Airbus

An A350-1000ULR has just completed a flight of more than 24 hours non-stop. Boeing wanted the project, but Qantas chose Airbus

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After 24 hours and 24 minutes without touching land, a Airbus A350-1000ULR landed this Tuesday in Toulouse. It did not carry commercial passengers, but pilots, engineers, five tons of instrumentation and more than a thousand sensors designed to record how it responded during a full day in the air. What we have seen has not been a simple demonstration of autonomy: Qantas and Airbus were testing the machine with which they want to convert some of the longest flights ever planned into regular services. The route also does not anticipate a future commercial route for the Australian airline. The aircraft took off from Melbourne, moved northeast over the Pacific, crossed the United States and Canada, then crossed the Atlantic and descended over the United Kingdom before reaching southern France. Toulouse was the logical destination: there it is found the final assembly line of the A350 and this test aircraft was to return there. The mission was to demonstrate a block time of 23 hours, enough to cover up to 21 hours and 40 minutes of flight and preserve margin for taxiing, waiting or a possible detour. That trip was not an isolated test. The first A350-1000ULR had taken off for the first time on June 2 and, since then, Airbus had been examining the changes introduced for the program for weeks. The company distinguishes this mission as a flight of developmentnot as a commercial service nor as a complete certification in itself. Its usefulness was in accumulating data on fuel management, cabin climate control and pilot rest compartments during a prolonged operation, before facing the necessary certifications and authorizations. The A350-1000ULR maintains the A350-1000 as a base, but adds more fuel, a higher maximum takeoff weight and cabin systems prepared for very long duration missions. Much of its autonomy comes from a central rear tank with a capacity of 20,900 liters, integrated into the structure of the aircraft. Incorporating it has forced the European manufacturer to modify the system that manages fuel and its transfer, because it is not enough to increase capacity without controlling how the weight and balance of the device change during the journey. This variant retains the engines Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 of the conventional A350-1000, but adds the necessary adjustments to face missions of about 22 hours with the required operating margins. Flightradar24 recorded the arrival of the A350-1000ULR in Toulouse after more than 24 hours in the air and 16,889 kilometers traveled Airbus did not come to this race alone. Boeing also wanted to take over the Qantas program and presented the 777-8, one of the members of the 777X family, as an alternative for ultra-long routes. The airline chose the A350-1000 as its preferred option in 2019 and formalized the order for 12 units in May 2022. Qantas highlighted its combination of commercial terms, fuel efficiency, operating costs and passenger experience, as well as the track record built by the Trent XWB engine. The 777-8 had scheduling uncertainties, although the company never presented them as the official reason for its choice. Flying for almost an entire day is not a completely new idea. We have seen it in demonstrations like the 747-400 that Qantas took from London to Sydney in 1989in the 22 hour and 42 minute journey made by a Boeing 777-200LR in 2005 and in the tests that the airline itself organized in 2019. There are also regular services between Singapore and New York. However, those references had fewer occupants, restricted loads or lower distances. The challenge now is to turn that resistance into a viable daily trade route. Recreation of a First suite of the future Qantas A350-1000ULR Qantas has not attempted to maximize the aircraft’s capacity: it has opted for a low-density cabin with only 238 seats. According to the configuration presented by the companywhose designs are still subject to change, there will be six First suites, 52 Business, 40 Premium Economy and 140 Economy, including 42 Economy Plus. The airline assures that it will be the A350-1000 with the lowest seat density in service and will reserve more than 40% of them for Premium classes. That approach offers more space, but also helps balance passengers, luggage, fuel and range. Recreation of the Business cabin of the future Qantas A350-1000ULR The commitment to Premium cabins is especially appreciated in the front part. First will have six closed compartments, each with a six-foot bed, a separate recliner and enough space to work or eat with another person. Behind there will be 52 Business suites in a 1-2-1 configuration, all with direct access to the hallway, sliding door, completely flat bed, a large table and more storage areas. They are amenities designed so that spending nearly 20 hours on board is not simply equivalent to sitting for almost a day. Recreation of the Premium Economy cabin of the future Qantas A350-1000ULR The challenge will be different for those traveling behind Business. Premium Economy will have a 2-4-2 layout, approximately one meter between rowswrap-around headrests and leg support. In Economy, Qantas has opted for a 3-3-3 configuration, with 83.8 centimeters of separation in most of the cabin, lumbar support, 13.3-inch screen and USB-C connections. There will also be 42 Economy Plus seats with 34 inches of space between rows. They are small differences on paper, but they take on another dimension when the journey takes up practically an entire day. The A350-1000ULR wellness area will allow you to walk, stretch, hydrate and have snacks The wellness area will allow you to get up, stretch your legs, hydrate and follow exercises on the screen, while the 12 lighting scenes will change along the journey to accompany sleep, meals and adaptation to the destination time zone. Qantas plans to put all of this into service between Sydney and London in October 2027, subject to pending certifications and authorisations, with New York as the next destination. In 1947, That journey involved four days and seven stops; Project Sunrise aims to make it a single flight. … Read more

