On 27th February, the Bombardier CS300 prototype made its first flight, which lasted almost five hours over Montreal in Canada. The largest aircraft ever built by Bombardier reached an altitude of 12,500 metres (41,000 feet) and a speed of 470 km/h (292 mph).
The Pentagon has made its choice, the future American presidential "Air Force One" will be a Boeing 747-8. The Airbus A380 was rejected without too much surprise. The following is a short history of the ‘plane, or rather ‘planes, like no other, which since 1953, have carried the presidents of the United States.
On 30th December, six years after its first flight, and some 5,000 hours of flight tests, the ARJ21, China's first regional jet, has obtained certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). A first step for the manufacturers Comac who can now market their twin-engined plane provided it does not exit Chinese territory.
At the beginning of the year, you're probably wondering what will happen in the aeronautical world in 2015 ? Well to find out, we consulted our crystal ball - if it told the truth...
As is customary each year end, it’s time to take stock ! In the aviation world, 2014 was marked by both good and bad news. Here’s an accelerated flashback in two minutes flat…
Yesterday all eyes were on the Qatar Airways A350. 170 journalists from around the world travelled to the aircraft manufacturer’s delivery centre in Toulouse (south western France) for the first delivery of the new long-haul Airbus. An achievement for Airbus eight years after the launch of the programme, and an investment of some ten billion euros.
Qatar Airways was to receive its first A350 in Toulouse (south western France) in the afternoon of Friday, 12th December, followed by a ceremony organised in Doha the next day in the presence of the company CEO, Akbar Al Baker, but this will not be the case. Delivery of the first unit has been "suspended until further notice", without further explanation given for the reasons.
Airbus has confirmed it. The first Airbus A350-900 will be delivered to Qatar Airways on Saturday, December 13th at Toulouse in south west France. The first delivery of a brand new aircraft is always a great moment for both a constructor and an airline. Qatar Airways will be the only airline in the world to operate the A350 for the first few months of 2015; followed by Vietnam Airlines.
Today, December 3rd, is International Day of People with Disability which is why we are highlighting a world’s first that Airbus is now offering its customers who operate single aisle aircraft. Called "Space Flex" it is actually two toilets that can be transformed into one, thus facilitating access for wheelchair passengers.