Latest news with #LeBourget
CNA
16 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Geopolitical Tensions, Tariffs and Tragedy to Shadow Paris Air Show
PARIS: War, tariffs and the deadly Air India crash will cast a shadow over the Paris Air Show as the aerospace industry's biggest annual gathering opens on Monday (Jun 17). More than 2,400 companies from 48 countries are set to display aircraft and aerospace technology during the week-long event at Le Bourget airfield, just outside the French capital. The fierce commercial battle between Airbus and Boeing typically dominates headlines, as the world's two top civil aircraft manufacturers announce blockbuster orders. But this year's show 'is much more complex,' said Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury, who also chairs the board of the Gifas association of French aerospace firms, which organises the biennial event. GROWING CHALLENGES Russia's war in Ukraine has entered its fourth year, and fears are mounting of a broader Middle East conflict after Israel struck targets in Iran on Friday, disrupting commercial aviation across the region. The recent crash of an Air India-operated Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which killed at least 265 people, has also shaken the industry. The disaster marks the first fatal crash of a 787 and comes as Boeing continues efforts to recover from past safety and production issues. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has cancelled his plans to attend the show to focus on the investigation. Both Boeing and Airbus have also been facing delivery delays due to lingering global supply chain disruptions. Airbus, in particular, is experiencing bottlenecks including a shortage of fuel-efficient engines for its A320 jets and even a lack of aircraft lavatories for its wide-body models. TRADE PRESSURES Adding to the strain is US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff plan. In April, Trump imposed a 10 per cent tariff on imports from nearly every country, with steeper duties for dozens of others under consideration. The aerospace sector, reliant on global supply chains, is especially vulnerable. Trump's administration is weighing tariffs of 10 to 20 per cent specifically on civil aircraft and parts. Faury and Ortberg have both called for tariffs to be reset to zero, as had been the case since a 1979 agreement. 'The entire Western aerospace industry considers that would be the best that could happen,' said Faury. Ortberg told Aviation Week the tariffs are an 'added cost' Boeing cannot absorb, warning they come just as the company is trying to rebuild financially. 'I'm hopeful that, as each of these country-by-country negotiations resolve, those tariffs will go away in the long run,' he said. DEFENCE IN FOCUS While civil aviation struggles, the defence sector is gaining prominence. European nations have boosted defence budgets amid the war in Ukraine and concerns over Trump's commitment to NATO. 'The geostrategic environment has led us to bolster this aspect which was in the background in previous years,' said Gifas head Frederic Parisot. About 75 defence-related firms will participate in this year's event, showcasing military jets, helicopters and drones. Highlights include Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter and France's Rafale jet by Dassault Aviation. Nine Israeli companies are expected to exhibit, despite an unsuccessful legal attempt by NGOs to ban their participation over their alleged role in the Gaza conflict. BOEING UNDER SCRUTINY The crash of the Boeing Dreamliner has cast a long shadow just days before the show. The aircraft had been seen as a centrepiece of Boeing's renewed push under new leadership to restore confidence. Boeing's absence from the air show's executive stage will be noted amid investigations, and the crash is likely to dominate conversations throughout the event. The industry also remains on edge due to unresolved supply chain fragilities dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding further uncertainty to production and delivery timelines.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing thought its safety crisis was over. Now it faces a nightmare
