Category: Boeing news (Page 17 of 47)

Embraer Delivers 198 Total Jets in 2019

February 19, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Embraer (ERJ) delivered a total of 198 jets in 2019, of which 89 were commercial aircraft and 109 were executive jets (62 light and 47 large), which represents an increase of 9% compared to 2018, when the Company delivered a total of 181 jets. The deliveries were within the outlook ranges for 2019 of 85 to 95 for the commercial aviation market and of 90 to 110 for the business aviation market. In the fourth quarter of 2019, Embraer delivered 81 jets, being 35 commercial aircraft and 46 executive jets (20 light and 26 large). As of December 31, the firm order backlog totaled USD 16.8 billion. See details below:

Deliveries by Segment	4Q19	2019

*Commercial Aviation*	35	89
EMBRAER 175 (E175)	22	67
EMBRAER 190 (E190)	2	5
EMBRAER 195 (E195)	1	3
EMBRAER 190-E2 (E190-E2)	4	7
EMBRAER 195-E2 (E195-E2)	6	7

*Executive Aviation*	46	109
Phenom 100	4	11
Phenom 300	16	51
Light Jets	20	62
Legacy 650	3	5
Legacy 450	10	15
Legacy 500	5	11
Praetor 500	3	3
Praetor 600	5	13
Large Jets	26	47

TOTAL	81	198

In the fourth quarter of 2019, Embraer delivered the first Praetor 500 business jet to Flexjet, a global leader in private jet travel, just over one year after its announcement at the 2018 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE).

Embraer also announced the expansion of its Executive Jets Service Center at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (KFLL), expanding its service capacity through a lease agreement with Jetscape Services for a dedicated hangar. Embraer’s presence in Florida is strategic for its Executive Jets customers throughout the Southern United States, the Caribbean and Central America as well as for those whose travel frequently brings them through South Florida.

In the same period, Embraer delivered the second KC-390 Millennium to the Brazilian Air Force and the contract with the Portuguese Government for a firm order for five KC-390 airlifters was included in Embraer’s backlog in the fourth quarter of 2019.

At the Dubai Air Show, Embraer announced the name and designation of its multi-mission medium aircraft, the Embraer C-390 Millennium. The new designation reflects increased flexibility and value for operators that look for a transport/cargo aircraft to perform airlift and air mobility missions, among others. In addition, Embraer and Boeing announced that the joint venture to promote and develop new markets for the C-390 Millennium multi-mission airlift and air mobility aircraft will be called Boeing Embraer – Defense. The organization will only be operational after the companies’ joint venture receives regulatory approvals and meets closing conditions.

Also during the event in Dubai, Embraer announced two contracts for commercial aircraft: a contract with Air Peace for three additional E195-E2s, confirming purchase rights from the original contract and a firm order for three E190 jets with CIAF Leasing.

Embraer welcomed three new E2 operators. Helvetic Airways, from Switzerland, and Air Kiribati, national airline of the Republic of Kiribati, received its first E190-E2 jets, while Binter, of Spain, received its first E195-E2. Embraer also signed firm orders with SkyWest, for 20 E175 that will be operated by American Airlines, and with Congo Airways for two E175 aircraft, with purchase rights for a further two.

Lessor BBAM Orders 3 Boeing 737-800 Converted Freighters

February 10, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

SINGAPORE, Feb 11 (Reuters) – Boeing Co said on Tuesday that lessor BBAM had ordered three 737-800 converted freighters to serve the growing e-commerce market and express sectors of the air cargo market.

The planes to be converted will come from BBAM’s existing fleet. “This agreement shows how we can serve our customers by delivering efficient and reliable airplanes and a portfolio of services that extracts value throughout the life of those jets,” said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing’s senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing.

Boeing also said it would inaugurate a 737-800 passenger to freighter conversion line in China this summer.

The new line will be at Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Ltd (GAMECO), a joint venture between China Southern Airlines Co Ltd and Hutchison Whampoa.

(Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

U.S. Transportation Department Office of Inspector General to Audit FAA Pilot Training Requirements

February 10, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General said on Monday it will audit Federal Aviation Administration pilot training requirements for U.S. and foreign air carriers after two deadly crashes of Boeing’s <BA> 737 MAX.

The audit will also review international civil aviation authorities’ requirements for carriers’ pilot training regarding the use of flight deck automation.

Pilots have been harshly critical of Boeing’s decision not to disclose details of a new automation system – known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS – that has been linked to both fatal crashes.

The Inspector General cited a report by Indonesia’s Lion Air that “responses to erroneous activations of MCAS contributed to the crash, raising international concerns about the role of pilot training.”

