Gallery: Roundup of Paris Air Show Aircraft News & Displays

ir India firmed up its order for 250 Airbus aircraft and selected an Airbus maintenance and digital package to power the airline’s transformation and growth strategy. The aircraft order includes 140 A320neo and 70 A321neo single-aisle aircraft as well as 34 A350-1000 and six A350-900 widebody jets. The airline had signed a Letter of Intent to acquire these aircraft in February 2023.
 

Air India finalized an order for up to 290 new Boeing jets and expanded services. The order, which includes 190 737 MAXs, 20 787s and 10 777X jets with options for 50 737 MAXs and 20 787 Dreamliners, is Boeing's largest order in South Asia and highlights its 90-year partnership with Air India. A comprehensive set of aviation services will also enable Air India to sustainably expand its operations in South Asia's rapidly growing aviation market. Over the next 20 years, South Asia is expected to more than triple its in-service fleet from 700 to 2,300 airplanes to meet passenger demand.

Pictured, from left, Air India CEO and managing director Campbell Wilson; Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Stan Deal; Tata Sons and Air India chairman N. Chandrasekaran; Boeing Global Services president and CEO Stephanie Pope; and Air India commercial & transformation officer Nipun Aggarwal. 

IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, placed a firm order for 500 A320 family aircraft, setting the record for the biggest single purchase agreement in the history of commercial aviation. The latest agreement takes the total number of Airbus aircraft on order by IndiGo to 1,330, establishing its position as the world’s biggest A320 family customer.

Irish lessor Avolon ordered 40 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, which seat 162 to 210 passengers depending on configuration, and with a range of 3,500 nautical miles on short and medium-haul routes. Avolon CEO Andy Cronin said the order extends the lessor’s pipeline out to 2030.

Irish lessor Avolon signed an MOU with Airbus for 20 A330neos amid a resurgence of demand for the widebody. The new aircraft will be the -900 variant and are scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2028. Avolon is also converting 50 Airbus A320neos on order to the larger A321neo model.

Flynas, the Saudi air carrier and a leading low-cost airline in the Middle East, firmed up an order with Airbus for 30 new A320neo family aircraft, taking the airline’s total order with Airbus to 120 A320neo aircraft, including 10 A321XRLs.
 

Mexican ultra-low-cost airline and all-Airbus operator Volaris disclosed 25 A321neos from a purchase agreement signed in October 2022. These aircraft bring Volaris total backlog to 143 A320neo family aircraft, which will support the airline’s continuous fleet renewal and expansion, powered by Pratt & Whitney engines.

Australia’s Qantas Group finalized an incremental order for nine Airbus A220-300s, bringing its total backlog for the single aisle type to 29 aircraft. Qantas will take delivery of its first A220 at the end of this year and will operate the type primarily on its extensive domestic route network.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) finalized a purchase agreement with Airbus for the firm order of nine A350-1000 long range aircraft. The A350-1000 has been selected under the Philippine carrier’s ultra-long-haul fleet project and will fly on nonstop services from Manila to North America, including to the east coast of the US and Canada. The new aircraft will join two A350-900s already in service at the airline. PAL’s A350-1000 fleet will be able to accommodate 380 passengers in a three-class layout, with separate cabins for Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class.

Air Algérie confirmed an order for eight Boeing 737-9s. The Algerian flag carrier also signed an MOU for two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCFs) to meet increasing cargo demand in the region. Air Algérie operates a single-aisle fleet of more than 30 737-500, 737-600 and 737-800 jets. Adding the 737-9 allows the airline to carry more passengers, increasing profitability within its network. With added capacity and increased profitability, the 737-9 is designed to serve 193 passengers in a two-class configuration with a range of 3,300 nautical miles.

China Airlines finalized an order for eight Boeing 787-9s, which was previously listed as unidentified. The order follows the state-owned flag carrier’s first-ever order for 16 787-9s announced last year. With this order, the airline will introduce 24 787s over the next several years, strengthening the airline's existing global network.

