FlightGlobal
• David Kaminski-Morrow
A maintenance floodlight was accidentally left inside a Qantas Airbus A380 wing in Sydney and went undetected until after the aircraft had flown nearly 1,000 passengers to Dallas Fort Worth and back. Qantas has since revised tool-control procedures and introduced mandatory post-maintenance verification checks.
Airbus
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Airbus has tentatively scheduled the delayed A350 freighter’s maiden flight for the third week of September, according to industry sources. The timing marks the next major milestone for Airbus’ new-generation widebody freighter program, though the schedule remains subject to change as development work continues.
Airbus’s System Development Lab generated virtual allies and threats inside Timber Express, the German Air Force’s annual data-link exercise. The demonstration shows how synthetic aircraft can be introduced into live military training environments to expand scenarios and test networked operations without requiring additional physical platforms.
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A maintenance floodlight was accidentally left inside a Qantas Airbus A380 wing in Sydney and went undetected until after the aircraft had flown nearly 1,000 passengers to Dallas Fort Worth and back. Qantas has since revised tool-control procedures and introduced mandatory post-maintenance verification checks.
The Indian Air Force is seeking bids for a new medium military transport aircraft, with Lockheed Martin, Embraer and Airbus potentially in contention. The competition could shape India’s future airlift capability while opening a significant defense opportunity for three major aerospace manufacturers.
Air France has extended scheduled Airbus A318 operations through March 27, 2027, moving beyond its previously planned November 2026 retirement timeline. The fleet’s final months are expected to include 37 routes across 13 countries, giving operators and travelers a defined view of the aircraft’s remaining network.
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Lufthansa City Airlines is preparing to receive its first A220-300 in November, while airBaltic is reducing its long-term fleet targets and AirAsia plans to return 25 older aircraft to lessors by the end of 2026 before new A220-300 deliveries begin in 2028.
SkyDrive has appointed Stéphane Ginoux, former president of Airbus Japan and head of Airbus operations in North Asia, as an advisor. The Japanese eVTOL developer is adding senior Airbus experience as it works to advance commercialization of its aircraft.
Airbus recorded 203 net new aircraft orders in July 2026, according to ch-aviation. The available report does not identify the customers, aircraft models, gross order volume or cancellations behind the monthly figure.
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