The report said Boeing’s safety assessment assumed pilots would respond within three seconds of a system malfunction. But on the fatal flight and one that experienced the same problem the previous evening, it took both crews about eight seconds to respond.

Boeing declined to comment on the new review.

The FAA said it would cooperate with the inspector general’s review. “Raising and harmonizing pilot training standards across the globe are among the FAA’s top aviation safety priorities,” the FAA said. “We continue to pursue expanded conversations among the world’s aviation regulators to identify ways to enhance international aviation safety through robust pilot training programs.”

Boeing has proposed new simulator training for pilots on a series of scenarios before they are allowed to resume 737 MAX flights.

The MAX is not expected to be freed to fly until late April at the earliest. In March, the department’s IG said it would audit the FAA’s certification of the Boeing 737 MAX.

The Trump administration on Monday proposed an additional $30 million in it 2021 budget “to improve aviation oversight, following recommendations from the Boeing 737 MAX investigations.”

The funding would support 13 new full-time positions for the creation of an office mandated by Congress to oversee the FAA’s delegation of some certification tasks to Boeing and other plane-makers. The FAA would also use some of the funds for data collection and for “technological advances that we use to assess safety data,” Deputy FAA Administrator Dan Elwell said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Dan Grebler)

FILE PHOTO: Aerial photos show Boeing 737 Max airplanes on the tarmac in Seattle

Some Exhibitors Drop Out of Singapore Airshow Due to Coronavirus

February 2, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Textron, Gulfstream no longer attending
Organisers expect reduction in exhibitors, visitors
South Korea’s air force reviewing participation

By Jamie Freed and Allison Lampert

SYDNEY/MONTREAL, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Some aerospace companies including business jet manufacturers Textron Inc and General Dynamics Corp’s Gulfstream division said they no longer planned to attend the Singapore Airshow due to the new coronavirus epidemic.

The trade portion of Asia’s biggest airshow, held every two years, is set to begin on Feb. 11 under the shadow of the fast-spreading virus that has prompted Singapore to deny entry to any non-resident with a recent history of travel to China, where the virus originated.

The death toll from the coronavirus has risen to 361 in China, bringing the number of confirmed infections to 17,205 in the country. The flu-like virus, which can be transmitted from person to person, has spread to more than two dozen other nations and regions.

Experia Events, the organiser of the Singapore Airshow, said last week the show would continue as planned, but the government measures meant it would “undoubtedly see a reduction in terms of the number of expected exhibitors and visitors this year”.

The organiser said there would be doctors and medics on standby to attend to visitors who were feeling unwell.

In 2018, there were 54,000 trade attendees from 147 countries and 1,062 participating companies who come to network, examine products and sign deals covering commercial aviation, defence, maintenance and repair operations and business jets.

Typically, it is not a major show for commercial plane orders but talks during the show can set the stage for deals that are completed later in the year.

Boeing, Airbus and Lockheed Martin Corp , among the biggest exhibitors, said they still planned to attend the show.

Textron and Gulfstream said their decision to not attend was a precautionary measure to protect the health of employees.

Russian aerospace group Rostec plans to send a reduced delegation to the show, Russian media reported. Rostec did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

A spokesman for South Korea’s Air Force said on Monday it was reviewing whether to participate in the Singapore Airshow, but it had not made a final decision.

The deputy administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Li Jian, is no longer listed as a speaker at a pre-show leadership conference on Feb. 10.

Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC), which is developing the C919 narrowbody jet, had been due to attend the show before the travel ban was announced.

COMAC did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Jamie Freed in Sydney and Allison Lampert in Montreal; additional reporting by Anshuman Daga in Singapore, Joyce Lee in Seoul and Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

New Boeing 777X Completes Successful First Flight

January 27, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

Three hour, 51 minute flight marks new phase for rigorous test program
Largest and most fuel efficient twin-engine commercial jet expected to deliver in 2021

The new Boeing (NYSE: BA) 777X jetliner took to the skies today, entering the next phase of its rigorous test program. Based on the popular 777 and with proven technologies from the 787 Dreamliner, the 777X took off in front of thousands at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, at 10:09 a.m. local time for a three hour, 51 minute flight over Washington state before landing at Seattle’s Boeing Field.

“The 777X flew beautifully, and today’s testing was very productive,” said Capt. Van Chaney, 777/777X chief pilot for Boeing Test & Evaluation. “Thank you to all the teams who made today possible. I can’t wait to go fly your airplane again.”

