British Airways parent IAG ordering 18 A350-1000s plus 18 options.

After a thorough selection process, International Airline Group (IAG), and British Airways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to buy 18 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft plus 18 options, as part of the airline’s on-going long-haul aircraft fleet renewal and modernization strategy.

IAG, owner of both British Airways and Iberia, has also secured commercial terms and delivery slots that could lead to firm orders for Iberia. Firm orders will only be made when Iberia is in a position to grow profitably, having restructured and reduced its cost base.

 “The A350-1000 will bring many benefits to our fleet. Its size and range will be an excellent fit for our existing network and, with lower unit costs, there is an opportunity to operate a new range of destinations profitably. This will not only bring greater flexibility to our network but also more choice for our customer,” said Willie Walsh, IAG Chief Executive.

The aircraft are to be operated by British Airways and, in combination with 42 Boeing 787s on firm order, will replace 30 Boeing 747s between 2017 and 2023.

The order for the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered aircraft includes the engine manufacturer's Total Care maintenance package. Air France order for 25 A350 is pending on engine maintenance agreement since 2011.

 

In terms of its current long-haul business however, the airline is almost entirely Boeing-centric with a fleet comprising 747-400, 777-300, 777-200, 767-300 & 757-200 (operated by Open Skies). Most impressively, British Airways still has the world’s largest fleet of 747s (52).

This near total dominance by Boeing will come to an end in July 2013 when British Airways takes delivery of the first of its 12 A380s on order. All 12 aircraft will be based at Heathrow and operate to the airline’s premium destinations beginning with Los Angeles in October 2013 followed by Hong Kong in November 2013. Operating the A380 and A350 together delivers real value to the world’s leading airlines because it allows them to match aircraft capacity to traffic demand on any route.

“This is an important announcement from one of the world’s most respected and influential airline brands,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The A380 and the A350 are perfectly matched for greener long haul operations and demonstrate environmental leadership. We are simply delighted that British Airways has chosen the A350 to spread its global wings and its iconic livery.” 

Jobs in Britain and Spain

Airbus’s A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines and IAG chief executive Willie Walsh claimed the order will secure jobs, both in Britain and Spain. “The A350’s wings are made in Britain while its horizontal tail plane, horizontal tail plane boxes and lower wing covers are made in Spain. Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines are assembled in Britain,” the airlines chief said.

Based on the press release “IAG and British Airways select the A350”

Lessons learnt from 787 grounding; Maturity. Batteries are not the unique issue. Video

When the FAA has approved the 787 fix and Boeing's action is focused in the return-to-service as soon as possible, it is interesting to know that behind the batteries issue there have been other topics that have been tested by Boeing to correct (or improve) the lack of maturity for some systems.

Boeing's 787 could be back in service as early as next month after the FAA has approved the package of battery modifications the manufacturer devised. In this video Boeing shows how they are managing the retrofit campaign that involves 300 employees and parts-kits for the 50 aircraft grounded. 10 teams have been deployed in the customers´ facilities in Japan, Qatar, Chile and the U.S, in parallel to the installation of the changes on the new planes at 2 787 FALs, in order to resume soon deliveries.

The approval from the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) is pending.

Boeing is also using the 787 downtime to develop, test and certify a series of other systems improvements to areas that proved troublesome during the aircraft's initial service period. The work included testing a revised power panel design, an improved engine anti-ice system and upgrades to the back-up standby instrument displays and crew information system (CIS), a Honeywell-developed aircraft health-monitoring feature that forms part of the 787's central maintenance computer.

Boeing said that it has been conducting “routine test flights designed to address some of the component reliability projects we have been working. One such flight last week was to conduct testing to address some of the power panel improvements we have been working. We are always working to improve component reliability, and a new airplane program always has some start up issues. This work never stopped. In fact, during the return to flight work we're doing with the airlines, we will be addressing several improvements that should help further improve the 787's overall reliability and performance, including screening of power panels and several other activities.”

Ground tests of new software for the aircraft's power electronics cooling system (PECS) were also undertaken. The PECS dissipates the heat created by the large, high-voltage motor controllers that condition the variable-frequency power generated by the engines and auxiliary power unit (APU) for use by aircraft systems. Although portions of the large motor power system are energized by the APU battery, the changes are related to the overall electrical system upgrades rather than being associated with the battery modification.

The power panel was the source of early in-service issues with the 787, at least one of which on an ANA aircraft in April was traced to a short circuit in one of the units. Power panel malfunctions were also behind a string of events in December that triggered error messages indicating failures of the aircraft's starter-generators.

Based on the article “Keeping Busy” published in Aviation Week.

Lufthansa will buy at the end of the year “several dozen” of long-range aircraft. A350 XWB is under an exhaustive technical analysis, jointly with the 787 and the 777s.

 Weeks after approving $12 billion in plane orders with 100 A320´s and 2 A380s , Lufthansa is studying a further purchase of "several dozen" long-distance twin-engined jets as it continues to modernize its fleet, a senior executive said last week.

"We have addressed the large-capacity single-aisle requirement and also have the top end of the spectrum with the A380 and 747-8 pretty well covered," said Nico Buchholz, executive vice president of group fleet management.

"We will be focusing next on the 200-300 seat segment with the aim of making a decision by the end of the year," he said.

"The total size of our fleet operated in that segment is around 100 aircraft. We wouldn't replace all of them at once. We are always conservative with our orders and don't like to overcommit," he said in an interview on the sidelines of an AFCA air finance conference.

Lufthansa's options include Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Airbus A350 XWB and Boeing 777s for the order, which is likely to be fiercely contested between Boeing and Airbus.