Airbus has started moving critical systems to an on-premises cloud

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Airbus has decided to remove its most sensitive applications from the Amazon cloud. And the European aerospace manufacturer has signed a multi-year agreement with the French Scaleway, owned by Iliad, to host the critical systems of its industrial and defense operations, as confirmed by the company itself, a movement that drives the desire for technological sovereignty that more and more companies and institutions are beginning to apply. What has happened? Airbus will begin migrating 70 applications from AWS to Scaleway’s infrastructure, a first package within a much broader plan that could cover up to 900 applications in the next five or six years, according to they count from Reuters. Among the affected systems are aircraft design, engineering, industrial production and corporate management tools, as well as ERP, manufacturing execution, CRM and product lifecycle management programs, as expand from The Register. Strategy. Catherine Jestin, chief digital officer at Airbus, explained that the company sought to ensure that its data remained “under European control”, away from the reach of US laws such as the Cloud Actwhich allows the United States Government to request access to data stored in data centers of American companies, even if they are located outside its territory. The context does not help either, since trade and geopolitical tensions between Washington and Europe, fueled by Donald Trump’s foreign policy, have triggered the distrust of European companies towards the big US technology companies. In detail. According to the company, Airbus evaluated more than 150 technical and legal requirements before choosing Scaleway. One of the points that weighed the most, according to Jestin, was the protection against what the directive itself described as the “kill switch”, that is, the possibility that a foreign provider could cut off access to services by decision of its government of origin. It also influenced that Scaleway already hosts the artificial intelligence models of Mistralthe French startup with which Airbus signed an agreement in May to develop tailored AI tools for the aerospace and defense sector. “The fact that Mistral models are already deployed on Scaleway’s infrastructure will allow us to accelerate our AI approach,” admitted Jestin. Between the lines. It should be noted that the move does not mean a complete break with American suppliers. And Airbus has clarified that it will continue working with AWS for platforms such as Skywise, its aviation data analysis system, and with Microsoft and Google for its productivity tools, according to share from The Register. The company will also continue to rely on providers such as Salesforce, Coupa or Workday. “We do not intend to move away from all non-European solutions; we balance our decisions based on the criticality of the data,” explained Jestin in the middle. And now what. The Airbus case comes at a time when the European Commission has proposed the Cloud and AI Development Act, a regulation aimed at boosting cloud computing and storage capacity within the European Union. Giants such as AWS, Microsoft and Google have already launched their own versions of “sovereign cloud” to try to retain their European customers, although not always successfully. And just as share from The Register, a Microsoft executive even admitted under oath before a French court that he could not guarantee full data sovereignty. Cover image | Airbus and Markus Spiske In Xataka | Technology has become so expensive that Apple has revived a disturbing idea: renting iPhones, iPads and Macs

Airbus leaves its aircraft engines in the hands of others. With hydrogen he has decided to enter that business

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Airbus has built some of the world’s most important commercial aircraft for decades, but its engines have always come from outside. Rolls-Royce, GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and CFM International have occupied that specialized space, while the European manufacturer concentrated on design, integrate and assemble the aircraft. That separation has been one of the unwritten rules of the industry. Now, the search for a hydrogen-powered plane has led the group to cross a border that until today it had preferred to keep intact. The movement will take shape, if it overcomes the pending steps, in a joint venture between Airbus and MTU Aero Engines. Its objective will be to bring together in a single organization the development, testing, certification and commercialization of a fully electric propulsion system powered by hydrogen fuel cells. For now, both companies have signed a non-binding agreement and the operation remains subject to regulatory authorizations and the corresponding labor consultation processes. The forecast is that the new company will begin operating in 2027. Airbus wants to manufacture the heart of its future hydrogen plane The operation represents Airbus’s first foray into the manufacture of complete aeronautical engines. The step breaks with a model in which manufacturers define and integrate the aircraft, but leave the propulsion in the hands of specialized companies. The European firm does not intend to compete with them in the conventional engines that its models currently use. Its entry will be limited, at least for now, to a technology still in development that Airbus and MTU want to transform into an industrialized and certifiable system. The two partners come to the project from complementary positions. Airbus brings its knowledge of commercial aviation programs and its experience in fuel cell and liquid hydrogen propulsion; MTU adds capabilities in engine design, integration, validation, certification and maintenance. The final terms of the future partnership are still being negotiated. The Financial Times maintainsbased on two sources close to the talks, that the European manufacturer would have close to 75%, that the valuation could exceed 1.2 billion euros and that both parties are inclined to install it in Germany. Recreation of the ZEROe turboprop concept presented by Airbus in 2020 The initiative also reflects how ZEROe has changed since its launch in 2020. Airbus initially aspired to introduce a hydrogen aircraft around 2035, but ended up recognizing that the technology and the necessary ecosystem would not advance in time to meet that horizon. The British newspaper now places the launch in the 2040s and claims that the readjustment included a budget reduction and the reassignment of staff. After reviewing the program, the group decided to prioritize an all-electric architecture based on fuel cells. The prioritized architecture would not burn hydrogen inside a turbine. The fuel, stored in a liquid state, would power fuel cell systems that would electrochemically combine it with oxygen to produce electricity; That energy would later reach the electric motors responsible for moving the propellers. It should not be confused with the direct combustion demonstrator that Airbus and CFM International had planned to test on an A380. That was a different technological path. The system would not produce direct CO₂ emissions during the flight and would have water as a byproduct of the reaction. The announcement does not immediately bring a hydrogen plane closer to airports. As we say, the future society must still be established, convert the research and results of the demonstrators into an industrialized and certifiable system, and face obstacles ranging from weight and cooling to fuel supply. There is also no assigned model nor a confirmed commercial calendar. Images | Airbus In Xataka | Spain promised them very happy with the European hunting megaproject. Until a rival appeared out of nowhere: Italy

