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The article reports on the concerns about the ability of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to fairly conduct competition, which are raised by the U.S. Air Force's $35-billion refueler deal. It is said that the deal is also thwarting Airbus's plans to secure a stateside manufacturing foothold. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommends the Air Force to reopen discussions with the offerors, obtain revised proposals, re-evaluate the revised proposals, and make a new source selection decision.

The article focuses on the plan of aircraft manufacturer Boeing for production alternatives to its Boeing 737s and 777s. It notes that the company is considering to address production issues with the two planes which posted delivery records in 2009 following a year of recession. It mentions that the plan of competitor Airbus to conduct a power plant upgrade for the A320 brings pressure on Boeing. The product development team for the 737 will be headed by vice president Mike Bair while consultant Lars Anderson will lead the 777 program.

The article informs that Airbus Inc. has again revised its plans for the A350, turning it from an A330-derivative to a new widebody in the face of rival Boeing Co.'s success with its 787. After first saying the existing A330/A340 family would suffice to compete with the 787, and last year amending that to projecting a mere derivative of the A330, the aircraft will now undergo a more dramatic transformation, a new development at a higher price. About "90% of the part numbers are going to be changed" over the current aircraft type, says Olivier Andries, A350 program manager. The "all new" A350 will be formally launched at the upcoming Le Bourget air show, says Airbus Chief Commercial Officer John Leahy.

Presents information on the emphasis the consortium of Airbus Industrie and their European partners place on information technology in their airplane design and manufacture. The formation of the Airbus Concurrent Engineering (ACE) team to rethink how they design, manufacture and support their aircraft; Their goal to reduce development costs and time-to-market for a new product; Discussion of specific design improvements for the A340.

The article focuses on competition in the narrowbody jetliner market for 2012. It states that aerospace company Boeing announced in the summer of 2011 it was building the 737 MAX in response to aerospace company Airbus's A320 New Engine Option (NEO) program. It mentions competition Boeing and Airbus is facing from aerospace companies Bombardier and Embraer and suggests Bombardier's CSeries of aircraft was the catalyst for Airbus's NEO.

The article reports that aircraft industry companies Boeing and Airbus have advanced their plans to select replacement engines for their 737 and A320 jet transports to mid-2010. The two companies are responding to competition from Bombardier, a manufacturer of regional jet transports. The companies are considering purchasing engines from firms including Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce.

The article reports on the expected shift in the competitive landscape in the 70-240-seat aircraft market as Airbus, Boeing and Embraer update their product strategies in the coming 12 months. The trend has elevated the stakes for manufacturers and the engine makers that are vying for aircraft positions. It is noted that Airbus wants its reengined A319, A320 and A321 to start reaching customers in late 2015.

The article reports that the production plans for aircraft makers Airbus and Boeing, are largely affected by a steep drop in demand and associated airline cutbacks. Airbus has already adjusted narrow-body output-cutting production to 34 aircraft per month beginning in October 2008, but merely flattened build rates on widebodies. Boeing has already announced job cuts and is expected to increase these as production is reduced.

The article reports on a contract won by Spirit AeroSystems from Airbus. Airbus named Spirit to design and build the Section 15 center fuselage frame section for the A350XWB. At 65 ft. long, 20 ft. wide and 9,000 lb., the composite assembly is much larger than the 24-ft.-long, 19-ft.-dia. Section 41 composite nose that Spirit makes for the Boeing 787. However, there are major differences. The 787 nose is a single composite structure that Spirit filled with electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems, according to the author.

The article reports on the record sales achieved by Boeing and Airbus, and the implication of the record sales for engine makers General Electric Aviation, CFM International and International Aero Engines. A key ponderable is whether 2008 will bring a precipitous drop. EADS Chief Executive Louis Gallois predicts that certainly they will not be at the level of 2007, simply based on manufacturing slot constraints. Airbus and Boeing are largely sold out for the next few years, despite aggressive production ramp-ups at both companies, he notes.

