CNBC reports that The Boeing Company “said Tuesday it delivered 34 new planes to customers last month, putting it on track to more than double 2020’s tally this year.” Boeing “delivered 302 aircraft this year through November, already close to twice as many as the 157 it handed over in all of 2020 during the depths of the coronavirus pandemic and when the worldwide grounding of its 737 Max after two deadly crashes lasted for most of the year.”
Full Story (CNBC)
Tag: Commercial Aviation
American Airlines to Reduce International Flights Next Summer Due to Lack of Widebody Aircraft
Reuters reports that American Airlines “plans to scrap, reduce or delay the introduction of flights to several international routes next summer because of a lack of widebody aircraft.” American Airlines “said Boeing Co’s (BA.N) delay in delivering 787 jets, including 13 aircraft that were expected to arrive by this winter, has crimped its ability to ramp up capacity.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Airbus, Boeing See Strong Demand
Bloomberg reports that Airbus “delivered 58 jets in November, setting up a busy final month of 2021 as the company aims to ship 600 aircraft this year.”
Full Story (Bloomberg)
China Approves Return of Boeing 737 Max
The AP reports that the Civil Aviation Administration of China “cleared the Boeing 737 Max on Thursday to return to flying with technical upgrades more than two years after the plane was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes.” China was the final large market to approve the return of the Boeing 737 Max.
Full Story (Associated Press)
African Airlines Order New Airliners
Aviation Week reports that three African carriers “announced orders for new aircraft at Dubai Airshow on Tuesday, demonstrating confidence in the region’s potential for air-traffic growth.” Air Tanzania “announced an order for one Boeing 787-7, one 767-300F and two 737 MAXs”; Ibom Air ordered 10 A220s; and AfriJet ordered three ATR 72-600s.
Full Story (Aviation Week)
American, Southwest Report Profits as Industry Recovers
FlightGlobal reports that airlines are increasing the amount of flights and destinations it is offering as the industry begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting slowdown in travel. Analysts “still suspect the industry will not fully recover for several years – possibly not until 2023 – and a second wave of Covid-19 infections or another industry shock could set back revival.” In response to the increase in demand, US airlines “have brought about 450 passenger aircraft out of storage since mid-May, bringing the combined US in-service fleet to about 4,000 aircraft, Cirium fleets data shows.” By “comparison, US carriers operated about 6,700 passenger aircraft at the beginning of 2020, before the global downturn, according to Cirium.” US airlines “in June will carry about 29.6 million seats on domestic flights, up 29% from May, though still down 66% from 86.2 million seats in May 2019, Cirium schedules data shows.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
Rolls-Royce Successfully Test Flies Trent 1000 on 100% SAF
Aviation International News reports that Rolls-Royce announced Tuesday it “has carried out a successful test flight of its 747 flying testbed aircraft using 100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in a Trent 1000 turbofan.” The aircraft “flew from Tucson International Airport in Arizona, passing over New Mexico and Texas, carrying a Trent 1000 engine running on unblended SAF while the remaining three RB211 engines ran on standard jet fuel, arriving back in Tucson three hours and 54 minutes later.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Boeing Announces Return of MAX BBJ
Aviation Week reports that The Boeing Company “has announced the service debut of the first 737 MAX-based BBJ 737-8 as well as the first new order for the corporate variant since the return of the MAX to commercial service in 2020.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Air France Takes Delivery of its First Airbus A220
Aviation International News reports that “Air France took delivery of its first A220-300 from an order for 60 of the type from Airbus’s final assembly line in Mirabel, Quebec, and officially unveiled the 148-passenger narrowbody to the public during a Wednesday ceremony at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport.” AIN reports that “since introducing the Airbus A350 on its long-haul network in September 2019, Air France has continued its fleet renewal and, by 2025, it plans to have added the 60 A220-300s on order to replace its Airbus A318s and A319s as well as several Airbus A320s.” The A220 order “includes an additional mix of 30 options and 30 purchase rights.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Breeze Airways Purchases 20 Additional Airbus A220s
Reuters reports that Breeze Airways announced it will purchase 20 more Airbus A220-330 jets “on top of Breeze’s existing order of 60.” Breeze CEO David Neeleman “said in a Reuters interview the airline had options to buy 60 additional A220s and was exercising 20 of those.” Neeleman added, “This just shows growth is on the way.”
Full Story (Reuters)