Airbus has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Metron Aviation, a leading provider of advanced Air Traffic Management (ATM) products and services for the global aviation industry. This acquisition strengthens Airbus’ strategy to accelerate and support ATM programs that will dramatically improve global air transportation capacity, efficiency and environmental sustainability. The transaction is subject… Continue reading Airbus Acquires Metron Aviation
Tag: Airbus
Air France and Hungarian water-melons
While Hungarians are being urged by their Minister of Agriculture to buy a few extra pieces of water-melons, thereby helping local growers, French politicians under the leadership of right-wing MP Bernard Carayon are proclaiming: “Air France is Airbus, not Boeing”. Excuse me? Of course this incredible folly is a direct retaliation for the US Air… Continue reading Air France and Hungarian water-melons
A personal reflection on the AF447 accident
I write from the perspective of a long retired pilot who only flew on old fashioned round dial types (Britannias, VC10s, 707s and 747s). This does not mean that I decry the modern Airbus and Boeing systems – far from it, I think the Airbus philosophy has made a great contribution to air safety. The… Continue reading A personal reflection on the AF447 accident
Fly4D takes off
The Fly4D consortium – led by Airbus with Cassidian, Honeywell, Lufthansa Systems and Sabre Airline Solutions– has been awarded a contract to perform SESAR sub-work package 11.1 (Flight and Wing Operations Centres). This challenging work addresses the definition, the development and the validation of Airspace User’s future flight planning and control systems and procedures in… Continue reading Fly4D takes off
The final minutes of Air France Flight 447
There are few things in aviation more nightmarish than an unsolved, major accident. When, on the night of 1 June 2009, an Air France Airbus A330-203 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean on its flight from Rio to Paris it was easy to feel that such a nightmare was about to unfold. The plane went off… Continue reading The final minutes of Air France Flight 447
Spreading my wings
Airport Blagnac (LFBO), Toulouse, France. A historic place. This is where the first Concorde took off on 2 March 1969 commanded by Andre Turcat. The biggest passenger plane, the Airbus A380 flew for the first time also from here on 27 April 2005. These days, Blagnac is Airbus’ main base, all new-born aircraft built in… Continue reading Spreading my wings
When Technology Overtakes Obfuscation
Not so long ago the hottest topic of discussion, and a major item of contention, was the idea of Free Flight. In case you are not sure what that was all about let me just say that free flight is an air traffic management concept under which the responsibility for providing separation is transferred to… Continue reading When Technology Overtakes Obfuscation
Incredible story – or is it?
Imagine an American opening his daily paper and finding an article about Boeing Commercial Airplanes that ran something like this. “It was announced to-day that Boeing’s VP for Customers was leaving the company even before its CEO and COO are to swap places later this year as called for by the agreement between the State… Continue reading Incredible story – or is it?
First concrete SESAR achievements in 2011
At the biggest international Air Traffic Management exhibition, ATC Global being held this week in Amsterdam, the SESAR Joint Undertaking presents the first components of the future European ATM system. The aim of this first SESAR Release is to group projects and validation exercises and to start delivering together with the 49 SESAR members and… Continue reading First concrete SESAR achievements in 2011
Boeing wins $35 billion tanker contract
It looks like the longest running and possibly most controversial procurement process in US Air Force history has finally come to an end with Boeing being awarded the $35 billion contract to build the USAF’s next generation airborne refueling platform. Boeing is basing this on the 767 and the contract has given the 767 line… Continue reading Boeing wins $35 billion tanker contract