Air Data News
• Ricardo Meier
Airbus UpNext has concluded its Optimate program after 30 hours of A350 taxi tests, including trials at Paris Charles de Gaulle in July 2026; related reporting also describes testing at Toulouse-Blagnac. Airbus says the aircraft taxied autonomously, but has not announced when the technology could enter service.
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Airbus UpNext has concluded its Optimate program after 30 hours of A350 taxi tests, including trials at Paris Charles de Gaulle in July 2026; related reporting also describes testing at Toulouse-Blagnac. Airbus says the aircraft taxied autonomously, but has not announced when the technology could enter service.
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Biman Bangladesh Airlines has signed a firm order for 10 Airbus aircraft: four A350-900s and six A321neos. The carrier, which currently operates only Boeing jets, had also committed to 25 Boeing aircraft this year; Airbus deliveries are expected to begin in 2033.
Airbus Helicopters has flown a new series of tests with its high-speed Racer demonstrator, including low-level assessment by military pilots. The flights were intended to demonstrate the compound helicopter’s performance in challenging operational conditions.
The upgrade replaces the H135’s existing battery with a lithium battery across all model variants. EASA approval clears the modification for use in the aircraft, with Heli Austria and Heli Werk presenting it as a performance and efficiency improvement.
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Romania has signed a contract for 12 Airbus H225M multirole helicopters, a procurement approved in July and reported to be worth about €757 million ($845 million). The aircraft will begin replacing the Romanian Air Force’s IAR-330 Puma fleet for conventional and special operations, with the order placed through the EU’s SAFE program.
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Airbus is preparing its next-generation single-aisle program for an eventual production rate of about 100 aircraft per month, a step-change industrial target that would substantially exceed the output planned for the current A320neo family. The figure signals the scale of manufacturing capacity envisaged for the successor program.
Airbus Defence and Space and CenSec, a Danish business cluster representing companies and researchers in defense, space and security, have signed a partnership agreement. The groups said the deal is intended to expand cooperation and strengthen ties between Airbus and Denmark’s aerospace and defense supply base.
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