It’s the final big day of the Farnborough Air Show 2024 – and a quiet year, to put it mildly.
Let’s check-in for the final round of announcements for this show before the aviation circus packs up for its next event.
As usual, we’ll be presenting this alphabetical order of the Civil Aircraft OEMs, followed by any other headlines that raise an eyebrow.
Airbus
flynas goes big
Airbus has finally secured the headline they’ve been seeking for this show with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with flynas.
It was signed at Farnborough International Airshow in the presence of the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia, H.E. Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Duailej, Chairman of the Board of NAS Holding Ayed Al Jeaid, flynas Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director Bandar Almohanna, and Airbus Chief Executive Officer, Commercial Aircraft, Christian Scherer.
The MoU will cover 75 A320neo family aircraft and 15 A330-900neo.
The new aircraft will join the carrier’s all-Airbus fleet serving international, domestic and regional routes. The new A330-900 aircraft will boast a two-class configuration, accommodating up to 400 passengers, supporting the airines growth plans. The airline anticipates significant operational efficiency gains by combining the new widebody aircraft with its existing A320neo fleet.
Bander Almohanna, CEO and Managing Director of flynas said
“We are excited to further strengthen our long-standing partnership with Airbus,”
“The A320neo Family provides exceptional operational performance and environmental benefits, allowing us to offer unique, low-cost travel experiences. Additionally, the A330neowill enhance our long-haul capabilities with its advanced technology and efficiency while supporting our growth plans and Saudi Arabia’s pilgrim program.”
Airbus Chief Executive Officer, Commercial Aircraft, Christian Scherer said,
“We are delighted to expand our partnership with flynas through this significant milestone for both A320neo and A330-900 aircraft. The A330neo will allow flynas to further grow into widebody markets by building on the A320, benefiting from Airbus’ unique commonality. Both aircraft types offer flynas the perfect versatility and economics to expand into new markets while offering their passengers the latest cabin experience and comfort. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with flynas as they embark on this exciting new chapter.”
Abra Group signs for A350-900
Editors Note: This almost didn’t make the roundup, considering it dropped in my inbox at 17:12 today
Abra Group (the majority of investors of Avianca and GOL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for five A350-900s to further expand its international long-haul operations and increase capacity.
Interestingly, neither has long-haul operations at this time.
Adrian Neuhauser, CEO of Abra Group said,
“We are delighted to announce this agreement with Airbus. We believe the arrival of these five A350s, which offer a best-in-class passenger experience, are more fuel efficient and have a lower cost per seat than competitor aircraft, will allow us to strengthen our commitment to make travel more accessible and responsible. This also means better prices for customers with better connectivity between our continent and Europe, and will further consolidate Abra as one of the largest and most competitive air transportation groups in Latin America. The aircraft selection is consistent with the strategic announcements we have done this year and further executes on our long term vision.”
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President of Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business said,
“We are delighted to see the Abra Group endorsing the A350 to continue its mission of strengthening air connectivity between Latin America and the rest of the world. The selection of the A350 reaffirms the aircraft as the undisputed leader in long-haul air travel.”
ATR Aircraft
Avation places new ATR72-600 aircraft with JCAS Airways
A Letter of Intent between Japanese startup airline JCAS Airways and Singapore-based lessor Avation PLC for the lease of an ATR 72-600.
This milestone marks the commitment of JCAS Airways to launch operations with ATR’s new generation turboprop.
Delivery is scheduled for the end of 2025. The initial routes will connect Kansai to Toyama and Yonago.
The agreement comes after a recent order placed by Avation for 10 ATR 72-600 last May.
Seiji Shirane, Chief Executive Officer at JCAS Airways, stated:
“Today’s achievement is a major milestone which takes us closer to the launch of our operations, with highly experienced partners by our side: leading lessor Avation and regional aircraft manufacturer ATR. Japanese communities rely massively on regional air links for everything from healthcare and trade to business and tourism, and JCAS Airways will contribute to revitalising our country, boosting its economy, making cultural experiences accessible, and maintaining a vital lifeline for the islanders of Japan.”
Jeff Chatfield, Executive Chairman of Avation PLC, commented:
“We congratulate JCAS Airways on their decision to select the ATR 72-600 as their aircraft of choice to expand regional air travel throughout Japan, and Avation PLC as their leasing partner. By investing in latest generation, industry-leading low carbon footprint, SAF compatible aircraft, such as the ATR 72, we are all investing in a more sustainable future for aviation, contributing to reinforce much needed connectivity between regions and communities.”
Alexis Vidal, ATR’s SVP Commercial said:
“We are thrilled to witness Avation’s successful aircraft placement and welcome JCAS Airways in the ATR family”, said “This strategic partnership not only strengthens ATR’s presence in Japan, it also highlights the dynamic nature of our market and the undeniable appeal of the ATR 72-600. Its unmatched performance, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort make it the optimal choice for operators seeking to unlock the full potential of regional connectivity. We will support JCAS Airways in their journey to provide reliable and affordable air transportation to passengers across the country.”
Boeing
Ryanair is to add Boeing’s Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro 5.0 electronic flight bag (EFB) solution to its aircraft, suppoering the Boeing 737 NextGen and Boieng 737 MAX fleet the airline operates.
