Monday was the hottest ever day at the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) — in meteorological terms, at least. As temperatures hit 36°C (97°F) in the shade, aircraft and attendees baked on the tarmac, which was being safety checked after every flying display to ensure that the surface wasn’t melting, like Luton Airport and RAF Brize Norton reportedly were during the afternoon.
If the @rafredarrows are here, that means that @FIAFarnborough #FIA2022 is officially open! pic.twitter.com/Pa1KQtLLQJ
— Yocova (@yocova_) July 18, 2022
In order terms, though, the opening day of the show was positively chilly. Airbus announced zero orders, with its one press conference a carbon storage alliance letter of intent at 4pm, on which more below.
Boeing, meanwhile, revealed the Delta order for 100–130 of the stretched 737 MAX 10 we referred to yesterday, but its other event was a signing ceremony for previously announced orders for the MAX 8 and 777-8F from ANA, while sans even a ceremony was the confirmation of previously announced orders for 50 737 MAXes for Norwegian.
The surprise of the day was from ATR, which announced a deal with Japanese regional-focussed startup Feel Air Holdings for 36 of the airframer’s turboprops: the larger ATR 72-600, the smaller ATR 42-600 and the short takeoff and landing version the ATR 42-600S.
The other aircraft news was from lessors. Air Lease is placing six Airbus A220-300s with TAAG, the flag carrier of Angola. The aircraft will replace Boeing 737-700s, of which the airline has seven, and the deal will make TAAG the fifth African carrier to operate the A220 after (alphabetically) Air Senegal, Air Tanzania, Egyptair and Ibom Air.
Brazilian airline GOL, meanwhile, will lease six 737-800BCF converted freighters from AerCap, while Aircompany Armenia and partner Georgian airlines will take a further three from Boeing Global services.
Today at #FIA2022, Georgian Airlines & Aircompany Armenia will add three 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters to their fleet! The versatile, single-aisle freighters will bring much-needed air cargo capacity to the markets they serve.
More: https://t.co/rqfikHanOR pic.twitter.com/2pMQd9I0v9
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) July 18, 2022
Speaking of cargo conversions, Canadian airframer De Havilland revealed today that it is offering a trifecta of cabin conversions for its Dash 8-400 turboprop:
- the Dash 8-400 QC, a Quick Change version that enables operators to swap between all-passenger and all-cargo operations quickly, and avoid the need to have a cabin attendant for cargo ops thanks to a Class E compartment.
- the Dash 8-400 PF, a Package Freighter version optimised for e-commerce cargo, bulk-loaded and secured in nine zones with radial spider netting. “The primary cargo access door is in the same position as the aft LHS baggage compartment door in all Dash 8-400 aircraft,” De Havilland explains, “and there are four additional access doors (one at the front and one at the back on each side of the aircraft) to facilitate quick loading and unloading of cargo.” A cargo loading system is also available.
- The Dash 8-400 F-LCD, for “Freighter with Large Cargo Door”, which comes with a 2.8m x 1.8m door that enables containers including the LD1-4 standard, with De Havilland citing an example load of eight LD-3 containers. The market here is interline cargo, either for network carriers or logistics operators.
As we go to press on Monday evening, Tuesday is looking like a stronger day in terms of orders, but the pressures on the airframer duopoly we discussed yesterday look to be constraining order books compared with previous shows.
Sustainability and net zero are a common theme
Much of the news around the show today surrounded making aviation more sustainable — we’re only bringing a few key highlights here.
McKinsey & Company’s net zero transition strategy proposal will make excellent reading on your trip to and from the airshow. The consultancy devised two scenarios — “optimistic”, where new technologies like hydrogen power, battery-electric commercial aircraft, and power-to-liquids sustainable fuels come to market earlier and more widely, and “prudent”, where biomass-derived sustainable aviation fuels are the principal source of energy for aviation.
Meanwhile, Boeing announced a new partnership with Alder Fuels with the aim of scaling Alder’s sustainable fuel production and supporting the testing and qualification of the fuel aboard Boeing aircraft. Alder’s process converts biowaste from crops and forests into a drop-in jet biofuel. Alder previously announced a deal with United Airlines and Honeywell as customers for its sustainable fuels.
To close out the day, Airbus announced it is working on carbon capture and storage with Air Canada, Air France-KLM, easyJet, International Airlines Group, LATAM Airlines Group, Lufthansa Group and Virgin Atlantic. It’s early stages yet, but it’s a realistic step towards dealing with the “net” part of net zero.
Next up at @FIAFarnborough, it’s a big sustainability announcement from @Airbus on direct air carbon capture — focussing on how to reach net zero by 2050. #FIA2022 pic.twitter.com/elPyDUSkPs
— Yocova (@yocova_) July 18, 2022
Propulsion and powerplants are seeing innovation
On the engine front, Collins Aerospace announced https://www.wearefinn.com/topics/posts/collins-aerospace-unveils-1mw-electric-motor-for-hybrid-electric-flight-demonstrator/, which is in partnership with De Havilland, batterymaker H55, and others. Collins says it has already tested both systems to full current, voltage and speed. The companies, both part of Raytheon Technologies, expect to start ground testing this year and flight testing in Montréal in 2024, with the goal of providing extra battery-electric power during takeoff and climb, thus enabling the engine to be optimised for efficiency during cruise — potentially saving up to 30% in fuel.
Still in hybrid-electric, Collins and Pratt also launched a new tech demonstrator for advanced air mobility vehicles, STEP-Tech (for Scalable Turboelectric Powertrain Technology).
Pratt also announced it is now undertaking https://newsroom.prattwhitney.com/2022-07-18-Pratt-Whitney-GTF-Advantage-TM-Engine-Certification-Testing-Begins, which adds a further percent of efficiency for aircraft like the A321XLR.
Airbus plans connectivity with solar drone Zephyr
Aiming at both the inflight connectivity space and at expanding ground mobile/Internet access in remote and regional areas, Airbus launched an as-yet unnamed new connectivity services business based on its stratospheric uncrewed solar-powered Zephyr. Flying for months at a time at over 70,000 feet, the system can both add connectivity for commercial aircraft flying at half that height and for terrestrial uses some 21km below.
And additionally…
The first flying displays of the show wowed, with the Boeing 777X’s aerial acrobatics…
Incredible to see the @BoeingAirplanes 777-9 soaring above the skies of @FIAFarnborough!
Those wingtips are just incredible, and it’s so quiet. #FIA2022 pic.twitter.com/jQ4xeMoBKM
— Yocova (@yocova_) July 18, 2022
…and moving winglets…
And here’s that 777-9 landing, with the action from those new folding winglets.
Note that normally this would be automatic after landing, but the pilot is doing it manually down by Chalet Row for #FIA2022! pic.twitter.com/jGHqqpGMb9
— Yocova (@yocova_) July 18, 2022
…pulling attention even at competitors’ chalets.
Author: John Walton
Published 18th July 2022
