Emirates Airlines has issued a strong warning to Airbus not to delay the introduction of the A350.

“We have clearly told Airbus that we will not accept again what they did to us with the A380,” Emirates Airlines President Tim Clark told The Daily at the ITB tourism exchange in Berlin. He pointed out that unlike in the case of the A380 – which was two years late – Emirates Airlines has alternatives to buy elsewhere: “All I have to do is pick up the phone and order more Boeing 777s,” Clark stressed. He showed concerns that the schedule could already begin to slip. “We have told Airbus numerous times that in our view they should build in more margin in terms of time and performance parameters, but they wanted to have it their way. Now they are already eating into margins,” Clark criticized.
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United Airlines has made a firm order for 25 of Airbus’ A350 extra-wide bodied jets, fulfilling a commitment signed in December, the European aircraft manufacturer said Wednesday.

Deliveries of the 314-seat A350-900s are scheduled to begin in 2016 and run through 2019, Airbus said in a statement.

The order is half of a 50-aircraft order United announced in December, when it also unveiled plans to buy 25 of Airbus’ rival Boeing Co.’s 787 jets.
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AirAsia, one of the leading no-frills airlines, plans to expand flight route in India. It plans to add four direct flights connecting Bangkok with Kolkata, New Delhi, Amritsar and Mumbai from May this year.

“New Delhi and Mumbai sectors will be serviced by Air Asia X, low cost long haul carrier via new Airbus A330, while Amritsar and Kolkata will be serviced by AirAsia, low cost short haul airline by Airbus A320 aircrafts,” Kathleen Tan, head, (regional head – commercial), AirAsia, told reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday.
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Taking advantage of down market prices, United Airlines said on Tuesday it placed a $10 billion-plus order for 50 wide-bodied jetliners divided between Airbus and Boeing Co, in a bid to slash fuel costs and emissions.

United, a unit of UAL Corp, has letters of intent to order 25 of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners and the same number of A350 planes from its European rival Airbus, part of EADS, following a six-month contest. The carrier also has future purchase rights for 50 of each aircraft.
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United Airlines announced on Tuesday that it has ordered 25 Airbus A350XWB aircraft and 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and has future purchase rights for an additional 50 of both types of aircraft.

These orders follow a six-month request for proposal process, resulting in agreements with both Airbus and Boeing that allow United to meet its financial and operational objectives.
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Air Austral, which links islands in the Indian and Pacific Ocean with France, became the first airline to order the Airbus SAS A380 super-jumbo in an 840- passenger configuration for budget class trips to Paris.

The airline has ordered two of the world’s largest passenger plane, with an option for two more, Airbus Chief Operating Officer John Leahy said at the Dubai Air Show today. The first of the double-deck aircraft enters service in 2014. (continue reading…)

Nine passengers will have the privilege of flying First Class on each Air France A380 flight starting November 23 when the airline begins commercial flights between Paris and New York. Refined and luxurious, Air France’s First Class is staking its claim as the “most private cabin” of all the A380s in service.
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Starting today, the French airline began auctioning off seats on the jet’s two inaugural flights from Paris to New York on Nov. 20 and from New York to Paris on Nov. 21. The auction, on eBay, goes through Oct. 21. (continue reading…)

Boeing said on Thursday its 787 Dreamliner would finally make its first flight by the end of this year, with initial delivery expected in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Shares of the Chicago-based company rose to a five-month high as the statement helped answer questions that have surrounded the lighter, more fuel-efficient 787 aircraft, said Alex Hamilton, an analyst with Jesup & Lamont Securities. (continue reading…)