The first flight this summer of the twin-engine Airbus A350 widebody jetliner will likely ignite the expected competition with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and the not-yet-but-expected-to-be-launched 777X.

Throughout its investigation into the Jan. 7 Japan Airlines Boeing 787 lithium ion battery fire, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has posed the same question in various forms: Do advances in aviation technology at times move so fast that they outpace regulators’ ability to develop standards for cutting-edge equipment or manufacturers’ ability to test that equipment to adequately predict the full range of potential in-service eventualities on a new aircraft?

TUI Travel has signed a commitment for 40 Boeing 737 MAX-8s and 20 Boeing 737 MAX-9s, plus options on a further 90 aircraft.

Thomson Airways has taken delivery of its first of eight Boeing 787s, the first to be delivered to a UK airline.

Boeing is establishing new centers for engineering design, propulsion and out-of-production airplane support for its Commercial Airplanes unit.

Aeroflot has taken delivery of its first Sukhoi Superjet 100 in full specification.

Aircraft News

Singapore Airlines has agreed to buy 30 Boeing 787-10s and 30 additional Airbus A350-900s.