Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news
Transcription
Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news
1 LESTRADE Page 1 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news EARLY MORNING NEWS 16/06/2016: ENGLISH Summary Airbus boss strives for upward trajectory - ft.com 15 June 2016 UPDATE 1-Airbus chief says A350 delivery goal is a challenge - Reuters Jun 15, 2016 Airbus to Review Goal of 50 A350 Deliveries in Late Summer Bloomberg June 15, 2016 New Airbus Airliner Facing Delays at Critical Time - wsj.com June 15, 2016 EgyptAir Flight 804 Wreckage Spotted at Sea Bottom, Egypt Says - Dow Jones Institutional News 15 June 2016 Search vessel finds main locations of EgyptAir wreckage - atwonline.com Jun 15, 2016 EgyptAir MS804 investigators find main wreckage site in Mediterranean - ft.com June 15, 2016 Business bosses' fury at companies being named in Vote Leave 'propaganda' - The Independent 16 June 2016 Airbus boss: No contingency plan if we leave EU - Filton jobs are safe but apprentices may miss out The Bristol Post online June 15, 2016 Govt hits the reset button on civil aviation - Mint 16 June 2016 SIA to introduce longest non-stop flights to San Francisco, will stop services to Sao Paulo - The Straits Times 16 June 2016 Singapore Airlines to fly non-stop Airbus A350 to San Francisco - AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS TRAVELLER online - June 16, 2016 Bangkok Air rethinks fleet upgrade - Bangkok Post 16 June 2016 Volaris to accept first A320neo in November - Flightglobal.com 15 Jun 2016 TAP tightens blade-service limits after CF6 failure on A330 Flightglobal.com 15 Jun 2016 14:33 From green slime to jet fuel: algae offers airlines a cleaner future - Reuters 15/06/2016 PW1100G Criticism Not Supported By Facts, Says Pratt - AIN Online June 15, 2016 Zodiac still battling to overcome A350 supply hitches Flightglobal.com - 15 Jun 2016 Zodiac Jumps as Safran Said to Plan Bid for Plane-Seat Maker - Bloomberg.com June 15, 2016 Iran and Its Airlines Nearing Tentative Deal to Buy 100 Boeing Planes - The Wall Street Journal Online 15 June 2016 Can Russia’s MS-21 Crack The Airbus-Boeing Duopoly? - Aviation Week & Space Technology Jun 16, 2016 INTERVIEW-Canada's WestJet considers new 737 jet variant - Reuters16 June 2016 ----------------------------------------------FRENCH Summary Fabrice Brégier (PDG d’Airbus) : « Les nouvelles technologies permettront de rapatrier des productions en Europe" - La Tribune 16 juin 2016 La montée en cadence sur l'A350 sera un défi, dit Brégier - Reuters - français 15 June 2016 Crash EgyptAir: des morceaux de la carlingue localisés sur "plusieurs sites" - AFP |15/06/2016 Aéronautique : les nouveaux défis d'Icare - La Tribune 16 June 2016 Rencontres aéronautiques : Charles Champion en parrain; rasg 12e édition - La Dépêche du Midi (Gers) 16 June 2016 Allemagne ; Kuka face à la menace chinoise - L´Usine Nouvelle 16 June 2016 Boeing confirme des pourparlers avec l'Iran sur la vente d'avions - AFP 15/06/2016 ----------------------------------------------GERMAN Summary Airbus-Manager - A350-Liefertermin stellt Herausforderung dar - Reuters - German 15 June 2016 VERMISCHTES/ROUNDUP/Egyptair-Suche: Wrackteile im Mittelmeer lokalisiert - dpa-AFX 15 June 2016 ---------------------------------------------SPANISH Summary Posibles retrasos en la entrega del A350 - Expansion 16/06/2016 Egipto.- Localizan restos del fuselaje del avión de EgyptAir desaparecido en el Mediterráneo - Europa Press - 15 June 2016 ¿Un avión con 517 plazas es grande? La respuesta podría ser que sí, pero en el... rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 2 LESTRADE Page 2 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Expansión CATALUÑA 16 June 2016 ---------------------------------------------- rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 3 LESTRADE Page 3 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Airbus boss strives for upward trajectory ft.com 15 June 2016 By Peggy Hollinger, Industry Editor http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fcb9575a-31c9-11e6-ad39-3fee5ffe5b5b.html#ixzz4BeSdEV6H Fabrice Brégier is increasing passenger jet production, but it is bringing significant challenges ©Bloomberg - Fabrice Brégier, head of Airbus's passenger jet division, inside the fuselage of an A350 widebody aircraft Fabrice Brégier knows he is treading closely between challenge and opportunity at Airbus, Europe’s flagship aerospace and defence group. On the one hand, the chief executive of the Airbus division making passenger jets believes it will in the “coming weeks” win US approval for a $25bn agreement to sell 118 aircraft to Iran — one of the biggest deals since certain international sanctions were lifted in January. On the other, danger appears to be looming as Airbus steps up production of its newest aircraft. Mr Brégier admits there is a risk that he will not be able to keep his promise this year to deliver 50 of the company’s new A350 wide-body passenger jets, due to a lack of functional lavatory doors and business class seats. Meanwhile, teething problems with the new generation engines powering the latest version of Airbus’s shorthaul jet, the A320neo, have prompted the aviation industry’s most pernickety customer Qatar Airways to cancel its first delivery. To be fair, hitches in the high stakes game of aircraft production are nothing new. Both Airbus and its US rival Boeing, which enjoy a duopoly in making passenger jets, have in the past been forced to pay out billions in extra costs as they tried to push the boundaries of aerospace technology with aircraft such as the A380 superjumbo and the 787 Dreamliner. rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 4 LESTRADE Page 4 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news The difference this time is both companies are demanding efforts that stretch not just across several new variants of aircraft simultaneously, but right through the supply chain, and at a hectic pace. With roughly eight years of production already logged in their order books, the European and US aircraft makers are churning out more passenger jets than either has ever produced. Although Mr Brégier can point to a remarkably smooth introduction into service of the popular A350 midsized jet, the strains of accelerating production are beginning to be felt. Airbus last week had to tell China Airlines that the A350 aircraft due to be delivered in July would not arrive until September. “It is crazy when you see all the efforts that have been made since 2007 to develop a totally new aircraft, with new technology, to see we are late because we don’t have business class seats or lavatories of appropriate quality,” Mr Brégier says in an interview with the Financial Times. He stresses he is keeping the A350 delivery target for now in the firm belief that the troubles with Airbus’s French cabin supplier, Zodiac, can be overcome. But he admits Airbus management will have to review the situation at the end of August. Only then will they know if a revision is necessary and, if so, “that is when we will have to tell investors”, he adds. Mr Brégier is more optimistic about difficulties with the geared turbofan engine for the A320neo supplied by Pratt & Whitney, which proved slower to cool and restart than predicted. Nevertheless, says Mr Brégier, the engine is delivering significantly more than the 15 per cent fuel savings promised and P&W has found a solution. He seems confident P&W will meet Airbus’s schedule. “What we see makes me confident [P&W] will deliver to plan,” he says. Nevertheless, Airbus is pulling forward deliveries of current generation A320s, which no doubt gives Mr Brégier even more comfort that he can keep his promise to deliver 650 aircraft this year. The alternative is unthinkable. A shortfall in deliveries could spur downgrades in future cash and profit forecasts at Airbus. rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 5 LESTRADE Page 5 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news This would be unwelcome at any time, but especially now, because investors are increasingly nervous about the outlook for the aviation cycle after years of booming orders. The Iran contract could help to allay some of that concern. With Tehran identifying a need for 500 aircraft, Iranian orders could keep the cycle going just that little bit longer. Airbus was quick to get its letter of intent for the jets from Tehran — signing the agreement during a visit to France by Iranian president Hassan Rouhani just 12 days after certain sanctions were lifted. Mr Brégier says the transaction is “making progress everywhere”. European banks have indicated that they are prepared to support the sale once US authorities allow export licences to go ahead, he adds. People involved in the process say at least one German bank has agreed to transfer the funds for a eurodenominated transaction, while a Chinese bank has also offered its support. Middle Eastern banks and aircraft leasing companies are also ready to participate. One person involved in the discussions says Airbus is expecting regulatory approval by the middle of July, although this could slip. “We are getting close to finalising the purchase agreement with Iran Air,” says Mr Brégier. “I hope we are getting very close to the final [regulatory] decision.” The Iranian deal would be a coup for Mr Brégier, and another reminder of the importance of Airbus’s passenger jet arm to the wider group. In the four years since Mr Brégier moved up from chief operating officer to chief executive of the division, the backlog of orders has increased from 4,682 aircraft to 6,759, while turnover has jumped 20 per cent to €45.9bn in 2015, out of a group total of €64.5bn. rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 6 LESTRADE Page 6 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news The business has overtaken its rival Boeing as market leader in narrow-body jets with its A320 family, and it has cannily exploited exchange rates to undercut the US jet maker. Despite his steady course so far, Mr Brégier’s reputation now depends on how he and his team execute the next phase of growth. He understands the scale of that task and says he is ready for it. Yes, the A350 programme is “extremely challenging,” he adds, but his job “is to manage risk”. Difficult as that might look from the outside, Mr Brégier is undaunted. With 6,800 aircraft in the backlog, he says, Airbus has “never been in such a good situation”. Tensions rise inside Airbus over Tom Enders’s centralisation plan Fabrice Brégier is described by a former colleague as a man who seeks power rather than recognition. Understated — aloof even — the 54-year-old Airbus executive certainly has power as the head of the group’s biggest division making passenger jets. But now insiders say tensions are beginning to emerge within Airbus Group as the holding company that owns the jet maker, run by German-born Tom Enders, tries to strengthen its grip on its key subsidiary. Functions such as human resources, communications and digital strategy are being centralised under Mr Enders’ direct authority. “It is a clash of personality and a clash of cultures,” says the former colleague. “There is still some rivalry between the French and German camps,” admits a person from Airbus, ruefully recalling the bitter battles of a decade ago between national interests and French and German government shareholders. Dijon-born Mr Brégier dismisses such suggestions, saying he and Mr Enders enjoy “not only a good relationship but one of trust and mutual respect”. Integration of what was a “conglomerate of nations” since Airbus’s creation in 2000 was imperative, he adds. At the same time, the “right balance” has to be struck between synergies and integration, he says pointedly, remarking in passing that his division accounts for 70 per cent of group assets. For the moment it looks like a compromise has been struck — Mr Brégier’s division controls its own marketing strategy, for example. One insider says Mr Enders and Mr Brégier “had a discussion” and decided to work together because “they knew they had to”. Yet rumours are again circulating that Mr Brégier may be looking to new challenges. His name has been cited for top jobs in key French companies, and Mr Brégier recently became a non-executive director at energy group Engie. The reappointment last month of Mr Enders for another three-year mandate appears to have weakened Mr Brégier’s chances of getting the top job at Airbus Group — at least for the foreseeable future. Mr Brégier insists he has no plan to leave. Then again, this may depend on how intrusive Mr Enders’ integration becomes. BACK TO THE SUMMARY UPDATE 1-Airbus chief says A350 delivery goal is a challenge Reuters Jun 15, 2016 by Tim Hepher Airbus faces a challenge to meet delivery targets for the A350 jet this year due to problems with suppliers, the head of the European planemaker said in remarks published on Wednesday. Airbus still has to deliver at least 41 of the new long-haul jets to reach a target of more than 50 for the whole year, after a slow start blamed partly on shortages of seats and lavatories. "The target remains a challenge because some of our industrial partners are experiencing difficulties," Fabrice Bregier, president and CEO of the planemaking division of Airbus Group (AIR.PA) told France's La Tribune daily in an interview. Asked whether this meant problems and delays with cabin equipment from France's Zodiac Aerospace (ZODC.PA) remained unresolved, Bregier said: "The situation is improving, but not enough to allow us to meet all our commitments. Improvement plans have been launched, but too late". Zodiac said on Tuesday the operational performance of its Cabin branch continued to be affected by problems with lavatories for the Airbus A350, but that delays in seat production were coming under control. rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 7 LESTRADE Page 7 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Bregier expressed greater optimism about production of the smaller A320neo, saying glitches with Pratt & Whitney (UTX.N) engines were being fixed and Airbus aimed to catch up with delivery plans in the second half of the year. "It is achievable, even if it is a stretch," he said. Bregier said Airbus did not yet have sufficient promises of orders to commit to a possible larger version of the A350 to compete with Boeing's 406-seat 777-9, and that discussions of an engine revamp of the slow-selling A380 were on hold for now. (This version of the story corrects Bregier's first name in the third paragraph.) (Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Mark Potter) BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 8 LESTRADE Page 8 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Airbus to Review Goal of 50 A350 Deliveries in Late Summer Bloomberg June 15, 2016 — 10:09 PM CEST Andrea Rothman • CEO Tells Financial Times, Tribune, that target is challenging • Planemaker is hampered by slow deliveries from suppliers Airbus Group SE will struggle to meet a delivery goal of 50 widebody A350s in 2016 and plans to review the target by late summer once it sees whether cabin suppliers have eased delays, its chief executive officer said. The European planemaker is still targeting the 50 figure, though finds it tough going given both delays and deliveries of sub-par equipment, Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier told The Financial Times and France’s La Tribune in separate interviews published on Wednesday. Close all those tabs. Open this email. Bregier has said for months that poor performance by suppliers including Zodiac Aerospace in providing furnishings including seats and toilets have put the company’s goals at risk. His comment on reviewing the situation again in late summer goes further than earlier ones in suggesting the goal may merit revision. He provided no estimate of how many widebody jets might be turned over if equipment suppliers don’t pick up the pace. The A350 is Airbus’s newest plane program, and is scheduled to see production of 10 a month by 2018. The executive also disclosed to the Financial Times that he told Taiwan’s China Airlines last week that its first A350 will come in September, not in July as originally planned. To be sure, Zodiac Aerospace, whose delays are the biggest brake to A350 deliveries, on Monday said that the logjam in the production of premium berths for the A350 had begun to ease. The French company also said it had won certification of a new business-class seat being built for the widebody jet, allowing shipments to proceed. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 9 LESTRADE Page 9 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news New Airbus Airliner Facing Delays at Critical Time wsj.com June 15, 2016 By ROBERT WALL http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-airbus-airliner-facing-delays-at-critical-time-1466004793 Airbus has pushed back delivery of its new A350-1000 long-range planes at a time when customers are already getting restless LONDON—Delays are creeping into one of Airbus Group SE’s newest airliner programs at a time the European plane maker is already struggling to deliver on promises made to customers. Airbus has shifted delivery of the first of its new A350-1000 long-range planes to the second half of next year, having previously promised a midyear handover. The delays have hit the program even before the first plane begins flight trials, during which aircraft projects often encounter holdups. The first test flight, once planned for around the middle of this year, isn't now due until after September. “We have adapted the A350-100 schedule to ensure we fully satisfy our customers’ requirements for a mature aircraft from day one,” Airbus said Wednesday. The move could further raise tensions with Qatar Airways which is already at loggerheads with Airbus over other aircraft models that Airbus hasn’t delivered on time. The Doha-based growth carrier is the biggest customer for the plane, with orders for 37 units, and is due to be its launch operator next year. Qatar Airways’s outspoken chief executive Akbar Al-Baker this month said “they have to deliver the airplane contractually in June to me.” Mr. Al Baker recently canceled an order for its first Airbus A320neo single-aisle plane, citing engine problems that led to protracted delays. The plane maker has said it is working to fix the situation for future deliveries. Airbus said it is “putting appropriate resources in place” to achieve A350-1000 milestones. The first customer aircraft is already well into production, the plane maker said, though final assembly, one of the last stages, hasn't started. The A350-1000 is Airbus’s largest twin-engine long-range plane, which typically is expected to seat 366 passengers and fly more than 9,000 miles. The first three test planes are currently in the final assembly stage in Toulouse, France. Airbus has a lot riding on the A350-1000, which had secured 181 orders from 10 customers through May, including United Continental Holdings and British Airways. The plane is aimed at curbing the dominance Boeing Co., the world’s largest plane maker, has enjoyed in the large widebody market with its popular 777300ER model. Boeing plans to introduce a successor, the 777X, toward the end of the decade. The Chicagobased plane maker has secured 306 orders for the new model. The A350-1000 is a larger version of the 325-seat long-haul plane already in service. Qatar Airways was the first airline to commercially operate the plane, called the A350-900, putting it into service last year. Mr. Al Baker has expressed frustration, though, at the fact that Airbus has been late this year in delivering more of those planes. Both Boeing and Airbus have, at times, suffered delays in their multibillion-dollar plane development and production efforts. Airbus stumbled in building the A380 superjumbo, causing costs to skyrocket. Boeing’s work on the 787 Dreamliner ran years late. The company has made a loss on each of the jets; the accumulated shortfall, which Boeing calls “deferred production cost”, had reached $28.7 billion at the end of March. By comparison, the A350 program had gone relatively smoothly, with only small delays to the original development program. Even the latest schedule change is relatively small compared with some other programs. The biggest near-term challenge for Airbus has become getting A350s completed to deliver them to customers. The plane maker said it would deliver at least 50 A350s this year, with only nine handed over through May. Airbus said supplier bottlenecks have hampered output. It confirmed its plan to meet this year’s delivery target Wednesday and said goals for 2017 would be given in January. French supplier Zodiac Aerospace Tuesday said it was still struggling to meet commitments for lavatories for installation on Airbus’s A350 airliner. Zodiac chief executive Olivier Zarrouati said tighter controls have improved quality on the items, though slowed shipments. “The delivery rate isn't what it should be yet,” he told analysts. rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 10 LESTRADE Page 10 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Supplier issues are also hampering other aircraft deliveries. Airbus delivered 234 planes in the first five months of the year or little more than a third of its full-year commitment to hand over 650 or more aircraft. Company officials acknowledge meeting the target will be a challenge and likely to go down to the wire. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 11 LESTRADE Page 11 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news EgyptAir Flight 804 Wreckage Spotted at Sea Bottom, Egypt Says Dow Jones Institutional News 15 June 2016 Egyptian officials said searchers spotted wreckage from EgyptAir Flight 804 in several locations in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday. A specialized vessel, the John Lethbridge belonging to Deep Ocean Search Ltd., was able to provide the first images of Flight 804 wreckage to investigators, Egyptian officials said. The May 19 crash killed all 66 passengers and crew. The search ship is equipped with a scanning sensor to pinpoint the location of the main body of the plane, and carries equipment to eventually recover the Airbus Group SE A320's black boxes. The plane was flying from Paris to Cairo before it deviated from its course while cruising at 37,000 feet, first turning left before rolling to the right and completing a full circle, investigators said this week. Investigators have said they don't know why the plane crashed. The Airbus A320 broadcast a number of fault messages before all contact was lost, indicating possible smoke in the nose of the plane, including a critical electronic-equipment hub beneath the cockpit. The messages alone haven't proved sufficient to determine a likely cause for the crash, investigators have said. Radar data also indicated there wasn't a sudden explosion that tore the plane apart midair. The uncertainty over what has happened added urgency to recovering the plane's black boxes, which store technical data and cockpit conversations. Investigators are in a race against time. The beacons on the black boxes are required to last for 30 days, though they can remain active for longer. Investigators this month said they had detected a signal from one of the black boxes. Investigators and the search team will assemble a map of the subsurface debris field, Egyptian officials said, which could help them reconstruct how the plane impacted the ocean and where the black boxes may rest. Write to Robert Wall at [email protected] (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 15, 2016 17:45 ET (21:45 GMT) Dow Jones & Company, Inc. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 12 LESTRADE Page 12 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Search vessel finds main locations of EgyptAir wreckage atwonline.com Jun 15, 2016 Kurt Hofmann http://atwonline.com/safety/search-vessel-finds-main-locations-egyptair-wreckage The Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation said investigators probing the disappearance of EgyptAir flight MS804 have identified several main locations of the wreckage. EgyptAir MS804, an Airbus A320, was en route from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Cairo on May 19 with 66 people on board when it lost radar contact over the Mediterranean Sea. Since then some debris has been recovered, but the search for the flight data and cockpit voice recorders is ongoing. Investigators on board the John Lethbridge search vessel, which was contracted by the Egyptian government to join the search efforts for the missing aircraft, have identified several main locations of the wreckage in the Mediterranean Sea and provided the first images of the wreckage to the investigation committee. Based on the wreckage locations, the search team and investigators onboard the vessel will draw a map of the wreckage distribution spots. The debris retrieved earlier is still in possession of the forensic evidence under supervision of the criminal prosecution, per standard procedure. Afterward, it will be handed to the technical investigation committee. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 13 LESTRADE Page 13 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news EgyptAir MS804 investigators find main wreckage site in Mediterranean ft.com June 15, 2016 Heba Saleh in Cairo FirstFT http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4e1fc4e2-333e-11e6-bda0-04585c31b153.html#axzz4BhyknBiA Air crash investigators in Egypt say they have found the main wreckage sites of EgyptAir flight MS804 which plunged into the Mediterranean last month killing all 66 people on board. In a statement on Wednesday night, Egypt’s civil aviation ministry said that the first images of the wreckage had been supplied by the John Lethbridge, a research vessel equipped with an underwater robot, which joined the search six days ago. “Based on the wreckage locations, the search team and the investigators on board of the vessel will draw a map for the wreckage distribution spots,” the ministry said. Egypt has hired the ship, which is owned by the private Deep Ocean Search company, to comb the sea floor for the Airbus A320 that went down en route from Paris to Cairo on May 19. Investigators have yet to determine whether the crash was caused by technical failure or a terrorist act, possibly a bomb placed on board. While cruising at an altitude of 37,000ft in calm weather, the aircraft did not issue any distress calls before plunging into the sea shortly before it was expected to arrive in Cairo. A French navy vessel had detected signals emitted from one of the aircraft’s two flight recorders at the beginning of the month, but so far they have not been found. The ministry said on Monday that the flight recorders, known collectively as the black box, were expected to continue emitting signals until June 24. Radar images show that the plane deviated from its course, swerved sharply left and then turned to the right in a full circle before coming down into the sea, Egyptian investigators said this week. This confirmed earlier statements from Greek aviation officials. So far, the only clues as to what may have happened on board are seven error messages transmitted automatically before the plane crashed, some of which show that smoke alarms were triggered. Experts have warned, however, that they do not necessarily mean there was an explosion or a fire on board. The Egyptian military, which has led search efforts, has only been able to find small pieces of wreckage, human remains and personal belongings. Sherif Fathi, Egypt’s aviation minister, said the day after the crash that a terrorist act appeared to be the more likely explanation, though it could still be a technical failure. Almost a month after the attack, no militant group has made any claim of responsibility. Isis, the extremist organisation active in Syria and Iraq which has an affiliate in the Egyptian Sinai peninsula, had claimed responsibility last year for planting a bomb which brought down a Russian Metrojet airliner shortly after taking off from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. In that attack 224 passengers and crew were killed while the country’s tourism sector was devastated and doubts were raised about the security of Egyptian airports. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 14 LESTRADE Page 14 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Business bosses' fury at companies being named in Vote Leave 'propaganda' The Independent 16 June 2016 Oliver Wright Three of the country's largest employers have accused the official Leave campaign of "deliberately" attempting to "mislead" voters by using their logos on a taxpayer-funded leaflet making the case for Brexit. In a furious letter to Boris Johnson's Vote Leave campaign and seen by The Independent the heads of Unilever, Airbus and GE accuse the group of using their names for "propaganda purposes" to imply their support for exit from the European Union". The chief executives add that the leaflet, which has been sent to millions of homes up and down the country at taxpayers expense, is both "highly misleading to British voters" and an "act of bad faith towards our companies". They have warned Vote Leave that if any more of the leaflets are distributed they will consider taking legal action against the group and say they have raised their concerns with the Electoral Commission that is regulating the referendum. Under the rules of the referendum both the Leave and Remain campaigns are entitled to one publicly funded leaflet sent to every voter in the country. The letter is the latest embarrassment for Vote Leave that has already been censored by the UK Statistics Authority for making misleading claims about the cost of Britain's EU membership. It has also been criticised for using the official NHS logo on its campaign material without permission, implying that Brexit would be good for the health service. The leaflet, which has been passed to The Independent, includes a section, which it describes as an "EU myth buster". It then asks "would jobs be at risk?". Under the logos of Unilever, Airbus, GE as well as the car manufacturers Toyota, Nissan and Vauxhall it states: "EU regulations make it harder for British firms to hire staff. Major employers like Toyota, Nissan and Vauhxall, Unilever, GE and Airbus have all said they'll stay in the UK whatever the result of the referendum." But the chief executives of three of the companies say this deliberately distorts their position as all of them are in favour of Britain remaining in the EU. Toyota and Nissan are understood to share similar sentiments but were unwilling to go public in their criticisms of Vote Leave. Paul Kahn, the president of Airbus Group UK, told The Independent he was "shocked and dismayed" to see his company's name and logo being used as "propaganda" for the Leave campaign. "We do not support leaving the EU, and our position is widely known," he said. "For Vote Leave to suggest anything else is deliberately misleading." Paul Polman, the chief executive of Unilever, added: "The use of our company name and trademark in this way is a clear attempt to mislead the British people. Unilever does not support Vote Leave and does not advocate leaving the European Union, and never has. We believe that for jobs and investment the United Kingdom is far better off remaining a member of the EU." Mark Elborne, president and chief executive of GE UK & Ireland, said: "We are very unhappy with the unauthorised use of our trademark by the Leave campaign. At no point was our permission sought, and it would not have been given had we been asked. Our position is clear - GE supports the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union." The letter to Vote Leave has been seized upon by the Remain campaign who last night accused them of using tax payer funds to "lie" to the British people. "This is disgraceful behaviour by the leave campaign," said the Energy Secretary Amber Rudd. "To misrepresent major companies for propaganda purposes as part of their official election address is nothing short of using taxpayers' money to lie to the British people. Vote Leave have resorted to lying about British businesses because they know they cannot get their support honestly. British employers - like every credible economist and institution - know that staying in the European Union is better for our economy, our businesses, our families, our jobs and the money in our pockets." No one from Vote Leave was available for comment at the time of publication. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 15 LESTRADE Page 15 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Airbus boss: No contingency plan if we leave EU - Filton jobs are safe but apprentices may miss out The Bristol Post online June 15, 2016 By PATRICK DALY Parliamentary Correspondent @thepatrickdaly http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/airbus-boss-s-contingency-plan-leave-eu-filton/story-29403860detail/story.html#sbwB0fYIVB8J72L1.99 Airbus UK President Paul Khan Airbus has no contingency plan if Britain votes to leave the European Union – but investment into its Bristol base would be safe, according to the company's UK boss. Paul Khan, president of Airbus UK, appeared before the Commons' Business Select Committee on Tuesday to explain how leaving the EU could impact on the aerospace company's operation. He told MPs that Airbus' future investment into the UK could be at risk if Brexit occurs at the June 23 referendum. But speaking to the Bristol Post afterwards, Mr Khan looked to reassure Filton workers. A quarter of the company's 15,000 person workforce is employed at its production base, located just outside of Bristol. Paul Khan (second to the right) appeared before the Business Select Committee "For us, it is about making sure the British operation is as attractive and competitive as possible in the future. We will continue to do that in or out," he said after the committee hearing. "But being in the EU helps us to be more competitive. "We invested £38 million into a testing and research centre in Filton. We won't stop making that kind of investment in the short-term but the risk to investment is for the long-term," he stated. As reported in the Post, Airbus wrote to all its Filton staff explaining why it backed remaining in the EU. But Mr Khan added: "We are quite clear this is a choice for the British people." President since 2014, Mr Khan told MPs the company, which has a £6 billion turnover and operates in four countries, had not come up with a contingency plan for Brexit as it was difficult to predict what future trading arrangements might look like. Those in the Leave camp disagree on whether Britain would remain in the duty-free single market, or split altogether with Europe. "We don't know what 'out' looks like so we don't have any specific plans," he told the committee. "But we will make those plans if the British electorate choose. "The risk is to future investment. For our current workforce, the short-term impact would be very minimal. "Not knowing what 'out' would look like, it has been hard to come up with some contingency planning." rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 16 LESTRADE Page 16 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Airbus wrote to staff in Filton explaining why it wanted to remain in the EU Another consequence of exiting the EU was that Airbus would be "less likely" to send its Bristol apprentices abroad to experience life at its continental offices during their training, added Mr Khan. Hundreds of young apprentices from the city are taught the skills to work at Airbus' aircraft design and manufacturing operation. Part of the training involves spending a few weeks with their counterparts in France, Germany and Spain – something Brexit could put a stop to. "They get on the plane and off they go – there are no visas required," he continued. "But as soon as you introduce bureaucracy and paperwork, it will have an impact. "It creates added cost but it is also much less likely it will happen. As soon as you can't do things like that, then it limits opportunities in your career." Mr Khan said EU regulation meant there were only two global standards that his company had to cater for – European and US – which helped cut down on costs. "Leaving the EU could complicate that for us," he warned. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 17 LESTRADE Page 17 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Govt hits the reset button on civil aviation Mint 16 June 2016 Tarun Shukla New Delhi, June 16 -- The Union cabinet on Wednesday spelt out plans for a complete overhaul of the aviation sector with an eye on the future. The cornerstones of the new civil aviation policy are competition, consumers, connectivity (within India and with the rest of the world) and investment-both from domestic and foreign investors. The government is convinced that this will be the key to realizing its target of growing domestic passenger traffic nearly four-fold to 300 million by 2022. "We need more airlines, more aircraft serving our skies, so if more airlines want to come to India they are welcome," aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told reporters. It is a journey similar to the one pursued previously in telecom in which distinctions between technology platforms and licence types were progressively removed and investment rules liberalized. Accordingly, the Union cabinet partly scrapped the so-called 5/20 rule, which restricted overseas operations to only those airlines that had five years of domestic flying experience and a fleet of at least 20 aircraft. The fiveyear criterion has now been scrapped. "The questionable legacy of 5/20 rule has been thrown into the dustbin today," telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, announcing the cabinet decision. Ever since the government proposed to scrap the rule last year, the aviation ministry has seen lobbying by older airlines such as IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd), Jet Airways (India) Ltd, SpiceJet Ltd and Go Airlines India Ltd and new entrants such as Vistara and AirAsia, in both of which the Tata group has a majority stake. The latter wanted the 5/20 rule scrapped while older airlines wanted it to stay. Despite that, the decision was welcomed with caution by Vistara and AirAsia. "We would have preferred, of course, that the 5/20 rule be completely abolished to ensure that Indian aviation achieves its full potential," said Phee Teik Yeoh, CEO of Vistara. Vistara, a joint venture between Tata group and Singapore Airlines Ltd, which is one year and five months old and has 11 aircraft, needs another nine planes to fly abroad. And because the government doesn't want the airlines to focus on international operations at the cost of domestic ones, it wants airlines allowed to fly overseas to ensure that domestic flights account for at least 20% of their total seats. AirAsia India's new CEO Amar Abrol said it will now focus "aggressively" on increasing the fleet size from six at present and achieving the target of 20 aircraft. He did not specify any timelines. "Though a 0/0 or 0/10 would have been more than welcome, the amendments that have been made to the policy are encouraging," he said. All airlines are currently also asked to place a certain percentage of their metro flights on routes which are remote and, in some cases, not as profitable. The aviation ministry has, under the new norms, made this even more strict and this would mean airlines will have to rejig their networks by the winter of 2017. "This is going to be very challenging and will create problems for how we have planned out routes and network," said a senior airline official who did not wish to be named. The ministry also announced a complex regional connectivity policy that seeks to connect unconnected towns with the help of viability gap funding. This will be done by capping fares at about Rs.2,500 for those routes and helping airlines with some funding to ply them. The funds will be generated by charging a cess on other domestic flights. "Welcome to the world of affordable, convenient and cheap flying. Please spread the word," said civil aviation secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey, explaining the contours of the policy. Some airstrips/airports that are being used for cattle grazing and date back to the World War era will be developed as no-frills airports at an indicative cost of Rs.50-100 crore and could host such flights, he said. The draft guidelines on regional connectivity will be placed on the ministry's website in the next 10 days, said Choubey, who has been pushing for an integrated aviation policy since last year. The policy will also allow a open skies agreement on a reciprocal basis with India's fellow-members in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) and countries located beyond 5,000km from Delhi. rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 18 LESTRADE Page 18 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news An open skies agreement means airlines from two countries can operate an unlimited number of flights to each other. The 5,000km area excludes countries in West Asia which have become hubs taking traffic from India via their airports to the US and Europe, among other regions. Government auditor Comptroller and Auditor General of India had come down hard on the aviation ministry for losses accruing to state-run Air India because of flying rights to carriers in the United Arab Emirates. In its new policy, the ministry also allowed airlines to handle ground operations themselves. Airlines went to courts against earlier orders by the ministry that required them to outsource their ground handling. Ground handling is critical to maintaining operational sanctity, especially for low-cost airlines such as IndiGo and SpiceJet that bank on faster aircraft turnaround time on ground to bolster profits. The policy has also made it clear that it will implement a so-called hybrid till of economic regulation for future airports. Under the hybrid model, airport charges are based on an airline's aeronautical revenue and part of its non-aeronautical revenue. Independent airports regulator Airports Economic Regulatory Authority will now have to follow this. The ministry has also given some sops to the Rs.600-crore annual maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business, 90% of which is outsourced to other countries due to high taxation. MROs will not have to pay airport royalty and additional charges going forward. Land would be earmarked for MROs in all future airport/heliport projects where potential for such services exists. To help some 8,000 unemployed pilots holding commercial pilots licenses, the aviation ministry will develop a scheme with budgetary support for type-rating (training on specific type of aircraft) on planes like Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s. Such training can cost anywhere around Rs.15 lakh per pilot. For investors, the policy is a welcome sign as it clears the future roadmap India wants to take, said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice-president (sales), Asia Pacific and India, at Boeing. "This policy stabilizes the uncertainty that was prevailing in India. Now the future investor, airline operators have a reasonably good understanding of the future path of aviation in India," Keskar said, "This policy is progressive-certainly for regional connectivity." Shakti Lumba, former head of operations for IndiGo, said the policy may be difficult to implement. "A policy has to be coherent, it has to be fair and equitable and implementable. I see major implementation issues in the policy because of so many ifs and buts involved. It looks more like a wishlist." BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 19 LESTRADE Page 19 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news SIA to introduce longest non-stop flights to San Francisco, will stop services to Sao Paulo The Straits Times 16 June 2016 Seow Bei Yi SINGAPORE - Announcing its longest non-stop flight, Singapore Airlines (SIA) said it will launch non-stop flights between Singapore and San Francisco, starting Oct 23 this year (2016). They will be the longest flights in SIA's network until 2018, when a new variant of the A350-900 aircraft will enter service, enabling even longer flights between Singapore and both Los Angeles and New York. The non-stop Singapore-San Francisco flights will run daily on the Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Flying time will be between 14 hours and 35 minutes, and 17 hours and 45 minutes, depending on direction and time of the year. Flights will depart Singapore in the morning, also arriving in San Francisco in the morning to enable onward connections to other destinations. Return flights from San Francisco will depart in the morning as well and arrive in Singapore in the early evening. SIA will also add a second daily service to Los Angeles, in an expansion of its United States operations, and suspend services to Sao Paulo in Brazil. The suspension of its three weekly flights to Sao Paulo via Barcelona were "a result of the sustained weak performance of the route", SIA said. b787.jpg Related StoryFirst non-stop service between Singapore and San Francisco by United Airlines takes flight The last flight will be on Oct 20 this year (2016). Services between Singapore and Barcelona will continue. Currently, SIA flies to San Francisco twice daily, with one flight operating via Hong Kong and another via Seoul. The new non-stop service will see its Seoul route re-routed to operate as a Singapore-Seoul-Los Angeles service, also from Oct 23. This will result in a second daily service to Los Angeles, complementing an existing service that operates through Narita airport in Tokyo. "Our customers have been asking us to offer more US services and we are pleased to be able to do so," said SIA's senior vice president for marketing planning, Ms Lee Wen Fen. "With new non-stop San Francisco flights and the increase in frequency to Los Angeles, customers will have two flights to choose from each day to both of these popular US West Coast destinations." Singapore Press Holdings Limited BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 20 LESTRADE Page 20 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Singapore Airlines to fly non-stop Airbus A350 to San Francisco AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS TRAVELLER onlie June 16, 2016 By David Flynn http://www.ausbt.com.au/singapore-airlines-to-fly-non-stop-airbus-a350-to-sanfrancisco?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=flipper&utm_campaign=home-flipper Singapore Airlines will begin non-stop flights between Singapore and San Francisco from October 23. The new direct route will see the airline's factory-fresh Airbus A350 jet pressed into service on a flight estimated to take some 16 hours. First impressions: Singapore Airlines' Airbus A350 business class SQ's Star Alliance partner already runs daily Singapore-San Francisco flights on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The move comes ahead of Singapore Airlines' plan to restart non-stop flights to Los Angeles and New York from 2018 using a new ultra-long-range version of the Airbus A350, which will be fitted with all-new business class seats currently being designed for its second raft of Airbus A380s. Airbus has confirmed to Australian Business Traveller that the ULR jets will have only around 170 seats, compared to some 300 in SQ's standard mid-range A350. Singapore Airlines previously ran non-stop ‘all business class’ flights to Los Angeles and NY-adjacent Newark on the older four-engined Airbus A340 fitted with 100 seats, but axed the service in 2013 due to the rising fuel costs. Singapore Airlines currently flies to Los Angeles and San Francisco via Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo; New York via Frankfurt; and Houston with a stop in Moscow. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 21 LESTRADE Page 21 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Bangkok Air rethinks fleet upgrade Bangkok Post 16 June 2016 Bangkok Airways' long-standing plan to upgrade its fleet with new-generation jetliners is disappearing from the radar screen. The SET-listed full-service airline is no longer looking to procure new-generation, single-aisle jetliners such as the Airbus 320neo or the Boeing 737 MAX because it will not be able to take advantage of the benefits those aircraft offer. "Our [jet] flights are mostly within the range of one to one-and-a-half hours, so we won't be able to benefit from the fuel efficiency these modern aircraft have to offer," Bangkok Airways president Puttipong PrasarttongOsoth told the Bangkok Post. The benefits of saving fuel can only be achieved on a flight beyond two hours, he said. Furthermore, the airline's existing plan does not envisage flights with longer times because the focus will remain on domestic and short-haul regional services. As jet fuel prices remain relatively low, recently hovering around US$60 a barrel, the fuel efficiency rendered by these new aircraft may not be clearly visible from an economic perspective, casting doubt on the carrier's ability to offset the high capital costs associated with the new generation of aircraft. The European-made A320neo incorporates a host of efficiency-boosting innovations, including the latest engines and large "sharklet" wingtips. That means Bangkok Airways will stick to the so-called classic version of the A320 jetliner that dominates the airline's current jet fleet, according to Capt Puttipong. Bangkok Airways is looking to add three Airbus jetliners, types A320 and A319, to its fleet in the second half of the year. The airline currently operates 20 A320 and A319 jets along with 13 ATR-72 turboprop aircraft. Towards the end of the year, the airline will take delivery of two more brand-new ATR 72-600 series with another one due next year to complete an order of nine ATR 72-600 turboprops from the French-Italian aeroplane maker ATR. The Airbus aircraft that Bangkok Airways will be acquiring will not be brand-new but pre-owned, a strategy to lower capital costs. Capt Puttipong said the airline would not seek to expand its ATR-72 turboprop fleet because its capacity matches the projected demand and network. