EADS Astrium’s plans to move into the space tourism market, revealed last week to a VIP audience and represented here by a full-scale mockup of a hybrid spaceplane’s forward fuselage and its business-jet-like cabin, depend on raising money from the private sector.
Paris Air Show » June 18, 2007
June 17, 2007 - 9:38am
Rolls-Royce is the surprise winner of the all-out competition to power Dassault’s projected super-midsize business jet, securing the UK company’s long-term position in a potentially lucrative market for up to 3,000 aircraft.
June 17, 2007 - 9:36am
As the Paris Air Show opens, UK-based BAE Systems, amidst ongoing allegations of corruption regarding its dealings with Saudi Arabia, has taken steps to open itself to investigation by an independent committee while in the U.S. Congressional committees recently lifted blocks on some arms transfer requests by BAE North America.
June 17, 2007 - 9:34am
The BA 609 Tiltrotor is making its flying debut here at Le Bourget. Bell/Agusta Aerospace has brought the second prototype to Paris after it made its first public appearance late last month at an Italian air show. Potential European customers have recently expressed concern about the aircraft’s cost of ownership. Its U.S.-Italian manufacturer might thus hope to convince them about its unique capabilities by showcasing it here.
June 17, 2007 - 9:18am
The next 30 days or so will be critical to the future of Airbus and its EADS parent company as top executives struggle to push through the core elements of the European airframer’s Power8 restructuring plan.
June 17, 2007 - 8:47am
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. is here for the first time in its new form, since Onex Partners and GS Capital Partners acquired the company from Raytheon. On the static display, it is exhibiting several business aircraft, including three jets–a Hawker 4000, a Hawker 850XP and a Beechcraft Premier IA–and a Beechcraft King Air 350ER turboprop.
June 17, 2007 - 8:44am
The Irkut aviation plant on Sunday delivered the first two Su-30MKM multirole fighters to Malaysia, where they will be reassembled. Four more will follow in the summer and another six by the end of the year. The 18-aircraft order will be completed next year. The first two Su-30MKMs had been formally handed over to the Malaysian air force in a ceremony in Irkutsk on May 24.
June 17, 2007 - 8:43am
Airbus Military is offering to supply some A400M tactical airlifters to NATO on a “fractional ownership” basis. The proposal is designed to help smaller European countries that cannot afford to own such aircraft but that have been negotiating a similar pooling scheme (through NATO) with Boeing for the C-17.
June 17, 2007 - 8:40am
Here at the Paris Air Show, helicopter engine manufacturer Turbomeca announced three contracts for its support-by-the-hour (SBH) scheme.
June 17, 2007 - 8:38am
Aerion, the U.S. company seeking to attract risk-sharing partners for a proposed supersonic business jet, has announced a number of design changes that it said are necessary to achieve weight and performance targets.