The article reports on the status of the A350XWB aircraft project of Airbus. The company will conduct meetings and submit the plan for the twin-widebody to an independent review and start detailed talks with potential industrial partners for the project. Airbus CEO Louis Gallois says that the aircraft maker will not abandon the composite panels on an aluminum-lithium substructure concept, which has drawn some criticism from buyers.

The article discusses freighter programs that highlight market strength of air cargo. Boeing is focused on purpose-built wide-body freighters like its 747s. Airbus is backing two conversion offerings, the small A320 and the midsize A330-200F as a dedicated freighter airframe. Boeing and Airbus see the cargo market demand for freighter planes to enter in 2009.

The article reports that at the Farnborough air show, Airbus Industrie SA received the strongest endorsement from Singapore Airlines Ltd. (SIA) for its beleaguered new product line. SIA's assurance for the A350 must be pleasing for the European manufacturer. SIA wants new Airbus and Boeing Co. products for what they offer compared to current-generation aircraft. Singapore has also placed an order with Boeing for 20 787-9s.

The article reports that Airbus Industrie SA is working on the engine and other details related to its A350XWB aircraft. Airbus has basically abandoned its previous strategy of keeping development cost down, adopting a completely new design that will demand an investment of $10 billion and wholly new tooling. Further, Airbus has decided to continue using a mix of advanced alloys and composites. Those materials will make up 62% of the aircraft, giving the A350 a lower empty weight per seat than the 787 or 777. Airbus will also have recourse to reimbursable loans.

The article informs that with a 45-aircraft order from Qantas Airways Ltd. for 787s worth a theoretical $7.6 billion, Boeing Co. has added to an already enviable lead in this year's wide-body sales, sweeping past rival Airbus Industrie SA in every product category. Qantas has been facing a good-news, bad-news situation. Jetstar International is to have an initial route structure requiring 10 aircraft for point-to-point services from Australia into Asian and Pacific markets that are unprofitable for the higher-cost network that Qantas runs.

The article reports that Boeing Co. has launched the 747-8 as its answer to Airbus Industrie SA's challenge to the 747-400. Boeing expected sales for the 747-400 to decline as customers shifted to its big intermediate twin-engine 777 family. The 747-8 launch comes with a list price value of $5 billion on orders for 10 aircraft from Luxembourg-based Cargolux Airlines International SA and eight airplanes from Tokyo-based Nippon Cargo Airlines Co. In contrast with Airbus's predicted market, Boeing foresees sales of only 900 aircraft carrying 450 passengers or more, and expects to capture half those sales with the 747-8.

The article reports that Boeing Co. is filling a seating gap in its single-aisle lineup and renewing the challenge to the Airbus A321 airplane with the launch of the 737-900ER airplane, which offers airlines the choice of carrying 26 more passengers or flying another 500 nautical miles. The new airplane was launched with the formal signing of an order for 60 aircrafts from Lion Air. The aircraft will include a standard Type 2 door measuring 24 X 52 inches, located on the left side of the fuselage behind the wing.

The article focuses on Airbus Industrie SA and Boeing Co. which agree that demand has improved so much that delivery rates may need to be ramped up across their product lines. Boeing has seen such strong demand for the 787, 266 orders or commitments from 21 customers, that production in the first three years, 2008 to 2010, is committed. In early 2006, production rates of single-aisles will be boosted to 30 aircraft per month and of A340s to eight aircraft per month, according to Airbus President Noel Forgeard. Heading into the frenzy of the Paris air show, Boeing held an 81-aircraft order lead over Airbus for the year, welcome news after losing its traditional order-and-delivery leadership to Airbus in 2003 and 2004.

The article reports that long-haul, twin-aisle aircraft will dominate commercial presentations by Airbus and Boeing during the Paris air show, but the focus will be on a few specific types. Airbus was expected to launch the A350 with 100 or more orders or commitments as a competitor to Boeing's 787. However, last week the European company indicated the launch will be delayed until about September, although it says it has the orders. For Boeing, the emphasis will be on its big twin-engine, long-haul aircraft, including the first air show presentation of the 777-200LR, which also is in flight testing.