Airbus wants to launch eAction in 2030

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He A320 It is not just a recognizable aircraft in any European airport. It is one of those platforms that have ended up defining how we fly: short routes, medium distances, low-cost companies, traditional airlines and a huge part of the global single aisle business. That is why his replacement cannot be read as another catalog update. What Airbus is preparing points to a long-range industrial decision: start defining now the aircraft that should take over the baton in the next decade. In an interview with Aviation WeekGuillaume Faury, the CEO of Airbus, talks about a two-stage roadmap. First would be 2030, proposed as the moment to give the green light to eAction, the internal name of the project, and open the decisive phase of the program. Then came the entry into service, located in the second half of the 1930s. We are not facing an immediate replacement, but rather a transition that will last years. The plane that should replace an emblem For now, the work moves in a preliminary phase, more technical than visible. Airbus talks about research, development, simulations and studies with partners to review options in wings, fuselage, propulsion and industrial systems. There is no definitive configuration nor a closed list of characteristics, and that forces each element to be treated as part of a still open process. In this initial kitchen, precisely, a good part of everything that will come later is played out. The figures explain why the handover will be so delicate. The A320 family accumulates 20,169 total orders, 12,670 deliveries and 11,374 aircraft in service, in addition to a pending portfolio of 7,499 units. Within that volume, the A321neo weighs increasingly more, with 5,615 aircraft still to be delivered. The European manufacturer is also working to approach a production rate of up to 75 units per month by the end of 2027, supported by ten final assembly lines distributed between Hamburg, Toulouse, Mobile and Tianjin. With such an industrial load, the change would have to be more like a gradual transition than an immediate replacement. The company itself assumes that the A320 will remain attractive for a long time, even when the new aircraft begins to reach airlines. This will force us to adjust for years the decrease in production of one family and the increase of the other, without breaking deliveries or further straining a supply chain that is already coming from difficult years. The precedent of the overlap between the A320ceo and the A320neo helps to understand the scale of the move. In parallel, Airbus continues to define which technologies should shape this new generation. The company has previously noted that a future single-aisle aircraft could improve efficiency by 20% to 30% compared to current models and operate with up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Among the options it is studying also include more efficient engines, a possible open fan architecture, longer wings with folding tips, lighter materials and more connected on-board systems. The planning also gives a glimpse of how Airbus interprets the moment the market is experiencing. After Kelly Ortberg suggested that the schedule for Boeing’s next plane could be moved, the CEO defended that the priority is not to react to the competition, but to take advantage of the company’s position to decide when to launch its next program. That strategy also seeks to concentrate engineering, investment and supplier resources around the project when the time comes. That’s why 2030 works as a departure date, not an arrival date. If Airbus maintains the schedule, that year would serve to formally activate the program that should bring the successor to the A320 to airlines in the second half of the 1930s. Until then, several decisions will remain to be finalized. The internal name is already on the table: eAction. What is missing is for the program that can mark the next exit in the single aisle to end up materializing. Images | Airbus (1, 2) In Xataka | Brazil has achieved something once unthinkable for a Latin American country: assembling its own supersonic fighters

