As some of you might know, during the past 2 days a heavy storm hit central europe, killing at leat 13 people.
This video shows Lufthansa flight LH044, an Airbus A320, landing at Hamburg, Germany during the storm on Saturday. According to Lufthansa the left wing hit the runway, damaging the wingtip fence (winglet).
Category: Airbus
US Air Force selects KC-30 Tanker
Wow, what a news! The Boeing monopoly for US military planes is finally broken.
The U.S. Air Force announced its selection of the Airbus KC-45A Tanker, culminating a multi-year evaluation. The programme award calls for 179 aircraft with an estimated contract value of US$ 40 billion. The initial KC-45A contract for Northrop Grumman covers four System Design and Development aircraft and is valued at US$ 1.5 billion.
Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS, stated: “We have committed our energies to this important U.S. Air Force programme and to our team mate Northrop Grumman. Selecting a tanker based on the A330 MRTT will provide the U.S. Air Force with the most modern and capable tanker aircraft available today.â€
Tom Enders, President and CEO of Airbus said: “Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force can count on the full resources of Airbus to support the KC-45A tanker’s production and delivery. All four System Design and Development aircraft are already in production. Preparatory work is now underway for our commitment to co-locate the final assembly of the tankers and A330 civilian freighter aircraft at Mobile, Alabama, creating the first new large commercial aircraft assembly facility in the U.S. in over 40 years.â€
The KC-45A Tanker is based on the EADS Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport). Its airframe is derived from the popular Airbus A330 jetliner produced by EADS’ Airbus Division, of which more than 880 have been ordered worldwide in passenger and freighter configurations. The Military Transport Aircraft Division (MTAD) is responsible within the EADS Group for all military derivative programmes based on Airbus platforms, including tankers.
The KC-45A Tanker assembly will employ 25,000 workers at 230 U.S. companies. The KC-45A’s refueling systems will be built at new facilities in Bridgeport, W.Va., and delivered to the KC-45A Production Center for aircraft integration.
The KC-45A will be built by a team led by Northrop Grumman, and includes primary subcontractor EADS North America and General Electric Aviation, Sargent Fletcher, Honeywell, Parker, AAR Cargo Systems, Telephonics and Knight Aerospace.
Compared to the Boeing KC-135 (based on the 707), the EADS KC-45 (based on the A330) has 25% more fuel capacity, much higher payloads and its General Electric CF6-80E1A4B engines feature 3 times more thrust.
Source: Airbus, Northrop Grumman
Picture of the Day – TAM with new livery
Brasilian airline TAM recently introduced its new logo and corporate design.
The picture is showing one of TAM’s Airbus A320-232 wearing the new livery. Solely unique on this aircraft (PT-MZL) is a modified paint scheme, celebrating the new corporate identity with the signatures of TAM’s employees on the plane!
Avianca takes delivery of first Airbus A320
Avianca took delivery of the first of three Airbus A320s (HK-4549) it has leased from CIT International, at a delivery ceremony in Toulouse, France. This paves the way to the subsequent delivery of 47 A320 Family aircraft (32 A320s and 15 A319s) the Colombian flag-carrier has directly ordered from Airbus as part of a complete fleet renewal programme. Avianca also has 10 A330-200s on order.
The A320s will help Avianca expand its network and open up new routes in the region. The aircraft will be able to accommodate 150 passengers in a spacious two-class configuration, offering passengers even more comfort with the increased personal space of the new state of the art A320 cabin. They will be powered by CFM International CFM56-5B engines.
The new cabin delivered to Avianca features the most modern design and technological innovations, derived from the A380. New smooth lines not only create an attractive ambience but also give more space at shoulder level. Increased Overhead Stowage offers 15 per cent more useable volume. The state of the art design gives a measurable noise reduction, while also decreasing the weight of the aircraft and thus making it more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly.
Source: Airbus
BOC Aviation orders 5 A330-200F
BOC Aviation, the leading Asia-based aircraft leasing company, has signed a firm contract for five A330-200F cargo aircraft. The agreement was signed during the 2008 Singapore Airshow.
Previously known as Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise, BOC Aviation is headquartered in Singapore, with representatives based in Europe and the US. The company is wholly owned by the Bank of China.
BOC Aviation’s portfolio is one of the youngest in the leasing business and already includes the popular A320 Family and A330 passenger aircraft.
The A330-200F can carry up to 64 metric tonnes over 4,000 nautical miles/7400 km in its standard version. When selecting the optional payload mode operators can carry 69 metric tonnes up to 3,200 nautical miles/5930km.
Source: Airbus
Korean Air expands A380 order
Korean Air is expanding its A380 order with the purchase of three more A380 aircraft. This firm order is in addition to the five A380 aircraft ordered by Korean Air in 2003.
Starting in 2010, Korean Air will introduce the A380 on high density traffic routes from Seoul to the US west coast, with subsequent destinations likely to include cities on the US east coast and Europe. Deliveries to Korean Air for the three additional aircraft are scheduled to take place in 2012 and 2013.
With Korean Air’s additional order, Airbus has 192 firm orders, from 16 customers for the A380 programme.
Source & Image Credit: Airbus
New orders for Airbus ACJ and Airbus A350 XWB Prestige
Airbus announced that an Asian customer has placed a firm order for an Airbus A350 XWB Prestige, in what is the second commitment for the newest member of the Airbus corporate jetliner family (building on an earlier commitment from another customer that was announced during the Dubai airshow).
The A350-900 will feature a luxurious VIP interior, and will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. The choice of cabin-outfitter has yet to be announced.
BAA Jet Management of Hong Kong has been chosen to manage the A350 XWB Prestige, the VIP version of the A350 XWB, on behalf of the customer, and will base the aircraft in Hong Kong.
Besides this A350 XWB firm order, Airbus also announced, that a new Asian customer has placed a firm order for an Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ).
The aircraft will feature a luxurious VIP interior, and will be powered by CFM International CFM56-5B7/P engines. The choice of cabin-outfitter has yet to be announced.
The aircraft will also be managed by BAA Jet Management and based in Hong Kong.
Source: Airbus
Synergy Aerospace to acquire 10 A350 XWB
Synergy Aerospace, a Latin-American consortium, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for ten A350-800s and ten options. This further commitment comes in addition to the 47 A320 Family aircraft and ten A330-200s that its subsidiaries already have on order, making it a key customer for Airbus in Latin America.
Synergy Aerospace, is a shareholder of Avianca and SAM in Colombia, Oceanair in Brazil and VIP in Ecuador.
Source: Airbus
Hawaiian Airlines signs firm order for 12 Airbus widebodies
Hawaiian Airlines Inc., Hawaii’s largest airline, today has signed a firm order for six A350 XWB-800s and six A330-200s. This deal finalises a Memorandum of Understanding announced in November 2007. The airline will begin receiving their new A330s in 2012, and will take delivery of their first A350 in 2017. Both models will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines.
This is Hawaiian’s first order for an Airbus aircraft, and is the first step in the airline’s plan to replace its current widebody fleet. The A330 and A350 will allow the airline to expand its long-range fleet, opening new non-stop routes on more distant markets from Hawaii. Hawaiian Airlines’ A350 XWB-800s will seat 322 passengers in a two-class configuration and the A330-200 will transport 305 passengers in two classes.
Source: Airbus
Pic of the Day – Airbus A380 Cockpit Panorama
Today’s picture of the day features an awesome interactive 360° panorama shot of the Airbus A380 cockpit.
This super-cool photo gives you an idea of the workspace of an A380 pilot and enables you to experience an interactive walk through the inside of a A380 cockpit. Don’t miss it!