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Le Bourget 2007: In the field blog

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PARIS, France (CNN) -- Follow all the latest action at the Paris Air Show with CNN's Jim Boulden; read his blog from Le Bourget.

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Thursday June 21, 2007: Among the modern planes sitting on the tarmac next to the chalets of companies like Boeing, Raytheon and Finmeccanica sits a jet painted green. The airline's name has been replaced with "Low Cost, but not at any cost."

The message is obvious. An industry slammed for its environmental record says its making changes to be more green.

One area of deep interest here is, surprise, biofuels. CFM, a joint venture of GE and Snecma, showed off an engine which could run on a mixture of rape seed and sunflower oil.

When I mentioned to a Snecma executive that I may be a tad tentative about boarding a plane run on sunflowers, he reminded me there were many years of testing ahead.

Even the U.S. Military was here talking about potential use of biofuels in military applications.

But some initiatives to save fuel, and maybe more importantly to this industry, save fuel costs, the new Boeing 787 and the planned Airbus A350XWB are being made with lighter materials. Its a huge leap forward in aerospace technology but will also save money.

Louis Gallois, the CEO of Airbus, says his company and rival Boeing could do more, if competition authorities would only let them work together for the good of the planet. Boeing's commercial chief Scott Carson told me he agreed with Gallois.

But its not just about parts. Carson said the two manufacturers could team up with airlines and airport operators to harmonize processes and cut out the times when planes sit on the runway for an hour and a half waiting to take off.

That is just one example says Carson.

But, as the head of Ryanair likes to point out, air travel accounts for some three percent of C02 emmisions (or something like that). Yet, like any industry (car racing for one) the real damage is done behind the scenes. So manufacturers are trying to clean up the sourcing and shipping of materials and the factory floor. These advances, if they happen, will probably go unnoticed by most of us.

So, what about us fliers?

There is a small British company here this week called Design Stream which wants frequent fliers to use a credit card that tracks their dreaded carbon footprint. If one goes over a certain limit, then more credits have to be paid for.

There are some people here who are just talking the talk when you ask them the question, but the industry clearly sees the cost benefits.

Others like Gallois say it's time to make a sustainable difference.

One difference here this week was a booth covered in real grass, meters of it, to show how green-aware aerospace has become.

END and goodnight.

Wednesday June 20, 2007: I am writing this blog as we sit in traffic trying to leave the air show for the day.

Commuting is the worst part of any trade show. This is worse than normal.

On previous days we just waited out the traffic by editing late or by finding some place to eat nearby. Tonight we would actually like to eat within sight of the city of Paris and not in sight of a 30-year old 747, which is part of the air museum here at Le Bourget airport. The museum seems to be one of the only things keeping this place open other than the bi-annual international air show.

But back to food.

As any veteran reporter who covers a trade show knows, eating at the press chalet is not ideal.

On our first day here, Airbus allowed a multitude of press to eat and drink (yes lots of wine if you wanted it) while their press conferences rolled through the day.

The next day, we could not even get in the Airbus media chalet to use the bathroom.

There certainly is a game that goes on at these events. There is a whole host of "journalists" who come to these things, some who actually file for something that resembles a publication. Frankly, I see many people who are on a jolly.

Press offices are very aware of this and don't want press people storming their chalets looking for food.

These days, the regular chalets are not even open to us as many companies have separate areas for business and press. It keeps us away from the real workings of the week.

There are companies who are glad to offer a diet Coke (needed when the temps hit 30) from time to time. Yet, yesterday, my crew was offered some lunch at one well-known company by a sympathetic manager after we had interviewed the top man. I had left (had a ham sandwich at the press chalet)and they gladly stayed for lunch. Only then did the head of media storm over to say "So, you just go from chalet to chalet eating a free lunch." Please.

Tuesday 19 June, 2007: I have just had a tour of a fancy Gulfstream private jet. At a list price of 45 million dollars its probably the last time I will need to be on a luxury jet.

While very noisy fighter jets swarm overhead to the delight of thousands here at Le Bourget, a black Bentley with Monaco license plates sits quitely outside the Gulfstream chalet (how they got permission to drive into the show is beyond me).

When I asked President Joe Lombardo whose car it was, he just smiled. He can afford to.

While Airbus and Boeing talk in billions of dollars (See Jim Boulden's report on day two of Le Bourget ), the smaller business jet makers, like Gulfstream, are making deals in the millons of dollars, but are riding the wave of the private jet craze.

Sales in the United States are steady, but Russia, India and now China are the places where growth is exploding.

Well, sort of. They are fast growing markets and, after all, what newly minted 30-year old doesn't want a private jet?

Although, sales here are in the single digits, it's a profitable game and with business leaders, sports figures and celebrities wanting privacy and flexibility, the likes of Gulfstream are happy to be doing business quielty here at the airshow while the big boys battle it out by buzzing the crowd.

Monday June 18, 2007: The A-380 roared past the airbus chalet and swiftly took off into the skies over Le Bourget airfield in Paris.

Watching the super jumbo double-decker make sharp turns and slow fly-bys (and other tricks pilots won't be allowed to do once passengers climb aboard next year) makes you forget the problems it -- and its creator Airbus -- have had.

"Forget all that," say the folks at Airbus, as we listen to one press announcement after another.

While we clink plates, forks and some of the other journalists' wine glasses (the manufacturer feeds us for free), Airbus has been holding presser after presser to announce orders for the yet to be built A350XWB (extra wide body). Qatar Airways and U.S. Airways have already committed to huge orders for the plane.

Airbus just said it has announced 339 aircraft orders totaling $45.7billion.

Airbus COO John Leahy says he hopes the company can beat its record of orders and options set in 2005.

But as airline investor Jon Kutler told me, "This is an important air show for Airbus. They need to come strong out of this air show. And so what they have done is repackaged some orders that were expected to make sure they have a good press day."

The Russians have announced some new orders, following the Kuwaitis, Americans, Tunisians and earlier, Qatar.

Usually we spend the first day running around the air show chasing CEOs for miles on end. This morning we did (American military contractor) Raytheon and the usual suspects from Boeing. (Watch as Jim Boulden speaks to the head of Raytheon International )

Others we cancelled. Airbus did get a good first press day. But now they have to deliver the planes on time as promised and not "screw it up" to use the words of one airline executive today.

The seventh and last airbus presser has just ended.

Time to clink some wine glasses.

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