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The Up Front
@theupfront.media
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In-depth, independent aviation journalism for the digital age — up front with what we write, how we write it, and the way we operate.

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Aviation is an international business. But all politics is local.

So some of Safran's upcoming productions plans are brave, from the perspective of French political observers.

Or, at least — and not to mix any Angevin metaphors — that's what Sir Humphrey would say.
Text: It would be a brave company that expected approval for what some might perceive as offshoring to the UAE of key French production at any time. It would be an especially courageous move right now. And in this particular case, that production is currently based in a rural town whose economy is strongly linked with that manufacturing — and whose longtime MP was just appointed the minister responsible for “foreign trade and economic attractiveness”. As Sir Humphrey Appleby, the fictional senior civil servant in the British TV series Yes Minister once said: “Controversial only means this will lose you votes. Courageous means this will lose you the election”.
November 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
theupfront.media
Although, noting the press release: "The most important sub-fleets of Lufthansa will receive their own special livery" — got to say, if I happened to work on some of the *other* sub-fleets of Lufthansa, I might a bit left-out.

theupfront.media/how-do-you-s...
How do you solve a problem like Lufthansa? Airline, brand and passenger insights from its group Capital Markets Day, Part 1
Lufthansa is consolidating its 12–14 airlines, leaking out a new Lufthansa Group Lounge and brand concept, growing in longhaul and leisure — and there are passenger experience implications throughout
theupfront.media
November 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by The Up Front
theupfront.media
Also out today: part 4 of 5 of @garius.bsky.social's remarkable history of the California Clipper, the feat of commercial aviation that brought a Pan Am flying boat the wrong way around the world from Auckland to LaGuardia.

This time: it's Christmas in Sri Lanka.

theupfront.media/christmas-in...
Christmas in Sri Lanka: The remarkable journey of the California Clipper, Part 4
The crew of the California Clipper are forced to spend Christmas in Sri Lanka. While there, their thoughts turn naturally to home.
theupfront.media
November 21, 2025 at 4:54 PM
theupfront.media
And if you're only just coming to the amazing story of the California Clipper, we are genuinely so excited for you — it is, as we say here in The Up Front Towers, an absolute bloody ripper.

Start here: theupfront.media/the-long-way... #avgeek
The Long Way Round: The remarkable journey of the California Clipper, Part 1
In 1941, the Japanese attacked Hawaii, leaving Pan Am flight 18602 trapped the wrong side of Pearl Harbor, To get home, its civilian crew would have to do something incredible: circumnavigate the worl...
theupfront.media
November 21, 2025 at 5:20 PM
theupfront.media
Also out today: part 4 of 5 of @garius.bsky.social's remarkable history of the California Clipper, the feat of commercial aviation that brought a Pan Am flying boat the wrong way around the world from Auckland to LaGuardia.

This time: it's Christmas in Sri Lanka.

theupfront.media/christmas-in...
Christmas in Sri Lanka: The remarkable journey of the California Clipper, Part 4
The crew of the California Clipper are forced to spend Christmas in Sri Lanka. While there, their thoughts turn naturally to home.
theupfront.media
November 21, 2025 at 4:54 PM
theupfront.media
Huge shame. Such incredible passenger aircraft.
November 15, 2025 at 8:37 AM