A Paris court, on Monday (April 17) acquitted the carrier Air France and plane maker Airbus over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight which killed 228 people. The two France-based companies had gone on trial back in October to determine their responsibility for the worst aviation disaster in Air France’s history.

2009 Rio-Paris crash: Court acquits Air France, Airbus of involuntary manslaughter

Nearly 14 years after the passenger plane flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic, a French court has cleared European plane manufacturer Airbus in the 2009 Rio Paris plane crash case. Air France had been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Did Airbus suppress fatal flaw in its plane till the 2009 crash?

Two France-based aviation giants went on trial last October over the crash of Air France Flight 447 some 13 years ago. On Monday (April 17), a Paris court acquitted the two companies that have been blamed for one of the worst aviation disasters which killed 228 passengers and crew in 2009.&nbsp;

Here is a timeline of the series of events related to the case:

June 2009

On June 1, 2009, Air France flight AF447 took off from Rio in Brazil and was en route to Paris before disappearing off the radar in the middle of a storm. It took a little over four minutes for the plane to fall 11,500 metres out of the sky. &nbsp;Days later, the wreckage was found of the Airbus A330 which was crossing the night sky during a storm over the Atlantic between Brazil and Senegal and vanished without a Mayday sign.&nbsp;

May 2011

After two years and a multi-million-dollar search, the aircraft’s “black boxes” or flight recorders were found nearly 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) below sea level. The search effort involved combing 17,000 square kilometres of the ocean bed at depths of up to 4,000 metres for nearly 22 months.&nbsp;

October 2011&nbsp;

Lawyers and victims’ families were allowed to listen to the in-flight voice recording of the pilots’ final minutes for the first time. “We’ve lost our speeds,” said one pilot, as recorded warning sounds of “stall, stall, stall” were heard and the aircraft began to plunge towards the sea. In the same year, the two aviation giants were being investigated for manslaughter.&nbsp;

Findings and reports from the retrieved black box

Over the next couple of years, sporadic findings and reports emerged about the crash. One of them said the plane had entered what is called an “intertropical convergence zone” which is said to often produce volatile storms with heavy precipitation.&nbsp;

Reports indicated that the plane’s speed sensors had been iced up and errors were made and the pilots were disoriented because of this. The “stall” warning was sounded in the cockpit at least 75 times.&nbsp;

 
Subsequently, the pilot took manual control after the autopilot system shut down and the wrong navigational data set off a catastrophic chain of events due to which the plane went into an “aerodynamic stall,” the nose pitched upward and the plane plunged into the ocean.&nbsp;

French investigators from the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), found that the pilots had mishandled the temporary loss of data from iced-up sensors and pushed the 205-tonne jet into a freefall, without responding to alerts, at speed of around 200 kilometres per hour.

The plane was flying through a storm over South Atlantic ocean when it entered a blackspot between air traffic control towers in Brazil and Senegal. However, it kept sending automatic communication “pings” every 10 minutes. It was four minutes and 23 seconds after its last ping, and it vanished, said the report.&nbsp; 
 
July 2019

In 2019, the prosecutors recommended dropping charges against Airbus and&nbsp; that Air France face trial for manslaughter and negligence over the crash.&nbsp;

The French prosecutors concluded that Air France was aware of technical problems with a key speed-measuring instrument or pilot tubes but failed to inform or train pilots on how to resolve the issue. However, this ruling was overturned two years later.&nbsp;

October 2022

After nearly 13 years the trial for Airbus and Air France over the crash began in Paris. The hearing opened with the judge reading out the names of all 228 victims. The chief executives of both Air France and Airbus who were present pleaded not guilty to the charges of involuntary manslaughter.&nbsp;

Air France claims that it was the complicated alarms that confused the pilots, whereas Airbus argues that it was the pilots’ fault. Air France has been accused of not properly training their pilots in the event of icing of the pilot probes despite knowing the risks.&nbsp;

On the other hand, Airbus has been accused of knowing that pilot tubes on Flight 447 were faulty and not doing enough to inform airlines and their crew about the issue which would help ensure training to mitigate the risk. &nbsp;

The pilot tubes&nbsp;

The case of the pilot tubes, on board the Airbus A330 were at the centre of the recent hearings. The instrument in question is used to measure the flight speed of aircraft. The court heard about how the malfunction with the tubes, which became blocked with ice crystals during a mid-Atlantic storm, was the reason for the alarms blaring in the cockpit and the autopilot system switching off.

April 2023

The Paris court acquitted both companies, maintaining that even though “errors” had been committed, “no certain link of causality” between those shortcomings and the accident “could be proven.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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Two France-based aviation giants went on trial last October over the crash of Air France Flight 447 some 13 years ago. On Monday (April 17), a Paris court acquitted the two companies that have been blamed for one of the worst aviation disasters which killed 228 passengers and crew in 2009.

Two France-based aviation giants went on trial last October over the crash of Air France Flight 447 some 13 years ago. On Monday (April 17), a Paris court acquitted the two companies that have been blamed for one of the worst aviation disasters which killed 228 passengers and crew in 2009. Here is a timeline of the series of events related to the case: June 2009 On June 1, 2009, Air France flight AF447 took off from Rio in Brazil and was en route to Paris before disappearing off the radar in the middle of a storm. It took a little over four minutes for the plane to fall 11,500 metres out of the sky. Days later, the wreckage was found of the Airbus A330 which was crossing the night sky during a storm over the Atlantic between Brazil and Senegal and vanished without a Mayday sign. May 2011 After two years and a multi-million-dollar search, the aircraft’s “black boxes” or flight recorders were found nearly 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) below sea level. The search effort involved combing 17,000 square kilometres of the ocean bed at depths of up to 4,000 metres for nearly 22 months. October 2011 Lawyers and victims’ families were allowed to listen to the in-flight voice recording of the pilots’ final minutes for the first time. “We’ve lost our speeds,” said one pilot, as recorded warning sounds of “stall, stall, stall” were heard and the aircraft began to plunge towards the sea. In the same year, the two aviation giants were being investigated for manslaughter. Findings and reports from the retrieved black box Over the next couple of years, sporadic findings and reports emerged about the crash. One of them said the plane had entered what is called an “intertropical convergence zone” which is said to often produce volatile storms with heavy precipitation. Reports indicated that the plane’s speed sensors had been iced up and errors were made and the pilots were disoriented because of this. The “stall” warning was sounded in the cockpit at least 75 times. Subsequently, the pilot took manual control after the autopilot system shut down and the wrong navigational data set off a catastrophic chain of events due to which the plane went into an “aerodynamic stall,” the nose pitched upward and the plane plunged into the ocean. French investigators from the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), found that the pilots had mishandled the temporary loss of data from iced-up sensors and pushed the 205-tonne jet into a freefall, without responding to alerts, at speed of around 200 kilometres per hour. The plane was flying through a storm over South Atlantic ocean when it entered a blackspot between air traffic control towers in Brazil and Senegal. However, it kept sending automatic communication “pings” every 10 minutes. It was four minutes and 23 seconds after its last ping, and it vanished, said the report. July 2019 In 2019, the prosecutors recommended dropping charges against Airbus and that Air France face trial for manslaughter and negligence over the crash. The French prosecutors concluded that Air France was aware of technical problems with a key speed-measuring instrument or pilot tubes but failed to inform or train pilots on how to resolve the issue. However, this ruling was overturned two years later. October 2022 After nearly 13 years the trial for Airbus and Air France over the crash began in Paris. The hearing opened with the judge reading out the names of all 228 victims. The chief executives of both Air France and Airbus who were present pleaded not guilty to the charges of involuntary manslaughter. Air France claims that it was the complicated alarms that confused the pilots, whereas Airbus argues that it was the pilots’ fault. Air France has been accused of not properly training their pilots in the event of icing of the pilot probes despite knowing the risks. On the other hand, Airbus has been accused of knowing that pilot tubes on Flight 447 were faulty and not doing enough to inform airlines and their crew about the issue which would help ensure training to mitigate the risk. The pilot tubes The case of the pilot tubes, on board the Airbus A330 were at the centre of the recent hearings. The instrument in question is used to measure the flight speed of aircraft. The court heard about how the malfunction with the tubes, which became blocked with ice crystals during a mid-Atlantic storm, was the reason for the alarms blaring in the cockpit and the autopilot system switching off. April 2023 The Paris court acquitted both companies, maintaining that even though “errors” had been committed, “no certain link of causality” between those shortcomings and the accident “could be proven.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained | Air France, Airbus trial over the 2009 Rio-Paris crash. Here's what happened

A Paris court, on Monday (April 17) acquitted the carrier Air France and plane maker Airbus over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight which killed 228 people. The two France-based companies had gone on trial back in October to determine their responsibility for the worst aviation disaster in Air France’s history.

What was the hearing about?

The historic trial started over 13 years after Flight AF447 which was en route from&nbsp;Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to&nbsp;Paris (France) plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, killing 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board.&nbsp;

The two aviation giants were charged with involuntary manslaughter and have not only denied the charges but also blamed pilot error as the main cause of the crash.&nbsp;

In December, as hearings in the eight-week trial wound up, the prosecutors had said that it would be “impossible” to convict Air France and Airbus which left victims’ families enraged, reported AFP. &nbsp;

The hearings were predominantly about the malfunction of the so-called Pilot tubes, which are used to measure the flight speed of an aircraft which, as per reports, had been blocked due to the ice crystals during a mid-Atlantic storm.

Subsequently, the alarms went off in the cockpit of the Airbus A330 before the pilot switched off the autopilot system and took manual control. Therefore, the technical experts have highlighted how the instrument failure led the aircraft to lose upward lift from the air moving under its wings and it lost altitude.&nbsp;

What was the verdict?