Airbus is testing AI in one of the most delicate maneuvers of a flight: landing

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Landing a commercial plane seems, seen from the window, to be an almost routine sequence, but in reality, it is one of the most demanding phases of the flight, a maneuver in which pilots, navigation systems, weather conditions and airport infrastructure have to fit together with enormous precision. What Airbus is investigating now is whether the artificial intelligence can help with that fit. Their proposal involves cameras installed on the plane itself and artificial vision to analyze the runway references during landing in real time. What the company has put on the table is called Vision Landing Application. Airbus has presented it in the context of VivaTech 2026 as a technology still in the research phase, so we are not looking at something that will reach commercial aircraft tomorrow. However, the idea it leaves behind is quite simple to understand: saving all the distances with aviation, it is conceptually reminiscent of what we have already seen in autonomous terrestrial vehicles. Autoland is not new, but aims to evolve Here you have to separate two things that may seem the same, but are not. commercial airplanes They can now land automatically under certain conditions, but that does not mean that the system is always available, at any airport and regardless of the crew. They are needed certified aircraft, adequate infrastructure, authorized procedures and pilots trained to operate within that framework. As we can sense, the novelty that Airbus is exploring does not eliminate that reality: it tries to add another form of guidance, born within the plane itself, to an ecosystem where the pilot continues to be a central piece. Regarding the demonstration at VivaTech, it should be noted that we are not talking about a plane landing in the middle of the event or a commercial test carried out in front of the public. The exhibit was intended to explain how computer vision can improve automated landing procedures. It is less spectacular than imagining an A350 landing at a fair, but much more important to understand where the technology really is. Now, all this does not come from nothing. Airbus places it within an automation roadmap that began to take shape years ago with ATTOLa project launched in 2018 to explore autonomous taxiing, takeoff and landing using image recognition, without relying on conventional ground systems such as ILS or GBAS. Then other programs arrived: DragonFlyfocused on pilot assistance, automatic emergency operations and workload reduction during taxiing; and Auto’Matewith a different objective, in-flight refueling, but with very close technological bricks, such as cameras, LiDAR, high-precision positioning and AI algorithms. The next name in that chain is Optimizean Airbus UpNext demonstrator that the company describes as a kind of A350 cabin on wheels. It is not an airplane, but a test vehicle designed to bring sensors, systems and automation to the real environment of an airport without converting each test into a flight. This includes cameras, 4D radar, LiDAR, trajectory protection models, functions against runway incursions and even a virtual assistant to interpret air control authorizations. Vision Landing Application aims to be useful in at least two especially sensitive cases: remote airfields with little or no advanced infrastructure and environments where GNSS, the satellite navigation that many systems use as a reference, may be degraded, interfered with or directly unavailable. In these cases, the aircraft being able to visually interpret what is in front of it does not replace operational safety, but it does add a potential support network. The expression Airbus uses is “embedded AI”, but we can translate it more clearly as embedded AI. The difference matters: it is not an AI supported by external servers, but a capability integrated into the aircraft systems. In an airplane there is no excess energy, there is no excess calculation capacity and it is not enough for an algorithm to work well in a demonstration. To get closer to certification, the European manufacturer needs the behavior of the hardware and software to be controllable, traceable and compatible with the safety requirements of commercial aviation. This is one of the reasons why it is wise to avoid the easy jump to pilotless aircraft. What Airbus describes is much closer to a cabin with better aids than an empty cabin. Its systems seek to alleviate repetitive tasks, improve crew attention and add layers of information. If onboard AI ends up entering commercial aircraft, its first reasonable function will not be to replace the pilot, but rather to give it better tools. From there to the commercial plane there is still a long way. Airbus will have to demonstrate that this technology works reliably in very different scenarios, integrate it with the rest of the aircraft systems and go through a certification process designed precisely to prevent a promising innovation from reaching real operation prematurely. The Vision Landing Application does not change the way of landing tomorrow, but it does show a very specific direction of where at least part of the industry is heading. Images | Airbus In Xataka | Spain had a master plan for the European fighter. The problem is that Germany just got a girlfriend with a lot of “money”

