Conventional wisdom at this year’s Farnborough air show is that the commercial side of the aerospace industry is just gaining steam for a sustained upturn. But Clay Jones is not so sure. The chairman and CEO of avionics supplier Rockwell Collins acknowledges that order books at Boeing and Airbus are huge, and growing. But he worries that economic jitters in the U.S. and Europe and slowing growth in Asia could combine to wallop other segments of the industry, such as business jets, airlines and the aftermarket.
United Aircraft Corp.’s (UAC’s) CEO Mikhail Pogosyan says his company is “analyzing a possible partnership” to develop a widebody with Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac. Speaking at the Farnborough air show, the head of the Russian aerospace conglomerate said, “We are thinking of critical technologies that we need to have for such an aircraft.” China has tentative plans to develop a new widebody, dubbed the C929. But there appears to be no fixed timeline for development or launch, given that Comac is busy developing the C919 narrowbody.
Hawker Beechcraft intends to sell off its business and general aviation and customer support businesses to China’s Superior Aviation Beijing under a potential $1.79 billion deal. The Wichita, Kan.-based manufacturer entered an exclusivity agreement with Superior as part of an ongoing review of strategic options, and says it “decided to proceed with Superior after determining that its proposal would create the greatest value for the company and position it for long-term growth.”
Irkut President Alexey Fedorov is confident the MS-21 narrowbody jet will gain 10% of the lucrative market for 150- to 200-seat aircraft, despite fierce competition from Airbus and Boeing in the sector. The MS-21, which is in its final design stage, will offer a 5-7% operating cost advantage over the Airbus A320NEO and the Boeing 737 MAX, says Fedorov. This airframe’s aerodynamics and weight will provide fuel burn advantages that cannot be matched by competitors, he adds.
The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) anticipates an increasing number of retired aircraft in the coming years and is looking for ways to boost the reuse of their parts and materials, particularly within the airline industry.
Latvian carrier Air Baltic signed a letter of intent (LOI) at the Farnborough air show for 10 Bombardier CS300 aircraft plus purchase rights for 10 more of the type, in an order aimed at replacing some older, leased Boeing 737s set for retirement. Air Baltic currently flies 15 737s—nine -300s and six -500s—and the 120-seat -500s are, on average, more than 17 years old, according to the Aviation Week Intelligence Network Fleets database.
Stepping up production rates across five lines and finalizing the company’s future twin-aisle strategy remain Boeing’s immediate priorities. That’s the main message from incoming Boeing Commercial President Ray Conner, who takes the reins from Jim Albaugh at a decisive time for the manufacturer. “We’ve got a lot on our plate, and we’re starting to make headway in the marketplace and in production,” says Conner, who acknowledges his arrival comes as Boeing turns a corner.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carrier: Oslo - Trondheim, June 15-21, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Top Carrier: Oslo - Trondheim, June 15-21, 2012, Ranked By Scheduled Seats Daily Each Way Departures Share ASKs (000) Share Seats/Dept.
Boeing has defined its range and payload increase predictions for the 737 MAX, which will enter service in 2017. The figures emerge as Boeing firms up the design and conducts initial wind tunnel tests. The increases also reflect recent work with CFM to define the performance characteristics of the 737 MAX’s Leap-1B engine. The 737 MAX will have the capability to fly up to 540 nm farther than the existing 737 model. This translates into a range capability of more than 3,500 nm.
Cathay Pacific has put the Airbus A350 at the heart of its future long-range fleet plan in a deal that makes the carrier the launch customer for the higher-weight, longer-range -1000 variant launched last year by the European manufacturer. Already an A350 customer, Cathay has revised its existing orders, swapping some of its planned A350-900 aircraft for the new A350-1000 version and buying more -1000s.
Kuwait-based Aviation Lease and Finance Co. (Alafco) added to the Boeing 737 MAX order spree at the 2012 Farnborough air show by announcing commitments for 20 aircraft. Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Ray Conner says the Alafco deal is “the first 737 MAX to be placed in the Middle East,” while Alafco Chairman and CEO Ahmad Alzabin notes that the deal “breaks new ground” and is not related to the company’s existing order backlog.
Rolls-Royce (R-R) has unveiled an upgrade plan for the Trent 1000 on the Boeing 787 that builds on technology developed for the Airbus A350 as well as advanced research programs. The Trent 1000 TEN (Thrust Efficiency New technology) is targeted for introduction on the 787 in the first half of 2016 and will save a further 3% fuel burn over the Package B standard now entering service.
Pratt & Whitney has reacted angrily to CFM’s assertions that its Leap-1A engine for the Airbus A320NEO will be up to $4 million cheaper to operate over 15 years than the competing PW1100G on a per-aircraft basis.
Lufthansa will deploy its second Boeing 747-8 between Frankfurt and New Delhi, starting Aug. 6, the airline’s head of fleet management said at the Farnborough air show. The German carrier on June 30 took delivery of its second 747-8 in Seattle and has been outfitting it with its inflight entertainment system before the Aug. 6 entry into revenue service, Nico Buchholz, Lufthansa Group executive VP-fleet management, told Aviation Week July 9. The first 747-8 began operating between Frankfurt and Washington earlier this year.
Delta Air Lines will begin service this fall between its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta hub and Dallas Love Field, using 50-seat aircraft to get around federal restrictions that prevent Love Field-based Southwest Airlines from offering nonstop service on the route. For now, restrictions under the federal law commonly referred to as the Wright Amendment restrict the states to which an airline operating from Love Field can provide nonstop service on aircraft configured with more than 56 seats.
Bombardier marked the start of the Farnborough air show by recording a conditional commitment from a yet-unidentified customer for five CSeries CS100s and 10 CS300s. The order brings CSeries commitments to 153 aircraft from 13 customers, with the larger CS300 version, which can seat up to 149 passengers, slightly ahead in commitment totals. The CS300 has 82 orders in its backlog; the CS100 71.
Led by accelerating deliveries of the GEnx, GE Aviation is entering a critical “execution” phase, said President and CEO David Joyce at the Farnborough air show. With GEnx-powered Boeing 787s and 747-8s entering service more rapidly than expected, GE is in the midst of the fastest widebody ramp-up in its history. About 200 GEnx-1B 787 engines and -2B 747 powerplants are due for delivery in 2013, versus almost 150 this year and about 120 in 2011.