Pictured: Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Stan Deal (left), and China Airlines chairman Su-Chien Hsieh signed an order for eight 787-9s at the Paris Air Show.

Fast-growing startup Akasa Air is India’s third carrier to firm an aircraft order at the Paris Air Show, finalizing an order for four additional Boeing 737 MAX 8s, taking the carrier’s order book to 76 aircraft. The airline has 19 MAX 8s in service on routes to 16 destinations across India. Founder and CEO Vinay Dube, previously of Jet Airways, said the aircraft would be delivered over the next four years and support Akasa’s rapid domestic expansion.

Luxembourg flag carrier Luxair signed an agreement to purchase four Boeing 737 MAX 7s, becoming the European launch customer of the yet-to-be certified Boeing 737 MAX 7, after signing following on from orders for four 737 MAX 8s since March 2023. The carrier will also initially lease two MAX 8s, scheduled to arrive this summer.

Air Mauritius confirmed an order for three A350 aircraft to expand its network in Europe and South Asia. The three latest generation aircraft will bring Air Mauritius’ A350 fleet to a total of seven. The airline already operates four A350 and four A330 Airbus aircraft. 
 

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has agreed to buy two Boeing 787s. ALC has been a long-standing 787 customer, placing its first purchase for the 787-9 in 2010. Its airplane portfolio currently includes the 787-9 and 787-10.

Canada’s Porter Airlines has a sale and leaseback agreement with Irish lessor Avolon for 10 new Embraer E-195 E2 aircraft, with a list price of $841.2 million. The new aircraft will support Porter’s expansion of routes within Canada and further into the North American market. The deal also marks the first of Embraer’s advanced new E2 aircraft to join Avolon’s fleet. 
 

American Airlines signed a firm order with Embraer for seven new E175s, which will be operated by American’s wholly owned subsidiary Envoy Air. With deliveries to begin Q4 2023, Envoy’s fleet of E-Jets will grow to over 141 aircraft by the end of 2024. The contract value is $403.4 million at list prices.
 

Mandarin Airlines, the regional subsidiary of Taiwan flag carrier China Airlines signed a firm order for six ATR 72-600s to be delivered from end-2023 through to 2025. The turboprops will join the airline’s existing fleet of nine ATR 72-600 to serve the demand of the Taiwanese market.
 

Malaysian airline Berjaya Air signed a Heads of Agreement for two ATR 72-600s. Both aircraft will be in an “All-Business Class” configuration, which is part of the new ATR HighLine premium collection of cabin interiors. They will have a 1-1 layout with individual outboard side stowage. Deliveries are planned for 2025 and 2026. The two new aircraft will enable Berjaya to rebrand itself into a premium offering and to expand its network to serve the Group’s many resorts and hotels. 
 

Boeing’s 777-9--complete with folding wingtips--is making its Paris Air Show debut. The 777-9 is targeted for entry-into-service in 2025. The aircraft’s appearance at the show comes as Boeing awaits type inspection authorization (TIA) from the FAA – a long-anticipated move that will mark the formal start of certification.

Riyadh Air, the new Saudi network airline with plans to launch toward the end of 2025, formally unveiled its livery at the show on a Boeing 787-9. A second color scheme is said to be unveiled later this year.

Riyadh Air will not be placing further aircraft orders at the show but remains intent on selecting a narrowbody to complement its 72 Boeing 787-9 orders and options announced earlier this year. Discussions with aircraft manufacturers are said to be ongoing.

The Boeing 737-10, which is the largest member of the MAX family, remains in the midst of its certification process. 
 

With rival De Havilland Canada having paused production of its Dash 8-400 for several years and Embraer pulling back from its planned new-generation turboprop, Franco-Italian ATR currently has the regional turboprop market largely to itself. This example is destined for Brazilian carrier Azul, which placed an order for three of the type during the air show.

Show organizers said there will be a total of 158 aircraft on static display. In the background, Embraer has brought back its “Profit Hunter” Embraer E-195 E2. 