Capt. Chaney and Boeing Chief Pilot Craig Bomben worked through a detailed test plan to exercise the airplane’s systems and structures while the test team in Seattle monitored the data in real time.

“Our Boeing team has taken the most successful twin-aisle jet of all time and made it even more efficient, more capable and more comfortable for all,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Today’s safe first flight of the 777X is a tribute to the years of hard work and dedication from our teammates, our suppliers and our community partners in Washington state and across the globe.”

The first of four dedicated 777-9 flight test airplanes, WH001 will now undergo checks before resuming testing in the coming days. The test fleet, which began ground testing in Everett last year, will endure a comprehensive series of tests and conditions on the ground and in the air over the coming months to demonstrate the safety and reliability of the design.

The newest member of Boeing’s market-leading widebody family, the 777X will deliver 10 percent lower fuel use and emissions and 10 percent lower operating costs than the competition through advanced aerodynamics, the latest generation carbon-fiber composite wing and the most advanced commercial engine ever built, GE Aviation’s GE9X.

The new 777X also combines the best of the passenger-preferred 777 and 787 Dreamliner cabins with new innovations to deliver the flight experience of the future. Passengers will enjoy a wide, spacious cabin, large overhead bins that close easily for convenient access to their belongings, larger windows for a view from every seat, better cabin altitude and humidity, less noise and a smoother ride.

Boeing expects to deliver the first 777X in 2021. The program has won 340 orders and commitments from leading carriers around the world, including ANA, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Since its launch in 2013, the 777X family has outsold the competition nearly 2 to 1.

About the Boeing 777X Family

The 777X includes the 777-8 and the 777-9, the newest members of Boeing’s market-leading widebody family.

Seat Count: 777-8: 384 passengers
(typical 2-class) 777-9: 426 passengers

Engine: GE9X, supplied by GE Aviation

Range: 777-8: 8,730 nautical miles (16,170 km)
777-9: 7,285 nautical miles (13,500 km)

Wingspan: Extended: 235 ft, 5 in. (71.8 m)
On ground: 212 ft, 8 in (64.8 m)

Length: 777-8: 229 ft (69.8 m)
777-9: 251 ft, 9 in (76.7 m)

For more information, please visit www.boeing.com/777X

Brazil Antitrust Regulator Gives Nod to Boeing-Embraer Deal

January 27, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

The Boeing logo is displayed on a screen, at the NYSE in New York

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian antitrust regulator Cade on Monday approved Boeing Co’s <BA> purchase of Embraer SA’s <ERJ> commercial aviation division without restrictions, according to a statement on the agency’s website.

Cade’s top administrative council could still call for a reconsideration of the case, putting the matter to a vote.

The companies welcomed the move on Monday, with Boeing saying it remained confident of getting approval from the European Commission, the last hurdle to the transaction.

The European Union has set an April 30 deadline to decide on the deal.

Boeing has offered to pay $4.2 billion for 80% of Embraer’s commercial jet division, which builds passenger jets in the 70- to 150-seat segment.

That puts it in direct competition with next-generation jets designed by Bombardier Inc <BBD-B.TO> and acquired by Europe’s Airbus SE <EADSY>, which rebranded them the A220 program.

(Reporting by Ricardo Brito; additional reporting by Kanishka Singh; Writing by Jake Spring; Editing by Sandra Maler, Marguerita Choy and Aditya Soni)

E2-195 plane with Brazil’s No. 3 airline Azul SA logo is seen during a launch event in Sao Jose dos Campos

Boeing Delays 777X First Test Flight Due to Bad Weather

January 22, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

The folding wingtip of an unpainted 777X is pictured at Boeing’s facility in Everett

(Reuters) – Boeing Co <BA> said on Wednesday it was delaying 777X airplane’s first test flight, which was scheduled to take place on Thursday, due to bad weather.

Boeing said it was currently assessing the possibility of conducting the test flight on Friday.

(Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru and Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Editing by Anil D’Silva)

Boeing’s New CEO Orders Rethink on Key Jetliner Project

January 22, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

LONDON/CHICAGO (Reuters) – Boeing Co’s new chief executive has sent the aerospace giant back to the drawing board on proposals for a new mid-market aircraft, effectively shelving in their current form plans worth $15 billion-$20 billion that had been overtaken by the 737 MAX crisis.

A decision on whether to launch a New Midsize Airplane (NMA) seating 220-270 passengers, which seemed imminent barely a year ago, had already been postponed as Boeing gave all its attention to the grounding of the smaller 737 MAX after two fatal crashes.

But days after taking the helm with a mandate to lift Boeing out of its 10-month-old reputational crisis, Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said the competitive playing field had changed.

