Le Bourget (France) June 15: A slimmed-down Paris Air Show opened to the world's media with a tribute to the Concorde and the end of nearly 30 years of supersonic commercial flight. Little business news was expected during the show at Le Bourget Airport as the stricken aviation industry tries to ride out the turbulence of the global economy.
Bae Systems, Europe's largest defense company, said it expected a decision from the British Defense Ministry on its bid for a Hawk training jet order at the end of the month.
"We turned in a value-for-money proposal that met all the requirements," a spokesman for the British giant told.

He declined to say if or how the government had reacted to his company's proposal for the contract, estimated to be worth USD 1.7 billion.
At the show's opening aerial display yesterday, French President Jacques Chirac applauded along with a sea of spectators as a sleek, White Air France Concorde touched down for the last time.
Air France has donated its top Concorde to Le Bourget's Air and Space Museum after retiring its Concorde fleet in May.
British Airways, the only other airline flying Concordes, will decommission its fleet in October.
Chirac inaugurated the 45th edition of the show, which was set to open to the public today and runs to June 22 at the airport north of Paris.
"We are very favorable to major development of the cooperation in the aeronautic and space domain between Russia and Europe, and in particular between Russia and France," Chirac said.
Bureau Report