Airbus

We recently told you about Airbus’s ambitious plans for the VoltAir concept, a proposed electric-powered airliner that could take to the skies within 20 years — that vision is one step closer to reality with the successful flight test of a prototype electric airplane, called the E-Fan, in Bordeaux, France, that Airbus says was built […]

As of this month, the Eurocopter brand name is no more as the new Airbus Helicopters emerges as the world’s dominant player in civil rotorcraft manufacturing. The company was formally renamed on January 2, and the transition is now complete as the new-look Airbus Helicopters has rolled out a revamped website and officially changed the […]

At NBAA Airbus told reporters about its new safety utilities that aim to eliminate some of the most common types of commercial aircraft accidents. The ROW/ROPS (runway overrun warning and runway overrun prevention, respectively) give ACJ pilots visual indications that encourage go-arounds if things are not going well on approach. The ROP function automatically maximizes […]

European aerospace giant Airbus will build its first U.S. factory in a move aimed at making the company more competitive against archrival Boeing. The new plant in Mobile, Alabama – due to open in 2015 – will employ 1,000 people when it reaches full production capacity. Airbus said it hopes the factory will lower costs […]

A recent patent awarded to Airbus by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office indicates engineers at the industry giant have quite a unique design up their sleeves – a double fuselage airliner, to be exact. Design drawings associated with the patent, filed in 2008, show the fuselages connected by way of two forward-swept wings, with […]

An Airbus Industrie A320-211 operated by Air Canada and piloted by an airline transport pilot sustained minor damage at about 1045 Central time when the co-pilot’s window cracked during cruise at FL340.

A second wild ride of an Air France Airbus has gained the attention of safety investigators. French media reports emerged last week about an Air France flight that recently experienced some events similar to those of Flight 447 shortly before it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, reigniting debate over what caused the fatal crash that […]

Imagine yourself in an airliner 40 years from now. What does it look like? According to Airbus’ lofty prediction, which will likely cause more than a few retrospective chuckles down the road, passengers flying in 2050 should be able to play a game of virtual golf, breathe in antioxidant-enriched air and watch the sky take […]

What’s bigger than “jumbo?” An Australian news outlet has reported that Airbus is ready to pull the trigger on development of a stretched A380 — an airplane that is already the largest capacity airplane ever to fly. Not surprisingly, Airbus has yet to comment on the report, which one would classify either as a leak, […]

At about 0725 Central time, the airplane, operating as United Airlines Flight 497, exited the left side of a runway after returning due to automated warnings of smoke in an equipment bay. The airplanes nose wheel exited the side of the runway upon completing the landing roll and an emergency evacuation was conducted. The airplane, with 109 passengers and crew aboard, had departed about 20 minutes earlier. The passengers and crew exited the airplane via slides.