Thierry Dubois is a freelance writer specializing in helicopters, business aviation and aerospace technology. He earned a degree in fluid dynamics from an engineering school in Toulouse, France in the mid-1990s. At an unexpected crossroads, he found his first job in journalism. In 1997, he started working for French aerospace weekly Air &amp; Cosmos in Paris. This lasted until 2000, when he moved south to Lyons. He then became a freelancer, working for various aerospace publications and has been part of the AIN team since late 2000. In addition to writing about business aviation, Thierry shares responsibility for the rotorcraft section. He also is a regular on-site writer for AIN’s daily editions at international airshows such as the Paris, Farnborough, Dubai and Singapore shows, as well as at EBACE in Geneva.
In 2007, he won the Honeywell award for “Best systems or technology submission” at the Aerospace journalist of the year awards. In 2013, he won an Aerospace Media Award for the "Best Safety, Training &amp; Simulation Submission."
In other activities, Thierry moderates international conferences on aviation technology topics. Thierry is married and has three children, who seem to begin enjoying the mountains–as their parents do.

Writer

Thierry Dubois

Airbus Corporate Jets has restructured as a new Airbus integrated business unit, incoming ACJ president Habib Fekih told journalists hereat the Dubai Air Show on Sunday. Two ACJs are on display at the show–an Al Jaber Aviation ACJ318 and a Comlux ACJ320 (Static A49-52).
“We have been selling more corporate jets than Boeing for eight years, so we have now a new benchmark–large business jet manufacturers Dassault, Bombardier and Gulfstream,” François Chazelle, v-p for worldwide sales, told AIN. He admitted ACJs may not have the range or speed of a purpose-built business jet but boasted of his aircraft’s cabin space and comfort. “Our competitors are offering larger and larger jets, with some prices well into the $60- to $70 million bracket,” Chazelle pointed out. The list price for an ACJ318 is $65 million.
Under the new scheme, commercial, program and support activities are regrouped into a single unit. It will also have a direct link to subsidiary Airbus Corporate Jet Centre, the Toulouse-based ACJ cabin outfitter. Therefore, Airbus will be able to make complete offerings, including completion, just as Dassault and other corporate jet manufacturers do.
Fekih expects the better integration of engineering, for example, will help tweak Airbus designs to meet VIP customers’ requirements. He hinted at an increased ceiling, over the current 41,000 feet, to better align ACJs with purpose-built business jet performance.
Asked about last week’s announcement that production of the A340 is to end, Fekih said some will probably be retrofitted into VIP aircraft. “The A340, as a quad [four-engine aircraft], has some attractiveness on certain market segments,” he explained. Some A340-200s and -300s are undergoing VIP outfitting now and Airbus sees -500s/600s becoming VIP jets, too, in the future

Airbus Corporate Jets throws down the gauntlet to rivals

Airbus Corporate Jets has restructured as a new Airbus integrated business unit.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Dubai Airshow 2011

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