The article reports that aviation companies Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS agree that the next 20 years of air travel will bring a huge demand for new aircraft and they agree on the general growth trends for air travel by region. But beyond that, they are describing two different beasts. Not surprisingly, the conclusions match the size airplanes they are building. Boeing Vice President of Marketing Randy Baseler got a jump on the Paris air show in a teleconference from London last week by delineating why Airbus' star of that show, the 555-seat A380, won't play a big role in aviation's future. Airbus doesn't include regional jets in its forecast, which contributes to a more conservative outlook.

The article reports that Airbus is overhauling many of its production processes to cut lead times, reduce waste and achieve savings as it tries to remain price competitive in the face of exchange rates that favor Boeing Co. in a weak-dollar-dominated industry. The European manufacturer wants to achieve 2% year-on-year unit cost savings per program plus gain an extraordinary cost-reduction mandate aimed at countering the currency imbalance. Meeting the first goal will actually require a 5% productivity gain with inflation factored in, says Airbus Executive Vice President Karl-Heinz Hartmann.

The article reports that in its own industrial backyard, Airbus SAS will make its first air show presentation in Paris this week of its double-deck A380 and try to build momentum for the launch later this year of the A350, its answer to the sales threat posed by Boeing's mid-sized 787. Ironically, the company that invented large, long-haul air travel with the four-engine 747 isn't ready yet to commit to a stretched and re-engined upgrade of that airplane, the 747 Advanced, to siphon sales from the 555-seat A380. Boeing's marketing presentations will focus on the complementary nature of its two midsize twin-engine aircraft, the 200-300-seat 787 that is now under development and the 300-368-seat 777 family, that just passed its 10th anniversary in service.

The article reports that as Airbus Industrie SA glows with the first flight success of its impressively big A380, the fuel-efficiency and technology campaigns Boeing Co. has mounted for its mid-sized jet families are scoring impressive sales. Most attention is paid to the differences in size between their new wide-body aircraft. Both are committed to pushing new passenger conveniences, greater use of electrical systems and advanced aerodynamics. But Boeing has spent the past year emphasizing that improved engines, a lighter composite fuselage and wing and more fuel-efficient electrical systems will make the 787 20% more fuel-efficient than current-generation aircraft. Airbus has taken a more cautious approach, especially on whether composite technology is mature enough for fuselage

This article reports that newest offerings of Airbus Inc. and Boeing Co., the A380 and 787, respectively, are the first commercial jets launched since the Internet revolution hit its stride. Thales is leading Airbus' avionics development program, including equipment to support passenger multimedia offerings. Inflight entertainment (IFE) systems are a matter of airline choice, but the Thales i5000 IFE system for the A380 can hold up to 1,200 movies and support a 1-gigabtye Ethernet network that puts a keyboard and mouse at each seat for passengers to access the Web. The 787 will provide the first opportunity for the system to be standard equipment on a new aircraft.

This article reports that both Airbus Industrie SA and Boeing Commercial Airplanes have made market breakthroughs in China, but it's the Boeing sales team that gets the biggest bragging rights. Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Alan Mulally and China's ambassador to the U.S., Yang Jiechi, were set to sign a preliminary agreement in Washington on January 28, 2005, for the sale of 60 7E7-8 mid-sized jets to six Chinese carriers. At list prices, the deal would be worth $7.2 billion and is believed to be the single largest order placed by China.

The article presents information related to the airlines industry. Airbus Co.' top executives are convinced that the airline industry's downturn is coming to an end and despite fragile short-term sales expectations, are planning for better times. Turkish Airlines last week unveiled in Istanbul a decision to order five A330-200s, 19 A320s and 12 A321s after evaluating rival offerings submitted by Toulouse and Seattle. Kingfisher Airlines, an Indian startup, ordered four A320s powered by CFM56-5B turbofans and optioned an additional eight.

