Commercial Aviation News

Following on from American Airlines, Southwest now extends their cancellation of their MAX usage down to October. Of course the MAX will not be reintroduced to service any time soon and it is looking likely that next year is very possible especially with potentially new issues being recently found.

United has also extended their cancellation of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, this came after the FAA identified potential new flaws. United would at least cancel their use of their MAX planes until September 3rd.

Lion Air's first Airbus A330neo has made its first flight Airbus announced. The news comes on the backdrop of the Indonesian airline loosing one of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft tragically last year. The first flight for their first Airbus A330-900neo took place on June 27th. 10 firm orders have been made for the type with options for four more if they choose to exercise them. The first example is configured with 440 seats. Lion Air will see the aircraft being used particularly for Pilgrimage flights to Mecca.

China Southern takes possession of their first Airbus A350. The new jet will be pressed into service on some domestic routes first such as Guangzhou to Beijing and to Shanghai before being extended to international routes. Another 19 A350-900s remain to be delivered to China Southern.

IAG has firmed for another two Airbus A320neos for their group member Iberia. The exercised options were part of a 100 plane order that was made back in 2013. The planes of that order are being split between BA, Vueling and Iberia. The powerplant of choice for the two A321neos is the CFM International Leap-1A engines. They will power the two planes which are scheduled for delivery in 2021. and are expecting to renew two standard A320ceo aircraft.

A new special livery is on one of airBaltic Airbus A220 showcasing the Estonian flag. The company says that due to the growing popularity and demand to Estonia they have responded by repainting one of their A220-300s draped in the colours of the Estonian flag. Also the move is in response to competition's lessening presence in the region.

KLM has received its first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. It is adorned in a 100 year livery which naturally represents the airline's 100 year existence from 1919-2019. Below is an internet image, photographer name not found for appropriate credit.

Ahead of Independence Day in the U.S., Boeing announced $100 million in funds to address family and community needs of those affected by the tragic accidents of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. These funds will support education, hardship and living expenses for impacted families, community programs, and economic development in impacted communities. Boeing will partner with local governments and non-profit organizations to address these needs. This initial investment will be made over multiple years.

"We at Boeing are sorry for the tragic loss of lives in both of these accidents and these lives lost will continue to weigh heavily on our hearts and on our minds for years to come. The families and loved ones of those on board have our deepest sympathies, and we hope this initial outreach can help bring them comfort," said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing chairman, president and CEO. "We know every person who steps aboard one of our airplanes places their trust in us. We are focused on re-earning that trust and confidence from our customers and the flying public in the months ahead."

Boeing delivered the first 787-9 Dreamliner for Turkish Airlines, which plans to use the airplane's fuel efficiency, range, reliability and size to operate new non-stop international routes such as Bali, Bogota-Panama, Washington and Atlanta.

"Turkish Airlines has been committed to continuously expanding its range of services on and off-ground as it grows in reach and flies to more international destinations than any other carrier in the world. With this goal in mind, we’re thrilled to reach new horizons with the addition of the 787-9 Dreamliner to our fleet flying from our new home, Istanbul Airport," said M. İlker Aycı, Turkish Airlines’ Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee. "The aircraft’s advanced technology, fuel efficiency, and passenger-centric cabin design will all help us remain the first choice for travellers and provide our loyal flyers across the globe with a best-in-class experience for years to come."

British Airways first Airbus A350-1000 has been seen in the wild. She has embarked on her flight test regime and below is an image of the aircraft taking off for the first time. The first flight which happened yesterday lasted for about 6 hours and saw the aircraft flown to 40,000 ft. This aircraft is fitted with a three-class configuration comprising of 331 seats. The registration appears to be G-XWBA.

A timelapse look at a Boeing 777 ecoDemonstrator during paint.

World's shortest Airbus A380 flight only 40 minutes long?

Things are not looking so good for the new Boeing 777X as current issues with the GE9X powerplants that are to power the aircraft havent been rectified as yet. Therefore the timeline for the 777X first flight has been pushed back to early 2020. Originally Boeing was looking to make the first flight by Fall of this year.
"The 777X program is progressing well through pre-flight testing. While the company is still targeting late 2020 for first delivery of the 777X, there is significant risk to this schedule given engine challenges, which are delaying first flight until early 2020," Boeing says.

Boeing is suggesting that it will have to halt 737 MAX production as the 737 MAX grounding has taken its toll on Second Quarter results for the airframer. Regulators are very reluctant in lifting the ban on the aircraft type and many airlines say they are not keen to fly the aircraft until early 2020. Regulators are looking at late Fourth Quarter at this stage. "Should our estimate of the anticipated return to service change, we might need to consider possible further rate reductions and other options, including a temporary shutdown of the Max production," Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg said on 24 July during the company's second quarter earnings call.

Southwest Airlines axes Newark route as Boeing 737 MAX grounded stretches on. The service is expected to be terminated on November 3rd 2019 due to constraints caused by the grounding of the 737 MAX. They have also kept the MAX from their operations into 2020 now, at present January 5th is the earliest they think they can see the aircraft back in service. Southwest expects to consolidate its presence in NY at the La Guardia airport when they end the Newark Liberty service.

Aer Lingus has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321LR. It is the first of eight of the type on order for the airline from its parent company IAG. The aircraft is registered EI-LRA is configured with 168 economy seats and 16 business class seats. Aer Lingus said they will be targeting the US East coast with the new aircraft with routes to destinations like Montreal , Hartford and Minneapolis.

Singaporean airline Scoot is to take 16 Airbus A321neos. They are targeting end of 2020 to receive them. Scoot is the low cost arm of Singapore Airlines and when they take delivery of the new planes it will be the first A321s for the carrier. The cabin is expected to be fitted out to 236 seats compared to 180 on the Airbus A320neo they also operate.

With the delivery of British Airways first Airbus A350-1000, Airbus released a video a few moments ago showcasing how they put together the aircraft to the point of the finished aircraft you see flying around today.

The first Airbus A330-900 for Aircalin has been delivered. See the quick video of the making of this aircraft for the customer. The aircraft is the first A339 of two that were on order.