Electric-powered regional jets bring electrifying experiments, mega megawatts… and hybrid hype?
Aircraft manufacturers and aviation technology companies worldwide are gearing up for the next frontier in aviation: a regional jet with electrically-powered propulsion, flying passengers for an hour or two with reduced emissions, noise and cost. And that frontier is within the next 10 years, multiple manufacturers are now saying, with new breakthrough partnerships emerging even
Airbus takes over Bombardier’s C Series after Boeing spat
Bombardier’s single-aisle, twinjet C Series small airliner is as popular with passengers as it has been lukewarmly received by airlines, with an all-new cabin, 2-3 configuration and 18‑inch wide seats stretching to 19-inch in the middle seat of three making it one of the most pleasant ways to fly. “It’s a cute little airplane,” said
Electric jet – 30 years of the Airbus A320
When the Airbus A320 first took flight in 1987, how many observers realised they were watching the maiden voyage of one of the most successful aircraft of all time? Thirty years later, nearly 11,000 A320 family aircraft in four variants have been produced on four assembly lines in four countries on three continents, with Airbus
Budget carrier AirAsia has ordered 100 Airbus A321neo aircraft which are likely to be used for Australian flights shortly after their introduction. The order was announced by AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes and AirAsia chief executive Aireen Omar on Day Two of the Farnborough Air Show on Tuesday (European time). It is the largest
Airbus predicts 33,000 commercial aircraft will be required, while Boeing’s crystal ball suggests a market of nearly 40,000 new commercial aircraft — valued at, Airbus reckons, US$5.2 trillion, while Boeing estimates US$5.9 trillion — over the next 20 years, the airframers said at the 2016 Farnborough Air Show on Monday (European time). These regular commercial market
Learn on the fly with Virgin Australia’s wireless inflight edutainment system
“On your next flight, why not pass the time as you learn a new skill whilst flying above the clouds?” Virgin Australia asks as it launches its latest inflight entertainment innovation: short hour-long modules on a variety of subjects delivered via its wireless streaming inflight entertainment system. “Are you interested in learning a new skill,
