CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/546021
The Paris Air Show provides a ftting backdrop for a collection of notable aircraft announcements while the automotive, marine and energy markets each mark technology "frsts." AEROSPACE Paris Air Show 2015: Can Airbus, Boeing maintain the pace? At the 2015 edition of the Paris Air Show (June 15-21, Le Bourget, France), the numbers were as impressive as always: more than 2,300 exhibi- tors and in excess of 300,000 visitors — despite a bus strike — with hundreds of aircraft on display, on the ground and in the air show. Of most interest among the biennial Air Show's numbers, however, were those announced by the chief rivals in commercial aircraft manufac- turing for their new aircraft orders. Toulouse, France-based Airbus ultimately emerged on top with US$57 billion for 421 aircraft, while Boeing (Chicago, IL, US) said it had racked up orders for 331 aircraft, worth US$50.2 billion. (But the combined value of the orders for both giants, US$107 billion, fell short of the US$134 billion set at the previous edition of the show, in 2013). Boeing's customers included Qatar Airways (10 777-8Xs and four 777 freighters) and Garuda Indonesia (30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and up to 30 737 MAX 8s). Airbus also received a letter of intent from Garuda to purchase 30 A350 XWBs with which it plans to develop its medium- and long-haul networks. GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) announced a frm order for 60 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, to be powered by CFM International's (Melun, France) LEAP-1A engines, and Saudi Arabian Airlines presented a frm order for 20 Airbus A330-300 regional aircraft plus a frm order for 20 A320neos. The orders highlighted the unprecedented build rates that aircraft OEMs are trying to manage. Although that's good news for those who supply the composite materials and tier suppliers who mold parts for these OEMs, industry observ- ers are asking, how will it be possible to build and deliver all of these planes? Jens Flottau and Guy Norris reported in Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, on June 19, that Airbus is entering discussions with key suppliers to convince them that a production ramp-up is do-able. According to the article, the OEM's 421 aircraft orders far exceeds the roughly 200 that Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier had initially fore- cast. Given that 4,120 orders have been received since December 2010, Bregier now is pushing for an additional increase in narrowbody production rates before the end of this year and, Flottau and Norris say, Airbus is on track to raise the production rate from the current 44 aircraft per month to 50 in early 2017, and would like to hit 60 — potentially, even 63 — soon. Skep- tics doubt that either OEM could achieve such a ramp rate, and if they could, that the market could absorb 120-plus narrowbodies a month from both Boeing and Airbus over an indefnite period. The AW&ST; article poses the question: Should aerospace suppliers make big investments in equip- ment, facilities and workers to support higher production rates that might only be temporary? For an Airbus-centric view of the Air Show's frst day try this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADQZ1Fbyf9w For the same day from the Boeing perspective: www.boeing. com/features/2015/06/showtime-a-packed-day-one-in-paris.page Source | Paris Air Show Source | Airbus AUGUST 2015 18 CompositesWorld TRENDS