the “secret” heat shield of the Ariane 6 parts that Airbus manufactures in Spain

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We are used to “aerospace” sounding like almost futuristic materials. Titanium, high-strength aluminum, carbon fiber, alloys designed to withstand extreme conditions. The technology industry itself has turned that idea into a sales argument: just remember how some laptops and cell phones They boast of using “aerospace grade” materials.“to convey lightness, resistance and precision. That is why what happened this week during a visit to the Airbus facilities in Getafe caught my attention. In front of one of the pieces, Veronica Villanuevaresponsible for Manufacturing, Assembly, Integration and Testing at Airbus Space Systems in Spain, pointed to a yellowish surface and said it bluntly: “What you see here is yellowish, this is corkit is the thermal insulator that is put on, it is super curious, right?” The phrase had some revelation, but it was not an anecdote for visitors. The cork was there for a very specific reason: a launcher must not only be able to take off, it also has to protect its structures in a very demanding physical environment. In this case, Villanueva was talking about pieces linked to the Ariane 6. We are not talking about an “Airbus rocket”, but rather a European launcher in which ArianeGroup occupies the central role and Airbus participates by manufacturing several structures and key elements. The cork we saw in Getafe shows that space engineering also has very everyday surprises To understand why this detail was so striking, it is worth taking a step back in manufacturing. Before reaching the cork, many of these structures go through a process based on composite materials, especially carbon fiber and fiberglass. Villanueva explained during the tour that the carbon fiber used in the plant arrives as a prepreg material, that is, already mixed with resin. From there, the machines place layers on a mold until the desired geometry is built. Then will come the curing, the inspection and everything necessary to turn that stack into a piece capable of being part of a launcher. The underlying reason is easy to understand: in a launch, every kilo counts long before reaching orbit. A launcher must lift its own structure, its systems and the load it carries, so any weight savings can have significant consequences. The manufacturing manager defended during the tour that composite materials are especially interesting due to their low mass, their tensile strength and their ability to adapt to changes in temperature. The downside is that they are not as simple or as cheap to manufacture as metal. View of the Airbus production area in Getafe, where some structures linked to Ariane 6 incorporate cork as part of their thermal protection That complexity appears as soon as the structure begins to take shape. After taping, the pieces go through an autoclavea type of large pressurized oven where temperature and pressure are controlled so that the resin solidifies and the whole is compacted. Villanueva explained that the process includes a vacuum bag to extract any air that may have remained between the layers, an important detail because possible defects are not always visible from the outside. In a composite structure, what happens on the inside can be as relevant as the exterior geometry. Verónica Villanueva, responsible for Manufacturing, Assembly, Integration and Testing at Airbus Space Systems in Spain And then, after all that chain of carbon fiber, resin, pressure, vacuum and inspection, the least expected material appears again. Cork is applied to certain areas of the structure as a layer of protection against heat, but not in any way. Raúl Medina, head of launchers at Airbus Space Systems Spain, pointed out the pieces during the visit and gave a very specific measurement: “We can go from 2 millimeters to 5 millimeters thick.” On the indicated pieces, that layer moved within a very specific margin. Detail of an Ariane 6 part manufactured by Airbus in Spain. The light areas show the cork applied as thermal protection; the dark ones, areas without that coating The decision is not made by eye either. Medina summed it up with a very graphic phrase: “This in the end is an art. There are thermal engineers who analyze that you will be exposed to more heat and then, depending on that, more thickness, less thickness or areas without cork“On the surface of the piece, this thermal reading translates into areas with more protection, others with less and others where the material from the cork oak is not directly applied. Raúl Medina, head of launchers at Airbus Space Systems Spain. The idea may sound strange, but it does not appear isolated in the European space industry. In another application, ESA explained it with the Qarman CubeSatdesigned to study atmospheric reentry: its nose was made of cork, although not the kind we find in a champagne bottle, but of an adapted aerospace variety. The difference is in the behavior of the material when heated. First it swells, then chars, and finally flakes off, taking some of the unwanted heat with it. Detail of an Ariane 6 part manufactured by Airbus in Spain. The light areas show the cork applied as thermal protection; the dark ones, areas without that coating The supplier’s lead pointed in the same direction. Villanueva pointed out during the visit that that cork came from Portugal, and Medina added that whoever supplies it to the aerospace industry belongs to the same industrial universe that we associate with the wine and champagne corks. In open sources, that description fits Amorim Cork Solutionspart of the Portuguese group Corticeira Amorim, one of the world’s greatest names in cork. The ESA, in fact, identified Amorim as a supplier of the aerospace variety used in Qarman, although Airbus did not detail there the specific supplier of the parts before us. One of the fascinating things about the space industry is that it always holds some surprises. We can imagine it as a territory dominated by advanced materials, highly controlled processes and pieces designed to the limit, and to a large extent it is. But it … Read more

Raquel González, director of Airbus Space in Spain, on the challenge of Spain as a space power: “We lack people”

