Ian Sheppard has acted as Editor International Show Editions for AIN since June 2013. Based in the Redhill, England, Ian reports for the various AIN publications as well as providing support to International Editor Charles Alcock in covering international air shows (such as Farnborough, Paris, Singapore and Dubai), and the EBACE and MEBA business aviation events. His central role is to cover Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Prior to becoming more involved with AIN in mid-2011 (initially as deputy international editor), Ian worked for various aviation publications through his company, First Aerospace Media. This included being part of the AIN team covering daily news at international air shows.
Ian has worked for publications such as Flight International (technical reporter, 1997-8) and Aerospace International (editor, 1999-2000). He was publications manager at Airclaims (Ascend) between 2000 and 2004 before forming First Aerospace Media. Since mid-2009 Ian has also been managing editor of Regional International, the journal of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA).
Ian hasis working towards a European commercial pilot licence, having held an FAA private pilot license in 1991, and instructor rating. He also has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Bath, England, and a graduate diploma in law from Kingston University, and is a graduate of the legal practice course (College of Law, Guildford).

Editor

Ian Sheppard

Airbus surpassed its delivery target in 2012 with a final tally of 588 aircraft for 89 customers (a rise of 10 percent over 2011). In press conference held at its Toulouse, France, headquarters on January 17, the European airframer also reported that it had exceeded its own orders target for last year by logging gross orders for 914 aircraft. These included the following: 305 A320s, 478 A320neos, 82 A330/A340s, 40 A350XWBs and 9 A380s. Net orders, taking account of order cancellations, totalled 833 aircraft—well ahead of the projected 650 units.


The Airbus orders backlog now stands at 4,682 aircraft (representing more than seven years of production) compared with Boeing’s 4,373 units, according to Airbus COO, customers John Leahy. In the competition between the rival A320neo and 737Max narrowbodies, he claimed that Neo orders now stand at 1,734, compared with 1,064 for Boeing’s 737MAX, which was launched after the Airbus product.


Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier defended the slow-selling A380 by saying that 30 had been delivered in 2012 despite only nine being sold. On the current problems facing Boeing’s 787 he stated that Airbus “didn’t bet” on difficulties with a competitor’s product to ensure its own success. However, he added that Airbus is currently confident it has a sound design with the use of controversial lithium-ion batteries.


The airframe of the first A350XWB to fly (MSN1) is complete, reported Bregier, who added that the first flight is scheduled for mid-2013. He predicted that the focus for this year’s Paris Air Show in June will likely be the A400M military transport, although he admitted “we’d be very proud” if the A350 flew by then too.


The A400M is due to receive full EASA certification and OCCAR initial operational clearance this quarter with first delivery, to the French air force, in the second quarter.

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