“Since the first clean sheet of paper was taken to it, things have changed a bit … the competitive playing field is a little different,” he told journalists on a conference call on Wednesday.

“We’re going to start with a clean sheet of paper again; I’m looking forward to that,” Calhoun said.

He also spoke of a fresh approach to the market.

A Boeing spokesman said Calhoun had ordered up a new study on what kind of aircraft was needed. New aircraft typically take 6-7 years or more to bring to market once a decision is made, though Boeing aims to shorten that in part through digital technology and new business models designed around the NMA.

Calhoun “has asked the team to do an assessment of the future market and what kind of airplane is needed to meet the future market,” spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

Noting that the original assessments on the NMA were made about two and a half years ago, he said the new study would “build upon what has been learned … in design and production.”

In further evidence of a change of pace, people familiar with the matter said a meeting between Boeing and a major potential supplier, originally scheduled for next week, had been abruptly cancelled with no new date set.

That contrasts with the approach just weeks ago when Boeing was still presenting new details of the NMA to some airlines, including a working logo – “theNMA” – and details of an “advanced composite” structure, according to a slide seen by Reuters.

The NMA had been designed to address a slender gap between single-aisle workhorse jets like the 737 MAX and long-haul wide-body jets like the 787.

But most of the effort revolved around a new production system designed not only to support the NMA but to lay the groundwork for the next single-aisle aircraft after the 737 MAX.

Calhoun said he expected the MAX, whose return to service was delayed again earlier this week, to resume its previous place in the market and remain in service for a generation.

Traditionally toe-to toe-with Europe’s Airbus SE, Boeing has fallen behind in sales for the largest category of single-aisle planes, such as the 200-240-seat Airbus A321neo, which overlaps with the niche being targeted by the NMA.

By delaying a decision on the NMA, Boeing already risked losing the sweetest part of the market, especially after Airbus seized contracts with two major U.S. airlines, analysts said.

Analysts have also questioned whether Boeing, facing costs equivalent to a new programme to repair the MAX crisis, as well as delays on its large new 777X jet whose maiden flight is set for Thursday, would have appetite for such a costly project now.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and Tim Hepher in London; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Brazil’s GOL Sees 737 MAX Flying by April, Compensation Talks Ongoing

January 21, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

DUBLIN (Reuters) – Brazilian low-cost carrier GOL, which has 130 of Boeing’s grounded 737 MAX jets on order, expects to be flying the jet by April and hopes to secure a compensation deal within months, chief financial officer Richard Lark said on Monday.

“We at GOL are planning April” for the jet’s return to service, Lark told journalists. He said he expected to finalize a deal with Boeing within months that would “make investors whole” for losses associated with the delivery delays.

(Reporting by Conor Humphries; editing by David Evans)

FILE PHOTO: An employee works near a Boeing 737 Max aircraft at Boeing’s 737 Max production facility in Renton

Air Niugini Delays Delivery of Four 737 MAX Jets Until at Least 2024

January 20, 2020 / WIL BALDWIN

A Boeing 737 Max aircraft taxis the runway at the Renton Municipal Airport in Renton

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Papua New Guinea carrier Air Niugini has updated its contract with Boeing Co <BA> to delay the delivery of its four 737 MAX jets on order until at least 2024, the airline’s chief executive said on Tuesday.

The carrier had been due to receive its first 737 MAX this year.

Air Niugini Chief Executive Alan Milne told Reuters the delay would give the airline more time to complete a broader review of its fleet plans, including a replacement for its smaller Fokker jets.

“This will then determine if the MAX is still appropriate for Air Niugini, or whether another Boeing product would better suit as a replacement for the 737/767,” he said, in reference to older models in the airline’s fleet.

Milne said it was possible the 737 MAX orders could be switched to the smaller Embraer SA <ERJ> E2 family if Boeing’s deal to buy the bulk of the Brazilian planemaker’s commercial division closes.

“Air Niugini is a valued Boeing customer and we are working closely with the airline to meet its evolving fleet requirements,” a Boeing spokesman said. “Unfortunately, we do not disclose ongoing customer discussions and have no further comment.”

Some other Boeing customers, including Malaysia Airlines, Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd <VBHLF> and Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA’s <NWARF> leasing arm have also postponed the delivery of 737 MAX jets since the model was grounded globally last March after two fatal crashes.

Boeing confirmed on Monday that it has temporarily halted production of the 737 MAX in Washington State in recent days. The company had said in December it would halt production at some point this month.

(Reporting by Jamie Freed; Editing by Paul Simao and Sam Holmes)

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