Kelly Ortberg was supposed to jet into next week's Paris Air Show with a simple message for the aviation industry: Boeing is back and laser-focused on safety. 'We look forward to connecting with our customers and partners at Le Bourget to demonstrate the work under way to restore trust and move Boeing forward,' the chief executive said in a statement this week. But following the fatal crash involving one of his company's 787 Dreamliner jets in Ahmedabad, India, Ortberg has been forced to change plans. He has cancelled his trip to Paris and is instead scrambling to handle the fallout from the disaster. Ortberg told Boeing staff that both he and Stephanie Pope, head of commercial aviation, had called off their trips to France next week 'so we can be with our team and focus on our customer and the investigation'. The accident saw the London-bound 787-8 plane operated by Air India plummet towards the ground just moments after taking off, smashing into the city below and killing all but one of the 242 people aboard, along with several inside the buildings the plane struck. The exact cause of the tragedy is yet to be determined. Most crashes are the result of pilot errors. There is so far no evidence to point to problems with Boeing's plane as the cause. But feverish speculation about the company's potential culpability began almost instantly, underlining the reputational damage done by the repeated safety scandals and accidents involving its jets. On Friday, India's ministry of civil aviation fanned further questions by suggesting to local media that it was considering grounding the country's fleet of 787-8s. Ortberg and his team will now spend the coming days soberly working with Indian authorities to help unravel how the tragic accident unfolded – and convince them that Boeing's jets are safe. 'Safety is foundational to our industry and is at the core of everything that we do,' Ortberg said in his email to employees. 'Our technical experts are prepared to assist investigators to understand the circumstances, and a Boeing team stands ready to travel to India.' Most experts caution that with so little information yet known about the aircraft's systems before it crashed, it is difficult to draw any concrete conclusions about the causes. Yet with Boeing still under pressure over safety issues, the company may find passengers and investors are less willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Shares in the company dropped 4.8pc on Thursday, wiping billions of dollars from its value. This embedded content is not available in your region. That is despite the fact that its 787 Dreamliner planes have a near-spotless record, with none of them ever involved in a serious accident until now. 'There's naturally an emotional reaction to any tragedy of this kind, and people unfortunately do speculate,' says John Strickland, a British aviation industry consultant. 'That is regardless of whether it's Boeing or anybody else, but of course it is particularly the case here because of the last few years that Boeing has gone through.' Boeing's safety nightmare first began following two crashes involving its best-selling 737-Max jets in Indonesia and Ethiopia – in 2018 and 2019 respectively – which left 346 people dead. This led to temporary groundings of the jets and triggered broader concerns that Boeing had misled regulators during the aircraft's certification, following the discovery of a software fault that caused the aircraft to nosedive. In January 2024, further safety fears surfaced when a 737-Max operated by Alaska Airlines suffered a door plug blowout while flying at 16,000 feet above Portland, Oregon. Boeing faced heavy scrutiny from the US Federal Aviation Administration following that incident, with the FAA monitoring its production lines. The regulator is also investigating claims by a whistleblower, Sam Salehpour, that managers ignored problems with 787 jets because they prioritises production deadlines. 'I was ignored. I was told not to create delays,' he said in testimony to the US Senate last year. Boeing has itself admitted that some required inspections on the aircraft may not have been carried out. Another whistleblower, John Barnett, a former quality inspector who died last year, also claimed that 787 factory bosses in South Carolina had suppressed safety concerns, falsified inspection documents and left potentially dangerous debris inside aircraft. Boeing has always rejected concerns about 787 safety and insisted its production lines upheld 'the highest safety and quality standards that are verified through robust test, verification and inspection processes'. The jets first entered service in 2011. Nevertheless, the claims were described as 'shocking' by American lawmakers, who also grilled former Boeing boss Dave Calhoun, Ortberg's predecessor, over his $33m (£24m) pay package as he sat awkwardly and fidgeted in his seat. More recently, however, Strickland says there are promising signs that under Ortberg the company is making real progress in its renewed focus on safety. The chief executive has also said the company is on the path to profitability again after losing nearly $1bn a month in 2024. Ortberg, an engineer by training and industry veteran who came out of retirement to take on the top job, has relocated executive offices to Seattle, where the company's main factories are, in a signal that he is focused on frontline operations. Ahead of Paris, Boeing had also announced 303 aircraft orders in May – the most it has booked in a month since December 2023 and nearly double what it brought in a year earlier. The company has also increased production of the 737 Max to 38 a month, still under FAA supervision, in a sign of progress. 