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 22 LESTRADE Page 22 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Volaris to accept first A320neo in November Flightglobal.com 15 Jun 2016 (Washington DC) Ghim-Lay Yeo Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris will take delivery of its first Airbus A320neo in November, after delays that pushed delivery back several months. The airline will receive a second A320neo in December, chief executive Enrique Beltranena tells Flightglobal. Volaris had initially expected deliveries earlier this year. Its first A320neo is leased from AerCap. "The neos will support our strategy in keeping costs low," says Beltranena. Volaris is an all-A320 family operator. It has 38 A320neos and eight A321neos on order, Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer shows BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 23 LESTRADE Page 23 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news TAP tightens blade-service limits after CF6 failure on A330 Flightglobal.com 15 Jun 2016 14:33 By David Kaminski-Morrow (London) TAP Portugal has adopted a more cautious threshold for removing high-pressure turbine blades after a General Electric CF6 powerplant failure on a departing Airbus A330-200. The failure occurred 1min 12s after take-off from Lisbon, during a service to Sao Paulo on 12 July 2014. Parts of the starboard engine were ejected as the aircraft (CS-TOO) climbed through 1,300ft and the debris damaged residential and car windows in the town of Camarate. Portuguese air accident investigation authority GPIAA says the aircraft returned to land safely at Lisbon. Investigators have determined that a phenomenon known as ‘hot corrosion’ – formerly called ‘sulphidation’ – resulted in cracking below the fixing platform for stage one blades in the high-pressure turbine, leading subsequently to blade release. GPIAA says the engine manufacturer had experienced “difficulty” in scheduling an earlier ‘quick turn’ maintenance procedure which would have dealt with the blades – with the result that the engine had accumulated 4,070 cycles, a level “above [that] desired”. Removal of the powerplant to undergo the procedure had been planned for 16 July. The failure occurred just four days beforehand. GPIAA has advised “more conservative” removal thresholds as a result of the incident. GE is holding to a level of 3,700 cycles for TAP, although the inquiry says TAP has instead adopted a lower threshold of 3,400 cycles for removal of stage one high-pressure turbine blades.* BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 24 LESTRADE Page 24 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news From green slime to jet fuel: algae offers airlines a cleaner future Reuters 15/06/2016 As airlines struggle to find cleaner ways to power jets and with an industry-wide meeting on CO2 emissions just months away, scientists are busy growing algae in vast open tanks at an Airbus site at Ottobrun, near Munich. The European aerospace group is part-financing the Munich Technical University project to grow algae for biofuel and, although commercial production is a long way off, hopes are high. Thomas Brueck, Munich TU's associate professor of industrial biocatalysis, says that the biofuel from algaculture could cater for 3-5 percent of jetfuel needs by about 2050. Algae can grow 12 times faster than plants cultivated on soil and produces an oil yield about 30 times that of rapeseed. However, although aviation biofuel made from feedstocks such as flax or used cooking oil is already available, limited stocks and low oil prices mean only a few airlines, including Lufthansa and KLM, are using it on a trial basis. "To substitute 100 percent of the kerosene use today, we will not do it with algae alone. We need a combination of different technologies to actually enable that substitution," Brueck said. Airbus also says the technology, in which it and the Bavarian government are investing more than 10 million euros ($11 million) between them, is still at an early stage and is not financially viable for airlines just yet. "But we are sure that over time, we will make it possible to offer kerosene made of algae for a competitive price," an Airbus spokesman said. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Additional reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Louise Ireland) BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 25 LESTRADE Page 25 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news PW1100G Criticism Not Supported By Facts, Says Pratt AIN Online June 15, 2016 by Charles Alcock http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2016-06-15/pw1100g-criticism-not-supportedfacts-says-pratt In recent weeks, Pratt & Whitney has been increasingly vocal in insisting that its powerplant offering for the Airbus A320neo has overcome early teething troubles and has succeeded in making a strong entry-intoservice over the first six months of 2016. At media briefings held at its U.S. headquarters in early June, the engine maker found it hard to conceal frustration at what it views as overstated criticism by customers. In Pratt & Whitney’s view, the facts speak for themselves: it expects to have delivered 200 examples of the PurePower PW1000 Geared Turbofan (GTF) family by the end of 2016, and the majority of these will be the PW1100G turbofan for the A320neo. According to engineering vice president Tom Prete, all production engines now being delivered include a fix to resolve “rotor bow” issues that had required longer than acceptable start times. Also resolved are software issues that had caused nuisance alerts in aircraft operated by Lufthansa. The “rotor bow” issue necessitated some modifications to overcome thermal deformation and slight rotor-shaft misalignment caused by asymmetric cooling when insufficient heat has dissipated following previous engine shutdown. “It was mainly a geometric issue in the length of the rotors that changed the bow of the rotor, and we learned it a little late in the program,” Prete told reporters. “There is no drama around this, and we will drop the motor start times by two times.” Pratt & Whitney has felt the heat from senior Airbus executives who have expressed public empathy for disappointed customers such as Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker. During the recent IATA annual general meeting in Ireland, Al Baker unleashed some characteristically blunt invective against the engine maker and declared that he is cancelling initial orders for five PW1100G-powered Neos. “Lots has been written about the Neo [engines], some of it true and some of it untrue,” said Pratt & Whitney president Bob Leduc. “I won’t debate our customers, but I will just state the facts. Some of what has been said is grandstanding.” The facts that Leduc wanted to see on the record include, as of June 7, three airlines (Lufthansa, IndiGo and GoAir) were operating seven Pratt-powered Neos, and had logged more than 2,000 cycles and 2,600 flight hours without any engine shutdowns or rejected takeoffs and with a dispatch reliability rate of 99.7 percent. “Also, we’ve hit all the noise and emissions targets from the start, which is rare; normally there needs to be a performance improvement package to achieve this,” he stated. He confirmed that the new engine is matching its promise of 16 percent reduction in fuel burn (compared to the existing A320ceo’s engines), plus a 75 percent reduction in noise levels and 60 percent fewer carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide particulates emitted. The “rotor bow” issue is not a concern for the other members of the GTF family as they are fan—rather than core—mounted to the pylon. But Pratt & Whitney is also busy expanding production for the PW1500G that powers Bombardier’s C Series narrowbody imminently entering service with launch customer Swiss, as well as for the PW1900G on the new Embraer 190-E2 (which made an earlier-than-anticipated first flight on May 23), plus the PW1400G for the MC-21 rolled out last month by Russia’s UAC group and the PW1200G for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet. According to Pratt & Whitney senior vice president Danny Di Perna, PW1100Gs will account for around 75 percent (or 150) of the 200 GTF engines targeted for delivery by the end of 2016. The engine maker has promised Airbus to produce sufficient PW1100Gs this year to support a total of at least 56 aircraft deliveries. Also, Bombardier will take delivery of around 30 PW1500Gs, with a mix of production examples of the PW1200G going to Mitsubishi and a small number of compliance engines joining the MC-21 and E2 flight-test programs. Annoying eleventh-hour design changes apart, the main challenges are now squarely on the shoulders of the manufacturer’s production team, who have the champagne-problem of delivering on the unprecedently high backlog of orders for the GTF engines. Not only does Pratt & Whitney need to produce far more engines, far more quickly; it needs to make them more profitably. “We will be bringing down the cost [of production],” said Gregory Hayes, president and CEO of parent company UTC. “Now GTF is costing $10 million per engine to make and this needs to be less than $2 million. Over the next 15 years Pratt & Whitney will double the number of engines it has in service.” rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 26 LESTRADE Page 26 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 27 LESTRADE Page 27 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Zodiac still battling to overcome A350 supply hitches Flightglobal.com 15 Jun 2016 By David Kaminski-Morrow (London) Interiors specialist Zodiac Aerospace is still trying to bring its Airbus A350 supply line under control, although it has managed to increase lavatory deliveries for the programme. The manufacturer admits its cabin division “continues to be affected” by the lavatory snags. Zodiac says its Cypress site in California is being affected by “quality issues”, which are holding back its rampup plans, while a second assembly site in Montreal – intended to pick up the slack – is ramping-up “more slowly than expected”. The company says the ramp-up needs to advance further in order to reach a temporary monthly supply rate of 10 shipsets, to “catch up” with Airbus’s targets for the full year. Zodiac says, in a third-quarter update, that it has delivered the shipset for MSN49 while that for MSN50 is progressing. The company has been experiencing problems in its seating and cabin operations but confirms that it aims to restore the operational performance of both divisions over an 18-month period which commenced in March 2016. Zodiac says the recovery effort for its seating arm is “going on”, with the certification on a particularly complex business-class programme completed. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 28 LESTRADE Page 28 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Zodiac Jumps as Safran Said to Plan Bid for Plane-Seat Maker Bloomberg.com June 15, 2016 Christopher Jasper Benjamin D Katz http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-15/zodiac-surges-as-safran-said-to-prepare-bid-for-planeseat-maker • French report says engine firm may lodge 10-billion euro offer • Bloomberg said in April that approach was being readied Shares of aircraft-seat manufacturer Zodiac Aerospace SA surged the most on record following a report that engine maker Safran SA is preparing a bid for its fellow French aerospace supplier. Safran may offer 30 to 35 euros a share for Zodiac, valuing the business at as much as 10 billion euros ($11.2 billion), La Lettre de l’Expansion reported Wednesday, without saying where it got the information. Reuters said separately that the story is incorrect, citing an unidentified person, while Zodiac told Bloomberg no bid has been received. The report of Safran’s renewed interest in Zodiac came after the biggest supplier of seats to Airbus Group SE said a logjam in the production of premium berths for the manufacturer’s latest A350 model is beginning to ease, sending its stock up as much as 13 percent in early trading. Safran, known for its CFM International engines pact with General Electric Co., was considering an offer for Zodiac in April, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg at the time, adding that the deliberations were at an early stage and that the Paris-based company might decide against a purchase. Dropped Approach Any bid would come 5 1/2 years after Safran dropped an approach for its compatriot, saying conditions weren’t right for a “friendly combination.” Zodiac earlier rejected a combination as unlikely to deliver sufficient savings. Zodiac CEO Olivier Zarrouati said in an earnings briefing late Tuesday that no takeover proposals had been received in the previous three months. “The answer is no, to make it clear,” he told analysts, urging “Let’s get to the other questions.” The company said late Wednesday that those comments still stood. Zodiac, which has struggled to meet Airbus and Boeing Co. delivery schedules for two years after taking on too much work, has achieved certification of a new business-class seat being built for the wide-body jet, allowing it to restart shipments, it said in the earnings update. At the same time, the Plaisir, France-based company has made progress in the redesign and production of seat shells at its plant in Santa Maria, California, and selected three new suppliers to help smooth future operations. Zodiac also stuck to its guidance for operating profit, following a string of eight earnings revisions in the current the fiscal year, which ends in August. Zodiac shares rose almost 27 percent before closing 12 percent higher at 21.28 euros in Paris, valuing the company at 6.17 billion euros. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 29 LESTRADE Page 29 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Iran and Its Airlines Nearing Tentative Deal to Buy 100 Boeing Planes The Wall Street Journal Online 15 June 2016 The country’s airlines have indicated a dire need for both medium-haul and long-range jets By Jon Ostrower and Robert Wall Iran and its airlines are nearing a tentative agreement to buy about 100 Boeing Co. jets following the easing of trade sanctions, according to people briefed on the discussions. The Islamic Republic is expected to buy jets directly from the U.S. plane maker in what would be one of the highest-profile deals between a U.S. company and Tehran since the West lifted nuclear sanctions on the country in January. It could also lease Boeing-made aircraft as part of a broader fleet renewal effort that includes acquiring Airbus Group SE planes, according to one of the people briefed on the discussions. The country's airlines have indicated a dire need for both medium-haul jets like Boeing's single-aisle 737 as well as its long-range 777 and 787 Dreamliners. Any announcement between Iran's airlines and Boeing isn't finalized, requiring additional U.S. government approval to complete a purchase agreement. Boeing declined to comment on details of its talks with Iran on Wednesday and said it was up to Iran and its airlines to announce any agreement. A spokeswoman for the Treasury Department, which grants the licenses, declined to comment. The Chicago-based aerospace giant has moved slowly as it tests the newly eased commercial restrictions in Iran, following the Iran government's agreement dismantle its nuclear program. A preliminary deal is a key test for western companies looking to do business in Iran, and any tentative agreement will move to a crucial phase that will demonstrate whether the Islamic Republic's airlines can tap dollar-based financing sources to buy large durable goods like Boeing's jetliners. Iranian Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi said Tuesday the country was close to a deal with Boeing, according to the semiofficial Mehr News Agency. “In the coming days, details of the agreement with this company will be announced," he said, without elaborating further. IranAir Chief Executive Farhad Parvaresh this month said he was had two rounds of talks with Boeing. He noted that western banks continue to be leery about doing deals in Iran, which has complicated completing deals for plane purchases. The discussions began in April , enabled by a preliminary license from the U.S. government that allows it to conduct direct talks with approved carriers. At the time Boeing said its representatives “discussed the capabilities of its commercial passenger airplanes and aftermarket services with Iranian airlines approved by the U.S. government," according to a Boeing spokesman. At an investor event this month, Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said, “The way the licensing process works now is we're allowed to now put together tentative sales agreements. Those sales agreements would then be each individually subject to U.S. government approval." Airbus Group SE in January announced an agreement with Iran to purchase 118 new jets, underscoring Iran's interest in restoring commercial links with Europe, as well as the urgency for new commercial aircraft. The deal hasn't been finalized because of concerns in the financial community about doing deals in Iran. Airbus also is still waiting for an export license from the U.S. government for the planes. Airbus commercial airplane boss Fabrice Brégier recently said the company was making progress securing the export license, but more work was needed. He remained optimistic the deal, which would include Iran's purchase of 12 A380 superjumbos, could be finalized this year. Write to Jon Ostrower at [email protected] and Robert Wall at [email protected] BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 