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Pressure increases on Conservatives to stay or leave F-35 program

OTTAWA - The Harper government may have "hit the reset button" on the purchase of F-35s, but that doesn't mean planning for the stealth fighter has been halted. Indeed, Canada is facing a series of deadlines that will increase the pressure to stick with the controversial program or leave it behind. Eight Canadian military officers continue to work on the multinational program in the U.S., at both the Pentagon and at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where they fill a variety of technical and planning roles.

Delta will wait for new planes to prove themselves: CEO

By Karen Jacobs (Reuters) - U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines will watch the wave of orders for the latest Airbus and Boeing planes roll on by and wait for the jets to prove themselves before ordering any, its chief executive told Reuters on Wednesday. The two airplane makers have orders for more than 3,000 of their narrow-bodied models, the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320neo, which boast fuel savings of about 15 percent. The new models are to be in service from the second half of the decade.

Boeing CEO says interest in 777X is high

(Reuters) - Boeing Co <BA.N> Chief Executive Jim McNerney said on Wednesday customer interest in the 777X wide-body airplane is "high and still growing," and he expects to formally launch the aircraft program later this year. The company began offering the next-generation plane to customers May 2.

Business aviation still waiting recovery to find its wings

Manufacturers of business jets can look forward to climbing sales in the years to come thanks to emerging markets as they gather in Switzerland for an annual air show, having survived the turbulence of the global financial crisis. But "we're still waiting for the real recovery," noted Eric Trappier, chief executive of Dassault Aviation, which will have three versions of its luxurious Falcon jet on display on the tarmac at Geneva at the three-day EBACE show that opens Tuesday.

Business aviation still waiting recovery to find its wings

Manufacturers of business jets can look forward to climbing sales in the years to come thanks to emerging markets as they gather in Switzerland for an annual air show, having survived the turbulence of the global financial crisis. But "we're still waiting for the real recovery," noted Eric Trappier, chief executive of Dassault Aviation, which will have three versions of its luxurious Falcon jet on display on the tarmac at Geneva at the three-day EBACE show that opens Tuesday.

Factbox: Countdown to A350 first flight

(Reuters) - The final countdown is under way to the maiden flight of the Airbus <EAD.PA> A350, Europe's answer to the Boeing <BA.N> 787 Dreamliner. Once test crews accept the first A350 from developers, these are key steps to the first flight, based on previous programs. PRE-FLIGHT ----------

Exclusive: U.S. Air Force to move forward target date for F-35 use

By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force plans to start operational use of Lockheed Martin Corp.-built <LMT.N> F-35 fighter jets in mid-2016, a year earlier than planned, using a similar software package as the Marine Corps, two sources familiar with the plans said on Monday.

First flight nears, A350 could make Paris show flyby

By Tim Hepher PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus <EAD.PA> could steal the Paris air show with a flyby of its newest passenger jet, the A350, as confidence grows over a maiden flight some four weeks away. The timescales of its previous airliner launches suggest the European manufacturer could be ready to fly the aircraft in mid-June, depending on weather and ground trials, giving pilots a narrow time window to test the plane's basic characteristics in flight before the June 17-23 air show.

Bombardier launches Challenger 350 business jet

Canadian aeroplane maker Bombardier said on Monday it had expanded its Challenger business jet series with the launch of the Challenger 350 aircraft. Partnering up with shared-ownership US aircraft company NetJets for the worldwide launch, Bombardier said deliveries of the 10-seat jet would begin early next year.

Taiwan's Mirage fighters grounded after crash

All of Taiwan's French-made Mirage 2000 fighter jets were grounded for safety checks Monday after one of the aircraft crashed into the sea off the island's northwestern coast earlier in the day, the island's military said. The Defense Ministry, in a statement, said the accident took place at 10:18 a.m., 24 minutes after the jet took off from an air base in the city of Hsinchu. The two pilots managed to eject safely. They were retrieved by an Air Force rescue team at 11:32 a.m. and taken to hospital for evaluation.
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