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☆ Flying cars — or eVTOLs — are becoming reality. Would you ride in one?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +36 min

They are flying cars, they're flying cars,Tom Chitty: These vehicles aren't necessarily actually cars with wheels, either, because I know that you've done you've got a program coming up soon about eVTOL. And the idea is there's going to be a fleet of these run by an operator. You've alluded to this feature program we've got coming out looking at the future of these, these flying cars, basically in these eVTOLs. And also, we can't finish this episode about flying cars and eVTOLs without talking about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the OG. Yeah, no, that's, that's very surprising.

Persons: Tom Chitty, Arjun Kharpal, who's, I've, we've, We've, I'm, they'd, I'd, there's, Arjun, that's, we're, you've, there'll, they're, You've, Kharpal, it's, you'll, They've, Morgan Stanley, someone's, What's, they've, They're, Big Ben, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Bang Bang, Tom, We'll Organizations: JPMorgan, CNBC, Mar, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Joby, Infrastructure, Boeing, Heathrow Airport, Civil Aviation Administration, U.S . Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Autonomy, London, Transport Locations: Spain, China, Europe, Munich, Germany, beyondthevalley@cnbc.com, London, Chinese, Guangzhou, Birmingham, U.S, Manchester, it's, eVTOLs, Battersea, Heathrow

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. aerospace company Stratolaunch conducted the first powered test flight of a new unmanned craft for hypersonic research on Saturday and called it a success. Hypersonic describes flights at speeds of at least Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. The Talon, powered by a liquid-fuel rocket engine, ended its flight by descending into the ocean as planned. The company called the result a major milestone in the development of the United States' first privately funded, reusable hypersonic test capability. That project was canceled, and new owners then repurposed Stratolaunch for launches of reusable hypersonic research vehicles.

Persons: Stratolaunch, Zachary Krevor, ” Krevor, Roc, Paul G, Allen Organizations: ANGELES, —, Mojave Air, Space, Microsoft, U.S . Air Force Research Laboratory Locations: — U.S, California, United States, Los Angeles, Reston , Virginia

☆ Passengers wake up in the ‘wrong’ country as Storm Isha plays havoc with flight plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Thousands of airline passengers across Europe woke up this morning at the wrong destination – and even in the wrong country – after Storm Isha caused havoc with flights, with dozens of cancelations, diversions and go-arounds in western Europe. Quintupling flight timesThis flight from Shannon to Edinburgh ended up in Cologne. There were over 100 go-arounds at UK airports, according to NATS, the UK’s air traffic control operator. “We did see some diverted flights leaving Manchester and some diverted to Manchester because of conditions at other airports, particularly Dublin,” they said. London’s Gatwick airport saw 22 diversions, but was able to take five flights diverted from other airports, according to a spokesperson for the airport.

Persons: Storm Isha, Kevin Cullinane, FlightRadar, “ Isha, Steve Fox, “, ”, –, Jerry Dyer, – Dyer, Isha, Jerry, Big Organizations: CNN, Ryanair, Dublin Airport, FlightRadar, Paris Beauvais, Belfast, Dublin, Lufthansa, Cork, NATS, Gatwick, Stansted, Big Jet, Heathrow, Birmingham Airport, London Locations: Europe, Ireland, Dublin, daa, ’, Lanzarote, Canary, Bordeaux, France, Shannon, Edinburgh, Cologne, Manchester, Paris, What’s, Glasgow, Liverpool –, Belfast, Liverpool, Scotland, Germany, Munich, England, Deauville, Stansted, London, Antalya, Turkey, Lyon, Budapest, Cork, Mexico City

☆ Airbus raises A350 output goal as core Q3 profits rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Airbus A350 aircraft during a display at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022. The world's largest planemaker said it was aiming to return to pre-COVID levels of 10 A350 jets a month in 2026, up from a previous goal of nine a month by end-2025. Adjusted operating earnings came in at 1.013 billion euros ($1.08 billion) in the quarter, up 21%, as revenues rose 12% to 14,897 billion. Analysts expected earnings of 1.142 billion euros on revenues of 15.098 billion, according to a company-compiled consensus. Production on the company's main profit-generating programme the Airbus A320 family, is "progressing well" towards a previously announced target of 75 a month in 2026, Airbus said.

