Boeing forecasts that airlines in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands will take delivery of 920 new aircraft valued at $120 billion over the next 20 years.
In a filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange Friday, Air China said it had agreed to buy four 777-300ERs valued at $1.15 billion to expand its fleet's capacity.
Boeing announced it has begun assembly of the 1,000th 767, a 767-300ER, at its Everett factory. Mechanics have loaded the wing spar into the assembly tool, it said. "This is an important milestone for the 767, which has continued to evolve and improve since entering service nearly 30 years ago," 767 Program VP and GM Kim Pastega said. "The 767 is a high-performing twin-aisle airplane that delivers nearly 99% dispatch reliability every day for more than 90 operators around the world."
Boeing, encouraged by the strength of developing markets, is sticking with its bullish aircraft demand forecast despite the uncertain nature of the economic recovery, Commercial Airplanes Marketing Director Drew Magill said Wednesday.
Boeing said Friday that four of its five operating 787 flight test aircraft were in the midst of conducting "remote test operations" away from Seattle, enabling the manufacturer to measure Dreamliner performance in a variety of conditions. Flight test aircraft ZA001 is conducting a week of testing in Roswell, N.M. that will include rejected-takeoff conditions. ZA001 has actually been on remote deployment to Edwards Air Force Base in California for several weeks "with a focus on takeoff- and landing-performance conditions," according to the manufacturer.
Airbus said it secured 301 gross aircraft orders through the first eight months of 2010, more than double the 147 orders it received in the year-ago period. It delivered 335 aircraft through Aug. 31 compared to 330 in the equivalent 2009 period.
SuperJet International and US lessor Willis Lease Finance Corporation signed an MOU for the purchase of six Sukhoi SuperJet 100s plus four options. The deal has an estimated value of up to $300 million, Superjet International said.
ANA sources confirmed Thursday to ATW that Boeing has informed the airline it will increase the 787 flight test fleet by at least two production aircraft. The additional two aircraft would be used primarily for ground testing and specific flight tests, Boeing spokesperson Lori Gunter told HeraldNet.com Wednesday.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Assn. representing the LCC's pilots was scheduled to meet Wednesday with airline management to discuss the prospect that the carrier may convert some of its future 737-700 deliveries to -800s ( ATW Daily News, Aug. 17).
Air China announced Wednesday that it has changed its order for 15 787-800s to 15 -900s valued at $3.19 billion at list prices, according to a CZ filing with Hong Kong regulators cited by multiple media outlets. The original order was placed in 2005 ( ATW Daily News, Aug. 9, 2005). Boeing last week delayed the 787 program for the seventh time ( ATW Daily News, Sept. 1).
Bombardier reported net income of $148 million for its fiscal second quarter ended July 31, down 26.7% from a $202 million profit in the year-ago period, saying its Aerospace unit "continued to be impacted" by the global financial downturn.
Boeing Corporate President and CFO James Bell indicated Tuesday that the manufacturer is unlikely to re-engine the 737, saying the potential fuel-burn improvement over today's narrowbodies does not look "sufficient enough" to justify a "business case" for doing so.
Airbus said it began A350 XWB production in Germany with the launch of upper wing shell fabrication at its Stade plant, and reiterated that first delivery to Qatar Airways is on track for 2013.
EgyptAir said its corporate jet aircraft charter subsidiary Smart Aviation Co. has formed a commercial airline unit that will be launched with two Q400 NextGen aircraft ordered Monday. Bombardier said the order's value is $62 million based on list prices but could rise to $158 million if EgyptAir exercises three Q400 options also placed Monday.
Boeing early Friday confirmed ATW Daily News's report that it has been informing customers of a further three-month delay in 787 first deliveries. Kenya Airways Group MD and CEO Titus Naikuni told this website Thursday in Nairobi that Boeing had informed him of the delay (ATW Daily News, Aug. 27). The manufacturer said in a short statement that it "now expects delivery of the first 787 in the middle of the first quarter 2011." It had been targeting first delivery to launch customer ANA during the 2010 fourth quarter.
[UPDATED FROM ORIGINAL POST] Kenya Airways Group MD and CEO Titus Naikuni said the carrier is considering canceling the nine 787s it has on order, and claimed Boeing has informed him that the Dreamliner's first delivery to ANA will be delayed another three months.
