Airlines want a greater choice of Light IFE suppliers in the A350 catalogue.

Airbus is still planning to expand the options for inflight entertainment systems (IFE) offered on the A350 XWB through a call for tender for “light” IFE solutions, a move that will be welcomed by airlines keen to see a greater choice of suppliers in the A350 catalogue.

As it stands, airlines can choose between Thales and Panasonic Avionics as the sole suppliers of seat-back IFE systems on the A350. The solutions currently offered are Thales’ AVANT and AVANT-Lite products and Panasonic’s eX3 and eXLite systems.


However, Airbus cabin services marketing manager Patrick Candalier said that Airbus is “studying alternatives within the frame of a call for tender for light IFE solutions”.

Zodiac’s RAVE seat-centric IFE solution is rumoured to be under consideration. Lumexis previously said it is seeking linefit status for its fibre-optics-based IFE with major airframers; the firm recently hired former Airbus cabin executive Jon Norris as its VP, sales.


But Candalier declines to provide further details about possible alternatives “due to the confidentiality of the call for tender”.

This move will be welcomed by airlines looking for more choice, such as British Airways. “Airframers are getting pressure from airlines,” says BA IFE and technology manager Richard D’Cruze, adding that “there is a whole raft of suppliers that don’t get a look-in”.

D’Cruze has the following message for the aircraft manufacturers: “Broaden your catalogues, please.”

Despite such calls, Candalier is keen to stress that the A350’s IFE offering is “the most comprehensive ever, covering the long-haul market with four brand new IFE products already part of its portfolio”. He adds that the already-available solutions from Thales and Panasonic, teamed with the alternatives under consideration, “enable the A350 XWB to fully cope with all airlines’ needs incurred by regional and long-haul operations”.

Finnair director customer entertainment Jouni Oksanen recently made the point that on the A350 – which the Scandinavian carrier is scheduled to begin taking delivery of in the second half of 2015 – “there is no option to buy the aircraft without embedded IFE”.

For this reason, Oksanen says that he does not “see a way that tablets can work in the whole cabin”.


However, Airbus COO customers John Leahy said that the absence of an option to order the A350 without a seatback system “could always change going forward”. While Airbus’ chief salesman believes tablet-based IFE is “something that’s going to have to prove itself on single-aisle aircraft first”, he says that “if you were a big airline and you wanted [the A350] without [embedded IFE] then we could do that”.

The idea that it is up to airlines to do the influencing is echoed by BA’s D’Cruze, who says: “If something is not in the catalogue, we would have to go in and influence the airframer’s way of thinking. It’s up to us.”


As an example, D’Cruze says that when BA ordered its Boeing 777-300s, “our economy seat configuration wasn’t in the catalogue. We had to go through the whole catalogue process to get it in the Boeing catalogue”.

He points out that both Airbus and Boeing “have frequent catalogue forums” which “enable airlines to give feedback”, although he adds that “there is only so much you can do”.





Based on the article “Airbus to broaden IFE options on A350 XWB; chief salesman John Leahy weighs in” published in the APEX Editor´s blog

MSN003 on track to first-flight by 30/September

Last Thursday evening the 2nd flight prototype MSN003 was moved from Long Range P18 to Jean Luc Lagardère plant P18, in order to perform on Friday the Fuel Ground Test. This test is done under “ATEX condition”; ATEX stands for ‘Atmosphères Explosibles’, atmosphere capable of exploding.

During Monday and Tuesday there have been performed different activities of drainage and defuel, as well as other activities related with the cabin pressure and navigation.

GKN wing FTE production site in the BBC news. Video

click in the picture to watch the report shown in the BBC

GKN Aerospace’s significant involvement on the Airbus A350 XWB encompasses:

•The design, development and manufacture of the aircraft’s composite rear wing spars

•The design and development of a state of the art automated facility that assembles the wing fixed trailing edge (FTE) parts to the rear spar. GKN Aerospace then delivers the complete FTE to the Airbus facility at Broughton, North Wales, UK

•The manufacture of the composite components for the aircraft wing’s inboard and outboard flaps

•The manufacture of Rolls-Royce Trent XWB structures including thrust struts, inner core fairings and blisks

•The design, development and manufacture of the Rolls-Royce intermediate compressor case (intercase)


•The supply of the passenger cabin windows (PCW) which use the company’s patented, industry-leading CrystalVue II™ coating technology. 114 PCW are supplied per ship set

Another BBC video in GKN facility

32 options for A350-900 is the potential order commitment for Iberia … subject to a satisfactory restructuring

Speaking during an IAG analysts' briefing last Friday, Iberia chief executive Luis Gallego confirmed that IAG has placed options for a total of 44 Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s to renew the Iberia long-haul fleet, subject to its Spanish subsidiary's satisfactory restructuring.

"We have options to change and grow the long-haul fleet with new generation aircraft. We have with up to 32 options for A350 and 12 options for the 787," he said.

Confirmation of the options will be subject to Iberia's successful restructuring and the business transitioning into profitable growth, said IAG.

