MBDA sprung a surprise, when it showcased a new range of futuristic missile concepts planned for the next generation of European air combat platforms. The new concepts are the result of ongoing studies in its domestic nations.“MBDA’s vision for future air armaments is exhaustive and ambitious, and we are ready to take on the challenge to deliver to our domestic nations the full sovereignty of their future air combat systems by taking part in the definition and development of the armaments that these systems will operate,” said Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA. Among the missiles unveiled were deep strike cruise missiles with advanced options to penetrate and open breaches in the most efficient A2AD (Anti Access Area Denial) deployments in the future. MBDA also showcased its future tactical strike weapons with stand-off, networked and compact armaments. These new weapons will also be able to saturate enemy defences thanks to pack or swarm behaviours.
An important helicopter type that made its debut at the air show was the new Airbus Helicopters H160M. A full-scale mock-up of the H160M marked the first public display of the new type.The H160M was selected as the new Joint Light Helicopter for the French armed forces and is slated for service entry in 2026.To be called ‘Cheetah’ in French military service, a total of 169 helicopters will be acquired by the army (80), air force (40) and navy (49).The new H160M will replace five different rotorcraft fleets in operation with the French armed forces, namely; Gazelle (Army), Alouette III, Dauphin and Panther (Navy) and Fennec (Air Force).The mock-up of the helicopter on display was armed with an MBDA Sea Venom/AGL anti-ship missile and a 20 mm cannon on each wing pylon.The H160M was formally unveiled by French Defence Minister Florence Parly during her visit to Airbus Helicopters’ Headquarters at Marignane in May 2019.
Airbus stole the limelight from Boeing and took home most of the orders, as was expected in the light of the worldwide grounding of the Max 737 aircraft, but the real talking point of the 53rd edition of the Paris Air Show was the coming of age of the concept of hybrid and electric aircraft.The event saw the launch of Alice, the world’s first commercial all-electric passenger aircraft. Displayed in prototype form by Israeli firm Eviation, the aircraft, will carry nine passengers for up to 650 miles at 10,000ft at 276mph. The aircraft, which has three rear-facing pusher-propellers and a 3,500 kg battery, is expected to enter service in 2022. The aircraft already has its launch customer – US regional carrier Cape Air, which wants as many as 92 aircraft!
The lifesaver! A train shuttle system ferried harrowed people across the event in the heat and long distances that had to be covered to get anywhere!
Meanwhile, French start-up VoltAero is getting ready to flight test its Cessna 337-based “Cassio 1” aircraft, which has its front engine replaced with propellers driven by electric motors. The company, which displayed its “iron bird” mockup incorporating the test hybrid power module at the air show, is also working on the Cassio 2 production prototype, which will have a fully validated propulsion system. The company is confident that the 4-9 seat aircraft, deliveries of which are to begin in 2021-2022, will be used for commercial flights for point-to-point regional travel and used by private owners as well as air taxi and charter operators.
It was not just start-ups; aviation powerhouses are joining the electric/hybrid bandwagon as well. Rolls-Royce has taken over Siemens’ electric and hybrid-electric aerospace propulsion business while United Technologies, which announced a merger with Raytheon days before the Paris Air Show, is working on a hybrid electric project, with the intention of having a mid-sized regional turboprop aircraft, which will have batteries and a 2-megawatt hybrid-electric propulsion system, in the air in three years. Company officials believe that certified hybrid-electric regional travel is possible within 10 years.
Le Bourget saw Airbus selling more aircraft than Boeing and announcing a new aircraft – the much anticipated A321XLR, which has a range of 4,700 nautical miles and 30% less fuel-burn per seat. There were immediate takers for the aircraft – Air Lease Corporation ordered 27 of the new aircraft on the opening day of the show while Middle East Airlines became the launch customer with four of the aircraft. American Airlines ordered 50 XLR aircraft while Indigo Partners signed for 32. Other buyers of the aircraft were Qantas Airways, which ordered 10 aircraft, Cebu Pacific Airlines (10 aircraft), and International Airlines Group (IAG,) which wants 14, with an option for 14 more. Flynas signed a memorandum of understanding for 10 A321XLRs and also revised its order to take ten A321neo instead of A320neo aircraft.
