Aviation Week
• Robert Wall
The European Commission has agreed with an industrial consortium to proceed with IRIS², expanding the secure connectivity constellation and pushing expected investment beyond $18 billion. Hispasat won a primary contractor role in a project valued at more than €1.6 billion, while SES and Eutelsat completed the RDV1 milestone.
Airbus
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Airbus and Boeing are investing in alternatives to conventional autoclave processing as they seek to accelerate composite airframe manufacturing. The efforts signal continued focus by both major aerospace groups on improving production methods for composite structures and addressing manufacturing constraints.
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The European Commission has agreed with an industrial consortium to proceed with IRIS², expanding the secure connectivity constellation and pushing expected investment beyond $18 billion. Hispasat won a primary contractor role in a project valued at more than €1.6 billion, while SES and Eutelsat completed the RDV1 milestone.
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Airbus booked 204 gross commercial aircraft orders in July, led by leasing deals with Chinese companies, while deliveries reached 67 jets to 39 customers. Year-to-date deliveries rose to 418, but the pace remains below last year and the first A350F delivery has slipped to late 2027.
VietJetAir expects to receive more than 600 Airbus and Boeing aircraft through 2035 as the Vietnamese low-cost carrier expands its international network and aviation-services businesses. The planned fleet growth points to an aggressive long-term capacity and diversification strategy across passenger operations and related aviation activities.
Airbus has completed ground vibration testing on the first A350F, a key development milestone for the freighter program. The European manufacturer said the aircraft will proceed toward its first flight later this year as Airbus advances the newest member of the A350 family.
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Canada is advancing uncrewed aviation across military, commercial and emergency-response missions: the Royal Canadian Navy has deployed a Textron Aerosonde on an Arctic patrol vessel, while Voyageur ordered Airbus U030 Flexrotors and Volatus announced partnerships for sovereign intelligence and heavy-lift wildfire aircraft.
Recent demonstrations by Northrop Grumman, Boeing, the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy show accelerating investment in networked maritime autonomy: MQ-4C Triton and P-8A aircraft exchanged mission data, while British forces linked a Wildcat helicopter, drones and ground units across more than 200 miles.
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German Airways has completed the acquisition and financing of five E190 regional jets, while Lufthansa is preparing to sell CityLine’s CRJ-900 fleet. Swiss also plans to retire and store its remaining four A220-100s by the end of 2027, even as Airbus says Pratt & Whitney-related A220 groundings are largely resolved.
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