Podcast: Explaining The Key Commercial Aviation Developments At Farnborough

Christine Boynton Jens Flottau Guy Norris July 23, 2026

Editors Christine Boynton, Jens Flottau and Guy Norris discuss the latest developments in NGSA, aircraft orders and more at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow.

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AI-Generated Summary

The episode is recorded on the third day of the Farnborough Airshow and focuses on how the aerospace industry is moving forward. It covers trends in aircraft orders and also NGSA, including technology showcased bt GE Aerospace and Airbus' work on the engineering and manufacturing capacity needed to support a new program. Airbus also announced wing developments, which include and extended—and likely foldable—wing concepts, as well as production planning and supplier readiness.

Boeing appears to have made less progress, with attention on composites, future narrowbody development, and the technologies it needs to catch up in manufacturing scale. The conversation also turns to hybrid-electric flight, using a test aircraft and related demonstrators to show how electric power could support lower-emission aviation in the future.

Alongside the technology, the episode addresses market behavior, including lessor orders, airline fleet decisions and the continued importance of production backlogs. Financial strength, supply chain reliability, and engine selection all emerge as central factors in whether these next-generation programs can move from concept to service.

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