In line with this, the court said Airbus has committed "four acts of imprudence or negligence" which includes not replacing the pilot tubes which they said froze more often on its A330-A340 fleet, as well as &nbsp;“withholding information’ from flight operators.&nbsp;

It said Air France had committed two "acts of imprudence" for the way it disseminated an information note on the faulty tubes to its pilots.&nbsp;

The court said that even if “errors” had been committed, there is “no certain link of causality” between those shortcomings and the accident that ‘could be proven,” reported AFP.&nbsp;

Victims' families reaction to the verdict

As the verdict was being read out, the victims' relatives present in the court stood up and appeared stunned before they sat down again, reported AFP. This comes as the lawyers for the families had argued that both companies were aware of the faulty Pitot tube problem before the crash and that their pilots were not trained to deal with such a situation.

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A Paris court, on Monday (April 17) acquitted the carrier Air France and plane maker Airbus over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight which killed 228 people. The two France-based companies had gone on trial back in October to determine their responsibility for the worst aviation disaster in Air France’s history. What was the hearing about? The historic trial started over 13 years after Flight AF447 which was en route from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to Paris (France) plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, killing 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board. The two aviation giants were charged with involuntary manslaughter and have not only denied the charges but also blamed pilot error as the main cause of the crash. In December, as hearings in the eight-week trial wound up, the prosecutors had said that it would be “impossible” to convict Air France and Airbus which left victims’ families enraged, reported AFP. The hearings were predominantly about the malfunction of the so-called Pilot tubes, which are used to measure the flight speed of an aircraft which, as per reports, had been blocked due to the ice crystals during a mid-Atlantic storm. Subsequently, the alarms went off in the cockpit of the Airbus A330 before the pilot switched off the autopilot system and took manual control. Therefore, the technical experts have highlighted how the instrument failure led the aircraft to lose upward lift from the air moving under its wings and it lost altitude. What was the verdict? In line with this, the court said Airbus has committed "four acts of imprudence or negligence" which includes not replacing the pilot tubes which they said froze more often on its A330-A340 fleet, as well as “withholding information’ from flight operators. It said Air France had committed two "acts of imprudence" for the way it disseminated an information note on the faulty tubes to its pilots. The court said that even if “errors” had been committed, there is “no certain link of causality” between those shortcomings and the accident that ‘could be proven,” reported AFP. Victims' families reaction to the verdict As the verdict was being read out, the victims' relatives present in the court stood up and appeared stunned before they sat down again, reported AFP. This comes as the lawyers for the families had argued that both companies were aware of the faulty Pitot tube problem before the crash and that their pilots were not trained to deal with such a situation. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

2009 Rio-Paris crash: French court acquits Air France, Airbus

Boeing has been bitten by Airbus in delivering more planes for the first time since 2018. This is good news for the US manufacturer as it shows that the production capacity is back on the track after a tough time during the pandemic in the first quarter which is from January to March 2023.

Boeing sees an uptick in Q1 sales; Airbus sales dip 9% in Q1 | World Business Watch

Boeing and Airbus are increasingly looking to India for highly skilled, low-cost engineers to meet a boom in demand for aircraft and expand their manufacturing presence in the world's fifth-largest economy.

Boeing and Airbus hunting for highly-skilled talent in India

The crew of&nbsp;Lufthansa&nbsp;Airbus A330-300 (D-AIKK) flight LH469 from Austin to Frankfurt&nbsp;reportedly urged passengers to delete&nbsp;images and videos of severe mid-air turbulence that occurred after the flight nearly plummeted 4,000 feet, according to multiple media reports.

The plane had to make an emergency landing at Dulles Airport in Washington, DC. Before the landing, the flight attendant reportedly made two announcements to delete all photos or videos of the turbulence that passengers had captured on their mobile phones.&nbsp;

A passenger named Rolanda Schmidt who spoke to Insider said the aircraft had a significant drop, which caused food and personal belongings to fly all around the cabin.

She was also one&nbsp;of the seven passengers&nbsp;who sustained injuries on the flight.&nbsp;She suffered a concussion, bruised her arm, and potentially fractured her hip. She said, "I thought we were going down."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-us-prisoner-swap-deal-reached-says-iranian-minister-571181">Iran says prisoner swap deal struck with US, Washington denies</a>

Another passenger confirmed that they were instructed to erase the photos. Yet, a number of the photographs were shared on social media.

Matthew McConaughey's wife Camila Alves, who was also on the flight, posted footage of the incident to her Instagram page.

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She wrote, "To respect the privacy of those around me that's all I am showing but the plane was a CHAOS And the turbulence keep on coming." She added, "I was told plane dropped almost 4,000 feet, 7&nbsp;people went to the hospital. Everything was flying everywhere."

No explanation for the turbulence's possible cause has been provided by Lufthansa.

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The crew of Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 (D-AIKK) flight LH469 from Austin to Frankfurt reportedly urged passengers to delete images and videos of severe mid-air turbulence that occurred after the flight nearly plummeted 4,000 feet, according to multiple media reports.

The crew of Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 (D-AIKK) flight LH469 from Austin to Frankfurt reportedly urged passengers to delete images and videos of severe mid-air turbulence that occurred after the flight nearly plummeted 4,000 feet, according to multiple media reports. The plane had to make an emergency landing at Dulles Airport in Washington, DC. Before the landing, the flight attendant reportedly made two announcements to delete all photos or videos of the turbulence that passengers had captured on their mobile phones. A passenger named Rolanda Schmidt who spoke to Insider said the aircraft had a significant drop, which caused food and personal belongings to fly all around the cabin. She was also one of the seven passengers who sustained injuries on the flight. She suffered a concussion, bruised her arm, and potentially fractured her hip. She said, "I thought we were going down." ALSO READ | Iran says prisoner swap deal struck with US, Washington denies Another passenger confirmed that they were instructed to erase the photos. Yet, a number of the photographs were shared on social media. Matthew McConaughey's wife Camila Alves, who was also on the flight, posted footage of the incident to her Instagram page. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Camila Alves McConaughey (@camilamcconaughey) × She wrote, "To respect the privacy of those around me that's all I am showing but the plane was a CHAOS And the turbulence keep on coming." She added, "I was told plane dropped almost 4,000 feet, 7 people went to the hospital. Everything was flying everywhere." No explanation for the turbulence's possible cause has been provided by Lufthansa. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Lufthansa flight crew asked passengers to erase pictures, videos of mid-air turbulence: Report

Air India Ltd. placed the largest aircraft order in aviation history, opting to purchase 540 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus on Monday (February 13), allowing the Tata Group airline to expand its operations both domestically and internationally, reported the Mint. Air India is estimated to spend a whopping $82 billion on the acquisition of short&nbsp;and long-haul aircraft, while the real cost would be less as bulk purchases are eligible for discounts and incentives.

Out of the total 540 aircraft, 470 are firm orders, while the remaining 70 are options with Boeing that Air India may subsequently exercise. 250 Airbus and 220 Boeing aircraft make up the 470 aircraft, with the first lot arriving later this year. The previous single-largest jet purchase, according to Bloomberg, was made by American Airlines in 2011 for 460 planes.

“The first aircraft to arrive will be 25 brand-new Boeing B737-800s and six Airbus A350-900s in the second half of 2023, with deliveries really ramping up in 2025 and beyond. In the meantime, our capacity growth will continue to be supported by the previously announced lease-in of additional narrow-body and wide-body aircraft and the restoration-to-service of the remainder of our grounded fleet," Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in an email to employees, reported Mint.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/western-leaders-hail-billion-dollar-air-india-airbus-and-boeing-annoucement-562059">Western leaders hail billion-dollar Air India, Airbus, Boeing announcement</a>

Around 450 single-aisle aircraft from the Airbus 320 family and Boeing 737 MAX are included in the total order; these aircraft will be used for local and short-haul international operations. The remaining 90 aircraft, all dual-aisle planes, will travel to Europe and the Americas.

<h2>Why is the Air India order for 470 new aircraft such a huge&nbsp;deal?&nbsp;</h2>

The historic Air India purchase of 470 jets, valued between $80-100 billion, has caused the world to sit up and take notice because of its scale and the ramifications it has for Air India, the aviation industry, and some of the biggest global economies.&nbsp;

This is the biggest bulk order for aircraft; American Airlines' purchase of 460 aircraft in 2011 is now&nbsp;the second-highest. The deal, which took more than a year to work out, marks India's debut as one of the major aircraft-buying countries.&nbsp;

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Indian PM Narendra Modi addressing a virtual meeting&nbsp;on agreement between Air India and Airbus. Photo credits: Twitter

Air India has ordered 40 wide-bodied A350 planes and 210 narrow-bodied A320 neo-family planes from Airbus, reported Hindu BusinessLine.&nbsp;The Boeing order entails&nbsp;10 wide-bodied B777X planes, 20 wide-body B787 planes, and 190 narrow-body B737MAX planes.&nbsp;Indigo is reportedly considering similar plans to buy 500 aircraft, said the Hindu BusinessLine.&nbsp;

<h2>How is this order beneficial for Air India?</h2>

After the Tatas' takeover in early 2022, the former national airline of India, which had been making significant losses, has been working to improve its performance. By merging with Vistara recently, it became the nation's largest airline operating on foreign routes and the second-largest domestic airline after&nbsp;Indigo. Prior to the most recent order, the Tata group operated 218 aircraft, flying to 52 domestic and 38 overseas destinations.

