Airbus
Airbus debuts CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL prototype
Unveiling coincided with the opening of the new CityAirbus test center in Donauwörth, Germany, ahead of the aircraft’s maiden flight later this year.
Grace Nehls
Senior Managing Editor, CompositesWorld
Airbus reports record commercial aircraft orders in 2023
Airbus delivered 735 commercial aircraft in 2023, an 11% increase on 2022, demonstrating strong performance despite a complex operating environment.
Read MoreAirbus starts production of Galileo Second Generation satellite featuring composites
Manufacturing of six state-of-the-art GNSS satellites uses composite structures from Beyond Gravity, will augment current Galileo constellation.
Read MoreAirbus reports widebody market recovery, production ramp-up progress
Nine-month 2023 earnings detail a 12% increase in consolidated revenue from 2022, meeting 2023 delivery targets and increased production rates for Airbus A350 widebody aircraft.
Read MoreClean Sky 2 OUTCOME project demonstrates PEEK thermoplastic composite wingbox cover
Airbus Defense and Space, FIDAMC and Aernnova demonstrate out-of-autoclave, one-shot process for wingbox cover with integrated stringers for regional aircraft.
Read MorePlant tour: Spirit AeroSystems, Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.
Purpose-built facility employs resin transfer infusion (RTI) and assembly technology to manufacture today’s composite A220 wings, and prepares for future new programs and production ramp-ups.
Read MoreAirbus inaugurates new Toulouse-based A320 final assembly line
Final assembly line will contribute to A320 Family production rate increase of 75 aircraft/month in 2026, adding to Airbus’ 10 assembly sites.
Read MoreFraunhofer IWS completes MFFD longitudinal fuselage joint using CONTIjoin technology
Thermoplastic composite upper and lower half shells for the Multifunctional Fuselage Demonstrator were welded using CO2 laser over a total length of 8 meters.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Technical Editor, CompositesWorld
Paris Air Show orders bring aerospace industry back on track
The air show’s success was guided by nearly 1,266 order and option announcements from Airbus, Boeing, Embraer and others, indicating supply chain progress.
Read MoreManufacturing the MFFD thermoplastic composite fuselage
Demonstrator’s upper, lower shells and assembly prove materials and new processes for lighter, cheaper and more sustainable high-rate future aircraft.
Read MoreAirbus final assembly line in China delivers its first A321neo
In March 2023, the Tianjin-based final assembly facility commissioned a composites-intensive A321neo for Juneyao Air.
Read MoreStelia Aerospace Canada becomes Airbus Atlantic Canada
Name change consolidates Stelia’s position as a wholly owned subsidiary of the newly formed Airbus Atlantic business, and enhances Airbus’ competitive aerostructure production capabilities.
Read MoreAirbus selects Airborne to supply automated ply placement system
The pick-and-place system with software-driven automated will be the first in Airbus facilities, enabling highly efficient and flexible dry fiber preform manufacture for A350 structures.
Read MoreEcoRudder project to develop thermoplastic composite aircraft rudder
Airbus, EconCore, Fraunhofer and the Technical University of Denmark will produce a potentially recyclable rudder from thermoplastic honeycomb sandwich composites.
Read MoreAirbus ramps up A350-1000F freighter developments, manufacture
Widebody freighter brings enhanced fuel burn, CO2 emissions and economics compared to other offerings, in addition to adding volume, range and payload.
Grace Nehls
Senior Managing Editor, CompositesWorld
Airbus to expand A320 assembly capacity in China
A recent industry agreement to open a second line in Tianjin, China is targeted at Airbus’ goal to produce 75 aircraft/month globally in 2026.
Read MorePEEK vs. PEKK vs. PAEK and continuous compression molding
Suppliers of thermoplastics and carbon fiber chime in regarding PEEK vs. PEKK, and now PAEK, as well as in-situ consolidation — the supply chain for thermoplastic tape composites continues to evolve.
Read MoreDelta Air Lines firms order for 12 additional Airbus A220 aircraft
Delta Airlines has now made four reorders within four years, bringing its total to 119 single-aisle A220 aircraft.
Read MoreAirbus releases 2022 full-year commercial aircraft orders, deliveries
The aerospace giant surpassed 2021 net orders, deliveries and aircraft in backlog covering all aircraft families.
Read MoreAirbus reveals hydrogen-powered zero-emission engine
Fuel cell engine architecture will be tested onboard Airbus’ ZEROe demonstrator aircraft to determine feasibility of a 2035 entry-into-service.
Read MoreAirbus, ArianeGroup sign transition batch contract for Ariane 6 launch vehicles
Airbus will provide four primary lightweight carbon fibers structures for the next 14 vehicle launchers via state-of-the-art 4.0 industrial facility in Getafe, Spain.
Read MoreRadome concept highlights composite aerostructures expertise
JEC World 2024: Airbus Atlantic is displaying a carbon and quartz fiber radome, in addition to touching on its capabilities in design, development of aerospace structures, parts and equipment.
Grace Nehls
Senior Managing Editor, CompositesWorld
Air Canada orders additional A220s, brings total to 60 aircraft
Fifteen additional A220s, featuring infused composite wings, brings Air Canada’s operational fleet to more than 125 Airbus aircraft.
Read MoreOne-piece, one-shot, 17-meter wing spar for high-rate aircraft manufacture
GKN Aerospace has spent the last five years developing materials strategies and resin transfer molding (RTM) for an aircraft trailing edge wing spar for the Airbus Wing of Tomorrow program.
Read MoreAirbus, Hiratagakuen partner to develop AAM services in Japan
Agreement will tackle future eVTOL flight routes, concepts of operations and equipment for safe flights, all of which is crucial to launch commercial services with the composite CityAirbus NextGen.
Read MoreAirbus-built European Service Module is ready for launch with Orion spacecraft
The European Space Module (ESM) will power NASA’s Orion spacecraft to and from its lunar orbit as part of the Artemis missions, featuring a web assembly of carbon fiber sheets and deployable CFRP rigid panels.
Read MoreAirbus invests in clean hydrogen infrastructure investment fund
The largest in the world, Hy24’s investment fund is expected to provide financial capital to back large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure projects worldwide.
Read MoreAirbus and CFM launch flight test demonstrator for advanced open fan architecture
Flight test demonstrator aims to mature and accelerate development of advanced propulsion technologies as part of CFM RISE program, with CFRP blades as key part of design.
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