Airbus found takers for the A320 and A321 neo as well, with China Airlines, Cebu Pacific Airlines, and Saudi Arabian airlines signing up. Among the other orders for the company at the show was one for 14 wide-body A330neos by Virgin Atlantic; the carrier is also looking into buying six more of the aircraft. Air Lease Corporation’s order also comprises 50 A220-300s and 23 A321neos. JetBlue placed an order for 10 additional A220-300s and also converted 13 existing A321neo orders to the A321XLR. Delta Air Lines placed an order for an additional five A220-100s, taking it total order for the type to 90.
In view of the continued grounding of the its bestselling 737 Max, not a lot was expected from Boeing in terms of new orders during the show, but the company sprung a major surprise on the second day by announcing a deal to deliver 200 737 Max aircraft to IAG. Boeing also announced a few other deals for some of its other aircraft. GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) signed an agreement with Boeing for 10 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) while ASL Aviation Holdings signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 20 737-800 BCFs, including 10 firm orders and 10 purchase rights. British Airways ordered 18 777-9s with 24 options while Korean Air signed a deal for 30 new 787 Dreamliners. Air Lease Corporation intends to purchase five 787-9 Dreamliners.Qatar Airways announced that it intended to buy five more 777 freighters while China Airlines ordered up to six 777 Freighters to modernise its fleet. Turkmenistan Airlines announced that it was buying another 777-200LR to add to the three currently in service.
Boeing executives ‘Turbo’, Salil Gupte (President Boeing India) and ‘Thom’ briefed the Indian media
Boeing 787-9
Boeing also unveiled its 2019 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), a longer-term forecast that delves deeper into the market for commercial airplanes and services. The newest CMO shows growing passenger volumes and increasing airplane retirements will drive the need for 44,040 new jets, valued at $6.8 trillion over the next two decades and up 3 percent from a year ago. The global commercial airplane fleet will also sustain the need for aviation services valued at $9.1 trillion, leading to a total commercial market opportunity of $16 trillion through 2038.Of the new airplane deliveries, forecasters say 44 percent will go toward replacing aging aircraft while the rest will accommodate traffic growth. Together, the new jets support an industry where passenger traffic will grow an average 4.6 percent and cargo traffic will grow an average 4.2 percent. Factoring in the new airplanes and the jets that would remain in service, the global commercial fleet is expected to reach 50,660 airplanes by 2038. This is the first time the projected fleet has crested the 50,000 mark.
ATR signed 75 orders, including 17 for the new ATR 42-600, at the event. Meanwhile, Bombardier had a moment to cheer when its flagship Global 7500 aircraft made its debut. Also making its first trip to the biggest air show in the world was Gulfstream Aerospace’s G600 business jet Leonardo turned heads at the event by introducing the Falco Xplorer, its largest-ever Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS). The drone features a payload capacity of 350kg, is capable of more than 24 hours flight time and has satellite communications capability for beyond-radio-line-of-sight operations, all within a 1.3-ton maximum take-off weight (MTOW).
Leonardo’s new Falco Xplorer
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) officials announced at the airshow that the company was making steady progress on its MQ-9B SkyGuardian programme, which has the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force as the launch customer. The RAF’s SkyGuardian, which has been named Protector, made the first ever transatlantic flight of a medium-altitude, long endurance aerial drone in July last year. Company President David Alexander said that the company expected military-type certification by the British regulatory authorities in 2023 for the drone, which is the first remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) developed to fly in unsegregated airspace. The drone, which is equipped with detect-and-avoid suite, has attracted international attention, with Belgium gaining US approval to buy four aircraft.In another positive development for the SkyGuardian programme, GA-ASI and L3 Technologies, Inc. announced that they had developed and successfully flight tested a full-band Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) ISR capability for use on the Predator B Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS).
