Farnborough News in Brief 26 July 2026

GKN Aerospace expands North Charlestown facility:  GKN Aerospace announced a significant expansion of its North Charlestown facility. The expansion will add approximately 57,000 square feet to the existing site, tripling its current size and introducing a production cell dedicated to high-performance compressor blades and vanes. Alexander Andersson, SVP Product Solutions said: “We are investing in engine component manufacturing capabilities where our customers need us most. This expansion in the U.S. strengthens our capacity in a critical area of the supply chain and reinforces our position as a trusted partner on key engine programs.” Steve Fortier, Administrator of Rural Economic Development, Department of Business and Economic Affairs said: “GKN Aerospace’s expansion in North Charlestown is a strong vote of confidence in New Hampshire’s skilled workforce and manufacturing ecosystem. This investment will create high-quality jobs and support continued economic growth in the region.” Eve Air Mobility and FDOT partner on AAM: Eve Air Mobility announced a partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for a focused Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) initiative at SunTrax Air. The FDOT-led initiative will bring together Eve’s expertise in eVTOL aircraft, operations, and services with SunTrax Air’s research, testing, and validation capabilities. The effort will focus on delivering insights into the infrastructure, operational procedures, and airspace navigation procedures needed to enable the safe and efficient integration of Advanced Air Mobility into Florida’s transportation network. Owned and operated by FDOT, SunTrax Air serves as Florida’s dedicated Advanced Air Mobility research and development hub, providing a collaborative environment to evaluate technologies, operational concepts, and supporting infrastructure for next-generation aviation. The partnership builds on the growing relationship between Eve and FDOT. Through ongoing collaboration, the organizations will work to position Florida as a national leader in AAM. Using SunTrax Air’s purpose-built research and testing environment, they will evaluate operational concepts, infrastructure readiness, passenger experience, and future ecosystem requirements, creating a foundation that supports Florida’s long-term transportation strategy while helping accelerate the commercialisation of AAM. Embraer strengthens aerospace cooperation with UK: Embraer and the UK Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration in strategic areas including research and development, innovation, aviation capabilities and supply chain development, further strengthening ties between Embraer and the UK aerospace ecosystem. Embraer has maintained a strong presence in the UK for more than 45 years, supplying commercial and defense aircraft, developing research and development projects, and partnering with British suppliers whose technologies contribute to the competitiveness of its products and services worldwide. “The United Kingdom is a strategic partner for Embraer, and we see significant opportunities to deepen our collaboration in innovation, technology and industrial development,” said Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer. “We share a common vision of aviation as a driver of economic growth, technological advancement and connectivity. Building on the work we’ve been developing with the UKEF, this MoU marks an important step in further expanding our partnership and supporting sustainable growth across the global aerospace sector.” Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “The UK needs better growth in every postcode and for business and government to work in partnership to raise living standards. FlyOne Armenia signs MoU with CFM International: FlyOne Armenia signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with CFM International for four LEAP-1A engines to power two Airbus A321neo. The aircraft order was announced in May during the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron in Yerevan. Based at Zvartnots International Airport, the airline already operates four A320ceo aircraft powered by CFM56-5B engines. “This agreement underlines our ongoing commitment to operating a modern and efficient fleet for our passengers,” said Aram Khachatryan, General Director of FlyOne Armenia. “The LEAP-1A engines will enable us to enhance our operational efficiency as we continue our growth across European markets.” Established in 2021, FlyOne Armenia has quickly become one of the leading airlines in the Republic of Armenia. The airline operates scheduled and charter flights to more than 26 destinations across Europe. Airbus elevates hybrid-electric integration with LEIA Project: Airbus, with partners from across the European Union, the UK and the US, is pursuing its ambition to pioneer a hybrid-electric non-propulsive energy architecture for the next generation of commercial aircraft with LEIA – Large Scale Integration Demonstrator of Hybrid Electrical Architecture. LEIA, a project supported by the European Union Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, will be fundamental to advancing high-voltage generation and distribution for innovative electrical aircraft systems for short-to-medium range aircraft. By bridging the gap between component-level innovation and aircraft-level maturity, the project aims to prepare these technologies for future integration and certification. LEIA builds on the successful completion of the SWITCH project, which focused on hybrid-electric powertrain subsystems and reached a key milestone in July when Collins Aerospace completed integrated laboratory testing. This achievement is a result of a strong collaborative effort by the project partners, including Pratt & Whitney, GKN Aerospace, and MTU Aero Engines. These subsystems, which operate in tandem with simulated aircraft and engine systems, are now transitioning to the Airbus Sustainable Technology and Engineering Projects (STEP) laboratory in Ottobrun, Germany. There, Airbus teams will conduct critical aircraft-level integration testing, including design, battery interfacing and energy-management systems. Airbus collaborates with several partners on the LEIA project: AVL, Collins Aerospace, the European Aerospace Science Network (EASN), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Liebherr Aerospace, Lynxeo, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), Safran, SAFT, the University of Warwick, and Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]