With this deal, Air India's fleet size will more than double, and it will surpass Indigo's fleet of 300 aircraft to become the largest airline operating domestic routes as well. The kind of aircraft that&nbsp;Air India has ordered indicates that it aims to significantly expand its footprint on international routes as well as fly to both major and minor locations within the domestic market.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/google-layoffs-late-night-email-terminates-453-employees-in-india-562943">Google layoffs: Late-night email terminates 453 employees in India</a>

How Air India finances this transaction will be interesting to observe. When the Tata family assumed control of the airline, they had paid off around 15 per cent&nbsp;of the struggling airline's 61,562 crore debt. The Tatas, however, claim to have already refinanced the debt they inherited, as per a Hindu BusinessLine&nbsp;report.&nbsp;

<h2>What does the deal really mean for India's aviation sector?</h2>

The Maharajah will re-ascend the throne to rule supremely over India's skies, and the aviation industry in India will undergo a shakeout. The agreement aims to turn India into a major international air travel hub by significantly increasing the number of international&nbsp;air carriers operating from India. This will require a revamp&nbsp;of Indian airports too.

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;Chetan Sharma Resigns: Indian cricket Chief selector resigns

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The chairman of the Tata group suggests that some aircraft parts may be manufactured in India which will stimulate local manufacturing and provide new job opportunities.

<h2>Is this deal in tandem with the present passenger traffic?</h2>

Aviation traffic has undoubtedly increased during the previous 12 months. Between April and December 2022, domestic aviation traffic increased by 63 per cent&nbsp;year over year, according to ICRA, with 986 lakh passengers. Since the pandemic&nbsp;lows, the passenger load factor has also increased and now stands at 91 per cent.

India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) predicts that India will move up one spot in the next 10 years, moving from seventh to third in terms of civil aviation. By 2024, India is expected to surpass the UK to acquire the third-largest position in the domestic aviation industry. The population and rising buying power of India would undoubtedly lead to an increase in domestic aviation travel.&nbsp;

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Air India Ltd. placed the largest aircraft order in aviation history, opting to purchase 540 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus on Monday (February 13), allowing the Tata Group airline to expand its operations both domestically and internationally, reported the Mint.

Air India Ltd. placed the largest aircraft order in aviation history, opting to purchase 540 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus on Monday (February 13), allowing the Tata Group airline to expand its operations both domestically and internationally, reported the Mint. Air India is estimated to spend a whopping $82 billion on the acquisition of short and long-haul aircraft, while the real cost would be less as bulk purchases are eligible for discounts and incentives. Out of the total 540 aircraft, 470 are firm orders, while the remaining 70 are options with Boeing that Air India may subsequently exercise. 250 Airbus and 220 Boeing aircraft make up the 470 aircraft, with the first lot arriving later this year. The previous single-largest jet purchase, according to Bloomberg, was made by American Airlines in 2011 for 460 planes. “The first aircraft to arrive will be 25 brand-new Boeing B737-800s and six Airbus A350-900s in the second half of 2023, with deliveries really ramping up in 2025 and beyond. In the meantime, our capacity growth will continue to be supported by the previously announced lease-in of additional narrow-body and wide-body aircraft and the restoration-to-service of the remainder of our grounded fleet," Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in an email to employees, reported Mint. ALSO READ | Western leaders hail billion-dollar Air India, Airbus, Boeing announcement Around 450 single-aisle aircraft from the Airbus 320 family and Boeing 737 MAX are included in the total order; these aircraft will be used for local and short-haul international operations. The remaining 90 aircraft, all dual-aisle planes, will travel to Europe and the Americas. Why is the Air India order for 470 new aircraft such a huge deal? The historic Air India purchase of 470 jets, valued between $80-100 billion, has caused the world to sit up and take notice because of its scale and the ramifications it has for Air India, the aviation industry, and some of the biggest global economies. This is the biggest bulk order for aircraft; American Airlines' purchase of 460 aircraft in 2011 is now the second-highest. The deal, which took more than a year to work out, marks India's debut as one of the major aircraft-buying countries. Indian PM Narendra Modi addressing a virtual meeting on agreement between Air India and Airbus. Photo credits: Twitter Air India has ordered 40 wide-bodied A350 planes and 210 narrow-bodied A320 neo-family planes from Airbus, reported Hindu BusinessLine. The Boeing order entails 10 wide-bodied B777X planes, 20 wide-body B787 planes, and 190 narrow-body B737MAX planes. Indigo is reportedly considering similar plans to buy 500 aircraft, said the Hindu BusinessLine. How is this order beneficial for Air India? After the Tatas' takeover in early 2022, the former national airline of India, which had been making significant losses, has been working to improve its performance. By merging with Vistara recently, it became the nation's largest airline operating on foreign routes and the second-largest domestic airline after Indigo. Prior to the most recent order, the Tata group operated 218 aircraft, flying to 52 domestic and 38 overseas destinations. With this deal, Air India's fleet size will more than double, and it will surpass Indigo's fleet of 300 aircraft to become the largest airline operating domestic routes as well. The kind of aircraft that Air India has ordered indicates that it aims to significantly expand its footprint on international routes as well as fly to both major and minor locations within the domestic market. ALSO READ | Google layoffs: Late-night email terminates 453 employees in India How Air India finances this transaction will be interesting to observe. When the Tata family assumed control of the airline, they had paid off around 15 per cent of the struggling airline's 61,562 crore debt. The Tatas, however, claim to have already refinanced the debt they inherited, as per a Hindu BusinessLine report. What does the deal really mean for India's aviation sector? The Maharajah will re-ascend the throne to rule supremely over India's skies, and the aviation industry in India will undergo a shakeout. The agreement aims to turn India into a major international air travel hub by significantly increasing the number of international air carriers operating from India. This will require a revamp of Indian airports too. ALSO WATCH | Chetan Sharma Resigns: Indian cricket Chief selector resigns The chairman of the Tata group suggests that some aircraft parts may be manufactured in India which will stimulate local manufacturing and provide new job opportunities. Is this deal in tandem with the present passenger traffic? Aviation traffic has undoubtedly increased during the previous 12 months. Between April and December 2022, domestic aviation traffic increased by 63 per cent year over year, according to ICRA, with 986 lakh passengers. Since the pandemic lows, the passenger load factor has also increased and now stands at 91 per cent. India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) predicts that India will move up one spot in the next 10 years, moving from seventh to third in terms of civil aviation. By 2024, India is expected to surpass the UK to acquire the third-largest position in the domestic aviation industry. The population and rising buying power of India would undoubtedly lead to an increase in domestic aviation travel. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

EXPLAINED: What does Air India's historic aircraft deal mean for India?

Air India will buy 470 new planes from global aviation giants Airbus and Boeing, as per an official statement. The deal is one of the biggest in aviation history and Air India's biggest till date. Priyanka Sharma explains.

Gravitas: Air India inks one of the biggest deals in aviation history

Several western leaders like US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have hailed Air India’s decision to buy planes from Airbus, and Boeing.

The Indian airline has signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing to acquire a mix of widebody and single-aisle aircraft. The deal was announced during a virtual meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also expressing their support.

In his address, PM Modi highlighted the rapid expansion of the civil aviation market in India, which will encourage greater connectivity between India and the rest of the world, in turn boosting tourism and business in the country.

"The agreement between Air India and Airbus is also an important milestone for the Indo-French Strategic Partnership. The India-France partnership is playing a direct role in ensuring the stability and balance in the international order and the multilateral system," he said.

The order includes 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777-9s widebody aircraft, along with 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft. The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines, while the B777/787s will use engines from GE Aerospace.

<h2>India: Air India seals order for 500 jets from Airbus, Boeing</h2>

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Later in the day, PM Modi and US President Biden held a telephonic conversation in which they welcomed the announcement of the agreement between Air India and Boeing. They called it a "shining example of mutually beneficial cooperation that will help create new employment opportunities in both countries," as per the Indian readout.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the deepening of the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. PM Modi is expected to travel to the US in June.

A statement from the White House noted that "this purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many will not require a four-year college degree. This announcement also reflects the strength of the U.S.-India economic partnership."

UK PM Sunak and Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch also welcomed the deal.

"This landmark deal between Air India, Airbus and Rolls-Royce demonstrates that the sky's the limit for the UK's thriving aerospace sector. By building trade ties with growing economic powers like India, we will ensure UK businesses remain at the forefront of global growth and innovation," Sunak stated.

The announcement will create new highly skilled jobs in Wales and Derbyshire, he added.

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Several western leaders like US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have hailed Air India’s decision to buy planes from Airbus, and Boeing.

Several western leaders like US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have hailed Air India’s decision to buy planes from Airbus, and Boeing. The Indian airline has signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing to acquire a mix of widebody and single-aisle aircraft. The deal was announced during a virtual meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also expressing their support. In his address, PM Modi highlighted the rapid expansion of the civil aviation market in India, which will encourage greater connectivity between India and the rest of the world, in turn boosting tourism and business in the country. "The agreement between Air India and Airbus is also an important milestone for the Indo-French Strategic Partnership. The India-France partnership is playing a direct role in ensuring the stability and balance in the international order and the multilateral system," he said. The order includes 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777-9s widebody aircraft, along with 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft. The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines, while the B777/787s will use engines from GE Aerospace. India: Air India seals order for 500 jets from Airbus, Boeing Later in the day, PM Modi and US President Biden held a telephonic conversation in which they welcomed the announcement of the agreement between Air India and Boeing. They called it a "shining example of mutually beneficial cooperation that will help create new employment opportunities in both countries," as per the Indian readout. The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the deepening of the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. PM Modi is expected to travel to the US in June. A statement from the White House noted that "this purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many will not require a four-year college degree. This announcement also reflects the strength of the U.S.-India economic partnership." UK PM Sunak and Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch also welcomed the deal. "This landmark deal between Air India, Airbus and Rolls-Royce demonstrates that the sky's the limit for the UK's thriving aerospace sector. By building trade ties with growing economic powers like India, we will ensure UK businesses remain at the forefront of global growth and innovation," Sunak stated. The announcement will create new highly skilled jobs in Wales and Derbyshire, he added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Western leaders hail billion-dollar Air India, Airbus, Boeing announcement

Tata-group owned Air India on Tuesday announced that it will purchase 250 aircraft from Airbus. The deal which is worth more than $50 million is reportedly Air India's first aircraft purchase in around 17 years and is also the first order under the ownership of Tata Group. The deal, as per N Chandrasekaran, the company's chairman, is aimed at transforming the former national carrier, as well as expanding its operations. PTI reports that the acquisition of 250 aircraft will include 40 wide-body A350 planes and 210 narrow-body aircraft. The wide-body planes, as per Chandrasekaran, will be used for long-haul flights.&nbsp;

"Today I'm happy to say that we have signed a letter of intent to acquire 250 aircraft," said Chandrasekaran at a joint press conference he held with Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury.

