Latest news with #Airbus
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Airbus signs fresh deal with Chinese partner amid talk of massive China order
Airbus has signed a new cooperation deal with its Chinese partner that will see the company localise more production of its A321 jet in China, with the announcement coming just a week ahead of a key China-Europe leaders' summit. The European aviation giant will work with its partner AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group to start fuselage equipping – installing components onto the front and rear parts of an aircraft – for the A321 at its factory in Tianjin under the agreement. The programme is an extension of the companies' similar cooperation on the A320 and sends a positive signal in the run-up to next week's summit in Beijing, where some analysts predict Airbus may sign a 'mega-deal' worth tens of billions of dollars. 'It has expanded the scope of cooperation between both parties in the manufacturing of Airbus single-aisle aircraft, and is also an important measure by Airbus to continuously implement its localisation strategy,' George Xu, CEO of Airbus China, told state media outlet Xinhua News on Tuesday. 'China's supply chain is an indispensable part of the global aviation industry, showing strong resilience and competitiveness,' he said. The front and rear of the first A321 to undergo fuselage equipping in Tianjin were shipped to the factory at the beginning of the month, and Airbus expects the installation of the components to be completed by October. The whole process includes incoming inspection, insulation installation, bracket installation, as well as installation and testing of electrical, electronic, drainage, oxygen, flight control and hydraulic systems, according to an Airbus statement published on Tuesday.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
US tariffs may hit Embraer like pandemic, CEO warns
SAO PAULO: The 50% tariff that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to impose on Brazilian exports starting in August could hammer the revenue of planemaker Embraer like the Covid-19 pandemic did, its CEO warned on Tuesday, flagging risks to U.S. partners. Francisco Gomes Neto told reporters the tariffs would amount to a trade embargo on the regional jets it supplies to U.S. airlines and could trigger order cancellations, deferred deliveries and tough consequences for Embraer's U.S. suppliers. Sao Paulo-listed shares in Embraer, which had risen 3% earlier in the day, seesawed during his remarks, lost the gains before ticking back up 0.6%. They have fallen around 10% since Trump announced the tariffs, but are still up 33% so far this year. The U.S. is the main market for Embraer, the world's third-largest planemaker after Airbus and Boeing , with U.S. clients buying 45% of the firm's commercial airliners and 70% of its executive jets. Analysts had warned that the Brazilian planemaker would be one of the most affected by the tariffs. 'Given the relevance of this market, we estimate that if this (tariff plan) moves on at this magnitude, we will have an impact similar to that of Covid-19 in terms of the decline in the company's revenue,' Gomes Neto said. In 2020, when the pandemic ground air travel to a halt, Embraer's revenue plunged around 30% from the previous year. Gomes Neto emphasized that the tariffs would also hurt U.S. suppliers of components such as engines and avionics. 'It's a lose-lose situation,' he said. Aircraft are among the top U.S. imports from Brazil, along with oil, steel, coffee and orange juice. Embraer forecast the levies would generate an additional cost of around $9 million per airplane exported to the U.S., with potential impacts totaling around 2 billion reais ($360 million) this year. Shipments of E175 narrowbodies, a workhorse of U.S. regional aviation, would become 'unfeasible' by the tariffs, Gomes Neto noted, adding that no order had been canceled so far. 'It's a very new situation, so everyone is trying to understand this process and working toward reaching a solution within the deadline,' the CEO said. In March, Embraer's E175 backlog included 90 firm orders from American Airlines, 40 from Republic, and 16 from SkyWest, which placed a fresh order in June for another 60 jets. ($1 = 5.56 reais) - Reuters
Business Times
12 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
US tariffs could have pandemic-like impact on planemaker Embraer, CEO says