Japan showcased its high technology capabilities in the defence arena, by displaying two aircraft types. Making its maiden Le Bourget appearance was the C-2 heavy transport aircraft, which is manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.The C-2 aircraft on display made stops in Cambodia and Abu Dhabi, before arriving at Le Bourget.The Japanese Maritime Self Defence (JMSDF) sent two P-1 (Patrol-1) maritime patrol aircraft as participants in the show.
Japan’s C-2 and P-1 at the static display.
Embraer was present at the 53rd edition of Paris Air Show International with the first KC-390 multi-mission airlift configured to operate with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The aircraft, number 004, was in the static area and performed flight demonstrations on the first two days of the show. The KC-390 programme has already reached important milestones, such as Brazil's Civil Aviation Agency's (ANAC) Type Certificate and the production of the first series aircraft that performed its first flight in October 2018. To date, the flight test campaign has surpassed 2,200 flight hours.
Embraer’s E-195-E2 commercial airliner also at the show
Embraer KC-390
Back to Airbus, the company presented a broad portfolio of products, technologies and services which “meet the aerospace industry’s requirements for today and into the future”. At this edition of the Show, celebrated was Airbus’ 50 years of pioneering progress which has‘created a string of world aerospace firsts to drive the industry’s transformation’.In the flying and static displays at the show, Airbus demonstrated the A350-1000 and a Hi-Fly A380.The static display featured an airBaltic A220-300 and an A330neo flight-test aircraft. In addition, the first A321neo single-aisle aircraft destined for La Compagnie showcased its all-business class cabin with 76 full-flat seats on transatlantic flights. Also present in the static display was the "Vahana” – Airbus’ single-passenger (or cargo), all-electric, fully-autonomous, vertical-takeoff-and landing demonstrator. Airbus Helicopters highlighted its modular and versatile military platforms at Le Bourget. Meanwhile, Airbus Defence and Space demonstrated its broad product portfolio of military aircraft, space systems, secure communications and drones. A highlight was the FCAS Experience Centre where visitors could see what Europe’s Future Combat Air System could look like.
Airbus portfolio at the show
Pratt & Whitney announced it had surpassed 17,500 engine deliveries, including auxiliary power units (APUs), to power aircraft for Airbus and its partners, subsidiaries and joint venture companies. The milestone comes as a result of the production ramp up in Pratt & Whitney GTF engine deliveries to support the Airbus A320neo and A220 programmes."Half a century of powering Airbus aircraft is a source of pride and a highlight of our own company's 94-year history," stated Pratt & Whitney President Bob Leduc. "Since the early 1970s, our engines have powered nearly every Airbus commercial aircraft introduced into service. When Airbus Industries came on the scene with the A300 -- the world's first twin-engine wide-body aircraft -- it was clear that a new generation of aircraft was literally taking off. This is where Pratt & Whitney forged its original collaboration with the JT9D engine."
Currently, the focus is on the growing single-aisle market, where Pratt & Whitney and Airbus are working together on the A320neo (new engine option) aircraft family. However, the cooperation on this aircraft's predecessor, the A320 goes back to the mid-80s through the Pratt & Whitney partnership with International Aero Engines (IAE) and the launch of the V2500 engine. Since then Pratt & Whitney and its collaborators have delivered more than 7,000 of these engines to Airbus. The V2500 has achieved more than 100 million aircraft flight hours, and counting, on the single-aisle aircraft.
Russia was very well represented with various companies taking part including UAC
Dassault in home territory! Huge stand and indoor as well as outdoor displays.
Lockheed Martin and Airbus reaffirm tanker partnership
With an agreement in place to explore US military tanking opportunities, Airbus and Lockheed Martin senior executive leaders met for some "tanker talk" during the 2019 Paris Air Show. The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (A330 MRTT) provided the perfect backdrop for the meeting with (l to r) Alberto Gutierrez, Head of Military Aircraft, Airbus Defence and Space; Michele Evans, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, and Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.