Watch |&nbsp;India: Air India seals order for 500 jets from Airbus, Boeing

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Also present at the virtual announcement of the deal were Indian PM Narendra Modi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who hailed it as a "landmark" and an "achievement".

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the deal and said that the nation's growing aviation sector in the next 15 years would require over 2,000 aircraft. He remarked that in the near future, India will emerge as the third-biggest market in the world in the aviation sector.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/air-india-likely-to-finalise-half-of-jumbo-plane-order-claims-industry-sources-556595">Air India likely to finalise half of jumbo order, buy 220 planes, claim industry sources</a>

"Our civil aviation sector is an integral part of India's development. Strengthening the civil aviation sector is an important aspect of our national infrastructure policy," said Modi.

Hailing the Air India-Airbus deal as a "landmark," the PM said that it reflects deepening ties between France and India. He also said that the partnership between the two nations is playing a key role in ensuring stability and balance of the international order and the multilateral system.

"Whether it is the issue of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, or global food security and health security, India and France together are making a positive contribution".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tata-owned-air-india-to-place-historic-order-of-at-least-500-jets-heres-all-you-need-to-know-542211">Tata-owned Air India to place historic order of at least 500 jets: Here’s all you need to know</a>

&nbsp;



&nbsp;

French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron said that the Air India-Airbus deal "shows that Airbus and all its French partners are fully dedicated to develop new areas of cooperation with India".

He further added, "The end of the pandemic should lead to more exchanges between our two countries. Students, scientists, artists, businessmen, women, tourists all are most welcome to France and I encourage Indians to come and be part of this French Indian friendship."

Air India's last aircraft purchase was made in 2005 for 111 planes; 68 of which were from Boeing and 43 from Airbus.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Tata-group owned Air India on Tuesday announced that it will purchase 250 aircraft from Airbus. The deal which is worth more than $50 million is reportedly Air India's first aircraft purchase in around 17 years and is also the first order under the ownership of Tata Group.

Tata-group owned Air India on Tuesday announced that it will purchase 250 aircraft from Airbus. The deal which is worth more than $50 million is reportedly Air India's first aircraft purchase in around 17 years and is also the first order under the ownership of Tata Group. The deal, as per N Chandrasekaran, the company's chairman, is aimed at transforming the former national carrier, as well as expanding its operations. PTI reports that the acquisition of 250 aircraft will include 40 wide-body A350 planes and 210 narrow-body aircraft. The wide-body planes, as per Chandrasekaran, will be used for long-haul flights. "Today I'm happy to say that we have signed a letter of intent to acquire 250 aircraft," said Chandrasekaran at a joint press conference he held with Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury. Watch | India: Air India seals order for 500 jets from Airbus, Boeing Also present at the virtual announcement of the deal were Indian PM Narendra Modi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who hailed it as a "landmark" and an "achievement". Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the deal and said that the nation's growing aviation sector in the next 15 years would require over 2,000 aircraft. He remarked that in the near future, India will emerge as the third-biggest market in the world in the aviation sector. Also read | Air India likely to finalise half of jumbo order, buy 220 planes, claim industry sources "Our civil aviation sector is an integral part of India's development. Strengthening the civil aviation sector is an important aspect of our national infrastructure policy," said Modi. Hailing the Air India-Airbus deal as a "landmark," the PM said that it reflects deepening ties between France and India. He also said that the partnership between the two nations is playing a key role in ensuring stability and balance of the international order and the multilateral system. "Whether it is the issue of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, or global food security and health security, India and France together are making a positive contribution". Also read | Tata-owned Air India to place historic order of at least 500 jets: Here’s all you need to know French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron said that the Air India-Airbus deal "shows that Airbus and all its French partners are fully dedicated to develop new areas of cooperation with India". He further added, "The end of the pandemic should lead to more exchanges between our two countries. Students, scientists, artists, businessmen, women, tourists all are most welcome to France and I encourage Indians to come and be part of this French Indian friendship." Air India's last aircraft purchase was made in 2005 for 111 planes; 68 of which were from Boeing and 43 from Airbus. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Air India signs 'historic' deal to purchase 250 aircraft from Airbus; its first purchase order in 17 years

The European air maker Airbus has seen disappointing deliveries in the first month. The Airbus boss ahead of the low output warns against the fuel deliveries of jets compared to its now abandoned target for the year 2022.

Low output by Airbus causes concerns

Airbus kicks off 2023 on a poor note; deliveries drop 33 per cent&nbsp;in January

The largest airline manufacturer Airbus finds itself in a tough situation after underwhelming delivery figures for its airplanes.

The company, which produced around 661 planes in 2022, was safely riding the 1.6 per cent&nbsp;rise in its shares.

Watch | Low output by Airbus causes concerns

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But now, with just 20 deliveries in January, marking a significant drop of 33 per cent, the numbers have their telltale of a scary "wake-up call" for Airbus' executives.

The Chief Executive of the company Guillaume Faury riled up in anger looking at the abysmal output.

In his brief, he clarifies that "this does not happen twice".

But what has led to the situation, and what caused the slowdown?

The distortion to the global supply chain has affected many industries, including the airline manufacturing industry.

Airbus has strongly remained dependent on Russia's titanium resources, with the war on the edge of Europe disrupting supply chains.

Even the steel capacity has come under threat as restructuring remains underway in handling debt.

Amidst recession fears and rising costs, the trade and movement of raw materials remain a problem, along with several other structural and operation-related issues.

Apart from the supply chain-related delays, the Qatar-Airbus dispute remains in play, impeding Airbus' day-to-day operations.

The company's internal functioning has also come into question, with Faury directing his interest towards decarbonisation and modernising the industrial fabric at Airbus.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-asias-largest-aero-show-aero-india-2023-begins-in-bengaluru-561493">Also read |&nbsp;In Pics | Asia’s largest aero show, Aero India 2023, begins in Bengaluru</a>

The focus remains on not dumping the blame on the supply chain but revamping the process by fixing the company's internal issues.

There needs to be higher employee engagement, as suggested by internal sources of the company.

The challenge is to fix external and internal affairs to streamline production.

The multifaceted layers of these issues have caused a pushback in producing new jets.

With a staggeringly low input, industry experts speculate a lower threshold of about 700 jets for the year, while some remain ambitiously confident about an output of nearly 750 planes.

As the production and tests of electronic chips stabilise, hopes remain high for manufacturing to return to normal in the company.

Still, the challenges make it clear the tasks will take a lot of work to manage.

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&nbsp;

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Airbus kicks off 2023 on a poor note; deliveries drop 33 per cent in January The largest airline manufacturer Airbus finds itself in a tough situation after underwhelming delivery figures for its airplanes.

Airbus kicks off 2023 on a poor note; deliveries drop 33 per cent in January The largest airline manufacturer Airbus finds itself in a tough situation after underwhelming delivery figures for its airplanes. The company, which produced around 661 planes in 2022, was safely riding the 1.6 per cent rise in its shares. Watch | Low output by Airbus causes concerns But now, with just 20 deliveries in January, marking a significant drop of 33 per cent, the numbers have their telltale of a scary "wake-up call" for Airbus' executives. The Chief Executive of the company Guillaume Faury riled up in anger looking at the abysmal output. In his brief, he clarifies that "this does not happen twice". But what has led to the situation, and what caused the slowdown? The distortion to the global supply chain has affected many industries, including the airline manufacturing industry. Airbus has strongly remained dependent on Russia's titanium resources, with the war on the edge of Europe disrupting supply chains. Even the steel capacity has come under threat as restructuring remains underway in handling debt. Amidst recession fears and rising costs, the trade and movement of raw materials remain a problem, along with several other structural and operation-related issues. Apart from the supply chain-related delays, the Qatar-Airbus dispute remains in play, impeding Airbus' day-to-day operations. The company's internal functioning has also come into question, with Faury directing his interest towards decarbonisation and modernising the industrial fabric at Airbus. Also read | In Pics | Asia’s largest aero show, Aero India 2023, begins in Bengaluru The focus remains on not dumping the blame on the supply chain but revamping the process by fixing the company's internal issues. There needs to be higher employee engagement, as suggested by internal sources of the company. The challenge is to fix external and internal affairs to streamline production. The multifaceted layers of these issues have caused a pushback in producing new jets. With a staggeringly low input, industry experts speculate a lower threshold of about 700 jets for the year, while some remain ambitiously confident about an output of nearly 750 planes. As the production and tests of electronic chips stabilise, hopes remain high for manufacturing to return to normal in the company. Still, the challenges make it clear the tasks will take a lot of work to manage. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Airbus kicks off 2023 on a poor note; deliveries drop 33% in January

India has reportedly sealed a jumbo deal for about 500 new planes worth more than 100 billion dollars. This could become the single largest order by any airline in the world in modern aviation.