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It is not usual to cross the doors of Airbus Space in Getafe and tour a facility where the space industry stops being a succession of proper names and becomes something physical. During the visit organized by the 60 years of Airbus Espacio in Spainthe tour revealed production areas, clean areas, parts linked to launchers and satellite technologies and components that will end up operating outside of Earth. The first impression was not of a corporate celebration, but of an industrial chain much broader than its separate programs suggest. Rachel Gonzalezdirector of Airbus Space in Spain, summed it up with a very direct phrase during the presentation: “Spain is a space power.” He did not present it as a pending aspiration, but as a reality that, in his opinion, is explained by the accumulation of capabilities developed in the country. Satellites appeared on the table like PEACE, PEACE-2, Wit, CHEOPS either LSTMsecure communications programs such as Spainsat NGparticipation in European launchers such as Ariane 6 and even antennas made in Spain to communicate with the rovers Curiosity and Perseverance on Mars. The statement had weight because it did not rest on a single project, but on a sustained presence in various layers of the space sector. The Spanish space muscle and its challenges With that statement on the table, the next question was almost obligatory: if Spain has reached that position, How do you maintain yourself in an industry as competitive as the space industry?. The pressure does not come only from access to space, although launching more frequently and at a lower cost has become one of the great battles in the sector. Also important is the ability to design, manufacture and prepare increasingly complex systems, to respond to strategic needs and to do so on a board where pace has accelerated. SpaceX is the most visible symbol of this change, but not the only one: the US maintains a very active commercial ecosystem, China accelerates its commercial and state capabilities, India opens more space for private participationand Europe tries to strengthen its autonomy. Structure manufacturing area for Ariane 6 at Airbus Espacio España, within the Getafe facilities That was the question I asked González: what challenges now appear to remain in that position and what the next step should be. The director of Airbus Space in Spain opened the focus to the entire European space industry, but the response immediately landed on the terrain she knows first-hand. “There’s a talent challenge now. Budgets are increasing, programs keep coming up. There’s a lot of ambition.” “Now there is a talent challenge. Budgets are increasing, programs continue to emerge. There is a lot of ambition” The idea became even clearer when he condensed it into two words: “people are missing” González then turned the diagnosis into a call to those who are still deciding their educational path. His message was aimed at university students, but also at younger students who are beginning to choose where to direct their studies: space needs scientific, technological and engineering profiles, but not only that. Professional training trajectories and profiles linked to production are also needed, because an industry like this is not sustained solely by design on paper. Between an approved mission and a technology ready to leave Earth there are years of specialized work, and that quarry does not appear from one day to the next. Raquel González, director of Airbus Space in Spain, during the meeting with the press at the Getafe facilities The dimension of the problem is better understood by looking at the figures that Airbus put on the table. According to the company, Airbus Espacio in Spain closed 2025 with 295 million euros in turnover and 530 direct employees, but its impact does not end with its own workforce. Around 30% of this turnover goes to subcontractors, a fact that helps measure the extent to which space activity is distributed across a broader ecosystem. That is why the lack of talent does not only affect a specific company: when programs grow, pressure also increases on suppliers, specialized technicians and teams capable of supporting high-value-added work. This activity is better understood when you go down from the figure to the type of work behind it. Airbus maintains that its space division in Spain is the only company in the country capable of designing, building, integrating and delivering complex satellites into orbit, a statement that places the focus on high-level industrial responsibilities. González took it to the field of accumulated capacity during the presentation: “Everything that is satellite construction, that is where we are as a leader in Espacio España.” PAZ appears as one of the examples already in service within that trajectory, while PAZ-2 and LSTM show where that capability is now moving. Another part of the journey led to a less visible, but equally important layer: the technology that allows a mission to observe, measure or transmit useful information from space. Airbus spoke of radars, microwave radiometers and active antennas as areas in which its Spanish division has been accumulating knowledge. They are not elements designed to attract attention outside the sector, but they can make the difference between a space platform and a mission with real service capacity. Airbus Espacio España personnel work in the Getafe clean room, where the company assembles highly complex space systems The map was completed with another sensitive piece for Europe: access to space. Airbus recalled during the presentation that its activity in Spain has been linked to the family for decades. Ariane already Vegawith structures and subsystems that are part of the European launchers. In the case of Ariane 6, the company also noted that it is increasing production to supply 27 complete setsknown as shipsetsincluding large lightweight carbon fiber structures for Ariane 6 in the coming years. It is not necessary to go into the detail of each component to understand the relevance of this line of work: without reliable launchers and with sufficient cadence, a good part of European … Read more

