As it happened: Paris Air Show live stream, day 1

1730: That’s a wrap for the first day of the show. Keep your ears out for our podcast tonight and a deep-dive article tomorrow

In a decade of covering this airshow, I’ve never known Chalet Row so quiet so early on a Monday afternoon. The black sedans and executive minibuses are either gone or going, with traffic unusually clear.

It looks like that’s a wrap on day 1, but we’ll be with you later on for a special episode of our 40,000 Feet podcast — become a Subscriber today to unlock the podcast, or join us at Pro level for the special extended edition version.

1618: French walls around Israeli stand cause airshow scandal

It’s not entirely clear what motivated the Paris Air Show organisers and/or the French government to build walls around the Israeli stand at Le Bourget, with reports that there is some sort of problem in principle with what the Guardian quotes as “kinetic weapons”, presumably some sort of kinetic energy projectile.

It’s also not entirely clear why these weapons would be more problematic than, say, the Rafale jet that announcers today (I can’t recall if in the French or English voiceover) highlighted as part of France’s nuclear defence.

1504: LOT picks 40 + 44 A220s for its future fleet, from 2027

LOT Polish Airlines is updating its regional fleet with A220s, with an initial 40-aircraft firm order split between 20 smaller A220-100 and 20 larger A220-300 jets.

Perhaps one of the worst-kept secrets this show (as we mentioned earlier today), LOT is flagging this as a fleet modernisation exercise. It currently operates the 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 at the upper end of its narrowbody category, plus the Embraer E170, E175, E190, E195 and E195-E2.

Of note, the A220s are available much earlier than an A320neo order would be: Airbus will deliver them starting in 2027.

1459: Roundtable question time with ANA’s senior management team as part of their PR tour of the show

It’s our first visit to the large Boeing theatre inside their media chalet for the year, which ANA is taking over for its roundtable with senior execs:

• CEO Shibata Koji
• EVP and group chief procurement officer Yoshida Hidekazu
• EVP communications and branding Hayase Shinichi

We’re up first with a question about how ANA’s orders this show fit in, and procurement boss Yoshida explains that ANA needs the E190-E2 in the 100-seater category to fit between their 166-seater 737-800 and 74-seater Q400, especially in the context of the shrinking Japanese population, plus the trend of depopulation in rural areas that these aircraft will serve.

CEO Shibata highlights that, with the A321XLR, he is “encouraging Peach to cultivate new destinations, other than the existing ones”.

Interesting statistic time: CEO Shibata says only 4% of its inbound Japanese tourists use ANA’s domestic network to connect within Japan. ANA is looking to continue to promote this (including to Shibata’s hometown of Kagoshima!), with special fares that enable a free domestic connection with an inbound flight.

1440: It’s Rafale time, as the French fighter takes to the skies over Le Bourget

1401: Continuing ANA’s signing tour with A321neos for LCC Peach and mainline ANA

ANA’s CEO Shibata Koji is confirming its 27-aircraft order for A321neos, which comprises:

• 14 A321neos for ANA mainline
• 10 A321neos for Peach
• 3 A321XLRs for Peach

1307: Riyadh Air makes firm 25 + 25 A350-1000 order

This is an odd one. Riyadh Air is supposed to be making a big media splash at this show: it has its new livery on both a 787-9 (its ex-Oman Air training model) and an A321neo (one of the Airbus-owned, French-registration XLR testbeds).

Yet for one of the biggest orders at the show — a firm contract for 25 A350-1000s plus options for another 25 — there’s no media event, just a barebones press release with scant detail.

1254: Airbus rumoured to have won A220 LOT regional order, over Embraer

Several different people have now told me they understand that Airbus has won the LOT Polish Airlines regional airliner order with A220s. The airline currently has a fleet of Embraer E-Jet (E1) aircraft in its regional fleet, plus 737 NG and MAXes in the slightly higher gauge.

Where exactly the A220-100/300 split fits here will be very interesting to see — this is in theory exactly the kind of overlap that Airbus (and before that Bombardier) was hoping to hit with the A220, né CSeries.

1225: ANA signs off on 15 + 5 Embraer E2s, routes and interiors TBD

A 15 firm plus 5 option purchase order for Embraer E2 jets from ANA is a big win for the Brazilian airframer, and CEO Shibata Koji was in Paris for a formal signing ceremony.