[SAO PAULO] The 50 per cent tariff that US President Donald Trump plans to impose on Brazilian exports starting in August could hammer the revenue of planemaker Embraer like the Covid-19 pandemic did, its CEO warned on Tuesday, flagging risks to US partners. Francisco Gomes Neto told reporters the tariffs would amount to a trade embargo on the regional jets it supplies to US airlines and could trigger order cancellations, deferred deliveries and tough consequences for Embraer's US suppliers. Sao Paulo-listed shares in Embraer, which had risen 3 per cent earlier in the day, seesawed during his remarks, lost the gains before ticking back up 0.6 per cent. They have fallen around 10 per cent since Trump announced the tariffs, but are still up 33 per cent so far this year. The US is the main market for Embraer, the world's third-largest planemaker after Airbus and Boeing, with US clients buying 45 per cent of the firm's commercial airliners and 70 per cent of its executive jets. Analysts had warned that the Brazilian planemaker would be one of the most affected by the tariffs. 'Given the relevance of this market, we estimate that if this (tariff plan) moves on at this magnitude, we will have an impact similar to that of Covid-19 in terms of the decline in the company's revenue,' Gomes Neto said. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up In 2020, when the pandemic ground air travel to a halt, Embraer's revenue plunged around 30 per cent from the previous year. Gomes Neto emphasised that the tariffs would also hurt US suppliers of components such as engines and avionics. 'It's a lose-lose situation,' he said. Aircraft are among the top US imports from Brazil, along with oil, steel,coffee and orange juice. Embraer forecast the levies would generate an additional cost of around US$9 million per airplane exported to the U.S., with potential impacts totaling around 2 billion reais (S$463 million) this year. Shipments of E175 narrowbodies, a workhorse of US regional aviation, would become 'unfeasible' by the tariffs, Gomes Neto noted, adding that no order had been canceled so far. 'It's a very new situation, so everyone is trying to understand this process and working toward reaching a solution within the deadline,' the CEO said. In March, Embraer's E175 backlog included 90 firm orders from American Airlines, 40 from Republic, and 16 from SkyWest, which placed a fresh order in June for another 60 jets. REUTERS
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
The once-maligned Airbus A380 is here to stay — and Emirates' $180 million deal proves it
Emirates ' iconic double-decker jets are only growing more important for the Dubai-based airline. While many airlines have retired some of their Airbus A380 s since the pandemic, Emirates has just bought some more. Doric Nimrod Air Three Limited, a Guernsey-based lessor, announced last Friday that it had agreed to sell Emirates four Airbus A380s in a $180 million deal. Emirates had already been leasing these planes for the past 12 years, but this commitment is a signal of further confidence in the type. No airline can buy brand-new A380s because Airbus ended production in 2021 after 18 years of the superjumbo. Emirates' hub-and-spoke route model sees it fly over 50 million passengers a year, with many transiting through its Dubai base to reach other destinations. This relies on huge planes with a large capacity, like the A380, to efficiently transport people on the most popular routes, such as London to Dubai. Emirates President Tim Clark previously told Business Insider it is "probably the most profitable asset we've got." Emirates is by far the biggest operator of the type. According to data from Ch-aviation, it owns 118 Airbus A380s — about 60% of all those operated by airlines. The airline will take ownership of the four A380s between August and November, said Doric Nimrod Air Three Limited. Plus, the enormous planes look set for an upgrade. Executive Traveller reported that at last month's annual general meeting for the International Air Transport Association, Clark said an all-new first-class suite is coming to the A380. "In fact, I've got another design of first class coming up, which is on the drawing board," he reportedly said. "Like a hotel, you've got to keep at it, and we'll change out the products." The capacious jet is known for hosting a range of luxuries, such as onboard bars and showers on Emirates. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has a $24,000 three-room suite available on its superjumbos — with a bedroom, shower, and living room, called " The Residence." However, operating an A380 is expensive because it has four engines, which use huge amounts of fuel. This has prompted carriers such as Air France, Thai Airways, and Malaysia Airlines to ditch the A380 during or soon after the pandemic. Although Emirates plans to continue flying its A380s through to the late 2030s. Clark previously told BI that he would like to see Airbus make a new version of the A380. He added that a modernized version, with new materials and Rolls-Royce engines, could be up to 25% more fuel efficient. The "compelling nature" of a four-engine plane remains "quite clear to many, many people," he said.