De Havilland Canada kicked off the show with the unveiling of a new version of its long-lived Twin Otter, the Classic 300-G. Indian operator flybig was revealed as a customer, signing a letter of interest to acquire 10 of the latest version of the 190-seat twin turboprop. De Havilland Canada also signed a purchase agreement with Zimex Aviation for two new DHC-6 Twin Otter Classic 300-G aircraft. 

Swiss company Destinus is showing its approach to a planned hypersonic aircraft; the hydrogen-powered aircraft will have a hydrogen afterburner.

Italian regional SkyAlps, which currently operates four De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400s, plans to grow its fleet to 14 aircraft next year. It has formed a partnership with US company Tamarack on a new eco-efficient winglet for the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400.

French startup VoltAero unveiled its first prototype Cassio 330. The aircraft is planned to fly by year-end and the startup is aiming for certification in 2024. Follow-on six- and 12-seat versions are already in development. VoltAero sees its clean-sheet, five-seat Cassio 330 as an ideal way to introduce hybrid-electric propulsion—and eventually hydrogen—to regional aviation without requiring operators to change how they fly today.

Eve Air Mobility and Blade Air Mobility announced plans to integrate Eve’s electric air taxis into Blade’s European helicopter network, building on cooperative agreements the two companies have reached in India and the U.S. The expanded partnership will begin with France, where the partners will work to identify suitable routes for urban air mobility flights, before expanding the initiative to include other European countries. 

Eve Air Mobility announced a series of conditional orders from a lessor and two operators for up to 150 air taxis, adding to its industry-leading backlog for electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The orders include a letter of intent (LoI) for up to 30 aircraft to lessor Nordic Aviation Capital; a LoI for up to 70 air taxis to Brazilian general aviation service company Voar Aviation; and a LoI for up to 50 eVTOLs to Norwegian operator Wideroe. The Eve electric air taxis are being designed to carry four passengers and a pilot up to 100 km (62 mi.) at entry-into-service, currently expected in 2026. 

Airbus UpNext launched a new demonstrator program to explore, on the ground and in flight, a new architecture for the generation of non-propulsive energy through the use of hydrogen fuel cells. With this new technology demonstrator, led from its facilities in Spain, Airbus UpNext will replace the actual APU of an A330 with a hydrogen fuel cell system that will generate electricity. Known as HyPower, the hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator also aims to reduce the emissions of CO2, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and noise levels associated with a traditional APU. New design features and integration techniques will also contribute to maturing the safety and operations of future hydrogen-powered aircraft and will demonstrate the stable operation of a fuel cell in-flight, including its restart.

Eve Air Mobility signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with regional lessor Nordic Aviation Capital to promote the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft through optimized leasing strategies. The LOI establishes that Eve will have the opportunity to utilize NAC’s global presence and asset management knowledge while NAC will acquire 15 firm plus 15 optional eVTOLs that will be leased to fleet operators, supporting the development and scaling of innovative transportation operations.

Eve Air Mobility extended its partnership with Widerøe Zero, an innovative initiative by Widerøe focused on sustainable aviation with the mission to revolutionize the industry and create a greener future for air travel. The partnership, solidified through a Letter of Intent (LOI), marks a significant step forward in both companies’ commitment to addressing the environmental impact of aviation and ushering in a new era of sustainable air travel. The agreement involves up to 50 eVTOLs, a service and operation solutions package, as well as the implementation of Eve’s Urban Air Traffic Management (Urban ATM) software solution.

Asian Aerospace and AURA AERO, French aircraft manufacturer and pioneer in low-carbon aviation, signed a Letter of Intent for three ERA aircraft, the electric-thrust 19-seater regional aircraft. Asian Aerospace—a non-scheduled airline based in the Philippines that operates domestic and regional flights from Manila, Cebu and Davao—has selected AURA AERO and its hybrid-electric aircraft ERA to link the many islands in the Philippine region. This will enable tour operators to reduce their environmental footprint while enhancing their offer. As it enters into service, ERA will enable Asian Aerospace to decarbonate its operations, providing a transport solution that makes the different destinations more accessible, while ensuring their longevity for the future generations.

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