30 LESTRADE Page 30 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Can Russia’s MS-21 Crack The Airbus-Boeing Duopoly? Aviation Week & Space Technology Jun 16, 2016 MS-21 claims a “best in class” design, but faces very high hurdles for market success Jens Flottau, Maxim Pyadushkin, John Croft and Joe Anselmo Russian Renaissance When Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) launched its new single-aisle aircraft MS-21, its ambitions were clear. The aircraft’s name, Magistralny Samoljot 21 Veka, means “mainline aircraft of the 21st century.” The company was not alluding to mainline routes within Russia. It was thinking global. After all, Irkut President Oleg Demchenko believes the aircraft is “the best in its class”—a class that includes Boeing’s 737 product line, the Airbus A320 family and an upstart contender from China, the Comac C919. The MS-21, which rolled out on June 8 in Irkutsk, is intended as Russia’s second step in its return to the world stage of aircraft manufacturing. A worthy aim to be sure, and one that airline customers will welcome. Customers always cheer more supplier competition, more options. But how realistic is Russian industry’s goal? The country’s civil aircraft industry collapsed along with the Soviet Union, and it has undergone years of slow progress, rife with unsuccessful attempts. The Superjet 100, now in service with two Western operators— Ireland’s Cityjet and Mexico’s Interjet—was seen as the first sign of significant technological progress, but given the complex industrial setup, the resulting inefficiencies and other encumbrances, it is still highly reliant on government subsidies and unlikely to become a commercial success. So will the MS-21’s fate be different? UAC rolled out the first MS-21 prototype on June 8 in Irkutsk. Credit: Leonid Faerberg/Transport-Photo.com Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia believes the answer is “no.” He thinks the MS-21 faces steep odds in gaining market traction, starting with the fact that it is being built by a government-owned company in Russia. “It’s a little like China in that you’ve got tremendous talent and pretty good resources,” he says. “But if it’s in the hands of an authoritarian government, it’s not going to happen. I don’t think [China’s] Comac is going anywhere, either.” Politics, industrial efficiency, trust—Aboulafia’s comments are indicative of the reservations Western industry partners and potential airline customers have always had against aircraft built in the East. Most important, aircraft performance of the likes of the Tupolev Tu-204 or Tu-154 has historically never approached the level of a 737 or an A320, making them an impossible option for any airline that has a choice. Even if all goes well, the MS-21 will be able to capture only a tiny fraction of the world market because UAC’s own assumptions for peak production rates end at few more than 70 aircraft per year. If Boeing and Airbus implement their planned expansion, each will build that number in little more than one month. It compares to around the 125-150 that Bombardier targets for its C Series once production is in full swing after 2020. Taking into account that most of the early-production MS-21s are expected to end up in Russian airline livery, only a few will be seen flying with international carriers, even in the medium term. But before counting Russia out, there are some other factors to consider. Perhaps most important: Russia is not China. The Russian aerospace industry has a long history and deep technological know-how. It has a far more robust base to build on for the MS-21 than Comac has for the C919. Russian aerodynamicists are highly regarded, and where the industry has always been behind (particularly in engine technology) the aircraft can now rely on foreign partners. If it fails, it will not be because of a technology gap between it and Western models, but because of an inability to, for whatever reason, turn what appears to be a convincing design into a commercial success. The MS-21 is by far the most advanced civil aircraft Russia has ever built. That applies to innovative technologies—unlike the 737 MAX or A320neo the aircraft has a composite wing—as well as to UAC’s industrial approach. At last, a Russian-led aircraft project is a truly international venture, as illustrated by the selection of Pratt & Whitney’s PW1400G geared turbofan engines along with other key systems. The country continues to make the most of its technical capabilities at home, especially from subsidiaries. The MS-21 was formally launched as a successor to the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-154 and Tu-204/-214. The Tu154 fleet, which was a workhorse for Russian airlines 10 years ago, is now almost completely retired. The last Tu-204 commercial deliveries took place in early 2010; now UAC assembles a few units per year only for government customers. Although the improved Tu-204SM variant received Russian certification in 2013, no orders have been placed. rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 31 LESTRADE Page 31 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news MS-21 development began in the mid-2000s. Its configuration was finally frozen in 2011. The rolled-out prototype represents the baseline MC-21-300 variant. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 79,250 kg (174,716 lb.) and will be able to carry up to 211 passengers a distance of 3,200 nm. If UAC manages to deliver the aircraft as specified, it will have some advantages over its Western competitors. Although the aircraft is longer than the A320neo by almost five meters (16 ft.) (see table), it weighs the same. It is three tons lighter than the 737-8, which is almost three meters shorter. In a typical two-class layout, manufacturer assumptions on seating capacity are nearly equivalent: 162 for the 737-8, 163 for the MS-21-300 and 165 for the A320neo. According to published specifications, the 737-8 and A320neo do seem to have a slight range advantage of about 200 nm. UAC plans to offer two additional MS-21 variants. The smaller -200 is in preliminary design. Its maximum takeoff weight is planned to be 72,560 kg, as the fuselage will be 8.5 meters shorter. The aircraft will be designed for 165 passengers in two classes, and UAC expects it to have a maximum range of about 3,500 nm. The family officially includes the stretched 230-seat MS-21-400, but development has been shelved for several years, and its realization appears uncertain. The MS-21 is now scheduled to make its first flight in early 2017. Its 2016 target was delayed because of the time required to complete ground checks. Russian certification is planned for 2018, followed by European Aviation Safety Agency approval a year later, say Irkut officials. The second test airframe is in final assembly at the Irkut plant. It is expected to be sent to TsAGI Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute in Zhukovsky for static tests in September. Irkut is now assembling two more aircraft, one for flight trials, the other for fatigue testing. The MS-21 will enter service using the 31,000-lb.-thrust variant of the PW1400G-JM engine. Including the two installed on the prototype, Pratt & Whitney has delivered three engines to Irkut so far. The engine, which received FAA certification in early May, is turbo-mechanically identical to the PW1100G developed for the A320neo, but incorporates different accessories and external dressings to adapt it for the Russian airliner. “We have sent two compliance engines and we have a third already sent out to Irkut. That engine has entered its podding cycle in Irkutsk,” says Jill Albertelli, vice president of Pratt’s 30K (30,000-lb.-thrust) programs. “Beyond that, we are delivering further PW1400Gs and have quite a few engines in our Middletown, Connecticut, and West Palm Beach, Florida, production facilities,” she adds. Albertelli says all MS-21 engines will reflect the post-certification improvements made to the Airbus engine. The alternative powerplant will be the Aviadvigatel PD-14 engine, another UAC subsidiary. The PD-14 began flight tests on the IL76LL flying test lab in late 2015. United Engine Corp. says the first powerplants for testing onboard MS-21 will be available in 2017, and the first Russian-powered aircraft will be ready for delivery to airline customers in 2019. UAC has bet high on lighter-weight materials: an all-composite high-aspect-ratio supercritical wing has been designed for maximum aerodynamic efficiency in cruise flight. Other composite components include the center wingbox as well as the vertical and horizontal fins. The wingbox and the wing panels are produced using vacuum infusion technology at AeroComposit in Ulyanovsk, another UAC subsidiary. The avionics system has been designed and integrated by UAC, but features components supplied by Western manufacturers, among them Honeywell, Thales and Elbit Systems. The avionics suite includes multifunctional 9 X 12-in. displays, electronic flights bags, enhanced vision and synthetic vision systems. The MS-21 will also have active sidesticks supplied by United Technologies Aerospace Systems. The MS-21 program builds on experience made with the Sukhoi Superjet 100 that attracted a significant number of foreign partners. “We welcome those [foreign] businessmen that work in Russia and achieve impressive successes together with our country,” Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at the MS-21 rollout ceremony. International cooperation is not limited to components and subsystems. Irkut used foreign contractors to set up a modern production line at its facility in Irkutsk, a plant that was previously focused on the production of Sukhoi Su-30MK fighters and Yakovlev Yak-130 jet trainers. The MS-21 is the first commercial jet program for Irkut. Irkut officials point out that they have gained a lot of understanding of Western commercial aircraft production standards from the experience as a supplier of landing gear bays for the Airbus A320. This partnership was forged in 2004 and initially included keel beams and flap tracks. Deliveries to Airbus began in 2007. The company now supplies 12 bays per month to Airbus. rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 32 LESTRADE Page 32 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news The key challenge will be reaching a sufficient number of international sales. This will require proven high dispatch reliability and a track record of a well-functioning, efficient product-support organization wherever the aircraft flies. Previous Russian aircraft models’ deficiencies are well-documented. What is more, the MS-21 is competing with manufacturers that benefit from all the advantages of experience and a huge installed aircraft base. To convince a Western airline operating a large 737 or A320 fleet to switch to a newcomer will be extremely difficult. According to Kirill Budaev, Irkut’s vice president of marketing and sales, the manufacturer plans to sell 1,060 MS-21s in the next 20 years. But the current backlog is nowhere near that target and has stood unchanged at 175 firm orders for many years. In addition, most orders have been placed by Russian government-owned leasing companies that can hardly be used as a reference for market success. The largest customer—Avia Capital Services, a subsidiary of Russia’s Rostec state corporation—signed for 85 aircraft. Fifty are earmarked for launch operator Aeroflot. Two other Russian lessors, Ilyushin Finance and VEB Leasing, ordered 50 and 30 aircraft, respectively. The only direct airline order for 10 aircraft came from Irkutsk-based Iraero. Irkut says it also has about 100 additional preliminary commitments. Pricing will be an important element. In order to compete in the global market, UAC assumes the MS-21 will have to entice buyers by offering a price that is 15% lower than its rivals’. The list price for the MS-21-300 version is currently $91 million. That compares to $107 million for the A320neo and $110 million for the 737-8 (in 2015 dollars). Teal’s Aboulafia questions how sufficient efficiency gains can be reached to allow for the lower price tag, noting that the Russian manufacturer is drawing on many of the same suppliers that Airbus and Boeing use and is unlikely to get those components at a lower price. In fact, quite the opposite may be the case. “You’d have to be super efficient” to lower costs that much, he says. MS-21 development costs have amounted to 100 billion rubles ($1.5 billion) so far Of this sum, 80% was underwritten by the Russian government; the rest was financed by UAC. The government is likely to continue providing support for the MS-21 program as it does for the in-production Sukhoi Superjet SSJ100. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 33 LESTRADE Page 33 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news INTERVIEW-Canada's WestJet considers new 737 jet variant Reuters 16 June 2016 TORONTO, June 15 (Reuters) - Canada's WestJet Airlines said Wednesday it would consider a slightly larger version of Boeing Co's 737 MAX 7 jet with more seats, as the carrier prepares to take delivery of 65 narrowbodies from the planemaker through 2027. "We're still working with Boeing on the 737 and the MAX program," WestJet Chief Financial Officer Harry Taylor said in an interview. "If it (the option of a larger MAX 7) looks like that's a good alternative, or a better alternative, we'll take advantage of it for sure." WestJet has looked at a larger possible variant of the MAX 7, the smallest plane in Boeing's revamped 737 line, which seats 126 passengers. It joins U.S. low cost carrier Southwest Airlines Co in expressing interest in a proposed MAX 7X, which according to an April report in the Wall Street Journal would have 150 seats. Boeing declined to comment Wednesday on whether it would go forward with a larger 7X. Boeing, in an effort to be more competitive against rival Airbus Group SE, has considered revamping both its 7X, and in the longer run, its MAX 9 plane by equipping it with a larger engine. "We're talking to customers and ready to do these if they want it," a source familiar with Boeing's thinking said recently. WestJet has ordered 65 of the 737 MAX planes from Boeing, including 25 of the smaller MAX 7 jets, with delivery starting in 2019. Deliveries of the remaining 40 orders of the larger 737 MAX 8 aircraft are to begin in 2017. Taylor said WestJet is working with Boeing on the configuration of the planes it has ordered and wants to strike the optimal balance between passenger comfort and density, including features like the seat pitch, or distance between a seat and the seat in front of it. "We don't want to damage the guest experience through that (packing in seats)," Taylor said on the sidelines of the Insight Canadian Airline Investment Conference in Toronto. "Some airlines have put such aggressive pitch in that it's a poor guest experience." Taylor said WestJet will also own 45 of Bombardier Inc's Q400 turboprops by the end of 2018. (Reporting by Allison Lampert in Toronto, additional reporting by Alwyn Scott in New York; editing by Tom Brown) Released: 2016-6-15T23:41:43.000Z BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 34 LESTRADE Page 34 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Fabrice Brégier (PDG d’Airbus) : « Les nouvelles technologies permettront de rapatrier des productions en Europe" La Tribune 16 juin 2016 Emmanuelle Durand-Rodriguez, Fabrice Gliszczynski, Michel Cabirol [ ENTRETIEN EXCLUSIF ] Réussir la montée en cadence, poursuivre la réussite des développements de l’A350 et l’A330 neo et transformer Airbus sur le plan opérationnel sont les trois grands défis de Fabrice Brégier. Un succès qui passe par l’utilisation des nouvelles technologies dans le développement des avions et de la production. LA TRIBUNE - Vous allez fêter vos dix ans chez Airbus, six comme directeur général (2006-2012), puis quatre en tant que PDG. Quel est votre bilan ? FABRICE BERGIER - Mon action s'est faite dans la continuité au cours de ces dix années. Parmi les défis que nous avons relevés, je citerai notamment la remise sur pied du programme A380 et le lancement de l'A350 dans un contexte difficile pour Airbus, mais jugé depuis comme l'un de ceux qui ont été les mieux conduits. Parallèlement, Airbus s'est développé à l'international, notamment en Chine et aux États-Unis, avec l'implantation de la chaîne d'assemblage de Mobile. Ces dernières années ont également été marquées par des succès commerciaux importants, avec plus de 4 000 commandes nettes engrangées au cours de ces trois dernières années. Ce chiffre représente plus du double des avions livrés pendant la même période. L'entreprise a-t-elle changé ? Airbus est devenue une société complètement intégrée et plus internationale. À sa création, elle était marquée par des rivalités internes, parfois même au niveau du top management. Quels sont vos futurs défis ? Il faut réussir la montée en cadence de la production de la famille A320, en particulier de l'A320 neo, et celle de l'A350. Mais aussi poursuivre