bookings are open, though it's unclear whether the news indicates the seats have been fully certified or if that's just Lufthansa's expected timeline. Lufthansa said "Classic" seats — one of the Allegris categories available — are free to secure with the premium fare. The others require an extra fee: this includes the first-row suites, the "Privacy" seat next to the window, the "Extra Space" seat with more legroom, and the "Extra Long Bed" with an over seven-foot sleeping surface. The three second-row seats that are blocked — and not yet available for booking — are two privacy seats and an extra-legroom seat. Some Allegris seats can be fully enclosed with extra workspace; others can combine into a double bed. LUKAS BARTH/AFP via Getty Images Lufthansa flies eight Allegris-equipped Dreamliners and expects to have 29 by the end of 2027. They are set to first fly from Frankfurt to Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Cape Town, Shanghai, Hyderabad, Hong Kong, and Austin; New York-JFK and Los Angeles join the roster in June, followed by Delhi in July. As part of Lufthansa's greater multibillion-dollar fleet overhaul plan, Allegris is also being fit onto the airline's existing A350s and Boeing 747-8s, as well as its future, yet-to-be-certified Boeing 777Xs. A similar spacing issue on the 747 double-deckers' upper level means it will have a split business class: the lower deck will have Allegris, while upstairs will feature the plane's original cabin. Read the original article on Business Insider