India: Air India seals order for 500 jets from Airbus, Boeing

Following a ferocious 18-month conflict that tore the top off the global jet market, Airbus (AIR.PA) and Qatar Airways announced on Wednesday that their disagreement regarding A350 aircraft that had been grounded had been resolved. This avoided a potentially catastrophic UK court trial.

Truce between Airbus and Qatar Air, settle 18-month old A350 jet row

Air India is close to placing landmark orders of 500 jetliners worth tens of billions of dollars from both Airbus and Boeing. The ambition has been successful under the Tata Group conglomerate.

World Business Watch | Tata Group-owned Air India nears historic order for up to 500 jets: Report

According to the airline's CEO on Saturday, Tata Group-owned Air India is in discussions with Boeing and Airbus about placing an order for new aircraft while also repairing grounded aircraft and leasing aircraft to suit its immediate needs.&nbsp;

The autos-to-steel conglomerate, which finalised the acquisition of Air India in January, confronts a difficult battle to modernise an ageing fleet, enhance service levels, and restore the company's financial health, according to industry analysts.&nbsp;

Campbell Wilson, the airline's chief executive, stated at a Tata corporate event in Mumbai that "we are in deep discussion with Boeing, Airbus and engine manufacturers for a historical order of the latest generation aircraft that will power Air India's medium- and long-term growth."

In order to boost its market share to 30 per cent on both domestic and international routes over the following five years, according to Wilson, Air India intends to grow its fleet and international network.&nbsp;

Also &nbsp;Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/snowstorm-restricts-travel-ahead-of-thanksgiving-in-new-york-535675">Snowstorm restricts travel ahead of thanksgiving in New York</a>

Industry estimates indicate that Air India currently holds a 10 per cent&nbsp;domestic market share and a 12 per cent&nbsp;international market share.&nbsp;

In an effort to increase market share and raise service standards, Air India said in September that it will lease 30 Boeing and Airbus aircraft, more than doubling the size of its fleet.&nbsp;

In July, industry insiders claimed that Air India was getting closer to choosing between Airbus and Boeing for an order worth $50 billion at list prices.

(with inputs from agencies)

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According to the airline's CEO on Saturday, Tata Group-owned Air India is in discussions with Boeing and Airbus about placing an order for new aircraft while also repairing grounded aircraft and leasing aircraft to suit its immediate needs.

According to the airline's CEO on Saturday, Tata Group-owned Air India is in discussions with Boeing and Airbus about placing an order for new aircraft while also repairing grounded aircraft and leasing aircraft to suit its immediate needs. The autos-to-steel conglomerate, which finalised the acquisition of Air India in January, confronts a difficult battle to modernise an ageing fleet, enhance service levels, and restore the company's financial health, according to industry analysts. Campbell Wilson, the airline's chief executive, stated at a Tata corporate event in Mumbai that "we are in deep discussion with Boeing, Airbus and engine manufacturers for a historical order of the latest generation aircraft that will power Air India's medium- and long-term growth." In order to boost its market share to 30 per cent on both domestic and international routes over the following five years, according to Wilson, Air India intends to grow its fleet and international network. Also Read: Snowstorm restricts travel ahead of thanksgiving in New York Industry estimates indicate that Air India currently holds a 10 per cent domestic market share and a 12 per cent international market share. In an effort to increase market share and raise service standards, Air India said in September that it will lease 30 Boeing and Airbus aircraft, more than doubling the size of its fleet. In July, industry insiders claimed that Air India was getting closer to choosing between Airbus and Boeing for an order worth $50 billion at list prices. (with inputs from agencies)

Tata Group-owned Air India in talks with Boeing and Airbus to buy planes

India has launched a $2.67 Billion plane project in Gujarat. What’s the project all about? What does India aim to achieve with it? Let’s get to the point

Airbus’ C-295 will be made in India

A consortium led by Tata Group and Airbus will be manufacturing the C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force in Vadodara city of western Gujarat state, in a major boost to the Make in India policy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the manducating facility on Sunday.

Announcing the project, which is worth Rs 220 billion, the defence ministry on Thursday said that this is the first time that a military plane will be manufactured in India by a private company.

"For the first time, the C-295 aircraft will be manufactured outside of Europe,” Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar told reporters.

The conception of a manufacturing facility in Vadodara is the result of an agreement signed by India with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C295 transport aircraft in a bid to replace the ageing Avro-748 planes for the IAF.

Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain, within four years, while the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India.

"The first 16 fly-away aircraft are scheduled to be received between September 2023 and August 2025. The first Made-in-India aircraft is expected in September 2026," Kumar said, speaking from Kerala through video conference. 
&nbsp;

He said that the plan’s components will be 96 per cent indigenous, barring the engine of the aircraft. "96 per cent of the work that Airbus does at its facility in Spain will be done in India."

Tata Consortium has identified more than 125 in-country MSME suppliers spread over seven states, Kumar said, adding that it will generate employment in the aerospace industry in the country.

The new facility is expected to generate 600 highly skilled jobs directly, over 3,000 indirect jobs and an additional 3,000 medium skill employment opportunities with more than 4 million man hours of work within the aerospace and defence sector, the defence ministry said.

Nearly 240 engineers will be trained at the Airbus facility in Spain for the project, it added.

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A consortium led by Tata Group and Airbus will be manufacturing the C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force in Vadodara city of western Gujarat state, in a major boost to the Make in India policy.

A consortium led by Tata Group and Airbus will be manufacturing the C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force in Vadodara city of western Gujarat state, in a major boost to the Make in India policy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the manducating facility on Sunday. Announcing the project, which is worth Rs 220 billion, the defence ministry on Thursday said that this is the first time that a military plane will be manufactured in India by a private company. "For the first time, the C-295 aircraft will be manufactured outside of Europe,” Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar told reporters. The conception of a manufacturing facility in Vadodara is the result of an agreement signed by India with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C295 transport aircraft in a bid to replace the ageing Avro-748 planes for the IAF. Under the deal, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away’ condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain, within four years, while the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India. "The first 16 fly-away aircraft are scheduled to be received between September 2023 and August 2025. The first Made-in-India aircraft is expected in September 2026," Kumar said, speaking from Kerala through video conference. He said that the plan’s components will be 96 per cent indigenous, barring the engine of the aircraft. "96 per cent of the work that Airbus does at its facility in Spain will be done in India." Tata Consortium has identified more than 125 in-country MSME suppliers spread over seven states, Kumar said, adding that it will generate employment in the aerospace industry in the country. The new facility is expected to generate 600 highly skilled jobs directly, over 3,000 indirect jobs and an additional 3,000 medium skill employment opportunities with more than 4 million man hours of work within the aerospace and defence sector, the defence ministry said. Nearly 240 engineers will be trained at the Airbus facility in Spain for the project, it added. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

C-295 aircraft for IAF to be made in India’s Gujarat state under Tata-Airbus joint venture

On Monday, two biggest companies in France went on trial over the crash of Air France flight 447 in Paris. The historic trial began more than 13 years after the plane en route from Paris (France) to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) plunged into the Atlantic Ocean killing 228 passengers and crew. It was the airline’s worst-ever accident, according to reports.&nbsp;

The hearing opened with the judge reading out the names of all 228 victims that died due to this accident. Following this, the chief executives of both Air France and Airbus pleaded not guilty to the charges of involuntary manslaughter and offered condolences in a French criminal court, on October 10.&nbsp;

The courtroom was silent when the names were being read out but quickly erupted into anger as the victims’ families present for the trial yelled in protest after the submission of the plea said media reports. Additionally, when the company’s chief executives Anne Rigail and Guillaume Faury gave their opening statement and offered condolences, “too little, too late,” said the relatives present. According to reports, the trial will go on for nine weeks.&nbsp; 
 
ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sole-survivor-of-catastrophic-2009-yemeni-flight-recalls-the-horror-of-the-tragedy-which-killed-152-people-481756">Sole survivor of catastrophic 2009 Yemeni crash recalls the horror of the tragedy, which killed 152 people</a>

On June 1, 2009, Air France flight AF447 was en route to Rio but disappeared off the radar in the middle of a storm. It took a little over four minutes for the plane to fall 11,500 metres out of the sky. The plane had entered what is called an “intertropical convergence zone” which is said to often produce volatile storms with heavy precipitation.

According to the recordings from the black box that was recovered two years after the crash, the “stall” warning was sounded in the cockpit at least 75 times at the time. Reports indicated that the plane’s speed sensors had been iced up and errors were made when the pilots were disoriented because of this.&nbsp;

Subsequently, the pilot took manual control and turned off the autopilot but had the wrong navigational data that set off a catastrophic chain of events due to which the plane went into an “aerodynamic stall”, its nose pitched upward and the plane plunged into the ocean, said the reports.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, both Air France and Airbus have denied the accusations that their negligence had led to the crash and started pointing fingers at each other. The former claims that it was the complicated alarms that confused the pilots, whereas the latter argues that it was the pilots' fault. The debris of the plane was found floating on the ocean, the day after it disappeared, but it took two years to recover the black box flight data and voice recorders from the seabed.&nbsp; 
 
ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/aviation-deaths-rise-worldwide-in-2020-even-as-fatal-incidents-flights-fall-354023">Aviation deaths rise worldwide in 2020 even as fatal incidents, flights fall</a>

In 2019, a court decided to abandon the case because the investigators were unable to establish who was to blame, however, this ruling was overturned two years later. Therefore, this was the first time the two companies have been directly held accountable for the crash.&nbsp;

“It’s a trial where the victims must remain at the centre of the debate. We don’t want Airbus or Air France to turn this trial into a conference of engineers,” said Sébastien Busy, a lawyer who is representing the victims in the court to the press.&nbsp;

Furthermore, the trial will be around one key question, why did the three-person crew with more than 20,000 hours of flying experience between them, could not understand that the plane had lost flight or “stalled” and was not rising but falling? If convicted, each company faces a maximum fine of $220,000.&nbsp;

According to sources, Air France has been accused of not properly training their pilots in the event of icing of the pilot probes despite knowing the risks. On the other hand, Airbus has been accused of knowing the model that pitot tubes on Flight 447 were faulty and not doing enough to inform airlines and their crew about the issue which would help ensure training to mitigate the risk.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

On Monday, two biggest companies in France went on trial over the crash of Air France flight 447 in Paris. The historic trial began more than 13 years after the plane en route from Paris (France) to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) plunged into the Atlantic Ocean killing 228 passengers and crew.

