Air New Zealand will consider the A350 for future Boeing 777 replacement.

Air New Zealand will run the ruler over both the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350 as replacements for its current long-range Boeing 777 fleet, the airline revealed.

http://www.hkitalk.net/HKiTalk2/thread-861029-1-1.html

Also in the mix is a second batch of 787-9s with more premium seating for the North American market.

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"In the next decade we’ll have to look at the replacement of our Boeing 777-200ERs as well as the Boeing 777-300ER" Air New Zealand  chief financial officer Rob McDonald told journalists in Seattle ahead of the delivery flight of the Kiwi carrier's first Boeing 787-9.

http://www.hkitalk.net/HKiTalk2/thread-861029-1-1.html

McDonald said "this will be a big contest" between the Boeing 777X and the Airbus A350, although adding "that's many years away."

 

Closer on the calendar is a 2nd order for the Boeing 787-9, with Air New Zealand  holding options to buy 8 more of the Dreamliners on top of the current 10.

 

 

Based on the article “Air New Zealand considers Boeing 777X vs Airbus A350” published in Australian Business Traveller.

UAE nationals from Strata Manufacturing visits the A350.

 Last week a delegation of UAE nationals from Strata Manufacturing visited an Airbus A350 aircraft that underwent extreme climate testing at Al Ain International Airport.

The delegation had the opportunity to experience first-hand the innovative technologies used in producing this next-generation aircraft that is made from 53% composite materials.

www.mubadala.com

At present, the company has more than 650 employees from over 30 nationalities with 40% UAE national staff, among whom 85% are women.

The visit also provided a valuable learning experience as Abu Dhabi’s Strata Manufacturing, which already produces composite aero structures, will begin producing flap track fairings for Airbus A350 aircraft by year-end.

www.airbus.com

Set up in 2010 by Mubadala Development Company, Strata manufactures A330/340 flap track fairings, A330/340 aileron panels with assemblies, A330/340 spoilers, A380 flap track fairings, Boeing 777 ribs, Boeing 787 ribs and the ATR vertical fin.

Strata has partnerships with some of the world’s leading original equipment manufacturers, including Boeing, Airbus and Alenia Aermacchi, as well as tier-one suppliers FACC and Sabca.

By 2018, Airbus’ order book with Strata will reach approximately $100 million a year, making Strata a significant supplier to Airbus.

 

 

Based on the article “New A350 aircraft project for Strata” published in Khaleej Times

These are some of the problems detected during A350-900 flight test campaign

With the A350, “what has pleased me most is that we have initiated a lot of ground testing,” says Fernando Alonso, the Airbus executive in charge of flight testing. “We have made significant improvements relative to other aircraft programs.”

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/

Mr Alonso adds that the test flights identified some problems, including with the doors for the landing gear and with software that controls the brakes. 

http://www.airbus.com/galleries/photo-gallery/

“All these are normal – that is why we do flight tests,” he says. “We have not found anything ‘Oh my God, I don’t know how to handle this’.”

All photos © Airbus

Based on the article “Airbus bets on timely take-off for A350 despite past delays” published in The Financial Times.

Kuwaiti parliament gives the green light to the Kuwait Airways´ agreement for 10 A350-900s.

A Kuwaiti parliamentary committee investigating a Kuwait Airways deal to buy and lease aircraft from Airbus has ruled the agreement legitimate.

The airline said in December it had signed a provisional agreement to buy 25 Airbus aircraft and lease another 12, in a deal worth $4.4bn at the time, after months of controversial negotiating.

The airline had originally announced it would go with Airbus but then pulled out and re-opened the door to Boeing, before finally signing with the French company.

A group of lawmakers had claimed the deal lacked detail and was “suspicious”, while MP Abdulhameed Dashti has accused the airline of deliberately “ignoring” Boeing despite the US being a Kuwaiti ally.

Kuwait Airways CEO Rasha Al Roumi said it made commercial sense to re-open negotiations with both aircraft manufacturers when she took over the airline and ultimately she was convinced the Airbus deal was the best.

A member of the parliamentary committee investigating the deal, Talal Al Jalal, said the probe involved meetings with Kuwait Airways’ board of directors, the Audit Bureau and Kuwait Investment Authority and concluded that all procedures were correct and that the deal was necessary for the national carrier, Kuwait Times reported.

The order includes 10 A350-900 and 15 A320neo aircraft.

