Latest news with #airshow
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Paris airshow in subdued mood after deadly Air India crash
Every second summer more than 100,000 aviation industry professionals gather in Paris for an airshow – a flying display crossed with a vast conference. The mood at the latest gathering this week was more subdued than usual, after the deadly crash a week ago of a London-bound Air India flight in Ahmedabad. Investigators have recovered the black box from the plane to try to work out the cause of the disaster. The aircraft maker Boeing, and GE Aerospace, which made the 787 Dreamliner's engines, both cancelled many of their media-facing events out of respect for the families of the 241 passengers and crew who died, as well as at least 30 more people on the ground who were killed. At an event that presents a mix of civil and military aircraft and weaponry, the war between Israel and Iran further overshadowed proceedings. The French government forced the show's organisers to cover stands exhibiting Israeli companies' weapons, an apparent show of France's opposition to the escalation. Turbo Sjogren, the head of Boeing's international government and defence, said several Middle Eastern military customers were unable to attend meetings because of the war. The airshow and its British counterpart – held every other year at Farnborough, Hampshire – are usually dominated by a race between Airbus and Boeing to announce the most orders from airlines. Yet Boeing's string of crises, including two deadly crashes of the 737 Max in 2018 and 2019, have meant that Airbus has taken the lead for several years. The Toulouse-headquartered plane maker announced 142 firm orders plus another 102 provisional orders at the show worth a cumulative $21bn (£15.5bn), according to Cirium Ascend, the aviation consultancy. That compared with zero orders announced by its US rival Boeing. Darren Hulst, a Boeing vice-president for commercial marketing, said: 'Our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers are with all the families that have been impacted by this, as well as our partner and our long-term customer Air India.' Before an investigation shares its findings of the cause of the Air India crash, experts have mostly declined to make a judgment of what the longer-term consequences could be for Boeing. Yet assessments of the state of the global aviation market suggest that demand for air travel will remain buoyant. Hulst predicted that 43,600 new planes will be needed through to 2044. 'As we look to the end of this decade, by 2030, our industry will be about 45% larger than it was in the years before the pandemic,' he said. The majority of those deliveries will be 'narrowbody' planes with a single aisle, such as Airbus's A320 and the 737 family. Other companies are positioning to take advantage of that growth. Perhaps most notably, Britain's Rolls-Royce, now a specialist in powering the biggest 'widebody' planes, wants to make engines for the much bigger narrowbody market. Tufan Erginbilgic, Rolls-Royce's chief executive, told reporters that the UK government should part-fund the development of the company's next generation of jet engines, known as UltraFan. In a direct pitch to the government, he argued that winning orders for narrowbody engines could create 40,000 jobs. 'If you look at single-aisle, narrowbody entry could be the single biggest item for economic growth for UK, because it is that big. This is a huge market, right? A £1.6tn market.' Ahead of the UK's industrial strategy, expected to be published on Monday, Erginbilgic argued that the government should target support at industries where the country is strongest, which he said included Rolls-Royce's gas turbines and small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). Rolls-Royce's part-owned subsidiary was chosen this month to try to build the first UK SMRs, with the first formal contract expected before October. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion 'I believe any country needs to support competitively advantaged industries,' Erginbilgic said. 'If you support competitively advantaged industries, your position in the market will be sustainable. Because it is already competitively advantaged. If you give some momentum, that will create lots of export growth, etc, and employment with that.' Rolls-Royce is also a key player in the UK's defence strategy. Erginbilgic said the government's recent strategic defence review and pledges to increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP had 'de-risked our key programmes', all but guaranteeing demand for more nuclear reactors for attack submarines and engines for the future Tempest jet, officially known as the global combat air programme (GCAP), whose costs are shared between the UK, Italy and Japan. Erginbilgic also said that the review's emphasis on autonomous drones could mean future opportunities for Rolls-Royce to power them. The UK is not the only European country rearming in response to the perceived threat from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Yet the Paris airshow also revealed deep tensions in another key European weapons project: a rival 'sixth-generation' fighter jet programme between France, Germany and Spain. Éric Trappier, chief executive of France's Dassault, maker of the previous-generation Rafale jets that were on show in Paris, told Bloomberg TV that 'we may go it alone' amid frustrations over who should lead. Michael Schoellhorn, chief executive of Airbus's Germany-based defence division, said that political intervention might be needed to solve the dispute. Nevertheless, the European government consensus is that military spending must increase – particularly if the US under Donald Trump cannot be relied upon for support. Deals at the show included Rheinmetall teaming up with controversial US drones startup Anduril to produce weapons in Germany, while Italy's Leonardo formalised a joint drones venture with Turkey's Baykar. With renewed war in the Middle East, defence bosses in Paris were keen to move quickly with manufacturing more lucrative weapons on European soil.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Air show takes measures to cope with hot weather