la réussite, en temps et en heure, des développements de l'A350-1000, qui devrait entrer en service en 2017, et de l'A330 neo qui devrait être certifié d'ici à la fin 2017. Nous devons enfin continuer à transformer Airbus sur le plan opérationnel. De quelle manière ? En utilisant des nouvelles technologies, notamment numériques, dans le développement des programmes et de la production. C'est un axe majeur sur lequel insiste à juste titre Tom Enders, le président d'Airbus Group, depuis plus d'un an. Nous sommes sur des cycles longs qui vont en se raccourcissant. Ces nouvelles technologies peuvent nous apporter beaucoup, notamment pour renforcer notre compétitivité. Dans le manufacturing, par exemple, nous testons, depuis un an, des impressions en 3D et nous visons la continuité numérique avec la capacité de maîtriser l'ensemble de la chaîne, de la conception de l'avion jusqu'à sa livraison. Nous voulons aussi mettre l'accent sur l'analyse de plus gros volumes de données, afin d'avoir une connaissance plus fine, mais aussi plus exhaustive, des avions en service ou pendant les essais en vol. Que peut apporter l'industrie du futur ? Atteindre un niveau d'excellence supplémentaire. Les nouvelles technologies permettront une réactivité accrue dans la production et, vraisemblablement, de rapatrier des productions en Europe. Est-ce vraiment possible de rapatrier des productions en Europe ? Dès lors que des technologies autorisent plus de flexibilité et de réactivité dans la production et optimisent le design et la production des pièces, l'écart de compétitivité lié à la dimension salariale se réduit. Je reste convaincu, par exemple, que nous serons capables de produire dans dix ans de grandes pièces en titane avec des imprimantes 3D et les technologies de fabrication ALM (Additive Layer Manufacturing). Même si le coût de fabrication est plus élevé, ces pièces seront compétitives, car leur design permettra de consommer beaucoup moins de titane qu'un design classique. Aujourd'hui, le ratio entre le titane utilisé et celui conservé dans la pièce est de 1 à 10, le reste devenant des copeaux. Il y a donc encore beaucoup de pertes que l'on pourra fortement réduire demain avec les technologies ALM. L'usine du futur est de nature à redonner paradoxalement une compétitivité supplémentaire à nos usines. Depuis la livraison du premier appareil en décembre 2014, la montée en cadence de l'A350 est difficile. Est-il réaliste de maintenir les objectifs de livraison de cet avion ? Sur un nouvel avion comprenant autant de nouvelles technologies, la montée en cadence est en effet difficile. Nous avons livré 14 appareils en 2015 et neuf depuis le début de l'année 2016. Il nous en reste donc au moins 41 à livrer d'ici au 31 décembre pour atteindre notre objectif d'au moins 50 livraisons d'A350 cette année. Cet objectif reste un défi car un certain nombre de nos partenaires industriels connaissent des difficultés. rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 35 LESTRADE Page 35 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Ces difficultés que vous avez pointées en début d'année, notamment celles de Zodiac, ne sont donc pas résolues ? La situation s'améliore mais pas assez pour permettre de tenir l'ensemble de nos engagements. Des plans de progrès ont été lancés, mais tardivement. Il est regrettable de perdre du temps parce que les sièges d'avion sont livrés en retard ou qu'ils n'ont pas la qualité requise ou bien que les toilettes ne sont pas complètes. C'est difficilement acceptable quand on vend des produits de l'ordre de 200 millions de dollars. Les défis de la montée en cadence de la famille A320 sont-ils les mêmes ? Sur l'A320, l'objectif est de passer de 42 à 60 avions par mois d'ici à mi-2019. C'est moins compliqué que de passer de 1 à 14 ou de 14 à 50 comme sur l'A350, dans la mesure où nos partenaires industriels sur l'A320 neo sont déjà présents depuis longtemps. Sauf pour les nouveaux moteurs de Pratt & Whitney qui, bien que très performants, ont connu des problèmes de maturité au cours de ces derniers mois. Seuls six A320 neo ont été livrés depuis le début de l'année. Beaucoup d'avions sont dans l'attente de leur moteur et n'ont pu être remis. Les solutions pour résoudre ces problèmes ont été définies et sont testées sur des avions de Lufthansa et d'Indigo qui sont très satisfaites de leurs performances. Nous les mettrons en place à partir de cet été. Les difficultés sont en passe d'être réglées. Cela sera-t-il suffisant pour rattraper le retard pris au premier semestre ? Notre objectif est bien de rattraper ce retard durant la deuxième moitié de l'année. C'est réalisable même si cela reste tendu. Beaucoup d'avions n'attendent plus que les moteurs. Par ailleurs, la certification début juin du moteur Leap de CFM (Safran/GE), notre deuxième source de moteurs sur ce programme, va contribuer à rattraper notre retard. Par ailleurs, nous livrons un peu plus d'A320 classiques (CEO) que prévu cette année. Vous n'avez livré que 234 avions fin mai. Maintenez-vous votre objectif de 650 livraisons, tous modèles confondus, pour 2016 ? Oui, nous le maintenons. Je le concède, la fin de l'année s'annonce très active en termes de livraisons ! Comment renforcer la surveillance des sous-traitants pour éviter de tels retards ? C'est notre responsabilité et notre métier de les tirer vers le haut. Airbus fait beaucoup d'efforts, en impliquant notamment ses partenaires industriels dans le concept d'entreprise étendue dès la phase de développement. Cette stratégie a d'ailleurs largement porté ses fruits sur l'A350 dont, je le répète, il est paradoxal que les livraisons soient bloquées par un problème de sièges ou de toilettes. Le problème ne vient donc pas forcément d'Airbus. Les partenaires industriels doivent se prendre en charge, surtout quand il ne s'agit pas de PME. Pour autant, je demande plus d'anticipation à mes équipes, plus de travail en amont avec nos soustraitants, et plus de réactivité lorsque l'on voit émerger des difficultés avant que cela ne devienne une crise. Nous devons faire encore beaucoup d'efforts pour que le travail confié à nos partenaires soit simple et clair. Nous devons également nous assurer qu'ils mettent en œuvre les moyens nécessaires pour atteindre les objectifs fixés. Ce qui est globalement le cas. Faut-il modifier l'organisation industrielle ? Nous l'avons beaucoup renforcée, notamment dans le domaine de la supply chain [gestion de la chaîne logistique, ndlr]. L'ensemble de la filière doit prendre conscience à 100 % qu'il s'agit d'une industrie comme une autre : il n'y a pas une spécificité aéronautique à livrer en retard, en raison de la complexité des équipements ou du standard qualité requis. Ce ne serait pas acceptable dans l'automobile. Nous vendons des produits dont le prix unitaire se chiffre en centaines de millions. La filière aéronautique doit montrer une rigueur accrue pour parvenir à une qualité exemplaire. Airbus a des progrès à faire, nos partenaires aussi. Votre modèle est différent de celui de SpaceX, basé sur une production en interne importante. L'externalisation de la production n'est-elle pas un frein pour parvenir à une qualité exemplaire ? L'externalisation ne doit pas être un handicap par rapport à la qualité des produits. À nous de bien choisir les partenaires et de les accompagner dans leur développement. Nous devons aussi faire preuve de davantage d'exigence. Il ne faut pas avoir une stratégie industrielle dogmatique. Sur l'A350, notre politique de make or buy a été bien équilibrée. Je ne regrette pas les choix qui ont été faits de conserver en interne un certain nombre d'activités clés et de se reposer sur des partenaires de façon un peu plus large que par le passé. Il n'a jamais été question d'intégrer la fabrication des sièges ou des toilettes, par exemple. Bien sûr, nous aurions pu procéder différemment sur quelques work packages, mais c'est marginal. Finalement, nous avons eu une bonne maîtrise du développement et de la production de l'A350 grâce au concept de PLM [Product Lifecycle Management ou gestion du cycle de vie des produits, ndlr] et de l'entreprise étendue où tous les partenaires travaillent en temps réel avec l'ensemble des développeurs. Quels sont les programmes qui se préparent sur le long terme ? rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 36 LESTRADE Page 36 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Un avion de nouvelle génération, qui remplacera l'A320, pourra voir le jour autour de 2030. Nous sommes constants dans notre analyse. Cela suppose que nous soyons en mesure de « maturer » un certain nombre de technologies innovantes avec nos partenaires pour être prêts à lancer le développement de ce nouvel avion. Avec 4 500 A320 neo dans notre carnet de commandes, nous avons un peu de temps devant nous. En ce qui concerne la motorisation, êtes-vous toujours favorable à l'open rotor ? Nous avons été l'un des premiers à tester les concepts de l'open rotor [le moteur open-rotor à hélices rapides contrarotatives, ndlr]. Depuis, les moteurs plus conventionnels se sont considérablement améliorés. L'open rotor reste une option, dès lors que lui-même s'améliore dans les mêmes proportions. Il faut que les nouvelles motorisations permettent des gains en consommation de carburant de 20 à 25 % par rapport aux moteurs de 2020 qui seront encore plus performants que ceux d'aujourd'hui. Boeing lorgne le marché du remplacement du B757 (200-300 sièges), qu'il appelle le « middle of the market ». Airbus est-il intéressé également ? Que notre concurrent dise qu'il y a un marché, je ne le conteste pas, puisque nous en sommes le leader avec plus 50 % de parts de marché. Nous le couvrons très bien avec deux appareils : l'A321 neo (200-240 sièges), qui n'a plus de concurrent véritable dans la famille du B737 MAX de Boeing, dans la mesure où il offre plus de sièges, davantage de confort, un plus grand rayon d'action et une consommation carburant plus faible. Notre second appareil sur ce segment de marché est l'A330 neo qui, lui aussi, n'aura pas de concurrent, puisqu'il sera moins cher et tout aussi efficace que le B787. Que Boeing s'intéresse à ce marché est une chose. Trouver la bonne solution pour nous concurrencer en est une autre. Imaginer un avion de nouvelle génération produit en série avant 2030 est très improbable. D'ici dix à quinze ans, le duopole Airbus/Boeing sera-t-il toujours aussi fort ? Il n'y aura plus de duopole à l'horizon de quinze ans ! La Chine développe depuis 2008 le C919, un avion moyen-courrier qui est supposé être un concurrent direct de l'A320 et du B737. La Russie développe, de son côté, le MS21 dans cette catégorie d'avion. Et je n'oublie pas les nouveaux venus, comme Bombardier, qui veulent entrer sur ce marché des avions de plus de 100 places. Il faut se préparer à une concurrence élargie à d'autres acteurs. Cela étant, même si nous ne sommes plus en duopole à ce moment-là, la part de marché d'Airbus et de Boeing restera prépondérante. D'une part parce que dans ces métiers, la courbe d'apprentissage est difficile. Même avec l'utilisation de nouvelles technologies, il est très difficile de développer des avions, de les produire, de les maintenir avec un haut niveau de disponibilité opérationnelle, et évidemment avec un niveau de sécurité de 100 %. Et d'autre part, parce qu'Airbus et Boeing sont sans cesse tournés vers l'innovation, la bataille commerciale. Il ne s'agit pas d'un duopole où chacun se regarde et se laisse déborder par des nouveaux venus. C'est une bataille technologique et commerciale de tous les instants qui rend difficile l'entrée de nouveaux acteurs. La Chine peut-elle vraiment percer sur le marché international ? Pourquoi ne le ferait-elle pas ? Elle le fait dans tous les autres domaines de haute technologie. Il ne faut pas croire que les Chinois ont besoin d'autres alliés que les partenaires et équipementiers occidentaux qui travaillent ardemment au succès du C919 ! Des alliances entre avionneurs sont-elles envisageables ? C'est difficile à dire. Pour son développement, Airbus n'a pas besoin d'alliance stratégique. En revanche, ce serait injurier l'avenir que de dire qu'il n'y en aura jamais. Le haut de cycle actuel est le plus long de l'histoire et certains craignent un retournement. Partagezvous cette crainte ? Non. Nous sommes dans une phase de croissance du trafic aérien mondial de l'ordre de 4 à 5 % par an et même autour de 11 % par an en Chine. Ce potentiel de croissance a vocation à subsister dès lors que le PIB mondial se maintient. Nous estimons que dans les vingt prochaines années, les compagnies aériennes auront besoin de 32 000 nouveaux appareils. Je ne vois donc pas de retournement de tendance et le potentiel reste immense dès lors que la classe moyenne des pays en voie de développement augmente. D'autant plus que les voyages en avion sont un moyen de transport très compétitif grâce aux low cost et aux performances des appareils. Plus qu'une diminution du trafic, ne craignez-vous pas que la baisse du prix du carburant et la concurrence des avions de seconde main modifient les comportements d'achat des compagnies aériennes ? La baisse du prix du pétrole a eu un effet positif, car elle améliore la santé financière des compagnies aériennes et leur donne les moyens d'acheter des avions neufs dont l'exploitation est plus économique, quel rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 37 LESTRADE Page 37 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news que soit le niveau du prix du carburant. Nous n'avons pas vu de mouvement d'annulation ou de report de commande différent de ceux constatés les années passées. Certes, dans le cas de l'A320, nous observons que l'A320 actuel (ceo), dont nous pensions qu'il allait s'éteindre progressivement jusqu'à début 2018, sera prolongé, peut-être jusqu'en 2020, dans la mesure où beaucoup de clients restent intéressés par cet appareil. Mais, d'une manière générale, les compagnies ont bien conscience qu'elles auront besoin de nouveaux avions quand la concurrence sera plus dure ou quand le prix du carburant remontera. Elles savent que le prix du pétrole ne restera pas éternellement bas et c'est pour cela qu'il faut commander aujourd'hui. D'autant qu'il n'y a pas de problème de financement. N'oubliez pas que, quand une compagnie achète des A350, par exemple, c'est pour les recevoir après 2020 et les exploiter durant les quinze ou vingt ans qui suivent ! Elles doivent voir à long terme. Quelles sont les tendances du marché ? Il y a une tendance pour des avions plus gros. Sur le segment des avions moyen-courriers, l'A321 représentait par exemple 15 % de nos ventes de la famille A320 il y a dix ans. Aujourd'hui, il représente 30 % et il devait atteindre 50 % à l'avenir. Le trafic domestique va croître dans des pays comme La Chine ou l'Inde, qui auront donc besoin d'appareils plus gros. En parlant d'avions plus gros, John Leahy, votre directeur commercial, milite pour un lancement le plus tôt possible d'une version allongée de l'A350, qu'il a nommée A350-2000, pour faire face au B777X (400 sièges), prévu en 2020, lequel remplacera le B777-300 ER ? Qu'en pensez-vous ? Nous n'avons livré que 23 A350, nous n'avons pas encore construit l'A350-1000, et on nous parle déjà d'une nouvelle version... Quand nous aurons des clients prêts à signer des protocoles d'accord ou des lettres d'engagement, nous regarderons, mais ce n'est pas le cas. Je le répète, l'annonce du lancement d'un tel avion au prochain salon aéronautique de Farnborough en juillet me semble optimiste. Pour nous, Boeing a lancé le B777X, une version allongée du B777-300 ER (370 sièges), non pas parce que le marché a évolué vers le 400 sièges, mais parce que l'ajout de sièges était le seul moyen d'afficher une baisse des coûts au siège de cet avion et de rester compétitif face à l'A350-1000, avion de nouvelle génération beaucoup moins gourmand en carburant et moins lourd que le 777. Y a-t-il toujours une place pour l'A380 ? L'A380 a souffert d'un démarrage industriel compliqué il y a une dizaine d'années, puis, à partir de la crise de 2008, d'une phase de décroissance du marché et de restructuration des compagnies aériennes, lesquelles se sont davantage tournées vers une stratégie de baisse des coûts que vers une stratégie gagnante d'accroissement de parts de marché. Aujourd'hui, c'est vrai, le marché est difficile et les commandes entrent de façon modérée. À nous de nous battre pour gagner de nouvelles campagnes. À nous de démontrer que l'introduction de l'A380 dans une compagnie n'est pas un risque au regard de la taille de l'avion, mais une opportunité incroyable de prendre des parts de marché de manière profitable. Si vous écoutez Tim Clark, le directeur général d'Emirates, l'A380 est le fer de lance de sa réussite. Quand une compagnie aérienne sait le remplir, cet appareil est extrêmement économique. Il a du potentiel. Je pense, par exemple, que l'A380 commence sa carrière en Chine, dont les compagnies commencent à se développer très fortement sur l'international. Comment pouvez-vous le vendre beaucoup plus ? Cet avion attire les passagers. Pour mieux le montrer à nos