Airbus Co. controls more than 50 percent of the market and the Boeing Co. says it's time to clear the air with a new, enforceable agreement. And at the Farnborough air show last week, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president Alan Mulally stepped up the tempo. Airbus continue to subsidize and provide launch aid for each of their programs. What Boeing objects to is the usual practices of European governments in providing financial aid. Airbus points to a $3.2-billion incentive package that the state of Washington approved to assure 7E7 assembly in Everett.

Reports that aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co. intends to cede the large aircraft launch market to its competitor Airbus over the next decade as it focuses on its 7E7 range designed to fill the middle-of-the-market segment and define the aircraft's configuration during the next six months. Origins of Boeing's 7E7 program from the Sonic Cruiser program; Market envisioned by Boeing for middle-of-the-range aircraft.

Features the passenger and freight versions of 747-400 plane introduced by Boeing Co. in the aircraft industry. Goal of the company to compete with the sales of A340-600 from Airbus Industrie; Percentage of 747-400 used by aircraft carriers in Asia; Changes employed in the renewed models.

Reports on China's commitment to firm buys and options for Europe's Airbus Industrie aircraft. China's anti-United States trade sentiment; Description of airplanes to be leased from Airbus; Air China's commitment for eight A318 airplanes with two options; Air China's efforts to shed capacity in its larger aircraft types; Chinese carriers' recovery from 1998 losses.

Focuses on Airbus Industries' Managing Director Noel Forgeard's expected visit to China as part of a worldwide tour to discuss joint manufacturing initiatives in light of the cancellation of the AE31X program. Forgeard's visit as the European consortium's attempt to strengthen business links with China; Additional A3XX sales potential for service to secondary cities; Comments of Airbus China President Rolf Rue.

Reports that orders across their product ranges flowed in for Airbus and Boeing at the Farnborough air show in 1998. Whether major airlines will ever pay book value for new aircraft; Boeing's price increase following a year of record revenues and record losses; A listing of orders that were placed with various companies.

Looks at Airbus Industrie's efforts to create a partnership with Italy's Alenia to build China's Air Express regional jet. The Future Large Aircraft project expected to be used as the model for the partnership; Airbus wanting Alenia's help in developing the A340-600 and the A3XX; The AE-100 being the breakthrough project in the Aviation Industries of China's (AVIC) efforts to establish China as a major aerospace manufacturing power.

Reports on Airbus Industrie's schedule for the construction of its four-engine A340-8000 airbus. Design and features; Presentation of the airbus during the Japan Aerospace Exhibition '95; Asia as prime territory of the airbus; Company efforts to penetrate other markets; Need for an Asian industrial link up for the Airbus; Evaluation of the capability of the airbus by company vice-president for strategic planning Adam Brown.

The article examines the layout and construction of an aircraft factory in Mobile, Alabama by aerospace industries firm Airbus SAS for final assembly of its Airbus A320 jet transport. The resemblance of the factory's layout to that of Airbus's A320 assembly facilities in Tianjin, China and Hamburg, Germany is discussed. The U.S. supply chain for A320 production is considered.

The article focuses on helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter's expansion into Mexico. It states Eurocopter has opened a 12,000 square meter facility in Queretaro, Mexico and will ship assemblies to its sister company, airplane manufacturer Airbus, which Eurocopter supplies access doors for. It comments that Mexico's economic growth has increased Eurocopter's revenues by 15 percent in 2012. Eurocopter president Lutz Bertling described Mexico's economy as the most promising economy in the region.

The article discusses the sales, purchase orders, and profits of the airplane manufacturing companies Boeing and Airbus for the year 2012. Statistics are provided regarding the production of 787, 737, and 777 models of passenger airplanes by Boeing, and notes data on sales of the A320, A330, and A380 models from Airbus. The article also comments on labor negotiations between technicians, and engineers, and assemblers at Boeing.

