As we conclude the Farnborough Air Show, there are still some activities in the chalets, with a few last-minute announcements.
Time to go through the orders, as we wrap up another series of digests.
Airbus
LATAM Airlines has ordered 17 A321neo aircraft to further expand their route offering, bringing the airline’s total A320neo order book aircraft to 100. Additionally, the airline has also confirmed to bring in the A321XLR to complement their long-haul operations.
Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International said:
“We applaud LATAM’s strategic vision and sustainability ambition. This order for the A321neo on the heels of its restructuring is a strong sign for the value Airbus brings to making this vision and ambition a reality. The A321XLR will enable the opening of new routes and will allow LATAM to increase its international reach in the region”
Boeing
Qatar Airways has seemingly signed an order for 25 737 MAX aircraft, with them targeting the largest of the variant – the 737-10.
In January, Boeing and Qatar Airways announced a Memorandum of Understanding for 737 MAX airplanes at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. In addition, the airline became the global launch customer for the new 777-8 Freighter, with an order for up to 50 freighters.
Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO said:
“We are honored that Qatar Airways has decided to add Boeing’s single-aisle family to its fleet, deepening our relationship with this world-class airline,”
“The 737-10 is ideally suited for Qatar Airways’ regional network and will provide the carrier with the most capable, most fuel-efficient airplane in its class.”
In addition, there’s movement in freighter land, with Cargolux announcing they have selected the 777-8 Freighter as the preferred solution to replace its 747-400 fleet.
The first delivery of the 777-8 Freighter is anticipated in 2027, with a date to be announced for Cargolux’s aircraft.
Richard Forson, president and CEO of Cargolux said:
“With the 777-8 Freighter being the preferred solution to replace our 747-400s, Cargolux is looking forward to continuing its ongoing relationship with Boeing,”
Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said:
“With the selection of our newest freighter as their preferred solution, Cargolux continues its long and enduring history with Boeing, integrating the 777-8F seamlessly into the airline’s all-747 cargo operations,”
“With its investment in the 777-8 Freighter, Cargolux will operate the most advanced, fuel-efficient, twin-engine freighter in the industry. The 777-8 Freighter significantly reduces CO2 emissions compared to previous models with a reduced noise footprint, helping to advance Cargolux’s commitment to sustainable operations.”
Embraer
Embraer confirms the first operator for its E190F Passenger to Freighter programme with Nordic Aviation Capital signing a memorandum of understanding to place the first two E190F passenger-to-freight conversions with Astral Aviation, based in Nairobi, Kenya.
NAC took up 10 slots for the conversion of type. It is the first placement of the type for an end customer. The aircraft for conversion will come from NAC’s existing E190/E195 fleet.
Sanjeev Gadhia, Founder & CEO of Astral Aviation, said:
“We are honored to be the launch operator of the Embraer 190F, which will be based in Astral’s Nairobi hub. It will operate on a combination of scheduled and charter flights on our intra-African network. The E-Jets are well known for their efficiency, flexibility and sustainability. We are confident that the E-Jet freighter platform will be a game-changing addition to our growing fleet. We are grateful to NAC and Embraer for choosing Astral to be the launch operator of the E-Jet Freighter.”
Norman C.T. Liu, President & CEO of NAC, said:
“As a launch lessor for the E-Jet freighter conversion program, we are pleased to have executed a MoU to place two E190F aircraft with Astral Aviation, a leading cargo carrier servicing Africa. NAC aims to remain the leader in regional aviation and expand into larger narrow body aircraft, while building our full life cycle asset management capabilities.”
Johann Bordais, President & CEO, Embraer Services & Support, said:
“The response to Embraer’s P2F program, which was launched only in March of this year, has been incredible. NAC has already placed their first two aircraft, and it’s great to welcome yet another operator to our E-Jet family.”
And that’s it for the 2022 edition
And with that final flourish, we’ve come to the end of our Farnborough 2022 coverage.
It’s been a quiet show this year as global events continue to shake out, forcing airlines to reconsider their options. In most cases, there are not a lot of new orders – rather follow-on orders from airlines or lessors – with mega-volumes of orders not being a thing this year.
For Boeing, they’ve made a lot of noise and have had wins across its product range. Airbus has been quieter than usual, with only a few orders coming out this show, concentrated in the single-aisle market.
Looking towards the regional market, it’s been a busy show for ATR which has been securing follow-on orders and letters of intent (with a lot of Japanese interest to boot), whilst Embraer has had a reasonable level of activity, capping it off the show with someone willing to fly their new Passenger to Freighter aircraft.
A quiet show all around – hopefully not an indication of what is to come for the rest of the year.
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