clients et à nos futurs clients, nous allons lancer cet été un site « IflyA380 » qui permettra de rediriger les passagers vers les sites de réservation des compagnies qui opèrent l'A380. Nous testons ce site avec les clients A380, qui sont très intéressés. II montrera en priorité l'ensemble des destinations couvertes par l'A380. Quid d'un A380 neo que demandait Emirates ? Le dialogue avec Emirates a été mis entre parenthèses. L'A380 neo est en soi un bon concept, car l'appareil a un potentiel d'amélioration tant dans le domaine des moteurs que du reste de l'avion. Mais il s'agit d'avoir un business case [proposition structurée, ndlr] qui passe largement par des engagements de plusieurs clients, notamment du plus gros d'entre eux, Emirates. Les conditions ne sont pas encore réunies pour l'instant. Ces discussions sont donc remises à plus tard. Le patron d'Emirates a même évoqué la possibilité d'accroître sa flotte avec l'A380 actuel... Vous sentez-vous bien dans Airbus Group avec l'organisation mise en place par Tom Enders ? L'organisation qui a été mise en place est un bon équilibre entre la volonté de rechercher des synergies, qui se justifie quand on voit que le groupe Airbus se concentre maintenant sur les métiers de l'aéronautique (avions commerciaux, militaires et hélicoptères), et celle de permettre aux divisions, et notamment à Airbus, rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 38 LESTRADE Page 38 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news de maîtriser ses métiers, ses clients, ses développements et ses productions. Dans un groupe comme Airbus Group, il y a nécessairement des débats. Ils peuvent être exacerbés par le fait qu'Airbus représente 70 % du chiffre d'affaires du groupe. Cela ne donne aucun droit à Airbus d'être arrogant, mais cela donne également des devoirs au groupe de s'assurer qu'Airbus peut se concentrer à 100 % sur ce qu'on lui demande : être leader mondial dans les avions commerciaux. Je crois qu'on a acquis un équilibre tout à fait acceptable pour atteindre cet objectif. --Propos recueillis par Michel Cabirol, Fabrice Gliszczynski et Emmanuelle Durand-Rodriguez à Toulouse --PARIS AIR FORUM, le rendez-vous des professionnels du secteur de l'aviation et de la filière aéronautique, se tiendra le mardi 21 juin à la Maison de la Chimie, à Paris. Pour Fabrice Brégier, Pdg d'Airbus, il faut utiliser "des nouvelles technologies, notamment numériques, dans le développement des programmes et de la production. C'est un axe majeur sur lequel insiste à juste titre Tom Enders, le président d'Airbus Group, depuis plus d'un an". (Reuters) BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 39 LESTRADE Page 39 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news La montée en cadence sur l'A350 sera un défi, dit Brégier Reuters - Les actualités en français 15 June 2016 PARIS, 15 juin (Reuters) - Airbus fait face à un défi de taille pour tenir ses objectifs de livraison d'A350 cette année en raison de difficultés avec ses fournisseurs, déclare le PDG de l'avionneur européen dans une interview publiée mercredi. Airbus doit encore livrer 41 long-courriers pour atteindre son objectif d'au moins 50 sur l'ensemble de l'année, après un démarrage poussif mis sur le compte de difficultés d'approvisionnement pour certaines pièces de l'appareil. "Cet objectif reste un défi car un certain nombre de nos partenaires industriels connaissent des difficultés", déclare le PDG de la filiale d'Airbus Group dans une interview à La Tribune. Prié de dire si cela signifie que les difficultés avec l'équipementier Zodiac n'ont pas encore été résolues, Fabrice Brégier répond : "La situation s'améliore mais pas assez pour permettre de tenir l'ensemble de nos engagements. Des plans de progrès ont été lancés, mais tardivement". Il s'est montré plus optimiste pour la production des A320neo, expliquant que les difficultés rencontrées avec les moteursPratt & Whitney étaient en voie de résolution et qu'Airbus comptait rattraper son retard au cours du deuxième semestre de cette année. "C'est réalisable même si cela reste tendu", précise le dirigeant. Les livraisons de l'A350 ont été retardées notamment en raison de la livraison tardive ou de problèmes de qualité sur des toilettes et des sièges, une situation que Fabrice Brégier décrit comme "difficilement acceptable" pour des avions valant 200 millions de dollars. Zodiac a indiqué mardi que la performance opérationnelle de sa division de cabines d'avion continuait d'être affectée par les problèmes avec les toilettes de l'A350 mais que les retards dans la production de sièges étaient en voie de règlement. Fabrice Brégier a par ailleurs indiqué qu'Airbus n'avait pas encore obtenu suffisamment de marques d'engagement de ses clients pour promettre qu'une nouvelle version allongée de l'A350 verrait le jour et que les discussions concernant une remotorisation de l'A380, dont les ventes sont timides, avaient été mises "entre parenthèses". (Tim Hepher, avec Gwénaëlle Barzic, édité par Marc Angrand) Released: 2016-6-15T19:01:40.000Z BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 40 LESTRADE Page 40 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Crash EgyptAir: des morceaux de la carlingue localisés sur "plusieurs sites" AFP | 15/06/2016 Cairo, EGYPT Des débris de la carlingue de l'avion d'EgyptAir, qui s'est abîmé en Méditerranée le 19 mai ont été localisés sur "plusieurs sites", a annoncé mercredi la commission d'enquête égyptienne, alors que le temps est compté pour retrouver les boîtes noires qui cesseront d'émettre le 24 juin. Seules les analyses des enregistreurs de vol pourront permettre de connaître les causes du crash de l'Airbus A320 d'EgyptAir, qui s'est abîmé entre la Crète et la côte nord de l'Egypte avec 66 personnes à bord, après avoir soudainement disparu des écrans radar. Un navire de la compagnie française Deep Ocean Search (DOS) qui participe aux opérations de recherche, le "John Lethbridge", a "localisé plusieurs sites principaux où se trouvent des débris de la carlingue", annonce le communiqué de la commission d'enquête. "L'équipe de recherche et les enquêteurs présents à bord du navire vont établir une carte de la répartition des débris de la carlingue", poursuit-il. Ce bateau, équipé d'un robot sous-marin capable de localiser et récupérer à grande profondeur les boîtes noires, était arrivé le 9 juin en Egypte pour rejoindre la zone de recherches, à quelque 290 km au nord de la côte égyptienne. La commission d'enquête a averti lundi que les deux boîtes noires cesseraient d'émettre leurs "pings" (écho sonar) le 24 juin. Un bâtiment de la Marine française, le Laplace, avait détecté le 1er juin le signal de l'une d'elles. Les enquêteurs égyptiens ont d'autre part confirmé lundi -ce qu'avaient déjà dit les autorités grecques- que l'appareil avait effectué un virage de 90 degrés à gauche puis de 360 degrés à droite avant sa chute. Le "John Lethbridge", battant pavillon du Panama, est équipé d'un "système de sonar à balayage latéral qui peut faire des images sonar des fonds" marins, ainsi que d'un robot sous-marin qui peut descendre jusqu'à 6.000 mètres pour "faire des observations visuelles, équipé d'un hydrophone directionnel pour capter le signal des boîtes" noires, selon le directeur du Bureau d'enquêtes et d'analyses (BEA), Rémi Jouty. Les opérations sont rendues plus difficiles en raison de la profondeur des fonds qui atteint 3.000 m dans la zone des recherches. L'hypothèse de l'attentat, initialement mise en avant par l'Egypte, a cédé du terrain au profit de celle de l'incident technique: des alertes automatiques avaient en effet été émises par l'appareil deux minutes avant sa chute, signalant de la fumée dans le cockpit et une défaillance de l'ordinateur gérant les commandes. Quarante Egyptiens, dont l'équipage, et 15 Français se trouvaient à bord du vol MS804 d'EgyptAir. Parmi les victimes figurent aussi deux Irakiens, deux Canadiens ainsi que des ressortissants d'Algérie, de Belgique, de Grande-Bretagne, du Tchad, du Portugal, d'Arabie saoudite et du Soudan. Plusieurs enquêteurs français du BEA, ainsi que des experts d'Airbus, participent aux recherches aux côtés des Egyptiens. tgg/cls/LyS BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 41 LESTRADE Page 41 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Aéronautique : les nouveaux défis d'Icare La Tribune 16 June 2016 Philippe Mabille [ PARIS AIR FORUM ] Plus que tout autre, le secteur de l'aéronautique se situe au carrefour des deux grandes tendances qui caractérisent notre époque : la mondialisation et l'innovation. Que serait le monde sans le transport aérien qui rapproche les pays, les hommes et les idées (parfois les virus, aussi...) ? « Avec l'avion, nous avons appris la ligne droite » : la belle formule d'Antoine de Saint-Exupéry résonne encore dans le cœur de tous les passionnés. La France occupe dans ce domaine une place à part, non seulement parce qu'elle a été à l'origine de l'aéronautique, mais aussi parce qu'elle a réussi à bâtir, dans une alliance européenne exemplaire, une filière qui fait chaque jour la démonstration de son excellence. Deuxième exportateur mondial, derrière les ÉtatsUnis, notre pays est doté, à Toulouse autour d'Airbus en particulier, d'une base industrielle enviée, avec 4 .000 entreprises et plus de 350 .000 salariés travaillant pour ce secteur à haute intensité technologique. Tournée vers l'international avec 82 % du chiffre d'affaires réalisé à l'export, la filière aéronautique investit chaque année plus de 3 milliards d'euros en R&D. C'est par nature une industrie innovante, orientée sur le long terme, voire le très long terme, en raison de l'ampleur des coûts de développement des programmes d'avion. Cette caractéristique, qui fait sa force, est aussi sa faiblesse, en ce qu'elle l'expose aux aléas de la conjoncture. L'ombre d'un retournement de cycle possible Très porteuse dans la défense, en raison du contexte géopolitique - la France a enregistré en 2015 des records dans l'exportation de systèmes d'armes, le Rafale de Dassault en étant le symbole -, l'activité reste très dynamique dans le civil, avec des carnets de commandes pleins pour plusieurs années. Mais les meilleurs experts commencent déjà à craindre un possible retournement de cycle. Avec le ralentissement de l'économie mondiale, la demande, en particulier celle des pays émergents, pourrait se tarir. Surtout, avec la baisse importante du prix du pétrole, la stratégie d'acquisition des compagnies aériennes pourrait bien se tourner vers un marché de l'occasion pléthorique, moins économe de carburant, mais moins cher que les avions neufs. D'où l'importance des négociations en cours pour imposer des contraintes en termes d'émissions de CO2 au transport aérien. Enfin, le duopole Boeing-Airbus, sur lequel a vécu le secteur jusqu'à présent, connaît peut-être ses dernières années avec l'arrivée, d'ici à la fin de la décennie, d'une concurrence chinoise qu'il serait bien imprudent de prendre à la légère. Technologiquement, il n'y a aucune raison pour que la Chine ne soit pas en mesure de proposer des avions de ligne aussi sûrs que ceux produits par les deux leaders du marché. Économiquement, compte tenu des besoins chinois en termes de transport aérien, il ne fait aucun doute que l'empire du Milieu voudra diversifier sa flotte avec ses propres avions. Productivité: rester à la pointe en matière d'usines numériques Un quatrième défi, qui concerne plus les compagnies aériennes, pourrait faire bouger les lignes : le développement du coavionnage, avec de nombreuses startups rêvant de devenir une sorte d'Uber de l'aviation. Certes, cette offre rencontrera vite ses limites dans des pays au ciel déjà très saturé, ce qui est le cas de la France et de la plupart des pays européens. Mais elle ajouterait une concurrence très disruptive dans un secteur qui n'a pas encore digéré le choc de l'arrivée des compagnies low cost, comme Ryanair ou Easyjet. D'autant que ces tendances s'affirment au moment même où s'intensifie la montée en puissance des compagnies du Golfe, tandis que les « ailes » européennes, à l'image d'Air France, sont très fragilisées car de moins en moins compétitives. Dans ce nouveau paysage mondial, l'innovation restera la meilleure réponse pour les constructeurs occidentaux, bien armés pour faire face aux nouvelles contraintes environnementales et pour répondre à la demande des passagers aériens de toujours plus de sécurité et de connectivité. Jusqu'ici résumée dans la parité euro-dollar, la bataille entre les deux géants, Airbus et Boeing, va se déplacer sur de nouveaux terrains. La lutte pour la compétitivité se jouera moins sur la monnaie et plus sur les enjeux industriels. C'est la raison pour laquelle le secteur aéronautique est si soucieux d'être à la pointe en matière d'usines numériques, car c'est là que vont se gagner ou se perdre les dixièmes de point de productivité qui feront la différence. Fabrice Brégier, le patron d'Airbus, en est même convaincu : « Les nouvelles technologies permettront de rapatrier des productions en Europe ». rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 42 LESTRADE Page 42 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news L'arrivée d'Elon Musk dans la chasse gardée de la course aux lanceurs spatiaux a, de ce point de vue, adressé un sérieux avertissement à tous les acteurs de l'industrie aéronautique : aucune place, même celle de leader mondial, n'est acquise pour l'éternité. À dix ou quinze ans, toutes les cartes du secteur peuvent être rebattues avec l'apparition de nouveaux acteurs que personne n'aura vu venir. L'ubérisation pourrait ainsi se généraliser jusque dans l'espace. Raison de plus pour venir nombreux à la troisième édition du Paris Air Forum, notre conférence annuelle sur les grandes tendances de l'aéronautique, de la défense et de l'espace. Vous y retrouverez, le 21 juin à la Maison de la Chimie, les meilleurs spécialistes et les acteurs clefs de l'industrie pour échanger sur ces nouveaux défis. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 43 LESTRADE Page 43 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Rencontres aéronautiques : Charles Champion en parrain; rasg 12e édition La Dépêche du Midi (Gers) 16 June 2016 Charles Champion sera le parrain des 12es Rencontres aéronautiques et spatiales de Gimont, du 30 septembre au 2 octobre. Président d’Airbus Operations SAS et EVP Head of Engineering d’Airbus, Charles Champion est aussi le chef de file du concours « Fly Your Ideas » dont la cinquième édition a été lancée en mai par le constructeur aéronautique européen. Depuis 2008, Charles Champion a contribué à faire du concours étudiant international Fly Your Ideas d’Airbusun fabuleux gisement d’innovation à l’échelle de la planète. Tous les deux ans, ce concours est une occasion unique pour les étudiants du monde entier de travailler en collaboration avec Airbus sur des innovations capables de répondre aux défis concrets auxquels l’industrie aéronautique est confrontée, et de développer des compétences précieuses pour leurs carrières futures, notamment le travail en équipe, la gestion de projet et la communication. « Dans le cadre du concours Fly Your Ideas 2017, Airbus met son expertise en matière d’innovation au service des universités et de leurs étudiants les plus inventifs », explique Charles Champion, directeur de la fonction Engineering d’Airbus. « Nous valorisons et encourageons ce type de collaboration qui est bénéfique pour les deux parties et permet aux étudiants de donner libre cours à leur créativité dans un environnement d’apprentissage exceptionnellement riche. » « Encourager les jeunes à s’intéresser à l’aéronautique et au spatial est aussi la raison d’être des Rencontres aéronautiques et spatiales. Nous sommes donc honorés de la présence à nos côtés cette année de Charles Champion, qui, au sein d’Airbus, s’emploie à créer des passerelles entre les étudiants et l’industrie aéronautique, comme nous le faisons aussi à notre niveau depuis 12 éditions », explique Pierre Duffaut, maire de Gimont. Depuis 2005, à travers des expositions, des animations, des conférences, des ateliers et un grand meeting aérien, les Rencontres aéronautiques et spatiales offrent, en effet, l’opportunité au public de découvrir l’aéronautique et le spatial sous toutes leurs facettes. C’est un moyen aussi pour les scolaires de les aider dans leurs choix d’orientation scolaire. C’est également un lieu pour les chercheurs d’emploi et d’une manière plus générale pour les adultes de décrocher un emploi dans une industrie en pleine croissance. Cette année encore, le Forum de l’emploi, qui aura lieu vendredi 30 septembre, va permettre à des personnes en recherche de rencontrer les recruteurs de plusieurs entreprises. « Au-delà de leur volet festif, les Rencontres aéronautiques et spatiales de Gimont revendiquent une vocation éducative et sociale », résume Pierre Duffaut. