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Airbus plans radical design for next generation jet

Airbus shares plans for A320 successor

By Mark Reif Mar 31, 2025 7:49 AM

Airbus A320 sucessor concept — Airbus

At the recent Airbus Summit in Toulouse, the company revealed concepts for its next-generation single-aisle aircraft, which will replace the A320. The plans included radical ideas like open-fan engines, folding wings, advanced composites, and more.

Airbus’s next-generation jet will focus on efficiency, sustainability

CFM Open Fan Engine — CFM open fan engine CFM

At the summit, Bruno Fichefeux, Head of Future Programmes at Airbus, said: “We cannot do it with incremental optimization, this will come with disruption, this will come through clean sheet design. It’s a research and technology phase, where we mature many technologies, and when we combine them together we need to look at what are the best trade-offs – which paths do we open, which do we close? We are not there yet.”

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The new plane will fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with a goal of 20 to 30 percent improved fuel efficiency. Airbus is working with CFM, a joint project between France’s Safran and GE Aerospace, on the Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) open fan engine demonstrator. Unlike a conventional jet engine, the RISE uses fan blades protruding outside the engine nacelle (cover). A set of counter-rotating blades improves the bypass ratio and enhances efficiency.

Regarding a possible 20% improvement in fuel burn, CFM spokesman Mohamad Ali told Simple Flying: “That is the fuel burn opportunity that we are thrilled and excited about. And it is not a vision in the future. We have done hundreds of tests already to demonstrate that project.”

Also part of the concept are folding wings, with a narrower, longer, thinner profile. By folding, the wings ensure the plane can fit into airport gates, and once airborne, the more extended design mimics an albatross in flight. Airbus’s Wing of Tomorrow program in the UK is designing the wings. Airbus also plans to use advanced composites, which will be lighter and stronger, decreasing mass and improving efficiency.

Mark Reif is a storyteller focused on the intersection of outdoor culture, travel, and design. From the peaks of Banff to the… Read Full Bio

Travelpro is bringing quiet luxury to luggage with its new collection

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Just in time for holiday gifting, Travelpro is back with another elevated collection that will turn heads in the airport. Travelpro is introducing Platinum Reserve, its most elevated collection yet. Born from pilots and used daily by more than 220,000 aviation professionals, Travelpro knows that beautiful design has to hold up once a journey begins. Platinum Reserve brings that expertise to a more polished silhouette, pairing full-grain leather details with the smooth, controlled movement the brand is known for.

True luxury proves itself in motion,” said Lisa Cody, Head of Product & Brand Experience of Travelpro. “With Platinum Reserve, we wanted every part of the journey to feel effortless, from moving through a crowded terminal to arriving at your destination looking just as polished as when you left. Because true luxury isn’t replacing your luggage. It’s never having to worry about it.”

Cafe Charmant, The Corner Store Crew’s Latest, Puts Food Ahead of the Scene

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I’ll be honest. If I weren’t a writer, there is no way in hell I could have landed a 7:15 Saturday night reservation at Cafe Charmant just a mere four weeks after its opening. The most recent jewel in the buzzy Catch Hospitality Group’s crown, the glitzy eatery is the newest IT restaurant to hit the downtown scene, so chalk it up to one of the perks of the job that I could walk in, order a drink, and be ushered to a corner table for two in under 10 minutes.

Though the state of making prime reservations in New York City may not come as a surprise to many, I’m still not able to reconcile with the current velvet rope of so many of this city’s restaurants. Sure, the 90s and early 2000’s had their Indochine, Moomba (if you remember that one, we need to grab a drink). The Waverly Inn, but for the most part, you could easily make a reservation or even walk in and wait for a table with a cocktail in hand at most popular establishments. And, let’s be honest, half the people weren’t even eating, if you know what I mean.

A tasting guide to Livermore Valley, California’s friendliest wine country

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Livermore Valley sits in Northern California’s East Bay, where the hustle and bustle of neighboring Oakland and San Francisco give way to grassy rolling hills, big open skies, and over 40 tasting rooms. The region is home to some of the best wines I’ve tasted in the state, without the pretense and rigidity I’ve come to expect from other tasting rooms in the region.

And thanks to the valley’s marine-influenced winds, varied climate, and diverse soils, I tasted an unusually broad range of wines. Crisp whites, structured reds, and everything in between seem to be able to find their footing here.