Airbus News

Air Data News • Ricardo Meier

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.

1 Source

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

Bloomberg

Air China and Shenzhen Airlines order 55 Airbus jets (15 A350-900, 40 A320neo-family) amid accelerating China delivery pipelines

28 Sources

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

Skift

Delta to launch first-ever nonstop Los Angeles–Manila service on March 28, 2027

11 Sources

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

ch-aviation

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

1 Source

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

Airbus News Timeline

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

4 sources

Airbus/Positive Aviation and MRO partners accelerate ATR 72 firefighting conversions to challenge the Canadair Airbus-backed Positive Aviation aims to start assembling the first ATR 72 “flying” float intended for water-bomber conversion, targeting availability from 2029 as an alternative to Canadair. Corsica Technics is moving to acquire 10 Kepplair 72 conversion kits, while France is also signing for two DHC Canadair 515 amphibious waterbombers.

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

Airbus/Positive Aviation and MRO partners accelerate ATR 72 firefighting conversions to challenge the Canadair

Skift

11 sources

❗️

Delta to launch first-ever nonstop Los Angeles–Manila service on March 28, 2027 Delta will begin its first nonstop flights between LAX and Manila on March 28, 2027, using the Airbus A350-900. The carrier says the new service returns it to the Philippines market and targets the largest U.S.–Philippines city-pair, expanding its Asia-Pacific network and ending another airline’s long-standing monopoly on the route.

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

Delta to launch first-ever nonstop Los Angeles–Manila service on March 28, 2027

Bloomberg

28 sources

❗️

Air China and Shenzhen Airlines order 55 Airbus jets (15 A350-900, 40 A320neo-family) amid accelerating China delivery pipelines Air China is buying 15 A350-900 widebodies plus an additional order for 40 A320neo-family aircraft for its subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines, totaling 55 Airbus deliveries between 2029 and 2032. The combined Airbus commitment is valued at about $12.4B on list price terms and reflects China’s post-Covid fleet rebuild and capacity expansion.

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

Air China and Shenzhen Airlines order 55 Airbus jets (15 A350-900, 40 A320neo-family) amid accelerating China delivery pipelines

FlightGlobal

4 sources

Airbus Helicopters completes first H160M “Guepard” firing campaign with DGA at Cazaux Airbus Helicopters has completed the first weapons firing campaign for the developmental H160M Guepard medium twin, in line with the HIL program schedule. Conducted in partnership with France’s DGA at the Cazaux test site, the trials validated weapons/decoy and defensive aids integration and enabled first flight tests of the mission assistant.

2026-07-17T02:44:54.607053-07:00

Airbus Helicopters completes first H160M “Guepard” firing campaign with DGA at Cazaux

ch-aviation

1 source

Quebec in talks with Airbus Canada over potential funding for an A220-500 stretch The Quebec government is in discussions with Airbus Canada (ABK, based at Mirabel) about possibly participating in funding for an as-yet-unconfirmed stretched A220-500 variant. The talks signal provincial interest in supporting a potential regional narrowbody upgrade pathway.

2026-07-16T13:15:12.691228-07:00

Quebec in talks with Airbus Canada over potential funding for an A220-500 stretch