'Ortberg is doing, from what I see, everything right. He is walking the talk,' Strickland adds. Boeing's problems should not also be overstated, Strickland cautions, given that customers still board thousands of the company's jets every single day around the world. There are more than 1,100 of its 787 planes in service alone, including 26 in India. 'The company has done an enormous amount to put its house in order,' Strickland says, 'but that is still work in progress. So this is something that can, in no way, be treated lightly. And the timing is particularly sensitive for Boeing.' After the Air India crash, Ortberg extended the company's 'deepest condolences' to everyone affected, adding: 'A Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation.' The outcome of that investigation will be studied closely around the world – and may have significant consequences for Boeing. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Rafale Reemerges With Conformal Fuel Tanks
Dassault has installed conformal fuel tanks, or CFTs, on one of its Rafale multirole fighters, promising a significant improvement in range, while also increasing the aircraft's ability to carry external weapons and stores. While CFTs had previously been tested on the Rafale, the idea has now regained traction, which could have significant ramifications for the French fighter's future capabilities. It could also impact the export prospects for these jets, as well. Rafale avec réservoir fuselage ?Drone UCAV Neuron ?Drone MALE AAROK ?Le Bourget va être incroyable — FR 𝕏 Defense (@FR_Defense) June 11, 2025 The above photo of a two-seat French Air Force Rafale B fitted with CFTs began circulating recently on social media. The tanks are installed on top of the center 'barrel' section of the Rafale's fuselage, fitted on each side of the aircraft's central spine. The aircraft was spotted as part of the static display in the run-up to the Paris Air Show, which begins in the French capital on June 16. Also photographed in the same area were a flying-wing type drone, perhaps the Dassault nEUROn, and the huge Aarok medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone, which you can read more about here. It's not clear if the Rafale's CFTs are fully workable and plumbed into the aircraft or if they are representative mock-ups. But it's notable that the CFTs have reappeared at a time when rival manufacturers appear to have mainly abandoned plans to offer their fourth-generation fighters with this option. Interestingly, the Rafale B01 prototype was flown with CFTs back in 2001, as seen at the top of this article, but this configuration didn't attract any customers. Since then, according to Dassault, all Rafales have been completed with the option to add CFTs, although it's unclear how much modification work would be required. Rafale with CFTs is back!? Posting photos below from maiden tests of CFTs on Rafale B back in @Dassault_OnAir already mentions that "All Rafales have built-in CFT capability". Pitching it again? — Rishav Gupta (ऋषव गुप्ता) | (@connect_rishav) June 12, 2025 There's no doubt, however, that CFTs offer the Rafale significant benefits in terms of range and performance over draggy drop tanks. Jets with CFTs can also carry additional stores on pylons under the wing and under the fuselage that otherwise would have to be set aside to carry the drop tanks. This latter point is particularly relevant to the Rafale, which is regularly seen loaded with three 330-gallon drop tanks, two under the wings and one under the belly. This restricts the fighter to carrying, for example, six air-to-air missiles (AAMs) or eight in a much more rarely seen overload configuration. When it comes to the critically important Meteor beyond-visual-range AAM, the Rafale can currently carry a maximum of four — CFTs would very likely allow that total to be increased. Currently, magazine depth is very much at a premium in air combat — the ability of an aircraft to carry a considerable number of external weapons. This is something that has been emphasized in recent operations to defeat drones and cruise missiles in the Middle East. Here, at least one U.S. Air Force F-15E — a type generally prized for its magazine depth — exhausted all its AAMs and resorted to using its gun against the low and slow-flying drones. Now, the U.S. Air Force is resorting to arming its fighters with laser-guided rockets to drastically expand magazine depth in this theater. It's not clear how much additional range the CFTs would provide the Rafale, although we have asked Dassault for more details. It's certainly the case, however, that the Rafale, in its basic form, is not well known for its range. By way of comparison, Boeing said, in the past, that an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet carrying two AIM-9X Sidewinders, two AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), and