The biggest event in the aviation industry kicked off Monday, with French President Emmanuel Macron flying into the Paris Air Show aboard an Airbus A400M military transporter.
Drones, new high-tech aircraft and even an F-35 warplane will be making an appearance at the biennial show, which thousands are expected to attend. Here are the biggest Paris Air Show announcements made so far:
Airbus unveiled the upgraded A380 Plus
Airbus unveiled an upgraded version of the world’s biggest passenger jet at the Paris Air Show. Called the A380plus, the new aircraft’s most notable feature is a changed wingtip design.
The new wing design is aimed at reducing fuel burn by up to 4%. It’s the latest in a series of modifications to the jet announced this year, including new stairways and an updated cabin rest area to fit in more seats, Reuters reports. The upgraded Airbus can carry 80 more passengers and has slightly more range than the current version, according to the Associated Press.
Boeing showed off its new, bigger 737
Boeing unveiled a new addition to its best-selling 737 aircraft range: the 737 MAX 10.
The new Boeing 737 can carry up to 230 people in a single-class configuration. The U.S. aircraft maker said it had received more than 240 orders for the 737 MAX 10 and commitments from at least 10 customers. The MAX 10 is expected to cost slightly more than the MAX 9, which runs at around $119 million, AP reports.
Airbus and Viva Air Peru neared an A320neo deal
Airbus looked close to reaching a roughly $5 billion deal with low-cost Peruvian carrier Viva Air Peru. The South American airline startup is set to order about 30 recently-upgraded A320neo jets and 15 current-generation models, known as A320ceo, from Airbus, two industry sources told Reuters.
Lockheed Martin is close to a record F-35 deal
Lockheed Martin is in the final stages of a record deal to sell 440 stealthy F-35 fighter jets to 11 nations including the U.S. The deal — if it happens — could worth more than $37 billion, with the average price of the jets expected to be $85 million, two sources told Reuters.
The F-35 fighter jets will also take part in their first-ever acrobatic display at the Paris Air Show this year.
