Milestones Aplenty For Commercial Aircraft Programs In 2017

Iran Air took delivery of the first of its 100 Airbus aircraft on order, an Airbus A321, on Jan. 11, 2017, 18 months after an international agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program ended economic sanctions against the country. But late in 2017, the deals struck by both Airbus and Boeing were threatened by a possible new Trump administration strategy that would block sales to Iran.

In February, Ilyushin and United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) agreed to modernize Russia’s Il-96 widebody airliner. Stretched by 31.7 ft. over the Il-96-300 to accommodate 390 passengers, the Il-96-400M will have improved Aviadvigitel PS-90A1 engines and updated avionics. To be produced by Voronezh Aircraft, first flight is planned for 2019.

The first CO₂ standard for aircraft was adopted by the 36-state International Civil Aviation Organization Council on March 6. The standard will apply to new type-designs beginning in 2020 and to aircraft now in production as of 2023. Aircraft that do not meet the standard by 2028 will be barred unless modified.

Embraer’s E195-E2, the Brazilian manufacturer’s largest commercial aircraft yet, made its 2-hr. first flight—ahead of schedule—on March 29 from Sao Jose dos Campos. Seating up to 146 passengers, the Pratt & Whitney PW1919G-powered airliner is planned to enter service in the first quarter of 2019 with Brazilian carrier Azul.

On March 31, the double-stretched 787-10 became the first Boeing airliner to make its maiden flight outside of the Seattle area. The aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TENs, completed a 5-hr. flight from the assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.

The third and smallest member of Airbus’ reengined A320neo family, the 160-seat A319neo (pictured), made a 5-hr. first flight from Hamburg to Toulouse on March 31, powered by CFM International Leap 1A engines. The first A321neo, the largest variant of the family, was delivered to Virgin America in April.

China’s Comac C919 narrowbody airliner made its 79-min. first flight from Shanghai on May 5. The flight came nine years after the C919 program was launched with the objective to fly in 2014 and begin deliveries in 2016. The second prototype flew on Dec. 17. Comac is now targeting a first delivery in 2020.

In May, China’s Comac and Russia’s UAC launched full-scale development of a widebody airliner to enter service no later than 2027. The basic CR929-600 version is to carry 280 passengers 7,500 mi. A 50:50 Comac/UAC joint venture—China-Russia Commercial Aircraft International Corp., or CRAIC, has been registered in Shanghai. Engine selection is expected in late 2018 or early 2019.

The first version of Boeing’s reengined 737 MAX family, the CFM Leap 1B-powered 737-8 (pictured), entered service with Malaysia’s Malindo Air on May 22. The second model in the series, the stretched 737-9, made its first flight on April 13. Boeing launched the largest MAX version, the 737-10, at the Paris Air Show in June with more than 400 orders and commitments from 16 customers.

Europe’s laminar-flow demonstrator, the BLADE (Breakthrough Laminar Aircraft Demonstrator in Europe), an Airbus A340 prototype modified with new outer-wing sections designed to enable drag-reducing natural laminar flow, made its first flight at Tarbes, France, on Sept. 26 under Europe’s Clean Sky public-private civil aeronautical research program.

In a move that shocked the industry, Airbus on Oct. 17 agreed to take a controlling 50.1% stake in Bombardier’s C Series program, making no financial investment but bringing its sales and marketing muscle, supply-chain procurement power and global support network to the venture. Expected to close in the second half on 2018, the deal includes assembling C Series aircraft for U.S. customers at Airbus’ plant in Mobile, Alabama, to avoid anticipated import tariffs.

Boeing-backed startup Zunum Aero revealed in October that its first product is to be a 12-seat, 700-nm-range commuter aircraft with hybrid-electric ducted-fan propulsion and operating costs 20-30% of those for similar-size turboprops. Certification is planned for 2022.

The first reengined Airbus A330neo, an A330-900, made its 4-hr. 13-min. first flight from Toulouse on Oct. 19. The aircraft is powered by higher-bypass Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 turbofans and has a longer-span wing with drag-reducing Sharklet curved wingtips. Certification is scheduled for mid-2018.

Airbus received European type certification for the second member of the A350 widebody family, the stretched 366-seat A350-1000, on Nov. 21, almost one year after its first flight. Delivery of  the first aircraft to launch customer Qatar Airways is expected before the end of 2017.

Russia’s new narrowbody airliner, the MC-21 developed by United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) subsidiary Irkut, made its first flight from Irkutsk on May 28 powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1400G geared turbofans. The initial 163-211-passenger MC-21-300 variant is scheduled for certification in 2018, leading to service entry with Aeroflot in 2019.