Measures are in place to help people stay safe at an air show as temperatures are forecast to soar over the weekend. The Duxford Summer Air Show takes place on Saturday and Sunday and about 32,000 people are expected to attend. Cambridgeshire and the East of England are under an amber heat health alert from 19 June at 12:00 BST until 23 June at 09:00 - the second-highest warning level. The Imperial War Museum (IWM) said emails had been sent to registered visitors warning them of the weather situation, and added free water points would be available. Highlights of this year's show include the Battle of Britain Memorial Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane Flight, the C47 Dakota, RAF Falcons Display Team, and the Red Arrows on Sunday. Entertainment is also planned at ground level, including living history groups, live music, and a range of food and drink. Issuing its amber alert for the whole of England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said "significant impacts" were likely for health and social care services, including increased demand. Temperatures were predicted to reach 33C in parts of the south and east, including Cambridge. With its wide open spaces and thousands expected at the air show, staff at the IWM said measures were in place to mitigate the effects of the hot weather. Emails had been sent to visitors to make them aware of the forecast and urging them and to bring appropriate items including protective sun cream, hats and water. Regular announcements will be made on the PA system to remind people to wear sunscreen and drink water and both items will be on sale at the event as well as free water points. A spokeswoman said: "Our partners in the NHS and St John have been keeping us updated on their plans, and they are prepared for the hot weather. "Our indoor hangars and exhibitions also provide shaded spaces throughout the site." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Amber heat health alerts in place as temperatures above 30C likely Met Office
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Duxford air show takes measures to cope with hot weather
Measures are in place to help people stay safe at an air show as temperatures are forecast to soar over the Duxford Summer Air Show takes place on Saturday and Sunday and about 32,000 people are expected to and the East of England are under an amber heat health alert from 19 June at 12:00 BST until 23 June at 09:00 - the second-highest warning Imperial War Museum (IWM) said emails had been sent to registered visitors warning them of the weather situation, and added free water points would be available. Highlights of this year's show include the Battle of Britain Memorial Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane Flight, the C47 Dakota, RAF Falcons Display Team, and the Red Arrows on Sunday. Entertainment is also planned at ground level, including living history groups, live music, and a range of food and drink. Issuing its amber alert for the whole of England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said "significant impacts" were likely for health and social care services, including increased were predicted to reach 33C in parts of the south and east, including its wide open spaces and thousands expected at the air show, staff at the IWM said measures were in place to mitigate the effects of the hot had been sent to visitors to make them aware of the forecast and urging them and to bring appropriate items including protective sun cream, hats and announcements will be made on the PA system to remind people to wear sunscreen and drink water and both items will be on sale at the event as well as free water points.A spokeswoman said: "Our partners in the NHS and St John have been keeping us updated on their plans, and they are prepared for the hot weather."Our indoor hangars and exhibitions also provide shaded spaces throughout the site." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
CNA
2 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Airbus hits $21 billion orders at air show as Boeing focuses on India crash
PARIS : Airbus secured more aircraft orders on Wednesday, raising its total to $21 billion at this week's subdued Paris Air Show, while rival Boeing opted not to announce new sales following last week's Air India 787 crash. Airbus firmed up an order for 10 long-haul jets from Taiwan's Starlux Airlines in a boost for the European planemaker after one of its biggest customers, AirAsia, dashed expectations of another grand finale matching its earlier expansion. Airbus won a total of 148 firm orders worth $14.2 billion including six previous ones disclosed publicly for the time, plus 102 provisional orders worth $6.7 billion, according to estimated delivery prices from UK-based Cirium Ascend. Delegates had been bracing for a more muted show than usual after Boeing struck huge deals during U.S. President Donald Trump's recent trip to the Middle East. The U.S. jetmaker then scaled back its presence at the show to focus on the probe into last week's deadly crash of an Air India Boeing 787. But Europe's Airbus has been steadily racking up business, and underscored confidence about growing demand by holding out the prospect of higher dividends. It prefaced each show announcement with sympathies for India victims, however. "It is an air show with a regrettable tragedy that has affected all of us," Airbus planemaking CEO Christian Scherer told Reuters. Despite the sombre tone, talk was rife before and during the event at Le Bourget outside Paris that Airbus might seal a major deal with AirAsia to add a final flourish to the gathering. Airline entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, the CEO of AirAsia owner Capital A Group, told Reuters that it was in talks to buy 50 to 70 A321XLR jetliners, and 100 A220s or competing E2 regional jets from Brazil's Embraer. But he played down the chances of a deal in Paris, saying the first priority was to complete the group's restructuring. "We're still doing a lot of work with Airbus and other (manufacturers) .... I think we'll look to do something imminently, in the next 1-3 months," he said in an interview. Two industry sources said Airbus had made an "aggressive" offer to boost A220 orders and win a launch customer for a new 160-seat version but that talks stalled over financing. Another said it would be natural to resume discussions around July when the company expects to exit its financial troubles. 