'Fly NextGen' Aviation Blog » Airbus

Airbus enters RNP game with ‘Quovadis’

pascalpinck — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:04:34 +0000

From July 2009, QUOVADIS, a new 100 percent subsidiary of Airbus, based in Toulouse, will sell and provide ‘Required Navigation Performance’ (RNP) services to authorities, airlines and airports, ranging from RNP procedures design, testing and flight operations packaging, to RNP training.

To support QUOVADIS, Airbus has signed a cooperation agreement for RNP procedure design with the French Civil Aviation University (ENAC) in Toulouse, and CGx AERO in SYS, a specialist in aeronautical and geographic information systems based in Castres, France.

Missing a catering cart? In-flight meal too cold? New IT automation project wants to fix that.

pascalpinck — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:06:06 +0000

A technology initiative supported by Airbus and the German government wants to change the way that in-flight meals make their way to your seat.

From the press release:

The project, sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (Germany), and being run in conjunction with Airbus, EADS and the Fraunhofer Institute, will create a system that drives operational efficiency in airline catering logistics and their supporting processes. The innovative system will track individual food trolleys allocated to specific aircraft, locate misplaced trolleys, and allow airlines to offer a better service to passengers, such as offering a wider choice of menus on flights. [..]

Dr. Giles Nelson, Senior Director of Strategy, Progress Software commented: “This is a really exciting project for us to be involved in, and one that is going to have a dramatic effect on airline catering logistics. We envisage that once the system is fully operational, not only will cost savings be realized, but passengers will obtain a range of benefits, including being able to order a meal just before the flight, specifying what time during the flight it is served to them and even being able to specify how hot the meal should be.”

Flying NextGen in 85 years…

pascalpinck — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:21:54 +0000

How’s this for a next-generation aircraft?

European carrier Finnair has put together an interesting site, in which they (with some help from Airbus) imagine what commercial air travel will be like in 2093.

Their upbeat assessment: Flying will be popular, ecological, personal, good business, and an adventure.

[Thanks to Fly NextGen reader Patrick Zoll for the heads-up on this item.]

A380′s auto-braking system should help prevent runway excursions: Airbus

pascalpinck — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:43:58 +0000

Flight International has a good wrap-up of Airbus’ presentation about its new auto-braking system at last week’s FAA Safety Forum in Washington. An excerpt:

Available initially on the A380, the optional software upgrade includes Airbus’s brake-to-vacate (BTV) system that allows pilots to preset their desired turn-off point on a runway. The system automatically commands the aircraft’s auto-braking system to stop in the required distance with a deceleration profile that saves brake life.

Originally developed as a means of reducing runway occupancy time – hence its exposure to a runway incursion – the system has evolved into a more comprehensive tool to prevent runway excursions (aircraft veering off the runway during landing roll or exit).