FliteDeck Pro will provide Ryanair with tailored route information and the latest technology, including Smart Airport Maps to optimize taxi routes, reduce fuel consumption and improve ground safety.
As a platform-agnostic EFB solution, FliteDeck Pro provides airport moving maps, customer-inserted content and tailored maps.
Neal McMahon, Chief Operations Officer of Ryanair.
“We are excited to integrate Boeing’s newest electronic flight bag into our operations. This advanced tool will optimize our flight operations, minimize disruptions, and enhance efficiency across our expanding fleet,”
Brad Surak, Vice President of Boeing Digital Aviation Solutions.
“Our latest version of FliteDeck Pro includes enhanced pilot briefings, route planning and traffic features. This technology enables Ryanair with real-time data and insights, enhancing decision making and flight operations,”
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited – as part of their new OEM Certified Refurbishment Program for its Dash 8-400 aircraft – will offer new Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A engines.
The PW150A engine recently demonstrated up to 30% increased time on-wing and maintained a 99.97% dispatch reliability over the last decade.
Jean-Philippe Côté, Vice-President Programs and Business Improvement at DHC said@
“DHC and Pratt & Whitney Canada have a long history of leading aerospace innovation in Canada, and we are pleased to continue that collaboration through the OEM Certified Refurbishment Program De Havilland Canada announced today,”
. “There are thousands of DHC aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines operating daily, from pole to pole and on all continents, and through this collaboration we will continue to explore the best product solutions for our global customers.”
Anthony Rossi, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Pratt & Whitney Canada added:
“We are committed to supporting De Havilland Canada with their Certified Refurbishment Program of the Dash 8-400 fleet with new production and refurbished PW150A engines. Our continued collaboration with De Havilland Canada on this, and other initiatives, has produced legendary aircraft with a deep-rooted Canadian foundation. As we celebrate the collective shaping of the regional turboprop industry spanning over 40 years, this program will ensure operators will benefit from reliable technologies for many years to come,”
Embraer
Embraer’s latest aircraft, the 190F E-Freighter, passenger to full cargo conversion, has been certified by the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC).
The E-Freighter is due to receive EASA and FAA certification later this year and the Cargo Loading System shortly after.
The E190F, which performed its maiden flight earlier this year, is a passenger jet converted to cargo operations and will be known as the E-Freighter. The E190F was launched in 2022 to meet the changing demands of e-commerce and modern trade, which require fast deliveries and decentralized operations driving the demand for faster delivery of shipments to secondary and tertiary markets.
Arjan Meijer, President and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said,
“The E-Freighter marks Embraer´s first step into the cargo market. After celebrating the first flight in April, it’s a further boost to receive type certification for our newest program now. The aircraft has been very well received this week by potential customers seeing our E-Freighter for the first time in Farnborough. This is a segment that has tremendous potential, and gives a new life to the earliest E-Jets that are just now moving into the typical replacement phase.”
Carlos Naufel, CEO and President, Embraer Services & Support
“We are very pleased with the ANAC certification for the E-Freighter. This important step shows that Embraer has the Engineering and MRO skills necessary to present an outstanding product and services for our customers. We are ready to support the operators interested in expanding their activities in the cargo market with the best-in-class service”,
Other headlines
Rolls Royce has two sets of headlines – each relating to the A330neos
- Rolls-Royce will be powering the flynas A330neo aircraft. This will cover 15 aircraft (30 engines), powered by Trent 7000. The engines will be covered by Rolls-Royce’s TotalCare service.
- Vietjet has signed a TotlCare agreement for 40 Trent 7000 engines that will power 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft. The engine order was announced at the Singapore Airshow in February this year.
Some bluster at the end
As we come to aircraft departing Farnborough, as the displays wrap up and the chalets are torn down to be transported away, we look back on a quiet airshow in terms of order volumes – with lessors keeping their hands mostly in their pockets and only a few airlines peering over the parapets to make blockbusting orders, which we would have seen of old.
There have been some late (and five in the evening) wins, with Airbus securing important Memorandums of Understanding with two suppliers, as well as picking up smaller orders
For Boeing, there are some good wins, with Qatar Airways stamping its seal of approval on the 777X programme with a follow-on order and a big order from Korean Air on day one. It seems their orders dried up towards the end of the show though.
As for Embraer… well. It was very quiet, with no orders announced for them. Even ATR scraped a few orders together, along with leased aircraft being placed
The big winner for smaller aircraft appears to be De Havilland of Canada, who have managed to re-launch the Dash8 with an OEM Refurbished programme, whilst building out a good number of orders, along with signing agreements on the way as it sets to continue the long-term support of the platform.
However it seems there was one group of big winners at the end – the engine manufacturers, who kept on racking up order after order.
As the aviation jamboree prepares to pack up again, hopefully, airlines, lessors, their suppliers and others interested in the industry have the contacts, knowledge skills and plans to progress forward.
And hopefully, we’ll have a much more exciting time in Paris next year.
We’ll keep an eye out for orders tomorrow… but if OEMs are hoping for a big announcement when aircraft are being prepared to head home (or in the case of some aircraft – gone already), there’ll be a lot of straw-clutching, I suspect
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