Aircraft Manufacturing (OEMs) News

Bloomberg

High activity

FAA orders inspections of Boeing 787s after manufacturing gaps fall outside engineering specifications

The FAA is requiring inspections of some Boeing 787 Dreamliners after a Boeing investigation identified potential manufacturing errors that left gaps outside approved engineering specifications. The directive adds a new compliance and quality-control burden to the 787 program, with implications for affected operators and Boeing’s production oversight.

Leeham News

Boeing’s trajectory is improving after years of program failures, but recovery remains incomplete

An assessment of Boeing’s recent direction finds signs of improvement after nearly two decades of setbacks, beginning with the 787 rollout and extending through the 737 Max program’s multi-year failures from March 2019 into mid-2024. The analysis says the company still has substantial work ahead.

Leeham News

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Airbus Once Led Boeing in Widebody Sales; It Is Now a Distant Second

Airbus executives once celebrated overtaking Boeing in widebody sales, underscoring the European manufacturer’s earlier competitive momentum. The company has since fallen well behind its U.S. rival in the segment, marking a significant reversal in the long-haul aircraft market and Airbus’ commercial positioning.

AINonline

Electric-aircraft startups diverge as Stralis shuts down, Electra advances production and NOEMI targets India

Hydrogen-electric developer Stralis has closed after testing a Beech Bonanza in Australia, while MIT-born Electra prepares to manufacture a 1,200-mile hybrid-electric regional aircraft in Ohio. Separately, NOEMI Aerospace and India’s SkyHop Aviation signed an agreement covering up to 15 amphibious electric aircraft for island routes.

FlightGlobal

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Thousands of Airbus workers in Spain resume strike after rejecting inflation-linked pay offer

Thousands of Airbus employees in Spain have resumed indefinite strike action after rejecting the company’s latest proposal on pay and working conditions. The dispute has brought industrial sites to a standstill and could disrupt production across important commercial and military aircraft programs as mediation efforts continue.

AeroTime

RECARO begins deliveries of R4 premium-economy seat with privacy wings and PRM access

RECARO Aircraft Seating has begun deliveries of its R4 premium-economy recliner, the successor to the PL3530 and formerly known as the PL3810. The seat features privacy wings and access provisions for passengers with reduced mobility, and is certified for the Boeing 787.

FlightGlobal

HAL and Safran launch Aravalli turboshaft engine for India’s 13-ton military helicopters

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and Safran Helicopter Engines have signed an agreement through their SAFHAL joint venture to develop and produce the high-power Aravalli turboshaft engine. The engine is intended for HAL’s Indian Multi-Role Helicopter and naval Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter programs, deepening India-France defense cooperation.

FlightGlobal

Boeing engineers reject four-year deal, raising prospect of another strike

Members of a Boeing engineers’ union voted down a proposed four-year employment agreement last week, leaving the parties without a defined path forward. The rejection raises the risk of fresh labor disruption after Boeing machinists walked off the job in 2024 and 2025.