Airbus

Airbus locks in Air-France KLM order for new A350 freighter

A white Air France-KLM Cargo jet against a blue sky with clouds. The airline is one of the new customers for the A350 freighter.

Air France-KLM on Monday confirmed it will move ahead with an order for four A350 large freighters, the new aircraft Airbus brought to market late last year to challenge Boeing in the manufacture of cargo jets. 

Air France-KLM, has an option for four additional aircraft, said the A350 freighters are needed to meet growing demand for cargo lift. They will be based at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, where Air France-KLM has a 150,000-square-foot global cargo hub. The airline currently operates...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/airbus-locks-in-air-france-klm-order-for-new-a350-freighter

Airbus tests biofuel on A380 for first time

A large fuel truck with sustainable aviation fuel fills up an airplane.

European aerospace manufacturer Airbus said Monday it has performed a first flight of its extra-large A380 aircraft powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), part of an ongoing series of efforts underway to help airlines get to carbon-neutral emissions by midcentury.

The test aircraft took off from Blagnac Airport in Toulouse, France, on Friday with one of four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines on 100% SAF. The flight lasted three hours.

Total Energies provided 29 tons of unblended SAF...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/airbus-tests-biofuel-on-a380-for-first-time

Airbus launches cargo airline with whale-shaped super transporter

Funky Airbus Beluga cargo jet soars into the air, view from below

Airbus said Tuesday it is commercializing its in-house fleet of Beluga supersize jets used to transport large aircraft components between manufacturing sites to offer logistics companies and other organizations airlift for outsized shipments.

The iconic planes are designed in the image of the beluga whale, which has a distinctive bulbous forehead.

The new service — Airbus Beluga Transport — will serve commercial customers with large cargo transport needs in a variety of sectors, including space,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/airbus-launches-cargo-airline-with-whale-shaped-super-transporter

FAA yanks proposed safety conditions for FedEx missile defense system

A white FedEx cargo jet with a purple tail flying across blue sky on landing approach.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday withdrew special safety conditions it officially proposed earlier in the day that FedEx Express would need to meet in order to receive approval for installing a laser-emitting antimissile defense system on an aircraft.

The decision effectively puts on hold any review of FedEx’s plan for an onboard missile countermeasure. FedEx (NYSE: FDX) applied to the FAA in late 2019 for certification to modify the design of an Airbus A321 passenger plane to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/faa-yanks-proposed-safety-conditions-for-fedex-missile-defense-system

Singapore Airlines to replace 747 freighter fleet with Airbus A350

Rendering of a Singapore Airlines Cargo jet in blue sky.

Singapore Airlines has signed a preliminary commitment with Airbus for seven of its new A350 large freighter aircraft to begin replacing the cargo division’s existing Boeing 747-400 fleet in the fourth quarter of 2025, the companies announced Wednesday.

Singapore Airlines Cargo operates seven 747 all-cargo aircraft. It also manages and processes cargo carried in the belly of the airline’s passenger fleet. 

Singapore Airlines is the world’s largest operator of the A350, with 56 aircraft currently...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/singapore-airlines-to-replace-747-freighter-fleet-with-airbus-a350

Seawing kite to start trials on Airbus RO/RO

Airseas, a French tech pioneer founded by former Airbus engineers, has completed the first installation of its automated kite Seawing on a commercial vessel.

The first Seawing system has been installed on the vessel Ville de Bordeaux, chartered by Airbus and operated by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs. The RO/RO ship, which transports major aircraft components between France and the United States, will deploy a 500 square meter Seawing on its monthly transatlantic voyages from January 2022, conducting...

https://www.marinelog.com/technology/seawing-kite-to-start-trials-on-airbus-ro-ro/

Here comes the Airbus A320 converted freighter

A white plane heading up in the sky with visible patches on fuselage from retrofit work. View from rear.

The first Airbus A320 passenger plane to be converted to a freighter configuration made its maiden flight Wednesday at an aerospace park in Singapore, the company behind the new design said.

Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), a joint venture between Airbus and Singapore’s ST Engineering, said the first customer for the refurbished cargo jet is United Arab Emirates-based Vaayu Group, which last month announced it will lease five of the aircraft from ST Engineering’s aviation leasing arm. 

The plane is in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/here-comes-the-airbus-a320-converted-freighter

Ocean carrier CMA CGM orders A350 cargo jets from Airbus

White jet with CMA CGM logo. Plane parked.

Airbus on Friday landed ocean shipping and logistics giant CMA CGM as the second customer for its new freighter version of the popular A350 twin-aisle passenger aircraft as competition for dedicated cargo jets heats up to meet global shipping demand.

The European airframer said CMA CGM, which launched a cargo airline in March to diversify its business and better control capacity for its CEVA Logistics unit, has signed a preliminary sales agreement to buy four A350 all-cargo aircraft. The deal is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ocean-carrier-cma-cgm-orders-a350-cargo-jets-from-airbus

Airbus A350 leads spate of new orders for factory, converted freighters

A Cathay Pacific A350 passenger jet takes off.

A flurry of new orders for converted and new-build freighters since Friday, as well as Boeing’s decision to establish more production lines to retrofit used passenger planes to carry cargo containers, further demonstrates investor confidence in the long-term growth prospects for air cargo.

Air Lease Corp. (NYSE: AL) announced at the Dubai Air Show that it will be the launch customer for Airbus’ large A350 freighter with an initial order for seven planes. Boeing said Emirates cargo division is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/airbus-a350-leads-spate-of-new-orders-for-factory-converted-freighters

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