Airbus has just completed a test that brings its most anticipated moment closer

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He SIRTAP It is not a new name in the Spanish defense. Airbus and the Ministry of Defense have been presenting it for some time as a program called to strengthen tactical capabilities, industrial development and greater sovereignty in defense capabilities, but this entire journey has a milestone that weighs more than any calendar: seeing it take off for the first time. That image has not yet been produced. What we have now is a prior advance, important precisely because it places the program closer to that moment and forces us to sort out the underlying question: what exactly is SIRTAP and why Spain has been pushing it for years. The ground test: The progress communicated by Airbus Defense It occurred on the runway of the Getafe Air Base, right next to the company’s facilities. There, the Airbus U850 SIRTAP completed its first taxi under full control from the ground control station. The test served to verify very specific elements: braking, steering, navigation sensors and commands sent from the station itself. In other words, the objective was to verify that the system begins to behave as an integrated aircraft, not as a sum of separately tested parts. It’s not just any drone: The SIRTAP is, in simple terms, an unmanned military aircraft controlled from the ground and designed to look further, for longer and in more demanding conditions than a conventional short-range system. Airbus presents it as a high-performance tactical UAS, with more than 20 hours of autonomy, range of more than 2,000 km and capacity for ISR missions, that is, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Its design also includes day and night operations, maritime surveillance and the simultaneous use of two payloads, such as electro-optical sensors and radar. The lesson from Ukraine: The importance of SIRTAP is best understood if we look at the role that unmanned systems have gained in recent conflicts. A CSIS Analysis on the lessons from Ukraine summarizes a clear idea: UAVs have extended operational range, reduced soldier exposure, and become common tools for reconnaissance, target acquisition, and precision strikes. This reading does not make the Spanish program a direct consequence of that war, but it does place it within an evident trend. Industrial dimension. The Ministry of Defense acquired nine SIRTAP systems, a formula that does not translate into nine aircraft, but in 27 unmanned aircraft and nine ground control stations, because each system is made up of three devices and one station. Added to this are two simulators to train Spanish operators. According to Defenseall aircraft will be manufactured and assembled at the Airbus Defense and Space plant in Getafe, with Airbus as the driving company and with the participation of Spanish companies. The Ministry itself has defined it as the first Class II/III military aeronautical system developed entirely in Spain. The calendar: The temporal nuance is important because the first flight does not now appear as a pending surprise, but as a milestone that was already on the roadmap. Airbus placed it in 2025 when he announced the contract with Defense in November 2023and the Ministry again indicated that same year as a reference in January 2025. Later, in June 2025Airbus explained that the prototype was ready to begin ground testing and that the inaugural flight was scheduled for the end of that year. With the new progress communicated by Airbus, the conclusion is clear: the program is moving, but the forecast for the first flight in 2025 is already behind us. Next step. SIRTAP is no longer just a promise on paper and is already beginning to pass real checks on the runway, but Airbus still has new test phases ahead before the flight campaign. The important thing is not to confuse one thing with the other: moving on the ground is not equivalent to taking off. It does confirm, however, that the project is approaching the moment that has marked its narrative for years. The next big leap will not be symbolic: it will be seen in the air. Images | Airbus In Xataka | The European fighter may have died, but there is a plan B to avoid the F-35. One with Spain, Germany and an unexpected guest

Spain has been without an essential weapon for war for years. Airbus has found the solution in Seville, and fires torpedoes and sonobuoys

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One of the most outlandish ideas of World War II was to convert old B-17 bombers into giant loaded drones. with almost ten tons of explosives. The pilots would take off, activate the remote control system and parachute before the plane continued toward its target without a crew. The project it was a failurebut it left a curious lesson: finding submarines and destroying hidden targets has always required the development of some of the strangest and most advanced technologies of each era. The capacity that Spain lost. Modern warfare still relies on highly sophisticated technologies, but some capabilities remain as essential as they were decades ago. One of them is the surveillance and pursuit of submarines. Spain lost that tool in December 2022 with the withdrawal of veterans P-3 Orionleaving a void that was especially striking for a country with thousands of kilometers of coastline, a strategic position between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and intense naval activity in its waters. Since then, the Armed Forces have lacked an aircraft capable of locating, tracking and attacking enemy submarines, a situation that is now beginning to be resolved. thanks to a program developed entirely in Seville. Cockpit of the new maritime patrol C295 The answer comes from Andalusia. Airbus advances in the construction of the new C295 MPAa version specifically designed to return to the Air and Space Army a capability that had been missing for years. The program has already passed several important industrial milestones, including powering up systems and commissioning the engines of the first aircraft. The company ensures that the deadlines remain as planned and that flight tests will last for more than a year before the delivery of the first unit in 2028. Beyond a simple replacement, Airbus considers this development the most ambitious project carried out on the C295 platform and aspires to turn it into an international reference within maritime patrol. View of the interior of the warehouse from the airplane ramp The return of the submarine chaser. The characteristic that distinguishes this aircraft from the rest of the C295 versions is its ability to combat underwater threats. The device will be able to carry between two and four Mk46 or Mk54 torpedoes and deploy up to sixty sonobuoys, small floating sensors that listen to sounds underwater and allow hidden submarines to be located. The combination of both systems returns to Spain a fundamental tool for contemporary naval warfare. For years, the country has lacked a platform capable of searching for submarines at great distances, classifying them, tracking their movements and, if necessary, attacking them. The new plane recovers precisely that function, one of the more complex and strategic within any modern air force. An arsenal of sensors. Anti-submarine warfare depends on both sensors and weapons. Precisely for this reason, the C295 MPA will incorporate a very extensive set of specialized equipment. Among them are synthetic aperture radarselectro-optical systems, magnetic anomaly detectors capable of perceiving the presence of large metallic masses underwater, automatic vessel identification systems and an advanced acoustic system to process information collected by sonobuoys. Added to this are self-protection equipment against missiles, encrypted satellite communications and tactical data links that will allow information to be shared in real time with other naval and air units. An industrial project. Although Airbus leads the program, development has also become in a shop window of the Spanish defense industry. Companies such as Indra, SAES and Tecnobit participate by providing self-protection systems, acoustic sensors and encryption equipment. The contract also includes simulators, infrastructure, training and logistical support, consolidating a technological ecosystem that goes far beyond the manufacture of the aircraft itself and reinforces Seville’s role as one of the main military aeronautical centers in Europe. Much more than a new plane. The acquisition of eight devices of maritime surveillance and eight of maritime patrol is part of an investment greater than the 1.7 billion eurosto which other contracts for new versions of the C295 have been added. The program reflects the extent to which Spain is rebuilding capabilities considered essential in an international context where submarines once again play a leading role. In essence, the history of new C295 MPA It is not just about a plane that has just come off a Sevillian assembly line, but rather about how a country that had lost one of the most important tools to control its seas is recovering the ability to find invisible threats underwater and respond to them with its own means. Image | Airbus In Xataka | The S-82 is Spain’s second new generation submarine: it has just completed a critical test before delivery In Xataka | Spain is selling military technology for scrap: the latest was a Navy submarine for 130,000 euros