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
The secret to better airplane navigation could be inside the Earth's crust
Acubed, Airbus's Silicon Valley-based innovation center, used a Beechcraft Baron aircraft in its large-scale test of SandboxAQ's quantum-sensing device. Satellite-based global positioning systems, or GPS, have been the primary method of aerospace navigation for decades. But with GPS jamming and spoofing on the rise, the industry is pushing for an update, and fast. Now, Airbus's Silicon Valley-based innovation center, Acubed, and artificial intelligence and quantum-focused Google spinout SandboxAQ are on a mission to demonstrate an alternate way. It involves a small, toaster-size box, lasers, a single GPU chip and a deep knowledge of the Earth's magnetic field. The technology, known as quantum sensing, has been in development for decades at a number of companies and is now inching closer to commercialization in aerospace. Acubed recently took MagNav, SandboxAQ's quantum-sensing device, on a large-scale test, flying with it for more than 150 hours across the continental U.S. on a general aviation aircraft that Acubed calls its 'flight lab." MagNav uses quantum physics to measure the unique magnetic signatures at various points in the Earth's crust. An AI algorithm matches those signatures to an exact location. During the test, Acubed found it could be a promising alternative to GPS in its ability to determine the plane's location throughout the flights. 'The hard part was proving that the technology could work," said SandboxAQ Chief Executive Jack Hidary, adding that more testing and certifications will be required before the technology makes it out of the testing phase. SandboxAQ will target defense customers first but then also commercial flights, as a rise in GPS tampering makes the need for a backup navigation system on flights more urgent. Airbus said it couldn't comment on future plans around using the technology. 'I'm happy that we've been able to invest so far in this," said Eric Euteneuer, principal systems engineer at Acubed. 'I think that it really shows that this technology can be a potential aid," he said. 'The need for this encompasses all of Airbus's key business segments." So-called GPS jamming, when geopositioning signals are blocked so a flight location isn't shown, and spoofing, when a GPS shows a false location, are on the rise in the Middle East and around Ukraine and Russia. Various militaries in the region might use such techniques to keep missiles and drones from finding their targets, but the practice can impact civilian flights. GPS vs. quantum sensing GPS works by broadcasting precise signals from a constellation of satellites that circle the globe. But militaries and bad actors can also send out fake signals, broadcast from the ground, that are hard to distinguish. The quantum sensing device is completely analog, making it essentially unjammable and unspoofable, SandboxAQ's Hidary said. Unlike GPS, it doesn't rely on any digital signals that are vulnerable to hacking. The information it provides is generated entirely from the device on board, and leverages magnetic signatures from the Earth, which cannot be faked, he said. Quantum sensing will likely not replace all the applications of traditional GPS, but it can be a reliable backup and help pilots actually know when GPS is being spoofed, Hidary said. How it works Inside SandboxAQ's device, essentially a small black box, a laser fires a photon at an electron, forcing it to absorb that photon. When the laser turns off, that electron goes back to its ground state, and releases the photon. As the photon is released, it gives off a unique signature based on the strength of the Earth's magnetic field at that particular location. Every square meter of the world has a unique magnetic signature based on the specific way charged iron particles in the Earth's molten core magnetize the minerals in its crust. SandboxAQ's device tracks that signature, feeds it into an AI algorithm that runs on a single GPU, compares the signature to existing magnetic signature maps, and returns an exact location. The Federal Aviation Administration requires that while planes are en route they must be able to pinpoint their exact location within 2 nautical miles (slightly more than 2 miles). During Acubed's testing, it found that MagNav could pinpoint location within 2 nautical miles 100% of the time, and could even pinpoint location within 550 meters, or a bit more than a quarter of a nautical mile, 64% of the time. 'It's the first novel absolute navigation system to our knowledge in the last 50 years," Hidary said. What else can quantum sensing do? EY's Global Chief Innovation Officer Joe Depa said the applications for quantum sensing go beyond aerospace. In defense, they can also be used to detect hidden submarines and tunnels. And in healthcare, they can even detect faint magnetic signals from the brain or heart, theoretically allowing for better diagnosis of neurological and cardiac conditions without invasive procedures. While the technology has been in the lab for decades, we are starting to see more examples of quantum sensing entering the real world, Depa said. Some analysts estimate the quantum-sensing market could reach between $1 billion and $6 billion by 2040, he said. 'We're not talking about something 20 years out," Depa said. 'This is here and now." Write to Isabelle Bousquette at