All pictures from here.

Based on the article “Kuwaiti parliament clears Airbus planes deal” published in Arabian Business

Eaton is developing many sub-systems for the new Trent XWB-97 engine for the A350-1000.

Power management company Eaton announced that Rolls-Royce Corporation recently selected Eaton to continue providing its proven engine build-up solution for the Trent XWB-97 engine program (which will power the new Airbus A350-1000).

Based on a photo by @horstroad

“We are excited to continue our involvement on the Trent XWB engine program by providing a reliable, lightweight and technically advanced engine build-up solution for the XWB-97," said Uday Yadav, president of Eaton's Aerospace Group. “Our successful performance on the initial engine contract award helped Rolls-Royce achieve significant program results and paved the way for our continued relationship on the XWB-97."

Based on a photo by Todd Ryan

Eaton's selection helps minimize program risks by optimizing commonality between the 84,000 pound-thrust and 97,000 pound-thrust engine variants.

photo by @horstroad

In 2009, Rolls-Royce selected Eaton as a strategic partner for the Trent XWB engine program. Eaton designed, developed and integrated systems for the EBU portfolio, which encompassed a variety of components customized for the XWB.  By providing complete EBU sub-systems coupled with onsite engineering support, Eaton optimized the significant number of engine interfaces and replaced complex tubing and ducting with more modular products specifically designed for easier, faster installation and removal.

photo by @horstroad

As in the original XWB engine program, Eaton will be responsible for the design, development, manufacture and certification of the XWB-97 low-pressure fuel system, starter air system, thermal anti-icing system, engine bleed air system along with sense and muscle lines, variable frequency generator system, power door opening system, fire-extinguisher system and pylon drains.

Based on the press release “Eaton Selected by Rolls-Royce to Continue Providing Engine Build-Up Sub-Systems for New Trent XWB-97 Engine Program”

A350-900; from development phase to series ramp up. “Head of version” concept.

The improvement plans of suppliers for the A350 are in the spotlight as the -900 variant moves closer to certification and entry into service and Airbus’s focus shifts from development challenges to an intense effort to ramp up production smoothly. 

Based on a photo by @horstroad

The A350 production rate stands at 2/month now, even though flight testing is ongoing. MSN006 and MSN007, the first production-standard aircraft, are in advanced stages of assembly in Toulouse. By the time the first A350  is delivered to Qatar Airways—tentatively planned for the end of November—Airbus should be building 3 A350s/month. It plans to increase the rate to 5/month a year later and 10/month eventually. 

photo by @horstroad

But production volume is not the only hurdle. As is typical for new aircraft, Airbus also has to deliver many different so-called heads of versions, the first aircraft customized for  the launch customer. In spite of efforts to reduce customization—and thus final assembly complexity—Airbus must still provide airlines their many requested individual solutions, in particular in the cabin, where they aim to differentiate themselves.

photo by @horstroad

Airbus plans to freeze the aircraft definitions for 10 customers this year, including Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and Cathay Pacific. In 2015, 15 more airline definitions will follow for Lufthansa, TAP Portugal, Asiana, Air Caraibes, Etihad and Hawaiian Airlines, among others. And the definition number will rise to 17 in 2016, when carriers such as TAM, Aeroflot, United Airlines and Air China have to make final configuration decisions for their A350s.

photo by @horstroad

Last year, Airbus inaugurated a Customer Definition Center at its plant in Hamburg, Germany, to provide  airlines with better facilities in which to evaluate interior design choices.

Based on the article “Shifting Gears” published in Aviation Week   

A350-800 future not clear.

For the A350-800, Airbus still has no clear answer. It is contractually obliged to deliver the first aircraft in 2016, one year ahead of the -1000, although it has been trying to delay entry into service to around 2020 while redefining the version. Some observers have suggested that the -800 might be killed once the reengined A330 has been formally launched.

photo by @horstroad

Airbus is putting no work into the -800 now, but Evrard says shrinking the -900 would not be a very difficult task. “The -800 will not require a lot of development work. And with the backlog reduced, we have some more headroom to maneuver,” he says. The number of firm orders for the smallest A350 is down to 28.

It is unclear whether the current official position is only a polite way of saying Airbus essentially does not want to build the aircraft. There are very real concerns that the A330neo makes the A350-800 redundant.

Based on the article “Shifting Gears” published in Aviation Week