On Monday, two biggest companies in France went on trial over the crash of Air France flight 447 in Paris. The historic trial began more than 13 years after the plane en route from Paris (France) to Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) plunged into the Atlantic Ocean killing 228 passengers and crew. It was the airline’s worst-ever accident, according to reports. The hearing opened with the judge reading out the names of all 228 victims that died due to this accident. Following this, the chief executives of both Air France and Airbus pleaded not guilty to the charges of involuntary manslaughter and offered condolences in a French criminal court, on October 10. The courtroom was silent when the names were being read out but quickly erupted into anger as the victims’ families present for the trial yelled in protest after the submission of the plea said media reports. Additionally, when the company’s chief executives Anne Rigail and Guillaume Faury gave their opening statement and offered condolences, “too little, too late,” said the relatives present. According to reports, the trial will go on for nine weeks. ALSO READ: Sole survivor of catastrophic 2009 Yemeni crash recalls the horror of the tragedy, which killed 152 people On June 1, 2009, Air France flight AF447 was en route to Rio but disappeared off the radar in the middle of a storm. It took a little over four minutes for the plane to fall 11,500 metres out of the sky. The plane had entered what is called an “intertropical convergence zone” which is said to often produce volatile storms with heavy precipitation. According to the recordings from the black box that was recovered two years after the crash, the “stall” warning was sounded in the cockpit at least 75 times at the time. Reports indicated that the plane’s speed sensors had been iced up and errors were made when the pilots were disoriented because of this. Subsequently, the pilot took manual control and turned off the autopilot but had the wrong navigational data that set off a catastrophic chain of events due to which the plane went into an “aerodynamic stall”, its nose pitched upward and the plane plunged into the ocean, said the reports. Meanwhile, both Air France and Airbus have denied the accusations that their negligence had led to the crash and started pointing fingers at each other. The former claims that it was the complicated alarms that confused the pilots, whereas the latter argues that it was the pilots' fault. The debris of the plane was found floating on the ocean, the day after it disappeared, but it took two years to recover the black box flight data and voice recorders from the seabed. ALSO READ: Aviation deaths rise worldwide in 2020 even as fatal incidents, flights fall In 2019, a court decided to abandon the case because the investigators were unable to establish who was to blame, however, this ruling was overturned two years later. Therefore, this was the first time the two companies have been directly held accountable for the crash. “It’s a trial where the victims must remain at the centre of the debate. We don’t want Airbus or Air France to turn this trial into a conference of engineers,” said Sébastien Busy, a lawyer who is representing the victims in the court to the press. Furthermore, the trial will be around one key question, why did the three-person crew with more than 20,000 hours of flying experience between them, could not understand that the plane had lost flight or “stalled” and was not rising but falling? If convicted, each company faces a maximum fine of $220,000. According to sources, Air France has been accused of not properly training their pilots in the event of icing of the pilot probes despite knowing the risks. On the other hand, Airbus has been accused of knowing the model that pitot tubes on Flight 447 were faulty and not doing enough to inform airlines and their crew about the issue which would help ensure training to mitigate the risk. (With inputs from agencies)

Air France, Airbus go on trial for involuntary manslaughter over 2009 Rio-Paris crash

China's first domestically produced aircraft, the C919, which earned its government-issued fit-to-fly certificate on Friday, is anticipated to compete with Boeing and Airbus, but it still has a long way to go before doing so.

The 168-seat, single-aisle, medium-haul aircraft was developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) over the course of around 14 years, and is intended to compete with the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320neo in the coming years.

The airworthiness certificate was highlighted by Chinese state media and analysts, who claimed that with Airbus being a European corporation, China is now the only other nation save the US that is capable of producing a large passenger aircraft.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shangri-la-reports-major-data-breach-at-8-hotels-guests-data-leaked-521547">Shangri-La reports major data breach at eight hotels; guests' data leaked</a>

President Xi Jinping, who met representatives from the C919 project team on Friday, called the development a breakthrough in “China’s high-end equipment manufacturing” and urged “for solid progress in building the country into a manufacturing powerhouse”.

“Safety and reliability should come first, and all potential safety hazards should be eliminated,” Xi was quoted as saying by the official news agency Xinhua.

The plane made a successful first flight in 2017 and will deliver its first C919 passenger plane by year's end.

A renowned civil aviation expert from China stated that the C919, the development of which has been dubbed a landmark project, receiving the airworthiness certificate is a symbol of China being a "manufacturing power" and its "level of industrialization," adding that the "C919 still has a long way to go."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-cultural-genocide-how-regime-is-trying-to-relabel-tibet-as-xizang-521612">China’s cultural genocide: How regime is trying to relabel Tibet as ‘Xizang’</a>

According to official media, the C919 has 28 customers and has 815 planes overall in orders. China Eastern, one of China's top airlines, may be the C919's first customer.

(With inputs from agencies)

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China's first domestically produced aircraft, the C919, which earned its government-issued fit-to-fly certificate on Friday, is anticipated to compete with Boeing and Airbus, but it still has a long way to go before doing so.

China's first domestically produced aircraft, the C919, which earned its government-issued fit-to-fly certificate on Friday, is anticipated to compete with Boeing and Airbus, but it still has a long way to go before doing so. The 168-seat, single-aisle, medium-haul aircraft was developed by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) over the course of around 14 years, and is intended to compete with the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320neo in the coming years. The airworthiness certificate was highlighted by Chinese state media and analysts, who claimed that with Airbus being a European corporation, China is now the only other nation save the US that is capable of producing a large passenger aircraft. Also read | Shangri-La reports major data breach at eight hotels; guests' data leaked President Xi Jinping, who met representatives from the C919 project team on Friday, called the development a breakthrough in “China’s high-end equipment manufacturing” and urged “for solid progress in building the country into a manufacturing powerhouse”. “Safety and reliability should come first, and all potential safety hazards should be eliminated,” Xi was quoted as saying by the official news agency Xinhua. The plane made a successful first flight in 2017 and will deliver its first C919 passenger plane by year's end. A renowned civil aviation expert from China stated that the C919, the development of which has been dubbed a landmark project, receiving the airworthiness certificate is a symbol of China being a "manufacturing power" and its "level of industrialization," adding that the "C919 still has a long way to go." Also read | China’s cultural genocide: How regime is trying to relabel Tibet as ‘Xizang’ According to official media, the C919 has 28 customers and has 815 planes overall in orders. China Eastern, one of China's top airlines, may be the C919's first customer. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

China certifies domestically-manufactured jet, to compete with Boeing, Airbus

Russia's aviation industry will aim to go it alone without the West, using locally built parts to produce 1,000 airliners by 2030 and end reliance on Boeing and Airbus, state-owned engineer Rostec said.

The remarks from Rostec, a vast state corporation headed by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin that includes Russia's only manufacturer of civil aircraft, are the strongest indication yet that the country's aviation sector sees the confrontation with the West as a permanent schism.

The West's imposition of the most severe sanctions in modern history after Moscow sent thousands of troops into Ukraine has forced the biggest change on Russia's economy since the Soviet Union crumbled from 1989 to 1991.

The post-Soviet assumptions of the aviation sector have been turned on their head: foreign aircraft, mainly from Boeing and Airbus, account for 95% of passenger traffic, but sanctions mean there are no spare parts -- and no prospect of any.

Reuters reported in August that Russian airlines, including state controlled Aeroflot, were stripping jetliners to secure spare parts they can no longer buy abroad because of Western sanctions. read more

But Rostec, headed by Sergei Chemezov who worked with Putin in East Germany in the 1980s, sees the upheaval as an opportunity to build a strong, self-reliant aviation industry.

"Foreign aircraft will drop out of the fleet," Rostec said in a written response to Reuters questions about its plans and the situation in Russia's aviation industry.

"We believe that this process is irreversible and Boeing and Airbus planes will never be delivered to Russia," it said.

Rostec has run some of Russia's prime industrial, defence and engineering assets since Putin signed a decree creating the corporation in 2007.

Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, splurged on Boeing and Airbus aircraft as they sought to rebuild their fleets after the chaos of the 1990s. Forging a competitive domestic alternative will be difficult.

The target of building 1,000 airliners by 2030 is "basically impossible", according to aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia, managing director of U.S.-based AeroDynamic Advisory.

"Even when they could get semiconductors and other vital components from the West, they were having a very hard time producing more than a handful of jets," he said.

By comparison with the new seven-year goal, Russia and the rest of the Soviet Union had only ever built a combined total of around 2,000 large commercial jetliners, he added.

When it comes to modern jets, Russia's only civilian planemaker, Rostec's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) (UNAC.MM), is limited by a lack of models, manufacturing capacity and foreign components.

Half of components and technologies used in the Russian aircraft industry in 2021 originated from foreign countries, according to a document titled: "On the Strategic Directions of Activity in the New Conditions for the Period up to 2030" prepared by the government and seen by Reuters.

Rostec will have to find parts - or make them.

