Manufacturing

Air France is accelerating its international expansion of the acclaimed La Première cabin experience while simultaneously strengthening its modern fleet with major Airbus deliveries. On December 5, 2025, the airline announced that its revolutionary first-class service would extend to four new destinations: Atlanta, Boston, Houston, and Tel Aviv, with daily service to each city. The La Première cabin, which underwent a comprehensive revamp earlier in 2025, represents a new benchmark for luxury aviation. Each suite spans nearly 3.5 square meters and features a convertible seat-chaise lounge configuration that transforms into a two-meter bed. The aircraft feature only four suites per cabin, each separated by floor-to-ceiling curtains and positioned across five windows, ensuring maximum privacy and comfort for discerning travelers.

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have made a significant decision in their fleet modernization strategy, selecting Dutch shipbuilder Damen’s LST-100 design as the foundation for the new Medium Landing Ship (MLS) program. The LST-100 Landing Ship Transport, a roughly 4,000-ton vessel with a range exceeding 3,400 nautical miles, was chosen after careful evaluation by Navy Secretary Phelan, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle, and Marine Corps Commandant General Eric Smith. The selection prioritizes what leadership describes as the optimal balance of operational capability, fiscal responsibility, and deployment speed.

Egypt’s defense industrial base is experiencing significant expansion as the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) leverages this week’s Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX) to announce a sweeping portfolio of international co-production agreements. The state-owned firm has signed more than a dozen partnerships with global defense contractors, marking a strategic pivot toward becoming a critical node in international defense supply chains. Among the most significant announcements is AOI’s formalization of a two-year negotiation with France’s Dassault Aviation. Major General Mokhtar AbdelLatif confirmed that AOI will now localize production of components for both the Rafale fighter jet and Falcon business jet platforms at Egyptian facilities. This partnership effectively integrates AOI into Dassault’s global supply chain, representing a major achievement for Egyptian defense manufacturing ambitions.

Airbus faces a critical December as it pursues a revised delivery target of 790 commercial aircraft for 2025, down from the originally announced 820. The adjustment, confirmed on December 3, 2025, stems from a supplier quality issue affecting fuselage panels on the A320 Family—one of aviation’s most widely produced aircraft families. With 657 aircraft delivered through November 2025, following 72 deliveries in that month alone, Airbus must complete 133 more aircraft deliveries to meet its revised annual goal. This would require near-record monthly performance, as the company achieved its highest monthly total of 138 aircraft in December 2019, with 123 delivered in December 2024.

Textron Aviation Names Justin Salmans Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Textron Aviation has announced the appointment of Justin Salmans as senior vice president, Supply Chain, marking his return ...

Airbus has introduced operational restrictions for A320neo-family aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan engines, limiting takeoffs during freezing fog conditions when visibility falls below 150 meters. The measure follows reported engine performance issues in extreme winter weather and represents a significant operational consideration for airlines operating in cold-climate regions. The restriction emerged into public view after Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, experienced weather-related delays at Almaty Airport on November 15, 2025. The airline attributed the disruptions to heavy engine icing impairing engine performance under freezing fog and sub-zero temperature conditions. Air Astana confirmed the limitation applies across its A320neo, A321neo, and A321LR fleet—comprising 11 A320neos, four A321neos, and 13 A321LRs.

Industrial failures within the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program have exposed fundamental governance tensions threatening one of Europe’s most ambitious defense initiatives. According to Senator Hugues Saury, co-rapporteur for France’s defense equipment program, technical shortcomings by Airbus Germany—specifically the subsidiary’s inability to produce required sub-assemblies—directly precipitated Dassault Aviation’s demands for enhanced leadership authority over the New Generation Fighter component. Saury’s remarks, delivered during a Senate budget hearing before the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, provide rare official acknowledgment of the industrial obstacles undermining the tri-national partnership. “Airbus Germany was not able to carry out the technical sub-assemblies for which it had responsibility,” Saury stated, emphasizing that this production failure created cascading consequences across engineering teams and project coordination.

Safran has markedly expanded its strategic footprint in India with two transformative agreements spanning fighter-jet propulsion and advanced weaponry manufacturing—moves that solidify France’s ...

Boeing Secures $2.47B Air Force Contract for 15 Additional KC-46A Tankers Boeing has been awarded a Lot 12 contract by the US Air Force valued at $2.47 billion for 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus aerial ...