Airbus has struck its biggest single deal with an order for 430 aircraft worth $49.5bn at list prices from US investment firm Indigo Partners.   Indigo, whose interests include Europe’s Wizz Air, US-based Frontier, and Mexico’s Volaris, will buy Airbus’s A320neo family of aircraft. The order on the penultimate day of the Dubai Airshow comes after what could have been a difficult week for Airbus.   Earlier in the month, Emirates appeared to snub Airbus over an A380 superjumbo deal.   The Airbus aircraft, whose wings are made ... Read more

BAE Systems will not lead a consortium bidding to build Britain’s newest frigate, the first time in three decades that its shipyards have taken a-back-seat role on a new warship.   The UK’s biggest defence company has instead struck an alliance with Birkenhead-based shipyard Cammell Laird to bid for the £1.25bn contract to build five Type 31e warships. It is expected to compete against a consortium led by Babcock International, which is in discussions with naval designer BMT.   Cammell Laird, which is building the ... Read more

Some 750 workers at BAE Systems Warton and Salmesbury sites in Lancashire are to lose their jobs as a result of reduced demand for Eurofighter Typhoon where it is manufactured. The job cuts are among nearly 2,000 announced by the listed defence company.   The Lancashire losses are among 1,400 to go from BAE’s military air and information business, which also include 400 in Brough on Humberside. The move is part of a “re-organisation and rationalisation” programme effective from January 1,2018.   “These changes will ... Read more

Construction has begun on a multi-million pound manufacturing site in Sheffield which will produce 8,000 parts a year for the growing aviation industry.   Boeing is investing around £40m in locating the company’s first European manufacturing facility on Sheffield Business Park. Boeing Sheffield will form part of the company’s global network of commercial aeroplanes fabrication sites and will produce actuation components for the next-generation 737, 737 MAX and 777 aircraft.   The 6,200 sq metre facility will manufacture spur gears, shafts and housings from materials ... Read more

Derby based Rolls Royce have announced profits rising 148% for the six months to 30 June.   The firm made a profit of £287m during the past six months, compared to £104m last year. Revenues were also up slightly – by 6% to £6.9bn.   Warren East, chief executive, said: “Rolls-Royce delivered encouraging year-on year operational progress in the first six months of the year.   Civil Aerospace large engine deliveries increased 27% and we made good further progress improving Trent XWB OE economics. Restructuring savings were ... Read more

French 3D printing specialist Prodways Group has unveiled a new additive manufacturing process claimed to be ideal for producing large titanium parts for the aerospace industry.  The company claims that its so-called Rapid Additive Forging (RAF) process represents a significant improvement over existing titanium component production methods, which often involve a combination of forging and machining techniques. ‘’Certain titanium parts have manufacturing lead times of more than 12 months and implies significant metal wastes.” said the company.   The technology uses a robot ... Read more

Derby-based Rolls-Royce and Kale Group, a major player in global and national defence and aerospace industries, have announced the formation of a joint venture company to target aero engine opportunities in Turkey.  Kale Group will own 51% and Rolls-Royce 49% of the joint venture, which aims to develop aircraft engines for Turkey, initially targeting the TF-X National Fighter jet Project.   Kale Group is the contractor for the Turbojet engine development project, a milestone in Turkey’s aim to produce domestic aircraft engines. Read more

Black Country training provider, In-Comm Training has been chosen to help deliver a suite of interactive online training resources for the UK aerospace sector. In-Comm Training, which operates two academies, is part of the £320,000 EU-funded Erasmus+ AEERO (Aerospace Engineering ECVET Resources Online) project that will develop a suite of interactive online training resources.   The University of Wolverhampton secured the money for the collaboration and the University’s Faculty of Arts is now working with the company, a number of local manufacturers and ... Read more