Persons: Peter Cziborra, Tim Hepher, Matt Scuffham, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Airbus, Farnborough, REUTERS, Rights, Industry, Thomson Locations: Farnborough, Britain

☆ Trump’s looming surrender will kill the buzz of the first GOP debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The debate – hosted by Fox News, which has amplified many of Trump’s false claims he won the 2020 election – exemplified the impossible conundrum at the center of the GOP race. Trump, exploiting his unrelenting support among GOP primary voters, has pulled off the feat of wielding multiple indictments as a political shield. But Ken Cuccinelli, who is backing DeSantis despite serving in Trump’s administration, argued that the Florida governor had used Trump’s absence to make a valuable connection with Republican voters. So will Trump stick with his strategy of refusing to elevate his rivals by appearing with them on stage – for instance, at the next GOP debate at the Ronald Reagan library in California next month? “In the next debate, there’s not going to be any Atlanta surrender and counterprogramming,” Kall said.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Chris Christie’s, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis didn’t, Trump, –, Christie, Bret Baier, ” Christie, Trump’s, Biden, Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Joe Biden, “, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, ” Pence, Ramaswamy, Rudolph Giuliani, Mafia, ” Trump, Tucker Carlson, Haley, Pence, Matt Gaetz, ” Gaetz, Ken Cuccinelli, ” Cuccinelli, Aaron Kall, DeSantis, ” Kall, Ronald Reagan, there’s, ” Organizations: CNN, GOP, Republican, White, Former New Jersey Gov, Florida Gov, Fox News, Trump, New, Trump . Former South Carolina Gov, “, Republican Party, University of Michigan Locations: Atlanta, Wisconsin, Florida, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Carolina, Fulton County , Georgia, Georgia, Fulton, Iowa, New Hampshire, California

☆ JetZero: Is this new plane design the future of aviation?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“That is a staggering leap forward in comparison to what the industry is used to.”A rendering of JetZero's blended wing design. American aircraft designer and industrialist Jack Northrop created a jet-powered flying wing design in 1947, which inspired the B-2 in the 1990s. NASAIn 2020, Airbus built a small blended wing demonstrator, about six feet in length, signaling interest in pursuing a full-size aircraft in the future. Similarly, JetZero wants to simultaneously develop three variants: a passenger plane, a cargo plane and a fuel tanker. “Extensive aerodynamic testing and optimization are essential to fully realize the drag reduction potential of this innovative aircraft design.

Persons: Douglas, ”, Tom O’Leary, Jack Northrop, O’Leary, “, “ It’s, ” JetZero, JetZero, Bailey Miles, Miles, Richard Aboulafia, “ There’s Organizations: CNN, Boeing, Airbus, Douglas DC, NASA, JetZero, KC, US Air Force, Air Force Locations: California, Germany, American

British Industry Minister Nusrat Ghani inaugurated a wing technology plant in southwest England on Tuesday to help design and build wings that are longer, lighter, more slender and feature folding wingtips to fly more sustainably. Industry sources estimate Airbus is spending in the "high hundreds of millions" of dollars on Wing of Tomorrow. Partridge said Airbus was in talks with at least three suppliers to lower costs and weave parts more efficiently. That means we need to increase the span of the wing," Partridge said. Industry sources say Airbus could tap part of the research if it moves ahead with a potential stretch of the smaller A220.

Persons: Nusrat Ghani, Sue Partridge, Partridge, Joanna Plucinska, Tim Hepher, Mark Potter Organizations: Airbus, British Industry, Boeing, Concorde, Thomson Locations: FILTON, England, Filton, Paris

☆ Podcast: Biden provokes Beijing, now what?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

China hits back after Joe Biden compared Xi Jinping to a “dictator”. The remarks rekindle tensions that both sides had been trying to curb. A year after Roe v Wade was overturned we follow one Texas doctor who’s moved states to keep providing abortions. Plus, undersea sounds heard in the hunt for the Titanic tourist sub, Jerome Powell’s appearance in Congress and all the deals from the Paris Airshow. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, ”, Roe, Wade, who’s, Jerome Powell’s, Xi, Crews Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Titanic, Thomson, Reading China, Biden, Paris Locations: China, Texas, Paris, India

But it was surpassed on day one of the Paris show by Indian rival IndiGo's (INGL.NS) order for 500 Airbus narrowbody jets. Air India said it was worth $70 billion at list prices, though airlines typically get discounts on big orders worth at least half the headline price, analysts say. The Airbus part comprises 210 A320neo and A321neo narrowbody jets and 40 A350 widebodies. "Our ambitious fleet renewal and expansion programme will see Air India operate the most advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft across our route network within five years," Air India Chief Executive Campbell Wilson said in a statement. The mega-order will also put Air India on a stronger footing to compete with budget rival IndiGo, which has a majority share of the Indian market and a strong position in regional flights.

