Fanborough, 2010 Day 4 and 787/747-8 flight testing

As the Farnborough International Air Show drew to a close, one leaves with the feeling that the industry is slowly turning the corner after a few years in the midst of the worldwide recession. The key was lessors coming in to buy a lot of narrowbody aircraft and rebuild their portfolios. There certainly wasn't a lot of widebody aircraft ordered at this year's airshow but those orders may just be around the corner for many carriers. Airbus, as usual, made a big splash at the air shows with many orders being announced for the first time. Boeing also announced a lot of orders but many were for airplanes that they have already booked.

However the surprise of the show was how well Embraer and Sukhoi did and well Bombardier did not. This may be a sign of things to come in the commercial airline industry and it serves as a warning to Airbus and Boeing.

Airbus:
Aeroflot - 11 x A330-300
Air Lease Corp - 31 x A320, 20 x A321
Garuda Indonesia - 6 - A330-200
GECAS - 60 x A320
Germania - 5 x A319
Hong Kong Airlines - converted 15 XA330 to 15 x A350 (MoU) ordered 10 x A330 (MoU)
LAN - 50 x A320 (MoU)
RBS Aviation - 53 x A320 (previously booked as unidentified customer)
Thai Airways - 7 x A330-300 (MoU)
Virgin America - 40 x A320 + 20 x A320 options (MoU)
Total - 5 x A319, 91 x A320, 20 x A321, 17 x A330

ATR:
Air Lease Corp - 10 x ATR-72-600
Azul - 20 x ATR-72-600
Golden Airlines - 2 x ATR-72-500
Lao Airlines - 2 x ATR-72-500
Total - 30 x ATR-72-600, 4 x ATR-72-500

Boeing:
Air Lease Corp - 54 x 737 + 6 x 737 (options) (MoU)
Air Austral - 2 x 777-200LR (previously booked as an unidentified customer)
Alaska Airlines - 2 x 737-800 previously booked as an unidentified customer)
American Airlines - 35 x 737-800 (not announced at Farnborough)
Avolon Air Lease - 12 x 737 (ordered in 2009)
AzerBaijan Airlines - 1 x 767-300ER, 1 -767-300F, -2 x 737
Emirates - 12 x 777-300ER (30 total, 18 were previously ordered this year as an unidentified customer)
GECAS - 40 x 737-800
Norwegian Air Shuttle - 15 x 737-800 (exercise of purchase rights)
OK Airlines - 10 x 737-800 (previously booked as an unidentified customer)
Qatar Airways - 2 x 777-200LR (previously booked as an unidentified customer)
RBS Aviation - 43 x 737-800 (previously booked as an unidentified customer)
Royal Jordanian Airlines - 3 x 787-8 (previously ordered as an unidentified customer)
Total - 90 x 737, 2 x 767, 12 x 777-300ER

Bombardier:
QANTAS Airways - 7 x Q400
Qatar Airways - 2 x G5000 Business Jets, 1 x Challenger 605
UFO Russian Customer - 4 x Global Express XRS
Vista Jet - 4 x Global Express XRS, 2 x Challenger 605
Total - 10 x G5000 & Global XRS, 3 x Challenger 605, 7 x Q400

Embraer:
Air Lease Corp - 15 x E190
Azul - 5 x E195
Flybe - 35 x E175
Republic Airlines - 24 x E190 (LoI)
Trip Airlines - 2 x E190
Total - 35 x E175, 17 x E190, 5 x E195

Sukhoi:
Kartika Airlines - 30 x SSJ-100 Super Jets (MoU)
Orient Thai Airlines - 12 x SSJ-100 Super Jets
Pearl Airways - 30 x SSJ-100 Super Jets
Total - 42 x SSJ-100

787 and 747-8 Test Flying

Yesterday, Boeing flight test division got very busy. They flew 3 of 4 747-8F and 4 of 5 787s. This included the first flight of RC503, the second production 747-8F that will be delivered to Cargolux late this year or early next year. Boeing is trying to make up ground in the 747-8 flight test program.