When the Iberia parent company announced in April plans to order 18 A350-900s for British Airways, IAG disclosed that it had also reached agreement with Airbus as well as Boeing to secure commercial terms and delivery slots for A350s and 787s.

These A350-900s and 787-9s would replace Iberia's 17 A340-600s as well as, in the longer term, its new A330 fleet. The airline has received the first four of eight A330-300s on firm order, and holds options slated for delivery between 2015 and 2017. The twinjets are replacing its 12 A340-300s.

If the A350-900s are to replace the high-fuel-consuming A340-600 but they will be not ordered since “Iberia´s successful restructuring and the business transitioning into profitable growth”, it seems that this announcement is related with heavy-restructuring negotiations. Because Iberia is targeting a new agreement with unions to achieve further cost cuts and productivity gains beyond those in the current mediation, the carrier's boss, Luis Gallego, said.

IAG group said a turnaround in its Iberia unit had spurred a profit recovery. Mr Walsh described Iberia's performance as "clearly positive". IAG has already notched up 1,700 of more than 3,000 planned job cuts at Iberia with 700 more staff due to leave by the end of the year. Remaining flight and cabin crew are taking pay cuts. "This is the first step in the restructuring but it is already bearing fruit," said Willie Walsh.



Based on the article “IAG holds 44 A350 and 787 options for Iberia fleet roll-over” published in FlightGlobal.

Russian titanium for the A350-1000.

Airbus and VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation – supplier of titanium for the manufacture of aircrafts, have signed the agreement on supply of 3 new forgings for wing and main landing gear parts for Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The partners signed a long-term contract, valid until 2020, under which VMSPO-AVISMA supplies the same forgings for Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Airbus Senior Vice President, Purchasing and Materials, Olivier Couquil noted that aircraft manufacturer intends to develop a long-term partnership.

Companies began to cooperate in the 90-ies, when the first agreement on supply of raw materials was signed. Then VSMPO-AVISMA began supplying machined parts with higher added value. In 2009 a long-term contract providing for the supply of flat-rolled products and round stock made of titanium alloys, as well as pressed parts to Airbus and other EADS divisions until 2020. The contract value is estimated at $ 4 billion

According to representatives of Airbus, VMSPO-AVISMA now provides more than 60% company’s demand in titanium. Supplies of titanium forgings for all company programs including the recently launched Airbus A320NEO program are fulfilled.

Based on the press release “RUS - VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation will be a supplier of new forgings for A350-1000”

GE Aviation to build a composite facility to support A350 XWB series ramp-up up to 13 shipsets of wing FTE components per month.

The company has begun the development of a 9,000-square-meter composites production facility at its Hamble, U.K. site as part of a 5-year, $50 million-plus investment at the site to support the company's manufacture of wing components for the Airbus A350 XWB jetliner family.

This facility will enable GE Aviation, Hamble to ramp-up the output of wing fixed trailing edge components for 3 models of A350 XWB, reaching the capacity to deliver up to 13 shipsets per month. The A350 XWB package is the largest production contract awarded in GE Aviation Hamble's 75-year history, comprising more than 3,000 components that include structural composite panels and complex machined assemblies.



"Our new production capability at Hamble is part of investments that contribute to a transformation of GE Aviation's aerostructures business as we meet the program requirements of today and in the future," said Steve Walters, general manager of Mechanical Systems for GE Aviation.

The Hamble composites facility is based on a sustainable building concept that will include a 2,000-square-meter clean room, 2 autoclaves and 4 large curing ovens for out-of-autoclave composites production, 5-axis machine tools, non-destructive testing facilities and offices for administrative and engineering personnel.



The development involves the complete conversion of 2 existing buildings at the historic Hamble-le-Rice aviation production site in Southampton, Hampshire to create the new facility, which is expected to become operational in early 2015.





Based on the article “GE Aviation to build a new composite facility in U.K. to support A350XWB production” published in JEC Composites

EF2 fatigue test at IABG waits for the wings

IABG carries out EF2 –and EW- fatigue test on the A350 XWB on behalf of Airbus.

Objective of the structural tests is the verification of strength, fatigue and damage tolerance of the aircraft’s primary structure which is almost completely made from composite materials.

EF2 test comprises fatigue tests on the middle fuselage section (arrived last June to Erding), including wing box and wings.

In the course of the EF2 test campaign, the aircraft´s structure is stressed with 88 servo-hydraulic cylinders to simulate all substantial stress factors occurring during flight operation. Distributed load introduction into the test structure is ensured via load bearing harnesses. Landing gear, engines and aerodynamic components are simulated by replacement structures.

The test includes the simulation of a total of 86.400 flights. This equates to 3 times the intended lifespan. The simulation will be accompanied by regular inspections and measurement campaigns. As soon as the wings arrive IABG site in Erding (Germany) in coming weeks, the IABG and Airbus experts will begin with the final assembly and complete the experimental setup. First test series are to start at the beginning of 2014.

IABG is using a test hangar (71mx71m length x width) on the premises of the airbase Erding to carry out this structural test campaign. The hangar of 28,5 metres height has modular and mobile panels which allows to carry out the EW and the EF2 in the same test hangar.