Persons: Royce, Campbell Wilson, LUDOVIC MARIN, Lars Wagner, Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska, Allison Lampert, Valerie Insinna, Aditi Shah, Mark Potter Organizations: India, Airbus, Boeing, Ethiopian Airlines, Paris, Air India, Air, Reuters Graphics Air, Visitors, International Paris Air, Le, Royce, Aero Engines, Tata, Emirates, IndiGo, . Leasing, Avolon, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Thomson Locations: PARIS, India, Paris, Air India, France

That deal, sketched out in February, was at the time the largest ever announced by number of planes. But it was surpassed on day one of the Paris show by Indian rival IndiGo's (INGL.NS) order for 500 Airbus narrowbody jets. Reuters GraphicsAir India's provisional deal included 250 planes from Airbus and 220 from Boeing. The Airbus part comprised 210 A320neo narrowbodies and 40 A350 widebodies, while the Boeing deal was for 190 737 MAX, 20 787 Dreamliners and 10 mini-jumbo 777X. Together with another 25 Airbus jets to be leased, the overall acquisition reaches 495 jets, an Airbus executive said at the time.

Persons: Royce, narrowbodies, Lars Wagner, Tim Hepher, Joanna Plucinska, Allison Lampert, Valerie Insinna, Aditi Shah, Mark Potter Organizations: Air India, Ethiopian Airlines, Paris, Airbus, Boeing, Reuters Graphics Air, Royce, Aero Engines, Tata, Emirates, Air, IndiGo, . Leasing, Avolon, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Thomson Locations: PARIS, India, Paris, Air India

The comments suggest a more muted stance on the prospect for significant orders of large Airbus jets compared with the planemaker's best-selling A320neo medium-haul model, for which it is doubling production capacity in China. It also welcomed an agreement giving delivery clearance for 150 A320neo and 10 A350 jets that Airbus had already sold to China. Airbus is marketing a freighter version of its A350 jet and is keen to sell more wide-body passenger jets to China. The statement also said European and Chinese regulators would accelerate certification involving the Airbus H175 helicopter, Dassault Aviation (AM.PA) 8X business jet and Harbin Y12F turboprop. The H175 was co-developed by Airbus Helicopters and Chinese aerospace conglomerate AVIC and is often used for ambulance or police service.

[1/2] Air India passenger aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport in Mumbai, India, February 14, 2023. Current limits on the amount of flying allowed between India and many markets date back to heavy losses at Air India around the beginning of the last decade, analysts said. "We are not getting enough share from this market," Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Bilal Eksi told the CAPA India conference. "I think it's about time that our carriers looked at the international market with greater focus. Other analysts noted India is not alone in making use of a post-war system of air traffic agreements to aid development.

☆ The World’s Biggest Planes Are Finding Their Way Back Into the Skies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Benjamin Katz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Many airlines are flying their Airbus A380s again after mothballing the planes at the height of the pandemic. The world’s biggest passenger airliners—many of which had been earmarked for the scrapyard—are being brought back into service as carriers rush to restore long-haul air travel. Aircraft lessors said airlines are clamoring for their once-parked fleets of big jets, which typically each ferry hundreds of passengers on long-distance routes. The demand is limiting availability and pushing up the prices of rentals.

☆ How United Airlines expects electric planes to change the way passengers make travel decisions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

As electric cars and SUVs move toward 5% of the new-car market in the U.S. and 9% globally, few airlines have made any major push toward electric planes. Sustainability plans being pursued by American Airlines , Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines barely mention electric planes. "Go back to the 1990s, there were hundreds of small aircraft serving a lot of communities that have now lost service." "There are literally dozens of companies that wouldn't have worked that are now viable startups that you'll hear about United Airlines and United Ventures investing in in the coming months." Most likely, electric planes will serve small markets, hydrogen-powered planes will serve medium-sized passenger loads, and SAF-powered jet engines will serve major cities.

☆ Analysis: Airbus widens A350 cabin in mile-high real estate war
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The latest salvo concerns some of the world's prime real estate - the cabin of a big jet where comfort meets cost. Airbus said in a blog it was introducing a New Production Standard (NPS) to make A350s lighter and more flexible. Changes include scraping four inches off interior walls and making the cabin longer by moving a bulkhead and squeezing the cockpit. Currently most A350 economy cabins have nine 18-inch wide seats per row. Airlines opting to add an extra seat per row to fly 10 abreast will have 17-inch wide seats.

☆ Airbus says bigger A220 jetliner makes sense at right time
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury speaks during a visit of German Economy and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck at Airbus research facilities in Hamburg, Germany, January 18, 2022. A stretched version of the lightweight Canadian-designed airplane makes a lot of sense, "but we don't want to be right too early", Chief Executive Guillaume Faury told investors. Airbus has seized a commanding lead in the main part of the single-aisle market, most recently through the larger A321neo which Asam said would have an increasing proportion of sales. However, the industry's biggest single-aisle variant, the delayed A321XLR, is not emerging as quickly as Airbus hoped. Improvements in the range of the largest single-aisle jets like the A321neo have eaten into the lower end of the market traditionally reserved for bigger wide-body jets, where Boeing has for decades widely been seen as the market leader.

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