Airbus had a single center in the world to convert commercial aircraft into military tankers. Now another one will open in Seville

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Airbus has chosen Seville to install its second global conversion center for the A330 MRTT, the best-selling tanker and military transport aircraft on the market outside the United States. The San Pablo plant will thus become the twin of the Getafe plant, until now the only one in the world capable of transforming A330 commercial aircraft into its multirole military version. We made the announcement during the opening of the ADM Sevilla 2026 fair and the facilities are expected to be operational at the end of 2027. Why it matters. The A330 MRTT is experiencing a sweet moment, as it accumulates some 91 orders from 19 countries and controls 90% of the world market share, excluding the United States. The war in ukrainethe escalation of military spending in Europe and the growing need for tanker aircraft to extend the air forces’ operating margin have triggered demand for a model that until now was assembled at a rate limited by its single-plant capacity. Add Seville will allow you to go from five to seven annual conversions and thus take some work off the Getafe plant. In detail. The conversion process is usually a rather complex task for European aerospace engineering. Civilian A330s leave the Toulouse chain and they are transferred to the conversion center, where for about nine months military systems, in-flight refueling equipment, specific avionics, communications and interior configurations adapted to each client are integrated, until they are ready for aerial refueling missions, troop transport, strategic cargo or medical evacuations. The plant in Seville will also assume maintenance, repair and modernization (MRO) tasks for aircraft already in service. Airbus will take advantage of the current hangars in San Pablo and optimize them to work with two aircraft at a time, imitating Getafe’s way of workingwhere usually one is converted while the other receives maintenance tasks. Figures. The new line will generate around 200 direct jobswhich will be added to the 2,000 professionals already working in São Paulo, and about 600 additional positions in the auxiliary industry. In Andalusia, Airbus is responsible for around 3,500 people between the San Pablo, Tablada (Seville) and Cádiz plants, and more than 14,000 throughout Spain. Why Seville. The president of Airbus in Spain, Francisco Javier Sánchez Segura, pointed ABC that the reasons were based above all on the technical knowledge accumulated in the A400M and C295 programs, the existing infrastructure (San Pablo is the only Airbus factory with two final assembly lines) and the operational proximity with Getafe, which will act as strategic coordinator of the entire program. A technological leap. Until now, Airbus Defense and Space’s activity in Seville revolved around the assembly and maintenance of the A400M and the C295, both military transport aircraft. Sanchez Segura underlined The Seville center will replicate the cutting-edge technologies developed in Getafe, including the intensive use of augmented reality applied to the assembly and inspection of systems. Andalusia, in the focus of aviation. For the Junta de Andalucía, the announcement fits into its strategy to place the community in one of the three most important European points, along with Toulouse and Hamburg. The acting Minister of Industry, Jorge Paradela, recalled that the region already has several important investments, such as the arrival of the Swiss company Pilatus to manufacture private and military training aircraft, and the Ryanair projectvalued at 500 million euros, to internalize the repair of aeronautical engines in Andalusia, with 600 direct jobs planned. The acting Minister of Economy, Carolina España, rated the Airbus announcement is “magnificent news”, also highlighting that exports from the Andalusian aerospace sector have grown by 86% so far in 2026. The other side. The ADM Seville fair, where the advertisement was presented, also attracted protests. The STOP Arms Fair Platform, which brings together social groups, unions, environmentalists and pacifists, gathered at the gates of FIBES to denounce “the institutional support” for the defense industry and the presence of companies that, according to these organizations, have links to human rights violations in armed conflicts such as the one in Gaza. What’s coming now. Airbus has about two years of works, personnel training and technological adaptation ahead before San Pablo delivers its first converted aircraft. If the planned pace is met, Seville and Getafe will end up operating in a coordinated manner to satisfy a larger customer base in a context that does not seem to be going to let up. According to Sánchez SeguraAerópolis depends on around 70% of Airbus’ workload, and this for the Seville plant means consolidating in a field that until now was foreign to it. Cover image | Air and Space Army In Xataka | The war in Iran is doing something that not even Ryanair imagined: making 20 euro flights a relic of the past

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