Airbus News

Runway Girl • Becca Alkema

Boeing 787 for Lufthansa to fly as ecoDemonstrator for fuel-efficiency and noise-reduction tests

A new Boeing 787 scheduled for delivery to Lufthansa will first be used as Boeing’s latest ecoDemonstrator, running flight tests aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing noise emissions. The aircraft will transition from demonstration activities to its planned role with Lufthansa following the program.

2 Sources

2026-07-18T08:27:33.056287-07:00

AirInsight

Boeing and Airbus face contrasting signals as China locks in $17.8B Airbus order and Boeing reiterates 20-year jet demand outloo

37 Sources

2026-07-17T16:09:17.536588-07:00

Bloomberg

Air China and Shenzhen Airlines place 55-aircraft Airbus order: 15 A350-900s plus 40 A320neo-family jets

29 Sources

2026-07-17T02:45:21.317041-07:00

Skift

Delta to launch first nonstop LAX–Manila flights March 28, 2027, operated by the Airbus A350-900

17 Sources

2026-07-17T06:29:43.878614-07:00

Airbus News Timeline

Runway Girl

2 sources

Boeing 787 for Lufthansa to fly as ecoDemonstrator for fuel-efficiency and noise-reduction tests A new Boeing 787 scheduled for delivery to Lufthansa will first be used as Boeing’s latest ecoDemonstrator, running flight tests aimed at improving fuel efficiency and reducing noise emissions. The aircraft will transition from demonstration activities to its planned role with Lufthansa following the program.

2026-07-18T08:27:33.056287-07:00

Boeing 787 for Lufthansa to fly as ecoDemonstrator for fuel-efficiency and noise-reduction tests

AirInsight

37 sources

❗️

Boeing and Airbus face contrasting signals as China locks in $17.8B Airbus order and Boeing reiterates 20-year jet demand outloo Boeing reaffirmed its 20-year forecast for strong global jet demand, projecting the global commercial fleet will reach 50,000 aircraft by 2045 despite “near-term disruptions.” At the same time, three Chinese carriers agreed to buy 95 Airbus aircraft—55 A350-family and 40 A320neo-family—valued at about $17.8 billion, underscoring continued fleet modernization in Asia.

2026-07-17T16:09:17.536588-07:00

Boeing and Airbus face contrasting signals as China locks in $17.8B Airbus order and Boeing reiterates 20-year jet demand outloo

Air Data News

1 source

Former Malaysia Airlines A380 returns to service as Airbus flying testbed MSN114, previously stored long-term after being retired during the COVID-19 pandemic, has returned to the air to start conversion into a new Airbus A380 flying test aircraft. The aircraft will support Airbus’s next phase of test activity tied to the A380 program’s restart of a second career.

2026-07-17T11:42:33.877108-07:00

Former Malaysia Airlines A380 returns to service as Airbus flying testbed

ch-aviation

1 source

Boeing and Airbus charter Antonov Airlines An-124 freighters to speed delivery of supply-constrained large aircraft parts Boeing and Airbus have been chartering Antonov Airlines’ An-124s to move large aircraft components that would otherwise ship by sea or overland, Reuters reported. The emergency airlift approach is intended to accelerate deliveries amid continuing supply chain constraints.

2026-07-17T08:16:39.516788-07:00

Boeing and Airbus charter Antonov Airlines An-124 freighters to speed delivery of supply-constrained large aircraft parts

AirInsight

1 source

US international gateway fragmentation shifts long-haul fleet calculus, pressuring the 787 vs. A380 route math Traffic at US international gateways is becoming more fragmented, changing how airlines size and allocate long-haul capacity. The 787-versus-A380 debate is now playing out one tier down in network planning, as fleet decisions increasingly track which gateways—and markets—actually concentrate demand.

2026-07-17T08:15:32.149018-07:00

US international gateway fragmentation shifts long-haul fleet calculus, pressuring the 787 vs. A380 route math

FlightGlobal

6 sources

Airbus backs ATR 72 waterbomber conversion as Positive Aviation targets a 2029 alternative to the Canadair Airbus will begin assembling the first float for a Positive Aviation program to convert an ATR 72 into a firefighting waterbomber, aiming for an initial operational alternative to the Canadair by 2029. In parallel, Corsica Technics has signed an LoI for 10 Kepplair 72 conversion kits, while France has also contracted for two DHC Canadair 515 amphibious aircraft.

2026-07-17T06:43:56.547534-07:00

Airbus backs ATR 72 waterbomber conversion as Positive Aviation targets a 2029 alternative to the Canadair

Skift

17 sources

❗️

Delta to launch first nonstop LAX–Manila flights March 28, 2027, operated by the Airbus A350-900 Delta will begin its inaugural nonstop service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Manila on March 28, 2027, using the Airbus A350-900. The carrier says it will be the only U.S. airline flying directly between the two cities and frames the launch as a premium extension of its Asia-Pacific network.

2026-07-17T06:29:43.878614-07:00

Delta to launch first nonstop LAX–Manila flights March 28, 2027, operated by the Airbus A350-900

FlightGlobal

14 sources

❗️

European Commission proposes EU ETS overhaul to charge international flights; industry blocs clash over costs and decarbonisatio The European Commission has proposed overhauling the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), extending carbon-permit requirements to international flights. Business aviation and airline groups—including EBAA and Airlines for Europe—criticize the plan over higher passenger costs and concerns that revenues may not be clearly reinvested in aviation decarbonisation.

2026-07-17T05:17:08.947062-07:00

European Commission proposes EU ETS overhaul to charge international flights; industry blocs clash over costs and decarbonisatio