"Our next goal is, in the shortest time, to complete import substitution of those imported parts which were delivered from abroad, for promising aviation projects - SSJ-New and MS-21," Rostec said.

MADE IN RUSSIA

Russia plans to produce 20 fully import-substituted regional jets known as Superjet-New annually from 2024 and 72 new medium-haul MS-21 from 2029, beginning with six in 2024, according to the Russian aviation industry's development plan to 2030, published by the government in June.

Russia is testing its new MS-21 plane with a domestically made PD-14 engine instead of the American-made PW1400G, supplied by Pratt &amp; Whitney.

The MS-21 has been Russia's attempt to break into the main part of the jet market dominated by Airbus and Boeing.

But it is struggling to replace the foreign components of its Superjet, including the SaM-146 engine which was designed by a joint venture with French engine firm Safran&nbsp;and could no longer be produced because of sanctions.

UAC continues to produce Superjets with SaM-146's from stock and is going to deliver about 20 more jets with this engine, Rostec said.

"They will be the last ones where our partner solutions with Safran are used. Then we will install PD-8 engines on this type of aircraft," Rostec said. PD-8 engines are also made in Russia.

"From this year, we don't rely on international cooperation with Western countries," Rostec said. "We can say with confidence that the MS-21 with American-made engines will not be delivered to the Russian market."

From 2022 to 2030 Russia plans to deliver 1,036 passenger planes. That includes 142 Superjet-New and 270 MS-21, as well as 70 turboprop Il-114, 70 medium-haul Tu-214, and 12 wide-body Il-96, designed locally, according to government documents.

"We don't expect sanctions to be eased and we are building our plans based on the existing tough scenario," Rostec said.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Russia's aviation industry will aim to go it alone without the West, using locally built parts to produce 1,000 airliners by 2030 and end reliance on Boeing and Airbus, state-owned engineer Rostec said.

Russia's aviation industry will aim to go it alone without the West, using locally built parts to produce 1,000 airliners by 2030 and end reliance on Boeing and Airbus, state-owned engineer Rostec said. The remarks from Rostec, a vast state corporation headed by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin that includes Russia's only manufacturer of civil aircraft, are the strongest indication yet that the country's aviation sector sees the confrontation with the West as a permanent schism. The West's imposition of the most severe sanctions in modern history after Moscow sent thousands of troops into Ukraine has forced the biggest change on Russia's economy since the Soviet Union crumbled from 1989 to 1991. The post-Soviet assumptions of the aviation sector have been turned on their head: foreign aircraft, mainly from Boeing and Airbus, account for 95% of passenger traffic, but sanctions mean there are no spare parts -- and no prospect of any. Reuters reported in August that Russian airlines, including state controlled Aeroflot, were stripping jetliners to secure spare parts they can no longer buy abroad because of Western sanctions. read more But Rostec, headed by Sergei Chemezov who worked with Putin in East Germany in the 1980s, sees the upheaval as an opportunity to build a strong, self-reliant aviation industry. "Foreign aircraft will drop out of the fleet," Rostec said in a written response to Reuters questions about its plans and the situation in Russia's aviation industry. "We believe that this process is irreversible and Boeing and Airbus planes will never be delivered to Russia," it said. Rostec has run some of Russia's prime industrial, defence and engineering assets since Putin signed a decree creating the corporation in 2007. Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, splurged on Boeing and Airbus aircraft as they sought to rebuild their fleets after the chaos of the 1990s. Forging a competitive domestic alternative will be difficult. The target of building 1,000 airliners by 2030 is "basically impossible", according to aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia, managing director of U.S.-based AeroDynamic Advisory. "Even when they could get semiconductors and other vital components from the West, they were having a very hard time producing more than a handful of jets," he said. By comparison with the new seven-year goal, Russia and the rest of the Soviet Union had only ever built a combined total of around 2,000 large commercial jetliners, he added. When it comes to modern jets, Russia's only civilian planemaker, Rostec's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) (UNAC.MM), is limited by a lack of models, manufacturing capacity and foreign components. Half of components and technologies used in the Russian aircraft industry in 2021 originated from foreign countries, according to a document titled: "On the Strategic Directions of Activity in the New Conditions for the Period up to 2030" prepared by the government and seen by Reuters. Rostec will have to find parts - or make them. "Our next goal is, in the shortest time, to complete import substitution of those imported parts which were delivered from abroad, for promising aviation projects - SSJ-New and MS-21," Rostec said. MADE IN RUSSIA Russia plans to produce 20 fully import-substituted regional jets known as Superjet-New annually from 2024 and 72 new medium-haul MS-21 from 2029, beginning with six in 2024, according to the Russian aviation industry's development plan to 2030, published by the government in June. Russia is testing its new MS-21 plane with a domestically made PD-14 engine instead of the American-made PW1400G, supplied by Pratt & Whitney. The MS-21 has been Russia's attempt to break into the main part of the jet market dominated by Airbus and Boeing. But it is struggling to replace the foreign components of its Superjet, including the SaM-146 engine which was designed by a joint venture with French engine firm Safran and could no longer be produced because of sanctions. UAC continues to produce Superjets with SaM-146's from stock and is going to deliver about 20 more jets with this engine, Rostec said. "They will be the last ones where our partner solutions with Safran are used. Then we will install PD-8 engines on this type of aircraft," Rostec said. PD-8 engines are also made in Russia. "From this year, we don't rely on international cooperation with Western countries," Rostec said. "We can say with confidence that the MS-21 with American-made engines will not be delivered to the Russian market." From 2022 to 2030 Russia plans to deliver 1,036 passenger planes. That includes 142 Superjet-New and 270 MS-21, as well as 70 turboprop Il-114, 70 medium-haul Tu-214, and 12 wide-body Il-96, designed locally, according to government documents. "We don't expect sanctions to be eased and we are building our plans based on the existing tough scenario," Rostec said. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Exclusive: Russia aiming to fly solo, end its reliance on Airbus and Boeing

European aircraft maker&nbsp;Airbus&nbsp;has cancelled its contract to deliver 19 A350 planes to Qatar Airways, a source close to the matter said Wednesday, amid a feud between the two aviation giants.

Airbus&nbsp;had already cancelled a multi-billion-dollar order of 50 planes from Qatar Airways, a major customer, earlier in the year, over the airline's grounding of A350 aircraft.

Qatar Airways has been locked in a dispute with&nbsp;Airbus&nbsp;over degradation of the exterior fuselage surfaces on some of its A350 wide-body planes.

The issue has led the airline, one of the Gulf region's "big three" carriers, to ground 23 of the aircraft and not accept further deliveries from the European firm until the problem is resolved.

Qatar Airways claimed damages from&nbsp;Airbus&nbsp;amounting to $200,000 per day, per plane out of action.

The order for the 19 aircraft was worth seven billion euros at catalogue prices, though airlines are usually charged less for large purchases.

Neither&nbsp;Airbus&nbsp;nor Qatar Airways immediately commented on the cancelled order.

Court battle

The airline and leading plane-maker have been fighting in the British courts for months over the paint problem.

Qatar Airways launched legal action against&nbsp;Airbus&nbsp;over the issue before the High Court in London in December, with&nbsp;Airbus&nbsp;vigorously defending the A350 against any suggestions the aircraft isn't safe.

Qatar's civil aviation authority grounded the planes judging the exposure of the metal mesh under the paint posed a safety risk.

But the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) found it posed no impact on the airworthiness of the aircraft.

In May, both sides said they hoped to reach a negotiated settlement.

Qatar Airways is demanding about $1 billion in damages over the peeling paintwork, which it says is a threat to the A350's lightning conductor.

After the airline last year grounded part of its fleet of A350s,&nbsp;Airbus&nbsp;responded by cancelling an order worth more than $6 billion for 50 A321s from Qatar Airways.

Airbus&nbsp;said that a clause in the contract for the 50 A321 planes allowed its cancellation if Qatar Airways failed to fully honour any of its other contracts, which the airline did by refusing to take delivery of A350 aircraft.

In January, an&nbsp;Airbus&nbsp;spokesman told AFP that the aircraft maker had "terminated" the contract for 50 single-aisle A321neo aircraft, "in accordance with our rights".

Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker in June accused&nbsp;Airbus&nbsp;of acting like a "bully" over the dispute.&nbsp;

"A manufacturer must never be allowed to use their market dominance to bully their long-standing customer," he said at the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting in Doha.

Airbus&nbsp;chief Guillaume Faury, for his part, had said he was looking to talk to try to resolve the issue but acknowledged it was difficult.

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European aircraft maker Airbus has cancelled its contract to deliver 19 A350 planes to Qatar Airways, a source close to the matter said Wednesday, amid a feud between the two aviation giants.