"We have not yet decided how many aircraft would be involved," Buchholz said, but agreed with a suggestion it could be "several dozen" jets.

The Lufthansa group, which includes SWISS and Austrian Airlines, has a reputation for exhaustive technical analysis. It is the Airbus´s largest airline customer and Airbus’ biggest operator worldwide with 385 Airbus aircraft currently in service. But Lufthansa is emerging as one of the possible launch customers for Boeing’s proposed 777X.

Based on the article “Lufthansa aims to buy "several dozen" long-range twinjets” published in Reuters

A new seat model manufactured by EADS Sogerma for the A350 XWB catalogue of Premium Economy Seating

Airbus plans to further enrich its Premium Economy Seating offering available in the A350 XWB Catalogue, working in partnership with EADS Sogerma. This will result in even more choice for future operators of the A350 XWB family of airliners.

As presented in Hamburg during the “Aircraft Interiors Expo 2013”, EADS-Sogerma, who is an Airbus Contracted Supplier, is optimizing its new ‘Celeste’ seat for the A350 XWB’s wide fuselage. Celeste is an innovative cradle seat which provides premium economy passengers with a high level of comfort at an efficient pitch. Privacy options enhance the passenger experience.

Rochefort (France) based Sogerma joins Zodiac Seats (formerly Weber Aircraft Seats) in enriching the A350 XWB’s Premium Economy Seating offer.

Celeste seats have a fixed back shell and slide down into a more relaxed "cradle" position, either by a single electric actuator or gravity-based mechanism. The seat can be angled to 35 degrees, and the seat can be installed with a 38-40in separation between seat rows. Weight has not been finalized for the former, but should be at 20-25kg, says Sogerma.

No customers have yet been recruited for the seat, but when they have been ordered, it will take around 18 months until the delivery.

Based on the press release “Airbus to further expand the A350 XWB’s Catalogue offering for Premium Economy Seating”

MSN1 finishing Flight Test Installation

There are new pictures of the MSN1 in the FAL, seems to be during it's stay in the C63 hangar.

They have been published in an Italian web named Libero.

After engine installation, FAL teams are currently finishing Flight Test Installation

Activity in the cockpit is hard, working on the last fittings.

Ground Vibration Tests team is working on the preparation

Based on the article "Avete mai visto l'assemblaggio di un Aribus? Eccolo..." published in Libero.

Duqueine Group French supplier plans to increase the composite manufacturing capacity to be prepared for the ramp-up.

 

The aerospace subcontractor Duqueine Group has announced an investment of 10 million € by ACE Management to increase the production capacity at the three sites of the group.

Created in 1982 by Gilles Duqueine, DUQUEINE has become a recognized French player in the design and manufacturing of composite parts and sub-assemblies, with 750 employees.

The company works on 3 line of business: Aerospace, Industry, Sports & Leisure and owns adapted means in three manufacturing plants (DUQUEINE Rhône-Alpes DUQUEINE Atlantique in France and   DUQUEINE Romania in Romania).

The DUQUEINE group was selected as an Airbus partner on 3 major Work Packages to manufacture structural parts for the A350 XWB aircraft:

• 1. Fuselage frames : sections 11-12 (Aerolia) and sections 13-14 (Premium Aerotec)
• 2. Window frames : sections 11-12 (Aerolia) and section 15 (Spirit AeroSystems)
• 3. Acoustic panels for air inlets (Airbus Nantes)

DUQUEINE Atlantique site at Malville, which already employs 220 people, will extend 4,000 square meter the industrial building; clean room, autoclaves and digital machines will be installed during 2013 with an investment of 7 million €.

Window frames for Fuselage S.11-12 and S.15

"We have worked to become a referent in the composite structural parts´ manufacturing. The acquisition of composite site in Malville has helped us maling Duqueine more visible in the Airbus perimeter" said the Chairman of the group, Gilles Duqueine. "Then we have answered to many Request for Quotation which has forced us to enhance our creativity and our industrial processes." Today the site of Malville works on acoustic panels and structural parts for the nose fuselage. The group is involved on the A320, A330, A380 and A350 programs.

"The piping work in Malville will be transferred to Romania," said Gilles Duqueine. "This is not a relocation but our low cost solution for low value-added parts"  Malville site will absorb the ramp-up of the composite parts. “In next two years, the number of new jobs will increase by 25 to 35 people based on productivity new lines." The group is aiming to reach a €100m turnover within the next three years.

Ace Management has invested in Duqueine via the Aerofund II vehicle, as well as the fund's predecessors Aerofund I and Financière de Brienne.

Based on the article “Duqueine se déploie à Malville” published in Enterprises Ouest France web

 

 

 

A350 XWB MSN3 final assembly progresses as planned without special issues

MSN3 is currently in the station 40 in the FAL where the wings have been joined up to the fuselage and the Vertical and Horizontal Stabilizers have been already installed without any special issue.

MSN3 is the third aircraft being assembled. As MSN1, it does not have a cabin and is full of Heavy Flight Test Instrumentation (FTI). The flight test program of MSN3 includes a high and medium altitude campaign, a cold weather campaign, a hot weather campaign and long system flights.  

After completing the pylon and the main landing gear installation, the MSN3 will be transferred in coming weeks to the station 30 for indoor ground tests. All the movable surfaces (flaps, spoilers, etc) have to be installed before going to the next station.

Next aircraft, the MSN2 (the 4^th in the FAL and the 3^rd flight-test aircraft) will be the first aircraft to have a cabin. As the fuselage assembly will start in few weeks, the main interior suppliers´ staff is starting to increase in the FAL, although the cabin equipment is done in station 30. Diehl Aerosystems and its suppliers are in charge of most of the A350 interior work.