All articles tagged with #airbus
Artemis II’s Moon flyby benefited from the Airbus-built European Service Module, which provides propulsion, life-support and thermal control for Orion; the module performed flawlessly, underscoring Europe’s long-running role in human spaceflight and signaling ambitions to supply modules for Artemis III/IV and participate in the lunar Gateway through international cooperation.
Atlas Air Worldwide ordered 20 Airbus A350F freighters—its largest ever for the model—making Atlas the leading customer and signaling a major fleet modernization to boost fuel efficiency, payload, and range for global air-cargo operations (with the A350F debuting in the US).
Airbus and Kratos plan to field a Valkyrie-based Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (UCCA) for the German Air Force by 2029, integrating Airbus’ sovereign MARS mission system and its MindShare AI. Maiden flight of the Airbus-configured Valkyrie is slated for 2026, with the system capable of autonomous operation or manned-unmanned teaming, and upgrades to Eurofighter connectivity via the Litening 5 pod.
Essex-born Sian Cleaver, a spacecraft engineer for Airbus in Bremen, says the 'Essex girl' stereotype never hindered her dream of becoming an astronaut and helping power NASA's Artemis II. The mission, delayed but planned to orbit the Moon with four astronauts including Christina Koch, highlights the push for visible diversity in STEM and the importance of mentoring young girls.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged a fair rebalance of Germany’s trade with China to shrink a €90 billion 2025 deficit driven by Chinese overcapacity, calling for transparency, level competition and rule-based trade; he traveled with a business delegation, noted potential Airbus orders, and pressed China to influence Moscow to end Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Beijing that China will place a larger order for Airbus jets—up to 120 additional aircraft—as part of his visit to deepen Sino-German ties, meeting Xi Jinping and Li Qiang. He urged a balanced, fair partnership and a level playing field for German firms, with the trip also including a stop in Hangzhou to engage tech firms like Unitree Robotics.
At the Singapore Airshow, China's COMAC showcased its C919 as a potential rival to Boeing and Airbus, highlighting government backing, lower prices, and growing demand in Asia-Pacific, while European certification and a complex, stretched supply chain pose hurdles to a rapid global rollout.
Boeing outsold Airbus on gross orders in 2025 for the first time this decade, booking 1,075 gross orders (Airbus: 1,000) as countries rushed to buy US aircraft to curry favor with the Trump administration. Boeing delivered 600 commercial jets, while Airbus delivered 793, and the backlog climbed to about 6,130. The turnaround has been aided by FAA relief allowing Boeing to certify its own jets again and by the Spirit AeroSystems acquisition, with large orders from carriers like Alaska Airlines helping late-year momentum.
Boeing finished 2025 with 1,173 net orders and 600 deliveries (63 in December), marking its first net-order lead over Airbus since 2018, even as Airbus delivered more jets in 2025 (793) with 889 net orders; supply-chain constraints persisted, airlines secured early-2030s delivery slots, and recent orders from Alaska Airlines and Delta signal ongoing demand.
China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited (CALC) has ordered 30 additional Airbus A320neo Family aircraft, bringing their total Airbus orders to 282, with 203 being A320neo models. This order underscores CALC's ongoing partnership with Airbus and their focus on sustainable, efficient aircraft solutions for their customers.
Two Chinese airlines, Spring Airlines and Juneyao Airlines, plan to purchase a total of 55 Airbus A320-family jets worth up to $8.2 billion, with deliveries expected between 2028 and 2032, pending government approvals.
Airbus has reduced its plane delivery target for 2023 from 820 to around 790 due to a fuselage panel quality issue on its A320 aircraft, affecting hundreds of jets and prompting inspections and software updates, but the company maintains its financial outlook despite the setbacks.
Airbus has reduced its delivery targets for the A320 aircraft due to ongoing problems with the aircraft, impacting its production schedule and commitments.
Airbus is inspecting a limited number of A320 aircraft due to a supplier quality issue with metal panels, following recent widespread grounding of planes for a software update related to solar radiation interference. The issue is not considered an immediate safety threat, and the inspection process aims to identify affected aircraft, with the impact on repairs and timelines still unclear.
Airbus's stock dropped over 9% after a major software glitch affected nearly half of its A320 aircraft, though most have now been fixed with software updates, with ongoing efforts to repair the remaining planes. The company prioritized safety and apologized for passenger delays.