insideKENT Magazine Issue 41 - August 2015 | Page 14

NEWS

AIRBUS CREATES
HISTORY AT LONDON
ASHFORD AIRPORT
This July, Airbus successfully completed the first cross-Channel
flight of its prototype E-FAN electric powered aircraft, crossing
from London Ashford Airport in Lydd, Kent, to Calais.
International media and VIPs were welcomed to the event by
Jean Botti, chief technical officer at A irbus Group, before they
witnessed the E-FAN’s final preparations and take off. Guests
were then able to monitor the progress of this aeronautical first,
which was broadcast live onsite and online, until its landing
in Calais, France.
This flight follows in the footsteps of Louis Blériot, who crossed
the Channel in 1909. It will pave the way for future electric powered
aviation and will be an important milestone in the development
of the E-FAN aircraft, say Airbus.
Charles Buchanan, chief executive of London Ashford Airport,
said: “From royal visits to setting traffic records in the 1950s, the
airport has witnessed some extraordinary moments in its long
history. Today’s historical event is a proud moment for Lydd.”
For more information about E-FAN and the crossing,
visit www.airbusgroup.com/int/en/innovationenvironment/airbus-e-fan-the-future-of-electric-aircraft/Crosschannel-flight.html.
For further information about the airport, visit
www.lydd-airport.co.uk.

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