Aerospace Archives

BAE Systems, the defence company behind the British air force’s new fighter jet, has teased the prospect of electric-battery systems playing a substantial role in powering the RAF’s next-generation Tempest warplane, due to enter service in the 2030s.

The global aerospace duopoly of Airbus and Boeing managed to sell just one aircraft in June, as the virus outbreak’s economic impact on the aviation industry and the grounded MAX scandal continues to affect order books.

European aerospace giant Airbus sees hydrogen power as “one of the most promising technologies available” to decarbonise air travel and is looking to utilise it as part of plans to roll out a zero-emission aircraft by 2035.

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier on Wednesday (1 July) urged plane builder Airbus to spread the pain fairly as it cuts 15,000 jobs to deal with lower orders following the coronavirus pandemic.

Airbus on Tuesday (30 June) unveiled plans to shed 15,000 jobs within a year, including 900 already earmarked in Germany, saying its future was at stake after the coronavirus outbreak paralysed air travel.

The European Union will plough more money into rocket launches, satellite communication and space exploration to preserve its often unsung successes in space and keep up with US and Chinese ambitions, its space chief said on Sunday (28 June).

A six-seater battery-powered aircraft flew for the first time over the UK on Monday (22 June), becoming Europe’s largest e-plane in the process just as the aviation industry revealed that it wants the EU to invest big in the future of flight innovation.

Kerosene’s plum position as one of the few fuels exempt from taxation is still under severe scrutiny, as momentum builds behind the idea of setting up multilateral agreements between willing countries.

The last convoy of outsize parts for the world’s largest airliner crawled towards an assembly plant in southwest France late Wednesday (17 June), applauded by residents and production workers as Airbus prepares to build the last A380.

British airline EasyJet said it had pushed back the delivery of 24 aircraft to between 2025 and 2027 and secured additional flexibility on orders from planemaker Airbus as part of its planning for a smaller travel market.

Belgium's capital has all the attributes needed to establish itself as Europe's hub for night-trains, according to a group in favour of resurrecting the services, which also sees the coronavirus crisis and the EU Green Deal as opportunities for rail's most romantic of journeys.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted this week an electric aircraft worldwide certification to operate, in what the regulator hailed as a massive step forward in battery-powered flight.

The French government on Tuesday (9 June) lifted the lid on a €15 billion support package for its lucrative but embattled aerospace sector. The scheme involves a €500 million investment fund for smaller companies and a plan to debut a carbon-neutral plane by 2035.

A French emergency plan for the aerospace industry to be unveiled this week could be worth up to €10 billion, including an expected €1 billion investment fund, business newspaper Les Echos reported on Sunday (7 June).

Coronavirus has hastened the demise of the Airbus A380 - the world’s largest airliner - as the aviation industry scrambles to adapt to lower demand for air travel, which has essentially made the double-decker super-jumbo a plane out of time.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Monday (4 May) started advising airports on how to resume operations properly, after the coronavirus outbreak grounded a majority of flights. Operators will have to check for debris and wild animals, among a slew of other points.

Developments in the aerospace industry are falling by the wayside because of the coronavirus outbreak’s huge impact on the sector: US planemaker Boeing has abandoned international joint venture plans while European rival Airbus has nixed a project aimed at producing electric-powered aircraft.

Portugal may need to nationalise its flag carrier TAP and other companies badly hit by the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Tuesday (14 April).

The European Commission approved Sweden’s half-billion euro support scheme for airlines on Saturday (11 April), in what is one of the first major forays into bailing out Europe’s coronavirus-hit airlines.

Airbus has shelved plans to add a French assembly line for its A321neo aircraft just 10 weeks after the expansion was launched, as the coronavirus fallout spreads to its best-selling jetliner.

German flag-carrier Lufthansa will send six of its 14 A380s - the world’s largest commercial airliner - into early retirement, due to massive disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The decision comes just as airlines gear up to request bailouts from governments.

The economic crisis caused by the coronavirus is also threatening the aviation industry. While Boeing's production of commercial aircraft is virtually at a standstill, Airbus intends to downsize production. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.

The European Commission announced a €100 million investment in a prototype rocket programme on Tuesday (21 January), as Europe aims to keep a firm hold in a space industry predicted to be worth €1 trillion in the coming years.