THE ICY RELATIONS BETWEEN Airbus and Boeing thawed a little recently when the Boeing 777 and Airbus A340 came face-to-face for the first time, at Fairbanks Airport in Alaska. The Pratt & Whitney PW4084-powered 777, in United Airlines colours, was undergoing cold-soak and cold-weather flight-testing, while its European rival was seeking a -35°C overnight cold soak required for Canadian certification of the type, before deliveries can start to Air Canada later this year. Airport-staff say, that after an initial freeze-off, both sides checked out each other's hardware. Each manufacturer went home happy as the mercury dipped to -44°C during their visit.
Source: Flight International