Another win for Embraer: the most beautiful press signing room of the show, with enormous picture windows out onto the static area.

No media questions were taken at the event, but ANA’s team tells me that routes, seats and cabins are to be determined, but since these are intended to be domestic aircraft I would imagine they will be in line with the airline’s other domestic product.

1145: coming to the end of a quiet first morning at the show

As expected in the wider industry context, Chalet Row is quiet — especially here at the Boeing media chalet, which overlooks the main Boeing chalet right on the flightline.

Six or eight years ago, this would be nose-to-tail black sedans, luxury minibuses and golf carts shuttling airline bosses (in descending order of vehicular executive seniority) around the show.

1129: How soon can you get a new Airbus A350 or A320neo if you order one today?

An interesting data point for those of us following the question of just how quickly your aircraft might arrive with an order today — which we discussed in our Airbus pre-show feature — comes from Saudi lessor Avilease.

The answer is 5–8 years for A350s and A320neos, and (geopolitics alert) that’s probably towards the early end of the spectrum, from a strong negotiating position, with Airbus keen to win aircraft orders as part of Saudi Arabia’s airlinewashing public diplomacy efforts.

1037: Safran picks Greenerwave for new Ka-band electronically steered array

Safran Passenger Innovations and French tech innovators Greenerwave are working on a new electronically steered array for inflight Internet.

The partners say they are “merging SPI’s deep expertise in onboard connectivity and entertainment with Greenerwave’s pioneering work in Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) and passive electromagnetic wave control, the two partners are developing a high-performance, lightweight, energy-efficient SATCOM terminal compatible with all modems and Ka-band constellations.”

1030: Airbus presser: Avilease ordering 10+22 A350F and 30+55 A320neo

Saudi lessor Avilease is picking up an initial order of 10 A350 freighters and 30 A320neo family members, with A321neos shown on the screens at Le Bourget.

The deal, Airbus says, “also foresees a future increase to 22 A350F freighters and 55 A320neo Family aircraft”.

1020: VietJet brings flight attendants: more orders or a signing ceremony?

Vietnamese LCC VietJet seems set to be either making a further announcement or holding a glad-handing signing deal with Airbus for its 20 aircraft A330neo order a few weeks ago.

No details yet on how precisely the airline plans to be able to pay for them…

0927: Frenchness intensifies

0849: Geopolitics alert: Comac signs up for C929 widebody partners

Comac looks set to sign up with western companies to supply its C929 future competitor to the 787 and A350. A key question from the European perspective is how much non-US companies can operate without US aerospace involvement: Comac’s C919 narrowbody is currently hamstrung by engines and avionics restrictions implemented as part of the current US-China trade conflict, which is expected to accelerate Chinese development of homegrown replacements.

0846: an odd start to the show, but great to be back

With the kickoff press conference with Japan’s ANA to sign orders at the Boeing chalet cancelled in the aftermath of the AI171 crash, and a wider muted sort of feeling around, it’s an unusual start to the show.

It’s a strange start to the Paris Air Show in many senses — including the industry and wider geopolitics atmosphere in which it’s set — and it feels oddly quiet as everything kicks off.

Nonetheless, the static display area is full, an A350-1000 is drawing circles in the sky, and the sun is shining over Paris.

0703: Engine watch: Pratt updates original GTF with HS+

Engine news in context: Pratt & Whitney has a new Hot Section Plus (HS+) upgrade for the PW1100G-JM engine aboard the A320neo family.

Pratt says HS+ offers “twice the time on wing of today's Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engine [and] provide 90 to 95% of the GTF Advantage's durability benefits.”

“HS+ includes only about 35 part numbers and will be incorporated during maintenance visits,” Pratt notes. “The option will be available to customers for purchase, with installations starting in 2026. GTF engines with HS+ will be fully intermixable and interchangeable with both the current GTF and GTF Advantage engine models, simplifying operations with a combined fleet.”

Read more with our Paris Air Show deep-dive longform features:

• Airbus’ geopolitics, A320neo successor and A350 flagship focuses
• Boeing’s airplane, production and passenger experience challenges
• For our Subscribers and Pros: Collins looks to modularity in seating platform and production lines as new solutions to thorny problems
• Exclusive to Pros: our first nightly Readout with critical industry intelligence from the Sunday evening before the show

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