It’s time for Economy Class and Beyond’s Daily Digest Coverage from the Paris Air Show.
There are… some headlines to get through for Day 2, but don’t get comfortable. If you’re into single-shotting your drinks, this should be a quick one today.
As usual, we’ll be running this in Alphabetical Order, with the major airframers first, then everyone else.
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Airbus
Vietjet signs an MoU for an additional 100 A321neo with options
Vietjet signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus covering a major new order for 100 single-aisle A321neo aircraft, with 50 options in the future.
Vietjet Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said:
“This new agreement marks a significant milestone in our strategic partnership with Airbus,”
“These modern and efficient aircraft have been instrumental in Vietjet’s growth, helping us make air travel more accessible and affordable for millions, while strengthening our role as a connector for economic development, cultural exchange and global connectivity. This landmark agreement represents a vital step in Vietjet’s growth strategy as a multi-national aviation group.”
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry added:
“Our latest agreement comes just weeks after the airline placed an additional order for A330neo widebody aircraft,” said
“Together the A321neo and A330neo will be perfect partners for Vietjet to continue to spread its wings, efficiently matching capacity more closely to demand across its network. The airline will also benefit from the high levels of technical commonality that are unique to latest generation Airbus aircraft.”
De Havilland of Canada
Ethiopian Airlies sign for Two DHC6-300G Twin Otters
Ethiopian Airlines has signed a purchase agreement for two new Twin Otter Classic 300-G aircraft, allowing the carrier to connect to communities across diverse and remote regions of Ethiopia and East Africa.
The Twin Otter Classic 300-G, the latest evolution of the renowned Twin Otter family, delivers outstanding short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance, rugged reliability, and modern avionics—all features that make it ideal for regional operations, especially in areas with challenging terrain and limited infrastructure. The aircraft, which will be delivered in amphibious gear, will be deployed to strengthen Ethiopian Airlines’ domestic and regional network, enabling the airline to access underserved airstrips, remote locations, as well as Ethiopia’s scenic great lakes regions with greater frequency and reliability.
Ryan DeBrusk, Vice President Sales and Marketing, De Havilland Canada.
“We are honoured and excited to welcome Ethiopian Airlines to the Twin Otter Classic 300-G customer family, and see the Twin Otter once again fly in Ethiopian Airline livery”
“Ethiopian Airlines has a long-standing reputation for excellence in aviation and their selection of the 300-G demonstrates their confidence in the aircraft’s capabilities to support vital regional connectivity, tourism, and development missions.”
Mesfin Tasew, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines.
“The addition of the Twin Otter 300-G to our fleet reflects our strategy to expand domestic connectivity and support socio-economic growth in Ethiopia and across Africa,”
“We selected the 300-G for its proven performance in difficult environments and its modern enhancements that align with our operational and sustainability goals. The aircraft will be configured with additional equipment for multi-function missions including air ambulance, airport calibration and charter services.”
Expansion of the OEM Refurbished Programme
In 2024, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited unveiled its OEM Refurbishment Program, allowing existing Dash 8 aircraft to keep flying with OEM-refurbished and upgraded aircraft.
Since launching the program, DHC has invested in more than 40 Dash 8 airframes with the intention to return them back into service. 13 have been delivered to nine different operators, with 12 further aircraft sold and undergoing refurbishment.
DHC is delivering three ‘new’ Dash 8-400 aircraft to the SkyAlyne consortium to be introduced into the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) by the Government of Canada. These are stored production aircraft that will be modified into a special mission configuration.
More importantly, they’re expanding the scope of the program to offer refurbishment of Dash 8-100, Dash 8-200 and Dash 8-300 aircraft and can also offer these aircraft with the Extended Service Program (ESP) or ESP+ life extensions and new avionics installations.
Brian Chafe, CEO of De Havilland Canada, said
“We are proud of the momentum behind our Refurbishment Program and the confidence shown by our stakeholders,”
“This aircraft is engineered to meet the real-world challenges faced by operators every day, whether in high frequency airline service or in specialized operations in remote regions such as in the Canadian North..”
Safran
All Nippon Airways unveiled “THE Room FX” on Safran’s booth. This next-generation business class seat with a privacy door for each seat of the Boeing 787-9 aircraft. It is a seat based on the “sofa” concept, opposed to the “seat to flat bed” that we’ve seen.
THE Room FX,” developed in partnership with French leading aircraft seat manufacturer Safran Seats and British design company Acumen, builds upon the success and design principles of the larger Boeing 777-300ER “THE Room” seat,
It will feature a 51.5″ seat pitch, going to a 76.5″ flat, featuring a 24″ screen with Bluetooth audio, as well as USB-A, USB-C, AC and wireless charging.
Beginning in 2026, ANA will gradually introduce “THE Room FX” private seats on major long-haul international routes. This rollout, alongside the current “THE Room” seats, offers passengers the highest level of comfort and space.
Tomoji Ishii, Executive Vice President, Customer Experience of ANA.
“ANA is dedicated to providing the highest level of a customer experience and is investing in the future of the most advanced and comfortable travel with the new ‘THE Room FX’ seat,”
“This seat represents our commitment to exceeding expectations and shaping the future of luxury flight.”
Victoria Foy, President & CEO of Safran Seats, added
“At Safran Seats, we are proud to deepen our long-standing partnership with ANA through the launch of ‘THE Room FX’,” declares “This new business class seat represents a step-change in comfort, versatility, and innovative design for the Boeing 787-9. By combining our engineering expertise with ANA’s commitment to passenger excellence and Acumen’s creative vision, we are setting new benchmarks in the world of premium air travel.”
Ian Dryburgh, CEO and Founder of Acumen, concluded
“’THE Room FX’ project is a result of a profound long-standing partnership between ANA, Acumen and Safran – shaped by years of trust, creativity and innovation,”
“Building on the success and DNA of the ‘The Room’ B777, this next-generation suite elevates the flying experience with a rare balance of comfort, flexibility and elegant engineering. This is a refreshingly original and market leading Business Class product that we believe will exceed passengers’ expectations for many years to come.”
This is becoming a trend… A Quiet Second Day
In recent years, we’ve seen day 2 of airshows turn from a day of deals to a day of relative quiet down Chalet Avenue… and few headlines of note. This year, we’ve had a few headlines (one I suspect which was done behind closed doors yesterday), with De Havilland showing off its work on its programmes and Safran showing off a seat to the world.
It’s been quiet, to put it lightly.
Next:
Day 3 beckons, hopefully with further orders and news. We’ll be keeping an ear open on Le Boruget, and hopefully a little more life out of the chalets.
We’ll be back without the daily digest around 19:30 BST tomorrow.
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