Aircraft & Propulsion

Areas underserved by rail—including the U.S.—are potential targets for hybrid-electric propulsion regional aircraft.

Aircraft Briefs-Sept. 20, 2017

After several years of focusing on widebody fleet renewal, Air Canada is now preparing to start introducing a large number of new narrowbodies.

Airbus has opened an A330 Completion and Delivery Center (C&DC) in Tianjin, China, to strengthen its expansion and strategic partnership with China.

Russia’s United Engine Corp. (UEC), a part of Rostec Corp., has agreed with China’s AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. (AECC CAE) to develop a gas turbine engine for a prospective long-range, widebody aircraft (LRWBA/C929).

Four Chinese government lessors have ordered 70 COMAC C919s and taken options on 60 more, the manufacturer and the customers said, indicating strengthened government backing for the project.

Airbus expects to have 2,000 aircraft operating in China before the end of 2020 as demand continues to rise. In addition, Airbus projects Chinese airlines will need 60-100 A380s over the next five to seven years.

Some Chinese airlines have shown interest in the proposed A380plus, an enhanced version of the current aircraft that stops short of re-engining.

The C919 program has had many issues since first flight, Comac's chief designer told Aviation Week.

China Southern subsidiary XiamenAir plans to grow its fleet to more than 200 aircraft—and expand its widebody aircraft to 18—in 2018 to keep up with international market demand.

Emirates president Tim Clark believes the Hyperloop, a vacuum-tube mass-transportation concept, could be used for aviation applications such as baggage transit.

Pratt & Whitney has completed a key step in the development of next-generation fighter propulsion technology.

The French engine-maker says turbofan improvements will continue while parallel studies of hybrid and all-electric propulsion studies ramp up.

American Airlines’ order for 22 Airbus A350-900s is too small to make sense for the Dallas/Fort Worth-based carrier, American’s top two executives said.

Boeing has confirmed it will step up production of the 787 to 14 per month in 2019, as it trusts both its existing backlog as well as forecasts of a coming wave in widebody orders toward the end of the decade.

The Canadian and UK governments have stepped up pressure on Boeing, but the U.S. manufacturer is not backing down from its trade dispute with Bombardier over the price of C Series airliners sold to Delta Air Lines.

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is planning to become the market leader in aircraft under 150 seats and is consulting with airlines about a new turboprop family.

Lufthansa Group subsidiary Austrian Airlines is wet leasing two Bombardier CRJ900s from Slovenia-based Adria Airways for short-haul routes on the Austrian network.

Bombardier continues to project strong growth in the large regional jet and small single-aisle airliner markets despite a slight decline in its 20-year commercial-aircraft forecast as a result of expected slower economic growth in China.

Chinese carriers introduced 51 aircraft in August, expanding the fleet of domestic airlines to 3,131 aircraft, according to the China’s Civil Aviation Data Analysis Co.

Aircraft Briefs-Sept. 13, 2017

Bombardier continues to project strong growth in the large regional jet and small single-aisle airliner markets, despite a slight decline in its 20-year commercial-aircraft forecast as a result of expected slower economic growth in China.

Russia’s Irkut Corp. has started the second stage of in-plant development tests for the MC-21-300, the manufacturer said Sept. 13.

Malaysia Airlines still wants to lease additional Airbus A330s to cover short-term needs, despite the carrier’s new commitment to order Boeing 787-9s.