two 2,000-pound-class precision-guided bombs would have a combat radius of 594 nautical miles with only the fuel in its internal tanks, plus a drop tank on its centerline pylon. With CFTs, a Super Hornet with the same loadout would have a combat radius of 714 nautical miles. However, plans to include CFTs in the Block III upgrade package for the U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/Fs were dropped after discovering various issues with them during testing. In this case, the problems may well have been related to operating CFT-equipped Super Hornets from aircraft carriers, namely how the reconfigured aircraft handled the stresses of catapult launches and arrested recoveries. In the past, Dassault has said it also offers CFTs on the carrier-capable Rafale M version. Boeing also previously offered Super Hornets with CFTs, notably to Canada (in land-based form) and to India, neither of which opted to buy the aircraft. It's worth noting, too, that CFTs come with very particular disadvantages. Unlike drop tanks, they cannot be jettisoned when required, for example, to enhance agility during a dogfight or during some kind of emergency scenario. They also have their own performance penalty, adding drag and weight even when empty. As it now stands, the Rafale's CFTs appear to be offered again as part of the latest Standard F5 configuration. In an interview with AirForces Monthly magazine in 2023, Guilhem Reboul, then-head of the Rafale program within the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA), the French defense procurement agency, said that, for Standard F5, 'Modifications to the airframe are also considered, including the adoption of conformal fuel tanks and of radar-cross-section reduction kits, to increase the stealthiness of the Rafale.' As you can read about here, Standard F5 is planned to keep the Rafale in frontline service until around 2060. This latest iteration of the Rafale will focus on collaborative combat, as well as incorporating new-generation weapons, among them the ASN4G, the next-generation standoff nuclear weapon. Other new weapons for Standard F5 are expected to include successors for the SCALP conventional cruise missile and the Exocet anti-ship missile, with a hypersonic design being examined for the latter requirement. Air-to-air munitions should include an upgraded Meteor beyond-visual-range missile. Very significantly, the F5 version is also planned to be fielded alongside a new, French-developed uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV). As well as the aforementioned Super Hornet Block III, CFTs have also been offered in the past for the Eurofighter Typhoon. Eurofighter eventually reported that there was a lack of customer interest in CFTs for Typhoon, although there are unconfirmed reports that there were also aerodynamic problems uncovered during wind tunnel testing. Instead of CFTs, Eurofighter decided to push other range-extending changes, including the Aerodynamic Modification Kit (AMK), which involves adding fuselage strakes and root extensions to increase maximum lift, also improving load-carrying ability and agility. Well, EF said "no customer appetite", but reportedly problems found during wind tunnel testing. The "other ways" noted below include the Aerodynamic Modification Kit of the LTE package. — Gareth Jennings (@GarethJennings3) June 12, 2025 Meanwhile, the F-15 and F-16 have long been successfully operated by multiple different air forces, including on combat operations, with CFTs fitted. CFTs have been an option for F-15-series jets since the 1970s, and the Israeli Air Force was a pioneer in their use, transforming fighters into long-range strike platforms, as you can read more about here. Noteworthy, too, is the fact that, in the case of U.S. Air Force F-15Es, these aircraft are now more regularly having their CFTs removed, specifically to achieve higher performance for certain air-to-air mission sets. With previous test-flight work having been completed on the Rafale, the technical challenges that hampered the introduction of CFTs on the Super Hornet and Typhoon might well be more easily mastered by Dassault. While it remains to be seen whether France or any of the Rafale's growing family of export operators opt for CFTs in the future, the fact that these can apparently be added to any existing Rafale airframe should make this a more attractive proposition. They are also being revisited at a time in which, after significant export success, the Rafale's reputation is somewhat tarnished, whether justifiably or not, by its performance in recent Indian-Pakistan engagements. Keeping the aircraft relevant with new upgrades is more important than ever. Provided they are affordable, the CFTs should offer significant benefits to the Rafale in terms of both range and load-carrying ability, although, as with similar add-ons, they do come with some disadvantages, too. Contact the author: thomas@