The article discusses the aerospace and commercial aircraft manufacturer Airbus, focusing on its relationships with a concentration of aircraft parts suppliers in Southern California. Topics include the construction of an Airbus factory in Mobile, Alabama by 2016 and the purchase of computer numerical-controlled milling machines by the complex machined parts specialist Aerospace Dynamics International.

The article focuses on the OEM (original equipment manufacturers) supply chain and OEM's strategy for meeting the commercial aviation industry's supply demands and quality specifications, noting OEM strategy includes suppliers' contributing to and testing their design systems before the final assembly process. Production planning for Boeing and Airbus companies is mentioned.

The article discusses the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, reporting on a backlog of orders that may sustain the company through economic downturns in 2013. Topics include chairman of Boeing James McNerney, the production schedule and manufacturing of planes including the 737 MAX aircraft, and competition from the manufacturer Airbus.

The article focuses on how the challenges brought by the increase of the demand for the A320 and 737 jets and faced by Airbus and Boeing, respectively. It says that machinists and technicians were hired by the two companies to avoid and quality issues. It adds that Airbus, which operates three A320 lines, is planning to start assembling airplanes in Mobile, Alabama by 2015, while the jets of Boeing are assembled in Renton, Washington.

The article reports on the plans of Airbus to reveal the detailed design elements of A320NEO jet to determine how the wing and wingbox need to be stiffened to handle the engines of the airplane. It says that Boeing has completed the design of aerodynamic tradeoffs which focus on a regauged fuselage and aft-body aerodynamic improvements. It mentions that Airbus predicts single-aisles will account for 73% of the world fleet.

The article focuses on the efforts of U.S. states in pursuing employment in the aerospace industry. despite setbacks. It mentions the agreement by Airbus wherein it will locate a $600 million facility in Alabama, which will create 1,000 jobs. It says that the Airbus deal highlights how the states are engaged in getting manufacturing jobs. It adds that the facility's construction will start in the summer of 2013 which will include seven buildings and a 9,000-feet runway.

The article discusses the Boeing 737 MAX airplane, examining the potential popularity of the airplane at the Farnborough air show near London, England in July 2012. The article discusses the popularity of the Airbus A320NEO at the Paris, France air show in 2011 and notes the possibility that Boeing will announce an order of MAX airplanes from United Continental Airlines. The Bombardier CSeries jet is also examined.

The author reflects on the need for original equipment manufacturers to closely monitor supply chains. He talks about how aerospace companies Boeing and Airbus both have a significant backlog of orders and mentions that airlines have increased demand for new fuel-efficient aircraft. He comments that Boeing and Airbus are increasing production rates and speculates on if this is straining world supply chains.

The article looks at the biofuels industry in Brazil, focusing on the potential for using biofuels in aviation. It notes that Brazil is a global leader in the biofuels industry generally and reports that aerospace companies Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer have formed a preliminary partnership to develop biofuels for aviation.

The article discusses orders for aircraft from the company Boeing in 2011 including the Boeing 737 MAX, the Boeing 777, and the Boeing 787. The article examines the cancellation of orders from the Air Lease Corp., Oman Air, and Etihad Airways, the delivery of 787s to All Nippon Airways (ANA), and orders for the 737 MAX from Southwest Airlines. The sales of the Airbus A320NEO (new engine option) are examined.

The article announces that the Nordam Transparency Group has made a contract with the airplane manufacturer Airbus to supply windows for the A320 airplane family.

The article explores a joint venture between aircraft manufacturer Airbus and Avic's Xian Aircraft Co. in China. The author reflects on the assembly of jets in Tianjin, China and the development of the Chinese aviation market. Topics discussed include trade secrets, competition with manufacturer Boeing, and transportation costs.

The article explores the Chinese aviation market and efforts by aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus to develop relationships with aviation professionals and members of the industry in China. Topics discussed include state management of economic development, economic competition among foreign companies in China, and demand for passenger aircraft.