MarketWatch reports, “China will more than double its commercial airplane fleet by 2043, says Boeing, thanks to the expansion of the aviation industry to meet growing passenger travel and cargo demand. The U.S. plane maker said Tuesday in its annual 20-year forecast that China will need 8,830 new commercial airplanes through 2043, up from its 8,560…”
Full Story (MarketWatch)
Tag: Fleet
USAF Awards Boeing Contract for Fleet of E-7A Aircraft
Air Force Times reports that the US Air Force (USAF) has awarded The Boeing Company a contract “worth up to $1.2 billion to start work on the first E-7A battle management and command-and-control aircraft, with plans to field a fleet of 26 in total, the service said Tuesday.” The E-7 is a “modernized battlefield management aircraft originally developed for the Royal Australian Air Force and dubbed the Wedgetail.” Countries currently flying or planning to fly the E-7 include the UK, South Korea, and Turkey. The USAF said that the E-7 “will provide advanced airborne moving target indication, battle management and command-and-control capabilities.” It will also “carry an advanced multirole, electronically scanned array radar for better airborne battle management, which will allow the U.S. and its allies to carry out long-range strikes against advanced enemies, the service said.”
Full Story (Air Force Times)
Sierra Space Bolsters Spaceplane Fleet Via In-House Mission Control
Space News reports, “The long-awaited inaugural cargo flight of Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane has been delayed to no earlier than May 2025, pushing back a launch previously expected this year. In the meantime, Sierra Space is moving forward with its second cargo spaceplane, Reverence, alongside work on an array of inflatable habitats and other structures to meet growing demand for in-space infrastructure.”
Full Story (Space News)
Air Force Special Operations Command Grounding Fleet of Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft
The Hill reports the US Air Force Special Operations Command “has grounded its entire fleet of CV-22 Ospreys due to two recent safety incidents involving the aircraft’s clutch.” The decision “stems from an ‘increased number of safety incidents’ involving the Ospreys, including two in the past six weeks and a total of four since 2017.” The decision to ground the aircraft “follows two accidents that killed nine Marines earlier this year involving the Marine Corps’ MV-22B version of the aircraft.”
Full Story (The Hill)