European aircraft maker Airbus has cancelled its contract to deliver 19 A350 planes to Qatar Airways, a source close to the matter said Wednesday, amid a feud between the two aviation giants. Airbus had already cancelled a multi-billion-dollar order of 50 planes from Qatar Airways, a major customer, earlier in the year, over the airline's grounding of A350 aircraft. Qatar Airways has been locked in a dispute with Airbus over degradation of the exterior fuselage surfaces on some of its A350 wide-body planes. The issue has led the airline, one of the Gulf region's "big three" carriers, to ground 23 of the aircraft and not accept further deliveries from the European firm until the problem is resolved. Qatar Airways claimed damages from Airbus amounting to $200,000 per day, per plane out of action. The order for the 19 aircraft was worth seven billion euros at catalogue prices, though airlines are usually charged less for large purchases. Neither Airbus nor Qatar Airways immediately commented on the cancelled order. Court battle The airline and leading plane-maker have been fighting in the British courts for months over the paint problem. Qatar Airways launched legal action against Airbus over the issue before the High Court in London in December, with Airbus vigorously defending the A350 against any suggestions the aircraft isn't safe. Qatar's civil aviation authority grounded the planes judging the exposure of the metal mesh under the paint posed a safety risk. But the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) found it posed no impact on the airworthiness of the aircraft. In May, both sides said they hoped to reach a negotiated settlement. Qatar Airways is demanding about $1 billion in damages over the peeling paintwork, which it says is a threat to the A350's lightning conductor. After the airline last year grounded part of its fleet of A350s, Airbus responded by cancelling an order worth more than $6 billion for 50 A321s from Qatar Airways. Airbus said that a clause in the contract for the 50 A321 planes allowed its cancellation if Qatar Airways failed to fully honour any of its other contracts, which the airline did by refusing to take delivery of A350 aircraft. In January, an Airbus spokesman told AFP that the aircraft maker had "terminated" the contract for 50 single-aisle A321neo aircraft, "in accordance with our rights". Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker in June accused Airbus of acting like a "bully" over the dispute. "A manufacturer must never be allowed to use their market dominance to bully their long-standing customer," he said at the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting in Doha. Airbus chief Guillaume Faury, for his part, had said he was looking to talk to try to resolve the issue but acknowledged it was difficult. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Airbus scraps A350 contract with Qatar Airways in feud

Airbus has revoked its entire outstanding order from Qatar Airways for A350 jets, severing all new jetliner business with the Gulf carrier in a dramatic new twist to a dispute clouding World Cup preparations, two industry sources said.

Reports: Airbus axes remaining A350 jet deal with Qatar Airways

Two years ago, dozens of Airbus A380s set course for storage sites in rural France from the Gulf. Now, the iconic European double-decker is gaining a new lease on life.

A380 makes comeback despite high oil prices

Qatar Airways and plane-maker Airbus has been embroiled in an ongoing case in United Kingdom over the paint problem found in some of the Qatar Airways ground 23 A350 jets. Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker on Tuesday criticised Airbus for “acting like a bully”. "If things were settled, we wouldn't be still waiting for the trial to happen next year," he said at the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting in Doha according to Reuters. "A manufacturer must never be allowed to use their market dominance to bully their long-standing customer,” he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-oil-supplies-to-china-and-india-are-growing-noticeably-says-vladimir-putin-490706" hreflang="en">Russian oil supplies to China and India are growing noticeably, says Vladimir Putin</a>

In response, Airbus said: "The best solution is a negotiated one and this is what Airbus is seeking."

Qatar Airways have demanded S1 billion as compensation for the damaged paintwork and although both parties were supposed to reach an agreement in May, talks fell through at the last moment.

Qatar Airlines was the biggest client for Airbus in the middle east. But Qatar Airways decided to ground a part of their A350s last year and even asked $200,000 per day damages. Airbus did not agree to their demands and cancelled an order worth more than $6 billion for 50 A321s from them.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinping-warns-against-expanding-military-alliances-490658" hreflang="en">'Ukraine crisis is wakeup call': Jinping warns against expanding military ties</a>

"We have this situation to resolve, and it takes time. It takes time and sweat, and I'm very frustrated to be in this situation," Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury said according to the Reuters report.

"I don't like to be in this situation with customers, that's very clear, that's why we're trying to work out a solution moving forward. But it's difficult," he concluded.

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Qatar Airways and plane-maker Airbus has been embroiled in an ongoing case in United Kingdom over the paint problem found in some of the Qatar Airways ground 23 A350 jets.

Qatar Airways and plane-maker Airbus has been embroiled in an ongoing case in United Kingdom over the paint problem found in some of the Qatar Airways ground 23 A350 jets. Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker on Tuesday criticised Airbus for “acting like a bully”. "If things were settled, we wouldn't be still waiting for the trial to happen next year," he said at the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting in Doha according to Reuters. "A manufacturer must never be allowed to use their market dominance to bully their long-standing customer,” he added. Also read | Russian oil supplies to China and India are growing noticeably, says Vladimir Putin In response, Airbus said: "The best solution is a negotiated one and this is what Airbus is seeking." Qatar Airways have demanded S1 billion as compensation for the damaged paintwork and although both parties were supposed to reach an agreement in May, talks fell through at the last moment. Qatar Airlines was the biggest client for Airbus in the middle east. But Qatar Airways decided to ground a part of their A350s last year and even asked $200,000 per day damages. Airbus did not agree to their demands and cancelled an order worth more than $6 billion for 50 A321s from them. Also read | 'Ukraine crisis is wakeup call': Jinping warns against expanding military ties "We have this situation to resolve, and it takes time. It takes time and sweat, and I'm very frustrated to be in this situation," Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury said according to the Reuters report. "I don't like to be in this situation with customers, that's very clear, that's why we're trying to work out a solution moving forward. But it's difficult," he concluded. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Qatar Airways demands $1 billion from Airbus over ‘peeling paint’ problem

The Tata Group-owned Air India has decided to procure its maiden batch of wide-bodied A350 aircraft of Airbus and the first plane is likely to be delivered to the airline by March 2023, sources have said.

However, it was not immediately clear how many A350 aircraft will be purchased by Air India.

Air India has not bought a single aircraft since 2006 when it had placed orders for purchasing 111 aircraft, 68 from the US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing and 43 from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/airbus-flew-a380-on-100-sustainable-aviation-fuel-primarily-consisting-of-used-cooking-oil-467168">Airbus flew A380 on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel, primarily consisting of used cooking oil</a>

A wide-bodied plane like Airbus A350 has a bigger fuel tank that allows it to travel longer distances such as India-US routes.

The Tata Group took control of Air India on January 27 after successfully winning the bid for the airline on October 8 last year.

Sources on Wednesday said Air India has started asking its senior pilots if they will be interested in getting the "conversion training" to operate A350 aircraft.

Watch |&nbsp;Airbus A350 paint dispute: Europe regulator sees no safety concern

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Air India's pilots are trained to operate the wide-bodied aircraft of Boeing. Therefore, they have to undergo "conversion training" to operate A350 aircraft of Airbus.

According to Air India's website, the airline has total 49 wide-bodied aircraft -- 18 Boeing B777, 4 Boeing B747 and 27 B787 -- in its fleet. The carrier has 79 narrow-bodied planes in its fleet too.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/airport-operators-join-forces-to-study-sustainable-fuel-in-india-465746">Airport operators join forces to study sustainable fuel in India</a>

Sources said Air India is purchasing A350 aircraft and is likely to get its first A350 plane by March 2023.

Since April, the airline's chairman N Chandrasekaran -- who also is the chairman of the Tata Group -- has rejigged the top management of the airline, bringing in senior and middle-level executives who have worked in other companies of the Tata Group such as Tata Steel and Vistara.

Air India and Airbus did not respond to PTI's queries regarding the aircraft procurement.&nbsp;

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The Tata Group-owned Air India has decided to procure its maiden batch of wide-bodied A350 aircraft of Airbus and the first plane is likely to be delivered to the airline by March 2023, sources have said.

The Tata Group-owned Air India has decided to procure its maiden batch of wide-bodied A350 aircraft of Airbus and the first plane is likely to be delivered to the airline by March 2023, sources have said. However, it was not immediately clear how many A350 aircraft will be purchased by Air India. Air India has not bought a single aircraft since 2006 when it had placed orders for purchasing 111 aircraft, 68 from the US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing and 43 from European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Also read | Airbus flew A380 on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel, primarily consisting of used cooking oil A wide-bodied plane like Airbus A350 has a bigger fuel tank that allows it to travel longer distances such as India-US routes. The Tata Group took control of Air India on January 27 after successfully winning the bid for the airline on October 8 last year. Sources on Wednesday said Air India has started asking its senior pilots if they will be interested in getting the "conversion training" to operate A350 aircraft. Watch | Airbus A350 paint dispute: Europe regulator sees no safety concern Air India's pilots are trained to operate the wide-bodied aircraft of Boeing. Therefore, they have to undergo "conversion training" to operate A350 aircraft of Airbus. According to Air India's website, the airline has total 49 wide-bodied aircraft -- 18 Boeing B777, 4 Boeing B747 and 27 B787 -- in its fleet. The carrier has 79 narrow-bodied planes in its fleet too. Also read | Airport operators join forces to study sustainable fuel in India Sources said Air India is purchasing A350 aircraft and is likely to get its first A350 plane by March 2023. Since April, the airline's chairman N Chandrasekaran -- who also is the chairman of the Tata Group -- has rejigged the top management of the airline, bringing in senior and middle-level executives who have worked in other companies of the Tata Group such as Tata Steel and Vistara. Air India and Airbus did not respond to PTI's queries regarding the aircraft procurement. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Air India decides to procure Airbus A350 aircraft; first plane's delivery likely by March 2023

Europe's top aviation safety regulator has said that he had seen no evidence that paint or surface erosion on A350 jets which are at center of legal dispute between Airbus and Qatar airways represented a safety issue at all.

Airbus A350 paint dispute: Europe regulator sees no safety concern

Supply chain problems continued to hit plane makers hard. Airbus delivered 6% fewer airplanes in last month, compared to the same month last year, as the aerospace industry still wrestling with tight supply chains.

Airbus deliveries fell 6% in May amid tight supply chain

A British judge will today rule whether Airbus must keep building A321neo jetliners for estranged Qatar Airways in a decision with implications for future multi-billion-dollar jet deals, as their public bust-up returns to London's High Court.

Airbus, Qatar Airways back in court

Moving to the world of aviation, here airbus the European plane maker and Qatar airways they're set to face each other in court today as a dispute over billions of dollars of jets enters a theoretical phase and rattles some airline leaders.

Airbus, Qatar feud enters UK court spotlight

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