'DIFFERENT SHOW' Embraer said on Wednesday it had secured an order for 60 of its E175 regional jets from SkyWest Airlines, which also agreed purchase rights for a further 50 of the aircraft. Airbus announced an order for two A350 freighters from logistics company MNG Airlines, and EgyptAir was unveiled as the previously-undisclosed buyer of six A350-900 long-haul jets. Planemakers have been struggling to keep up with demand for new, more fuel-efficient aircraft since the end of pandemic-era travel restrictions, with supply chain problems - particularly with engines - delaying some deliveries. Airbus said on Wednesday, however, that since early 2025 it had experienced 40 per cent fewer disruptions caused by delayed components at its production facilities. "It has been a very different air show from those we have seen in the past, which have tended to be wall-to-wall aircraft orders," Agency Partners analyst Sash Tusa said. "Civil orders have been affected by .... Boeing being very careful about how they announce or don't announce things," he said. In another shift, he said, Airbus focused on securing public backing for planes that could benefit from more orders like the A220, rather than its heavily sold-out A320neo family. On the defence side of the show, U.S. drone maker Anduril and Germany's Rheinmetall said they would partner to build aerial drones for European markets, in a sign of Europe leveraging U.S. technology to boost military capabilities.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Israel furious as France shuts weapons stands at Paris Air Show
France shut down the main Israeli company stands at the International Paris Air Show on Monday for refusing to remove attack weapons from display, sparking a furious response from Israel and inflaming tensions between the traditional allies. Stands including those of Elbit Systems, Rafael, IAI and Uvision were blocked off with black partitions before the start of the world's biggest aviation trade fair. Smaller Israeli stands, which did not have hardware on display, and an Israeli Ministry of Defense stand, remained open. France, a long-time Israeli ally, has gradually hardened its position on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over its actions in the Gaza Strip and military interventions abroad. French President Emmanuel Macron made a distinction last week between Israel's right to protect itself, which France supports and could take part in, and strikes on Iran it did not recommend. The office of French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said it had told all exhibitors ahead of the show that offensive weapons would be prohibited from display and that Israel's embassy in Paris had agreed to this. It added that the companies could resume their exhibits if they complied with this requirement. Bayrou told reporters that given France's diplomatic stance, and "in particular its ... very great concern about Gaza," the government had felt it unacceptable for attack weapons to be on show. But Israel's defense ministry reacted with fury. "This outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations," it said in a statement. "The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries." The ministry later added it was filing court petitions against the decision. IAI's president and CEO, Boaz Levy, said the black partitions were reminiscent of "the dark days of when Jews were segmented from European society." Responding to France's timeline on the incident, a source familiar with the Israeli side said the French had agreed to a pre-submitted list of items from the Israelis before the show. Israel's delegation was caught "completely off guard" by guidelines at 6:30 p.m. on the eve of the show, the source added. Two U.S. Republican politicians attending the air show also criticized the French move. Talking to reporters outside the blacked-out Israeli defense stalls, U.S. Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders described the decision as "pretty absurd," while Republican Sen. Katie Britt criticized it as "short-sighted." Meshar Sasson, senior vice president at Elbit Systems, accused France of trying to stymie competition, pointing to a series of contracts that Elbit has won in Europe. "If you cannot beat them in technology, just hide them right? That's what it is because there's no other explanation," he said. Rafael described the French move as "unprecedented, unjustified, and politically motivated." The diplomatic row rocked the opening of the biennial show, already in sombre mood after the crash of a Boeing 787 and fresh conflict in the Middle East, with announcements scaled back. Every two years, Le Bourget airport is transformed into a showcase for the aerospace and defense industries — its sprawling tarmac lined with fighter jets, airliners and drones and its spacious halls hosting high-tech gadgetry and weapons. A person involved in the organizing and budgeting of large company displays over many years — not connected to the French or Israelis — said that a large stand could cost up to $5 million including all the cost of freight and staff travel. The air show's organizer said in a statement that it was in talks to try to help "the various parties find a favourable outcome to the situation." Bayrou's office urged Israeli firms to "assume their responsibilities" and follow guidelines if they wanted to reopen their booths. Toward the end of the first day of the June 16-20 event, there was no immediate sign of the stands being reopened.