The 747-8F program has the most ground to make up and Flightblogger has an article explaining why the program is behind. Read it here:

Flightblogger: In Context: Why Boeing's Jumbo Freighter May Slip to 2011

The 787 got a big lift with many of the test flight airplanes flying during the day though not all at the same time. ZA001 took the longest test flight of the day which clocked in at just under 8 hours. Boeing will need to fly the Rolls Royce powered 787s at least 10 hours a day everyday if they hope to deliver the first airplanes to ANA by the end of this year.

Farnborough 2010, Day 3

Here's the order tally from the Farnborough Air Show today. ZA003 has flown back to Boeing Field and the four other 787s have been flying this past week so it looks like Boeing is trying to pick up the pace of flight testing on the aircraft. With ZA003's return flight back to the US, the 787 test flight fleet has gone over 1,200 flight hour flown. One note from Farnborough, Boeing invited Airbus CEO Tom Enders and salesman John Leahy to tour the 787. According to Dominic Gates of the Seattle Times all he would say is "It will be a very good airplane" after which he added a snarky remark or two about the 787 which you can read here.

Airbus:
Aeroflot - 11 x A330-300
Air Lease Corp - 31 x A320, 20 x A321
Garuda Indonesia - 6 - A330-200
GECAS - 60 x A320
Germania - 5 x A319
Hong Kong Airlines - converted 15 XA330 to 15 x A350 (MoU) ordered 10 x A330 (MoU)
LAN - 50 x A320 (MoU)
RBS Aviation - 53 x A320 (previously booked as unidentified customer)
Thai Airways - 7 x A330-300 (MoU)
Total - 5 x A319, 91 x A320, 20 x A321, 17 x A330

ATR:
Air Lease Corp - 10 x ATR-72-600
Azul - 20 x ATR-72-600
Golden Airlines - 2 x ATR-72-500
Lao Airlines - 2 x ATR-72-500
Total - 30 x ATR-72-600, 4 x ATR-72-500

Boeing:
Air Lease Corp - 54 x 737 + 6 x 737 (options)
Air Austral - 2 x 777-200LR (previously booked as an unidentified customer)
American Airlines - 35 x 737-800 (not announced at Farnborough)
Avolon Air Lease - 12 x 737 (ordered in 2009)
Emirates - 12 x 777-300ER (30 total, 18 were previously ordered this year as an unidentified customer)
GECAS - 40 x 737-800
Norwegian Air Shuttle - 15 x 737-800 (exercise of purchase rights)
OK Airlines - 10 x 737-800 (previously booked as an unidentified customer)
Qatar Airways - 2 x 777-200LR (previously booked as an unidentified customer)
RBS Aviation - 43 x 737-800 (previously booked as an unidentified customer)
Royal Jordanian Airlines - 3 x 787-8 (previously ordered as an unidentified customer)
Total - 144 x 737, 12 x 777-300ER

Bombardier:
QANTAS Airways - 7 x Q400
Qatar Airways - 2 x G5000 Business Jets, 1 x Challenger 605
UFO Russian Customer - 4 x Global Express XRS
Vista Jet - 4 x Global Express XRS, 2 x Challenger 605
Total - 10 x G5000 & Global XRS, 3 x Challenger 605, 7 x Q400

Embraer:
Air Lease Corp - 15 x E190
Azul - 5 x E195
Flybe - 35 x E175
Republic Airlines - 24 x E190 (LoI)
Trip Airlines - 2 x E190
Total - 35 x E175, 17 x E190, 5 x E195

Sukhoi:
Kartika Airlines - 30 x SSJ-100 Super Jets (MoU)
Orient Thai Airlines - 12 x SSJ-100 Super Jets
Pearl Airways - 30 x SSJ-100 Super Jets
Total - 42 x SSJ-100

Farnborough 2010, Day 2

The order bonanza continues today at the Farnborough Air Show. There were a number of MoUs for Airbus while Boeing announced a few orders some of which were already booked by Boeing. Please note that the totals below will only be for firmed orders that were announced and were not previously recorded on the order books. Here's a cumulative summary of what transpired during the day today:

Airbus:
Aeroflot - 11 x A330-300
Air Lease Corp - 31 x A320, 20 x A321
GECAS - 60 x A320
Hong Kong Airlines - converted 15 XA330 to 15 x A350 (MoU) ordered 10 x A330 (MoU)
LAN - 50 x A320 (MoU)
RBS Aviation - 53 x A320 (previously booked as unidentified customer)
Total - 91 x A320, 20 x A321, 11 x A330

ATR
Air Lease Corp - 10 x ATR-72-600
Azul - 20 x ATR-72-600
Golden Airlines - 2 x ATR-72-500
Lao Airlines - 2 x ATR-72-500
Total - 30 x ATR-72-600, 4 x ATR-72-500

Boeing:
Air Lease Corp - 54 x 737 + 6 x 737 (options)
Avolon Air Lease - 12 x 737 (ordered in 2009)
Emirates - 12 x 777-300ER (30 total, 18 were previously ordered this year as an unidentified customer)
GECAS - 40 x 737-800
Norwegian Air Shuttle - 15 x 737-800 (exercise of purchase rights)
RBS Aviation - 43 x 737-800 (previously booked as an unidentified customer)
Royal Jordanian Airlines - 3 x 787-8 (previously ordered as an unidentified customer)
Total - 109 x 737, 12 x 777-300ER

Bombardier:
Qatar Airways - 2 x G5000 Business Jets, 1 x Challenger 605
Total - 2 x G5000, 1 x Challenger 605

Embraer
Air Lease Corp - 15 x E190
Azul - 5 x E195
Flybe - 35 x E175
Trip Airlines - 2 x E190
Total - 35 x E175, 17 x E190, 5 x E195

Sukhoi:
Kartika Airlines - 30 x SSJ-100 Super Jets
Orient Thai Airlines - 12 x SSJ-100 Super Jets
Total - 42 x SSJ-100

There appears to be a big order announcement from Qatar Airways as well as rumors of a Bombardier announcement possibly for the C-Series.

Farnborough 2010, Day 1

While yesterday's attention was focused on the arrival of the 787 to Farnborough and part of today's attention was focused skywards on the flight displays, there were some order announcements that were announced today. Here's a summary of what transpired during the day today:

Airbus:
Aeroflot - 11 x A330-300
Air Lease Corp - 31 x A320, 20 x A321
GECAS - 60 x A320
Total - 91 x A320, 20 x A321, 11 x A330

Boeing:
Emirates - 12 x 777-300ER (30 total, 18 were previously ordered this year as an unidentified customer)
GECAS - 40 x 737-800
Norwegian Air Shuttle - 15 x 737-800 (exercise of purchase rights)
Total - 55 x 737-800, 12 x 777-300ER

Bombardier:
Qatar Airways - 2 x G5000 Business Jets, 1 x Challenger 605
Total - 2 x G5000, 1 x Challenger 605

Sukhoi:
Kartika Airlines - 30 SSJ-100 Super Jets
Total - 30 x SSJ-100

One note about the Emirates order for the 777-300ER, this order is meant to replace the 737 order from DAE Capital that had placed huge orders for both Boeing and Airbus products in 2007 at the Paris Air Show. This is according to a report by Dominic Gates of the Seattle Times. So this is not a new revenue order for Boeing. This is going to be true for Airbus where the 32 A380s that Emirates ordered at the Berlin Air Show was a replacement of DAE's Airbus order. Read Dominic's post HERE.

Apparently there will be more orders for both large manufacturers and possibly Bombardier (for the C-Series), if Qatar Airways and P&W can overcome hurdles in their negotiations. Look for Air Lease Corp (Steven Udvar-Hazy's new airplane leasing company) to order the 737-800 as well as Saudi Arabian Airlines to order the 777-300ER (though this may be an order that is already booked on Boeing Order web site). Airbus may receive and order for up to 70 A320s from LAN Airlines. There is also a rumor of Turkish placing an order for both the A350 and the 787 at the air show but that's unconfirmed. Boeing and Airbus have both promised more order announcements over the next few days.