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 44 LESTRADE Page 44 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Allemagne ; Kuka face à la menace chinoise L´Usine Nouvelle 16 June 2016 Dessaix Guillaume Depuis l’annonce de l’offre de rachat du fabricant de robot par le chinois Midea, le gouvernement allemand marche sur des œufs. Comment garder l’entreprise dans le giron européen sans froisser son partenaire économique ? Ses robots équipent les usines du monde entier : Airbus, Tesla, BMW, Renault… Fleuron du made in Germany, Kuka a même eu droit à la visite d’Angela Merkel et de Barack Obama sur son stand de la foire de Hanovre, en avril. C’est dire ce que représente cette entreprise fondée en 1898 pour l’industrie allemande. Depuis que le chinois Midea a annoncé, le 18 mai, son intention de lancer une offre d’achat amicale, l’affaire a viré au feuilleton politico-économique. Les deux groupes ne sont pourtant pas étrangers l’un à l’autre. Le chinois possède déjà 13,5 % du capital de sa proie. En proposant 115 euros par action, il dépasserait les 30 %, pour devenir l’actionnaire majoritaire devant le fabricant allemand de machines-outils Voith (25,1 % du capital). Cette transaction valoriserait Kuka à hauteur de 4,5 milliards d’euros. Till Reuter, le PDG de l’entreprise d’Augsbourg (Bavière), s’était montré plutôt enthousiaste envers cette offre non sollicitée. Estimant qu’il lui fallait du temps pour l’examiner, il avait spontanément déclaré lors de l’assemblée générale annuelle : « Midea pourra aider Kuka dans ses objectifs de croissance. Et pas seulement dans son développement sur le marché chinois, mais aussi financièrement. » Ce banquier d’investissement de 47 ans est à la tête du groupe depuis sept ans. Il s’est fixé l’objectif très ambitieux de doubler le chiffre d’affaires de Kuka d’ici à 2020 pour atteindre les 4 milliards d’euros. De son côté, Midea, créé en 1968 à Foshan, dans le sud de la Chine, a réalisé en 2015 un chiffre d’affaires d’un peu moins de 20 milliards d’euros. Le géant, qui a signé en mars la reprise des produits blancs de Toshiba, possède une dizaine de marques de climatiseurs, réfrigérateurs, machines à laver et autres produits électroménagers. La classe politique se mobilise Au-delà des chiffres, la perspective de laisser une technologie clé aux mains des Chinois a très vite ému la classe politique allemande. « Kuka est une entreprise couronnée de succès dans un secteur d’une importance capitale pour l’avenir numérique de l’industrie européenne », s’est inquiété Günther Oettinger, le commissaire européen chargé de l’énergie, ancien ministre-président (CDU) du Land du Bade-Wurtemberg. Autrement dit, l’Industrie 4.0, le plan stratégique allemand qui encourage la révolution digitale dans les usines, doit être protégé. Avec ses robots toujours plus intelligents et fins, Kuka en est l’un des fers de lance. La R & D de l’entreprise travaille notamment à améliorer la collaboration homme-machine, comme c’est déjà le cas avec la nouvelle gamme de robots légers LBR iiwa. De fait, pour les détracteurs du rachat de Kuka par Midea, le risque serait de voir fuiter des données de production ou des informations relatives aux derniers modèles automobiles. Le ministre de l’Économie en personne, Sigmar Gabriel (SPD), s’est prononcé contre l’offre d’achat amicale. Il espère bien voir surgir un chevalier blanc allemand ou européen pour contrer Midea. Selon des rumeurs, ABB et Siemens auraient été approchés, mais auraient décliné toute intention de surenchérir. Dans une tribune publiée le 10 juin par l’hebdomadaire « Wirtschaftswoche », Sigmar Gabriel appelle l’Union européenne à faire barrage aux rachats d’entreprises européennes par des acteurs non européens, quand il s’agit d’industries « qui portent les germes de la prospérité et de la création de valeur de demain ». Avec des échanges bilatéraux s’élevant à 162,5 milliards d’euros en 2015 (71 milliards vers la Chine, 91,5 milliards en provenance de Chine), l’Allemagne représente la première destination économique chinoise en Europe (30 %). « Si les Chinois veulent acheter quelque chose en Allemagne, c’est plutôt bon signe », tempère Ulrich Grillo, le président de la Fédération allemande de l’industrie. Une cible de choix pour monter en gamme L’ex-empire du Milieu n’en est d’ailleurs pas à son coup d’essai. Depuis plusieurs années, il fait preuve d’un appétit insatiable pour les entreprises allemandes, poursuivant sa stratégie de montée en gamme dans la chaîne de valeur [lire ci-contre]. Souhaitant devenir des « global players », à l’image de Sony, Samsung et Siemens, les entreprises chinoises cherchent à élargir leur gamme et à se développer sur les marchés européens et américains. L’Allemagne et son riche tissu industriel sont devenus une cible de choix. Rien qu’en début d’année, deux contrats majeurs ont été signés. En janvier, le consortium chimique ChemChina a repris, pour 925 millions d’euros, le fabricant de machines à injection pour plastique et caoutchouc KraussMaffei. Un rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 45 LESTRADE Page 45 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news mois plus tard, le gestionnaire de déchets EEW était racheté pour 1,4 milliard d’euros par la holding Beijing Enterprises. D’autres secteurs sont visés. En 2012, le géant chinois des pompes à béton Sany mettait la main sur la PME Putzmeister pour 320 millions d’euros. Cette même année, Kiekert, spécialiste des systèmes de fermeture des véhicules, passait sous la coupe de l’équipementier Lingyun. Pour autant, « jusqu’à présent, aucune preuve n’a mis en lumière un réel danger, estime Dieter Zetsche, le président de l’Association européenne des constructeurs automobiles (Acea) et patron de Daimler. Le passage de producteurs ou de fournisseurs sous capital chinois n’a pas non plus eu d’effet néfaste sur l’activité de l’industrie automobile ». Toujours est-il que Till Reuter se dit aujourd’hui prêt à examiner d’autres offres si une proposition concurrente lui était soumise. De son côté, la Chine s’irrite de cette politisation croissante, arguant que l’opération devrait conserver un caractère purement commercial. Ce dossier sensible sera à l’ordre du jour de la visite officielle d’Angela Merkel en Chine, du 12 au 14 juin. Cora Jungbluth, spécialiste des relations germano-chinoises à la fondation Bertelsmann Quelle stratégie la Chine poursuit-elle en rachetant des entreprises allemandes ? L’Allemagne offre aux investisseurs chinois des technologies de pointe, une main-d’œuvre qualifiée, une porte d’entrée en Europe et un climat d’investissement stable. Toutes les conditions sont réunies pour leur permettre de monter en gamme, comme le souhaite le gouvernement avec son programme « Going global strategy ». Pour passer d’« atelier du monde » à « laboratoire de recherche du monde », l’acquisition de ces savoir-faire étrangers est indispensable. Quels domaines sont concernés ? Les machines-outils, le secteur automobile et l’environnement. Inspiré de la stratégie allemande Industrie 4.0, le plan « Made in China 2025 » vise à améliorer la structure de l’industrie chinoise, en la rendant mieux intégrée, plus innovante et efficace. Tous ces secteurs revêtent donc une importance stratégique et politique. Les politiques ont-ils raison de se méfier de ces rachats ? L’Allemagne est un marché ouvert, qui a bien profité de la globalisation. Je ne pense pas que l’entrée au capital d’investisseurs chinois soit un réel danger. Les exemples passés, comme le fabricant Schiess en 2004, ont montré que cela n’avait pas entraîné de délocalisations ou de pillage des technologies. Mais le gouvernement allemand doit imposer à la Chine de s’ouvrir davantage, car bien souvent les entreprises étrangères y sont défavorisées. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 46 LESTRADE Page 46 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Boeing confirme des pourparlers avec l'Iran sur la vente d'avions AFP 15/06/2016 Washington, ETATS-UNIS | Le constructeur aéronautique américain Boeing a confirmé mercredi qu'il menait des négociations avec des compagnies aériennes iraniennes en vue de la vente d'avions commerciaux. "Nous avons mené des discussions avec des compagnies aériennes iraniennes, et avec l'accord du gouvernement américain, sur la vente éventuelle d'avions commerciaux Boeing et de services", a indiqué l'avionneur dans un communiqué. "Nous ne discutons pas des détails des conversations en cours avec nos clients et notre habitude est de laisser nos clients annoncer tout accord conclu", a souligné Boeing, en ajoutant que "tout accord sera soumis à l'accord du gouvernement américain". L'agence iranienne Fars avait indiqué mardi, citant le ministre des routes et du développement urbain iranien Abbas Akhoundi, que l'Iran était parvenu à un accord avec Boeing et que les détails seraient annoncés "dans les prochains jours". Des sources proches de l'avionneur avaient indiqué en avril que lors d'une visite de responsables de Boeing en Iran, ceux-ci avaient discuté de la vente de nouveaux appareils des programmes 737, 777 et 787. En février, Boeing a obtenu le feu vert des autorités américaines pour nouer des contacts avec les compagnies aériennes iraniennes mais a besoin d'une licence spéciale supplémentaire pour leur vendre ses appareils. En effet, malgré la levée de sanctions économiques occidentales contre Téhéran en janvier, l'embargo américain reste pour une grande partie en place. L'Iran a déjà commandé environ 200 appareils à trois groupes aéronautiques, dont la majorité à l'Européen Airbus, grand rival de Boeing. Le Brésilien Embraer, 3e avionneur mondial, et le Français ATR, spécialiste des avions régionaux à turbopropulseur, sont également concernés. D'après l'Autorité iranienne de l'aviation civile, le pays a besoin de 400 à 500 avions de ligne sur les dix prochaines années pour moderniser sa flotte vieillissante, composée de 140 appareils en activité, dont la moyenne d'âge est d'environ 20 ans. jld/are BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 47 LESTRADE Page 47 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Airbus-Manager - A350-Liefertermin stellt Herausforderung dar Reuters - German 15 June 2016 Copyright 2016 Thomson Reuters. All Rights Reserved. Paris, 15. Jun (Reuters) - Airbus hat mit den Auslieferungsfristen für seinen neuen Passagierjet A350 zu kämpfen. Das Ziel, 2016 mehr als 50 Maschinen zu bauen, bleibe eine Herausforderung, sagte der Chef des Flugzeugsparte des europäischen Konzerns, Fabrice Bregier, in einem am Mittwoch veröffentlichten Interview der französischen Zeitung "La Tribune". Der Produktionsverzug gehe auf anhaltende Schwierigkeiten bei der Zulieferung von Kabinenteilen zurück. Für den Bau des A350 fehlen Airbus unter anderem Sitze, die der Konzern vom französischen Hersteller Zodiac bezieht. Bregier sagte, die Lage habe sich zwar gebessert. Es reiche aber nicht, um allen Verpflichtungen nachzukommen. (Reporter: Tim Hepher, geschrieben von Elke Ahlswede, redigiert von Ralf Bode. Bei Rückfragen wenden Sie sich bitte an die Redaktionsleitung unter den Telefonnummern 069-7565 1312 oder 030-2888 5168) Released: 2016-6-15T20:26:59.000Z BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 48 LESTRADE Page 48 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news VERMISCHTES/ROUNDUP/Egyptair-Suche: Wrackteile im Mittelmeer lokalisiert dpa-AFX 15 June 2016 KAIRO (dpa-AFX) - Knapp einen Monat nach dem Absturz des Egyptair-Passagierflugzeugs im Mittelmeer hat ein Spezialschiff im Mittelmeer mehrere Stellen mit Wrackteilen gefunden. Der zuständigen ägyptischen Untersuchungskommission seien auch erste Bildaufnahmen übermittelt worden, teilten die Ermittler am Mittwochabend in Kairo mit. Es werde eine Karte der Wrackteile erstellt. Anfang Juni war bereits bestätigt worden, dass Signale eines Flugschreibers empfangen worden waren. Ein Spezialschiff sollte bei der Bergung der Flugschreiber helfen. Die "John Lethbridge" ist mit spezieller Technik unter anderem Sonar - ausgestattet und kann für die Suche in bis zu 6000 Metern Tiefe eingesetzt werden. Mit Hilfe des Schiffs wurden nun auch die Wrackteile lokalisiert. Der Airbus A320 war am 19. Mai mit 66 Personen an Bord auf dem Weg von Paris nach Kairo über dem östlichen Mittelmeer abgestürzt. Die Ursache für das MS804-Unglück ist nach wie vor unklar. Die Behörden erhoffen sich durch die Daten der Blackboxes Aufschluss über die Absturzursache. Zuletzt hatte es geheißen, dass an Bord des Flugzeuges unmittelbar vor dem Absturz ein Rauchalarm ausgelöst wurde. Informationen, es gebe Hinweise auf eine Explosion an Bord, wurden als Spekulation zurückgewiesen. Die Bergung der Flugschreiber könnte sich schwierig gestalten: Der Meeresboden in dem mehr als 74 Quadratkilometer großen Suchgebiet ist an manchen Stellen bis zu 3000 Meter tief, wie es zuletzt aus Ermittlerkreisen geheißen hatte. Aus der Untersuchungskommission hieß es, auf jeden Fall solle bis Ende Juni ein Bericht zum Absturz vorgelegt werden, auch wenn die Flugschreiber bis dahin nicht gefunden seien./str/DP/he dpa-AFX Wirtschaftsnachrichten GmbH BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 49 LESTRADE Page 49 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Posibles retrasos en la entrega del A350 Expansion 16/06/2016 El fabricante aeronáutico reconoció ayer que tendrá difícil cumplir con las entregas del A350 previstas para 2016 por diversos problemas con los proveedores. Airbus debería entregar 41 A350 en lo que queda de año para superar los 50 que se fijó como objetivo. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 50 LESTRADE Page 50 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news Egipto.- Localizan restos del fuselaje del avión de EgyptAir desaparecido en el Mediterráneo Europa Press - Servicio Internacional 15 June 2016 EL CAIRO, 15 (Reuters/EP) Uno de los barcos que participa en la búsqueda del avión de EgyptAir que se estrelló en el Mediterráneo el pasado 19 de mayo ha captado imágenes del fuselaje de la aeronave, según han informado la comisión de investigación egipcia. El buque 'John Lethbridge' de la compañía Deep Ocean Search ha identificado varios puntos en los que habría restos y ha entregado las imágenes a lasd autoridades. El equipo a bordo dibujará un mapa con el reparto del fuselaje encontrado. El hallazgo podría ser clave para localizar las cajas negras, cuya señal ya había sido detectada. Los expertos calculan que estos equipos dejarán de emitir dichas señales el 24 de junio, por lo que las autoridades trabajan contrarreloj para recuperarlos. Los investigadores aún no han logrado determinar los motivos por los que el vuelo MS804 de EgyptAir, que cubría la ruta entre París y El Cairo, cayó al mar. Los países implicados han evitado decantarse por alguna de las hipótesis que se han barajado. Los restos del fuselaje avistados por el 'John Lethbridge' podrían ayudar a determinar si se produjo una explosión a bordo. La comisión de investigación ha explicado en su nota que también recibirá los restos de menor tamaño que habían sido localizados hasta ahora una vez se hayan completado los "procedimientos estándar" en busca de posibles pruebas. Europa Press Noticias S.A. BACK TO THE SUMMARY rd Contact: GDM Department (531183) 51 LESTRADE Page 51 16/06/2016 Thursday June 16th 2016 – The early morning news ¿Un avión con 517 plazas es grande? La respuesta podría ser que sí, pero en el... Expansión CATALUÑA 16 June 2016 A. Zanón. Barcelona ¿Un avión con 517 plazas es grande? La respuesta podría ser que sí, pero en el caso de Emirates a veces es no. Desde el pasado 3 de junio, la aerolínea opera sus dos frecuencias diarias entre El Prat y Dubái con sendos A380, con una capacidad total de 2.068 personas. Pero ahora, para cubrir la demanda en algunos días, ha decidido destinar para este enlace uno de sus cuatro nuevas incorporaciones de Airbus: un A380 con 615 asientos. Será el avión con más pasajeros que ha aterrizado nunca en el Aeropuerto de Barcelona. Este modelo tiene dos plantas: la inferior es la de turista y la superior está configurada con 14 suites con ducha y 58 plazas de business,además de primera clase. Las nuevas máquinas mantendrán sólo los asientos de negocios, mientras que el resto de la primera planta será sustituido por clase turista para ganar más usuarios, según explicó Fernando Suárez, director para España de Emirates. Los aterrizajes en El Prat se producirán el 25 de junio –coincidiendo con el fin del Ramadán– y el 16, 29 y 31 de julio; en Madrid, el 30 de junio y el 2 de julio. Emirates, que por ahora no piensa incrementar sus conexiones entre España y el emirato, tiene una previsión de crecimiento del 18% en 2016, más en Barcelona que en Madrid. Entre enero y mayo, la firma ha transportado a 198.669 personas en El Prat. La aerolínea mueve cada semana a la capital catalana a 500 personas para tratamientos médicos, unos pasajeros con gran poder adquisitivo. Emirates llevará a El Prat cuatro días su avión con más pasajeros 00 personas para tratamientos médicos, unos pasajeros con gran poder adquisitivo. Emirates llevará a El Prat cuatro días su avión con más pasajeros BACK TO THE SUMMARY Nathalie Tutundjian EXM COMPANY On behalf of Airbus Communications Media Relations - GDM Mobile : +33 (0)6 78 459 729 rd Contact: GDM Department (531183)