Aircraft & Propulsion

Flydubai said deliveries of further Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in 2021 are not currently on the table as the LCC focuses on bringing the type back into service.

Privately owned TECT Aerospace of Wichita, which manufactures complex aerostructure components, parts and assemblies, filed to begin U.S. bankruptcy proceedings April 6.

It may not yet be considered a mature aviation market, but Africa is expected to be a huge area for growth in aircraft acquisition during the 2020s

New details are emerging of a potential freighter derivative of the A350 which Airbus is discussing with industry suppliers and operators.

Oil and gas giant Shell has invested in sustainable aviation fuel producer LanzaJet, joining backers including British Airways and All Nippon Airways.

The next five years could see a perfect storm of conditions driving demand for new narrowbodies, thanks to oil and related factors.

Subsidy package to encourage upgrades could be framed as infrastructure spending.

Ask the Editors: Aftermarket providers inspect all probes and ports to ensure they are not contaminated by insects or foreign objects.

With so many proverbial tea leaves to read, the commercial aerospace manufacturing sector remains in a fog when it comes to guessing narrowbody build rates this year and next.

NASA’s Convergent Aeronautics Solutions has launched a crowdsourcing competition to solicit assessments from experts on the factors most likely to shape the future of air travel and how to best arrive at a favorable outcome.

New funding for ZeroAvia kicks off hydrogen propulsion development for 50-seaters as UK’s 9-passenger project switches to fuel cells.

Europe has launched a research program to bring a circular-economy approach to aircraft design, manufacturing, maintenance and end-of-life disposal, increasing recycling and reuse to reduce costs, waste and emissions.

Boeing’s proposed small widebody is the only near-term opportunity for a large new conventional engine.

SPAC merger will take Lilium public and fund certification and commercial launch of its regional air mobility eVTOL air taxi.

Several airlines are exploring business cases and operational feasibility of replacing small turboprops with all-electric aircraft.

Hydrogen propulsion pioneer ZeroAvia has secured an investment from British Airways (BA) and kicked off development of a fuel-cell power train for 50-seat-plus regional aircraft.

Hydrogen has the potential to enable completely emissions-free flight for most aircraft in the future. MTU Aero Engines has high hopes for it and essentially sees three ways of using the volatile gas.

Cranfield Aerospace has changed the power source of its Project Fresson zero-carbon aviation initiative to hydrogen fuel cells after batteries were deemed too heavy.

Allan McArtor, retired chairman of Airbus Americas, has joined electric cargo aircraft startup Airflow as an advisor.

German regional air mobility startup Lilium is to go public in a deal expected to provide up to $830 million in funds to complete certification, begin production and launch commercial operation of its piloted seven-seat Lilium Jet air taxi in 2024.

Build-up of the first module for the initial UltraFan engine demonstrator, UF001, has begun at Rolls-Royce’s Derby, England facility in preparation for tests starting in early 2022.

Supersonic business jet developer Aerion has released the first image of a planned follow-on airliner concept designed for entry-into-service around the end of the decade which will cruise at higher Mach cruise numbers closer to the hypersonic region.

Electric seaglider; fuel-cell ScanEagle; autonomy teaming; French electric regional; and listening for turbulence.

Boeing resumed 787 deliveries March 26 following FAA’s sign-off, a major step in clearing a backlog of more than 80 aircraft in Washington State and South Carolina held up by needed post-production inspections.

Ask the Editors: It is near axiom that new models need to offer 15% better economics, and that improvement only comes from major changes.