AeroTime
• Ian Molyneaux
Airbus expects the global dedicated freighter fleet to expand from 2,360 aircraft in 2026 to 3,460 by 2045. Of the 2,670 additional freighters it forecasts the market will need, 1,700 are expected to come from passenger-aircraft conversions and 970 to be new-build aircraft; Latin America is forecast to require 165.
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Airbus expects the global dedicated freighter fleet to expand from 2,360 aircraft in 2026 to 3,460 by 2045. Of the 2,670 additional freighters it forecasts the market will need, 1,700 are expected to come from passenger-aircraft conversions and 970 to be new-build aircraft; Latin America is forecast to require 165.
Cyprus Airways foresees operating a fleet of 10 Airbus A220s and A320-family aircraft by the second quarter of 2028. The available report does not specify the fleet split or how the airline plans to reach that total.
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Airbus Netherlands has shipped the first lightweight Vulcain Aft Bay for Ariane 6, part of the rocket’s final Block 2 upgrades. The aft bay is a structural component, and its reduced weight supports the upgraded launcher’s performance goals.
The proposed airworthiness directive would require inspections of a connection to the main rotor servo-controls on affected Airbus AS350 AStar-family helicopters in the United States. The FAA estimates the directive would cover 980 aircraft; the notice concerns a potential safety issue and does not describe a final rule.
Airbus is implementing an automatic power reserve function on the A330neo to provide additional thrust if an engine fails during takeoff. The feature is intended to maximize takeoff thrust in that emergency, adding to the twinjet’s planned enhancements; the articles provide no deployment timeline or performance figures.
The article examines whether Airbus could offer two substantially different engine configurations, including the RISE open-fan concept, and why such a pairing would be difficult. The issue centers on the challenge of accommodating divergent propulsion architectures within one aircraft offering.
Airbus is accelerating development of the H160M, with deliveries targeted for 2028. The available report does not specify the development milestones or delivery schedule details.
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