Leeham News
• Scott Hamilton
Airbus executives once celebrated overtaking Boeing in widebody sales, underscoring the European manufacturer’s earlier competitive momentum. The company has since fallen well behind its U.S. rival in the segment, marking a significant reversal in the long-haul aircraft market and Airbus’ commercial positioning.
Airbus
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Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier, Saudia, has agreed a financing deal with a French bank to cover part of the cost of new Airbus aircraft. The transaction highlights the role of bank financing in supporting the airline’s fleet renewal and aircraft acquisition plans.
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Airbus executives once celebrated overtaking Boeing in widebody sales, underscoring the European manufacturer’s earlier competitive momentum. The company has since fallen well behind its U.S. rival in the segment, marking a significant reversal in the long-haul aircraft market and Airbus’ commercial positioning.
High activity
Thousands of Airbus employees across Spain have resumed strike action after rejecting the company’s latest proposal on pay and working conditions. The renewed dispute has brought industrial sites to a standstill, with unions and management due to meet for mediation as production of commercial and military aircraft faces disruption.
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LATAM Airlines Group has arranged approximately $505 million in long-term financing to support delivery of 11 aircraft in 2026, including Airbus A321neos and Embraer E195-E2s. The funding will accelerate fleet renewal and expansion as the group adds newer-generation aircraft to its network.
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United Airlines will initially deploy Airbus A321XLRs only to destinations in far Western Europe, adopting a more conservative approach to the aircraft’s range than Airbus’ marketing has suggested. The strategy signals that the jet’s practical network utility may fall short of its headline capability in some operations.
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Israir has cleared a key U.S. regulatory hurdle to launch nonstop flights between Tel Aviv and New York JFK, with service targeted for October 2026. The Israeli leisure carrier plans to add two Airbus A330 widebodies, reportedly retaining their existing American Airlines cabin layouts, for its North American expansion.
Austrian operator Kitz-Air has acquired three Airbus H225 heavy-lift helicopters from Milestone Aviation Group, expanding its fleet for specialized aerial firefighting missions. The transaction is Kitz-Air’s first with the helicopter lessor and supports its plans to strengthen firefighting capabilities globally.
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Airbus is seeking details of hydraulic-system maintenance performed on an Air India A320neo after the twinjet briefly lost all three hydraulic circuits in cruise and experienced an altitude excursion. The incident raises questions about maintenance history and the resilience of the A320neo’s hydraulic architecture.
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