Airbus seals VietJet deal as hopes rise at Paris Air Show for end to tariffs
Airbus struck a deal with budget airline VietJet for up to 150 single-aisle jets at the Paris Airshow today, where industry hopes of a return to tariff-free trade were given a boost by US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy.
Sean Duffy said he wanted civil aviation to return to a 1979 zero-tariff trade agreement, in one of the clearest signs yet that the Trump administration might favour such a move.
However, Duffy added that while the White House was aware that the US is a net exporter in aerospace, it was also dealing with a complex tariff situation.
US President Donald Trump's 10% tariffs on nearly all airplane and parts imports are a headache for an industry already battling supply chain challenges and facing fresh turbulence from last week's deadly Air India crash and conflict in the Middle East.
In early May, the US Commerce Department launched a "Section 232" national security investigation into imports of commercial aircraft, jet engines and parts that could form the basis for even higher tariffs on such imports.
Airlines, planemakers and several US trading partners have been lobbying Trump to restore the tariff-free regime under the 1979 Civil Aircraft Agreement.
On day two of the air show, European planemaker Airbus said it had signed a memorandum of understanding for VietJet to buy 100 A321neo planes, with the option to buy up to 50 more in future. The agreement confirmed an earlier Reuters story.
A deal for 150 A321neos could be worth around $9.4 billion, according to estimated prices provided by Cirium Ascend.
The agreement was the latest in a flurry of business announced by Airbus at the world's biggest aviation trade fair.
US rival Boeing is expected to have a more subdued show as it focuses on the probe into last week's fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787 and after it racked up huge deals during Trump's recent tour of the Middle East.
On the defence side of the show, Leonardo chair Stefano Pontecorvo said the Italian group had bought a European cybersecurity company to strengthen its position in an area seen as increasingly important in new combat systems.
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Irish Times
20 minutes ago
- Irish Times
India's aviation regulator finds no major safety flaws in Air India 787s
India 's aviation safety watchdog has asked Air India for the training records of the pilots and dispatcher for the aircraft that crashed last week , as part of its investigation into the incident that killed at least 271 people. Offering a measure of relief for Air India late on Tuesday, India's aviation regulator said it had found no major safety flaws in the airline's Dreamliner fleet but warned of persistent maintenance shortcomings and coordination lapses that could undermine reliability. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which conducted in-depth inspections of 24 Dreamliners, raised concerns over delays linked to spare-part shortages and weak internal coordination between engineering, ground handling, and operations teams. Still, in a boost to the Tata owned airline, which is facing intense scrutiny after the crash, the DGCA said all inspected Dreamliners were compliant with existing aviation safety standards. The wide-body jets form the backbone of Air India's long-haul network. READ MORE The DGCA also asked all flying schools to conduct training compliance checks, according to the confidential memos seen by Reuters news agency. The DGCA said the requests were part of a 'regulatory' review of the crash, and also sought details of action taken following the watchdog's audits of Air India in the last few months. It asked for the details to be provided by Monday. It was not clear whether Air India had complied with the directive. The airline and the DGCA did not respond to requests for comment. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London with 242 people on board began losing height seconds after take-off in Ahmedabad on Thursday before crashing into nearby buildings. Everyone on board was killed, bar a single passenger, along with about 30 on the ground. Sumeet Sabharwal , who the Indian government has said had 8,200 flying hours of experience and was also an Air India instructor, was the commanding pilot of flight AI171. His co-pilot was Clive Kunder who had 1,100 hours of experience. Mr Sabharwal's funeral took place in Mumbai on Tuesday. Air India cancelled at least eight international flights operated by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners on Tuesday, affecting services to cities including London, Paris, Vienna and Dubai. The airline cited a combination of aircraft unavailability, technical snags, airspace restrictions, and extended safety checks. At least three other Dreamliner flights have been grounded or delayed in the past 48 hours, as India's aviation regulator ordered rigorous pre-flight inspections across Air India's fleet of 33 Dreamliners. A Boeing 777 operating the San Francisco-Mumbai route was also grounded because of a technical hitch. The disruption came as pressure mounted on Air India and Boeing as the investigation into India's deadliest plane crash in decades continued. Investigators are pursuing multiple theories, including what some independent experts believe may have been a catastrophic – and extremely rare – dual engine failure. Air India's Chairman N Chandrasekaran told staff on Monday the incident should be a catalyst to build a safer airline. The DGCA, through a separate memo dated June 16th, also asked flying schools across the country to 'strictly follow additional safety and operational measures'. The regulator said instructors must check for compliance with procedures concerning training, maintenance and licensing, and co-ordinate flight plans with nearby airports in advance to ensure any emergencies are dealt with swiftly. 'Compliance will be assessed during audits/surveillance,' said the memo by the Directorate of Flying Training. Stephanie Pope, the head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, visited Air India's headquarters near New Delhi and met the airline's chairman to discuss the crash. The crash poses a new challenge for Air India, which the Tata Group bought in 2022 and has been trying to revamp, and Boeing, which is trying to rebuild public trust following a series of safety and production crises. In a June 13th memo headed 'updating airport emergency plan', government-managed airports have also been asked to conduct a full-scale training exercise – typically an emergency drill – on June 30th. – Reuters
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Irish embassies contact passport holders in Israel and Iran as evacuation plans considered
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The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
FAI says they flagged European concerns with Drogheda owners last November
THE FAI SAYS it informed Drogheda United owners Trivela Group of concerns regarding the League of Ireland's club participation in the UEFA Conference League as soon as they were notified of the American investment firm's takeover of Silkeborg on 19 November last year. A report in the Irish Examiner last night stated that UEFA wrote to the FAI last October to inform them about changes to the multi-club ownership deadline procedure for European competition. Trivela are 100% owners of Drogheda and have an 80% stake in Silkeborg. Advertisement It was the manner of the communication of those changes – moving the deadline forward from June to March this year – that formed the basis of Drogheda's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after they had been excluded following the Danish club's qualification. In the statement sent to The 42, the FAI pointed out that Trivela did not own Silkeborg at the time of the initial UEFA Circular on 7 October and 'this was not sent by the FAI to the club.' Along with their Danish counterparts DBU, the FAI confirmed they informed UEFA 'of the multi-club ownership scenario regarding Drogheda United FC and Silkeborg IF via the standard procedures.' Drogheda's place in tomorrow's draw for the second qualifying round has been taken by Shamrock Rovers who also qualified for Europe's third tier club competition, and the FAI have also confirmed that all clubs in the men's Premier Division had been invited by the association to apply for a European licence but that 'but only the four clubs who qualified on sporting merit completed the process.' The statement in full is below: 'At the time of publication of the UEFA Circular in question on 7 October 2024, Drogheda United FC's ownership group did not own Silkeborg IF therefore this UEFA Circular was not sent by the FAI to the Club. When the FAI were notified of Trivela Group's takeover of Silkeborg IF on 19 November 2024, the FAI informed the Trivela Group of our concerns regarding Drogheda United FC's participation the UEFA Conference League should Silkeborg IF qualify for the tournament due to UEFA's Multi-Club Ownership Regulations. UEFA were informed of the multi-club ownership scenario regarding Drogheda United FC and Silkeborg IF via the standard procedures by both the FAI and DBU. All ten Men's Premier Division teams were invited by the FAI to apply for a UEFA Licence in December but only the four clubs who qualified on sporting merit completed the process. On 7 May 2025 the awarding of UEFA Licences was announced by the FAI following the completion of the Independent Licensing Committee review.'
